July 2, 2015 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Wiener launches CA Senate seat bid by Matthew S. Bajko

ay District 8 Super visor Scott Wiener made official this week his long expected run for a state Senate seat. Wiener, 45, filed paperwork with state elections officials to begin raising money Rick Gerharter for his campaign Supervisor to represent Senate Scott Wiener District 11, which includes all of San Francisco and portions of northern San Mateo County. The current officeholder, gay state Senator Mark Leno (DSan Francisco), is termed out of office in 2016 and is endorsing Wiener to be his successor. “I love serving on the Board of Supervi-

Vol. 45 • No. 27 • July 2-8, 2015

Marriage decision adds spark to Pride

Anthony Wayne channels Sylvester on the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee float.

Rick Gerharter

by Cynthia Laird

T A rider with Dykes on Bikes shows her support for the U.S. Supreme Court’s marriage decision in the San Francisco Pride parade.

See page 12 >>

he crowd was larger than any in recent memory and the mood was exuberant as people celebrated the 45th annual San Francisco Pride parade last weekend. Marriage was the overarching theme, as the U.S. Supreme Court last Friday issued its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. “Epic is the word I’m using,” San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee board President Gary Virginia told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday. “It was an epic parade and celebration this year.” Virginia attributed the large crowd – estimated by SF Pride officials at 1.5 million over See page 10 >>

Supreme Court’s marriage decision reverberates Jane Philomen Cleland

SF party overlaps with Trans March

‘Liberty’ is key word in opinion, dissents

by David-Elijah Nahmod

analysis by Lisa Keen

oy erupted on the streets of the Castro district and, earlier, outside San Francisco City Hall June 26 as people celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The 5-4 decision by Justice Anthony Kennedy effectively throws out marriage bans that had remained in 13 states. Day of Decision parties took place throughout the country, including the Castro, where thousands of people partied in the streets. The celebration overJane Philomen Cleland lapped with the annual Trans March. Earlier that morning, elected of- Tina Viera and her spouse, Glenda Viera, bottom ficials and community leaders held right, celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court decision last Friday in the Castro. a rally outside City Hall. A giant rainbow flag draped the front of the ried again during the brief period before the pasbuilding as San Francisco Mayor Ed sage of Proposition 8, the state’s marriage ban that Lee addressed the crowd. was thrown out by the Supreme Court in 2013.) “We are always leading the world in fighting “We started this movement right here in San for tolerance and diversity,” Lee said. Francisco and kept the momentum going. The The Mayor looked back upon the previous decade – it was in 2004 that former Mayor Gavin United States of America joins Ireland and 18 Newsom defied state law when he ordered city other countries in moving the world in the officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex right direction,” Lee said, referring to the referendum election in Ireland in May that legalized couples. Lesbian couple Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon was the first to tie the knot. (Martin died in same-sex marriage there. See page 13 >> August 2008, shortly after she and Lyon were mar-

he United States Supreme Court’s June 26 decision striking down state bans against same-sex marriage has been touted as “probably the strongest manifesto in favor of marriage” and pilloried as “a threat to American democracy.” It energized celebrations at LGBT Pride events from San Francisco to New York City and in private living rooms across the country. It prompted warnings of “an all out assault against the religious freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision.” But despite these vastly different reactions, there has not yet been an attempt by any state to secede from the union that President Barack Obama characterized as “a little more perfect” now. As of Monday, 12 of the 13 states that had statewide bans in effect have started issuing licenses in at least some, if not all, of their counties. Mississippi’s attorney general told clerks to delay issuing licenses until a formal order to do so is issued from the federal appeals court. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has instructed clerks that they do not have to issue licenses if they have religious objections to doing so. And the Texas attorney general is encouraging clerks to raise religious objections to issuing the licenses but has warned them that, doing so,

Rudy K. Lawidjaja

Plaintiff Jim Obergefell speaks to the media outside the U.S. Supreme Court following the historic June 26 decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

could lead to “litigation and/or a fine.” Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee has vowed that he “will not acquiesce to an imperial court,” a statement that will almost certainly come back to haunt him, given that the Constitution requires the president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” (Obama continued to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act until the Supreme Court struck it See page 13 >>

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<< Pride 2015

t Pink Party sees few problems by Seth Hemmelgarn

housands of people enjoyed a relatively trouble-free Pink Party in the streets of San Francisco’s Castro district last weekend, soothing some nerves in a neighborhood that had grown weary of chaotic festivals the night before each year’s LGBT Pride parade. Starting and ending the event early seemed to mellow the crowd this year, which marked the first time the San Francisco LGBT Community Center had overseen the event. The party replaced the Pink Saturday celebration, which the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organized for decades before abandoning it for this year, citing concerns about violence. Clearing the streets after the Saturday, June 27 event ended proved problematic, but there are indications the Pink Party will go on again next year. There were some reports of public intoxication and scuffles, but many at the party simply took advantage of having a place to celebrate their identities. Early Saturday night, Juan Camacho, 17, sat on 20-year-old Michael Willison’s shoulders in the intersection of 18th and Castro streets. Camacho, who’s gay, was wearing a black mesh top and silver hot pants as he held up a rainbow flag behind his back. He said he came “to celebrate who I am.” Camacho lives in the small northern California city of Arcata and said, “I like being around more my kind of people,” and others at the Castro party were “so kind and sweet.” “It means the world,” he said, and there was nothing else like it for him. “This is the place I want to be.”

‘No criticisms’

A couple days after the party, which included DJs, dancing, and food, Rebecca Rolfe, the community center’s executive director, said, “I thought it was fantastic.” Rolfe said she wasn’t aware of any “significant violence” and added, “I literally have heard no criticisms.” Gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose District 8 includes the Castro, brought in the center to produce the event after the Sisters announced in February they wouldn’t organize it this year. Violent incidents had marred the festival for years, especially after Stephen Powell, 19, was fatally shot around the time the 2010 party ended, and a Sister and her husband were attacked at last year’s event. “I think, generally, it went really well” this year, Wiener said. “... There are always challenges at that size of a crowd, but there were remarkably few incidents.” Rafael Mandelman, LGBT community center board chair, said he was happy with how the party went. “I think there is always room for improvement but I was pleased with the Pink Party,” Mandelman told

Rick Gerharter

Fifty anti-racist activists surrounded the rainbow flagpole in Harvey Milk Plaza and hoisted a banner that read “QTIPOC Resistance Liberation.”

Pete Thoshinsky

Juan Camacho sits on the shoulders of Michael Willison at the Pink Party.

the Bay Area Reporter. “It was great to see the diversity of LGBT people and their friends in the Castro.” At about 8:30 Saturday night, after the music was turned off and the party was officially over, police Captain Dan Perea said the event had gone “very well,” and he credited the center and other organizers for doing “a great job.” Last year’s party went from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Perea, who oversees Mission station, which includes the Castro, said holding the celebration earlier this year “absolutely” made a difference. There’s “less drinking time during the day,” he said, and partygoers “haven’t had as much of an opportunity to get in trouble.” After the event, police reported there had been 16 arrests for public drunkenness Saturday, far outweighing arrests for other incidents. Most, if not all of the reports, were from in or around the Castro, according to Officer Carlos Manfredi, a police spokesman. When the B.A.R. left at about 9, the area was still crowded with people, and the streets around the event remained closed longer than expected. Asked about the slow street reopening, Rolfe said, “There were upwards of 60,000 people there. It takes a while to get those folks moving. ... It just took a while to get all the equipment moved out and to get

the streets reopened.” Mandelman said it was a “huge project” to reopen the streets. “Doing it safely just took a little bit longer than maybe we were hoping for at our most optimistic,” he said, adding that he was there until 11 p.m. Castro resident Daniel Bergerac, who’s president of the Castro Merchants group and co-owns Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub near Castro and 18th streets, said he and others haven’t had a chance to debrief, but so far “the reviews are 50/50.” Bergerac said complaints have included people drinking in the streets, which they weren’t supposed to do. In a protest, just after the Pink Party started, activists scaled about a quarter way up the flagpole that flies the giant rainbow flag and raised a banner on behalf of queer, trans, and intersex people of color that read “QTIPOC Resistance Liberation.” The rainbow flag wasn’t removed, and the protest banner remained up until sometime Tuesday.

Event’s future

Rolfe recently estimated total costs for the Pink Party would be $150,000 to $160,000, though she said the final budget figure “could still vary pretty significantly.” Wiener said the plan has been for the city to cover the entire cost of the event. (Rolfe did say about $7,000 had been raised through sponsorships this year.) The supervisor, who credited the center for taking charge of the event with less than four months to plan it, indicated the city may be pitching in for the next several years. “Our hope is for the venture to become financially self-sustaining,” he said, but “it may take a few years to get there.” “We’ll have a discussion, certainly, for next year,” Wiener said. Asked if the center would be involved again next year, Rolfe said, “We won’t know that for more than a couple weeks.” She said producers, who also include E. Cee Productions, want to get feedback from stakeholders and “really think about what is a sustainable model for this event as we move forward.”t

Man shot near SF Pride by Seth Hemmelgarn

man was shot near San Francisco’s LGBT Pride celebration last weekend. Police received information about the shooting, which happened in United Nations Plaza, shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, June 27. The scene is close to where the Pride festival had just ended for the day. “Officers responded to the area and detained several possible suspects” on Market Street, Officer Carlos Manfredi, a police spokesman, said in an emailed summary. A 64-year-old Pride spectator who’d been shot once in the arm was taken to San Francisco General

Hospital and as of Saturday night was in “stable” condition, Manfredi said. He didn’t have any updates on the victim Tuesday, June 30. In response to emailed questions, George Ridgely, executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the person who was injured.” Manfredi said, “The incident is believed to have started when several groups of men, unrelated to the Pride event, got in a verbal argument near or inside the venue. “The incident escalated when one of the subjects pulled out a gun and fired several shots,” he said. Manfredi said Tuesday that no-

body had been arrested yet. In 2013, two other men were also shot at Pride. One of the men, Trevor Gardner, of Los Angeles, is suing the SF Pride Committee, claiming the nonprofit had neglected to provide adequate security. In court documents, the committee has responded that Gardner had failed “to use diligent care.” The court case is ongoing. Eric Ryan, the other 2013 shooting victim, filed a similar lawsuit Tuesday. Asked why he waited two years to file the suit, Ryan, 44, said he had to prepare for the process. “I wasn’t emotionally ready for the process until recently,” he said, “and my attorney started the process.”t

Pride 2015>>

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

Dyke March reclaims traditional route

Liz Highleyman

A line of police on motorcycles blocking 18th Street eventually left as the breakaway faction, behind the Dyke Power banner, turns onto the street during last Saturday’s Dyke March.

by Liz Highleyman

o the sound of drums and chants of “Who’s streets? Our streets!” thousands of women broke away from the planned route of the annual Dyke March and crossed police lines to follow the traditional route that passes lesbian community landmarks. The march, on June 27, was scheduled to start at an earlier time and take a different route than usual, proceeding a block farther on Dolores Street and turning onto 17th rather than 18th Street toward Valencia. A group of several hundred women organized to reclaim the traditional route, marching behind a large “Dyke Power” banner. Many more, having heard of the plans on social media, gathered around the intersection of 18th and Dolores waiting for the breakaway group. The growing group moved through a line of about a dozen police officers on foot blocking 18th Street, after which a second line of police on motorcycles moved aside. Once the breakaway group turned onto 18th, a majority of the thousands of women in the remaining line-up followed. Marchers removed metal barricades blocking access to Guerrero Street and continued on to Valencia Street, where they rejoined the planned march route.

Small but significant

While the change in the route was small – differing by only three blocks – for many it carried important historic significance. The Dyke March, first held in June 1993, has traditionally gone past the Women’s Building, the former site of the lesbian bar Amelia’s, and Good Vibrations. The owners of what is now the Elbo Room at Valencia and Sycamore put up the old Amelia’s sign each year for the march. But the building is being redeveloped as condos and the Elbo Room is expected to close this fall, likely making this the last year the sign will be changed. “Something needed to be organized because so many people are grieving the loss of space in the city and didn’t know where to put that energy,” said Joey “Cupcake” Stevenson, who spearheaded organizing of the breakaway march. “It happened really quickly and I’m pleased by the level of dyke competency ... We’re a community of pissed-off, seasoned activists.” Activists said the housing crisis and displacement led to the formation of the breakaway group. “The decision to reroute the official Dyke March route off of 18th street and away from historic institutions like the Women’s Building and the former Amelia’s bar comes in the midst of an affordable housing crisis that is displacing our dyke community, friends, and neighbors,” according to a statement issued by

media sites and the B.A.R.’s blog – but most community members did not hear about the change until a few days prior to the march. Many were skeptical about the march organizers’ explanation for the change, attributing it to pressure from local businesses, city officials, and the San Francisco Police Department. “I know a lot of folks don’t like that answer, but that’s the truth – no one made any decisions for us except us,” Lanyon stressed. “No business owners nor politicians had anything to do with the route change.” Farina, a high-end Italian restaurant across 18th Street from the Women’s Building, was the primary target of the rumors. Farina manager Gabriele, who declined to give his last name, told the B.A.R. that the management

did not have anything against the march. “We are for human rights and respect the community,” he said. He added that the restaurant had changed ownership earlier this year and is now owned by a global corporation. Gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose district includes Dolores Park, said he didn’t know anything about pressure to change the route. San Francisco Police Captain Dan Perea’s office at Mission station did not return the B.A.R.’s call by press time. “The route change was in no way a jab at the historical richness of Dyke March,” Lanyon explained. “We did realize the importance of marching past the historic landmarks, however we did not anticipate the backlash from doing things differently for one year. We could

have done more outreach on the route, in hindsight.” Kicking off the march from the sound truck on Saturday, Lanyon stated, “No man has ever made decisions for the Dyke March, and no man ever will.”

Response to displacement

In the days preceding the march, rumors began to circulate and anger built up as questions and comments about the route change posted to the Dyke March Facebook page were deleted by page moderators. A number of women activists independently had the idea to reclaim the original march route. Stevenson, a hair stylist at Glama-Rama, said she heard about the route change at work and “connected the dots” See page 8 >>

the breakaway group. “The future of San Francisco’s dyke community is bound up in a larger struggle for racial and economic justice. Being queer women means fighting homophobia, racism, misogyny, transphobia, and ableism.”

Changes cause controversy

The Dyke March kick-off time was changed from evening to midafternoon to coincide with the new Pink Party in the Castro, according to march organizers. The march has traditionally concluded around sunset at 16th Street and Market as marchers join the ongoing street party, formerly known as Pink Saturday. As previously reported, the San Francisco LGBT Community Center took over the Pink Party this year after the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence withdrew due to growing violence and lack of city support. The new organizers hoped ending the party before dark would minimize problems. [See story, page 2.] “The Pink Party ended earlier, which meant we had to start earlier if we wanted to land somewhere,” Dyke March committee chair Elizabeth Lanyon told the Bay Area Reporter. “In the future, this consideration may be an opportunity to march to a landmark or pick a different destination so there is more flexibility on time.” The change in the route sparked more questions and more controversy. Due to uncertainty about the status of Dolores Park renovations when planning began late last year, the organizing committee – a multigenerational group of six women volunteers from San Francisco and the East Bay – decided to get a permit for a street party centered on the intersection of Dolores and 18th streets. They made the decision to locate the sound truck, which also serves as a stage, at the northwest corner. As it happened, the north side of the park opened and the south side – traditionally considered the gay area – was fenced off just a week prior to the march for renovations in that section. Park officials, trying to preserve the new lawn, did not allow infrastructure such as a stage in the park. But there was never a prohibition on Dyke March and Trans March participants hanging out on the grass during the premarch parties. “The reason for the route change was about safety,” said Lanyon, who has worked on the march for three years and attended for about 10. “Moving the truck to the other corner was a strategic decision to draw participants to the open side of the park. Turning the truck around in that intersection to march [on 18th] would have been a logistical and safety nightmare.” The final decisions about the march time and route were made by late May – as reported on social

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<< Open Forum

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

Volume 45, Number 27 July 2-8, 2015 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 • 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 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 ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lance Roberts NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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What a week – but work’s not done

n the space of a few days same-sex couples achieved the legal right to marry in all 50 states, the Affordable Care Act was affirmed, San Francisco celebrated its 45th Pride with one of the largest parades ever, and more than a million people enjoyed a weekend full of activities. The newly constituted Pink Party was well attended with no major issues, proving that a few helpful changes, most notably earlier start and end times, can create a safe and festive street party. City Hall was bathed in the colors of the rainbow flag thanks to a new LED light system, which was inaugurated the week prior for a huge party and light show to mark the 100th anniversary of the building. This provided a beautiful setting for the hundreds of mayors who were here for the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, giving them a first hand look at Pride preparations and how our city operates. Ambassadors representing many countries witnessed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accept the Harvey Milk Award from Milk’s gay nephew, Stuart Milk, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) during a moving ceremony in the City Hall Rotunda commemorating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter in San Francisco. Ban has been a steadfast ally for global LGBT rights, and has been instrumental in the U.N. providing benefits to same-sex partners of employees, regardless of the hostility they may face in their countries of origin. In fact, preparations for the June 26 U.N. luncheon forced Mayor Ed Lee and other officials to move the Supreme Court’s marriage decision celebration to the steps outside City Hall, where Lee, with thanks to Gilbert Baker and Tom Taylor, hung a huge rainbow flag as a powerful backdrop. The 5-4 Supreme Court decision recognizing that same-sex couples have a legal right to marry was authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has written all three major gay rights decisions going back to

2003’s Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state sodomy laws. Kennedy will go down in history as a champion for equality. Kennedy rejected the idea proffered by Justice Antonin Scalia in his dissent, that the majority’s opinion recognizing same-sex marriage was a “threat to American democracy.” “The issue before the court here is the legal question whether the Constitution protects the right of samesex couples to marry,” Kennedy wrote. “The Constitution grants them that right.” Marriage provides “equal dignity,” Kennedy’s opinion stated. President Barack Obama hailed the ruling, saying it was “a victory for America.” As for the ACA, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 upholding subsidies to help poor and middleclass people buy health insurance. While California wasn’t directly affected because it has the Covered California exchange, millions of Americans in areas without state-run exchanges now need not worry whether the ACA will survive. As President Barack Obama said shortly after the court’s decision was announced, “After multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.” But just as Bay Area LGBTs and their allies were celebrating the marriage ruling, local leaders were quick to point out that the fight for equal-

ity is not over. There are other issues to focus on, like employment and housing discrimination. In many states, same-sex couples can get married today and fired tomorrow; many more states don’t have laws protecting transgender people from losing their jobs if they transition. Locally, housing remains a top priority, not just for LGBT people, but for anyone who is priced out of San Francisco. Mayor Ed Lee said that “building more housing – that’s the issue of our time” at last Sunday’s Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Pride Breakfast. In his remarks at the breakfast, Supervisor Scott Wiener, who announced this week that he’s running for state Senate next year, stated that while abortion is legal, and has been for 42 years, women’s access to reproductive services remains under assault by conservatives. Sixtyone years after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled “separate but equal” education for blacks and whites is unconstitutional, “we’re still fighting for children to have equal opportunity,” Wiener said. He also noted that the transgender community continues to face discrimination. And he pointed out that straight allies “who get it” are invaluable to public support for our issues. In closing he said that the LGBT community is strong and will persevere. “Our community is so resilient,” Wiener said, “we never give up.” The LGBT community must now turn its attention to achieving equality in housing, seeking workplace protections, and combatting the bullying of LGBTQ youth. And while California leads the country in strong laws, we still have work to do here, too. Homophobia has reared its ugly head in the Mission district, where an LGBT mural has been vandalized three times and set afire – all in the space of a couple weeks. A new education campaign around transgender issues is starting, and not a moment too soon, as voters may face an anti-trans bathroom initiative on the ballot next year. Marriage is but one right, and yes, it’s a major achievement to have it affirmed by the Supreme Court, but it’s not the end of our fight for equality wherever there is injustice.t

State must do its part for LGBT community by Toni G. Atkins

ast week, the U.S. Supreme Court made history by ruling to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states. It also marked the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. The Stonewall riots, the beginning of the modern movement for LGBT rights, started on June 28, 1969. LGBT Pride Month honors the courage, dedication and sacrifices made by members of our community to improve the lives of those without a voice. Pride Month is about celebrating how far our community has come. A Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage. Transgender individuals are more prevalent in mainstream media – from depictions in shows like Orange is the New Black and Transparent to the revealing of Caitlyn Jenner in Vanity Fair, trans folks have never been as visible as they are today. But these developments didn’t always look possible. It was just seven years ago that Californians passed Proposition 8, and it’s only been within the past two years that we’ve seen rapid developments for marriage equality. The LGBTQ community has often been an overlooked part of our society but California is leading the way in changing that. We’ve made things better for LGBTQ individuals: • We created a transgender student bill of rights, which will allow those students in public schools to join sports teams and have access to school facilities such as restrooms according to their gender identity; • We ended the practice of “conversion therapy” for youth; • We’re establishing LGBT cultural compe-

tency across health care sectors; • Legislation that requires death certificates to reflect the decedent’s gender identity became active on July 1.

Work will continue

And this work will continue; in the state budget for the coming fiscal year, the California Legislature will address the health care needs of the LGBT community. Key highlights include: • AIDS Drug Assistance Program Modernization – Financial eligibility for ADAP and Office of AIDS Health Insurance Premium Payment Program will consider family size and increase the income limit. • ADAP Enrollment Workers – Added $2 million more for local health jurisdictions and $1 million to increase ADAP enrollment. • ADAP Linkage to and Retention in Care – The budget appropriates $1.5 million in federal Ryan White base funding to local health jurisdictions and/or community-based organizations to support efforts to re-engage HIV-infected minority clients in medical care and treatment. ADAP Hepatitis C (HCV) Treatment – $6.5 million will go toward HCV treatment costs in ADAP. • Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) – We’ve approved $2.2 million for a PrEP Access and Affordability Pilot Program. This initiative will establish educational outreach to at-risk populations and PrEP providers while improving cost-sharing assistance for under-insured individuals. • State Syringe Exchange Clearinghouse – The budget includes $3 million to purchase supplies for syringe-exchange programs. • Hepatitis C – Added $2.2 million for pilot

Courtesy Assembly Speaker’s ofﬁce

Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins

projects aimed at preventing the transmission of HCV. The Assembly Democrats have committed to instituting these programs for the LGBT community. Increasing funding for disadvantaged members of our community is vital to advancing our progress. Pride Month is all about celebrating how far we’ve come since Stonewall; while we honor our history and our achievements, we must remember that we need to help improve the lives of everyone – gay, lesbian, straight, or transgender – to continue to move our community forward.t Speaker Toni G. Atkins proudly represents the 78th Assembly District, which includes coastal San Diego, from Imperial Beach, along the Mexican border, north to Solana Beach, and most of central San Diego. She is a leading voice for affordable housing, a powerful advocate for women and the LGBTQ community, and champion for veterans and homeless people. Speaker Atkins lives in the South Park community with her spouse, Jennifer LeSar, and their dogs, Haley and Joey.

Letters >>

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

Remember heroes of marriage activism

Happiness is a Friday when the U.S. Supreme Court asserts the fundamental right for every gay and lesbian person in every state of this nation to marry and the right to equal standing. When we celebrate this astounding and extraordinary decision, let us not forget those who risked their lives and their fortunes to bring this issue to court. Those people are heroes. Mary Richards Cathedral City, California

Why I heckled Wiener at Trans March

Friday’s Trans March brought a wonderful diversity of speakers and performers. However, during a segment in which elected officials spoke, I was dismayed to find out that out District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener was permitted to speak at the Trans March, given his record on the issues, he has not had the transgender community’s best interests in mind, and myself, and many other transgender people, were triggered by his presence on stage. First, there is the issue of his support of gentrification of the Mission district, which hurts me as a transgender woman living and receiving services in the neighborhood. When I came to San Francisco last winter, I was homeless and desperate, until I found the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, one of the only transgender-friendly homeless day centers in San Francisco, which also includes a clinic that prescribes hormones. Wiener supports luxury condos, which lead to displacement, which lead to new tenants pushing out places like the MNRC, and putting the trans community at risk. His lack of support for affordable/subsidized housing also complicates low-income transgender people’s ability to access our one-of-a-kind transgender surgery program. For me and many other trans people, surgery is a necessity, but for surgery, housing with private bathrooms is a necessity, due to the intensive aftercare. Not many single-room-occupancy hotels have private bathrooms, and even with a doctor’s note, it is difficult for me to get a unit so I can even proceed with my transition. He also prioritizes more police on the streets above affordable/subsidized housing, which has always been bad for transgender people, as well as people of color, the homeless, the poor, and the youth (or any combination of such). In fact, Wiener has supported measures to criminalize poverty, including a law that bans sleeping in parks. Often, when LGBT people are homeless, we have to hide for our safety, and closing the parks at night has created an unsafe situation for San Francisco’s vulnerable street homeless, including members of the transgender community.

This is why I had to heckle him when he spoke at the Trans March, inspired by Jennicet Gutierrez, an undocumented transgender Latina who heckled President Barack Obama at last week’s White House Pride reception to let her people go. Furthermore, when a bill adding more police came up in committee, I confronted Wiener during public comment, telling him that if he is supporting gentrification, incarceration, and other economic injustices, he will never be pro-LGBT rights, no matter how much he wraps himself in a rainbow flag. The Trans March organizers, including many transgender people of intersectional identities, should have realized how offensive it was to allow someone like Wiener to speak at an event, which many vulnerable and marginalized people are attending, and that I expect a lot better.

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Same old issues at SFAF

Your article smacked of deja vu for me [“Yale grad’s essay blasts SFAF,” June 18]. I worked at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in the early 1990s in the client services department and many of the issues raised in your article were identical to the issues we raised in the 1990s when I was part of a union organizing campaign at the foundation. The response by SFAF today is eerily identical to those responses given by Pat Christen, the SFAF executive director at the time. The response in the 1990s, however, came with a union busting campaign, and ultimately the union we organized to help us address these issues was “busted” by provisions in the contract virtually guaranteeing the demise of our hard won union. Fast-forward to today, different people and management still do not get it. When the current CEO, Neil Giuliano, states, “We understand that, and we always strive to do a better job,” in response to working with a diverse group of people working with a diverse population, then I say, “Do it, then.” Apparently the “better job” falls short of working with staff who are serving not only people with AIDS and HIV; but also staff who are working with men and women in our community who have multiple issues aside from AIDS. Bring them to the table, ask them what is wrong, and guarantee their job security if they do tell Giuliano how management is underserving staff. Ultimately, a happier workforce will result in better services for clients. Thanks for bringing this story to our community; it just breaks my heart. Criss Romero San Francisco

Castro Valley Pride turns 5 compiled by Cynthia Laird

astro Valley Pride, a familyfriendly festival, will celebrate its fifth anniversary Saturday, July 11. The event takes place from noon to 5 p.m. at Castro Valley High School’s Stadium Plaza, located at Redwood Road and Heyer Street. Organizer Billy Bradford said the afternoon will include food, games, booths, performers, and speakers. The festival’s goal, Bradford said, is to create a safe and welcoming space in the East Bay town for LGBT community members, neighbors, family, friends, and allies “There is nothing wrong with you, and we will accept you just as you are,” Bradford said on the event’s Facebook page. “You are welcomed and affirmed here. This is your safe place in Castro Valley and this is your community.” For more information, visit the “Castro Valley Pride 2015!” Facebook page.

Lee, AT&T kick off ‘SF Summer of Giving’ campaign

Mayor Ed Lee and AT&T kicked off the “SF Summer of Giving” campaign that will award $283,000 to eight community organizations over eight weeks in an effort to support and spotlight the groups that make the city accessible and vibrant for everyone. On June 25, Lee and Ken McNeely, a gay man who’s president of AT&T California, presented the first awardee, the Asian Pacific American Community Center, with $20,000 to expand its community and scholarship programs to uplift Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the city and across the Bay Area.

ebar.com Elliot Owen

The Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus performed at the 2012 Castro Valley Pride festival.

“Investing in our communities is not only the right thing to do, it’s one of the smartest things we can do to help keep our communities accessible and vibrant,” McNeely said in a statement. AT&T also announced that in the coming weeks $20,000 contributions will be made to other organizations, including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation; University of San Francisco’s Girl TechPower program; California Historical Society (supporting the Recreation and Park Department’s Panama Pacific International Exposition 100 Passport to Success program); the ARC of San Francisco; NatureBridge; Meals on Wheels San Francisco; and the Coro Center for Civic Leadership, Northern California. AT&T will highlight each awardee on Twitter via @SFSummerOfGiving.

PG&E makes contribution to NCLR

On the heels of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states, Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a $250,000 contribution

to San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represented couples from Tennessee in the litigation, which involved couples from four states. “Diversity and building a culture of inclusion have long been top priorities for PG&E and we’re honored to support the National Center for Lesbian Rights and its work to advance equality,” PG&E President Chris Johns said in a statement. The contribution builds on the company’s more than three-decade commitment to diversity within the company and across its supply chain. Last week’s report in the Bay Area Reporter’s Political Notes column noted that PG&E Senior Vice President Kent Harvey came out as a gay man a couple years ago. NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell thanked the company for being a “long-term partner in the fight for equality.” “The Supreme Court’s decision marks a huge step forward for LGBT people and their families,” Kendell said in the statement, “but discrimination persists and legal barriers remain, so we will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people across the country.”t

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<< Politics

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

For Republican Party, it pays to be at Pride

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he San Francisco chapter of Log Cabin Republicans has long had a presence at the city’s Pride celebration, with members staffing a booth in the Civic Center festival area. For the first time this year, the LGBT GOPers didn’t have to pay the $750 booth fee out of their own coffers. Instead, the San Francisco Republican Party covered the bulk of the cost, at $500, with the Republican Party of Marin County picking up the remainder. The local GOP fiscal support follows the decision earlier this year of the California Republican Party to officially charter Log Cabin for the first time. “Our Pride booth is the largest, and really only, organized Republican outreach to the LGBT community in northern California. Seen in that way, they recognized immediately the value,” said Fred Schein, president of the local Log Cabin chapter and also a member of the Marin Republican Central Committee. Sunday also marked the first time a California Republican Party board member had worked a booth at San Francisco’s Pride, according to Log Cabin members. Kevin Krick, the party’s Bay Area regional vice chairman, and his wife, Natasha, spent more than two hours staffing the booth. “On behalf of the Marin Chapter,

Courtesy Log Cabin SF chapter

Log Cabin San Francisco chapter members, including club President Fred Schein, second from left, staffed a booth at last weekend’s San Francisco Pride festival.

thanks for including us in the Pride booth this past weekend,” wrote Krick, who serves as president of the Marin Log Cabin chapter, in a Facebook message after the event. “I’ve worked a lot of festival and fair booths over the years and I can’t recall having as much fun as I did yesterday! Chatting with Pridegoers, having people sign up for the LCR mailing list, and registering Republican voters; it all made for a great time!” Five people turned in their voter registration forms Sunday, said Schein, with more taking the paperwork home with them to fill out later. “I was extremely pleased with it. It was one of our better Prides,” said

Schein. “We had a steady stream of people.” Used to receiving hostile reactions from people during Pride, which occurred once again this year, Log Cabin came prepared for questions about the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision Friday to legalize same-sex marriage across the country. Log Cabin leaders filed an amicus brief in support of the case, known as Obergefell v. Hodges, and issued a statement last week hailing the court’s decision. “We had documents at our booth showing that,” said Schein, who noted the Marin County Republican Party two years ago became one of the first local GOP committees to endorse same-sex marriage. See page 13 >>

Irish diplomat delivers emotional remarks at Pride breakfast by Cynthia Laird

A Bay_Area_Reporter_Final_3.75wx6h.pdf

6/29/15

10:32 AM

mid the self-congratulations and celebration by local and state political leaders of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states, a heart-stopping moment occurred at the annual Alice B. Toklas Pride Breakfast when the Irish consul general took to the podium. Philip Grant, the consul general of Ireland to the Western United States, brought the 500 people in a ballroom at the Hyatt Embarcadero to silence. “It’s a great honor to be here,” Grant said, before talking about his reason for attending. “Ten days ago there was an awful

tragedy in Berkeley,” he said, referring to the June 16 collapse of a balcony in the East Bay city. Thirteen people were apparently on the structure as it gave way, including 12 Irish students who were in the United States on a summer work program. Six people, including five Irish nationals, were killed, and seven were injured. (One Rick Gerharter of those killed was a young Philip Grant, consul general of Ireland Rohnert Park woman.) Grant thanked San Fran- to the Western United States, holds a cisco and the Bay Area for the rainbow flag that one of the students outpouring of support in the in the Berkeley balcony collapse had days after the accident, which planned to carry in the Pride parade. city officials attribute to dry rot Nancy O’Malley has opened a crimiin the balcony that collapsed. nal investigation into the incident. Alameda County District Attorney “The city and Bay Area have enveloped us with love,” Grant said. Then he reached for a folded rainbow flag. “I have a flag – one of those 13 was going to carry it in the parade,” he said, adding it was the student’s dream to march in the San Francisco Pride parade. Instead, Grant said that the flag would be carried on the student’s behalf. “Be proud of who you are,” Grant said. “Our struggle doesn’t end here.” In a brief interview following his remarks, Grant declined to say whether one of the 12 Irish nationals was LGBT or whether the flag belonged to one of those who were killed or injured. “The family didn’t want me to say,” Grant told the Bay Area Reporter. Grant’s remarks left the room quiet and even Alice club Co-Chair Brian Leubitz was momentarily choked up. “Wow,” he said following the consul general’s speech. See page 13 >>

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<< Community News

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

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t South Bay celebrates Supreme Court’s marriage ruling by Diana Heideman

rom elders who never expected to see marriage equality in their lifetimes to youngsters so small they will never remember anything else, nearly 80 people marched down Mountain View’s Castro Street to City Hall following the June 26 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. In San Jose, Mayor Sam Liccardo raised the rainbow flag outside City Hall after the ruling, and people gathered for a celebratory rally in the late afternoon. Mountain View’s rally began at the train station, paraded through downtown, and ended up at City Hall plaza for speakers, singing, and celebration. Attorney Ray Hixson, who served as co-chair for the Santa Clara County chapter of Marriage Equality USA from 2008-2013 and has been on the PFLAG speakers’ bureau since 2012, served as the master of ceremonies. Hixson opened the ceremony by leading the crowd in singing “We Shall Overcome,” accompanied by Jordan Chin on the guitar. He also shared his story. “I was closeted until I was 37,” Hixson, who’s in his mid-40s, said. “Nothing transforms your life like living an authentic experience in your own skin. I guess I am retiring from Marriage Equality USA today. My passion now is to make it easier for people to come out.” LaDoris Cordell, a lesbian who is a former Santa Clara County Superior Court judge, also spoke. “Today is a victory for love, a victory for acceptance, and a victory for equality,” said Cordell, who serves as the independent police auditor for the San Jose Police Department and joined a task force formed by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón to review various law enforcement issues. Former Mountain View Mayor and current City Council member Michael Kasperzak briefly discussed the city’s involvement in the fight for marriage equality. He finished with a personal note, saying, “My

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A spirited crowd made its way to Mountain View City Hall June 26 to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision.

mother and my sister live in Michigan, a state which until today lacked marriage equality. My sister can now marry her partner of 10 years.” Michigan was one of the states involved in the marriage case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which also included cases from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Richard and David Speakman stepped up to the microphone holding a framed copy of their marriage license. They were the first gay couple to be married in Santa Clara County in 2008 during the brief period when same-sex marriage was legal before the passage of Proposition 8, the state marriage ban that the Supreme Court threw out in 2013, which restored same-sex marriage in California. “Our marriage started in 2004 under Gavin Newsom,” they said, referring to the former San Francisco mayor who defied state law when he ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “We stood in line for two days. That lasted about four months before we got annulled. When the California Supreme Court legalized marriage equality in 2008, Ken Yeager – the first openly gay county supervisor and a founder of BAYMEC [Bay Area Municipal Elections Com-

mittee] – married us and a lesbian couple, Hannah and Ronni Pahl. Then Prop 8 passed, which none of us expected it would, and we had survivor’s guilt for a long time.” Thida Cornes, of the Mountain View Parks and Recreation Commission, also addressed the crowd. “This is one of the most important civil events I will ever attend,” Cornes said. “I have been involved in marriage equality since the mid1980s. My parents are an interracial couple that got married about a year after miscegenation. My hope is that one day, both that day and today will be nationally celebrated.” Other politicians also made remarks. “Mountain View is a city that treasures their diversity,” said Councilman Lenny Siegel, a straight ally. “We have had two gay mayors – how many has San Francisco had? Winning this victory is a huge milestone, but not the end. It reminds us we need to keep fighting for human rights. The struggle is never over.” Mountain View resident and naturalized U.S. citizen Diane Turner attended the rally to support her family. “I am the mother of a gay man who is marrying his long-term partner in October,” she said. “I love my future son-in-law.”t

Dyke march

From page 3

between people who wanted to respond. A newly created “Take Back the Dyke March” Facebook page soon had more than 1,000 people saying they planned to participate. “People are so pissed off about loss of space and living under the threat of eviction,” Stevenson told the B.A.R. “My first dyke march in 1996 or 1997 was really radical, really moving, and really powerful. Saturday’s march included a lot of people who were not politicized and haven’t done anything like that before. It was a moment for a movement. I hope it was just the beginning of radical dyke culture again.” Adele Carpenter, another breakaway march organizer, concurred. “There’s a real sense of desperation,” Carpenter said. “Queer women have been watching our friends and community members be displaced from the city at an alarming rate, and the reroute of the march away from some of our last standing lesbian community institutions really hit a nerve with a lot of people. We don’t have our bars anymore. So many of us are losing our apartments. There was this very clear urgency around needing to take our public space last Saturday.” The theme of reclaiming dyke space extended beyond the physical route, as an overlapping group of women came together in an attempt to remove the growing number of men from the march. “For a lot of queer people, San Fran-

Jane Philomen Cleland

Ingrid Nelson and Greta Christina shared a kiss under parasols during the afternoon rally at Dolores Park that preceded the Dyke March.

cisco is the only place where we have felt like we truly belonged,” said Pike Long, who helped organize the affinity group. “As gentrification rapidly devours all that we have built up, brick by brick for decades, it feels especially wrenching that even the few things we have left are being taken away from us. The Dyke March represents a radical reclaiming of space by queer women, and sometimes our allies. It’s the one day of the year where women should be able to take up space and have fun with each other free from the leering of cisgender straight men.” While the decisions around the route change and the breakaway march have left some unanswered questions and hurt feelings, most agreed that the action was powerful and expressed hope that it would lead to more women getting

involved in organizing the Dyke March in the future. “The Dyke March requires an incredible labor of love and I really appreciate the work of the organizing committee,” said Amanda Ream, another organizer of Take Back the Dyke March. “But it’s not a parade, it’s a march. Dykes successfully took our space and will be taking it again next year and in the years to come in San Francisco. I hope that many people who were politicized around the closing of the Lexington Club will join in organizing next year with the Dyke March committee.” “They had great momentum bringing together that many people in so little time,” Lanyon said of the breakaway group. “This is the type of activism Dyke March needs to keep current.”t

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<< Community News

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

As STDs rise, SF asks gay, bi men for help

by Matthew S. Bajko

an Francisco health officials are turning to gay and bisexual men for help in combating a decade-long rise in cases of sexually transmitted diseases. The Department of Public Health’s STD control section is hosting two town halls next week to hear directly from men who have sex with men what their ideas are for stopping the spread of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. “What works on paper, and what are tried and true public health medical measures, don’t matter if the community is not engaged and accepting of them,” said Deputy Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip, the director of disease prevention and control in the health department’s population health division. “We are not out of ideas for how to treat STDs. We do need to talk about how DPH and the STD section can work in partnership with the community to address increases in STDs.” As the Bay Area Reporter has been documenting since 2005, STD rates have spiked annually despite efforts by local health officials to reverse the trend. It is a pattern that has similarly played out across California and throughout the country. The trend shows no signs of reversing in San Francisco. The most recent monthly STD report, released Tuesday with data through the end of May, showed that cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are all outpacing the numbers seen during the same period in 2014. While STD prevention officials refrain from saying high rates of STDs are “the new normal,” the increase in cases is likely attributable to several sexual practices that gay

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The San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Healthy Penises made an appearance in the annual Pride parade last Sunday.

and bisexual men have adopted as community norms. Many HIV-positive men forgo using condoms by choosing to only partner with other HIV-positive men, a practice known as serosorting, thus increasing their risks for contracting STDs from their sex partners. HIV-negative men who sero-position, meaning they determine how they have condomless anal sex based on the HIV status of their sexual partners, also are at risk of contracting an STD. So far there is no evidence to suggest that negative men using preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP for short, to protect themselves from contracting HIV are abandoning condoms, say health officials, and thus putting themselves at risk for STD transmission. What is happening, say health officials, is sexually active gay and bisexual men, no matter their HIV status, are heeding the advice to get tested for STDs every three to six months. “I do think some men have a good idea this is a concern and are coming in to Magnet and City Clinic every three months. But a larger group don’t know,” said Steve

Gibson, director of Magnet, the gay men’s health center in the Castro. One factor contributing to the spike in STD cases, suggested Gibson, could be primary care doctors are not administering pharyngeal, which means the throat, and rectal STD tests of their gay and bi male patients. And those men with private health care, added Gibson, may not know to ask their doctors for such tests. A phrase Magnet staff uses, said Gibson, is “if you use it, you should check it.” He applauded the STD branch for turning directly to gay and bi men to come up with new strategies to reverse, and eventually eliminate, cases of STDs. One step he offered is to focus more on sexual health campaigns instead of just HIV prevention. “The conversation has evolved,” said Gibson. “We need to talk about not just HIV prevention but what is sexual health for gay men in 2015.” The first town hall begins at 6 p.m. Monday, July 6 at Glide Freedom Hall, 330 Ellis Street at Taylor. The second town hall starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 7 at the San Francisco Friends Meeting, 65 9th Street at Mission.t

Jane Philomen Cleland

Mike Munich, left, gets a kiss from Wilson Cruz after his performance on the pride main stage Sunday.

SF Pride

From page 1

Saturday and Sunday and by San Francisco police at 2 million – to it being Pride’s 45th anniversary, powerful honorees, and the samesex marriage decision. This year’s theme, “Equality Without Exception” was on point, he added. Virginia said there were a record number of floats and about 232 contingents, although some people and groups combined and marched as a unit. Nevertheless, it was a massive parade, starting on time at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 5:33 p.m., Virginia said. Virginia marched with the SF

Pride float and spent much of Sunday afternoon at the main stage. He said the crowd went wild when Golden State Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts, a gay man, hoisted the NBA championship trophy. “It was shoulder to shoulder in Civic Center Plaza,” Virginia said. Another touching moment occurred when the Reverend Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church officiated the wedding of Hydie Downard, 74, and Beate Siedler, 66. The women have been together 33 years. “The wedding ceremony was See page 12 >>

National News>>

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

ICE issues new guidelines for trans people

Courtesy UnitedWeDream.org

Undocumented trans and queer activists and supporters staged a die-in near the White House to call attention to LGBTQ immigrants in detention.

by Seth Hemmelgarn

fficials have moved to improve treatment for transgender people who are in federal immigration custody. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations this week announced new guidelines for personnel in its Transgender Care Memorandum. Some activists are saying the moves are not enough. The news follows undocumented transgender activist Jennicet Gutierrez heckling President Barack

Obama at an LGBT event at the White House June 24 about releasing LGBT inmates from immigration detention. Obama asked for Gutierrez to be removed, and she was. Thomas Homan, the executive assistant director of ICE’s enforcement and removal office, said in a news release June 29 that the memo “reaffirms ICE’s commitment to provide a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all those in our custody, including those individuals who identify as transgender. We want to make sure our employees have the tools and resources avail-

Vandalized Mission mural burned

able to learn more about how to interact with transgender individuals and ensure effective standards exist to house and care for them throughout the custody cycle.” The document addresses many issues, including data, identification and processing, and housing placements. The agency will update “appropriate data systems” to record people’s gender identity, which will help ICE make “informed” decisions, officials said. Additionally, officers will be trained to identify people’s gender identity early in the custodial process. The memo also includes a contract modification that calls for forming a Transgender Care Classification Committee that will make decisions related to searches, housing assignments, medical care, and other issues. The new guidelines came from a six-month agency working group that visited non-federal facilities around the country. The full guidance is available at: http://www.ice.gov/sites/default/ files/documents/Document/2015/ TransgenderCareMemorandum.pdf. ICE enforcement and removal officials also said they would designate a new national LGBTI coordinator, and each of the unit’s 24 field offices would also select local LGBTI field liaisons. The memo is meant to complement existing guidelines, including Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. In response to the memo, the #Not1More campaign, which includes the Oakland-based Transgender Law Center and other groups, issued a statement that said, in part, “A guidance document cannot be expected to change the fact that [the Department of Homeland Security] and ICE have consistently failed at maintaining a minimum of safety and dignity for transgender immigrants. Transgender immigrants and other vulnerable popula-

tions, including mothers with their children” and LGBTQ detainees “should be released from detention.” The groups said their experience “with guidance documents such as these is that their implementation is inconsistent and accompanied by little oversight or accountability.” Michael Silverman, the executive director of the New York-based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in a statement that his group welcomed the new guidance, but said it’s not enough. “Transgender detainees in ICE custody face extremely harsh conditions in detention centers, including alarming rates of sexual assault, harassment and abuse, lack of access to health care, and solitary confinement,” Silverman said. “We must stop the mass deten-

tion of transgender immigrants who are simply seeking to live safely in the U.S. Detention places them in danger and undercuts the fabric of our nation’s values. ...,” Silverman added. “We join the many advocates and members of Congress who are focused on a real solution: strictly limiting or eliminating detention for transgender immigrants. We must do more as a nation to protect our most vulnerable.” Tuesday, June 30 undocumented trans and queer activists and their supporters conducted a die-in near the White House “to symbolize the deaths of LGBTQ immigrants in detention, and those LGBTQ immigrants who have been deported back to their death,” United We Dream and other groups said in a news release.t

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Galeria de la Raza’s Por Vida mural was burned late Monday night.

by Seth Hemmelgarn

mural depicting gay Latinos in San Francisco’s Mission district that was vandalized multiple times in June was set on fire this week. The latest attack against the digital mural – Por Vida (“For Life”) – occurred at about 11 p.m. Monday, June 29, Ani Rivera, executive director of Galeria de la Raza, 2857 24th Street, which is hosting the piece, said in a news release Tuesday, June 30. Police are investigating the incidents as a hate crime, based on social media messages and threats, and have released a suspect description. “Thankfully no one was physically hurt,” Rivera, a queer Chicana who lives in the Mission, said. “However, the emotional trauma our neighbors and local communities have suffered is unacceptable and we must find ways to heal. The level of anger and hate expressed by the perpetrator(s) has moved beyond the dislike of a piece of art and into endangering the lives of families who live in the building and could have displaced families that have lived in the building for more than 20 years.” The piece, by artist Manuel Paul of the Los Angeles-based Maricon Collective, shows a gay couple, a transgender man, and a lesbian couple. In earlier incidents, the mural was defaced with paint. According

to information previously provided by Rivera, Monday night’s attack was the fourth incident. But Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman, said this was only the third incident the gallery has reported to police. After the attacks started, the gallery installed a video surveillance system and captured footage of the suspect. Esparza described the suspect as a white or Hispanic man between 20 and 40 years old, who’s 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants, and white gloves, and he had a black cloth covering his face. Police don’t know whether the same person was responsible for all the incidents, since the suspect’s face was covered, Esparza said. He emphasized the serious nature of the latest incident. “This is now elevated to arson,” Esparza said. “Thankfully, there was a witness who saw this arson take place and essentially grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.” The building is made of wood and is located in a “densely populated” area, he noted. “If it wasn’t for the good Samaritan,” Esparza said, the entire building “could have gone up in flames. ... We don’t know how many people could have been injured or displaced See page 14 >>

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<< Community News

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

Wiener

From page 1

sors. It’s been a tremendous honor to have worked very hard for my district and the city,” Wiener told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview Tuesday. “In terms of the work I do around transportation, housing, water, and health, I can, being in the state Senate, be so impactful in that role in helping not only the city and region but the state as a whole.” Leno said the political colleagues, as well as friends, have known each other since at least 2002 when he first ran for an Assembly seat. “I think Scott will make a terrific state senator. Supervisor Wiener has been a prolific and earnest legislator on the county board,” Leno told the B.A.R. “On complex issues such as transportation, health, civil rights,

the environment, Supervisor Wiener has repeatedly demonstrated an uncommon understanding and command.” “You can throw in his work ethic, his intelligence, and his tenacity,” added Leno. “Altogether, they suggest the constituents of District 11 will be well served.” Wiener, a former San Francisco Democratic Party chair, announced numerous endorsements from politicians, community leaders, and unions Wednesday morning when he publicly launches his Senate bid. Among those on the list are Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Kamala Harris, and Board of Equalization member Fiona Ma. All three Democrats are former local San Francisco elected officials. Both City Attorney Dennis Herrera, for whom Wiener once worked,

and District Attorney George Gascon are backing Wiener’s Senate bid, as is Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu. All four of the Board of Supervisors’ more moderate members, Board President London Breed (District 5), Julie Christensen (D3), Mark Farrell (D2), and Katy Tang (D4), endorsed Wiener. In San Mateo County, state Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) has endorsed Wiener, as have all five members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. The Senate district includes the cities of Colma and Daly City as well as a portion of South San Francisco. The list of individual endorsers runs nearly 200 strong. Twelve unions, including police, firefighters and labor trades, have also lent Wiener their support. The strong showing out of the gate from Wiener doesn’t surprise Rafael Mandelman, a local Democratic Party official who unsuccessfully ran against him for the supervisor seat in 2010. “I think he has certainly demonstrated over his time in office that he is incredibly hardworking and that he is incredibly diligent and persistent. Once he starts working on an

issue, he pursues it doggedly until he gets what he wants,” said Mandelman, currently president of the City College board of trustees who has yet to be asked for his endorsement in the Senate race. “I think that people on all places in the political spectrum have been impressed with his work ethic and his tenacity. The challenge is he is also quite controversial. He has picked a number of fights that have earned him friends and enemies.” One issue critics have repeatedly attacked Wiener on is affordable housing. It is no coincidence housing is listed at the top of a list of his legislative accomplishments Wiener’s campaign sent out to reporters. It mentions his push to allow homeowners to add in-law units and granting larger density allowances to developers to build more affordable housing among his legislative wins. “I think that criticism is way off base and based on a very selective view of the work I have done. I have been working hard on housing for all income levels since the day I took office,” said Wiener. “I have been a consistent supporter of building more affordable housing. I have

supported money in the budget every year for affordable housing, including for seniors and at-risk youth.” Should he win the Senate seat, Wiener said he would take up Leno’s so far unsuccessful legislative battle to curb Ellis Act evictions in the city. And he said he would support changes to Proposition 13 that would result in commercial property owners paying more in taxes than residential property owners. Wiener said he fully expects that housing issues will be “front and center” in the Senate campaign. “Housing is the most significant challenge facing our city right now,” he said. “How we react to this housing crisis will determine, in many ways, what this city is in the future.” Unlike in his re-election bid last year for supervisor, when he faced only token opposition, Wiener is likely to face at least one, perhaps two, strong progressive opponents for the Senate seat. Gay former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who was termed out of his seat last December, has expressed See page 14 >>

UN secretary-general honored Rick Gerharter

San Francisco Columbarium

nette Trettebergstuen, Norwegian Member of Parliament and member of the advisory board of the Harvey Milk Foundation, presents the Harvey Milk Honors Medal to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during part of the

Did you know....? Meet Your Neighbors

t Pride Day refers to the celebrations that typically take place in June totocommemorate the Stonewall Riots inone You’re invited mix and mingle with the people who will New Yorkday onshare Juneyour 28,permanent 1969. Many consider this to the San Francisco address. the birth of the modern Gay Civil Rights Movement. Wine & Cheese Open House

July 19, 2013 2—5pm t ApproximatelyFriday, 1 million children in the U.S. are being raisedRSVP by same-sex couples. Required: (415) 752-8791 1 Loraine Court—San Francisco, CA 94118

t The San Francisco Columbarium is San Francisco’s only operating cemetrary for cremated remains and is open to the general public.

SF Pride

From page 10

extremely touching,” Virginia said, adding that the newlyweds threw roses and party favors to the crowd. Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura, a married couple from Tennessee who were plaintiffs in the Obergefell case, rode in the parade with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which served as counsel in their case. They were met with loud cheers. “San Francisco was surreal,” Kostura said. “It was amazing to see so many people celebrating, and it was great to be able to celebrate with everyone.” The couple was not at the Supreme Court the day of the decision because of work commitments. But they were emotional once the ruling was issued. “Suddenly we felt the emotion of not only celebrating our marriage,” Kostura said, “but also thinking See page 14 >>

Reserve your niche in history! Visit us at 1 Loraine Court, in the Richmond District COA 534

Khaled Sayed

Ijpe DeKoe, left, and his husband, Thom Kostura, plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges, rode with the National Center for Lesbian Rights contingent.

Obituaries >> Barry Patrick Swyers

Call Mary Regan (415) 752-7891

world body’s June 26 celebration of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter in San Francisco. Milk Foundation founder and Milk’s gay nephew, Stuart Milk, and former Milk campaign manager Anne Kronenberg look on.

March 17, 1949 – April 28, 2015 After a brave and inspiring battle against brain cancer, Barry Patrick Swyers left this world to join the gods and goddesses of another. Barry’s creative mind was influenced by the sailors entering the Port of New Orleans as a child,

and the iconic surf life burgeoning in San Diego where he lived as a teenager. After moving to San Francisco, Barry met his lifelong partner, Jerry Walker, in 1971. Barry and Jerry loved and took care of each other for 40 years. Their home on Castro Street entertained and supported countless gay artists over the decades. Barry left San Francisco briefly to attend Parsons School of Design in New York City, graduating in 1984. His creative vision enlivened the world of his

friends and enriched his community. Barry was most recently acclaimed for his intricate and thought-provoking works of paper, presented at a solo show through ACT in San Francisco in 2004. Barry’s spirit will be missed but never far from the Castro and the city that he loved. In lieu of flowers, donations in Barry’s memory may be made to the Parsons Scholars Program or the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. For more information, please contact lhodges@ucdavis.edu.

t <<

Community News>>

SF Party

From page 1

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represented couples from Tennessee in the marriage case, known as Obergefell v. Hodges, hailed the decision. “Look what you did!” Kendell exclaimed. “America walks the walk. Millions of families are now more secure, every LGBT person can breathe deeply and walk a little taller.” Gay state Senator Mark Leno (DSan Francisco), who twice tried to get marriage equality bills passed in the Legislature only to have them vetoed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, also spoke. “Today San Francisco values became America’s values,” Leno said.

Castro celebration

The Castro celebration featured music, dancing, speeches, and lots of cheering. Speakers included longtime activist Cleve Jones and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar winning screenwriter of the 2008 film Milk. “I’m so grateful to be alive to see this amazing day,” said Jones, a longtime HIV survivor. Jones pointed out that the major national LGBT

‘Liberty’

From page 1

down as unconstitutional, although the Department of Justice stopped defending it in court.) The huff and puff will soon die down, and the legal bricks that will remain standing in the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling are these: • The word “liberty” in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution includes the fundamental right of a citizen to marry; • State bans against allowing same-sex couples to marry burden the “liberty” of gay and lesbian citizens; • The bans are unconstitutional infringements on the rights to due process and equal protection; • And states with such bans have not shown “a foundation for the conclusion that allowing same-sex marriage will cause the harmful outcomes they describe.” The word “liberty” was at the center of the Obergefell decision, authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy. He used the word 25 times. The dissents used it 122 times. Kennedy noted that the 14th

Political Notebook

From page 6

In contrast to the local and gay Republican groups, none of the party’s presidential contenders agreed with the ruling, with several calling for a constitutional amendment to reverse it. It presented the Log Cabin members with an awkward position to be in at one of the country’s largest LGBT celebrations. “In terms of the candidates, we really can’t respond to that,” said Schein, as the local chapter is focused on regional and state races and the national Log Cabin office oversees the endorsement process for president. “We don’t deal directly with the presidential candidates.” Schein reiterated to the Bay Area Reporter what he had said to members of the San Francisco Log Cabin chapter in an email discussing the court’s decision. With marriage equality now the law of the land, he hoped the party’s focus could return to economic issues.

Pride breakfast

From page 6

The keynote speaker at the June 28 breakfast was state Attorney General Kamala Harris, who was lauded for her refusal to defend Proposition 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban that voters passed in 2008 but which

organizations initially opposed the lawsuits and actions that brought about the marriage ruling, such as the 2009 California case that led to Prop 8’s demise. “Thankfully, we ignored them,” Jones said, as the crowd applauded. “Harvey Milk taught us to be bold, to come out, to take risks. He understood that only when we pushed, only when enough of us said we want everything and we want it now, did we have any chance of getting anything at all.” Black recalled those who died of AIDS and other illnesses who did not live to see the day. “I want to hear a roar for the Harvey Milks and the Del Martins who couldn’t be here,” he said Those in attendance were happy the celebration coincided with Pride weekend festivities. “If felt wonderful to be able to celebrate such good news, especially on Pride weekend,” said Castro resident Patrick Henry, 54. “As someone who spent their 20s and 30s taking to the Castro to fight AIDSphobia and for equality against extremely formidable political enemies it felt almost miraculous to take to those same streets to celebrate joy and unity.” Not everyone in the community was happy with the event’s timing as

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

the annual Trans March coincided with the street party. Both events began at 6 p.m., although the Trans March held events earlier in the afternoon prior to the actual march. Some in the transgender community felt that it was disrespectful for the Day of Decision party to overshadow the march, which had been scheduled months earlier. Others were more understanding. “I understand that the decision date

isn’t in the hands of the people but to host an event at the same time as the march is to display thoughtlessness for the ‘T’ in LGBT,” said Amie Fei Xochi, 24, a transgender woman. Xochi was pleased with the court’s decision. “When is it our turn to turn your focus to help us not be murdered, or to end the homelessness of LGBT youth?” she asked. “Us trans women of color have a one in eight chance of being murdered ... . Marriage is

not on our minds.” Teagan Widmer, a trans woman, said she was happy about the court decision, and has participated in the Trans March for a number of years. “It is correct to say they couldn’t choose the day the court decision came down,” Widmer. “But they did have the ability to control what time the event started. They could have chosen to pick a time that would allow trans people to be there instead of forcing trans people to choose between the biggest and only trans-focused event of the Pride season and this big celebration.” Widmer feels that the ‘T’ is often forgotten in the LGBT acronym. “Trans people are trying to not get killed,” she said. “We are trying to keep our jobs.” Veronika Fimbres, a transgender community leader and member of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee board, felt that this year’s Trans March was still a success. She pointed out that Supreme Court decisions were traditionally celebrated in the Castro. “It took nothing away from the power and impact of the Trans March,” Fimbres said. “It was bigger and more viable than ever – of course this is my personal opinion.”t

Amendment to the Constitution says, “no state shall ‘deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.’” He cited Supreme Court precedent saying that the word “denotes not merely freedom from bodily restraint but also the right “to marry, establish a home and bring up children ... .” The quote came from a 1923 case, Meyer v. Nebraska, that struck down a state ban on the use or teaching of foreign languages in schools and which referred to numerous other precedents discussing the meanings of “liberty.” None of the four justices in dissent – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito – mentioned Meyer. Instead, each claimed that the Kennedy majority based its decision on non-legal grounds. Roberts contends the majority “relied on its own conception of liberty” and that its opinion was rooted in “social policy and considerations of fairness.” Scalia said the majority engaged in “constitutional revision.” Thomas said the majority’s opinion was “based on an imaginary constitutional protection and revisionist view of our history and tradition.” Alito said the ma-

jority “invent[ed] a new right and impose[d] that right on the rest of the country.” Some will argue that it was the dissenters who invented something new: the idea that, when there is a vigorous public debate about a matter, the Supreme Court should not act. “Supporters of same-sex marriage have achieved considerable success persuading their fellow citizens – through the democratic process – to adopt their view. That ends today,” wrote Roberts. “Five lawyers have closed the debate and enacted their own vision of marriage as a matter of constitutional law. Stealing this issue from the people will for many cast a cloud over same-sex marriage, making a dramatic social change that much more difficult to accept.” (A Williams Institute fellow, Adam Romero, said his research before and after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 found the court’s action “fostered positive attitude changes.”) All four dissenters lamented the end of the national debate over same-sex marriage. The debate over marriage for same-

sex couples, wrote Scalia, “displayed American democracy at its best.” “Individuals on both sides of the issue passionately, but respectfully, attempted to persuade their fellow citizens to accept their views ... ,” Scalia wrote. “Win or lose, advocates for both sides continued pressing their cases, secure in the knowledge that an electoral loss can be negated by a later electoral win. That is exactly how our system of government is supposed to work.” But that’s not the system Scalia defended in 2000 when he went along with the 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore that delivered the presidential election to Republican George W. Bush. That opinion (which did not identify an author) said that the majority admired the Constitution’s design to leave certain matters “to the people, through their legislatures, and to the political sphere” with one notable exception: “When contending parties invoke the process of the courts ... it becomes our unsought responsibility to resolve the federal and constitutional issues the judicial system has been forced to confront,” the decision stated. That latter line might well have

fit into the majority opinion for Obergefell. Instead, Kennedy wrote, “the Constitution contemplates that democracy is the appropriate process for change, so long as that process does not abridge fundamental rights.” “The dynamic of our constitutional system,” Kennedy wrote, “is that individuals need not await legislative action before asserting a fundamental right.” Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders attorney Mary Bonauto put it most succinctly on The Rachel Maddow Show June 26: “In our system, you don’t have to convince every single person before the court vindicates your constitutional rights.” This week, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund launched its Marriage Tracker, an online reporting website for same-sex couples. The platform allows couples and families to report issues they have encountered while seeking a marriage license or recognition of their marriage by businesses, employers, insurers, or state or local authorities. It can be found at http://www.lambdalegal.org/ marriage-equality-tracker.t

“Let’s get back to basics,” wrote Schein. “Let’s focus our energy and efforts toward those things that truly define our party; personal liberty, limited government, taxes, budget excess, national defense and our party’s founding commitment to the principle that ‘All men are created equal.’” As for the immediate goals of Log Cabin in California, Schein is helping to establish new chapters in Humboldt County, Fresno, and the Monterey Bay region. And the organization is also trying to form a chapter in Imperial County.

tion to revise the city’s rules regarding home sharing was recently punted by the Board of Supervisors. The company’s sponsorship of Pride was derided by housing activists. Nonetheless, in response to a question from the on-street interviewer, Conley said, “I would like to see our hosts one day win the Nobel Peace Prize.”

For the second Pride weekend in a row, Governor Jerry Brown made history by appointing an out judge to a state appellate court. The morning of Friday, June 26, as most people’s focus was on the historic U.S. Supreme Court marriage equality ruling, Brown announced his appointment of Luis A.

justice of the First District Lavin as associate justice Court of Appeal’s Division of the Second District One. It marked the first Court of Appeal, Divitime an out judge had been sion Three. appointed to a presiding poIf confirmed Lavin, 56, sition on an appellate court. who has served on the Lavin, a Los Angeles Los Angeles County Suresident and registered perior Court since 2001, Democrat, fills the vacanwill be the first openly Courtesy Governor’s ofﬁce cy created by the death of gay justice to serve on the Justice H. Walter Croskey. Second District appellate Luis A. Lavin Should the Commission court, which hears cases on Judicial Appointments from the counties of Los confirm him, he will earn $211,260. Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Overheard at Pride In a tweet hailing the news, lesDuring the live parade broadcast, bian Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins gay hotelier Chip Conley, Airbnb’s (D-San Diego) wrote, “A fitting day head of global hospitality, representfor such a high honor.” Last year, on the Saturday of Pride ed the controversial online website weekend, Brown named Therese M. that allows people to rent out their Stewart to a seat on Division Two of homes or guest rooms to travelers. the First District Court of Appeal. It Critics of the company contend it marked the first time an out lesbian was has added to the lack of affordable named to the state’s appellate bench. housing stock in San Francisco, with At the same time Brown named homeowners pulling apartment James M. Humes as the presiding units off the rental market. Legisla-

the U.S. Supreme Court threw out in June 2013, paving the way for same-sex marriages to resume in the Golden State. (Gay and lesbian couples could wed, and some 18,000 did, during the six-month period before voters approved Prop 8.) More recently, Harris last week won a court victory when a Sacra-

mento County Superior Court judge ruled that a proposed initiative by Orange County attorney Matthew McLaughlin that called for gays to be killed would be kept off the November 2016 ballot because it is unconstitutional. However, Harris did clear for signature gathering an anti-trans bathroom initiative that

with county officials in Los Angeles that day in June 2013 and ordered them to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, including the other plaintiffs in the marriage case, Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami. “The fight for civil rights must be See page 14 >>

Gov names gay appellate judge

Jane Philomen Cleland

The crowd at the Trans March gathered near United Nations Plaza last Friday.

could very well face voters next year. Harris recounted the ups and downs of the marriage equality movement in California and the happiness she felt when she was able to officiate the wedding of Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier, two of the plaintiff couples in the Prop 8 federal lawsuit. She also got on the phone

Correction

Last week’s column should have said that the PG&E contingent in the 2014 San Francisco Pride parade marked the first time the company had a float in the city’s parade. The company has marched in the parade since the 1980s.t Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion, is on hiatus. It will return Monday, July 13. Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

Wiener

From page 12

interest in seeking Leno’s seat. He filed paperwork to form a Senate campaign committee but has yet to report raising any money for it. District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim is said to be interested in running for the seat, while gay District 9 Supervisor David Campos has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. Campos lost his bid in November for a state Assembly seat

Pride breakfast

From page 13

fought and won in each generation,” Harris said. “The gains we make are never permanent and we must be vigilant. Look at where we are – some idiot proposed a state initiative to allow gays to be killed.” She also talked about how good and bad things sometimes happen at the same time. “These moments remind us that the day we shamefully passed Prop 8, we elected Barack Obama. The day

Mission mural

From page 11

because of this hate message.” (In an emailed summary, Esparza said the fire department put out the fire.) The gallery has re-installed the mural after each incident. Rivera has said the mural would stay up until the end of July, and until then “we’ll replace it and fix it as many times as we need to.” Asked in an email Tuesday if the gallery planned to keep putting up the mural, and whether that would put people’s lives at risk, gallery spokesman Henry Pacheco responded, “We are planning on letting the mural stand in its burnt state and inviting artists to add positive messages to the mural as a way for the community to voice their feelings. We are very concerned about the

representing San Francisco’s eastern neighborhoods to former Supervisor David Chiu, who has endorsed Wiener’s Senate bid. The June primary, where the top two vote getters will advance to the November election, is less than a year away. It won’t be long before another candidate jumps into the race. But with the field his alone at the moment, “Scott has a significant head start,” said Mandelman. “If I were Scott right now, I would be feeling really good.”t the U.S. Supreme Court recognizes marriage, the president had to eulogize a man who was slaughtered in a church,” she said, referring to Obama traveling to Charleston, South Carolina last Friday where he spoke at the funeral for the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a state senator and the pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he and eight other African Americans were gunned down by a young racist white man. Harris and her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, later rode in the Pride parade.t safety of Galeria staff and the safety of the greater community but we also feel that allowing a few who disagree scare people into submission is unacceptable. LGBT people have been and will continue to be part of the community and we will continue to help be a conduit for that narrative along with all of the other social issues the [Latino and Latina] community is currently facing.” The gallery plans to have a community forum July 18. Details weren’t yet available. A rally was held Wednesday night, after the Bay Area Reporter went to press. Anyone with information in the case may call the police department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text a tip to 847411 and type SFPD, then the message. The case number for the June 29 incident is 150568699.t

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036517300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ACTISYNC; SERAPHIM PORTAL; OITATIO; THE HAPPY CEO; INSPIRED ALTERNATIVES; 45 BROSNAN ST #9, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALEX OMAR JOERG BRANDIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/03/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036515400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VILLYSF, 2795 41ST AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JILL MYERS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036522100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WEB REVAMP, 18 BEAVER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BERNARD ARIAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036525000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AGUILERA TRUCKING, 1065 IOWA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JUAN ANTONIO AGUILERA. 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 06/09/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036496100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ZAMAN CLINIC, 3600 CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TAUHEED ZAMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/22/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/22/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036517600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ESPANA IRON WORKS, 1318 FITZGERALD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GABRIEL CANEDO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/04/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/04/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036517400

Rick Gerharter

A group spells out its frustration with Facebook’s real names policy in the Pride parade.

SF Pride

From page 12

of each of our married friends in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, and everywhere else their marriages weren’t recognized. We were feeling the joy for all couples that could now get married.” Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the marriage case, was also in the parade, riding with the Human Rights Campaign contingent. As for the parade contingents, politics was evident throughout, with groups like #BlackLivesMatter and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club promoting #MyNameIs, to protest Facebook’s policy of only using people’s real names. Tech companies Google, Apple, Salesforce, Facebook, and Airbnb all had large contingents in the parade. The Transgender Law Center called attention to trans women of color who have been killed in the U.S. this year, and also to the conditions undocumented trans people face in detention facilities. Politicians, of course, were also well represented. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Fran-

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JUST THE LITTLE THINGS, 601 VAN NESS AVE E805, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed JUST THE LITTLE THINGS, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/13/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/03/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036515000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HEALTHY PLACES, 5128 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MELANIE LOFTUS CONSULTING LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/20/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036518500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OREILLYS IRISH BAR & RESTAURANT, OREILLYS BAR, OREILLYS IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT, OREILLYS PUB, OREILLYS PUBLIC HOUSE, 1237 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 1237 POLK STEET, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/03/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/04/15.

Diana Heideman

A member of the leather contingent wears his message on his back at SF Pride.

cisco) rode in the parade, as did Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and his family, and Mayor Ed Lee.t

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-033347202

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE

(Notice pursuant to UCC Sec. 6105 and 6106.2) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a bulk sale is about to be made. The name(s), business address(es) to the Seller(s), are: KEVIN CHEN, Doing Business as: TATTLEFISH, 3409 Geary Blvd. San Francisco. All other business name(s) and address(es) used by the Seller(s) within three years, as stated by the Seller(s), is/are: KAIJU EATS. The location in California of the chief executive office of the seller is: 3409 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118. The name(s) and address of the Buyer(s) is/are: GUANGLIANG LIANG, 520 Summer Ln., San Pablo, CA 94806 and JINGU WEI, 16321 Mateo St., San Leandro, CA 94578. The assets being sold are generally described as: All stock-in-trade, fixtures, equipment, leasehold, and leasehold improvement of Japanese restaurant business and are located at: 3409 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118. The bulk sale is intended to be consummated at the office of: To, Long & Associates, Attorneys At Law, 311 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 and the anticipated sale date is 07/07/2015. The bulk sale is subject to California Uniform Commercial Code Section 6106.2 The name and address of the person with whom claims may be filed is: To, Long & Associates, Attorneys At Law, 311 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118, and the last date for filing claims shall be 07/06/2015, which is the business day before the anticipated sale date specified above. Dated: 06/12/2015 Kit To, Esq./s/ Kit V. To, Attorney at To, Long & Associates.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036532800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FOG CITY K-9, 68 PALM AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIK BALIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036531900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EARLY CHILDHOOD THERAPY SPECIALIST/ INTERVENTIONIST, 2232 18TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SUSSETTE MEJIA-VALENTINI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/15/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036521400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: METALBOB TRAINING, 1001 BRANNAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROBERT VECCHIARELLO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/05/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036513600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SIERRA TRAINING AND YOGA, 864 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SIERRA KELLOGG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/10/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036505000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AURORA SKIN SOLUTIONS, 352 6TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHELLE ESTANISLAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/28/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/28/15.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036510800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALA RESTAURANT, 149 FELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LA MILPA 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 06/01/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036169300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: BEST WESTERN PLUS THE TUSCAN, 425 NORTH POINT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (DE). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/21/14.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-033409200

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: TUSCAN INN, 2455 MASON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/11.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035339200 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: TUSCAN, THE; TUSCAN; TUSCAN HOTEL; TUSCAN HOTEL, THE; 425 NORTH POINT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (DE). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/30/13.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035339000 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: PESCATORE; PESCATORE RESTAURANT; 2455 MASON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (DE). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/30/13.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036124500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: CAFE PESCATORE, 2455 MASON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (DE). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/29/14.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-033409000

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: CAFE PESCATORE, 2455 MASON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/11.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-15-551265

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036527300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INDEX REALTY, 4194 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TOMMY GALLEGOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/18/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/15.

In the matter of the application of: KAREN SEGAL, 125 CAMBON DR #34, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner KAREN SEGAL, is requesting that the name LILAH ROSE SEGAL ANGEL, be changed to LILAH ROSE SEGALANGEL. 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 20th of August 2015 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036528000

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036540200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DAN KRAMER LAW GROUP, 633 BATTERY ST #110, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed DJK LAW GROUP, P.C. (CO). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/11/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEW LIVING, 346 1ST ST #206, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CELINA PHAM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/22/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/22/15.

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036518900

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036537600

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: SERAPHIM BLUEPRINT, 45 BROSNAN ST #9, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by ALEX OMAR JOERG BRANDIN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/14/2011.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ENGEL & VOELKERS SAN FRANCISCO, 582 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SAN FRANCISCO REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS INC. (UT). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/12/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/04/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: READ A BOOK PUBLISHING CO, 1321 EVANS AVE #C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALPHA J. BUIE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/27/03. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/18/15.

JUNE 11, 18, 25, JULY 02, 2015

JUNE 18, 25, JULY 02, 09, 2015

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036534300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ORO, 1299 BUSH ST #401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JARRETT S. DOWNS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/15.

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036533900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LAIKE VENDING 4U, 660 4TH ST #324, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed YONGYUAN YU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/16/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/15.

JUNE 25, JULY, 02, 09, 16, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036536400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COCO FRIO, 2937 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94101. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MANUEL TORRES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/18/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/18/15.

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036539900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NOC NOC ON BROADWAY, 515 BROADWAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAHMAT OLLAH SHIRAKHON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/22/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/22/15.

JUNE 25, JULY 02, 09, 16, 2015 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-15-551292

In the matter of the application of: DAVID SCOTT LLEWELLYN, 25 MIRABEL AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner DAVID SCOTT LLEWELLYN, is requesting that the name DAVID SCOTT LLEWELLYN, be changed to DAVID SCOTT LOWE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514 on the 1ST of SEPTEMBER 2015 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036551400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LLOYDS LIMOUSINE SERVICE, 1770 PINE ST #401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MANSOUR TAVAKOLIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/04/93. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/29/15.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036553300

Classifieds The

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036543500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BROWS & BEAUTY BAR, 3196 24TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed SWASTI THAPA; SUJATA ARYAL; SANGITA THAPA. 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 06/24/15.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036545100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS’ ASSOCIATION; SFCCPA, 445 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SAN FRANCISCO EARLY CARE EDUCATORS RESOURCE PROGRAM (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 06/24/15.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036549700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: K & D REMODELING, 2706 40TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed K & D REMODELING (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/26/15.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036544900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DOCTORS OF THE PACIFIC, 300 MONTGOMERY ST #813, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed RGA ASSOCIATES, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/06/13. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/24/15.

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The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HELMAND PALACE, 2424 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HELMAND RESTAURANT INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/18/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/18/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ECO SMART ROOF, 61 MINERVA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ARMAND ABELITIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/30/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/30/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOTEL UNION SQUARE, 100-120 POWELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited partnership, and is signed 100-120 POWELL OWNER, L.P (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/13/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/24/15.

JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015

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JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036543900

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JULY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036536700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOTEL DIVA, 440 GEARY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited partnership, and is signed 440 GEARY OWNER, L.P. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/13/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/24/15.

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LEASING NOW 45 LANSING STREET, SAN FRANCISCO | RENTJASPER.COM | @RENTJASPER | 415 227 4000 Crescent Heights® is a service mark used by a group of limited liability companies and partnerships. Jasper is developed by 45 Lansing Development, LLC. which is a separate, single purpose entity that is solely responsible for its development, obligations and liabilities.

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Vol. 45 • No. 27 • July 2-8, 2015

www.ebar.com/arts

Mr. Turner, liberated by art

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s European Paintings curator Esther Bell describes how J.M.W. Turner witnessed and sketched the fire that became his painting “The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834,” part of the exhibition J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free now at the de Young Museum.

by Sura Wood

maestro of atmospheric climatic effects, the British romanticist landscape painter J.M.W. Turner was a lover, observer and depicter of wild unbridled nature and its destructive powers, with seafaring ships in peril a particular specialty. Turner’s strikingly original oil paintings, which set mid-19th century wags aflutter, were analogous to epic poems, with the implicit drama that comparison suggests. Liberated either by the confidence that accompanies maturity and experience, or by the urgency of time running out, it was in the last 15 years of his life, a period of feverish productivity between 1835 and 1850, characterized by range, ambition, constant experimentation and formal command, that Turner was freer than ever, his spirit unleashed like the primal forces that transfixed his visual imagination. See page 22 >>

Rick Gerharter

When Johnny comes marching home by David-Elijah Nahmod

rank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis. Few singers have enjoyed the longevity or the popularity as these four legendary names. They are part of American pop-culture history. They have endured for decades, enjoying cross-generational and cross-cultural audiences unmatched in the annals of popular music. Now one of them returns home. On Thurs. & Fri., July 2 & 3, former San Francisco resident Johnny Mathis will sing with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Hall. “I went to George Washington High School and SF State,” the 79-year-old

Singer Johnny Mathis: “I’ve always been a little more esoteric.”

singer told the B.A.R. He said that he always marvels at how tiny the city’s streets are. He also notes the changes going on San Francisco. “We’ve been staying in SoMa,” Mathis said. “There’s a lot of activity going on with all the new buildings. When we drive up to Nob Hill, the Tenderloin still looks the same!” Mathis said that he always enjoys returning to San Francisco, and hopes to see some of the sights while he’s here. “I used to be recognized everywhere, but now people don’t know who I am,” he said with a laugh. “I’m going to enjoy the anonymity.” See page 22 >>

Courtesy SFS

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

OUR DAILY SPECIALS ARE SERVED FROM OPEN TO CLOSE

<< Out There

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

Celebs’ reax to SCOTUS ruling by Roberto Friedman

ut There spent much of the day of last week’s Supreme Court marriage equality ruling involved in rooting about online, where it seemed that every single arts or entertainment celebrity, major, minor, and off-minor, had his or her two cents to put in. This made for a lot of cents. Here are some of our faZachary Quinto: Marga Gomez: vorite reactions. overwhelmed. verklempt. (On Instagram:) Singer-songwriter Sam Smith: “It’s days like Our other motto? ‘America: Sooner today and moments like this that or Later, We Get It Right!’” we’ve all gotta have a drink and celActor George Takei: “My eyes ebrate how far we have come.” shine with tears as marriage equality Actor Ryan Phillippe: “S/o Suis ruled the law of the land.” premes! Sweet ruling, y’all.” Talk-show host Ellen DeGeActress Kate Hudson: “A beautineres: “Love won.” ful long overdue victory and a day Salon reported that “shortly afto celebrate.” ter the news of SCOTUS’ Actor Zachary Quinto: “I am so ruling broke, Game of overwhelmed with gratitude for the Thrones tweeted out an wisdom of our Supreme Court, and image of Renly – the the courage of generations of LGBT lone sorely-missed late crusaders who have fought hard and Baratheon heir to the sacrificed much to lead us to this Iron Throne and former powerfully emotional and historic Master of Laws who moment.” married Margaery and Singer Lance Bass: “We are so had a relationship with proud to be American today! All of her brother Loras – acour #LGBT brothers and sisters can companied by the mesnow love freely! Thank you #Supreme sage ‘Be proud.’” Court for doing the right thing.” Filmmaker David Thorpe issued Singer Joe Jonas: “Go America!” a press statement on the historic Fashion designer Marc Jacobs: ruling: “When I started filming Do “#Lovewins.” I Sound Gay?, only six states allowed Singer-songwriter Ellie Gouldsame-sex marriage. What an increding: “Love above everything.” ible four years it’s been. Now that (On Twitter:) Comedian Marga marriage is legal, DISG? explores Gomez: “I just woke up and verklempt the finer points of what acceptance misty before coffee.” means for LGBT people and all Actor Neil Patrick Harris: “It’s minorities. Legal battles are won, a new day. Thank you Supreme but transcending homophobia is a Court. Thank you Justice Kennedy. person-by-person experience.” By Your opinion is profound, in more the way, the answer to DISG? Y. ways than you may know.” Oh what fun we had, possums, Filmmaker Michael Moore: “Tofollowing all the social-media flutter day will be known as the 1st day E as everyone with an Internet connecPluribus Unum finally became true.

tion and a caffeine buzz held forth. We tracked the reax as loving people set about loving, hateful people got down to hating, and clueless people (GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee: “I will not acquiesce to an imperial court”) proved how assbackwards they could be. We reveled in the memes and the tweets, until we finally realized: Do we really care what Snooki has to say? We think you can guess our conclusion.

Marry me a little?

As overcome by feelings of emancipation and relief as we were last Friday, and as much as we understand the importance of marriage equality from a civil-rights standpoint, permit us to make a wee stand for singlehood equality. That is, it’s easy to get caught up in the elation and excitement of the historical moment and forget the fact that the Stonewall riots were not fought for coupled people only. Not every gay person in America has to aspire to get married. Certainly OT never has. This makes it all the more strange that we wound up working our way through four husbands, none of whom pay alimony. But we’re straying from the point. Some might say that LGBTQUSSR folks are blessed with the option of never getting betrothed. We figure out our relationships in our own individual ways, and custom-tailor them to suit our own particular (some might say peculiar) proclivities. Part of what queer liberation has meant to OT has been the freedom never to have to conform to other people’s idea of what’s right for us. So we pick and choose among the buffet of alternative behaviors. Monogamy is a dietary re-

The Peacock Room by artist James McNeill Whistler, installed at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC (detail).

striction that’s right for some, too bland for others. Commitment, fidelity, domestic tranquility: one size does not fit all. We’re fortunate to know or have known some truly unconventional thinkers. Writer and editor Greg Archer has made it known that he fully intends to marry himself. In his creative maturity Oscar Earthsong Feino married his community, the entire radical faerie database. Our own one true love possesses a wet nose and whiskers (hi, Pepi!). But anyway. Fact is, there is no moral hierarchy in these matters. LGBTQUSSR people are not less than straight (are there any left?) people. Single people are not less than married people. Families with small children are not entitled to extra time while boarding. While we’re on our soapbox, we want to add that all types of sex were born equal. You don’t get extra points for being a pushy bottom or a control top. As long as it’s consensual and no one gets hurt who doesn’t want to, whatever gets you through the night, it’s alright. OT is getting a learner’s permit in underwater Japanese bondage – is this a problem for you? The best thing we did last week was attend a heterosexual wedding. For we brought the primary Pepi along, who proceeded to charm the gathered assemblage with his typical panache. It was our own personal contribution to the gay rights struggle, a cause for human rights and compassion we married a long time ago.

Peacock time

Out There found ourselves in Washington, DC, not far from the Supreme Court, epicenter of the media universe last week. While we were

there we spent time at the National Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Freer/Sackler Galleries, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian Art. One of the most famous art installations in all of American art is the Peacock Room, a stunning decorative interior space with every surface painted by artist James McNeill Whistler in 1876-7, in an all-over modern conception. The siting was the dining room in shipping magnate Frederick Richards Leyland’s London townhouse, who commissioned his friend Whistler to transform it. In his inspired painting, the artist emulated gaudy blue and gold patterns found in peacock plumage. When Leyland saw Whistler’s creation, he hated it, and refused to pay the artist his fee. In return, Whistler added a large mural to the room that portrayed his patron and himself as fighting peacocks. Its title is Art and Money; or, the Story of the Room. The two were never friends again. We visited the Peacock Room where it has been installed in the Freer Gallery of Art (until January 2016, when the Freer closes for 18 months of restoration). Then we went to the Sackler Gallery to see Peacock Room Remix, an installation of the interpretative work Filthy Lucre by the American artist Darren Waterston. His conception recreates the Peacock Room in near-exact dimensions, except imagined as caught up in decline, decay and decrepitude. Every wall, surface and objet d’art seems to be deteriorating, drooping or dead. It’s a poignant gloss on an already powerful aesthetic experience, and a comment on the loaded relationship between art and commerce, friendship and expectation. (Through Jan. 2, 2017.)t

Clubland by David Lamble

he Henry brothers (producer Marc and writer-director Eric) spend 77 minutes demonstrating the prickly ins and outs of Anglo Canada’s premier predominantly white-boy cruising scene in Seek, and he shall be found (TLA Releasing). While hardly the queer-boy version of Ben Hecht’s The Front Page, Seek does provide a cub-reporter ingenue, Evan, given an authentic whiff of mean-boy snark by lovely newcomer Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski. Writing for a gossip-churning Toronto broadsheet, Evan is assigned to prowl along the edges of the city’s nightlife scene and provide 3,000 words sorting out the winners and losers, the players and the played. The Henrys make an admirable stab at social satire in an elegant fauxnoir setting. Given that this kind of drama must stay on the cute-boy leads, the Henrys give Evan’s character enough ambition to do his editor’s

bidding. A particularly gruesome if fiendishly effective moment has Evan fending off the attempts at “friendship” from a hopelessly older male barfly. It’s not Joe Orton, but the Henrys do allow the social masks to drop and some very vicious, predatory behavior to be briefly glimpsed, before an almost convincing romantic clinch between Evan and a ruthlessly ambitious gay club owner. As a brutal bonus, a black drag queen is seen as yet another victim of the club-owner combine. If you want to sample the kind of hard-knuckle satire the Henrys may eventually set their sights on, rent Sweet Smell of Success, still never equaled as the searing portrait of a cynical, ruthless columnist (neverbetter Burt Lancaster) and his putupon go-fer press agent (slickly funny Tony Curtis, at the top of his game and his beauty). Features: Widescreen, Stereo Dolby Digital, color, English, no subtitles.t

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<< TV

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

TV paved the road to marriage equality by Victoria A. Brownworth

hat a way to end Pride Month and welcome Independence Day – with another stepping-stone toward what we hope will one day be our full equality. We were lying on a hospital gurney plugged into social media when the news came in about the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. We must have let out an involuntary cry, because the nurse rushed over and asked, “Are you having pain?” Tears streaming in what we knew was going to fast become what Oprah calls The Ugly Cry, we pointed to the live-stream video on CNN, the news crawl announcing the decision, the scenes of gay and lesbian jubilation outside the Supreme Court. It was quite a moment for us, as we used to be a reporter covering that beat, for which we were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and where we first, as a young reporter, heard Bowers v. Hardwick argued behind the dark red velvet drapes that surround the press area to the left of where the nine justices sit. The nurse put her hand on our arm above the IV, rubbed it a little, and without skipping a beat said, “Congratulations. I know you must have been waiting for this for a very long time.” Then the tears began in earnest. We tweeted simply: “We. Have. Won. #SCOTUSMarriage.” As has been the case with so many civil rights moments in the past few years, Twitter would be as much of a lifeline that morning and afternoon as the IV in our arm. The tweets would keep coming. So would the tears. Our nurse’s reaction, its immediacy and genuineness, is indicative of how much things have changed for us in just a few years. Ordinary straight Americans get it. Our nurses, our teachers, the people delivering our mail, the cable guy. They want us to be happy. They want us to have equality. They know who we are now. It would be hard to overstate the impact TV has had in propelling that perspective forward. TV has brought lesbians and gay men into the living rooms of Americans in a way that nothing else could. When Will & Grace debuted in 1998 on NBC, it wasn’t the first TV show to have gay or lesbian characters. Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcom Ellen had just been cancelled the season before on ABC for becoming “too gay,” after the comedian’s character came out on the show in a groundbreaking episode that also starred Oprah as Ellen’s therapist. And of course Billy Crystal (who recently made some unpleasantly homophobic statements) starred as the gay

Jodie Dallas in ABC’s Soap in 1977. But W&G was a gay show. Like I Spy 30 years before, W&G was the first to put minority (in this case, LGBT) characters front-and-center as leads. Sure, Grace and Karen were straight, but Will and Jack were gay, and Jack was a bitchy flamer of the sort that’s (sadly) being bred out of both comedy and our own community, but who was just, well, Jack. It wasn’t possible to watch W&G and not be touched with the gay stick. The impact of W&G was obvious. The sitcom was nominated for 83 Primetime Emmy Awards, and won 16 of them. It was also one of only three sitcoms (the others were All in the Family and The Golden Girls) where the actors playing the main characters, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally, each won at least one acting Emmy. GLAAD gave the show several of its media awards. Nearly 20 years later, with ABC’s long-running and much-lauded Modern Family, HBO’s recently cancelled Looking and Fox’s recently ended Glee, NBC’s incomparably homoerotic Hannibal, and Shonda Rhimes’ TGIT line-up with prominently placed gay and lesbian characters, W&G may seem tame. But the criticism the show received for being so gay in 1998 was huge, so the ground it broke was as dramatic as the show was funny. In addition to being labeled the “gay Seinfeld,” W&G was called a show “just for gays” and ghettoized by critics. Variety doomed it with this caveat: “If W&G can somehow survive a brutal time period opposite football and Ally McBeal, it could grow into a reasonably entertaining little anomaly – that is, a series about a man and a woman who have no sexual interest in one another. But don’t bet on it. If it’s doomed relationships viewers want, they’ll probably opt for Ally.” “Entertaining little anomaly.” Because LGBT people were still “anomalies” in 1998. Variety and other critics were wrong. Throughout its eight seasons, W&G was consistently rated in the Top 20. So it couldn’t have just been gays watching the show. What’s more, Ally McBeal didn’t survive against W&G, it ended after five seasons. (Although it did co-star Ellen’s wife, Portia de Rossi.) W&G was also the highest-rated sitcom among adults 18-49, the most treasured demographic, from 2001 throughout the show’s run in 2006. W&G wasn’t just a ratings bonanza and the flagship show of NBC’s long-time Thursday “Must See TV” comedy lineup. The sitcom also has a direct connection to the June 26 SCOTUS

NBC News

Rainbow flags fly over the U.S. Supreme Court, as seen on TV.

ruling on marriage equality: it may have been the prompt for President Obama’s “evolving” on the issue. It was only three years ago that this shift in consciousness happened at the White House, the same WH that on the night of June 26 was bathed in rainbow lights, turning The People’s House gay and lesbian. Until 2012, President Obama was opposed to same-sex marriage. As events played out, however, it became clear that TV (perhaps W&G in particular) influenced the evolution inside the WH. Vice President Biden came out for marriage equality in advance of Obama. On TV. In what many in our community, ourselves included, have previously written, Biden’s comments were a prompt for the President. Veteran CBS reporter Bill Plante subsequently reported on CBS This Morning that a White House aide denied Biden’s statement on marriage equality was a “trial balloon” for the President’s later evolution. Biden was interviewed by David Gregory, then-host of NBC’s Meet the Press on May 6, 2012. In that interview he came out in support of marriage equality. Biden said, “I think W&G did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody has ever done. People fear that which is different. Now they’re beginning to understand.” It was an extraordinary statement to make about a TV show, but it was also an explanation: as a straight man who was outside the LGBT community, one of the things that influenced Biden’s perspective was seeing us on TV. Humanized, funny, poignant, real. Three days after Biden’s bombshell interview (and after an apology by Biden to Obama), Pres. Obama gave his “evolved” interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, herself the only out lesbian newscaster on TV. The day after President Obama spoke with Roberts, W&G cocreator Max Mutchnick was interviewed on CBS This Morning about the influence of the show on the White House. Mutchnick, who is openly gay, told CBS that Biden had privately told him at a party that he and his husband, Erik Hyman, attended, the same thing about the influence of W&G on America’s view of lesbians and gay men. In 2012, W&G was listed as the ninth most important sitcom in TV history. Last year, items from the iconic sitcom became part of the new LGBT history collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. According to an Associated Press news story, curator Dwight Blocker Bowers said W&G had so much impact on the national consciousness because it used “comedy to familiarize a mainstream audience with gay culture” that was “daring and broke ground” in American media and played a huge role in that transition from homophobia being the norm to acceptance being the norm.

As pivotal as W&G was, opening the door to a range of other LGBTcentered programming like Queer as Folk (2000), Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2003), Boy Meets Boy (2003) and The L Word (2004), another TV influence was having an even greater impact on the national consciousness with regard to LGBT people. Perhaps no single individual has had more of an impact on how mainstream straight America views LGBT people than Ellen DeGeneres. In 1986, she first appeared on The Tonight Show. From 1994-98 she starred in her sitcom Ellen. In 1997 she became the first TV actor to come out publicly in an appearance with Oprah. She paralleled that coming out on her sitcom, and Ellen began addressing LGBT issues as the character started to explore her lesbianism. It may have been too soon. Certainly America seemed unready, even as Ellen appeared on the April 14, 1997 cover of Time as the face of LGBT America (much like Laverne Cox did for transgender Americans last year). But when Ellen debuted her daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2003, she became a daily face of gayness. Millions of Americans have watched her five days a week. They’ve listened to her discuss LGBT issues, talk about her marriage to actress Portia de Rossi (together since 2004), campaign against anti-gay bullying. But they have also seen Ellen address a vast array of issues, interview myriad stars and open the show with her signature dance moves. Ellen has “normalized” lesbianism/gayness for millions. Unlike the characters on W&G, Ellen is real, a lesbian leading her daily life in front of America. Her audience has seen her laugh, cry, be funny and sad. But every day they have seen her gay. And they have loved her. Ellen has won more than a dozen Emmys, but she’s also won more than a dozen People’s Choice Awards. She’s hosted the Emmys, Grammys and Academy Awards. She was chosen to host the Emmys in the days after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina (Ellen is from New Orleans), two defining performances in a time of national tragedy and upheaval. Ellen is a trusted member of America’s family. And she’s a lesbian. It has long been the theory of our activists that when you know us, you will love us. There is no other medium like TV to introduce people who would otherwise have no connection to each other. We’ve seen the color barrier break down on TV over our lifetimes. Are there enough people of color in lead roles on TV? Absolutely not. But since 1967, when Bill Cosby broke that first color barrier by being a star, followed by a series of shows with black leads – The Mod Squad (1968), Julia (1968), Mission Impossible (1968), Mannix (1968), Room 222 (1969) – it’s been impossible for America to move backwards on race on TV. Before the 1960s were over,

Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr. and Flip Wilson all had their own variety shows on network TV. And while blacks had been accepted as entertainers for some time, they were still in auxiliary roles. It was far different to have a black entertainer with his own named show. Which is why Ellen’s show is so important. And while we complain here often about there not being enough minority representation on TV, whether it is people of color, older women or LGBT people, the fact is, we are visible in ways we weren’t even five years ago. Neil Patrick Harris, the first out gay actor on TV, is omnipresent. Like Ellen, he has hosted numerous awards shows, won multiple Emmys for his role on How I Met Your Mother, and is about to launch his own variety show, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, on NBC in the fall. The majority of the top showrunners on TV are gay men, like Ryan Murphy, whose groundbreaking Glee was the next step in the trajectory W&G began. After the decision, Murphy told E! TV, “Today for the first time I know what it feels like to truly be an American, equal and protected under the law.” The interconnectedness of TV and changing perspectives on LGBT people can’t be overstated. The night of the SCOTUS decision, we were watching ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, with Jeffrey Tambor as the featured guest. The guest segment began with a stirring clip of Tambor as Maura Pfefferman, a father who comes out as a transgender woman to her children late in life, on the Amazon Studios series Transparent. Tambor, who at 71 has long been a staple on both the small and big screen, was unequivocal when he said it was the role of a lifetime, and that it was an historic role whose authenticity (the show’s creator, Jill Soloway, has a parent who came out as transgender late in life) had real impact on real lives. Last week the actresses who play the show’s two lesbian characters, Melora Hardin and Amy Landecker, were on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The actresses were talking lesbian sex scenes and the impact of the show and the obligation involved in portraying lesbian and bisexual characters. Two days earlier, out black lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes had been on the show talking Confederate flag, racism and being a married lesbian mom. All of this – the talk show appearances, the LGBT characters on scripted TV, the real-life LGBT people on reality series like out lesbian T Gregoire, who came in second on Hell’s Kitchen last month – is part of reminding straight America every day that we exist. Reminding straight America that gay male couples like Cam and Mitchell on Modern Family with their two kids are art imitating life because there are so many gay men out there who are married with kids now. Reminding straight America that lesbians can be doctors like Arizona and Callie on Grey’s Anatomy, gay men can be White House Chiefs of Staff like Cyrus on Scandal, trans men can be coaches like Coach Beiste on Glee, transwomen can be in women’s prison like Sophia on Orange Is the New Black, lesbians can be parents like Stef and Lena on The Fosters, teenage boys can be gay or bisexual like 13-year-olds Jude and Connor on The Fosters, or teenage girls can be lesbians like Emily on Pretty Little Liars, or trans women can be models in love with straight men like Maya on The Bold and the Beautiful. This is a normalization of our lives as LGBT people. When we first started writing this column nearly 21 years ago, there was no gay TV See page 21 >>

Theatre>>

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

Hitting rock bottom by Richard Dodds

few decades back, a play titled Detroit would likely have created automotive expectations. Today, Detroit suggests a story surrounded by urban collapse. Lisa D’Amour’s play Detroit is about neither, nor is it set anyplace near its titular city. But while the characters may not realize it, they are in a Detroit state of mind. An anonymous suburban subdivision that has seen better days is the setting for Detroit, a 2010 Pulitzer Prize-finalist now receiving its Bay Area debut at Aurora Theatre. The downward financial spiral that D’Amour sets out for its main characters stemmed from the financial crisis that began in 2008, yet even as some form of recovery has gained traction, there is also an uptick in news stories positing that “middle class” is an evaporating concept. It certainly is for Mary and Ben, homeowners with a hefty mortgage and declining income to pay it. But their situation seems rosy when compared to their younger new neighbors, Kenny and Sharon, who met in rehab and

are now borrowing a relative’s vacant house while waiting for better times. The play is made up of a series of scenes taking place mainly at backyard barbecues as the couples forge a dangerous friendship. The scenes are often comically awkward, especially at the start, as topics of commonality must be found after multiple stumbles. Mary, the anxious hostess, blurts out tales of her plantar wart woes, while the new neighbors often silence their hosts with casual references to the “glossy motorcade of substances” they have abused. But as the relationship evolves, the nothingto-lose Kenny and Sharon show the downwardly mobile Mary and Ben a possible liberation that comes with hitting bottom. The small dramatic arcs of the individual scenes are effective more often than not, with D’Amour keenly revealing the undercurrents that contradict surface appearances. While the succession of scenes leads to a calamitous finish, it still doesn’t feel the journey taken is all that far. The play may be enjoyed in its doses rather than as a satisfying culmination of them.

Beethoven finales by Philip Campbell

t’s a wrap for the 20th season of the San Francisco Symphony under Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas. A three-week Beethoven Festival, highlighted by semi-staged concerts and a marathon historical reenactment, all performed by the orchestra, the SFS Chorus and first-class guest artists, kept Davies Symphony Hall jumping right up to the finale. Outstanding artistic results and an upbeat atmosphere helped persuade

Stefan Cohen

Nina Stemme and Brandon Jovanovich perform with Michael Tilson Thomas leading the San Francisco Symphony in Beethoven’s Fidelio.

Lavender Tube

From page 20

to speak of. Everyone knew Ellen and Rosie O’Donnell and Suze Orman were lesbians, but none had come out yet. There wasn’t a single out lesbian or gay actor on TV. Victor Garber had been co-starring on TV shows since 1974, but while he thought everyone knew he was gay, no one did. George Takei was on Star Trek, but deeply closeted. Raven Symone has been on TV since she was four, but we only discovered she was a lesbian last year. We wrote about Frasier (1993) on a regular basis as an encoded gay show, but David Hyde Pierce had yet to come out. So it’s a tectonic shift, this move from our being virtually invisible to the White House flooded by rainbow-hued lights, the President giving an address in the Rose Garden about the importance of marriage equality, and the voices of those who still hate us drowned out on TV by those who

naysayers who earlier complained that a Beethoven celebration was unexcitingly safe and unimaginative. A few fans and writers, possibly spoiled by past programming of riskier repertoire, temporarily lost sight of what they know. A great performance of Beethoven is virtually critic-proof and offers emotional and intellectual sustenance. It doesn’t get much better than this. The ambitious scope of the programming sealed the deal on the commitment and courage of the maestro and his loyal band. On the eve of the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, Beethoven’s operatic ode to the power of married love, his only opera Fidelio summed up the festival in a semi-staged production starring Swedish soprano Nina Stemme as Leonore and American tenor Brandon Jovanovich as her unjustly imprisoned husband Florestan. The luxury casting didn’t stop with the leads. Secondary roles were essayed by the likes of rising star American artists: tenor Nicholas Phan (attractive and confident) as Jaquino, and soprano Joelle Harvey (rich-toned and perky) as Marzelline. San Francisco Opera veteran bass Kevin J. Langan gave a predictably characterful performance as the jailer Rocco, and bass-baritone Alan Held returned to DSH after his SFS debut in 2012 in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle to convincingly sing the role of the evil Don Pizarro.

love us and want us to be happy. TV brought the people who said they never knew anyone GLB or T to the place we are now. We may not agree with Biden’s statement about W&G, because we know just how much activism has been going on since Stonewall. But he meant that TV has influenced American culture since its invention. Whether it was Ellen yelling into that microphone on Ellen, “I’m gay!” or Kurt Hummel’s (Chris Colfer) coming out on Glee and saving lives of LGBT kids everywhere, viewers are influenced by what they see. TV is where we see the new Pride Month Tylenol ad that asks, in a voiceover by Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, about family, with lesbian and gay and interracial couples. TV is where we see the Wells Fargo ad with two lesbian mothers adopting a deaf child. TV is where we see us. So to bask in this moment of love winning, to hang onto the fabulous buzz with new and old characters who are LGBT, you really must stay tuned.t

David Allen

Luisa Frasconi and Patrick Kelly Jones (far left and right) are the off-kilter new neighbors of suburbanites played by Amy Resnick and Jeff Garrett in Detroit at Aurora Theatre.

Director Josh Costello faces logistical challenges, as some scene changes are probably longer than intended since two backyards cannot be simultaneously situated on the small Aurora stage. But generally, the tone and energies are well

channeled by a cast, with one exception, that gets under the skins of these characters. As the bottled-up Mary, Amy Resnick is terrific at shooting off snarky asides or throwing an eyeroll look to her husband at the new

Another casting coup came in Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni’s brief but impressive appearance as Don Fernando. The internationally recognized singer was career multitasking between performances as the Count in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro across the street at SFO. He also appeared recently at DSH with MTT in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella. Also participating in that previous concert, American tenor Matthew Newlin, currently a member of the ensemble at Deutsche Oper Berlin, was again on hand to movingly sing as the First Prisoner. Got

the picture? It was clear no stops were un-pulled when it came to Festival production costs. It begged the question of value for money, and if the success of Fidelio was the best example, it was worth every penny. Guest stars of Stemme’s and Jovanovich’s caliber alone yielded lavish dividends. Making her SFS debut, the rightfully renowned soprano has been heard before with better results (remember her fabulous Brunhilde at SFO?), but she remains a splendid Leonore, and she used her superior acting skills to create a strong portrait of a woman willing to pose as a male

neighbors’ often dodgy behavior. Sharon is the opposite of bottledup, and Luisa Frasconi plays the character with a ditziness lined with real sincerity. Kenny, her rehab Romeo, is a wary sort, uneasily eying Sharon whenever she says too much, and Patrick Kelly Jones effectively brings out the character’s increasingly sinister vibes. Only Jeff Garrett as Ken, part of the whitecollar unemployed, seems out of sync with the production, with an almost clownish performance of outsized gestures, expressions, and delivery. Detroit is about having things and the heretofore untenable notion of winding up with fewer things. While the success = happiness equation has always had holes in it, D’Amour seems to be saying that the fear of free-falling from the American Dream cloud may be worse than actually hitting the ground.t Detroit will run at Aurora Theatre through July 19. Tickets are $32$50. Call (510) 843-4822 or go to auroratheatre.org.

to save her man. And what a hunk of man to save! Jovanovich gave power and thrilling voice to his big aria at the top of Act II. Looking pretty buff for a guy in solitary confinement, he still conveyed Florestan’s anguish with fervently believable pathos. The only surprise drawback was in the “staging” itself, minimalist in the extreme. Characters and chorus dressed in black made their entrances and exits on a mostly darkened stage and surrounding terrace. The lights went up appropriately at the triumSee page 22 >>

RUSS LORENSON

MELISSA MANCHESTER

MORGAN JAMES

July 9

July 10 - 11

July 23

For tickets:www.feinsteinssf.com Feinstein’s | Hotel Nikko San Francisco 222 Mason Street 855-MF-NIKKO | 855-636-4556

<< Fine Art

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

J.M.W. Turner

From page 17

That’s the premise of the de Young Museum’s J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free, an exciting, exceedingly pleasurable summer exhibition that focuses on this final artistic chapter. It includes oil paintings and sublime translucent watercolors along with some padding – a dozen unfinished, large-scale canvases that lack the subtle differentiations in light, and shapes morphing in fog or glare, etc., that distinguish much of his best work – at the conclusion of what is an otherwise excellent show. According to FAMSF’s departing director Colin Bailey, the portrait of the ornery aging artist in Mr. Turner, Mike Leigh’s exhaustively researched biopic, was spot-on. The film presented Turner as an uncouth, rude, grunting eccentric lacking in social skills; nonetheless, his talent was recognized and rewarded early, and he gained almost immediate acceptance. A celebrity in his day and successful enough to pursue his bliss, he was also a polarizing, controversial figure who broke with tradition and offered the shock of the new. For that sin, he was castigated by some critics as too radical – he was once dubbed “The Overturner” – while his audacity was championed by others. Indeed, some of his works have the “savage grandeur” and shake, rattle, and roll of a special-effects light extravaganza, albeit with considerably more finesse. Take “Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth making Signals in Shallow Water, and going by the

Rick Gerharter

Inspecting J.M.W. Turner’s “Dawn of Christianity (Flight into Egypt),” part of the exhibition J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free, now at the de Young Museum.

Lead. The Author was in this Storm on the Night the Ariel left Harwich” (1842), a maritime masterpiece with a wordy title that reads like a movie script. That’s fitting because the painting is gloriously alive and as grippingly cinematic as a scene from an action film. A ship is tossed about as if it were a toy in the burly grey arms of a tumultuous ocean, sucked into a vortex of storm waves and weather as a plume of brown smoke reaches down from the snowwracked heavens like the hand of the angry Almighty. It was dismissed by some as “Soapsuds and Whitewash.” Ahead of his time and wise to the value of shrewd marketing, he promoted an apocryphal story that the

sailors lashed him to the mast during the storm, thereby lending the painting authenticity. Turner was rarely without a sketchbook full of pencil drawings that were the basis for many of his paintings. Pad in hand, he headed out one evening to witness a roaring conflagration on the Thames later captured in “The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834.” The work also illustrates his alertness to architectural detail – as a young man he was employed as a draughtsman – that appears in some of his 19 paintings of Venice. Among them are two watercolors created circa 1840: “Turner’s Bedroom in the Palazzo Gius-

Becky Fluke

Singer Johnny Mathis in Nashville: no regrets.

Beethoven

From page 21

phant conclusion, but a concert version simply sung at lecterns would probably have been just as effective.

Missa transit

What a distance from the relatively overblown (and occasionally downright cheesy) staging of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis from two weeks before. MTT gave an interview on NPR with Michael Krasny shortly before the musically strong but visually overpowering performances started. With characteristic charm, our musical pied piper quickly explained all we really needed to know before approaching the “production.” A light show that often looked like iTunes visualizations (Finn Ross) and some needless characterizations imposed on the soloists by stage director James Darrah (so impressive before with his handling of SFS semi-staged productions of Peter Grimes and Peer Gynt) almost submerged the desired impact. Scenic designers Emily Anne MacDonald and Cameron Jaye Mock set the stage with an impressive framework evocatively lit by David Finn. We wish MTT had let it go at that.

His new look at Beethoven’s glorious and problematical (mostly for the musicians) score wound up looking like pretentious pandering to the short-attention-span demographic. The “concept” even borrowed from remembered productions of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. Making the Pacific Boychoir (Kevin Fox, director) act cute is redundant, and Ragnar Bohlin’s SFS Chorus doesn’t need to move about to be moving. The soloists and orchestra brought the concert into more successful focus with some wonderful and predictably satisfying results. Soprano Joelle Harvey, mezzo-sopranos Julie Boulianne and Sasha Cooke (nuff said), tenor Brandon Jovanovich (ditto), and powerful bass-baritone Shenyang combined with the exquisitely wrought violin solos of Concertmaster Alexander Barantschik to triumph over the mostly distracting visuals. Was that the point after all? I must have missed that in MTT’s much easier radio suggestion that the audience merely experience the Missa solemnis like a guided tour through a great cathedral. The centerpiece of the entire Festival, for a sold-out crowd at DSH, was a re-creation of the marathon Akad-

Rick Gerharter

J.M.W. Turner’s “Peace – Burial at Sea,” part of the exhibition J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free, now at the de Young Museum.

Johnny Mathis

From page 17

Mathis signed his first recording contract with Columbia Records in 1955. Three years later he became the first recording artist in history to release a greatest hits compilation. Johnny Mathis’ Greatest Hits spent an unprecedented decade on Billboard’s Top Albums chart. He has recorded 80 original albums to date, and shows no sign of slowing down. “I’m lucky to be with Columbia,” he said. “I had a couple of hit records early on and made a niche.” Those hits include “Chances Are,” the song that made his career. It remains one of his most popular staples. He calls it a “wonderful song,” and said he plans to sing it with the Symphony. “I’m grateful that people still listen to that kind of music,” he said. “From the beginning I’ve always been a little more esoteric than other singers.” One such example, he pointed out, was his hit “The 12th of Never.”

tinian (the Hotel Europa),” with a view of the Piazza Saint Marco, and the heavenly romantic “Venice: Santa Maria della Salute, Night Scene with Rockets,” in which fireworks punctuate an azure sky fading to Midnight blue. For someone enraptured with the spiritual properties of light, Turner’s night scenes are some of his most exquisite. Turner’s preoccupation with the interplay of light, sea and sky led some to regard his work as a prelude to Impressionism – Monet is said to have studied his techniques – and yielded exquisite watercolors such as “Rain Clouds” (c. 1845), where a twist of bluish vapor is suspended over the ocean and a sandy beach; “That was an old folk song supposedly written by Henry VIII,” he said. “It was the flip side of ‘Chances Are,’ and it became a hit in its own right. I sing those songs every night.” Mathis said that he’s honored to be considered in the same league as crooners like Sinatra and Streisand. “Barbra and I have been pals for a very long time,” he said. “She calls me every once in a while. She has an incredible compound in Malibu where she gives beautiful parties. I sang at her birthday party, and we’ve recorded together.” Mathis’ journey hasn’t always been an easy one. In 1982, he revealed that he was gay, and received death threats. “Homosexuality is a way of life that I’ve grown accustomed to,” he said to Us magazine at the time. He didn’t discuss the subject again for decades, but in recent years as gay rights became more acceptable to the mainstream, Mathis has begun to open up once more. In 2006, he

Stefan Cohen

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony perform Beethoven’s Missa solemnis.

emie concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna that Beethoven himself conducted on December 22, 1808. For starters, MTT gave us some interesting factoids (we still love his little talks) about the cold weather, sparse attendance and lack of critical reviews (!) for an occasion that included the premieres of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Fourth Piano Concerto and the Choral Fantasy. Beethoven

must have had as much energy (albeit manic) as our own dynamic maestro. Selections from the Mass in C Major were presented with palettecleansing variety throughout the night lasting four hours and 40 minutes with three intermissions. Soloists soprano Nikki Einfeld, mezzo Abigail Nims and previously mentioned tenor Nicholas Phan and bass-baritone Shenyang rode effort-

and the heartbreakingly lovely “Fishermen on the Lagoon, Moonlight” (1840), a hymn to evanescent moon glow. At a higher altitude, cold light and the dawn chill of “The Blue Rigi, Sunrise” (1842) ensconce an alpine peak hovering like a mirage over a lake. A dance of elements wedded to a poetic vision takes a somber turn in the elegiac “Peace – Burial at Sea” (1842), an homage to Turner’s friend and former rival Sir David Wilkie, who succumbed to typhoid aboard ship; due to fears of contagion, the vessel was forced to anchor off the coast of Gibraltar. A study in highcontrast lighting and color, the nocturnal charcoal blacks of this square canvas shadow a ship with its sails in silhouette; a shaft of incandescence illuminates the bow, and a celestial white, an effect achieved through triple layers of lead white, chalk and oil primers, pierces the distance. “War. The Exile and the Rocket Limpet,” a companion piece painted the same year, portrays a fantasy Napoleon who died in exile on St. Helena Island. The imperious general, a solitary figure in the bloody dawn, stands with arms crossed on the edge of a pond, its grassy banks reddened with sacrifices of the fallen, the water tinged with human effluence and crimson.t J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free runs through Sept. 20 at the de Young Museum. A related exhibition, Luminous Worlds: British Works on Paper, 1770-1870, which opens at the Legion of Honor on July 11, includes drawings, sketches and watercolors by Turner and his cohorts.

admitted that his silence regarding the subject of his sexuality was in part due to those death threats, and in part “generational.” In 2014, he told the [UK] Guardian that he has no regrets about not having married or started a family of his own. He has many nieces and nephews and feels like a father to them. As he prepared for his return to San Francisco, the singer reflected on his longevity. “I’ll be 80 this year,” he said. “I don’t know how I got to be 80. I act like a kid because that’s how I feel.” Mathis hopes that you’ll celebrate his half-century mark in show business. “I hope you’ll enjoy the concert,” he said. “I love singing with that orchestra.” See you there, Johnny!t Johnny Mathis sings with the San Francisco Symphony, Thurs. & Fri., July 2 & 3, at 7:30 p.m. Davies Symphony Hall, SF. Tickets: sfsymphony.org.

lessly above the sonorous SFS Chorus and orchestra. Two different versions of the orchestra (Beethoven’s Vienna was obviously non-union) and one pianist, awesomely talented Jonathan Biss, fleshed out the orchestral sections of the bill with uniformly excellent results. In a few cases there were some striking revelations. After a lifetime of admittedly loving the Sixth Symphony, Pastoral least, MTT’s latest vision changed my affectionate regard to fresh admiration. When the orchestra gave a fiery interpretation of the famous Fifth later, it was hardly more exciting. The call to arms in the opening of the Fifth only shows a different side of Beethoven’s quest for liberation. The softer natural world of the Sixth offers a gentler deliverance. Smack-dab in the middle of the show, superstar soprano Karita Mattila, looking every inch the diva in lots of jewelry and a red lace dress, exited her limousine just long enough to give a knockout performance of the concert aria “Ah! perfido,” Opus 65. It was one flash in three weeks of great moments to underline the reasoning and appropriateness in celebrating Beethoven along with MTT’s two decades with the SFS.t

S U MMER 2015

WE I L L H A L L + L AW N AT THE

GR EE N

M U SIC

C EN T ER

IN THE HEART OF SONOMA COUNTY’S WINE COUNTRY

Sat, Jul 4 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACU R W/

Megan Hilty

AND THE SANTA ROSA SYMPHONY

Sat, Aug 1

NATALIE COLE

Sat, Jul 11

Sat, Jul 18

MARTINA MCBRIDE

Kevin Spacey IN CONCERT

THE EVER STING TOUR

CONCERT SPONSOR

PINK MARTINI FEATURING CHINA FORBES

RUSSIAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS: BEETHOVEN 9

Sun, Aug 16

ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB®

Tue, Aug 18

CHRIS ISAAK

“ADIOS TOUR”

Sun, Aug 30

Tue, Jul 21

Fri, Sep 4

SMOKEY ROBINSON

Sun, Aug 23 COLBIE CAILLAT, CHRISTINA PERRI & RACHEL PLATTEN THE GIRLS NIGHT OUT, BOYS CAN COME TOO TOUR

Fri, Sep 11 AN EVENING WITH

CHRIS BOTTI

Fri, Sep 25

KRISTIN CHENOWETH COMING HOME TOUR

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SEE THE FULL SUMMER 2015 LINEUP

G M C . S O N O M A . E D U | 1 . 8 6 6 .9 5 5 . 6 0 4 0

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<< Music

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

Operatic fantasy on Gertrude Stein by Jason Victor Serinus

ith issues of same-sex marriage making headline news worldwide, the time was ripe for an opera on the most widely-known lesbian couple of the first half of the 20th century, author Gertrude Stein and the woman she called her wife, Alice B. Toklas. Enter composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek with the June 14, 2014 Opera Theatre of Saint Louis world premiere of 27, a five-act operatic fantasy on Stein and Toklas’ years in Paris at 27 Rue de Fleurus. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has since issued a live recording of the 90-minute work on Albany Records.

A video, no doubt, would have given us a more complete understanding of the production’s impact than the two-CD set does. But at a time when few opera recordings are made, and even fewer turn a profit, one must be grateful for favors large and small. For those unaware of the women’s history, Stein (1874-1946) was a Pennsylvania-born, well-off writer and arts lover of German-Jewish descent. Stein, who attended Radcliffe, first became aware of her lesbian nature while attending Johns Hopkins Medical School. After discovering herself in a depressing love triangle, she and brother Leo moved first to London, and then, in 1903, to Paris. There, at 27 Rue de Fleurus, they be-

gan to collect the works of Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, and others. In 1909, Toklas, an equally prosperous Jewish lesbian from San Francisco, met Stein in Paris. During this period, Stein’s salon became the destination point for painters, writers, intellectuals, and their admirers from France, America and beyond. In 1912 (some sources say 1914) Leo, who held his sister’s writing and lesbianism in contempt, moved from the apartment, leaving Stein and Toklas to hold forth as an independent lesbian couple. With the art collection divided, Stein’s own writing (including the libretto for gay composer/music critic Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts) and alliances with writers who included Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald gained greater importance in her life. The couple’s final years together were spent in Paris during the Nazi occupation. When Stein died in 1946, one report claims that she first asked Toklas, “What is the answer?” When Toklas remained silent, her final words were, “What is the question?” While Toklas, who was born in 1898, lived until 1967, the opera ends with Stein’s death. There is no better way to establish context and reason for Gordon and Vavrek’s 27 than to read the New York Times obituary of March 8, 1967. Several years before we in New York’s Gay Liberation Front picketed the Times because of their refusal to use the word gay or recognize same-sex partners in obituaries, the Times referred to Toklas as “the longtime friend of Gertrude Stein, who helped the late writer preside over a celebrated literary salon.” While the unsigned obit finally invokes the word “couple,” it seems to do so only because, given Stein and Toklas’ notoriety, anything else would have been seen as sheer idiocy on the paper’s part.

The libretto

Steven Underhill

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WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

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What is most wonderful about Vavrek’s libretto is the way it unabashedly honors the love between Stein and Toklas, and paints a portrait of their intimacy. Some of their interchanges are simply adorable, if not hilarious. Gordon’s music has a ball with these. Nonetheless, the libretto attempts to compress over four decades of history into a single opera. It begins while Stein’s Paris salon was in full flower and she sat for Picasso’s famous portrait of her, and ends with her death in 1946. In attempting to encompass so much history, it not only oversimplifies complex events, but also compresses dialogue into the same intentionally short, pithy Steinisms epitomized by two of her most famous quotes, “Rose is a rose is a rose” and “There is no there there.” While such droll dialogue makes for good entertainment, it is highly doubtful that Stein and Toklas actually addressed each other and their extraordinary coterie of artists, writers, and intellectuals as though they were second-graders speaking in Morse code. Especially simplified are Stein’s conservative politics and alleged collaboration with the Nazis during WWII. The opera’s fourth act, entitled “Gertrude Stein is Safe, Safe,” opens with empty frames of some of the paintings Gertrude collected singing “Twice denying a war/is no war is no war is no war.” Picasso’s portrait of Stein summarily accuses her of “betrayal, narcissism, blindness, collaboration, and self-hatred” because she translated Vichy speeches for highly political, art-loving friends. Stein, in turn, defends herself. Claiming she did it all for her art, she reminds the portrait (and us)

Courtesy of Library of Congress

Gertrude Stein in her residence at 27 Rue de Fleurus.

that she drove supplies to French hospitals during WWI, all while nurturing a generation of genius painters, writers and soldiers. Far more thought-provoking is the opinion of Corinne E. Blackmer, a Stein scholar and author of a major entry on Stein at GLBTQ.com who is Professor of English and Judaic Studies at Southern CT State University. In private correspondence, Blackmer wrote, “Stein and Toklas were friends with a man (gay) named Bernard Fay, who was influential in the Vichy government and who saw to the protection, not only of Stein and Toklas, but also of their incredible collection of modernist works of art. Stein translated some of Gen. Petain’s [head of Vichy government] anti-Semitic rants – apparently she admired him that much, according to some, but I do not believe this recounting of events. “My interpretation of the evidence is that Stein and Toklas, fearing capture by the Nazis as lesbians and, in particular, as Jews, sought the protection they could find. I don’t believe she really admired Petain, and I think ‘collaboration’ is too strong a term for what happened under these very extreme and dire circumstances. “There are many different opinions on this issue, some having to do with a certain compulsion to ‘take Stein down’ for being a nearuntouchable Modernist genius, and others in a passion for historical accuracy, but I differ from the same. A translation and a begging for protection are not collaborations in my view, particularly given the realities then. What would anyone in their position do? Get themselves killed and their art works destroyed? Saving of life is the highest ethical principle in the Jewish tradition.” Although this is a CD review rather than a historic treatise, it is essential, when evaluating an opera about women whose story plays such a vital part in our history, to ask if their legacy is best served by the libretto’s oversimplifications. IMHO, Stein and Toklas would have been far better served had Vavrek and Gordon limited their opera to a shorter period in the women’s lives. Had he focused exclusively on the break between Gertrude and Leo, we might have learned far much more about her life, love, and accomplishments.

The music

Partly in response to Vavrek’s libretto, and partially because it’s his style, Gordon’s music proceeds in rapid, sing-songy, show-biz fashion. There are some touching moments, most notably in the love duet that centers on the phrase “Ring, ring, ring, ring,” and in the final scene. But too much of the writing devolves into clipped-phrase, Copland-lite, quasi-Broadway patter that fails to linger in the memory. The music comes across as simple and clever, but as emotionally and spiritually bereft as the libretto. At opera’s end, we know far too little about Stein and Toklas’ character other than the fact that they bandied about the terms “wife” and “genius” a lot of the time. The cast, on paper, is top-notch. Beloved mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe not only shares Stein’s large frame, but also has a low range whose sexually ambiguous tonality works marvelously for a lesbian portrayal. In truth, she sounds a bit too thick and forced at the top of her range, but that is a small price to pay for such otherwise splendid singing. As Alice, soprano Elizabeth Futral may share Alice’s more slender frame, but her voice sounds far less youthful than Blythe’s. She is now past her prime, with a wobble and vocal uncertainty that sadden my heart. The young trio of three members of Opera Theater of St. Louis’ Young Artists Program – tenor Theo Lebow (Picasso, Fitzgerald, et al.), baritone Tobias Greenhalgh (Leo Stein, Man Ray, et al.), and bass-baritone Daniel Brevik (Matisse, Hemingway, et al.) do a fine job, and Michael Christie conducts the company orchestra with vigor. Perhaps Tom Cipullo’s After Life, a recent Music of Remembrance commission in which the ghosts of Stein and Picasso confront each other and argue about life and art, has more to offer. Stein and Toklas’ legacy needs to be treated in a deeper manner than 27 provides.t

Film>>

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Brothers’ keepers by David Lamble

omewhere in the middle of Crystal Moselle’s brazen and original family doc The Wolfpack, we observe six adolescent males watching TV in the dark. They’re watching David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, itself a fictional reimagining of family life so original as to defy imitation or creative one-upmanship. The six dark-haired teens, the Angulo brothers, have been given Krishna names by their father, which some have subsequently Americanized: Mukunda, Narayana, Govinda, Bhagavan, Krsna (Glenn) and Jagadesa (Eddie). The boys have a younger sister, Visnu, who doesn’t figure much in the film. They spend the bulk of their waking lives watching movies in a cluttered Lower East Side Manhattan apartment that doubles as a homeschool academy and a family prison. Why, you ask? It turns out the kids are making the best of a situation created by their monstrously controlling Latin American immigrant dad, Oscar. Dad, who delivers a couple of self-justifying if delusional rants, claims to be protecting his boys from the scourge of Gotham street life: crime, drugs. One of the brothers counters that their father had some half-baked scheme

to spirit the family away to Sweden, where his idea of Utopia could unfold unmolested by American authorities or contrary claims on reality. Oscar apparently had plans for three more kids, but Mom’s (Suzanne) womb gave out. The brothers add that their mom is being paid by the state to homeschool them, and one of the brothers bitterly notes that he doesn’t want to see Suzanne lose her stipend and be forced out into the street. “Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White.” In 1992, the videostoretutored director Quentin Tarantino burst on the movie scene with a violently original rebooting of the Hong Kong gang-themed bloodsplatter noirs that had inspired him to be a filmmaker. Not surprisingly, the Angulo brothers spend much of The Wolfpack strutting through their senior-play version of Tarantino. The Angulos’ Reservoir Dogs is pranky, silly fun, and their homage to Pulp Fiction’s awesome scene of clean-the-dead-boy’s-brainsfrom-the-car-upholstery does score as original and artistic in its own strange way. While one may harbor suspicions about Oscar Angulo’s motives, the brothers appear to be an immaculate straight-boy conception. At one point they voice desires for prom dates; and in a charming

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Krsna Angulo, Jagadisa Angulo, Bhagavan Angulo, Mukunda Angulo, Narayana Angulo and Govinda Angulo in The Wolfpack.

“family day at the beach,” five of the brothers scamper across the sands of Coney Island and into the water while unsuccessfully trying to persuade their older bro to strip down to his black bathing trunks. Queer viewers may enjoy deconstructing the Angulos in ways similar to the way the Angulos themselves have respun Lynch and Tarantino to fit their private dreams and ambitions. Late in the film, one of the brothers gets to break out by accepting what appears to be an artistic internship, allowing him to flee the family jail and create his own private space. One of his brothers helps him move a couch up some stairs into his

new attic room, adding in wonder, “This is where you’ll sleep tonight!” A couple of questions linger. Whose film is this, anyway? In a funny aside, one of the Angulos estimates that they have about 5,000 movies on VHS or DVD. Is The Wolfpack’s director Crystal Moselle merely sampling the Angulo brothers’ own vision of their lives, or has she created her own unique version, with the Angulos acting as raw material? My own answer, as a queer boy whose Liverpool-born dad performed his own version of family hostage-taking, is that Moselle has produced that rare collaborative

I love Lulu

work where filmmaker and subjects merge and surrender their separate roles. Was it a sheer accident or divine coincidence when the eldest brother, the then-15-year-old Mukunda, left his family’s 16th-floor flat without Dad’s permission? Moselle tells of observing the Angulo brothers marching around the Lower East Side and finding herself compelled to chat up the little scamps. The Wolfpack is ultimately a direct if disturbing peek into the life-into-art project of six homeschooled biological brothers. With haunting if unintentional allusions to other films about broken families (Jonathan Caouette’s Tarnation, Andrew Jarecki’s Capturing the Friedmans, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-da’s Nobody Knows), the film is truly a tribute to the plucky spirit of the six black-suited, longhaired boys, the culmination of a project they have been working on all their young lives, which in a poignant way becomes an audition tape for everything they hope to be. As one of the brothers remarks, “If I didn’t have movies, I would be a pretty broken person.” The only thing that could possibly top this incredibly sad observation would be the image of Quentin Tarantino shedding a tear. (Now playing.)t

Oral fixation

by Tim Pfaff

s I was writing my recent review of the “Berlin Lulu” – that dratted 2012 version of Alban Berg’s opera that deals with its monstrous tragedy by breaking off yet more parts of the antiquated kewpie-doll Lulu, starting with the head – Munich’s Bavarian State Opera was giving the premiere of its new production of Berg’s Lulu, intact and then some, which I feared I’d never know. But the trusty old Bavarian Radio carried a live broadcast of opening night, and there was a livestream telecast which is now safely ensconced on Medici TV. A word to the wise is sufficient. Why, you ask, are you back at us so soon with this tawdry tale? Because, I reply, it tells us more about the consequences – hazards, really – of so-called romantic love, no matter who’s doing it, than, say, Looking, or anything else since Tristan und Isolde. The more we can look at Lulu without blinking, the more likely we are to have a life. I had barely pounded in the four corner-posts of my own personal operatic tent – Norma, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly and Tristan – when Lulu pulled me into her orbit. It was my second year in the Bay Area. During the first I had heard the Tristan with Nilsson and Windgassen, so I knew the War Memorial was a happening kind of place. And while I’ve often rued the other productions I missed in 1971, e.g., a Sutherland Maria Stuarda, I remember the force with which the Lulu – an opera about which I knew absolutely nothing, and which was still being performed as a “torso” minus most of it third act – hauled me away from graduate school across the Bay and froze me in place for reasons beyond the giddy reality that Christoph von Dohnanyi was conducting with Anja Silja the Lulu. Those were the days. There were acres of empty seats then, but it’s been the single greatest amazement of my opera-going life that, over its course, Lulu has not only regained the rest of its third act, but, whenever it’s been given a fighting chance, it’s become a sellout and often a hot ticket. That’s how much we need it. What makes the character Lulu – you must pardon the expression – an

Courtesy Bavarian State Opera

Daniela Sindram’s Geschwitz in Berg’s Lulu.

Everyman is that she’s a slave to being sexual, and to others around her being sexual. And she deals. By the time she sings her exultant “O Freiheit!” (“O freedom!”) in Act II, sex alchemically mixed with love is over for her, kaput, and all that’s left is to see it all wind down, which she does with singular Little Lulu-ish courage. This is what’s really meant by adult fare. Want to torpedo your perfect, beautiful life? Add romance with sex. What blew me away back then was seeing, right there onstage, a designated lesbian, the smitten Countess Geschwitz, whom Lulu characterizes as crazed (particularly when Geschwitz is around her). But Lulu calls her “verrueckt” only in a futile final attempt at protecting the Countess, who, when you step back even a little, has the largest aggregate of positive character traits of anyone else in the opera. Sure, by the terms of the DSM-5, no one in Lulu is a bit well, and Berg’s creations are as much archetypes as “real people,” but Geschwitz’s most unmistakable attribute is a pathological generosity. She just keeps on giving – and thinking of others. Without retracting a jot of my praise for Deborah Polaski’s Geschwitz in Berlin, the character was, in Andrea Berth’s production, all too typically played to stereotype. In Dmitri Tcherniakov’s vastly more involving production for Munich, Daniela Sindram’s Geschwitz is, whatever the signer’s sexuality, every inch the convincing lesbian – she looks like my SF doctor – but with an infinitely greater and more subtle emotional range. Unlike her Berlin counterpart, her costume doesn’t

change; she does. When she goes into her final fantasy about how, when all this sordid business is over, she’s going to get a law degree and fight for the rights of women, you believe it and root for her. Tcherniakov departs from Berg’s detailed stage instructions only in ways that are true to the, well, Weltanschauung of the piece. Staging it all in a maze of glass panels – but not the cage that has become the cliche of Lulu stagings – he strikes a brilliant balance between transparency and objectivism, color and feeling, that’s also not deaf to the strokes of dark comedy in Lulu. That’s at its most spellbinding in the Paris stock exchange scene (wily mirroring-telescoping on Berg’s part) at the beginning of Act III. There, in the middle of one of the most complicated ensembles in 20th-century opera, is Marlis Petersen, singing Lulu in her ninth production of the work, in what’s easily the most complete realization of the character on today’s stage (and sung not as if it’s Verdi but as if it’s Monteverdi in its fusion of text and musical line). For once Lulu’s toast (“Prosit!”) makes contextual sense, and, while singing her birdcage music, Petersen pulls off a stretch of physical comedy – Lulu’s getting progressively more drunk and frantic – that I would put up there with Lucille Ball in the chocolate-factory scene of I Love Lucy, than which I have no higher praise. In my favorite I-told-you-so of this century, masterminding it all is conductor Kirill Petrenko, since named the new chief director of the Berlin Philharmonic.t

by Ernie Alderete

he first thing that strikes you about Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat is the cast. It’s the hottest assembly of twinks and flawless beefcake in cinema history! Yes, they tend to overact, and use sarcasm in place of witty dialogue, but the players are so likable that you tend to overlook minor flaws, and you’re swept along with the erotic story. The inconsequential storyline is virtually irrelevant. Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat is nothing but eye candy, beautiful moving male images to enjoy. Productions values are excellent, editing is sharp, there is no dead space and no wasted time. EO3:

AYCE rewards you for your continued viewing. Blond, slim, boyish, hairless body Daniel Skelton as Casey is the very personification of the term twink. Chris Salvatore as Zack, with his heavy five o’clock shadow and deep-set, deep-blue eyes, is the prototype of young beefcake. Not daddy material quite yet, but someday he’ll make a superb transition to the next stage of gay male stereotypes. Frequent Divine costar (Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble) Mink Stole makes a welcome appearance as Aunt Helen. Who needs Viagra? When you’re in the mood for mindless sensual visual stimulation, watch Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat.t

<< Out&About

O ut &

A bo

O& A

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • July 2-8, 2015

The Book of Mormon @ Broadway San Jose

Don’t Dream It…Be It! @ Harvey Milk Photo Center

South Bay tour of the Tony-winning musical comedy created by the South Park guys. $28-$220. Tue-Thu 7:30pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Fri & Sat 2pm. Sun 1pm & 6:30pm. Thru July 12. 255 South Almaden Blvd., San Jose. broadwaysanjose.com/book-mormon

Group photo exhibit of drag, theatre, music and gay life by multiple artists, including Daniel Nicoletta, Marques Daniels, Molly DeCoudreaux, Nicole Fraser-Herron, Sara Gobets, Jose A. Guzman Colon, Michael Johnstone, and others. July 18. 50 Scott St. www.harveymilkphotocenter.org

Each and Every Thing @ The Marsh

Fri 3 San Francisco Mime Troupe’s Freedomland

Sparkle motion by Jim Provenzano

xplosions go boom, here and there, but the real revolution is happening in marriage quality, of course. You can find our lives reflected in the arts, and do feel a bit more happy to celebrate our nation’s independence; dance in the streets or set off a few sparklers, perhaps? David Allen

Thu 2 Barbary Coast Revue @ Balancoire The third season of the popular cabaret show returns, with Danny Kennedy as Mark Twain, a cast of diverse performers, and new guest performer Connie Champagne. Thursdays weekly thru June. $14-$64. 8pm. 2565 Mission St. at 22nd. www.BarbaryCoastRevue.com

Black Virgins are Not for Hipsters @ The Marsh Echo Brown’s comic solo show follows a young women’s impending sexual encounter, and its political implications. $20-$35. Thu 8pm. Sat 8:30pm. Extended thru July 25. 1062 Valencia St. at 22nd. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

The Book of Mormon @ Orpheum Theatre The mega-hit musical comedy (nine Tony Awards and a Grammy) by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez returns. $60-$225. Tue-Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm. Sun 1pm & 6:30pm. Thru June 27. 1192 Market St. (888) 746-1799. www.BookofMormonTheMusical.com www.shnsf.com

Club Inferno @ Hypnodrome Thrillpeddlers’ hilarious rockin’ production of Kelly Kittell and Peter Fogel’s glam rock musical spin on Dante’s The Divine Comedy, where the road to fame can be hell, literally! $30-$35. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru Aug. 8. 575 10th St. at Bryant. 377-4202. www.hypnodrome.org

Love and Information @ Strand Theater The inaugural performances at American Conservatory Theatre’s new satellite theatre; Carol Churchill’s kaleidoscopic play captures the dizzying array of electronic communication that helps and hinders true human connection. $40-$100. Tue-Sat 7:30pm [note earlier curtain time]. Wed & Sat 2pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. Thru Aug. 9. 1127 Market St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

New & Classic Films @ Castro Theatre July 2, A Hard Day’s Night (7:30) and Gimme Shelter (9:!5). July 3, Shakedown (7:30) and RoboCop (9:25). July 5, Jaws (2:45, 7pm) and Piranha (5:10, 9:20). July 7, Ex Machina (7pm) and Under the Skin (9pm). July 8, Kiss Me Deadly (7pm) and Hustle (9pm) July 9, InForum presents authors Chuck Palahniuk and Lidia Yuknavitch in conversation (6pm). $11-$15. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Sex & The City Live @ Oasis The popular drag parody performances of episodes from the HBO show about four Manhattan gal pals. $25 and up. Thu-Sat 7pm. Extended thru July 3. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

The Q-Sides @ Galeria de la Raza Artists Vero Majano, DJ Brown Amy (Amy Martinez), and Kari Orvik reinterpret the album covers of East Side Story, Volumes 1-12 through a re-staging and re-imagining of queer inclusion within the traditionally heterosexual public image of lowrider culture. Closing reception July 2, 7pm10pm. Also, see the mural by Maricon Collective that was defaced by graffiti vandals. Thru July 5. 2857 24th St. 826-8009. www.galeriadelaraza.org

Student & Faculty Concerts @ SF Conservatory of Music Nearly nightly concerts in several forms (instrumental, vocal) by accomplished students and faculty. Free-$18. 50 Oak St. 503-6322. www.sfcm.edu

Tom Bianchi @ Scott Nichols Gallery Fire Island Pines: Polaroids 19751983, a sexy and historic exhibit of the famed gay photographer’s early Polaroids and prints. Tue-Sat 11am5:30pm. Thru July 15. 49 Geary St. 4th floor. 788-4641. www.scottnicholsgallery.com

TransCuba, Jamil Hellu @ Rayko Photo Center Photo exhibit of the prints by Mariette Pathy Allen of Cuba’s transgender residents. Also, in the side gallery, Jamil Hellu’s Darrin, a series of homoerotic photos of his partner. Thru July 31. 428 3rd St. 495-3773. www.raykophotocenter.com

Unusual Movies @ Oddball Films Weekly screenings of strange and obscure short films. $10. 8pm Also Fridays. 275 Capp St. 558-8117. www.oddballfilm.com

Solo performer Dan Hoyle returns with his acclaimed show about about the slow-tech movement and how personal interactions outweigh technology. $20-$100. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5pm. Thru July 18. Mainstage Theater, 1062 Valencia St. at 21st. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Foodies, the Musical @ Shelton Theater Morris Bobrow’s musical comedy revue of songs and sketches about food. $32-$34. Fri & Sat 8pm. Open run. 533 Sutter St. (800) 838-3006. www.foodiesthemusical.com

Edgar Degas @ Petaluma Arts Center The Private Impressionist: 100 works on paper by the master French painter, and his contemporaries. Members preview June 18 (5:30pm, $25). Gala opening June 19 (7pm, $75-$100) Thu-Mon 10am-5pm. Sat until 8pm. Thru July 26. 230 Lakeville St., Petaluma. (707) 762-5600. www.PetalumaArtsCenter.org

San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band @ Yerba Buena Gardens Celebrate the red, white and blue on Independence Day with the boisterous but accomplished ensemble; the first openly gay musical group in the world, which performs rousing standards and music honoring the great City of San Francisco. Free 1pm. Mission St at 3rd. 543-1718. www.ybgfestival.org

The Sound of Music @ Contra Costa Civic Theatre Contra Costa Civic Theatre performs the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about an ex-nun turned nanny, who charms the children of an Austrian gentleman. $15-$35. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru July 19. 951 Pomona Ave. (510) 524-9132. www.ccct.org

Mon 6 Color of Life @ Cal Academy

Freedomland @ Dolores Park San Francisco Mime Troupe’s newest satirical political musical, about government surveillance, police violence and other fun topics. 1:30pm music, show 2pm. Also July 4 & 5. Also at several Nor Cal parks and venues thru Sept. 7. www.sfmt.org

The Marriage of Figaro @ AT&T Park Large-screen simulcast of the San Francisco Opera production of Mozart’s comedic opera. Free. 7:30pm. 24 Willie Mays Plaza. www.sfopera.com/simulcast

Oakland Easy Bay Symphony @ Craneway Pavlion, Richmond Independence Eve celebration with spirited American classic works., pplus musical theatre favorites from The Sound of Music, Porgy & Bess, Frozen and Candide. 8pm. 1414 Harbour Way South, Ford Point, Richmond. www.oebs.org www.craneway.com

Top Girls @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley Shotgun Player’s production of Caryl Churchill’s witty play about an 80s British employment agency and its women through history. $5-$25. Wed 7pm. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru Aug. 2. 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-6500. shotgunplayers.org

Sat 4 Arts Festival @ Yerba Buena Gardens The months-long outdoor performing arts festival, with music, dance and readings. Free. Different dates and times thru Oct. 31. 543-1718. www.ybgfestival.org

Embodiments @ de Young Museum Embodiments: Masterworks of African Figurative Sculpture, thru July 5; photographer Janet Delaney: South of Market, thru July 19. Other exhibits of modern art as well. Free/$25. Thru May 31. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. www.famsf.org

July 4 Celebrations @ Various Areas Celebrate July 4 with fireworks (9pm-ish); in SF, enjoy views from the Embarcadero or Treasure Island. Earlier, in Berkeley, at the Marina 12pm-10pm (includes performances, and lots of kid-friendly activities www.AnotherBullwinkelShow.com); in Oakland at Jack London Square, Broadway at Embarcadero (11am, 4pm); in Sonoma at the Visitors Bureau (453 1st St), with a parade and festival (10am-5pm).

Other Cinema @ ATA Gallery Weekly screenings of unusual, rare and strange short films and videos. $7. 8:30pm. 992 Valencia St. 6480654. www.othercinema.com

Radical Presence @ YBCA Subtitled Black Performance in Contemporary Art, this new exhibit explores identity in a variety of media. $5. 12pm-10pm. Thru Oct. 11. Also, New Filipino Cinema June 11-June 28. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. www.ybca.org

Stranded! @ Conservatory of Flowers Tropical Island Survival, a new interactive exhibit of tropical plants, with castaway kitch, island survival displays and more. Thru Oct. 18. Also, permanent floral displays. Tue-Sun 10am-4pm. $2-$8. 100 JFK Drive, Golden Gate Park, 831-2090. www.conservatoryofflowers.org

Sundance Saloon @ Hotel Whitcomb The country-western line-dancing and twostepping annual huge gathering will attract hundreds of dance fans. $10. 7:30pm. 1231 Market St. www.sundancesaloon.org

Superhero @ Modern Eden Gallery 4th annual portrait call selections; a group exhibit of artists’ interpretations of superheroes of all kinds. Thru July 6. 801 Greenwich St. www.moderneden.com

Wilde Chats @ Sweet Inspirations Community Initiative’s weekly informal discussion group at the dessert shop. 10:30am-12pm. 2239 Market St. 621-8664. sweetinspirationbakery.com

Sun 5 Abrazo, Queer Tango @ Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Berkeley

Fri 3

Enjoy weekly same-sex tango dancing and a potluck, with lessons early in the day. $7-$15. 3:30-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St., Berkeley. (510) 8455352. www.finnishhall.com

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. Reg: $25$160. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 4214222. beachblanketbabylon.com

Celebrating AIGA @ Museum of Craft and Design Dogpatch warehouse is now a museum store, gallery and program space. Exhibits include Celebrating AIGA (the American professional organization for design). Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm. 2569 Third St. 7730303. www.sfmcd.org

Burger Boogaloo @ Mosswood Park, Oakland Film director/author and trash camp icon John Waters hosts the annual underground rock punk and R&B music concert, with The Mummies, The Pandoras, Troublemakers, Untamed Youth, Almighty Defenders, Apache, Shannon & the Clams, Jonathan Richman, Nikki Corvette, Sneaky Pinks, The Black Lips, and many more; a dozen food and drink trucks and sellers, 21+ beer garden. $39-$95 (2-day VIP pass). Also July 5. 3612 Webster St., Oakland. www.burgerboogaloo.com

Invisible Reflections @ McLaren Lodge

Sat 4 Fireworks @ Various Locales

Robert Minervini’s Narrative of Six Documents, paintings of visual retellings of forgotten secrets of prominent Golden Gate Park monuments. Thru August 14. 501 Stanyan st. sfartscommission.org

OutLook Video @ Channel 29 The weekly LGBT TV show, with updates on current events. 9:30pm. www.outlookvideo.org

Out&About>>

Pacific Worlds @ Oakland Museum New exhibit focuses on the contemporary lives of and historic cultures of Pacific Islanders and California; thru Jan. 3. Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact thru Sept 20. Free/$15. Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

The Printer’s Eye @ Asian Art Museum The Printer’s Eye: Ukiyo-e, from the Grabhorn Collection. Other fascinating exhibits as well. Free (members, kids 12 and under)-$15. Tue-Sun 10am5pm. 200 Larkin St. www.asianart.org

Spring Wild Flowers @ SF Botanical Gardens See blooming Spring floral displays, including new Magnolia blossoms (51 species and 33 cultivars), plus trees and exhibits. Ongoing: Fotanicals: the Secret Language of Flowers, an exhibition of photographs by artist joSon. Daily walking tours and more, at outdoor exhibits of hundreds of species of native wildflowers in a century-old grove of towering Coast Redwoods. Free-$15. Daily. Golden Gate Park. 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

Tours and Exhibits @ The Old Mint New Sunday program offers tours and exhibits about San Francisco’s history. Explore the fascinating building’s grand halls and vaults. $5-$10. Weekly, 1pm-4pm. 88 5th St. 5371105. www.SFhistory.org

Mon 6 30 Years of Collecting Art That Tells Our Stories @ GLBT History Museum New exhibit of collected drawings, paintings and sculptures from three decades of queer donations, guestcurated by Elisabeth Cornu. Free (members)-$5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Carol Cunningham, Dave Fox @ Lost Art Salon Dual exhibit of the Northern and Southern California artists, along with many vintage prints and art work. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. 245 South Van Ness Ave. 861-1530. www.lostartsalon.com

Margaret Keane @ Keane Eyes Gallery Paintings, prints and other items by the creator of the famous kitschy “big eyes” paintings of children and animals; featured in the recent Tim Burton film. By appointment. 3040 Larkin St. 922-9309. www.keane-eyes.com

Color of Life @ California Academy of Sciences Exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth; new exhibit focuses on vibrantly colored species of octopus, snake fish and other live creatures. Special events each week, with adult nightlife parties most Thursday nights. $20-$35. Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www. calacademy.org

95 Rituals @ Hyde Street Pier Dancers’ Group presents InkBoat’s site-specific outdoor performances, dedicated to modern dance innovator Anna Halprin on her 95th birthday. Free. Daily 5pm-8pm. Thru July 11. Fisherman’s Wharf, 2905 Hyde St. www.95rituals.org

July 2-8, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

Thu 9 Garrett + Moulton @ YBCA

It’s Everything @ KOFY-TV Local nightlife host and singer BeBe Sweetbriar’s streaming web talk show welcomes local celebrities. 7pm. Audience welcome at KOFY-TV, 2500 Marin St. www.BeBeSweetbriar.com

OUTspoken @ City Hall Outspoken: Portraits of LGBTQ Luminaries, an exhibit of photographs by Roger Erickson. Ground floor, North Light Court. Thru Sept. 11. 1 Carlton B. Goodlet Place. www.sfgov.org

Wed 8 Call Me Miss Birds Eye @ Geary Theater Denise Wharmby’s musical tribute solo show as iconic musical theatre singer-actress Ethel Merman includes 30 songs, and stories from Merman’s life. $20-$65. Wed-Sat 7:30pm. Sat 2pm. Sun 7pm. Thru July 19. 405 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Carolina De Robertis @ Books Inc Opera Plaza The author of The Gods of Tango reads from and discusses her enchanting novel of young widow who crossdresses to join an all-male tango troupe. 7pm. 601 Van Ness Ave. 776-1111. www.booksinc.net

Science Exhibits @ The Exploratorium Visit the fascinating science museum in its new Embarcadero location. Free$25. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (Thu night 6pm-10pm, 18+). 528-4893. www.exploratorium.edu

SPF8 @ ODC Theater

Holotta Tymes hosts the new weekly variety show with female impersonation acts, and barbeque in the front Fez Room. $20. 7pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. www.sfoasis.com

SafeHouse Arts’ eighth annual dance showcase, with works by Project Tremelo, Joe Landini, Emote Dance Theater, Blind Tiger Society, Paige Starling Sorvillo, LV Dance Collective, Jenni Bregman & Dancers, and others. $10-$20. Various daily times. Thru July 12. 3153 17th st. 863-9834. www.safehousearts.info www.odcdance.org

Indigo Girls @ Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga

Triangle @ Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto

Follies @ Oasis

The lyrical folk-rock duo perform favorites, and music from their new CD One Lost Day, at the scenic outdoor venue; Caroline Aiken opens. Pre-concert dining available. $55-$85. 7pm. Also July 9, 7pm. Lilian Fontaine Garden Theatre, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. (408) 961-5800. www.indigogirls.com www.montalvoarts.org

Long-Term Survivor Project @ SF Camera Work Exhibit of AIDS-themed works by Hunter Reynolds, Frank Yamrus and Grahame Perry; Programs about HIV survivorship. Thru July 18. 1011 Market St. 487-1011. www.sfcamerawork.org

Portraits and Other Likenesses @ Museum of the African Diaspora Exhibit of contemporary works and historic exhibits of African cultures, with a shared group of works from SF MOMA. Thru Oct. 11. Free/$10. 685 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Theatreworks Silicon valley performs Curtis moore and Thomas Mizer’s new musical about parallel romances across times between a high-tech scientist and women of the Tirangle Shirtwaist Factory. $19-$74. Thru Aug. 2. 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. (650) 463-1960. TheatreWorks.org

Thu 9

Invisible Reflections @ Mclaren Lodge

10 Percent @ Comcast David Perry’s online interviews, broadcast through the week. Check for times on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/10Percent/66629477326 www.ComcastHometown.com

The Desk Set @ Exit Theatre No Nude Men’s production of William Marchant’s 1955 office comedy about technology and company politics. $20. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru July 24. 156 Eddy St. www.theexit.org

Garrett + Moulton @ YBCA The Luminous Edge, the Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton’s acclaimed evening-length work, is presented in encore performances. $25-$36. ThuSat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru July 12. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 701 Mission St. 978-2787. garrettmoulton.org www.ybca.org

Hardcore Cronenberg @ YBCA Three months of weekly screenings of David Cronenberg’s artful unusual films. Thursdays 7:30pm, repeats Sundays 2pm. Thru Sept. 5. Free(members)-$8. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts screening room, 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

Night Begins the Day @ Contemporary Jewish Museum Subtitled Rethinking Space, Time, and Beauty, the new exhibit focuses on 25 contemporary thinkers, scientists and designers; curated by Renny Pritikin; thru Sept. 20. Also, Tzedakah Box, Bound to be Held: A Book Show, Lamp of the Covenant ; lectures and gallery talks as well. Free (members)-$12. Fri-Tue 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 6557800. www.thecjm.org

Tue 7 Gay Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels LGBT night at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” Actually every night is gay-friendly, including Saturday’s Black Rock night (Burning Man garb encouraged). Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm. Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Sun 5

Thu 9 Sunset Piano @ SF Botanical Gardens

Russ Lorenson @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The elegant vocalist performs his musical tribute concert to Bobby Darin. $25-$40 ($20 food/drink min.). 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

San Francisco Magic Parlor @ Chancellor Hotel Theatre David Facer’s solo magic show, The World of Paradox, entertains and beguiles. $40. Thu-Sat 8pm. Openended run. 433 Powell St. at Post. www.MagicParlor.blogspot.com

Sharknado 2: The Second One @ Century 9 Fathom Events’ nationwide simulcast of the Rifftraxx guys poking voiceover fun at the hilariously trashy scifi flick. $12. 7pm. 835 Market St. www.fathomevents.com

Sunset Piano @ SF Botanical Gardens Enjoy site-specific recitals by multiple musicians on a dozen pianos set in the outdoor garden’s 55-acre setting; open to the public for playing as well. Thru July 20. www.sunsetpiano.com www.sfbotanicalgardensociety.org

Various Artists @ NIAD Art Center, Richmond Exhibits of art made by developmentally disabled people. Also, exhibits of works by Amelia Oie, Shantee Robinson and others. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. 551 23rd St. Richmond. (510) 620-0290. www.niadart.org To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com. Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication. For more bar and nightlife events, go to On the Tab in our BARtab section, online at www.ebar.com/bartab

Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secret language If you youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re re a Harlequin frog, your bold colors tell predators to keep their distance. Discover the many ways that color can warn, attract, camouflage and communicate in this vibrant new exhibit. Get tickets at calacademy.org Generously supported by

CAS_BayAreaReporter_9.75x16.indd 1

6/29/15 5:21 PM

Toast of the Town

Pride parties

NIGHTLIFE

DINING

SPIRITS

Karrnal Knowledge

SOCIETY

ROMANCE

LEATHER

PERSONALS

www.ebar.com V www.bartabsf.com

Vol. 45 • No. 27 • July 2-8, 2015

John Waters Fab film icon hosts Burger Boogaloo by Andre Torrez

“H

ello?” he says as if my call was unexpected and that an interview wasn’t scheduled. The unmistakable voice, cheerful in tone, answers the phone after only a few rings. I don’t need to ask, but as a formality I proceed with, “Is this John Waters?” It is of course; the ‘Pope of Trash’ is cooking himself dinner as we speak. See page 31 >>

John Waters

Shooting Stars Pink Party & LGBT Pride

he timing could not have been better; with the Supreme Court decision for nationwide marriage equality drawing out thousands for the prior days’ celebrations. Sunday June 28, LGBT Pride kicked off with a rousing pa-

rade, including grand marshals, corporations with thousands of employees, a bevy of supportive elected officials, festive dancers, drag stars, and kinksters of all kinds. Big celebrations continued in Civic Center, where multiple stages pro-

photos by Steven Underhill

Left: Steve Grand & Right: Big Freedia on the Main Stage at Pride Middle: The crowds watching the Main Stage at Civic Center.

vided diverse DJed and live entertainment. Highlights included Big Freedia, Steve Grand, Cheer SF and many others, with MC Liam Mayclem keeping the show rolling. www.pridesf.org Enjoy photos of the Pinky Party on page

35 and Pride Sunday on pages 38-39. See dozens more fun photo albums on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at www.StevenUnderhill.com.

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

OUR DAILY SPECIALS ARE SERVED FROM OPEN TO CLOSE

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

30 • Bay Area Reporter • July 2-8, 2015

Toast of the Town Elegant urban options for imbibing by Sean Timberlake

Drink Your Veggies Savory ingredients in cocktails are on the rise again, with sometimes surprising showings. At BDK (501 Geary Street, 415.292.0101, www. bdkrestaurant.com), in the former Grand Café space, try the Snap Peas, with sugar snap peas muddled right in the shaker with manzanilla sherry, London dry gin, absinthe, lemon, and tonic. The fresh vegetal flavor is so bright, you’ll feel positively virtuous. The menu at nearby Benjamin Cooper (398 Geary Street, 6545061, www.benjamincoopersf.com), run by two fellows who previously had underground favorite bar Big, is constantly changing, and all the more reason to revisit with great frequency. Head bartenders Brian Felley and Mo Hodges are shaking up some of the most elaborately creative cocktails in the city. On a recent visit, we enjoyed a Green Acres, made with gin, green tomato, cucumber, aloe liquor and lime. Alongside a tray of perfectly shucked oysters, it was a slice of heaven.

ong gone are the days of uninspired hotel bars with lackluster libations. San Francisco’s downtown is in the middle of a craft cocktail renaissance. Get thee to the heart of the city to experience some of these prevailing themes and trends right now. What’s Old Is New San Francisco’s cocktail culture is hardly new. One of the most venerable establishments is throwing its own birthday party. The Clift Hotel (775-4700, www. clifthotel.com) turns 100 this year, and doesn’t look a day over 75. In their swank Redwood Room, they’ve unveiled a special cocktail menu to mark the occasion, comprised of drinks concocted for the bar by other prominent mixologists around town. In-house bartender Anthony Kim pays homage to both the hotel and its contemporary, the Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915, with the Pan-Pacific Sling. In this tiki-inflected drink, he blends Campo de Encanto pisco, cofounded by Duggan McDonnel of nearby Cantina, with pineapple gum syrup, cherry heering, lemon juice, and Fernet Branca. (Fun fact: It’s believed around 70% of worldwide Fernet Branca consumption is right here in San Francisco.) Down the road, Tradition (441 Jones Street; 415.474.2284; www. tradbar.com) pays homage to the very notion of bars themselves. The menu is broken into eight sections, each reflective of a type of bar: Tiki, British pub, speakeasy, and so on. That menu is exclusively available to patrons who reserve one of the booths, each of which sports the décor of one of those motifs. The location is right in the crackiest, wackiest heart of the Tenderloin, but once through the door, you’re transported to another world. If you want to go seriously old school, pop on your fedora and trundle up the hill to Stookey’s Club Moderne (895 Bush Street, 7719695, stookeysclubmoderne.com). Owner Tim Stookey embraced the bar’s gorgeously preserved Deco interior, and carried the theme to full term by making everything about it referential to the post-Prohibition era. Classic cocktails are the order of the day here, with a strong showing of gin drinks. The white-jacketed bartender will cheerfully make you an Aviation or Corpse Reviver #2 in elegant stemware, or a Moscow Mule in the requisite copper mug. Bitter Is Better Amari are the ingredient du jour. Each of these Italian bitter liqueurs employs an arcane mix of botanical ingredients to create profoundly complex flavors. You may be familiar with the milder, more bittersweet ones like Campari or Aperol, but the spectrum goes all the way up to Fernet-Branca, a tongue-curling amaro with notes of mint and camphor. If

Sean Timberlake

Everything about Stookey’s Club Moderne harkens back to the ‘30s, including the barterders’ jackets. Swank stemware completes the theme.

Feel the Burn The sting of chili peppers is a delectable element in cocktails, providing a counterpart to the burn of liquor and tempering sweetness of mixers. Among the best of the bunch is the Poquito Picante at the Burritt Room (417 Stockton Street, 400-0561, www. charliepalmer.com/burritt-roomand-tavern), in which a housemade serrano tincture adds spark to blanco tequila, Aperol and lime. Jay Villafana of Arguello, in the Presidio, adds a dash of his own smoky-hot chipotle tincture for his contribution to Redwood Room’s menu, the Phoenix, made with Altos tequila, lemon juice, Averna and another infused ingredient, agave flavored with vanilla. Rye’s La Lambada employs jalapeño tincture with cahcaça, mezcal, lime and mole bitters for a spicy twist on the classic caipirinha.

Nestled in the lobby of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, Clock Bar (335 Powell Street, 397-7000, www. westinstfrancis.com/dining/clockbar) rotates their craft cocktail list seasonally. For their spring menu, they ran the Jalapeño Yo Face, with vodka, Green Chartreuse, jalapeño, celery and cilantro. Tea Time Tea is not just for breakfast or a mid-afternoon lift anymore. It’s increasingly finding its way into cocktails. Take Clock Bar’s The Last Samurye, for example, featuring Earl Grey tea with smoky scotch, rye and tangy tamarind. Another entry on the Redwood Room’s special menu comes from Daniel Godinez of 15 Romolo. He infuses Earl Grey tea into Zacapa tequila for the Centennial Tea, then adds bourbon, orgeat, Benedictine, fresh lime juice, and Angostura Bitters. Pinkies up! Dessert Worthy Ready to call it a night? Not all that’s good to drink downtown is bitter or savory. To finish on a sweet note, try the Redwood Room’s menu’s item by San Francisco mixology mainstay H. Joseph Erhmann of Elixir. The Bentley Old Fashioned is a slightly sweeter version of the classic, with bourbon, chocolate bitters, orgeat, and dark chocolate shavings on the rim. Back at BDK, banana liqueur adds a gentle sweetness to tequila and sherry in the aptly named Banana. The trend here is not cloyingly sweet, but just a satisfying sip to round out the night.t Sean Timberlake is a freelance writer and founder of Punk Domestics, an online community for food preservation enthusiasts. www.punkdomestics.com

Sean Timberlake

A bartender at BDK mixes up a Banana.

these liqueurs come off as medicinal to you, it’s not coincidence. Amari have been consumed as digestifs since their inception, and are derived from recipes that were originally used for curative purposes. Given the intensity of these liqueurs, they usually get added as support staff alongside more workaday spirits and mixers to add depth, but at The European (490 Geary Street, 345-2305, www. theeuropeansf.com), they pull no punches. One of their signature

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

drinks is the Amor y Amargo, which combines eight distinct amari into a single spirituous drink that ends up surprisingly balanced. Head bartender of Lolinda Nora Furst’s entry to the Redwood Room’s commemorative menu, the Nola Darling, blends mezcal, another hot trend, with yellow Chartreuse, Gran Classico amaro and orange bitters for a wild riff on the classic negroni. It’s very Amalfi Coast meets Maya Riviera. Take more of your medicine at Rx (701 Geary Street, 271-0896, www.rxbarsf.com), where the menu groupings are designed to cure what ails ya: Stimulants, Stress Relievers, Painkillers, Mood Stabilizers, and Medicinals. Amari lead the pack of ingredients on nearly every cocktail, with standard liquors playing supporting cast. Hit up happy hour from 6-8 pm daily for one of the Painkillers on the cheap. Amari are peppered throughout the menu at Rye (688 Geary Street, 474-4448, www.ryesf.com). Take, for example, the Second Breakfast, which pairs high-proof rye with artichoke-based amaro Cynar, coffee liqueur, green Chartreuse, and orange juice, topped with an egg white froth, or a new riff on the Moscow Mule with Amaro Ciociaro to swank up the vodka, lime and ginger mix.

Sean Timberlake

Michael at The European peels an orange to garnish the signature Amor y Amargo.

Sean Timberlake

Nora Furst demos her Nola Darling at the Redwood Room.

Read more online at www.ebar.com

John Waters

artists from a specific niche, while still spanning decades of talent. It isn’t hard to imagine Waters fraternizing with the show’s orgaI ask what’s on the menu. “Chicknizers. Burger Records, pretty much en, steamed veggies…” I hear fuma cult with a following that matches bling as he’s suddenly, in a rare mothat description, specializes in reisment, speechless. suing hidden gems often from the “Those Asian noodles.” troupe of bubblegum, psych and Another momentary pause as I 1970s punk. hear packaging crinkle through the They have an impressive stable of phone line. current musicians and bands they as“Soba noodles!” he exclaims vicsociate with, who they back by releastoriously. ing their records and tapes. Likewise, I can’t see him, but I envision the East Bay’s Total Trash Producthe 69-year-old legendary director, tions are at the heart of this presentascreenwriter and author –mostly tion. The fact that they’ve combined known for his perverse, iconoclasforces with the director of Mondo tic, yet hilarious films– wearing an Trasho is disgustingly kindred. apron like Kathleen Turner’s Beverly Waters jogs through his memory Sutphin or Divine’s Edna Turnblad. and compares the engagement to a They both portrayed the types of Fangoria show he once did in Vegas ersatz doting mothers used before with Slayer as the headliner. It’s aphis lens in a motif that mocked what parent from reading Carsick, and was supposedly America’s more inif you’ve seen any of his films, that nocent times. music plays a major role and has inThat’s probably not the case, but fluenced his taste and artistic style. I’m surprised that Waters takes time His affinity for off-kilter counfor laborious domestic chores while try, rockabilly and obscure oldies is balancing a phone conversation employed throughout the book as a and maintaining his busy schedule. sort of hitchhiker’s soundtrack. Of I know he resides in a few places, course some of the selections, like keeping a home right here in San Marvin Gaye’s “Hitch Hike,” are alFrancisco’s Nob Hill and another most too perfect. in his native Baltimore. But for now “Don’t skip ahead in the book. he’s in Massachusetts. He tells me You’ve gotta read the whole thing,” he’s got an hour to make dinner, eat Waters playand then be at the fully chastises Provincetown Inme for cheating. I ternational Film explain that I only Festival by 6 p.m. did so because I With how fast he’s was pressed for talking, I believe time and I wanthe can make it. ed to get a sense Less than a for the book’s fimonth ago, Wanal section, since ters made a San it’s broken up into Francisco public fiction and nonappearance on his fiction compobook-signing tour nents. It starts off at Green Apple with a best-case Books to promote scenario, moves Carsick, his latest on to the worst, work about hitchand finally, what hiking across the really happens on country. He returns to the Bay John Waters’ new book Carsick. his journey of car rides with strangArea this Fourth ers. of July Weekend By now I’m fanning out and tell to host the sixth annual Burger Boohim I’ll never forget the first time I galoo, a two-day music fest making saw Pink Flamingos and its masterits third consecutive appearance at ful use of Little Richard’s “The Girl Oakland’s Mosswood Park. Can’t Help It,” or the scene set to “I’ll be Bob Hoping it,” he says Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers’ about his role at the gig, with no res“I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent,” ervations about agreeing to partake where Divine steals from a butcher, in the show. unabashedly pilfering a slab of red He says the idea was initially premeat, stuffing it up her dress in besented to him by his agent. tween her thighs. “Oakland and Baltimore are not Waters would later have the opso different. It’s my kind of crowd. portunity in the mid-1980s to inI’m very at home at punk shows,” terview rock ‘n roll’s flamboyant says the self-professed Jonathan originator for Playboy. But it ended Richman fan. “I hated Studio 54. I in near disaster when an overprowas too old.” tective and down on his luck Little Richman, who founded the ModRichard (living in a motel at the ern Lovers, is just one of over twotime) made his interviewer sign a dozen acts the Boogaloo boasts on nondisclosure form. a bill that caters to ravenous fans “You shouldn’t always meet your of punk, garage-rock, at least three heroes,” Waters reflects. international groups, and a heavy As an aside, he clarifies Divine’s dose of local California flavor. Acts look as he’s done in countless inlike Nikki Corvette and The Gories terviews before, saying it was Jayne exemplify the festival’s spirit and its Mansfield meets Godzilla. knack for booking groundbreaking

From page 29

July 2-8, 2015 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

“People were always confused. Divine wasn’t trans,” he says perhaps confusing the terminology, but stressing that who would go on to become the epitome of a drag queen was first and foremost intent on being an actor. He shares a lesser-known tidbit when I mention I got to see one of the sculptures he made at a Union Square art gallery a few years back. Waters’ work of art depicted the great soul duo of Ike and Tina Turner, with a nearly life-sized Ike hovering over Tina, pulling her strings as a puppeteer. It’s a scathing commentary, but one I sadly agree with. We bond over the fact that Tina’s true talents were harnessed best under Ike’s tutelage. Then he blows my mind with a stunning visual when he says that he and Divine went to see their soul revue live in 1966. “Ike & Tina were a huge influence.” He’s still talking about Divine’s look. We touch on TV (he’s not exactly its biggest fan), pop culture and the current climate of being too politically correct. He lapses into the recent past, calling the newly-christened Caitlyn Jenner by her former name as a man before coming out as transgender and revealing her new self to Vanity Fair. “Bruce Jenner is a Republican. Can’t we make fun?” Speaking of politics, he credits President Obama on his efforts towards LGBTQ equality [a couple of weeks prior to SCOTUS’ landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S.]. “Obama did make it better, but it’s different in the ghetto. It’s become a class issue,” he argues, touching on race and socio-economics. “Pretty soon the only minority left will be straight people,” he jokes. He cracks up when he mentions “asexuals” and “adult babies.” “This is all gravy,” he says reflecting on how projects he takes on nowadays are like a bonus. He sounds grateful for a career as lengthy and fruitful as his.

Top: The Mummies and Bottom: Almighty Defenders are two of the bands playing at Burger Boogaloo

“This makes my friends puke, but my dream came true already.” As if he senses our time is up, which it was, he chimes in to ask, “Have you ever been before?” “What? To the Burger Boogaloo?” I return. “Sure!” I say, sounding like an excited teenager talking about his favorite summer concert festival. I tell him Ronnie Spector was there last year. “Did she host or perform?” he sounds genuinely curious. I tell him she performed and how great her voice holds up. Geeking out over this would be our final exchange of mutual admiration. Before hanging up, Waters

tells me he saw her play at a Christmas concert out East, and to say hi at the Boogaloo in Oakland.t Burger Boogaloo takes place July 4 & 5 at Mosswood Park, Oakland. Film director/author and trash camp icon John Waters MCs the annual underground rock punk and R&B music concert, with Troublemakers, Untamed Youth, Almighty Defenders, Apache, Shannon & the Clams, Jonathan Richman, Nikki Corvette, Sneaky Pinks, The Black Lips, and many more; a dozen food and drink trucks and sellers, 21+ beer garden. $39-$95 (2-day VIP pass). Also July 5. 3612 Webster St., Oakland. www.burgerboogaloo.com

<< On the Tab

32 • Bay Area Reporter • July 2-8, 2015

eOn the Tab f – July 2 9, 2015

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland

La Bota Loca @ Club 21, Oakland

Music with local and touring bands. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Special July 4 party with Lulu, Jacki, and Vicki at the festive gogo-filled dance club, with host Lulu, features Latin pop dance hits with DJs Speedy Douglas Romero and Fabricio; no cover before 10pm. $6-$12. 9pm4am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

DJed tunes, gogo hotties, drag shows, drink specials, all at Oakland’s premiere Latin nightclub and weekly cowboy night. $10-$15. Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. 11th anniversary night!! $4. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

VIP @ Club 21, Oakland  Special three-day weekend of July 4 parties, with Violeta July 2. Hip Hop, Top 40, and sexy Latin music; gogo dancers, appetizers, and special guest DJs. No cover before 11pm and just $5 after all night. Dancing 9pm3am. Happy hour 4pm-8:30pm 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Xcess Thursdays @ The Café

Fri 3 Active Child @ Great American Music Hall

f you’re a bit bang-shy around July 4, you’re not the only one. Fortunately, what with recent Supreme Court decisions, you might feel a tad more patriotic. So switch your rainbow flag, and enjoy some red, white and blue celebrations, along with those events that sparkle in every color.

Thu 2

After Dark @ Exploratorium The RGB-themed cocktail party at the interactive science museum explores the multiple examples of the red green blue rainbow. $10-$15. 6pm10pm. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. www.exploratorium.edu

Barbary Coast Revue @ Balancoire The third season of the popular cabaret show returns, with Danny Kennedy as Mark Twain, a cast of diverse performers, and new guest performer Connie Champagne. Thursdays weekly thru June. $14-$64. 8pm. 2565 Mission St. at 22nd. www.BarbaryCoastRevue.com

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the weekly gogotastic night of sexy dudes shakin’ their bulges and getting wet in their undies for $100 prize (contest at midnight), and dance beats spun by DJ DAMnation. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Fuego @ The Watergarden, San Jose Weekly event, with Latin music, halfoff locker fees and Latin men, at the South Bay private men’s bath house. $8-$39. Reg hours 24/7. 18+. 1010 The Alameda. (408) 275-1215. www.thewatergarden.com

Funny Fun @ Club 21, Oakland LGBT comedy night hosted by Dan Mires. $10. 8pm. 2111 Franklin St. Oakland. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Gym Class @ Hi Tops Enjoy cheap/free whiskey shots from jock-strapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular sports bar. 10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Homo Thursdays @ Qbar Franko DJs the weekly mash-up/ pop music night. No cover. 2 for 1 well drinks, 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf.com

Karaoke Night @ Club BnB, Oakland Sing your heart out at the free lively night. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Karaoke Night @ The Stud “Sing Til It Hurts” the new weekly night with hostess Sister Flora (Floozy) Goodthyme. 8pm; happy hour drinks til 10pm. 10pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Marin County Fair @ San Rafael Performers include Kansas, The Marshall Tucker Band, Judy Collins, Pablo Cruise, Aaron Neville, Queen Nation; 28 free rides, a carnival of old-style acrobats, jugglers and comic acts, plus farm animals, fireworks, art shows and more. $12-$15. 11am11pm. Thru July 5. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. www.marinfair.org

Mary Go Round @ Lookout Suppositori Spelling, Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes host the weekly night with DJ Philip Grasso, gogo guys, drink specials, and drag acts. 10pm-2am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge The weekly drag show continues, with gogo guys and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm2am. 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

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences Themed event nights at the fascinating nature museum, with DJed dancing, cocktails, fish, frogs, food and fun. July 2, Beer Garden Nightlife, with DJ sets by Andy Cabic and Luiza Sa-Davis, plus tours of the living roof, floral connoiseur chats and more. $10-$12. 6pm-10pm, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Frisco Robbie and Persia’s dance and pop music night gets the weekend started, with gogo guys and gals, plus drink specials and guest DJs. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Fri 3

Active Child, Low Roar @ Great American Music Hall The ethereal vocalist/harpist Pat Grossi performs music from his 2011 album and his new work Mercy. Low Roar opens. $21 ($6 with dinner). 9pm. 859 O’Farrell St. 885-0750. www.activechildmusic.com www.slimspresents.com

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25-$160. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Boy Bar @ The Cafe Gus Presents’ weekly dance night, with DJ Kid Sysko, cute gogos and $2 beer (before 10pm). 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Happy Friday @ Midnight Sun The popular video bar ends each work week with gogo guys (starting at 9pm) and drink specials. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.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

House Party @ Powerhouse DJ Guy Ruben spins celebratory grooves at the pre-July 4 party; groovy love-seat, lava lamp transformation, with lasers at 12:30am. $5 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Joe Wicht @ R3, Guerneville Listen in, or sing along with the talented pianist-singer with an encyclopedic musical repertoire. 8pm. Also July 4. 16390 4th St., Guerneville. (707) 869-8399. www.ther3hotel.com

Fri 3

Joe Wicht @ R3

Manimal @ Beaux Gogo-tastic dance night starts off your weekend. $5. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Midnight Show @ Divas Weekly drag shows at the last transgender-friendly bar in the Polk; with hosts Victoria Secret, Alexis Miranda and several performers. Also Saturdays. $10. 11pm. 1081 Polk St. www.divassf.com

Polyglamorous @ Oasis Celebrate the “filth of July” at the groovy night with DJs Mark O’Brien and John Major, and Pound Puppy’s Taco Tuesday and Kevin O’Connor. $7-$10. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Queer Sphere @ Club BnB, Oakland Meet & greet, happy hour and upstairs dancing with the LGBTQ BDSM folk. No cover. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. www.queersphere.net www.bench-and-bar.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ Beatbox

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland Get groovin’ at the weekly hip hop and R&B night at their new location. $8-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Hard French @ El Rio Enjoy vinyl girl groups hits spun by Carnita and Brown Amy, with patriotic drag acts by Miss Rahni and Dulce De Leche; BBQ while it lasts. $10. 2pm8pm. 3158 Mission St. elriosf.com www.hardfrench.com

The saucy women’s burlesque revue’s weekend show; different musical guests each week. $10-$20. 7:30pm. 314 11th St. Also Wed. nights at Oasis (298 11th St.). www.redhotsburlesque.com

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. 12pm-2am. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Some Thing @ The Stud Mica Sigourney and pals’ weekly offbeat drag performance night. 10pm2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Spirit Family Reunion @ The Chapel New York energetic band performs new music: Spurs (Philly soul) opens. $15. 9pm. 777 Valencia St. www.thechapelsf.com

Sat 4

Audio4Play @ Beatbox

Sat 3 Ricky Rebel at Audio4Play @ Beatbox

Ricky Rebel, the former boy band singer (No Authority) premieres his new music; DJs Hector Fonseca and Philip Grasso spin. $15-$20. 10pm-4am. 314 11th St. 500-2675. www.rickyrebelrocks.com www.beatboxsf.com

Mother @ Oasis

Beer Bust @ Hole in the Wall Saloon

Saturgay @ Qbar

Beer only $8 until you bust. 4pm-8pm. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event now also takes place on Saturdays. 3pm-6pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Heklina’s weekly drag show night at the fabulous renovated SoMa nightclub; plus DJ MC2 and guests. $10-$15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com 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

Soul Party @ Elbo Room DJs Lucky, Paul, and Phengren Osward spin 60s soul 45s. $5-$10 ($5 off in semi-formal attire). 10pm-2am. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www.elbo.com

Sugar @ The Cafe Dance, drink, cruise at the Castro club. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Hotel Whitcomb The country-western line-dancing and two-stepping annual huge gathering will attract hundreds of dance fans. $10. 7:30pm. 1231 Market St. www.sundancesaloon.org

Thirsty Thursdays @ The Cafe Drink specials, Top 40, gogo studs and no cover. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Throwback Thursdays @ Qbar Enjoy retro 80s soul, dance and pop classics w/DJ Jorge Terez. No cover. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Sun 5

Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon The ursine crowd converges for beer and fun. 4pm-8pm. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

On the Tab>>

July 2-8, 2015 • Bay Area Reporter • 33

Tue 7

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. 3pm-6pm. Now also on Saturdays! 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Block Party @ Midnight Sun Weekly screenings of music videos, concert footage, interviews and more, of popular pop stars. 9pm-2am. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Big Top @ Beaux Joshua J.’s homo disco circus night, with guest DJs and performers, hotty gogo guys and drink specials. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.BeauxSF.com

Bombshell Betty & Her Burlesqueteers @ Elbo Room The weekly burlesque show of women dancers shaking their bonbons includes live music. $10. 9pm. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www.elbo.com

Brunch @ Hi Tops Enjoy crunchy sandwiches and mimosas, among other menu items, at the popular sports bar. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Cabaret Showcase Showdown @ Martuni’s The Best Showtunes Male Singer contest showcases half a dozen local talents in the 6th annual season. Joe Wicht hosts/accompanies. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. (Facebook invite)

GlamaZone @ The Cafe Pollo del Mar’s weekly drag shows takes on different themes with a comic edge. 8:30-11:30pm. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Jock @ The Lookout A special Pride edition of the weekly jock-ular fun, with DJed dance music by Luke Allen, Byron Bonsall and Aussie DJ Dirty Nelly. 12pm-1am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Liquid Brunch @ Beaux No cover, no food, just drinks (Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc.) and music. 2pm-9pm. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Morning After BBQ @ Oasis New weekly barbeque brunch on the newly opened rooftop deck, with Mimosas and Bloody Mary cocktails. 11am-3pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Salsa Sundays @ El Rio Salsa dancing for LGBT folks and friends, with live merengue and cumbia bands; tapas and donations that support local causes. 2nd & 4th Sundays. 3pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. 282-3325. www.elriosf.com

Sunday Brunch, 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. July 5, AB Soto performs his new song, “Cha Cha Bitch.” 2565 Mission St. at 21st. 9200577. www.balancoiresf.com

Sunday Brunch @ Thee Parkside Enjoy $12 bottomless mimosas from 10am-3pm at the fun punk rock bar. 1600 17th St. 252-1330. www.theeparkside.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet hosts the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Sunday Funday @ Oasis

Cock Shot @ Beaux

Sun 5 AB Soto @ Xtravaganza @ Balancoire

Drag Mondays @ The Cafe Mahlae Balenciaga and DJ Kidd Sysko’s weekly drag and dance night, 2014’s last of the year. 9pm-1am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 6523820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade The new weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night include 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

Irish Dance Night @ Starry Plough, Berkeley

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s 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

Gay Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels LGBT night at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” Actually, every night is gay-friendly, including Saturday’s Black Rock night (Burning Man garb encouraged). Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm. Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Karaoke @ The Lookout

Ink & Metal @ Powerhouse

Paul K hosts the amateur singing night. 8pm-2am. 3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com

Show off your tattoos and piercings at the weekly cruisy SoMa bar night. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Mahogany Mondays @ Midnight Sun

The monthly social event for Jewish gay men and those who like them! $3-$5. 8pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Mash Up Mondays @ Club BnB, Oakland

Meow Mix @ The Stud

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

Name That Beat @ Toad Hall

The weekly themed variety cabaret showcases new and unusual talents; MC Ferosha Titties. $3-$7. Show at 11pm. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Naked NightKingdom of Sodom @ Nob Hill Theatre Strip down as the strippers do at the very interactive sexy event. $20. 8pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

BeBe Sweetbriar hosts a weekly musical trivia challenge and drag show. 8:30-11:30pm. 4146 18th St. at Castro. www.toadhallbar.com

Retro Night @ 440 Castro

No No Bingo @ Virgil’s Sea Room

Showdown @ Folsom Foundry

Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

Weekly game night for board and electronic gamers at the warehouse multi-purpose nightclub. 21+. 6pm12am. 1425 Folsom St. www.showdownesports.com

Mon 6

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s

New weekly dance night, with Jocques, DJs Tori, Twistmix and Andre. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com 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

San Francisco

415.430.1199 Oakland

510.343.1122 San Jose

408.514.1111

FREE to listen and reply to ads! FREE CODE: Reporter

Mazel Top @ Oasis

Honey Mahogany’s weekly drag and musical talent show starts around 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Weekly Karaoke and open mic night; RuPaul’s Drag Race screenings, too. 9pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 7597340. www.club-bnb.com

WARNING HOT GUYS!

Gaymer Night @ Eagle No cover 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

Opulence @ Beaux

Specials on drinks made with Cock and Bull ginger ale (Jack and Cock, Russian Mule, and more). 8pmclosing. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Shot specials and adult Bingo games, with DJs Chad Bays and Riley Patrick, at the new weekly night. No cover. 9pm2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Weekly dance lessons and live music at the pub-restaurant, hosted by John Slaymaker. $5. 7pm. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. www.thestarryplough.com

Ky Martinez and Mohammad Vahidy’s monthly rooftop party (First Sundays), with DJs Lee Decker and Bugie. $7-$10. 3pm-9pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Cock and Bull Mondays @ Hole in the Wall Saloon

/lgbtsf

Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am. 44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson @ Concord Pavilion The two popular rock bands perform at the East Bay outdoor venue. $30$125. 7pm. 2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. (925) 676-8742. www.livenation.com

Switch @ Q Bar Weekly women’s night at the stylish intimate bar. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

See page 36 >>

For other local numbers call:

1-888-MegaMates

2586

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

34 • Bay Area Reporter • July 2-8, 2015

Post-Pride pleasures by Donna Sachet

rameline Film Festival has become an indispensable part of San Francisco Pride and nowhere was their success more evident than at the opening night party last Thursday at Terra Gallery. The sprawling industrial space was packed as attendees parted with much needed coats and wraps to indulge in hot food, sparkling cocktails, happy music, and lively discussions about the film most had just seen. Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael was not an obvious choice for an opening night, but it made for lots of opinion-sharing among the guests, giving what would normally be a more gleeful event a bit more substance. We’ll leave the film review to those much more qualified elsewhere in this publication, but the party was a resounding success. Glimpsed in the crowd were Ashley Love, Colby Michaels, Bevan Dufty, Tony Bravo, Allen Sawyer & Jim Van Buskirk, Frances Wallace, and locally born actor from the film Charlie Carver. Also showcased in Frameline Film Festival was a Sunday morning screening of Nick Jimenez’s Sachet, a short film documentary about this columnist, part of a series of shorts called Homegrown. We couldn’t resist turning this daytime showing in the Mission into a glamorous Hollywood premiere, arriving in a black town car to emerge dressed in gold sequins, swathed in fox fur, escorted by the sultry Michael Loftis, accompanied by gobs of red balloons, and greeted by a red carpet and red tinted bubbles tumbling from the marquee of the Victoria Theatre. That’s just how we do things!

Inside, we were welcomed by lots of fans of the film and the subject, including State Senator Mark Leno, Wayne Friday, Anna Damiani, Richard Sablatura & Norm Claybaugh, Dave Mohr & Wayne Ross, James Holloway & Greg Bjornstad, Dave Earl, Kitty Glamour, Liam Mayclem, and Mark Abramson. The audience was very generous with their applause and each of the other short films told intriguing stories in creative ways, stimulating some perceptive questions in the short Q&A afterwards. We thank so many for showing up so early, Frameline for selecting this short film, and Nick for so beautifully telling our story. Among the many private events we attend every year for Pride is the always perfect party of Mark Rhoades, this year at the elegant St. Regis Hotel and co-hosted by PG&E. The spacious ballroom allowed room to mingle, but not crowd and the bars were easy to find and very efficient. This was a party that left everyone smiling, including Skye Paterson, Oscar Enriquez, Anita Cocktail, Ken Henderson & Joe Seiler, Bahya Murad, James Krohn, Aubrey Brewster, and Robert Arnold-Kraft. Then it was off to one of the few non-Pride affiliated events of the past month, namely the 100th anniversary celebration of City Hall. After all the hype ahead of time, we must say that the light show projected onto the facade of City Hall was just incredible. Even with a little power failure during the first show, it took our breath away. While standing in the cold wind, surrounded by what was reported to be as many as 500,000 people, we wondered at the marvel that is San

Donna with Michelle Meow for their KOFY broadcast of the Pride parade.

Francisco’s Civic Center and applauded this deserved celebration for a spectacular structure that continues to enclose historic events every day. Just in time for the Pride festivities, we crowned a new Mr. & Miss Gay San Francisco last weekend at Oasis! Leave it to the Imperial Court to find such perfect timing. This pageant dates back to prehistoric times… no, not really, more like back to 1972, when Jim Halladay held the title of Mr. Gay SF. Not many are still around from those early days, but this year’s event brought out Ron Ross, Mr. Gay 1974, Ronnie Lynn, Miss Gay 1977, and Goldblatt, Miss Gay 1985, all looking hale and healthy, still committed to the Imperial Family and still involved in their communities. The pageant’s theme was Koney Island (no need for spell-check; the Reigning Monarchs are playing with the letter K all year) and many in the

I am the future of the LGBT community. I’m gay. I’m 20 years old. I’m out to my parents. I love parties, the beach, and believe it or not, sports. I have a boyfriend, and we like to laugh at dumb online videos. But I also read the news. I care about the planet. I’m studying Engineering at college. I voted in the last election and and I campaign for marriage equality. Someday I might want to have kids. I am the future of the LGBT community. And I read about that future every day on my smart phone. Because that’s where I want it to be.

The person depicted here is a model. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

capacity crowd reflected the theme while munching on popcorn and other snacks. We co-emceed with Emperor Stephen Dorsey, a great partner in overcoming obstacles and keeping the program moving. Sir Whitney Queers and Cesar Ayala competed for the Mr. title and Lily Rose and Piper Angelique vied for Miss Gay. All four brought loyal supporters who cheered throughout the categories of creative costume, talent, and eveningwear, as judges Tita Aida, Emma Peel, Jethro Patalinghug, Sister Roma, Patrice Samek, and Kit Tapata did their difficult job. This rousing evening of entertainment included anniversary performances by Goldblatt, Stephen Dorsey (Mr. Gay 2005), and Galilea (Miss Gay 2005), final performances by Mr. Gay 2014 Tyler Nelson and Miss Gay 2014 Kipper Snacks, and a beautiful moment of unity between Reigning Emperor Kevin Lisle and Reigning Empress Khmera Rouge. Finally, the newest title-holders were announced: Whitney and Lily! May they have a fun-filled and productive year! Thursday night, we started at the Kimpton Pride Party benefiting the Trevor Project at Dirty Habit in the Palomar Hotel, hosted by Margaret Cho. Food and drink were plentiful and various circus-type performers kept us intrigued. Among those with whom we chatted were John Brosnan, Kristin Slye, DJ Sergio Fedasz, Frank Woo, and Mark Nunn. We then flew to Golden Gate Park’s California Academy of Sciences where a raucous drag show was in full swing, emceed by the inimitable Heklina. Every performer we saw kept this largely straight audience enthralled, but none more than Cher (as envisioned by Holotta Tymes) and Beyonce (actually Mahlae Balenciaga). As Pride Weekend approached, we gathered our energy for the many events ahead, but Friday morning’s sweeping Supreme Court announcement added additional celebrations to an already packed schedule. While many greeted the news at City Hall that morning, we climbed the stairs onto the makeshift stage in the Castro that evening to address the throngs assembled. Seeing that ocean of smiles was an image we will never forget. On the way we stopped to chat with Dustin Lance Black, Kate Kendell and family, Jim Hormel & Michael Nguyen, Dan Glazer, and others, all reminding us of the many who had played a role in this momentous decision. From there, we dashed to the Gay Men’s Chorus concert at Nourse Theatre where we got lost in the music of Elton John, particularly amazed at the many talented soloists performing. Among all the many

public events requiring constant interaction, we found it marvelously therapeutic to allow the music to take center stage. Saturday, we woke bright and early for the 17h annual Pride Brunch, co-hosted with Gary Virginia and benefiting Positive Resource Center. The ballroom of Hotel Whitcomb burst with the colors of the rainbow flag with swags and bunting behind the head table, balloon columns, gorgeous floral centerpieces, and a huge Barefoot Winery banner hanging from the balcony. Coco Butter and Deana Dawn really outdid themselves on the brilliant florals. Guest included rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker, Brett Andrews, Lu Conrad, Walter Leiss, Rebecca Prozan & Julia Adams, Jacques Michaels, Steve Adams, Dan Joraanstad & Bob Hermann, and Mark Rogers. The live auction for a rainbow flag signed by its creator yielded intensely competitive bids and a very happy winner. Each year, the remarks of the Grand Marshals during the program take the audience by surprise, revealing some personal truth or unknown perspective, lending a new depth to the SF Pride experience. As the program closed with I Am What I Am, the hundreds of attendees wandered out to Civic Center or back to their homes with renewed pride and energy for the remaining activities. After a quick disco nap, we joined the thousands already at the Pink Party in the Castro. While the scene was festive, it seemed a daunting task to close it down by the planned 8pm. As we left at 9:30pm, hundreds were still meandering, but gradually confined to the single block of Castro between 17th and 18th. The SF Police showed great discipline and restraint in the face of all kinds of challenges. Then it was on to Beatbox for their fourth anniversary, co-hosted by Bebe Sweetbriar, Suzan Revah, and your columnist. Music from DJs Russ Rich and Chris Cox kept the place moving and the always friendly staff was especially accommodating. Near midnight, Debbie Holiday took the stage and whipped us into more of a frenzy. The promised surprise was a duet she performed with Brian Kent, perfectly sung as almost a duel of will power to the utter delight of all within. Not much more can be said of the 45th annual Pride Parade than has already been reported, but from our chair at the telecast headquarters on Market Street, this marathon parade broke all records in size, length, diversity, enthusiasm, and sheer fabulosity. Each of you will take away your own unique memories, but never forget how fortunate we are to live right here, where the choices are so many and the kindred spirits so numerous. Another San Francisco Pride for the history books!t

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Shooting Stars

July 2-8, 2015 • Bay Area Reporter • 35

photos by Steven Underhill Pride Pink Party

t’s changed hands, and with weapons detectors and an earlier time, what was Pink Saturday (thanks for all the years, Sisters) has become the Pink Party (thanks, LGBT Center), and it turned out to be a success. Of the thousands attending, many wore pink. At this informal street party in the Castro district, everyone enjoyed a special boost of happiness with the prior day’s Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, or as we can call it now, marriage. 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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<< On the Tab

36 • Bay Area Reporter • July 2-8, 2015

On the Tab

From page 33

Una Noche @ Club BnB, Oakland Vicky Jimenez’ drag show and contest; Latin music all night. 9pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Underwear Night @ Club OMG Weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, and drink specials; different hosts each week. $3. 10pm2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Wed 8

Booty Call @ QBar Juanita More! and her weekly intimate –yet packed– dance party. $10-$15. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf.com

Bondage a GoGo @ Cat Club The (mostly straight) kinky weekly dance night, where fetish gear is welcome; DJs Damon and Tomas Diablo play electro, goth, industrial, etc. 9:30pm-2:30am. 1190 Folsom St. www.bondage-a-go-go.com

Bottoms Up Bingo @ Hi Tops Play board games and win offbeat prizes at the popular sports bar. 9pm. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

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

Dream Queens Revue @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Classic drag show at the intimate historic gay bar, with Collette LeGrande, Ruby Slippers, Sophilya Leggz, Bobby Ashton, Sheena Rose, Kipper, and Joie de Vivre. 9:30pm11:30pm. 133 Turk St. 441-2922. www.dreamqueensrevue.com

Homo Hump Day @ Various Bars The weekly roving pop-up gayvasion of notable and welcoming straight bars. www.popupgaybar.com

Indigo Girls @ Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga The lyrical folk-rock duo perform favorites, and music from their new CD One Lost Day, at the scenic outdoor venue; Caroline Aiken opens. Pre-concert dining available. $55-$85. 7pm. Also July 9, 7pm. Lilian Fontaine Garden Theatre, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. (408) 961-5800. www.indigogirls.com www.montalvoarts.org

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

Follies @ Oasis Holotta Tymes hosts the new weekly variety show with female impersonation acts, and barbeque in the front Fez Room. $20. 7pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. www.sfoasis.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

Pussy Party @ Beaux Weekly women’s happy hour, with allwomen music and live performances, 2 for 1 drinks, and no cover. 5pm-9am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Rainbow Skate @ Redwood Roller Rink Weekly LGBT and friends skate night, with groovy disco music and themed events. $9. 8pm-10:30pm. 1303 Main Street, Redwood City. www.rainbowskate.net www.facebook.com/rainbowskating/

Red Hots Burlesque @ Oasis The weekly women’s sexy strip show, with special guests. $15-$25. 8:30pm11:30pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. www.sfoasis.com

Wed 8 Indigo Girls @ Montalvo Arts Center

Thu 9

The Monster Show @ The Edge

Baloney @ Oasis SF’s all-male revue blends sexy and witty in original dance numbers by Rory Davis and James Arthur M; Michael Phillis MCs. $20 and up. 8pm. Also July 10 & 11. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfbaloney.com www.sfoasis.com

Barbary Coast Revue @ Balancoire The third season of the popular cabaret show returns, with Danny Kennedy as Mark Twain, a cast of diverse performers, and guest performer Connie Champagne. Thursdays weekly thru June. $14-$64. 8pm. 2565 Mission St. at 22nd. www.BarbaryCoastRevue.com

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the weekly gogotastic night of sexy dudes shakin’ their bulges and getting wet in their undies for $100 prize (with a contest at midnight), and dance beats spun by DJ DAMnation. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

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

The dearly missed Cookie Dough’s weekly drag show continues, with themed events and cute gogo guys. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences Themed event nights at the fascinating nature museum, with DJed dancing, cocktails, fish, frogs, food and fun. July 9: The Dodos and Doe Eye, DJs Omar and Aaron Axelson; Wild Lights art installations and more. $10-$12. 6pm-10pm, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Russ Lorenson @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The elegant vocalist performs his musical tribute concert to Bobby Darin. $25-$40 ($20 food/drink min.). 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Thirsty Thursdays @ The Cafe Drink specials, Top 40, gogo studs and no cover, 2 for 1 cocktails until 10:30pm. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland Weekly electro music night with DJ Matthew Baker and guests. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Thursday Night Live @ Eagle

Enjoy cheap whiskey shots from jock-strapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular new sports bar. 10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Karaoke Night @ Club BnB, Oakland Sing your heart out at the free lively night. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

So You Think You Can Gogo? @ Toad Hall

Karaoke Night @ Club OMG

The weekly dancing competition for gogo wannabes. 9pm. cash prizes, $2 well drinks (2 for 1 happy hour til 9pm). Show at 9pm. 4146 18th St. www.toadhallbar.com

Dana leads the weekly amateur singing night. 8pm. No cover. 43 6th St. 896-6473. www.clubomgsf.com

Live bands- usually, rock, punk and always good- perform at the famed leather bar. 8:30pm first band. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Eleventh anniversary year of the retro disco night with a fun diverse crowd, and disco master DJ Bus Station John. $4. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com Want your nightlife event listed? Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event. Event photos welcome.

Way Back @ Midnight Sun Weekly screenings of vintage music videos and retro drink prices. Check out the new expanded front window lounge. 9pm-2am. 4067 18th St. 8614186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Wooden Nickel Wednesday @ 440 Buy a drink and get a wooden nickle good for another. 12pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. www.the440.com

Wrangler Wednesday @ Rainbow Cattle Company, Guerneville The Russian River bar’s country music night attracts cowboys and those who like to ride ‘em. 8pm-1am. 16220 Main St., Guerneville. (707) 869-0206. www.queersteer.com

Tue 7 Smashing Pumpkins @ Concord Pavilion

Read more online at www.ebar.com

July 2-8, 2015 • Bay Area Reporter • 37

Fore and aft

Falcon Studios

Logan Moore subdues Sean Zevran in Foreskin Mafia.

by John F. Karr

security guard who’s roughed up by white collar agent (whatever that is) Logan Moore. This dude’s gonna be a full fledged daddy before long; just now, he’s a desirably sturdy, stern looking, and bearded dude. Like all white collar agents (?), he carries a policeman’s baton, which spends some time up Zevran’s ass. Their subsequent fuck is potent, though slightly impersonal. Well, as presented, these guys ain’t exactly buddies. Moore’s a fine top, and will be back to demonstrate his versatility later in the collection. FX Rios looks menacing, with a family-size cock bursting out of his black leather jock, as he forces porn newbie Christian Lesage to blow him in order to earn a bag of white powder. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that’s so

engaging about Lesage; perhaps it’s an initially fragile look that morphs into a bottom’s aggressiveness. Lesage has come to American porn after his start with Cazzo, which tells me something of his nature; Cazzo’s porn is frequently nasty. He’s willowy, pale and furry; brown haired with ginger beard and pubes. And he’s got the saucer-like brown eyes of a Keane painting. He’s undaunted by the size of Rios’ cock, and swallows it all before sitting down on it for a nether-swallow. Another rather new guy shows up in the next scene. Armando De Armas has worked for LucasEnt and Rascal, and will soon be seen at Hot House. He’s tawny-skinned, darkhaired, handsome, and nicely muscled. And with a sweet bubble butt. After he presents Logan Moore with a suitcase containing drugs, currency and a gun, they get down to the real business. Preliminary sex play makes it look like Moore’s gonna fuck De Armas. But when the camera pulls back from a closeup fuck shot, we see its De Armas giving Moore a depth charge. For his considerable effort, he’s graced with a facial. The movie’s got lots of those. Boomer Banks stars in the last episode, although my attention was largely snared by Christian Lesage’s encore. His wrists are bound, and a glowering Banks menaces him with a baseball bat. We all know where that’s gonna end up. Banks demands, “Where’s my money?” and threatens to send photos of Lesage having gay sex to his wife. Well, sniff my genitals, but I never again want to hear during gay sex a reference to a guy’s supposed heterosexuality. Banks pulls a hood over Lesage’s head, and attaches tit clamps to his nips. Yow, that makes him hard (me, too). Lesage spreads his legs to enable Bank’s bat to beat around his bum hole, which makes his cock ooze so much cum you’d think he came. And he enjoys himself plenty when the bat finds its way inside his ass. Lesage makes a full meal of Bank’s brown bone, and gasps his way through the fuck Bank’s pounds into him.t

hose of you with a fondness for foreskin will like the new Monster Bang movie, Foreskin Mafia, since all six of its players have been favored with said ‘skin. But don’t ask me how the Mafia got dragged into the sheathed shenanigans. Sounds like they’re trafficking in contraband foreskin, like they’ve strong-armed a mohel to keep them in purloined supply. But no, they’re just some guys dressed all in black, who sell drugs to customers before forcing them into sex. There’s not any real Mafia context, like organized families, kissed rings, or a Don’s control. That shows me that the creators of the film weren’t really thinking their theme through too deeply. Their thematic elements are so loosely drawn that their crooks have no context. But why this vagueness? Are the sexographers at RagingHotFalcon adjusting to an ongoing evolution in porn that values theme over plot? In an interview last September, Foreskin Mafia director Steve Cruz revealed that plot may be done for at RHF, “…as all our movies move entirely to the all-sex genre.” It’s the future as the past, boys. It took forty years of porn to get us from loops back to loops. Okay, I can deal with loops. But when they’re bundled together, directors have to ensure their links are cohesive. When offering a theme, they’ve got to inhabit it. Yet, beside myself, who really cares that this movie’s Mafia theme is only sketched? Concerning what you’ve come for, you’ll find that while attention to hooded hardons is present in Foreskin Mafia, it’s no slave to the ‘skin. We seem to be in Mafia headquarters, a nearly bare warehouse, that’s been curiously, and rather elegantly, painted a deeply warm blue. I suspect these gay criminals must have engaged an Interior Falcon Studios Decorator. Episode One presents Left: Logan Moore shows masterful versatility, in Foreskin Mafia the sinuous beauties of Right: Armando De Armas is a fine addition to the RagingHotFalcon stable. Sean Zevran, playing a

Falcon Studios

Boomer Banks throws pleasurable terror into Christian Lesage, in Foreskin Mafia.

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38 • Bay Area Reporter • July 2-8, 2015

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July 2-8, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Bay Area Reporter â&#x20AC;˘ 39

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