San Francisco Bay Times - October 16, 2014

10 Go Giants!

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Sister Dana’s Guide to Halloween

Stuart and John on Marriage Equality

October 16-29, 2014 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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LGBT Trailblazer in Historic Oakland Mayoral Race

See page 3 for Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s new SF Bay Times column.

SmArT, eFFeCTive LeADerSHiP Vote with pride By noVeMBer 4

daVid Chiu

SCott wiener▼

ASSembly, DISTrIcT 17

SuPervISOr, DISTrIcT 8

Mark Farrell SuPerviSor, DiSTriCT 2

katy tang

SuPerviSor, DiSTriCT 4

Malia Cohen

Mark Murphy ▼ BoArD oF eDuCATion

SuPerviSor, DiSTriCT 10

CarMen Chu

ASSeSSor-reCorDer

niCk JoSeFowitz BArT BoArD

Carol kingSley

SuPerior CourT JuDGe

propoStion e CreATinG A HeALTHy SAn FrAnCiSCo

aMy BaCharaCh CiTy CoLLeGe

rodrigo SantoS CiTy CoLLeGe

thea SelBy

CiTy CoLLeGe

USe the FUll alice endorSementS below when yoU vote San FranciSco candidateS

board oF edUcation

Assessor-Recorder: Carmen Chu

Mark Murphy▼

Supervisor, District 2: Mark Farrell

city college board oF trUSteeS Amy Bacharach, 2-year seat Rodrigo Santos, 4-year seat

Supervisor, District 4: Katy Tang Supervisor, District 8: Scott Wiener▼ Supervisor, District 10: Malia Cohen Superior Court Judge, Office 20: Carol Kingsley BART Board, District 8: Nick Josefowitz

Thea Selby, 4-year seat

State candidateS

local ballot meaSUreS

Governor: Jerry Brown

YES

PROP A: Transportation Bond

YES

PROP 1: Water Bond

Lieutenant Governor: Gavin Newsom

YES

PROP B: Muni Funding

YES

PROP 2: Rainy Day Fund

YES

PROP C: Children’s Programs

YES

YES

PROP D: Retirement Benefits

PROP 45: Make Health Insurers Justify Rates

Treasurer: John Chiang

YES

PROP E: Creating a Healthy SF!

NO POSITION

PROP 46: No Position

Attorney General: Kamala Harris

YES

PROP F: Pier 70 Redevelopment

YES

PROP 47: Reform Sentencing

NO POSITION

PROP G: No Position

YES

NO

PROP H: Against Playgrounds

PROP 48: Approve Tribal Gaming Compromise

YES

PROP I: For Playgrounds

YES

PROP J: Raise Minimum Wage

YES

PROP K: Affordable Housing

NO

PROP L: Outdated Transit Policies

Secretary of State: Alex Padilla Controller: Betty Yee

aSSembly candidateS State Assembly, District 17:

Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones

David Chiu

Board of Equalization, District 2: Fiona Ma

State Assembly, District 19: Phil Ting

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tom Torlakson

▼ indicates that the candidate is LGBT

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Building Coalitions in San Francisco for Over 40 Years 2

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State ballot meaSUreS

Paid for by Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club PAC FPPC #842018.

Oakland’s Record-breaking Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan Continues to Amaze W hen members of our SF Bay Times team first met Rebecca Kaplan nearly a decade ago, we were extremely impressed. At the time, Kaplan was in her 30’s, yet she had the polished presence and wisdom of someone with many more years of experience behind her. Fast forward to the present and Kaplan, now in her second term as an Oakland Councilmember, is in an historic race that could make both local and national history.

Kaplan already is the first out lesbian ever to hold elected office in Oakland. She is one of the more senior members of the Oakland City Council, serving as both President Pro Tempore and Vice Chair of the Transportation Commission. Yet, she is also the youngest member of

the Oakland City Council. Should she win the upcoming mayoral race, Kaplan would become Oakland’s f irst openly LGBT mayor. This would also put her in the national spotlight, as she would be on a very short list of out LGBT women nationwide to hold public office, let alone to serve as mayor. (Openly gay Annise Parker is in her third term as mayor of Houston, Texas.)

LGBT voters in Oakland could be game changers in the tight race for Oakland mayor. The city has long had a sizeable LGBT population, and surveys report that it boasts more lesbians per capita than any other major American city. San Francisco’s housing crisis has only strengthened such numbers, given that many LGBT individuals and

nation in its own right. Earlier this month, for example, the American Planning Association declared that Uptown Oakland is one of America’s best neighborhoods. The city additionally features LGBT-focused groups, such as Oakland Pride, which continue to grow each year.

families have made the trek eastward after being Ellis Acted or otherwise priced out of San Francisco.

Oakland is also an attractive desti-

In the 1970’s, a similar set of population factors helped to elect Harvey Milk to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk even called himself The Mayor of Castro Street before winning his official seat in 1977. It will be interesting to see if Oakland’s diverse and ever-growing LGBT population will unite behind Kaplan both now, and later should she win the mayoral race.

We are proud to launch Kaplan’s new column in the SF Bay Times, providing a voice for East Bay issues as well as matters affecting our community as a whole. Dr. Betty Sullivan, co-publisher of the Bay Times and founder of “Betty’s List,” conducted a short interview with Kaplan at Oakland Pride four years ago (https://www.youtube.com/ watch? v=Q3K K M X T R Z A M ).

Kaplan amazed us then and she continues to do so now. Elections come and go, but Kaplan is proving that she is ready for the long haul and for all of the hard work that lies ahead in cutting through bureaucratic red tape to help solve some of the Bay Area’s most pressing challenges.

Almost There, Oakland “And despite the challenges we face, we have a grand opportunity to preserve that spirit, reclaim the beauty, and create the opportunity that is the city’s birthright and promise.”

Let’s Go, Oakland Rebecca Kaplan Gertrude Stein traveled home to Oakland in 1935 after a 40-year absence and famously said, “there is no there, there.” Her words spoke to her sense of loss that the orchards and fields of her childhood home were no longer there. Oakland is now undergoing changes no less dramatic.

Have you had a chance to visit our restaurants, walk in our parks, see a concert in town? There’s an undeniable energy in Oakland, born of our diversity and creativity and activist roots. That energy has attracted women since Gertrude Stein’s time and they, in turn, have shaped the culture and community.

And despite the challenges we face, we have a grand opportunity to preserve that spirit, reclaim the beauty, and create the opportunity that is the city’s birthright and promise.

It is Oakland’s deep commitment to gender, racial, economic, and social justice that both attracted out women and offers the LGBTQ community the chance to lead the way. We are in the age of marriage equality, but we cannot ignore the stifling issues facing our community—poverty, joblessness, violence, and despair. We must continue to demand more fairness for women, children, and the poor, and challenge ongoing injustices like incarceration and displacement. And with the highest per-capita ratio of lesbian households in the nation, we stand at a unique and powerful juncture.

We can choose to deepen ties with the communities we collectively represent and together make Oakland great.

giants in my run to be Oakland’s first out lesbian mayor.

From Jane Addams to Audre Lorde to Tammy Baldwin, our country’s history has a long line of artists, organizers, and activists that evoke social and economic justice not only for the LGBTQ community, but also for everyone. I stand on the shoulders of

Here’s t he bold v ision—and it requ i res st rong, stable leadership to get it done. Create 30,000 jobs and ensure job access for local residents. Enforce local hiring and local contracting requirements in city business and local recruitment of new police hires. Bring grocery and other retail stores into town and expand job training for local residents.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REBECCA KAPLAN

I will apply my extensive experience as a tenant’s rights attorney to build

the police force and the community reduces crime and reducing crime strengthens trust in each other and the city. I’ll restore neighborhood beats so that police are on foot and on bikes, interacting with and protecting the community they serve. policies and practices that protect people from being pushed out of the city because of skyrocketing costs. I am dedicated to protecting residents from wrongful evictions and foreclosures, and expanding housing for all income levels.

Oakland can be a city that is safe for everyone. We must build the relationship and ties between the police and the community. I know that strengthening trust between

We also need a fresh start. As President Pro Tem of the City Council, I secured funding for the Free Broadway Shuttle and the Uptown Bike Station. Public transportation and support of bike use matters in a bustling, thriving city. I have a plan to crackdown on illegal dumping that is plaguing many parts of our city.

We’ll fill potholes and deliver city services with efficiency and respect.

I’ve had the privilege of serving in leadership in Oakland as the citywide city councilmember, and am ready to take Oakland to the next level. We’re almost there, Oakland. The election on November 4th is a tremendous chance to do things right in the city that is the heart of the Bay Area.

Rebecca Kaplan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from MIT, earned a master’s degree in Urban & Environmental Policy from Tufts and a law degree from Stanford. She was a housing rights attorney before being elected to the AC Transit board. She’s an avid bicyclist, and a bible teacher with an upbringing in Orthodox Hebrew school.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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Round About – HRC Annual Dinner & Cleve’s Birthday Party Photos by Steven Underhill stevenunderhill.com Oh what a night! Saturday, October 11, was an evening to remember with two back-to-back events attended by LGBT community notables. Begin­ ning at the Westin St. Frances with the 30th A nnual HRC San Francisco Gala & Silent Auction, the evening continued with two post event parties, one at the St Francis’ fabulous 32nd level Imperial Floor and one celebrating Cleve Jones’ birthday at The Café night club in the Castro.

At the HRC Gala, keynote speakers were HRC president Chad Griffin and U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Featured guest speakers were Academy Awardwinning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, who gave a fiery speech, and activists Kris Perry & Sandy Stier.

Robert Hill, Director of HRC Mississippi, discussed the organization’s work in Mississippi and throughout the South, mentioning how much work still needs to be done in that part of the country.

Compelling video supported Hill’s call to action.

Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young made a surprise appearance as his wife Barb accepted the Ally for Equality Award.

Other award recipients included activist and civic leader Cecilia Chung, and the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Cleve’s Birthday Party

The San Francisco Bay Times sends special birthday wishes and appreciation for his historic leadership to Cleve Jones. Special thanks also go to the HRC Dinner Committee cochairs Cherie Green and Matt Hendry, and to HRC Board of Directors member Frank Woo.

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Equal Pay for Equal Work Is Long Overdue

Supervisor David Campos Despite passage more than 50 years ago of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires that men and women in the same work place be given equal pay for equal work, the “gender gap” in pay persists. Census data from 2011 shows that, on average, women still earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The pay gap is even greater for African-American and Latina women, with African-American women earning 64 cents and Latina women earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man.

Women comprise more than half of the labor force in the United States, making the consequences of wage discrimination extremely significant. In San Francisco, where we are experiencing an affordability crisis, women and families are having a harder time paying rent, securing quality healthcare, paying for childcare and saving for a rainy day or retirement. Eliminating wage discrimination is not only a matter of fairness, but it will also have real material impacts on women, families and society as a whole.

Yet again, San Francisco has the chance to lead the country in the area

of gender equality and workplace discrimination. I have introduced first of its kind legislation that is aimed at making equal pay for equal work a reality in hundreds of San Francisco workplaces. My legislation requires businesses that contract with the City to provide the Human Rights Commission with gender and race data.

The Commission can then proactively investigate whether pay inequity is happening without having to rely on individual worker complaints.

Additionally, the legislation contains consequences for contractors that are violating equal pay laws. If, after an investigation, the Human Rights Commission believes that d iscr iminat ion has occurred, the contractor can be required to pay monetary penalties and/or risk losing its contract with the City. This will make San Francisco the first governmental entity to attach consequences for a company’s failure to comply w it h equa l pay laws.

Photos courtesy of David Campos

Building a Coalition of Us-es

One major barrier to pay equity is the culture of secrecy around compensation in workplaces throughout this country. As a result, it is hard for anyone to determine whether they are victims of wage discrimination. A 2011 survey from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that about half of workers report that the discussion of wage and salary information is either discouraged, prohibited or could lead to punishment. So, in many cases, women just don’t know if inequality exists.

David Campos with Sister Roma and Cleve Jones

E qua l pay for equal work is long overdue. This is an opportunity to make meaningful change locally and influence the policy nationally.

David Campos is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 9. This column for the “SF Bay Times” was inspired by Harvey Milk’s efforts to build a coalition of what Milk termed

“us’es,” meaning communities that value diversity and attempt to leave no one behind. For more information about Supervisor Campos and his work, please visit http://www.sfbos. org/index.aspx?page=2117

Join us for another year of excitement!

www.outandequal.org

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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Many Boomers Must Work

Aging in Community Michael Costa These days Boomers, meaning those of us between 50 and 68, are feeling squeezed in ways we never expected.

Our mantra has always been, “I want to live!” and most of us have lived well, benefitting greatly from more than 60 years of a generally expanding economy and American global pre-eminence.

Now Boomers are feeling the impact of many changes in the world around us, some of our own making. As a group, we did not, or could not, save enough to fund the coming years. The situation is made worse because we will live longer than we, or any actuary, ever thought that we would. As a result, the mantra of many Boomers has changed to this: “I have to work!”

A recent Transamerica Retirement Survey found that 65% of Boomers are planning to work past 65 years of age, 63% because they have only “somewhat recovered” or “not yet begun to recover” from the Great Recession. In addition, more than a third of respondents (34%) felt that they could not afford to retire.

The implications for those of you who are employed may mean doing what you must to keep a current job, or to try to get a new one. For those who are not employed yet seeking work, it means competing with a younger workforce whose skill set may rightly or wrongly be seen as more current by hiring managers.

And then there is the issue of age.

From an employer’s perspective, workers over 50 can seem a risky investment, since it takes time for new hires to become productive, and most jobs these days require longer hours and often involve increased workloads. Older workers can be perceived by hiring managers as not in it for the long haul or “too pooped to pop,” even though the reality is that few workers of any age stay in one job or firm for long compared to 25 or 50 years ago, and older workers can have ample energy and stamina.

Should all of this lead to despair? Of course not! What is required to negotiate the employment minefield for an older worker involves self-ref lection, practicality and perseverance.

If you are over 50, employed, and want to keep your job, the obvious first step is to examine your own skill sets, expertise and job-based relationships, as well as the likely future of your employer, to determine any vulnerabilities. That means being honest with yourself about whether you need to update your skills and knowledge base, and whether your relationships function well. Being in good shape on these dimensions minimizes the chances of ending up seeking opportunities elsewhere.

If you are over 50 and want to change jobs or get a job, things are more complex. The same honest selfexamination is necessary, but will likely lead you to a narrower range of possibilities at the end of the analysis than when you started. This is a good thing. The more your desired job options relate to your actual background the better, because getting a job doing something you know and do well is more probable, all things considered, than getting a job doing something very different. Not many 60-year-olds get to be an astronaut, unless they already are one.

That’s not to say that someone cannot stretch into new jobs that involve using existing skills and expertise in

a new context. Usually that requires an awareness of the risks involved in making that stretch, and an understanding of one’s risk tolerance. Moving from a corporate job into an outside consulting role is a good example of moving from a lower to higher risk position. One should have a good understanding of the risks inherent in any shift in focus before making a leap.

One of the realities of being older, whether you have a job or not, is the desire to do something more exciting or meaningful than what you are doing now. That desire can accompany a feeling of having paid ones dues and now it’s time to have some fun, do something meaningful, and/or get out of a rut. That can lead to many exciting directions: moving from the for-profit to the non-profit sector to give back to society, starting your own business, or finally making the plunge into the wine industry where you may have always wanted to work.

Just make sure you look carefully before you leap. What may feel like the right thing at the outset could fail if you do not assess the potential outcomes well in advance. Unfortunately, 60-year-olds are usually not as resilient as 25-year-olds, unless they have a financial safety net somewhere. Being practical and realistic about job prospects is not a crime.

Those qualities can, in fact, help you to stay, or become, meaningfully employed. (continued on page 22) Dr. Marcy Adelman oversees the Aging in Community column. For her summary of current LGBT senior challenges and opportunities, please go to: sf baytimes.com/ challenges-and-opportunties

NLGJA Nor Cal Posthumously Honors Stu Smith music

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Sasha Waltz and Guests Impromptus

Photos Courtesy of Jim Oswald & Dave Earl

Set to Schubert’s shimmering Impromptus with music performed live

The National Association of Gay & Lesbian Journalists NorCal Chapter’s annual Fall Honors event recognized Stu Smith, SF Bay Times columnist and community philanthropist who passed away earlier this year. Accepting the award on behalf of Stu Smith was his partner Dave Earl, who attended the event escorted by Empress Donna Sachet.

“The movement is evocative and unselfconsciously original . . . Waltz has a sculptor’s eye.”

—The New York Times

Oct 24–25 ZELLERBACH HALL

Please note: This performance contains nudity.

calperformances.org 510.642.9988 6

Season Sponsor:

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National News Briefs Compiled and with commentary by Dennis McMillan

Juneau, AK - Alaska Will Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples - 10.13

Washington, D.C. - Prominent Washington-Area Rabbi Comes Out to Congregation - 10.13

Alaska will begin accepting marriage applications from same-sex couples after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage - the nation’s first such prohibition approved by voters.

Gil Steinlauf, the prominent rabbi at one of Washington, D.C.’s most distinguished synagogues, has come out as gay in an e-mail widely circulated throughout his congregation and republished in the Washington Post.

The decision caught many people off guard. No rallies were immediately planned, but some plaintiffs celebrated over drinks at an Anchorage bar.

Steinlauf came to the Adas Israel Congregation in 2008 and is recognized as having been influential in the organization’s efforts to court members of both the progressive and traditional Jewish communities. In 2012, Steinlauf officiated Adas Israel’s first same-sex marriage, an experience that he recounted in an article for The Jewish Journal entitled “The Queerness of Love: A Jewish Case for Same-Sex Marriage.”

Matthew Hamby, with his husband Christopher Shelden, was one of five couples to sue. Hamby said he was “elated” U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess sided with them, and he planned to be among the first in line to apply for a license.

Another couple, Susan Tow and her wife Chris Laborde, was among those who sought to overturn Alaska’s ban and celebrated the ruling.

“This is just an amazing day for Alaska,” Tow said. “We’re just so fortunate that so many have fought for equality for so long - I mean, decades.”

Alaska has a three-day waiting period between applications and marriage ceremonies.

Sunday’s ruling in Alaska came in a lawsuit brought by five gay couples who asked the state in May to overturn a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1998, the first such ban in the nation. The amendment defined marriage as being between one man and one woman.

The lawsuit sought to bar enforcement of the ban or any state laws that refuse to recognize gay marriages legally performed in other states and countries, or that prevent unmarried gay couples from marrying.

The judge heard arguments and released his 25-page decision. Burgess said the laws violated gay couples’ due process and equal protection rights.

In an email, the state said it would appeal Burgess’ ruling.

“As Alaska’s governor, I have a duty to defend and uphold the law and the Alaska Constitution,” Governor Sean Parnell said in a press release. “Although the district court today may have been bound by the recent Ninth Circuit panel opinion, the status of that opinion and the law in general in this area is in flux. I will defend our constitution.”

“Today, I am unfazed by the apparent biblical injunction against homosexuality as an ‘abomination,’” he wrote. “It is, in fact, the Jews’ queerness in the world that captures our particular Divine message to all humanity. Love is queer, and in recognizing this, we find its holiness, its Godliness.”

In the e-mail, Steinlauf described his lifelong struggle with accepting his homosexuality and spoke of the strength he found in his marriage to Batya Steinlauf, his wife and a fellow rabbi herself. The pair met as students at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and together they had three daughters. While their intentions to divorce are firm, they’ve decided to continue to live together for the time being.

“What we’ve had for 20 years is very real, and the last thing I’d want is for us to live a lie,” he said of his family.

Reactions to Steinlauf’s coming out have been supportive. Arnie Podgorsky, president of the synagogue, reached out to the congregation encouraging them to understand the couple’s decision.

“I have great respect for their ability to face changing circumstances in their lives with honesty and integrity,” he said in a letter. “We can all learn from their example.”

Well, all I can say is: Mazel tov, Rabbi! Which translates to both “Congratulations!” and “Good luck!”

Source: towleroad.com

Isn’t it amazing how people can claim to defend the constitution - while in reality they are doing just the opposite?!

Source: edgeonthenet.com Austin, TX - Texas AG Says Same-Sex Marriage Ban Reduces Out-OfWedlock Births - 10.13

Lexington, KY - Kentucky Human Rights Commission Dismantles Another Anti-Gay Religious Liberty Story - 10.8

NYC, NY - GOP Civil War: Huckabee Demands Republicans Oppose Marriage Equality - 10.12

Texas Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott says the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is in the state’s interest because it reduces “out-ofwedlock births.”

The Human Rights Commission in Lexington, Kentucky, dismissed the argument that a business could refuse to serve gay customers on First Amendment grounds, ending a years-long conservative campaign to disguise anti-gay discrimination as free speech.

Fox News host Mike Huckabee advised Republicans to “grow a spine” and oppose marriage equality, blasting court rulings overturning same-sex marriage bans as “the betrayal of our Constitution.”

In a brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Abbott says legalizing same-sex marriage would do little or nothing to encourage heterosexual couples to get married and have children.

In March of 2012, the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization of Lexington (GLSO) filed a complaint against Hands-On Originals, a t-shirt company that refused to print GLSO’s shirts for the Lexington Pride Festival celebration. GLSO argued that the company had violated the city’s Fairness Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

During an October 7 interview with the anti-gay American Family Association’s radio program, Huckabee said that he is “utterly exasperated with Republicans ... who have abdicated on this issue,” and warned that he might leave the Republican Party and become an independent if the GOP stops fighting marriage equality. The former governor of Arkansas is reportedly considering a run for president in 2016.

But, despite that assertion, Abbott tells the court he “is not required to show that recognizing same-sex marriage will undermine heterosexual marriage,” noting that “it is enough if one could rationally speculate that opposite-sex marriages will advance some state interest to a greater extent than same-sex marriages will.”

“First, Texas’s marriage laws are rationally related to the State’s interest in encouraging couples to produce new offspring, which are needed to ensure economic growth and the survival of the human race,” Abbott wrote.

“Second, Texas’s marriage laws are rationally related to the State’s interest in reducing unplanned out-of-wedlock births. By channeling procreative heterosexual intercourse into marriage, Texas’s marriage laws reduce unplanned out-of-wedlock births and the costs that those births impose on society. Recognizing same-sex marriage does not advance this interest because same-sex unions do not result in pregnancy.”

Abbott concedes that same-sex marriage might have some positive effects, such as providing a more stable environment for children raised by gay couples. But he said, it’s for the Legislature, not the courts, to decide whether to expand the right to marry.

Texas’ same-sex marriage ban was struck down by a federal judge last February, but the ruling has been on hold pending appeal.

Abbott, who is leading the fight against the ruling, said in a gubernatorial debate against Democrat Wendy Davis in Dallas last month that he opposes same-sex marriage because he’s been married to his wife for more than 33 years.

In the coming months, the 5th Circuit will consider cases from Louisiana and Texas.

The appeals court, which has jurisdiction over federal courts in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, is one of a handful of circuits that have yet ruled on the issue since the Supreme Court ruled last year that the federal government had to recognize marriages performed in states where gay marriage is legal.

Conservative media outlets rallied to the t-shirt company’s defense, accusing GLSO of trying to “ruin” a Christian business by forcing Hands-On Originals to promote a message it doesn’t agree with. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal group representing Hands-On Originals, similarly framed the dispute as a free speech issue, stating that “the Constitution prohibits the government from forcing business owners to promote messages they disagree with.”

On October 6, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission released its recommended ruling in the dispute, concluding that Hands-On Originals had violated the city’s ordinance. The decision roundly dismissed ADF’s “free speech” arguments: “The Respondent argues that Mr. Adamson’s objection to the printing of the t-shirt was not because of the sexual orientation of the members of the GLSO, but because of the Pride Festival’s advocacy of pride in being homosexual. Acceptance of the Respondent’s argument would allow a public accommodation to refuse service to an individual or group of individuals who hold and/or express pride in their status. This would have the absurd result of including persons with disabilities who openly and proudly display their disabilities in the Special Olympics…and persons of differing religions who express pride in their religious beliefs.

The Fairness Ordinance does not require the Respondent to display any message, and does not require the Respondent to print promotional items including t-shirts. The Fairness only mandates that if the Respondent operates a business as a public accommodation, it cannot discriminate against potential customers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Why in the world is Texas so terribly concerned about what goes on in their bedrooms?

The Commission’s decision makes clear that refusing to print a “gay pride” shirt isn’t just expressing disapproval of political message, it’s expressing disapproval of an entire class of people!

Source: lgbtqnation.com

Source: mediamatters.org

Local News Briefs San Francisco’s 9th Circuit Court Orders Two More States for Marriage Equality The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit entered an order on October 13 requiring the State of Idaho to permit same-sex couples to marry beginning on October 15. The court’s order came in response to a request by the plaintiff couples who successfully challenged Idaho’s marriage ban for an order allowing couples to marry as soon as possible.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the Ninth Circuit is by far the largest of the thirteen courts of appeals, with 29 active judgeships.

On October 7, the Ninth Circuit ruled 3-0 that Idaho’s ban on the freedom to marry for same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. Later that day, the Ninth Circuit ordered that its decision take effect immediately, which would have required Idaho to begin issuing marriage licenses the following morning.

On October 8, United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy temporarily stayed the Ninth Circuit’s decision in response to a request by State of Idaho officials to keep that decision from taking effect while the state officials either ask for further review of the case by a larger panel of Ninth Circuit judges or ask the Supreme Court to review the case. The Supreme Court rejected that request and cleared the way for the Ninth Circuit to enter an order allowing its decision to take effect.

“At long last, all Idaho families will enjoy the dignity, security, and protection that marriage provides,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon P. Minter. “We thank the brave plaintiff couples who had the courage to challenge these exclusionary laws and congratulate them on this historic victory.”

This victory is on top of the Ninth Circuit Court’s having invalidated Nevada’s marriage ban as well.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied review of five marriage equality cases, giving same-sex couples in eleven more states the freedom to marry. This decision impacts the Wyoming case, where four same-sex couples are seeking marriage equality. But Wyoming Governor Matt Mead is refusing to allow loving same-sex couples to marry.

Today, more states have marriage for same-sex couples than had interracial marriage in 1967, when the Supreme Court brought the country to national resolution in Loving v. Virginia.

Story by Dennis McMillan

Huckabee reiterated his criticism in the opening monologue of his October 11 Fox News show. Huckabee denounced the court decisions that led to same-sex marriage becoming legal in several more states, emphasizing that judges overruled “the collective votes of the people themselves” in a “betrayal of our Constitution.” He concluded that he is “utterly disgusted” with Republican governors and other officials that complied with the court orders overturning same-sex marriage bans.

Huckabee quotes Matt Staver of the Liberty Counsel and dean at the Liberty University School of Law: “Our constitutional make-up does not give the minority veto rights over the majority. The major political and social questions of our day have by constitutional design been given to the majority through the legislative process. Continually taking away the right of the majority to shape their culture will ultimately result in rebellion… oligarchy…or government of the few, and it results in tyranny.”

Huckabee continued that “the biggest issue is the betrayal of our Constitution and the surrender to a small group of unelected black-robed jurists who can’t make law, nor enforce it.”

“Now, if you believe that men should marry men and women should marry women, then get the people’s representatives to vote for it, the chief executive to sign it, and then have the courts agree with it,” Huckabee continued. “I’m utterly disgusted with fellow Republicans who want to walk away from the issue of judicial supremacy just because it’s politically volatile. Here is my advice: Grow a spine, show a modicum of knowledge about the way we govern ourselves, and lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way.”

Keep preaching against civil rights, Mike baby, and watch Repugnicans lose in a big way!

Source: mediamatters.org

LGBT Community Center to Tackle State of Affordable Housing for Queer San Franciscans The San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s LGBT Advisory Committee (LGBTAC) in partnership with the City’s LGBT Community Center will be hosting a public forum on LGBT Affordable Housing as part of the Center’s Annual LGBTQ Economic Justice Week.

This important forum will bring together community stakeholders, housing experts, and City representatives to facilitate public discourse surrounding the housing affordability crisis and its impact on the LGBTQ community in San Francisco.

The event will also feature information on the City’s below market rate (BMR) rental policy as well as how to access and participate in the City’s first-time and inclusionary homeownership programs.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Bevan Dufty, Director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships, and Engagement (HOPE) and Former District 8 Supervisor.

Confirmed panelists include: Jeff Buckley, Senior Advisor, Mayor’s Office; Kate Hartly, Deputy Director San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (SF MOHCD); Clair Farley, Associate Director of Economic Development, SF LGBT Community Center; Bill Hirsh, Executive Director, AIDS Legal Referral Panel; Oona Hanawalt & Alison Panko, SF LGBT couple fighting eviction; and Tommi Avicolli Mecca, LGBTQ Economic Justice and Housing Activist.

The public forum will take place on Monday, October 20 from 6 to 7:30pm at the LGBT Community Center located at 1800 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. The event is open to the public and free of charge.

The SF LGBT Community Center’s Bicoastal LGBTQ Economic Justice Week is an annual week long program this year occurring October 19 through October 25, entitled “Beyond Survival.” It is focused on creating a thriving LGBTQ community that has access to stable and equal employment, housing, healthcare, businesses, and beyond.

Part of Economic Justice Week is the “Kickoff Reception” at The Center, October 21, from 6 to 8pm, and “Town Hall - Why is Economic Justice an LGBTQ Issue?” on October 21 from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. Further information is available at lgbtqweek.sfcenter.org Story by Dennis McMillan S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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@Home in the Wine Country It’s still a great time to buy!

Real Estate and Design

Keeping It Local appear. As our economy constricted, there was a parallel reduction in new and experimental real estate business models. Most of the “non-traditional” versions of real estate brokerages did not survive, or actually re-invented themselves again—this time back towards a more traditional model.

Primary Residence Second Home Investment / Rental  Minutes to the Golden Gate   

Mark Penn

Toll free: 888-766-6622 Mark@HomeInTheWineCountry.com www.HomeInTheWineCountry.com

Real Estate

BRE# 01425244

10% of every commission donated to the Sonoma Humane Society

Mark Penn I’ve written several times about the benefits of using a real estate agent, and about the potential pitfalls of not using one. While a few sellers and even fewer buyers have had some success conducting their real estate business without the assistance of a professional’s services, it’s been proven that, by far, the knowledge and experience of an agent more than pays for itself in the final results, not to mention the lack of legal action!

But let’s take this a step further. As with many other facets of the business world, there has been some dabbling in what we might call “non-traditional” real estate companies, which don’t fit the mold that has formed around real estate service over the decades.

That’s generally OK; I think a healthy market changes, evolves, and produces models that might not have been previously seen or expected.

Some of those changes get traction, while others don’t and eventually dis-

Bridging Communities in the West and East Bay

America Foy

Taylor Sublett Realtor, CalBRE # 01776075

510.473.7775 | 510.542.2600

taylor.sublett@sothebysrealty.com

america.foy@sothebysrealty.com

Absol utely Fabulous Tours

B ook a W in e T our N ow!

LGBT Owned 100% customizable Group/Private Tours

707-320-8043 Serving the LGBT community and their allies sue@absolutelyfabuloustours.com www.absolutelyfabuloustours.com

America Foy and Taylor Sublett For those of you who have been living in a hole, mortgage interest rates over the past few years have been historically low.

Accord ing to w w w.mor tgage-x. com, the 30-year fixed interest rate for a mortgage was 7.5% in February of 1994. It was 9.25% in February of 1995. It was 8.5% in February of 2000. In February of 2013, it was 3.5%. Today the interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is about 4.5%.

The reason for rates being so low has everything to do with Quantitative Easing. So what exactly, gentle reader, is Quantitative Easing?

Investopedia def ines Quantitative Easing as: “An unconventional monetary policy in which a central bank purchases government securities or other securities from the market in order to lower interest rates and increase the money supply. Quantitative easing increases the money supply by flooding financial institutions with capital in an effort to promote increased lending and liquidity. Quantitative easing is considered when short-term interest rates are at or approaching zero, and does not involve the printing of new banknotes.”

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Then there is just plain old good service. One wonders, in this day of burgeoning multi-national corporations and mega-online presences, if a traditional model of “service” can possibly survive. Who, for instance, hasn’t had a completely frustrating experience with a large company’s so-called customer service department? And yet, in

In lay terms, the Federal Reserve Bank, which is a privately held company, has been buying a ton of U.S. Government Treasury bonds in order to free up cash so we the people can take advantage of the incredibly low interest rates, borrow money, and use it to buy things like houses.

Real Estate

These “remote” agents miss the boat, however, given their lack of local expertise. How can they provide you with services that are best tailored to what is happening in your own town or neighborhood, when they have little knowledge of your region and could be located hundreds of miles away? It also helps to have an agent who fits well with your personal needs and style, both of which are difficult to assess virtually.

While the out-of-town online brokerage can certainly handle paperwork and function adequately in the more mundane tasks involved in basic real estate matters, the fact is that’s just a tiny piece of the puzzle when it comes to critically important transactions.

How can an online “agent” sitting behind a computer monitor halfway across the country actually provide his/her client with service when it comes to knowing and marketing the unique qualities of a neighborhood, the particulars of local regulations and restrictions, or personal knowledge of recent local sales, to name just a few items? They can’t.

When it comes to the assistance of a professional in one of the biggest transactions most people ever make, there are some things that just don’t make sense or, in the long run, do not pay off when it comes to a less personal and more “bulk” style of serving a client. There is no substitute for an agent whose eyes you look directly into, who knows every niche of your market, and who will be there next to you when you go for your final signing at the title company. It’s simple: Work with a local agent. Your dream home won’t be virtually based, so your agent should not be either.

A Bay Area native, Mark Penn has been a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker since 2004. He is also active in animal welfare, and is a former educator, facilitator, and air traffic controller. Mark can be reached at mark@MyHomeInSonoma.com

Interesting Interest Rates and the End of QE

Realtor, CalBRE # 01360255

510.301.9569 | 510.542.2600

Now, predictably, as the real estate market returns to a semblance of normalcy, some of the “neo” versions of the real estate brokerage are popping up again. An example of these models is an “online” real estate brokerage, where the owner(s) do not invest in local brick and mortar offices. They may never have set foot in a geographic area where they market themselves to homebuyers and sellers.

real estate, personal and local service is what it’s all about.

The Federal Reserve Bank, which lends money to other banks and fixes the prime interest rate, has kept the rate that they loan other banks money incredibly low and supposedly will continue to do so. As a result, the banks have had a lot of money to lend at very low interest rates.

Hmmm, it begs the question: How does helping banks make more money improve the economy? It’s not one to answer in a pithy newspaper column, so we’ll instead turn our attention to interest rates and Quantitative Easing, and what those things mean to us as consumers.

The Federal Reserve put Quantitative Easing into action for a limited amount of time and with very clear goals in mind. It has completed its goals: unemployment is below 6%, the housing market is almost recovered, consumer confidence is up and, most importantly, banks are solvent again.

QE is about to stop.

What does this mean to Pat and Chris, our LGBT couple who are thinking of buying a house and are looking for a very low fixed rate mortgage? It means that they, and anyone else who is thinking of buying a home, had better start looking because interest rates are going up.

The Federal Reserve Bank is going to stop buying bonds. They are also going to slowly begin to increase the prime-lending rate. “What?” you say.

“The Federal Reserve Bank is going to raise the rate they loan money to other banks?”

Yes, they are, because the Federal Reserve Bank is a privately held company and companies like to make money.

Business is back to usual, and those looking to take advantage of the historically low interest rates better start taking advantage.

If you are looking to buy, expect to encounter a lot of competition over the next year. This means prices are going to go up in the Bay Area as sellers refinance their homes and buyer competition drives prices up.

If you are looking to sell, now really, really, is the time. With inventory being low, prices are going to spike.

As we move into the slow season, November through January, listing your house now begins to make sense.

Lower inventory and buyers looking to take advantage of low interest rates are going to be flooding the market eager and afraid of losing out on low 30-year mortgage rates.

The bottom line is that now is a historically good time to buy. And because the market in our area has recovered, and may even be better than precrash, it’s a great time to sell.

America Foy and Taylor Sublett are top producing real estate agents with Sotheby’s International Realty in Berkeley. Call or email them if you want to buy or sell residential, commercial, or investment properties throughout the Bay Area. Bay Area natives, and recent East Bay residents, Taylor and America will help you sell in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. America Foy: 510473-7775, america.foy@sothebysrealty. com; Taylor Sublett: 510-301-9569, taylor. sublett@sothebysrealty.com

Real Estate and Design

My Dinner with Miles

Thomas O’Brien is an interior and home fur nishi n g s d e s i g ne r k now n for his loft-inspired, vintage modern designs. He is the founder of AERO, an interior design studio and unique retail store located in Soho, the neighborhood that inspires much of his work.

Thomas has published two books— “American Modern” and “AERO, Beginning to Now”—which illustrate how he creates rooms that are inspired by the vintage past, and yet feel modern and entirely relevant for today.

O’Brien combines industrial elements from the early twentieth century with furnishings from a range of periods to formulate a look that he calls “warm modern.” He has helped translate the loft lifestyle into a design philosophy that works in Soho as well as neighborhoods throughout the country.

Thomas O’Brien is also known for the fabulous lighting fixtures he designs for Circa Lighting, as well as for the very affordable home products he designs for Target.

Miles Redd brings an entirely different design philosophy to the (dinner) table with his quirky brand of glamour. His unique aesthetic vision combines traditional design with whimsical splashes of color, exotic finishes and modern

Positive Resource Center’s annual Windows of Opportunity benefit was held at SPUR Urban Center (SF Planning & Urban Research).

San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink received the Bob Emerson Community Volunteer Award, and REAF (Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation) was honored with the 2014 Community Pillar Award. PRC executive director Brett Andrews and board president Kent Roger welcomed guest and presented the awards. Guests enjoyed music presented by DJs Lamont and Jesse Narin.

PHOTO BY RINK

Vicente’s view of design is a unique one that juxtaposes ornate with simple, ancient with modern, and luxurious with austere. His signature look is comprised of interesting, and sometimes startling, combinations of chairs, large leaning mirrors, ancient artifacts, the Saarinen tulip table, and furniture arrangements that float in the middle of the room surrounded by modern artwork and beautiful photography. He has developed an international style that looks at home anywhere in the world.

Round About Positive Resource Center’s Windows of Opportunity

PHOTO BY JAMES POOLE

Vicente Wolf is a Cuba n-bor n world t raveler a nd photog rapher who h a s created an eclectic, but curated, approach to interior design that celebrates the cultures he has visited during his travels. He has published three books—“Learning to See,” “Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design” and “Lifting the Curtain on Design”—that inspire the reader to see the world and the world of design through his eyes.

Jim Tibbs is the creative director of HDR Remodeling. If you would like to learn more, please read his blog at http://hdrremodeling. wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter @ HDRremodeling1.

PHOTO BY JAMES POOLE

If you were asked to create the guest list for a fantasy dinner party, whom would you invite? Dreaming up interesting combinations of dinner companions is one of my favorite pastimes. If asked to base my guest list on the designers I would like to meet, I would choose Miles Redd, Thomas O’Brien and Vicente Wolf, three handsome, world-renowned designers who live interesting lives and create rooms in which I want to live.

The invitation list in complete, the table is set and the guests have been introduced. Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy.

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Jim Tibbs

lacquered and mirrored surfaces and bold pattern play. Rooms designed by Miles Redd never cease to surprise and delight.

PHOTO BY JAMES POOLE

Project Remodel

gestures to enliven and invigorate his rooms with boldness, fantasy, and sophistication. Miles is responsible for one of my favor ite tomes, “The Big Book of Chic,” which showcases his design work and provides a humorous glimpse into Redd’s vivid imagination.

As you f lip through the pages of his book, you see vibrant shades of red, turquoise and green, animal prints,

Say “The Bay Times sent me!”

Margaret Galvin, Showroom Manager at Ergo Depot Design Studio at 245 Kansas Street, SF, demonstrates how thoughtful design and tech can improve our health and work. She’s in front of the ESI Edge-Combo monitor arm system. Galvin says, “It elevates both my laptop and my monitor. Having my monitor off the desk at eye level helps to relieve neck, shoulder and eye strain.”

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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Sports

It’s Orange October!

We at the SF Bay Times are among the many local sports fans who are celebrating the San Francisco Giants postseason victories. Our own Christina Allen, roommate of copublisher Betty Sullivan, reports seeing many LGBT Giants fans cheering along with her at the game Tuesday afternoon at AT&T Park.

Christina says she has already purchased her tickets to the World Series by participating in the Giants pre-sale that happens even before the League Championship is won. (The Giants will reimburse her if they don’t advance to the final round.)

For those who prefer the sports bar experience, Hi Tops Bar co-owner Dana Gleim reports that the doors are opening early with a full bar and kitchen for the start of every game.

If you’ve not yet discovered Hi Tops, widely touted as the Castro’s first ever sports bar, check it out to enjoy the games with good food, drink and

the company of like-minded fans. Be sure to try out the mouthwatering menu items, including house-made corn dogs (veggie ones available too), fried chicken, killer nachos with option to add pulled pork, and lots more. The whole experience is worth the trek for sports fans from other parts of the Bay Area. Check out hitopssf.com and visit the Castro location: 2247 Market Street.

Another option you might want to consider is joining the Gay San Francisco Giants Fans page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ gaysfgiantsfans/ Members of our SF Bay Times team are in there!

A game is on as we write this, so we gotta go but, before we do, here’s our favorite zinger of the week: What’s the difference between a Giants hot dog and a Dodger hot dog? You can have a Giants hot dog in October!

Go Giants!!!

Through his graffiti-inspired drawings, paintings, sculptures, and murals, Keith Haring created an immediately recognizable iconography that speaks to a diverse population. Making its US premiere at the de Young with more than 130 works of art, The Political Line lends gravitas to the artist’s career by focusing on his political activism. Exuberant, profane, witty, and provocative, the works in this exhibition trace Haring’s creative development and his historical significance as an advocate for social justice.

Keith Haring, Untitled, 1982. Baked enamel on steel. Private collection. Keith Haring artwork © Keith Haring Foundation

November 8, 2014–February 16, 2015 This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Director’s Circle: Penny and James George Coulter. Curator’s Circle: Sloan and Roger Barnett, Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund, Holly Johnson Harris and Parker Harris, and the Shimmon Family. Conservator’s Circle: The Buena Vista Fund of Horizons Foundation. Supporter’s Circle: Nancy and Joachim Bechtle, Juliet de Baubigny, and Richard and Peggy Greenfield. Community Partner: WEBCOR Builders. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

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Hotel Partner

YOUR WEDDING YOUR WAY AT THE JCCSF

There’s No Place Like Home Like the twister that transported Dorothy’s house to Oz 75 years ago, a tornado of love and equality has swept away numerous states’ bans on marriage for LGBT couples over the last several days. Two places where same sex couples have now married carry particular meaning for us: Milwaukee and Kansas City, our two hometowns. Although we have lived in California for over thirty years, we are still Midwesterners too, and have family and life-long friends there whom we visit regularly.

On Monday, October 6, same-sex couples began marrying in Wisconsin, hours after the United States Supreme Court let stand the federal appellate court ruling invalidating the state’s marriage ban. One of the plaintiff couples in the lawsuit described the moment as wonderful, after having watched straight friends marry the person they love over their 25 years together while they themselves lacked that freedom.

We remember when, a few years ago at Stuart’s 30th high school reunion, John introduced himself to one of Stuart’s former classmates as Stuart’s husband, and the classmate laughed, thinking he was joking.

When the classmate revealed that she had 19 children (many of them adopted), a straight-ally classmate admonished her that she had better develop understanding and respect for LGBT people because more than one of her children was likely LGBT. By the end of the night— perhaps with the help of a bit of alcohol—she was asking to have her picture taken with the husbands.

Now, marriage equality is the law in Wisconsin, and we look forward not only to wedding invitations, but also to keeping our legal rights as

Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA a married couple the next time we travel there.

On Friday, October 10, the first marriage of a same-sex couple took place in Johnson County, Kansas, a thriving part of metropolitan Kansas City. In an extensive order, the chief district judge in Johnson County directed the county clerk to cease discrimination against LGBT people in the issuance of marriage licenses, although the Kansas Supreme Court subsequently stopped further marriages until it could review the judge’s order. After four states voted in favor of marriage equality in November 2012, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach declared: If a person wants to live in a San Francisco lifestyle, they can go there…If they want to live a Kansas lifestyle, they can come here. Angela and Kelli, the happy couple who were able to marry, countered last Friday: [Kansas] is our home state.

This is where we live. This is where we pay our taxes. This is where we raise our children. On Friday, they didn’t have to leave Kansas to find themselves over the rainbow.

The past ten days represent a significant breakthrough in the marriage and LGBT equality movement as

the number of states with marriage equality rose from 19 to around 30, depending on how one counts it.

The adrenaline highs and emotional roller coasters of the last several days have also become a mark of the marriage equality movement, repeated now multiple times across the country and beginning with thousands of LGBT people dashing to San Francisco City Hall in February 2004. No one should have to wait through the rain or poised outside a clerk’s office for the moment a government official grants them their constitutional rights.

However, these visceral experiences of being denied, then struggling, and finally attaining our rights and freedoms have become etched indelibly in our consciousness and imbue us with personal and community agency and inspiration. The love, joy, dedication, and hope our community has shown as it has gathered and rallied outside courthouses, city halls, and clerks’ offices across the country and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in cyber space is contagious.

Our nation sees how much we value our lives, our love, our place in the American community, and our constitutional rights. Dorothy repeated it three times 75 years ago: There’s no place like home. Although more work remains to be done, America in these past ten days has donned its ruby slippers and taken giant steps toward making America home for LGBT people.

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA.

Tips to Minimize Wedding Stress Last month, I read a column in another local newspaper, the Jweekly, entitled “Getting married at home?

Some tips to help ensure a stress-free celebration.” I was surprised that almost the entire article focused on insurance-related tips! There were no tips about dealing with outspoken family members who share unsolicited opinions. There were no suggestions on how to deal with the options and choices one must sift through in planning for a wedding. I was also surprised that the title suggested that there is a method to ensure that a wedding can be stress-free.

So, based on my years of experience as a wedding officiant, I would like to share some tips to create a lower stress wedding.

While in everyday life I believe that being considerate is extremely important, in wedding planning I encourage my couples to consider themselves first. Family members and friends will often offer unsolicited advice. I suggest thanking them, and continue planning the wedding that you want.

Yes, Aunt Gladys is trying to be helpful when she informs you that you simply have to include (fill in a religious ritual, societal custom or Hollywood movie hoopla here) otherwise your wedding won’t really be a wedding. I always encourage my couples to include elements in their ceremony or celebration that are meaningful to

Weddings Howard Steiermann

off the current wedding challenge that you’re facing. Keeping involved with your friends’ lives will help you and your beloved remain grounded.

Another benefit in staying involved with others is that you won’t be as likely to find yourself in a vacuum right after your wedding if you’ve stayed engaged with other people and activities during the process of wedding planning.

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Compromise will be essential both during your wedding planning and (continued on page 22)

them, not simply because someone else says they are essential.

If there is an element you would like to include that seems antiquated or in any way foreign to you, explore with your partner and officiant how to connect with the element, making it relevant to you. I particularly enjoy offering suggestions on ways to contemporize a ritual. I have also found The Wedding Ceremony Planner (Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2013), a reference book by Reverend Judith Johnson, PhD, to be an excellent resource. Not only does she help with contextualization, but she also provides real life examples.

Don’t let your entire life become focused solely on planning your wedding. Life continues moving forward around you. Engaging in other activities will help get your mind S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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Round About - Castro Street Fair 2014 There’s no doubt that Harvey Milk would have enjoyed himself at the 2014 Castro Street Fair.

This year’s event, with the theme Cute Froot, was a warm one as temperatures soared. Squirting water on dancers at Sundance Saloon C&W dance area was just one of the ways folks were keeping cool.

tions on the success of the day goes to Juan Garcia and the entire Board of Directors. We especially thank Mahnaz Stutz, exhibitor chair, who has for many years welcomed us as only she can. You all are the best and we know Harvey Milk would have said thank you to each and everyone of the volunteers and staff.

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Thanks to the hundreds of you who stopped by our booth to spin the wheel or just say hello and sit a spell. SF Bay Times banners were flying high and we heard many stories, tall tales and more throughout the day. Thanks to photographers Rink, Steven Underhill, Jo-Lynn Otto and Shaun Haines for capturing images of the event for us. Big congratula-

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Castro Street Fair founder, Harvey Milk, attended for the last time in 1978

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San Francisco Bay Times says THANK YOU! to our Readers, Advertisers, Friends and Supporters!

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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Introducing the new San Francisco Bay Times “Spin to Win” wheel

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Addiction Myths ing much better physically. He said that he was discouraged because he now “knows” what it really means to be an addict. It supposedly means he has an incurable, progressive and fatal disease. It progresses even when he’s not using, meaning that, if he relapses ten years from now, his years of abstinence won’t make any difference. He’ll be as bad off as if he had been using the whole time.

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman Co-Founders in 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 Phone: 510-504-9255 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com

When Brian realized that his depression, work problems and relationship diff iculties were due to his crystal meth use, his new clarity initially felt exciting and empowering. Having put two and two together, figuring out why his life had gotten so hard, he checked into a 28-day inpatient addiction treatment program with enthusiasm and optimism.

He was informed that, once he’s addicted to one drug he’s addicted to them all, so that his only option is lifelong abstinence from all mind-altering substances. He has never consumed alcohol much, but he was advised that if he ever lets himself drink, “cross-addiction” would guarantee that he’d become an alcoholic. His life options, going forward, are supposedly total abstinence or “jails, institutions, and death.” He began treatment with plenty of motivation to overcome his drug problem, but the dire picture he learned in his program sapped his morale and convinced him that his situation is hopeless.

But when I saw him a few days after he finished treatment, he was depressed and deflated, despite the fact that he had not used in a month and was feel-

Fortunately for Brian, the evidence doesn’t support the idea that there is a one-size-fits-all “disease of addiction” that is the same for everyone who

Examined Life The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

The Bay Times is proud to be the only 100% LGBT funded and owned newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Beth Greene Abby Zimberg Michael Zipkin Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager

Tom Moon, MFT

has a substance abuse problem. Maia Szalavitz, a columnist for Substance. com who is one of the nation’s leading neuroscience and addiction journalists, recently reviewed the available data on addiction recovery. She found much evidence to support therapeutic optimism.

Szalavitz shares, “The average cocaine addiction lasts four years, the average marijuana addiction lasts six years, and the average alcohol addiction is resolved within 15 years.

Heroin addictions tend to last as long as alcoholism, but prescription opioid problems, on average, last five years.

In these large samples, which are drawn from the general population, only a quarter of people who recover have ever sought assistance in doing so (including via 12-step programs). This actually makes addictions the psychiatric disorder with the highest odds of recovery.”

If addictions are progressive diseases, the data should show that the odds of quitting get worse over time. In fact, Szalavitz reports, they remain the same on an annual basis. This means that as people get older, a higher and higher percentage wind up in recov-

ery. In other words, your odds of recovery actually get better with age.

Is life-long abstinence from all drugs and alcohol Brian’s only option? In 1992, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted one of the largest surveys of substance use ever, sending Census Bureau workers to interview more than 42,000 Americans about their lifetime drug and alcohol use. The results showed that many people in their late teens or early twenties drink or use drugs heavily, often despite serious adverse consequences. Most people who know them wouldn’t hesitate to describe them as addicts or alcoholics.

But if we look at the teens and young adults ten or twenty years later, most are drinking in a moderate, non-problematic way. As people take on more adult responsibilities, they often seem to “mature out” of self-destructive substance use. Most of them do it without going into rehab, therapy, or attending 12-step meetings. In other words, most substance abusers have all the inner resources they need to overcome their addictions. Most of them do it (continued on page 22)

Robert Fuggiti Calendar Editor

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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Pollo del Mar, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Paul E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Kit Kennedy, David Campos, Leslie Katz, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Jim Tibbs, Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller & Joanne Jordan, Kippy Marks, Naomi Jay, Jamie Leno Zimron Thom Watson, America Foy, Philip Ruth, Courtney Lake, Michele Karlsberg Photographers Rink, Dennis McMillan, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg

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Shanti’s Fortieth Anniversary Dinner Saturday, October 18th, 2014, 5:30PM The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco

Event Co-Chairs Honorary Co-Chairs Ken Fulk | Bahya Oumlil-Murad The Honorable James C. Hormel, Auction Co-Chairs U.S. Ambassador & Michael P. Nguyen Christopher Wiseman Maureen Holt

The 2014 Nancy Pelosi Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to

Reverend Cecil Williams & Janice Mirikitani of GLIDE Memorial Church Award presented by

The Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr.

Special Performance by

For TICKETS call Shannon 415.674.4713 or go to www.shanti.org/pages/tickets.html

Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Passive Aggressive On October 6, the High Court stunned the GLBT community and the vast majority of legal analysts by lifting its hold on marriage rights in f ive states, with six other states to follow after some procedural steps.

Stunned yes, but euphoric as well, because the decision indicates that marriage equality will soon be the law of the land.

True, everyone already believed this was the case. We all thought the Court would be obliged to weigh in on marriage this term, and everyone had been fairly confident that the Windsor majority would come together again to hand us the ultimate victory.

But at the same time, we didn’t know for sure, did we? Could the Court have cobbled together some kind of “compromise” that forced everyone to recognize legal marriages but left conservative states free to prohibit same-sex couples from getting a license within their borders? Perhaps.

But now that (disastrous) possibility is remote at best. Through their implied nod to the three strong pro-gay appellate court opinions, the justices have given tacit approval to the notion that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

Why, however, did the Court avoid a legal showdown and decide instead to let marriage equality trickle up from the federal appellate courts instead of down from Washington? Don’t look to the conservatives. They clearly lacked the votes. Look instead to the four liberals on the bench.

As you know, it only takes four votes to accept review of a case. The fate of marriage equality lay squarely in the hands of our allies, and although they gave us a victory, they also withheld one. It seems likely now that a Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality will have to wait another term, leaving those of us who live in Texas, Georgia, North Dakota and the other outliers to face another year or so of limbo.

So why duck now? We have to assume that the liberal caucus felt that the nation as a whole would find a favorable marriage decision more palatable once the balance had shifted heavily in favor of marriage equality states.

I don’t know. Can you think of any other reason why these four (or five) eminent jurists would chose to skip sideways to the finish line rather than simply jog on over?

Could there have been a quid pro quo here? For example, the delay gives the Chief Justice an extra year or so to figure out a way to plant himself on the right side of history without blowing his conservative street cred. Did he or another minority justice beg for time in exchange for a 6-3 or 7-2 majority down the line? After all, as we’ve all noticed, a lot can happen in twelve months.

But it might even take longer than that! I can envision a scenario where the remaining appellate courts rule in our favor except for the arch conservative Fifth Circuit. Let’s also imagine that a Fifth Circuit panel decision is appealed to the full circuit bench and accepted. In theory, that intermediate step could chew up months and months. If the full Fifth Circuit eventually rules against us, it’s only then that the High Court would be forced to settle the issue. That could be two or three years from now. Justice Ginsburg noted in the press the other day that there’s “no rush” to decide the issue of marriage. But there is for me and my wife and the other denizens of the dwindling holdout states.

Ninth Circuit Weighs In A day after the High Court’s non-intervention, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against marriage bans in Nevada and Idaho. Just because the justices washed their hands of the previous appeals does not mean that the Ninth Circuit ruling, or any other future appellate court ruling for that matter, will take full effect without a few cries, whispers and stalling tactics from our adversaries. But to cut to the chase, we will soon see marriage equality in a total of 35 states.

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for word from the Sixth Circuit, which heard arguments on August 6. At the time, there was much doom and gloom for our side of the blogosphere, based on a general impression that the panel was split 2-1 against us.

The swing judge, Jeffrey Sutton, while musing about states rights and respect for the democratic process, also made much of the supposed antigay marriage “precedent,” a one-line brush off by the Supreme Court in 1972 that suggested same-sex marriage was not under the jurisdiction of the federal courts. Although most courts believe the 40-year-old comment is irrelevant to present day law, the anomaly continues to haunt conservative legal analysis.

Now, as handsome University of Minnesota law professor Dale Carpenter notes (in one of his typically great articles), the High Court has made pretty damn clear that marriage is indeed a federal matter. Will this lead Judge Sutton to fall into line, not only behind his four sister appellate courts, but also behind the Supreme Court’s winks and nods as well? I’m thinking yes, but I have to make a shameful confession. I wouldn’t be too disappointed if the Sixth ruled against us.

If they did so immediately, and if they could manage to race a petition to the Supreme Court, it’s still possible that we could see marriage debated this term.

No Certainty Without Cert Why is a High Court review so important? After all, many people are speculating that the whole marriage equality issue might be resolved in our favor by the four remaining appellate courts. For the record, those are the aforementioned Sixth (Midwest), the Fifth (Gulf Coast), the Eleventh (Florida, Georgia, Alabama) and the Eighth (Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, the Dakotas). The Sixth is pending. The Fifth will hear arguments by year-end. There are cases now on appeal to the Eleventh, and I think the Eighth is not far behind.

Professional Services feel squeamish about homosexuality.

The majority of justices may understand the need for gay equality as a matter of law, but they still want to leave some constitutional wiggle room for entrenched disgust, particularly when it parades around under the banner of faith.

It’s time, however, for the Court to take a stand. Religious freedom is protected elsewhere in the Constitution, and it’s also clear that faith is not a free pass for bigotry. We need the Court to put gay couples on equal footing with everyone else and, in doing so, we also need the majority to acknowledge that antigay laws are inherently suspect to some degree.

Without a clear statement from on High, we are facing a protracted war for legal equality that will drag on well after we win marriage equality.

Don’t get me wrong. No court opinion can eradicate bigotry. But imagine this. What if a privately held company claimed the right to refuse gay spousal benefits based on religious views? What if a conservative state passes laws, similar to some of the proposals we saw earlier this year, that allow small businesses to refuse service to gay couples? These scenarios, which might follow a marriage equality backlash, would not survive the weight of a strong High Court precedent. But they could easily survive in an ambiguous atmosphere if marriage equality was tacitly approved, but never endorsed in a written opinion.

And how are we going to secure full equality going forward if we win marriage without a High Court mandate? We need to add sexual orientation to existing federal laws that protect other classes of citizens against discrimination. That’s a heavy lift, made much easier if the justices write us into the Constitution in black and white rather than gray.

Finally, we have to ask our allies on the Court, if not now, when? We all understand the need for incremental change. But we have arguably been moving incrementally for a few decades. In the last year, we’ve been racing to what appears to be a finish line of sorts. So why push the finish line further down the road at this point? Justice Ginsburg says there’s no need to rush. But nor is there any reason to dawdle. At any rate, this is my lengthy explanation for why I wouldn’t be too upset to lose at the Sixth Circuit, which would force the Court to take immediate review.

Fear Itself

But our legal system is governed, not by the appellate circuits, but by High Court case law. Every now and then some moron complains about an asserted right because “that’s not written in the Constitution!” But the Constitution is not the terse collection of Articles and Amendments that we all know and love. It is the rich, expansive and ever evolving interpretation of law etched into American jurisprudence by a succession of Supreme Courts. You can carry around a copy of the Constitution in your shirt pocket. But the real Constitution is written on a zillion pages of majority opinions, revised and honed over two centuries.

Conventional wisdom says the Court has learned some hard lessons by taking sides in contentious social debates. Yes, Brown v Board was the correct decision. But we called out the National Guard to escort kids to school, and the country spent another few decades trying to integrate the school system in an atmosphere of racial tension. Despite the ruling, inequality lives on today in a country where public schools are segregated by class, and class lines roughly divide us by race.

In the last 20 years, the Court has written three major opinions improving our constitutional status as a community. And we’re grateful for those. But they’ve also left questions unanswered. They’ve evaded the core issue of whether gay people are just a little bit morally tarnished and they’ve done so because they are aware that a hell of a lot of Americans

No wonder the Court is leery of marriage equality, say the pundits. If the justices aren’t careful, their marriage decision could roil the waters for the foreseeable future! Far better to let time go by and continue to build a national consensus.

• • • • • • • •

As for Roe v Wade, forty years down the line, the war over abortion is as hot as ever.

But the comparisons are simplistic. (continued on page 22)

Read more @www.sfbaytimes.com and check us out on Twitter and Facebook.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

15

Don’t Let Your Demons Scare You

Astrology

ARIES (March 21–April 19) My new dog has never seen shadows reflected by anything other than natural sunlight. As a result, she barks and cowers out of fear when she sees certain shadows because they are unfamiliar to her. It doesn’t make you weak to cower, bark a little, or even cry. What makes you weak is suppressing your emotions and biting other people because you explode.

Emotions are surfacing with intensity.

Be brave! Take responsibility and free yourself.

Linda Amburgey The good medicine this month is a massive purge of pent up emotions that has not been metabolized. Free yourself from emotional barriers festering inside, holding you back, and keeping you from what you truly desire. Like a scene from the movie The Exorcist, go ahead and writhe around on your therapist’s couch until you have dug deeply to the root of your caged life force energy. This is raw, primal energy just waiting to be redirected into your most divine self-expression! As Shakti Gawain said, “Sometimes you have to drop to the bottom of the barrel in order to break through to the light.”

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) Partnerships of every kind will present themselves this month, giving you ample opportunity to seize your desires. Even if the energy is with someone you already know, this is a new, deep and meaningful corner being turned. This new avenue will feel like a karmic turning point in your life. Enjoy!

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Deep transformation and a new direction are possible to conjure up in areas of health, habits, and your day-to-day grind. To receive this gift, you must be profoundly honest with yourself about what is working and what is not working.

This honesty will likely have an emotional sting, but the results make you quickly forget the short moment of pain.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) It couldn’t get any juicer than it is right now with romance. The pleasures you are capable of squeezing out of the fruits of life are enough to end the California drought immediately! Be sure not to let old emotional imprinting block this delicious moment.

LEO ( July 23–August 22) Pay attention to the shifting core that has been your foundation for life. Your home and your family, particularly your parents, are a good point of reference to see what you might have missed in your own emotional landscape. Look for important and emerging components of your truest nature through the looking glass of family dynamics.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22) Reflecting on and communicating the deepest, and sometimes hidden, parts of yourself is the prescription that will heal you quickly. There is no need for long drawn out processing. Just say what you feel. Ask for what you need.

Listen deeply. You will be amazed at the beautiful dialogues you will be surrounded by.

As Heard on the Street . . .

LIBR A (September 23– October 22) Be deeply honest with how your manifest reality reflects your deepest values. Are they aligned? Now is the time to realize what you truly desire and what is keeping you from actualizing it. The real message here is to know your worth, and the resources will follow. Compromise is not always the highest option.

SCORPIO (October 23– November 21) This is your month! As you release many particles of your emotional dust, new doors swing open for you. You will feel refreshed as the stale and outdated debris is brushed aside, leaving a more pure version of you.

Releasing projections from others will be as natural and easy as a dog shaking off water after a bath.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22– December 21) You need to give yourself time and solitude. An enormous amount of emotional energy has released, and you need to rest and recover.

Sequestering yourself is not native, but it’s necessary if you want to spring back to your normal agenda of bigger is better.

CAPRICORN (December 22– January 19) Your friends are of utmost importance to you lately. Cultivate more honesty and self disclosure with your community and the benefits will echo into your future visions and goals. A group project is a beautiful possibility as a platform to share your gifts.

AQUARIUS ( January 20– February 18) You have likely realigned your career interests after reluctantly letting go of something familiar. The new path summons your soul. Let your heart lead on the trail as if it were your nose following the scent of freshly baked cookies.

Release your emotions and experience your light.

PISCES (February 19–March 20) It is time to fly! Traveling to distant places could be the catharsis you have been waiting to experience. If that isn’t practical, your travels can be more philosophical in nature. Find time to wonder, explore, and learn. Moving toward the vast horizon will lead you closer to your own heartbeat.

Linda Amburgey has owned Crystal Way Metaphysical Center for 11 years, and has been an Intuitive Reader for 20 years. To book readings, on-going counseling for couples or individuals, events and parties, please e-mail her at ConsciousCounsel@ gmail.com or call 415-218-5096. Mention this column for a $10 discount.

compiled by Rink

Which race or proposition on the upcoming election ballot are you interested in and why?

Gary Virginia

“I’m most interested in seeing David Campos win the state assembly race to continue strong progressive LGBT representation on the state level.”

Jeffrey Lilly

“I am interested in the race between David Campos and David Chiu. I think it’s important to have a true progressive as our state representative and so I favor David Campos. I also think that he has the GLBT community more in mind.”

Marlon Woodward

“We are rather interested in the District 8 supervisor race as the current occupant of the office seems to heed the siren call of cash funnelled his way by downtown business interests rather than his constituents. Mr Wiener seems oblivious...”

With a nod to the Noe Valley Voice, our contributor Tony Jasinski displays a recent issue of the SF Bay Times during his recent visit to Copenhagen.

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com 16

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#KateClinton2014 140 characters? That sounds like a family reunion not a tweet.

Arts & Entertainment What’s Happenin’ for Halloween, Queen!

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

sooooo excited about her new costume… but wants to keep it a surprise! facebook. com/peacheschrist, calacademy.org

On October 31, 1989, two weeks after San Francisco was devastated by the Loma Prieta earthquake, we Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stood on stepstools and held buckets to collect thousands of dollars for the Mayor’s Earthquake Relief Fund from the Halloween crowds that traditionally fled into the Castro gayborhood.

Thus, The Sisters’ very first Halloween fundraiser was born.

The next year, we Sisters hosted a costume-mandatory dance/contest called HallowQueen in the SoMa queer nightclub Pleasuredome, raising over $6,000 for AIDS and LGBTQ charities. For the next ten years, the City tried everything to manage Castro Halloween. But in 2006, a gunman wounded nearly a dozen in the crowd, and that put an end to closing off the streets for Halloween. Now the Castro is overloaded with cops and street-sweepers who discourage loitering on the sidewalks and keep celebrants off the streets.

Bad news for those costumed folks who love experiencing Halloween in the Castro. But good news: there are plenty of events to attend this year to celebrate the queer spirit of All Hallows’ Eve.

PHOTO BY RINK

Beginning in 1990, The Sisters, with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus and Community United against Violence, produced a fabulous Halloween fundraiser for the next five years, drawing huge crowds with live entertainment while collecting for AIDS charities.

By 1994, approximately 500,000 people were attending the event. People got very drunk and disorderly. I was shocked to spy a man in costume with a running chainsaw. When the police confiscated an AK-47 from a reveler trying to enter the celebration, and arrested 60 people, The Sisters decided to move the celebration, and the Sisters’ Halloween in the Castro ended.

•

Sister Dana in the Castro Children’s Halloween Parade in 2006

putting treats in the bags of participants. thesisters.org

and/or costumes, so leave your inhibitions at home! glbthistory.org

• Trannyshack Halloween (A Party) is Oct. 31- The Final Trannyshack. It’s fitting that it happens on this highest of gay holidays. Costume contest. Performances by RoxyCotten Candy, Cookie Dough, Fade Dra, Fauxnique, Rusty Hips, Clammy Faye, Bea Dazzler, Fruitbomb, Exhibit Q., Dina Isis, Precious Moments, Cousin Wonderlette, Rice Rockettes, and more! With your hosts Heklina and Peaches Christ, and DJ MC2.

Beatbox, 314 Eleventh Street, 9pm doors, 11pm show. trannyshack.com

• The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host Unholy Rollers, a Halloween themed skate party for LGBTQQ youth and their allies on Oct. 28, to benefit LYRIC, a queer youth organization. 7-10pm with a $10 cover, skate rentals available for $5. A portion of door sales will go to LYRIC. Held at the Church of 8 Wheels in the Lower Haight neighborhood now occupying the former Sacred Heart Church, 554 Fillmore Street at Fell. churchof8wheels.com

• UnMasked, GLBT Historical Society Gala, Oct. 24. Share your passion for history and commitment to a brighter future with hundreds of likeminded people at the Contemporary Jewish Museum near Yerba Buena Center. Enjoy entertainment, silent auction, food, and drink. The theme often leads attendees to don gay masks

•

Game of Thrones has all of the mystique, glamour, intrigue, and majesty of your favorite show…fashioned into an epic Circuit Party! Gus Presents Game of Thrones on Halloween Night. Massive Thrones-style props, full stage shows, and a crown jewel of a sound system are the ingredients for this sure to be memorable Masquerade Ball. Dragon-fire lasers, concert caliber light show and two of the most sought after international all-star DJs: Alex Acosta and Ivan Gomez. Costumes are a must. guspresents.com

In 1993, on our 15th anniversary, we Sisters started The Children’s Halloween in the Castro as a safe space for kids.

This event continues to this day as a treat for gay and not gay parents and their children. Around noon, children arr ive with their parents at Eureka Valley Recreation Center in costume to enter the costume contest.

There is usually live entertainment - in the past, circus acts with clowns and acrobats - and bags are handed out with free candy. Then we parade up and dow n Cast ro Street, trick or treating Promoting the San Francisco Sisters’ 1995 HallowQueen event. Pictured - Sisthe various shops that ter Embellisha Helluvalotta, Sister Mystie Grey, Pope Dementia The Last, Sister lovingly participate by Phatima La Dyke Van Dyk, Sister Penny Costal, Sister Zsa Zsa Glamour, Sister Mae B. Hostel and Sister Dana Van Iquity.

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LYRIC - Halloween Eve Fu nd r a isi ng E xt ravaga nza, hosted by BALIF & AABA, the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

Come as a lawyer, a banker, a candlestick maker. Have a fabulous time! Oct. 30, 6-9pm, The Drake Lounge, 508 4th Street. Donations: minimum $25 in advance, $35 at the door. balif.org

• Pea c he s C h r ist Creatures of the Nightlife Oct. 30, 6pm-10pm, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive. Features a horrific drag-show as well as Monster Makeovers by celebrity drag creatures.

Last year she hosted as Peachferatu and this year she’s

Cookie Dough Monste r Show, October 30, A Nightmare Before Halloween - Horror Movie Night.

DJ MC2 spinning before & after the s h o w. L i p Sy n c h for your shot. $5 Stoli and all flavors drink specials 9pm to close. The Edge Bar, 4149 - 18t h Street @ Collingwood. $5.00 - 21+ w/ID.

• The world’s first erotic haunted house, Hell in the Armory, seeks to arouse a blend of sexual tension and fear. It features a costumed cast in scary - and skimpy - attire who entertain visitors at the company’s adult film studios at the San Francisco Armory. The century-old armory building is allegedly haunted. Employees often hear footsteps in the hallways and even see apparitions when the Halloween props aren’t in play. The building’s dungeons and padded cells are a natural place to come for a haunt. But leave the kiddies at home. The haunted house, 1800 Mission Street, runs Tuesdays through Saturdays, 7pm to midnight until Nov. 1. kink.com • At The Café, 2369 Market Street: Pre-Halloween Extravaganza featuring Pan Dulce with $800 cash prize costume contest and Heaven versus Hell Papi Go-Go’s. Direct from Guadalajara is Mexico’s number one drag performer Ricky Lips.

9pm-2am, 21+ with ID. $8 cover, free before 10pm. clubpapi.com

Halloween for an all-day marathon of the camp classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show from 10am to 6am ET with audience participation elements beg inning dur ing t he midnight showing. Leading up to Halloween, beginning October 26 and continuing through October 30, Logo TV will air Halloween episodes of classic sitcoms including Roseanne, Will & Grace, Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, plus frightful movies including Queen of the Damned, Shaun of the Dead, Fright Night and Kill Bill Volume 1 starting at 8pm ET.

• Shoc k t obe r fe s t 15 : T H E BLOODY DÉBUTA NTE , 15th Annual Extravaganza of Terror & Titillation: An Evening of Horror, Carnage, Puppets, and Song. Grand Guignol horror theatre and black comedies. Now through Nov. 22, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 8pm.

Special Halloween Performances Oct. 28 & 29 (Tuesday, Wednesday) 8pm at The Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street. thrillpeddlers.com • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: silent film with live organ accompaniment, October 31, 8 pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue. This early silent horror film (1920) is recreated as it was presented originally – with all of the drama and excitement that live, improvised organ accompaniment brings to the spectacle. The film is a terrifying glimpse into the dark side of human nature. Tickets: $20$65, sfsymphony.org, 415-864-6000, or at the Davies Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street.

Also at The Café: All Hallows’ Eve at Suggr, Oct. 31, 9pm. Cash prizes for the best costumes. jceventssf.com

• Masquerotica - Carnaval Mystique, Oct. 25 at The Sound Factory, 525 Harrison Street, 9pm-4am. Costumes strongly encouraged at SF’s biggest and most risqué Halloween costume party bringing together many of SF’s most gifted underground artistic, creative, theatrical, and sex-positive communities in an only-in-SF celebration of art, beauty, sensuousness, and thumpin’ rumpin’ dance. masquerotica.com

•

•

• Logo TV is going to do the time warp all day on Halloween. Dr. Frank N Furter, Janet, Brad, and Riff Raff are all taking over the network on

Wherever you go and whatever you do, have a very Happy Holloweenie, boys and ghouls!!!

HALO is the largest Halloween circuit costume party, Oct. 25, 9pm.

Join their maiden voyage at the Mezzanine SF to the exhilarating depths of deep deep space. Journey back in time and dance with the muscled Greek Gods of Olympus and taste the thirst-quenching waters of Oasis.

Blast off into space and enjoy a proper circuit costume party with futuristic laser lights shows and incredible jaw dropping LED visuals, and dancers imported from all over the country.

There will be chiseled muscle studs in costumes and a blend of sexy, spacey, and to die for moves. International DJ Misha Skye and DJ Micky Friedmann. ticketfly.com/event/635823-halo

Kinky Salon Halloween, Oct 31, is a totally immersive Haunted House experience, with interactive performances ongoing throughout the space, 11pm-1am, followed by a fabulous DJ dance set until 3am.

Thrill to the shocking exploits of the Mad Scientist & his sexy nurse assistant. Run the gauntlet of dementia in Clown Alley. Tremble in anticipation as taste, touch, and smell twist together in the Tactile Sensorium! Gag as undead strippers rise up from the grave craving human flesh! Plus special guests The Thrillpeddlers: before horror movies, there was Grand Guignol- horror plays that shocked audiences with grisly themes and bloody special effects. kinkysalon.com

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17

Thoughtful, Gentle Lilting Addresses Grief But Is Life Affirming

Film Gary Kramer Lilting, written and directed by the openly gay Hong Khaou, is a subtle and moving chamber drama about the communication gap between Richard (Ben Whishaw) and Junn (Pei Pei Cheng). Both are mourning the loss of Kai (Andrew Leung), Junn’s son and—unbeknownst to his mother—Richard’s lover. But Richard doesn’t speak Mandarin, and Junn does not speak English, so Richard hires Vann (Naomi Christie) to help translate and bridge the gulf between them. Vann also assists Junn with communicating with a British man, Alan (Peter Bowles).

Khaou’s f ilm deftly addresses the loss both mother and lover suffer as they grieve. The performances by Whishaw and Cheng, especially, are very affecting, and the film builds to an emotionally powerful climax. Via Skype from London, where he lives, the Chinese- Cambodian K haou spoke with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about how he came to create his lovely film.

“When I wrote Lilting, it was a play about a daughter and her husband,” he explained. “There were no gay characters. It never got staged, but I felt something was missing. So when the opportunity arose to turn it into the film, I changed it to a son who could not be openly gay to his mother.” He continued, “That dynamic echoed onto the rest of the film and how communication and language is

critical. My premise was that communication should bridge cultural differences and bring understanding.

But it also has conf licts, like Junn’s relationship with Alan.”

Lilting is not an autobiographical work, but it is a personal story. Khou’s father passed away when he was very young, and the idea of writing about grief involved the filmmaker revisiting those feelings. Like Junn in the f ilm, Khaou’s mother experienced difficulty assimilating in the U.K., where Khaou and his family have lived for 30 years.

“She still doesn’t speak English,” the filmmaker said about his mother. “I took that as a premise, and I imagined how someone like that would cope if her lifeline to the outside world [her son] was taken away.”

While Lilting includes a subplot about Kai’s concerns about coming out to Junn, Khaou came out to his mother without incident. “She was absolutely fine,” he reported, and discussed the process of coming out that is exclusive to LGBT individuals. “There’s

an age-old fear of disappointing our parents, and the shame that goes with it. The act of doing it—it sounds like we’ve done something devious, or deceitful. It’s harder in certain cultures, but I wouldn’t know if it’s become easier in Asian culture. I think coming out is hard in all cultures, even in the U.K., where men in their 50s are coming out, or America, where there is the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign.”

While the topic of sexual identity is part of Lilting, much of the film involves Richard using Vann to “talk” to Junn and help her adjust to life without Kai. The film is often talky, with characters translating dialogue back and forth within a single scene, but Khaou wanted to emphasize the time it took to exchange a thought and the frustration Richard and Junn both had trying to converse.

He acknowledged, “I think that was always a concern that we were repeating the info in having the translator there, but Vann is an interesting device. She can comment on miscom(continued on page 22)

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Did everybuddy go purple for National Spirit Day against bullying?”

Funded by the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, the CASTRO STR EET HISTORY WALK is 20 plaques engraved in the Castro Street sidewalks documenting the history of the Castro/Eureka Valley beginning with the Yelamu Indians through the present day.

The HISTORY WALK UNVEIL ING ceremony was held outside 440 Castro Street to reveal the very first plaque, which honors the history of indigenous people in the area before 1776.

Scott James, a volunteer board member of CBD, spoke about the etchings chronologically going up to 19th Street, crossing at the new rainbow crosswalks, then back down the other side up to the Castro Theatre.

People on the sidewalks will learn the origins of the names “Castro” and “Noe,” and see the first moment “The Castro” was mentioned in American pop culture - making the gayborhood renowned as a beacon for LGBTQ freedom.

James gave thanks to those who helped in the process: Nick Perry of the Planning Department as visionary, manager, researcher. James 18

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thanked John Dennis of the DPW, the board members, and CBD Executive Director Andrea Aiello. He thanked others, including the GLBT Historical Society, the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc., specifically yours truly, Sister Kitty Catalyst, and Sister Qetesh the Devine, as well as Cleve Jones, Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, Trey Allen, and Ron Pinto. I lobbied heavily for the 1981 plaque regarding Bobbi Campbell, RN, aka Sister FlorenceNightmare, who posted the very first warning of a strange disease suddenly attacking gay men, as well as for 1982 = The Sisters’ very first AIDS fundraiser - a dog pageant show in the Castro with disco diva Sylvester as one of the esteemed judges. Supervisor Scott Wiener called the History Walk “a labor of love for people in this community” and “truly a hometown Castro experience” that will forever “ensure we are deeply rooted in our history and never forget what this neighborhood is about - in terms of its diversity, inclusiveness, and love.”

SPAR K! was the TR A NSGENDER LAW CENTER 12th anniversary fundraiser at Sir Francis Drake hotel, emceed by Mistress & Master Of Ceremonies Veronica Klaus & Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler and hosted by Alix Sabin & Kristen Verrastro. Entertainment was provided by the talented Josh Klipp & the Klipptones with Breanna Sinclairé, and dancing to Go Bang! DJs Steve Fabus & Sergio Fedasz.

CeCe McDonald received the Authentic Life Award for her courage and resilience in bringing visibility to our diverse communities, the unjust ways that transgender people are treated throughout interactions with the police and justice system, and the ways in which prisons are not safe for anyone, regardless of gender identity. Willy Wilkinson received the Vanguard Award for leading when nobody else could or did - from garnering attention and funds for trans communities impacted by the AIDS epidemic, to founding the first support group for FTM people of color, to changing hearts and minds through his work and trainings. ACLU of Northern California received the Community Partner Award for their leadership and support in cosponsoring AB1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, and for being an unyielding, fierce, and fully committed stakeholder while defending the law against a potential referendum effort.

Senator Mark Leno and a representative from Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s office presented Certificates of Recognition to all honorees and TLC at the VIP reception.

TLC Executive Director Masen Davis spoke touchingly of being a young child and having to change into jeans and a t-shirt in the bushes on his way to school in order to reflect his true gender. “I felt alone those days,” he said. “But I certainly do not feel alone tonight,” addressing the over 400 attendees to tumultuous cheers. He also noted that ENDA is not the end-all in (continued on page 22)

Round About - Fabulosa Fest 2014 Fabulosa 2014 was fantastic! Held annually, Fabulosa benefits organizations promoting women and children and celebrates women-centered arts. Included were workshops, a healing arts marketplace, crafts fair, games, and a short film festival.

Among the entertainers were Average Dyke Band, Tru Bloo & Wanda Kruda, Anita Lofton Project, DJ Chelsea Star (Portland), Shelley Doty, DJ Glitter Disco (Austin), Vacation Eyes (Houston), The Galloping Sea, Bad Ass Boots, DJ Emotions, Bestfriend Grrlfriend, Hearts of Animals, DJ Venus In Furs, Solid Gold Campfire Singalong Band & more. Fabulosa is sponsored by El Rio and partners include SF Dykes on Bikes, Just Cause/ POWER, Queer Camp, Girls Rock Camp, Green Mary, Ella Print and the San Francisco Bay Times/“Betty’s List.” Congratulations and thanks to Dawn Huston, Judea Eden, Jenny Hoyston and the Fabulosa Organizing Committee.

PHOTO BY FRAN HERMAN PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE PHOTO BY MARSVARELA

PHOTO BY RACHEL HILL PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE

The Contemporary Jewish Museum (736 Mission Street, San Francisco) VIP: $125 General: $75 VIP: $125 General: $75

100% Black CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt) PUBLIC PROGRAMS: URW Clarendon T, Regular,26.75/40pt (kern 10pt) URL: No url on logo, place on bottom of page

PHOTO BY FRAN HERMAN PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS PHOTO COURTESY OF FABULOSA

PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE

PHOTO BY LEO WICKWARE

PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE

PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE

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See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Robert Fuggiti

Town Hall: Why is Economic Justice an LGBT Issue? www.sfcenter.org

Women’s Open Mic – Take 5 Café. $3-$7. 7:30 pm to 9 pm.

(3130 Sacramento Ave., Berkeley) Enjoy a terrific line-up of talented performers ready to entertain. www.take5cafe.net

Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25-$130. 8 pm. (678 Green St.) Enjoy Steve Silver’s famous musical revue packed with hilarious pop culture and political antics. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Comedy Returns to El Rio – El Rio. $7. 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) Now in its 5th year, this monthly comedy show features the best of Bay Area comedians and beyond. www.elriosf.com

13 Licks – Q Bar. $5. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) A weekly lesbian dance party. www.qbarsf.com

Jackie Beats – The Verdi Club.

Free. 8 pm. (2424 Mariposa St.) Enjoy a special anniversary show of the legendary and larger than life drag superstar. www.missjackiebeat. com

LGBT Career Fair – SF LGBT Center. Free. 12 pm to 3 pm. (1800 Market St.) A showcase of leading Bay Area employers dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. www.sfcenter.org

Academy of Friends Gala – The Bubble Lounge. $20. 6 pm to 8:30 pm. (714 Montgomery St.) The Academy of Friends Board of Directors invite you to enjoy a fabulous evening to support Bay Area HIV/AIDS services. www.aofsf. eventbrite.com

Abundance Event – Good Vibrations. Free. 4 pm to 8 pm.

(189 Kearny St.) Sexuality and sexiness come in many shapes and styles, so celebrate your body-positive pride and your sexy curves. www.goodvibes.com

Free Legal Workshop – Beck Law Group. Free. 6 pm. (7 Joost Ave.) Learn the tools necessary to plan your estate and protect your family assets. www.becklawgroup.com

Andrea Gibson – Nourse Theater. $20. 7 pm. (201-299 Hayes St.) Join Andrea Gibson and Ahmunet Jessica Jordon for a raw, intimate dialogue exploring the creative process in relationships through shame, illness, sexuality, love and all the grittiness in between. www.cityarts.net

The Bloody Debutante – The Hypnodrome. $30. 8 pm. (575 10th St.) The Thrillpeddlers present a musical ritual one-act by Scrumbly Koldewyn. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Peter Berlin Exhibition – Magnet. Free. 7 pm to 10 pm. (4122 18th St.) A rare opportunity to hear legendary gay photographer Peter Berlin speak. www.magnetsf.org The Bloody Debutante will be at The Hypnodrome on October 23.

Irene Hendrick Open Studio – Hunters Point Shipyard. Free. 11 am to 6 pm. (Building 101, Studio 1224) Enjoy an artist’s open studio with food trucks, ice cream, and live music. www.shipyardastists.com Shanti’s 40th Anniversary Dinner – The Fairmont Hotel. $125+. 5:30 pm. Join 2014 Lifetime Achievement award winner Nancy Pelosi for Shanti’s Fortieth Anniversary Dinner. www.shanti.org PFLAG Mid-Pacific Regional Meeting – Napa Elks Lodge. $30. 9 am to 5 pm. (2840 Socol Ave., Napa) Sign up for a fun filled day of workshops, community building, new friends and fun. www.pflagnapa.org Ellen Robinson – Sound Room. $25. 8 pm. (2147 Broadway St., Oakland) A showcase of Ellen’s signature mix of jazz standards, modern pop and a sprinkle of blues. www.soundroom.org

Pescadero Hike & Chardonnay Sail – Blue Water Ventures. $110. 1 pm. (127 Mason Street, Santa Cruz) Join Blue Water Ventures and “Betty’s List” for a 2 hour sail aboard the Chardonnay and a naturalist-led hike at Pescadero Nature Preserve. www.

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SA N F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S O C TO B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 4

bluewaterventures.org Treasure Island Music Festival – Treasure Island. $89.50+. 12 pm. (Treasure Island) An indie music festival set against the backdrop of the San Francisco city skyline. www.treasureislandfestival.com

LGBT Affordable Housing Forum – SF LGBT Center. Free. 6 pm to 7:30 pm. (1800 Market St.) A public forum on LGBT Affordable Housing bringing together community stakeholders and housing experts. www.sfcenter.org Karaoke Night – Toad Hall.

Free. 8 pm. (4146 18th St.) Sing your heart out on stage at Toad Hall’s weekly karaoke night. www. toadhallbar.com Piano Bar 101 – Martuni’s. Free.

9 pm. (4 Valencia St.) Sing along to your favorite songs with friends and patrons. www.dragatmartunis.com

LGBTQ Justice Week – SF LGBT Center. Free. 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. (1800 Market St.) The SF LGBT Center is proud to announce its upcoming community forum,

Open House – Project Open Hand. Free. 6 pm to 8:30 pm. (730 Polk St.) Celebrate Project Open Hand’s recent expanision of client services with a sample tasting menu and signature cocktails. www.openhand.org 4Bidden – The Cellar. $10. 10 pm to 2 am. (685 Sutter St.) A fun lesbian dance night playing your favorite throwback songs. www.cellarsf. com

Ten Percent – LGBT-TV for Northern California. Free. 11:30 am and 10:30 pm. (Comcast Cable Network) David Perry interviews David Frederickson, author of “Life on All Fours.” Perry also interviews marine biologist Shayle Matsuda about this year’s Bay Area Science Festival. www.comcasthometown.com.

Book Study – Point Reyes Presbyterian Church. Donation. 1 pm. (11445 California 1, Point Reyes) A 5 session book study of Tao Te Ching. Also October 31 & November 7. www.ptreyesbooks. com One City Book – San Francisco Public Library. Free. 6 pm. (960 4th St.) An annual citywide literary event that encourages members of the San Francisco community to read the same book at the same time and then discuss it in book groups. www.sfpl.org

Singing Fools Party – Milly Valley. $20. 7:30 pm to 10 pm. (Mills

Valley Location) Join for a fun and wildly popular gathering of singing, drumming, and dancing. sheilahmay@comcast.net Sisterhood and Solidarity – Radical Women. Donation based. 3 pm to 4:30 pm. (747 Polk St.) A 5-week discussion group on multiracial revolutionary feminist organizing. www.radicalwomen.org Family Halloween Day – Randall Museum. Free. 10 am to 2 pm. (199 Museum Way) Enjoy daytime Halloween activities for the whole family. www.randallmuseum.org

Slaughterhouse Five – Gough Street Playhouse. $20-50. 3 pm.

(1620 Gough St.) A satirical and horrifying anti-war story, Slaughterhouse Five, carries a unique poignancy — and humor. www.custommade.org Salsa Sunday – El Rio. $10. 3 pm to 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) Enjoy live music and dancing every second and fourth Sunday. www.elriosf.com

TechWomen – Commonwealth Club. $20. 5:30 pm. (595 Market St.) Join for a panel discussion with four African and Middle Eastern women who are leaders in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. www.commonwealthclub.org Motown Monday – Madrone Art Bar. Free. 6 pm. (500 Divisadero St.) Dance the night away to your favorite Motown songs and remixes. www.madroneartbar.com.

LGBTQ Support Group – Petaluma Health Center. Free. 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. (1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) A positive support group for the LGBTQ community in Petaluma. Meetings happen every Monday. www.phealthcenter.org

Betty Who will perform at The Fillmore on the 28th.

Tuesday. www.lookoutsf.com

November 19.

Trivia Night – Hi Tops. Free. 10 pm. (2247 Market St.) Test your trivia knowledge at this popular sports bar. www.hitopssf.com

Castro Farmers Market – Noe St. at Market. Free. 4 pm to 8 pm. (Noe St. at Market) Enjoy fresh produce and local made foods and delicacies. Happening every Wednesday. www.pcfma.com

Last Drag – SF LGBT Community Center. Free. 7 pm to 9 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.lastdrag.com. A free quit smoking class for LGBT and HIV positive people.

Happening Wednesdays through

Smack Dab Open Mic Night – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) An open mic night for all with host Larry-bob Roberts. www.magnetsf.org

Visit Us Online at sfbaytimes.com

Betty Who – The Fillmore. $39.

8 pm. (1805 Geary Blvd.) Australian born Betty Who delivers a lively sound of pop and indie music that is sure to delight and electrify. www.thefillmore.com Video Tuesdays – Lookout.

Free. 8 pm. (2600 16th St.) VJ 6PAC plays the best in music videos every

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(EXAMINED LIFE continued from page 14) by learning moderation rather than by becoming completely abstinent.

Moderation, it seems, is the rule rather than the exception.

Brian is well aware that his addiction to crystal meth is dangerous and potentially deadly. He doesn’t need to be scared into recovery, but he could use a little more hope. Accurate information could go a long way toward lifting his spirits, and evidence-based therapy would surely be more likely to help him get free of meth than “treatment” that is based on the folklore and myths that, after decades of addiction research, are still all too prevalent in the recovery community.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit tommoon.net

(KRAMER continued from page 18) munication, and the awkwardness of communicating, and how things are lost in translation. There was a concern she might slow the momentum down, but if the scene is engaging, and has strong drama, it works.”

Lilting includes what Khaou calls, “silent spaces” between the conversations to balance out the drama, and give audiences a time to absorb all of the exchanges. Given this approach to the story, the filmmaker needed to hire actors who could embody the complex, interior emotions of the characters. Khaou specifically wanted Ben Whishaw for Richard, because he felt the out actor “carries a sense of truth” in him.

He observed, “I needed an actor with vulnerability and strength. He carries so much pain. Without Ben, all of the nuance could get lost, and the dialogue could feel very theatrical.

He makes you hang on every word.”

Khaou had similar praise for Pei Pei Cheng. “She doesn’t have a lot of dialogue, so she needed to be very expressive. Pei Pei has been incredibly expressive even in the kung fu movies she’s been in.”

ROSTOW (continued from page 15) Racism is perniciously infused into every aspect of our society, circulating through vicious concentric circles of economic, institutional and cultural biases.

As for abortion rights, whether you are for them or against them, the very subject here is life or death. Even as you advocate for the right to choose, you must acknowledge that the choice is one of the most difficult of a woman’s life, even when she is confident of her decision. No one is “for” abortion. Those of us for choice are “for” women, who must be given the final say on whether to reproduce. And while it’s not hard to dismiss political reactionaries on the other side, it’s easy to understand the average person who disapproves of abortion. All of us share a reverence for human life, and that underlying consensus complicates the debate.

It was also important for Khaou to have the two characters expressing grief in different ways. He deliberately eschewed following a conventional narrative formula and insisted on flashing back and forth in time to tell the story.

“T he nar rat ive st r uct ure came through naturally,” the director remarked. “The repetition of the opening scene was to underscore not just the idea of memory, but also memory dealing with grief. It’s odd the way one grieves. You get stuck on a memory and you keep returning to that memory. You know it’s unhealthy, but you keep clinging on to it. I wanted to convey the idea of grief permeating, and the present and past existing on a continuous timeline.”

Lilting envelops viewers in Junn and Richard’s grief, but this thoughtful, gentle f ilm is never depressing. In fact, it’s rather life affirming because of Khaou’s attention to detail. © 2014 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

But marriage equality? Does anyone beyond the fringe right really believe that marriage equality is destined to divide America for years to come? Is homophobia an institutional problem in this country? Increasingly the answer is moving towards no. Is there a fundamental human debate here?

Does anyone really think giving legal rights to a lesbian family gives rise to the most profound philosophical dilemma? Most would say no.

I don’t know how else to put it but, in this context, marriage equality is just not that big of a deal. Further, the faith-based opposition to homosexuality in general is destined to erode, just as faith-based belief in white supremacy could not survive an evolution in religious doctrine. For every Christian who claims his faith demands rejecting gays, there are two more who claim the opposite. Just this

week, as you probably read, a major Catholic conference of bishops announced what I guess you’d call a new chapter in the Church’s relationship with its gay and lesbian adherents.

In other words, the Court’s hesitance is misplaced. Gay and lesbian couples exist and proliferate regardless of court rulings. But allowing the country to treat these families like legal strangers has become untenable.

Nor is there any reason to pussy foot around the problem like a nine-member bomb squad trying to disarm a nuclear warhead. Just cut the little red wire like they do on TV. Or maybe the yellow one.

Whichever, it’s not going to explode. arostow@aol.com

(AGING IN COMMUNITY continued from page 6) We currently live in what has been recently when he said, “I’ve always termed a “ jobless recovery,” yet have wanted someone with judgment, exmanaged to lower the unemployment perience…who has been there. I’ll get rate to 4.9% in San Francisco as of them to try new things. That’s easy July, a rate that is considered “full to teach.” employment” by economists. That should mean enough jobs for every- Fortunately, there is a range of public body, right? The reality is that most and private resources available to aid of that growth is in technology, an older job seekers in the Bay Area in industry that traditionally has fa- the employment process. No local organization targets older LGBT workvored hiring younger workers. The ers, however. takeaway is that it might require time to get a job, and that you will likely Here are some resources to consider have to submit many applications, for those over 50 who want to find and undergo many interviews. Hang a new job, or keep the one they have in there. while honing skill sets: Here are two suggestions to shorten the process: You have likely made contacts over many years. Depending on the job, you may have entry points other than the HR department for a particular position in an organization. Leverage the contacts you have, and network widely.

You have accumulated unique experience and skill sets over the years. Pick jobs and organizations where those have a greater chance of being appreciated. Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, put it best

AARP: www.aarp.org AARP is the granddaddy of older adult trade associations. It has job search offerings and support services.

SAGE Work s: w w w.sageusa.org SAGE Works is a national LGBT employment support program for individuals over 40. It “expands job hunting (and technology) skills and career options, and connects employers to diverse high caliber candidates.” The organization is NYC-based, but it has local programs around the U.S. The closest such program to those of us in the Bay Area, however, is in Palm Springs.

WEDDINGS (continued from page 11) suggesting that you let your partner, friend, family member or vendor steam roll over you. What I am suggesting is that, as in life, weddings offer a myriad of possibilities. Think about what is most important for you to include, and consider what you can be more flexible about.

I won’t say that my tips will ensure a stress-free wedding, as I do not believe there is such a thing. My goal is to help you minimize the stress. I believe that focusing on your needs and desires will help to insulate you from all the purportedly helpful suggestions that your family and friends will undoubtedly offer.

May the path to your wedding be as wonderful as your path down the aisle!

Howard M. Steiermann is an Ordained Ritual Facilitator based in San Francisco.

For more information, please visit www.

SFHoward.com

SF Health Service Agency: www.sfhsa.org This organization offers job seeking assistance that includes listings, counseling and placement services, through Career Link Centers around San Francisco. The focus is not specifically on older workers.

SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development: www.workforcedevelopmentsf.org This organization offers a range of career planning and job search assistance services. As for the SFHSA, it does not focus specifically on older workers.

Senior Community Service Employment Programs (SCEP) in San Francisco is administered by the Felton Institute www.felton.org and Self Help for the Elderly www.self helpelderly. org Both focus on workforce training for positions in community service organizations and government agencies. Be sure to read the mission statements for each, which clarify the groups they target and the services that they provide.

Michael Costa is a health policy professional and a Boomer who most recently served on the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Taskforce. He is focused on a range of policy issues facing seniors.

(SISTER DANA continued from page 18) LGBTQ civil rights: “We are not free until all are free!”

COMMEMORATION OF THE CASTRO STREET SWEEP OF ‘89 & POLICE RIOT, hosted by veteran activist Todd Swindell, was held 25 years later by a small throng of us in front of the Bank of America building on Castro and 18th Streets. I was one of the protesters that horrible night on Friday, October 6th, 1989, along with over 100 people in the Castro/Market intersection in a nonviolent ACT UP action against AIDS with sit-ins and die-ins, when huge numbers of the SFPD violently attacked us and onlookers. Some were trapped on the sidewalk by the riot cops, others violently pushed and attacked with clubs.

SFPD declared martial law and wouldn’t allow me to enter my own home on Castro Street. This was also the night Chief of Police Frank Jordan was run out of the Castro and infamously lost his shoe (currently on display in the GLBT Historical Society museum in the Castro). For the commemoration, we reminisced, sang protest songs to the guitar of Francis Collins, and held a banner memorializing the sweep, as well as “Yes on G” placards against evictions.

THE CASTRO STREET FAIR this year was entitled CUTE FROOT (‘cause ain’t we all just a bunch of cute 22

fruits?!). CSF began as a community celebration in 1974, founded by Harvey Milk and the Castro Valley Association. Forty-one years later, the fair continues to celebrate our community - welcoming artists, vendors, craftspeople, and nonprofits with booths and live entertainment. This was also a chance to glory in the new, wider sidewalks with the History Walk and the Rainbow Honor Walk, improved lighting and foliage, and the colorful rainbow crosswalks at 18th and Castro. Besides the usual booths was the Milky Way - supposedly the performing artist sector replacing former Barnaby’s World of Wonder. But there wasn’t a lot of art, unless you count UELRENTERIA.com’s super colorful body painting and photography; and the giant, standing, ornate cross made of dollar bills with a golden mousetrap in the center, using a MasterCard for bait (art against consumerism?). There was “Grab a Marker and Draw Anything “ for DUI art (ElliottCNathan.com), as well as “Things I Want to Do Before I Die” offering chalk for pavement expression. I was too late for the Pillow Fight.

There was “Say Hello with ello,” which I said, “Hell no to ello!” refusing to sign up, in light of our recent Facebook victory. Frankly, Milky Way was a bit of a let down for me.

SA N F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S O C TO B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 4

A B S O LU T E LY FA BU LO U S (ABFAB) starred Terrence McLaughlin as wacky hippie throwback, wannabe spiritualist, publicist Edina, ZsaZsa Lufthansa as drunken druggie, aging ex-supermodel Patsy, Annie Larson as doddering, sarcastic Gran, Dene Larson as extremely uptight, bitchy daughter Saffy, and Raya Light as deliciously ditzy assistant Bubble at Stage Werx in Fashion and Fat, with audience members chosen to be in the fashion show. This is a three-part series at Stage Werx, 446 Valencia Street, Thursdays at 8pm and Fridays at 11pm. France and ISO Tank will feature the same main cast but in two different episodes, both offered Nov. 6th-7th, 13th-14th.

The actors portray these British crazies to hilarious perfection. If you fancy the classic TV AbFab shows, you’ll really dig these live interpretations, sweetiedarling! You’ll be tempted to say-along the stand-out lines, but don’t. You may, however, sing-along the “Wheels on Fire” theme song, darling. Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/absolutely-fabulous-abfab-tickets The 30th annual HRC SAN FRANCISCO GALA DINNER was held on October 11th (26th anniversary of National Coming Out Day) at the Westin St Francis Hotel. HRC President Chad Griffin celebrated

the strides HRC has made toward achieving equality for our community this past year, while preparing for the work ahead in the year to come. We all sang “Happy Birthday” to veteran activist Cleve Jones on his 60th.

Mayor Ed Lee lauded Special Awardee House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi for her AIDS activism and fight for LGBTQ rights; Board member Frank Woo introduced Pelosi, who spoke inspirationally.

MILK filmmaker Dustin Lance Black spoke of the trials of growing up a closeted gay Mormon. Charles M. Holmes Community Service Award was given to Cecilia Chung; Ally For Equality Award to Barb Young; and Corporate Equality Award to Gibson Dunn law firm.

CUMMING UP! SHANTI’s 40th Anniversary Dinner, COMPASSION IS UNIVERSAL, is Saturday, October 18th, 5:30pm at The Fairmont Hotel. The Nancy Pelosi Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Reverend Cecil Williams & Janice Mirikitani of GLIDE Memorial Church. shanti.org Fresh from his appearance at his artist reception at Magnet last Friday, PETER BERLIN TALKS! is happening at Magnet, the gay/bi men’s Castro hub of health and social well-

being, October 18, 7-9pm. Free admission. Peter Berlin is a photographer, artist, filmmaker, clothing designer/ sewer, model, and gay sex symbol. In the early to mid-1970s, Berlin created some of the most recognizable gay male erotic imagery of his time. Hear Berlin speak at Magnet, 4122 18th & Castro Streets. His photography is on display at Magnet all October.

PROJECT INFORM presented their annual EVENING OF HOPE, A NIGHT OF LIFESAVING FASHION, 6-11pm, City View at Metreon, 135 Fourth Street. The incredibly talented Jackie Beat will host an exciting line-up of fashion and fun, with cocktails, culinary delights, VIP after-party with designers and models. Gorgeous models will wear fashion with a message, one-of-a-kind Condom Couture designed by local and national designers. These stunning signature pieces, partially made of condoms, are guaranteed to impress your inner fashionista!

Sister Dana sez, “Governor Jerry Brown recently signed legislation that would allow any Californian quick and easy online access to see who exactly is funding propositions that appear on our ballots. Victory!”

Round About - All Over Town

- Photos by Rink The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club hosted a transgender discussion panel at the SF LGBT Center featuring Cecilia Chung, SF Health Commission; Masen Davis, Transgender Law Center; Ron Flynn, Alice Club co-president; and Theresa Sparks, SF Human Rights Commission. Transgender rights through the legislative process, visibility and hate crime prevention measures were discussed.

Honoree Dana Van Gorder (center) with presenters Mike Smith (left) and Scott Williams (right) at the Leather & Feathers benefit for AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) at Temple Lounge.

Honoree Joanie Juster hugs her daughter with award in hand at the Leather & Feathers event held at Temple Lounge.

Mr. Tina and Ms. Vera expressed their fashion excesses at the Folsom Street Fair 2014.

SF Bay Times contributor Kippy Marks joined Gypsy Love, SF Bay Times astrologer, at the Lookout for the premiere of her new dance pop video “Kaleidoscope.”

Troy Brunet (left) and friends at the Folsom Street Fair 2014

SF Bay Times astrologer Gypsy Love thanked the dance troupe for performing at her “Kaleidoscope” Dance Pop Video Premiere event held at the Lookout bar.

Juanita More glided down the runway during the fashion show at the Leather & Feathers benefit.

Co-hosts Sister Violet Sin Bloom, Jared Hemming and Everett Holden coordinated a safer sex forum at Magnet as part of the Bridgemen Volunteer Group..

Beach Blanket Babylon’s King Louie accepted the award honoring BBB at the Leather & Feathers event held at Temple Lounge.

Women in leather enjoyed the Leather & Feathers benefit..

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 16, 2014

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