San Mateo Pride Center to reopen

compiled by Cynthia Laird

The San Mateo County Pride Center will have its grand reopening Friday, March 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1021 South El Camino Real in San Mateo.

The evening will feature community reconnection, celebration, and

Obituaries >>

John Leonard Haas

May 30, 1940 – February 10, 2023

John Haas passed away peacefully at his home in Palm Springs, California on February 10, 2023.

John was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 30, 1940. He left Cincinnati to proudly serve and receive an honorable discharge from the military in 1963. He later worked as a bartender in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In San Francisco, John later joined Lloyds Bank California where he advanced to vice president. He then worked as a gym manager at Muscle Systems until he moved to Palm Springs.

John had many friends who loved him as he loved them. John was a loyal, honest and direct friend. He men- a re-introduction to the facility, an email announcement stated.

The center has largely been closed the last three years due to the COVID pandemic. The Bay Area Reporter noted in a 2021 article that the center was working to partially reopen, but many programs have been held virtually.

Francisco “Frankie” Sapp, the center’s executive director, recently told the B.A.R. that other issues also affected the facility.

“We’ve always known the importance for our clients and community to access the physical space of the Pride Center,” Sapp wrote in a March 20 email. “When working with individuals and groups, we’ve been able to accommodate folx by request as well as offer office hours or drop-ins when possible. Our reopening of the Pride Center has had many delays due to the ever-fluctuating pandemic but also caused by an unfortunate flooding of the center last year. However, the team, our parent agency StarVista, and our community came to our aid to help repair the damage.”

The center is a program within StarVista, a $12 million social services organization in San Mateo County. It receives one of its major grants from San Mateo County Behavioral Recovery Services and partners with various agencies in the area.

Sapp, a disabled, biracial, queer, transgender man, also noted that the center had a lot of work done while it was closed. Some of that was reported in the 2021 B.A.R. article, such as remodeling the center to make it more accessible and acquiring new furniture.

“While closed, we invested a lot of work to upgrade and improve the site in the name of accessibility and overall health and wellbeing,” Sapp stated. “Fortunately, this work was not lost.”

He added that it was disappointing that the reopening has taken so long.

“We will be testing our new hybrid model three days a week onsite and for the poorest, demonstrating in the streets in order to push the federal government to act in the emergency, distributing – after having written it –the first leaflet advocating prevention through the use of condoms. ...”

Koskovich stated in his post that Mr. Carhaix “had nearly 70 one-artist exhibitions and numerous group shows starting in 1980. He exhibited widely in Europe and the United States.” His work is part of the permanent collection of the GLBT Historical Society, on whose board Koskovich once served. Mr. Carhaix’s work is also in the permanent collection of the Muceum in Marseille, France.

Mr. Carhaix was born André Menguy on May 8, 1946 on the Mediterranean coast in Golfe-Juan. Under that name, he pursued a successful career in education, initially as a teacher. After completing a doctoral dissertation at the University of Nice in 2000, he became a professor of education. He ultimately published a revised version of the dissertation in 2011 under a title that can be translated as “Children and Television: Young Audiences and Audiovisual Fiction” (Editions Universitaires Européenes). Some of his first published and exhibited photos also appeared under his birth name, but by the early 1980s, he adopted the moniker “JeanBaptiste Carhaix” to distinguish his work as photographer from his work as an educator. t remain virtual all five days while we acclimate to our new systems,” Sapp explained. “Our goal is, and has always been, to continue to serve our community in the best ways possible. We know many of our clients benefit from our virtual services while some need that one-to-one connection. The entire team is excited to be able to provide both beginning March 27.” Marilyn-Rose Calosing Fernando, the marketing and community engagement lead for the center, wrote in the announcement that the center is “excited to welcome you home.” tored many people in his life. We will miss John forever. As John wished, his ashes are resting on the mountains around Palm Springs, where he enjoyed the sun rising and setting daily.

John David Lopez

April 24, 1961 – November 19, 2022 trans Latina woman who joined the staff in September and was recently promoted to program manager.

John David Lopez, 61, passed away at his home on November 19, 2022.

David, as he was known, was born in Salina, Kansas, on April 24, 1961. He was raised in an Air Force family and lived in many locations including Fairbanks, Alaska and Okinawa, Japan. He graduated high school in San Jose, California, and attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.

David had a successful career in the retail sector, beginning as a sales associate and ultimately working his way to regional manager. He worked for many well-known brands including Gap Brands, Saks, Bloomingdales, Ralph Lauren, and Neiman Marcus. He was well-known and respected at all levels of the industry.

David was a charming, gentle, kind-spirited man with a great laugh. He was loved and cherished by all who knew him. He leaves behind his mother, Kay Lynn Lane, of Cary, North Carolina; spouse Tim Simpson, of San Francisco; and numerous friends. His younger brother, Jeffery Lopez, and his father, Stanley Lopez, preceded David’s passing.

A memorial service will be held at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, 1881 Pine Street, Saturday, April 8, at 1 p.m. Donations may be made to the charity of your choice in David’s name.

W. I. (Michael) Westcott, M.D. twin of Bruce J. of NYC, and brother of Peter F. of Scottsdale AZ, was born in Doylestown, PA on February 1, 1937, and died of complications to COVID and Parkinson’s Disease on December 30, 2022 at age 85.

He attended Wesleyan University and Temple University graduating in 1961 with a BA, then graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in 1966 with an M.D. and was conscripted into the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

Making San Francisco his home, he came out of the closet in 1978, served as a Psychiatrist with the Adult and Geriatric Community Mental Health Centers in San Francisco, and retired in 2006.

He was an avid member of AA since 1983 and completed many courses on alcoholism and mental disorders and taught courses on treating alcohol dependence and dually diagnosed mental patients.

He was an avid scuba diver and travelled to the world’s best sites. He was a pipe organ enthusiast and in his 60’s took up lessons and travelled in Europe on pipe organ tours. He also collected and restored antique oriental rugs.

At his wishes he was cremated, and his ashes interred at the San Francisco Columbarium.

By the summer the Trans Thrive team hopes to expand the daily operating hours and also have the facility be open on weekends. It is only about a 10-minute walk from the nonprofit’s main clinic and offices a few blocks away on Polk Street and near its Community Living Room drop-in space on Ellis Street.

The new location is purposefully outside of the city’s Tenderloin, home to the Transgender District. An assessment Trans Thrive undertook last year to hear directly from its clients about what they wanted to see in the new facility revealed that many didn’t want to have to walk through the Tenderloin with its open-air drug dealing and people using drugs on the street in order to access it.

“They didn’t want to go too much further into the Tenderloin because of the drug use and harassment they have faced there,” noted Tatyana Moaton, Ph.D., a trans woman of color

From page 11

For more information on the Pride center, visit its website at https://sanmateopride.org/.

The Solano Pride Center will hold a rally celebrating Trans Day of Visibility Friday, March 31, at 4 p.m. at 675 Texas Street in Fairfield.

In a post on Facebook, the center noted, “This year in particular, we feel the need to rally together in solidarity to show our support for our trans and nonbinary family due to the re-

From page 1

The two cases do not appear to be related, and there is no evidence that either was a hate crime, police said.

Regarding the Davis case, OPD Public Information Officer Kim Armstead previously stated to the B.A.R. that the department is investigating “a shooting that occurred on March 12, 2023, just after 9 a.m., in the 8100 block of Baldwin Street. Upon officers’ arrival, they located a victim who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.”

Emergency responders showed up to assist the victim, Armstead stated.

“The victim was then transported to an area hospital where they succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Armstead continued. “A homicide callout was initiated, and the investigators responded to begin the followup investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.”

KTVU-TV reported that Davis was killed near a homeless encampment. Friends told the TV station that Davis went out of his way to help others.

Oakland police told the B.A.R., “At this time, there is no evidence of a hate crime, however, investigators are looking into all possible leads.”

From page 1

He is currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin after having been charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office with the homicide of Curtis Marsh, 53, also of Oakland.

At a hearing Tuesday morning, David J. Briggs – a private attorney with an office in Richmond – became Waterman’s lawyer.

Briggs declined to comment to the Bay Area Reporter while leav- who conducted the assessment and is the health center’s senior strategy adviser based out of Chicago. “We looked at sites as far as the Castro but the clients were against that because of the harassment and stigma the trans community has faced there.”

The nonprofit health agency first launched Trans Thrive in 2006 and for years has sought to house it in its own facility. Last year, the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc. awarded it a $1.2 million two-year cent efforts to strip away the rights of trans and nonbinary people across the country.”

Participants will meet in front of the Solano County Administration Building in downtown Fairfield. There will be a brief program with speakers from Solano Pride Center and the community.

“Please bring trans/Pride flags, bring your family and friends and let’s rally together to show solidarity with our trans & non-binary siblings!” the announcement stated.

For more information, check out the Facebook page at https://bit. ly/3lupFVe grant that helped pay for the assessment of Trans Thrive and finding a location for it.

The program has an annual budget of roughly $2.5 million. The agency signed a five-year lease for the Pine Street location, which costs $12,000 a month to lease.

“It’s unbelievable and so joyful for me to be a part of it,” said Lance Toma, a gay man who is the nonprofit’s longtime CEO. “It represents a place of refuge and sanctuary for trans people so

The San Francisco Superior Court is seeking individuals who want to serve on the 2023-24 civil grand jury. This body works to identify issues with city government that could be a catalyst for reform and improvements, a news release stated.

“I am looking for citizens from all backgrounds to reflect the rich diversity of our community,” stated Judge Eric R. Fleming, the chair of the civil grand jury. “The court wants the grand jury to have a collective voice that reflects a cross-section of the community. Accomplishing that goal will help ensure that the grand jury fairly fills its func- they can be able to realize their potential, hopes and dreams.”

Mattingly came to Trans Thrive in order to meet trans people in the city and make new friends. Her partner is in the military and stationed overseas, so she felt a bit isolated at being in a new city. Although her first engagement with the program was via a virtual support group, it left a lasting impression.

“Just seeing everyone and being able to talk to other girls in that support group, I wanted to do more,” recalled Mattingly. “I asked if I could volunteer and have been doing that ever since.” tion to ensure that an honest, efficient government is operating in the best interest of the people.”

She has especially enjoyed being able to talk to trans elders in the community.

“It is interesting to hear how they managed the journey of their life without a resource like this,” said Mattingly.

Attending the new center’s ribbon cutting was District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, currently president of the Board of Supervisors, as it is located within his district. Noting the Polk Gulch neighborhood’s long history as being an LGBTQ neighborhood, Peskin said he wasn’t offering “a welcome” but “a welcome back” to the facility’s staff and clients.

Civil grand juries are required in every California county. They don’t investigate crimes but serve as citizen “watchdog” groups by examining local government through independent investigations, the release stated. City agencies are required to respond to the grand jury’s reports, and to participate in public hearings with jurors before the government audit and oversight committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

The civil grand jury consists of 19 people, who are selected by a panel of judges, the release stated. The term is he went. The light brightened up any room he went into – changed it completely and made it so positive.”

Joe Hawkins, a gay Black man who is a co-founder and CEO of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, told the B.A.R. that Davis’ death is part of a larger problem.

“The actual number of Black gay men who are victims of homicide is severely underreported due to homophobia and stigma in Black communities,” Hawkins stated March 16. “Many families will not disclose the sexual orientation of their family member who was murdered. This is also true of Black transgender individuals. It is critical that advocates, friends, and allies provide a holistic description of queer victims of homicide in order for authorities to determine if a hate crime has been committed.”

Its opening also served as a reminder, added Peskin, that the city’s initiative to end trans homelessness by 2027 “is achievable.”

Pau Crego, director of the city’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, noted how the opening of the new facility contrasts with the legislative steps being taken in states across the country to strip trans and gender-nonconforming people of their rights and restrict their access to gender-affirming care, particularly for youth.

“In our country we do need spaces like this,” said Crego, a queer transmasculine immigrant. “We see the violence happening to people around the country. Spaces like this are truly lifesaving now and will continue to be lifesaving for our community.”

Also noting the attacks on trans rights being led by conservative lawmakers and groups, Calma hoped the opening of the new facility could help refocus attention on what is possible to achieve for the betterment of the trans community.

“Let’s change the narrative,” said Calma. “Let’s focus on everything we aspire for.”t

To learn more about Trans Thrive visit https://sfcommunityhealth. org/program/trans-thrive/ for one year, beginning July 1. Volunteers are not paid, though reimbursed a small amount for meetings. Civil grand jurors must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and have lived in San Francisco for at least the past 12 months with no felony convictions, according to the release. All jurors must be able to communicate in English. The release stated that the court is especially interested in recruiting people of color and residents who represent a wide range of San Francisco neighborhoods.

The deadline to apply is May 12. For more information and an application, go to https://civilgrandjury. sfgov.org/join.html. t or gender identity experiences,” Hawkins stated.

He noted that the center, which opened in 2017, was established to help the community.

“Our LGBTQ center here in Oakland is founded by Black queer men and led mostly by LGBTQ people of color,” he stated. “We are uniquely connected to communities of color and the issues we face. This connection allows us to be aware of and shine a spotlight on crime and how queer communities of color are impacted.”

A memorial was held for Davis March 18 at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. There, Davis’ partner, Darrell Jackson, was comforted by friends and family members.

YB, a Black lesbian from Oakland who knew Davis, told the B.A.R. March 17, “Our gay Black men are being exterminated like animals.”

“I loved him,” said YB, who goes by that name. “I think it was unfair ing the courtroom of Judge James Cramer.

Marsh, who was also known as drag artist Touri Monroe, was a hair stylist and a Miss Gay Oakland emeritus who used to sing with the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus. Originally from Iowa, friends described him as fun, helpful, and active in his church.

He was killed the morning of March 4, police said. Police responded to the 200 block of Vernon Street in the Adams Point neighborhood just before 8 a.m. after a report of a disturbance, Oakland Police and nobody should ever have to leave that way. We know we are all going to leave, one day, but to be taken out. It makes no sense. He was only 27 years old. I want there to be justice.”

YB said she’d known Davis for “over 15 years.”

“I knew him through his sister,” YB said. “He was wonderful. He was kind, funny and fun – he was a Leo like myself and he brought a light everywhere

Officer Darryl Rodgers stated in an email to the B.A.R.

That “disturbance” consisted of “reports of an individual screaming,” Chambers confirmed. When officers arrived, Oakland firefighters were on the scene extinguishing a fire.

“Upon arrival, officers located an Oakland resident with multiple lacerations,” Rodgers stated. “The victim succumbed to their injuries and medical units pronounced the victim deceased on scene. Investigators from the OPD Homicide Section responded to the scene to begin

Hawkins added that the center will be there to advocate for communities of color.

“Few victim services exist in Alameda County for the kind of crimes queer people and men of color, particularly men, are most likely to experience, such as threats of violence, acts of violence, robbery, or that take into account their specific cultural, sexual orientation, the follow-up investigation into the circumstances surrounding the homicide.”

Neighbors told KTVU-TV that the perpetrator set the fire and left the front door and gate open when running away. No motive has been given, nor the circumstances of if or how the two men knew one another.

Waterman is on administrative leave from his job as a senior custodian with UC Berkeley, the school told the B.A.R. on March 13. He has six prior convictions dating back to 2002, including felony evasion,

After the initial publication of this story online, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao told the B.A.R., “Our office is in contact with the Oakland Police Department for updates on this case, which is currently under investigation. This is a tragic loss of life and our hearts go out to Devonte’s family, friends and the entire LGBTQ+ community.

Mayor Thao and our Oakland Police Department are committed to working each day to make sure all our communities are safe in our city.”

The office declined to comment on the Marsh case last week. City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, who represents the district where Davis was killed, has not responded to a request for comment. t forgery, robbery, and vehicle theft, according to Berkeley Scanner .

The DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment for this report as of press time.

A memorial was held March 11 at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center where friends remembered him.

Marsh is one of two gay Black men who were killed in Oakland this month. But so far no suspect has been found in the March 12 shooting death of Devonte Davis, police told the B.A.R. March 20. t