December 11, 2025 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

Families protest as Sutter Health ends gender-affirming care for Bay Area youth

by Eliot Faine

Acoalition of parents, trans youth, and their allies known as Rainbow Families Action marched down Powell Street in Emeryville Monday to demand that Sutter Health reverse its decision to end gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 19.

Sutter Health’s decision, first announced to staff and patients on November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, follows similar moves by Kaiser Permanente, Stanford, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Arne Johnson, a cisgender father of a trans child and a nonbinary child who is a lead advocate for Rainbow Families Action, told the Bay Area Reporter that Sutter Health had canceled appointments for gender-affirming care ahead of a selfimposed deadline of December 10.

The coalition responded with a letter demanding that Sutter Health leaders meet with impacted families and design a plan for continuity of care.

“Parents are panicking,” said the Reverend Dr. Kelly Colwell, who is queer and co-senior minister from the First Congregational Church of Berkeley UCC. She and members of her congregation marched with the coalition of families. “People come from out of state to get care [in the Bay Area]. If they’re not safe here, then where do they go?” she asked.

Colwell was referring to state law that makes

California a refuge for trans kids and their families.

Authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) three years ago, this year Wiener successfully authored legislation to strengthen the law. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill in October. Wiener issued a statement Monday, calling Sutter Health’s decision “harmful.”

“Medical experts agree overwhelmingly that parents and young people, in consultation with their physicians, should have access to pursue this care if they choose – the alternative is a crisis of depression, addiction, and suicide among trans youth,” he stated. “Ending this care is a mistake that See page 6 >>

Mayor Lurie taps Derrick Lew to be new SF police chief

by John Ferrannini

LGBTQ leaders and others are reacting to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s choice of Deputy Chief Derrick Lew to be the city’s next police chief.

Lew, a veteran officer of the San Francisco Police Department, was announced as the new top cop December 3. He will replace acting chief Paul Yep, who is Lurie’s public safety czar. Yep, in turn, replaced Chief William Scott earlier this year. Scott’s move to become LA Metro’s first chief of police and emergency management in Southern California triggered a search for a new permanent chief.

Lurie stated that Lew’s appointment is a key part of his efforts to make the city – which is recovering from negative public perceptions with statistics showing a precipitous drop in violent crime of late – safer.

“Derrick Lew has been shaped by this city, earning his stripes on the street and earning trust in communities across the city,” Lurie stated. “He knows this city, he knows this department, and he knows the communities we serve. From my first day in office, I’ve said that public safety is my top priority, and it will always be my top priority. Everything we’re trying to achieve as a city depends on people feeling safe in our neighborhoods, in our businesses, and on our streets and transit.”

For his part, Lew stated, “As chief, I will continue acting with urgency to get more officers

into the department, to attack the drug crisis, to improve street conditions, and to ensure San Francisco remains one of the safest cities in the country.”

Yep will be staying on to help Lew until the end of the year. Lew will officially take over December 22, according to District 8 Public Safety liaison Dave Burke, a straight ally.

Yep praised Lew’s selection.

“Derrick Lew has served this department with honor and distinction for over two decades, and he will be an outstanding chief,” Yep stated. “He has shown remarkable leadership throughout his career across multiple units in our department. The hard-working men and women of this department will have support at the highest levels as public safety continues to improve in San Francisco.”

According to a news release from the mayor’s office, Lew entered the police academy in 2002 and served at Ingleside, Bayview, and Mission stations. In 2023, he was placed in charge of the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center, or DMACC, playing a direct role in the agency’s coordination with state and federal partners in tackling the fentanyl crisis. Earlier this year, he was appointed deputy chief leading the Field Operations Bureau, overseeing SFPD patrols at all 10 district stations and DMACC.

He currently leads the department’s Field Operations Bureau, the release from Lurie’s office stated.

Burke stated during the December 4 Castro Merchants meeting that Lew “is amazing. He is bright, he is curious, a great person … it’s a real win for the city to have him as the next chief.”

See page 7 >>

by John Ferrannini

The suspect in the fatal stabbing at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center’s famed HIV/AIDS ward last week was unable to appear in court December 9, one day after he was charged with homicide by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

Meanwhile, the community is reacting to the identification of the victim, a gay, married UCSF social worker who succumbed to his injuries December 6.

Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi, 34, of San Francisco was expected to be arraigned Tuesday at Department 19 of the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, but he did not appear. Instead, Judge Harry Dorfman appointed Deputy Public Defender Sylvia Nguyen to represent him. Nguyen disclosed he is in a psychiatric ward at the hospital, and said simply, “He’s unable to come today.”  Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Nguyen wouldn’t say if her client was injured, but did say she had yet to meet with him.

“I want to take a moment to recognize a life was lost,” she said, referring to the victim, 51-year-old Alberto Rangel. “I want to give my condolences to the victim and his family, his friends and his colleagues.”

Assistant District Attorney Edward Mario appeared on behalf of the prosecution, and had no comment after the hearing. (The DA’s office didn’t return a request for comment by press time Tuesday.) He moved that Tortolero Arriechi be kept in custody, which Dorfman agreed to, pending Tortolero Arriechi’s appearance. Dorfman ruled Tortolero Arriechi be present in court December 16 – or sooner if Nguyen receives information he can appear earlier than that date.

See page 7 >>

UCSF social worker Alberto Rangel died after he was allegedly stabbed by a patient at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

From GoFundMe

Derrick Lew has been selected to be San Francisco’s next police chief.

Courtesy SFPD

Rainbow Families Action, a coalition of parents, trans youth, and their allies, protested in front of Sutter Health in Emeryville December 8 due to its decision to cancel gender-affirming care services for minors.

Eliot Faine

City College of SF pioneer John Collins dies

by Cynthia Laird

John

“Jack”

Collins, Ph.D., a gay man who founded the nation’s first Gay and Lesbian Studies Department at the collegiate level at City College of San Francisco, died October 30 after a brief illness. He was 77.

Dr. Collins had lived at The Sequoias retirement community in San Francisco.

According to an obituary on legacy. com, Dr. Collins was the founding chair of the department, which was established in 1989 and provided academic services to hundreds of students at the height of the AIDS epidemic. He retired in 2012. A collection of his papers and catalogs is available for research at the San Francisco Public Library.

In a 2021 article for San Francisco Senior Beat, reporter Jan Robbins wrote that Dr. Collins “found his calling in 1980, when he started teaching ‘Gay Literature’ at City College of San Francisco.”

“I had come out of the closet in 1974 while doing graduate studies in comparative literature at the University of Cambridge,” Dr. Collins said, “and I couldn’t think of anything better than teaching the literature I loved to students I shared so much with.”

It was 1972 when instructor Dan Allen of CCSF’s English Department developed one of the first gay literature courses in the country, according to a history of the department prepared by City College. Allen stepped down a few years later due to illness, and Dr. Collins expanded CCSF’s gay and lesbian studies program to two and then four courses.

“The high enrollment rates and the support of a gay CCSF board member paved the way for the establishment in 1989 of the first Gay and Lesbian Studies Department in the United States,” the department’s history noted. (The name was first changed to Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Studies Department in 1996 and later changed to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender studies in 2006).

That board member was Tim Wolfred. In a phone interview, Wolfred said

that Dr. Collins had started work in support of gay and lesbian students before he joined the college board in 1981.

“Jack was firm, but soft-spoken, in his advocacy in opening up the college,” Wolfred told the Bay Area Reporter.

Wolfred, who served on the college board until 1995, said that Dr. Collins brought along other teachers in the English department as he worked to expand the department to include things like HIV resources. In doing so, Dr. Collins made City College “a real home” for LGBTQ students, Wolfred said.

“He was a real leader in the college,” Wolfred said. “There were no openly gay or lesbian administrators when I came on the board.”

Almost three decades later, courses are offered at various CCSF locations throughout the city of San Francisco as well as via online courses available to all California residents, according to the school.

Miki Kupu marveled at Dr. Collins’ accomplishments. Kupu, who identifies as nonbinary and said he is “pronounfriendly,” first met Dr. Collins and his partner, Martin Cogan, M.D., 42 years ago when the couple visited American Samoa, where Kupu lived at the time.

“We met in the Sadie Thompson Lounge at the Rainmaker Hotel,” Kupu said in a phone interview from Hawaii, where he is staying now. “I was in drag.”

Kupu and Dr. Collins met again seven years later when Kupu moved to San Francisco and ran into Dr. Collins at the Phoenix bar in the Castro neighborhood.

“I’d cut my hair and was a gay boy,” said Kupu.

Over the last 35 years the two talked regularly, and Kupu said that he dated Dr. Collins for a while. Cogan had died of AIDS-related complications in 1994.

With Dr. Collins’ help, Kupu studied nursing at City College, graduating from the program in 1993. Kupu became a licensed vocational nurse.

“Jack guided me and showed me the ropes,” Kupu said.

Kupu, 62, has since retired. A longterm AIDS survivor for 25 years, he said he’s now legally blind. His permanent home is in Tacoma, Washington, he said.

Kupu noted Dr. Collins’ historic work at City College.

“I thought it was just the most amazing thing to happen to our community in academia,” said Kupu. “I remember when Jack graduated from Stanford

compiled by Cynthia Laird

The Imperial Council of San Francisco will celebrate the 103rd birthday of late Empress I José Julio Sarria with a benefit Saturday, December 13, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Cafe, 2377 Market Street. Sarria, a Latino drag queen and veteran, died August 19, 2003 at the age of 90.

and he chose City College. He told me he wanted to teach underprivileged students and students of color. He was down to earth.”

Kupu said that his family showed Dr. Collins respect. Kupu, in turn, had also met Dr. Collins’ family.

Kupu started UTOPIA SF, which stands for United Territories of Pacific Islands Alliance, during Pride Month in June 1998. The first event was a picnic in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where Kupu roasted a pig, he recalled. The San Francisco group is now inactive, Kupu said, but chapters are going strong in Washington state, Alaska, and Hawaii.

“Jack witnessed the start of that,” said Kupu.

Dr. Collins also had friendships at The Sequoias. Christopher Leason III, a gay man, befriended Dr. Collins about 10 years ago when Leason moved into the complex. The two usually had lunch twice a week, Leason wrote in an email.

But Leason stated that he did not know about Dr. Collins’ groundbreaking work at City College.

“At lunchtime, Jack and I usually discussed books and what we were reading and what we had read in the past,” wrote Leason, who’s 91. “We also shared history in taking care of our partners, who both died of AIDS complications.”

Leason’s partner, Dennis Zaborowski, died in 1996, he wrote.

Another friend of his was Dr. James Campbell, a gay man and retired physician who lives at The Sequoias. In a phone interview, Campbell said Dr. Collins was “a fairly quiet person and easygoing.”

The two were neighbors and attended LGBTQ events that The Sequoias holds monthly. Campbell and Dr. Collins also regularly ate dinner together, where they talked about their lives. Campbell had treated a number of patients living with HIV before he retired in 1998. He also said that he developed HIV risk reduction standards in conjunction with the San Fran -

Sarria founded the Imperial Council in 1965. He made history in 1961 with his unsuccessful attempt for a Board of Supervisors seat; it marked the first time an out gay person had sought elected office in the U.S. Sarria was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2023.

According to a news release, “An Evening of Mystique” will feature entertainment by luminaries from the Imperial and Ducal courts of San Francisco, highlighting performers who sing live in drag in Sarria’s honor.

Known as “The Nightingale of Montgomery Street,” Sarria gained fame as a singing waiter and drag performer in the 1960s at the Black Cat Cafe in the North Beach neighborhood that was a hub for the nascent LGBTQ community, according to the release. The Imperial Council of San Francisco celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

Today, the Imperial Court has chapters in a number of West Coast cit ies, as well as throughout the U.S. There are also chap ters in Canada and Mexico.

Emcees for the evening will be Empress 30 Donna Sachet and Emperor 36 After Norton John We ber. The release noted that there will be a raffle (drawing at 8:30) and silent auction, includ-

cisco AIDS Foundation and Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights.

Early life

Dr. Collins was born on October 13, 1948 and grew up in Mount Kisco, New York, the oldest of eight children. He attended Regis High School in Manhattan and later majored in Medieval studies at Columbia University where he developed a passion for ancient manuscripts. He earned a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Stanford University and studied at Kings College, Cambridge, enhancing his expertise in Medieval literature and languages, according to the obituary. Campbell said that Dr. Collins talked about his higher education work.

“His Ph.D. prepared him to teach at City College,” Campbell said.

Dr. Collins authored two unpublished novels and contributed over 100 articles to various publications, including The Sentinel, an old LGBTQ newspaper published in San Francisco. In 2014, he wrote an autobiographical piece, “House of Nightmares,” based on journals he kept in the 1990s about caring for Cogan, the obituary stated. Dr. Collins had met Cogan while at Stanford. They traveled extensively throughout the Pacific in the 1980s. Their Haight Ashbury home was noted for murals and designs painted by local artists.

The obituary noted that in addition to Cogan, Dr. Collins was predeceased by his parents, James and Katherine Collins. He is survived by siblings Eddie (Tracy), Mike (Michele), Joanne (Ed), Jimmy (Mindy), Kevin (Andi), Patti, and Peggy; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and cherished lifelong friends.

Kupu recalled a humorous story when he attended the celebration of life for Dr. Collins’ partner, Cogan.

“In my culture we celebrate life with dance and song. I did a hula,” Kupu said, adding that Dr. Collins’ mother had to go downstairs because she wasn’t used to such activities at a memorial.

“But Jack’s father was loving it,” said Kupu. t

ing works by local LGBTQ artists such as Serge Gay Jr., Phillip Hua, Anthony Anchundo, Devlin Strand, and photographer Gooch, who also contributes to the Bay Area Reporter.

Admission is free.

For more information, go to sfimperialcouncil.org/events.

Drag Story Hour marks 10 years

the San Francisco and Palm Springs LGBTQ+ communities, Nolan was known for his intelligence, gentle humor, and the kindness he brought to every friendship. A curious and forward-thinking soul, Nolan closely followed technology and current events, journaling daily throughout his adult life. Decades ago, he imagined a future in which his writings could be used to create an avatar mirroring his personality – a vision that seemed like science fiction at the time yet foresaw the artificial intelligence era now emerging. Professionally, he worked across many settings, from major banks to innovative startups, and he generously mentored new entrepreneurs. He also loved the cultural richness of San Francisco before moving to Palm Springs, where he found warmth,

Drag Story Hour will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an afternoon event Sunday, December 14, from noon to 5 p.m. at the main San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street. The event is free and open to the public. Local Latina trans icon Per Sia, who was named San Francisco’s second drag laureate in late October, will be on hand, a news release noted. She was the first drag queen to read for Drag Story Hour, the release stated.

See page 6 >>

companionship, and a supportive circle of friends who shared his love of art, film, travel, and community. During the height of the AIDS crisis, Nolan was a founding member of Positives Being Positive, a pioneering support group created by Pierre Ludington. With his passing, only two of the original 25 members remain. He is survived by his sisters Nancy, Beverly, and Mona; nephews Korey, Jeremy, and Mathew; nieces Kim and Karisa; and great-nieces Autumn, Amber, and Anika. Memorials were held in Palm Springs and at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco.

John “Jack” Collins, Ph.D., founded the nation’s first Gay and Lesbian Studies Department at City College of San Francisco.

Jan Robbins

The Imperial Court of San Francisco will have a party to mark the 103rd birthday of José Julio Sarria.

Courtesy CA Hall of Fame

SF market caters to kinky holiday shoppers

by Matthew S. Bajko

Eight years ago, Hal Mayo began working with stained glass and was hired by a studio in San Francisco’s Richmond district that focuses on the art medium. Wanting to branch out on their own, Mayo took part last year in the entrepreneur training program https://www.ebar.com/story/73478 offered by the city’s Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District.

Mayo, who is queer and nonbinary, wanted assistance in establishing their own stained glass business to cater to the kink and leather community. Thus, their Stained Glass Mommy was founded. A bit ironic since Mayo is a femme dom in the kink scene, the business name alludes to one of their favorite indie rock bands, Soccer Mommy

“I say it is modern stained glass made with blood, sweat and tears for my fellow kinky queers,” said Mayo, a San Francisco resident with a new studio space in Oakland where they will begin hosting stained glass workshops Sunday, January 4.

Part of their inspiration came from dreaming about creating a stained glass butt plug. They also saw an untapped market for works with feminine themes.

“It has been really kind of a dream come true. I get to do this and get to serve my community, and provide art that is kinky and queer and has a femme twist to it,” said Mayo. “A lot of stained glass today typically is geared toward cis gay men. I saw a niche and I filled it; there isn’t anyone else in the Bay Area that I know of focusing on more gender-inclusive kinky stained glass.”

This Saturday, December 13, Mayo for the second year in a row will be selling their glass creations at the leather district’s annual Kinky Holiday Market. They will again be adorned in

a red latex outfit ala a sexy Mx. Santa Claus.

“About once a month I do markets like the holiday one,” said Mayo, adding that their commissions for individually designed stained glass artwork have been “keeping the business afloat” and them booked through January.

Now in its fifth year, the Kinky Holiday Market features various vendors who cater to a kink and leather clientele. Items for sale run the gamut from leather clothing and kinky toys to sexy artistic creations such as Mayo’s stained glass designs and Christmas ornaments ($25 to $45) resembling poppers bottles to their larger artworks to hang in windows to catch the sunlight ($60 to $300).

“My best sellers are my large pussy mirrors with flickable clit gemstone,” Mayo noted during a recent interview

with the Bay Area Reporter.

They also have their own spin on the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament on one’s Christmas tree, the finder of which wins a prize. Mayo makes Prince Albert pierced Christmas pickle ornaments.

“You can hide it in plain sight from your grandma,” they quipped.

Another returning vendor is Gooch, the queer photographic chronicler of the local LGBTQ scene and a freelance photographer for the B.A.R. At his booth will be for sale “a lot of my prints that can be found on my website – queercentric, kink, drag, events, queer politics,” said Gooch, whose online marketplace can be found at https://photosbygooch.com/.

Regular attendees of the market will find it has been changed up for 2025. The event has been moved to the nighttime, will feature a drag lip sync

battle, and overlap with a party the cultural district is co-hosting with the San Francisco Street Fair Coalition.

If successful, the new lineup will be brought back for the 2026 Kinky Holiday Mar ket, said Bob Goldfarb a gay man who is the leather district’s executive director. They hope to see increased foot traffic from the crossover with the party being held in conjunction with the market.

The event is again being held at SOMArts, the gallery space at 934 Brannan Street in the city’s South of Market district. The market will run from 5 p.m. to midnight, and while free to attend, donations of $5 to $10 to the cultural district will be accepted.

The cultural district will see its municipal funding cut by 30% starting July 1, noted Goldfarb. That will mean a $100,000 reduction to its budget, so the district is hoping this year’s holiday market will net it $10,000 to help offset the hit to its coffers.

“We are facing a rather steep budget cut from the city,” said Goldfarb. Coming back to the market is the Gear Swap N Shop, a bit of a misnomer as the fetish wear and gear on offer will be for sale and not available via barter. Items can be donated for sale to support the cultural district, and featured will be gear from the late leatherman whose handle was Glovedman74 and who died in February a month shy of turning 51. His friends gave half a dozen bins of his gear to be put up for sale at the market. In honor of the “legacy donation,” there will be a photographic tribute on display, cultural district manager Cal Callahan told the B.A.R. The items will be specially tagged to track how much the sale of them benefits the cultural district.

“We think it will be good for our vendors,” said Goldfarb. “By doing it in the evening, hopefully we get the people we had before and also get new people. The vendors are excited about it. We are very optimistic about having people come for the market and stay for the party.”

The gear shop will run from 5 to 9 p.m. and close early in order to make way for the party. At that time a portion of the vendors will also be closing up their booths, though most will remain open until midnight.

People enjoyed shopping at last year’s Kinky Holiday Market.

Courtesy SF Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District

Volume 55, Number 50

December 11-17, 2025 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 & NIGHTLIFE EDITOR

Jim Provenzano

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Matthew S. Bajko • John Ferrannini

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christopher J. Beale • Robert Brokl

Brian Bromberger • Philip Campbell

Heather Cassell • Eliot Faine

Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone

Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • Lisa Keen

Philip Mayard • Laura Moreno

David-Elijah Nahmod • Mark William Norby

JL Odom • Paul Parish • Tim Pfaff

Jim Piechota • Adam Sandel

Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro

Gwendolyn Smith • Charlie Wagner

Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood

ART DIRECTION

Max Leger

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

Ernesto Sopprani

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jane Philomen Cleland

Rick Gerharter • Gooch

Jose A. Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja

Georg Lester • Rich Stadtmiller

Christopher Robledo • Fred Rowe

Shot in the City • Steven Underhill • Bill Wilson

ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS

Christine Smith

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING

Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

LEGAL COUNSEL

Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

Most CA gov candidates fall short on trans issues

The

2026 California governor’s race so far lacks a clear frontrunner – and, with the exceptions of state schools chief Tony Thurmond, who’s mired in the low single digits, and Congressmember Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), who has vaulted to a top position, many candidates have not offered full-throated support for the transgender community. We wish there was a credible LGBTQ candidate, but that, too, withered on the vine when lesbian former legislative leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) suspended her campaign in early October two weeks after an editorial board meeting with us.

In that meeting, Atkins was unequivocal in her support for trans youth. Atkins said she was disappointed in Governor Gavin Newsom’s comments to the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, when he said it was a matter of fairness regarding trans girls and women playing on female sports teams. “I played with boys,” Atkins said of her childhood athletic endeavors. “I grew up pretty poor and sports gave me confidence.” She also decried the political weaponization that the trans athlete issue has become, even as California law requires public schools to allow trans kids to participate on teams that align with their gender identity.

But now that Atkins has exited the race, it will be up to one of the other 10 major candidates to reach out to the LGBTQ community. The two leading Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, a former adviser to former United King dom prime minister David Cameron, do not support trans kids. That leaves the eight Democrats. We want to see the Democratic gubernatorial candidates articulate policies that can dial down the rhetoric that has consumed this issue. We’re tired of the right constantly referring to trans girls and women as “biological men.” Most kids just want to play sports, whether they are trans or not. Today’s political climate,

helped along by President Donald Trump and his transphobic executive orders, leaves no space for rational discussion.

The views of most of the Democratic candidates were shared in recent CBS News interviews conducted by Julie Watts in Sacramento. She’s the reporter whom candidate Katie Porter disparaged in a viral video clip several weeks ago. While Porter, a former congressmember, was considered the frontrunner, she’s now polling at 11%, two points behind Swalwell, who recently jumped into the race. Watts’ question about where candidates stand on transgender athletes participating in school sports revealed some interesting answers. Hilton, for example, wants to overturn California’s law. Bianco went full MAGA: “Boys should not be competing against girls. As a coach, I absolutely know that boys have no place in girls’ sports.” Democratic candidate Ian Calderon, a former as-

semblymember from Southern California, tried to have it both ways. He said he believes there is an athletic advantage with transgender girl athletes playing in girls’ sports and said, “I don’t support it.” However, he stressed that his views could shift. “I’m always willing to take in more information and have my opinion evolve over time, but as I stand now and what I’ve seen now, I do believe that there’s an advantage,” Calderon told Watts. Porter said that the California Interscholastic Federation should make decisions “at every level of sports competition.” The federation oversees high school sports competitions and, in May, developed a compromise policy that allowed more cisgender girls to participate in track and field state championships, even if they had lost to trans competitors at the qualifying competitions.

I’m running for Lt. Gov to upend business as usual

by Janelle Kellman

California is about to answer a revealing question: Do we want new leadership or do we want things to stay business as usual?

We keep hearing elected officials say they’re problem solvers and yet problems in California keep getting bigger. And we say that Democrats give a voice to the LGBTQ+ community, but yet we’ve only had one elected openly LGBTQ+ person in statewide office – and his term ends in 2027.

I’m a former mayor and city councilmember in Sausalito, an environmental lawyer, and a small business owner. I founded the Center for Sea Rise Solutions to help communities and insurers manage the economic risks of wildfires, floods, storms, and rising seas. I’m also the only openly LGBTQ+ woman running for statewide office at a time when female and gay representation is dwindling in the halls of power.

M. Yamashita

Director: Scott Wazlowski

About

jim@ebar.com

Most people think of the lieutenant governor as a ceremonial “backup” role. In reality, it’s one of the most consequential jobs in California. The lieutenant governor is the only statewide official who sits on the governing boards of all three public higher-education systems – UC, CSU, and community colleges – and also serves on key climate and economic bodies, including the state lands commission, the ocean protection council, the coastal commission, and the commission for economic development. These are the rooms where decisions about tuition, housing, jobs, energy, and long-term economic strategy actually get made. Not just for coastal cities, but for inland communities, rural towns, and suburbs across the state. When President Donald Trump says “drill, baby, drill” off our coast, it’s the lieutenant governor’s votes on the state lands commission and coastal commission that help decide whether that agenda becomes reality in California.

ing, I stepped up. First as a city councilmember, then as mayor, and now through my work bringing together leaders on climate resilience, equity, and jobs.

It’s frustrating to see California politicians talking a lot and not taking bold action. We have one-party control in Sacramento with the Democrats, but we’re not acting like a state that understands the emergency we’re in. How is it that they were caught off-guard by the wildfires, by the housing crisis, by the cost of living rising to the point where Californians are moving away, or worse, landing on the streets?

I was tired of asking these questions and getting the runaround with no answers. I’m running for this office to use it as an operating job, not a talking point – aligning climate action, economic development, and higher education instead of treating them as separate fights.

We have neglected the problems with affordable housing for too long. The fact that housing prices are so high that people can’t afford to rent or buy a home is unacceptable. It’s time to declare it the state of emergency that it is and take action. For LGBTQ+ youth and seniors – who already face higher rates of homelessness and housing instability – this isn’t abstract policy, it’s survival.

And as lieutenant governor, one of the biggest impacts I can have is on our university and college system. Residents who pay tax dollars to California should be able to go to school in the Golden State.

We need education and curriculum that are directly aligned with real careers. Right now, too many students are graduating without a clear pathway to a job in California.

On the UC, CSU, and community college boards, I will push to make sure campuses are affordable and safe for LGBTQ+ students, that we expand mental health support and affirming care, and that workforce programs are aligned with the jobs of the future – from climate resilience and clean energy to health care and advanced manufacturing – with clear pathways into those careers.

California doesn’t need another bureaucrat in a ceremonial job. It needs a lieutenant governor who will treat this office like the lever it is – to get things done and ensure California’s future as a leader not as a state just reacting to crises.

I’m asking our community – and the leaders who claim to represent us – to pave the way for future generations by supporting a qualified, experienced LGBTQ+ candidate in the face of establishment politics. The Democratic Party is suffering – a failure to use our voices contributes to our own demise.

We won’t change anything or move forward if we keep electing the same people. Let’s step it up.t

I never thought I’d run for office. Yet the challenges facing California have grown – from rising costs of living to climate-driven disasters threatening our communities and economy. When I saw problems that no one else was fix-

Year-round fire prevention that reduces the overall cost to the state needs to be a priority. There are going to be continual California wildfires – we have to plan a future where we withstand them with prevention and resilience that actually reduce the damage and costs.

Janelle Kellman, a Democrat and gay woman, is an environmental attorney and former Sausalito City Council member who is running for lieutenant governor in 2026. For more information, go to janellekellman.com.

Lieutenant governor candidate Janelle Kellman

Courtesy the candidate

Congressmember Eric Swalwell, left, and state schools chief Tony Thurmond are two of the Democratic candidates vying for California governor.

Courtesy the candidates

t Politics >> Gay comic book seller Porter eyes Capitol Hill

by Matthew S. Bajko

A writer for independent magazines and an online seller of comic books based in Palm Springs, Ferguson Porter in the last two elections for the U.S. House seat that represents the LGBTQ retirement and tourist destination in California’s Coachella Valley had worked to elect the gay candidate, attorney Will Rollins. Yet in both the 2022 and 2024 races, Rollins fell short to conservative Congressmember Ken Calvert (R-Corona).

“I supported Will Rollins. I canvassed for him in 2022. We voted for him multiple times and contributed to his campaign,” said Porter, 43, of himself and his husband, Alan McPhail, a retired public school teacher.

Porter had considered entering the race last year if Rollins had opted not to do so. Six weeks after last year’s November election, Porter spoke to Rollins and learned he didn’t plan to mount a third bid to oust Calvert from his 41st Congressional District.

“I had been talking and thinking for three years about a run. My husband said, ‘Either run or shut up! You are driving me crazy!’” recalled Porter, who pulled papers to do so in February. “I would say if I am elected, I would be the first person in congressional history to go to film school, be a published writer and sell comic books to be elected to the House.”

Yet, Porter is facing stiff headwinds to be one of the top two vote-getters to advance out of the June 2 primary and make it onto the fall ballot in November. For one thing, he is no longer seeking the House seat he thought he would be vying for.

wrote the influential political group that works to elect more pro-choice Democratic women to public office.

“Voters in California’s 48th Congressional District deserve a champion who will fight for them, not against them. Emilys List is proud to endorse Marni von Wilpert – and we’re ready to help her flip this seat and take the fight to Congress.”

Ammar Campa-Najjar, who lost to Issa in 2020, is also angling for one of the two spots in next spring’s primary contest. Like Porter, gay entrepreneur and trained economist Brandon Riker of Palm Springs had thought he would be running against Calvert but is now seeking to oust Issa from his seat.

Due to the passage of Proposition 50 last month by the state’s voters, Palm Springs was moved into the redrawn 48th Congressional District represented by conservative Congressmember Darrell Issa (RVista). The addition of more liberal voters from the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire areas with those from northern San Diego County has made the seat one of the Democratic Party’s top pickups in 2026 as it seeks to regain the House majority in next year’s midterms.

Issa reportedly rejected entreaties to run for a safe GOP seat in Texas, where Republican state lawmakers gerrymandered five more House districts to be favorable to their party, prompting the California counter measure Prop 50 to tilt five more House seats to favor Democrats. The wealthy politician is expected to seek reelection to his seat, despite it now having a Democratic registration advantage of more than 4 points.

As such, bisexual San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert has emerged as a frontrunner in the race. She dropped her expected 2026 state Senate bid to instead seek the congressional seat due to Prop 50.

She has picked up a host of endorsements from local electeds throughout Southern California, LGBTQ leaders, and progressive groups. In a December 9 email, Emilys List urged its supporters to get behind von Wilpert’s candidacy since she will fight to “protect reproductive freedom, defend LGBTQ+ rights” among other issues if elected.

“Meanwhile, her opponent, MAGA Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, has spent more than 20 years in Congress lining his pockets, slashing health care, and hiking costs,”

Among them is expanding the number of justices on the U.S. Su preme Court and imposing term limits on their tenures serving on the country’s highest court. Porter also advocates for adding more seats to the House of Representatives to better reflect the country’s current population and avoid seeing Cali fornia lose seats in the future. (He explains how he would like congres sional seats to be apportioned on his campaign site blog at porterforcongress.com/a-fairhouse-of-representatives/

“One of the things I am working on right now is at the start of the new year posting a series of video essays where I talk about expand ing the House and how to stop par tisan gerrymandering,” said Porter, who admitted “some of my ideas for changing things are a little nerdy” and aren’t often given the attention they should.

For most of 2025, Porter focused on meeting voters across Riverside County based on the congressional map that had been in place. He told the B.A.R. he is not that familiar with San Diego so will be turning his atten tion to that area of the redrawn House district in the new year.

“I have been to San Diego a couple times for vacation. The first trip we took after COVID in 2021 was to San Diego because we could drive there,” recalled Porter, who initially lived in Los Angeles when he first moved to the Golden State after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2005 with a B.A. in cinema-television.

Another out candidate, gay attorney Curtis Morrison, began his campaign running against Issa. This week, a group opposed to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee endorsed his candidacy, saying Morrison “speaks with the moral clarity we urgently need” and denounced Issa as being “AIPACbacked, pro-genocide” in a post on X. https://x.com/TrackAIPAC/status/1998467686708461982

“Curtis embodies the integrity and courage that should define our politics. Supporting his campaign is a direct stand against genocide and for a more just future, both at home and abroad,” wrote Track AIPAC.

Morrison said he was “humbled” to receive its endorsement, describing Track AIPAC as “a group that has been persecuted by the Israel lobby simply for bringing transparency to how much cash flows into the congressional campaigns to buy support for Israel’s atrocities, war crimes, and yes, genocide.”

The list of candidates running against Issa is expected to remain in flux until the filing deadline in early March. Having never held public office or mounted a political campaign before, Porter told the Bay Area Reporter during a recent phone interview that he is well aware of the challenges he is facing as a candidate.

“I am an underdog, dark horse and outsider all rolled into one,” acknowledged Porter, adding that, “I plan to stay in as long as I can. If that means through the primary, I am going to stick with it.”

While he has taken part in a number of candidate forums this year and has been attending different events and meeting with local groups to raise his name recognition with voters, Porter has yet to hold an official campaign launch event. He does have a website at voteporterforcongress.com where he is out about being married to his husband and lists several policy matters he would pursue on Capitol Hill.

The Dallas native moved to Palm Springs in 2010 and a few years later met McPhail. In March, the couple will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.

The outcome of his race could help expand LGBTQ representation among California’s congressional delegation. Gay incumbent Congressmembers Mark Takano (D-Riverside) and Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) are expected to win their reelection bids, while gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has a strong shot at succeeding retiring Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (DSan Francisco).

As for his own contest, Porter told the B.A.R. he is convinced that Issa is beatable. The relatively easy passage of Prop 50 points to a California electorate eager to oust GOP incumbents next year in hopes of blunting the Trump administration’s policies, he contended.

“I think the winds will shift away from Republicans and back towards Democrats,” predicted Porter. “Hopefully, we will get out voters who might not be inclined to come out in midterm election years because they will understand how important it is and will find a candidate who speaks to them and offers new ideas and solutions.”

Like the other contenders in his race, Porter has roughly six months before the primary to convince voters in the new 48th House district he is that candidate. t

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column looked at the current lineup of candidates in the four California House races with out contenders.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads.net/@ matthewbajko and on Bluesky @ https://bsky.app/profile/politicalnotes.bsky.social.

Prefer inks to links?

Receive a weekly print edition of the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco’s only LGBTQ newspaper, delivered by first class mail, every week, to your home or office.

Convenient mail subscriptions are available for 3, 6, or 12 month periods and ensure you’ll always keep up with the latest, most comprehensive coverage of national, state and local LGBTQ issues, arts, culture, and nightlife produced by California’s largest LGBTQ newsroom.

13 weeks $40 26 weeks $75 52 weeks $140

To begin your mail subscription, call us at 415-861-5019 or email keepintouch@ebar.com

Ferguson Porter is the latest out candidate running for a Southern California congressional district.

Courtesy the candidate

will harm the health of LGBTQ young people, and Sutter should reverse this decision.”

In a statement, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents 1,100 Sutter Health employees at hospitals, hospice, and home health settings, called on the Northern California health care giant to reverse its decision to end gender affirming care for anyone under 19.

“Our union believes that everyone should be able to receive the care they need,” said NUHW President Emeritus Sal Rosselli, a gay man. “Trans kids endure potentially life-threatening trauma navigating who they are in a culture that targets them for abuse. By giving into pressure from the Trump Administration, Sutter is worsening transphobia in our society and putting lives at risk by refusing to provide patients appropriate medical care.”

The decisions by many hospitals to pause gender affirming care for youth came after an executive order from President Donald Trump in late January that declared the federal government would not support the chemical and surgical alterations of youth, such as hormone treatments and surgery, under the age of 19. An executive order is not legislation and does not require approval from Congress. Nevertheless, many hospitals and clinics across the country have halted gender-affirming care services due to Trump’s order.

Wiener, who is running for the U.S. House seat held by outgoing Con-

<< News Briefs

From page 2

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is poised to declare December 12 as Drag Story Hour Day in the city.

Drag Story Hour was created in 2015 by Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions, under the leadership of Julián Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, the release stated. What began as drag queens reading books to children in libraries blossomed into a global phenomenon.

The anniversary will reunite original storytellers from the Bay Area. Storytellers from founding chapters across the country, including representatives from Indigenous Drag Story Hour, will join the festivities.

The event is made possible with generous support from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Svane Family Foundation, and the San Francisco Public Library, according to the release.

For more information, go to dragstoryhour.org/10years.

Throughout the market hours will be DJs and performers, such as the group Twisted Windows, and attendees will be able to get their photo taken for free with naughty Santa and his kinky elves. (Two playful standins for Saint Nick will be on hand for two-hour shifts throughout the night. For pet parents looking to take holiday photos, only service animals are allowed entry to SOMArts.)

The drag lip sync battle will run from

Editorial From page 4

Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat and former Los Angeles mayor, told Watts he made a distinction based on puberty. “Men who have gone through puberty and are now transgender women, should they play other women? No, I don’t believe they should,” he said. He added that he believes in gender-affirming care, but not trans athletes.

According to the interviews, Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra, who served as health and human services secretary in the Biden administration, was seemingly unaware of the state law on the matter, even though he was Cali-

gressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), was critical of Trump and his administration.

“MAGA is scapegoating LGBTQ youth to distract from Trump’s complete failure to improve the cost of living for working people, and California health providers should stand firm against Trump’s bigotry,” he stated.

Other Bay Area medical facilities, like Stanford Health Care and Kaiser Permanente, moved to end gender-affirming care for minors over the summer as the B.A.R. previously reported.

On November 13, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement reminding California health care providers and insurers that, under state law, they are prohib-

Holiday event at Sunset Dunes

The fourth annual Jingle on the Way event returns to San Francisco’s Sunset Dunes Park Saturday, December 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., bringing the holiday spirit to the coast. A news release noted that Jingle on the Way is a celebration for city families, featuring an afternoon of professional photos with cargo bike Santa, a climb-aboard play train for younger visitors, make-your-own holiday cards and a holiday carol singalong led by local musician John Elliot.

The event is sponsored by Friends of Sunset Dunes Park and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

For more information, go to sunsetdunes.org/events/jingle-on-the-way

MCC-SF selects permanent pastor

The Reverend Daniel Borysewicz, a queer man, was unanimously chosen, with one abstention, to become the permanent called senior pastor of Met-

8 to 10 p.m. Street fair coalition members San Francisco Pride, Folsom Street Fair, Castro Street Fair, along with the leather district and TurnOut, an organization that recruits volunteers to support queer and trans grassroots events, will each have a drag performer battling on their behalf to be crowned the winner.

The ticketed inaugural “Festive As F*ck” party kicks off at 10 p.m. with general admission starting at $35. Those who have volunteered with TurnOut or one of the street fairs can get free tickets, while anyone who has supported an LGBTQ organization in 2025 can get

fornia’s attorney general after the law was in effect. “There’s nothing in the Constitution that says that you are entitled to play a sport,” he said. Once Watts read the law to him, Becerra said, “I’m not interested as governor in having someone be bullied or someone discriminated because of who they are, simply for that reason. And if the rules allow an individual to play in that sport, those are the rules and you should abide by them.”

When Becerra was AG, he spoke at Equality California events in support of the LGBTQ community. At HHS, a trans woman, Admiral Rachel Levine, served as his number two. His seemingly lack of knowledge on trans issues is surprising, and disappointing.

ited from discriminating or denying health care on the basis of gender identity.

In August, Bonta joined 14 state attorneys general and Washington, D.C. to file a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration as it interprets federal law to prevent gender-affirming care procedures at health providers that are recipients of Medicare or Medicaid coverage. The lawsuit refers to the executive order as the “denial of care” order. https://www.ebar.com/story/156463

With the August court filing, there are now four lawsuits challenging the legality of the executive order, including PFLAG v. Trump; Washington v. Trump; and EK v. De-

ropolitan Community Church of San Francisco. The vote was by the quorum present at its annual congregational meeting Sunday, December 7. Borysewicz had been serving as interim provisional pastor of that same church since March 17, 2024.

50% off the general admission price. A free parcel check will be offered so party attendees can get in some shopping before dancing the night away until 2 a.m. They can grab their purchases on their way out.

For more information about the market vendors, entertainment schedule and how to buy party tickets beforehand online, visit https://sfleatherdistrict. org/market25/

As for Mayo, their stained glass workshops in 2026 will run three and half hours on Sundays and cost $165 per person, according to their website.

Thurmond was in full support. “We are a state that can accept diversity, and we will make sure that we follow the law and protect the rights of transgender athletes to participate and to be able to do so safely,” he told Watts. Thurmond got kicked out of a school board meeting in Chino Valley two years ago for criticizing a proposed district policy that would forcibly out trans students to their parents.

Democratic former state controller Betty Yee, who has long been a champion of the LGBTQ community, told Watts that she is still learning about the trans sports issue, which was also a surprise.

and as fertility treatments. It’s not just hormones and surgeries that have been paused, however. Sydney Simpson, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente, told the B.A.R. that health care for transgender and nonbinary youth includes mental health and peer support groups.

Simpson, who is trans and nonbinary and co-founded the trans caucus at the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, said that patients and their parents are faced with organizing alternate care, out of network and out of pocket.

The B.A.R. reached out to Sutter Health for a response.

partment of Defense Education Activity. A national injunction was given in the PFLAG case; however, this was before the U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors in United States v. Skrmetti.

Hormone treatments like puberty blockers were initially approved for use by minors by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1993, to treat a condition called ‘precocious puberty’. The condition is defined by the early development of secondary sex characteristics in children.

Puberty blockers are also used to manage conditions such as endometriosis, hormone-sensitive cancers,

Borysewicz said the church currently has 30 voting members; of those 23 were present, with 22 of them voting to select him and one person online abstaining.

A news release stated that Borysewicz was ordained by the MCC denomination at MCC-SF in 2015. He then served on the San Francisco Night Ministry staff for six years and subsequently also held hospice chaplaincy positions in the East Bay before coming to MCC-SF in 2024.

Born into a military family, Borysewicz spent his high school years outside of Utica, New York. He then followed in his father’s footsteps to do military service as an aviation electrician’s mate in the U.S. Navy from 1979-1983.

After the Navy, Borysewicz worked in various fields, from sales then nearly a decade in tech to mental health and finally in HIV prevention. In 2004, he began to attend Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona as a non-traditional student. He transferred to the University of Arizona in 2007, receiving his under-

Each participant goes home with a finished artwork that day, either a geometric pride-inspired piece or a vulva shaped one that Mayo calls a “pussy stained glass.”

A former visual merchandizer, Mayo also offers their keen eye to assist other sellers at markets to give their displays a glow up.

“I can consult with other vendors on their booths,” they noted.

To learn more about their Stained Glass Mommy services and artworks for sale online, visit https://www. stainedglassmommy.com/ t

“This is something I’m going to say I’m still learning about, and where I’ve been getting a lot of my information or becoming aware of the issue more is from parents of transgender children who are in high school and college,” she said. Yee then said in the interview that there are ways transgender athletes could be integrated into school sports, “like developing a separate league,” but she stressed that she would never want to “discourage their participation in athletics.”

Watts’ interviews took place before Swalwell entered the race. In Congress, he was listed as not voting on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025. (The anti-trans measure passed.)

“Like other health systems locally and across the country, we are working to ensure compliance with recent federal actions and other developments affecting the provision of gender-affirming care only for patients under 19. We remain committed to approaching this with compassion, physician guidance, and compliance with applicable requirements,” a spokesperson for Sutter Health wrote on Monday.

Johnson said that some impacted families were able to meet with Sutter Health officials following the coalition’s letter and subsequent protest. He told the B.A.R. that previously canceled appointments had been reinstated. Whether or not Sutter Health will progress with their self-imposed deadline of December 10, “we’ll just have to wait and see,” Johnson said. t

graduate degree there in anthropology with a focus on religion and queer studies in 2009.

Eventually, Borysewicz found his way to San Francisco and from there to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, where in 2013, he earned his master’s of divinity and a certificate in sexuality and religion. He is now working on his doctorate degree.

As a queer cisgender pastor of European descent, Borysewicz believes it is essential for a church to meet people where they are, especially those living in the margins, and to stand up for injustices that affect the marginalized and oppressed.

Borysewicz leads worship services Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. at MCC-SF, which is located in the St. Mary’s Chapel of Trinity-St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 1620 Gough Street.

For more information, go to mccsf. org. t

Holiday Market.

The online news site LGBTQ Nation reported that Swalwell is staunchly opposed to banning trans student-athletes from school sports.

Democrat Tom Steyer is another recent entrant in the governor’s race. He says that he supports the current state law, LGBTQ Nation noted. Overall, there is room for improvement in the Democratic field. We’ll be watching to see what develops in the new year. However, amid the bleak federal landscape for transgender people, those who want to lead the largest state in the country, and the world’s fourth largest economy, need to come up with clear policies that respect trans people, including student-athletes. t

The Reverend Dr. Kelly Colwell of the First Congregational Church UCC in Berkeley and her child, Andie, hold a banner on the steps of the Sutter Healthcare building in Emeryville during a December 8 protest.

Eliot Faine

The Reverend Daniel Borysewicz

Courtesy the subject

Hal Mayo hangs an ornament at last year’s Kinky

Courtesy SF Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District

by Jim Gladstone

If you’re looking for some unusual choices for quick, last-minute gift-giving this holiday season, step into our parlor for theater, events, puzzles, food, travel kits, cookbooks and more.

Stephen season

As this publication’s theater critic, I’m always inclined to recommend the gift of tickets, even when the season’s fare leans toward Dickens and dreck. This year it’s a no-brainer, with stellar versions of two popular Stephen Sondheim musi-

Good gifts

cals on local stages.

Shotgun Players’ “Sunday in the Park with George” and San Francisco Playhouse’s “Into the Woods” offer excellent performances gift-wrapped in lavish costumes and sets. Both shows run well into January (Read our review in last week’s issue). sfplayhouse.org / shotgunplayers.org

Further transforming Yuletide 2025 into the Sondheim High Holidays is the filmed version of last year’s phoenix-like “Merrily We Roll Along” revival (The show and two of its stars, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe, won Tony awards).

But if you want to give tickets, your recipient

will have to unwrap early. The Pro-shot’s brief theatrical engagement has its curtain call on Dec. 18. Industry sources suggest that it will be available for on-demand home viewing sometime in January and begin streaming on Netflix in April.

Theater geeks can still enjoy a “Merrily” Christmas at home though: Treat your favorite drama queen to a cozy night’s screening of “The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened,” a fascinating documentary about the show’s bellyflop Broadway debut in 1981, readily available on demand. bestworstthingmovie.com

Make it a double feature with Richard Linklater’s bittersweet “Blue Moon,” a character study of theater composer Lorenz Hart, played by Ethan Hawke in a transformative, Oscar-worthy performance. A 12-year-old Sondheim, played with supercilious snottiness by Cillian Sullivan, makes a memorable cameo appearance (Read our review on www.ebar.com.) justwatch.com/us/movie/blue-moon-2025

these sure-to-please gifts. artfeltpuzzles.com

Food, glorious gifts

“I came out of the womb flamboyant,” writes Nashville chef Arnold Myint (pronounced “mint”) in the introduction to “Family Thai,” his photopacked, eminently giftable cookbook, hailed as one of the year’s best by the New York Times.

If you want to accompany the experiential gift of a show on stage or screen with something to put under the tree, consider the nifty new book, “Matching Minds with Sondheim.” Author Barry Joseph’s deep dive into the composer’s side gig as the creator of devilishly complex word games and puzzles sheds light on Sondheim’s approach to writing lyrics and music. bloomsbury.com

Piece plan

“I’m looking for work that makes you feel something; joy, rebellion, connection, calm— sometimes all at once,” says Sarah Julian, discussing the images she chooses to feature on Artfelt, her line of 500- and 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles featuring works created exclusively by LGBTQ and BIPOC artists. Selected artists receive upfront licensing fees and royalties on each puzzle sold.

The first line of 10 includes Lindsey Cherek’s cheeky tablescape featuring oysters, flowers, and Plan B pills; a festive cartoon pride Parade by Bats Langley; and a riot of Matisseinfluenced tropical fruit by Roochita Chachra. Puzzle-building meets community-building in

by writer

Hot on the trail of “Boots” and a few other prominently gay TV series, HBO Max and Crave in Canada present “Heated Rivalry,” about closeted gay rival hockey players. Jacob Tierney’s show is based on Rachel Reid’s popular six-book romance series that blends sports with the classic ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Both the show and books explore the complex relationship between two opposing athletes who grow a secret romance alongside their onice competition dating back to 2008. Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), keep up the façade, while Ilya’s brother in Russia begs for money, and Shane’s mother obsesses about endorsement deals and being a representative (he’s half-Asian).

Their initial flirtations only occur once every few months when they’re competing over the course of a few years. But after a steamy shower moment of longing glances, Shane finally invites Ilya to his hotel room. In the first of a few extended love scenes, the dialogue continues, and the story develops, giving viewers more than the usual voyeuristic thrills. Shane’s first gay sex encounter is underwhelming, and Ilya’s flirtations continue to distract him.

Having risen to pro-level teams (Montreal and Boston), Shane and Ilya must deal with professional obligations, fear of coming out in the public eye, and their own complicated feelings for each other in a loose long-distance relationship. Ilya also has a girlfriend, Svetlana, who makes in ill-timed surprise appearance.

Episode two starts with a two-year montage of sexy texts back and forth, but no connection until 2013, where the couple goes ‘all the way’ in

Shane’s newly-purchased apartment. At the Sochi Olympics the next year, Ilya, despondent over his Russian team’s loss, rejects Shane’s greeting and, later back home in Moscow, the advances of his gay coke-snorting pal Sasha.

A former professional figure skater and sometime drag queen, Myint blends tradition and self-expression in colorful cuisine that draws on dishes his mother began serving 50 years ago at their family’s restaurant, International Market, and embellishes them with his own contemporary flair. In addition to well-written, easyto-follow recipes, the book features an excellent guide to pantry staples of the Thai kitchen. arnoldmyint.com

Saluting the great Jewish tradition of Chinese food on Christmas is a collaborative pastry drop from Loquat, a Jewish bakery and Mamahuhu, the fast-casual Chinese mini-chain from the fortuitously named chef Brandon Jew. Only available through Christmas, their surprisingly rich Red Bean and Sesame Babka adds a sweet Cantonese accent to the traditional Polish-Ukranian coffee cake. Try a slice. Then try not to eat a whole loaf. You’ll never give fruitcake again. loquatsf.com / mamahuhu.com

The visionary sweets dancing through my mind this year aren’t sugarplums, they’re hauntingly delicious caramels from the Wildwood confectionary in Portland. Founder Steven Lawrence infuses his individually wrapped candies with unexpected botanicals, including rosemary, fennel pollen, cardamom, and smoked chile. The result is a surprising, sophisticated post-prandial treat, ideal for pairing with hot toddies by the fire. Miniature five-piece boxes make perfect gourmet stocking stuffers. wildwoodchocolate.comt

Read the full article on www.ebar.com.

Shane and Ilya reconnect at another sports awards show in Las Vegas, with a tantalizing brief sex scene in a fancy hotel room. But Ilya turns remote, leaving Shane to afterward nearly send a sad text,” We didn’t even kiss.”

Add banana

While the first two episodes focus on Shane and Ilya, the series takes an interesting turn in episode three with another storyline, that of Scott Hunter (François Arnaut), introduced in episode 1. Also a closeted hockey player, now with a fictional New York team, Scott falls for a handsome barista Kit (Robbie G.K.) and his blueberry-banana smoothies.

Again, while the love scenes enchant viewers, they serve dramatic purposes as well, along with serving the hunky good looks of the actors.

But the pressures of the closet take hold once again, though, and Scott and Kip’s joy is shortlived, including one scene of Scott having a panic attack after being presumed part of a gay couple. Kip’s life is out and hampered by Scott’s closeted life. It seems they may be doomed as a couple.

But according to some readers of the books, there may be a reunion for these two characters later on. Can we expect more seasons? The show is currently among the top five viewed shows on both networks, disproving the theory that gay male stories don’t sell. Tierney actually contacted author Reid as recently as 2023, when they soon struck a deal to adapt her book series.

Since the series aired, the Internet has pretty much exploded with fan-based and publicitycreated memes, animated gifs and more. Interviews with the main actors, who have become close pals, include discussions of their workout sessions to develop “hockey butt.”

Print copies of Reid’s six-part books are almost impossible to find online or in bookstores. But e-books are available, and hopefully new print editions will be released soon for those who want to get a jump on the characters’ lives. Meanwhile, the series’ first season continues through Christmas.t

www.hbomax.com

www.rachelreidwrites.com

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in ‘Heated Rivalry’

Gay hockey dramedy melts the ice with dual romances

HBO/Crave

We’re giving alternative holiday present ideas

Loquat SF’s babka

ArtFelt puzzles

Wildwood’s caramels

François Arnaut and Robbie G.K. in ‘Heated Rivalry’ HBO/Crave

The Christmas magic of ‘100 Nights of Hero’

by Laura Moreno

Acandlelit fairytale for the holiday season, “100 Nights of Hero” unfolds as if brought to life from the sepia-colored pages of an antique storybook. Set in a fantastical medieval world, the film reimagines “1001 Arabian Nights” through feminist and queer perspectives, weaving together historical fantasy, romance, and allegory with moral clarity.

Adapted from Isabel Greenberg’s 2016 graphic novel, the beautifullymade film had a modest budget of $5.3 million. And yet everything about the film, from its dreamy soundtrack to its period costumes and unforgettable plot, is tailor-made for the Christmas season. The vision blends nostalgia with a distinctly modern sensibility.

The plot centers around Cherry, a youthful lady trapped in a loveless marriage who becomes the subject of

a secret wager. As periodically happens in history, her husband, the lord of the manor, is obliged to have an heir with his wife, but has no interest in women. He hatches a plan to go away for 100 nights, charging his goodlooking friend Manfred to succeed in seducing Cherry.

What her husband does not know is that Cherry and her maid Hero are in love. Hero devises a plan to protect Cherry by captivating Manfred’s attention by spinning a fantastical new tale each night, artfully weaving incredible tales and allegories with a distinctly feminist flair. Each night that she succeeds in distracting Manfred’s attention is another night Hero has protected Cherry.

“Anytime you feel like you need rescuing, I’ll tell a story,” Hero confides in her lady.

One of Hero’s most memorable stories is about the Moon falling hopelessly in love with a man. The Moon descends from the sky to be with her beloved, but their union is doomed from the start, not unlike Cherry and Hero’s own forbidden romance.

This nightly ritual, performed by the fire on cozy snow-dusted evenings, is reminiscent of the Advent calendar, which anticipates Christmas nightly with 24 tiny doors opened one by one from November 30 to Christmas Eve. Each door reveals a small gift in the form of a poem, picture, a scripture, or a treat.

So too do Hero’s stories unveil new layers of wonder in the countdown to Christmas.

The power of imagination

Using an interesting stories-within-the-story nested structure, Hero’s storytelling in the tradition of Scheherazade in “1001 Arabian Nights” is central to the film’s narrative.

Equally compelling is the feminist glint of Hero’s fairy tales that update

this medieval-esque tale. Traditional fairy tales often contain passive cardboard-cutout female characters, but “100 Nights of Hero” subverts these conventions, indeed making women the heroines and authors of their own fate, even if covertly. The act of storytelling itself then becomes a kind of supernatural spellbinding defense.

The ancient act of telling stories remains one of humanity’s most enduring forms of resistance, survival and celebration. It emerges that Hero has honed this skill by belonging to a clandestine sisterhood known as the League of Secret Storytellers, whose magic lies in the profound and transformative power of words. They reshape destinies as the keepers of forbidden or more likely forgotten tales.

A major takeaway of the film is that imagination, the power of the narrative itself, can reshape reality and protect the vulnerable, a concept borne out by the film’s ending.

The film boasts a striking cast.

Emma Corrin is the resourceful maid

Hero, Maika Monroe plays the beleaguered Cherry, and Nicholas Galitzine plays the wily guest Manfred, while Amir El-Masry is the mostly-absent husband Jerome. Felicity Jones lends her ethereal voice as both the narrator and plays the personification of the Moon, adding a layer of mythic depth to the world of the story.

Director Julia Jackman captured the spirit of the film perfectly, stating, “I loved its homage to 1001 Nights and its peculiar tone – a parallel universe period piece, a dark comedy with a kind of hopeful anger to it.”

“100 Nights of Hero” was produced by Erebus Pictures and Project Infinity, and distributed in the U.S. by IFC. Julia Jackman has created what no doubt will soon become a Christmas classic. Like any good fairytale, this 90-minute journey feels timeless, as if from a dream.t

‘100 Nights of Hero’ has limited screenings in select theaters. www.100nightsofhero.movie

‘Sallywood’ Indie film focuses on the late actress and LA life

by Gregg Shapiro

“Sort of” based on a chance Sally Kirkland encounter, “Sallywood” (FanForce/Buffalo 8), the featurelength debut by Xaque Gruber, feels like a vintage indie movie. Low budget, quirky, naïve, and unintentionally annoying.

Ever since Zack (Tyler Steelman), a virginal young man from Maine, was a boy and saw the movie “Anna” on VHS, he’s been obsessed with award-winning actor Sally Kirkland. So much so that he decides to leave home, where his very Catholic mother, Joann (Jennifer Tilly), still does his laundry, and his dad, Dave (the late Lenny Von Dohlen), looks after him in his own way.

He packs up his grandpa’s vintage car and drives to Hollywood. Once Zack arrives, he finds a Craigslist roommate named Tom (Tom Connolly), an aspiring filmmaker who supports himself by driving strippers “from party to party” at night.

In a “Hollywood” way, Zack meets Sally (Kirkland, playing herself) at a gallery opening where her paintings are on display. After pegging him as a Virgo, she offers him a job as her assistant, and his first assignment is to write her obituary, as a way to test both his familiarity with her career and his writing abilities. This, of course, takes on an added poignancy as Kirkland passed away at 84 on November 11, 2025.

Sally is in dire financial straits; “running on fumes,” as she puts it. Her paintings aren’t selling. She’s unable to find acting work. She can’t afford to pay for necessary repairs to her car. It all falls to Zack, who has only just arrived in Hollywood, to help Sally get her life back on track.

It doesn’t help that she’s a bit woowoo in her spiritual practices, not to mention that she doesn’t have the best reputation. Ex-lover George (Keith Carradine), a “major film director,” won’t hire her. George’s ex-wife, Kathryn (Kay Lenz), also a filmmaker, has a “Sally Kirkland” type in her new movie but won’t audition Sally. Clem (Eric Roberts), Sally’s longtime agent, whom she’s fired twice a month for 42 years, is also of no aid. Desperate for work, Sally agrees to be in Tom’s movie, playing the prison warden’s sexy aunt who saves the planet in “Outer Space Zombie Chicks in Prison,” along with strippers Bibi (Nikki Tuazon) and Poundcake (Angeline-Rose Troy). The results are disastrous for all involved, leading Zack to find work elsewhere, meeting with literary agent Venetia (Maria Conchita Alonzo) and then TV producer

Ned (the late Michael Lerner), where he lands a job.

The best parts of “Sallywood” involve the sweet intergenerational friendship between Zack and Sally. When Zack goes home to Maine for Christmas, he seems incomplete without her, and he asks Joann to call Sally and invite her, too. Playing Joann, Tilly illuminates and steals every holiday scene.

Kirkland, who received her first Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama category, for her performance in the 1987 movie “Anna,” after 25 years in Hollywood, clearly has a sense of humor about herself. Without that, “Sallywood” might have been Sally wouldn’t Rating: C+ t

www.fanforcetv.com

Emma Corrin, Felicity Jones and Maika Monroe in “100 Nights of Hero’

IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tyler Steelman and Sally Kirkland in ‘“Sallywood’

Alexandra Weiss/FanForce

t Books, Talks & Fundraisers >>

Luke Evans

by Cornelius Washington

There has been an avid longing in the LGBTQ art and entertainment community for a serious openly gay, masculine artist to be able to create memorable roles that appeals to mass audiences, all genders and sexual persuasions. Luke Evans has filled the bill on every level.

Born an only child in Pontypool, Wales and raised in Aberargoed, his mother noticed that as a child he was an extremely finicky eater. She asked, didn’t he want to be a big, strong, rugby player? His response was, “I want to be a ballet dancer.”

Cooking and baking became other passions, and his dad’s record collection inspired him, but the big hurdle was that his family was devout Jehovah Witnesses who very strict about censoring, well, everything.

Training days

As Luke attended school, he was taunted about not only his small frame and lack of interest in sports. He was also bullied because of his religious beliefs. He became obsessed with music as the New Romantics period in music and pop culture were ruling the charts.

His first meditation was when in a record store he discovered Roberta Flack’s

Gay actor’s memoir, ‘Boy from the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey’ shares his life’s journeys

Grammy-winning single, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” He quickly discovered musical theater and was cast in all kinds of roles in school, where he learned that he could seriously sing.

Bristling at his stifling religion as his budding sexual orientation was emerging, he left home, got a job, apartment and his first relationship in Cardiff, Wales. Unfortunately, the relationship was with his boss.

Yes, there was a scandal and they both had to find other employment.

But his lovers’ two friends sponsored him to get a scholarship at the prestigious London Studio Centre. This was the beginning of Evans refining his

technique in all forms of theater while he explored the thriving gay scene of London, all at 16 years old.

Evans blossomed in the school and when he graduated (His graduation performance was his beloved song by Roberta), he landed a gig as Billy in the original cast of the musical “Taboo,” the story of Boy George’s nightclubbing days.

Of course, George took Luke under his sequined wing. Luke was of course quite a hit and was soon being cast in all kinds of roles one drama he was cast in tested his mettle and garnered him serious attention and a very serious agent.

Angels, Cockettes & more

by Jim Provenzano

You may know about The Cockettes from the David Weissman & Bill Weber film, or from other historical records. You may have also enjoyed some of their revived Thrillpeddlers shows at the now much-sorely missed Hypnodrome. The performers whose heyday peaked in the early 1970s, were known for their festive costumes, sometimes drug-addled performances, and general queerness in abundance.

Next week, Tahara, one of the original Cockettes and Angels of Light (a similar spinoff performance group), will share personal stories about the early gay revolution days in the 1960s and ’70s in Berkeley and San Francisco.

In conversation with August Bernadicou of the New York City-based

LGBTQ History Project, Tahara will discuss the ways that artistic rebellion and fearless identity connected on

Joan Jett Blakk

by Jim Provenzano

Friends of former drag activist Joan Jett Blakk have added a new enticement to the ongoing appeal support; boldly designed T-shirts.

As previously reported in the Bay Area Reporter, Blakk, the drag persona of Terence Alan Smith, 67, lives in San Francisco, and suffered a stroke in 2024. Smith had been hospitalized and is now in residential care.

Kokoe Johnson, president of Comfort and Joy, the queer community and arts collective, told the B.A.R. that Smith had been hospitalized since he “passed out at a bus stop in Alameda County” on April 25, 2024. Johnson said that Smith has been since hospitalized in Oakland.

Now, Johnson is coordinating Smith’s ongoing rehabilitation care. The two met in Chicago, where Smith moved from Detroit 38 years ago. It was in Chicago that Smith began his political and drag career, running as Joan Jett Blakk against then-mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991.

The following year, Blakk ran for president under the Queer Nation Party as a write-in candidate who, with a videographer, crashed the

stage and in the streets to transform society and instigate a movement that forever changed culture.

“One month after Stonewall, I and a group of radical students and gay men at the University of California, Berkley came together,” Tahara said in an interview with Bernadicou, one of many on the Project’s website. “It was the peak of the 1960s: women’s lib, Black liberation, gay liberation, and the Vietnam War. Protests were going on. We decided to start a theater troupe called Gay Liberation Theater.

“I had seen Hibiscus, who would later found the Cockettes, in the streets dressed in costumes and dancing and singing. He never spoke. He just danced and sang. His robes and feathers inspired me, and I started making my own costumes. I had not officially met him yet, but I started moving in that direction, wearing

Friends of Terence Smith, a.k.a. Joan Jett Blakk, add T-shirts to fundraiser

Democratic National Convention. A 2021 Los Angeles Times short film, “Beauty President,” shows Blakk on the floor of the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York City. James Wagner, another friend of Smith’s, said in the 2024 article, “Joan is a legend and she was before ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ She was out there as a Black, queer drag queen leading.” Blakk’s candidacies are credited with drawing attention to LGBTQ issues, particularly the AIDS epidemic.

To add an incentive to potential donors, Smith’s friends have added a T-shirt for sale, with proceeds go-

Character-building

Now armed with the lithe physical allure of John Baryymore and the vocal charisma of fellow Welshman Richard Burton, Evans became the young, exciting male character actor who played Apollo in the remake of “Clash of the Titans” in one year and Zeus the next year in the movie “Immortals.”

Luke learned the nuanced techniques of cinema from the best, most notably Liam Neeson and director/ visualist Tarsem with costumes that displayed his lanky frame by Oscar winning-designer Eiko Ishioka.

America took notice and soon he was playing several plum roles in huge blockbuster movie franchises (“Fast and the Furious”), major television series (the BBC series hit “The Party”) and respected theater plays where the critics and crowds embraced him (“Miss Saigon”). He is still fondly remembered for playing Gaston in the Disney live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Out with it

Evans was basically outed by an old interview he did during his “Taboo” run, but by this time he was a proven commodity and audiences of all ages love him and he continues to enjoy an amazing career in all forms of entertainment.

The book is a great exploration of an openly gay artist who kept his head down, learned his craft and did the work to great success and acclaim. In his memoir, he doesn’t shy away from revealing his personal life and relationships, from his first threeway sex experience with two adults in London while he was underage to his briefly dating supermodel Jon Kortajarena.

Evans poignantly talks about his great loving relationship with his parents after his being excommunicated from the Jehovah Witnesses, and his surreal experiences with celebrities.

Having matured into quite a man and is doing well with his partner Fran Tomas, promoting his own underwear line and for the past several years burning up international men’s lifestyle magazines in very sensual editorial spreads and interviews.

Evans released an album that includes with his breathtaking version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and he is a passionate spokesperson against bullying and supporting HIV/ AIDS nonprofits. He continues to give the planet every reason to be mad about the boy from the valleys.t

‘Boy from the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey,’ by Luke Evans. Hardcover $29, paperback $19, also Kindle and audiobook www.penguin.com

ing directly to Smith’s medical and rehabilitation needs. The T-shirts, designed by Willie Norris Workshop, feature the famous Marc Geller photo of Smith as Joan Jett Blakk sitting in a rattan chair, posed in homage to Black Panthers cofounder Huey P. Newton. The phrase on the back of the T-shirt reads, “A vote for Joan Jett Blakk is a vote for total anarchy.” The GoFundMe has raised more than $21,000, still short of the $36,000 goal.t

www.gofundme.com/f/help-lgbtqpioneer-joan-jett-blakk-heal

costumes like him.”

The talk at QAF promises more stories.t

‘The Gay Liberation Movement,”

Tahara in conversation with August Bernadicou, Dec. 14, 6pm, $10, Queer Arts Featured, 575 Castro St. RSVP: www.partiful.com/e/ sV1BoP5rUWqZAfyaIyM4 www.lgbtqhp.org

Luke Evans as Gaston in ’Beauty and the Beast’

Disney

Tahara in 1970 unknown

Tahara shares personal gay history at Queer Arts Featured talk

Valeria Moraga and Bertha Vanayshun model Joan Jett Blakk T-shirts

Deb Leal; styling: Harry James Hanson