LGBTQ San Diego County News January 2024

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NEWS BRIEFS! P5

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

LGBTQSD.NEWS

>>> COMMUNITY P100

Closing its doors

>>> EDITORIAL P6

A letter to the community

>>> THEATRE P12 Flamy Grant’s drag musician persona grew out of Matthew Blake flushing out the pain of an evangelical childhood and a deep exploration of their gender identity. (Courtesy Flamy Grant)

Flamy Grant ‘sways her hips’ back into San Diego

By Morgan M. Hurley

Barone does Broadway

>>> DINING P12

A former local drag queen has been named the “Musician in Residence” at University Christian Church (UCC), a popular and progressive located on Cleveland Avenue in Hillcrest. But let’s get some backstory.

Matthew Blake and his husband Christopher Dagneau were well known within the local LGBTQ community when they first shared last Spring that they would be moving east to North Carolina in September. While they had planned for a long goodbye with San Diego – the place where they met, fell in love and got married – they never expected the whirlwind that would blow them out the door on their way across the country.

Late last July and into early August, a record Blake had independently produced in Oct. 2022 called “Bible Belt Baby,” suddenly skyrocketed up the Christian Contemporary charts, thanks in part, to the anti-drag tweets directed at the album from an evangelical pastor with a large following on social media. The album and one of its songs even made it to number one on iTunes for that category and when other evangelicals joined in the fray to condemn it, it just made the album – and its solo musician – all that more popular.

See FLAMY page 4

Whitburn faces challengers

D3 forum hosted by Bankers Hill Community Group

By Morgan M. Hurley

Sister’s Pizza expands

CONTACT US

619 61 9- 432-LG BT sales@lgbtqsd.news editor@lgbtqsd.news editor@lgbtqsd .news

District 3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn the day he filed his application to run for re-election (Facebook)

It’s 2024 and that means it is an election year. Not only on the national (presidential) front, but also here locally – with county supervisor seats in the mix, six city council seats, and even the office of the mayor – it should be one heck of a campaign year.

San Diego City Council District 3, where Hillcrest resides, is one of the seats which will be hotly contested.

Ever since Christine Kehoe made history by winning her race in 1993, the District 3 seat has been held by an LGBTQ person – Kehoe, Toni

See D3 RACE page 11

CITY WANTS COMMUNITY TO ASSIST IN SEARCH FOR NEW CHIEF OF POLICE San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit is retiring this June, and the city is conducting a nationwide search for a new chief of police. To assist them in this endeavor, they are inviting community members to attend a series of forums so they can gather thoughts and opinions about what the community wants to see in the city’s next police chief. What qualities would you like the new chief to have? What characteristics? What background and training?

Chief Nisleit was promoted from within, having joined SDPD in 1988, he took over as Chief of Police in 2018.

“There are few decisions as consequential to public safety than choosing who will lead our police department,” said Mayor Todd Gloria in a press release.

“City Council members and I are eager to hear from the community what they want in San Diego’s next police chief to keep their neighborhoods safe, and we encourage them to participate in helping guide the future of law enforcement in our city.”

The community forums will take place in each of the City’s nine city council districts, with District 3’s being held Januahry 24 from 5:30-7:30 pm. For more details, visit bit.ly/3tTqbAl. For the full list of community forums and more information about how a chief is selected, visit sandiego.gov/police/ next-police-chief.

“Every person in every neighborhood deserves to feel and be safe,” said City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera.

“Providing safety to all people of all backgrounds requires understanding the nuanced and varied needs of the 1.4 million San Diegans. We can only gain that understanding with the help of the community.”

If you’d like to participate in your district’s community forum, RSVP at the link above, but RSVPs are not mandatory to attend. If you cannot attend but would still like to get involved, an online survey will soon be made available. Keep checking the “next police chief” link above.

TWO WAYS TO HELP CLEANUP HILLCREST Keeping Hillcrest clean and tidy is a never-ending chore and to kick-off the new year, community members are invited to participate in two different opportunities to spruce up the neighborhood.

First, the Hillcrest Business Association will host a cleanup and painting project at “The Little Spot” on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9-11 am. Located at 900 University Ave., The Little Spot is

See NEWS BRIEFS page 5

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

LGBTQSD.NEWS

NEWS

LGBTQSD.NEWS

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

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‘A bright light’ goes dim

Auntie Helen’s closes after decades of service to the community

By Benny Cartwright Auntie Helen’s, a longtime nonprofit organization that served those living with HIV/ AIDS and operated a charity thrift store in North Park, closed its doors for good on Dec. 31, 2023.

The legacy of the organization and its founder, Gary Cheatam, will not be lost forever though, as the charity plans to rebrand as the Gary Cheatam Scholarship Fund to support those pursuing education in research, case management, and social services.

In 1988, at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, San Diego activist Gary Cheatam founded Auntie Helen’s in a one-car garage as a fluff and fold laundry project to help just one community member who was living with AIDS. At that time, many people living with AIDS became so sick that they were unable to handle basic tasks on their own -- things like doing their laundry.

Cheatam founded the operation to fill this need and over the years served thousands of people who were too sick to do their laundry on their own.

In the summer of 1989, the organization expanded to include its popular thrift shop, which was housed in the same space as the laundry operation, to help finance the service. The shop was located in North Park (at two different locations) on 30th Street throughout its entire history, and was able to open originally due to financial support of prominent San Diegans like Joan Kroc, former Mayor Maureen O’Connor, her twin sister Mavoureen, and Ben Dillingham.

According to Auntie Helen’s officials, the program was the first of its kind, and up until its closing last month, was the only service of its kind still in operation. Auntie Helen’s

received many accolades over the years, including being named a “National Point of Light” by the White House in 1991, received an apostolic blessing from His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and its thrift store was many times listed as one of the top 100

Gary Cheatham founded Auntie Helen’s in a one-car garage in North Park in 1988 (Courtesy Auntie Helen)

charities in the nation.

As advances in HIV/AIDS treatment lessened the amount of people living with the virus who were too gravely ill to care for themselves, Auntie Helen’s expanded its services over the years to include weekly food distributions, serving over 1,600 families a week.

The organization also partnered with medical clinics in San Diego to offer free preventative care, confidential HIV testing, and educational resources for preventive drugs like Truvada. They also provided free access to donated, basic medical equipment related to activities of daily living, such as shower chairs, walkers, and canes.

As San Diego saw an increase of community members living without shelter, Auntie Helen’s began providing hygiene kits and blankets to homeless neighbors, and officials said they served over

Correction

Last month we ran this photo on page 4 to accompany the story, “Bringing Midge back home” (Vol. 4, Issue 29, or online at bit. ly/3vvLTuB), and assigned an incorrect caption to it. The caption should have read as follows:

300 homeless San Diegans per month.

Finally, through its thrift store, Auntie Helen’s would provide free clothing to case managers and social workers to give to their clients for any needs, including job interviews.

As their services expanded over the years, Auntie Helen’s continued to offer its laundry service, to anyone who was physically unable, no matter what the reason, although director Rod Legg said they haven’t had a request for the service since 2020.

In a statement posted to social media in December, Auntie Helen’s said that the mission as founder Cheatam envisioned it has been “met and exceeded,” which is the main reason for closing down the primary operations.

“In the 1980s, Auntie Helen’s was a bright light for all of us,” read the statement. “In the early 2000s, [Auntie Helen’s] had the dark times with a series of bad managers and in 2017-18 Rod Legg came and made the needed changes to grow us, feed 1,600 families a week, expand the location, and bring national attention to the charity … This is not a goodbye as we are simply transitioning to a Gary Cheatam Scholarship Fund.”

Auntie Helen’s thrift shop was located at 4127 30th St., in North Park. The store sold a variety of second-hand merchandise, including clothes, jewelry, sporting goods, and housewares. Proceeds benefited Auntie Helen’s social services programs.

In a Facebook post, Legg wrote, “This is the next step in Gary Cheatam and Auntie Helen’s natural evolution.”

Along with the scholarship fund, the organization hopes to continue to provide services like the food distribution, as many in the community rely on the groceries that were provided.

Volunteers and staff of the charity spent the first week of 2024 packing up the thrift store and looking ahead to the future.

Limited details are available at

This is what it takes to take on Alzheimer’s.

It’s not easy to accept that nearly two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women.

Or that some cases may be diagnosed as early as age 55.

Because we have what it takes to take on Alzheimer’s.

Learn about signs and screening at TakeOnALZ.com

We regret the error.

–Benny Cartwright is a longtime activist and community leader. Reach him at community@lgbtqsd.news.

Follow him on Instagram @ BennyC80. ▼

Support.

But we can learn about signs and reduce our risk by staying active and lowering blood pressure.

Longtime Midge Costanza friend Denise Neleson (left), Little Italy Association’s Chief Executive Administrator Marco LiMandri (center) and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (second from right) cut the ribbon at the unveiling of Piazza Costanza in Little Italy on Nov. 28. (Photo by Steve Silva)

this time regarding the planned scholarship fund, but leaders have said to keep an eye on Auntie Helen’s Facebook page and website for details as they become available.

To view their website, visit auntiehelens.org.

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

NEWS

LGBTQSD.NEWS

FROM PAGE 1

FLAMY

You see, Blake has an alter ego, and her name is Flamy Grant (yes, in homage to Amy Grant).

They have always been a singer, but they haven’t always been a drag queen. What started out as a fun and creative pastime during the pandemic has turned into a chart-topping experience with near immediate Instagram stardom and there is just no turning back.

On Flamy’s website, Blake describes her as “A shameslaying, hip-swaying, singingsongwriting drag queen,” and that description barely scratches the surface.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be a Christian music star,” Blake said. “I had no idea it would look like this, but I’m really glad it’s happening.”

The songs on their “Bible Belt Baby” record all come from a place of processing the pain queer children experience while coming of age in an evangelical household.

Initially, Blake had no intention of marrying his drag persona with his Christian music therapy work.

“Flamy was created for fun – she was for me,” Blake said. “I had gone out in drag on Halloween 2019 and to a few house parties, but I never imagined that I would be doing more with it. I had a day job, there was church work I was doing on the side. I was in another band. I didn’t have time to do drag as much as it interested me. But the pandemic is when suddenly I did have time. I started exploring and experimenting with it. But it really was just something for myself. It felt like inner child work. I had gotten in trouble as a kid for getting into my mom’s clothes and pulling out her makeup. So I had those impulses from the very beginning and I just bottled them up and corked them.”

The whole experience exploring and perfecting their

drag persona has also caused Blake to get in touch with their gender identity.

“I was always real tense about gender expression,” Blake said.

“Even after coming out and being comfortable with my sexual orientation and being gay, I just didn’t want to touch gender. It freaked me out too much. Drag is that powerful thing that just – if I feel this comfortable, if it makes me feel such relief in drag, something is going on there. And my goodness now it is so easy to just look back and see how much of my life was just performing masculinity for the sake of fitting in with a culture that I didn’t even like. There is so much about traditional masculine American culture that is not for me.”

Sharing their drag persona, their very personal music and their journey as a queer musician is part of what made UCC want to reach out to Flamy.

“We are so thrilled to have Flamy Grant as our inaugural Musician in Residence,” said Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, senior minister of UCC shared with LGBTQ San Diego County News.

“Affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person is a deeply sacred act. Flamy’s willingness to integrate faith with queerness, drag, and authenticity is something we deeply admire at UCC. “Welcoming LGBTQ+ people into the full life and leadership of the Church is something that all faith communities ought to be doing,” he continued. “With the Religious Right spewing so much misinformation about drag, we are excited about this opportunity to show how drag can be holy. We can’t wait to share in ministry and to dismantle harmful theology together!”

According to a press release about the arrangement, “University Christian Church was the first ‘open and affirming (LGBTQ+ welcoming)’ congregation in all of Southern California for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is proud to be partnering with

Flamy Grant for this unique opportunity.”

“I was so excited for Flamy when UCC reached out because San Diego will always be our home,” said Blake’s husband Chris, who added he’s crossing his fingers that he can come along for Flamy’s July performance with UCC, the week prior to San Diego Pride.

“Flamy kicked off her tour [last] year at our church and we recognized an opportunity to support an incredibly talented drag artist while also confronting the anti-LGBTQIA+ culture that is inherent within the Christian music industry,” Rev. Lines continued. “Flamy Grant is an incredible musician and putting her front and center on Sunday morning demystifies drag for churches. Flamy will be writing progressive Christian music during this residency that will debut in our congregation, but that we hope to share with other progressive churches who want to get rid of the harmful theology that frequently comes along with Christian music.”

In just the few short months since Blake left San Diego and was offered the opportunity to return several times throughout the year, so much has happened.

They have toured nonstop for Bible Belt Baby, interviewed with some of the biggest news organizations in the country (Rolling Stone!), and knocked the top off a recent Kickstarter campaign to fund their next record.

Blake semi-confidently set a $30,000 goal for the 30-day “all or nothing” Kickstarter campaign and it was fully funded in just two days. By the time it was done, they had reached $56,000, with 565 individual donors, which gives them the opportunity to make and market this record exactly the way they want. They are already putting together a team of professional musicians for the task and will record it in Nashville in March. Blake is still writing many of the songs.

“I really want to examine the value of church,” they said. “What

(l to r) Pastor Marshela Salgado-Solorio, Associate Minister of UCC; Flamy Grant; and Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, Senior Minister of UCC; during Flamy’s Christmas Eve appearance. (Courtesy Matthew Blake)

(l to r) Christopher and Flamy

(l to r) Christopher and Matthew does it bring to our lives, versus what does it require of us? How do those play out – and what is the value in engaging with and perpetuating that institution, the actual organized part of religion.

I’ve been a part of -- I can’t even count the number of churches I’ve been a part – of and I’ve never had an experience end well. I’ve never left a church and still felt food about it.”

Blake knows one thing for sure, the record and its accompanying tour will focus on queer spiritual community; and it is clear that everything they are doing is ministry in its own right.

Just ask their 177,000 followers.

It may seem conflicting to have these feelings about a church and agree to work with one, but UCC is definitely an exception to the churches Flamy has experienced.

“Flamy will be with us again on Easter weekend and the weekend before Pride,” Rev. Lines said. “By bringing Flamy in on the most important Sundays of the year, we want to make a statement about embracing all people as a reflection of God’s divine image, even while the Religious Right seeks to

vilify both drag and queerness.

Whenever Flamy comes to town, she will not only be with us during our Sunday service but will also lead community events on Saturdays as a way to provide enrichment for the whole San Diego community.”

To learn more about Flamy visit flamygrant.comflamygrant. com or follow them on Instagram @FlamyGrant. To learn more about UCC visit ucc.org.

—Morgan M. Hurley is the editor-in-chief of this newspaper.

You can reach her at editor@ lgbtqsd.news.

Follow Flamy Grant on social media!

NEWS

LGBTQSD.NEWS FROM PAGE 1

BRIEFS

a small parcel of land, currently owned by CalTrans, that community leaders envision as a future neighborhood gathering space. The area is currently fenced off and has little use other than storage of some planters, but it needs some tidying up.

Volunteers will work on projects like painting and pulling weeds from the space. Interested volunteers should contact Benjamin Nicholls at benjamin@ hillcrestbia.org to RSVP and get more information.

Then the following weekend, on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 9:3011 am, Benny Cartwright, Rick Cervantes, @HillcrestSanDiego, and the Kiwanis Club of Hillcrest All-Inclusive will host their first Hillcrest Litter Cleanup of the year. Hosted at least quarterly, these cleanups invite community members to come out and help pick up litter in different parts of the neighborhood.

For the Jan. 20 cleanup, volunteers will meet at the Hillcrest sign, located at the intersection of Fifth and University avenues, near the US Bank building. Participants will be dispersed throughout the immediate area to pick up litter along sidewalks and alleyways. Trash bags and gloves will be provided and special surprise incentives from @ HillcrestSanDiego will be given to participants. Contact Benny at benny.bc.cartwright@gmail.com or DM @bennyc80 on Instagram to RSVP or get more information.

‘FREEDOM AWARDS BRUNCH’ FUNDRAISER FOR LOCAL LGBTQ DEM CLUB San Diego Democrats for Equality, the local LGBTQ democratic club, is hosting their annual Freedom Awards Brunch on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 11 am, at the Westin Gaslamp.

Dems for Equality, as they are known, is one of the largest democratic clubs in Southern California, and is considered one of the oldest active LGBTQ organizations in the nation.

According to their website, “The Freedom Awards serve as the San Diego Democrats for Equality’s signature fundraising event, where we honor and recognize outstanding club members and LGBTQ+ leaders and allies who have made a significant impact within our club, the Democratic Party, and our communities.”

This year’s Freedom Awards honorees are: Robert Gleason, A. Brad Truax Human Rights Award; Ross Pike, J. Douglas Scott Award for Political Action; Brenda Aguirre, Gloria Johnson Award for Feminist Leadership; North County LGBTQ Resource Center, Gloria Steinem Award for Communications; Lisa Hartman, Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Community Service; Marisa Allen, R. Steven Pope Award for Volunteerism; Marni Von Wilpert, Christine Kehoe Award for Excellence in Elected or Appointed Office; Lindsay Ball, Mahalene Dulay, Casey Doan, Carolyn Barbadoro, Larry T. Baza Titan Award for Intersectional Activism and Leadership; Carolina Ramos, Robert H. Lynn Founder’s Award

for Excellence in Justice; Coyote Moon, Herb King Lifetime Achievement Award; and Toni Atkins, President’s Award.

Tickets are $100 and include the brunch and festivities. To buy tickets or make a donation, visit bit.ly/48GuYUD. The Westin Gaslamp is located at 910 Broadway Circle (near former Horton Plaza).

To learn more about Democrats for Equality, visit democratsforequality.org.

GEORGE MICHAEL’S STORY COMING TO BALBOA THEATRE “The Life and Music of George Michael,” a concert-style show featuring four decades of his music, will take place at 7 pm, Sunday, Jan. 28, at the historic Balboa Theatre, downtown.

“This event honors George Michael’s career and will be a celebration for his fans,” said producer Ralph Schmidtke of Quatro Entertainment in a press release. “Over the years, George’s popularity has continued to grow and ‘The Life & Music of George Michael’ will give fans a glimpse of his life and hear all the songs they have come to love.”

The 2-hour and 20-minute show chronicles Michael’s blockbuster career as he rose to fame in the 1980s with Wham! and became an MTV sensation with his 1987 solo album, “Faith.”

The concert-style show will include blockbuster hits like “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,” “Freedom,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” “Father Figure,” and many more.

Michael, who passed away in T:10.25" 2016, had led a public life that was full of headline-making news;

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31 from his provocative music video hits, his lawsuit of Sony over stifling contracts, to his sexual orientation and even scandalous arrests throughout his career, was beloved until his death and his music continues to be popular.

“The Life and Music of George Michael” is proudly presented

by San Diego Theatres, the nonprofit that operates both the Balboa Theatre and San Diego Civic Theatre. Tickets start at just $24 (with a small processing fee). To learn more about this show or buy tickets, visit bit.ly/ LifeAndMusicOfGMSanDiego.

GET A PEEK AT ALL THE NEW CALIFORNIA LAWS Dozens of new California laws went into effect Jan. 1, and here are a handful of those that might be of interest to our readers.

Cannabis – workers who use marijuana in social settings now have additional protections.

This does not apply to anyone who uses marijuana while on the clock, but thanks to AB 2188, it is now illegal for an employer to not hire a potential employee or terminate an existing employee for using cannabis products outside of work. For more info, visit bit.ly/41ReUgr. Minimum Wage – California’s minimum wage is now $16 per hour. Note - while this is big news for the state, San Diego’s own minimum wage just jumped to $16.85 per hour as of Jan. 1, which overrides the state’s wage (unless you work outside of the city limits). The other big news is for exempt employees, who are salaried and not subject to overtime pay. The increase in minimum salary for exempt employees is now $66,560.

5

Fast Food Workers – As of April 2024, anyone working at a fast-food restaurant who earns minimum wage will get a jump to $20 per hour. This increase impacts approximately 500,000 fast-food workers statewide. To learn more visit bit.ly/48N8z8j.

Fentanyl – Harsher punishments will now be imposed for those convicted of trafficking large amounts (1 kilo or more) of fentanyl. The new law AB 701 puts fentanyl in the same classification as heroin, cocaine and other drugs, all which carry stiffer penalties. To learn more, visit bit.ly/3H86TdN. Gender Neutral Toy Sections -- Major retailers are now required to have gender-neutral displays for children’s toys on their shelves and have it clearly labeled. AB 1084 targets any retailer with 500 or more employees operating inside California. Those who fail to comply will face a first time civil penalty of $250 and $500 for each time thereafter. For more info visit bit.ly/3Sai8Zt. Hate Symbols – Three specific hate symbols are now set for criminal penalties - the Nazi swastika, a noose, and desecrated crosses. Locations where these symbols are banned were also increased to include K-12 schools, colleges, cemeteries, places of employment, places of worship, public parks, private property public spaces and public facilities.

For more info visit bit.ly/3RSbXYq. Mobile Opioid Treatment – As of Jan. 1, those battling opioid addiction will have easier access to treatment and be able to obtain

See BRIEFS page 15

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T:7.26"

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This way to health insurance.

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

OPINION

LGBTQSD.NEWS

LGBTQ San Diego County News P.O. Box 34664 San Diego, CA 92163 619-432-LGBT PUBLISHER Eddie Reynoso publisher@lgbtqsd.news EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Morgan M. Hurley editor@lgbtqsd.news GRAPHIC DESIGN Chad Bevan creative@lgbtqsd.news COMMUNITY EDITOR Benny Cartwright community@lgbtqsd.news STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Big Mike Phillips WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA info@lgbtqsd.news ADVERTISING SALES sales@lgbtqsd.news 858-886-9458 SENIOR COLUMNIST Nicole Murray Ramirez CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Phillips | Neal Putnam | Frank Sabatini Jr. Anthony Gioffre Connor Maddocks

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Terry Sidie David Mannis

Editorial

ASSOC. PUBLISHER EMERITUS Nicole Murray Ramirez

A message to the community from Stepping Stone’s board chair Dear friends and family. My time as board chair at Stepping Stone San Diego is coming to an end.

Over a year ago, we began a transition plan that would have me continue as chair through the selection and onboarding of a new executive director, and then take the role of vice-chair. Matt Harris, who has served for many years as vice-chair, is now board chair as of January.

This year, I am going to take the opportunity for a little reflection on my time on the board, and why your support is essential for the mission of Stepping Stone – writing this not only as board chair, but as a proud alumni of Stepping Stone’s programs.

Stepping Stone is a vibrant, growing, and essential resource for our community, providing life-saving services to LGBTQIA+ individuals. The need for our services still exists -- perhaps now more than ever. We have helped tens of thousands of people recover from substance use issues for more than 47 years.

I first joined the Stepping Stone board in 2014 and became chair in 2015. It was a difficult time for Stepping Stone – there were funding reductions, financial challenges, a reduced amount of sober living homes, no outpatient services, and we had lost our connection to our alumni and supporters. It was a mess.

There was a serious risk Stepping Stone would not continue to exist. And yet, our amazing staff and board continued to care for our clients, day in and day out.

Our mission to help those who

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Charles Wellman charles@rivendellmedia.com 908-232-2021 EXT 225

CALIFORNIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE Scott Wazlowski advertising@ebar.com 415-829-8937 DISTRIBUTION LGBTQ San Diego County News is distributed free monthly. © 2023. All Rights Reserved. (l to r) Michael Moore, Andrew Dean Hunt, and Stephanie Eicher at Stepping Stone’s Pink Gala in 2022. (Courtesy Andrew Hunt)

showed up at our doors looking for help never failed.

It was clear to me that change was needed – get back to the basics, restore confidence in the organization, and remain steadfastly focused on our mission of providing life-saving services to the LGBTQ community.

It was also clear we needed to ask our community and friends for help. We needed to connect with those who understand how important Stepping Stone is, and reach those who needed to learn about the miracles that happen at Stepping Stone. Your support over the years has been overwhelming and personally gratifying.

Stepping Stone exists at the point where desperation meets opportunity. Individuals turn to us when all hope is lost, when there are no other options, when life seems darkest, and when family and friends are losing hope. We are all part of creating that opportunity – the staff, board and our supporters.

Your donations have supported the services we provide and the capital for our expansion.

And over the years, you have all helped create more opportunities than ever.

In 2015, we could serve just 41 clients at a time between our main residential facility and a single sober living location.

Through fundraising support we have been able to radically change that capacity.

We used funds raised through our Gala, fundraising drives, and The Recovery Ride, to open our Stepping Out outpatient treatment center, and two more sober living residences.

Today, we serve nearly 150 clients at any given time, and the combinations of these services mean that those struggling for help have immediate access to support, treatment options that match their need, and more housing available when they leave our program.

These past 12 months were a wonderful year of change at Stepping Stone and with that

change has come growth and excitement for the future. Our staff and leadership continues to find new and innovative ways to reach and serve those who need our help, and to grow as a team culturally and professionally.

We also welcomed Andrew Picard as our new executive director. Andrew has dedicated his career to designing inclusive programs for LGBTQ+, lowincome, and other vulnerable populations. Prior to joining us, Andrew was the COO of Mama’s Kitchen and also served as the Chief Program Officer at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. His expertise and passion working in our community are already paying dividends for Stepping Stone. We are excited to face the future with Andrew at the helm.

I am incredibly proud of the work you have all helped us to achieve, but I am also humbly aware of how much work remains. We still have a waiting

See STEPPING STONE page 7

SUBMISSIONS / NEWS TIPS For tips, stories, letters to the editor, or other media inquiries, email editor@lgbtqsd.news.

EDITOR’S NOTE The opinions written in this publication’s advertorial, editorial and opinion pages are the author’s own and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the staff and/or publisher of LGBTQ San Diego County News.

The newspaper and its staff should be held harmless of liability or damages.

This publication was supported in part by a grant from the City of San Diego

OPINION

LGBTQSD.NEWS

Letters to the editor Editor’s Note: We accept and encourage letters to the editor, and we curate our “letters” from emails, snail mail, Facebook, and comments on our website.

However, we reserve the right to publish – or not to publish – any particular submission or comment, and if we do choose to publish, it does not mean that we align or agree with the writer’s intentions, assertions or allegations.

Enjoying a hardcopy newspaper again [Ref: “Opinion: Editor’s Notebook,” Vol. 4, Issue 27, page 6]

I just wanted to tell you how much Evan and I enjoyed having your paper to read yesterday over breakfast. I miss the days of the Sunday paper being part of regular life.

Thank you also for your unending support of our community. We are both so glad to be back in a thriving gay community where things get done. And they get done by reminding people where we’ve come from and what we’ve been through. Your article was beautiful.

–Brian Deal (of Evan Joseph Salon) via email

Local exhibitionist celebrated

[Ref: “Amazon turned the lights off,” Vol. 4, Issue 29, or online bit.ly/47qitf1].

Nice article about Stu Schwartz book, how I got banned from Amazon and Stu’s real life story. I had the pleasure of editing this book for Stu. –Ron (of RLDBooks. com) via lgbtqsd.news Congratulations! You are in extremely fine company of fine banned books. You modern trailblazer, you! I bought it, read it and thought it was wonderful. I also did not have any side effects from it, but I continue to want my freedom from such hypocritical bigots – proud to know you!

–Fred Maypark, via Facebook Teen fashion designer/ boxer

[Ref: “In the clearing stands a boxer,” Vol. 4, Issue 29, or online bit.ly/3vvN2SV].

Thank you for featuring this great family. They are amazing people.

By the way, Trevor learned to box because he was bullied in school.

–Robert DeKoven, via Facebook

One of the first places I went to (circa 1987), as a young man.

Congratulations, Flicks on your well deserved anniversary.

–Carlos C., via lgbtqsd.news With love, from Kenya

[Ref: “Conversations with Nicole: 2024 the year of the LGBTQ resistance,” Vol. 4, Issue 29, or online bit.ly/48BA9FX].

It is our time as LGBTIQ+ persons for us to unite so that we can transform our rights. Let’s stand with one voice so that we can have a borderless LGBTIQ+ community. We can only be strong when we come together, when we are one people. With one destiny. Love you all.

–Bmk Kugonza (from Mombasa) via Facebook More Brass Rail memories

[Ref: “The Shoulders I Stand Upon: Hal Frost and the early years of The Brass Rail,” Vol. 4, Issue 21, or online bit. ly/3QVIwpJ].

Loved the Brass Rail!

Had the privilege to perform there twice as a new female impersonator from Tucson, Arizona!

–Kelly Ryan, via lgbtqsd.news

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31 FROM PAGE 6

STEPPING STONE list for our services; addiction is still causing devastation in our community; and high costsand lack of housing add to the struggle our clients face as they rebuild their lives.

In 2024, please help me celebrate all that has been accomplished and help us as we start the next phase of growth for Stepping Stone.

Some final notes. I am incredibly confident of the leadership Matt will provide, and excited for the energy and direction that Andrew has brought as our Executive Director. I look forward to continuing to work with them and the current board as we continue to serve the organization, our clients, and our mission. I am eternally grateful for our staff, who are on the front line every day, at all hours, making sure our clients have compassionate care in a safe and loving environment.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Stepping Stone as a board member, along with many other committed individuals who provide their time, talents and passions. Those board members have included Tom Reise, Wayne Back, Jack Steenstra, Michael Seymour, Dario Jones, Peter Stafford, Linda Porter, Maria Pia-Duffy, Bryce Shanback, Benny Cartwright, Judy Lawless, Valerie Breen, and the current board, including Matt Harris, John Hall, Teresa Oyos,

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Kevin Nichols, Tim Fronczek and Tom Fleming. A special thanks as well to the former board members who have provided support over the years.

Our alumni committee is a huge part of what makes Stepping Stone such a magical place. They are living examples of what is possible and in many cases volunteer to be of service to others starting their journey.

Please honor and support them where you can.

A huge thanks to Cheryl Houk, for what you have built, for coming back, and for your years of service. Thank you to Chris Mueller, for suggesting me to the board all those years ago. Thank you to Dr. Collins and Dolph Goldenburg for your service to Stepping Stone as interim executive directors. Thank you to Alice Henry, for what you and Ross gave to me personally, and what you continue to give to our community.

Thank you to my partner Jere, for all your support and your own service to Stepping Stone. With love – and wishing you a happy and safe New Year.

-Michael Moore Outgoing board chair, Stepping Stone of San Diego

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Stepping Stone’s addiction recovery and support services, get involved, or contribute to their vital mission by making a donation, visit steppingstonesd.org. ▼

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

Sometimes you just have to laugh about the past Wow. We did it again, made it to another year of life – and it’s 2024. It seems mind-blowing to many of us who were born before the 1990s, especially those like me who were born in 1957. As a

after he had finished counting the banks from the day before, he sat at the bar with a Bud Light and told me a story of something that had happened to him as he was bartending the day shift, which I thought was funny.

Back in the 1970s when the Brass Rail was across the street from where it is now, on the corner of Fifth and Robinson avenues, (the northwest corner where Chase Bank now sits) was and still is to this day, a two-story wooden building. The Brass Rail was on the ground floor and there were two doors to get in and out of the bar, one was on the Robinson Avenue side and the other on the Fifth Avenue side.

In those days, the bar opened at 6 am.

One morning, Joe had just opened the doors for the day when a very intoxicated man came in on the Robinson side of the bar and sat down. With a loud voice he yelled, “Hey bartender, make me a spicy Bloody Mary.”

The staff of Rich’s in the 1990s. (Courtesy Lambda Archives, originally ran in Gay & Lesbian Times)

kid, 2024 seemed like a lifetime away. So, to live to see it, is a true blessing and I must say I’m full of gratitude to see myself still learning and manifesting to better my life to its fullest. I pray that all of you are blessed and grateful for the good life coming your way. I do pray that our world will stop all the hate and start to find peace in each other.

I was talking to my friends Morgan and Benny one afternoon telling them old stories of funny things that had happened with customers in the bar business and some of my own personal unexpected happenings that have stuck with me after all these years. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share a couple of them with you.

My first bartending job, which many of you know, started on Christmas morning in 1989 at the Brass Rail, making it 35 years this Christmas that I started working as a bartender in this community (and yes, I am back working behind the bar at The Rail on Friday and Saturdays for happy hour).

While working at the Brass Rail back then, I met an older man who also worked there who we called “Old Man Joe.” Joe worked for Lou and Carol Arko for many years. He was a hard man to get along with or get to like you, but for some reason he and I got along decently. One afternoon,

Big Mike when he worked at Rich’s in the 1990s (Courtesy Mike Phillips)

Joe went down to the end of the bar where this man was sitting and said, “No, I am not going to make you any kind of drink; clearly you have had way too much to drink already. Why don’t you take yourself across the street to the Chicken Pie Shop (which also sat on the corner of Fifth and Robinson, where the Starbucks used to be), get some coffee and something to eat, sober up, then we can re-evaluate if you have sobered up enough to have another drink.”

Well needless to say, this was not what that customer wanted to hear from Joe, so he got up and, in his slurred voice, yelled at Joe, “F@%k YOU” and then proceeded to stumble out the

LGBTQSD.NEWS

COMMUNITY VOICES door that he had just come in.

Not really realizing where he was, he turned left onto Fifth Avenue and then entered the door on the other end of the Brass Rail and started yelling “Bartender make me a spicy Bloody Mary.”

OK, now Joe was beside himself, went up to the intoxicated man and said, “I just told you I was not going to make you a drink until you sober up, so go across the street, get some coffee and some food, and only then I will see if you are sober enough to have another drink. So, I must ask you to leave now.”

The man got up off his stool and looked Joe dead in the face and said: “F@%K YOU, you work in every f@%king bar in this town, where the hell am I supposed to get a drink then?”

I think he finally went across the street and decided to have coffee and breakfast instead, sobering up so he could continue to drink, because in his mind no bar would serve him. LOL Years later, I was bartending at Rich’s Night Club, and I loved working in this new and very fast-paced environment. After several years, I was able to earn the right to which bar station I wanted to work at, and on this particular Friday night, I was working the first bar as customers entered the back room to the dance floor. I remember those days so well, I had so many loyal and wonderful customers, many I knew what their drinks were and often had them already made when I saw them entering the back bar. I would just hand their drinks over other people to move my line along faster.

It just so happened that this Friday night a short, middle-aged man, wearing fake gold-plated jewelry got right up to my bar – to those who knew me back then, know I would be taking orders, making drinks, collecting money, and giving out change as fast as I possibly could, while still acknowledging every single person who came to me to make their drink. Well, this middle-aged man was very upset that I did not stop everything I was doing by the time he got to my bar to take his order, when I finished up with my customer before him, I said, “Hello, how are you? Thank you for waiting, what would you like to drink?”

Then out of nowhere he says to me: “I need you to listen and listen good, I will only say this once, I want a Corona with lime, and then I want two shots of Courvoisier, pour the two shots in a cordial glass, but only charge me for one shot.” I looked at him as if he was crazy and said, “I’m sorry it doesn’t work like that, if you order two shots, I’m charging you for two shots.” As I began to put his Corona on the bar with a lime, I also poured his two shots and then put a well glass in between the shots, then poured the two shots in the well glass.

I mentioned to him we did not have cordial glassware there at Rich’s. Then I said, “That will be $17.50, please.”

OMG, he became furious with me, cursing and yelling that I was a stupid and uneducated bartender, and that he made more money than I would ever see in my lifetime compared to him. I replied, “All that money you make, I need $17.50 of it,

The Brass Rail when it was located across Robinson Avenue from its current location; this version of the bar actually had an entrance on Robinson side and one on Fifth Avenue, as well. (Courtesy Lambda Archives)

The Brass Rail in its current location in an undated photo. (Courtesy Lambda Archives)

please.” Catching me by total surprise, he picked up the shots I had poured into the well glass and threw it in my face. As soon as he did that, my amazing barback, Eddie, jumped over the bar and grabbed him, pushing him toward the door.

In those early days at Rich’s, the first several years that we were open we didn’t have any security working in the bar, so when any employee was in trouble, we all jumped the bar to help our fellow coworker.

We needed to get this crazy guy out the front door, which we did, and then we stood there to make sure he left. We watched him walk down the street yelling back at all of us and then he got into a beat-up Ford Pinto. He then drove right up to the front of the bar on University Avenue, jumped out of his car, leaving the door open and the keys in it as it was still running, and ran up to the sidewalk yelling at us that we would all be fired, and he would own the bar the next day.

Meanwhile, many of you reading this may remember Euphoria Coffee Shop next door to Rich’s, a haven for underage gays and lesbians at the time.

We found out later he had been asked to leave there as well for harassing a young Latino boy.

While this crazy man was yelling at us about how he would soon be the new bar owner, this same Latino boy that he had harassed earlier happened to be leaving Euphoria, saw him making a fool of himself, saw his car running, and ran over, jumped into his car and stole it right in front of everyone. We were rolling in laughter. Now he is telling us to call the police. Someone yelled out, “You’re going to own the bar, you call the police tomorrow.”

Poor guy, I think in his mind he really did think he was going to own the bar … how I have no idea, maybe he was going to sell his Ford Pinto? We all went back into the bar to take care of our wonderful customers for the rest of the night. (No fake gold jewelry was damaged that night.

Thank God.) It never pays to be nasty or mean to your bartenders, or anyone, for that matter, especially if you want a drink, thinking you are better than they are.

Those individuals that tried that with me never got a drink out of me if they treated me like that. I would just tell them flat out to go to another bartender.

Overall, these many years, I have been honored to work with so many great, talented people in the bars, I have learned a lot from many of them and become lifelong friends with several of them over the years. I have always tried to do my job as best as I could as a professional to make sure all our guests had a good time. Remember to be kind to one another.

Thanks to all my wonderful, loyal, generous customers, because of all of you, I have been able to make a good living and make San Diego my home.

Thank you. Come see me from 4-8 pm Fridays and Saturdays at The Rail.

I pray that all of you have an incredible 2024 and that you are always grateful for all the good that comes your way.

These are the shoulders I stand upon.

–Big Mike Phillips is a local photographer, bartender, and longtime LGBT activist and fundraiser. You can reach him at bmsd1957@gmail.com ▼

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

Honoring our community is a serious responsibility Sometimes when I get an idea for a column that I’m excited about, I’ll tease it on my personal social media in an effort to hear people’s initial thoughts on it, which may help formulate my thoughts better, and also give readers something to look forward to.

I’ve been thinking about the topic I’ll be focusing on today for a few weeks, and when I teased it on my personal Facebook page, quite a few individuals who I deeply respect asked me to reconsider writing this column.

I was upset at the time that I made my social media post and I alluded to using this space to “spill the tea” and “call out BS.” From my post, these individuals thought that I meant I’d be “naming names” and stooping to the level of some folks who have upset me. While my social media post was a bit spicy, it was never my intention to “name names” or write in a way that is out of character for me … so I will continue with this column as planned.

Over the last two years, Rick Cervantes and I have created the “Hillcrest Honors,” a program intended to spotlight the many amazing people, businesses, organizations, and events that make the Hillcrest neighborhood such a dynamic, wonderful place.

I hesitate to call it an “awards program” as we don’t consider these to be awards in the classic sense, where someone is being recognized as the “best” or “winning” something. The goal is simply to spotlight those who stand out.

We started this at the end of 2022, over happy hour; we thought it would be really fantastic to highlight those people, businesses, organizations, and events that make the neighborhood so great on Rick’s @HillcrestSanDiego Instagram account.

The account has become an important source of news and community building for the neighborhood, recently surpassing 20,000 followers.

Through the “Stories” feature on Instagram, we put out the call for people to send in who stands out to them in a variety of categories (like Fabulous Bartender, Fabulous Community Organization, Fabulous Restaurant, etc.). They had

24-hours to submit what I guess we would call a “nomination.”

From those suggestions, and a variety of other factors like people who made news coverage, people who created new things for the community, and more, we posted our “standouts” for the year.

Most of the categories had “Fabulous” in the name in an effort to go along with the neighborhood’s “Fabulous Hillcrest” branding, while not using a term like “Best” (i.e., Fabulous Bartender instead of Best Bartender). And in most categories, we honored multiple individuals or organizations, as there are just so many great ones in this neighborhood.

Shortly after posting them, and seeing the neighborhood excitement, we thought it only made sense to have a party to celebrate the honorees. Unlike other awards celebrations we’ve seen in the community, everyone came to this party knowing who the honorees were. All honors were announced in advance, no tickets were sold, and it was a big, wonderful celebration that felt like we were one big community family.

Naturally, we decided to do it again this year for 2023, with a little more organization and focus, and opened up a one-week nomination period for community members to suggest people, organizations, businesses, and events to us that stood out to them. These “nominations” didn’t necessarily equal an honor, but they were heavily weighted as each nomination required a brief statement, rather than just listing names. There was no voting, and while a small group of friends who are incredibly active in the community served as an “advisory committee” to us, Rick and I made the final decisions.

And we are so proud of the 137 people, businesses, organizations, and events that are part of the 2023 class of Hillcrest Honors.

They all standout and shine in their own way.

While the general community reception to our honors program

COMMUNITY VOICES

LGBTQSD.NEWS

Hillcrest Honors logo with founders (l to r) Rick Cervantes and Benny Cartwright. (Courtesy Hillcrest Honors)

has been fantastic, there have been a few really negative voices that have put a damper on our spirits. To address some of the questions that these meanspirited individuals presented in their posts or comments, I will address them below, as our goal with the Hillcrest Honors program has always been to be transparent about what we are doing. ·•“Who are these guys to sit there and hand out awards to the community?”

Well, we’re Benny and Rick.

I’ve been in Hillcrest my entire life, and Rick has been in the neighborhood for 17 years.

We’ve been actively involved in the community for a combined 42 years and keep ourselves informed on neighborhood happenings. We patronize our neighborhood establishments, have gotten to know the movers and shakers, and give back whenever we can. And with that, we decided we wanted to spotlight the neighborhood we love … and we just did it!

Anyone can start an awards program or any other sort of

Hillcrest Honors logo with founders (l to r) Rick Cervantes and Benny Cartwright. (Photo by Big Mike Phillips)

media organization or whatever they want – the key is getting community buy-in. In general, our community loves and trusts us, and their positive reaction to our program tells us that our hard work on this is valued. ·• “How come so-and-so wasn’t honored this year?”

There could be a number of reasons or no reason at all.

Maybe we have just never crossed paths and are unaware of them.

Maybe we are aware of them but their name didn’t come up in any community nominations and we didn’t see a particular reason they stood out. We encourage everyone who wants to stand out to tag the @hillcrestsandiego Instagram account, send announcements about your events/activities to this paper, get involved, join me for a drink or coffee and let’s get to know each other!

“What is this, high school?”

No, it’s not. But comments like these sure sound like it. One of the main reasons we find it so important to honor folks in a neighborhood like Hillcrest is because so many of us come from backgrounds where we weren’t able to be honored. Where we didn’t stand out, or stood out for the wrong reasons and were bullied for it. While this honors program is not specifically an LGBTQ program, we recognize the heavy tie-in the LGBTQ community has with Hillcrest and it’s so important to lift up LGBTQ voices! That’s why you’re reading this paper, after all!

There is also a relatively new account on Instagram, which was launched just about the time we announced this year’s honorees, that has been particularly brutal. It supposedly accepts “anonymous” comments and then re-posts them. At least five of the posts have been directly related to Rick or I, saying some really nasty things about us and the honors.

While we are well aware that we’re not doing it right unless we’re pissing someone off, I’d be lying if I said some of those comments don’t hurt. Especially the ones directly criticizing our program, as we have put hours of our own time into making this the most positive thing it can be.

I personally know what it feels like to be part of a community and not recognized, especially when you’re an active participant.

In fact, just this past summer, I was nominated by a couple of friends for the “50 LGBTQ Leaders of Influence” honor that was presented during Pride season by the San Diego Business Journal and the San Diego Equality Business Association.

Given all the work and time I’ve contributed to the community, I thought for sure I’d be on the list, which was filled with many of my peers. It wasn’t my time, I suppose, but I proudly cheered on the other honorees.

And I have received more than a few messages from community members just asking why they were not honored this year. I empathize with them -- which is why I always share what our process looks like, so they aren’t spending the next year wondering if they were left out for this reason or that. The reasons are different for everyone, but like I remind them, we hope to do this for many years to come, so if someone didn’t get selected this year, they may very well be on our minds for next year.

Also, in these first few years, we aren’t going to do any repeats, so that we can honor as many as possible. If someone was honored last year and you’re wondering why that fabulous person isn’t on the list this year, that’s exactly why – they’ve already been honored for their fabulousness.

Don’t forget about the previous year’s honorees!

Rick and I take the responsibility that we’ve created for ourselves with the Hillcrest Honors very seriously. We want to make our community the best it can be and celebrate all the people and places that are so great about it.

We are so lucky to be in a space where a large portion of our community respects and trusts us enough to coordinate this program (and the many other activities we host throughout the year), and we find it to be something of value to Hillcrest.

We are not going to let the few folks who had poor things to say about our efforts hold us back, and we’ve done what we personally need to do to remove their energy from our lives (be it blocking on social media, or cutting them out of our social circles). But it is a reminder to everyone that behind every community effort, there’s usually just a small group of people who work very hard, for no compensation, because they care.

Keep that in mind the next time you have criticism!

Congrats to all of this year’s honorees, who will be listed in next month’s edition, and a celebratory event will be held on Monday, Feb. 5, for honorees and their guests. Invited attendees will receive information about the party via email in the next week.

–Benny Cartwright is a longtime activist and community leader.

Reach him at community@ lgbtqsd.news. Follow him on Instagram @BennyC80 ▼

Support our paper by donating at LGBTQSD.news

LGBTQSD.NEWS

COMMUNITY VOICES / NEWS

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

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Announcing 2024 & 2025 LGBTQA+ Project

I am excited to announce some LGBTQA+ community projects for 2024 and 2025!

Pride in our local heroes As many of you know, 2024 is the 50th anniversary of San Diego’s Pride March/Parade. In 1974, we were denied a permit but marched anyway and in 1975 after attorney Tom Homann and the ACLU threatened to sue the City and Police Department, we were issued a parade permit.

FROM COVER

D3 RACE

Atkins, Todd Gloria, Chris Ward, and Stephen Whitburn.

Whitburn faces two challengers from his own party this term, democrats Kate Callen and Coleen Cusack, and one republican, Ellis California Jones Get a look at all the candidates The first candidate’s forum for District 3 will be held Feb. 19, from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Bankers Hill Clubhouse, located at 3030 Front St. All candidates have confirmed their attendance and participation and voters are welcome and encouraged to participate (you do not have to live in Bankers Hill to attend).

Sponsored by the Bankers Hill Community Group (BHCG), the event will start with each candidate giving opening remarks, followed by a question and answer session.

Questions will be taken live from the audience and each candidate will be allowed time to respond. The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters of San Diego (LWVSD).

In addition to the in-person forum on Feb. 19, the LWVSD will be live streaming the event on their YouTube channel and then saving and posting the recording for those who are unable to attend but would like to watch at a later time. To tune in live or watch later, visit bit.ly/41RnhZK. BHCG is the residential community organization for the

So, in celebration of our community’s 50th anniversary of Pride, the GLBTQ Historic Task Force and the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) are teaming up for a historic project.

If you have ever been in Hillcrest, you have for some years seen the banners hanging from lamp posts featuring national LGBTQ heroes, actors, singers, and activists. Well, this year, we will be changing those banners to include LGBTQA+ San Diego heroes, leaders, and activists, including individuals that helped build and bring the community together.

The GLBTQ Historic Task Force and the HBA will soon be making public the nomination process where anyone or any organization, business, or group can nominate someone to be honored with a banner (see the example of LGBTQ hero Chris Shaw spotlighted on this page).

An official selection committee will also be named.

Hillcrest Holiday Parade There are also discussions going on about a possible “Hillcrest Holiday Parade” with the lighting of a huge Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah.

Other neighborhoods and communities have holiday parades, so why can’t Hillcrest?!

Induction ceremony The GLBTQ Historic Task Force will also join the San Diego LGBT Community Center this year for the 2024 inductions to the San Diego LGBTQA Wall of Honor at The Center.

More information to come.

Airport LGBTQ visibility project The GLBTQ Historic Task Force is applying for a 2025 LGBTQ Historic Exhibit at the San Diego International Airport celebrating our community and its art, culture, and history.

We are already talking to airport officials and will be presenting a model of our LGBTQ historic exhibit and cultural/arts presentation this year. Wellknown and respected gallerist Patric Stillman (The Studio Door) will head up the proposed arts/ cultural exhibition.

A special thank you to state commissioner Robert Gleason (former board chair, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority) for his advice on this proposed LGBTQA+ community Pride airport exhibit.

Keep and eye on this column and LGBTQ San Diego County News for additional updates on these exciting projects.

Bankers Hill neighborhood and they meet monthly at the Clubhouse. Their annual January meeting is in a roundtable format, and there will be nine separate tables with specific topics discussed and moderators at each table. To learn more about BHCG and the topics for January’s format, visit bankershill.org.

In other city council races: Including District 3, five of the nine San Diego City Council seats are in the running this year, with another seat set for a special election. The physical makeup of these races has changed drastically in the last month, with many challengers failing to qualify for the ballot by the December deadline.

District 1 – Joe LaCava (D, incumbent), was originally challenged by Anthony Olmo, but Olmo failed to get enough signatures, so LaCava is now running unopposed.

District 4 - since Monica Montgomery Steppe (D) won her County Supervisor District 4 seat in November, a special election will be held March 3 to fill her city council seat.

The race has narrowed since the December deadline, and final candidates for the seat are as follows: Henry Foster III (Montgomery Steppe’s current chief of staff); Tylisa Suseberry (a legislative staffer), and Chida Warren-Darby (director of appointments and board commissions under Mayor Gloria).

District 5 – incumbent Marni Von Wilpert (D) will run unopposed as her

initial challenger (Brittany Nauck) failed to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

District 7 -- Raul Campillo (D, incumbent) is unopposed in his district.

District 9 – Incumbent Sean Elo-Rivera (D) is being challenged by Terry Hoskins (D) who is retired from both the military and police force; and Fernando Garcia (I) a business owner.

Other local races to watch with LGBTQ members: Mayor Todd Gloria has four challengers – two independents, one democrat and one republican.

Larry Turner (Independent, community relations officer for the San Diego Police Department); Genevieve JonesWright (Democrat, executive director of Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance); Jane Glasson (Republican, special education assistant); and, Dan Smiechowski (Independent, real estate professional).

Former mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) is running against Terra Lawson-Remer for County Supervisor District 3. Lawson-Remer, a member of the LGBTQ community, is a Democrat and is in her first term.

Former city councilmember and conservative talk radio host Carl DeMaio (R) has once again thrown his hat in the ring, this time for the 75th district of California’s State Assembly. He is running to take over fellow republican Marie Waldron’s seat, who is termed out. DeMaio, who is also LGBTQ, previously ran for San Diego mayor and then for

The San Diego Airport is going through an extensive overhaul and part of the plans include an homage to San Diego’s LGBTQ community. (Courtesy Hillcrest Honors)

–Nicole Murray Ramirez is a lifelong Latino and LGBT activist and advocate, a longtime city commissioner, and is the Queen Mother of the International Imperial Court of the Americas. He can be reached at nicolemrsd1@gmail.com ▼

Above (l to r) Coleen Cusack, Ellis California Jones. Below (l to r) Kate Callen, San Diego City Council districts.

congress on two occasions, but was unsuccessful.

Get out and vote The primary is set for Tuesday, March 5 and ballots will be in the mail Feb. 4. Take note -- this is the California state primary election – it has been moved up from June (where it was held for more than half a century) and will include the presidential candidates.

If you have not registered to vote, you need to do so at least 15 days prior to the election to be eligible. If you are already registered but have moved or

changed your name, etc., it is important you check your registration status and update it if it is not accurate.

To learn more about these and other races on the primary ballot, to register to vote, or to check your voter registration status, visit the San Diego Registrar of Voters at sdvote.com. Do it today.

—Morgan M. Hurley can be reached at editor@lgbtqsd.news ▼.

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

THEATRE | PUZZLE

LGBTQSD.NEWS

Q-PUZZLE

How I lost my Broadway cherry

from qsyndicate.com

Theatre Review Chris Barone

Editor’s Note: While many of you may already know Chris, we’ve asked him, as our new theater reviewer, to tell our readers a little about himself and his connection to the theater. We are excited to have him on board and hope you enjoy his monthly musings.

My lifelong love of theater actually started from watching the musicals I’d see on television when I was a young kid.

Watching “The Wizard of Oz” is one of my earliest childhood memories. I’d wait all year long for the annual showing on TV. I remember that we’d always order pizza, make popcorn and I’d have friends sleep over. We would create a whole event out of watching it. That night was always a big deal at my house.

As I got older, I discovered more and more movie musicals that I adored – “Grease,” “Victor Victoria,” “Xanadu,” “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (DOLLY!), “The Sound of Music” and “Annie” (especially Carol

Chris is an avid New York Yankees fan.

(Photos courtesy Chris Barone)

Burnett’s Miss Hannigan!) – were some of my favorites. This was back in the day when you weren’t able to watch movies whenever you want, like we can today.

Every week, I’d obsessively scour the TV Guide to see if any of my favorite movies were going to be on. You can only imagine my excitement when we got our first VCR! I knew I wanted to perform like the people I saw in the movies and couldn’t wait to be onstage. I was so excited to get to 6th grade so I could be involved with the school district’s theater program. I remember being so disappointed when they did “Grease” the year before I was able to try out, but that made me more determined. I came from a small town but the drama club was a big deal and I needed to be a part of it.

When I was finally able, the first show I was ever in was “The Wiz,” all the way back in 1983.

I was 11 years old and played Mouse #2 – on roller-skates! I had exactly one line: “Yeah, that’s what they all say!”

I’ll never forget that experience for as long as I live.

Chris Barone, a native New Yorker, has loved the theater since he was a child.

I remained active in The Troupe, our drama club, through the entire time I was in school. I think I was onstage for over 20 productions over those years.

Growing up, we had an amazing theater (Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady, New York) about 20 minutes away from where I lived, so I saw lots of touring companies when they would come to town. Every single time, my Mom would either take me or give me money for a ticket; she has always supported my love of theater. It wouldn’t be until Sept. 10, 1988, the day after my 17th birthday, that I would go to Broadway for the very first time.

My first show in NYC on the “gay white way” was the original production of “Les Misérables.”

I guess I can say that I lost my Broadway cherry to Jean Valjean.

For months, I would listen to my cassette tape of “Les Mis” when I went to bed, dreaming of the day I would finally get to see the show. My brother still jokes that he can sing every word to “Les Mis” because he heard it every single night. That day changed my life and will forever live in my mind.

I was able to get involved in theater again while I was in college with a theatrical internship in the district where I had actually attended school.

That opportunity eventually led to a paid position as co-director of the district’s theater program, which I did for close to 10 years before moving to San Diego.

During that time, I was also the co-founder and director/actor with Dramaworks, a summer theater program for children.

This was where I got to play my all time favorite role – Snoopy in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!” Those were some very memorable years and work I am still proud of today.

I also had a full circle moment that’s a great memory. Through a friend I had met through work, I was given an amazing opportunity to work backstage at Proctor’s Theater, the same place where I’d been going to for years and seen countless shows. When the touring companies would come to town, I’d go and work with the wardrobe department for the week or so of the run. I got a chance to work behind the scenes and it was highly enjoyable.

Those were experiences that I loved and boy, could I tell you some backstage stories!

In addition to enjoying our local theater scene here in San Diego, I look forward to my

annual NYC trips to check out the whole Broadway season.

Since The Tonys are my Super Bowl, I need to be knowledgeable about the happenings on the playing field. As in the same way sports fans collect cards, some of my prized possessions are the boxes I have filled with Playbills from every show I have seen on Broadway over the past 35+ years.

To keep folks going to the theater, I created an event that has been super successful. Over the years, many of you may have joined us for one of our Betty Does Broadway trips, which I created through my workplace, Baja Betty’s. We’ve seen dozens of shows and promoted a love of theater and community. For the past two years, I’ve even taken two large groups to NYC to enjoy a few days of Broadway. I enjoy sharing my experience of the theater with others and hope it makes them feel as good as it does for me.

I have discovered that the theater is my escape. Sitting in a theater is my happy place. I’m at home. I feel like I can turn off the world and be completely present in what’s happening on the stage.

As far as writing for the LGBTQ San Diego County News, I’m not a critic and I won’t pretend to be. I’m an avid, enthusiastic, observer of what is happening on the stage in front of me. Theater is about feeling and all I can do is share what I’m feeling. Whether it’s a local theater production, a road company or Broadway, I’m just a lover of theater. I know what I like and whether you agree with me or not, that’s ok.

Mostly, I invite our readers to support theater in San Diego and the importance of the arts. I will always look for the positive instead of focusing on the negative. I’ve seen several shows that were frowned upon by critics but were productions that I personally loved. I know what I like and I invite you to like what you like. You’ve heard about opinions being like a**holes; everyone has one.

Anyhoo, as the saying goes, “the show must go on.” I hope that you’ll enjoy going on this journey with me. See you at the theater!

–Chris Barone is an avid theater enthusiast and community advocate. You can reach him at christopher5409@ yahoo.com. ▼

Words for a Combative Society ACROSS

DOWN

1 They poke around in leather

1 Muscle man Arnold’s

5 Comic pianist Victor 10 Breaks for Heather’s mommies 14 Hot stuff 15 “End of” tail 16 Current Amsterdam currency 17 “___ take arms against a sea of troubles” 18 Type of daddy 19 Where the last ferry leaves 20 Start of a Sandra Day O’Connor quote 23 Tecumseh’s people 24 Straight man for the Marx Brothers 27 “Twelfth Night” quintet 28 Good deal at Barneys 30 Snow White’s dwarfs, e.g.

33 More of the quote 34 Guinness of “The Lavender Hill Mob” 35 Boston cager, for short 36 It takes balls to make them in the NFL 37 More of the quote 42 Sked info 43 Oral attention getter 44 Jodie Foster and Larry Kramer, to Yale 48 Cut 50 Mark of misconduct 52 End of the quote 55 Opera villain, usually 58 “The Children’s ___” 59 “Six Feet Under” character 60 One coming from Uranus, e.g.

61 Christmas threesome 62 Carbon compound 63 Follows up on a kiss?

64 “Lord High Everything ___” 65 Say, “We’re just friends …” perhaps

middle name 2 Valued at 3 Loads of 4 “60 Minutes” symbol 5 Angela who played Tina Turner 6 Burdens of proof 7 “Final answer?” asker 8 Snatch 9 Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye ___” 10 IRA, e.g.

11 Muffler or mirror 12 Stick your nose in 13 A Chicago nine 21 “___ Upon a Mattress” 22 Pound of verse 25 Like a Piper in a fairy tale 26 Change for a five 28 Ill humor 29 Wine region of Michelangelo’s land 30 Cut 31 Creme de la creme 32 Pansy part 33 Arrears 35 Dollar divs.

38 Side to side, me on top, etc.

39 Takes advantage of 40 Dick, for one 41 Collected bit by bit 45 Like the Fab Five 46 John or Berle 47 Rock’s ___ Dan 49 Ford lemon that was not fruitful 50 AZT, et al.

51 Bone-chilling 53 Quaint sigh 54 Score in “Bend It Like Beckham” 55 Club for swingers 56 Its head may be enjoyed orally 57 The S of RSVP SOLUTION on page 15

LGBTQSD.NEWS

JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

DINING

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Dining with Wine Country flair in Hillcrest The highly anticipated Cellar Hand restaurant is due to open soon in the University Avenue structure that previously housed Oscar Wilde’s Irish Pub. A complete redo of the interior and exterior has occurred to make way for a wine-centric culinary operation owned

by Pali Wine Co., which maintains a winery in the Central Coast. The family-run business also has a wine tasting room at 2130 India St. in Little Italy.

Cellar Hand’s menu will focus on wholesome cuisine that pays tribute to California’s central and northern wine regions. House-baked breads, grilled meats, fresh seafood and seasonal produce are all part of the equation. Pali’s full range of wines will also be available. This is the company’s first full-service restaurant, which is expected to open its doors in the coming month.

1440 University Ave., paliwineco.com

Emily Green Lake and husband Trevor Lake at their pizzeria (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Take-n-bake and a call to the drag community

Sisters Pizza in Hillcrest is rolling into 2024 with new culinary offerings as well as a search for a storytelling drag queen.

The LGBT-friendly pizzeria, owned and operated by Emily Green Lake and her husband Trevor Lake, is a popular destination for back-Eaststyle Italian fare, including pizzas sold whole and by the slice. Starting later this month it will offer uncooked, frozen pizzas that customers can bake at home.

“We’re also working on the logistics to ship our pizzas nationwide,” said Green Lake, noting that the frozen pies will measure 12 inches in diameter and be made available “in all of our signature styles.”

Also in the pipeline is the addition of Philadelphia-style cheese steaks to the menu plus a small retail section inside the eatery that will be devoted to grab-and-go soups, salads, sandwiches.

Prior to COVID-19, the eatery featured a drag storytelling hour every month. Green Lake wants to resume the event and is currently looking within the community for drag-queen prospects. In the meantime, Sisters will again be among the sponsors of the annual Red Dress Party held in October. (Last year it hosted the event’s official “recovery brunch” the day after.) 3603 Fourth Ave., 619-255-4200, sisterspizzasd.com

Attention Pastrami Lovers Our recent discovery of a pop-up business called The Pastrami Stand plays coincidentally into National The pastrami dip sandwich Pastrami Day, which is (Courtesy The Pastrami Stand) coming up on Jan. 14. But we’re not waiting until then The pastrami dip sandwich (Courtesy The to sink our choppers into the Pastrami Stand) brined, spiced brisket that owner Howard Solomon serves around San Diego County every week.

Solomon launched the business a few months ago after working as a hospitality consultant for the past 16 years. He sources the pastrami from a butcher in Los Angeles whose family has been in the meat business since 1958.

“Our butcher procures the meat, trims it, brines it, and smokes it—and we pick it up,” Solomon noted.

The stand appears regularly at the Poway Farmers Market on Saturdays; the Leucadia Farmers Market on Sundays; and the La Jolla Open Aire Market also on Sundays. In addition, it shows up at a different brewery every Sunday in the Miramar area. (The schedule is posted on their website.) And sometime after March, the business will begin taking part in the Thursday farmers markets in North Park and Scripps Ranch. thepastramistand.com

Raclette in traditional form (Courtesy Charcuterie and Truffle)

Swiss vibes in Little Italy If you’ve never experienced raclette before, the Little Italy Mercato (the neighborhood’s farmers market located at 600 W. Date St.) on Saturdays is your ticket to authenticity.

Raclette is a soft semistinky cow’s milk cheese that originated along the SwissFrench border more than a century ago. Popular throughout central Europe, wedges of the cheese are commonly skewered on metal devices and heated until they begin to melt, at which point the ooze is draped over cooked potatoes.

Paris-born Robin Miller of Charcuterie and Truffle presents the ritual from 8 am to 2 pm every week at the Mercato.

He imports the cheese from Switzerland and scrapes it over potatoes, along with chopped cornichons and a couple thin slices of prosciutto in what he calls “the Swiss bowl.” It sells for $16.

He also offers a signature “French sandwich,” which omits the potatoes in lieu of ciabatta bread. The cost is $15.

Breakfast sandwiches and bowls using raclette were recently added to the menu, and Miller notes that customers buying any item can opt for a squirt of imported truffle sauce for $2 extra.

Miller also pointed out that raclette sold occasionally in American stores “is really bad” – and not the real deal. charcuterieandtruffle.com

OpenTable recommends dining here. (Facebook)

Mission Valley welcomes Spill the Beans A third San Diego location of the popular coffee roaster, Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels, just opened in a newly-built spot adjacent to The Townsend apartment complex in Mission Valley.

The shop offers the same menu as those in the Gaslamp Quarter and Seaport Village, which means the availability of scratch-made bagels with an impressive choice of house-made cream cheeses.

Hearty breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal-fruit bowls are also in the offing.

Owned by the San Diego-based Verant Group (Barleymash, The Smoking Gun, and Tavern), the shops are also lauded for their robust drip coffee, Americano and cappuccino concoctions, and nitro cold brews on tap — all which have developed a devoted following by what the company humorously calls “pot heads.”

Spill the Beans opens daily at 6 am and operates until 7 pm Monday through Thursday and until 8 pm Friday through Sunday.

525 Camino de la Reina, spillthebeans.com.

The Lafayette Hotel to unveil more new venues Just when you thought renovations to the 77-year-old Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard hit their peak this summer, along comes a second wave of themed venues scheduled to open inside the 139-room property in the coming months.

Adding to the $31 million redo that was revealed in July will be Lulu’s Jungle Room, a supper-club of sorts that will feature a shell-shaped stage for live jazz performances. The menu has yet to be finalized, but the restaurant will offer a chef’s table and rum-focused drinks. It is slated to open by early February.

Then opening sometime in the middle of this year is Le Horse, which will deliver a finale of upscale European elegance. The restaurant aims to capture a 20th century fine-dining feel, reminiscent of chic hotels pioneered by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and acclaimed French chef Auguste Escoffier. Expect starched table linens, roving cocktail carts, and prime rib cut table side.

The arrival of Le Horse will mark the property’s seventh new food-anddrink establishment inside the hotel. 2223 El Cajon Blvd., 619-296-2101, lafayettehotelsd.com.

–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic, called, “The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at frank.sabatini92108@gmail.com

A sneak peak at Lulu’s Jungle Room at The Lafayette Hotel (Courtesy CH Projects)

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Crime and Court Blotter

by Neal Putnam Editor’s Note: This new segment will bring you updates on crime stories that have already run, or include short snippets of crimes that have taken place regarding someone within our community which do not require a full story. We will include links back to original stories if we covered them previously, so you can catch up if necessary.

40-year-old homicide determined A jury has acquitted a Texas man of murder in the death of a gay man 40 years ago in a case La Mesa Police and prosecutors said was solved through DNA. James Mitchell Boget, now 68, was released from jail by El Cajon Superior Court Judge John Thompson, as he was only being held on the homicide of William Mambro, 43, who was found dead on Dec. 28, 1983.

“It was very surprising. It was odd,” said Deputy District Attorney Brian Erickson, who had asked jurors to convict Boget of either first or second-degree murder.

Mambro had been found stabbed in his chest and abdomen, which injured his liver, and he also appeared to have been strangled, according to his 1983 autopsy report. He also had defense wounds on his hands that suggested he tried to fight back, and he was found unclothed.

Deputy DA Erickson said police found two cigarette butts near Mambro’s body that contained Boget’s DNA. Additionally, Erickson said Boget was in possession of three Buffalo Head nickels from 1936 and 1937 and Asian coins, all from Mambro’s coin collection when he was questioned.

“The jury said they needed more [evidence]. A lot of witnesses had [since] died,” said the prosecutor.

Numerous attempts to reach Boget’s attorney, Madeleine Garber, were made, and she did not return a message seeking comment. Garber did ask jurors to acquit Boget, who did not testify.

Boget did have an alibi for the time of the homicide, according to his attorney, but the people he was with have since died, his attorney told the jury.

La Mesa Police held a press conference on Dec. 16, 2019, to announce Boget’s arrest in San Antonio, Texas, in solving the cold case homicide. When the DNA from the cigarette butts matched Boget’s profile, it was because his profile was in the system as he had committed another crime.

To read the full story of James Mitchell Boget’s arrest for the murder of Mambro, see “66-YearOld Suspect Held to Answer in 1983 Gay Homicide ‘Can DNA survive for 38 years?’” online bit. ly/48j9UUz.

Obituaries

reminds us to “love each other,” because life goes by too fast.

On Dec. 31, MCC Senior Pastor Dan Koeshall dedicated communion “in the memory of Lyn Malone.”

“We have received a great loss in the death of Lyn Malone,” said choir director Armond Washington, adding that Lyn was now “another MCC angel.”

San Diego MCC is located at 2633 Denver St., in the Bay Park area of San Diego.

For more information, visit themetchurch.org.

Lyn Malone, longtime MCC staffer Memorial services are set for Saturday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m., for Lyn Malone, 84, a longtime worker at San Diego’s Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), who died Dec. 25 of pneumonia in a hospital.

Lyn served in many roles at the church for decades as the former minister of Congregational Care, deacon, communion server, reader, usher coordinator, prayer partner, and office volunteer. She also led the new members class and occasionally preached.

Lyn is survived by her partner of 38 years, Patti Kennedy, and her family and friends. Patti thanks everyone for their love, prayers and friendship and she

Robert Lee Cox, co-owner Bacchus House Bar & Nightclub (1965-2003) “

LGBTQSD.NEWS

CRIME | OBITS Point Loma Nazarene Pastor loses appeal and says goodbye A Nazarene pastor said goodbye to his Point Loma congregation after he lost his license to preach and his appeal to a Church of the Nazarene board was denied on Nov. 20.

Two standing ovations were given to the Rev. Dee Kelley III on Nov. 26, during an emotional service at First Church of the Nazarene, which is located on the Point Loma Nazarene University campus.

“God loves you and I love you,” Kelley said to his congregation, where he was the pastor for 17 years.

Kelley, who is a straight ally of the LGBTQ community and in his 60s, was convicted Aug. 14 by a church jury of being “out of harmony” with the Nazarene manual regarding support of same-sex marriage, as same-sex relationships are considered sinful.

Kelley wrote a three-page essay in the book, “Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming,” in which 89 other writers – including former pastors and others – wrote essays.

The book’s publisher, Thomas Jay Oord, is a Nazarene minister, and the denomination has since filed charges against him, also seeking to revoke his license in 2024, which will be the second church trial related to the book.

Kelley’s appearance at First Church on Nov. 26 drew a sharp rebuke from Southern California District Superintendent Tom Taylor, who sent out notices saying “Rev. Kelley is not a minister in good standing and did

not receive the required approval to preach at the Nov. 26 service.”

Taylor wrote that Kelley “has forfeited his right to further appeal” because of “his refusal to suspend all ministerial activity as required.”

Kelley responded by saying the district-appointed senior interim pastor asked him to say some words of farewell to the congregation. Two pastors presided over the service, and Kelley said he was not preaching.

He added he did not pray, lead worship, or read Scripture other than passages he remembered in his farewell.

On Dec. 5, Kelley filed an appeal to the denomination’s six general superintendents. A member of the church board said on Dec. 11 they have asked Kelly to stay on as an administrator.

Kelley said he only wrote the essay to spark a dialogue about same-sex marriage within the church and get people to think about it.

Earlier in the Nov. 26 service, Kelley said, “I look out at this sea of faces. I see the wonderful diversity we have. I love that about this place.

“I know that church has not always been a safe place for all people at all times. I’m sorry about that,” Kelley said.

In Kelley’s appeal, he wrote about the challenges within the church.

“Oh, how I wish they would know we are Christians by our love. Instead I think they have come to know we are Christians by our judgements,” he wrote.

When Kelley’s appeal was denied, many supporters wrote, “I Stand with Rev. Dee Kelley” on their Facebook pages. There are hundreds of angry Nazarenes commenting on Facebook

Robi” Cox, age 58, passed away on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

Robi was born on June 28, 1965, in Atlanta, GA, son of Agetha G. Cole and the late William T. Cox, Sr. Robi was educated in the Gwinnett County School System and became a true entrepreneur.

He has lived in Atlanta, GA, Rome, GA, and San Diego, CA, where he achieved his dream of owning his own bar- Bacchus House. Robi enjoyed traveling the world and experiencing many cultures.

Survivors include his mother, Agetha Cole, of Rome, GA; his brother, William T. Cox Jr. “Tee”; many aunts and uncles; nieces and nephews; and his former longtime partner, Dr. Greg Scott, of Las Vegas, NV. A graveside service was held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at Oaknoll Memorial Gardens, Rome, GA. His best friend, Doni Reese, officiated the service.

Funeral arrangements were under the care of Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, Oaknoll Chapel.

regarding Kelley’s treatment by the church.

“I’m at a bit of a loss on how anyone can say it was a correct decision, when a congregation of about 200 people gathered on Sunday, and lament filled the room,” wrote Lainie Alfaro, the former editor of The Point, the student newspaper at PLNU. “The auditorium was packed, and it was all supportive of Dee,” said First Church Board member Dean Nelson. “But it was so sad because Dee had been taken away from us for no rational reason.”

The church board has allowed Kelley and his wife to remain at the Nazarene parsonage in Point Loma for now.

Kelley’s trial was “like a bad Perry Mason episode, except this isn’t fiction – it’s stranger than fiction,” Nelson continued.

District Superintendent Taylor served at times like a judge in the trial and Nelson described him as “a bully.” Taylor, a former Nazarene pastor himself, has announced he will be retiring in May, 2024. He could not be reached for comment.

“Everybody loves Dee,” Nelson said. “Which makes it all that more mystifying that Tom [Taylor] would object so much to a man who is so Christ-like. It’s like a purge of anyone who thinks independently.”

To read the full story of Pastor Kelley’s fall from grace within the Lutheran church simply because he was an LGBTQ ally, pick up our September 2023 newspaper, Vol. 4, Issue 23, and read “Demonizing what he preaches,” or find it online bit.ly/47rfMK1.

–Neal Putnam is a local reporter. You can reach him at nealputnam@gmail.com ▼

LGBTQSD.NEWS

SECTION

FROM PAGE 5

BRIEFS

the vital medications needed to manage their addiction. AB 663 removes the previous obstacles to opioid treatment and allows pharmacies to establish mobile pharmacies and mobile access to medications. Those suffering from opioid addiction will also have options to enter treatment or take part in other recovery services. To read more, visit bit.ly/3RSbXYq. For a more complete list of the new laws, visit bit.ly/3tJ7CyL. HBA OFFERS ‘FABULOUS HILLCREST ANNUAL PASS’ The Hillcrest Business Association is looking for ways to get you more involved in Hillcrest events while trying to save you money at the same time.

As a result, they’re offering the “Fabulous Hillcrest Annual Pass” for a limited time, which comes as a special laminated card with its own lanyard. For just $100, the pass – which is good all year – gets you 20% off general admission for each big HBA event in 2024, which basically gives you a free event if you attend them all.

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JANUARY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 31

Pass holders will also get special discounts at every HBA “bar” at these main events, including the bars at CityFest and HBA’s other free events throughout the year.

Events for 2024 are currently scheduled as follows: Taste of Hillcrest | April 13; Sunday Funday | April 21, May 19, June 16 (free HBA event, bar discounts apply); Pride Block Party | July 19; CityFest | Aug. 18 (free HBA event, bar discounts apply); Nightmare on Normal Street | Oct. 26; Taste ‘n’ Tinis | Dec. 12; and Walk in ART | first Thursday each month (free HBA event, bar discounts apply).

To purchase your tickets or learn more, visit bit.ly/48p9RXg.h ▼

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Deep Inside Hollywood

By Romeo San Vicente JLo in “Spider Woman ”

Jennifer Lopez will star in the new musical feature film “Kiss of the Spider Woman” from gay director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “Beauty and The Beast”), in what is the next step in a long journey from its original incarnation as a novel. Manuel Puig’s book was turned into an Academy Award-winning 1985 film starring Raul Julia and William Hurt (who won the Oscar for Best Actor), and then a 1992 Tony Award-winning musical with songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb. This new film will take its cues from that production and Lopez will play Aurora, originated on stage by Chita Rivera. For those of you just joining the property’s ongoing life, it’s the complex story of two cellmates in a Brazilian prison, one hetero and one queer, and the latter’s attempts to soothe his straight mate with narrated plotlines from a favorite romantic movie.

No other cast – including the two lead characters -- has been announced, but with a planned spring start in front of the cameras, that should happen quickly enough. Begin your fantasy roster picks!

Abbi Jacobson moves into “No Good Deed”

There was a particular kind of cruel media injustice visited on the wonderful TV adaptation of “A League of Their Own,” starring “Broad City” creator Abbi Jacobson. Canceled abruptly, mid-narrative, thanks to wicked corporate decisions, we’ll miss it and are still angry about it.

But we’re happy to announce that the queer star has landed in a new comedy from lesbian creator Liz Feldman (“Dead to Me”) called “No Good Deed.”

Starring Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson and Teyonah Parris, the eight-episode comedy centers on the terrifying world of real estate and the exquisite torture of buying a home, as various people look to buy the same property.

Among them is Jacobson’s character, who’s looking to buy the house for herself and her wife (Poppy Liu, “Hacks”).

Everyone has motives, secrets, dreams, and money trouble (because it’s about buying a home in prohibitively expensive Los Angeles, for starters) and as we all know anxiety is the basis of good comedy. Flip from HGTV to Netflix when this one drops sometime in 2024.

One to watch: “You’re Dating a Narcissist!”

Up-and-coming bisexual actor Sherry Cola left her comic imprint all over the 2023 films “Joy Ride” and “Shortcomings,” (both streaming now, go enjoy them) and is poised to become a name your household knows when she teams up with Marisa Tomei in the rom-com “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” alongside Ciara Bravo (“Cherry”).

Tomei will play a psychologist on a road trip to visit her daughter (Bravo) in order to

talk her out of marrying a man she thinks is toxic. Also known as parental meddling. The therapist’s best pal (Cola) is along for the ride and who knows what else. It’s from the writing team of Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly (both of whom worked on the funny indie feature “Golden Arm”) and Allison’s directorial debut. No word yet on when to expect this one – we’ll be scouting film festival schedules when the time comes – but we’re thrilled to see Sherry Cola’s career trajectory aiming up to new queer heights.

For the love of Luther Vandross The great Luther Vandross died at age 54, after a solid career building a pop/R&B body of work that will stand the test of time.

But while that career flourished over decades, his personal life was complicated in a time when coming out was considered too risky in the music business, a point confirmed by his friend Patti Labelle in a 2017 “Watch What Happens Live” segment.

Now a documentary film from producer Jamie Foxx and director Dawn Porter (“John Lewis: Good Trouble”) titled “Luther: Never Too Much,” will take its bow at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and explore the life and legacy of the beloved singer. Using archival material, Vandross will tell his own story alongside those who knew him: Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Nile Rodgers, and Roberta Flack. It’s a story of difficult love, career triumphs and, ultimately, health problems that took him from the world far too soon. This one’s going to be an emotional ride, and it’s already jumped into our must-see top spot for 2024.

And just like that … a George Santos movie

You knew a George Santos movie was coming. Every scandalous public figure is commemorated with their own ripped-from-the-headlines media content. And now that Santos has been expelled from Congress and Bowen Yang has made wonderful comedy as the bizarre queer conservative in sketches on “SNL,” a movie was as inevitable as former Trump administration lackeys turning up on “Dancing with the Stars.”

HBO Films has optioned the rights to Mark Chiusano’s new book, “The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos,” and will include “Veep” and “Succession” executive producer Frank Rich. In other words, the project is in the capable hands of creatives who know the insanity of politics and power. Now, who’ll play this wild man? We have an idea: Harvey Guillén from the FX vampire comedy “What We Do in the Shadows.” He’s here, he’s queer, he’s ready.

LGBTQSD.NEWS

The Back Page creepy “Maud.” Now we know that the film is set in the world of competitive bodybuilding and the body obsessions that can develop in that atmosphere.

Stewart plays a gym employee, queer rising star Katy O’Brian (“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania”) is a bisexual bodybuilder, and the rest of the supporting cast includes Dave Franco, Jena Malone, Ed Harris and Anna Baryshnikov.

Production wrapped in 2022 but distributor A24 held onto the title for the chance to let nolonger-striking actors and writers promote the release, which will now take place in 2024. Have a protein shake while you wait.

WNBA legend Sue Bird scores at Sundance

Women’s sports power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are about to be the toast of the Sundance Film Festival. Director Sarah Dowland’s documentary about Bird, “Sue Bird: In The Clutch,” hits the fest in January and explores the 21-year-long career of the basketball legend.

In that time she’s earned her place as the most successful point guard ever and won five Olympic gold medals along the way. The non-fiction film follows Bird as she prepares to take a step into the great unknown of retirement from the sport (and, let’s be honest, lots of potentially amazing opportunities for her second act) hand-in-hand with the delightfully outspoken Rapinoe. We’ll be looking for this one to drop into queer film festivals and a certain theatrical/ streaming distribution deal later in the year.

Queer ally Will Ferrell hits the road

Comedy writer Harper Steele was one of the people on “Saturday Night Live” you didn’t see. As a staff writer for 13 years (head writer for four of them), they collaborated with rising star Will Ferrell and, after Ferrell’s departure from the series, the pair remained close friends. Now Ferrell and Steele’s project, “Will & Harper,” directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”) is set to hit the Sundance film festival and it tells a story of friendship and transgender visibility.

After Steele came out as a trans woman, the two decided to document a cross-country road trip and explore the bonds that exist and are strengthened between queer people and their close non-queer friends, especially among older friends who may have spent decades settling into comfortable ways of being with each other. Keep your eyes out for this one as it finds

its way onto non-festival viewing platforms.

“Ponyboi” set for Sundance bow with Dylan O’Brien

The 2023 documentary “Every Body,” a welcome and necessary depiction of intersex people – a community within the queer world that gets very little attention -- and the ways their lives are challenged by the medical establishment throughout history, featured a forthright and charismatic young filmmaker named River Gallo.

Now, Gallo’s short film project “Ponyboi,” has been adapted as a narrative feature and is set to make its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Esteban Arango (“Blast Beat”) and written by Gallo, it’s the story of an intersex sex worker on the run from the mob and stars its creator alongside “Teen Wolf” star Dylan O’Brien, “White Lotus” star Murray Bartlett and “Pose” alum Indya Moore. No word on larger distribution yet, but the supporting cast’s relatively high profile should make that an easy bet. And in the meantime, “Every Body” is available to watch on all the major platforms, so go catch up.

Michelle Williams takes on death and ‘Sex’ The hit podcast from Wondery, “Dying for Sex,” is being developed as a limited series for FX by creators Liz Meriwether (“The Dropout”), Kim Rosenstock (“Only Murders in the Building”) and queer screenwriter Leslye Headland (“The Acolyte”).

It’s the true story of a woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, who then leaves her husband of 15 years on a journey of self-discovery that involves her identity and her sexuality.

Supported by her best friend, she explores the meaning of her body, her life and her death. For subject matter this complex, a marvelously talented Michelle Williams would be anyone’s choice, and happily for the project she has signed on for the lead role. It’s return to television after delivering one of the year’s great film performances in Kelly Reichardt’s quiet drama “Showing Up,” and a return to FX for after playing Gwen Verdon in “Fosse/Verdon.” No word yet on other cast or an air date, but this is one to keep on your radar.

‘Bottoms’ star Edebiri’s

‘Opus’

Young comic actor Ayo Edebiri might have won your heart for her Emmy-nominated performance on “The Bear,” but her queer icon status has already

been solidly confirmed by this summer’s raunchy, raucous, lesbian fight club comedy “Bottoms.” And for her next film she’ll appear alongside “Billions” star John Malkovich in the A24 horror film “Opus,” from firsttime feature writer-director Mark Anthony Green.

Queer support in the cast will come from Emmy winner Murray Bartlett (“The White Lotus”) in addition to Juliette Lewis (still in talks) and “Prey” star Amber Midthunder. All we know of the plot is that it involves a pop star who disappeared, only to reappear after decades, which sounds appropriately mysterious for the sort of left-field horror that tends to find its home at A24. Strike’s over, production schedules are gearing up again, and this one is still in its early stages, so don’t count on seeing it until at least late 2024, but in the meantime go catch up on her work and enjoy the beginning of the Ayo Era.

“Cats” is back and it’s giving ballroom

“Cats” was the toast of the musical theater world in the early 1980s, winning awards and breaking box office records with a show that nobody had ever dreamed of. And then it ran and ran and ran, became beloved, became a joke, and ultimately became a flop of a movie that became its own joke and meme-factory. That’s quite a journey. But it’s not done yet.

“Cats” is back for 2024, on stage where it began, in a bold new reimagined package. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” will take the bones of the original and amplify what queer audiences already got: the vogueing energy of it all.

Choreographed by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, and directed

by Zhailon Levingstone and Bill Rauch, the new take is set in the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1980s and ’90s and plans to give “immersive competition … club beats … and an edgy eleganza makeover that moves the action from junkyard to runway.”

In other words, subtext has become text and queerness has won. All you butch queens have about six months to get your lewk together for its New York run in June at the Perelman Arts Center.

–Romeo San Vicente is the go-to gay for accurate insider info when it comes to the stars – all of it queer-centric.

With previews of gay-related projects and breaking tidbits on Tinseltown happenings (and just a dash of gossip), Deep Inside Hollywood takes you deeper than you’ve ever been. Well, maybe. ▼

Kristen Stewart is going to weird out 2024 Way back in early 2022 we told you about a mystery project called “Love Lies Bleeding” coming from Kristen Stewart and “Saint Maud” filmmaker Rose Glass. The Elton John-referential title gave us no information beyond horror-adjacent associations with the rivetingly

Jennifer Lopez arrives for the PSIFF Awards Gala 2020 (Courtesy QSyndicate)

Kristen Stewart at the “Underwater” fan screening at the Alamo Drafthouse