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Vol. 45 • No. 48 • November 26-December 2, 2015
Gay scooter Trans victims rider killed recalled at Day in hit-andof Remembrance run collision by Seth Hemmelgarn
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gay man riding his scooter early Sunday morning near his home in San Francisco’s Sunnyside neighborhood was killed in a suspected hit-and-run incident. As police search for the person reDennis Nix sponsible, friends of Dennis Nix, 60, are describing the longtime certified financial planner as “curmudgeonly” and gregarious, and a well-traveled sportsman and community fundraiser. At 2:32 a.m. Sunday, November 22, a man the medical examiner’s office has identified as Nix was riding his scooter south on San Jose Avenue approaching the Monterey Boulevard exit when a light-colored sedan struck him, according to Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman, who said in her summary that Nix was “pronounced dead at the scene.” In an interview Monday, Gatpandan said police didn’t have more information about the vehicle that hit Nix or the driver. Nix was a member of various LGBT sports clubs, including FrontRunners, the SAGA North Ski and Snowboard Club, and Northern California Rainbow Divers. He had just attended the FrontRunners annual holiday dinner before he was struck. Michael D’Arata, 62, Nix’s best friend and power of attorney, suspects a drunk driver hit him. “I’m pretty enraged by it, and even if the driver wasn’t drunk, I’m still enraged,” D’Arata, of San Francisco, said. “It was a hit-and-run. I just don’t know what kind of person would do that.”
‘A huge presence’
Like many others, D’Arata remembered his friend, who was originally from New York and moved to San Francisco in the early 1980s, for his big personality and his New York accent. “He was a huge presence,” D’Arata said. “It was like having New York City in your living room.” He said Nix was “loud” and “not the most diplomatic” but his heart was “as big as could be.” Explaining how his friend was community-oriented, D’Arata said, “Those were the values that were instilled in him, to be involved in the community, to participate, to contribute, to not take, but to give as much as you can.” See page 17 >>
by Cynthia Laird Tiffany Woods, center, flanked by Eden United Church of Christ pastor the Reverend Dr. Arlene Nehring, second from left, and Oakland City Councilman Abel Guillen, joined others in releasing balloons following the Transgender Day of Remembrance observance.
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somber remembrance of transgender people who have been killed in the last year included some closure for one three-year old Oakland case as police announced that it had been solved. See page 16 >>
Bay Area World AIDS Day events set Jane Philomen Cleland
by Seth Hemmelgarn
The walk is a series of plaques from between Market and 19th ach year during World streets honoring LGBT rights AIDS Day, people take icons that was included in the time to remember loved 2014 Castro Street sidewalk ones who’ve been lost to the widening project. disease and those who continue Students from the neighborliving with it. Events are planned hood’s Harvey Milk Civil Rights throughout the Bay Area in the Academy and long-term HIV/ coming days marking the 27th AIDS survivors from the group annual commemoration. Honoring Our Experience are HIV transmission, the virus coming together for the day. that causes AIDS, continues to Small groups of students, occur, despite advances in presurvivors, and parents or school vention and drugs such as prestaffers will gather Tuesday exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. on both sides of Castro. Each During a conference call group will get a pail of colored with reporters last week, Dr. chalk. Gil Chavez, state epidemiolo“Inscribe is not a fundraiser,” Rick Gerharter gist and deputy director at the event coordinator George Kelly, Center for Infectious Diseases Rick Helm and Heriberto Puebla enjoy a quiet moment at the Circle of 55, who’s been living with HIV in the California Department Friends in the National AIDS Memorial Grove during the 2013 World for more than 30 years, said in of Public Health, said that there AIDS Day observances. a news release. “It is a gift from are 13 new HIV infections every our school and a great learning day in the state, or nearly 400 opportunity for our students. In San Francisco’s Castro district this year, per month. children who were born years after the height It is a celebration of remembrance and honor In contrast, Chavez said that at the height of the epidemic will come together Tuesday, for our neighbors and community. It is an acof the epidemic, there were 13,000 new cases December 1 with some of the people who knowledgement of the long-term survivors identified in the state in a single year. In 2013, survived. that offers healing and brings attention to the the most recent year available, there were 4,712 struggles and challenges that we still face today.” During the event called “Inscribe,” people newly diagnosed HIV infections in California, will be able to use sidewalk chalk to write on In an interview, HOE member Gregg Cassin, he said. the Rainbow Honor Walk the names of those 57, called Inscribe “a beautiful event.” World AIDS Day was started to bring attenthey’ve lost to HIV/AIDS. The event is from 10 See page 17 >> tion to the epidemic and to educate people. a.m. to noon.
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