Reliving Maud’s Study
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Alan Cumming
Diana Ross
The
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Vol. 46 • No. 26 • June 30-July 6, 2016
Parade offers Orlando tribute
Solutions exist to end HIV homelessness
Marchers carried placards at Sunday’s Pride parade for each of the 49 people killed in the recent Orlando massacre.
by Matthew S. Bajko
A
t first Paul Ernest Pingol-Eulalia adjusted well to his moving from the Philippines to Los Angeles in 2003. But the graphic designer’s life began to spiral out of control after he began abusing drugs and alcohol. He soon found himself living out of cheap motels and turning to prostitution to ensure he would have a roof over his head for the night. In March 2008 Pingol-Eulalia, who is gay, learned he had contracted HIV. See page 12 >>
Rick Gerharter
by Sari Staver
A
fter the quintessential roar and cheering that always accompanies the Dykes on Bikes leading the LGBT Pride parade Sunday, June 26, the 46th annual event turned somber due to the hastily formed contingent “We Are Orlando,” which featured people carrying 49 large placards with pictures of those who died at the recent massacre at a gay nightclub.
The contingent was organized by Florida transplant Richard Sizemore, 29, who identifies as queer and has many fond memories of time spent at Pulse, the bar where the June 12 shootings took place. “That’s where I met my friends when I was coming out at age 18,” he said, “It’s literally the place where I became the person I am. I learned the lingo and how to be gay.” Devastated by the news of the massacre at
Pulse, Sizemore said, “I had to do something but I didn’t know what.” Sizemore reached out to several existing contingents with his idea about an Orlando theme after Pride officials told him the deadline had passed for new contingents. With just two weeks until the Pride parade, Sizemore wondered if he had the time and resources to do something on his own. See page 13 >>
Homeless issues at Castro library addressed by Seth Hemmelgarn
situation will get better.” Michelle Jeffers, a San Francisco an Francisco officials and others Public Library spokeswoman, said are working to address homeless the library’s now sending health and encampments and other issues safety associates, many of whom are that have persisted for years around the formerly homeless, to the Eureka Castro district’s Eureka Valley/Harvey Valley branch. The associates help Milk Memorial Branch Library. guide people to where they can get Gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, services. whose District 8 includes the Castro, Jeffers said there have been consaid problems in the area around the cerns about people using the area library, which is at 1 Jose Sarria Court, outside “in less than desirable ways include auto break-ins, drug use, “a when the library’s closed.” highly unsanitary encampment” at Those have included people climbthe library, and an “open air bike chop ing onto the building’s roof and sleepRick Gerharter shop,” where stolen bicycles are taken ing there, probably because it seemed A worker from San Francisco Public Works does an early apart so their parts can be sold. safer than sleeping on the street, JefWiener, who’s been criticized for his morning cleaning Sunday of the exterior grounds of the fers said. The library worried about liefforts to get tent encampments off the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library. ability, though, and access to the roof city’s sidewalks, said, “It’s ridiculous. has been closed off. We just cannot allow that kind of situJeffers said, “We’re working on proactive there, which they have been.” ation to continue.” the lighting out there. Because of the way that He’s also “requested that the Department “It’s neither progressive, nor humane, nor block is, it felt very dark and felt very not safe of Public Works make this the first stop of the safe, nor healthy to allow people to live and, morning for the cleaning crew.” Homeless outto neighbors.” ultimately, to deteriorate and die in these tent reach workers are also coming out to the site, There’s also a syringe disposal container at encampments,” Wiener said. “We need to get the site. he said. people help.” The solution, he said, is “to get Additionally, off-duty police are patrolling “I think it is better than it was before, but it is people off the streets and into shelter,” and into still not perfect,” Wiener said. the neighborhood and are including the library housing that addresses substance abuse and after hours in their watch. He added, “If the library brings in security, if mental health issues. “I hesitate to say that we have a solution, but we continue to have consistency by the Depart“It’s a fallacy that there’s no place for people we certainly don’t want to change the way we ment of Public Works and by the police, and if to go,” he said. provide library services,” Jeffers said. the library makes the physical changes” needed Wiener said among other things, “I’ve been to dissuade homeless people, “I’m not saying See page 10 >> working with police to be more consistent and the problem is going to go away entirely, but the
S Rick Gerharter
Rainbow Honor Walk inductee Jose Sarria
2nd class picked for honor walk by Matthew S. Bajko
T
he second set of honorees has been picked for the Rainbow Honor Walk, a project in San Francisco’s gay Castro district that honors deceased LGBT luminaries. In September 2014 the first group of 20 LGBT individuals who left a lasting mark on society was honored with bronze plaques See page 12 >>
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