LGBT History Month kicks off
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Vol. 45 • No. 40 • October 1-7, 2015
Rick Gerharter
Cookie Dough performed at the 2010 Castro Street Fair.
Castro fair to honor Cookie Dough
Matthew S. Bajko
A sign on the vacant Patio Cafe space says Hamburger Mary’s is “coming soon.”
by Seth Hemmelgarn
T
his Sunday’s Castro Street Fair will be dedicated to Cookie Dough, the beloved San Francisco drag queen who died earlier this year. The drag star, also known as Eddie Bell, 51, had regularly taken part in the fair, hosted the neighborhood’s popular Monster Show, and appeared in the annual drag show “Golden Girls” before he died in January after being diagnosed with meningitis. The theme for the 42nd annual fair is “Queen,” to celebrate “all things drag and the life and work of Cookie Dough,” said Fred Lopez, the fair’s executive director. “Come wig out with us,” Lopez said. “We’re really hoping the public will show up in any number of drag paraphernalia.” As usual, this year’s fair is expected to include music and dancing, among other entertainment, along with food and exhibitors. In a letter set to be part of the festival’s program this year, board President Juan Garcia talked about why the fair, “and especially the 18th Street stage,” is being dedicated to Cookie Dough, who he described as “my sweet friend.” “I only had to share with her the theme and she would round up an army of wild drag kings and queens to invade our Market Street Stage ...,” Garcia said. “She was a true professional and always made my life so easy leading up to and during the fair.” Around five years ago when fair organizers moved the Monster Show closer to the Edge, at 4149 18th Street, the show’s “weekly home bar,” the new spot “was an immediate success, rivaling the Market Street stage in popularity,” Garcia said. One entertainment highlight this year will be the electronic pop duo Ejector, who will appear on the 18th Street stage. “They had worked with Cookie on a number of things, and they were excited to be able to pay tribute,” Lopez said. Ejector’s Ben Holder, 45, said in a Facebook message, “Cookie’s kindness, love, and generosity has touched so many of us. She was always willing, and excited, to give performers their first stage. Ejector’s first stage was at the Monster Show when it was at Harvey’s,” the restaurant at 500 Castro Street. “We will be forever grateful for her kind, warm love and support.” See page 13 >>
Kink takes a front seat at Folsom T
Rick Gerharter
he annual Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood brought out the leather and kink as hundreds of thousands of people attended the September 27 event. Above, Sean Monroe from Tiger Paddles demonstrated how it’s done as he paddles a fairgoer. One highlight for veteran
leather folks was when Demetri Moshoyannis, executive director of Folsom Street Events, presented the Key to the Folsom Street Fair to Bay Area Reporter leather columnist and longtime leatherman Race Bannon and kink educator, BDSM coach, and activist Cleo Dubois. See more photos in the BARtab section.
Natali draws ire of Castro merchants by Matthew S. Bajko
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ith the number of vacant storefronts he owns set to increase, Castro landlord and bar owner Les Natali has drawn the ire of nearby business owners for what they contend is a “huge and rapidlygrowing blight” on the gayborhood. The board of the Castro Merchants, the business association for the gay district, sent Natali See page 14 >>
Sacto LGBTs push Lavender Heights project by Seth Hemmelgarn
Lavender Heights moniker. “A handful didn’t like the name,” he GBTs in Sacramento are said. “... They had no history with working to establish an ofwhat the area had been called.” ficial gay district in the city, But the name has stuck. complete with rainbow crossThe boundaries would be 19th walks and a rainbow flag. to 21st and I to N streets. The area The area in the city’s Midtown includes several gay bars and the neighborhood is already known city’s LGBT community center. by many as Lavender Heights, but Ferderer said when the Whole efforts are being made to formalFoods opens in the neighborize the name so the area can be hood, along with more than 100 marketed to gays from outside apartments, he imagines new resthe city, and to help preserve idents complaining about noise the district’s heritage as a Whole from the neighborhood bars. He Foods Market and other changes wants it so that “nobody can say Courtesy Gary Ferderer, Jameson Parker, and City of Sacramento are expected. they weren’t aware they moved One benefit to identifying the into an LGBT neighborhood.” An artist’s rendering of the rainbow crosswalks that are expected to neighborhood now, said Bonnie soon be completed in Sacramento’s Lavender Heights neighborhood. The first phase will be the develOsborn, a lesbian who’s backing opment of the rainbow crosswalks, the project, is it gives the LGBT which are planned for 20th and K He thought it was important for the district community a way to lay claim streets. Ferderer said the crosswalks to it “before someone else comes along and to have established boundaries, so he contacted will cost about $39,000, and the funds have been gay City Councilman Steve Hansen, whose Disbrands it for us.” raised. An unveiling is planned for October 10, the Gary Ferderer, 57, a gay man, has lived most trict 4 includes Lavender Heights, after Hansen day before National Coming Out Day. was elected in 2012. of his life in Sacramento, and initiated the LavNext will be street signs and banners that In an emailed statement, Hansen’s office said, say “Lavender Heights,” at an estimated cost of ender Heights project. “The Lavender Heights neighborhood has been $4,000 to $6,000. Ferderer, a building inspector, said people and will continue to be a place for everyone to had informally given the name to the neighThen, backers want to have an arch greetborhood years ago, but as that generation has feel safe and welcome. Our hope is to educate the ing people to the neighborhood, similar to San been “moving off and dying off and pretty public about the history of the neighborhood Diego’s gay Hillcrest district. That would cost and celebrate those who have come before us.” much staying home,” the mention of Lavender about $40,000. Ferderer said initially “there was some conHeights “was starting to go away, and I didn’t See page 13 >> fusion with the younger gay men” around the want that to happen.”
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