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Cantina planned for Castro
LGBT History Month
ARTS
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Mill Valley Film Fest
Nightlife events
The
www.ebar.com
Since 1971, the newspaper of record for the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community
Vol. 47 • No. 40 • October 5-11, 2017
Rick Gerharter
Sari Staver
A person identified only as Kandie speaks at a community meeting called by Supervisor Jane Kim about the recent murder of Anthony “Bubbles” Torres in the Tenderloin.
Frank Hacke of the Pacific Justice Institute speaks at a rally before Tuesday’s hearing on the Apothecarium dispensary.
Anti-gay group sinks SF pot club
Meeting held on TL violence
by Sari Staver
by David-Elijah Nahmod
I
n rejecting a medical cannabis dispensary for the city’s Sunset district, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors fell for a misinformation campaign led by an anti-gay group, contend supporters of the pot club. The Apothecarium, a highly respected medical cannabis dispensary that operates in the Castro and other locations, saw its permit for a dispensary at 2505 Noriega Street withdrawn on a 9-2 vote Tuesday by the supervisors, following a lengthy hearing. “I am shocked and disgusted that my colleagues gave a victory to the Pacific Justice Institute,” gay HIV-positive Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, who has been open about his own medicinal use of cannabis, said in a phone interview Wednesday. PJI is labeled as an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, though its leaders dispute that. The group has led the opposition to the Apothecarium’s Sunset dispensary, along with the Chinese American Democratic Club. “It was absolutely surreal to watch colleague after colleague criticize Pacific Justice and then vote in their favor,” said Sheehy. “PJI is a hate group. Validating them is validating hate and it’s just wrong.” Only Sheehy and Supervisor Malia Cohen voted in favor of the Apothecarium. The Apothecarium “is no different than Walgreens or CVS,” said Sheehy. Those supervisors who opposed the Apothecarium’s plans “are yet another indication that the stigma surrounding medical cannabis still exists,” Sheehy said. Sheehy, who last week introduced legislation around recreational use of marijuana, which is set to be legal in California come January 1, said he now questions whether that can be accomplished. “I am now wondering whether this board is going to be capable of making rules around adult use of cannabis,” said Sheehy. “Eighty percent of the city voted for it but the board doesn’t seem to be prepared to accept that.” The Apothecarium’s plans, in the works for over three years, had been approved 5-1 by the See page 12 >>
Fun at the fair
T
he weather was perfect for the 44th annual Castro Street Fair Sunday, October 1. Militia Scunt Towers from the
Rick Gerharter
Monster Show was one of many main stage performers. Other activities included dancing, perusing booths, eating, and drinking.
S. Bay supes look to create programs for homeless youth by Heather Cassell
F
Photo courtesy of Lani Ka’ahumanu.
Photo by Mick Hicks.
Photo by Robert Pruzan.
Co-Chairs Marke Bieschke & Alex U. Inn
See page 11 >>
January found 2,530 youth during the one-night survey. The figure ollowing the presentawas an increase of 175 percent over tion of a report showing the 2015 Point-In-Time count. 13,250 high school stuBoard President Dave Cortese dents in Santa Clara County called the report’s findings, “borare couch surfing or living on derline shocking.” the streets, the Board of SuperOther supervisors also weighed in. visors last week voted 5-0 to “The problem is larger than create programs to tackle Siliwe ever realized, as this study has con Valley’s growing homeless shown,” Supervisor Mike Wasseryouth population. man said at the news conference. The goal is to end youth Fellow Supervisors Cindy homelessness by 2020, Sparky Chavez and Ken Yeager, the Harlan, CEO of the Bill Wilson board’s only gay member, joined Center, said at a September 26 Cortese and Wasserman. Othnews conference before presenters who attended included Ron ing the first-of-its-kind in-depth Ricci, vice president of customer Jo-Lynn Otto report, “Count Me! Hidden Sparky Harlan, CEO of the Bill Wilson Center, announced findings experience services at Cisco in Plain Sight: Documenting of the “Count Me! Hidden in Plain Sight: Documenting Homeless Systems and board president Homeless Youth Populations,” Youth Populations,” report on Silicon Valley’s homeless youth of the Bill Wilson Center; and September 26 as Santa Clara County Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Eric Masten, director of public to the supervisors. Funding for the programs is Mike Wasserman and Eric Masten, director of public policy at the policy at the National Network expected to come from Measure National Network for Youth, look on. for Youth. A, a bond passed by voters in Yeager said that the report and 17,637 community college students – were November 2016 that allows the provided the information councounty to borrow $950 million to create afford- either couch surfing, living in cars, or living ty leaders “knew anecdotally, but is probably on the South Bay’s streets. On any given night, a little larger than expected.” able housing and other services. thousands of youth, ages 13 to 25, find themThe report found an alarming number of youth – an estimated 13,250 high school kids selves homeless. The Point-In-Time count in See page 11 >>
{ FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS }
October 14th Saturday • 6PM
C
ommunity members and friends of Anthony “Bubbles” Torres, the DJ, drag artist, and LGBT activist who was shot to death in the Tenderloin last month, joined District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim for a meeting Monday regarding the drug dealing and violence in the neighborhood. Torres, 44, who was well known for his love
The Green Room San Francisco War Memorial Performing Arts Center
$150 Admission $1250 Table of 10 Buy online at glbthistory.org/gala