September 18, 2025 edition of the Bay Area Reporter
D4 voters recall Engardio
by John Ferrannini
G4
ay San Francisco District
Supervisor
Joel Engardio’s longsought political career came crashing down late Tuesday, as he was recalled by voters in a special election.
Preliminary returns showed the recall leading with 64.64% to 35.35% voting to retain him.
The San Francisco Department of Elections released the first unofficial results at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, and issued updated figures at 10:41. It released an update at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Engardio didn’t return a request for comment by press time for this report. In an email he sent to supporters, he stated, “My time as a supervisor is going to be shorter than expected. I accept the election results. But we can still celebrate.”
At an election night party at Celia’s by the Beach, recall proponents raucously cheered when the first results were announced.
“The residents of District 4 sent a message to Joel Engardio that they’re a lot smarter than he thought they were,” said Richard Corriea, a former San Francisco Police Department commander who helped lead the effort.
While there are still ballots to be counted, they’re likely not enough to change the outcome. Engardio is expected to depart in a few weeks and the Board of Supervisors will decrease from four out members to three: gay Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, who represents District 8; gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey; and queer District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder.
Mayor Daniel Lurie will choose Engardio’s replacement once the Board of Supervisors certifies the recall results – which could be as soon as September 30. Engardio would be required to leave office within 10 days of the certification. Lurie’s chosen replacement will stand for election in June to serve the remainder of Engardio’s term. Next November, another election will take place for the term stretching from 2027-2031. Engardio, a moderate, has largely been a reliable vote for Lurie initiatives. Lurie broke his silence on the matter to the B.A.R. late Tuesday, stating, “Our team is evaluating next steps for the District 4 supervisor seat.”
Lurie thanked Engardio for his service, but then changed tact to address voters’ concerns.
“As I campaigned for mayor last year, I heard countless west side families say what San Franciscans have been feeling for years: that their government is doing things to them, not with them, and that government is not working to make their lives better,” he stated. “That’s why my administration has continued to communicate openly and transparently with San Franciscans on a wide range of important issues—from public safety and the behavioral health crisis to affordable housing and public space. This honest dialogue has bred a strong working relationship with the Board of Supervisors and a
See page 7 >>
Bills protecting trans and queer Californians sent to Newsom
by Matthew S. Bajko
Bills protecting the privacy and health care access of transgender, nonbinary, and queer Californians made it out of the Legislature by the deadline this month for legislation to be adopted. They were among the last batch of six LGBTQ-related bills sent to Governor Gavin Newsom to sign.
Among the sextet was Senate Bill 59 authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and known as the Transgender Privacy Act. It would require court records related to the gender transitions of transgender and nonbinary adults in California be sealed in order to protect their privacy.
It is in line with such protections afforded to trans and nonbinary youth under the age of 18 by a state law adopted in 2023. Should SB 59 be enacted into law, it would apply retroactively to make confidential all records relating to previous name, gender, and/or sex change petitions held by state courts, as the Bay Area Reporter had noted in covering its introduction earlier this year.
It passed out of the Assembly September 12 by a vote of 60-16 with four abstentions. After having passed it in early June, the Senate on Friday adopted the amended bill 29-8 with three abstentions. If signed by Newsom, SB 59 would take effect immediately, though the state’s Judicial Council would have until July 1, 2026, to
develop forms and rules to implement it.
“Right-wing groups and individuals have used publicly available personal information to harass trans people in California and across the nation. There’s no reason this sensitive information should be public, and I have every confidence Governor Newsom will ensure the transgender community receives this basic protection,” stated Wiener.
Under Assembly Bill 1084 introduced by gay Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood), the legal process to change one’s name to conform with their gender identity would be made easier for both adults and minors. It would also speed up the process for issuing new identification documents or records like a marriage or birth certificate to those updating their sex and gender identifier.
Salt Lake City LGBTQ bar increases security after Kirk killing
by Ed Walsh
Alandmark LGBTQ bar in Salt Lake City says it has increased security in light of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, about a half hour south of the city.
The SunTrapp wrote on its Facebook page hours after the shooting on Wednesday, September 10, “The safety and security of our community is our no. 1 priority. In light of today’s events, we’ve decided to escalate our security presence and increase onsite security. We also plan to bring in a specialized armed security team. @slcmayor and SLCPD have been contacted about our concerns.” The bar was referring to Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and the Salt Lake City Police Department.
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Mary Peterson, the owner of the SunTrapp bar, told the Bay Area Reporter on Tuesday, September 16, that following the Kirk shooting, the bar had received a couple calls from nervous people who had safety concerns. Peterson said in response she added three additional security staff members to the bar on weekends and one additional person during the week.
The SunTrapp added in a Facebook post the day after the shooting on Thursday, September 11, “We want to address a false rumor circulating that
The SunTrapp LGBTQ bar in Salt Lake City has increased security in the aftermath of the shooting death of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah last week.
SunTrapp has received death threats since yesterday’s events at UVU. This is untrue and there is no immediate cause for concern. Our team is operating safely and securely as usual. All scheduled programs and events will continue as planned.”
Kaitlyn Mahoney, the owner of Salt Lake City’s Under the Umbrella, which bills itself as
a “queer little bookstore,” told the B.A.R. on Friday evening, September 12, that she received no threats but was concerned that the shooting in some way could negatively impact the community. She added that she hadn’t increased security other than additional staff training.
Laura Benanti
Castro walking tour for sale
More Bay Area Pride events
Sandra Bernhard
Ed Walsh
State Senators Scott Wiener, left, Caroline Menjivar, and Christopher Cabaldon all had LGBTQ-related bills pass out of the Legislature last week.
Courtesy the subjects
Supervisor Joel Engardio
John Ferrannini
Emeryville, Guerneville celebrating Pride
by John Ferrannini
Two Bay Area cities are celebrating Pride this coming weekend, with the Alameda County city of Emeryville hosting an entire weekend of festivities for the first time.
In the North Bay, the Russian River Pride Parade and Festival is set for Saturday, September 20.
In Emeryville, Robby Kendall, a “super gay” city resident who is the founder and CEO of Fishnets and Film Inc., is organizing the first three-day Emeryville Pride weekend. Last year, through his organization, Kendall organized a much smaller, single-day event.
“I did have a pop-up Emeryville Pride last year. It was put together in three weeks,” Kendall said, adding it was at Public Market Emeryville.
This year, Kendall was able to secure a $7,000 grant from the city to put on the event through his company.
Christa Williams, a straight ally who is marketing director for Bay Street Emeryville, a mixed-use development featuring dozens of stores as well as rental apartments and condos, told the B.A.R., “This is the first year he’s been able to make this an Emeryville-wide, citywide Pride event. We’re hoping we’ll get some of our neighbors to come join us as well.”
This year’s theme is “Come See and Be Seen,” Kendall said, adding the theme has “multiple meanings, not only about being visible, because it’s time for the queer community and allies to come together and be visible, but also to network and create community, see performances, see who’s out there supporting us, and that’s why our theme is ‘Come See and Be Seen.’ Also, look like you’re at a Pride event. Dress accordingly.”
Emeryville Mayor David Mourra
didn’t return a request for comment for this report, but Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, whose District 5 includes Emeryville, told the B.A.R. that she’s happy to see another local Pride event.
“I’m excited that Emeryville is having its first Pride weekend,” she said in a brief interview while attending the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club’s Pride breakfast in Oakland September 7.
Bas added that the event is important “in the moment when the trans community is under attack.”
“We have to fight as well as celebrate,” she added.
She noted that Berkeley, which she also represents on the board, held its first Pride festival in August.
Kendall also mentioned the inaugural event in Berkeley, which was held August 16.
“Berkeley just had its first Pride. What we’re discussing and stressing is not only coming together as a community to be visible and joyful, but also creating a unique, personalized experience,” Kendall said. “I’ve always been a non-conventional person and when I do things, I like to do things differently.”
To that end, the weekend’s festivities will be of a different character each day.
At 11 a.m. Friday, September 19, there will be a free senior lunch and drag bingo at The Bureau 510 Restaurant, 5800 Hollis Street. Later, at 5 p.m., there will be a 21-and-over event at Tipsy Putt, 5690 Bay Street, a bar that includes mini-golf.
Kendall continued, “Saturdays and Sundays are really geared toward families.” From noon to 7 p.m. September 20, Bay Street will be closed for the Carnival and Pride Market Experience.
“It’s a carnival-themed day,” Kendall explained. “Our programming is cen-
Vendors displayed their merchandise at last year’s small Emeryville Pride pop-up; a multi-day event takes place this weekend.
tered around carnival-type performances so we’ll have aerialists, Cheer SF, drag performers stylized in carnival get-ups, and we’ll have carnival games and prizes, and our games will have a queer twist to them, just to add to the theme. … The music should be half carnival, with a splash of disco and gayness.”
There will also be a main stage at the end of Bay Street.
From noon to 7 p.m. September 21, there’ll be a Sunday Funday program –a family-friendly, community-centered program inside the main food hall at the Emeryville Public Market, 5959 Shellmound Street. This will include a live band, a dance troupe, music, film reels featuring queer cinema, and drag performances.
One of the drag artists slated to perform is Amoura Teese, who stated to the B.A.R. that it’s going to be good to return to the East Bay from San Francisco for the event.
“I’m super excited about joining Em-
eryville’s first official Pride weekend,” Teese stated. “I grew up in the East Bay, and to see more representation in our communities outside of the LGBTQ Mecca that is San Francisco brings me joy and hope for more support for our community in the future. I can’t wait to share my art and celebrate Pride in Emeryville.”
Admission to all the events is free, however, the senior lunch and drag bingo required reservations, and are at capacity. For more information, go to fishnetsfilm.org/#schedule.
Russian River Pride
The Russian River Pride parade is set to kick off at noon Saturday, September 20, at the intersection of Main and Mill streets in Guerneville. It will take 45 minutes, and after the parade a festival featuring DJs, drag performers, and musicians will take place in the parking lot of Lark Drugs Pharmacy, 16251 Main Street. Admission to the festival is free.
Russian River Pride was revived in 2023, as the B.A.R. reported at the time.
According to a September 16 news release, the 2024 Pride events raised over $20,000 for grants to local nonprofit organizations.
River to Coast Children’s Services, Micah’s Hugs, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, Russian River Senior Center, River Arts and Media, Friends of Monte Rio, Friends of Residents of Guerneville, and Curtain Call Theater received grants ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 as a result of money raised by the Russian River Pride team.
Buddy Russell, a gay man who is chair of the Russian River Pride board of directors, stated in the release, “When fall arrives in Guerneville, that means it’s time to celebrate Pride again.”
“We are so grateful and fortunate to host these Pride activities in a town with such a rich, vibrant history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights,” Russell stated. “We live in uncertain times at the moment, so this opportunity to gather together and support one another is more meaningful than ever.”
Board of Directors Co-Chair Jeannine Luna, a gay woman, added that, “People in this area of the Russian River face economic challenges – and the West County community relies on the good work of many small, local nonprofit organizations that directly impact people’s lives. We are honored to celebrate Pride, support local businesses, and infuse funds back into the community to support the many organizations that help make this place so special.”
A long-running road construction project involving pedestrian upgrades along State Route 116 is still ongoing, according to Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, whose district includes Guerneville. Work had been expected to be completed by this summer, according to Caltrans, which completed pouring widened sidewalks in August but is still working on other upgrades along the main street through town.
The weekend will see a Pride Variety Show at 6 p.m. September 20 at the R3 Hotel, 16390 4th Street, for which tickets are available for $15.02 on Eventbrite. Russian River Pride also stated there will be a pool party at noon the following day at R3, though this is not listed on the hotel’s Eventbrite page. Admission to the pool party is free.
The R3 resort was put up for sale last June, as the B.A.R. reported.
For more information, visit russianriverpride.org. t
Annual walk to kick off SF Leather Week
compiled by Cynthia Laird
The annual LeatherWalk, kicking off Leather Week in San Francisco, will be held Sunday, September 21. The annual fundraiser, produced by the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, celebrates the leather, kink, and LGBTQ communities ahead of the big Folsom Street Fair in the city’s South of Market neighborhood set for September 28.
Walkers will gather outside San Francisco City Hall at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place at 10:30 a.m. A brief program will follow, then the walk commences at 11, a news release stated. The walk concludes at Eagle Plaza, where the leather Pride flag will be raised as part of the Leather Pride Fest at the SF Eagle bar, 398 12th Street.
“We are delighted to manage this community tradition and both activate our businesses and increase visibility for our communities,” stated Bob Goldfarb, a gay man who is executive director of the leather district.
The LeatherWalk is an opportunity for community members to raise $15,000 to support the leather district’s efforts to keep SOMA kinky and queer, the release noted. People can register with teams or as individuals. Registration is free. Those walkers interested in fundraising can utilize an easy peer-topeer platform and will be supported by the leather district to reach their fundraising goals, the release stated.
Last year’s walk helped fund the first
of the district’s Leather Legacy Landmarks sidewalk plaques, five of which were installed last month. The plaques will be featured as part of guided neighborhood walking tours.
“These plaques are more than markers of history – they are symbols of resilience and visibility and make us proud to call this neighborhood home,” Goldfarb stated.
Additional plaques are expected to be installed by San Francisco Public Works as part of the Folsom Streetscape Project, a separate release stated. The plaques are part of a larger initiative to commemorate 77 historically significant locations across the SOMA neighborhood.
Community members can celebrate the unveiling of “Cemented in History,” a special event on Tuesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. at Powerhouse, 1347 Folsom Street, and Driftwood, 1225 Folsom Street. Gay
District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the area, is scheduled to speak.
To sign up for the LeatherWalk, go to leatherwalk.org.
For more information on the Leather Legacy Landmarks project, go to sfleatherdistrict.org/plaques.
Drag artist to sell her vinyl collection for LYRIC
Drag artist Juanita MORE! is parting ways with her legendary vinyl collection and it’s all for a good cause. The collection is a musical time capsule of San Francisco’s nightlife and queer history, a news release noted.
On Sunday, September 21, from 2 to 4 p.m., MORE! will sell a curated collection of her most prized records, with all proceeds benefiting LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth. The sale takes place at Dark Entries Records, 910 Larkin Street in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
The release stated that the collection features albums by disco divas Sylvester, Donna Summer, and Grace Jones, as well as a substantial selection of 12-inch disco singles and early 1990s dance tracks.
A Bay Area native, MORE! shopped for vinyl at Amoeba Music in the Haight, Gramophone on Polk Street, The Record Factory in Sausalito, Tower Re cords in North Beach, and Street Light Records and Aloha Records in the Castro, according to the release.
Gael Lala-Chávez, who is nonbinary and the executive director of LYRIC, did not re turn a message seeking com ment.
SF Dyke March board elections
LYRIC provides services to LGBTQQ youth and last year reopened a part of its storied Purple House in the Castro, which underwent renovations.
The San Francisco Dyke March will hold its sixth town hall and elections to its advisory committee Saturday, September 27, from noon to 2 p.m. at Queer Arts Featured, 575 Castro Street. According to an email to supporters, candidates will have two minutes to speak and three minutes to answer questions from attendees. Eight advisory seats are available. One person from the interim steering committee will remain on the advisory committee, for a total of nine members. Successful candidates need to receive a minimum of 60% of the vote.
The candidates are Sabrina Brennan, a lesbian and founder of the Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing and
Rodeo draws a crowd in Sonoma County
The Best Buck in the Bay Rodeo and Festival took place last weekend at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills in Sonoma County. David Lawson, center right, a ranch manager at David Lawson Performance Training horse ranch, wrestled a steer as part of the
September 13. Best Buck in the Bay is organized under
Golden State Gay Rodeo Association, which in turn is governed by the International Gay Rodeo Association. Events included steer decorating, calf roping on foot, team roping, and a wild drag race.
Joshua Lefkowitz
Leather aficionados and supporters took part in last year’s San Francisco LeatherWalk.
Dave Fong
Michelle Castillo
HIV care bills sent to Governor Newsom
by Matthew S. Bajko
As AIDS advocates fight funding cuts and various policy decisions by the Trump administration, California lawmakers have passed several bills aimed at improving HIV care and prevention in the Golden State. Governor Gavin Newsom will have until October 12 to either sign them into law or veto them.
Assembly Bill 554 authored by gay Assemblymember Mark González (DLos Angeles) would prevent health care plans and insurance companies from requiring prior authorization or step therapy for antiretroviral drugs, devices, or products that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for PrEP, or preexposure prophylaxis, and PEP, or postexposure prophylaxis, both of which prevent the transmission of HIV. The bill is known as the PrEPARE Act of 2025, the acronym standing for the Protecting Rights, Expanding Prevention, and Advancing Reimbursement for Equity.
It would require a health care service plan to cover the HIV preventative drugs furnished by a pharmacist, including the pharmacist’s services and related testing ordered by the pharmacist.
Assemblymember Mark González’s bill preventing prior authorization on HIV/AIDS medications has passed the Legislature and awaits action by Governor Gavin Newsom. Courtesy the subject
It would cover both pharmacists at innetwork pharmacies and pharmacists at out-of-network pharmacies if the health care service plan has an out-of-network pharmacy benefit or in cases of a medical emergency.
It cleared the state Senate September
9 on a 31-0 vote with nine abstentions, while the Assembly adopted it Wednesday 69-1 with 10 abstentions. The lower chamber did so due to several amendments made to AB 554 since it first passed it, such as the removal of a clause pushing back the implementation of the bill for individual and small group health care service plan contracts or health insurance policies until January 1, 2027.
AB 554 would take effect at the start of 2026 should Newsom sign it. It would not apply to Medi-Cal managed care plans.
“Amid the chaos and attacks on healthcare access from the federal administration, California must take bold steps to safeguard and expand lifesaving HIV prevention,” González had argued in pushing for passage of the bill.
AB 309 authored by gay Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) deletes the pending January 1, 2026 repeal date of state laws that give pharmacists the discretion to furnish sterile syringes to people age 18 and up and that allow adults to possess syringes for personal use without a prescription. Local governments since 2004 were given permission by the state to authorize pharmacies to sell syringes to adults as a measure to halt the spread of HIV,
viral hepatitis, and other bloodborne pathogens due to dirty needles shared by injection drug users.
Should Newsom sign AB 309 into law, those rules would be extended indefinitely. It had cleared the Assembly in May, and the Senate passed it September 3 on a 28-11 vote with one abstention.
Senate Bill 278 by gay state Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo) would allow the disclosure of the health records of people living with HIV or AIDS to the state’s Medi-Cal program in order to improve the care they are receiving. It would also allow the disclosure of HIV test results for the purpose of administering quality improvement programs under Medi-Cal.
It cleared the Assembly September 8 on a 79-0 vote with one abstention. The Senate passed it the next day 40-0.
Two bills authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) aim to rein in the costs of prescription drugs after his previous legislative efforts to do so had stalled. His SB 40 would cap monthly co-pays for insulin at $35.
It passed out of the Senate with a unanimous vote Tuesday; the Assembly had adopted it 79-0 on September 3.
“This bill ensures no family will be forced to choose between buying insulin
and putting food on the table in California again,” stated Wiener.
His SB 41 would impose new regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, such as prohibiting them from steering patients to affiliated pharmacies and instead allowing patients to choose the innetwork pharmacy that best meets their needs. Known as PBMs, the businesses would need to be licensed through the California Department of Insurance and follow new rules limiting how they charge fees and impose greater transparency on their pricing.
The Senate passed it unanimously September 10, a day after the Assembly had adopted it 69-2 with nine abstentions.
“When mega corporations abuse their power to rip off patients who rely on lifesaving drugs, we need to crack down on them,” stated Wiener. “The PBM licensing framework put in place in the budget this year is a critical tool to hold PBMs accountable, but without strong rules against abusive behavior, PBMs will still have wide latitude to abuse their immense market power. This is a critical step to containing healthcare costs in California, and I have faith the Governor will stand up to the giant corporations ripping off California patients.” t
Castro walking tour company up for sale
by John Ferrannini
Longtime tour company and legacy
business Cruisin’ The Castro Walking Tours is for sale, its owner told the Bay Area Reporter. Kathy Amendola made the decision due to her looking at other opportunities.
“This tour really is the pulse of the Castro,” said Amendola, a lesbian and queer woman and San Francisco resident. “It’s a powerful entity, I have to say.”
Cruisin’ The Castro is certified as a San Francisco legacy business, meaning it has operated for 30 years or more, according to the city’s registry. Amendola bought the company in 2005 for $50,000 and told the B.A.R. it’s now worth over $100,000.
“The tour business is really rich in so many ways, particularly financially,” she said in a phone interview. “I want someone to continue the legacy busi-
Obituaries >>
Coy Andrew Meza
May 31, 1966 – August 21, 2025
Coy Andrew Meza (né Ellison) died peacefully on August 21 at his home in San Francisco in the arms of his husband, Sal. He was 59.
Born on May 31, 1966, Coy first visited San Francisco for a summer as a teenage runaway and later returned as an adult. His early years were profiled in Joseph Plaster’s book “Kids on the Street: Queer Kinship and Religion in San Francisco’s Tenderloin.” He established himself as a devoted caregiver and activist who focused on preserving the history of the Tenderloin and Polk Street while championing LGBTQ+ rights.
Coy began his life as a performer under the big top, working as Boll Weevil the Clown with Ringling Brothers Circus. His natural talents as an entertainer landed him the spot as Wizzo’s stand-in on the popular children’s television show “Bozo’s Circus.” Later in life, Coy used his fire-breathing, sword swallowing, and balloon artistry to bring attention to causes he supported, including “What You Doing Wednesdays” sponsored by the Castro Merchants Association and grassroots “Take Back the Polk” anti-gentrification marches. He
ness, but someone who’s passionate, has good leadership skills, and is a great orator, who can weave a tapestry of stories
was often called “the balloon guy,” always carrying balloons and delighting children and adults with balloon animals—and more risqué creations while raising funds for the San Francisco Imperial and Ducal Courts and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
In addition to his company Balloons A Go-Go, Coy worked at several Polkstrasse bars, including The Rendezvous and Reflections, and The Gangway on Larkin Street. His caregiving talents led him to care for Bay Area Reporter founding writer Richard Walters, who often mentioned Coy and Sal’s exploits in his Sweet Lips column. Coy and Sal eventually ghostwrote the column in its final years. Coy’s final career was as a certified nursing assistant caregiver at OnLok.
Coy is preceded in death by his sister Penny Michas (Ted) and brother Raymond “Paul” Hughes. In addition to his husband, he is survived by his daughter, Aundraea McDaniel; sisters, Tammy Nystrom (John), Pamela Goess (Mark), and Patty Jarosz (Stan); brother, Mark Hughes; and beloved cats, Amir and Sox.
Coy’s celebration of life will be held Tuesday, September 23, at the Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy Street, from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral service will be Friday, September 26, at 10 a.m. at St. Martha Catholic Church in La Puente, CA.
of our immense culture and rich history.
… Our story is still being written.”
It’s not the only Castro mainstay for sale – Orphan Andy’s, a popular diner, announced earlier this year it was on the market for $250,000, as the B.A.R. reported.
Bill Pung of Orphan Andy’s confirmed it is still for sale at the same price.
Amendola described Cruisin’ The Castro as more than a tour company. She noted she uses the tours of the historic neighborhood for tourists, as well as business and educational groups, to advocate for LGBTQ inclusion and educate about discrimination, as the B.A.R. experienced when a reporter took the tour two years ago.
“The tour actually has changed because of a lot of social issues,” Amendola said. “The tour actually went from a tour of the neighborhood, and talking about various sites, actually now to educating
Jeffrey Paul Scott
December 21, 1971 – August 22, 2025
Jeffrey Paul Scott – known for his big laugh, bigger heart, and leather collection – passed away on August 22, 2025, in San Francisco, California.
Jeff was born in Chicago on December 21, 1971, grew up in South Africa and Michigan, and returned to Chicago where he graduated from DePaul University. He spent years behind the bar in Chicago and San Francisco, pouring drinks, delivering one-liners, and making people feel welcome by affectionately referring to them as “Mary.”
Jeff loved riding his motorcycle wearing one of his many black leather jackets, playing video games, and spending time with his nephew, Ozzie.
In addition to his nephew, Jeff is survived by his sister, Stephanie; brother, David; brother-in-law, Jeremy; and his sisterin-law, Kate. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ardis and Robert Scott.
There will be a memorial Saturday, September 20, at Mary’s on Haight, 1437 Haight Street, from 4 to 7 p.m. No suits required – just bring your best leather, your favorite Jeff memory, and maybe a backup liver.
He may be gone, but rest assured – somewhere out there, Jeff is telling a long-winded story, riding his bike through the Castro, and smoking a Camel cigarette.
We’ll miss you, Jeff.
and empowering people to make positive social changes. The tour is a lot about history but it also is not only carrying on oral history … it’s becoming a tremendous platform for advancing civil rights.”
When the B.A.R. spoke with Amendola two years ago, it was in the context of the slow recovery of the San Francisco tourism industry from COVID – a situation that greatly improved in 2024 and 2025. According to SF Travel, international visitation to San Francisco is down this year (as is the case for much of the United States), but domestic travel is projected to tick up to 23.49 million visitors, an increase from 23.2 million in 2024, with tourist spending projected to be $9.35 billion. Amendola said that this June during Pride Month was the second-highest grossing June in the 36 years of the business’ history.
Amendola said she decided to sell now because she is pursuing new opportunities; she would not elaborate on what those are.
“I had been thinking about it for several years,” she said. “For me, the time is now. … I have quite a few people I’ve had discussions with, and organizations.”
Amendola said the key factor for her is finding the right person who can mix a detailed knowledge of history with a flair for storytelling, and a passion for educating people about the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ rights. She took over the business from Trevor Hailey, an out woman who started it in 1989. Hailey died in 2007.
“I’m not a volunteer reading from a binder,” Amendola said. “What I’m looking for, and haven’t found yet, is the right person, or people.”
Amendola said she’s been doing the tours for the public on Saturdays. Tours cost $40 per person, while kids under 5 are free, according to the website.
“I’m traveling through the fall,” she added. “I do private tours year-round, and that’s where my business works well because we have several market segments, not tourists only.”
Amendola was a founding board member of the Rainbow Honor Walk.
David Perry, a gay man who is a cofounder of the walk, along with Isak Lindenauer, paid tribute to her in a phone interview with the B.A.R.
See page 6 >>
Kathy Amendola, owner of Cruisin The Castro Walking Tours, pointed to a mural on the building of the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy during a tour.
Courtesy Kathy Amendola
Volume 55, Number 38
September 18-24, 2025 www.ebar.com
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Kash Patel fails first big crisis
FBI Director Kash Patel, a former podcaster and MAGA darling, failed miserably in his first big crisis – overseeing the investigation into the killing of anti-trans right-winger Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem last week. Patel, who has little law enforcement experience except as a former federal prosecutor and public defender, was nevertheless confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the powerful post earlier this year. Now that the country has seen him in action, and many were not impressed, we wouldn’t be surprised if President Donald Trump shuffles him off to an ambassadorship somewhere. (Trump doesn’t fire people, he just moves them to lesser posts.)
Shortly after the September 10 incident, Patel took to X and announced that the suspect in Kirk’s killing had been apprehended. “The subject in the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,” Patel wrote. That turned out to be wrong. And Patel later had to post, “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.” The shooter remained at large for 33 hours. Tyler Robinson, 22, surrendered to law enforcement after he was persuaded to do so by relatives, according to reports.
Former senior FBI officials have criticized Patel’s grandstanding, with one telling NBC News, “He should not have posted anything about the case until there was certainty,” one said, according to the outlet. “People need to trust what the director says. He needs to be measured and always right. It wasn’t a good look.”
Patel has also made questionable personnel moves, including firing a number of top officials, three of whom filed a lawsuit against him, coincidentally on the day Kirk was shot.
Trust in the FBI and other authorities is also compromised by the anti-trans rhetoric that has defined the Kirk case from the beginning. First was an apparently erroneous Wall Street Journal report that the bullets had anti-trans messages engraved on them espousing “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.” There were engravings,
but as of now, it’s been reported that they weren’t trans-related. Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox went on the Sunday news programs last weekend and stated that Robinson’s romantic partner, whom authorities have identified as his roommate, was transitioning from male to female, the New York Times reported. That person reportedly did not have knowledge of the shooting. We don’t know much more than that, and it’s important to remember that initial information in these types of cases often turns out to be incorrect. What is painfully apparent, however, is the toxic level of animus directed at the trans community for no reason. It’s as though MAGA adherents are painting every trans person as a crazed shooter when that is absolutely not the case.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other administration officials want to clamp down on free speech by taking away First Amendment rights of those who criticize Kirk. This is a dangerous development that should not stand.
Companies are firing or sanctioning employees who’ve expressed critical messages about Kirk, yet another example of the tremendous power MAGA wields as it tramples on people’s rights. Unsurprisingly, there was no such effort to stifle the ugly MAGA-led comments after Paul Pelosi, husband of Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), was brutally attacked with a hammer in his home nearly three years ago. As he was in a hospital with a skull fracture and other injuries, MAGA responded with glee on social media. Americans should react with horror to Kirk’s killing – and all such attacks – even if people disagreed with him.
And let’s be clear, we did not agree with Kirk, who co-founded the conservative Turning Point USA organization. He was a transphobe, homophobe, and misogynist. One only has to watch the many videos of him to know where he was coming from. In fact, just before he was shot, Kirk responded to a question about how many mass shooters were transgender. “Too many,” he said. In fact, less than 1% of mass shooters are transgender, according to the Violence Prevention Project. The vast majority, 98%, are male. Kirk had a First Amendment right to say what he wanted, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree with it. Kirk was trashing trans people with California Governor Gavin Newsom on the first episode of the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast earlier this year, goading the governor that trans girls and women shouldn’t play on female sports teams. And there was Newsom, agreeing with him. “Well, it’s an issue of fairness,” Newsom said. Mass shootings will continue to happen in the U.S. as long as guns are widely available. We like the idea we saw floated on social media of congressional Democrats introducing a “Charlie Kirk Gun Safety Act” to see if Republicans will vote against it. What needs to stop is the endless verbal attacks on trans people, which are being encouraged by so many conservatives. The Republican Party used to pride itself on individual liberty. Now, it wants to shut down anyone who disagrees with Trumpian beliefs, many of which have no basis in reality. t
After Pride: Mpox still deserves attention
by Scott Bertani
M pox hasn’t gone away – and neither has our need to care.
Pride Month may be behind us, but events aren’t slowing down quite yet, including the upcoming annual Folsom and Castro street fairs in San Francisco. These events usher in another last-minute round of travel, connection, and reasons to stay tuned-in to our bodies and our health. And this moment, nestled between big gatherings and late-summer plans, is as good a time as any to talk about mpox, not just as statistics or case counts, but as something real and lived.
Mpox still matters to the wellness of the LGBTQ+ community. Talking about it – even when headlines aren’t – with friends, partners, or providers helps us stay safer and more connected to what matters in our health; just like we are in other parts of LGBTQ+ care and prevention. Because real care doesn’t start with a prescription or a shot. And mpox isn’t just a medical concern.
Health starts with how we talk and how we listen. Open, judgment-free conversations make it easier for people to speak up, share what they’re feeling, and work through it with their partners. That kind of care builds trust and keeps us better connected.
That’s important because mpox is still here. Mpox is a contagious virus that spreads through close personal contact, including sex. Though it’s not classified as a sexually transmitted infection, the patterns are clear: When bodies collide – especially in ways that involve prolonged skin-to-skin exposure and mpox is present – transmission can happen. Many people report their first symptoms showing up at sites of sexual contact.
traveled outside the U.S. No signs of wider spread have followed.
Mpox cases have primarily been seen among sexual and social networks of gay, bisexual, and same-gender-loving men, as well as transgender and nonbinary individuals –especially those with uncontrolled HIV. It has also affected caregivers and women. Nearly all cases involve Clade II, the less severe strain still circulating in the U.S. A very few cases of Clade I – a more serious strain – were identified in late 2024 and early 2025 in people who had recently
Because early framing of the virus relied on language and imagery that fueled stigma –particularly toward African nations and then LGBTQ+ people – the name change to mpox was a deliberate step to correct potential and unnecessary associations. Mpox doesn’t respect borders or identities, but our response can. And it should be rooted in truth, not stigma. In the Bay Area, mpox has been making a return. San Francisco has reported 29 new cases, from late June through September 10, a notable uptick from the earlier pace of just one per month.
Most have been mild and linked to Clade II.
As the Bay Area Reporter noted in an article last month, public health officials stated that most of those cases were among people who had been vaccinated.
In spite of that, vaccination remains one of the most effective tools we have. It not only helps lower the chance of infection, but it seems
to further reduce symptoms if someone does get mpox. The Jynneos vaccine is a two-dose series – and that second dose matters. It’s ideally given at least 28 days after the first, but even if more time has passed, you can always go back and get it. In an August 14 health update for providers, San Francisco public health officials made it clear: Jynneos continues to offer the best protection against the virus.
There are many other ways we can all unite our health this late summer and early fall by looking out for ourselves and each other. If you or a partner notices a new or unexplained rash, or just aren’t feeling quite right, it’s OK to skip a beat and reach out to a provider or someone you trust. Make sure to pay attention to symptoms like painful sores, flu-like symptoms, or pain or discomfort when going to the bathroom. And remember, mpox has a long incubation period, up to three weeks. So, if something feels off, don’t wait; reach out.
As summer winds down, keep celebrating –and stay connected to your body and your people. With lots more gatherings and holidays up ahead, it’s a great time to continue leading with care and community. t
The National Coalition for LGBTQ Health represents the entire LGBTQ+ community, including clinicians, researchers, service providers, and advocates who serve individuals of every sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and age, regardless of disability, income, education, and geography. The coalition works to improve LGBTQ health and well-being through advocacy, medical and consumer education, communications, capacity building, and health services research. Learn more at healthlgbtq.org. It also hosts a national Mpox Resource Center (healthlgbtq.org/mpox) and leads The Q National LGBTQ Health Training Center (healthlgbtq.org/theq), which provides cultural competency training and clinical resources to help providers deliver patient-affirming care. Learn more at healthlgbtq.org.
Scott Bertani, a gay man, is director of advocacy at the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Earlier versions of this piece were published in other LGBTQ outlets.
FBI Director Kash Patel looked lost at a news conference in Utah about the Charlie Kirk shooting.
Software engineer and computer consultant Jason Byors in the spring had launched a campaign for the 41st Congressional District seat held by Congressmember Ken Calvert (R-Corona). But, over the summer, the gay Cathedral City resident changed course.
Byors, 54, is now running for the Assembly District 47 seat held by Assemblymember Greg Wallis (RBermuda Dunes). He is one of several candidates who had planned to run against Calvert to now jump into a different race amid the prospect of seeing the Coachella Valley be redistricted into the 48th Congressional District should Proposition 50 be passed by California voters this November.
It would mean the LGBTQ tourist and retirement mecca in Southern California would move into the House district represented by Congressmember Darrell Issa (R-Vista). That prospect has led various LGBTQ and straight Democratic leaders from Palm Springs to San Diego to announce bids for Issa’s seat in 2026.
As for Wallis’ Assembly seat, Democrat Lucas Piñon pulled papers to run for it this week. Months ago, with it looking like no one would run against the legislator next year, Byors had been approached by local party leaders about doing so, he told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. Those discussions began prior to state legislators putting Prop 50 before voters this fall, as there already was a large field of contenders gearing up to run against Calvert.
“It was brought to my attention by the Democratic Party that nobody is running against Greg Wallis, so I thought about it,” said Byors, who has yet to endorse any candidate running against Issa. “My main objective here is to help people get through this chaos.”
He was referring to the policies being put into place by the Trump administration. But even if he were to be elected to the House, and Democrats are able to flip the chamber next November, unless the party also regains control of the U.S. Senate, Byors noted, Democrats will face hurdles on Capitol Hill “to undo the problems of the Big Horrible Bill.” He was referring to Republican President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill that Congress passed this year and will reduce health care access for millions of Americans while increasing the country’s debt by the trillions according to analysts.
“He brings integrity, compassion, and real-world experience at a time when the political world is more disconnected than ever,” stated Silver.
“Jason isn’t in this for headlines, he is in this for working families. He knows the struggles people face. He is the right choice for this district!”
In the last two election cycles, Wallis was able to defeat bisexual former Palm Springs city councilmember Christy Holstege, a married mom who cycled out of her council seat last year. But Holstege only fell short by 85 votes last November during a year where Republicans saw a surge of support with Trump back on the ballot as he sought a return to the White House.
The 2026 race will be held in a different political landscape, contended Byors, with Republicans up and down the ballot having to defend the policies of the Trump administration. Already, Byors said he is seeing signs of voters in the Assembly district sour on the president and his party.
He pointed to a gentleman who lives a few streets away from him who has been flying pro-Trump flags, dozens at a time, in the last few years when Democrat Joe Biden was in the White House. Last month, Byors drove by and noticed there were just three U.S. flags and one supporting prisoners of war flying.
“There was not one Trump flag,” noted Byors. “This was around the time of the Epstein files saga started blowing up, so I have a feeling that had something to do with it.”
As this is his first time seeking elected office, Byors also noted he doesn’t enter the race with the “baggage” that Holstege had to contend with among voters upset with various votes or stances she took as a councilmember. He comes to the campaign trail, instead, with a clean slate.
Wallis’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the voter registration figures or Byors’ entrance into the race.
The two candidates already are on opposite sides of the fight to pass Prop 50 come November 4. Wallis voted against holding a special statewide election that Tuesday for the ballot measure and has been speaking out against it.
“Californians created an independent redistricting commission to keep politicians from picking their voters,” stated Wallis on his campaign Facebook page. “Proposition 50 threatens to undo that progress – rushing maps through Sacramento and silencing local voices.”
Byors has been pushing for Prop 50’s passage, attending local events in support of the redistricting measure that could bring five more House seats in the Golden State to the blue column. In talking to the B.A.R. he argued it is a necessary reaction to Trump’s pressure campaign to see GOP-led statehouses redraw the lines of their states’ House seats to favor more Republicans next year.
“If we don’t flip the House in 2026, our democracy might be over. It is why I strongly support Prop 50,” said Byors.
As for the Assembly race, should it become crowded with other Democrats then Byors said he would “have to evaluate at that time” if he would remain in the contest. The deadline to file isn’t until March, and under the state’s open primary system, the top two vote-getters regardless of party will advance out of the June 2 primary onto the fall ballot.
Even after his partner, JR Vaosa was diagnosed last month with nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of one’s lymphatic system, Byors didn’t drop his bid. The couple determined there was no reason for him to suspend his campaign at this time, though Byors conceded if “things get bad,” he may decide otherwise.
“He did his first round of chemo. Things are going well,” said Byors. “They are hopeful they will be able to get it.”
Vaosa, who is living with HIV, is an account rep for a company that pays commissions for people who sell internet service. The couple has been together nearly four years and moved to Cathedral City three years ago.
On the other hand, if elected to the state Legislature where Democrats are expected to maintain their majorities in both chambers come 2027, Byors said he would be able to make more of an impact on the pocketbook issues confronting Californians, from high health care and housing costs to the impacts of a warming climate and other environmental concerns.
“In regard to the Medicare cuts, we can look at the state budget to minimize the damage by that,” said Byors as just one example of the response to federal issues he could pursue in the Assembly. “I would love to go serve in Sacramento to help get California through this.”
Early supporters
A number of leaders in Riverside County have endorsed Byors’ Assembly bid, including gay Assemblymember Corey Jackson, Ph.D., (DPerris), who called his campaign “a top priority” for local Democrats. Former state Senate candidate Joy Silver, a lesbian who now chairs the Riverside County Democratic Party, also lent her early backing to Byors’ candidacy.
“There were some missteps, I believe happened, that maybe rubbed people the wrong way. I am not a known quantity,” he said.
As such, he does lack the name recognition an elected leader would bring to the race. Byors told the B.A.R. he expects to raise the money needed to mount a viable campaign and reach voters with his story and platform. In addition to targeting LGBTQ voters, Byors plans to reach out to more conservative voters in the rural parts of the district in San Bernardino County.
In February, Democrats had a slight registration edge over Republicans in the Assembly district. According to the California Secretary of State’s office, of the 328,440 registered voters in AD 47, nearly 39% were Democrats and 34% were Republicans.
“There are more registered Democrats in this current configuration of the district than Republicans, so we should be able to win this,” argued Byors, who added it makes no sense for a Democrat not to seek the seat. “That would not be a good situation, to not run someone for it.”
Byors, who is HIV-negative, had been living in Los Angeles since mov ing to the Golden State in early 1995. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, he grew up in nearby Marblehead and graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts in 1993 with degrees in finance, economics, and in vesting.
He worked in a research role for a hedge fund in Boston then pivoted to software engineering. His employers included Sony Pictures, Toyota, Pio neer Electronics, a fire safety division of Gillette, and the television division of Twentieth Century Fox.
Byors has also worked for the cit ies of Los Angeles and Santa Monica, where he was a budget consultant on a swimming pool project. He continues to have an IT contract with LA’s planning department.
Upset with the direction Trump has taken the country since starting his second term in January, Byors told the B.A.R. he asked himself what he was going to do about it.
“My decision was instead of doom scrolling and screaming at the wall, I am going to put my foot in the ring,” said Byors. “We have a democracy here and we are not going to lose it to fascism.”
To learn more about his Assembly bid, visit his campaign website jasonbyors.com. t
Jason Byors is seeking the Assembly seat that includes Palm Springs.
Courtesy the candidate
No longer could someone file an objection to an adult petitioner’s change of name to conform to their gender identity, and courts would have to enter an order granting the petition without a hearing within six weeks of the petition’s filing. The California Department of Public Health would also need to issue an amended birth certificate within six weeks if it includes a request to change gender under AB 1084.
It passed out of the Senate Friday by a vote of 29-7 with four abstentions. The Assembly had adopted it in June and again passed the amended bill Saturday, September 13, 58-16 with six abstentions. (Legislators had extended their September 12 deadline by a day in order to meet a 72-hour waiting period to vote after publishing amended bills last week.)
“Transgender and nonbinary Californians need to be able to quickly obtain accurate identification documents to protect themselves from growing threats to their safety and well-being. This bill does that by shortening the court processing time for uncontested petitions from six weeks minimum to six weeks
maximum,” noted Zbur in an Instagram post hailing its passage.
Gender-nonconforming patients’ health care access would be protected under SB 418. Introduced by lesbian Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley), it passed out of the Senate Thursday by a 29-10 vote with one abstention a day after it cleared the Assembly on a 60-18 vote with two abstentions. It would define discrimination on the basis of sex to include intersex traits, pregnancy, and gender identity in the state’s Health and Safety Code. Should it become law then health insurance companies would be barred from denying services based upon the individual’s sex assigned at birth, gender identity, or gender otherwise recorded, nor could they charge more for a person’s coverage for such reasons or refuse to provide coverage to them.
They also could not limit the supply of hormone therapy to an amount less than 12 months. However, insurers and the Medi-Cal program would be able to limit refills obtained in the last quarter of the plan, policy, or coverage year if a 12-month supply of the prescription hormone therapy has already been dispensed during that year. The
Council. Salt Lake City scored 96 out of 100 last year in the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index Scorecard.
A person who answered the phone at the popular LGBTQ+ Try Angles bar declined to comment, saying that he wasn’t authorized to speak to the press. A call and text to the Milk+ nightclub, named for gay assassinated San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, was not returned by press time.
Salt Lake City has long been very LGBTQ+ friendly. The city elected a lesbian mayor in 2016. Before becoming mayor, Jackie Biskupski was first elected to the Utah State House of Representatives in 1998 representing District 30 in Salt Lake County. The city currently has an LGBTQ+ majority on the City
Surf Equity and a former elected member of the San Mateo County Harbor District; Jess Trochet, a transgender dyke who wrote and edited the Dyke March’s 2025 values statements; Mellanique Robicheaux (“Black”), a longtime member of the queer community and DJ; Lyra Wallace, who helped bring the Dyke March back this year and has a financial background; and Cyndi Vee, a queer trans dyke of color and volunteer.
Other candidates are Lex McGowan, who hears using cochlear implants and led the Accessibility Committee for this year’s Dyke March; Kate Simpson, who has experience in labor and communications; and Renee Trochet, who ran the safety team for this year’s Dyke March.
For more information, go to thedykemarch.org-upcoming-events.
Fall well-being fair
Mukunda Studio will be holding its free Autumn Abundance SF Well-Be-
“The whole Castro Walking Tours is not just a tour – it is for many people their first introduction to the history of the Castro,” Perry said. “To have someone on the street, telling the history, introducing people to it was just incredible.”
Amendola would help raise money for the honor walk – each plaque cost about $7,000 in private donations –while she gave tours, both she and Perry said.
“She never gave a tour when she didn’t say, ‘I’m on the board of the Rainbow Honor Walk and we need to raise money.’ I credit her for all of that,” said Perry.
Amendola said to her knowledge, she’s raised over $100,000 for the hon-
bill excludes a Medi-Cal managed care plan contracting with the State Department of Health Care Services from the requirements, which would be repealed on January 1, 2035.
Under SB 351 by gay state Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo), the California Attorney General’s office would be empowered to investigate and intervene in cases where private equity firms unduly influence medical care. It bans a private equity group or hedge fund from interfering with the professional judgment of physicians or dentists in making health care decisions.
It passed out of the Senate Friday on a 32-3 vote with five abstentions.
The Assembly had overwhelmingly adopted it 72-0 with seven abstentions in late August and did so again Friday when sent the amended bill with a unanimous 80 votes.
“Private equity investment in health care practices has quintupled over the past decade,” stated Cabaldon. “That kind of growth demands modern enforcement tools, not to restrict investment, but to make sure it doesn’t hurt patient outcomes or drive up the cost of care.”
AB 1487 authored by Assembly-
member Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) would expand the name of a trans health fund to be more inclusive so it is known as the Two-Spirit, Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex (2TGI) Wellness and Equity Fund. It passed out of the Senate Thursday on a 59-15 vote with six abstentions, having been adopted by the Assembly in early June.
“As attempts to erase people’s identity intensify, now more than ever we must ensure 2TGI individuals receive the support they need to thrive!” Addis had stated in announcing her bill.
Menjivar’s SB 450 would ensure LGBTQ+ parents in other states can access California courts to protect their parentage rights as long as their child was born in California through adoption proceedings. It passed out of the Senate Thursday on a 30-10 vote, having been adopted by the Assembly the day prior on a 61-10 vote with nine abstentions.
Trans legal bill
gutted and amended
In the spring, Zbur had secured passage in the Assembly of his AB 715 when it was known as the California Attorney Protection Act with the aims of preventing disciplinary action of lawyers pro-
viding legal services to patients, medical providers, and others seeking or offering health care services like gender-affirming care or reproductive services that are lawful in California but may be illegal in other states. But he then swapped out that language for a bill aimed at addressing antisemitism on school campuses. It was one of the more controversial bills of the session. Various groups labeled it an attempt to censure what is taught about Palestine and the state of Israel, which has come under global denunciation in recent weeks for causing starvation throughout the Gaza Strip amid its ongoing war against the terrorist group Hamas.
The changed AB 715 had passed out of the Assembly in late May on a 68-0 vote with 11 abstentions. The Senate on Friday passed it 35-5 with five abstentions, and the Assembly then adopted the amended bill 71-0 with nine abstentions on Saturday, with lobbying by Jewish groups already underway to see that Newsom sign it.
A number of other bills related to LGBTQ issues and HIV health care also await a decision by Newsom. He has until October 12 to either sign the bills into law or veto them. t
Mendenhall, the city’s current mayor, is a strong LGBTQ+ ally. She posted on X shortly after the shooting, “The horrific act of violence against Charlie Kirk at UVU this afternoon is abhorrent and un-American. There is no place for political violence in our society.”
In the aftermath of Kirk’s killing, Tyler Robinson, 22, surrendered to authorities after his father helped persuade him to turn himself in, according to reports. Kirk was speaking at an outdoor event on the UVU campus as part of Turning Point USA, the conservative
ing Fair Saturday, September 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts in Duboce Park, located at Duboce and Scott streets.
According to a news release, the event will feature a sampling of services such as sound baths, yoga, movement classes, intuitive readings, conversation circles, a healer’s marketplace, art zones, and more. The afternoon is a collaboration between Marc Morozumi, owner of Mukunda Studio, and the arts center, with support from the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.
Thirty practitioners will be sharing their services, information, art, and more.
For more information, go to sfwellbeingfair.com.
Coastal cleanup day in the East Bay Volunteers and East Bay Regional Park District staff will come together to clean and protect local shorelines and waterways during the 41st annual California Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m.
or walk, making her its biggest fundraiser. She also raises money on behalf of the Pink Triangle park, the small greenspace located at the northwest corner of Market and Castro streets (bordered by 17th Street) that honors LGBTQ victims of the Holocaust.
“People do it [donate] right on the tour, pull their phone out,” Amendola said. “I’m actually producing money for these nonprofits.”
She added she has also helped train San Francisco police cadets on the Castro’s history and culture.
Perry said he remembers when Hailey floated Amendola’s name as a successor, that he thought at the time she would be a good fit, and hopes she finds a fitting successor now.
Charlotte Rufner, a straight ally who is the vice president of the honor walk’s board, took Amendola’s tour
organization he co-founded. Kirk, 31, had a history of antitrans and anti-LGBTQ comments over the years. It was Kirk whom California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) had on his “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast earlier this year as his first guest. On that program, Newsom agreed with Kirk on the issue of trans women and girls participating on female sports teams.
On the show, Kirk challenged Newsom to come out against trans women participating in women’s sports. “Would you say no men in female sports?” Kirk asked.
“Well, it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that,” Newsom said. “I totally agree with you. By the way, as someone with four kids ...
to noon. In a news release, the park district stated that cleanups will take place at 11 sites across East Bay regional parks, including bayside beaches, shoreline trails, and inland lakes. Staff and volunteers will work together to collect and dispose of litter and recyclables, beautify the shorelines, and help maintain delicate ecosystems.
Cleanup sites are located in Alameda, Antioch, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Martinez, Oakland, Oakley, and Richmond.
This year, the park district is adding a new feature – a TRASHure Hunt.
Participants who find a golden trash grabber hidden at each cleanup site will win a special prize.
The park district will provide garbage bags and gloves to those who need them. Volunteers are welcome to bring their own trash-hunting gear. Participants are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles, hats, gloves, and sunscreen. They must wear closed-toe shoes. Layered clothing is recommended.
All locations welcome drop-ins, though registration is encouraged.
while the latter was on the board.
“She was really good at fundraising for us while she was leading the tour,” Rufner said. “She got a pretty hefty check, I think, from the WalMart Foundation, and she knew so many people in the community and they knew she was on the Rainbow Honor Walk, and they’d see her walk by, chase her down and say, ‘Kathy, I wanted to give you a check.’”
As a news release noted in 2018, the Walmart Pride Associate Resource Group gave $10,000 to the honor walk. After the group’s co-chair, Nathan Allen, took Amendola’s tour and found it to be very moving, he approached her about making a donation and took the initiative to secure the sizable amount via his workplace organization. Allen helped present a check to Amendola at a restaurant in the Castro.
two daughters and a wife that went, God forbid, to Stanford, played on a junior national soccer team ... . So, the issue of fairness is completely legit.”
Kirk opposed transgender rights, and his organization sponsored rallies against transgender medical care.
In April 2024, he likened doctors who perform gender-affirming care to Nazis committing atrocities, according to Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/ us/charlie-kirks-rhetoric-inspired-supporters-enraged-foes-2025-09-13/
“One issue I think that is so against our senses, so against the natural law and dare I say a throbbing middle finger to God, is the transgender thing happening in America right now,” Kirk said during a speech posted in 2023 by
For a list of cleanup sites and to register, go to www.ebparks.org.
San Jose church to mark 150 years First Congregational Church of San Jose will close its 150th anniversary celebration Saturday, September 28, at 10 a.m. with a reflection on its unique role as one of the Bay Area’s earliest and most consistent voices for LGBTQIA equality and progressive inclusion.
The church, a member of the United Church of Christ denomination, is located at 1980 Hamilton Avenue. Members took part in last month’s Silicon Valley Pride parade, according to its website.
The church became an open and affirming congregation in 1998, among the first in the South Bay to declare a public covenant of welcome for LGBTQIA people, a news release stated.
In 2008, as California wrestled with Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban initiative, the church’s ministers and members took a bold stand and vowed to perform no marriages un-
“I’m absolutely thrilled that our Pride Associate Resource Group could help make this grant possible for the Rainbow Honor Walk,” Allen stated at the time. “This is such a fantastic organization, in how it’s honoring notable LGBT community members throughout history with sidewalk plaques in our beloved Castro neighborhood. Our company and our Pride ARG are committed to giving back to the communities we serve, and we couldn’t be happier to support the work of the Rainbow Honor Walk.”
Leigh Pfeiffer, who is queer and nonbinary, is the senior manager of museum experience at the GLBT Historical Society Museum at 4127 18th Street. They manage events and programs at the site, working there much of the time.
“As an individual, I have subbed
Right Wing Watch. Salt Lake City is home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ world headquarters, but the church’s more conservative members tend to live outside the city limits. The church’s position has evolved on LGBTQ rights. While it opposes same-sex marriage, in 2015, the church endorsed Utah’s law banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2019, the church also formally issued a statement condemning conversion therapy. Such therapy, widely debunked by medical professionals, attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Its use on minors is banned in California and several other states. t
til all couples could wed. (Prop 8 was passed by voters but eventually found to be unconstitutional; same-sex marriages became legal in the Golden State in June 2013.)
The release noted that commitment built on decades of advocacy, from supporting the ordination of women more than a century ago to hosting community forums on AIDS awareness in the 1980s and 1990s, when many faith communities remained silent.
The release noted that in 2023, the church reaffirmed its inclusive mission with an updated open and affirming statement that explicitly welcomes people of every identity and background.
“While we address real challenges within our community, the work of the church in our world continues,” stated Kristin Link, interim moderator.
The public is welcome to attend the special service. For more information about First Congregational Church of San Jose, go to firstccsj.org. t
in for Kathy on one or two occasions when she was on vacation, out of town, and provided a tour for her,” Pfeiffer said in a phone interview. “Kathy is wonderful. We’re so happy to have Cruisin’ The Castro in the community. We partnered with Kathy in that she always brings visitors on her tours right by the museum. There’s always a stop on her tour in front of the museum.”
Amendola gives tour participants a coupon to give them $6 admission to the museum rather than the usual $10 for adults,” Pfeiffer said.
“We frequently recommend Kathy,” Pfeiffer continued. “She’s so knowledgeable, thorough and engaging.” Those interested in purchasing the business should email Kathy@ crusinthecastro.com or call (415) 550-8110. t
Sandra’s
by Adam Sandel
Sandra Bernhard will bring her new live show, “Shapes and Forms” to Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University on October 4, preceded by shows in Long Beach and Palm Springs, and followed by December shows at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan. Filled with new stories, one-liners, witty asides and an eclectic blend of songs, the show promises to deliver a blend of fun and raw emotion in a way that only this comedy queen can do it.
The bisexual icon first gained attention in the late 1970s with her trailblazing brand of standup comedy. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard is known for her unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary. She’s also in the ninth year of hosting her award-winning weekly radio show, “Sandyland” on SiriusXM.
Since her breakout role in the 1982 film “The King of Comedy,” Bernhard has been a familiar presence on film and television, with current and upcoming appearances on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” in the series “Severance,” “Pose,” “Survival of the Thickest,” “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” and in the upcoming film “Marty Supreme” starring Timothée Chalamet.
In a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Bernhard reflected on her 43 years of varied TV and film roles that she’s played while not touring with her live show.
Adam Sandel: Describe the type of role
by Brian Bromberger
We can assure “Downton Abbey” fans that the final entry in the now 15-year-saga, through six seasons on PBS (its most watched drama ever), and now three feature films, that “The Grand Finale” (Focus Features) is a fitting farewell to the franchise, as good as it needs to be, especially considering the movie poster’s tagline: ‘The time has come to say goodbye.’ (sniffle, sniffle) Indeed!
Of course, one could also argue that this historical drama has been saying sayonara since 2015, with the conclusion of season six in the series, followed by the movies, “Downton Abbey (2019),” and “A New Era (2022).” It’s beginning to feel like Cher’s never-ending farewell tour.
But diehard viewers can take comfort in the palatial real estate (including a scene at the Ascot Race Course), titles, etiquette niceties, gowns (including a gorgeous red one for Lady Mary to cement her now scarlet woman image), dinner table elegance, and upper-class shenanigans to satisfy any aficionado of British period piece porn. It all borders on nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.
The timeline of the plot, which is almost incidental, is 1930. Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) has quietly divorced her absentee husband, but the newspapers have discovered the scandalous news, making her a social pariah to the point she’s ejected from a London party by the hostess. It’s announced with the same gravity one might associate with a terrorist attack.
At the screening I attended, the audience
by Jim Provenzano
Laura Benanti
that makes a casting director say, “Get Sandra Bernhard.”
Sandra Bernhard: Whether it’s comedy or drama, every actor who has forged their own path brings a certain gravitas to the role. So, it’s someone with a vision, or an understanding of what I’m capable of doing. I’ve evolved a lot as an actor, pulling the persona out of the role.
What can audiences expect when you bring your show?
I broke the ground for a lot of performers, pushing the boundaries of performance. I’ll be doing a lot of whimsical stories, curating the music, and including some political comedy that’s not too overdone.
Some stand-ups complain that today’s younger audiences get too easily offended by comedy. Have you noticed a difference in audience reactions to you, from when you started to today?
Not really. Everything I do is drawn on the personal and anecdotal. That’s what I’m really doing. Everyone is starving for entertainment now, feeling beaten up and terrified about what’s happening in the country.t
Read the full interview on www.ebar.com.
Sandra Bernhard in “Shapes and Forms” at Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University, 327 Lasuen St. $16-$102. 7:30pm October 4. www.live.stanford.edu/events www.sandrabernhard.com
She’s starred in multiple Broadway hits and won a Tony for one role (“Gypsy”). She’s an accomplished mother and a TV and film actor as well. Yet according to Laura Benanti, “Nobody Cares.” That’s the multiply-layered title of her witty solo show with new songs, where instead of princesses and strippers, Benanti’s show focuses on motherhood and real life worries. It runs at Berkeley Repertory September 17-25, after successful dates at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and at the Minnetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan.
In an interview with The Bay Area Reporter, Benanti discussed the inspiration and creation of her new show, and why she calls herself a “recovering ingenue.”
“The show is about my journey from being an 18-old girl playing a grown woman on Broadway opposite a 70-year-old man, and all of the trappings that came with that,” said Benanti from her New Jersey home. “While I’m so grateful to have had that experience, there are pitfalls to playing characters from 1950s musicals, and how I sort of brought that into my personal life. It’s a journey from that to the person I am now, which is a grown woman and the mother of two girls. A lot of it is about my predisposition toward people-pleasing, and you just can’t be that when you have children, because they will never like you all the time.”
Benanti’s path to show business was almost inevitable.
“I grew up in New Jersey and my parents [themselves in the performing arts] would not
allow me to be a professional child actor, which I’m now grateful for,” she said. “But at the time, I was serious and they allowed me to do my high school show and a community theater play. When I was 15, I played Cinderella and “Into the Woods” at the Barn Theater, and then when I was 21, I played her on Broadway.”
Benanti explained how her new show was inspired by a commission from Audible to create a story for audio.
“As I started writing it, I thought, ‘Nobody cares.’ This was during the pandemic. ‘Who cares what a middle-aged white lady has to say at this moment?’
The show’s title soon flips to letting go of worries about whether others care.
Benanti, who was in San Francisco in 2016 for cabaret concerts, also performed in Andrew Lippa’s oratorio, “I Am Harvey Milk” in 2013. She said she’s looking forward to visiting the Bay Area again.
“I’ve been there multiple times by myself and also with my mom,” she said. “And the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is very near and dear to my heart. I have a video of them all singing Happy Birthday to my daughter. We watch it every year. So yeah, I mean I love the Bay Area, but I’ve never really spent time in Berkeley. Amy Kipp, who’s my director, has done four shows there. She says it’s her favorite place she’s ever worked.”t
started laughing when they discovered the reason why Lady Mary was asked to leave. But not so funny is the possibility that Downton Abbey might go into bankruptcy. After the death of Lady Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) mother, her American brother Harold (Paul Giamatti in hang-dog mode) mismanaged the estate’s finances after the Depression and there’s no money left, despite getting help from a questionable advisor Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola) who lacks the requisite twirling moustache, but has bedroom eyes for Lady Mary. Despite so much of it being sentimental clap-
trap, at the end one may have to fight back tears.
The series used every soap opera cliché in the book for the plot narratives, yet Fellowes’s genius is creating characters we genuinely loved (a feat he’s not been able to replicate for the servants in “The Gilded Age,” of whose fate we remain indifferent) and cared about their petty plights, with brilliantly cast actors forming a perfect ensemble. You really get the sense the actors love each other and their characters, so they will genuinely miss each other (as well as their paychecks).
“The Grand Finale” is ultimately about letting go and moving on. The film claims this is the last
installment of this dramatic conglomerate. It seems appropriate that this movie might indeed be the fond heartwarming sendoff it purports to be, content with not overstaying its welcome, to the sad sobbing resignation of its legions of devotees.t
Read the full review on www.ebar.com.
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ screens in local theaters through Sept 28. www.focusfeatures.com
Off to the races in ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’
The concluding elegant hurrah of the British series and films
‘Nobody Cares’ at Berkeley Rep
Comedy icon Sandra Bernhard brings her new live show to Stanford Oct. 4
back in town
A bumper crop of guilty, giggly pleasures
by Jim Gladstone
Some pundits have likened ‘Shucked,’ the ditzy pun-packed musical goof-a-rama now playing at the Curran Theatre to “Hee Haw,” a syndicated TV celebration of hayseed humor and country music that ran from 1969 to 1993.
But while the musical’s hoe-down sounds, by seasoned Nashville hands Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, do tip a Stetson to that notably sexist showcase for Minnie Pearl and Daisy Dukes, “Shucked” is more attitudinally akin to “Hee Haw”’s big city cousin, “Laugh In.”
“Hee Haw” was, in fact, conceived as a clean-scrubbed flyover alternative to Rowan and Martin’s hipper coastal comedy with its sex-positive, women’s rights conscious, liberal ethos. “Shucked” keeps the copycat’s corn but seasons it salty and butters it lubriciously to suit the tastes of urbane theatergoers. It’s a case of inbreeding Sydney Sweeney would approve of.
Reaping a small plot
The show’s storyline, largely a
scaffold for jokes, begins with a failed harvest in Cobb County, a rural midwestern region defined by its monoculture (Crops other than corn, like folks other than straight and white, are of little interest in these parts).
Ingenue Maizy (Danielle Wade) gets up her gumption and heads out into the wider world, searching for a way to save the fallow farms. Her lunky almost-fiancé Beau (Jake Odmark)–surely short for himbo, is left behind to ponder why she’s so uppity and independent.
Landing in cosmopolitan Tampa, wide-eyed with wonder, Maizy stumbles upon Gordy (Quinn VanAntwerp), a podiatrist-cum-con man more than happy to go along with her misperception that he’s a “corn doctor.”
Opportunistic romance ensues, and the pair head back to the hinterlands where Maizy remains smitten, but Gordy begins hitting on her feisty whiskey distilling cousin, Lulu (Miki Abraham).
A star is corn
Taking on the supporting role that won Alex Newell a Tony on Broadway,
Abraham has high heels to fill, and they step up with charisma to spare. Sassy and statuesque, Abraham makes “Independently Owned,” Lulu’s barnburning solo, her own.
With vocals that slide from bluesy grit to gospel exaltation–Growl-ellujah!–over the course of just a few bars, Abraham makes this paean to individuality and self-reliance the show’s high point and her own career-making calling card. Viva, Patti LuCornpone!
Less auspiciously, book writer Robert Horn, a gay man who co-created television’s “Designing Women” and has written for Dame Edna, has placed this undeniable 11 o’clock number at about 8:45 p.m., two thirds through the show’s first act. While the rest of the largely midtempo score is pleasantly engaging, there’s no other song that comes close to this one for punch and melodic hooks. It’s a misplaced tentpole that leaves “Shucked” structurally saggy.
Dishing up showbiz
Still, even as the plot turns shambolic in the second act (Some Barney-colored rocks are declared gemstones, then junk, then agri-magical; Lulu is shoehorned into a romance completely unbefitting her character; a convoluted meta-twist adds fancypants complexity for no good reason), toe-tapping tunes and rat-a-tat Dad jokes keep the proceedings apop from start to finish.
No visual or verbal byproduct that can be squeezed out of corn is goes unused. We get cornholing with cobs; singing stalkers; a kickline of niblets; even egregious kernels of digestive system wisdom.
Extra helpings of wordplay are provided by Peanut (Mike Nappi), a gratuitous rube character whose sole purpose is to pile-on more groanworthy gags (By evening’s end, I’d developed a bit of a Peanut allergy).
Sarah O’Gleby’s zippy choreography and director Jack O’Brien’s clever blocking give the show a sense of perpetual momentum that gets flop jokes off-stage instantly but leaves laughter lingering throughout the evening.
There’s fine vocal work throughout from VanAntwerp, who delivers complex patter songs like they’re a walk in the park; Wade, who projects beautifully even when her tone is whispery or conversational; and Tyler Joseph Ellis and Maya Langerstam, playing a pair of narrators who keep up the show’s unflagging good cheer and whose gift for crisp diction assures that their every punchline lands. The whole cast makes corn a side dish for hot, juicy ham.t
‘Shucked,’ through Oct. 5. $62-$182. Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St. www.broadwaysf.com
‘Lesbo Solo: My Gay History Play’
by Emily Wilson
Terry Baum, the author and star of “Lesbo Solo: My Gay History Play,” currently at the Marsh Berkeley, studied theater in high school and college But she got her start much earlier, in first grade, when her class was performing the song “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” for the PTA. Another little girl was supposed to belt out the song, but that wasn’t how it went.
“Right before she went on, the little girl got panicked and the teacher said, ‘Does anybody else know the lyrics? She couldn’t do it. She threw up on her organdy pinafore,” Baum says. “Then I went out there and sang with all the passion of my heart, and it was a great success, and I’ve never stopped since.”
Baum describes herself as a homophobic teenager. When asked why, she says it’s because lesbians were always depicted as the worst of the worst. Her boyfriend in college had a pornographic book that was an example.
“It was about this woman, and she degenerated and degenerated, and she became a drug addict, and then she became a thief,” she said. “Finally, she hit bottom: she was a lesbian. That was worse than being a drug addict to be a lesbian. So, all these things had a big impact.”
The play at The Marsh is all about experiences she’s had and the times she’s lived through, Baum said.
“I’m 78 now, so I came of age a long time ago, graduated college in 1969 and didn’t come out until I was 30,” she said. “I did have all those negative of images of a lesbian. So, it’s my experience of being in certain historic moments. Lesbians are so far from be-
ing represented in terms of our impact and our presence.”
Baum is interested in history, and her last play, “Hick: A Love Story - the Romance of Lenora Hickok & Eleanor Roosevelt,” is a historical one.
Even in this play, the story of two people, Baum performed solo.
“I’m an exhibitionist and extrovert, and I originally performed solo for the first time, I think, in 1983 because I was trying to make enough money to stop being a temporary secretary, and I couldn’t figure out how to do that doing plays with a lot of people in them,” she said. “I discovered I enjoyed it, and one of the wonderful benefits is that I can keep doing the play as long as I get bookings, and therefore, I can keep re-
writing the play, and I’m a big, big fan of rewriting. I’m always about perfecting things.”
“All live performance brings people together in community, which is very special, but theater can be done on the small level or on the big level,” she said. “It can be done with very little resources, as I’m doing, and it can be done with just one person telling the story. It has so many different possibilities on that primal level of people in the room listening to a story.”t
Terry Baum’s ‘Lesbo Solo: My Gay History Play,’ at The Marsh Berkeley Cabaret, $20-$100, 5pm Sundays thru Oct. 12, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. www.themarsh.org
Terry Baum
Liz Payne
Narrators Maya Langerstam and Tyler Joseph Ellis in ‘Shucked’
Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
t Fine Art, Drag & Books >>
Raymundo Valdez
by Myron Caringal
When San Francisco artist Raymundo Valdez submitted “The Tower and The Flag” for consideration as the 2025 SF Open Studios guide cover, he didn’t think he’d win.
“I just applied because I was applying to several shows and opportunities, and I didn’t think I would win,” he recalled. “But it seems it made an impact. This style that I developed over the past five years, I think it resonated with the judges.”
Organized by ArtSpan, SF Open Studios is the Bay Area’s longestrunning open studios event. Valdez’s painting will not only grace the cover of this year’s official guide but also appear in advertising across the city.
“I remember seeing SF Open Studios billboards and bus shelters in the past,” he said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “It’s really an incredible opportunity for me to reach more people and to promote my work, to make it more visible.”
From a Castro Window
“The Tower and The Flag” is part of Valdez’ ongoing Castro series, a body of work rooted in the neighborhood he’s called home for more than two decades. His small studio, not open to the public, offers a daily view that has fueled his art for years.
“Every time that I wake up, go to my studio, open the curtains of my studio,
I see the tower,” he said. “It’s the same window I was sitting at when the pandemic happened.”
From that vantage point, he noticed the chaotic web of power lines crisscrossing the Castro sky.
Initially, he sketched them literally, before deciding to translate their presence into a more abstract grid, omitting the actual wires. The piece combines two neighborhood icons, Sutro Tower and the rainbow flag, rendered in his distinctive “fractal, diamond-like” style.
For Valdez, having “The Tower and
The Flag” seen across the Bay Area is about more than artistic recognition.
“It’s not only the art community, but the general public, and that is something that really excites me,” he said. SF Open Studios brings in tens of thousands of visitors each year. “This is the perfect medium for me to showcase or talk about the vibrancy of the city that I see, and I want other people to see it the same way that I do.”
Layered and vibrant
Born in Mexico City, Valdez has
On September 19 “Drag Race” winner Sasha Colby will make a stop in San Francisco as part of her latest tour, “Stripped II.” In this show she will share stories about trans and queer experiences that are more universal, unlike her “Stripped” tour of last year.
“I hope the audience takes my show as a call of action,” said Colby in her interview with David-Elijah Nahmod. “In our current state of the world, I want to
people to create art and create safe spaces for communities to come together.”t Read Sasha’s interview on ebar.com. Sasha Colby in “Stripped II,” Palace of Fine Arts Theater, $50-$63, Sept. 19, 8pm, 3301 Lyon St. www.sashacolby.net
books roundup 2025, part 3
by Jim Piechota
I n our third installment of our Fall 2025 books roundup, you’ll find a colorful group of titles in a variety of genres. Included is a darkly glamorous cookbook from the one and only Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; an enticing goth novel for teen readers; an outspoken collection of clever stories about the current grotesque state of the nation. Happy Fall and Happy (early) Halloween. Get out and enjoy these literary morsels from your local bookstore, including “Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell” by Cassandra Peterson, “Grime: Poems” by Thea Matthews, and “Cannon” by Lee Lai.t
Read the full reviews on ebar.com.
lived in San Francisco for 21 years.
He said the city’s physical environment played a pivotal role in shaping his work.
“The architecture in San Francisco is just so unique,” he said. “I spent one year in Texas but then I found my home in San Francisco. I don’t think I would have painted the city or a cityscape if I hadn’t been in San Francisco.”
His upbringing in Mexico City, however, did instill a lifelong love of color.
“It made me appreciate color, appreciate the different shapes and forms, and surprising things you can find in a city,” he said.
“The Tower and The Flag” will be part of the SOMArts exhibition from Sept. 19 through Oct. 13, alongside other finalists from the SF Open Studios contest.
In addition to the SOMArts show,
Valdez will participate in San Francisco Open Studios the second week of September at a shared space in the Mission so he can showcase other pieces to the public.
Now with his work about to appear on bus shelters, billboards and the cover of the SF Open Studios guide, Valdez knows more people than ever will have that chance.
“I’m very happy that I coined this style, and it resonated with people, and people are finding it fresh and unique,” he said. “That is very encouraging for me to keep on working on my art.”t
Read the full interview on www.ebar.com.
SF Open Studios Exhibition. Sept. 20-Oct. 12, SOMArts, 934 Brannan St. www.artspan.org www.raymundovaldezartist.com
Left: Artist Raymundo Valdez Right: ‘The Tower and The Flag’ by Raymundo Valdez
Looking out for the ones you love
Emergency planning begins at home, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s just as important to consider the needs of your extended family, neighbors, and anyone who may rely on you in a crisis. When creating an emergency plan, talk with your loved ones about these key steps:
BUILD A SUPPLY KIT.
Stock up on essentials like food, water, batteries, flashlights and a battery-powered radio.
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES.
Make sure everyone knows how to manually open the garage door if the electricity goes out. Consider backup power options like a generator or portable chargers.
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTES.
Map out safe exits from your home and neighborhood in case you need to evacuate quickly.
To learn more ways to prepare for an emergency, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com
