San Francisco Bay Times - May 5, 2022

May 5–18, 2022 http://sfbaytimes.com

Women’s Health Trailblazers See pages 2–5

UCSF/NATIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WOMEN’S HEALTH

Dixie Horning, Judy Young, Nancy Milliken, MD

Women’s Health Trailblazers Pride in San Francisco Having One of the First National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health

Photos courtesy of UCSF/National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health

Readers may wonder why there was very little focus in 1996, when the CoE was founded, on women’s health, gender, culture, ethnicity, and race across the life span. These important issues were not often, or frequently at all, included in medical education or training for healthcare professionals. In addition, women and people of color were rarely included in research studies. It is impossible to cover the CoE’s impact over its 25-year history, but here are some highlights and reflections.

Challenging the Status Quo The LGBTQ community has both directly and indirectly benefited from the CoE’s work and Dr. Milliken’s inclusion and radical thinking. Early in the CoE’s history, Dr. Milliken along with Tracy UCSF/COE executive director Weitz designed the Dixie Horning, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Nancy Milliken, MD first conference on the Centers of Excellence in Washington, DC. Key workshop topics included abortion and lesbian health. The Office of Women’s Health (OWH) thought these topics were too controversial and that there might be backlash if

these topics were included in the conference.

The OWH wanted the topics removed, but Dr. Milliken refused. It was too important to bring these critical issues of comprehensive women’s health to the forefront. There was no backlash. This was not the first or the last time that the CoE challenged the status quo, both directly or indirectly.

In addition to building and running programs directly under Dr. Milliken’s leadership, the CoE advanced women’s health through community partnerships, financial sponsorship, administrative support, development of programs, and mentorship of emerging leaders. Examples include cohosting educational and community conferences such as a Lesbian Health Summit; the first international conference on the intersection of domestic violence and sex trafficking (which included NGOs from the LGBTQI community for the first time); a national academic and community partnership program; and the Young Women’s Health Conference cofounded by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.

Fostering Excellence The CoE was selected to lead a multi-year, multi-million-dollar program, “Fostering Excellence in Women’s Health,” funding partnerships across the country. This program enhanced CoEs with their partnerships with communities. Seven programs out of this cohort were awarded additional funds to implement programs in their local communities.

Programs awarded through this competitive process received national recognition, involved attendance of yearly convenings, and received regular technical assistance and strategic support.

Examples of these programs include: 1) the CoE and school district in Jackson, Mississippi, which created a health education and promotion program to improve nutrition and physical activity in elementary schools

PHOTO BY NOAH BERGER

The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE) was one of the first six federally designated centers created to advance women’s health and transform women’s lives through its sex and gender focus and support of rigorous research, innovative clinical care, educational curricula, inclusive leadership development, and respectful community partnerships. UCSF’s CoE defined the model of transformative change that was implemented nationally, including the 5 key pillars of the model: clinical care, education, research, community engagement, and leadership. Founding Director Dr. Nancy Milliken, who recently announced that she is retiring in 2022, was a key visionary on how to move those agendas across UCSF and across the country. Donors responded to this holistic approach that has sustained the CoE.

Women’s health leaders during a street fair celebrating the 20th anniversary of UCSF’s National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. (2016) (Left to Right) Dixie Horning, executive director, BAYCAT founder Villy Wang, Dr. Nancy Milliken, COE director, Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Dr. Laura Esserman.

and the surrounding community and 2) the CoE, a rural clinic and a domestic violence organization in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which partnered to bring intimate partner violence resources, education, training & capacity building to a rural clinic through the use of telehealth. Specific focus and outreach in North Dakota concerned military families.

UCSF CoE has multiple partnerships in the Bay Area, and one of these is BAYCAT, an organization that addresses racial, gender, and economic inequity by creating powerful, authentic media while diversifying the creative industry. Through the education and employment of low-income youth, young people of color, and young women in the Bay Area, and producing media for sociallyminded clients, BAYCAT is changing the stories that get shared with the world.

The CoE’s longstanding commitment to working in partnership with the Bay Area’s diverse community has been an important thread that has taken many forms throughout the years. Efforts include community education programs such as Mind Over Bladder, Heart Health, Fibroid education, Aging & Sexuality, Women’s Health Today, Teaching Kitchen, and Food as Medicine. There are also equity & justice activities and related

programs such as the Oakland Mutual Aid Collective, Black Healing Sacred Space, the San Francisco Reproductive Justice Summit, and Serenity Art Series. Leadership development programs include the Youth Steering Committee, the Young Women’s Health & Leadership Summit, Innovators in Young Women’s Health, and the Getting Women in Internship Program.

Coordinated Clinical Care in a Centralized Space In 2000, UCSF understood the importance of wraparound coordinated clinical care championed by the CoE model and designated the building at 2356 Sutter as the Women’s Health Center that housed OBGYN, Women’s Primary Care, Mammography, Women’s Imaging, Ultrasound, the Continence Center, the Fibroid Center, as well as the Women’s Health Resource Center.

These programs have now expanded to Mission Bay and other locations throughout the Bay Area. The CoE was also an active participant in the design of the Betty Irene Moore Women’s Hospital at Mission Bay. Dr. Milliken collaborated with many women’sfocused care efforts across the university. (continued on page 22)

Friends and Colleagues Celebrate UCSF’s Nancy Milliken, MD On the announcement of the retirement of Nancy Milliken, MD—Founding Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)—her friends and colleagues looked back on the mentorship and accomplishments of this inspirational leader who has done so much to change women’s healthcare for the better.

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA Director, UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center Alfred A. de Lorimier Endowed Chair in General Surgery Professor of Surgery and Radiology, UCSF I have had the pleasure of working closely with Dr. Milliken since I arrived at UCSF. Nancy is a true leader and visionary. She is the epitome of imagine, conceive, and achieve. She knew that care for women was given short shrift. She imagined that care for women could be personalized and better.

She conceived of a center of excellence and drew other likeminded individuals to work with her as leaders to achieve it. Over the decade she has doggedly pursued excellence in research and care and the attention and importance of her efforts has led to the transformation of women’s health.

She was a champion for me and helped me to navigate the difficulties in creating a comprehensive center for the treatment

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of women with breast cancer. She advocated for the national trials and programs we built that have led to dramatic improvements in the care of women with breast cancer, to do more for those with the most risk (I-SPY TRIAL) and less for those with the least aggressive cancers, to drive improvements in screening, and helping us to launch the WISDOM trial, our national trial testing a personalized approach to breast cancer screening vs. annual screening for all ( https://www.thewisdomstudy.org/ ).

Her amazing leadership skills made all the difference in making it possible to succeed, and she helped to galvanize attention and resources for programs like mine and others as we strove to change the landscape of women’s health.

Villy Wang, JD Founder, President & CEO President, SF Film Commission Dr. Milliken’s core values of inclusion and understanding of the uniqueness of multiple populations drove partnerships, and development of then emerging services such as transgender care and specialties focused on the unique needs.

She was the first OBGYN to be imbedded in the Women’s HIV Health Clinic founded by Dr. Ruth Greenblatt.

Nancy Milliken has been a monumental game changer not only in women’s health, but also for supporting the health and well-

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ness of women in a holistic and inclusive approach. We’ve had the pleasure to work with Nancy, Dixie Horning, and UCSF from BAYCAT Studio’s inception. By being one of our first clients, Nancy helped us develop a model to deepen our partnership and impact by having young women and non-male teenage storytellers share their stories to inspire others. We wouldn’t be here without her dedication, mentorship, and commitment to building long lasting relationships.

Edward Machtinger, MD Professor of Medicine, UCSF Director, Women’s HIV Program Director, Center to Advance Trauma-informed Health Care When I first became director of the Women’s HIV Program at UCSF in 2004, the historic program was in dire straits—it was struggling financially and had no institutional support. Nancy took the program and me under her loving and powerful wing. She loaned me her very capable development officer, mentored me personally and professionally, and provided the program with the institutional blessing of her Center of Excellence.

The program is now stronger and bigger than ever; it is considered a national model of care for women of color living with HIV. We now lead the emerging field of traumainformed health care. And my career has

blossomed in ways I could never have imagined. None of this would have happened without Nancy’s vision and embrace.

Maddie Deutsch, MD Director, USCF Gender Affirming Health Program Primary Care Specialist Nancy has been a key mentor and supporter in our efforts to develop, launch, and grow the UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program. From our early incubation as an embedded service within the Women’s Health Center, our growth over the past 9 years to a stand-alone multidisciplinary facility would not have been possible without Nancy’s wisdom, patience, and guidance.

Daniel Grossman, MD Professor, UCSF Director, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health Nancy has been a mentor to me since I worked with her as an ob/gyn resident in the late 1990s. When I joined the UCSF faculty in 2015 as the director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Nancy opened so many doors and worked tirelessly to make sure that our program—and its focus on abortion research—was recognized by the university for our important contributions to the field. She has also been a strong supporter of our efforts to advance diversity, equity, and

Women’s Health Trailblazers

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)

Honoring a Visionary Women’s Health Champion: UCSF’s Nancy Milliken, MD Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, after which she moved to San Francisco to do a two-year fellowship in medical ethics as part pf the UCSF Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program.

Nancy Milliken, MD, the Founding Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), recently announced that she is retiring in 2022. She is Vice Dean Emerita of the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor Emerita, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and reproductive Sciences.

Dr. Nancy Milliken

Judy Young

Her achievements are many. In 1996, Dr. Milliken led a multidisciplinary team in successfully competing for one of the first National Centers of Excellence (CoE) in Women’s Health designations by the Federal Office of Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Under her leadership, the UCSF CoE has developed multiple partnerships within USCF and the communities it serves and galvanized support for initiatives with impact locally, nationally, and globally.

The CoE’s success, highlighted in this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, has included: advancing research in women’s health, implementing models of comprehensive women-focused clinical care, promoting partnerships with women and their communities on relevant health issues, designing women’s health curricula for the training of the next generation, and developing leadership potential and opportunities for women.

Dr. Milliken earned a B.A. from Harvard, cum laude, and then went to Stanford to do pre-medical courses before entering Duke University Medical School where she received her M.D. degree in 1981. She completed residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at

inclusion at ANSIRH. Nancy is a strategic thought partner, a friend and confidante, and she has helped to amplify the impact of our work in countless ways.

Joyce Dorado, PhD Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences Dr. Milliken has been a superb, longstanding, and beloved mentor to me, promoting my growth over the course of my career. When we needed it most, she was instrumental in buttressing HEARTS (Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools), a program that I cofounded with Dr. Miriam Martinez that has touched the lives of many thousands of students and educators by creating traumainformed, healing centered schools. Dr. Milliken has always gone above and beyond, serving as my “guardian angel” and supporting me through very challenging times. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Milliken for her wisdom, compassion, and generosity of spirit, and I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today if not for her.

Baylee DeCastro, MPP Senior Manager, Pediatrics UCSF School of Medicine Executive Director, UCSF Center for Child and Community Health Original Youth Steering Committee Member, First Young Women’s Health Conference

I first met Nancy 23 years ago as a high school student participating in the Youth Steering Committee for the First Annual Young Women’s Health Conference. I was 15 and reeling from trauma. I skipped school more often than I attended. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I was confused when I was nominated for a city-wide Youth Steering Committee, but soon learned Nancy had instructed teachers to nominate a young person with potential, who wasn’t necessarily a standout leader—someone who might not otherwise have an opportunity. When I met Nancy I had major doubts about my own survival, much less any goals for the future.

Nancy was the first person who saw ability in me. She saw so much more than I could see in myself.

Over the last twenty years, Nancy has made so many introductions to people in her network for me, I could fill a phone book. There wasn’t a number she wouldn’t dial if she thought it would open a door on the journey to my dreams. Today, I’m the Executive Director of the UCSF Center for Child and Community Health. I pinch myself every day—from a kid who didn’t see a path to survival, much less a career in my future, today I get to lead an organization promoting health equity. Today I get to spend my days changing the very systems that could prevent the harm I experienced as a kid. Today, I get to “be the Nancy” for so many young people who walk through our doors, many of whom have experienced violence, so they too can heal and lead change.

Dr. Milliken has received UCSF and national recognition for her accomplishments in advancing women’s health. UCSF recognition includes the Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women, Diversity Champion, Award for Exceptional Leadership and Achievements in Establishing Innovative Women’s Healthcare Models, and the 150 Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award.

Community recognition of Dr. Milliken includes the Blue Cross of California’s Community Service Award, Hunters Point Family’s Women’s Warrior in Building Healthy Communities for Young Women, Friends of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women’s CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), Women’s Human Right’s Award for Health, and the Academy of Women’s Health 2015 Bernadine Healy Award for Visionary Leadership in Women’s Health.

We would also like to now add recognition by the San Francisco Bay Times, given Dr. Milliken’s work that has benefited not only LGBTQ women over the years— including members of our team—but also women throughout the entire Bay Area. While we will miss her at UCSF, we know that her talented teams will honor her legacy and continue to strengthen and evolve the many efforts she initiated.

At a time when I felt powerless, Nancy made me feel like I had the power to lead. At a time when I felt voiceless, she made me feel like my voice was the most important in the room. Nancy was my earliest mentor and she’s my beloved friend and advisor. Her patience, wisdom, integrity, humility, imagination, persistence, and love changed my life.

To this day, when I leave time with Nancy, I feel like nothing is impossible. If I can make a fraction of this difference, with young people and families we partner with through the Center, I’ll know we are making an important difference.

Patricia Robertson, MD Founder, Lyon-Martin Clinic Professor, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Services UCSF School of Medicine Under the leadership of Dr. Milliken, the UCSF Center of Excellence of Women’s Health was an early supporter of the UCSF/ Kaiser Undergraduate Research Internship, often providing stipends for 2 of the 16 under-represented-in-medicine pre- meds from University of California, Berkeley, of whom 15% are LGBT. This program is in its 14th year of providing a summer research experience with clinical shadowing and leadership training with ten years of mentoring. About 70 alums are currently in medical school, nursing school, residency, fellowship, or in practice.

Amy P. Murtha, MD Chair, UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Services Perinatologist In 2018, I accepted the position as Chair for the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and moved across the country to San Francisco.

One of the very first persons to welcome me was Dr. Nancy Milliken. She invited me into her home for dinner and through the course of the evening shared stories and insights about the department and particularly about the Center of Excellence.

I very much appreciated her warm welcome and insider perspective on this department and city that I was soon to call home. What came through that evening were Nancy’s values and passion. As I learned more about the programmatic reach of the CoE, it was clear that this entity, under Nancy’s leadership, had made a considerable impact on our department, UCSF, and the city. This connection and partnership with Nancy greatly impacted my early days as a new leader at UCSF, and as the years have passed, I have continued to see the fruits of her passion for reproductive justice, gender and race concordant care, and equitable access to health care bear fruit for our patients and our community.

Her fierce advocacy and the CoE’s financial support of research and education have sown the seeds for future leaders to develop and continue this work. Nancy is a force of nature, and I look forward to her continued strategic input and thoughtful partnership.

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Women’s Health Trailblazers Vice President Harris Visits UCSF to Support Black Maternal Health Vice President Kamala Harris visited UCSF on April 21 to draw attention to the critical need for addressing disparities nationwide in health care for Black people during pregnancy.

In an afternoon event at the UCSF Rutter Center, Harris met with leaders of EMBRACE, a nearly four-year-old clinical program that was developed to provide perinatal care for Black mothers, Black pregnant individuals, and their families from an intentional angle of racial consciousness.

Her visit included four segments: a personal interaction with an EMBRACE participant during an ultrasound; a group meeting with the current EMBRACE cohort of six expecting or postpartum participants and their partners; a roundtable discussion with physicians, doulas, ​midwives, and other Black care providers to discuss the challenges and joys of their work; and a press conference with other public leaders.

Maternal mortality is not only a health care issue, Harris said: it is also a housing issue, a transportation issue, and an environmental issue.

“We are here today, to lift up the tremendous work that is being done by this group of extraordinary leaders,” she said.

“Here at UCSF, at EMBRACE, you have helped build a model of culturally competent care. You include partners and family members in perinatal care ... . You have brought together extraordinary staff. In being a national model, this is lifting up exactly the design that is necessary to see [across] the planet outcomes that you all have been producing here.”

University of California President Michael Drake, MD, opened the public event, which included comments from Senator Dianne Feinstein; California Lieutenant Governor and UC Regent Eleni Kounalakis; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; EMBRACE Co-Director Andrea Jackson, MD; and an EMBRACE participant, Adrienne Gorrell, who introduced the Vice President. Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also attended, along with other dignitaries.

Inequalities Throughout Pregnancy and Postpartum Spectrum For Black women, pregnancy and postnatal care are widely linked to inequities in access, outcomes, and patient expe-

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riences, across all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels.

While approximately 700 women die each year in the United States due to pregnancy or delivery complications—the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country—Black women bear a disproportionate share of those deaths. They are 3 to 5 times more likely to die during or after pregnancy than white women nationwide, are more likely to suffer from disorders like postpartum depression without clinical intervention, and are subject to more discrimination within the medical field.

By Elizabeth Fernandez

Photos courtesy of UCSF/National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health

The Harris visit brought visibility to those stark inequities by showcasing EMBRACE for the enhanced care and support it provides. With a commitment to a pregnancy and postnatal experience grounded in dignity and respect, EMBRACE engages participants from the 12th week of gestation and continues to support them through the infant’s first year of life. EMBRACE has reached 45 families since it was founded in August 2018.

“Our program is (about) more than just surviving, it’s about thriving,” said Dr. Jackson, a UCSF obstetrician and gynecologist who co-founded EMBRACE. “We celebrate life, we celebrate family, we celebrate joy, Black joy ... . So when you think to yourself what is their secret sauce, why does EMBRACE work? It’s us.”

Creating a New Model of Care The program incorporates yoga, individual and group discussions, wellness activities, blood pressure readings, and “tummy time,” when partners listen through ultrasound to the heartbeat of the fetus.

Embodying elements that set it apart from traditional prenatal care, the program highlights racial responsiveness that addresses racism at the core of Black lives. Social and economic factors that affect participants’ health are identified and acknowledged. All the program’s facilitators are Black, and through their individual experiences, provide support and knowledge inherent to the Black experience. The program integrates mental health and wellness services, and creates prenatal care plans, espousing a true collaboration with patients and integrating patient’s family into prenatal care.

At the Rutter Center event, UC President Drake described EMBRACE as a “wonderful example of how we at the University of California are seeking innovative ways to close health equity gaps and improve the care we provide to patients of all backgrounds.” (continued on page 22)

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Where to begin? Since this is a GLBT news column, our coverage of legal news is geared either to gay and trans cases, or to issues that commonly face our community; freedom of speech, religious freedom, and so forth. We don’t randomly spend time and ink on interesting legal news that falls outside the ambit of our own concerns. Abortion? Well, of course, it’s a matter of some significance to all Americans one way or another. But it’s not exactly up our alley.

Until it is.

Before we start, the leaked opinion in Dobbs v Jackson is a first draft by Sam Alito, written in February. It sounds like him—the worst, meanest, dumbest justice of our lifetimes with the possible exception of Thomas. I haven’t read all 80 something pages, but I’ve read enough to learn that Alito calls Roe “egregiously wrong from the start,” and flatly overrules both Roe and its sister pro-choice ruling, Casey. Even if Alito has four more votes to send us all back to the 1960s, it’s not clear that he has four more votes for this particular draft.

Indeed, most drafts get circulated between the justices several times before they are released as final opinions.

That said, this is a bombshell. The fight over abortion has always been one of degree. When is a fetus viable? When do we impose specific religious beliefs on the entire society? What restrictions comport with Roe and Casey; how far can a state push its anti-abortion statutes?

But have any of us truly imagined that abortion could be completely outlawed throughout most of the country? Have any of us truly imagined that women would be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, even those conceived in rape or incest, and even those that might render a woman infertile or worse? Have any of us truly imagined that the State, rather than the individual, would be placed in charge of the decision to become a parent?

This assault on women’s civil rights is unfathomable, and it directly impacts the future of GLBT rights. Because the Supreme Court has tilted. Not only have the five conservatives gone all in, but someone has fractured two centuries of trust by leaking the decision months ahead of schedule. Comity is gone. Tradition is gone. The Court’s vaunted collegial respect is gone. The guardrails are demolished. Stare decisis is a joke. Now, anything goes.

Could the Court reverse the main GLBT rights cases? I still say no, even as scare headlines about the end of same-sex marriage and the reappearance of sodomy laws fill my

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Several San Francisco Democratic Clubs issued the following joint statement:

Things Fall Apart; The Center Cannot Not Hold

The draft writes that the rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment must be “deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and tradition,” stating that “abortion does not fall within this category ... [as] such a right was entirely unknown in American law.” Aside from the fact that the statement ignores that abortions have been a common practice across the existence of the human race, such language goes far beyond reproductive rights but jeopardizes the 14th Amendment rights for every single person in the United States. This decision will have wide rippling effects that we cannot fathom. The Supreme Court’s position reflects a movement of subverting people’s individual rights, undermining work and voices of advocates, and eliminating the progress we have desperately fought for.

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Politico on May 2 revealed a leaked initial draft majority opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito striking down the landmark 1973 Roe v.

Wade decision guaranteeing federal constitutional protections of abortion rights.

Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr., on May 3 confirmed the authenticity of the opinion and announced an investigation into the source of the leak. The opinion has sparked protests, outrage, and tremendous concern.

Healthcare is a human right, and access to reproductive services, including abortion, are cornerstone of a person’s autonomy. Limited access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion care, is already far too difficult, particularly for members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, those without the financial means to

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SF Democratic Clubs, Women’s Healthcare Leaders Decry Leaked SCOTUS Abortion Opinion

We are appalled and angered by the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion, authored by Justice Alito, which overturns Roe v. Wade.

In his opinion, Justice Alito denigrates Roe v.

Wade, failing to recognize the power granted by the Constitution to protect the fundamental right to privacy of pregnant people under the 14th Amendment, on which Roe v. Wade is based. We wholeheartedly, as we have in the past, condemn cruel and backward positions on basic human rights. An individual’s right to choose to have a safe, medically sound abortion allows them to have autonomy over their own body; it protects their right to privacy; it leaves personal medical decisions to individuals, their families and their doctors.

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The leak happened just days before National Women’s Health Week, May 8–15. The San Francisco Bay Times had already been preparing coverage concerning women’s healthcare leaders, and particularly UCSF’s Nancy Milliken, MD. She and a colleague shared the following words with us upon learning of Alito’s initial draft majority opinion: Nancy Milliken, MD Founding Director, UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health Today is a dark day for U.S. women as their reproductive control and bodily autonomy is greatly diminished, if the leaked draft SCOTUS opinion becomes final. Reproductive control is foundational to women’s educational and economic success and stability as well as their wellbeing and that of their families.

It is astonishing and heartbreaking that we face today the same fight for reproductive rights that defined my entrance into a career advocating for comprehensive health care for women.

We are and must turn our attention to making California a safe haven for women everywhere.

Katherine Brown, MD, MAS UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences If the leaked draft SCOTUS opinion becomes final, I am gravely concerned by the further desecration of human rights in this country.

With this decision people will be forced to travel hundreds of miles to receive care outside of their communities or be forced to continue pregnancies. This is not only an affront to human rights, but also morally compromises physicians who would be blocked from providing evidence-based care to their patients.

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email feed. But it’s worrisome now. Much of our GLBT jurisprudence is based, not on the Equal Protection Clause, but on Due Process, the same rationale that served the Court in Roe v Wade. Due Process protects rights that are “fundamental,” a constitutional term of art that includes rights that are “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition,” or “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.”

But a justice like Alito would have no problem opining that, while the right to marry is fundamental, the right to marry a person of the same sex is not “deeply rooted” in a nation that disallowed such unions for its entire history. Nor would Alito see any of our rights as “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” Far from it.

Semantic games render these essential constitutional tests meaningless to a rogue justice, much as Alito’s draft opinion on abortion brushed aside the notion that a woman’s right to control her own body was a fundamental liberty interest in today’s United States.

If Justice Kennedy had relied directly on the Equal Protection Clause for any of his gay rights opinions, we would be in a stronger position today. But he deliberately kept his rationales narrow and we all celebrated anyway.

Rationale, schmationale. Who cares? We won!

I still say our High Court victories are safe.

While abortion policies can theoretically operate on a state-by-state basis, marriage policies must be uniform throughout the country or risk violating the right to cross state lines. And no state could return to a ban on sodomy if men can marry. I am pretty sure such observations wouldn’t stop Alito, Thomas, and maybe Gorsuch, but this terrible trio will be more likely to erode gay and trans laws by elevating religious freedom to a status above our civil rights. That remains a likely possibility, particularly given this latest news.

The Best Lack All Conviction It’s been a long time since I’ve been inspired to quote “The Second Coming” in one of my headlines. But it rings true as I write this morning. Interestingly, Wikipedia tells me that Yeats wrote the poem at the tail end of the 1918 pandemic, when his wife’s health was fragile due to her pregnancy: “In the weeks preceding Yeats’s writing of the poem, his pregnant wife Georgie HydeLees caught the virus and was very close to death. The highest death rates of the pandemic were among pregnant women—in some areas, they had up to a 70 percent death rate.”

Wow. Aren’t you glad we’re not living in 1919?

Oh, wait.

One insidious dimension of the Alito mindset is the notion that this ruling will simply return the issue of abortion to the states, where the will of the people can determine policy instead of handing such an onerous burden to the courts. We’re a democracy, after all. Who can argue with “letting the people decide”?

Leaving aside the idea that courts are there to protect us from the tyranny of the majority by enforcing constitutional rights, the days when state legislatures reflected the will of the people seem long gone. Has there ever been a clamoring for a ban on transgender girls in high school sports? Was the public up in arms over puberty blockers or discussions of slavery in history class? Did the citizens of Oklahoma demand that the governor outlaw the use of non-binary notations on birth certificates?

Yes, there’s a conservative minority in many red states that eats this sort of thing up. But basically, the hard right is taking over legislatures and Republican governors are competing to make the splashiest cannonballs. In truth, most people don’t care that much about GLBT issues, and blanket bans on abortion may well cruise through red state legislatures despite public ambivalence.

The Worst Are Full of Passionate Intensity How shall we explain the latest High Court move to force the city of Boston to fly a Christian flag on one of its three city hall flagpoles? Two lower courts agreed that Boston was within its rights to reject the flag based on the implication that the city was biased in favor of a specific religion. But on May 2, the justices unanimously ruled that this particular flagpole was a public forum, given that Boston had previously given permission to every other flag request without exception.

I don’t know. This was a close one, because it’s true that Boston may not discriminate if it really follows a “come one, come all” policy. But Boston had never been asked to raise a religious flag before, and it makes sense that passersby would assume a flag in front of city hall represents government-approved speech.

Writing for the majority, Justice Breyer said that the public could figure out that this flagpole featured a rotation of private messages that did not carry the weight of the city. But that would only apply to those discerning members of the public who checked out the flagpole on a regular basis, right?

We condemn our opponents for raising slippery slope arguments that descend into absurdity, and I’m assuming that Boston can reject hate symbols like swastikas without penalty.

But what about a confederate flag, or a big Q

for Qanon? What would the High Court have said to a Muslim flag or something from the Church of Satan? What would the justices have asked the lawyers for a Muslim football coach who prayed aloud to Allah on the fiftyyard line after every game?

As The New York Times’ Adam Liptak pointed out in an article last year, the Court’s religious freedom jurisdiction has shifted over the last few decades from protecting minority faiths to advancing Christianity. Instead of making sure that a company can’t fire a Jewish employee for leaving early on Friday or ruling that Muslim prisoners may wear beards, they have turned their attention to conservative Christians, raising the concerns of the hyper-faithful above those of gay customers, government health insurers, same-sex foster parents, non-Christian football players, or taxpayers who foot the bill for sectarian schools or church playgrounds.

I’m projecting on some of those pending cases, like the Christian coach who wants to pray with his players, but the trend is clear. The Court is set to hear a case out of a Colorado next session that will determine whether a web designer can limit her future wedding clientele to heterosexuals. And under the circumstances, who would bet against her?

Naughty Dolphins!

It’s tough to bring a chatty mentality to the end of this column, although I did just read about some randy male dolphins who captured an anaconda, dragged it into the water, and toyed with it until it died. The dolphins all had erections, which perplexed the scientific observers.

Were they turned on by the snake game? Had they been fooling around before they caught the snake? The article then devolved into a discussion of gay male dolphin antics, including a description of how one dolphin tried to penetrate a whale in the blowhole when it came up for air. Goodness!

The Church of Scotland is going to allow same-sex marriages, so that’s nice. One of the murderers of gay men in Sydney confessed in open court, admitting that he threw American mathematician Scott Johnson off a cliff in 1988 for fear that his own homosexuality would become public. Scott White, 51, faces 12 years in prison, which seems light considering he’s been free for the last three decades or so.

And the current Jeopardy! champ is a lesbian, Mattea Roach, who has won 20 matches so far. You recall, of course, our recent transgender champ, Amy Schneider, who won 40 in a (continued on page 22)

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Everything, Everywhere, All at Once Eagle Plaza, and acted as a send-off for the local IML contestants.

In Case You Missed It Joanie Juster After two years of minimal opportunities to gather, to celebrate, to volunteer, to entertain or be entertained, events are back in a big way, popping up everywhere as fast as spring wildflowers. Like the current movie, it seems like we’re juggling everything, everywhere, all at once. Nobody can take part in every event (although there are some folks who certainly seem to have found a way), but there are plenty of excellent choices out there for both having fun and helping out.

The Quilt Returns at 35: How You Can Take Part

On May 7, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District will be celebrating its 4th birthday at Audacious Anniversary from 5–9 pm at the Folsom Street Foundry. The public is invited to this decidedly adults-only community event featuring food from MamaBear’s Kitchen, demos by four local BDSM clubs, and entertainment. Then, on May 14, the District will continue its successful run of SOMA Second Saturdays! Details of both events are on the District’s Facebook page: https://tinyurl.com/sflcd And the Bare Chest Calendar Finals are here at last. After two months of preliminary trials, contestants will compete on May 7 at DNA Lounge for the honor of being on the 2023 calendar. Larry Rich, coordinator for the Bare Chest Calendar, said: “It has been a challenge recruiting men for the Calendar as we exit pandemic mode, but the guys who chose to compete this year are very motivated to raise funds for our beneficiaries. We look forward to seeing them on the ‘big stage’ as we select Team 2023!”

These men have worked hard to support the programs for PRC’s clients, who have faced urgent and increased need during COVID, and PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program (formerly AEF) has seen exponential growth in need. Support them and have some fun at the finals on 5/7 at 3:30 pm. https://barechest.org/ #Letters4TransKids

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The National AIDS Memorial will mark the 35th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt with an outdoor display in Golden Gate Park that will feature nearly 3,000 panels of the Quilt. The free public event will take place on June 11 & 12 in Robin Williams Meadow and in the National AIDS Memorial Grove. The two-day event, presented by Gilead Sciences, will be the largest display of the Quilt in over a decade and the largest-ever in San Francisco history.

Here are several ways to take part in this historic event; for details see https://tinyurl.com/Quilt35PC

T H E N EW WO R L D O F B U S I N E S S DATE: JUNE 17, 9AM-4PM

VENUE: SOMARTS 934 BRANNAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO

EXPERIENCE THE

NEW WORLD 2022 will not be Business as usual and GGBA is focused on being a change agent to ensure our LGBTQ and allied members experience new connections & opportunities

REGISTER NOW

GGBAPOWERCONNECT.COM

AN N FF R RA AN NC C II SS C CO O B BA AY Y A AR RE EA A ’’ SS SS A

GB B TT Q Q ++ C CH H AA M MB B EE R R O O FF C CO OM MM M EE R RC C EE LL G

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• Request a Panel: Would you like to request that a particular panel be displayed? A limited number of requests may be accommodated, if submitted by May 10.

• Make a Panel: The Quilt is an ongoing project; new panels are always welcome. Panelmaking workshops will be held during May, as well as on site at the display. Visit the aforementioned website for more details.

• Volunteer: Many hands are needed to make this display possible. Sign up now on the website.

• Read Names: The names of people represented in the Quilt will be read continuously throughout the display on both June 11 and 12. The ceremonial reading of names is an integral part of Quilt displays, and is a deeply moving experience. Sign up on the website.

Leather, Leather, Everywhere The Leather community has been out in full force lately, embracing the return of opportunities to gather in person. On April 24, crowds gathered at the Eagle for the first annual Leather Pride Flag Day. Created by Mr. Eagle Leather 2022 Ghee Phua and co-hosted by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District and the Eagle, this inaugural event brought together the Bay Area’s leather and kink community to celebrate the creation of the leather pride flag and the life of its creator, Tony DeBlase.

The event was also a fundraiser for the upkeep of the leather pride flag in

In case you have any doubts that one person can make a difference, may I present Ina Fried, a San Franciscobased trans journalist who decided that if state legislatures all over the country were attacking trans kids, she would throw those kids a lifeline—and offer the rest of us a way to help.

On April 10, Ina Fried tweeted, “It’s been a rough time for trans and nonbinary youth. I wanted to find a way to show them support, and #letters 4transkids was what I came up with.

I hope you will join me by posting a message of encouragement to these amazing young people and tagging it #letters4transkids.”

Fried’s appeal went viral, and thousands of supportive letters have poured in from all over the world, filled with messages of love, hope, comfort, and support. You can view many of the letters on Fried’s Twitter feed (@inafried), as well as posting your own. Not on Twitter? Not to worry; you can email a photo of your letter, and she will post it for you: lettersfortranskids@gmail.com Kindness is free. These kids need all the love and support we can give them. Please join me in sending support to trans kids.

Another Way to Help Trans Kids: Enter The Matrix Polish up your credit cards for a oneof-a-kind fundraiser to help trans kids—from the writers and directors of The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski.

Troubled by the relentless onslaught of vicious and harmful anti-trans legislation being passed across the country, the Wachowski sisters, who are both trans women, decided to do something about it. Lilly Wachowski announced on Twitter: “Hi youse! So me and Lana have been doing some spring cleaning at our Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse and have happily decided to pass on some of the best treasures we’ve been collecting over the years!! No ark of the covenants, but some pretty major and magical artifacts!” Enter the Matrix: The Wachowski Collection features 180 items from their films and tele-

vision projects that would be the envy of any film collector. All proceeds benefit the Protect and Defend Trans Youth Fund, an organization founded in March by pop star Ariana Grande that supports a series of organizations across the country that advocate for or provide direct services for trans youth.

Absentee bids are now being accepted, and the live auction is set to begin on Thursday, May 12. Dive into The Matrix and do some serious shopping to help trans kids: https://tinyurl.com/fMatrixFTK Or to donate directly to the fund (the first $1.5 million will be matched): https://tinyurl.com/PDTYF2 Bayard Rustin Coalition Seeks Participation for New Survey The Bayard Rustin Coalition (BRC) is seeking help from the public for a research project survey coordinated by the California Healthcare Foundation. The purpose of the survey is to better understand the experiences and attitudes of Black Californians on quality-of life issues.

The results will be used to inform public policy and academic scholarship.

BRC is seeking the participation of California residents who identify as Black, African American, or of African descent—especially those who may have intersectional identities and perspectives not often represented in research. Intersectional identities might include, but are not limited to, community members who identify as LBGTQIA+, come from an immigrant background, are under 25 years old, or over 75 years old.

If you live in California, identify as Black, and would like to participate in the survey, please register for the survey: https://tinyurl.com/brcchf Representation Matters: Yes, ANOTHER Jeopardy! Story You can be forgiven if you did not have the intersection of Lesbian Visibility Week and tv’s popular game show Jeopardy! on your 2022 bingo card. But it’s true: just a few weeks after the country was transfixed by the historic winning streak of trans contestant Amy Schneider, another woman is rocking Jeopardy!—a brilliant 23-year old lesbian from Canada named Mattea Roach. As of press time she has won 21 games for a total of $506,584, a remarkable streak that puts her in rarified territory among Jeopardy! champions. And with her tats, nose rings, and youthful exuberance (“I just paid off my student loans!” she gasped, after her second win), she is blazing new trails on the show that has been a bastion of mainstream American entertainment for nearly 60 years. As she said, “I guess what I didn’t realize is maybe I could become the super champion I wanted to see in the world.”

Go out and spread some kindness, folks—the world needs more of it.

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

June 7, 2022 Primary Election Overview and Recommendations

Louise “Lou” Fischer As noted in almost every one of my columns for the past six months, San Francisco has four elections this year because of corruption, resignations, political appointments, vacancies, blah blah blah. Now that the two crazy, madcap Special Elections are over, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming of a Primary on June 7 and a General on November 8. If Victorian poet and playwright Robert Browning were still alive, he’d proclaim that “God’s in his heaven. All’s right with the [political] world.”

Absentee ballots drop on May 9; a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot will be sent to every active registered voter in California. San Francisco City Hall will be open for voting starting on May 9 and during the two weekends before Election Day. If you are an Election Day purist (or committed Luddite), all polling places are open for VBM drop-off and in-person voting on June 7 from 7 am to 8 pm. Elections have consequences so don’t be a jerk; send in your ballot.

Federal and State Elections (Open Seats)

Most of the races have incumbents who are doing just fine and there’s no need to fire them:

U.S. House of Representatives, CD15: Kevin Mullin is running to replace retiring Congresswoman Jackie Speier; we will miss her indestructible spirit. In my alternate world, she was the inspiration for Chumbawamba’s song “Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down).” She survived being shot five times in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana; at this point, she could have a grand piano fall on her from the top of the Salesforce Tower and walk away with nothing more than a piano wire and a black key stuck in her hair.

U.S. House of Representatives, CD11: Nancy Pelosi, because voting against the Speaker of the House is not cool.

U.S. Senate: Alex Padilla. Due to California’s quirky law regarding vacant seats in the U.S. Senate, Alex Padilla will appear twice on the same ballot: once for the special Senate election to finish out current Vice President and former Senator Kamala Harris’ term (which expires on January 3, 2023) and the other for his full six-year term, so vote for him twice. Special shout-out to Governor Gavin Newsom for consolidating the Senate vacancy elections with the regular election cycle.

Governor: Gavin Newsom Lt. Governor: Eleni Kounalakis California Secretary of State: Shirley Weber California Treasurer: Fiona Ma California Attorney General: Rob Bonta California Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond State Assembly, District 17: Matt Haney decisively trounced David Campos on April 19 and while David is on the ballot due to the timing of the filing deadline, he announced that he is not running so you don’t have any other choice.

State Assembly, District 19: Phil Ting is running against a Republican, to whom I say, “Good luck with that.” It’s Phil’s final term; the only question is whether he’ll go out with a bang or a whimper.

California Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber is running against San Francisco’s own Michela Alioto-Pier, and as much as I love all the Aliotos, the former Assemblymember gets the edge for her years of experience with state budgets.

California Controller: Malia Cohen. San Francisco’s own former Supervisor and current rep on the Board of Equalization has a tough race with formidable opponents, so give her your vote.

San Francisco Elections City Attorney: David Chiu is on the ballot to serve the remainder of the term of former City Attorney, Dennis Herrera. Vote for him now and then again in November of 2023.

Local Ballot Measures Some are good and some are very bad, once you read the fine print.

Prop A - Muni and Street Safety Bond: YES, because investing in public transit is the only way to keep the system safe and functional.

Prop B - Building Inspection Commission: A tepid “YES,” but I’m not sure; it’s supposed to root out the entrenched web of corruption, but how about just appointing Commissioners who aren’t corrupt?

Prop C - Recall Timelines and Vacancy Appointments: NO; this is a solution looking for a problem while subverting democracy at the same time. It’s a disaster—vote NO. Prob D - Office of Victim and Witness Rights; Legal Services for Domestic Violence Victims: YES; this will provide a much needed and long overdue city office dedicated to supporting crime victims and witnesses. Full disclosure, I’m one of the signatories on the official ballot argument so hell yeah, vote YES. Proposition E - Behested Payments: NO - Another overreaction and over-correction to “corruption,” it’s well-intended but will do more harm than good, especially in disenfranchised communities; vote NO. Proposition F - Refuse Collection and Disposal: YES - This measure is long overdue; Recology has ridden a gravy train for 90 years without any form of ratepayer advocacy, audits, or transparency. As a regulator in my day-job, I’d be remiss not to endorse this.

Proposition G - Public Health Emergency Leave: NO - Oy vey, I hate these types of measures: wellintentioned, seems like a good idea, but it’s not. Businesses in the city already mandate paid sick leave, so we don’t need this and it could have negative consequences.

Proposition H - Recall Measure Regarding Chesa Boudin:

WIKIPEDIA/MRBEASTMODEALLDAY

Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History

Federal and State Elections (Incumbents)

San Francisco City Hall in red, white and blue colors for Election Day

YES - I’m not a fan of recalls; if you don’t like the guy, vote him out when he runs for re-election. While I didn’t support Chesa Boudin in the last election, I agree that the criminal justice system needs to be reformed. Unfortunately, he isn’t the guy to do it. A District Attorney is less of a lawyer and more of a Manager, and his chaotic management, political and ideological bad decisions, and record turnover point to his poor performance. This is not an “experiment” to which we need to give more time. Lives have been lost and more are at stake every day.

Don’t be a flake, vote on or before June 7, 2022.

Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and has served as an appointed and elected Delegate for the State Democratic Party. She is a proud graduate of the Emerge California Women’s Democratic Leadership program, was a San Francisco Commissioner, and has served in leadership positions in multiple nonprofit and communitybased organizations.

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Want to Live Abroad? Make Sure Your Money Is Ready partners that let you easily access your money when you’re out of the country. Health insurance is a different story, though, as Medicare, the ACA, and many domestic providers do not cover medical expenses outside the U.S. You may need to get an international health insurance policy if the country where you live part-time does not provide public healthcare that you can access.

Money Matters Brandon Miller

A Venn diagram of romantics and pessimists probably wouldn’t have much overlap, but both groups seem to dream of living abroad. Romantics read A Moveable Feast or The Motorcycle Diaries or Eat, Pray, Love and see themselves leaving familiar shores for more exotic places to call home. Pessimists don’t like the direction the country is headed in and dream of moving someplace cheaper and more in line with their views.

Whether you want to embrace a new country or run away from this one, moving abroad gives you lots to think through, including your housing, banking, and healthcare. Thorough planning can go a long way in making your transition to expat go more smoothly.

One thing many of my clients are surprised about is that Uncle Sam still expects some love come April 15.

U.S. citizens need to file a return and pay taxes on any worldwide income regardless of where they reside.

Foreign financial accounts must be reported to the IRS, even if they don’t generate any taxable income.

Some other considerations before you start packing: Will you live abroad all year or just part time? Living overseas doesn’t have to be all or nothing. As a part-timer, you may not need to sell your U.S. house or buy a foreign one.

Your current bank may have global

Living abroad fulltime generally requires more decisions. Should you sell your U.S. house or rent it out for extra cash? Is it better to rent or buy a home (if possible) in your new country? You’ll most likely need to open an account at a bank where you’ll be living. Does it also make sense to hold onto an American bank account and credit card, as not all foreign banks offer the same amenities? And if your country of choice provides public medical care, should you supplement it with international health insurance for the flexibility to visit private hospitals and clinics?

What type of visa do you need?

Your destination and the purpose of your stay will determine what’s required. An entry visa may suffice for students and tourists, while a resident visa may be needed to own property, get work, etc. If you plan to work while abroad, see if you qualify for a work visa. Better yet, get a company to transfer you to where you want to live and have them handle immigration details.

Permanent residency visas let you stay indefinitely in foreign countries that offer these. Just know that being able to show financial independence is a requirement for obtaining a visa for many countries, as they don’t want you moving there and becoming a burden on their system.

Do you want dual citizenship?

Why forfeit your U.S. citizenship when you can have your cake and eat it too? Some countries allow “golden passports” where you can buy your way into citizenship and others let you become a citizen if your ancestor was born there. Being a citizen of two countries can give you more flexibil-

ity and options when you travel. And hey, you’ll get another crack at taking a flattering passport photo.

Do you want to buy or rent? Your country of choice will determine if owning is even possible. If you’re able to buy, cash is king, of course. But if you need financing, know that foreign banks may require a steep downpayment and charge a much higher interest rate then what you see in the U.S. You may also owe taxes when you buy the house and again if you sell, as well as having ongoing tax payments much like our property taxes.

The internet has lots of great tools to help you determine the rules and myriad requirements you’ll have to complete before booking passage to your new life. Just remember to do plenty research before you go about fulfilling your expat dream or hitting the ejector button on your American life.

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 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 (continued on page 22)

Plan to Avoid Probate

Trust Essentials Jay Greene, Esq., CPA What Is Probate?

You’ve probably heard about probate, but do you know what it is? Probate is the legal procedure that occurs when someone dies so their assets can be evaluated by a court and then distributed accordingly. This process can take up to nine months or longer, and will cost at least 3–6% of the total value from the estate. Probate often takes more time than anticipated, and it causes unnecessary emotional and financial stress for the family members of the decedent.

The Probate Process The last thing most people want to do is interact with a court after a loved one has passed away. Unfortunately, the courts will have to be involved, and there are many steps required to complete a probate: 10

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1. Confirm if the decedent has a Will.

2. Order the original death certificate. The original death certificate, or a copy of the death certificate, will be required at most banks and other organizations.

3. File a petition in probate court.

Once filed, the court should appoint the executor named in the Will.

If there is no Will, the court will appoint an administrator to distribute the estate.

4. Locate the decedent’s assets. Assets can include different types of bank accounts, real property, safe deposit boxes, vehicles, jewelry, etc. Tracking down all these assets can take months if it is not clear what the decedent owned.

5. Verify and pay all outstanding creditor claims filed during the probate. Also pay the decedent’s outstanding taxes from the last tax year they lived through.

6. The executor/administrator may now distribute the remaining assets to the heirs and/or beneficiaries once all liabilities have been paid.

7. Complete an accounting of the estate. This will need to be approved by probate court as well. Once approved, the court will close the file and the probate will be finished.

As you can see, there are many steps that need to be followed, and this is just the standard procedure. It is common that a person’s probated estate will present challenges and obstacles that make probate even more of a headache.

How to Avoid Probate Yes, probate can be avoided, and it is not as difficult as you may expect.

Creating a plan for your future is the best way to ensure your assets and loved ones are planned for. Our firm specializes in Trust planning. Trusts allow you full control over who gets your stuff, when they get your stuff, and how they get your stuff. The best part is Trusts allow you to avoid probate entirely. If you want an effective plan, then creating a Trust is your best option.

Do you want to learn more about Trusts and avoiding probate? Please reach out to our office so you can start planning for your future!

Statements In Compliance with California Rules of Professional Conduct: The materials in this article have been prepared by 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, Esq., 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.

To learn more and to schedule an appointment, visit https://assetprotectionbayarea.com/

Message from Leadership

Power Connect 2022 The New World of Business GGBA CALENDAR

By Krystal Drwencke, DC Join us in person on June 17th for GGBA’s Annual Signature event, now known as Power Connect 2022!

The GGBA (Golden Gate Business Association) is now doing business as usual as we aim to bring our business community members together (in person!) to facilitate more business skills, more connections, business-to-business matchmaking, and curated experiences to make sure we have some fun as well. Power Connect 2022 will be held at SOMArts in San Francisco, the perfect venue for the “power programming” we have come to love, in an intimate setting for our members, certified LGBTQ+ Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs), and corporate partners.

What’s on the Agenda Attendees will get to choose from one of two breakout sessions held back-to-back.

We’ll be hearing from experts as part of panel discussions during each breakout: • Competing in Today’s Ever-changing Environment: Endemic and Beyond • Systemic Shifts: Recruiting and Maintaining Employees • Building Your Business in the New World - Metaverse • Supplier Diversity: I’m Certified, Now What?

Plan for a full day with registration starting at 8 am and networking going through the early afternoon until 3 pm. A wide variety of food and libations will be provided as well as GGBA member offerings such as wine, whiskey, coffee, and chocolate tasting and entertainment throughout the event.

Matchmaking and Networking Opportunities

After lunch we will head into four different styles of matchmaking and networking: • Strategic Corporate Connections Matchmaking • Member to Member Speed Networking • Table Top Pitchfest • Virtual Booths and In-person Meet and Greet in the Art Gallery How to Get the Most Out of the Event Register for the event and build out your profile in advance on the GGBA app. After you register, you will be prompted to add images, videos, and members from your business team. You will be able to schedule matchmaking appointments, book tasting experiences during lunch, and reach out to others who are attending to ensure that you can connect with them before, during, and after the event.

Should I Attend?

Power Connect 2022 aims to empower those who wish to grow their businesses, find and showcase procurement opportunities, recognize certified LGBTBE business leaders, and facilitate networking with other GGBA member (and future member) businesses. If your goal is to grow your business in the ever-changing landscape of today’s small business economy, the GGBA is creating this event for you.

With Power Connect 2022, we will also celebrate queer culture. We will lift up voices that aim to show how diversity can not only be celebrated, but also create more successful businesses that will pave the way for the future.

The GGBA invites small business owners, community members, employees of our corporate sponsors, and aspiring entrepreneurs to join the room and see what the day will bring. The thing I love most about San

GGBA Member Spotlight Since the end of February 2022, Suzanne Ford has served as the Interim Executive Director of San Francisco Pride. Her leadership, along with that of President Carolyn Wysinger, has made the organization woman-strong during an important year when the 52-year-old organization is preparing for its first in-person Pride Parade and Celebration since 2019. Ford, who previously served on the boards of Trans Heartline and the Spahr Center, is more than up for the daunting tasks ahead.

An advocate for the transgender and gender nonconforming communities, Ford has plenty of nonprofit as well as small business savvy. The Owensboro, Kentucky, native owned a coffee house in Louisville before moving to the Bay Area about 14 years ago.

SF Pride crowd at Main Stage

Francisco is that you never know whom you will meet or what you will do together.

That’s worth a day in anyone’s schedule, especially as we also get to celebrate Pride month more fully this year.

Okay, Where Do I Get Tickets?

I thought you’d never ask. Please register here: https://tinyurl.com/yc2jbzpe Early bird registration is available until May 17th!

Some sponsorships are still available.

Please email our executive director at terry@ggba.com to set up a quick call.

Thank You! The GGBA wouldn’t exist without your engagement and support. As a board member for the last 6 years, I serve with the mission to bring opportunity, development, and advocacy for our LGBTQ+ and Allied business family. Let’s grow our community stronger together in the new world of business.

Dr. Krystal Drwencke, DC, is owner of Ascent Sports Chiropractic in San Francisco. She helps people recover from all types of injuries and keeps them doing the activities they love for a lifetime. Ascent is a sports chiropractic and rehabilitation clinic that utilizes patient centered education to help people understand their bodies and injuries. By conducting a thorough assessment, we design treatment specific to the individual.

Treatments address soft tissue, joint, and movement issues to get people out of pain and achieve both their short- and longterm movement goals. https://www.ascentsportschiro.com/

Suzanne Ford, Interim Executive Director of SF Pride

GGBA: Tell us about San Francisco Pride and its business structure.

Suzanne Ford: San Francisco Pride is an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization.

The mission of SF Pride’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender Committee is to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people. Before the pandemic, SF Pride annually welcomed over a million attendees to San Francisco for the parade and festival on the last weekend of June. While we’ve continued to celebrate Pride during the last two years, we cannot wait to take back Market Street and San Francisco’s Civic Center!

GGBA: In a nutshell, how did SF Pride start, and what drew you to it?

Suzanne Ford: Crazy queer people came together 52 years ago to protest for our rights while showing our fabulous community to the world here in San Francisco. I grew up knowing that if I came here, I would find my people. I want SF Pride to be here for generations to come in order to provide a beacon of hope.

Thursday, May 5 Boost Your Business Growth Through Brand Building 9 am–10 am Virtual/Webinar Brand. When you hear the word, what do you think of? Is it just a compelling logo or tagline?

How does your brand impact your business bottom-line? In this Partner Digital Series workshop hosted by Google and Canva during National Small Business Week, we’ll be exploring what makes a strong brand, why it’s important for your business, and how to create a style guide and brand kit to build better brand consistency and attract more customers. https://tinyurl.com/3nrpuztc Thursday, May 5 Preparing to Pop-Up 2 pm–3:30 pm Join the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center and the GGBA for a virtual workshop that will teach you how to identify the tools and resources you need to Pop-Up while helping you navigate the necessary permits you must obtain. https://tinyurl.com/3ackanjw Friday, May 20 GGBA Ambassador Club 5:30 pm–6:30 pm Location TBD The GGBA Ambassador Club helps celebrate and support LGBTQ+ and allied businesses in the Bay Area and is open to all GGBA members. https://tinyurl.com/nhpeenp3 Friday, June 17 GGBA’s Annual Event: Power Connect 2022 9 am–4 pm SOMArts 934 Brannan Street, SF Everything is different in 2022, it seems, so we’ll be tackling big issues under the theme “The New World of Business,” with highly curated experiences centering on the interests and needs of our member businesses and corporate partners.

Some of the new elements we are introducing are: strategic networking with Business-to-Business and Business-to-Corporation Matchmaking; food and drink options hosted by our local members; keynotes and workshops focused on supplier diversity, the challenges and opportunities of the future, and tools for success in the new world of business.

Tickets: $95 for Members ($70 Early Bird Ends on May 17!); $125 for Non-Members https://tinyurl.com/bddwzwj6

Suzanne Ford

GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to inf luence your work here for the LGBTQ community?

Suzanne Ford: Theresa Sparks, current Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, is my role model. She used her experience in private business to work tirelessly for the trans community. I hope to do the same.

Additionally, social activist Nikki Calma, also known as Tita Aida, has paved the way for trans people at SF Pride. I can always count on her support and she has been a tremendous help through my own work at SF Pride.

GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?

become even more integrated into the LGBTQ+ business community of San Francisco. I look forward to connecting with the queer entrepreneurs of the city for important discussions.

GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your work so far?

Suzanne Ford: Being a member of GGBA enabled us to connect with members regarding SF Pride’s return to an in-person celebration this year. We look forward to finding more allies in the group for our work, building and strengthening our partnership with GGBA members. https://sfpride.org/

Suzanne Ford: We are new members! I was excited to join so that SF Pride could

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DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

April 28 Divas & Drinks @ ‘Betty & Donna’s Birthd for The Rainbow Hono

Where are the women in the Castro? On Thursday, April 28 allies of all gender identities celebrating the birthdays of "Be Editor Dr. Betty Sullivan and columnist, philanthropist, and produced by Co-Publisher/Editor Jennifer Viegas in conjunc

PHOTO BY RINK

Escorted via a motorcade through the Castro neighborhood b a bright blue Mustang GT convertible to a welcome by CHEE Special thanks to Dykes on Bikes President Kate Brown, Laura the guests of honor in true Castro style.

Sparky's Balloons decorated The Academy’s outdoor garden patio w Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, conducted by Artistic Director and Bay Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) directed by Drum Major Mike W of the band and was accompanied by surprise guest Heidi Beeler, a band

The event's Co-Emcees were Carolyn Wysinger, SF President. They skillfully led the program througho

Mayor London Breed was the featured speaker alon Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, along with Mayor B Betty and Donna, with the Mayor joking that hers w who is a former Bay Times columnist.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila curate Pride 2019 issue, featuring Mayor Breed on the cov with volunteers, raised funds for the Rainbow Hono contributed items for the event’s raffle and live auct

The evening culminated with The Divas & Drinks iHeartRadio's DJ Christie James, presented by Oliv the returning champions, Team GGBA, led by Cap Jay Greene and Guaranteed Rate's Garret Groenve March led by captain Sophia Andary and with team Selam Tekle Asmerom. Team GGBA prevailed and the next event. Team Women's March will hopefull

Guests received goodie bags and a keepsake sandsto Audry deLucia and Fran Herman, commemorating

Be sure to mark your calendars for the next Divas & featured guests will include representatives of the Sa and promote their upcoming LGBT Night to be hel Saturday, June 18. https://www.academy-sf.com/

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

View Dan Ashley's ABC7 News report about the ev http://sfbaytimes.com/

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8, they were at The Academy SF along with friends and etty's List" founder and San Francisco Bay Times Co-Publisher/ d renowned entertainer Donna Sachet. The event was ction with The Academy’s Nate Bourg.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

where serenades were presented by an ensemble of the San y Times columnist Dr. Tim Seelig, and the San Francisco Wong. SFLGFB president Julie Williamson spoke on behalf d member and PR maven who currently lives in Canada.

FACEBOOK/HEIDI BEELER

by leaders of Dykes on Bikes®, Betty and Donna arrived in ER SF and a cluster of photographers and videographers. a Martell, and Marla Foreman for their help in transporting

F Pride President, and Gary Virginia, SF Pride Former out the evening with entertaining banter.

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ed a copy of the San Francisco Bay Times ver, and it was presented to her. He, along or Walk. For a complete list of those who tion, see page 15.

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ng with ABC7 News anchor Dan Ashley.

Breed, presented commendations to were larger than that of the Supervisor,

Name That Tune contest with via Travel. Competing teams included ptain Krystal Drwencke and teammates eld competed against Team Women’s mmates Kudrat Dutta Chaundhar and d will return to complete once again at ly return in a few months, so stay tuned!

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one drink coaster, crafted by ellaprint's g the memorable evening.

& Drinks on Thursday, May 26, when an Francisco Opera who will perform ld at the War Memorial Opera House on

FACEBOOK/LAWRENCE LIN FACEBOOK/DAVID ALEXANDER DIAZ

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FACEBOOK/HEIDI BEELER

FACEBOOK/HEIDI BEELER

FACEBOOK/LAWRENCE LIN

vent at

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DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

Photos by Rink

A Vision of Loveliness - Remarks and Introduction of Donna Sachet

By Dr. Betty Sullivan

all over the U.S. and around the globe talking about media literacy and First Amendment education. And, I never did have butterflies. Then I moved San Francisco in 1995, and got shy on my first time to stand before a room full of lesbians in the backroom of a club not far from here. Well, tonight is another one of those rare butterfly experiences, so please bear with me.

Then, Liz decided she wanted to have her photo taken with this “Donna,” and since that very day I have been friends with the “vision of loveliness” whom we met there. That was more than twenty-five years ago.

But, regardless of butterflies, I have a few things to tell you about. When I arrived here, gay men were the first to welcome me. That’s true. Then, hundreds ... no, make that thousands ... of lesbians welcomed me subsequently. Among them were Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon who opened their arms and their hearts with welcome. I am so grateful to have known Del and Phyllis, and very much look forward to seeing Phyllis’ plaque when it is placed on the Rainbow Honor Walk next to Del’s.

Dr. Betty Sullivan and Donna Sachet at Hotel Whitcomb during the Pride Brunch (2006)

(Editor's Note: "Betty's List" founder Dr. Betty Sullivan, who is the publisher of the San Francisco Bay Times, presented these remarks as an introduction to performer and tireless philanthropist Donna Sachet at the April 28 fundraiser for The Rainbow Honor Walk held at The Academy in the Castro. The event, also a joint celebration of the birthdays of Betty and Donna, was attended by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and Mayor London Breed, who both honored Betty and Donna. Betty, in turn, was very proud to introduce Donna, whom she has known, worked with, and greatly admired for over three decades.

To all of you who have come to The Academy, I want to say thank you for this community I so enjoy, and thank you to each of you for being here this evening and for supporting my work for BACW (Bay Area Career Women), at MECCA Ladies Night, through “Betty’s List,” the San Francisco Bay Times, and the list goes on. I am very proud to have served for six full years on the board of the Golden Gate Performing Arts/San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

To begin, I want to say a big thank you to Jennifer Viegas, who is co-publisher and editor along with me of the San Francisco Bay Times, for her vision and hard work making this evening happen.

Jen, thank you for all that you have done for this celebration and for all that you do each and every day. Thanks to you, each issue of the San Francisco Bay Times we produce rises to a new level of excellence.

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Donna Sachet with Callie Herren at the Pride Brunch (2018) MAY 5 , 2 0 2 2

Now I want to tell you a story I believe you will appreciate.

Not long after I relocated from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, my daughter Liz, who was then a teenager, experienced her first time seeing a drag queen while we were shopping in the produce section at the Castro Safeway.

Liz was just fascinated by that.

So, the very next evening, I took Liz with me to an awards show known as the Cable Car Awards. You remember those very special awards that began back in the early 1980s? It was there that Liz and I saw a “vision of loveliness" whom we were told was known as Donna Sachet.

Elizabeth and Callie Herren, daughter and granddaughter of Dr. Betty Sullivan, with Donna Sachet at the Pride Brunch (2012)

Oh, the tales I could tell you ... including the one about the time Donna asked a dear friend of mine and me to be her lesbian escorts going down the aisle to the restroom aboard the Holiday Vacations Fun Train while riding through the Sierras on the way to Reno.

There was aboard that train a tough-looking bunch of straight guys who had their eye on Donna, and they were whistling and calling out, “That’s a tall drink of water!”

But Donna knew those guys would not mess around with a pair of big lesbians, so we surrounded her, and the three of us proceeded to sachet up and down through the cars of the Fun Train that entire evening.

Now, I bet almost every one of you could tell a Donna story if you had this microphone in your hands. So, to celebrate our joint birthdays, won’t you please join me in giving it up for the “vision of loveliness” whom we all share, may I present the lovely Donna Sachet.

Dr. Betty Sullivan is the founder of "Betty's List" and the publisher of the "San Francisco Bay Times."

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San Francisco Bay Times wishes to thank Divas & Drinks co-producer The Academy and our ongoing sponsors: Bacardí, Olivia Travel, Extreme Pizza and SF Federal Credit Union.

We are very grateful to every person, business and organization that contributed items and services as prizes for the fundraising activities in support of The Rainbow Honor Walk.

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“I love red so much that I almost want to paint everything red.”

By Donna Sachet

– Alexander Calder

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t precisely 6:30 pm, a roar of motorcycles shook Market Street as members of the Dykes on Bikes® drove up in formation to The Academy closely followed by a bright blue convertible bearing birthday gals, Betty Sullivan and this humble columnist. Windblown, but beaming, we disembarked to an uproarious welcome from those gathered on the sidewalk, especially the energetic CHEER SF. We wound our way through well-wishers inside the club and out onto the back garden patio, packed with supporters as DJ Christie James pumped up the familiar San Francisco anthem. Before we could even acknowledge all those assembled, co-emcees Carolyn Wysinger, President of SF Pride, and Gary Virginia, stalwart fundraiser, event producer, and community leader, welcomed Artistic Director Tim Seelig and members of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus to sing a couple of crowd-pleasing songs. As if by magic, we were suddenly face to face with ABC-TV’s Dan Ashley, City Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and gracious Mayor London Breed. Each spoke briefly but warmly and specifically about Betty and ourselves and the crowd roared its approval. As the chorus made its exit, Marching Band Leader Mike Wong led the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band in a raucous march to the patio. Somehow, we found ourselves back up on the staircase just in time to sing along with the band a few stanzas of Hello, Dolly, wryly modified to say “Hello, Donna,” while printed signs appeared among the crowd emblazoned with “Donna.” As a beautiful traditional birthday cake of white with red trimmed icing was presented, the band led us all in a spirited rendition of the birthday song.

Thursday, May 5 Cinco de Mayo

Betty spoke to the room first with gratitude and a couple of significant stories from our years of friendship, followed by a few remarks from ourselves, and the patio filled to capacity, many generously donating to the night’s beneficiary, Rainbow Honor Walk, on whose Board of Directors we proudly serve as President. Direct contributions, raffle ticket sales, and auction bids raised nearly $3000 during the event.

Watch for eight new plaques to appear in the sidewalks of Market Street this month.

Many guests remained afterwards to dance to DJ Christie, sip Bacardi specialty cocktails, nibble on Extreme Pizzas and Kokak chocolates, congratulate the birthday honorees, and catch up with each other.

While the above may serve as a fairly accurate description of the course of events on April 28, what it doesn’t adequately describe is the amazing connections represented by this celebration. Co-Publisher of the Bay Times Jennifer Viegas carefully orchestrated the entire event, lovingly constructed around the two of us. We don’t just share a birthday week with Betty, but a stimulating professional relationship as a valued columnist for the Bay Times, a proud partnership as a bold fellow advocate for recognition and celebration of our diverse LGBTQ+ Community, and an abiding friendship forged over decades of common experiences and daunting challenges. No event description can completely convey the honor of sharing this year’s birthday celebration with such a diligent, creative, and caring friend.

In addition, every component of Thursday’s event tied directly to us in a very personal way. We are so proud of the bold and persistent battle for recognition of the Dykes on Bikes and we have glowingly introduced them on live television to lead the SF Pride Parade for at least 12 years. CHEER SF captured our attention in the nineties, often raising the energy of a community gathering and eventually dubbing us an official honorary member. We were born from the SF Gay Men’s Chorus, where during a choral retreat we first displayed our drag efforts at a private talent show. At the time, we were only lip-syncing and performed a Donna Summer number, assuming the name Donna Winter as a humorous reference to our different racial identities. But as we left the stage from that first and admittedly unrefined performance, an audience member shouted, “Look at her sashay!” The rest is history! The Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band has been a part of our life since our earliest visits to Colma with the Founder of the Imperial Court System, José Sarria, to visit the grave of her late husband Emperor Joshua Norton, and we have proudly performed with them and relished their music in concert, at Dance Along Nutcracker, at City Hall’s Rotunda, and more. The presence of a popular television anchor suggested our many years of co-anchoring the live coverage of the SF Pride Parade as well as various media appearances. The attendance and words of elected officials reflect an important aspect of our life, namely our political activities, from serving on the Board of EqualityCalifornia to working on candidate and issue campaigns for years. We love the fact that we have personally known four of the five Mayors of San Francisco, each of whom has formally recognized us, in addition to Vice Presidents, Senators, Congresspeople, State Senators and Representatives, City Supervisors, and more.

And the choice of co-emcees felt so perfect: one representing SF Pride, an organization whose activities inspire and engage us, offering us a variety of opportunities to share our pride in San Francisco with the world; and the other a close personal friend for over 25 years with whom we have raised money, supported worthy causes, created fabulous events, developed networks, and shared years of successes and challenges with determination, creativity, and integrity.

We fondly remember Frank Capra’s 1961 film Pocket Full of Miracles, where the character played by the legendary Bette Davis is a penniless socially invisible nobody who must transform into a proper lady for the sake of her daughter’s impending wedding. With the creative support of a host of other characters, she finds herself one evening surrounded by the City’s elite, rubbing elbows with the Who’s Who of New York, and even being lavished with adoration. In the back of her mind, however, she remains the same ordinary person without any particular talents or having made any significant contributions, pretending to be something she is not. We must admit feeling some similar sensations, knowing that we are just one among many, doing what we love for the community and city we love, and deep down questioning the praise and attention. This may come as a surprise to readers less familiar with our personal side, but despite decades of congratulations, we still doubt our significance, relevance, and contribution, feeling deep down like a very lucky girl and absolutely amazed at the life we lead.

Last Thursday was a warm and spectacular reminder of the love that surrounds us and inspires us to continue our current course and always to keep an eye out for those less recognized who are doing important work. This wonderful city and community that we have come to love is made up of so many extraordinary members, many of whom were there that night and many others who flooded our mail, telephone, and social media with well wishes. Unfortunately, space limitations and the danger of accidental omission prevent the listing of more names, but please know that you were seen and deeply appreciated. The two words “thank you” are simply incapable of expressing the depth of gratitude we feel, but hopefully the contents of this column have given you a better picture.

Immediately after that extravaganza, we flew to Palm Springs with Gary Virginia to celebrate the housewarming of John Rivett & James Holloway, dear friends to both of PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT us. Yes, we loved the laid-back lifestyle, period buildings, and celebrity aura that hangs over this location, reuniting with San Francisco expatriates Johnny Hedges & Gerry McBride, Lenny Broberg, Tom Ray, Rod Wood & Roger Hunt, Brian Ashby, Damon Holzman, Carl Hack & Jeff Mauk, Marc Huestis, and many more. Yes, we know we missed many others and look forward to catching up net time. Yes, we poked our nose into the White Party in an appropriately white and creative ensemble, culminating in a dazzling display of fireworks practically above our heads. And yes, we met Audrey Joseph, David Perry & Alfredo Casuso, Larry Harshberger, and Heklina at the glamorous new AsiaSF Palm Springs location for a top-

Saturday, May 7 House of M’s BarrelHouse Brunch Drag talent from MGM Grande, Alexis Miranda, and more Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street 2 pm, Free!

Saturday, May 7 Emperor 32 A.N. Fernando’s 20th Anniversary Cinco de Mayo Hosted by China Silk, emceed by John Carrillo & Alexis Miranda The Cinch, 1723 Polk Street 4–7 pm Free, but an Imperial Court fundraiser Saturday, May 7 An Evening of Stars Grand Duke Scott Rice & Grand Duchess Bobby Friday Gregg Starr & Linda Royal Beaux, 2344 Market Street 5–8 pm Free, but a Ducal Court fundraiser Sunday, May 8 Mothers’ Day Take time to reach out, reflect, and appreciate Sunday, May 8 Mama: A Rainbow Vanessa Boussay, Nicolas Perez, Emma Peel, and more Benefits Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners Martuni’s, 4 Valencia Street 7 pm, $25 Monday, May 9 John Waters’ Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance Personal appearance & book signing Green Arcade Bookstore & McRoskey Loft, 1680 Market Street 6:30 pm, $10 Saturday, May 14 The Academy’s 5th Anniversary Live music, specialty cocktails, The Academy, 2166 Market Street 7 pm Free for members, $25 others Sunday, May 15 Mark Abramson Book Reading Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro Street 4 pm, Free!

Thursday, May 26 Divas & Drinks Bay Times co-hosted monthly social The Academy, 2166 Market Street 7–10 pm, $10

notch, not-to-be-missed show and meal. But no, we are not relocating. We returned to the city we love and look forward to an increasingly busy calendar full of events that celebrate, elevate, and inspire.

We’ll keep an eye out for you!

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

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Experience Countries Worldwide Within the San Francisco Bay Area vors and foods created and inspired by the countries of Southeast Asia, India, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines, to name a few.

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113

E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men.

We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

The Bay Times is proud to be the first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city.

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

Beth Greene, Michael Delgado, John Signer, Abby Zimberg Design & Production

Kate Laws

Business Manager

Blake Dillon Calendar Editor

Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren Technology Director Carla Ramos Web Coordinator Mario Ordonez Distribution

Juan R. Davila Volunteer Coordinator CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Carolyn Wysinger, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Darryl Pelletier, Vincent Marcel ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only.

CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2022 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

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Nuestra Voz Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. We are very fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area that has a wide variety of places reflecting its different cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life. Frankly, one can experience numerous countries worldwide within the SF Bay Area. There are countless restaurants, events, film festivals, cultural celebrations, museums, and exhibits that make the experience a great primer before you decide to visit various countries. You can practice many kinds of languages and be exposed to the contributions they bring to the richness of our area in Northern California. Using the internet, you can locate the countries of interest and take advantage of the diversity we enjoy.

San Francisco, for example, has the third largest number of Chinese residents in the U.S. You can experience not only Chinatown, but also the Richmond and Sunset areas that have numerous businesses. There are a variety places throughout the SF Bay Area to eat with the fla-

San Francisco’s Latin History In 1776, Spanish missionaries arrived in San Francisco, which was known then as Yerba Buena. Mission Dolores on 16th and Dolores Streets was the first European-built structure and was originally named as Mission San Francisco de Assisi, founded by Father Palou. This is considered the oldest structure in San Francisco. Did you know that San Francisco’s Key of the City is a replica of this oldest building? The first San Francisco residents to receive this grand Key were members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

In June 1981, they were presented with the Key by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein at Davies Symphony Hall after completing their first nine city concert tour throughout the U.S. I was in the Chorus then and was present for this memorable and historic occasion.

What is the oldest Latinx organization in the United States? It is Club

Did you know that the United States is home to the largest population of Brazilians in the world outside of Brazil? Experience the rapidly growing number of Brazilian restaurants throughout the Bay Area and sample the foods of Brazil. “Gays Brasileiros in the U.S.,” also known as “GayBraUS,” was the frontier of the SF Bay Area wellness network. It is a social activity group for gay, bisexual, and transgender Brazilians that meets in the offices of AGUILAS located in the SF LGBT Building in San Francisco.

Let’s not forget the influences of Mexico found throughout California.

Did you know the name California comes from the Mexican reference to this land as that of Califas? After the end of the Mexican American war from 1846–1848, Mexico signed the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. In that treaty, the U.S. paid Mexico $18,250,000, allowing California and other northern territories to be part of the U.S. Overnight, Mexicans living in those ceded areas became Americans with the terms of the treaty, which

included giving them one year to accept their American political status. The treaty granted Mexicans full rights of citizenship as well as protection of the Mexican American language, culture, and land.

Interestingly, the U.S. Congress later removed the articles dealing with land protections prior to ratification of the treaty by Congress.

Nevertheless, you may still experience the variety of art, culture, music, films, and flavors of Mexico here in the Bay Area. Speak Spanish at these establishments, if you can.

You’ll be surprised at how welcoming and helpful the workers can be.

Carnaval San Francisco 2022 San Francisco will celebrate the 2022 Carnaval in the Mission District with parades, fairs, foods, and music on Sunday, May 29. Carnaval San Francisco is a multicultural celebration of music, dance, and artistry that has showcased Latin American, Caribbean, and African Diasporic cultures and the talents of Mission District residents in an atmosphere of harmony and revelry since 1978.

Meanwhile, enjoy worldwide experiences in our own backyard here throughout Northern California.

Buen viaje!

Eduardo Morales, PhD, is one of the founders of AGUILAS, where he serves as Executive Director.

He is also a retired Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University and is the current Past President of the National Latinx Psychological Association.

Friends of the Children could I start? What would inspire me to wade in and commit my retirement time?

Out of Left Field Bev Scott I confess I was coasting, allowing the progressive politics of San Francisco to reassure me that we were making progress. Then the summer of 2020 happened.

I described in a blog I wrote at the time: “I worked as a social justice activist in earlier decades. I saw myself as anti-racist. I had made my contribution, I could retire. Besides, I was tired. But now my heart is breaking to feel the pain, the sorrow and the tragedy displayed before me.

I was not paying attention ... to so many things. I have white privilege.

The enormous income and education inequality gap; the ways in which the police are shielded from accountability for their racial abuse, aggression, and violence; how systemic and institutional racism continues to infect every aspect of our society and culture. Sadly, the work seems unending and daunting.”

The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and the reactions to them, shocked me into recognizing I had an obligation to address the systemic issues perpetuated by a society built for rich white men. I knew many of the actions that needed to be taken to address the historic structures that assure benefit to those of us with white privilege and deny opportunity to those without. But I felt overwhelmed. Where MAY 5 , 2 0 2 2

I began a search for a way for me to take action. I knew it needed to be aligned with my progressive values of anti-racism, equity, fairness, and inclusion. At the same time, I wanted to work with an organization that addresses the consequences of our racist and patriarchal system with concrete results. I also wanted to be able to utilize my years as an organization development consultant and my experience on both local and national boards. A former client told me about Friends of the Children, which serves severely disadvantaged children, primarily Black and brown.

‘One child, One friend, 12+ years. No matter what.’

The model used by Friends of the Children has been applied in many cities across this country and is rapidly growing based on the “Power of One” and a mantra: “One child, One friend, 12+ years. No matter what.” It is a bold commitment to invest in a child for over 12 years. But it is a model that has been working for over 25 years. Founded in 1993 in Portland, Friends of the Children now has 25 community-led locations around the country.

The research on the results of the 25 years of experience shows impressive outcomes and suggests that following this model can be an important lever in breaking the cycle of poverty: 93% of the youth go on to enroll in post-secondary education; serve our country or enter the workforce; 83% earn a high school diploma or GED. This contrasts with the parents of the youth in this program: 60% have been impacted by the criminal justice system, 50% did not graduate from high school, and 85% began parenting during high school.

It is unlike most of the organizations that I have encountered and that serve children and poor families. I am an alum of the War on Poverty, and I worked in my earlier life as a

social justice activist. This model is different. Working with schools, community organizations, and foster care systems, Friends of the Children-San Francisco identifies children in the Bay View/Hunter’s Point who are the most disadvantaged and would benefit most from a long-term professional relationship. One of the keys to the success of the model is the use of paid professional mentors, not volunteers.

The Mentor or “Friend” works with 5 to 8 youth in school, in the community, and at home spending 4–6 hours per week with each child. The work is relationship-based with goals set jointly with the “Friend” and the child to help build life skills. The Friend then utilizes personalized experiences to explore each child’s unique talents and interests. The Friend spends time with the child in school to support and advocate for learning, builds connection and community in the neighborhood, and becomes a trusted resource at home for both the child and his/her caregiver.

Friends focus on nine core assets of personal strength. Examples of these assets include: • Problem Solving - considering the pros and cons to make a decision; • Hope - believing that it can get better; • Self-Management - managing feelings and taking care of self in healthy ways; • and Positive Relationship Building - getting along with others and finding supportive people.

Friends of the Children believes that these researchbased qualities or “assets” will give the children a solid foundation to be successful as they enter adulthood.

A Courageous and Proven Model

PHOTO BY WILL ZANG

525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610

Countless European places to eat can be found and experienced including those whose influences are based in the Mediterranean area.

There are restaurants highlighting both Ukrainian and Russian cuisines. Various restaurants of different African nations can easily be found.

And let’s not forget our communities from Central and South American nations that are settled and well established throughout Northern California.

Puertorriqueño de San Francisco.

They are located at 3249-A Mission Street and have a goal to conserve and promote the values and culture of Puerto Rico. Check out the Caribbean flavors at various restaurants, particularly those with Puerto Rican and Cuban cuisines like Cha Cha Cha’s in the Mission or Sol Food in Mill Valley. Have you tried pupusas, a Salvadorian and Honduran flatbread? What about foods from Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, and Columbia? Seek them out!

How do you break the cycle of poverty? It takes a courageous and proven model. The evidence shows that this model works. Friends of the Children makes a daring commitment, a promise to stay with each of these children for “12 years, no matter what.” Friends support and empower the children by providing consistency, helping them learn coping skills, exposing them to new experiences, connecting with other children and with community resources, and supporting or advocating for the child’s learning in school.

The relationship building, support, and empowerment help to keep 93% of the youth free of the juvenile justice system and encourage 98% of the youth to wait to parent until after their teen years. The research from the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon showed that for every $1 invested in Friends of the Children, the community benefits in over $7 of saved social costs.

Helping one child saves an estimated $900,000.

Worth the Commitment As I explored this organization to learn about the background and the people who were involved, I was impressed that, although the San Francisco location was founded only seven years ago in 2017, it has a solid management team, and a 2022 budget of over $2 million. It currently serves 110 children with 23 staff members and plans to grow in the coming years. It is a young, growing, and stable organization. In my (continued on page 22) Out of Left Field” is curated by designer and noted humanitarian Robert Holgate and Jennifer Kroot, who is an award-winning filmmaker.

Bobbi Campbell: AIDS Poster Boy

Dr. Bill Lipsky Bobbi Campbell ( January 28, 1952– August 15, 1984) would have been 70 this year. He was only 30 in 1982 when he and Dan Turner brought together a group of people to found what became the People with AIDS Self-Empowerment Movement (PWA). The term AIDS did not yet exist, so during the first few months he spoke and wrote about having Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS), the disease that first brought attention to what was still an undiscovered epidemic with global implications.

The group had what then seemed like revolutionary ideas. It rejected the then commonly used term “KS victim,” Campbell explained, because “‘KS victim’ means the bus has run over you and you’re lying there in the street, flattened ... . I do not feel like a victim.” It argued for self-empowerment, for people with the disease to participate actively in the response to the crisis they were caught up in. It became the first organization created by and for people with what in a few months became known as AIDS. The previous October, Campbell became only the 16th young man in San Francisco to be diagnosed with

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How to do that, when many people and most media were denying a serious reality or ignoring it completely? Campbell created and posted San Francisco’s first AIDS awareness poster. The same month that he received his diagnosis, he put a notice of the illness, including pictures of his KS lesions, in the window of the Star Pharmacy at 18th and Castro streets, the intergalactic crossroads of the gay world. He urged those with similar lesions to get medical attention.

Less than six weeks later, Campbell wrote an article that appeared on page one of the December 10, 1981, issue of The Sentinel, a bi-weekly community newspaper. Headlined “Nurse’s Own ‘Gay Cancer’ Story” and titled “I WILL SURVIVE,” the piece began with a simple, extraordinary statement that, because of the stigma many already associated with the disease and some with homosexuality itself, almost no one at the time was willing to make: “I’m Bobbi Campbell, and I have ‘gay cancer.’”

“Let me tell you something about myself,” he continued. “I’m a 29-year-old, white, gay man who’s lived in the City for six years. I work as a Registered Nurse at Ralph K. Davies Medical Center, and I’m studying at the University of

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California at San Francisco (UCSF) for a Master’s Degree in Nursing as an Adult Health Nurse Practitioner.

When UCSF’s Graduate Division asked me what my focus of study would be, I wrote that I was most interested in specializing in gay health care.”

The most important contribution he could make to his chosen field now, he believed, was to tell others about the very real risks they were facing. As he wrote: “I’ve become so active in publicizing KS and the other gay illnesses to friends and media that I’ve taken to referring to myself sardonically as the ‘Kaposi’s Sarcoma Poster Boy.’” He concluded his article, which became the first of a series, with an urgent, personal appeal.

“I’m writing because I have a determination to live. You do, too—don’t you?”

Campbell more than deserved his title as the “Kaposi’s Sarcoma Poster Boy.” The next year, after joining the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as Sister Florence Nightmare, RN, he and Sister Roz Erection (aka Baruch Golden), also a registered nurse, led the group that created Play

Fair! If not the first guidelines for safer sex written for gay men by gay men, then the brochure almost certainly was the first to share information about STDs with humor, even drollness, while presenting extremely serious and practical advice.

Campbell began to devote more and more of his time to gay men’s health issues and to the so(continued on page 21)

Bobbi Campbell

Bobbi Campbell -- UC San Francisco, Library, UCSF Library Special Collections

PHOTO BY RINK

Faces from Our LGBT Past

Kaposi’s Sarcoma, until then a rare skin cancer seen mostly in elderly people with compromised immune systems. Because of his professional and personal interest in gay men’s sexual health, he realized that the entire community needed to become aware of what was being labeled, with shame and censure when it was mentioned at all, as “gay cancer.”

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PHOTO BY RINK

Bobbi Campbell (left), and Bobby Hilliard (right) on the cover of Newsweek, August 8, 1983

Star pharmacy window 1982

Bobbi Campbell

cial and political issues that were now surrounding them. In early 1982 he and Turner also attended what became the founding meeting of the KS/AIDS Foundation, later renamed the San Francisco AIDS Foundation; Campbell then served on the board. Awareness, he soon realized, was not enough, and he began to argue that people with AIDS had to speak up and out for themselves.

New York. On May 2, 1983, he and some 10,000 people marched from the Castro to Civic Center behind a banner reading, “Fighting for Our Lives,” proclaiming to the world that gay men, even when confronted with ignorance, disdain and indifference, “do not go gentle into that good night.” Less than a month later, the statement’s four powerful words expanded into a statement of principles and actions.

to embrace them as lovers— appeared on the August 8, 1983, cover of Newsweek. The article, “Gay America: Sex, Politics and the Impact of AIDS,” its second cover story about the epidemic, showed no more understanding of the health crisis than any other mainstream publication, but it still did better than a president who did not mention AIDS publicly until two years later.

The next year, Campbell helped to organize the first AIDS Candlelight March, held simultaneously in San Francisco and

During the last week of May, Campbell and Turner attended the Fifth Annual Lesbian and Gay Health Conference in Denver. There they met with some dozen other PWAs who, together, created a statement of truths, now known as The Denver Principles, that summarized the rights and responsibilities of healthcare providers, people with AIDS, and anyone who was concerned or touched by the epidemic. Above all, it asserted the right “to receive human respect ...” and “to die—and to LIVE—in dignity.”

Campbell worked tirelessly until he died. On July 15, 1984, he spoke at the National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights, held during the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. He was introduced as “a feminist, a registered Democrat and a Person with AIDS.” Telling his audience that he had hugged his boyfriend on the cover of Newsweek, he then kissed Hilliard on stage, “to show Middle America that gay love is beautiful.”

The importance of The Denver Principles cannot be stressed enough. Never before had a group of individuals with the same disease come together to assert their right to participate in the decisions that would determine the rest of their lives. Its basic tenets have influenced how we are involved in our own health care and transformed the way that care, as well as the social services and legal protections needed to support it, are provided and received, benefiting millions of individuals during difficult times.

Exactly a month after his speech, after 3½ years living with HIV/AIDS, he was gone. Two days later, Castro Street was closed for people to gather there to mourn his passing, celebrate his life, and honor his great contributions to human dignity. In 2014, a Castro Street History Walk plaque commemorated him and the day he posted the “first notice about ‘gay cancer’ on Star Pharmacy’s window at 498 Castro Street.” This year he was selected as an honoree for San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk.

Verifying his status as the “AIDS Poster Boy,” Campbell and his “friend” Bobby Hilliard—the magazine apparently was unable

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

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WOMEN’S HEALTH (continued from page 2)

VP HARRIS (continued from page 4)

Young Women’s Health & Leadership Programs

A sampling of current programs and projects of the Black Women’s Health & Livelihood Initiative include:

Dr. Milliken founded a Young Women’s pipeline program co-sponsored by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, to provide opportunities to young women and non-binary youth to build community, learn about and develop public health campaigns for their peers, develop leadership skills, and learn about health careers.

Black Women’s Patient Family Advisory Council: a group of 8–10 patients formed to improve patient-centered care for Black women, transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming individuals at UCSF Health and to reduce trauma they experience in the health care setting;

The Youth Women’s Health Conference was the first youth conference in the country planned by youth for youth. Each year a new Youth Steering Committee was created from young women and non-binary youth from San Francisco public and charter schools. Youth were hired as UCSF employees and taught the skills to assess their health needs of their community of peers in order to plan the theme, speakers, workshops and all aspects of the conference. The model has now been benchmarked and recreated across the country. Over the course of 20 years, the CoE held 17 conferences impacting over 10,000 young women and non-binary youth.

EMBRACE: a race-concordant perinatal and post-partum group care that includes racial responsive curriculum, mental health and wellness services, and support for the healer.

Black Women’s Health & Livelihood Initiative The UCSF Black Women’s Health & Livelihood Initiative (BWHLI), co-directed by CoE Executive Director Judy Young, MPH, and Andrea Jackson, MD, addresses root causes of health care disparities for Black women to achieve wellness and empowerment across the lifespan. The BWHLI focuses on current systemic health care inequities for Black women through 6 key areas: Justice & Equity, Health & Wellness, Community Building, Education, Leadership, and Construction of Knowledge & Research. To directly address the powerful and prevalent condition that Black women live in, the BWHLI creates programs at UCSF and in Bay Area communities so that Black women can lead, thrive, and contribute to their optimal potential at work, home, and in our communities.

Black Women’s Wellness Series: a monthly webinar and in-person series focused on wellness for Black identifying individuals; Black Women’s Leadership & Wellness Webinar Series: a webinar series focused on leadership development topics and wellness topics for Black women; Black Clinic and Wellness Sessions: a monthly reproductive health clinic for Black identifying patients seeking Black gynecologists, obstetricians, and midwives; post clinical wellness sessions include yoga, meditation, sister circles, and poetry writing.

Looking back on these as well as other achievements and the past 25 years of the CoE, Dr. Milliken told the San Francisco Bay Times: “I am grateful to all the co-conspirators that enabled advancement in women’s health and well-being. While there is more to be done, I am convinced that the emerging leadership at UCSF and in the Bay Area will champion and accelerate progress for women’s health and lives. I will be cheering them on.” https://womenshealth.ucsf.edu/

SCOTUS ABORTION OPINION (continued from page 5) secure care, and other marginalized communities. This decision will exacerbate the challenges low income and atrisk individuals face when seeking routine medical care. As the former President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Faye Wattleton, stated: “Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental human right.”

The draft opinion undermines the value of precedent and poses an extreme danger to individual freedoms beyond reproductive rights. If, as it stated, the only rights we are entitled to are those specifically stated within the Constitution, then many more marginalized communities and their rights are in peril. We are on the precipice of a dangerous era if there is not a concerted effort by organizations, Congressmembers, and individuals to assert and reclaim the right of access to abortion care and prevent the criminalization of those procuring and assisting in abortion access.

We are grateful to be in a state that believes in protecting the right to abortion and ensuring our right to make choices about our own bodies and healthcare. We know that is not the case in many states, and we will support organizations and efforts across the United States to ensure access to quality healthcare and medically sound abortions. We will be at the frontlines of this fight.

We urge community members to contact their Senators and Congressmembers to demand their support for the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755). We also ask that those who can donate to abortion providers and prochoice advocacy groups that continue to provide immediate help to people seeking care.

Signatories: San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (SFWPC) Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club District 2 Democratic Club Bernal Heights Democratic Club Rose Pak Democratic Club 白蘭民主黨協會 San Francisco Young Democrats South West Asian North African Democratic Club San Francisco Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club Willie B. Kennedy Democratic Club San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club United Democratic Club Noe Valley Democratic Club Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club San Francisco District 11 Democratic Club Women’s March San Francisco San Francisco Berniecrats

“Everyone deserves to experience pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood with support, dignity, respect, and the best medical care we have to offer,” he said. “Today, we tell pregnant people and mothers: your health, your lives, your families—they matter, and we are here to take care of you.”

EMBRACE is housed within the Black Women’s Health and Livelihood Initiative, which was launched two years ago under the co-leadership of Dr. Jackson and Judy Young, MPH, executive director of the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE) at UCSF. The program is one of numerous initiatives through the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences that aim to address these disparities. Among them is a community health Pregnancy Pop-Up Village in San Francisco that provides pregnancy-related clinical care, government services and support, such as lactation services, within high-need areas. The department is also affiliated with the California Preterm Birth Initiative, a nonprofit whose mission is to create positive change through research, community partnerships and education, as well as with the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG).

The ZSFG Family Birth Center was the first Western site to offer CenteringPregnancy, a patient-centered group prenatal model led by ZSFG’s certified nurse-midwifery faculty. ZSFG midwives have offered a racially concordant care program for more than two decades for San Francisco’s LatinX community and have launched a Black Centering Pregnancy to offer the same evidence-based care for Black, AfricanAmerican and African-identifying patients, as well. They also have created the BIPOC Aspiring Midwives Program, offering shadowing, mentorship, and community building to diversify the midwifery profession.

National Champion for Maternal Health In her quest for a nation with health equity, Harris championed maternal health as a U.S. Senator, bringing racial disparities in maternal mortality to the forefront legislatively, particularly among Black women. In addition to her support for community projects, she introduced bills including the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and the Maternal CARE Act. As Vice President, she held a Maternal Health Day of Action Summit in December 2021, as well as the first-ever Cabinet-level meeting on maternal health.

At the UCSF event, Harris said the direct or indirect cost of poor maternal health care has been estimated at upwards of $30 billion per year and she called upon all 50 states to expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum care from two months to 12 months. Currently, 11 states are working to expand coverage.

“Women are the pillars of so many families and so many communities,” she said. “And when women then see the care they need, by extension it makes families and communities stronger ... and it makes our nation stronger.”

Elizbeth Fernandez is a Senior Public Information Representative at UCSF.

ROSTOW (continued from page 5) row. The obvious conclusion, of course, is that GLBT men and women are smarter than the average bear.

There’s also a state judge in Florida, who ordered an antigay vandal to submit a 25-page paper on the Pulse shootings as punishment for defacing a gay pride street display that was painted on an intersection in Delray Beach. Alexander Jerich, 20, has until June 8 to research the 49 people who were killed in 2016 at the Orlando nightclub. “I want your own brief summary of why people are so hateful and why people lash out against the gay community,” Judge Scott Suskauer said, according to the Palm Beach Post.

I guess Jerich blackened the tires on his pickup truck and then skidded around the intersection, leaving dark marks all over the rainbow flag. He was tracked down and charged with criminal mischief and reckless driving, and paid $2,000 to fix the intersection. During the recent hearing, Jerich cried and apologized, explaining to the judge:

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“I’ve had problems in the past with fitting in,” Jerich said. “I was just trying to fit in and be accepted.”

interviews, the Executive Director and Board Chair quickly realized that I would bring valuable experience from my 45 years of the practice of OD (organization development). In addition, my local and national board experience would provide a useful perspective for both organizational and policy questions.

It’s a strange way to feel accepted, but Jerich had a Trump sign on his truck, so I imagine the acceptance he sought was not from our crowd.

Perhaps his assignment will inspire him to become a GLBT ally. We’re a lot more fun than the Trumpsters. Still, when we wonder what on Earth drives some of the people that we see at Trump rallies or Qanon gatherings, Jerich has given us a clue. And if you just want to fit in, it really doesn’t matter where you’re fitting in or what you’re fitting into, does it?

You’re just happy not to be alone.

I have found a place where I make a contribution using my skills and experience with an organization aligned with my values that addresses systemic issues of poverty, racism, and equity. Most important, there are concrete and proven results that this courageous and audacious model works.

Friends of the Children has inspired me and made it worth the commitment of my retirement time. https://friendsofthechildren.org/ Bev Scott has served as a consultant to organizations, managers, and individuals bringing clarity, focus, integrity, and a sense of purpose to her work. She has also been a nonprofit executive, college professor, and social activist. She is committed to service to her community and has served as Board member, Board Chair, and head of several committees and projects. A speaker on family history and genealogy, she is the author of “Sara’s Secret, A Western Tale of Betrayal and Forgiveness.”

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arostow@aol.com

MILLER (continued from page 10) 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.

What in the LGBTQ!

Social Philanthropreneur Derek Barnes Recently, a close friend asked me some thought-provoking questions.

Is it wrong for leading LGBTQ community organizations to call out homophobia, transphobia, and sexism, along with racism, as crucial factors of division in the LGBTQ+ community? Why do we have to confront and resolve all these other social problems as a community? The questions were my on-the-spot LGBTQ+ realty check and required a response that touched on a few different areas.

We both agreed that the reason we’re so divided as a community is complex and layered. But, the impact of division can be more harmful when identities intersect. Of course, LGBTQ+ organizations should be against homophobia in any form. There’s a conundrum in highlighting other divisions and forms of exclusion, even within the LGBTQ+ community.

It can exacerbate our problems— my pain is greater than your pain, and the squeakiest wheel wins. No one wants to be excluded, and at the same time, each group has its own set of conditions, issues, concerns, and potential solutions. There is no one size fits all.

I thought about the progression of identity within the community of LGBT, Q, I, I ... . Within the ever-expanding rainbow, we must acknowledge that there’s been historic tension among community factions— between lesbians and gay men, gay men and bisexuals, gay and transgender individuals. We’ve also added more ways to describe groups within the queer community to acknowledge the different identities that continue to emerge.

More identities require more acceptance of difference and acknowledgment of divergent needs and ideas.

Additionally, those holding the most power and controlling the distribution of resources in the queer community determine the priorities and where resources are applied. For example, queer leaders (primarily white) haven’t done a good job over the last several decades focusing on the history, issues, and needs within bisexual and transgender communities, and only slightly better within lesbian and gay BIPOC communities. However, incredible progress has been made with marriage equality and halting the transmission of HIV/ AIDS, especially among white gay men in major metropolitan areas.

Shared equity, economic parity, and social justice are typically the core imperatives required to resolve longstanding systemic conditions of exclusion. However, the remedies can provoke culture clashes and divisions we experience today. When you overlay race and ethnicity, the tensions and stakes are higher. It’s tough to get complete buy-in from people in power with access when there’s such a rampant scarcity mentality and a constant battle for resources—a zero-sum game. If we could focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities and adopt a strong set of values

in doing so, the ripple effects would be extraordinary. It’s also a challenge to promote claims and aspirational statements of equity and inclusion when leadership doesn’t represent the fullness of the community. Representation still matters.

Based on population impact and intersecting identities within the queer community, one could conclude that there’s an imperative for LGBTQ+ organizations to help eradicate all forms of exclusionary ideology and social injustice: sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia. Over the last two years, a raging pandemic stressed our social safety nets, prolonged economic instability for people who are most at risk and showcased multiple incidents of injustice viewed by millions. A global pandemic became the catalyst for a new social justice movement that should be embraced by more LGBTQ+ leaders.

nerability. The extraordinary potential here is that these more focused and customized programs could be adapted and scaled to serve new communities and a broader population. We’ve seen this work remarkably well in other areas like healthcare and lending.

Derek Barnes is the CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF

Today, there’s a stronger push by LGBTQ+ organizations to devote attention, resources, and focus on more marginalized groups—presumably higher needs and more underrepresented, underserved, and under-resourced. It’s not at the exclusion or expense of macro groups that have historically benefited or have had access to resources. It’s a pragmatic way to close equity gaps and promote greater empathy within the queer community.

Another philanthropic approach is worth exploring—the opposite of traditional trickle-down or broad-based approaches. We can shine a brighter light on needs within queer communities of Black/Brown transgender women and youth. It would help identify specific needs, direct resources, and develop more innovative programs where we see the most vul-

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The Joy of Binging

Off the Wahl Jan Wahl I have always been a big screen gal.

Sitting in a movie theatre and letting a movie unspool is heaven to me. But we live at a time when my cinema Paradiso is often found on the small screen, even a computer. Enter the land of Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV, and all the others. Now, wherever I locate something to enjoy, I am there. For example: Bridgerton Series Two on Netflix!

This series is produced by Shonda Rhimes, a television genius at work.

This is part two of the story set in Regency, England. The upper classes are trying to find security through proper marriages, with scandal rearing its ugly head.

Actually, the scandals are quite beautiful, with a sheet of society gossip destroying everyone in sight.

In the first series we all fell in love with an actor named Regé-Jean Page portraying an incredibly sexy suitor. He’s not in season two, but we get the one tame one wild Sharma Sisters. The costumes, jewelry and sets also star, shining even on the small screen. The Queen alone (Golda Rosheuvel) deserves her own show. Bridgerton is now a worldwide hit, causing Netflix even higher numbers than usual. Season three ... here I come.

The British say “gobsmacked,” meaning that feeling I get when viewing the clothes and jewelry in Bridgerton. The Russians at one time yelled “huzzah” whenever they needed a joyful exclamation. It’s what I say when I watch one of the all-time outlandish historical comedy dramas The Great on Hulu.

Elle Fanning stars as Catherine the Great, trying to get, and then hold on to, the Crown. Her doltish husband Peter (Nicholas Hoult) is thwarted at every turn by the brilliance and bravery of his wife.

The royals have courtiers and officers willing to bend over backward (yes, that too) in order to keep either Catherine or Peter in power. It is rambunctious, dark, zany, profane. I cannot wait for season three.

Monty Python: The Truth (HBO Max) is enlightening. We learn about how it all began, with each

member having their own careers until heaven sent them to us in the form of this satirical, wonderful group. (My own favorite of the Pythons: “Every Sperm is Sacred” from The Meaning of Life and the Life of Brian.) In this documentary, there are show and movie highlights as well as moments with other performers who were influenced by the comedy troupe. This documentary is from 2020, but there is another from 2009 from BBC2 titled Almost the Truth.

It adds more surrealistic whimsey (thank you, Terry Gilliam) and it is a perfect companion to the new one.

There is no such thing as too much Monty Python.

There are problems with streaming as I write this. Some outlets are having huge issues with subscribers using each other’s numbers. There is also the question of competition: so many platforms with so much material. But since I am using my own subscriptions and love having so much to choose from, let us continue.

There have been many celebrations of our national parks, including Ken Burns uncovering the history of them. This time it is former President Barack Obama narrating a gorgeous view of not only our parks, but also wild spaces all over the world. The five-part series on Netflix is called Our Great National Parks. From Kenya to Patagonia to Yellowstone and the Monterey Bay, we go on a beautifully curated journey. Aside from spectacular cinematography, we take a deep dive into ecosystems and preservation. I couldn’t help wishing it was on the big screen in a movie theatre, and perhaps someday it will be.

QUEER POP QUIZ

I thought I’d seen it all with Julia Child. I was fortunate to work with her on television, loved her shows, and still find her on television in repeats and even a game show for cooks. But nothing is as good as the HBO Max series Julia. David Hyde Pierce, Sarah Lancashire, and Bebe Neuwirth star as we experience Julia getting her TV show on the air. Nobody wanted her; she paid for the original pilot herself in Boston. But then San Francisco came through and started her journey to syndication success. It’s a great story, told with humor and food. Binge-worthy!

The competition is fierce among the streaming platforms, which is one reason why each is having trouble staying on top. If I were to pick two for my meager dollars, I would go with Netflix and HBO Max. More Netflix includes the fabulous Inventing Anna, Anatomy of a Scandal, The Andy Warhol Diaries, and The Kominsky Method. Or rewatch Halston or Hollywood.

HBO Max has the wonderful And Just Like That, the insane The Righteous Gemstones, and some good new flicks you might have missed in the theatres, such as West Side Story and Nightmare Alley. Apple TV comes through with Hacks and, of course, CODA. This list goes on! We’re fortunate to live at a time we have so many terrific options.

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

ONE GAY BAR IN THE CASTRO According to Harvey’s (500 Castro Street), the Castro was considered to be a quiet neighborhood in the 1960s, with only one gay bar called: A) The Missouri Mule C) The Frisco Elephant

B) The Frisco Flamingo D) The Elephant Walk

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Lit Snax Royal Witches: Witchcraft and The Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England

by Gemma Hollman This is a fascinating history of four noblewomen in 15h Century England who dared to suffer no fools and were ultimately accused of practicing “the dark arts.”

Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black: Collected Stories by Cookie Mueller Notorious as an actress in John Waters’ movies, Cookie Mueller was also a countercultural advice columnist and a brilliant writer of autofiction. Her pithy writing style and free-spirited attitudes combine to hilarious effect, resulting in a book that delights from start to finish.

Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco

by Gary Kamiya Kamiya’s lively travelogue is packed with intriguing historical tidbits, amusing personal anecdotes, witty asides, and vivid descriptions of The City’s gritty, beautiful, and bizarre corners. This is a timeless classic of San Francisco literature. https://www.fabulosabooks.com/

Top of your stack RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE

Burn the Page (nonfiction/memoir - hardbound) by Danica Roem This is a wonderful combination of inspiring memoir, social manifesto, and entertaining prose. Danica Roem made national headlines when—as a transgender former frontwoman for a metal band and a political newcomer—she unseated Virginia’s most notoriously anti-LGBTQ 26-year incumbent Bob Marshall as state delegate. But before Danica made history, she had to change her vision of what was possible in her own life.

Ripple Effect (fiction- paperback) by Cathy Rath This is a poignant, yet powerful, debut novel by Bay Area writer and SFSU professor Cathy Rath. Ripple Effect is a suspenseful work of fiction and family drama set mainly in the turbulent 70s. The story depicts the complexities of the relationships of 3 generations of a Jewish family living in Queens.

Jeannie Glazer was three years old when her father died in a car accident on a trip to Atlanta. Sixteen years later, as a college freshman, she was arrested during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. She was released hours later when a sergeant announced that her bail was paid by “her pop.”

Determined to find answers, her search closes in on a darker secret about her father’s tragic death two decades earlier. Secrets unfold layer by layer toward an emotional finale. Pivotal themes of homophobia and social justice are deftly woven throughout.

Pandemic, Inc.: Chasing the Captialists and Thieves Who Got Rich While We Got Sick (nonfiction- hardbound) by J. David McSwane In this brilliant nonfiction thriller, award-winning investigative reporter J. David McSwane takes us behind the scenes to reveal how traders, contractors, and healthcare companies used one of the darkest moments in American history to fill their pockets. Determined to uncover how this was possible, he spent over a year on private jets and in secret warehouses, traveling from California to Chicago to Washington, D.C., to interview both the most treacherous of profiteers and the victims of their crimes.

Pandemic, Inc., is the story of the fraudster who signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the government to provide lifesaving PPE, and yet never came up with a single mask.

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Upcoming Events Saturday, May 7 @ 4 pm (free, in-store/Corte Madera) Jonathan Howland, Author of Native Air In Native Air, a debut novel from Green Writers Press

by Jonathan Howland, the austere beauty and high exposure of mountain adventure provide the context and the measure for what it means to be alive for climbing partners Joe Holland and Pete Hunter—until one of them isn’t.

Thursday, May 5 @ 1 pm (ticketed Corte Madera, in-person and online) Paul Holes, Author of Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases Join Paul Holes, the retired cold-case detective behind investigations into the Golden State Killer, Jaycee Dugard, and Laci Peterson cases, for an in-person event to discuss his new memoir. In it, Paul Holes takes us through his memories of a storied career and provides an insider account of some of the most notorious cases in contemporary American history. This is also a revelatory profile of a complex man and what makes him tick.

Sunday, May 15 @ 1 pm (free/in-store - Corte Madera) Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City and Reyna Grande, author of A Ballad of Love and Glory Forbidden City is an epic, yet intimate, portrayal of one of the world’s most powerful and least understood leaders during this extraordinarily turbulent period in modern Chinese history. Mei’s harrowing journey toward truth and disillusionment raises questions about power, manipulation, and belief, as seen through the eyes of a passionate teenage girl.

A Long Petal of the Sea meets Cold Mountain in this sweeping historical saga—A Ballad of Love and Glory—following a Mexican army nurse and an Irish soldier who must fight, at first for their survival and then for their love, amidst the atrocity of the Mexican-American War— from the author of the “timely and riveting” (People) Across a Hundred Mountains and The Distance Between Us. https://www.bookpassage.com/

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Better Nate Than Ever Features Queer Teen with Broadway Dreams a knowing laugh to be had when Nate responds to a query about the source material, which is definitely not Edward Albee.

Film Gary M. Kramer

Better Nate Than Ever also features a showstopping sequence—which, of course, goes viral— when Nate, in need of money, performs “On Broadway” with street musicians in Times Square. (The scene also features a fun cameo.)

And Federle is certainly playing up the magic of New York in general and the theater world in particular by allowing little actual harm to come to the resilient Nate as he rebounds from one experience to the next. His confidence may ebb and flow over the weekend, but throughout it all, Nate remains likable, even when he sincerely flatters Heidi, calling her “his hero.”

A Pittsburgh seventh grader’s Broadway dreams are at the heart of The film does live in the enchanted world out gay writer/director Tim Federle’s of the theatre and moviedom, where Nate plucky musical Better Nate Than Ever, can realize his dream of escaping out a winnow available on Disney+. Based on Federle’s 2013 young adult novel, this family film will speak—or rather, sing to—any queer theater kid.

Nate Foster (Reuby Wood in his screen debut) is dejected (to put it mildly) when he is not cast as the lead—or even as the understudy— in his middle school play. But his best friend, Libby (Aria Brooks), soon offers him a better opportunity: to audition in an open casting for the Broadway musical of Lilo and Stitch. (In the book, it was the musical version of E.T.—but this is a Disney+ production and E.T. was Universal). Of course, the teens actually have to be in New York City for the audition.

That problem finds a solution when Nate’s parents—Broadway stars and real-life couple Michelle Federer and Norbert Leo Butz—go away for the weekend. Libby and Nate take the opportunity for a secret road trip to the Big Apple. It’s Nate’s first time in the city, and he imagines Times Square to be something out of a musical. Cue a fun dream sequence, a catchy tune with splashy Broadway-style dancing.

But reality is a bit different as these unchaperoned kids quickly discover.

Moreover, Nate needs a parent or guardian to audition, and when he runs into his estranged aunt Heidi (Lisa Kudrow)—herself an actress— he might get a break, but Nate also worries that his parents will find out about his (mis)adventure. Nate does manage to sneak into the audition, only have an embarrassing moment.

His luck keeps getting better and worse from there.

The plotting may be geared towards pre-teens, but there is a certain kind of pleasure in watching Nate talk (or sing) his way in or out of every situation he encounters. The film’s best moments allow Nate to perform, and Wood, who has appeared in Broadway tours, has the pipes and the talent. He is charming when he gets a call back and is asked to perform a monologue. Unprepared, he thinks fast on his feet and delivers a humdinger, which Nate sells, getting the Lilo and Stitch casting team enraptured in what is a mic drop moment. And there is certainly

dow and down a fire escape, as in West Side Story. Although some of the action is contrived (it is a kids’ film), older viewers can appreciate that Nate’s queerness is treated with the right amount of mocking and acceptance. He is teased by his older brother, Anthony ( Joshua Bassett), about wearing lip gloss, and bullied by a classmate, yet his parents appreciate Nate’s outsized personality, allowing him to sleep over Libby’s house when they are away, without having to “worry.” Libby, however, does not quite realize that Nate’s friendship with her will be strictly platonic, which seems odd given how savvy and no-nonsense her character is. Nevertheless, Brooks is fantastic, stealing every scene she is in.

Although the film can come off as aggressively wholesome and earnest at times, Better Nate Than Ever still offers valuable life lessons. As Heidi tells Nate to “find his light,” and Libby looks for what she wants, the teenage characters and their innocent wonder can be inspiring. Moreover, Anthony, a star athlete, gets a scene where he bemoans about having to be perfect and the pressure that entails, which allows Bassett a moment to shine.

Federle may deliberately underuse the adult cast members. Lisa Kudrow’s Heidi, who is a great cheerleader for Nate, should have had a bit more spunk and screen time. Likewise, the two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz could have been wonderful as the Lilo and Stitch casting agent. He does not get much to do here, which is a shame, but there is a cute joke about his character thinking the theatre is a four-letter word.

Better Nate Than Ever wears its love for the Great White Way on its sleeve, from the Gwen Verdon poster that adorns Nate’s bedroom, to the teens singing along to Wicked. This film is as passionate about theater as its characters are. © 2022 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

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Conversion Therapy Survivor Spearheads New Documentary in Development: We Just Want to Be

By Sé Sullivan

Trans lives are under attack, and children are the primary targets.

Many urgently ask, “What can we do to support?” Now, parents of trans and nonbinary children face criminal charges in several states, and doctors and teachers face threats for providing care and education that promote basic human rights. Mobilizing wedge issues to garner support at the ballot box in the upcoming midterm elections, right-wing groups weaponize social terror campaigns to gain unfettered power. Between 2018 and March of 2022, anti-trans and antiLGBQ state bills skyrocketed from 41 to 238, according to the ACLU and Freedom for All Americans. These bills have historical precedent, but not in the law—rather, in the widelydiscredited practice of conversion therapy.

I survived conversion therapy at the UCLA Gender Identity Research Clinic in the late 1960s, and I am passionate about its demise. I’ve also

learned that many are not aware of what it actually is. Conversion therapy is psychological torture used on trans and other LGBQ+ people who are seen as deviant, based on the gender and sexual norms of the day. It was developed in the 60s and 70s as a “cure” for alleged mental illness and then-criminal behavior: homosexuality or transsexualism.

The diagnosis of transsexualism was developed through clinical interrogations that were aggressively coercive and focused on the relationships between children (as young as five) and their parents. In my interrogations by doctors, I was asked how I thought boys become boys, and how girls become girls. I responded, “I don’t know ... we just want to be who we want to be.” Their pseudo-scientific methods became enshrined in the field of psychiatry as official diagnoses, masking the heteronormative anxieties of the all-white, mostly-male research teams.

It is a well-known tactic of social control to target the children of a group to gain influence or to assimilate them into the dominant culture.

We need not go far back in history to see how boarding schools were used to assimilate Native American children through religious conversion, or how public schools still use cultural and monolingual education to force immigrant children to shed their languages and traditions.

Clinical conversion therapy is a part of this legacy of deciding who is “fit/ unfit” to be a full member of society, forcing changes on people until they fit. In the instance of conversion therapy, psychiatrists exploited the 1960s suburban anxieties around gender, race, and class to develop pathologies of gender using research subjects who were exclusively white and middle class. They believed it was easier to change children to fit in than to change society to be more accepting.

With the rise of right-wing fascism in the United States today, we should be wary of efforts to force people to fit into confining boxes. Those of us on the margins of public life are often the canaries in the coal mine— easy targets because we are reminders of the individuality, diversity, and beauty that is antithetical to fascist rule. To counter these efforts, we have to understand the historical trajectory of our targeting. To understand how trans children are targeted today, we have to understand this legacy of conversion therapy.

Art, including public installations and documentary film, is a powerful medium for telling the truth about our lives and to help combat the violence of forced forgetting and assimilation. As a survivor of the

Mauro Sifentes

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immense trauma of conversion therapy, I needed help telling my story and have joined forces with Mauro Sifuentes, an accomplished nonbinary scholar-educator and writer of mixed descent. Together, we have created an intergenerational and interracial trans storytelling partnership, and this venture has taken us from academic conferences to the present moment of developing a feature documentary film, We Just Want to Be. We are turning my story and our shared work into a film at the urging of a diverse community of supporters who have let us know just how urgent and timely it is to do so. (continued on page 36)

Sé Sullivan

Bay Times Dines

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Mitchell’s Ice Cream: ‘Take Pride in What You Do and Do It from the Heart’

The Gay Gourmet David Landis Growing up in the Midwest, ice cream was always a treat. Howard Johnson’s had their 28 flavors and then Baskin-Robbins came along with even more—31 flavors!

But nobody has the unique flavors and selection of San Francisco’s own home-grown and family-owned Mitchell’s Ice Cream, a local favorite in the Mission now for nearly 70 years. Their store was the first to introduce mango ice cream (and other unusual flavors, such as macapuno and ube) to the Bay Area.

Because it’s made fresh daily with 16% butterfat, Mitchell’s ice cream is always a creamy treat.

For the San Francisco Bay Times, The Gay Gourmet had the privilege of speaking with co-owner Brian Mitchell about what makes this institution so special.

Gay Gourmet: How long has Mitchell’s Ice Cream been in business?

Brian Mitchell: My father Larry Mitchell and his brother, Jack Mitchell, opened the store in June, 1953. I wasn’t born yet. I came along in 1961. Our father passed away a few years ago in his 80s.

He came into the shop until he was about 82. Together with my sister, Linda, we have been managing it a good 20+ years now, running the show.

Gay Gourmet: What’s the secret to running a successful business?

Brian Mitchell: You have to be consistent in everything you do:

manufacturing the product and how you sell it. The people who work for you are very important (we can’t do it without them), and it’s important to train them on good customer service.

This place doesn’t run without us all working together.

It’s a great team.

They realize how important quality and consistency are in everything you do. Marlon and Wanda are great assistant managers who instill pride in our team. I always say, “Take pride in what you do and do it from the heart.”

Gay Gourmet: What’s your background?

Brian Mitchell: I graduated from St. Ignatius, then went to Santa Clara University, and graduated with a business degree. I had worked here at Mitchell’s on weekends and I saw the potential.

I went straight here and this is the only place I’ve worked. Linda was in Florida working as a trust officer for a bank. She moved out here in 1991 and helped me run the company with my father. She brought varied experience that helped. She’s a godsend.

Gay Gourmet: What’s it like working with your sister?

Brian Mitchell: We get along well. We work with each other about 3 days a week—if there are any conflicts, we work it out. You have to be on the same page for the

crew. You learn a lot as each year goes along.

Gay Gourmet: Do you have a favorite f lavor?

Brian Mitchell: I’m a mint person, so I love our grasshopper pie— mint ice cream, chocolate chips, fudge ribbons, and Oreo cookies. It’s one of our top 5 flavors. We had maybe a dozen flavors when we started. In 1965, Mr. Emerson Clark (a customer) came in with the owner of Gina Corporation in Manila, where we buy our fruit. He asked, “Have you ever thought of making mango ice cream?” My dad said, “Mango, what’s that?” Dad was open to some samples of mango

and ube, thank God. They got samples, did a test run, and introduced tropical Filipino fruits to the Bay Area. For sure, we were the first to do that in the Bay Area. I highly doubt anyone else was making those flavors then. After we introduced mango, then we tried ube (Filipino purple yam) and macapuno (Filipino coconut). Filipinos started immigrating to the Bay Area in the late 60s—we had a big surge in business. We added baby coconut—buko (mildly sweet) and macapuno (sweeter, meaty coconut).

At that point, Dad started wholesaling because the Filipino community started opening Mom and Pop restaurants.

Gay Gourmet: Your ice cream is now available in a lot of places, not just at the original store.

Brian Mitchell: We sell now to more than 100 Thai restaurants.

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We’re also available in a number of grocery stores: Mollie Stone’s, Draeger’s, a lot of Mom and Pop neighborhood stores, Canyon Market, restaurants/hotels like the Four Seasons, and more. We also deliver through Postmates. Retail/ wholesale is 25% but you have to supply the restaurants and the grocery stores and scoop shops.

Gay Gourmet: What’s the secret to why it tastes so good?

Brian Mitchell: 16% butterfat.

Ice cream is 10% butterfat by dairy law. Our dairy is Crystal Cream and Butter Company, now owned

by Foster Farms (it was a familyowned operation for around 75 years). We use all-natural ingredients. Our customer base is different.

They want old-fashioned ice cream and we make it 6 days a week. We do 2–3 new flavors a year. One of (continued on page 31)

Bay Times Dines our new flavors is Sticky Monkey: banana, peanut butter swirl, and chocolate flakes. Another new one is Café Serre: Vietnamese coffee with dark chocolate chips. Shortly, we will even have a couple of vegan ice cream flavors. There’s no animal involved, it’s all plant-based.

It’s made from potato starch, potato protein, oats, and tapioca. We will sell two flavors: chocolate coconut and Sooooo Mango, vegan mango swirled in with mango sorbet.

Gay Gourmet: What’s the process for making your ice cream?

Brian Mitchell: We use a batch freezer. It makes 9 gallons of ice cream. You put in 5 gallons of the ice cream “mix,” the cream; then you put in the ingredients (coffee grounds, fruit, nuts or chips, flavorings). It takes about 10 minutes to freeze. You turn off the refrigeration (if you kept it on, it would become a solid mass). Then you draw it out and fill containers— everything is done by hand. We do about 52–53 batches a day. We stay true to who we are.

Gay Gourmet: The store has evolved over the years, hasn’t it?

Brian Mitchell: We remodeled the store more than 10 years ago; Jacqueline Nelson (Creative Designs

by Jacqueline) redesigned it. She’s a whiz of creativity. It looks great!

Gay Gourmet: After all these years, Mitchell’s is still so popular.

Brian Mitchell: Yes, we have lines at night with waves of peo-

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Mitchell’s Ice Cream: www.mitchellsicecream.com

Bits and Bites

The Dorian: https://www.doriansf.com/

O-Yaki Perfectly Portable Grill Set: For the dad who spends his weekends grilling up some tasty eats, he needs this portable grill set.

It has all the barbecue accessories: tongs, carving fork, carving knife, skewers, spatula, and a basting brush in a convenient zippered storage case to take wherever you go.

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ple. The ice cream season starts in early May and runs pretty much through the end of October, when it kicks into high gear. People come here after dinner or the movies— it’s a destination. You have to keep evolving.

With Father’s Day right around the corner, here are a couple of ideas for the Dad in your life:

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O-Yaki Portable Grill Set (via Amazon): https://tinyurl.com/yc8yb4yt Wildwood Grilling: https://www.wildwoodgrilling.com/

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

Wildwood Grilling: Add flavor to your next outdoor BBQ with Wildwood Grilling’s planks, chips, wraps, spices, and more.

Wildwood’s products (cedar, hickory, cherry, alder, etc.) pair wonderfully with anything you put on top (meat, vegetables, fish, etc.). New rubs include chicken spice, rib rub, hippie gold spice, and American jerk, perfect for a variety of protein and veggies. Available at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Amazon, and Albertson’s.

Golden Hour at The Dorian: The Dorian in San Francisco’s Marina now offers its Golden Hour every Tuesday through Friday from 4–6 pm. Special appetizers and a $6 martini (Tito’s or Hendrick’s) with a twist. There’s live music, too!

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Laeticia’s focus is on world-class sparkling wine with still wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir rounding out their classy portfolio. https://www.laetitiawine.com

Sbrocco Sips Leslie Sbrocco

Cocktails With Heather Heather Freyer

CUATRO HIGHBALL

lime wedge and wheel

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As day becomes night, savor the refreshing Caribbean flavors of Añejo Cuatro rum and ginger ale. It’s called the Cuatro Highball, or as we like to say, paradise in a glass.

1 1/2 ounces Bacardí Añejo Cuatro Rum 3 ounces chilled ginger ale 1 dash Angostura Bitters (optional)

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Fill a highball glass with cubed ice. Pour in the Bacardí Añejo Cuatro Rum followed by chilled ginger ale. Add a dash of bitters, if desired. Finish with a squeeze of lime and garnish with a lime wheel. https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/where-to-buy/

Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice President and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting hundreds of wineries around the Golden State during my years in the wine business. One of the most delicious and relaxing visits I’ve ever had was at Laetitia winery on California’s central coast.

Located in the Arroyo Grande Valley area, its vineyards are only four miles from the cooling breezes of the Pacific Ocean.

Originally founded in 1982 by a famed French Champagne house, Laetitia has changed hands but the traditions of the regions of Burgundy and Champagne in France are honored with every sip. It’s truly a destination to discover. If you want to explore the wines and make a “virtual” visit,

Laetitia Brut Cuvée Sparkling RM, Arroyo Grande Valley, California $25 The latest offering from Laetitia is their Sparkling RM. The letters are a nod to the winery’s French Champagne background as RM refers to the term, récoltant manipulant. It identifies a wine made by a grower from their own grapes, not from ones purchased and grown by others. All Laetitia’s sparklers are made in the traditional méthode champenoise, which means every bottle is of the highest quality.

The classic grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, comprise this succulently fruit-driven fizz with a creamy texture and dry finish. It’s a perfect wine to sip by itself for cocktail hour, served with a hearty brunch, or alongside spicy sushi.

Laetitia Brut Cuvée Estate, Arroyo Grande Valley, California $30 Another sparkling from Laetitia to explore is their Estate Cuvée, which blends the addition of the white grape Pinot Blanc to its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir base. I call it a “twice-the-price wine” because it over delivers on quality.

This wine is also made in the classic method and is aged in the bottle for two years before release. It offers layers of complexity from the marriage of the three grapes.

Pour yourself a glass and then appreciate the aromas of ripe lemon, juicy pear, and freshly baked bread (a typical aroma created by the aging process). It’s a stylish bubbly to pair with dishes from truffle-laced potato chips to pork loin.

2019 Laetitia Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley, California $30 For lovers of still wines versus sparkling ones, Laetitia offers expressive Pinot Noir. Pick up this wine and it (continued on page 36)

This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market Ten Ways to Enjoy Sweet Cherries

By Debra Morris

Cherry season is here and the season is short so hustle over to your local farmers’ market and get farm-fresh, just-picked sweet cherries before they’re gone. There will be many varieties to choose from as the season progresses, from Bing and Rainier, to Brooks, Lamberts, Tulare, and more. Each has its own distinctive color and flavor. You won’t find many of these varieties anywhere other than your local farmers’ market.

as opposed to tart varieties, and small farmers bring a nice variety to your farmers’ market.

They come to us from farms in Brentwood, Lodi, Stockton, Linden, Gilroy, Hollister, and other Northern California valleys. Cherries are very susceptible to damage from rain as they near harvest. For this reason, the volume of each year’s crop can vary depending on spring weather in California growing areas.

California is home to over 600 cherry growers, farming over 26,000 acres from the fertile San Joaquin and Santa Clara Valleys, which receive nutrient-rich soil, sunny days, and mild nights. The state grows mostly sweet cherries

Fresh cherries have an extremely short shelf life and must be handled carefully to reduce bruising, so use your cherries as soon as you can. This is why it’s best to get cherries from the farmers’ market. The flavor and nutrition are the best and you are buying from local farmers.

Once you bring your prized cherries home, try some of these delicious ways to use them: 1. Eat Fresh - For sweet cherries this is the most popu-

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lar way, unadulterated and complete in and of itself.

2. Jams - Make cherry jam or preserves so you can enjoy the flavors later.

3. Dehydrated - Dry them in a dehydrator or in the oven. Remove the pits, cut in halves, and dry until most of the moisture is removed.

Use in baked goods.

4. Pie or Crisp - Make a sweet cherry pie or crisp/cobbler. Since the cherries are sweet to begin with, you won’t need as much sugar!

5. Quick Bread - Take your favorite basic quick bread recipe and add a cup of pitted, chopped cherries to the mix. Delicious!

6. Ice Cream - Make cherry ice cream in your ice cream maker.

7. Popsicles - Run frozen pitted cherries through the blender with some lime juice and pour into popsicle molds.

8. Salads - Add chopped cherries to a chicken or turkey salad for a refreshing pop of flavor and sweetness.

9. Sauces and Marinades - A pound of pitted, chopped cherries, a bit of lemon juice, corn-

starch, and sugar and you’ve got an amazing sauce for desserts or pork, or for dressings and marinades.

10. Salsas - Yes, cherry salsa is an unexpected and delicious way to use cherries. Pit and chop cherries, add chopped jalapeño pepper, chopped green onion, lemon juice, fresh cilantro, minced garlic, and you’re ready to dip.

Cherries are a veritable feast for the eyes— and stomachs! We wish the season was longer, but that’s the way Nature rolls. At the Castro Farmers’ Market you’ll find them from Ken’s Top Notch Farms out of Fresno, and Arata Fruit in Byron.

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/

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “May I be the first to wish a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY (May 8) to all you moms and drag mothers out there! Congratulations and ConDragulations! You have raised some very fine folx!”

Following an extensive nationwide search, SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS (SFGMC) Executive Director Chris Verdugo and Board of Directors Chair Glenn DeSandre have announced the appointment of Jacob Stensberg as the new Artistic Director of San Francisco’s premier choral organization.

Stensberg succeeds Dr. Timothy Seelig who will retire at the conclusion of SFGMC’s Season 44 in July 2022. Welcome, Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg!

Happy CINCO DE MAYO! In honor of Emperor 32 Fernando, join your host Absolute Empress CHINA SILK as we celebrate the 20th annual “Cinco De MEOW ” Party on Saturday, May 7, at the Cinch, 1723 Polk Street, Taco Bar at 4 pm, Show at 5 pm with emcees Emperor 28 John Carrillo and Empress 33 Alexis Miranda.

Net proceeds benefit the Imperial Council of San Francisco, Emperors 50th anniversary Fund. https://www.sfimperialcouncil.org/ THE LEATHER & LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT is marking their fourth birthday with an AUDACIOUS ANNIVERSARY party. The public is invited to come celebrate at this free adults-only event featuring entertainment, food, demos, and fun. Saturday, May 7, 5–9 pm, Folsom Street Foundry, 1425 Folsom Street. https://sflcd.org/ Sister Dana sez, “Nineteen other states are now considering passing similar Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws.

Repugnicans are using fear and the use of the buzz words, ‘groomers’ and ‘pedophiles.’

It’s time for Democrats to stand up and really fight!”

THE CANNABIS COMPASSION MURAL had its grand unveiling ceremony on April 20 (better known as 4/20) at FLORE DISPENSARY, 258 Noe Street.

Emcee Donna Sachet introduced proud Flore owner Terrance Alan. Cleve Jones, creator of the NAMES AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT, spoke. John Entwistle, husband of the late Dennis Peron, regaled us the history of compassion with the fight for medical marijuana as they lived it. (BTW Sister Dana used to work towards legalization of medical pot and also delivered it to grateful clients before it was legal way back in the day.) Director of THE CANNABIS TRAIL Brian Applegarth dedicated the mural as a Monument along the California Cannabis Trail. The community mural selection committee chairs, Kirstie and Cherie, spoke about the artist selection process and introduced the artist himself, Dave Van Patten, to explain his creative process and inspiration. After that, the big event happened at (naturally) 4:20 pm! Senator Mark Leno and 34

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Senator Scott Wiener issued a statement on 4/20: “I’m proud to be authoring legislation to increase medical cannabis access across the state, support commercial cannabis retailers, legalize Overdose Prevention Programs (safe consumption sites), decriminalize psychedelics, implement a proven stratDennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) on May 5, 2016, at Project Open egy to help people Hand’s soirée held at San Francisco City Hall enjoyed a toast with who are addicted designer Miguel Gutierrez. to meth, and more.

Last year, I passed ley from “True Colors” and more. a law that ends mandatory miniSF CHEER was there to cheer us mum prison sentences for nonviolent on! Star DJ Christie James of drug offenses.” He continued, “As IHeartRadio was presented by many across the country celebrate Olivia Travel. The popular “Name this national celebration of cannabis, That Tune” contest highlighted the let’s remember that many people are champions, Team GGBA headed still incarcerated for nonviolent drug

by Captain Krystal Drwencke, offenses. Black and brown commuvs. the challengers, Team Women’s nities have long been disproportionMarch headed by Captain Sophia ately punished for the same cannabis Andary. Happiest of birthdays to usage that others have so freely Betty and Donna—my dear friends enjoyed.” from decades ago and forever after!!!

Sister Dana sez, “The House Sister Dana sez, “At a recent has passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, GOP CA convention, the and Expungement (MORE) California Repugnican Party’s Act that would end the federal loyalty to Rep. Kevin McCarthy prohibition and criminalization showed just how much T-rump of marijuana, providing remains the leader of the individual states with the Party—even in a deep blue state authority to be the primary like ours! Awful!” arbiters of cannabis policy.

THE RHINO EXTRAVAGANZA Now the stubborn Senate must happens May 15, 7 pm, at pass MORE!” The Gateway Theatre, 215 Last month I was happy to report Jackson Street. THEATRE on the super PAC, SOUTHERN RHINOCEROS (the longest-runPROGRESS—promoting proning Queer Theatre in the World) gressive legislation and lawmakwill feature many of its stars— ers in southern states—mounting including Jesús U. BettaWork, the first billboard “SAY GAY” Jennifer Ekman, Lillith Era, signs in Tallahassee, Orlando, and Rudy Guerrero, Keldamuzik, Jacksonville for a month. Now I am Justin Lucas, Leandra Ramm, overjoyed to announce that HRC, Stan Stone, Elsa Touché, and The Human Rights Campaign many more! Fabulous show, food, in Florida, has rolled out a new and drinks. https://therhino.org/ billboard campaign in Tampa, Tallahassee, and Orlando, condemning Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law as well. Their signs sarcastically state: “Gov. Ron DeSantis Welcomes You to Florida - The Sunshine ‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ State.” And again, I say, “Yay!” We joyfully joined Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, presenting CERTIFICATES OF HONOR to two legendary LGBTQ community icons, Donna Sachet and Betty Sullivan. The April 28 event at The Academy was a benefit for the nonprofit RAINBOW HONOR WALK. DYKES ON BIKES® escorted Betty and Donna to The Academy for the pair’s birthday week, giving us the opportunity to thank B&D for their decades of heartfelt service. Co-emceed by SF Pride President Carolyn Wysinger and former Pride President Gary Virginia, the evening featured the SF LESBIAN/ GAY FREEDOM BAND in full marching regalia doing their trademark “California, Here I Come,” as well as entertainment from members of the SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS directed by Dr. Timothy Seelig singing “If You Were Gay” and a rousing med-

HARVEY MILK DAY is May 22. One of the late Supervisor Harvey Milk’s major life themes was: “You gotta give ‘em hope.” This has also been a major tenet of the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS’ mission. Thanks to a generous donation by David Falzone and his family, SFGMC has the privilege to highlight the work of young artists (12–24) so deeply impacted by the pandemic and give them hope through a scholarship. The awards are open to artists of all genres. Details on their website: https://www.sfgmc.org/ LOCKDOWN COMEDY has been running monthly on Zoom since July 2020. Since the monthly shows still cater to audiences of some 100 people monthly throughout the U.S. and some internationally, and since the pandemic is not yet over, the comedy will continue on Zoom for the foreseeable future. Produced by SF’s own comedian, Lisa Geduldig (who occasionally gets stuck in Florida with her mom, Arline Geduldig—both doing standup), the Thursday, May 19, Zoom at 7pm will feature Maureen Langan (continued on page 36)

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Supervisor Rafael Mandelman dramatically pulled a golden cord, the shroud dropped, and to an awestruck audience, this gorgeous mural was revealed for the first time ever!

Performance: Standing Our Ground! at SF Public Library

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)

The African American Center of the San Francisco Public Library, in partnership with AfroSolo, presented the special event Performance: Standing Our Ground! A Celebration of Bay Area Black Poet Laureates, on Sunday, April 24.

Held at the Library’s Koret Auditorium during National Poetry Month, the event featured San Francisco’s 8th and current Poet Laureate, Tongo Eisen-Martin; San Francisco’s 3rd Poet Laureate, Devorah Major; and Oakland’s first Poet Laureate, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga. The Destiny Muhammed Project provided accompaniment and interludes. Dr. Sheryl Evans Davis, San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director, served as the mistress of ceremonies.

Oasis Mural Project: New SOMA Full Building Mural Unveiling to Kick-off Pride Month

Designed by Serge Gay Jr., Elliott C. Nathan, J Manuel Carmona, Simon Malvaez, and Christopher McCutcheon, the mural, titled “SHOWTIME,” will incorporate aspects of Oasis, SOMA, and the queer SF community at large; including LGBTQ nightlife, cabaret, disco, theater, drag, and leather culture. The mural is supported by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and Oasis Arts.

“I’m absolutely in love with the talents of these artists,” said Oasis owner D’Arcy Drollinger. “The fact that all five wanted to be involved in this project blew me away. What I’m most fascinated by is how five distinct artists, each with their own unique styles, have collaborated on such a cohesive design. I can’t wait to watch their process in real-time throughout May. I’m also incredibly grateful to the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and the San Francisco Arts Commission for joining me in this project to not only enhance the Oasis, but to employ local artists while keeping South of Market fabulously queer.”

“We are proud to be involved with such an impressive and beautiful piece of public art,” said Bob Goldfarb, Executive Director of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. “’SHOWTIME’ will be a major addition to the vibrant artistic legacy of SOMA and we are pleased to be able to support local artists in its creation.”

The 2,500-square-foot mural will wrap the length of the building on both the 11th Street side and along Burns Court. It will depict representations of the community as well as highlight queer and trans trailblazers such as Bambi Lake, Phatima Rude, Felicia Flames, Tippi, and José Sarria; pioneers who have made spaces like Oasis possible. Oasis has a history of community engagement and outreach, as with its programs such as Meals on Heels, the Oasis

TV streaming platform, and nascent nonprofit arts initiative Oasis Arts.

Through the mural project, Oasis hopes to continue to foster collaboration in public arts spaces.

“QUEER ARTISTS FOR QUEER SPACES began in response to our community asking for a commitment to uplift and raise the profiles of artists within our circles and this project highlights not one, but five artists, each fabulously eclectic and individual in style and technique, to amplify the depth of talent within the Queer Community,” said Sister Celine Dionysus. “The dance between individual and collaborative expression mirrors the development of our community’s responses to so many challenges in the past. We work best when we work together, and our family is comprised of many different expressions, genders, and identities.

It is with great Joy that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are able to celebrate our diversity with a mural on the walls of the old Oasis Baths and highlight the future that San Francisco’s Artists will manifest.”

About the Artists Serge Gay, Jr. is an American visual artist and creative designer based in San Francisco, California.

He has always been an artist. It is in his blood. When he was a child and recent immigrant from Haiti, his drawing skills were instrumental in connecting with his classmates and teachers. Beginning his practice of painting as a youth and then initiating his formal study at a Magnet Arts High School, Serge was on a steady trajectory for an art college of his choosing. The College for Creative Studies in Detroit became the campus where he refined his illustrative skills and emboldened his voice. He relocated to the Bay Area to pursue an arts career, and his skill and experience have grown to span a broad range of engagements including graphic design, art directing, gallery exhibitions, event art, and murals throughout the city.

His art infuses inspiration reflective of urban realities from coast to coast. Keen to the challenges of our time, influenced by the culture of his homeland, and melded with his life experiences, his voice and the motivation in his work are crisp and clear.

His aesthetic incorporates the grit of New York, the beauty of Miami, the wealth of Detroit, and the freedom of San Francisco. All of these places, in their own way, permeate the evolution of his work. Serge owns and operates his own graphic design company named SergeShop and is also a freelance visual art director

A mural, featuring LGBTQ icon Sylvester, was unveiled at Oasis Night Club in a ceremony on May 24, 2021 where then Supervisor Matt Haney spoke.

working with film and video production design teams in Los Angeles.

One of the major projects he worked on, with longtime collaborator and film director Matt Stawski, yielded a Grammy nomination for best short form music video.

J Manuel Carmona was born in Texas along the Mexican border and raised in Mexico before moving to the U.S. His work is greatly informed by his binational Mexican/ American heritage, queer identity, and the intersection of the LGBTQI and Latino communities of San Francisco. He said, “I have explored these communities and concepts through varied and diverse artistic approaches, creating murals, posters, sculptures, and art installations that in some way satisfy my own personal curiosity, respond to the immediate context, honor the message, and impact the spectator. As I continue to explore the power of public art, I hope to use my work to inspire individuals with the pride and love that I feel for my two countries of heritage, my LGBTQI community, and to bring focus to the duality of millions of Mexican-Americans living and traveling between both sides of this border.”

Elliott C. Nathan is an artist, muralist, and event producer who has been residing in San Francisco since 2010. Nathan said, “I’ve been a creator of things since I was a little and have enjoyed keeping that curi-

osity and interest throughout my life.

I’ve painted a handful of murals in SOMA including a 160-foot mural on Dore St. and the ‘Loads of Love’ mural on the Power House. My most known mural in the Mission is ‘Love will Prevail’ on Valencia Street. I like to vary the style of the work I create playing with elements of abstraction, surrealism, pop art, and doodling.

It’s always fun to see what can be created when you let the mind wander and the brush lead the path of the work being created. My production company, All The Fun, throws the night life event Electroluxx, which focuses on showcasing San Francisco’s local visual and musical artists. I feel lucky to have had so many opportunities to create custom works of art for people’s homes and local businesses and to collaborate with so many other talented artists.”

Simón Malvaez was born in Tijuana, a border city of Mexico and the U.S. He studied graphic design in Mexico City. He currently lives in San Francisco and was inspired by the places he has lived and The Bauhaus founding philosophies.

Simón takes basic materials, familiar shapes, and primary colors, pastels, and metallics to celebrate bodies and personalities that have influenced him. Latino culture and the LGBTQ+ community are bold and vibrant in all of his works. The geometry and composition invite viewers to disassemble each attribute of the piece and then reinterpret the pro-

jected symbols upon the pieces as a whole. It is an invitation to appreciate and deconstruct identity, diversity, representation, and inclusion.

Christopher J. McCutcheon, born in Ohio, is a Bay Area-based painter, sculptor, and foundry artisan. Christopher’s art practice is informed by their commitment to craft, community, and queer culture.

Growing up in a strong working-class family and now a blue-collar worker themselves, Christopher brings people together for the sake of celebrating and creating culture. Since earning their BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015, Christopher has been honing their skills as a mold maker and patina artist at the Artworks Foundry in Berkeley. Though sculpture has stolen their heart, painting was their first love. Their abstracted and suggestive figures employ playful humor relevant to their queer identity. The Bay Area has long been a safe haven for many in the LGBTQ community, and for Christopher, this means it’s time to put in the work to keep it that way. Christopher holds that whether it is through gallery exhibitions, public artworks, or social practice, the future is in finding historically queer spaces that foster creativity, while cultivating new spaces in order to create honest artwork that adds to the conversation of freedom through the arts. https://www.sfoasis.com/

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PHOTO BY RINK

Five Bay Area mural artists this month will create a new work at 298 11th Street, in San Francisco, on the exterior of the Oasis nightclub/ cabaret, one of the largest LGBTQ owned nightclubs in the U.S., located in the heart of SOMA. The official unveiling will take place at the beginning of San Francisco Pride Month on Thursday, June 2, at 3 pm, with a celebration later that evening at Oasis from 9 pm–2 am, hosted by the artists and supporters.

SISTER DANA (continued from page 35)

SBROCCO (continued from page 32)

(NY), Shann Carr (Palm Springs), and Nicole Tran (SF, via Vietnam). Tix and info: https://www.koshercomedy.com/ An opening wine reception was held at the newest Castro SCHLOMER HAUS GALLERY, 2128 Market Street, for the delightful paintings by Kevin Sabo in a gallery entitled, WHO IS SHE? Go visit this show in the ’stro through June 4: https://schlomerhaus.com/ An artist-led pop-up studio is coming to the historic HARVEY MILK CASTRO CAMERA SHOP. As a gallery, boutique, and gathering space, QUEER A.F. will feature art across all mediums—with a focus on the work of underrepresented, disenfranchised, and emerging local Queer artists and makers while minimizing financial barriers. They will strive to provide access and opportunity to keep The Castro queer A.F. with a Grand Opening in June. https://www.queerartsfeatured.com/

Sister Dana sez, “A new NBC News bulletin has found that, in 2021, Republicans introduced 191 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures. But this year, when it was only April, the number of bills was already up to 238. They just won’t stop!”

overflows with aromas and flavors of ripe cherry with a touch of earthy elegance. Once you take a sip, the wine wraps your palate with silky smoothness. A flexible food pairing red, it goes with a wide range of dishes from grilled salmon to beef stew to roasted Portobello mushrooms.

SING-A-LONG-A SOUND OF MUSIC is coming to the Castro Theatre on May 15, 11 am. For those of you not yet converted, Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical in glorious, full-screen Technicolor, complete with lyric subtitles so that the whole audience can sing along. The evening begins with your hosts leading a vocal warm-up, judging the fancy dress competition, and teaching you how to use your items in your free interactive props bag. https://apeconcerts.com/

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” and “100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations.”

Celebrate ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH with a trip to the ASIAN ART MUSEUM! https://asianart.org/ THEATRE RHINOCEROS invites you to a limited engagement, HARTS’ DESIRE, with Mark Nadler—live and in-person.

Nadler, the man with the magic fingers on the keys and the voice of heaven, is back for an evening of queer fun and mayhem.

Postponed in 2020 due to Covid, cabaret performer extraordinaire Nadler returns to San Francisco with an all-new show based on the lives of queer artists Moss Hart and Lorenz Hart. Performed entirely by Mark, utilizing the dialogue of Moss Hart and lyrics of Lorenz Hart, he presents a show the duo might have written if they had not had to stay in the closet.

May 12–15, Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson Street. http://therhino.org/ Sister Dana sez, “A.G. Merrick Garland has called the January 6 Probe the most urgent in history. Meanwhile, the RNC is attempting to sue the Committee to STOP their work! Unbelievable!”

www.LeslieSbrocco.com

SULLIVAN (continued from page 28) To help build awareness of our work, We Just Want to Be is hosting a very special two-day pop-up art show and fundraiser at SparkArts, a gallery on 18th Street in San Francisco’s Castro District, sponsored

by The Curve Foundation. On Friday, May 6, 2022, there will be an art opening that is free and open to the public, featuring a range of art objects and installations I have created over the years that connect my own personal history of survival with the larger trauma that comes with surviving conversion therapy.

On Saturday, May 7, 2002, we will host a powerfully curated staged reading of excerpts from my childhood medical transcripts at UCLA that lift the veil on the actual tactics used. This event is a ticketed event with seating for up to 60 people. Tickets are $60 per person. The evening features the following influencers, community leaders, and social justice activists who have agreed to participate as readers: • Glodean Champion https://www.glodeanchampion.com/ • Malachi Larrabee-Garza https://tinyurl.com/58fu3x5a • Emer Martin https://www.emermartin.com/about • Susan Stryker https://tinyurl.com/nhh8c73s • Host/Emcee - Sister Roma, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence For More Information: https://tinyurl.com/2p9e6afz To learn more about our film, watch our first promo here: https://vimeo.com/505966678 From there, please join us in-person at SparkArts on May 6th and 7th for what are sure to be two powerful nights of programming on the topic of conversion therapy!

Sé Sullivan is a scholar-educator, and a survivor of conversion therapy who has taught in the discipline of gender and women’s studies across public and private universities in California. They have been on the frontlines of LGBTQ+ activism since the 1980s, surviving and organizing through the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, the lesbian sex wars, and our current era of trans awareness. As a nonbinary Irish-American Settler, Sé’s artistic work, including gallery installations and public talks, foregrounds questions of history, gender, and assimilation.

“We Just Want to Be” will be their first film.

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POP QUIZ

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ANSWER (Question on pg 25)

A) The Missouri Mule The Missouri Mule opened in 1963 at 2348 Market Street. A famous regular was “Vicious Vivian,” who led afternoon Sunday sing-alongs. The Elephant Walk, a favorite of singing superstar Sylvester (1947–1988), opened on November 27, 1974.

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Take Me Home with You! Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month

“My name is Lilith, and I’m looking for an outdoor adventure buddy! I’m a twoyear-old Shepherd mix who is full of energy, and I need an adopter who enjoys outdoor exploring as much as I do. If you love hiking, swimming, and taking long walks through the city, we might be a perfect match! Come meet me!”

Steven Luibrand at Fitness SF Mid-Market

Lilith

“A good guideline for staying hydrated throughout the day: weigh yourself in pounds, divide that number in half, then drink that many ounces of water per day. For example, someone who weighs 200 lbs. would drink 100 ounces of water per day.”

Lilith is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Lilith.

To meet Lilith, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. It is open for appointments from 8 am–6 pm daily. For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/

Celebrate Bike Safety Month at My Bike Fair on May 14

Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Media for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers.

For more information: https://fitnesssf.com/

Assemblymember Phil Ting Thank you to everyone who attended my April 26 Budget Town Hall to give input or share ideas about the state’s next fiscal plan. Hearings will continue next month in Sacramento, where you’ll have more opportunities to weigh in. My next in-person event is my annual bike safety fair, a perfect opportunity to celebrate Bike Safety Month, which is observed every May. As in years past, it will be held outside. This time, McCoppin Elementary is hosting!

Please bring the whole family. Kids of all ages can learn how to ride a bike safely, get more information about the Safe Routes to School program, and catch up on legislation that affects our community.

This event, from 10 am–1 pm on May 14, includes a bicycle obstacle course for safety training, bike riding lessons, bike safety adjustments and repairs, a helmet giveaway, and more. Many thanks to our partners: YBike, McCoppin PTO, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, WalkSF, and Bay Area Bike Mobile.

Bringing your own bike is encouraged, but there is no need to bring one! Bikes will be available to borrow. You can take public transit to the Fair via Muni: 5, 31 or 38.

RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/2jmwwpsm Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.

As Heard on the Street . . . What song best describes your life now?

compiled by Rink

Carolyn Wysinger

Jay Greene

Erin Lavery

Lawrence Shine

Sally Conjura-Clayton

“A Michael Jackson song: ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ ”

“To Be Real”

“Chaka Khan’s ‘I’ll Be Good To You’ and ‘I’m Single and Ready to Date Again’ ”

“What the World Needs Now is Love”

“Room Where It Happens”

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Round About - All Over Town

Photos by Rink

Dancer Phillip Ruise, accompanied by musicians Susu Pampanin and Amina Goodyear, performed at Hybernia Beach, located space at 18th and Castro on Saturday, April 16.

A sign placed on the grounds of the St. Francis Lutheran Church, affectionally known as “Our Lady of Safeway,” proclaimed a series of statements about what “We Believe.”

Diners enjoyed the sidewalk service in front of Orphan Andy’s, open in the Castro since 1977, on Monday, April 18.

Attorney Elizabeth Kristen spoke at an Alexander Hamilton Post 448 event about ways to change dishonorable discharges to “honorable.”

Activist Morningstar Vancil, who spoke about a Gay American Indians event scheduled to be held on June 24, was a featured guest at the Alexander Hamilton Post 448 American Legion Spring Fling Celebration held at the Veterans Building on April 21. She was introduced by the Post Commander, Mario Benfield.

Commander Mario Benfield awarded a Medal of Valor to combat veteran Joe Elliott, who was one among the veterans group that monitored the Castro neighborhood following the January 6, 2021, coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Owner Alessandro Raimondi, third from left, and his staff members welcomed guests to Vico Cavone, a new restaurant that has gained a reputation for excellent Italian cuisine.

Vico Cavone’s street sign announces the special events at the popular new venue located on 18th Street.

Vico Cavone owner Alessandro Raimondi

Roco Talora and Mark Bieschke shared a toast at the new Lobby Bar restaurant and cocktail lounge recently opened at The Hotel Castro on 18th Street.

A selection of books in the display window at Dog Eared Books on Valencia Street.

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Round About - All Over Town

Photos by Rink

CASTRO STREETCAM presented by

An Earth Day festival, sponsored by VinFast, a Vietnamese company that produces electric SUVs, was held on Valencia Street between 19th and 20th Streets on Saturday, April 23.

Vegan tamales and tacos were popular at the Casita Vegana food cart at the festival sponsored by VinFaston April 23.

http://sfbaytimes.com/ A live band performed during the festival, featuring nature-conscious booths, during the Earth Day festival sponsored by Vinfast.

VinFast displayed its electric SUV produced in Vietnam at the company’s booth during the street festival held on April 23.

Vibrant. Inspired. Empowered.

Infinite She is the new ultra-lush skin care line from Margot Elena and we have it in stock and ready for Mother’s Day gifting. Body Lotion $32 Shower Gel $16.

Visit the Cliff’s Annex to explore the entire lineup!

Marriage Equality activist Jim Obergefell (center, right) with Paul Miller (left) and Nate Bourg, co-owners of The Academy, an LGBT social club located at 2166 Market Street, on Wednesday, April 6. The event was a fundraiser for Obergefell, who is a candidate for office in Ohio.

Rink Remembers

Jim Oberfefell signed bottles of wine from his winery during the election party held to benefit his campaign for office in Ohio.

Photos by Rink

Merle Adams San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink has conveyed the news of the passing of longtime community member Merle Adams. A regular customer of The Cove on Castro, Rink had recorded the anniversaries of Adams and his partner of more than 60 years, Jed Davis. The couple had been involved in the community since they met in 1957 and had long supported LGBT nonprofit groups. Cove owners Solange and Maurice Darwish welcomed the couple to their favorite window table at the restaurant for many years.

We are now carrying the new Stasher Bowls!

With a flat bottom and a seal that stays open on its own, you can lunch prep in one step.

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ome check out the amazing Bargello quilt by Martha Asten that we are raffling off to raise money for the AIDS/Lifecycle. The quilt will be on display in our window until the drawing on May 30th. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.

https://cliffsvariety.com/

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