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SF Opera's 'Xerxes' opens
James Hormel's new book
Plaque funding secured
The
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Garry to consult with EQCA
Vol. 41 • No. 44 • November 3-9, 2011
Time to elect gay mayor? Not for some LGBT voters
by Seth Hemmelgarn
by Matthew S. Bajko
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lmost three weeks after the abrupt resignation of former Executive Director Roland Palencia, Equality California has announced it’s bringing in a veteran consultant to help guide the Joan Garry organization through staffing, financial, and other troubles. Joan Garry, former executive director of the national Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is coming on board to serve as “chief strategy and transition consultant,” EQCA spokeswoman Rebekah Orr said in a statement Wednesday, November 2. Garry won’t serve as interim executive director, Orr said. Julie Anderson, another consultant, will also be joining in the efforts. Orr said in an email that Garry and
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mailer paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has been hitting LGBT voters’ mailboxes in recent weeks calling on them to elect San Francisco’s first out mayor. The national group is backing former Supervisor Bevan Dufty in the race, one of two out candidates. The campaign piece features a quote from former Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay politician. “We don’t want sympathetic liberals, we want gays to represent gays,” stated Milk. The mailer goes on to state, “We have an opportunity to elect a qualified, experienced, out mayor. There has never been a more important time to elect one of us See page 16 >>
Gay state Senator Mark Leno spoke at a press conference at Harvey Milk Plaza last week in support of Dennis Herrera following questions about Herrera’s support for same-sex marriage. Rick Gerharter
See page 16 >>
Activists assail San Francisco’s dwindling black population B.A.R. election endorsements General election >> San Francisco Mayor Bevan Dufty, first choice Dennis Herrera, second choice Ed Lee, third choice District Attorney George Gascón Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi
Ballot measures >> SAN FRANCISCO PROPS Vote YES on A, B, C, E, F, G Vote NO on D, H
Emeryville City Council Ruth Atkin
College of Marin Board Stephanie O’Brien REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 8!
by Heather Cassell
S
an Francisco prides itself on diversity and being a beacon of freedom of expression and independence that attracts people through its golden gate, but the reality is much harsher, according to African Americans living in the city. Black people – mostly middle and upper class – are decamping from the city by the bay. Many black youth native to the city – straight and queer – are also leaving at the first sign of opportunity elsewhere. “I’m upset,” N’Tanya Lee, a panelist at a recent discussion about out-migration of African Americans hosted by the University of San Francisco, told a room of nearly 100 audience members, “because we are not upset enough.” Leaders of the city’s African American community are beginning to tackle the issue, which was the topic of a 2009 report from the Mayor’s Task Force on African American Out-Migration. The task force was formed by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom to find out what was happening to the city’s African American community. Four decades have seen San Francisco’s African American population decline from
N’Tanya Lee, former executive director at Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, makes a point during the State of Black San Francisco presentation at the University of San Francisco.
Jane Philomen Cleland
a high of 88,000 in the 1970s to an estimated 46,779 by 2005, the most recent figures available. According to census projections the city is trending toward an attrition of its black community to an estimated 32,200 African
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Americans residing in the city by 2050. The loss of blacks means that the city’s African American gay community is even smaller. Many LGBT African Americans joke See page 16 >>