San Francisco police arrested a man Tuesday after officers saw him vandalize the pink triangle atop Twin Peaks, the department stated via Facebook. The oversized LGBTQ symbol is erected each June in recognition of Pride Month and serves as a beacon of equality visible across the city and parts of the East Bay.
Lester Bamacajeronimo, 19, of San Francisco, was taken into custody, the San Francisco Police Department stated. The alleged incident occurred at about 12:29 p.m. June 17.
“Officers arrived on scene and observed a male subject actively defacing the pink triangle memorial art installation,” SFPD stated. “Officers pursued the male suspect on foot and detained him without further incident.”
Police seized as evidence vandalism tools, according to the statement.
“This vandalism is unacceptable in our city and the San Francisco Police Department condemns this act,” the statement read. “San Francisco’s pink triangle is a powerful symbol of our city’s commitment to supporting LGBT rights and commemorates the victims of the past. We stand united with our LGBT community this month and every month as we continue to fight for equality.”
Pink triangle co-founder Patrick Carney, a gay man, said that the damage is extensive; 26 of the panels will need to be replaced as they are covered in black paint.
“Since dismantling part of the pink triangle and then reconstructing it again is such a chore, plus I would have to go clear down to Fremont to get the extra tarps and get a rental truck to do that, I might just paint over it with the correct color,” Carney wrote. “Of course, that is a temporary fix since the paint will just flake off, so all those 26 tarps will have to be thrown away.”
The 30th edition of the pink triangle was installed during a ceremony Saturday, June 7. Carney started the annual display in 1996 to add some color to the Pride parade and to remember a dark chapter in world history.
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Roses recall Pulse victims
HPeople’s March returns amid renewed protest movement
by John Ferrannini
LGBTQs who want to make their voices heard in protest after last week’s national “No Kings” demonstrations and before the Pride parade have an opportunity June 22, as the annual People’s March makes its way down Polk Street. This is the sixth annual march, and has the full support of San Francisco Pride, unlike previous versions that took place the same day as the Pride festivities.
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US Supreme Court upholds gender-affirming care ban
by Lisa Keen
In a 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that states may ban gender-affirming treatment for minors, even when their parents want it for their child. The decision is a major setback for transgender rights, LGBTQ legal advocates said.
In U.S. v. Skrmetti, Roberts said the specific law in question – Senate Bill 1 from Tennessee – does not discriminate on the basis of sex because minors are prohibited from receiving gender dysphoria treatment “regardless of the minor’s sex.”
The majority said it rejected the plaintiffs’ argument that SB1 “enforces a government preference that people conform to expectations about their sex.”
“SB1 does not exclude any individual from medical treatments on the basis of transgender status,” the decision stated. “Rather, it removes one set of diagnoses –gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, and gender incongruence – from the range of treatable conditions.”
U.S. v. Skrmetti originated with one transgender girl and two transgender boys, whose parents filed suit after the Tennessee Legislature banned medical treatment for young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria. (Gender dysphoria is defined by the medical profession as clinically significant discomfort that one’s sexual identity is different than one’s
documented gender at birth.) A Memphis doctor, Susan Lacy, joined the lawsuit, which was successful at the district court. There, the judge ruled that the ban enables “disparate treatment on the basis of sex.”
But the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
Both the transgender youth and the U.S. government appealed to the Supreme Court. The court accepted the appeal but posed the question with language many might read as putting a thumb on the
scales of justice: Does “Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB l), which prohibits all medical treatments intended to allow ‘a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex’ or to treat ‘purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity’” violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
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The pink triangle atop Twin Peaks was vandalized Tuesday after black paint was spread across more than 25 of the tarps.
Patrick Carney
Alex U. Inn, left, and Juanita MORE! will lead the People’s March Sunday, June 22.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
oney Mahogany, right, a trans person who is executive director of the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives, handed a red rose to a person attending the annual vigil for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting that happened in Orlando Florida nine years ago. The June 12 memorial in San
Francisco started at Jane Warner Plaza in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood, then proceeded down to the community memorial space outside the Bank of America building, where the roses were placed. Fortynine people were killed and 53 people were injured during the June 12, 2016, incident.
by John Ferrannini
After an abrupt turnaround, the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees announced a second choice to lead the district June 13. The board has approved the hiring of Kimberlee S. Messina, Ph.D., but still must vote on her contract, according to a news release.
Messina, the president of Spokane Falls Community College in Washington state, was announced as the college district’s new leader, but her approval is pending contract negotiations and a final vote June 26.
The appointment of Messina, one of five finalists for the position, comes after the board announced Carlos O. Cortez, Ph.D., the queer and nonbinary former chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, for the role only before abruptly dropping his nomination without explanation when it came time to vote on the matter last month.
Because City College of San Francisco is the only school in the district, the chancellor is effectively the leader of the college, which, un -
like community colleges in districts with several schools, lacks its own president.
In the release, Anita Martinez, president of the City College Board of Trustees, stated that Messina will be a natural fit.
“We may or may not have the resources to address the specifics that come up,” she said. “We need to be as proactive as we can in being sustainable and ... we have to look at what resources we have and how we can change what we can change in order to do that.”
Messina said that in her home district, the state government gave climate mandates that schools had to meet.
lenges. The district has a budget of $300 million. While the board was able to approve a balanced budget and set aside a 5% reserve, it faced harsh criticism from students and faculty over the cuts it made to do so. And it is already bracing for more fiscal challenges as it works on its next budget and those in coming years.
“Messina’s personal and professional journey reflects a commitment to social justice, civic engagement, and expanding access to opportunity— values that deeply align with the mission of City College of San Francisco,” Martinez stated.
In accepting the role, Messina stated her priorities for the college.
“City College of San Francisco has a rich tradition of innovation and student success, grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion,” she stated. “I am honored to join the CCSF community and to work alongside students, faculty, staff, trustees, and the broader public to eliminate equity gaps, strengthen student pathways, and lead transformational change. I look forward to returning home to the Bay Area and co-creating a bold and inclusive vision for the future of City College.”
Earlier this year, Messina spoke at a forum when the candidates were being considered on March 11. As the B.A.R. reported, she said at that time that climate action and sustainability have to be addressed concurrently with other demands the college needs to face. The board adopted a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2035, which requires new buildings to be certified zerocarbon.
“You’ve got new construction, which is going to be much more environmentally sound than existing construction, and I will share that in Washington state, there was legislation, so it wasn’t the local board, but there’s legislation called the climate commitment act that requires all public buildings to meet certain benchmarks,” said Messina, “and if you don’t meet them there are penalties for that. ... We don’t get funded to replace boilers with environmentally sustainable HVAC systems. What happens if we’re not meeting those targets is our utility company has to buy climate credits and charge us.”
This led to some $40,000 in additional energy costs for Spokane Falls Community College, she said.
Messina, a first-generation college graduate, speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English. She began her college teaching career as a Spanish professor at Santa Rosa Junior College. Later, at the San Mateo County Community College District, “she developed and led programs designed to increase equity, inclusion, and student achievement across diverse populations,” according to the release.
Messina succeeds Mitchell Bailey, City College’s interim chancellor and first gay man to lead it. One of the five finalists seeking the position permanently, Bailey’s tenure ends June 30.
A district spokesperson didn’t return a request to speak with Messina June 13. Members of the board also didn’t return a request for comment about why Cortez was dropped from consideration after an announcement had been made, except for Alan Wong, who stated he declined to comment.
Fiscal concerns
Messina will inherit a college district that is experiencing fiscal chal-
In adopting its budget last year, the college district warned it could be facing a $171,494 deficit in the fiscal year that begins July 1. And it projected the deficit could balloon to nearly $8.5 million in fiscal year 2027-2028.
Further complicating matters is the school’s relationship with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, which accredits community colleges nationwide.
In 2013, the ACCJC decided to revoke City College’s accreditation – which allows credits to be recognized by employers and transferred to other institutions, and which also allows the college to be eligible for federal funds – subject to a one-year review and appeals period.
The ACCJC cited the college’s governance, finances and insufficient selfevaluation in its decision. Former city attorney Dennis Herrera filed legal challenges to stop the revocation, but before the legal challenges could be resolved, the ACCJC changed tact and renewed the college’s accreditation in 2015 for two years, despite continuing to hold the college was out of compliance. In 2017, accreditation was renewed for seven years.
In 2024, the ACCJC declined to renew accreditation immediately and charged the board of trustees with putting together a corrective plan, to be implemented by 2027.
The plan was submitted in January to the ACCJC and details how the board is addressing finances, complying with its bylaws and observing separation of powers between the chancellor and the board. Earlier this year, City College announced a refinancing of a portion of its remaining 2015 bonds without extending them, taking advantage of decreased interest rates. The interest rate reduction from 4.8 to 2.8% reduces San Franciscans’ tax bills by $6.3 million over the next six years. t
One Medical faces complaint over PrEP injectable
by John Ferrannini
Abisexual San Francisco man has filed a formal complaint with One Medical about being sent to its Castro office to receive Apretude, after being told it was not available at the company’s other locations. The matter raises concerns about the availability of injectable PrEP even as federal regulators approved another one Wednesday.
Robert Long, 59, told the Bay Area Reporter he filed his June 4 complaint after a May 30 meeting with his thenprimary care physician at One Medical, Dr. William Sellman. (One Medical was acquired by Amazon in 2023.)
Long said he wanted to take Apretude injections as PrEP, and that he was “trying to find places as early as at least March” to provide it, starting with his primary care physician.
“My primary wouldn’t even help me find a place,” he said. “I had to go out and call these places myself till I found a place.” PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, refers to the use of antiviral drugs to prevent people exposed to HIV from becoming infected. The pill Truvada was first approved for PrEP use in 2012 by the federal Food and Drug Administration; since then the FDA has also approved the pill Descovy for some groups, and the drug Apretude as an injectable treatment. Apretude is injected every two months after the initial doses. The FDA is expected to consider the twice-yearly lenacapavir injectable at its June 19 meeting.
Long found Apretude at One Medical’s Castro location at 2355 Market Street.
“They had given me a sample, and they wanted to schedule [future injections] closer,” to where he lives, he said.
After it turned out the One Medical office at 535 Mission Street near the Salesforce Transit Center couldn’t offer Apretude (Long lives downtown), Long had the May 30 meeting with Sellman, he said.
“I got his diatribe before I started with
my question,” Long recalled. “That’s when I got told to go back to Castro. That was B.S. Even Castro had offered him that medication. There was no reason he couldn’t do it.”
Long claims Sellman told him One Medical had not rolled out Apretude.
“Dr. Sellman falsely claimed that One Medical had not rolled out Apretude treatment – a statement proven to be categorically false by a provider at One Medical’s Castro location, who confirmed their regular administration of the medication,”
Long wrote in his June 4 complaint. “Dr. Sellman’s statement was not only factually inaccurate but appears intentionally misleading, serving as a pretext to deny care.”
Long said that he “felt abandoned” and reached out to Magnet, the sexual health clinic at Strut, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s health center in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood, only to be told it was full and not accepting new patients.
Asked if Magnet was at capacity,
Stephanie Rivera, the associate vice president of clinic administration at the AIDS foundation, told the B.A.R. this week that is no longer the case and the clinic can now see new patients.
“We previously had to put a limit on the number of clients served with injectable PrEP due to the administrative burden on our benefits navigation team,” Rivera stated June 17. “We have recently been able to increase our capacity and
lift this enrollment cap by increasing our clinical staffing, streamlining administrative workloads, and with added capacity from our pharmacist.
“We do have capacity to enroll clients onto injectable PrEP, and this capacity will only increase when SFAF’s pharmacy opens later this summer,” Rivera added.
The pharmacy is set to open at Strut, which is located at 470 Castro Street.
“Clients interested in using injectable PrEP may discuss this option with clinical providers at SFAF’s Magnet clinic,” Rivera stated.
Asked if the Magnet clinic’s HIV prevention services, and not just its capacity to provide injectable PrEP, were at capacity, AIDS foundation spokesperson Emily Landon on Tuesday stated, “We are currently at full staffing capacity so are fully open to new and existing clients. And we can see clients on a same-day basis.”
Long did end up going back to One Medical in the Castro to get Apretude but claimed in his complaint that the limited number of locations where it is available “raises serious questions about institutional discrimination and whether your policies and practices comply with city, state, and federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Long said Sellman called to apologize.
“His apology was not sincere, but I was willing to drop it,” Long said, referring to the phone call. He did not drop his complaint.
The B.A.R. reached out to One Medical for a statement from Sellman and from the company. A spokesperson stated that the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, prohibits them from discussing patient information, and so they could not comment on Long’s specific case.
The spokesperson continued that Apretude injections can be prescribed and stored at several One Medical offices in the Bay Area including its Castro, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, Transbay, Spear Street, Two Embarcadero and Four Embarcadero offices in San Francisco, as well
as at Evergreen Park of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and North First Street and The Alameda in San Jose.
The spokesperson continued that all One Medical primary care providers have been educated on the clinical requirements and guidelines for prescribing Apretude, and that it’s not widely available in most primary care settings because it needs to be directly ordered for the specific patient in question. The offices with the highest demand, the spokesperson stated, have been equipped with the proper storage and procedural knowledge.
For a patient to be a candidate for Apretude with One Medical, six to seven visits a year are required for injectables and HIV tests, the spokesperson continued.
“One Medical is proud to be a leading provider of PrEP in the Bay Area and nationally,” the spokesperson stated. “Our primary care providers are educated on safely providing HIV prevention medications based on each patient’s unique needs. We offer oral PrEP in all of our Bay Area offices, and patients can receive rapid HIV testing and Apretude injections, as clinically appropriate, at over 10 One Medical offices across the Bay Area. We understand that the complexities involved with accessing injectable PrEP can be frustrating, and are continually striving to increase convenient and safe access to more people.”
The spokesperson added that One Medical is looking forward to the FDA approval of lenacapavir.
SFAF partnership
Relatedly, Dr. Nasser Mohamed, a gay man, is working with the AIDS foundation to increase access to HIV preventative care in the LGBTQ community. His clinic, Osra Medical, has already started providing free telehealth visits for commercially insured patients with PPO plans seeking to take PrEP orally.
“We’re trying to expand access to more people that need access to HIV preventa-
tive services,” Mohamed told the B.A.R. Osra’s partnership with the nonprofit service provider allows it to take on more PrEP cases, both for the oral and injectable forms of the medication.
“The oral PrEP set up can be done with no cost sharing to the patient now, but we do need to bill for injection visits for long-acting injectables now to cover admin fees (that patients with PPO plans can get reimbursed for by their plans),” Mohamed stated. “This is new territory so we are navigating if we can make the math work eventually to have it done at no cost sharing.”
Mohamed stressed the logistical difficulties companies face in providing injectable PrEP.
“A lot of insurance plans pick one specific pharmacy they want to work with,” he said, because “ordering, storing, and dealing with the medication” is more difficult than for oral PrEP. Further, a navigator to remind people to return for HIV tests and appointments for injections is something companies would have to pay for themselves, he said.
Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., a gay Black man living with HIV who is the CEO of the AIDS foundation, said he is proud to be working with Mohamed on HIV prevention access.
“We are delighted to be able to partner with Dr. Nasser Mohamed to increase the availability of PrEP and other sexual health services in the Bay Area,” TerMeer stated. “As a gay man of color, Dr. Mohamed is very knowledgeable about the priorities and needs of SFAF’s communities and the clients we serve – he delivers individualized care with compassion and without judgment. People interested in PrEP who may not be able to visit our inperson clinic at Magnet can now access PrEP with video visits made possible by Osra Medical and Dr. Mohamed.”
For more information, go to osramedical.com/sfaf t
A complaint was filed with One Medical over the availability of injectable PrEP at some of its locations.
John Ferrannini
Judge blocks defunding of nonprofits, for
by John Ferrannini
Afederal court judge has granted a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the Trump administration from defunding nine LGBTQ and HIV organizations. The groups are plaintiffs in an ongoing case against the president’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies; equity-related grants; and gender identity.
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar didn’t seem impressed by the Justice Department’s arguments at a hearing in Oakland last month as it pressed for the legality of the three orders that led to the legal fight over the LGBTQ service providers’ federal funding.
Tigar issued his preliminary injunction in San Francisco AIDS Foundation v. Trump Monday, June 9.
As the case proceeds, the Trump administration can’t use the orders as a pretext to defund SFAF, as well as the San Francisco Community Health Center; the GLBT Historical Society; the Los Angeles LGBT Center; Baltimore Safe Haven; FORGE Wisconsin; the Bradbury-Sullivan Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania; the New York City LGBT Community Center; and Prisma Community Care in Phoenix.
“While the Executive requires some degree of freedom to implement its political agenda, it is still bound by the Constitution,” Tigar stated in his decision.
“Even in the context of federal subsidies, it cannot weaponize Congressionally appropriated funds to single out protected communities for disfavored treatment or suppress ideas that it does not like or has deemed dangerous,” Tigar wrote. “Absent injunctive relief, Plaintiffs face the imminent loss of federal funding critical to their ability to provide lifesaving healthcare
and support services to marginalized LGBTQ populations. This loss not only threatens the survival of critical programs but also forces Plaintiffs to choose between their constitutional rights and their continued existence.”
Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., a gay Black man living with HIV who is the CEO of SFAF, celebrated the ruling.
“We are relieved – but make no mistake, we are also resolute,” TerMeer stated. “Today’s decision to block these dangerous, anti-LGBTQ+ orders is a critical step in protecting not just our organization, but the communities we exist to serve. These policies threatened to erase access to lifesaving HIV and health services for transgender, nonbinary, and queer people across the country. That isn’t just bad policy –
it’s cruel, and it’s inhumane. The court’s action gives us the fuel to keep fighting. And we will – because our communities deserve nothing less than dignity, equity, and the right to thrive.”
Specifically, the suit challenges executive order No. 14168, which states that, “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” and defines sex as “an individual’s immutable biological classification” and not a synonym for gender identity. This order on gender identity also prohibits federal contractors and grantees from recognizing and respecting their identities or advocating for their civil rights. The lawsuit also challenges executive orders Nos. 14151 and 14173, which terminate equity-related grants and pro-
Service Changes Start on June 21
5
hibit federal contractors and grantees from employing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles in their work.
The lawsuit came after federal agencies sent notices terminating federal funding to organizations serving transgender people and to entities whose work could be described as “equity-related” because they devote resources to underserved communities, address health disparities, or work to overcome systemic racism, sexism, or anti-LGBTQ bias. Some already have experienced temporary difficulties accessing their federal funds.
“(T)hese three funding provisions reflect an effort to censor constitutionally protected speech and services promoting DEI and recognizing the
existence of transgender individuals,” Tigar stated in his decision. “These provisions seek to strip funding from programs that serve historically disenfranchised populations in direct contravention of several statutes under which Plaintiffs receive funding.”
The plaintiffs are being represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“This is a critical win – not only for the nine organizations we represent, but for LGBTQ communities and people living with HIV across the country,” Jose Abrigo, Lambda Legal’s HIV project director and senior counsel on the case, stated in a news release. “The court blocked anti-equity and anti-LGBTQ executive orders that seek to erase transgender people from public life, dismantle DEI efforts, and silence nonprofits delivering life-saving services. Today’s ruling acknowledges the immense harm these policies inflict on these organizations and the people they serve and stops Trump’s orders in their tracks.”
Roberto Ordeñana, a gay man who is executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, stated, “Today’s decision is a crucial milestone in our challenge to these dangerous executive orders, which have targeted transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people throughout our community.”
“This critical ruling acknowledges that these policies are not only harmful, but affirms the central issue at the heart of this case: our community’s right to exist,” he continued. “We are relieved by this ruling, gratified that the court has found serious merit in our challenge, and remain determined to see this case through. There is no LGB without the T – and we will not allow anyone in our community to be silenced, erased, or forgotten.”
The community health center didn’t return a request for comment by press time. t
Police probe Castro bakery burglary
by John Ferrannini
Abeloved Castro neighborhood bakery was broken into and burglarized over the weekend using “an explosive on the window,” according to a Facebook post from the business June 14.
It’s not the first time Le Marais Bakery has been broken into. A 2022 KPIX-TV report stated that an incident in December of that year was the sixth time for the French restaurant at 498 Sanchez Street on the corner with 18th Street.
San Francisco Police Department Public Information Officer Paulina Henderson stated to the Bay Area Reporter on June 16 that officers responded to the business at 7 a.m. June 14.
“Officers arrived on scene and contacted an employee of the business who advised that a window was damaged, and property was stolen,” Henderson stated. “No arrests have been made at this time.”
Letters >>
Turn Alcatraz into gay sex club
I hope all the gay constituencies in your region will articulate other potential redevelopment designs for Alcatraz Island, the former prison that is now a popular tourist attraction. As I recall, our president, who recently mused about turning it back into a federal prison, thinks quite a bit about money and profitability. Pro-
The business itself provided more context in a Facebook post later that day.
“Our Castro location was broken into and robbed again last night, and all our tablets, registers, safe, cash from the days before, once again stolen,” the post stated. “It seems they put an explosive on the window. Sometimes it’s really not easy being a family business in San Francisco.”
The post urged patrons to make a visit nonetheless.
“On a brighter side, our cafe is all dressed up for Pride celebrations. Please come by and try our Pride Crêpe with fruits of the season, housemade strawberry jam, lemon zest and topped with ice cream. It’s so delicious, and all proceeds will be donated to [the San Francisco LGBT Community Center].”
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posals should be subjected to a cost/ benefit analysis for each design alternative, including, I would propose, the redevelopment of Alcatraz as a huge gay sex club, served by sunset cruises on prison boats serving authentic prison cuisine, and topped by a gigantic, penile-insecure electric sign blaring “TRUMP.”
Ani Rivera snapped a selfie with the plaintiffs and lawyers outside the Oakland Federal Courthouse following a May 22 court hearing. From left, Kati Duffy; Jose Abrigo; Jennifer Pizer; Pelacanos, who uses one name; Roberto Ordeñana; Lance Toma; Camilla B. Taylor; Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D.; Omar GonzalezPagan; and Kevin Jennings.
Rick Gerharter
Bill Rogers Santa Fe, New Mexico
Additional CA LGBTQ bills move on State
by Matthew S. Bajko
Abill addressing LGBTQ teen suicide prevention that Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to sign into law was among the final batch of LGBTQ-focused legislation moving on this Legislative session. Bills addressing access to HIV prevention medicines and the legal process to change one’s name and gender also survived their latest legislative hurdles.
State legislators had to meet a June 6 deadline to pass bills out of their chamber of origin in the Legislature. Of the 20 bills of importance to the LGBTQ community that the Bay Area Reporter has been tracking this year, 18 are advancing and will be taken up for final passage by the Assembly or Senate later this summer.
They have until September 12 to send bills to the governor to either sign into law or veto. Newsom, a Democrat who has a track record of vetoing bills that come with a large price tag, announced last month that he will enact Assembly Bill 727 requiring the Trevor Project’s 24 hours per day, 7 days per week suicide hotline to be included on student identification cards. An analysis of the legislation found it would have “minor one-time” costs in the tens of thousands of dollars allocated from the state’s general fund for public schools, community colleges and the University of California and California State University campuses to implement.
Authored by gay Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) to address inflated rates of suicidal ideation in LGBTQ youth, schools in the state serving students in grades 7 to 12, as well as public colleges and universities, would need to update their ID cards for pupils by July 1, 2026, should AB 727 become law. As the bill specifies, the telephone number used by the national LGBTQ youth-focused nonprofit is 1-866-4887386, while the text line can be accessed
<< Bakery burglary
From page 4
Asked to confirm the use of an explosive device, Henderson stated, “We have no further details to provide at this time.” The bakery’s owners didn’t return an interview request.
KRON-TV reported earlier this month that Patrick and Joanna Ascaso, who own the bakery, unexpectedly lost their lease at the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero for The Grand Creperie, which had
by texting START to 678-678.
The bill passed out of the Assembly on June 3 by a 59-13 vote. It now heads to committee hearings in the state Senate in the coming weeks.
Gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, noted in voting for AB 727 that “too many queer and transgender youth feel unsafe or unseen at school. This bill ensures crisis support like The Trevor Project is just a call or text away, right on their student ID. This change will save lives and affirm that they matter.”
Also moving on is González’s AB 554 dubbed the PrEPARE Act of 2025, the acronym standing for the Protecting Rights, Expanding Prevention, and Advancing Reimbursement for Equity. It would prevent health care plans and insurance companies from requiring prior authorization or step therapy for all antiretroviral drugs, including injectable medications, used for HIV/AIDS prevention. It also would require such drugs to be covered without cost shar-
opened in 2022. The news was “sudden,” the spouses said in a statement, and they “struggle[d] to understand how our space could be offered [to another tenant] when we had been given a new lease, when we transformed it into a beloved gathering spot with lines out the door.”
“This sudden decision is going to make things very difficult,” the statement, posted to Instagram, continued. “Artisanal bakeries have narrow margins, things must be kept in a balance to support our commissary, where we make everything from scratch, and all our employees. We
ing or utilization review for individuals with private insurance, seen as helping clinics and community-based providers who particularly serve people of color to receive full reimbursement for injectable PrEP medications from private insurance plans.
Medi-Cal managed care plans would be exempted from the provisions, while individual and small group health care service plan contracts or health insurance policies would have until January 1, 2027, to implement them. It passed out of the Assembly on June 3 by a 68-1 vote.
“Safeguards patient and provider choice – ensuring flexibility in selecting the most suitable PrEP medication, while also allowing small, local clinics to receive timely reimbursement for these drugs,” noted González in an Instagram post about his legislative package moving on.
Under AB 1084 introduced by gay Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood), the legal process to change one’s name to conform with their gender identity would be made easier
will be tremendously thankful for your support of our Le Marais locations and through delivery and catering. We love San Francisco, this city is our home, and we want to be able to continue to have our bakeries and cafés here.
Thank you so much, Mille mercis.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-5754444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. t
for both adults and minors. It would also speed up the process for issuing new identification documents or records like a marriage or birth certificate to those updating their sex and gender identifier.
No longer could someone file an objection to an adult petitioner’s change of name to conform to their gender identity and courts would have to enter an order granting the petition without a hearing within six weeks of the petition’s filing. The California Department of Public Health would also need to issue an amended birth certificate within six weeks if it includes a request to change gender under AB 1084.
It passed out of the Assembly June 4 on a 60-13 vote. Should it become law later this year then it would immediately take effect.
“Transgender and nonbinary people across the country are facing relentless attacks that are part of a coordinated effort to both make it more difficult for them to live safely and openly as their authentic selves and to erase transgender people from public life entirely,” Zbur has argued in support of the bill. “AB 1084 will help to ensure that transgender and nonbinary people do not experience unnecessary delays in obtaining accurate identification documents in California so that they can better protect themselves from growing legal threats to their safety and wellbeing and reduce their vulnerability to discrimination and harassment.”
Condoms in schools bill paused Lesbian state Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) continues to face hurdles in expanding youth access to condoms. The past two years Newsom vetoed bills she carried aiming to do so due to their high price tag, even after state lawmakers last year had allocated $5 million in funding over three years for providing free condoms to ninth through 12th graders in California public schools.
Menjivar came back this legislative session with a tweaked approach to the issue. Among the provisions of her Senate Bill 608 is a ban on public schools serving grades 7-12 from prohibiting school-based health centers from making internal and external condoms available and easily accessible to pupils at school-based health center sites. It would also restrict public school officials from prohibiting condom distribution in the context of educational and public health program initiatives, such as sex education, classes by community partners, peer health programs, campus health fairs, or distributed by schoolbased health staff.
Her bill would also grant authority to the California Department of Education for monitoring schools’ compliance with the California Healthy Youth Act. It took effect in 2016 and required that all comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and materials in grades K-12 be inclusive of LGBTQ students.
And SB 608 would also prohibit pharmacies and retailers from requiring customers to present identification for condom or non-prescription contraception purchases. It failed to make it out of the Senate Appropriations Committee last month, so Menjivar turned it into a two-year bill and has until January to see it move out of its house of origin and be taken up by the Assembly.
Also held in its chamber’s suspense file was AB 1186 authored by Assemblymember Darshana Patel, Ph.D., (D-San Diego) that aims to create the position of Chief Statistician of California within the Department of Finance’s Demographic Research Unit. While the bill was amended to delete reference to the state law requiring the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data, one of the duties for the person would be to standardize collection of demographic data across state agencies, including all state administrative and survey data. t
Assemblymember Mark González, left, saw his bill on adding The Trevor Project’s number to student ID cards pass, while state Senator Caroline Menjivar has paused her bill expanding youth access to condoms.
Courtesy the subjects
A window was boarded up at the Le Maris bakery in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood after the owners reported a burglary.
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Volume 55, Number 55
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Newsom’s formal Pride statement MIA
It’s the middle of June, and we have yet to see an official Pride Month proclamation from California Governor Gavin Newsom. While he did post “Happy Pride, California!” on his Instagram June 1, Newsom has, in the past, issued a formal proclamation for the LGBTQ community at the start of the month.
Then again, maybe the state’s queer community is better off without a gubernatorial salute. After all, the trans community is still smarting from Newsom throwing it under the bus earlier this year when he agreed with right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk that trans women and girls shouldn’t play on female sports teams.
Newsom made that pronouncement on the debut of his “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast.
Since then, the governor has apparently experienced some pushback. Fox News had a piece on its website that referenced the June 6 episode of Newsom’s podcast where he revealed that he’s lost friends because of his anti-trans comments. His guest this time? None other than Dr. Phil McGraw, another right-wing quack who embedded himself with Department of Homeland Security personnel during the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles that started that same day. You know, the raids that led President Donald Trump to federalize the National Guard over Newsom’s strenuous objections. Why on earth was Newsom giving more airtime to McGraw? He had blasted Trump over the National Guard issue and even filed a lawsuit, which saw a temporary victory of a couple of hours before a threejudge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the judge’s order until it could consider the matter. A three-judge panel heard arguments June 17.
“They’re done and, you know, I appreciate they felt hurt,” Newsom said of his now-former friends on his podcast. “They felt that point of view was, you know, somehow diminishing.”
predators.’”
Somehow diminishing? Oh, governor, you have no idea.
Evan Michael Minton, a trans man in Sacramento, put it succinctly in a Facebook post that he linked to the Fox News item. “Can anyone I know who has regular contact with our Governor please ask him to just quit talking about trans+ people?” Minton wrote, stressing that “trans+ people in sports is just not a sweeping issue, it’s a Republican-generated talking point. Like ‘welfare queens’ and ‘bathroom
Speaking of the ICE raids and use of federal troops, several prominent Democrats are praising Newsom for “finding his resistance voice” in standing up to Trump. “Even California Democrats who’ve been critical of Newsom in recent months have cheered his feisty rhetoric and his willingness to push back on the White House,” Politico reported. “‘We’ve been waiting to feel like the governor is standing up and fighting for California and every Californian, and he seems to be doing that,’ Lorena Gonzalez, head of the state Labor Federation, and a former state lawmaker, told the publication. Gonzalez might want to rethink that, given Newsom’s stance on trans people, it doesn’t appear to us that he’s “fighting for every Californian.” Newsom dared border czar Tom Homan to arrest him, and has used the conflict to generate plenty of buzz. As Politico rightly noted, this isn’t the first time Newsom has seized on a national issue.
We all remember when Newsom was San Francisco mayor in February 2004 and ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. That “Winter of Love” catapulted the marriage equality movement, even as some Democrats at the time didn’t agree with him. Now, of course, same-sex marriage is the law of the land, and even many Republicans support it as the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision nears on June 26.
But it’s too bad that Newsom doesn’t exhibit the same commitment and outspokenness for
the trans community, which is also under severe attack by the Trump administration for many reasons other than sports participation. The very health care that trans people need access to is slipping away as hospitals pause gender-affirming care. For example, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, after initially briefly pausing new admissions to its gender program, announced last week that it was closing its Center for Transyouth Health and Development effective July 22.
“Center team members were heartbroken to learn of the decision from hospital leaders, who emphasized that it was not made lightly, but followed a thorough legal and financial assessment of the increasingly severe impacts of recent administrative actions and proposed policies,” the hospital stated on its website. The program had been in operation for more than 30 years, so this is a real gut-punch to trans kids and their families.
As of Wednesday morning, Newsom’s office had yet to send out any news release addressing the situation. A parent has launched a Change.org petition at https://tinyurl.com/yp7tctvw calling on Newsom and state legislators not only to provide emergency funding to keep the center open but also to “publicly affirm that California will defend access to gender-affirming care for youth—and stand by families who rely on it.”
All of this after Newsom signed gay state Senator Scott Wiener’s bill in 2022 that makes California a refuge for trans youth and their parents. He should speak out against CHLA’s decision. After all, when Newsom signed the bill, he wrote, “We believe that no one should be prosecuted or persecuted for getting the care they need – including gender-affirming care. Parents know what’s best for their kids, and they should be able to make decisions around the health of their children without fear. We must take a stand for parental choice.”
Parental choice goes both ways, of course. The term is now a talking point used by conservative school board members and others. But Newsom’s point three years ago was that parents of trans kids should have a choice too. That’s even more important in light of Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a huge setback for trans rights. It is illustrative of how the trans community has a real need for support – and for programs and policies that help them live their authentic lives. Right now, Newsom is failing on that front. t
Keep your joy this Pride
by Alex U. Inn
[Editor’s note: Alex U. Inn gave this sermon at the June 8 service of Metropolitan Community Church-San Francisco. They graciously shared it with us.]
What up people! Happy Pride! What a joy it is to gather here in this sacred space, of the Metropolitan Community Church, especially during this month that celebrates the vibrant tapestry of God’s beloved LGBTQQIA2S+ children. And I will only say that once.
Please look to the person on your right and say, “You make me joyful.” Now, look to the person on your left and say, “You make me joyful.” Yes! Joy! No one can take that away from you. NO ONE! Despite any of this nonsense that is happening to us because of this administration, please try to give, receive, and keep your JOY!
Thank you, Reverend Daniel [Borysewicz] and the MCC congregation for welcoming me into your beautiful divine home and having the honor of delivering the sermon today.
When Reverend Daniel asked me to deliver today’s sermon about the Black and Brown colors in the Progress flag and intersect with a scripture, Mark 7:24-30, the plight of the Syrophoenician Woman, was the perfect pairing. Because the story provides a theological framework for challenging exclusivity and embracing expansive grace.
For many years, the rainbow has been our iconic symbol of diversity, hope, and liberation. It speaks volumes without uttering a single word. But today, I want us to lean in a little closer, to look at the profoundly important evolution of our beloved flag: the Progress Pride flag.
they challenge us to embrace an even deeper and more expansive love – a love that truly mirrors God’s radical welcome.
This isn’t just about history; it’s about justice. And justice, when it comes from love, is a source of profound joy and spiritual growth for us all! These aren’t just decorative stripes. They represent people, histories, struggles, and triumphs that are absolutely foundational to our community’s movement, yet have often been overlooked or marginalized.
women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. They were on the front lines, literally throwing bricks, leading the charge. Their courage ignited a fire that has benefited all of us.
This stripe is a joyful affirmation: You are here. Your contributions are seen. Your voices matter. Your lives are sacred and celebrated within our community.
The black stripe carries a dual, powerful meaning. Historically, it has represented those lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and those living with HIV/AIDS today. This crisis disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities, often compounded by systemic racism and lack of access to care.
It’s a stripe of remembrance, of solidarity, of ongoing commitment to ending the stigma and the disease itself. It reminds us of immense grief, but also of incredible resilience, activism, and community care that emerged from that struggle.
More recently, the black stripe also stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s a powerful declaration that our liberation cannot be truly achieved if Black people, particularly Black trans people, are still facing systemic violence and injustice.
We must all say, so repeat after me, “I stand with you. My liberation is bound up with yours. We will not be free until all of us are free!”
Please remember, these stripes are part of an arrow, pointing forward. This is a visual reminder that while we celebrate progress, our work for full liberation isn’t over. We are called to continue progressing, especially for the most marginalized among us.
Notice the added chevron, the arrow pointing forward. And within that arrow, two striking colors: black and brown. Today, we’re going to explore what these colors mean, why they are so vital to our collective liberation, and how
The brown stripe stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) within our community. Think about that. Our movement, often portrayed as predominantly white, owes an immense debt to BIPOC individuals who were at the forefront of the fight.
When we talk about Stonewall, that pivotal moment of rebellion against oppression, we must speak the names of Black and Latinx trans
Now, let’s turn our hearts to a powerful story from Mark 7.
Jesus, seeking a quiet moment, enters Gentile territory, a place traditionally considered “outside” for Jewish people. A Syrophoenician woman, an outsider by every societal measure – a Gentile, a woman, non-Jewish, desperate for her daughter’s healing – approaches him.
Alex U. Inn held a Progress Pride flag as they delivered the June 8 sermon at Metropolitan Community Church-San Francisco.
Rick Gerharter
Governor Gavin Newsom
Screenshot via X
Trump admin ends LGBTQ youth suicide counselors
by Matthew S. Bajko
The Trump administration is ending specialized suicide counselors for youth struggling with their sexual orientation and gender identity as of July 17. The administration had already proposed cutting an estimated $50 million for the service in the next fiscal year budget that begins October 1.
Initially approved in 2020 during Republican President Donald Trump’s first term, the specially trained counselors since the fall of 2022 have handled calls made by LGBTQ youth to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Callers under the age of 25 to the phoneline can press 3 in order to be connected with an LGBTQ trained crisis counselor; they can also text the word PRIDE to 988.
The support is offered by the LGBTQ+ Youth Subnetwork of seven different agencies, with the Trevor Project handling nearly 50% of the calls and receiving half of the funds. Last year, the nonprofit fielded more than 231,000 crisis contacts, and trained and supported nearly 250 crisis counselors and operational support staff through the 988 Lifeline.
“Demand continues to grow pretty dramatically, so that need is out there,” said Mark Henson, the Trevor Project’s vice president of advocacy and government affairs.
Yet, late Tuesday, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced the counselors would no longer serve queer and trans youth as of next month. In doing so, it used the acronym LGB+, dropping the T for transgender due to Trump’s efforts to erase trans people’s existence in the eyes of the federal government.
see the light and these funds will continue,” said Henson of federal officials.
Even prior to Tuesday’s SAMHSA decision, LGBTQ leaders had ramped up their efforts to protect the federal funding for the specialized LGBTQ+ youth counselors. Earlier this month, the federal Department of Health and Human Services confirmed in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal that it intends to end funding for the counselors after September 30. Its intention to do so was leaked to the Washington Post in April, sparking outrage from LGBTQ advocates and a multipronged lobbying effort to save the appropriation.
“On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the “Press 3 option,” to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” SAMHSA notified providers of the service.
Jaymes Black, a genderqueer person who is CEO of The Trevor Project, lambasted the decision.
“This is devastating, to say the least. Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible,” stated Black. “The fact that this news comes to us halfway through Pride Month is callous – as is the administration’s choice to remove the ‘T’ from the acronym ‘LGBTQ+’ in their announcement. Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased.”
Between last November through February the Trevor Project counselors averaged 60,000 calls per month, the most recent period for such data, according to the agency. In surveys it conducts with LGBTQ youth, the Trevor Project consistently finds that many struggle with thoughts about ending their life.
And queer and trans young people in California are not immune, despite the state’s supportive policies for the LGBTQ community. As the Bay Area Reporter reported in March, 35% of LGBTQ+ young people aged 13 to 24 in the Golden State “seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 39% of transgender and nonbinary young people,” according to Trevor Project data for 2024.
Eleven percent attempted suicide in the past year, including 14% of transgender and nonbinary young people. Fiftytwo percent of LGBTQ+ young people in California reported experiencing symptoms of depression.
“People have lots of disagreements in areas of LGBTQ-plus policy, but this is about young people’s lives. We hope they
As the B.A.R.’s online LGBTQ Agenda column had reported in May, https://www.ebar.com/ story/154680 more than a hundred members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him not to cut the funds. Seven U.S. senators signed on to their own letter in support of the specialized counselors, an effort led by lesbian Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin).
In early June, the Data for Progress released polling results showing there is little public support for ending the specialized LGBTQ youth counselors.
A strong majority of voters (69%) – including 56% of Republicans, 70% of Independents, and 80% of Democrats — favored seeing the U.S. government maintain the service, while less than 1 in 4 voters (23%) agreed with the government eliminating them.
“This isn’t about politics. This is about clinically proven care,” argued Henson.
While LGBTQ advocates remain hopeful that congressional leaders will continue the funding in spending bills they are slated to vote on later this summer, the Trevor Project continues to marshal public support for saving the specialized suicide counselors. At the webpage thetrevorproject.org/emergencycampaign/ people can sign a petition in support of the funds that will be delivered to Congress and the Trump administration in late July; already more than 16,700 people have done so.
“Until September 30, there is still the ability for the administration to change its mind and for Congress to push back,” Henson noted during an interview June 17 with the B.A.R.
The nonprofit is also asking people to contact their congressional leaders directly and urge them to support reappropriating the nearly $50 million for the service. At the same time, the Trevor Project is raising funds should the federal fiscal support for the counselors come to an end.
“We are forging ahead on multiple fronts to push back against these cuts and to be able to handle a surge in calls,” said Henson.
He was referring to the Trevor Project’s own support line it offers at 1-866488-7386, which can also be accessed by texting START to 678-678. That phone number isn’t going away, no matter the outcome of the federal funding fight, but
it could see a surge in call volume should the 988 lifeline no longer provide specialized suicide counselors for LGBTQ young people.
“Our services will be unaffected, and youth can still reach out to us,” noted Trevor Project spokesperson Zach Eisenstein
Come the start of the 2026 school year, the Trevor phoneline is likely to see an increase of calls from California students. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last month that he will enact Assembly Bill 727 requiring the LGBTQ nonprofit’s 24 hours per day, 7 days per week hotline to be included on identification cards issued to public school pupils in grades 7 to 12 as well as those enrolled at community colleges and the campuses of the University of California and California State University systems.
Authored by gay Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) to specifically address the inflated rates of suicidal ideation in LGBTQ youth, the impacted schools would need to update their ID cards for pupils by July 1 next summer should AB 727 become law. The bill passed out of the Assembly on June 3 by a 59-13 vote and is set to be taken up by the state Senate in the coming weeks.
As the B.A.R. noted in an online article on earlier this month, gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, noted in voting for AB 727 that “too many queer and transgender youth feel unsafe or unseen at school. This bill ensures crisis support like The Trevor Project is just a call or text away, right on their student ID. This change will save lives and affirm that they matter.”
The Trevor Project worked with González on crafting the bill but had yet to comment about Newsom’s rare move to commit to signing legislation before it had reached his desk until being asked about it this week by the B.A.R. Henson noted that the governor had also spoken out against the proposed federal cut for the LGBTQ specialized counselors in announcing his backing of AB 727.
“While the Trump administration walks away from its responsibility, Cali fornia will continue to expand access to life-saving resources, because the life of every child – straight, gay, trans – is worth fighting for,” noted Newsom’s official Facebook page in a post sharing Politico’s story regarding his pledge to sign González’s bill.
The Bay Area Reporter can help members of the LGBTQ community in the San Francisco Bay Area reach more than 120,000 local residents each week with their display of Obituary* and In Memoriam messages.
The Bay Area Reporter can help members of the community reach more than 120,000 LGBT area residents each with their display of Obituary* & In Memoriam
Addressing the governor’s decision, Henson told the B.A.R., “I think it goes to show the importance for the issue of LGBTQ-plus suicide prevention for youth.” He noted the need to provide services to LGBTQ youth who are four times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide “really cuts across politics and other issues that might pop up.”t
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If you are experiencing a crisis, call the national crisis line at 988 (LGBTQ youth can press 3 to be connected to an LGBTQ-trained counselor). People can visit The Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year had social media resources for suicide prevention.
From CDC
San Francisco Fog captures North America Cup
compiled by Cynthia Laird
The San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club claimed victory at the 2025 North America Cup rugby championship tournament earlier this month in Boston. It marked the club’s first major tournament win in 12 years, a news release noted.
The championship represents more than just a hard-fought win on the pitch; it reflects decades of growth, community building, and indomitable spirit by the Fog, the first gay and inclusive rugby club on the West Coast, according to the release.
Traveling with a record 77 players, four coaches, and over a dozen supporters, the Fog entered the tournament with their largest squad to date, fielding three sides across Tiers 1, 3, and 4 of the men’s+ division, contributing one player to the women’s+ division, and one player to the first Mexican team attending an International Gay Rugby tournament, Spicy Querétaro. The Fog is also proud of its three players who participated in the tournament’s All Trans Match, the largest such rugby match in North America, the release stated.
Held every two years, the North America Cup is the largest gay and inclusive rugby tournament in North America and a cornerstone event of International Gay Rugby. The Cup serves as a space
730 Stanyan Street San Francisco, CA 94117
730 Stanyan Street San Francisco, CA 94117
where all players, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, are celebrated for their various contributions to inclusive sporting culture.
With the San Francisco Fog celebrating 25 years in 2025, Fog head coach Dany Samreth reflected on the achievement. “Winning NORAM 2025 felt a bit like the crowning accomplishment of all the hard work that has been put into the club, especially coming out of the pandemic,” Samreth stated. “We really didn’t know if we could emerge from something that life-changing. Not only did we do it, but the SF Fog has had one of the most successful stretches in the club’s 25year history.”
The San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club, founded in 2000, was born from a vision to create a rugby community that actively welcomes people of color, gay men, and those who have been historically excluded in sport.
“The SF Fog has been a leader in gay and inclusive sports since we started. Despite facing homophobia and transphobia, our early players pushed through uncertainty and hate and charted a path forward,” stated Fog President Zackary Forcum. “We’ve endured many losses over the years, not only on the pitch but also from our ranks, including the passing of rugby pioneers such as Kathy Flores and the sacrifice of 9/11 hero, Mark Bingham.”
730 Stanyan Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
Bingham was a founder of the team.
For more information about San Francisco Fog Rugby, go to fogrugby.com.
Sarris named to Sundance Institute board
Greg Sarris, a gay American Indian man who is chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, has been appointed to the board of Sundance Institute, which produces its well-known annual film festival. The Sundance Film Festival, which has been held in Park City, Utah for over four decades, announced earlier this year that it’s moving to Boulder, Colorado in 2027.
Sundance Institute, a nonprofit, was co-founded by actor and filmmaker Robert Redford in 1981, a news release stated. He remains president of the organization. Its film festival has championed independent films and, today, the institute works year-round to offer programs and support to filmmakers.
Sarris also serves on the University of California Board of Regents, which Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him to in 2023. He is the author of the award-winning novel, “Grand Avenue,” which he adapted into the 1996 HBO movie and co-executive produced with Redford. He has written several other books, including the forthcoming “The Last Human Bear,” the release noted.
“Having had the privilege of attending the Sundance Institute Writer’s Lab and collaborating with Robert Redford on the adaptation of my novel, ‘Grand Avenue,’ I have long admired Sundance Institute’s unwavering commitment to amplifying diverse voices and fostering authentic storytelling,” Sarris stated. “I am deeply honored to join the board and contribute to an organization that has had such a profound impact on the landscape of independent cinema.”
Sarris served on the board of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. He received his B.A. in English from UCLA and his mas ter’s and Ph.D. in modern thought and literature from Stanford University. He is formerly a professor of Eng lish at UCLA. He now holds the title of Distinguished Emeritus Graton Endowed Chair in Native American Studies at Sonoma State University. Sundance Institute also announced the appointments of three other board members.
young filmmakers to share their short films with the community,” Mayelian noted.
All Sonoma County teens in grades 7-12 are invited to submit an original film up to six minutes long. A jury will review all submitted entries. The top three winners will each receive a gift card to a Sonoma County movie theater of their choice, according to the release.
Winning films will be shown at the Teen Film Festival Premiere, which will take place on Wednesday, September 10, at Rincon Valley Regional Library in Santa Rosa. This event is open to all and will include light refreshments and prize presentations. All accepted films will be featured on the Santa Rosa and Petaluma Public Access YouTube channel, the release stated.
“We are so excited to spotlight the voices of Sonoma County youth at this year’s Teen Film Festival,” stated Allison Palmer, teen services librarian. “This event is a celebration of storytelling, community and the power of youth expression. We can’t wait to see what these young filmmakers create.” In addition to having books available on film production and script writing and numerous movies to study, aspiring teen filmmakers can check out camera equipment free of charge through the library’s E Street Studios, located at the Central Santa Rosa Library.
Teens seeking more information on festival submission guidelines can visit their local library or sonomalibrary. org/teenfilmmakers. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, August 15.
AIDS 2026 heads to Rio
Scott Frank has written screenplays for several films, including “Get Shorty,” “Little Man Tate,” and “Minority Report.”
David Nevins is a veteran entertainment executive and producer. Blair Ligelis Stein is vice president of marketing, U.S. distribution, at Paramount. She has over 15 years of media, marketing, and brand strategy experience.
Sundance’s board chair, Ebs Burnough, welcomed the new members.
The International AIDS Society has announced that AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference, will be held next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will meet in person and virtually next July 25-30. Between 7,000 and 10,000 people are expected to attend, a news release stated.
Affordable Studios, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom, and 3 Bedroom Units for Individuals and Families / Equal Housing Opportunity.
Affordable Studios, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom, and 3 Bedroom Units for Individuals and Families / Equal Housing Opportunity.
Affordable Studios, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom, and 3 Bedroom Units for Individuals and Families / Equal Housing Opportunity.
Households must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent.
Households must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent. Households must earn no more than the gross monthly income listed below:
Households must earn no more than the gross monthly income listed below:
Households must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent. Households must earn no more than the gross monthly income listed below:
Maximum Income per Persons in Household:
Building amenities include a large community room, an on-site laundry room, secure indoor bicycle parking, two landscaped courtyards, free in-home internet access, and an outdoor terrace. The property also features a mail/parcel room, as well as management and service offices in the ground-floor lobby.
“We are thrilled to welcome Greg, David, Scott, and Blair to the Sundance Institute Board of Trustees,” Burnough stated. “Their diverse backgrounds and remarkable achievements in their respective fields will bring invaluable perspectives to our work.”
The institute started entertaining the desire to move in 2024, as its lease with Park City ends in 2026. Since the COVID pandemic, independent films such as those shown at Sundance have struggled, according to an article in Variety. The fact that the film festival is held at the height of the winter season also created some tensions in Park City, long a ski destination, the trade publication reported.
For more information about Sundance Institute, go to sundance.org.
Drag church service in the Castro Drag artists will hold drag church in the Castro Sunday, June 22, at 6 p.m. People should meet at 18th and Castro streets. The group will process to Jane Warner Plaza.
“We are at a critical turning point in the HIV response as shifting geopolitical dynamics and funding uncertainties threaten decades of progress,” stated Beatriz Grinsztejn, IAS president and AIDS 2026 international co-chair. “With AIDS 2026 just four years before the 2030 deadline for global targets, the HIV response hangs in the balance. An evidence-based resilient, fully funded HIV response requires us to rethink, rebuild, and rise.”
Many of the funding problems can be traced to the Trump administration, which has gutted global relief efforts. Abrupt cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, have put people at risk in countries where the HIV/AIDS infrastructure relied on U.S. government assistance.
Brazil has long been committed to a science-driven, human rights-based approach to HIV, the IAS stated. It was the first low- or middle-income country to provide free access to highly active antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV in the late 1990s. It has also participated in important HIV studies and coordinates large PrEP implementation studies, the release noted.
Building amenities include a large community room, an on-site laundry room, secure indoor bicycle parking, two landscaped courtyards, free in-home internet access, and an outdoor terrace. The property also features a mail/parcel room, as well as management and service offices in the ground-floor lobby.
Building amenities include a large community room, an on-site laundry room, secure indoor bicycle parking, two landscaped courtyards, free in-home internet access, and an outdoor terrace. The property also features a mail/parcel room, as well as management and service offices in the ground-floor lobby.
Application and preference information found on the San Francisco Housing Portal - DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. Applications due by July 3, 2025.
According to an Instagram post, the event will be an “awesomely inclusive Christian church in the streets, with Communion. Come fabulous, come curious, come however you are!”
Sonoma library’s teen film fest accepting submissions
Application and preference information found on the San Francisco Housing Portal - DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. Applications due by July 3, 2025.
A virtual lottery will be held on July 17, 2025 Results will be posted on housing.sfgov.org
Application and preference information found on the San Francisco Housing PortalDAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. Applications due by July 03,2025.
A virtual lottery will be held on July 17, 2025 Results will be posted on housing.sfgov.org
A virtual lottery will be held on July 17, 2025. Results will be posted on housing.sfgov.org.
Please visit https://www.730stanyan.org/ to learn more, or contact: 415-967-6760
Please visit https://www.730stanyan.org/ to learn more, or contact: 415-967-6760
Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions.
Please visit https://www.730stanyan.org/ to learn more, or contact: 415-967-6760.
Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions.
Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit sf.gov for program information.
Teen filmmakers in Sonoma County, this is your chance. Sonoma County Library’s fifth annual Teen Film Festival is now accepting submissions, offering young creators the chance to share their stories on the big screen and win prizes.
Lara Mayelian, teen services administrator, stated in a news release that the film festival provides teens with their own space to create and celebrate art.
“The film competition inspires teens to use their creativity and supports
UNAIDS data show uneven progress in Latin America. The number of AIDSrelated deaths has fallen by 28% since 2010, but increased among women in several countries. HIV acquisitions increased by 9% between 2010 and 2013 – and by 20% among men who have sex with men, 42% among sex workers, and 19% among trans women.
The 2026 conference will bring together scientists, policy makers, grassroots activists, and people living with, working in, and affected by HIV/AIDS. Conference registration will open in November. For more information, go to aids2026.org. t
San Francisco Fog Rugby won International Gay Rugby’s North America Cup tournament.
Dennis Noonan Sloan Photography
Greg Sarris has been appointed to Sundance Institute’s board of trustees.
Courtesy Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
Tenderloin organizer forwarded for police panel Community News>>
by John Ferrannini
Acommittee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors decided to forward the nomination of a Tenderloin community organizer for the high-profile police commission Monday. The divided vote for Pratihba Tekkey was made over a member of the Democratic County Central Committee and former candidate for supervisor.
At the same rules committee meeting, the three-supervisor panel forwarded the renomination of a queer health advocate to the entertainment commission with little discussion.
Police Commission
Gay Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro on the board as District 8 supervisor and sits on the rules committee, lent his support for Tekkey over Marjan Philhour for a seat on the city’s police commission just days before William Scott officially wraps up his tenure as the city’s police chief. (Acting Chief Paul Yep has already started and made decisions on his command staff last Friday.)
The commission will be heavily involved in the selection of a new chief, as it vets candidates and forwards the names of three to Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Philhour, who ran unsuccessfully for District 1 supervisor representing the Richmond neighborhood in 2016, 2020, and 2024, has been an advocate for tougher policing. She has garnered support to join the oversight body from Garry Tan, the president and CEO of Y Combinator, one of the city’s most prominent startups.
Philhour, a mother of three, cofounded the Balboa Village Merchants Association.
“I’m applying for police commis-
sion because public safety touches every part of our lives,” she said at the June 16 meeting. “We talk so much in this city in the current political discourse or even in the current affairs discourse about the importance of transit, housing, small businesses, our local economy. The bottom line is if we do not have a very well functioning police commission, a fully staffed and resourced police department, and communities that feel connected to that process, it makes it harder for us to succeed.”
Asked by committee chair District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton if she supported pre-textual stops, Philhour said that she did. Pre-textual stops refer to the use of what are ostensibly traffic stops to investigate more serious crimes. Last year, the police commission restricted the use of pre-textual stops just before voters passed a proposition limiting the commission’s regulatory power over the department.
Philhour was also supported dur-
ing public comment by fellow DCCC member Nancy Tung, who chairs the San Francisco Democratic Party. Tung has also been outspoken on public safety issues.
She told the supervisors panel that she wanted to “pull back the curtain” on what she characterized was a politicized process. Tung noted that in 2020, then-mayor London Breed nominated her to serve on the police commission, which was voted down by the board, including by Mandelman.
“Do I take offense to that? No, because this is not a decision that happens in a vacuum,” Tung said. “It is a political decision. I want people to understand that. Was it bonkers? Maybe, to some.”
Tung continued, “If you’re willing to take politics out of this process, the most qualified candidate – and the one I support – is Marjan.”
In all, seven candidates applied for the commission seat, one of the three that are filled by the Board of
Supervisors. (The other four seats are mayoral appointments who must be approved by the supervisors.) When it came time for a vote, it became clear that it was between Philhour and Tekkey. Mandelman explained his thinking behind supporting Tekkey, who is director of organizing for the Tenderloin Housing Clinic.
“We do politics,” he said. “City Hall is politics. … But as I’m thinking about politics in San Francisco right now, I have very much enjoyed the period of time we’ve been in since the beginning of this year. Bitter divisions I’d seen on the board and in City Hall previously had somewhat been mitigated.”
Mandelman said he met with the candidates and talked about his criteria. “I thought it was important to appoint someone unambiguously pro-safety and who understands their work on the police commission in supporting the department … and also holding it accountable,” he said. Triangulating, he said that “the tone has been good” as of late between the city’s various political factions, and “that is to the benefit of San Franciscans.”
Mandelman also spoke to Tekkey’s work day-to-day in the Tenderloin, and said this seat had traditionally been set aside for community voices, particularly surrounding the Mission district and the Latino community, but that “if you think of a neighborhood that needs representation in the conversation about safety in San Francisco and whose serious concerns must be addressed … it’s the Tenderloin.”
Tekkey said she was honored to be considered.
“I come before you not as a candidate, but as someone who has dedicated many years of grassroots, public service in the city,” she said. “The challenges of our city cannot be
addressed without addressing public safety first.”
She said immigrant communities, families, seniors, and small business owners need to be prioritized.
“I’ve seen when the community members and law enforcement work hand in hand,” she said. “Safety improves. Trust begins to grow. In my view, public safety is successful when community members are treated as partners, not as passive recipients of enforcement.”
Mandelman and Walton voted to forward Tekkey’s nomination. District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill voted against, but did not say who he would’ve chosen instead. He insisted, however, that he also agreed that “pro-safety does not mean giving up on the progress we’ve made.” He said this is likely the most important appointment the supervisors will be making this year.
The other candidates were Albert Mayer, Franco Cirelli, Hasib Emran, Meridith Osborn, and Neil Patrick Hallinan, who did not appear at the meeting.
Entertainment Commission
Earlier in the day, the committee voted 3-0 to forward the nomination of Laura Thomas to the full board to continue serving on the entertainment commission. Thomas, who is queer, represents public health interests on the commission and is seeking reappointment. She is also director of harm reduction policy for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Thomas said she was “happy to be on the entertainment commission.”
“I think it’s one of the best commissions the city has going,” she added.
Mandelman thanked her for her service, and, with no public comment, her nomination was also forwarded. t
Started in 2020, the People’s March took place on the same day as the city’s Pride parade, which that year was turned into a virtual affair due to the COVID pandemic. The People’s March came amid the nationwide reckoning over race in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer that May, near the end of Republican President Donald Trump’s first term.
As in previous years, the People’s March begins at the corner of Polk and Washington streets and makes its way down Polk to City Hall, retracing the route of San Francisco’s first gay liberation march – the predecessor to today’s Pride parade – on June 27, 1970.
This year’s march, which will begin at 11 a.m., comes during the first year of Trump’s second term in the White House, as protests against his immigration and deportation policies swell, centering on Southern California. Federal agents have been arresting people without warrants, and sometimes arresting native born and naturalized American citizens, as part of Trump’s crackdown aimed at liberal strongholds. The “No Kings” protests last week coincided with a rare military parade in Washington, D.C. ostensibly to celebrate the Army’s
<< Guest Opinion
From page 6
Jesus’ initial response is jarring: “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” This reflects the societal norms and prejudices of the time – a hierarchy where some were “in” and others were “out,” destined for “crumbs” or nothing at all. Sound familiar?
The woman’s radical faith and persistence. But this woman! Oh, this woman is a model of faith and persistence! She doesn’t lash out. She doesn’t give up. With humble brilliance, she counters, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She acknowledges her place in the hierarchy but dares to appeal to a deeper, more expansive truth of mercy and abundance.
Jesus’ transformation, our call to expansion. And what happens? Jesus is moved! He is transformed by her faith. He sees past the societal divi-
From page 1
The pink triangle symbol was used by the Nazis at the concentration camps during World War II to brand suspected homosexuals. Similar symbols, such as a Star of David for Jewish prisoners, marked others who were imprisoned, millions of whom died at the camps during the Holocaust. Much later, the pink triangle was reclaimed by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of empowerment.
“It is actually quite gratifying and rewarding that so many people are still interested in helping to construct this giant warning and reminder of what extreme hatred
page 1
Chase Strangio, a trans man who is co-director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBTQ and HIV Project, appeared before the court on behalf of the plaintiffs last December, becoming the first known trans person to argue a case before the justices. He called the decision “devastating.”
“Today’s ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution,” Strangio stated in a news release.
“Though this is a painful setback, it does not mean that transgender people and our allies are left with no options to defend our freedom, our health care, or our lives. The court left undisturbed Su-
250th birthday and that coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday.
The People’s March is the brainchild of longtime drag artists and activists Juanita MORE! and Alex U. Inn.
“I think that the thing that is going to make the People’s March different is what’s happening around the country,” MORE! said in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “Everyone is afraid, worried about their existence, their lives, and everyone wants to come together who is feeling that way and feel loved and protected.”
The march had in the past competed with the Pride parade, which makes its way up Market Street – this year on Sunday, June 29. However, the last couple of years, the march has been held the weekend before, MORE! explained.
“We’re all busy,” MORE! said when asked about the change. “Everyone felt like it was a better kick off for the week of Pride.”
In keeping with the spirit of unity as the community faces challenging times, Suzanne Ford, a transgender woman who is the executive director of San Francisco Pride, was invited to attend this year and will be speaking.
“SF Pride supports the People’s March,” Ford stated. “We want to honor their work, and we are grateful to be part of their event.”
sions, past the prejudice, and recognizes the inherent worth and deep faith of this “outsider.” He grants her request, and her daughter is healed.
The parallel. Just as the Syrophoenician woman pushed Jesus to expand his understanding of God’s grace beyond the “children of Israel,” so too do the black and brown stripes push our LGBTQIA+ community, and indeed the broader world, to expand our understanding of liberation and love beyond our own perceived boundaries.
God’s table has room for everyone. This story, like the Progress pride flag, reminds us that God’s love, God’s justice, and God’s table are not exclusive. There are no “dogs” in God’s eyes, only beloved children. God’s grace is abundant, overflowing, and meant for all – not just for those who have always had a seat at the main table.
So, what does this mean for us here at MCC, during Pride?
It means our Pride is not just about celebrating how far we’ve come. It’s
can lead to,” Carney said at the ceremony. “There have probably been 10,000-plus volunteers over the decades. This is a massive community building project and a giant in-yourface educational tool to teach people of what can happen if we don’t remain vigilant.”
On Tuesday, Carney said that it was troubling that the vandalism occurred.
“It’s always sad when the pink triangle is vandalized, if this can happen in San Francisco, I think what happens in other parts of the country,” he wrote in an email.
Carney said there is another kind of vandalism going on at the site.
“People keep putting these stickers near the informational sign I put
preme Court and lower court precedent that other examples of discrimination against transgender people are unlawful. We are as determined as ever to fight for the dignity and equality of every transgender person and we will continue to do so with defiant strength, a restless resolve, and a lasting commitment to our families, our communities, and the freedom we all deserve.”
Sasha Buchert, a trans woman who is director of the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the LGBTQ legal organization would continue its fight for trans rights.
“This is a heartbreaking ruling, making it more difficult for transgender youth to escape the danger and trauma of being denied their ability to live and
Inn told the B.A.R. that “she [Ford] and I will be standing up there together, so we make sure we always have Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks on our stages.” Inn added, “We want to uplift Pride this year.”
Federal attacks on DEI
As the B.A.R. previously reported, SF Pride lost some corporate sponsorships in the wake of renewed hostility to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that became more pronounced when Trump issued several executive orders this year targeting DEI. Already, recent years saw some companies backtrack on DEI efforts. The Bud Light brand was pummeled by conservatives after parent company Anheuser-Busch in 2023 partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Retail giant Target pulled back on stocking Pride merchandise in its stories, earning the ire of LGBTQ creatives, as the B.A.R. detailed.
As for Trump, his executive order No. 14168 states that, “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” and defines sex as “an individual’s immutable biological classification” and not a synonym for gender identity. This order on gender identity also prohibits federal contractors and grantees from recognizing and respecting their identities or advocating for
about remembering those who paved the way, acknowledging the ongoing struggles, and committing to justice for everyone.
Be information-seekers. Be curious. Learn the histories of Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ pioneers. Understand the unique challenges faced by trans BIPOC individuals today.
Be advocates. Speak up against racism, discrimination, and injustice within our own communities and in the world. Show up for racial justice, for HIV/AIDS advocacy, for housing justice, for immigrant rights – because these are all interwoven threads of liberation.
Be agents of radical welcome. Look at our own table here at MCC and ask, “Who might feel like they are only welcome to crumbs?” How can we ensure that every single person who walks through our doors and our doors of life, feels not just tolerated, but truly seen, deeply valued, and profoundly loved in all their glorious complexity?
up to explain the project,” carney wrote. Those stickers read, “Stop transing kids.”
thrive,” Buchert stated in a news release from Lambda Legal. “But we will continue to fight fiercely to protect them. Make no mistake, gender-affirming care is often life-saving care, and all major medical associations have determined it to be safe, appropriate, and effective. This is a sad day, and the implications will reverberate for years and across the country, but it does not shake our resolve to continue fighting.”
Shannon Minter, a trans man who is vice president of legal at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (formerly the National Center for Lesbian Rights), was equally upset with the decision.
“The court’s ruling abandons transgender youth and their families to political attacks,” Minter stated in a separate release. “It ignored clear discrimination and
their civil rights. Executive orders Nos. 14151 and 14173 terminate equity-related grants and prohibit federal contractors and grantees from employing DEI and accessibility principles in their work.
Several nonprofits, including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the San Francisco Community Health Center, and the GLBT Historical Society filed a federal lawsuit against those orders. Last week, U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar granted a preliminary injunction, as the B.A.R. reported.
The People’s March will be arriving at the Civic Center Plaza around 12:30 p.m., coinciding with the city’s Juneteenth celebration. (Juneteenth, which celebrates June 19 as the day the emancipation proclamation was enforced in Texas after the Civil War, was made a federal holiday by a law signed by thenPresident Joe Biden in 2021.)
Vocalist Ariel Bowser will be singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black national anthem.
Honey Mahogany, a Black, queer trans person who is the head of the city’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, told the B.A.R. that, “One of the things to keep in mind is all our liberation is interconnected, and we have to come together to fight for our rights, fight for each other, and fight for our democracy.”
“Some of that change has to come
This is joyful work. This isn’t heavy work; it’s holy work! It’s the joyful work of reflecting the very heart of God – a heart that continually expands, a love that breaks down barriers, a grace that covers all. When we embrace the full meaning of the black and brown stripes, our Pride celebration isn’t diminished; it’s infinitely enriched. It becomes a celebration of genuine liberation, a reflection of God’s boundless love, and a testament to the power of a community committed to justice for all.
The black and brown stripes on the Progress Pride flag are a powerful call to remember our roots, acknowledge ongoing struggles, and commit to an ever-expanding, intersectional love. They challenge us to live out the radical inclusivity modeled by Jesus in the face of prejudice.
May this Pride season be a time of not just celebration, but also of deep reflection and renewed commitment. May we be a church, a community,
Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who is Jewish, condemned the vandalism.
“Today’s vandalism of the pink triangle is yet another horrific attack on the LGBTQ community – at a time when our community is under intense assault on a daily basis,” Wiener stated Tuesday night.
“The pink triangle is a symbol of our community’s resilience in the face of hatred and violence. The Nazis tried to exterminate us, and we survived. Today, we face another severe threat – a president and his movement trying to erase us entirely and force us back into the closet. We’re not going anywhere, and no amount of vandalism or violence will change that.
disregarded its own legal precedent by letting lawmakers target young people for being transgender. Health care decisions belong with families, not politicians. This decision will cause real harm.”
Oral arguments last year
The court heard oral arguments in December, during the last month of President Joe Biden’s administration. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who spoke on behalf of the Biden administration’s opposition to Tennessee’s law, said it discriminates on the basis of sex, in violation of the equal protection clause. She also argued the court should scrutinize the law at a heightened level (greater than the easier requirement of simple rational basis). And she urged the Supreme Court to send the case
through building coalitions, putting away petty differences, and coming together to fight for our rights,” Mahogany said in a phone interview. “Juanita and Alex work really really hard – always happy to support both of them.”
Front and center at this year’s march will be “the unlawful power grabs we’ve seen, the attacks on our democracy,” Inn said. “We have to show the resistance will continue no matter what they do. They have shown us the blatant abuse of power and direct attacks on civil liberties. It has to galvanize us like never before. Our outrage is real.”
The celebration in the plaza will continue till 4 p.m. Organizers are planning it to be “a celebration of culture and community with DJs, performers, and artists’ booths.”
“Freedom isn’t stolen in one dramatic, thunderous coup,” Inn stated in a news release. “It’s eroded by a thousand small concessions, by a gradual normalization of the unthinkable, by a collective hesitation born of exhaustion or disbelief. It’s lost when we wait too long, hoping for someone else to draw the line.
“We are not waiting for permission,” Inn added. “We are not waiting for someone else to draw the line. We are here today, because the hour is now. The decision rests not with them, but with us. This country is us.” t
a people that live out the truth that all God’s children, in all their colors and identities, are worthy of not just crumbs, but the full, abundant bread of life.
So, go forth from this place, filled with the spirit of radical love. May you see the divine in every face, particularly in those pushed to the margins. May your hearts be open, your voices be strong, and your actions reflect the boundless, beautiful, and truly progressive love of God. Happy Pride! Amen. t
Alex U. Inn (they/them/theirs), is an ART-tivist for the people, an LGBTQIA2S rights activist, distinguished founder of the San Francisco LGBTQ Community Center, 2017 San Francisco Pride grand marshal, winner of many activism awards, five-time Best of the Bay drag king award, and co-founder of the People’s March, happening Sunday, June 22, at 11 a.m. (See related article, page 1.)
“I’m so grateful for the many volunteers who make the pink triangle each year,” he added. “Nothing will stop this community’s spirit, and I’m confident the Pink Triangle will be repaired and back in order quickly.”
The incident is not the first time the pink triangle has been vandalized. In 2009, a fire broke out on Twin Peaks just hours before the Pride parade, leading to an arson investigation. Carney added that his spouse, Hossein Carney, Ph.D., was attacked while they were taking it down in 2001 or 2002. t
back to the 6th Circuit with instructions to examine the ban with that heightened level of scrutiny.
In February, the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump wrote a letter to the court, stating, “The Department has now determined that SB1 does not deny equal protection on account of sex or any other characteristic. Accordingly, the new Administration would not have intervened to challenge SB1.” The letter carried the name of Curtis Gannon, deputy solicitor general.
The June 18 decision vote broke down in the usual split: The six conservative justices all joined the majority; dissenting justices were liberals Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
page 11 >>
<< Pink triangle
Anti-trans stickers have been posted near the pink triangle informational sign.
Patrick Carney
Frameline49’s far-out, fun and fearless
“Weekend” about a one-night stand trying to be something more. Only here there’s no sex, just
The Los Angeles Blade covers Los Angeles and California news, politics, opinion, arts and entertainment and features national and international coverage from the Blade’s award-winning reporting team. Be part of this exciting publication serving LGBT Los Angeles from the team behind the Washington Blade, the nation’s first LGBT newspaper. From the freeway to the Beltway we’ve got you covered.
Brian Bromberger
the British
‘Skinny Love’ ‘Outerlands’
Celebrating music, tech, and community
by Jim Gladstone
“Co-Founders,” a locally created hip-hop-meets-high-tech musical now in its premiere production at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater, is
<< First Homosexuals
From page 13
In 2019 Wrightwood 659 hosted Katz’s “About Face: Stonewall, Revolt and New Queer Art.” Fortunately, both these major exhibitions leave impressive catalogs. Full disclosure: I knew Dr. Katz during his time in San Francisco where he founded the Harvey Milk Institute, chaired S.F. City College’s Lesbian and Gay Studies Department, co-founded Queer Nation SF, and was the first artistic director of the National Queer Arts Festival.
Katz’s perspective is deeper, and far more than “mere” art history: “If we take the history of art as the world’s largest and most complete archive of the history of sexuality ... then it’s high time we examined that archive at the moment of homosexuality’s emergence.”
Many images are astutely decoded in their historical and cultural context. “Representation leads to insights that were specifically difficult, if not actively illegal, to articulate in language,” says Katz.
to his redemptive story arc. Disappointingly, Esata’s detour into big money tech temptation and her U-turn back to virtue are rendered in hasty shorthand, told by the script more than felt by the audience.
Screen savor
While Esata is the show’s hero, ingenious stagecraft makes a sandwich of the entire cast, which performs between two planes of projections. On an upstage screen, filmed cityscapes roll past, Viewmaster images click by, and minutely-detailed environments –a garage workshop, a boardroom with skyline views– appear and disappear, no blackouts or pauses required. Downstage, a gauze spans the entire proscenium arch, so sheer that it’s invisible when not being used to show us the content of character’s digital device screens; foreground scenic embellishments, like a Tesla cybertruck cameo; or fun-fonted supertitles to speedy rap songs, which help the audience stay immersed and engaged.
Kamaiyah; a paragon of side eye, sass, and ultimately, solidarity.
As a tech lord’s impish major domo, Deanalis Arocho Resto goes full-on Liza in the stand-out song-and-dance number, “Pivot.” Jordan Covington plays Esata’s pal Dhameer with giddy verve and flashy footwork (The buoyant choreography is by Juel D. Lane).
Roe Hartrampf brings layers of subtlety to Conway, Esata’s initial collaborator at a high-profile startup incubator. Potentially portrayed as a white-privilege punching bag, Hartrampf makes Conway morally complex and gives believable texture
The projection design, video content, lighting and scenography are by Frederic O. Boulay, David Richardson, Xavier Pierce, and Arnel Sanciano. That their brilliant work doesn’t steal the show is a credit to their collaboration with director Jamil Jude. As slick and occasionally surprising as it is, the tech clearly in service to the live performances.
The show, as the lyrics say, is always “people-powered.”t
‘Co-Founders,’ through July 6. $25$130. A.C.T.’s Strand Theater, 1127 Market St. www.act-sf.org
Exemplary examples
From its lavender end papers through its 400 pages of exquisitely reproduced images, scholarly notes, and a comprehensive index, this exemplary example of art history is relatively reasonably priced at $74.95. Any description will fail to capture the breadth and depth of its contents, refreshingly international in scope, which includes images of oil and watercolor paintings, drawing, sculpture, film stills, lithographs and photography. The essays by a variety of contributors explore the impact of colonialism, class, racism, homophobia, and misogyny on queer representation.
The beginning of the examination coincides with the coinage of the terms “heterosexual” and “homosexual” by Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1869 and end with the beginning of the second world war. The language is carefully and sensitively expressed, especially in the framing essays “Before the Binary” and “Beyond the Binary.”
Among the many “usual suspects” in The First Homosexuals are F. Holland Day, Claude Cahun, Pavel Tchelitchew, John Singer Sargent, Marsden Hartley, Marie Laurencin, Alice Austen, Duncan Grant, Florine Stettheimer, and Romaine Brooks. It was particularly pleasing to note the inclusion of Gustave Caillebotte’s 1884 “Man at His Bath,” which Katz and André Dombrowski explore in depth in their sensitive and pioneering essay “Caillebotte, Painting Naked Men” That essay is also included in the catalog for “Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men” originating at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, before traveling to the Getty Center and the Art Institute of Chicago.
In addition to the 21 wide-ranging scholarly essays, the succinct captions convey multitudes: For example, “In 1910, about 40 years after the word homosexual was coined, the German physician and queer activist Magnus Hirschfeld coined the term ‘transvestite,’ followed by ‘transsexual’ in 1923.”
See page 15 >>
Left to Right: Ryan Nicole Austin, Tommy Soulati Shepherd, Jordan Covington, Adesha Adefela, and Aneesa Folds in the world premiere of ‘Co-Founders,’ at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater
Kevin Berne
Left: Elisàr von Kupffer, ‘La danza,’ 1918, Oil on canvas with painted frame, Municipality of MinusioCentro Elisarion; Claudio Berger – photographer. Right: Saturnino Herrán, ‘Nuestros dioses antiguos,’ 1916, Oil on canvas, Colección Andrés Blaisten, México.
Courtesy of Wrightwood 659
2025 Fresh Meat Festival
by David-Elijah Nahmod
From June 19-21 Z Space will host the 2025 Fresh Meat Festival of Transgender and Queer Performance.
The show is the brainchild of Sean Dorsey, the man behind the Sean Dorsey Dance. Dorsey is a transgender man who stands tall and proud in the face of the current vicious antitrans backlash being instigated by the current administration. Dorsey considers this an important and pivotal time to be visible.
“This is an incredibly important time to uplift trans and queer artistry, truth telling and community,” Dorsey said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “This year’s festival is going to shower the audience with the love, fuel, healing and medicine we all need so much right now.”
This isn’t the first time Dorsey has performed at Z Space, a place he has come to love.
“Z Space is my artistic home and has been for a long time,” he said in a 2023 interview with the Bay Area
Reporter. “It’s an absolutely gorgeous space to perform and see dance. They have been trans-supportive for so long and have all-gender bathrooms. They are family to us.”
The name Fresh Meat Festival was coined in 2002 by Jessie Bie of Steamroller Dance. Dorsey and his performance partners felt that the name allowed them to reclaim their power and sexiness as trans and queer performers, as well as their audacity in creating art in a society that often demonizes them. Dorsey noted that his company has been targeted by the right and alt-right for years.
“And it’s only getting worse,” he said. “But we are unstoppable in being joyously, raucously trans and queer. And we are doubling down on investing in trans and queer artistic innovation and excellence. Audiences need this right now.”
Diverse performers Dorsey promises a smorgasbord of trans and queer entertainment at the Fresh Meat Festival, all produced especially for Pride Month.
A two-page spread features various representations of Lili Elbe, one of the first transgender women to undergo gender-affirming surgery in 1930 under the care of Hirschfeld. Another two-page spread offers photographic documentation of Nazi destruction of Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science.
Also included are highlights from “The First Homosexuals, 2022,” the first iteration of this project exhibited
in late 2022 and early 2023. These 30 thumbnail images, “kept smaller in scale by museum limits and moratoriums on borrowing following the COVID-19 pandemic,” are nevertheless impressive.
Even more exciting is the inclusion of the work of so many less familiar artists, including Gabriel Morcillo’s exemplification of “Orientalism,” Violet Oakley’s formal paintings, Bertel Thorvaldsen’s neoclassical imagery, provocative self-portraits by Elisàr von Kupffer (known as Elisarion), Lionel Wendt’s male nudes, [Bolette] Berg & [Marie] Høeg’s glass plate negatives, and Colombian photographer and portraitist Benjamín de la Calle.
László Mednyánszky captures “expression of homosexuality through a dark decadence, while his contemporary Károly Ferenczy worked more impressionistically.”
Kudos to Katz and Willis. May this pioneering work pave the way for even more representation and investigation of queer imagery.t
‘The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity 1869-1939,’ by Jonathan D. Katz, $74.95, Phaidon Press, released July 16. www.phaidon.com
Performers resist trans and queer erasure
“There’s a lot of buzz about this year’s lineup,” he said. “These artists deliver edgy, exquisite, extraordinary dance, theater and live music, and this star-studded lineup is going to bring joy, beauty and resistance to the stage. We’ve got world champion bachata dancers, gorgeous trans-Americana music, stunning South Asian contemporary dance, cutting edge drag performance artists, comedy, powerful storytelling and more.”
The full line-up is Aisha Noir, D’Lo, Ishami Dance Company, Jahaira and Angelica, JanpiStar, Mudd the Two Spirit, Shawna Virago, and, of course, Sean Dorsey Dance. The evening will be hosted by Churro Nomi.
“She is literally the best hostess in San Francisco, hands down,” Dorsey said. “She hosts the monthly drag cabaret Clutch the Pearls at the Make Out Room and all kinds of other events. As hostess, she brings a gorgeous balance of hilarity, heart, smart and sass. She also happens to be the alter-ego of our Managing Director Eric Garcia.”
Vision & heart
Dorsey explained what he and Garcia look for when they book an act.
“Myself and Garcia curate the festival,” he said. “And we look for innovation, vision, heart, care, artists who are really rooted in community, and stunning artistry. But the festival
is about more than performance. It’s about gathering. Building sanctuary. Reclaiming the body, the stage and the future. Fresh Meat Productions reminds us that joy, rigor, care and resistance can coexist.”
And while most of the audience is likely to be queer, Dorsey noted that people from different communities do come and all are welcome.
“We attract the most fabulous audiences,” he said. “Our audiences are a gorgeous mix of so many communities, mostly trans, non-binary and gender expansive, queer, LGBTQ2SI+ and definitely our allies too. There is literally something for everyone. It’s a total celebration, party, love vibe, always.”t
Fresh Meat Festival of Trans and Queer Performance, June 19, 20 & 21, 8pm, Z Space, 450 Florida Street, $10-$50. All performances ASL interpreted. KN95 masks required and provided. www.zspace.org www.freshmeatproductions.org
<< First Homosexuals From page 14
Editor Jonathan Katz
Courtesy of Wrightwood 659
Ludwig von Hofmann, ‘Nude Fishermen and Boys on Green Shore,’ c. 1900, Oil on canvas, Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig
Courtesy of Wrightwood 659
Left: Ishami Dance Company
Right: Janpistar of AXIS Dance
Left: Angelica and Jahaira of Lakech Dance Academy Right: Aisha Noir
Not just another Pride 2025 playlist
by Gregg Shapiro
Florida is a big state, large enough to have its own distinctive weather systems. The climates in Miami Beach and the Keys, for instance, differ greatly from those of landlocked Orlando or Tallahassee in the northern center of the Panhandle. Florida is also expansive enough to have multiple music systems. Chances are that the electronic dance music or Latin rhythms heard in South Florida clubs wouldn’t have much in common with the country tunes popular north and west of Palm Beach County.
This is all to say that the queer emo-twang of the double LP green vinyl 45 RPM “Hunting Season” (Wax Bodega), the third by Palm Coastbased Home Is Where seems to be a geographical fit. If you recall, Gainesville was the hometown of emo legends Against Me!, led by trans musician Laura Jane Grace.
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Somewhat similarly, half of Home Is Where’s band members, including lead vocalist Bea MacDonald, and her songwriting partner Tilley Komorny, are both trans. “Hunting Season” gets off to an energetic emo start with “Reptile House” and “Migration Patterns,” but by the end of “Artificial Grass” a sonic shift begins to occur, and the country vibe kicks in, boots and all, on “Black Metal Mormon.” Memorable songs also worth mentioning are “Stand-Up Special,” “Everyone Won the Lotto,” “Milk & Diesel,” and “Roll Tide.” www.homeiswhere.bandcamp.com
After addressing the possibility of becoming a known quantity on 2022’s “Household Name” album, Momma writes in the liner notes for their new album, “Welcome To My Blue Sky” (Polyvinyl), that it’s “an open letter to those who have come in and out of our lives, our friends & lovers, our ex-friends and
ex-lovers, who have all had a hand in creating this hurricane with us.”
A modern rock quartet co-founded by Allegra Weingarten and openly queer Etta Friedman, Momma could easily become household names on the strength of “Ohio All The Time,” a song that’s getting consistent airplay on college and satellite radio stations. Momma’s as comfortable blazing and blistering (“Last Kiss,” “Rodeo”), as they are slowing the pace (“Take Me With You,” “Sincerely”), and even dabbling in electronics (“Bottle Blonde” and “New Friend”). www.mommaband.com
On pure white vinyl, “In the Key of Love” (Facet/Warner) is the long-awaited full-length debut LP by queer singer/songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers. Chosen by Cyndi Lauper to join her on the summer 2025 leg of her farewell tour, it’s a fitting pairing because it sounds like Rogers’ “In The Key of Love” at-
Karel is still here
by Adam Sandel
You might have heard Karel, the outspoken talk show host, on KFI or KGO Talk Radio. You might have heard him expound on matters of the day on his Karel Cast podcast. You might have even danced to his music in gay clubs over the past 30 years. Not only does Karel show no signs of slowing down at age 62, over the next six months he will release a new album of dance tunes, starting with the recently dropped cover of Sylvester’s classic “Do You Wanna Funk?”
In a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, the energetic entertainer shared his thoughts on the music that shaped him, and why now, more than ever, it’s especially important for our community to gather, meet, and dance.
tempts to contain and package his energy in the same way that Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” did for her. While some listeners may be put off by Rogers’ spiritual presentation, you have to admire the way he never shies away from his queerness, as if it is its own form of sacred expression. This is exemplified in the title tune, “My Misery,” “Hot Gospel,” “God Bless,” “Mother, Mary, and Me,” and “Happy Accident.” www.jakewesleyrogers.com
“Shapes” (Righteous Babe) is the debut album by non-binary avant/ folk (their words) singer-songwriter Wryn. The nine songs sound like a personal invitation to observe a transformative journey. “Steady,” for example, opens with Wryn asking “What do you see when you’re looking at me?,” and then goes on to declare that “tender” in their heart and skin, they are steady and ready for what
Do you wanna funk with him?
“In 1982 I was 20, and Sylvester was an icon to me and to many,” recalled Karel. “He released ‘Do You Wanna Funk?’ that year with his musical partner Patrick Cowley. Within six short years, both of them would be gone from AIDS. If you lived at that time, you remember the pain, the frustration, and the sheer terror as a disease ran amok and the government did nothing. But somehow, we danced.
“I wanted to start the new album with ‘Do You Wanna Funk?’ because when it came out, we needed to dance. AIDS was running rampant. Reagan was president. Sylvester gave us an escape. For a few hours we could forget that the world was trying to kill us,” he said, adding, “We need to have fun again.”
For this new cover, Karel got veteran singer Jeanie Tracy, a San Francisco staple, to sing backup. They produced and recorded the new version in San Francisco as well.
Following the recent release of “Do You Wanna Funk?” Karel has a fresh batch of original songs coming up, which speak directly to our times.
“Next up is ‘You Have to Be Proud (With Hatred So Loud)’ about how now more than ever we must celebrate and be proud of who we are as individuals and a community. Then comes ‘I Dance Because,’ a song about why, at 62, I’m still creating dance music. Because it’s our duty to dance for those we lost too soon to AIDS, senseless violence, hatred and bigotry,” he said.
Coming up are three additional songs which explore Karel’s experiences as a gay man in America over the last 60 years.
His recent dance tunes include “Stronger Together,” inspired by the words of Michelle Obama, and “We’re Not Going Back,” which was used throughout Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Get up, get out, and reconnect
Karel spent his formative years in Long Beach, and has lived in Las
comes next. After echoing Whitman in “Multitudes,” Wryn prepares to “let go” of what holds them back in “Only Thing,” and embraces who they’ve become in the title song.
www.wryn.com
Who a singer/songwriter chooses to cover on their debut album says a lot about them. On their debut album, “Back to Back,” nonbinary artist Reid Parsons performs a respectful and respectable cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” which does The Boss proud. Regarding Parsons’ own songs, sung in a vocal style reminiscent of Ani DiFranco, they have a natural inclination for crafting compositions that are soulful (“Get Out of Bed” and “Holiday”), have a jazzy twang (“Lightbulb”) or a funky beat (“Show Me You Love Me”), or are straightforward country (“Same Old Shit”). www.reidparsons.comt
The singer, talk show host and podcaster is still making dance music at 62
Vegas since 2017, but he considers San Francisco the home of his LGBTQ community. He sees the events surrounding this year’s Pride as an important time for reflection and reconnection.
“Corporations were never our friends. They pandered to us when it was good for business, but when times got tough, many of them backed off. This is a good time for us to re-center and realize that we only have our own community to rely on,” he said.
“We need to get back into the gay bars, because they provide safety and community. We belong. These places offer a space for us to be safe and talk to other LGBTQ people. We need to patronize them and keep them in business.”
Karel explained a new conundrum to maturity.
“When I was younger, my friends and I would go to the Silver Fox in Long Beach, which catered to an older gay crowd. We’d say, ‘Don’t let me be in a gay bar at 60.’ And now I’m 62 and I
want to be in a gay bar!” he laughed. He has mixed emotions on the topic of straight people who increasingly frequent gay bars.
“I’m torn on it. It’s not our job to discriminate if straight people want to come and enjoy it. But as a gay man, I don’t wanna have to wonder if a guy is straight or not. They come because gay people are a hoot and holler, but when does a gay bar stop being a gay bar?”
Karel is not deterred by the ageism that can exist in our community.
“Releasing dance singles at 62 is about not giving up. As they age, a lot of people move on from being artists. But it’s important to say, ‘I’m still here.’ I wish more older LGBTQ people would stand up and say, ‘I still have a voice and I’m going to use it.’”
Borrowing a phrase from our popular culture, he jokingly adds, “I’m changing my pronouns from has/been to still/here.”t
www.youtube.com/@ReallyKarel www.reallykarel.com
Karel
Charles Bouley II
fication environment, as a waiter at a high-end restaurant, a nanny, and part-time party drug dealer. Cass drinks themself to sleep.
Cass has a one-night hookup with Kalli (Louisa Krauss), a new waitress at the restaurant. She has a potential job in Reno and asks Cass if they will watch her 12-year-old daughter Ari (Ridley Asha Bateman). But after a few days, there’s no contact with Kalli, so Cass must take care of Ari. They are both lonely, hurt people, but they bond over a video game. Ari’s abandonment by her mother provokes anger but also sparks memories of Cass’s mother’s abuse of them.
There’s a lovely supporting turn from lesbian former SF comic/actress Lea DeLaria as a friendly, solicitous bank officer. Empathetic, at-times compelling tale on the healing power of kindness, belonging, loss, and chosen family with outstanding performances from Dillon and Bateman.
It’s cheeky gender-bending twists a la Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” done teen-age style in the comedy, “She’s the He.” During the final week of high school, Ethan and Alex pretend to be trans women so as to stop the rumors that they are gay and dating, but also to get Alex closer to his crush Sasha.
But after putting on a dress, Ethan realizes she really is trans much to the consternation of his mother. He comes out to Alex at Sasha’s slumber party. Alex, in desperation, accidentally admits their lie to Sasha. The girls turn against both Ethan and Alex, where all hell breaks out. Will their catty gay friend Davis help them turn everything around or make it worse?
The cast is mostly trans, including casting trans men as the cis male characters. It’s written and directed by a trans filmmaker, who is attempting to reclaim the teen rom com for trans folk as well as being a throwback to late 90s adolescent comedies. The film pokes fun at transphobic conservative bombast, especially the fearmongering around trans bathroom access. The film doesn’t want you to think too deeply, as there are plot holes the size of pot holes in the plot, not to mention idiotic sequences.
healing the body, but affirming the dignity and worth of every individual who comes into his office. This documentary is the reason why we attend and love film festivals. A shocking surprise and one of the peak moments of Frameline49.
For those during Pride searching for more gay heroes, look no farther than Angela Madsen, profiled in the winning documentary, “Row of Life.” Madsen was serving in the Marine Corps when a botched back surgery left her paralyzed, discharged, and then homeless. She rises from the gutter, to become a three-time Paralympian and fourteen-time Guiness World Record holder, as a champion ocean rower. Yet the film is less about Madsen’s remarkable back story, than on her April 2020 final ocean crossing, with the love and support of her life partner Deb. She sets off solo and unassisted in her 20” ocean rowing boat, Row of Life, to cross 2500 miles of open ocean from LA to Hawaii. If successful, Angela at 60, would’ve been the oldest woman, first openly queer athlete, and only paraplegic to accomplish such a goal. This was her most ambitious row and she planned to retire once finished. Kudos all around and another Frameline49 highlight.
We are treated to an impressionistic but lyrical anachronistic depiction of the Black gay writer James Baldwin in a virtually silent film, “Jimmy.” Shooting in evocative black-and-white on stock 16mm film, photographer and filmmaker Yashaddai Owens covers the period beginning in November 1948 when 24-year-old Baldwin (played by Benny O. Arthur) with a fellowship grant, left New York and relocated to Paris, settling in the city’s Algerian quarters and the Left Bank artists in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, where he wrote his early novels.
If I told you that a film that shows mostly a doctor’s appointments with his patients, you would think this will be boring, but to the credit of director Gianluca Matarrese and especially the protagonist, you would be wrong, in the riveting Italian documentary, Gen_ At Milan’s Niguarda free public hospital, Dr. Maurizio Bini sees two types of patients: aspiring parents/infertile couples undergoing IVF and transgender people seeking gender affirming therapies, especially puberty blockers. Italy now has a conservative government placing more legal restrictions on both these treatments, even a proposed law to make surrogacy a punishable crime. Dr. Bini, at the twilight of his career, is trying not only to mediate between clinical judgment and stringent legal restrictions, but also give compassionate care gaining the trust of very vulnerable, hurting patients, not just
There is virtually no use made of Baldwin’s works, except a brief excerpt from “No Name in the Street” at the end, where Baldwin exclaims, “I’m a free citizen in a free country.” Baldwin wanted to escape the pervasive racism of America. So there are ‘scenes’ of Baldwin reading, writing, and falling in love amidst the bustling rhythms of Paris, as he discovers a new identity, independence, and erotic liberation.
Timed to coincide with the reprinting of SF queer outlaw author Michelle Tea’s 2000 lesbian cult classic “Valencia,” the 2013 movie “(Return to) Valencia” is being screened. Fleeing Tucson and her rotten (ex-)girlfriend, Tea lands in the rebellious punk hipster lesbian Riot Grrls diaspora scene of pre-dot-com-startups early 1990s San Francisco in the Mission District and its focal point, Valencia Street, now gentrified beyond recognition.
Tea gave 20 different directors chapters from her book to dramatize in a style of their own choosing and they in turn cast 18 different ‘Michelles,’ all of whom cross racial, geographic, gender, and size categories, giving new impetus to intersectional filmmaking. There’s no real narrative here, though Michelle’s at times hellish relationship with her on-andoff again butch girlfriend Iris is the
main thread, complete with hookups, breakups, and makeups.
But the film’s star is the city’s riotous underbelly with its poetry open mics, extreme self-inventions, clubbing, binge drinking at dive bars, zinemaking, body-positive femme-filled sexuality even fisting and a brief stint as a sex worker in a Marin bordello, communal crash pads, fringe galleries, and drugging, including a Claymation magic-mushroom trip sequence in a SF that no longer exists.
Prepare to be unsettled by Jun Li’s Queerpanorama,” from Hong Kong, which follows an unnamed 23-year-old gay man (Jayden Cheung, in an impressive debut) as he goes from hook-up to hook-up using a dating app, but impersonates the identity of the last man he met with the next guy he meets.
He introduces himself by their name and describes their occupation as his own. He first says he’s an actor, then a scientist, a teacher, a delivery guy, an architect. In almost every encounter he mentions he’s in a longdistance open relationship, which seems to be the one constant, as only by pretending to be someone else can he actually be himself.
At times, he’s horny, looking just for sex and other occasions he’s seeking an emotional connection, asking their stances on life, love, and sex or what issues they are facing at work. With kindness and respect, some meetings have an almost spiritual quality to them. The audience will ask who is this person, as he never actually gives himself away, yet he’s probably asking the same question.
Ultimately, as strange as this setup is, it works, keeping your attention because he’s wrestling with his purpose in life and the meaning of being human. The black-and-white cinematography is exquisite, as each shot has a vibrancy and aliveness that
contributes to the intimacy of every scene.
Another film that will produce rage, if you’ve ever wondered about the I in LGBTQIA, the medical expose documentary, “The Secret of Me,” will enlighten you. We learn about Kristi, a teenage girl playing soccer in a conservative religious Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In college, 1995, in a feminist studies class, she reads a textbook that describes what she’s been experiencing all her life, that there was something off about her identity, as well as the devastating realization that she’s been lied to her whole life by her parents and doctors. Then the camera pans to Jim Ambrose, in his 40s, who speaks into the camera, “I am Kristi, but this is not a trans story,” though he has the utmost respect for them.
After obtaining his birth records, he uncovers he was born with XY male chromosomes but because his genitals were judged small and atypical, the urologist, Dr. Robert Carter, with the consent of his parents, surgically removed his testicles and his penis. Jim was raised as a girl and was never told what happened to him. This chain of events is based on the work done by Johns Hopkins psychologist John Money, who advised the parents of a male victim after a botched circumcision, to raise him as a girl.
Tacky recreated scenes, jarring dramatic music, and a staged confrontation with Dr. Carter that’s slightly anticlimactic, prevent us from calling the film great, but it is likely to be groundbreaking by discussing a formerly taboo subject.t
Read the full film reviews, and of more films, in last week and next week’s issues.
www.frameline.org
Pride books round-up 2025, part 3
by Jim Piechota
Here’s the third installment in our Pride 2025 books round-up, with a fascinating collective of books on queer history and queer leadership, and a book investigating how each of them have been attacked and compromised by government entities bent on destroying the idea of diversity. Sound familiar?
Also featured are titles celebrating the fabulous Ballroom culture and the queens who brought it to glamorous life, as well as a brilliant mouthwatering selection of recipe books.
Please patronize your local bookseller and seek out these wonderful books for your reading pleasure during this very important and pivotal LGBTQ Pride month.
POETRY
“Hardly Creatures: Poems by Rob Macaisa Colgate,”
$16.00 (Tin House)
Colgate, a queer disabled poet, playwright, and 2024 Ruth Lily fellow, debuts with this imaginative collection reflecting on the experiences of being disabled while navigating a world that isn’t always welcoming or accommodating.
Distinguishing each section is a universal access symbol which denotes poems centered on access location points, resting benches, close captioning, gender inclusive spaces, physical accessibility, and many others. The poems are creatively unique and play on themes of inclusivity, exclusivity, love, relationships, friendship, companionship, sex, as well as the history of disabled communities told through key moments which mattered most to the poet.
Heartfelt and deeply humanitar-
ian, Colgate carefully and thoughtfully addresses a sensitive topic with art, words, form, charm, and personal meaning. tinhouse.com
HISTORY
“Ballroom: A History, a Movement, a Celebration” by Michael Roberson with Mikelle Street, $30 (Running Press)
In this insider’s view of the queer House/Ballroom scene, Roberson, a 30-year veteran of Ballroom and a cultural consultant to the FX series “Pose,” presents a vivid history of the drag ball phenomenon from its supposed 1888 origins in Washington, D.C., to the process of hosting and procuring events, to the impact on awareness, visibility, and equality these unifying shows had particularly on oppressed Black and trans communities.
In grand fashion, Roberson outspokenly guides readers on teaching points about Ballroom culture’s sartorial and behavioral hallmarks, over-the-top runway looks which very much deserve the rich, full-color
photographic treatment featured in the book, the cutthroat competitive nature of some participating drag houses, and, lastly and most critically, the nurturing, celebratory sense of family that is bestowed upon both prancers and observers. Get your heels out and share this book with your House. hachettebookgroup.com
“Generation Queer: Stories of Youth Organizers, Artists, and Educators” by Kimm Topping, Illustrated by Anshika Khullar $22.95 (Tu Books)
In this colorfully-illustrated kaleidoscopic array of queer and transgender profiles, trans/queer artist-educator, writer and historian Kimm Topping, accompanied by illustrator Anshika Khullar, examines how a group of queer youth are altering how the world considers diversity with their creative initiatives and mind frames set on equality through social change.
Topping has assembled 30 determined, outspoken queer community artists, authors, poets, educators and visionaries who contribute thoughts on safe, proactive activism, queer history documentation measures, historical timelines, and then spotlights the luminaries who graced each decade with queer radical protest and enduring achievements.
More recognizable historical figures throughout history are featured alongside contemporary movers and shakers like a Black bisexual Muslim educator (Blair Imani) and a gendernonconforming public speaker and comedian (Alok Vaid-Menon). The future seems brighter beneath the glow of these motivated, empowered young queer people. leeandlow.com
COOKING
“Baking Across America: A Vintage Recipe Road Trip” by B. Dylan Hollis, $38 (DK) TikTok Social media personality and New York Times bestselling author Hollis (“Baking Yesteryear”) presents this full-color excursion through cities across America uncovering nostalgic favorite dishes in places like Boston, New Orleans, and Palm Springs, among many others. Retro desserts are his passion and this idea splashes across pages of anecdotes and recipes that will trigger memories of childhood dinners, birthday parties, and elegant cocktail gatherings for readers of a certain age.
The idea became solidified when, out of boredom and curiosity to attempt a recipe he’d found for “Pork Cake,” Hollis baked it on camera, uploaded it to social media, and soon his fanbase began sending in their old cookbooks to Hollis to test out some of the recipes from decades prior.
With over 100 unique recipes representing the best flavors of Americana, Hollis has struck gold-plated wonder with this treasury of recipes and memories. www.dk.com
In partnership with Book Passage, Hollis will appear June 21, 2pm at Calvery Presbyterian Church, 2515 Fillmore St. www.bookpassage.com
“Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking” by Rick Martine
$32.99 (Clarkson Potter)
of incorporating salsas into their daily meals. penguinrandomhouse.com
“Potluck Desserts: Joyful Recipes to Share with Pride” by Justin Burke & Brian Samuels
$29.99 (Countryman/Norton)
Burke, a food writer, recipe developer, queer food activist, and awardwinning pastry chef and baker, has handcrafted this recipe book to celebrate all things home-baked, comforting, and deliriously sweet. Together with photographer Brian Samuels, the pages in this vibrant collection spring to life and beg to be recreated in a reader’s own kitchen.
Categorized by the vessels these dishes are baked in and served from, the opening sections feature recipes that can be served on square, rectangular, sheet, and loaf pans like Strawberry and Cream Cake; moist, caramel-loaded and gooey-sounding Scotcheroos and Grasshopper Brownies; and Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars. Delectable, easy-to-prepare loafs of Peach Cobbler Bread, Honey-Almond Financier, fruit cobblers, trifles, and sweet dessert salads, even ice cream recipes are included as complimentary sides to these favorites. wwnorton.com
“Dining Out: First Dates, Defiant Nights, and Last Call Disco Fries at America’s Gay Restaurants” by Erik Piepenburg, $30 (Grand Central)
A journalist for The New York Times since 2004, Piepenburg explores the idea and history of the “gay restaurant” culture which became prevalent when queer patrons began eating and hanging out at certain establishments across the country.
“American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler, $32 (Dutton)
Few readers will be surprised by the truth behind this shocking expose on governmental surveillance in the Sunshine State in the mid-twentieth century. Investigative journalist Fieseler uncovers a disturbing amount of evidence supporting the theory that what was called the Florida Legislative Investigative Committee was actually a group of white, aged legislators out to terrorize Black and queer Floridians and create an ultimate “purge” of this dual demographic from jobs and schools across the state.
Fieseler puts human faces on this atrocity with interviews and statements from several citizens who were terrorized by this cruel initiative, which was only curtailed by Supreme Court measures. An undergraduate student recalls being extracted from class and questioned; a music professor was cornered by governmental operatives in a men’s room at a courthouse.
This scandalous activity continued under the guise of uncovering “subversive crime” but what it really became was a malevolent witch hunt against members of vulnerable, at-risk communities. Fieseler’s reportage is riveting and shocking and will remind readers not to ignore the surveillant state of our own slick, serpentine government. penguinrandomhouse.com
Martinez, a colorful, outspoken queer Mexican American and Texan, won a James Beard award with his first cookbook, “Mi Cocina,” and because of the overwhelming response to that book and suggestions that his salsa concoctions were the most enticing part of it, he decided to bring forth an entire book composing his best and most favored recipes for everything salsa-related in Mexican cooking.
From densely flavorful to refreshingly light, Martinez offers takes on traditional salsas in seventy varieties, using ingredients like charred tomatoes and crema (“La Tatemada Cremosa”), and adobo as well as sour oranges, morita, peanuts, chili de arbol, caramelized onions and serrano peppers, and many, many more alongside ideas for fully-conceived meals that incorporate these ingredients like an Albondingas sub sandwich.
“I believe salsa belongs everywhere, all the time,” writes the author. This useful, vibrant cookbook is a must-have item for any chef who loves the idea
Utilizing a treasure trove of interviews with chefs, wait staff, patrons, and culture experts, Piepenburg builds a convincing and engaging legacy of gay-friendly and gay-popular eateries and examines the differences between them and the gay bars that are just as attractive to queer populations.
Whether seated at one of several safe-space queer businesses in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood, or a selection of campy gossipy gay brunch hot spots across the US, [120] or watching “a table of loud-mouthed drag queens scarf down platters of grease-soaked bacon-and-cheese potato skins at two a.m.,” there is plenty to enjoy throughout this fun, thoughtful, and delightfully entertaining romp across the tables of gay restaurants. www.hachettebookgroup.comt
A sensory journey through Brazilian romance
by Stephen LeBlanc
Bay Area cultural sophistica-
tion meets authentic Brazilian traditions in “The Copacabana Supper Club,” a fabulous and uniquely immersive Bossa Nova entertainment experience gracing the newly renovated Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts in Oakland. Running Thursdays through Sundays until June 29, this intimate supper club production offers audiences a complete sensory journey that transports guests into the heart of Brazilian romance and rhythm.
Co-curators Kristopher McDowell and Glauco Araujo (creative and married partners) have assembled a sophisticated mélange that weaves together authentic Brazilian cuisine, sultry Brazilian song and dance, and cleverly integrated pop Americana elements. The result is an evening that delights not just the senses, but the sensibilities of those seeking a unique artistic experience.
The evening’s narrative structure revolves around a mini-play that connects the musical numbers through compelling character development.
Female lead Phoenyx Rose embodies Morena, the enigmatic club owner harboring secret motivations, while male lead Araujo portrays Carioca, a newly arrived Brazilian dancer navigating American culture without English language skills or clear direction. Their performances are both strong and dynamically engaging; creating genuine chemistry that drives the story forward.
Echoing aspects of Glauco’s own journey from classically trained Rio de Janeiro dancer to internationally recognized performer, Carioca’s transformation from uncertain newcomer to the epitome of the suave, sexy, mysterious South American man provides the evening’s emotional arc. Morena’s role as catalyst in this transformation adds layers of complexity that elevate the production. The show plays with American romantic stereotypes while simultaneously illustrating authentic struggles that such characters encounter in contemporary America.
Flavors and fun
The diverse ensemble and solo song and dance numbers feature a carefully curated cast of accomplished local performers alongside guest artist Araujo, ensuring each musical moment feels authentic. Complementing the performances, the culinary offerings showcase small plates, entrées, and desserts that burst with intense, authentic Brazilian flavors, expertly prepared by Oakland’s renowned Chef Nelson of Sobre Mesa. The evening provides to a top-rate selection of cocktails and wines that perfectly complement the evening’s atmosphere.
The jazz/samba musical arrangements come alive through an ensemble of celebrated professional Bay Area musicians who bring decades
of experience to every note. Musical director Larry Dunlap anchors the sound on piano, while Tim Devine’s saxophone work adds sultry depth.
Konstantins Jemeljanovas delivers brilliant trumpet flourishes, Christian Pepin provides rhythmic percussion foundation, and Sascha Jacobsen’s bass lines create the perfect foundation. Eric Swinderman’s guitar work weaves through the arrangements with finesse, while Jeff Hanson and Sylvia Cuenca share drumming duties that keep the energy flowing throughout the evening.
The musical program strikes an inspired balance between beloved Brazilian classics and unexpected American popular songs. Traditional Bossa Nova standards like “The Girl from Ipanema” receive fresh interpretations, while American favorites such as “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” and Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” are reimagined through Brazilian sensibilities.
Savory storytellling
The evening’s highlights include the live performance of “Waters of March” (“Águas de Março”), the Bossa Nova/ Jazz anthem composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1973, and Araujo’s mesmerizing solo dance numbers that showcase his classical training and natural charisma.
Bay Area native Kristopher McDowell explained the production’s philosophy.
“Glauco and I conceived of a Brazilian-inspired evening that included storytelling, food, and music, and that also provided space for local performing artists to thrive,” he said. This commitment to supporting regional talent while maintaining artistic sophistication permeates every aspect of the production.
The show represents one of the very first events at the newly renovated Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. The building’s meticulous restoration shines brilliantly in the beautiful ballroom that hosts the performance.
The space itself becomes part of the experience, with elegant architectural details that complement the evening’s
sophisticated atmosphere.
Currently, the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts awaits its grand opening in October, and as a result, the entire block-long building remains surrounded by chain-link fencing.
Guests should note that entry requires walking or driving to the parking lot, where ample free parking is available.
The Center has enthusiastically backed and is presenting this fantastical experience to introduce the wider
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Bay Area arts and performance community to the exciting possibilities that will emerge from the several performance and event spaces that will soon be available in the Kaiser Center for the Arts building.
In summary, the venue is beautiful, the musicians are first-rate, and the song and dance program delivers both fun and originality in equal measure. This production succeeds because it respects both its Brazilian roots and its American setting, creating an evening that feels both authentic and accessible.
For anyone seeking an evening that combines culinary excellence, musical sophistication, and theatrical charm, “The Copacabana Supper Club” offers an experience that lingers long after the final note fades.t
‘The Copacabana Supper Club,’ $57-$77, Thu-Sun through June 29, Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 10th Street, Oakland (two blocks from the Lake Merritt BART station). www.hjkarts.com
LGBTQ+ country singers Chris Housman at 7pm and Brooke Eden at 8pm on the Island Stage
Ride the rides, enjoy the fine art and photography exhibits, explore the Barnyard, and stay for fireworks over the Lagoon at 9:30pm.
Glauco Araujo (center) with dancers in ‘The Copacabana Supper Club’
HJK Arts
Singer Phoenyx Rose in ‘The Copacabana Supper Club’
