June 23, 2022 edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 52 • No. 25 • June 23-29, 2022

2 parades to greet SF pridegoers by Eric Burkett

t’s been three years since San Francisco last celebrated Pride with its usual extravagance – COVID, like any unwanted guest, saw to that – but now, the fête is back this weekend under the theme “Love Will Keep Us Together” and people, hundreds of thousands of them, are ready to party. In person. If the big, hourslong parade with its thousands of participants

All photos inbycollage: All photos in collage Gooch

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and floats, music, and celebrities isn’t your thing, however, there’s an alternative parade, the People’s March-Unite to Fight, with a decidedly more activist focus and organized by drag impresario Juanita MORE! and activist Alex U. Inn. That event will follow the route of the original Pride parade back in 1970, when 30 folks marched down Polk Street, then the heart of LGBTQ San Francisco before the Castro rose to prominence.

Both parades are Sunday, June 26. Leaders of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee are excited about the return of the SF Pride parade, the first inperson march since 2019. “After two years, the return to an in-person celebration for San Francisco Pride will be an uplifting showcase of some of the best LGBTQ+ luminaries, leaders, and community groups the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer,” Su-

zanne Ford, San Francisco Pride interim executive director, stated in a press release. “This will be a historic moment in our fight for inclusion, acceptance, and equality for all LGBTQ+ people, as we come together in solidarity to celebrate the progress that has been made, while responding with love, activism, and radical inclusion against discriminatory laws that are being enacted across the country at an alarming rate.”

Recent Bay Area incidents involving alleged Proud Boys members hijacking a drag queen storytime event at the San Lorenzo Public Library and a bomb threat to gay state Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) home and offices have the San Francisco Police Department on alert, officials said. The public can expect to see officers out in force, an SFPD statement said. (See related story, page 25.) See page 22 >>

<< Pride 2022

2 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

South Bay LGBTQ office hires new manager by Heather Cassell

anta Clara County’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs has a new leader. Sera Fernando, a Filipina asexual queer transgender person, was named leader of the county department June 13. Fernando was appointed by Rocio Luna, deputy county executive, and former Office of LGBTQ Affairs manager Maribel Martínez. Martínez, the office’s first manager, was promoted to program manager III in the county’s Division of

Equity and Social Justice in July 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile. [LINK: https://www.linkedin.com/ in/maribelmartinez/]. Fernando, 42, had been serving as the office’s interim manager and senior management analyst since January 18. She replaced Daniel Moretti, who has a master’s of science degree and was the office’s program manager who served as interim manager under the same provision since April 2020, Martínez stated in a June 13 email to the Bay Area Reporter. Moretti

Happy Pride

r o f g n i t h g i Keep F ! s t h g i R r u O All

paid for by re-elect scott wiener for state senate 2024.

took the community engagement lead at PRIDEnet/The Pride Study at Stanford University in January, according to his LinkedIn profile. During the early days of the pandemic [LINK: https://www.ebar. com/news/news//293992] in 2020, Martínez was pulled out of the LGBTQ affairs office to work in the county’s Emergency Operations Center, along with many other employees. She told the B.A.R. in July of that year that the office was still operating virtually, serving the South Bay’s LGBTQ community through the global public health crisis. Despite Moretti stepping in as interim manager, Martínez remained involved leading the department until she stepped into her new role, Fernando clarified. Martínez praised Fernando. “Sera brings a wealth of experience promoting equity initiatives in the private sector and community organizations,” Martínez stated, applauding Fernando’s “expertise in community engagement, use of a sexual orientation and gender identity, or SOGI lens, for policy analysis, and leading dynamic teams.” “Her work within the county has contributed toward expanded access to services for the transgender community. All of her skills and experiences will undoubtedly benefit the community as we continue this work through this pandemic and into recovery,” Martínez wrote. Moretti, a 38-year-old gendernonconforming queer who uses all pronouns, said they were “ecstatic and thrilled” upon hearing the news that Fernando was going to be the new manager of the county’s LGBTQ office. “I think she is the perfect person to be stepping into that role,” they said. “I’m very excited to see all of the impactful work that we’ll continue to

Assemblymember Phil Ting asmdc.org/ting

Assemblymember Assemblymember David Chiu Phil Ting asmdc.org/chiu asmdc.org/ting

Courtesy Office of LGBTQ Affairs

Sera Fernando was named the new manager of Santa Clara County’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs on June 31.

see out of the office and now under Sera’s leadership.” Moretti, who worked side by side with Fernando for two years during the pandemic, described her as a “star.” They told the B.A.R. that she is one of the most “passionate and community-driven people that I’ve ever worked with.” “You can really tell the heart at the work of what Sera does is really [about] the community and serving the community,” Moretti said, stating they were inspired by Fernando. It was “a really amazing experience” to work with “a colleague that brings that level of dedication, but also like all of her warmth and energy.” Fernando had just started in her new role as the senior management analyst at the county’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs in 2020 when the pandemic hit. The office was left with Fernando and Moretti to serve the community as the other six staff members, like Martínez, were pulled from the office to respond to COVID-19, she said. “What we had to do was very creative,” Fernando, who uses she/her pronouns, said, recalling those first months during the crisis. She asked herself, “‘What can we do to continue to support the community?’ and from that came a lot of opportunities.” The team tapped into community partners – county agencies and nonprofit organizations – connecting those who contacted the office to resources while they pivoted to focus on strategy, research, and informing policies to better serve the South Bay’s LGBTQ community, she told the B.A.R. Slowly, as the county wrangled the pandemic into a manageable health crisis, two of the office’s employees, Crystal Haney, a community worker, and Erin Fitzgerald, a graphic designer II, returned to their roles in April 2022, according to Fernando.

Dream job

Assemblymember Matt Haney asmdc.org/haney

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Pride, we are reminded that the fight for equality We come all our diversity continues, andtogether we arein proud to be allies to take a stand for equal rights for all. in the pursuit of justice. We wish you a safe and happy Pride.

It is an honor represent in Sacramento. It is an to honor to serve youyou in Sacramento. ASSEMBLY MEMBER

Phil Ting Phil Ting DISTRICT 19

ASSEMBLYMEMBER

Matt Haney David Chiu DISTRICT 17

Paid for by Phil Ting for Paid Assembly 2020 #1414586 and2022, David Chiu for Assembly 2020 #1414326 for by Phil Ting for Assembly FPPC #1437844 Paid for by Matt Haney for Assembly 2022, FPPC #1441330

Fernando wanted to work at the Office of LGBTQ Affairs since its founding, she said. The office opened in 2016. The San Jose native was born to Filipino immigrants. Her father was in the military and her mother was a conservative Catholic. Fernando gradually came to an understanding of her gender through a painful coming out process that included her temporarily separating herself from her parents as she sought her own truth finding the LGBTQ community, she said. Like many queer people, she found her chosen family, and eventually, she reunited with her parents, but their relationship isn’t perfect, she said. She applied for the transgender director position, in 2018, but did not get the job. Fernando did not take the rejection as a defeat but as an opportunity to grow. She said that she immediately realized she needed more than her “lived experience” to become a “professional queer” and create

policy and new initiatives to “change the hearts and minds of others to be more trans-affirming and inclusive.” “I took from not getting that role the first time, just taking that energy and seeing where I could apply it elsewhere because I felt like this was the role that I was meant to do,” she said about “taking no as the opportunity to just learn and see what I could do better.” “I just need to be involved in this way because the movement was much bigger than myself, but I just know that my contribution, what I could give back to this world is much more granular within social equity and social justice,” she said. Fernando worked for Microsoft’s stores as an experience manager where she managed upward of 60 employees for close to 20 years prior to working at the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, she said. She transitioned in her mid-30s while at Microsoft, helping the technology Fortune 500 company develop its transgender employee health care and policies. She was also the outreach director for the company’s LGBTQ employee resource group, GLEAM. “Microsoft gave me a lot more confidence to contribute more to my local community,” Fernando said. Fernando also gained strength from celebrity transgender activists fellow Filipina and model Geena Rocero, actor Laverne Cox, and author Janet Mock. Others who influenced her were Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center board president Gabrielle Antolovich, who identifies as a nonbinary queer person, and Adrienne Keel, a lesbian who is director of LGBTQ programs at LGBTQ Youth Space, a program of Family and Children’s Services of Silicon Valley. Antolovich did not respond to the B.A.R.’s request for comment. “Sera is a phenomenal community leader because she approaches her advocacy work with equal parts passion, vivacity, and warmth. She is a fierce presence, and at the same time she remains incredibly humble and kind,” wrote Keel, who has worked with Fernando for more than three years, in an email interview with the B.A.R. Keel gave an example of what she described as Fernando’s “exemplary leadership.” Due to Fernando’s assistance LGBTQ Youth Space’s LGBTQ Wellness program received resources to hold three transgender, gender expansive, and intersex community roundtables, two in English and one in Spanish, she wrote in an email. The meetings allowed the space’s team “to hear directly from TGI folks about their experiences living and working in Santa Clara County” which is now being used to inform potential policies and procedures in the county, Keel explained. “Sera does an amazing job of recognizing when and where there are gaps in services, and which commuSee page 20 >>

<< Pride 2022

4 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Bay Area Reporter

We Salute and Congratulate You on Your

50THANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE EDITION

Pulse foundation forges ahead with memorial project by Cynthia Laird

With Best Wishes The Men and Women of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798

The Salvation Army is here to serve San Francisco Learn more at salvationarmyusa.org/nondiscrimination

t was a day that many LGBTQs will never forget. On June 12, 2016, 49 lives – mostly LGBTQ Latinos – were lost and more than 50 were injured during a mass shooting inside Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Coming during Pride Month, the terrible news was a shock for the community. Now, six years later, the owner of Pulse is well into a plan to create what she describes as a fitting memorial at the site as a means to pay tribute to those whose lives were lost and to create a sanctuary of hope for future generations. Barbara Poma, the owner of Pulse, established the nonprofit onePULSE Foundation (https://onepulsefoundation.org/) in 2017 with the goal of establishing the memorial. Poma, a straight ally, was until recently the president and CEO of the foundation but stepped down in February, shortly after she was in San Francisco as part of a multi-city tour to promote the foundation’s work. She remains the founder of the foundation and the “keeper of the story,” according to the organization, which is now searching for an executive director. “I’m spreading awareness of the project,” Poma told the Bay Area Reporter when she was in town. She said it was the first time she’d been in San Francisco and she’d met with foundations and other potential funding sources. The memorial and museum, for which the winning designs were unveiled in 2019, is expected to cost around $40 million. So far, about $22 million has been raised to support the foundation’s mission. The memorial will be on the site of the nightclub, which closed after the massacre. It will feature a garden of 49 trees to commemorate each of the 49 victims, along with a palette of 49 colors, according to a 2019 news release from the foundation that the B.A.R. reported on. The design concept is from the French architectural group Coldefy & Associés in association with six other participants, according to the release. “The design unveiled in 2019 has not changed substantially,” Poma said, adding that the foundation has held lots of listening sessions. The goal now is to complete the survivors’ park and then the memorial, hopefully by next year. The third part will be the museum, to be located about a third of a mile away from Pulse. It’s planned to house around 7,000 artifacts from the nightclub and specifically from the night of the killings, Poma said. “It’s going to be a very immersive center,” she said. “We will talk about the attack, of course, but also the LGBTQ community. Stories told about tending bar – a really immersive place so people come out changed. Our survivors were emphatic that they didn’t want it to be a sad place.” In the meantime, there is an interim memorial at the site of the former club, which opened May 8, 2018. Poma said the building is still standing and surrounded by a barrier wall to protect it. There are viewing areas where people can read the names of those killed, and a waterfall back by the bathrooms where gunman Omar Mateen held hostages for three hours. “It’s a touch point to tell stories and a place to leave items, because people still do leave written messages,” Poma said, adding there’s a kiosk where people can type in notes. “We had over 300 a day before COVID,” she said. The interim memorial is all outdoors. The building itself is closed. Poma said that she has been inside since the shooting but that now there is a facilities manager to keep an eye on the site.

Courtesy Coldefy & Associés

An overview of the winning design for the Pulse memorial and museum in Orlando, Florida.

Courtesy Coldefy & Associés

An artist rendering of the proposed Pulse memorial and museum in Orlando, Florida.

Most Pulse survivors approve of the foundation’s plans and some have gotten involved with gun control efforts since the tragedy. Before and since Pulse there have been hundreds of mass shootings, including at a Florida high school in 2018, and just recently, at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. There is a bipartisan framework on some gun safety legislation in Congress, but, as the New York Times recently reported, Republicans and Democrats are sending “disparate messages about its scope and implications.” (https://www.nytimes. com/2022/06/15/us/politics/gun-billdemocrats-republicans.html) Brandon Wolf, one of the Pulse survivors, told the B.A.R. in a recent email that he responded late to a query from the paper because he was trying to process the mass shootings in May. Ten people, almost all of them Black, were killed at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo. In Texas, 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. “When you lose someone you love dearly, one of the most visceral emotions you experience is fear,” Wolf wrote. “Fear that you will forget them, driving you to save old voicemails and squirrel away old T-shirts to hold onto fond memories. And there is a fear that the world will never get to know them as you did, never get an opportunity to be loved by them as profoundly as you were.” Wolf explained why he’s continuing to be involved in gun control efforts. “My work to end gun violence and anti-LGBTQ bigotry over the past six years has been fueled by a desire to see the lives and legacies of my best friends Drew and Juan kept alive through action,” he wrote, referring to Pulse victims Christopher Andrew Leinonen and Juan Ramon Guerrero. “I am hopeful that a museum focused on combatting anti-LGBTQ animus and putting human faces to the cost of militarized hatred will be part of that work to ensure that my best friends are never forgotten – and that their legacies are that of a world they would have been proud of.” Wolf will be the keynote speaker

Cynthia Laird

OnePULSE Foundation founder and Pulse co-owner Barbara Poma discussed plans for the memorial and museum during a visit to San Francisco in February.

at The Conference, which is part of New York City’s Pride events, June 23, at New York Law School. Since the shooting, he co-founded and is current vice president of the Dru Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers safe spaces in schools for LGBTQ youth, and serves as press secretary for Equality Florida, the state’s LGBTQ civil rights organization. Others are critical of the foundation’s plans. The Community Coalition Against A Pulse Museum said it is against turning the location of the massacre into a “tourist attraction,” as the B.A.R. previously reported. “Everyone in Orlando smells money like crazy,” Christine Leinonen, who lost her son, Christopher, in the massacre, said in a phone interview with the B.A.R. back in 2019. “They’re trying to appeal to my ego. Of course I want my son’s story to be told, but it’s like, this owner is trying to capitalize.” Poma said that she and the foundation are not deterred by the criticism. “I’ve learned you’ll never have 100% agreement,” she said. “We have a majority [of survivors]. She’s a grieving mother; I’m a mom.” Poma and her husband, Rosario, who was a co-owner of Pulse, have three adult children. Poma’s salary when she led the foundation was See page 20 >>

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06/05/22

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<< Pride 2022

t Nonbinary author has ‘most banned’ book in US 6 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

by Brian Bromberger

aia Kobabe has the distinction of having written the most banned book in America, according to the American Library Association and PEN America, the writers’ advocacy group Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists. “Gender Queer” is a graphic memoir first published in 2019 but re-issued in a hardcover deluxe edition this month by Oni Press. The book charts Kobabe’s journey discovering gender identity as both a nonbinary and asexual person. “Gender Queer” won two prestigious prizes, the Alex Award for adult books with special appeal to young readers presented by the American Library Association and the Stonewall Book Award for nonfiction. Consequently many school and public libraries began purchasing the book. Parents began objecting to the sexually explicit illustrations in the book: a fantasy in which an older man touches a youth’s penis based on a piece of painted ancient Greek pottery; another depicting Kobabe’s girlfriend performing oral sex while Kobabe wears a strap-on dildo; and other episodes portraying masturbation and menstrual blood. School boards in Virginia, Florida, North and South Carolina began pulling the book from library collections. Critics claim it’s not Kobabe’s story or identity they find objectionable, but the nude characters and sexual scenarios that they deem inappropriate for children. Still the reaction to the book is part of a nationwide anti-queer backlash, both silencing and invalidating LGBTQ young people. Not surprisingly the controversy has boosted sales of the book. The memoir has been praised for its portrayal of how painful it can be to be different and not fit into your peer group. Kobabe urges readers to accept themselves, however one chooses to identify oneself. Kobabe, 33, discussed the book with the Bay Area Reporter in an email interview. It was a frustration with language to describe Kobabe’s identity that inspired the origins of the book. “‘Gender Queer’ grew out of a series of small black and white journal comics I posted to my Instagram between 2016-2017,” Kobabe wrote in the email. “I was trying to come out as nonbinary to my friends and family and it felt like I was never able to fully get my point across in conversation. I realized I had to sit down and write about my experiences with gender, to try and condense what I was attempting to communicate into its clearest, most concise form. “That early series was titled ‘Genderqueer’ (one word) and when I started adapting it into a book in 2018, I decided to keep the same title but break it into two words since gender identity and queerness are the two major themes of the book,” Kobabe explained. “The book was initially released in paperback, but my publisher Oni Press regularly re-releases books in hardcover after a few years if they have sold well. We already had a hardcover edition in the works before the book was hit with a wave of bans and challenges in late 2021, but that sped up the process.” Kobabe discovered the book was being banned through a list. “I learned of one ban via a small article in the American Library Association’s annual Field Report of Banned and Challenged Books, the edition released in September of 2021,” Kobabe wrote. “Very shortly after that I was tagged in an Instagram video of

Courtesy YouTube

Author Maia Kobabe wrote “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that was the most banned book in America in 2021.

“Gender Queer” has been re-released in a deluxe edition.

“The positive responses to my book have outweighed the negative ones by 10 to one, or more.” –Maia Kobabe, author a parent complaining about ‘Gender Queer’ at a school board meeting in Fairfax County, Virginia. After that it was like a dam broke, and there was such a flood of challenges between September-December 2021 I was hardly able to keep up with them. By April 2022, I learned my book had been the most challenged book of the previous year.” Fairfax parent Stacy Langton’s testimony, where she denounced the book as pornography, had been censored by media reports due to its graphic content. In its uncensored form it was posted on social media where it went viral. It was picked up by conservative media, eventually leading to the parent being interviewed on Fox News. It has sparked a political debate on gender identity and transgender rights that played a role in Virginia’s 2021 race for governor, with the Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin, who won, siding with parent’s rights to decide what is taught in their children’s classrooms. Kobabe uses Spivak pronouns (e/ em/eir), which Wikipedia defines as “a set of gender-neutral pronouns promulgated on the virtual community LambdaMOO based on pronouns used by American mathematician Michael Spivak.” An older queer artist/writer whom Kobabe admires introduced em to Spivak pronouns. “I remember a physical reaction of joy to hearing them for the first time – something like a shiver down my spine, something like pulling on a pair of jeans that fit perfectly. A feeling of being comfortable in something I never wanted to take off again. I knew I was signing up for a lifetime of explaining myself to people, but I found myself

willing and ready to take that on. The best way to get better at using new pronouns is to practice with them!” Kobabe wrote.

Frustrated at bans

Kobabe said e was frustrated by the wave of challenges that includes “Gender Queer.” “I take it personally because it feels like a coordinated effort to erase trans and queer voices from the public sphere, to cut queer youth off from information and resources that might literally be lifesaving,” Kobabe wrote. “Queer young people often grow up without adult queer people around them to look up to, and so especially need to see positive, interesting, complex representations in media to be able to visualize a future for themselves.” Kobabe sees these bans as a rejection of queer youth’s stories, which harkens back to eir own questioning of eir identity as a child, when during a third grade field trip, Kobabe went topless to play in a river and a teacher scolded eir. Kobabe isn’t surprised that schools have become the battleground for antiqueer activists. “Because those who do not want queer people to exist can disguise their homophobia and transphobia behind the mask of protecting children, disregarding (or intentionally attacking) the large number of children who are also queer,” Kobabe wrote. Puberty was traumatic for Kobabe, especially gynecological exams and the confusion of developing crushes on both boys and girls, the challenges of dating, as well as finding it exceedingly difficult to ask people to use em preferred pronouns. Fortunately, Kobabe’s parents, both teachers, were supportive. Eir sister told Kobabe, “I think

you’re a genderless person,” knowing it before Kobabe did, Kobabe wrote. In “Gender Queer,” in an excerpt from a 2004 diary entry, Kobabe writes, “I don’t want to be a girl, I don’t want to be a boy either. I just want to be myself.” The book is Kobabe’s journey to realize what eirself is. Kobabe resents gender identification imposed coercively by society. “Binary thinking is engrained and enforced in our speech and education from our earliest days, and it takes effort, willingness, and creativity to break out of that mindset. ... It’s not our fault but society’s uncomfortableness with going against binary thinking,” Kobabe wrote. Kobabe asserts in the book that there is no one way to be nonbinary, that there may be as different ways to express non-binariness as there are nonbinary people. Kobabe also notes that e has received “a few sweet messages from readers thanking me for the asexual representations in my book, because there still aren’t many books which talk about asexuality. But the asexuality aspect has not come up as much in the media conversations around my book, especially not among my detractors.” Kobabe recognizes that the format of the book has contributed to its being attacked. “I think my book is especially vulnerable to attacks because it is a graphic novel,” Kobabe wrote. “A couple key panels and pages are often taken out of context and spread around on social media. Visual images often have a stronger impact than words alone. But I think this is a strength, not a weakness! Comics are an especially wonderful medium for queer and trans people, because we can choose to draw ourselves however we want to be seen.” Kobabe does understand why some parents might be shocked at some of the more explicit material in “Gender Queer,” though e urges detractors to read the entire book rather than just judging it based on a few specific images. “My book has all along been marketed to older teens and adults. I personally recommend it for high school and above, but I also recognize that every reader matures at their own pace, and some readers will be ready for books like mine earlier and some later. If a parent has a gender-questioning child, I suggest they read my book first and decide whether they think their kid is ready for it, if their kid is still in junior high or younger.” Kobabe wishes there had been a book like eirs when e was investigating and questioning eir gender/ sexual identity. “It would have been huge! I spent my entire teenage years searching

for every scrap and crumb of queer representation I could find,” Kobabe wrote. “This was in the mid-2000s when there was so much less available than there is now. Finding a book like mine could have shortened my many years of questing and confusion and given me the language to describe myself sooner.” The book has its light-hearted moments such as Kobabe discussing em devotion to queer-inspired “Lord of the Rings” fan fiction plus love of Olympic ice-skater Johnny Weir and Alexander McQueen’s high couture, as well as how sex toys can aid sexual discovery. The cartoons in the book are purposely drawn in cheery hopeful colors and use straightforward, nondidactic language easily understood by kids and perhaps sparking valuable discussions with their friends and classmates.

Praise for book

Kobabe is grateful for the praise the book has also received. The book has been a lifeline for teens exploring their gender/queer identity, especially if their families are unsupportive. “The positive responses to my book have outweighed the negative ones by 10 to one, or more. Hearing from someone who says, ‘Your book made me feel less alone,’ makes me feel less alone as well,” Kobabe wrote. “Writing this book was a huge piece of the journey to understanding myself, and I am so happy whenever I hear it has helped someone else in the same way.” Kobabe is almost done writing er next graphic novel, which is being co-authored with another nonbinary cartoonist, Lucky Srikumar. “The book is fictional and is meant for younger readers than my first. It also focuses on a teen questioning gender and sexuality in the context of junior high peer pressure, puberty, sex ed classes, all that. It doesn’t have a title or a release date yet, but please look forward to it sometime in the next few years,” Kobabe wrote. When asked what three messages e would like readers to take away after finishing “Gender Queer,” Kobabe replied, “Be brave, be gentle, be true.” Kobabe has some advice for youth questioning their sexual and gender identities. “You are the authority of your own identity,” Kobabe wrote. “Even if the people around you don’t recognize who you are, that doesn’t change who you are inside. It’s okay to have questions, and take a long time to settle into one identity, including deciding that your identity is fluid. You are not alone. There is a wide and vibrant community of people all wrestling with these same questions.” t

<< Pride 2022

t Murals and banners honor South Bay queer women 8 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

by Heather Cassell

ounding the corner from San Jose’s Museum of Art on North First Street, lesbian retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell saw a larger than life image of herself. The tropical, purple-tipped leaves and fuchsia butterflies flying between the scales of justice with a fist at the top frame Cordell. Her likeness stands calmly draped in a judicial robe holding a gavel. Her 2021 memoir, “Her Honor; My Life on the Bench...What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It” (Celadon Books), rests open to a page on one of the scales. A ribbon of rainbow piano keys flies out of the bottom of the mural. “I looked up and said, ‘Oh my God!’” Cordell, a 72-year-old Black lesbian, said upon seeing the mural for the first time recently. “There’s significance to everything in the mural.” The mural is several blocks away from the Santa Clara County Superior Court building where she sat on the bench for 20 years. Cordell, who is an artist, writer, and musician herself, marveled at how artist Elba Raquel Martinez, 40, an ally who was commissioned to paint the mural, incorporated the details of her life, including her sexuality, into the project. Cordell was the first Black Superior Court judge in Northern California and in Santa Clara County’s history when she was elected in 1988. Prior to that, Cordell became the first Black woman judge in Northern California when former Governor Jerry Brown Jr. appointed Cordell to the municipal court during his first term as governor in 1982. Cordell was 32, she said. Cordell said she came out around the mid-1980s when she was 35 years old, about three years after being sworn in serving on the bench in Santa Clara County’s Municipal Court. In 2001, Cordell retired from the bench. Since then, she has been an independent police auditor for the city of San Jose, a consultant, and was elected to the Palo Alto City Council in 2004, where she served a four-year term that ended in December 2007, according to the Palo Alto city clerk’s office.

Courtesy of Francisco Ramirez

Retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell stood in front of the mural of her painted by artist Elba Raquel Martinez, right. At left is a mural of lesbian activist and cafe founder Kathy Cordova, also painted by Martinez. The murals were commissioned by the Womanhood Project honoring women leaders in Santa Clara County.

Since 2020, she has served on the San Francisco District Attorney’s Innocence Commission. Martinez talked about the process she used in her art. “Expression is yourself coming out into the world [and] there has to be space for that,” said Martinez, about choosing to depict a holistic image of Cordell in the mural. Cordell said the recognition is a new experience for her. “I feel humbled and a little embarrassed,” Cordell told the Bay Area Reporter. “I’ve never been recognized in this fashion. I ended up staying down there for a couple of hours. I didn’t want to leave.”

Honoring South Bay women

Cordell is one of six LGBTQ women who have been honored with a mural in downtown San Jose.

The murals are part of the Womanhood Project, which honors 25 women leaders in the South Bay with banners and murals painted by 13 women tribute artists. The project was unveiled in March for Women’s History Month. Barbara Goldstein, director of the Womanhood Project, said it will celebrate Pride Month with a social media campaign highlighting the queer women in the banners and murals. “We’re trying to include everyone,” said Goldstein, who declined to state her age and sexual orientation, emphasizing that queer women are an important part of the community. Goldstein is also the principal and policy director of Art Builds Community, the parent organization managing the Womanhood Project, that worked with the county’s Office of Women’s Policy.

Julie Ramirez, an ally who is the interim director of the county women’s office, said LGBTQ rights are women’s rights. “The vision was to highlight women who have contributed to the valley and are oftentimes unrecognized,” said Ramirez. “We wanted to really showcase folks who have built this valley.” As much as women were “often left out of history books [and] are often unrecognized for their contributions, those who identify as LGBTQ have faced even more isolation,” she continued. It is the office’s responsibility to include LGBTQ women and “uplift them” by recognizing “their contribution to this community,” she said. Martinez painted the mural of Cordell on a window next to fellow lesbian activist and Recovery Cafe founder Kathy Cordova on First Street at Paseo de San Antonio. Martinez also painted Cordova’s mural. Other queer women South Bay leaders – Gabrielle Antolovich, Adrienne Keel, Wiggsy Sivertsen, and Sera Fernando – were also honored with banners around downtown San Jose. Antolovich, who is the volunteer board president of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center, was painted by artist Maylea Saito. Keel, who is the director of LGBTQ programs at Family and Children Services of Silicon Valley, a division of Caminar, was painted by artist Isabella King. Sivertsen, who co-founded the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee with gay retired Santa Clara County supervisor Ken Yeager, was painted by artist Kathy Aoki. Fernando, who is a transgender woman and interim managing director of the Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, was painted by artist Jess Gutierrez. The Office of LGBTQ Affairs is a division of the county’s Office of Equity and Social Justice along with the women’s office. Like Cordell, Fernando, and Keel expressed being humbled by the honor, adding that they appreciated the recognition of intersectionality by the project leaders. Keel said having her banner up in

San Jose’s Qmunity District is “a major career high for me.” She is proud to be in the company of the other “powerhouse women.” “I think if teenage me saw a banner of adult me existing authentically, it would have been a huge deal,” said the 35-year-old lesbian, saying her younger self “desperately craved heroes who looked and identified like me.” She hopes her banner will inspire younger queer women of color. “I just love the fact that they acknowledge my work as a woman, but not only just a woman: a Filipino woman, a trans woman, [and] a queer woman,” Fernando, 42, said about her banner and the county’s vision of “what womanhood looks like.” “Visibility saves lives,” she said.

Womanhood

The Womanhood Project was launched by the county’s women’s policy office in 2018 and came to fruition in 2020 with about $30,000 in funding from the city of San Jose, the city’s downtown association, the Abierto Program, and 8 80’s Emerging Cities Champion Program , said Goldstein. San Jose mayoral candidate and Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez (District 2) also supported the program’s initiative and plans for the county to spend $5 million to acknowledge women around the county, reported the Mercury News. Chavez, who has led many feminist and LGBTQ initiatives around the county and led the founding of the county’s Hate Crimes Task Force, was unable to comment for this story. She is now in a runoff for mayor in November. The murals and banners, which are on a mix of public and private property, do not have a set removal date. They will remain on public display until they are removed by the city or by the building owners, Goldstein said. “Our hope is that people will recognize the leadership and accomplishments of women from Santa Clara County, both locally, regionally, and nationally,” said Goldstein.t

Horne celebrates lifetime grand marshal honor by Eric Burkett

lack trans activist Andrea Horne is an imposing woman. It’s something in the way she carries herself, perhaps, her bearing, her sense of self. Her voice suggests a woman who has seen it all and knows the score but is enjoying herself nonetheless. She has made her own mark on the trans community in San Francisco and is, now, being recognized for it. Horne, a woman of a certain age she’ll never reveal, is this year’s lifetime achievement grand marshal for the SF Pride parade. “It’s an unexpected and incredible honor,” Horne told the Bay Area Reporter when the parade grand marshals were announced back in April. “It’s a recognition that five years ago I probably wouldn’t have received.” About six months before SF Pride announced the grand marshals for the first in-person Pride parade in three years, a friend told her “I’m gonna submit your name,” Horne said in a recent interview. “I didn’t think a thing of it until a couple days before it was announced. I think it’s a great honor. I didn’t think anyone noticed me.” In a sense, Horne is offering a

Rick Gerharter

Andrea Horne, this year’s San Francisco Pride lifetime achievement grand marshal, holds her dog MeiMei outside the Curry Senior Center, where Horne has been a community engagement worker for the mature trans community.

similar honor to other women she’s researching as part of a book she’s writing about Black trans women throughout the history of the Unit-

ed States. Like Mary Jones, a Black transgender woman from a time before transgender was even a concept. Jones was the first recorded in-

stance of a transgender person in America, said Horne. Originally from New Orleans, she was arrested in New York City in 1836,

accused of stealing the wallets of men who solicited her for sex. “I don’t think she did any stealing,” said Horne. “When they caught her, she had five wallets in her apartment, and each wallet had $99 in it.” The number 99 is a spiritual number, in Voodoo, too, she added. “I mean, that’s a clue to something,” said Horne. Her recognition by SF Pride is part of a larger trend. “It’s showing the world how trendy Black trans women are right now, with polls and all that. Laverne Cox and Janet Mock and all that,” she said, referring to the actor and author, respectively. But historically, she said, Black trans women have been overlooked. Popular television shows like “Pose” are changing that to some extent, she noted, but popularity doesn’t necessarily mean acceptance. “I don’t think universal tolerance is going to be there for another event for another 50 years but access to opportunity, I think, is coming, you know, because of television shows like ‘Pose’ and like that, because I find television shows like ‘Pose’ more surprising to me than…,” Horne said. See page 16 >>

<< Pride 2022

t Gay man wins supervisor seat in Calaveras County 10 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

by Ed Walsh

alaveras County voters have elected a gay man to the Board of Supervisors. Martin Huberty is believed to be the first out candidate to be elected to the board, in a predominately Republican county that voted 61% for Donald Trump in 2020. Huberty received 55% of the vote, according to unofficial returns. His only opponent in the June 7 election was Lisa Muetterties, who was endorsed by the county’s Republican Central Committee. Huberty was way ahead in the early count but waited until late Friday afternoon, June 10, to declare victory.

Courtesy Martin Huberty

Martin Huberty will be sworn in as the District 3 Calaveras County supervisor in January.

“I am humbled by your support and honored to represent you as

your supervisor,” Huberty wrote on his Facebook page. “Thank you is not enough for your confidence in me. I will be a supervisor for all the people of Calaveras, especially District 3. I could never have run this campaign by myself, I had a stellar committee and a group of hard working grassroots volunteers. Thank you to all of you.” Huberty, 60, told the Bay Area Reporter June 13 that he is excited to be able to represent District 3, which includes the tourist popular towns of Murphys and Arnold. Huberty is executive director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau and CEO of the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce. Tourism is the county’s biggest in-

dustry, he said, and his district generates most of the tourist dollars. The single biggest attraction in the county is Calaveras Big Trees State Park, just outside of Arnold. Although Calaveras is a deep red county, Huberty described his district as purple, with more Democrats, independents, and Libertarians than other parts of the county. Huberty told the B.A.R. that he didn’t think his orientation was an issue for most voters. Huberty grew up in Sacramento but his family has roots in Calaveras County dating back to the Gold Rush. Some voters didn’t know he was gay until a B.A.R. travel article last month on Calaveras County, he

said. Being a gay may have cost him votes, he added, if people assumed that because he was gay he came from a big city and had no solid ties to the community that he was running to represent. Huberty will be sworn into office in January. He wasn’t sure if he would continue to work at the visitors bureau and chamber of commerce while serving on the board, he said. The biggest issue he will focus on as a supervisor, Huberty said, is the lack of affordable housing. He noted that the tourism industry depends on being able to attract service workers but it can’t do that without more housing. t

SF supes support historic intersection in Trans district by Eric Burkett

he San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 7 to support the designation of an intersection in the Transgender District as a historic landmark. The intersection of Turk and Taylor streets is the former site of Compton’s Cafeteria where, in August 1966, a groundbreaking riot by transgender people tired of being harassed by police took place, three years before the Stonewall riots in New York City. Introduced by former District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, who has since resigned after he was sworn in as a state assemblymember May 3, the effort was inherited by District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston after the Turk and Taylor streets intersection moved into District 5 as a result of redistricting. Preston’s office then contacted the Transgender District’s leadership to find out which issues were on their agenda, said Preston legislative aide

Rick Gerharter

A sidewalk plaque in front of the site of Compton’s Cafeteria commemorates the 1966 riot that took place there. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has given support to a resolution to landmark the intersection near the former diner.

Kyle Smeallie in May. The landmark designation was one, and Preston has since adopted sponsorship of the resolution. Now that it has passed the Board of Supervisors, it will move on to the Planning Department and the

Historic Preservation Commission before coming back to the supervisors for a final vote. Supervisors approved the measure without comment. “It’s important that the city recognize and lift up the courage of LGBTQ San Franciscans who stood up against police violence and oppression at Compton’s Cafeteria,” Preston stated in a news release. “I hope that by landmarking the intersection of Turk and Taylor streets, we can help educate future generations on how important this space has been to the LGBTQ community.” A historical marker denoting the Compton’s riot was installed outside the former diner in 2006. In 2016, the city christened the 100 block of Taylor Street as Gene Compton’s Cafeteria Way to honor the 50th anniversary of the historic riots that occurred at the long-gone diner. Former District 6 supervisor Jane Kim had authored the honorary street renaming proposal,

meaning it did not change the postal addresses of the businesses and residences located on that block of Taylor. “Our intention is to create a space and commemorate a space that has significance to the LGBTQ community,” Smeallie told the Bay Area Reporter. The corner continues to hold significance for queer and transgender communities. It is currently the site of the Black Trans Lives Matter mural, a visual demonstration calling for awareness of violence against trans women, Preston’s release stated. “It is time the Compton’s Cafeteria riots of 1966 receive the recognition it deserves – it is the first documented uprising of LGBT people in the United States, led by trans people, gender-nonconforming people and queer folks in the Tenderloin, and it warrants the recognition decreed by the Board of Supervisors as a site of historical significance,” said Jupiter Peraza, director of social justice initia-

tives at the Transgender District. “The Turk & Taylor street intersection is a true transgender and queer landmark, and the center of the Transgender District. This acknowledgment and designation of transgender history is truly historic, as most queer and transgender cultural assets have yet to be legally recognized.” The inclusion of references to Compton’s has become more controversial over the years. When the city established the first legally recognized transgender district in the world in 2017, it was called the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. The district’s leaders dropped Compton’s from the name in 2020 so it is simply known as the Transgender District. At the time Aria Sa’id, a trans woman who is the president and chief strategic officer of the district, had told the B.A.R. they would also petition the city to drop the reference to the diner owner from the ceremonial street name as well. t

Pride 2022>>

June 23-29, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Virtual tour provides look at SF lesbian historic site by Matthew S. Bajko

house where so much of their work took place adds such incredible depth and value to the collection,” noted Andrew Shaffer, the historical society’s interim co-executive director. “The house was where they held meetings, planned events, edited DOB’s journal The Ladder, and built an incredible life together. Now everyone with an internet connection will have a chance to enter their world and witness how their grassroots work began.”

s viewers use their mouse to scroll around a computer-generated reimagining of the living room of the home owned by the late lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, an audio clip plays of the couple recalling the genesis for the country’s first lesbian social organization that they helped to form in September 1955. The screen includes a black and white photo of the women at one of the group’s gatherings in Sausalito four years later. “We Daughters of Bilitis was really founded as a very secret secret social club and a means of getting together without going to the bars which were frequently raided,” recounts Martin. “And to be able to, you know, meet in each other’s homes and have socials and ...” “... to dance that was a really important part of it,” interjects Lyon. The snippet from an oral history the couple recorded in 1987 for Manuela Soares’ Herstory Video Project can be heard during the roughly 20-minute virtual tour of their San Francisco residence. It comes during section seven titled “Founding Daughters of Bilitis.” Their residence at 651 Duncan Street in the city’s Noe Valley neighborhood became a hub in the 1950s and 1960s for the Daughters of Bilitis. The couple hosted numerous social events and meetings at their two-story cottage for members of the group. Martin died in 2008 and Lyon died in 2020, at which point Kendra Mon, the couple’s daughter, put the home up for sale. Local preservationists and historians worked with city officials to designate the property a city landmark to protect it from being demolished by the new owners. Due to it being privately owned and in a residential neighborhood, the house is unlikely to be opened

Creating 3D documents of historic sites Jane Philomen Cleland

Phyllis Lyon, right, prepared to cut the wedding cake after she and Del Martin were married in San Francisco City Hall June 17, 2008.

to the public as a museum or historical site people can tour in person. Thus, the Friends of the Lyon-Martin House and the GLBT Historical Society turned to the nonprofit CyArk to provide access and unveiled its virtual tour of the home in March. “CyArk’s extraordinary documentation work provides a global and accessible experience that allows people to engage and emotionally connect to LGBTQ history and Lyon and Martin’s lifesaving work,” said Shayne Watson, a lesbian and co-founder of the friends group who is a San Francisco-based architectural historian. “It enables [the Friends] to begin planning for future efforts to restore and preserve the Lyon-Martin House to ensure its rightful place in the legacy of San Francisco’s built environment.” The CyArk team produced the multi-faceted tour of the LyonMartin House through the use of drone imagery of the outside, digital camera shots of the interiors, and scans using Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging technology. They were given three days of access to the house last October.

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“I thought it was very powerful. Right now it is an empty house, but being inside it with Shayne, she could share these powerful stories with us,” said John Ristevski, a gay man who is the nonprofit’s board chair and CEO. “The house still had energy.” They used archival photos housed in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society to recreate what the rooms looked like when Lyon and Martin lived in them, and also incorporated several songs the women would have listened to or played during gatherings. “It would have been nice to have seen [the house] in its prime, but I think we were able to bring some of that back with the video,” said Ristevski, who lives in Noe Valley but had never been to the house prior. Several historians and Mon also serve as tour guides throughout the video, which incorporates additional segments of the oral history Lyon and Martin recorded. Much of the archival materials used for the tour housed in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society are linked to by CyArk on the webpage for it. “The ability to digitally preserve the

The Lyon-Martin House is the latest of hundreds of culturally significant sites around the world that CyArk has virtually documented. The places run the gamut from the San Sebastian Basilica in Manila, Philippines, and the Mosque City of Bagerhat in Bangladesh, to the Tower of London in Britain and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Groves of Nigeria. “To me, we are creating a 3D document that helps create a record of what is there today that we can share with the world and researchers,” said Ristevski, who grew up in Melbourne, Australia. “We are able to amplify the stories of these places and share them with more people.” Because of the high price it costs to travel to many of the sites CyArk documents, seeing them in person “is a privilege,” acknowledged Ristevski, and one most people can’t afford. “Democratizing these stories is a really powerful thing,” he said. Right before the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Ristevski had returned from Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, having worked on a virtual tour of the special territory of Chile with its tourism bureau. Since then he has been overseeing the nonprofit’s work from his Noe Valley home, having shuttered CyArk’s offices in Oakland to allow the nonprofit’s

14 staff members to work remotely. While working on his Master of Science degree from UC Berkeley in 2003, Ristevski first became involved with CyArk, assisting on projects it was doing in Peru and Guatemala. CyArk founding director Ben Kacyra was also a co-founder and CEO of Cyra Technologies, a local technology company that had developed the first fully integrated laser 3D imaging, mapping, modeling, and CAD system. Kacyra wanted to use the technology to digitally preserve various countries’ cultural heritage sites and founded CyArk. Ristevski left CyArk in 2006 to start his own business called earthmine, a 3D street-mapping company, out of the Noe Valley home he was living in at the time. Nokia acquired it in 2012 for its own mapping company called HERE and hired Ristevski as its vice president of reality capture and processing. He left in 2016 to take over leadership of CyArk. He also moved around the Bay Area over the last two decades, relocating back to Noe Valley last year with his now fiancé, Brandon Perkovich, an emergency medicine resident at Stanford Hospital. They got engaged in April. CyArk works with national governments, nonprofits, and other entities on its various projects. One of the first sites Ristevski decided to document when he took over as the nonprofit’s CEO was another important LGBTQ historical site, the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York City. “Traditionally, we have done temples and palaces. But a lot of history takes place in non-monumental properties, and that is especially true with queer history. Much of our history happened in non-monumental places,” said Ristevski, noting that the national monument honoring the See page 20 >>

<< Pride 2022

12 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Peek inside Castro Theatre shows why it’s a city jewel

by Eric Burkett

he object of love and much adoration and – lately – plenty of controversy, the Castro Theatre is the crown jewel of the Castro neighborhood. Despite its grand Spanish Churrigueresque exterior, a popular style in California when the theater was built in 1922, and its even more grand interior, the beloved old movie palace is in worse condition than many may realize. It’s not going anywhere, mind you, but once the theater’s new managers, Another Planet Entertainment, finish their contractual obligations for various events this year, including Frameline46, San Francisco’s International LGBTQ film festival running through Sunday, and concerts by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the theater will be undergoing extensive renovations. In some cases, desperately needed changes. The Bay Area Reporter recently had the opportunity to tour the historic cinema, going backstage and into many of the building’s nooks and crannies. There are many of them. Taking a small group backstage, David Perry – spokesperson for Another Planet Entertainment – led visitors through a warren of narrow stairwells and tight hallways that, really, don’t go very far. To get there, one makes their way down a dark stairwell with a sharp 90 degree turn, past decades of old graffiti carved into the concrete walls (Perry said they still haven’t identified any by celebrities but said to keep an eye open for just that.) One then enters a small, low door to a large low space beneath the stage, suitable really only for storage. That, however, also leads to the organ. With a little more twisting into position and lowering one’s head, you enter the organ space. Step into there and – bam! – suddenly the entire auditorium opens up and you realize just how large the Castro Theatre is. Fourteen hundred seats gaze back at you. APE recently held a benefit for the purchase of a new organ. The famed “Mighty Wurlitzer” was removed by its private owner in 2015, APE stated, and there is now a fundraising effort that seeks to raise $300,000 to purchase a new custom-made instrument that when installed will be the most up-to-date theatrical organ in existence. In a news release, organist David Hegarty stated that APE has “been completely supportive of the Castro Organ project.” From there, Perry went back behind the massive silver screen, which was installed in the 1950s, he said. It isn’t the original screen but was installed instead to replace a screen that had been perfectly sufficient for the movies of the 1920s and 1930s, but proved too small for newer film technology, Perry said. But installing that screen hid a feature that movie audiences would have taken in every time they watched a film, a treasure few folks have seen in 70 years. The proscenium, the elaborate frame that contained the original screen, is still there although, admittedly, a little worse for wear. Painted gold, the proscenium – a word borrowed from the Greek for “before stage” – is filled with carved details: leaves, fanciful curlicues, and numerous cherubim staring blankly out at the audience. It borders, too, the theater’s original curtain, hand stenciled with repetitive pink floral designs on an olive green background. Behind that, however, is a door. An emergency exit, perhaps, it still works but it opens into the backyard of a house on Hartford Street. “We still don’t know whose yard that is,” Perry said.

Rick Gerharter

The proposal to remove the Castro Theatre’s auditorium seating, as seen from the stage, has raised concerns among local cinephiles

Rick Gerharter

The mezzanine lobby at the Castro Theatre is often used for VIP events.

The floor, the original stage, is painted as well, with a large checkerboard pattern and, on the ceiling up above, is yet more hand painted detail, repetitive floral designs encased in cartouches, in gold, green, and blue. There’s at least six feet of space between the proscenium and the newer screen (which, after 70 years, is also going to be replaced with a far more technically advanced one, Perry said). That will add dramatically to the usable space for live performances. Perry went through other rooms backstage: the green room, only recently emptied out enough to be used comfortably; the tiny dressing room, tucked away into a corner of the stage and bent around what appears to be venting that pierces the room’s floor and rises along the wall to the ceiling. On the other end – stage left – is another open space, used largely for storage and piled with equipment. It was there, Perry said, that they found boxes filled with theater ephemera: old movie posters, tchotchkes, and commendations

issued by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Those items have all been moved to other storage locations in the theater where they’ll be better taken care of and, possibly, displayed publicly later on. Finally, it’s back to the auditorium itself, that vast, grand space where the audience sits and takes it all in. It’s there where much of the controversy lies, too. If Another Planet’s proposed renovation plans for the space are approved – and that isn’t expected to happen before August at the earliest – the current banked seating will be removed and replaced with multiple levels better designed for watching live performances. They would be able to hold standing audiences or, in the case of film showings, accommodate flexible, removable seating. That is what worries cinephiles, who argue such an arrangement is less than optimal for movie viewing. As Marc Huestis, who has presented numerous movie screening events at the See page 20 >>

Rick Gerharter

A small concession stand greets patrons of the Castro Theatre.

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<< Pride 2022

14 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Audubon society teams up with drag artist compiled by Cynthia Laird

he National Audubon Society has partnered with drag artist Pattie Gonia to invite the LGBTQIA community outdoors this Pride Month and to ensure that they have a safe and welcoming experience while there. As part of the collaboration the society has released the first two of four videos celebrating Pride in the outdoors. From hiking in platform boots to ice skating in a famous dress made from recovered pieces of discarded trash, Gonia is the creation of avid hiker and backpacker Wyn Wiley, who said the character was born spontaneously on a hike several years ago, according to a news release. It’s now become a way to call attention to climate change crises facing North America’s wild lands, the release stated. “People ask me all the time, ‘how are the queer and environmental movements related?’” Gonia stated. “I say, first, ‘no planet, no Pride!’ Second, there’s such an opportunity for people so versed in social justice, like the queer community, to join the environmental movement. Similarly, there’s an equal opportunity for people versed in climate justice to help advocate for queer people.” Audubon has celebrated Pride Month since 2018 with LGBTQthemed “Let’s Go Birding Together” bird walks, as well as other events including a “bird drag tutorial,” the release stated. “I feel like a proud papa – seeing Let’s Go Birding Together take off nationally in so many ways,” stated Jason St. Sauver, the program’s creator. The video series was recorded at Audubon’s Spring Creek Prairie Center in Gonia’s home state of Nebraska, which is also the home to St. Sauver’s birding project. Topics cover not only that program, but a Western mead-

Mike Fernandez/National Audubon Society

Drag artist Pattie Gonia has teamed up with the National Audubon Center to highlight conservation.

owlark-inspired drag music video, a feature on imperiled grassland bird species, and a back and forth between Gonia and St. Sauver on careers in conservation. To watch the videos, go to https:// www.audubon.org/pattiegonia

San Mateo Pride Center marks 5th anniversary

The San Mateo County Pride Center will celebrate its fifth anniversary Thursday, June 30, with a virtual program on Zoom from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, which is free, will feature guest speakers such as county leaders, community partners, founding members, and attendees. There will be a special performance by the Rebel Kings and the event will be hosted by Jesus u BettaWork. The Pride center is a program of Star Vista. To register, go to https://bit. ly/3N7b2yY

LGBTQ older adults panel

The California Department of Aging will host a moderated panel discussion featuring director Susan DeMarois and others on the topic of LGBTQ+ older adults Thursday, June 30, from 4 to 5:15 p.m. “LGBTQ+ Aging with Dignity” will include gay state Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz); Blanca Castro, the state’s long-term care ombudsman; Marcy Adelman, Ph.D., vice chair of the California Commission on Aging; Michael Costa, executive director of the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Aaron Tax, director of advocacy of SAGE; and Kevin Sitter, Ending the Epidemics project manager at the California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS. The webinar is free. To register, go to https://bit.ly/3zMZJJm.

SF Marathon adds nonbinary category

The San Francisco Marathon will add a category for nonbinary runners, producers announced June 21. Jumping Fences Inc., the official event producers of the 45th San Francisco Marathon, officially announced California’s first-ever nonbinary+ division and awards. This move comes at a time when numerous anti-LGBTQIA+ legislations are sweeping the nation, and other running races are being called on to expand their gender divisions, according to a news release. The festival race weekend takes place July 22-24, the release stated. “Our 45th San Francisco Marathon is putting inclusion and accessibility at the center,” stated Lauri Abrahamsen, director of operations at Jumping

Fences Inc. “We added these divisions and awards to our 45th marathon because it was past time to do so. We hope that this expansion of gender divisions, and our runners with disabilities program, will inspire more people to join the running community and feel that they belong.” To make the races more accessible and inclusive, the event organizers have expanded gender registration options to include nonbinary, trans, and two-spirited. The race weekend also includes a program for runners with disabilities. The announcement follows the recent controversy with the Bay to Breakers marathon producers allowing participants in the San Francisco event to register as nonbinary but initially saying they would not have a separate awards category for them. After a public outcry, the race organizers reversed course and added such awards. For more information, go to https://www.thesfmarathon.com/.

People interested in taking part of the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey can sign a pledge online to do so and receive email updates for when the survey launches later this year. Transgender people are eligible to take part, whether they identify as male, female, or nonbinary. In 2015, nearly 28,000 people took the U.S. Trans Survey. It was the largest survey of trans people in the country, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. The survey’s data, covering everything from covering health, employment, income, and criminal justice issues, is used by the media, educators, policymakers, and the general public. It is also a vital resource for data about trans people of color in the U.S. To sign the pledge to take the 2022 survey, visit https://ustranssurvey.orgt

Jane Philomen Cleland

SF showers Pride on Warriors

he NBA champion Golden State Warriors held their victory parade in San Francisco Monday, June 20. Guard Stephen Curry, shown on a bus with his wife, Ayesha, left, held the Most Valuable Player trophy that he received in a unanimous vote following Golden State’s 103-90 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston June 16 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Hundreds of thousands of people descended on San Francisco for the parade, which started at the foot of Market Street and continued to Eighth Street. It was the first time that the city hosted a celebratory parade for the team since it relocated in 2019 from Oakland to its new Chase Center home in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.

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<< Pride 2022

16 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Horne

From page 8

She trailed off a bit, and then said, “I knew that one day, there’d be a Black president but I never thought there’d be a show on TV about Black trans women. Yeah, it’s inevitable we have a Black president but it was not inevitable that we have a show about Black trans women.”

Early life

Horne grew up in Los Angeles, in an educated, middle class Black family. Educated or no, however, her family kicked her out when she transitioned at 15. She found her way to San Francisco although she wouldn’t live here full time until the late 1970s, when her friend, the late disco legend, Sylvester, talked her into moving to the city where she was spending much of her spare time anyway when she wasn’t on the road performing. Even now, she’s a jazz singer (her favorite jazz performers include Sarah Vaughn and Nancy Wilson). Somewhere along the line, during an affair with a French noble, she lived in a castle in France, but she doesn’t go into details. She’s been in San Francisco more than 40 years now. Like a lot of transgender people, Horne has plenty of stories about the indignities foisted upon her and others, by a society that seems

Courtesy Facebook

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, left, recognized Andrea Horne in November 2019 as the District 8 honoree for Transgender Awareness Month.

to view trans people with suspicion, or not at all.

She recounted an effort, about 10 years ago, to provide training and

resources to young trans women. The plan was to provide job skills to trans women with fewer economic opportunities. They would learn how to write a resume. They would even get computers. “And on the start date, nobody came,” Horne recounted. ”Not one person, and I was so embarrassed and I was, like, oh, my god, and it just kind of gave people to say, ‘Oh, those trannies, you know. They’re so unreliable and we did all this for them and no one even came.’ And I was humiliated, and I was sort of mad at the girls and I was like ‘We did all this.’” A couple weeks later, Horne ran into one of the women who were supposed to attend the workshop. She asked the young woman what had happened. “Oh, we were there but the security guards wouldn’t let us in the building,” the woman told her. Because their IDs didn’t match what the security guard at the building entrance saw when they arrived for the event, he wouldn’t let them in. “And there were about 12 people that the security guard just kept out,” said Horne. “ And you know, they just didn’t complain because they’re used to shit like that happening. You know, we know as trans women of color, if you complain too much, you’re gonna be the one that goes to jail,

right? Not the one who did it.” Horne recalled a moment she faced even earlier, back in the 1990s. “I remember I had a job in the Financial District, and this is in the early 1990s, maybe,” she said. “I had been working there a while, I think I was maybe a temp or something, but I had been working there a couple of months and someone told them that I was trans and when I came back from lunch, the police were standing at my desk as were the building security guards, and they told me to get my purse and I got my purse. They handed me my check and I just walked out. “I didn’t ask why. They didn’t say why, but I knew why and they knew why. And so, would that happen nowadays?” Horne asked. “No, I would raise a bitch, you know, and go off and call my attorney and all that kind of stuff. But 30 years ago, that wasn’t that wasn’t a possibility. “I just hung my head, not in shame, but I just hung my head and left and I didn’t even try to explain or talk to anybody,” she said. “And the girl who I’d been hanging out having lunch with started screaming at the top of her lungs, that I was some kind of monster. And then she said – we had just had lunch together – and then she was saying, ‘I had lunch with it!’ And I’m saying ‘But you were just my friend, like, five minutes ago’ and so, that. And I figured that if happens to me, who was beautiful, and no one knew I was trans and I had that privilege. If it’s happening to me then I knew it must be terrible for everybody else. And so that’s kind of what prompted me to sort of change careers and start doing social work, with trans people. Because, yeah, I remember what it was like.” Horne calls these examples of barriers that are invisible to others “but that trans women, especially Black and Brown, have to jump over to just, you know, be seen.” On the one hand, she’s tired of having to point this sort of stuff out, having to educate people about the existence of trans people, or her own existence. She tries, she said, to keep it contained to one part of her life. “I try to just kind of save it for work time because it’s too much after work,” she said, but she sees that as a privilege in itself. When she leaves work – she’s a community outreach manager at Curry Senior Center in the Tenderloin – she becomes “a regular little lady going home from work.” Not every trans person gets to do that, she acknowledged. So, on the other hand… “And I’ve recognized my privilege and I think it’s my duty to kind of reach back and sort of help folks, because I’m already fabulous,” she said. “I’m trying to help you all get fabulous. You can quote me on that.” Horne said she hopes that younger Black trans women take from her life an example of how to take life to “a much higher level.” “You know when your parents tell you, you can be anything you want to be when you grow up but most of us know, that’s not true.” But for trans women, things are changing, she said. The old obstacles are falling. “So yeah, I hope that they take from my life that you can do whatever and being trans isn’t a barrier any longer, you know?” she said. “Because it certainly was when I was coming up. And we lived in fear. I mean, I lived a stealth life and we lived in fear of being discovered.” Being recognized now, though, seems more welcome. “It feels really good coming from my community,” Horne said. “I love it.”t

Pride 2022>>

June 23-29, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 17

Film planned about 19th century SF feminist by David-Elijah Nahmod

new film, now in pre-production, will recall the life of Juana Briones, often remembered as the “Founding Mother of San Francisco.” Briones lived at a time when women didn’t have rights and were often viewed as second-class citizens. Yet during her lifetime Briones raised children as a single mother, owned property, practiced herbal medicine, and was a midwife. She also excelled at business even though she could not read or write. Briones (1802-1889) was a woman of color, which made her accomplishments even more impressive, given the era in which she lived. Her ties to the city were strong. She had a farm near what’s now the Presidio in San Francisco and owned a home in what is now known as North Beach. Perhaps the most amazing thing that Briones did was to leave her abusive husband, dropping his surname. This was something that wasn’t done during the 19th century. Briones was a feminist long before the word was coined. Filmmaker Zel Anders, who said that she identifies as a feminist tomboy, is the guiding force behind Amendment 28 Films, an independent film production company. Now in development at Amendment 28 is “A Woman of Three Nations,” a feature that will bring Briones’ story to the big screen. The film will be an adaptation of the book “Juana Briones of 19th Century California,” a biography by Jeanne Farr McDonnell. “I think that this is the thing I was put on earth to do,” Anders told the Bay Area Reporter in a telephone interview. “It took me a long time to find my calling. There are films that I haven’t seen out there, and I just want to see more films like that. I have an adopted granddaughter who’s Hispanic, and I want her to see more positive influences. Briones is a great role model that I want young women and young men to see.” Amendment 28 is so named because of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would be the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution if adopted. The amendment provides for equality of the sexes and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. In order to have an amendment adopted, two-thirds of states, or 38 states, must ratify the measure. That threshold was passed in 2020, when Virginia became the 38th state to do so. But the Trump administration blocked the ERA’s adoption, saying that the seven-year deadline that was set in 1972 to have states ratify the measure had passed, according to Truthout. (https:// truthout.org/articles/85-percent-ofvoters-want-congress-to-pass-theequal-rights-amendment/) “Most of the stories I’m attracted to are people who have overcome enormous obstacles,” Anders said. “Juana Briones is an example. I’m trying to show stories of women who have done extraordinary things, even though on paper they didn’t have equality, but they did the best that they could and kept going.” Anders noted that Briones overcame many horrible things. “I think because I lived in San Francisco I was attracted to her story,” Anders said. “The fact is that she was Hispanic and lived during a time when Hispanic people were not treated well. Her husband was extraordinarily abusive. He beat her repeatedly. She managed to get away from him when she couldn’t get a divorce and when the Catholic Church would not allow her to separate legally from him. It was a time when women made 10 cents on the dollar to what men made, and yet she just did what she needed to do to feed her children, to make money. She did all these extraordinary things and there’s not even a street named for her.” Anders feels that Briones’ story will resonate with women not only across

the United States, but with women around the world who have, or are overcoming, systemic gender inequity and systemic racism. “This film will teach young women and men and teens about resiliency through the story of a woman who learned to pivot time and again, hustle, support her family, and help other people,” Anders said. “All despite her own enormous personal challenges and political upheaval, racism and gender inequity prevalent during the

time she lived. This film will also teach people about the amazing history of the San Francisco Bay Area and California from about 1830-1870.” Anders is committed to putting together a team of Hispanic, Latinx, and Indigenous filmmakers, including a female director and female writers. She has created a list of approximately 100 production companies to consider for financing the film, mainly womenowned companies, and others Latinxor minority-owned. She will begin

contacting them once a director, writer and a lead actor are in place. “We hope to move this project along very quickly because the biographer, Jeanne Farr McDonnell, is 91 years old and I would like her to see a film made of her important book while she is still with us and while she can still enjoy it,” Anders said. For more information on “A Woman of Three Nations” and other upcoming Amendment 28 projects, visit: amendment28films.com/ t

Courtesy NPS

According to the National Park Service, this photo is believed by her relatives to be Juana Briones.

<< Pride 2022

18 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

NCLR’s Sakimura tapped to lead children’s legal agency by Heather Cassell

longtime deputy director at San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights has embarked on a new job leading Legal Services for Children. That nonprofit, known as LSC, is also headquartered in San Francisco. Cathy Sakimura, a queer woman, began serving as its executive director June 20. Sakimura, 42, replaced Ronald “Ron” Gutierrez, the agency’s interim executive director. Gutierrez, the agency’s longtime clinical director who leads the social work side of the organization, filled in after the agency’s former executive director, Abigail Trillin, took a position at Stanford University in November 2021. Trillin was with the agency for 25 years, first as its legal director and then as its executive director for about eight years, LSC board chair Kim Thompson told the Bay Area Reporter. Thompson, who has been on LSC’s board for more than 16 years, also served on the executive search committee, she said. LSC’s community got its first glimpse of its new leader at its gala June 1, where Sakimura briefly addressed about 125 attendees at the outdoor event at Salesforce Park in San Francisco. “In this time, when children and families are facing horrific tragedy, and increasing instability, the work of LSC is more important than ever,” Sakimura said during her fiveminute speech given a week after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers. “Children [and] youth need services that support their ability to realize their own vision of safety and wellbeing, not someone else’s.” At the agency’s first gala in two years due to the COVID pandemic, supporters raised more than $330,000 to support LSC’s clientcentered immigration, education, guardianship, and foster care work, according to an announcement after the event. The agency serves an estimated 1,200 children and youth overall, with about 500 of them receiving both legal and social services, according to Thompson.

A voice for children

Speaking with the B.A.R., Sakimura said she believes America’s legal system “has a long way to go before families and children really have the respect and dignity and legal protections that they need to live their lives safely and to stay together as families.” Sakimura should know. She has advocated for children and youth from the beginning of her legal career and has become a leading legal and policy expert on LGBTQ families in the United States, her colleagues said. It was LSC and NCLR that provided the foundation and opportunities for Sakimura to grow that led the Hawaiian native to where she is today. Sakimura, who lives in San Francisco, interned at both organizations while she was in law school at UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and has great respect for each of them, she said. Sakimura interned for LSC in 2005. The year before that, she interned at NCLR. “I was so privileged to be able to intern at two organizations that I already admired so much in law school and have the opportunity now to work at both of them,” Sakimura said, joking that it was a part of her master career plan to work for only the two agencies. “It’s just such an amazing journey for me to have started out as an in-

Rick Gerharter

Cathy Sakimura, who started as executive director of Legal Services for Children June 20, spoke at the agency’s gala June 1 at Salesforce Park in San Francisco.

tern and now be able to come back as executive director,” she said about LSC. Prior to attending law school, Sakimura was a program associate at COLAGE and a program coordinator and intern program director at Genders and Sexuality Alliance Network. COLAGE is an organization for children of LGBTQ parents. GSA Network is a youth organization that supports students by starting GSA clubs at schools to combat homophobia and create safer educational campuses. After earning her law degree, Sakimura landed at NCLR, where she worked for nearly 16 years sharpening her legal and leadership skills and racking up accolades. Sakimura received the prestigious Dan Bradley Award from the National LGBTQ+ BAR Association in 2021. Since starting her career at NCLR, she has been a visionary and legal dynamo, said those who worked closely with her. Sakimura launched her first program, the Family Protection Project, in 2007 when she was a law clerk at NCLR. The project remains a part of the organization’s family law division. She went on to lead the Family Law Project in 2012, working on groundbreaking LGBTQ family cases. Three years later, she added deputy director to her title. She also co-authored the 2017 edition of the “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Family Law” with longtime NCLR legal director Shannon Minter and UC Davis law professor Courtney G. Joslin. Former NCLR executive director Kate Kendell and Minter could not point to a specific case that was defining in Sakimura’s career. They instead noted the entire body of case law and policies she shaped over the last 15 years. Minter, a trans man, called Sakimura a “rare advocate” for her litigation and policy work on “cutting edge family law issues” and a “leading expert on LGBTQ family lives within our national movement.” “There’s really not one issue that was faced by LGBTQ families that Cathy wasn’t a part of mitigating and changing the law,” said Kendell, a 62-year-old lesbian who is currently the chief of staff at the California Endowment. Kendell recalled what life was like for many LGBTQ families during the mid-2000s when Sakimura came to NCLR. “At the time Cathy started at NCLR it was still very common for parents to lose custody or visitation with their kids based on their sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Kendell, who’s a mother herself. “In no small part due to Cathy’s work across the country that is no longer the status quo and it’s actually very rare.”

Kendell said due to Sakimura’s work “sexual orientation or gender identity alone is not a basis for denying custody or visitation.” Minter recalled that Sakimura “very quickly established herself as just a remarkable advocate in the family law arena.” Over the years Sakimura was “directly” and “extensively involved in so many groundbreaking comprehensive state law reforms that have transformed the law for LGBTQ parents [and] families,” while “contextualizing LGBTQ family life issues in a broader context,” Minter explained. “Her legislative work is nothing short of extraordinary,” he said, pointing to Sakimura’s work modernizing the Uniform Parentage Act. Minter said many states use the Uniform Parentage Act to legally guide parental rights. According to the Uniform Law Commission, the act first became law in 1973 and was most recently updated in 2017. The updates went into effect January 1, 2020. “She has had an incredibly widespread lasting impact on the legal protections for our community,” and other parents and guardians, he said. Thompson said that it was rare that a new executive director came from a larger organization to LSC with experience, but Sakimura did. NCLR has a budget of about $5 million, a spokesperson confirmed, while LSC operates on a budget of about $2.6 million, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990. “That was definitely a big plus for us,” Thompson said. “The work that she’s done at NCLR feels very, very relevant.” Sakimura briefly and quietly served as NCLR’s interim executive director in 2018 when Kendell began to step back from heading the organization. Kendell took a sabbatical and traveled during her last year at the helm, she and Sakimura confirmed. In 2019, nonprofit veteran Cindy Myers temporarily stepped into the role of leading NCLR. “I’ve really grown up as an attorney, in my career, and as a manager at NCLR,” said Sakimura, appreciating the space to learn and grow that the nonprofit provided. Sakimura said that seeing two strong and different executive directors lead an influential organization taught her that being an executive director “isn’t necessarily about the specific way that they approach things with their personality.” It’s “about using who they are as a person to build everybody up in the organization and to show the world what that organization does,” she said, echoing Kendell. During the last eight years, Sakimura’s media profile has ratcheted upward as she became more publicly outspoken in the media about LGBTQ family cases, policies, and issues.

Sakimura said she wasn’t planning on leaving NCLR when she became one of four candidates identified by executive search firm Koya Partners for the position at LSC. Working with LSC, the firm whittled down 300 leaders nationwide to 20, then the final four, and then the final two, Thompson said. Thompson said Sakimura checked all the right boxes for the board, which was looking for a strong leader with fundraising skills who was committed to and experienced working with children and youth rights. She is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion; is well regarded by her peers, and asked many questions and listened. It didn’t hurt that Sakimura was already familiar with LSC, or her brief experience leading NCLR. “We were happy to be able to unanimously move forward with Cathy,” said Thompson, stating that Sakimura was the full package in a strong and competitive candidate pool. “She kind of brings everything that we were looking for in one packet.” “She’s going to be an outstanding leader for us,” she added, confident that Sakimura has everything the agency needs to move into its future.

Praise

NCLR leaders and people who have worked with Sakimura expressed pride and agreed with Thompson. “She is the type of leader that everyone wants,” said NCLR Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon, grateful for the last couple of years working with Sakimura. “I’m so excited for what she’s going to do in the future. “She’s left a handprint on our heart,” the 43-year-old queer Black woman added. “She has really shaped the way that we do work here.” Kendell joked, “I’m mad that she’s leaving NCLR,” stating that she “envisioned and supported” Sakimura’s growth during her tenure at the organization knowing eventually she would lead an organization one day. “It’s a huge loss for NCLR but it’s also a perfect step for her. “It’s the highest and best practice for any organization to give your valued staff the opportunities necessary to soar even if it means leaving the fold of that original organization,” Kendell added. Rupert-Gordon, who took over at NCLR in March 2020 just as the COVID pandemic led to lockdowns, told the B.A.R. that the agency’s values “belong in every organization.” “I want to see our brilliant, amazing folks that were trained at NCLR, out there leading other parts of the movement,” she said.

Ready to lead

Sakimura is excited about the next chapter of her career. She described the opportunity as a moment where she feels she can use the skills she’s developed at NCLR in a new way to help LSC. “Legal Services for Children is such an amazing organization that does so much vital work for children and youth in San Francisco and in the Bay Area,” she said. “I would really love to see more people learn about the incredible work that they’re doing.” The agency works with abused and neglected children, foster kids, unaccompanied immigrant minors, and troubled youth in San Francisco’s schools. The agency takes a holistic approach, balancing legal advocacy and social work by having “an attorney to represent their legal needs, but also a social worker to help them with the underlying issues that lead to those legal needs,” Sakimura

said. Additionally, it has “focused on helping young people not only achieve what they need in terms of legal representation but to understand how to use their own voice in saying what it is that they want to happen and helping them achieve that,” she said. LSC’s work influenced Sakimura’s approach to her work at NCLR, and it leads directly to the work she’s doing today that she is “really passionate” about, she said. Speaking about her new role, she said, “I think it’s a really beautiful job because it is really about supporting and creating a space for every person to play their own role in the best way that they can and in the way that feels [the] most authentic for them.” At the same time, it will be her responsibility to oversee a smooth operation by “fitting the pieces together” and ultimately leading in ways that “serve every person who’s in every other role in the organization.” Sakimura described her approach to leadership as collaborative and transparent. She explained that when there is a problem there is always a “why” it could be or couldn’t be solved. “I think that’s really what transparency is, the ability to have someone who is listening to you to be involved in the decisions and to understand how things work,” she said. “Sometimes a change can’t happen, but everybody should understand why that is the case.” Going back to her roots in founding the Family Protection Project at NCLR, which focused on Black, Indigenous people of color, queer, and poor families, Sakimura expressed she will come at LSC’s work with a racial, queer, and poverty lens. True to her leadership style, she is set on getting more former clients, board members, children’s advocates, and the community involved at LSC, she said.

Not goodbye

Founded in 1975 and 1977 respectively, LSC and NCLR have a long history of working together on cases advocating for LGBTQ youth and families, said those who spoke with the B.A.R. Sakimura explained that LSC was one of the first agencies to work on LGBTQ youth projects and had long-term projects with NCLR early on. “There are lots of ways that the organizations collaborated in the past,” said Sakimura. “I would anticipate that that would happen in the future.” Minter also expects NCLR will continue to work with Sakimura in her new role at LSC. “Losing her for NCLR is going to be very difficult, but I fully expect we’ll continue to collaborate with LSC, which we have done for decades now,” he said. LSC is “in amazing hands” with Sakimura at the helm, Gordon-Rupert said. “I think it’s been more clear to her and to us and to everyone just how amazing her leadership is and that perhaps she has more to give,” added Gordon-Rupert. “I’m excited to see it.” NCLR will be replacing Sakimura’s position in the coming months, but the organization’s leaders were unclear about what that would look like, expressing the challenge of replacing her. Sakimura and Thompson declined to disclose her salary. According to GuideStar, LSC’s Trillin earned $113,604 from the organization and an additional estimated $17,250 in other compensation from the organization or other organizations in 2019, based on LSC’s 2020 IRS Form 990. t

Equity. Respect. Pride.

San Francisco Police Officers in solidarity with our LGBTQ community. Congratulations on the 52nd San Francisco LGBTQ Pride celebration and the Bay Area Reporter’s 50th annual Pride edition.

SAN FRANCISCO

POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

SFPOA_062421.indd 1

5/23/22 11:38 AM

<< Pride 2022

20 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

LGBTQ office

From page 2

nities are being missed,” Keel wrote, expressing her appreciation for Fernando’s partnership working to improve services for the South Bay’s LGBTQ community. “I am eager to see her continue to build relationships with providers and community members, so that Santa Clara County becomes an even safer and affirming place for all of our LGBTQ+ residents and employees.” In 2017, Fernando began volunteering for Silicon Valley Pride, where she now serves as a volunteer chief diversity officer. In 2018, she started serving on the board of governors for the Human

Rights Campaign Bay Area where she continues to work on diversity, inclusion, and equity issues. She also serves on Santa Clara County’s new Hate Crimes Task Force. She was also a council member for Women’s Equality 2020. Despite all her volunteer work within Microsoft and in San Jose’s LGBTQ community, Fernando said her work at Microsoft was “no longer challenging.” She found herself wanting more. A new opportunity at the Office of LGBTQ Affairs opened up two years ago. Armed with three years of solid community service and leadership experience, Fernando applied again. This time she got the job. “I was able to much more elo-

quently tell my story,” she said. In March, Fernando was honored for her leadership in the community for Women’s History Month. A banner depicting Fernando created by artist Jess Gutierrez for the Womanhood Project was put up in downtown San Jose, along with 25 other banners and murals, five of which recognized Silicon Valley’s lesbian leaders.

Accomplishments

In more than two years at the office, Fernando assisted redirecting it from providing direct services for the LGBTQ community to becoming a research-based policy, initiative, and program advisory department, as well as a training organization for community and government agen-

Pulse foundation

From page 4

$150,000, which was approved by the board, she said, though she added that she has not always made that much. Other staff also took a reduction in pay during the COVID pandemic, she said. “Everyone stuck it out,” she said.

Harrowing event

Mateen, 29, went on a rampage June 12, 2016 when he stormed the club during its popular Latin Night. In addition to the 49 deaths, more than 50 people were injured. Mateen died in a shootout with police. In 2018, his wife, Noor Salman, was acquitted of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and of obstruction of justice in connection with her husband’s attack. Poma recalled happier times at Pulse before the mass shooting. “It was an energetic place,” she said, with dancing and drag shows. The building was small, about 4,000 square feet, and had three rooms. Like many LGBTQ clubs, there were different music formats in the different rooms. Latin Night featured Latin music on the main floor, with hiphop in a dance area and house music on the patio, she explained. She said that initially, she had hoped to open another LGBTQ bar. “It was another way of not letting hate win,” she said. But she has decided not to. “One day our business just closed,” Poma, 53, said during the February interview. “There was no income. It was far more important to honor what happened here. Now it’s five years later, now I’m five years older.

Virtual tour

From page 11

Stonewall riots of 1969 was formed after they had completed their virtual tour of the bar. “The unique thing about queer history is so much of it takes place in tucked away places likes bars and people’s houses.” Unlike with the Stonewall Inn, which people can freely walk into today and order a drink at the bar as they experience the historic site for themselves, they may never be able to step foot into the Lyon-Martin House. But

Castro Theatre

From page 12

Castro Theatre, posted on Facebook after attending Frameline’s opening night June 16, “sitting in my seat at the Castro, it was also sad to me that due to the changes proposed to the venue, the actual seat might not even be there next year. That still feels like a gut punch. Change is constant, things happen, but I couldn’t help feeling the ghosts of Frameline past (and more selfishly the spirits from my many events there), and wishing that somehow we could wave a magic wand and return to the glory days.” Perry is adamant that whatever seating is finally set up there will be able to accommodate the needs of

Christopher Robledo

People left flowers at a memorial for the Pulse nightclub victims at 18th and Castro streets on Sunday, June 12, the sixth anniversary of the shooting.

It took us two years to open the first time and emotionally, I didn’t know if I could do it.”

Pulse continues to reverberate

The horrific Pulse shooting has not been forgotten, even as it’s one of so many mass gun incidents that have taken place over the years. On the anniversary earlier this month, a small crowd gathered in San Francisco’s LGBTQ Castro district where Indigenous dancers performed. People also left flowers at a small memorial at 18th and Castro streets. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DSan Francisco) recalled the event. “Six years ago, a horrifying act of mass murder at Pulse Nightclub stole away 49 lives, injured more than 50 others and left countless loved ones shattered,” she stated. “On what should have been a wonderful night of music, dancing and celebration,

this hateful act instead devastated a sanctuary of safety and solidarity for Orlando’s LGBTQ community.” AGUILAS El Ambiente, a nonprofit that serves the Latino community in San Francisco, has plans for a Pulse memorial at its offices at the LGBT Community Center. The project, however, which started three years ago, has been held up by city bureaucracy, Renato M. Talhadas, program director, stated in an email. Congressmember Val Demings (D-Florida) represents part of Orlando and is running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Marco Rubio (R) in November. Formerly Orlando’s first female chief of police, Demings was elected to Congress months after the Pulse shooting in 2016. She, too, recalled the tragedy of that night. “June 12, 2016 should have been a day of love and acceptance spent in bliss,” she stated in a news release on

they can get a sense of what the house was like via the virtual tour. “The Lyon-Martin House may never be open to the public, so we are giving access to a site the public may never get to see otherwise,” Ristevski said. “This tells a piece of history that has never been told before.” One of the most popular sites CyArk has done is Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the 60-foot-high sculpture in South Dakota memorializing four presidents. Ristevski believes the tour’s popularity has to do with the National Park Service linking to CyArk from its website. Also, many children in the U.S.

are familiar with the monument, having learned about it in the classroom. “A lot of schools and school teachers are accessing the virtual tour,” he said. “I think that was the first one we did that had a curriculum to use with it.” CyArk is working on a similar lesson plan for the Lyon-Martin House it hopes to have ready for the fall semester. To experience CyArk’s virtual tours, now numbering more than 200, visit its website at https://cyark.org/explore/. t

audiences for both films and live performances. The seating in the mezzanine, however, will remain, said Perry. Many of the seats need to be replaced, he said. They’re old, many are worn, and they’re not as comfortable as the seating below but they will remain. Fears about the plans for the interior of the ornate movie house led gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro district, to institute improved landmark status for it this spring. Earlier in June the full Board of Supervisors approved the request, kicking off a process that should conclude in the fall. The Castro Theatre was already designated a city landmark in 1977, but the designation only covers the building’s

elaborate California Churrigueresque facade. It should now be broadened to cover the building’s “full historical, architectural, aesthetic and cultural interest and value,” according to the resolution approved by the supervisors. Just wrapping up an interview with a television crew, Mary Conde, senior vice president of APE, shared more about the music promotion company’s plans for the space. She pointed out the damage to the still beautiful but notably diminished ceiling. Over the years, the ceiling has darkened, obscuring nearly all the details of the hand painted feature, designed to recall the interior of an exotic tent, replete with bunting and plaster tassels. It’s not as visible in the dark, but surrounding the fantastic

cies. She also helped develop the fellowship program. The office released the county’s first-ever LGBTQ seniors report in 2021, which is informing the office’s initiatives, policies, and programs that it plans to develop for queer elders. More community reports are expected to be released soon. Fernando also led a virtual summit, Transgender Economic Environment, with keynote speakers Aria Sa’id, Janetta Johnson, and Honey Mahogany from San Francisco’s Transgender District. She’s currently working on producing the 2022 summit scheduled for October, she said. “The work that we’ve accomplished within the past two years was really built on a solid founda-

tion,” and vision for where the office planned to head toward, Fernando said. Fernando said she plans to ensure the office is community-informed and data-driven, based on research “to help inform the policies and initiatives we wish to create,” she said. She also plans to continue working toward making South Bay city and county governments more inclusive – from forms to training agencies – on LGBTQ cultural sensitivity as well as assess the effectiveness of the training. Most of all, she wants to make “sure that the office reflects the community wishes, to serve and make sure that we do this by the community we want to represent.” t

the Pulse anniversary. “It was Latin Night at Pulse nightclub, and the LGBTQ+ community in Orlando was celebrating Pride Month by joyfully gathering in a safe space. “What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a devastating nightmare. That night, Orlando witnessed the deadliest attack against the LGBTQ+ community in U.S. history,” she noted. “We lost 49 people in a mass shooting – and I am still mourning each of them on the sixth anniversary of this tragedy.” Poma said that the foundation continues to raise funds for scholarships, which started in 2019. Working with the families and loved ones of those killed, onePULSE Foundation established the 49 Legacy Scholarships in 2019 based on the respective victims’ interests, careers, or aspirations, according to the foundation’s website. The inaugural class of 49 Legacy Scholarship recipients was awarded $330,000 in scholarships in 2019 and the second class was awarded $236,300 last April, the website stated. Recipients come from all over the United States and have a common thread of community service, leadership, and advocacy. The onePULSE Foundation awards 49 scholarships annually, each up to $10,000 for use at an accredited institution of higher learning, including career and technical schools. The new “Queer As Folk” show, now streaming on NBC’s Peacock, references Pulse. Set in New Orleans, the show addresses the issue of gun violence head-on by centering its story on a mass shooting that recalls the Orlando incident. The Daily Beast reported that the show, which debuted June 9, included a warning card

ahead of the first episode, given that it aired shortly after the Uvalde, Texas rampage. (https://www.thedailybeast. com/queer-as-folk-is-the-latestshow-that-needs-a-mass-shootingwarning) The onePULSE Foundation was critical of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signing the “Parental Rights in Education” bill into law in late March. Referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, it will not allow classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3, while “age-appropriate” teaching would be allowed in older grades — though it is not clear what is considered “age-appropriate.” The bill would also allow parents to sue schools or teachers who violate the legislation. “Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is hateful, discriminatory and bigoted and will further stigmatize, marginalize and isolate LGBTQ+ youth and their families,” the foundation stated. “We denounce this unconscionable and shameful law and will continue to #SayGay and stand in solidarity with all LGBTQ+ Floridians to help ensure that every student – especially those most vulnerable and in need of support – feels safe, welcomed and included at school. “The importance of safe spaces – like Pulse nightclub was for Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community – cannot be overstated,” the foundation added. “It is our hope that the National Pulse Memorial & Museum will serve as such a critical space and educational forum in the future.” For Poma, the memorial and museum “will hopefully change hearts and minds along the way.” t

Courtesy CyArk

A screenshot of the virtual tour of the home shared by late lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin shows the living room area.

art deco chandelier (installed in 1937 following a small fire) are numerous portraits and depictions of great figures from history. Possibly. The details have been obscured by a well-intended but poorly carried out attempt at preservation, said Conde. Sometime in the 1980s, someone painted over the work with a polyurethane varnish that has only darkened over the years, concealing the art it was intended to protect. Besides darkening the work, it’s done little to protect it. Plaster is flaking, destroying the art, Conde pointed out. Restoration of the artwork – if it can be done – is just one more detail in the ever growing list of renovations and repairs that need to be accomplished if APE is to successfully pro-

tect the theater. Conde said that APE was prepared for the sticker shock of renovating the cinema. Another Planet loves doing just this sort of thing, she said. She pointed to several other venues the company has renovated over the years: the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theater in Berkeley, the Independent in San Francisco. In addition, APE has already sunk a great deal of money into overhauling the Castro’s aging electrical system and will be installing a new HVAC system, to boot, she said. They were all expensive, she pointed out, but APE is committed to preserving them. t

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<< Pride 2022

22 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Parades

From page 1

A controversy around LGBTQ police officers and other first responders being allowed to march in uniform was resolved earlier this month. The SF Pride board had decided in 2020 that LGBTQ SFPD officers would not be allowed to march in uniform after fallout from a protest during the 2019 parade where police were summoned and the event was delayed for nearly an hour. The dustup led San Francisco Mayor London Breed and gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey to threaten to boycott the parade unless the issue was resolved. Ultimately, a compromise was reached whereby command staff will be allowed to march in uniform while officers and others will wear something else.

SF Pride parade

The SF Pride parade itself begins at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets, and progresses up Market, and is expected to last four to five hours. SF Pride will accept donations, which can be made in $5 increments on cards at the gates to the Civic Center festival, although you won’t find the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence running the gates as they have in years past. You will, however, have to pass through security with walk-through metal detectors, hand held metal detectors, and additional searches if necessary. (That has been in place since the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016.) “We will not have any community partners working the gates or beverages this year,” said Ford. “We are still contributing part of the proceeds to these groups, but we are giving them the weekend off this year.” Two years of the COVID pandemic, with its quarantines and lockdowns, has had an impact on the parade, and this year there will be a little over 200 contingents marching, about 30% fewer than in 2019, Ford stated in an email to the Bay Area Reporter. That said, longtime favorites Dykes on Bikes will lead the parade again this year, and SF Pride organizers are particularly excited about a new group participating in the parade: Girls Garage. The Berkeley-based group describes itself as a nonprofit design-and-construction school for girls and gender-expansive youth ages 9-18, providing “free and lowcost programs in carpentry, welding, architecture, engineering, and activist art to a diverse community of 300 students per year,” according to its website. As with Pride celebrations in previous years – this is Pride 52 – the festivities will run for two days beginning with the festival at Civic Center Plaza from noon to 6 p.m. June 25, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 26. There you’ll find food, beverages, vendors, and plenty of entertainment including two-time Grammy Award nominee Martha Wash headlining the main stage. Wash, who along with Izora Armstead formed Two Tons O’ Fun, the backup duo for disco legend Sylvester, went on with Armstead to form The Weather Girls and released that eternal dance floor classic, “It’s Raining Men.”

Grand marshals

Celebrity grand marshals for Pride 52 include bisexual actor and comedian Sherry Cola of the television series “Good Trouble,” and trans “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider. Main stage festivities will be hosted by drag queens and activists Per Sia and Yves Saint Croissant on June 25; and District 6 supervisor candidate and San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany and the legendary Sister Roma on Sunday, June 26. Additional entertainment will be provided by Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales, HYM the Rapper, and DJ LadyRyan, while San Francisco’s official cheerleading squad Cheer SF, Auras: A Rave Dance Experience, and Roryography will keep everyone dancing.

This year’s community grand marshals were selected by the Pride membership, board, and the public. They are: Melanie DeMore, a Grammy-nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist; Vinny Eng, who serves on the board of Openhouse, an organization focused on LGBTQIA+ seniors, and also co-chairs the policy committee of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Board of Directors; Amber Gray, a group facilitator and public service aide for the City and County of San Francisco’s Community Behavioral Health Services; and Socorro “Cori” Moreland, founder and CEO of Brotherhood510, a resource and education group for Black trans masculine people. Other community grand marshals are Mellanique “Black” Robicheaux, a 30-year veteran DJ who couldn’t play in queer clubs because of racism so she paved her own way in the 1990s hip-hop scene by opening her own clubs and producing memorable parties like Tight, Rise, Dream EZ, Hella Gay, and Ships in the Night; and Andrea Horne, a Black trans woman who is this year’s lifetime achievement grand marshal. This year’s honored organization is the African American Art & Culture Complex, a Black arts and cultural institution in the Fillmore. The arts and empowerment organization provides “space for Black creatives, healers, and activists all over the Bay Area to create art, host provocative conversations, and bring people together in joy, mourning, and political power.” Last year queer African American Arts and Culture Complex co-executive directors and twin sisters Melonie and Melorra Green were community grand marshals.

Rick Gerharter

Participants in the 2019 Trans March carried flags down Market Street

Jane Philomen Cleland

Members of Dykes on Bikes led the 2019 San Francisco Pride parade.

People’s March

If you’re looking for more activism and no commercial glitz, then the People’s March is where you should be headed. “Pride is not a parade,” said People’s March co-organizer Inn, “it’s a protest and it should be looked at that way.” Inn has helped organize the event, the third now, along with drag artist MORE! The People’s March seeks to put Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Native people front and center, and to do it without money from corporate sponsors and without police, Inn said. Following the original route of San Francisco’s first LGBTQ parade 52 years ago, the event begins with a rally at 10 a.m. at Washington and Polk streets. After some speakers at 11, marchers will hit the streets, continuing down Polk and will end up at a location yet to be determined. (The People’s March previously ended outside City Hall, but that’s where SF Pride’s festival is this year.) “If some guys are passionate and go over, we’ll start at noon,” said Inn, referring to the march start time.

Castro events

Over in the Castro, on Saturday, June 25, the Castro Merchants Association is throwing its Castro Family Pride Block Party – the first – from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Noe Street between Market and Beaver streets. Look for plenty of family-friendly fare including a petting zoo, live music, drag queen storytime and performances, free photos with “the fabulous Castro Unicorn’’ and – wait for it – the Drag Performer of the Year contest, where contestants will compete for a $1,000 prize under the attentive eyes of celebrity judges Breed, Reggie Aqui (a gay man who’s a news anchor at ABC7, the official broadcast partner of SF Pride), Fernando Ventura (LGBTQ DJ at 99.7 FM), and drag artist Juicy Liu (aka Michael Nguyen, a board member of GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance). Semi-finals for the contest begin at noon and then finalists will square off at 4 p.m. Admission is free. Plans for a Pink Saturday-type event in the Castro appear to have fallen through. Gay District 8 Su-

Jane Philomen Cleland

Brazilian singer Pabllo Vittar performed on the main stage at SF Pride in 2019

pervisor Rafael Mandelman told the B.A.R. Tuesday morning that Soul of Pride, which had planned to host A Touch of Pink the evening of June 25, does not have a valid permit from the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation, which is out of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, or ISCOTT. “I don’t think there’s going to be a Pink Saturday,” Mandelman said. “As of this morning they do not have a valid permit, which leads me to believe there’s not going to be a Pink Saturday in the Castro this year.” ISCOTT stated in an email that the permit was “revoked for failure to meet permit conditions.” “The event will not be allowed to set up stages or otherwise activate the area,” the email stated. Mandelman said that following this weekend’s Pride festivities it would be a good time to start planning for next year. “There’s plenty going on this weekend,” he added. Soul of Pride is expected to host the Global Village at the Pride festival in Civic Center this weekend. Mario B. Productions, a producer of the event, and Lisa Williams with Soul of Pride, told the B.A.R. that they were not aware of any permit snafus.

Other events

This year the Trans March and rally will return Friday, June 24. Under the theme, “Back in Person 2022,”

“Pride is not a parade, it’s a protest and it should be looked at that way.” –Alex U. Inn, People’s March co-organizer the event begins with a rally at Mission Dolores Park, located at 19th and Dolores streets. The day starts with the Señora Felicia Flames Intergenerational Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a resource fair and community stage from 3 to 6 p.m. Then the march begins, ending at Turk and Taylor streets in the Tenderloin. An after-party, “Bustin’ Out,” will be held at El Rio, 3158 Mission Street. It’s a benefit for the Trans, Gender-Variant, and Intersex Justice Project. For more information, including the march’s guidelines, go to https://www.transmarch.org/transmarch-2022/ The 30th Dyke March is set for Saturday, June 25, beginning at 5 p.m. at Dolores and 18th streets. Organizers stated on the website that there would not be a pre-march rally at Dolores Park this year. The San Francisco Dyke March is for dykes, the website states.

“Dykes gather at the Dyke March to celebrate our love and passion for women and for ALL dykes. We celebrate our queerness in all its manifestations,” organizers stated. “We understand dyke identity to include those of us who are questioning and challenging gender constructs and the social definitions of women: transdyke, MTF, transfeminine, transmasculine, genderqueer, and gender fluid dykes. We also welcome all women who want to support dykes to march with us. Celebrate dyke diversity! “We continue to hold the Dyke March as dyke-only space. We invite our male allies to ... support us from the sidelines during our march,” the website stated. More information is at https:// www.thedykemarch.org/. For more information on SF Pride, go to https://sfpride.org/. For more information on the People’s March, go to https://juanitamore. com/peoples-march-2022. t

Celebrating diversity, supporting the community, and sharing our pride. Celebrating diversity, supporting the community, and sharing our pride. kp.org/community kp.org/community At Kaiser Permanente, we believe everyone has a right to be celebrated, heard, represented, and loved. We stand united

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Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities since 1971

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Vol. 52 • No. 25 • June 23-29, 2022

Safety measures in place for Pride, officials say

Rick Gerharter

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Pink Saturday drew a crowd in 2011, with the illuminated pink triangle on Twin Peaks in the background.

City revokes Pink Saturday permit for Castro dance party

by Cynthia Laird

t appears that a permitting snafu has sunk the Pink Saturday fashion show and dance party planned for the Castro June 25. A separate daytime event being produced by the Castro Merchants Association, featuring drag contests and a petting zoo, will go on as scheduled. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday morning that he’s doubtful the other event, called A Touch of Pink, will occur. He told the B.A.R. that Soul of Pride, which had planned to host the A Touch of Pink fashion show and dance party on Saturday, does not have a valid permit from the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation, or ISCOTT, which is out of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. “I don’t think there’s going to be a Pink Saturday,” Mandelman said. “As of this morning they do not have a valid permit, which leads me to believe there’s not going to be a Pink Saturday in the Castro this year.” Tuesday afternoon, an ISCOTT official stated that the permit had been “revoked for failure to meet permit conditions.” “The event will not be allowed to set up stages or otherwise activate the area,” the email stated. Officials did note that it’s anticipated that like in prior years, there will likely be an informal party taking place in the area. A key time will be around 8 p.m., when the unpermitted Dyke March arrives in the Castro, according to the ISCOTT email. Soul of Pride for years has hosted the Global Village at the Pride festival in the city’s Civic Center during both days of Pride weekend and will do so again this weekend. According to the volunteer-led group’s website https://www. soulofpride.com/ the A Touch of Pink event is to take place from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday. See page 28 >>

People shared a message of love at the 2019 San Francisco Pride parade.

by Eric Burkett

he increased activities of white nationalists and other right-wing extremists around the country, and particularly recently here in the Bay Area, has San Francisco Pride event organiz-

ers and authorities thinking of security at this year’s event a little more earnestly than in previous years. Kids attending a drag queen storytime at the San Lorenzo public library in the East Bay were confronted by right-wing protesters June 11, as alleged members of

the Proud Boys barged in and harassed drag queen Panda Dulce as she was reading to the children. While that was going on here, in Idaho the same day, police officers arrested 31 people who are believed to be affiliated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front, after they were seen See page 48 >>

SF’s LGBTQ theater brings diverse voices to the stage by Matthew S. Bajko

Also the producer in residence for the Marin Theatre Company in the North Bay, Mosqueda looks to produce works where queer people aren’t the butt of the joke but are written as real people who love and have real relationships. For years, they have wanted to work with New Conservatory for that reason. “What NCTC does so well is they pride themselves – no pun intended – on putting those stories first. I knew NCTC was such a good fit for me as an artist because I almost exclusively do queer work,” said Mosqueda, who grew up in Stockton in California’s Central Valley and for two years worked as the box office manager for NCTC.

n October, San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center will mount the world premiere of Nick Malakhow’s new play “A Picture of Two Boys.” It is the first time the queer Dominican and Ukrainian American writer and theater educator has worked with the LGBTQ nonprofit theater. The work features queer characters but delves more into their different racial backgrounds and other aspects of their identities. Their sexual orientations are not central to the plot, noted Malakhow in a recent phone interview from Boulder, Colorado where he lives and teaches English at a nearby private school. “It is super amazing, honestly, to be working with a theater especially focused on LGBTQ issues with a story that centers LGBTQ characters but at the same time approaches these characters from a holistic, intersectional point of view,” said Malakhow, 38, whose father emigrated from Ukraine in the 1950s at the age of 10. “It is exciting to be working with a queer theater on a play that, at first glance, one might not think is a ‘gay’ play. NCTC sees the intersectional value of bringing this story to their stage.” Richard Mosqueda, New Conservatory’s new director of residence, chose Malakhow’s work as one of the two plays they are directing as part of NCTC’s 2022-2023 season. The other is the

Playwright Nick Malakhow

Courtesy NCTC

West Coast premiere in April of “Locusts Have No King” by queer Puerto Rican and Dominican playwright C. Julian Jiménez. “I can safely say most theaters still have a difficult time programming queer voices, period. It is surprising to say in 2022,” said Mosqueda, 32, who is queer, Mexican American and gender fluid. “When I look at it deeper, it’s not a surprise. There are lots of queer folks in the theater industry but almost always they are doing plays heteronormative in nature or parading around as cisgender heterosexual folks or parading around in a musical where they have no voice.”

NCTC’s early beginnings

The theater was founded in 1981 by and continues to be led by its artistic director, Ed Decker. In the beginning its audiences skewed toward that of gay white men and its productions primarily focused on telling stories from those patrons’ point of view. “In the earlier days I think that we all know the white, gay male audience was a focus, especially during the HIV pandemic,” said Decker, 65, who has mounted more than 560 productions at New Conservatory. “I started realizing… wait a minute, this is not a white gay male thing, every community is impacted by this in our queer community. It really necessitates us to examine that and See page 50 >>

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<< Community News

28 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Newsom sent ‘walking while trans’ loitering law repeal by Matthew S. Bajko

fter a monthslong delay, a bill that decriminalizes loitering for adults with the intent to engage in sex work is being sent this week to Governor Gavin Newsom to sign into law. Such criminal codes have been referred to as “walking while trans” laws due to police using them to arrest transgender women who engage in prostitution in order to make a living. Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told the Bay Area Reporter that he would make a motion Monday, June 20, to enroll Senate Bill 357, which he authored, and send it to Newsom’s desk for his signature. The process usually takes a few days, so Newsom could conceivably sign the controversial legislation into law ahead of the Pride celebrations taking place this weekend in San Francisco and numerous other cities across the state and nation. “It is Pride Month, and it is time to send this bill to the governor,” said Wiener.

Newsom has 12 days to either sign or veto SB 357 once he receives it. If the bill does become law then California would join the state of New York in repealing its loitering laws. The Empire State did so in 2021. Asked for comment last week, the governor’s office told the B.A.R. it would not make a statement “at this time” regarding the bill. It usually refrains from discussing legislation until it receives the bill in question. Considering the timing of Wiener’s decision to finally submit the bill to Newsom during Pride Month, it seems unlikely the governor would veto it. Wiener told the B.A.R. last week that he is optimistic about seeing SB 357 become law. “The governor has not told us what he will do, but what I know is Gavin Newsom has been a staunch ally to the LGBTQ community and he understands our community,” said Wiener. “I am confident he will have an open mind about this bill.”

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Courtesy AP

Governor Gavin Newsom was sent a controversial bill that decriminalizes loitering for adults with the intent to engage in sex work.

Bamby Salcedo, a trans Latina immigrant woman who is the president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition based in Los Angeles, told the B.A.R. she hopes Newsom will see the importance of supporting SB 357. “I am hopeful that the governor will understand the importance of this bill and what this bill is going to do. It will improve the quality of life for individuals who practice or exercise sex work,” said Salcedo by phone last week while in Washington, D.C. due to attending President Joe Biden’s Pride event at the White House June 15. “I am hopeful the governor does the right thing, understanding sex work is work and people who do this type of work we need to be supporting.” Salcedo added that she was “super grateful and excited that Senator Wiener is doing this in June. It is an important issue for our community.”

Bill approved last year

The California Legislature had approved the controversial bill during its legislative session last year, but Wiener made the decision to postpone sending it to Newsom last fall. The Los Angeles Times reported in January that the bill was being held at the request of Newsom’s office. Its story raised questions about the impact of the bill on police’s ability to crack down on sex trafficking pimps. The legislation doesn’t decriminalize soliciting or engaging in sex work but merely eliminates people being arrested on a loitering offense for “appearing” to be a sex worker, noted Wiener’s office. Sex workers and various advocacy groups, as well as the district attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles, supported the bill. In an interview earlier this year with the B.A.R., San Francisco Police Chief William Scott urged Newsom to sign SB 357 into law.

Pink Saturday

From page 25

Free to attend, the Soul of Pride event was to feature at 3 p.m. Mario B. Productions’ Pretty and Pink Fashion Show. From 4 to 8 p.m. was to be music and performances, including DJ Moscone, Grand Marsha DJ Black, and hip-hop artist Drippy and Wet. Reached by phone Tuesday morning, Mario B said he was not aware of the permitting snafu. Lisa Williams, who’s involved with Soul of Pride, said

“Yes, I hope it gets signed because I think it is the right thing to do,” responded Scott when asked about the bill during an interview with the B.A.R. “It is forwardthinking and helps us do what we as a police department do; that is, help keep people safe and protect people from crimes.” Last October, Wiener told the B.A.R. he would likely send SB 357 to Newsom’s desk in January. That did not happen, and Wiener had repeatedly said the bill would “soon” be transmitted to the governor during subsequent interviews but had not given an exact timeline for doing so. He had until August 31 to send it to Newsom.

Some changes already made

Certain police departments have already made changes in how they implement California Penal Code section 653.22, which makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution. In 2017, Scott issued a bulletin that clarified how San Francisco police officers should address a sex worker who is a victim or witness of a violent crime and/or who may be subject to arrest. It stated they were not to arrest “persons for involvement in sex work or other forms of sex trade when they are victims or witnesses” to various crimes. Specifically, it said officers were not to arrest sex workers in such situations under the state penal code section relating to loitering. Wiener’s bill, among its provisions, repeals that section of the state penal code. In the Legislature Wiener’s bill faced opposition from a number of his Democratic colleagues in addition to Republican state legislators. As the B.A.R. first reported in January, nearly twodozen Democratic legislators lost points on the annual scorecard produced by statewide LGBTQ

on the same call that she wasn’t aware of any problems. “I’m not aware of that and I’m in the middle of a staff meeting,” Williams said. Dave Karraker, co-president of the Castro Merchants Association, wrote in an email that it was his understanding A Touch of Pink had secured a conditional permit for the event but did not know if all the conditions had been met. For Pink Saturday in 2021 the group focused on the LGBTQ+ African diaspora in the Bay Area had set

advocacy organization Equality California for their not voting in support of SB 357. EQCA has expressed its hope that Newsom will sign Wiener’s bill. Should the governor end up vetoing it, his score on the organization’s 2022 Legislative Scorecard would be impacted. “Throughout his career Governor Newsom has been a champion and ally for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are certainly hopeful he will sign this important legislation to address profiling of the trans community and women of color in particular,” Samuel Garrett-Pate, EQCA’s managing director of external affairs, told the B.A.R. earlier this year. The change in the law called for in SB 357 comes down to an issue of trust between sex workers and police officers, explained Scott, so they are not fearful of reporting crimes committed against them or those they witness while out on the streets. “Sex workers are many times victims and get victimized of brutal crimes, robberies, sexual assaults, things like that,” he said. “We heard as part of group discussions for us to put our sex worker policy in place that some don’t feel they can come to the police because they are sex workers and can’t report what is happening to them. That is a tragedy.” Amid the relentless legislative assault against LGBTQ rights, especially protections and health care access for transgender youth, in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country, Wiener told the B.A.R. that implementation of SB 357 would send a powerful message. “Particularly with all the attacks on trans people around the country, it is incredibly important for California to be crystal clear that we support trans people and the entire LGBTQ community,” he said, “and we’re going to stop criminalizing trans people.” t up its Soul of Pride Urban Global Village Stage on 18th Street in the Castro during the daytime and presented a host of musical acts and DJs. The Castro Merchants Association had been closing down several blocks of the street in the heart of the city’s LGBTQ district throughout the COVID pandemic in order for restaurants and bars to set up tables in the roadway to serve patrons outside. It ended doing so last year after it parted ways with the See page 51 >>

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30 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

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t If you see something, say something I

f you see something, say something. That appeal to the public gained traction after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and, today, remains relevant as the LGBTQ community prepares to celebrate the first in-person San Francisco Pride events since 2019. The reason, of course, is the uptick in some strange and frightening events over the past several weeks, both locally and across the country. The weekend of June 11-12 was particularly active: in Idaho, authorities arrested 31 men allegedly affiliated with Patriot Front, a white nationalist group. The men, seen by a tipster piling into a U-Haul truck, allegedly were planning to disrupt a Pride event in Coeur d’Alene. The group was armed with “shields, shin guards and other riot gear with them,” along with papers “similar to an operations plan that a police or military group would put together for an event,” CNN reported. The arrests were for conspiracy to riot, which is a misdemeanor. The suspects came from 11 different states. Hundreds of miles away, in the East Bay town of San Lorenzo, alleged members of the Proud Boys, another right-wing group, hijacked a drag queen storytime event at the public library. The men barged in and harassed drag queen Panda Dulce as she was reading to the children. A bomb threat was made to gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). “We placed bombs in his office and his house,” an email read. “You bastards all deserve to die.” Authorities searched Wiener’s San Francisco home and offices as well as his offices in Sacramento. And while nothing was found, Wiener, who said he regularly receives threats, was clear that he was targeted because of his work and legislation on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Even LGBTQ youth nonprofit LYRIC was singled out. The Castrobased agency itself received the second of two bomb threats in May. These incidents didn’t happen in isolation. In Wiener’s case, he recently joked on Twitter about proposing a bill that would make “Drag Queen 101” part of K-12 curriculum in response to a Texas lawmaker, as we reported last week. (https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_news//316416) It was in response to Texas state Representative Bryan Slayton (R) moving to ban drag shows in the presence of minors in the Lone Star State.

Rick Gerharter

A crowd filled the Castro on Pink Saturday in 2012.

Wiener’s quip led California state Senator Melissa Melendez (R-Riverside) to post a homophobic tweet about her colleague: “I’d like to say don’t take his tweet seriously,” she wrote. “But he’s the author of 2 other bills, one that says purposely giving someone HIV isn’t a crime, the other makes it legal for 25 yr old men to have sex with 15 yr old boys.” Of course, that is out of context. Wiener’s 2017 legislation around HIV amended California’s anachronistic criminal codes that target people living with the virus. It was signed into law by then-governor Jerry Brown. Wiener’s criminal justice bill in 2020, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, ensures that LGBTQ adolescents are treated the same as their heterosexual peers when faced with the possibility of being listed on the state’s sex offender registry. Melendez knows better but her tweet certainly fanned the flames of twitter outrage. Lesbian state Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) should admonish Melendez for her unacceptable social media post. Right-wing extremists and anti-LGBTQ forces have been active for decades, as we all know, but these recent incidents usher in a new level of toxicity and intimidation meant to instill fear. Anti-LGBTQ legislation in many states seeks to criminalize trans people and deny them access to health care. School districts are banning LGBTQ-themed books.

LGBTQs ready for smoke-free bar patios this Pride

by Amaya Wooding

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

Emboldened by their privilege, lawmakers across the country are trying – and in some cases succeeding – to define us and our bodies by telling us who can participate on athletic teams at school. Internationally, FINA, the world governing body for swimming, this week instituted a new policy that essentially bars trans women from elite competitions. That will likely quickly trickle down to organizations in this country – we’re looking at you, USA Swimming – that could adopt similar prohibitions. All of this is to say that people need to be especially vigilant this Pride weekend. Starting Friday with the Trans March; continuing with the Dyke March and activities in the Castro and Civic Center on Saturday; and culminating with the San Francisco Pride parade, the People’s March, and more parties on Sunday, LGBTQs and their friends will be celebrating in person for the first time since 2019. But they should also keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Remember, it was someone seeing something out of the ordinary – a bunch of men piling into a U Haul wearing identical uniforms – that led to the arrests in Idaho. San Francisco police, the city’s emergency department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are all on alert, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told us. They are aware of these latest incidents. Everyone should do their part too, particularly in the Castro. If you see something suspicious, say something. t

t’s Pride 2022, and we are back in the streets to celebrate in-person again! Afterward, many of us will continue the party at bars with family and friends. In San Francisco and Oakland, however, should you head to the bar patio for fresh air, you could find something else in your lungs: secondhand smoke and vape. Unlike over 50 other cities in the Bay Area, San Francisco and Oakland allow smoking and vaping tobacco on bar patios. Using cannabis in any way on a bar patio is prohibited under state law, but you may still smell a special something on many a bar patio. I know I have. Whether that patio pollution comes from a cigar, cigarette, joint, blunt, or even a vape, it poses health risks not just for the user, but also for anyone who breathes it in. This is not a controversial idea. At Carnaval last month, LGBTQ Minus Tobacco surveyed 106 people who said they enjoyed San Francisco nightlife. Ninety-six percent agreed that there was at least some harm to breathing secondhand smoke or vape, while 70% said it was “very harmful.” They are right. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand vape, which is not a “vapor” but an aerosol. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke. Why, then, are we using these substances in our community spaces? We turn to tobacco and cannabis as forms of self-medication to deal with the stress of existing in a world that isn’t ready for us. Even during Pride Month, even in the queer city on 40-odd

Courtesy Amaya Wooding

LGBTQ Minus Tobacco project coordinator Amaya Wooding

hills that is San Francisco, we are stressed. On top of other axes like race, class, ability, and immigration status, it’s still no cakewalk being queer. We micro-dose stress from getting misgendered and getting weird looks, we swim in it in unsupportive social environments, and let’s not even think about the background trainwreck of the foundations of our rights to exist collapsing across the nation. It’s no wonder then that queer people smoke and vape at rates much higher than the general population. Whether breathing in heated particles that inflame the airways constitutes self-help or self-harm may be a matter of perspective, but it’s time for us to think beyond the self. One person needing a coping mechanism is no justification for subjecting others to what literally kills them slowly.

That sounds melodramatic, but it’s not. Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure kills over 40,000 people in the U.S. each year, despite exposed individuals breathing in much less than smokers. Most secondhand smoke is sidestream smoke, which comes from the burning end of whatever is being smoked. Sidestream smoke is more toxic than the mainstream smoke breathed out by the smoker, and only increases in toxicity as it lingers in the air. Due to federal research restrictions, we can’t say as much about secondhand cannabis smoke. What we do know is that it contains similar toxins to secondhand tobacco smoke. Likewise, due to the novelty of vaping products, we can’t say as much about secondhand vape aerosol. Still, we know that it contains respiratory irritants and cancer-causing compounds. Despite our higher smoking and vaping rates, our communities have been supportive of smoke-free spaces for a long time. In 2011, 78% of 580 people surveyed who attended San Francisco Pride events said they went to queer bars and clubs with patios in the city and agreed that they were “bothered by secondhand smoke in outdoor public areas.” More recent data shows that tobacco users believe smoke-free areas can help them quit. In May and June 2021, We Breathe, the statewide coordinating center to reduce LGBTQ tobacco-related disparities, and Harder+Company conducted a survey of 1,012 LGBTQ adults living in California. All had used tobacco or nicotine in the last month. Forty-three percent were trans or nonbinary. Nearly two-thirds of respondents believed that smoke-free outdoor dining and bars are effective to help people quit using tobacco, including 82% of trans women and 72% of trans men. See page 49 >>

Politics >>

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 31

San Francisco 1st city to track LGBTQ workforce by Matthew S. Bajko

an Francisco has become the first known city to track its LGBTQ workforce as well as to ask applicants for city and county jobs what is their sexual orientation and gender identity. It is the latest attempt by the city to collect SOGI data, this time with an eye toward improving employment opportunities for LGBTQ individuals. In October, the Board of Supervisors signed off on striking a restriction in the city’s municipal code that forbids it from inquiring into the “sexual orientation, practices, or habits” of city employees. Known as Chapter 12E, the City Employee’s Sexual Privacy Ordinance of the Administrative Code, it was enacted in 1985 during the height of the AIDS epidemic as a way to protect LGBTQ applicants and city employees from being discriminated against, as the Bay Area Reporter first reported last June. With those fears no longer a concern, and SOGI data routinely asked of people seeking various city services and in public health settings, Mayor London Breed and gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced legislation during Pride Month 2021 to repeal that section of the Administrative Code. It was the responsibility of the city’s Department of Human Resources to implement it after conducting meetings with LGBTQ advocates and city leaders about how best to ask the SOGI questions of new applicants for city and county jobs, as well as those already employed. The department rolled out the SOGI questions for the city’s 35,000+ employees across multiple departments in January. On May 6 the questions were added to the forms that job seekers fill out. The city has upward of 3,000 permanent positions to fill and is on pace to have over 140,000 applicants this calendar year. “I think it is good, and I am glad I could be a part of making it happen,” Mandelman told the B.A.R. this week. “I will be interested to see what we learn about our workforce and our applicant pool.” Carol Isen, a lesbian who is the director of the city’s human resources department, said the initiative echoes the calls in the 1970s by the late gay San Francisco activist and supervisor Harvey Milk for LGBTQ people to come out of the closet due to there being power in having a visible LGBTQ community. “Our own supervisor said the most powerful thing you can do is come out,” said Isen during a June 17 phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “Now being able to come out and be counted, and be counted in our system, is a powerful statement in and of itself. I would really like for our employees to really be able to see that and take that step to be identified and be counted.” At the same time Isen, who is 62 years old, said she is personally aware that being asked about one’s sexual orientation and gender identity can be jarring at first. Other than answering the SOGI questions in her own online employment file earlier this year, Isen said she had never been asked how she identifies under the LGBTQ acronym until the B.A.R. did for this article. “It felt great,” she said of filling out the SOGI fields for the city. Mawuli Tugbenyoh, a gay man

Christopher Robledo

Carol Isen is the director of the San Francisco Department of Human Resources.

who is the human resources department’s director of policy and communications, also filled out the SOGI fields. But even though he had worked on implementing the initiative and on how the questions would be asked, Tugbenyoh told the B.A.R. he had a momentary pause when he went to enter his SOGI information earlier this year. “Admittedly, even though we worked on the launch of this whole thing, I have that little voice in the back of my head as a gay man and also as a Black man asking should I include my race, should I include my sexual orientation? I understand if there is any hesitation out there with the rest of city employment on doing it,” said Tugbenyoh. For both current employees and job applicants disclosing their sexual orientation and gender identity is not required but voluntary. The information is being kept confidential to protect people’s privacy. “We are not mandating people report this. It is purely voluntary,” noted Isen. “It is stored in the same manner as everything else is stored about an employee’s employment information. The SOGI field is suppressed for the purposes of reporting.” Isen noted that only a select few city officials can access the SOGI data. Those who do are unable to look up an individual by name, she added, but can look up the SOGI data in the aggregate by job classification. “They are not going to turn around and out you,” she said, if someone answers the SOGI data. So far the city has not released any information on the SOGI data it has collected to date. Isen told the B.A.R. her department likely won’t issue a report on the data collection efforts until next year in order to give plenty of time for current employees to answer the questions. They are able to do banner messages in the online system employees access for various benefits and payroll reasons, so they plan to do a push about the SOGI questions in the fall timed to when employees can update their health benefits. “It’s going to be a big campaign to really get people to go in there and voluntarily fill them out,” said Isen. “I think there are some concerns about what are you doing with this info, why are you doing this, and how are you doing this. We need to do better outreach and education on this.” Isen expects to see that many city employees are in fact part of the LGBTQ community, noting that as far back as the 1970s various city departments were seen as welcoming workplaces for LGBTQ individuals. She began her career with the city as a union representative in 1982 and recalled how back then there were many gay

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Mawuli Tugbenyoh is director of policy and communications at the San Francisco Department of Human Resources.

men employed with the planning department. “They were quite open and out and a lot of them did not survive AIDS, sadly,” recalled Isen. “So I was around when the code amendment 12E was adopted. People felt really strongly about privacy at that point. But this just shows how things have come around in that time period.” There is no expectation that asking the SOGI questions will result in a drop off in job applicants, said Isen. It is likely the younger an applicant or an employer is, the more comfortable they will be in disclosing such information to the city, she added. “I have always known working in city employment that not everywhere but a lot of our occupations are a safe haven for our LGBTQ employees,” said Isen. “Now what we would love to be able to do is to really quantify that. Empirically, we have all always known it is a great place to work and be out.” Asked if any other city has reached out to San Francisco officials to inquire about the LGBTQ workforce data initiative, Isen said none had done so. The question prompted her to say she could help promote it in her own conversations with her municipal counterparts. “We could do the reaching out to cities,” said Isen, since she works “with a lot of sister agencies in all these cities and counties around us and in the state.” t Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on a trans congressional candidate and a lesbian state Senate candidate surviving their Southern California primary races. Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes.

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<< Commentary

32 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Beyond the bubble: Pride in Israel from the North to the South by Matan Zamir

ocated at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is internationally recognized as the LGBTQ+ capital of the Middle East. Its nightclubs, bars, beaches, and premier Pride parade attracts millions of LGBTQ+ tourists from across the world. The beating heart of this community is the city of Tel Aviv, which could be viewed as the equivalent of San Francisco. Much like San Francisco, Tel Aviv has long been a safe haven for the region’s queer citizenry, where the LGBTQ+ community could thrive and people could celebrate their identity. Its status as a center for arts, fashion, and culture has attracted many diverse people for decades. Even though Tel Aviv may hold the most notoriety as the LGBTQ+ capital of Israel, other cities throughout the nation have also given birth to thriving communities. It might be surprising to learn that the country now boasts the most Pride parades per capita than any other nation on earth – about 50 parades in a nation of 9.2 million. Beyond Tel Aviv, the cities of Haifa, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva all claim thriving LGBTQ+ communities that welcome members from all of Israel’s various demographic populations. Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel and is proud to be San Francisco’s sister city. Resting by the bay in the north of the country, Haifa celebrates Israel’s diversity and pluralism every day. It not only has a thriving Jewish community but also well-established Muslim, Christian, and Baha’i communities as well. The rolling hills of Mt. Carmel and its fantastic sea views give way to a robust LGBTQ+ mosaic that is as diverse as those who call the

PR-Israel Gay Youth

People celebrate at Haifa Pride.

city home. For these reasons, Haifa has proudly earned the honorary title of capital for the LGBTQ+ Arab community in Israel. According to Mariano Carcabi, an Arab trans man who was born in the city of Haifa, the local community has seen immense change in the last 21 years. When he first came out of the closet in the year 2000, no one spoke about being gay in his Catholic, Arab community. His uncle lived with a “roommate” in the U.S., but no one was willing to call him what he truly was – his partner. Upon returning home from visiting his uncle in the U.S., which included a trip to San Francisco and a walk along the famous Castro Street, Carcabi was ready to let the world know who he was, which, at that time was a lesbian woman. But the Haifa conservative Arab community was not yet ready for him. Facing rejection, he considered fleeing, but that was just not “in the cards’’ for him since living alone as a woman was simply not acceptable

in this community. Moreover, Carcabi felt a deep attachment to his hometown and a need to advance the conditions of the local queer community. After coming out to his family caused a rift, he became involved with a group known as Aswat, which means “voices” in Arabic. A group of eight Arab lesbian women founded Aswat in 2001 in order to help the Arab LGBTQ+ community succeed through social action. It was the first organization in the world to give assistance in Arabic to the LGBTQ+ community. Carcabi said that they would receive messages from queer youth far beyond Israel’s borders, including from Jordan and Egypt. After working with Aswat, Carcabi went on to work with Beit Dror, a unique LGBTQ+ youth hostel in Israel dedicated to housing homeless queer youth and youth in distress.

Carcabi was the only coordinator there who could speak to the Arab youth who came to seek shelter. After being exposed to seven months of hardship, Carcabi needed a bit of a change, so he went to work with IGY, Israel’s national LGBTQ+ youth group, which enables Israeli queer youth to connect with people who are like them. He then became the coordinator for the queer Arab youth group in Haifa and in Tel Aviv called “Alwan” which means “colors” in Arabic. Carcabi has seen a dramatic change in the Israeli LGBTQ+ community in the last 10 years – especially in his hometown of Haifa, whose bustling Arab queer community has been thriving in the last decade, driven by a bustling queer Arab nightlife. It was a bit of an uphill battle, according to Carcabi, as the neighbors at first did not like having LGBTQ+ bars next door, but “over time they got used to it,” he recalled. Beyond the major metropolitan areas, Israel has seen a massive change in the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the broader society. In the political world, Israel has a multitude of openly queer political figures, including Amir Ohana, who was Israel’s first openly gay cabinet minister and served as its minister for homeland security. In Israel’s parliament, called the Knesset, one of the most prominent parties in the country, Meretz, chose Nitzan Horowitz, who is a gay man, as its head. Furthermore, the city of Ra’anana, one of Israel’s largest cities, elected Eitan Ginzburg in 2018, making him the country’s first openly gay mayor. The April 2020 elections were some

of the queerest in the country’s history. Six members of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community won seats in Israel’s 120seat legislative body, making the country the fourth queerest parliament in the world by percentage at 5% (This compares to the British Parliament at 8.1%, Lichtenstein at 8%, and the Scottish at 7.7%). The newly-chosen Knesset members come from across the political spectrum, from both the left and the right. Israel has also been making major advancements in equality among its armed services. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have been serving openly in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) since the early 1990s, and in 2012, Israel welcomed its first transgender officer, Lieutenant Shachar Erez, who underwent gender-affirming surgery during his service, which Israeli law mandates be paid in full by the IDF. Erez is a trailblazer for trans equality in the military. Though Israel has had full equality for its trans population since the early 1990s, it was not seamless. Policies had to be made to fit the moment, and Israel met this challenge to ensure the positive military experience of all of its young draftees irrespective of gender. Israel is the leader for LGBTQ+ equality in the Middle East, and we are proud to boast that title. This has not come easily; it came through the hard work of generations of trailblazers who have paved the way for the inclusive society that we know today. During this Pride Month, we look forward to further advancing this cause in the coming years and rededicating ourselves to being a global leader for LGBTQ+ equality. t Matan Zamir, a gay man, is the deputy consul general of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.

Swimming body effectively bars trans athletes by Eric Burkett

he world governing body for competitive swimming, FINA, has banned most trans female athletes from participating in elite levels of competition. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the organization announced June 19 that it would institute the new policy the following day, June 20. This is just the latest in a barrage of efforts, particularly in the United States, to ban trans women athletes from competing against their cisgender peers. Eighteen states, including Texas and Florida, have passed legislation banning transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. The move by FINA, however, has international ramifications. This follows the controversy that exploded after Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, won an NCAA Division I championship in March. Her victory prompted an outcry from critics who insisted that she had physical advantages over her fellow cisgender swimmers, the same argument used against female trans athletes in American schools. The decision by FINA effectively prohibits any trans women from competitions if they transitioned after the age of 12. However, according to the policy report issued by FINA with its announcement, trans women can participate “if they can establish to FINA’s comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later.”

Courtesy FINA

FINA’s new policy effectively bans trans women from competing in elite swimming events.

The Tanner scale is a scale of physical development in children, adolescents, and adults defining physical measurements of development based on external primary and secondary sex characteristics, such as the size of genitals and breasts, and other markers. Tanner Stage 2 in women denotes the growth of breast buds, and other characteristics. Thomas began transitioning three years ago at age 19, according to the sports website Swimswam. To explain its decision, as well as the process for making its determination, FINA issued a 25-page document titled “Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Categories.” In February, USA Swimming, swimming’s national governing body, issued new rules allowing transgender women to compete if they had taken medication that had sufficiently suppressed their levels of testosterone continuously for three years. Numerous other sports governing bodies have enacted similar policies.

National LGBTQ athletic groups expressed disappointment with FINA’s decision. “FINA’s new eligibility criteria for transgender athletes and athletes with intersex variations is deeply discriminatory, harmful, unscientific and not in line with the 2021 International Olympic Committee framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations,” said Anne Lieberman in a news release. Lieberman is director of policy and programs at Athlete Ally, an organization committed to ending homophobia and transphobia in sports. “The eligibility criteria for the women’s category as it is laid out in the policy police the bodies of all women,” the statement continued, “and will not be enforceable without seriously violating the privacy and human rights of any athlete looking to compete in the women’s category.” Locally, LGBTQ athletes and athletic organizations expressed frustration with the ruling. Some were insulted by FINA’s action.

Rachel Katz, board president for SF Tsunami, an LGBTQ swim club with both swimming and synchronized swimming teams, said she was disappointed with the decision. “We’re just trying to figure out how to respond to this right now,” said Katz, who declined to state her sexual orientation. Jeremy Bedig, 29, is a nonbinary soccer coach and a board member for the SF Spikes, an LGBTQ soccer club. “Something like that is based in fear but not science,” Bedig told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview. “It would be incredibly mentally harmful to [transgender athletes] to be told that they cannot play this sport they love because they went through this life-altering experience to become more of who they are.” SF Spikes President Danielle Thoe, who identifies as pansexual, said the decision made her sad. “On so many fronts,” she said in a phone call. “It’s Pride Month and for this decision to come down when trans folks and everyone else are supposed to be celebrating who we are, it’s even harder. Just to feel like the trans community is under attack for a very small number of trans athletes who have scared transphobic people is really what it comes down to.” Bedig called the decision “deeply transphobic” and said it disregards the struggle of trans people to embrace their gender identities. “To say that these world class athletes are transitioning just to get some competitive edge goes

against what we train athletes to do, to be sporting and fair,” they said. “And not cheat.” Chris Mosier, a trans man who’s a triathlete, posted on Facebook June 9, before the FINA policy was announced, “The goal of any legislation, rule or law targeting LGBTQ people is to make it so incredibly difficult to exist that we disappear. So thriving, living a great life, sharing our JOY & carrying on in the face of all this is a form of resistance.” In 2015, Mosier earned a spot on the Team USA sprint duathlon men’s team for the 2016 World Championship, making him the first known out trans athlete to join a U.S. national team different from his sex at birth. The National Center for Transgender Equality did not have a statement on its website. It did have a June 9 release about its new partnership with World Lacrosse that has a goal of developing a trans-inclusive participation policy for that sport’s international governing body. “This partnership between World Lacrosse and NCTE is a groundbreaking opportunity for our organizations to work together to craft an updated inclusion policy that will ensure that all lacrosse players are able to continue to enjoy the sport that they love for years to come,” NCTE Executive Director Rodrigo HengLehtinen stated. “Lacrosse can be an example to other sports on how to create an environment of mutual respect, dignity and fairness for all.”t

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Happy Pride!

<< Health News

t Monkeypox and COVID: Staying safe during Pride 34 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

by Liz Highleyman

ore than two years into the pandemic, people are ready to party, but COVID-19 is still with us, and the emergence of monkeypox among gay and bisexual men presents a new health threat. Health officials don’t advise canceling events or closing venues, but taking basic precautions can help maximize fun while minimizing risk. “Coming out of the pandemic, people want to celebrate, and I think they can,” Dr. Andrea Tenner of the San Francisco Department of Public Health told the Bay Area Reporter. “The risk [of monkeypox] to the general public is low – it’s really more about gauging your risk as an individual and trying to modify risk behaviors.”

COVID isn’t over

COVID cases in San Francisco are at a relatively high but seemingly stable level after the largest-ever peak in January, attributable to highly transmissible omicron coronavirus variants. After rising steeply in April, cases numbers and hospitalizations have plateaued since mid-May. Intensive care admissions and deaths are currently low, which experts attribute to the city’s high vaccination rate and the availability of the antiviral medication Paxlovid. Nearly 90% of San Francisco residents ages 5 and up have completed their initial vaccine series, and the federal Food and Drug Administration recently authorized vaccines for the youngest children. Keeping up to date with boosters further reduces risk, and immunocompromised people who don’t respond well to vaccines may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis using Evusheld. But compared with earlier variants, omicron is better at evading immunity from prior infection or vaccination, and reinfection is increasingly common. Some people still get very sick and die, even after vaccination, and long COVID remains a poorly understood risk. Yet as the nation has grown weary of restrictions and mandates, COVID prevention strategies have shifted toward individual risk assessment and personal precautions. San Francisco and other Bay Area counties no longer require face masks, with the exception of Alameda County, which reinstated its indoor mask mandate on June 2. Nonetheless, local health officials recommend wearing a well-fitted mask indoors when com-

Courtesy CDC Courtesy HIV.gov

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis

munity transmission is high – loose cloth and surgical masks provide little protection – and many residents are still heeding this advice. With Frameline46 returning to a full schedule this year for the first time since 2019, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is checking to see that attendees have been vaccinated. Audiences for all its indoor film screenings are required to wear a mask, and volunteers have ones to give people who forget to bring one of their own. People who want to minimize their risk can avoid indoor and crowded outdoor gatherings. Meet people outdoors, if possible, and when indoors open windows to improve ventilation. Health officials urge people to stay home if they’re sick, and self-testing before events can reduce the likelihood of transmission.

Monkeypox update

In early May, an outbreak of monkeypox was first reported in countries outside Africa, where the virus is endemic. As of mid-June, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had identified 100 cases in the United States and global health authorities had reported more than 2,000 cases in non-endemic countries, with numbers rising daily. While anyone can get monkeypox through close personal contact, most cases in the ongoing outbreak have been gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Some reported international travel, and many visited saunas or attended large gatherings, including a Pride festival in the Canary Islands and a fetish festival in Belgium. Speaking during a webinar hosted by InterPride, an organization of Pride event producers, James Krellenstein of PrEP4All expressed

This image of lesions on hands is more representative of what the current monkeypox outbreak looks like, according to health officials.

concern that the full extent of community spread is unknown due to limited testing. The monkeypox virus is transmitted from animals and from person to person through skin-to-skin contact, kissing, and contact with contaminated clothes, bedding, or surfaces. It also can be transmitted through respiratory droplets at close range, but it does not spread through the air over longer distances like the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The CDC recently clarified that the monkeypox virus “is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace.” It can be transmitted between people who live in the same household and to caregivers, but it does not spread, for example, via casual conversation, passing someone in a grocery store or touching doorknobs, agency officials said. Most experts do not consider monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease in the traditional sense. It is not known whether the virus is transmitted in semen or vaginal fluid, but it can spread through contact with sores or face-toface contact during sexual encounters. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a gay man who’s director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, calls it a “sexually associated” – rather than a sexually transmitted – infection. The predominance of cases among gay and bi men has spurred a concerted effort to raise awareness in the most affected communities while guarding against the kind of stigma that surrounds HIV. Monkeypox is not a “gay disease,” health officials and advocates stress, and associating it with gay men could trigger homophobia, discourage people from seeking care, and lead other groups to think they’re not at risk.

“Stigma distorts science. This virus transmits through close physical contact and it doesn’t heed identities or social borders,” Daskalakis said during the InterPride webinar, but it’s important to offer culturally appropriate information to the networks experiencing increased transmission right now. “People are concerned that it’s happening during Pride, but I can’t imagine a better time to get the message out,” he said.

Monkeypox prevention

Monkeypox, which is less severe than smallpox, causes flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that can occur on the face, in the mouth or anywhere on the body. The virus has an incubation period of up to three weeks before symptom onset, and the illness typically lasts two to four weeks. Transmission can happen until the sores are completely healed and the scabs fall off. But the new cases do not always follow the classic pattern. Some people have fewer and smaller sores, often on the genitals or in the anal area, and they may not have accompanying symptoms. The lesions can be “a bit more subtle” and might be missed if people aren’t looking for them, Tenner said. People concerned about monkeypox can take a harm reduction approach to lower their risk. The CDC has put together a fact sheet on social gatherings and safer sex that includes suggestions such as not sharing sex toys or fetish gear, having sex with clothes on to minimize skin-to-skin contact, and limiting the number of sex partners. While the United Kingdom Health Security Agency recommends condoms as a precaution, Daskalakis said they’re unlikely to play a huge role in monkeypox prevention.

In addition to sex, crowded gatherings also present opportunities for transmission. “If you’re in a place where you might be crammed in and can’t avoid skin-to-skin contact, wear long-sleeved clothes and try to cover skin as much as possible,” Tenner advises. People who feel ill or have an unexplained rash are advised to refrain from sex and other close contact and avoid bars, gyms, and large gatherings. Those who are asymptomatic but think they might have been exposed should self-monitor for symptoms for three weeks. In addition, it’s critical to inform known contacts and cooperate with contact tracing efforts, officials said. “Take a pause from social activities and sex until you know what’s going on,” Daskalakis said. “If you see something, do something.” While monkeypox is circulating, gay and bi men should have a low threshold for seeking care and providers should have a low threshold for testing, even if symptoms are mild. Monkeypox lesions can resemble common STIs like herpes or syphilis, and some people have tested positive for both monkeypox and STIs, so clinicians shouldn’t rule out monkeypox just because another STI is present, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters during a recent media briefing. In San Francisco, people who do not have a regular provider can contact City Clinic on Seventh Street or the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Magnet sexual health center in the Castro. Smallpox vaccination prevents monkeypox as well, and the virus can be contained through targeted vaccination of close contacts, a strategy known as ring vaccination. Because monkeypox has a long incubation period, vaccination can be given as post-exposure prophylaxis, ideally within four days after exposure. People over age 50 or so may have some immunity from prior smallpox vaccination, but they should not assume they’re fully protected. A recently approved vaccine called Jynneos is being administered to highrisk contacts of known cases. But contact tracing can be a challenge when people have casual or anonymous sex partners or attend large gatherings. As the vaccine supply ramps up, health officials hope to make it available to people who are at high risk for exposure and those who may have been exposed but don’t have a known link to See page 51 >>

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<< Health News

36 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Screening, early treatment cut anal cancer risk by Liz Highleyman

creening people with HIV for precancerous anal cell changes and treating them early cuts the risk of anal cancer by more than half, according to results from the ANCHOR study published June 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine. “It is great news that we now have the possibility to reduce the risk of developing anal cancer,” lead investigator Dr. Joel Palefsky, who established the world’s first clinic devoted to anal cancer prevention at UCSF in 1991, told the Bay Area Reporter. “We believe that screening for anal cancer precursors and treating them should become the standard of care

for people with HIV over the age of 35 years,” he added. “We are working on detailed guidelines for anal screening in people with HIV now, and we hope these will be out in the very near future.” Anal cancer, like cervical cancer, is caused by the human papillomavirus, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The virus triggers abnormal cell growth that can progress to precancerous dysplasia (known as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, or HSIL) and invasive cancer. HPV vaccines, which are recommended for girls and boys at age 11 or 12, can prevent anal, cervical, and oral cancer. While anal cancer is uncommon in the general population, rates have

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been rising for both men and women since the 1970s, Dr. Robert Yarchoan, director of the National Cancer Institute’s Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy, said during a June 15 media briefing. HIV-positive people, especially gay and bisexual men, are at greater risk for developing anal cancer even if they are on effective antiretroviral treatment. In fact, anal cancer is the fourth most common cancer among people living with HIV. Widespread Pap smear screening and early treatment of precancerous lesions has dramatically reduced cervical cancer since the 1950s. But this is not yet the standard of care for people at risk for anal cancer because – until now – there was no direct evidence that it would work. The ANCHOR study was designed to address this question. The trial, funded by the NCI’s AIDS Malignancy Consortium, enrolled nearly 11,000 HIV-positive men and women ages 35 and older at 25 sites across the United States, including UCSF. Most of the men were gay or bisexual, and the median age was 51. More than 80% were on antiretroviral treatment with an undetectable viral load, and the median CD4 count was high, at approximately 600 cells. At study entry, the participants were screened for HSIL using anal Pap smears and a technique called high-resolution anoscopy, which uses a magnifying scope to examine the anal canal. If HSIL was suspected, a biopsy sample was collected for further analysis. More than half (53% of men, 46% of women, and 67% of transgender people) were found to have HSIL at study entry. The prevalence of HSIL was about what was expected for men, but was higher than expected for women, Palefsky said when he presented the study findings at this year’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in February.

Courtesy UCSF

UCSF researcher Dr. Joel Palefsky

The 4,459 participants found to have HSIL were then evenly randomized to receive either immediate treatment or active monitoring (the current standard of care) at least every six months. The most common treatment was office-based electrocautery, a method that uses electricity to burn off abnormal lesions. The trial was halted ahead of schedule in October 2021 after an interim analysis showed that screening and early treatment confers a clear benefit. Detecting and removing precancerous lesions significantly reduced the likelihood of progression to anal cancer. Nine people in the immediate treatment arm and 21 people in the active monitoring arm were diagnosed with invasive anal cancer, meaning screening and treatment reduced the risk by 57%. Most people diagnosed with anal cancer in both the treatment and monitoring groups were at an early stage. Treatment was generally safe and well tolerated, although there were “more treatment failures than we would have liked,” Palefsky said dur-

ing the media briefing. Seven people in the immediate treatment group and one in the active monitoring group experienced serious adverse events related to biopsy or treatment procedures. These findings support the inclusion of routine anal screening and early treatment as part of the standard of care for people living with HIV, the researchers concluded. What’s more, having results from a randomized trial should encourage insurers to cover these procedures. “Until now, you had to be lucky or privileged enough to live someplace with progressive and knowledgeable HIV providers willing to perform these procedures and have insurance that would pay for it,” said Jeff Taylor, a longtime HIV advocate who has had anal cancer himself. However, the lack of clinicians who are trained to perform high-resolution anoscopy remains a barrier, and there is “room for improvement” in the treatment of anal HSIL, according to Palefsky. “Anal cancer will increase as the HIV population ages,” he said at the retrovirus conference. “This is a great time to train the workforce and get them ready for when that inevitable increase happens.” When availability of the procedure is limited, first priority should go to people who have symptoms of anal HSIL or cancer, such as anal bleeding, pain, or lumps, followed by older individuals and those with a low current or past CD4 count, according to Palefsky. “This trial provides the groundwork to change practice for the treatment of HSIL and the screening of it in persons living with HIV and possibly other high-risk groups,” Yarchoan said in a UCSF news release. “It will certainly have an impact on reducing the pain and suffering from anal cancer.” t

Breed nominates pink triangle co-founder to arts panel by Cynthia Laird 2375 Market St. | San Francisco http://chadwickssf.com @chadwickssf

ayor London Breed has nominated pink triangle co-founder Patrick Carney to the San Francisco Arts Commission, according to a June 21 release from her office. Carney, a gay man, helped start the LGBTQ Pride art installation more than 20 years ago. Situated atop Twin Peaks, this year’s edition is lighted at night, as was the case in 2021. The 15-member arts commission is charged with approving the design of all public structures and any private structures that extend on city property, the release stated. The commission also administers the Art Enrichment Ordinance, approving the design and location of all city works of art and maintaining the city’s art collections. Carney’s nomination is for an architect seat, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office stated in an email. There is also another vacancy that was created when Breed nominated lesbian artist Debra Walker to the Police Commission, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported. “The arts and San Francisco are inseparable, and as we continue to bounce back from this pandemic, we need to ensure that equity and diversity are at the foundation of our institutions,” Breed stated. “Patrick Carney has committed his career to supporting the arts and uplifting the stories and experiences of so many in the LGBTQ community. I know that his experience and love for our city will be a great contribution to this commission.” Carney stated he was excited to be

Bill Wilson

Pink triangle co-founder Patrick Carney, left, was joined at this year’s lighting of the pink triangle by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

nominated for the post. “I am looking forward to serving the people of San Francisco by contributing toward the oversight of upcoming artistic and aesthetic endeavors within our community’s public realm,” he stated. “It is an honor to be nominated by the mayor to add my voice to those striving to help make a positive impact on our city’s art and culture to ensure it is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and beautiful so it uplifts the experiences of all San Franciscans and visitors.” Carney currently serves on the City Hall Preservation Commission, from which he will step down when he’s seated on the arts panel. Carney has participated in numerous renovations and historic preservation projects, including being on the renovation team for San Francisco City Hall in the late 1990s as the project designer for the lead firm of the

joint venture. Carney holds a Master of Architecture Degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Cal Poly. Beyond the realm of his architectural career, Carney’s community leadership efforts to expand civil rights have earned proclamations of honor for the pink triangle on Twin Peaks. Carney has been the yearlyorganizer of the installation since the beginning. The Board of Supervisors has 60 days to either confirm or reject Carney’s appointment to the arts commission once it is officially transmitted to the clerk of the board. If seated as expected, he will join fellow LGBTQ arts commissioners Roberto Ordeñana, a gay man who is the oversight body’s president, and attorney Mahsa Hakimi, a lesbian and queer Iranian whom Breed appointed earlier this year.t

<< Community News

38 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Behind the fall of trans Lutheran bishop by Eric Burkett

llegations of racism are at the heart of the sudden resignation of trans Lutheran Bishop the Reverend Dr. Megan Rohrer, but court documents also reveal allegations of corruption tied to a now-closed San Francisco church that they once led. The catalyst for Rohrer’s resignation as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was their firing of a Latino pastor at a church in the Central Valley last December. But documents and court records show Rohrer’s brief tenure was marked by controversy, with some incidents, such as the closure of their former church in San Francisco amid alleged financial misdeeds, taking place before their history-making turn as the first trans bishop of ELCA, the country’s largest Lutheran denomination. Rohrer resigned June 4, at the request of Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of ELCA. The move occurred a little more than a year into Rohrer’s six-year term. “After listening to the important and prayerful conversation at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly, I spent some time with my family and then had a conversation with the Synod

Courtesy ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Bishop Megan Rohrer has resigned.

Council,” Rohrer tweeted June 6. “I resigned from the office of Bishop, effective around 4pm on June 4th.” Eaton’s request came after the Sierra Pacific Synod’s annual Assembly – which includes both clergy and lay members representing nearly 200 congregations in northern and central California, and northern Nevada – voted by 57% to remove Rhorer as bishop. That vote, however, was shy of the necessary two-thirds majority needed.

The presiding bishop announced on May 27 she had requested Rohrer’s resignation. According to a statement published by the Sierra Pacific Synod on its website, actions to dismiss Rohrer by Eaton were already in play. “On Sunday, June 5, negotiations of the separation agreement continued and per our agreement, the resignation letter was not released,” the statement began. “At 6:00 p.m. PT, the Conference of Bishops gathered via

Zoom as Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shared ‘that she is initiating the discipline process immediately, including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on new information that has come to light that is beyond the scope of the Listening Team report.’” Rohrer’s run as bishop was controversial. While their election was hailed as a milestone and celebrated at their formal installation in September 2021 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, the bishop had already run into problems at their first church appointment a few years earlier. (Rohrer also served in a volunteer capacity as chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department from 2017 until they were named bishop.)

SF church closes

In 2014, Rohrer was hired as minister – their first assignment – for Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, a small congregation in San Francisco’s Sunset district. The congregation had been dwindling in size for a while by that point, and Rohrer was hired at a salary more than twice that of the previous pastor, according to a civil lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court in December 2018. The church was also home to Grace Infant Care Center, or GICC, a secular child care service that had been

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renting space from the church since 1983. Brenda Moore, a member of the GICC board as well as Grace church, and other GICC board members filed the lawsuit. Efforts by the Bay Area Reporter to reach Moore for comment were unsuccessful. As the church’s membership and finances continued to dwindle, Rohrer apparently viewed the daycare as a source of income to help meet their salary which, at the time of hire, had been deemed beyond the resources of the church, the complaint states. Hired at $90,000 per year with an additional housing allowance, Rohrer was responsible for supplying $40,000 of their salary through means outside the church. At that time, the congregation had a little more than half a million dollars in available funds, most of which “was residue from a bequest of real estate that had been liquidated,” according to court documents. Rohrer “failed to meet that commitment last year since and has breached her contract,” the court filing states. Consequently, Rohrer’s salary drained the bequest. “From the date of defendant Rohrer’s hiring through 2017, the church has run over budget at least $308,000, mostly as a result of her salary,” court documents state, using incorrect pronouns for Rohrer. “The church has, as of June 13, 2018, approximately $275,000 in available cash, the vast majority of which is in its reserves left from the bequest. According to defendants, the church currently has only 15 members according to their June 2018 roster.” In October 2017, according to court documents, Rohrer suggested the infant care center move its payroll to the company ADP. “Unknown to plaintiffs,” the documents state, “the church placed its payroll in the same common account with ADP and used GICC funds to pay defendant Rohrer’s salary. The church did not have enough funds to pay the church payroll and Rohrer used GICC funds to cover her [sic] salary. When the GICC board learned of these events after two months, it terminated ADP as the payroll processor and denied Rohrer access to the bank accounts.” At the time the court case was filed, plaintiffs told the court, “In its present condition, the church will be out of funds to pay defendant Rohrer’s salary by the end of 2019. The congregation made a decision to close the church once the account falls to $200,000, which is anticipated to occur by the end of 2019.” Through various schemes detailed in the lawsuit, Rohrer attempted to seize control of GICC’s assets, doing so successfully in one instance and, in another, by attempting to bring in a new daycare center, which would have had a larger number of children and paid a larger amount of rent to the church. This, according to the lawsuit, was in violation of the contract GICC had with the church. Other charges against Rohrer detailed in the suit include stacking the church’s board of directors, including the appointment of their wife to the board, not providing notice of meetings to members, thereby depriving some of the opportunity to participate in decision making, and appointing unqualified supporters to the board. Rohrer also attempted to have their two children, ages 4 and 5 at the time, placed on the voting roster of the church which, by then, was down to 22 members. Eventually, in February 2021, the case was settled, with both parties agreeing to sell the church property and divide up the proceeds. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church closed in January 2022. Its members, as well as Rohrer, signed a settlement agreement that included a See page 51 >>

<< Travel

40 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Downtown Merced is ready for its close-up by Ed Walsh

owntown Merced is making a dramatic comeback and LGBTQs are helping to lead the way. With a population of nearly 90,000, the Central California city’s downtown was once its crown jewel. Now it appears to be on a roll to reclaim some of its past glory. Earlier this month, I made the trip to Merced on Amtrak from San Francisco. The fare was just $31 round trip, including the Amtrak bus shuttle from 555 Mission Street, which connects with the train at the Emeryville station. It would take a little over two hours to drive in good traffic. My trip took just 3.5 hours, including the bus ride. Merced has the closest Amtrak train station to Yosemite National Park and the YARTS bus (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) runs regularly from downtown Merced to Yosemite for $22 round trip. The trip takes about 2.5 hours. It’s about 1.5 hours to drive. Beyond being a gateway to Yosemite, Merced is a destination itself. The Hyatt boutique brand JdV took over the historic downtown El Capitan Hotel (https://www.hyatt. com/en-US/hotel/california/jdv-elcapitan/fatjd) and, after three years of renovation and construction, it finally opened last year. On the same block, the corporation also bought and renovated the Mainzer Theater (https://www.themainzer.com/) and the nearby Tioga Hotel (https://www. thetiogamerced.com/), which is now an upscale apartment building. The El Capitan’s grand reopening on March 31, 2021 set the stage for downtown Merced’s renaissance. With 114 rooms, the El Capitan is Merced’s largest and most upscale hotel. With rates starting as low as $139, the hotel offers luxury for the price of a budget hotel in the Bay Area. El Capitan does not charge any resort fees, has free Wi-Fi, and even free valet parking. The guiding and driving force behind the project is Robin Donovan, who moved from the Bay Area to Merced with her wife in January 2019 to help oversee the project, hiring 140 employees. She had previously managed JdV hotels in the Bay Area. In a testament to her managing skills, some of the employees followed her from the Bay Area. Hyatt also hired away Kim Garner, a straight ally, from UC Merced, where she worked in the chancellor’s office, to oversee its community outreach and, through her work, the company is strongly supporting the city’s LGBTQ community. The Merced Pride Center operates in a room in the city’s arts center just steps from the hotel. The Mainzer Theater includes a monthly drag show that draws a big LGBTQ audience on the second Thursday of the month. The notto-be-missed show is emceed by Kat Zambrano, a transgender woman who is an advocacy director for the

Modesto-based Central California LGBTQIA+/2S Collaborative. Merced’s Pride Center (https:// www.artsmerced.org/pridecenter) opened just six months ago in January. The center is a room at Merced’s Multicultural Arts Center but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in spirit. The center hosts a number of support groups both in-person and on Zoom, providing a lifeline to those who feel isolated. “We have a lot of youth that come to us that log on to our support groups online, and they have cameras off, they usually stay muted during the chat because they don’t want the people in their household to know that they need this kind of support,” Jennifer McQueen, the center’s executive director, told the Bay Area Reporter.

Big differences

McQueen moved to Merced with her wife and three children from Southern California in 2018 and quickly noticed a cultural difference in the central part of the state. “It honestly slammed me in the face, the differences, the cultural differences,” McQueen said. “You really forget there’s this huge chunk of rural Central California that is not San Francisco and it is not LA. You might as well pull it out and stick it in the Midwest.” McQueen and Garner fought back tears as McQueen talked about her appreciation of Garner and the corporate support in helping to rally support from other businesses. “And Kim [Garner], honest to God, was the very first community member who stepped forward and very unapologetically said ‘yes, we will support you, we will be here for you. We are on board. No questions asked,’” McQueen said. Center volunteer and U.S. Marines veteran Eric Olson-Diehl told the B.A.R. that he had moved to Merced with his husband and two children and decided to get involved with the center to help support his gay son who is now 19 and in the Army, as well as others in the LGBTQ community. But he said that one of the most popular get-togethers is the 40+ coffee group. “We have a core group of at least 10 people who meet every two weeks for coffee,” Olson-Diehl said. Merced’s Multicultural Arts Center, (https://www.artsmerced.org/) also known as The MAC, is celebrating Pride June 15-July 24 with an exhibition entitled “Out Loud: Celebrating the Colors of the LGBTQI+ Arts Showcase,” highlighting the works of LGBTQ artists and LGBTQ images. Merced doesn’t have a Pride parade but it does have a Pride festival, held this year on Saturday, September 17. The festival will take place in the heart of downtown in Bob Hart Square. This year, the Merced City Council approved flying the Pride flag for the month of June and agreed to put it permanently in the schedule to be flown every June for Pride Month.

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Ed Walsh

Kim Garner, left, joined Eric Olson-Diehl, Jennifer McQueen, and MAC Executive Director Colton Dennis at the Merced Pride Center.

Ed Walsh

The Courthouse Museum in downtown Merced is a city landmark.

Pride got a jump-start last month with the International Merced Queer Film Festival that had screenings of 135 films over seven venues for four days, McQueen said. It was the first year of the festival but organizers say it will be a yearly event.

Attractions

The landmark Merced Theater’s tower can be seen from nearby Highway 99 and is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. After a number of renovations and remakes, it now hosts live performances and second-run and classic movies. The theater’s interior wall facade is designed to look like a Spanish village. A projector lights up the ceiling with simulated moving clouds, giving a feeling of being in an amphitheater. The Merced Courthouse Museum (http://www.mercedmuseum.org/) is another of the city’s landmarks. The building dates back to 1875 and operated as a courthouse for 100 years. It’s now a treasured museum with artifacts from the city’s early days when it was first put on the map by the railroad. The iconic cupula is closed to the public but be sure to take note of the three statues at the top of the building of the Roman goddess Justitia. Prolific San Francisco-based architect A.A. Bennett designed the building but didn’t put the traditional blindfold on the goddess because he didn’t believe justice was blind. The Tioga Hotel reopened two years ago in the heart of downtown as a luxury apartment building. The iconic name and sign was restored, taking the building back to its heyday when it first opened in 1928, just a year before the Great Depression began. The Mainzer Theater is a cafe and theater where you can enjoy a live dinner show or just grab a casual bite anytime. Lake Yosemite is about seven miles from downtown. The picturesque reservoir is open for picnics and fishing and includes a swimming beach. Admission is $6 per car.

Ed Walsh

The Tioga is a newly renovated apartment building in Merced.

Lake Yosemite is next to UC Merced, the newest campus in the UC system. It opened in 2005 with fewer than 1,000 students and currently has almost 10,000 enrollees. Expansion plans project that the university will eventually accommodate 25,000 students. Applegate Park and Zoo is about a mile from downtown and includes a teal field hockey court sponsored by the San Jose Sharks. You will notice a statue of a teenage boy holding the hand of a small boy in the park. Sadly, the plaque explaining the statue was stolen in April but the boys are Steven Stayner and Timmy White. Stayner was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell in 1972 when he was 7 years old, but when Parnell kidnapped little Timmy White, this time using a teenager as an accomplice, Stayner rescued the boy and himself. Stayner was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was just 24 in 1989. His brother, Cary Stayner, was convicted in 2002 of murdering four people at Yosemite Park in 1999.

Good eats

Central California has a reputation for being a fast-food haven but there are many moderate and highend eating options, plus a burgeoning wine industry.

The Rainbird Restaurant, which is part of El Capitan, is famous for its five-course $85 tasting menu and is the fine-dining option in Merced. Native Son is a casual dining light-bites coffee shop with indoor and outdoor dining. The restaurant’s rainbow Pride cookies are prominently displayed next to the cash register. When it is not in the middle of a show, the Mainzer serves up unapologetic comfort food and has a loyal following for its Saturday and Sunday brunch. Bella Luna is another longtime Merced favorite eatery. Giancaro DiTullio and his wife, Anaid Martinez-DiTullio, bought the restaurant last year and remodeled the space without changing the character of the restaurant, which holds memories for generations of residents. DiTullio told the B.A.R. that he and his wife decided to buy the restaurant after seeing the Hyatt’s investment downtown. Vista Ranch, on the outskirts of Merced, is a popular stop for visitors on their way to or from Yosemite. The tasting room is part of a bucolic farm where you can get back to nature while enjoying a great Central California wine. t

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<< Pride 2022

42 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Smaller CA cities raise the bar on celebrating Pride

by Matthew S. Bajko

gender last year and recently started Martin helps to raise money for her social transition and began the nonprofit, which is serving as fter Sabine Martin initially hormone therapy. “Through serthe fiscal sponsor for the Clayton came out as gay at the age of 12, vices like the RCC, I was able to Pride organizing committee. While her Mormon parents pulled her out find some support and representashe told the B.A.R. she wasn’t planof her public school and decided to tion in my community that I didn’t ning to perform her own songs at homeschool her. The family also have because I grew up so sheltered. the parade, Martin will be in full relocated from Concord, California I didn’t know about trans people drag on a float with music. to a trailer park in the Contra Costa until being a part of RCC and really “We are leading the parade. AfCounty city of Clayton at the foot of through drag and being immersed terward, I will be around to take Mt. Diablo. in the queer community.” pictures,” said Martin. “My boss, 1659 MARKET SAN FRANCISCO “I had some harassment at the NowSTREET, living in Oakland with her through the nonprofit, is helping time, but I also had people who older sister, who is a lesbian, and her me build the parade float. He is a had my back,” Martin recalled in a sister’s girlfriend, Martin works as contractor by trade.” recent interview with the Bay Area an executive secretary at a nonprofMartin said she was “overjoyed” Reporter. it. She is also a singer, with her third and “so happy” at being invited to Martin eventually connected with album set for release this fall, and kick off her former hometown’s inNEARBY CENTER PRIDE CELEBRATION the Rainbow CommunityTHE Center, CIVIC performs in drag as Queera Nightly, augural Pride parade. the LGBTQ nonprofit service proa riff on the name of English actress “There is never going to be a first FIND US ON YELP! vider located in Concord. Through Keira Knightley. Pride parade in Clayton again,” she it she found a job, resources, and This Saturday, June 25, Martin noted. “It feels good to be part of a met with a therapist for theCIGARETTES first will be back •in SNACKS Clayton to help•kick wave of progress when, for a long CANDY time who was not Mormon. off the city’s inaugural Pride parade. time, it felt like the LGBTQ commuGATORADE SANDWICHES “I would say I felt very isolated Her drag sister,•Bella Aldama, who nity was not visible in Clayton.” as a young queer person,” recalled works for the LGBTQ center, invited years ago Dee Vieira, 60, BEER • WINE • LIQUOR • whoSeveral Martin, 24, who came out as transher to participate in it. lived in Clayton the past 12

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Courtesy Jonathan Lee

Jonathan Lee, left, Mark Quady, and their son Owen Quady-Lee took part in Pride Ride Contra Costa in October 2021. It was organized by the Rainbow Community Center located in Concord.

years, set about to change that by contacting city officials to request they fly the rainbow flag during June for Pride Month. When her son, who is now in his 30s, first came out to the family in 2015, Vieira began researching about families with children who come out as LGBTQ. “I saw suicide rates were very high. It was alarming to me, and I felt I needed to do something,” recalled Vieira, who serves on the board of the Rainbow center and this month “downsized” by moving with her husband to a smaller home in Oakland. “I had seen other communities were raising the flag and doing Pride proclamations.” It was reading B.A.R. stories that she first learned about the local LGBTQ community center and LGBTQ leaders to contact in her area. Her initial asks to members of the Clayton City Council to fly a Pride flag were turned down, and Vieira focused her attention to other priorities. With Clayton and Danville the only cities in Contra Costa County not to mark Pride month in any way in 2019, Vieira mobilized to add her city to the list in 2020. In April that year, the five-person council voted unanimously not only to recognize Pride Month but also to fly Pride flags in June at City Hall, the town’s library, and a downtown park, as the B.A.R. reported at the time. LINK: https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_news//291182 “In 2021, we did it again and flew the Progress Pride flag in the three locations,” recalled Vieira, who years ago marched in San Francisco’s Pride parade with the PayPal contingent, as her husband worked for the company. “Then that led to me talking to a few other residents and saying wouldn’t it be cool to have a Pride parade. And here we are, we are having a Pride parade in 2022.”

Enthusiastic reaction

Reaction to the event, which kicks off at 10 a.m., has exceeded the organizing committee’s expectations, said Vieira. It easily raised $15,000 to cover its expenses, and more than 450 people are expected to march. Another 400 people are expected to watch along the roughly four-block route down Main Street in Clayton. “It is surreal for me. When I started this whole thing, I had no friends in Clayton. Now, I have a ton of friends,” said Vieira, who hopes all three of her children, as she also has two adult daughters, will be able to attend the Pride parade. Attendees are invited to picnic at the city’s downtown park The Grove or dine in local restaurants. There will also be informational booths for local nonprofits and businesses, plus face painting for children. “We are pleasantly surprised by the outpour of people wanting to

be in the parade or setting up a table for their organizations,” said Vieira, noting that the Pride event normally held in Concord hasn’t taken place in-person since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Various local politicians and community groups have signed up to march in Clayton’s parade. Some town dignitaries are planning to be part of as many as three or four different contingents, using golf carts each time to help ferry them back to the parade starting point. Mayor Peter Cloven is one such multiple contingent participant. He will be riding in the parade with his wife and at least one of their two daughters – their eldest turns 19 that Saturday – then will be joining his fellow parishioners from the Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church to take part in its kazoo chorus contingent. “I will take off that rainbow hat and put on another to march with the Clayton Business and Community Association,” said Cloven, 57, elected to the council in 2020 and made mayor last December. Also a member of the parade organizing committee, Cloven told the B.A.R. it is important that such Pride events happen in “small town America” due to there being a history of such places not fully embracing the concept of inclusion. “We need to bring it to our children right now,” said Cloven. “They need to feel comfortable in their own skin in their own hometown so they don’t have to go somewhere else to feel comfortable.” He and his wife moved their family to Clayton in 2006 from Concord. An elder in charge of finance for his church the last six years, Cloven recalled how over that time the congregation has defiantly flown a Pride flag at a large monument near its entrance. “We started flying it in January six years ago to show we are an inviting congregation and welcoming. Within three days, it was torn down,” said Cloven, who would replace the flag each time it was desecrated. “It got ripped down and stolen over threedozen times. The anger of seeing that flag being present during that time just surprised us.” Thus, Cloven recalled the “trepidation” he and others felt around the city first raising the Pride flag two years ago. Someone did steal the flag a few days after it was raised, said Cloven, but the town quickly replaced it. Since then there haven’t been any more issues with the flag. “At a certain point there is diminishing returns for hate,” he said. “If you have a certain just-stick-to-itness, and every time it is taken down it goes back up, then it becomes too tiring to take it back down.” See page 43 >>

t <<

Pride 2022>>

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 43

Smaller cities

From page 42

Throughout this June, as the town prepares to inaugurate its Pride parade, Coven said the only emotions have been “joy and relief,” and “the confidence and love is palpable this year. It is winning over hate, and I love that.”

Compelling change

For fellow parade organizer Jonathan Lee and his husband, Mark Quady, it is a compelling change from how they were received by a racist neighbor who flew a confederate flag and harassed the gay couple after they moved into Clayton the week before Thanksgiving in 2020. Lee, who is Asian American, told the B.A.R. his neighbors’ harassment was likely rooted more in racism than homophobia. “Ironically, the first gay Pride flag raising they had made a video of and posted it on YouTube. We saw that video when we were researching the town,” recalled Lee. “I said to Mark it will be gay-friendly and safe for us to live there.” Their local newspaper reported on their situation, which led to an outpouring of support from other Clayton residents for the men and their son Owen Quady-Lee, who is now 9. The family stuck it out, rather than move out of town, and eventually their neighbors decided to leave. “It made me realize this is not as bad as that one racist, homophobic neighbor encounter,” said Lee, who first met Quady at the Cafe gay nightclub in San Francisco’s LGBTQ Castro district in 2001.

Courtesy Spencer Blank

The Windsor Pride contingent promoted its Love Wins in Windsor event at Sonoma County Pride earlier this month.

the since-closed agency they adopted their son through when he was an infant and a toddler. They are decorating a vintage bus Quady owns to be the Clayton Pride committee’s contingent to close out the town’s parade. “We are going to make that the Pride mobile and deck it out with balloons and a banner,” said Lee.

Another Pride event for wine country

In the Sonoma County city of Windsor residents are also coming together to host their first Pride

event the same day as that of Clayton. The theme of the inaugural Windsor Pride Festival is “Love Wins in Windsor.” While Pride events in larger cities are mainly celebrations of their LGBTQ residents, ones held in smaller, more rural towns where there isn’t as large of an LGBTQ community are more about fostering relationships between straight residents and their LGBTQ neighbors, said Spencer Blank, a gay man helping to organize Windsor’s event. “Small town Prides like mine or Clayton’s actually are more about

building of bridges,” Blank told the B.A.R. “It is more about reaching out to the heteronormative majority that we wished had reached out to us in a certain way over the years.” Blank, 34, and his fiancé, Jon Ruiz, 37, moved to the wine country town between Santa Rosa and Healdsburg in 2020 from San Francisco a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. They were looking for more space than what they had in their Mission Bay apartment in the city for themselves and their French bulldog, Brody, who is now 3 years old.

Small town

With roughly 4,000 households, and a population near 12,470, Clayton is the smallest place Lee has called home. He told the B.A.R. a cohort of longtime residents and leaders continue to resist change, writing in one letter they sent to every household that they didn’t want the married men’s “San Francisco and Berkeley agenda here.” “We get that kind of letter all the time, but we all know who is sending it. It is a bit ridiculous,” said Lee. “I have never lived in a small town like that. But there are a lot of progressives and allies, and a lot of parents with queer kids. So that’s, I think, the strength and beauty of the town.” Vieira was one of the first people who reached out to the couple, as did Cloven, who told the B.A.R. he tried to talk to their racist neighbors in order to broker a peace between them. Their interactions grew into friendships and eventually led to the group of residents who came together to mount the Pride parade. “I think, in smaller towns especially, it sends a very powerful message to kids it is OK to be LGBTQIA+ and that they are loved and they are welcomed and they have support,” said Lee, who helped organize a children’s Pride art contest earlier this month. “This is a safe zone and a safe city.” At one point a debate was sparked by several people who questioned if the Pride event would be familyfriendly or represented Clayton’s “family values,” said Lee. It led to a discussion among the organizers if they needed to label the parade as such, something Lee explained to the group would be counter to the very notion of it. “We can’t have one person or group dictate what family values or family-friendly is,” he said. “To assume our Pride event does not meet family-friendly criteria … is the cycle of bias and homophobia you want to break.” Lee noted, “We are beyond having to prove ourselves. I don’t need to prove to anyone my family is a family and our values are our values.” The couple marched several times in San Francisco’s Pride parade with

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“We just found a gorgeous house we wanted to put an offer on, and it was accepted,” recalled Blank, who has been with Ruiz since 2018. A musician who grew up in San Mateo, Blank left for college on the East Coast then lived and performed in Italy and North Carolina as a pianist. He returned to the Bay Area at age 30 and produced shows at the gay bar Martuni’s in San Francisco while working on the administrative staff for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. During their first Pride Month in Windsor two years ago, a lesbian couple had unofficially put up a rainbow Pride flag on the town green. By the next morning it had been torn down, recalled Blank. The next year, on National Coming Out Day in October, a group of Windsor high school students marking the occasion were met by another group of students protesting it, recalled Blank. The town of 27,635 residents is split, he said, down the middle in terms of people being conservatives or liberals. It now officially flies the Progress Pride flag at City Hall. And more residents are reaching out to welcome their LGBTQ neighbors, said Blank. For years, a Christian neighbor had shunned Blank and his partner. But earlier this month Blank happened to pass the man See page 47 >>

<< International News

t Cameroonian ‘Drag Race’ star hopes film inspires 44 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

by Heather Cassell

ameroon-born performance artist and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season #1 winner BeBe Zahara Benet believes in the power of drag. “Drag is having its moment in pop culture right now, but it won’t last forever,” said Benet. “This type of representation matters immensely.” “Visibility is so crucial,” she said, from things like drag storytime to the Emmy Award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” She hopes that the award-winning documentary, “Being BeBe” , her music, and live and video performances “pushes the needle forward in opening eyes, hearts, and minds” in Africa and wakes the West up and activate people to “help liberate others.” “Being BeBe” debuted on Fuse June 21 in the United States and on OUTtv in Canada. Fuse. The documentary traveled the film festival circuit in 2021, where it won the audience award for best documentary at the Provincetown International Film Festival and the jury prize for best documentary at Sound Unseen in Minneapolis. The 90-minute film follows the rise and pursuit of Cameroon-born performance artist Benet, and pulls back the curtain for an in-depth view of Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, the man behind Benet. Filmmaker Emily Branham followed Benet through more than 15 years of Ngwa’s transformation into the drag artist, capturing Ngwa’s vision and struggles following Benet’s rapid rise to fame. The film also takes an intimate look into where Benet came from and the love and support of her friends and family. Benet does not identify her age or sexual orientation and accepts all pronouns, she said.

Courtesy Emily Branham/Serve Productions

BeBe Zahara Benet prepares for a show in her dressing room in Minneapolis in 2014 in a scene from the documentary “Being BeBe.”

On the same day as the documentary’s broadcast debut, Benet dropped two of her new singles, “Waiting” and “Smoke Signals,” as well as the corresponding music videos to commemorate “Being BeBe,” she told the Bay Area Reporter. The film is not being released in Cameroon or most of Africa, except in South Africa, said Branham, who is working on a film screening at a safe space in Cameroon as well as other screenings where she, Benet, or others involved in the film will present it and host a discussion. Benet was the first “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum to release an original single. She was the first winner invited to return for “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars,” and made it to the final four in 2018. She then joined

fellow “Drag Race” stars Jujubee, Thorgy Thor, and Alexis Michelle in the drag makeover show “Dragnificent,” which aired its first season on TLC in 2020 and is now on Hulu. On November 13, 2020, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey designated the day Bebe Zahara Benet Day. “It’s still mind-blowing to me to receive such an honor,” said Benet, calling it one of the greatest honors of her career. “Minneapolis really helped build BeBe.”

Just BeBe

Benet didn’t even know what gay was when she was growing up in Cameroon, she explained in the film. “You don’t even talk about it,” Benet said in the film. “Before I even came to America, when I was grow-

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ing up … I didn’t even know what that was.” Speaking to the camera, photos are shown of Ngwa singing in the choir, dressing up, and surrounding himself with girls. All he knew was that he was not like other men. “I was not the most masculine guy that was walking around,” she said during one of the candid interviews in the film. “I knew that there was something about me that was not like everybody else.” She explained in one of the interviews that she got bullied but, “I always found a way to be the star,” because she felt that “being the star protects you.” Benet said as an immigrant she was able to do what immigrants do – send money home to take care of the family even as she had an unconventional profession. “I wore heels and makeup to take care of family,” she said about not being put into a box and that there are many paths to success. “That is the lesson.” “Just allow us to be who we are meant to be,” she added. Branham was introduced to Benet by her sister, who was a backup dancer for Benet in 2006. The budding filmmaker became fascinated by “female illusionists,” as she called drag artists, and asked Benet if she could follow her with her camera. It turned into a more than 15-year journey and cost an estimated $500,000 in financial and in-kind donations to create the film. Branham has gotten close to Benet’s family over the years. In the documentary, she shows how the family struggled with and has come to accept Benet. One of five children, BeBe’s brother, Vanjelis Ngwa, explained in the film that he had a tough time processing Marshall Ngwa’s transformation into BeBe, drag, and who his brother is, but he has come to accept her, he said in the film. BeBe’s sisters, the youngest Dimitra Ngwa, and eldest Bernice Ngwa, embraced her and love her. Bernice Ngwa’s children, John Adelola, and Abigail Adelola, also embrace her. “I like the costumes,” said John Adelola in the film. BeBe said her parents, Elizabeth and Collins Ngwa, embraced her but they, and the rest of the family, have never sat down and talked about BeBe, sexuality, or gender with Benet.

Being LGBTQ in Cameroon

Currently, more than 70 countries in the world criminalize homosexuality, and 15 countries ban

“cross-dressing” which affects drag queens and transgender people, according to United Kingdom-based Human Dignity Trust. Cameroon is one of those countries. The act of homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon, but being gay is not. Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, who advocates for LGBTQ Cameroonians, denoted the difference in a Human Rights Watch report, “Cameroon: Wave of Arrests, Abuse Against LGBT People,” published in 2021. However, people accused or caught in an alleged same-sex relationship or expressing their gender nonconformity face up to five years in prison, according to HRW. “I want there to be progress – not just in Cameroon but across Africa. It’s still very dangerous and illegal to live out loud in so many places,” said Benet, who hopes the documentary about her life “inspires” LGBTQ advocates “to rise up and push back against outdated laws that put queer people’s lives and freedom in jeopardy. “It’s really disheartening. There are so many Cameroonians that are queer that unfortunately might never ever even live out loud or be who they need to be just because of what the society in the culture is,” Benet added. “It’s not supposed to be that way, but it’s just that way. “While I would want to take a stand and say this is how it needs to be, I have to be careful. I have to approach this with caution. It all needs to be handled with care, because you put people’s lives at risk, and you put families at risk,” Benet said. Branham traveled with Benet to Cameroon and interviewed LGBTQ Cameroonians in the documentary. “There are many laws in Cameroon that forbid the practice of homosexuality,” Marc Lambert Lamba, a Cameroonian LGBTQ rights activist, said in the film, listing off the ways LGBTQ Cameroonians are discriminated against and stigmatized in areas of the law, home, school, and work. “Gay people live with risks on a daily basis. There’s a permanent fear in Cameroon.” Berthe Awoh, president of the Lady’s Footballer Cooperation, talked about how the last time she was attacked she was almost strangled. “The guys came … specifically to kill me because … I’m like a boy,” she said in the film. HRW reported in May about rising violence against LGBTQ people in Cameroon. According to Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS, a human rights organization that advocates for LGBTQ people, it saw an 88% increase in violence and abuse against LGBTQ people across the country from the same period in 2021. The organization recorded 32 cases of attacks on LGBTQ Cameroonians in the country from January to May of this year, according to the report. According to the report published in 2021, 53 people suspected of gay sex were arrested during a training hosted by an HIV/AIDS organization in Bafoussam in 2020. Bafoussam is nearly five hours north toward the Nigerian border from Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé. HRW reported that at least six people including three teenagers, 15 to 17 years old, were subjected to forced anal examinations and HIV tests. In 2021, 24 people were arbitrarily arrested, beaten, or threatened for alleged same-sex conduct or gender nonconformity at the time of the report’s publication in April of that year, according to the report. See page 52 >>

National News >>

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 45

Biden signs executive order on conversion therapy, LGBTQ youth Chris Johnson, Washington Blade

resident Joe Biden, in recognition of Pride Month during a reception with LGBTQ leaders and advocates at the White House, on June 15 signed a wide-ranging executive order advancing his administration’s goals for LGBTQ policy, which includes new prohibitions on widely discredited conversion therapy and resources for parents and children in states enacting laws against transgender youth. The executive order is the latest measure from the Biden administration building on its reputation for steadfast support for transgender and nonbinary youth, who are the targets of more than 300 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation in state legislatures and new state laws. Many of these measures ban transgender girls from sports consistent with their gender identity or penalize medical providers and parents for providing transition-related care for youth. Key components of Biden’s order direct U.S. departments and agencies, including the Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Education, to develop regulations and policies that would counteract the state measures, according to a White House fact sheet. Among the components of the directive: HHS and the Department of Education are tasked with developing sample policies for states on expanding access to health care for LGBTQ youth and developing policies for “achieving full inclusion for LGBTQ students”; HHS is tasked with leading an initiative against conversion therapy, which is set to clarify federal funds

Courtesy NBC News

President Joe Biden signed an executive order June 15 advancing the administration’s goals on LGBTQ equity.

cannot be used for the practice, increase public awareness about its harms and provide support to survivors; the secretaries of State, Treasury, and HHS are directed to develop an action plan to promote an end to conversion therapy overseas and ensure that U.S. foreign assistance dollars don’t fund the practices; HHS is set to publish a “Bill of Rights for LGBTQI+ Older Adults” as well as guidance on the non-discrimination protections for older adults in nursing homes and other long-term care settings. In a conference call with reporters on ahead of the signing of the executive order, senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity laid out the key components of the measure and put the executive order into context of the Biden ad-

ministration’s broader mission for equity and inclusion. Asked by the Washington Blade if the White House is anticipating a response from states that have enacted laws against transgender and nonbinary youth, many of which have taken the Biden administration to court over federal policies, a senior administration official declined to say. “We don’t know,” the official said. “The focus is not really on what their response will be. What we’re focused on is responding to the frankly unAmerican policies they’re pushing through state legislatures. They’re going after kids, they’re going after families just because of who they are, and the president has said repeatedly that he will stand with LGBTQI youth and families and people across the country. That’s what this executive order is going to do.” The executive order, however, falls short of the Biden campaign’s pledge to sign the Equality Act into law, which in the 2020 election he promised he would do within the first 100 days of his administration. Although the comprehensive LGBTQ legislation has cleared the House, it is all but dead in the Senate and has yet to come up for a vote. Asked by a reporter about why Biden hasn’t placed as much emphasis on the Equality Act as other legislative measures, such as the Build Back Better package or voting rights legislation, a senior administration official shot back that was at odds with the facts. “The president is a strong supporter of the Equality Act and he has not wavered in that,” the official said. “He continues to call on Congress to pass the Equality Act. You heard him renew that call during the State of the

Union address … Any assertion that he hasn’t been full-throated on that is just completely at odds with the facts. The president today will reiterate the need to sign this legislation into law.” LGBTQ advocates praised the executive order. “Especially in the midst of some of the most vicious attacks our community has ever faced, we are grateful to the president and this administration for embracing LGBTQI+ people and our families as full-fledged members of this nation who deserve equal consideration, protections, resources, and support,” Imani Rupert-Gordon, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, stated. “This executive order is unprecedented in its recognition of the broad scope of issues that affect LGBTQI+ individuals from youth to old age. We are particularly grateful for the emphasis on LGBTQI+ youth and the need to ensure that they receive the love and support that all children need to thrive.” The National Black Justice Coalition said it supports the executive order. “The president’s executive order advancing LGBTQIA+ equity is a great example of governing for all of us and includes several policy proposals that the National Black Justice Coalition has supported and recommended – most recently federal government action on the slate of state attacks on Black, gay and transgender children in education and health care,” stated Victoria York, deputy executive director of NBJC. “Black LGBTQ+/SGL foster, adopted, and kinship care kids need family and institutional support that addresses the unique harms created by society’s stigmatization of their combined marginalized identities.

Black LGBTQ+/SGL youth and seniors continue to experience greater harm due to racism, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, sexism, ableism, and classism,” York added, referring to same-genderloving individuals. “The harms – too often stemming from family rejection – often result in greater rates of homelessness, suicide attempts and completions, and poverty for the most vulnerable members of our community. Conversion therapy is being banned across federal government-supported programs will help minimize mental health concerns for our community. However, the larger Black community will have to do more in-house to address how it shows up in our homes and in our churches.” Agencies serving LGBTQ youth also weighed in. “This historic executive order will advance long-sought, LGBTQinclusive policies and practices that will help save young LGBTQ lives, stated Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of the Trevor Project, which works with queer youth. “It’s past time that we put an end to the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion ‘therapy,’ and expand access to the affirming care LGBTQ young people actually need to survive and thrive. “It’s crucial that our schools and the upcoming 988 lifeline are properly equipped with specialized suicide prevention resources for LGBTQ youth,” Paley added. “And LGBTQ Americans deserve to be fully counted in federal data collection and afforded civil rights protections through the passage of the Equality Act.” Read the White House fact sheet on the executive order at https://bit. ly/3tGEipu. t

<< Community News

46 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

SF gay sex club Eros races to reopen in new location by Matthew S. Bajko

an Francisco’s last remaining gay sex club is racing to reopen its doors in time for Pride weekend. In doing so, it is reviving a historic location in the Tenderloin once home to a bathhouse that catered to men who have sex with men. Eros SF, the sex club for queer and trans men, is now located at 132 Turk Street. After vacating their former space on upper Market Street in December, Eros’s owners began remodeling and moving into their new home, where the gay Bulldog Baths had operated in the late 1970s and 1980s. As of Wednesday, June 22, the business was still working with the city’s Department of Building Inspection on getting the final sign off it needs to be able to welcome customers into the new location. Eros co-owner Ken Rowe was set to have a zoom meeting that afternoon, after the Bay Area Reporter’s press deadline, with a building inspector to go over the paperwork that he resubmitted last week. “The language he used was to go over the things we can do for being code compliant,” said Rowe. “The issue is because it is a multi-purpose building, while it has been a commercial space for quite a while having apartments above it puts it in a different category than kind of what we all assumed,” said Rowe. “But, yeah, there is movement.” As for being able to announce its opening in the next several days ahead of Pride Sunday, Rowe told the B.A.R. it is a “slight possibility” at this point. Patrons should check Eros’ website LINK: http://www. erossf.com/ and Facebook page LINK: https://www.facebook.com/ EROSSF for updates, as Rowe will be announcing the opening date via them as soon as he is given the

go ahead to do so. “I am not extremely confident, but it could happen,” he said. “It is possible we could be open some portion of this weekend.” Christine Gasparac, DBI’s assistant director, told the B.A.R. Wednesday that she had “reached out to the plan reviewer, and he confirmed that he has a meeting scheduled with the owners this afternoon to go over their permit application. There is still additional information DBI needs to ensure the project is in compliance with the San Francisco Building Code, which they will discuss in the meeting this afternoon.” Having the business back in operation during Pride Month would not only be “very meaningful,” said Rowe, but also a financial blessing. “It would take care of our July expenses because Pride week is always huge in terms of income and attendance,” said Rowe, who had formerly worked as a manager of Eros before buying the business in 2005 with two of his then coworkers. He now shares co-ownership with Loren Bruton, who for many years has served as Eros’ chief inhouse artist, and Douglas Hingst. Over the past eight months the trio has had to deal with moving locations, overseeing renovations, and navigating the city permit process. “It is always something,” said Rowe, who also contracted COVID this month. Eros is not a traditional gay bathhouse in that it does not have locked rooms. Such businesses are once again allowed in San Francisco, as last year the city rescinded rules that had effectively banned bathhouses since the height of the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1980s. At this time, however, Eros does not have plans to offer rooms with

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Ken Rowe, left, Douglas Hingst, front, and Loren Bruton, the co-owners of Eros, sit in the locker area of their new facility on Turk Street.

doors that can lock in its new space. The business operates similar to a “day spa” with daytime and evening hours and not as a 24-hour venue, as Rowe noted in April during a hearing on further zoning changes for the city’s adult sex venues. It has a capacity capped at 49 people in the new space, which has several play spaces for patrons and a locker room area. Since Eros opened in 1992, the business has worked “to exceed,” stressed Rowe, any requirements the city has placed on such businesses. “We have been able to weather the crises of AIDS and STIs, the drug crisis, and we find ourselves the only gay commercial sex venue to remain in business post the COVID imposed closures,” said Rowe, referring to the closure in 2020 of SOMA sex club Blow Buddies. As the B.A.R. has previously reported, city leaders this spring removed prohibitions that kept such establishments from opening their doors in the city’s historic LGBTQ neighborhoods. They did so at the urging of gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who had led the earlier push to allow bathhouses to again operate in the city. Mandelman told the B.A.R. this week that he would be “very disappointed” if Eros can’t open by Pride weekend. While Rowe would have liked to have submitted Eros’ paperwork to the various city departments

months ago, he said he was told he could not do so until the latest zoning changes went into effect. “I wish we had been able to do the paperwork while the zoning stuff was going through but that logically wasn’t going to happen. The city doesn’t recognize the zoning change until it happens,” said Rowe. The latest zoning code update officially went into effect June 12. It paves the way for gay bathhouses and other adult sex venues to open in the Castro, Tenderloin, and most of South of Market without the need to receive approval from the planning commission. The oversight body does need to sign off on adult sex venues that want to open in eastern SOMA, the Mission, Dogpatch, and Bayview. Approval would also be needed from the commission if an adult sex venue wanted to operate between 2 and 6 a.m. in those locations. Such adult businesses, however, remain banned in the Chinatown Community Business District. Eros had been waiting on the city’s Department of Building Inspection to sign off on its changeof-use request it made May 13 in order for it to reopen in the Turk Street storefront as an adult sex venue. A dog groomer and kennel using the name of the old gay bathhouse had operated in the space followed by an artist collective prior to Eros taking over the lease. Due to the recent zoning changes,

approval of the new usage for the storefront should be “a really minimal thing,” said Jacob Bintliff, a legislative aide for Mandelman who previously worked as a city planner. “There really shouldn’t be any problem. It should be totally perfunctory,” Bintliff told the B.A.R. June 15 in terms of Eros’ request. Due to it being closed but having to pay rent since late last year on its new location, Eros has been crowdfunding to help it cover its costs at https://www.gofundme. com/f/Help-EROS-Move-2022 So far it has raised close to $6,000 out of its goal of $15,000. “We really are short for our June rent and need the next 2/3s of our goal. We went 6 months without income and would rather not take on anymore loans,” wrote Rowe in a May 15 note on the fundraising page. He had also promised the next update would disclose the opening date for Eros. “We are getting close! Zoning is changing. We applied for our permits. Extra furniture is being removed. We set our opening date (next update),” wrote Rowe. According to its website, http:// www.erossf.com, Eros is allowing anyone who had a membership with it that expired December 15 to bring in their membership card to the new location to receive a free, new membership good for six months. See page 49 >>

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eople stopped by Ringold Alley in San Francisco’s South of Market district Saturday, June 18, to celebrate the revival of the leather space. Gayle Rubin, left, explained the history of San Francisco’s leather scene and the role Ringold Alley played in it during an informative walking tour that was part of the Ringold Revival event.

Rick Gerharter

The San Francisco Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District and the SOMA West Community Benefit District led an effort to repair the leather-pride colored sidewalks and polish the boot print plaques. The alley runs from 8th to 7th streets parallel to Folsom and Harrison streets.

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Pride 2022 >>

Smaller cities

From page 43

while they were both walking down the street. “He said, ‘We apologize for not letting you in when you first moved here.’ And he said, ‘We will be at the Pride event later in the month.’ It signifies to me what small town Prides are about,” said Blank. “Even if nobody from San Francisco comes – and I don’t expect them to – Windsor’s Pride is for them to know and kids from around the county to know this can happen in your neck of the woods too. It is the queer kids in your backyard as for why we do it.” Having joined the People for Parks Foundation, which puts on the annual Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove in Windsor, Blank started talking to his friends at the nonprofit in January about hosting a Pride event. “I wanted to meet all the queer adults of Sonoma County,” he joked. “At first we thought maybe we’d have a meet up at a winery then decided to go big.” Running from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday in the Town Green, the free Pride event will include a street festival and a lineup of musical acts. There will be various booths and food trucks for attendees to enjoy. Kicking things off will be an allstudent band from the School of Rock Santa Rosa led by local residents and queer-identifying parents Jake and Josh Walden, while the closing act is Oakland-based Prince tribute band The Purple Ones. Singer-songwriter Jeremy Lipsin, a gay native of Windsor, is also performing and has written a special song as the anthem for the Pride event called “Love Wins in Windsor. ” “This event is not even close to San Francisco Pride,’ said Blank. “It is very much a music festival meets street fair meets kids zone with a sprinkling of rainbow dust over the top.”

Organizers were able to raise $50,000 via sponsorships of various amounts to help cover their costs, while the city chipped in by discounting some of its fees. Due to Sonoma County Pride holding its event in downtown Santa Rosa the first Sunday of Pride Month, and not wanting to compete with Father’s Day this year, the Windsor Pride committee opted for the last Saturday of the month so as not to compete with the larger Pride event being held the next day in San Francisco. Next year, though, they are aiming to host their second Pride festival during Father’s Day weekend. Blank hopes it will become a yearly feature of Windsor’s calendar of public celebrations. “In getting to know and wanting to continue to create a better life for our kids than we had growing up is why we decided to do this,” Blank said of the Pride organizing committee. “It is really about the kids and non-queer community understanding we are here.” From the response the Pride event has received, Blank believes it has “electrified” the local community. Referring to the intensifying attacks against the LGBTQ community across the country, even in the Bay Area this month, and the rhetoric from conservatives who are trying to paint LGBTQ people as “groomers” children need to be protected from, Blank said Pride events are needed more than ever in cities of all sizes. “We don’t mean to convert you. We are also not pedophiles,” he said. “We mean zero harm, and all we want to do is love and be loved. Until our queer children can do that, and until they can do it without fear, this event is needed.”

Pride’s a family affair

Helping to organize Clayton’s Pride parade have been Holly and Matthew Tillman Jr., a married Black couple whose two daughters,

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 47

Jordan, 18, and Jada, 15, are both bisexual. In 2020, Holly Tillman became the town’s first African American city councilmember and is now serving as vice mayor. “I better be at the parade, that is the goal,” Tillman told the B.A.R. this month after recovering from her second bout of COVID. The couple moved to Clayton over Labor Day weekend in 2003 from Pleasant Hill. While her husband grew up in Foster City, Holly Tillman is from Southern California; they met working for Wells Fargo shortly after she graduated from UCLA and relocated to the Bay Area in 1999. Holly Tillman, 49, said she and her husband never experienced the blatant racism that Lee and Quady did from their neighbors in town. They had been subjected to racial epithets one time they stopped to pick up sandwiches by a group of inebriated men who also came into the shop and began shouting at the employees. When the couple asked them to stop haranguing the workers and stop spitting on the floor, the men called them the N-word. But Tillman noted they could have lived elsewhere and not been Clayton residents. It wasn’t until the family attended a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 in the city’s downtown and she heard her daughters speak about their experiences in school that she realized “not everything was hunky dory” for them growing up there. It was also the first time she met roughly 40 other Black Clayton residents and heard them speak about not taking part in civic life because of the town’s racist reputation within the county’s African American community. “A lot said, ‘We didn’t feel like coming out because people weren’t very friendly.’ So they stayed at home,” recalled Tillman. “We had the complete opposite experience; I couldn’t relate to that.” The racism revelations at the

Courtesy Sabine Martin

Former Clayton resident Sabine Martin, as her drag persona, Queera Nightly, will ride in the Clayton Pride parade.

rally led her to seek her council seat, something her husband and friends had been pushing her to do for years. Until then, she preferred being active in her daughters’ schools and athletic teams rather than politics. Working with other town leaders, the Tillmans helped coordinate a series of online seminars for local residents to have frank discussion about race. Several focused specifically on race issues in the local schools. Just as those efforts were aimed at fostering a more welcoming environment for people of color who live in Clayton, Holly Tillman hopes the Pride event sends a similar message of support to its LGBTQ residents. She plans to be in a convertible with her family at the start of the parade then will join the business association contingent and the organizing committee’s one at the end of the parade. “Knowing my kids get to grow up not only in a town but also an era where that is embraced and fine makes my heart happy,” said Tillman. “Even if one child here in town knows they are accepted because we fly the flag in June, these kids need to know they are welcomed, they are loved, and you have a safe space.”

This will be her family’s first time marching in a Pride parade. They had planned to take part in San Francisco’s in 2020 but the COVID pandemic led to its cancellation that June. She is hoping to see a strong turnout for Clayton’s inaugural event so that LGBTQ youth, in particular, can visually see their community embraces them. “Every child should have that; it breaks my heart some don’t,” she said. “I am so happy my children do.” Martin, the former Clayton resident, told the B.A.R. she wasn’t sure if her parents, who are once again living in Concord, would come to see her in the Clayton Pride parade. When she told them she was trans last year, it had initially caused a rift in their relationship. “When I came out as trans it was looking like I was going to be – I wouldn’t say disowned – my dad’s been helping me with school and essentially said he would no longer support me,” recalled Martin, who expects to graduate this fall from San Jose State University with a degree in business administration with a concentration on entrepreSee page 52 >>

<< Pride 2022

48 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Safety measures

From page 25

gathering near a Pride event in the northern city of Coeur d’Alene. Add a bomb threat placed to gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) the following day, and an earlier bomb threat called in to LYRIC, an LGBTQ youth organization based in the city, at the end of May, and you have security concerns placed front and center for a high visibility event like San Francisco Pride. The recent June 12 anniversary of the 2016 shooting at the popular LGBTQ Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, at which a gunman killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others, only adds to the anxiety. “This week marks six years since the Pulse tragedy, and we commemorate the loss of so many lives taken from us,” stated SF Pride Board President Carolyn Wysinger earlier this month. ”We have always been vigilant when it comes to safety and are working on a very coordinated basis with local law enforcement, city and community leaders to ensure this year’s Pride is safe and people can enjoy themselves knowing we are taking every precaution possible.” SF Pride officials did not answer a question about what their policy would be should there be a disruption in the parade, which happened in 2019 that delayed the extravaganza for nearly an hour. “Historically we haven’t disclosed the details of our security planning,” Wysinger stated in an email to the Bay Area Reporter, “but we do work closely with local law enforcement, city, and community leaders to take every precaution possible so that people can celebrate in a safe environment.” The San Francisco Police Department is planning on being out in force. “The public should expect to see a significant police presence,

Rick Gerharter

John Weber, left, Alex U. Inn, Juanita MORE!, and Leandro Gonzalez led the People’s March down Polk Street June 27, 2021.

including members who will be mobile in the parade and festival areas,” SFPD stated in a news release. “The department is also working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to make the events as safe as possible.” Aware of the incidents in San Lorenzo and Idaho, SFPD “will be staffed to handle all calls for service citywide, and to provide adequate public safety staffing at Pride events throughout Pride Month. Our officers will be vigilant for unlawful or unsafe activity and will respond as appropriate,” said Officer Kathryn Winters, public information officer for SFPD, in an earlier statement. Toward that end, visitors to the Pride festival at Civic Center June 25-26 should expect to find walk-through metal detectors and security using hand-held wands as well as the possibility of addi-

tional searches as they enter the event. (That measure was put in place following the Pulse shooting in 2016.) Police are encouraging people to avoid bringing too much with them to the festival so as to avoid unnecessary delays while passing through security. Avoid, too, bringing alcohol from outside the festival bounds. “No outside alcohol will be allowed into the venue and possession of open containers or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on city streets,” SFPD stated. There’ll be plenty of alcohol for sale inside the festival and there will be a 100% ID check, as well, the statement continued. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman expressed his concern, given the recent incidents. “I’ve reached out to the police department and Department of Emergency Management and they’re coordinating with the De-

50 YEARS PROUD. 50 YEARS BART.

partment of Homeland Security,” Mandelman told the B.A.R. June 20, referring to the SF Pride parade and festival. “People should not be fearful but they should be alert and aware.” Mandelman said that he and members of the police department’s Pride Alliance were recently in the Castro inviting businesses to put up signs indicating they’re a safe space where people could go. “I think people need to pay attention,” Mandelman said, both in the Castro and at other Pride events.

People’s March plans

The People’s March, organized by activists Juanita MORE! and Alex U. Inn, is looking at security issues as well, said Inn, although their approach is more discreet. The People’s March will follow the first Pride march’s original route along Polk Street although organizers have yet to announce where the march will end up. (The previous two People’s Marches have ended near City Hall, which this year is the site of the SF Pride festival.) People’s March organizers had been in talks with Castro Community on Patrol, the organization of uniformed volunteers who patrol the LGBTQ neighborhood, as a second pair of eyes, said Inn, but CCOP doesn’t have the ability right now to assist. Because of COVID, said Greg Carey, a gay man who has led the CCOP for the past 14 years, the group is short-staffed. People’s March organizers are also looking to Oakland-based Community Ready Corps, a Black-operated volunteer organization that “focuses on providing community-based solutions for community safety,” according to its website. Hand to Hand, a women’s martial arts group in Oakland, has had a security presence at the People’s March since it started

in 2020, Inn said, and, like CRC, its volunteers are also dressed in street clothes so as not to stand out. People’s March routinely uses volunteers to act as security, but “a little more stealth,” said Inn. “We have queers who do not have citizenship and they’re fearful of police,” Inn continued.

Castro safety

On Saturday, June 25, thousands are expected to attend the Castro Merchants Association’s Family Pride Block Party and there will be plenty of security on hand there, as well, said Dave Karraker, copresident of the business group. “In terms of security for the block party, we will have two offduty police officers, private security and our own community patrol officer,” Karraker told the B.A.R. in an email. Carey confirmed he will be on hand for security but as a private security presence. “I will be there in my green outfit,” he said over the phone. The merchants’ group is coordinating with SFPD captains Chris Pedrini of Park Station and Gavin McEachern of Mission Station on “a detailed security plan not only for the Castro Merchants Family Pride Block Party, but the entire weekend,” said Karraker. “It’s unfortunate that recent events, including the storming of a drag queen storytime in the East Bay and death threats to our state senator, have led to security being a major focus of this weekend versus celebrating the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made over the past several decades,” Karraker added, “but this is the environment that has been created by politicians and rightwing activists. We feel confident that through cooperation with the SFPD and other city agencies, everyone will be able to come to the Castro, celebrate Pride safely, and support local small businesses in the process.” t

Obituaries >> Donald Dean Price 1956 – 2022

Donald Dean Price (1956-2022) passed on June 15, 2022 in the San Francisco he loved. Don met Bill Lipsky in 1980 and they remained life partners, husbands, and best friends for the next 42 years. Both native Californians, Don and Bill moved to San Francisco in 1981, the best decision they ever made together. A graduate of St. Mary’s College, Don followed a career as a marketing-communications analyst with high technology companies in the Bay Area.

After retiring, Don volunteered for AIDS Benefits Counselors and Under One Roof, among other organizations. Passionate about animals, he served on the board of directors of the San Francisco Zoological Society and also gave his time to Pets Are Wonderful Support and especially to the San Francisco SPCA’s outreach adoption program, bringing many four-legged friends together with their two-legged companions. Always eager to learn about the world, its peoples, and their cultures, Don loved to travel, visiting five of the six continents, with plans to visit the sixth. He also recognized his need to give back to the planet itself and became an avid gardener. As he wished, Don’s ashes were scattered at sea. His spirit will be with us always.

t <<

Community News>>

Guest Opinion

From page 30

Trans people on hormone replacement therapy like me know the importance of medicine that is in some spaces unpopular and hard to get. One difference, though, is that the stuff that goes into our bodies and gives us glorious second puberties doesn’t linger in the air. There is no secondhand HRT. There is secondhand smoke. There is secondhand vape. There is secondhand cannabis. If you’re not ready to quit but want to be considerate of others as you celebrate, you can always go to the curb. If you are ready to quit, free confidential help is available from a variety of sources: Phone or chat counseling is available from Kick It California (https://kickitca.org/), whose counselors receive LGBTQ cultural compe-

Gay sex club

From page 46

“We are hoping we can survive this month,” Rowe told the B.A.R. ahead of Eros’s return to operation. “We need to be open in July.”

Monkeypox

Now, just as the sex club reopens, its owners have to contend with the additional headache of a global monkeypox outbreak mostly in men who have sex with men. Many cases have been linked to a Pride event in the Canary Islands, a fetish festival in Belgium, and saunas in Spain and Montreal. As of June 14 five possible cases of monkeypox had been reported in San Francisco residents, according to local public health officials. While anyone can contract monkeypox through close personal contact, health officials are urging the gay community, in particular, to be alert ahead of this month’s Pride events. On its Facebook page that Tuesday, Eros had shared an advi-

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 49

tency training; UCSF (415-885-7895) and Berkeley (QuitNow@cityofberkeley.info) have group classes for all Bay Area adults; BecomeAnEx (https:// www.becomeanex.org/) offers an app and texting program; Truth Initiative has a texting program for teens and young adults to quit vaping – text DITCHVAPE to 88709. Visit our Quit Smoking/Vaping page at https://www. lgbtqminustobacco.org/quittingsmoking-vaping for more information. Have a happy, safe, smoke- and vape-free Pride! t Amaya Wooding (she/her) is the project coordinator at LGBTQ Minus Tobacco. The organization will be tabling at San Francisco Pride this weekend. Find them near Golden Gate Avenue and Larkin Street. Be sure to get one of their smoke-free patio llama stickers.

sory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the monkeypox outbreak that noted, “the risk for getting monkeypox in the United States is low, but it’s important to know the symptoms.” It added that, “Anyone who has a rash that looks like monkeypox and has had potential exposure to the virus should talk to their healthcare provider. A monkeypox rash may initially appear similar to pimples, blisters, or raised bumps, and it may be accompanied by fever and chills.” Rowe told the B.A.R. that he and his co-owners “are not really sure at this point” what impact this latest health issue could have on their business, which was forced to close several times over the last two years due to COVID. He added that, “We are not too worried.” He noted that health officials have advised that anyone old enough to have gotten the smallpox vaccine should have a fair amount of protection from monkeypox. See page 52 >>

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50 • Bay Area Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

LGBTQ theater

“I think our audiences – our older audience that helped found the theater that were gay, white males – also understood that they have been at move the story forward.” the vanguard of sharing resources The theater early on had earned to help the queer and allied mission the nickname of “Nude Conservatory of NCTC advance both generationTheatre Company” for the multitude ally, both culturally, and for gender of its productions that featured full identity wise,” said Decker. “They, befrontal male nudity on stage. Such cause of their own experiences, sort of scenes are now far less common, as More expansive worldview whenever they were sidelined back in the old trope hasn’t been the case for Today’s queer plays have a more the day when they were growing up, at least 15 years, said Andrew Jordan expansive worldview in terms of the I think they understand the power of Nance, a gay man who this month stories the playwrights are telling, making sure everybody gets to move stepped down from the theater’s Malakhow noted. He finds it exciting forward.” board of directors and performed in that New Conservatory is “eager and Not everyone approved of the shift his first NCTC play in 1995. looking to expand what ‘queer thein programming, Decker acknowl“We certainly aren’t doing that ater’ means” by mounting plays like edged, but it opened the doors to anymore at all,” said Nance, 56, who his own. bring in new audience members and has either performed in or directed at “They are looking to populate the supporters of the theater. least 20 plays at New Conservatory. world of queer theater with different “Did we lose some folks along the “Certainly, I think we have all evolved voices, which is very exciting for me,” way? Yes, sadly yes,” he said. “However, in our community around what is gay he said. we have made more space at the table theater.” Mosqueda said that it took a while and replaced those folks with new auAt the time of New Conservatory’s for New Conservatory to move bediences and new stories.” founding, depicting gay intimacy on yond its past reputation as being a And New Conservatory has recomstage needed to be seen by the thetheater primarily for white gay men. mitted itself to mounting works that ater’s patrons, said Nance, as it wasn’t Today, they said, that would no longer present an expansive view of LGBTQ often shown on mainstream stages or be a fair assessment of the theater. storytelling as it emerges from the last in movie or television shows. “I think they are making really bold two years of the COVID-19 pandemic “In the beginning, especially for strides on improving that image, as and presents a full season of shows older men who had been through the exemplified in appointing me as dionce again. As its 2022-2027 strategic ringer, I think it was just very comfortrector of residence,” said Mosqueda. plan released earlier this year pledges, ing to see gay men and their relation“The work I try to champion is the the nonprofit theater will “remain ships celebrated finally,” said Nance. work of queer artists of color.” committed to building a sustainable Nudity as a storytelling device is no A commitment to diversifying the organizational capacity with an emlonger as necessary, he added, similar works it presents and the audiences it phasis on diversity.” to how the stories being told on stage attracts has been a part of New ConIn the 24-page document, which have moved beyond a central focus of servatory’s mission for years. Whereas can be downloaded from its website, a character’s coming out of the closet. more mainstream theater companies, LINK: https://www.nctcsf.org/about/ “I think, at first, it was an opboth in the Bay Area and other parts strategic-plan New Conservatory deportunity to see gay men in sensual of the country, reexamined the type of scribes itself as a “queer-positive and situations because it reminded us of productions they were mounting folanti-racist organization that aims to our own coming out stories, and the lowing the Black Lives Matter protests be intentional at every turn.” trauma a lot of us went through to be in the summer of 2020, NCTC had Decker said his “primary objective” out,” said Nance. “So it was somehow begun to do so years prior. in developing a new season of shows comforting to see often success stories “The concept of diversity, that has “is to lead the conversation” through around the coming out process. If that just been in our DNA for a long, long the works that are selected. meant seeing two men in bed together time,” said Decker. “Since we started 40 years ago that was very calming to our nervous Over the last two decades New ... much has changed in the world system.” Conservatory has moved from seearound queer rights and human When he thinks of canonical LGing itself as being a gay theater to one rights and politics and criminalizaBTQ plays, particularly those from that is a queer and allied theater, said tion of homosexuality. Unfortunately, the 1990s, Malakhow said most are Decker, who is gay. It is a progression that still exists in far too many places centered around HIV and AIDS or that continues to this day, he added. in the world,” he said. “For me, the tell coming out stories. They aren’t common thread that runs through it all is this activist energy in my bones. I feel a responsibility to be leading with curiosity and empathy and humility in helping to advance the human rights conversation overall through a particular lens on the queer community because that is our mission.” In addition to commissioning one to two queer-themed new works each year, the theater has also pledged to increase its queer diverse and allied Black, Indigenous, people of color audiences by 25% within the next five years. It wants to see that its board and staff have a “balanced composition” of BIPOC, queer, and allied people. All board members and employees will take part in anti-racism, queerpositivity and inclusiveness trainings. When you plan your life celebration and lasting remembrance in “It is a large but important target,” advance, you can design every detail of your own unique memorial said Decker, who has confidence it and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning ahead can be met. “Raising the bar and makWhen your celebration lasting protectsyou your plan loved ones fromlife unnecessary stress and and financial burden, When you remembrance plan your celebration and lasting in ing sure to work toward these really allowing themlife to focus what will matter at design that remembrance time—you. in on advance, youmost can every aggressive goals helps to fuel the moadvance, you canofdesign every detail of your ownand unique memorial mentum.” detail own memorial provide Contact usyour today about theunique beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy atyour theloved San Francisco Columbarium. and provide loved ones with true peace mind. Planning ahead Of the plan’s five specific goals, your ones with true peace ofof mind. Planning number one pledges the theater will protects your loved ones from unnecessary stress and financial ahead protectsProudly yourserving loved onesCommunity. from unnecessary burden, the LGBT “continue to lead in telling the stories allowing them focus on whatburden, will matter most them at thattotime—you. from a full spectrum of LGBTQ+ and stresstoand financial allowing Allied voices, with a special focus on focus on what will matter most at that time—you. the BIPOC Queer comContact us today about the beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy centering munity, elevating new work, and welat the San Contact FranciscousColumbarium. coming new audiences.” today about the beautiful ways to create In order to achieve that goal, the a lasting legacy at the San Francisco Columbarium. theater is committed to producing One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 works each season “written, directed, Proudly serving our Community. SanFranciscoColumbarium.com performed, and designed by BIPOC Proudly serving the LGBT Community. artisans.” Through its New Voices/ FD 1306 / COA 660 New Work initiative, the theater also is devoted to “further expanding the storytelling of Trans, Nonbinary, nonwestern cultures and marginalized populations within the Queer community.” One of the upcoming season’s featured playwrights is Nora Brigid Monahan, 29, who lives in Brooklyn, One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 New York and works as the manager of individual giving and special events SanFranciscoColumbarium.com at the Off-Broadway nonprofit theater company Primary Stages. The West From page 25

<< Pride 2022

“necessarily representative” of his personal experience, he noted. “I understand them on an intellectual level, but at the same time, I am really interested in telling stories that zero in on slightly more specific positions of people,” said Malakhow, who grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and began writing plays five years ago.

PlanningAhead Ahead isisSimple Planning Simple The benefits are immense.

Planning Ahead is Simple The benefits are immense. The benefits are immense.

FD 1306 / COA 660

Courtesy NCTC

Richard Mosqueda is the New Conservatory Theatre Center’s new director of residence.

Coast premiere of their play “Aunt Jack” kicks off New Conservatory’s new season in September. Speaking by phone Monahan said all the writers they know who have worked with NCTC “all had wonderful experiences.” They’ve followed the works New Conservatory has been producing the past five years and were “absolutely thrilled when they picked up this play,” said Monahan. They said they’re “really heartened” by the steps that Decker and NCTC have taken to be as “inclusive as possible” as they select plays and other productions to showcase each season. “It definitely is really rewarding for me and exhilarating for me as a younger emerging nonbinary, transgender, polyamorous playwright to be given a space in this community and this kind of institution. It really means a lot,” said Monahan. First produced in 2018, their play has been mounted three times on the East Coast. It centers on a queer family comprised of a gay couple, a lesbian mother and the gay son they raised together. “One of the things I loved is it is a family story that incorporates the notion of an expanding family that integrates gender fluidity as part of its dynamic,” said Decker. “I think that one of the things I really liked about the play was there was an opportunity to sort of look at that aspect of queer identity, that fluid aspect of queer identity.” When Decker emailed them to say their play had been selected, Monahan said it was an “incredible surprise.” They are excited for a Bay Area audience to see it. “This play ‘Aunt Jack’ is sort of about the generational shift in what

a gay and queer identity is. And so the questions that NCTC is wrestling with right now are ones I was personally wrestling with in writing this play,” said Monahan, who grew up in New York and was a child actor. They were cast in several plays by gay playwright Charles Busch, who “became an amazing mentor to me and dear friend,” said Monahan. Thus, they are thrilled their play is opening the new season and the regional premiere of Busch’s “The Confession of Lily Dare” will close it out next spring. “I have known Charles since I was 11. I have spent my whole life being just like him,” they said. “To have plays form both of us at NCTC is just beyond, beyond humbling and rewarding.” One initiative New Conservatory is working on is a national production network for rolling world premieres of LGBTQ+ plays. It would like to produce one to two such rolling premieres each season.

Hard conversations

After two years of dealing with forced closures or limited seasons due to COVID, Mosqueda said theaters across the country are having hard conversations about the types of works they plan to produce, as they need to attract audiences to help recoup their lost revenues and mount shows that will get people to leave their homes to attend the theater. Those factors can make it a challenge for more mainstream theaters to produce queer plays, noted Mosqueda. Thus, it makes having New Conservatory even more necessary as a champion of queer theatrical works. See page 51 >>

Courtesy NCTC

Playwright Nora Brigid Monahan is based in New York.

t <<

Community News>>

LGBTQ theater

From page 50

“It is a tricky time right now as we are entering, dare I say, a postpandemic world. I hope we are,” they said. “Everyone is struggling, whether at Marin or at NCTC. Small audiences are a thing we are having to contend with. What are they ready for and what are they excited to see at the theater? What are audiences hungry for at this moment?” Of the plays Malakhow gravitates toward and reads, he said there is a greater focus on intersectional queer stories. The playwrights look at a queer person’s identity, he said, from multiple aspects in their scripts. “They are very much centering queerness in their storytelling while at the same time not ignoring a whole host of factors that impact the narrative or lives of the characters,” said Malakhow. “We know by now the LGBTQ community’s queerness is not a monolith. They are chipping away at the larger social assumptions, larger social practices and thought processes that make that assumption of that monolithic identity.” He added that he “hopes to see more plays examine not just queer characters and queerness in relation to heterosexuality but also look at issues within the queer community.”

Mosqueda praised Malakhow for his developing characters that are well balanced and honest. “It doesn’t feel forced, which is a rarity for a young writer,” noted Mosqueda. “Their impulse is to dazzle and make up circumstances that are ridiculous just to prove something. With Nick, it feels like he has such an ease with his characters. They feel so real and the circumstances feel so truthful.” As for Jiménez, Mosqueda first met him in 2018 when the playwright answered a call they had posted on Facebook seeking new works Mosqueda could pitch to theaters to produce. They invited Jiménez to stay with them when he attended a retreat in Marin and the two became friends; they worked on Jiménez’ highly praised “Bruise and Thorn” play produced Off Broadway earlier this year in New York. “His voice is unapologetically queer and incredibly hilarious. It is irreverent and uniquely his,” said Mosqueda, noting that this is the first time “Locusts Have No King” has been produced since it premiered offoff-Broadway in 2016. “His characters are social misfits who have so much heart, ambitions and dreams. They are incredibly realized.” New Conservatory’s upcoming season is meant to not only deliver

June 23-29, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 51

“challenging and provocative” works, said Decker, but also provide some “joy and celebration” to audiences. “One of the things we wanted to be sure to do with the next season was to make sure we could have a little more fun together. It has been such a rough time for everybody and there is so much anxiety out there still,” said Decker. “Being able to come into a room not only to connect with our hearts but also to laugh together is crucial.”

Planning underway for leadership changes

The new strategic plan redoubles New Conservatory’s efforts to bring LGBTQ theatrical productions to schoolchildren throughout Northern California. It aims to grow its student body of on-site and off-site programs by 15% and will look to commission three new works for its YouthAware initiative by 2027. “We were always very clear that we needed to have a diverse cast so that students could see themselves on stage,” said Nance, who ran the school program for 18 years and now heads the San Francisco Education Fund’s Mindful Arts San Francisco program that uses performing arts and storytelling to teach local students the principles of mindfulness. Also contained in the new plan is a

Lutheran bishop

From page 38

non-disparagement clause, according to the Reverend Leah Schade, a seminary professor and ELCA minister in Lexington, Kentucky, who has written about the Rohrer controversies on her Eco Preacher blog at Patheos, a website addressing religion and matters of faith. According to the website for GICC, the infant care center is planning to move to a new location. Its phone, however, has been disconnected.

Central Valley pastor fired

But it was an incident in December 2021 that seems to have given the most impetus to Rohrer’s departure. Rohrer fired a popular Latino minister, the Reverend Nelson RabellGonzález, pastor of Misión Latina Luterana in Stockton, on December 12, which happened to be the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, even after having been told doing so on such a culturally significant day could cause serious damage to a mission community of Latino/a congregants. According to a report issued to the ELCA by a “listening team” organized by Eaton to investigate the incident: “Staff members also confirmed that Bishop Rohrer was repeatedly made aware of the potentially devastating effects of implementing that action on such an important day for this community. In addition, staff members reminded the bishop how this community had already suffered from an action by the synod when they were forced to abandon their home at St. Paul Lutheran Church, without previous communication or conversation.”

Pink Saturday

From page 28

outside vendor who had been helping with the weekly street closures. Karraker has been publicizing this year’s Pink Saturday events as a way to bring people to the LGBTQ neighborhood as its businesses strive to bounce back from the last two years. The Castro Merchants’ daytime block party on June 25 will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Noe Street between Market and Beaver streets. A highlight of the daytime goingson will be the Drag Performer of the Year contest. Celebrity judges set to take part include San Francisco Mayor London Breed, gay ABC7 daytime anchor Reginald Aqui, gay 99.7 FM morning show host Fernando Ventura (99.7 FM) and drag queen Juicy

Courtesy Eco Preacher blog

Reverend Nelson Rabell-González

Despite those warnings, Rohrer pushed ahead, much to the anger of the members of Misión Latina Luterana. A video of the service depicts the congregation reacting angrily to the realization that Rabell-González was not going to be present at the service and demanding that Rohrer explain what had happened. Throughout, Rohrer stood impassively, watching the enraged congregants as they demanded answers. The congregation, after removing a large statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe used for the service, left the church. But the disastrous event at the mission was only the culmination of months of actions directed against Rabell-González. Prior to that, according to Schade, who’s a friend of Rabell-González, he had been an associate pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lodi, California, where he had been instrumental in building Latino/a membership.

Liu aka Michael Trung Nguyen with the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance. It’s been six years since there was a nighttime dance party on the streets of the Castro for Pink Saturday. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stepped away from producing the event in 2015, after saying they could no longer guarantee the safety of visitors. That year the San Francisco LGBT Community Center oversaw it and turned it into a daytime event. The unofficial kickoff to Pride weekend hasn’t been held since. Mandelman said that following this weekend’s Pride festivities it would be a good time to start planning for next year if the Castro community wants to revive the traditional Pink Saturday Party. “There’s plenty going on this weekend,” he added.t

It was at the Lodi church that Rabell-González was approached by more than one Latina congregant who complained about being harassed by a white male member of the church, said Schade in a phone interview. Rabell-González approached the senior pastor of St. Paul’s at that time, Schade said, to tell him what he had been told by the women, which he was required to do, and he trusted that the senior pastor would do the right thing, as well. Instead, RabellGonzález was accused of doing the same thing by that congregation’s intern, the Reverend Frances Le Bas. In a speech later in May to the Sierra Pacific Synod, Frances Le Bas told the assembly “As a victim of abuse in my life, I feel revictimized by comments made this morning that I perceived as defending my abuser,” Schade quoted the pastor. “I’m a victim of misogyny, disrespect, and threatening comments

Monkeypox

From page 34

a confirmed case. In Quebec, Canada, the vaccine is already being offered to men who have had sex with two or more male partners within the past two weeks. “I think that’s the direction we’re going in, but we have to make sure there’s adequate supply to meet the demand,” Dr. Phil Peters of the California Department of Public Health said during a June 16 webinar for LGBTQ organizations. People diagnosed with monkeypox are advised to isolate at home for three weeks and avoid sex and other intimate contact. Wearing a mask can help protect household members and caregivers.

call for the theater’s board and leadership to begin succession planning for when both Decker and New Conservatory’s executive director, Barbara Hodgen, decide to step down. In doing so, it calls for “a particular emphasis on equity and diversity to lead” the nonprofit the years ahead, with the plans cemented by 2026. “It’s been something on my mind. Nobody is going to be running an organization forever,” said Decker, who will turn 66 in July. “I can say it is more than just on my mind. I am working with a consultant around understanding how this process of succession can and should unfold.” Nance said it makes sense that Decker is being “thoughtful” about what will be a “big transition” for the theater when he and Hodgen do decide to step down because Decker has always approached his work in such a thoughtful manner. “It makes me sad to think about Ed leaving, and I want him to be able to kick his shoes off and relax because he has worked so hard and so consciously to really bring the best theater he can imagine for so many years,” said Nance. “His ability to bring together kind, compassionate and creative people is really something he should be very proud of.” No matter who is at the helm of New Conservatory, LGBTQ play-

wrights and directors hope it will continue to thrive for decades to come. While LGBTQ people may no longer need to congregate in queer, urban neighborhoods as suburban communities become more welcoming for LGBTQ residents, they contend there will continue to be a need for queer theaters that produce and amplify the voices of queer playwrights such as NCTC does. “I don’t even want to imagine it,” Mosqueda said of losing NCTC. “It is such a rarity for a theater to be focused entirely on a queer focus. Few theaters are willing to commit to those stories, period.” New Conservatory is that unique place, said Mosqueda, where queer people go in solidarity and to commune with another. “I don’t feel I have that at other theaters,” said Mosqueda. “Where would queer people go to see themselves reflected?” Monahan said, “I think NCTC provides space for us to do that; to live, laugh, cry, and know what it means to be one’s authentic self. Now, more than ever, we need those spaces.” t

by a fellow Puerto Rican pastor. The situation was not about discrimination based on race and ethnicity. It is about personal misconduct unbefitting of a person in a pastoral role and in a position of authority. At this point, I was going to withdraw my nomination for this position and for Synod Council. But I will not. I will not be victimized again.” Schade said she feels this was an act of retaliation. Rabell-González had been actively involved in anti-racism efforts as well as helping undocumented immigrants. He had successfully brought in many new Latino/a members at St. Paul’s but his actions, according to Schade, were drawing the ire of some of the white members of the church (The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/27/ the-most-and-least-racially-diverseu-s-religious-groups/] is 97% white). Several prominent members of St. Paul’s told church leaders “they would withdraw their financial support from the church because of his involvement with Black Lives Matter and migrant rights,” Schade wrote in her blog.

that new call – Misión Latina Luterana in Stockton – the first Sunday in March, said Schade. Most of St. Paul’s Latino/a members followed the pastor to his new assignment. Rabell-González, however, refused to sign the separation agreement, and Le Bas was appointed to fill Rabell-González’s position at St. Paul’s, said Schade. That May, Rohrer was elected bishop. They assumed office on July 1. Things did not improve for RabellGonzález, who had also been a candidate for the office Rohrer won. The accusations against the pastor were made public to the synod the day before the conference began and Rabell-González was required to address them before the assembly. In a five-minute video presentation to the assembly, which Schade posted on her blog, RabellGonzález called for a full investigation. “I have evidence not only to clear my name, but also I’m willing to answer any question regarding this incident,” he told the synod in his video address. Notably, Rohrer had not been required to disclose the events at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, however. Before Holmerud left office, he had referred the case to a panel to check out Rabell-González’s story and see if it was legitimate, said Schade. This panel was not charged with finding evidence, only to ask whether there was enough evidence to pursue an investigation, which it did. Holmerud declined to comment to the B.A.R., saying through a representative that “he doesn’t think it would be appropriate for him to talk to you for your story on former Bishop Rohrer.”

Greater consequences

The accusations leveled against Rabell-González would have even greater consequences. Earlier, in February 2021, RabellGonzález was asked by congregation leadership to resign and to sign a seven-page separation agreement containing both non-disclosure and non-disparagement statements. The pastor went to then-Bishop Mark Holmerud, who told him if were to leave, he would be assigned to a new mission of his own. He started

Most people with monkeypox recover without treatment, although antiviral medications used for smallpox can also be used to treat monkeypox. The new cases have generally been mild, with no confirmed deaths so far. But the sores can leave scars, and some people develop complications. Young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people are more likely to have severe illness. People with well-controlled HIV do not appear to be at greater risk, but those who are not on antiretroviral treatment and have a low CD4 count may have worse outcomes. With Pride season in full swing, “now is a great time to make sure you’re up to date with your sexual health [and] have your HIV prevention plan lined up, whether it’s un-

To learn more about New Conservatory and its upcoming season, visit https://www.nctcsf.org/

See page 52 >> detectable equals untransmittable or pre-exposure prophylaxis,” Daskalakis said during a CDC briefing for the LGBTQ press. “To me, [Pride] is an important reminder of how important it is to take care of our mental and physical wellbeing as individuals and, by extension, as a community.” t To contact City Clinic, go to https://www.sfcityclinic.org/ or call its new phone number, 628-2176600. To contact SFAF’s Magnet clinic at Strut, go to https://www. sfaf.org/programs/magnet/ or call 415-581-1600.

<< Community News

52 • BayArea Reporter • June 23-29, 2022

Lutheran bishop

From page 51

Throughout this, Rabell-González asked repeatedly to be investigated, said Schade, because he knew that an investigation was the only way the evidence about what had happened to the women who had reported being harassed, and to him, could come out. Rohrer, however, refused to authorize an investigation and, instead, insisted Rabell-González see a counselor. Rohrer told him that doing so was a condition of his being able to maintain his ministry, Schade said. But the bishop added a twist to their demand. Rohrer sent an email to the counselor accusing Rabell-González of having a lack of integrity because he kept talking about the NDA, which included the non-disparagement clause he had refused to sign. The bishop also insisted he sign a waiver allowing Rohrer to communicate with the counselor about his case, thereby relinquishing his HIPAA rights. When the pastor realized that Rohrer was “trying to poison the well with a counselor he hadn’t even met yet,” he knew that Rohrer wasn’t acting in good faith, Schade told the B.A.R., but Rabell-González did not want to lose his call at Misión Latina Luterana.

Rabell-González disputes accusations

In September 2021, new allegations, this time of embezzlement, were lobbed against the pastor, suggesting he had misappropriated funds intended for COVID relief. The funds were handled through St. Paul’s and disbursed to more than 1,000 families and individuals, Schade wrote in

Smaller cities

Out in the World

From page 44

Gay Cameroonians, who were unidentified in the film for their and their family’s protection, talked about self-isolation because they are gay, not because of the COVID pandemic. They also discussed being jailed with alleged killers and other criminals because they are gay; suicide attempts; and being accused of witchcraft. “There’s a lot of hostility. It’s

cease and desist order via email from Rohrer with an added proviso, according to Schade, reminding RabellGonzález “that he must undergo psychological testing by Nov. 25. Bishop Rohrer copies the psychologist on this email.” With the help of a lawyer, RabellGonzález contacted Eaton, the denomination’s presiding bishop. “The letter asks for Bishop Eaton’s assistance because of the way Bishop Rohrer has misrepresented Rev. Nelson [Rabell-González] to the therapist,” Schade wrote in her blog. “The accusation of lack of integrity is based on Bishop Rohrer’s misinterpretation of the NDA and would taint the process of the therapy. [Rabell-González] also notes that without the impartial findings of a disciplinary hearing, the requirements for therapy are, indeed, an indication that he has been found guilty without due process.” Eaton declined to help, insisting that she is neither the employer nor the supervisor of synod bishops, and could see no reason to discipline Rohrer. Schade takes a very different stance on this matter, though. Again, in her account of the events, she wrote: “In the ELCA, new mission starts are funded both by the ELCA Churchwide Office as well as the individual synod in which the mission is located. The call to the mission start is extended by the Synod Council, not an individual congregation. But the call is also coordinated with the Domestic Mission Unit of the ELCA. In other words, the ELCA does, in fact, have jurisdiction over this case with Rev. Nelson [Rabell-González].” Three weeks later, Rohrer, and possibly others who were involved in the dust-up at St. Paul’s, informed Rabell-

From page 47

neurship. “It took a lot of conversation in order to get to the point of them being OK. They are so much more comfortable after a year than when I came out.” Her sister, Emily Yarman, will be attending to promote her Neutral Massage and Wellness business based out of Walnut Creek. A massage therapist, Yarman will be offering discounts on massages and consultations. The siblings are looking forward to promoting LGBTQ visibility and understanding, said Martin, particularly so LGBTQ youth growing up in and around Clayton have a better experience than they did as teenagers. “It is crazy because growing up in the Mormon Church in a conservative household, we weren’t exposed to queer people. Our parents really

her blog. (https://www.patheos.com/ blogs/ecopreacher/2022/01/why-elcaneeds-to-investigate-case-rev-nelsonrabell-gonzalez/) In support of Rabell-González, the Reverend William Knezovich, the pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fresno, wrote a letter to Rohrer calling the allegations “baseless.” Another letter in support of the pastor came from Faith in the Valley, a faith-based organization assisting “the people most impacted by equity issues: low-wage workers, young people, immigrants, and the formerly incarcerated,” according to its website. That letter, Schade wrote in her blog, responded to “‘concerns’ regarding the disbursement of these funds and states that they do not believe the funds have been mismanaged in any way due to the system of checks and balances that are in place. Finally, the letter states that Faith in the Valley is ‘more than pleased with the level of professionalism and integrity’ of Rev. Nelson.” The next month, Rabell-González posted a statement on Facebook decrying the NDA that had been hanging over him for months, accusing the ELCA of “white supremacy disguised as Christian virtue.” “When I was offered the NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) by the Executive Committee of my previous call, I was the only person of color present in that Zoom meeting with ‘Leadership.’” he wrote. “These leaders, clothed in White Privilege, protecting the racism of their own by White Solidarity, and using White Supremacy disguised as Christian virtue, justified silencing a Person of Color in order to hide the institutional racism and bigotry of the congregation.” Shortly afterward, he received a

Gay sex club

From page 49

“So that is like 50 years old and older, which is a good chunk of our customer base,” said Rowe, adding that tourists also account for a large pool of their patrons. “With tourists, tourists are always a wild card, but we live in a touristy city. We are not overly worried. There is no evidence for us to be worried about it anytime soon.” As for seeing a traditional gay bathhouse again operate in the

Courtesy Peter Cloven

The Progress Pride flag flies outside Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church.

weren’t either,” noted Martin. “The only relationship we had with queer people was through really hateful propaganda. It really damaged our family and our relationship. We have had to work on unlearning that

because it was so toxic.” Terri Denslow, 44, and her husband, Scott, 53, moved to Clayton in 2017 and soon became active in their new hometown. Terri Denslow currently chairs the city’s planning

technically right now a taboo,” Benet said in the film about being LGBTQ in her home country. “When it comes to sexuality, I feel like the world has evolved. When it comes to Cameroon and just a lot of African countries, I don’t feel like that has changed.” The taboo extends beyond Cameroon’s borders and the African continent. Some Africans living in the West remain closeted with their families because they fear being dis-

owned or even killed, Benet said. “I want this film to really open people’s eyes in the West,” she said. “I want it to activate people in the West to do more than pay lip service to the injustices happening in places like Cameroon.”

city, it does not appear one will be opening any time soon. Bintliff told the B.A.R. he is not aware of anyone currently seeking permits for such a business in the city. One interested bathhouse proprietor, Curtis Chude, had contacted Mandelman’s office and spoke with the B.A.R. last year. He was eying the former 24 Hour Fitness site at 2145 Market Street between Sanchez and Church streets that permanently closed in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. But it has since

been leased to Live Fit Gym Wellness Club, which is set to open this month. “I am not aware of anyone since we passed it who has specific plans moving forward,” said Bintliff, referring to the bathhouse zoning change. “One person was interested in the 24 Hour Fitness space, but this new gym beat them to that. We are happy to have the gym coming in and we are happy to have that vacancy filled.” t

Rise up

“It’s great to be in this country, America, and be able to enjoy the freedom of my craft and really nurturing and having it be what it is

González they had decided to remove him from his call. In other words, he had been fired from the mission he started in Stockton. Further, he was no longer allowed to act as a pastor in the ELCA. That afternoon, after forbidding Rabell-González from even making an appearance at Misión Latina Luterana, the congregation angrily turned their backs on Rohrer and left. That was apparently the beginning of the end for Rohrer. Shortly after the incident at Misión Latina Luterana, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries – a self-described group of “queer seminarians and rostered ministers” which “confronts barriers and systemic oppression, and activates queer ideas and movements within the Lutheran Church” suspended Rohrer’s membership in the organization, as the B.A.R. previously reported. (https://www.ebar.com/ news/latest_news//311629) That suspension, according to ELM, had its roots in the other actions by Rohrer before they were elected bishop. “This is a response to an existing pattern of behavior from Bishop Rohrer that misaligns with ELM’s Mission, Vision, and Values, specifically as it pertains to being an antiracist organization,” said the ELM board in a statement issued December 16. “This suspension is not only a response to recent harm done by the Sierra Pacific Synod Council and Bishop Rohrer to the Latinx community in Stockton, CA. This is a decision that ELM staff and Board have been discerning for much of 2021, leading to the creation of a formal ELM Accountability Team and process.” Despite efforts to work with Rohrer, the statement continued, the bishop declined the group’s Invitation

“for continued work to repair these relationships.” Those relationships will take some time to repair. Rabell-González’s congregation has kept him as their pastor and formed an independent church, outside the jurisdiction of the ELCA, called Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina or St. Mary the Pilgrim Lutheran Church. As of June 8, a few days after Rohrer was removed as bishop, RabellGonzález told the B.A.R. he had not heard from either the Sierra Pacific Synod or Eaton, the presiding bishop. Speaking from Puerto Rico where he was visiting family, he said he didn’t want to talk about it. But he was somewhat hopeful. “I think this is the beginning of vindication for my community and I,” he said. Schade is hopeful, as well. “We’ve been asking for a full investigation of the allegations and that has been denied him at every level,” said Schade. “And so, as much as we are relieved that Megan Rohrer is no longer in the position of bishop, this is really the first step. What needs to happen now is that his name needs to be cleared.” Requests for additional comment from Rohrer were not returned. Requests for comment from Eaton and the Sierra Pacific Synod were made through the synod and the denomination’s media personnel, who did not respond. In their tweet, Rohrer was distressed that their family first found out about the resignation on social media. “Pray for my family today,” Rohrer tweeted June 5. “They learned the news on social media, because I wasn’t informed in advance.” t

commission and is a part of the Pride organizing committee. The LGBTQ allies had reached out to Vieira to assist her in getting Clayton to fly the Pride flag two years ago. The trio then met with staff at the Rainbow LGBTQ center to seek their support for the Pride parade, since they had experience putting on their own events. “We wanted Rainbow’s help. We didn’t know where to start,” said Denslow. “We kind of kicked off the group Clayton Pride.” She told the B.A.R. she will be stepping down from the zoning oversight body as of July 1 but plans to remain involved with the Pride committee. As with Windsor’s event, it is likely they will host the 2023 parade more in the middle of the month. “Assuming we do this in the future, we will probably move it to earlier in June,” she said. After the experience that Lee and

Quady went through, followed the next year by a racist incident involving a town deli that garnered a burst of media attention, Denslow hopes the Pride parade will help paint a more accurate picture of how the majority of Clayton residents get along and embrace diversity. “This is exactly why events like this have to happen and why communities need to come together,” she said. “One loud, angry person can’t speak for a city or a neighborhood.” t

now,” Benet said knowing that she would not be the BeBe she is today if she was in Cameroon. “That’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.” The response to “Being BeBe” has been “overwhelming in the best way possible,” Benet said, excited that people have been moved by the film and “get to know a little bit more BeBe in every different aspect of who I am as a human and as an artist.” “Being BeBe” will also soon be widely available on streaming plat-

forms – Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu – through digital distributor Giant Pictures. Pre-orders of “Being BeBe” are available at https://geni.us/BeingBeBe. Watch the “Being BeBe” trailer at https://vimeo.com/520743017. t

For more information about Windsor’s Pride celebration, visit https://www.lovewinsinwindsor. com/ For more information about Clayton’s Pride parade, visit https:// www.claytonpride.com/

Got international LGBTQ news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at WhatsApp/Signal: 415-517-7239, or oitwnews@ gmail.com

Rick Gerharter

Eros’ new space is located at 321 Turk Street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.

Legals>>

June 16-22, 2022 • BayArea Reporter • 53

Legals >> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557160

In the matter of the application of MING-PO LAWRENCE LI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MING-PO LAWRENCE LI, is requesting that the name MING-PO LAWRENCE LI, be changed to LAWRENCE MING-PO LI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 7th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557169

In the matter of the application of HUY VU DANG PHAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner HUY VU DANG PHAN is requesting that the name HUY VU DANG PHAN be changed to HUYVU DANG PHAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 26th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557162

In the matter of the application of PETER RALLOJAY WOODROW, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner PETER RALLOJAY WOODROW is requesting that the name PETER RALLOJAY WOODROW be changed to PETER RALLOJAY. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 7th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557177

In the matter of the application of JEFFREY WALTER GUEMPEL, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner JEFFREY WALTER GUEMPEL is requesting that the name JEFFREY WALTER GUEMPEL be changed to JEFFREY WALTER BLAKE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 2nd of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557176

In the matter of the application of ROBIN BLAKE WOOD, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ROBIN BLAKE WOOD is requesting that the name ROBIN BLAKE WOOD be changed to ROBIN WILLIAM BLAKE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 2nd of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557138

In the matter of the application of LESTER BALLESTAMON SAN LUIS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner LESTER BALLESTAMON SAN LUIS is requesting that the name LESTER BALLESTAMON SAN LUIS be changed to LESTER BALLESTAMON KEMP SAN LUIS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 28th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557142

In the matter of the application of PETER JOSEPH KEMP, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner PETER JOSEPH KEMP is requesting that the name PETER JOSEPH KEMP be changed to PETER JOSEPH KEMP SAN LUIS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 30th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039721000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BLUM D’MART, 1 MARKET PLAZA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANDREW POULOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039721600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FRANKLIN MARKET, 1528 FRANKLIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed IBRAHIM ABDOSALEH ALDABASHI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039725400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DORCHESTER DOG TRAINING, 185 SAN CARLOS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RUI DIAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/27/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039725500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as EMERALD SPA, 441 STOCKTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALLAN NUTTALL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/27/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/27/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039711500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as JAMII YA NYUKI, 2550 FULTON ST #10, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SORAYA MATOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/11/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039726000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LOVING PHOTOGRAPHY, 271 MANGELS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHAEL LONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/29/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039726100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as REVIVING TOUCH THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, 1640 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed THANAWAN THUCHSUMRITH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039721800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FESTA COFFEE; AFRICAN TRADE NETWORK, 1075 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AFRICAN TRADE NETWORK (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/24/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039708700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BW & COMPANY, 56 SANTA FE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BWCO (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/06/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039718900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THIRD CULTURE BAKERY, 2701 8TH ST #101, BERKELEY, CA 94701. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed THIRD CULTURE FOOD GROUP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039719200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as O. CANTTOLAO SF, 266 ATHENS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed O. CANTTOLAO SF CORP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039723300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LOTUS NAIL SALON INC, 11 MAIDEN LANE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LOTUS NAIL SALON INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/28/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039721100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DIVA INTERNATIONAL SALON, 1 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by

a married couple, and is signed ANDREW POULOS & DIVA POULOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/21/99. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039715900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DOKKAEBIER, 1195 EVANS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HUNTERS POINT BREWERY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/04/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/18/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039717600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SF NAIL BAR LLC, 2275 MARKET ST #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SF NAIL BAR LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/05/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/19/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039724600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as AKIRA JAPANESE RESTAURANT, 1634 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed AKIRA RESTAURANT (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/03/21. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/27/22.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039514500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SF NAIL BAR, 2275 MARKET ST #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by GIANG HUYNH. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/06/19.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038325100

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as MUGUBOKA RESTAURANT, 401 BALBOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by KYE SOON LEE. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/25/18.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038040200

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as LOTUS NAIL SALON, 11 MAIDEN LANE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by PHUONG THI QUE TRAN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/09/18.

JUNE 02, 09, 16, 23, 2022

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF HAYDEE MARIA HALE IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-22-305383

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of HAYDEE MARIA HALE. A Petition for Probate has been filed by REX J. HALE in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that REX J. HALE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: JUNE 27, 2022, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: PAUL H. MELBOSTAD (SBN#99951), GOLDSTEIN, GELLMAN,

MELBOSTAD, HARRIS & MCSPARRAN LLP, 1388 SUTTER ST #1000, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109; Ph. (415) 673-5600.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557179

In the matter of the application of ELIZABETH OSTERMAN BROWN AKA ELIZABETH OSTERMAN AKA ELIZABETH BROWN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ELIZABETH OSTERMAN BROWN AKA ELIZABETH OSTERMAN AKA ELIZABETH BROWN is requesting that the names ELIZABETH OSTERMAN BROWN AKA ELIZABETH OSTERMAN AKA ELIZABETH BROWN be changed to ELIZABETH SUZANNE OSTERMAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557186 In the matter of the application of TING LI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner TING LI, is requesting that the name TING LI, be changed to SOPHIA LI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557185

In the matter of the application of YOU JIN HA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner YOU JIN HA is requesting that the name YOU JIN HA be changed to JENNIFER YOUJIN HA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557159

In the matter of the application of PAIGE MACINTYRE, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner PAIGE MACINTYRE is requesting that the name PAIGE LONDON MACINTYRE MCBRIDE be changed to STEFON DONELL MCBRIDE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 5th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039728400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as INTEGRITY TELECOM SOLUTIONS, 301 EXECUTIVE PARK BLVD #502, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PABLO MEMBRENO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/03/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/03/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as JH COMPANY, 1242 NORTHPOINT DR #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSE CHUNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039715700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SYBARITE LUXURY REALTY, 891 BEACH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PHIL CHEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/18/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DA HOT SPOT, 201 TURK ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EMAN M. DIAB. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SHAPUR; SHAPUR MOZAFFARIAN; MOZAFFARIAN; SHAPUR MOZAFFARIAN FINE JEWELRY; MOZAFFARIAN FINE JEWELERS; ST. FRANCIS BOUTIQUE; PARTIEH; 155 POST ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHAPUR MOZAFFARIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/84. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BON BON SPA 2, 3636 CESAR CHAVEZ ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed DOMINIC CAY NGUYEN & THUYAI BUI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039723500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MARTELLLS LIQUOR & GROCERY, 5615 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MARTELLLS LIQUOR & GROCERY INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/17/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039723900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as URBANA SOMA, 122 10TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed URBAN FLOWERS, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039720800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MUGUBOKA RESTAURANT, 401 BALBOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed JAE YOUNG BYUN & EUN HEE PARK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/24/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PRIK HOM, 3226 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SUWAAN LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/01/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039685100

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as JOY NAIL SPA, 3636 CESAR CHAVEZ ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by DOMINIC CAY NGUYEN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039481600

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as HALAL SPOT, 201A TURK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by EMAN M. DIAB. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/10/21.

JUNE 09, 16, 23, 30, 2022

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF PES-22-305401 IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE JOHN CHARLES BRANDOLINO

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JOHN CHARLES BANDOLINO. A Petition for Probate has been filed by GIOVANNI GAVAL BRANDOLINO in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that GIOVANNI GAVAL BRANDOLINO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: JULY 06, 2022, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in

<< Legals

54 • BayArea Reporter • June 16-22, 2022 the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Petitioner: GIOVANNI GAVAL BRANDOLINO,14622 VENTURA BLVD #301, SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91403; Ph. (310) 496-9260.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557195

In the matter of the application of KWOK YAM JUNG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner KWOK YAM JUNG is requesting that the name KWOK YAM JUNG AKA CHARLEY YAM JUNG AKA CHARLES JUNG AKA CHARLEY KWOK JUNG be changed to CHARLEY KWOK-YAM JUNG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 21st of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557197

In the matter of the application of EVA NELL HOLSOME AKA EVA NELL FULLER AKA BARBARA ANN HOLSOME, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner EVA NELL HOLSOME AKA EVA NELL FULLER AKA BARBARA ANN HOLSOME is requesting that the name EVA NELL HOLSOME AKA EVA NELL FULLER AKA BARBARA ANN HOLSOME be changed to EVA NELL HOLSOME. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 21st of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557199

In the matter of the application of MEREDITH RENE KURPIUS & JAMES WINSTON KURPIUS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MEREDITH RENE KURPIUS & JAMES WINSTON KURPIUS is requesting that the name NATALIE KURPIUS be changed to PEREGRINE FOREST KURPIUS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 9th of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557200

In the matter of the application of MEREDITH RENE KURPIUS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MEREDITH RENE KURPIUS is requesting that the name MEREDITH RENE KURPIUS be changed to MEREDITH BEATRICE BAUER. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 9th of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557201

In the matter of the application of DAVID HUANG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner DAVID HUANG is requesting that the name DAVID HUANG be changed to DA WEI HUANG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 21st of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NU NORML, 702 MOULTRIE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARI ARREOLA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039733100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ASIAN CAPITAL REALTY; ALLAN LEUNG CHAN REALTY; ALLAN LEUNG CHAN INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES; 5264 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALLAN LEUNG CHAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/09/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039730000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CNA ROADSIDE, 2513 HARRISON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CARLOS RODAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039731700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HIDDEN STORY MEDIA, 4328 20TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD HANEY ARMSTRONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039735100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HEAVY HANDS JANITORIAL, 929 CONNECTICUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EDWARD G. ARGUETA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/09/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039737000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PURPOSE VIBES, 15 TERRACE DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANSLEY ECHOLS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039736400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BROWS BY LISA, 5813 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LISA LAM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039733300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HONDURAS KITCHEN, 5278 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed RAMON U MARTINEZ FLORES & OLVIN FLORES PONCE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039732000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BLADE, 221 KEARNY ST #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LUCKY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/08/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039733000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as WALLY’S COMMUNITY MARKET, 453 O’FARRELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed XPRESS MARKET INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039732800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SF TAXI-CAB CO, 1340 25TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SF TAXI TRANSPORTATION COMPANY INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039732200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as UPFRONT SALES, 584 CASTRO ST #2081, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FRANCO SALES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/18/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039729700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NISI’S CRAFT BAKERY, 533 BROWNING ST, MILL VALLEY, CA 94941. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PRETZEL LOGIC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039735900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DOWN THERE NATURALS, 1142 JACKSON ST #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DOWN THERE NATURALS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/25/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/22.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 589254

Fictitious Business Name(s): 1. BEAUTY BAY, 2. BEAUTY BAY LASHES, 2250 96TH AVE #203, OAKLAND,

CA 94603 County of ALAMEDA Registrant(s): ROSA A. MARTINEZ PAVON. Business conducted by an Individual. The registrant began to transact business using the fictitious business name(s) listed above on NA. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. S/ ROSA A. MARTINEZ PAVON. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda County on 05/20/2022.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 291145

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: BEAUTY QUEEN, 425 GRAND AVE, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080 County of SAN MATEO. Registrant(s): JIA LI YANG. This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct, S/ JIA LI YANG. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Mateo County on 05/19/2022. Mark Church, County Clerk HENRY SALGADO, Deputy Filing with Changes

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-034156500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SF TAXI-CAB CO, 2575 MARIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by IGOR KOPETMAN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/24/12.

JUNE 16, 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF KRISTINE BARBARA MORGAN AKA KRISTINE B. MORGAN IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-22-305349

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of KRISTINE BARBARA MORGAN AKA KRISTINE B. MORGAN. A Petition for Probate has been filed by JASON ALLEN WAUGHTAL in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that JASON ALLEN WAUGHTAL be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: AUGUST 03, 2022, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Petitioner: Jason Allen Waughtal, 21 Duncan St, San Francisco, CA 94110; Ph. (415) 215-0641.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557213

In the matter of the application of CHARLOTTE E TAYLOR, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner CHARLOTTE E TAYLOR is requesting that the name CHARLOTTE E TAYLOR be changed to CHARLOTTE E ELFALAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 28th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557170

In the matter of the application of EVELYNE THEOPHILIA VANIE, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner EVELYNE THEOPHILIA VANIE is requesting that the name EVELYNE THEOPHILIA VANIE be changed to SOLOMON ELIEDIVINE JOSHUA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 26th of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN

FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557215

In the matter of the application of HAU TRUNG NGUYEN & THI HONG HUONG DUONG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioners X HAU TRUNG NGUYEN & THI HONG HUONG DUONG are requesting that the name DUONG GIA HAN NGUYEN be changed to HANA HAN NGUYEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 18th of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557219

In the matter of the application of ANGELINA YEGYAZARYAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ANGELINA YEGYAZARYAN is requesting that the name SYDNEY MONROE AGBOR AKA SYDNEY AGBOR-YEGYAZARYAN be changed to SYDNEY MONROE YEGYAZARYAN-AGBOR. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 30th of AUGUST 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039733700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BO & BEURRE, 606 EDDY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANNY NGO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039739700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as KAQCHIKEL TRANSLATIONS, 1000 WISCONSIN ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GONZALO GUORON TZIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039733900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RUTA, 690 LONG BRIDGE ST #116, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PIERROT RUTAGARAMA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/09/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039729400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE VERY HUMAN, 548 BRANNAN ST #303, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHAEL ANSA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/06/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039742900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PROTOCOL FORCE NETWORK, 88 HOWARD ST #1509, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RASOUL SADEGHI HARDANGI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/21/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039740400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ARTISTIC NAILS & SPA, 1826 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ARTISTIC NAIL & SPA (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/17/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039736000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as WUCHER & ASSOCIATES, 56 SANTA FE AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BWCO (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039736500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FORTIFIED FORMATION, LLC, 50 SANTA CLARA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FORTIFIED FORMATION LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039739000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NUCHA, 103 HORNE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GAUCHO’S TABLE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/22. The statement was filed with the City and

County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039740900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CHARLIES MARKET, 3400 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CAMINO CORNER STORE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/17/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039740500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NAIL LAB LLC, 3036 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed NAIL LAB LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/17/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039739900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as VM ESTATES, 1700 VAN NESS AVE #1151, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed VM ESTATES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/16/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039723000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ORACLE UTOPIA,1320 5TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ORACLE INNOVATIONS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039741300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PLA RA, 2380 LOMBARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MAVEL LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039739500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MONEY MONEY JUICE, 31 BEATRICE LN #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed POINT PUSHAS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/16/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039727200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LOTUSLAND YOGA SF, 1360 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LOTUSLAND INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039664600

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as ARTISTIC NAIL & SPA, 1826 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by THUY THI BUI. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/18/22.

JUNE 23, 30, JULY 07, 14, 2022

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“Lonesome”

Frameline’s finest films

“Besties”

by Brian Bromberger

hen asked what themes she saw emerging from the vast number of films being shown at Frameline46, Director of Programming Allegra Madsen replied, “An exploration of our queer lineage through time.” We witness characters arising out of the ashes of some crisis whether it be political, social, or emotional. What we also observe is the use of unearthed letters and diaries to fill in the gaps of formerly silent and/or silenced history, and in doing so, attempts to discover queer connections with past generations. 2022 might also be called the Year of Drag, since that art form is central to numerous films. But whatever themes viewers might detect, they are all seen through the prism of a collective queer voice that is becoming more diverse and bolder as Frameline soon approaches its half-century mark.

If you like your men on the grimy side, we can heartily recommend the British gay rugby film “In From the Side.” The South London Stags is divided into two teams, squads A and B, a boundary not to be crossed, until Mark (Alexander Lincoln) from squad B has a fling with Warren from squad A (Alexander King) after a drunken soiree. Lincoln and King have an undeniable chemistry and there are numerous scenes of men writhing in the mud. Sexy and homoerotic, yet the ending seems almost inevitable and is heavy on melodrama. Still, “In From the Side” is absorbing and hot, even if their sweaty erotic encounters will involve collateral damage; a guilty pleasure worth indulging. A brooding and magnificently photographed Ireland is the setting for “It is in Us All,” about an urbane London businessman who return to his roots and visit the house bequeathed to him by his late aunt, which was also his mother’s childhood home. Hamish (Cosmo Jarvis) works for his father’s production company based in Hong Kong. He

leaves a voice message while driving, is involved in a car crash which kills 15-year-old Callum. Though not charged with the accident, he gets acquainted with Evan (Rhys Mannion), the 17-year-old friend who escaped the crash unharmed. What director Antonia Campbell-Hughes does so well is establish a sense of place and community. The isolated countryside almost becomes a character in itself. If only she had exercised similar precision with the screenplay, which is defuse, vague, and leaves too many unanswered questions. The ending is too muted. Jarvis has a commanding screen presence but seems hampered by the obscure circumstances he finds himself. A striking moody Gothic ambiance is wasted on an unfulfilling drama. Australia has rarely seemed so sexy in the drama “Lonesome,” in which country boy Casey (Josh Lavery) flees a small-town scandal and escapes to Sydney to start a new life and find himself. Through a threesome he located on Grindr, he meets Tibi (Daniel Gabriel) and after a suc-

ARTS

DANCE, OPERA & THEATER All Ages with Marga Gomez @ Brava Studio

The celebrated local comic and storyteller’s new show conjures mythical worlds and celebrates gender freedom. $15-$20; thru June 25, Thu-Sat 7:30pm. 2781 24th St. www.brava.org

Circus Bella @ Bay Area Parks

The colorful gleeful company of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns perform with live music by Rob Reich & The Circus Bella All-Star Band; thru July 23 at free outdoor shows. www.circusbella.org

Dana H. @ Berkeley Rep

Get Priding!

Hit this big Pride weekend however you like, with non-stop parties, chill brunches, cultural events, or something in between. We’ve selected arts and nightlife events, plus the basic info on our multiple marches and rallies. Martha Wash headlines SF Pride

Lucas Hnath’s true story solo drama about Dana Higginbotham, a counselor in a psychiatric ward who was kidnapped by one of the patients and held captive in a series of Florida motel rooms for five months; performed by Jordan Baker. $22-$60; thru July 10. Roda Theatre, 2020 Addison St. www.berkeleyrep.org

Dear Evan Hansen @ San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Broadway San Jose presents the touring production of the hit musical about a lonely young man’s lies that make him more likable; thru June 19. $35-$175. 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose. broadwaysanjose.com

cessful amorous connection he winds up staying at his apartment. They work together for cash in a series of odd jobs. An effective team, they grow closer as both are alone in the world. Lavery is nude for at least half of the film, often in explicit scenes, but we promise you won’t mind at all. He is the heart-throb who will break your heart. This standard fare is raised by top-notch performances and a brooding melange of characters searching for connection, despite carrying scars of individual traumas. While not entirely deserved, it’s one of the highlights of the festival. A spellbinding detective story, the documentary “Jimmy in Saigon” explores the mysterious death, countercultural life, and forbidden romance of a 24-year-old Vietnam veteran who died in Saigon in 1972. Jimmy’s rejection of his family’s 1950s values and his eventual demise –noted on his death certificate as a heroin overdose– created a veil of sadness over the family for decades. See page 58 >>

Dear San Francisco @ Club Fugazi

The ‘high-flying love story’ weaves local history with acrobatic theatrics and live music by The 7 Fingers company, now with new cast members, and a full food and beverage menu; extended through 2022. $35-$99. 678 Green St. clubfugazisf.com

For a Look or a Touch

Touching opera work about gay men in Nazi Germany, directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. $12 online. vimeo.com/ ondemand/foralookoratouch

Fresh Meat Festival

Online trans, queer and disabled performance works and films by 40+ artists and dance companies in five programs, all free; thru June 26. freshmeatproductions.org

Hadestown @ Orpheum Theatre

Composer Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin’s eight Tony-winning musical combines the mythical tales of Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone. $56-$226; thru July 3. 1192 Market St. broadwaysf.com

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child @ Curran Theater

The special-effects-filled stage play about a mystery at Hogwarts returns in a new shortened two-act version. $69-$349; extended thru Jan. 2023. 445 Geary St. sfcurran.com

See page 74 >>

<< Film

58 • Bay Area Repor ter • June 23-29, 2022

FIERCE THINGS

BEGIN@

479 Castro Street , San Francisco • (415) 431-5365 • www.cliffsvariety.com

Frameline’s Finest

From page 57

Director Peter McDowell, Jimmy’s younger brother, who was only five years old when Jimmy died, wants to piece together the secrecy and mystery, beginning a ten-year search to uncover the truth behind Jimmy’s sexual orientation and drug use. Using lots of letters written by Jimmy, interviews with family members (especially their surviving mother), and people who knew Jimmy, can Peter resurrect the last year of Jimmy’s life? With gay sex columnist/author Dan Savage as executive producer, “Jimmy in Saigon,” is one of the heartwrenching gems of Frameline46, not to be overlooked. Two gay men get trapped in a cave sounds like the beginning of a joke, but couldn’t be more real than the Czech Republic tense drama “Where Butterflies Don’t Fly.” Daniel (Daniel Krejcik) is an 18-year-old senior, who has quarrelling parents, no friends, recognizes he is different from other guys but isn’t interested in fitting in with the status quo, and has little desire to study and prepare for his graduation. On a senior camping trip, he falls into a hidden cave, followed soon after by his literature and gym teacher Adam (Jiri Vojta) who is gay and lives secretly with his younger partner David. At slightly over two hours, the film is too long, but it’s an effective commentary on the loneliness of being a gay teen. It never quite rises to thrilling, but mostly grabs your interest with the forbidding majestic cave the real star here. If you are feeling depressed and need some cheering up, then make a beeline for the exhilarating documentary “The Unabridged Mrs. Vera’s Daybook,” about two brilliant San Franciscan artists, photographer Michael Johnstone and costumer David Faulk (who plays Mrs. Vera), both long-term AIDS survivors. After becoming a couple in the early 1990s, to deal with their collective grief they decided to invent together new, joyful, and incredible art out of immeasurable loss to celebrate the creativity of people who didn’t survive the HIV pandemic. The explosive, extravagant colors almost jump off the screen. One of the true magical delights of the festival, this jewel of a film will almost have you floating with joy out of the theater. At first the Canadian narrative “You Can Live Forever” feels as if it could be a TV lesbian afternoon high school special, especially since it’s supposed to occur in the earl ’90s. After the death of her father and her mother’s subsequent breakdown, Jaime (Anwen O’Driscoll) is sent to live with her aunt and uncle who are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nonbeliever Jaime strikes up a spark with Marike (June Laporte), the daughter of a Witness elder. Slowly they form a tender romance, and halfway through we’ve gone from weeknight Bible Study groups to frottage. It’s only a matter of time before the community discovers their secret. What is refreshing about the film is that the Jehovah Witnesses are not demonized, and Marike is presented as someone who’s aware she’s lesbian and in her own tortured mind is trying to reconcile her religion with her sexuality. A minor if at times amateurish understated production, audiences will care about Jaime and Marike, so a definite thumbs up. We can remember when it arrived in the mailbox, sometimes we would grab the catalog and hide it in our bedroom for “fantasy inspiration,” and according to the new documentary, “All Man: The International Male Story,” we had plenty of company where its location was more likely to be found in bathrooms than living rooms. For gay men of a certain age, the catalog gave them permission to be themselves, to be free. The documentary charts the International Male story over three decades, starting with

Above: “All Man: The International Male Story” Upper Middle: “The Unabridged Mrs. Vera’s Daybook” Lower Middle: “In From the Sides” Below: “You Can Live Forever”

its founder Gene Burkard, a former closeted Midwesterner and GI veteran, who settling in San Diego after the war, found sexual freedom and –inspired by a scrotal support garment he noticed in a London medical supply shop– began selling the “Jock Sock,” male underwear in Playboy magazine. The tone of the documentary, narrated by Matt Bomer, is appropriately fun and breezy. This lighthearted film gives the catalog the credit it deserves for redefining images of masculinity in popular culture, changing the way men looked at themselves and each other. Although not the best documentary of Frameline46, it’s still our favorite one. A man emotionally disintegrating before our eyes is center stage in the Argentinian film “Wandering Heart.” Gay single father Santiago (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is reeling from a bitter breakup with ex-partner Luis, who now wants nothing to do with him. He’s also dealing with the imminent departure of his 18-year-old daughter Laila (Miranda de la Serna) with whom he has an intense but loving relationship. He must let go of Laila so they can each find their freedom.

Sbaraglia gives the best acting tour de force of the festival, which is shattering and harrowing as you careen through the intoxicating chaos. A lesbian “Romeo and Juliet” for the Snapchat generation characterizes the French narrative “Besties” by writerdirector Marion Desseigne-Ravel. The arrival of a new neighbor Zina (Esther Rollande) in a Parisian working-class ghetto, turns 18-year-old Nedjma (Lina El Arabi)’s world upside down, as she is a cousin of a rival gang member. We’re worlds away from the glamor of “Emily in Paris.” Cast adrift from the conformity that’s imprisoned her, Nedjma – through fits and starts, plus an unlikely ally– finds her own voice. Do she and Zina have any future? El Arabi, the star here, displays both the resoluteness and vulnerability of Nedjma as she navigates a violent world. “Besties,” with its rough-and-tumble charm, will appeal in particular to millennials dealing with their own turbulent adolescence.t