For Women’s History Month 2023, the San Francisco Bay Times presents a selection of iconic album covers representing women’s music: music by, for, and about women. While the history of such music likely goes back thousands of years, to the origins of music itself, women’s music emerged as a distinct genre during the second-wave feminist movement of the 1960s–1970s. Often associated with lesbian feminism, it remains as diverse as the artists, producers, and others involved in its creation—not to mention the audiences who continue to support it.
Renowned worldwide for her music and activism, Holly Near returned to her Bay Area musical roots on Wednesday, March 8, for an International Women’s Day concert at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. The sold-out event—a celebration of her work over the past five decades—brought together artists Krissy Keefer, Emma’s Revolution, Adrienne Torf, Vicki Randle, Terry Garthwaite, Rhiannon, Linda Tillery, Tammy Hall, Jan Martinelli, Michaelle Goerlitz, Mary Watkins, and others.
As the Freight shared: “Holly Near has been singing for a more equitable world for well over 50 creative years. She is an insightful storyteller through her music, committed to keeping the work rooted in contemporary activism. Respected around the world for her music and activism, Holly released her 31st album in 2018. One of the most powerful, consistent, and outspoken singers of our time, her concerts elevate spirits and inspire activism. A skilled performer, Holly is an outspoken ambassador for peace who brings to the stage a unique integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality.
Holly’s joy and passion continue to inspire people to join in her celebration of the human spirit. Equally compelling at her shows and through recordings, Holly’s music fully engages listeners in the world around them—speaking to anyone who believes in peace, justice, and feminism; a wonderful spectrum of humanity.”
Since the event sold out in a flash, the Freight allowed individuals from anywhere in the world to pay for access to a viewing via live-stream. The San Francisco Bay Times hopes that both video and audio recordings of the celebration will eventually be made available. For now, you can enjoy the DVD Holly Near: Live at the Freight & Salvage recorded on November 9, 2013, with filming done by four-time Emmy winner Jim Brown. This and other works featuring Holly are available at: https://www.goldenrod.com/hollynear/
Local libraries also have everything from sheet music of her best known works to downloadable music to her 1990 autobiography, Fire in the Rain - Singer in the Storm (New York: W. Morrow).
At the International Women’s Day Celebration of Holly Near on March 8, 2023, Near received the inaugural Freight & Salvage Lifetime Achievement Award. The venerable Freight, which was founded in 1968, has presented countless artists over the decades representing an eclectic mix of musical genres. The nonprofit musical venue, originally on San Pablo Avenue but now in Berkeley’s Downtown Arts District, is one of the Bay Area’s oldest and most beloved performance landmarks, making the new award all the more noteworthy.
Krissy Keefer, herself a legendary artist as the Founder and Artistic Director of Dance Brigade, gave the keynote speech, which we present here in its entirety:
“Your first Holly Near Concert is sort of like 911 ... you know exactly where you were and who you were with the first time you came to a Holly Near concert! And it shook you to the core.
What does the name Holly Near conjure up?
Intelligence, talent, performer extraordinaire, seer, speaker of truth to power. A woman who lights up our life with humor, insight, and political and artistic leadership. I always said that Holly got into the cracks that were starting to emerge in a person. Whether it was about one’s sexuality, or work, or political alliance ... or the cracks of forced religion. She got in those cracks with her music and a light would start to shine and change would begin to unfold. With her guidance we could meet our true selves face to face, and find our collective destiny. Big words, but not big enough for this giant in our movement.
Whether you identified with and co-created the women’s liberation movement of the early ‘70s with all of its glorious culture and community, or were an anti-nuke activist and gained strength and solace from her outspoken and defining leadership, or you were looking for ways to blend and bridge the gap between the women’s movement with the solidarity movement for central America, or you are old enough to remember her anti-war activism with Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden, and of course, her work with Ronnie Gilbert that transfixed us with their mutual admiration and stunning harmonies bridging gener ations, and political movements ... Holly was always in the artistic mix creating music that ran the gamut from soulful folk, to raucous lesbian anthems, to killing it on standards, or to creating the
seminal song of the Harvey Milk memorial, ‘Singing for Our Lives.’
Her career is long and varied. She was there to protest the coup in Chile as she brought the music of Victor Jara into our lives, so we knew what the consequences could be if a coup happened in this country.
When we hear her name ... all make an immediate picture: shocking red hair, soaring voice, a woman who delighted in laughter, whose family suffered the burdens of all of our political fighting, and a woman who taught us how to ‘take one for the team.’ Our Holly Near: Poet, artist, singer, and seer. A leader of our best efforts of being human ... a woman extraordinaire!”
Just days after the sold-out International Women’s Day Celebration of Holly Near, the San Francisco Bay Times had the pleasure of catching up with Near, who is not only a world-class musician but also a thoughtful and skilled conversationalist as well as storyteller. For those who have admired her and her music over the years, this comes as no surprise. As she says, “I do not separate my music from my heart nor do I separate my ideas from my daily life. I open myself up to learning as much as I can about humanity and this mysterious life experience, but I do not relate to political work as a series of ’causes.’ Moment by moment, I integrate what I learn into my personal life, personalizing my politics. It is from this personal place that I write my songs.”
We savored every moment with her, especially given the challenges of the prior year when she suffered a series of health problems, including anal cancer—she previously was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014—and a stroke. (She goes into detail about this at her website.) She is now in remission, and is as fiery as ever. Her passion for life, music, and more are palpably evident.
San Francisco Bay Times: When we originally envisioned coverage of your career, as well as women’s music, we thought of the past 50 years. So often women’s music is linked to second-wave feminism. But you reminded us that such music goes far beyond the past five decades. We thought about you speaking in earlier interviews about music played by your parents in your family’s home on a Northern California ranch. When do you think women’s music first evolved, and who were some of the key influential artists, including those who have influenced your own music over the years?
Holly Near: There have always been strong women artists who express their strength through music and the arts. Whether they were celebrated or punished for their ideas is part of that story. I have always thought “Women’s Music” was a code term for music rooted in feminism/lesbian feminist. As women developed politically, feminists had greater receptivity to investigating racism, class, age, health, disability, global peace, corporate and military industrial complex. That is a lot to take on, but amazingly, some took it on with extraordinary clarity and creativity. Even if a song wasn’t “blatantly political,” the song resonated from a growing community of woman identification. And, of course, there were very specific songs like “Leaping Lesbians” by Sue Fink (first recorded by Meg Christian), “A Woman in Your Life” by Alix Dobkin, “Sugar Mama” by Gwen Avery, “Freedom Time” by Linda Tillery, “Girl on The Road” by Ferron, “Amazon Women” by Maxine Feldman, and on and on.
All of these songs can be heard on an historic archival website called Because of a Song : https://becauseofasong.com/ Two versions of “Amazon Women” are on the site, the original and a remake with Judith Casselberry. San Francisco Bay Times: Moving more to the 1970s in time, Oakland seemed to be a beacon city for yourself and so many other groundbreaking artists. Why do you think this East Bay city, in particular, became such a destination and do you think it retains that spirit?
Holly Near: The East Bay had Mills College and Laney College. It had Mama Bears and The Brick Hut. It had Linda Tillery and The Berkeley Women’s Music Collective. Each new artist and activist who found their way to Oakland built something. So then they have June Millington and Gwen Avery and Judith Cassleberry. Then Olivia (Olivia Records and now Olivia Travel) moved up from Los Angeles. Which brought Meg Christian and Teresa Trull. And Iris Films. And Redwood Records. Then Pat Parker and Judy Grahn and June Jordon. And Vicki Randle and Margie Adam and Chevere and Lakota Harden. Wallflower Order Dance Collective and La Peña and Patricia Thomas and Altazor. Alive! and Deuce and BeBe K’Roche. Jackeline Rago and Wild Mango and Nina Gerber and Sister Boom! Robin Flower and Libby McLaren and Swingshift. Malvina Reynolds and, oh, this is exploding my brain! Who wouldn’t want to travel to Oakland to come out and grow up and create with these women?!
San Francisco Bay Times: The recent celebration of you at the Freight & Salvage on International Women’s Day brought together many talented artists. Irene Young’s great photos capture much of that energy. Please share your thoughts about some of these women and what it was like to be performing with them at this time.
Holly Near: When I learned the Freight and Salvage wanted to honor me on International Women’s Day, I was so pleased. Made me happy. And yet, I didn’t think I would enjoy sitting in the audience listening to people make speeches and toasts. I suggested that it be an evening of song with women I have worked with over these many years, each doing a song that I wrote or a song associated with me. I was excited at the possibility of hearing these great artists presenting their interpretation of one of my songs. And, oh my. I was undone. Most of my songs are not easy to sing. And it was a wonder to hear. And what I want to mention is that this certainly had elements of nostalgia—shared experience and profound memories. But it is important to note that every one of the artists who performed, the women behind the scenes, the stage manager, my tour manager, and a lot of people in the audience are still working! We are not a thing of the past. We bring our wisdom to all that we do.
San Francisco Bay Times: Commercial music so often is youth focused, and yet the reality is that many women artists
are incredibly vibrant at all stages of life. Mary Watkins, now well in her 80s, has had several important works premiered in recent years, for example. such as at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. What do you think can be done to combat this ageism that remains prevalent, even in the LGBTQ community?
Holly Near: I’m of two minds. One, I want young people to rise up and take up space. I enjoy their adventure, experimentation, and energy—even their naiveté—just as my older friends enjoyed me as I was coming up, albeit sometimes I was annoyingly enthusiastic. On the other hand, I believe it is useful to place high value on experience, wisdom, eldership. If we lived closer to the model of community, of tribe, we would be taught that as we grow up. There would be room and reason for young and old and everything in between.
San Francisco Bay Times: We were very excited to learn of your new online archive, Because of a Song Did the impetus for it emerge during the COVID19 pandemic, and what inspired you to curate this archive of feminist and lesbian music?
Holly Near: I wanted to interview Linda Tillery and Mary Watkins. That was all I intended to do. I just wanted to get
(continued on page 6) https://becauseofasong.com/
In 1980, Holly Near performed with Ronnie Gilbert (The Weavers) for the first time and launched a collaborative relationship that included producing multiple albums, special event appearances, and tours.
Among their joint recordings is the 2002 release Lifeline Extended, a 2-CD set recorded live at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
The Because of a Song Archive includes a multitude of interesting insights, facts, and unexpected tidbits. As we explored this important resource preparing for this coverage about Women’s Music, there was this line from Holly: “And by the way, Women’s Music did not replace softball.” The same day, Oakland-based photographer Sandy Morris phoned and told us about an image she took of singer/songwriter Meg Christian batting at Kezar Stadium in 1979. Christian famously wrote the song “Ode to a Gym Teacher” that includes the line, “She’ll always be a player on the ballfield of my heart.”
International Women’s Day Celebration of Holly Near, March 8, 2023
Near received the inaugural Freight & Salvage Lifetime Achievement Award.
Photos by Irene Young
their thoughts on tape. I had no plans beyond that, but being the overachiever that I am—a less self-deprecating way of saying that is being the visionary leader that I am, ha!—I started thinking about how to interview more women and how to create a useful platform for their stories. I don’t think much about feminist and lesbian feminist music will be documented in mainstream culture. So, if we want the story told and we want it told truthfully as the story walks through many doors, many cultures, then we have to do it. We have to leave a trail.
San Francisco Bay Times: Because of a Song includes this in the Conversation Room: “The lesbian bars and softball leagues had created a space for lesbians to gather. And then with the creation of lesbian identified songs, women flocked to the concerts—to see and hear themselves projected from the stage as well as to find one another in the audience.” Such bars and softball leagues still exist, but not to the degree they used to, as your words indicate. How might the virtual experience of your new archive compliment or strengthen the inperson gatherings that we all still crave—such as your recent Freight celebration?
Holly Near: Things only get done if someone decides to do it. That is what is so amazing about the work represented in Because of a Song. Women simply, and not so simply, decided to create the world in which they wanted to live. And women spent their hard-
earned money to go out and hear music. We were singing their lives, our lives. It was lifesaving music. These were life changing gatherings.
The conditions are different now than they were then. There are cell phones and Facebook and all the technology-related forms of communication that we did not have. We had to mimeograph flyers and go hand them out! Now people have a sort of artificial sense of being together when they aren’t. At the same time, global communication is extraordinary. And then, COVID shut down so many watering holes, theaters, clubs. One has to work hard to remember that going out to be with people while experiencing culture is different than staying home and watching it on “a device.” Going to the theater, to a live concert, to a dance production? To be surrounded by one another? To share some common esthetic, some common love of life? There is nothing like it.
San Francisco Bay Times: You have other shows scheduled for this year, and perhaps even more to come. How does it feel to be back on stage performing after the recent break due to COVID and your own health challenges?
Holly Near: I am very happy to be coming back to live performance. It is the most favorite part of my work.
San Francisco Bay Times: Share with us your thoughts about lesbian feminism, both in terms of its past and present significance.
In 1978, Holly Near joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) in performing her original song “Singing for Our Lives” at a candlelight vigil on the steps of City Hall after Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated. Since then, she has returned to perform with SFGMC numerous times. Among these, in 2007, Holly Near, joined by musician Melanie DeMore, sang with the Chorus at the annual Milk/ Moscone Memorial Ceremony. In 2018, she appeared at SFGMC’s 40th Anniversary Concert, “Bridges,” at Davies Symphony Hall performing a moving rendition with the audience and SFGMC.
Holly Near: Lesbian feminism is not just about the rights for women to live together and be lovers. Lesbians were extraordinarily involved in the fight for the ERA, to end the war in Vietnam, the march on Washington for voters’ rights. Lesbians contributed hugely in support of gay men during the AIDS crisis, are tirelessly in the fight to find a cure for cancer, profoundly and beautifully involved in sports—not only the games, but also bringing to light the abuse and the inequality. Lesbians have worked for a woman’s right to choose, for equity in healthcare, for issues surrounding food and housing and for the environment. One can’t always tell by looking, but there they are. And from this huge contribution to the world, locally and globally, comes the music.
San Francisco Bay Times: How do you hope the women’s movement will evolve, and what goals do you think it should be focusing on now?
Holly Near: Women’s music is evolving. It just doesn’t necessarily look or sound like us. There are smart young feminists out there making music. On the Because of a Song site there are playlists in the Listening Room. One of the lists celebrates the powerful work of next generation artists. From community-based artists working outside of the industry like Crys Matthews to music
industry phenomenons like Taylor Swift who wouldn’t have been able to do what she does if not for women’s music, activists all over the world are opening doors with courage. Imagine that brave young woman in 1977 walking into a record store with the album Lesbian Concentrate and asking if they would be willing to carry it in their store. Taylor was born in 1989!
For More Information
Holly Near: Music and Activism https://hollynear.com/
Because of a Song
An Archival Gallery of Women’s Music Curated by Holly Near https://becauseofasong.com/
Because of a Song Official Trailer https://tinyurl.com/5467jn2b
Shifting narratives, policies, and culture to create a gender equitable future
WHEN?
Thursday, April 13, 8am–5pm PT
WHERE?
City View at The Meteron, San Francisco
WHAT?
A day-long, dynamic convening of brilliant minds, big ideas and cutting-edge policies on gender equity
WHY?
Because the pandemic taught us that now is the time to shift narratives, policies, and culture to create a gender-equitable future
WHO?
YOU, alongside movement makers, policy leaders, community advocates, elected officials, creators, artists and more
info@dosw.org (415)252-2570
Hosted by the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women & The African American & Cultural Complex
well-being of LGBTQ+ people everywhere—all under the guise of “protecting children.” And make no mistake: this month they’re going after drag. But marriage equality and all other civil rights are next on the agenda.
This is not a time to sit back and wring our hands. Action—bold, historical-level action—must be taken. It must be taken now.
Not meaning to spoil your spring day, but the news from around the country just keeps getting worse with each passing week. The examples are too numerous to list here, but just in the past couple of weeks we’ve seen a ban on drag performances in Tennessee, “Don’t Say Gay” morphing into “Don’t Say They” in Florida, hundreds of swastikawaving self-identified fascists screaming “Sieg Heil!” at children at a drag story hour in Ohio, and books that even dare to mention LGBTQ+ or social justice themes banned everywhere. There are many, many more instances of overt, deliberate hatred raining down upon communities and individuals all across our country. The stories are chillingly familiar, getting closer and closer each day to stories from the rise of the Third Reich, when anyone who was “different” was not tolerated.
This unbridled hatred, and the lies and disinformation that fuel it, is a direct threat to our democracy and our freedoms. It is also a direct threat to the physical and emotional
To fight this battle on the legislative level, the ACLU has set up a Drag Defense Fund, and support is building for it across the country. RuPaul’s Drag Race, MTV, and World of Wonder have been promoting it, and the International Court System (ICS) is raising money for it as well.
According to Nicole Murray Ramirez, who is coordinating the ICS response, ICS has chapters in 70 cities across the U.S., as well as several in Canada, and at least half of their members are drag performers. They realize that banning drag is not only harmful to the individual performers, but also will have a detrimental effect on their core fundraising and philanthropic activities. Murray Ramirez, a longtime activist, stated, “We’ve always fought back, since Stonewall, and we’re not going back into the closet now.” They also invoked the famous fighting words of the founder of the Imperial Court System, José Sarria, who said, “United we stand; divided they pick us off one by one.”
To contribute directly to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund:
https://tinyurl.com/ACLUdrag
The ICS Facebook page will be posting updates on their fundraising as well:
https://tinyurl.com/FBpageICS
Transgender Day of Visibility
March 31 is the Trans Day of Visibility, an annual event dedicated to celebrating transgender people. It’s a time to honor their lives, their spirits, and their contributions to society. It is also a day for raising awareness of the barriers and challenges they face due to discrimination, hatred, and violence.
suddenly became rosy. Given the Republican party’s all-out offensive against the transgender community, it is more important than ever that we all do whatever we can to support trans individuals, and to promote, not just their visibility, but also their safety, security, legal status, and wellbeing. And just for good measure, make it every day, not just March 31.
Disco Trash Pickup with Manny’s
16th & Valencia clean. And at the end of that hour, they are treated to a certificate that includes discounts and treats at local businesses that day. Sounds like every neighborhood could use a fun weekly trash pick-up, to take pride in your neighborhood and meet your neighbors. Here’s the link to sign up:
https://tinyurl.com/DiscoTrash
Transgender people have made tremendous strides in society in the past few years. But just because Time magazine put Laverne Cox on its cover and declared that 2015 was the year of the Transgender Tipping Point does not mean that everything
The seemingly nonstop series of atmospheric rivers and other dire weather events that have kept us hunkered down and glued to our weather apps since October seems to have calmed down, so it’s time to get outside for volunteer opportunities that combine both fresh air and exercise. Fortunately, SF Public Works, Together SF, and Shine On SF have collaborated with Manny’s to create just the right opportunity: Manny’s Weekly Neighborhood Disco Trash Pickup.
Every Sunday morning from 10–11 am, volunteers spend an hour helping to keep the neighborhood around
Salsa Sunday for the Howard Grayson LGBT Elder Life Conference
Salsa your Sunday away for a good cause at El Rio on Sunday, March 26, from 3–8 pm. Proceeds will benefit the Tenth Annual Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference, which will take place in September 2023 (date to be announced); its theme will be “Freedom, Dignity, Respect!”
The Grayson Conference celebrates the life and legacy of Howard Grayson, a Black, LGBTQ+ labor
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power of attorney can do so for you. Pick someone who’ll do whatever possible to advocate for your wishes. So, a mom who won’t “pull the plug” on her beloved son? Probably not the best person. In fact, I typically encourage my clients to avoid designating their parents, because they’re too close to you. You want someone who can remain as objective as possible.
3. Durable Power of Attorney
Here’s a reality check: We’re all going to die. Yet, our society avoids talking about it, which creates ripple effects on our financial lives. I get it—nothing about death is fun. And planning for it brings a lot of emotional weight to unpack.
But the financial planner in me says:
Let’s talk about death! Your financial life depends on it. In fact, preparing your estate is one of the most important and helpful acts you can do. Of course, it’s more exciting to envision that big boat you’re going to buy. But it’s time to get real, stand up like a boss, and say, I’ve got this! Here are 5 estate planning tips to help you get started.
1. Healthcare Directives/ Living Wills
Stay in control of your life until the very end. Healthcare directives and living wills give medical professionals your specific wishes like donating organs or ending life support. Without this directive in place, decisions will be made on your behalf that are possibly against your wishes. Also, make sure that your 18-yearold child has their own healthcare directive, since legally, medical professionals can no longer talk with you about their care.
2. Medical Power of Attorney
If you become unable to make your own medical decisions, your medical
When your time’s up, your family won’t want to spend their energy dealing with banks. Appoint someone with durable power of attorney to manage your financial affairs and give your loved ones space to remember and celebrate you. Your durable power of attorney can have power over everything or for something very specific. I recommend choosing someone different than your medical power of attorney. They should be someone who’s a good project manager.
Also note: Many institutions have their own legal forms. Make sure you understand the specifics. Consolidating your financial accounts can also help streamline this process.
4. Wills/Living Trusts
Wills and living trusts both address what happens to your estate when you die but have differences:
• Will: These documents inform probate courts of your estate wishes. This process is public and involves the government, which can be timely, cumbersome, and expensive.
• Living Trusts: As a private process, living trusts doesn’t involve probate courts. You transfer your assets to your living trust, which will direct those whom you designate to inherit your estate. In California, I recommend setting up a trust if you have more than $100,000 in assets. Revocable living trusts are common, and you can change them whenever you want. They’re also harder
deceased person. It is the legal process of transferring the assets of a deceased person to their rightful heirs, beneficiaries, or even creditors. Probate is supervised by a court and can be a lengthy, complicated, and often stressful process, depending on the estate.
What is the probate process?
to contest than wills, faster, and cheaper to oversee, since they do not have ongoing administrative fees. (You will pay a one-time setup fee.)
Retitled Assets
With living trusts, you’ll need to retitle all assets that belong with the trust. Otherwise, the courts will decide what goes into the trust once you die. Your retirement accounts, however, will have beneficiaries who receive those funds. Also, trusts cannot address children, so you’ll need to create a will for them.
Executors and Trustees
You’ll need to designate a person to oversee your will and trust. Each role is a big responsibility, so choose wisely. And always ask the person if they’re up for the task. Wills have executors, and if you don’t list one, the court will do it for you. Meanwhile, trusts have a successor trustee. Another option is to hire a professional fiduciary to administer your estate, which can be a good secondary person to appoint.
5. Life Insurance
Remember to update your life insurance’s beneficiary listing. You don’t want that money going to your expartner you don’t speak to whom you still listed as a beneficiary. Also, consolidate your accounts, which will make the whole process of managing your life insurance easier on your loved ones.
Ultimately, death is never easy. While addressing death is not nearly as invigorating as that vacation beach house, these planning steps are crucial for your financial life. You’ll do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor today that will greatly affect them tomorrow. Death may be a drag, but it’s happening, and at least you’ll be ready like a pro. Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or
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transactions before the assets can be distributed to the beneficiaries.
It is important to consult with a qualified attorney to make sure that all the legal requirements are met. The process must be correctly followed and adhered to in order to reduce additional expenses, stress, and time delays.
Did you ever stop to think about what happens after a loved one’s funeral? Life continues and you might have to go back to work because bereavement leave has run out. Most people do not know what happens at this point, especially in regard to the assets and debts of the deceased. How this is handled now depends on the plans the deceased made when they were alive, and for some that might mean probate. For some family members, it will be the first time they heard about probate. In this article, we will discuss what probate is, how it works, and what you should expect.
What is probate?
The probate process is the legal process of administering the estate of a
The probate process begins with the filing of the deceased person’s will in the probate court and appointment of an executor. If the deceased person did not have a will, then it is up to the court to appoint an administrator to handle the estate. The administrator or executor handles gathering the deceased person’s assets, paying any debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining assets according to the instructions in the will or, if there is no will, according to the laws of the state.
The probate process can take several months or even years to complete. During the probate process, the administrator or executor must keep an accurate record of all transactions related to the estate. This includes filing the necessary tax returns and keeping track of all expenses and income related to the estate.
Once the probate process is complete, the administrator or executor must file a final report with the court. The report must include all financial transactions related to the estate. The probate court will review and determine if they approve all
What makes probate complex and time-consuming?
If you are appointed as an administrator or executor of a deceased person’s estate, you will need to identify and locate all the assets of the deceased.
The first step in identifying the assets of the deceased is to make an inventory of the deceased person’s property. This includes any real estate, bank accounts, investments, artwork, jewelry, vehicles, and other tangible assets. You should also make a list of any life insurance policies, pension plans, and annuities that the deceased had.
The next step is to hire a professional to appraise and determine the value of the assets. You should also collect any documentation relevant to the assets, such as deeds, titles, or other proof of ownership.
You will need to look for and identify any debts or liabilities that the deceased may have had. This includes credit cards, loans,
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During the first week of spring 2023, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for all of our beloved members and partners of the GGBA.
By Tony Archuleta-PerkinsIn honor of International Women’s Day, we collaborated with our friends at the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to host a joint Make Contact. Our partners at Arepas Latin Cuisine hosted our event, for which we got to honor 12 distinguished women in our LGBTQ+ Small Business Community. These women exemplify everything that we love, support, and cherish most about our community! This was by far our largest attended event in 2023 up to this point.
In case you have not seen the news, we also proudly launched the West Region applications for the NGLCC (The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce) Grubhub Community Grant program. If you are an LGBTQ+ or allied-owned restaurant owner, we encourage you to apply. The application window closes on April 5, so please hurry.
Education is also important in our community. Along those lines, I am excited to announce that the NGLCC is offering a
free Affiliate Chamber Education Summit in Albuquerque, NM. As of now, both I and Alesia from the GGBA board will be attending this free event. We can’t wait to bring back the exciting news to share with our community. In fact, due to such a high demand of registrations, the NGLCC has decided to turn this event into a hybrid event, so any board member from the GGBA has the ability to join online to absorb the free learning. For more information on the GGBA, please visit: http://ggba.com
Tony Archuleta-Perkins is the volunteer President of the Board of Directors for the GGBA, as well as the Founder/ Broker of Ide8 Real Estate. He also volunteers as the Treasurer for the SF Chapter of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. He is a second-generation California Real Estate Broker and has worked in finance for 25 years, ten specifically as a fractional CFO. He has two Master’s Degrees: an MBA and a Master’s of Science in Real Estate. Ide8 Real Estate has been proudly LGBTBE Certified by the National Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
https://linktr.ee/tonyarchuletaperkins
We recently sat down with author, international speaker, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer Kimberly Reyes of Kimberly Reyes Interiors to learn more about her business, intuitive design, and connection to the Golden Gate Business Administration (GGBA).
GGBA: Tell us about your business and what differentiates it from other interior design businesses.
Kimberly Reyes: Our work goes far beyond the aesthetics of a space. I combine my multisensory intuitive abilities; business acumen; multiple degrees, including two in psychology; and decades of interior design work to create unparalleled experiences for our clients. We are extremely client-centric. Most interior designers don’t have a toolbox to pull from like ours. I am an intuitive and have a background in environmental psychology, energy, energetic aesthetics, and neuro aesthetics. We examine learning style, family history, DNA, and more. We want each client we work with to live their best lives in their sanctuary that nourishes and heals daily!
We have had our studio in the Castro for three and a half years but have projects worldwide and pop-ups in various areas.
GGBA: Can you share more about your experience having a studio in this community?
Kimberly Reyes: This community is so special to me! We have quarterly meet and greets, and it is fascinating how many neighbors have lived here for 25–30 years but only met after running into each other in our studio. Being an integral part of the community and fostering connections is a unique gift we don’t take for granted.
Wednesday, April 19
New Member Orientation
6–7 pm, Zoom
Meet your Membership Coordinator, and get the tips and information you need to help you make your membership a success story. We’ll go over some website features, best practices, GGBA programming, and more! Zoom link provided with registration.
https://tinyurl.com/4kuvmme5
Thursday, May 18; Thursday, August 24; Thursday, November 9
Chase for Business Presents: LGBTQ+ Business Certification & Readiness Series
Please join Chase for Business’ free series in partnership with the Golden Gate Business Association. Together, we will deliver curated business readiness courses quarterly to help LGBTQ+ businesses grow and scale. They will be presented at different locations around the Bay Area. Register for one or two or all of them! They will be hybrid events. Register for the Remote option of the session(s) you want to attend. You will be emailed the remote access link before the day of the course.
• May 18 (San Francisco) The Power of Capital
• August 24 (Palo Alto) Navigating Your Cashflow November 9 (Oakland) Cyber Security https://tinyurl.com/yp8f7ecj
We also have “Meet the Artist” events and book signings with our fellow neighbors who are artists and authors. Regardless of where my studio has been, I’ve always had these types of events, but this community, specifically, is warm and welcoming. They look out for me—and save me from getting parking tickets, text me at home when there are issues, and greet me warmly with a wave or a honk. We have coffee, people bring their dogs by for treats, or just stop in to share wonderful stories and great conversation. We feel a tremendous sense of community; they have been absolutely supportive and lovely!
GGBA: How were you introduced to the GGBA?
Kimberly Reyes: As a speaker, I’ve spoken on large stages worldwide and was the interior designer and front person for https://www.lgbtweddings.com/
About ten years ago, while in that role, I was introduced to the GGBA and started attending meetings as a guest. When I moved into the Castro area, I wanted to be more active and support the organiza-
tion, so I became a member.
GGBA: What does it mean to you, and why is it so important to support the GGBA?
Kimberly Reyes: I wholeheartedly believe in the mission and what GGBA stands for; they do great work. I’ve met wonderful people through the GGBA, and it’s crucial to be active and give back to the community that has supported me.
At KRI, we continue to support the LQBTQ community and have a unique twist on an LGBTQ wedding registry. We design a space for the couple, and then instead of giving gifts, people donate to their project to pay for the items the couple has included in their design project. That’s been really fun for us, and couples love it. It’s a beautiful celebration of intentionally joining two homes into one!
GGBA: Your business is a big part of your life, but what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Kimberly Reyes: I love sailing and have been sailing on the bay for about 15 years. I’ve raced for many years and am a member of a local yacht club. I’m also very active in the art community. I was an art docent for a school district and am passionate about architecture. Travel is one way I fulfill my various passions and interests. Turkey was the most amazing trip thus far—I was in awe of the rugs, textiles, art, and architecture.
Learn more at: https://kimberlyreyesinteriors.com/
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, KRI Home ( https://tinyurl.com/mwpzety6 ) is their public showroom and design studio. You will discover new treasures every time you visit, including unique gifts, eclectic furniture, curated one-of-a-kind items, and artwork in various styles.
GGBA Make Contact participants werre welcomed in February by CEO/Co-Founder Kashish Juneja to AURA Boba Tea and Coffee at 121 Spear Street in Rincon Center. Guests enjoyed the all sugar-free drinks and baked goods the shop is famous for. http://www.aurateacoffee.com
GGBA leaders and SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins (center) at the March Make Contact honored GGBA members: Imani Brown, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Abby Conklin & Erika Hom, A52 Signs; Audry deLucia & Fran Herrman, ellaprint; and (not-pictured) Dawn Ackerman, OutSmart Office Solutions, Inc.; Pam Schmitz, BRIO Financial Group; and Pam Karagines, Consult Our Source. The networking event for March was held at Arepas Latin Cuisine, 3198 16th Street. https://www.arepasfco.com/
The GGBA page is proudly sponsored by AMSI Real Estate Services
At the recent National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change conference in San Francisco, the expo hall was filled with nonprofits, community groups, and businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community in ways from healthcare to legal issues to social justice. One organization, in particular, had a mission that was clear and compelling: to empower, educate, and employ the LGBTQ+ community, by removing barriers to opportunities and providing an achievable pathway to economic independence. This group, TransTech Social, is changing lives in powerful and concrete ways. With their fifth annual conference,
TransTech Summit, coming up March 31–April 3, the time is right to learn about the important work they are doing.
It is no secret that one of the most effective ways to help marginalized communities is through providing economic opportunities. Giving someone a job isn’t enough; making sure they have the training, skills, and support to enter the workforce with the confidence and ability to do the job well is key to their long-term success. And that is exactly what TransTech Social is doing. An incubator for LGBTQ+ talent, they are dedicated to providing access to economic empowerment to transgender people, by equipping them with practical, career-ready
skills. It is a co-working, co-learning community that helps place its members on a path to independence through learning marketable skills and career-building experiences.
TransTech Social was founded in 2014 by groundbreaking actor, activist, and business leader Angelica Ross. While she is now worldrenowned for her performances in Pose, American Horror Story, and more, when she was starting out, she found her career choices as a Black trans woman were limited. She focused on finding a way to create her own opportunities, so she started watching YouTube videos to teach herself coding, graphic design, photo editing, and other tech skills. She found she was good at it, and realized, “I can teach others.” And it was clear that her help was needed. When she created TransTech Summit in 2017,
Ross announced, “We are no longer asking for equity; we are creating it.”
Joanie JusterThe need for equitable opportunities is urgent. According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 27 percent of trans respondents experienced employment discrimination because of their gender identity or expression, and other studies show that trans people are four times more likely to have an income of less than $10,000. Lack of employment opportunities in jobs that pay a living wage leaves trans people more vulnerable to homelessness, violence, poor health, and lower life expectancy. TransTech is determined to break that cycle by providing job training and skills building, and a support system to help people succeed. (Note: The results of the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey—the first since 2015—will be made available later this year.)
As her skills and confidence grew, Ross was determined to help create a path for other trans people, women, and people of color to improve their opportunities for employment. She founded TransTech Social Enterprises in 2014, which is known as the first trans-led nonprofit job-training organization that trains trans people for employment in the technology industry. The business model uses peer-coaching and mentorship to help
participants create and achieve their personal and professional objectives, and prepare for employment in the technology industry.
But providing trans people with the skills and confidence to do the jobs was only the beginning: there was work to do on the employer end as well. Ross consults with major corporations to ensure that trans job applicants will not only have access to employment opportunities, but also find themselves in better and more welcoming work environments.
A membership-based organization, TransTech Social now has over 3,000 members worldwide. Joining is free, but membership not only helps build a sense of belonging and community, but it also ensures a measure of online security. Considering the number and intensity of attacks on the trans community, they are hypervigilant against cyberattacks. Co-working and
(continued on page 18)
Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis
Two magnificent 103-year-old camphor trees stand together aside the majestic gate to the Meiji Shrine in the heart of Tokyo. A plaque underneath their broad and leafy branches proclaims that the trees “have grown under the protection of the deities to become huge and vivid and are considered to be sacred.”
The Meiji shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji
and Empress Shoken. The Meiji period from 1868–1912 is of enormous importance to modern Japan. It marked the end of the Tokugawa period, famous for the rule of the shoguns and Japan’s isolation from most of the rest of the world. Faced with pressure from the United States and European countries, Japan during the Meiji period turned to the West. The country rapidly adopted many Western ideas, modernized, and grew to become a major world power.
Sadly one of the ideas Japan adopted from the West was homophobia. For centuries, Japan had been open to many forms of what today we might call queerness, perhaps most notably male homosexuality as part of samurai and Buddhist monastic culture.
But during the Meiji period, Japan criminalized male same-sex sexual activity for the only time in its history—thankfully for only eight years. (Japan has never criminalized female homosexuality.) During the Meiji period, “there was a widespread belief that homosexuality was a perverted sexual desire which ought to be treated” as the Tokyo District Court explained very recently in its decision in the ongoing marriage equality litigation. Clearly, such ideas were linked to Japan’s embrace of the West.
Knowing this history, we felt a bit ill at ease visiting a shrine devoted to celebrating the Emperor Meiji. We were even more disturbed when we read the next bit of information on the plaque next to the camphor trees: the trees are renowned as the “husband and wife” trees. And these “coupled trees” are “a symbol of happy marriage and harmonious life within the family.”
Huh? These lovely trees are not simply trees for all to enjoy; they are married, heterosexual trees?
If so, they clearly do not symbolize happy and harmonious married life for us or for other LGBTIQ couples in Japan who are denied the right to marry in Japan based on laws that grew out of Western influences cultivated during the Meiji period, the very era the shrine commemorates. The plaque further offers the wish to all visitors: “May happiness be brought to you through the divine power of these trees.” We knew that this blessing did not extend to us and other LGBTIQ people in Japan.
The shrine’s particular anthropomorphizing of the camphor trees became especially absurd to us after we did a bit of research regarding the biology of camphor trees. The University of Redlands website explains that the flowers of camphor trees are, in fact, “hermaphroditic, meaning that every flower contains a male and female part.” Thus, if one is going to anthropo -
morphize camphor trees, they are clearly not cisgendered and straight as the plaque proclaims, but instead intersexed and queer.
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to visit the ancient Miyajima Island shrine near Hiroshima, with its famous vermilion torii gate that appears to float on the water of the surrounding bay. Although a gate has existed on the spot for nearly 900 years, the current torii dates back to 1875. And it’s made of camphor wood because of wood’s strong resilience and its ability to resist decay from the salt water and other challenging elements of the environment in which it stands. Indeed, as we stopped to reflect, we realized that on the morning of August 6, 1945, these camphor trees that composed the torii not only stood witness to the mushroom cloud that rose in the sky just ten miles away in
Hiroshima, but also withstood the radiation from the atomic blast.
Given all of this, we are tempted to lay claim to the camphor trees as a symbol of queerness and resilience in the face of adversity. But in the true spirit of the LGBTIQ movement, we prefer something else: let the camphor trees be themselves— strong and beautiful just as they are and always will be.
John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, 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.
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The Department of Homeland Security has a complex registration system for those from other countries who are working in the U.S. and/or desiring to immigrate here. Individuals who have permission to work in the U.S. with a green card are required to register each year until their status is reviewed and changes. In some instances, the changes can take two years, and for others, more than seven years. Consequently, each year the individual must renew their green card registration, submit an I-90 form, and pay a minimum of $540 in fees until their status is changed.
The process is quite challenging due to the extensive regulations and categorizations as part of Homeland Security bureaucracy. Most people who initiate registration either as a non-immigrant or immigrant usually need an attorney or someone highly specialized in the application process.
Until recently, people seeking entry into the U.S. had to request a visa at the U.S. Consulate Office in their country of origin. This process recently changed, such that individuals can make a request at a Homeland Security Office near where they are residing.
Some LGBTQ+ people seek political asylum due to the conditions within their native country. It is estimated that about 3.8% to 4.6% of refugee asylum seekers identify as LGBTQ+.
The San Francisco Asylum Office estimates that 5% to 10 % of claims are based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Latinx gay males and transgender individuals, in particular, often come to the U.S. due to the threat of violence in their native countries. U.S. processing representatives often have assumed that LGBTs can return to their country—provided they relocate within that country, become discreet, and avoid being targets of violence. When such individuals apply for proper documentation in the U.S., they may also face challenges in accessing public assistance, health care, housing, employment, and social support systems for their wellbeing and survival.
There is a bill that is being proposed, called SB 85, which would increase the number of case management days a person can receive in California. The Biden administration announced it would admit 125,000 refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In California, it is expected that at least 17,500 will be considered as refugees under this new program.
Meanwhile, the federal government funds only 90 days for case management services. The newly proposed California bill, led by State Senator Scott Wiener, would extend the case management services for up to 360 days. Currently, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado have instituted Extended Case Management Services. The proposed increase in California would assist peoople needing to complete their renewal processes and provide more case management assistance, given the complexity of the application requirements. At the national level, the U.S. Congress has been reluctant to change the laws so that the processes could be simplified and more relevant to current needs.
At present, no race or ethnic group constitutes most of California’s population: 39% are Latinx, 35% are white, 15% are Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% are African American, 4% identify as multiracial, and fewer than 1% are Native American or Alaska Natives, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. In 2021, Latinx-identified people constituted the largest racial or ethnic group in the state. The U.S., including Puerto Rico, is the second largest Spanishspeaking nation in the world second only to Mexico, according to a report released earlier this year.
It is unclear how Brazilians identify themselves in the U.S. Census,
even though they are considered Latinx. For urban areas like the San Francisco Bay Area, the lack of accurate demographic data concerning Brazilians complicates their access to health care, including having the county health departments provide comprehensive services in Portuguese. That is one reason why organizations like AGUILAS are critically important to so many. AGUILAS—an HIV/AIDS prevention and workforce development agency located in the SF LGBT Center—is the only service agency in San Francisco County that is funded by the city’s Department of Public Health. It offers all types of services in Portuguese, as well as Spanish, to meet the needs of numerous LGBTQ+ individuals.
Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.
The Shadow Falls on Trans Rights
I’ve been reading a lot about two seemingly different stories; the first a transgender sports case that appeared on the Supreme Court’s so-called shadow docket on March 16, and the second, a big to-do at Stanford Law School over a March 9 lecture by a conservative antitransgender appellate court judge, Kyle Duncan. (Just now, I read an interesting piece that draws the two together by Ian Millhiser on Vox, which I recommend.)
But first, the High Court’s shadow docket refers to emergency requests for stays and injunctions and so forth that oblige the Court to respond quickly, without briefs, research, arguments, or much of any deliberation. These cases often have not been extensively litigated, so the Court also lacks a detailed history of the issues. And finally, the Court usually presents a ruling in a matter of days without any explanation beyond a quick boilerplate paragraph.
Just what we need in a case that pits the state of West Virginia’s ban on trans women and girls in sports against a high school girl who wanted to run track, right? The girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson, filed suit when she was an 11-year-old sixth grader, and in 2021, a lower court put a hold on the law’s enforcement against her as an individual. Fast forward to January of this year, and the same court removed that hold, ruling on the merits that West Virginia was allowed to treat cisgender girls differently from transgender girls in the context of sports without violating transgender civil rights. Represented by Lambda and the ACLU, Pepper-Jackson asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to reinstate the hold on the
law, which they did without comment in February.
Now, the state and its conservative lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom have asked the High Court to remove the Fourth Circuit’s injunction and let the law be enforced while the underlying case continues through the courts. To do so, the Court must find that West Virginia is likely to prevail on the merits, and that the state will be harmed if its legislative efforts are blocked. Interestingly, New York Law professor Art Leonard notes that this task would be much more difficult had the Fourth Circuit explained its reasons for reversing the lower court judge.
Even though this is a preliminary decision, you can see that a majority vote in favor of West Virginia will strongly suggest that transgender girls do not have a pure civil rights argument in favor of playing on sports teams.
In fact, we are back to the dilemma we’ve discussed so often in the past. How do we combat all-or-nothing thinking with appeals to complexity and taking things on a case-bycase basis? Clearly, a cisgender male high school athlete cannot announce that he “feels female” and join the girls’ team. Yet this is the stereotypical image that the far right presents as a real threat.
As a sixth grader, Pepper-Jackson had already taken puberty blockers for a year or so and enjoyed running with her supportive friends. Should an 11-year-old who was well-liked by her teammates be allowed to race with the other girls? All signs point to yes, the Magic Eight Ball says. No, I can’t tell you if her track abilities were unfairly affected by her birth sex then or down the road, but I can
By Ann Rostowtell you that she deserved a chance to present her position to the school.
That’s all Lambda and the ACLU were asking for, but West Virginia has argued that allowing trans-girls to play sports under certain guidelines on a case-by-case basis would impose an onerous bureaucratic headache on schools and colleges, as if the public schools were overrun with ambitious trans-athletes. Try a handful every year, who should not be regulated out of participation by a rigid statute.
Note that this exact issue is the subject of a full court review before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the case of Connecticut’s statewide policy in favor of transgender sportswomen. A three-judge panel upheld the Nutmeg State earlier this year, but the full court voted to re-hear the matter.
Moving right along, Judge Kyle Duncan found himself in enemy territory when he accepted an invitation from the Federalist Society to speak at Stanford Law the other day. And it’s not surprising. The Fifth Circuit Trump appointee is a belligerent jerk, with a background of hostility towards marriage equality and a history of anti-trans rhetoric and antiGLBT litigation.
No one expected Duncan to be greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by a bunch of students at an elite law school, but his speech was completely overwhelmed by nonstop shouts and protests, to the extent that he was effectively silenced. The disruption was later calmed by the intervention of the Dean, and Duncan answered a few questions and had the opportunity to yell obnoxious things back at
the students. It was, by all accounts, a mess.
Afterwards came a debate over whether the students were simply engaging in free speech, or whether they were blocking the free speech of Duncan, or both. It seems to me that a protest that completely drowns out speech is less a protest and more a matter of mass virtue signaling on the part of the students. At the same time, there’s no reason that Duncan should expect respectful attention from an audience, given that he has taken a strong stand in favor of discrimination and disdain for minorities.
I’m not sure what I would have written if I could have scripted the Stanford Law students. Not showing up just abandons the arena. But I think I would have interjected a few boos and mutterings, registered zero applause or encouragement, generated a low hum of disapproval, and peppered the man with sharp questions and follow ups. At the end, I would have allowed a roar of disapprobation to thunder through the hall. No one could have argued that the audience failed to allow the man his speech, and he would have been hard pressed to object to such a reaction.
Instead, the man got a formal apology from Stanford and is dining out on the scene, which bolsters the conservative claims that “woke” college culture has destroyed the possibility of an education untainted by progressive politics. We’re the bad guys in this scenario, and it’s not clear how we rise to our defense given the mob-like mentality we presented. We fell into a trap, and it does not help our efforts to protect and defend GLBT civil rights, particularly trans rights, when we have to climb back
to ground level while we’re already fighting uphill.
Speaking of fighting uphill, we are now faced with a number of people who regret their transitions and are happy to tell Fox News all about their bad experiences. Much as the ex-gays once paraded through conservative media, these ex-trans men and women bring along the false implication that theirs is a common dilemma. It’s not, but that doesn’t mean a wrongly conducted transition is something to be dismissed. It’s a tragic error, regardless of its rarity, but it’s one that injects our opponents with an adrenaline shot of “we told you so” euphoria.
After writing about the GLBT community for a quarter century, I’ve seen many instances where the GLBT press takes a one-off situation and exaggerates the incident into a blanket condemnation of society in general. A single hate crime means we’re all in the path of an anti-GLBT crime wave. Some nutcase lawmaker wants to revive a ban on same-sex unions and we’re suddenly asked to contribute money to “save marriage equality.” That sort of thing irritates me.
And I feel the same way about the sad tale of Layla Jane, an 18-year-old girl who transitioned to boyhood and has now returned to her birth gender, after losing both her breasts to a mastectomy at age 13 on the recommendation of some doctors. Jane’s lawyers have sent a letter announcing their intent to sue to Kaiser Permanente, and have previously sued Kaiser on behalf of another detransitioned teenaged girl who went through surgery and hormones at 15.
(continued on page 18)
See you at Davies Symphony Hall on Wednesday, July 19, for the next SFGMC Concert!
Artistic Director and Conductor Jacob Stensberg opened the second concert of the 45th Season of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) at Davies Symphony Hall in two extraordinary performances on March 16 and 17 in a show that is likely to be remembered as an SFGMC landmark.
Chorus members shared personal stories and sang hit songs from The Lion King, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, The Jungle Book, Mulan, and more. Be sure to check out some of their stories about favorite Disney songs in personal videos included on the website: https://tinyurl.com/yh8tse47
Congratulations to Stensberg and SFGMC, and a special thank you to Olivia Travel’s Tisha Floratos and Tina Silano (DJ Rockaway) plus their daughter Sophia who represented the San Francisco Bay Times at the concert.
Mark your calendar for the next SFGMC concert, Hello Yellow Brick Road, at Davies on Wednesday, July 19, presenting hits by Elton John and others from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Wicked. For tickets: https://tinyurl.com/2p8dsdzv
We often promote the many forms of entertainment readily available in San Francisco, from Grand Opera to small independent theatre, but rarely does a two-week span so clearly demonstrate our point. We were pulled into a complex character study and civil rights struggle at Theatre Rhino’s A Guide for the Homesick packed into a small space with an audience of 30 and two engaging actors. We were immersed in gorgeous music performed by the SF Gay Men’s Chorus at Davies Symphony Hall for their Disney Pride in Concert, including incredible soloists and passionate personal stories. We enjoyed a dazzling display of musical talent and stage craft by Trixxie Carr at Oasis for her Man-Eater Hall & Oates tribute, truly proving the power of female drag at its best. We got a sneak preview of Oscar Night with Jan Wahl at The Academy and then watched the Hollywood broadcast that weekend, also at The Academy, in a warm and welcoming environment, hosted by Katya Smirnoff-Skyy and surrounded by friends. That ought to prove the point! And don’t forget, all of these many opportunities will only continue to exist if we, the audience, attend and support them. Let’s put COVID in the rear-view mirror and get out and enjoy all San Francisco has to offer!
Beyond this tapestry of entertainment, we also found ourselves immersed in grassroots fundraising. Post 448 of the American Legion (the only LGBT post in the country) hosted an old-fashioned beer bust at 440 on St. Patrick’s Day and we joined Gary Virginia in bumping it up to a full-fledged celebration of all things green. Attendees were surprised by humorous Irish-themed awards and even our attire and musical performance gave a nod to the green displayed everywhere. The next day, Krewe de Kinque held their monthly fundraiser, garnering $600 at Midnight Sun with their popular shenanigans. The King & Queen announced details of their upcoming
20th anniversary Bal Masque gala on April 15, 6–9 pm, at The Cafe. The theme is “The 415, ” so prepare to celebrate all that San Francisco represents so well! And on Sunday, the call went out to support the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at a fundraiser at The Edge. Emcee Mark Paladini kept the show of entertainers moving briskly with raffle drawings in between. Performer tips, raffle ticket sales, and other donations added up to over $1300 in a few hours. Yes, a weekend of revelry in the Castro can also be a demonstration of community support and important fundraising efforts.
The San Francisco Bay Times has offered us an amazing public vehicle to share our experiences in the social whirl of San Francisco, particularly within the LGBTQ+ Community that we love so much. In addition, our Editors/Publishers have been so gracious and accommodating in allowing us to veer off into other topics and themes, as the need arises. In the face of the most recent national attacks against Drag, we can stay silent no longer.
As anyone who regularly reads this column can attest, San Francisco is replete with Drag, welcoming it in all its many iterations at venues across the city and our public life here is largely as a proud member of the Drag Community. We have probably known every significant Drag personality in San Francisco over the decades and we continue to meet new individuals every week. None of them pose any threat to children, the greatness of America, or any such thing. Drag is simply one of the most recognizable faces of the LGBTQ+ Community and as such has become the target of those who are not happy with the tremendous progress our community has made over the past few decades. Our enemies want to reverse every advancement we have made, including job and housing equity, marriage rights, legal protections, and every basic aspect of dignity won over hard fought battles. To them, it is not so bad if we have our little ghettos of Gay bars and businesses, our private clubs and personal fetishes, even our public parades, so long as they stay within the boundaries of their preconceived idea of decency. But when a person dons the attire and even assumes the essence of the opposite gender and speaks with intelligence and attracts attention, then the flags go up and the battle is on.
When José Sarria used to tell the story about wearing a little piece of paper pinned onto his clothes that read “I am a man” when dressed in drag to controvert the state law against appearing in public in the attire of the opposite sex with the intent to deceive, we could hardly believe it. We couldn’t believe there had ever been such a law. We couldn’t believe his ingenious solution. And we still can’t believe it is an issue.
Let’s be clear: There are times and places where underage children are inappropriate. Many times that is obvious, indicated by ID checks, signage, and common sense. Sometimes, the decision is that of the parents, perhaps to supervise or to limit attendance. But Drag is and always has been a beautiful part of the city and its mere presence is no more a threat to others than wearing a hat. Drag is an expression of who we are and in our 30 years of sashaying around the Bay Area, we have been met with far more appreciation than disapproval. And when that disapproval appeared, many times a candid conversation has built a bridge between what seemed two opposing sides. Whether purely for entertainment, comedic or otherwise, or in order to deliver a message of immediate or more farreaching significance, Drag has given us an opportunity to be so much more than we could ever have imagined. San Francisco has welcomed us with open arms and we remain committed to this beautiful place in all its rich diversity. Blatant attacks against Drag will soon be seen for exactly what they are, another underhanded attempt to damage the strength of the LGBTQ+ Community, splitting our unity and stigmatizing self-expression. No way. Not here. Not now.
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
Friday, March 24 Divas & Drinks
Celebrating Gay Softball League’s 50th Anniversary & Women’s History Month
Monthly party produced by the Bay Times & The Academy
Emcee Donna Sachet, DJ Christie James Bacardí specialty cocktails, Extreme Pizza, Olivia Travel, SF Federal Credit Union
The Academy, 2166 Market Street
6–10 pm $15 www.academy-sf.com
Saturday, March 25
CODE: 10 Year Anniversary
Erick Lopez’s Leather night in the Castro DJ Sean McMahon The Edge, 4149 18th Street 9 pm–2 am https://www.edgesf.com/
Saturday, April 1
Song Pairings: An Evening of Wine & Music
Wine Director Michael Wells & hostess Donna Sachet Pianists Russell Deason & Katy Stephen The Academy, 2166 Market Street 7:30–9 pm $60 www.academy-sf.com
Sunday, April 9
Easter in the Park With the Sisters Legendary Dolores Park event Music, drag, costumes, fun Hunky Jesus & Foxy Mary Contests Dolores Park 12–4 pm www.thesisters.org
“I don't put drag on; I let it out!”
–Donna Sachet
activist, following his sudden passing in September 2011. He died alone in a hospital, and none of his family or friends were informed. Howard’s tragic death troubled many and underscored the challenges of aging in the LGBTQ+ community. Activists organized to educate community members to prepare for challenges LGBTQ+ people meet as they age, and to act as an agent for change. The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club responded to this tragic circumstance in 2012 by creating a conference in Howard’s name. More info:
https://tinyurl.com/HGSalsa
Some of you may only be familiar with Rainbow World Fund (RWF) because of the World Tree of Hope they create each Christmas in Grace Cathedral. But they do much more throughout the year. RWF is the world’s first and only all-volunteer, LGBTQ+based humanitarian aid organization. They help people all over the world who are affected by natural disasters, war, poverty, and hunger.
Right now, they are planning their 9th annual humanitarian trip to Cuba on May 11–21. Want to join them? Great! See Jeff Cotter’s article elsewhere in this issue for details.
Not able to go this year, but want to support LGBTQ+ people in Cuba? Wonderful! RWF has a project for you. RWF packs a lot into these 10-day trips, from the educational (visits to schools and medical clinics) to the political (meetings with members of Parliament and political dissidents), to the fun (snorkeling, beaches, concerts). But the main focus is humanitarian: meeting and working with the LGBTQ+ community, human rights activists, and leaders in many fields, and learning about Cuba’s fascinating and complex history, culture, politics, and spirituality.
To that end, RWF is not only providing financial and medical donations, but also this year they are collecting wigs, gender-affirming clothing, costume jewelry, heels, make-up (new), and accessories for the trans and drag community. These are items that are out of reach for most Cubans, as much of the country lives on or near the poverty level. Trans and drag expressive people simply cannot afford these items. This is where we can all pitch in and help.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the SF Imperial Court are helping to collect these items. Donors are asked that items be of very good quality and in good condition. Donations can be dropped off at the RWF office in the Castro at 4111 18th Street,
Suite 5, on the following Sundays: April 15, 23, & 30, from 12–4 pm. RWF is also planning another humanitarian trip to Guatemala July 20–30; more details to come. For information on RWF, their humanitarian trips, or donations, email friends@rainbowfund.org
Update from Wisconsin
I recently wrote about “the most important election you’ve never heard of”—the State Supreme Court election coming up on May 4 in Wisconsin. Well, it has quickly become “the most expensive election in Wisconsin’s history.”
The good news is that in the recent primary, Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a progressive candidate, earned more votes than both of her conservative challengers combined! Now the bad news: Well-heeled conservative groups are going all-in to try to prevent her from winning the election and changing the ideological balance on the court. They know that if she wins, she could reverse the extreme gerrymandering that has held Wisconsin in an iron grip for far too long, making it almost impossible to hold a fair election in the state. A MAGA PAC is throwing over $3.2 million into television ads—an insane amount for a state Supreme Court election. This epic battle will have consequences far beyond Wisconsin’s borders; the outcome could affect all of us. Want to help? Wisconsin Democrats would welcome your support. Do it now, before it is too late: https://wisdems.org/
Since school districts, state and local legislatures, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis all seem to be laserfocused on banning books, I feel compelled to read as many of them as possible to see what they are objecting to—especially since it’s quite clear that most of the people insisting on banning certain books have never read the books they aim to ban.
First on my list was The Hate U Give, a novel by Angie Thomas. I was bowled over. It is a brilliantly written, important book that reflects our times with clear eyes and a warm heart. The book challenges hide-bound assumptions, busts old clichés wide open, and features a 16-year-old protagonist who is wise beyond her years yet still very much a teenager. She speaks truth on every page, and is also slyly funny when she wants to be. A must-read.
Join me in the Banned Book challenge: Read up on banned books here, and let me know how it goes. https://tinyurl.com/BBooks2023
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
The whole point of puberty blockers is to buy time in order for kids with dysphoria to explore their gender and sexuality before the complication that massive natural hormones represent. Even these have side effects, and should be reserved for kids who really need them as opposed to those where simple curiosity reigns. Clearly, these two girls were strongly urging their doctors and parents to allow them to transition at a young age, but while blockers may well have been called for, they were arguably too young for transitioning hormones, let alone surgery. That said, they are anomalous cases, not arguments for wholesale laws against lifesaving transition health care.
Surgery can be a life saver, and I gather the emotional cost of postponing surgery can be agonizing. But it still must be postponed for some who qualify in order to make sense as public policy. And it should be up to the transgender community to come up with solutions that avoid even the rare cases these teenagers represent while preserving health care for everyone else.
Once again, I find myself arguing for compromise and complexity in a world where our adversaries produce various combinations of horror stories and absurdities. And in a world, I might add, where even my cisgender allies sometimes react with gut level animosity for anything that doesn’t fit perfectly into our roles as gay champions of trans rights. We can be champions without advocating for surgery at age 13. And the vast majority of transgender activists agree.
Bad Randy
Man, I was going on and on in that last section until I finally had to break my rule and delete several lovely paragraphs. I’m sad now. I also deleted a note to myself to cover the High Court’s review of a case involving a dog toy designed like a Jack Daniels bottle, but called “Bad Spaniel.” The toy, which advertises that it’s 43 percent “poo,” is accused of undermining the Jack Daniels brand. C’mon guys! The justices heard arguments March 22, but I will say no more on the subject.
I must also call your attention to the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee, Randy McNally, who survived a vote of no confidence from the Republicans in the Tennessee Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 19–7. Why the vote? It’s because McNally went online to like the Instagram posts of a half-naked 20-year-old gay guy, telling him, for example: “You can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine,” on a shirtless shot from behind in tight underwear. On another post, also showing the man shirtless and in makeup, McNally remarked: “Way to go Finn!!! You light up the world!!” Explaining himself to the press, the 79-year-old said he likes to use social media and has lots of gay friends. “I don’t feel any animosity towards gay people,” he told The Tennessean, noting that he has opposed some anti-gay proposals in the past. Maybe so, but the man is second in command in the state with the most prolific anti-GLBT legislature in the country, which just lately banned trans health care and drag shows. So, hmmm.
And speaking of drag shows, a bunch of white supremacist types showed up to a drag queen story event at a park outside of Akron the other day, chanting “Sieg Heil!” and yelling racist slurs at families trying to enjoy the show. According to The Advocate, one guy was seen in a video pointing a gun at the audience and trying to fire it without success.
MILLER (continued from pg 10)
GREENE (continued from pg 10) recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.
Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.
Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.
mortgages, liens, and any other debts that may have been outstanding. Make sure to also check for any taxes that may be due, such as income tax, property tax, estate tax, or gift tax.
Finally, you will make a list of all the beneficiaries of the estate. This includes any family members, friends, or other individuals whom the deceased may have left assets to. Make sure to include the contact information for each beneficiary. This will make it easier to contact them when the time comes to divide the assets.
As discussed, identifying the assets of the deceased is an important part of the probate process. Once you have a complete list of the assets and liabilities, you can begin the process of dividing them among the beneficiaries.
There can be any number of complications during the probate process. This process can be avoided and/or minimized by consulting an estate planning attorney. The goal is to minimize the amount of court interference, cut down timely delays, and save yourself from unnecessary expenses. When you are still mourning the loss of a loved one, there are other things you need to be handling.
Statements In Compliance with California Rules of Professional Conduct: The materials in this article have been prepared by Attorney Jay Greene for educational purposes only and are not legal advice. This information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Individuals should consult with an estate planning and elder law attorney for up-to-date information for their individual plans.
Jay Greene, Attorney, CPA, is the founder of Greene Estate, Probate, & Elder Law Firm based in San Francisco, and is focused on helping LGBT individuals, couples, and families plan for their future, protect their assets, and preserve their wealth. For more information and to schedule an assessment, visit: https://assetprotectionbayarea.com/
More recently, a group of anti-trans protesters in Melbourne lifted their arms in a Nazi salute on the steps of the Parliament building, prompting the state of Victoria to recommend banning the salute by law. Over my entire adult life, I have applauded the ACLU’s defense of a public Nazi event in Skokie, Illinois, as a prime example of our courageous American respect for Free Speech. But lately, I find my pleasure in the 1978 incident is eroding. arostow@aol.com
TRANS TECH (continued from pg 12)
co-learning ensure that members are committed to lifting each other up, an essential component in building and empowering marginalized communities.
With a professional staff of only two, TransTech Social is able to accomplish all that it does thanks to an engaged Community Advisory Board and a legion of volunteers. Executive Director E.C. Pizarro III praised the support they receive from the community, telling me for the San Francisco Bay Times: “We are the space for trans people in tech. We do a lot without a lot of resources. We’re able to do that because people care. The heart and soul of our organization is our volunteers. They tap into our potential, tap into our joy.”
This year, the TransTech Summit will be all virtual. It lives its values by breaking down barriers to access, providing the summit for free, and paying stipends to presenters. ASL interpretation will be available, as well as captions and translations. There are sessions for entry-level attendees just starting to explore tech, as well as for seasoned professionals. Pizarro emphasized that everyone is welcome, even if you just want to attend to be around the community and see what the summit is all about. He said that there will be content focusing on nontraditional paths in tech, as well as cybersecurity and addressing the issues of violence and trauma.
Each day of the TransTech Summit will have a different focus: “Tech” (Web/App/Design/Coding; Health, Wellness & Technology; Tech in Hollywood); “Social” (Diversity, Representation & Inclusion; Racial Justice/Social Justice/Human Rights); “Enterprise” (Business/Career; Media, Marketing & Advertising). There will also be discussions of the state of TransTech—where it is going as an organization—and a virtual job fair.
As if all that weren’t enough, TransTech Summit will also include graduation for over 100 participants in TransTech’s first-ever GROW cohort, a Google organization-supported program focused on careerreadiness. Ten scholarships for the next GROW cohort will also be announced.
It’s an ambitious program, but TransTech has already proved it can create change, and change lives. Learn more about TransTech Social and the TransTech Summit at https://transtechsocial.org/
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
Members of the Bayard Rustin Coalition and Soul of Pride held a celebration of Rustin’s life and legacy as “American’s greatest community organizer.” Jimmy Consos, owner of Grubstake Diner, 1525 Pine Street, welcomed attendees who enjoyed a selection of Grubstake menu items, beverages, and birthday cake. Co-chairs Lawrence Shine and Lisa Williams also welcomed attendees, including Suzanne Ford, SF Pride executive director; Michel Huff, president of Oakland Pride; and nationally known activist Mandy Carter from North Carolina.
Encounter a new land and a people in a way that values them, deepens your spirituality, broadens your worldview, and begins to heal the world.
This May 11–21, 2023, Rainbow World Fund (RWF)—the world’s first and only all-volunteer, LGBTQ+ based humanitarian aid organization—is traveling to Cuba for the first time since the pandemic. You can be part of this unique journey, experiencing the vibrant culture of Havana, Matanzas, and Northern Cuba as an ambassador for LGBTQ+ compassion.
Rainbow World Fund has been visiting Cuba since 2012. I describe the trip as a “crash course” in the history, politics, and spirituality of Cuba. The trip is educational. We will learn from the Cubans about the realities of their country. We’ll visit projects that serve the Cuban people and meet with members of the LGBTQ+ community, politicians, and dissidents, artists, and leaders in many fields. During our visit, trip participants will gain insight into the struggles and hopes of the Cuban people. As was the case for past trips, we hope to meet with Mariela Castro, who is the former President’s daughter, a member of
parliament herself, and is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
This year’s trip coincides with Cuba’s LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations. We will join our Cuban brothers and sisters in the Conga—Havana’s Pride Parade; and attend musical performances and a Pride gala. This year’s celebration is expected to be especially vibrant as Cuba’s LGBTQ+ community celebrates the amendment of Cuba’s Family Code legalizing same-sex
a burbling rumble from its four exhaust tips. It puts 518 horses under your right foot, and they’re wide awake, whether you’re skipping off the line or surging through traffic.
Oddly, Land Rover does not offer the V8 with its recently debuted Defender 130, which extends the body more than 13 inches. This puts the longer Defender directly in the sights of our other big SUV this week, the Ford Expedition Limited 4x4 ($83,000 on the dot).
Auto
As new cars slowly transition to electric power, muscular gas-powered engines are falling out of fashion. Even Hemi-happy Dodge signaled its pivot with new electrified products and concepts. Wither the high-revving hijinks of yore, as our silent and smooth future unfolds.
Right, tell that to this week’s Land Rover Defender 110 V8 ($107,700), as its supercharged V8 engine exhales
Though they are stylistically very different—the Land Rover hews to its heritage with flared wheel arches and a short front overhang, while the boxy Ford is the king of slab sides and straight lines—these trucks align very closely in overall length (around 211 inches) and width (around 79 inches).
The Expedition can be had in guises that hit within striking distance of the Discovery’s superlatives: the Stealth Performance Package on this Limited (part of a $9,880 option package) amps up the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6’s output to 440 horsepower, 60
marriage, civil unions, adoption by same sex couples, and altruistic surrogacy. We are thrilled and delighted to be celebrating this hard-won victory of Cuba’s Rainbow Revolution.
As always, RWF will include several ways for participants to support our friends and hosts in Cuba. Trip participants will help to bring muchneeded medicines and medical supplies, and help to distribute financial grants from RWF for programs
including a summer camp for HIV positive and HIV affected children that the organization has supported over the years.
This year, RWF is making a special appeal to help the transgender and drag communities. We are collecting wigs, gender affirming clothing, costume jewelry, heels, make-up (new), and accessories for the trans and drag community. Most Cubans live on or near the poverty level, and trans and
drag expressive people simply cannot afford these items. We are working with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Imperial Court to collect items.
We will be traveling as a humanitarian aid group and our itinerary reflects this. We will be traveling with a special visa that allows us to access many places and people that tourists are not able to. Through our long-time relationships in Cuba, we’ll visit with families and friends and enjoy special times together. We’ll be staying in historic lodgings in Old Havana and enjoying the natural beauty of the beach city of Varadero, as well as experiencing other parts of the country along the way. This journey is a great way to express your altruism, make friendships, and help our LGBTQ+ family.
To learn more about the trip, other ways that you can help, or to make a donation, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/bddmeucf
Jeff Cotter is the Founder and Executive Director of Rainbow World Fund.
above the garden-variety version. Serious off-roaders would look to the Expedition Timberline for its 10.6inch ground clearance, which is within a few pebbles of the Defender’s 11.4-inch measurement. The Timberline comes standard with the Stealth Package’s enhanced turbo V6.
The bill for this accelerative fun comes due at the pump, with ratings of 16 mpg EPA city for the Stealth Performance Expedition and 14 mpg for the V8 Defender. Gas prices rise and fall, but these two will drink heartily either way.
Both have adaptive suspensions that prepare for the road ahead, and both absorbed San Francisco’s ruts and
potholes with ease. Of course, both trucks are way overbuilt for the urban duties they will actually undertake, in the reality that exists apart from the trail-charging images in their press kits.
In the tradition of muscle-bound American cars, the Expedition’s Stealth Performance package complements its extra cojones with an aggressive look. The tester’s Rapid Red Metallic ($395 option) seemed to punch out the Stealth’s gloss-black wheels and trim. It’s an unexpectedly racy look for a big-box SUV.
The Ford is classified as a “non-premium” SUV, but its huge center screen is among the biggest you’ll find
in any vehicle, and it works well. The Land Rover’s interior had a more functional vibe, with exposed screws and beam-like structural details.
Ford says Millennials are the fastestgrowing segment of buyers for fullsized SUVs, as well as “more women seeking family adventures to balance the stress of their overprogrammed lives.” For now, it appears the plussized and powerful Expedition and Defender still have futures within the increasingly electrified automotive landscape.
Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.
Out gay filmmaker André Téchiné’s classic coming of age film, Wild Reeds, is being reissued on DVD and BluRay March 28, and the film, made 30 years ago, remains an affecting queer drama.
The story depicts the resilience of four youths who grapple with war, their lives, and sexuality in 1962 France. François (Gaël Morel) is best friends with Maïté (Élodie Bouchez), but he does not love her in the way she wants or hopes. He is slowly coming to terms with his homosexuality— especially after having an erotic encounter with Serge (Stéphane Rideau), a handsome classmate. Serge befriends François because they are opposites. Whereas Serge, the son of sharecroppers, is earthy, and likes sports, François is an intellectual who does not run because he has a heart condition. They develop an easygoing friendship; François writes a paper for Serge, and Serge helps François with his math homework. (A scene of
François reaching for notes Serge has tucked in his shorts is quite homoerotic.)
As François realizes he is gay—a powerful scene has him acknowledging his sexual identity in a bathroom mirror—he yearns to have another tryst with Serge. A shot of François hugging Serge on a moped captures the desire he feels but knows in his heart is one-sided.
Morel’s sensitive performance anchors Wild Reeds because most of the characters orbit around him. (The film is reportedly based on Téchiné’s life.) François gains a sense of confidence after telling Maïte about his same-sex desires. She is encouraging.
“It changes nothing for me,” she tells him, despite feeling heartbroken.
François is not ashamed of being gay—at least he claims that to Henri (Frédéric Gorny), another classmate, when Henri provokes François about his sexuality. In fact, François is curious about what he can expect in life as a young gay man in an era where homosexuality is not embraced. His anxiety about this even leads him to consult a gay shopkeeper for some guidance in a quietly powerful scene.
Wild Reeds takes its title from a fable in which a mighty oak falls because it cannot bend with a strong wind, whereas a reed adapts easily to the hazards it faces. This is an apt metaphor not just for François, but for the other main characters who experience growing pains as well. Serge is devastated when his older brother, Pierre (Eric Kreikenmayer), is killed fighting in the Algerian war, and becomes depressed. He tries to figure out the direction of his life, working on the farm and getting married, as he does not expect to pass the baccalaureate.
Meanwhile, Maïte’s mother Madame Alvarez (Michèle Moretti)—who is François, Serge, and Henri’s teacher—suffers tremendous guilt over Pierre’s
death. He implored her to help him avoid service, but she turned him down. She leaves her job and takes a sleeping cure. After Monsieur Morelli (out actor/director Jacques Nolot) takes over the class, he tries to encourage Henri to apply himself more, but the young man, now 21, is of an age where he can decide his own future.
The shifting situations eventually focus less on François, and more on Maïte. Early in the film, François hopes that Serge and Maïte might couple up; he directs her to attend to Serge during his brother’s funeral. But instead, she becomes interested in Henri, despite their opposing political ideologies. (Maïte is a communist, and Henri, who was born in Algeria, supports the OAS, a resistance organization.) Maïte and Henri meet one evening an eventually give in to their desires.
Téchiné’s leisurely-paced film is involving as these episodes unfold, never becoming soapy as the characters find their way. Even during the most melodramatic moments, as when Madame Alverez has a breakdown in class, the film does not overdo the emotion. Téchiné has so fully immersed viewers into the lives of his characters, it is easy to feel for them. Moreover, the director films the characters lovingly. As François watches Serge play sports—Téchiné’s camera, a stand-in for François, practically fetishizes Rideau’s body—his longing is palpable. Likewise. a scene of the classmates frolicking in a river oozes sensuality while also showing the selfconfidence each teen has developed. The film lets the characters grow organically, and the naturalist style and realism enhance the emotional investment.
Wild Reeds features strong period details, from a series of American pop songs on the soundtrack to the clothes and set design, the posters, and more. Perhaps because it is a period piece, the film does not feel dated despite being 30 years old.
The ensemble cast of relative newcomers make strong impressions here. Morel went on to direct several gay films, including Full Speed, Three Dancing Slaves, and Our Paradise, all of which featured Rideau, an actor possibly best known for the gay romantic drama, Come Undone
At the time of its initial release, Wild Reeds collected four César awards (the French Oscar), for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Most Promising Actress for Bouchez. It is a beautiful, moving drama that deserves to be seen—or reseen.
© 2023 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
rights, and for those who treasure the power of books and free expression as a foundation of societal wellbeing.
Sister Dana sez, “If you thought Trump was scary, be prepared to be frightened even more with DeSantis running the country! He is doubling down on Trump’s racism and homophobia!”
By Sister Dana Van IquitySister Dana sez, “I am sad to inform my readers that this will be my last column—as I am retiring from journalism. APRIL FOOLS! That was a joke! Got ya!”
APRIL FOOLS’ DAY or “All Fools’ Day” is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting: “April Fools!” at the recipient. Mass media can be involved with these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. For instance, read the above!
On March 8, Mayor London N. Breed joined the Department on the Status of Women (DOSW), city, and community leaders to celebrate WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH at City Hall. “San Francisco has a long history of celebrating and elevating women’s contributions to the city,” said Mayor Breed. “Throughout the year, we celebrate the incredible women who have dedicated their lives to helping our communities. As we kick off Women’s History Month, let us remember the progress we’ve made to supporting women everywhere to create a more equitable society.”
“What we do here in California ripples across the nation,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “So on this INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, we must ensure our State continues to lead the fight for gender equality and abortion access. Let’s build a world where all women can thrive!”
Disney has been dazzling audiences for 100 years—and SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS (SFGMC) was proud to celebrate their 45th anniversary with some of the most-loved music from Disney with DISNEY PRIDE IN CONCERT at Davies Symphony Hall on March 16 and 17. This twoact spectacular featured the 250 members of the chorus with clever choreography (waving fans even) and a 25-piece orchestra—combining over 40 classic and contemporary Disney songs with unique storylines that came directly from SFGMC chorus members telling their tales. My faves: “Let It Go” (Frozen), “You Can Fly” (Peter Pan); “A Whole New World” (Aladdin), and selections from Mary Poppins and Under the Sea. And what thrilled my activist heart so much in a big bad jab at anti-gay Florida
Governor DeSantis was the Walt Disney Pictures Castle Logo (2006) on a big screen accompanied by SFGMC’s “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Forget Disneyland! THIS was the happiest place on earth!
Governor DeSantis likes to brag that he’s just getting started with his rightwing agenda. “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he has elaborated. He means it as a promise, but it is actually a threat. This is especially true for women whose abortion rights already are being dangerously curtailed and for queer and transgender students who are already being treated inhumanely. It’s particularly true for those who care about voting rights and press
More DeSantis news: the Florida Governor has appointed a pastor who traffics in anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theories to serve on the board that controls Disney’s special tax district.
The Orlando-based Ron Peri has shared video discussions on YouTube asserting that homosexuality is “evil” and suggesting that tap water turns people gay, according to a CNN report. Sister Dana sez, “Thank goodness I only drink bottled water! Because otherwise I could have been turned gay. Oh the horror!”
When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a provision into law explicitly banning drag shows in public, ironically images of him doing drag circulated everywhere on social media.
Sister Dana sez, “This is a stupid law—passed by an even stupider legislator!”
But Tennessee is not alone in its dragphobia. Early in the 2023 legislative session, at least 26 bills have been introduced in 14 states by Republican legislators taking aim at drag events.
Sister Dana sez, “Yo legislatorz, You bettah werk (on legislation that addresses your constituency), grrrlllz! Oh snap!!!”
On March 18, the purple, green, and gold smoke billowed from a San Francisco Victorian—which, of course, meant that we members of KREWE DE KINQUE (the social, charitable Mardi Gras-themed club) had chosen the theme and beneficiary for our now 20th yearly BAL MASQUE XX. We gave the thrilling update during SPRING FLING at Castro’s Midnight Sun on March 18. Proceeds at this benefit went to our now-revealed 2023 beneficiary, RAINBOW WORLD FUND! BTW, our masked ball theme is 415, the beloved area code of our origin.
As (saint) and fellow Bay Times columnist Joanie Juster puts it: The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence “devote themselves to doing good deeds throughout the community—
providing service, ministry, and outreach to the most marginalized among us. They stand up and speak out for human rights, expose bigotry and complacency with irreverent wit, and, in general, make the world a better, safer, and more joyful place.” But what many might not realize is that while we are busy helping others, we sometimes need help as well. Last August, the Sisters went public with the sad news of an embezzlement that was a significant blow to our finances. Despite that, we nuns found a way to dispense grants to a dozen small organizations and projects that provide direct services to underserved communities. And now we are gearing up to produce our biggest event of the year, our world-famous EASTER CELEBRATION IN THE PARK. And we needed help to do it. We needed our saints.
THE SAINTS COME MARCHING
IN was a glorious benefit for us Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on March 19 at Castro’s Edge bar. Hosted by our beloved saints, our emcee was (saint) Mark Paladini with music by (saint) DJ Jimmy Strano. And what could be more appropriate than us nuns performing an actual live sainting ceremony for Prince Wolfe?! Supervisor Rafael Mandelman gave us Sisters a sensational toast to our activism/ fundraising work for over more than four decades of service. Luscious live performers helped bring in the donations for SPI, so we nuns could continue to benefit other worthy charitable organizations. The amazing live singers included Paladini with “Come to the Cabaret” and “Rolling on the River” Kippy Marks on electric violin with “About Damn Time,” and Donna Sachet singing the heart-wrenching “We Can Be Kind.” Chanteuse Carli Ozard melted our hearts with “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” DQ extraordinaire Shiksa lipped and extremely emoted classics like Company’s “Ladies Who Lunch” and Gypsy’s “Rose’s Turn.” The Imperials were perfectly present as newly crowned SF Emperor Michael Anthony Chua belted out “Mr. Cellophane” and “Orange Colored Sky” (aka “Crash Bam Alakazam”), and newly crowned SF Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro lip-synched to Bernadette Bohan
(continued on page 32)
What Happened to Ruthie Ramirez (fiction - hardbound) by Claire Jimenez
The Ramirez women of Staten Island orbit around absence. When thirteen-year- old middle child Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left the family scarred and scrambling. One night, twelve years later, oldest sister Jessica spotted a woman on her TV screen in Catfight, a raunchy reality show. Could it be Ruthy, after all this time?
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a vivid family portrait, in all its shattered reality, exploring the familial bonds between women and cycles of generational violence, colonialism, race, and silence, replete with snark, resentment, tenderness, and, of course, love.
In the Shadow of the Mountain (nonfiction/memoir - paperback) by Silvia Vasquez Lavado
Endless ice. Thin air. The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below.
This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning, pulse-raising memoir following her journey to Mount Everest. A Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, privately, she was hanging by a thread. Hiding her sexuality from her family, and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child, she started climbing, to the biggest mountain: Everest. This is a stunning memoir by the first openly gay mountain climber to conquer Everest. Just released in paperback!
Tell Me the Truth
About Love (fiction - hardbound) by Erik Tarloff
A novel about sexual love, straight and queer, about love between friends, between exes, between parents and children, between lovers old and new, Erik Tarloff’s Tell Me the Truth About Love tells the story of Toby
Lindeman, a divorced man in San Francisco leading what appears to be an enviable bachelor’s life. Suave, attractive, and somewhat detached from the emotional needs of those around him, he seems to sail blithely above life’s common difficulties as he goes about his duties as chief fundraiser for the San Francisco Opera. Suspenseful, sexy, and often laugh-outloud funny, Tell Me the Truth About Love is a very contemporary look at the varieties of human connection.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, March 26 @ 1 pm (free - Corte Madera store) Cathleen Schine, author of Künstlers in Paradise
Cathleen Schine, the bestselling author of The Three Weissmanns of Westport, once dubbed “the modern-day Jewish Jane Austen,” is back with a comedy of generational manners about exile and the power of stories—both the ones we hand down and the ones held secretly in the heart—that slips between 1939 and 2020 L.A. as Mamie Künstler and her twentysomething grandson entertain and care for each other under lockdown.
Thursday, April 6 @ 6 pm (ticketed - Shack 15 in the SF Ferry Building) Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, author of Reconceptions
Traditional family structures are adapting to make room for children conceived in previously unimaginable ways. Whole industries and internet-enabled communities are being built around reproductive technologies. And there’s more change coming as science continues to move forward. Combining intimate personal stories with cutting-edge research, Reconceptions invites readers to reconsider their own ideas about parenthood and to embrace a new vision of the meaning of family.
Tuesday, April 11 @ 5 pm (free - Ferry Building store) James M. Zimmerman, author of The Peking Express
This is a thrilling true story of train-robbing revolutionaries and passengers who got more than they paid for. In 1923 Shanghai, native and foreign travelers alike are enthralled by the establishment of a new railway line to distant Peking. With this new line comes the Peking Express, a luxurious express train on the cutting edge of China’s continental transportation. The Peking Express is the incredible, long-forgotten story of a hostage crisis that shocked China and the West.
It vividly captures the events that made international headlines and later inspired Josef von Sternberg’s 1932 Hollywood masterpiece Shanghai Express. https://www.bookpassage.com/
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H
Not a run of the mill coming out story, Hijab Butch Blues is a complex and beautiful story about growing up Muslim, the challenges of Islamophobia, and untying the knots of internalized homophobia.
Who Does That Bitch Think She Is?: Doris Fish and The Rise of Drag by Craig Seligman
This book does double duty as both a serious social history of late 20th century drag and a wildly enter-
taining showbiz biography of the legendary Doris Fish. Starting with her Australian youth, it follows her to 1980s San Francisco, where she wowed the city with outré nightclub acts and the cult classic film, Vegas in Space
Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein
Kate Bornstein is a national treasure and this book was ahead of its time.
Before “nonbinary” was in the queer lexicon, Bornstein was pushing past the gender binary. In this delightful memoir, she shares her story and insight on a more inclusive framework for thinking about gender.
https://www.fabulosabooks.com/
Just when I thought I couldn’t have more respect for Lady Gaga, she made an artistic choice at the Oscars that blew me away. She at first appeared in the audience, dressed and made up beautifully, as only Gaga can. Less than a half hour later, she appeared onstage, completely sans makeup, in jeans and a t-shirt. She had wiped every stitch of makeup down to where you could see her chapped lips. As she sang “Hold My Hand,” we felt her heart. Given the closeup cameras and an international audience, this was a gutsy choice for Gaga. Hats off to you, girl.
It may be old news by now, but there are moments from this Oscar show that will stay with me. I was rooting for Navalny, about the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, to win Best Documentary—and it did. When his wife Yulia and his two children accepted the Oscar, it was beautiful. I also was hoping for a win for Women Talking for Adapted Screenplay; another victory. For once, the winners did not pull out stupid written acceptance speeches but spoke from their hearts. When Michelle Yeoh said, “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re past your prime,” the audience cheered. We also all applauded when the codirector of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Daniel Scheinert, said: “Thank you, mom, for not squashing my creativity when I dressed in drag as a kid, which threatens no one.” Hello, Florida?
Last year’s Best Supporting Actress Ariana DeBose won my fashion gold of the night, in an art deco column. Angela Bassett brought purple reign. Bows and roses seemed to costar with Halle Barry and Nicole Kidman. There was sexy glam with Eva Longoria and Jessica Chastain. Fabulous Janelle Monae was the best part of the cut-out look, and Malala showed her usual courage with graceful silver shimmers. She thought fast when Jimmy Kimmel randomly asked her some Housewives type question. She calmy answered, “I only talk about peace.” You go, girl.
Though I didn’t love Ashley Graham’s look, I give her major points for getting through an interview pre-show with an obnoxious Hugh Grant. As an interviewer myself, I felt her pain. Check this out, and all these looks too, on the internet.
I found something terrific on Google that I hope you will all discover. Those who type in phrases like “List of LGBT Academy Award Winners and Nominees” will receive pages and pages of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people who have been up
for the gold or won. Also included are cis-hetero actors who played queer characters. There is also a list of individuals who are identified as LBGTQ, though may not have come out publicly or personally identified. There’s some wonderful information here, and I will be using this as a reference in my lecture, “Reel Fabulous: LBGTQ in Hollywood.”
Cisgender heterosexuals who have played iconic gay characters include some of our finest actors. Think Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote, Benedict Cumberbatch (should’ve won!) as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, to name a few. Fictional characters played by straight performers include Cate Blanchett in Tar, the amazing leads of Brokeback Mountain, Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry, Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs, and Elliot Page who was nominated when he was Ellen Page for Juno. Bisexual Cynthia Erivo was nominated as Harriet Tubman and should have won! Other gay actors and actresses of our time include Ian McKellen, Linda Hunt, Ariana DeBose, Jodie Foster, Joel Gray, Kevin Spacey, and Lily Tomlin.
Classic Gay Hollywood represents with Monty Woolley in one of my favorite comedies ever: The Man Who Came to Dinner. We add to the list Anthony Perkins, Clifton Webb, Charles Laughton, Rock Hudson, and Nigel Hawthorne. Famed bisexuals include Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Kate Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, Montgomery Clift, and James Dean.
The lists go on with other performers, directors, costume designers, and technicians in all branches. Wikiwand, in particular, has a great compilation of them at: https://tinyurl.com/n6u6tk3h
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
A standing room only crowd celebrated the Grand Opening of Gyros & Tzatziki restaurant at 3111 24th Street at Folsom on January 28. Owner Cem Bulutoglu welcomed 75 guests to enjoy a complimentary buffet and join in a champagne toast given by LGBTQ performer and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet.
The event was coordinated and emceed by LGBTQ leader Gary Virginia, who has been friends with Bulutoglu since helping him open his
prior restaurant, Gyro Xpress in the Castro, nine years ago.
Speaking and helping with the ribbon cutting were San Francisco District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen; Artist Kurt Stoeckel, Susana Rojas; Executive Director of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District; Sachet; Virginia; and Bulutoglu.
Adding to the festivities was an exhibit of work spanning 50 years by Artist Kurt Stoeckel, who has lived in the nearby Bernal Heights neighborhood since 1994. In 2008, Stoeckel started teaching photography and theater technology classes in a local high school and did so for many years but now focuses on his studio work. While he’s well known for his paper cutout works, his media span photography, painting, and sculpture. Nearing 80 years of age, he was warmly welcomed and several works of art were sold at the celebration.
Small business owner Bulutoglu’s successful formula for delicious, casual Mediterranean food is being well received on the busy 24th Street corridor of the Mission district.
Already the restaurant has earned a perfect five-star rating with 41 reviews at Yelp as of this writing.
One review by Katelyn D., for example, mentions: “AMAZING food, the only place that has inspired me to write a review
on here. It tastes very fresh and high quality. A true gem, I’m obsessed with this place!” Another reviewer, Amy T., wrote, “Love this addition to the neighborhood! Really delicious casual Mediterranean spot with a SUPER friendly owner. Highly recommend its namesake tzatziki (comes with plenty of warm pita) and beef kefta, which is perfectly grilled. There are lots of Mediterranean/Greek restaurants in the area, but this is truly one of the best. The interior is also really cute!” Recently Bulutoglu was asked how business was going given all the rainy weather since the opening and he replied, “Customers are loving the green lentil and traditional Greek avgolemono soups, and our gyro wraps are our number one seller! We already have regular customers who
live nearby. I love this colorful neighborhood.”
The full menu is available for dine in or take out with delivery available through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub during operating hours: Sunday–Thursday 10 am to 9 pm and
Friday–Saturday 10 am to 10 pm. The menu is at https://gyrosandtzatziki.com/ Catering is offered by calling 415-400-4962.
festival shines a light on the region’s best, from growers to winemakers and chefs. Consumer ticket sales will also support local organizations making a difference in the lives of Sonoma County’s farmers and families.
Leslie Sbrocco
Looking for a way to ring in Spring in style? Join me at the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience May 18–21, 2023. This weekend-long celebration highlights the best of Sonoma County culinary offerings, as well as global wine superstars. The
I will be hosting a sparkling seminar on Friday evening, May 18, entitled “A Timeless Pairing: Champagne & Caviar” with glorious bubbly and mouthwatering caviar. Sunday will be an “Afternoon of Zinfinite Possibilities!” as I lead tast ings of wines made with Zinfandel, one of California’s famed red grape varieties. The wines will be paired with live music by guitar phenom, Asher Belsky.
I hope to see you at this wonderful weekend of wine and food. For more information and to purchase full weekend passes or tickets to individual events, check out https://tinyurl.com/4tetstd3
San Francisco Bay Times columnist Liam Mayclem (second from right) and friends enjoying the Healdsberg Wine & Food Experience
In the meantime, sample one of Sonoma’s top Zinfandels with this bottling:
2019 Quivira Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California $28 https://quivirawine.com/ A Sonoma County classic, Quivira brings Zinfandel to life with this peppery, dark-fruited red. It’s an elegant
Your neighborhood Castro Farmers’ Market is returning for the season, a reminder that everything good comes to those who wait! Noe and Market Streets will be filled with all your favorite farmers of fine fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, and baked goods. Your local gathering place will again hear the sounds of chatter, music, and laughter as neighbors walk the street to select
fine local produce and enjoy their community and local businesses.
On April 5, the market will open for the season with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 pm. Performer, community activist, and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet will do the honors of officially opening the market along with District 8 Supervisor and fellow Bay Times
columnist Rafael Mandelman. (Editor’s note: Supervisor Mandelman’s column will return in the next issue!) Terrance Alan, President of market sponsor The Castro Merchants, will say a few words as well. We will have a blessing of the market by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and music
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Zin made with freshness and finesse in mind. Pour with ribs to complement the spicy/sweetness of barbeque sauce or savor with a saucy red pasta sauce or earthy, spicy lentil stew. Decadently delicious.
Author, speaker, wine consultant, and television host Leslie Sbrocco is known for her entertaining approach to wine and food. She has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on PBS, which includes hosting the series “Check, Please! Bay Area,” “Check, Please! You Gotta Try This!” and “100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations.” www.LeslieSbrocco.com
She might just be the current chef du jour in San Francisco. With two wins on TV’s Chopped and the first season of the popular Food Network reality series Chef Dynasty: House of Fang under her belt, chef Kathy Fang is riding high.
Since 2009, she’s been the co-owner of the luxe Chinese restaurant Fang on Howard Street with her legendary dad Peter Fang (who founded the fabled House of Nanking in 1988). Now, Kathy is bringing new life and culinary ideas to the world of Chinese cooking. She does it with style, grace, humor, and smarts: the kind of person you’d want to share an evening with, over, say, a plate of her piquant chili sesame pork dumplings.
The Gay Gourmet had the pleasure of talking with Kathy about all things Fang-related and here’s what she had to say:
Gay Gourmet: What’s the secret to the success of the TV show?
Kathy Fang: The biggest thing is the response I’ve gotten from the viewers who love it. The common thread is that people love the dynamic between my dad and me. The core of it is about family—this family business that I’ve inherited— preserving the legacy, honoring family tradition, and finding a way to pay back what my parents have accomplished. There’s a push and pull and I want my dad’s approval because I respect him. This business is about what my family has created;
I want him to be part of that journey. Viewers are smart—they pick up on this. That’s the most beautiful part of this story. People see that and relate to that. People share with me their stories of family. It reminds them of how much their parents sacrificed for them. Sometimes we forget about it. It brings tears to their eyes, especially the last episode. People know that my dad is humble and hardworking. All the recipes are created by my dad and me. Dad works 7 days a week and it’s been very hard for our family to get to this point. We don’t want to lose sight of that. There are so many reality shows out there that are entertaining, but that’s why this is relatable. Much of the population lives like ours, immigrants with a certain level of success. Those are stories we’re celebrating. Those are the real stories.
Gay Gourmet: What advice from your father (or mother) has helped shape your career and your life?
Kathy Fang: The biggest advice from dad is “lead by example.” It gets me emotional. Keep your head down, work hard, and good things can happen to good people. My parents have always practiced that. We run our business that way, and we believe in giving people the best Chinese food experience. That’s getting the recognition now that the restaurant deserves. This all started from money we saved up. There’s something special about what my parents created. There’s something to be said for a restaurant that draws lines for over 30 years.
Gay Gourmet: You’re very loyal to your staff. Sometimes, however, staff isn’t a great fit. What advice do you have for managers in tough situations?
Kathy Fang: We’ve been pretty fortunate to have a very hardworking, loyal staff. I’m also a very devoted manager. You deal with people and they mean well, but sometimes they’re not helping themselves. It’s trying to understand where they’re coming from, and putting yourself in their shoes. Dealing with people is complicated. Rarely do you have black and white situations; it’s a tough call. It’s important to think about how you give people the extra olive branch. If you can let them see
that you care, then when it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world.
Gay Gourmet: Your show is a like a love letter to San Francisco. Was that intentional?
Kathy Fang: Yes. Prior to the show being put together, there’s a showrunner who talks to you in advance to ask what you want to highlight. One of the top things I wanted to showcase is the city. San Francisco is a very distinctive town; it’s not a cookie-cutter city. The landscape, the neighborhoods—it’s just a striking and beautiful place. When you arrive at the airport, you’re taken aback by its beauty. I felt the city was being mislabeled. I told the showrunner that I wanted to remind people how gorgeous San Francisco is. What we need is for people to watch and realize how beautiful the people, the food, and the neighborhoods are. The show would not feel the same without that.
Gay Gourmet: In some ways, your show reminds me of Vanderpump Rules, except that the food takes center stage, not the drama! Did Lisa Vanderpump influence your approach?
Kathy Fang: No, I never actually watched Lisa’s show until I filmed my “interviews.” The first time I did it, I didn’t know what to wear.
My assistant, Justin Escalante, thankfully has a great sense of fashion. He’s gay and he said, “I got you. Let me show you Lisa Vanderpump.” Lisa didn’t guide how I act on the show because I can only be myself, but she helped me figure out how to dress. The show wants you to wear the same outfit for every single interview and thank God I picked a good one!
Gay Gourmet: Will there be a second season of Chef Dynasty?
Kathy Fang: I hope so. This concept is a new one for The Food Network. If something works well, they’ll continue with it. They are seeing a lot of people loving the show. Some of the response was that they’re getting people who don’t normally tune in. They’ll have to do some market research and figure out the next step. For the people who really enjoy the show, I’d say go online and ask The Food Network for more. I would love a second season, but if we don’t get it, I’m fine with them doing another family. Business is doing great and now we have this time capsule about what we’ve created. That will never be lost.
Gay Gourmet: Why is Chinese food often so mediocre? Is there a key to cooking it properly?
Kathy Fang: I think it’s because many people who open Chinese
restaurants are not true chefs. What separates the good ones are the ones who are artists, who study, and try to perfect it. That’s a particular mindset. People open restaurants for different reasons, and there’s a low barrier to entry. Some aren’t professionally trained, and may copy and repeat from a really bad choice. I think that’s starting to change. Right now, being a chef is way cooler than it used to be. It wasn’t glamorous when I grew up. Now, there are so many celebrity chefs. It’s becoming something people can aspire to be.
Gay Gourmet: In many ways, you’re a modern version of Cecilia Chiang, who ran San Francisco’s iconic Mandarin restaurant for years. Like her, you’re a woman restaurateur who wants Chinese food to be upscale and who wants to reinvent the cuisine for modern diners. Did you ever meet her? Was she a mentor?
Kathy Fang: I did meet her—she would come to Fang sometimes. I wish I could have been mentored by her but by the time I was in the
business, she was older. When I met her, I was in awe of her. I wish I was old enough at the time to ask her for advice. You grow up sometimes in Chinese culture being reticent to ask for advice. I’ve learned to be better at that.
Gay Gourmet: What are your favorite dishes on the menu?
Kathy Fang: The garlic charred broccoli. People say, “It’s the best broccoli they ever had.” I did the “one night only” segment on the show and the charred broccoli. It did really well, but my dad couldn’t get over it, because it wasn’t Chinese. I changed it to “Western broccoli.” The reaction has been incredible. My all-time favorite: people call it a beef brownie. It’s a honey short rib that we cut into little cubes, with a crispy crust. It’s a little spicy, a flavor bomb, that’s served with a garlic bok choy. It has a little bit of all 3 of us from the family. This dish started with my mom. She took short ribs, and decided to fry them for herself for lunch. I thought, this needs a sauce. I made a version off menu with green beans, and people loved
The Gay Gourmet, David Landis, has served as a judge for the prestigious Taste Awards for the past two years. The awards honor the year’s best in the following categories: Food, Fashion, Health, Travel, and Lifestyle programs on Television, in Film, Streaming and Online, on Radio, in Podcasts, and Photography. This year’s 14th Anniversary Taste Awards Red Carpet Awards Show, Reception Ceremony, and After Party took place on March 13 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. Award winners who accepted their awards in person included well-known celebrities Al Roker and Lidia Bastianich. In addition, Kathy Fang (House of Fang/Food Network) and network executives such as Chris Knight (CEO, Gusto TV), and LisaRenee Ramirez (President, Lifestyle Networks & Executive Producer, Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios) were in attendance, along with producers and representatives from Nat Geo/Disney, Turner Classic Movies, and more such as Edward Delling-Williams, Zahirah Marty, Jenny Buckley, and Zarela. See the full list of winners at: https://tinyurl.com/mnttybtd
it. My dad saw it and wanted to add more punch with the garlic bok choy. That became a signature dish.
Gay Gourmet: Talk about the uniqueness of sourcing from Chinatown’s markets. How is that different, say, from the Ferry Building—or sourcing directly from farmers?
Kathy Fang: We love supporting local. Chinatown has always been our home. It’s the first place my family stepped into. They started sourcing from those markets when they opened House of Nanking. Because they’ve been sourcing from the same people for over 30 years, we have this relationship where we would be sad if we went to a different purveyor. Those markets rely on the Chinatown restaurants to keep them alive. It’s like an ecosystem. If we left, the supermarkets would close. We don’t want to do that.
When we opened Fang, they used to deliver by foot. Sometimes we need two deliveries per day. If we go to a large purveyor, they won’t deliver every day. With farmers’ markets, we would have to go ourselves. The Chinatown markets will accommodate us. They say, “We’ll send the Auntie over.” When we opened Fang, we didn’t want to ask them to deliver. They said, “No—we will hire extra people for you.” Then, they hired one person specifically to do the delivery and they still deliver many things by foot. It’s a sweet, family community.
Gay Gourmet: What are your favorite restaurants in San Francisco?
Kathy Fang: I’m a traditionalist. I’ve been a fan of A16,
Molinari’s, and Kokkari. Those are 3 places I try to patronize all the time. We try to go out to the Chinese restaurants. Peter likes New Regent Café for breakfast. My husband loves Japanese cuisine: Juni and Akiko’s.
Gay Gourmet: What are your future plans for Fang and for yourself? Will you expand beyond the city?
Kathy Fang: If there was a season 2 (for the TV show), I wish we could explore that topic and see what my dad thinks. That would be a great situation scenario. If dad feels uncomfortable, it’s not worth it to me. One of the exciting projects I’m working on this year is to write a cookbook/memoir with my dad. I’d like to go into great detail. We’d start with how dad fell in love with food in Shanghai, and share recipes from that experience. We don’t want those dishes to get lost. Then, we’ll cover his first experiences with American food, to the opening of House of Nanking, and then my first food exposure and what influential dishes I had.
Gay Gourmet: So, I’m sure my readers want to know: “How’s the food at Fang?” In one word: phenomenal. I’m often disappointed by commonplace Chinese cooking that doesn’t measure up. At Fang, everything is fresh, delicious, hot, and satisfying—with spices that tantalize your palate. My favorites include the pork spare ribs that are fall-off-thebone tender with just enough chili sauce for added punch; the pork buns, served in homemade sponge-y buns that are a perfect nest for a succulent pork belly; Shanghai pork
won ton soup, made all the richer with bone broth and toasted rice; lotus chicken, cooked perfectly moist with a hint of ginger; the famous charred broccoli that is cooked through but still crisp and yummy; honey walnut prawns made more modern with an apple pear complement; and a sea bass that Kathy cooked especially for our group with mango and green beans, since one of us has an allium allergy. Don’t forget Fang’s famous fried rice, served on a sizzling plate with a scrambled egg—a winner.
A sesame mochi was the tasty semisweet ending to a great meal. An added plus? A full bar with a great wine list, fairly uncommon at many Chinese restaurants in town. Service at Fang is efficient; it’s fun to meet the waitstaff whom you’ve seen on TV. It’s also nice that the restaurant feels upscale, but doesn’t break the bank. I’d describe the vibe as “buzzy chaos,” entertainingly like the atmosphere at your nephew’s bar mitzvah. As my friend Jackie explained, “You wouldn’t trust a Chinese restaurant without that.”
Fang is fun, delicious, and a real treat. Go now!
Fang restaurant: https://tinyurl.com/6cjhkzu2
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@ gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
Poesia in the Castro (4072 18th Street) on Monday, March 13, celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a Fellini-inspired party that was the vision of the restaurant’s founder, Francesco D’ippolito. He dreamed of creating Poesia when he was a young boy and took his first job making cappuccino at a neighbor’s cafe.
As the restaurant’s website holds: “Decades later, floating on the Mediterranean Sea in Calabria one Summer with a friend, he began systematically, step-by-step to make his dream a reality. What would it take to bring the magic of the Italian coast to San Francisco? The warmth of the Italian kitchen, the fresh flavors, and the light-hearted air? Since 2008, San Francisco is home to Poesia. Nestled in the vibrant and colorful neighborhood of the Castro, Poesia Restaurant is a dream come true.”
The anniversary party kept the dreamy vibes going with Italian films playing in the background, many guests in costumes and other festive attire, and drinks and good cheer very evident. David Landis, The Gay Gourmet for the San Francisco Bay Times, was among those who attended.
Thanks to D’ippolito for creating such a high-quality restaurant destination in the Castro that has stood the test of time. Here’s to another 15 years plus!
https://www.poesiasf.com/poesia-restaurant
Across his long and influential career, Ted Shawn (1891–1972) made many remarkable contributions to American dance, but his lifelong mission remained always to show that dancing was “a respectable profession for men” and “a legitimate medium for the creative male artist.” When he began his professional career in 1912, in the North Atlantic community of nations, the art had the reputation of being an especially feminine field, but Shawn was convinced he could change that.
In those far away times, America’s parents simply did not encourage their sons to consider a career in dance. Women who danced were lauded and adored, but the public saw male dancers as not only being light on their feet, but “light in the loafers.” Shawn himself originally planned to enter the ministry, until an illness he suffered when he was 19 caused him to become temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Dancing became part of his physical therapy program.
After making a full recovery from his illness, Shawn became a professional dancer. In 1914 he met Ruth St. Denis, one of the pioneers of American dance performance. The next year, now married, they founded Denishawn, soon known as the “cradle of American modern dance,” and created a company, the Denishawn Dancers, to bring their work to the public. Their professional relationship ended in 1931, although they never divorced and remained close until St. Denis died in 1968.
Shawn became determined to challenge what he described as the “false idea ... that dancing is an effeminate expression for men.” Not only was it a respectable career, he argued, but also an art that could be enjoyed for its own sake. Creating “the first company in modern times composed entirely of men dancers,” he presented “a program of dances essentially masculine in principle and performance” to “glorify men as men in all their physical beauty and graceful movement.”
Shawn chose the men for his first dance troupe more for their masculinity, athletic ability, and stamina than for their experience as performers, which was nil for most of them. One had lettered in football, baseball, basketball, and track during high school only a few years earlier. Another was a record-setting pole vaulter. A third was a champion swimmer. Some had taken dance classes, but only Barton Mumaw, who became his lover, had more than a minimum of dance training.
Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers premiered its “great panoply of masculinity” in Boston on March 21, 1933, the first all-male dance concert in the United States. Critics were impressed. Lucien Price, editor of The Boston Globe and eventually a strong supporter of Shawn’s work, wrote, “The dancing of the young men was boldly original ... . In your company for the first time, it seemed to me, I saw young Americans dancing as Americans and dancing in an art form.”
The program that first night included Cutting the Sugar Cane, which combined many of the elements Shawn stressed
in his work: heroic themes, male bonding, athleticism, exotic settings, and minimal costumes. He had been inspired by the workers he saw on a visit to Cuba, where they “cut the tall stalks with gleaming machetes, moving with a design and rhythm accompanied by chants or shouts that together created a natural dance design.” The dancers wore “only of red neckerchiefs and full, white cotton Cuban work pants tied with a red belt.”
As Mumaw described the production, “Four workers are portrayed under the unrelenting heat of an equatorial sun while they slash, carry, and stack the sugar cane. When the overseer’s back is turned, they interrupt this work ... to compete in executing different patterns of village dance steps. Then the overseer bursts upon this moment of levity to whip the men back to work ... . But the leader exits with a final, cavorting leap of defiance that seems to cry, ‘Curses to you! Our spirits are high!’”
Although stereotypes and cultural appropriations abound that are no longer acceptable, Shaw believed he was sharing a masculine work of
social consciousness. At the time, his presentation, Mumaw later wrote, “was considered by American audiences and press alike as authentic and erotic.” Other groups, including the Hampton Institute Creative Dance Group, founded in 1934 by Charles Williams and one of the first African American touring companies in America to perform in New York, also presented it, with Shaw’s support. Seven years after its first public concert in Boston, the company appeared there for the last time on May 7, 1940, having appeared before more than a million people in 750 cities in North America and Europe.
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entertainment from Dave “Ouzo” Land.
Throughout the season, your favorite farmers will be offering a constantly changing variety of Californiacertified produce, emphasizing the importance of eating with the seasons. All the farmers grow what they sell so you know where your food is coming from. Spring will be filled with greens like asparagus, baby lettuces, green onions, celery, spinach, peas, and fava beans. In May, we will watch for the arrival of sweet cherries and juicy apricots. Other stone fruit will not be far behind: peaches, nec-
LIPSKY (continued from pg 31)
By then, Shawn had established Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts, as a center for teaching and presenting dance. It struggled at first, but endured. In 2003, the federal government declared it a National Historic Landmark District, “an exceptional cultural venue that holds value for all Americans.”
Shawn continued to be a role model and spokesman for the masculinity of dancers, but he was never able to reveal one important truth about himself: that he was in all ways a lover
SISTER DANA (continued from pg 22)
singing Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” What a fabulous and fun night for fundraising for us fundraisers!!!
The legendary Cockettes give the rites of spring their own unique twist as original Cockette Scrumbly Koldewyn brings you COCKETTES: RES-ERECTION, a colorful musical mayhem revue featuring new songs and classic Cockettes numbers inspired by the changing season, bunnies, love, and lust. Assistant Director/performer Birdie-Bob Watt and Producer Dan Karkoska make this possible. Also performing: Jordan
“Sunshine” Bontrager, Matt Bratko, Noah Haydon, Christian Heppinstall, Kitten On The Keys, Carl Linkhart, Steven Satyricon, Aaren Shari-ah Smith, Bonni Suval, and more. March 23, 24, 25, 7 pm at OASIS, 298 Eleventh Street SOMA at Folsom Street. https://tinyurl.com/uuvtj27j
Sister Dana sez, “If there ever was a time to boycott a state, now would be it. The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a law that allows county clerks to REFUSE to marry same-sex, transgender, and mixed-race couples if they disagree with the union! In other words: Tennessee can’t really see!”
The Opening Art Reception for Hunter Harvey’s “GO WEST” is on March 24 at Schlomer Haus Gallery, 2128 Market Street, 5–9 pm. Many works in this show reimagine iconic characters from American pop culture. Through painting, these characters are seen as queer heroes navigating their own personal journeys toward a better world out West. https://schlomerhaus.com/
Based on the original 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG runs from March 23–April 9 at San Francisco’s Gateway Theatre (215 Jackson Street). Featuring such musical gems as “Not a Day Goes By,” “Our Time,” and “Like It Was,” this musical masterpiece explores the cost of success, and the sacrifices we make along the way. Music and lyrics
by Stephen Sondheimhttps://42ndstmoon.org/
tarines, and plums. Tomatoes, corn, melons, and peppers arrive later in the summer. It’s all worth the wait!
You can talk to your farmers, learn about their farm and their produce, and even pick up a quick recipe. You’ll find the camaraderie of the farmers’ market one of the most pleasant experiences you can have while getting to know your neighbors, rekindling old relationships, and finding new friends—all while supporting your local farmers, your local community, and the surrounding businesses.
of men. During an era when homosexuality was illegal in every American state and territory, he knew very well that public knowledge of his sexuality would not only end his career, but also his crusade “to restore dancing for men to its rightful standing.”
Across his 50 years as a dancer and choreographer, Shawn brought almost every archetype—some would say stereotype—of maleness before the public. Was he successful in reshaping American views toward male dancers? Mumaw thought so,
Sister Dana sez, “Making our democracy even less safe, Kevin McCarthy has appointed major MAGA monster Marjorie Taylor Greene to act as speaker pro tempore. Bring on the elephants, and let the circus begin!”
CASTRO ART MART, that features LGBTQ artists, live music, and drag performances every 1st Sunday of the month, is on April 2, Noe Street @ Market Street (next to the Lookout Bar) 11–5 pm.
https://artyhoodsf.com/
INTERNATIONAL
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.
FABULOSA BOOKS presents a reading by Alo Johnson of Am I Trans Enough? on March 28, 7–9 pm, 489 Castro Street. This book digs deep into internalized transphobia
Thank you for your support of the Castro Farmers’ Market. Let’s make this season one of the best ever! We’ll be here 3 pm to 7 pm on Wednesdays through November 15, at 290 Noe Street at Market Street.
Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region, and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/
writing that Shawn “was able to change the attitude of an entire country toward men in dance.” Whether he did or not, Shawn made an enduring contribution to modern culture through his belief in “the art of dance” and its power “to lead humanity into continually higher and greater dimensions of existence.”
Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.
and the historical narratives that fuel it. It unveils what happens after you come out, or begin questioning living as a trans person, in a world that works against you.
San Francisco Playhouse brings the beloved board game CLUE to the stage in a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. Murder and blackmail are afoot as six mysterious guests arrive at Boddy Manor for an unusual dinner party. When their host becomes suddenly deceased, they all become suspects, and race to find the killer—as the body count rises. Based on the cult-hit 1985 film that was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is an uproarious physical comedy “whodunit.” You can try to solve the mystery nightly now through April 22. Skulk away at 450 Post Street. https://tinyurl.com/29pr72s6
Sister Dana sez, “After all the exposure of devilish lies on Fox News TV, their show entitled ‘Fox and Friends’ should be properly renamed ‘Fox and Fiends.’”
“My name is Messi! I am a three-year-old, male, German Shepherd looking for my forever family! Although I can be wary of the spotlight, I prefer to strut my stuff for my small circle of friends. I love to be in a quiet, low dog traffic area, as I am still adjusting to the volume of San Francisco streets. I am not interested in meeting other dogs because I want to stay close to my family. SF SPCA volunteer Lotta said that I love my ball toys and like to be chased! She also likes when I play fetch and politely sit when asked to do so before each throw. I have aced the sit command! If you think we might be a match, come say hello!”
Check out Messi in action during a fun SF SPCA “Speed Dating” session:
https://tinyurl.com/2paakhcr
Here’s what happened when we found out, via DNA testing, that Messi—previously thought to be a “Shepherd mix”—is actually 100% German Shepherd: https://tinyurl.com/h69fuk9b
Donte DiVencenzo from the Golden State Warriors stopped by to help spread the word about adoptable animals. See Donte playing catch with Messi!
https://tinyurl.com/yckwcceb
If you wish to meet Messi, you can do so virtually before choosing to adopt. For more information, please email adoptions@sfspca.org
Messi is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s CEO. Our thanks also go to Paradise Osorio for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Messi.
To meet Messi in person, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. It is open for appointments from 10 am–6 pm (Monday–Wednesday, Friday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Thursdays. For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/
When a candidate campaigns to become a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, there is always a representation of colors that allows voters to know whom they are voting for. In most cases, candidates will also have a “catchphrase” and a coronation theme for their step-down. Here is a look back at what those were from 2001–2004.
2001–2002
The 29th Royal House of Harmony and Happiness
Grand Duke XXVIII Brad Sprankle
Colors: none
Symbol: coral snake
Grand Duchess XXIX Carlotta Osmon (deceased)
Colors: none
Symbol: golden mermaid
Coronation Theme: “A Russian Tropical Paradise”
As mentioned in the previous column, Carlotta was the very first Miss Debutante during the reign of Grand Duchess China Silk and Grand Duke Michael Parsons of the 27th Royal House.
Carlotta would then go on to become Grand Duchess XXIX.
During her reign, Carlotta created a fundraising event titled Hooray for The Red, White, and Blue. The fundraiser has raised vital funds for Tenderloin Tessie, and the Board of Directors continues to carry this annual fundraiser in honor of Grand Duchess XXIX.
2002–2003
The 30th Royal House of The Romanoff Eagle and Faberge Pearl
Grand Duke XXIX Alexander Romanoff I (deceased)
Colors: none
Symbol: Romanoff eagle
Grand Duchess XXX Diva LaFever Faberge-Romanoff
Colors: none
Symbol: triple diamond black pearl
This Royal House is considered by this writer to be one of the most important of all the Royal Houses.
Why, you may ask?
The court focused its attention to raising funds for the construction of the new LGBT Center built on Market Street. Alex would go on to become the President of the Grand Ducal Council and Diva would become CFO of the Executive Board. It was due to Alex’s legal knowledge and his efforts that the New Corporation was established in 1993.
Diva LaFever holds the last title to be bestowed by the Tavern Guild when they closed their doors in 1995.
During the 25th Reign (David) Diva LaFever would become President of the BOD and would remain president until he was elected Grand Duchess XXX, when he and Alex had to step down from the BOD. After their step-down, they extended the BOD to allow for a more diverse
membership other than the same five people. The Trustees and Executive Boards were then created. (There had been an Executive Board consisting of Alex, Lee Raymond, and Kitty Litter, who also served on the BOD.) This was all implemented during the 32nd reign. David has served in many positions on the Executive Board, but after Tom Galante’s sudden death, David became CFO on top of his COO position. It is noted that Grand Duke XXIX Alexander Romanoff I and Grand Duchess XXX Diva LaFever raised $10,000 for the LGBTQ Center’s construction.
2003–2004
The 31st Royal House of Salt and Pepper
Grand Duke XXX “Just Jeff”
Colors: none
Symbol: leather piglet
Grand Duchess XXXI Donna Rea
Colors: none
Symbol: black onyx feline
Coronation Theme: “A Royal Masquerade Ball in Red Square”
At the end of the 31st reign, for the first time in Ducal History Grand Duke XXX “Just Jeff” would be the sole Monarch to step down.
2004–2005
The 32nd Royal House of Myth and Mayhem
Former Grand Duke Mike Manicotti
Colors: ruby red and gold
Symbol: gargoyle and griffin
Grand Duchess XXXII Sophilya
Leggz
Colors: ruby red and gold
Symbol: gargoyle and griffin
Favorite saying: “Being Grand Duchess and a buck fifty will get you on the Muni!”
Coronation Theme: “A Russian Gypsy Circus Comes to San Francisco”
Grand Duchess XXXI Sophilya Leggz is the current President of the BOD of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco, and has served in this role 6 times. Sophilya created the annual Mother’s Day event Mommy Dearest: The Resurrection of Joan Crawford, which continues its run to date. Sophilya has received every award that the BOD and the Court annually presents.
Sophilya’s dedication of service to the organization continues to be an inspiration to current and future organization membership. Sophilya is also a very accomplished musician and I have had the pleasure of performing with her on several occasions.
On September 22, 2023, the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco will celebrate 50 years of Camp and Fundraising. The celebration will take place at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Please consider becoming a sponsor.
Inquiries: 50thanniversary@sfducal.org
Tickets ($60) are on sale through August 25, 2023, with a hard stop on that final date. We hope to see you at this once-in-a-lifetime historic event!
https://www.sfducal.org/
Kippy Marks is Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.
Manny’s at 3092 16th Street welcomed several guests on Saturday, March 11, to a costume party presented jointly by the young adult programs of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav and Congregation Beth Sholom. The event celebrated the Jewish holiday Purim based on the story described in the Book of Esther from the Hebrew Bible.
Outfits of participants included Batman and Robin, softball players from A League of Their Own, a host of creatures from bears to bees, and some unidentifiable characters too.
Queen Esther, heroine of the Purim story, was there along with drag queens Miss Shuguna and Menorah Manischewitz who entertained and served as emcees.
Hilary Elfman from Beth Sholom and Emily OrnelasDorian from Sha’ar Zahav welcomed guests on behalf of the sponsors. A selection of hamantaschen, the traditional triangular filled pastries named for the Purim story villain Haman, were provided by Grand Bakery.
The event benefited Jewish Family and Children’s Services: https://www.jfcs.org/
Organized by the United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held this year on Saturday, March 11. The parade route on Market Street began at 2nd Street and continued to Civic Center Plaza.
Despite less than excellent weather, the parade featured more than 130 contingents of social groups, union chapters, elected officials, marching bands, bagpipe bands, dance troupes, and dogs leading their owners. The Kerry Blue Terrier Club was well represented.
Along with the displays of Irish flags, kilts, bagpipes, shamrocks, green-hued outfits, and signs declaring “Erin Go Bragh” (Ireland Forever), at least one float featured a canopy of balloons arranged as a huge rainbow. http://www.stpatricksday-sf.com
presented by
http://sfbaytimes.com/
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ince our founding in 1936, Cliff’s Variety has been constantly growing and evolving in response to the needs of our customers. Our buyers strive to keep our selection fresh, on-trend, and competitive.
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We also offer re-keying and lock repair, knife sharpening, glass, acrylic & wood cutting. Light fabrication, pipe threading, and cable crimping are among the many other services we offer at Cliff’s Variety. If your project has gone a little beyond your abilities, we’re here to help.
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