February 25, 2016 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 46 • No. 8 • February 25-March 2, 2016

Funds sought to implement Castro retail strategy Harper Lee in 2007 when she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Harper Lee answered ‘gay’ question

by Ed Walsh

F

or years, there has been speculation in the LGBT press and elsewhere that Harper Lee, the To Kill a Mockingbird author, was gay. She never answered the question, at least not publicly, and may not have been directly asked – except once. In a never-before published one-sentence response, the 89-year-old author who was buried last weekend, told me in 2009 she is “not even remotely gay.”

Lee dated her response, September 21, 2009, less than a week after I wrote to her to

A storefront sits empty at 2095 Market Street.

by Matthew S. Bajko

S

even months after the release of a plan to fill vacant storefronts in the city’s gay Castro district, a neighborhood group is seeking funds to implement it.

The Castro/Upper Market Community Ben-

See page 13 >>

efit District, which joined with a number of groups in the gayborhood to publish the Castro Retail Strategy last June, is awaiting word on if its grant application with the city will be approved.

In January the CBD applied for $25,000 from the mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Should it receive the

funds, the CBD would like to hold a series of meetings with brokers and property owners near the Church and Market Street intersection to begin developing a vision for that part of the neighborhood’s commercial corridor.

See page 12 >>

Trans ex-inmate settles case against CA Jane Philomen Cleland

by Seth Hemmelgarn

Besties voting ends soon

by Cynthia Laird

B

ay Area Reporter readers only have a few more days to vote for the best people, places, and things in this year’s readers’

poll.

Voting for the Besties: The 2016 LGBT Best of the Bay ends at midnight (Pacific Time) Wednesday, March 2.

So far, there has been a robust response to the survey, said B.A.R. publisher Michael Yamashita.

“This year has seen enthusiastic voting from readers, and we hope they continue to turn in ballots or complete the poll online,” he said.

People can vote among nominees in seven categories: arts and culture, community, nightlife, dining, services and shopping, sex, See page 14 >>

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transsexual woman who was recently released from a California prison after working to get the state to provide her with gender-affirming medical care settled her case this week against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, 52, who’d been convicted of second-degree murder, was incarcerated for nearly 30 years before she was paroled in August.

In April, a federal judge ruled that the state had to provide Norsworthy with “gender-confirmation surgery,” Transgender Law Center, an Oakland-based nonprofit helping Norsworthy, said in a news release announcing the settlement Tuesday, February 23. Officials fought the judge’s order, but TLC said the state “has dropped its request that the court vacate its April ruling and has agreed to provide almost half a million dollars to cover attorney’s fees and costs. That means that the ruling will continue to stand as significant legal precedent that other courts across the country will look to when considering cases involving transgender people and health care.”

Norsworthy stated, “This settlement is a message that transgender people’s medical needs are real and cannot be dismissed by the state just because of who we are.”

The settlement was announced the same day that several agencies released a new report showing how the criminal justice system disproportionately targets and harms LGBT

BESTIES The 2016 LGBT Best of the Bay

Jane Philomen Cleland

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy has settled her case against state corrections officials.

people. (See story, page 12.)

It also came just after Norsworthy launched a Gofundme campaign to raise $30,000. On the site, she says she’s homeless, questions where her “supporters” are, and says, “I feel abandoned and alone.” (She had brought in only $5

by Tuesday, a week after her page debuted.)

But in an interview, Norsworthy said she’s staying at HealthRight 360, a San Francisco nonprofit where she’s receiving job training and other services, and she said TLC has been “giving me plenty of help.”

She was initially reluctant to say specifically where support had been lacking, but after being asked whether it was Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, a San Francisco non profit that helps people who’ve been incarcerated, she said it had been that group.

“They haven’t been helpful at all,” Norsworthy said. She said she asked for some direction on “the bare essentials,” like how to use a Clipper transit card, but there was no assistance except for TGI Justice Executive Director Janetta Johnson giving her $10.

Among other complaints, Norsworthy, who’s white, said TGI Justice’s “broad title” implies that it’s “not just one specific group” that it aims to help, but it’s actually geared toward African-Americans. She also feels the program has downplayed the significance of her case, and she worries that inmates looking for legal guidance may incorrectly rely on a different case that TGI Justice has promoted.

When first asked by a white male reporter from the Bay Area Reporter about Norsworthy’s comments, Johnson, who’s black, said she had “no response,” but then said, “White folks doing what white folks do. That’s my response.”

Soon after the first interview, Johnson called back and said that Norsworthy’s claims were “a lie.”

“I would expect a cis white male and a white transgender woman to get together and talk shit” about “a black-led organization. ... You all just get your KKK asses together and come up See page 6 >>

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<< Community News

2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Leno introduces police transparency bill

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G

ay State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced legislation that would allow better access to peace officer records related to serious use of force and sustained misconduct charges.

Senate Bill 1286 comes amid strong concerns about how San Francisco police treat people of color and others, especially after officers fatally shot stabbing suspect Mario Woods in December. Woods, 26, was holding a knife when police shot him.

Activists and others have called for Police Chief Greg Suhr’s resignation, and the U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation of the police department. Suhr and Mayor Ed Lee were among those who requested the DOJ review.

“California is behind the times when it comes to providing transparency in law enforcement records,” Leno said in a news release Friday, February 19, the day he introduced his bill. “The public has a right to know when officers apply deadly force and when serious cases of misconduct have been confirmed. Failing to disclose such important information can fuel mistrust within our communities and threaten public safety.”

At a news conference Friday, Leno said, “Civil society could not exist without the brave and dedicated service of our law enforcement officers,” but “now more than ever” there needs to be public trust in law enforcement agencies.

SB 1286 would also allow residents who file misconduct complaints to get access to information related to their complaints. But Leno’s proposal would also allow courts to block access to records if it

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State Senator Mark Leno, left, spoke at a news conference on his bill to improve access to police officers’ records, and was joined by Supervisor Malia Cohen and District Attorney George Gascón.

endangers an officer.

District Attorney George Gascón was among the officials who joined Leno last week in announcing the bill at the State Building on Golden Gate Avenue.

“Good police officers do not fear transparency,” Gascón, himself a former police chief, said. More openness “allows them to be able to work effectively with the communities they serve. ... We have the opportunity to improve the trust and improve our public safety.”

Last year, Gascón launched a Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability and Fairness in Law Enforcement. The task force was formed after local scandals emerged, including police officers allegedly exchanging racist and homophobic text messages several years ago.

African American Supervisors London Breed and Malia Cohen were also on hand Friday.

Breed, the board’s president, said, “We have so much more work to do,” but Leno’s bill “is a bold, strong step in the right direction.”

Woods was shot in Cohen’s District 10.

Cohen passed legislation last year requiring police to record the race or ethnicity, sex, and approximate age of people detained in traffic stops and other encounters.

She said she’s “very grateful” for Leno’s legislation. When there’s “access to data, it really reveals a different story,” she said, pointing to statistics showing disparities between African American women and others being stopped by police.

Julius Turman, a gay black man who is vice president of the city’s police commission, said the bill would help people who encounter problems with the police find out whether See page 7 >>

DA criticizes police in testimony

by Seth Hemmelgarn

cops would find the texts “reprehensible.” an Francisco District AtGascón also said he torney George Gascón thinks the police departtestified at a public hearing ment could have investithis week that in the wake gated the texting allegaof accusations of bias in the tions sooner. A judge has city’s police department, ruled that the statute of he’s become worried about limitations has expired, how trustworthy informabut Suhr is still working to tion from the agency is, District Attorney get the officers fired. while Police Chief Greg George Gascón Before he was the DA, Suhr said he’s been working Gascón had served as the to correct problems. city’s police chief for just over a year, The two were among city officials beginning in 2009. who testified Monday, February 22 Gascón said it had been “very at a hearing of the Blue Ribbon Panel obvious to me that both in practice on Transparency, Accountability, and and perception, there was a huge Fairness in Law Enforcement. Gascón disconnect between the police delaunched the panel last year after local partment” and African-American law enforcement scandals emerged, and other communities. including police officers allegedly exThere were “some fine men and changing racist and homophobic text women” in the department when he messages several years ago. led the agency, he said, but there was Gascón said Monday that as DA, also “some unusual closeness” be“especially in the last two or three tween the San Francisco Police Ofyears,” including the texting scandal, ficers Association and some people his concern about the veracity of in the command staff. It continues information “is very high.” He said to be a problem today, he said. he’s “much more wary today” about Ray Marshall, an attorney workcases presented to his office. ing with the blue ribbon panel, “I’m not always sure the informaasked Gascón whether the officers tion conveyed to us is accurate,” he said. union had assisted or hindered his Gascón repeated his assertion efforts. Gascón said it was “somethat there are about 4,000 police rething in between.” ports written by the officers tied to The group is a “very politically the texting scandal, and he believes powerful organization,” he said, the bias problem exists among other and he didn’t think there had been officers, too, which “taints the entire “genuine concern” to eliminate bias. criminal justice system.”

“I never saw that to be a priority,” Referring to those allegedly inGascón said. volved in the texting, Gascón said, Martin Halloran, president of the “The way those officers were conpolice officers association, didn’t necting with one another” leads him respond to a request for comment to believe that such behavior was Wednesday morning. “normalized to them.” He compared During his testimony Monday, it to the casualness with which he’d Suhr said there’s “no place for a disask his chief of staff whether she honest cop or a racist police officer” wanted a cup of coffee.

See page 14 >> However, Gascón also said most

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Community News>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

SF school district OKs condoms policy for middle schoolers

by Seth Hemmelgarn

S

an Francisco’s Unified School District board voted 7-0 Tuesday night to distribute condoms to middle school students as the district also faces other issues, including sex education and a spike in students thinking about suicide.

The condoms proposal, put forward by Superintendent Richard Carranza, is meant to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as prevent students from getting pregnant.

The district has had a condom distribution policy for high schools since 1991. The latest proposal calls for wellness centers at the middle schools to distribute the condoms and have students meet with school nurses or social workers to talk about risk factors and resource referrals. The city’s health department would provide condoms. Parents would be told of the program, but they wouldn’t be able to opt out their children.

“Student participation in the program is entirely voluntary,” the proposal says.

Kevin Gogin, a gay man who directs the safety and wellness school health programs in the district’s student, family, and community support department, said in response to emailed questions, “I am unaware of parents expressing anything regarding the condom proposal.”

Another school district official

Jane Philomen Cleland

Kevin Gogin directs the safety and wellness programs for the San Francisco Unified School District.

said he has received messages about the policy, but he did not immediately make those messages available.

Sex ed

The district has also recently seen other developments related to youth and sex.

In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 329, also known as the California Healthy Youth Act and authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego).

It requires sex education for students in grades seven to 12 to

Lesbian named interim SF port director

by Seth Hemmelgarn

in a seamless transition to successfully continue its ayor Ed Lee has apday-to-day business oppointed a lesbian to erations for our 270 emserve as interim director of ployees, 500-plus tenants, the Port of San Francisco. and welcoming the more Elaine Forbes, 43, who’s than 24 million visitors to currently the port’s deputy the waterfront each year.” director for finance and adThe port’s operating ministration, will take over budget is about $90 milfrom longtime director Mo- Elaine Forbes lion. The capital budget nique Moyer, who recently is $40 million. resigned. Forbes’ appointment will Forbes earns $183,500 annually, be effective Tuesday, March 1. which she said, “is the salary of our “Elaine’s leadership and extensive seven deputy directors.” As interim background in policy and financial director, she’ll make a 12 percent premanagement make her an outstandmium above her base salary, she said. ing choice to lead the port during Besides her work at the port, Forbes this time,” Lee said in a February has served in executive management 18 news release. “Elaine is a proven and leadership positions at the city’s leader and is an invaluable member planning department and internaof the port’s executive team, showtional airport. She’s also worked in the ing her commitment and dedicabudget analyst’s office and the office tion to the port and our city. I am of the legislative analyst. confident she will continue to serve Longtime local gay politico Rafael the port and all of its stakeholders Mandelman, who currently serves during this transition.” on the San Francisco City College The port’s responsible for adminisBoard of Trustees, said in a brief tering, developing, leasing, maintaincall that Forbes “has been working ing, managing, and marketing the in city government for many years. seven and a half miles of waterfront She is very competent and I think is adjacent to the San Francisco Bay. a great choice.”

Asked in an email about the bigForbes’ partner of more than 10 gest challenge the port’s facing, years, Angela Calvillo, is clerk of the Forbes, who lives in the city, said, city’s Board of Supervisors.

“The port faces many challenges and Moyer has been the port’s diopportunities, but the biggest chalrector since 2004, and has delivlenge is repairing the Great Seawall ered projects including the 34th to reduce seismic vulnerability and America’s Cup sailing race and the provide a strong and adaptable founExploratorium. She’s also addressed dation to address sea level rise. This seawall vulnerability and “made hisis a multi-generational, multibilliontoric investments in infrastructure dollar project that the city will lead.” on port property,” Lee’s office said.

The “largely unseen” seawall, The city is currently competing in which stretches along much of the the third round of City Accelerator, city’s eastern waterfront, “has supwhich is working “to find viable and ported the Bay Area’s growth for sustainable ways of funding public over 100 years and protects the infrastructure,” Forbes said. She endensely developed downtown and courages people to review, rate, and critical utility and transportation post comments about the application infrastructure,” she said. “The seaand learn more about the city’s Great wall needs a major overhaul to serve Seawall at http://www.governing. the next 100 years.” com/cityaccelerator/videos/cohortA national search for a permanent 3-sanfrancisco.html. The comment port director is being conducted. period closes Friday, February 26.t Asked whether she wants the job permanently, Forbes said, “Right Matthew S. Bajko contributed to now I am focused on leading the port this report.

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provide medically accurate and ageappropriate instruction on LGBT youth and families, and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and pregnancy.

Gogin said, “I am unaware of any parents opting out of sexuality education.” He said the district’s been teaching comprehensive sex-ed since the 1990s.

“We have a district policy that precedes the state’s Assembly bill,” he said.

In high schools, the district “has been implementing ‘Be Real Be Ready,’ a comprehensive sexuality education program” that the city’s health department and others developed, Gogin said.

“At present we are in year one in a three year plan to increase implementation of health education in middle schools,” he said.

Charlene Cheng, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Education, said in an email, “With all of our dealings with school districts on the new California Healthy Youth Act, we have not been informed of any parents opting out.”

Suicide prevention

Another ongoing area of concern has been suicidal thoughts among students.

More than half of San Francisco’s transgender high school students have seriously considered killing themselves, according to recent survey data, which says 53.3 percent of trans students had thought about killing themselves.

That figure, from the 2014-15 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, comes after officials had seen a steady decline.

In 2012-13, the last time the survey was administered, there had been a drop from 45 percent to 36.3 percent, Gogin said.

“We have had multiple discussions regarding why there is a change in the data from the survey administration in 2012-2013,” he said. “We are unclear why there is such a dramatic change when there had been a steady decline in ideation.”

Gogin said that since 1990, the district has been “committed to addressing the barriers LGBTQ

students face to be safe, healthy and ready to learn.”

In the last school year, he said, “we had a reported 121 LGBTQrelated school-wide activities or events” across kindergarten through 12th grade schools. There are also numerous gay-straight alliance clubs and confidential LGBTQ support groups, ongoing professional development for teachers and other staff, a spring GSA conference, and an annual LGBTQ families dinner, among other efforts.

“Data also demonstrates that Support Services for LGBTQ Youth programs have an impact,” Gogin said, pointing to a drop in recent years in the percentage of students who’ve reported hearing anti-LGBTQ slurs in school.

The survey, which is based on a random sample of sixth through 12th graders, was administered in spring 2015 to 2,220 students in grades nine through 12 and 2,158 students in grades six through eight.

See page 13 >>

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<< Open Forum

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Volume 46, Number 8 February 25-March 2, 2016 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 ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Seth Hemmelgarn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani Richard Dodds • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • John F. Karr Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Paul Parish • Sean Piverger • Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel • Khaled Sayed Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Sari Staver • Jim Stewart Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Jay Cribas PRODUCTION/DESIGN Max Leger PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Lydia Gonzales • Jose Guzman-Colon Rudy K. Lawidjaja • Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd Jo-Lynn Otto • Rich Stadtmiller Steven Underhil • Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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BAY AREA REPORTER 44 Gough Street, Suite 204 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.861.5019 • www.ebar.com A division of BAR Media, Inc. © 2016 President: Michael M. Yamashita Chairman: Thomas E. Horn VP and CFO: Patrick G. Brown Secretary: Todd A. Vogt

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.

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Criminal justice reforms needed

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report issued this week is a comprehensive examination of LGBTs in the country’s criminal justice system, in the midst of a national discussion about police tactics and officers’ use of force. “Unjust: How the Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People” was co-authored by the Movement Advancement Project and the Center for American Progress. MAP Executive Director Ineke Mushovic noted that while it’s no longer a crime to be LGBT in the United States, “LGBT people, especially LGBT people of color, are still disproportionately pushed into the criminal justice system.” They are treated unfairly in correctional settings, and face extraordinary challenges in rebuilding their lives, she added.

As legislators and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels attempt to reform the criminal justice system, those changes must address the experiences of LGBT people, particularly LGBT people of color. The report says LGBT people are treated unfairly once they enter the justice system and are more likely to face abuse once incarcerated. LGBT people are frequently placed in solitary confinement in jails, prisons, and other confinement facilities, and transgender people are regularly placed in facilities that do not conform to their gender identity. There’s also a lack of support for LGBT people in probation, parole, and re-entry programs, the report states, noting that they experience “discrimination at high rates, frequently lack family support, and transgender people in particular may need additional assistance finding appropri-

ate health care. Of course, having a criminal record, whether you’re gay or straight, harms one’s chances for employment, and the report points out that having a criminal record “compounds daily discrimination,” creating barriers to rebuilding one’s life.

The report’s bottom line: incarceration is not a pleasant experience, but if you’re incarcerated and LGBT, it’s often worse.

What can be done? Change will be incremental, but even before the MAP report was released Tuesday, one gay California lawmaker has already taken action. State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced legislation to increase transparency in law enforcement records. The public should have access to peace officer records related to serious use of force and sustained charges of misconduct. It’s important to know if a peace officer has a history of questionable conduct, which could also reveal patterns of discrimination or

other biases. Today in California, most peace officer records are not disclosed – Leno’s Senate Bill 1286 would change that.

The MAP report recommends that states repeal all laws that criminalize HIV transmission, noting these laws are outdated and do not take into account scientific advances (much like the ban on gay blood donations).

Another recommendation calls for police departments to adopt and enforce policies governing interactions with LGBT people during stops, arrests, transport, and detention. Last year the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring police to collect data such as race and ethnicity, sex, and age of people detained in traffic stops. Authored by Supervisor Malia Cohen, the legislation was to have included information on gender identity.

But Cohen dropped that from the ordinance at the request of some LGBT leaders, who feared it would lead to more harassment of trans people by police. It’s too bad that gender identity was taken out of the bill. It certainly says something about the state of policing in San Francisco when community leaders think data collection to improve officers’ actions might instead harm or harass citizens. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department is also working to change its housing policies so that trans inmates are held based on their gender identity rather than their birth sex.

These improvements affect just one urban city. It’s clear from the report that more jurisdictions need to start studying and implementing their own policies to decrease mistreatment of LGBT prisoners. In terms of overhaul of the criminal justice system itself, that will be a lengthy process, but one that lawmakers should embrace so that people are treated fairly.t

Telling Manny Pacquiao to shut up

by Allen Jones

nity to kill homosexuals. However, common sense tells me that this anny Pacquiao, a professional boxer is not of that ilk. And though boxer and candidate for pubI believe he was expressing his sinlic office in his native Philippines, is cere feelings on the subject, this was the latest famous person to publicly a typical gotcha moment for the put his foot in his mouth by sharing press, who are no better for using his homophobic sentiment. their tools of influence to try and “It’s just common sense,” Pacdestroy instead of educate. quiao said in answering a question Pacquiao’s hateful comments will on a local TV station. “Have you no doubt allow him to be used as a Boxer Manny seen any animal having male-to- Pacquiao punching bag for as long as he conmale or female-to-female relatinues to fight the losing argument tions?” And, “if you have male-to-male or of homosexuals should be killed. female-to-female (sex), then people are worse It is obvious that Pacquiao never heard the than animals.” story about a decade ago about the male-toPacquiao uttering his view of homosexualmale relations of Roy and Silo, gay penguins at ity reminds me of when I once said something the New York’s Central Park Zoo, or the bisexual almost as ridiculous. I once questioned the exspecies of apes called bonobos, to mention istence of God. Based on me taking my week’s a couple of the many animals that enpay of $400 cash and losing it playing pool in less gage in same-sex relations. than two hours, I said, “There can’t possibly be a Pacquiao is not the only one God if he would let me lose my money like this.” who has been misguided by readI could imagine God laughing so hard after ing the Bible without the aid of hearing that equation to cause an earthquake. real common sense. We all are But in truth, I have never ever, ever ever doubtguilty of this sin. ed that there is a God. I simply incorrectly beHow does a professor get lieved that God couldn’t care less about me, paid to write a book about anbecause I was a homosexual. other book, but apparently, did A few years later and after lots of unmerited not read the book, which he is favor, God convinced me that he couldn’t care writing a book about? Did you get that? less about me being a homosexual. It felt simiA biblical scholar suggested that due to an lar to when I told my father. “But Allen, I still unfortunate mistranslation in the Bible, God love you,” he said. My epiphany was a beautiful did not create Eve from Adam’s rib but rather story but I digress. from his penis. Common sense told me this God loves Pacquiao and in due time, I beprofessor and all his students deserve an Flieve God will teach him; as he did me and minus for apparently not even bothering to countless teachable others, not to rely on open up the Bible for themselves. man’s interpretation of God’s love, but God’s As reported, Professor Ziony Zevit from demonstration of his love. Period. the American Jewish University in Maryland I can appreciate this world boxing champion has proposed his theory in a new book, What attempting to fight back, when Nike abruptly Really Happened in the Garden of Eden. Acdropped him for his asinine, insensitive; or as cording to Zevit, the Hebrew word “tsela” Nike put it, “abhorrent” remarks. Nevertheless, in the Old Testament does not translate as I cringed at the scriptures Pacquiao posted and “rib.” Rather, Zevit believes that tsela means then took down from his Instagram account, a limb sticking out sideways from an upright where he tried to double down on his stated human body, and contextually translates this disgust with homosexuals. to penis. Furthering this hypothesis, Zevit uses Using the Bible as a foot-in-mouth removal his new translation to explain why man is the tool, Pacquiao not only failed to extract his only mammal without a penis bone – because foot from his mouth, he managed to get the Adam used his to make Eve. entire Bible stuck in his mouth as well. SugWith common sense as my translator, it is gesting we read Leviticus 20:13, which is a obvious that this professor put his foot and his scripture that recommends homosexuals be book in his mouth, or Adam had two penises. put to death, was the world’s poorest attempt Genesis 2:21-22: 21 “And the Lord God to justify a point in the history of mankind. caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he I know there are a lot of evil people in the slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed world who would not hesitate at the opportuup the flesh instead thereof;” 22 “And the rib,

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which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.”

I claim that I read the Bible with common sense. I also claim that God guided me to stories of homosexuals in history like King James I, Alan Turing, Bayard Rustin, and Oliver Sipple, which have been my solid proof that God is love, which includes homosexuals, despite how some of these particular heroes of mine died.

Thank God that common sense is a chatterbox. It also tells me that, if God gave me ears, he has ears. If God gave me a mouth, he, too, has a mouth. Therefore, if I talk to God, he can listen to me and if God talks to me, I can hear him.

However, that can get tricky when someone asks the obvious and reasonable question, “When did you hear God’s voice?”

The answer: Sign language.

I admit to being spiritually deaf at times. But of the countless prayers (signs) that God did answer for me in my 59 years of life so far, I offer one small and one bigger prayer that were clear signs for me: I once asked God to help me buy a jacket when I knew I could not afford what I wanted. Less than an hour later, I paid $35 for a brand new $600 leather jacket that was not stolen.

Another time I asked God to help me purchase a car. A friend drove me to look at a car.

Before I got out to look closer at it, I shouted, “That’s the exact same car I saw in a dream.”

Three days prior, I woke up from a dream of me owning a silver Cadillac Eldorado with a half padded black top.

I love to apply the wisdom that I find throughout the pages of the Bible to my living today. And common sense, which also appears throughout this great book, commands me to use this timeless wisdom, not old biblical customs, as my daily guide.

People can quote as many scriptures as they want that they interpret as, “God hates fags,” but this one fag sure looked good wearing his new leather jacket. Or driving in his new, used Caddy.

And if I need another new jacket or new car today, I could ask Pacquiao, Zevit, or I could ask God. This is the only time anyone will hear me affectionately tell my chatterbox and good friend, common sense, to shut up.t Allen Jones is a San Francisco resident.

This op-ed was also published on www. gbmnews.com.

t

Letters >>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

Appalled at neighbors’ behavior

Regarding the sex offender rehab center brouhaha [“Sex offender rehab gives up on site,” February 18]: like Duboce Triangle resident Erik Flatmo, I have lived in the area and across from Maitri hospice for the past 11 years. I live in an affordable housing unit that I heard was also vilified by some of our neighbors when they held hearings about this project prior to 2001. The building now houses 93 families composed of immigrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Ukraine, Russian Jews, Middle Eastern Muslims, white U.S. gay men, blacks, and Latinos. Hard working people for whom, without this kind of housing, it would have been impossible for us to live in the present greedy and unfair rentals in this city.

The sex offender project reminds me of the work that I did as a counselor at an HIV clinic in the city. At the beginning, neighbors complained about “those homosexuals” hanging around their area. Even members of the staff not related to the HIV clinic complained about gay men holding hands or transgender women using the ladies room. Thank God that is all past and the clinic still provides a great service to the HIV community.

The night of the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association meeting I was appalled by the behavior of some of our neighbors. The place was packed. After Mary-Perry Miller, the Sharper Future spokeswoman, explained what kind of patients they would treat in the ground floor space of the Maitri building, a man stood up and started talking in a very arrogant manner. When she tried to answer his questions, someone shouted “stumble,” followed by a chorus of “liar, liar.” Hey, I can understand that a father feels concerned about a program like this.

But why not let this group of professionals explain what they were trying to do?

After the meeting I knew that Sharper Future would not occupy the Maitri space. In the environment that we are experiencing in this city where people, decent hard working ones, have to leave due to greedy unfair practices from the real estate slumlords. When a community such as Duboce reacts so angrily and uncivilized to these people, what else could we expect?

Maybe DTNA and Supervisor Scott Wiener could persuade Disney to open a store at the Maitri empty location. For $25,000 a month rent it is a bargain in today’s San Francisco.

Jorge Rodriguez-Sanabria San Francisco

Planners need to talk to communities

Enjoyed the article about planning director John Rahaim [“Gay SF planning director has no plans to leave,”

February 18]. It’s hard to please everyone in a city with so many issues and concerns, but in terms of approachability and openness Rahaim and some of the SF planners I have had the fortune to meet and interact with have the city’s future soul in mind. The problem is, as Tommi Avicolli Mecca notes, they still have too much connection at the hip (pocketbook).

One way to break that issue is to start paying more than just lip service to community engagement and develop planning and design tools that help communities envision their character, style, scale, and future vision.

They can do this by meeting with communities and document the important issues – not with college grads unable to see the history and character of the neighborhoods, but with community members and neighborhood groups – early enough to get the right change and right formula and percentages for the communities’ needs.

This takes more than maps, or visuals, and meetings where planners jot down notes that are transcribed into meaningless bites, but really giving communities the clay to mold the future they see and need.

While our planning and infrastructure development and integration lag, we get more political ploys like the proposed I-280 tear down versus the completion of the downtown extension.

Why build all the towers when we have an incomplete transit link?

Part of it is power plays, the other part is a planning department focused on its proposals and not the communities impacted by them.

I am glad to have met Rahaim, as I was glad to meet other planning heads, but until we see laudable change in for whom these edifices are built inclusive of the public’s best interest, it’s just more dollars and mega real estate deals and not our city. Equity and balance in planning comes from understanding what historic and large-scale parts of our city are changeable and adaptable and also taking more than one plan or design as the basis for change. Make the developers present to the public their options more consistently and help educate and inform the public of choice and adaptability in design. We have new tools in the tech and mapping industries, let’s use them to the public’s advantage for a change.

I hope Rahaim will always feel welcome and willing to meet with communities he has impacted to discuss how we can address the negative changes toward a more positive future. I am sure he may already see errors and will advocate just as hard afterward to fix the mistakes and applaud the successes.

ing re-election to the transit agency’s oversight panel or years East Bay LGBT this November. residents have called for Radulovich intends to run BART to begin service on for a sixth four-year term on the Sunday of San Franthe BART board, he told cisco’s Pride parade earthe B.A.R. this week. First lier than the transit agency’s elected in 1996 to his District normal 8 a.m. start time.

Jane Philomen Cleland 9 seat, Radulovich represents Not only are some BART Out BART directors Tom Radulovich, left, and Rebecca the 16th Street Mission, 24th stations already crowded Saltzman are both seeking re-election this year.

Street Mission, Glen Park, as soon as they open, sevCivic Center, Powell Street, eral events associated with and part of the Balboa Park Pride begin fairly early that stations in San Francisco.

“It likely will not be every BART morning. The East Bay Stonewall During his time on the board, the station. We will work with the Democratic Club has been particutransit system has expanded to San community to select the stations,” larly vocal about the need for earlier Francisco International Airport in Saltzman told the Bay Area Reporter service in the morning and increased San Mateo County, farther east into during a phone interview Monday. service later in the day for Contra Costa County, and south to“Service will start at 7 a.m. those headed home. ward San Jose. in the East Bay for those In response to comThe Warm Springs station in going into San Francisco. plaints about overFremont is expected to open later We will see how ridership crowded stations and this year, and two stations in eastis, and if the demand is there, too few trains during the ern Santa Clara County should folwe will look at doing it again 2014 celebration, BART low in 2017. Funding is also being in the future.” officials last year made sought to expand the Fremont line Stonewall club Presisure they could handle into downtown San Jose. dent Brendalynn Goodall the influx of paradego“In some ways BART has grown a praised BART officials for ers and Pride revelers. lot. Its importance to the region has agreeing to further bolster This year the transit definitely grown,” said Radulovich. service this year during Pride. agency will do a pilot program of Saltzman holds the District 3 seat “East Bay Stonewall’s message to opening several stations at 7 a.m. for representing parts of Alameda and BART has been clear throughout those traveling to the LGBT celebraContra Costa counties, including the past two years: our commution from Alameda and Contra Costa the BART stations Bay Fair, Downnity expects adequate service on counties. town Berkeley, El Cerrito del Norte SF Pride weekend. We thank BART Lesbian BART board director (partial), El Cerrito Plaza (partial), for their commitment to addressRebecca Saltzman, who kicked off North Berkeley, Orinda, Rockridge, ing our concerns,” wrote Goodall in her re-election campaign Wednesday and San Leandro. an emailed reply. night, announced the news at the “I have really enjoyed being on the February 17 meeting of the StoneBoth out BART directors board and I think there is a lot more wall club. Saltzman has been working seek re-election we need to do at BART. Right now we for some time with the LGBT politiSaltzman, first elected in 2012, and are at a really critical point in BART’s cal group on addressing the service gay longtime BART board member See page 13 >> needs on the day of Pride Sunday.

Tom Radulovich will both be seek-

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Aaron Goodman San Francisco

BART to test early service on SF Pride Sunday

by Matthew S. Bajko

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

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<< Community News

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Review of Market Street development to include LGBT ties

Kelly Sullivan

The 950-964 Market Street properties once included businesses with ties to the LGBT community.

by Matthew S. Bajko

A

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fter LGBT historians raised objections with an analysis of a Market Street redevelopment project that omitted the site’s historical ties to the LGBT community, city planners intend to review the information in a new evaluation of the project.

It is the first time that a citywide LGBT historic context statement adopted last fall has been used to question whether a development project in San Francisco should be allowed to demolish buildings that are cited in the nearly 400-page report.

The properties in question are 950-974 Market Street where Group I, a San Francisco-based real estate development company, wants to replace the existing buildings with a 230-room hotel, 250 housing units, ground floor retail, and a nonprofit space. The triangular block sits where Market, Turk and Mason streets intersect and straddles both the Mid-Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods.

According to the Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Francisco, the buildings on that block once housed the Tenderloin’s first gay bars and helped facilitate gay and transgender prostitution and hustling. The Old Crow Bar opened at 962 Market Street around 1935, according to the report, while the Silver Rail opened at 974 Market Street about 1942.

Additionally, the Flagg Brothers shoe store that had occupied 950 Market Street was documented in the report as a well-known gay cruising spot.

“The corner of Mason, Turk, and Market streets, which connected to

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the Market Street hustling district, was known as the ‘Meat Market’ or ‘Meat Rack’ for the amount of gay hustling and prostitution that took place there,” noted the report.

Both properties at 962 and 974 Market Street are included in a list of sites the historic statement identified as potentially eligible to be listed as city landmarks or placed on the California Register or National Register for historic sites.

Yet the firm Page and Turnbull determined in a historic resource evaluation of the properties in question, which was released last July, that 950-974 Market Street is not a historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act. That report was then referred to by the city’s planning department in its Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration (PMND) on the project published in January that concluded the proposal by Group I would not have a significant adverse effect on the environment.

The department’s determination led Shayne Watson, an architectural historian based in San Francisco who is lesbian and co-wrote the citywide LGBT historic context statement, to file an appeal. In it she criticized the planning department for not taking into account the various findings in the city document she co-authored with Donna Graves, a public historian based in Berkeley who is straight.

“I paid $560 out of my own pocket, which feels a little bit crazy, but I hope it is a sign of how important I feel this is,” Watson told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview.

In her 12-page appeal letter, Watson wrote, “In its current form, Page & Turnbull’s HRE evaluates 950-964 Market Street in a vacuum, failing to place the property in the larger context of San Francisco’s LGBTQ history.”

Gerard Koskovich, a gay man and local historian who served on the advisory committee for the LGBTQ historic context statement, also wrote to the planning department in support of Watson’s contention that the PMND is flawed and inaccurate.

“Ms. Watson makes it clear that the cultural resources section of the PMND fails the statutory due diligence standards set by CEQA with regard to the sites of two historic bars,” wrote Koskovich.

This week the planning department informed Watson and attorney Sue Hestor, who also filed an appeal of the PMND, that Group I had submitted revised entitlement applications and project plans requiring a new review to be undertaken “due to the substantial nature of the changes.”

The new PMND will take into account the findings of the citywide LGBT historic context statement,

t

according to Sarah Bernstein Jones, an environmental review officer and director of environmental planning at the planning department.

“The preservation team is intending to broaden the scope of the HRER to address the issues that Ms. Watson raised,” Jones wrote in an email to the B.A.R., referring to a Historical Resources Evaluation Report.

Group I did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday regarding the city agency’s determination to re-examine if the development will impact structures of LGBT historical significance.

Watson stopped short of calling for the existing buildings to be preserved when discussing their historical significance with the B.A.R. “I think, in this case, what I am really interested in seeing is better research and better analysis before they can make a determination of the structures’ historical importance,” she said. “What bothered me the most was Donna and I identified two buildings on that block in a list of recommendations for potential landmarks, the Silver Rail and the Old Crow. So a determination was made about these buildings without any consideration of our findings in that document. I really believe it was an oversight and not intentional.”

If the city is going to allow the buildings on the block to be demolished, then Watson argued the decision to do so “needs to be based on sound analysis and accurate history. That is really not the case with this report.”

Yet Watson did voice concerns that should the new development be allowed to proceed, it could negatively impact creating an LGBT historical district covering the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood. The establishment of such a designation for the Tenderloin is among the recommendations in the LGBT historic context statement.

“If the buildings are demolished, that would take out a pretty big piece of the LGBTQ Historic District in the Tenderloin possibly,” she said.

Turk Street, and the various properties fronting it, would be “one of the most important streets,” said Watson, in forming a Tenderloin LGBTQ historic district.

“When you look at a place like the Tenderloin, you look around there to get an idea of the history.

The character gets to be dismantled with the demolition of these buildings,” she said, adding that the intersection of Turk, Market and Mason “was ground zero for the cruising, escort scene and directly adjacent to this project. If you put up a new hotel, you lose the cultural landscape of what that intersection must have felt like in 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s for men to cruise, meet other men, and do what they do.”t

Trans ex-inmate

From page 1

with a conspiracy.”

She also told the reporter, “You’re the biggest shit stirrer in our community.” After several similar comments, she added, “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. ... Go fuck yourself.”

Not long after that, Danielle West, TGI Justice’s development director, called the B.A.R. to ask about the conversation with Johnson. She followed up with an email saying, “What I know as a white woman of trans experience in an organization led by formerly incarcerated black transgender women, is that our organization works strategically for economic and racial justice for everyone, and like many organizations, [TGI Justice] utilizes our resources to best live up to our vision.”

Norsworthy said in a Facebook

Rick Gerharter

TGI Justice Executive Director Janetta Johnson, shown speaking at a Black Trans Liberation rally in August.

exchange Tuesday that she’s not getting any money from the settlement.

“It’s all going to charity,” she said.

“People who really need the help.”

However, she’s still keeping the Gofundme page (https://www.gofundme.com/ddwyw5rx). She predicts she’ll be homeless again.t

t

Community News>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Optimism over pot legalization expressed at conference

by Sari Staver

W

ith activists coming together behind a single, well-funded proposed 2016 ballot initiative, Californians may soon be able to legally buy and grow weed for recreational use, say industry leaders.

The 62-page proposed initiative, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, or AUMA, is backed by a number of wealthy benefactors, including Sean Parker, the former president of Facebook; Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom; and a handful of drug reform groups.

A number of other proposals, including the one strongly supported

by ReformCA, have been withdrawn.

The proposed initiative writes hundreds of detailed restrictions and regulations into state law. It allows adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to six plants. It also regulates and taxes the production and sale of marijuana and rewrites the criminal penalties, reducing the most common felonies to misdemeanors and allowing prior offenders to petition for reduced charges.

A similar proposal to legalize recreational use, Proposition 19, failed in California in 2010, 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent. Since then similar proposals have been approved by voters in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Currently, California is one of 23 states that approve marijuana for medical use.

At the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco, attendees were overwhelmingly optimistic that California voters will approve AUMA this November.

“I’d say it has a 99.9 percent chance” of approval, Debby Goldsberry, the executive director of a large dispensary, Oakland’s Magnolia Wellness Center, said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter at the conference, which took place February 13-14 at the Hyatt Regency.

Goldsberry, a longtime activist and founder of the Berkeley Patients Group in 1999, said that industry opposition to the initiative would be the main stumbling block to passage. She noted that growers in Mendocino and Humboldt counties were believed to

<<

be responsible for organizing opposition to Prop 19 six years ago.

Goldsberry had been a supporter of ReformCA, which was pushing a competing initiative. But the group withdrew its proposal when it became clear that it didn’t have the funds necessary to collect signatures for the ballot.

Goldsberry said she does not endorse AUMA, but plans to support “any responsible” measure on the ballot.

Activist Chris Conrad, who publishes http://www.theleafonline. com, was also optimistic, giving the ballot initiative an 85 percent chance of passing. Conrad told the B.A.R. that opposition could come from law enforcement, those businesses that were “invested in the current landscape,” and those who claim to be worried about “protecting children.”

Emergency department physician Dr. Larry Bedard, who’s a member of the board of directors of the Marin Healthcare District, believes AUMA has a “good chance” to pass.

Bedard pointed out that two weeks ago, the California Medical Association endorsed AUMA, the first time organized medicine has taken such a stance.

Bedard said that many physicians would like to prescribe cannabis for hospitalized patients but hospital

Kelly Sullivan

David Goldman, left, joined his husband, Michael Koehn, at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco.

administrators fear that Medicare would “rescind their provider number” and put them out of business.

As a member of the CMA task force studying cannabis, Bedard said that he could foresee the day when cannabis could be used routinely for its anti-inflammatory properties or its effectiveness in children with seizures.

“There is still a lot of research necessary,” he added.

Patient activist David Goldman, a gay man who was staffing the table for the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws with his husband, Michael Koehn, said the optimism over legalization “is driving this entire conference.”

California NORML has issued a four-page report analyzing AUMA but has not taken a position pro or con, Goldman said.

Goldman has some reservations about the proposal, “but I’ll probably hold my nose and vote” for it in November, he said. It should be called what it is, he explained: “limited decriminalization,” not “legalization.”

On Monday, the national NORML backed AUMA, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee. It reported that the California chapter of the group likely wouldn’t endorse until the measure has qualified for the ballot.

Goldman urged San Franciscans concerned about marijuana legalization to become familiar and get involved with the implementation of the new state regulations, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown, which regulates the state’s medical marijuana industry.

Those regulations have already led to bans on medical marijuana cultivation and delivery in 200 cities

in California, he said.

Cannabis consultant Brent Saupe, who’s also the garden coordinator for the Bay Area Safe Alternatives collective dispensary, opposes AUMA. “I am against any law claiming to be ‘legalization’ if it still has law enforcement hunting down cannabis consumers, growers, or businesses,” he said in an email.

Saupe also predicts “more people will be busted because of the multitude of new rules.”

“Whatever passes or doesn’t, I will grow and smoke my own cannabis like I have for the last 35 years,” he said. “I hope one day we pass a law in California that actually allows people the freedom to do what they choose with this plant, without risk of jail. AUMA doesn’t do it.”

State legalization – on the ballot in over a dozen other states this year – could help fuel change at the federal level, said Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon). He said that public support for recreational cannabis, as evidenced by approval of state initiatives, could add to the pressure to remove cannabis from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule 1, used for the most dangerous and addictive drugs.

Within five years, Blumenauer predicted, “we could see cannabis delisted” as a Schedule 1 drug.t

CHALWE LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2015

Leno bill

From page 2

officers have previously had issues.

“We need this type of bill in these times,” Turman said.

Public Defender Jeff Adachi has also expressed support for SB 1286.

In a news release from Leno’s office, Adachi said, “This bill provides potentially life-saving information to citizens while boosting accountability for police departments. In San Francisco, officers with serious misconduct records that should have disqualified them from duty have gone on to harm city residents.”

Leno said Friday that he’d sent copies of his bill to Suhr and Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, and he planned to talk to the San Francisco Police Officers Association later in the day.

The police officers association and police department spokespeople didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment.

But Eugene Cerbone, the president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, blasted the Bay Area Reporter for even asking about SB 1286, criticized public officials, and expressed his opposition to the bill.

“Instead of writing anti-law enforcement articles, why don’t you write about victims of crime who get no representation or days of remembrance,” Cerbone, who’s gay, said, in an apparent reference to Mario Woods Remembrance Day in See page 9 >>

I have realized that, above all else, it’s about knowing you’re not alone.

LEARN MORE AT POSITIVEFORCE.ORG /CONNECT

PROGRAMS OF SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

<< Travel

t Adventure and parties await in Spain’s Balearic Islands

Adrienne Jordan

Stunning views are found at the Cotton Beach Club in Ibiza.

415 Steven Underhill 370 7152

PHOTOGRAPHY

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

EXPLORE THE GAY WORLD

by Adrienne Jordan

T

he Balearic Islands of Spain, located in the western Mediterranean Sea, have been in the crosshairs of many rulers, from the Vandals of 461 AD to the Byzantine Empire to the Kingdom of Aragon.

Many landmarks, like the imposing Gothic Cathedral in Mallorca and the salt marshes in Ibiza, are reminders of their ancient history and architectural wonders built on the beautiful islands.

In addition to exploring the relics of past centuries, Mallorca and Ibiza both offer a plethora of excursions for outdoors enthusiasts. From boat rides through caves to tanning on gay-friendly beaches the Balearic Islands are a destination for every type of traveler.

Start your journey by visiting the largest island of the archipelago, Mallorca. Perhaps the most recognizable landmark in the capital of Palma de Mallorca is the magnificent La Seu Gothic cathedral. Built from sandstone walls and lined with flying buttresses that seem to rise out of the sea, La Seu was created during the rule of King James I of Aragon in 1229, with construction finishing four centuries later in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma atop the former citadel of the Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the episcopal palace. It also overlooks the Parc de la Mar, where couples stop for a romantic bite and teenage locals host rap battles in Spanish.

In Palma, shopping along the 100-year-old tree-lined Passeig de Born promenade is a must for experiencing the heart of city life. The Passeig de Born is the hub of fiestas, demonstrations, and a place where families enjoy an evening stroll. The promenade is lined with a selection of mid- and high-range shops, like Zara, Boss, and Louis Vuitton. Born is also the home to Ca’n Solleric, a modern art gallery that opened in 1995 in a converted mansion.

Leaving the city, one should pay a visit to the east coast of the island, which is best known for its caves and stunning beaches. The eerielooking Caves of Drach are one of the island’s most unique attractions, extending for over 3,900 feet with craggy stalactite formations that hang from the ceiling and jutting stalagmites that rise from the ground. The caves can be explored through a one-hour guided tour, which includes a classical music concert and a boat trip across Lake Martel, one of the largest subterranean lakes in the world.

Spend a day in the isolated, rugged west coast of Mallorca. Valldemossa is one of the island’s best kept secrets being a small town with quaint homes and family bakeries.

Many doorways of houses feature a

religious symbol of Mallorca’s patron saint, Saint Catalina Thomàs, to protect them from harm. The Royal Carthusian monastery of Valldemossa is the main draw to the area, where the Carthusian monks were based for several centuries. Tourists who appreciate classical music will find delight in the souvenirs and personal objects left by Chopin and Georges Sand, who spent a winter there. The stone paved alleys also make for a romantic walk around the grounds. Palma City is also the place where gay travelers seek LGBT events like Saturday night parties at the gay club, La Demence, and the women flock to the Ella Lesbian Festival, which combine beach events and night parties into a long weekend.

Ibiza

After a few days in Mallorca, take Air Berlin’s short, one-hour flight over to Ibiza. Air Berlin is an International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association member and also has an LGBT information site to promote travel within the gay community (http://www.airberlin.com/lgbt).

Ibiza is well-known for bringing the best DJs in the world to sell out events during the party season, which runs from May through September. AfroJack, David Guetta, Carlcox, and Avicci are some of the headliner DJs seen on billboards all over the island. Ibiza is not just for the party crowd – the island experience is replete with adventure, gourmet cuisine, and ancient landmarks for exploring.

Start with your check-in to the Ushuaïa Tower Hotel located in the lively area of Playa d’en Bossa. Before you even approach the lobby, music pumping by the resident DJ can be heard spilling from the pool area. This is a sign that the party has already started, and it’s not even 1 p.m. Before stripping off your airplane attire and throwing on some trunks to groove by the pool, start with a couple hours spent exploring the island’s natural beauty. A prelude to the wild night that is sure to come

would be to relax on the gay-friendly Ses Salines public beach, located 10 minutes from the hotel. During the drive, miles of natural marshes can be seen outlining a combination of gleaming mounds of salt, the church of Sant Francesc, pinewoods, and sabina thickets. The Ses Salines Park salt marshes are from 600 BC, and locals favor biking or running along this scenic path. When hunger has started to set in, visit the neighboring gay-owned restaurant, Chiringay on a serene beachfront.

Ibiza’s blowout gay event, the WE party, takes place at the Ushuaïa Club in July and August. Additionally, there’s the Velvet Ibiza party (http://www.velvetibiza.com), described as “The Wildest Women’s Only Weekend” for lesbians. This event takes place every May and includes pool parties, concerts, yoga, and beach events.

On Tuesday and Saturday nights, the Hard Rock Hotel located across the street from Ushuaïa has a dinner and show experience on the ninth floor rooftop. At the Heaven restaurant, guests can enjoy a four-course tapas menu while watching a series of performances, including ballet dancers, sexy sailor dances, and contortionists in a setting that is very à la Las Vegas and Miami wrapped together.

Take the rental car out for a drive to the western side of the island where another beautiful beach is waiting to be discovered. Enter Cala Salada. This tucked away paradise is mainly on the radar of the locals. Warm sand flanked by crystal clear blue waters beckons you for a swim or to rent one of the paddle boats for an up-close perspective of the coast. On the other side of the island, the see-and-be-seen Cotton Beach Club offers one of the best views on the island while dining. The ritzy restaurant-lounge is swathed in all-white and overlooks the tranquil Tarida beach.

Mallorca and Ibiza both sparkle with centuries old history and offer adventurous activities along the Mediterranean Sea. With world-class hotels, year round mild weather, and parties and outdoors activities to please all tastes, these Balearic Islands should be on your to-vacation list.t

Adrienne Jordan

The Pueblo Espanol is one of several sights to see in Mallorca.

Community News>>

t HIV confab focuses on treatment and prevention

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

by Liz Highleyman

“We need to try to reach everyone with HIV,” he said, “and new methods may help fill the treatment gap.”

N

ew HIV prevention methods, long-acting treatment, and basic science that could help find a cure where among the key topics at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections taking place this week in Boston.

CROI was once the major venue for presenting data from clinical trials of new antiretroviral drugs, but as HIV treatment has become highly effective and well tolerated, the focus has shifted to prevention, making treatment accessible to all who need it, and managing other conditions such as hepatitis C and tuberculosis in people living with HIV. “Twenty years ago we saw the first reports about protease inhibitors that really changed the landscape of HIV treatment, but progress didn’t stop there and we’ve made numerous improvements in terms of ease of use, side effect profiles, and scaling up,” said conference Co-Chair Dr. Susan Buchbinder, director of Bridge HIV at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

“We’re in a parallel situation now with prevention and PrEP.”

Picturing the epidemic

The wide availability of effective antiretroviral treatment has dramatically reduced death rates and extended survival for people with HIV. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Oakland looked at life expectancy for HIVpositive versus HIV-negative people in the era of effective treatment.

They found that a 20-year-old person with HIV could expect to live to age 49, compared with age 62 for HIVnegative people – a 13-year gap. But an HIV-positive person who started antiretroviral treatment early, did not have hepatitis B or C, did not use drugs or drink heavily, and did not smoke could expect to live to age 59.

In another epidemiology study researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented updated estimates of the lifetime risk of HIV in the U.S. While the likelihood of ever being diagnosed with HIV declined over the past decade, from one in 78 to one in 99, the risk varies widely among population subgroups.

The study confirmed that gay and bisexual men are most heavily affected by the epidemic, with a one in six chance of ever being diagnosed – nearly 80 times higher than heterosexual men. (The researchers did not report separate figures for lesbians or for transgender men or women.)

African-Americans had the highest lifetime risk of any racial or ethnic group, one in 20 for black men and one in 48 for black women, compared with one in 174 for white men and one in 883 for white women.

Combining these categories, black gay men had the highest risk of any subgroup, with one in two expected to become infected over a lifetime if current trends continue. The corresponding risk was one in four for Latino men, one in 11 for white men, and one in 14 for Asian American men.

<<

Leno bill

From page 7

San Francisco, which the Board of Supervisors recently passed.

“It is a shame that our real heroes who risk their lives every day, and in some cases have died in the line of duty, are treated like common criminals, while the real criminals get treated like victims. I would like to see that article come from you or the B.A.R. ... The B.A.R. needs to do a better job, in my opinion, since it is geared toward the gay community yet I don’t see all of those different views represented in your coverage.

As for [Leno’s] legislation, I do not support it.”

A previous effort from Leno to

Transgender health and HIV

Liz Highleyman

Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections Co-Chairs Julie Overbaugh, Ph.D., Drs. Susan Buchbinder and Judith Currier addressed the start of the session.

“These estimates are a sobering reminder that gay and bisexual men face an unacceptably high risk for HIV – and of the urgent need for action,” said Dr. Eugene McCray, director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “If we work to ensure that every American has access to the prevention tools we know work, we can avoid the outcomes projected in this study.”

immune system fight HIV. Presenting an overview of the current status and future of antiretroviral therapy, Dr. Joseph Eron, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, concluded that while today’s antiretrovirals are very effective, many people are still not in care or not on treatment.

Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, presented the first-ever CROI plenary lecture on transgender people and HIV. Very little is known about HIV rates among trans men, with estimates ranging from 0 to 8 percent, she said.

Trans women have among the highest rates of HIV infection. One meta-analysis found that 22 percent of transgender women in the U.S. are HIV-positive, while a global meta-analysis found that 19 percent of trans women were living with HIV. As Buchbinder noted in her introduction, “There is probably no population that is both more heavily impacted [by HIV] and less discussed around the world than transgender people.”

To date, no randomized clinical trials have looked specifically at

PrEP for transgender women, and it is not known whether hormone use or other factors might affect its safety and effectiveness. But a sub-study of the pivotal iPrEx trial found that Truvada PrEP appeared to protect trans women who took it consistently.

Poteat reported that a survey of HIV-positive trans women by the Oakland-based Transgender Law Center found that gender-affirming care and hormone therapy were their top priority, considered more urgent than HIV treatment. But trans women who had the same doctor for both hormone therapy and HIV care were more likely to achieve viral suppression.

To address barriers to care for trans women it is important to “reduce stigma and prevent secondary trauma including racism, transphobia, economic disadvantage, and other structural factors,” Poteat concluded. “HIV services we have available, mostly geared towards gay men, do not meet the needs of trans women.”t

Prevention, treatment, and cure

The biggest prevention news came from two studies that tested vaginal rings containing the experimental antiretroviral dapivirine in African women. The rings modestly reduced the risk of HIV infection – by 27 percent in one study and by 31 percent in the other. But in the ASPIRE trial protection was greater, reaching 61 percent, for women over age 25.

The conference also featured new studies on oral PrEP using Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine), including data about sexually transmitted infections and kidney side effects among PrEP users. These studies had not yet been presented at press time and will be reviewed in a future report.

Turning to HIV treatment, Dr. David Margolis, from ViiV Healthcare, reported that a pair of longacting injectable antiretrovirals – cabotegravir and rilpivirine – given once every four or eight weeks maintained viral suppression as well as a standard three-drug oral regimen. If the combination continues to do well in larger trials, it offers the potential for treatment taken monthly or even quarterly. These long-acting injectables are also being studied for PrEP. A study in South Africa found that a program to start treatment on the same day as HIV diagnosis – reducing the process from six clinic visits to one – led to more people starting antiretroviral therapy and achieving undetectable viral load.

These results show that an effort similar to San Francisco’s same-day RAPID program can also work in a resource-limited setting.

On the cure front, researchers reported promising data from studies of broadly neutralizing antibodies, which could help the increase access to police records failed, but he said, “This is an idea whose time has come.”

Leno’s office noted that statutes in California law don’t allow peace officer records to be disclosed. Texas, Utah, and several other states make information publicly available when a misconduct allegation has been confirmed.

Some other states, including Florida and Washington, make the same records public even when the incident hasn’t been confirmed.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association and the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are among the groups sponsoring SB 1286.t

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<< Community News

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

CA issues guidance on trans workers compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he state Department of Fair Employment and Housing has issued new guidance for employers of transgender employees on complying with the Fair Employment and Housing Act. The guidance makes clear that employers must allow transgender employees access to restroom, shower, locker room, and other such facilities that correspond with their gender identity. It also suggests that providing individual, or unisex, restrooms, where possible, can enhance privacy for all employees.

“Under California law, all employees have the right to use restroom and locker room facilities that correspond to their gender identity, regardless of their assigned sex at birth,” Kevin Kish, a gay man who Governor Jerry Brown named director of DFEH, said in a February 17 news release.

The department’s guidance is consistent with an April 2015 decision of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under federal law and a June 2015 “Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers” pub-

lished by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

According to the news release, the guidance was issued following a lawsuit involving a transgender person who had sought employment at American Pacific Corporation in Sacramento in 2011. Finding the law to be unclear at the time, the company made an offer of employment on the condition that the applicant use shower, locker room, and restroom facilities inconsistent with the person’s gender identity and expression, unless and until the applicant underwent sex reassignment surgery. The person decided against accepting the offer.

As part of a settlement, AMPAC will adopt new policies to allow employees access to the facilities that correspond with their gender identity, the news release stated.

“Transgender people face significant barriers to employment,” Kish said. “We commend AMPAC for agreeing to adopt a new policy and expect that the guidance from federal and state agencies will assist others in providing safe and inclusive work environments.”

few weeks a large protest near the former Super Bowl City site where demonstrators called for an end to criminal penalties for homeless people.

Black History Month film, discussion

DFEH Director Kevin Kish

Supes hold hearing on homeless issues

Supervisors Malia Cohen and Jane Kim will hold a hearing to discuss solutions to homelessness Thursday, February 25 at 10 a.m. at San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 250.

A news release from the Coalition on Homelessness encouraged homeless people and their supporters to attend, so that the supervisors can hear from those directly affected. The hearing follows by a

The Freedom Socialist Party will have a Black History Month program Saturday, February 27, at 7 p.m. at New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk Street (at Ellis). Attendees will see Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence, a 2015 documentary that covers 50 years of confronting police abuse and racism in Portland, Oregon, and its lessons for establishing community control of police in the Bay Area.

There’s a door donation of $2. A chicken and dumpling dinner (with vegetarian option) is available at 6 p.m. for a donation of $8.50. The building is wheelchair accessible and there will be on-site childcare.

For more information, contact (415) 864-1278 or bafsp@earthlink. net. For more information on the Freedom Socialist Party, visit http:// www.socialism.com.

Discounts, free admission at SF Zoo

February is a good month for city

t

residents to visit the San Francisco Zoo, as it is offering various special discounts.

Additionally, the zoo announced last week that it has welcomed a new animal, an Andean Condor named Claudia. Hatched in 1985, Claudia now weighs about 25 pounds and has a 10-foot wingspan. She’s in the Puente Aviary for at least the next six months, zoo officials said.

For the rest of February the zoo is celebrating Senior Sweetheart Month, where seniors ages 65 and over will receive a two-for-one discount.

And to celebrate leap day on Monday, February 29, the zoo will offer free admission for San Francisco residents.

For more information, visit http://www.sfzoo.org.

Open auditions for popular musical revue

Producer Jo Schuman Silver has announced open auditions for male and female performers and understudies for Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, the world’s longest running musical revue. Auditions will be held Saturday, March 5 at 2 p.m. at Club Fugazi, 678 Green Street (Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard) in San Francisco’s North Beach district. No appointment is necessary.

Auditioners must have a strong singing voice and be at least 18 years old and appear 35 or younger. They must bring a current resume, photo, and sheet music in their own key.

Singers should be prepared to sing one up-tempo number (preferably rock or pop) and one ballad. An accompanist will be provided. Comic timing, acting skills, and the ability to imitate pop culture icons are a plus. People should wear shoes they can move in.

Beach Blanket Babylon offers a competitive salary and benefits package, according to a news release.

For questions, email auditions@beachblanketbabylon.com, or fax (415) 421-0518 (include the call-back number) or visit https://beachblanketbabylon.com/ March-5th-auditions/.

Dance company nominated for awards

The Sean Dorsey Dance Company has been nominated for two Isadora Duncan Dance awards and the ceremony next month is open to the public.

According to a news release, Sean Dorsey Dance has been nominated for best company performance and best soundscore/text/music for The Missing Generation, a dance-theater work that gives voice to longtime survivors of the early AIDS epidemic.

The 30th annual Izzie Awards take place Monday, March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum. Doors open at 6.

The event is free.

For more information on Sean Dorsey Dance, visit http://www.seandorseydance.com.

Solano Pride Center offers counseling

The Solano Pride Center in Fairfield has announced that it’s now offering counseling services in partnership with the Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County, a Medi-Cal approved mental health provider.

Services include both counseling and case management. For more information, leave a message on RCC’s confidential counseling line at (925) 692-2056.

The Solano Pride Center is located at 1234 Empire Street. For more information, visit http://www. solanopride.org.t

t

Election 2016>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

Trump continues winning streak; Clinton questioned on LGBT rights

ESCAPE TO PALM SPRINGS

by Lisa Keen

T

he Christianity of various Republican presidential candidates became a focus in the South Carolina primary, implicating not only marriage but whether gays should be banned from immigrating to the U.S. Meanwhile, in the Nevada Democratic caucuses, the question of whether Hillary Clinton’s support for the rights of LGBT people is sincere or politically motivated resurfaced.

Real estate mogul Donald Trump won the South Carolina primary February 20 and the Nevada caucuses February 23, easily beating Senators Marco Rubio (Florida) and Ted Cruz (Texas). The other three candidates registered only about 7 percent support each in South Carolina, prompting one of them – former Florida Governor Jeb Bush – to suspend his campaign.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the Nevada caucuses last Saturday, beating Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) by 5 percentage points.

It was in the run-up to those caucuses that a Sanders supporter in the audience of an MSNBC town hall told Clinton, “only a decade ago I was a very big supporter of yourself and your husband.”

“It actually broke my heart when you said marriage was between a man and a woman. How can we trust that this isn’t just more political rhetoric?”

Clinton acknowledged, “I, like many Americans, have evolved.

And, I’m glad I have. I am a 100 percent supporter ... And I am absolutely adamant about protecting marriage equality. And, I think it’s significant that the Human Rights Campaign, the leading organization in our country to ensure that the LGBT community has the rights they deserve, has endorsed me.

“Now, [Senator Sanders] said, ‘Well, that’s because [HRC is] a member of the establishment.’ Well, with all due respect, they fight against the establishment every single day, and I’ve been with them for years, and I will pass the Equality Act, too.”

In a news release following the Nevada caucuses, HRC President Chad Griffin called Clinton “another champion for LGBT equality” and said she has “the record, the vision, and the strategy to win and lead from her first day in office.”

The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs, California, reported HRC “paid for 18 people from the Palm Springs area to travel by bus Thursday to Las Vegas and campaign last-minute” for Clinton. The article also made prominent mention that Clinton “made no public effort to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act” and, as a Senate candidate “made clear she supported civil unions and nothing beyond that.”

The question about Clinton’s previous position on same-sex marriage is reminiscent of a wellpublicized interview of Clinton by public radio host Terry Gross on “Fresh Air” in June 2014. It also echoes the concerns raised by Log Cabin Republicans in a recent video it posted before the New Hampshire primary. The video shows various excerpts of Clinton in 2002 and 2004 saying she did not believe gay

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He is survived by his husband, Ken Hedrick; mother, Sonja Huxley; sister, Renate Huxley; nephew, Michael Foutes, and his wife Hilary; and their daughters,

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couples should be allowed to marry, and included Log Cabin’s message “Hillary Clinton: Wrong on gay rights when it mattered.” The video, which does not indicate that one excerpt is Clinton speaking against an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment when she was a senator, appears to be getting wide circulation among Democrats.

Capitol Public Radio in Nevada found a lesbian who was for Sanders and a transgender woman who was leaning toward Trump.

Trumping consistency

While Clinton is being needled to explain the difference in her opinion on same-sex marriage between 2002 and today, Republican frontrunner Trump is gliding to victory despite his inconsistencies on the subject.

On February 4, before the New Hampshire primary, he told New England Cable News journalist Sue O’Connell that LGBT people could expect continued “forward motion” on LGBT civil rights if he becomes president. According to a report from National Public Radio, the Courageous Conservatives political action committee, which supports Cruz, ran a radio ad and made robocalls that excerpted Trump’s remarks to O’Connell.

“Stop! What does she mean by forward motion?” says the commentator in the ad. “What’s he agreeing to? It’s not about tolerance anymore. It’s about mandatory celebration. It’s about forcing people to bake cakes and forcing people to photograph gay weddings. Forcing clergy to officiate. It’s about transgender bathrooms in your child’s school. It’s about tearing down our Judeo-Christian values. It’s about tearing down our America.”

But after the death of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most notoriously anti-LGBT justice, Antonin Scalia, Trump told CNN “Justice Scalia is a fantastic man” and that, if president, he, Trump, would want the next nominee to the court to be “as close to [Scalia] as possible.” He also mentioned as a potential nominee federal appeals court Judge Diane Sykes, of the 7th Circuit.

Sykes wrote a decision in 2006 that granted the Christian Legal Society a preliminary injunction to be recognized as a student group at the Southern Illinois University School of Law despite its policy against allowing gay members.

His inconsistencies run both ways.

He accepted GOProud’s invitation to speak at a CPAC conference event in 2011, eliminated a beauty pageant rule requiring contestants be “naturally born female,” said he has “many fabulous friends who happen to be gay” and accepted gay actor George Takei’s invitation to lunch to discuss same-sex marriage and attended the wedding of a gay couple.

Yet he was the first choice among born-again and evangelical Christian voters in South Carolina, where a Public Policy Polling survey just days before the primary found that 31 percent of Trump supporters “would support a ban on homosexuals entering the country.” (Interestingly, only 17 percent of Cruz supporters liked the idea and, among all South Carolina primary voters, only 20 percent did so.)

Then, there was Trump’s highly publicized row with Pope Francis.

Trump started it: In a February 11 Fox Business News interview, he criticized the pope for planning a prayer service on the U.S.-Mexico See page 14 >>

Obituaries >> Walter Francis Huxley

R E A LT O R ®

Madeleine and Laine. In addition, he leaves an extended family and many friends in the U.S. and Germany who he dearly loved, along with his beloved macaw, Marlowe.

Walter was born in Italy and lived in Germany and the U.S. He graduated from Stockton State College, and obtained a master’s of arts from National University in San Diego, California.

Walter’s last positions were in supply chain management at several Kaiser Permanente facilities. A co-worker on Facebook posted that he was her friend and the best

boss she ever had. Also from 2011 to 2014, he and his husband owned Stompers Boots in San Francisco.

On Saturday, February 27, at 4 p.m. there will be a funeral service and reception at St. Francis Lutheran Church, 152 Church Street, San Francisco.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to the St. Francis Lutheran endowment (http:// sflcsf.org/endowment/) or to the UCSF Diller Cancer Center (http://cancer.ucsf. edu/how-to-help).

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<< Sports

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

t

Gay basketball group priced out of rec center

by Roger Brigham

F

or more than three decades, Eureka Valley Recreation Center, with its Mark Bingham Gymnasium and Rikki Streicher Field, has been the hub of LGBT sports in the Castro.

But a shift in the city’s policies that started almost a decade ago has been slowly squeezing LGBT programs out of the center, and this April a bit more bounce will go out of the ball.

The San Francisco Gay Basketball Association began hosting Sunday evening pickup games in the 1980s at a church gymnasium in the Haight neighborhood. The games were forced out in 1989 when the venue was turned into a homeless shelter. LGBT activists had been fighting for the right for LGBT sports programs to be housed in EVRC around that time and the SFGBA pickup games were moved to the center in August 1989. But starting in April, the pickup program will be cut down to just two Sundays a month because of skyrocketing rental costs.

“Privatization” is a political buzzword that has been at the center of municipal policy discussions in recent years as politicians and city administrators scramble for ways to generate funds and eliminate defi-

cits. It is a policy approach which pits those who view recreation facilities, community centers and city parks as existing to provide benefit for all against those who see those venues as potential cash cows catering to the more affluent. Although in San Francisco most of the headlines involving privatization have concerned golf courses, programs in the recreational centers have been affected as well.

Tony Jasinski, the godfather of local LGBT basketball, said the city is now charging SFGBA $230 for a two-hour gym rental – about three times what it was charging just a decade ago. The association charges players $5 to play in the Sunday pickup games, but that does not begin to cover the rental costs. The basketball association board decided this month too much effort was going into fundraising to maintain the program on a weekly basis.

A spokesman for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department said in an email that the rental rate has increased from $228 last year.

From 2011 to 2014 the rate had been $210, said Joey Kahn, the spokesman. He added that the park code fees were changed in 2009 to create consistency systemwide.

EVRC also used to host LGBT

volleyball and badminton in-kind value, it was able programs; both have long to fight for reduced rental since disappeared from the costs. center.

But that required a mas“The Sunday night games sive mission change, a change are one of the few sports in organizational focus, and events in the city you can a long campaign to educate just walk up to and get incity staff and politicians on volved in,” Jasinski told the the value of the revised misBay Area Reporter. “For sion. In the end, that’s a cost most other events, like our that was beyond the volunleague basketball, you have teer resources of gay basCourtesy SFGBA to get drafted on to a team.” ketball and the other LGBT Jasinski said the Sunday People played in the San Francisco Gay Basketball sports programs. games brought together Association’s pickup basketball game Sunday Jasinski said the SFGBA a diversity of individuals night at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center. board discussed alternatives rare to achieve in the LGBT this month, such as chargWrestling Club. But the wrestlers community. ing players $10 a game or use a less versatile 26-person capac“It’s a very open group,” Jasinshutting down the program entirely ity multipurpose room, and they ski said Monday. “We’ve had women before deciding to cut down to two consciously revised and expanded and transgender players. We’ve had a Sundays per month. But he also said their mission in 2007 to serve a lot of racial diversity. It’s a good mix several of the communications from broader community. Previously for different types of people. I’m a city staff recently have been hostile focused solely on the LGBT com63-year-old and I played last night. and he hopes that does not continue. munity, GGWC rewrote its bylaws, And it’s great for out-of-towners “It seems like they are hostile to created programs for youth and with an interest in basketball. Two us and want us out of there now,” high school wrestlers, and painstakvisitors from Long Beach were playJasinski said. “It’s kind of become ingly documented its service to the ing last night. It’s a way to participate a hostile situation and that’s very mainstream community. It showed in athletics without any hostility.” unfortunate.” the city its ability to provide specialEVRC hosts a women’s basketball Kahn was asked about the alleged ized coaching beyond the skill sets night on Mondays with no rental hostility of the city’s communicaof city employees, it documented a fees. Jasinski said in theory those tions but did not comment on that. community demand for kids wresplayers are charged $5 each per SFGBA has not yet determined tling programs, and it provided its night, but that fee is rarely collected. which Sundays it will have pickup own insurance for wrestling events.

One of the rare LGBT sports games. For future announcements By providing the staff to run a city programs that has remained at Euof a game schedule, visit www.sfgba. sponsored program and provide reka Valley has been Golden Gate com.t

Report depicts ‘unjust’ justice system for LGBTs

by Seth Hemmelgarn everal national groups this week released a report saying that LGBT people, especially those of color, face disproportionate rates of incarceration and experience discrimination during and after custody.

In a news release Tuesday for the report, “Unjust: How the Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People,” (http://www.lgbtmap.org/criminal-justice), Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project, one of the organizations behind the report, said, “It used to be a crime to be LGBT in the United States, and while police are no longer raiding gay bars, LGBT people, especially LGBT people of color, are still disproportionately pushed into the criminal justice system.

They are treated unfairly within the system and in correctional settings, and face extraordinary challenges in rebuilding their lives.”

The report cites research and analysis from recent years, including the National Inmate Survey.

From 2011 to 2012, the report says, pointing to the survey, 7.9 percent of state and federal prison inmates identified as LGBT. That’s far out of balance with the percentage of all American adults who say they’re LGBT. Citing Gallup, “Unjust” says that figure is 3.8 percent.

Additionally, the report says, a 2015 survey of young people who were in seven juvenile detention facilities said that about 20 percent identified as LGBT or gender non-conforming, while only approximately 5 to 7 percent of all young people say they’re LGBT or gender non-conforming.

The report points to three ways the criminal justice system “fails LGBT people.”

First, there’s “increased criminalization of LGBT people,” according to “Unjust,” which points to factors

including discrimination in housing, workplaces, and families. Those situations mean LGBT people are more likely to face poverty or homelessness, which lead to “increased risk” of encounters with law enforcement.

Next, LGBTs “are more frequently incarcerated and treated harshly.”

Among other concerns, there’s “unfair and inhumane treatment in jails, prisons, and other confinement facilities.”

For example, the report says, “LGBT people are frequently placed in solitary confinement, and transgender people are regularly placed in facilities that do not conform to their gender identity.”

In San Francisco, the sheriff ’s department has been preparing to place transgender inmates in housing that matches their identities.

Finally, according to “Unjust,” LGBTs face extra challenges to putting their lives back together.

“Rarely do probation, parole, and re-entry programs take into consideration the discrimination that LGBT experience in many areas of

life, including employment, housing, and public accommodations,” the report says.

Among other recommendations, “Unjust” calls for working to eliminate discrimination against LGBTs in employment, housing, and other areas. It also urges education and training for institutional staff.

Movement Advancement Project and the Center for American Progress co-authored the report, in partnership with Forward Together, JustLeadershipUSA, and Advancement Project.

In Tuesday’s news release, Laura E. Durso, senior director of the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress, said, “As the nation continues to debate how to fix the criminal justice system, it is critical to explore solutions that will improve conditions and ensure fairness for everyone. That includes America’s nine million LGBT people who are at increased risk of having their lives and life chances destroyed by the current criminal justice system.”t

some would have liked, Aiello pledged that the CBD would not let the study sit on a shelf.

“We need to implement it,” she said. “What’s the point if we don’t implement it?”

As the Bay Area Reporter noted at the time of its release, the 70page Castro Retail Strategy recommendations included developing a brand identity for the Castro commercial district, showcasing the businesses that already exist, and proactively reaching out to property owners and commercial brokers to discuss with them the types of businesses that would generate support from the neighborhood.

Surveys of residents and shoppers as part of the development of the retail plan revealed a bakery, butcher shop, and additional clothing stores, particularly for women, were among the businesses deemed most desirable to attract to the Castro. And many people called for a Trader Joe’s, which twice now has eyed locations on upper Market Street only to abandon them due to parking and traffic issues.

A major hurdle that Castro leaders learned from surveys of brokers is that there is not much excitement for the retail spaces in the neighborhood. They are either too small or oddly shaped or too large to fit the needs of most retailers.

“One thing we learned when we did broker focus groups is so many of the brokers focus on downtown. That is where big business is interested in, there are big properties, and they can make a lot of money,” said Aiello.

“Brokers are not very excited to come up here and put a lot of work into filling these properties. If the property owner doesn’t bug them, they sit.”

To drum up excitement, the CBD would like to create a quarterly newsletter it can send out to brokers highlighting the vacant storefronts available and promoting those businesses that have recently moved into the Castro.

“We want to keep the Castro and upper Market in their mind so they don’t forget about us,” said Aiello.

Dan Safier, president and CEO of the Prado Group, echoed those comments during a recent planning commission meeting. His company

won approval to revamp Sullivan’s Funeral Home at 2254 Market Street and its adjacent parking lot into a mixed-use building with 45 apartments and 5,217 square feet of commercial retail space.

The company does not have any specific retailers in mind for the space, which it purposefully designed to be flexible in terms of how it is divided up.

Referring to the Castro Retail Strategy, in which Prado took part, Safier noted that “one conclusion that came out of that study is we need to get more brokers engaged in upper Market and interested in leasing spaces up there and bringing tenants up there.”

Unlike with its property at the corner of Dolores and Market streets, whose sole retail tenant is Whole Foods, Safier said it is looking for non-formula retailers to move into its new building.

“This area does need some minianchors,” said Safier. “We believe there may be some kind of food uses that can serve as, or even a small market serve as, a way to bring

people into the area.”

S

Courtesy Movement Advancement Project

A graphic from “Unjust: How the Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People” shows that LGBTs are overrepresented in jails.

<<

Castro retail

From page 1

The nexus there has several storefronts that have been vacant for some time and will see additional retail spaces be built as part of the redevelopment of the former Home restaurant site at the corner with 14th Street.

“We want to get both brokers and property owners really motivated to get those spaces filled,” said CBD Executive Director Andrea Aiello. “We need an anchor to draw people to the Church and Market intersection.”

There is also a desire on the CBD’s part to show that the more than $87,000 spent to develop the retail plan wasn’t for naught.

“I have been reading comments in social media about it is collecting dust and a waste of money,” said Aiello. “We have been held back because we are looking for additional funding to implement the recommendations. I don’t think it will take a lot of money.”

While it is taking longer than

Castro vacancies in flux

With half a dozen more in-fill projects featuring housing over retail spaces slated for upper Market Street, the number of storefront vacancies in the Castro will continue to be in flux for some time.

When the retail report was released, it noted at the time that there were 33 vacant storefronts either along Castro Street, a portion of 18th Street, or along Market Street between Castro and Octavia Boulevard.

The number was a bit misleading, however, as several of the retail spaces included in the count were actually already spoken for by businesses that had yet to open. Since the report’s publication, some of the places that are now open include Soulcycle (400 Castro Street); Philz Coffee (549 Castro Street); Strut, the gay men’s health clinic (470 Castro Street); and Flagship Crossfit (160 Church Street).

See page 13 >>

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Community News>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Harper Lee

town’s two famous authors, Lee and Truman Capote. The acclaimed writers grew up together. The Mockingbird character, Dill, was based on Capote. Dill’s friend, the tomboy character, Scout, was thought to be based on Lee. The novel’s hero, Atticus Finch, was inspired by Lee’s father, Amasa Coleman Lee.

Like Scout, Lee was a tomboy who often stepped up to protect Capote from the neighborhood bullies. The pair stayed friends as adults for many years. Lee helped Capote research his most famous book, In Cold Blood. But they dealt with fame very differently.

Capote relished his celebrity status and was a regular on the talk show

circuit, but Lee lived a quiet, reclusive life, spending her extended retirement years living in Monroeville with her older sister, Alice Lee, who died in 2014 at 103. Capote died in 1984, at the age of 59, of liver failure brought on by years of substance abuse.

I had planned to rewrite the Alabama travel story for other LGBT publications. I thought since my original article mentioned that Capote was openly gay and being celebrated in a small town in the Deep South, that I should at least ask Lee if she was also openly gay. I couldn’t find any references online on whether she was ever asked the question.

I sent the author a copy of the B.A.R. Alabama article. The story did not include any speculation on whether she was gay but did mention how proud people in town were of their native son, Capote, who also happened to be a flamboyant gay man. I figured that in that context it was okay to ask her if she were also openly gay. I think she probably thought my question was appropriate given the context of the story and that I was writing for the gay press.

not aware of pending development plans or legal issues that prevent some from being leased,” stated the report.

Along Castro Street for example, there are three retail spaces for lease on the street: at 468 Castro where Italian grocer A.G. Ferrari had been; Citizen Clothing at 489 Castro Street is set to close soon; and 415 Castro where a discount sunglass store had been.

A number of other vacant storefronts are spoken for on the 400 and 500 blocks of Castro.

At the former Patio Cafe space at 531 Castro Street, landlord Les Natali continues to seek someone to run the Hamburger Mary’s franchise he won approval for in December 2014. Signage in the window touts “no investment required.”

The storefront has sat vacant for 14 years as Natali remodeled it and fought with city planners over zoning issues. Last fall, amid criticisms from fellow merchants on the lack of progress to reopen the space,

Natali and his lawyer told the B.A.R. they were in talks with a potential owner-operator for the restaurant.

Neither responded to a request for comment for this story on the status of the negotiations.

Across the street at 544 Castro Street, a restaurant to be called Mason’s

by Richard Hamer is expected to open in the location. Hamer, who is also planning to open a restaurant called Finn Town at 2251 Market Street, did not return a call seeking comment.

And nearby, at 556 Castro Street, the Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley announced last April it would open its second location where L’Occitane had been. But the company has run into build out issues with the roughly 1,100 square foot space. A spokesperson told the B.A.R. they are working toward an opening but no date has been set.

On the 400 block of Castro Street, LaserAway Skin Care Spa wants to open its second location in the city at

410 Castro Street, a long vacant space that once housed a cellular store. The formula retailer, which was founded in West Hollywood, is scheduled to go before the planning commission in April to secure the permit needed to move into the storefront.

Along Market Street several other storefronts could be revived or opened this year. Sausalito’s Sushi Ran plans to open in the former Pesce space at 2223 Market Street, while Drysdale Properties, a local affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, is seeking permits to open a satellite office at 2324 Market Street.

A 4,000 square foot market hall called the Myriad with small stalls for local food and clothing purveyors is being built in the ground floor of 2175 Market Street. Nearby at 210 Church Street (at Market) Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee Roasters had announced a year ago it would move into the corner spot where Veo Optics had been.

And further up the street, the Apothecarium medical cannabis dispensary has been in talks to relocate into 2029 Market Street, the site of various restaurants over the years.

In early December Berkeley-based Direct Urgent Care signed a sevenyear lease for the corner ground floor space and the adjacent storefront in Linea, the mixed-use development at Buchanan and Market streets.

Despite the lack of interest among brokers, the Castro continues to be a draw with business owners, Aiello told the B.A.R., pointing to the constant flow of retailers looking for spaces in the neighborhood. But far too often the timeline from when a business signs a lease to when it opens its doors, she noted, takes longer than many would like.

“It does take a long time for businesses to actually move in, particularly when they are making physical improvements to the building,” said Aiello.t

brief strikes BART workers staged in 2013, which Glazer maintains transit workers in the state should not be allowed to do.

The contracts, however, don’t expire until 2017, and while the BART board has formed a committee to meet with management and union officials, which Saltzman chairs, negotiations are not expected to begin until next year.

“I think regardless of who is opposing the bond, we will have to go out to the voters and will have that challenge no matter what,” said Saltzman, the government affairs manager for the California League of Conservation Voters. “We hope most elected officials see how important BART is to the region and will support it.”

In terms of other issues they are sure to be asked about on the campaign trail, Saltzman and Radulovich both expressed support for seeing BART build a second transbay tube and look at ways to keep the system running later at night, especially on weekends.

“I think we need a second transbay tube; I don’t think it will happen in my next term,” said Radulovich, adding that a big question apart from how to fund it is what route it should take. “We certainly need to start planning for it and where it goes.”

Because maintenance of the system takes place at night, BART staff

have expressed concerns about keeping the trains running beyond 12:30 a.m. Saltzman said she has been pushing to see if an extra half hour to an hour can be added without impacting the work required overnight.

“We do not want to run late-night service at the expense of making daytime service less reliable,” she said.

The agency has worked with AC Transit to improve its overnight bus service on weekends from the city to the East Bay. Buses now pick up travelers beginning at the 24th Street station in the Mission every 20 minutes and make additional stops at other downtown stations prior to crossing the Bay Bridge.

“It is just Friday and Saturday but something we could consider for the rest of the nights,” said Saltzman. “A lot of folks have still not tried it out. It is easy to take BART in and the bus out.”

Bay city, including that of longtime lesbian councilwoman Ruth Atkins, will be on the ballot.

Jac Asher and Nora Davis hold the other two seats, with Asher expected not to seek re-election. Davis and Atkins have yet to announce if they will seek re-election.

According to Bauters’ campaign site – https://johnbauters.net/ – he has early endorsements from all five of the current council members.

“Emeryville has made a lot of progress in the past 20 years. As a council member, I commit to working with all community stakeholders as we continue our evolution into a sustainable, livable and inclusive community,” Bauters wrote in an email Monday, February 22 announcing his campaign.

Bauters is an Emeryville planning commissioner and the policy director at Californians for Safety and Justice. He lives with his partner of nine years, Aaron Feeney, and their 13-year-old shepherd-mix, King.

Superior Court Judge Marsha G. Slough as an associate justice on the state appellate court’s Division Two based in Riverside.

Governor Jerry Brown had appointed her in late December to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Betty A. Richli.

Slough, 57, an out lesbian, lives in Redlands and is the fourth known out appellate court justice in the state. Brown has appointed all of them over the last four years.

The first, in 2012, was James M. Humes, who is now the presiding justice of the First District Court of Appeal’s Division One. In 2014 Brown named Therese M. Stewart to a seat on Division Two of the First District Court of Appeal.

And last June he named Luis A. Lavin as an associate justice on the Second District Court of Appeal’s Division Three.t

to adopt suicide prevention plans.

“Our kids spend so much of their day in school that teachers serve as the first line of defense when a child is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts,” O’Donnell said in a news release February 18. “AB 2246 protects students going through difficult economic, physical or social challenges by ensuring teachers are trained to identify warning signs.”

Equality California and the Trev-

or Project are supporting the bill.

Asked whether SFUSD has a suicide prevention plan, Gogin said the district “addresses the issue of self harm and suicide ideation in a number of ways,” including through classroom discussions, access to social workers and nurses, and professional development for counselors and others.

“In addition, SFUSD has a strong partnership with both community-based organizations and the

From page 1

ask whether she was openly gay in connection with a LGBT travel article I was writing. Lee’s response, “Dear Mr. Walsh: I am not even remotely gay. Harper Lee.” The genesis of my request and her response began in July 2009 when the Bay Area Reporter published an article I wrote on gay travel to southern Alabama. The story included Monroeville, a small town about 90 minutes north of Mobile.

Lee grew up in Monroeville and eventually retired there until her death Friday, February 19.

Monroeville’s biggest attraction is the Old Courthouse Museum. The courtroom scenes from the movie To Kill a Mockingbird were not filmed there but the main courtroom in the film was patterned after the one in Monroeville. It was painstakingly recreated on a Hollywood sound stage. The building in Monroeville was converted into a museum that includes a wing to celebrate the

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Castro retail

From page 12

The report did note that the Castro retail district’s 8 percent to 9 percent vacancy rate had remained “largely unchanged” over the past few years “due to a handful of persisting vacancies.”

A count by the B.A.R. Tuesday morning found 19 ground floor storefront vacancies in the area for lease that have yet to announce any business moving in. Another 13 retail spaces that appear to be vacant are in fact claimed by retailers or restaurateurs.

Yet any space that is not currently attracting customers can give the appearance of a commercial district in decline, as the retail strategy noted.

“While some residents of the neighborhood may be familiar with what is happening with these storefronts, visitors from abroad and the larger San Francisco community are

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Political Notebook

From page 5

history,” she said. “There are a lot of opportunities for growing ridership.

But to do that, we need to invest in the system. I want to make sure we make those investments and keep the system running smoothly so the Bay Area can continue to depend on it.”

In addition to running for their own seats, they will also likely be advocating for passage of a bond measure to fund various infrastructure upgrades to BART’s existing system. The board has yet to approve the November bond measure or set an amount, the latest figure proposed is $3.5 billion, but is expected to in the coming weeks.

“As the years have gone on, state and federal support for transit has shrunk. More and more we have to do that locally,” said Radulovich, the executive director of Livable City.

In order for the bond to pass, it will need to win a two-thirds majority in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties.

That could be difficult to reach in the East Bay, as state Senator Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) earlier this month was joined by several local officials to announce opposition to the bond unless BART renegotiates its worker contracts prior to November.

The dispute dates back to the

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Condoms

From page 3

SFUSD works with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Education to administer the survey.

Last week, Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) introduced Assembly Bill 2246, which would require local school districts

Ed Walsh

Harper Lee’s 2009 response to Bay Area Reporter writer Ed Walsh.

Gay man seeks Emeryville council seat

Two years after he first sought a city council seat but came up short, Emeryville resident John Bauters announced this week he will try again in November.

Bauters, a gay man, landed in third place among the four candidates seeking two council seats up for grabs in November 2014. This fall three council seats in the East

Lesbian CA appellate justice confirmed

The first out justice to serve on California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal won confirmation this week.

The Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously voted Monday, February 22 to confirm the appointment of San Bernardino

Department of Public Health to provide ongoing consultation and student services as needed,” he said.

It wasn’t clear to O’Donnell’s staff whether the San Francisco district’s methods match the criteria for the model prevention plan.

Pink Tsunami

Each February, students at San Francisco’s Lincoln High create a “Pink Tsunami,” with students

But since it was only one sentence, it is difficult to say why she decided to respond.

I sent the letter to Lee without a street address, just her name and Monroeville, Alabama. It got to her and I was surprised to get an answer. Lee scrawled her handwritten response at the bottom of my letter to her. The envelope was also handwritten, with the return address name as “H. Lee” and her P.O. Box in Monroeville.

I mentioned her denial of being gay in a rewritten version of my LGBT Alabama travel story that was published in the Dallas Voice gay newspaper but in the context of a travel article, it went virtually unnoticed.

I wrote Lee to thank her for her reply.

“I know that even non-gay people can be good writers,” I chided, ending the sentence with a smiley face. I said how much I enjoyed visiting her town and partially in a joke to myself, I told her to look me up if she ever got to San Francisco and I would give her a good tour. She never showed up at my door to cash in her free tour.t

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings at noon for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion.

This week’s column reported on two LGBT groups endorsing out CA legislative candidates.

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

wearing pink and decorating the school halls to support LGBTQ youth who face assault, bullying, and harassment.

Thursday, February 25, “Classes are competing for prizes for the best expression of the theme ‘Disconnect to Reconnect,’” a district news release said. “This international event began with students in Canada to support a male student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school.”t

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

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Besties

From page 1

and weddings and destinations. If a person’s favorite is not listed among the nominees, they can write in their own answer.

Those who answer at least 75 percent of the survey are entered into a contest for one of several prizes.

The offerings include a three-night Maui getaway and roundtrip airfare for two, courtesy of Maui Sunseeker Resort and Alaska Airlines; two VIP tickets to the San Francisco Gay

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Police

From page 2

in the department. Most of the officers associated with the texting scandal “would not have been hired today” because of changes in the department’s hiring practices, he said.

Suhr said that by January, all officers would receive “implicit bias training,” and the “Not on My Watch” pledge has been launched “to root out bigotry and intolerance.”

“We try to be inclusive of everybody,” he said. “We want everybody in San Francisco to see themselves in the San Francisco Police Department.”

Suhr also said he has “the utmost respect” for the panel and worked to contradict claims that he’s been obstructive.

About 80 people attended Monday’s hearing, which was held at the public library.

During the session, several people held signs with messages such as “Fire Suhr” and “Mario is our son.”

The latter referred to Mario Woods, 26, a stabbing suspect whom police fatally shot in December. Woods was holding a knife when he was shot. Since the incident, many have called for Suhr’s resignation.

The panel is comprised of three retired judges: Cruz Reynoso, formerly a justice on the California Supreme Court; Dickran Tevrizian Jr., a former federal judge; and LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, a lesbian who used

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Trump

From page 11

border February 18 to draw attention to the difficulties Mexicans face when they want to enter the U.S. Trump called the pope a “very political person” and suggested he was holding the border event at the behest of the Mexican government.

A reporter on the pope’s plane from Mexico to Rome February 19 asked the pontiff about Trump’s comments.

According to a Vatican transcript, a reporter noted that Trump had characterized the pope as a “pawn in the hands of the Mexican government” and that Trump, if elected president, “intends to construct” a wall along the border and to deport 11 million immigrants.

“I would like to ask, first of all, what you think of these accusations and whether an American Catholic can vote for such a person,” stated the reporter.

“I thank God that he has said I am a politician, as Aristotle defined the human being as an ‘animal politicus,’” replied the pope. “At least I am a human being! And that I am a pawn ... perhaps, I do not know.

I will leave that to our judgment, to the people. A person who thinks only of building walls, wherever that may be, and not bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.

With regard to what I would advise, to vote or not to vote: I would not like to become involved. I would say only that this man is not Christian.”

Media reports quickly multiplied, focusing on the pope’s statement that Trump was “not Christian,” and that prompted Trump to respond that it was “disgraceful” for a “religious leader” to question a person’s faith.

Exit polls of more than 2,000 voters surveyed as they left the polls

Men’s Chorus’ “Tales of Our City: Our Lives, Our Heroes” with featured guest Armistead Maupin and the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony; and two VIP tickets to a San Francisco Giants game.

Survey winners will be published in the B.A.R.’s April 7 issue and that night the public is invited to the paper’s Besties party at Oasis, 298 11th Street, from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature drink specials and light refreshments.

To vote, visit www.surveymonkey. com/r/Besties2016.t to serve on the Santa Clara County bench. In recent years, Cordell has also served as the independent police monitor for the city of San Jose.

At Monday’s hearing, Cordell said she wanted to assure people “We are not window dressing. I don’t have time to be window dressing. ... We intend to have an impact.”

She added, “I am not a hater. I don’t hate the police. What I hate is injustice.”

Mayor announces reforms

Also Monday, Mayor Ed Lee, Suhr, and other officials announced several police reforms meant to increase safety and improve trust between the police and community.

“This comprehensive package of police reforms will help our sworn officers strengthen their ties with the community and keep our city safe through a culture change in how we handle conflicts on our streets,” Lee said in a news release.

“The goal is to reduce up to 80 percent of officer involved shootings by training officers and equipping them with the tools they need,” according to the mayor’s office.

Among other immediate changes, officials said, a police supervisor will now have to respond to the scene of any call that involves a weapon, and all patrol vehicles are equipped with helmets and three-foot-long batons to help “in situations where officers need to create time and distance from someone with an edged weapon.”t in South Carolina found that 76 percent of voters in the Republican primary said that “shared religious beliefs matter” to their decision on who to vote for. Broken down further, the polls indicated that “shared religious beliefs matter” “a great deal” to 43 percent of the South Carolina voters. They mattered “somewhat” to another 33 percent of voters. And 24 percent said such beliefs mattered “not much” or “not at all.” Of those who said the shared religious beliefs mattered a “great deal,” 32 percent voted for Cruz, 27 percent for Trump, and 20 percent for Rubio.

And yet Trump won, and Cruz – who won Iowa with his largely evangelical base of support – dropped to third place.

The Cruz campaign suffered another loss this week, too. The campaign’s senior communications director, Rick Tyler, tried to denigrate Cruz’s competition in the South Carolina presidential primary by writing a Twitter post February 11 that said “Trump and Rubio are with Obama on gay marriage.” That obviously didn’t work since both Trump and, by a very thin margin, Rubio beat Cruz.

In that Twitter post, Tyler was simply parroting what Cruz himself had implied to a South Carolina audience that day. But on Monday, Cruz announced that he had asked for Tyler’s resignation. The offense? Tyler posted a video on Twitter of Rubio gesturing toward a Bible in front of a man and the caption on the video indicated that Rubio was telling the man, “not many answers in it.” It was later determined Rubio had actually said the Bible had “all the answers.”

Tyler said he posted the video without checking it for accuracy, adding, “I regret that mistake.”

Cruz’s campaign has already been under fire for dishonest campaign tactics.t

t

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-551846

In the matter of the application of: MARLEEN SCHRODER HERSCHEND, 37 CLIPPER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARLEEN SCHRODER HERSCHEND, is requesting that the name MARLEEN SCHRODER HERSCHEND aka MARLEEN ROSE SCHRODER aka MARLEEN SCHRODER, be changed to MARLEEN ROSE SCHRODER. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514 on the 7th of April 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036903200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COMPOSITION DESIGN, 1900 EDDY ST #18, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SCOTT MICHAEL UPPER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/25/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036868400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAYSIDE BARK, 2041 26TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HANNAH ST MARTIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/06/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036909100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PICSTAR, 50 GOLDEN GATE AVE #524, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CAREY LEO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036903900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NORTH BEACH PIZZA, 4787 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PROKOPOS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036899600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VERVE WELLNESS STUDIO, 1231 CORTLAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KINSELLA WELLNESS CHIROPRACTIC INC, (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/26/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/22/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036907400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIKE AND ROLL BIKE RENTALS AND TOURS, 2800 LEAVENWORTH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN SCOOTER & CYCLE RENTAL (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036907500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIKE AND ROLL BIKE RENTALS AND TOURS, PIER 43.5, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN SCOOTER & CYCLE RENTALS (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036907700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIKE AND ROLL BIKE RENTALS AND TOURS, 520 BEACH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN SCOOTER AND CYCLE RENTAL (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINSTER ESTATE OF CHI CHIANG LI IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-16-299501

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Chi Chiang Li. A Petition for Probate has been filed

by Junji Suzuki in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that Junji Suzuki be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. 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: March 09, 2016, 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 later 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: Mr. Edward S. Miyauchi (SBN 230553), Marshall Suzuki Law Group LLP, 150 Spear St #725, San Francisco, CA 94105; Ph. (415) 618-0090

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036928400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KICKLINE PRODUCTIONS, 2658 17TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JENNIFER T. ROST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/08/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036927900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: M. BENTON & CO., 31 THERESA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELISAVETTA ILYIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/08/16.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/08/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036902600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SF KEBAB, 550 16TH ST #1660, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TEKIN FOOD & BEVERAGE 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 01/25/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036915200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MEE, 1737 POST ST #330, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PERFECT LADY COSMETIC & FASHION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/01/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036912600

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036907900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 450-452 34TH AVE HOA, 450 34TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an unincorporated association other than a partnership, and is signed JEFFREY MICHAEL RAYMOND, CHARLES DAMIAN SHIELDS & HEATHER WARM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036915100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JACKRABBIT, 302 BRODERICK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BOUNTIFUL FOODS LLC (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 02/03/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036904500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PANERA BREAD, 2675 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PAN NORCAL LLC, (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/07/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/19/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIKE AND ROLL BIKE RENTALS AND TOURS, 899 COLUMBUS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN SCOOTER & CYCLE RENTALS (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CABLE CAR CAKES AND CHOCOLATES, 39 TAYLOR ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102.

This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CABLE CAR CAKES AND CHOCOLATES, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/01/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLDEN BAY MOVERS; GOLDEN BAY MOVING COMPANY, 1160 MISSION ST #1914, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GOLDEN BAY RELOCATION LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/16.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-030723200 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: SCARLETT’S JANITORIAL SERVICES, 1515 BRODERICK ST #341, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by SCARLETT TOLEDO. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/13/07.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-034178300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: GOLDEN BAY RELOCATION, 1160 MISSION ST #1914, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by FERNANDO BEGLIOMINI. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/05/12.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036919900

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036890300

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036930000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PARKSIDE MAILBOXES, 945 TARAVAL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PARKSIDE MAILBOXES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/09/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/09/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036930100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAY YA PHOTOBOOTH, 945 TARAVAL ST #281, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SAY YA PHOTOBOOTH, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/09/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/09/16.

FEB 11, 18, 25, MAR 03, 2016 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-551878

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIKE AND ROLL BIKE RENTALS AND TOURS, 5 EMBARCADERO CTR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN SCOOTER & CYCLE RENTALS (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/16.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: JOHANNA’S HOUSE CLEANING, 162 EDINBURGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by HAROLD MARTINEZ & ADDONIS MARTINEZ. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/28/15.

In the matter of the application of: NICOLLE ELIZABETH MATTHEWS, 2125 BRYANT ST #110, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner NICOLLE ELIZABETH MATTHEWS, is requesting that the name NICOLLE ELIZABETH MATTHEWS, be changed to NICOLLE BUNNY ROSENBERG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.

514, Room 514 on the 7th of April 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036907800

FEBRUARY 04, 11, 18, 25, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036749600

▼

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036924900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAKE IT MARIKO, 740 ANZA ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GINA MARIKO ALINEA ROSALES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/30/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/05/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036934700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LAUREN RAUCH CONSULTING, 90 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LAUREN RAUCH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/11/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/11/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036938900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KATY & COMPANY, 302 PRECITA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KATY STEADMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/12/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/12/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036937400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NU SWIM, 619A EUGENIA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GINA T. ESPOSITO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/25/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/12/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036922500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMORE HAIR SALON, 1690 VALENCIA ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALICIA ARICELA ORELLANA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/04/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/04/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036911400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ECO-GREEN OFFICE & IT PRODUCTS, 649 MISSION ST 5TH FLOOR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LAI YUNG LEE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/28/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/28/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036894000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HILARY CHARLOTTE PHOTOGRAPHY, 431 ASHBURY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HILARY KNIGHT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/13/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/20/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036926300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MIKE’S CONCRETE PUMP, 815 MOUNT VERNON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHAEL MAC. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/05/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/05/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036930200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BMS HOTELS, 405 PARKER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed OM SHIV GANESH 1 LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/09/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036941200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DELTA HIGH END APPLIANCE REPAIR, 2391 16TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BORIS BOGACHECK, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/16/16.

FEB 18, 25, MAR 03, 10, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036945200

Classifieds

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

The

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036942200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLACK SERUM; BRUCIUS TATTOO; 377 GUERRERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRUCIUS VON XYLANDER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/16/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036948400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE MINDFUL CLEANER, 2306 MARKET ST #409, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOE R. ZAMORA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036910400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRIGHTSOURCES, 5758 GEARY BLVD #106, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EUN JIN JEON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/28/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/28/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036938300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAIR DOKTORS, 3150 18TH ST #260, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JANAYA CASEY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/12/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/12/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036939700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MYIGHTY, 459 FULTON ST #107, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHEAL NGUYEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/16.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/16/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036930700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLACK MAGIC USA, 400 BAKER ST #104, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed PETER DANZIG & JON CARR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/09/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/09/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036941000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: R&D CLEANING SERVICES LLC, 2911 CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115.

This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed R&D CLEANING SERVICES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/16/16.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/16/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036937300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PONTIAC HOTEL, 509 MINNA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 509 MINNA STREET LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/12/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/12/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036941400

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Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-551895

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In the matter of the application of: RUO WU XU, 318 WILDE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner RUO WU XU, is requesting that the name RUO WU XU, be changed to NICHOLAS R. XU. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 19th of April 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036953500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HUMAN VIDEO GAME LLC, 550 15TH ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HUMAN VIDEO GAME LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/23/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036521100

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: SCIENCE INK, 377 GUERRERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by ANGELO L.M. CADUTO. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/05/15.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016

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The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LA BELLE, 3226 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FORTRINITY LLC (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 02/16/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036942300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLACK SERUM, 377 GUERRERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed OPUS INK, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/16/16.

FEB 25, MAR 03, 10, 17, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036942500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRYSTAL STINGRAY LEATHER COMPANY, 1740 BANCROFT AVE #4508, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ZHI GUANG LI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/18/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NOODLEME, 333 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed RANDY WATSON GROUP, LLC (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 02/17/16.

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Vol. 46 • No. 8 • February 25-March 2, 2016

www.ebar.com/arts

Swans will be swans

by Paul Parish

S

wan Lake changed my life. I’ve asked around, and an astonishing number of people tell me the same thing, e.g., “I saw it when I was 12; until then, I thought dance was stupid. But Swan Lake, it was so intelligent!” I had the same experience. When I first saw Swan Lake, I was wrecked, could not move, most of the audience had left the theater before I could stand up. It was, it seemed to me, as profound and serious a tragedy as Hamlet.

See page 19 >>

San Francisco Ballet dancers Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets in Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake.

Inspired portrayal of a gay ‘Champion’ Erik Tomasson

by Philip Campbell

T

he buzz surrounding the West Coast premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Champion: An Opera in Jazz morphed into a roar of approval last Friday when a packed crowd cheered Opera Parallèle’s lavish new production at SFJAZZ Center. The collaboration between SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Blanchard and the edgy San Franciscobased contemporary opera company proved inspired. Jazz and opera fans alike appreciated the powerful re-telling of boxer Emile Griffith’s tragic life.

See page 18 >> Kenneth Kellogg (center stage) as Young Emile Griffith and Arthur Woodley (seated on bed, upstage) in the Opera Parallèle and SFJAZZ co-production of Terence Blanchard’s Champion: An Opera in Jazz at SFJAZZ Center.

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<< Out There

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Lifestyle correspondents

by Roberto Friedman

T

he new-media folks who bring you the Web’s Vice magazine are set to debut their cable TV channel Viceland on Feb. 29, so they sent us screeners of some of the programming they’ll offer. Here are our impressions of a few of their programs.

Gaycation follows out lesbian actress Ellen Page and her gay best friend Ian Daniel on their travels around the world looking for LGBTQ people and culture.

The series promises installments in Brazil, Jamaica, and elsewhere, but the first episode finds them roaming the refined yet vibrant world of modern-day Japan.

Page and Daniel are adorable and earnest in their efforts to uncover gay liberation, but although they find gay people in Japan, they also find a highly traditional culture that doesn’t exalt difference or queerness. They go to “gay bars” in Tokyo that function more like gentlemen’s clubs catering to specific fetishes, but although they

<<

Champion

From page 17

With a libretto by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Michael Cristofer and substantial re-working of the original material since the premiere in Saint Louis in 2013, Champion seems to satisfy what modern audiences (and critics) are looking for in new opera. Relevance is tantamount to success, and a story that can touch us on so many levels of intellect and emotion is close to ideal. There are some problems with the dramaturgy, as the whole saga is enacted in a series of sometimes

seem to be greeted warmly, there’s no mention of a xenophobic aspect of Japanese society and identity – to wit, many Japanese are not interested in meeting other Asians, let alone Western men, for erotic commingling.

The two young American things also accompany the proprietor of a “friends-forhire” service on a call in which he is there to offer moral support to a young man coming out to his single mother. The not-insignificant presence of Page and Daniel in this scene, not to mention the intrusion of the Viceland camera crew, makes a delicate situation even more precarious, and points to this series’ unintended dilemma – in trying to find the sensational and the tabloid fodder, Gaycation can be oblivious to the native culture and mores it intends to explore. Still, did we say Page and Daniel are adorable?

Because they are, very.

F*ck That’s Delicious features famous fat Queens, New York rapper Action Bronson and co-stars

Big Body Bes and Mayhem, also living large, in what’s billed as the world’s first-ever rap food show. Action and his crew travel from concert to concert enjoying food, drink, and herbs along the way. This is a posse that puts the gut in gluttony, and the show turns out to be hefty fun.

The New York Times quotes some of Action’s lyrics: women love him

because they “saw me plate some melon and prosciutt’.” He boasts of “seasonal vegetables lookin’ exceptional.” Served sea urchin-infused eggs, Big Body compares the gourmet dish to a “KFC mixed bowl.”

Weediquette finds Vice correspondent Krishna Andavolu examining the science, culture and economics of the emerging green

superficial flashbacks, but the sum of Blanchard’s musical fusion is enigmatically and gut-wrenchingly human.

From hard-luck beginnings in the U.S. Virgin Islands, after being dumped by his wayward single mother Griffith moved to working in a hat factory, where he was discovered by the owner (a former amateur boxer) and groomed for prizefighting. As his abilities grew and fame followed, the young man also had to grapple with the knowledge of his bisexuality. Fighting professionally and personally in a savagely macho world led him to

the seedy underside of 1960s Times Square gay bars.

Griffith married, and adopted his wife’s daughter, but he also couldn’t deny his attraction to men, and considering the times and circumstances, he was headed for trouble.

Even today, the world of sports (hey, let’s just make that the world) is pretty rough on homosexuals. In Griffith’s day, you could not only be ostracized, but also brutalized by an ignorant society unwilling to comprehend individuality.

In a notorious incident in 1962, after being called maricón by his opponent Benny Paret and slapped on

his backside at the weigh-ins before their match, Griffith translated his embarrassment to raw anger. In the 12th round of the bout, Paret was cornered and the Cuban champion offered no defense as Griffith threw 17 right uppercuts to his face in a matter of seconds. The force of the blows sent Paret into a fatal coma.

His death sent Griffith into a downward cycle of estrangement from family and friends, increasingly dangerous secret sexual hookups, and a gay-bashing that left him physically broken, exacerbating the severe dementia pugilistica syndrome he acquired after years in the ring. Until his own death in 2013, the essentially sweet-natured and confused man was left to agonize

Courtesy Viceland

Out lesbian actress Ellen Page and her gay best friend Ian Daniel explore Japan in Viceland’s new cable series Gaycation.

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER

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economy. Hopefully while high.

In Noisey, correspondent Zach Goldbaum explores new music scenes around the world.

Flophouse episodes take us inside the communal homes of upand-coming stand-up comedians Clare O’Kane, Solomon Georgio, Brandon Wardell and others.

Balls Deep, per Viceland: “Vice producer and correspondent Thomas Morton perfects his version of immersive journalism, embedding himself into the lives of others to experience what life looks like from their point of view. Whether it’s a Pentecostal preacher, a Muslim-American family, or gay bears in Provincetown, Thomas absorbs every part of his counterparts’ lives: their customs, philosophies, their habits and habitats.

Balls Deep is the most entertaining experiment in radical empathy ever committed to film (video, actually).”

With Huang’s World, Eddie Huang, chef and author of the best-selling book Fresh Off the Boat, takes a personal-is-political look at food culture. Huang says, “Politics is in the plate,” and dishes it up for the series, coming later this spring.t over killing Paret and the cruelties he committed with the women in his life. His adopted son and caretaker Luis Rodrigo Griffith (a sturdy performance by Andres Ramirez) was thankfully with him to the end.

He managed to arrange his father’s communication with Benny Paret’s son and helped achieve a kind of forgiveness, if not closure.

Those are the facts of Griffith’s life, and Michael Cristofer has only shortened or slightly changed them in his episodic and vivid libretto. He has been extraordinarily successful in some scenes, but less so in others. The words can often approach banality, and his structuring of the See page 23 >>

PRESENTS

A powerful drama from one of theatre’s most important playwrights TONY AWARD NOMINATE D B EST PL AY

“Eloquent, exceptionally timely and intensely resonant” — C H I C AG O T R I B U N E

Written by Terrence McNally Directed by Arturo Catricala

MAR 4–APR 3, 2016 BUY TICKETS AT NCTCSF.ORG BOX OFFICE: 415. 861. 8972 25 VAN NESS AVE AT MARKET ST

Bill Evans

Arthur Woodley as Old Emile Griffith in the Opera Parallèle and SFJAZZ co-production of Terence Blanchard’s Champion: An Opera in Jazz at SFJAZZ Center.

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Theatre>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

St. James Infirmary & Cabaret

by Richard Dodds

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he beginning is starkly grim, and there is every reason to believe that the end will be the same. And what comes in-between isn’t meant to deny those facts, but starkly grim is no longer a proper description. In The Unfortunates, now at ACT’s Strand Theater, a strange and scary and wondrous world detonates within the last minutes of a doomed man’s life. And it’s a musical world, irresistibly so, that is yet often telling a story ultimately rooted in death.

Created by a team of five writers and its director, three of whom are also part of the cast, The Unfortunates debuted at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2013. For the past two years, they have been in residence at ACT further developing the piece for its current run. The results are a fascinating amalgam of storytelling and song that spans decades and even centuries. The one thing we know is that the world is at war, with specific elements of the first and second world wars evoked, and our hero seems to be an American prisoner of war, but those are details that don’t reflect the universality that is intended.

The production begins with an

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Swan Lake

From page 17

That was in 1970; the Royal Ballet’s production was a lot like Hamlet. The delicate, tender prince, conscience-stricken, hesitates before taking power, and when push comes to shove, he sacrifices himself to do the right thing. This is a perennial story; if you’re one of the millions who have read all of the Harry Potter saga, you’ll recognize the theme.

In Swan Lake, this devotion to an impalpable ideal is powerfully embodied in the music, which is truly overwhelming in its power to catch you up and hold you in thrall.

Tchaikovsky was young when he wrote it, and not yet fully aware of what a ballet actually needs – for this reason, the ballet’s grip on the audience is unparalleled – even a faulty production like San Francisco Ballet’s, which opened last Friday night at the Opera House, can bring the entire audience to its feet. When it’s all over, the lovers have jumped off the cliff and immolated themselves to break the curse and free the swan-maidens, and the dancers come forward to take their bows, still in character but manifestly themselves. Every single soul on the opera house floor was standing and cheering for Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets, who’d just given a chaste, scrupulous reading of the sacred text, in a production so riddled with stupid costumes and wrong-headed mise-en-scene that their devotion to the music and the classic choreography made them seem martyred to an ideal, and we got it.

Face it: Swan Lake is the Mona

army recruiter exhorting men to enlist in order to help keep “the demons at bay” while promising to a trio of carousing friends a world of excitement, easy women, and a sure way to be bound for glory. When we next see these buddies, it seems they have missed all the good parts as they await execution in a POW camp. When two display defiance, they are immediately shot, but when the third breaks their fraternal alliance with pleas to be spared, he is rewarded with a smack on the head that sends him into a nightmarish dream cabaret where fears, guilt, machismo, valor, and even joyous good times are constantly colliding.

The Unfortunates was created by Jon Beavers, Kristoffer Diaz, Casey Lee Hurt, Ian Merrigan, and Ramiz Monsef working with director Shana Cooper, and judging by the reviews that came out of the OSF production, the 90-minute piece has gone through substantial changes for its new run. Beavers, Merrigan, and Monsef are continuing in their original roles, and most of the newcomers are top-rate additions.

Cooper continues as director, and what could be a sprawling muddle has both the air of spontaneity and yet a very precise control over the proceedings.

Lisa of ballet. She can come out with a moustache and goatee, or a ring in her nose, and you still know that the Swan Queen has been cursed, that her mother died of grief, and that that lake (“which in our case,” as the poet said, “we have not got”) is filled with her mother’s tears.

The dancers and the musicians have once again saved Swan Lake from the fate of so many Swan Lakes. Under the Soviets, the commissars required a forward-looking, Communist happy ending, despite the catastrophic collapse of all worldly hopes you can hear in the music, which is in fact best realized in the all-male-swan version immortalized in Billy Elliott. Under the capitalists, many trivial, sentimental versions have prevailed – including, alas, ours.

The great versions have been unabashedly tragic. They die. The prince sacrifices his people to break the curse that rescues the swans, much as Hamlet let the Danes be taken over by the Swedes. His own people may not have been grateful.

I’m actually picturing Bernie Sanders as the Prince, but I think the fit will pass by Election Day. They are beautiful, they are noble.

In the great versions of this ballet, there is no need to introduce the heroine before Act II. The architecture of the story is set up to establish her, when she finally appears, as the answer to the melancholy prince’s prayers. A ballerina is a ballerina – we have to wait before she enters the action – and if we need to know who she is, she will tell us. Classic versions of Swan Lake have a mime scene when the prince first meets

Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet dancers Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets in Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake.

Kevin Berne

Ian Merrigan plays a doomed soldier whose last minutes are spent in an often-nightmarish dream world in The Unfortunates, now at ACT’s Strand Theater.

Big Joe is the soldier who is temporarily spared execution, and in whose mind the phantasmagoria takes place. Co-creator Ian Merrigan is charismatic as this character who is neither particularly bright nor empathetic as he begins his travels in his feverish dream. But as he develops attachments amid his imagined fellow travelers, and is constantly reminded of his initial cold response to the death of his two

buddies, he begins to realize his own misguided bravado as his inevitable fate approaches.

In contrast to the unorthodox circumstances, the steady flow of music and songs is as inviting as you’d find in the most popular of stage musicals. At first riffing on the blues classic “St. James Infirmary,” the songs cull inspiration from boogie-woogie, hip-hop, spirituals, show tunes, and minstrel shows. Accompanied by

the swan. It gives the back-story, like the dumb-show in Hamlet, which confirms Hamlet’s suspicions that his uncle murdered his father. The Prince, after his mother has sprung it on him at his 21st birthday party that tomorrow he must Choose a Bride (!) “so that the dynasty can continue” (!) takes the phallic symbol (i.e., the crossbow she gave him as a birthday present) to go indulge a fit of denial by heading into the woods duck-hunting – well, swan-hunting in this case – where he meets the swan-he-falls-in-love-

with-and-must-not-kill.

Tchaikovsky’s music is so powerful that almost any version of Swan Lake will floor you, despite the level of perversity of the concept imposed upon it. Choreographers, despite their proclivities, get intoxicated, too, and in setting Swan Lake they are sincere. Dancers, at twice the level of sincerity of the choreographer, will try to make the steps fit the music – I cannot overstate the degree to which dancers will kill themselves to make this happen. As Balanchine himself said, “The music

an excellent five-piece band, they are performed with an invitingly gritty tunefulness enhanced by Erika Chong Shuch’s choreography.

In addition to Merrigan’s Big Joe, there are also vivid performances from Taylor Iman Jones as a wingless bird-woman sensitive to Big Joe’s plight, Eddie Lopez as a tapdancing jester, Ramiz Monsef as a series of ominous characters, and Jon Beavers and Christopher Livingston as Big Joe’s buddies, who return in his dream world as scavenger birds. There is a shared spirit among the whole cast, with even seemingly throwaway lines finding careful placement.

Sibyl Wickersheimer’s elaborately imaginative scenic design, Katherine O’Neill’s costumes ranging from workaday to fanciful, and Casey Lee Hurt’s vibrant musical direction are all invaluable assets to a tale that, on the surface, reminds us that war is hell. But The Unfortunates takes us on a unique journey into one man’s private hell that, in a most unexpected fashion, can also find ways to joyous manifestation.t The Unfortunates will run at ACT’s Strand Theater through April 30.

Tickets are $35-$95. Call (415) 7492228 or go to act-sf.org.

is so noble!” – seriously, they will die to make you feel it – and even a Swan Lake set in the era of Jane Austen (which is what ours is, and it’s ridiculously inappropriate) can carry the day.

It’s amazing, how powerful this ballet is. Helgi Tomasson, who grew up in Iceland and became a great dancer in Copenhagen, where there was no tradition of dancing Swan Lake, and who came to be a star at New York City Ballet recruited by See page 20 >>

<< Fine Art

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Life on the razor’s edge of oblivion

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by Sura Wood

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s Holocaust survivors and a generation of older Jewish immigrants age and die, society loses a tangible connection to European Jewry and a way of life before, during and in the aftermath of WWII. We’re more familiar with the horrifying black & white footage of the liberated concentration camps than we are with the vibrant, multi-faceted Jewish culture, increasingly under siege, that existed and thrived in Eastern Europe before it was brutally extinguished. The record of those lives and the urgent need to bring it to light have driven several worthy projects. Last year at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Hungarian documentary filmmaker Peter Forgacs’ video installation Letters to Afar, compiled from home movies of Polish daily life during the 1920s and early 30s, offered a vital preHolocaust perspective. Now comes Roman Vishniac Rediscovered, a well-organized if overwhelming exhibition of 400 mostly black & white photographs, vintage prints, correspondence, books and journals that captures the history of Jews on the razor’s edge of oblivion, and of the fortunate émigrés who escaped.

In some respects, the pathos one feels in the current exhibition mirrors the experience of the Forgacs piece: We know what the subjects of the images could not know, that they and their loved ones were likely doomed. But Vishniac’s varied portrait of Jewish history is largely straightforward rather than poetic.

A reassessment of his diverse body of work, the comprehensive show, which could have done with tighter editing, covers a half-century of documentary photography, from the 1920s and 30s in Europe, and from his Upper West Side portrait studio in New York City, where in the 1940s and 50s he photographed

Courtesy Mara Vishniac Kohn and International Center of Photography

“Boy with kindling in a basement dwelling, Krochmalna Street, Warsaw” (ca. 1935-38). Gelatin silver print by Roman Vishniac.

Courtesy Mara Vishniac Kohn and International Center of Photography

well-known Jewish emigre artists, jazz musicians and nightclub performers, as well as Albert Einstein and Marc Chagall; to a return visit to Germany in 1947, when he shot a young boy standing atop a pile of rubble in Berlin, the devastated, once-great city that contained the ruins of Vishniac’s former home.

Born in 1897 to an affluent Jewish family near St. Petersburg, Russia, he grew up in Moscow before moving to Berlin in 1920. He demonstrated an early grasp of European modernism and avant-garde techniques in images such as the noirish “Interior of the Anhalter Bahnhof railway terminus near Potsdamer Platz, Berlin” (late 1920s, early 30s), whose dark, cinematic atmospherics and longattenuated shadows cast by waiting passengers recall Carol Reed’s film The Third Man. “People behind bars, Berlin Zoo,” shot from the caged polar bears’ point of view as they observe the crowd leering at them outside their enclosure, raised prescient questions about who was imprisoning whom, and about the tenuous thread that separates the wild beasts from the civilized. It was in Berlin that Vishniac witnessed up-close and too personal for comfort the

Amazon drug trip

by Erin Blackwell

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f you’re going to shoot a movie in black-and-white, you ought to have a good reason. There are many good reasons to choose from, such as, things can be made to look creepier.

Or, it’s easier to pretend we’re in “the Past,” since photographic records, which some people confuse with reality, were in black-and-white for so long. Paintings were in color for much longer, and in many respects remain truer witnesses. Never mind.

There’s also the economic factor.

Whatever his excuse, director Ciro Guerra shot his on-location rainforest movie in a palette of gray, grayer, grayest, white, off-white, dark gray, and black. Colombia’s Oscar contender, Embrace of the Serpent opens Friday at Opera Plaza.

The Amazon Rainforest, where Serpent is set, is amazing. Two million square miles of rainforest sit in nearly three million square miles of basin.

Nine countries lay claim to a piece of this miracle of natural life and native forestry, with Brazil taking the lion’s share of 60%. Almost 400 billion trees, which scientists have assiduously classified into 16,000 species, represent over half of all the rainforest humans have so far failed to eradicate from the face of the earth. One/10th

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Swan Lake

From page 19

Jerome Robbins, had no significant connection with this ballet, and has made two versions of it. Both are wrong, but both are sincere. The first was set in the era of Watteau; the second in Jane Austen’s time like a footnote to Mansfield Park. The bad

of all known living animal species reside here, 1/20th of all birds and fish.

In other words, if there’s one place on earth worth saving, this is it.

Serpent is, thankfully, not a conservation rant. Serpent is a polemic about the white man’s imperative to throw his baggage into the river and paddle up or downstream with his native guide in quest of healing and altered consciousness. This story has been told many times in many ways.

It never gets old because white men never learn. White men are hell-bent on their and everyone else’s destruction. Donald Trump is simply the latest in a long, sorry line of wrongheaded technocrats. It’s not like the world doesn’t “need” to be reminded.

It’s merely a question of whether you feel like sitting for 125 minutes staring at black-and-white images of the most vibrant, fertile, color-saturated biome in the universe.

Maybe Nature would’ve gotten in the way of the plot. Serpent is the story of the white men in the life of an Amazonian native. One white guy, a German, arrives when Karamakate is in the prime of perfectly muscled nativeness; the second, an American, when our hero is old. These two paleface bookends are no doubt essential to selling the film to what’s commonly known as “a wider audience.” Maybe guy is truly a seducer, but this is not Les Liaisons Dangereuses. It’s closer to Twilight. The good guy is a good guy, even if he’s inadequate – that’s a shame, but he’s Good Enough. He was Tiit Helimets, who was good enough, though he was dancing with an injury and had to scale it back. He never let his ballerina down. To see Helimets partner Yuan Yuan Tan is

Nazi rise to power. As a text panel in a chilling section of the show notes, the Reich’s ascension paralleled his own development as a professional photographer. Though the full monstrousness of the regime was not yet uncloaked, there was intense foreboding as the mechanics of evil began to manifest in benign and familiar settings. Take the picture of a contingent of Nazi soldiers marching away from the camera toward a mist-shrouded Berlin Cathedral in 1935, an image that has the formal, old-world beauty of an Eugene Atget photograph of Paris at dawn. Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies ramped up, including one that forbade Jews to take photographs on the street.

Intent on documenting Berlin’s accession to the onerous decrees and the proliferation of swastikas and propaganda, Vishniac circumvented the restrictions and deflected suspicion by using his seven-year-old daughter Mara as a prop, posing her, for instance, in front of a eugenics shop promoting instruments to compare Aryan and non-Aryan skulls; the sign in its window reads: “Nurture [your] race.” (The supporting text that introduces sections and accompanies many individual images is first-rate.) Later in Poland,

“Sara, sitting in bed in a basement dwelling, with stenciled flowers above her head, Warsaw” (ca. 1935-37). Platinum print by Roman Vishniac.

he photographed the plight of deprived children as well as their resilience, poignantly expressed in the mischievous, freckled face of a young boy in tattered clothing, clutching a satchel in Pabianice (ca.

1935-38).

While freelancing in Western Europe in late 1939, hell was descending but the party went on, evidenced by pictures of beachgoers frolicking on the Riviera, and Maurice Chevalier warbling on the Paris film set of Richard Siodmak’s Pieges. Vishniac was arrested shortly after these pictures were taken and interned for a month in a French camp. Following his release, he entrusted a large collection of his negatives to a friend who transported them via Cuba to the U.S; and in 1940, he arrived in America with his family on a ship carrying Jean Renoir and Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The later images are a departure from most of the photographs, which were a product of jobs for various Jewish relief and service organizations. Vishniac’s path echoes that of Dorothea Lange

and Walker Evans, who, under the aegis of the Farm Security Administration, took the stark Depressionera photographs that made them famous. The comparison is an apt one, in that both are instances of the rare, accidental intersection between institutional agenda and art. Previously defined solely by four years of influential work he started in 1935, which appeared in an iconic 1983 monograph, the majority of Vishniac’s images have only recently been discovered and weren’t published and printed during his lifetime or since his death in 1990. They’re contained in a voluminous archive that bears his name at the ICP in New York, where the show debuted in 2013.

As a remembrance of what should never be forgotten and a testament to a vanished world whose inhabitants are fast disappearing, taking their stories with them, the exhibition is invaluable, but an overabundance of material blunts its impact.t Through May 29 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum SF.

what’s meant is “a whiter audience.”

The white men aren’t very interesting.

They both have beards, look lost, are lost, worry a lot, and obviously need the help of a noble savage to get back on their feet and perhaps connect with the sweet mystery of life.

Karamakate is a tease, like all good spirit guides. “I don’t help the whites,” he snarls in a thrilling prologue before the opening credits. But, like all good movie Indians, he’s also weak.

He can’t hold to his convictions.

And that’s a good thing, because it turns out that was his ego talking. By

film’s end, Karamakate has come 180 degrees around and can say, without irony, to the second white guy, “I wasn’t meant to teach my people. I was meant to teach you.” This is such a familiar Hollywood trope, it’s dismaying to witness it wrapped up in Colombian trimmings, in hopes of an Oscar, clearly labeled “authentic.”

The MacGuffin, as Hitchcock would say, is an elusive tropical psychotropic plant called yakruna. Lots of paddling, not too much botany, a little meandering on paths, goes into locating the last specimen. Too bad

the flowers are so obviously pasted on. Along the way, there are echoes of Werner Herzog and Joseph Conrad in this double quest. Because he’s hungry, the German parks their canoe at a Catholic mission over the protests of Young Karamakate. The detour sets up a blistering portrait of Catholic missionary toxicity, when a needless-to-say sadistic padre whips naive little Indian children for speaking their own language. Years, even a century later, the Bostonian repeats the detour. The cult has devolved into a weird-ass Messiahbased suicide cult, perhaps a nod to Jim Jones’ Jonestown massacre. Old Karamakate sagely observes, “They are now the worst of both worlds.”

Behind the Catholics are the rubber plantations. We get glimpses of this further desecration of forest and indigenous people. Guerra has his work cut out for him, condensing into two hours the crimes of centuries of colonization. Raising the consciousness of the willfully unconscious is a laudable quest. In the movie, the transaction is one-onone. In real life, there aren’t enough guides to go around. The process must be accelerated. And fast. Serpent attempts to deliver a message repeatedly delivered and ignored.

That’s all a messenger can do.t

to see a soft hand place a ballerina exactly where she is most comfortable, and she danced as if she were absolutely free. Tan is now famous in her homeland, the People’s Republic of China. She’s a VIP at embassy balls, and sits next to Ms. Obama at State dinners, she is so famous in both countries. (Full disclosure: Tan wished me happy birthday on

Facebook.) Our production sucks.

The dancers saved it, all of them.

Tan was heroic: she made us hear the glorious violinist Cordula Marks, the new Concertmaster of the orchestra, who played the solo accompaniment to her grand adagio for the White Swan, all the way through the immaculate pas de deux, in the sancum sanctorumpas de deux of the second

act, especially during the “trembling thigh” section of that romantic encounter, where she yields to him.

That dance tells you everything – she gets it; despite everything, she trusts him; and she puts her fate in his hands. Which means, from here on out, it’s up to him.

This ballet will break your heart, no matter what. It is the best there is.t

Oscilloscope Laboratories

Scene from director Ciro Guerra’s Embrace of the Serpent.

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Film>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

Bringing pre-Code films to the Castro

by David Lamble

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lliot Lavine, programmer of preCode films at the Castro Theatre (every Wednesday through March 30), was raised in Detroit, moved to the Bay Area in the 1970s with the thought of becoming a filmmaker, “and accidentally wound up at the Roxie. I was hired to write calendar notes, and I was like the man who came to dinner. It became a very fortuitous thing, opening up that part of myself. Even as a little kid, I would have my friends come over at a certain time to watch [a movie on TV].”

My conversation about his sixweek program at the Castro began with his description of the pre-Code era. “It’s that very short window, 1930-34. There was a Code, but nobody followed it. There was no effective way to self-police. Exhibitors in the South were starting to get complaints from their patrons: the films were too licentious. That Bible Belt was getting bigger and bigger each day.” Lavine’s comments below are presented in quotes; mine are

part of the main text.

Torch Singer (1933) Director Alexander Hall gives us Claudette Colbert in my choice for the best film and performance in this series.

Colbert is an unwed mom who gives up her daughter to the nuns, only to regret the choice. Later she becomes a radio blues singer, which provides for a poignant reunion. “It was designed to fill that need in female moviegoers, even in the tawdriest possible way. She does not expect to be judged. There must have been thousands and thousands of working mothers who related like hell to this film. It’s the tail end of the preCode era, but the absolute zenith of the Depression.” (3/2) Three on a Match (1932) Director Mervyn LeRoy presents the odyssey of three girls whose lives keep intersecting through adulthood.

With Bette Davis, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak and Warren William, who was the era’s Perry Mason in a series of B-movies. (3/2) The Cheat (1931) Director George Abbott offers Tallulah Bankhead as a woman whose spendthrift

Astronaut dreams

Courtesy the filmmaker

One-time Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan is The Last Man on the Moon.

by David Lamble

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t was only after a second viewing of British doc-maker Mark Craig’s gorgeously filmed memory piece The Last Man on the Moon that it struck me just how sad it is for us 21st-century Americans to be casting a nostalgic eye back on the salad days of the U.S. space program. The film opens in the heart of the great Texan metropolis that proudly advertised itself as “Space City.” We find ourselves at the Houston Rodeo as lithe young men compete to go 10 seconds or so atop a bucking bronco – riding a bull so massive and ornery that being shot into space atop a massive Saturn rocket could seem like child’s play.

The Last Man on the Moon depicts the destruction of the dreams of a still young-at-heart nation whose handsome young leader, Pres. John F. Kennedy, made an eloquent address urging his countrymen to put a man on the moon by 1969. If this seems old-fashioned and sexist, it is. One of the virtues of Craig’s film is how it zeros in on the man’s world that was Kennedy’s New Frontier. During the period covered (1969-72), women kept house, raised kids, and in the case of astronauts’ wives, occasionally opened their lives to the media, especially the inexhaustible maul that was network TV during the Apollo space flights broadcast by the space buffs CBS anchor Walter Cronkite and ABC Science Editor Jules Bergman.

The hero of the piece is Wisconsin-born Navy aviator Gene Cernan, a one-time Apollo astronaut who, in the film’s present-tense interview scenes, is a craggy-faced Texas rancher. If, in telling his story to us and his adult daughter, Cernan

looks a tad haunted, it’s because the Apollo Manned Spacecraft program had more than its share of nearmisses and outright mishaps. Close buddies of his were burned alive in their space capsules.

In 1969, my 25-year-old self watched a man walk on the moon, an event that more than held its own with Woodstock, Stonewall and an early anti-Nixon Vietnam War rally in Washington. It’ll sound impossibly corny, but it’s true that you seldom realize the value of things until they’re irretrievably lost. See Last Man on the Moon for its seldom-viewed home movies of young space jockeys at play, and for awe-inspiring NASA footage of takeoffs that are so bigger-than-life that you both grasp the dangers these men withstood and wish somehow we had public men and women capable of similar crazy dreams.

The film kept reminding me of companion space adventures such as the 1999-lensed October Sky, starring a young Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam, Jr., a Southernraised, rocket-obsessed young man who, in the time of Sputnik, butted heads with a coal-mine foreman dad to turn himself into a future NASA scientist. Last Man is also for fans of big-budget space-program films The Right Stuff and the gripping rescue drama Apollo 13. I eagerly await a Castro Theatre triple bill.

But the greatest thing about Last Man on the Moon is its potential for reviving the dreamer in all of us.

Skeptics scoff that the current NASA projects – the Mars orbiter, etc. – are literally light-years beyond our ability to wrap them into our country’s agenda. Great movies inspire great dreams. Give this one a peek, and be prepared to be wowed.t

ways drive her into the arms of a sexual predator. Cited by Leonard Maltin for a great naturalistic soundtrack. (3/2) Shanghai Express (1932) Josef von Sternberg gives a young Marlene Dietrich the role of the sultry Shanghai Lily during the turbulence of the Chinese Civil War. (3/9) Safe in Hell (1931) Lavine’s choice for Best Female Performance in the series goes to Dorothy MacKaill for playing a prostitute who kills her john after he brutally rapes her when she refuses to have sex with him. “She turns around and shoots him, and in the aftermath she accidentally sets fire to the hotel.” Her solution is to flee the clutches of the law by going to an island that is humanly beyond the pale. Director William Wellman “is making some comments on how women are treated in a male-centric society. The idea that this woman who’s invested with so much integrity is being fucked over by society is pretty hard to take.” (3/9) I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) Mervyn LeRoy presents a hard-hitting drama about a man betrayed by the criminal justice system. Lavine’s vote for the Best Male Performance in this series: Chain Gang star Paul Muni. “It dances around the idea of a noble, integrity-laden character, who’s willing to present himself honestly as a hard-working person, having his life degenerate into a horrible crisis-laden mess. Having both sides of it very believable makes it a tough experience.” (3/16) Wild Boys of the Road (1933) “Essentially it’s a film that’s driven by the Depression itself. You have all these really nice people, teenage kids and respectible parents, suddenly they get clobbered by the Depression. Frankie Darro plays one of these kids, a terrific juvenile

actor. The Depression descends upon their home. Their dad’s out of work, the mother has no working skills. They’re in the process of losing their home. They take to the road like hobos. So you have these nice middle-class kids who are suddenly at the bottom rung of the economic ladder. They have to contend with really serious conditions: exploitation, rape. [Director William] Wellman was always dealing with serious issues in an entertaining way.” (3/16) Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) Frank Capra presents a young Barbara Stanwyck in a moody affair with a powerful Chinese warlord.

Now seems dated, partly for having white actors play Asian characters.

Lavine points out that this film totally bombed for Capra at the time, paving the way for his comeback with It Happened One Night. (3/23) Downstairs (1932) Director Monta Bell gives one-time silent star John Gilbert a chance to shine as a playboy who alternates seducing upper-class women and their

downstairs servants. (3/23) Island of Lost Souls (1932) Director Eric Kenton gives us a younger Charles Laughton as a mad scientist who spends his time on a remote island creating half-human/ half-animal freakish creatures. This weird melodrama, adapted from an H.G. Wells novel, has an especially dark ending. (3/30) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931) This first sound-era version of the scary transformation tale gives a young Fredric March a spectacular vehicle for some truly creepy moments. March would later be paired off against another great J&H man, Spencer Tracy, in the 60s courtroom drama Inherit the Wind. (3/30) Freaks (1932) Horror film master Tod Browning pushes the envelope with his sympathetic treatment of so-called carnival sideshow freaks, deformed humans who could only survive by allowing themselves to be exploited for public curiosity.

Banned for 30 years in the UK and severely censored in the US. (3/30) See page 22 >>

ASIAN ART MUSEUM 50 TH ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY WEEKEND

PRESENTED BY TARGET®

FREE ADMISSION MARCH 5 & 6 10 AM–5 PM

Join us for: • Music • Acrobats • Dance performances • Artist demonstrations • Community art projects • Our trio of new special exhibitions and collection galleries • And more!

www.asianart.org/50 #AAM50

ASIAN ART MUSEUM Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art & Culture 200 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA 94102

<< Film

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

They coulda been contenders

by Tavo Amador

N

o matter how many terrific films are nominated for Best Picture, only one will win the Oscar.

OK, the 1927-28 awards honored two movies, The Last Command and Wings, but that hasn’t happened since. Rather than second-guess the winners, it’s worth looking at some excellent contenders that didn’t cop the top prize.

In 1931-32, Grand Hotel, MGM’s pioneering all-star melodrama starring Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford, took Oscar home. Among the other nominees was Joseph von Sternberg’s dazzling Shanghai Express, in which Marlene Dietrich unforgettably explained, “It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lili.” Cavalcade won in 1932-33, but openly gay George Cukor’s superb Little Women, with a flawless Katharine Hepburn as Jo, remains vivid. Fans of classic Hollywood hail 1939 as its greatest year. Gone With the Wind was the big winner, although today The Wizard of Oz would likely prevail. But the New York Film Critics selected William Wyler’s splendid version of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Merle Oberon was an exquisite Cathy, and Laurence Olivier, as Heathcliff, credited Wyler for teaching him how to act for the movies.

Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant Rebecca (1940) made a star of Joan Fontaine, but John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath remains memorable. How Green Was My Valley would win the next year, but Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is still astonishing. In 1944, Double Indemnity, a landmark noir,

and Gaslight, a riveting melodrama, lost to Going My Way. The Lost Weekend (1945) was a searing look at alcoholism, but Mildred Pierce, Crawford’s Oscar-winning comeback, is a remarkable noir/weepy.

Winner Gentlemen’s Agreement (1947) exposed American antiSemitism, while David Lean’s Great Expectations brought Dickens to life.

All About Eve triumphed in 1950, but has anyone forgotten Gloria Swanson’s Norma Desmond insisting, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small” in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard? Among the losers to 1951’s An American in Paris was Elia Kazan’s censored but powerful version of gay Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, with Vivien Leigh’s haunting Blanche battling Marlon Brando’s brutish Stanley.

That same year, George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun revealed a steamy, 19-year-old Elizabeth Taylor symbolizing all of Montgomery Clift’s doomed aspirations. Wyler’s BenHur swept the 1959 prizes, but Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder is a sharp look at trial lawyers, with James Stewart as a cynical attorney who’s not as clever as he thinks.

Also that year, Fred Zinnemann’s exceptional rendering of a spiritual dilemma in The Nun’s Story elicited a magnificent performance from Audrey Hepburn.

West Side Story danced off with the 1961 prize, but Stanley Kramer’s all-star Jugment at Nuremberg memorably conveyed the complexities of the post-WWII Nazi trials.

Robert Rossen’s The Hustler gave Paul Newman one of his greatest roles and remains a moving look at the world of pool sharks. In 1962,

but Roman Polanski’s Chinatown is unforgettable. Both feature an extraordinary performance by Jack Nicholson. Rocky slugged its way to victory in 1976, but All the President’s Men showed the power of a free press in exposing political corruption at the highest levels of American government.

Chariots of Fire (1981) drove away with the statuette, yet Louis Malle’s touching Atlantic City is wonderful, with Burt Lancaster capturing the pain and joy of youth.

Oscar caressed 1983’s Terms of Endearment, but The Big Chill still speaks to a whole generation. The Little Man traveled Out of Africa (1985), but Kiss of the Spider Woman presciently portrayed the fluidity of gender identity and homosexual behavior. Rain Man swam away with 1988’s top honor, but Dangerous Liaisons brilliantly recreated life

in late-18th-century France. Glenn Close’s mesmerizing performance as the malicious Marquise de Merteuil remains stunning.

Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992) edged out James Ivory’s superb adaptation of gay E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End. Audiences swooned over 1996’s The English Patient, but many visited Fargo, Joel Coen’s quirky masterpiece. The Titanic (1997) may have sunk, but it sailed away with a host of Oscars.

But Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential remains a surprising tale of Hollywood in the 1950s.

In 2000 Gladiator fought its way to victory, but Steven Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich showcased Julia Roberts, earning her Best Actress. It reminds audiences that one person can make a difference in battling corporate corruption. Rob Marshall’s Chicago (2002) was the first musical since Oliver! (1968) to take the award, beating out Stephen Daldry’s elegant adaptation of The Hours, which earned Nicole Kidman an Oscar for her portrayal of bisexual Virginia Woolf.

Crash (2005) is forgotten, but not Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, with Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as doomed cowboy lovers. No Country for Old Men (2007) won, but George Clooney and Tilda Swinton were unforgettable in Michael Clayton, a complex legal thriller. The prize in 2011 went to The Artist, but Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is romantic and moving. 12 Years a Slave (2013) was an important winner, but American Hustle gripped viewers as they watched a con game unfold.

So if your favorite film doesn’t win, don’t despair. It’s in great company.t

Oscar” rule. Both won in categories that have honored itty-bitty performances by Beatrice Straight in Network and Karl Malden in A Streetcar Named Desire.

The problem of the Academy’s you-tell-us-where-to-put-thisperformance policy went to full-tilt lunacy with the female races of 2002. The Hours was a trilogy film for three actresses exploring, among other things, lesbian desire in different eras. Each had about 30 minutes of screen time. Even so, one of them (Nicole Kidman) went into the lead category, and another (Julianne Moore) went supporting. Kidman won against Moore in another film, Far From Heaven, in which her performance was the unequivocal lead.

Meanwhile, Moore lost the supporting race to Catherine Zeta-Jones, who gave a lead performance, but was shoved into supporting so as not to compete with Chicago co-star Renée Zellweger. Meanwhile Queen Latifah, also in Chicago, lost out to Zeta-Jones in a genuinely supporting role. It was Alice in Wonderland time. Kidman won Best Actress for a supporting/ensemble turn, while Zeta-Jones won Best Supporting Actress for a leading role.

I’m not advocating a return to the plantation days of the Studio System, or stopwatch criteria for who goes where. But how about some clarity on how actors are honored?

Go ahead, Academy, say it. “Rooney Mara has a leading role in Carol.”

That wasn’t so tough, was it?t Because it destroys the print.

It chews it up, it would be worthless after two or three screenings.

How many theaters can there be that even have dual projection? Here in SF there’s the Alamo Drafthouse, the Castro and the Roxie. Even the Roxie is moving away from 16mm, which is another way for people to see films on film.t

Marlene Dietrich in director Joseph von Sternberg’s Shanghai Express, which lost out on the Oscar.

Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia rode off with Oscar, but audiences still adore To Kill a Mockingbird. Zinnemann’s victorious A Man for All Seasons (1966) dramatized the conflict between Henry VIII and Pope Leo X, but that year marked Mike Nichols’ spectacular debut, helming gay Edward Albee’s scathing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which earned Taylor a second Best Actress Oscar for her tormented Martha.

Patton (1970) marched off with the award, but Robert Altman’s M.A.S.H was an original look at how medical staff cope with the horrors of combat. Oscar couldn’t refuse Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), but Cabaret, Bob Fosse’s explosive debut, is a glittering musical look at the rise of the Nazis. Milos Foreman’s terrifying One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest soared off with 1975’s prize,

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Category fraud, an Academy tradition

by Matthew Kennedy

hile the Academy slogs hipdeep through a public relations fiasco on race and exclusion, there is another matter to discuss, albeit less pernicious. It’s on display in this year’s nominations for Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol, that exquisite drama of 1950s lesbian love. Both women share the screen in a true co-star partnership; it could just as well have been titled Carol and Therese. But Blanchett is up for Best Actress, and Mara for Best Supporting. While we’re on the subject, this year’s The Danish Girl Supporting Actress nominee Alicia Vikander gave a lead performance, too.

What’s with the free-floating criteria saying a lead performance goes in a supporting race, and vice versa? A little history is in order. The supporting acting categories began in 1936 to honor performances that made great impact with limited screen time.

In the days of studio hierarchy, the distinction was explicit in contracts, credit, and at awards time. While Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, James Cagney, and Bette Davis vied for lead honors, magnificent character players infused the supporting rosters: Basil Rathbone, Walter Brennan, Beulah Bondi, Claire Trevor, Hattie McDaniel, Claude Rains, Edna May Oliver, Judith Anderson, Agnes Moorehead, Sydney Greenstreet, Van Heflin, and Gladys Cooper.

Flash-forward to 2016, and the leading/supporting differences are

in a mess. Conventional wisdom holds that two actors in the same film will cancel each other’s vote, so in hopes of scoring nominations, producers position actors in categories that don’t fit the performances. Well, conventional wisdom isn’t necessarily correct. There’s a beefy list of winning actors who weren’t cancelled out by a competing co-star: Hattie McDaniel, Teresa Wright, Bing Crosby, Celeste Holm, Maximilian Schell, Helen Hayes, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Tatum O’Neal, Robert De Niro, Peter Finch, Jason Robards, Meryl Streep,

Timothy Hutton, Jessica Lange, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, F. Murray Abraham, Dianne Wiest, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Melissa Leo, and Octavia Spencer.

While lead heterosexual pairings of the cinema (Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton in Reds) fit snugly in their respective gendered categories, no such accommodations exist for same-sex pairings. Once upon a time two actors or actresses in the same film could both be nominated as leads: Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in All

About Eve, Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton in Becket, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy, Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment. Win or lose, at least the game was honest. Stars Walter Matthau and George Burns of The Sunshine Boys got sent to different categories.

So too were Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal, and Health Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain. Something’s amiss here. It’s not right that the Academy says of Brokeback, “It’s the Ennis show, also featuring Jack.”

To further complicate, it’s not enough to assign performances their place based solely on screen time. There is a tradition of supporting performances winning as leads, assumedly because their actors dominate their films. There’s Luise Rainer in The Great Ziegfeld, David Niven in Separate Tables, Patricia Neal in Hud, Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, and Forrest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland. Some cases of category fraud are horrendous. Tatum O’Neal dominated all of Paper Moon, then won Best Supporting Actress over Madeline Kahn, who gave a poignant brief performance in the same film. Timothy Hutton was the de facto lead in Ordinary People, which revolved around his character’s anguish. He and O’Neal were minors when they won, so perhaps the Academy had some strange “Must be 21 to win a lead

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fewer. Even in a city like San Francisco, where there should be a theater like this in every neighborhood.

care and appreciation on behalf of the studios. Universal’s great actually, they’re like the gatekeepers with their library. Every Universal print I get is gorgeous. It’s not the case with Warners necessarily, but they have a larger library and it’s rather unwieldy. Sometimes when a print comes in from Warners you’re crossing your fingers and hoping for the

best, but at least it’s a place where you can get prints. But there are fewer and fewer theaters that can show them. Part of the problem, too, is in order to show archive prints, you have to have a reel-to-reel projection system. The alternative is the platter system, and no studio is going to let any archive print be plattered. You have to sign that in blood!

W

Elliot Lavine

From page 21

David Lamble: What do you see for the future of America’s remaining movie palaces like the Castro?

Elliot Lavine: That’s a tough question, because emotionally I don’t want to give you the answer, but I feel eventually there will be fewer and

Tatum O’Neal (here, with father Ryan) dominated all of Paper Moon, then won for Best Supporting Actress.

Well, the Royal’s gone, and the Gateway.

So I would say overall it’s pretty grim. Studios are becoming less and less interested in sending out prints. They will send out 35mm prints, there’s still a great level of

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Books>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

Surviving Mormonism

MARIN CENTER PRESENTS

by Brian Bromberger

Saving Alex: When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That’s When My Nightmare Began, by Alex Cooper with Joanna Brooks; HarperOne, $24.99 ast November, the Mormon Church issued policy changes that said that same-sex couples who marry are apostates and unwelcome in church congregations. Children of same-sex couples cannot be baptized in the church until they are 18, and then only if they disavow their parents. So LGBTQ members must not only leave the church, but take their children with them. Such draconian positions, despite Mormon leaders pledging last month to support anti-discrimination laws in Utah for LGBTQ people as long as the laws also protect the rights of religious groups, seem to provide cover for other less drastic homophobic religious institutions (such as Roman Catholics), who can always claim they are nothing like the bugaboo Mormons. With the exception of the Phelps cult in Kansas, Mormons remain among the last vestige of virulent hatred of gay, lesbian, and transgender people in American Christianity.

Certainly Alex Cooper’s shocking memoir Saving Alex will do nothing to lessen the public’s perception of this truth. In 2009, when Cooper was 15, she had an ordinary life in a sleepy suburban town in Southern California as part of a devout Mormon family. Yet something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. Those emotions exploded when she met Yvette, another Mormon teenage girl, who made her feel alive in a new way. “She had such a great way of making me feel comfortable and fully myself.” Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, but eventually she couldn’t keep the truth hidden any longer. Being gay was who she was, and she couldn’t deny it. “I can see how terrifying it must have been for my mom especially, because our religion told her there was no place for people like me, no place in the faith and in the community that held her world together, and no place in God’s plan.” She told her parents, “I like girls,” and they immediately kicked her out of the house. So began her living hell.

“I can see how scared my mom and dad must have been, and I felt bad for them. But with no idea where I would go or what would happen to me, all I could feel was the crushing

Saturday, March 5, 8 pm Willie K $55, $40, $25

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Champion

From page 18

drama leads to a top-heavy and contrived second act. There are big arias for important characters too late in the action. Just when you think the show is ending, it gets back up for another bout of emotional handwringing.

Blanchard has mostly surmounted these problems with a score that fuses jazz and classical idioms excitingly with joyous Caribbean soul and the rhythm of the streets.

A jazz trio is set within a full orchestra (nearly 30 players), and Blanchard’s strong melodies swell from the pit, expertly conducted

by Opera Parallèle Artistic Director Nicole Paiement. They provide a lush carpet to support the steady stream of arioso, traditional arias, duets, trios, and choral scenes. It works best when the characters are freed from the bustling staging and simply allowed to lay their souls bare within a more intimate orchestration. Okay, now you has jazz!

We are not faulting Stage Director (Parallèle’s Creative Director) Brian

Join us at 2 pm before the concert for

specially priced Beer, Bratwurst, and Bites!

Saturday, March 12, 3 pm Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra performs Beethoven $65, $45, $25, $20 students

Sunday, May 1, 3 pm Neil Berg’s 106 Years of Broadway $65, $45, $25, $75 post-show meet & greet reception

MARIN CENTER • SAN RAFAEL • MARINCENTER.ORG 2pub-BBB_BAR_021116.pdf

weight of my mother’s shame and my father’s silence.”

Soon her parents drove her to southern Utah and signed over guardianship to a strict Mormon couple who, despite having no therapeutic or counseling training, ran an unlicensed residential treatment program that promised to cure her homosexuality. The husband threatened Alex, “You can be here three months, or you can be here three years. It’s up to you.” Thus began Alex’s harrowing eight-month imprisonment.

She was physically and emotionally abused. When she tried to escape, refused to cooperate, or reveal Yvette’s name, which she never did, she was punched, beaten with a sharp belt, then made to stand for 18 hours facing a wall and wearing a backpack filled with rocks weighing 25 pounds.

“Being gay is a choice,” the Siales couple said to intimidate her, “it’s not how God made you! We know everyone in this town. We know the police, the schools, the courts. They all know us and trust us, as we take in troubled kids. It’s your word against ours.”

After eight months she was permitted to attend school, and found a courageous teacher connecting her with a Salt Lake City attorney who agreed to represent her pro bono. Alex eventually made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the

law’s protection as an openly gay teenager within her parent’s home, coming to a somewhat reconciling truce with them.

Ripped-from-the-headlines books often seemed forced, but not here.

Blessed with a capable ghostwriter, Alex’s story, at 21, is gripping, as she comes across as a reliable witness against the cruelties of so-called reparative therapy. Because of her bravery, LGBTQ teenagers in Utah don’t have to undergo what Alex endured. Sadly, she still feels the damage in her back daily, with one shoulder blade out of alignment. But she doesn’t wallow in self-pity.

Alex mentions a new group of Mormon mothers of LGBT kids who call themselves Mama Dragons, ready to defend their children from abuse. She hopes the Utah state legislature will end these debunked conversion therapies. With Alex’s testimony, perhaps the days of coercive religion against LGBTQ people are coming to a deserved end. Alex writes, “I am sharing my story so that no more LGBT teenagers will find themselves up against a wall – physically, emotionally, or spiritually.” Because of courageous LGBTQ pioneers like Alex willing to fight to be herself in the face of adversity, the future seems bright for the LGBTQ civil rights movement.t

Staufenbiel or choreographer Joe Orrach for framing the action with so much detail and visual appeal.

Or maybe we are, because the sheer entertainment value of the crowd scenes and the solo dancing, not to mention the colorful costumes by Christine Crook and projections (media design) by David Murakami, sometimes detract from a serious depth of meaning.

The superb cast of principals includes a familiar face from many new operas. Baritone Robert Orth essays the role of Emile’s trainer Howie with conviction and warmth.

His angry and remorseful aria is a pillar of the action in Act II. Karen Slack as Emile’s hoydenish mother Emelda also gets plenty of solo turns, and her powerful aria of self-explanation and sorrow, with only bass accompaniment, is a stunner in the second half.

Moses Abrahamson (Little Emile), double-cast with Evan Holloway; bass-baritone Kenneth Kellogg (Young Emile); and bass Arthur Woodley (Old Emile) make subtle, brave and heartbreaking sense of a tumultuous life. Woodley’s weary

glimpses of clarity are especially moving. His meeting with Benny Paret, Jr., played by a convincing Victor Ryan Robertson (who also does a bravura turn as Benny, Sr.) is overwhelming.

Smaller parts are well-portrayed

by Chabrelle Williams as Emile’s wife; Michelle Rice as the kinda creepy gay bar owner Kathy; and Aisha Campbell as sadistic Cousin Blanche. The Chorus of Reporters, Carnival Paraders, and Boxing Fans makes quick changes with seamless speed, and adds touches of individuality to their many appearances.

The biggest takeaway of the night and the strongest testament to Blanchard’s success is an ultimate melancholy understanding of what Griffith (paraphrasing slightly) once said himself: “I kill a man, and most people understand and forgive me. I love a man, and this is an unforgiveable sin.” Terence Blanchard has seen that Emile Griffith gets his title of Champion restored.t

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Champion: An Opera in Jazz continues at SFJAZZ Center Feb. 26-28. Tickets: sfjazz.org.

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<< Out&About

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

O&A

Fri 26 Hair @ Victoria Theatre

Bridges @ Berkeley Playhouse World premiere of Cheryl L. Davis and Douglas J. Cohen’s new musical about different eras of the civil rights struggle. $17-$60. Thu-Sun various times thru March 6. 2640 College Ave. Berkeley. (510) 845-8542. www.berkeleyplayhouse.org

Champion: An Opera in Jazz @ SF Jazz Center Opera Paralelle’s new fully staged production of Terence Blanchard’s opera about the life of bisexual African American boxing star Emile Griffith. $30-$185. Feb 19-21, 23 & 24, 26 & 27. 7:30pm; Feb 28 4pm. www.operaparallele.org sfjazz.org

Classy

Hair @ Victoria Theatre

by Jim Provenzano

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lassic plays about the crazy upper class (the “Scottish play”), the revolutionary underclass (Hair), and the frazzled middle class (The Call) reflect a diversity of lives. For more events, plus nightlife fun, your classy invitation awaits at www.ebar.com Ben Krantz

Thu 25 Angels in America: Perestroika @ Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette Tony Kushner’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning epic AIDS drama (Part II) gets an East Bay staging; in repertory with staged readings of Part I. $20-$32. Fri-Sun 8pm. Also Sun 2pm. Thru March 17. 3535 School St., Lafayette. www.townhalltheatre.com

Mighty Real @ Brava Theatre The popular Sylvester musical, starring Anthony Wayne, returns, with new sets, songs and costumes; special benefit nights for various local nonprofits. $35-$100. Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sun 2pm. Thru March 13. 8pm. 2781 24th St. brava.org fabuloussylvester.com

Night Vision, Silence @ Z Below

American Conservatory Theatre M.F.A. students perform Dan LeFranc’s comedy about family and food. $15. Wed-Sat 7pm. Also Feb 27 at 1pm. Thru Feb. 27. 1127 Market St. www.act-sf.org/mfashows

Word for Word, the company that performs great short fiction, takes on Emma Donaghue and Colm Tóibín stories. Tóibín will be at the Feb 25 performance for a post-show chat, and sign books. $20-$55. Wed & Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru April 3. 470 Florida St. (866) 811-4111. www.zspace.org

Black Virgins are Not for Hipsters @ The Marsh

Paula West @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

The Big Meal @ The Rueff/Strand Theatre

Echo Brown’s hit solo show about desire and doubt returns. $20-$100. Thu 8pm Sat 8:30pm. Thru March 5. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. themarsh.org

Club Inferno @ Hypnodrome The glam rock musical, based on Dante’s Inferno, with songs by Peter Fogel and book by Kelly Kittell, returns, with the original 2015 cast. $30-$35. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru March 5. 575 10th St. at Bryant. 377-4202. www.hypnodrome.org

Dogeaters @ Magic Theatre Bay Area premiere of Jessica Hagedorn’s 1998 play set in Manila’s mythical Studio 54 – with drag queens, beauty queens and movie stars alongside statesmen, activists and rebels, in early 1980s Philippines as the country unravels at the end of the Marcos regime. $25-$75. Wed-Sat 8pm. Tue 7pm. Sun 2:30pm. Thru Feb. 28. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, 3rd Floor. 4418822. www.magictheatre.com

From a Place With No Space @ Qulture Collective New exhibit of photos and video of dancer-aerialist India Davis, who, with photographer Lauren Hind, visualizes a queer Black femme perspective on the mystical power of New Orleans culture. Thru Feb. 26. Reg. hours Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. 1714 Franklin St., Oakland. www.qulturecollective.com

IndieFest @ Various Cinemas The 18th annual SF Independent Film Festival screens dozens of innovative new films at the Roxie, Brava and Alamo Drafthouse theatres. Thru Feb. 25. www.sfindie.com

Little Erik @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley World premiere of Mark Jackson’s drama (an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Little Eyolf ) about a tech guru, her writer brother, and a family tragedy that turns their world upside down. $32-$50. Tue & Sun 7pm. WedSat 8pm. Also Sun 2pm. Thru Feb. 28.

2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 8434822. www.auroratheatre.org

The acclaimed jazz vocalist returns for another extended residency at the upscale intimate cabaret. $40-$60 ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm (no show Feb 28). Thru March 6. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 663-1063. www.ticketweb.com

Queer Open Mic @ Modern Times Bookstore Baruch Porras-Hernandez and Blythe Baldwin cohost the eclectic LGBTQ reading and performance series. 7pm.

2919 24th st. 282-9246. www.mtbs.com

The Unfortunates @ Strand Theatre The amazing must-see blues-gospelhip hop musical tells of Big Joe, a tough-talking soldier cursed with giant hands, who must confront his dead friends in a plague-ridden underworld. $35-$95. Tue-Sat 7:30pm. Wed, Sat Sun 2pm. Thru April 10. 1127 Market St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Fri 26 Aubergine @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre Tony Taccone directs Julia Cho’s acclaimed drama about an estranged Asian family. $48-$89. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sun 2pm.

Thru March 27. 2025 Addison St. (510) 647–2949. www.berkeleyrep.org

Bay Area Musicals performs their new production of MacDermot, Ragni and Rado’s classic 1960s musical about Vietnam-era youths, hippies, hair, peace and love. $10-$20. Thru March 12. 2961 16th St. www.bamsf.org

Macbeth @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre “The Scottish play,” Shakespeare’s classic tragedy about a murderous royal couple, stars Conleth Hill and Frances McDormand. $45-$145. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru April 10. Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St. berkeleyrep.org

Sat 27

Mon 29

Bill Bowers @ Glama-Rama Salon

Scott Welsh, Jason Mecier @ Strut SF

New exhibit of the veteran gay local collage artist, whose Funk-and-Flash wearable art has been donned by rock stars and supermodels. Thru March 20. 304 Valencia St. 861-4526. www.glamarama.com

You Pink Too Much, the local gay artist’s portraits and nudes; and Man Candy, Mecier’s amazing candy art includes images of male movie hunks (Channing Tatum, Joe Mangianello, Burt Reynolds) at the gay men’s healthspace. Thru Feb. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

The Call @ Eureka Theatre Theatre Rhino’s new production of Tanya Barfield’s dramedy about a lesbian couple, their adoption plans, and a controversy that tests their marriage. $15-$35. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sat & Wed 3pm. Thru March 12. 215 Jackson St. (800) 838-3006. www.therhino.org

The Colored Museum @ Buriel Clay Theatre George C. Wolfe’s deft satire of contemporary Black lives gets a local production by African American Shakespeare Company. $15-$34. Sat. (3pm & 8pm) and Sun. (3pm) thru March 6. 762 Fulton St. 762-2071. www.african-americanshakes.org

Ondine @ Exit on Taylor Cutting Ball Theater’s world premiere of Katherine Sherman’s haunting take on The Little Mermaid, Pelleas and Mellisande myths in a transformational love story. $10-$50.

Thu 7pm, Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun pm.

Thru Mar. 6. 277 Taylor St. 525-1205. www.cuttingball.com

Pacific Orchid Exhibition @ Festival Pavilion The 64th annual large-scale floral exhibit and sale, titled A Legacy of Orchids, showcases 150,000 plants from around the world, plus demos, live painting by Kevin Woodson, silent auctions on fine wines, vacation packages, fine art and more (also, check out the gown made entirely of orchids in the Neiman Marcus shop window at 150 Stockton St.). $11-$25 (three-day pass). 9am-6pm. Fri & Sat Thru Feb. 28. Sun 10am-5pm. Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. (650) 5486700. www.orchidsanfrancisco.org

Sagittarius Ponderosa @ New Conservatory Theatre Center World premiere of MJ Kaufman’s whimsical play about a transgender man who returns to visit his Oregon family. $25-$45. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Feb. 28. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Macbeth @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre Kevin Berne

Koronation 2016: A Space Odyssey @ Galleria The Imperial Council’s annual festive gala coronation of the winning contestants for Empress and Emperor. For more events before and afterward, see Donna Sachet’s ‘On the Town’ column in the BARtab section. $25. 5pm-12am. 101 Henry Adams St. www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Mister Act/ Sister Act @ Castro Theatre Latrice Royale stars in Peaches Christ’s drag parody of the Whoopi Goldberg nun comedy, followed by a screening of the movie. $32-$110 (VIP). 3pm & 8pm. 429 Castro St. peacheschrist.com castrotheatre.com

Totem and Taboo @ Berkeley City Club

Variety of plays, drag shows, dancetheatre and comedy. $15-$20. Thru March. 1901 Ashby Ave. shotgunplayers.org/Online/blastival

Academy of Friends Gala @ Galleria 36th annual Academy Awards viewing party, themed A Gathering of Royals, with all proceeds going to multiple Bay Area AIDS/HIV nonprofits. Enjoy food, drinks, costumed guests, and a lavish silent auction. $125 and up.

5pm-10pm. 101 Henry Adams St. www.academyoffriends.org

Diego Gomez @ Mission Comics & Art The prolific painter, illustrator and drag performer’s new works transform Disney princesses into X-Men. Thru Feb. Daily 12pm-8pm (Sat til 6pm).

2250 Mission St. www.designnurd.blogspot.com www.missioncomicsandart.com

Sat 27

Unearthed: Found + Made @ Oakland Museum

The Call @ Eureka Theatre David Wilson

Tue 1 Love and Erotic Art @ Gallery on Castro Group exhibit of gay-themed works by local artists. Thru Feb 29. 518A Castro St. www.facebook.com/sfartslave

Wed 2 Dave Eggers: Idaho @ Jules Maeght Gallery Solo exhibit of commissioned acrylic-on-wood art by the awardwinning, bestselling local author (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius). Thru May 7. 149 Gough St. 549-7046. www.julesmaeghtgallery.com

Ghosts/Ships @ MOAD Cheryl Patrice Derricote’s new exhibit of works visualizing the global slave trade. Also, Alison Saar’s Bearing, the acclaimed artist’s sculptures of Black women as a centerpiece. Free-$10.

Thru April 3. Museum of the African Diaspora, 635 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Central Works’ production of David Weisberg’s wacky comedy about a pill-popping stay-at-home husband, whose hallucinations include The Honeymooners as cannibals. $15-$30.

Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru March 20. 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 558-1381. www.centralworks.org

Sun 28

Theatre First’s production of Diana Son’s 1998 play about a love story gone off the rails. $10-$30. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru March 12. 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 9818150. www.theatrefirst.com

Exhibit of 1970s San Francisco drag ball photos by Roz Joseph; curated

by Joey Plaster. Thru Feb. Reg, hours Mon, Wed-Sat 11am-6pm. Sun 12pm5pm. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

New exhibit of photos from the prolific documenter of Jewish life in eastern Europe. Thru May 29. Other exhibits, lectures and gallery talks as well. Free (members)-$12. Fri-Tue 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

Fri 26

Shotgun Blast Festival @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley

Stop Kiss @ Live Oak Theatre, Berkeley

Reigning Queens @ GLBT History Museum

Roman Vishniac Rediscovered @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

The Nether @ SF Playhouse Jennifer Haley’s unusual plays turns a fantasy world into a dark scifi thriller. $15-$45. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm.

Sat 3pm, Sun 2pm. Thru Mar. 5. 450 Post St. 677-9596. sfplayhouse.org

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Unearthed: Found + Made, featuring Jedediah Caesar’s geological sculptures; thru April 24. Free/$15.

Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am-5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

Fri 26 Pacific Orchid Exhibition @ Festival Pavilion Eric Hunt

Thu 3 10 Percent @ Comcast David Perry’s online & cable interviews with notable local and visiting LGBT people, broadcast through the week. Check for times on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ pages/10-Percent/66629477326 www.ComcastHometown.com

San Francisco in Ruins @ Tenderloin Museum Exhibit of paintings by local artist Jacinto Castillo depicting old San Francisco. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, $6-$10 ($15 includes walking tour). 398 Eddy St. 351-1912. tenderloinmuseum.org

School of Rock @ Curran Theatre Oakland School for the Arts students perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of the popular film. Thu-Sat 8pm. Also Sat. 2pm. Thru March 12. 445 Geary St. sfcurran.com

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TV>>

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Beyond faux multiculturalism

by Victoria A. Brownworth

T

he sewer pipe in our house broke last week, so we really needed some fun and frothy TV as we waited for the plumbers. Our goto for comedy has always been Modern Family for gayness as well as humor, followed by 2 Broke Girls for same, plus women. We like Brooklyn Nine-Nine for hilarity, edginess and some gay. But since it’s Black History Month, we decided we really needed some black*ish.

We are not really sitcom people here in our household. We like drama. Lots of it. The occasional Mike & Molly, Mom or The Big Bang Theory is good. And the aforementioned MF and 2BG. We loved the brief run of The B – in Apt 23. All consistently funny, if not all gay-themed. We have enjoyed the season’s new CBS sitcom Life in Pieces, mostly for the stellar cast. We binged Transparent. We love Orange Is the New Black, although we resist the idea that show is a comedy, even if the Emmys and other awards shows have deemed it that. But with the exception of sitcom premieres where we want to do the thumbs up or down, we don’t have a DVR must-list for sitcoms. Life is too short, drama too engaging.

So we hadn’t seen black*ish in a while. Did we forget how pants-pissingly funny this show is? Apparently.

We binged the first half of season two, having only seen a few episodes previously. Starring Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross (Diana Ross’ daughter), Wanda Sykes, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis (one of the most underrated comedians on TV), Raven Symone and four terrific young actors as the children of Anderson and Ross’ characters, Dre and Rainbow Johnson, this show is perfectly cast, and all black.

For years (decades, really) there was a seeming TV blackout on series with black casts outside of BET network. The few shows (all sitcoms) with black casting were relegated to the WB and Fox. So much so, in fact, that the WB (now merged with the CW) was considered a black network. When David Bowie died last month, it was revealed he had taken MTV to task publicly, on-air, for not showcasing black performers.

We’re not sure why this color bar still continues to be such an issue in 2016. Many shows have seamlessly moved from white-on-white to diverse, while others seem stuck in the all-white groove. As we wait impatiently for TV to catch up to true LGBT awareness and casting, we have solidarity with blacks, Latinos and Asians waiting to see themselves reflected on the tube, not just peripherally.

Last week, Steven Spielberg, who has regrettably protested the plan to elide some older white members of the Academy in favor of more people of color, spoke out in advance of the Feb. 28 Oscars. Spielberg has focused more on TV in recent years, co-creating and executive producing a plethora of series including some we have loved, like Smash, Under the Dome, The Whispers, Extant and this season’s Minority Report.

In voicing his displeasure with more inclusivity at the Academy, Spielberg brushed off charges of racism by saying he had two adopted children who were non-white and that he had been “colorblind all my life.”

The luxury of “colorblindness” is peculiar to white people, since they aren’t dealing with structural racism on a daily basis like people of color are. Minority Report is his first show that has truly diverse casting.

For our part, we struggle with the

obviousness of all-white casting or pretend multicultural casting like The Single Person of Color Who Is Best Friends With the Lead White Character. We’re looking at you, Mike & Molly, Elementary, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, The Good Wife, Scream Queens, Grandfathered.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is set in New York City, yet as the cast has rotated, it has still stayed predominantly white. Ice-T is a long-time cast member, Raul Esparza joined the cast in 2012, and B.D. Wong was a recurring cast member until last year. (Wong is also gay, and Esparza has come out as bisexual.)

But two people of color on a show set in New York? Reminds us of Friends, but at least that show was 20 years ago.

These tropes must die. People of color, just like LGBT people, can’t just be dropped into storylines to create faux multicultural casting.

There are plenty of shows with actual multicultural casts that are dynamic and highly rated. Certainly all the Shonda Rhimes shows have managed to achieve centrally located characters of color in the plot landscape without that strained trope of the isolated person of color who only has white friends.

Nevertheless, TV is getting marginally better at adding blackness.

(One aside here: Beyonce’s Super Bowl half-time show caused such a furor because she and the women in the Formation routine raised their fists in a black power salute, White America may still be struggling with Real Blackness on the tube. The allegation that her performance led to attacks on police officers is both ludicrous and racist. Bey was fabulous. Suck it up, White America.

Nobody had that reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s magnificent performance on the Grammys on Feb. 15.)

The reality of how race is portrayed on the tube makes black*ish all the more important, although there was a lot of pushback on social media when it first debuted. But we need more TV like this (and Telenovela and Fresh Off the Boat), fabulous TV that also allows non-white viewers something they rarely get: seeing themselves in the forefront, not the background or as the sidekick to the main white character.

As for our community, the LGBT viewer gets two lesbian actors on the show and one lesbian character. The lesbian character, Rhonda, played

by Raven-Symone, is Dre’s sister. So although she’s recurring, she’s not tangential. Sykes, also an out lesbian, plays Dre’s boss. It’s major that there are black lesbian actors in the cast and that the black lesbian character is not a drop-in playing a twofor-one multicultural role like we usually have on the tube where the one black/Latina/Asian character is also the one LGBT character. We’re done with that. So if you haven’t seen black*ish, watch. Part of the Wednesday comedy lineup on ABC.

Gets better?

We’re not sure about another new sitcom, The Real O’Neals, which premieres March 2. Based loosely on the life of Mr. It Gets Better, Dan Savage, ABC says, “The series will chronicle the lives of a close-knit Chicago family with Catholic roots, whose personal secrets will reveal their real lives and a reality check after they come clean to each other.”

That includes son Kenny, 16, coming out as gay.

We feel like we’ve already seen this show a couple of seasons ago when it was called The McCarthys and was on CBS. That sitcom took

Courtesy ABC-TV

The cast of ABC-TV’s comedy series black*ish.

place in Boston, one of the sons was gay, though not a teenager, the family was working-class Catholic. Like The Real O’Neals, The McCarthys featured a strong mother as the central character. In the latter, that role was played by Roseanne alum Laurie Metcalf. In The Real O’Neals, it’s Raising Hope alum Martha Plimpton (daughter of Keith Carradine, currently co-starring in Madam Secretary).

The Real O’Neals may work better than The McCarthys, and could be more like The Goldbergs, which started out stilted, found its groove and has been going strong since its 2013 debut (still has no gay characters, though). The O’Neals’ gay son Kenny (Noah Galvin), 16, is the middle child. His older brother Jimmy is 17 (we hope there will be no Irish twins jokes), an athlete and anorexic (which is stunningly rare in boys and doesn’t seem sitcom material since a percentage of sufferers, nearly all women and girls, die of it). The youngest child is Shannon (Bebe Wood), 14, and she is described as “very creepy.”

What gives us hope about this show, other than Plimpton, who brings 110% to every show she’s involved in, is Noah Galvin, who is himself gay. The Real O’Neals executive producer Todd Holland, who is gay, told the AP he really wanted a gay actor for the role of Kenny, but legally couldn’t advertise for a specific orientation due, ironically, to anti-discrimination laws. Galvin, 21, told Holland and the AP he is “eager to be an advocate for gay rights.”

Galvin said, “As a gay man, this is a landmark role on network television.

It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.”

We’re not exactly sure what makes the role “landmark,” since it’s hardly the first gay role on network TV and there are gay teens over on The Fosters kissing right now, there have been gay teens on Days of Our Lives, also kissing, and Glee was largely a show about gay teens, and the landmark gay role right now on the very same network is on American Crime, but we’re sure it feels landmark to Galvin, as it’s also his first TV role. We find it sweet that

he’s so ready to be a spokesperson for young gays.

Galvin said he came out to his mother when he was 14. and his peers had no trouble with it. He feels there’s a generational divide when it comes to acceptance of LGBT people, which we wish we could agree with, but we’re glad it’s been his experience. Galvin told the AP he’s been talking about being gay since he came out. “It was important to me that they [other gay teens] have someone who is gay and is out and is willing to be a spokesman for it,” he said.

For its part, ABC is throwing itself behind the show, which spurred talk of a boycott by the anti-gay American Family Association and Family Research Council, which certainly ginned up interest from us. The objection to the series is Savage’s involvement. Although The Real O’Neals deals with the family’s Catholicism and how it relates to issues within the family like Kenny’s gayness, the two hate groups believe the show will, you know, attack God and glamorize Satan. That alone should make us want to watch. ABC has played up the controversy, so clearly they were hoping we’d have that response. Plus Galvin really is adorable.

Speaking of adorable, the new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is ready to drop, and among the judges will be designer Marc Jacobs, singer/80s icon Debbie Harry and the Siblings Sedarai. Sashay, squirrel friends.

Two bits of hilarity you must see are James Corder and Sia doing Carpool Karaoke (yes, we told you about this last time, and we are obsessed) and Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon on the Feb. 13 episode of SNL as lesbian cat ladies. These may be the funniest things you will ever see. We couldn’t even feign indignation over See page 26 >>

I am the future of the LGBT community.

I’m 26 and transitioning.

I have a lot going on - I don’t need to be mocked, misgendered, or marginalized, and I don’t have time to hunt out news that matters to me.

That’s why I read EDGE on my Android tablet.

I’m being true to my future - and that’s where it will be.

The person depicted here is a model. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

<< Music

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Roger comes undone

by Tim Pfaff

E

ven if there are, this side of the never-to-be-produced-again Harvey Milk, no gay operas per se, we all know there are gay operas, and Karol Szymanowski’s Krol Roger (King Roger) has a place of honor among them. First staged in 1926, it has never quite left the active repertoire, but it’s never quite caught on, either. Kasper Holten’s Royal Opera Covent Garden production, recorded live last May (Opus Arte DVD and Blu-ray), augurs to change that.

The word “out” would not have had its current meaning any more than “gay” did in Szymanowski’s time, but his homosexuality was hardly a secret, and significantly, he did nothing to make it one. In addition to indulging in homoerotic themes in his text-based music, he wrote a gay novel that he chose not to publish only because his mother was still living. And even though he predeceased her, he sent a portion of it he had translated into Russian to a love interest there, the only part of the novel that survives. Legendary pianist and fellow Pole Arthur Rubinstein, among the most prominent of his advocates, commented that he sensed the composer was gay

and learned so from Szymanowski himself in 1921, on his return from several trips to Sicily with a wealthy friend. “Now he was a confirmed homosexual. He told me all this with burning eyes.”

Szymanowski’s music of that period burns, too. In the air at the time was a genre of fundamentally overheated music that eked out an existence in the harmonic valley between Mts. Wagner and Stravinsky – music liberated from tonality but not bound by new rules of atonality. A lot of it was explicitly, extremely sexual, particularly the operas of Schreker, Zemlinsky and Rudi Stephan, whose opera Die Ersten Menschen retold the Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel story with added doses of interfamily incest and other exoticisms the late gay director Nikolaus Lehnhoff called “kaput.”

No one would have missed the homoeroticism in Krol Roger, which would have made it stand out even among the sexually charged works of Szymanowski’s contemporaries, which were also popular and much produced until the purifying Nazis intervened.

A seldom-mentioned key to understanding Krol Roger is learning how to say its name. It’s not “Roger”

as in “over and out,” but something closer to long-o ROW-gur.

No disrespect, but it’s harder to take seriously a king named Roger as in Corman, and this king is nothing if not serious.

Szymanowski based his own libretto, written in collaboration with his cousin, Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, on the 13th-century Sicilian King Roger. Not at all coincidentally, they wrote it after the composer’s life-changing experiences traveling in Sicily, the ones that made his eyes burn. Southern Europe was to central Europe’s wealthy homosexuals what Germany was to British and American starving artists, a place where the berries were darker, their juice sweeter and freshness and availability were assured.

For all that, the libretto is pretty cerebral, fairly shouting out the Nietzschean Apollo-Dionysus dichotomy in response to the strictures of orthodox religion. And even by the standards of opera, there’s little that would qualify as realistic.

Without subtitles, the work would surely not stand a chance on today’s opera stages, but in London Holten did everything in his considerable

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power to make the action clear and telling. He solved the problem of how to get inside Roger’s head by installing a giant sculpted head center stage that rotated, in Act II, to expose the king’s three-story library.

Roger, who is torn between his autocratic desire to uphold the useful state religion, an unstable, failing marriage and the stirrings of some strange new desires that want out, is confronted by a Shepherd whose

preaching about the spiritual imperatives of the senses is causing the flocks to stray. When the Shepherd appears, so do some nude-ish male dancers, who writhe about the stage fetchingly.

It works.

It might work less well if the baritone singing Roger were not Mariusz Kwiecien, a Pole who can use his native language like a sword and who sings with complete command of his music as well as the words. Despite his Johnny Depp good looks, and the inevitability of his shirt coming off in Act III (in no way an anticlimax), he’s as good at the king’s rage over his rapidly thawing emotions as he is at the ecstasy of surrender to them, which is, of course, his undoing.

Even though designer Steffen Aarfing gives the Shepherd an unflattering peach-colored long coat for his first appearance (he’s in an altogether hotter business suit for his command private audience with the king), tenor Saimir Pirgu lets it rip vocally. Georgia Jarman is a searing Queen Roxana, singing blisteringly difficult music as if it were Mozart. In the pit, Antonio Pappano is a pagan god.t

mixes of others. Longtime fans will be happy to hear that in addition to moving in a new direction, Sage hasn’t abandoned her trademark keyboard work or her distinctive vocal style or phrasing, as you can plainly hear on “Happiness (Maddie’s Song).” What is most palpable here is a more mature songwriting style, apparent on “English Tea,” “Barbed Wire,” “Newspaper,” and the trans tune “Used To Be My Girl” (which has a Shawn Colvin quality).

The cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless,” a duet with Judy Collins that closes the disc, is simply stunning.

I recommend you have a box of tissues nearby when listening to

the double-disc set OutLoud: Stories from the LGBTQ Community, gathered by StoryCorps and heard on NPR (HighBridge). Hosted by Ari Shapiro, featuring StoryCorps founder Dave Isay (straight son of the late gay writer Richard Isay), the first disc consists of 13 selections from the acclaimed public radio series, including one with Clela Rorex, also featured in the Independent Lens doc Limited Partnership. The second disc features Shapiro’s interview with Isay, as well as Remembering Stonewall, Isay’s first radio doc from 1989, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.t

early 60s to a more radical movement. Then, as now, police were killing black men in the streets. Fred Hampton was shot twice in the head at point-blank range by Chicago police in 1969. He was 21. Mark Clark was killed in the same pre-dawn raid on Hampton’s apartment. He was 22. Then, as now, black men were killing other black men. Huey Newton was gunned down in the streets of Oakland in 1989 at 47. PBS funds many significant documentaries for its Independent Lens series, but this is the most riveting and crucial film we’ve seen in a while. A must-see.

Also a must-see is the new ABC drama The Family, another offshoot of Shondaland, created by Jenna Bans, one of Shonda Rhimes’ regular writers for the award-winning Scandal, our fave Beltway drama.

It stars Oscar nominee Joan Allen.

ABC tells us Allen stars as “villainous Claire Warren, ambitious and manipulative mayor of the fictional city Red Pines, Maine, and matriarch of the Warren family, who announces her candidacy for governor when her son Adam (Liam James) returns after having been

kidnapped 10 years previous.” The promos pose the question: What if the person claiming to be Adam is not Adam?, which alone would be deeply compelling.

The Family will have a special premiere on Thurs., March 3 in the coveted TGIT Rhimes lineup before it moves to its regular Sunday time slot on March 6. Allen is a stellar actress and highly underutilized, so this is a plum for her and for us. A few other powerhouse actors in the cast are Andrew McCarthy, Alison Pill, Rupert Graves and Zach Gilford.

Finally, the top shows you should be watching right now, beyond what we’ve noted here, are the stellar American Crime, which is the best gay storyline ever on the tube (with landmark gay roles of the decade), American Crime Story, The Americans (sensing a theme?), How to Get Away with Murder, The Blacklist and Blindspot. There’s a lot of crime and punishment happening out there, both in the nation and on the tube. So for that, and the elephant in the room of national politics, which we have given up writing about for Lent, you know you really must stay tuned.t

More queer playlist

by Gregg Shapiro

T

he field of prolific and good gay rappers is so small that it’s easy to be fans of both Cazwell and SoCalled without any of that East Coast/West Coast competitive hype that troubled mainstream rap. Since the release of his brilliant debut The SoCalled Seder 10 years ago, gay, Canadian, Jewish rapper SoCalled (aka Josh Dolgin) has been expanding his musical palette, and continues to do so on Peoplewatching

(Dare To Care). Still a wordplay wizard as you can hear on “Dreamin’” and “Everyone Else Must Fail,” SoCalled also plays well with others and gives them voice on tracks such as “Boyfriend Material” (featuring Jordanna Singer and Narcy) and “Never See You Again” (featuring Pierre Perall, Fred Wesley, Rich Ly and Mike Dubue). SoCalled’s brushstrokes also include the Tin Pin Alley meets Brill Building of “Fire on Hutchison Street” and the bonus track of Moe Koffman’s

dance number “Curried Soul 2.0.”

When SOAK (aka Bridie MondsWatson), a queer, Irish singersongwriter at the end of her teen years, sings “A teenage heart/is an unguided dart/We’re trying hard/to make something of what we are” on “B A Nobody,” she knows what she’s talking about. Her debut album Before We Forgot How To Dream (Rough Trade) wears its Tegan and Sara influences on its tattoo-sleeve.

That’s not a bad point of reference, especially since SOAK takes that inspiration and runs with it on songs “Blud” and “Garden.” But SOAK has her own unique voice, like Courtney Barnett, and drenches listeners with it on “Sea Creatures,” “Hailstones Don’t Hurt,” “Shuvels” and the instrumental interludes “A Dream to Fly” and “If Everyone Is Someone – No One is Everyone.”

The deluxe reissue of queer singer-songwriter Rachael Sage’s album Blue Roses (MPress) is a definite career-high. Now incorporating all four songs from her 2014 New Destination EP, the bonus material includes new song “Coloring Book,” along with alternate and acoustic

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Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

Lavender Tube

From page 25

the cat lady skit, it was so true to life.

(McKinnon is the first out lesbian on the show, and just brilliant.) And Corder (is there a funnier man on the tube right now?) wearing a wig like Sia’s as they drive. OMG, watch!

From the ridiculous to the sublime: if you missed PBS’ groundbreaking documentary by Stanley Nelson on The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, be sure to watch it at PBS.org. You can watch it free online, just by citing your local PBS station. The extraordinary film, which has won a slew of awards including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary, simply could not be more timely. As police officers actually blame Beyoncé’s black power dance routine (dance routine!) for inciting violence, Nelson’s film contextualizes the impact of blackness on American politics.

This is a history that has been left off the books entirely, yet is a foundation chapter in how black activism progressed from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and

30

31

On the Town

32

Funny Ladies

NIGHTLIFE

SPIRITS

DINING

On the Tab

SOCIETY

ROMANCE

LEATHER

PERSONALS Vol. 46 • No. 8 • February 25-March 2, 2016

www.ebar.com ✶ www.bartabsf.com

The Gangway The historic gay bar’s not gone yet

by David-Elijah Nahmod

D

Friends gathered at The Gangway last week.

Gareth Gooch

Gareth Gooch

on’t say your goodbyes to The Gangway just yet. The historic gay dive in the Tenderloin may not be closing right away, as has been previously reported. Jung Lee, who has owned the bar since 1998, tells the Bay Area Reporter that the sale to new owners remains in escrow.

See page 28 >>

Reviving the legendary sitcom

by Bas Geerling

The cast of Three’s Company Live.

H

ow do you give a funny show from the 1970s an extra dose of humor? Director D’Arcy Drollinger has the answer. With a combination of drag, hilarious actors and witty dialogue, Three’s Company makes a larger-than-life comeback for fans, while still welcoming newcomers to the show. Drollinger discussed the latest sitcom live parody, and Heklina comments as well.

See page 29 >>

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

BESTIES The 2016 LGBT Best of the Bay

Vote in our 6th annual readers’ choice awards poll and be entered to win!

PRIZES! ONE OF SEVERAL VALUABLE PRIZES JUST FOR VOTING FOR YOUR FAVORITE PLACES, PEOPLE AND THINGS TO DO IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE BAY AREA.

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SECOND: Two VIP tickets to see the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’ Tales Of Our City: Our Lives, Our Heroes, with featured guest Armistead Maupin and the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony.

THIRD: Two VIP tickets to See the SF GIANTS!

vote NOW at www.ebar.com/besties2016.com

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

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Gareth Gooch

Veteran patrons, who are also veterans, at The Gangway.

<<

FREE TO LISTEN AND REPLY TO ADS Free Code: Reporter

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The Gangway

From page 27

“The new people may not have the money they said they did,” Lee explained. “They want a five-year owner-carry (meaning that Lee would continue running the bar while the new owners paid in installments), which is a very risky deal.”

Lee added that he thinks the new owners plan to keep Gangway as a A friendly bartender at The Gangway. gay bar, which would give his loyal customer base reason to breathe sighs of relief. Most Gangway regulars are older, many are seniors. The bar remains at the center of where they’re able to find community. And the possibly premature news of its demise has inspired a burst of gatherings organized by LGBT fans.

“I’ve been coming here for 17 years,” said 75-year-old Eddie Bellber as he nursed his drink. “I come in about once or twice a week. I like the friendliness here. All the other neighborhood bars like this have been taken over by hipsters.

There’s no place for older folks to go.”

“We’re all family here,” added John ‘Vera’ Cruz, 85. “This is a cocktail lounge, a country club.”

The Gangway opened at its current location in 1910. It’s officially been a gay bar since 1961, making it the city’s oldest. But the police conducted a Gareth Gooch gay raid at the Gangway as early as 1911, according to the National Trust For Historic Preservation.

Throughout its history, the bar welcomed LGBT people, even when other establishments didn’t. Records from Gareth Gooch 1962 show that The Gangway Jung Lee, owner of The Gangway. was a member of The Tavern Guild, a support organization

Gareth Gooch

comprised of gay bar owners and liquor wholesalers who were looking to curtail the police raids and other forms of anti-gay harassment which were commonplace during those pre-Stonewall years.

80-year-old Bruce Gardner remembers The Gangway of that era. “I’ve been coming here for 54 years,” he said. “It’s family oriented. If you know somebody here, you know them forever.”

Gardner recalled that his first apartment in the city was right across the street.

“I love this town,” he said.

“I came across the Bay Bridge in a pink Cadillac in 1961.

There was this little tiny city sitting on a cloud. I knew that must be what I was looking for.”

The love that his customers have for The Gangway isn’t lost on Jung Lee, who said that he hopes the bar will indeed remain gay after he sells.

He spoke of the disgruntled ex-employee who sued for back wages, claiming that Lee had paid his workers less than minimum wage. Lee claims that it was honest mistake on See page 29 >>

Gareth Gooch

The iconic sign, ship-shaped bowsprit and rainbow flag outside The Gangway.

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 29

Drag culture, I feel, is multiple things. We display drag culture but also theatre culture. What we do displays more of the original drag culture, I think. This harkens back to Shakespeare. This kind of theatre is having a bit of a renaissance in San Francisco right now.

We do 9 to 10 shows a year. There’s a drag show on Dante’s Inferno and a Golden Girls Christmas show which is becoming a big yearly event. There’s a lot of drag theatre happening right now, especially in San Francisco.

What do you hope people will be most surprised and excited about?

I think they’ll be surprised about how close we’ve done regarding the looks of the characters, the wigs and the costumes. The set feels like you’re in the TV show. They’ll enjoy the level of comedy, where the actors are all at the same level in terms of being strong comic chops. It’s great to be in a cast where everyone could steal the show because everyone is that funny.

Gareth Gooch

Left to Right: D’Arcy Drollinger as Chrissy Snow, Adam Roy as Jack Tripper, and Heklina as Janet Wood in Three’s Company Live.

<<

Three’s Company

From page 27

Bas: In Three’s Company, a man pretends to be gay in order to get a room. That doesn’t sound too far off from reality in San Francisco?

D’Arcy: (Laughs) Now it’s the opposite: someone would be pretending to be gay in order to get a room.

We live in different times now.

Is that a criticism on the current housing situation?

This show is from the ‘70s, when it was still considered taboo to have

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The Gangway

From page 28

his part and that the city forced him to pay three times the amount actually owed. This incident was a deciding factor in his decision to sell, though he has family obligations which are also contributing to his decision to move on.

“I’m 63, almost 64,” Lee, who lost his wife to ovarian cancer five years ago, said. “I have to retire. I have to take care of my ailing parents, who are in Los Angeles. My daughter is also in L.A. I need to be with my family.”

Lee remains happy with the time during which he and his late wife owned The Gangway, saying he’s hoping to stick around another year or two.

“In 18 years, there have been no fights in here,” he said. “We’ve had no major incidents and no crime.

I’m very proud of that.”

He noted that the surrounding neighborhood is a high crime area

men and women live together. We are doing this show because we all loved it and because the show is so cartoonish that it lends itself for drag and a show. But once you get into it, yes: it covers a lot of funny stuff about the housing market and stereotypes. This is comedy that comes from looking at stuff through a microscope. You enlarge everything, which makes it more funny, even poignant at times.

Will the audience need to know the sitcom in order to enjoy the show?

Knowing the characters and the shows, people will have some fun populated with street people and drug dealers, but he’s kept all of that out of The Gangway.

“Our drinks are cheaper and we have two happy hours, from 8am to 10am and from 5pm to 7pm,” he added. As he spoke, music from the 1970s and 80s filled the bar; songs like “All Night Long” by Lionel Ritchie and the great gay anthem “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. It was the music of his customers’ era, and what they wanted to hear.

For some, The Gangway holds an even deeper meaning.

“A lot of our friends have died,” said 51-year-old Michael Godfrey, a long time HIV survivor. “This is where we come to find out who’s here and who’s not. I want my memorial to be here when I die.”t The Gangway is still located at 841 Larkin Street, open 8am to 2am.

(415) 776-6828. Upcoming events include DeeDee TV’s public access show, March 9, from 5pm to 10pm (www.deedeetv.com).

with it. But this show stands on its own as a comedy and a farce. I think that you’ll have a good time even if you don’t know the show, because the jokes are there. We took two of the scripts but we satirize it and make up other parts that are in the same vein of the show but add some more comedy to it. This show was already such a slapstick, but we take it up another notch.

What made you decide to include drag in this story, or to choose this story for drag? I bet it will look very different from the ‘70s show.

This show lends itself for drag because of the larger-than-life char-

acters. It’s pretty much what we do here at Oasis. It’s not all across the board: the person playing Jack is a biological boy and we have a woman playing a woman in one scene.

But for the most part, we do cross genders. It makes us able to play with things sexually in ways that you couldn’t necessarily if the genders weren’t crossed. You can play around with things differently. We recently did Star Trek with all women playing the men; it brings a certain level of comedy in and of itself.

How do you use drag in a humorous way while still displaying drag culture respectfully?

Heklina, performing in the play, explains Three’s Company in a nutshell: The show was so stupid, it really should not have worked, but somehow it did. It makes me laugh whenever I watch it. It’s pure camp. Of course we’ve made it even campier, and make fun of the ridiculous misogyny and homophobia that was so omnipresent back then. People didn’t even know they were guilty of it.t ‘Three’s Company Live’ will be shown at Oasis Feb. 25 - March 19.

(Thurs. Fri. Sat. at 7:00pm) Starring D’Arcy Drollinger, Heklina, Adam Roy and Laurie Bushman, with Matthew Martin & Sara Moore as the Ropers. $25 general admission - $225 VIP tables. Twodrink minimum. 21 & over. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

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Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

Georg Lester

himself. We can’t say enough about Mighty Real and hope you’ll make every effort to see it before it closes on March 13.

Imperial Elections

Back to those candidates for Emperor and Empress of San Francisco.

Last Saturday was voting day, so the decision has been made. No one will know for sure until this Saturday at the conclusion of Imperial Coronation when the sealed results of the election are revealed.

Before any of that, you can follow the various Imperial events listed on the calendar insert. We hope to see you there, especially at the Design Center on Saturday as Reigning Emperor Kevin Lisle and Reigning Empress Khmera Rouge present Imperial Coronation LI: Space Odyssey with glamorous costumes, beautiful production numbers, decades old ceremonies, and the distribution of tens of thousands of dollars raised during their reign to worthy charitable organizations.

These two monarchs have astounded us all with their energy, creativity, and tireless commitment to the Imperial Court and its international organization and we owe them a debt of gratitude. If only Our Beloved Founder Jose Sarria could see how this organization has grown!

Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the grave site of Jose Sarria and Emperor Joshua Norton at Woodlawn Cemetery in Colma on Sunday.

Buses leave the Holiday Inn Civic Center and Lookout Bar in the Castro, making it easy, although early, to join this unique San Francisco trek, full of tradition and whimsy.

The Emperors of San Francisco have put a lot of effort into preserving the accurate history of this annual pilgrimage and the ashes of our first Emperor Marcus Hernandez

will be interred next to the grave site of Jose Sarria this year. Don’t be put off by the idea of a cemetery; this event, while appropriately reverent and historically significant, will include uplifting music, lots of socializing, and laugh-out-loud moments that would make Jose Sarria proud.

While it may be hard for an Empress to look beyond our annual Imperial Coronation, the calendar of social events continues. Sunday night, we’ll join hundreds of celebrants at the Academy of Friends Gala, also at the Design Center. This is as close as you’ll come to any Hol-

Left: Donna Sachet (center) with Mighty Real star Anthony Wayne (2nd right) and cast members and fans, at Beaux.

Top: Anthony Wayne (left) with a fan at the opening night afterparty for Mighty Real. Right: Imperial Crown Prince Nic Hunter on roller skates at the Do You Wanna Funk fundraiser.

lywood-style Oscar-watching party with red carpet entry, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, large video screens, and the most elegantly dressed crowd of LGBT movers and shakers. All the while, you’ll be helping raise money for local charitable organizations.

Don’t miss it!

The following night, Monday, February 29, head to the Grand Ballroom of the Regency Center for

Steven Underhill

ylvester is a name that seems to resonate with everyone you meet in San Francisco. His music, flamboyance, courage, and commitment touched this City and the LGBT community in a lasting and significant way. Over the past two weeks, Sylvester wrangled his way into our world once again and finds himself featured in this column. A couple of Saturdays ago, we agreed to emcee an Imperial Court event for Mr. Treasure Island David Bracamontes, assisted by Imperial Crown Prince Nic Hunter, at Beaux in the Castro. Titled Do You Wanna Funk: A Loving Drag Tribute to Sylvester, Disco, and All Those We Have Lost to HIV/AIDS, this event benefited AIDS Emergency Fund.

Spirits were high as we opened the show with ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” complete with white feather headdress and faux fur stole, reliving our short but vivid nights at Studio 54 in New York.

Nic Hunter followed with “Xanadu,” decked out in disco shorts and roller skates!. This party was off to a rousing beginning! As number after number kept the crowd enthused and tips were gratefully collected for the cause, Anthony Wayne, the star of Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical, strolled in with several members of his creative team. We introduced them and convinced Anthony to sing “Mighty Real” for us; the room went nuts!

Their group stayed for some time, entertained by local drag queens, Empress Uneke Chanel of Stockton, Empress Carmen Habanera St. James of Fresno, Grand Duke Kippy Marks, Paddling Prince Gio, and the three candidates for Emperor and Empress of San Francisco (more on them later), raising nearly a thousand dollars for AIDS Emergency Fund. Needless to say, this crowd couldn’t wait for the Sylvester musical to open the following week.

At the Brava Theatre on Thursday night for AEF night, we ran into many friends, including Chad McLaughlin, Suzan Revah, Julian Marshburn, Cal Callahan, Joanie Juster, Michael Pagan, and Nikolas Lemos.

First of all, let us tell you that this is a remarkable theatre space that had somehow slipped off our radar. Although the location seems a bit odd, it is easy to get to and once there, you will be amazed at the sprawling lobby, decorative theatre, wonderful sound and light system, and comfortable seating. It is perfect for this glorious theatrical tribute to Sylvester and his music!

Anthony Wayne fully inhabits the character of Sylvester, supported by an incredible cast of singers and musicians, gradually unfolding the story of a San Francisco local rebel who lived life and produced music his own way. Be prepared for many moments of sadness, as the show does not shy from the impact of the AIDS epidemic or the vagaries of the entertainment business, but ultimately, you’ll be on your feet for the finale, clapping and singing along.

Before the show, Broadway powerhouse, singer, actress, and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph joined AEF and Brava Theatre representatives on stage to reiterate her support of this musical and its Broadway future; they could hope for no better advocate.

After the performance, we joined hostess BeBe Sweetbriar and others for a brief celebration in the upstairs reception room, where we insisted that Anthony try on our fur coat which once belonged to Sylvester

Steven Underhill

S

the annual Nitey Awards, which recognize entertainment and night-life all over San Francisco. Emceed by KFOG’s Renee Richardson and Eye on the Bay’s Liam Mayclem, this night is full of entertainment and recognition of events, venues, and personalities that make our City the City we love.

Later in the week, we’ll undoubtedly see you during Leather Alliance Weekend, so ably described by our colleague Race Bannon in these pages last week. Beyond the competition for Mr. SF Leather, we are particularly anxious for the Community Roast of Gary Virginia on Friday, 7-10PM, at Beatbox, emceed by Michelle Meow and this columnist. You think you know Gary? Get ready for fun, surprises, and a well deserved tribute to one of San Francisco’s finest.t

Imperial Coronation Schedule

Steven Underhill

by Donna Sachet

Steven Underhill

Fabulous funk & fun

t

Feb. 25

Feb. 28

Monarchs Anniversary Reception @ 440 Castro

Founder Tribute Pilgrimage @ Colma Cemetery

Empress Marlena hosts those celebrating special anniversaries.

7pm-9pm. 440 Castro St. www.440castro.com

Court members and fans visit the gravesite of Court Founder Jose Sarria, and honor the interment of Emperor I Marcus Hernandez’s ashes, with members of the Gay & Lesbian Freedom Band, color guard, and revelry. Buses depart 7am from the Holiday Inn, 50 8th St., 7:30am from Lookout, 16th at Market & Noe.

Feb. 26 Top: Emma Peel’s bananathemed campaign took over the Castro last Saturday. Bottom: Empress candidate Sadie Ladie (right) with a supporter.

Out of Town Show @ Hard Rock Café The best entertainers from visiting courts perform, followed by a bus bar crawl. $25. 6pm-9pm. Pier 39. www.hardrock.com/cafes/sanfrancisco/

Feb. 27 Coronation 51, A Space Odyssey @ SF Design Center Emperor Kevin Lisle and Empress Khmera Rouge entertain, distribute funds, and step down.

Newly elected Monarchs will be announced at this glamorous ceremony. Formal attire with a space theme encouraged. $65.

Doors 5pm. Event 6pm. 101 Henry Adams St. www.sfdesigncenter.com Steven Underhill

The SF Design Center Galleria will host the Imperial Coronation, and Academy of Friends gala (2015’s party shown here).

California, Alaska, & Texas Victory Show @ Club OMG Drag show, with proceeds benefitting the New Monarchs’ Travel Fund. 4pm-7pm. 43 Sixth St. www.clubomgsf.com

Feb. 28 Victory Brunch @ Holiday Inn New Monarchs are celebrated at a sit-down brunch. $35. 11am, 50 8th St. For more info, visit: www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Feb. 29 Hawaii Victory Show @ Diva’s Proceeds benefit the New Monarchs’ Travel Fund. 4pm-7pm.

1081 Post St.

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

Funny ladies

by Ronn Vigh

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 31

A month-long celebration of women in comedy

“It was the 1980s, a time when an alternative gay comedy scene was our next comic coming to the growing and that’s where I landed stage… is a female.” and got lots of work. Being Latina Yep. As a stand up comic and queer was an advantage. for 15 years, I have heard And now I enjoy that I can that used as an introduction mix it up.” for a comedian of the female Marga Gomez will headline gender on more than one ocfor one night only on March casion. Whether they realize 22. it or not, an introduction as The audiences are just as such immediately shifts the unique as the comics, which is audience’s opinion of the next part of what keeps comedian comic, making them seem diand KGO radio host Maureen minutive and inferior to the Langan motivated. other performers. It’s as if the “I value the opportunihost is saying, “Can a female ties to speak my truth and to actually be funny? There is a connect with people from all fifth dimension beyond that walks of life; from a casino in which is known to man. This Crescent City to a comedy fesis the dimension of imaginatival in Johannesburg to Town tion. It is an area which we call Hall on Broadway with Rosie The Twilight Zone.”

O’Donnell.”

While many females have Langan, who initially found grown to become household a career in journalism before names, such as Joan Rivers or pursuing stand up, often uses Roseanne Barr, the opportuthat as a touchstone in her nities for them prior to reachact for discussing where she ing star status have historically is and where we are as a socibeen at a fraction of those ety in present day. Langan can available to men. be heard every Sunday from This March, Punch Line 7-10pm on KGO radio in San Comedy Club is offering a Francisco and will headline on month of all-female comedy March 29. lineups without gimmicks or Once a comic has perpigeonholing the ladies into formed for several years, it is quirky marketable categories. not uncommon for them to “I didn’t want it to have a look back at old material and title that incorporated anythink, “I told that joke? I can’t thing related to clothing, believe I ever said this out loud shoes, makeup or anything to anyone.” else I’ve seen when people However, for local comic do all female shows,” says the Loren Kraut, comedic maturilongtime booker for Punch ty has shown itself in her stage Line. “Why does it always have presence. to be something like ‘Lipstick “In the very beginning I was and Laughs?’ Why can’t it just afraid to look directly at the be funny people making you audience,” says Kraut. “Now laugh about funny things reI can, but back then I had to gardless of their gender?” look out over their heads.”

Comedy legend Joan Rivers Kraut will perhaps make once remarked, “I succeeded eye contact with you when by saying what everyone else she performs with Langan on is thinking.” While she broke March 29. down barriers for generations All-female comedy line of female comics to come, it is ups at Punch Line will hapstill not easy for many of them pen every Tuesday to Saturto steer clear of labels along day throughout the month of the way.

March. With shows as diverse “I am already female and as the offerings at a sprawlblack,” says comedian Gina ing Vegas buffet, there will be Yashere. “Those two were unsomething on the menu for avoidable. Then, I’m British, Top: Gina Yashere Bottom: Marga Gomez every comedy connoisseur.t there’s another. So, I started with trying to make my comPunch Line Comedy Club, edy as broad as possible and esout in comedy a hundred years ago, 444 Battery Street San Francisco, tablishing myself as a good comic. there was nobody openly gay in CA 94111. Showtimes and ticket Now, that I’m touring internationmainstream comedy clubs and very prices vary, all shows are 18 & over with valid photo ID. A complete ally and have the reputation as being few women gay or straight,” says colisting of shows is available at funny, I can only now start to talk median Marga Gomez. www.Punchlinecomedyclub.com about my sexuality on stage.”

Yet Gomez didn’t let that reality Gina Yashere will headline at serve as a road block.

“Y

Punch Line from March 9 - 12.

The path toward stardom that every comic takes is as individual as the jokes they tell. “When I started

Left: Maureen Langdon Right: Lauren Kraut

<< On the Tab

32 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

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On the Tab

Feb. 25Mar. 3 m tuxedos to ress up, or dress down. Fro ek you can find teasing wet undies, this we wardrobe. any h wit all sorts of frivolity to go

Sun 28 Academy of Friends Gala @ Galleria

Thu 25

Fri 26

Weekly drag queen and drag king show hosted by Cruzin d’Loo. 8pm10pm. No cover. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

The lithe porn actor makes his Nob Hill debut in 8pm solo shows, and 10pm sex shows with Leon Fox. $25. Also Feb. 27. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 3976758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Ain’t Mama’s Drag @ Balancoire

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the fun sexy night. $100 cash prize for best bulge. $5-$10 benefits Groundswell Institute, the queer retreat camp. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Circle Jerk @ Nob Hill Theatre Join porn stud Casey Everett at the interactive downstairs sex party (before his solo and duo sex stage shows with Leon Fox, Feb. 26 & 27). $15. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 3976758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

ebar.com

Lee Ann Womack @ Great American Music Hall The Grammy-winning Country singer performs new and favorite songs.

Ryan Beaver opens. $21-$46 (with dinner). 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.slimspresents.com

Literary Speakeasy @ Martuni’s Poets S.B. Stokes, Bruce Snider, Randall Mann, and Fred Dodsworth read, plus musician Kathleen Knighton and host James J. Siegel, with raffle prizes. 7pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St. www.martunis.ypguides.net

Man Haters @ White Horse Bar, Oakland

Sat 27

Casey Everett @ Nob Hill Theatre

Anti-Hero @ SF Eagle

Comedy Noir @ Balancoire Valerie Branch’s weekly comedy night, where she embodies her faux queen character Pia Messing for some offbeat wit, along with guest performers. $5. 8pm-10pm. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

Forrest Day, Planet Bootie, Bangus Tron @ Starline Social Club, Oakland Fun and funky sounds from three lively bands. $10. 8pm. 645 West Grand Ave., Oakland. www.starlinesocialclub.com

Hard Fridays @ Qbar DH Haute Toddy’s weekly electro-pop night with hotty gogos. $3. 9pm-2am (happy hour 4pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Ladies of San Francisco @ Club OMG Galilea hosts the weekly “old school drag show” with guest performers and DJ Jack Rojo. $4. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubOMGsf.com

Noise Pop Music Festival @ Bay Area Venues Enjoy live music and films at dozens of Bay Area venues. Thru Feb. 29. www.noisepop.com/2016/

Irene Tu and Ash Fisher cohost a night of women’s queer comedy (with guys welcome, too), with Marga Gomez, Allison Micj, Morgan, Samantha Gilweit and Sampson. $10. 7pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. www.whitehorsebar.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ Beatbox

Paula West @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

It’s a funhouse theme at the costumes-welcome dance night, with DJs Juan Garcia, Scott Shepard, and Adam Kraft. $7-$10. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

The acclaimed jazz vocalist returns for another extended residency at the upscale intimate cabaret. $40-$60 ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm (no show Feb 28). Thru March 6. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 663-1063. www.ticketweb.com

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. 7pm-2am. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Three’s Company Live @ Oasis The wacky sitcom about ‘70s roommates gets the local drag parody treatment, with Heklina, D’Arcy Drollinger, Matthew Martin, Adam Roy, Sara Moore and Laurie Bushman. $25, $25 and $225 VIP tables. ThuSat 7pm. Thru March 5. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

The saucy women’s burlesque show hosted by Dottie Lux. $10. 7pm-10pm.

314 11th St. www.beatboxsf.com

Shenanigans @ Oasis

Some Thing @ The Stud Mica Sigourney and pals’ weekly offbeat drag performance night. $7.

10pm-3am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Truck Events presents a hot afternoon of superhero sexiness, Spandex heroes and villains at a daytime beer bust, with proceeds going to the Hard to Swallow Justin Hall & Dave Davenport gay erotic comic book project; plusa Tarot readings by Storm. $10. 2pm6pm. 398 12th St. www.heroific.com www.sf-eagle.com

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland The weekly hip hop and R&B night.

8-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway.

(510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

EGGstravaganza @ Beaux The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s tea dance/beer bust fundraiser, with entertainment and announcements about the popular annual Easter celebrations. $10. 4pm-7pm. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Koronation 2016: A Space Odyssey @ Galleria The Imperial Council’s annual festive gala coronation of the winning contestants for Empress and Emperor. For more events before and afterward, see Donna Sachet’s ‘On the Town’ column in this section. $25. 5pm-12am. 101 Henry Adams St. www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Mister Act/ Sister Act @ Castro Theatre Latrice Royale stars in Peaches Christ’s drag parody of the Whoopi Goldberg nun comedy, followed by a screening of the movie. $32-$110 (VIP). 3pm & 8pm. 429 Castro St. www.peacheschrist.com www.castrotheatre.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s weekly drag show night with different themes, always outrageously hilarious. Feb. 27: Hooray for Hollywood. $15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Saturgay @ Qbar Stanley Frank spins house dance remixes at the intimate Castro dance bar. $3. 9pm-2am (weekly beer bust 2pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Under the Golden Gate Live @ Doc’s Lab Maria Konner and DJ Dank’s fun cable show tapes a new episode with Jon Ginoli (Pansy Division), Kat Robichaurd (Misfits Cabaret), comic Kaseem Bentley, faux queen Hollow Eve and drag performer Mama Dora; at the historic bar/restaurant. $15$20. 9pm-11pm. 124 Columbus Ave. www.docslabsf.com

Steven Underhill

D

Sun 28

Bianca del Rio hosts the RuPaul’s Drag Race Show @ Mezzanine

t

On the Tab>>

Soul Delicious @ Lookout Brunch, booze, sass and grooves, with the Mom DJs, Motown sounds, and soul food. 11am-4pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Sun 28

Academy of Friends Gala @ Galleria 36th annual Academy Awards viewing party, themed A Gathering of Royals, with all proceeds going to multiple Bay Area AIDS/HIV nonprofits. Enjoy food, drinks, costumed guests, and a lavish silent auction. $125 and up.

5pm-10pm. 101 Henry Adams St. www.academyoffriends.org

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. Beer bust donations benefit local nonprofits (Check the website for a list of recipients). 3pm6pm. Now also on Saturdays. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Delight @ The New Parish, Oakland Ice Cream Social includes a daytime LGBT patio dance event with DJs Page Hodel, Olga T and Emily, plus Marga Gomez, and yes; ice cream! $5-$20.

3pm-8pm. 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. www.thenewparish.com

Domingo De Escandal @ Club OMG Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Luis.

7pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Femme, Xtravaganza @ Balancoire Weekly live music shows with various acts, along with brunch, mimosas, champagne and more, at the stylish nightclub and restaurant; shows at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:45pm. After that, T-Dance drag shows at 7pm, 10pm and 11pm. 2565 Mission St. at 21st.

920-0577. www.balancoiresf.com

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 33

Mon 29

Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre

Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 6523820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Retro Night @ 440 Castro

Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade The weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night includes big-screen games and signature beers, with a new remodeled layout, including an outdoor patio. No cover. 7pm-11pm.

2200 Market St. www.brewcadesf.com

Hysteria @ Martuni’s Irene Tu and Jessica Sele cohost the comedy open mic night for women and queers. No cover. 6pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St.

I Want to Believe @ Oasis

Strip down as the strippers also take it all off. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am.

44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Underwear Night @ Club OMG Weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, and drink specials. $4.

10pm-2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Wed 2

Bone @ Powerhouse

Watch new X-Files episodes, enjoy X-Files-themed drag acts and trivia, hosted by Linty and Mannequin. $3.

298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

New weekly punk-alternative music night hosted by Uel Renteria and Johnny Rockitt. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Karaoke Night @ SF Eagle

Play board games and win offbeat prizes at the popular sports bar. 9pm.

2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Sing along, with guest host Nick Radford. 8pm-12am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Mahogany Mondays @ Midnight Sun Honey Mahogany’s weekly drag and musical talent show starts around 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Monday Musicals @ The Edge Sing along at the popular musical theatre night; also Wednesdays. 7pm2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing.

4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

No No Bingo @ Virgil’s Sea Room Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

Bottoms Up Bingo @ Hi Tops

B.P.M. @ Club BnB, Oakland Olga T and Shugga Shay’s weekly queer women and men’s R&B hip hop and soul night, at the club’s new location.

No cover. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. www.bench-and-bar.com

Latin Drag Night @ Club OMG Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez. 9pm-2am.

43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Man Francisco @ Oasis The sexy, funny weekly male burlesque show returns; choreographed by Christopher James Dunn; Mr Pam MCs. $20. 2-drink min.

9:30pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 7953180. www.sfoasis.com

Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night @ Wild Side West The weekly fun night at the Bernal Heights bar includes prizes, hosted by Kitty Tapata. No cover. 7pm-10pm.

424 Cortland St. 647-3099. www.wildsidewest.com

Open Mic/Comedy @ SF Eagle Kollin Holts hosts the weekly comedy and open mic talent night. 6pm-8pm.

398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Wed 2

Man Francisco @ Oasis

Pussy Party @ Beaux Ladies night at the Castro dance club.

9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Rookies Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Red Carpet Party @ Oasis Mock the Oscars at a fun Academy Awards viewing party, with a champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres; festive attire ‘Hollywood glam’ encouraged. $25. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race @ Mezzanine See performances by the entire cast of the new season of Logo’s popular drag competition, hosted by Bianca Del Rio, with DJ Lady Bunny. $40-$75. 9pm.

444 Jessie St. www.vossevents.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone). 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.dragatmartunis.com

Underwear Night @ 440 Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. www.the440.com

Tue 1

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s

Donna Sachet hosts the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. $45.

11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square.

395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. One-drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Unicorn @ Powerhouse

Gay gaming fun on the bar’s big screen TVs. Have a nerdgasm and a beer with your pals. 8pm. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

The monthly queer art party, this month showcasing Diego Gomez, Xavier Gerbaux, Tea Castro, Justin Sam and Uel Renteria, plus DJ Prince Wolf, drag acts by Punky Pebbles, Hollow Eve, Laundrya Tyme. 6pm11pm. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Gaymer Night @ Eagle

Hella Saucy @ Q Bar Queer dance party at the stylish intimate bar. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Watch and vote as newbie strippers compete for $350 in cash prizes. $20.

Show 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell.

397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Thu 3

Funny Fun @ Club 21, Oakland Weekly LGBT and straight comedy night hosted by Dan Mires. $10. 8pm.

2111 Franklin St. Oakland. (510) 2689425. www.club21oakland.com

Gym Class @ Hi Tops Enjoy whiskey shots from jockstrapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular sports bar.

10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Kingdom of Sodom @ Nob Hill Theatre The very interactive sex and strip party returns. $20. 8pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Mary Go Round @ Lookout Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes’ weekly drag show. $5. 10:30pm show.

DJ Philip Grasso. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Mazel Top @ Oasis The monthly Jewish gay guys (and their friends and admirers) social event, with DJs Mo Tech and Goy Toy. $7. 9pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 7953180. www.sfoasis.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge The weekly drag show with themed nights, gogo guys and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

My So-Called Night @ Beaux Carnie Asada hosts a new weekly ‘90s-themed video, dancin’, drinkin’ night, with VJs Jorge Terez. Get down with your funky bunch, and enjoy 90cent drinks. ‘90s-themed attire and costume contest. No cover. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Nap’s Karaoke @ Virgil’s Sea Room Sing out loud at the weekly least judgmental karaoke in town, hosted by the former owner of the bar. No cover. 9pm. 3152 Mission St. 8292233. www.virgilssf.com

Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels Groove on wheels at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm.

Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm-5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Throwback Thursdays @ Qbar Enjoy retro 80s soul, dance and pop classics with DJ Jorge Terez. No cover.

9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Music night with local and touring bands. $8. 9:30pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com Want your nightlife event listed?

Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event.

Event photos welcome.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

34 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 25-March 2, 2016

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Casey Everett M.I.A. (Man In Action) at Nob Hill Theatre

by Cornelius Washington

to the diverse interests I have now.

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Do you think that your stint in the military while being surrounded by so many hunky masculine studs has this influenced the type of men you are sexually attracted to?

Not so much. Yes, there’s a large diversity in the selection of men in the military; but I feel being surrounded by it all hasn’t had much of an impact as to what I like in a sexual partner.

he Nob Hill Theatre this weekend will be featuring Casey Everett, one of the hottest and most intelligent newcomers in the industry, an Air Force veteran with a youthfulness and intelligence combination as a bottom that can achieve any erotic objective. Casey’s mission this weekend: seduce, entice and entertain on a sexual level you will not forget anytime soon.

Cornelius Washington: You were in the Air Force. How long were you in, and what was it like to be around such an intense allmale environment?

Casey Everett: I was in for 3.5 years. It really wasn’t so bad, when I joined “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) was still in effect. I had to hide that I was gay only for a brief period of time, since within the same year they repealed it. I had a good time though and made many friends I still have to this day.

What are the positives and negatives of military service?

I really can’t list the positives and negatives since everyone has their own experiences while serving. My experiences were positive, therefor I would have a bias opinion.

During your stint in the military, what was your sexuality like compared to your civilian life?

Before, I wasn’t too sure as to who I really was which caused me to be more quiet and uncertain about a lot of things around me. I joined when I was 19, so still a baby in terms of self-realization. During my stint, I experimented to see what I was and wasn’t into, which led me

Any military fetishes?

Well... I’ve experienced a few during my military days. There are some that I wouldn’t mind doing again. Doing a scene with prior military members from each different branch would be hot. I do have a weak spot for Marines.

Your military mirror sets of photos are fascinating. How did that begin and where do you want it to go?

I was originally contacted by the photographer, Devin Mitchell, about being part of his Veteran Art Project, which shows who the men and women of the DoD really are out of uniform. I loved the idea, as it shows the diversity of the people who currently are or have helped protect our country. For me, I was able to show the transition I made (either seen as being good or bad) from the military to the next chapter of my life.

Have you ever done a live sex performance for an audience before?

I’ve recently done two during the small amount of time I’ve been in the industry so far. The first one was

during HustlaBall 2016 in Las Vegas with super stud Ryan Rose and the second one was with sexy daddy Dominic Pacifico out at FlexSpas in Cleveland, Ohio.

Let’s discuss your partner for the weekend, Leon Fox. Have you two worked together before?

What do you think you will bring to the stage this weekend?

I haven’t had the pleasure of working with Leon before. When they paired us together, I got in contact with Leon and we’ve been chatting here and there. As expected, I did my research, and let’s just say...I’m really excited to be performing with him!

Culturally, the military has been the hottest source of men for the porn industry. What advice would you give to anyone in the military who is considering a career in porn?

My advice to anyone getting into the porn industry is to make sure it’s something you actually want to do. Just like any major life change, it should be thought through to make sure that porn is the path you want to choose. If it’s not something you’re completely set on or still have doubts, then you won’t really have fun or enjoy it; and in the end, isn’t that what sex is all about?t Read more with Casey Everett online at www.ebar.com/bartab.

Casey Everett makes his Nob Hill debut in 8pm solo shows, and 10pm sex shows with Leon Fox. $25. Feb. 26 & 27. Nob Hill Theatre, 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com See Cornelius Washington’s Erotic Photography at CuirPhoto.com

Casey Everett

To place your Personals ad, Call 415-861-5019 for more info & rates

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

Shooting Stars

February 25-March 2, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 35

photos by Steven Underhill Brewcade’s 1st Anniversary

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intage video games and a beguilingly lengthy menu of tasty handcrafted beers, plus some delish sodas, sweet and salty munchies, all added to the festive first anniversary parties (February 13-21) for the innovative bar Brewcade, the newest “stray” bar in the Castro at 2200 Market Street.

Updates have included dual Killer Queen consoles, pinball machines, and Black Light Fridays. www.brewcadesf.com More event photo albums are on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at www.StevenUnderhill.com.

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

call (415) 370-7152 or visit www.StevenUnderhill.com or email stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com