San Francisco Bay Times December 3, 2015

December 3-16, 2015 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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30 Years

Donna Sachet in the 2015 Dance-Along Nutcracker, “The Nutcracker of Oz” See Pages 15-18

PHOTO BY GEORG LESTER

of Dance-Along Nutcracker

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San Francisco City Hall Turned Red for World AIDS Day On December 1, World AIDS Day, Mayor Ed Lee ordered City Hall to be lit in red to remember lives lost to HIV/AIDS and to show renewed commitment to finding a cure. Lee said, “San Francisco is at the cutting edge of prevention, treatment and advances in medical research, and we are providing hope to people living with HIV/AIDS with our continued leadership in fighting this disease. Our commitment to Getting to Zero demonstrates that leadership.” He added, “In 2014, I signed the UNAIDS Getting to Zero initiative, which aims to get to zero new HIV infections, zero deaths associated with HIV, and zero stigma by 2030. The recent $20 million grant to create the new Institute for HIV Cure Research at UCSF will move us all closer to a cure and get us all to zero.”

Housing Working Group to Reconvene with Goal of Increasing SF Affordable Homes Board of Supervisors President London Breed and Mayor Ed Lee this week called for a Charter Amendment for the November 2016 ballot to require more affordable housing from private developers in new housing developments, especially large developments. To develop this Charter Amendment, Mayor Lee will reconvene this month a housing working group, the same group of diverse 2:25 PM housing stakeholders that originally built the Housing Trust Fund in 2012 and many of the housing reforms San Francisco has developed and adopted in the last two years. The stated goal is to increase inclusionary requirements from developers in the City’s overall strong economy, and to shorten the timeline for housing construction.

Supervisor Wiener Calls for Oversight Hearings on Shortterm Rental Enforcement This week, Supervisor Scott Wiener called for standing quarterly oversight hearings on short-term rental enforcement in San Francisco. The goal of the hearings is to provide continuing, transparent public oversight for city enforcement efforts to ensure that the recently enacted short-term rental law is being robustly enforced and that illegal and abusive short-term rentals are being shut down promptly.

At each hearing, the recently created Office of Short Term Rentals will be asked to present on various statistics, including number of short-term rental registrations, progress on getting more STRs registered, and enforcement efforts against violators. The quarterly hearings will commence in January, and will occur every three months thereafter.

Milk Memorial Draws Huge Crowd The 37th Harvey Milk Memorial March and Vigil began in Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro with crowds overflowing into the street. Inspirational remarks were made by Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club Co-Presidents Laura Thomas and Peter Gallotta, as well as Tom Ammiano, Harry Britt and SEIU’s Kimberly Alvarenga (Ammiano’s former aide). The attendees then marched up Castro Street, taking two lanes, to the site of Milk’s old camera shop/queer activism central to hear more speeches, including former Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver, who told of her personal experience when Milk was brutally assassinated on November 27, 1978, by Supervisor Dan White in City Hall.

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$20 Million Grant to Create New amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research AmfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, and UCSF hosted a press conference to announce the establishment of the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research, the cornerstone of

amfAR’s $100 million cure research investment strategy to foster innovation among collaborative research teams, with the goal of developing the scientific basis for a cure by 2020. The press conference highlighted the goals of the Institute, the scientific challenges of curing HIV and current progress in cure research, the decision to establish the amfAR Institute in San Francisco, other partners involved in the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research, and amfAR’s Countdown to a Cure for AIDS initiative. amfar.org Dennis Nix, Member of LGBTQ Community, Killed in Hit-AndRun Dennis Nix, a San Francisco resident for over forty years, avid runner, diver, skier, and prominent member of San Francisco’s LGBTQ community, was killed in a recent hit-and-run accident. Though he lived near Monterey Boulevard, Nix was woven into the Castro’s social fabric, participating in local groups and often seen out and about in the neighborhood. An outpouring of shock and grief on his Facebook page and among the many communities that he was part of has spread since the early Saturday morning incident, when Nix’s scooter was struck by a light-colored sedan near Monterey Boulevard and 280 as he was heading home from a holiday party with his running club. The driver fled the scene, and as of this writing no arrests were made; no suspects have been identified. hoodline.com Congress Holds First-Ever Forum on Violence Against Transgender Community Isa Noyola, Program Director at Transgender Law Center, testified about barriers facing transgender people seeking access to services at the first-ever Congressional Forum on Violence Against the Transgender Community. The LGBT Congressional Caucus held the forum after announcing the creation of a Transgender Equality Task Force chaired

by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley). transgenderlawcenter.org “Hot Cop Of The Castro” Arrested for North Beach HitAnd-Run Christopher Kohrs, 38, the well-known “Hot Cop of the Castro,” was arrested for a felony hit-andrun. The two victims wound up in the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. On Sunday, November 29, at approximately 2:20am, San Francisco Police responded to a report of a hit and run collision with injuries at Broadway and Montgomery Street.

Although an arrest has been made, this is an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information on this collision is asked to call the Anonymous Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. hoodline.com Mayor Lee & Supervisor Breed Announce Milestone Reached in Rebuilding of City’s Public Housing Mayor Edwin Lee and Supervisor Breed announced the historic transfer of 15 public housing sites and 1,425 units to community-based nonprofit ownership as part of the Mayor’s 2013 Re-Envisioning Public Housing Plan and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD). All public housing is affordable to low- and extremely-

low income households. By transferring the buildings from ownership and management by the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA), substantial new financial resources will be available to repair and renovate the buildings. sfmayor.org ‘Authentic Names’ Facebook Community Forum to be Held at Community Center The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee and Facebook invite the public to attend the “Authentic Names” Facebook Community Forum on Tuesday, December 15, 6 pm at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street in the Rainbow Room. This event is designed to provide a forum to bring LGBTQ leaders together with the Facebook team to discuss updates to the authentic name verification experience, related issues and updates to the system. Registration is required: eventbrite.com/e/authentic-namesfacebook-community-forum-tickets STD Cases at All-time High, Particularly Among Men The sexually transmitted disease epidemic is increasing, and the most common infection, chlamydia, has risen to record levels, government officials say. Reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased in 2014. Chlamydia cases had dipped in 2013, but last year’s total of more than 1.4 million—or 456 cases per 100,000—was the highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As in previous years, the syphilis increase was mainly in gay and bisexual men. Most gonorrhea and chlamydia infections were in 15to 24-year-olds. lgbtqnation.com 25th Annual Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree Provides Dazzling Home Display What has become a San Francisco holiday tradition, the Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree 25th Annual Display

by Tom Taylor and Jerry Goldstein, is a gift to the Bay Area by the residents of 3560 21st Street in San Francisco. This annual opulent display is free and open for outdoor viewing now through December 24, with Santa in attendance. The tree stays up until New Year’s Day. tinyurl.com/mhh98vz UC Davis Medical Center Named Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality For the fifth consecutive year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has named UC Davis Medical Center a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” in its annual Healthcare Quality Index report. The medical center earned top marks for meeting the foundation’s four core criteria for leadership excellence, which include nondiscrimination policies for patients and employees, equal visitation for same-sex partners and parents, and training in LGBT patient-centered care. Equally important are employment opportunities and a workplace environment that do not discriminate against anyone because of sexual orientation or gender identity, the fourth of the core criteria met by Davis. ucdavis.edu Toys for Tots Drive Is at St. Regis Ballroom This Year This year’s Toys For Tots/SF is on Sunday, December 6, from 4–7 pm at The St. Regis Ballroom at Third & Mission Streets in San Francisco. Admission to the event is two or more unwrapped new toys to be donated to organizations that provide services to local children who otherwise wouldn’t receive a gift this holiday season. Festive holiday attire - no jeans or tennis shoes. Last year they had over 1,100 people join them, so due to growth of the event in recent years, space is limited, and an RSVP is necessary: ToysForTots.SF@gmail.com

Affordable Housing Challenges

Assemblymember Phil Ting Housing costs more in California.

And, in California, there is no place more costly than the Bay Area to call home.

Consider these numbers. Although 56 percent of Americans can afford to buy the average priced home, just 30 percent of Californians can do so. In the Bay Area, the so-called housing affordability index is just 20 percent.

At 10 percent, my community in San Francisco has the worst affordability rating of all nine Bay Area counties, while Solano is the most affordable at 44 percent.

This quandary, caused by the absence of affordable homes, pushes Bay Area residents to rent and to commute long distances.. We are seeing the pains of these coping strategies crest to new heights today. Bay Area commuters face 124,000 hours of delay each day on area highways, over 45 million hours each year. And, renters face the most expensive prices in the nation.

A report released last month by Zumper, a renter’s search engine, found that three of the nation’s five most expensive cities to rent are located in the Bay Area. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment costs $3,670 in San Francisco, $2,180 in San Jose, and $2,160 in Oakland. Two bedroom rentals in these cities cost $5,000, $2,720 and $2,520, respectively.

Despite such enormous need for change, we had a mixed year for actions taken in Sacramento to spur affordable housing.

The premiere success of the year was passage and signature into law of As-

sembly Bill 2, which I proudly co-authored. The objective behind the bill was simple: to fill the void left by the dissolution of redevelopment agencies three years ago and the loss of about $1 billion in annual investment in affordable housing across the state. This bill allows local governments to form Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities to administer economic development and affordable housing programs in impoverished communities. Twentyfive percent of their revenue must be dedicated to affordable housing development.

The disappointments of the year came from Governor Jerry Brown’s vetoes of tax incentives to fuel affordable housing construction. One measure would have helped the state capture $600 million in federal funds for this purpose.

Looking ahead to when the State Legislature reconvenes in January, many hopes are riding on the fate of Assembly Bill 1335, which I am also coauthoring. It would create a $75 fee on real estate recorded documents, excluding home sales, in order to generate up to $500 million a year in dedicated funding for affordable housing construction. This bill awaits a vote on the Assembly Floor.

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For the Bay Area, the need to act with urgency is both clear and decisive.

We do not have enough housing to keep pace with our growing economy.

Last year, nearly 114,000 jobs were created in the Bay Area, but the region’s housing stock grew by less than 40,000 between 2010 and 2014.

We cannot continue down this same path indefinitely without our communities paying the price for the region’s brutal housing market. With housing need and supply facing such an imbalance, costs are skyrocketing and pushing working people from their communities. We must confront this exodus and seize every opportunity to build affordable housing in order to keep our communities intact.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco as well as the cities of Broadmoor, Colma and Daly City.

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Remembering Leslie Feinberg BEST AVAILABILITY DEC 22 & 23 dividuals, communities, groups and nations.”

Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan A year ago, our communities lost a powerful and important voice, activist, author and more, with the death of Leslie Feinberg. Most known as the author of the deep and moving novel Stone Butch Blues, Leslie had broad inf luence and great courage.

Leslie’s wife Minnie Bruce Pratt wrote the book S/he about, among other things, loving Leslie.

In the Jewish tradition in which I was raised, one of the ways that we honor the lives of those who have passed on is by, on the one-year anniversary of their death, speaking about their lives and accomplishments. We can then honor the lives of those who came before us by carrying forward their important efforts.

As an out “butch” who lived outside traditional gender boxes, and who was an unapologetic activist for social justice and civil rights, Leslie Feinberg has been an inspiration to me and to so many others.

Pratt shared: “Feinberg was the first theorist to advance a Marxist concept of ‘transgender liberation,’ and her work impacted popular culture, academic research and political organizing. She believed in the right of self-determination of oppressed in-

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She preferred to use the pronouns she/zie and her/hir for herself, but also said, “I care which pronoun is used, but people have been respectful to me with the wrong pronoun and disrespectful with the right one. It matters whether someone is using the pronoun as a bigot, or if they are trying to demonstrate respect.”

Feinberg authored two other nonfiction books, Transgender Warriors: Making History and Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue, and the novel, Drag King Dreams. Leslie was a member of Pride at Work (AFL-CIO), the National Writers Union, and United Auto Workers Local 1981.

I had the honor and pleasure to meet Leslie a few times, and to hear her speak publicly. It is important to honor those with the courage to speak truth in the face of oppression, and to inspire us all to bring our whole selves forward in the work to build a better world. May Leslie’s work for justice for all, including economic and transgender liberation, live on and strengthen.

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide councilmember. She was re-elected in 2012 and serves currently as Vice Mayor. She is working for safe neighborhoods, for local jobs and for a fresh start for Oakland.

Vice Mayor Kaplan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technolog y, obtained a Master’s degree from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.

Castro Tree Lighting Photos by Paul Margolis

A large crowd of merry makers enjoyed the music, proclamations and arrival of Santa in the Castro on Monday, November 30. Located on Castro near 18th, the tree is decorated annually by the Castro Merchants Association, the organization that organizes the Tree Lighting Ceremony and welcomes all to join in supporting stores and speciality shops located throughout the neighborhood. Daniel Bergerac, president of the association, along with emcee Donna Sachet and other civic and community leaders, welcomed all attending and led in lighting the tree.

Camille Saint-Saëns and La Loïe Fuller at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition where her 1892 debut at the Folies Bergère in Paris brought her international celebrity.

among dear friends in Paris; no composer since Mozart wore a wig to greater effect. Neither did he dance in a tutu, which reputedly he effected to entertain fellow composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, a frequent visitor to the City of Light.

Faces of Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky In 1915, San Francisco gave a party and invited the world. Intended to delight in the completion of the Panama Canal, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition much more celebrated the renaissance of the City after the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

More than 18 million people attended, including two world famous members of what we would call our LGBT communities: the venerated composer Camille Saint-Saëns and the renowned dancer La Loïe Fuller.

Hail! California was premiered at the Exposition in Festival Hall, which stood near what is now the intersection of Pierce Street and Toledo Way. It delighted the audience of 4,000, but never entered the repertoire. SaintSaëns’ visit did result in a more enduring musical legacy, however, in his Élégie, Op. 143, which he composed while in San Francisco.

Saint-Saëns was still in the City when La Loïe Fuller, arguably the most acclaimed dancer in the world, appeared at the Exposition. Before there was Isadora Duncan, whom she encouraged, or Ruth St. Denis or Martha Graham, there was Fuller, a natural and spontaneous performer whose ideas and innovations became the foundations of modern dance.

In May 1915, Saint-Saëns, then almost 80 years old, travelled the 5,500 miles from his home in France to San Francisco to debut his new work, Hail!

California, commissioned by the Exposition as its official composition. Typically he favored more exotic destinations in North Africa, where he went, by his own admission, as much for the waifs as for the waters.

Saint-Saëns was feted throughout his visit, although he did not attend any parties here dressed as soprano Caroline Carvalho, who had sung Marguerite at the premiere of Gounod’s Faust, and for which he was famous

As a woman who loved women, Fuller had little interest in appearing as a tutued ballerina locked in her prince’s loving gaze, surrounded by admiring male courtiers, an object of masculine desire.

No dying swans, no unrequited peasant girls, no suffering Cinderellas for her. Instead, she transmuted herself into a kinetic sculpture on stage, presenting what critics described as “transformative imagery of hypnotic beauty” and “the dizziness of soul made visible by artifice.”

9.75 in.

Born Marie Louise Fuller in 1862 near Chicago, Illinois, she began her theatrical career as a professional child actress and later performed as a skirt dancer in vaudeville and circus shows.

She became well-known in America, but felt that her work was not being taken seriously by the public. That changed when she moved to Europe,

To accomplish this, Fuller created a new methodology of movement and presentation. She devised her own costumes, made from yards and yards of gossamer thin silk. She designed her own lighting, performing in a rainbow of colors provided by revolving discs with tinted gels, another of her innovations. She did away with scenery, illuminated the stage from below, projected images onto her clothing, and choreographed shadows and silhouettes. Except for the music, every aspect of her performance was hers.

Long separated from her husband— he was wed to her and two other women when she left him—she found personal happiness with Gabrielle Sorère, a member of her company, who became her lifelong companion, manager, artistic collaborator, and co-founder of an all-woman dance company in

1907. Always innovating, their final work together was the 1921 film The Lily of Life, which Sorère directed. It was one of the first motion pictures to use a negative print to distinguish reality from illusion. A couple for more than two decades, they were parted only by Fuller’s death in 1928.

When Fuller came to the Exposition in 1915, she was 53 years old and only rarely performed in public. For the celebration, however, she appeared on stage with her troupe of Parisian students, whom she called her “Muses,” in a series of dance recitals that included Prelude l’apres-midi d’un faune by Debussy; Grieg’s Peer Gynt (Fuller took the role of the Mountain King); and more. The ensemble later danced under the rotunda of the Palace of Fine Arts, hoping to raise money to preserve it after the fair closed.

Fuller helped to leave another lasting contribution to the City, through the generosity of her great friend Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. The two women met in Paris in 1914, where Fuller introduced her to the sculptor Auguste Rodin. Alma purchased a number of his works directly from him, which she put on display in the Exposition’s French Pavilion, a copy of France’s Palace of the Legion of Honor. To house her collection after the exposition closed, she had an exact replica of the pavilion built in Lincoln Park, a copy of a copy, which opened in 1924.

Fuller herself continues to be an influence on contemporary dance.

Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.

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TREAT YOURSELF TO AN EXCITING C ULINARY ADVENTURE WITH M ICHELIN S TAR C HEF SRIJITH GOPINATHAN

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Weddings Howard Steiermann Wedding ceremonies can be nerveracking. As an officiant, I see my role as similar to an anchor; someone couples can lean on for support.

So, typically, the first thing I say at a wedding is directed just to the couple, sotto voce, inquiring whether they are breathing and whether they are present.

I then welcome all those in attendance, including a personal tidbit or two. For example, in one of my recent pre-ceremony meetings, Evelyn shared with me that she sees love as being pervasive. She asked me to let her family and friends know this in the ceremony by expressing the couple’s intention that love would spread.

The couple hoped that during the ceremony there would be moments of levity and moments of solemnity.

They recognized that love and commitment are not synonymous.

I shared that sentiment with their guests during the event. I then said that the couple was thrilled to gather their families and friends, thereby creating a community of support, acknowledgement, and affirmation.

Their thoughts continued to be the centerpiece of the ceremony as each partner read words that they had written for the other.

Evelyn told Robin: “Today I give no promises broken or words un-kept, but instead I give you my choice: To work. To work for us. For our family is one we are born into and a spouse is the only one we choose. Today I choose you…I choose in the presence of those who have our hearts and lives combined…I’ll choose to listen to you, to the heart of the matter, to hear your true needs. To respect and consider and weigh your opinions and feelings. I choose to celebrate you, your strengths, your accomplishments, your goals and vision…In this small life, I give you, and will continually choose to give you again and again, my love, my support, my ear, my best, my worst, and my work to do what it takes to be your family.”

Then Robin, choking back tears, read these words to Evelyn: “The truth is, if I were to compare you to anything it’d be a blindingly brilliant star, somehow brighter than all your surroundings despite the daylight, simultaneously impossible and simple to describe. Any attempt

to list your best qualities is futile, though thankfully we have the rest of our lives to do so, but for now I’ll just say that you are compassionate, inquisitive, generous, attentive, humble, wise, and gorgeous in every way. You get my jokes, can read my writing, and support whatever I want to be when I grow up. Every new day with you is a priceless gift, which I can’t possibly deserve, but gladly accept and treasure.

A few days ago, I had a dream in which we were standing in our kitchen. This in itself is not at all how my dreams have typically gone.

(For) most of my life, the dreams I’ve remembered have been entirely invented realities—rarely have I even been myself in them. But here, we’re just standing in the kitchen, talking. I don’t remember how the topic comes up, but we start talking about bears, and moments later you’re growling and pawing the air pretending to be one. As the moment passes, your voice cracks or something and you inadvertently make some funny little, very notbearish, squeaking sounds. We both find this immediately hilarious and burst out laughing. That’s it; that was the whole dream. I woke up so happy. And I realized, you are my dream.”

Evelyn and Robin were breathing and present from the start. Their words allowed the ceremony to reflect each of their personas and allowed all those present to get a glimpse into their relationship.

Their dream was materializing into reality.

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

For more information, please visit www.

SFHoward.com

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A MONTHLY HIGHLIGHT FROM THE DE YOUNG AND LEGION OF HONOR

The Russian Bride’s Attire Seeing the life-size painting The Russian Bride’s Attire at the Legion of Honor is a must for your bucket list. It is astounding how painter Konstantin Makovsky crammed so much detail–fashion, emotion and otherwise–into a single, albeit gigantic, work. Take time to study each character, including the none-too-happy bride, to imagine what each was thinking in this depicted moment.

A fun exercise is to step back from the painting, noting its overall composition and perspective. Then move in closer.

At the more intimate range, many viewers say that they feel as though they are actually within the 110”x147” painting.

Makovsky (1839–1915) lived life with equal largesse and gusto, traveling widely and earning fame for his portraits and historical, drama-filled paintings. Even his death seemed symbolic, marking the end of an era. In 1915, while riding his horse-drawn carriage in Saint Petersburg, an electric tram hit him. His paintings, such as The Russian Bride’s Attire, live on, however, transporting us into other worlds.

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A303562 Konstantin Makovsky The Russian Bride’s Attire, 1889. Oil on Canvas, 110 x 147 in. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

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Round About All Over Town

Photos by RINK

The November holiday window display at the Buffalo Whole Food store located at Castro and 19th Streets

Men’s Holiday Happy Hour Harvey Milk Democratic Club co-presidents Laura Thomas and Peter Gallotta at the 37th Harvey Milk and George Moscone Commemorative Vigil held on November 27 at Harvey Milk Plaza

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The Castro Street Holiday Tree, viewed on November 26, stood ready for the later Tree Lighting Ceremony sponsored annually by the Castro Merchants Associaiton.

Openhouse director of community engagement Fairley Parson and intern Anette Pakhchlan at “The Graying of Gay,” a presentation of Openhouse held on November 17 at the SF LGBT Community Center.

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Community Patrol representatives, including Service Chief Ken Craig, Leandro Bonzalex and Kyle Wong, at the 37th Harvey Milk and George Moscone Commemorative Vigil on November 27

Guests checked out a new Jaguar XE at the SF Auto Show Media VIP Party held at Moscone Center on November 20.

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‘Tis the 30th Anniversary of Dance-Along Nutcracker!

In the 30 years since the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band first invited audiences to tie on its own toe shoes, the Dance-Along Nutcracker has transformed from a Christmas concert with dancing into a full-on holiday musical where Sugar Plum wannabes dance with Clara through her story. Here at the San Francisco Bay Times, we have loved every tutu-twirling moment.

The show was one of the first events that our publisher, Dr. Betty Sullivan, attended when she moved to the city in the 90’s. “Betty’s List,” as well as the San Francisco Bay Times, is a proud media sponsor of the event.

Somehow we think original Nutcracker Ballet creator Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky would be proud

too. Biographers and historians have generally agreed that the 19th century Russian composer was gay, adding another layer to the DanceAlong Nutcracker’s already queer-as-can-be, family friendly production.

Heidi Beeler for her help in putting this coverage together. The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band’s Doug Litwin contributed as well, helping to pull together all of the historic images that you will soon enjoy.

In this 30th anniversary year, Artistic Director Pete Nowlen will be leading the way, baton in hand, during the new production, “The Nutcracker of Oz.” The Cast Director/CoCreator is Flynn DeMarco, with Musical Director Joe Wicht and Choreographer Marilynn Fowler adding to the talented team.

We wish to extend special thanks to our own columnist and Dance-Along Nutcracker Co-Creator

Please also keep in mind that each magical production of the Dance-Along Nutcracker is only presented over a few days before it disappears. Like reindeer flying off rooftops, Tinkerbell leaving Neverland, and visions of sugar plums, only the sweet memories of it then remain, dancing in our heads, until another holiday season arrives. For tickets and more information, please visit http://tickets.ybca.org/single/PSDetail. aspx?psn=20672

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Dance-Along Nutcracker Goes Over the Rainbow for its 30th Anniversary

By Heidi Beeler You could call it “L. Frank Baum meets The Stahlbaums.” This December, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band sends Clara over the rainbow for “The Nutcracker of Oz,” the 30th anniversary Dance-Along Nutcracker (DAN).

Throwing a Hollywood/Broadway extravaganza seems like the perfect way to mark the 30-year milestone, but paving Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in yellow brick is just one of many challenges in pulling off this twistersized story. To cover all the lions and tinmen and scarecrows (oh my!), the show has the largest cast in the DAN ’s history with seven key characters, six members of the Lesbian/ Gay Chorus of SF (LGCSF), and six dancers, choreographed by Marilyn Fowler.

PHOTO BY BILLY GREEN

All seven cast members qualify as local celebs in the LGBT performance scene. Donna Sachet, who just completed her 23rd annual “Songs of the Season,” dons green face paint to play the ultimate “WWW”—Wicked Witch of the West. The Wizard is Leigh Crow, who most recently finished a sold-out run as Kirk in Star Trek Live!: Mudd’s Women.

Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone), who hosts cabaret showdowns and Monday-night piano bar at Martuni’s, is Cowardly Lion and cast music director.

Zelda Koznofski, the show’s Clara, most recently played Dr. McCoy in Mudd’s Women. Noah Haydon (Tinman) won a Theater Bay Area Award for choreography in the Thrillpeddlers’ Pearls Over Shanghai. Ruby Vixen, Glinda this year, sings with the “processed American country band” Velveeta, the Whoa Nellies and performs with Red Hots Burlesque. Flynn DeMarco, this year’s Scarecrow and the show’s director, is another Thrillpeddlers’ veteran (Pearls over Shanghai, Vice Palace, which he associate directed).

PHOTO BY GEORG LESTER

The overall concept for this year’s show and its staging come from DeMarco. Backstage at “Nutcrackers of the Caribbean,” he and a few LGCSF members hit on the Wizard of Oz as

a theme. After that weekend, DeMarco, who directed the 2013 and 2014 DAN productions, began riffing on how to recreate Oz in a theater that must also accommodate a 70-piece concert band and audience stampedes across the stage. Lighting effects, large, stylized f lats and puppets manipulated by the performers take the audience from Clara’s farm to Munchkinland and the Witch’s Castle.

“With a show that only runs four shows in two days, you have to try and keep things relatively simple while still creating a visual impact,” DeMarco noted.

Of course, the DAN is at its core the holiday performance of the Freedom Band, and conducted

by Artistic Director Pete Nowlen, music is its own major design element. Nowlen combined music from the 1939

PHOTO BY JANE CLELAND

PHOTO BY LEE SUZUKI

José Sarria performs as the Sugar Plum Fairy, 1995

“Since we create the show, it is a more creat ive endeavor than executing a concert or a show f r o m p r e - e x i s ting material,” said Nowlen. “Doing a show is (typically) about 10% creative and 90% execution, but with the DAN it’s closer to 50-50.”

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

So what exactly is a Dance-Along Nutcracker? Inspired by the Sing-It-Yourself Messiah, the DAN is all about getting the audience into the act.

Think mosh-pit with fairy wands and ballet music, and you’ve got the idea. Any Sugar Plum wannabe can tie on a tutu and leap onto the dance floor while the Band performs Nutcracker faves like “Waltz of the Flowers” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” At least half the audience jumps into the fray, though wa l l f lower s a re welcome too. Only the Suite from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet (the fairyland dances made famous by Fantasia) is arranged for concert band.

So the show is rounded out with music on a theme, as cast and featured performers tell Clara’s story, and sing and dance in feature numbers.

ditions of “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked to tell the story too.

film, as well as Wicked and The Wiz for the overture and entre act. The show includes three original arrangements created by band members. June Bonacich composed a mashup of “Cruella D’Evil” and “Mr. Grinch” that Sachet performs. Stardust Darkmatterji arranged “If I Only Had A Brain” and a mashup of “Merry Old Land of Oz” and “Dance of the Mirlitons.” DeMarco has included ren-

30 years ago, the DAN was more a concert with dancing, but today the story has become as important as the music and dancing. Intertwining Oz with the Nutcracker seemed like a natural fit to DeMarco as he planned the show. In the script, written by myself with DeMarco, Clara takes Dorothy’s place and her dog is Fritz, who breaks Miss Gulch’s nutcracker and has the sheriff called on him. The Rat King becomes the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys become flying rats.

“I have to say, this group is amazing at doing this, and I really get to ride along,” Nowlen added. “Through experience, they are brilliant practitioners of interactive theater.”

Trumpet player and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Heidi Beeler has been a member of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band since 1991. She is also a founding member of the Dixieland Dykes +3.

For more information: www.sflg fb.org or www.facebook.com/sflg fb BAY T IM ES DEC EM BER 3, 2015

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PHOTO BY BILLY GREE

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

San Francsico Bay Times columnist Heidi Beeler (far left) performing with her Trumpet Section colleagues at Dance Along Nutcracker

Rent your own tutu at the performance.

Programs and Posters

1986

1993

1988

Dance-Along Nutcracker Timeline

By Heidi Beeler

The Early Years

1985–87 Dance-Along Nutcracker at the Gift Center Pavilion. 3-act concert with cocktails: Act I: Christmas music, Act 2: City Swing with Gail Wilson debuts, Act 3: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite with audience dancing and a feature routine by the SF Tap Troupe. José Sarria emcees as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

1988 Dance-Along Nutcracker Tropicana Christmas at Theater Artaud: The show is staged as an I Love Lucy episode, starring Marga Gomez as Ricky and Gail Wilson as Lucy.

Performances by the SF Tap Troupe and the original Vocal Minority chorus.

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1992 Dance-Along Nutcracker revived as part of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band’s Community Concert Series at Bethany United Methodist Church.

Act 1: Christmas Concert. Act 2: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite with audience dancing. Good Morning, America features the show in its Christmas segment.

1993 Dance-Along Nutcracker performed at Bethany United Methodist Church and in Santa Rosa.

1994–96 Dance-Along Nutcracker moves to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum. José Sarria reprises his appearance as Sugar Plum Fairy.

Cheer San Francisco as toy soldiers. Marga Gomez performs an LGBT adaptation of Peter & the Wolf.

Musical Revue/ Vaudeville-Style Show 1997 Wanted: Nuts! AD/Conductor Jadine Louie changes show format to intersperse feature numbers with Dance-Along segments.

José Sarria sings highlights from Carmen a la his famous Black Cat days. Gail Wilson sings “Santa Baby.” Ed Boeke twirls baton to “Jingle Bells Forever.”

1998 No Toe Shoes Required: Carolyn Carvajal and Corinne Levy jitter-

bug with Dance Through Time troupe.

1999 Fantasia Features: Cheer SF dances as Hershey’s Kisses to Swan Lake. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs DAN for the first time.

Carvajal and Corinne Levy perform Dudley Brooks’ “Stumpy the Tiny Ballerina.” Trauma Flintstone (aka Joe Wicht) sings “Hannukah in Santa Monica.”

2000 Into Outer Space. Kate Botello plays an intergalactic Dorothy a la Judy Garland. Dancer Dudley Brooks, Cheer SF. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs feature dancers, including Dudley Brooks and Cheer SF. Carvajal and Brooks

perform “Stumpy (the tiny dancer) in Space.”

2001 (Untitled) Circus theme. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs dance company. Tom Sellars, the accordion playing roller skater. Selena Carvajal (TonyAward Winner Lena Hall) and Calliope Carvajal sing “Sisters” from Holiday Inn. John Carman stilt walks.

2002 The Musicals. Music from Cabaret, Chorus Line, etc. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs. Calliope Carvajal, Tom Sellars, Ed Boeke on vocals.

PHOTO BY BILLY GREE

2002

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2003 Around the World. Kim Larsen (Phlileas Fogg), Steven McKearney (Passepartout). Featured a Balinese-style puppet show

by Janaki Ranpura and I Made Moja.

2004 Storybook Characters: Joe Wicht, Mark Sergeant, Buddy Symes sing as Three Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, Red Ridinghood and Grandmother. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs.

2005 The Movies. Film soundtrack music includes numbers from Gypsy, JC Superstar, Sound of Music.

Carolyn Carvajal choreographs dancers, including a silent-filmstyle melodrama dance.

Clara’s Story Retold 2006 Dance-Along Nutcracker: Clarified!

Gail Wilson (Clara) reveals true story of the Nutcracker. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs dance company, including Corinne Levy, Juan Crovatto and tap dancing reindeer.

2007 Dance-Along Nutcracker: Ratified!

Joe Wicht (Ratsky) tells the rats’ side of the story. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs Corrinne Levy (Clara) and Ratside Story Rat dancers.

2008 Bah Humbug! Joe Wicht (Drosselmeyer) and Donna Sachet (Ghosts of Marley, Past, Present,

Future). Tom Sellars (roller-skating demon). Carolyn Carvajal choreographer.

2009 Blazing Nutcrackers! Leigh Crow (Clara McCoy), Joe Wicht (Cavalry Nutcracker), Bruce Sinor, Jonathan Goldman, Sally CanjuraClayton (the Ratfields). Carolyn Carvajal choreographer.

2010 Dance-Along Nutcracker At Sea! Feature performances by Lia Metz and Leigh Crow. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs dancers Corinne Levy, Juan Crovatto and feature dance company.

2011 Clara’s Magical Mystery Tour:

Lia Metz (Clara), Flynn DeMarco (Sgt. Lemon Pepper Nutcracker), Leigh Crow (Rat King). Carolyn Carvajal choreographs Corinne Levy, Juan Crovatto and feature dance troupe.

2012 Dance-Along Nutcracker Goes Hollywood: William Sauerland (Fritz), Rachel Carson (Clara), Mark Eichhorn (David O’Ratnick), Bruce Sinor (Golden Nutcracker).

2013 Nutcrackers of the Caribbean. Joe Wicht (Captain Jack Drosselmeyer), Ruby Vixen (Queen Ratannia), Ruby (Clara), Jack(Fritz), Flynn DeMarco (Emperor Norton, etc.). Lesbian/Gay Chorus of SF.

2014 Frosty’s Hawaiian Holiday. Zelda Koznofski (Clara), Noah Haydon (Fritz), Flynn DeMarco (Father) and Kathy Hennig (Mother), the Merry Ukeladies and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of SF. Carolyn Carvajal choreographs.

2015 The Nutcracker of Oz. Donna Sachet (Wicked Witch of the West), Zelda Koznofski (Clara), Flynn DeMarco (Scarecrow), Joe Wicht (Cowardly Lion), Noah Haydon (Tinman), Leigh Crow (Wizard) and Ruby Vixen (Glinda) and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of SF. Choreographer Marilyn Fowler.

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OPEN ENROLLMENT IS NOVEMBER 1, 2015 TO JANUARY 31, 2016

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

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DANCE-ALONG 2004

Honorary Board of Directors

Supervisor Tom Ammiano

Thom Lynch, SF LGBT Center

Sister Bella de Ball

Carolene Marks

Mario A. Benfield

Dr. Kathleen McGuire

Patrick Carney, Friends of the Pink Triangle

Sharon McNight

Nancy Corporon, SFLGFB Artistic Director Emeritus

Chairwoman Carole Migden, CA State Board of Equalization

Anna Damiani Supervisor Bevan Dufty Trauma Flintstone Jonathan Goldman Trevor Hailey Nicholas Hodges Raymond Donald Hong Assemblyman Mark Leno Sara & Jessica Waddell Lewinstein John L. Lipp, PAWS

Tommi Avicolli Mecca

Mayor Gavin Newsom Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto Rene Puliatti Donna Sachet Michael P. Schilling Stephanie Smith Dave Studach Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Samuel & Julia Thoron, PFLAG Gail Wilson Richard Winchester

“Inspired foolishness, tomfoolery on a grand and witty scale…and the band was superb.” ~ San Francisco Chronicle

“It’s the best, most hilarious and most participatory Nutcracker around.”

PHOTO BY BILLY GREEN

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

See how it could affect your healthcare.

PHOTO BY RICH STADTMILLER

CHOOSING A PLAN?

PHOTO BY JANE CLELAND

~ Frontiers Magazine

415.777.0333

SERVING HIV+ SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS

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BAY TIMES DECEMB E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

SPONSORED BY SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND GILEAD

PHOTO BY JANE CLELAND

CALL POSITIVE RESOURCE CENTER

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun No, it was NOT a war on Christmas, which some rightwing crazies would accuse, but it was most assuredly a lovely holiday gathering.

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “If any queers or friends of us have an inclination to vote for Marco Rubio for Prez, consider his latest quote: ‘If we are ever ordered by a government authority to personally violate and sin, violate God’s law and sin...if we’re ordered to perform a same-sex marriage as someone presiding over it, we are called to ignore that. We cannot abide by that because government is compelling us to sin.’ Oh my God!” We came to The Castro on World AIDS Day for INSCRIBE, to write or allow a Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy student to write in chalk the name of someone we loved and lost to HIV/AIDS on the Rainbow Honor Walk. A group of longterm HIV/AIDS survivors called Honoring Our Experience (HOE) teamed-up for this community sponsored and supported World AIDS Day event.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING was held outside the Castro & Market Bank of America building. We joined our neighbors, merchants, Donna Sachet, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, LGBT Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus to ring in the holidays with seasonal carols.

This year’s World AIDS Day National Leadership Recognition Honoree was Robert D. Haas, awarded in the NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE on WORLD AIDS DAY. Haas, Chairman Emeritus of Levi Strauss & Co., served as the company’s CEO from 1984 to 1999.

Under his leadership, the firm’s longstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility continued, with an unprecedented focus on the AIDS epidemic. During his tenure, workers coming back from a disability were accommodated, and health benefits and insurance coverage was offered to people suffering from the illness.

Levi Strauss became the very first Fortune 500 company to extend full medical benefits to domestic partners of employees at that critical time. Today, he is an honorary director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and remains dedicated to the fight against AIDS. The event was entitled “Voices Surviving: Enduring Stories of Hope.” The Thom Weyand Unsung Hero Award went to The San Francisco Leather Community for its support of HIV/AIDS organizations.

There was also the Reading of Names of those who passed from AIDS. COMING UP!!!

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LIVE: THE HOLIDAY EPISODES is at Oasis, 298 11th Street, December 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th, pre-show cocktails at 6 pm. This live on stage version of BBC TV’s Ab Fab stars Christian Heppinstall as Patsy

and Terry McLaughlin as Edina, with Peggy L’Eggs as Mother and Dene Larson as Saffron, Raya Light as Bubble, Katya SmirnoffSkyy as Jackie, Marie Cartier as Marshall, Ginorma Desmond as Sarah, J Sykes Iness as Justin, and Lavale-William Davis as John Johnston. You can expect Eddie and Patsy to be drugging and drinking to excess as usual - but with a special holiday flair.

ARTSAVESLIVES is a festive opening for the new Castro gallery displaying work from ten local artists: Sean Casey, Tim Burns, Martin Freeman, Joel Hoyer, Dominic Martello, Jerry Lee Frost, Ed Terpening, Buddy Bates, Jorge E Gamboa, and Thomasina DeMaio. The grand opening party is Friday, December 4th, 6pm 11pm, 518 Castro Street. There will be art on display (many oil paintings of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) and an ongoing fashion show of hand-painted clothing by models (Sister Dana will be one). facebook.com/ events/1507723316193523 THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE CHRISTMAS EPISODES - 2015 have 12 performances only, December 3rd - 20th, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays – 8pm; Sundays – 7pm at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street. Shows are dedicated to the late great Cookie Dough. The four drag stars playing the characters the entire world has come to know and love are Heklina (Dorothy), Matthew Martin (Blanche), and new for 2015 - playing Sophia and Rose are Holotta Tymes (Sophia), and D’Arcy Drollinger (Rose). Manuel Caneri, Nancy French and

Tom Shaw are also featured in the cast. “Thank you for being a friend.” http://www.eventbrite.com/e/golden-girls-christmas-show-2015-tickets18418946565?aff=eac2 THE RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION presents HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS 14, a star-studded Holiday Concert & Celebration for everyone on Monday, December 7th at the Marines Memorial Theatre, benefiting: AGUILAS and LARKIN STREET YOUTH SERVICES. Featuring Celebrity Performers Martha Wash, Mary Wilson, Steve Grand, Jake Simpson, Shawn Ryan, Jason Brock, Sharon McNight, Carly Ozard, Jessica Coker, Russ Lorensen, Lea Bourgade, The Phantom’s Leading Ladies: Teri Bibb, Karen Culliver, Mary D’Arcy; cast members from Broadway’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Bay Area Musicals’ cast of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and others to be announced. After Party at The Clift Hotel. 7 pm: doors open for seating.

Tix and info: helpisontheway.org or call 415-273-1620. reaf-sf.org MAN CANDY is sweet art by Jason Mecier at Magnet, the Castro Center for gay and bi men, 4122 18th Street with Opening Reception on Friday, December 4, 8-10pm. Show runs through December 31st. Pop Artist Jason Mecier creates one of a kind outrageous mosaic portraits. He meticulously fabricates anybody out of anything, from Kevin Bacon out of bacon, to Honey Boo Boo out of 25 lbs. of trash. Jason’s artwork has been featured everywhere from Entertainment Weekly to The New York Times,

on TV shows like Glee, Rachael Ray and TMZ, as well as music videos by Pink and Pitbull. His portraits are hanging in Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museums, countless celebrity homes, and even in The Playboy Mansion!

Man Candy is a sugary new series of candy portraits inspired by the sexiest men alive! Hunky heartthrobs like Joe Manganiello and Tom Hardy will be hangin’ with Jon Hamm. Mario Lopez is one Hot Tamale! Shirtless Nick Jonas has a Jelly Belly belly button. Legendary San Francisco sex symbol Peter Berlin will be there smoking a candy cigarette! facebook. com/sfmagnet ACADEMY OF FRIENDS 2015 HOLIDAY RECEPTION is Wednesday, December 9th, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Williams-Sonoma, 340 Post Street.

This is a great place to eat, drink, and shop for holiday ornaments and gifts, while receiving 20% off all purchases during the event. academyoffriends.org MENORAH LIGHTING is December 9th, 6pm at the Jane Warner Plaza (Castro & Market, F-line terminus). Congregation Sha’ar Zahav is holding the Menorah lighting in celebration of Hanukkah. The event will include greetings and songs of the season in addition to the traditional menorah lighting. BYO Menorah to join in. castrocbd.org DREAMS ON THE ROCKS PRODUCTIONS presents STRANGERS WITH XXXMAS CANDY. Live on stage are your favorite Strangers With Candy characters from the Comedy Central TV classic (wmany in drag). Catch these cra(continued on page 29)

Experience the magic at the San Francisco SPCA Holiday Windows at Macy’s!

Get in the holiday spirit by visiting the 29th Annual Holiday Windows at Macy’s Union Square. Come meet adoptable animals who are hoping to find new families in time for the holidays! More than 8,500 cats and dogs have found homes through this event.

Our volunteer greeters are outside the Windows collecting donations that support our year-round life-saving programs, and last year our generous supporters raised more than $90,000. Help us beat that goal this year!

The Windows will be open November 20 — January 3.

Get involved! Visit, adopt, volunteer, or donate. sfspca.org/holiday

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Expand into Bliss While Deeply Rooting and then it gets frustrating and difficult as we get deeper into learning the required techniques? Giving ourselves 100% to someone or something requires effort, insight into our limitations, and acceptance that we will suffer. Spiritual maturity depends on our checking deeply into life, rather than transcending it.

Astrology Linda Amburgey Perhaps one of the most spiritual things we can do is to embrace our humanity. No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, attempting to stay connected to their lofty field, while expressing them through your physical being, is often a challenge.

Most of us know how falling in love with someone or something touches our deepest capacity to harness the purity of our divinity, but what happens to that expansiveness when we are brushing our teeth in the morning next to our beloved partner who clearly prefers not to have human contact for the first hour of her day?

How about when we fall into the bliss of discovering a new hobby,

ARIES (March 21–April 19) You may find yourself on fire, combusting with inspiration and forward thinking intentions. Your Cosmic challenge is to morph reality-based practical steps into these grand visions.

Own your escapist tendencies, accept your limits, and be ready to receive unimagined resources from within your own hidden potential.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) You are usher ing yourself through the previously unknown aspects of your own darkness.

Ultimate illumination comes from your courage to peer honestly into your hidden corners without judgment. Allow your curiosity to be open, accepting the secrets scrolls that ultimately unlock your chains.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your relationships continue to stretch you into new horizons.

Any outdated stories that you hold

yourself or your partner in will become a pit doom if you don’t make concrete efforts to apply your highest vision of the relationship’s future.

Your strong talk will fall into an endless echo unless you back it up with action. Let it be your motto to walk your talk, and then walk a little bit more.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) Inspiration strikes you this month as you learn to skillfully incorporate your spiritual values into the grain of your everyday life. Learning to make the spiritual and the physical one fabric is no easy task, but you are ready, and in need of bonding these seemingly separate worlds.

innermost self toward expansive horizons. Packing essentials that keep you grounded is a crucial step that must not be forgotten, as it will add value and insight later in your journey.

LIBRA (September 23–October 22) You may find yourself over-stimulated with ideas rendering you very chatty and full of expression. Bend the ears of those who will listen, but remember that you do not need them to agree with you in order for what you are preaching to have true value. Your truth will shine through.

LEO ( July 23–August 22) You could easily and happily overdo the holiday fun of overeating, over drinking, and overindulgence of anything you find pleasurable. Sounds like a party not to be missed! However, it will behoove you to remember the painful consequences incurred when you are seduced by one side of the coin, and blind to the other.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) Tease apart the chaff from the wheat as you recalibrate your moral compass.

Many inspiring visions will open your path, moving you toward abundance.

Remember that a cornucopia is small and concentrated on one end, and pouring forth nourishment on the other end, teaching you to start small with that which is near and dear to you so that you may access unimagined wealth.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22) Time to move. Maybe you will literally move, or maybe your move will be more symbolic.

Either way, your growth is contingent upon the adventure of moving your

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) The current Cosmic field is tipped in your native direction of big! Lock your grand ideas into a solid plan, and then follow

the order without distractions from the slew of other possibilities. Every true and real potential manifestation occurs in the moment you fully commitment to a solid step.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Making your spiritual path a priority may challenge your innate wiring around work ethics and worldly achievements. Keep in mind that every empire of accomplishment started with a whispering vision, and every manifestation of life began as an energetic opening of divine intention.

AQUARIUS ( January 20– Febr ua r y 18) A lt hough tempting, do not over commit yourself to all the possibilities of your social engagements. Prioritize your involvement based on what feels true and right, rather than obligatory. If your “yes” is to be considered meaningful and credible to you and others, you must have the ability to say “no” as an option.

PISCES (February 19–March 20) New visions are bountiful for your career options. Don’t let your big original ideas disappear in a puff of smoke because you were unable to commit yourself to the hard work of implementing the details. A little sweat equity goes a long way.

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. Holiday Gift Certificates available!

Light in the Grove 2015

Photos by Paula Lam for AIDS Memorial Grove

The annual Light in the Grove benefit was held on Monday evening, November 30, at the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. Noted as one of the most outstanding benefits held in San Francisco annually, Light in the Grove features artistically designed light and flower displays, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, live performances and presentations and in an outdoor transparentlytented setting. The National AIDS Memorial Grove is a dedicated space where millions of Americans touched

by AIDS directly or indirectly can gather. Add this event to your “don’t miss” calendar for 2016 and visit the website at aidsmemorial.org See more photos on Page 29.

Hap py Holidays

from our family to yours Share the gift of credit union membership and benefits with your family.

Federally insured by NCUA

www.SanFranciscoFCU.com 415.775.5377

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BAY TIMES DECEMB E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

See OuR Progress

Michael Kaufmann Business Analyst

“

CAsTro resIDeNT

I’m proud to work at a company that demonstrates a deep commitment to equality and to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we proudly serve.

”

At PG&E, our customers are our neighbors. The communities we serve as PG&E employees are where we live and work too.

That’s why we’re investing $5 billion this year to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure across northern and central California. It’s why we’re helping people and businesses gain energy efficiencies to help reduce their bills. It’s why we’re focused on developing the next generation of clean, renewable energy systems.

Together, we are working to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure—for your family and ours.

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2015 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. Paid for by PG&E shareholders. All facts 2013/2014 unless otherwise noted.

in the Bay area

See the FactS IN the BaY aRea Replaced more than 30 miles of gas transmission pipeline Invested more than $2.1 billion into electrical improvements Connected more than 65,000 rooftop solar installations

BAY T IM ES DEC EM BER 3, 2015 PGE_10.25x16_BT_LGBT_0618.indd 1

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6/18/15 3:00 PM

How Should We Speak to Each Other? Three Guidelines Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 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

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT

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

Abby Zimberg Beth Greene

Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Jennifer Mullen wwCalendar Editor

(Editor’s Note: This is the third and final article of the series, “How Should We Speak to Each Other?”)

Rubin and his partner Alan, the couple I’ve been discussing in this series on effective speech, are trying to resuscitate their dying relationship by doing couple’s counseling. They genuinely love one another, but they’ve become lost in a downward spiral of destructive and hostile speech that they know will doom their relationship if things don’t change.

This time I want to discuss three simple guidelines that may help them turn things around. The first is to listen effectively; and the other two are

to practice saying only those things that are truthful and beneficial.

guidelines: to say only what is truthful and beneficial.

Appropriate speech is only one half of effective communication. The other half is effective listening. Rubin and Alan have stopped hearing one another. While Rubin speaks, Alan silently rehearses his counter-attack, and vice versa; for both of them, “listening” doesn’t mean hearing; it means looking for weaknesses and vulnerabilities in order to acquire ammunition to get the upper hand. But effective listening means listening with the intention to understand, not to win.

“Truthful” doesn’t mean being truthful the way they tell the truth on The Jerry Springer Show. There is no point in “telling the truth” if you say it in a way that the other person can’t hear it. If we want to be truthful effectively, we have to be mindful to say it in a way that isn’t impulsive, inflammatory, exaggerated or out of context.

To be effective, truthful speech should also be timely. It’s important to make sure there is some chance that the listener is in an emotional place where they’re likely to be able to take in what is being said. Effective speech isn’t just about being factual, with no consideration of the impact on the other person.

Active listening involves overcoming the ego’s natural drive to be center stage, and instead to move over and share the “air time.” I ask Rubin and Alan to practice this exercise: When one of them speaks, the other listens with the sole goal of feeding back what they’ve heard by re-stating it in their own words. The exercise involves resisting the impulse to “correct the record” or to argue, and only to ask questions or make comments, which lead to a more accurate understanding of what they’ve heard.

Each of them is to avoid responding to what’s been said until the other is satisfied that he has been heard and that his point of view or grievance has been understood. And when it’s time to respond, I ask them to follow two

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There’s also not much point in speaking–even if you believe it’s the truth– if you know that the effect of your words is going to cause pain or create more disharmony. I ask Rubin and Alan to practice asking themselves before they say anything to each other, “Is what I’m about to say likely to cause more pain or less pain?”

When they try asking themselves this question, they’re both surprised to discover that they almost always know the answer as soon as they ask it.

One of the things I’ve personally

learned from trying to follow these guidelines myself is how skilled I am at harmful speech. We all have huge arsenals of verbal weapons for doing harm with our tone and words: selfrighteousness, irritation, edginess and impatience; caustic, sarcastic or withering tones; condescension, namecalling, ridicule, humiliation, and argumentativeness; sighs and eye rolls; prosecutorial questions, high-handedness, put-downs, and on and on. What a way to live!

No one really wants to live like this, even though to one degree or another most of us think we have to. But as Rubin and Alan work at saying only what is beneficial, they each begin to see that it is in their best interest if they give the other person no reason to be afraid. When they both know that they don’t have to be constantly on guard in each other’s presence, every aspect of their relationship improves.

To sum this up, there are three simple guidelines for effective communication that, if we practice them diligently, can do much to bring more harmony into our relationships: listen, tell the truth, and do no harm.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. To learn more, please visit his website at tommoon.net

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow

sion to allow marriages to go forward at once was also a pleasant shock.

No News Is Bad News for News Columnists

Geidner’s piece emphasizes the role of Chief Justice Roberts, and/or maybe Samuel Alito, in setting the stage behind the scenes for the Obergefell marriage victory in June of this year. After all, we know that one or both of these men joined Anthony Kennedy and the liberal wing of the Court in deciding to allow marriage to become legal throughout most of the country by default as Obergefell made its way to the Supreme Court docket. It would have only taken four votes to leave antigay marriage laws in place throughout the tenth, seventh and fourth circuits when those three appellate cases came up for a decision in October of 2014. With just those four votes to accept review on any one of those marriage victories, the question of equality would have remained on hold for months. Instead, by rejecting those cases, the underlying rulings in favor of marriage went into permanent effect. So who gave our side the helping hand?

I was just checking for lesbian news on Google and took a test to see if I was, indeed, a lesbian. I came out 40 percent bi, 30 percent lesbian, 20 percent “don’t know” and 10 percent straight.

Sorry testers, but you’ve got some ‘splainin to do. I think I liked men too much for the test, but I didn’t mean it that way for God’s sake! Plus, two of the questions basically asked how you would categorize yourself, and I checked lesbian on both. Is that not dispositive?

My problem is that I had not yet asked for “news,” so I wound up on a generic list of lesbian websites, which included the seductive link to “AmIALesbian?” So much for that. I still maintain that the finger test works. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger?

If yes, you’re a lesbian. If no, you’re straight. If undetermined, then by all means go take a quiz on the Internet to settle the matter.

Alternatively, you could rank your three favorite love affairs and figure out whether these romantic interests were female or male. I know. It’s the old school method.

Perhaps you’re wondering why our column begins, not with groundbreaking GLBT news, but with a random personal anecdote? Yes, you guessed it. The holiday gay news slump is upon us. Lawmakers go home for the month of December. Activists close their laptops. Gay bashers put down their sticks and stones. And I was going to say that our legal advocates file motions to delay except I just sent a question to Kate Kendell, head of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and she said she was swamped with work. Good. At least someone’s out there slaving away on our behalf. We wouldn’t want the entire GLBT civil rights movement to come to a halt.

You recall from last week that the NCLR has asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency order allowing visitation to a lesbian mother in Alabama who has been banned from seeing her three kids by the Alabama Supreme Court. That court, in direct violation to a couple centuries of legal precedent, ruled recently that the mother’s adoption was invalid, even though it was signed sealed and delivered by a Georgia court. We don’t have to be lawyers to understand that a state court cannot ignore a judgment from another state’s court, otherwise we’d live in a morass of legal chaos rather than a union of fifty states.

Federal law reigns, so of course a federal court can impose its will on a state ruling that defies federal law. But Alabama can’t tell Georgia that its adoption is invalid any more than Texas can tell Oklahoma that some dude from Norman doesn’t owe child support if he moves to Port Aransas.

At any rate, I was asking Kendell when the High Court might rule on the emergency motion and the answer is unknown. Meanwhile, the NCLR has also asked the justices to take the underlying case under review.

Do We Have John Roberts to Thank for Marriage Equality?

There was one big exception to the annual holiday lull, and that came in 2013 when a federal court in Utah ruled that marriage must be made available to same-sex couples immediately. Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner has written an interesting article that traces the final trajectory of same-sex marriage that arguably began with that unexpected ruling. Not only was the ruling unexpected, but the deci-

Shortly after that non-decision decision, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of marriage in an opinion that went into instant effect throughout the western states thanks to the High Court’s posture.

And by the time the Obergefell case hit the Court’s schedule, no less than 36 states were conducting legal marriages, hence the final decision had an impact on only a baker’s dozen or so of conservative states. Interestingly, those numbers were similar to the ones that governed the Loving ruling banning interracial marriage discrimination, and the Lawrence decision banning sodomy laws. What a coincidence!

The outcome was fairly clear as soon as the High Court let marriage equality become law in many parts of the country eight months earlier. We know that Justices Scalia and Thomas expressed disapproval when other antigay marriage motions failed to win votes, so who exactly cast that critical sixth vote back in October of 2014? Although he played his cards closer to the vest than Thomas or Scalia, I can’t believe Alito had any love for the marriage equality side. Ergo, it must have been Roberts who perhaps saw that marriage equality would no doubt win eventually, and who calculated that the shock to the nation and to the Court would be minimized if marriage was allowed to take root in stages.

Well, we won’t get the real skinny until the books come out, years from now.

Or who knows? Maybe a clerk will spill the beans. The thing I wonder is this. What if the Court had taken review of one of the marriage victories in late 2014? Would we still have won? I think so. But I also wonder how the country would have reacted if that victory required 30 or more states to open the gates to marriage rather than 13. Happily, we’ll never know, because I don’t think it would have been pretty.

Myth Busters I’m splitting my time between writing to you and trying to Drano the kitchen sink, which has overdosed on Thanksgiving leftovers. Drano never works for me, and frankly I think the entire drain de-clogging industry is a scam.

You end up buying several bottles of this expensive stuff, pour it down the sink, wait thirty minutes or whatever, observe maybe a slight improvement, and finally call the plumber. I just gave it another shot, so we’ll see.

If that wasn’t enough, Mel flushed our high tech car key down the john at school yesterday, and had to spend two hundred bucks on a special lock-

smith. Then the key turned up in lost and found this morning. Yesterday I felt so sorry for her stuck in the cold waiting for the lock guy that I bought her a bottle of 12-year-old single malt.

So there’s another budget buster.

Kate Kendell thinks she’s got troubles!

Meanwhile, in other superficial lesbian Internet news, I noticed that Teen Vogue ran an article titled: “Ten Myths About Lesbians You Need to Stop Believing Now.” I admit that this is probably the sixth or seventh time I’ve read one of these “lesbian myths” articles. They’re all the same, and yet I keep clicking. No, lesbians are not all butch and sporty. No, we do not pick one of us to be the man and the other to be the woman when we form a couple. No, we don’t all like The L Word.

No, we don’t hate men. Yes, we have great sex. I mean, come on, Ladies!

Smarten up these listicles!

Is it a “myth” that we’re not checking out the straight girls in the locker room? Hell no! For all we know, they might be gay or bi, so of course we check everyone out in order to be thorough. Do we all assume that we will date someone after one drink and marry someone after one date? Do 85 percent of us count? Oh, I know you.

When I first moved to Austin, I put an ad on gay.com looking for a hot affair and informing prospects that my favorite activities were smoking and drinking. There were about 20 or so women on gay.com in Austin at the time, and virtually all of them wrote me back, the vast majority mentioning that they hated smoking and/or drinking and were not interested in having an affair. Say what?

But they all wanted to meet for “coffee” because they thought my profile was intriguing. Oh, right. Personally, I think the expression “coffee date” is an oxymoron. You can have coffee on a date, of course, but only if she’s fixing you breakfast. (Drum roll.) This is just to say that unattached lesbians are usually looking for love, and often in the wrong places.

Bubbles All Around I know that this column is devoid of actual news, but I believe I warned you about that from the start. I have been searching for interesting topics on Google for days with little success. My favorite headline is from The Mirror’s web site, and reads: “Mum of two attacked Gay Village revelers with broom after legal high binge.”

Legal high binge? Sounds like fun!

(And where were the kids during this melee?)

I have also found a bunch of stories about antigay sentiment in Russia, an article about a pro hockey referee who is gay, items about antigay preachers, a list of 15 myths about gay men in addition to the 10 lesbian myths, and a piece about a married lesbian in Wisconsin who is getting pushback from the courts on her effort to clarify that she is the legal parent of their child (who was artificially conceived by her wife).

Now that I’ve complained about a news drought, be prepared for an onslaught of major GLBT stories to inundate us just as this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times goes to press. And because I know you want to know, the mum of two was a 30-something woman named Rebecca Lowrey. Lowrey went to a gay nightclub in Manchester last January, met a gay man and a woman, and wound up drinking all night and taking a drug called “bubble.” Later, the man put the moves on her, reportedly as a joke, and Lowrey turned on both of her new friends and whacked the stuffing out of them with the aforementioned

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23

The LGBTQ Experience Through Art Teacher Lyndsey Schlax of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts is teaching the nation’s first on-site high school LGBT course, according to district officials. In this column, students from her class will be anonymously sharing with the San Francisco Bay Times their thoughts about related matters, and what they are learning in the groundbreaking course, “LGBTQ Studies.”

Recently, Schlax and her students created an art exhibit showcasing works by and/or about the LGBTQ community. Some of the images are featured here.

Student, 11th Grade

As a student at a public arts high school, I have always been interested in the impact that art can have, Student, 12th Grade

and how an artist’s personal story can impact the way their art is perceived and appreciated. Over the last few weeks, every student in our LGBTQ class found a piece of art that in some way connected to the LGBTQ community.

Some picked pieces by LGBTQ identifying artists, and others picked pieces that impacted the movement as a whole. Once we all selected pieces, we started gathering research on the artists. We went back into their personal lives as well as what they were The use of the arts in emphasizing LGBT visibility has been invaluable for generating tolerance and recognition among those who would not otherwise feel so open or accepting. In the Ruth Asawa SOTA’s LGBTQ Studies class’s exhibit of LGBTQ artists, one of the main themes is visibility. I chose to display a photograph of the dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn to highlight that theme.

Today the gay-male-ballet-dancer is sometimes a stereotype, but at the time, Rudolf Nureyev’s sexuality was accepted in a way similar to Christine

going through when the pieces were made. Once we found out some background information, we were faced with the questions: “How has this piece impacted the LGBTQ community? What story does it tell?”

a group of beautiful black women sitting around a table in brightly colored, sparkling dresses. The title is Girlfriends And Lovers. It was painted in 2008. It is a beautiful painting with so much life and character.

I personally studied a piece made by Mickalene Thomas, a lesbian visual artist from the New York area. She specializes in acrylic and rhinestone on wood panel. A lot of her work also includes themes of feminism, femininity, sex, and sexuality. The piece that I chose is no exception to this. It depicts

Similarly, although all students picked art from different mediums, all of the pieces selected were full of life and character. At the end of the project, we displayed all of the pieces as a free museum exhibit in our school.

Some folks from the press attended and took pictures of the exhibit.

Jorgensen’s, the first trans woman to receive gender reassignment surgery: with curiosity, tentative acceptance, and some cruelness. Nureyev’s performances went a long way towards his acceptance; ballet offers another interpretation of masculinity, which rejects strict gender roles and uses some feminine qualities to bolster a confident masculinity. Such portrayals of masculinity help combat the misogynistic principles that contribute to homophobia.

ers of the 20th century. Russian-born, Nureyev danced at the Kirov Ballet before defecting from the Soviet Union in 1961. In 1963, he met his dance partner Margot Fonteyn during his time at the London Ballet. Nureyev continued to dance, act, and choreograph until his death caused by complications from AIDS in 1993.

Student Voices When all of the pieces came together, something truly special was created. What we have been learning in our class was reflected from thirty-five different angles. There were darker pieces, lighter pieces, some more accessible than others, but they all stood for visibility, unity and companionship. It is amazing that we can have school projects that are this immersive, well balanced and that can combine awareness, education and the arts so seamlessly.

Rudolf Nureyev was one of the most influential and iconic male ballet danc-

Rudolf Nureyev was a semi-closeted gay man; he had many lovers and never seemed to try to hide his relationships explicitly. He is responsible for popularizing ballet in the west and was a Russian national treasure until

his defection. Nureyev’s inclusion in the exhibit is important for gay visibility, especially since he was Russian.

Currently, Russia has very hostile attitudes and laws towards gay people. In 2013, the Duma passed an anti-LGBT propaganda law, which censors all media that is not strictly heterosexual. The state claims it is to protect children from corruption and abuse, two stereotypes that the LGBT community has long been a victim of. It is important that gay Russians have a positive example of what it is to be both Russian and gay.

Student, 12th Grade

As part of our LGBTQ class, we put together an art exhibit made up of art

by LGBTQ artists and art about the LGBTQ experience. The artist whom I chose to research is Zanele Muholi, a photographer. I was astounded when I read about her career as a “visual activist” and saw how remarkable her work was. She is a prime example of a woman who has dedicated herself to promoting a cause through her art, a skill that we long to develop in our own art disciplines here at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of

the Arts. Zanele Muholi was born in Umlazi, Durban. Her art focuses primarily on bringing visibility to black lesbian and transgender women in South Africa. One exhibit Muholi has created is called “Faces and Phases,” which consists of more than 200 portraits of South African lesbians. It is important for Muholi to bring attention to individuals in this community, in particular, because the LGBT community in South Africa has faced an overwhelming amount of violence.

It is important also because there is

a misconception that gayness is “unAfrican.” Another tragic subject that Muholi has chosen to capture in her photography is victims of “corrective rape.” In the exhibit our class created, I chose to show Muholi’s photograph entitled Coleen Mfazwe. This black and white portrait portrays a South African lesbian woman wearing a sash that reads, “Prince.” The woman has a solemn, strong expression on her face and she is standing confidently.

The woman’s appearance, from her sequined bowtie and her bold sash to

her fresh haircut, indicate that she is a person who is unapologetic about being herself. I deeply admired Mfazwe for that reason. Muholi’s work is not only empowering and touching, but it also gives visibility to a group of marginalized individuals that need to be seen by the general public in order to gain the acceptance they deserve.

I genuinely believe that through artwork, especially artwork that shares the stories of individuals, we can learn to sympathize with and relate to groups of people that we may have never even encountered before.

Student, 12th Grade

When I first heard that my LGBTQ Studies class was curating its very own art gallery to be put on display in our school wellness center, I immediately had a few artists in mind. Of those artists, I decided to do more research on Mark Ryden, one of my favorite Pop Surrealist artists of all time.

Named as the father of pop-surrealism and the king of signs and symbols, Mark Ryden graduated from the Art Center at the College of Design in Pasadena, CA in 1987. On April 29, 2009, in New York, Ryden creat-

ed “Incarnation” as a part of his The Gay 90’s album.

“a person who embodies flesh.” He emphasizes the point that our bodies are just pieces of meat we wear. Our minds say so much more than our physical self. This is parallel to the way some trans people may feel when figuring out their identities.

in time, backwards and forwards, very much like the artist himself. Ryden is an artist inspired by the 1890s, a time way before the one he is living in.

Student, 12th Grade

Change happens when people become aware of issues and learn how they affect innocent people. Crawford Barton photographed gay men in San Francisco and Harvey Milk’s campaign. He was responsible for the change in the way the general public viewed gay people. In the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, gay people did not receive support and were often blamed for having it. When people saw the photographs by Barton published in major newspapers, they

Student, 12th Grade Finding community is something that most people can comfortably identify with, but not everyone has this equal opportunity. At the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA), we have created an internalized respect for those of all backgrounds, and I am proud to say that we, as a family, enforce equal treatment and equal opportunities for all people who come through our school. On November 20, the SOTA LGTBQ studies class opened our doors for our first art exhibition, curated by our teacher, Lyndsey

Schlax, along with our entire class. Distinct themes were covered in this showing including: Portraits and People, Visibility, and HIV/AIDS.

24

When we first began this project, we were not expecting anything like how the actual exhibit turned out, as we had never done this type of presentation before at our school. In beginning the assignment, we were told to research an artist related to the LGBTQ community, their history, and a piece of their artwork. After learning about the background story, the artist, and their piece, we were given the assignment to create our own museum cards that someone could normally find at a public art exhibit. Fortunately, we had been given the opportunity to visit the Tenderloin Museum and the GLBT History Muse-

BAY TIMES DECEMB E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

Large-eyed, baby-doll faced, a girl with a head of hair reminiscent of pop-artist Sia stands in the midst of an eerily beautiful garden. Matching with Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, the girl wears a meat dress, decorated with the heavily loaded cuts of meat. As horrid as this may sound, this piece can also be translated into the trans-identity. The artist, Mark Ryden, emphasizes the name of the piece “Incarnation,” which means

The piece has taken Hollywood by storm, as seen in the influence of Lady Gaga, the year after this painting was made. In history, Ryden plays with the idea of the human mind. As the human body ages only forwards, the human mind has the ability to travel

About a week ago, we all went on a field trip to visit the GLBT History Museum and the Tenderloin Museum to study the history and works of the LGBTQ community. It was the history of the transgender community in the Tenderloin that led me to choose this specific piece for the museum project.

began to realize that gay men were just like anyone else and were able to sympathize with them. When people gain sympathy for people in need, they are much more inclined to be nice to them and to help them. Gay people began to be seen as regular people rather than predators or sinners. Barton published two photography books featuring men who looked proud and free, and not scary or intimidating in any way. This reinforced the normality of gay people in San Fran-

cisco. Barton’s life story is representative of many people who came from rural, non-accepting communities who moved to an enclave that had been established after the wars, where they would be able to express their sexuality freely and be who they are. He was born on a farm in Georgia and ended up in art school where he decided he was going to accept his sexuality and move to San Francisco. Taking pictures and living openly with his lover Larry Lara in the Bay

Area was a privilege people not long ago did not have. Barton was lucky he was able to escape. For the majority of history, people in the LGBTQ community have been deeply oppressed.

To this day, the LGBTQ community works hard to create and reinforce equality. A large part of fighting for social justice is awareness. Without the awareness and visibility that Crawford Barton was part of for gay men, San Francisco and the United States may not be the way it is today.

um on a field trip to get a feel for what types of descriptions we could create for our own projects. These museums inspired my fellow classmates and I to create a positive and welcoming theme for the gallery.

become a full time artist.

nity are far too familiar with. A person’s struggle with identity can be caused by the lack of community, or the excessive burden of the binary constructs of society. All these contradicting expectations divide a person into two different people, which Kahlo literally portrays in her painting.

The section I participated in was Portraits and People. I chose to study “Tree of Hope, Stay Strong,” a double self-portrait by famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. In my process of learning about Kahlo, I delved into all websites that could potentially unlock the secrets of the artist and her painting. I discovered that the openly bisexual artist became the victim of a tragic bus accident when she was 18. She remained immobile for over three months, and because of this, she left her career in medicine and decided to

Influenced and driven by the pain of undergoing over 30 different surgeries, not all successful, Kahlo was empowered to create a politically driven set of portraits. The left side of the portrait shows a dilapidated version of the artist where she is bleeding and unconscious.

The right side shows a powerful, bold portrait of Kahlo where she is casting off her back brace in efforts to leave her painful past behind.

I believe Kahlo used this technique of comparing the portraits to show the two different realities she lived in: who she was and who she longed to become.

Understanding the internal battle of having two expectations of one’s self is a battle people of the LGBTQ commu-

I enjoyed being involved in this project because I felt community where people have the same interests as me. The ability to create galleries like this one gives visibility to LGBTQ artists around the world. A theme that should be taken away from this experience is that of storytelling. Kahlo created these portraits to show her perseverance in never giving up on living, and as students, we should use the knowledge we have gained from these artists to inspire the art we create.

Student, 12th Grade

Recently, Ruth Asawa SOTA’s LGBTQ Studies opened an artists’ exhibit in their wellness center, featuring the work of artists in the LGBTQ community from different decades.

Denying the story of an artist’s life deprives their work of its full meaning. We sought to extend visibility by exploring established artists whose identities have either been suppressed in second-hand interpretations, or have already gained prominence in the gay and lesbian community. Each student chose a piece of artwork and researched about the artists’ lives.

Our assignment was to gain a deeper understanding of the piece’s meaning and to write a short description and brief biography reflecting our chosen work’s significance to LGBTQ heritage.

I chose The Darned Club (1891) by Alice Austen. The gelatin print photograph presents two couples: herself and her partner Gertrude Tate, and her friends Julia Marsh and Sue Ripley intimately posing on Clear Comfort’s lawn on Stanton Island. The viewer can see New York’s Brooklyn peeking in the distance across the Narrows. When asked why she chose to call her piece The Darned Club she

replied, “I guess that’s what the boys called it.” The photo was developed in 1891, three decades before women achieved suffrage in the United States with the passing of the 19th amendment. First-wave feminists had been advocating for their liberation with an amplified voice since the 19th century, challenging gender expectations and questioning what was considered lady-like behavior.

Austen never married, lived with Gertrude Tate for half a century, asked to be buried with her partner, and was denied her final wish. Despite the evident, her legacy was denied the visibility she crafted with her gelatin and glass plates. The Alice Austen House museum prefers to ignore Austen’s lesbian identity, presenting a misinterpretation of her life and erasing relevant cultural significance. Many feel that such a deprivation inappropriately dishonors Austen’s life and contribution to American photography. In 1994, the Lesbian Avengers, an activist group focusing on “lesbian survival and visibility…descended upon the museum reception dressed up as lifeguards to rescue this photographer’s lesbian history,” according to one report.

After Austen’s father abandoned his family when she was still a small baby, Austen’s mother resettled them in her parents’ home. She grew up fairly privileged on Clear Comfort, the only child with six adults. Her uncles, Oscar and Peter Miller, encouraged her interest in photography when she was still young. Photography was developing into an art form in the late 19th century, and Austen explored her interest in the form of documentary work.

Worried for her reputation after death, Austen’s family did not confirm Austen’s homosexuality. While validly concerned, they also deprived the visibility her photography sought to document. We as an artistic world need to know who the LGBTQ artists were and are. Their voices are important to their stories survival, and their stories are precious retellings of experiences outsiders must try to resonate with. Visibility is crucial to our survival as humans because it allows us to feel each other’s emotions and needs, helping us nurture consideration for others within ourselves.

Her photography features subjects around her home, New York scenery and cultural landscapes, immigration to the United States, her partner Gertrude Tate, women in bloomers riding bicycles, and occasional cross-dressing portraits. She never married and spent fifty years with Tate until the 1930s, when she was forced to sell Clear Comfort. The estate is now a museum and memorial to “one of America’s most prolific female photographers.” Unfortunately, the house’s establishment has more or less suppressed her lesbian identity in its historical interpretation since, but the recent Lesbian Avengers have argued for her sexuality.

For more information about the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, please visit http://www.sfsota.org/

PHOTO BY JO LYNN OTTO

An LGBTQ-themed art exhibit, curated by teacher Lyndsey Schlax, went on display at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.

Lyndsey Schlax has been a teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District since 2008. She is uniquely qualified to address multiple areas of LGBT studies, having also specialized in subjects such as Modern World History, Government, Economics and U.S. Politics. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and earned her M.A. in Teaching at the University of San Francisco.

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2:30 P.M. MATINÉE MADE POSSIBLE BY 26

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From the Coming Up Events Calendar See page 30 Wednesday, December 9 Menorah Lighting Congregation Sha’ar Zhav 6 pm Jane Warner Plaza

Thursday, December 10 Drag Queens on Ice 8-9:30 pm Union Square Park

Arts & Entertainment HoliGays Are Here! Beyond the Footlights

By Dr. Tim Seelig Perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “I wonder what it’s like to be in the audience at a San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus concert?”

For me, that’s a difficult question.

For the past five years, I have had the privilege and pleasure of being on the other side of the footlights as the Chorus’ Artistic Director.

And prior to moving to our spectacular “City by the Bay” to lead the SFGMC, I was a frequent audience member for more than 20 years.

As the conductor of a gay men’s chorus in a different city (some consider a different country— Texas!), I often made the pilgrimage to “gay mecca.” Most of those trips were planned around San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus concerts. I got to experience SFGMC’s wide-ranging repertoire, including an evening of glorious Russian music with opera superstar soprano, Deborah Voigt, a fabulous evening with Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), and several anniversary concerts. The Chorus has always been fabulous to behold and hear.

The newly released recording entitled Festive! Four Years of Favorites (top left) and scenes from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus holiday show at the Nourse Theater in 2014.

Sitting in the audience, I experienced firsthand the excitement, warmth and indescribable gamut of emotions elicited by the Granddaddy of the LGBT choral movement. Then, lucky me, I found myself in the most enviable of positions–moving from the audience to the stage–and not just the stage, but the podium.

Now, along with an incredibly talented staff and 20-member Music Input Committee, we plan the concerts you will experience all year long!

That brings us to “HoliGays Are Here” and the 25th Anniversary of “Home For The Holidays.”

And we get to put on three performances of each! You are welcome to attend any or all of them. Add a few out-of-town concerts in Santa Rosa, Walnut Creek and Berkeley and you can attend all ten if you would like!

First of all, we invite you to our “big” shows at the Nourse Theater in the San Francisco arts district on December 11 and 12. This is the set of 3 concerts where we pull out all of the stops and throw in the kitchen sink. Literally. So, what’s it like to sit in the audience for this one?

For those of you for whom size matters, hold on as the curtain opens to reveal almost 300 singers on stage.

Put this into perspective: the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra plays with 90. The San Francisco Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” boasts just over 100. Suf-

fice it to say, HoliGays Are Here is a really big show.

There will be fond memories galore with some of your favorite holiday music: “Silent Night,” “The First Noel,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” In addition, there will be new delectable gems you have never heard before—because they are world premieres! There are three this year, and each of them is a jewel. From Broadway composers and hotties Ernie Lijoi and Lawrence Rush, to Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman and best-selling author Rebecca Walker (daughter of Alice Walker).

Finally, your jaw will ache as you

“shake when you laugh like a bowl full of jelly.” And why? Because the stage will be packed like Santa’s bag with more treats than you can imagine. I really can’t give away the secrets, but it might have to do with ballet-dancing reindeer (“Sugar Plum Fairies”) or Grannies attempting to recycle the perennially reappearing fruitcakes by pawning them off on either the UPS guy or a man in a Hazmat suit, armed with a recycle bin.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We will sing and dance our way into your hearts, and your holidays. Costumes, props, lights, handsome men in tails…What more could you ask?

If you are in town on Christ-

mas Eve, you absolutely must join us for the 25th Anniversary of “Home for the Holidays.” With shows at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, there will always be a place for you (although they do tend to sell out early).

We invite you to share a memory or create a new one with SFGMC this holiday.

The HoliGays Are Here–don’t miss them!

For more information about the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and its upcoming holiday concerts, please visit www. sfgmc.org Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Photos courtesy of San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus BAY T IM ES DEC EM BER 3, 2015

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Hitchcock Fans: Prepare to Geek Out with Insightful Documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut

Film Gary M. Kramer In 1966, film critic-turned-director François Truffaut interviewed Alfred Hitchcock for the seminal book, Hitchcock/Truffaut. Their weeklong Q&A (with the help of an interpreter) was Truffaut’s effort to show that, as a filmmaker, Hitchcock was an artist—in his mind, the World’s Greatest Director— and not “just” an entertainer as was popular opinion of the day.

Now, with the documentary feature, Hitchcock/Truffaut, opening December 11, film festival director/writer Kent Jones has a made a loving, film geek tribute to the book, the filmmakers themselves, and the contemporary directors who have been influenced by Hitchcock/Truffaut. Jones’ film is both artful and entertaining, deftly using film clips, photographs, quotes, passages from the edition, and interviews with Martin Scorsese, Richard Linklater, and Olivier Assayas among others, to discuss the magic and power of Hitchcock’s work.

The documentary addresses how the author and subject came from different generations, backgrounds, and approaches to cinema and the importance of their collaboration. Hitchcock was a rigorous visual artist and controlled craftsman, a point echoed by interviewees David Fincher and Paul Schrader. Truffaut, a Cahiers du Cinema critic, who subscribed to the auteur theory of filmmaking, took on the book project “as if it were a film.”

Their collaboration paid off. As the film Hitchcock/Truffaut shows, both directors gained more respect, and their friendship lasted for the remainder of their lives and careers.

Jones provides a few scenes that tie the filmmakers together, as when he shows how both directors recall a moment from their childhood where they spent time in jail, or when Hitchcock and Truffaut discuss the latter’s approach to a pivotal sequence in The 400 Blows.

These are affectionate moments that magnify the camaraderie between the two filmmakers. Jones also presents the world of these directors off-screen.

Hitchcock/Truffaut includes a few terrific shots of a photo session with the filmmakers, and a nice nod to Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Reville, who is seen briefly in some home-movie footage.

At its best, the documentary serves as a companion piece—and, at times, as a mirror—to the book as a cinema primer. The film showcases Hitchcock’s inimitable visual style and themes.

In his mini-lessons, Jones unpacks how editing is used to expand or contract time in a film. He illustrates how Hitchcock uses space both in a room and in an exterior shot from the film The Birds to generate emotion or create unease.

The use of film clips in these minimaster classes emphasizes the points being made better than any film still or interview text in the book does.

Seeing the scene of a man pacing on a glass floor in Hitchcock’s early film, The Lodger, emphasizes the “wow” factor better than reading about it. Likewise, when Hitchcock explains why he wants actor Montgomery Clift to look up at a building across the street in I Confess, the clip of the scene shows 28

BAY TIMES DECEMB E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

how the director’s decision, which Clift objected to, was correct and why.

A few lengthy sections of the documentary analyze specific scenes and themes in Hitchcock’s classics. An interesting discussion of the director’s use of high angle shots evolves into how the themes of sin, guilt, and God are all interrelated in the director’s work. A key scene from Psycho is used to explore this point visually, and it provides an “a-ha!” moment. A discussion of a favorite theme of the innocent-man-unjustlyaccused narrative (e.g., The Wrong Man) makes connections to the psychological underpinnings of characters. Even the most casual of moviegoers will respond to these points because they are so well articulated.

There is also a fun montage of “fetishized” objects in Hitchcock’s films, from a key in Notorious, and the glass of milk in Suspicion, to the title object of Rope. Sadly, a discussion of dreams does not include the famous Salvador Dali dream sequence in Spellbound. Other minor case studies devoted to repeated visuals that Hitchcock employed—such as scenes of characters falling from buildings, or the use of rear projection—also seem underdeveloped.

However, there is no finer moment in the film than a lengthy discussion about Vertigo. As Scorsese and others wax poetically about this classic, which was long kept out of circulation, the analysis of point of view, and the ideas of fantasy and realism, visual motifs, and even plot holes in the film could be expanded to comprise a separate documentary.

Hitchcock/Truffaut genuflects appropriately in the discussions of Hitchcock’s oeuvre. If the film is a bit slight at 80 minutes, this is a minor complaint.

The book Hitchcock/Truffaut was more comprehensive. The documentary is deliberately not. However, this is hardly a drawback. If Jones’ film prompts viewers to read (or re-read) the volume to gain more insights about Hitchcock’s work touched on in the film, it has done its job. © 2015 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

SISTER DANA (continued from page 19) zies December 3rd-19th, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, The Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street.

Tix are $30 at door, or in advance online: https://www.facebook.com/ strangerswithcandysf ?_rdr=p or call 415-786-5325. From the holiday traditions of meaningful, thoughtful, and morally inspiring tales comes the heroic story of a 46-year-old boozer, user, and loser who must set aside all of her personal beliefs of nothing and open her heart to the wrong and sexy feelings of Christmas. Stroll down the halls of Flat Point High as JERRI BLANK finds all of the wrong reasons for the seasons. Directed by Dani Spinks with an original script

by Ralph Hoy, Bob McIntyre and Dani Spinks and stars: Bob McIntyre, Lauren Davidson, Sadie Fenton, Donny Goglio, Lonnie Haley, Ralph Hoy, Becky Hirschfeld, Joanna Kay, Derek Lozupone, Kari McCollough, Ricky Sakow, Jaime San Felippo, and Adam Vogel.

Come join us SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE with THE SALVATION SISTERS: ARMY OF NUN. The Salvation Sisters will be ringing bells and spreading cheer as we gather donations from the public. We are giving a poke at the Salvation Army taboo for standing behind terrible homophobic and transphobic rhetoric! This is a national Sister event being done in various cities across the United States.

A portion of the SF event donations gathered will be given to the QTY TREEHOUSE OAKLAND to create a fantastic costume closet that LGBTQ youth can indulge in and play with at this drop in center, as well as furniture to organize clothing donations for youth in need.

They do so much for our community, so let’s support them! The Salvation Sisters event will be on the 12th of December, from 6pm until 8 pm at the corner of 18th and Castro to ring bells there. If there is a large

enough group, we may consider splitting a second group off to ring bells and collect donations by the Civic Center. Look for nuns and red kettle/ cauldrons for donations. This year’s hashtag will be #SalvationSisters2015 The 2015 DANCE-ALONG NUTCRACKER (see pages 15–18) blends Tchaikovsky’s classic fairytale with a unique adaptation of the timeless story of Oz into a musical theater treat guaranteed to delight both children and adults. Join Clara, her dog Fritz and the Stahlbaum clan on their escapade down the yellow brick road.

Under the baton of Artistic Director Pete Nowlen, the SF LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND will play “Ozian” favorites from the 1939 cinema classics, Wicked, and The Wiz. Donna Sachet, Tina Sogliuzzio, and Leigh Crow join Zelda Koznofski, Flynn DeMarco, Joe Wicht and Noah Haydon in the cast this year to bring favorite Oz characters to life. As always, Sugar Plum wannabes are invited to join the actors onstage to dance under the spotlights of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. If twirling and pirouetting is not your thing, listening and watching is equally gratifying! Tutu fabu! Saturday, December 12th, 3pm and 7pm; Sunday, December 13th, 11am and 3pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street. ybca. org/dance-along-nutcracker SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS presents HOLIGAYS ARE HERE at the Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes Street. Friday, December 11th at 8 pm and Saturday, December 12th at 2:30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets range in price from $25-65 and are available on SFGMC.org or by calling City Box Office at 415-3924400. The concert joins together joyful, raucous takes on holiday classic with stunning new choral works.

THE SANTA SKIVVIES RUN is a festive 1.5-mile romp through the

Castro benefiting SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION. The event returns this year to its original home in the Castro with a later start time, Sunday, December 13th.

In just five short years, Santa Skivvies Run has become one of the City’s most beloved holiday events. Everyone is welcome to participate: naughty or nice, young or old, fresh-faced newbie or long-time Skivvies veteran. Don we now our gay apparel, or a favorite festive costume, or strip down to your undies to raise awareness and fight HIV/AIDS in our community. 9 am - Check In opens outside the Lookout, 3600 16th Street; 10:15 am - All participants must be checked in; 10:30 am - The run begins. Please arrive early so you have enough time to check in, pick up your fundraising incentives, and store your personal items in Gear Holding. The event will go on, rain or shine, so please be prepared for the weather. We’ll start outside the Lookout in the heart of the Castro. From there, it is 1.5 miles around the Castro, ending where we started. Once you cross the finish line, continue the fun! Join us at SANTA’S VILLAGE on Noe Street (between Market and Beaver Street) for a lineup of performances, awards, and contests. Santa’s Village will be open from 9am – noon. info: santaskivviesrun.org

We are proud to be nationally recognized by our peers and the media as the first national firm to launch a LGBT practice ‒ we make it our business to understand our clients’ unique needs.

www.marcumllp.com Nanette Lee Miller 415.432.6200 I nanettelee.miller@marcumllp.com International Member of Leading Edge Alliance

ASSURANCE

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ADVISORY

It’s that time of year again to join MR. SF FRIENDLY on December 13th for the 2ND ANNUAL TOY DRIVE, at the SF Eagle, 398 12th Street, on December 13th from 3 to 6pm beer bust. Please bring a new unwrapped toy and help a child’s Christmas be cheerful and bright. All toys donated will go to Mama’s Family toy drive. There will also be Jello shots and raffle tickets as well as other holiday Cheers. facebook.com/ MrFriendlySF Sister Dana sez, “Ho ho, you hoes!”

ROSTOW (continued from page 23 ) broom. She was recently given a suspended sentence and promised never to do such a thing in the future.

For your information, bubble is slang for mephedrone, and is also referred to as “drone,” “M-Cat,” white magic,” and my favorite, “meow meow.” Sadly, the cocaine-like substance is, in fact, illegal in the U.S. We are stuck with booze.

And you should also know that actress Holland Taylor confirmed that she is indeed a lesbian, as most of us knew.

I knew because my buddy Dan told me that he saw the woman who plays Captain Janeway on Star Trek Voyager engaged in what looked to be a romantic tete a tete with another woman in a hotel bar. For some reason, I thought he was talking about Holland Taylor, so I knew she was gay. Now I’m thinking he was talking about Kate Mulgrew, because I looked up Taylor and couldn’t find any reference to her Star Trek role.

I’m so confused. Mulgrew is twice divorced, but as all thoughtful lesbians

More Light in the Grove 2015

agree, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Indeed, that’s probably why she was sneaking around in the hotel bar! Or maybe Dan was talking about Holland Taylor to begin with and I got it wrong at the time. Whatever. Mulgrew is great as the Russian queenpin in Orange Is the New Black, but personally I never cared for Captain Janeway. She was superficially steely, but always on the verge of a feminine meltdown. arostow@aol.com

Photos by Paul Margolis

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compiled by Jennifer Mullen

• 3 : T HURSDAY

The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes (2015). Victoria Theatre - $25. Thursday – Saturday at 8 pm. Sundays at 7 pm.

(2961 16th St.) Four talented drag actors perform two classic Christmas-themed Golden Girls episodes, featuring Heklina, Matthew Martin, Holotta Tymes and D’Arcy Drollinger. Only 12 performances. facebook.com/ events/938751199495332/ Lesbians of Color Discussion Group at Pacific – Pacific Center (Berkeley). Free. 7 pm.

(2712 Telegraph Ave.) This racially diverse group discusses anything and everything.

• 4 : F RIDAY

Joy To The World from Transcendence’s Broadway Under The Stars - Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa). $35–$129. 7:30 pm. (50 Mark West Springs Rd.) Sonoma’s Transcendence Theatre Company presents their first holiday show. broadwaywellsfargo.com Improvised Downton Abbey – Bayfront Theater. $17–$20. 8–10 pm. (B350 Fort Mason Cntr.)

World-class improvisors give their take on the very popular T.V. show.

The audience’s suggestions help develop a new cast of characters featured in holiday season scenarios.

Through December.

• 5 : S ATURDAY

Blame Sally and Nina Gerber – Stinson Beach Community Center. $30. 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm). (32 Belvedere Ave.) A benefit for Mez Mezera; Pam, Jeri and Nina to perfom a special set of Audrey Auld’s music. brownpapertickets.com/event/2466154 Dirty Queers Beer Bust - SF Eagle. Free. 4–7 pm. There will be auction itmes, dirty queer performances, and a kiss-a-queer booth.

All raise proceeds to benefit the Groundswell Institute, the non-profit queer retreat center in Anderson Valley. facebook.com/ events/177396789272984/

• 6 : S UNDAY

Annual Holiday Toy Drive SF EagleFree. 3–6 pm. (398 12th St.) Join the Bears of San Francisco and co-hosts Jack Sugrue and Cody Elkin to collect donations for Mama’s Family. facebook.com/ events/1641390606128677/

• 7 : M ONDAY

Help is on the Way for the Holidays for REAF - Marines Memorial Theatre. $50–$120. 7:30 pm. (609 Sutter St.) A star-studded AIDS benefit holiday concert and gala featuring celebrity perfomers like Martha Walsh, Mary Wilson, Constantine Maroulis, Steve Grand, Jake Simpson, Shawn Ryan and many more! helpisonthway.org FDR Dems Holiday Party Pete’s Tavern. $30. 6–9 pm. Hosted beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres honoring Supervisor Bevan Dufty along with Treasure Island Community Development. Supporting 2016 CA Democratic Party Convention attendees. facebook.com/ events/1672321269693117/ Monday Night Marsh - The Marsh. $8. 7:30 pm. (1062 Valencia St.) An ongoing works-in-progress series, featuring local emerging solo performers, musicians, playwrights and entertainers. Happening every Monday. themarsh.org

• 8 : T UESDAY

Spreading Rolligion - LGBT Roller Disco - Church 8. $10. 7–10 pm. (554 Fillmore St.) An LGBT roller skating disco happening every Tuesday. 415-752 1967 sfgay.org/ spreading-rolligionlgbt-roller-discoe2266691

CALIFOR NIA REVELS PRESENTS THE 30TH ANNUAL

A VENETIAN MASQUE

Celebrating the Winter Solstice in Renaissance Italy Two Weekends: December 11 – 13 & 18–20, 2015 Ticket prices start at just $20.

Scottish Rite Theater on Lake Merritt, Oakland californiarevels.org 510.452.9334

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• 9 : W EDNESDAY • 13 : S UNDAY Menorah Lighting – Jane Warner Plaze. Free. 6 pm. Congregation Sha’ar Zhav will hold a Menorah ligting in celebration for Hanukkah that includes greetings and songs of the season.

Choral Christmas Concert – San Francisco Conservatory Music Hall. Free. 12 pm. (50 Oak St.) A free concert for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Email Christopher Basso at cbasso@sfcm.edu.

• 14 : M ONDAY

Castro Farmer’s Market Noe Street. Free. 4–8 pm Every Wednesday night throughout the season, the Castro Farmers’ Market offers California fruit and vegetables for purchase. (Noe St. between Beaver and Market Streets) Through December 16. facebook. com/CastroFarmersMarket

Take 5 Presents: 33 Years in the Making; A Reunion of the Jewish Lesbians Writers Group – Take 5 Café. (Berkeley). $3-$10. 2:30-4 pm. (3130 Sacramento St.) The Return of the Jewish Light Brigade present their holiday party, featuring writers Elana Dykewomon, Judith Masur, Barbara Ruth, Teya Schaffer, Susan Shulman, Rebecca Silverstein, Pnina Tobin, and Nina Wouk.

• 15 : T UESDAY

• 10 : T HURSDAY

Holiday Extravaganza with CoolTry – Tenderloin Museum. Free. 7– 10 pm. (398 Eddy St.) Artist Ryan De La Hoz brings his local band CoolTry to the Tenderloin Museum’s Store with exclusive sales opportunities.

Blur: Transgender and Gender-Variant Support Group – Dimensions Clinic. Free.

6:30 pm. (3850 17th St.) Chat with other trans & gv people, facilitated by trans counselors. For 18-25 year old youth. Thursdays at Dimensions Clinic. dimensionsclinic.org

Santa Skivvies Run – Lookout in the Castro. Free-$75. 9 am.

(3600 16th St.) Join other fun runners to benefit the San Francisco AIDS foundation. Use “BAYTIMES” code to save $10! actnow.tofighthiv. org/site/TRR/ GreaterThanOneEvent/SFAFGener al/471613244?pg=ptype&fr_ id=1950&skip_login_page=true

San Francisco LGBTQ Sangha – LGBT Community Center. Free. 5:30-6:30 pm. A weekly meditation sitting group.

The group explores mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual practice in our day to day lives and focuses on cultivating an open awareness spacious enough to include whatever arises moment to moment. sflgbtsangha.org

LGBT Ivy Alumni Holiday Mixer – The Press Club. Free. 6 pm–9 pm.

(20 Yerba Ln.) Join Bay Area Ivy League alumna for a holiday celebration. RSVP to tigernet.princeton. edu/~ffr-gala/AlternateEmail.html

• 16 : W EDNESDAY

A Preview of Unique Derique in Fool LA LA – The Marsh. $5.

7:30 pm. (1062 Valencia St.) Fool LA LA is a circus-inspired show with comedy, dance and music, transforming Unique Derique into a one-man dancing band. December 19 – January 3, 2016. themarsh.org

• 11 : F RIDAY

WTF Women/Trans/Queer Bike Night – SF Bike Kitchen.

Free. 6-9 pm. (650 H Florida St.) Learn how to fix a bike in a supportive space. bikekitchen.org “Friday Live” Queer Bands and DJ Emotions – El Rio. Free.

10 pm. (3158 Mission St.) Featuring the best queer music in the Bay Area (HipHop/Salsa/House/World).

Every Friday. elriosf.com/ Queer Youth Game Night – LGBT Center. Free. 2:30-4 pm. Join the center for game night, with video games, board games and more. Drop in space for LGBTQ youth 24 and under. sfcenter.org/programs/youth

• 12 : S ATURDAY

Dance Along Nutcracker – Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum. $30. 3 pm and 7 pm. (701 Mission St.) San Francisco’s Lesbian/ Gay Freeom Band plays songs from Tchaikovsky’s Suite blended with favorites from Wizard of Oz,Wicked, and The Wiz. On Sunday too, at 11 am and 3 pm. sflgfb.townalive.com

Kit ’n Pat’s 5th Annual Gift Wrap Fundraiser – Castro and 18th. Free. 11 am. Patty McGroin and Kit Tapata host another giftwrapping fundraiser to benefit St. Aidan’s Food Pantry. Curb-side drop-offs available!.

Works in Progress, An Open Mic Night for Women: Big Holiday Party! - Fireside Room, Plymouth United Church of Christ.

(424 Monte Vista (Oakland)). $7-$12. 6:30 pm. Potluck from 6:30-7:30 pm, bring a dish to share.

Hosted by Linda Zeiser and Carolyn Stull Zeiser; RSVP with Linda @ ZeiserpoetMC@aol.com.

This December at the Market!

DECEMBER 16: The market closes for the season today. See you next year!

PAMELA SOAPS: Natural handmade soaps using pure, aromatherapy-grade essential oils, the finest saponified vegetable oils and organic botanicals.

ALLARD FARMS: Organic pears, persimmons, apples, guavas and walnuts ready for homemade pies for the family.

HAPPY BOY FARM: Organic butternut squash, kale, and collards and delicious and fresh salad mix to go with your hearty meals for the month.

CHANTAL GUILLON MACARONS: Several flavors of traditional French macarons ranging in tastes from Persian Rose to salted caramel and everything in between. pcfma.org

1.800.949.FARM F

fb.com/castrofarmersmarket

BAY T IM ES DEC EM BER 3, 2015

DESIGN : LOGOMAN : logomantotherescue.com

Kenbar Center of Performing Arts Presents All-Women Vocal Ensmeble Kitka’s Wintertime - Osher Marin JCC. $18-$28. 8 pm. Wintersongs is Kitka’s critically-acclaimed and wildly popular winter holiday program showcasing seasonal music from a wide variety of Eastern European ethnic and spiritual traditions. marinjcc.org/events/2015/12/12/ performing-arts/kitka-wintersongs/56231/

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