Gay star on real estate show
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PAWS director ‘forced to leave’
Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Vol. 45 • No. 28 • July 9-15, 2015
Episcopal convention OKs marriage equality
by Seth Hemmelgarn
T
he former executive director of Pets Are Wonderful Support, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, says the agency recently made him quit. Aaron Chandler, Courtesy Aaron Chandler who led the nonprofit for just over a year, Former PAWS said he’s unsure why Executive Director the agency, which Aaron Chandler helps low-income people who have disabling HIV/AIDS and other illnesses care for their pets, wanted him to go. But in a Facebook exchange with the Bay Area Reporter this week, he criticized the agency’s board. “I was forced to leave,” Chandler, 31, of San Francisco, said. “Most boards are completely comprised of good people – but almost no board members of community-based nonprofits like PAWS have any nonprofit work experience, and wouldn’t be qualified to work in any position at the organization they are on the board of.” Chandler, who said he identifies as “gay or queer,” added that he doesn’t “know all the reasons” why the nonprofit wanted him to go, but he said PAWS is “in the final stages of a merger conversation, so I presume that may’ve had something to do with it.” He said he’s “looking for new opportunities.” In an interview before the B.A.R.’s exchange with Chandler, Sarah Cramer, PAWS’ new executive director, wouldn’t explain Chandler’s departure. Asked why Chandler left, Cramer said, “We agreed with him that the message was he was leaving to pursue other opportunities. That’s the commitment we made with him.” Cramer, 28, who lives in Oakland, joined the agency in November and served as the development and marketing director before being named interim executive director after Chandler’s May 19 departure. She recently took over the executive director position permanently. She wouldn’t say whether there had been problems with Chandler. “We’re going to decline to comment on that,” she said. As to whether Chandler had been asked to leave, Cramer said, “I’m also going to refer to my previous comment.” She said information about PAWS’ plans See page 2 >>
by David-Elijah Nahmod
L
ess than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, delegates at the Episcopal General Convention overwhelmingly approved resolutions that will allow gay and lesbian couples to wed in church. Both voting clergy and lay delegations at the de-
nomination’s convention in Salt Lake City approved the canonical and liturgical changes. Grace Cathedral in San Francisco held a special Pride service July 2. Planned before the convention vote was taken, it turned into a celebration of the decision and included a performance by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. See page 13 >>
Artistic Director Tim Seelig conducts the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at its performance last week at Grace Cathedral. Jane Philomen Cleland
Hundreds turn out to support defaced mural by Khaled Sayed
A
wounded community came together to heal as hundreds turned out at a recent rally following repeated vandalism of a mural in San Francisco’s Mission district that depicts gay, transgender, and lesbian Latinos. The July 1 rally, held in front of the Por Vida (For Life) mural that is hosted by Galeria de la Raza at 24th and Bryant streets, brought together community members and political leaders who denounced the vandalism, which included defacing it with paint and an effort to burn the piece. The mural, by artist Manuel Paul of the Los Angeles-based Maricon Collective, shows a gay couple, a transgender man, and a lesbian couple. The first incident occurred Monday night, June 15. It was discovered that someone had spray-painted over about half of the piece. The next night, the mural was again defaced. The gallery repaired the damage, but the mural was defaced again with spray paint around midnight Sunday, June 21. On June 29, the mural was set on fire, damaging a third of it. Police are investigating the incidents as a hate crime. San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, who represents the Mission, spoke at the rally after a Latin dance troupe performed a ritual dance. “It is hard to see from where you are, but the scene from my point of view of this diverse crowd is truly beautiful,” Campos said. Campos, who was born in Guatemala in Central America, said he was closeted until he was 26.
Khaled Sayed
Hundreds of people attended a July 1 rally in support of the vandalized Por Vida mural in the Mission.
“I know first hand how hard it is to come out to family and friends, especially in a Latino family, and it is especially hard for a transgender person who faces more challenges,” Campos, 44, said. “For me, as a gay Latino man, to go from the incredible high of what happened in the last few days, with the United State Supreme Court issuing a ruling supporting same sex marriage. To go from that high to seeing this – it was a very painful experience,” he said, pointing to the vandalized mural. Campos said that LGBT people are part of
every community, and the Mission has always had that queer presence. “The Mission has always had queer people living here,” Campos said. “It is painful to see this, and it was important for me, not only as a supervisor, but as a human being, to call this out.” Gay former state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano said he believes that the mural vandalism is deliberate and very provocative, but he finds it a mystery and he questions where it is coming from.
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