October 10, 2019 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 49 • No. 41 • October 10-16, 2019

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Buttigieg talks about historic prez run by Mark Segal

John Ferrannini

Mayor London Breed, right, announced her appointment of district attorney candidate Suzy Loftus, second from right, as the city’s interim DA once the current official vacates the post next week. District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, left, and Assemblyman David Chiu were also on hand.

ACLU, Milk club criticize DA pick

by John Ferrannini

t least one progressive Democratic club and a civil liberties group have blasted Mayor London Breed’s decision to name Suzy Loftus, who is running for district attorney, to serve as interim DA once the current officeholder, George Gascón, vacates the position next week. See page 12 >>

ete Buttigieg, who has served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana since 2012, came out as a gay man in a selfpenned essay published by the South Bend Tribune in 2015. This past April he declared his candidacy for president of the United States, the first out Democrat to do so. Gay Republican Fred Karger ran in 2012. His candidacy has attracted immense interest not just from LGBT voters but also the mainstream media. But the focus on his historic run for the White House has resulted in harsh attacks about his sexual orientation, with some critics questioning if Buttigieg is “gay enough.” When SiriusXM host Clay Cane interviewed Buttigieg last month, he asked him a question regarding the contention he has been successful politically because he is not effeminate. In response, Buttigieg replied that he “can’t even read the LGBT media anymore, because it’s all too gay, not gay enough, wrong kind of gay.” Yet, the stories Buttigieg referred to ran in mainstream news outlets. In a later interview with Alex Berg of AM to DM with Buzzfeed News, Buttigieg chalked up his comments to his having “a grumpy mo-

Courtesy Pete for America

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign rally.

ment.” It aired a day after Buttigieg took part in a presidential forum on LGBT issues co-hosted by GLAAD and the LGBT newsmagazine the Advocate. In his first interview with an LGBT newspaper since he made those comments, But-

tigieg spoke by phone October 5 with Mark Segal, the publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News. Their interview focused on Buttigieg’s campaign, his values, and his role models in the LGBTQ community. See page 12 >>

B.A.R. Vaping deaths, ballot fight spotlight MUNICIPAL ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS Stay Jolly Gay LGBT nicotineand use this Holiday! SAN FRANCISCO

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he fight over the electronic cigarette ban in San Francisco and the recent Dist. 5 Supervisor epidemic of vaping-related deaths and Vallie Brown lung injuries nationwide has made nicotine use – both vaping and smoking – a top priorDistrict Attorney Suzy Loftus ity for some LGBT leaders. “Tobacco can often fall to the back-burner Public Defender with all theback issues faced by the queer com• Earn 1% cash for everyday purchases Manohar “Mano” Raju munity,” said Chad Ngo, a gay man who is City Attorney • No AnnualtheFee program manager of the LGBTQ+ ToDennis Herrera bacco Control Program at the San Francisco • No Balance Transfer Sheriff Community Health Center. “This hasFee sparked No Endorsement of an interest in the topic area.” • No ForeignmoreTransaction Fees LGBT Americans have higher rates of toTreasurer José No Cisneros Interest baccocharged smoking than that of the general popu- 25 days • for Rick Gerharter lation – with 20.6% of LGB adults and 35.5% Board Of Education A man vapes Sunday while attending the Castro Street Fair. Apply today! of trans adults lighting up regularly, according Jenny Lam Call 415-775-5377, stop by a branch orsaidvisit SanFranciscoFCU.com to a 2011 Institute of Medicine report. Halkitis that oftentimes these issues are Vaping-related deaths Community College Board The same is true of vaping, with a 2016 associated and exacerbate each other. come amid Prop C battle Ivy Lee University of Illinois study showing 9.4% of “When you see one health problem, you The California Department of Public SF Props LGBTs smoke e-cigarettes compared with only see another. These things happen together Health announced in a health advisory last YES on: A, B, D, E 4.9% of non-LGBTs. and they fuel each other,” Halkitis told the Bay month that it’s urging “everyone” to stop NO on: C, F Perry N. Halkitis, a gay man who is the dean Area Reporter in a phone interview. “You have vaping in the wake of an epidemic of deaths of the Rutgers School of Public Health, said to deal with the whole person; it’s not enough and injuries related to e-cigarette use. It folthat nicotine use among some LGBTs is part to deal with just HIV or drug use. lowed an executive order by Governor Gavin of a larger “syndemic,” or link, of health issues, “The more oppressed a population is, the Newsom to confront the growing youth epiincluding alcohol abuse, methamphetamine more you see risk. This is a manifestation of risk demic and health risks linked to vaping. use, and HIV infection. associated with structural inequality,” he added.

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<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Restaurant openings herald Castro ‘renewal’ by John Ferrannini

ollowing a spate of business closures, as many as three restaurants are slated to open in the Castro in the coming months. Two of the openings are certain. Cafe De Casa, a Brazilian cafe, is scheduled to open November 1 on 17th street between Castro and Hartford streets. Bhoga Restaurant & Bar, serving what head chef Mel Oza is calling “progressive Indian” cuisine, will be opening in mid-November on Castro Street next to Strut.

But one of the restaurants, a third location of the Flying Falafel Vegan Sandwich Bar, faced some bureaucratic hurdles. Flying Falafel is planning to open on Castro Street next to the city parking lot adjacent to the theater. The location was formerly home to Outfit and, most recently, a pop-up branch of Indigo Vintage Cooperative. But the owner of Gyro Xpress, on the corner of Castro and 18th streets, filed a discretionary review request with the city plan-

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ning department in which he said that converting a retail space to a restaurant is “the last thing this community needs.” “The Castro district is losing its key retail spaces. There are three falafel shops on the 400 block of Castro,” Cem Bulutoglu of Gyro Xpress wrote in the request. “This operator would like to open in the neighborhood[;] he is very welcome. Our only request is that the planning department will require that an existing vacant limited restaurant space be occupied for this purpose.” The planning commission is expected to hear the item October 24 at City Hall. Planning staff recommended that the commission not take the discretionary review and approve the project. Last month, the Castro Merchants business group voted to support the eatery. An analysis of the discretionary review from the San Francisco Planning Department states that the planning staff found that “the change of use does not present an exceptional or extraordinary circumstance with respect to the compatibility of the proposed use within the neighborhood.” After that September 26 report, Flying Falafel owner Assaf Pashut said that he’s “optimistic” about the chances of the project being

approved by the commission. “We’re adding a lot of things that don’t exist in that district at all,” Pashut said. “We’d be the only vegan restaurant, the only vegetarian restaurant, and there’s a lot of health-conscious people in the Castro district.” Pashut said that the “crispy chick’n” on the menu is 100% soy. Meanwhile, Cafe De Casa is opening its third location in a matter of weeks. The Castro location is slated to be its first with a dinner menu, according to coowner Thais Moreira. “We’ve been looking for a place in this neighborhood for a long time,” Moreira said. “It’s like Brazil – colorful and fun.” Moreira said that the dinner menu is being written and that the Castro location will be open until 10 or 11 p.m. “This is our biggest location. We want the space to be used by the community,” said Carter Bolick, Cafe De Casa’s creative director. She added that the interior was designed with a potential karaoke night in mind, and that she’s happy to see a Castro location opening because it connects her with her roots. “I was born and raised in this neighborhood, so it’s sentimental to use this ZIP code,” Bolick said. Before dinner, Cafe De Casa is planning on serving açaí, sal-

ads, crepes, juices, and coffee. It is also planning on serving beer and wine. Down Castro Street, the Bhoga Restaurant & Bar is opening its first location. Sandeep Cherukuri, the director of operations, said that it differs from their other restaurant, Deccan Spice, which is located on Valencia Street between 22nd and 23rd streets. “That one is authentic Indian – what you’d eat in your home,” he said. “Here we are using the ancient Indian cuisine but the techniques are French and American.” Mel Oza, the head chef, moved to San Francisco specifically to help make that “progressive Indian” concept a reality. Oza said he’s excited to be joining “one of the most savvy dining scenes in the country.” “We wanted to be in a vibrant neighborhood but still here in the city,” Oza said, adding that the Castro is a great place for late night table service. Bhoga plans on staying open until 1 a.m. on weekends, and serving cocktails in addition to beer and wine. Bolick of Cafe De Casa said she’s excited that so many restaurants are planning on opening at once. “There’s a renewal in the neighborhood. It’s going to be great,” she said. t

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<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Volume 49, Number 41 October 10-16, 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 • John Ferrannini CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Roger Brigham • Brian Bromberger Victoria A. Brownworth • 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 Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr • Gregg Shapiro • Gwendolyn Smith Sari Staver • Tony Taylor • 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 • 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

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Loftus for SF district attorney

n the first open race for San Francisco district attorney in more than 100 years, Suzy Loftus is the candidate who best exemplifies San Francisco values and whose professional record has prepared her to lead the department. She is committed to criminal justice reforms and focusing on quality of life crimes that San Franciscans desperately want addressed. She is a straight ally who has worked with LGBT community leaders for years, and has a keen sense of the necessary changes that are needed for an office that has long been neglected. The DA’s office has suffered under George Gascón, who abruptly announced his resignation last week so that he can move to Los Angeles County to establish residency in a bid to run for Los Angeles District Attorney next year. He gave Mayor London Breed the opportunity to appoint an interim DA to fill out the remainder of his term; last Friday she named Loftus, who will start when Gascón formally leaves on October 18. The other candidates and their supporters charge that this gives Loftus an unfair advantage in next month’s election. The City Charter allows the mayor to make an interim appointment, and Breed decided that there is minimal risk of a backlash by voters to punish Loftus. Loftus has a long and varied record in San Francisco politics and its law enforcement community. As a former president of the Police Commission, Loftus made a priority of improving the San Francisco Police Department’s response to violence against women and children, expanding the use of technology to solve crime, and making our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. Under her leadership, the Police Commission reformed the city’s use-offorce policy, and instituted body-worn cameras to increase transparency and improve policecommunity relations. She was a prosecutor in the DA’s office under Kamala Harris. During an editorial board meeting, she told us that she is aware of the problematic attrition rate in the DA’s office – 40 attorneys have left this year – and the basic need to hire and retain qualified lawyers, investigators, and support staff in order to rebuild the department. Currently, Loftus serves as legal counsel for Sheriff Vicki Hennessy. We asked Loftus about her relationship with SFPD, because police play a critical role in determining whether criminal charges are filed and her success will depend on it. To say that the current relationship between the police department and Gascón is strained is an understatement. Gascón, who used to be the city’s police chief be-

Rick Gerharter

SF district attorney candidate Suzy Loftus campaigned in the Castro.

fore he was tapped to be DA by outgoing mayor Gavin Newsom, has never enjoyed a good working relationship with the officers he once oversaw and almost anyone seeking justice suffered for it. The powerful San Francisco Police Officers Association has not endorsed any candidate for DA. Regarding improving relations with SFPD, Loftus said that holding the DA’s office to a higher standard will help. “I think that what we have to do is get back to having a DA who’s committed to running a world-class law office that is supporting our lawyers, that when police officers do a good investigation, we pursue the case and we are respectful and professional, I will definitely prioritize holding my office to a high standard,” she said. We believe that this should be a top priority, as investigators from both departments must work together, and use modern tools, in order to successfully prosecute criminal cases. That has been lacking in San Francisco, so Loftus will have a lot of work to do. Public safety is another crucial issue that Loftus is prepared to address. Loftus told us that she’s a “straight-shooter” and while she has “deep respect” for police officers, she will hold them accountable, including charging them if necessary in an officer-involved shooting if that determination is warranted: “And I think that in these cases, my commitment is to hold people accountable when they break the law. And if that person is a police officer, I will do that. If the person is someone who, you know, is committing a crime on our streets, it’s not going to be about their status. It’s going to be about the fair administration of the law. And I think that’s what people are look-

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.

ing for.” To ensure confidence in the process, she would call for an independent investigation by the state attorney general’s office, which would provide a more transparent procedure for the victims’ families and the public. “You know, my time on the Police Commission, I sat in community rooms and dealt with grieving families and communities,” she said. “And I recognize that the tremendous damage that’s done when there’s an officer-involved shooting. It damages the relationship of trust, and uniformly across the board, what I found from communities is what they want is fairness, they want a fair investigation.” She thinks such investigations should be completed in six months, not the years that it took for Gascón’s office: “The officer is left with a cloud and the community is left with questions.” Loftus wants to expand neighborhood prosecutors who will report to her in order to end the epidemic of car break-ins and other quality of life crimes. We asked if video evidence will be necessary for her office to prosecute a crime and were told it will not. She also wants to establish a civil rights unit – a first for the office – to address racial disparities and other issues. “I want prosecutors to say ‘It’s my job to do something,’” she told us. She plans to take on wage theft cases and housing and homeless evictions. Loftus supports conservatorship for those who may be a danger to themselves or others. On San Francisco’s juvenile hall, she supported the Board of Supervisors’ decision in June to close the facility by 2021, but believes a smaller – 10 to 20 bed – secure facility will still be needed. “I was the first candidate to put out a plan to what I think we need to call ending the incarceration of children as we know it,” she said. “And so I think everyone is clear, including the Board of Supervisors, and all of the various advocates, San Francisco will continue to need a secure facility to detain kids who are a danger to themselves or others.” Loftus has a solid understanding of improvements needed in the DA’s office – just about everything – and has plans to rebuild it. She was the first to declare her candidacy for DA – before Gascón announced he would not seek re-election, which encouraged other candidates to jump in. She had the confidence to challenge a sitting DA based on her personal dedication and commitment. “You know, I believe that San Francisco wanted a different approach,” she said. “And my background as a prosecutor, and as someone who’s a reformer, I think I just couldn’t sit by and, and, and allow things to keep going the same way. So I jumped in.” Loftus is the right person for the job. She deserves your vote November 5.t

Brown for District 5 supervisor D

Bay Area Reporter

istrict 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown deserves election to complete the term of former supervisor London Breed, who appointed her to the seat when she became mayor last summer. We’ve observed her performance on the Board of Supervisors and had been impressed since meeting with her in January and more recently for an editorial board meeting. She was confident and eager to work on the many challenges the district and city face. Brown has worked in City Hall before, of course, as an aide in the same office of both Breed and former supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, and she’s lived in the district for more than 20 years. That long and direct connection to her district provided a foundation for Brown to prove that she is up to the task of supervisor since her appointment. One of the major issues in District 5, which includes the Haight-Ashbury, Lower Haight, Hayes Valley, Western Addition, Fillmore, Japantown, Cole Valley, and surrounding neighborhoods, is affordable housing. She created a neighborhood preference policy to give existing local residents priority for new affordable housing. And she expanded the city’s program to buy at-risk rent-controlled buildings by $40 million to protect tenants from eviction by preventing Ellis Act evictions and permanently preserving affordable, rent-controlled housing. According to her website, she is actively working to bring a Navigation Center for transitional age youth to the district. She passed legislation to create a Vehicular Navigation Center for people whose last option is living in their vehicles or on the street.

Rick Gerharter

District 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown

The site of the now-closed McDonald’s at the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets has long been a problem for the neighborhood, but could be a prime location to build more affordable housing. The city sought requests for proposals to activate the space while the development project seeks approvals but ultimately rejected the two it had received. Brown told us she supported the city’s decision due to concerns it could delay critically needed housing, particularly if Proposition A, the affordable housing bond, passes next month, as the goal for the site is

100% affordable housing. “So I just thought I’d rather wait a couple months, see what happens with the housing bond, and then we can refocus. If the housing bond doesn’t pass, then the activation with the five years can go through,” she said. “But I just felt it was so important for housing. And I’ve seen, you know, I’ve just seen that with the Hayes Valley parcels and how long it took them to get housing and the ones that have just been sitting there, especially that transitional age youth housing. I just thought, I can’t do anything to slow up housing. Right? One hundred percent affordable housing in the city. How can we slow that up?” Muni and the San Francisco Transportation Agency that oversees it are constantly criticized for lousy on-time performance and other issues. Brown told us goals should be a sustainable system and improving transit reliability. She differs from her opponent on making Muni free for everybody, telling us that MUNI would “fold on itself ” without fare revenue to help with the costs. “I just don’t see how it’s going to be free and be reliable,” she said. “I think the first thing we should do like, I said, get it reliable and people will take it. And then let’s look, OK, how much money is this really cost to have Muni reliable? I don’t want to like have free Muni and then have it go down and then it’s not reliable because, guess what, people won’t take it even if it’s free.” See page 13 >>

Politics>>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

Newsom signs bill allowing CA pharmacies to furnish PrEP

by Matthew S. Bajko

tarting next summer Californians will be able to obtain a two-month supply of an HIV prevention medicine known as PrEP from their local pharmacy without having a prescription from their primary care doctor. Monday afternoon Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 159 that authorizes pharmacies to furnish at least 30 days worth, and up to 60 days, of pre-exposure prophylaxis pills. Since 2012 doctors have prescribed Truvada (tenofovir/ emtricitabine) for PrEP as an effective method for preventing the transmission of HIV. Federal health officials last week also approved the use of Descovy (tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine) for PrEP in adults and adolescents who are at risk of acquiring HIV through sex, with the exception of receptive vaginal sex. In practice, this means it is indicated for cisgender (non-trans) men who have insertive anal or vaginal sex, as well as for cisgender or transgender men and women who have receptive anal sex. Pharmacists will be able to start furnishing the limited supply of PrEP medication on July 1 next year when SB 159 takes effect. They will also be able to supply customers with a 28day regimen of drugs for PEP, or postexposure prophylaxis, that has proved to be effective at keeping someone HIV negative if they have been exposed to HIV through sex. The legislation also prohibits insurance companies from requiring patients to obtain prior authorization before using their insurance benefits to obtain PrEP or PEP from a pharmacy. “Recent breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of HIV can literally save lives,” stated Newsom in a media advisory. “All Californians deserve access to PrEP and PEP, two treatments that have transformed our fight against HIV and AIDS. I applaud the Legislature for taking action to expand access to these treatments and getting us close to ending HIV and AIDS for good.” Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) authored the first-inthe-nation bill with his colleague, gay Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego). Initially, they had amended their legislation to limit the amount of PrEP pills pharmacists could furnish to only 30 days in response to feedback from doctors, who had initially opposed the bill. This summer, gay Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) successfully fought to increase the supply to 60 days. In light of changes made to the bill to address its concerns, the powerful California Medical Association switched its stance from being opposed to being neutral. For California to end the transmission of HIV, Wiener and Gloria argued that the state needed to make access to both PrEP and PEP as easy as possible. “To end new HIV infections, we must dramatically expand access to PrEP and PEP, yet far too many Californians who need these drugs struggle to access them,” stated Wiener in an emailed statement. “SB 159 will keep more Californians HIV-negative and help us end this epidemic. I applaud Governor Newsom for signing this firstin-the-nation legislation to remove barriers to these critical HIV-preventatives.” In order for someone to obtain PrEP from a pharmacy, they must have taken a test showing they are HIV-negative within the previous seven days. If not, the pharmacist is required to order an HIV test. Should the person test positive for HIV then pharmacists are required to direct the person to a primary care provider and provide a list of providers and clinics in their region.

Jane Philomen Cleland

Governor Gavin Newsom, shown in a file photo, has signed a bill allowing pharmacies to distribute up to 60 days of PrEP without a doctor’s prescription.

The legislation also requires pharmacists to educate their customers about PrEP, which can include discussing its side effects, the importance of adhering to recommended dosing, and additional testing for HIV, renal function, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted diseases. The bill also specifies that additional safety information about PrEP use during pregnancy and breastfeeding should be given to women of child-bearing age. The bill restricts pharmacists from furnishing a 60-day supply of PrEP to a single patient more than once every two years. If a person wishes to continue using PrEP after 60 days, they will need to see a doctor in order to receive a prescription for additional pills. The California State Board of Pharmacy has until July 1, 2020, to adopt emergency regulations to implement the bill. It is to consult with the Medical Board of California in developing the guidelines. The Golden State will become the first state to allow people to obtain PrEP over the counter from a pharmacy. It is likely other states will follow suit as they work to also end their own HIV epidemics. “The HIV epidemic is still a pressing issue today – especially for LGBTQ people of color and folks in rural communities,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California, the statewide LGBT advocacy organization that sponsored SB 159. “But with Governor Newsom’s signature, SB 159 is a giant step forward in getting to zero transmissions, zero deaths, and zero stigma. By increasing access to life-saving HIV prevention medication, California – unlike the White House – is leading the country in the race to eliminate HIV.” In a phone interview Monday with the Bay Area Reporter, Wiener said he does plan to re-examine the legislation in the future to see if the 60-day cap can either be lifted or extended. “We need to let it play out and let it show it can work expanding access to PrEP,” said Wiener, who has taken PrEP for years. “If it succeeds, which I believe it will, we can have a conversation within a few years about it.”

Alice early endorses Wiener

As expected, the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club early endorsed Wiener, a former co-chair of the political group, at its meeting October 7. Wiener, 49, first won election to his 11th Senate District seat in 2016 and is seeking another four-year term next year. To date, Wiener is the only person to be actively seeking the seat and raising money, reporting a campaign war chest of more than $1 million as of August 1. Former state Senator Quentin Kopp, 91, an independent moderate who served three terms in the Senate, pulled papers expressing interest in running for Wiener’s seat.

A Republican is also expected to enter by the December 6 deadline to file for the March 3 primary. As for seeing a well-known progressive candidate jump into the contest, that seems unlikely at this point, as the B.A.R’s online Political Notes column reported September 30. The current chair of the sevenmember Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, Wiener is one of 14 out Democrats and one Republican who have announced state legislative campaigns next year. LGBT advocates are hoping to either maintain or expand the caucus’ membership come the 2021 legislative session.

SF seeks listing of historic Japantown site

A property in San Francisco’s Japantown that has ties to the early LGBT rights movement is a step closer to receiving federal historic status. City preservation officials and the property owners are seeking to have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places. California’s State Historical Resources Commission is expected to vote in support of the historic designation for the 1830 Sutter Street property, known as the Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building, at its November 7 meeting. As the B.A.R. reported online October 2, San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-0 to back the national register listing. Famed architect Julia Morgan designed the building, pro bono, for a group of first generation Japanese immigrant women as they were barred from using the YWCA’s other facilities. The original two-story-over-basement, wood frame structure was constructed in 1932 and sports an eclectic Japanese-inspired style. (An addition also designed in a Japanese-inspired style was built in 2017.) The Japantown Y site, in May 1954, was where the pioneering gay rights group the Mattachine Society hosted its first convention, according to the city’s LGBTQ historic context statement. Bayard Rustin, the late gay African American Quaker and civil rights leader, also taught a seven-week course about addressing racial discrimination at the Japantown Y in the summer of 1943, according to research done by Donna Graves. Should the state panel vote next month to recommend listing on the National Register, then the nomination is sent to the State Historic Preservation Officer for approval. The Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. makes the final determination within 45 days after receipt of the nomination from the state officer. It would become only the fourth property on the West Coast listed on the national register due to its place in LGBT history. The most recent to be listed was the San Francisco Women’s Building last year. There are a little more than two-dozen LGBT properties across the country given such federal recognition.

Mandelman calls for SOGI hearing

At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman called for a hearing on how city agencies are collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data. It is expected that the board’s government audit and oversight committee will schedule the hearing sometime in November. Since July 2017 six city agencies have been required to collect SOGI data, but as the B.A.R. has previously reported, meeting the requirement has been a See page 11 >>

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<< Commentary

6 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

She, her, hers by Gwendolyn Ann Smith “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” – Walt Whitman “Song of Myself.”

find myself grappling with an unusual contradiction, one with which I find myself having somewhat unique challenges grasping for an answer that satisfies me. Over the last few years, a movement has been afoot. Initially picked up by trans and nonbinary activists, non-trans allies took up the mantle and have begun to push to include their preferred pronouns in introductions, online biographies, email signatures, and more. Some events provide stickers and buttons where one can easily declare that their pronouns are “she/ her,” “they/them,” “zie/hir,” “he/him,” and so on. The goal of all this is simple: by normalizing the practice of asking and/ or declaring preferred pronouns for everyone, transgender and nonbinary people will not feel “othered” when they need to provide their pronouns, or when asked which ones they use. This seems like a good thing to me. As a trans woman, I’ve been in plenty of awkward situations where I have been asked about my pronouns, or where I have had to assert my pro-

nouns of choice: she/her/hers, for those who might be wondering. By having everyone declare their pronouns up front, we all have a level playing field from the get-go, and all end up being included in the process. That’s good, right? Well, maybe. I lived a lie for many years, having to present in a gender that did not fit me. During all those years, a completely different set of pronouns was applied to me, and those pronouns stood for everything that was wrong with how I was seen in the world. I transitioned some time ago. I am largely accepted within my gender, and all the years of sweat, and toil – not to mention medical bills – have essentially paid off. For the most part, everyone finally can see the person I always knew I was, without having to second-guess. That, to me, is a big deal. Today – most of the time – everyone is on the same page as to who I am. So, it feels awkward and uncomfortable when I find myself in a position where, after all these years, I still have to clarify my pronouns for people. I want to scream, “Isn’t it obvious?” when I am confronted, as I was for decades, about what my pronouns are. I have to remind myself, in those times, that those who are asking are well-meaning, and don’t mean to

Christine Smith

cause pain. They may not know the years when such a question may have had a sharpened edge, wielded against me in challenge. The “wrong” answer then would open me to mockery and derision, and could be a source of pain. In this way, it would provide the exact opposite of what is meant by asking. Rather than a tool of affirmation designed to prevent me from feeling othered, it singles me out with laser-like precision, revealing any selfperceived shortcoming. It becomes fuel for any lingering dysphoria I may hold onto. That’s bad, right? It’s hard to say. This notion of asking for preferred pronouns, while it has caught on in a lot of places, is still new. It hasn’t quite yet normalized the practice of providing one’s pronouns no matter if one is trans or not. One worry I have is that this is all a trend in some circles, a transgender flag-colored “ribbon magnet” where

one can show they are a good ally without really doing anything of substance to help nonbinary and transgender people. Just another example of doing the literal least one can do to try and bring true acceptance of trans and nonbinary people to the world. I am sure, too, that it’s even less a part of culture outside of the relatively progressive circles I tend to run in. It may be a lot less common in parts of the country and world that still feel that men are from Mars and women from Venus, or whatnot. In those places, I suspect that most non-trans men and women might be offended by such a question. They likely react negatively, as if you should be able to tell by their appearance, their name, and their actions exactly what their pronouns are. In short, they – like me – might find themselves responding to any inquiry about their pronouns with the same frustration I would. They might exclaim just as vehemently that their gender should be just as obvious. In short, this becomes all so very complicated – but that’s OK. If the goal is to normalize this development, then I, too, need to be

part of that normalization process. I am not giving up any hard-won right to my gender by declaring my pronouns, no more than any non-transgender person is giving up anything of their own by declaring the same. We are simply giving voice to what is, to ourselves, obvious. I don’t know if declaring pronouns is ever going to be a routinely accepted thing. It may not even be something I’ll see in my lifetime, given that people still fight over gender-neutral terms like “flight attendant,” or cross swords over gender-specific dress codes. These are fights I’ve seen since the 1970s, and I’m sure date back, in one form or another, much, much further. Is asking pronouns good? Is it bad? I don’t know. It might be both. It could even be neither. I simply do not have an answer I am fully happy with. All I can say is this: it seems a worthwhile thing to explore. We can only learn by trying. t Gwen Smith has grown accustomed to her pronouns. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.

Breast cancer pinkwashing campaign launches compiled by Cynthia Laird

reast Cancer Action has launched its 2019 Think Before You Pink campaign, “Say Never to Forever Chemicals,” demanding that corporate giant 3M stop production and use of all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) because of evidence this toxic class of compounds, known as “forever” chemicals, may contribute to breast cancer risk. The campaign, timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, targets 3M, a Fortune 500 company, because of its large-scale production, use, and promotion of PFAS while it simultaneously markets products, like its pink ribbon Post-it notes, for breast cancer awareness. “3M is trying to use pretty pink ribbon Post-its to cover up the fact that their toxic PFAS may actually increase the risk of breast cancer,” Karuna Jaggar, BCA’s executive director, said in a news release. “That’s pinkwashing. And it’s outrageous.” According to San Franciscobased BCA, a growing body of evidence shows that PFAS may increase the risk of breast cancer. It is known to cause some cancers and has been found to change the structure of the mammary gland. In addition, PFAS interferes with normal hormone functioning and has been shown to suppress the immune system. BCA said that 3M calls itself a good corporate citizen despite producing and profiting from toxic PFAS and has rolled out a number of breast cancer promotions over the years, including pink hard hats and tape. In addition to the pink Post-its, 3M is currently selling pink stethoscopes to “help fight against breast cancer,” the release said. PFAS are called forever chemicals because of their extreme persistence, BCA stated. The chemicals have been shown to accumulate in humans, animals, and the environment. The agency noted that researchers have found that 98% of Americans have at least one PFAS chemical in their body. The drinking water of approximately 110 million Americans contains unsafe levels of PFAS, and the chemicals have

Courtesy BCA

Breast Cancer Action Executive Director Karuna Jaggar

been found in breast and cow’s milk, the agency stated. BCA noted that 3M has been faced with multiple lawsuits brought by state attorneys general and was finally forced to acknowledge the risks posed by PFAS. The company phased out production of certain types of PFAS, and has been developing and using newer “short chain” PFAS. However, there is evidence that the newer chemicals in the same class of compounds are not safe for humans and the environment, according to BCA. 3M did not respond to a request for comment. “3M’s pink ribbon Post-its may peel off, but their toxic PFAS are forever,” Jaggar said. BCA is asking concerned people to join its campaign by telling 3M to stop pinkwashing at http://www. bcaction.org/neverforeverchems.

Short film on trans youth at SFO

San Francisco International Airport is debuting “Listen,” a short film about trans youth, for October, which is Bullying Prevention Month. As the Bay Area Reporter noted in a story this summer, SFO regularly shows short films on a rotating basis for free in the SFO Museum’s Video Arts room between 5 a.m. and midnight. It is located in the pre-security area of the departures level in the International Terminal.

In the nearly five-minute film, trans activist, writer, and actor Jake Graf uses trans actors to give voice to the articulated concerns of trans youth. “We love the film because we feel his approach makes these touching accounts very real for the viewers,” Timothy O’Brien, assistant director of exhibitions at SFO Museum, wrote in an email. “We, like Jake, are hopeful it opens some eyes to the very real issues confronting young people who are typically either ignored or demonized.” The film can also be viewed at the SFO Museum site at https://www. sfomuseum.org/programs/videoarts/listen.

LGBTQ listening tour in South Bay

The Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs has announced its 2019 listening tour. In a news release, the office said that interested people are welcome to attend the forums in cities where they live and work. The sessions provide an opportunity for LGBTQ community members, stakeholders, county and city elected officials, employers, school administrators, health officials, and others who work in any capacity with LGBTQ individuals to engage in conversation about issues affecting the community. Upcoming sessions are planned through December. This month, the listening tour comes to Los Altos Hills, Tuesday, October 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Road; Gilroy, Tuesday, October 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Gilroy Library, 350 W. Sixth Street; and Saratoga, Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at Westhope Presbyterian Church, 12850 Saratoga Avenue. Other cities will hold the meetings in November and December. A centralized Eventbrite page has been set up where people can register for the forums, which are free and open to the public, at https:// bit.ly/30MwyRo.

Bay Area Pride panel in San Jose

The BAYMEC Community Foundation will present “Bay Area Pride: 50 Years of LGBTQ History, Politics, and Culture” Thursday, October 17, at 4 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library at San Jose State University, 150 East San Fernando Street in San Jose. The panel will be cohosted by the BAYMEC Community Foundation and moderated by Robert Marx, Ph.D., assistant professor of child and adolescent development at SJSU. Gay former Santa Clara County supervisor Ken Yeager, executive director of the BAYMEC foundation, will be joined in conversation with Wiggsy Sivertsen, co-founder of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, which is affiliated with the foundation, and Maribel Martínez, a queer woman of color who’s director of the aforementioned county Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://library.sjsu.edu/ events/bay-area-pride.

SF LGBT center holds career fair

October is Economic Justice Month and the San Francisco LGBT Community Center will hold its fall career fair Friday, October 18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the center, 1800 Market Street. According to an announcement, the fair will include 20-plus employer partners, a free head shot clinic, and one-on-one resume reviews. The event is free, but registration is required. For a schedule of events, participating employers, and to sign up, visit https://bit. ly/335q3dV.

Carve pumpkins with lawmakers

Gay San Francisco lawmakers will provide a legislative update and pumpkin-carving event Saturday, October 19, from 1 to 4

p.m. at Noe Valley Courts, 4320 24th Street (at Douglass). State Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) and District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will provide information about various legislative accomplishments. People will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their 2020 priorities. Pumpkin carving is at non-taxpayer expense. The event is free. To RSVP or for more information, call Wiener’s office at (415) 557-1300 or visit www.bit.ly/1019pumpkins.

Castro Country Club benefit

The Castro Country Club, a clean and sober space in the gay neighborhood, will hold its 10th annual Harvest Festival Wednesday, October 23, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Green Room, 401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. This year’s theme is a roaring 1920s Prohibition soiree. Costumes are encouraged. The program will be emceed by drag queen Pollo Del Mar. A three-course dinner presented by Jane Hammond Events will follow a reception. Performing from the American Songbook will be Kyle Jones. This year’s honoree is the National AIDS Memorial Grove. Tickets are $200. For more information, visit http://www.castrocountryclub.org.

LGBT seniors to party at Jolene’s

Jolene’s, a queer bar in the Mission, will be the site of Openhouse’s first tea dance mixer Sunday, October 27, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 2700 16th Street (at Harrison). The Halloween-themed event will feature plenty of dancing and socializing. Costumes are encouraged. Beverages and snacks will be provided. Jolene’s is off the 22 Muni line and near the 16th Street BART station. For more information, call (415) 659-8123 or email sylvia@ openhouse-sf.org. t

Community News>>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

SF awards contracts for trans rental subsidies by John Ferrannini

he City and County of San Francisco has awarded $1.15 million for each of the next two fiscal years to two nonprofits to provide direct rental subsidies to help keep transgender and gender-nonconforming people in their homes or find housing. The funding came about in Mayor London Breed’s two-year budget and was prompted by the Our Trans Home SF campaign that lobbied for the subsidies. According to Breed’s office, St. James Infirmary and Larkin Street Youth Services were awarded the contracts. St. James will receive $490,000 annually while Larkin Street will receive $660,000. The total budget request of $2 million also includes $300,000 for trans housing stability case management for two years. “Our goal is that no trans or gender-nonconforming person will have to spend a night on the street,” said Toni Newman, a transgender woman who serves as the executive director of St. James Infirmary, a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and their families. The money will be used on rental subsidies for trans and gender-nonconforming people dealing with housing instability. St. James Infirmary will provide case management for each person receiving assistance and the funds will be distributed by Larkin Street Youth Services. Clair Farley, a transgender woman who serves as director of San Francisco’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, said that while the money will be distributed by Larkin, the recipients can be of any age. “Larkin Street had a deep experience of rental subsidies for LGBT people for over 30 years,” Farley said in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “St. James has deep trans community experience and leadership.” Farley said that as the mayor’s office was trying to find ways to help the trans community, housing stability emerged as “the top priority.” Earlier this year, trans community leaders launched Our Trans Home SF and said rental subsidies were a top priority. According to a 2018 study, transgender San Franciscans are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. According to a 2015 San Francisco Human Rights Commission report, 49% of trans respondents had been homeless at one time or another. The program will start ramping up in November and assistance will begin no later than December 1, according to the mayor’s office. It is expected to serve at least 55 households. Newman said that St. James will have two housing navigators and one case manager. People seeking assistance can fill out the applications at St. James, and then go to Larkin for the subsidy. People seeking assistance who don’t have a place to stay will be found one for up to a 90-day period. “Then the case manager (with St. James) goes over after that to assess their needs,” Newman explained. “Do you have a job? Do you have a resume? Do you have a checking account?” Newman said that people don’t have to already be homeless to receive assistance. “If you think you’re going to get evicted, we will put you in touch with lawyers, and if it’s imminent we will make sure you don’t have to spend one night on the street,” Newman said. Sherilyn Adams, a lesbian who

“We’re grateful for this very needed investment,” she said. “We will provide whatever support St. James needs to locate units. This is brand new, so we are still working on some of the details.” In an emailed statement to the B.A.R., Breed juxtaposed her administration’s record on trans issues with that of President Donald Trump. “The ongoing housing crisis in our city continues to impact our most marginalized communities including our trans community,” the statement reads. “Meanwhile the community continues to be under Rick Gerharter constant attack by the federal administration who is attempting to San Francisco Office of Translegalize discrimination and erase gender Initiatives Director transgender people. The Our Trans Clair Farley Home SF program is a vital step forward in assuring our trans commuis the executive director of Larnity is housed, safe, and can thrive kin Street Youth Services, said in a in San Francisco.” phone interview with the B.A.R. At the end of two years the prothat her organization’s role is to gram will be evaluated, according to make everything “as seamless as we a memo from the Office of Transcan for the folks receiving the subgender Initiatives. OTSF.expo-BAR-halfpagead- 2019.qxp_Layout 1 10/5/19t10:38 AM Page 1 sidies.”

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FREE entrance, food, door prizes, gaming, entertainment, photo booth, magician, dog adoption & fun! Connect with your community as a new client, volunteer or donor at the largest LGBTQ resource fair ever in San Francisco! Over 150 groups serving the LGBTQ community come together for the 4th annual day of community building in the Castro. Major Sponsors: Bon Appétit Management Company • Golden Gate Business Association • Uber Media Sponsors: MXD Magazine • SF Bay Times Sponsors: Dermatology Center of SF • Dignity, San Francisco • Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network Gilead • Golden Gate Urology • Horizons Foundation • The Logo Show • Maitri Compassionate Care Mark D. McHale-Vanguard Properties • Metropolitan Community Church • Positive Being Rainbow Grocery • Reproductive Science Center • Shanti • St. James Infirmary UCSF AHHA & Anchor Studies • Until There's a Cure • Walgreens • Wallbeds 'n More Community Sponsors: The Academy, • AIDS Legal Referral Panel • Archive Productions • Blackbird Blowbuddies • Cliff's Variety • Eros • Product 54 • Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation Steamworks • Super Duper Burger

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<< Business News

t Hyperbarics spa moves into new Oakland location 8 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

by Matthew S. Bajko

ay Area native Alex Williams two summers ago opened her Holistic Hyperbarics spa in a small Albany storefront. At the time, it was all the business owner could afford. As word spread about the spa, it took off attracting not just people suffering from various ailments and injuries but also professional athletes from the Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors. Williams, 33, who is queer and was a triathlete in her 20s, had first discovered the healing benefits of hyperbaric chambers from her coach, who owned their own chamber. “It is widely known in the athletic community as a secret tool. It is like legal blood doping because it puts so much oxygen in your blood,” said Williams, noting that Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps brought his own chamber with him to the Rio games. A former EMT and an in-home birth doula, Williams was participating in a queer wrestling party in March 2017 when she tore her left shoulder. It prompted her to buy her own hyperbaric chamber in order to speed up her recovery. “My doctor said it would take six to eight months to heal it. I healed it in just over five months,” recalled Williams, who spent an hour a day in the chamber. The experience led her to scrape together enough financing to open her own hyperbaric spa in a 400 square foot space. Looking to expand the business, she found a larger 1,000 square foot space with an outdoor patio to relocate to in Oakland’s Sante Fe neighborhood near the border with Emeryville. “It feels like coming home,” said Williams, who grew up in Oakland and Gilroy and is living again in the East Bay city. “It feels like I am in the right place making something available to people that regularly wouldn’t have this as

Courtesy Alex Williams

Alex Williams sits by a hyperbaric chamber; she recently opened a larger spa in Oakland.

an option. It feels more right than ever before.” Williams lives with her wife, Tiffany Paul, a social worker, and their hairless cat, Loretta, and hairless dog, Olive. When not focused on her business, she is uploading photos of her furless babies to their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/olive.and.loretta/. This past Sunday, Williams cut the ribbon on her new location, which is decked out with hundreds of plants to recreate a relaxing, organic atmosphere. “I love this space. It is an eclectic building that we have made our own. It is really earthy,” said Williams. “I have a firm belief we heal in places we are comfortable. I tried to build a space that really delivers that for people.” Due to the move she was able to upgrade to larger hyperbaric chambers that are sizeable enough for people to sit up in and stretch out while inside. They have Wi-Fi so people can bring in their tablets and other devices.

“It is like a comfortable submarine but there is no water involved,” noted Williams. “It is pretty spacious.” Each treatment requires a twohour appointment. The time spent in the hyperbaric chamber lasts 75 minutes, and the spa requests people spend upward of 10 minutes relaxing afterward so they “can come back to earth,” explained Williams. “People feel really euphoric and awake,” she noted. A medical prescription is required, and if someone needs to see a doctor, the spa has medical advisers and prescribing physicians on staff. Health insurance plans will often cover hyperbaric treatments for a limited number of conditions as approved by federal health officials. But it is also used for myriad “off label” conditions, and in such cases, patients will need to pay for the services out of pocket. “It is a lot like any kind of medical treatment. We want to make sure it is right for them, so we do a screening,” said Williams. Introductory sessions cost $250 and regular sessions then cost $220. The spa offers discount-

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Vaping

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“We are seeing something that we have not seen before,” Dr. Charity Dean, acting state public health officer, said in a news release. “There are numerous unknown factors at this time, and due to the uncertainty of the exact cause, it is our recommendation that consumers refrain from vaping until the investigation has concluded.” As of press time, 18 e-cigarette users have died in 15 states and almost 1,100 have been sickened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No one knows why. CDC figures show that a majority of the victims, 58%, used products that delivered nicotine in the three months before they became sick and 78% used products containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Halkitis said he is concerned that vaping is introducing people to nicotine who wouldn’t smoke a traditional cigarette. “What we’re seeing is the normalization of vaping,” Halkitis said. “People felt ‘we’re not smoking so what’s so bad here.’” The vaping death toll started to mount at around the same time as San Franciscans, particularly in the LGBT community, were bitterly divided over Proposition C, which is on the November 5 ballot. Prop C would overturn the city’s ban on e-cigarette sales (a ban that would end pending Food and Drug Administration re-

ed packages of 10 ($1,980), 20 ($3,740), and 40 ($7,040) sessions. The spa is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. It is by appointment only and does not accept walk-ins. To learn more about the spa, or book an appointment, visit https://www.hh-bayarea.com/.

In seeking renewal, Castro CBD narrows focus

As it seeks renewal over the coming months, the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District plans to narrow its focus to its core responsibility of cleaning the sidewalks in San Francisco’s LGBT district. The CBD was launched in 2005 in order to provide cleaning services that the city itself was unable to pay for, from daily sweeping to power steam cleaning of the sidewalks on a regular basis along the 400 and 500 blocks of Castro Street. It also cleaned the Market Street sidewalks between Castro and Octavia Boulevard. Over the years the CBD expanded its focus to include attracting new businesses to the commercial corridors and providing entertain-

ment in its public plazas as a way to drive foot traffic to the neighborhood. It also added artwork and plantings to the area. Now, as it asks property owners within its boundaries to renew it for another 15 years, the CBD has decided to dedicate the money it will receive from property assessment fees that will be increased toward cleaning services. It will no longer use the money to pay for entertainment or additional security, but could provide those amenities if it can obtain grant funding or donations to do so. “Everybody knows what we do is clean, clean, clean, clean,” said CBD Executive Director Andrea Aiello at this month’s Castro Merchants meeting. Aiello was making a pitch for why merchants, who may have the CBD fees passed onto them, should talk to their landlords and encourage them to support re-upping the CBD. It first needs to have property owners who account for 30% of the assessed fees to vote in favor later this year. If they do, then a second vote will be held in the spring, which requires a 51% threshold to be met in order to renew the CBD. The CBD plans to expand its boundaries slightly along Noe, 16th, and 17th streets in order to incorporate several blocks along the side streets where businesses are located and would benefit from its cleaning services. It will also institute a three-tiered assessment plan with those property owners on and around Castro Street paying more, while those along or near Market Street paying less because they will receive reduced services. “The streets were very dirty before the CBD,” said Terry Asten Bennett, whose family owns Cliff ’s Variety on Castro Street. “I am willing to pay for it because of the importance to the neighborhood as a whole.” To learn more about the CBD, visit http://castrocbd.org/. t Got a tip on LGBT business news? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

view of the products). The major contributor to the Yes on C campaign was Juul Labs Inc., a San Francisco-based company that has most of the e-cigarette market share. But last week, Juul, after spending millions of dollars on TV ads and mailers, abruptly pulled out of the Yes on C campaign and announced it was dropping all support for the referendum. Prop C will still appear on the ballot. Adam Quintero, a gay man who is an e-cigarette user, said he supports the measure. Quintero argued that banning e-cigarettes will have unintended, negative consequences. “Banning it supports a black market where there is no regulation whatsoever,” Quintero said. “We know how addiction works – people will either go on BART to buy vapes out of the city, or they will break down and buy cigarettes.” Quintero said that vaping helped him quit smoking traditional cigarettes. “I’m never out of breath anymore,” Quintero said.

man said in a statement to the B.A.R. “All that San Francisco is asking of Juul and other companies is to press pause until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines whether their products are safe to use.” Mandelman said he was happy with the Juul development. “I’m glad to see that Juul has pulled out of the Prop C campaign and hope that this action signals a real willingness to work with public health officials instead of circumventing regulation with costly ballot initiatives,” Mandelman said. He and other Prop C opponents said they were against the company developing city policy. If Prop C passes, it would replace the ordinance banning e-cigarette sales with regulations supported by Juul. Yes on C had been an active campaign. There had been an event in support of Prop C at the Stud, an LGBTQ bar in the South of Market neighborhood, Quintero said.

Prop C opponents

Halkitis said that the best strategy to reduce nicotine use among LGBT people would be providing resources and information that’s focused both locally and intersectionally. He said many LGBT people, particularly people of color, often don’t engage with traditional antinicotine programs because they are afraid of being judged about their identities.

Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro and surrounding neighborhoods on the Board of Supervisors, voted for the e-cigarette ban back in June and is opposed to Prop C. “LGBTQ people are more likely than others to struggle with addiction and associated health issues, making us even more vulnerable to any unknown impacts of vaping products,” Mandel-

Education

See page 13 >>

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<< National News

t Court watchers voice optimism at historic hearing 10 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

by Lisa Keen

fter a historic hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court, LGBT legal advocates voiced optimism that a majority of the justices would rule in favor of LGBT workplace protections. It was the second day of the court’s 2019-20 session, and the two hours of arguments Tuesday, October 8, were split between cases involving discrimination based on sexual orientation and discrimination based on transgender status. But very early on in the discussion around the sexual orientation cases, the justices veered off into territory involving bathrooms and locker rooms and even the court’s own dress code. “The arguments are very similar in both of the cases, and the justices themselves seemed a little confused about which case they were discussing,” said Jon Davidson, chief counsel at Freedom for All Americans and former legal director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. “They kept asking Pamela Karlan [the attorney representing two employees fired for being gay] about transgender people,” he added. They did it so much that Karlan took the liberty of reminding the justices she was there to argue the sexual orientation issue. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back, noting that the “big issue right now raging [in] the country is bathroom usage, same-sex bathroom usage.” Ultimately, over the course of the two hours, the justices seemed to meld the different issues, even though they will eventually address them in two different opinions. The three cases before the court Tuesday are what most Supreme Court observers consider among “the

Lisa Keen

People gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday for historic arguments in three LGBT cases.

most watched” cases of the session. Regardless of how the justices decide the cases, the consequences will almost certainly be profound for all LGBT people. Only one law is at issue: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That section prohibits employers who have more than 15 employees from discriminating “because of sex.” The question is how to interpret “sex.” Does it encompass discrimination based on one’s own sex or also on the sex of one’s sexual partner? “When an employer fires a male employee for dating men but does not fire a female employee for dating men, he violates Title VII,” said Karlan. He does so, she said, because the employer “treats that man worse than women who do the same thing. And that discrimination is because of sex.” But attorneys on the other side of the issue, including Solicitor General Noel Francisco, said it’s not. He argued that the employer who fires someone for being gay would do so regardless of whether that employee

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was a man or a woman. So it’s not sex discrimination, it’s sexual orientation discrimination. That’s different, he said, and that was not on the minds of members of Congress when they passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg prompted Karlan to address that argument, noting that, in 1964, samesex relations were a “criminal offense,” and that the American Psychiatric Association considered being gay a “mental illness.” “This court has recognized again and again forms of sex discrimination that were not in Congress’s contemplation in 1964,” responded Karlan. “In 1964, those were the days of ‘Mad Men.’” She was referring to the popular television series about people in marketing during the 1950s and 1960s, a series that prompted much discussion around sex-based expectations. “Most courts didn’t find sexual harassment to be actionable” in 1964, she said, until the Supreme Court eventually ruled that Title VII did include sexual harassment. The two cases involving sexual orientation Tuesday included one from New York and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and one from Georgia and the 11th Circuit. Both involved gay men who were fired after acknowledging they were gay. The 2nd Circuit, ruling in Altitude Express v. Zarda, said the employer’s firing of parachute instructor Daniel Zarda for acknowledging he was gay did violate Title VII. But the 11th Circuit dismissed Gerald Bostock’s lawsuit, Bostock v. Clayton County, saying the court was bound to conform to its ruling in an earlier case, a ruling that Title VII does not cover sexual orientation. The third case, and the subject of the second hour of argument, is Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC. It marks the first time the Supreme Court has taken up the issue of whether a transgender person is protected by Title VII. The Harris case, from Michigan and the 6th Circuit, involves a funeral

director, Aimee Stephens, who worked for years identifying as a man because that was the gender assigned to her on her birth certificate. But Stephens sincerely believed, since a young age, that her gender is female. When she got the courage to live true to her gender identity, she told her boss she would begin transitioning to live life as a woman. Her employer fired her. Stephens filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which ruled that Harris Funeral Homes’ action violated Title VII, and the 6th Circuit agreed. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post October 6, attorney Chase Strangio, who is part of Stephens’ American Civil Liberties Union legal team, wrote that the October 8 argument in Harris would be breaking new ground. “Tuesday may feature the first time the word ‘transgender’ is spoken during oral arguments in the highest court in the United States. And when the justices look out from the bench and see my co-counsel and me at counsel table,” he wrote, “it may be the first time they have looked at transgender attorneys defending our own existence before their powerful bench.” Interestingly, when ACLU attorney David Cole tried to make the court aware that transgender attorneys were in the courtroom, there was some resistance. “I say that recognizing that transgender people have a right to exist in the workplace and not be turned away because of who they are does not end [with] dress codes or restrooms,” said Cole. “There are transgender lawyers in this courtroom today, and the ...” “Of course there are,” interrupted Justice Neil Gorsuch gruffly. “That’s not the question, Mr. Cole.” Gorsuch was trying to get Cole to address a specific concern, one voiced by a dissenting judge in the appeals court, that covering transgender status under Title VII would cause a “drastic change in this country,” covering things such as bathrooms and dress codes. “Nobody is questioning ... the legitimacy of the claims [made by the employee] and the importance of them,” said Gorsuch. “The question is about judicial interpretation.” Cole said he was “not asking you to apply any meaning of sex other than the one that everybody agrees on as of 1964. ... We’re not asking you to rewrite it.” “I agree with that,” said Gorsuch. “The question is ... when a case is really close, really close, on the textual evidence, and assume for the moment I’m with you on the textual evidence – it’s close, OK? ... At the end of the

day, should [the court] take into consideration the massive social upheaval that would be entailed in such a decision and the possibility that Congress didn’t think about it and that that is more appropriately a legislative rather than a judicial function?” Cole said courts have already been venturing into these waters. “Federal courts of appeals have been recognizing that discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination for 20 years,” he said. “There’s been no upheaval. “As I was saying, there are transgender male lawyers in this courtroom following the [Supreme Court’s] male dress code and going to the men’s room. And the court’s dress code and sex-segregated restrooms have not fallen. So the notion that this is going to be a huge upheaval,” said Cole, “we haven’t seen that upheaval for 20 years.”

Optimism

Davidson said he found the exchange between Gorsuch and Cole reason for optimism. “Gorsuch, who could also be the deciding vote here, seemed to say the employees had the better sense of the literal argument – is this because of sex,” said Davidson. And Gorsuch’s concern about “massive social upheaval” has a “very easy answer.” “If Congress doesn’t like how the court resolves this, Congress can always amend the statute,” said Davidson. “To the extent all these concerns were raised about the bathrooms and the locker rooms and women’s sports and dress codes,” said Davidson, “Congress could always amend the statute ... and say what they think the rules should be about each of those things, and about religious exemptions. “So the only question here is, ‘Is it discrimination because of sex to fire someone because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?”,“We seemed to have a majority that agreed that it is, but some of them were troubled about what that would mean.” It typically takes several months for the Supreme Court to issue an opinion, once a case is argued. Even more typically, with LGBT-related matters, the court tends to issue its opinions in late June. Only 20 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Legislation has been pending in Congress for more than four decades, attempting to establish protections nationwide; but the legislation – which has taken on different forms – has not cleared Congress. The House of Representatives passed the latest iteration, the Equality Act, in May, but the Senate has not voted on it. t

SF agency buys buildings housing LGBT bar El Rio

by Matthew S. Bajko

local agency has bought the two buildings that house LGBT bar El Rio through the city’s small sites acquisition fund. The properties at 3156-3158 Mission Street also include eight apartments that are rented to lowto moderate-income households. The Mission Economic Development Agency acquired the buildings through an $8.6 million loan provided by the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development is expected to provide MEDA with permanent financing for the building in December 2020 after the agency completes critical repairs and upgrades to the buildings. The roughly $800,000 in work includes seismic retrofitting and

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strengthening of the structures, updating electrical and building systems, and additional exterior renovations and improvements. “Our small sites program is about keeping our residents stable and our communities strong, and El Rio is an incredible part of this community,” stated Mayor London Breed. “We have seen a lot of our nightlife institutions, especially in the LGBT community, struggle to stay open in recent years, so this feels special to be able to keep El Rio secure in the Mission where it belongs, while also preserving rent-controlled housing.” Malcolm Thornley and Robert Nett opened El Rio in 1978 as a leather Brazilian gay bar. When the couple retired in 1997, ownership of the bar passed to Dawn Huston, who is queer and was hired rough-

ly 25 years ago as a door person. Officially called El Rio, Your Dive, the bar was designated by the city as a legacy business in November 2017. In addition to offering various parties for its patrons, a mix of LGBT and straight clientele, El Rio has long hosted fundraisers for LGBT nonprofits and other community groups. It is one of the few remaining queer-woman owned bars in San Francisco. Huston, 54, was unable to buy the one property that Thornley and Nett had owned and put up for sale in 2006. While she had a cordial relationship with her former landlord, Huston told the Bay Area Reporter she nonetheless had concerns about the bar’s longevity. See page 11 >>

LGBTQ History Month >>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Diaries reveal hidden worlds for museums by Matthew S. Bajko Editor’s note: This is the second in a five-part series for LGBTQ History Month featuring objects that one day could be exhibited in a new, full-scale LGBTQ Museum and Research Center in San Francisco.

“D

amn I’m going to be a gorgeous man,” Lou Sullivan wrote 40 years ago in one of his personal diaries. Sullivan, who died in 1991 at the age of 39 due to complications from AIDS, was a pioneering transgender activist in the 1970s and 1980s. His book “Information for the Female to Male Cross Dresser and Transsexual,” published the year prior to his death, is considered a seminal work about the unique experiences of trans men. Throughout his life Sullivan detailed his private thoughts, personal experiences, and the lives of those he knew in diaries spanning his adolescence in the 1960s growing up in a Catholic household in Milwaukee to living in San Francisco as a gay transgender man at the height of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. In one diary spanning 1979 to 1980 Sullivan wrote about wrestling with his gender identity and documented the first year of his gender transition. Throughout the volume and in his later diaries, Sullivan wrote in meticulous detail about transitioning from female to male. “Now that I’m alone I see that, if it is true that we are all responsible for our own happiness, that we cannot expect others to fulfill us, and in the end we only have ourselves, then I better make peace with the feelings inside me,” he wrote on October 3, 1979. “If I don’t it will be the only thing on my

A series of personal diaries written by transgender activist Lou Sullivan are part of the collections at the GLBT Historical Society. In this photo, Sullivan wrote, “Damn I’m going to be a gorgeous man,” at bottom, lower right.

death that I will regret not doing.” The San Francisco-based GLBT Historical Society, which Sullivan co-founded, has dozens of Sullivan’s diaries in its archives. The society’s Lou Sullivan Papers collection also includes his short stories, poems, essays, correspondence, and research files. All told Sullivan donated 8.4 cubic feet of archival material to the nonprofit preservation group. “It’s an extraordinary collection. It comes the closest to feeling you are meeting the person,” said Isaac Fellman, a reference archivist for the historical society. “You have everything but their body to tell you who he was.” Having transitioned himself this year, Fellman said he connected personally with Sullivan when reading through his diaries. He found the entries in which Sullivan writes about second-guessing his decision to transition especially relevant.

“The pushback is part of the process,” said Fellman. Sullivan had wanted to see his diaries published during his lifetime but didn’t live long enough to achieve that goal. In September, Nightboat Books published “We Both Laughed In Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan.” Editors Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma selected entries spanning the years of 1961 through 1991. Writing in an introduction to the book, transgender historian Susan Stryker, who helped process Sullivan’s collection for the historical society following his death, notes that the journals Sullivan donated “offer one of the most complete, and most compelling, records of a trans life ever to have been produced.” As the archival group eyes one day opening a permanent museum in San Francisco, the Bay Area Reporter asked the historical society to select items from its collection to dem-

or journal in an exhibition. Sullivan’s diaries, for example, are visual feasts. He not only wrote in beautiful penmanship but also pasted photos to the pages with notes scribbled next to them. One such picture on a diary page from November 1979 includes the notation, “Me showing Johnny how to dress like a woman.” “Diaries are one of my favorite things in our collection,” said Fellman, adding that those from gay men who succumbed to AIDS “where pulled out of the garbage” after their relatives tossed their personal affects rather than save them. It is why Sullivan and others cofounded the GLBT Historical Society in the beginning, as a place where the ephemera, personal effects, and archival material documenting LGBT society could be collected and preserved. “A lot of queer people have had a strong archival instinct even at an early age,” said Fellman. “Our nuclear family is not the best repository of who we are, especially early on.” As cherished as Sullivan’s collection is not only to scholars, academics, and historians focused on the transgender community, it also illustrates the gaps in the historical society’s archives. Because of how it began, the collection early on skewed more toward white gay men. It’s something that society officials for years have been working to address by seeking out archival material that reflects the full spectrum of the LGBT community and hosting special exhibitions that highlight its diversity. “I often feel we don’t have enough of a lot of communities represented in the archive,” said Beswick, “and the transgender community is a perfect example.” t

El Rio

From page 10

It was her staff that had first proposed that she enter into talks with MEDA about possibly buying the two properties. Those conversations had already begun, said Huston, when the former owners decided to sell. She signed a new 10-year-plus lease – Huston wouldn’t disclose the exact terms – with MEDA in September. She is working with the agency to obtain rental benefits through the legacy business program and possibly establishing a nonprofit arm for the bar’s fundraising efforts to help offset its property tax bill. “There is a lot of stuff in our lease that talks about what we are and what we do. I feel incredibly good with our relationship with MEDA,” Huston said by phone Tuesday from her Big Table Ranch near Yosemite that she co-owns with her partner, Kim Brisack. “We are protected for a very, very long period of time. Even when we need to renew our lease, there are terms in there to make it very fair.” The San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund was incubated in the mayor’s office and was begun due to investments from the city, Citi Community Development, Dignity Health, and the San Fran-

Rick Gerharter

onstrate the possibilities that would come from having its own building in which to show off its holdings. Until the publication last month of Sullivan’s excerpted journal entries, the general public has not had easy access to Sullivan’s diaries. The historical society has yet to mount an exhibit based on them at its museum it operates out of a leased storefront in the heart of the Castro, San Francisco’s LGBT neighborhood. “Off and on over the years we have been trying to get an exhibit on Lou off the ground,” said GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Terry Beswick. “If we can find someone with the knowledge and the time to do that we would like to. It is a perfect example of why we need a bigger space.” The historical society did collaborate with the Digital Transgender Archive to digitize a trove of Sullivan’s correspondence and other papers and upload them to the web so people can see and read them online. The online repository also includes video recordings of Sullivan being interviewed about transgender issues. Sullivan’s diaries also illustrate an issue that historical preservationist groups are struggling with in the digital age. Physical diary writing and journaling is quickly becoming a lost art due to digital communications like emails, blogs, and Facebook. “Digital is the future,” noted Kelsi Evans, director of the historical society’s Dr. John P. De Cecco Archives & Special Collections. “Where the archival profession is going is we have to document email accounts.” It remains an open question if future museumgoers will have the same visceral reactions or feelings about printed out digital materials as they do to seeing an aged and tattered diary

Political Notebook

From page 5

slow slog. At a hearing this spring that Mandelman had called for, city officials acknowledged that they were behind in fully ramping up their SOGI data collection due to a variety of reasons. Mandelman said he would ask them to come back later in the year with an update. LGBT advocates have long argued that without the SOGI information the city cannot adequately address the needs of the LGBT community.

THIS IS THE

san francisco

Columbariu M Funeral Home and

formerly the Neptune Society

Rick Gerharter

DJ Tim Luster spins the music at Club N’Zinga night at El Rio bar May 15, 1992.

cisco Foundation. Over the last three years the fund has used $109 million to preserve and construct 433 permanently affordable units in San Francisco. According to the mayor’s office, the city’s acquisition programs have been used to acquire 34 buildings consisting of 278 units, and another 12 buildings with 110 total units are in the pipeline. In September, the mayor’s housing office announced there was $40.5 million available to buy additional small sites. “Bars and clubs like El Rio are sacred spaces for queer people,” noted gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “They’re

places where we come together with chosen family, raise funds for important organizations, and create a stronger and more vibrant LGBTQ community. I’ve been to dozens of fundraisers, dance parties, and drag shows at El Rio and am looking forward to many more community events to come thanks to this purchase through the city’s Small Sites Program.” El Rio is celebrating its 41st anniversary Saturday, October 12, from 2 to 8 p.m. with a Dolly Parton themed party that will raise money for the singer’s Imagination Library book gifting program. t

Lee won’t seek full college board term

Lee contacted the paper to disclose that she has decided not to seek a full term on the college board in November 2020. As for seeking another elected office, Lee clarified that she has “no idea right now” whether she will or not. “I’m focused on what I can do for the college over the next year. I think it’s important to get the financial oversight into place,” wrote Lee. “Once that’s moving solidly forward, I’ll think and decide what to do next.” The online version of the column has been updated. t

Last week’s column featured community college board member Ivy Lee, who is running unopposed on the November ballot to serve out the remainder of former City College of San Francisco trustee Rafael Mandelman’s term. When Mandelman resigned to become District 8 supervisor in August 2018, Mayor London Breed appointed Lee to fill the vacancy. After the story was posted to the B.A.R.’s website Wednesday, October 2,

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<< From the Cover

12 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Buttigieg

Mark Segal: When you entered the race as an openly gay man, did you realize the historical significance and what the LGBT community expected? Pete Buttigieg: You know, it’s one thing to realize it in theory; it’s another to see it play out in practice. Seeing teenagers come up to me and let me know what this campaign means to them, and folks who are of a different generation, who just never thought that they would see this, sometimes coming up with tears in their eyes, really has made me feel a different level of awareness and fulfillment but also responsibility around that fact about this campaign. MS: What people from our community historically do you admire? PB: Wow, well of course anybody who seeks office and is out owes a lot to [the late gay San Francisco Supervisor] Harvey Milk and the tradition that he now represents. It’s almost impossible to imagine, I think now looking back, what that would have meant at the time. And then more recently, in my own lifetime, I remember seeing the judiciary hearings, when they were trying to impeach President Clinton, and seeing [Congressman] Barney Frank just run circles intellectually around so many people. Realizing that he was also an out member of Congress I think changed my awareness of what was possible. I also admire people who have come into the public eye recently, some even later than I have. [Transgender Delegate] Danica Roem in Virginia, just extraordinary the way she has been able not just to break barriers and challenge the backward-looking culture warrior that she beat but also to do it in a way that truly focused on her constituents, and talk about issues like traffic and commuting as well as issues like equality. There’s so many really inspiring figures out there, Annise Parker, I could go on and on. And obviously I’m aware that I’m standing on the shoulders of so many who helped pave the way. MS: It’s sort of amazing that in just a few short decades we went from zero candidates running for public office to a man like yourself now running, openly gay, for president of the United States. Have you sought advice from

some of those pioneers like Frank or Tammy Baldwin or Elaine Noble? PB: Yeah, I’ve had a chance to meet Tammy Baldwin, and again, Annise Parker has been a great source of encouragement and support as well as advice. I’m not sure what’s more amazing, the fact that we’re the first to do this or the fact that we can do it at all. Part of just living it seems strange that I’d be the first major candidate to do this, then again you think about where we were just a decade ago. MS: That’s a great point. Many in our community never thought we’d see someone being so open and running for president, and we’d always looked at what that opposition would look like. While you’ve been running, the largest number of those opposing you have been religious protesters, and you’ve been very good by saying “I’m going to be judged by my god, not by you.” Is there a time that either on a personal level or on the campaign that you’ve faced homophobia one-on-one? PB: Well yeah, somebody will come up on a rope line and have something nasty to say, or you see stuff coming in the mail, although I don’t pay too much attention to that. But I gotta say that any homophobia that comes my way is less concerning than what’s happening to so many youth and really vulnerable people out there of any age around the country, what’s happening to black trans women endangering their life. I try not to dwell on the irritation of any of the nonsense that might come my way because I’ve got, I can feel all the support that I have, folks from my own team, and from millions of people out there. I think of all the people who don’t

know that they have that support, who don’t know that we’re rooting for them when they’re dealing with whatever it is their up against. MS: One of the most amazing similarities I see in your campaign is one I saw in President Barack Obama’s campaign. When he was a candidate, being the first major African American running for president, he kept running up to the race issue no matter how many issue papers he put out on certain subjects. Similarly, you’re the first out gay man, and therefore, no matter how many issue papers you put out, it still comes up. President Obama, then-candidate Obama, did something spectacular. He decided he had to address the issue in a major speech in March 2008, just on race. Do you think if that one issue keeps plaguing you, you’re going to have to give the LGBT equality speech, and are you prepared to do that? PB: Well, I’m not sure my equivalent of that speech will be a speech, although it might be. I think it is important for folks to hear me tell my story, and while I’ve done it in a number of ways, I may need to find new ways to do it. I think not only about President Obama’s example, but also the steps that President Kennedy had to take to reassure voters that they could vote for the first Catholic president. So often it comes into form, and I remember this from 2008, is people saying “this is not an obstacle for me but I’m just not sure about everybody else,” and finding a way to speak to that and stay ahead of it. I think we’ll continue seeking the right ways to do that, true to who I am and true to what we need to convey as well. MS: There’s this old political say-

ing, politics is a dime and a day, meaning politics can change on any given issue, and you can’t stay in politics unless you raise funds. You’ve had incredible success at raising funds. In fact, so well, that you are basically one of the only candidates who can stay in the entire game, if they wish, up to the convention. You have an enormity of support from the LGBT community, which would like you to stay in through the convention. Do you feel an obligation that regardless of where the polls go or where the votes go that you need to stay in just to be front and center on this issue? PB: Well, you know, I think there’s so many things that motivate this campaign. We’re certainly conscious of the historic nature of it, and at the same time, there are many reasons why we’re in this and why I’m going to stay in it. We want to know that I’ve got the resources to go the distance. And if you say not knowing how things may evolve even from week to week, I’m glad that we do, because the very same things that can be a disadvantage in terms of an issue that’s visible or something that’s in the news, sometimes what’s making things harder for you politically can turn around and be an asset a few months or weeks later. So we’re definitely in this to go the distance and feeling increasingly bullish about how this is going to unfold. MS: Some of the candidates who will be appearing with you at this week’s CNN town hall on LGBT equality have long-standing positions – Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden – and have evolved on our issues long before most others. How do you differ from them on LGBT issues? PB: I think we all have different areas of emphasis. I’m certainly proud of my record, not just in terms of my identity but what we’ve done because I think it’s important not to take for granted or assume that, just because I’m out, LGBTQ voters are going to automatically decide I’m the best person to make a difference in their lives. I think that what’s really important is to have a robust and strong plan. And to me, the Equality Act [in Congress] is very important but I hope it’s also understood that that’s table stakes, that there’s a lot more that we need to do proactively around issues like conversion therapy, protecting LGBTQ

“This was a desperate move, one that puts entrenched political factions above and against democracy,” the statement reads. “This erasure of our democratic norms deserves to be called out, regardless of who you support for district attorney.” Shortly before the October 4 announcement, protesters arrived at Portsmouth Square, where the mayor was to speak. The announcement was moved to a nearby dim sum restaurant and made for a chaotic scene as the news media, detractors, and supporters of Loftus followed her through the streets of Chinatown to find the mayor at the new location. Loftus is one of four candidates vying to be the city’s top law enforcement official, and is viewed as having a strong shot at winning the post November 5. She has been endorsed by the city’s political establishment, including the mayor and the San Francisco Democratic Party. Gascón announced Thursday that he was resigning effective October 18 in order to move to Los Angeles County. He is widely expected to run for DA there and needs to establish residency, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. “I will work every day to build a justice system that is not for the privileged few but works for all of us,” said Loftus, accepting the appointment. Several people spoke out at the protest. “I cannot believe they went ahead – there’s going to be elections,” said Maria Gutierrez, a protester with the Mothers of the March Against Police Murders. “Let the people decide.” Protesters had signs showing La-

tino men who had been killed by the San Francisco Police Department and which accused Loftus of being a “killer cop.” She formerly served as president of the San Francisco Police Commission. Gutierrez was joined by longtime gay activist Michael Petrelis, who said via a megaphone that the appointment was an example of “corruption” at City Hall. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has endorsed Loftus, defended the appointment, saying that it wouldn’t be responsible of the mayor to leave the office vacant when there is a qualified candidate available. “I think the mayor was looking for the best person for the job, and I think she found her,” said Mandelman. For their part, both Breed and Loftus addressed the protests as they started speaking in the crowded dining room at the Far East Cafe. “It wouldn’t be San Francisco without a nice protest,” said Breed. Loftus said her daughter told her “don’t be mad at the protesters.” “That’s how I raised her,” Loftus said. “We are San Francisco.” Loftus will begin serving as DA following the October 18 effective date of Gascón’s resignation. She currently serves as legal counsel for San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy. Prior to that, she worked for former state Attorney General Kamala Harris and served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco DA’s office. Friday afternoon, Tony Montoya, a gay man who is head of the powerful San Francisco Police Officers Association, blasted Gascón’s decision to leave early. Gascón used to be

the city’s police chief before being tapped for the DA’s post by former mayor Gavin Newsom. “George Gascón abandoning his sworn duty to climb the next rung of the political ladder is consistent with his character of putting his raw ambition before the public’s interest,” Montoya wrote on Twitter. He added that the SFPOA “respects” Breed’s authority to appoint an interim DA. Montoya said the SFPOA is “thankful” Breed did not appoint Boudin, whom he described as a “criminal and domestic-terrorist apologist.” When he was a toddler, Boudin’s parents drove the getaway car in an armed robbery that took three lives. His mother spent 22 years in prison. His father is still incarcerated. The SFPOA did not endorse a candidate in the DA’s race. Boudin, a deputy public defender who has broad support for his DA campaign among the city’s progressives, told the B.A.R., “This is an obvious power grab by a political establishment determined to protect themselves rather than the people of San Francisco. Voters will see this is about politics, not public safety. Our support is strong and getting stronger every day. I’m confident our campaign can overcome this last-minute effort to preserve the failed status quo.” Boudin added that he thinks voters are “excited about the first open DA race in over a century and want a DA who is accountable to them, not to the mayor.” Regarding Montoya’s comment, Boudin said, “I’m lucky and proud to live in a country where children

From page 1

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From page 1

The nonpartisan American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California called Breed’s move a “political machination.” “We urge Mayor Breed to do the right thing and appoint someone to this interim post who is not running to be district attorney and let the voters of San Francisco decide who will be their next district attorney,” the statement reads. The ACLU made the case that district attorney races are usually uncontested or won by incumbents. This is the first open DA race in San Francisco in 100-plus years. “Appointments like these are fundamentally undemocratic and favor candidates who have establishment support, as opposed to allowing the process to run its course and let voters decide in an even playing field,” the organization stated. The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, which has endorsed candidate Chesa Boudin, was even more scathing in its statement. The club’s executive board compared Boudin’s fight against the establishment with that of the club’s namesake. “The same institutions that tried to keep Harvey out of office are doing their damnedest to deny Chesa a fair shot because they are scared,” the statement reads. “They should be scared because when Chesa wins, it is going to be a victory for Us – for all of the Us’s – over the powers that be.” The Milk club statement accused Breed of practicing “machine politics at its worst.”

Courtesy Pete for America

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the first out gay Democratic presidential candidate.

youth; attacking the AIDS epidemic; diplomacy around human rights, including the way we think about how we treat refugees; work for community-based programs. There’s so many things that we need to do that I think each of us has an obligation to put forward a robust plan and not simply make it seem as though we think that the struggle was won when marriage equality came to the land or that the Equality Act is all we’ve got to do. MS: One of the most important things you do is the fact that you’ve become a role model for LGBT youth. That’s a heavy responsibility. How does that weigh on you? PB: You know, I liken it to a moment of growth that happened to me, around what’s now been a very small thing when I was mayor, which was, when I was a candidate I used to think, when I was riding a bike, a little bit of irritation, oh, I better wear a helmet because if somebody sees me without one they’re going to say something. And somewhere along the line I realized my responsibility was different, and I started thinking I better wear a helmet because somebody might see me without one and decide not to, and I’d be responsible for their safety. And I think it’s the same now on a much bigger stage. When people are looking to you, and people see in you so much more than one person can really be, you realize that it’s not just you but what you’re building. And to me, the best way to make good on that is not only to seek to act with integrity and do the right thing, but also to make sure that our campaign organization shows the values that we’re trying to promote, including the idea of belonging. It’s part of what I’m trying to build for the whole country. And I’m very mindful of the obligation to live up to the need to model and support those values, knowing just how many people have pinned their hopes on the conduct of this campaign as well as its outcome. t

are not held responsible for their parents’ mistakes.” The other DA candidates in the race are Alameda County deputy district attorney Nancy Tung and deputy state attorney general Leif Dautch. Dautch issued a statement Friday on Gascon’s resignation, but said nothing about Breed appointing Loftus, his chief opponent in the race. A follow-up email to Dautch was returned with the same statement. “I filed last year to run for district attorney against George Gascón because I believed he had put his political ambitions above the well-being of everyday San Franciscans,” Dautch stated. “Yesterday’s announcement that he is abandoning his post to run for office in Los Angeles confirms that belief.” But Dautch did refer to the news of Loftus’ appointment on Twitter, writing, “Voters across San Francisco are excited about the first open-seat race for District Attorney in 110 years. They deserve the right to choose their next DA on a clean slate. Machine politics caused the problems facing our city, and machine politics won’t solve them.” Tung, the most conservative candidate in the race, criticized the mayor’s decision. “Mayor London Breed appointing her endorsed candidate for district attorney, just days before people start voting, reeks of cronyism and political backroom deals,” Tung stated. Early voting in the election started this week. t

This article is part of this year’s LGBTQ History Month Project. The Human Rights Campaign and CNN’s LGBTQ town hall takes place October 10, starting at 4 p.m. Pacific time.

Queer Reading >>

t Maddow talks impeachment during SF book tour

October 10-16, 2019• Bay Area Reporter • 13

by Sari Staver

achel Maddow wowed a soldout audience at the Sydney Goldstein Theater Sunday during a City Arts and Lectures onstage conversation with former Obama senior aide Dan Pfeiffer. The event was Maddow’s second stop on her publicity tour for her recently released book, “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth” (Crown). Maddow, 46, has had her eponymously named show on MSNBC for the past 12 years, the first lesbian to host a major prime time news program in the U.S. According to her publicist, Nielson reports that “The Rachel Maddow Show” is MSNBC’s highest rated regularly scheduled show. Maddow grew up in Castro Valley, in the East Bay, received an undergraduate degree in public policy at Stanford, and a master’s and doctorate in political science at Oxford, where she was a Rhodes scholar. Twenty years ago, she met her partner, Susan Mikula, an artist. The two commute between their homes in New York City and rural Massachusetts, where they spend most weekends. Hobbling onstage on crutches due to an accident when she fractured her ankle when she missed a stair getting into a fishing boat, Maddow wore her trademark blazer, T-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers and displayed her modest demeanor, telling the audience she still finds it “emotionally hard to accept” an enthusiastic standing ovation. Although she had a successful book tour for her 2012 New York Times bestseller, “Drift: The Unmooring of America’s Military Power,” Maddow said it was “more emotional, moving, and intimidating” to see so many people in person this time, because in 2019, “we spend most of our time” behind a screen. Maddow opened the evening with a short reading from her book, pointing out that when she first began writing it, “there was no talk of

Vaping

From page 8

“We need to meet LGBT people where they are,” he said. Meeting LGBT people where they are is the mission of the Out Against Big Tobacco Coalition, a tobacco control program under the statewide LGBT group Equality California whose work is centered in the Los Angeles area. Out Against Big Tobacco is trying to get tobacco coupons and flavored products banned in parts of Los An-

Editorial: District 5

From page 4

On the city’s mental health crisis, Brown has worked with gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to authorize the creation of a

J Barberian

Rachel Maddow talks about her new book with Dan Pfeiffer in San Francisco October 6.

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dow, is the most “intellectually satisfying” and most difficult part of her job. “Figuring out” which stories to present is “the real work,” she said. “There is no way to get the balance right and you rarely hit the bull’s-eye.” “We have a few little tricks” on the show, Maddow said, such as refusing to repeat anything the president says but instead covering what he actually does. The president “controls the media by saying things that seem crazy or outrageous, which are almost never true” but are repeated by some news programs. “My job is to digest the news and tell you what is most interesting,” she said. “That’s a big responsibility and it’s hard” to do. She added that recent breaking news stories involving impeachment have complicated the problem, particularly when news breaks just before airtime and it’s difficult to figure out how significant the news is. Pfeiffer said Trump often leads some of the media “by the nose” when they are quick to report on his Twitter posts. “How concerned are you about the public being informed about what’s going on?” he asked Maddow. “It’s always a risk,” she said, noting that the previous week, while appearing on the ABC show “The View,” Republican panelist Abby Huntsman suggested that Maddow and other liberal commentators might be part of the problem. Huntsman said citizens feel newscasters are “constantly crying wolf ” when reporting something the president has said or done. “Of course it sounds like we’re crying wolf because the president keeps doing things that warrant impeachment,” Maddow said. At the moment, said Maddow, “it is most likely” that the president will be impeached by the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives but will stay in office because almost all the Republicans in the Senate will continue to back him and will not vote to convict. But politicians should remember that their vote on this “will be the first thing written in their political biography.” Everything else they’ve accomplished in their career will be dwarfed by this vote, she said. t

impeachment” of President Donald Trump. The fact that it was published the same week that the House of Representatives announced it had begun an impeachment inquiry was “just luck,” she said. The book, the story behind why the oil and gas industries play such a powerful role in world politics, didn’t start out on that subject. It began, she said, when she wanted to “figure out why Russia hacked the election.” Only after she dug into the research did she realize the story she really wanted to tell was how what she called the world’s most destructive business – the oil and gas industry – was threatening the future of democracies around the world. “I wasn’t an expert” on oil and gas, she said, “and after I wrote this book, many people still think I know nothing” about the field. The book covers myriad topics – fracking in Oklahoma; the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; the Sochi Olympics; corruption in Equatorial Guinea, and finally, Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. “It seems unlikely,” she wrote, but “it all ties.” Following the reading, Maddow chatted with Pfeiffer, a former longtime aide to Barack Obama beginning with his first run for president, and took spontaneous unscreened

questions from audience members, an unusual move for a prominent speaker, who usually make sure they know all the questions beforehand. Her comments covered a wide range of topics, from how she thinks the impeachment inquiry will end to what is happening to democracies around the globe. Maddow said her “obsession with Russia” came to a head when “I got stuck trying to figure out their motive” for tampering with the 2016 election. Maddow said she was struck with Russia’s decision to intervene despite the unfavorable “risk reward” ratio of such a crime, should it be caught. “They didn’t cover their tracks very well ... and left fingerprints everywhere they went,” she observed. But at the time, Russia was faced with a “terrible economy,” with only a single industry – oil and gas – and a notable lack of technology and manpower to drill it out of the ground, leaving it needing help from Western countries where many companies had much greater expertise in that area. The problem, said Maddow, was that under the sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine, Western companies were prohibited from working with Russia to help bring the valuable commodity out of the ground. Aware of the fact that as president, Trump would be more likely to lift the sanctions than Hillary

geles County, including in West Hollywood. It is also present at Pride events and does specialized presentations and literature. “A large component of this program is through educational presentations,” said Beatriz Valenzuela, a bisexual woman who is communications manager with Equality California. “The presentations aren’t always formal – we do them at events like Pride and at places like Mi Centro (a center for Spanish-speaking LGBTs).” Valenzuela said that the response

has been “overwhelmingly positive.” “One event three of us went to was a teacher meeting about LGBT students and we had so many educators come up to us and they were grateful for the information, but also taken aback by the info that one Juul pod has as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes,” said Valenzuela. “Theoretically you can have a middle school student smoking a pack of cigarettes a day – depending on how often they’re using it.” Ngo is one of two project managers responsible for doing similar work in

the Bay Area in his position with the San Francisco Community Health Center. Much of the center’s work has been focused in the South Bay, particularly among LGBT college students, though it did have a presence at San Francisco Pride. “The work has pretty much been done here in the city in terms of the flavor policy (the ban on flavored tobacco products),” he said. Ngo and Halkitis both said that the tobacco industry has specifically targeted LGBT people over the years,

knowing that they are at a higher risk of smoking. Ngo mentioned Project SCUM, a secret plan from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company – the makers of Camel cigarettes – to specifically market to gay men and homeless people in San Francisco. Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris Companies), acquired a 35% stake in Juul Labs for $12.8 billion last December. t

San Francisco conservatorship program to expand drug and mental health treatment. And, while Mandelman endorsed her opponent, he did tell us that he has worked well with her on the board. Brown has been a solid ally to the

LGBTQ community. Her roots with the community go back to the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when she married gay male friends on two separate occasions so that they could obtain health coverage. The first later went to Paris, where treat-

ment at the time was better, and she divorced her second husband. We met with her shortly after Breed and health officials announced that the city, for the first time, had fewer than 200 HIV infections in 2018. “I’m happy about it,” she said. “But

I think we still need to stay vigilant.” We agree. Brown has been a productive supervisor who knows her district well. Voters in District 5 should elect her.t

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Clinton (“a known hawk on Russia”), the Russians knew it would be important to their long-term survival to get Trump elected, she said. Pfeiffer asked Maddow if she believes the interest in lifting sanctions was Russia’s “underlying motive” for hacking the election. “I’ve thought about that question a lot,” she said. Unfortunately, she said, “we’ll never get a real answer” from the Russians. Maddow was careful not to criticize people working in the oil industry, pointing out that relatives of hers and her partner work in the business. But the oil and gas industry is “clearly microwaving the planet,” with more than 75% of carbon emissions from oil and natural gas. Maddow sees light at the end of the tunnel, pointing out that there are examples of governments that have successfully confronted the oil and gas industries, including the state of Oklahoma, where activists prompted new laws that rolled back some of the powers that the oil industry had won in controlling how the industry operated in the state. It may not sound “world changing” but the success there indicates that it can be replicated elsewhere, she noted. Climate activists are likely to lead to more changes, she said. “The brilliant activism of the current generation will force changes in the world, including a worldwide reckoning about what fuels we use,” she said. “When we turn away from oil and gas, it’s going to be a huge deal,” she said, “with major geopolitical consequences” including changes in the boundaries of countries that suddenly lose market share in the energy business. “It could happen fast,” Maddow said, “which is what I tried to write about in this book. The first step is learning and understanding the problem.” Maddow said that the election of a Democratic president in 2020 would make other changes more likely, given the number of regulations Trump has rolled back with executive orders. Also, she said, “Renewables are great industries ... and getting cheaper all the time.” Pfeiffer asked Maddow how she decides each evening what is most important to talk about on her show with so many important stories breaking every day. That, said Mad-

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<< Legals

14 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038792500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DANDAN’S CLEANERS ONE, 905 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SUCHAN YU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/11/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/11/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038784200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOWARD TAPS & BANH MI PO’BOY, 1599 HOWARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANDY NGUYEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/03/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038794300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GLOBAL BUSINESS PORTAL, 1 AVE OF THE PALM #415, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KAMILLA WADE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/11/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/12/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038793200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LIMITLESS, 1 ST. FRANCIS PL #1108, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANDREA SCRIVANO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/11/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/11/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038771400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HELLO YOGA QUEEN; YOGA FITNESS QUEEN, 855 BRANNAN ST #443, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERICA MOSELEY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/23/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/23/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038792300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DI DI DA DAYCARE, 436 7TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIANYAN CHEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/28/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/10/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038786600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: US BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, 3032 FULTON ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIMOTHY S. O’SULLIVAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/05/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038776800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EYEBROW BEAUTY BAR, 4792 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed LAL BAHADUR BAN & SANGITA PARAJULI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/28/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038793300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CENTRAL REALTY, 32 BYXBEE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JENNY HE REALTY ASSOCIATES (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/08/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/11/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038792100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AJ’S, 655 TOWNSEND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ANGELES BENITO (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/10/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038779600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LET’S EAT, 5130 3RD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed ANDREW L. THORNTON & MONIQUE HAYES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/29/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/29/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038764800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE DISTRICT BARBERS, 897 BRANNAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed THE DISTRICT BARBERS, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/18/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038792000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE GREENWICH, 3154 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed COW MARLOWE SF 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 09/10/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038187300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: COW MARLOWE, 3154 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by COW MARLOWE SF LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/14/18.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ONPODIO, 149 NEW MONTGOMERY ST, 4TH FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed RHYTHMICX INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/22/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/17/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038482400

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038799500

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038626100

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038801300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: KIM AND PROPER, 2443 FILLMORE ST #123, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by KIM BACHMANN LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/17/19.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LOVE IS IN THE HAIR, 1163 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by ELIAS LOPEZ SOTO. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/23/19.

SEPT 19, 26, OCT 03, 10, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-555237

In the matter of the application of: ELIZABETH BOER, 1363 GROVE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ELIZABETH BOER, is requesting that the name AALIYAH ROXY-KAMORA BERNARD, be changed to AALIYAH ROXY JOY BOER. 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 7th of November, 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-555223

In the matter of the application of: ROE ROY COHEN, 278 30TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ROE ROY COHEN, is requesting that the name ROE ROY COHEN, be changed to ROY COHEN. 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 5th of November 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-555232

In the matter of the application of: DENISE RENEE DAYVAULT, 1461 BROADWAY #403, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner DENISE RENEE DAYVAULT, is requesting that the name DENISE RENEE DAYVAULT AKA DENISE TIERNEY KELIIHOOMALU, be changed to DENISE RENEE TIERNEY. 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 5th of November 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038804900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SANTINO’S VINO, 2101 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DINO STAVRAKIKIS. 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 09/23/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038798300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAY PACIFIC CONSTRUCTION; BAY PACIFIC INSPECTION SERVICES, 35 ANZAVISTA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GARY YEE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/30/86. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/17/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038798000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SEVEN HILLS LAW FIRM, 3301 CLAY ST #204, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANUAR RAMIREZ-MEDINA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/17/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038794400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COLIBRI CREATIONS, 1638 BRODERICK ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANNHAE HERRERA-WILSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/12/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038799800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SF LOCAL COLOR, 850 SOUTH VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WINNING COLORS INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/19/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/19/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019

KEEP UP! EMAIL STRIP.indd 1

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038797800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MINA SPA INC., 2920 DIAMOND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MINA SPA 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 09/19/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SWELL, 80 DENSLOWE DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ANECURE INC, (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/20/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/20/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038801700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FYSICAL, 1836 BROADWAY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GIS OPERATIONS, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/09/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/20/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038804200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A&F SECURITY SERVICE, 2038 CLEMENT ST, UNIT 2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed A&F SECURITY SERVICE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/23/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038800800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BROWSER BOOKS, 2195 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GREEN APPLE BOOKS, 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 09/19/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038795200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREENFORCE GROORGANICS, 2031 UNION ST #6 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GREENFORCE CLEAN TEAM GGGG, YY, PPP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/12/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/13/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038783900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BHOGA, 468 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SAFFRON BREWHOUSE (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 09/03/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038800900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRIO FINANCIAL GROUP, 19 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BRIO CONSULTANTS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/20/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/20/19.

SEPT 26, OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038816800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOVE THROUGH THE STORM, 742 48TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SEAN TRAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/04/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038812600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NIPPON GOLDFISH SERVICING, 520 SILLIMAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KIEN LAM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/02/19.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF PAUL WESTERBERG IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-19-303204

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of PAUL WESTERBERG. A Petition for Probate has been filed by MICHAEL WALLACE WATKINS in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that MICHAEL WALLACE WATKINS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: October 21, 2019, 9:00 am, Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CLAUDINE SHERRON, SBN: 296499, THE SHERRON LAW FIRM, PC, 1101 STANDIFORD AVE #A1, MODESTO, CA 95350 Ph. (209) 427-2200.

OCT 03, 10, 17, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038787200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EMILY JENKS PHOTOGRAPHY, 1258 12TH AVE #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EMILY JENKS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/05/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/05/19.

OCT 03, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038787700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BACK TO SPORTS FITNESS & THERAPY, 342 WEST PORTAL AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DARRON P. BADONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/03/97. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/05/19.

OCT 03, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038805100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOMBARD PSYCHIC, 1628 LOMBARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARIO ADAMS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/23/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/23/19.

OCT 3, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038806800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PRECIOUS FUR, 1540 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed 8086 SITTING CORP. (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 09/24/19.

OCT 03, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038807100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GANT PROPERTIES, 350 RHODE ISLAND ST #240, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GANT ENTERPRISE INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/24/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/25/19.

OCT 03, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038796300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WAX SUITE AND BEAUTY, 4 EMBARCADERO CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed WAX SUITE AND BEAUTY (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/16/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038813900

OCT 03, 10, 17, 24, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038818700

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038818000

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038816300

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EUGENIA OLVERA ART, 16 PUTNAM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EUGENIA O. RAPHAEL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/02/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/02/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BICYCLE COMMUTER SERVICES, 38 EL SERENO CT, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELBERT C. HILL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/23/04. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/07/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RODGERS + DEITERS, 2211 POST ST #300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIK DEITERS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/13/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/07/19.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038805500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SL THERAPY, 414 GOUGH ST #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHEENING LIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/28/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/23/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038814200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INDIGO X, 18 BARTOL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JIN HAO CHUA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/02/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/02/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038808300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PALM FINE JEWELRY, 1410 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a general partnership and is signed TESSA ORTON & SAMUEL BILLS. 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 09/26/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038817000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LITTLE HOLLYWOOD CAFE, 2155 BAYSHORE BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed MARIBEL CHAVARRI & MICHAEL CHAVARRI. 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 10/04/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038812800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FOLSOM STREET DENTAL, 1130 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SETIA DENTAL CORPORATION (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 10/02/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038817100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DJI INVESTMENTS, INC., 2230 RIVERA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed DJI INVESTMENTS, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/08/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/04/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038818300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CASE FOR MAKING, 4037 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CASE FOR MAKING, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/07/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038792900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GATSBYSF, 795 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GATSBY 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 09/11/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038799200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOOP SUPPORT, 1201 TENNESSEE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PANEL NINJA, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/18/19

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038812900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BEIT RIMA, 86 CARL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BEIT RIMA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/02/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/02/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038815700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YUMMY HOME PLATE, 177 TOWNSEND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOME PLATE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/03/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/03/19.

OCT 10, 17, 24, 31, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREAT ADVENTURES, 2830 A GOLDEN GATE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GAIL MATTHEWS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/04/19.

Stay up-to-date with late breaking news, online extras and our weekly email recap of the most comprehensive Bay Area, state and national LGBTQ news. Sign up today at ebar.com/newsletter 6/19/19 11:30 AM

Action Jackson

Pier Paolo

Breaking up

Ground rules

Vol. 49 • No. 41 • October 10-16, 2019

Manny Crisostomo

www.ebar.com/arts

Visionary dance in constant motion by Philip Mayard

lonzo King LINES Ballet’s fall program at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts featured two brand new works: “The Personal Element,” which premiered at the Vail Dance Festival in August, and the world premiere of “Azoth.” See page 20 >>

LINES Ballet dancers Michael Montgomery and Adji Cissoko perform in the world premiere of “Azoth” at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Felix Broede

Guest conductor Marek Janowski.

International music-making

Fall for fiction by Gregg Shapiro

dult readers: The first new Henry Rios mystery novel in 20 years, “Carved in Bone” (Persigo Press) by awardwinning gay author Michael Nava, is set in mid-1980s San Francisco, and revolves around Rios’ investigation of the death of a man named Bill Ryan. See page 20 >>

by Philip Campbell

eparting San Francisco Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas righteously owned the first month of his farewell season. Concerts in September flew by, getting the month off to a dazzling start, but now MTT is on hiatus until the new year. That doesn’t mean Davies Symphony Hall or the Orchestra won’t be busy. Guest conductors, soloists, and the world premiere of an SFS Commission will keep the home fires burning.

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

OCT 25-27 co - p r es e n t e d by z s pac e

B O O K NOW axisdance.org 415.626.0453

Photographer: David DeSilva Dancers: Lani Dickinson, AJ Guevara & Janpistar

See page 16 >>

<< Out There

16 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Lounging at the Palace Hotel by Roberto Friedman

aithful Out There readers know that we’ve written a series of “Staycation” columns over the years in which we go on overnight trips to various hotels, inns and hostelries around the Bay Area. The idea has always been that it’s great to get out of one’s routine and experience this magical metropolitan area from the eyes of a tourist every now and again. For OT, this means leaving our rent-controlled, walk-up flat in a Hayes Valley tenement for the ease and comfort of a big-city hotel. We’ve had some great and hospitable hosts over the years, but surely the jewel in the crown of OT’s hotel columns must be the night we spent last week at The Palace Hotel, one of San Francisco’s truly grand old hotels, a downtown landmark. The Palace surely figures in San Francisco history, as you can tell when you see the framed photographs of presidents and prime ministers on the walls of The Pied Piper Bar, but we realized it also plays a part in our own personal history. See below!

Courtesy The Palace

The glorious, glamorous Garden Court Restaurant in The Palace Hotel San Francisco.

We checked in after work, enjoyed the glamorous lobby, took an elevator up to the 7th floor, and were delighted when our keycard opened the door onto a luxurious corner suite. Big windows framed the San Francisco skyline: we saw the tower for the Mexican Museum/Four

Seasons addition going up; we spied on roof decks. In the milliondollar condo across the street, we saw a resident dry her sneakers out on the window ledge. Inside, a surprise awaited us in the suite’s living room: a bottle of Chandon brut chilling in a silver ice-bucket, and a cake inscribed with the words, “Happy Birthday, Pepi!” It was indeed the impeccable Pepi’s birthday, and a kind and thoughtful press agent had noted it. Taking a moment here: No, Pepi is not his real name. Years ago, when we asked him what name he’d like us to use for him in our column, “Pepi” was his answer. Now people ask after Pepi wherever we go. They love it when

Professional headshots / profile pics Weddings / Events

StevenUnderhill 415 370 7152 • StevenUnderhill.com

SF Symphony

From page 15

Last week, guest conductor Marek Janowski returned to DSH for a solid program of Mozart and 20th-century master Paul Hindemith, framing the SFS debut of 16-year-old Spanish violinist Maria Duenas. There was more curiosity than information surrounding the young prize-winning artist’s first appearance. Bringing an internationally recognized prodigy to San Francisco to perform Mendelssohn’s beloved Concerto in E minor seemed an interesting invitation, offering an early encounter with a

N E W C O N S E R VAT O R Y T H E AT R E C E N T E R

of World

PREMIERE

“

Del Shores is a master of the Texas Comedy” Los Angeles Times

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

Del Shores

Sept 20 – Oct 20, 2019

These former “superstars for Jesus” are about to raise a little hell.

BUY TICKETS AT NCTCSF.ORG | BOX OFFICE: 415.861.8972 25 VAN NESS AVE AT MARKET ST

he appears in print, maybe because he always has some impish commentary to offer. One day we’ll simply turn the whole column over to him and call it, “The Pepi column.” But this is not that. Anyway, Pepi enjoyed way too much of his cake – light, filled with vanilla cream and strawberries – while OT polished off the bubbly. Then we traipsed off to find the hotel pool. It was large and heated, and covered with a glass roof so plenty of natural light filtered in. A familysized hot tub bubbled heatedly beside it. The Pied Piper Bar & Grill was expecting us for dinner, and gave us a corner table so we could watch the action. We had the famous burgers: talented new performer. It turned out slightly uncomfortable. Duenas’ account of the old warhorse was good enough and thoroughly competent. It was also a little boring and superficial. Her tuning is on the sour side, and her tone is relatively thin, the opposite of what we want in such a broadly melodic and expressive score. Is it unkind to say she would have been better presenting something less familiar? Certainly it is unfair to judge a fledgling career on one performance, and no one in the audience was unsupportive. The ovation (standing, of course) encouraged an encore, which actually revealed more of the endearingly fresh artist’s interpretive range. Duenas benefitted from Janowski’s and the orchestra’s sympathetic accompaniment, but really took flight playing solo. The Polish-born, German-based (Chief Conductor Dresden Philharmonic) Janowski is the definition of an old pro, and he proved it again with his opening Concert Music for String Orchestra and Brass, Opus 50 by Paul Hindemith. Encouraging bold lines and detail, the conductor brought the richly textured strings into brilliant contrast (and communion) with the tight and sonorous brass players. It reminded me Hindemith deserves admiration and more concert performances. Closing the program with Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” Janowski set the seal on the worth of long experience. Raising goosebumps with a work we have heard in countless interpretations can only come from a place of meticulous practice and genuine affection. It was pleasing to see the biggest

Wagyu beef, house pickles, Fiscalini smoked cheddar, washed down with some good Rose. We’ve always loved the PP, and often take out-of-town visitors there to enjoy the woodpaneled atmosphere. The famous Maxfield Parrish painting over the bar, commissioned by The Palace in 1909, depicts the Pied Piper (a self-portrait) leading the children out of Hamelin, Germany. Their parents hadn’t paid the exterminator bill. The painting was restored in 2013, and threats of its sale were put to rest when SF residents and press insisted it remain, glorious and gleaming over its namesake bar. Brunch the next morning was glamorous in The Garden Court Restaurant, the hotel’s shimmering, chandeliered centerpiece. Pepi had an omelet, and OT had a lobster roll that was surprisingly curried and delicious. In its early years, the Garden Court was the establishment’s carriage house; horses would pull up there to disgorge guests. OT’s first, youthful impression of it came thanks to our very first job out of grad school, when our boss at The Recorder printing & publishing generously took his working-class Proof Room boys out to lunch there. Thank you to our erstwhile supervisor! There’s a lot more history to the storied Palace Hotel. President Warren Harding died in a suite there, of cardiac arrest. We know this because it made the front page of The New York Times the day our mother was born; she died this year at 95. Mother can rest in peace knowing that her youngest son attained a glorious overnight staycation at SF’s legendary Palace Hotel.t

portion of the audience return from intermission for the Orchestra’s response to Janowski’s elegant and buoyant lead. October 17, 18 & 19, the SFS welcomes guest conductor Cristian Macelaru for an exciting program featuring SFS Principal Percussion Jacob Nissly in the world premiere of an SFS Commission. Composer Adam Schoenberg’s “Losing Earth,” written with Nissly in mind, is a concerto for solo percussion and orchestra, using an arsenal of instruments to address the scary urgency of climate change. Like many of his SFS colleagues, Nissly is something of a star soloist, and expectations are running high for the premiere. The composition itself could not be timelier. A small piece by Lili Boulanger (first woman to win the Prix de Rome in 1913), “D’un matin de printemps” (“From a spring morning”) is on the bill. Macelaru also conducts Ravel’s famously popular orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” If you didn’t grow up hearing the Russian master’s richly imaginative series of musical portraits, there’s no time like the present. October comes to a big close with the SFS debuts of Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Karina Canellakis and Ukrainian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk. Two mighty Russian works test their mettle. Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad,” are both mesmerizing and insinuating scores. Once they get into your head, they are hard to forget. Each evokes strong feelings and passionate involvement, best experienced “live.” sfsymphony.org.t

On the web This week, find Victoria A. Brownworth’s Lavender Tube column, “Jonathan Van Ness is our fave TV doyenne,” online at www.ebar.com.

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<< Theatre

18 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Would-be king of the wild frontier by Jim Gladstone

hear America singing. A sample lyric: “James Monroe was a douchebag.” Oh wait. Is that America? Or is it a petty, potty-mouthed POTUS who feels that he speaks for us all, and does so perfectly? So it goes at “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” a rock musical originally produced in the year of Obama’s first election and now onstage at the Custom Made Theatre Co., through Oct. 27. It’s hard to miss the topical relevance that surely made this ragtag show about a racist, egomaniacal, genocidal U.S. president smell like catnip to director Brian Katz, who is also the company’s artistic director. While writer Alex Timbers and lyricist Michael Friedman created their piece in the time of the Tea Party, no blue-blooded San Franciscan will miss the fact that populist rabblerouser Jackson, whose most loathsome legacy is the institutionalized slaughter of Native Americans, and whose fan/electoral base uncritically adored him, is in many ways a proto-Trump. “Bloody Bloody” is in obvious

Since 1977

ways a proto-“Hamilton,” and will likely be regarded in the annals of Broadway as such, a quirky footnote to our era’s Commander-in-Chief of historical musicals. That’s not an entirely fair assessment, because “BBAJ” should probably never have been presented on Broadway. (It ran for only about three months.) It’s more a bundle of sharp singleframe political cartoons than a sweeping proscenium epic. Custom Made’s limited budget and intimate setting make an entirely appropriate showcase for its charms. Go, but with the right expectations: “BBAJ” is one yappy mutt compared to the Westminster pageant of “Hamilton.” Rather than a flowing narrative, “BBAJ” offers a silly narrator (Teri Whipple) who pops onstage intermittently to deliver a discreet highlight of the Jackson timeline, not so much a storyteller as an incidental Pez dispenser, an impression abetted when she gets shot in the neck. The bulk of the intermissionless 85-minute performance consists of often-funny vignettes built around Friedman’s emo-pastiche songs, in which the influences of Green Day and Dashboard Confessional are as clear as those of “Schoolhouse Rock” in the show’s overall concept. Accompanied by a propulsive three-piece trio led by drummerkeyboardist Armando Fox, the 11-member ensemble thrashes and pogos through the superfi-

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Maya M. Sherer as Rachel, and James Grady as Andrew Jackson in Custom Made Theatre Co.’s “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.”

graphic demonstration of groupthink is reminiscent of her recent work in Ray of Light’s “American Psycho,” but it feels more organic and energized here, thanks to a smaller stage and a welcome infusion of humor. The brainy anachronism of that humor will likely delight some audience members, while striking others as “Revenge of the Nerds”style overindulgence. There’s one number called “Illness as Metaphor” that finds the song in Sontag, and another lyric that posits, “I’m sure Michel Foucault would have an opinion, but he isn’t born yet.” A less ostentatious reference is made in the show’s uncharacteristically mellow and beautiful penultimate song, “Second Nature,” which owes a major debt to Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi.” Smeared with goth make-up and dudded up in costume designer Rachael Helman’s frontier-thrift glad rags, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is hardly a great American musical, but it’s timely, lively, and much more fun to watch than the current presidency it reflects. Let’s hope the one’s revival anticipates the other’s demise.t

cially catchy score (earworm riffs, evaporating melodies) and witty lyrics with enough bite and brio to compensate for their modest sing-

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, through Oct. 27. Custom Made Theatre Co., 533 Sutter St., SF. Tickets ($40-$55): (415) 7982682, www.custommade.org.

Custom Made Theatre

ing skills. Even James Grady, who plays Jackson, is more about rockstar charisma than front-man vocal chops. Leslie Waggoner’s choreo-

Not toeing the line by Jim Gladstone

Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner all day

ou don’t expect a show called “Dance Nation” to be about a lack of coordination. But Clare Barron’s bold, original play, at the San Francisco Playhouse through Nov. 9, is exactly that: a darkly funny, often uncomfortable take on the wildly discombobulated relationship between hormones, psyches and socialization in tween-age girls. While its main characters are members of a suburban Ohio amateur dance team, the play’s most complex choreography takes place not on the stages where they perform, but within their unruly adolescent minds. Through hesitant dialogues, selfconscious monologues and the rare outburst of unbridled Id, we see how camaraderie sloppily elides with competitiveness and how

coming into one’s own can feel awfully similar to isolation. Director Becca Wolff and choreographer Kimberly Richards imbue the entire production with an exquisite, on-the-brink awkwardness. “I hope I get it,” half-prays one of the tweens, about to audition for the role of Gandhi in the latest hackneyed interpretive routine by their overinvested coach (Liam Robertson). Barron is ironically quoting “A Chorus Line” – a show that really is about extraordinary dancers – in juxtaposition to her play about utterly ordinary girls. While fancy dancers have long been a staple of theatrical entertainment, the minds of ordinary girls turn out to be a rich, fresh topic for exploration. Barron keeps us focused on those minds, and shuts down our inclination

to objectify young female bodies (even during fleeting moments of onstage nudity), by insisting the teens be played by actresses of wide-ranging age and size. The audience is not given a chance to be hypnotized by shiny superficiality. Stand-outs among the cast here are Lauren Spencer, compellingly conflicted and angry as Ashlee, the most mature and rightfully cynical of the girls, beginning to recognize the realities of the world outside their youthful bubble; Julia Brothers as Maeve, all oblivious innocence (and perhaps a touch of dimwittedness); and Mohana Rajagopal as Connie, a victim of unfair treatment childishly trying to soothe the pain with a magic toy pony. Less well-written are the roles of Dance Teacher Pat (Robertson); Luke (Bryan Munar), the only boy

in the class; and The Moms (several parts, all played by Michelle Talgarow). Because “Dance Nation” is far more focused on the relationships between the class members themselves rather than the inevitable outside forces of parental pressure and sexism, these parts are marginalized, leaving the actors little to work with. That said, Barron has smartly refused to let too-familiar narratives of sexual abuse or Billy Elliot masculinity-crises impinge upon the overlooked experiences she’s illuminating here. To many male audience members, “Dance Nation” may seem a foreign country. It’s well worth a trip.t Dance Nation, through Nov. 9. San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., SF. Tickets ($30-$100) (415) 677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org.

Jessica Palopoli

Ashlee (Lauren Spencer, center) asserts her identity as Maeve (Julia Brothers), Sofia (Ash Malloy) and Connie (Mohana Rajagopal) look on in “Dance Nation” at San Francisco Playhouse.

DVD>>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 19

Martyrdom of St. Pier Paolo Pasolini by Brian Bromberger

“I

think to scandalize is a right, to be scandalized is a pleasure, and those who refuse to be scandalized are moralists.” This quote by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-75) sums up his iconoclastic career as a gay Italian film director, poet, novelist, journalist, actor, playwright, political figure, philosopher, and intellectual. A Renaissance-type artist, he was a maverick Marxist who was an ardent critic of consumerism and an atheist who created “The Gospel According to St. Matthew,” considered by many critics the greatest film ever made about Jesus. In this mass of contradictions, he sought to shock, to oppose the complacency, corruption, and injustice of Italian society, through the use of violence and sexuality. Abel Ferrara’s biopic “Pasolini” (2014), given a brief theatrical release earlier this year, has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. In many ways this film is as indefinable as Pasolini himself, conjuring divergent opinions of Pasolini’s work. The film centers on the last hours (All Soul’s Day) of Pasolini’s (Willem Dafoe) life, having returned from Sweden after meeting with director Ingmar Bergman. He is doing postproduction work on his final film, a political allegory, “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade,” still regarded as the most

controversial movie ever made. He works from home during the day, with cousin Graziella, his acting secretary, bringing him coffee as Pasolini reads the morning papers, edits his manuscripts, sketches storyboards, takes phone calls, is interviewed by a reporter, talks about the novel he’s working on “Petrolio,” envisions his next film project, “Porno-Teo-Kolossal” (starring Ninetto Davoli, Pasolini’s great love, muse, and actor, who starred in several of his films), lunches with his mother Susanna (Adrianna Asti, who starred in his first film, “Accattoni,” 1961), and visits friends, including actress Laura Betti (Maria de Medeiros). In the evening he will drive his Alfa Romeo through poverty-stricken neighborhoods, cruising for rough trade and picking up 17-year-old Pino Pelosi, then journey to the beach in Ostia, where he will be beaten up by a gang of hustlers, left unconscious in an almost crucified position, then run over by his own car, either

inadvertently or deliberately by Pelosi. There remains much controversy about Pasolini’s death. Many people claim it was a conspiracy, a political martyrdom for his subversive views, but Ferrara presents it in an almost operatic setting as a homophobic assault.

“Pasolini” abandons linear narrative. It’s impressionistic, like a visual elegiac poem in a pastiche neo-documentary style. Anyone seeking biographical details about Pasolini will be frustrated, as it speaks primarily to those already familiar with his life and work. In the 22-minute bonus feature with Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe in conversation, they both claim this final day encapsulates his entire achievements and thinking. Ferrara saw Pasolini as his teacher and fellow fearless rebel spirit, relishing his quote, “My cinema is an explosion for my love of reality.” He sees Pasolini as a prophet railing against the violence and consumerism of our times, echoing Pasolini’s suggested title of his final interview, “We are all in danger.” Starting with Pasolini, Dafoe, now 63, has begun a late-career renaissance, including his Oscarnominated performances in “The Florida Project” (2017) and as Vincent Van Gogh in “Eternity’s

Gate” (2018). With his sunglasses and stern glances, Dafoe not only physically resembles Pasolini, and speaks both Italian and English, but convincingly captures his intellectual demeanor and his paradoxical nature, including both conservative and radical impulses. Dafoe gives a commanding performance, especially in the nearly unbearable end. No doubt this impulse explains Ferrara’s decision to act out portions of both the unfinished “Petrolio,” about a plane crash; and “PornoTel-Kolossal,” an intriguing fantasia about two gay holy fools on a quest for the messiah who wander into a gay and lesbian community that comes together once a year to reproduce children. Unfortunately, these stories-within-a-story disturb the narrative leading to Pasolini’s death, and seem more like Ferrara’s meditations on Pasolini, a straight interpretation of gay Eros, than anything Pasolini might have made. Still, Ferrara manages to strip away the myth and create a portrait of an artist who lived by his own rules and sought to expand the boundaries of cinema and language. For both Pasolini and Ferrara, all life is politics, including sex. We must still wait for a definitive screen biography of Pasolini, but despite its limitations, “Pasolini” the film makes clear why Pasolini the artist still has much to say to us in the 21st century.t

tions with men, from courtly older executives to pushy power-brokers to flirty 20somethings whose naive innocence is but a momentary diversion from work-obsessed society.

This is sophisticated queer filmmaking whose concerns stretch beyond the ghetto or the boardroom, a Top Film candidate whose emotional currents will stay with

you long after the screening. Warning: the ending is both shockingly brutal and brutally surprising. In German & English, with English subtitles.t

Bitter pills by David Lamble

“T

he Ground Beneath My Feet” is a minutely observed drama about the downside of success in Austria. We see Lola, an uptight, closeted lesbian business consultant, as she pursues a way of life that seems destined to end in a nervous breakdown. Lola’s job mirrors that of George Clooney in the 2009 dark comedy “Up in the Air,” namely advising heartless companies, eager to fire as many long-term employees as possible, how to do the deed without being sued, very much the way you’d put an aging pet to sleep. While the Clooney film’s brutal themes were laced with dark humor and romantic subplots, “Ground Beneath My Feet” resolutely delivers its bitter pills straight, no chaser. Pills figure literally in the plot as Lola’s whirlwind of flights and conferences is interrupted by a cry for help from her mentally ill older sister, Conny. Conny is recovering in a mental hospital after swallowing 120 sleeping pills. During a visitation, Conny reveals her fears that the medical staff is spying on her. Conny: “If you don’t take me with you, I’ll be dead!”

Lola: “Conny, you’ll be better soon. We can talk on the phone.” “They’ll listen in on us. You’ll have to protect me.” “I’m trying to. Listen, the meds will stabilize you. I’ll come again as soon as I can.” “You’re lying to me. You told them to do this to me. You fucking whore!” Drawing partly from her own life story, with a nod to Hitchcock’s “Marnie,” Austrian director Marie Kreutzer constructs a chilling vision about a society so obsessed with cost-cutting that it undermines goals of health care and family life. Shown at this year’s Frameline fest, Kreutzer’s film makes clear that the U.S. of Trump isn’t the only society embarking on ruinous cutbacks in social services under the mantle of productivity. Valerie Pachner as Lola delivers a mostly understated character who comes to see herself as desperately in need of a compassionate makeover. Lola is at one moment the ruthless costcutter, the next the acrobatic lover with her equally blonde boss, and still later the anxious sibling getting phone calls from the bedridden Conny. The filmmakers subtly present Lola’s complicated rela-

Strand Releasing

Valerie Pachner as Lola in director Marie Kreutzer’s “The Ground Beneath My Feet,” opening Friday in San Francisco & Berkeley.

Champagne Gala October 20, 2019 at 3:00pm

Herbst Theatre, San Francisco TICKETS: 415-392-4400 | cityboxoffice.com

lamplighters.org

<< Film

20 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

More cinema from Mill Valley by David Lamble

he 2019 Mill Valley Film Festival more than fulfills its duty of showcasing the best of the year’s award-worthy films. The last four days (Oct. 10-13) place a special emphasis on films examining family issues, including the expanding definitions of family pioneered by LGBTQ communities. The films play in venues across the North Bay: the Sequoia, Smith San Rafael Film Center, the Lark, Larkspur Landing and BAM/PFA. “Marriage Story” Writerdirector Noah Baumbach expands his canvas as a couple splitting up (Adam Driver & Scarlett Johans-

son) fight their domestic civil war from New York to California and back. Driver is compelling as a man who experiences the breakup as both an emotional and a physical gut-punch. Baumbach will receive the MVFF Award 10/12 at the Smith Rafael Film Center. The film will also play the Sequoia 10/13. “Frankie” Openly gay director Ira Sachs returns with a poignant family reunion on Portugal’s sublime Atlantic coast. French diva Isabelle Huppert is the emotionally seductive TV/film star who lures the important people in her life to an operatic farewell. With Marisa Tomei, Jeremie Renier and Brendan Gleeson. US premiere. (Sequoia, 10/10)

“Fourteen” New York indie film director Dan Sallitt follows the upand-down friendship of teen friends Mara and Jo. (Larkspur, 10/11, 13) “A Hidden Life” Pioneering writer-director Terrence Malick presents the tale of a young WWIIera conscientious objector (a riveting August Diehl) who chose prison over service in the Nazi Army. (Sequoia, 10/12; Lark, 10/13) “Les Miserables” Director Ladj Ly uses metaphors in Victor Hugo’s classic tale of resistance to capture the class and racial tensions at work in a Paris suburb when a trio of police officers returns a kidnapped lion cub to its owner. (Rafael, 10/11; Sequoia, 10/12)t

Courtesy MVFF

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in director Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”

LINES Ballet

ing moving images of Alonzo King LINES dancers. Then, of course, there’s King himself, who has choreographed hundreds of works for dance companies around the world, and whose singular vision has guided SF’s beloved LINES Ballet since its founding in 1982. As the curtain rose on “The Personal Element,” the technical prowess of King’s company was clear. The luminous women rise onto pointe with fierce authority, moving their arms with energy, isolating a rib, flexing a foot, snapping a shoulder into a flirty pose, effortlessly stretching their legs to the sky and contorting their bodies into an endless array of shapes. But then a dancer will stop and execute a picture-perfect arabesque, holding it just long enough to remind us: these are classically trained dancers of the highest order. The men of LINES are equally as skilled, boundlessly leaping across the stage and lifting their partners high into the air with such effortlessness that an untrained eye might not realize the exceptional athleticism required to perform at this level. Yet King’s dancers are unambiguously sensual, particularly in “Azoth.” Moran and Lloyd, who play their instruments only a few feet away from the

dancers, seem to be engaged in a deeply intimate conversation with the performers. The dancers don’t listen and react to the music, they are the music. Likewise, Campbell’s glistening digital panels aren’t just set decoration, they are key elements in a highly integrated production, bathing the dancers in light and color, and constantly reshaping the stage into areas that suggest tightly locked cages or the wide expanse of a football stadium. LINES is truly an ensemble company, King doesn’t often showcase one dancer, but the centerpiece of “Azoth” is an extended solo by Robb Beresford. He is first a rebel, brutally pushing and breaking away from his tribe, only to run back into their warm embrace in an emotional tug-of-war. Eventually he walks offstage, alone, Moran’s mournful score hinting at the ultimate defeat. But this program was absolutely a triumph, playing to packed houses and earning nightly standing ovations. Mark your calendar for LINES’ spring programs, as well as a screening of the film “Selma” at SFJAZZ, with live accompaniment by Jason Moran.t

When it was first published in 2008, “Otherhood” (Bloomsbury) by William Sutcliffe was known as “Whatever Makes You Happy,” the story of three British mothers who feel forgotten and neglected by their sons on Mother’s Day. Newly retitled and reissued in a paperback edition to coincide with the Netflix movie of the same name starring Patricia Arquette, Angela Bassett, Felicity Huffman, and Jake Lacey as Huffman’s gay son, it’s now set in New York. Readers who enjoy being scared out of their wits and who dug Jac Jemc’s approach to the genre with her haunting novel “The Grip of It” are sure to find themselves shaken by her latest, “False Bingo: Stories” (MCDxFSG Originals). “Falling: Stories” (Univ. of Wisconsin Press) is the second short story collection from Lammy and Ferro-Grumley Award-winning writer Trebor Healey. The 10 stories feature characters who have lost their way “figuratively and literally,” and must confront the profound displacement of modern life. Queer writer Elizabeth Gilbert explores female friendships and sexuality in “City of Girls” (Riverhead) over the course of 70 years, from Vassar to Manhattan, in narrator Vivian’s distinctive voice. Gilbert wrote the book following the death

of her girlfriend Rayya Elias. Jami Attenberg, author of “The Middlesteins” and “Saint Mazie,” tells the emotionally brutal and fearless tale of a family coming apart at the seams in “All This Could Be Yours” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Young adult readers: “There once was a boy who heard the Whispers,” begins the new Y/A novel “The Whispers” (Putnam) by gay writer Greg Howard, in which 11-year-old Riley asks the mythical wood creatures known as the Whispers to help with the safe return of his missing mother. “The Midwinter Witch” (Graphix/Scholastic) is the third and final book in “The Witch Boy” graphic novel series by Molly Ostertag. Powered by the “one, consistent message” that “magic has no gender,” the book is set at the time of the Midwinter Festival, where Aster and Ariel confront a sinister force that “threatens everything the young witches have fought for.” Fifty years after a tornado devastated Mercer, a small Illinois town, three teenage friends, including gay Joshua, must work together following the touching down of another tornado in the exact same place in “We Speak in Storms” (Philomel) by Natalie Lund.t

From page 15

King recently commented in a New York Times article that he is attracted to collaborations that are “tricky or potentially perilous.” Indeed this program underscored just how fearless King, his collaborators, and his dancers can be. The creative team King assembled for this program was nothing short of dazzling, with music composed and performed live by MacArthurwinning pianist-multimedia artist Jason Moran and iconic saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Not familiar with these names? Here’s a primer. Moran, Artistic Director for Jazz at the Kennedy Center, composed the score to the Academy Awardwinning film “Selma,” and recently opened his solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum to rave reviews. At age 81, Lloyd has collaborated and performed with an astonishing array of artists, from B.B. King to the Beach Boys, Bobby McFerrin to Dmitri Shostakovich. Lloyd’s band was the first jazz group ever to play the Fillmore. “Azoth” also featured the work of visual artist Jim Campbell. You’ve surely noticed Campbell’s work glowing over the San Francisco LINES Ballet dancers Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan perform in skyline. “Day for Night” is “The Personal Element” at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. his permanent LED exhibit atop Salesforce Tower, featur-

Fall Books

From page 15

Making its paperback debut in time for autumn, Rebecca Makkai’s acclaimed third novel “The Great Believers” (Penguin), a National Book Award finalist, more than lives up to the hype in the way that it stunningly tells the story of a group of gay friends in Chicago, and the impact that AIDS has on them during the 1980s and beyond. A few years before Makkai wrote her loving portrait of the gay community, another straight female novelist, Ann Patchett, created the unforgettable AIDS novel “The Magician’s Assistant.” Patchett’s new novel, “The Dutch House” (Harper), set on the outskirts of Philadelphia, follows devoted siblings Danny and

Maeve, “helpless captives” of their “migratory patterns” from childhood through adulthood, over the course of a series of devastating events. One of the most talked-about books of the fall, “Juliet Takes a Breath” (Dial) by Gabby Rivera, is the no-holds-barred story of “Puerto Rican baby dyke” Juliet, who leaves the Bronx behind and reinvents herself in Portland, Oregon, doing an internship with feminist author Harlowe. Set against the backdrop of the early-2010s Occupy Movement, Caleb Crain’s second novel “Overthrow” (Viking) is as exhilarating as you might imagine, as grad student Matthew falls for activist Leif and finds himself being swept up in the current of the times. Moving back and forth in time,

Manny Crisostomo

from 1816, when Mary Shelley was writing her novel “about a scientist who creates a new life-form,” to present-day Brexit Britain, where transgender doctor Ry Shelley has fallen for professor Victor Stein, a leading expert on AI, lauded lesbian novelist Jeanette Winterson returns with her 11th novel, “Frankissstein” (Grove Press). Longlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize, “The Man Who Saw Everything” (Bloomsbury) by Deborah Levy takes us back to 1988, where narcissistic, young, bisexual historian Saul Adler’s life is forever changed when he is hit by a car while waiting to recreate the iconic Beatles Abbey Road photo. Debut novel “In West Mills” (Bloomsbury) by gay writer De’Shawn Charles Winslow is set in a North Carolina African-American community from the early 1940s to the late 80s, focusing on the friendship between Azalea “Knot” Centre and Otis Lee. Don’t be put off by the premise, high school student Conrad’s relationship with his teacher Sammy, because “The History of Living Forever” (FSG) by Jake Wolff is much more than that, a quest to create the elixir of life so Conrad can save the lives of his self-destructive father and his husband, following a brain cancer diagnosis.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet, world premiere at Grace Cathedral, Feb. 7-8, 2020. Info: www.linesballet.org. Jason Moran, “Selma” film performed with live score, SFJAZZ Center, May 21-22, 2020. Tickets/info: www.sfjazz.org.

Arts Events

Shining Stars

Leather

www.ebar.com

Vol. 49 • No. 41 • October 10-16, 2019

Andy Mientus: Gentleman of the Canyon Broadway star sings Joni Mitchell’s classic album

Debbie Harry: Facing it Blondie singer’s memoir and fan art

by David-Elijah Nahmod by Jim Provenzano

londie cofounders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were guests at the Arts & Ideas series hosted by the Jewish Community Center on October 3. Attendees at the sold-out event (with TV monitor-viewing outside the Kanbar Theatre for additional fans) enjoyed the amusing tales and anecdotes that Stein and Harry shared. See page 25 >>

Nightlife Events

Gooch

n October 12 and 13, Andy Mientus takes to the elegant stage of Feinstein’s At the Nikko for an evening of song devoted to the great folk rocker Joni Mitchell. The singer/actor, well known for his television roles on Smash and The Flash, and onstage in Spring Awakening, will offer his own unique take on Ladies of the Canyon, the classic 1970 album on which Mitchell wrote and performed all the songs. See page 22 >>

October 10-17, 2019

Autumn lovelies fill our weekly line-up of nightlifery.

Fri 11 Cubcake @ Lone Star Saloon

Listings on page 23 > { THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

<< Cabaret

Andy Mientus

From page 21

Like many of Mitchell’s works, Ladies of the Canyon features songs that are deeply personal. It’s almost as though she wrote poems based on her own life and then set them to music. For Mientus, performing the album is the latest project in a busy career that sees him appearing regularly on stage and on television. “I think I look and give off the energy of deceptive youth,” Mientus said in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “I’m 32 years old and I’ve been in the business for over ten years. I’ve been really lucky to do a lot of different things in different media. I’ve had a really great career so far.” The national tour of Spring Awakening, which he played in San Francisco, was his debut role. He

describes the show as being about a group of German schoolchildren going through puberty who discover themselves sexually in 1891, in a society that was not supportive of young people’s voices. Mientus played Hanschen, one of the gay characters, which, he says, was great for him to explore at the time because he was coming into his own sexuality. Spring Awakening came his way quite by accident: he was a fan of the show who had started a Facebook group for himself and his friends to discuss the show. Others joined the group, and he was soon contacted by one of the producers of Spring Awakening and asked to make his group the show’s official Facebook page. He agreed, and was eventually invited to audition for the show’s touring company. He got the job. Mientus first came to the atten-

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tion of television audiences when he was cast as Kyle on NBC’s Smash, a musical drama set in the New York theater world. Though it premiered to huge ratings and rave reviews, Smash tanked during its second season, losing most of its audience. “I think Smash came at a time when TV was changing and the way people watched TV was changing,” Mientus said. “This was in the early 2010s and I think people were still DVRing back then. You weren’t beholden to the network schedule, you could record it and watch it at your convenience, and it was harder to gauge those ratings. But it has endured and become a cult classic. Someone asks me about Smash every single day.” Kyle was a gay role, the first of several gay roles he’s played on television. He was recently seen as Hartley Rathaway, aka The Pied Piper, on the CW adventure series The Flash. The Pied Piper was TV’s first gay super-villian. “He is out gay in the comics, and they chose to keep that for the show,” Mientus explained. “They let him be funny in a specifically gay way, which I really appreciated. They didn’t shy away from that. So I love that he got to be scary and strong and a force to be reckoned with, and still be this sassy gay guy.” There were crossover episodes between The Flash and the CW’s Supergirl, which co-stars Jeremy Jordan, who played Mientus’ boyfriend on Smash. Yet Mientus, who is not currently appearing on The Flash, has not worked with Jordan on this series. “I think it’s always a great thing when a show has a queer character and they do their best to find a queer actor to play it,” Mientus said of the TV roles he’s had. “I’m not saying that only queer actors should play queer roles. But I do think that when the stars align and the role can be played by a queer actor, there’s inherently some richness, some extra nuance because of our lived experience. It’s a really nice thing, so I love playing queer characters.” Mientus personally identifies as bisexual. He was happy to talk about what Joni Mitchell means to him. He recalled that as a youth, Mitchell was one of the first voices that he heard in his house. There was always music playing: classic rock, folk, and country. His dad was heavily into Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash and John Prine, and his mom liked Mitchell, often singing Mitchell’s song “The Circle Game.” She gave him a copy of Mitchell’s album Court and Spark when he was old enough to appreciate it. “Joni has always been this voice that I wanted to emulate,” he said. “And when I got old enough to appreciate her lyrical ability and was starting to write various things myself, I was impressed with how she could boil down such complex concepts into single lines of poetry. She’s really good at the economy required of lyric writing. I’ve always been a huge fan.”

Joan Marcus

Katie Yu

22 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Above: Andy Mientus at 54 Below in New York. Middle: Andy Mientus as Pied Piper on the CW’s The Flash. Bottom Left: Andy Mientus as Boq in Wicked. Bottom Right: Andy Mientus (right) in Spring Awakening.

Mientus recalled a time after Smash when he was doing a lot of TV guest roles, waiting for the next big chapter in his life, while frequently playing Ladies of the Canyon. “The album started to make sense to me as a theater piece,” said Mientus. “It was a monologue, with a beginning, a middle and an end. It was something I thought would be satisfying, so I started speaking to my musical director Benjamin Rauhala about that. And we were

like, ‘Oh, that could be cool. I don’t know if it would work or not, because it’s one of the more subtle Joni albums.’ It was before she started adding a lot of instrumentations, it had only piano and guitar, a light smattering of percussion and her voice, and that’s it. It’s very quiet and slow.” And then some slots opened up at a venue in New York. The creative director of the venue reached out to Mientus and asked him if he had anything. So he put the show together and got a great response. The show includes banter about Mientus’ connection to each song, as well as fun facts about Mitchell, a woman he calls “fascinating.” The show features piano, guitar, a triangle, two background vocalists and a guest vocalist. “Joni has said that she loves it when men sing her songs, because she considers them very feminine,” Mientus said. “So automatically by having a male voice singing the song, it opens up new layers to the song that she didn’t know were there. I really try to tell you the story of the song.”t ‘Andy Mientus sings Joni Mitchell’ at Feinstein’s At the Nikko, 222 Mason St. Saturday October 12, 8pm, Sunday October 13, 7pm. $50-80. www.feinsteinssf.com

Nightlife Events>>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 23

Janelle Monaé @ Fox Theater, Oakland The glorious pop-R&B singer performs at a benefit for Tipping Point Amplified, a poverty-focused nonprofit. The Roots open. $100$500. 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.apeconcerts.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s popular weekly drag show, with wild acts and music tribute themes. Oct 12 is a Missy Elliot night. $10-$15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Pound Puppy @ The Stud Disco iconic DJ Steve Fabus and Bezier spin at Oscar, Jorge and Blake’s cruisy sexy dance party. $10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Thu 10

Qtease @ The Stud

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Live @ Oasis

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

Thu 10 After Dark @ Exploratorium

Cabaret Karaoke @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko Dick Bright MCs the new karaoke night at the elegant nightclub. $12$15. ($20 food/drink min.). Thru Sept. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinssf.com

Enjoy cocktails and science demos at the hands-on museum; Oct 10: P Future Foods with tastings of plant-based and robot-prepped food. Tactile Dome evening hours Fri & Sat, weekly 6:15 and 7:30pm. $20. Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green St. www.exploratorium.edu

Cubcake @ Lone Star Saloon

The Billie Holiday Project @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Enjoy Elysian Brewing pumpkin beers, Halloween face-painting and DJed Emo grooves. 7pm-12am. 647 Valencia St. www.facebook.com/ thevalenciaroom/

Stella Heath invokes the vocal stylings of Billie Holiday; Neil Fontano on piano, Jason Bellenkes on saxophone/ clarinet, and Trevor Kinsel on upright bass/cornet. $35-$55. ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinssf.com

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Live @ Oasis

Cubs and bears and treats and beers; the monthly party welcomes DJ Prince Wolf. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Great Pumpkin Road Show @ Valencia Room

Latin Explosion @ Club 21 The popular Latin club with gogo guys galore and Latin music. $10-$20. 9pm-3am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Lick It @ Powerhouse

D’Arcy Drollinger presents Michael Phillis and a talented crew of drag queens/kings who perform a wacky version of a script from the hit TV vampire show. $27-$50. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru Nov 9. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

Lance Holman’s laid-back kinky night, with DJ Blackstone. $5. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Comedy @ Ashkenaz, Berkeley

The lively Bay Area musician performs with his band. Devon Gilfillian opens. $46-61. 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.apeconcerts.com

Laugh wih Diane Amos, Arjun Banerjee, Nori Reed, and Lisa Geduldig. $15-$25. 8pm. 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. ashkenaz.com

Puff @ The Stud

Michael Franti & Spearhead @ Fox Theatre, Oakland

Queer Happy Hour @ Forage Kitchen, Oakland

Halloween edition of the cannabis appreciation party, with DJ Sergio Fedasz, freaky drag/variety show and a stoner raffle. $10. 6pm-9pm. 299 9th St. at Harrison www.studsf.com

Drinks for LGBTQs and pals, plus vegan and chicken snacks. Weekly 4pm-9pm. 478 25th St., Oakland. www.foragekitchen.com

Queer Karaoke @ Club OMG

K-op dance night pre-celebrates Halloween; costumes suggested. $15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

KJ Dana hosts the weekly singing night; unleash your inner American Idol ; first Thursdays are Costume Karaoke; third is Kinky Karaoke 8pm. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Seoul Train @ Oasis

Uhaul @ Jolene’s

Queeraoke @ Tamarack, Oakland

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

Dana Morrigan hosts the 1st & 3rd Thursdays queer karaoke night, 7:30pm-1am. No cover. 1501 Harrison St., Oakland. tamarackoakland.com

Sat 12

QT @ Jolene’s Queer & trans cruising night. 8pm2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Terror Vault @ SF Mint Peaches Christ’s annual horror-fun invasion of the historic building includes a full-scale spooky interactive tour. $62, various tour times; drinks and food on sale, too! Thru Nov. 10. 88 5th St. www.intothedarksf.com

Bay Area Cub Contest @ Lone Star Saloon Bears of SF present a fun competition for best Cub. Beer bust 3pm-7pm, contest 4pm, Boys of Bearlesque perform, DJ Prince Wolf, raffle prizes and sexy cubs galore. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Bearracuda @ SF Eagle The popular bear party’s underwear night (clothes check onsite) blends with BLUF Leather Lounge. $10. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Fri 11

Fleet Week @ Lone Star Saloon

Bastille @ Greek Theatre, Berkeley

Official US Military LGBT party thrown by the SF Fire Department for those coming to celebrate Fleet Week, with DJ Marcos Moreno. $7. 8pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

The popular band performs; Joywave opens. $50. 8pm. 2001 Gayley Road, UC Berkeley campus. www.apeconcerts.com

Queer burlesque and cabaret show with Nudie Nubies. 6pm-8pm. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

T4T @ Jolene’s Just Shannon presents a trans dance night. $10. 9pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. http://jolenessf.com/

Writers With Drinks @ The Make Out Room Michelle Ruiz Keil, Imani Gandy, Dr. Jen Gunter, Marta Acosta, Vivian Ho and Nazelah Jamison join host Charlie Jane Anders for at the monthly night of liquor and lit. $5-$20. 7:30pm. 3225 22nd St. makeoutroom.com

Sun 13 Altin Gun @ The Independent Unique Turkish folk-psychedelia band performs. $20-$22. 8pm. 628 Divisadero. www.apeconcerts.com

Apocrypha @ SF Eagle Witchy T-dance with dJ Spaz, Moca Fapalatte, drag acts and spooky fun. $5. 7pm-12am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Big Gay Beer Bust @ The Cinch Benefits and plenty of beer at the historic neighborhood bar. 3pm-7pm. 1723 Polk St. www.cinchsf.com

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

Drrrty Queer @ The Stud Pre-Halloween edition of the queer pop-up strip club with sexy performers (bring your dollars for tips!). $7-$20. 8pm show. Wear a costume and get a free raffle ticket. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Glam Sundays @ Valencia Room New weekly house, funk, soul T-dance with guest-DJs and no cover. 3pm9pm. 647 Valencia St. www.glamsundays.com

Nicolas King @ Orinda Theatre The award-winning jazz crooner performs classic songs with jazz legend Mike Renzi. $40-$65. 5pm. 2 Orinda Theater Square, Orinda. www.OrindaMovies.com

Sucia @ Jolene’s Queer Latinx party. $10. 8pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The popular two-stepping linedancing, not-just-country music night, with free lessons, celebrates its 21st anniversary; free admission. 5pm10:30pm. Also Thursdays 6:30pm10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Tom Goss @ Hotel Utah The gay folk singer performs with Nakia and Liz Deroche. $15-$50. 7pm. 500 4th St. www.tomgossmusic.com

Mon 14 KQ League Night @ Detour Game tournament at the renovated former Brewcade. 7:30pm-11pm. 2200 Market St. www.detoursf.com

Munro’s at Midnight @ Midnight Sun Drag night with Mercedez Munro. No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Underwear Night @ 440 Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. www.the440.com

Vamp @ Beaux Women’s night with a sultry vampire theme; goth, red & black, lingerie attire welcome but not required; bondage and BDSM demos, too. DJs Olga T and Jayne Grey. $5-$15. 8pm2am. 2344 Market St. beauxsf.com

Tue 15 Cock Shot @ Beaux The weeknight party gets going with DJ Chad Bays. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

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

Truck Tuesdays @ Atlas Super-cruisy night at the new semiprivate club. $10-$20. 9pm-2am. 415 10th St. www.atlas-sf.com

Zodiac @ SF Eagle Ceepy-goth drag show/viewing party for Dragula, hosts Nitrix Oxide and Dakota Pendant. Ghoulish drag/attire appreciated. $5-$10. 8pm-12am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Wed 16 American Horror Story Night @ SF Eagle Watch AHS 1984, the camp/slasher FX Ryan Murphy TV series. 10pm-12am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Follies & Dollies @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Weekly drag show at the historic gay bar. 9:30pm-11:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave. www.whitehorsebar.com

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

Michael Longoria @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Broadway singer-actor (Jersey Boys, Hairspray) performs his new cabaret concert, ‘Like They Do in the Movies.’ $25-$45. 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinssf.com

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

Pan Dulce @ Beaux Drag divas, gogo studs, DJed Latin grooves and drinks at the Hump Day fiesta 9pm-2am (free before 10:30pm). 2344 Market St. www.clubpapi.com

Thu 17 Choir! Choir! Choir! @ Freight & Salvage, Berkeley The Canadian duo performs & conducts with you, the audience singing along. $20-$24. 7pm. 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. thefreight.org

Gym Class @ Hi Tops Enjoy whiskey shots from jockstrapped hotties and sexy sports videos. 10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge The weekly drag show with host Sue Casa anbd hilarious queens. $5. 9pm2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com t Want your nightlife event listed? Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event. Event photos welcome.

<< Arts Events

24 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Picture

October 10-17, 2019

Visual treats with open studios all over town, and literary lovelies at Litquake.

Thu 10

SF Open Studios @ Multiple Galleries

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

Thu 10 Aunt Charlie’s @ Tenderloin Museum Multimedia exhibit about the historic Tenderloin drag bar, including There Will Always Be Roses in San Francisco, by Marissa Letiman. Exhibit thru Dec 1. 398 Eddy St. www.tenderloinmuseum.org

Cells to Self @ Exploratorium New exhibit with amazing displays showing how single cells in the human body work, portraits engineered from DNA and more (talks, hands-on workshops and nightlife events). $20-$30. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. exploratorium.edu

The Chinese Lady @ Magic Theatre

Art by (from upperleft) Peter Howells, John Musgrove, Eric Joyner, Erika Meriaux.

Arts Events

Events @ GLBT History Museum

The Great Wave @ Berkeley Repertory U.S. premiere of Francis Turnly’s drama about Asian family members separated by an ocean. $30-$81. Thru Oct 27. 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. www.berkeleyrep.org

Hot Mikado @ Gateway Theatre 42nd Street Moon’s new production of Rob Bowman and David H. Bell’s jazz interpretation of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta. $31-$72. Thru Oct. 13. 215 Jackson St. www.42ndstmoon.org

Jess Curtis/Gravity @ CounterPulse The local acclaimed dance/ performance ensemble performs Curtis’ new work, (in)Visible. $10$30. Oct 10-13. Thu Sun 8pm. ASL interpretation Oct 6 & 12. 80 Turk St. www.counterpulse.org

Litquake @ Multiple Venues

Bay Area premiere of Lloyd Suh’s play inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to arrive on American soil. $15-$75. Tue 7pm, Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 2:30pm thru Nov. 3. Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. www.MagicTheatre.org

The 21st annual literary festival of readings, panel talks and workshops takes place at libraries, bookstores, lecture halls and even laundromats. Thru Oct 19, with Lit Crawl, Book Fair and the closing party. www.litquake.org

Classic and New Films @ Castro Theatre

Puppets & Poe @ Theatre of Yugen

Oct 10: Fantastic Fungi (7pm). Oct 11: Arab Film Festival opening night (7:30pm). Oct 12 & 13: Mary Poppins sing-along, with Sara Moore & friends (3:30, 7pm). Oct 14: 2001: A Space Odyssey (2pm, 8pm) and The New World (5pm). Oct 15-17: Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (5pm, 8pm). $8-$16. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Dance Nation @ SF Playhouse Clare Barron’s dark comedy about competitive dancers in Florida, with teenagers played by adults. $35-$125. Thru Nov 9. 450 Post St. www.sfplayhouse.org

Events @ Manny’s Oct 10, 6pm: Presidential LGBTQ Town Hall viewing. 11, 9pm: Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing. 13, 6:30pm: Fiesta Flamenca. 15, 5pm: Presidential debate viewing; SF DA debate 8pm. 17, 6:30pm: author Andrew Marantz. Free/$10 and up (donations). 3092 16th St. www.welcometomannys.com

femMasculine @ Brava Cabaret Kevin Seaman’s solo “Queer Journey Through Digital Desire” takes on contemporary problems with gayness, queer identity and gender, also as his drag persona LOL McFiercen. $20-$50. Oct 10-12, 8pm. 2773 24th St. www.brava.org

Devised Defiance, a macabre theatre work inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. $20. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru Nov 3. 2840 Mariposa St. www.theatreofyugen.org

SF Open Studios @ Multiple Galleries ArtSpan’s annual citywide showcase of 100s of artists, in their studios, at galleries and special venues. Opening celebration, ArtLaunch, with sample exhibit of all artists, at SOMArts $25-$100, 6pm-9pm. Open studios at Hunters Point Oct 12 & 13, 11am-6pm; free. Weekend showings thru Nov. 3. artspan.org/visit-sf-open-studios

Terror Vault @ SF Mint Peaches Christ’s annual horror-fun invasion of the historic building includes a full-scale spooky interactive tour. $62, various tour times. Thru Nov. 10. 88 5th St. www.intothedarksf.com

Fri 11 Dionysus Was Such a Nice Man @ Joe Goode Annex Fools Fury production of Kate Tarker’s modern take on the story of Oedipus from the perspective of the family of shepherds who raised him. $24-$50. Thru Oct. 20. 401 Alabama St. www.foolsfury.org

Oct. 11, 7pm: My Dad’s Closet: A Father, a Daughter and Their Secret, with author Laura Hall. Oct. 13, 12pm: Opening the Vault: a Spotlight on the Archives. Each $5. Also, exhibits Queering Familias: Building Latinx Resilience & Hope and The Mayor of Folsom Street: Alan Selby’s Legacy, an exhibit of the leather culture pioneer (both thru Oct 20). 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

The Rocky Horror Show @ San Jose Stage Company Richard O’Brien’s cult classic musical gets a South Bay production, with Keith Pinto as Frank N. Furter. $32-$60. Thru Nov 3. 490 South First St., San Jose. www.thestage.org

Scary Movies @ New Parkway Theatre, Oakland The indy theatre programs a month of scary horror scifi movies for the season ( Carrie, The Exorcist, Beetlejuice, The Thing, Nosferatu with live music, and many more), thru Oct. 31. 474 24th St. www.thenewparkway.com

Serge Gay Jr. @ Voss Gallery Opening reception for P.S., I Love You, the artist’s colorful pop exhibit of Palm Springs-set paintings. 6pm10pm. Thru Nov 2. 3344 24th St. www.vossgallery.art

This Side of Crazy @ New Conservatory Theatre Center Previews for Del Shore’s new Southern comedy about four very unusual women brought together for a family reunion. $22-$44. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thursday night preshow music and drag cabaret concerts. Thru Oct. 20. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. www.nctcsf.org

Sat 12 Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its final year with fun lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. Online lottery announced for tix to New Year’s Eve closing shows! $25$160. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. Wed-Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm & 9pm. Sun 2pm & 5pm. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Superfest Disability Film Festival @ Freight & Salvage, CJM Two days of screenings of short and feature films made by and about disabled people. Audio descriptions, accessibility and ASL interpretation. $12-$24. Oct. 12 , 12pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. Oct. 13, 11am & 2pm at Contemporary Jewish Museum, www.superfestfilm.com

That Don Reed Show @ The Marsh Berkeley The acclaimed solo performer’s show about dealing with racism in show business returns for an extended run. $20-$100. Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5:30pm. Thru Oct 13. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. www.themarsh.org

Sun 13 Maurice Hines, Diva Jazz Orchestra @ Venetian Room The singer-dancer performs with the band. $60-$75. 7:30pm. Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason St. www.bayareacabaret.org

Greetings From Queer Mountain @ Strut

Tue 15 Africa State of Mind @ MOAD Traveling exhibit curated by Ekow Eshun includes 16 artists’ works focusing on the idea of ‘Africanness.’ Also, The Sacred Star of Isis and Other Stories, photos by Adama Delphine Fawundo; also Rashaad Newsome’s Stop Playing in My Face !, a Black queer multimedia installation. Free/$10. Both thru Nov. 15. 685 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Floral Exhibits @ SF Botanical Garden Visit the lush gardens with displays of trees, flowers and shrubs from around the world, including the annual Magnolia bloom. Monthly plant sales, plus art exhibits and gift shop; free entry with SF proof of residency. $5-$10 for others. 7:30am-closing. 9th Ave at Lincoln Way. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

Wed 16 Michael Longoria @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Litquake event with Meghan Elison, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Imani Sims, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall, hosted by Micheal Foulk. 6pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

The Broadway singer-actor (Jersey Boys, Hairspray) performs his new cabaret concert, ‘Like They Do in the Movies.’ $25-$45. 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinssf.com

Nicolas King @ Orinda Theatre

Richard Caldwell Brewer @ Lost Art Salon

The award-winning jazz crooner performs classic songs with jazz legend Mike Renzi. $40-$65. 5pm. 2 Orinda Theater Square, Orinda. www.OrindaMovies.com

No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man @ Oakland Museum No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man (Oct 12-Feb 16). Free/$15. 1000 Oak St. www.museumca.org

Mon 14 Duet + Marrow @ CounterPulse Ian Spencer Bell’s dance and poetry performance about growing up queer in Virginia; part of Litquake. $20-$25. 8pm. 80 Turk St. www.ianspencerbell.com

Keith Secola @ Café Valor Wounds Many, an exhibit of works focusing on the artist’s Northern Ute heritage. Thru Dec. 13. 401 Van Ness Ave., lobby. sfartscommission.org

Exhibit of works by the late gay artist (1923-2014). Mon-Sat 10am5:30pm. 245 South Van Ness Ave., #303. www.lostartsalon.com

Thu 17 Show Us Your Spines @ Strut Litquake, Radar Productions and SF Public Library reading events with Danny Thanh Nguyen, Roberto F. Santiago and Jon Jon Moore. 7pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Various Events @ Oakland LGBTQ Center Social events and meetings at the new LGBTQ center include film screenings and workshops, including Bruthas Rising, trans men of color meetings, 4th Tuesdays, 6:30pm. Film screenings, 4th Saturdays, 7:30pm. Game nights, Fridays 7:30pm-11pm. Vogue sessions, first Saturdays. 3207 Lakeshore Ave. Oakland. www.oaklandlgbtqcenter.org t

Beth Elliot @ Plymouth United Church of Christ The singer-songwriter and author is featured at the women’s open mic night. Potluck 6:30pm, 7:30pm p[rogram. $7-$10. 424 Monte Vista, Oakland. www.plymouthoakland.org

Foglifter Contributors @ Strut Litquake event with contributors to the local LGBT literary journal, with Amy Gong Liu, Thea Matthews, Jacques J. Rancourt, Emily Shapiro, and Summer Farah. 7pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Jonathan Biss @ Hertz Hall, Berkeley The acclaimed pianist continues a seven-concert cycle of the complete Beethoven Pianos sonatas. $68. Oct 12 & 13, Dec 15, Mar. 7 & 8 (2020). Bancroft Way at College Ave., UC Berkeley campus. www.calperformances.org

Jose Villalobos @ Strut Exhibit of the artist’s work, Entre Las Fibras Culturales ( Between Cultural Fibres). Thru Oct. 470 Castro st. www.strutsf.org

Tom Orr is the Greatest Show Queen Tom Orr will sing for his supper at Martuni’s when he offers The Greatest Showqueen, an evening of wild parodies of classic Broadway hits, Sunday Oct. 13. Read our exclusive interview on www.ebar.com

Icons>>

October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 25

Courtesy JCCSF

Right: Debbie Harry’s new memoir: Face It. Above: Chris Stein and Debbie Harry at the JCCSF’s Kanbar Hall on Oct. 3.

Debbie Harry

From page 21

The duo talked about the new book, Face It, Harry’s memoir and visual hybrid of historic photos and fan art, co-written with music writer Sylvie Simmons, who was in the audience. The book’s visual collaborator Rob Roth moderated the talk with witty aplomb. The musicians (once partnered, now friends) amused the audience with their occasional inability to recall distant events. The pair remained authentic and amused by Roth’s questions. For those too young or emerging from under a rock, Blondie burst onto the music scene in New York City in the late 1970s after Harry and Stein left an earlier band, The Stilettos. With international hits like “Call Me,” “Heart of Glass,” and “Rapture,” the band became one of the ‘70s and ‘80s many multi-millionselling bands. After Stein took ill with an autoimmune disease, the band shut down for years, but in recent years re-emerged as a live concert favorite for young and old. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2006. In the book, Harry clarifies how her persona changed the shape of women in music. “I was saying things in songs that female singers didn’t really say back then,” she said. “I wasn’t submissive or begging him to come back. I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark, provocative, aggressive side. I was playing it up, yet I was very serious.” At the talk, however, Harry remained authentic and real. Inspiration for some of their hit songs was explained by Harry. For the song “Call Me,” the band collaborated with Giorgio Moroder for the lead soundtrack song in director Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo. “We watched an early edit, and I was struck by the color palette of the film, the fashion and clothes,” said Harry. Fashion has played a part of the image of Blondie, specifically Harry’s evolution from punk style to New Wave pop and beyond, which is visualized the photo-filled book Face It. The band’s connection to nightlife, drag and gay communities goes back decades, and was highlighted with a few projected photos, as well as Stein’s memories of Studio 54. “The [former theatre’s] balcony was for sex. The basement was for drugs.” Harry recalled her nightlife days, dabbling with cocaine, with other rocks stars snorting up a gram of

what she thought would last her a full band tour. Her friend Grace Jones inspired a few stories, including spending hours with Jones and her family before a concert. And what of Jones’ alleged baby shower? “She had a party at Studio 54, and she was pregnant, but I wouldn’t call it a baby shower,” Harry deadpanned.

After a short clip from Hairspray, where Harry’s character’s wig explodes, the singer-actor recalled her time spent with Divine. “He was very strong, and very professional.” Asked about another gay icon of the arts and performance scene who was a part of their New York lives, Stein said the greatest misconception about their friend Andy War-

hol was that he was ‘mean.’ “He was very nice, and curious, and generous with new talents,” he said. More memories were recalled in the brief Q&A session. After the talk, as VIP ticketholders enjoyed a meet and greet with Harry and Stein, patrons enjoyed Blondies (vanilla brownies) in the specious JCC lobby.t

View the entire talk on the JCC SF’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JCCSF/ JCCSF’s Arts & Ideas programs: www.jccsf.org www.harpercollins .com/ 9780060749583/face-it/

<< Leather

26 • Bay Area Reporter • October 10-16, 2019

Kink etiquette Collars, conversation and correct cordiality in kink

Rich Stadtmiller

Royalty, titleholders and friends at the 2019 Folsom Street Fair. Left to Right: Emperor Leandro Gonzales, Eric Press, Marc Jordan, Manny Ojeda/Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2019, and Jawn Marques/ Mr. SF Leather 2019.

by Race Bannon

Rich Stadtmiller

Beth Bicoastal, the newly hired District Manager for the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, at their booth at Folsom Street Fair.

Rich Stadtmiller

Who can resist a giant eggplant ride?

However, not everyone shares the same overall view about collars. Some believe you don’t speak to someone with a locked collar on their neck. Their contention is that you must ask their dominant for permission, to which I reply what happens when their dominant isn’t around. Should we isolate that person from all conversation? Does the mere act of wearing a collar automatically preclude them from all human discourse? What if that locked collar doesn’t

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denote ownership at all but means something different to the wearer? With the proliferation of collars across the kink spectrum adapting to all sorts of meanings, that collar might represent something different than your perception, such as being part of a kink family. What about other types of collars such as pup collars so prevalent today? Do they foster the same standoffish policy? These are the struggles that happen when we codify kink etiquette so specifically that it doesn’t provide any wiggle room for the variations in life or acknowledging that everything in life changes over time, including symbols. Me personally? I talk to anyone, assuming the person will tell me if there’s some specific protocol around their collar. I never touch a collar because history and politeness teach me it’s often a personal violation, but I never hesitate to talk to anyone collared.

The thing about kink etiquette is that I could lay out for you a bunch of rules and guidelines and you could try to adhere to them. Most would likely serve you well. But as you get deeper into what some consider appropriate behavior, opinions vary, and you’re left with constantly wondering whether you should do or not do something. For the neophyte, this can paralyze them into isolation, or prompt them to abandon their explorations in kink altogether. Etiquette defines the requirements of behaviors according to societal conventions. It often includes proper conduct established by a community, officially or by organically evolved convention, for various occasions and everyday life. Merriam-Webster defines etiquette as “the conduct or procedure required by good breeding [insert breeding joke here] or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life.” I admit the erotic rebel and maverick in me balks at the notion that someone gets to judge if I am of kink “good breeding” or that I should be beholden to someone of “authority.” At the same time, I pride myself on being a nice, polite person and I have no desire to make anyone else feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I’ve also seen our scene explode into such a disparate collection of kinks, practices and identities that even someone as connected as myself has a difficult time keeping up

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with all the proprieties. Rubber fetishists, pups, Masters and slaves, sex pigs, and others have their own unique and evolving set of behaviors that are considered good etiquette. So, here’s my own solution to ensuring I attempt to approach and interact with others properly. I try to foster my own sense of empathy. To reference Merriam-Webster again (I love dictionaries) empathy is “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.” I consider empathy to be the most important characteristic and skill required of everyone in all kink communities. If one doesn’t have empathy, I think their explorations in kink will forever be plagued by stepping into uncomfortable situations. Empathy can be taught. It’s not an entirely inborn thing. If you feel your empathy levels aren’t suitable for social consumption, seek out ways to improve. So, rather than me cite a list of dos and don’ts regarding kink etiquette, I’m going to encourage every kinkster to tap into their sense of empathy. If you need help with that, empathy can be learned and encouraged in social circles. That’s really the ultimate solution to abiding by basic kink etiquette.t Race Bannon is a local author, blogger and activist. www.bannon.com

Joe Pessa

eing polite and having good manners will get you a long way in life. The same goes for kink. All manner of sexual outlaw creature might be great erotic fantasy, but even the most full-throttle players need to abide by standards of basic human decency. During the past Folsom Week, including at the Fair itself, I witnessed several kink social mores and practices that I would consider basic “kink etiquette.” The good news? Most people I witnessed were respectful of others’ fetish garb, kink proclivities, space and sexual expressions. I didn’t see a single serious violation of kink etiquette, at least not by my standards. But that’s where it gets tricky. We don’t all always agree on those standards. Take something as simple as how we perceive and handle seeing a locked collar around someone’s neck. We might all quickly agree on not touching a collar without asking. That’s fundamentally basic in our scene and frankly applies to life generally. Don’t touch someone unless you ask or get a clear cue that it’s okay to do so.

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October 10-16, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

Shining Stars Steven Underhill Photos by

Castro Street Fair @ Castro & 18th

nder sunny October 6 skies, Castro and 18th streets filled with booths, live music, and cheerleaders flying above the crowd of thousands who strolled the 46th annual Castro Street Fair. The Baloney male burlesque crew performed, along with live musicians and DJs (Trevor Sigler, Steve Fabus, Lester Temple, Gay Marvine, and CarrieOnDisco). Vendors offered everything from fitness memberships to art prints, food, drinks, and a political pie toss! www.castrostreetfair.org 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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