SFAF eyes more Castro space
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Vol. 45 • No. 44 • October 29-November 4, 2015
Housing main theme of SF election by Matthew S. Bajko
Prop I
While the city’s various pon a city with some of the highlitical camps are largely united est property prices and apartbehind Prop A, there is no such ment rents in the country, it unity when it comes to Propois no surprise that housing is the sition I, which would impose dominant theme in this year’s mua moratorium on housing and nicipal election in San Francisco. business development projOne indicator of how the ects in the Mission district for housing crisis is dominating at least 18 months. It is meant the city’s political discourse this to hit pause on projects that election season: five of the 11 neighborhood leaders contend local propositions on the Nowill further gentrify the largely vember 3 ballot are related to Latino district while City Hall housing concerns. develops a neighborhood staThe $310 million affordable bilization plan for the area by housing bond, Proposition A, January 31, 2017. Rick Gerharter has wide support but needs “It is not a change in supply, two-thirds of the vote in order A restaurant in the Mission district has a variety of campaign just a delay,” said tenant rights to pass. It would finance the signs in its window, supporting or opposing various housing-related attorney J. Scott Weaver, the priconstruction, development, ac- measures on next week’s ballot. mary author of Prop I who lives quisition, and preservation of in Noe Valley. He stressed that housing affordable to low- and its ubiquitous television commercials. the proponents “are not against middle-income households with priority “I think, as a city, the biggest disappointbuilding housing. But we want more density given to working families, veterans, seniors, ment – and it includes me and everybody and more affordable housing.” and disabled people. else – is I think the housing crisis has been Gay District 9 Supervisor David Campos, It would also help finance the reconstruction decades in the making,” Lee said during an who represents the Mission, worked with a coof the city’s dilapidated public housing stock editorial board meeting with the Bay Area alition of neighborhood groups to place Prop and fund a middle-income rental program. Reporter. “I don’t think we have done well on I on the ballot after the Board of Supervisors Mayor Ed Lee, who struck a deal with the Board building and rehabbing affordable housing in failed to support it this summer. His office of Supervisors to place the bond on the ballot, the city. With the expectation that is a way we See page 17 >> has been the face of the Yes on A campaign and can help a lot more people.”
I Khaled Sayed
Former interim sheriff Vicki Hennessy, left, makes a point during a debate with Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi.
Trans policy becomes issue in sheriff’s race by Seth Hemmelgarn
S
an Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi’s plans to stop classifying transgender inmates who haven’t had surgery according to their birth sex have raised criticism from people in his department and has become an issue as he tries to hold onto his job. Mirkarimi, who’s in a tough race against retired sheriff ’s captain and former interim sheriff Vicki Hennessy in the November 3 election, made his policy announcement in June. He also plans to allow transgender women inmates to participate in women’s classes in the jail. Hennessy supports the policy update as long as there are elements such as training and buy-in from staff. “One of the most challenging issues concerns searches, and who will conduct them. The best practice recommendation is that agencies permit transgender individuals to make a choice at admission to be searched See page 17 >>
B.A.R. election endorsements SAN FRANCISCO RACES Mayor: Ed Lee Board of Supervisors: Dist. 3: Julie Christensen Sheriff: Vicki Hennessy City Attorney: Dennis Herrera District Attorney: George Gascón Treasurer: Jose Cisneros SF Community College Board: Alex Randolph
SAN FRANCISCO PROPS Yes on Props A, B, C, D, H, J, K No on Props E, F, G, I
Remember to vote on November 3!
SF set to adopt LGBT historic statement by Matthew S. Bajko
Based Subcultures in San Francisco, 19331979,” the country’s first LGBTQ historic wo years after a pair of local historicontext statement. It was written by Damon ans began researching San Francisco’s Scott and the Friends of 1800, a San Francisqueer past, their report documenting co-based advocacy organization that fought often overlooked chapters of the city’s histo protect from demolition the Victorian tory is set to be adopted by city officials. that is now incorporated into the LGBT Their hope is it will boost efforts to preserve Community Center at 1800 Market Street. various sites of particular importance to the Asked recently about shepherding their LGBT community. more expansive report toward its soon-toOfficially titled the “Citywide Historic be conclusion, Watson joked, “I am sleeping Context Statement for Lesbian, Gay, Bia lot. I have been feeling exhausted.” sexual, Transgender and Queer History in She added that, “The good news is I feel San Francisco,” the 381-page report will be like it is gratifying on many levels. Most imvoted on Wednesday, November 18 by the portantly, I feel like we have opened another city’s Historic Preservation Commission. window on history that has been shadowed Once adopted as an official city document, for so long.” it will assist with efforts to landmark, either Graves also told the B.A.R. she feels by the city or state and national programs, gratified “to have co-created something so properties of historical significance to the robust. But I also know that it is not the enLGBT community. cyclopedia we would all love to see.” As the Bay Area Reporter reported in May, Their report begins in the late 15th cenCourtesy GLBT Historical Society after obtaining a draft version of the docutury when European settlers first encounment through a public records request, the Two men share a romantic moment on a Ferris tered the berdache, meaning “kept boys,” report spans the centuries and features vari- wheel in front of City Hall in this undated photo members of local Native American tribes ous groups of LGBT residents who called the that’s included in the LGBT historic context who adopted the roles of the opposite sex city home, from Native American two-spirit statement. and faced eradication under Spanish mistribe members and gender nonconforming sionaries who arrived later. Chinese immigrants to various artists and which was funded by a $76,000 grant from The document then traces the introducservice members. the San Francisco Historic Preservation Fund tion of laws in the mid-19th century that tarAuthors Donna Graves, a public historian Committee, overseen by the Office of Economgeted people for “nonnormative sexual or social based in Berkeley who is straight, and Shayne ic and Workforce Development. behavior or acts” and the “homosocial activWatson, an architectural historian based in It builds off the 2004 document “Sexing See page 16 >> San Francisco who is lesbian, wrote the report, the City: The Development of Sexual Identity
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