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Vol. 46 • No. 35 • September 1-7, 2016

Gay poet to oversee Oakland cultural affairs

Prop 60 calls for condoms in porn by Seth Hemmelgarn

by Seth Hemmelgarn

akland officials have appointed Roberto Bedoya, a gay man with years of experience in the arts, to serve as the city’s first cultural affairs manager, a position that will oversee everything from Gay poet grant making to film Roberto Bedoya production permits. “Roberto is an inspiring leader who is passionate about supporting - and advocating for - local arts communities,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a news release. “He is a thought leader when it comes to ensuring equity and inclusion in the See page 11 >>

Making a splash for Pride

Jo-Lynn Otto

he contingent for gay video dance bar Splash made for a colorful scene in the Silicon Valley Pride parade Sunday, August 28. The event brought out the South Bay’s LGBT community and its allies to the streets of San Jose for the annual celebration.

FDA considers changing gay blood ban by Liz Highleyman

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking public comments, supported by scientific evidence, as it considers changes to its policy restricting blood donations by gay and bisexual men. Comments to the federal agency are due by late November. Instead of the current one-year wait after a

man has sex with another man, the agency is considering a more individualized policy that focuses on risk behavior rather than sexual orientation or self-identification. Many HIV experts agree that policy changes are overdue thanks to advances in blood safety technology and biomedical prevention. “The HIV Medicine Association has long called for the FDA’s blood donor deferral criteria to reflect the latest science and testing

Rick Gerharter

Shane da Silva adds his handprint to a poster demanding that the FDA end the ban on gay male blood donations during a 2014 blood drive Banned4Life hosted to highlight the discriminatory policy.

technology,” HIVMA board chair Dr. Carlos del Rio from Emory University School of Medicine told the Bay Area Reporter. “We will be commenting in support of ensuring the safety of the nation’s blood supply by revising donor screening criteria to be based on risk behaviors rather than sexual orientation.”

Origin of the blood ban

In 1983, after it became clear that the virus that causes AIDS is transmitted through blood, experts in charge of blood supply safety instituted a policy that men who had ever had sex with another man since 1977 should indefinitely refrain from donating blood. The same lifetime deferral rule also applied to people with a history of sex work or injection drug use. The rationale for the gay blood ban is not only that unprotected anal sex between men is an efficient route of HIV transmission - true for women who have anal sex as well - but also that the prevalence of HIV among gay men is much higher compared with other demographic groups. Although donated blood is tested for pathogens including HIV, older tests had a longer window period before the virus or its antibodies could be detected, meaning someone who was unaware they were infected could donate blood and it could be used for transfusions before testing positive. But now a combination of Western blot and nucleic acid tests, as currently recommended See page 11 >>

alifornia voters are set to decide in November whether porn actors should have to wear condoms in films made in the state. Many in the porn industry are fighting the idea. The proposal, known as Proposition 60, is Attorney being pushed by the Brad Hertz Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has spent more than $1.8 million to back the measure, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. AHF was behind a similar law that passed in Los Angeles County in 2012. Among other provisions, the measure would require porn actors to use condoms when they’re filming scenes depicting sexual intercourse. It would also allow any California resident who complains to the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health about a suspected violation to potentially file a civil action against an actor if he has a financial interest in the film and if the agency doesn’t start an investigation within a certain time period. A performer who goes by the name Siouxsie Q and identifies as queer said, “Prop 60 would take us backward. … Incentivizing harassment of an already marginalized workforce is wrong. You wouldn’t do it for any other industry.” She said AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein hasn’t met with the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee to discuss the issues. “The proponents don’t want to talk to the people that it will actually affect, and that’s weird,” she said. Brad Hertz, an attorney representing the Prop 60 campaign, said health care is AHF’s mission, “specifically in the HIV and sexually transmitted disease area,” and the nonprofit feels “this is an important part” of the porn community, “which unfortunately has too many sexually transmitted infections.” He didn’t point to specific statistics but said the diseases are “easily preventable.” Hertz said the measure’s lawsuit provision only applies “in the limited cases where CalOSHA fails to act,” and if a private citizen sues and prevails, “75 percent of any fines would go to the state, with only 25 percent going to the plaintiff.” He also said that state and federal law already See page 9 >>

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2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Attorney’s ‘leather’ reference upsets gay SF cop by Seth Hemmelgarn

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gay San Francisco policeman is complaining that a gay public defender told a judge that he was a “leather daddy.” Inspector Len Broberg, who was International Mr. Leather in 1992, and as a longtime member of the police department’s Gang Task Force often testifies as an expert on gangs, said that Deputy Public Defender Brian Pearlman recently told retired Judge Philip Moscone “that I lied on the stand, that I’m a racist, and that the only gang I could be an expert on is the leather daddy gang.” Pearlman is representing Danny Luckett who, along with a co-defendant, has been ordered to stand trial on charges including seconddegree auto burglary and gang participation. Broberg said Assistant District Attorney Nathan Quigley told him of Pearlman’s statement after a pretrial conference with Pearlman in Moscone’s chambers. Quigley relayed the statement to him “because [Quigley] had to notify his supervisor, then it had to go up the chain of command at the DA’s office,” he said. Broberg suspects Pearlman was trying to leave the judge with a negative impression of him with the “leather daddy” comment, and he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity unit at the city’s Department of Human Resources a couple weeks ago. Monday, he said the agency notified him “that the allegations weren’t

Courtesy public defender’s office

Deputy Public Defender Brian Pearlman

enough for a sustained complaint of the harassment or hostile work environment,” but “they believe there was a potential violation of the city’s discrimination, harassment, and retaliation-free workplace policy,” and the matter’s been referred to the public defender’s office. In an emailed statement, Pearlman said, “There is a reason the city declined to investigate Inspector Broberg’s complaint against me - it is patently ridiculous on its face. I’m a proud gay man with nothing but love and respect for the leather community. What I do not respect, however, is the abuse of power by those sworn to protect our city.” Pearlman added that he believes “Inspector Broberg has rushed to judgment in branding young men of color as ‘gang members’

with little to no evidence. … I felt it was my duty to bring up the defense community’s concern about Inspector Broberg’s true expertise and the veracity of his testimony in court. Knowing that Inspector Broberg is a longtime and visible member of the leather community, I suggested in chambers that this was the only community about which he had sufficient expertise to opine. I stand by that assessment.” Pearlman also mentioned a recording made public earlier this year in which Broberg referred to Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young as a “bitch” and used terms like “ugly fucker” and “fat ... jackass” to describe criminal suspects. “His sudden embrace of the city’s anti-discrimination policies is encouraging,” Pearlman said. Referring to Luckett’s case, Broberg said, “If I lied on the stand, how come there has not been an investigation into that, and why am I not on the Brady list?” (Among other provisions, Brady v. Maryland, a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision, resulted in prosecutors being required to inform defense attorneys and their clients about potential problems with police officers’ credibility.) Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the DA’s office, declined to comment for this story, as did Luckett, Pearlman’s client. Susan Gard, policy chief at the Department of Human Resources, said she couldn’t confirm or deny the existence of specific EEO cases, but she said, “All claims are taken very seriously.”t

Foster youth agency hires gay leader by Seth Hemmelgarn

gay man is the new chief executive officer of an Oaklandbased nonprofit that works to help foster youth. John Lipp, 51, of Alameda, recently started work at the California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, which provides support and training to 44 Court Appointed Special Advocate programs statewide. California CASA works to make sure that the state’s foster youth have a voice in Juvenile Dependency Court and the resources and services they need “to help them reach their potential,” a news release announcing Lipp’s appointment said. In an interview, Lipp said he feels “fortunate” to join the organization and have “a chance to make a significant impact.” There’s “a huge opportunity to recruit and train volunteers to support these kids,” he said. Research suggests that anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of foster youth identify as LGBT, though no actual data on the number of LGBT foster youth is available. Of the more than 60,000 youth in foster care in California, only about 12,000 of them have CASA volunteers, Lipp said. “There’s so many kids out there that we’re not reaching yet,” Lipp said. “We’re literally, as a society, throwing away our kids. That, to me, is heartbreaking.” He noted that one challenge many foster youth have is graduating high school on time because they frequently change school districts. A CASA volunteer works oneon-one with young people in the court system “who desperately need an adult on their side to make sure their voices are being heard” and ensure they’re “receiving the services they need,” he said.

Courtesy California CASA

California CASA Association CEO John Lipp

Lipp started his new job August 1. His salary is $165,000. California CASA’s budget is about $1 million. Previously, Lipp served from 2004 to 2011 as president and CEO of Pets Are Wonderful Support, which helps low-income people who have disabling HIV/AIDS and other illnesses care for their pets. The group merged in 2015 with Shanti, which provides support to people living with AIDS, cancer, and other lifethreatening illnesses. From 2012 to 2015, Lipp served as the national director and associate vice president for volunteer engagement for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Lipp couldn’t say how many of his organization’s youth identify as LGBTQ, but he shared a comment from Kevin Gardner, a California CASA board member who volunteers with the group in Palo Alto. “As a gay man, I know from personal experience that well-meaning adults occasionally make judgmental or hurtful remarks,” Gardner said. “Foster teens, straight or queer, experience this all too often and many suffer from unnecessary alienation and isolation simply because

they are foster children, even more so for LGBTQ youth. All children, especially foster children, need support, encouragement, and someone to advocate for them in every aspect of their lives. … Our waiting list is filled with children and youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities who need a mentor and CASA volunteer to advocate for them.” In an emailed statement, California CASA board Chair James Hatter said he’s “delighted” about Lipp becoming the group’s CEO. “He brings comprehensive experience in all areas of nonprofit administration, including fundraising, executive leadership, governance, community engagement and program development,” Hatter stated. “His passion and enthusiasm for our mission along with his proven leadership skills will lead our association to new heights.” To volunteer with CASA or for more information, visit www.californiacasa.org.t

Corrections The August 25 article “SF housing collective fights co-founder,” should have stated that Adan Luevano, who co-founded the collective with his former partner, Sahee Kil, had filed a lawsuit against Kil in April in San Francisco Superior Court. The August 25 article “Silicon Valley Pride continues to evolve,” incorrectly reported that Bank of America was a sponsor of this year’s event. The company did have a booth at the festival and its employees in the South Bay were involved with several activities connected to the celebration. The online versions of both articles have been updated.

Community News>>

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

Study shows steps lesbian, bi women can take to be healthier

Rick Gerharter

To stay healthy, Dana Vinicoff walks around her Noe Valley neighborhood.

by Matthew S. Bajko

lthough Janet Seldon is overweight, the San Francisco resident considers herself to be healthy. “There is a difference,” said Seldon, 62, a lesbian and an attorney who works for a local nonprofit, noting that people can be “healthy at any size.” Concerned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Seldon six years ago joined the San Francisco Walking Dykes. The women would meet every Saturday in Golden Gate Park and walk together. “It grew out of this other group that was a brunch group. We decided we wanted to do something healthier,” said Seldon. “It was more fun to meet and talk to people while walking.” She also took part in a UCSF study called Mindful Eating that had her and the other participants engage in a variety of activities, from writing and talking about their emotions to stretching exercises and meditating. “It worked because it was not just focused on how many calories should you eat to lose weight,” said Seldon, who declined to reveal her current weight but did say she has lost 15 pounds in recent years. “It is not about losing weight but being more active in life.” Seldon was also involved in a study based at San Francisco State University called DIFO, short for Doing It For Ourselves. It was part of a groundbreaking federally funded study focused on lesbian and bisexual women over 40 who are at risk for weight-related illnesses. “The whole point is if you are focused on losing weight, you should not be focused on just dieting and exercising. It might not be the best diet and might not be the best exercise,” she said. “There is more to it than that, like your emotional needs and spiritual needs.” Numerous studies over the years have found that adult lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be obese than their heterosexual counterparts. Yet national weight-and-fitness interventions tailored to their needs are lacking, contend health experts. To address this disparity, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health launched the initiative Healthy Weight in Lesbian and Bisexual Women: Striving for a Healthy Community, which involved culturally tailored interventions of 12-16 weeks in 10 cities across the United States. The study results, published in July in a supplement to the journal Women’s Health Issues, found that the intervention was effective at helping lesbian and bisexual women improve their health behaviors. “The main goal of this study was to create safe and supportive environments across the country where lesbian and bisexual women could solely focus on their health,” stated

Jane McElroy, Ph.D., a lesbian and associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. The lead author of the article reporting the study results, McElroy was also the principal investigator of Living Out, Living Actively, one of the five programs created in the study. “We are hopeful that these results will motivate other communities to develop tailored interventions to support lesbian and bisexual women achieving the active healthy lives they desire,” she said. Of the 266 women who took part in the various research groups associated with the study, nearly 60 percent of the participants increased their weekly physical activity minutes by 20 percent while 29 percent decreased their waist-to-height ratios by 5 percent.

their weight as many heterosexual women are, and tend to be more attracted to women who are overweight. “They need support and need safety and someone speaking with them who is not going to judge them for being obese,” said Haynes. “We think that someone should be lesbian or bisexual. They need to have a safe place to discuss these issues and what their concerns are.” The HWLB intervention involved five different programs developed through partnerships between research organizations and LGBT community organizations. Each program enrolled lesbian and bisexual women ages 40 and older who were overweight, and involved weekly group meetings, nutrition education, and physical activity, as well as preand post-intervention surveys. In the Bay Area, residents of Berkeley and San Francisco took part in the Women’s Health and Mindfulness study. And the DIFO study based at SF State enrolled 160 women from Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol. That study taught the women mindfulness, or how to pay attention to the present moment, and how one’s sense of energy and comfort is affected by different kinds of food. The women also learned what kinds of physical activities were more enjoyable and feel good on the body. “A simple group program can have major impact on a woman’s sense of well-being,” said SF State professor of health education Michele Eliason, 63, a lesbian who lives in San Francisco and oversaw the DIFO study. “We can take control of our own health and help each other as a community.”

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“I don’t think the women were focused on their weight at all. They were more focused on feeling healthy and being active.” –Suzanne Haynes, Ph. D.

Steps the women took were as simple as parking farther away from store entrances, going for a walk after dinner, or choosing to take the stairs rather than the elevator, said McElroy. What they should not do, she added, is stress over how much they weigh. “Women should be concerned about being a healthy weight. It is not about your weight, it is about feeling good physically and mentally about the weight you are at,” she explained. Ninety-five percent of the study participants achieved one of the health objectives, which included nutrition goals as well as targets for physical activity and weight loss, while 58 percent achieved three or more. “I don’t think the women were focused on their weight at all. They were more focused on feeling healthy and being active,” said Suzanne Haynes, Ph.D., a lesbian and senior science adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The key finding from the study, said Haynes, is having programs designed specifically for lesbian and bisexual women. “If you go to a regular weight loss system it is not there. They are not tailored for lesbian and bisexual women,” said Haynes. “The women didn’t want to get on a scale. They were of the mindset that is irrelevant.” Many lesbian women, noted Haynes, aren’t as concerned about

San Francisco resident Dana Vinicoff, 63, a lesbian who is now retired, took part in the study at SF State. She declined to reveal her exact weight, saying that she falls under the medical definition for being obese. “I have never been happy with my weight,” said Vinicoff, adding that she nonetheless has “given up on trying to lose weight. It is ineffective and a drag. Every time I have tried it, I regained every pound I lost and gained more.” Instead of worrying about calorie counts or shedding pounds, Vinicoff instead tries to remain active. She has taken dance classes, done yoga, and practiced tai chi in order to get off the couch and out of the house. But she acknowledged that, with being single, she struggles to remain committed to a routine exercise regimen. “I try to get out and walk more,” said Vinicoff, “but I prefer to do things with other women.” She has continued to take part in DIFO programs that Eliason has organized for women interested in remaining involved now that the federal study has concluded. “Just getting out of the house and talking to others is a very good thing,” said Vinicoff. “Having the support for the changes I am trying to make in my life is also very helpful.”t

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4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Volume 46, Number 35 September 1-7, 2016 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 • Sari Staver • 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 Jo-Lynn Otto • 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 Peter Sailsbery – 415.829.8941 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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News Editor • news@ebar.com Arts Editor • arts@ebar.com Out & About listings • jim@ebar.com Advertising • scott@ebar.com Letters • letters@ebar.com Published weekly. Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter. Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation. Advertising rates available upon request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is confidential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

Gay hookup sites Manhunt, Jack’d fail their users

n June California health officials issued an advisory for gay and bisexual men, as well as transgender people and HIV positive individuals, to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease after another outbreak was reported in Los Angeles. Alerts about the deadly disease have become a near annual occurrence since 2012, when a meningitis outbreak infected a dozen men who have sex with men in New York City. In December of that year, San Francisco public health officials encouraged gay men planning to travel to New York City to get the vaccination. This year, since the beginning of May, meningococcal disease cases have been identified in men living in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, most gay or bisexual, according to the California Department of Public Health. As of this month, Los Angeles health officials have diagnosed 17 cases, leading to calls for gay and bi men traveling there to get vaccinated. Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis and can result in meningitis and bloodstream infections (sepsis). Although rare, meningococcal disease is serious and potentially fatal. It is spread through close personal contact and can be spread from person to person by small droplets of respiratory secretions from the nose and throat. Symptoms begin a few days after exposure and may include fever, chills, vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, rash, nausea or vomiting, and generalized muscle pains. Anyone who develops these symptoms, especially those with HIV, should immediately seek medical care and warn health officials, either by calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room.

Due to the serious nature of the disease, the Los Angeles LGBT Center reached out to a number of hookup sites popular with gay and bisexual men and asked them to warn their users about the latest meningitis outbreak and to encourage getting vaccinated. While Hornet, Scruff and Grindr all issued alerts at no cost to their Los Angeles-area users, the owners of Online-Buddies, the parent company of Manhunt and Jack’d, “steadfastly refused,” according to a blog post by the community center last weekend. “Show me the money” was the company’s message, wrote Jim Key, the center’s chief marketing officer. In a July 14 email, which Key shared with the Bay Area Reporter, Online-Buddies CEO Hector Camacho wrote, “Yes we charge for all campaigns,” and instructed the center to contact it again “when you receive funding for your campaign.” David S. Novak, the company’s senior health strategist and director of advertising, in a July 6 email dismissed the center’s request

that Manhunt and Jack’d issue their own alerts since “given many users will be on multiple apps you can rest assure [SIC] your free campaigns on other sites may reach our users.” He added “having worked in public health for years and now in private industry public health must devote more funding to outbreak response.” His reply is particularly egregious considering Novak not only formerly worked for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health but also advised the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s internet partner notification program workgroup. Yet this isn’t the first time Online-Buddies has refused to assist public health officials unless they pay up. Maryland health officials received a similar response last December when they reached out to a number of male hookup sites to request that they warn their users, particularly in the Baltimore area, about a Shigella outbreak among gay and bisexual men. This week California officials issued their own alert about an outbreak of Shigella among gay and bi men in Los Angeles. Since May there have been 14 reported cases, with five requiring hospitalization. Yet there is nothing about the Shigella warning on the Manhunt Cares website nor is there any information about the meningitis outbreak. Rather than profit off such critical health warnings, Online-Buddies should follow the lead of its fellow hookup sites and freely issue alerts to its users. The company should join other active members of Building Healthy Online Communities, the collaboration between health officials and hookup sites to bring up-to-date information to users of such services. If not, then Manhunt and Jack’d users could be signing off, permanently.t

Keep BART safe and reliable By Rebecca Saltzman and Tom Radulovich

BART riders is a boon for the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution throughout the region. s the Bay Area has grown, so BART has a strong track record has BART ridership. If you with bond funds and has saved graph BART ridership numbers taxpayers millions through acand the growth in regional jobs tive management and strategic and population over the past four refinancing of infrastructure bond decades, you’ll see that they track debt. Measure RR has strong acin virtual alignment. This tells countability safeguards as well. us two things: one, BART is esAll funds must be used on critical sential to the health of our region safety infrastructure. An oversight - it connects workers to jobs and committee made up of transporhelps to relieve regional traffic tation safety experts, auditors and congestion. And two, as the Bay good government watchdogs is reArea continues to rapidly grow, quired by law to ensure the bond the time to act is now if BART Courtesy BART funds are spent correctly. is to remain a safe and reliable As BART directors and regutransportation system that keeps A BART car prepares to leave the Oakland Coliseum Station. lar BART riders, we hear from the Bay Area moving. constituents about how BART After 44 years of service and should improve. BART riders tens of millions of trips, the core ensuring rider safety by repairing tracks want fast, frequent, reliable service, elements that keep the BART system running in BART tunnels that have been misand BART can improve service if have reached their limit. Over the years, BART aligned by creeping earthquake Measure RR is approved. The time has aggressively used operating funds from the faults. We must keep those secto act is now - we can no longer affare box to help pay for improvements. Several tions of track safe in the event of ford to wait to repair BART. years ago the BART board pledged all new revan earthquake. Measure RR has been analyzed enue from fare increases to core capital needs, BART has no higher responby transportation safety experts and over the past four years we have more than sibility than to keep its riders at UC Berkeley, the Bay Area doubled the percentage of our capital budsafe, which is why these upLeague of Women voters and get spent on system reinvestment, including grades focus on core infrastructhousands of community leadnew train cars, track repairs, and modernized ture. But Measure RR funded ers across the Bay Area. They all stations. improvements will also increase endorse Measure RR because it is a commonBut the cost of completely rebuilding capacity, by allowing trains to run more sense, straightforward approach that focuses BART’s core systems to modern standards frequently. on the core infrastructure of the BART system. requires billions, not millions. Measure RR on If Measure RR is approved, BART will be Vote yes on Measure RR to relieve trafthe November ballot must pass for BART to able to move 25 percent more trains through fic, improve reliability, and help ensure rider continue providing the safe, reliable, and highthe Transbay Tube during peak hours. With safety for generations to come.t quality system the Bay Area requires. ridership projected to increase 75 percent by Measure RR invests $3.5 billion into core in2040, it is critical we act now to meet the deRebecca Saltzman holds the District 3 seat frastructure. It addresses critical issues such as mands of the future. Whether you drive a car, representing parts of Alameda and Contra replacing 90 miles of worn-down rails, modride a bike, or take the bus, Measure RR will Costa counties on the BART Board of ernizing the 1960s-era train control system be a benefit to you - more people opting to Directors, while Tom Radulovich holds the technology, repairing tunnel walls damaged BART to their destination relieves pressure on BART board’s District 9 seat representing by water intrusion, and overhauling the aging the Bay Area’s traffic-congested highways. Adparts of San Francisco. electrical system. Funds will also go towards ditionally, fewer cars on the road due to more

Letters >>

Support Proposition 61

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

As a pediatric nurse in a children’s hospital in Oakland, I see far too many families who can’t afford the medications their children need or face becoming homeless or giving up other basic needs to care for their child. It’s heartbreaking and unconscionable. The huge price hikes for EpiPens is just one example of a broken system. There’s also the 5,500 percent increase for Daraprim for treating people with compromised immune systems, Gilead’s disgraceful gouging of vital drugs for hepatitis C care, and many more.

All while the 50 richest drug giants made $518 billion in profits the past five years, and top all other corporate industries in lobbying, which has successfully killed even modest controls on the drug companies, such as a bill just smothered in the California Legislature. Proposition 61, endorsed by the 100,000 members of the California Nurses Association, is a start to rein in these predatory practices. For my patients, for all Californians, please vote yes on Prop. 61. Martha Kuhl, RN California Nurses Association Oakland, California

Former SF co-op owner awaits vote on CA pot legalization by Matthew S. Bajko

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

atthew Huron grew up in San Francisco’s gay Castro district, four doors down from neighborhood gay bar the Men’s Room (now called the Last Call Bar) on 18th Street. It was his dad’s “staple” hangout. In the 1990s Huron, who is straight, turned to cultivating cannabis as his dad and his dad’s partner both suffered from symptoms of HIV/AIDS. Sixteen years ago he started the Elmar Lins Compassion Co-Op, named after his father’s partner, to provide medical marijuana to hospices and assisted living facilities in the Bay Area. “My dad found therapeutic benefit through cannabis,” said Huron. Lins passed away in 2008, and after his father died the following year, Huron relocated his business to Denver, Colorado. In 2010 Huron, 42, opened his first Good Chemistry marijuana dispensary in the shadow of the state Capitol, an area of town that reminded him of San Francisco’s Mission District. Today, he owns a growing marijuana dispensary and cultivation company that includes two dispensaries and several cultivation sites in the Mile High State. The company is now expanding into Nevada, opening a 5,000 square foot cultivation site this summer in Reno in a building capable of expanding to 12,000 square feet. “We can produce as much as our customers can consume,” said Huron. “We grow 60 different strains.” With his business footprint now just over the border from Lake Tahoe in California’s Sierra Nevada, Huron is closely following this fall’s ballot measure fight over Proposition 64, which would legalize marijuana for adult recreational use in

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Good Chemistry

Matthew Huron at the Good Chemistry Colfax location in Denver.

sumption in clubs or tasting rooms,” said Huron, noting one of his dispensaries has space next door to expand into for such a purpose if the law allowed for it. Backers of the California measure have pointed to how Colorado officials have overseen the state’s budding marijuana sector as a roadmap for implementing it here should Prop 64 be approved. “The experience, I think, overall has been very beneficial to the state of Colorado,” said Huron. “It has been two years since the first store opened. Since then it has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to the state.” Huron now employs more than 100 people throughout his company, up from the 10 staffers he had six years ago. Depending how the California vote goes, and the regulatory environment the state creates, Huron could one day open a branch of his Good Chemistry in the state. “California is a consideration.

“The experience, I think, overall has been very beneficial to the state of Colorado.” –Good Chemistry owner Matthew Huron the Golden State. “California is late to this,” Huron told the Bay Area Reporter during an interview in June, when he was back in the Bay Area to attend the National Cannabis Industry Association’s annual summit, which was held in Oakland. Colorado voters legalized marijuana for adult use in November of 2012, and the policy went into effect in January of 2014. It has largely been seen as a success, though the state is still trying to figure out where to allow consumption of marijuana in public. Right now it can only be consumed in private homes. “We do support allowing con-

I love San Francisco,” Huron told the B.A.R., though he cautioned it would be dependent on what rules and regulations are imposed on the marijuana industry. He hasn’t forgotten what it was like when he first began growing cannabis in the Bay Area nearly two decades ago. The police twice raided his co-op in 2008. “They shredded all our patient records, the plants, even the electrical outlets for no reason and just left,” recalled Huron. The legal landscape has drastically changed since then, and as the B.A.R. reported last week, a U.S. appeals court has ruled that the federal

government may no longer spend money to pursue medical marijuana cases in states that have laws allowing medical use of cannabis. Nonetheless, Huron said his decision to expand into California would be determinant on what rules the state and local jurisdictions put in place to regulate the sale of marijuana for recreational use. “I am not interested in operating in a gray market environment,” he said. “I would have to feel safe in that regulatory structure.” Plus, Huron doesn’t see much room for expansion in cities like San Francisco where there are already a plethora of medical marijuana dispensaries. “I can’t imagine you would see 200 recreational marijuana stores open up,” he said. “Maybe you will see some new opportunities, but there are not a lot of new opportunities in certain cities. Denver had 200 and put a moratorium in place, so there are no new licenses there at all.”

Hearing on LGBT historic site expected in Oct.

The demolition of an LGBT historic site in San Francisco to make way for a mega-development will likely be the focus of a hearing next month. The Planning Commission, at its meeting Thursday (September 1), is expected to approve scheduling in mid October its taking up the matter of how much scrutiny the project requires. The site in question is located at 950-974 Market Street where Group I, a San Francisco-based real estate development company, wants to demolish the existing buildings in order to construct a 12-story, 120-foot-tall building. It would include a 232room hotel, 242 housing units, ground floor retail, and space for a local nonprofit theater company. The triangular block sits where Market, Turk and Mason streets intersect and straddles both the MidMarket and Tenderloin neighborhoods. As the B.A.R. has previously reported, the building once housed the Tenderloin’s first gay bars and helped facilitate gay and transgender prostitution and hustling in the area. As detailed in the Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ See page 12 >>

<< National News

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Federal transgender rights legal cases advance

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he legal rights of transgender people continue to dominate LGBT legal news these days, as several cases make their way toward the U.S. Supreme Court and stimulate public discussion. Last week, in one of the most prominent cases, a federal district judge issued an order that prevents the University of North Carolina from implementing a new state law that bars transgender people from using a public restroom that matches their gender identity. LGBT legal groups and the U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against the new law, HB 2, after it was signed into law in March. The law has three parts: Part 1, which restricts how transgender people can access public bathrooms; Part 2, which prohibits local non-discrimination laws against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination by public contractors; and Part 3, which prohibits local non-discrimination laws against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination in public accommodations. A trial on those challenges to the law is set for November, and three transgender plaintiffs at the University of North Carolina sought an injunction at that school to retain the pre-HB2 status quo until the court can rule on the overall lawsuit. On August 26, U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder (an appointee of President George W. Bush) issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of Part 1 (regarding bathroom access). Schroeder noted that “no party has indicated that the pre-HB2 legal regime posed a significant privacy or

Rick Gerharter

Activists gathered on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall in January to support local legislation mandating all-gender bathrooms in public buildings.

safety threat to anyone in North Carolina, transgender or otherwise.” Therefore, he said, his injunction simply returns to the pre-HB2 scheme until the court can rule whether Title IX’s prohibition on discrimination based on “sex” includes “gender identity.” Schroeder said the transgender plaintiffs challenging HB2 “have made a clear showing that they are likely to succeed on their claim” that the bathroom access portion of the HB2 violates Title IX. Schroeder also noted that existing state laws that prohibit people from indecently exposing themselves to others or peeping into or entering a bathroom designated for someone of the opposite sex are “straightforward and uncontroversial.” “For transgender users, however, it is not clearly so,” wrote Schroeder, and most appear to have been accommodated at educational institutions on a case-by-case basis, “with educational institutions generally permitting

them to use bathrooms and other facilities that correspond with their gender identity….” He noted the state had “not offered any evidence whatsoever” to illustrate any problems with the existing means of accommodating transgender persons. “Rather, on the current record, it appears that some transgender individuals have been quietly using facilities corresponding with their gender identity and that, in recent years, state educational institutions have been accommodating such students where possible.” On Monday, Lambda Legal and other groups challenging HB2 said they would ask the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to extend that injunction to apply to all transgender people in North Carolina.

Federal regulations face legal tests

In other transgender litigation, See page 7 >>

LeatherWalk aims to keep SF kinky

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rganizers of this year’s LeatherWalk are challenging participants to ensure San Francisco doesn’t lose its sexually subversive ways. The theme of the 25th annual fundraiser for a trio of local nonprofits is “Keep San Francisco Kinky.” The official start to the city’s Hybrid/City Kid’s Leather Week, the stroll through Hybrid/City Kid’s several gay neighborhoods will take Hybrid/City Kid’s place Sunday, September 18. Rick Gerharter The first walk was held in 1992 by Art Tomaszewski, a former AIDS Desmond Perrotto carried the leather flag at the 2014 LeatherWalk. Emergency Fund board president and former Bare Chest Calendar and the two emergency funds. AEF Market Street toward its endpoint man and Mr. Headquarters Leather. last month merged with Positive at the SF Eagle at the corner of 12th In 2001, Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt, Resource Center, while BCEF is beand Harrison Streets, where the Road Mountain a longtime leather community coming its own stand alone entity. leather flag will be raised on the gay Road Mountain member and fundraiser, took over The goal this year is to raise $20,000 bar’s outdoor flagpole. This year’s Road Mountain production of the walk. through the walk. flatbed truck performances will inNow Open Thursday to 7pm! Lance Holman, who “We walk together to celclude Empress Emma Peel, Grace Now Open Thursday to 7pm! has been a longtime ebrate leather, kink, family Towers, Abominatrix, Raquela, and Now Open Thursday to 7pm! Every Thursday in April between 4 & 7pm walk volunteer for AEF and community - all while Mark Paladini. Thursday in April between & 4& 7pm take Every 20% OFF all parts, accessories clothing.* and its sister organizaraising funds for three Stops along the route this year Now Open Thursday to 7pm! takeEvery 20% OFF all parts, accessories Thursday in April between 4&&clothing.* 7pm tion the Breast Cancer great agencies,” noted will include the Powerhouse, Mr. *Sales limited to stock on hand. take 20% OFF all parts, accessories & clothing.* Emergency Fund, assumed Folsom Street Events in S Leather, and the Lone Star. Par*Sales limited to stock on hand. leadership of theSPRING walk in an email announcing ticipants receive a collectible LeathEvery Thursday in April between *Sales 4 & 7pm limited to stock on hand. 2013. Last year Folsom this year’s event. erWalk pin and are asked to raise m got take 20% OFF all parts, accessories We’ve & clothing.* Street Events, which proHolman will be serv$250, though there is no minimum ready to ride *Sales limited to stock on hand. duces the Folsom Street ing as the master of ceremonies and required to walk. Fair, set to take place Sunday, SepSister Roma, of the drag nun chariOn-site registration and checktember 25, and other parties and table group Sisters of Perpetual in will begin at 10 a.m. that Sunfairs, partnered with AEF/BCEF to Indulgence, will be the mistress of day at gay bar 440 Castro. Those put on the LeatherWalk in an effort ceremonies. Entertainment is slated interested in signing up in advance 1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF to boost participation and increase to begin at 11:30 a.m. at Jane War1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st &415-550-6601 22nd St.) • SF can do so online at https://www. SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS theHybrid/City amount of money raised. ner Plaza, with the walk scheduled classy.org/san-francisco/events/ 1065 &Mon.1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 Sat. 10-6, Thu. 10-7, Sun. 11-5 Folsom Street Events is again to kick off at 12 p.m. from the publeatherwalk-2016/e75528. SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 Mon.- Sat. 10-6, Thu. 10-7, Sun. 11-5 taking a leadership role this year lic parklet, located at the corner of Mon.Sat. 10-6, Thu. 10-7, Sun. 11-5 CLOSED LABOR DAY, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 in organizing the walk, with the 17th, Castro and Market Streets. See page 12 >> 1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF money raised again benefiting itself The walk will make its way down

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International News>>

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

New exhibit explores the dichotomy of being Arab and gay

Heather Cassell

Gay Arab artist Jamil Hellu stands in front of pink lamb hides with a different silkscreened image of himself fashioned in various Arabic scarves and beard styles. The work is part of his solo exhibit “Once Upon A Time” at the University of San Francisco.

by Heather Cassell

new art exhibit opening this month, “Once Upon A Time,” explores and pushes the boundaries in a provocative way of what it means to be a gay Arab man. The multimedia work by visual artist Jamil Hellu, 39, explores his gay identity and his Middle Eastern heritage through a series of select self-portraits and photos, screen prints, and videos. The exhibit, which opens in San Francisco September 6, will be on display at the University of San Francisco’s Thacher Gallery in the Gleeson Library / Geschke Center. “I thought it was important to have Jamil Hellu’s work here because I thought that it would really help to spark conversations,” said Glori Simmons, the gallery’s director. Hellu’s show is a continuation of a series of exhibits exploring identity and heritage that have been on display at USF, said gallery manager Nell Herbert. The works “have really looked at identity, people representing their own identity, cultural heritage, and kind of pushing the boundaries or asking important questions,” she said. The Bay Area Reporter got a sneak peak of the new exhibit last month during a conversation with Hellu about his work, why it’s important, what are his fears, and why he’s speaking out against the violence of the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq and its brutal attacks on gay men. His show comes just as reports of members of ISIS threw four men, including two members of the militant group, off of a building in Mosul, Iraq on August 20, allegedly for being gay, reported Gay Star News. It was such news reports that inspired Hellu to begin exploring his ethnic heritage and sexual orientation in his art. “April of last year [I was] reading so much about the news about

Transgender rights

From page 6

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed yet another lawsuit against a pro-LGBT policy of the Obama administration. On August 23, he filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for Northern Texas, challenging a new Health and Human Services regulation that interprets the word “sex” to include gender identity. On August 21, in another Paxton-led lawsuit, a federal judge granted a temporary order blocking the Obama administration from taking any action against states that refuse to comply with its guidelines

what’s happening in Syria and the destruction about the Syrian country. I came across … an article with a video of several Arab men who were about to be thrown out of a building by ISIS because they are perceived to be gay. That was very dramatic to me,” said Hellu. “To say it’s so barbaric, the violence, but at the same time it is used as a spectacle to others to set an example, so it’s propaganda. That’s quite disturbing … how [they] use the killing as a spectacle.” He also spoke with gay refugees from the Middle East about their own experiences.

their traditions have been carried on through his grandfather and father in their adopted country. This created a deep connection to Syria within Hellu, even though he has never been to the land where his father’s family originated or spoke Arabic before a lesson that he turned into one of the films on display at the gallery. Hellu, who is the oldest of two siblings, a brother and sister, came to the United States 20 years ago to study English and law, but he fell in love with photography. Now living in San Francisco, he launched his career nearly a decade ago exhibiting his work in solo shows in the Bay Area and Paris. “Once I claimed my heritage as Arabic, as a gay man, then the complication started for me,” said Hellu, “because that dichotomy of this two sections of my identity are complex politically.” Hellu also drew upon stories of gay Middle Eastern refugees resettled in San Francisco and 1970s artwork, including Tom of Finland, for inspiration for the images, he said. Many of the Middle Eastern gay men he met didn’t want to be photographed. Overcoming his own fears to realize that it wasn’t just about him, but many other gay Arab men, Hellu acted as a stand in for the men who couldn’t speak for themselves. “I tried to be cautious, but then I had to stop,” said Hellu of his concerns about the dangers of his work shining a light on the myth of Arabs, which is scary in America today, and

“I want to continue to create work that I feel is important to be seen. I’m not trying to make decorations. That’s not why I’m an artist.” –Jamil Hellu

Born and raised in Brazil, Hellu is of Syrian and Paraguayan descent. His name comes from a town in Syria, Mashta al-Helu, he said. Although his family left Syria with the coffee trade three generations ago,

combining it with gay culture. “[I had to] stop the fear and use the art as a tool not … as expression, but to have a voice.” He didn’t want to censor himself, in contrast to how ISIS tries to silence gay people. “I want to continue to create work that I feel is important to be seen. I’m not trying to make decorations. That’s not why I’m an artist,” Hellu said. He started playing with those ideas of fear and “having an identity that has to be hidden for fear of punishment” and different markers associated with Arabic style, such as beards, mustaches, scarves and veils, as well as gay, leather, and S&M culture in symbolic ways through mixed media. In one of the images, Hellu is covered in a red veil, but there are many hands, his hands, reaching out from beneath the veil. “The idea behind the veil is not

concerning treatment of transgender students in federally funded schools. On August 16, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected a request by lawyers for a school district in Virginia to extend the deadline for their petition of appeal. In that case, Gloucester v. Grimm, the school district seeks to overturn a federal appeals court decision that said the Title IX prohibition of discrimination “on the basis of sex” in schools includes discrimination based on the gender with which a student identifies. In the petition it filed Monday, August 29, the Gloucester School Board said the high court should hear the case to resolve “the current nationwide

controversy” over transgender access to bathrooms. On August 15, a federal magistrate judge in Chicago heard arguments on preliminary issues in a lawsuit by parents and students at a Cook County high school who want to block a transgender female student from using the girls’ locker room and girls’ restrooms. The case, Students and Parents for Privacy v. U.S. Department of Education, is awaiting a trial before a federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois. The magistrate will recommend to that judge whether to grant a preliminary injunction to stop the transgender student’s access until after the trial.t

“In thinking about that, I started thinking about my own lineage, my own heritage,” he said. He then sought out tintype photographer Kari Orvik to take a photo of him dressed in Arabic fashion mimicking the images of his grandfather. A tintype is a photograph on a thin sheet of metal. Seeing the portrait was a very emotional moment for him. “It became very symbolic to me,” he said, talking about the wealth of history and Syria’s part in the history of civilization. “We are connected, in a sense, through heritage to the Middle East, no matter what religion you are.”

Claiming heritage

a woman, it’s a man,” said Hellu, pointing out the fact that many Middle Eastern gay men are afraid to speak out and be seen. “It’s not just one man but it is many men.” Another piece, in the middle of the room in a small box with a peep hole, is a black-and-white video of an Arab man carrying a brightly colored rainbow flag, which is the only color in the short, looped film shot in a silent movie style. “I can get killed showing this in different parts of the world,” said

Hellu, who hopes the work will create conversations.t “Once Upon A Time” opens September 6 and runs through October 23 at USF’s Thacher Gallery in the Gleeson Library / Geschke Center, 2130 Fulton Street. The exhibit is free to the public and open from noon to 6 p.m. daily. Got international LGBT news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at 00+1-415-2213541, Skype: heather.cassell, or oitwnews@gmail.com.

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<< Commentary

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Medical pot dispensaries cater to many tastes by Sari Staver

lthough the vote to approve adult recreational use of cannabis is two months away, it’s already quick, easy, and legal to buy medicinal marijuana right now. In fact, any adult San Franciscan with a smartphone can get a physician’s approval to buy medical cannabis and have it delivered to your home – all in less than 30 minutes. But if you’re the type of patient who likes to do things in person, you can visit any of the dozen or so marijuana doctors’ offices where, for $30-$40, a doctor’s note will get you into all of the city’s dispensaries for a year. Thanks to a competitive marketplace, the city’s two-dozen dispensaries have similar prices, ranging from $30 to $60 for an eighth of an ounce, based on the quality of the flowers. The hundreds of other products on the shelves – ranging from candy bars and ice cream to pre-rolled joints and concentrates – have become standard fare everywhere. The website http://www.weedmaps.com is a good place to start. For those who want to grow their own medicine, a couple of dispensaries sell seeds and plants and have staff willing to give you advice on starting a garden at home, also legal, with some restrictions, for those with medical approval. Dispensaries are trying to market themselves by offering “extras” to patients, whether it is classes, samplings, or services such as acupuncture and massage. Increasingly, dispensaries are setting up lounges where you can hang out and sample your purchases before heading home. And if you’re overwhelmed with

the thousands of cannabis strains now on the market, there are hundreds of informative websites whose high definition close-ups of colorful, sparkling buds will describe their taste, aroma, and probably most importantly, their psychoactive effects. While its true that states with legal recreational cannabis have prices about 25 percent lower than those in San Francisco, according to Priceonomics, there is always the so-called black market which, if you scan Craigslist under “farm and garden,” is alive and well, and often priced well below dispensaries. To find out a sampling of who is offering what, the Bay Area Cannasseur called a number of dispensaries and delivery services. Our conclusion: Given the reality that the OG Kush from one dispensary may be very different than the same strain from another club, it’s almost impossible to do a head-to-head comparison. But they all have websites touting their specials, and if you like freebies, many offer a gift with your first purchase as well as the opportunity to visit while the manufacturer’s reps are sampling. Here’s a summary of our findings and websites where you can learn more. San Francisco’s gayborhood, the Castro, has only one cannabis dispensary, the 5-year-old Apothecarium (http://apothecariumsf.com/, 2095 Market Street). It’s relatively small, at approximately 1,200 square feet, and late on Friday afternoons, the line of customers often stretches down the block. Those lines will probably disappear later this month, when the Apothecarium moves down

Rick Gerharter

The Castro’s Apothecarium Medical Cannabis Dispensary employs a number of LGBT staff, including, from left, Conor Fleming, Aaron Seda, Derek Paulson, Kyle Shaughnessy, Barrett Thayer, Cynthia Alvarado, Danyol Leon, Marcella Sanchez and Chase Chambers.

the block to 2029 Market, a 5,000 square foot storefront formerly occupied by Mecca restaurant and a succession of other eateries that never caught on at that location. The Apothecarium will soft open its new location on Wednesday, September 7, prior to the completion of the renovations there. The current location will close permanently the day before, Tuesday, September 6, at 2 p.m. The grand opening of the new location is scheduled for early October. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Apothecarium manager Chase Chambers didn’t have much to say about its new headquarters (except, “we’re very excited to have the opportunity to carry more products”), but the company has hired Urban Chalet architects to design the space, so it’s likely to be as classy as the current location. Chambers, a gay man, said there

won’t be any on-site smoking or vaping but there will be a separate room for classes and meetings. Coming up September 12 is a presentation on “Cannabis and Cancer,” he said. The Apothecarium supports a wide variety of philanthropic and community groups, said Chambers, including a twice-monthly veterans support group, and has donated over $335,000 to a variety of LGBT organizations, including Shanti, Pets Are Wonderful Support, LyonMartin Health Services, and PFLAG. “We’re known for our great customer service,” said Chambers, who noted that their patient consultants go through a three-month training program to educate them about cannabis. “We hope people will walk away from their first visit really wowed by our expertise about the products we carry,” he said. At least twice a week, vendors have samplings or demonstrations, he noted, “and many of our regulars seem to plan their visits” around these events or special sales. An increasingly popular feature at dispensaries is a lounge, or area where customers can smoke or vape, as well as socialize. At South of Market’s San Francisco Patient and Resource Center, or SPARC (http://www.sparcsf.org, 1256 Mission Street), tea is served in a lounge that is also equipped with four $800 Volcanoes, the Mercedes of vaporizers. “You might be sharing with three or four” other members, said Joel Freston, SPARC community liaison. “That’s on purpose,” he said. “We encourage the interactions.” SPARC also has happy hours in the morning and evening with many specially priced items detailed on its website. Everything on its menu – except cannabis seeds, available only in the dispensary – is also available for delivery, he said. At Bay Area Safe Alternatives (http://www.trybasa.com/, 1326 Grove Street), customers can choose from several varieties of cannabis plants, priced at $12-$15, which can also be delivered, said Angeliaka Penuela, director of community outreach. Noting that BASA is the “closest dispensary to Golden Gate Park,” Penuela said that the dispensary always carries “bottom shelf ” strains, which typically sell for $15$20 an eighth, less than half the price of the more expensive products. Flow Kana (http://www.flowkana.com) calls itself “the first sustainable, sun-grown cannabis brand that embraces California values and the small farmer ecosystem,” according to its website. The products are sold in dispensaries and available from Flow Kana directly via delivery, said Adam Steinberg, head of business development. “We partner, and give scale, to

premier craft farmers in the Emerald Triangle who focus on smallbatch boutique strains,” said the website, referring to Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties in northern California. “We’re a voice for the small farmer,” said Steinberg, who added that the company is currently establishing a cooperative for small growers in Mendocino to share their expertise and benefit from economies of scale. If you’re willing to cross a bridge, Fancy DabZ is a small, bare-bones cannabis dispensary at 1810 International Boulevard in Oakland. Fancy DabZ has half a dozen card tables where you can buy cannabis concentrates, ranging in price from $5-$10, and use the “dabbing apparatus” onsite to vaporize them. Fancy DabZ is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. but does not have a website. And if the thought of leaving your home at all is more than you want to attempt, there are a number of delivery services that will bring products to your doorstep. One, Eaze (http://www.eazeup. com), a startup with $20 million in funding, says deliveries in San Francisco take less than 20 minutes, on average, according to Sheena Shiravi, who works in public relations. Products are all from the Great Giving Tree, a dispensary that doesn’t have a retail location, she added. In addition to delivery, Eaze can also connect you online with a physician who is available from 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, Shiravi said. “In half an hour, someone can get a physician’s approval and have the cannabis at their doorstep,” she said. Shiravi said Eaze would appeal to soccer moms and others in the “new cannabis demographic” who might prefer to order from home rather than go into a dispensary. All delivery people undergo a criminal background check, she said. “We think there are many people who will feel more comfortable,” with Eaze, said Shiravi. For California medicinal cannabis users who have followed the rapidly dropping prices in states that have approved recreational use, don’t hold your breath. Although the November ballot initiative is likely to pass, said Terrance Alan, local cannabis legalization task force chair, it will probably be more than a year before local regulations are in place to enable recreational sales. “Nothing happens quickly,” said Alan in an interview. “Especially in the world of cannabis.”t Bay Area Cannasseur runs the first Thursday of the month. To send column ideas or tips, email Sari Staver at sari@ bayareacannasseur.com.

Community News>>

t Gay partner sells stake in Castro restaurant Fable by Sari Staver

lans to sell the restaurant Fable in San Francisco’s Castro district to new owners have been cancelled after one of the partners offered to buy out his gay co-owner, the Bay Area Reporter has learned. A month ago, the eatery’s coowners hired a commercial broker to try to sell the nearly 4-year-old business at 558 Castro Street. But when a reporter called this week to inquire about the listing, partner Erik Rhoades said they were taking the property off the market. “Nothing will change,” said Rhoades, who is straight and is buying out partner Jon Hearnsberger, formerly executive chef of Woodhouse Fish Company. “We may change the menu less frequently, but other than that, we aren’t planning any changes.” Hearnsberger, who is gay, could not be reached for a comment by press time. He and Rhoades opened the restaurant in 2013, spending over $100,000 to renovate the space. Although the restaurant has received excellent reviews for its food, service and atmosphere, it has become “increasingly difficult” to op-

erate a restaurant in San Francisco, said Rhoades in an interview. In addition to the usual problems facing retail businesses, he said Fable’s ability to maximize the use of its outdoor patio is limited because its beer and wine license requires the restaurant to stop serving alcoholic beverages outside after 9 p.m. “It’s tough to be paying rent for a space you can’t use all the time,” said Rhoades. The owners had tried to extend the time to 10 p.m. on weekends, but neighbors threatened to take them to court, said Rhoades. “We thought it was a reasonable request and apparently they did not,” he said. The restaurant had been for sale for several weeks. According to the advertisement, also posted on the website Craigslist, the purchase price for Fable was listed as $390,000, which included its beer and wine license. The ad also said the monthly rent for the 1,530 square foot restaurant and its 1,500 square foot patio was $8,800 with one year remaining on the lease and two five-year lease renewal options.

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

Sari Staver

Ownership change will keep Castro restaurant Fable open.

“It is a great opportunity for a restaurateur who is looking to open their establishment in the desirable and bustling retail corridor of the

“They’ve drafted legislation that doesn’t make sense to anyone working in the industry.”

Castro district,” noted the ad. As for the sale of upper Market Street restaurant Café Flore, which the B.A.R. first reported about in July, owner Steven “Stu” Gerry said this week there is “no news” about the listing, although there have been a number of showings. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, a modern Japanese restaurant, Nomica at 2223 Market Street, is set to open “any day,” according to partner

and acting general manager Paul Quinn. The restaurant, in the space previously occupied by seafood restaurant Pesce, is awaiting receipt of several permits. Nearby, at 2251 Market Street, Castro resident Rick Hamer and chef Ryan Scott, who appeared on the TV show Top Chef, are prepping to open their restaurant Finn Town sometime this fall. Expected to open within a few weeks is a new French patisserie and cafe, Le Marias Bakery, at 498 Sanchez Street on the corner of 18th Street. Le Marias, which has other locations in the Marina and in Ghiardelli Square, is going into where Samovar Tea Lounge once was housed. An employee of the Marina location said they hope to be open in the Castro by early September. And just doors away from Fable, at 556 Castro Street, the Castro Fountain should open sometime this fall. It will be the second ice cream shop for Juliet Pries, who owns the Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley. As the B.A.R. reported in March, Pries ran into issues turning the former retail space into use as a restaurant. She faced delays in getting PG&E to complete upgrading the utilities in order to bring more gas and electric into the building. Plans to open by Pride came and went, then this summer signs went up saying the Castro Fountain would be opening soon. Pries has yet to disclose an opening date.t

–Mike Stabile, Kink.com spokesman

Prop 60

From page 1

mandates condoms be worn in porn, but Prop 60 is needed because current regulations “are not being enforced.” “We don’t see this parade of horribles happening if the measure passes,” Hertz said. Cybernet Entertainment - better known as San Francisco’s Kink.com porn studio - has spent thousands of dollars opposing Prop 60, state data show. Mike Stabile, spokesman for Kink.com and the porn workers’ group Free Speech Coalition, said,

“The people who are writing this legislation are not familiar with the community. … They’ve drafted legislation that doesn’t make sense to anyone working in the industry.” Performers should be able to choose whether to use condoms, Stabile said. “Condoms work for some performers,” he said. “They do not work for all performers.” Condoms are “much less reliable” on porn sets than they are in private use, since they’re more likely to break or come off during shoots that can last for a couple hours, he said. Performers tend to prefer a sys-

Obituaries >> Robert B. Fuller March 24, 1938 - August 19, 2016 Robert B. Fuller passed away on August 19, 2016 of cancer. Bob is survived by his husband, Juan Mata Morales, and many, many friends. He was born on March 24, 1938 in Durand, Michigan. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he moved to southern California and eventually settled in San Francisco. There, he began an incredible life that encompassed a love of the arts – opera, symphony, dance, choral music and theatre. Bob was also very philanthropic and supported many arts organizations as well as LGBT causes through Horizons Foundation. Traveling was also a huge part of his life, and for a period of time, he owned a travel agency. He was a devout Episcopalian and was a member of Grace Cathedral for many years before transferring his membership to The Episcopal Church of Saint John the Evangelist. Bob was a fire protection engineer for most of his career with positions with Kemper Insurance and the City of San Francisco. After Bob retired from the City, he continued consulting. Bob’s first partner was Manny Parian whom he loved very much. Manny passed away in 2007. Bob met Juan in 2012 and they were married in 2013 in San Francisco City Hall. Bob and Juan later moved to Modesto, California in 2014 where he lived until his death in August. Bob’s life will be celebrated at a memorial service Saturday, September 10, 2016

at 1 p.m. at The Episcopal Church of Saint John the Evangelist, 1661 15th Street, at Julian Street, in San Francisco. A reception will follow the service. Donations can be made in Bob’s memory to the Gay Moral Values Fund of Horizons Foundation, 550 Montgomery Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA., 94111.

Joseph K. Beaupre February 7, 1935 – July 25, 2016 Born on February 7, 1935, Joseph K. Beaupre passed away on July 25, 2016. He is survived by his spouse, Danny J. Rios, his sister, Maxine, and several nieces and nephews. “Joe did everything, he organized our finances, planned our travels and other things we liked to do. I don’t have a clue what to do next, just look at an empty chair, an empty bed, have no one at home to talk with, and a lot new things on my own,” said Rios. “I guess it’s a new chapter in my life. It’s been a very good 20 years with him. On August 20, 2016, it would’ve been 21 years together. I guess he knew something was wrong because he had everything prepared and I didn’t have a clue what he was doing until he went in the hospital. “He will always be part of my life. I will always love him very much and I will miss his voice and his sneaky smile,” added Rios. “Everyone says I’ve been blessed meeting a kind man who loves me and I love him. I guess he’s going onto a new chapter also.” There will be a private service held at the San Francisco Columbarium.

Queer porn performer Siouxsie Q

tem where they’re tested every two weeks for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, Stabile said. They “can ask for a condom at any time, for any reason,” he noted. Referring to the provision allowing people to sue people with a financial interest in porn, Stabile said that what Prop 60’s backers “don’t understand about the way the industry works now is that most adult performers are producers.” Many perform on webcams or run their own websites. “At this point, the vast majority of performers have a financial interest in their films,” he said. Prop 60’s proponents should “work with the stakeholders,” added Stabile, and listen to what performers are most concerned about. “Some performers always use condoms,” he said. “Some never do.” Using a “one size fits all” approach “disempowers people, and you get bad health outcomes,” Stabile said. “If it doesn’t work for them, they’re not going to do it.”

SFAF raises objections

In an email to the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco AIDS Foundation spokesman Chris Richey said the nonprofit “strongly supports safer sex practices in the adult film industry, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is currently in the process of updating existing regulations together with the adult film industry to reflect scientific advances and needs of the workers.” However, Richey said, SFAF is opposed to Prop 60 because, among other concerns, “it will not protect adult film performers as intended. Instead, it will allow any CaliforSee page 12 >>

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<< Sports

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Unapologetic patriotism by Roger Brigham

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f you are one of the many folks who have been angered and disgusted with the decision by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick not to stand during the playing of the national anthem, then I must ask you this question: Where was your anger and disgust before, and how did you express it? But let’s put that aside for a moment; we’ll come back to it. The hubbub over Kaepernick and the anthem started after the quarterback did not stand with his teammates during the anthem before the start of their preseason game Saturday, August 27 against the Green Bay Packers. In subsequent press conferences and interviews he identified his action with concern over racial issues and violence. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements

from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.” The Niners and the NFL said Kaepernick would face no discipline because there is no league rule requiring players to stand for the anthem. And many commentators and athletes said they respected and agreed with Kaepernick’s action. Others were more judgmental. Army veteran and double amputee Noah Galloway said he understood Kaepernick’s concern with police brutality but said sitting during the anthem disrespects fellow veterans. “There are changes that need to be made, yes, but you are disrespecting our brothers and sisters of all different races and nationalities that have given their lives for this country,” he said. “Maybe he should find a country that works better for him,” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said. “Let him try. It won’t happen.” The San Francisco Police Officers Association demanded the NFL and Niners take action to reel Kaepernick in, labeling his action and statements as “attacking police officers in this country.” Some fans burned replicas of the quarterback’s jersey; others bashed him on social media.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick

Several pundits claimed they agreed with Kaepernick’s concerns, but stated any number of often contradictory reasons why they felt he should not have remain seated. On KNBR’s morning show, for instance, hosts Gary Radnich and Larry Krueger opined that Kaepernick should not have staged his protest because he was financially successful and he was not a starting player, and suggested it would have been all right for an athlete in an individual sport such as boxing or golf, but not in a team sport. See page 11 >>

Cait’s canceled contrivances by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

San Francisco Columbarium

THE cemetery for cremated remains in the City!

We salute the US Navy and Your Harvey Milk Meet Neighbors You’re invited mix and mingle with the who equality will one Harvey Milktostood and fought forpeople justice, day share your permanent San Francisco address. and freedom. A Naval vessel bearing the name of the Wineicon & Cheese beloved civil rights willOpen be aHouse reminder to all that Friday, July 19, 2013 2—5pm grace, courage and inclusiveness will always prevail. RSVP Required: (415) 752-8791

You are invited to visit the 1 Loraine Court—San Francisco, CA 94118 Harvey Milk Memorial Niche located in the San Francisco Columbarium’s Hall of Olympians One Loraine Court Off Anza, between Stanyan and Arguello 415-771-7017 415-668-0104 COA 660

fter two seasons, the Caitlyn Jenner focused television reality show I Am Cait has been cancelled by E! Entertainment Television. The show, a kind of spinoff from the Kardashian-focused reality programs of the network, featured a cadre of other trans women advising the neophyte Jenner in her transition, while the cast participated in contrived high-end experiences. The show was instantly seen as a bellwether for trans content on the tube in the post Time magazine inspired “tipping point” era, and its cancellation has been seen by some critics as a condemnation of its star and transgender-themed programs overall. I think that’s a very simplistic view. Now I have to admit a couple things. First off, I’m an acquaintance of a couple of the folks who were on the show and have talked with them a bit about it. Second, I’m not a big reality show fan, particularly for the type of reality programming that E! churns out. I purposefully did not watch the second season of the show. I’m not saying that my own refusal to tune in led to the cancellation, of course. I was only one small pebble in the sea, and my reasons were not the reasons the show was cancelled - at least not in a simple cause and effect format. I feel that the show’s failures were not those of the cast, with the possible exception of Ms. Jenner herself. Indeed, from what I gather of the second season, many of the supporting players did what they could to elevate a slowly sinking ship and make it a place for some strong transgender-themed content. That is something they are, I hope, rather proud of, even if the show they shared their views on is no longer there for them. No, to me the explanation for this show’s failure is this: the show seemed to aim to be the trans version of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, plunging Jenner and her cohorts into the same sort of fishbowl. The

Christine Smith

contrived set pieces at clubs, dinners, and sleepovers designed to cater to the salacious eye of the viewer seemed designed to fit into that Kardashian television empire. Yet the show could not live up to that world. The cast, as good as they are, were not cut from the same reality-show cloth as Khloe and Kim Kardashian and could not embody the artificial settings put forth by the show’s producers. This is a show that brought on a cast of rather smart trans women to “educate” their star, and they provided a lot of education into what transgender people such as themselves are and the issues they care about. Yet these were not the issues E! or the E! demographic were there for. I discussed the cancellation with one of these trans women, author Jenny Boylan, who surmised from her standpoint that about half the audience were Kardashian fans, with another 45 percent being “book club moms.” The last group she suspects was the various LGBT and allied fans there to cheer Jenner and others on. While I don’t disagree, I think somewhere in there were a sizable number of folks there for a salacious tale. Instead, they got a hearty dose of gender theory, were turned off and tuned out. The thing is, this is not a show that was made for transgender people, even if some in the cast did a good job of trying to make it so. This was a show for the non-transgender viewer, a platform for them to gaze upon trans lives from a safe

distance and have their own views and feelings reinforced. Much like the big screen and its incessant fascination with putting straight, non-trans men in dresses and calling them brave for showing us a “real transgender” character on screen, the small screen wants to give a trans story that both fits and reinforces the biases of non-transgender people. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also note that I Am Cait was marred to an extent by Caitlyn’s politics, particularly her support of defeated Republican presidential contender and Texas Senator Ted Cruz at the beginning of Season 2. I suspect she lost a lot of LGBT support for the show due to this. This was what turned me off of the show, though in a somewhat roundabout way: I really don’t care what political views she opts to espouse, even if they are diametrically opposed to me. Rather, it was watching E! and I Am Cait using the controversy to try and attract viewers to, presumably, “hate watch” the program, disliking her for being conservative or for being trans, yet still tuning in and giving the show ratings. The thing is, in spite of the flaws, I think it would be great to see a program out there that does delve deeper into the trans experience and perspective. I’d love to see this group of traveling companions along for the ride with Cait fully unleashed and able to do away with the glitz and glamour the producers so artificially applied. Will we ever see that show? Is there even a place for that show? I Am Cait is cancelled, and many won’t see the clear mismatch of audience and show, and will instead lay all the blame on this being a “transgender show.” In spite of other shows such as Transparent, I Am Jazz, and the Emmy-nominated web series Her Story, the loss of I Am Cait may, in my opinion, make it that much harder to get networks to pick up trans-centered programming. That would be a shame.t Gwen Smith hopes Caitlyn will take some time out of the spotlight, and learn. You’ll find her on the web at www.gwensmith.com.

t <<

Community News>>

Oakland

From page 1

arts and civic engagement through the arts at a moment when these issues are critical to Oakland.” Bedoya, who wasn’t made available for comment and didn’t respond to a Facebook message, starts his new post September 12. He’ll oversee the city’s Cultural Affairs Unit, which is housed in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development. For nine years, he served as executive director of the Tucson Pima Arts Council in Arizona, where he oversaw grant making, policy development, cultural advocacy, and other areas. In December, Tucson Weekly published a story about Bedoya’s resignation from TPAC in which he said, “I’m really proud of [Tucson Pima Arts Council], and what it’s accomplished. I’m ready to go. I’m just exhausted.” The story said his “tenure at TPAC was marked by prodigious fundraising, as well as many budget battles with the city and county.

Gay blood ban

From page 1

by the FDA, should detect HIV in all cases, with the exception of individuals with acute infection in the so-called “eclipse period” - lasting approximately 10 days - when HIV antibodies, the viral p24 antigen, and HIV RNA viral load are still undetectable, according to the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Today, the risk of contracting HIV via a blood transfusion in the U.S. is very low - approximately 1 in 1.5 million, according to the FDA - and no transmissions of HIV, hepatitis B virus, or hepatitis C virus have been documented through U.S.-licensed blood products over the past two decades.

2015 changes not enough

In December 2015 the FDA revised its policy to say that gay and bi men should wait to donate blood until 12 months after their last sexual contact with another man, and women should wait a year after having sex with a gay or bi man. (The policy can be found online at http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/ GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/Blood/ UCM446580.pdf.) There is no exception for gay men who have been sexually abstinent in recent months, monogamous gay men with HIV-negative partners, or men who always use condoms, nor is there a distinction between anal sex and much less risky oral sex.

Jock Talk

From page 10

Now I am a diehard conservative, was a Republican until that whole Trump thing happened, and so what I am going to say is painful but heartfelt. Kaepernick was right. Stop bitching about the protest and start dealing with the issues. First off, let’s examine what he was protesting. He was not “attacking” the vast majority of the police, just the violent offenders and a system that seems reluctant to prosecute cases of obvious police malfeasance. The law and order types who take offense with that are also the first ones to complain that the system in general is stacked in favor of suspects and not so much with victims. And yet when it comes to instances of police violence? Not so much. He was not attacking the country or the values it is founded on. To the contrary, he was protesting the many, many ways in which we fail to live up to and defend those values, to fight for equal protection and

Although he lassoed some $600,000 in grants from private foundations, the annual TPAC budget went from $1.2 million when he arrived in Tucson in 2006 down to $750,000 now.” In an emailed statement to the Bay Area Reporter, Tom DeCaigny, San Francisco’s gay director of cultural affairs, said he’s “thrilled” for Oakland and called Bedoya “a stellar hire” and “a perfect choice for the role.” “The new cultural affairs manager position speaks volumes about Oakland’s commitment to advancing arts and culture,” DeCaigny stated. “… Having worked closely with Roberto through the U.S. Urban Arts Federation, I have immense respect for his national leadership on advancing racial equity in the arts and his understanding of the role of the arts in community development. He is a true innovator in the field. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role to nurture and strengthen the arts throughout the region.” Oakland’s cultural affairs office includes the public art program, which has more than $1 million dedicated for public art projects,

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

as well as the cultural funding program, which provides over $900,000 in grants to support the arts. Bedoya’s staff also work on special events, film production permitting, and a walking tours program. Additionally, he’ll provide leadership for new projects, including completing a cultural plan for the city, supporting cultural districts, and growing a technical assistance program to assist artists and arts organizations with capacity building. Among other achievements, Bedoya, who’s a poet, designed and implemented the nationally recognized People, Land, Arts, Culture, and Engagement (PLACE) initiative, which supports art-based civic engagement projects. He’s also previously worked as the managing director and literary director at San Francisco’s Intersection for the Arts. Last year, Schaaf worked with the Housing Cabinet she’d established and convened a task force to identify strategies for better supporting the stabilization of Oakland’s arts community and helping to stem the displacement of artists and arts organizations. The task force recommended ex-

In addition, the meaning of “protected” sex has expanded beyond condom use. Studies have shown that people who consistently take Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, reduce their risk of HIV infection by more than 90 percent. And if someone has sex with an HIVpositive partner who is on effective antiretroviral therapy and has undetectable viral load, transmission appears to be all but impossible. Experts and advocates generally welcomed last year’s change, but said it did not go far enough. “The Department of Public Health’s scientists and HIV experts have said publicly that the new rule was a step in the right direction, but the one-year abstinence policy is not supported by science,” San Francisco Department of Public Health spokeswoman Rachel Kagan told the B.A.R. The mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12 brought the issue to the fore once again, as many gay and bi men who wanted to donate blood to help injured community members could not do so under the current policy. “It seems a shame that it apparently took the tragedy in Orlando and the subsequent rejection of gay and bisexual men as blood donors at local blood collection centers to motivate additional action on the blood donation policy, but we are pleased that the FDA is finally willing to entertain implementing a policy that is not blatantly discriminatory,” Lambda Legal HIV policy director Scott Schoettes said in a post on the organization’s website.

Dr. José Zuniga, president of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, sent the B.A.R. a new statement drafted this week that supports removing sexual orientation from the FDA’s blood donor deferral policy. “The current 12-month deferral recommendation for men who have sex with men (MSM) is not consistent with the current epidemiology of incident HIV infections in the United States, the science of acute HIV infection, or the contemporary use of nucleic acid diagnostic technologies,” according to the statement. “From a human rights perspective, singling out MSM ignores the fact that nearly one in four new HIV infections occur among nonMSM individuals,” the statement continues. “A human rights-based

justice for all. If this country is to be as great as it can be, it must be great for all. In this sense, Kaepernick was actually delivering a patriotic call for action. Some questioned Kaepernick’s timing, wondering why he hadn’t spoken out before, why he was speaking out now. The reality is he has long spoken out on social media about racial injustice and violence. Apparently nobody was listening. And it is not like Kaepernick is the first athlete to speak out on social and racial issues. Muhammad Ali was berated for opposing the war in Vietnam and its enormous toll on African Americans, but the arc of history has proved him right. Jackie Robinson, an arch conservative as well as a social rights activist, wrote in his 1972 autobiography of his feelings on the anthem when he first played in the World Series. “There I was, the black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people,” Robinson wrote. “The band struck up the national anthem. The flag

billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made.” As to “The Star-Spangled Banner” itself, we were all taught in school that Francis Scott Key wrote it during the War of 1812 while he was being held prisoner on a British ship during the bombardment of Fort Henry. What they don’t mention is that Key, born into the founding culture that placed the value of slaves at three-fifths of free men, owned slaves and systematically fought the abolitionist cause. He was outraged that the Brits were having success luring slaves to join the British forces with promises of freedom, and took particular pride in their failure to subdue Fort Henry. The third stanza of the song, seldom sung, celebrates the American triumph over the freed

pediting the hiring of a senior-level cultural affairs manager to bolster the city’s “internal capacity to support the arts,” city officials said. The hiring of Bedoya is just the first in a series of actions Schaaf and City Administrator Sabrina Landreth plan to implement in order “to ensure the arts community continues to thrive in Oakland.” “Roberto is a national thought leader around arts and civic engagement, cultural equity and creative placemaking, with deep ties to the Bay Area,” Landreth said in the city’s news release. “We are thrilled to welcome Roberto and increase our ability to support and nurture the arts in Oakland.” Pamela Peniston, artistic director for San Francisco’s Queer Cultural Center, said in an email that the news about Bedoya is “fantastic,” and she hopes to see San Francisco and Oakland collaborate “on more arts initiatives.” “As the queer (especially younger) artists and audiences are forced to migrate to Oakland and the East Bay (Oakland is almost out of reach as well) because of the evictions and

cost of living in SF, we need to be serving those members of our community,” Peniston said. QCC produced nine programs in Oakland for its 2016 National Queer Arts Festival, and citing surveys, Peniston said 51 percent of the group’s audiences live in the East Bay. “We would love to see Oakland venues, artists, and production companies be supported with consistent grant programs obviously and especially for queer artists,” she said. “I’m hoping that Roberto Bedoya has a hand in making that happen.” In a Facebook post, Ani Rivera, executive director of San Francisco’s Galeria de la Raza, called Bedoya’s hiring “great news not only for Oakland but for the entire Bay Area.” Oakland District 2 City Councilman Abel Guillen, who identifies as two spirit, said in an email to the B.A.R., “I do not know Roberto but I am happy that we finally have a cultural arts manager. Art is part and parcel of who we are as a city, so I’m glad we have someone with his qualifications to help us continue to move our city forward.”t

“While the FDA’s position on this issue has improved, SFAF believes the ban on gay and bisexual men needs to be completely lifted, as it only continues to perpetuate stigma and discrimination.” –Joe Hollendoner, San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO Courtesy of Emory University

Dr. Carlos del Rio chairs the board of the HIV Medicine Association

approach that fully appreciates the imperative to guarantee the safety of the nation’s blood supply would defer blood donors, not based on their sexual orientation, but on individual risk assessments, and would limit the deferral period to the time range of the eclipse period.” In addition to gay men, the FDA’s existing policy also calls for a oneyear deferral for people who have received blood transfusions, had a needle-stick injury, gotten tattoos or piercings, or had gonorrhea or syphilis. Permanent deferral remains in effect for people who have ever done sex work or injected drugs, and one year for those who have had sex with people in these categories. This type of individual risk assessment, which would involve asking potential donors a series of questions to identify those with high-risk behaviors, would become the main basis for deferral if the blanket one-year exclusion of men who have sex with men is removed. “[The existing] policy as written means healthy gay and bisexual

men who have protected sex cannot donate blood, while everyone else, regardless of their sexual practices, can,” said San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO Joe Hollendoner. “While the FDA’s position on this issue has improved, SFAF believes the ban on gay and bisexual men needs to be completely lifted, as it only continues to perpetuate stigma and discrimination.” Public comment on the proposed changes to the FDA’s blood donor deferral recommendations will be accepted through November 25. Comments may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov or by mail to the FDA at 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD, 20852, referencing docket number FDA-2016-N-1502. For more information about the agency’s call for comment, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/ articles/2016/07/28/2016-17804/ blood-donor-deferral-policy-forreducing-the-risk-of-human-immunodeficiency-virus-transmission-by.t

slaves, especially those that made up one of the British fighting units:

How effective were you? Love it or hate it, at least Kaepernick got people talking. We had hoped that we would have had a Tommy Smith-John Carlos moment at this year’s Olympics, but no such luck. Too many endorsements on the line. For now, Kaepernick serves as a trigger point, and if we all share the same values for progress, let’s all be grateful for his kick in the pants. To listen to Kaepernick explain his action and concerns, check out the CSN Bay Area interview at http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/ full-interview-kaepernick-opensusas-social-injustices.

“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country, should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave.” So, again, I ask of those who were angered and disgusted over Kaepernick’s failure to fall into knee jerk acceptance of a symbol because of his concern with the reality of racial inequality and injustice, hard-wired into the American system since the days of the Founding Fathers failed in their execution of the ideal of freedom for all: where was your anger over the reality of injustice, and how did you express yourselves?

Mark Bingham documentary

ESPN aired a 15-minute documentary this week on gay rugby hero Mark Bingham, who died during the 9/11 attacks, and the legacy of the Bingham Cup rugby tournament, created in his honor. The full documentary, which aired on the show SportsCenter Featured, is available online at http://www.espn.com/video/ clip?id=17403649.t

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

News Briefs

From page 6

SFAF to honor Leno, founders of black men’s group

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation will honor outgoing gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and the eight founding members of its Black Brothers Esteem program at its annual gala later this month. During the event, Tribute Celebration 2016, the city’s largest provider of HIV prevention and AIDS services will award Leno, who is termed out of office this December, with its Cleve Jones Award, named after one of the agency’s co-founders. The agency said it chose Leno to receive the award “for his tireless service to marginalized community members and commitment to furthering the rights of LGBTQ people.” The cofounders of Black Brothers Esteem, which marked its 20th anniversary this year, will receive the agency’s Community Excellence Award. The program supports and empowers African American men who are gay, bisexual or same-gender loving. Hosting the event’s live auction will be gay Los Angeles resident Scott Nevins, a TV personality, entertainer and a star of Bravo’s The People’s Couch. One of SFAF’s main fundraisers, the event will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, September 17 at the San Francisco Armory, 1800 Mission Street. Cocktail attire is requested, and a VIP reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. Individual tickets cost $350, though there are a limited number of tickets for people 35 or younger

Prop 60

From page 9

nia resident to file lawsuits against performers and anyone else with a financial interest in an adult production. … This measure also completely ignores recent developments in HIV biomedical prevention,” including PrEP. “Efforts to update safety protocols in the industry should be a collaborative process that includes public health experts, state regulatory agencies, producers, and performers,” he said. “San Francisco AIDS Foundation remains committed to working jointly with all groups to ensure the health and safety of all those who are involved in the production of adult films in California.” Antonio Biaggi, a gay porn star who’s known for not using condoms and who’s work has been featured by the San Francisco-based Treasure Island Media, said in an email exchange, “Nowadays with PrEP and many other measures that we can take, it is stupid that they still think that condoms will protect people from any health issue,” since even with condoms it’s still possible to contract an STD. Biaggi, who lives in Ft. Lauder-

Political Notebook

From page 5

History in San Francisco, the Old Crow Bar opened at 962 Market Street around 1935, while the Silver Rail opened at 974 Market Street about 1942. Additionally, the Flagg Brothers shoe store that had occupied 950 Market Street was documented in the report as a wellknown gay cruising spot. Shayne Watson, a lesbian and local LGBT historian who co-wrote the context statement, filed an appeal this winter against the planning department’s initial analysis of the Group I project for omitting the site’s historical ties to the LGBT community. In response, city planners issued a new preliminary mitigated negative declaration for the

that cost $300 for two. Guests must be at least 21 years old. To purchase tickets online, visit sfaf.org/about-us/events/tributecelebration-2016/tribute.html.

Public invited to attend AIDS confab report back

San Francisco’s Getting to Zero Consortium will hold its quarterly meeting later this month, and the public is invited to attend. The consortium is overseeing the city’s effort to eliminate HIV transmission by at least 90 percent come 2020. A main pillar of the plan is the promotion of PrEP, the once-aday pill that prevents HIV negative people from contracting the virus. The consortium’s meeting Thursday, September 22 will include a report back from AIDS 2016, the International AIDS Conference held in July in Durban, South Africa. That portion of the meeting will run from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. Between 6 and 8 p.m. the meeting will feature highlights on new data from the 2015 HIV Epidemiology Annual Report issued by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Also discussed will be novel approaches local health officials are taking to tackle some of the issues raised in the report through the Getting to Zero plan and other local programs and services. After the panel, there will be an interactive, community discussion where attendees of the meeting are invited to ask questions and share their own experiences. The meeting will take place at 25 Van Ness Avenue, in the 6th Floor conference room. To RSVP online, visit the meeting’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ events/1762143437394852/?active_ tab=highlights.t dale, Florida, and doesn’t currently work in California, owns a website – www.biaggivideos.com – that’s “100 percent bareback.” In its review of the proposal, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said that if Prop 60 becomes law, “Some parts of the adult film industry would comply with the measure while others might choose to relocate outside of California. It is also possible some adult film producers would try to evade state and local law enforcement while continuing to make films here. Adult film wages and business income in California would likely decline and, as a result, the measure would likely reduce state and local tax revenues by several million dollars per year.” Although the analysis found, “The measure could also result in fewer transmissions of STIs, which could somewhat reduce state or local costs for publicly funded health programs,” it nonetheless concluded that, “Overall, the net effect on publicly funded health and social services programs probably would be minor.” Hertz acknowledged, should Prop 60 pass, “there could be some adverse fiscal effect,” but he said the risk “is overstated.”t project in July. But they concluded that none of the existing structures would qualify for federal or state landmark status due to the extensive alterations made to the buildings over the years. Their second report, however, was also appealed, this time by the Q Foundation, which assists people living with HIV, as well as LGBT seniors, find housing in the city. The gay-led nonprofit is seeking to have the city’s planning commission require that a full environmental impact report be done of the project. It wants the city to take a closer look at if the existing buildings need to be preserved or incorporated in some way into the new development. The planning commission is expected to vote on the appeal at its October 13 meeting.t

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037204100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHELINA PABANI CONSULTING, 1120 RHODE ISLAND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHELINA PABANI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/28/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037198800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CIVIC CENTER PSYCHIC, 1390 MARKET ST #2050, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BLANSY CHRISTOPHER BASTANI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/01/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037192700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STANZA COFFEE, 3126 16TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ARAFAT HERZALLAH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/27/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037207900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PHYSIOROBOTICS CONSULTING, 2309 NORIEGA ST #49, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANN STERNIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/09/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037198200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FOUNDATIONS LTD, 765 GEARY ST #408, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GARLAND J. SIMPSON. 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 08/01/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037193900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THEA OPTOMETRIC SERVICES, 305 24TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MONICA CHERNOGUZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/27/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037202500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SYNAPSE HEALTH CENTER, 3580 CALIFORNIA ST #102, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BAGHERIAN CHIROPRACTIC, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/02. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/04/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037202400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE GRUBBIES, 303 SACRAMENTO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed THE GRUB-BIES CORPORATION (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 08/04/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037202000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BUBBLE UP ENTERPRISES LLC; BUBBLE UP COIN-OP AND LAUNDRY; 1364 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BUBBLE UP ENTERPRISES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/20/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/04/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037203000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE URBAN HOTEL, 507 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 363 GRANT AVE ASSOCIATES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/27/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037205400

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037206700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RUSTED MULE, 1217 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MIND’S EYE RESTAURANT GROUP 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 08/08/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-552335

In the matter of the application of: GARY NOGUERA, 942 TERESITA BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner GARY NOGUERA, is requesting that the name GARY NOGUERA, be changed to HATUN NOGUERA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 18th of October 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-552339

In the matter of the application of: QIAN WEI, 1685 CHESTNUT ST #308, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner QIAN WEI, is requesting that the name QIAN WEI, be changed to KRINA WEI TETRAULT. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 20th of October 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037217500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFO ELECTRIC, 362 MOULTRIE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NIGEL ANTHONY MULLIGAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/16/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037217000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: URBAN GARDENERS, 163 HARTFORD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANTHONY CRAIG BROCK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/16/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037216800

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037200300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAY AREA GRAFFITI ABATEMENT, 1123 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DENNIS DEAN KINKLE. 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 08/02/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037205200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MADRIZ PRODUCTIONS, 7 GONZALEZ DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALICIA MADRIZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037207000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SANKO KITCHEN ESSENTIALS, 1760 BUCHANAN ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JPT AMERICA, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/06/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/09/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037214100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PIE, 421 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PAPERO INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/12/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037194600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GLOBAL YOGIS, 44 TEHAMA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed IMPULSE ANALYTICS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/21/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/28/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037208500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUXURIOUS NAIL BOUTIQUE, 4068 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed THE WASHINGTON LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/09/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036551400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STARDUST TRUCKING, 785 BURROWS ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BETTY TRAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/16/16.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LLOYDS LIMOUSINE SERVICE, 1770 PINE ST #401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by MANSOUR TAVAKOLIAN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/29/15.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037213400

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037191300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMPED FRAMES; THE JAM BAND; 219 BRANNAN ST #75, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIN DAHLBECK DAVIS. 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 08/12/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAY AREA EFFICIENT MOVERS, 1238 NORTHPOINT DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed SEID SEIDOV & DZIANIS VASILEUSKI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/26/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037216000

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037209900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NINOSKA KINNINGER INSURANCE AGENCY, 2456 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NINOSKA KINNINGER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/15/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/15/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHAMS STUDIO, 737 POST ST #612, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SAHAR ESLAMI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/10/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/10/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037210700

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037224300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MARS BAKING, 1903 18TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARCO RANGEL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/10/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/10/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FAHERTY PLUMBING, 403 ALHAMBRA RD, SO. S.F., CA 94080. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DAVID FAHERTY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/19/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/19/16.

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037213300

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037216400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOVE LETTER TO LENA, LLC, 1325 INDIANA ST #307, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107-3493. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LOVE LETTER TO LENA, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SIMPLE ADVERTISING AND INTERNET DESIGN, 891 POST ST #305, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MATTHEW SHIRK. 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 08/12/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JC DESIGN, 19A HOMESTEAD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSE TAYLOR CRAVILLION. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/16/16.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016

AUG 18, 25, SEPT 01, 08, 2016

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

Legal Notices>> SUMMONS SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, MONTEREY DIVISION NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: EDGAR ABRAMS, AN INDIVIDUAL; JAMES BLACK & SHIRLEY R. BLACK, AN INDIVIDUAL; MARGARET CASEY, AN INDIVIDUAL; RICHARD FIELD, AN INDIVIDUAL; LINN GASSAWAY, AN INDIVIDUAL; MARK GASSAWAY, AN INDIVIDUAL; ROSEMARY GILLIHAN, AN INDIVIDUAL; KENNETH GUERNSEY, AN INDIVIDUAL; DOE 8 MURIEL FROWENFIELD, THE TESTATE & INTESTATE SUCCESSORS OF MURIEL FROWENFIELD, BELIEVED TO BE DECEASED, AND ALL PERSONS CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, OR UNDER SUCH DECEDENT. YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: ALBERT J. DELGADO, AN INDIVIDUAL CASE NO. M122958

Notice: You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp) your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, 1200 AGUAJITO RD, MONTEREY, CA 93940, MONTEREY DIVISION. The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is:

W. RANDALL SGRO, ESQ. [SBN 184306] FRUCHTER & SGRO, APC, 1623 CRAVENS AVE, TORRANCE, CA 90501; (310) 787-8446.

Date: 04/26/2013; Clerk, by C. TAYLOR, Deputy.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037222300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEWS UP NOW, 142 HARTFORD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GLEIDSON MARTINS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/18/16.

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037224500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JASON MICHAEL BERLIN, 446 OLD COUNTY RD #100-423, PACIFICA, CA 94044. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JASON MICHAEL BERLIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/11/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/19/16.

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037218600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GB PRODUCTIONS; GB EVENT PRODUCTIONS; 306 #A MONTCALM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GB EVENT PRODUCTIONS INC (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 08/16/16.

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037227300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CROSTINI AND JAVA, 601 VAN NESS AVE #E3209, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PARVUS INVESTMENTS INC (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 08/23/16.

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037217400

Classifieds

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

The

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037200000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ACME FLORAL CO., 432 HAIGHT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KIRK WILDER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/02/16.

AUG 25, SEPT 01, 08, 15, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037216100

Counseling>>

Movers>>

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE, 261 OXFORD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KENNETH DAIGLE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/15/16.

SEPTEMBER 01, 08, 15, 22, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037237000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BINBIN WINDOWS, 272 BAYSHORE BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed YUBIN CHEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/29/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/29/16.

SEPTEMBER 01, 08, 15, 22, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037222700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KTIM LOVE, 754 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHAO QIANG LIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/18/16.

SEPTEMBER 01, 08, 15, 22, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037228800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POLYGON VISUALS, 2750 42ND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TONY MAC. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/23/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/23/16.

SEPTEMBER 01, 08, 15, 22, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037230800

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Out &About

Vol. 46 • No. 35 • September 1-7, 2016

www.ebar.com/arts

dds by Richard Do nesia of seasonal am look t wasn’t a case to d re hi s st rologi gust after all. Meteo Au is report that th lly ua out the window us un en be o really has sc ci an n Fr n he w Sa in mn is know that autu ar to ed grey. But we do os er is really supp mething summer weath so s te ea rts, which cr rive in these pa notion of the with the whole ct ne ide by the of a discon our theaters ab t Bu .” on as se “fall e, and we are rved nationwid se ob s on iti ad tr show-making of the established ok at what humble servants lo follows is a t ha W . ry ne machi three months of igue in the first tr in to s ise om pr See page 25 >> . the new season

s returns to hi Darren Criss and ig w ed H star in hometown to le he ro a g in is pr ch, re ay. the Angry In w ad ro B aim on played to accl

Joan Marcus

l l a Fpreview:

a e r A Bay e r t a e h t

Courtesy of Theme + Projects

Fall music

O&A

l l a Fpreview: Bay Area

art galleries by Sura Wood

T “Buzzard in the Neighborhood” by Randy Hayes, oil on photographs, canvas, showing at Theme + Projects.

here has been a reshuffling of the deck as far as Bay Area galleries are concerned, especially in the city, where quite a few have moved from downtown and created art hubs in less centralized, more affordable locations, not to mention a proliferation of new galleries in Oakland as well as San Francisco. Too much to do justice to in this brief space, but, in microcosm, here’s what’s happening this fall. See page 24

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

AT THE VENETIAN ROOM

FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO 9/23 11/6 12/4 1/29 3/5

Tony winner KELLI O’HARA (The King & I, South Pacific, ) Tony winner LESLIE ODOM, JR. (Hamilton, Glee) Singer/dancer TONY YAZBECK (On the Town, Gypsy, Finding Neverland) Tony nominee CARMEN CUSACK (Bright Star, Wicked, Phantom, Les Mis) A CABARET SPECTACULAR (Sidney Myer, Carole J. Bufford, Amanda McBroom, Nicolas King)

20 1 SE 6 –20 AS 1 ON 7

3/26 Internationally renowned jazz duo JOHN PIZZARELLI & JESSICA MOLASKEY 4/2 Tony nominee CHRISTINE ANDREAS (Oklahoma!, Light in the Piazza, La Cage aux Folles) 5/14 Tony and Grammy winner BILLY PORTER (Kinky Boots, Shuffle Along, First Wives Club)

Buy tix at www.bayareacabaret.org or subscribe to get discounts, reserved seats at (415) 927-4636.

<< Out There

16 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Operatically yours by Roberto Friedman

t’s beginning to feel a lot like the fall arts season. With so many opening nights on the horizon, Out There sent the old soup-and-fish to the dry cleaners so we’ll be formalwear-ready. Then last week the grandes dames of the San Francisco Opera Guild, President Charlot Malin and Opera Ball 2016 Gala Co-Chairs Sandra Farris and Patricia Sprincin, graciously hosted us for a press luncheon at Trou Normand to herald the upcoming Opera Ball 2016, La Révolution et L’Amour. Table talk was about the Frenchthemed San Francisco Opera opening gala and the main event it will celebrate, Umberto Giordano’s French Revolution-set opera Andrea Chénier. SFO dramaturg Kip Cranna filled us in on the opera’s backstory. Chénier is based on an actual historical figure, a poet not much

honored in his own time, but rediscovered after his death. Interestingly, he supported both the Revolution and the monarchy, believing in some sort of constitutional democracy. Giordano’s opera premiered in 1896, the same year as La Boheme. It was part of the SFO’s very first season, in 1923, under the baton of the SFO founder, Neapolitan conductor Gaetano Merola. So you might say the opera has deep revolutionary roots here. Trou Normand is named after a French culinary tradition. Translating as the “Norman break,” it’s usually a shot of apple brandy served to cleanse the palate between courses, and to stimulate the appetite. No brandy was served at the Opera Ball lunch, but there was plenty else to entice the tastebuds on the farm-to-table menu, including housemade charcuterie & salumi, paté, pork loin, and for dessert, yogurt cake with whipped crème

memorabilia on display, including memorable press stills, next week. Fortunately there’s no shortage of great music in this town. The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony’s next concert is coming up this Sat., Sept. 3, 8 p.m. at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The program will consist of Saint Saens’ Cello Concerto #1, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, and Brahms’ Symphony #4. The soloists are Emil Miland, cellist, and Jill Grove, mezzo-soprano. Grove recently sang Bill Cooper/Royal Opera House in Jenufa at the SFO, and Scene from the Royal Opera House production of Andrea Chénier, which will will be singing in Andrea open San Francisco Opera’s 2016-17 season. Chenier next week. She is an internationally recognized lesbian singer and fraiche and raspberries, all washed this week the San Francisco Opera has sung Erda from the Ring Cycle down with some yummy French Archives unveiled its inaugural in Munich, at the Met, Los Angewines. It’s on the ground floor of the photo exhibition, Looking through les Opera and the SFO. For more Timothy Pflueger-designed art deco the Lens, at the Diane B. Wilsey information, check out bars-sf.org. PacBell Building. Center for Opera in the Veterans And bring on the new season!t As their 94th season approaches, Building. More on the fascinating

Books for the beach & beyond by Gregg Shapiro

epending on where you live, you may still have a few weeks or months of beach weather left where you can lounge on a big towel and read to your heart’s content. Wherever you are, consider these books as suitable for the beach or any place you choose to read them. Poetic paths: Assembled with respect and loving kindness, In the Empire of the Air: The Poems of Donald Britton (Nightboat), edited by Reginald Shepherd and Philip Clark, is the culmination of a collaboration that began 10 years ago between two gay poets, Clark and the late Shepherd, to bring deserved attention to the work of Britton, who died in 1994. If you only know 2016 Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Awardwinning gay poet Bryan Borland as the founder and publisher of Sibling Rivalry Press and founding editor of gay poetry journal Assaracus, you now have a chance to become better acquainted with him via his remarkable new poetry collection Dig (Stillhouse). Short story revival: When Watched: Stories (Penguin), the dazzling short story collection by Leopoldine Core, is populated with struggling writers, a gay man and his husband, a lesbian couple of considerably different ages, successful writers, sex workers, teenagers, straight people, George Harrison and more writers. The Dream Life of Astronauts (The Dial Press) by gay writer Patrick Ryan, author of Send Me and

three Y/A novels, is a collection of nine short stories “set against landmark moments,” some of which previously appeared in the literary journals Crazyhorse, Faultline and Denver Quarterly. Laurie Stone, editor of the memoir anthology Close to the Bone, returns with My Life as an Animal: Stories (Northwestern), a collection of linked stories set against the backdrop of the downtown NYC scene of the 1970s through the 90s. The metaphorical and real jungles in lesbian writer Anne Raeff’s short story collection The Jungle Around Us (U. of Georgia Press) take readers on journeys from war-torn Vienna to “the edge of the Amazon” in Bolivia, from suburban New Jersey to Vietnam, as well as to Russia, Paraguay and other lands. Novel ideas: Carolyn Parkhurst, who created memorable queer characters in her 2006 novel Lost and Found, returns with Harmony (Pamela Dorman Books/ Viking), a novel about raising a child on the autism spectrum told from the alternating perspectives of a mother and her two daughters. It’s certain to have strong appeal to parents gay and straight. The Angel of History (Atlantic Monthly Press), by gay National Book Award finalist Rabih Alameddine,

covers a lot of territory in telling the story of gay poet Jacob, from Cairo to Beirut to Sana’a to Stockholm to San Francisco, all in “the course of one night in the waiting room of a psych clinic.” The long-lost novel Women Lovers or The Third Woman (U. of Wisconsin Press) by American ex-pat avant-garde writer and Paris salon hostess Natalie Clifford Barney, edited and translated by Chelsea Ray, tells of a passionate love triangle involving three “daring women of Belle Epoque Paris.” Set during the summer of 1850, The Whale: A Love Story (Viking) by Mark Beauregard “chronicles the affair of mind and heart” that developed between writers Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Máni Steinn, queer in 1918 Reykjavík, where “homosexuality is beyond the furthest extreme,” is the main character in Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was (FSG), the latest book by Icelandic writer Sjón, with English translation by Victoria Cribb. For Y/A readers of all ages: Prolific gay Y/A novelist Brent Hartinger (Geography Club) returns with the sexy suspense thriller Three Truths and a Lie (Simon Pulse), about friends on a weekend retreat in the woods where “an innocent party game goes horribly wrong.” In her debut Y/A novel The Baby (ChickenHouseScholastic), Lisa Drakeford invites readers to a party where, to everyone’s surprise, one of the teen party guests goes into labor in a bathtub, adding to heartbreak and

hijinks that include Ben’s struggle with his sexual identity. Thanks for the memoirs: Now available in paperback, intoxicating memoir Dangerous When Wet (St. Martin’s Griffin), the first book by gay writer Jamie Brickhouse, details his complex relationship with his one-of-a-kind mother Mama Jean, as well as his struggles with alcohol and coming out. Winner of the National Book Critic Circle Award and a National Book Award finalist, the paperback edition of Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (Bloomsbury), the brilliant graphic memoir by cartoonist Roz Chast (The New Yorker), is a book about aging parents and their children that should be read cover to cover by people of all ages. San Franciscobased gay writer Kevin Bentley’s memoirs, Wild Animals I Have Known: Polk Street Diaries and After and Let’s Shut Out the World (both Chelsea Station Editions), are being given the reissue treatment, allowing readers to get a taste of gay life in the late 1970s through the mid-90s. Award-winning public radio producer Charles Monroe-Kane, who also served as a producer on a Chicago LGBT radio show, is a “natural-born raconteur,” and the personal story he tells in Lithium Jesus: A Memoir of Mania (U. of Wisconsin Press), about marriage, fatherhood and the stunning events that came before, is one you will not soon forget. Any queer person worth their weight in pink sea salt knows

there’s more to Charlotte Rae than Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life. She played Molly the Mail Lady on Sesame Street and performed in Broadway musicals Li’l Abner and Pickwick. In her memoir The Facts of My Life (BearManor Media), co-written with son Larry Strauss, the 90-year-old Rae delivers on the facts, including her divorce from bi husband John Strauss, and her friendships with Paul Lynde, Cloris Leachman and others. Artistic temperament: For years, Patricia Bosworth’s biography of Diane Arbus, “known by reputation as a photographer of sideshow freaks, transvestites and other marginal characters,” was the go-to book about the artist. Gay writer Arthur Lubow’s thorough Diane Arbus: Portrait of a Photographer (Ecco), including Diane and ex-husband Allen’s same-sex dalliances, is going to change all that. Poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, “crusader for equality” Magnus Hirschfeld, filmmaker Richard ( Oswald (Different Others from the Others) and writers Paul Bowles, Oscar Wilde and Andre Gide are among the queer subjects covered in The Glamour of Strangeness: Artists and the Last Age of the Exotic (FSG) by gay writer Jamie James. With “more than 100 of the funniest Jewish jokes of all time,” Michael Krasny’s Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means (William Morrow) includes mentions of lesbian and gay rabbis as well as same-sex nuptials.t

Music>>

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 17

Fall preview: SF Symphony & SF Opera

and the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing. The production won raves when it opened in London in 2015. South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee, Italian soprano Anna Pirozzi and Georgian baritone George Gagnidze are all making their Company debuts, conducted by Music Director Nicola Luisotti. Intense and handsome Lee and dark-voiced Gagnidze are familiar from their successes at the Met, and Pirozzi’s glowing international press adds interest to the casting. Giordano may Jay Blakesburg have been a one-hit wonder, but what a hit. There will be Kronos Quartet will be part of the San Francisco Symphony’s weeklong celebration of composer Steve Reich’s 80th birthday at Davies Symphony Hall. six performances through Sept. 30. After the Gala, it is hard San Francisco favorite Pablo by Philip Campbell to imagine more excitement Heras-Casado returns to DSH as the following night, but the world fter a busy summer for the San guest conductor in October. He is premiere of Chinese-American Francisco Symphony and San joined by gifted young cellist Alisa composer Bright Sheng’s Dream Francisco Opera, both big-league Weilerstein. MTT closes the month of the Red Chamber, with a libretto teams are still keen to get back onto with the Brahms Second Symphony. by Sheng and Tony Award-winning the field. The fall rosters hold an Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder plays American playwright David Henry array of enticing events, and single Mozart’s Concerto No. 20, and the Hwang, has already generated tickets are already on sale at Davies Pacific Boychoir sings Allegri’s exsome powerful buzz. CommisSymphony Hall and the War Mequisite Miserere. sioned by SFO, the new opera is morial Opera House (box offices Yuja Wang returns in November a co-production with the Hong and online). with Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. Kong Arts Festival. 2, and MTT tackles Bruckner’s SevBased on the famous 18th-century Symphony sounds enth. We’ll look to the holidays later. novel by Chinese author Cao XueqThe SFS is first up with the This should be enough to get our in, the new work is another sweeping Opening Night Gala Concert on engines running for now. epic with a love triangle at its core. Wed., Sept. 7. The party starts with The cast is mainly composed of nosuperstar guests Renée Fleming Opera glasses table Asian singers. Chinese tenor and Susan Graham joining Music On Fri., Sept. 9, the SFO’s 94th Yijie Shi and South Korean soprano Director Michael Tilson Thomas as season begins in grand style with Pureum Jo make their SFO debuts, he begins his 22nd season. The Gala an apt selection for opening night, and South Korean mezzo-soprano features American and Italian songs, Giordano’s verismo gem Andrea Hyona Kim is also making her and kicks off a weeklong celebration Chénier. There are a lot of Puccini Company debut. Japanese-American of Steve Reich’s 80th birthday, with fans at odds with critics who crave mezzo-soprano Irene Roberts, this a performance of his Three Movemore varied repertoire. Here’s a summer’s smoking hot Carmen, ments included. chance for everyone to enjoy a less joins with Chinese contralto Qiulin Reich’s legacy to American music obvious choice from the menu of Zhang as she makes her United States is also honored with concerts Sept. late-19th-century Italian opera. and Company debut. The libretto 9-10 adding the Double Sextet, perDirector David McVicar has a is sung in English, with English and formed by contemporary chamber marvelous way of adding depth to Chinese supertitles. ensemble Eighth Blackbird and SFS his thoughtfully traditional stagPhotos of the sumptuous promusicians, to his Three Movements ings. His intelligence brings fresh duction, staged by playwright and and Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite. relevance to works that could use director Stan Lai (SFO debut), look The birthday bash ends Sun., Sept. a contemporary touch-up. Giorgreat. Academy Award winner Tim 11, with Steve Reich: An American dano’s passionate tale of idealism, Yip has designed the sets and cosMaverick at DSH. Eighth Blacklove and jealousy, set against the tumes. George Manahan conducts bird returns with Kronos Quartet, backdrop of the French Revoluthe SFO Orchestra with Ian Robguitarist Derek Johnson, students tion and the Reign of Terror, is a ertson leading the SFO Chorus. Six of the San Francisco Conservatory verismo treat deserving of McVicperformances through Sept. 29. of Music and members of the SFS ar’s insight. It veers towards meloA co-production with Santa Fe performing Electric Counterpoint, drama, but the libretto is solid and Opera and Gran Teatre del Liceu, Six Marimbas, Double Sextet and fast-paced, and the music is lovely. Barcelona, Donizetti’s delightful the powerful Different Trains. The director’s knack for telling Don Pasquale, directed by Laurent September’s concerts continue detail and the lavish sets designed Pelly, with eye-popping sets by with MTT conducting Haydn, by Robert Jones and costumes by designer Chantal Thomas, opens Sibelius and Beethoven’s Fifth Jenny Tiramani will be displayed on Sept. 28. For some comic relief, one week and Viva Verdi: Italin the SFO’s co-presentation with the fun starts here. In repertory ian Masterworks the next. New the Royal Opera, Covent Garden through Oct. 15. favorite tenor Michael Director Olivier TamFabiano, SFS principal bosi’s memorable staging oboist Eugene Izotov and of Janacek’s sardonic The legendary vocal ensemble Makropulos Case gets a The Swingle Singers are on welcome revival Oct. 14-29 board, along with Ragnar with soprano Nadja Michael Bohlin’s SFS Chorus. in the leading role. If anyone Two more stars round can match Karita Mattila’s out the month as brilliant amazing portrayal for sheer pianist Yuja Wang shares star power, La Michael can. a bill with talented SFS Verdi’s Aida returns in Principal Trumpet Mark a new production inspired Inouye. Chinese-American by contemporary artist composer Bright Sheng’s RETNA, Nov. 5-Dec. 6, Overture to Dream of the starring SFO rising stars Red Chamber, an SFS comBrian Jagde and Leah mission, opens the concert, Crocetto. and Stravinsky’s thrilling The fall season ends The Firebird Suite gives with Puccini in a revival of MTT the last word. production designer Jun Mid-October departs Kaneko’s wonderful visualfrom the norm as Stanley ization of Madama ButterKubrick’s masterpiece Tim Yip Studio fly, starring soprano Lianna 2001: A Space Odyssey is Princess Jia costume design by Tim Yip for San Haroutounian. We loved projected on the big screen Francisco Opera’s world premiere of composer her in Tosca, and can’t wait while the SFS Symphony Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber. to hear her as Cio-Cio-San, and Chorus perform the Nov. 6-Dec. 4.t stunning soundtrack music.

CMY

2pub-BBB_BAR_080416.pdf

7/25/16

10:14 AM

<< Out & About

O&A

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Tue 6

Jamil Hellu @ Thacher Gallery, USF

City of Angels @ SF Playhouse

Magnificent Magnolias @ SF Botanical Gardens

Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s Tonywinning film noir musical is produced by the acclaimed local theatre company. $20-$125. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Sept. 17. Kensington Park Hotel, 2nd floor, 450 Post St. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

See beautiful floral and foliage displays, trees and plants in various beautiful gardens specific to region. Expect amazing new growth and blossoms following the rainy days. Daily walking tours and more. Free$15. Tours, lectures, classes and more. Open daily, 7:30am-sunset. Golden Gate Park. 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

Dear Master @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley

Allure

by Jim Provenzano

ry to remember that time in September when shows were op’nin’ and stars were singing. Well, that time is now, including alluring exhibits of art, cinema and fashion. For more events, visit us online at www.ebar.com. For nightlifery, check out On the Tab in BARtab.

Thu 1 all of what you love and none of what you hate @ Strand Theatre San Francisco Playhouse presents Phillip Howze’s multimedia drama about a Black family and one girl’s confusion in a social media-saturated life. $30. Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. thru Sept. 24. 1127 Market St. www.sfplayhouse.org

Arts Festival @ Yerba Buena Gardens Weekend outdoor concerts of music, dance, poetry and more, thru October. Sept. 1: Destiny Muhammad Jazz Trio (12:30pm). Mission St. at 4th. www.ybgfestival.org

Caught @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley Shotgun Players’ production of Christopher Chen’s drama about a real-life Chinese dissident who was jailed over a work of art, and the conflicting accusations of fictionalized accounts. $25-$35. Previews thru Sept. 6. Opens Sept 7. Thru Oct. 2. 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. www.shotgunplayers.org

Disastrous! @ Oasis Champagne White returns in D’Arcy Drollinger’s third edition of the hilarious campy action-packed drag comedy show about our hardy heroine, where espionage and earthquakes are only part of her troubles! With Matthew Martin, Adam Roy, Nancy French and other talents. $25-$35. $200 VIP tables. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru Sept 17. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Schooled @ Various Venues

Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition @ SOMArts Cultural Center Opening reception and awards ceremony for awardee artists in a group exhibit of contemporary works. 6:30-9pm. Tue-Fri 12pm-7pm. Sat 12pm-5pm. Thru Sept. 24. 934 Brannan St. www.somarts.org

New & Classic Films @ Castro Theatre Sept. 1-5: Disney’s The Little Mermaid sing-along (Thu & Fri 7pm SatMon 2:30 & 7pm). Sept. 7: Sunset Boulevard (3pm, 7pm) and Bette Davis in The Star (5:10, 9:05). Sept. 8: Terence Malick’s Days of Heaven (7pm) and Knight of Cups (8:50). $11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

The band performs a bluegrass version of The Who’s Tommy. The Beauty Operators open. $15-$20 ($40 with dinner). 9pm. 333 11th St. www.slimspresents.com

Kindred the Family Soul @ Yoshi’s Oakland

Sex Work in the Tenderloin @ GLBT History Museum

The drag talent and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant performs her solo show with songs and stories, Here’s to Life. $25-$50. 8pm. Also Sept. 3. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

Panel discussion about the history of prostitution in the SF district, with activist Tamara Ching, St. James Infirmary advocates. $5. 7pm. Also, exhibits Through Knowledge to Justice: The Sexual World of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935), about the early gay rights pioneer and scholar, whose early museum was destroyed by the Nazis. Thru Nov. 23. Also, Stroke: From Under the Mattress to the Museum Wall, Robert W. Richards’ exhibit of gay men’s erotic magazines from the 1950s to the ‘90s. Thru Oct. 16. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Thinking Captions @ SF Public Library Discussion panel with zine creators, collectors and illustrators Ajuan Mance, Karl Dotter, Meggie Ramm, Larry-bob Roberts, Queer Anxiety Babiez Distro; part of SF Zine Fest. 6pm. Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St. www.sfpl.org www.sfzinefest.org

Sat 3

Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen @ Exploratorium New exhibit of the amazing walking sculptures that resemble giant insectlike creatures. Thru Sept. 5. Free-$25. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (Thu night 6pm-10pm, 18+). 528-4893. www.exploratorium.edu/strandbeest

Various Exhibits @ The Beat Museum Enjoy exhibits, a bookstore and gift shop that celebrates the era of ‘beatnik’ literature (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, etc.), with frequent readings, walking tours and other events in North Beach. $5-$8. Daily 10am-7pm. 540 Broadway www.kerouac.com

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Othello @ Forest Meadows Ampitheatre, San Rafael Marin Shakespeare Company’s production of The Bard’s classic tragedy or betrayal and jealousy. $10$35. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 4pm. Thru Sept. 25. 890 Belle Ave., San Rafael. www.marinshakespeare.org

The Real Americans @ The Marsh Dan Hoyle returns with his hit solo show about the polarized sides of right and leftwing America. $25-$100. Fri 8pm & Sat 8:30pm. Extended thru Oct. 15. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Sat 3 Approaching American Abstraction @ SF Museum of Modern Art

Bay Area Rainbow Symphony @ SF Conservatory of Music

Fri 2 Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi

Emperor’s Treasures @ Asian Art Museum

The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs; now with new characters like Sia and Bernie Sanders. $25-$160. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. Wed-Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm & 9pm. Sun 2pm & 5pm. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Chines Art From the National Palace Museum, Taipei ; thru Sept. 18. Other exhibits include Japanese and Chinese laquerware, Worshipping Women: Power and Devotion in Indian Painting (thru Mar. 26, 2017), A Billion Buddhas: The Awakened Cosmos of Himalyan Buddhism (thru April 9, 2017). Free-$25. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. 581-3500. www. asianart.org

Ceremony: The Fashion Ritual @ Regina’s Door, Oakland

Looking Through the Lens @ Diane B Wilsey Center for Opera

Clothing designer, writer and community activist Regina Y. Evans’ theatre-fashion healing ritual includes music, dance, costumes, and highlights the arc of Black women’s lives. 7pm & 9pm. 352 17th St., Oakland whatisyourcermony.com www.reginasdoor.com

The author of Tales of the Peculiar (companion work to the bestselling Miss Peregrine s Home for Peculiar Children) signs copies of his new book; ticketed event, purchase required; includes photo with author. $22. 2pm. 601 Van Ness Ave. 7761111. www.booksinc.net

Latrice Royal @ Verdi Club

Concert of works includes Saint Saens’ Cello Concerto #1, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, and Brahms’ Symphony #4, with soloists Emil Miland (cello) and Jill Grove (mezzo soprano). 8pm. 50 Oak St. www.bars-sf.org www.sfcm.edu

Ransom Riggs @ Books Inc. Opera Plaza

The popular Neo-Soul duo performs at the elegant restaurant-nightclub. $34$69. 8pm & 10pm. Also Sept. 3, 7:30 & 9:30pm. 510 Embarcadero west, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

See the restaged installations and new exhibits of Pop, Abstract and classic Modern art at the renovated and visually amazing museum, with two extra floors, a new additional Howard Street entrance, café and outdoor gardens. Free-$25. 10am8pm. 151 Third St. www.sfmoma.org

Bluegrass and Psychedelic grooves mix in a concert with The Earl Brothers, Uke-Hunt, and The P’s & Q’s $15. $40 with dinner. 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.slimspresents.com

Amanda Apetrea & Mica Sigourney’s blend of slapstick, vaudeville, drag and ‘70s horror movies explores gender, female bodies and the male gaze. $20-$35. 8pm. 80 Turk St. www.counterpulse.org

The Hillbenders @ Slim’s

San Francisco Mime Troupe’s new satirical political musical comedy takes on collapsing educational system and corporate intervention. Free/donations. Sept. 1: Bayview Opera House, 3rd St. at Oakdale 6:30pm. Sept.3: Peacock Meadow, Golden Gate Park, 2pm. Sept. 4 & 5: Dolores Park, 2pm. www.sfmt.org

Hillbilly Trance @ Great American Music Hall

I’m a Very Understanding Woman @ CounterPulse

25th anniverary revival production of Dorothy Bryant’s play about the rivalry between 19th-century French novelists George Sand and Gustave Flaubert. $32-$65. Thru Oct. 2. 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org

The Glory of San Francisco Opera, Past and Present, an exhibit of historic productions photos from the San Francisco Opera’s many productions. Free Mon-Fri 9am-6pm. Veteran’s Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. www.sfopera.com

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

SF Hiking Club @ Tomales Point Join GLBT hikers of the SF Hiking Club for a 9-mile hike through the open fields of the northern end of Point Reyes National Seashore. The great herd of Tule elk is always around, sometimes quite near the trail. Summer is the rutting season. Wildflowers may be out; spot ocean life, as well as birds. The walk’s views are spectacular but can be very windy, so be prepared. Bring lunch, snacks, water, layers, hat, sunscreen, good hiking shoes. Carpool meets 8:45 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. 7942275. www.sfhiking.com

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition @ Contemporary Jewish Museum Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition, a multimedia exhibit about the prolific filmmaker (thru Oct. 30). Other exhibits about Jewish culture include Lamp of the Covenant: Dave Lane and Pour Crever by Trimpin, Hardly Strictly Warren Hellman, ongoing. Lectures and gallery talks as well. Free (members)-$12. Fri-Tue 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 655-7800. thecjm.org

Wish Upon a Star: Pinocchio @ Walt Disney Family Museum New exhibit all about the Disney classic about a puppet who longs to be a real boy; thru Jan. 9, 2017. Also, Mel Shaw: An Animator on Horseback, an exhibition showcasing 120 artworks and designs by the prominent Disney animator, whose own life was full of adventures. Free (members)-$20. Thru Sept. 12. 104 Montgomery St., The Presidio. 3456800. www.waltdisney.org

Sun 4 Architecture of Life @ Berkeley Art Museum/ Pacific Film Archive New art and film museum, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with more than 200 new and ancient works dating back 2,000 years. Free-$12. 2625 Durant Ave., Berkeley. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu

Out & About>>

Fri 3

Regina Y. Evans’ Ceremony: The Fashion Ritual @ Regina’s Door, Oakland

Abrazo, Queer Tango @ Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Berkeley 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

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

Floral Exhibits @ Conservatory of Flowers

Margaret Keane @ Keane Eyes Gallery

Beautiful floral displays, plants for sale, and docent tours. Tue-Sun 10am4pm. $2-$8. Free for SF residents. 100 JFK Drive, Golden Gate Park, 8312090. conservatoryofflowers.org

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

The Future of the Past @ Legion of Honor Mummies and Medicine, thru August 2018. Also, World in a Book, A Princely Pursuit and other exhibits. Free/$15. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

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

Queerest Library Ever @ SF Public Libraries Hormel at 20: Celebrating Our Past/ Creating Our Future, a dual exhibit of archival materials celebrating two decades of the LGBTQ collections. 100 Larkin St., 3rd floor, and at the Eureka Valley Branch, 1 Jose Sarria Court at 16th St. www.sfpl.org

Tue 6 Enter: 126 @ SFAC Gallery

e future of the community. I was married to a wonderful woman for 30 years. Now it’s time to be who I really am. Now I’m happy, authentic, and dating a wonderful man. I read EDGE on all my devices, because I have a whole future to look forward to and that’s where I want it to be.

Wed 7

Enter: 126: Coalescence by Annette Jannotta and Olivia Ting; thru Dec. 17. Free. Tue-Fri 11am-6pm. War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. sfartscommission.org/gallery

Jamil Hellu @ Thacher Gallery, USF Once Upon a Time, an exhibit of the artist’s photos, screen prints and videos that visualize his conflicting queer and Middle Eastern identity. Thru Oct. 23. Gleeson Library – Geschke Center, 2130 Fulton St., USF campus. https://www.usfca.edu/ thacher-gallery/once-upon-a-time

Paul Morin @ ArtHaus Portraits and Digressions, the painter’s whimsical portraits and other subjects. Thru Sept. 30. Tue-Fri 11am-6pm. Sat 12pm-5pm. 4111 Brannan St. 977-0223. arthaus-sf.com

Rhino in the Castro @ GLBT History Museum Theatre Rhinoceros’ play readings, this time Whale Riding Weather by Bryden MacDonald, about three gay men sharing an apartment in the 1980s. $5. 7pm. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Sunset Boulevard; see New & Classic Films @ Castro Theatre, Thu 1

The Grace Jones Project, Dandy Lion @ MOAD Dual exhibitions of video, performance and artwork about the iconic singer and queer identity; and Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity. Free-$10. Both thru Sept. 18. Wed-Sat 11am-6pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St. at 3rd. www.moadsf.org

A Little New Music @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko Unusual Broadway songs performed by Eric B. Anthony, Julie Garnyé, Jasmin Richardson, and Jotapé Lockwood, plus excerpts from musical director Gregory Nabours’ new musical-in-progress. $25-$45 ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.alittlenewmusic.org www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Mighty Reels @ GLBT History Museum Special screening of rare film and video footage of disco singer Sylvester performing jazz standards, and a few popular encores. $5. 7pm-9pm. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Wed 7

Group exhibition of works by 11 artists in various media. Thru Sept. 10. 149 Gough St. www. julesmaeghtgallery.com Different From Others @ Goethe Institut

Will Durst @ The Marsh

Wed 7 10 Percent @ Comcast

Cinco y Cinco @ The Mexican Museum New exhibit of works by 10 contemporary artists from Mexico and Latin America. Thru Nov. 6. Fort Mason Center, Bldg. D, Marina Blvd. at Buchanan. www.mexicanmuseum.org

Constructed Communication @ Museum of Craft and Design Dogpatch warehouse is now a museum store, gallery and program space. Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm. 2569 Third St. 773-0303. www.sfmcd.org

Ed Ruscha @ de Young Museum Ed Ruscha and the Great American West, an exhibit of the artist’s landscape/text paintings; thru Oct. 9. Also, exhibits of Bruce Davidson photos, Printed Stories, The Sumatran Ship cloth, and works by Kay Sekimachi. Free/$25. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. www.famsf.org

SF Zine Fest @ County Fair Bldg. Annual celebration and largescale sale of zines, chapbooks and ephemera. 11am-5pm. 1199 9th Ave., Golden Gate Park. sfzinefest.org

The Wild Bunch @ SF Conservatory of Flowers Exhibits of oddly-shaped succulents, cacti and fat plants. Thru Oct. 16. 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate Park www.conservatoryofflowers.org

David Perry’s online and cable interviews with notable local and visiting LGBT people, broadcast through the week. www. ComcastHometown.com

Different From Others @ Goethe Institut Screening of the groundbreaking first gay-themed film, with a screenplay by Magnus Hirschfeld, a silent German classic costarring Conrad Veidt ( The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ); in conjuntion with the GLBT History Museum exhibit Through Knowledge to Justice. $5. 6:30pm. 530 Bush St. www.glbthistory.org www.goethe.de/sanfrancisco

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 many Thursday nights. $20-$35. MonSat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. calacademy.org

Modern Comedy @ Modern Times Bookstore Popular local comic Nato Green hosts the night, with Allison Mick, Natasha Muse, Kaseem Bentley, Kate Willett and Aviva Siegel. 7pm. 2919 24th St. www.mtbs.com

Non Non Violence @ Guerrero Gallery Group exhibit of works that question non-violent reactions to racist violence. Wed-Sat 12pm-6pm. 4005168. www.guerrerogallery.com

The Wholehearted @ Z Space Holum Project’s multimedia production of Deborah Stein and Suli Holum’s drama-performance about a woman boxer, the pain and abuse she endures, inside and outside the ring. $30. Wed-Sat 7pm. 450 Florida St. (866) 811-4111. www.zspace.org

Sat 3

Mon 5

Altered State: Marijuana in California @ Oakland Museum The first-ever museum exhibition to focus on pot, with art, political documents, scientific displays. Thru Sept. 25. Other exhibits include Oakland, I want you to know..., an exhibit of Oakland resident portraits and reflections on gentrification. Free/$15. Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

August: Osage County @ Marin Theatre, Mill Valley Marin Theatre Company’s production of Tracy Lett’s 5-Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning darkly comic family drama. $25-$45. Tue-Sat 7pm. Thu & Sun 1pm. Thru Oct. 2. 497 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. 388-5208. www.marintheatre.org

Dohee Lee Puri Arts @ CounterPulse Composer and performer’s ritual theatre work, ARA Ritual I: Waterways, about the story of the goddess of tears. $20-$35. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. 80 Turk St. www.counterpulse.org

Justin Chin Tribute @ City Lights Bookstore

Signed & Numbered @ Jules Maeght Gallery

The political comic’s updated solo show, Elect to Laugh: 2016, adds topical jokes about the bizarre election season. $15-$100. Tuesdays, 8pm. Extended thru Nov. 8. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Thu 8

Readings and remembrances by friends of the late local gay author and poet, and the posthumous release of Justin Chin: Selected Works ; Kevin Killian, Rabih Alameddine, Henry Machtay, Larry-bob Roberts, Thea Hillman, Maw Shein Win, Alvin Orloff, and Daphne Gottlieb. 7pm. 261 Columbus Ave. www.citylights.com

Mincing Words @ The Marsh Tom Ammiano returns to the stage with his comic solo show about his life in politics. $20-$100. Thu 8pm, Sat 5pm. Thru Oct. 25. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Nose Job @ Pheonix Theatre Windy City Productions performs Susan Rabin’s comedy about beauty standards in plastic surgery, and family secrets. $20-$25. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru Sept. 24. 414 Mason St. www.nosejob.brownpapertickets.com

Pat Methany @ SF Jazz The center’s season opening events feature the veteran alt-jazz guitarist, who performs with his band. $60$130. 3pm & 7pm. Also Sept. 9-11. 201 Franklin St. www.patmetheny. com www.sfjazz.org

Tom Reardon @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko Enjoy cabaret classics performed by the witty musical theatre actor-singer in his new show a tribute to Ladies Who Lunch. $30-$50 ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Also Sept. 9. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Vanguard Revisited @ Tenderloin Museum

Wish Upon a Star: Pinocchio @ Walt Disney Family Museum

Rev. Megan Rohrer and historian Joey Plaster discuss the 1960s radical queer youth organization and the revamp of the art and poetry zine. Also, the group exhibit Exposure: Photographic Tales From the Tenderloin. 6pm-9pm. 398 Eddy St. 351-1912. www.tenderloinmuseum.org

<< Theatre

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Familiar calamities

Gareth Gooch

The cast of Champagne White Is Disastrous! cuts a rug in the new comedy at Oasis. From left, there are Steven LeMay, Adam Roy, D’Arcy Drollinger, and James Arthur.

by Richard Dodds

hampagne White, everyone’s favorite exotic dancer and reluctant gumshoe, has to go undercover in her latest adventure. “Champipple Korbel” is her nom de guerre, which is also something of a nom de vin ordinaire. The domestic sparkly from the folks a couple of

hours to the north is a fine beverage, but it’s still a product that wants to replicate the real stuff from the land of Dom Perignon. There is a flavor of replication rather than invention that runs through this third “whitesploitation” film parody now at Oasis. The bubbles are still there, but the cork doesn’t pop as resoundingly as before.

Champagne White is the creation of D’Arcy Drollinger, who has written, directed, choreographed, and starred in all three productions. As always, Drollinger is a commanding presence as the I-am-not-a-stripper Champagne, a fearsome figure eager for some peace but who’s at the ready to go all chop-socky on anyone who crosses her. And her

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nemesis has always been in the form of the redoubtable Matthew Martin as a villainess cut from the same satin cloth who this time goes by the name of Miss Trixie Touche. This time her scheme to conquer the world involves getting everyone hooked on GMO – genetically modified orgasm – that renders its users in a constant state of climax. In burlesque and vaudeville of yore, audiences wanted popular comics to repeat well-worn routines each time the act came to town. Comforting community was established in comedy, as audiences would happily shout out the punchlines to familiar jokes. Some of that spirit survives in Champagne White Is Disastrous! The fact that Champagne has been married multiple times is frequently commented on by other characters, and the audience knows to shout out in unison that “it’s none of your fucking business.” There are other recurring jokes, but to diminishing returns. Shit and Champagne was the title of the first in Drollinger’s series, and its title hints at the bad taste contained in it. That taste was so bad as to be strangely engrossing and, importantly, cleverly presented. Yes, there is bad taste in Disastrous!, but it’s more paint-by-numbers than unexpectedly shameless. The reporter at TV station KUNT is named Connie Lingus, and naturally, an airplane is scheduled to depart from Gate 69. There are numerous puns, so bad that the characters know to turn to the audience expecting groans, but when one audience member yelled out “Cut!” at one labored

play on words, the briefly surprised Drollinger gave him the finger. The show is not without spontaneity. Many of the references to popculture cliches do pay off, including homages to disaster films and broad parodies of cultural movements. And when the show breaks into its wild dance numbers – a doomed aircraft has an emergency go-go button – it’s impossible not to at least break into a silly grin. The scenes are interspersed with fairly sophisticated video segments, but it’s something of a copout that the big gross-out moment involving the “spermanator” is pre-recorded. The familiarity that much of the material evokes also extends to the cast, whose returning presence is warmly greeted by the audience. Adam Roy is back as the old-school police detective with a complicated relationship with Champagne, James Arthur is always welcome as Champagne’s dizzy-queen confidante Sergio, and Steven LeMay plays with forlorn comedy a disaster-prone fellow entertainer. And what would a Champagne White show be without the terminally bored stripper and lap dancer played with jaded fatigue by Nancy French? The Champagne White productions could turn into a popular franchise for Drollinger and company, but the series could use a bootie bump, to reference back to the first show, as it plows into the future.t Champagne White Is Disastrous! will run through Sept. 17 at Oasis. Tickets are $25-$35, available at sfoasis.com.

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<< Music

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Hail & farewell by Tim Pfaff

understand that it is with heavy hearts and a heavier tread that fans are making the annual migration back to the War Memorial, but lo, there’s reason to stay home! With considerable cheek, Warner is releasing its new live video of Andrea Chenier – the same David McVicar “period” production, but with Jonas Kaufmann’s Chenier – simultaneously with SF Opera’s opening night. The consolation prize is that, by way of two perspectives of an out-ofthe-way Donizetti opera, new recordings offer SF opera fans glimpses of two local favorites. Michael Fabiano takes the title role in the newly released video of Poliuto from the 2015 Glyndebourne Festival (Opus Arte), and Poliuto’s French cousin, Les Martyrs, has peeked out of the dark past in a studio recording led by Sir Mark Elder (Opera Rara). As the intermission-wreckers gassing on about the 1960 Franco Corelli-Maria Callas La Scala recording, with both singers in peak form, will be the first to inform you, Poliuto is

a rarity for an abundance of reasons beyond its essential darkness and stasis. Like La Favorita, which also has a French double, it needs a tenor at the top of his game and a soprano willing to surrender the limelight. And it’s really the orchestra’s opera, but no one’s having any of that. This Glyndebourne Poliuto is unlikely to spark a revival. The opera’s story of the persecution of Christians by the Romans in 4th-century Armenia almost comes off PI in today’s sensibility, and director Marianne Clement’s “treatment,” making the Christians look as Middle Eastern as possible, misfires. But far more disastrous is her direction of the singers, both principals and choristers, with a catalogue of opera-acting cliches that went out with the printed Sears Roebuck. It’s a particular problem with Fabiano and his Paolina, Anna Maria Martinez, who boast fine voices but rudimentary acting skills that beg stronger direction. He’s a stick and she’s a human windmill, and as if to call attention to the problem, Clement has both characters

frequently drop to their knees, often inexplicably, always gracelessly, during their solo numbers. Followers of Fabiano’s Glyndebourne career get a “bonus”; in the previous year’s Traviata, director Tom Cairns kept making supernumeries thrust cocktails into Alfredo’s hands while Fabiano was singing his hardest music. In Poliuto, an extra offers Fabiano a tray of drinks, and he waves it away like it’s elixir of ebola. No one gets help from the pit, where Enrique Mazzola enforces a strict bel canto oom-pah-pah that never was, undercutting his cast’s already inadequate attempts at legato and true cantilena. I never cease to wonder if anyone on the Glyndebourne artistic staff actually looks at the festival’s productions before the audience arrives. If so, it wouldn’t be the Christians who were martyred. Les Martyrs, an earlier version of Poliuto Donizetti foisted on Paris, has enjoyed an upgrade in artistic stature since Elder’s recording, which has been widely praised. It’s certainly “grand” opera in Elder’s ear-pommeling

reading, bright and forward and rather as if compensating for some deficiency in Donizetti. As an act of repertory recovery, its value is clear, even with the lack of a Francophone cast. To my ears, Elder’s work in opera is more anatomical than physiological. I, anyway, remain inured to his work north, south, east or west of Elgar. If it’s a vivid, intense Poliuto you’re after, your elders weren’t wrong about Corelli, Callas and Votto (Myto). And farewell: For fervor of an altogether different kind, there are the two final Beethoven recordings by the late Nicholas Harnoncourt, who died last March shortly after announcing that his body could no longer keep up with his spirit. Were there any doubt what he meant, his final recordings with Concentus Musicus Wien, the ensemble he founded and that remained at the core of

his creative life for a half-century, blistering accounts of Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies and the composer’s towering Missa Solemnis, with a quartet of superb soloists (both Sony Classical), exhibit a blazing spirit that would have taxed any body’s resources. As it was, his earlier recordings of the Beethoven symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and his live Missa with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra were already regarded as definitive, not that that would ever have satisfied a man who never needed to work a day in his long life yet let few days go by without doing something revelatory. Harnoncourt’s final symphony recordings have the blinding clarity of great paintings newly cleaned of the accumulated grime of centuries. Beethoven’s great Solemn Mass is a work so lofty as to seem nearly unapproachable. Throughout his career, Harnoncourt reached for its summit, attained it, then shared the view. In this final concert, he let it speak directly from the heart and soul to the heart and soul with utmost urgency.t

These beautifully crafted settings of works by Auden, the gay poet whom Berkeley met through Britten, seem to have appealed more to art-song connoisseurs than to Britten himself, who was less than overjoyed when other composers set the texts he had claimed as his own. Berkeley’s most audacious act was to set “Carry her over the water,” which he lifted from Auden’s libretto to Britten’s early operetta Paul Bunyan. Not the best way to rekindle an old flame. It was Auden who first cultivated Britten’s appreciation for the works of poet and Church of England cleric John Donne. The dark-hued pessimism of Donne’s metaphysical sonnets deeply spoke to Britten just months after the war ended in 1945, when he and violinist Yehudi Menuhin visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Britten’s nine-song cycle The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35, was composed with Pears’ voice in mind, and images of emaciated frames and rotting corpses of concentration camp prisoners in Britten’s head. The songs, which reflect the composer’s struggle to reconcile his Catholic faith and pacifism with the suffering that overwhelmed him, are anything but a comforting listen. Nonetheless, Ainsley and Martineau do such a wonderful job with them that it’s hard not to be stunned by their brilliant wordpainting and sympathetic response to Donne’s bleakness. Few if any tenors can fully embody the sickly hollowness and empathy of Pears’ uniquely haunting voice and spirit, but Ainsley comes close. It’s a masterful performance. Poulenc turned to surrealist poet Paul Éluard, who was ultimately scarred and animated by two World Wars, when he assembled the ninesong cycle Tel jour telle nuit (What a day, what a night) in 1937. The lyrical beauty of the music, which contrasts with some of Poulenc’s glibber work, is breathtaking. Tel jour telle nuit was written for Pierre Bernac, the high-voiced gay baritone (baryton marton) for whom Poulenc wrote some 90 of his

songs. Ainsley sings the cycle with great care, if not with the mixture of elegance, grace, and refinement that were Bernac’s hallmark. This is gorgeous music, extraordinarily expressive, that cries out to be performed more frequently. Finally, there is our own gay Jake Heggie (b. 1961), whose four-song cycle Friendly Persuasions (2008) sets text of his frequent collaborator, Gene Scheer. An homage to Poulenc, the short cycle is dedicated to Malcolm Martineau, who gave the world premiere with John Mark Ainsley in Wigmore Hall in 2008. As such, the recording is definitive.

A very gay song recital by Jason Victor Serinus

he recording’s title may be French Connections, but its gay connections are more readily apparent. Not only does this thoughtfully constructed recital contain song

cycles and songs by four gay composers – Francis Poulenc (18991963), Lennox Berkeley (1903-89), Benjamin Britten (1913-76) and Jake Heggie (b. 1961) – but it also showcases the work of an out gay tenor, John Mark Ainsley, and his

superb accompanist/collaborator, gay pianist Malcolm Martineau. Berkeley, who was Britten’s lover before the latter found his life partner and vocal muse in tenor Peter Pears, is represented by his Five Poems of W.H. Auden, Op. 53 (1958).

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Scheer isn’t gay, but you’d never know it from his sympathetic, oftwitty response to Heggie’s desire to pay tribute to Poulenc’s gay world. The first song addresses Poulenc’s friendship with harpsichordist/ teacher Wanda Landowska, and her impatience at his delay in completing the concerto she has commissioned. The delay is attributed to Poulenc’s attraction to a man. The second song pays tribute to Bernac, who insisted late in life that he and Poulenc created many of their songs together. Then comes Raymonde Linossier, whom Poulenc once considered marrying. Finally, bringing the cycle and recording full circle, comes a tribute to Éluard. Not only does French Connection contain several brilliant song cycles, expertly performed, but it also introduces us to an artistic milieu that dominated Western Europe for over 30 years. Highly recommended.t

DVD>>

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

Diving deity by Brian Bromberger

ow that the Rio Olympics have ended with Michael Phelps crowned the greatest swimmer of all time, it seems apropos to rediscover the life and career of the greatest Olympic diver and arguably the greatest gay athlete ever, Greg Louganis, through the compelling HBO Sports documentary Back on Board, just released on DVD by Passion River Films. This is a poignant comeback story as Louganis returns to the sport that brought him great success and disappointments. Louganis is interviewed, but it’s the spectacular footage of his Olympic victories, this physically beautiful man diving “like ballet in air,” that leaves viewers breathless with awe at his incredible talent. Back on Board starts with the gimmicky premise that Louganis is in danger of losing the multi-million-dollar Malibu home he’s owned for 27 years. He clashes with bank officials about restructuring his loan after falling behind in mortgage payments. Louganis has had to sell his mementos (his life now in boxes) as we listen to voice messages from debt collectors. He is contemplating buying an RV for himself and his pets in case he must move.

Whether Greg can save his Tara is interweaved with his diving career, which began at age 3. He was born in El Cajon, CA, but given up for adoption by his Samoan teenage parents at eight months. His adoptive father and mother encouraged his athletic bent with dance and swimming classes. His father, Peter, an Air Force veteran, physically abused Louganis, even whipping him until he performed a difficult dive correctly. Fortunately, his coaches Sammy Lee and Ron O’Brien became his father figures. He suffered from asthma and allergy problems, was bullied because of his darker skin and being “different,” and was told at school he was lazy (later diagnosed as dyslexic). Gymnastics and swimming became a refuge. His fellow athletes called him a fag to his face, and neither socialized nor roomed with him in touring competitions. He won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics and was a shoo-in for gold at the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics. Louganis earned two gold medals at the 1984 Olympics. Jim Babbitt became his lover and business manager, and tied up all his money in trusts controlled by him, leaving Louganis with only $2,000. Babbitt was diagnosed with AIDS. Louganis found out he was HIV+ (which he took as a death sentence) just before

the 1988 Seoul Olympics. As he would have been barred from South Korea if his HIV status had been known, his AIDS medications had to be smuggled into the country. He told only a few close friends and O’Brien. Then, in a practice session, Louganis hit his head on the end of the diving board in a smack heard around the world. Horrified he could be exposing others to AIDS when he bled into the pool (although the chlorinated water

would have neutralized any possibility of infection), he was stitched up and collected two more gold medals, still the only diver to do so in consecutive Olympics. Because there were rumors of his being gay, he received no lucrative endorsements. O’Brien and director Cheryl Furjanic state that had Louganis been a straight athlete, he would have made millions. Many sponsors knew he was gay, which limited his marketability, though finally last month his picture appeared on a Wheaties box. He supported Babbitt until he died in 1989. Louganis did some pre-Olympic commentary for NBC in 1992, but they found out about his HIV status and never used him. Louganis came out publicly as gay and HIV+ in his 1995 bestselling memoir Breaking the Surface, and was unfairly criticized for exposing others in the Seoul incident. One interview with Larry King asking how “a smart guy like you could contract the virus,” essentially implying Louganis deserved

AIDS, is especially ghastly. Louganis withdrew from diving, never feeling accepted, until 2010, when he returned as a diving coach and mentor to the US diving team in the 2012 London Olympics, a feat he would repeat at Rio. He was a commentator for Brazilian Globo TV – not NBC, to its shame. Louganis, now 56 and graying but still taut and muscular, is candid about his regrets. One is tempted to shake him by his shoulders for his poor business and romantic entanglements, but he has turned his life around, including marrying his husband Johnny Chaillot, whom he met through Match.com. Louganis is an embodiment of the whole gay rights movement, progressing from ostracism to closeted living to AIDS to acceptance, even celebration. When Back on Board played at last year’s Frameline, Louganis appeared to a standing ovation. As this documentary of resilience proclaims, he has earned his place not only in gay athletics, but in LGBT history.t

“Terrifically entertaining. Laugh-out-loud funny. A must-read book!” –John Paul King, The PRIDE L.A.

Cinematic journey by David Lamble

an Francisco filmmaker Jenni Olson’s evocative cinema poem to California’s 600-mile-long El Camino Real, The Royal Road begins where all good films about film should, by quoting movie genius Billy Wilder from his 1950 masterwork Sunset Boulevard. The image of William Holden’s character floating upsidedown and dead in Gloria Swanson’s mad Norma Desmond’s swimming pool is too good to improve on, and so far nobody has. But Olson makes an imaginative and eloquent stab by beginning her journey with the chapter heading, “My Hollywood Love Story.” We all have them, and Olson’s doesn’t disappoint. Olson informs us, “I want to tell you stories about love and loss that tell more about me than I ever expected to say.” One of Olson’s obsessions explored here is the lesbian community’s ongoing discussion about butch/fem. She also connects the dots between herself and theatre giant Tony Kushner, whose comments jumpstart The Royal Road: “Everything new is better than everything old. ‘The bad new things instead of the good old things,’ wrote that great dialectical playwright, poet and theorist Bertolt Brecht. I love the rigor of that challenge. To be able to risk the Satanic temptation and a retreat backwards towards what’s easy, familiar and safe – the remembered past, which is always misremembered. To always be on guard against nostalgia. To be able to see the future in the bad new things.” To which Olson adds, “Aside from introducing the burden of Tony Kushner’s disapproval into my life, this speech has prompted me to reflect at length and somewhat obsessively on my aversion to the bad new things and my affection for the old. To this day, I suffer from a compulsion to defend my overly intense attachment to the past.”

Having grabbed our attention with this unusual confession, Olson lays out her most passionate pleasures. “All I want to do is read novels and go to the movies. I crave the catharsis of narratives. Those contained portrayals of life that give us the vicarious desolation and heartbreak, inspiration and triumph we don’t even know that we need.” Then Olson ups the stakes for this 65-minute journey down our state’s most challenging landscape by describing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 San Francisco-set film Vertigo “as a sort of cinematic ode to nostalgia. It’s a cautionary tale really, about the pull of the past and the futility of striving for things that are unreachable precisely because they only exist in the long ago.” Olson defends her attraction “to landscapes and buildings [because] unlike people, they tend to endure for many generations. They possess an intimacy with the past that no person, however old, can approach. “I’ve been filming the landscapes of San Francisco since just a few years after I arrived here. In capturing these images on film, I’m engaged in a completely impossible yet partially successful effort to stop time.” The filmmaker confesses, “I continue to search for inspiration in the movies just like I did when I was little. I’m inordinately obsessed with the stories of others, seeking within them the key to sharing my own.” Some of us regret the abandonment of old literary forms for the digital age’s flashy new tricks. Jenni Olson is a talented filmmaker who has resolutely kept a foot in both camps.t The Royal Road (Wolfe DVD) features: Go Fish filmmakers Guinevere Turner and Rose Troche interview Jenni Olson; selected shorts by Olson: 575 Castro St., Meep Meep!, Blue Diary and Sometimes.

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Join author Kirk Frederick, interviewed by local entertainment diva Jan Wahl, with video clips of Charles Pierce performance highlights, an open discussion about the book, plus a question-and-answer session with the audience, followed by a book signing. FREE ADMISSION. Books available for sale at the event; also online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, and at bookstores everywhere.

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at SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY ONE TIME ONLY: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AT 6 PM

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24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Tickets & Info: http://BARS-SF.ORG

Saturday, September 3, 8pm SF Conservatory 50 Oak Street (at Van Ness)

Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Emil Miland, cello Elgar Sea Pictures Jill Grove, mezzo-soprano Brahms Symphony No. 4 Save 20 % with a season subscription The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (BARS) is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides a safe and inclusive environment for musicians of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. BARS makes cultural, social, and educational contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area by performing ambitious repertoire to a high standard.

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From page 15

The same team of collaborators that brought you the Ai Weiwei installation on Alcatraz last year takes on another unconventional, equally ambitious, site-attuned project called Home Land Security. Recent and newly commissioned paintings, sculptures, videos and performances by a roster of 18 international artists and collectives, including Bill Viola, Trevor Paglen and others, inhabit five historic structures at Ft. Winfield Scott, a deactivated coastal defense military complex. (Sept. 10Dec. 18) for-site.org Jenkins Johnson Gallery Sadie Barnette: FROM HERE The mixed media works and photographs in Barnette’s latest show emerged from Compland, an imaginary amalgam of her hometown of Oakland and the Compton, California of her youth. Interested in family histories, the construction of identity, cultural coding and the social activism of her father, Rodney Barnette, a Vietnam vet who fought against discrimination in the military, founded the Compton chapter of the Black Panthers and opened the first black-owned gay bar in San Francisco, she has a rich inheritance to draw on. “I am the Oakland 80s baby of the radical and armed movement of love, the interracial, outerspatial, and of disco idealism,” she writes. Pieces spawned by a 500-page FBI surveillance file on her father, who was part of Angela Davis’ coterie, are also in the show. (Sept. 15-Oct. 29) jenkinsjohnsongallery.com William Blake Gallery In mid-October, rare book dealer John Windle opens a large gallery devoted solely to the Romantic poet, painter and printmaker William Above: “The Lovers” (2011) by Patricia Blake, who created hundreds Piccinini, fiberglass, auto paint, leather, of artworks, from engraved scooter parts, part of Hosfelt Gallery’s 20th illustrations and illuminated anniversary exhibition. books to original writings and Below: “Man on a Limb” (1985) by Stephen watercolors. The space makes Hansen, papier-mâché, part of ReTooled: its debut with an exhibition Highlights from the Hechinger Collection at of hundreds of original pieces Bedford Gallery. and thousands of reproductions related to literary texts like Dante’s Divine Comedy which features artworks owned by and Blake’s own writings, such as the proprietor of a once-ubiquitous Songs of Innocence and of ExperiEast Coast hardware store chain, ence. williamblakegallery.com showcases paintings, sculptures, Themes + Projects As Memory works on paper and photographs by Serves Inspired by his photographic a Who’s Who of established artists, contact sheets and their suggessuch as African-American printtion of narrative, Randy Hayes, a maker/painter Jacob Lawrence, who former scenic designer for PBS, was known to give top billing to his applies oil paint over grids of toolbox and men at work; Claes Olddigital and traditional darkroom enburg, who created a lithographic photographs. In his dream-like, ode to a three-way plug; Walker Evlarge-scale installations, the ans, who reconsidered the wrench; underlying images recede or as well as Fernand Leger, Jim Dine, surface, much as memories do in Red Grooms, Howard Finster, and daily life, or act like a theatrical others. Stephen Hansen’s “Man on backdrop for scenarios playing out Limb” (1985), a papier-mache of in the foreground. (Sept. 1-Oct. 29) a not-so-handy man perched on a themesandprojects.com high shelf, blithely sawing his way Bedford Gallery ReTooled: Hightoward oblivion and a catastrophic lights from the Hechinger Collection. fall, is a surefire favorite. (Sept. 18Who knew so many artists regarded Nov. 27) bedfordgallery.org tools as objects of beauty and illuRena Bransten Gallery is sion, and sources of amusement presenting an installation by San and self-expression? The exhibition, Francisco artist Sidney Russell, Courtesy of Joel Breger

9th Season Opening Concert Dawn Harms, Music Director & Conductor

Fall galleries

Courtesy of Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco

BAY AREA MUSICALS IS LAUNCHING ITS SECOND HISTORIC SEASON. JOIN US AT SAN FRANCISCO’S HISTORIC ALCAZAR THEATRE!

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who constructs oddball, oversized – more than enormous – thrift-store clothes, running from the flowered Hawaiian-style bowling-shirts variety to girly-girl dresses. One size fits all, or several at a time. (Sept. 10Oct. 15) renabranstengallery.com. Hosfelt Gallery’s 20th anniversary exhibition brings together 25 original artists who, in keeping with the gallery’s philosophy, demonstrate a consciousness of both artistic traditions and social, political and literary history, while incorporating innovative ideas, materials and methods to forge something new and expected. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave, William T. Wiley, Jay DeFeo, Jim Campbell, and Ed Ruscha are among those featured.

(Sept. 9-Oct. 8) hosfeltgallery. com Berkeley Art Center Formidable Fragments: Breaking Down the Cult of Cute Kathy Aoki’s humorous exercise in deconstruction tackles one of the more inane pop-culture phenomena in recent memory: Hello Kitty, an industry that zeroes in on young girls. A Silicon Valley-based, multi-media artist concerned with pop culture, the housing crisis and gender issues, Aoki posits herself as the curator of the fictitious “Museum of Historical Makeovers,” creating an ironic installation derived from remains of an “illegal” Hello Kitty monument supposedly carved into a Canadian mountainside, then destroyed to make way for high-tech development. (Oct. 8-Nov. 20) berkeleyartcenter.org Fraenkel Gallery Hiroshi Sugimoto: Remains to be Seen revisits the lonely spectacle of empty cinemas, an abiding visual theme the artist has mined since the 1970s, though his real subject is the passage of time. For this new series of large-format photographs, he ventured into abandoned, once-grand movie palaces that had seen better days, and selected films that flicker on the screen, a glowing white beacon suspended in the distance. (Sept. 8-Oct. 22) Kudos to Catharine Clark Gallery for initiating Box Blur/Dance, Word and Performance in Concert with Kambui Olujimi’s What Endures, an unorthodox communing between visual and performing arts one would more likely find in a theater than in an art gallery. Moved by Depression-era dance marathons, Olujimi explores the irrepressible vitality of dance as a gesture of defiance in a time of economic despair and social unrest, through photographs, works on paper, video and a site-specific sculpture of intersecting platforms that set the stage for multiple “conversations” and a series of performances – like one in which improvisers destroy the vintage hand-me-downs they perform in – films and live events. (Sept. 10-Oct. 29) cclarkgallery. com. Chinese Culture Center Mind Flows with Brush showcases the ink-based works of Zhong Yueying, who studied traditional ink painting in China before immigrating to the U.S. in 1995 and settling in San Francisco. He experiments and reinvents the age-old form while retaining its finesse in works such as “Awakening of Insects,” a wild woods and water landscape that references the poignant period before spring arrives in full, and thunderstorms stir hibernating creatures from their slumber. (Sept. 10-Oct. 29) c-c-c.orgt

t <<

Theatre>>

Fall theatre

From page 15

September

Sept. 15-Oct. 1 at Brava Theatre Center. Shape-shifting from character to character, he uses monologues, songs, dance, and drag to explore battles minority artists often must face. brava.org. Ray of Light Theatre is headed into the mainstream after such unconventional choices as The Wild Party, Heathers, and Jerry Springer: The Opera. Its new season will open with Little Shop of Horrors, running at the Victoria Theatre Sept. 16-Oct. 8, with a return to Rocky Horror Show a few weeks later. rayoflighttheatre.com. It Can’t Happen Here ends its run at Berkeley Rep two days before the elections, so we won’t know if in fact it can indeed happen here. Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen’s adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 semi-satirical, anti-fascist novel about the rise of a dangerous “populist” presidential candidate runs Sept. 23-Nov. 6. berkeleyrep.org. Theatre Rhino opens its 39th season with The Brothers Size, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play about the strained relationship between two siblings in southern Louisiana that further buckles when a friend and perhaps lover who did prison time with the younger of the two brothers shows up. McCraney is best known for the Brother/Sister Plays trilogy, of which The Brothers Size is a component. Rhino’s production

runs Sept. 24-Oct. 15 at the Eureka Theatre. therhino.org. San Francisco Playhouse opens it season with the world premiere of Seared, running Sept. 27-Nov. 12. The theater commissioned noted Broadway and Hollywood writer Theresa Rebeck to write the work, which is set in a boutique restaurant where culinary arts and commerce collide. A working kitchen on stage will provide an olfactory component to the theatrical experience. sfplayhouse.org.

October

Hometown boy makes good. Darren Criss, a child actor on local stages before Glee made him a hot property, is starring in the touring production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Criss played the role of the transgender rocker on Broadway in 2015, following Neil Patrick Harris in the role, and he will be joined by Tony Award-winning Lena Hall as sidekick Yitzhak. During the Oct. 2-30 run at the Golden Gate Theatre, Criss and Hall will exchange roles at certain performances. shnsf.com. If it’s October, that must mean that Thrillpeddlers is ready to shock us anew. The 17th annual Shocktoberfest is subtitled Pyramid of Freaks, and will include a classic Grand Guignol thriller, an adaptation of an episode from The Twilight Zone, a new pulp-fiction musical, and a world-premiere black comedy. And as always, a lights-out spook show will provide the finale for the production at the Hypnodrome, running Oct. 6-Nov. 19. hypnodrome.org. New Conservatory Theatre Center opens its season with a revamped bar and lobby, and more importantly, with Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina, running Oct. 7-Nov. 6. The 2014 Broadway play is set in the early 1960s at a rundown colony of vacation cabins in the Catskills. Eight heterosexual men make an annual escape to this haven where they can act and dress as women. Based on an actual place, the play looks at the men relaxing into this safe space even as the divisive issue of accepting gay cross-dressers is introduced. nctcsf.org.

November

42nd Street Moon’s founding artistic director Greg MacKellan has moved on, but his legacy endures as the theater devoted to seldom-seen musicals presents a final season selected by him. It starts off with Baker Street, a 1965 musical based on the Sherlock Holmes mysteries that had a score by Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessel and a book by Jerome Coopersmith in their pretty much first and last Broadway efforts. The musical did manage a decent run of 311 performances, but its Nov. 2-20 run at the Eureka Theatre will be a very rare revival. 42ndstmoon.org. Stephen Ho

Robbie Sweeny

Tom Ammiano may have retired from the bully pulpit of politics, but he’s not about to retire from the spotlight. In Mincing Words, running Sept. 8-Oct. 15 at the Marsh, the trailblazing gay politician and long-running standup comedian offers a comic, caustic take on his years in the State Assembly. themarsh.org. The San Francisco Fringe Fest will offer up 36 productions Sept. 9-24 at the Exit Theatres and the nearby PianoFight. A few titles that may speak to this publication’s demographics: Queer Heartache, Time Out: Don’t Bring Up Gender, OK? and Raised by Gays and Turned Out OK! sffringe.org. ACT launches its season with the recent London and Broadway hit King Charles III, which begins with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and follows the travails of the new monarch as he battles both legislators and his own family as he inserts himself into politics. Veteran film, stage, and TV actor Robert Joy (partner of Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger) will play the new king in Mike Bartlett’s play, running Sept. 14-Oct. 9. act-sf.org. Chess was a London hit in 1986 and a Broadway flop in 1988, the victim of a thawing Cold War that had given the musical its juice. With lyrics by Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar) and music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA, it began life as a concept album and toured in a concert version before being adapted into a stage musical. Custom Made is creating a new version of this rarely seen musical, running Sept. 15-Oct. 15, by pulling together elements from the London, Broadway, and concert versions of the show. custommade.org. Type/Caste is a play about acting while black. And queer. Rotimi Agbabiaka draws on his own experiences pursuing a professional acting career, and the obstacles he has faced, in the solo show running

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Top: Stage and screen actor Robert Joy will play the newly crowned King Charles III in Mike Bartlett’s London and Broadway hit that opens ACT’s season. Middle: In a scene from Rainbow Logic: Arm and Arm with Remy Charlip, Colin Creveling and Paul Loper operate a puppet representing the iconic gay choreographer, author and artist in the EyeZen production. Bottom: Theatre Rhino opens its season with Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size, featuring, from left, Lakeidrick S. Wimberly, Gabriel Christian, and Julian Green.

Rainbow Logic: Arm and Arm with Remy Charlip is a celebration of the iconic gay choreographer, author, and illustrator. Seth Eisen’s Eye Zen company is creating the multidisciplinary work that uses both actors and puppets, to be seen Nov. 4-20 at CounterPulse. eyezen.org. New Conservatory’s second play of the season is Sons of the Prophet, running Nov. 11-Dec. 18. In Stephen Karam’s 2011 play, a gay man with a host of unexplained physical ailments struggles to keep his family together in the face of tragedy. The play aims at being both funny about and sensitive to the tragedies that befall us all, and about how those tragedies are distributed in wildly uneven fashion. nctcsf.org. San Francisco will see the U.S. premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s newest show when Luzia opens Nov. 17 under the big top near AT&T Park. The new show, which debuted in Montreal in May, offers dreamlike impressions of Mexico and its culture while incorporating a cast of 44 acrobats, clowns, musicians, and singers. After

finishing its run here on Jan. 8, the production will move to San Jose, where it begins a month-long run on Feb. 9. cirquedusoleil.com. San Francisco Playhouse, which currently has its successful production of City of Angels on its boards, will take on another esteemed musical for a Nov. 23-Jan. 14 run. She Loves Me made only a minor stir on Broadway when it first opened in 1963, but its growing prestige and popularity have led to three popular Broadway revivals. The songs are by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, who went on to write Fiddler on the Roof the following year. sfplayhouse.org. Theatre Rhino will take on the 70s classic Equus as its second production, running Nov. 25-Dec. 11 at the Eureka Theatre. Peter Shaffer’s drama focuses on a psychologically damaged teenage boy who finds orgasmic pleasure in riding horses before injuring them, facts elicited by a psychiatrist who wants to help the boy but is conflicted about inflicting “normalcy” upon him. therhino.org.t

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Family bonding in the Deep South by David Lamble

he high point of The Hollars, a sharply observed extendedfamily comedy-drama opening Friday, unfolds in a Mississippi hospital room where Sally (the divine Margo Martindale) is visited by her grownup artist son John (the film’s director, John Krasinski). The pair dance around the elephant in the room, Sally’s next-day brain surgery, as John asks about the state of mind of his somewhat jittery dad (Richard Jenkins). Sally: “He cried all night. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was the one with the brain tumor.” John: “He might be going through a little something. You know, I’ve been Googling brain tumors. A lot more common than you think. Bob Marley had one.” “How’d that work out for him?” “Well, he sold a lot of records.” The Hollars rests squarely on the broad shoulders and impeccable comic timing of East Texas-born Margo Martindale. With 100 credits and counting on the Internet Movie Data Base, Martindale is one of America’s greatest unsung film talents. While James Strouse’s script overflows with terrific one-liners, it

<< Film

falls to Martindale and her Finally, I can’t forget the 15 fellow cast members to amazing Mary Kay Place, translate this bounty into whose career string of comic yet poignant screen charming neighbor ladies moments. stretches back to her gloriThe Hollars resonates ously funny moments in with all of us who come Norman Lear’s brilliant TV from families that, while soap opera parody Mary we were trapped inside Hartman, Mary Hartman. them during the heartIn the end, The Hollars, break of adolescence with its take on families of (both the biological and all kinds plowing through the gay coming-out kind), dark times, will stick with seemed stifling, shameful you because of Margo Marand laugh-out-loud ritindale’s instinctive sense of diculous. Sally, faced with how a really strong person a life-threatening malady, reacts to her own premasees beyond her crazed ture demise being framed clan’s narrow world view, by a god with a truly black and in effect ministers sense of humor. Martindale to them at a time when a deftly pulls off the trick terrifying brush with morof stealing a whole movie Jonny Cournoyer, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics tality might logically claim from an all-star ensemble. Richard Jenkins and Margo Martindale as Don and Sally Hollar in director all her attention. Her personal philosophy John Krasinski’s The Hollars. If Martindale, head would probably apply to shaved and body tethered her character, Sally Hollar: unattractive full beard, Copley’s Ron on both the stage and silver screen. to a hospital bed, can steal “In order for me to have has the dramatically necessary task Kendrick is a great example of a your heart and most of your attenfun, I have to be able to not be butof reminding the returning “Golden savvy young performer who grasps tion, there’s a versatile supporting toned-down. I’m from East Texas. Boy” John just how neglectful he’s the lesson that there are no small cast that has her back. The South Texas people are very open, because been to the welfare of his kinfolk. roles. Her brief screen time as John’s African-born Sharlto Copley shines it’s open.” Martindale’s genuine Maine-born Anna Kendrick pregnant girlfriend Rebecca gives an in a demanding role, that of the charm and honest take on life’s hard again demonstrates why, still shy of already deeply felt family excursion somewhat whiny, borderline gratknocks could be just what the award30, she has rocketed to a sweet spot an extra cool dip. ing son Ron Hollar. Saddled with an season doctor ordered.t

Leather

Karrnal Knowledge

www.ebar.com ✶ www.bartabsf.com

Shining Stars Vol. 46 • No. 35 • September 1-7, 2016

Fri 2

Luka Beyeler

James Cerne guest-DJs Polyglamorous @ Oasis

On the Tab

taying in town? There’s plenty to do, and a bit more wiggle room on the dance floor, literally and figuratively. Nightlifery awaits.

Sept. 1-8

Listings begin on page 30>>

Castro Dining Upcoming restaurants and hoppin’ coffee shops By Sean Timberlake

n the previous installment, we looked back on the evolution of the dining scene in the Castro and Upper Market over the past six years, starting with the opening and subsequent Michelin anointment of Frances. See page 28 >>

Pretty plating at Nomica.

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

SEPTEMBER

Our 2016 Oakland Pride edition will publish on Thursday 9/8.

ADVERTISING Deadlines Reservations: Materials:

Friday 9/2 @ 12noon Tuesday 9/6 @10am

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Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

▼

Sean Timberlake

Hearth’s irresistable pastries.

Castro Dining

From page 27

Ryan Rick

Pop-up concepts have long been a good way for restaurants to grow from humble beginnings. Coffee roastery Hearth (3985 17th St., www.hearthsf.com) quietly opened in a former tanning salon in late 2014, but from the beginning, owner Ariana Akbar had aspirations for more. “We had a cafe out in the Sunset, Brown Owl Café,” said Akbar. “It did really well and we got a lot of press, but it was way out in the Parkside, so we sold that. I wanted to be in a

‘neighborhood’ neighborhood.” In fact, Hearth was a homecoming for her; Akbar grew up in the Castro. “My mom was a public health nurse here in the neighborhood,” she said. “I worked at Eureka Restaurant & Lounge (4063 18th St., www.eurekarestaurant.com) when I was in high school. I sold Girl Scout Cookies right on the corner here,” she said, pointing to the intersection of Market and Castro. Hearth is more than just a cafe. Akbar brought a baker in right away, Megan Bovis, who has been turning out bagels that get raves from East

Coast transplants, as well as perfectly buttery, flaky croissants and other laminated pastries. “We experimented with different kinds of butter and flour,” said Akbar. “Of course I wanted the cheaper ones to work, but of course they don’t. So, we pay for Northern California grass-fed cow butter, organic flour from the North Bay. That’s why our croissants are so good.” It’s the quality of the food that has set Hearth apart from a deluge of competitors in the coffee space in recent years. When Akbar began the process of converting the space, the only other roaster was Castro Coffee, but in the interceding years, newcomers like Weaver’s Coffee (2301 Market St., www. weaverscoffee.com) have cropped up, not to mention other cafés such as Wildcraft Espresso Bar (2299 Market St., www.wildcraftcoffee.com), Espressamente Illy (2349 Market St., www.illy.com), Réveille Coffee Co. (4076 18th St., www.reveillecoffee.com), and a newly expanded Philz Coffee (549 Castro St., www.philzcoffee.com). “I have a secret weapon,” said Akbar, “and she’s baking back there now.” Hearth also hosts prix-fixe popup dinners on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, offering three courses for $29.50, plus an optional $14 wine pairing.

Above: Cappucino and a brie en croute at Hearth. Below: A perfect pain au mocha at Hearth.

Opening soon

The neighborhood’s evolution shows no sign of slowing. The former Samovar Tea will soon be replaced by Le Marais Bakery (498 Sanchez St., www.lemaraisbakery.com), and Sausalito’s Michelin-starred Sushi Ran is imminently opening a Japanese tavern called Nomica (2223 Market St., www.nomicasf.com) in one of the most storied spots on Market. Nearby, Top Chef alumnus Ryan Scott will open Finn Town (2251 Market St., www.finntownsf.com) with his business partner and Castro resident, Rick Hamer. Hamer reportedly also has patterns on the former Dante’s Table space at 544 Castro. To them, the neighborhood presented the same opportunities seen by others. “We looked at, where is there a need? Where is there a want, and where do we want to be? That took us to the Castro,” said Scott. Hamer has lived in the neigh-

Above: Top Chef alumnus Ryan Scott and Rick Hamer of the upcoming Finn Town. Below: A rendering of the in-progress Finn Town restaurant.

borhood for over six years. “I know the area really well,” he said. “I was constantly getting feedback from friends that they really wanted a place with a vibrant energy, and they really missed [the now-defunct] Home and 2223. That got the ball rolling.” The restaurant’s name harkens back to the neighborhood’s early days, when it was predominantly Scandinavian. Their goal is to create a space that appeals to and serves the neighborhood. “It’s a tavern with a twist,” said Hamer. “This is a place we want people to come seven days a week, not just a special occasion. We built the place for the community.” Finn Town will feature an oyster station with dollar oyster happy hours at the first and last two hours of service, as well as caviar and blini for more elevated snacking. The menu will blend comfort food and San Francisco classics, like cioppino. “I did some research on cioppino,” said Scott, “learning how it was a community meal that came over with immigrants, using all the pieces of fish. We’re using a lobster stock base, stewed all night.” This is what separates the bigticket downtown eateries from the local spots. The latter must be approachable, and cater to the tastes of the residents. It has never been more expensive to open a restaurant in the city. “It’s the only way we can survive, to become supported by the neighborhood,” said Hearth’s Akbar. “It’s the only way to make it for the long haul.“ As the density of quality restaurants increases, the potential benefit to all the businesses can grow. “People are starting to look at this Market Street corridor as being someplace to go out. You have options now. You could do a bar crawl or even a restaurant crawl within a two to three block radius and go to some really exceptional restaurants,” says Aatxe’s Ryan Pollnow [covered in last week’s feature]. “I think we got in at the right time. We just got lucky to be presented with this opportunity in an area that’s growing.” ▼

<< On the Tab

30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

Kindred the Family Soul @ Yoshi’s Oakland

Sun 4

Honey Soundsystem @ Public Works

Some Thing @ The Stud

The popular Neo-Soul duo performs at the elegant restaurant-nightclub. $34$69. 8pm & 10pm. Also Sept. 3, 7:30 & 9:30pm. 510 Embarcadero west, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland Aug. 12- 24-Year Anniversary party, with a drag show. Enjoy Latin, hip hop and electro, plus hot gogos galore, and a big dance floor. $10-$20. 9pm-3am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Latrice Royal @ Verdi Club The drag talent and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant performs her solo show with songs and stories, Here’s to Life. $25-$50. 8pm. Also Sept. 3. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

On the Tab

From page 27

Thu 1 After Dark @ Exploratorium Cocktail party for adults at the handson science museum, this time with a Spin theme. $10-$15. 6pm-10pm. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. 528-4893. www.exploratorium.edu

Mary Go Round @ Lookout Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes’ weekly drag show. $5. 10:30pm show. DJ Philip Grasso. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge The weekly drag show with DJ MC2, themed nights, gogo guys and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Australian Pink Floyd Show @ Fox Theatre, Oakland

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences

Enjoy a great cover band tribute to the top-selling British rock band. $40-$50 ($100 VIP). 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.apeconcerts.com

Themed event nights at the fascinating nature museum, with DJed dancing, cocktails, fish, frogs, food and fun. Sept. 1: Fermented Nightlife, with samples of beer, cheese, kimchi; music by DJ Tanoa. Sept. 8: psychedelic music with White Fence, The Tyde, DJs Freaker and Britt Govea. $10-$12. 6pm-10pm, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the fun sexy night. $100 cash prize for best bulge. $5-$10 benefits various local nonprofits. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Thu 1 The Australian Pink Floyd Show @ Fox Theatre, Oakland

Fri 2 Ain’t Mama’s Drag @ Balancoire Weekly drag queen and drag king show hosted by Cruzin d’Loo. 8pm10pm. No cover. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

Hillbilly Trance @ Great American Music Hall Bluegrass and Psychedelic grooves mix in a concert with The Earl Brothers, Uke-Hunt, and The P’s & Q’s $15. $40 with dinner. 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.slimspresents.com

Karaoke Night @ The Stud Sing along and sing out, Louise, with hostess Sister Flora Goodthyme. 8pm2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Kingdom of Sodom/Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Strip down as the strippers also take it all off at the higly interactive sex party, with a cash bar. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

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

Gamer Night @ Club BnB, Oakland

Boy Division @ Codeword

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland The weekly hip hop and R&B night. 8-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Boy Division @ Codeword

Gogo Fridays @ Toad Hall Hot dancers grind it at the Castro bar with a dance floor and patio. 4146 18th St. www.toadhallbar.com

The Hillbenders @ Slim’s The band performs a bluegrass version of The Who’s Tommy. The Beauty Operators open. $15-$20 ($40 with dinner). 9pm. 333 11th St. www.slimspresents.com

No Se’ Dance Party @ Starline Social Club, Oakland DJ Bus Station John guest-DJs at the East Bay club. 9pm-2am. 2236 MLK Jr. Way, Oakland. starlinesocialclub.com

Polyglamorous @ Oasis LA stud James Cerne guest-DJs at the monthly groovy queens & cubs dance night, with resident DJ Mark O’Brien, Siobahn Aluvalot & Riley Patrick in the Fez Room, and Laundra Tyme. $7-$10. 9pm-3am. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ The Stud The saucy women’s burlesque show hosted by Dottie Lux has moved, with new acts. $10. 8pm-9:30pm. 399 9th St. Also Sunday brunch shows at PianoFight Theatre, 4pm. www.redhotsburlesque.com

Coldplay @ Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara The British pop band performs; Alessia Cara and Bishop Briggs open. $26$175. 7pm. 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara. www.coldplay.com www.ticketmaster.com

The Cured @ Slim’s The Cure tribute band performs the art rock classics. Also, Luv’n Rockets, the Love & Rockets tribute band, and Electric Duke a David Bowie tribute band. $15. ($40 with dinner). 9pm. 333 11th St. www.slimspresents.com

Dance Party @ Port Bar, Oakland Enjoy relaxed happy hour cocktails early (open at 5pm) and later dancing in the cozy back room at the newest LGBT bar. Daily 5pm-2am. 2023 Broadway, Oakland. www.portbaroakland.com

Drag Me to Brunch @ Lookout

Enjoy weekly screenings of the Logo drag show in the Fez Room, followed by Lip-Synch For Your Life with Kylie Minono. No cover. 8pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Weekly show with soul, funk and Motown grooves hosted by Carnie Asada, with DJs Becky Knox and Pumpkin Spice; brunch 12pm, show 1:30pm. 3600 16th St. lookoutsf.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars Viewing @ Port Bar, Oakland

Go Bang! @ The Stud

Enjoy the popular Logo drag race at the new Oakland bar. 7pm. 2023 Broadway, Oakland. www.portbaroakland.com

The monthly disco retro and new groove mix dance night celebrates the music icon Sylvester; DJs Steve Fabus, Sergio Fedasz and Prince Wolf, and special guest Jim Hopkins. $10. 9pm3am. 399 9th St. www.facebook.com/ GoBANGSF www.studsf.com

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Music night with local and touring bands. Sept. 1: Phil Bronco and the Fuckboys, The grannies and The Boobytrapz. $8. 9:30pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. $5. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. auntcharlieslounge.com

The mash-up DJ dance party, with four rooms of different sounds and eight DJs. $10-$15. 9:30pm-3am. 375 11th St. www.bootiesf.com www.dnalounge.com

Sat 3

Join Eastbay Gaymers for video gameplaying on the big screens in the spacious LGBT nightclub; monthly 1st Fridays. Board games, too. 8pm. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. club-bnb.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars Viewing @ Oasis

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

Bootie SF @ DNA Lounge

Ninel Conde performs live at the sexy Latin dance night, with gogo guys galore. $15-$20. VIP meet & greet packages, too. 9pm-3:30am. 2111 Franklin Ave., Oakland. clubbnb.com clubpapi.com

DH Haute Toddy’s weekly electro-pop night with hotty gogos. $3. 9pm-2am (happy hour 4pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. Also Fridays. 7pm-2am. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Latin, hip hop and Electro music night. June 11, Banda Tierra Del Sol performs live. $5-$25. 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Club Papi @ Club 21, Oakland

Hard Fridays @ Qbar

Champagne White returns in D’Arcy Drollinger’s third edition of the hilarious campy action-packed drag comedy show about our hardy heroine, who’s this time in Acapulco, where espionage and earthquakes are only part of her troubles! With Matthew Martin, Adam Roy, Nancy French and other talents. $25-$35. $200 VIP tables. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru Sept 17. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

La Bota Loca @ Club 21, Oakland

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

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

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall

Sat 3

Boy Bar @ The Cafe

Happy Friday @ Midnight Sun

Disastrous! @ Oasis

Mica Sigourney and pals’ weekly offbeat drag performance night. $7. 10pm-3am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

The monthly queer New Wave & Brit pop dance night pays tribute to Pet Shop Boys, with (Oct. 28) concert ticket giveaways. $5-$8. 9:30pm3am. 917 Folsom St. at 5th. www.codewordsf.com

Manimal @ Beaux

▼

Hard French @ El Rio

Fri 2

Latrice Royale @ The Verdi Club

Chilita Vinyl Club and Kitty Von Quim guest-DJ (along with residents Carnita and Brown Amy) at the groovy daytime soul dance party; drag glam with Glamamore, Rhani, Qween and Kitty. Free BBQ til it’s gone. $10. 2pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. hardfrench.com www.elrio.com

▼

On the Tab>>

September 1-7, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 31 The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. Beer bust donations benefit local nonprofits (Check the website for a list of recipients). 3pm6pm. Now also on Saturdays. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Big Top @ Beaux The fun Castro nightclub, with hot local DJs and sexy gogo guys and gals. $5. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.Beauxsf.com

Sat 3

The Cured @ Slim’s

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s weekly drag show night with different themes, always outrageously hilarious. Sept. 3 is a Hamilton musical tribute. $15-$25. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. sfoasis.com

Nitty Gritty @ Beaux Weekly dance night with nearly naked gogo guys & gals; DJs Chad Bays, Ms. Jackson, Becky Know and Jorge T. $4. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Saturgay @ Qbar 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

Scum SF @ The Knockout Queer punk night from East L.A. invades the Bay, with DJs Nochedejotiar, Rudy Bleu, Brown Amy, Crasslos, performers Persia, Travis D. Dulche De Leche and more. 10pm-2am. 3223 Mission St. www.theknockoutsf.com

Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll @ Midnight Sun Mutha Chucka’s hilarious rockin’ drag show night, with Pristine Condition, Laundra Tyme, Mocha Fapa Latte and others doing a Burning Man tribute. 10pm-1am. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Sun 4 Afternoon Delight @ The New Parish, Oakland Two-year anniversary for the fun patio dance party, with DJs Alen Craig, Justime, and fab guest performers Dakota Pendant, Lyddle Jean and Jamila Afrika; art and food vendors, too. $5-$10. 3pm-8pm. 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. www.thenewparish.com

BeBe Sweetbriar’s Brunch Revue, Femme @ Balancoire Weekly live music shows with various acts, along with brunch buffet, bottomless Mimosas, champagne and more, at the stylish nightclub and restaurant. BeBe hosts, with live entertainment and DJ Shawn P. $15$20. 11am-3pm. After that, Femme T-Dance drag shows at 7pm, 10pm and 11pm. 2565 Mission St. at 21st. 920-0577. www.balancoiresf.com

Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon Enjoy daytime partying with bears and cubs, plus fundraisers for the SF Fog Rugby team. 4pm-8pm. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle

Domingo De Escandal @ Club OMG Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Luis. 7pm-2am. 43 6th St. clubomgsf.com

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

Honey Soundsystem @ Public Works Labor Day dance music with DJs Jason Kendig, Chris Cruse and Jackie House. $10-$20. 10pm-4am. 161 Erie St. at Mission. www.honeysoundsystem. com www.residentadvisor.net

Jock @ The Lookout Enjoy the weekly jock-ular fun, with DJed dance music at sports team fundraisers. 12pm-1am. NY DJ Sharon White from 3pm-6pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Polesexual @ The Stud Dakota Pendant and Florence Frightengale’s eclectic variety show of pole & hoop dancers, drag acts, and burlesque. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

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

Sunday Brunch @ Thee Parkside Bottomless Mimosas until 3pm at the fun rock-punk club. 1600 17th St. 2521330. www.theeparkside. 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

Sundation Sundays @ Oasis Jesus Montanez and Mohammad Vahidy DJ the fun T-dance. $7. 3pm-11pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 7953180. www.sfoasis.com

Spitroast @ SF Eagle DJ Salazar spins grooves at the ultracruisy night. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Sugar @ The Cafe

Mon 5

Dance, drink, cruise at the Castro club. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. cafesf.com

Jon Lewis

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

Scott Iverson

Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm-1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. whitehorsebar.com

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade

Sun 4 Dakota Pendant’s trans-Bay tour; performing at Afternoon Delight @ The New Parish, Oakland, then hosting Polesexual (photo above) @ The Stud, also Sunday.

The weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night includes 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

Karaoke Night @ SF Eagle Sing along, with guest host Nick Radford. 8pm-12am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

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

Mule Mondays @ Port Bar, Oakland

www.sf-eagle.com

Enjoy frosty Moscow Mule cocktails in a brassy mug, specials before 8pm. 2023 Broadway, Oakland. www.portbaroakland.com

Queer dance party at the stylish intimate bar. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Musical Mondays @ 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

No No Bingo @ Virgil’s Sea Room Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

Opulence @ Beaux Weekly dance night, with Jocques, DJs Tori, Twistmix and Andre. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht. 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Underwear Night @ 440 Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. the440.com

Tue 6 Bandit @ Lone Star Saloon New weekly queer event with resident DJ Justime; electro, soul, funk, house. No cover. 9pm-1am. 1354 Harrison St. www.facebook.com/BanditPartySF www.lonestarsf.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. midnightsunsf.com

Cock Shot @ Beaux Shot specials and adult Bingo games, with DJs Chad Bays and Riley Patrick, at the new weekly night. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Gaymer Night @ Eagle Gay gaming fun on the bar’s big screen TVs. Have a nerdgasm and a beer with your pals. 8pm. 398 12th St.

Hella Saucy @ Q Bar

High Fantasy @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Weekly drag and variety show, with live acts and lip-synching divas, plus DJed grooves. $5. Shows at 10:30pm & 12am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Hysteria @ Martuni’s Irene Tu and Jessica Sele cohost the comedy open mic night for women and queers. No cover. 6pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St.

Meow Mix @ The Stud 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 Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Strip down as the strippers also take it all off. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Retro Night @ 440 Castro Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am. 44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Tap That Ass @ SF Eagle Bartender Steve Dalton’s beer night happy hours. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

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. $4. 10pm-2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

See page 34 >>

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

32 • BAY AREA REPORTER • September 1-7, 2016

The stories we tell

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by Race Bannon

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WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

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tories, everybody’s got one. This is mine, you will have your own.” – Stephen Kellogg We are the sum total of the stories we hear, the stories we tell, and the stories we tell ourselves. This is true for everyone. So it’s true for those of us who identify with the kink networks and communities as well. Some stories empower us and help us grow while others hold us back and keep us from being the people we want to be – the kinksters we want to be. Being a fulfilled and happy leatherperson or kinkster often boils down to us buying into the right stories. In mainstream society we believe many stories. It’s believing in those common stories that allows us to cooperate with and trust each other. For example, if people believe in a common spiritual text or political ideology, it gives those people common ground from which to operate together and function as a whole. Shared stories serve an important purpose. It’s what’s allowed us to develop into a global civilization. Unfortunately, not all stories are true. Or, not all stories are true for us. The grounded and happy kinkster is the person who is able to discern what stories are true and what are not and assimilate those that are true and that work for them personally. This sounds simple on the face of it, but our scene is replete with opportunities to fall prey to untrue or unhelpful stories. Not only do we imprint on stories for ourselves, but we often hold others accountable to the stories we’ve embraced. As therapist R. Scott Gornto writes in his book, The Stories We Tell Ourselves, “We script movies for other people, then we’re shocked when they don’t read the right lines or act the way we imagined. “ As a result, many kinksters have a tendency to live in a world of their own invention. They invent not only their own world, but their world is then swarming with invented versions of other kinksters. Then they create all sorts of scenarios with those imaginary versions of people. They then hold those invented, imagery versions of kinksters to their own interpretations of stories. This is how discord happens in our scene. This is how divisive factions form. This is why newcomers and old timers alike often tread carefully in our scene rather than boldly move through it with confidence and joy. So, what are some of the stories we hear and tell ourselves? Here are just a couple along with my reactions to them. There are countless such stories. I urge you to always remember that you’re a unique person, and therefore a unique kinkster. What applies to someone else may not apply to you. More often than I’d like I’ve overheard or read some kinkster or leatherperson say, “That’s not how it’s done.” This is the granddaddy of all of the kink story fallacies. Most of the other problematic stories you’ll hear replicated stem from this main one. Whether it’s someone referencing a mythological old guard standard or simply someone speaking from selfrighteous arrogance, we too often hear of one person telling another they’re not doing it right, whatever “it” might be. How one dresses, plays, adopts roles, functions socially, and more seem like fair game to certain people who like to tell others they’re somehow not living up to their own invented standards. They’ve heard a story and bought into it – hook, line and sinker. And they want you

Rich Stadtmiller

Leather men share stories at The Defenders anniversary party in February at The Powerhouse bar.

you trust? If so, maybe those are to buy into it too. It validates them the stories to which you should pay if you do. more attention. Don’t let such people influence Ultimately though, the only you too much. While it’s always a stories that really matter are those good idea to listen to others, make that resonate with you personsure to have your bullshit filter set ally. Do the ends results of such to high. It only takes a few pompous stories make you happy, fulfilled, know-it-alls to ruin an otherwise confident, sexy? If so, then that’s a great kinky life. You’re unique. Their story you should embrace. But restory may not apply to you member, just because a story works at all. No matter how much for you doesn’t mean it works for they might proclaim it’s everyone else. Never make such the one true way per the assumptions. We need to let each story they’ve embraced kinky person find their place in our and have on an endless scene while letting them be themloop in their head. selves and not just a replication of Another story I’ve someone else’s story. heard often is that there’s certain proper ways to enter the scene if you’re a newcomer. If you’re new to kink/BDSM/ fetish, you’re going to have to endure an onslaught of advice from all corners of your sphere. Maybe someone will tell you that you have to attend a bevy of BDSM and kink classes. If you’re new to BDSM or power dynamic role play, lots of people may tell you that you have to start as a bottom/sub and work your way to top/dominant. Perhaps others will suggest you run for a leather title as a means of entering the scene. Others might suggest that you must volunteer for lots of events. None of this might necessarily apply to you. Many brilliant The late Jok Church at his BDSM players learned on their 2007 TED Talk. own while playing with others or by some other means than Let me end this week’s column classes. Classes are great, but they are by honoring a deceased leathernot a prerequisite. man and kinkster who helped to I and lots of others I know starttell some really good stories. He told ed our BDSM and leathersex lives his stories through his art. He was as a top or dominant without traalso the first leatherman to deliver a versing the bottom or sub territory TED Talk dressed in full leather. His at all. Versatility came to me later name was Jok Church. in life. There’s no one right role or For those close to Church or position from which to start your who wish to otherwise honor him, explorations. a celebration of his life will take I’ve seen some great people enter place September 11 starting at 4pm leather contests and some really awat The Center for Sex and Culture ful ones enter them, and I’ve seen (CSC), 1349 Mission Street. An art both types win too. Apart from show of Church’s work will be on some social connections and netdisplay there from September 10-31 working they do little to introduce with the proceeds from the sale of you properly to being a leatherperChurch’s works benefitting CSC. son or kinkster. Church’s extensive digital collecVolunteering is awesome and I tion of his own sex-positive art is myself encourage it, but if you’re being donated to CSC to preserve unable or unwilling to do so, there and disseminate. A Facebook event are many other avenues of scene inpage can be viewed by searching for troduction. “Jok Church: A Celebration of Life.” I could list a whole bunch of othRemember what Lisa Ling once er stories that percolate throughout said. “There’s so much grey to evthe leather and kink scene. Some ery story - nothing is so black and pretty good. Some pretty bad. Some white.” Embrace and live your own based in truth. Some base in falsestories fully while allowing others to hoods. Some that will empower live theirs too. There are many paths you. Some that will drag you down up the mountain.▼ to whatever level the storyteller decides is where you belong. Race Bannon is a local author, Every time you hear such stories, blogger and activist. beware. You might learn someYou can reach him on his website, thing. Or you might be steered in www.bannon.com. a terrible direction. Be discerning. Cross reference the stories. Listen For Leather Events to lots of people. Does there appear Listings, please visit to be a consensus among people www.ebar.com/bartab

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