March 21, 2019 edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

City Clinic gets a refresh

Disco Coalition set to start

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Vol. 49 • No. 12 • March 21-27, 2019

Trans, youth issues focus of California LGBT bill package by Matthew S. Bajko

Rick Gerharter

Project Inform’s last known address was in a WeWork building at 25 Taylor Street.

Project Inform has closed, sources say by Liz Highleyman

roject Inform, one of the nation’s longest-running HIV education and advocacy organizations, has terminated its staff and dissolved, according to former staff members and others. Last Friday, the Bay Area Reporter reported online that the agency was likely to cease operations, as former staff members issued a statement saying Project Inform could not “successfully navigate the current funding environment.” This week, the paper learned from sources close to the organization, who asked to remain anonymous due to ongoing legal issues, that the See page 8 >>

he dozen LGBT rights bills that Equality California is co-sponsoring with state lawmakers this year focuses largely on the rights of transgender people and LGBTQ youth. One of the more controversial is Senate Bill 201, the Intersex Bodily Autonomy bill authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). It would ban medically unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex infants, but as the Bay Area Reporter reported online Monday, the powerful California Medical Association is officially opposed to it. Another bill being watched closely is SB 159 co-authored by Wiener and gay Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego). It would authorize pharmacists to furnish PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, and PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, to patients without a physician prescription. Just as people do not need a prescription to obtain birth control pills from a pharmacist, neither should they need one to obtain the HIV prevention medications, contend the lawmakers, who are chair and vice chair, respectively, this year of the Legislative LGBT Caucus. Wiener is also the author of a third bill attracting intense opposition from conservative groups. SB 145 would prevent gay male adolescents from

Tia Gemmell

Legislative LGBT Caucus members state Senator Scott Wiener, left, Assemblyman Evan Low, Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman, Assemblyman Todd Gloria, and Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes spoke on a panel at the March 15 statewide summit for LGBT elected officials.

having to be listed on the state’s sex offender registry for sleeping with a boyfriend under the age of 18. The bill aims to include a “Romeo/Juliet” clause for gay and lesbian teenagers so they are treated similarly to their heterosexual counterparts.

It would apply to teens aged 15 or older who engage in consensual sex with a partner within 10 years of age. While an 18-year-old boy or girl who has sex with a 17-year-old partner could still be prosecuted for statutory rape, they would not See page 14 >>

BALIF board members quit

PRC to open new space in SOMA

by Alex Madison

ay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom has lost at least three members, including one co-chair, from its board of directors, the Bay Area Reporter has learned. Courtesy BALIF Though no official announcement BALIF board has been made, the Co-Chair Annick B.A.R. has obtained Persinger resignation emails sent to the board from recently resigned co-chair Sarah Davis and gala co-chairs Tyler Alexander and Austin Phillips, each one detailing internal strife at the nation’s oldest LGBT bar association. BALIF’s latest newsletter no longer lists Davis, Alexander, or Phillips on its roster. BALIF’s website still lists all three people as being board members on the contact page of its website, though they have been removed from the page listing board members. “The board of directors cannot comment about the resignations,” Annick Persinger, a BALIF board co-chair, told the B.A.R. Monday. “BALIF is fully operational, per our bylaws. The BALIF board of directors will be meeting to elect new officers.” See page 15 >>

by Alex Madison RC will open the doors of its new integrated service center in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood April 1. The nonprofit will move into the 25,500 square foot building at 170 Ninth Street from its current location, 785 Market Street. The new space will allow PRC – and Baker Places and the AIDS Emergency Fund, which PRC took over in 2016 – to operate under one roof. “This is the vision of PRC,” CEO Brett Andrews said during a tour of the building with the Bay Area Reporter Monday, March 18. “We wanted this space to be comfortable, inviting, and welcoming for our clients and employees.” The nonprofit serves 5,000 people annually who are affected by HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, or mental health issues. Services include employment assistance and legal representation, and it has multiple locations throughout the city that offer residential treatment programs, rehabilitation, and supportive housing. Three current administrative PRC locations in the city and one Baker Places location will be moved into the new Ninth Street location. It’s been described as a one-stop shop by PRC staff. Andrews said that nearly 30 percent of PRC’s clients use services from at least two of the three merged organizations. “We went for an under one roof theme,” Andrews said, pointing out an interior design feature

Rick Gerharter

Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC, holds a rendering of the finished plan of the employee lounge in front of the space, which is now filled with furniture waiting to be unpacked.

found throughout the building of exposed wood beams that create the illusion of a roof. The three-story building has an open floor plan, lots of windows, 40 client counseling and meeting rooms, a 34-person boardroom, and community spaces. The interior and exterior of the space is accented with the colors of the PRC logo, teal, dark gray, and orange. The exterior of

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the building will be dark gray with orange accents and lighting to enhance safety at night. A large reception area will welcome clients entering the building with staff members ready to direct them to the right person. A 24-terminal computer lab will also be available to clients for job skills work. The space will be dedicated to four main areas: employment services, benefits counSee page 14 >>

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2 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Fiscal impact delays Milk terminal vote by Matthew S. Bajko

ncreased fiscal impacts for renaming Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport after the late gay icon Harvey Milk delayed an expected vote at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting on an ordinance that spells out how the signage at the aviation facility should look. District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen last week amended her ordinance at the March 11 hearing of the board’s rules committee, which she chairs, to require SFO officials to include Milk’s name on every sign for the terminal, whether it is placed inside or outside of it. She did so after airport director Ivar C. Satero showed a mockup of the exterior signage that included Milk’s name at only one of the terminal’s entrances.

Courtesy SFO

Revised drawings show the “Harvey Milk Terminal” exterior signage at San Francisco International Airport.

Due to concerns about passengers being able to navigate through the airport, Satero said SFO staff preferred using just Terminal 1 and dropping Milk’s name on most of the signage so as not to confuse travelers. As the Bay Area Reporter noted last week, the airport’s stance elicited furious

condemnation by LGBT leaders and Milk’s family. It also resulted in Equality California rescinding an award it had planned to bestow on SFO at its local gala fundraiser in May. The statewide LGBT advocacy group told the B.A.R. it would be “premature” to do so until the airport debuts the Milk terminal, which is currently undergoing a major renovation to be unveiled in stages over the next several years. Because Ronen’s amended ordinance carries increased costs for the airport, which it estimates will total $1.6 million for the signs, the supervisors’ budget and finance subcommittee must now vote on it before being taken up by the full board. That body should hear the matter Wednesday, April 3, with the supervisors expected to vote on the ordinance Tuesday, April 9.

“As per usual with the naming of Terminal 1 after Harvey Milk there has been another hiccup, even though this law passed unanimously a year ago to change the terminal name,” Ronen said after the delay in voting on her ordinance was announced at the March 19 board meeting. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar, and District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney are co-sponsors of Ronen’s ordinance. The full board would need to pass it a second time before sending it to Mayor London Breed to sign. Ronen said Tuesday that Breed’s chief of staff, Sean Elsbernd, had informed her that the mayor’s office has instructed Satero to work with her on resolving the signage issue. The naming honor for Milk at the airport has been an arduous bureau-

cratic slog. Gay former San Francisco supervisor David Campos, whom Ronen had worked for, first proposed in 2013 naming all of SFO after Milk, the city’s first out gay elected leader who was assassinated in 1978. When that proposal didn’t fly with much of the public, Campos and the late mayor Ed Lee compromised on naming one of SFO’s four terminals after the beloved gay leader. It wasn’t until last year the choice of Terminal 1 was finalized. Ever since Ronen has fought with airport staff over how Milk will be represented and memorialized in the terminal. In addition to the signage, an exhibit using photos and other archival materials will detail Milk’s history-making political achievements. Several art pieces honoring Milk will also be installed.t

SF City Clinic sports refreshed exam rooms by Matthew S. Bajko

t the newly refreshed City Clinic facility South of Market longtime patients will notice a coat of parakeet green paint on the doors and trim of the remodeled clinical rooms and upgraded computer equipment to better enter and track their medical records. It marks the first time that the San Francisco Department of Public Health has upgraded the seven medical exam rooms since the clinic moved into the former firehouse at 356 Seventh Street 37 years ago. It follows a refresh to the clinic’s reception area four years ago that saw its entryway and bathrooms remodeled to be ADA compliant and a tropicalthemed mural painted on one of the waiting room’s walls. The latest work required the clinic to briefly shutter last month; it returned to normal operating hours February 28. The hint of color, chosen by the clinical staff to replace the previous institutional blue hue, and new work areas meant to better serve

Rick Gerharter

Dr. Stephanie Cohen, medical director at San Francisco’s City Clinic, looks into one of the renovated exam rooms during a tour Tuesday, March 19.

the clinic’s nursing staff and clinical team are a marked difference from the previous interior design, said Clara Shayevich, a clinician at the clinic for the past 26 years. “It has always been an amazing place to come to work, but now it is superb and welcoming to everybody,”

said Shayevich, adding that the new paint scheme has made the clinic “a beautiful environment to work in.” During a tour of the clinic Tuesday morning when it was closed to the public, workers were continuing to add the final touches of the remodel, such as installing hand sanitizer dispensers on the wall adjacent to the exam room entrances. The work should be completed by early April. “It looks like where you go to the doctor’s now,” said Tamara Ooms, who has worked at the clinic for 12 years and been its nurse manager the past two and a half years. City Clinic medical director Dr. Stephanie Cohen explained that the clinical spaces have been specifically designed to improve the ergonomics for the clinic’s employees. And the location of the various equipment and supplies has been streamlined so it is the same in each exam room. “It makes it easier to do our work. It is cleaner. It is quite dramatic,” said Cohen. “What I have heard people say is they are really struck by how much

cleaner, crisper, and fresh the rooms look. I think people appreciate the investment in the clinic. People see it as an investment in their health. It tells them we respect them as patients.” The work in the exam room area cost about $75,000, said Cohen, while the earlier construction on the waiting area and entrance cost $100,000. The location is City Clinic’s fourth since its founding in 1911. It comes as DPH strives to stem a rising tide in cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia that has been going on in the city since 2007. According to preliminary data for 2018, chlamydia increased by 4 percent last year to 9,481 cases. Gonorrhea increased by 3 percent to 5,931 cases. Total syphilis cases remained largely flat in 2018 with 1,689 cases compared to the 1,694 reported in 2017. More changes are in store for City Clinic this year, as the staff is working on the launch of a new initiative called City Clinic Express for asymptomatic patients who are seeking screening for

sexually transmitted diseases and do not need to see a clinician. It aims to speed up the time those patients who qualify need to spend at the clinic, which sees 70 to 80 people during the week. Assisting in the effort is a new machine called a GeneXpert by Cepheid that can return results for gonorrhea and chlamydia tests in 90 minutes. It currently takes several days for patients to receive results for the tests. “The primary goal is to have an expedited route for patients so their wait time is less,” explained Ooms. “We don’t know yet what it will do to our capacity.” City Clinic is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is open Tuesdays from 1 to 6 p.m. but only sees patients with STD symptoms between 1 and 3 p.m. Thursdays it only sees symptomatic patients from 1 to 4 p.m. t For more information about the clinic and its services, visit http:// www.sfcityclinic.org/.

South Bay campaign aims to reduce HIV stigma by Heather Cassell

aces of five Santa Clara County residents living with HIV have begun showing up in ads on public transportation; at bars, clubs, and restaurants; and in social media feeds as they share a message: undetectable equals untransmittable. In other words, if an HIV-positive individual is taking their medications consistently they can decrease their viral load to the point that the virus is undetectable and can’t transmit it to their sexual partners. Santa Clara County health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates called the U=U campaign, as it’s known, a game changer and incredibly important for people living with HIV/AIDS, their loved ones, and the broader community. (The ad has also appeared in the Bay Area Reporter.) Officials discussed the campaign at a March 7 news conference at Valley Health Center Downtown in San Jose. In 2017, the most recent statistics available, 3,361 people diagnosed with HIV were living in the county, according to the U=U campaign news release. That year, there were 156 new HIV diagnoses. Of the total population living with HIV in the county, 40 percent are Hispanic. Another particularly hard-hit community is African-American gay and bisexual men, Dr. Sarah Rudman, the county Public Health Department assistant health officer and STD/HIV controller, told the Bay Area Reporter. Rikki Vick is one of the U=U Cam-

Jo-Lynn Otto

Spokesmodel Rikki Vick, born with HIV and living with undetectable virus, stands in front of a poster of herself that is part of Santa Clara County’s new U=U campaign.

paign spokesmodels. The 28-year-old pansexual woman was born with HIV and has been living with undetectable levels of the virus for years. She said that the campaign is important to her because the messaging and education about HIV/AIDS is outdated. “The most important thing is the conversations that we’ve had around HIV/AIDS have been very cryptic and very scary, especially what we are taught in schools. It’s still being taught that you have the possibility of dy-

ing,” said Vick. “I think that opening up a conversation about that it’s not a death sentence anymore is very important, but also to help yourself from contracting HIV.” Vick said that she is proud to participate in the campaign because she’s part of the move to change the conversation, especially around removing the stigma often associated with HIV, as she stands in solidarity with other HIV-positive undetectable members of the community. “It makes me feel less stigmatized. It also educates other people,” said Vick, who is hoping to attend law school. She believes the campaign will lead to increased preventative care. She’s already seen one case where a friend recently got tested after they had a conversation. Her friend is now on PrEP, Vick said. “I think we are going to see a lot of that a lot of interest in PrEP [and] a lot of interest in preventative care as well,” Vick said. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is an HIV preventative drug (Truvada) prescribed to HIV-negative people who are at high risk of contracting the virus. It has been shown to be very successful if taken as prescribed. Recently, San Francisco health officials have started touting a new PrEP dosing regimen. Dubbed PrEP 2-1-1, it is designed for those who are only intermittently sexually active. It requires a person to take two pills of Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) at

least two hours – but preferably 24 hours – prior to engaging in sex. They then take another pill 24 hours later, and if done having sex, a final pill another 24 hours after that.

Changing the conversation

“Our goal is to really change the conversation around HIV,” said Rudman, a 35-year-old straight ally. “Not only for people living with HIV hearing the empowering message that they can protect their own health and the health of their loved ones, but for the entire community around them to understand how much HIV has changed.” Rodrigo Garcia-Reyes, a health education specialist for the health department, called the campaign a “breakthrough in science and society.” “We are far from where we were at the beginning, and possibly closer to achieving zero related deaths, zero HIV stigma, and zero HIV infections,” said Garcia-Reyes, 48, who declined to state his sexual orientation, referring to when the HIV/AIDS epidemic started and people were dying in rapid numbers in the 1980s and early 1990s. “This campaign really can change the conversation about what we thought HIV was,” he added. “Now people who live with HIV shouldn’t fear loving other people and having healthy lives just like anyone else.” Garcia-Reyes wants newly diagnosed people to know that they have many options to live their lives. “By removing that stigma, we are opening doors for people to access to

treatment early enough so they can become undetectable a lot quicker,” he said, noting that Santa Clara County provides that to residents diagnosed with HIV. The U=U campaign is a part of Getting to Zero Santa Clara CountySilicon Valley, a four-year initiative that strives for zero new HIV infections, zero HIV-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma, according to the release. Santa Clara County is one of several jurisdictions in California and other states that have launched a Getting to Zero campaign. The county’s public health department joined with about 70 community partners to create the campaign, said Garcia-Reyes. Launched earlier this month the bilingual – English and Spanish – campaign will run through June. Rudman knows that the impact of the $175,000 campaign won’t be able to be measured for years, but the cost is “actually less than half of what we would save if we prevented one HIV case,” she said about the “the first of its kind in California and the first bilingual campaign.” “The CDC says that each new HIV case costs about $365,000,” Rudman said. “So, while it’s a big investment on the part of the county, we know that it is one that will come back to benefit us.” t For more information on the campaign, visit www.hivhaschanged. org.

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4 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

SF residents detail years of harassment by neighbor by Alex Madison

ultiple LGBTs living in Corona Heights have experienced continued harassment, been called gay slurs, and threatened with violence from a neighbor, who now faces a court hearing next week. Benjamin Waters, 58, has multiple restraining orders against him by his gay and lesbian neighbors and is currently facing charges of battery and other crimes, filed by the San Francisco District Attorney’s office after an alleged incident against Michael Westerfield. Waters has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is expected to be in court March 27. His attorney, Cheryl Rich, did not respond to a request for comment. Westerfield, a 62-year-old gay man, told the Bay Area Reporter that for the five years he has lived in his apartment, located across the street from Waters’ apartment on Museum Way, Waters has harassed him multiple times a week. Westerfield has filed nearly 10 police reports over the years for various incidents. The now-retired Corona Heights man described multiple times in which Waters yelled “I hope you die of AIDS you fucking faggot” or “When are you going to die of AIDS you faggot?” when he and his husband were walking their dog or crossing the street. It is also alleged by Westerfield that, on many occasions, Waters encouraged his German Shepard dog to aggressively bark at Westerfield and his husband. In one incident in September 2018, for which Westerfield filed

Courtesy Michael Westerfield

Michael Westerfield says he’s been harassed for years by his neighbor.

a police report, Waters reportedly yelled at Westerfield and his husband and said, “Fucking faggots! Hope you all die of AIDS! If you want to do something about this, I’ll beat your ass and your dog’s ass too.” The incident in which Waters is facing charges also occurred in September 2018. According to court documents filed in February, Waters is facing charges of battery, vandalism under $400, and an “allegation of hate crime,” states the document. On the day of the incident, Westerfield said, Waters drove past him in his truck and yelled “Fucking faggot. Hope you die of AIDS,” on the street. Westerfield yelled back at Waters and told him he was going to file a restraining order against him and that he knew his history of harassment and where he lives. Waters then approached

Westerfield and he “punched me in the face and kicked me with his feet,” Westerfield said. Waters then hit Westerfield in the lip once more and he “started to fall and [Waters] pushed me down harder and then he picked up my cell phone and threw it in the street.” Westerfield went to the hospital where he was treated for a busted lip, bruising in his left fingers, and deep abrasions on his elbow. The police who responded to the scene took the report, but Westerfield said they told him they would not write up charges or have it sent to the district attorney’s office because there was no witness, and added there was “nothing they could do.” After hounding police about the incident, Westerfield’s incident made it to Assistant District Attorney Seth Steward, who eventually filed charges against Waters. Steward has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the B.A.R. After the incident, Westerfield filed, and was granted, a five-year restraining order against Waters. Two other neighbors served as Westerfield’s witnesses to the harassment. After being granted the restraining order, Westerfield filed four other police reports pertaining to harassment incidents with Waters, including one in which he threatened Westerfield with a weapon. According to Westerfield, Waters was arrested in January and February for violating his restraining order. According to a spokesman for the DA’s office, Waters is also facing two counts of violation of his restraining order as well as one count of illegally possessing a firearm.

Other cases

Westerfield is just one of Waters’ neighbors who shared their harassment experience with the B.A.R. Jeffery Mead, 53, who lived in the Corona Heights neighborhood across the street from Waters from 2003 to 2015, said he filed complaints against Waters after enduring years of abuse. “For years, when I would walk my dog, he would call me AIDS faggot, drive his truck on the sidewalk to intimidate me, and he would threaten me,” Mead, a gay man, said. “This was constant. I called the police many times and so often they never did anything.” During one incident in November 2006, Waters reportedly came after Mead with a knife near Corona Heights Park. “When he was right in front of me, he pulls out a knife, opens the blade, and makes stabbing motions in my direction,” Mead said. When Mead called the police they asked him if he really wanted Waters arrested, saying, “he’s just drunk.” Mead insisted and Waters was arrested. There were five witnesses to this incident, Mead said, and charges were eventually brought against Waters, though he said the complaint was initially rejected by a few assistant district attorneys and police initially did not take the incident seriously. Waters pleaded guilty and his sentence was reduced. He did not serve any jail time, according to Mead. After this incident, Mead also received a restraining order against Waters and has since had it extended.

San Francisco police did not respond to a request for comment over their handling of the matter. Another neighbor, Kelley Keery, 40, used to live in the same building as Waters, which is owned by Waters’ mother, from about 2003 to 2008. She has since moved to the East Coast. “It was four and a half years of harassment,” Keery, a lesbian, said. “He would call me a fat fucking dyke and say ‘I am going to fucking kill you.’ He also threatened my dog.” She would often have Mead and his partner over for dinner, and Waters would scream at them from his balcony, saying he hoped they died of AIDS. “He would park his car so close to mine that I could never get out,” she said. “He would also block access to my apartment. He would stand behind the door with his dog.” On multiple occasions, Keery had to call police to escort her into her apartment. Eventually, Keery was also granted a restraining order against Waters around 2005, which she renewed twice. “[Waters] violated the RO repeatedly,” she said, adding that throughout her time at the apartment, she had Waters arrested, “at least a dozen times.” Keery sued her landlord, Waters’ mother, for not providing her with a safe place to live and infringing on her rights as a tenant. She won through mediation, but did not disclose the amount of the payout. “There was no justice, just money,” she said. t

Amid low registration, EuroGames on hold by Roger Brigham

nline registration for the 2019 EuroGames was suspended this week as the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation, which licenses the continental LGBT sports event, seeks answers before the end of the month from Rome organizers about planning, low registrations, financial viability, and lack of sponsors. The EuroGames are scheduled for July 11-12 in Rome. Organizers had projected 5,000 participants, but with just four months to go several

sports have already been dropped; just 1,419 registrations have been reported; and several LGBT sports organizations have said they are having trouble getting satisfactory answers from 2019 organizers. Roma 2019 spokesman Gianluca Meola told the Bay Area Reporter, “We have temporarily suspended registration for tournaments due to the unexpectedly high number of requests. The registration system will work again after an update.” The 2019 EuroGames was a hot topic at the annual EGLSF meeting last weekend in Budapest. The

organization is celebrating its 30th anniversary, the founding having been inspired by the experience European participants had in the first two Gay Games, and it was able to sign contracts with EuroGames hosts for 2020 (Dusseldorf) and 2021 (Copenhagen) and voted to make Nijmegen, Netherlands the host for 2022. But delegates said they were not satisfied with reports from Rome and the 2019 organizers were asked to respond to a list of questions by March 30. Currently, the list of 2019 EuroGames sports is down to 14 dis-

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ciplines – soccer, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, rugby, tennis, badminton, pétanque, bowling, swimming, water polo, dancesport, golf, and athletics – but several of those seem likely to be dropped because of inadequate registration. Others may lose some sports sanctioning because of quality issues. For example, before the suspension of online registration, the Roma 2019 website had listed zero registrations for rugby. Pétanque had just three registrants and basketball just six. The European Same-Sex Dance Association issued a news release March 17 saying its board had decided it would not hold its championship as part of the 2019 EuroGames. “The board are fully supportive of the EGLSF’s steps toward still trying to achieve a successful EuroGames but felt it prudent to request they hold their own dance competition without the European championship attached to help reduce their costs,” the dance group said. “With recent scars of the financial fallibilities of international multi-sport events, we felt we had to be 100 percent sure that this competition was viable – an assurance we were never able to achieve from Team Roma.” The “recent scars” of recent multi-sport festivals that ESSDA refers to would include most notably the 2015 Stockholm EuroGames, in which local organizers did not keep registrants and sports groups informed about schedules, tournaments, and venues; and the Outgames, which saw the cancellation of its most recent continental versions as well as the last-minute cancellation of its showcase global event in Miami. Twenty years ago the Manchester EuroGames were canceled. The Gay Games from

Online registration for this year’s EuroGames in Rome has been suspended

1990 in Vancouver through 2002 in Sydney lost substantial amounts of money. In contrast, the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland finished in the black and left a sizable legacy fund with the local LGBT community. Final reports from the 2018 Gay Games in Paris are expected to be approved Saturday, March 23, at a final organizational meeting in Paris and are scheduled to be turned over to the Federation of Gay Games by March 31. The FGG says it has already received almost all of the final sports reports from the Paris Gay Games and will review them in a face-to-face with Hong Kong organizers of the 2022 Gay Games this weekend. t

Correction The March 14 article “Trump budget mixed on HIV” contained two errors. The president’s total proposed budget is $4.7 trillion, which includes nearly $9 billion for spending on the border wall. The online version has been corrected.

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††Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card. Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay the promo purchase amount in full within 12 Months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. Depending on purchase amount, promotion length and payment allocation, the required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off purchase by end of promotional period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. *Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. ‡Monthly payment shown is equal to the purchase price, excluding taxes and delivery, divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded to the next highest whole dollar, and only applies to the selected financing option shown. If you make your payments by the due date each month, the monthly payment shown should allow you to pay off this purchase within the promo period if this balance is the only balance on your account during the promo period. If you have other balances on your account, this monthly payment will be added to the minimum payment applicable to those balances. §Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See store for details. ‡‡Previous purchases excluded. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Discount offers exclude Tempur-Pedic®, Stearns & Foster® and Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid™ mattress sets, floor models, clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty, delivery fee, Manager’s Special pricing, Advertised Special pricing, and 14 Piece Packages and cannot be combined with financing specials. Effective 1/1/2018, all mattress and box springs are subject to a $10.50 per unit CA recycling fee. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. Stoneledge Furniture LLC., many times has multiple offers, promotions, discounts and financing specials occurring at the same time; these are allowed to only be used either/or and not both or combined with each other. Although every precaution is taken, errors in price and/or specification may occur in print. We reserve the right to correct any such errors. Picture may not represent item exactly as shown, advertised items may not be on display at all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Available only at participating locations. ±Leather Match upholstery features top-grain leather in the seating areas and skillfully matched vinyl everywhere else. Ashley HomeStores are independently owned and operated. ©2019 Ashley HomeStores, Ltd. Promotional Start Date: February 26, 2019. Expires: March 18, 2019.

<< Open Forum

6 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Volume 49, Number 12 March 21-27, 2019 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Alex Madison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Roger Brigham • Brian Bromberger Victoria A. Brownworth • Brent Calderwood Philip Campbell • Heather Cassell Belo Cipriani • Dan Renzi • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell John F. Karr • Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy Joshua Klipp • David Lamble • Max Leger David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Sean Piverger • Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr Adam Sandel • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Tony Taylor • Sari Staver Jim Stewart • Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez Ronn Vigh • Charlie Wagner • Ed Walsh Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Kelly Sullivan • Fred Rowe Steven Underhil • Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

Lack of transparency feeds crises T

wo weeks ago we editorialized that LGBTQ nonprofits should be transparent with the community when navigating bad news. Today, two such organizations demonstrate how a lack of transparency feeds a crisis, leaving plenty of unanswered questions. Both Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ bar association, and Project Inform, an early advocacy agency for people living with HIV and hepatitis C, have been quiet about challenges facing their organizations. In the case of BALIF, several board members have resigned because the co-chair thought they were insufficiently diverse. Project Inform has ceased operations entirely, with no notice to the public. BALIF Co-Chair Annick Persinger wrote in an email obtained by the Bay Area Reporter that the board members who resigned “represent yet more examples of white fragility and how institutional racism and sexism is perpetuated.” White fragility is defined as discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice. Resignation emails from former BALIF board members, not surprisingly, paint a different picture. Some wrote of fellow board members being personally attacked at meetings. Another wrote that the resignations included “men, women, nonbinary, and three out of the seven were people of color.” In her email, Persinger vowed to “continue to reach out to progressive past board members who share our vision, as well as newer attorneys who may be joining our board soon after elections.” This week, the BALIF newsletter encourages interested people to apply for the board. It’s largely an internal struggle that the organization will need to work through. But it’s unfortunate that discussion of the brouhaha occurs in multiple Facebook posts, dragging down BALIF’s reputation. With such

accusations, a public statement from the leaders is necessary, as is information about a path forward, in order to confront the charges directly. A lot of queer law students are members of the organization, and they, too, deserve commitment from BALIF’s leaders that they will continue to be mentored and supported.

Project Inform’s silence

Far more troubling is the case of Project Inform, which was founded by the late Martin Delaney and Joe Brewer in 1984. Through its hotline, educational materials, and public forums, Project Inform provided information for people living with HIV/AIDS – and later hepatitis C virus (HCV) – when there were no other sources. It seems that the agency could not remain an information leader and authority now that people living with HIV/AIDS and hep C have many online resources. Project Inform was also known for its advocacy work, especially at the state level, and that institutional knowledge will be sorely missed. We first heard that Project Inform was expected to cease operations last week, when former staff members issued a statement that the agency was not “able to successfully navigate the current funding environment.” But no one will talk to us about what happened, and this week we learned why: the board voted to dissolve the organization

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.

and then resigned. The staff has filed a complaint with the state attorney general’s office, which will have to make a determination about who is legally responsible to file dissolution papers and deal with creditors. Apparently, the staff cannot legally speak on behalf of the organization or say it’s closed because they don’t work there anymore. A statement that was supposed to be released last Friday has still not materialized. That’s not the way to end an organization. The board members listed on Project Inform’s website are: Austin Miller, Christopher Esposito, Colin Frankland, Courtney Landis, Glen Lubbert, Linda Walubengo, Paul Miller, Sara Brewer, and Tom Kelley. They should immediately issue a statement about their vote to dissolve the organization. At the very least, the minutes from that meeting should be posted online. The agency’s website hasn’t been updated since January, so no one going to it would know that the agency shuttered. In February, it quietly moved into WeWork space at 25 Taylor Street. This is the type of secret maneuver that is draining to the community. Project Inform’s direct services to clients included operating two telephone lines: one for hep C and one for HIV/AIDS. The HIV helpline is not set up to receive calls; the hep C helpline, run with other organizations, is working. The demise of the HIV helpline is a grave disservice to clients, many of whom probably don’t even know what’s going on. Project Inform might have missed an opportunity to merge with another LGBT-focused health nonprofit. Mergers are sometimes necessary, and Project Inform, for one, seemed like a potential candidate after longtime executive director Dana Van Gorder resigned last June. But without former board members willing to comment, we don’t know if any ideas were explored to continue its viability. A long-standing HIV/AIDS nonprofit is no longer functioning and its board members are silent. Such inexcusable behavior is a coward’s way out – an attempt to hide and obfuscate the news from not only its helpline callers, but also community members who, for decades, supported it. t

Dire consequences for commercial surrogacy in the Trump era by Evie P. Jeang

Bay Area Reporter

he future of commercial and international surrogacy is under threat by President Donald Trump’s pledge to end birthright citizenship for children born to non-citizens and undocumented immigrants. Under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, a child born on U.S. soil is automatically granted citizenship in this country. However, if Trump follows through on his planned executive order to remove citizenship rights of babies born to non-U.S. citizens, commercial and international surrogacy in the United States could face some serious challenges. The 14th Amendment provides that, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” But if birthright citizenship is no longer guaranteed by the Constitution, children born to immigrants and non-citizens will not be recognized as citizens of any country. Citizenship grants for children of international families will become unnecessarily complex. Ideal Legal Group’s surrogacy and family law practice represents prospective parents from both the U.S. and abroad. Much of the firm’s international clientele comes from China, where surrogacy is both illegal and looked down upon by society. Accordingly, many Chinese nationals come to the U.S. to employ a gestational surrogate (a woman who carries the child but is not the genetic mother) to carry their babies because it is legal and ethical here. Under current U.S. laws, when a baby is born to a surrogate

Evie P. Jeang

mother in the U.S., the child is automatically extended American citizenship and the rights that citizenship includes. Typically, international parents don’t come to this country seeking surrogates so their children can achieve American citizenship. Usually, the choice to have a child through a U.S. gestational parent has to do with medical, legal, and ethical concerns. Couples from countries where surrogacy is either illegal or culturally frowned upon would no longer be able to look to surrogates in the U.S. for help in starting their families. An executive action, such as one Trump is proposing, is likely to face significant legal hurdles, as well as public pushback. In anticipation, though, for changes to birthright citizenship laws and to protect themselves and their babies

in general, couples should take specific legal steps when using surrogate services. The most fundamental step for parents to take, whether they are from this country or from abroad, is to ensure parentage over the child through legal agreements that transfer parental rights once the baby is born. In California, the transfer of rights is executed through the Family Code, in which a parentage action confirms the birthrights of the intended parents. In drafting these legal agreements, the intended parents and the gestational surrogate use separate attorneys’ offices to ensure there are no conflicts. The state’s surrogacy laws provide that a surrogacy contract must contain the date the contract was entered into, the persons from which the gametes originated, the intended parents’ identities, and the process for any necessary pre-birth or parentage orders. These orders outline the risks and responsibilities of each party, including stipulating what will happen in the event of a miscarriage or if the surrogate has more than one child, as examples. Surrogacy is a very complicated process, and couples and individuals seeking to have a child through surrogacy would be wise to consult an experienced family law attorney. t A Taiwanese-American litigator practicing for nearly 15 years, Evie P. Jeang, founder and managing partner of Ideal Legal Group Inc. and Surrogacy Concierge, LLC, focuses her practice on helping families and couples in a range of matters, including child custody and support, guardianship, divorce, legal separation, division of property and restraining orders. Jeang is one of the few attorneys who understands firsthand how to handle the complex matters of international family law.

Letters >>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

Intersex bill mischaracterized

As the author of “Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex,” I believe Dr. Lane Palmer’s Guest Opinion [“Intersex bill would harm those it aims to protect,” March 14] mischaracterized California’s proposed legislation, Senate Bill 201, which would ban unnecessary cosmetic surgeries for infants born with intersex traits. Palmer falsely suggests that the bill would limit medically necessary surgeries, and that is simply incorrect. No one advocates this. The bill seeks to halt what are essentially cosmetic surgeries, those meant to surgically shape genitals to conform more closely to typical male or female standards. Palmer mentions that most patients with a common intersex condition, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), identify as girls and are happy with their gender identity, and so, he assumes, most would want to have “feminizing genitoplasty procedures,” which means that their enlarged clitoris would be reduced, for example. That may be the case, but this surgery does not need to happen in infancy (if at all). It can wait, and the girls can decide when they’re older and can understand the consequences. In the meantime, physicians can provide families with psychosocial and emotional support that will help ensure happy, well-adjusted children with bodies that may be different but that avoid the sequelae of infant surgeries, including incontinence, scarring, and diminished sexual sensation as adults. Elizabeth Reis New York, New York

Intersex bill meant to protect babies

For children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Senate Bill 201 is intended to protect babies who are too young to speak for themselves from non-consensual genital normalizing surgery. We must beware of the “expert halo” effect that confers implicit trust in self-described authorities, some of whom perpetuate myths based on flimsy research and have no idea of outcomes in patients they do not follow beyond childhood. Operations to give genitals a more acceptable binary appearance are intended to relieve parents’ and physicians’ distress with

atypicality, not to enhance childhood physical functioning. Rather than facilitating menstruation, vaginal surgery early in life often causes scar tissue that obstructs the vagina and requires prepubertal re-operation. The belief that surgery prevents urinary tract infections is completely unfounded; more infections occur after surgery than before. Many “facts” are results of flawed studies that are repeated without critically examining data. One example is the purported preference for early surgery, which is actually a misrepresentation of results of a very few studies. In reality, early genital surgery is intended to prevent future psychosocial problems assumed to result from unusual genitals, issues that have never been convincingly demonstrated. What is irrefutable is that infant surgery results in pain, sexual dysfunction, and psychological trauma in many adults. Irreversible misgendering is a serious risk, since one in eight children do not identify as female. This is not infrequent – it is the same as a woman’s risk of breast cancer in her lifetime. The magnitude of this risk cannot be overemphasized: removing a male-identifying child’s penis is an unmitigated, irreversible catastrophe. Neglecting such facts in surgery discussions creates an illusion of informed decision-making. While claiming not to be explicitly “for” surgery, physicians may present it as an urgent and necessary alternative to “doing nothing,” effectively eliminating any real choice for vulnerable families. I am a physician, parent of adults with intersex traits, and adviser for nearly 20 years to the largest group of people of all ages affected by variations of sex development. My experience teaches me that parents’ most important rights are to psychosocial support for affirming parenting and to balanced and accurate education. Psychosocial care has been recognized since 2006 as the most important aspect of care for variations of sex development, but emphasis on surgical “fixes” precludes development and implementation of effective psychosocial interventions. It is time to listen to the real experts – people who live with intersex traits.

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Low changes course on adult conversion therapy ban by Matthew S. Bajko

ather than pursue legislation this year to ban conversion therapy with adults, gay Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) is instead looking at introducing a resolution that would explain why the practice is harmful for people 19 years of age and older who are struggling to accept their sexual orientation. It marks the second year in a row that Low has shelved his controversial legislative proposal. Despite getting a bill passed out of the Legislature last year, Low scrapped it before it could be sent to former governor Jerry Brown due to vehement opposition from evangelical religious leaders. California in 2012 became the first state to ban the practice in youth under the age of 18. Since then 14 other states have followed suit, and several others are expected to do so this year, including Colorado under the leadership of gay Governor Jared Polis. But banning the usage of conversion therapy on adults has proved to be a much harder fight. Religious leaders throughout the state had feared Low’s bill would adversely harm priests and pastors if they were to counsel parishioners struggling with their sexual orientation. In announcing his decision to scrap his legislation last summer, Low promised to work with religious leaders and LGBT advocates on redrafting it and resubmitting it in the future. But finding a compromise has been elusive, particularly since Low told the Bay Area Reporter in January that he had ruled out granting a religious exemption in his legislation. At the time he had told the B.A.R. that he expected to introduce a revised bill this year that he hoped evangelical leaders could support. Low,

Tia Gemmell

Assemblyman Evan Low

however, did not introduce reworked legislation by the February deadline to do so. He could still have brought forward the bill through what is known as the gut and amend process, where the language of an existing bill is swapped out with that of different legislation. But at the March 15 summit for LGBTQ leaders from around the state co-hosted by the Legislative LGBT Caucus and statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality California, Low told the B.A.R. that he now plans to file a nonbinding resolution this year with the hope of bringing forward legislation next year. “I am working on a resolution that both LGBT people and religious leaders can sign on to about the harm conversion therapy does to people,” said Low. Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) used such a strategy to advance his legislation that would ban medically unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex infants. He

had the Legislature pass a resolution last year opposing such procedures as a way to educate lawmakers and the public about the issue. This year, he has authored Senate Bill 201, the Intersex Bodily Autonomy bill, to require doctors to postpone the unneeded procedures until patients are old enough to give their informed consent. The legislation is facing strong opposition, as the B.A.R. reported online Monday that the powerful California Medical Association is officially opposed to it. As for Low, he told the B.A.R. he is unsure of the timing for when he would introduce his resolution about the harm conversion therapy causes LGBT adults.

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In April EQCA expects to finally release its long awaited, first-of-its-kind report card on how the state’s school districts are teaching LGBT history and protecting LGBT pupils. Two years ago the B.A.R. first reported on EQCA’s plan to grade all of California’s 343 unified school districts on their LGBT policies. “In a couple weeks we will release our first ever state schools report card,” said EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur at last week’s summit for LGBTQ state leaders. It was revealed at the daylong meeting that the three districts with the highest scores are San Francisco Unified, Ceres Unified in Stanislaus County, and Oceanside Unified in San Diego County. Officially known as the Safe and Supportive Schools Index, it is modeled after the Municipal Equality Index created by the Human Rights Campaign, the national LGBT rights group, that annually scores cities across the country on how they are protecting their LGBT citizens.

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<< Community News

8 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Surveys reveal challenges local LGBTs face by Alex Madison

is that San Mateo County has done much to promote a welcoming and safe environment for the LGBTQ community,” Supervisor Dave Pine, the board liaison for the commission, said in a statement. “That said, it is equally clear that much work remains to be done, particularly with our youth.” The survey results, which included separate questions for adults and adolescents, reflected the participants’ strong desire for inclusion and visibility in their respective communities.

wo recent needs assessments in the Bay Area indicate that a significant portion of LGBTs feel unsafe in certain environments, have trouble accessing LGBT-specific care or other services and needs including housing, and have a desire to feel more connected to their own community. Horizons Foundation released it’s “San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ Needs Assessment,” a 2018 survey of 1,400 respondents from nine Bay Area counties, in early March. It examines critical areas of need including safety, economic and housing security, medical and mental health care, drug and alcohol recovery, legal assistance, community connection, and social life and civic engagement. It also explored the way people access services and resources. The San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission, in conjunction with the San Mateo County Health Department’s Office of Public Health, Policy and Planning, released a wellness assessment of the county’s LGBT residents earlier this year. It surveyed 479 adults and 54 youth in 2018. Horizons Foundation said this is the first time in more than 20 years that a survey has been conducted that addresses a broad spectrum of needs for LGBT people living throughout the Bay Area. The majority of respondents were ages 25-64, but data from people of all ages was collected. “There are many who believe, some in our own community, that those of us who are LGBT living in the Bay Area – that we are doing just fine,” Roger Doughty, president of Horizons, told the Bay Area Reporter. “There is a myth out there that LGBT people don’t have significant needs. This survey shows that this is simply untrue. LGBT people deal with difficulty to meet basic needs or to access essential life services and even as fundamental a matter as personal safety.” To Doughty and Francisco Buchting, vice president of grants and pro-

Project Inform

From page 1

board voted to dissolve the organization and then resigned. The former staff are said to be seeking a determination from the state attorney general’s office about who is responsible for filing final paperwork and dealing with creditors. The attorney general’s press office told the B.A.R. Tuesday, March 19,

Trouble meeting basic needs

grams at Horizons, the most striking data from the survey surrounded personal safety, LGBTs being unable to access basic services, and that a portion of LGBTs don’t feel connected to the LGBT community. More specifically, the data reveals that 34 percent of respondents feel unsafe more often than safe or unsafe most, or all, of the time in at least one facet of their lives. And more than half of the LGBTs who took the survey (60 percent), indicated concerns about their safety limiting where they can live, work, and get health care. “When people feel concerned about their safety that is going to affect, deeply, their experience of the world,” Doughty, a gay man, said. “Even if not attacked for example, if every time they go outside and they’re concerned with what might happen to them that affects everything, from their ability to be present, enjoy themselves, or even their decision to leave their home.” On this particular data point, Buchting emphasized that respondents’ biggest concern in terms of their safety was interacting with police. LGBT people of color were also shown to feel less safe on public transit and feel less likely to be helped in

public than white respondents. Only 15 percent of LGBT people of color reported feeling safe all or most of the time on public transit. The San Mateo survey revealed that more than two out of three adults feel safe at home, with their family, at work, in parks or recreational areas, and in health care facilities. Fewer than one out of three, however, feel safe in senior housing, long-term care, transitioning medical care, the military, or jail. Additionally, more than 40 percent of adults said they do not feel most people in San Mateo County are accepting of LGBT people. And 23.3 percent were called names or insulted due to sexual orientation or gender identity. The results also showed serious concerns among younger respondents. Eighty percent of the San Mateo County youth surveyed heard negative messages about being LGBT at school. Similarly, more than 90 percent of younger participants said they do not hear positive messages from leaders in their communities. More than 75 percent of youth said in the past year that they considered harming themselves. “What is clear from these surveys

Other more dramatic statistics from Horizons’ survey, according to its team, is that one in five, or 21 percent, of respondents have had trouble meeting at least one basic need – shelter, food, medicine, transportation, or gas, electric, or water in their home – because of economic hardship in the past year. Almost 17 percent of the people who took the survey have been homeless at some point in their lives. Among youth, 20 percent had an especially high rate of unmet need for housing services. In terms of access, one in three respondents were not able to access at least one needed service in the past three years. Just under 50 percent of San Mateo respondents said they had difficulty accessing housing. Something that may be anecdotally well known and was confirmed in Horizons’ survey is that LGBT respondents were more likely to have greater unmet basic needs and unable to access needed services if they have an income of less than $60,000 a year; were transgender, nonbinary, or bisexual; a person of color; under the age of 25; have lived in foster care; or have a disability. Another factor from the data that Buchting emphasized was the great importance LGBTs put on receiving LGBT-specific care. The majority of survey respondents (78 percent) said that having access to LGBT-specific care was important or critical, but

that it had not yet received a dissolution request. Although ex-staffers were reluctant to discuss details, the change appears to have come about abruptly, with little advance notice to employees. The staff announcement was not distributed through official organization channels and the Project Inform website makes no mention of it. (The site was last updated in January.) The group’s renowned HIV hotline gives

a message saying the number is not set up to receive calls. The Hepatitis C Helpline, however, is run by a collaboration of several organizations and will continue. “Despite the continued success and evolution of our work in HIV and hepatitis C virus – two of the most stigmatizing diseases in the United States – we have not been able to successfully navigate the current funding environment,” read the announce-

ment the B.A.R. saw last week. The B.A.R. was unable to reach Project Inform board president Glen Lubbert or vice president Courtney Landis by phone, email, or social media channels. According to the agency’s website, its last office was located at 25 Taylor Street, which is a WeWork building. Its Facebook page posted about the new address last month. Despite the suddenness of the de-

Jane Philomen Cleland

Horizons Foundation President Roger Doughty

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relatively few (19 percent) reported accessing LGBT-specific services. “This illustrates just how large the portion of our community is that deeply values and needs LGBT-specific services and confirms just how important our own community organizations are as well as other groups that have other dedicated LGBT services,” Buchting said. San Mateo’s survey had similar findings. About 55 percent of adult respondents found it difficult to access LGBT groups/resources and 52 percent said the same for transspecific medical services. Two out of three adults felt that not enough health professionals are adequately trained to care for LGBT people and one out of three feel medical personnel will treat them differently because they are LGBT. Although the majority of LGBT youth respondents said mental health care services and LGBT groups/resources were extremely important, seven out of 10 youth reported they did not know where to go for LGBT-friendly health care. Lastly, something noted by the Horizons’ team was that 32 percent of respondents indicated that they do not have a connection to the LGBT community where they live in the Bay Area. Although a majority of respondents said they have attended an LGBT-specific event in the past three years, a quarter said they do not consistently get what they need from those events. One-third (38 percent) of people of color felt there was a lack of sensitivity to them at the events. This was reported among transgender and gender fluid respondents as well. The results of Horizons’ survey are important for many reasons, Buchting and Doughty said, including that it contains critical findings for LGBT nonprofit leaders, activists, donors to LGBT organizations, and foundation and corporate funders. The team hopes it can help bring awareness to the continued needs of the Bay Area LGBT community. t

velopments, recently dismissed staff members have largely taken a positive tone in their comments. “We are so pleased to have had the chance to work together to contribute to Project Inform’s legacy of achievements over the last three decades,” said David Evans, an HIV educator and advocate with the organization since 1991 who took on the position

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Community News>>

t Queer artist tells stories of Tenderloin residents by Charlie Wagner

ozens of vividly colored posters are now viewable in Muni bus shelters on Market Street between the Embarcadero and Eighth Street as part of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s first Market Street Poster Series of the year. Collectively titled “On Whose Shoulders,” these posters, unveiled last month, were created by artist Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo to tell the stories of communities impacted by change along Market Street. Her application to the arts commission proposed, “Stories of houseless folks, of the queer community, of artists of color and community activists, of the people whose roots the city of San Francisco was built on.” Branfman-Verissimo, 25, identifies as queer, lives in Oakland, and is participating in the poster series for the first time. The text in the posters is prominent and was derived from interviews with people living in the Market Street communities. “I wanted to honor these people and honor their stories and lives,” Branfman-Verissimo explained. Her posters aim to make visible the presence and resilience of struggling and overlooked communities. The arts commission’s website describes Market Street as “the city’s largest and most colorful boulevard ... a location of constant action, where businesses, arts, and culture intermingle among a diverse population of locals and visitors.” Capturing and celebrating that diversity is a conscious strategy of the poster series. “As soon as I heard I received the commission,” Branfman-Verissimo recalled, “I reached out to folks in my community and to organizations they run. I wanted to connect with the communities where the project would take place. For me, that meant my queer community and my community of artists and activists.” Starting last September, the artist interviewed people referred by the Transgender Variant & Intersex Justice Project, the Skywatchers Project, Hospitality House, and Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. “I had beginning questions,” Branfman-Verissimo said, “but I was more interested in letting them speak.” She worked with each person to select three or four sentences for each of the nine text-based posters.

Background colors were chosen using the same collaborative process. On February 16, Branfman-Verissimo organized the show’s opening as a “community unveiling and walking tour” along Market Street, with an acoustic performance by Dr. Dreame, aka Gigi Godard, whose words provided the text of one poster. Dreame, 69, is a transgender woman and part of a performance art group called Skywatchers, who perform around San Francisco, though mostly in the Tenderloin. “Our performances include dancing, singing, and music about queer culture and black culture,” Dreame said. “I was the only person (quoted in a poster) who got to perform at the show’s opening.” Dreame’s poster’s text is: “I tell stories through sounds & words & character voices. This work gives me a purpose.” “It’s nice to be able to see those posters on bus shelters,” Dreame observed. “I’ve been here since 1999, did stand-up comedy years ago, was homeless for a while, then did regular office work until I retired.” Dreame has lived in the Tenderloin since 2010 and said she transitioned in 2013. Marilyn Michaels is another featured storyteller, and heard about the poster series through Scott Chilberg, executive assistant at TGI Justice Project. Branfman-Verissimo reached out to the organization because, as Chilberg made clear, “Lukaza knew we were connected to the transgender community who live in the Tenderloin.” “I’m one of the few survivors of that time, the 1960s,” Michaels pointed out. “I knew Uncle Billy’s before it became Aunt Charlie’s, and it was not always trans-friendly back then.” At least three posters on Market Street quote Michaels, all using this text: “The legend is ready to tell her story. I am a memory bank. When I was 14/15 years, I started coming to the TL. Starting dressing up – this is the life for me, it was paradise! & I’m not going anywhere.” Branfman-Verissimo was happy to discuss the political dimensions in her art. “My work is centered around storytelling and is naturally political since it’s about our own identities,” she said. “The location of the series is a politically charged location. All of the complications that the tech industry brought to SF are side by

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March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

side, and that ends up being very political.” Branfman-Verissimo also expressed how fortunate she felt to have her work presented in such a “hyper-visible location.” “I felt honored to speak with the incredible mix of people, mostly residents of the Tenderloin, and to understand the history of the city in a new way,” she added. “My posters prioritize trans elders in our community,” she said. “It shouldn’t be rare that we know their stories.” She hopes the posters enable visitors to San Francisco to “better understand the many layers of the past, present, and future that the Market Street corridor holds.” Branfman-Verissimo’s posters will remain on display in Muni bus kiosks until April 30. This fall, she will show other work in the Arts Commission Gallery at 401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. t

Charlie Wagner

Marilyn Michaels is one of the people featured in the San Francisco Arts Commission’s new Market Street Poster Series.

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<< Community News

10 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Advocates: Castro cultural district should have diversity by David-Elijah Nahmod

peakers at a recent meeting about the establishment of a Castro LGBTQ Cultural District said that transgender people, women, and bisexual people want more inclusion in the neighborhood. About 75 people attended the March 14 meeting at the GLBT Historical Society Museum to discuss the district, which has not yet been formally created. Attendees ranged in age from teenagers to those in their 70s, with many stating that they’d like to see more diversity and preservation of history in the neighborhood. The boundaries of the cultural district are expected to be the central Castro neighborhood and surrounding residential areas, and likely will extend down Market Street to Octavia. “It’s taken us awhile to get to this point where we’re ready for the legislation to be introduced, but this is a volunteer effort and we’ve had a couple of elections in the interim that have slowed us down,” said Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society. “Now, with the leadership of Supervisor [Rafael] Mandelman, we’re at the point where we’re ready to be officially established. We need to establish a governance structure so that we can receive Prop E funds.” Passed by voters in 2018, Proposition E allocates funds from the hotel tax for arts and culture, including cultural districts. Gay African-American activist Shaun Haines noted that transgender people, women, and bisexuals want more inclusion in the neighborhood. He said that, as a native San Franciscan, he’s excited by the establishment of cultural districts. “We have seen too much displace-

ment, gentrification, and the loss of access to resources and community activities have been profound,” Haines said. “I see cultural districts as a valuable tool and opportunity to be a positive force to push back against these issues and to bring our focus on to uplifting underrepresented demographics in the Castro.” Tom Temprano, a gay man who is an aide to Mandelman, told the crowd that the supervisor is working toward crafting the ordinance required to create the cultural district. He added that the city attorney’s office is working on drafting the language of the ordinance and that the planning department is working on the language for the district’s boundaries. Temprano also assured the crowd that all 10 straight allies on the Board of Supervisors would be supportive of establishing the cultural district. (Mandelman, who represents District 8, is the only out member on the board.) “We are hoping that the ordinance will be ready for introduction in early April,” Temprano said. “Our goal is to have the ordinance passed in time for the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District to qualify for the next round of hotel tax fund disbursements, which will likely be available in the fall.” Jessie Oliver Sanford, a former member of the board that oversees San Francisco Pride, noted that even as rising rents and property values were determining who was and wasn’t able to live in the neighborhood, there was also an increased demand for the neighborhood in terms of safe space. He also pointed out that the neighborhood was currently 50 percent LGBT, down from 80 percent in 1990. He urged people to question what the community’s priorities are and who the community represents. “For me, [thinking about] why the Castro is so important has pre-

Rick Gerharter

Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, discusses the proposed Castro LGBTQ Cultural District at a March 14 community meeting.

cisely to do with our history and our actions as a safe space for a globally oppressed community,” Sanford said. “A community that still can’t afford to pay as high rents as straight people, a community that throughout the world is still facing significant violence and persecution.” Jodi L. Schwartz, executive director of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, an LGBT youth organization in the Castro, and Nina Rubin, LYRIC’s program manager, spoke of the need for creating community dialogue, more youth voices, more diversity, and of the need for bringing youth and elders together. “I would ask you to speak to someone you haven’t met before, and get to know someone new, because hearing other folks’ perspectives will be immensely valuable in having this process,” Rubin said. Attendees then broke up into small groups to discuss what they most

valued about the Castro, and what would they like to see more of in the community. Those discussions lasted for about 15 minutes, after which one person from each group told the crowd the results of the sessions. Affordable housing; a stronger presence for transgender people, lesbians, and bisexuals; more diversity; and quality of life issues were among the issues raised. Many said that they appreciated the Castro as an LGBTQ safe space and would like to see the needs of LGBT homeless people addressed. “This is a great opportunity to try and keep the Castro significant in people’s minds,” said Harry Breaux, a 73-year-old gay man. “It was good to hear from the young people of LYRIC and hear what they feel is needed in the Castro. It’s important to create a cultural district to preserve the heritage of San Francisco. It’s important to bring older, middle-aged, and younger

people together in a consorted effort to identify and preserve the gay cultural heritage that the Castro sparked for the world.” Sue Englander, a 66-year-old bisexual woman, was happy with the outcome of the meeting. “The meeting is what meetings should be,” she told the Bay Area Reporter. “Open, democratic, and fun. The outcomes that we outlined and the vision we articulated are uplifting.” Others said some issues could have been more fully addressed. “There are topics we could have touched upon a little bit more, like trans inclusion and acceptance for trans people,” said Mila Cullum, 21, who is transgender. “But the community was wonderful and people were excited. I was glad to get the overall feel of the situation.” Billie Kallem, a 15-year-old bisexual teen, also spoke to the B.A.R. “I’m happy with the meeting,” she said. “It felt really good for me to give my perspective as a young person and share what I believe we could bring to the Castro to make it a more inclusive community. It’s important that the Castro becomes a cultural district so we can preserve the history and keep the culture going for many generations to come.” As the meeting concluded, people were invited to sign up for the governance committee, which will be working on developing a corporate structure and bylaws for the district, and the nominating committee, which will nominate members to an advisory board. For information on future Cultural District meetings, visit: https://castrolgbtq.org/.t

Disco Coalition offers parties for good causes by Tony Taylor

ringing attention to issues that impact the queer community, fundraising event series Disco Coalition begins giving nightlife a humanitarian twist next week. Starting March 29, Lookout bar will host the coalition on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. donating 100 percent of

happy hour proceeds to queer nonprofits. With many worthy organizations to choose from and only 13 event dates planned so far, co-founders and gay men Aaron Wessels and Chris Hastings soon realized they needed filters to select beneficiaries. Leaning toward organizations that sustain queer culture by supporting mental

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health, housing, community building, and preservation of LGBTQ legacy, they decided on the first round of recipients. Occurring weekly through June 17, the events will benefit organizations like the Castro Country Club, Immigration Equality, Queens of the Castro, Queer Land Trust, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Larkin Street Youth Services, and more. “Think of the Disco Coalition as a bat signal for queerkind,” Wessels, a Diamond Heights resident, said in a Disco Coalition news release. “Instead of five promoters throwing parties across town for the same cause, [we] will shoot up a flare to combine forces and drive people to one event or a series of events.” Each week, the Disco Coalition Happy Hour project will feature a beneficiary, musical talent, a host, and a queer hero to be honored. Drag queen Juanita MORE! will host the premiere event, which honors the GLBT Historical Society, and Go BANG! will offer the music. Tito’s vodka will match up to $1,000 of the funds raised during each of the happy hours. At the heart of what the coalition’s founders are hoping to accomplish is not just blasting out information on social media, but rather, actually connecting with people in person. “There is great power in standing side by side, shaking a stranger’s hand, finding common interests and what is important to our community overall,” the 44-year-old co-founders wrote in a joint email to the Bay Area Reporter. The concept of Disco Coalition emerged when Wessels and Hastings realized they could be more successful in fundraising and creating awareness by bringing the community together in a way that moves toward a common goal.

Courtesy Chris Hastings

Chris Hastings, left, and Aaron Wessels co-founded Disco Coalition to help build community and raise money for LGBTQ nonprofits.

“We started circulating ideas with activists and organizers in and out of the Bay Area,” they wrote in the email. “We settled on a concept that would raise money for queer nonprofits and also honor our LGBTQ legacy.” Lookout’s offer to donate happy hour proceeds sparked a bigger conversation between the duo around forming a “guerrilla network of nightlife superheroes” that could quickly pull together parties and campaigns whenever necessary. Other talents who will participate over the coming weeks include the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the men of PRC’s Bare Chest Calendar, arts nonprofit Comfort and Joy, event series Dudes and Disco, San Francisco Fog Rugby, Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, Grace Towers, and Sister Roma and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, among many others. “Historically, gay bars in this coun-

try have acted as a keystone for the community, whether that be for celebrating, socializing, or activating,” said Hastings, a Mission resident, in the release. “I wanted to honor that legacy and simultaneously build upon it with something that could live beyond a single charity event at a gay bar.” Known as “Queeros,” the coalition’s honorees have driven and inspired positive change through their vision, sacrifices, dedication and LGBTQ activism. So far, queeros include Dennis Peron, Diane Jones, Glamamore!, Jose Sarria, Mark Bingham, Leigh Bowery, Paul Dillinger, and Sylvester. News of Disco Coalition has spread mostly via word-of-mouth, said the co-founders, and they think it will continue to grow organically in that way. “We are setting out to build and mobilize in an old fashioned way, reaching out directly by phone and email,” Wessels and Hastings wrote. “While social media isn’t going away anytime soon, and can be a useful tool for some things, it isn’t the only means to reach our community.” Over 30 hosts and DJs have signed on to the project so far, the men said. Wessels and Hastings, who said they are both active in the community, recognize that there are lots of local people doing great things that they don’t yet know; and to create a successful coalition, they’ll need to include them. “We are thinking of this organization as a networking tool and also a community experiment that we will continue to learn, grow and evolve from, especially as we embark on this first project,” they added. “The lessons we learn during the upcoming happy hours will help us shape upcoming events and activities.”t To learn more and get involved, visit http://www.discocoalition.org.

Community News>>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

SF Pride grand marshals named compiled by Cynthia Laird

he San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee announced three community grand marshals for the 2019 San Francisco Pride parade that were selected by the public. Vince Crisostomo and Mrs. Vera of Verasphere were named individual grand marshals, while the nonprofit API Equality – Northern California was selected as the organizational grand marshal. SF Pride spokesman Fred Lopez told the Bay Area Reporter that public balloting collected 2,757 votes. Crisostomo, 58, told the B.A.R. that he was thrilled with the recognition. “I came out in 1979, it’s been 40 years,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of work in the community. I don’t think it would have meant as much” had he received the honor earlier. Currently, Crisostomo is the program manager for the Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network at Strut, the men’s health center in the Castro that is part of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Infected with HIV in 1987, Crisostomo said, “I spent most of my adult years thinking I’d die.” Crisostomo lives in San Francisco and is a member of the mayor’s LongTerm Care Coordinating Council. Mrs. Vera of Verasphere is a drag persona created by Michael Johnstone and his partner, David Faulk. Faulk fabricates the costumes from recycled materials and is Mrs. Vera. According to their website, Mrs. Vera and Johnstone act as ambassadors at events and festivals to remind people to value difference and celebrate the eccentric aspects of daily life. They often engage friends to participate in group performances. API Equality – Northern California is a grassroots organization that formed in 2004 as a response to a 6,000-person anti-marriage equality rally held by Chinese Christian leaders. Currently, its mission is to “amplify our voices and increase visibility of our communities,” its website states. “We inspire and train leaders, establish intergenerational connections, and document and disseminate our histories.” SF Pride officials said that additional honorees and celebrity grand marshals will be announced in April. This year’s Pride parade and celebration is June 29-30. The theme is “Generations of Resistance.” For more information, visit www.sfpride.org.

Openhouse Spring Fling

Openhouse, the LGBT senior housing nonprofit, will hold its annual Spring Fling benefit brunch and tea dance Sunday, April 7, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, 600 Stockton Street in San Francisco. This year’s honorees will be Ronald S. Johnson, who will receive the Trailblazer Award for his four decades of national HIV/AIDS advocacy and activism, and Neil Sims, who will receive the Founders Award for his contributions to LGBTQ seniors by serving on the Openhouse board for 12 years. He previously served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services. Organizers said the dress code is “just be you,” and the event will feature speakers and performers. Tickets are $275 and can be purchased online via www.openhouse-sf.org.

Trans Day of Visibility in South Bay

The South Bay Trans Day of Visibility will be held Saturday, March 30, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Santa Clara Street. City Councilwoman Dev Davis is sponsoring the event, which will

Courtesy SF Pride

Pride parade grand marshal Vince Crisostomo

include informational tables, workshops, and resources. A project of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center, this will be the 10th event that celebrates diversity. The DeFrank center’s Trans Men’s Group and friends coordinates the project, which has evolved into a daylong conference. There is no cost to attend, though donations are welcome. HIV testing will be available. Additionally, there will be art displays, games, and a chance to meet others. The event is open to all ages, though organizers recommend children be 12 and over. There will not be any activities specifically for kids. There will be an after-party and show at Renegades bar, 501 W. Taylor Street in San Jose, from 8 to 10 p.m. A $20 donation is requested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Attendees must be 21 or over. For more information, visit http:// southbaytdov.org/show/ or www.defrank.org.

City arts groups seek members for Prop E working group

The San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development have announced they are now seeking people to serve on a community working group for the implementation of Proposition E. Under Prop E, which passed last year with nearly 75 percent of the vote, up to 1.5 percent of the money from the 8 percent base hotel tax that the city already collects will be dedicated to arts and cultural functions. The current hotel tax, which includes a 6 percent tax surcharge for hotel rooms that is not part of the ballot measure, had previously been available for any public purpose. The city agencies said in a news release that earlier this month, the arts commission and the city administrator approved the Cultural Services Allocation Plan, which outlines four priority areas that the Arts Impact Fund will support. This new $2.5 million endowment addresses the needs in the arts and culture sector. It does not include other areas that Prop E will fund, such as Grants for the Arts, cultural equity endowment, cultural centers, and cultural districts, which have their own fund administrators and processes. CSAP outlines the next steps the city will take to meet the community’s desires for both timely access to funding and an extended period for assessing community need. As part of that process, a community working group will be formed and that’s what volunteers can apply for. In a call for panelists, the arts commission said it is looking for people based in the Bay Area who represent a wide range of sectors with expertise in one or more of the following:

Courtesy SF Pride

Pride parade grand marshal Mrs. Vera of Verasphere

education, real estate development, nonprofit management, and small business practices. Selected participants will have demonstrated that they have a deep understanding of equity frameworks and should provide cross-sector experience within the arts. People must be able to participate in the initial meetings scheduled for May 16-17. The deadline to apply is April 1. For more information, go to https://www. sfartscommission.org/panelists.

GAPA 2019 scholarships now open

The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Foundation has announced that it is accepting applications for its 2019 scholarships and that high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate, and trade/vocational school students can now apply. According to a news release, the scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000; several may be awarded in a calendar year. In addition, one outstanding applicant will be awarded the Donald Masuda Scholarship (cofunded with the Lacuna Giving Circle.) Applicants should have a strong history of activism with the Asian Pacific Islander and/or LGBTQ communities, however, people don’t need to identify as either to apply. Eligible applicants must apply online using an email account hosted by, or associated with, Google because the required documents are attached to Google Forms. The deadline for applications is June 30 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). Candidates will be notified of their status by early September. For eligibility requirements and the application, visit https://gapafoundation.org/scholarships.

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Olympic skater Rippon coming to SF

Gay Olympic ice skater Adam Rippon will be in San Francisco next month, to appear in conversation with Michelle Meow as part of “The Michelle Meow Show” and the Commonwealth Club. Rippon came out in 2015, before competing for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He won a bronze medal at the games in the team event. He used his place on the global stage to speak out in support of LGBTQ rights and the freedom to be oneself. He announced his retirement from competitive figure skating in November 2018. At the forum, which will include “The Michelle Meow Show” co-host John Zipperer, Rippon is expected to discuss his life, figure skating, and the causes he cares about. The event takes place Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m. at the club’s Taube Family Auditorium, 110 The Embarcadero in San Francisco (check-in at noon). Tickets are $15 for club members, $25 for non-members, and $10 for students. For more information, visit www. commonwealthclub.org. See page 14 >>

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<< National News

12 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

PrEP research highlighted at confab

by Liz Highleyman

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rEP was a major topic at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections this month in Seattle. Researchers showed that a new version of tenofovir works as well as the Truvada pill and offered insights about how gay and bisexual men are using PrEP. Dr. Brad Hare from Kaiser Permanente San Francisco presented findings from the DISCOVER study, a head-to-head trial comparing Truvada versus Descovy in more than 5,300 mostly gay and bi men and a small number of transgender women. Participants were randomly assigned to take one of the two combination pills once daily for two years. Truvada contains tenofovir disiproxil fumarate (TDF) plus emtricitabine while Descovy contains tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) and emtricitabine. TAF is an updated formulation of tenofovir that is effective at a lower dose, making it easier on the kidneys and bones. The study showed that Descovy works as well as Truvada, with few new infections in either group (seven and 15, respectively). Most newly infected people were found to have low tenofovir levels in their blood or already had an early undetected infection when they started PrEP. People who used Descovy had smaller changes in kidney biomarkers and slightly less bone loss. However, it is not clear whether these test results predict important clinical outcomes like kidney failure or fractures. Previous studies have shown that Truvada PrEP is safe for most people. Hare said Descovy could be a good option for people at risk for kidney problems. “Some of those folks are either taking Truvada and keeping their fingers crossed or have not been on PrEP,” he told the Bay Area Reporter. “I think in people that have moderately impaired renal function, TAF is probably a slam dunk.” But some advocates were less impressed, questioning whether it’s worthwhile to devote resources to study prevention tools so similar to what is already available. Others worry about the individual and public health cost of Descovy, given that Truvada will go off patent soon, paving the way for cheaper generic versions. “Count me as profoundly unexcited about a second safe and effective daily pill for HIV prevention,” said Jim Pickett of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “What we do need are other types of prevention products such as rectal douches, long-acting injectables, fast dissolving inserts, and implants.” Along those lines, Charles Dobard of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported findings from a preclinical study of a fast-dissolving suppository – designed for vaginal or rectal use – containing tenofovir alafenamide and elvitegravir. His team found that only one out of six female monkeys using the TAF vaginal insert became infected with SHIV (a simian-human hybrid virus), compared with seven of eight monkeys using an inactive placebo insert. “So far, the PrEP landscape has been dominated by TDF, but now we have TAF in an insert and pill,” said HIV prevention expert Dr. Sharon Hillier from the University

Liz Highleyman

Dr. Brad Hare from Kaiser Permanente San Francisco talks about PrEP at the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

of Pittsburgh. “The insert could be used in the front door or the back door as an on-demand method.”

Starting, and staying on, PrEP

Other studies at the conference looked at how many gay and bisexual men are eligible for PrEP, how many are using it, and how long they stay on it. A CDC study found that a third of at-risk gay and bi men are now using Truvada for HIV prevention. But while the number of men on PrEP has risen dramatically, use remains low among black and Latino men, who have disproportionately high rates of new infections. “Although HIV PrEP use increased by over 500 percent from 2014 to 2017, only one in three men at risk for HIV infection reported using PrEP,” said CDC researcher Teresa Finlayson, part of a team that interviewed more than 8,000 HIV-negative men in 20 U.S. cities, including San Francisco, who were considered to be at substantial risk for HIV. The researchers found that PrEP awareness increased from 60 percent in 2014 to 90 percent in 2017. Awareness rose in all racial/ethnic groups, but remained lower among black and Latino men (86 and 87 percent, respectively) compared with white and “other” men (95 and 94 percent). PrEP use also increased, from 6 percent to 35 percent. Here, too, PrEP use was lower among black men (26 percent) and Latino men (30 percent) compared with white men (42 percent) and “other” men (40 percent). In a related study, Kevin Weiss of Emory University in Atlanta and colleagues estimated the proportion of gay and bi men eligible for PrEP, based on a nationwide web-based survey of 4,196 cisgender (non-transgender) men who had ever had sex with a man. They found that 45 percent of the men met the PrEP eligibility definition in the 2017 U.S. Public Health Service clinical practice guidelines: any male sex partners within the past six months, not in a monogamous relationship with an HIV-negative partner, or any condomless anal sex or sexually transmitted infections within the past six months. Weiss noted that this figure is higher than the CDC’s 2015 estimate of 25 percent PrEP eligibility in this population. Thus, they concluded, more sexually active gay and bi men are likely indicated for PrEP that previously esti-

mated, and a lower fraction of indicated men may be receiving it. Many studies over the years have looked at factors that influence PrEP adherence, or consistently taking the prescribed dose on schedule. Now researchers are thinking more about PrEP persistence, or how long people continue to use it. Ya-Lin Huang from the CDC and colleagues evaluated PrEP persistence among more than 7,000 people covered by commercial health insurance and 349 individuals on Medicaid who started Truvada for PrEP between 2012 – the year it was approved for HIV prevention – and 2016. They defined persistence as the time from the first filled PrEP prescription until there was a gap of more than 30 days. Huang reported that men, older people, city residents, and those with commercial insurance remain on PrEP longer than women, young people, rural residents, and those covered by Medicaid. People with commercial insurance stayed on PrEP for a median of 14.5 months – twice as long as the median of 7.6 months in the Medicaid group. A year after starting PrEP, more than half of those covered by commercial insurance were still using it, versus about a third of Medicaid recipients. PrEP persistence increased with age, from a median of 8.6 months for people age 18 to 24 up to 20.5 months for those age 45 to 54 in the commercial insurance cohort, and 10.0 versus 4.0 months in the Medicaid group. In the Medicaid cohort, white people stayed on PrEP for a median of 8.5 months, compared with 4.1 months for black people. Huang noted that the study did not include people who had neither commercial insurance nor Medicaid – a group that may have more difficulty maintaining a steady supply of PrEP. These findings, Hillier said, “show a mismatch between the people who most need PrEP and those who can persist on it.” As part of the Trump administration’s recently announced Ending the HIV Epidemic plan – which aims to reduce new infections by 75 percent within five years and by 90 percent within 10 years – the CDC said it will expand efforts to increase PrEP awareness, access and use, particularly among those at highest risk for HIV infection. t

Sports >>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 13

‘Light in the Water’ is a must-see by Roger Brigham

poiled as we are these days with so many competition and participation options in so many different sports, from giant multi-sport festivals such as the Gay Games and Sin City Classic to annual international LGBT sports championships in soccer, tennis, and track to weekly games among local clubs – well, it is easy to forget how hard it was to get here. Easy to forget the struggles pioneer gay sports groups had fighting their way on and into facilities. Or the discrimination they faced first because they were thought of as deviant dykes and effete fairies, or later because of the fear of AIDS. Easy to forget just how difficult it was to find isolated like-minded folks from across the globe at a time when instant, inexpensive communications and non-discrimination laws were non-existent. And then a documentary such as “Light in the Water” comes along and we get a chance to remember. Remember and mourn and anguish and celebrate. We can embrace everything it took, from tragedies to quiet, unforeseen victories. The film is a compelling documentary about West Hollywood Aquatics, whose formation in 1982

Courtesy Logo

A scene from “Light in the Water.”

was inspired by the inaugural Gay Games in San Francisco; as well as the challenges, tragedies, and triumphs its members have experienced through the following decades. Previously it has been shown on Logo television as well as in several film festivals around the globe, including Paris, Sydney, and Palm Springs. San Francisco-area residents will have multiple chances to see the documentary in the theater in

upcoming weeks. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you definitely should. The film will be shown at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 21, on the opening day of the University of San Francisco Human Rights Film Festival. Admission to the on-campus showing is free. For more information on the festival, email kaisers@usfca.edu. The Federation of Gay Games and GLAAD have partnered to

show the film as a benefit for the local LGBT swim club SF Tsunami Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kabuki Theater, 1881 Post Street, followed by a question and answer session with director Lis Bartlett, as well as original members of West Hollywood Aquatics, and original members of Tsunami Aquatics. That screening has already sold out, so Doug Litwin, marketing officer for the FGG, said another screening has been added for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, also at the Kabuki. Tickets are $14 with an added $2.50 service fee. It, too, will be followed by a discussion period. “Whereas $2 from each ticket sold from the first show is benefiting Tsunami,” Litwin said, “at the new April 9 show, the Federation of Gay Games will be the beneficiary.” Tickets are available at https:// gathr.us/screening/28561. A trailer for the film is available at www. vimeo.com/194710417.

Lesbian sports administrator fired in admissions scandal

The University of Southern California fired lesbian Donna Heinel from her job as senior associate athletic director after she and doz-

ens of other individuals were indicted last week on federal charges connected with allegations that wealthy parents were bribing coaches and administrators at numerous universities – including the likes of Stanford, UCLA, and Yale – to let their children into the schools without normal admissions screening. Heinel and USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic were fired by the school last week for allegedly receiving admissions bribes totaling $1.3 million for Heinel and $250,000 for Vavic. Federal prosecutors allege the nationwide scheme was coordinated by Sacramento resident William Rick Singer, who ran Edge College and Career Network as well as Key Worldwide Foundation. Stanford students Kalea Woods and Erica Olsen have filed a federal lawsuit against the involved universities, Singer, and Key Worldwide, asking for class action status and seeking the return of application fees and punitive damages. Olsen dropped out of the lawsuit last week, but in an amended complaint, several other students signed on.t

Ernie Asten, Cliff’s Variety patriarch, dies by Cynthia Laird

rnie Asten, the retired fourth generation patriarch of the Cliff’s Variety legacy, died March 15, after a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s and multiple systems atrophy, or MSA. He was 71. Mr. Asten grew up in the Castro district and, much like his own children, within the store itself, said his daughter, Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who now manages the store. His grandfather, a creative thinker in his own right, instilled in him the concept that knowledge is power and with that power you can do anything, she added. “Ernie was a maker before the term existed,” Asten Bennett wrote in a Facebook message to the Bay Area Reporter. “He was proficient working in many mediums and it’s safe to say many of the homes in the neighborhood have been touched by his knowledge, his skills, or by the products sold at his family’s Castro Street store.” Mr. Asten was born July 19, 1947 in San Francisco and never moved from the Castro neighborhood, his daughter said. He and his grandfather are ac-

knowledged as being the creators of the original Castro Halloween celebrations in the 1950s, Asten Bennett said. During the neighborhood renaissance of the 1970s, Mr. Asten was also known for his ability to repair or replicate many of the irreplaceable Victorian plumbing and architectural elements needed in restoring the Victorians of the neighborhood. Longtime gay rights activist Cleve Jones wrote on Facebook that Mr. Asten was an early ally to the LGBT community. “He and his family welcomed Har-

vey Milk and LGBTQ immigrants from around the world to what we now know as ‘the Castro,’” Jones wrote. For decades he and his wife of 50 years, Martha, navigated the everevolving neighborhood business cli-

mate, always focusing on delivering the items the community wanted in a format that was easily shoppable and backed by a wealth of knowledgeable staff, Asten Bennett said. See page 14 >>

EARLY SPACE RESERVATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

Courtesy Terry Asten Bennett

Ernie Asten

Obituaries >> Ron Comella September 2, 1959 – February 6, 2019

Our sweet Ron Comella passed over the rainbow February 6, 2019 with his devoted Ben at his side. A humble man and treasure of a person who never realized how much he was valued. We will miss that delicious sense of humor, along with the sweetest demeanor and generous heart. He could do the work of three people and loved working with his father as a diesel mechanic later in his life. Ron volunteered at Food for Thought, in his recovery community, and personal projects for friends. He

was the most devout dog father to Ben, who will probably miss him more than anyone. To say many loving and special friends will miss Ron is an understatement. Ron’s mother and father, Helen and Dante Comella, predeceased him. He is survived by his sister, Denise (John), niece Sarah (Patrick), and nephew Trevor (Kristin). He is also survived by his two loving uncles and several cousins, whom he adored. Donations can be made to San Francisco AIDS Foundation (http:// www.sfaf.org/) or Castro Country Club (http://www.castrocountryclub. org/). A memorial will be held at a later date. You were loved more than you know and will be missed more than can be imagined.

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<< Community News

14 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

News Briefs

From page 11

Exhibit looks at 150 years of state Capitol

The California State Capitol Museum has opened a new exhibit that looks at the 150-year history of the Golden State’s Capitol in Sacramento.

Ernie Asten

From page 13

She noted that the store has received numerous honors over the years, including being recognized by the state Legislature as one of the best small businesses in California. In 2017, Cliff’s was chosen as a San Francisco legacy business. “My father instilled in me a deep

Project Inform

From page 9

pervised injection facilities for people who use drugs. The staff announcement acknowledged the tremendous advances over the past three decades – gains that ultimately have contributed to the demise of several HIV and hepatitis C education and advocacy efforts as the sense of urgency has waned and funding sources have dried up. “Thirty-five years hence, life with HIV is counted in decades rather than weeks or months and HIV can’t be transmitted when viral suppression is achieved,” the ex-staffers wrote. “As

LGBT bill package

From page 1

need to register as a sex offender if convicted under Wiener’s bill. One bill that could face close scrutiny is Assembly Bill 493, known as the Safe and Supportive Schools Act of 2019, due to its associated costs. It would require public schools to train their staff, from teachers and custodians to cafeteria employees, on LGBT cultural competency and how to address LGBT-based bullying. Former Governor Jerry Brown had vetoed a similar bill last fall due to its price tag. Gloria and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who had carried it last year when he served in the Assembly, reintroduced it this year in hopes of seeing Governor Gavin Newsom adopt it. “When you think about a school’s staff, it is not just teachers. It may be

Political Notebook

From page 7

“There are significant laws on the books designed to improve the lives of LGBTQ youth as it relates to schools. What we don’t know is if schools are being compliant and enforcing those laws, so we decided to figure that out,”

PRC

From page 1

seling, emergency financial services, and supportive housing case management. “We are not expanding our services, but integrating them and making them more efficient,” Andrews said. “Instead of giving someone a business card at one of our locations and saying head here and hope they make it, we are making sure folks get to the right person when they arrive.” About 85 employees, one-third of PRC’s workforce, will be based out of the new space. Each staff member will be equipped with their own laptop, enabling them to move freely inside the building. Andrews said he wanted to create a space where employees were encouraged to collaborate, innovate, and where they feel proud to

“Building a Legacy – 150 Years of the California State Capitol” opened this week. It examines both the construction and restoration of one of the state’s greatest structures. “More than a million visitors from around the world come to see our state Capitol every year, and now, they’ll get the opportunity to learn about why they should take great pride in the state Capitol building

and learn about some of its hidden stories,” John Fraser, capital district superintendent of the California State Parks, said in a news release. According to the release, the Capitol has served as home to the state Legislature and governor since it was first occupied in 1869. Visitors will discover why the Capitol was almost not built at all, some of the major challenges faced during construction, and how it was

nearly torn down to make way for a newer structure. The public will have the opportunity to see never-beforeexhibited artifacts and objects connected with the building’s history. The exhibit will be open to the public through March 20, 2020. It is accessible seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holidays) and is free.

The California State Capitol Museum is located at 1315 10th Street in Sacramento. The exhibit is located in the first floor exhibit rooms in the historic west wing. For more information, contact the museum at (916) 324-0333 or visit www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov. t

sense of community and the importance of supporting those around you,” Asten Bennett wrote. “I have worked to live up to that standard and will continue to honor his legacy. We are grateful for the support of our community. Sharing your memories of Ernie helps to heal the heartbreak we are all feeling.” Mr. Asten’s interests beyond the business were also boundless. He and

his wife traveled the world to experience astronomical events and to hone his skills in photography. He was also a proficient jazz pianist and at one time had his own recording studio, Asten Bennett said. It was called the Hartford Studio, and from 1968 to around 1976 he recorded names such as Carlos Santana (in his garage on Hartford Street); Terry Dolan, of Terry and the Pirates; Jim-

my Moscoso; and Ronnie Montrose. In the 1980s he returned to college to study calculus and physics just for the fun of it, Asten Bennett said. In addition to his wife and his daughter, Mr. Asten is survived by another daughter, Marian; four grandchildren, Ceci, Camille, Balin, and Cooper; and his great-grandson, Aiden. Asten Bennett said there are no

plans for a funeral, but that some sort of celebration would be held. “His wish was to have a New Orleans-style procession down Castro Street,” she wrote. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Asten’s memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation or the UCSF Foundation, marked for the Movement Disorder and Neuromodulation Center. t

well, people wishing to protect themselves from HIV transmission have an additional powerful tool, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Hepatitis C is curable and people who use drugs may soon have greater access to services that will keep them alive. “When an organization touches so many lives around the globe for so many years, it is impossible to assess its legacy,” the ex-staffers added. “We trust, however, that Project Inform’s legacy will resound for years to come and influence our own work and that of countless others who have dedicated so much and continue to do so.” Community members had mixed reactions, with many expressing sad-

ness at the loss of an organization that had played a key role in the response to the epidemic while acknowledging that the reduced need for HIV organizations is a victory. “I can’t say I’m shocked at the closing,” said longtime HIV advocate Cal Callahan, who has collaborated with Project Inform over the years. “After all, all of us in this field hope for the day when we’ve succeeded with at least most of our mission and can put ourselves out of business.” But others emphasize that the work is far from over. “California still leads the nation in new HIV diagnoses, disproportionately among black and Latino men

who have sex with men, young men who have sex with men, trans women of color, and other vulnerable populations,” Anne Donnelly, who had long led PI’s health care policy advocacy work, told the B.A.R. “We have over 400,000 people living with HCV in California and more than half of them don’t even know their status. Sexually transmitted disease rates in California are at a historic high. And, of course, the inequities, stigma, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty, and homelessness that exacerbate all of these epidemics still plague so many of the people we serve.” Brenda Lein, a former director of Project Inform’s Information and

Advocacy Department and a longtime friend of Delaney, criticized the circumstances surrounding the agency’s demise. “This is not how Martin Delaney would want to see Project Inform closing its doors – indeed, he would have been profoundly disappointed,” Lein told the B.A.R. “He would have wanted this day to arrive differently, in celebration of everything that has been accomplished and with a plan for the future. Instead we arrive here because of missed opportunities for many years. There is work left to do. AIDS is not over. There is still no cure for HIV. Martin Delaney’s memory lives on in the work that remains.” t

the custodial staff and bus drivers. Workers in the cafeteria can be on the front lines to prevent bullying when it is happening,” said EQCA legislative director Alice Kessler at a summit for LGBT leaders from around the state last week. “We want to give them the tools they need to do that.” Wiener also reintroduced his bill that would protect transgender inmates in state prisons after it was quietly killed in the Legislature last summer. Known as the Dignity and Opportunity Act and now numbered SB 132, it would require that incarcerated transgender people in California jails be referred to by their preferred pronouns, gender, and name. Gay Assemblyman Evan Low (DCampbell) is the lead author on AB 650, which would require law enforcement agencies in the state to collect the sexual orientation and gender identity data of victims in cases of deaths resulting from violent crimes. It would cover homicides, suicides,

and hate crimes.

to be authored by lesbian state Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), who is termed out next year, would allow transgender residents of the state who legally change their name and gender to update their marriage certificates and the birth certificates of their children. The process would be similar to how transgender people can petition the courts to seal their original birth certificates and have a revised one issued using their preferred name and gender. The bill would protect transgender individuals from discrimination when enrolling their children in school, apply for a loan, or have to make medical conditions on behalf of an incapacitated spouse, noted EQCA in a fact sheet. Another bill related to child custody issues is SB 495 by Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles). It would codify into state law that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity can’t be used to disqualify them as being an adoptive parent or

legal guardian of a child. Under AB 307, co-authored by Wiener and Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-San Bernardino), the state would establish a grant program for agencies serving homeless youth that would require those funded to train their staff on LGBT cultural competency. EQCA also announced it will score state lawmakers this year on their support of two resolutions. One that passed both chambers of the Legislature proclaimed February 7, 2019 as Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in the Golden State. The other, ACR 27 by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), honored the late gay AfricanAmerican civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. Passed by the Assembly, it called on the U.S. Postal Service to feature Rustin on a stamp, similar to the one it issued on behalf of the late gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. t

said EQCA Institute program director Robbie Rodriquez last week. Initially, EQCA planned to release the report cards in early 2018. But it encountered difficulty in having the school districts fill out the voluntary questionnaires and allotted them more time to turn them in. Reviewing the responses and tabu-

lating the individual scores for the districts, as well as building an online database the public will be able to access, has also taken longer than EQCA had initially expected. Of the 343 districts, 130 responded by the extended deadline to do so last November. They are evenly distributed across the state, according to EQCA.

It was a marked improvement from the 30 school districts that had responded by the first deadline EQCA had given them. Achieving a 38 percent response rate, said Rodriquez, “is pretty impressive for us,” considering it is the first time the agency has sought the information. 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 featured an interview with gay Congressman Mark Takano about the federal Equality Act.

be a part of PRC’s mission. The staff will also have a lounge area with a fully equipped kitchen. Each floor will have gender-neutral restrooms and there will also be a wellness/lactation room for men and women. “We tried to think of everything we could to be supportive,” Andrews said.

in the Castro that is part of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. For Andrews and those WHO work for PRC, the building is the start of a new chapter for the organization and one in which they can better serve their clients’ needs. A former client of PRC’s Joe Healy Detox Program is looking forward to the new building. “I am very excited for the addition to the community,” Donny Ades, a gay man, said in a phone interview. “[PRC] will be able to house so many programs in one place and give the public an opportunity to have a one-stop shop. A lot of services are kind of here and there and you have to go from one place to another. When you’re an addict even getting down the street can be difficult.” Ades, who is in recovery, also spent 90 days in a Baker Places residential treatment program, and

now lives in supportive housing run by Baker Places. He said the new location will “make a huge impact on the homeless community.” Andrews said he feels very fortunate to have found the building in San Francisco’s hot real estate market. A 10-year lease was negotiated with two five-year options after that, allowing PRC to lease the building for up to 20 years. An option to buy the building was also included in the lease, something PRC plans to do after residing in the space for seven years, Andrews said, as purchasing the building will require a four-year capital campaign. The total budget for the new space is $6 million. Andrews did not disclose the monthly rent of the building, saying there’s a stipulation in the lease that prohibits it. He did say the rent was significantly less than the cumulative rent PRC was

paying for the four locations that will now be at the new SOMA location. So far, PRC, with the help of individual and institutional donations, has raised about $5 million, with $2 million in requests to potential institutional and key donors. A significant portion, almost $2 million, of the products and construction services have also been donated, Andrews noted. The nonprofit has a campaign, “Chair the Love,” which allows people and organizations to contribute toward furniture costs for the Ninth Street building. The donations range from $150 to $30,000 for furnishing an entire room. The campaign has raised $11,000 to date. Last year, PRC received a $62,931 grant from the city to help facilitate the move. To donate, visit https://prcsf. org/. t

Location, location, location

The site in mid-SOMA was chosen for its central location, as 50 percent of PRC’s clients live in the Tenderloin, SOMA, and Mission neighborhoods. The Art Deco building, erected in 1934, was once the home of the San Francisco Opera’s costume manufactory. Once acquired by PRC in June 2018, the building was almost entirely renovated by architecture firm Gensler as well as Revel Architecture & Design. Gensler also designed Strut, the men’s health and wellness center

Trans bills

Two bills this year are focused on updating the records of transgender individuals. Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) is the author of AB 711, which would require school districts to update the academic transcripts and diplomas of transgender individuals so they use their legally changed names and genders. In an interview Tuesday with the B.A.R., Chiu said he has heard from transgender people who had their requests for updates to their academic records denied by school districts. Their old documents can out them as being transgender to employers and co-workers or educational officials if they are seeking to apply to college or graduate school. “Documents with a different name can out people who do not want to be outed,” noted Chiu. SB 741, the first LGBT-focused bill

t <<

From the Cover>>

BALIF

From page 1

Persinger would not confirm how many board members had resigned or the reasons for their exit. “We have to make sure no individual speaks on behalf of the BALIF board,” she said, explaining that once the board meets, it plans to put out a statement. Multiple comments began to appear on the public BALIF Facebook page about the controversy March 15, some from former BALIF board members. The comments were mostly disapproving of the lack of BALIF’s transparency surrounding the resignations. Although each member who recently resigned gave personal reasons for their departure, multiple sources, as well as content from the resignation emails, emphasized a dysfunctional, toxic environment at BALIF. Sources said that the board’s desire to become more inclusive and diverse and to focus more on issues affecting LGBTs of color has resulted in leadership accusing board members of not being supportive of BALIF’s vision, though the sources said this is untrue. The B.A.R. has also obtained an email from Persinger sent to the board that accuses those who resigned of “white fragility” and “institutional racism.” White fragility refers to white people’s inability to talk about racism and their resulting behavioral reactions when their assumptions about race are challenged, including anger and defense. Davis’ email, with the subject line “Resignation,” was sent March 12, and expressed her frustration with fellow BALIF board members Felicia Medina, programming co-chair and amicus co-chair, and Jennifer Orthwein, Conference of California Bar Associations chair and amicus co-chair, as well as Persinger. Davis’s email indicates as many as seven board mem-

bers had quit or decided not to seek new board terms. “For the past two years, any time anyone disagrees or challenges Felicia or Jen, they receive a personally attacking email. Last year, those emails were frequently sent to the whole board and this year those emails have been more individualized,” wrote Davis in her resignation email. She continued, “A minimum of seven board members have resigned or chosen not to run again because of their pervasive personal attacks. You heard Annick and Felicia dismiss those resignations as progress, complete with additional personal attacks on individuals not present as racists or bullies. But they both ignore the diversity of the resignations. Men, women, nonbinary, and three out of the seven were people of color. I don’t think it is progress to lose diverse voices and perspectives.” Medina and Orthwein did not respond to the B.A.R’s request for comment.

‘Dysfunctional’ board

The resignation email from Phillips, also sent March 12, states his reason for leaving. “My preference to avoid conflict has kept me quiet, erring on the side of complicit and I just won’t do that for another year despite my desire to serve the LGBTQI community and have a leadership role with BALIF,” he wrote. “This board is dysfunctional plain and simple and unfortunately, a pattern of division and toxicity is the status quo and I am not optimistic that it will change and I refuse to be a party to it anymore.” In Alexander’s email, sent the same day, he explained that the board’s desire to focus more on intersectionality was a positive thing and that he was resigning for his “disagreement over abusive behavior.”

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March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

“It is unacceptable to personally attack your fellow directors,” he wrote. “I could not believe that there was not a consensus around this last night. In fact, this type of behavior was seemingly protected under the guise that it was somehow advocacy. That is absurd. I have never been in an environment, let alone a professional one, where it is acceptable to lob hurtful personal attacks at one another. To cloak these attacks under the guise of advocacy undermines the very cause purporting to be advanced.” The same day Persinger responded to the resignations in an email sent to the entire board. She began by thanking all members for their “successful” contributions, listing each person’s accomplishments with the board. The fourth paragraph, however, takes a different tone. “The resignations and failure to honor commitments is disappointing,” she wrote. “I have a fundamentally different view than those expressed in the resignation emails. To me, the resignation emails represent yet more examples of white fragility and how institutional racism and sexism is perpetuated. Although there has been much discussion of white fragility, I don’t think that many are aware of what that actually means,” states the email. She then defines white fragility. Persinger wrote in the email that discussions of race and other issues became “intolerable” for many board members, which resulted in a “range of defensive moves – including discussion of removing the only person of color in the room last night from the board.” She also said that she has found no evidence of “bullying or abuse,” from Medina or Orthwein and instead found, “countless examples of collaboration, showing up without complaint, offering resources, sharing ideas, and committing to the betterment of BA-

LIF despite push-back, elitism, heightened scrutiny, ego, and discriminatory treatment,” Persinger wrote. A former BALIF board member, Dennis Raglin, spoke to the B.A.R. about what he understands has happened, which echoes the obtained emails. He believes there to be only seven, non-student board members currently, which another Facebook user also said. “From what I have heard is that there are allegations that the people who have resigned have been called racist,” he said. “The white members who have resigned have been accused of white fragility.” In response, Persinger sent an email to the B.A.R. speaking for herself and not the organization. In it, she reiterated many of the points made in the March 12 email she sent to the board. “From my own perspective, and not speaking for the BALIF board, for the last two years BALIF has been grappling with issues related to the current and historical exclusion of transgender and queer people of color,” she wrote. “The BALIF board has had many difficult conversations around these issues. During those conversations, there were requests for POC and white allies to mind their tone and to be civil. Tone policing is rooted in racism and sexism. Similarly, requests for civility are rooted in historic attempts to civilize people of color and women, and, as a result, are inherently unequal.” She added that she has a “fundamentally different view than those expressed in the resignation emails.” Raglin also criticized the fact that BALIF has yet to make any public comment regarding the resignations. “I find it odd, an organization who’s losing its board members not taking a proactive stand to explain themselves,” Raglin said. Other comments on the BALIF

Facebook page echoed this opinion. “What’s going on, BALIF? The names of a co-chair and a bunch of board members were dropped from the masthead of this week’s newsletter without explanation. Why? BALIF, please let us know what’s happening on the board,” read a March 15 comment from Liz Noteware. Other Facebook comments talked about the obligation BALIF has to its financial supporters to give them an explanation for what is happening. Kate Kendell, former executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a former BALIF board member, contacted the B.A.R. after it reached out to Persinger. Kendell spoke in support of BALIF in a phone interview with the B.A.R. Monday, March 18. Though she did not comment specifically on what was happening, she said, “[BALIF] is in the midst of a state of flux,” and that it is “common for an organization moving to be more inclusive and representative” to be in “upheaval.” When asked about the allegations of Persinger accusing board members of institutional racism, she replied, “It doesn’t mean they are necessarily racist, it’s that the focus is on including and elevating voices that have not previously been on the table and that is not their priority,” Kendall said, adding that “there are individuals in every organization who just aren’t interested in being a part of the leadership” while the organization is transitioning. When asked how she felt BALIF is handling the transition, particularly not making a public announcement, Kendell said that she does believe it to be in everyone’s best interest that BALIF announce that they are focusing on being more inclusive and representative. She sent a letter to the BALIF board saying she “applauded” it in this process of making the transition and that it can be painful. t

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA BARREL COMPANY LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Plaintiff, v. All Person Claiming Any Interest, or Lien Upon, the Real Property Herein Described or, Any Part thereof, Defendants. CASE NO. CGC-19-574377 AMENDED SUMMONS [CCP § 751.05] The people of the State of California, to all persons claiming any interest in, or lien upon, the real property herein described, or any part thereof, defendants, greeting (See Memorandum Disclosing Adverse Interest [CCP § 751.07] attached.): You are hereby required to appear and answer the complaint of CALIFORNIA BARREL COMPANY LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, plaintiff, filed with the clerk of the above-entitled court and county, within three months after the first publication of this summons, and to set forth what interest or lien, if any, you have in or upon that certain real property or any part thereof, situated in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, particularly described as follows: REAL PROPERTY, SITUATE IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COMPRISED OF SIX (6) PARCELS, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEING A PORTION OF PARCEL A, AS SAID PARCEL A IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN GRANT DEED RECORDED SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2016-K334613 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: PARCEL ONE BEING ALL OF MARYLAND STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET, SOUTHERLY 279 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID EASTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH SAID WESTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET, NORTHERLY 279 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL TWO BEING ALL OF LOUISIANA STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET, SOUTHERLY 279 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID EASTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH SAID WESTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET, NORTHERLY 279 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL THREE BEING A PORTION OF GEORGIA STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 1, AS SAID PARCEL 1 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO A POINT IN THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, SOUTHERLY 406.42 FEET TO THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 3, AS SAID PARCEL 3 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT QUIETING TITLE RECORDED MAY 26, 1960 IN BOOK A127 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, AT PAGE 596, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 3 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 18.79 FEET TO A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°10’16” WEST 125.39 FEET, AND 2) SOUTH 86°49’44” WEST 63.85 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID WESTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, NORTHERLY 271.42 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL FOUR BEING A PORTION OF MICHIGAN STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID MICHIGAN STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 2, AS SAID PARCEL 2 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, SOUTHERLY 157.42 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 4, AS SAID PARCEL 4 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT QUIETING TITLE RECORDED MAY 26, 1960 IN BOOK A127 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, AT PAGE 596, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 2 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°10’16” WEST 9.01 FEET, AND 2) SOUTH 86°49’44” WEST 11.12 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596); THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 6 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A POINT ON SAID WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), NORTH 03°41’19” WEST 143.4 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578), EASTERLY 18.62 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL FIVE BEING A PORTION OF HUMBOLDT STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET (33 FEET WIDE) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, AS SAID MICHIGAN STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 2, AS SAID PARCEL 2 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578), WESTERLY 18.62 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 2 (2001-G897578) AND THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°41’19” WEST 1.31 FEET, AND 2) NORTH 87°24’17” EAST 18.63 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, SOUTHERLY 1.12 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL SIX BEING A PORTION OF HUMBOLDT STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET (33 FEET WIDE) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, AS SAID GEORGIA STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 1, AS SAID PARCEL 1 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID PARCEL 1 (2001-G897578) AND THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE GEORGIA STREET, NORTHERLY 33 FEET TO THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF HUMBOLDT STREET, EASTERLY 80 FEET TO A POINT ON THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, SOUTHERLY 33 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCELS ONE THROUGH SIX BEING PORTIONS OF APN 4175-017. ATTACHED HERETO IS AN ILLUSTRATIVE INDEX MAP, AND BY THIS REFERENCE, MADE A PART HEREOF. And you are hereby notified that, unless you so appear and answer, the plaintiff will apply to the court for the relief demanded in the complaint, to wit: quiet title to the Property consistent with the legal description above, against all adverse claims of all claimants, known and unknown, as of the date the Complaint in this case was filed. Witness my hand and the seal of said court, DATE: MAR 11 2019 Clerk, By CAROLYN BALISTRERI, DEPUTY [SEAL], CLERK OF THE COURT Memorandum Disclosing Adverse Interest [CCP § 751.07] The following persons are said to claim an interest in, or lien upon, said property adverse to Plaintiff: 1. 1. PG&E, 245 Market Street, N10A, Room 1015, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, CA 94177; 2. City and County of San Francisco, Office of the City Attorney, Room 234, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102, 3. Trans Bay Cable LLC, One Letterman Drive, C5-100, San Francisco, CA 94129; 4. San Francisco Port Authority, Pier 1, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111; 5. California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the San Francisco Bay Region, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400, Oakland, CA 94612; 6. NRG Potrero LLC, c/o GenOn, 1360 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2000, Houston TX 77056 SUMMONS.indd 1

3/13/19 11:24 AM

<< Legals

16 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038508700

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038526500

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038534900

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038536700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOS YAQUIS, 324 S. VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SALVADOR AGUIRRE SORIA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/11/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/01/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: QIU’S JEWELRY & REPAIR, 833 MARKET ST #611, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ZHEN HUI QIU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/22/19.

FEB 21, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038505400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIRCH, 768 HAYES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TORRYNE CHOATE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/02/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/31/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038524400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AFFORDABLE HYDRO JETTING, 26 RIDGEWOOD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARTIN GALLARDO MACIAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/13/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038535600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CROSSXFADE PRODUCTIONS, 446 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TY MCKENZIE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/22/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038529800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ELAN FOR HAIR, 305 GRANT AVE, 5TH FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHEUNG ON NG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/19/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038529000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BREMAR CLEANING SERVICES, 4717 MISSION ST #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CONSUELO GONZALES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038530500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOVE SHACK; LOVE SHACK BY SPARC, 502 14TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed THE LOVE SHACK COOPERATIVE, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/20/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038502600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LITTLE OSSAI; OSSAI, 548 MARKET ST #15585, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PAPER CLIP INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/30/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038532500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMERICAN CORPORATE SERVICES, INC., ONE MARKET ST, SPEAR TOWER, 36TH FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AMERICAN CORPORATE SERVICES, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/16/01. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/21/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038529100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFORNIA HOUSING DEFENSE FUND, 1260 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CALIFORNIA RENTERS LEGAL ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION FUND (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038530000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ACAI R, 1130 OCEAN AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TANCHAN LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/19/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038534400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BARTLETT BRANDS, 84 MANGELS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed REBECCA BARTLETT LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/14/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/22/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GIOIA PIZZERIA, 579 HAYES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HAYES STREET PIZZA, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/15/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRAND BENJAMIN, 2848 WEBSTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BRAND BENJAMIN LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/25/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/25/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038509700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: I’M COMING OUT (ICO), 1020 FAIRFAX AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PROJECT LIFE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/04/19.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037230300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: GIOIA PIZZERIA, 2238 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by POLK STREET PIZZA, LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/25/16.

FEB 28, MAR 07, 14, 21, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038537300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PACIFIC HEMP, 10 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SERGIO GUEVARA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/25/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038541400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOLY FAMILY, 195 OTSEGO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAFAEL VARELA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/27/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/28/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038539600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUXE NAILS, 520 MONTGOMERY ST #M03, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed THANH LAM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/26/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038538200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COMIC BOOK BEARDIES, 2275 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DARIN SCOTT ANDREWS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038533400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: X & T TRADING, 619 HYDE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by: an individual, and is signed VICTOR HUNG LUONG NG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/21/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/21/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038540300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VOLKOV LAW OFFICE, 5840 GEARY BLVD #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALEKSANDR A. VOLKOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/27/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038539100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INFINITE TECH SERVICES, 105 MACDONALD AVE, DALY CITY, CA 94014. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALFREDO GOMEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/26/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038535700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RAMBUNCTIOUS GARDENS, 4108 MORAGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANA BETTERLY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/22/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/22/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038518200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BERNAL HEIGHTS CRYSTALS, 906 CORTLAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SAM YONKO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/08/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/08/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038529300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHEER SAN FRANCISCO, 584 CASTRO ST #307, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CHEER FOR LIFE FOUNDATION, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/04. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038545800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WINNING MEASURES, 400 MONTGOMERY ST, 7TH FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TERRIS BARNES WALTERS BOIGON HEATH, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/04/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038531100

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038553400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GO MOTION ENTERPRISE; KARTE BLANCHE, 854 44TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GO MOTION ENTERPRISE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/08/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HEALTHMAX MANGOSTEEN CIRCLE, 935 ULLOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RENELEE SO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/15/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038543700

MAR 21, 28 APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038558500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NOREN IZAKAYA, 1701 POWELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed H & K INVESTMENT GROUP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/19/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/20/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFORNIA STREET CANNABIS CO., 1398 CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DISPLEASED MARMOT LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/01/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038542300

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038551000

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038538700

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038547000

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038528302

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038549000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FISHTAIL MARKET, 352 TURK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LAXMI FINANCIAL INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/14/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/28/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ATLAS USA CONCRETE, 1183 SHAFTER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed USA HAULING (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/31/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/19. MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE CENTER SF CO-WORK AND EVENT SPACE; THE CENTER SF TEA HOUSE & EVENT SPACE; THE CENTER SF, 546 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SHIVAYA TCSF, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/19/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038539500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CROSSROAD PIZZERIA, 1596 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed UNIVERSAL CAFE OF DELICACIES (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/26/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/19.

MAR 07, 14, 21, 28, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554671

In the matter of the application of: RAUL ANTHONY, 1090 NATOMA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner RAUL ANTHONY, is requesting that the name RAUL ANTHONY, be changed to RAUL ANTHONY GOMEZ. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 18th of April 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038554200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DRAGONFLY PI, 180 STEUART ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAQUEL COHEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/06/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/11/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038550300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TIEN YUAN PLUMBING, 33233 LAKE GARRISON ST, FREMONT, CA 94555. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ZHUANG JU FANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/06/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/06/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038553600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROMANCING BRIDES OF THE 21ST CENTURY, 1535 EDDY ST #404, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSIE CASTLE HARRIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/08/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038543300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MI FAMILIA TAQUERIA, 1797 HAIGHT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAMIRO CARDENAS JR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/01/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28 APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038548100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MADE BY DELPHI, 128 ELLSWORTH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MATTHEW IRVING. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/12/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/05/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038550200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038563500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KALON SF, 49 KEARNY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed KALON INTERNATIONAL LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/15/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/07/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DOSE; DOSE HERE NOW, 540 BARNEVELD AVE, UNIT C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DOSE, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/31/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/04/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FIERY CAFE, 1316 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FIERY, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/05/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038554300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AWROOF!, LLC; DOG DAY AFTERNOONS, 2261 MARKET ST #188, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability partnership, and is signed PAUL TYRONE SMITH-CUNHA & RAFAEL GONCALVES CUNHA-SMITH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/06/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/11/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036675900

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: DOG DAY AFTERNOONS, 1708 FELL ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by SUZANNE EPSTEIN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/14/15.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554694

In the matter of the application of: KAORU OGURA, 40 MULLEN AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner KAORU OGURA, is requesting that the name KAORU OGURA, be changed to KAORU OGURA BULLARD. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 30th of April 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554697

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LEAN AND MEAN PRODUCTIONS, 885 25TH AVE #202, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LUCY HUDSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/13/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038561600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PROPEL REAL ESTATE GROUP, 555 GROVE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROGER PEREZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038560600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAY CITY SOUL PRODUCTIONS, 985 INNES AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARIA VICTORIA AHEARNE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/14/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038550700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUPER APPLIANCE REPAIR, 364 JOOST AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ILDAR TELYAKOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/06/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/06/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038557300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SOWL BOWLS THAI STREET FOOD, 138 6TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GLAGHOA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/12/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/12/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038556400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE LITTLE CHIHUAHUA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, 475 6TH ST K16, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TLC SOMA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/12/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038547800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRIPLE J LAUNDROMAT SF LLC, 517 O’FARRELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TRIPLE J LAUNDROMAT SF LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/05/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038565200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ANGELINA LEE, 588 SUTTER ST #333, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LUXE CAPITAL CONSULTING, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/18/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/18/19.

In the matter of the application of: MALAIKA MARIE DREBIN, 2009 DIVISADERO ST #3A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MALAIKA MARIE DREBIN, is requesting that the name MALAIKA MARIE DREBIN, be changed to MALAIKA MARIE DREBIN SMYTH. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 14th of May 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038564200

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554685

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038209800

In the matter of the application of: ADAM GERALD RAMADAN, C/O WENDY MARIE GIBSON, GIBSON LAW OFFICES, 394 BEL MARIN KEYS BLVD #3, NOVATO, CA 94949, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ADAM GERALD RAMADAN, is requesting that the name ADAM GERALD RAMADAN, be changed to ADAM GERALD STOCKWELL. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, on the 23rd of April 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038552700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRANS AMERICA REALTY, 30 SAN JOSE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARIO SANCHEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/08/19.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038565900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MENTAL WEALTH, 69 NORDHOFF ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed NAZNEEN ABDULLAH & MICHELLE MAGARRELL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/14/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/06/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLISSFUL HAIR SALON, 872 WASHINGTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed YONGHONG YU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/18/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/18/19.

MAR 14, 21, 28, APR 04, 2019

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JAMIN JANTZ, 15 KENWOOD WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FATHER GRAYBEARD LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/15/19.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: MIND YOUR VIBE, 1630 CALIFORNIA ST #407, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by KIMBERLY KHUNARAKSA. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/05/18.

MAR 21, 28, APR 04, 11, 2019

Nice basket

Hero worship

In transit

Actual size

Vol. 49 • No.12 • March 21-27, 2019

www.ebar.com/arts

Georgia O’Keeffe on their minds Matt Gray

by Philip Campbell

arch goes out like a lion, at least on the San Francisco music scene this year. Three concert events – a new opera, music of the avant-garde, and a debut series exploring music of promising composers and their influences – vie for attention as springtime approaches. See page 24 >>

PBS-TV

Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert plays Georgia O’Keeffe in the world premiere of Opera Parallèle’s “Today It Rains” at ZSpace in San Francisco.

South Bend’s rising star Pete Buttigieg by Tim Pfaff

ou can judge both the book and the subject by the cover of Pete Buttigieg’s new autobiography, “Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future” (Liveright). At 37, the out, gay-married, two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana is characteristically rolling up his sleeves, planning a run for President in 2020. See page 18 >>

South Bend, Indiana mayor and author Pete Buttigieg.

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

<< Out There

18 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Books unshelved

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R SSH A R L A U L C U A F. TAC C T E C – Kacey P E S P S

ooks tend to pile up on the Arts desk. We read some of them, we give some of them to writers to review, and sadly, pumpkins, some we may never get to at all. Them’s just the breaks. But here are some interesting volumes worth calling attention to, with attendant squibs. “In the City by the Lake” by Taylor Saracen (13RedMedia). A 21-year-old closeted mobster lives in late-1920s/early-30s Chicago. A so-called “Pansy Craze” centers on the gay clubs in so-called Towertown. “The Night Swimmers” by Peter Rock (Soho). Autobiographical novel re-imagines the author’s Wisconsin youth. “Outrages – Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love” by Naomi Wolf (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; June). How 19th-century English critic John Addington Symonds wrote about “sexual inversion” influenced our modern understanding of homosexuality. Wolf writes about Symonds’ secret memoir, “rightfully understood as one of the first gay rights manifestoes in the West.” “Headcase – LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Awareness” edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano (Oxford Univ. Press). Personal essays, poems and visual artwork. “Instructions for a Funeral,” stories by David Means (FSG). Fiction originally published in The New

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Yorker, Harper’s, The Paris Review and Vice. “Gay Sunrise – Writing Gay Liberation in San Francisco 1968-1972” edited by James Mitchell (Ithuriel’s Spear). San Francisco-based poets who wrote about gay male sexuality before the gay publishing boom. The title is a nod to publisher Winston Leyland’s contemporaneous “Gay Sunshine” press. “Correspondents” by Tim Murphy (Grove Press; May). Family saga by the Brooklyn-based author of “Christodora” follows the daughter of an Irish-Lebanese clan in Massachusetts. “The City in the Middle of the Night” by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor). Speculative fiction set on a dying planet other than ours. “Sugar Run” by Mesha Maren (Algonquin Books). Atmospheric

debut novel set in rural West Virginia. “Daughter of Moloka’i” by Alan Brennert (St. Martin’s Press). A reunion follows racist internment at the Manzanar Relocation Camp. “Ben Hecht – Fighting Words, Moving Pictures” by Adina Hoffman (Yale Univ. Press). Biography of a great American screenwriter (“Scarface,” “Notorious”), part of Yale’s excellent “Jewish Lives” series. “Virginia Woolf in Manhattan” by Maggie Gee (Fentum Press). The great feminist novelist comes back to life (and culture shock) in present-day NYC. “I Used To Be a Miserable F*ck” by John Kim (Harper One). Subtitled “An Everyman’s Guide to a Meaningful Life,” from the author who self-describes as “Angry Therapist.” “Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl” by Andrea Lawlor (Vintage; April). Gender-bending homage to Woolf ’s “Orlando,” originally published in 2017, gets reprint.t

up for active duty in Afghanistan for nine months during his mayorship. A pitch-perfect example of his humor is his report that when he enlisted, his minor in Arabic was recorded as aerobics instruction, and left uncorrected by him. Because of the Arabic and the skills he picked up in what he called an “unforgiving” two-year Rhodes Scholarship in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) at Oxford – where he learned the practical value of precision thinking and the application of finely honed data – in Kabul he spent as much time in Humvees (an Indiana product) than behind computers. He notes that if he were elected, he would be the first president since George H.W. Bush to have served. At McKinsey and Company he learned both to crunch really big numbers and to see them bigpicture. A humbling defeat in a run for state treasurer became his boot camp in politics, followed by his equally unlikely win as mayor, at 29, in 2011.

The book never drags, but the richest stuff takes place in South Bend. Dealing with everything from potholes to an all-too-typically crumbling Midwestern downtown, with assistance he acknowledges, he turned the city around. A vital first link with the neighboring University of Notre Dame came by way of a mutual project to devise a modern, data-driven wastewater management system for South Bend. There must be some Mark Twain in Buttigieg, too, because he narrates both the grind and the symbolic pomp of mayorhood with the lure of a fireside tale. He took it as a civic duty to play the solo piano part in “Rhapsody in Blue” with the town orchestra. He says that, such as there were rumors about his sexuality, they were that he might be asexual. “Inconveniently,” he writes good-naturedly, while running for his second term for mayor – in Governor Mike Spence’s Indiana, recently ostracized by much of the country for Pence’s blatant antiLGBT legislation – it was also time for him to come out publicly, to have a life. He won with 80% of the vote. The sections on coming out, meeting and marrying his partner Chasten are the book’s warmest. “Like South Bend in 2011, the Democratic Party in 2016 was in need of a fresh start,” he writes in a book that’s almost polemicsfree. “Many of the party’s greatest weaknesses were in areas where it seemed I was uniquely able to help. The party was struggling to engage young people, it was out of step with areas like the industrial Midwest, and it was failing to prioritize the hard work of government and party-building at the state and local levels. Who better than a millennial, Midwestern mayor to try to guide the party in in a better direction?”t

Pete Buttigieg

From page 17

In a CNN Town Hall on Sunday, March 9, Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-edge-edge, in three elided syllables) arrived onstage with his sleeves rolled up and regularly got up out of his chair to answer audience questions, despite Jake Tapper’s nagging him to sit down. His galvanizing performance netted him an immediate $600,000 in donations and drew jawdropping responses on Twitter from high-level political operatives and gay literary luminaries alike. Most important, he left an audience of ordinary Americans agog at the clarity, depth, candor and composure of his answers. Hearing clear-headed, concrete, slogan-free political thought without dodging or hesitation and in complete grammatical sentences with abundant warm humor and palpable hope hit his audience like a drug and a salve. He allowed that if it hadn’t been for politics, he’d probably have been a novelist, naming James Joyce (the book’s title comes from Joyce) as a favorite. His writing has that same pretention-free mastery. The nerdy son of English teachers, he left home (not angrily) to explore the world, ultimately to find his way back to a life that fulfilled him while vigorously erasing his town’s name from the list of America’s failed cities. Yet more interesting than his adventures is his take on them. As an undergraduate at Harvard, looking at pictures of the illustrious alumni, it occurred to him that it would once have been Ivy Leaguers’ privilege to serve in the military: JFK, PT-109 and all. Service brought them elbow-to-elbow with their actual fellow Americans. So Buttigieg enlisted in the Naval Reserve, where he rose to lieutenant and was called

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<< Theatre

20 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Golden stage warrior by Jim Gladstone

auren Yee, shooting for twooo! The native San Franciscan playwright has had a winning streak on home turf this winter, with major productions of both her loose, kooky “King of the Yees,” which recently ended a run at the San Francisco Playhouse, and her basketballthemed drama “The Great Leap,” which opened last week in an ACT production at the Geary Theater. While neither play is an unequivocal slam dunk, both are enormously entertaining showcases for Yee’s thrilling agility and willingness to make unexpected moves. Where “King of the Yees” was full of affable, ragtag Globetrotter clowning, the truly globetrotting “Great Leap” arrives with a tighter game plan. Between Yee’s streamlined fusion of international intrigue, family secrets and underdog sports story; director Lisa Peterson’s sleek, fleetfooted staging (with critical assists from projection, sound and scenic designers Hana S. Kim, Jake Rodriguez, and Robert Brill); and the casting of well-known BD Wong in a leading role, this production has pro-ball polish. The story, which bounces between 1971 and 1989, coalesces around a pair of Beijing encounters between Wen Chang (Wong), a Chinese intellectual “reeducated” in a labor camp as part of Mao

Kevin Berne

Wen Chang (BD Wong) prepares for the big game in Lauren Yee’s “The Great Leap,” now playing A.C.T.’s Geary Theater.

Zedong’s Great Leap Forward; and Saul Slezak (Arye Gross), Bronxborn coach of the University of San Francisco hoops team. In their first meeting Chang, who has studied English, is assigned to shadow Saul, who speaks trash-talk and urban Yiddish, as the American runs a cultural exchange training camp for Chinese ballplayers.

To Chang’s initial discomfort, Saul encourages aggressive moves on the court, including bold physicality and psychological intimidation. Saul also encourages social aggression, helping set Chang up to become the coach of the Beijing University team and pushing him to flirt with the star of a Chinese women’s squad. As slightly over-

played by the very funny Gross, Saul seems almost too ugly an American to influence Chang. But, while apprehensive, the quietly ambitious Beijinger has an unexpected openness toward Western ways. Under the eye of the party apparatus, Chang needs to keep his feelings and opinions close to the vest. But Wong makes the most of the play’s least showy role, pivoting on occasion to directly address the audience and slyly tease out subtexts. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” notes Chang, cheekily quoting Dickens – a favorite of his from university – to describe the dilemmas faced by a rising young member of the Communist regime assigned to crib strategies from an American he’s officially supposed to loathe. Playwright Yee reveals her own affection for the Dickensian in a story that grows ever twistier through a series of coincidences revealed to have taken place between Saul’s early mentorship of Chang and the none-too-friendly Beijing U. vs. U.S.F. “friendship match” that provides the show’s second-act climax. At the center (well, point guard) of these unlikely developments is “The Great Leap”’s third major character, the fatherless orphan Manford Lum. (Ruibo Qian brings a spirited tenderness to her role as Lum’s neighbor Connie, but the script gives her little to do.)

Played with headlong adolescent energy by a sputtering, utterly believable Tim Liu, Lum, a Galileo High School senior and Chinatown streetballer of some renown, puts a full-court press on Coach Saul to let him join the U.S.F. team and travel to China for the big game. Liu’s characterization is so credibly cocky that you may be inclined to give Yee a pass on letting the kid wear down the coach. But it’s tough to entirely overlook the extent to which she gins up the plot. While her Beijing-SF tale of two cities provides plenty of fodder for cultural and generational conflict, Yee too giddily leads “The Great Leap” into “Great Expectations” territory in Act II, gunning her way through revelations of a long-hidden photograph, a secret paternity, and the confluence of meager little lives with the sweep of history. Yee’s playbook here is so carefully mapped, so perfectly programmed, that “The Great Leap” ends up leaning a bit more toward an NBA2K video game than a flesh-and-blood pulse-pounder. Still, after a second half jam-packed with flashy maneuvers and near-unbelievable turnarounds, audience members will feel happily exhausted.t

into the American dream with his sandwich franchise; a customer who berates the restaurant’s underpaid, underacknowledged staff for outof-stock ingredients, as if the hourly workers have any agency in the matter; an “if you dream it, you can do it” figment of Sheri’s youthfully optimistic imagination; and a representative from corporate headquarters who turns out to hate his job as much as any of the shop workers. None of the characters is played as a stock type. With an arsenal of eyerolls, pained grimaces and defiant postures, Espino reveals a depth of desperation beneath Jamie’s superficial sass and sexual bravado. Stout’s Ted has lost his identity along his career path, and is wracked with palpable shame, his arms chugging like pistons at his sides, a would-be workhorse already out to pasture. DeGroot’s Sheri, who often sleeps in her car between jobs, slowly awakens over the course of the play, her initial blank expression tightening into determination and motivation as she unravels the scam her crew is caught up in, and improvises a temporary way out. Given its format, “American Hero” evokes situation comedies

from “Alice” to “Superstore,” but a more apt television precedent can be found in the best of “Saturday Night Live.” The show plays like one of SNL’s character-driven food-service sketches (Belushi and Akroyd in “Cheeburger, Cheeburger,” or Timberlake in “Bring It On Down to Veganville”) infused with enough of the sociopolitical humor of “Weekend Update” to justify its length. Wohl’s writing, as in many SNL sketches, is much more focused on character, dialogue and overall conceit than plotting. While altogether enjoyable, “American Hero” struggles to reach a resolution, stuttering from a fantasy sequence to a far-fetched plot twist to a final dollop of sentiment, as out-of-place in this satire as literal schmaltz at a Subway. Still, Custom Made’s production offers plenty of meat to chew on, with a relative minimum of cheese. The intersection of Subway and the American way makes for a funny play with a lingering stink.t

The Great Leap, through March 31 at ACT’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., SF. Tickets ($15-$110): (415) 7492228, www.act-sf.org.

Custom Made on a roll by Jim Gladstone

ubway is American-grown durian. Pass by any one of the Connecticut-based sandwich chain’s 42,000 international outlets and you’ll inhale an indescribable odor. Some find it mouthwatering, others find it bile-raising. I’m die-hard Team Retch here, and I can only assume playwright Bess Wohl is, too, given the deliciously malicious spin she gives the fast-foodery in her comedy “American Hero,” now in director Allie Moss’ funny, fine-grained production at the Custom Made Theatre Company. The stench Wohl (“Small Mouth Sounds”) focuses on in her script is less olfactory than factory-

like: “American Hero” captures the monotonous dead-end jobs and associated disrespect so much of the workforce is asked to accept in today’s U.S. economy. The one-act, 90-minute show takes place entirely in a brand-new Toasty Torpedoes location (set designer Heather Kenyon leaves no question about her model), following three employees through their training, the shop’s not-so-grand opening and several weeks of nose-diving business after management goes AWOL. That Moss and her superb cast of four are able to elicit so many genuine laughs from Wohl’s squalid scenario without making fun of the poor souls at its center or veering too far into the maudlin is no mean feat.

The hapless co-workers are Sheri (Devon deGroot), an ingenuous 18-year-old high school grad for whom the sub shop is a second fast-food job, supplementing an across-the-mall gig at El Taco; Jamie (Laura Espino), a divorced mother who needs to be employed to stand a chance in her custody battle; and Ted (Paul Stout), a laid-off whitecollar middle manager torn between near-suicidal disillusionment and unwarranted, cheerleading faith in corporate culture. The cast is rounded out by the wonderful, elastic-faced David Boyll in four distinctly played roles, each of which captures a different flavor of naivete: Bob, an Eastern European immigrant who believes he’s buying

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<< DVD

22 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Bogey & Baby do BluRay by Tavo Amador

he American Film Institute named Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) the #1 male legend of the 20th Century. Would he be so admiringly remembered if he hadn’t made the transition from gangster and character parts to romantic leads? Probably not. That transition was improbable. He lacked classic movie star looks, was barely of average height, wore a toupee, and was far from buffed. It happened in part because he developed an image of authenticity, and because a few beautiful actresses convinced women audiences that his onscreen integrity made him desirable. Straight males didn’t find him threatening. Most gay men were unconvinced of his sex appeal, which underscores the oftendifferent ways we see men from how women see them. Those views can converge: during the studio era, they did for Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn, Gregory Peck, and Rock Hudson, among others. In his most famous film, “Casablanca” (1942), a radiant Ingrid Bergman made audiences believe that the cynical but honorable Rick Blaine (Bogart) was her great love. In 1944, a breathtaking Lauren Bacall (1924-2014) burst on the screen to cement Bogart’s romantic appeal, bolstered by their real-life marriage. The four films they made together have been released as “Bogart & Bacall: The Complete Collection”

in a BluRay edition taken from the Warner Archives. In Howard Hawks’ splendid “To Have and Have Not” (1944), based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel, Bogart is a quietly heroic Caribbean fisherman helping the French Resistance during WWII. Bacall, an ex-model with almost no acting experience, created a sensation playing a singer, asking Bogart if he knew how to whistle. She was more than gorgeous and sexy, she suggested intelligence, courage, and resourcefulness. It was also clear she was crazy about him. Critics exhausted superlatives in praising her. After her failure in 1945’s “Confidential Agent,” Warners rushed her back to Hawks and Bogart in “The Big Sleep” (1946), a brilliant noir. Bogart is Raymond Chandler’s detective Philip Marlowe. Bacall is Vivian Rutledge, the enigmatic

daughter of a wealthy L.A. recluse. She’s smart, more cynical than Marlowe, possibly a killer, and magnetic. Despite a screenplay by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, and Jules Furthman, the plot makes no sense, but it hardly matters. Bacall isn’t the only beauty falling for Bogart’s Marlowe. He visits a bookstore run by Dorothy Malone. She responds by lowering the shades, locking the door, and offering him a quickie. Delmar Daves’ S.F.-set “Dark Passage” (1947) casts Bogart as an escaped convict unjustly convicted of murdering his wife. Viewers first see him with his face completely bandaged from plastic surgery to change his appearance. When the tape comes off, he looks like – Humphrey Bogart! Bacall is the young, sympathetic beauty who helps him prove his innocence. With Agnes Moorehead as a nosey neighbor who dies memorably. Fascinating location footage shows how much Bagdad by the Bay has changed in seven decades. Daves adapted David Goodis’ novel. Their final pairing was in John Huston’s “Key Largo” (1948), based on Maxwell Anderson’s play. Bacall is Nora Temple, a widow whose husband died in WWII. She’s living with her father-in-law (Lionel Barrymore) in his resort hotel. Frank McCloud (Bogart) is an army buddy of Nora’s husband who comes to visit. He finds that a vicious gangster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G.

Robinson), has commandeered the place. Also present is Rocco’s alcoholic mistress Gaye Dawn (!) (Claire Trevor). A hurricane threatens to destroy the hotel, unless the inside conflict does so first. Robinson dominates, though Bogart is good. Bacall’s beauty nearly conceals that she hasn’t much to do. Trevor won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her bathetic drunk, at one point bullied by Rocco into singing “Moanin’ Low” in exchange for a drink. With Thomas Gomez, who chews scenery as passionately as Barrymore. Screenplay by Huston and Richard Brooks. After “To Have and Have Not,” Bogart played dangerous men in “The Two Mrs. Carrolls” (1947), “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” (1948), “In a Lonely Place” (1950), “The Caine Mutiny” (1954, his best performance), and “The Desperate Hours” (1955). But he also had sympathetic parts, including his Oscar-winning sentimental drunk riverboat captain opposite Katharine Hepburn in 1951’s “The African Queen,” and his courageous newspaper editor in “Deadline, USA” (1952). He had another romantic lead in “Sabrina” (1954), where the luminous Audrey Hepburn made audiences believe she preferred his gruff, wealthy businessman over his younger, hunky brother (William Holden). Bacall had a distinguished career of her own, ranked by the AFI as the 20th greatest female legend of the 20th Century. Despite her looks,

she rarely played femme fatales. Her most memorable movies without Bogart include Jean Negulesco’s funny “How To Marry a Millionaire” (1953), which she steals from Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable; Douglas Sirk’s melodrama “Written on the Wind,” with Hudson, and Malone in the Oscar-winning temptress role; and Vincente Minnelli’s romantic comedy “Designing Woman,” opposite Peck (1957). After Bogart’s death, she returned to her native Manhattan, made “Harper” (1966) with Paul Newman as a cynical private eye, and the immensely successful “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974). She established herself on Broadway, winning Tony Awards for Best Actress in a musical for “Applause” based on 1950’s “All About Eve,” in which she played Margo Channing; and “Woman of the Year,” in Hepburn’s 1942 role. She appeared in a great deal of TV, including an acclaimed 1955 live production of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” with him and Claudette Colbert, very funny as Carlotta Vance in “Dinner at Eight” (1989), and touching in “Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke” (1999). In 1996, she got her only Academy Award nomination, as Barbra Streisand’s mother in “The Mirror Has Two Faces,” surviving that monumental vanity production. In 2010, the Academy gave her a lifetime achievement Oscar. Her death was headline news around the world.t

Forbidden desires inflamed onscreen by Brian Bromberger

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avid Thomson, who lives and teaches in San Francisco, has been called the best writer on film in English, having authored almost 30 books on the subject, from biographies to chronicles about Hollywood. A bit of a maverick, he can’t be called a film critic or film historian in the traditional sense. He’s more an essayist who marries his own personal opinions of film with his formidable knowledge of the medium. Thus his offbeat themes are rarely stated straightforwardly and must be teased out of the meandering text, which can make reading him laborious, as he can cite three or four references in one sentence to bolster idiosyncratic speculations. “Sleeping with Strangers” is classic Thompson, exhibiting his gifts and liabilities. Originally, “Sleeping” was slated to be a book about the history of gayness in films, despite Thomson being straight. But during the writing, the #MeToo movement erupted, and Thomson expanded the book to include male privilege and Hollywood female exploitation. The final version feels like two incomplete works sculpted into one. He explores how movies have influenced our ideas about love, how the erotic life of films shapes our own understanding of desire, introducing “the masses to sex as pleasure.” Thomson claims movies mold their audience into escape artists (from harsh reality) and voyeurs, as we fall in love with stars who act out fantasies we’re often too fearful of pursuing in real life, “sleeping with strangers in our heads,” captivating us with the forbidden. Thomson uses desire as a way of understanding the world, transforming our sense of self and possi-

bility. To his detriment, he conflates trans, bisexuality, kinky straight sexuality, all under the gay banner. So in his introduction he writes, “There’s a gayness in this medium that we’re never going to shrug off, an attitude that says you can make do with sex – it’s great – but don’t fall for the whole construct of romance, marriage, being happy, and buying the package.” The more apt word to describe this approach is queer, an all-encompassing term for people or concepts outside the heterosexual mainstream. It disrupts binary thinking about gender or sexual identity, constructed through cultural standards that differ according to time and place. To his credit, Thomson asserts straight people need to learn from gay experience, even if it means subverting conventional ideas about romance. So the book depicts graphic examples of teasing out a gay (but really queer) subtext that always existed in seemingly straight films but remained unnoticed. We read about the gay subculture in the Golden Age of Hollywood, with directors George Cukor and James Whale as prime exemplars, assisted by gossip columnists and the studios when the not-always-straight stars went astray; how Westerns embodied a coded bond between cowboys and their buddies; and how “Bonnie and Clyde” implies Clyde may be gay, but can’t admit it outright. We also get profiles and sexual gossip about Rudolph Valentino, costume designer Travis Banton, Jean Harlow, Montgomery Clift, Dirk Bogarde, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, and Rock Hudson. Some of these explorations succeed better than others, but none of them will be buzzworthy to the LGBT reader, who will recognize most of these revelations as old news. Vito Russo’s “The Celluloid Closet” made similar observations over 35 years ago, in a more direct and entertaining fashion.

Ultimately, “Sleeping with Strangers,” though well-intentioned, is unsatisfying. Thomson comes perilously close to portraying Hollywood in its heyday as a gay mecca, which might’ve been true for people behind the camera (as long as they didn’t provoke scandal) but certainly not for those in front of the lens. He almost glorifies the Production Code, suggesting that censored restraint accentuated desire. This is partially true, but so much was excluded, especially LGBT people and their experiences. Some comments are outright sexist. Thomson alleges that 16-year-old Natalie Wood secured her role in “Rebel Without a Cause” by sleeping with the (bisexual) director Nicholas Ray, justifying statutory rape. He makes a veiled defense of his close friend director James Toback, who sexually harassed or assaulted hundreds of women (which he denies), but “now is on the road back with a new project and has lost 60 pounds.” His thesis that the male gaze in the form of lust is the raison d’etre for movies is dubious, with scant content about women’s films or female views. There are a few nuggets of wisdom here (i.e., that the men in Martin Scorsese’s films are more interested in each other than they are with women), but making the effort to find them is questionable.t

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 23

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arm” (dBpm), the first proper solo album of all original material by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fame, is the kind of musical project that will please his fans. As personal as it is universal, the sincerity of the 11 songs on “Warm” generates a welcome ardor similar to what we heard Kacey Musgraves do on her lauded “Golden Hour” album. Even the most removed listener can’t help but be moved by the exquisite “How Hard It Is for a Desert To Die,” “How Will I Find You?” and the John Lennon-esque “Bombs Above.” Tweedy also breaks up the serious nature of the album with the subtle humor of “Don’t Forget” and storm-beckoning “Let’s Go Rain.” One of the original founding members of the Australian band The Go-Betweens (“Streets of Your Town”), Robert Forster has been releasing solo albums for nearly 20 years. His latest, “Inferno” (Tapete), is a welcome addition to his canon. The songs nicely alternate between sunny pop numbers such as the irresistible “Inferno (Brisbane in Summer),” “I’m Gonna Tell It” (which sounds like a long lost Velvet Underground song) and “Life Has Turned a Page” (Forster’s wife Karin Bäumler provides backing vocals), and mood pieces “I’ll Look After You” and “One Bird in the Sky.” Solo albums have long been a productive way for musicians to stretch muscles that may be otherwise sitting dormant. “Elastic Days” (Sub Pop) by legendary Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis is a good example. An audible departure from Dinosaur Jr.’s trademark alternative rock crunch, its dozen songs are mellow and electrically charged without being washed out. Highlights include “See You at the Movies,” “Picking Out the Seeds,” the subtle twang of “I Went Dust,” and the title track. If you don’t immediately recognize the name Nat Freedberg, perhaps you know him better as Lord Bendover from rock novelty act The Upper Crust. Dressed in 18th-century period attire and powdered wigs, The Upper Crust was in on the joke as they played a style of rock that combined metal, glam and a heavy dose of camp. For Freedberg’s solo album “Better Late

Than Never” (Rum Bar), featuring “love songs, sad songs, songs about the devil,” he is joined by a stellar line-up of Boston musicians, and rocks us to our core on “I Think I Died and Went to Heaven,” “Queen for a Day” and “Heavy Metal Cow.” Known for leading blistering garage rock acts including Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Boss Hog and Heavy Trash, Jon Spencer steps out on his own on “Spencer Sings the Hits” (In the Red). Fear not, Spencer doesn’t veer too far from his trademark scuzzy fuzz rock on the album’s 12 songs including “Time 2 Be Bad,” “Alien Humidity” and “Love Handle.” When you stop to think about it, a lot of cool bands have roots in Ohio. Devo, Pretenders, Pere Ubu, The Black Keys and Afghan Whigs, all have connections to the Buckeye State. One of the best was The Waitresses, known for “I Know What Boys Like,” “No Guilt,” “Christmas Wrapping” and the theme song to the early 1980s Sarah Jessica Parker sitcom “Square Pegs.” Chris Butler, The Waitresses’ leader and main songwriter, has continued making music since the band broke up, and “Got It Together” (Future Fossil) is his latest. You can definitely hear traces of The Waitresses’ delicious wit throughout the album’s 16 songs, including three demo recordings. Formerly of Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, Andrew McMahon has been making piano-driven pop music as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness since 2014. The first few songs on his new album “Upside Down Flowers” (Fantasy/Crush) set the tone with their personal lyrics. McMahon knows firsthand what he’s singing about on opener “Teenage Rockstars.” In “Blue Vacation,” McMahon sings about needing “a place to raise my daughter,” perhaps on a “private island.” He sings like a person with “mouths to feed” (“Paper Rain”). “Sunlight Tonight” (Normaltown) is the solo debut album by Parker Gispert of Georgian band The Whigs. With the exception of “Is It 9?,” the album is a much less raucous affair than you might expect from the frontman of The Whigs. The gorgeous “Magnolia Sunrise” even features a lovely string section.t

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<< Theatre

24 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Crimes of the ivory tower by Jim Gladstone

“A

ctually” angered me. Opening night of the Aurora Theatre Company’s production of this disturbing, two-actor take on campus sexual assault came quick on the heels of last week’s revelation of admissions scandals, increasing my current disgust with the bureaucracy and sophistry of elite academia. Anna Ziegler’s knotty drama, tautly directed by Tracy Ward, centers on the moral and perceptual ambiguities that arise during a Princeton University disciplinary hearing: Freshman Amber (Ella Dershowitz) says her classmate, Tom (Michael A. Curry), has raped her. The hearing, before a faculty panel, takes place in a seminar room where, in David Allen one of the characters’ many Michael A. Curry (left) and Ella Dershowitz in direct statements to the audi“Actually” at the Aurora Theatre. ence, Tom recalls participating in a class debate a few weeks

earlier, during which “I started to agree with the other side, just because they weren’t so annoying.” That’s a feeling audience members are likely to struggle with, too. You’ll aspire to fairly considering each character’s account of events before coming to your own conclusion. But Amber is written as such a needy, babbling, insecure and immature young woman that your own annoyance may sway you. Dershowitz’s vanity-free playing of the role is excruciatingly convincing. Tom, on the other hand, is a sensitive, self-possessed scholarship student. Black and raised by a single mother, he plays

classical piano and forms a fast, open-minded friendship with a gay Indian-American classmate. Played by Curry with just the right blend of swagger and sweetness, he’s the kind of guy who, it may occur to you, gets accused of a crime he didn’t commit by the neurotic, privileged Jewish girl in this sort of story. But Ziegler knows the same stereotypes you do and has great fun setting expectations spinning. Her sharp, fragmented dialogue and genuinely poignant character backstories accrete and evolve. Consider the early death of Amber’s father, her bitterly critical mother, her binge-drinking; Tom’s violent streak, his mother’s cancer diagnosis, his sense of a constant, critical white gaze. Because the two characters are written and performed with such impressive complexity, the “he said, she said” aspect of “Actually” is fascinating. But the “they judge” aspect is infuriating. Even as they contradict each other during the hearing,

both Amber and Tom remark on the strangeness of their case being decided by professors. The fact that universities are able to quietly operate their own de facto legal systems, meting out academically oriented punishments (expulsion, suspension) for possibly criminal activity, speaks to a repugnant institutional arrogance. It prioritizes a school’s protecting its reputation over protecting its students. In the world portrayed by “Actually” – a world in which both playwright and audience are somewhat complicit – the parsing of meaning, excavating of subtext and interpretation of symbols become more compelling than the pursuit of justice. At the end of the play’s 90 minutes, rape seems less a violent act of crime than an abstraction for intellectual debate.t Actually, through May 5 at the Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. Tickets ($35-$70): (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org.

Fleeing Fascism in Europe by David Lamble

ith “Transit,” opening Friday, acclaimed German director Christian Petzold completes a trilogy of films that’s not for everyone. As with earlier entries “Phoenix” and “Barbara,” “Transit” builds slowly on European memories of the Nazi era, when desperate people would do anything to escape present-day horrors. Don’t come late to this one or you’ll be lost in a fog of art-house nostalgia where your mind keeps racing back to better films on the same subject. Yes, I do mean “Casablanca.” In “Transit” we meet the charming if slippery Georg (Franz Rogowski).

Today’s Europe has reverted to the plot of “Casablanca,” where an exit visa allows the desperate to reach safe shores. Preparing to flee France in the wake of the Nazi invasion, Georg takes over the identity of a dead author whose papers he possesses. Trapped in Marseilles, he encounters a young woman eager to find her missing husband, the very man Georg is impersonating. Petzold carves “Transit” out of a 1944 novel by Anna Seghers. The director explained his thinking on iMDB. “The transit space described by Anna Seghers in her book is a horizontal space, a geographical space, the space between Europe and the U.S. They are in the port

Since 1977

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March music

From page 17

Innovative Opera Parallele presents the world premiere of “Today It Rains,” based on an event in the life of painter Georgia O’Keeffe, March 28-31 at Z Space in SF. OP’s founder and artistic director Nicole Paiement and creative director Brian Staufenbiel, in partnership with American Opera Projects (AOP), co-produce the new chamber opera with music by Laura Kaminsky, libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed (based on an original idea by Campbell) and projection design by Reed. Accompanying events starting March 27 include an exhibition, artist talks, interactive activities, food and drink, and additional music and entertainment celebrating creative Bay Area mavericks inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. The opera’s intriguing premise derives from a train ride O’Keeffe took in 1929 with her friend and fellow artist Rebecca Strand from New York to Santa Fe. O’Keeffe’s personal journey, traveling three days and finding an epiphany in the Southwestern landscape, examines her exasperating love relationship

city, thus in the space between the land where we are and the sea we want to travel over. So it’s not people from the past that are ghosts, it is we who are ghost-like.” Like the first film of Petzold’s trilogy, “Barbara” set in East Germany, “Transit” is most powerful emotionally during sequences where the main character puts his own grief and confusion on hold to look after a small boy in need of a substitute dad. It’s most affecting when Georg takes a fatherly interest in the soccer-loving imp Driss. With Paula Beer (Marie), Godehard Giese (Richard) and Lilien Batman (Driss). In German, French and French sign language, with English subtitles.t

with husband photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and her need for fresh artistic inspiration. Composer Kaminsky illustrates the exhaustive research of librettists Campbell and Reed with music colored by popular tunes of the day and a palette ranging from 19th-century German Romantics to American folk and blues, and Native American music of New Mexico. Nicole Paiement conducts an ensemble of 19 singers and instrumentalists to re-create a pivotal moment in the iconic artist’s life and reflect on the universal issues it raises. www. operaparallele.org Other Minds Festival 24, Sat., March 23, at the Wilsey Center Taube Atrium Theater in San Francisco, is dedicated to rarely heard string chamber works of Franco-Russian microtonal composer Ivan Wyschnegradsky (1893-1979). Arditti Quartet of London, champion of his music and collaborators with many great 20th and 21st century composers, presents a program of U.S. premieres that includes String Quartet No. 2 by living composer Georg Friedrich Haas, an admirer of Wyschnegradsky and a radical proponent of experimentation with sound himself. Wyschnegradsky’s music may be challenging, but genial Other Minds artistic director Charles Amirkhanian has wanted to bring it to the U.S. ever since they met in Paris in 1972. The synesthesia (perceptual phenomenon) experienced by composer Alexander Scriabin – coordination of color and sound, mysticism, and the exploration of new harmonies – was an early influence on Wyschnegradsky. Later considered one of the founding fathers of microtonal composition and theory, but mostly

Music Box Films

Georg (Franz Rogowski) and Marie (Paula Beer) in director Christian Petzold’s “Transit.”

overlooked to this day, the neglected composer has finally found his way to the U.S. With supporters like Amirkhanian and the Arditti Quartet, he should fit right in with Other Minds. www.otherminds.org Bard Music West launches a new concert series, “Bard Music West Plays: Games and Revolutions” March 28-31 at four regional sites, starting Thurs., March 28, at Center

Bard Music West

Works by composers Danny Clay (above) and Gabriella Smith (below) will be featured in “Bard Music West Plays: Games and Revolutions” at Center for New Music in SF.

for New Music, 55 Taylor St., SF. Featuring two young composers with Bay Area connections, Danny Clay and Gabriella Smith, the program explores their music and inspirations from children’s games to Joseph Haydn. Co-curating with Bard Music West artistic directors Allegra Chapman and Laura Gaynon, they put forward works for inclusion with their own. The composers will be present at almost all of the performances for conversations with the audience. “Games and Revolutions” questions the nature of music and looks for new ways to create and present it. Jessica Chang, viola; Allegra Chapman, piano and toy piano; violinists Melanie Clapies and Zenas Hsu; cellist Laura Gaynon; and percussionist Mika Nakamura perform pieces by Danny Clay, Phyllis Chen, and Stephen Montague for toy piano, toy piano with music box, and toy piano with string quartet. Gabriela Smith’s “Carrot Revolution” for string quartet and “Anthozoa” for violin, cello, percussion, and piano are on a trim 70-minute program, which includes Haydn’s String Quartet in A Major, Op. 20, No. 6. Admission costs vary at different venues from $5 student to $15 general, “Pay what you can, suggested minimum of $15,” and “Free with museum admission” at a Saturday matinee March 30 at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Bard Music West and its talented participating artists want to make it fun, interesting, and affordable. Previous encounters have proved their mission works.t Info: www.bardmusicwest.org

Nightlife Events

Arts Events

Shining Stars

www.ebar.com

Vol. 49 • No. 12 • March 21-27, 2019

Couple cuisine Husbands That Cook author/chefs by Jim Gladstone

n September 2016, Los Angeles couple Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin received the unexpected phone call that’s ultimately led the creative couple to a new career path together. “It was a literary agent,” explained Merrin during a recent interview. “She wanted to know if we’d be interested in doing a cookbook.” See page 27 >>

Husbands That Cook author/chefs Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin.

Georg Lester

A dancer at Divas nightclub.

Blow Buddies building up for sale Divas bar to close by David-Elijah Nahmod

ivas nightclub, one of the last vestiges from the days when Polk Street was a major gay hangout, will close its doors at the end of March. For many years Divas, (at 1081 Post Street), has been a safe space for transgender women, their friends and admirers, though it also became known as a place where prostitutes plied their trade. See page 26 >>

by David-Elijah Nahmod

low Buddies, a private gay sex club that’s operated in South of Market since 1988, could be in danger of closure. The owner is trying to sell the building, which is located at 933 Harrison Street. See page 26 >>

Dean Johnson and Cliff Parker in one of many gay porn videos shot at Blow Buddies.

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

@LGBTSF

@eBARnews

<< Divas

26 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Georg Lester

Happy hour at Divas.

Divas

From page 25

When the Bay Area Reporter visited Divas in 2015, manager Alexis Miranda, a San Francisco Empress, assured us that none of her customers was turning tricks in Divas. “There are prostitutes who come in and out of Divas,” Miranda, whose real name is Freddy Miranda, said at the time. “They do not work

at Divas. As long as they don’t do it in the bar, I will serve them a drink.” Miranda noted that there was a great need for trans women to have a place where they felt comfortable. “The Castro is anti-trans,” she said. “We still have a long way to go to teach people how to respect other people’s spaces.” At press time, B.A.R. was unable to reach Miranda for an updated interview.

Divas has done more for the trans community then give them a place to drink. According to a 2016 story at SFist, Divas has done a great deal of trans homeless outreach, organizing clothing and food drives for homeless trans women. But not everyone has been happy with the way things have been run at Divas. The bar’s Yelp reviews have been decidedly mixed, with Divas receiving a three-star overall rating

Blow Buddies

From page 25

According to real estate site Loopnet, the asking price for the two-story 1953 building is $2,950,000. The operators of Blow Buddies have been advised about the impending sale. They did not respond to Bay Area Reporter’s request for a comment. The building offers 6136 square feet of space, including approximately 2,000 square feet of office space on the second floor. Annual taxes on the property are $9,600. It’s highly unlikely that the building will be sold to condo developers, since the area is zoned as a “Service/Arts/ Light Industrial” district, which means that any new owners or tenants can only use the building for commercial, manufacturing, home and business services, or light industrial activities. Blow Buddies has been a particularly popular sex club among gay men, featuring glory holes and various types of play rooms. On its website it calls itself “a private club for guys who like safer sex with other guys”. Membership costs $13 for

had bought drinks from the second floor, so I should be entitled to use any available restroom as needed.” And on December 16, 2018, San Francisco’s Faith Love B, in her one-star review, accused a bartender of stealing from the bag she had checked. But others have said that they had a good experience at Divas. “It was fun but extremely packed,” wrote Ardell N. of Los Angeles in a four-star review posted on March 5, 2019. “The whole place was filled up to the max. We had to go outside to get a breather. Drinks were good; good vibes all around. I’d go back.” The building that houses Divas has been up for sale since at least 2014. According to the real estate site scribd. com, the current asking price for the four-story building is $2,800,000. The 9,120 squareThe exterior of Divas on Polk Street. foot building’s first floor features a full bar and two bathrooms, the second level out of five. There are currently 75 is office space, the third floor reviews for Divas at Yelp. features a half bar and a dance floor, On November 19, 2017, Alex W while the fourth floor features anof San Francisco gave Divas a one other half-bar and a lounge. star review. In 2016 building owner Steve “This review is for the very rude Berkey told SFist that he would only bartender on the third floor of this sell the bar to parties who would bar,” Alex wrote. “She literally yelled maintain the space as a bar for trans at me for the restroom on the 3rd women and their admirers. It is not floor, all because I didn’t order a currently known if such a buyer drink from her. I had already paid has been found or if Divas would the $10 cover to get in this place and reopen under a new owner.t

six months, with a $17 entry fee on top of that. Blow Buddies is one of the last vestiges of the years when SoMa was a somewhat run-down neighborhood populated primarily by gay men who were into the leather and fetish scenes. The neighborhood is currently one of the hippest and most expensive areas in towns, and has become a magnet for highly paid tech workers. Jose Alvarez, an agent with Pleasant Hill-based Kendrick Realty, is handling the sale of the property. Alvarez told Bay Area Reporter that he hopes to keep the property within the LGBT community. He said that he was aware of the fact that the property has been used as a private sex club, and has informed potential buyers of this fact. “Some are caught a little off guard,” said Alvarez. “If possible, I was hoping that a member of the LGBT community would be interested in it so that it could stay the course, but the owner doesn’t really care who buys it. Fortunately, we’ve had enough interest in it that it looks like it is staying the course.”

Blow Buddies exterior at 933 Harrison Street.

Alvarez noted that there were a few interested parties who would keep the property as Blow Buddies. “But I don’t know who’s going to come in at the end,” he said. “There’s one who’s looking at it and likes the fact that they’ve been there for a long time, that they’re stable, and that they always make their payments on time.” The proprietors of Blow Buddies, Alvarez said, have been given the option of buying the property, but he also said that, while they were thinking about it, they might not be in a position to do so at this time. Reportedly they were surprised by the fact that the building has been put on the market. “When somebody comes in with a bid they can counter or match the bid,” he said. To date, the bids received have been competitive, around the asking price. According to the San Francisco Assessor’s office, the owner of 933 Harrison is Vacaville resident Bradley P. Grant, whom Bay Area Reporter was unable to reach for comment.t

Cookbook>>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

Overnight Orange Pecan French Toast

photo

Husbands That Cook book

Couple cuisine

From page 25

In the decade since their prelegalization marriage ceremony, the pair had pursued separate creative endeavors professionally. Merrin, a native Angeleno, was a successful journeyman musician. His band, The 88s, recorded and toured with Ray Davies of the Kinks, contributed to film soundtracks and composed and recorded the theme song to television’s Community. Alvarez, originally from Portland, Oregon, pursued acting gigs (In the past few years he’s had small parts on TV shows including American Horror Story and Superstore). But starting in 2015, spurred in part by the enthusiastic response their potluck dishes and birthday treats garnered from friends when they socialized, Alvarez and Merrin started posting a recipe blog, Husbands That Cook. That’s now also the title of their book, which the couple will be discussing at Omnivore Books in Noe Valley this Saturday afternoon, where treats will be served. Because men are still very much a minority in the world of recipe blogging, the pair, who gregariously networked with other bloggers, immediately stood out in a very crowded field. They gained traction due to their eclectic, internationally accented recipes. Perhaps best described as non-doctrinaire vegetarian (plantcentric, but with no shortage of butter, sugar, eggs and other rich ingredients), what the husbands cook up is not so much hippie food as homebody hipster cuisine. The Husbands That Cook blog quickly developed a following and won a Reader’s Choice blog award from Saveur magazine. In the same way their blog and book aim for universal appeal, making little ado of the fact that the recipes happen to be vegetarian, they also quickly step aside from the fact that authors happen to be gay. “You’re probably wondering who are these drop-dead gorgeous guys on the cover,” writes Merrin in his introduction, tongue firmly planted in cheek. In fact, the fellows are relatably normcore, with no interest in producing a novelty niche volume with recipes for Cheesy Beefcake and Bananas Flambée. “These are the kind of recipes,” says Alvarez, “that we cook and eat all the time,” ranging from breakfast dishes (winter shaksuka) to satisfy-

ing entrees (sweet potato gnocchi with brown butter sage sauce) to on-trend desserts (pumpkin cupcakes with chai frosting). “Cooking is one of the activities we really love as a couple,” notes Merrin. “It’s a way to spend time making and sharing something. This isn’t a meals-in-30-minutes kind of cookbook. It’s more about spending time together and enjoying the experience.” Alvarez, who learned to cook at the elbow of his Cuban grandmother, had long felt at home in the kitchen. For years, he’d kept an increasingly unwieldy file folder of printed recipes alongside his dogeared copy of The Joy of Cooking, which the couple unpretentiously and unreservedly recommends as a touchstone reference for any cook’s library. In the early years of their relationship, Alvarez did most of the couple’s cooking, gradually luring Merrin into collaboration. “I love all the technique and knife skills, but have always tended to follow recipes very carefully,” says Alvarez, describing the men’s mutual culinary evolution. “Adam just has a great creative sense of flavors and combinations that will work well together, so he’d start to suggest variations and adjustments, or even come up with a whole concept for a dish and we’d play with it together.” Around the time the blog launched, Merrin’s band had recently split up, so he threw himself into the project head-on, helping hone the blog’s colorful, Insta-friendly photography-style.

“It’s all shot in natural light in our kitchen, no special lighting.” noted Merrin, proudly. “No food stylists or anything like that.” Merrin also notes that his nowconquered fear of cooking has led to a sensitivity in how the pair write their recipes. “The instructions are very specific. We didn’t want people to have to wonder if they’re doing something wrong.” Indeed, the prose-intense pages of their book leave little room for guesswork, making Husbands Who Cook approachable even to relative beginners in the kitchen. “Food is love,” writes Alvarez in his introduction to the book. “And this is our love letter: to each other, to our families and friends, and to you.”t Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin will discuss and sign copies of ‘Husbands That Cook’ on Saturday, March 23, 3pm at Omnivore Books, 3885 Cesar Chavez St. omnivorebooks.myshopify.com www.husbandsthatcook.com

Ratafruitie

Redrum punch, one of many cocktail recipes.

<< Nightlife Events

28 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

Nightlife Events March 21-28

Gopnik’d @ Lone Star Saloon

Hand Habits @ Swedish American Hall

DJ Dreamcast plays grooves at the bear bar. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Folk Yeah presentes the band, plus Stephen Steinbrink and Wizard Apprentice. $17-$20. 8:30pm. 2174 Market St. www.folkyeah.com

Growlr @ SF Eagle Feeling blue? Here’s some stuff to do.

DJ Phil shares grooves and the cruisy bears, cubs, chubs and pals night. $5. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Isaac Mizrahi @ Regency Ballroom The outspoken out and hilarious fashion designer’s new story/music show. $ 8pm. www.theregencyballroom.com

Uhaul @ Jolene’s The popular women’s dance party returns at the new nightclub, now weekly. 10pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. http://jolenessf.com/

SAT 23

Thu 21

Ásgeir @ Regency Lodge

Baloney @ Oasis

Fri 22 Asheq @ Oasis The fun middle Eastern/North African LGBT dance night includes Persian belly dancers, gogo studs, varied ethnic dance grooves by DJ Nile Awad, hosts Ghazwan Alsharif, Paul William, Heaven Mousalem with her Asheq Collective. $15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Bare Chest Calendar Prelims @ Powerhouse Meet early candidates for next year’s fundraiser calendar; weekly for a while. 8pm-10pm. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

The hunky Icelandic singer-songwriter performs at the intimate upstairs venue. $25. 9pm. 1290 Sutter St., 3rd floor. www.asgeirmusic.com www.theregencyballroom.com/

Bearracuda @ SF Eagle Hirsute, husky, hunky, bears and cubs invade the famed laether bar, with DJ Robert Jeffrey. $10. 9pm-2am. Clothes check available. 398 12th St. www.bearracuda.com

Dennis Quaid & The Sharks @ Yoshi’s Oakland The actor and his ‘rock & roll/ country-soul’ band perform at the stylish nightclub-restaurant. $49-$99. 7:30pm & 9:30pm. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Chita Rivera @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Fri 22

Chita Rivera @ Feinstein’s

The Broadway legend returns for her new intimate cabaret concert, with songs from her hit shows ( West Side Story, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink and more). $76-$120 ($20 food/ drink min.) 8pm. Also Mar 23 at 5pm & 8pm. Mar 24 at 5pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

DTF Fridays @ Port Bar, Oakland

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

Thu 21 After Dark @ Exploratorium Enjoy cocktails and science demos at the hands-on museum; Mar. 21: ‘Let’s Play,’ gaming demos and fun. Mar. 28: Outer Space demos and talks. (Tactile dome evening hours Fri & Sat, weekly 6:15 and 7:30pm.) $15-$20. 6pm-10pm. Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green St). www.exploratorium.edu/

Baloney @ Oasis The popular men’s strip-burlesque comedy show returns, with sketches by Rory Davis, and host Michael Phillis. $30-$50. 7pm; thru Mar. 30. 298 11th St. www.sfbaloney.com www.sfoasis.com

Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Yoshi’s Oakland Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and four-decade music legend performs at the stylish nightclub-restaurant. $39-$84. 8pm. Also March 20. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.deedeebridgewater.com www.yoshis.com

Long Island Thursdays @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Get snockered with cheap drinks at the historic gay bar. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

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

Night at the Jewseum: Purim Cabaret @ Contemporary Jewish Museum Party with drag queens LOL McFiercen, Miss Shugana, Snaxx and Queen Esther. Free. 5pm-8pm. 736 Mission St. https://thecjm.org

Various DJs play house music, and a few hotties gogo dance at the new gay bar’s weekly event. 9pm-2am. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

Fantasy Friday @ Divas Weekly drag shows at the last transgender-friendly bar in the Polk; with hosts Victoria Secret, Alexis Miranda and several performers. Also Thursdays and Saturdays; Thursday karaoke night. $10. 10pm. 1081 Polk St. www.divassf.com

Sat 23

Ásgeir @ Regency Lodge

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences Parties at the fascinating spacious nature and science exhibits; Mar 21: Jurassic Nightlife, with dinosaur displays! $12-$15. 6pm-10pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org

Peter Murphy @ The Chapel The former Bauhaus frontman performs a series of full-album concerts, David Bowie tributes, and acoustic sets. $33$175 (VIP). Thru Mar. 27. 777 Valencia St. www.thechapelsf.com

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

Velvetta, Kissin’ Cussins @ Winters Tavern, Pacifica Two country bands, with local veteran musicians Leigh Crow, Ruby Vixen and Connie Champagne, perform at the seaside bar. 9pm. 1522 Francisco Blvd., Pacifica. winterstavern.com

Fri 22

Asheq @ Oasis

Icon @ Great Northern DJs Joe Pacheco and Joe Gauthreaux play at the SoMa circuit dance party, VIP options, gogo studs in a stylish venue. $20-$45. 10pm-3am. 119 Utah St. www.thegreatnorthernsf.com

Mango @ El Rio The long-running popular women’s party with DJs Edaj, Marcella, Olga and La Coqui. $8-$10. 2pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s popular weekly drag show. March 23 is Men in Makeup night, with guest star Lady SinAGaga. $10$15. 10pm-3am (11:30pm show). 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Saturday Night @ Lone Star Saloon DJ Chaka Quan spins grooves at the bear bar. $5. 9pm-12am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

ShangriLa @ EndUp The gaysian monthly dance night takes on a 1990s theme, with DJs Paul Goodyear, Alan Liao, and host Jezebel Patel. $10-$20. 10pm-6am. 401 6th St. www.shangrilasf.net

Stallion @ Midnight Sun DJ Bill Dupp, intimate dance floor, gogo cuties, all in the heart of the Castro. 8pm-2am. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Woofer @ Lone Star Saloon DJs Lester Temple and Jim Hopkins spin at the bear bar. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Nightlife Events>>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 29

Freeball Wednesdays @ The Cinch Free pool and drink specials at the historic neighborhood bar. 8pm-1am. 1723 Polk St. www.cinchsf.com

Gigante @ Port Bar, Oakland Juanita MORE! and DJ Frisco Robbie’s weekly event, with Latin, Hip Hop and House music, gogo gals and guys, and a drag show. $5. 9pm-2am. 2023 Broadway, Oakland. www.portoakland.com

NSA @ Club OMG Weekly underwear party at the intimate mid-Market nightclub. $1 well drinks for anyone in underwear from 9pm-10pm. 43 6th St. http://www.clubomgsf.com

Queeraoke @ El Rio Midweek drag rave and vocal open mic, with Dulce de Leche, Rhani Nothingmore, Beth Bicoastal, Ginger Snap and guests. 10pm. 3158 Mission St. http://www.elriosf.com/

Sun 24

Connie Champagne at Showtune Sing-along @ SF Eagle

Mon 25

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle

Falsettos Cast @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

The popular daytime party, where $10-$15 gets you all the beer you can drink, supporting worthy causes. 3pm-6pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Big Top @ Beaux Enjoy an extra weekend night at the fun Castro nightclub, plus hot local DJs and sexy gogo guys and gals. $8. 9pm2am. 2344 Market St. Beauxsf.com

Dirty Musical Sundays @ The Edge Sing along at the popular musical theatre night, with a bawdy edge; also Mondays and Wednesdays (but not dirty). 7pm-2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Queer Tango @ Finnish Hall, Berkeley Same-sex partner tango dancing, including lessons for newbies, food and drinks. $5-$10. 3:30pm-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley. www.finnishhall.org

Showtune Sing-along @ SF Eagle Join beloved local talents Connie Champagne, Bambi Lake, Joe Wicht, Birdie Bob Watt, Marilynn Fowler, David Lawrence Hawkins, Maria Konner and more, with host DJ Dank, for a showtune sing-along full of fun. $10 suggested donation. 7pm-12am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. sf-eagle.com

Tag Team @ Powerhouse Monthly singlet and jock/sports gear fetish night. $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Cast members from the acclaimed touring production of the gaythemed musical (at the Golden Gate Theatre) perform a music and comedy benefit for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. $20-$40. 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade The weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night includes big-screen games and signature beers, with a new remodeled layout, including an outdoor patio. No cover. 7pm-11pm. 2200 Market St. www.brewcadesf.com

Jess Glynne @ The Regency The popular British singer performs with her band. $30-$35. 8pm. 1300 Van Ness ave. www.jessglynne.co.uk www.theregencyballroom.com

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

Pillows @ Powerhouse Glamamore’s crafts and drag night. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Queer Bowling @ Mission Bowling Club Enjoy strikes, pins and big balls at the new monthly event, with DJs Marke B, Siobhan Aluvalot, and others. Bar and food available; proceeds benefit Lyric youth services. 6pm-10pm. 3176 17th St. https://missionbowlingclub.com/

Gym Class @ Hi Tops

Tue 26

Howard Jones @ Yoshi’s Oakland

Underwear Night @ 440 Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. he440.com

Tue 26 Drag Bingo @ Club 1220, Walnut Creek Holotta Tymes and Saki Samora cohost the East Bay game night. 7pm. 1220 Pine St., Walnut Creek. www.club1220.com

The pop singer-songwriter perfomrs his acoustic trio sets with Nick Beggs and Robin Boult at the nightclubrestaurant. $49-$89. 8pm. Also Mar 27. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Karaoke Cocktails @ Ginger’s The new basement tribute to the old Ginger’s Trois hosts weekly singing fun. 8pm-12am. 86 Hardie Place. https://www.gingers.bar/

Trivia Night @ Port Bar, Oakland Cranny hosts a big gay trivia night at the new East Bay bar; drinks specials and prizes. 7:30pm. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

Thu 21

Monster Show @ The Edge

Enjoy whiskey shots from jockstrapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular sports bar. 10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Junk @ Powerhouse

Wed 27

MrPam and Dulce de Leche cohost the weekly underwear strip night and contest, with sexy prizes. $5. 10pm2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

B.P.M. @ Club BnB, Oakland

Queer Karaoke @ Club OMG

Olga T and Shugga Shay’s weekly queer women and men’s R&B hip hop and soul night, at the club’s new location. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. www.bench-and-bar.com

Playmates and soul mates...

Howard Jones @ Yoshi’s Oakland

Gooch

Sun 24

Thu 28

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<< Arts Events

30 • Bay Area Reporter • March 21-27, 2019

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

Readings @ City Lights Bookstore

Thu 21

Mar. 21: Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights (7pm). 261 Columbus Ave. www.citylights.com

American Hero @ Custom Made Theatre Bess Wohl’s comedy about life, liberty and the pursuit of sandwiches. $20-$45. Thu-Sat 8pm, Sat 2pm, thru April 6. 533 Sutter St. www.custommade.org

Border People @ The Marsh Dan Hoyle’s new solo show embodies multiple characters based around the U.S./Mexico border wall controversies; extended thru April 27. $25-$100. Thu & Fri 8pm, Sat 5pm. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Classic and New Films @ Castro Theatre Mar 21: The Moth Grand Slam storytelling (www.themoth.org). Mar 22-24: Bohemian Rhapsody sing-along (8pm. Sat 4pm/8pm, Sun 3pm/7pm). Mar 25 : They Shall Not Grow Old 3-D (3:15, 7pm) and Paths of Glory (5:10, 8:55). Mar 26 & 27: On the Basis of Sex (6pm, 8:30). Mar 28: Cold War ( 6pm). $8-$11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

The Deadliners @ McRoskey Mattress Company The band composed of notable authors performs at a benefit for Butte County fire victims, with author Rebecca Solnit ( A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster); sponsored by The Green Arcade Boosktore. $10 and up. 7pm. 1687 Market St. www.thegreenarcade.com

The Great Leap @ Geary Theatre BD Wong stars in Lauren Yee’s sports drama about a Chinese basketball star, with American values tested (Out With A.C.T. after-party March 19). $15-$110. Thru Mar. 31. 415 Geary St. www.act-sf.org

Michelle Meow Show @ Commonwealth Club Meow and cohost John Zipperer discuss LGBT issues with different prominent guests. Weekly, 12pm. March 21: BD Wong and cast members of A.C.T.’s The Great Leap. 110 Embarcadero. www.commonwealthclub.org

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SoMa Nights: 1980s-1990s Queer Club Photography, an exhibit of prints by prolific photographer Melissa Hawkins. March 21: Life Beyond Uranus a panel with DJ Lewis, Gus Bean, Jennifer Morris and DJ Page Hodel. March 28: The L and the GBTQ: Lesbian Visibility, Leadership and Political Power. Each $5, 7pm. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

We Built a Movement From Books @ SF Public Library Carol Seajay, Jack Collins and Jim Van Buskirk discuss the LGBT rights movement’s path through gay studies and femeinist publishers. 6pm, James C. Hormel Center, 3rd floor, 100 Larkin St. www.sfpl.org

Fri 22 Actually @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Anna Ziegler’s new play dives into race, gender and sex on college campuses. $35-$70. Tue, Wed, Sun 7pm, Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm, thru May 5. 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. www.AuroraTheatre.org

Chita Rivera @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Broadway legend returns for her new intimate cabaret concert, with songs from her hit shows ( West Side Story, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink and more). $76-$120 ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Also Mar 23 at 5pm & 8pm. Mar 24 at 5pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

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March 21-28

SoMa Nights @ GLBT History Museum

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Arts Events

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Falsettos Cast @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko Cast members from the acclaimed touring production of the gay-themed musical (at the Golden Gate Theatre) perform a music and comedy benefit for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. $20-$40. 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Modern Art @ SF MOMA

Fri 22

Falsettos @ Golden Gate Theatre

Falsettos @ Golden Gate Theatre Touring production of William Finn and James Lapine’s Tony-winning operetta about a gay couple facing AIDS, ex-wives, precocious kids and ‘the lesbians next door.’ $56-$256. Tue-Thu 7:30pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat, Sun 2pm. Thru April 14. 1 Taylor St. at Market. www.shnsf.com

Isaac Mizrahi @ Regency Ballroom The outspoken out and hilarious fashion designer’s new story/music show. $ 8pm. www.theregencyballroom.com

Mark Foehringer Dance Project @ Cowell Theater Like an Ox on the Roof and other dances are performed by the local company. $23-$43. 8pm. Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. www.mfdpsf.org

SF Gay Men’s Chorus @ Davies Symphony Hall The Brits are Coming, an English pop concert featuring music of Queen, Elton John, Adele, The Beatles and more, with members of African-American Shakespeare Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream cast. $55-$125. 8pm. 201 Van Ness Ave. www.sfgmc.org

Yoga Play @ SF Playhouse Dipika Guha’s comic play about the conflict of commerical scandal and spiritual enlightenment. $35-$125. Thru April 20. 450 Post St., 2nd floor, Kensington Park Hotel. www.sfplayhouse.org

Sat 23 Ásgeir @ Regency Lodge The hunky Icelandic singersongwriter performs at the intimate upstairs venue. $25. 9pm. 1290 Sutter St., 3rd floor. www.asgeirmusic.com

GAPA Men’s Chorus @ St. Matthews Lutheran Church Prelude: Songs and Stories From the Heart, a concert of choral works. $20. 8pm. 3281 16th St. www.gapamc.org

Hand Habits @ Swedish American Hall Folk Yeah presents the band, plus Stephen Steinbrink and Wizard Apprentice. $17-$20. 8:30pm. 2174 Market St. www.folkyeah.com

Her Portmanteau @ Strand Theatre Nigerian playwright Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Family Cycle is performed thru Mar. 31 at 1127 Market St., and In Old Age at the Magic Theatre, 2 Marina Blvd, Mar. 27-April 21. $40-$100. www.ufotplays-sf.com

SF Hiking Club @ Black Diamond Mine Regional Park Join GLBT hikers of the SF Hiking Club for a tour of the Hazel Atlas Silica Mine plus a 5.5-mile hike in Black Diamond Mine Regional Park near Antioch. Carpool meets 9:30 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. www.sfhiking.com

Steve @ New Conservatory Theatre Center Mark Gerrard’s biting comedy about older gay couples dealing with infidelity and other situations. $20$45. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru March 31. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. www.nctcsf.org

That Don Reed Show @ The Marsh Berkeley The acclaimed local playwright/ performer returns with his hit solo show that takes on Black stereotypes and show business bias. $20-$100. Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5:30pm; extended thru April 28. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. www.themarsh.org

Tiny Dance Film Festival @ Little Roxie Theater Three programs of dance films from filmmakers and choreographers around the world. Also Mar. 24. 3117 16ht St. www.roxie.com

The Who and the What @ Marin Theatre, Mill Valley Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar’s funny new play about identity, religion and the contradictions that make us who we are. $12-$52. Thru March 24. 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. www.marintheatre.org

Sun 24 Catherine Russell @ Venetian Room Celebrated vocalist performs Harlem on my Mind, her new cabaret concert. $65. 5pm. Fairmont Hotel, www.bayareacabaraet.org

Expedition Reef @ California Academy of Sciences Exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth; Deep Reefs, Giants of Land and Sea, Gems and Minerals, and more. $20-$35. Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Mon 25 Book Club @ Strut Daniel Zomparelli’s Everything is Awful and You’re a Terrible Person is discussed. 7:30pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Wayne Thiebaud, Etel Adnan, Alexander Calder, Donald Judd, Louise Bourgeois and many classic Modern works. The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Envioronment and Idealism (thru April 28). Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory, thru March 31. Free/$25. Fri-Tue 10am-6pm. 151 3rd St. www.sfmoma.org

Queer Odd Mondays @ Folio Books Michael Aleynikov, Andrew Chen, Wilfredo Pascual and Genanne Walsh read from new and recent literary works. 7pm. 3957 24th St. www.foliosf.com

Tue 26 Ashish Kumar @ Strut Exhibit of digital South Asian male erotic imagery. Thru March. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Home @ Berkeley Repertory Geoff Sobelle’s amazing immersive play, where a two-story house is constructed as its residents tell their stories. $30-$91; thru April 21. Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. www.berkeleyrep.org

The Jungle @ Curran Theatre Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson’s acclaimed drama about French refugee camp immigrants. $79$165. Thru May 19. 445 Geary St. www.sfcurran.com

Wed 27 Black Refractions @ MOAD Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem, a new traveling exhibition showcasing a century of artworks. Thru April 14. Free/$10. Museum of the african Diaspora, 685 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Kour Pour @ Ever Gold Gallery Exhibit of vibrant paintings combining historic and contemporary tapestry themes; thru May 4. Wed-Sat 12pm-5pm. Minnesota Art Project, 1275 Minnesota St. at 24th. www.evergoldprojects.com

Uncertainty Principle @ The Marsh Adam Strauss’ new solo show grapples with OCD and life’s big questions. $20-$100. Wed & Fri 8pm, thru Mar. 29. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Thu 28 Mayor Pete Buttigieg @ Marines’ Memorial Club The South Bend, Indiana gay presidential candidate discusses his campaign and politics. $30-$70. 6:30pm. 609 Sutter St. www.commonwealthclub.org

Today It Rains @ Z Space Opera Paralléle’s world premiere of Laura Kaminsky, libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed’s work based on events in the life of painter Georgia O’Keefe. $20-$125. Thru Mar 31. 450 Florida St. www.operaparallele.org

Shining Stars>>

March 21-27, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

Shining Stars Steven Underhill Photos by

Brüt @ Great Northern T

he New York dance party Brüt returned to the Bay Area at The Great Northern (119 Utah St.), thanks to Brian Kent Productions. Hotties of all kinds showed up to dance, flirt and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with grooves from DJs Dan Darlington and Peter Napoli. www.thegreatnorthernsf.com www.brutparty.com See plenty more photos on BARtab’s Facebook page, facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at StevenUnderhill.com.

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

call (415) 370-7152 or visit www.StevenUnderhill.com or email stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

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