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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area
CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021) January 28–February 10, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com
Sac red Space
PHOTOS BY RINK
HIBERNIA BEACH in the Castro See Pages 13-15
GLBT Fortnight in Review Hallelujah Oh my God, you guys! We made it! I was one of those saps crying during the inauguration, gasping during the amazing poem, glued to the screen during the evening virtual concert even though this is just the sort of program I would usually distain. My favorite moment was during the fireworks—that split second when Second Gent Doug Emhoff turned towards his wife and gleefully threw his head back in astonishment at the moment he and the rest of us were experiencing. And the best video this week was The West Wing credits take off that showed the Biden crew as cast members of the iconic TV show. Did you see it? Google: “West Wing Dean Wallace.” I’m not sure who Dean Wallace is, but whoever he is, he has produced an inspiring moment. I’m sure I’m not the only one who could not bear to watch a rerun of this great series over the last four years, knowing that the arcane political strategies, the 15-hour days, the intensity of high office and the integrity of public service represented a long-gone fantasy—knowing that these quaint notions had been replaced by sycophantic incompetence, by indifference to history, by devotion to an egomaniac cult leader. Do you remember when Josh had to stand in the cold outside the White House gates in order to talk to a New Hampshire voter in the middle of January, for fear of violating the Hatch Act? And then we saw Trump and company conducting huge campaign events in the Rose Garden. And that was the least of it. These Trumpanzees were despicable. They turned The West Wing TV show into a pie in the sky fiction of some heroic moment in the past that never existed and never could exist. Except now it’s back! That’s why all of you who have ever watched the show must pause and google the above Dean Wallace thing, and relish what it signifies. Do it now. Joy Cometh in the Morning I think I mentioned that I wasn’t going to bother recounting all the negative antigay things emerging from the last months of the Trump administration, because why bother? Biden would take care of it all. Well, I was right! On day one, Biden signed an executive order that instructed every branch of government to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v Clayton County, which dictated that
sexual orientation and gender identity bias were both a form of sex discrimination and therefore illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That ruling clearly implicated any and all laws that banned sex discrimination, not just the Title VII workplace law, but also Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Fair Housing Act, and any other statute that referenced sex bias. Biden’s order made this explicit, not just banning GLBT discrimination throughout his administration, but setting the stage for every agency and cabinet department to embed gay and trans rights into public policy. Just the previous Sunday, one of Trump’s minions in the Justice Department issued a 22-page antiGLBT memo that I won’t get into, because I don’t have to! A Biden man, Greg Friel, who was temporarily named to run the Civil Rights department of the Justice Division, promptly withdrew that memo as inconsistent with Biden’s executive order. Thanks, Joe. Thanks, Greg. I guess it took a couple more days before Biden’s Defense Secretary was confirmed by the Senate. Bang. One day later, the transgender ban on military service was history as General Austin watched the President toss it into the dustbin of history with a stroke of the pen. There could not have been a more emphatic series of statements and actions in support of our community, and perhaps you noticed as well that none of this has provoked a big media hoo haw. The media is focused on impeachment, on COVID-19 legislation, on the Senate process going forward, on the First Dogs. It’s raining progressive executive orders, and just because there hasn’t been a big focus on LGBT issues doesn’t mean we haven’t been at the forefront of this seismic upheaval. We have. And more is yet to come. Phew! I feel as if we’re saved. And we’re just starting to learn how close we came to disaster. I watched those bozos in the Capitol on January 6, assuming (correctly) that some military or police authority would eventually sweep them away. But I had no idea how near they came to encountering members of Congress or the Vice President. I had no idea that some of them were not just milling about, but were also organized and looking to kill. I watched Trump and his bumbling lawyers contest the election for two
Making Time for Vaccination Kim Powell is a Santa Cruz-based naturalist, guide, and the founder of Blue Water Ventures. She recently took her mother, affectionately known as “Bear,” to receive the first of two COVID-19 vaccine injections. Canine companion Foxy was there for support. Kim, who co-hosts outdoor adventures with “Betty’s List” and the San Francisco Bay Times, reports, “All is well!” Bear is feeling good and looking forward to the second injection. Kim is also planning new outdoor adventures that have included kayaking, tidepooling, and whale watching. For more information about upcoming Blue Water Ventures events: http://www.bluewaterventures.org
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months, but I had no idea how close they came to influencing state leaders or triggering civil violence. I recently learned (The New York Times) that some 200 progressive activist groups actually banded together in a post-election strategy of nonconfrontation that, looking back, avoided a war in the streets of right versus left, and created instead a national acknowledgement of Biden’s victory. We’ve learned that the Fox News decision to call Arizona for Biden fairly early on the evening of November 3 actually seems to have made a huge difference in how America viewed the election results. Given that the other networks spent days counting votes in this state, and given that it turned out to be a very narrow Biden win, this decision seems like a bit of a fluke. Yet, they called it and they stuck to it, making clear on the night of the 3rd that Trump’s window to victory was essentially closed. Check out Jonathan Swan’s Axios podcast about the last days of the Trump administration to learn how Trump intended to make a triumphant announcement based on early election returns, and how the Fox News call for Arizona undercut those plans from the start. We didn’t just dodge a bullet. We dodged a barrage, just like those cop shows where the heroes run safely through machine gun fire, shoot a few bullets from their hand guns, and kill the bad guys without even aiming. That was us! And Georgia. Not only did we win those critical electoral college votes, but through some miracle we won those Senate seats, and with them, we won—not just a slim majority, but the power to decide what bills will be put up for a vote. Thanks, Stacey. And thanks to Trump for screwing with the GOP electorate. And while we’re at it, thanks to those election officials for not caving to the pressure.
accommodation, and since sex discrimination is the vehicle we are now using to protect ourselves, we are up a creek without a paddle. It’s widely accepted that businesses cannot use religion as an excuse to flout racebased civil rights laws. But the question of whether “faith” can allow proprietors or other groups to reject gay or trans customers remains open. We are waiting for the High Court’s ruling in the case that pits Philadelphia’s foster care program against the antigay Catholic Social Services organization, which argues that it should not be held to the city’s gay friendly policies. Given the make up of the Court, including seven Catholics and a strong bias in favor of religious actors, our prospects seem dim. That said, this may be a generational fight. Freaky Friday Let’s stop being so serious. I received an email from the PR department at Stripchat informing me that America’s kinkiest states are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, and Georgia. Stripchat is a service that allows people to switch on their webcams and make money by performing live sex acts. The five states listed above contained the highest percentage of voyeurs by population. What did our new favorite poet call them? “The lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states ... the sunbaked South.” I guess business was booming during the pandemic year. Favorite fetishes included: “Pregnant, BDSM, Footfetish, Mistresses, and Smoking.” What the hell is a “smoking” fetish? And how did I get on their press list to begin with? Oh, don’t answer that. If you have written for the GLBT press for as long as I have, you have automatically attracted a dubious crowd along with the activists and civil rights lawyers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Loon Companion
Hey. It’s not as if our troubles are over. I’m reading that Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota are all considering a range of antitrans bills, transgender citizens being the target du jour for rightwing hostility. God knows how many other state legislatures are scheming against us.
In sports news, I learned that Australia is about to give yet another national award to the odious Margaret Court, this time it’s the country’s highest honor, Companion of the Order of Australia. Court, 78, followed her tennis career by becoming a Pentecostal minister and bloviating about horrible gays and lesbians.
And, of course, there’s the elephant in the living room: the fight over religious freedom and discrimination in public accommodation. No law prohibits sex discrimination in public
“All my life I’ve had those views and I was just saying what the Bible says,” she explained to the local press. “I should always be able to say my views biblically, being a pastor and
No Time to Rest
helping people with marriages and family. And I’ll never change those views.” “I have nothing against people—I love the people,” she went on moronically. “We have them come into our community services, all kinds— whether they’re gay, transgender, whatever they are. We never turn a person away and I think it’s been tried to be made out that I’m somebody that I’m not really. And I think that is very sad.” In a separate interview, Court complained that she’s been “bullied” in recent years. “I don’t mind, that’s alright,” she continued, “but if I say anything, I am a bigot, and I don’t like that.” Did I mention that, during apartheid, she said South Africa “has the racial situation rather better organized than anyone else, certainly much better than the United States”? That’s our Margaret. Look. I’m not even going to bother rehashing the relentless homophobia she’s displayed since we’ve started paying attention, because the subject comes up every year around this time when the Australian Open is played on courts that bear her name. My favorite comment came from John McEnroe, who begged Serena Williams to please win two more Grand Slam tournaments “so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past where she belongs.” Court holds the record for winning 24 Grand Slam tournaments to Serena’s 23, but that’s only because she played during an era when no one else signed up for the Australian Open so she picked up 11 Aussie titles with scant competition. Oh, and do you remember that golfer Justin Thomas called himself a “faggot” under his breath for missing a putt the other day? He quickly apologized, but Citicorp, a major sponsor, considered dropping him. In the end, they decided that he could maintain the relationship as long as he donated a sizable chunk of change to GLBT causes. I love it. Justin, have you heard of the GLBT Amusing Freelance Journalists Fund (GLBTAFJF)? Call me and I’ll hook you up. The Smell Test Lastly, because I have a brief final window here, my cousin sent me news of a Gwyneth Paltrow “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle that exploded in the living room of a British woman who won the item in a contest. This is the same cousin who just explained to me why Michael (continued on page 24)
A Personal Letter of Gratitude to the Hospital Heroes Liam P. Mayclem “What are your Father’s wishes? Did he express the kind of care he’d like in the later stages of his life?” These are words you never want to hear from a doctor, but, on New Year’s Day, these were the exact questions posed in an 8 am wake up call to my partner Rick about his father, Manny. It was one of the most devastating calls I have ever heard. As Rick pondered the answers, I knelt at his side, and, in my head, I relived the conversation I had with Manny in a phone call the day before. I then said to him: “Keep fighting, Manny. All your angels are rooting for you. We’re here to bring you home.” Manny responded in a weary voice saying, “Okay. Thank you. I’m gonna rest now.” Manuel Camargo is a retired University of Arizona painter. He plays the guitar, loves the music of Willie Nelson and Freddy Fender, and right up until this latest turn of events, he could be found on the links playing golf. He has two other sons, Manny Jr. and Angel, and in recent years he has referred to me as his fourth son. It was early December when Manny was first admitted to a hospital in Tucson after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He had a tough week in the beginning, but he is a fighter and that fighting spirit got him out of the ICU to an ordinary hospital ward, and then to a skilled nursing facility for rehab. Then, just as Rick and I made the journey to Arizona from San Francisco to prepare for Manny’s homecoming, he was admitted back into the ICU. It was sudden and serious.
On a daily basis, the nurses—medical warriors—take Rick’s calls, and with heart, patience, and kindness in their voices they relay the best news they can every time. They share stories about feisty Manny that make us laugh and cry, giving us a glimmer of hope that one day soon Manny will be himself again, will win this brutal war, and will be homeward bound. How on Earth do these selfless superheroes manage the stress and heartache of this pandemic and still go way beyond the call of duty? Somehow, they do. They go to battle every single day. Sadly, not all COVID-19 battles are won, yet the next day the nurses go back in, suit back up in PPE, and risk their own lives to save others. We are simply in awe.
endurance and resilience. My heart and gratitude go out to the entire medical community who are keeping morale up and keeping patients alive. Thank you for keeping OUR spirits up, for being there with the ones we cannot see or hug of even say Goodbye to. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” —Rick Camargo, on behalf of the Camargo family
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIAM MAYCLEM
Liam’s LGBTQI List
The anguish of not being able to visit the hospital was eased by the extreme kindness shown by the hospital nurses. A month into Manny’s hospitalization, we were able to get an iPad to him, and for the first time Rick and Manny facetimed. It was a most joyful moment: Rick and his dad were face to face, albeit virtually, once again.
P.S. Manny, if you read this, we’re still rooting for you and plan on bringing you home soon!!! Emmy Award-winning radio and television personality Liam Mayclem is regularly featured on KPIX as well as KCBS, where he is the popular Foodie Chap. Born in London, Mayclem is now at home in the Bay Area, where he lives with his husband, photographer Rick Camargo. For more information: https://www.bookliam.com/
Manny remains in hospital in Tucson, our daily prayers continue, and the outpouring of love and support from extended family and friends has been tremendous and is much appreciated. Our hopes to bring Rick’s dad home have not diminished, and Manny has not stopped fighting. This story is the story of 24 million plus other families in America. But this is the Camargo family story so, to close, my partner Rick has this to say about the bedside angels who are there with care for his dad at St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, Arizona: “Thank you for taking care of my Dad. Thank you for showing such
Liam with his partner Rick (right) and Rick’s father Manny (center)
San Francisco Begins to Reopen After State’s Lengthy Stay-at-Home Order
By the time you likely read this piece—publishing on the date of the limited reopening—the following activities will have resumed in San Francisco: • Personal Services: Indoor and outdoor personal services establishments, including hair and nail salons, barbers, tattoo, piercing, and massage services may reopen, but facial coverings are required to be worn at all times. Services that would necessitate the removal of facial coverings are not allowed at this point. • Outdoor Dining: Outdoor dining may resume. It is limited to up to 6 people total from up to two households at a table. Per State requirements, barriers between tables can no longer serve as an alternative to distancing tables 6 feet or more. Live entertainment is allowed except for singing or brass or wind instruments. • Outdoor Museums and Zoos: Outdoor operations for museums
and zoos may resume, though zoos are capped at 50% capacity not including personnel. Concessions are allowed under the guidance of retail or outdoor dining according to the type of concessions. • Outdoor Family Entertainment Centers: Family entertainment such as skate parks, batting cages, miniature golf, kart racing, and laser tag or paintball may resume outdoor operations. Roller and ice skating rinks may operate at 25% capacity. Concessions are allowed under the guidance of retail or outdoor dining according to the type of concessions. • Open Air Boats and Busses: Open air boats and busses may operate outdoor operations of up to 12 passengers or physically distanced groups of 12, if social distancing can be maintained between groups. Concessions are allowed under the guidance of retail or outdoor dining according to the type of concessions. • Small Gatherings: Members of up to 3 households with a maximum of 12 people total may gather outdoors if social distance can be maintained and no food or drink is being consumed. If food or drink is being consumed, only members from two households of up to 6 people total are allowed.
• Indoor Fitness: 1:1 personal training is allowed to resume indoors with no more than 3 people, including the customer, the trainer, and a support staff. • Indoor Funerals: Indoor funerals may take place with up to 12 people.
more activities. To do that, we must continue all of the preventive measures that we all know well, even as we roll out the vaccine. Staying vigilant will be critical to our long-term success.”
expand to certain degrees their operating capacity: grocery stores, retail, hotels and lodging, outdoor fitness, youth sports, outdoor recreation, golf and tennis, and outdoor religious and political gatherings.
In addition to the resumption of some activities, the following may
For more information: https://sf.gov/topics/reopening
“Today marks an important turning point that I hope we can continue to build upon,” Mayor Breed said. “San Francisco pre-emptively adopted the Stay-at-Home Order in an attempt to bend the curve so that we could protect our residents, control the surge, and move forward again as quickly as possible. We see now the sacrifices that our residents and businesses made are paying off, and I want to thank them on behalf of our city. We are moving the vaccines as quickly as possible, but there is still more virus in our community than there ever has been, and we need to proceed cautiously and remain diligent. That’s how we will move forward together.” Dr. Colfax said, “Thanks to the hard work of everyone in San Francisco, we have been able to slow down this surge of COVID-19 cases and with our continued perseverance, we can prevent future surges and continue to safely reopen
On Tuesday evening, January 19, the Salesforce Tower–lit in gold and amber with a flickering candle image–was one of a dozen buildings in San Francisco participating in a memorial for the 400,000 lives lost during the COVID19 pandemic. President Biden and Vice President Harris led the memorial during a ceremony from the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
PHOTO BY RINK
Mayor London Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax on January 25 announced that San Francisco will resume some businesses and activities beginning January 28 after the state announced it would lift mandatory regional restrictions.
For information on the COVID-19 vaccination program in San Francisco, visit https://sf.gov/covid-19-vaccine-san-francisco S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Manny’s Presidential Inaugural Watch Party San Francisco Bay Times team members joined Manny Yekutiel on Wednesday, January 20, for the mostly virtual presidential Inaugural Watch Party. Yekutiel and co-hosts Rob Avruch and Jeffrey “Mercury” Van Sciver led preand post-show discussions as the large group of participants watched live CNN programming together via Zoom. Social distancing, face masks, and the presence of thousands of National Guard and other peace officers brought a unique and surreal demeanor to the scene even as the usual pomp and circumstance got underway and continued. Participants watched for local favorite Vice President Kamala Harris and also for familiar faces among the Congressional leadership—some perceived as heroes and some as villainous characters at the event, which since 1789 has marked changing administrations and signaled new hope for the nation’s future. The star-studded program, fine-tuned to address the theme of unity, featured a dramatic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Lady Gaga, a medley of patriotic songs by Jennifer Lopez, and the singing of “Amazing Grace” by country mega star Garth Brooks. The unexpected star of the day was the first ever National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who delivered her original poem entitled “The Hill We Climb.” A graduate of Harvard University, Gorman, who was recommended for the Inaugural by Dr. Jill Biden, has expressed her desire to run for president in 2036. Hillary Clinton tweeted her support for this aspiration after hearing Gorman at the 2021 inaugural.
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BAY TIMES S
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
‘Brave Enough to See It, Brave Enough to Be It’
Cross Currents Andrea Shorter What a difference a real president and vice president make. In the air remains a lingering, collective deep sigh of relief that two competent, dedicated, and seriously able adults are now in charge and stand in the heavily sanitized, smudge sticked, and exorcised room where building back better must happen. Within hours of a highly secure, beautiful, and historic inauguration ceremony gone off without a hitch or incident at the Capitol, the Biden-Harris era stepped lively into these darkest of moments, promptly took control of the levers of executive power, and pulled firmly for the common good. On his first day in office, President Biden with urgency issued 17 executive orders, presidential memoranda, and agency directives to get an idled government back into forward motion. Simultaneous to signing a slate of COVID-19 related highest priority orders to accelerate languished and neglected science-based critical and coordinated federal response as the death toll officially climbed past 400,000 on the day he was sworn into office,
The actions address anti-Muslim immigration, building of the border wall, withdrawal from the World Health Organization, engagement in the Paris climate accord, the Keystone XL pipeline (President Biden revoked its permit), the Census (President Biden overturned the order excluding undocumented immigrants), and the 1776 commission and 1619 Project (the “patriotic education” Project concerning the historical impacts of slavery in America is now revoked). President Biden additionally issued an executive order to extend existing federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people, making for the most far-reaching sexual orientation and gender identity inclusive executive order ever directed by a U.S. president. In essence, the order directs all federal agencies to recognize that LGBTQ people are protected from employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as was established in the 2020 Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock vs. Clayton County, Georgia. It is a major step forward to advance LGBTQ protections, reversing and pushing back against the series of particularly transgender discriminatory actions and policies of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris swore into office the three new senators: Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff, respectively the first African American and Jewish persons elected from Georgia, and former California Secretary of State Alex Padilla as her replacement, and the state’s first Latino senator. All make for a
Democratic majority in the Senate: 50 Democrats, 2 Independents, and 48 Republicans, with Vice President Harris as President of the Senate being a crucial tie breaker when needed. Senate hearings are underway to review and confirm the most diverse, “looks like America” roster of cabinet nominees. The rainbow roster of nominees includes former presidential campaign rival Mayor Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation. An expected bipartisan confirmed Secretary Buttigieg would make history as the highest ranking openly LGBTQ person to serve in a Cabinet post since the Honorable Roberta Achtenberg, who is a former San Francisco supervisor and co-founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She was the first openly LGBTQ presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1993, under President Bill Clinton. Just as we took to the streets to celebrate Assistant Secretary Achtenberg’s confirmation, I imagine the same glitter bomb bursts and revelry for Secretary Buttigieg, this time with face masks and socially distanced elbow bumps. What a difference the Biden-Harris administration is already making to actually fashion a government in the likeness of the American people, in the attempted interest of all, and to restore our honor on the world stage. There will be no more megalomaniacal charlatan on center stage, surrounded by, as well as aided and abetted by, the least diverse compilation of fellow Americans since the Eisenhower years of the 1950s. After playing at mogul-ing on a TV reality show, Trump held disdain for
WHITE HOUSE PHOTO/DAVID LIENEMANN
President Biden also with 9 of the slate of actions began to reverse posthaste the former president’s odious policies.
Then Vice President Joe Biden, on March 3, 2013, marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Congressman John Lewis and Congresswoman Terri Sewell during the 48th annual Bridge Crossing Ceremony in Selma, Alabama.
the realities of an emerging racially diverse American demographic and managed to play at president-ing. In the end, the sum of his signature shameful achievements will have all resulted from his own shameless quest to establish eternal antidemocratic authoritarian power for self-dealing interest, in the guise of representing those feeling left behind and displaced by a multicultural democracy. Trump is now the only president to have been twice impeached, the second after directly inciting insurrection and mob violence by legions of aggrieved onto members of Congress, including his own Vice President, with the aim of directing actual blunt force to overturn the certified, legitimate election results declaring him the definitive loser— an incontrovertible truth to which he, as a pathological liar, will never concede. He is and will forever be undeniably the biggest loser. The noble and necessary notion of uniting a clearly divided and pandemic-fatigued nation held by a worthy President Biden and millions of us who hired him to lead us out of a
dark and thorny wilderness calls for a continuous sober and honest account of why we are so divided, by what exactly we are divided, and a need to identify those who benefit from divisiveness. If President Biden is to be the President of all Americans— those who voted for him, those who did not—it won’t be enough to point to his diverse Cabinet and administration and actions to protect minority Americans and say, “We’re diverse. We’re here. Get used to it or get over it.” It will also require supporters of President Biden to sort out, recognize, and, where possible, respond to the legitimate concerns of Americans in opposition to his presidency. You know, real presidenting. However, it also requires that he not be deterred, held hostage, or acquiesce to the legitimate clear and present danger of a minor of dangerously radicalized, weaponized white nationalist terrorists fueled by a pathology of untruths and wild conspiracy theories.
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The Road to Economic Recovery
Assemblymember Phil Ting Given the hope surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine and new leadership in the White House, I am optimistic about 2021 and the eventual return to normalcy. But until we have widespread vaccination rates, California will continue to face challenges related to the pandemic. Thankfully, the state is seeing betterthan-expected revenues, with an estimated 15 billion one-time surplus, allowing us to address immediate needs and forge a path toward economic recovery. The Budget Blueprint I put forth as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee shares a similar goal with Governor Newsom’s proposed budget for the 2021–22 fiscal year—navigate California’s fiscal road ahead by prioritizing help for struggling families and small businesses. There cannot be an economic recovery if our most vulnerable communities fall further behind; therefore, we must stabilize them during these unpredictable times. I believe we can accomplish this by maintaining the programs and ser-
vices upon which people rely. Our one-time budget surplus allows us to undo upcoming cuts to critical health and human services programs like In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), as well as restore funding cuts and payment delays made last year to K–12/Higher Education, courts, and other services when additional federal assistance from the Trump Administration fell through. (Unlike Washington, D.C., the state cannot deficit spend and must pass a balanced budget.) Additionally, more support for working families will go a long way. We’ll continue to make the application process less burdensome for programs like CalWorks, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal, so people can access the cash assistance, food, and healthcare they need to survive. I’m also advocating for more ongoing money to head off homelessness and expand housing assistance. And as a champion of efforts to expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) in previous years, I believe now is the time to increase refund amounts and eligibility, as it puts money in the pockets of the people who need it the most. All taxpayers, regardless of immigration status, may qualify for CalEITC payments if they earn less than $30,000 a year. The Governor has similarly proposed the Golden State Stimulus, providing $600 in direct cash payments to all CalEITC filers. We should show the same commitment to neighborhood restaurants, retailers, and other mom-andpop operations to ensure they can
weather the pandemic. We have already made grants, loans, and tax relief available to small business owners at the state level, and are determined to do more. California must also stay on top of the coronavirus with continued investments in public health infrastructure (including vaccine distribution), protection of vulnerable populations, and improved workplace safety enforcement. When infection rates decrease, we must also prioritize reopening schools. Like many parents, I’ve been concerned about the effects distance learning and social isolation are having on our kids. My bill, AB 10, would bring back in-person classes when public health officials deem it safe, with our budget covering the added costs brought on by more testing, personal protective equipment, and proper social distancing. We’re already working on a responsible fiscal plan that will successfully steer the state through the pandemic and help us emerge stronger. Budget hearings are underway, giving the public opportunities to weigh in. Now is the time when Californians need their government the most. I’m thankful the Biden administration shares the same values and hope our federal partners will help lead us toward an equitable economic recovery. Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.
Oakland Coliseum Offers Hope During Pandemic’s Dark Days protection from the coronavirus. By opening this site for large-scale vaccinations, we can create opportunity for the efficient and equitable vaccination of many. The more vaccinations, the further we move away from the mayhem that COVID-19 and this pandemic have created in many people’s lives. This action can help protect the health of our community, provide hope, and open pathways to rebuilding our economy in a healthy way. It is also an important moment to use the resource of this large public facility in a way that helps protect the communities we serve. Dave Kaval from the Oakland Athletics tweeted about it:
Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (“JPA”), working with other stakeholders such as the Oakland A’s and Alameda County Public Health, is now taking action to protect public health and improve lives in our community during these challenging times of the pandemic. On January 12, I had the honor to be appointed to represent Oakland on the Coliseum Authority Board. At my first meeting of the Coliseum Board, on January 15, we agreed to make the Coliseum site available as a large-scale vaccination site to help improve the pace and distribution of COVID-19 vaccination. I am thankful to other city and county officials and community stakeholders who are also supporting this effort, and to the many who also spoke in support of it at the meeting. Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Petco Park in San Diego are also launching similar large vaccination plans. The Oakland Coliseum site, which accesses BART, the freeway, and more, is centrally located and easily accessible to many, including especially some of the hardest-hit communities who very much need 6
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Nationwide, and especially in California, the distribution of coronavirus vaccines is moving slower than originally planned. There are two issues. First, the demand for vaccines exceeds the supply. We simply need more vaccines. President Biden will use the Defense Production Act to expand the production of vaccines. So, there is hope that there will be more vaccines in circulation soon. Second, there is a need to find a way to distribute the vaccines more effectively to more people. According to Alameda County Public Health, “Alameda County wants to create equitable vaccine distribution, and our strategy is to make vaccines readily available and easily available through County-administered points of dispensing.” By making large-scale sites available, we can significantly improve the distribution of vaccines in California, which has given out only a small percentage of available vaccines in our state. The pandemic rages on. In the U.S. alone, more than 410,000 lives have been lost to the coronavirus, which shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, all signs point to extra vigilance after news broke that more communicable variants to the virus have emerged and are present in the Bay Area. In Alameda County, there have been almost 68,000 cases that have resulted in over 750 deaths, as the number of cases started to spike and hasn’t relented since November. These numbers are why it is so important that the Coliseum will be used as a mass vaccination site. And we need help from our State and Federal government to help provide more vaccines and support distribution systems. Be well and stay safe. Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).
Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis Now that the Biden-Harris administration has taken office, there’s no time to waste to reverse the last four years of backsliding and to make up for lost time with an aggressive LGBTIQ federal agenda. We were heartened that President Biden issued an important executive order to combat LGBTIQ discrimination immediately upon entering the Oval Office. It proclaimed: “All persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.” Further, “every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love.” The order also emphasized that “children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports” and underscored the particular burden that LGBTIQ people of color and LGBTIQ people with disabilities face. The order was not mere rhetoric; it dictated action. Over the next 100 days, every federal agency must
Enacting the Equality Act should also be a priority in the first 100 days. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court held that employment discrimination against LGBTIQ people constitutes unlawful sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Court’s reasoning would logically apply to federal civil rights statutes barring sex discrimination in myriad other areas of life: housing, finance, health care, immigration, education and school sports, public accommodations (such as hotels and restaurants), and juries. The Equality Act cements these protections into law by explicitly amending the federal civil rights statutes to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Federal civil rights protections for LGBTIQ people would no longer depend on the Court. An October 2020 PRRI poll showed that a whopping 83% of Americans favored laws ending such discrimination. The poll, which focused on people’s religious affiliations, revealed that even 59% of Evangelical Christians supported such laws, while over 80% of every
other major religious classification and 92% of religiously unaffiliated people supported them. The House passed the Equality Act last session and can quickly do so again. Last session, 46 senators cosponsored the legislation. The addition of two pro-LGBTIQ senators from Georgia and Vice President Harris’ ability to break ties mean the Act could become law if Biden and Harris are able to use their political capital to persuade the few additional senators needed for passage. When overwhelming majorities of the public favor such a law, the administration and Senate leadership should be able to prevent opposition senators from blocking it for the narrow political interests of their polarized political base. Another particularly urgent priority is reversing the Trump administration’s eleventh-hour Health and Human Services Department rule allowing social service providers who receive federal funding to discriminate against LGBTIQ people. The Trump administration claimed that Obama-era rules forbidding such discrimination violated the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Opponents of LGBTIQ rights and women’s rights have weaponized the RFRA to enable discrimination under the guise of free exercise of religion. We call on the Biden administration to reverse this rule and on Congress to amend the RFRA itself to prevent the statute from being used to justify any type of discrimination, including that based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender
identity. The RFRA invalidates all federal laws and actions of the federal government that “substantially burden” a person’s religious exercise, unless they further a “compelling governmental interest.” Congress must amend the RFRA to make clear that eliminating discrimination on the basis President Biden discusses executive orders as Vice President Harris looks on. of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other protected classifications is such a compelling interest. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide a parallel constitutional issue pertaining to the efforts of a conservative religious foster-care provider that receives local government funding to discriminate against LGBTIQ couples. Congress needs to send the Court a clear message about the importance of ending any vestige of such discrimination.
Indeed, reform of the Supreme Court is perhaps the most important matter the Biden-Harris administration must ultimately address when it comes to LGBTIQ equality and to women’s rights, racial justice, campaign finance, Speaker Pelosi speaks about the Equality Act, H.R. 5 gun control, and myriad other issues that prowhen it comes to marriage equalfoundly affect millions of people’s ity, Congress can forthwith repeal lives. Realistically, actual legislathe discriminatory “Defense of tion to reform the Court will not Marriage Act” that the Court ruled come soon given current political unconstitutional in 2013, to ensure obstacles, but the groundwork can begin to be laid immediately. And (continued on page 24) WHITE HOUSE PHOTO
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review its regulations, orders, and programs to identify any policies that fail to comply with the order’s intent and create a plan to bring those policies into compliance. We are also encouraged by the new administration’s commitment to ending discrimination against transgender and gender nonbinary people in many areas including the military and identification documents.
SCREEN SHOT: WHITE HOUSE VIDEO
Time to Multitask for LGBTIQ Rights
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Parents’ Love and Acceptance Inspire Empowering Business By Julie Peri
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIE PERI
Coming Out Stories
Growing up, I had some of the most accepting and loving parents. They let me dress however I pleased, wear my hair short, and follow my dreams and passions. When I wanted to be a soldier in our local Nutcracker play, a role typically only for boys, they supported me. But in 2013 when I was about to come out to my parents, I was still shaking and nervous to tell them that I liked women. I was dating a girl on my swim team and was deep in the closet. Being closeted was one of the most excruciating times of my life, and little did I know that my parents had already guessed we were dating. I remember looking at them and saying, “So, remember my teammate in college? ... We were actually dating.” They looked back at me and said, “We already know and we still accept you.” At that moment, I realized just how much my parents had my back.
Dykes With Drills organizer Julie Peri and six workshop participants built a “tinyhouse” during an overnight carpentry camp. The group also enjoyed together an outdoor movie, a BBQ dinner, and an outing to the beach.
Their love and acceptance gave me the strength to start my nonprofit, Dykes With Drills. Besides empowering people with the tools to build, my nonprofit takes back the word “dyke.” I was scared at first of the reaction I would get from such a provocative name. But with my parents’ support, and a positive reaction from our community, I quickly let go of that fear. I wish that everyone could have the same reaction from their parents when they come out. For those who don’t, Dykes With Drills will help you find a community. I want to pass on the love and acceptance my parents gave me to every LGBTQ person who comes to a workshop, community build, or meet up. Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/ Julie Peri
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Supporting Small Businesses in the Castro & Beyond
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Max Muscle Sports Nutrition 10:30 am–8 pm Monday–Friday 10:30 am–6 pm Saturday and Sunday 3600 16th Street 415-626-2244 Contact: Daniel Aranas info@maxmuscle.com http://www.maxmuscle.com Founded by athletes committed to living a healthy lifestyle that exercise and nutrition can provide, Max Muscle manufactures a high-quality line of sports nutrition products and custom athletic apparel that has remained popular for many years. The Castro store—located under the Lookout on the corner of Market, Noe, and 16th—opened in 1990 and Max Muscle now has locations in several states. “We believe in healthy!” is the calling card. Owner Daniel Aranas reports that, in response to the pandemic, customers can have their products delivered if they live in San Francisco. Curbside pickup is also available. The limit as of this writing is four customers inside. Hand sanitizer is found at all times, surfaces are disinfected, and the six-feet social distancing requirement is respected. A wide variety of health and fitness products is available, from diet and weight loss (or weight gain) to vitamins, amino acids, and supplements for energy, endurance, and protein. Custom meal plans are offered along with plans specific to men’s and women’s health. A 10 percent discount is available for San Francisco residents.
Panchitas Pupuseria 11 am-11 pm Daily 309 16th Street 415-431-4232 Contact: Doris Campos doriscampos56@yahoo.com http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurants/panchitas A colorful sign at Panchitas Pupuseria reads: “A pupusa is a traditional Salvadorean dish of a thick, handmade corn or rice tortilla stuffed with a mix of cheese and one flavor of your choice. It is typically accompanied with curtido (a cabbage slaw) and spicy tomato salsa.” At this longstanding, family-owned Mission eatery, diners will also find platanos fritos (fried plantains with beans and sour cream) and other delicious dishes. A neighborhood mainstay for three decades, the restaurant gained added attention last November when owner and grandmother Doris Campos defended her family against an irate customer, who threw items, including a bottle of hand sanitizer. The incident, showing the customer’s actions and Campos using a table as a barrier, was captured on surveillance video and went viral. ( https://tinyurl.com/y6gtbqpj ) Campos already had a reputation for being a strong businesswoman and community supporter, in addition to being a talented chef. Her defense of her daughter and grandson has only increased her number of admirers. Please stop by the Pupuseria and let Campos know you appreciate both the popular menu items and her chutzpah. While there, enjoy the pork, chicken, and spinach pupusas served with those yummy plantains! Masks are required, and surfaces are frequently cleaned.
Photoworks 11 am-6 pm Monday–Friday, 12–5 pm Saturday, Closed Sunday 2279 Market Street @ 16th 415-626-6800 Contacts: Rhonda Smith and Andie Bustillos info@photoworkssf.com http://www.photoworkssf.com If you enjoy success stories, this business has one to take note of. Based in the Castro since its founding in 1987, Photoworks has evolved and changed with the photo industry for more than two decades, embracing digital technology while maintaining film roots. Operated by on-site owners, the shop takes your shopping experience, in person as well as online, seriously. This is one of those places where everybody will know your name and talk photos with you anytime. As an adjustment to COVID-19 safety requirements, the number of customers inside as well as length of stay are monitored. Some services, such as print ordering, are online only, and a lot of disinfecting goes on constantly at Photoworks. The shop works with photographers and artists of all skill levels, offering art printing and custom framing as well as developing and scanning film. You can make an appointment for custom framing or to drop off film. .
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In Memoriam Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011
2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com 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 newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco that is 100% owned and operated by LGBT individuals. Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors
Beth Greene, Michael Delgado, John Signer, Abby Zimberg Design & Production
Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Calendar Editor
Kit Kennedy
Poet-In-Residence
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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Tim Seelig, Cinder Ernst, John Chen Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Kin Folkz, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Peter Gallotta, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Michele Karlsberg Lyndsey Schlax, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews, Karen E. Bardsley, David Landis, Jan Wahl
Ken Jones (1950–2021): First Black President of SF Pride, Groundbreaking LGBTQ and Social Justice Activist A Castro icon selfdescribed as the “father of diversity,” Ken Jones died of bladder cancer on January 13. He was 70. Many of us learned of Jones’ passing from fellow activist Cleve Jones, who wrote: “Ken Jones was a hero. He survived many struggles. He deeply loved his family and his community, and dedicated his entire life to the movement for peace and justice. He was very grateful to all of you who reached out to him with messages of encouragement and love during his illness. Today Ken lost his fight against cancer. A memorial will be arranged when it is safe once more for us to gather. Rest in Power, Ken. I love you.” Born in New Jersey, Ken served in Vietnam before settling in the Castro in 1973. An out and proud gay man, he helped make possible many gains for the LGBTQ community that occurred in the late 70s, such as the election of Supervisor Harvey Milk. Ken was the first Black president of SF Pride, organized boycotts against businesses with practices deemed to be discriminatory, promoted HIV/AIDS education during
PHOTOS BY RINK
Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978
Ken Jones (second from left) along with activist colleagues, presented a panel discussion at the GLBT Museum on the 30th anniversary of the 1987 Lesbian and Gay March on Washington.
the heart of the pandemic, worked for decades on police reforms, and much more. As fellow SF Pride former president Gary Virginia wrote, in part: “He was a community icon, Navy veteran, pioneering activist & volunteer in the LGBTQIAA community & beyond.” LGBTQ activist Kelly Rivera Hart shared, “He was a constant positive force, a good friend, and hero to me and so many others.” The nonprofit Openhouse issued this statement: “Ken Jones’ contributions to the LGBTQ+ community extend far beyond his work in the San Francisco Bay Area. His heroism and civil rights leadership for the LGBTQ+ community has greatly influenced the foundation of our activism for peace and justice today. Our thoughts are with his family and those who knew him.”
Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Deborah Svoboda, Devlin Shand, Kristopher Acevedo, Morgan Shidler, JP Lor ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers. National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only. CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2021 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas
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Ken Jones (right) with friends at the 2017 Light in the Grove Gala at the AIDS Memorial Grove.
Ken was prominently memorialized at Hibernia Beach in the Castro, with just some of the tributes shown on the cover of this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times. Shortly after the news of his passing, SF Pride released the following: “We at San Francisco Pride are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Ken Jones. Ken’s years of service in the LGBTQ+ community date back to the late 1970s. He joined San Francisco Pride in 1980, initially serving as the first co-chair of outreach. Charged with bringing more ‘traditionally under/non/mis-represented segments of the lesbian and gay communities’ into the movement, he later became the first Black president of the Board of Directors, a position he held from 1985–90, overseeing SF Pride’s
incorporation as a registered nonprofit. Ken’s involvement with the organization never waned, as he served as an informal adviser to many of his successors, and participated in our ‘Lavender Talks’ series in cooperation with the Commonwealth Club last May. Appropriately, that panel discussion looked back on the first 50 years of this organization’s history, and we were grateful to have his wise input. A veteran, a prolific officiator of weddings, and a guide on historical tours of the Castro, Ken fought tirelessly to ensure that Pride retained its solemn aspect as an occasion to honor and acknowledge everyone our communities have lost. (continued on page 24)
Escape from the Zoom Room
Photos Courtesy of Tim Seelig
how fun all the Zoom things were when the pandemic began to shut things down last March? Zoom exercise, cooking, book club, movie night, game night, knitting. Now that was a quiet Zoom! As the months wore on, those things lost their appeal. One of the most-used methods of escape has been the small screen: Gambits, Schitts, Mandalorians (I‘m going to sneak in a fave: Anne With an E.) Many have turned to movies and discovered documentaries. Then there is the incredible explosion of blogs and vlogs and podcasts—everyone’s doing them.
TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation Dr. Tim Seelig Have you seen the previews? It’s a new Netflix series. It has everything that makes for great television viewing. There is a fabulous actor playing the lead role. The episodes last about an hour and it appears to be set for season two. OK, I made it up, but it should be a series. At this point, most of us are truly exhausted by the new chronic disease: Zoom Fatigue. Have there been times you have felt imprisoned by Zoombies? You may have tried to hide in the corner, but they found you. You’re hooked! You know things are bad when you are seen setting up meetings yourself. Remember when the only reference to Zoom was when playing with your hot wheels and alternated seamlessly between “Zoom, Zoom” and “Vroom Vroom”? Or maybe you were one of those 70s kids who watched the PBS show Zoom from 1972 to 1978 or the reboot from 1997 to 2005. Each with a catchy theme song. Sing along.
corner. Or a Zoom chair or sofa. Thank goodness for virtual backdrops to mask the mess in the background. Zoom is here to stay. Robert was incarcerated for 54 years—most in solitary confinement. Only 14 of those were at Alcatraz gazing over the walls at the most beautiful city in the world. Of course, there was always the temptation of escape. 36 tried to escape from Alcatraz. 23 were captured, 6 were shot, 2 drowned. The other five were presumed drowned. Escape didn’t work out too well for them. Perhaps we should consider other options. By the way, Burt Lancaster is no longer available to play Robert in the new series. I’m sitting by the phone waiting for the call! I have most definitely considered raising birds. None have appeared in my cell block as they did with Robert. But I know a lot of people who have added pandemic pets to their family. It absolutely helps pass the time to have another living being in the house. Yes, some have planted indoor herb gardens. Beware if you start talking to the basil. Escape requires focus and some risks. Tunneling is not an option. Neither is scaling the beige walls of my apartment complex. So, we have to be creative in our escape plans.
What I find interesting is that we often “escaped” in our childhood. In my time, we were Robin Hood or Lady Marian. I played both depending on the day and the costume available. Being from Texas, being a cowboy was high on my But what we’re talking about here is imaginary world. I may have fantabeing unwillingly drafted to occupy sized about living on the Ponderosa a spot in The Brady Bunch opening or with the men of Bonanza. What was the much longer Hollywood Squares. your childhood escape from the realities of rules and regulation? You want to escape. No, need to Could you invite those back into escape. At first Zoom world was your life as an escape? precious and kind of fun. “OMG, I don’t have to go to work.” That romance lost its bloom fairly quickly. Going to work started to look better and better.
Many have turned to books and, of course, actually turning to paper rather than reading from another screen. We’ve lost ourselves in glorious music that whisks us away to wonderful places. It’s not the same as live music, but will work until that returns. Before we go, let’s spend just a moment giving props to this new thing in our lives, Zoom. There have been some amazing discoveries: dinners with family and friends, 12 step programs, therapy, and work happy hours via Zoom. It has provided family events such as birthdays and anniversaries that have brought family and friends from all over the world. Those gatherings would have never been possible in person. Think of the commute time that has been drastically reduced. Some people actually spent an hour or two commuting to work— each way. That has been reduced to 20 feet and 20 seconds. That is the gift of time. Meetings will never be the same. I believe we will continue using Zoom for most of these. And think of the money you have saved on travel expense! Rather than Zoom imprisoning us, it has actually brought the whole world to our doorstep. At the end of the day, I am very glad Zoom is now a part of my life. I love seeing people up close and personal. I’ve got to say it is fun seeing where people live and where they’ve chosen to Zoom! As you know, I conduct a room full of 300 singing men. They sit in rows. They spend 3 hours looking at the backs of heads. Now, on Zoom, they see faces for the first time. And, that singer who sits on the other side of the room and you can’t remember his name? He is in the lower left corner of his square! One huge drawback with Zoom? You can’t sing on Zoom.
Honest answer here. Have you only “dressed” from the waist up for Zoom meetings? You know, the mullet outfit: work on top, slumber party on bottom. I’m going with a 100% approval rating on that new style.
In the days ahead, I believe we will no longer feel the desire to escape Zoom, but rather will use it to its best effect. It will be our choice to return to our cell when it serves us best. I can’t wait until that day. It does appear our sentence is near commutation.
Since we in San Francisco are only a brisk swim away from Alcatraz, a series about escape from Zoom prison seems a perfect fit for our series. “It has legs,” as they say in the business! Of course, being imprisoned in our Zoom room is not really comparable with the “Birdman’s” experience in his cell. But there are some interesting similarities.
Until then, I’m going to be nice to Zoom. As freedom approaches, I pledge to actually wear pants one day a week (I will miss my elastic waist bands.) I pledge to think of my prison as a play room. I’ll think of creative ways to make Zoom work for me. I’ll continue to regret not having bought stock in Zoom when we thought it was a song!
Let’s take a quick look at your cell. How big is your Zoom room? The average cell at Alcatraz was 5 feet by 9 feet. That is spacious compared to most Zoom rooms. Many of us simply have a Zoom
In this shelter in place world of ours, probably 80% of the “outside the house” activities have ceased. That may be an underestimate. When our Zoom workday finishes, we simply turn it off and move to another room—or other side of the room. Our extracurricular activities have moved to Zoom! God help us. People, Zoom fatigue is a real thing! I’m preaching to my choir since we are now meeting on Zoom! We started out strong. Oh, my goodness, do you remember
In the very best “if you can’t beat them, join them,” let’s sing along: “We love you Zoom, oh yes, we do.” Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Life and Loss at ‘Hibernia Beach’ in the Castro For nearly five decades, the corner of Castro and 18th Streets has been an important site for San Francisco’s LGBTQ community. In 1978, San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink documented how the location became a hangout for gay men hoping to meet likeminded others in relative safety. Cruisers used to lean against the concrete and iron fencing, and were sometimes joined by the city’s growing number of street entertainers. On sunny days, it is easy to see how the former Hibernia Bank site area was dubbed “Hibernia Beach.” In the early 1980s, Hibernia Beach began to serve another purpose when the HIV/ AIDS pandemic ravaged the LGBTQ population and more. By 1983, 3,000 AIDS cases had been reported—a number that would greatly increase in the coming years as the death toll from the virus also spiraled. The site’s wall and rail were then first used to post tributes to those who had passed during the pandemic. As the years went on, the memorials paid homage to numerous others. Sometimes these were more personal tributes to lost friends and family members. Others marked the passing of public figures such as Princess Diana and Prince. Still others marked the loss of individuals holding particular significance to the LGBTQ community, like Matthew Shepard and the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. In addition to being a site for communal grieving, Hibernia Beach has also served as a spot for meetings, public services—even pet adoptions and Girl Scout cookie sales— and as a place to meet up before heading to other locations. ACT UP, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Queer Nation, and other LGBTQ groups, both past and present, have extensively relied on the site for various gatherings. Nearly all who live in, or who regularly visit, the Castro District know about Hibernia Beach, even though it has held no particular official status. Threat to the Site Its status from an official standpoint may change, given an action taken on January 15 by the present business at the site, Bank of America. BofA put up signs at Hibernia
Photos by Rink
Beach that read: “Please do not post or affix materials to the fence or building surface.” The sign further referenced a San Francisco police code (Article 10, Section 709). The code states, in part: “It shall be unlawful for any person to post or affix any sign to the exterior surfaces of any structure, including any building, on private property without consent of the owner of such property or the person in lawful possession of such property. If any sign has been posted in a manner described in this Section and remains so posted on the effective date of this ordinance, it shall be unlawful for any person who so posted it or caused it to be so posted to fail to remove that sign within a reasonable period of time after so being informed.” Violations of the code range from $50– $500. BofA spokesperson Colleen Haggerty said that the building is undergoing remodeling and that items left at Hibernia Beach had increased during recent months. ATMs at the bank were vandalized late last year. Public Outcry Criticism of the attempted Hibernia Beach change was swift from LGBT leaders such as State Senator Scott Wiener, activist Cleve Jones, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Mandelman shared: “I told them (BofA) the signs must come down. And we should find a different answer, probably by bringing the Castro Community Benefits District, the Castro Cultural District, and the Castro Merchants together and finding a way for them to take greater responsibility in the area’s maintenance. We remain in communication with the bank and are working towards that now.” Haggerty and her team quickly complied and acknowledged the location’s importance as a community space. The Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club made this statement on January 16: “On behalf of the many members of our community we’ve lost, grieved for, mourned, celebrated the life of, and paid tribute to at Hibernia Beach, the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club thanks everyone that brought this issue to our attention, and is especially grateful to District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman for his commitment to ensuring we can continue to honor those
At “Hibernia Beach,” Bank of America staff posted and later removed the sign (right) citing SF City Code, Article 10, Section 709. The display (above) was set up on Sunday, January 17, one day after the Bank removed the sign and one day prior to the MLK Day ceremony held there on Monday, January 18.
we’ve lost at this very sacred site in the heart of the Castro.” On January 18, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club hosted a gathering at Hibernia Beach “to reclaim this living cultural heritage site for the community.” Those who gathered included historian Gerard Koskovich and activist Alex U Inn. Many honored recently passed activist Ken Jones as well as Martin Luther King, Jr., and others. They brought flowers, tea lights, photos of loved ones, and other relevant items. Future of Hibernia Beach Legislators such as Supervisor Mandelman and Senator Wiener have indicated that Hibernia Beach may gain official protection in future. It is possible that it will receive landmark status, a designation given to a building or a plot of land said to have his-
toric, artistic, or aesthetic value. The location would then receive special treatment with regards to its preservation. For the countless individuals who value Hibernia Beach, however, the location’s status has never been in doubt. From a safe spot for cruising to a known location for memorials, the site has gained meaning that goes far beyond that of a community gathering place. It is sacred space marking life and loss, and the San Francisco Bay Times joins those calling for it to be safeguarded in an appropriate way for generations to come.
Photos by Rink, whose archive of images chronicles Hibernia Beach’s history since the 1970s
A memorial for Jay Young who died of AIDS (1986) Ken McPherson staffed the Mobilization Against AIDS table at Hibernia Beach. (1986) A representative accompanied the Deaf AIDS Project fundraising display at Hibernia Beach. (1986) A mime interacted with guys cruising at Hibernia Beach. (1978)
Volunteer Damian and his dog Missy fundraised at Hibernia Beach for the Godfather Service Fund, an organization that provided toothbrushes, teddy bears, pajamas and other items to hospitalized people with HIV/AIDS. (1989) Seeking assistance, a man seated on the sidewalk at Hibernia Beach presented his sign stating, “Please Help Me, I’ve Got AIDS.” (1986)
Dennis Peron campaigned for marijuana access. (1980)
(left) CUAV (Citizens United Against Violence) monitors assisted an SFPD officer in helping a man who was beaten up in the Castro on Halloween. (1986)
Bill Paul (center) with Paul Boneberg (right) at the Mobilization Against AIDS table. (1987)
In response to calls from right-wing pundits to quarantine people with AIDS, Mobilization Against AIDS volunteer Spinstar protested during a rally held at Hibernia Beach. (1985)
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Community Activities at Hibernia Beach
Educator D voters to s ing an incr and a pay (2018) Empress Khmera Rouge (right) and helpers staffed a gift wrapping table at Hibernia Beach. (2014)
CHEER San Francisco promoted their Men of CHEER SF calendar. (2014) With their annual Easter celebration at Dolores Park canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, as a gift to the community, placed a large rainbow bouquet of balloons at Hibernia Beach.
The annual Walk for Life anti abortion march drew fire from counter protestors who placed information about their action at Hibernia Beach. (2016)
Memorials at Hibernia Beach
Cookie Dough (2015)
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2020)
Carrie Fisher (2016)
David Bowie (2016) Gilbert Baker (2017)
Robin Williams (2014)
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Donna Summer (2014)
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David Smith recruited sign a petition supportrease in school funding raise for teachers.
The San Francisco Department of Health’s afe sex information table t Hibernia Beach (2009)
Lito Sandoval from Calle 24 and Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club copresidents Peter Gallotta and Laura Thomas were at Hibernia Beach staffing the Milk Club’s election table on Halloween, October 31. (2014)
Activists Jazzy Collins and Sean Villariasa joined the vigil against killing of gays and emos in Iraq. (2014)
Members of the Queer Caucus of Mercy for Animals organization protested the Gay Rodeo declaring that, “The animals lose every time.” (2008) Decision Day activists Trey Allen and Austin Phillips, awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA, invited passersby to join them in the upcoming community vigil. (2013)
Members of Velocity Circus, who frequently have appeared for the Castro Business District’s Live in the Castro program, performed at Hibernia Beach. (2017)
Orlando Pulse Nightclub Tragedy Memorial (2016) Family Dog Rescue volunteers held their monthly dog adoption campaign at Hibernia Beach. (2014)
During the days following the massacre on June 12, 2016, flowers, posters, flags and other items comprised a large public memorial at Hibernia Beach.
Community members and friends signed the Banner of Hope that was sent to the Orlando LGBT Community Center to be displayed there as a symbol of solidarity in grief over the tragedy.
George Michael (2016)
Visitors observed markings that indicated where, on June 21, vandals attacked and damaged the memorial at Hibernia Beach.
Sister Mary Peter (center), accompanied by Shawn Haines and Joanie Juster, was the emcee at a blessing and dismantling ceremony of the memorial site. On June 29, neighbors and friends worked together to respectfully remove the items placed at Hibernia Beach during the days immediately following the tragedy.
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By Donna Sachet
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f you watched the live broadcast of the Inaugural ceremonies last week, we hope you felt the fresh breeze we felt. The contrast in the very same location between what happened on January 6 and January 20 couldn’t be clearer. Weeks ago, as fanatical followers of unproven conspiracy theories pushed barricades aside, then smashed windows and rammed doors open, rarely we have felt such a dark cloud over our country. Law enforcement professionals were quickly overwhelmed, people were injured, and five individuals lost their lives amid the senseless violence. As images of previous demonstrations filled our mind, nothing could compare to this maniacal violation of the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol building, threatening not just the constitutional business of our democracy, but also the very lives of elected officials, their staffs, and families. Never has such a foreboding storm cloud threatened such menacing possibilities, as the nation and the world watched live. Exactly two weeks later, the U.S. Capitol gleamed in winter sunshine and a refreshing breeze of civility, tradition, and order filled the air. No, this wouldn’t be the Inauguration so many of us have come to expect with throngs gathered across the National Mall to witness the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. The COVID-19 pandemic still rages, requiring extensive controls on public gatherings, and the violence of two weeks ago called for unprecedented security precautions, including eight-foot fencing, distanced seating, and a dramatically scaled back event. But somehow, a fresh wind of hope was able to clear the lingering residue of doubt in the election results, to sweep aside the monstrous insults and hurdles thrown by the outgoing administration, and to lift the much smaller audience above petty grievances and political party differences, if only for a day. In a ceremony full of traditions that go back to the founding of our country, a new President and Vice President took their oaths of office while the entire membership of the Supreme Court, many senators and representatives from both parties, previous presidents and vice presidents, and families and friends looked on. Uplifting musical performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks elevated the event, as did stirring poetry from National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, encouraging spiritual words from members of the clergy, and even some mild touches of humor from a couple of speakers. We are not ashamed to admit that these eyes filled with tears as Kamala Harris took her oath breaking all molds of expectation as our newest Vice President. Even President Joe Biden’s rather lackluster Inaugural address struck the right tone to encourage us to look ahead without evoking too many dark shadows of the past. This was a day to look forward, buoyed by a crisp winter day in Washington, D.C., and an unmistakable breeze of clean fresh air. Let’s be clear, however, that all is not instantly perfect again. We all know that the first burst of fresh air after a long dark spell is only a promise of things to come. Our national leadership has a long way to go, California continues to contend with multiple significant challenges, and this city that we love faces ongoing problems that have been exacerbated by a pandemic and all the damage it has caused to the very fabric of our lives. As a local columnist, it is here that we want to spend the remainder of this message. We, as a community, must come to terms with the changed landscape. As a fundraiser, event producer, and creative performer, we are particularly focused on those aspects of change. Let’s look ahead to 2021. There will be no Imperial Coronation in San Francisco in February; this was recently confirmed by the Imperial Council that announced a postponement until April. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is delaying the 93rd annual Oscars ceremony, so will our local Friends of the Academy postpone, reconfigure, or cancel their annual gala? Krewe de Kinque, the fun-loving club formed here in San Francisco and inspired by the pageantry, traditions, and fellowship of New Orleans krewes, is facing their own dilemma. New Orleans has canceled Mardi Gras parades, parties, and other events; what should Krewe de Kinque do? And these are just special events. What about the ongoing fundraisers, celebrations, and other events that used to take place week in and week out at bars and venues throughout the year? In many cases, these were the events that bound us together as a community, while raising important funds for causes we believe in and for organizations we helped create and perpetuate. At a time when the calls for help are more and more frequent, the entrenched and proven support mechanisms for raising money from within our community have been decimated. So, where do we go from here? Yes, we have come to loathe those overused words like “pivot,” “reinvent,” and “new normal,” but they all relate to the process we are going through as we navigate this new and complicated world. So, what do we do? Like it or not, many organizations are learning how to stage virtual events; watch for them and sup-
–Henry Ford
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a/la Sachet Saturday, February 13 All You Need Is Love: REAF’s Virtual Valentine’s Spectacular Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation cabaret show on YouTube Live featuring Leslie Jordan, Bruce Vilanch, Spencer Day, Petula Clark & more 11 am $25 & up www.reaf.org
PHOTO BY BILL WILSON
Donna’s Chronicles
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Donna with Mark Leno and Kamala Harris on election night, November 2, 2004, when Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco.
port them with your donations. Many severely impacted businesses, trying to hang on through this pandemic, have turned to online fundraisers to enable them to meet financial obligations, retain employees, and plan for a return to business; seek out their websites and throw them your financial support. Individual performers and artistic groups whose livelihood was curtailed overnight are struggling to find new, creative avenues of expression; maintain your support of those who have brought you so much pleasure over the years with your Venmo, PayPal, and other online payments. Think about the money you used to spend on a regular basis and direct your generosity accordingly. Many of us have personally suffered job loss, fractured security, and/or less disposable income, so only you know your own comfort level with philanthropy, but don’t lose sight of the many needs you can address and the immense satisfaction that helping others brings. The best outcome of all of this might be the discovery of new and creative ways to address old challenges. Maybe we’ll discover that some of our old habits no longer serve new needs. Perhaps that breath of fresh air wafting across the country will bring to San Francisco a rejuvenation of our cherished reputation for creativity, generosity, and diversity. With any luck, by the end of 2021, we’ll be able to look back on great new memories and look forward to excellent new opportunities. Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
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Joanne Weir: The Jacqueline of All Culinary Trades GG: You’ve also had a stint with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. What was that like?
The Gay Gourmet
JW: Before I studied with Madeleine, I wanted to work at Chez Panisse. A friend said she could get me an “in” with Alice because of the fact that I practically grew up on my grandparent’s farm (i.e., lived and understood “farm to table”). When I came back to California, I tried out for a week or ten days. I got the job— it was my first restaurant job! It
David Landis She’s the Energizer Bunny of the culinary world. San Francisco’s chef Joanne Weir seems to do it all: she authors cookbooks; conducts culinary/travel tours in Morocco, Spain, and Italy (and more); creates tantalizing new recipes; submits recipes for such esteemed publications as The New York Times; oversees the hot Mexican restaurant Copita in Sausalito; and hosts one of the most popular cooking shows on PBS. The Gay Gourmet caught up with her during the pandemic to find out about her new TV series, how she’s adapting tours during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all things San Francisco.
Joanne Weir with Alice Waters
was an extraordinary experience. I was there for 5 years and worked upstairs, downstairs, in pastry— but mostly in the café. I also was a taster at Café Fanny for a year. I still remember when I worked at the upstairs café, I put Alice’s daughter Fanny on the counter—she must have been 4 years old. I made a salad, Fanny tried it and said, “Eww, too acid!” I remember thinking, “What a gift to have a palate like that.” I’m still “the family” at Panisse. In fact, Alice wrote the forward to my most recent book, Kitchen Gypsy.
incredible. You see people’s mouths drop. GG: You also run a very popular Mexican restaurant in Sausalito, Copita. Given your fondness for Mediterranean cooking, how did that come to be? JW: I’m good friends with restaurateur Larry Mindel. I was on Larry’s boat and gave him my new cookbook, Tequila, and he said to me, “I make the best margarita.” I said to him, “No, I make the best margarita.” He said, “You make yours; I’ll make mine.” We had a little competition. His was good, mostly tequila, but he turned to me and said, “Damn it, Joanne. Yours IS the best margarita I’ve ever had. If I ever find a location to open a Mexican restaurant, would you open it with me?” I’d just had 2 margaritas, so what do you think I said? That restaurant, my first, has been another extraordinary experience. GG: What are your favorite San Francisco restaurants? JW: I love Kokkari (Greek) and I also love Zuni Café (California)— it’s my “Chez Panisse in the City.” Everything is delicious. Barbacco (Italian) is fun and I also love NOPA (Mexican), which has a great chef—Lawrence was my assistant in Italy. I also love Out the Door (Vietnamese) in Pacific Heights.
GG: You seem to have a big LGBTQ following. Why is that? JW: I want to know why!!! Perhaps it’s because LGBTQ folks appreciate a nice lifestyle and the finer things in life: good food and travel. GG: How has Covid affected your culinary/travel tours?
The Gay Gourmet: First off, I have to ask, how do you do it all? Joanne Weir: I really love what I do and have a lot of energy. I also have a hard time saying no! I get excited by every project and love the creativity involved. There’s a saying on my desk, “Passion keeps me realizing my possibilities.” GG: Where does your passion for cooking come from? JW: My grandfather had a beautiful berry farm in western Massachusetts. I used to go with my mom to grandfather’s farm—we’d have picnic lunches: homemade chicken sandwiches, maple walnut ice cream that he churned, eggs from the farm. I thought all kids ate like this, until I went to school. GG: What brought you to California? JW: While lunching at my grandfather’s farm, I would ask my mom, “What’s that hill over there with beautiful views?” She’d say, “That’s California.” I first lived in Boston and taught high school and fine arts, then moved to California with my ex-husband. After that, I went back to cooking school, studying with Madeleine Kamman (1930– 2018) in France. Madeleine is an icon—she was difficult, but a genius. She expected a lot from us. I was lucky because she liked me. I knew that what I really wanted to do was cook. Halfway through, half the people quit because she was so tough. But I spent two months with her in France. 18
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JW: It’s frustrating. I had tours set up in May and October of 2020. I moved all of them (90 people) from 2020 to 2021 and now I have to move them to the fall. I’m hoping that will work. I take care of everything—all the details—except the airfare. For example: in Marrakesh, people fly in, a driver picks them up to stay at a gorgeous villa. We usually have 5 hands-on cooking classes, so I look for places that have big kitchens and/or outdoor kitchens. We go on excursions and we cook food from that region. My relationships allow for special experiences you wouldn’t normally have. For instance, in Marrakesh, we go inside the souks and to the Berber Market. You don’t have to be an accomplished chef to take these classes. Everybody gets a chance to get in there and cook. I want to instill confidence in people—when the recipe works, everyone claps— and then they want to cook another dish. I cook with Bahija, the chef at the riad where we stay. One of the things we do is have everybody (18 people) making their own tajines. We line up all the tajines outside— the clay pots with the firewood. It’s
Salzburg, and Budapest. The final show this season is my home city, San Francisco. GG: Speaking of which, why are you so drawn to San Francisco? JW: I love it. There’s no other place I would like to live. I love the proximity to the wine country and the proximity to great ingredients. People here are nice and happy. I still think San Francisco has that spirit. It’s a beautiful city.
——————————— Here are some of Joanne Weir’s easy-to-cook recipes, perfect during quarantine:
Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup with Honey Pecan Butter 1 small butternut squash, about 2 pounds 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces 3 tablespoons toasted and finely chopped pecans 1 tablespoon honey 3 tablespoons butter 2 slices bacon, diced 1 large yellow onion, chopped 6 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup orange juice Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper Whole leaves of flat-leaf parsley as a garnish Preheat the oven to 375°f. Halve the squash from top to bottom and place it, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Place the carrots around the squash. Toss to coat with olive oil. Bake until the squash can be easily skewered, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes. With a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Scrape the pulp and reserve. Discard the skin.
GG: Your TV shows are so fun. They air on PBS and Create TV. And you shoot them right from your San Francisco kitchen?
For the honey-pecan butter, mash 2 tablespoons butter with the pecans and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roll the butter in plastic wrap into a cylindrical shape 1-inch in diameter. Store in the refrigerator until well chilled and firm.
JW: Yes, I’ve been on the air for 20 years, which is really great for a television show. We are launching 13 new shows for Plates and Places—they air on Thursdays and Saturdays on KQED TV locally (check local listings). The shows air in 94.6% of households in the U.S.! People love it because it’s both a travel AND a food show. I’ve filmed shows in Spain, Italy, Greece,
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the bacon is just turning golden, about 7 minutes. Add the squash, carrots, and stock and simmer until the squash falls apart and the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes. In
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batches, puree the soup in a blender on high speed, 3 minutes per batch, until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean soup pot and add the cream, orange juice, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, correct the consistency with additional water or stock. Ladle the hot soup into soup bowls. Cut 1/4-inch slices of the honeypecan butter and float one in each bowl of soup. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve. Serves 6 Eggs in Purgatory Amatriciana 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 ounces guanciale or pancetta, 1/4-inch dice 1 small red onion, minced Pinch of crushed red pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine 2 ½ cups canned Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and pureed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 large eggs 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano 4 basil leaves, torn Toasted bread or focaccia Warm the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium high heat and add the guanciale or pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and crushed red pepper and cook until the onions are soft, 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 10 minutes. Check the thickness by pulling a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and stays separated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Make 4 indentations in the sauce. Break the eggs, one by one into a small bowl, and with the spoon, add one egg into each indentation. Cover and cook until the whites of the eggs are firm but the yolks are still runny, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the top with Parmigiano Reggiano and basil and serve immediately with toasted bread or focaccia. Serves 2 Look for additional recipes from Joanne Weir in the next issue of the San Francisco Bay Times! For more information, visit Joanne Weir online at: www.joanneweir.com For information about Copita restaurant in Sausalito, visit: https://www.copitarestaurant.com/ David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a PR executive. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF, on Twitter @david_landis, email him at: david@landispr.com or visit him online at www.gaygourmetsf.com
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Mission Food Hub Update and How You Can Help Photos courtesy of Juan R. Davila and Roberto Hernandez Mission Food Hub organizer Roberto Hernández informed the San Francisco Bay Times that a Bendicion ceremony to celebrate the New Year took place at the Food Hub location at 701 Alabama Street on Sunday, January 17. Dancers from Azteca Danzantes brought their vibrant costumes and performances. Hundreds of residents currently are benefiting from the offerings at Mission Food Hub’s resources each week. Founded in 2020 in response to the food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hub takes great care to provide culturally appropriate foods, such as the ingredients for authentic Mexican menudo (mondongo veracruzano) offered recently. Also, thanks to a bulk donation of oranges, the popular, low calorie, and highly nutritious citrus fruit was featured. The San Francisco Bay Times is supporting the work of the Mission Food Hub in multiple ways, and we encourage you to join us in contributing. We are grateful to the large team of volunteers whose dedication and hard work continues the Hub’s services helping those affected by the ongoing health crisis. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1169152970117653 You can text the word “Comida” to 202-858-1233 (via the Givebutter text-to-donate platform) for directions on how to give. Mailed donations are also accepted. Please make checks to CANA/Mission Food Hub and mail to 1333 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110.
Azteca Danzantes
Mission Food Hub Volunteers
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Tennis: The Pandemic Sport of Choice covered a shortage at my seven local Targets and Walmarts.
Sports John Chen It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has gone by since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak last March. Positivity cases and hospitalizations here in California have surged to an all-time high over the end of the 2020 holidays. Despite suffering from “COVID fatigue,” like most of you, I shall get through the pandemic mentally and physically stronger thanks to what I like to call “the pandemic sport of choice”: tennis! Although we would all like to forget 2020, the pandemic year was particularly good for tennis. The sport has seen a dramatic increase in popularity as evidenced by the 40% sales gain in tennis racquets as reported by the TIA (Tennis Industry Association) Quarterly USA Wholesale Equipment Census.
Take Me Home with You! “My name is Kenny! I’m a 4-year-old Chihuahua mix who has often been described as a social butterfly. My tail is always wagging and I love everyone I meet! I’m hoping to meet my forever family soon, because I’m a very loving fella who would love to have someone special to curl up with on these cold winter nights. If you’re looking for an active, adventurous, and affectionate best friend, we might be a perfect match.” Kenny is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Kenny.
Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup
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To apply to meet Kenny, visit https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/
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In my travels, I saw lots of players of all shapes, sizes, ages, and levels having a good time filling the local pubic courts. Here at home, public tennis courts are in high demand as usage has skyrocketed. Case in point, reserving a tennis court through San Francisco Parks and Rec is a tall order since reservations fill up as soon as courts are available. In the East Bay, the usually empty courts are now full of families doing a social and athletic outing. And I have become a tennis ball hoarder ever since I dis-
From building a mini tennis court in my driveway at the onset of shelter in place orders, to playing on publics courts around the country on my 32-day road trip, to now hitting balls at various parks all over the San Francisco Bay Area, tennis has been my rock and a sport that keeps me sane. For those of you who are tennis aficionados, you know what I am talking about. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, allow me to shed some insight on this amazing sport and why people all over are now joining me on the court during these trying times. First, tennis is a naturally socially distancing sport that can be played day and night. Players are generally and minimally 40–60 feet apart. This makes tennis a relatively safe activity. Second, tennis is considered a cardiovascular, total body workout sport that burns anywhere from 400– 1,000 calories per hour according to WebMD.com, Tennis: An Ace of a Workout. Lastly and just as important, tennis is an intellectually and mentally strengthening sport where players battle an opponent, the environment, the elements, and themselves. For example, the sun, the wind, the temperature, the background, the noise, the speed and bounce of the surface
all play an important role in how you play against your opponent. It’s a little bit of you versus the world athletically and mentally. For those who want to take their games to a competitive level, tennis truly becomes an exercise in mental toughness and thoughtfulness. At what pace, spin, and angle should you hit to induce a desired result? If plan A is not working, do you have a plan B or C? Can you execute your shots and solve problems without the help of a teammate, a coach, or anyone, for that matter? Can you manage your emotions and stay the course when things are not going your way? There’s no timeout and there’s no time limit to a match. It’s you against your opponent plus the kitchen sink. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up a tennis racquet, grab some balls, and text a buddy. Then, head to your local public courts and get a great cardiovascular, all body workout! You don’t have to be good. You just have to be motivated to have fun and do something athletic. Maybe you’ll see me push a shopping cart full of tennis balls nearby or you’ll hear me grunting loudly and proudly on the court next to you. John Chen, a UCLA alumnus and an avid sports fan, has competed as well as coached tennis, volleyball, softball and football teams.
San Francisco Bay Times says: WEAR YOUR MASK! BE CAREFUL! STAY SAFE!
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Fabulous Fran Meets Marvelous Marty
Off the Wahl Jan Wahl Fran Liebowitz is an articulate social commentator, a writer and lecturer with original, outrageous thoughts on New York, American life, and the hell of other people. Martin Scorsese is an iconic filmmaker, Hollywood historian, and show business icon. Together, they are combustible entertainment and thought-provoking brilliance. It is called Pretend It’s a City, a new series on Netflix. She talks, he laughs (and directs), as we are invited to a party traveling all over Manhattan with the best guests at the party. There is no way you can watch this one without feeling your mind woken and a smile emerge on your face. Fran is a lesbian with relationship issues. She reminds us that longterm relationships are a challenge: “I once had a girlfriend who summed it up best. She said that 'at first you’d ask me a hundred questions about myself. Then 50. Then 20. Finally, you said, 'Can’t you see I’m trying to read?'" But it’s not her romantic life we focus on here. It is what annoys her, how she feels walking down the streets of Manhattan, nature, the hell of other people, subways. She is articulate and a really fast talker, full of literary metaphors (she owns 10,000 books) and intelligent discourse. Scorsese gives us the visuals and locations to go along with the journey. He also laughs a lot, but who can blame him? I thought he would fall off his chair when she explained that she is a germaphobe. “I’ve never touched a single thing on a New York subway," she said. "If I was carrying the Hope diamond and dropped it on the floor, I’d leave it.” Liebowitz has been called a modernday Dorothy Parker, though she is so original I find that comparison troubling. Both are women who fought to be authentic, though Dotty drank and Fran smokes big time. Fran went to an all-girls school: “The kids elected me president, the headmaster threw me out. He said I was a bad influence on the other kids and was usurping his power.”
ing most of my votes while the cool kids were in detention. We’ve celebrated Bridgerton, Critical Thinking, The Great, The Prom, The Queen’s Gambit, The Crown ... and there is always more. I was singing the blues the other morning and logged on to see what was new. Along comes Nicholas Cage introducing me to The History of Swear Words. I am now way more proficient than I should be on the origin and social context of the F word. This one is a blast! I guess I have to warn you it is in your face, but why not? The use of smart folks who write dictionary definitions along with professors who study words are just part of this saucy educational series, with Nick Cage the perfect host. I swear differently now—just as much, but with more thought. Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, "Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
I guess I identified with some of that. I was elected student body vice president at my coed high school, receiv-
QUEER POP QUIZ
A NYT VALENTINE TO ALL During what year did The New York Times open its wedding pages to LGBTQ couples for announcements of their unions? A) 2004
B) 2003
C) 2002
D) 2001
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Four Queer Films to Stream in February secrets and lies being exposed along with some queer recoupling.
Film Gary M. Kramer Four films with queer content will become available for streaming over the next few weeks. Here is a rundown of what to watch and when. Of local interest—a handful of scenes were shot in San Francisco— is X, available digitally and on DVD February 9. Directed by the gay Scott J. Ramsey, and written by Ramsey and Hannah Katherine Jost, a lesbian, this drama revolves around a series of monthly masquerade parties thrown by Christian (Hope Raymond) and her coconspirator Danny (Brian Smick).
Christian secretly records her guests’ activities in the bathroom to “enjoy” the footage later. When Stella Marie (Bay Area actress Eliza Boivin) attends a “ball” on Danny’s invitation, Christian is upset; they were rivals back in high school. When Christian learns that Stella Marie is dating Jackson (Zachary Cowan), whom she admired, she encourages his attendance. However, after Christian spies a crime involving Jackson on the bathroom cam, she panics. What transpires involves
Ramsey’s film, though, is—like the characters—never quite as risqué as it wants to be. The sexuality on display is more discrete than explicit, despite the promise that “no fantasy is too obscene.” Moreover, a relationship that develops between Jackson and Danny is left hanging at the film’s end. X is crudely made, which may account for its sloppiness. This may be endearing for some viewers; fans of Doris Wishman films should appreciate Ramsey’s style. But the actors often sound dubbed or are shot in ways that two characters in the same scene are rarely seen in the same frame. The performances are also very uneven, with the primary cast members working overtime trying to be seductive, angry, or mysterious, and end up being risible. Ultimately, X is more ambitious than good. Two of Us, available February 5, is director Filippo Meneghetti’s poignant drama about a pair of neighbors, Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine (Martine Chevallier), who are secretly a couple. Seeing these women exchange looks over breakfast, or dance together, shows how deeply, thoroughly in love they are. They have plans to move to Rome— where they first met—and “be who we want to be,” but Madeleine is reluctant to tell her adult children about the extent of their relationship.
When an unforeseen snag occurs, separating the women, Nina lies in wait, contriving ways of (re)connecting with Madeline. Meneghetti, making his feature debut, shoots many scenes in close-up, and this intimacy showcases Sukowa’s deeply moving performance as a determined woman in love. Chevallier is heartbreaking, expressing her emotions, sometimes just with her eyes. Another film about an older couple in love is out gay writer/director Ray Yeung’s gentle, bittersweet romance, Twilight’s Kiss (Suk Suk), available February 10 via FilmForum.org. This poignant drama has Pak (Tai-Bo),
a taxicab driver meeting Hoi (Ben Yuen) in a park where Pak was cruising one afternoon. The men slowly embark on a friendship that soon turns into a sexual relationship. However, both men are closeted to their families. Pak is preparing for his daughter Fong’s (Hiu Ye Wong) impending nuptials, while Hoi seems to constantly disappoint his religious son Wan (Lo Chun Yip). A subplot has Hoi secretly participating in a seniors’ group to develop a nursing home for gay seniors. Yeung’s sensitive film captures the quotidian aspects of these ordinary lives that undergo deep and profoundly subtle changes. A shot of Pak and Hoi’s hands clasping or feet touching brims with genuine affection, and an episode where Hoi visits the home of his friend (continued on page 24)
Pamela Means Interrogates Social Ills Through Music her lyrics around it the way Pamela Means does.” —Valley Advocate, Northampton, MA “The name Pamela Means and The Reparations came to me in a flash and it felt just right,” Means told me for the San Francisco Bay Times. “I like the bold political stance of it, but Reparations also means healing and repair through love and nurturing, which is also what I seek to provide with my music and shows.”
Words Michele Karlsberg Happy New Year Happy Inauguration. With that, and our past president, comes to mind the Pamela Means song “Impeachment Now!” and her recently released tenth album Pamela Means and The Reparations: Live at Northfire. Pamela is a restless artist fronting many varied projects including a Billie Holiday-era jazz quartet (Pamela Means Jazz Project), solo acoustic performances of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album in its entirety, a nascent instrumental jazz guitar duo, and work as a multi-award-winning solo singersongwriter. This is the first release with her new acoustic trio, The Reparations. “If Black warrior poet/feminist political activist Audre Lorde had taken up folk singing, she might have attacked her guitar and wrapped 22
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An in-studio performance, recorded live for a small group of fans at Northfire Recording, in Amherst, MA, Live at Northfire showcases six of Pamela’s original songs. They are primarily politically-charged indictments of our socio-political landscape, plus a dose of romantic reprieve from two mesmerizing ballads. Her clever, concise lyrics, presented with soothing to seething vocals, and fleet-fingered fretwork, are elevated with the thick bass lines, infectious conga beats, and lush, velvet harmonies of bassist Cinamon Blair and percussionist I-SHEA. Pamela puts her gentle wit, big-loving spirit, and powerful songwriting to work for peace in the world. She just keeps getting better and better. Her voice is strong, her musicality is entertaining, and her commitment to peace is deep, genuine, and consistent. She is a Boston-based out(spoken), biracial, independent artist whose “kamikaze guitar style” and punchy
provocative songs have worn a hole in two of her acoustic guitars. Armed with the razor wit of a stand-up comic, and having an engaging presence and irresistible charm, Pamela’s “stark, defiant songs” (The New York Times) set the status quo and the stage afire. Her commitment to interrogating social ills was fostered by her unique childhood. “As the adopted daughter of a white mother and Black father, I learned about dismantling systems of oppression from the inside out,” she said. Pamela received her first guitar at the age of fourteen, just after her mother died of cancer, and it soon became Pamela’s primary vehicle (continued on page 24)
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun Citizen Humanitarian Award to Dr. Noha Aboelata of ROOTS Community Health Center. This stirring show concluded with Toshi Reagon and several singers of the cast in a rousing ʺFreedomʺ song. https://www.livingjazz.org/
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, "Join me as an eager cheerleader for President Joe Biden and his goal of 100 million Americans vaccinated in the first 100 days. Go, Joe, go!" On January 15, a broad coalition of community, labor, and education organizations representing Oakland residents, workers, tenants, teachers, and students held a virtual press conference to kick off the 7th Annual RECLAIM MLK’S RADICAL LEGACY WEEKEND. The weekend of events included trainings, workshops, artistic performance and ritual, and direct action. It culminated on January 18, MLK Day, with a mass car caravan from the Port of Oakland to Eastmont Mall, demanding “we reinvest 50% of the Oakland Police Department’s dollars to community supports and services that actually keep us safe.” At the press conference, organizers unveiled a new campaign to win reparations for Oakland’s Black students. This demand is part of the Black New Deal platform to uplift Oakland Black residents. Other key demands of this platform included making housing a human right and reimagining public safety by refunding the community with half of OPD’s budget. LIVING JAZZ invited us to celebrate unity and freedom in their 19th annual musical tribute, IN THE NAME OF LOVE, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Taking place MLK Weekend and days before the presidential inauguration, this event was committed to delivering inspiration, reflection, and the hope we need to stand united as we enter 2021. Living Jazz Executive Director Tracey Hoffman welcomed us. Dana King, well known journalist and artist, was host. The stellar lineup featured locally and internationally known singers, activists, and spoken word artists—coming together to inspire hope and to utilize the power of music as a positive agent for social change. Among the cast were The Kronos Quartet & Mekit; The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, taking us all to church with “I Won’t Stop Singing My Praise”; and iconic jazz singer Miss Faye Carol with a glorious historical memorial song to Black activists of the past and those martyred by murder, “We Remember Greatness.” Congresswoman Barbara Lee presented the Oakland
GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through their integrated comprehensive services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, they empower individuals, families and children to achieve stability and to thrive. Recently, GLIDE put out an inspirational message: “We are witnessing what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., observed during the struggle for Civil Rights: that violent behavior breeds bitterness and chaos and undermines progress for us all. In contrast, Dr. King championed the idea that nonviolent protest, inclusion, and reconciliation would lead to a more just and loving society—a beloved community.” Not merely in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., but also in remembrance of those we’ve lost to injustice and brutality, the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS has premiered HEAVY—featuring SFGMC and ten other gay men’s choruses across the country singing this illuminating song of hope. https://tinyurl.com/y69m4cfw I will close this sector of MLK reporting with Dr. King’s May 10, 1967, address: “We must face the hard fact that many Americans would like to have a nation which is a democracy for white Americans but simultaneously a dictatorship over Black Americans.” Okay, just one more King quote: “We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love!” Over 400,000 are dead in America from the coronavirus. San Francisco participated in the national MEMORIAL TO LIVES LOST TO COVID-19 by lighting City Hall and 12 other buildings across the city in amber and gold. The memorial took place in Washington, D.C., and nationwide on January 19 in cities and towns across the country. The D.C. memorial featured the lighting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the illumination of buildings and ringing of church bells in a national moment of unity and remembrance. President Joe Biden has announced that he will be appointing Pennsylvania Surgeon General Dr. Rachel Levine to the position of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in his administration. Levine would be the first out transgender person appointed to a federal position and approved by the U.S. Senate.
SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE/FACEBOOK
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (HRC) and their 13 community partners for the LGBTQ community presented their premier POWER OF EQUALITY INAUGURAL online on January 20 commemorating the historic election of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and Kamala Harris. From the comfort of our homes, we enjoyed musical performances and heard from equality leaders from across the LGBTQ movement. HRC President Alphonso David welcomed us in words of inspiration and song. The incredible lineup included Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning actor, singer, and activist Billy Porter, Shea Diamond, Matt Bomer, From the Sisters’ Wednesday Sistery feature comes this Dana Goldberg, Jesse 1988 image with (left to right starting at upper left): Sister Blanche DeRoote, Sister Roma, Sister Dana and Sister Vish.
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ROSTOW (continued from page 2)
SHORTER (continued from page 5)
STUART & JOHN (continued from page 7)
Barr is a better fit to run the Office of Comptroller of the Currency than Mehrsa Baradaran, so you can tell that her taste in email subjects is eclectic.
At the frothy white-hot center of the January 6 insurrection, seditious and murderous rampage on the Capitol commanded by the former president is the perpetual cause to disenfranchise nonwhite Americans. While not all voters for Trump are virulent racists or nativists, it will be a challenge to see how, and if it is possible, for historically oppressed groups to unite with people— including alt-right radicalized Congressional members—who are invested in maintaining anti-Black and other forms of racism as a central organizing principle to maintain political, cultural, and economic power and dominance.
that it could not come back into effect if the Supreme Court were to take the unconscionable step of reversing its prior decision.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. The whole thing was ablaze and it was too hot to touch. There was an inferno in the room,” said Jody Thompson, 50. Thompson and her partner had to frantically throw the fiery prize out the front door, The Sun reported. Paltrow’s website, where the candle sells for $75, explains that the name was derived from a joke of some sort. Gwyneth was taken aback when she first sniffed the product, noting that it smelled at first like a vagina but then “evolved into a funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent.” I think I’ll pass. arostow@aol.com
Perhaps one rallying point towards unity will reveal a decent majority of all voters in support for the passage of a John Lewis Voter Rights Act, an updated version of the Voter Rights Act of 1965. Legislation to do so passed the U.S. House last year but not the Senate. Rallying for passage of such an Act will undoubtedly test just how ready we really are for a brave new American unity. Andrea Shorter is a Commissioner and the former President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights and marriage equality. A Co-Founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Vice President Harris said that she and President Biden were ready to “multitask” as soon as they took office. They have a lot to do. We and our communities stand ready to help them make lasting LGBTIQ equality under the law, as well as many other important priorities, a reality. Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide. KEN JONES (continued from page 10) In doing so, he was forced to deal with no small amount of entrenched white supremacy. ‘Ken was the first person to reach out to me when I was elected President, telling me how proud he was and how much faith he had in my leadership,’ said Carolyn Wysinger, President of SF Pride’s Board of Directors. ‘I am forever grateful not only to stand on his shoulders as a Black LGBTQ leader, but also to have experienced him as a wise elder who was always willing to pour in his wisdom and knowledge to make this community better.’ ‘We are absolutely better as a community due to Ken’s contributions,’ said Fred Lopez, Executive Director of SF Pride. ‘Like he did with so many others, Ken made a personal impact on my growth as a leader, and he did so with warmth and generosity. We will miss Ken greatly.’ One notable testament to Ken’s place in history was his inclusion in the 2017 historical re-enactment, When We Rise, in which he was played by actors Jonathan Majors and Michael K. Williams. Since the debut of that docdrama about the early days of queer liberation, the Bay Area has lost a number of legendary activists and advocates. The links to the generation that fought for LGBTQ rights and visibility in the 1970s are fast disappearing, but the results of their hard work and dedication live on. We were very fortunate to have known and worked with Ken. Truly, San Francisco Pride would not have thrived for five decades as it has without him. Rest in power.” KRAMER (continued from page 22) Chiu (Kong To) speaks volumes about loneliness and aging. Yeung’s exquisite and wonderfully acted film is full of such quietly powerful moments.
QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 21)
C) 2002 After pressure from GLAAD and other organizations, The New York Times opened its wedding pages to announcements about LGBTQ couples in 2002. Several other national papers soon did the same. It took another 13 years before same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide on June 26, 2015.
Lastly, Falling, out February 5, is Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut— he also penned the screenplay. This drama is a discomfiting story about John (Mortensen), a gay man caring for his addled, strong-willed dad, Willis (Lance Henriksen in a showboating performance). The early scenes show young Willis (Sverrir Gudnason) to be a rather selfish and jealous father, mistreating his wife Gwen (Hannah Gross) and their kids. The film cuts back and forth between these flashbacks and the present day where John, who is married to Eric (Terry Chen), takes Willis in and try to get him settled in a new home. Of course, Willis resists, testing John’s patience as well as that of viewers. Willis is a loud, angry, hateful man in the Archie Bunker mode, criticizing John, and mocking him for being a “fag.” He is racist and homophobic towards Eric, and his verbal abuse is constant, making every scene, past and present, awkward. Mortensen does a fine job creating a stifling tone of the film, and a lengthy sequence featuring John’s sister Sarah (Laura Linney) visiting with her teenage kids is relentlessly uncomfortable. But too much of Falling is step and repeat, with Willis being ornery, even during a visit to a proctologist (David Cronenberg). By the time father and son confront one another, in one of the film’s better scenes, it is almost too late. Mortensen shows an eye for detail and composition, but one wishes his grating film were better. © 2021 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
KARLSBERG (continued from page 22) for expression. It would also serve as a passport out of a life that consisted of poverty, foster homes, and the inner-city life of hyper-segregated Milwaukee, WI. She relocated to Boston, busked in the city subways and famed Harvard Square, founded her own record label, and began touring. Pamela has performed on three continents and across the country, gaining fans and rave reviews from Anchorage to Amsterdam, Sydney to Stockholm, San Francisco to Honolulu to New York, breaking album sales records at national festivals and sharing stages with Pete Seeger, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Gil-Scott Heron, Adrian Belew, Violent Femmes, Holly Near, and more. A timely post-9/11 release, Single Bullet Theory confronts the USA Patriot Act, racial profiling, and the Bush administration, while advocating for the rights of marginalized identities. She also recorded a haunting version of the antilynching anthem “Strange Fruit.” Pamela “exhibits a rare emotional fire in today’s folk world,” (Seven Days, Burlington VT) so much so that Ani DiFranco exclaimed, “You’ve got such a deep, deep groove, I can’t get out. And, I wouldn’t want to.” With truth as ammunition, Pamela brings the fight for social justice and human dignity to the forefront of a new generation. Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 32 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com 24
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Speaking to Your Soul ARIES (March 21–April 19) When you imagine your ideal future, are the circles you currently keep there with you? The honesty required of you is in assessing your social networks. Choose carefully those who feed your future self. TAURUS (April 20–May 20) At the level of personality, plenty of Taureans are motivated by money, or ease of living. At the soul level, you have something beautiful to contribute beyond self-gratification. A reassessment of your life mission is in order. Make course corrections where applicable.
Astrology Elisa Quinzi
If ever there were echoes of the dawning of the age of Aquarius, it’s now. As a multitude of heavenly bodies converge in the humanitarian sector of the sky, the stardust in each of us vibrates to match that frequency. We are called to rise up, to lift each other up, with our authentic and distinct genius. Elisa Quinzi is a certified professional astrologer who brings a strong spiritual perspective, as well as over 20 years of experience, to her work with clients. Contact her at futureselfnow@gmail.com or at 818-530-3366 with your exact birth time to schedule or to ask questions.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A sharp mind as yours is not likely to stay satisfied remaining in the same mold too long. Whether your God is one of science, religion, or cynicism, the time has come to evolve beyond the boundaries of your perception of the nature of your reality. The universe keeps expanding and so must your understanding of it. CANCER ( June 21–July 22) Your tendency toward self-preservation might be holding you back in the arena of sexuality. Risk vulnerability to gain liberation. Let go of control to discover you are held by a bigger mystery. LEO ( July 23–August 22) Some of your relationships have grown stale. The truth is you are growing faster than a number of people in your life and you’ve been afraid to cut ties. You need people close to you who support your evolving, authentic self. Assess, bless, and release where necessary. VIRGO (August 23–September 22) Duty and service flow through your veins. So, suggesting that you pull back from your grind and open up space in your schedule might sound like folly to your good senses. But the planets are prompting you to probe your sense of obligation to others. Boundaries free you up to offer your talents to the larger community.
LIBRA (September 23–October 22) You are invited to get more honest with yourself. What habits are blocking your radiance? You can shine more brightly as you shed layers that no longer fit who you’re becoming. As you spontaneously express more of your true nature, the more joy you experience. SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) A wise person once said, “When you do what’s right for you, you do what’s right for everyone.” Apply this wisdom through the filter of self-love as you come to decisions around being true to yourself. Our notions of identity, safety, and acceptance must evolve if we are to be free to grow into our fullest selves. SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) Wild horse that you are, you’ve never been one to think like the crowd. Yet the vast majority of our thoughts are conditioned by outer influences, be they family, books, news, or the neighborhood. The current cosmic conditions suggest your mind needs freeing from the grip of your certainty. Be led by curiosity and the universe itself will direct message you. CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Your tendency toward caution is challenged now as you are presented with unexpected opportunities. Answer the call to extend your leadership skills into a higher cause. Real security grows from within and you always have what it takes to succeed. AQUARIUS ( January 20–February 18) As the host of this party of planets, your particular genius is meant to usher us into our collective evolution. Do not let ego take over; serve the people by using your universal values and sense of fairness to unite all beings. PISCES (February 19–March 20) As the mystic of the zodiac, you are wired for this moment. Access higher frequencies by going within, clearing your channel, and downloading cosmic consciousness. This flow of creative electricity through you can heal the world.
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Round About - All Over Town
Photos by Rink
The NBHD Mobile Barber is visiting neighborhoods offering haircuts and styles in its van equipped with a lighted barber pole.
Among the gift and speciality items for sale at P.O. Plus on Castro Street is a conservationist eco-friendly dinnerware set for young people created by Wild Friends of California.
Friends (at right) applauded the arrival of a pampered dog being picked up by its owners in front of Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub on Castro Street.
Popular jigsaw puzzles are available among the wide variety of merchandise at Cliff’s Variety Store on Castro Street.
A line of customers patiently waited on the sidewalk outside the Mollie Stone’s Castro grocery store on January 16.
SISTER DANA (continued from page 23) Tyler Ferguson, Alexandra Billings, Melissa Etheridge, Jesse James Keitel, and many other celebs, politicos, and org directors. President Biden encouraged us to help him BUILD BACK BETTER! http://hrc.im/powerofequalityLIVE “Today our country finally moves forward under new leadership that will deliver on the basic principles that can heal our fractured democracy: unity, common decency, and compassion for all Americans,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement. “We are ready to put the past behind us and step proudly to meet the incredible challenging months and years ahead.” On his first day in office, President Biden signed an executive order to declare the administration›s policy to prevent and combat LGBTQ discrimination as well as any overlapping forms of discrimination. His orders highlight a bold and clear set of priorities for this administration around racial and LGBTQ equality, the environment, the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration, and more. And just five days into the Biden-Harris administration and the unlawful transgender military ban was NO MORE! With one stroke of his pen, President Biden put an end to this disgraceful and discriminatory policy once and for all. Recently, Castro activists went after Bank of America (501 Castro Street) for placing signs alerting residents and community members that posters, signs, and other materials could no longer be placed on the building— after decades during which the corner of the building at 18th and Castro has been a communal space for memorials to the recently deceased. For over
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four decades the site (affectionately nicknamed “Hibernia Beach” where residents casually hung out in front of what was then Hibernia Bank) has been an altar and place of grieving for our recent dead friends and family. State Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman spoke with senior Bank of America people about the incredible importance of this sacred site to our community. After that meeting, B of A has agreed to remove the signs. Senator Wiener said previously that the bank manager would take care of the area and store memorials that had been up for a while until someone could claim them. However, this branch has been closed for months, so there was no one to monitor the site, and the bank was concerned after political and other signs were pasted to the building itself and covered the windows. “However, B of A immediately acknowledged the importance of the site to the community and agreed that it was of the utmost importance that people be able to post memorials on the small fence as usual,” Senator Wiener said. “The bank branch will be putting up different signs eventually that will discourage people from posting things other than in that area, which they are reserving for the community.” He concluded, “We are working on activating community groups to take over the maintenance.” Plans are now circulating to possibly make this an official protected historical site. (For more about Hibernia Beach, see the cover and pages 13–15 of this issue.) San Francisco lost another incredible community activist with Ken Jones, who passed away at age
70. On January 18, members of the HARVEY MILK LGBTQ DEMOCRATIC CLUB Board and the Castro community came together to put up a memorial for Ken Jones at the aforementioned reclaimed corner of 18th Street and Castro. Mayor Breed and City Librarian Michael Lambert have announced that Tongo Eisen-Martin has been named San Francisco’s POET LAUREATE, the eighth artist in city history to hold the title. Eisen-Martin was appointed by Mayor Breed after being nominated by a nine-member Selection Committee comprised of past Poets Laureate, city officials, and members of the Bay Area poetry and literary community. He will succeed Kim Shuck, who served as San Francisco’s seventh Poet Laureate. Eisen-Martin is a poet and the founder of Black Freighter Press. His book, Heaven Is All Goodbyes, received a 2018 American Book Award, the 2018 California Book Award for Poetry, and was short-listed for the Griffin Poetry Prize. In his vision for Poet Laureate, Tongo writes of organizing poetry circles in the Tenderloin, Bayview-Hunters Point, and Sunnydale, and recruiting and nurturing artists from San Francisco’s marginalized communities. Sister Dana sez, "Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and 145 other Republicans in the House and Senate attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and incited the white supremacist attempted coup that killed 5 people. They do not belong in Congress at all!"
Round About - All Over Town
Photos by Rink
CASTRO STREETCAM presented by
Mollie Stone’s in the Castro has the A Piece of My Heart Cheesecake from New York available for Valentine’s Day.
http://sfbaytimes.com/ The speciality shop Does Your Mother Know on 18th in the Castro has unique Valentine’s Day-themed decorations ready to welcome customers.
A colorful selection of Valentine’s Day treats is ready for you at Mollie Stone’s Castro store.
Items of the week Classic Snuffles Teddy Bears from Gund In desperate need of something to hug? Classic Snuffles teddy bears from Gund make for the perfect quarantine Valentine. They are soft, cuddly, and non-judgmental of your Zoom meeting attire.
Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven This Le Creuset round Dutch oven with a heart knob is great for Valentine’s Day or just for fun!
On Inauguration Day, January 20, customers at Harvey’s bar on Castro Street were welcomed by colorfully dressed server David Facer along with American flags on display. Dog Eared Books Castro’s window display on Inauguration Day featured a biography about the life of President Joe Biden and a best-selling memoir by Vice President Kamala Harris. Also offered were a book by Congresswoman Alexandria OcasioCortez and a book about “AOC” entitled The ABCs of AOC that is described as a great conversation starter for young people interested in government and activism.
WE
can honestly say that 2021 hasn’t started out how we would like. Normally we would start the year out at buying shows picking out all the latest and greatest things for the year to come, but this year is starting out different. The first week of the year saw an attempted takeover of our government, two employees with health situations, and we were burglarized twice, all in one week! Since pulling the covers over our heads and hiding out until this is all over isn’t an option, we keep on keeping on, because that is what we do. And we know we aren’t perfect and we aren’t always going to get it right, but we are trying. So, we ask that you be kind to yourself and spread some extra kindness to others; we all need a little more right now.
The carry out pick-up window at Harvey’s bar features a thought-provoking quote by Harvey Milk.
At the HRC Store in the Castro, sales assistants Davares Robinson and Hannah Tenney offered election-themed shirts.
Storekeeper Brendan McBride presented a favorite Sancerre wine at Swirl Wine Bar on Castro Street.
Partners John Goldsmith and Joey Montano are volunteers helping out at the The Mask Shop & Stitchery on 18th Street where sales benefit the Rainbow World Fund. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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