San Francisco Bay Times - June 21, 2018

June 21–July 11, 2018 | sfbaytimes.com

London Breed, San Francisco’s First Black Woman Mayor, Carries City’s Hopes London Breed, during her formal San Francisco mayoral election victory speech on June 14 at Rosa Parks Elementary School, pledged to “push the envelope” and to “make the hard decisions” concerning the city’s many challenges that include homelessness, crime, transportation and education problems, affordability issues and so much more. As Mark Leno said during his concession speech on June 13, “We all wish her the best because her success is San Francisco’s success.”

The San Francisco Department of Elections has until July 5 to prepare a certified statement of all June 5 election results and then to submit it to the Board of Supervisors. The Board is scheduled to meet on July 10, after which Breed may be sworn in.

Breed’s election is historic in many respects. In addition to becoming San Francisco’s first ever African American female mayor, she will be only the second woman ever to serve in that

role here, following now Senator Dianne Feinstein (San Francisco mayor from 1978–1988). Nationwide, the country’s 14 largest cities all currently have male mayors, with only three of those being men of color. Consider that Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia have never had female mayors.

In a piece recently published in the San Francisco Bay Times, Roma Guy and Debra Walker jointly wrote: “London Breed is the exact person we need to lead San Francisco. All of us supporting her have long recognized her ability to identify problems and bring together people around solutions.”

They added, “We’ve seen her advocate on behalf of tenants to improve conditions in af fordable housing across our city. We have all supported her efforts to bring compassion into the solutions for those without homes who are looking to our city leaders for

help. And we have applauded her efforts to reform a challenged law enforcement community while working to keep our streets safe for us all.”

They concluded: “It is time that we return a woman to the Mayor’s office in San Francisco City Hall. It is so time for this strong woman, London Breed, to represent all San Franciscans.”

SF Pride in LGBTQ Leader Mark Leno

By Jamie Leno Zimron After a hard-fought mayoral election, literally half of San Francisco, along with thousands of people across our state, country and around the world, listened to my brother Mark Leno’s concession speech with broken hearts. And in awe. He spoke with his hallmark sense of impeccable intelligence and integrity, unflinching gorgeous grace and fierce passion for the ordinary people whom he serves first and foremost.

By a razor-thin margin, San Francisco lost our 2018 chance to have this great man and human as the first progressive mayor in decades, and the first gay mayor ever. We know Mark Leno would have led the City in essential new directions. He would have energetically tackled what he points out has grown into “a tale of two cities,” where some continue to generate and enjoy amazing wealth, while so many are suffering and struggling with escalating displacement, homelessness, filth in the streets, lack of affordability or access to opportuni-

ty and even basics of life.

Substantive change and solutions are required!

Thanks to so many people for beautiful messages of appreciation and support for Mark. As our hearts ache, and our community faces rising forces of discrimination, I am so unspeakably proud of my brother. We are so grateful for all of the incredible people who poured their talents, hearts and souls into his stellar campaign. And to all those who gave a few dollars up to the $500 cap of the Fair Campaign Pledge.

Mark led in the effort to keep big money interests, dark money and mean-spirited super PACs out of this election. Very unfortunately, not every candidate took the pledge, allowing billionaire inf luence to find its way into the race, such that power brokers’ attack ads and media manipulation worked to defeat the two leading progressives, Senator Leno and

Supervisor Jane Kim. With the City already plunged in crisis, we must be very aware and activist as entrenched business interests work to keep their hold on City Hall to keep on ruling for their own favor.

My prayer now is for the new mayor, London Breed, to seize the reins as the first African American woman to be mayor, staying true to her identity and roots. May she lead with utmost integrity, inspiration and independence. And with her heart and mind truly dedicated to the people in (continued on page 26)

Election Reflection: A Whole-Lotta Emotions came to San Francisco with nothing more than a large suitcase and the little money that I had saved.

San Francisco represented a city of tremendous promise. Where Wall Street didn’t run the city, and universal healthcare was guaranteed for everyone. A place that wasn’t afraid to buck the status quo, and where a queer idealist committed to social justice could feel right at home.

To the Left, To the Left Peter Gallotta (Editor’s Note: This issue marks the debut of a new column in the San Francisco Bay Times by Peter Gallotta, a rising voice in the progressive movement. Gallotta works in the San Francisco Department of the Environment and already has an impressive political resume, including being appointed to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and serving as former President and Board Member of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club.)

As I stood in the crowd at the election night party for Jane Kim for Mayor, it hit me like a ton of uncounted vote by mail ballots. Nine years ago, to the exact day, I moved to San Francisco.

A semi-jaded, fast talking, cigarette smoking, 22-year-old New Yorker, I

As the results started coming in on election night, showing Jane in 3rd place, I couldn’t help but think, had I been wrong about San Francisco?

Looking around, I could feel the collective loss being felt by the activists, organizers and idealists who had spent countless hours talking to voters about the need for a new direction for the city. Had we been wrong?

The June 5th special Mayoral election was more than a contest of political candidates; it was a fight for the future of San Francisco. Would San Francisco continue to become a boutique playground for the rich, or would it be a city that a young queer kid could still come to with nothing but a suitcase and hope for a better future?

My heartache and fear that night was not only that Jane Kim and her vision had lost, but also that San Francisco had lost its way. With the fastest growing income inequality in the country,

displacement of people of color and working families, and the daily crisis facing our unhoused neighbors, the need for fundamental change had never felt more urgent or existential.

If there were ever a time for us to say enough is enough to the moderate political establishment, developers, and billionaires influencing this city’s politics and policies, it was now.

Rebecca Solnit once said, “Voting is a chess move, not a valentine.” And the reality is, sometimes we lose even our best chess matches. As progressives recover from what was one of the most coordinated efforts to take back the Mayor’s office in a quarter century, we have to take solace in our work and take stock of the current situation.

The 1–2 Ranked Choice Voting strategy supporting Jane Kim and Mark Leno was effective. When all is said and done, over 60% of Jane’s #2 votes transferred to Leno in the instant runoff, keeping him neck and neck with London Breed for days after the election. Their coordinated efforts may have helped to drive over 50% of registered voters to the polls—a significantly higher turnout than most June primary elections we’ve seen.

Progressives also stayed united and worked together. From the beginning, progressive groups such as (continued on page 26) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 21, 2018

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Standing Upon ‘Generations of Strength’ of Pride Against Unjust Immigration Policies

Cross Currents Andrea Shorter It is Pride in San Francisco. There is nothing like celebrating LGBTQ Pride in the City, and in our sister Bay Area communities from Oakland to San Jose. Together, we welcome millions of visitors from nearly every corner of the earth, with every state of the union arriving to get their Pride in this epicenter of LGBTQ liberation and inclusion.

We come together not only to honor the pathways forged, and being forged, toward full equality for LGBTQ persons in society, in our communities and workplaces, but we also come together to raise our voices to help lead the way toward greater peace, safety and justice for all, no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, country of origin or citizenship status. If there is a civil and human rights movement that has at its heart a fervent belief, faith and hope for the compassionate treatment of each person as whole and worthy of love, respect and dignity, it is the LGBTQ liberation movement.

As we come together to parade, to march and just to have a joyous time

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commemorating the overwhelming odds overcome thus far to secure hallmark achievements for civil marriage equality and greater inclusion in the workplace, we also come together to strengthen resistance against those forces that seek to divide us against our better aspirations, truth and ideas of what it means to be American. The fact that we can gather together en masse to enjoy our freedoms of speech and expression for LGBTQ equality out loud and proud is a right of fact that we must appreciate, protect and project as one of the most cherished tenants of what it means to be American.

Speaking out against the unjust policies and practices of an administration led by an empathically and ethically depleted pathological liar and blamer-in-chief is a non-partisan responsibility. The abject cruelties and blatant harm to us all by this administration’s phony immigration, asylum and anti-sanctuary policies being manifest into very real actions taken in our name as Americans demand our attention and action as LGBTQ people.

Before I go much further, let me be very clear—this is not a Bay Area, crunchy lefty, bleeding heart plea for laissez faire indifference to secure, safe and fair immigration and border policies. Let’s face it. Our immigration and border policies have been in need of improvement for some time.

United States immigration and border politics are complex, and I don’t portend for a moment to be expert about the matter as a whole.

The economic, political, and even physically logistical challenges of exacting policies pleasing to a majority of Americans—particularly voters— have all but paralyzed any meaningful republican, democratic, or bi-par-

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tisan action on the matter. There are better fact-based reasons with greater merit than the propaganda and pablum being peddled for political sport.

Meanwhile, it is through the disarray of this political paralysis of sorts that allowed just enough runway for this President to drive a tank stockpiled with populist cultural war weaponry.

After a few years of testing and sharpening his political chops as the star sideshow barker of a manufactured birther scheme to discredit the ascending and eventual first Black POTUS, the man who would be President eventually descended from his gaudy golden escalator to purposefully and shockingly declare Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers in his announced bid to be Commander in Chief. The red meat alert was loud and clear: xenophobia will be alive and on the prowl in his dangerously perverse version of a postObama America.

Returning America to a fictional, fantastical glorious greatness of a dominant white, Christian majority rule over the impending doom of an all too fast-moving majority-minority population of brown, black, yellow and anybody in-between suspected of corrupting a rightly order of a dreamy, puritanical, conservative Anglo-nation is the presumed Presidential prerogative.

With an isolationist, protectionist and authoritarian savior complex

expressed in an ambitious promise of building a “great wall” (never Left: Andrea Shorter speaking on the steps of San Francisco to be paid for by Mexi- City Hall. Above: SF Pride Parade Grand Marshal Andrea co) as equally monument Shorter and friends at the parade in 2009. to self as it is proclaimed Ultimately, the art of the deal in play protection of the greatness of Amer- here is holding these ripped apart ica against exaggerated accounts of families as hostage, as leverage to legions of brown Catholics threaten- force the hands of resistors into agreeing to pollute and dilute aspirations ing to build that promised great wall. of Anglo majority, pulling out all the Further, it is used to fuel the Novemstops to make America impervious to ber elections of Trump loyalist Reintrusive impurities particularly from publicans to maintain majority in the south of the border is presented as ref- congress. This is nothing less than an erendum, as mandate. exhibition of thuggery and extortion of the highest order: inhumane, ruthThis false referendum is now maniless and unforgiving. festing itself in the cruelest of “zero tolerance” immigration policies and Simultaneously, “zero tolerance” is practices, most egregiously demon- also being applied to turn away asystrated by the forced separation of at lum-seekers fleeing violence, such as least 2,000 children from their par- domestic violence, gang rape, sexual ents and guardians while crossing assault, sexual exploitation and trafour borders. Displayed before us are ficking. Given that the majority of newscasts and reports of the ripping these asylum-seekers are women and of families apart, promoted not only children, the egregiousness of crimin the name of laws that do not exist, inalizing all migrant border crossers but also with the added insult to inju- is of critical concern. As a commury of invoking misinterpreted biblical nity that welcomes LGBTQ people passages to justify this shame. Same seeking asylum from persecution and or similar passages have also been threat of death, the clamp down on used to justify slavery, subjugation of asylum policies should also sound an women, homophobia, manifest desti- alarm. ny and other wholly unjust terrors and sanctioned tyranny. The insertion of any theocratic doctrine, misguided or not, into our democracy to justify unjust laws of any kind, real or unreal, calls for resistance.

We want safe, secure and fair immigration policies. Lawful protections based on real, fact-based threats against actual criminality—not ex(continued on page 26)

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A Look Back at the LGBT Community (Almost) 40 Years Ago

Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Louise “Lou” Fischer Happy 40th Anniversary to the San Francisco Bay Times! Congratulations and thank you to the publishers, editors, writers, photographers, distributors and supporters who have kept this important legacy of LGBT journalism going for all of these years.

Forty years ago, my focus was pretty narrow. Passing Driver’s Ed, getting a decent score on the SATs and blow-drying the life out of my naturally curly hair were my primary goals.

In terms of gay and lesbian awareness, I actually knew a few gay people.

My mother was both an antique dealer and a former professional musician—

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that’s a double-dose of Gay—so, unlike many of my suburban Connecticut friends, I not only had exposure to gay people but also experienced an undercurrent of casual acceptance in my family that sure came in handy later! There was a constant f low of theatre people and antique dealers coming in and out of our house, and we learned that even though “Uncle Ronnie and Uncle Bruce” were both men, they were still a couple just like Mom and Dad (but with nicer cars and probably better vacations).

My own coming-out period was in the mid-1980s. While it was not a full 40 years ago, I did live through a significant period of LGBT history, so in the spirit of celebrating the Bay Times’ 40th Anniversary, this month’s column is a look back at the LGBT community from the 80s and 90s to today.

In the 1980s and early-1990s, LGBT social life revolved around bars, dance clubs, parties, events, lectures, sports teams and community groups. It was a simpler time. The internet didn’t exist and you went to libraries, lectures, bookstores and the Bay Times for information about the LGBT community. If you wanted a romantic partner or a hook-up, you couldn’t “swipe a device”; you had to go out and meet people IRL (in real life).

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Many of us, however, lived in secrecy and/or in fear of losing our families, jobs and even our lives. Employment and housing discrimination was rampant, and homosexuality was grounds for discharge from the military.

I struggled with my own coming out.

I was a feminist and activist, but fear kept me from living my life authentically. The employee handbook of the major corporation where I worked included a clause defining homosexuality as “moral turpitude” and grounds for termination (thankfully that was eventually removed). When I attended public LGBT events, I had to conceal myself from photographers to avoid raising suspicion. Even organizations that served the community had to operate in the shadows or obscure their real name. “Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders” labeled their correspondence “Park Square Advocates” to either protect their constituents from being outed or to safeguard straight allies from discrimination.

By the middle of the 1980s, the spread and fear of HIV/AIDS was terrorizing the community. At that time, an HIV diagnosis felt like a death sentence. We lost many men and women whom we loved and it felt like Washington, D.C., abandoned our community as the Reagan and H.W. Bush

presidencies failed to respond to the crisis.

elected officials are the norm and not as much the exception.

At many times, our community felt defeated. Yet while Reagan and Bush ignored us, we never gave up organizing and f ighting for our rights.

Colleagues started coming out of the closet. Employers began offering protections and equal benefits. Funding for HIV/AIDS research materialized, and life-saving drugs were developed.

We’ve made great strides. Most of the current generation of young LGBT community members hopefully have never lost anyone close due to HIV/ AIDS, have not experienced direct discrimination, and came out of the closet into a much more forgiving and accepting world. That said, with the current presidential administration, this could all evaporate in a puff of Republican cigar smoke, which is why, as Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi says, “Don’t agonize. Organize!”

In the 1980s and 1990s, we focused on surviving, but now we are thriving. LGBT people serve proudly in the military. We have federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and better—but not perfect—employment protection for LGBT employees.

HIV/AIDS is treatable and, in some instances, preventable.

In the last 40 years, the LGBT community has made more progress on legal and social acceptance than any other group in history. Even in the early 2000s, I saw gay marriage as a distant and unrealistic aspiration; something that would be there for the next generation (millennials!) but not for baby-boomers like myself. And yet, in 2015, it was enacted into law by the Supreme Court. Whereas in the past being outed would derail a career of an elected official or sports/entertainment professional, today, gay actors, sports figures, musicians and

If you are agonizing and want to do more organizing, please join the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club at the Annual Pride Breakfast on Sunday, June 24, at the Hyatt Embarcadero. The Breakfast ends just in time to join up with the Pride Parade!

For information and tickets, go to: http://www.alicebtoklas.org/events/ breakfast/ Louise “Lou” Fischer is the Immediate Past Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and has served as an appointed and elected Delegate for the State Democratic Party.

She is a San Francisco Commissioner and has served in leadership positions in multiple non-profit and community-based organizations.

LGBT Leaders Call for No Immigrant Family Separations at U.S. Border According to the Department of Homeland Security, at least 2342 children since May have been separated from their parents after crossing the southern U.S. border. The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy marks an escalation of this practice.

During prior administrations, such separations rarely occurred, according to Denise Gilman, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas Law School.

Gilman explained to NBC News that the actions resulted “usually because there had been some actual individualized concern that there was a trafficking situation or that the parent wasn’t actually the parent.”

Outraged by the separation of families due to the current administration’s policies, demonstrators staged protests across the nation on June 14, President Trump’s birthday.

On Tuesday, June 19, hundreds of local protestors—including LGBT community leaders, teachers, journalists and more—blocked the entrance to the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement field office in San Francisco.

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is now recruiting volunteer attorneys “to protect the rights of trans immigrants.”

On the minds of many is Roxana Hernandez, 33, a transgender woman in a migrant caravan who died while in

Aguilas Pride Party

ICE custody. Hernandez had arrived at the port of entry near San Diego on May 9 to seek asylum. In custody, waiting to be deported, she was physically cold, lacked adequate food and medical care, and had to withstand a cell that had the lights turned on 24 hours a day, according to the groups Pueblo Sin Fronteras, Diversidad Sin Fronteras and Al Otro Lado, which later released a joint statement about Hernandez’s plight. If you are an attorney desiring to volunteer for TLC, please go to the organization’s website (http://transgenderlawcenter-zixoe.formstack.com/ forms/trans_immigrant_defense_effort).

A major action is being planned by noted LGBT activist Cleve Jones, and others for Tuesday, June 26. Called “Families Belong Together,” the direct action will take place throughout the Bay Area from 7 am to 7 pm. More information is at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ events/187632995265860/).

As the San Francisco Bay Times was going to press, President Trump signed an Executive Order concerning immigrant family separations at the border, stating, in part, that is is the policy of the administration “to maintain family unity” and that families should be housed together “where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources.”

Photos courtesy of Paul Margolis and Juan Davila

AGUILAS held its annual Latin Pride Party, Orgullo Latino, on Thursday, June 14, at the Strut location on Castro Street in conjunction with the SF AIDS Foundation. DJ Bobby was spinning tunes for the Best Dancer concert plus the featured entertainers.

In addition to dancing, attendees enjoyed food and beverages, and free HIV testing was also available. To learn more about Latin LGBT activities, visit: http://www.sfaguilas.org

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Activists Assembled in the Castro to Commemorate the Orlando Pulse Massacre

By Dennis McMillan

Photos by Rink

More than 100 people— some holding rainbowcolored “Disarm Hate” placards, and some waving rainbow flags—gathered on June 12 at the 18th and Castro Street corner to honor those killed and wounded in 2016 at the Orlando, Florida, Pulse nightclub, as well as the victims of more than 200 mass shootings and thousands of daily acts of gun violence since.

The memorial was designed to create space for those most impacted, especially young people of color and LGBTQ youth, to tell their stories. The event was an opportunity for communities to offer support, and for citizens to demand real action from political leaders to end the epidemic of gun violence. On June 12, 2016, the Orlando community had been rocked by the massacre that killed 49 and wounded 53 others at Pulse nightclub.

Since then, school shootings in Parkland, Florida; Bentonville, Kentucky; Noblesville, Indiana; and Santa Fe, Texas; as well as a steady stream of daily gun violence in cities like Chicago and Nashville, and towns from Raytown, Missouri, to Palmdale, California, have galvanized a national movement to stop gun violence, create safe communities and focus the energy of a new generation through March for Our Lives and other youth-led actions across the country.

People assembled at the heart of the Castro, at the spot where vigils and rallies were held on June 12, 2016, in the immediate aftermath of the shootings, and again on June 12, 2017, to commemorate one year since the Pulse tragedy.

Singers of the Streets (S.O.S.), composed of homeless and homeless advocates, opened the ceremony singing “Tears in Heaven” and “You Raise Me Up.” Sister Merry Peter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence spread holy glitter around the sacred site. She reminded everyone of the alarming rise of numbers of tragic gun deaths since Orlando. People sang along with S.O.S. with “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

Emperor Leandro Gonzalez, who volunteers with Castro Community on Patrol (CCOP), urged everyone to vote for politicians supporting common sense gun patrol. “United we stand, but divided, we fall one by one,” he said.

Seli of March for Our Lives spoke of a huge rally/die-in held earlier that day in Civic Center to address youth and gun violence, and said, “Let us not fear,

but let our better angels guide us.”

Ruth Bornstein of the Brady Campaign emphasized the best way to honor those lost to gun violence is to fight for sensible gun laws. Rev. Annie of SF MCC Church reminded us of another chant: “Sashay away, NRA!” and said God weeps every time there is another victim of gun violence. She added, “We believe prayers are not enough. Prayers are powerful, but they are empty without action.” She announced that MCC has started a local Gays Against Guns group that meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month, 6 pm at 1300 Polk & Bush (www.gaysagainstguns.net).

The MCC Choir then sang “The 23rd Psalm.” The crowd followed, singing, “We Are a Gentle, Angry People.” Sister Merry Peter led the assembled in a prayer of love and peace, and for passing the Disarm Hate Act. Ending the ceremony, the crowd broke out into chants: “No more silence! End gun violence!”

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The 23rd Pink Triangle Is Arriving the Weekend of June 23–24

By Patrick Carney Why is the Pink Triangle display still relevant after 23 years?

Because history really can repeat, and it does so when people remain unaware of our past. After years of progress, the LGBTQ community has enjoyed much success raising awareness of our history and of our journey for equality. However, in the past year, there has been a concerted effort by some in power to deny the humanity of certain groups of people—like the Nazis did—by trying to convince people that some minorities are “the other,” and not one of us. Just as Hitler did, our president has called select groups “animals,” less than fullpersons.

Using that logic, rhetoric and tone, targeted people can be denied dignity, denied equality and denied justice. Perpetrators can get away with almost anything if they succeed in de-humanizing others.

The Pink Triangle Commemoration on Twin Peaks recalls how easily a government like Germany’s Third Reich went about devising minority scapegoats. They created an array of colored triangles to label those they deemed “undesirables.” Branding homosexuals as criminals let most Germans feel comfortable looking the other way, while the Nazis went about their persecution.

Can this happen again? Can it happen here? Is a gradual process of de-humanization taking place now in this country to stigmatize certain groups? Opinion polls show that for the first time in de-

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carney

cades, public acceptance of LGBTQs is actually going down.

Speakers at the Pink Triangle Commemoration will address these matters on Saturday, June 23, at 10:30 am. And they will give an international perspective.

Guest Speakers Cleve Jones will be telling the “History of the Pink Triangle” at the beginning of the ceremony. Jones conceived t he N A M E S P r oje c t AIDS Memorial Quilt. Volunteers gather en masse as the final He is author of the book touches are put on the project’s installaWhen We Rise: My Life in tion just prior to the annual Ceremony. the Movement (Hachette Additionally speaking Books, 2016), which was adapted at the ceremony will be into the ABC program When We French Consul GenerRise in 2017. Jones was nominatal Emmanuel Lebruned for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1987.

Damiens. He is bringThe speakers will also include Ger- ing Minister Schiappa, man Consul General Hans-Ulrich who is France’s “MinisSuedbeck, who will introduce his ter for Equality between husband and their two children Women and Men” (as at the ceremony. What better im- such, she is also in charge of LGBT issues for France). age of how far Germany has progressed since the horrors of the Ho- Other speakers include local and locaust’s pink triangle? Germany is statewide elected off icials, some now one of the LGBTQ-friendliest Grand Marshals of the parade, places on Earth. It is ironic that the plus the San Francisco Lesbian/ current German Chancellor had Gay Freedom Band (the “Off ito remind our U.S. president to cial Band” of San Francisco and respect our two nations’ common “Organizational Grand Marshal” value of the “dignity of man—in- of the parade), along with musical dependent of origin, skin color, re- theater star Leanne Borghesi. ligion, gender, sexual orientation or political views.” It seems the tables have been turned a bit.

The Pink Triangle is a giant, in your face, educational tool. The nearly one-acre display is made

Patrick Carney’s mom, Edith Carney, (left) has attended the installation nearly every year.

Pink Triangle Volunteers Are Needed The Pink Triangle doesn’t just magically float up onto Twin Peaks each year!

Here are three fun options to volunteer: 1. Outline Install Friday, June 22, from 1:30 pm to 5 pm

of 175 bright pink tarps and nearly five thousand 12-inch-long steel spikes. The display is 200 feet long on each leg and can be seen for 20 miles.

Patrick Carney is a Co-Founder of The Friends of the Pink Triangle. The group, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, constructs a gigantic pink triangle on Twin Peaks each year during the last weekend in June. Carney, who worked on the restoration of San Francisco City Hall, was appointed to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission in 2013.

2. Main Installation Saturday, June 23, from 7 am–10 am with Ceremony at 10:30 am 3. De-Installation Sunday, June 24, from 4:30 pm–8 pm (after the parade). This is the day we get the fewest volunteers and therefore is the hardest day. Please help to take down the Pink Triangle. Even for just an hour, please! “Many hands make light work.”

One need not stay the entire time for any of the above. Even an hour of help on any, or all, days is a huge help! http://www.thepinktriangle.com/

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JUNE 21, 2018

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San Francisco Bay Times

PHOTO BY CHLOE JACKMAN

CELEBRATES FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

San Francisco Bay Times volunteer Glenn Michael Baker leads the awardwinning contingent on Market Street in the 2017 SF Pride Parade.

First LGBTQ Newspaper Jointly Produced

by Gay Men and Women Celebrates 40th Anniversary The San Francisco Bay Times, the first LGBTQ newspaper founded jointly and equally by gay men and women, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in conjunction with San Francisco’s Pride Month. Launched in 1978, the San Francisco Bay Times remains the largest and oldest LGBTQ newspaper in Northern California that is now, and always has been, fully funded and owned by LGBTQ individuals. During its four decades, the San Francisco Bay Times has developed from its original newspaper status to a full multiplatform media company w ith print, digital, video, social, e-blasts, events and more.

Visuals have always been important to the full-color San Francisco Bay Times, which earlier this year marked its 40th anniversary with the launch of the 24/7 live-streaming Castro Street Cam ( http:// sf baytimes.com/castro-streetcam/) that allows anyone in the world to watch in real time the Castro’s Rainbow Flags, Rainbow Crosswalks, Harvey Milk Plaza and much more.

“We continue to honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community,” San Francisco Bay Times CoPublisher and “Betty’s List” Founder Dr. Betty Sullivan said. “Read through our pages and, from the transformative events of 1978 to today, you will relive and remember some of our community’s most important moments, which are all brought to vivid life by our talented team of photo journalists, led by legendary Bay Area-based photographer Rink.”

Since the late 1960s, Rink has photographed LGBTQ events in San Francisco ever y week. His archive is one of the most extensive of its kind in the world and includes

many iconic images chronicling LGBTQ history over the decades.

Rink’s photos often accompany stories written by Sister Dana Van Iquity of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Sister Dana is another longtime, popular San Francisco Bay Times contributor.

“I had to get out to come out,” says Sullivan, who left her native Mississippi to be part of the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community. “Growing up, often my only connection to other queer people like me was through the news, including newspaper reports and televised broadcasts. As a young adult, I came to realize how important media is to LGBTQ people who may often feel isolated and alone. A longstanding mission of mine is to replace isolation and fear with life-sustaining connection and a sense of purpose and belonging.

There is no doubt that access to information through media resources plays a key role in overcoming isolation.”

San Francisco Pride 2018 Both Sullivan and Rink—along with San Francisco Bay Times columnists, contributors and supporters—will be among the key participants of the first of four upcoming events celebrating the 40th anniversary. This first event, the San Francisco Pride Parade on Sunday, June 24, will include the San Francisco Bay Times/”Betty’s List” Pride Parade contingent featuring ABC 7 News anchor Dan Ashley and his band.

Like the San Francisco Bay Times, Ashley has reported on Bay Area news for decades. The recipient of numerous prestigious industry awards, such as the DuPont Columbia Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in journalism, Ashley is also a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ communi-

ty and a talented musician who for many years has performed at AIDS Walk San Francisco.

Ashley has just created a new band, which includes musicians and vocalists known for their work with legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Starship, Aretha Franklin, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Melissa Etheridge and many more. Just as you have seen him do on television for 25 years, Ashley also tells stories through his own brand of country, rock and American music (see page 29 for more information).

The San Francisco Bay Times/”Betty’s List” Pride Parade contingent will also include several noted members of our community, such as Dixie Horning and Judith Young, administrators of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health; Silicon Valley Pride CEO Thaddeus Campbell; Paul Pendergast, Past President of GGBA; members of the Bank of San Francisco team; lesbian matchmaker Dr. Frankie Bashan; Sister Dana; Trinchero Family Estates awardwinning winemaker Joe Shirley; artist, past Harvey Milk Club President and City Commissioner Debra Walker; representatives of the Rainbow Honor Walk organization and numerous others.

It truly takes a village to assemble a Pride Parade contingent, so the San Francisco Bay Times wishes to thank supporters Gray Line San Francisco, Napa Cellars, Olivia Travel, Premium Resources, Celebrity Cruises, San Francisco Federal Credit Union, The Grubstake, Extreme Pizza, Budget Signs, The Balloon Lady and Cheat a Little Catering.

2018’s Pride Parade theme is “Generations of Strength,” referring in

Co-founder Roland Schembari and Features Editor Priscilla Alexander in 1978

this case to decades of dedicated work and community empowerment. It will also take on very personal meaning, as many San Francisco Bay Times team members will be joined by their families in the contingent. Sullivan will be no exception. She desired this year to be joined by her family, so accompanying her will be her daughter Liz and granddaughter Callie, together representing three generations.

Jennifer L. Viegas and Betty L. Sullivan

Additional Upcoming 40th Anniversary Events

as one of the Top 20 Large Cruise Ships in the world.

On the evening of Monday, September 24, the 40th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Times will be honored during an LGBT community event hosted by Celebrity Cruises aboard the Celebrity Solstice during its Port of Call visit in San Francisco. More details about the event, a benefit for the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation, will be forthcoming both about the party and the highly decorated ship, which has been named by Conde Nast Traveler

The third event will be a San Francisco Bay Times 40th anniversary panel, to be held on Friday, September 28, at the GLBT History Museum. The paper’s original news editor, Randy Alfred, and other early team members will participate in the panel, which will be led by San Francisco Bay Times columnist and historian Dr. Bill Lipsky. (continued on page 19)

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 21, 2018

15

San Francisco Bay Times CELEBR Historic Front Pages

First Issue on May 1, 1978

GGBA Make Contact 2017

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RATES FOUR DECADES (1978–2018) San Francisco Pride Parade 2013

Castro Street Fair 2015

San Francisco Pride Parade 2017

Holiday Party at Tom and Jerry’s co-hosted with the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band

San Francisco Pride Parade 2017

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 21, 2018

17

San Francisco Bay Times

San Francisco Bay Times: 40 Years of History

Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky It began with the simplest of ideas: a newspaper “by lesbians and gay men” and for lesbians and gay men, as the masthead of the first issue of the San Francisco Bay Times proclaimed. The goal of founders Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman was not only to bring the community’s diverse people together, but also to “forge links between our movements and those of racial minorities, feminists, rankand-file labor, environmentalists, the disabled, the old, the young and the poor.”

Schembari, Hartman and their colleagues formed a nonprofit, such that the paper could, as they and their team wrote, be “dedicated to community service” and be “ jointly and equally managed” by LGBT men and women. It was the first paper to have this stated mission.

The first issue of the paper, with future San Francisco Supervisor and California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano on the cover, appeared in May 1978. It included news, commentary, background reporting, a calendar of upcoming events and lists of community resources. Missing, deliberately, were sexist editorializing and graphic advertisements that pandered, or often were offensive, to either men or women.

Even with such gifted staff and contributors as news editor Randy Alfred, features editor Priscilla Alexander, human rights pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, early Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence member Sister Mary Boom Boom ( Jack Fertig), activists Arthur Evans and Hal Offen, pioneering LGBT historian Allen Berube and photographer Efren Ramirez, among many others, the San Francisco Bay Times initially published only three issues.

“It was ahead of its time, and it was below its budget,” Alfred explained.

Fred Schadick, Schembari’s longtime partner, additionally told the Los Angeles Times in 2000: “They had grandiose plans in the beginning, but they couldn’t pay the bills. They realized they couldn’t start big. But they were committed to producing what they considered to be a responsible and honest publication.”

Despite the early disappointments, Schembari and Hartman believed that they had the right basic formula.

They tried again the next year, more modestly, with Coming Up!, a fourpage monthly calendar of mostly cultural and political events in the local lesbian and gay communities. Popular from the start, the publication listed arts and entertainment, parties, films, theater, concerts, outings and radio and television listings, although the paper never forgot its progressive roots.

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Kim Corsaro became the paper’s publisher and editor in 1981. With an increasing number of pages, Coming Up! not only reported the news, but it also investigated ongoing stories. In 1984, during the contentious debate about closing the City’s bathhouses—a move that some then believed would help combat the AIDS epidemic—the paper published a pair of memorable, lengthy articles by two local reporters who were asked to research San Francisco’s baths, adult bookstores, theaters and sex clubs for men.

Researchers Michael Helquist and Rick Osmon approached their assignment openly and without, as they wrote, the “personal prejudices, political agendas, and uninformed speculation” that influenced many journalists at the time. They did not offer an opinion about the bathhouses or other meeting places, or their patrons, but instead explained what each establishment was doing to confront the community’s crisis. The Helquist/Osmon investigation was so noteworthy that their work was published—again— nearly two decades later, in the peer-reviewed Journal of Homosexuality (Volume 44, 2003, Issue 3–4).

In 1988, the publication changed its name back to the San Francisco Bay Times, keeping “Coming Up” for its community events calendar. During and before this time, the paper became known for its “Personals” section. In the days before the internet and cell phones, LGBTQ people frequently relied upon such print forms of connection. To this day, the publishers hear from couples—still together—who met as a result of the paper.

Even “Personals” dating failures could have a silver lining. One talented lesbian, for example, wrote a popular song back in the day called “The Bay Times Personals Blues,” about girlfriends she met, loved and lost through the newspaper.

The San Francisco Bay Times continued to report the news and to follow ongoing stories, but occasionally it became the news as well. In 1992, after newly appointed Chief of Police Richard Hongisto (1936–2004) violated the civil rights of hundreds of demonstrators who were protesting the Rodney King verdicts in Southern California, the paper’s May 7 issue carried an article denouncing his campaign against public dissent. The chief was not pleased.

The paper also showed its utter disdain for Hongisto’s heavy handed and legally questionable tactics with one of its most famous, and some would way notorious, covers in its history: a graphic, un-

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mistakable image showing a police officer—actually Hongisto’s head on the uniformed body of activist Peggy Sue— with an enormous baton pointing upward from his groin. The headline read, “Dick’s Cool New Tool: Martial Law.” Twenty years earlier, as San Francisco’s sheriff, Hongisto had been regarded as a tremendously progressive civil servant.

Elected by what The New York Times described as a “coalition of liberals, radicals, minorities, homosexuals and the young,” he was the first to hire lesbians and gay men into the department and was the city’s first elected official to ride in a Pride parade.

That was then. Now Hongisto apparently was offended by an alternative newspaper disapproving of his heavy hand. Whether or not he ordered the action himself is still controversial, but after the paper had published, several police officers seized some 2,000 copies from newsracks. Hongisto denied telling the officers to take them, but the Police Commission, concluding that at the very least he had suggested they be confiscated, voted unanimously to fire him two weeks later.

In 1994, a U.S. District Court ruled that Hongisto did, in fact, violate the Bay Times’ First Amendment rights. As a result, the paper was awarded $5,600 for financial losses. It also awarded $30,000 to Corsaro for emotional distress. She continued to serve as editor and publisher of the newspaper until mid-2011, when she decided to step down from her longtime roles. Corsaro later became a Field Organizer for then President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and a blogger for HuffPost.

At that point, Dr. Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas became co-publishers and co-editors of the paper. Both came to their jobs with extensive communications experience. Sullivan had worked for The New York Times, Newsday, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other newspapers. In 1996, she founded “Betty’s List,” a popular and successful email announcement service that shares Bay Area news and events with thousands of LGBTQ subscribers. Viegas, in turn, is a founding member of the Discovery Channel news team and is a correspondent for the History Channel and the National Academy of Sciences.

Although the Bay Times and its coverage have evolved during the 40 years since its first issue, the paper strives to remain true to its original principles. As

the founders envisioned in 1978, the team still works to provide “reliable, authoritative news, covering the obvious and uncovering the less-than-obvious stories” of interest to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

More importantly, it still attempts to create bridges to understanding among the communities’ diverse people and groups who have “differences to share and commonalities to explore.”

As Sullivan says, “The need for human connection is timeless and so long as the San Francisco Bay Times facilitates and promotes beneficial connections, it will remain a vital force within our community.”

Whatever the future holds, the Bay Times is intrinsically and integrally woven into the fabric of place and people that is LGBTQ San Francisco.

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

CELEBRATES FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

San Francisco Bay Times: Freedom of Expression of Our Community for 40 Years ately upon publication and were impressed by the Bay Times’ fearless journalistic response to what Hongisto had done—both in terms of the paper’s creative imagery and written content of the article.

6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis It was early May, 1992, and San Francisco was among several cities in the nation where street protests erupted in response to the Rodney King verdicts in Los Angeles. San Francisco Police Chief Richard Hongisto cracked down hard on protestors, even sealing off a portion of the Mission during a protest and arresting hundreds of innocent protestors and bystanders alike. The people arrested were jailed for up to 30 hours and not in San Francisco, but in the eastern reaches of Alameda County so that they could not get released and return to protest.

Numerous San Franciscans, including many in the LGBTIQ community, were outraged. Indeed, an LGBTIQ member of conservative Mayor Frank Jordan’s own staff had been arrested in the sweep.

The San Francisco Bay Times expressed its reaction and that of the community to Hongisto’s unlawful, authoritarian actions in a colorful cover page and lead article. Adorning the cover was Hongisto’s grinning face, imposed on the body of what appeared to be a police officer holding a baton emerging upward from the groin area—with his hand positioned on the baton, clearly implying the reason for the police chief’s grin. The all caps headline boldly proclaimed: “Dick’s Cool New Tool: Martial Law.” The article inside detailed how Hongisto’s actions constituted a “wholesale suspension of the First Amendment, but also a total abrogation of much of the Constitution.”

We remember seeing the eye-catching cover on the newsracks immedi-

But Hong isto wa s not amused, to say the least.

He was outraged, and he did something extraordinary. He directed several of his force in the wee hours of the night to remove the papers from newsstands across the city. In all, approximately 2,000–3,000 copies of the paper were confiscated and later found in a police officer’s garage.

FIRST LGBTQ NEWSPAPER (continued from page 15) Contributors to the paper over the years have included some of our community’s most inf luential activists, such as Cleve Jones, author of When We Rise: My Life in the Movement and conceiver of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, and Phyllis Lyon, who with her late partner Del Martin formed the Daughters of Bilitis, the first national lesbian organization in the U.S. Lyon and Martin were the first LGBTQ couple to be married in San Francisco. The namesake Lyon-Martin Health Services provides healthcare for women and transgender people in a safe and compassionate environment.

The panel will address the seminal events of 1978, which included Harvey Milk taking office on January 8 as the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, and his and Mayor George Moscone’s assassination on November 27. The San Francisco Bay Times was born in the heart of such dramatic emotional highs and lows. Consider that 1978 also saw the creation of the:

What Hongisto had engineered soon came to light, and the Bay Times fought back. The Police Commission fired Hongisto within days, and the Bay Times sued, winning an historic verdict.

• Rainbow Flag by Gilbert Baker (1951–2017),

To be free from arbitrary arrest and to be free to express oneself lie at the heart of a free society. The Bay Times stood up for these time-honored values in a dramatic way 26 years ago when it spoke up for the constitutional rights of the protesters and bystanders not to be jailed and then for its own freedom of expression. This is what the Bay Times has been doing for our community in less dramatic ways, week in and week out for four decades.

The cherished principles of freedom from arrest and freedom of expression have been essential values to the modern LGBTIQ rights movement and the community from their beginning. For many decades, LGBTIQ people faced the fear of being harassed or arrested. It was only 15 years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court declared that LGBTIQ people could not be arrested and jailed for the physical expression of intimate love for one another. Our community’s winning the right not to be branded criminals because of who we love—something we should never have had to fight for in the first place—has been the gateway to many of the substantial advances for LGBTIQ civil rights that we have achieved more recently.

Our courage to express ourselves truthfully in the face of personal, familial and society

obstacles is why we have the vibrant movement and community we have today. The expression of our lives through our talents, passions and commitment to our human dignity and each other has enabled our community to flower in all of its beautiful diversity.

The Bay Times and the LGBTIQ press tell our community’s stories and creativity that the mainstream media may misrepresent or neglect. It’s a place where we can receive accurate news without the distortion of the mainstream’s “he said, she said” journalism that can ignore facts and promote false equivalency.

Today, while it seems unlikely that thousands of copies of the Bay Times will be seized by the police as they were 26 years ago, journalism faces an even more invidious threat as the President of the United States attacks any news reporting he dislikes as “fake” news.

The Bay Times is a community treasure, and its role is more vital to our community than ever.

Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

• Women’s Building in San Francisco, • San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, • San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, • LGBTQ Studies (Department) at City College, • El Rio, • Chanticleer and numerous other LGBTQ-related businesses, groups and non-profits.

The San Francisco Bay Times is also proud to share its anniversary with such esteemed organizations that, like the newspaper, are still thriving, relevant and stronger than ever. There will be much to celebrate at the fourth 40th anniversary event on September 29, a special “Play on the Bay” disco boat party and Bay cruise, which will be hosted on the Bay Celebrations yacht by event producer and artist DJ Rockaway. DJ Rockaway, renowned for her dance events held throughout the Bay Area and on Olivia’s cruise and resort locations, said, “We are proud to welcome the entire LGBTQ community aboard for this very special inclusive event in keeping with the tradition of unity fostered by the San Francisco Bay Times.”

As Heard on the Street . . . What first comes to mind when you think of 1978, the year the “San Francisco Bay Times” began?

compiled by

Bonita Cohn

Paul Schmitt

Jessica Tanzer

Mitch Altman

Michael Housh

“I was attending the Art Institute.”

“I had just graduated high school, and came out one year later in Lexington, Kentucky.”

“I was 12 years old in the epicenter of Portland, Oregon’s Women’s Liberation Movement, with many wonderful feminist women.”

“It meant confusion and depression.

I was 21 and desperately trying to stay in the closet in Urbana, Illinois.

I allowed myself the first glimmers of the best rest of my life.”

“I was here in Orphan Andy’s restaurant in 1978, and I had just moved to San Francisco.”

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JUNE 21, 2018

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Want to Protect Your Partner?

Marriage Isn’t the Only Option

How Much Car Is Enough?

where you might want to review your plans and paperwork if you’re not married or are domestic partners, since the latter doesn’t carry all of the financial benefits of marriage.

Retirement Planning

Money Matters Brandon Miller It’s been three years since the odious Defense of Marriage Act was overturned, finally allowing same-sex couples to legally marry. As great as having the marriage option is, you may be among the many people—LGBTQ and straight—who don’t care to walk down the aisle. Maybe you don’t want marriage to ruin your relationship.

Or your domestic situation involves more than the one partner sanctioned by marriage laws. Perhaps you’re both older and don’t want to mix finances.

Or you might not be getting married for the sake of your kids.

Regardless of why wedded bliss isn’t for you, it’s important to recognize that your financial planning issues are more complicated—and often much more important—than for married couples.

Some workarounds are easy, such as having the wealthier or higher-earning partner pay more household expenses and make all the charity donations. But there are a couple of areas

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Beneficiary designations. Unmarried partners don’t automatically receive retirement plan benefits like spouses do. So, make sure you specify whom you want to inherit your 401(k), pension, IRA and other retirement accounts, and update your beneficiary(s) if circumstances change. This can help to avoid the probate process that may leave your loved one out in the cold in favor of a blood relative.

Social Security income loss. Non-spouse partners also aren’t eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. Be sure to take that into consideration when projecting your retirement income.

Inherited IRA restrictions. Spouses can transfer ownership of their spouse’s IRA, allowing them to gain tax advantages by delaying or reducing minimum distributions after the account owner’s death. Unfortunately, unmarried partners don’t receive this benefit and would do well to plan for the resulting tax implications.

Estate Planning Gifting restrictions. Spouses can gift assets to each other with no limits on the amount. Unmarried couples are restricted as to how much they can give each other— currently $14K/year—and will trigger a tax bill if they exceed this amount. You can avoid taxes by structuring the “gift” as a loan or filing a gift tax form that includes the extra amount as part of your lifetime gift exemption amount.

Estate tax limitations. Non-spouses can’t take advantage of the unlimited marital deduction for estate taxes. If your estate is very large, it might make sense to arrange your finances so that the surviving partner can access enough cash to meet tax payments on the estate.

Ownership and legal documentation. Many of the legal protections and privileges that spouses enjoy don’t apply to partners who aren’t married. This makes it vital to (continued on page 27)

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Volkswagon Tiguan Volkswagon Golf

Auto Philip Ruth This June, it’s a two-fer of occasions for ref lection. Anniversaries like this paper’s 40th, as well as the high holy holiday of Pride, can refocus one’s priorities. This is my 19th San Francisco Pride, and it has become more of a yearly milestone than the first year’s cathartic howl. But it remains a positive affirmation for my sexuality and the community that shares it.

Another kind of affirmation was described to me by a fellow single 40-something, who purchased a Volkswagen Atlas, the company’s large three-row SUV. He upgraded, despite his previous mid-sized sedan being pleasant enough, and even his parents asked him why he opted for such yawning capacity when he rarely did not drive alone.

“That third row,” he said, “is for when I want to take all my friends out to dinner.” He hadn’t yet had that night out after almost a year of ownership, and he sheepishly said there were no plans for it. That marks his Atlas as an aspirational purchase, which affirms the lifestyle of his targeted best self.

I’m all for aspirations, but I strongly recommend disconnecting them

from something with a monthly payment because it then becomes a competition—the endurance of the imagery versus the persistent financial draw. And if that Atlas is eventually sold without what would calculate to be a phenomenally expensive evening out, it ends up as an ultimately unsatisfying experience.

This question extended further down the Volkswagen chain as I sampled a Tiguan and a Golf. Crossovers like the Tiguan are forcing sedans into their sunset years, as the separate trunk gives way to the more cocoon-like twobox shape. The Golf is a more traditional hatchback that nevertheless shares the Tiguan’s overall concept.

As if to put a finer point on the question presented here— how much Volkswagen do you really need?—the test car sidestepped the usual pimped-out presser to be a baseline Golf TSI S with no options and a sub-$22K price. That contrasts with the just-over-$37K price of the fancy Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium, which like the aforementioned Atlas has three rows of seats and niceties like a 10-way power driver’s seat.

Both the Tiguan and Golf are satisfying in the typical Volkswagen ways. The company’s shocking betrayal of the global public trust with its sneakily over-polluting (continued on page 26)

The Oakland A's Pride Night on Friday, June 8, began with a lively party in the "Tree House" area of the stadium. The game, against the Kansas City Royals, followed resulting in a 7 to 2 victory for the A's. Home runs for the A's included two by designated hitter Khris Davis and one by outfielder Dustin Fowler. Frankie Montas was the winning pitcher for Oakland. San Francisco Bay Times was a sponsor for the Pride Night celebration with the Oakland LGBTQ Center and Use The News Foundation as the non-profit beneficiaries. Congratulations to the Oakland A's on the success of the evening, which featured the ceremonial first pitch by Spectrum Queer Media founder Kin Folkz who is a Grand Marshal in the upcoming San Francisco Pride Parade. Special thanks to Michael Rogers and his colleagues and to Juan Davila who hosted the San Francisco Bay Times information table.

Representatives of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center

Special guest Gavin Grimm with the Oakland A’s elephant

Spectrum Queer Media’s Kin Folkz threw out the ceremonial First Pitch before the start of the game.

Watch for Kin Folkz in the upcoming San Francisco Pride Parade where she will be honored as a Grand Marshal.

Photos courtesy of Oakland A’s

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From Stonewall to Decades of TLGBQIA+ Activism: Superqueeroe Miss ‘Mama’ Major Griffin-Gracy a long overdue paradigm shift toward equity. In this interview, the first of a series highlighting marginalized “superqueeroes,” Mama Major offers us a guidebook for equity along with a prudent, charted path well worn by her and other TLGBQIA+ activists.

The Art of Living Kin Folkz (Editor’s note: San Francisco Bay Times welcomes new columnist Kin Folkz in this issue. A 2018 San Francisco Pride Parade Community Grand Marshal, Kin Folkz is one of our community’s most passionate and respected leaders and mentors.)

Her strident voice scorches the air and shifts my spirit on its axis: “We must be visible. We cannot hide.”

Miss “Mama” Major Griffin-Gracy stretches out the expansive length of her wisdom and lays it down before us like a 12-course meal. “You have to deal with us. We’re not going anywhere.”

Mama Major’s invaluable insights and time-tested strategies enable us to do more than simply weather the current trans/bi/pan/homophobic, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and sociopolitical cesspool that we are treading in. Even during this latenight conversation, after decades of dogged resilience, Mama Major carries the truth effortlessly and expels it like the divine force of a child’s instinctual first breath.

Mama Major, the embodiment of the 2018 San Francisco Pride theme “Generations of Strength,” ignites the energy behind the 2018 Grand Marsha l K in Fol k z + Oa k land LGBTQ Center RESILIENCE SF Pride Parade contingent honoring Black and Indigenous TLGBQIA+ “superqueeroes” who have made profound contributions to the entire rainbow tribe and ally community.

By recognizing the genius of marginalized TLGBQIA+ leaders like Miss Major—whose activism operates at a mature, sustainable level of compassion and passion—we begin to birth

Photographer: Jesse Brooks Photographer’s Assistants: Joshua Davis and Asher Marron

Miss Major

Kin Folkz: After decades of superhuman social activism as a Black transwoman, how do you continue to remain focused and encouraged, given the abject malevolence that is being vomited upon our community by this heartless, phobic White House administration and their minions?

Mama Major: Oh, honey, we’ll always be the ones to survive. I’m not afraid, because I know that we’ve gone through much worse—especially us poor, Black TLGBQIA+ folks.

We weren’t supposed to survive the trauma and the torture. We’re strong because they couldn’t break us; honey, we know how to bend. Our oppressors can’t. They’re hard-hearted and that makes them fragile. I know how valuable we are. They fear us— not because we’ve done anything to harm ‘em—but because we’re a peek into the future, one that won’t include their dusty old asses. Their fear makes them lie to themselves, makes them pretend to be more than they actually are. They are proven, pathological liars. They’re more than weak-hearted; they’re weak-minded. They’re bullies. And there aren’t a whole bunch; they’re just very loud. They’re arrogant and stuck in time, like dinosaurs in tar pits. And, like the dinosaurs, their way of thinking is becoming more obsolete each day.

Kin Folkz: What strategies do you advocate to resist the offenses that are unfolding daily against us, like the recent Supreme Court decision that sided with the Colorado baker who refused to serve a gay couple and left open the question of whether a business can discriminate against our community based upon First Amendment rights?

Mama Major: We need to stop pretending that we know it all. For example, California has been oblivious, and has felt untouchable. But we know that there are some deep hatreds here just like in some more visibly segregated parts of the country. We need to come together and stand for one another. We need to realize how strong we are when we listen to what the most oppressed TL-

GBQIA+ are saying. Not just to hear, but to listen and let us lead. We are special in this world, and we’re wrongly taught to tear each other down. We need to dismantle jealousy. All of us aren’t society’s kind of pretty; most of us ain’t rich. Instead of valuing those things and trying to chase a heteronormative lifestyle, be your authentic self and live authentically—that means to be who you know you are. You are not a norm.

We all are unique.

K in Folkz: You mention that our entire rainbow tribe benefits when leadership comes from the marginalized Black TLGBQIA+ community. Why is that, and how do we get the white-identified and whiteskin privileged folks in our community who are hoarding decision-making power to release it to Black and Indigenous leaders?

Mama Major: To sur v ive and thrive, we need leaders who have the experience of seeing all sides. Kin, you already know that Black TLGBQIA+ - people especially folks like

you and me, 2-Spirits, Trans, GNC— all living with overlapping oppressions—are forced to understand everyone’s mindset since our childhoods in order to simply survive. To see the bully’s actions before they even think of harming us, we have to know how they think and think 3 steps ahead of them. We especially know how to survive, because we’ve been forced to live without protection for so long. When we put the L and G first, some see that as encouragement to place the rest of us behind, or not to mention us at all. We are taught to see leadership as non-Black, nonTrans, non-GNC, nonfemme. We must shift leader sh ip power to the deeply marg inalized TLGBQIA+ community. When we lead, we prioritize equity and take everyone’s perspective into account.

Kin Folkz: How can we begin to heal as a whole community? How can we begin equity work when many of us TLGBQIA+ are so traumatized that the healthy acknowledgment of colorism, lookism, misogyny and internalized self-hatred often goes unnoticed, unearthed and unresolved?

Thank you to Kin Folkz for assembling Pride Grand Marshals and Honorees who are Black and proud representatives of our LGBT community. In our next issue we will feature more of the images that include Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Kin Folkz, Janetta Johnson, Joe Hawkins, Kenneth Montiero, Peggy Moore, Fresh White and Billy Curtis.

M a m a M ajor: We need to stop negotiating our socialization as a community family solely through technology. Most of us don’t even know how to spell family. Can’t spell it,

can’t feel it. Can’t feel it, can’t show it. Can’t show it, can’t experience it.

Can’t experience it, they will resist it and walk around it. We need less Facebook and more face to face—like your open mic (https://www.meetup. com/Oakland-Queer-Open-Mic/?_ cookie-check=g0a9x6yRb2Vd-c5A).

Come out, meet your family, tell your story. Don’t let anyone take away the power of your experience. Don’t try to take someone else’s. We need you.

We need your visibility, however you identify. Just keep telling your story!

About Miss “Mama” Major Griffin-Gracy Miss “Mama” Major Griffin-Gracy has spent over 40 years advocating for marginalized TLGBQIA+. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, she, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera assumed leadership when they chose to fight for their freedom in the 1969 Stonewall Riots with a commitment to support her sisters and other trans family. During the 1970s, Mama Major used her time in prison to deepen her liberation work and activism.

In 2005, Miss Major served as a staff organizer, and later as executive d i rec tor of t he Tr a n s G ender Variant and Intersex Justice Project (http://www.tgijp.org/), advocating for i nca rcer ated t r a nsgender women. She o f f i c i a l l y r e t i r e d (https://www.gofundme.com/ MsMajorRetirement) in 2015, and is currently seeking support for House of GG’s (https://www.facebook.com/ houseofggs/), a safe haven and retreat house for the transgender community.

Kin Folkz is the Founder and Executive Director of Spectrum Queer Media, an Oakland-based national LGBTQ rights advocacy organization.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 21, 2018

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Pride in a Time of Fear too loudly: “What do we have to celebrate?”

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978

But celebrate we did—joyfully, loudly and angrily. To come out for Pride in those days was, in and of itself, an act of def iance—against a federal government that ignored our plight and sneered at our suffering; against a “Christian” culture that told us we deserved to die of AIDS; and against a society in which so many were either indifferent or overtly hostile.

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men.

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

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

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

Beth Greene Michael Delgado Abby Zimberg Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Calendar Editor

Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT This month my mind has been wandering back to memories of the San Francisco Pride celebrations of the late 1980s and early 1990s. That period in our history was such a radically different time. Then, as now, I worked as a psychotherapist near the Castro with a predominantly gay male clientele. During those years, half of my patients were dying, the other half were caregivers for those who were sick, and some were in both roles. I remember that, every year, as Pride approached, at least one person would ask, almost in a whisper, as if the question couldn’t be spoken

Every June, through the duration of the AIDS crisis, we proclaimed our values and our right to live, and it is a testament to the resilience of our collective spirit that we did manage to find joy in the midst of all that suffering.

Today we live in a world that couldn’t be farther away from that grim and desperate time. The LGBTQ community has emerged stronger, more confident and more powerful than at any time in our history. And yet, this year I find myself remembering those years and feeling, once again, that same sense of foreboding and anger and defiance.

This moment in American history is a time when the forces of irrationality, fear and hatred are on the rise. I’ve never been prouder of my people, or

more afraid for my country. We seem to be a civilization that has, for now at least, lost its way.

A significant portion of the American electorate has been conned into voting for its oppressors. The grifter who now occupies the White House rose to power by riding a wave of reaction. Trump’s destructiveness is abetted by a party that has degenerated into a right-wing cult that stands for nothing beyond the enrichment of the one percent. The man’s buffoonery can lull us into forgetting how dangerous and potentially lethal he is.

Remember what happened this year, for instance, to the people of Puerto Rico; and as I write, we have only just learned that, in our name, immigrant children are being forcibly stolen from their parents and locked in cages. In a time like this, Pride must once again be defiant.

Trump has, for the second year, refused to proclaim June as Pride Month. It’s just as well. Our celebrations require no blessings from him.

It would have been positively bizarre for him to do it anyway, given that the values we celebrate this month are completely foreign to him. We stand for equality; his whole life has been about the domination and exploitation of the vulnerable. We stand for

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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Tim Seelig, Cinder Ernst, John Chen Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Michele Karlsberg Lyndsey Schlax, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Scott Tsui, Tom Temprano, Lou Fischer, Frankie Bashan, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews

SF Sketch Randy Coleman

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Randy Coleman hails from New York, but has lived in San Francisco since 1975.

Coleman shares that before moving to the Bay Area, he studied Art History and Architecture at Boston University while working as a resident artist for architectural rendering at a Massachusetts historical society. “All of my life I’ve been an artist,” Coleman says. “To know me is to know that I have a passion for art and architecture. I love this project for the San Francisco Bay Times, and hope that you enjoy my sketches.” © Randy Coleman, 2018

truth over collective delusion; he is indifferent to factual reality. We stand for diversity and inclusion; he is an incarnation of white privilege. We stand against racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and jingoism; these things are the essence of his “policies.” Above all, Pride is about love; Trumpism is fear.

The irony of this moment in our history, then, is that it is we, who were once the despised outsiders, who are actually guardians of the enduring values of western civilization. What we can do that will be most helpful to the country in this dark time is exactly what we do every year—stand collectively and publicly and visibly for who we are and for what and whom we love.

When we bear witness in this way for all to see, we are a living repudiation of all that is Trump; a powerful symbol of hope for what life can be for everyone; and a reminder of the ideals that still live in the hearts of Americans, even in a time when so many have lost sight of them. This year, let us celebrate Pride with joy and with courage.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit his website http:// tommoon.net/

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Humble Opinions I don’t know what to make of the U.S. Supreme Court, which just ducked responsibility for deciding whether or not partisan gerrymandering is constitutional. In two recent cases, the justices ruled without deciding if you will, sending one case back on a matter of standing, and leaving the other case alone with an unsigned paragraph of explanation. A few days later, the Court slid past the question of when and how an arrest violates Free Speech rights in the case of a civic gadfly in Florida who was arrested while bloviating at a council meeting.

The Court ruled that the arrest was unconstitutional in this particular instance, but offered no legal guidelines for the future.

And, of course, I wouldn’t have noticed were it not for Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado, the confusing opinion that blamed Colorado commissioners for not respecting a baker’s faith during the investigation of whether or not he could be allowed to violate state law against gay discrimination. Instead of ruling decisively that there is no First Amendment exception to civil rights laws in our country, the majority chastised the commissioners, and ruled that baker Jack Phillips had not been given fair treatment.

Justice Kennedy’s opinion went on, however, to bolster the general rule in favor of civil rights in his usual gauzy manner, leaving observers and analysts scratching their heads.

Why is the Roberts Court so hesitant to act? We all remember the Chief Justice pledging to “call balls and strikes” during his confirmation hearing. Yet his Court seems to prefer the third and fourth options, “not sure” and “maybe.” I blame Roberts rather than Kennedy because part of his job is to seek consensus and clarity. He’s the leader. Why take cases with unanswered legal questions, only to leave them hanging?

We Won the Cake Case, Sort Of The Court has another two weeks to go this session, and the justices have yet to take action on the Arlene’s Flowers v Washington petition, a case similar to Masterpiece, which (obviously) involves an antigay florist rather than a baker. Will the Court accept review of Arlene’s Flowers in order to rule decisively? Probably not, since they could have easily ruled decisively in Jack Phillips’ case. Will they duck review? I’m guessing, um, maybe.

And where does this leave us after all is said and done? Well, it leads us back to the basic gist of Justice Kennedy’s opinion in Masterpiece: civil rights laws are not subject to religious loopholes as a rule. That was the takeaway, for example, of an appellate court in Arizona that was waiting for the Masterpiece decision before just now ruling on another case of gay wedding-phobia from a Christian business.

In the Arizona matter, a stationery store wanted to know in advance if it had the right to refuse gay wedding clientele on religious grounds in violation of a Phoenix gay rights ordinance. I’m not sure how this case got filed, since normally American courts do not allow for hypothetical lawsuits, but they got around that somehow and lost round one at the lower court.

A week or so after digesting the Masterpiece opinion, the state appellate court agreed, citing Justice Kennedy’s majority.

“Our society has come to the recognition that gay persons and gay couples cannot be treated as social outcasts or as inferior in dignity and worth,” Kennedy wrote earlier this month. “For that reason the laws and

the Constitution can, and in some instances must, protect them in the exercise of their civil rights. The exercise of their freedom on terms equal to others must be given great weight and respect by the courts.”

So yes, as the Arizona appellate judges concluded, Masterpiece stands for the proposition that gay customers are as worthy of respect as any other protected minority. What I hate about Kennedy’s opinions are the little hedges. “And in some instances must.” What instances? Why not “in most instances?” I know I belabored the topic of Kennedy wishy-washyness in the last issue, so I will try and wrench myself away, even though there’s a lot of meat left on that bone.

“Gay couples cannot be treated ... as inferior.” Why not just say that gay couples must be treated equally? And why does he constantly nod his head towards the “deeply felt faith” of religious Americans, as if gay bashing is an understandable tenet of Christianity? It’s not!

I’ll stop.

Rule Britannia I’m glad to report that the Queen’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, is planning to marry his partner, James Coyle, in late June. Acting on a suggestion from his three daughters, Mountbatten’s ex-wife Penny will give him away. I gather that everyone gets along famously!

be an appeal, but really? The island, a British Overseas Territory, found itself steeped in controversy after its government reversed court-ordered equality. Recently, dozens of Bermuda companies have put their names on a public list of gay friendly businesses in support of the restoration of the right to marry. And please don’t ask me why parliament had the power to reverse a court ruling to begin with and/or why they could go back and do it again if they wanted to.

On an unrelated subject, have you ever watched YouTube videos of people scrunching and filing and polishing tin foil until they end up with a perfect shiny ball? It’s sort of fascinating. But it does make you wonder who comes up with these ideas and why does one thing go viral while another lands with a thud?

That last subject, as you can imagine, emerged from a procrastination session, during which I encountered several interesting topics including the discovery of a First Century burial ground in Denmark that may well be the site of a massive and violent battle, hitherto unmentioned in the history books. Do you think that fifteen hundred years from now, everyone will have forgotten World War II? Oh, I can hear you mumbling that no one will be around in fifteen hundred years, but I think civilization will still exist on Earth.

It’s actually a very uplifting story.

Penny Mountbatten told the press that her ex-husband has changed dramatically for the better since coming out, and is much more relaxed. She got along with James Coyle immediately, press reports said, and indeed “everyone” in the royal family likes him. The men did not have a formal wedding proposal, but concluded that they would marry “in acceptance of this great love,” Lord Mountbatten said.

Sometimes I admit to myself that, selfishly, I really don’t care what happens after 2050, although I do want my grandchildren to be happy. The other night, one of them accidentally threw another one towards the bed, but misjudged the heave and sent him to the Emergency Room instead.

Actually, maybe the grandchildren won’t make it that much longer than me.

And yes, I’m still in my anglophile mood, watching Masterpiece Theater’s old episodes of Poldark or Downton Abbey, and casting Midsomer Murders off Netf lix. We just watched Man in the Orange Shirt, the story of a doomed gay relationship in mid 20th Century England and the happy ending experienced by the man’s gay grandson.

And I’m reading a sex-drenched account of gay London in the years just before the onslaught of AIDS. The upshot of all this consumption of British culture is that I rooted for the English soccer team in my quadrennial attempt to gin up a little excitement for the World Cup.

Once again, Seattle-based U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman has slapped the Trump administration, denying a stay in one of the transgender military cases and therefore helping to keep transgender troops in action while litigation continues. Trump has tried desperately to make good on his bizarre and inexplicable plan to oust all transgender men and women from the U.S. military.

But the federal courts have blocked him at every turn. I think there are three or four cases at the moment, including the West Coast action presided over by Pechman. “The status quo shall remain ‘steady as she goes,’ and the preliminary injunction shall remain in full force and effect nationwide,” Pechman wrote.

I also root for France (I’m a Francophile as well) and Mexico, although Mexico has already gotten into trouble for allowing its fans to yell “puto” at the goaltenders of opposing teams.

Mexico seems to be the only team with this problem, which is remedied by a game stoppage, followed by a stern announcement on the publicaddress system. I guess that’s better than nothing. But why the infantile gay slurs, amigos?

After that, we root for the Netherlands and Germany. And then we’re for the underdog or the prettiest uniforms or who the heck cares; it’s a boring game, anyway. Ooops (hand over my mouth), I said it! Soccer is dull. I prefer real football, even as it sends its battered athletes into senescence and an early death. I prefer golf, even as its stars hang out with Trump and vote Republican. I can’t deny it.

Bermuda is Back!

I think it’s safe to go back to Bermuda, where the high court reinstated the right to marry after the parliament had replaced it with a domestic partnership. I guess there could still

Zarda!

There are other GLBT cases, of course. A gay Title VII case continues at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and I may have mentioned last time around that Zarda, our gay Title VII victory before the full Second Circuit, has been appealed to the High Court. (I love that name!)

The Court already declined a different Title VII case this session, refusing to review the Eleventh Circuit’s thumbs down to a lesbian security guard who said she was wrongfully terminated for her sexual orientation.

As you probably know, our community advocates are hoping that the High Court will agree that Title VII’s ban on “sex discrimination” in the workplace inherently includes a ban on “sexual orientation discrimination,” even though the 1964 Congress did not envision such an interpretation at the time. (continued on page 27) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 21, 2018

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Pride and Rainbows Are All Over Town

Photos by Rink

Our own legendary photographer Rink has been busy documenting the plethora of rainbow flags that have popped up in storefront and business windows all around the Castro. We hope that you will enjoy seeing the selection here.

ZIMRON (continued from page 3) the projects where she grew up, the neighborhoods, small businesses, unions and streets of San Francisco. Godspeed and strength to her, and to the people—not patrons—of San Francisco!

As we enter into Pride weekend, Harvey Milk is surely weeping with LGBTQ people here and everywhere. He and Mark represent the best in all of us, exemplifying heights of honesty, courage and compassion seen far too little in public or private life.

When asked how my brother handles or has succeeded through the unnecessary nastiness of politics, I always say it’s because he takes politics as his spiritual practice. For real! Growing up with our loving, social justice-minded parents, and having completed two years of rabbinic studies, Mark is as his dear friend SF Symphony Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas describes him: “Rebbe with a cause!”

Time and again, when others deign to lie and slime this most upright and eminently qualified of elected officials, I (along with his aides, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle) have watched breathlessly as Mark consistently takes The High Road. It is not an easy practice, particularly in politics. But he is devoted to it, no matter what.

He absolutely refuses to go anywhere near the low level of expedient lies, greed, vengeance and self-serving hypocrisy that most politicians stoop to for their own, rather than their constituents’, sake.

In today’s Trumpian world, which is forsaking the very notions of values or morality, Mark stands tall above all for what is real and right. May he not be a rare breed, but a shining beacon for every leader to be a genuine public servant as they take their oath of office.

A big shout out and mazel tov to our own Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who will serve as a fabulous advocate and progressive, gay voice and vote on the new Board of Supervisors. And infinite blessings upon my brother, and each and every person, as together we walk forward, working our souls out for a brighter future for all, not just some!

I know how much I treasure and learn from my brother’s unfailing commitment to goodness and righteousness. I sincerely hope everyone can recognize, honor and follow his High Road example as we continue on our own paths in life, always and truly for the greater good. Therein lies our ultimate Pride!

“San Francisco Bay Times” columnist Jamie Leno Zimron is a Corporate Speaker, Executive Trainer, LPGA Golf Pro, and 6th Degree Aikido Black Belt. Check out her website: http://www.thekiaiway.com 26

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GALLOTTA (continued from page 3) the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the Tenants Union, the Sierra Club, and SF Rising supported Jane Kim and Mark Leno. Adding to the grassroots push, the San Francisco Democratic Party, under the leadership of David Campos, followed suit and delivered one of its strongest political programs in recent years.

Down the ballot, progressives actually won. My good friend and mentor, Rafael Mandelman, handedly won his bid for District 8 Supervisor—tipping the scales of power at the Board of Supervisors from moderate to progressive.

Jane Kim’s proposed universal childcare measure, Prop C, passed while Prop H, the disingenuous taser measure backed by the Police Officers’ Association, went down in flames. San Francisco renters will now have access to free legal representation when facing an eviction, thanks to Proposition F and the work of the SF chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Progressives must recognize, too, that identity, personal story, and representation remain a powerful force in our electoral politics. A glass ceiling and barrier have been shattered with the election of London Breed, the city’s first African American woman mayor. That is progress, and that means something. If progressives don’t take steps to center women, transgenders, and people of color in our movement, that mantle of progress should not be ours to claim.

As we celebrate Pride and remember the resistance led by trans women of color at Stonewall, I’m reminded that progress may start with one thrown brick or even one vote, but it’s sustained by the movement we carry on post-riot, postelection, post-chess move.

To the young campaign staffers, DSA-ers, and bleedingheart progressives of this city, I say, don’t give up. It’s ok to love this city and believe in a San Francisco for all of us.

Shed those tears, but remember, we’ve still got work to do.

Peter Gallotta is a 30-something LGBT political activist holding on to the city that he loves thanks to rent control and two-for-one happy hour specials. He is a former President of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and currently serves as an appointed member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party.

SHORTER (continued from page 4) aggerated, hyperbolic claims of Hispanic gangs marauding every school house and main street corner—are one thing. Cruelly ripping families apart, warehousing children in fenced cages and turning away legitimate asylum seekers as a proposed deterrent to migration, for political leverage, and as a distraction from the myriad of other catastrophes consuming this President and his administration, are all together another very ugly thing. This is disgraceful. We are better than this.

Pride is infused with, and born of, the spirit of resistance. The resiliency of that resistance from “generations of strength” is needed beyond protecting ourselves from homophobia and transphobia. That resilient spirit should extend toward standing against the xenophobic laden, purely politically motivated policies and practices. As we march, coalesce and reignite our movement, let us make sure that our voices are among the growing chorus demanding a just end to this cruelty and harm to us all.

Andrea Shorter is a Commissioner and the former President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights, and marriage equality. A Co-founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

RUTH (continued from page 20) diesels continues to be ameliorated by the solidity and driving fun evinced by its vehicles. Both are based on VW’s MQB universal platform, and so they feel similarly confident and controlled, as German cars usually do.

Besides the extra room, I actually would spend more for the Tiguan’s higher driving position. These days, the streets of San Francisco feel like the inside of a popcorn popper, with pedestrians and bicyclists and scooters and skateboarders all vying for patches of pavement. A better view ends up being a big help.

It comes down to cleaving through societal persuasions to affirm your own needs. Come to think of it, that’s an apt sentiment for Pride as well.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant (www.gaycarguy.com). Check out his automotive staging service at www.carstaging.com

Fifty Years of Fabulous at Frameline42

Photos by Rink and Paul Margolis

MILLER (continued from page 20) create and keep up-to-date important documents such as wills, trusts, healthcare proxies and directives, power-ofattorney designations and more. For property and other assets that you own with someone else, you may want to ensure that you hold the title in a way that ensures it will be distributed as you wish after the death of an owner.

Insurance Life insurance safety net. Life insurance proceeds can help to provide ready cash for a surviving non-married partner. They can be used to hold onto property or to pay tax bills. And it’s particularly important to have an adequate policy if there’s a large inequality in what each partner earns.

ILIT workaround. An irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) is a great way to compensate for not being able to take advantage of the unlimited marital deduction for estate taxes. Benefits are paid directly to the trust, which shields beneficiaries from income and estate taxes.

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

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PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

PHOTO BY RINK

Film director Jethro Patalinghug and music composer Jordain Wallace were all smiles following the screening of Fifty Years of Fabulous on Sunday, June 17, at the Castro Theatre and the After Party at Twin Peaks. As noted in the official Frameline42 program, the film “documents the vibrant history of the Imperial Council, the oldest LGBTQ charity organization in the world.” Emperors and empresses and their many friends and supporters were on hand to enjoy the film, which combines historical footage and photos with contemporary interviews and performances. http://www.imperialcouncilsf.org

ROSTOW (continued from page 25) Health insurance considerations. Restrict ions on many employer-prov ided health insurance plans mean nonspouses aren’t eligible for coverage.

Your financial plans should make sure everyone has enough health insurance.

Also, if the partner who provides health benefits loses his or her job, COBRA benefits only go to qualified beneficiaries, who includes a spouse or former spouse and dependent children. Here again, planning for this contingency can help to avert a financial crisis.

The point of this article isn’t to convince you to get married, but rather to illustrate how important financial planning is to you and your non-spouse. After all, planning for your partner’s financial future can show more love than any piece of paper from City Hall.

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.

Obviously, when the Court refused to review the Eleventh Circuit case, they were leaving current law intact. But unlike the Eleventh Circuit, the Second Circuit ruled in our favor, almost forcing the justices to take review. Letting the Zarda ruling stand would uphold a new definition of sex discrimination throughout federal law. It would be nice, but I’m guessing it won’t happen. Keep an eye or an ear out for this case.

When all is said and done, it could be the most important case in the history of GLBT civil rights law.

Finally, we also took a Title VII loss recently, when a federal judge in Kentucky ruled against Terry Lindsey, a lesbian who is representing herself. Although the judge claimed he had no choice but to follow Sixth Circuit precedent, he seems to have ignored the implications of a recent Sixth Circuit Title VII ruling in favor of a transgender funeral director.

We’ll see. I assume she will appeal to the aforementioned appellate court, who can then decide how much weight to give to their own caselaw, but the next steps are unclear given Lindsey’s unorthodox strategy. I could not even find information on Google News by typing “Terry Lindsey,” so that tells you something. All the dirt I have comes from the blog of New York Law School professor Arthur Leonard.

ma cum laude,” which is Latin for “you got very good grades!”

Cum Here

Reading more closely, I see that the store uses an algorithm that selected “cum” for disfavored status. The worst thing about it, said Cara Koscinski to the Washington Post, was having to explain the censorship to her 70-year-old mother, which makes me wonder: Is 70 too old to have encountered multiple definitions of the word “cum?” For God sakes, she’s a child of the 1960s.

I see that I am running out of space, but I have just enough to mention a story out of Charleston, South Carolina, from last month.

Jacob Koscinski graduated from a Christian home school program with a 4.89 GPA, according to the Washington Post. (Yes, in my day the highest was 4. Maybe God adds an extra point.) At any rate, his mother ordered a cake from the local grocery store, asking for a message that included the expression “sum-

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. Yes, that’s right! The grocery store refused to include the word “cum,” Latin for “with,” because I guess the manager read some pretty bad porn novels when he was 12 or 13. I don’t know. They thought it was a nasty word, so they wrote “Cong rats Jacob! Summa …

Laude Class of 2018.”

arostow@aol.com

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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

Dan Ashley and His Band Electrify Audiences with Their Passion for Storytelling & Music Given his role as lead anchor of ABC7 News, acclaimed journalist Dan Ashley has little free time, but he certainly makes the most of it. An accomplished singer, Ashley has just formed a new band that will be performing at various summer events including AIDS Walk San Francisco (he has been involved with that important fundraiser for over two decades) and, we are proud to say, at the San Francisco Pride Parade in the San Francisco Bay Times 40th Anniversary contingent. The appearance will mark Ashley’s first musical performance in the parade.

He is no stranger to the musical stage, however. Over the years, he has opened for legendary singers like Melissa Etheridge and has recorded, and regularly performs with, multiple Grammy winner Narada Michael Walden.

His love of music goes way back. As a child, he learned to play guitar and piano and gained inspiration from his grandmother, who was an accomplished pianist. Ashley also sang in a choir at his church in North Carolina. Summers at his family’s farm always included music.

Ashley has led different bands, such as PUSH, which re-formed into a female-fronted group. His latest band brings together many elite musicians.

He explained to the San Francisco Bay Times: “A producer who was a talent development producer for a couple of major labels came to me with an idea to reinvent my musical pursuits and to create new opportunities at a higher level. I’m now doing Country-Rock with a phenomenal band of touring pros. As an example, the lead guitarist is Mariah Carey’s lead guitarist and music director, the percussionist tours with Pablo Cruise ... they’re all like that.”

He added, “The band is simply called by my name. Music is a great passion for me and it is a thrill to pursue this new opportunity.”

Spend any time in Ashley’s company and that passion for music is palpable. It is a bit disarming, since the image of him sitting calm and collected at the helm of nightly news broadcasts is hard to forget. Yet, there are intriguing hints of his inner rock star, ready to be unleashed.

His masculine jewelry bling is more Mick Jagger than Walter Cronkite.

And speaking of Jagger, Ashley once saw the Rolling Stones a dozen times during a single Stones’ tour.

in freestyle, pairs and ice dance. In terms of news reporting, he has interviewed everyone from former President Barack Obama to the Blue Angels—while flying over San Francisco in one of their squadron aircraft.

He will be taking another memorable journey in the city soon, this time with his band down Market Street in our Pride Parade contingent. Come march with us, get ready to rock out with Ashley and be a part of our 40th Anniversary contingent!

San Francisco Bay Times 40th Anniversary Pride Parade Contingent Featuring Dan Ashley

Dan Ashley and his band bring their talents to the stage of the annual Rock the Casa benefit.

Sunday, June 24 Arrival time: 10:15–11:15 am, with an expected step-off time of 11:50 am Line-up is on Spear Street in San Francisco between Mission and Howard All interested participants are asked to contact publisher@sfbaytimes.com For more information about Dan Ashley: http://danashleymusic.com/ ABC7 serves as a major sponsor for AIDS Walk San Francisco and anchor Dan Ashley emcees the program from the AIDS Walk stage.

Photos courtesy of ABC7

Like Jagger, Ashley has numerous compelling stories to tell—both because of his work, and from other life experiences. Ashley’s résumé requires numerous double takes, as he was once a figure skating instructor who also successfully competed

KIT’N KITTY’S

QUEER POP QUIZ

ZOO COMPLETE ME Roy and Silo at New York’s Central Park Zoo gained international fame for being a gay male pair of: A) elephants B) tigers C) penguins D) dolphins ANSWER ON PAGE 42

Karin Jaffie as Kitty Tapata hosts Miss Kitty’s Original Trivia Nights at The Wild Side West on Wednesday nights from 8 pm–11 pm, 424 Cortland Avenue in San Francisco. As Tapata says, “It’s free, fun and friendly! To play is to win!”

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SISTER DANA’s GUIDE to PRIDE

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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

Welcome to the 48th Annual SF Pride Celebration & Parade!

Now Go Homo!

By Sister Dana Van Iquity of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Welcome to San Francisco Pride, where every identity, gender, kink and kind are celebrated! Hundreds of thousands of visitors from outside the Bay Area will attend San Francisco Pride this year. The San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade will take place on June 23 and 24.

PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA

The theme is “Generations of Strength!” The two-day SF PC&P is the largest free gathering of LGBTQ people and allies in the nation. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQIA organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights and animal welfare.

Parade Route

On June 23 and 24, the Civic Center is the location for the Celebration and all of the booths and stages. On Saturday, the hours are noon to 6 pm. On Sunday, the hours are 11 am to 6 pm, when you may be asked to make a donation of $1 to $5 at the entry gates in support of more than 60 local nonprofit community partners. Be aware that coolers, glass bottles and outside alcohol are not permitted. Everyone entering the Celebration site will be subject to screening. Bags or containers must not be larger than 18” x 18”.

With over 200 exhibitors and nonprofit booths at the event, San Francisco Pride offers a wide variety of artists, local and national businesses, nonprofits, artisans, food and beverages.

SF Pride makes a special effort to make exhibitor booths affordable to local nonprofits that often use their space to educate, raise much needed funds and connect with the community. There’s something at Pride for everyone!

Stay Hydrated! Stay Standing! Stay Proud!

Throughout the site you’ll find booths selling water, soda, juice and other nonalcoholic beverages. If you choose to purchase alcohol at the event, please drink responsibly and remember to stay hydrated. That means drink lots of water! Civic Center Plaza and UN Plaza are designated as official smoke-free spaces.

Facilities & Accessibility Free child-care facilities and a range of services for people with disabilities are available. With special parade-viewing areas and sign language interpretation at all performance stages, the aim is to make the event accessible to everyone. For details about accessibility, log on to the website: http://www.sfpride.org/accessibility/ Recycling and Composting

Safety & Wellness The Parade’s volunteer Safety Monitors work hard to provide a safer Pride Celebration and Parade. Please make sure that your valuables and effects are secure by not leaving bags or personal items unattended. Report suspicious activity or unattended packages to the nearest member of the Safety Team or at the nearest Information Booth. “If you see something, say something.” You are also encouraged to protect yourself and your sexual part- 2016 ners by employing safer sex practices during the weekend and always. Together we can help stop the virus.

Getting to Pride SF Pride is one of the largest outdoor events in the nation in the heart of a major metropolitan area. Please do not try to park your car anywhere near the Parade and Celebration site during Parade weekend. San Francisco has an excellent (usually) transportation system! Both the BART and Muni transit systems serve Civic Center station near both the Celebration and Parade, making access to the event easy. Bicycle parking is available.

Check out the comprehensive transpor- 2017 tation guide at http://www.sfpride.org/ And Now for A Little History Lesson Every year I read an editorial asking for the “freaks and drag queens” to please step aside and not ruin it for LGBTQ rights.

And I need to remind those naysayers that it was drag queens and transgenders, way back at the end of June 1969 in New York City, hanging out at their local gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, who decided that they would no longer put up with the daily police harassment and arrests that were part of “normal” homosexual life for these people. At that time, it was illegal to be gay, so there was no openly gay pride, no openly gay pol it ics a nd most certainly no gay parade.

PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA

In an effort to be environmentally responsible as people continue to pioneer green event practices, San Francisco Pride provides disposal areas for recycling, composting and trash. All cups, plates, and utensils used at the event are 100% compostable and are made from natural derivatives; please toss these into the compost bins.

There is no fee to watch the Parade (except in the case of Grandstand Seating along the Parade route). Grandstand seating is available for the Parade, and SF Pride will host its annual VIP Party at City Hall on Sunday from 2–5 pm. Tickets and info for both are available at http://www.sfpride.org/

Sister Dana was a prominent figure in our award-winning contingent in 2017.

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Celebration Location & Times

Parade Grandstand Tickets and VIP Party

PHOTO BY ALI BIGGS PHOTOGRAPHY

For a fun, quick history lesson, check the last two paragraphs of this article.

Sister Dana happily flirted with the crowd as the San Francisco Bay Times contingent made its way up Market Street in the 2017 Pride Parade.

On t hat pa r t icu la r night, the Stonewall patrons initiated local action that was to eventually lead to na-

2016

tional gay liberation. They fought back. For several days and nights, the Stonewall Rebellion raged on, and the so-called sissies beat the men-in-blue in a rather violent uprising (and I don’t mean with purses). So you see, it was a very abnormal group of “freaky people wearing funny clothes” back then who made it possible for us today to cocktail and cruise undisturbed in the queer bar of our choice. And walk down Market Street holding hands. And for that matter, those “nelly fellas” paved the way for every one of our civil rights marches. So, when you see a drag queen or “freaky person,” give ‘em the thumbsup and thank ‘em for the legacy that continues. Flame ON, freaky people!!!

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

The Parade begins at 10:30 am with the roar of the Dykes on Bikes motorcycle contingent and the slightly less roaring Mikes on Bikes bicycle contingent, starting at Beale Street and ending at 8th Street all along Market Street, from Embarcadero to Civic Center. Attendees must stay behind the barricades and not venture into the street.

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

2018 San Francisco Pride Community Grand Marshals and Honorees

“In this spirit of solidarit y and strength, San Francisco Pride is pleased to be honoring this exemplary collection of individuals and organizations,” Ridgely added. “Our communities are, have been, and will be better for their contributions.”

Community Grand Marshals Kin Folkz - Selected by Public Vote Kin Folkz is an award-winning educator, human rights artivist, author, community catalyst, founder of the Oakland Pride Creative Arts & Film Fest, the founder of the Oakland Queer +Trans Open Mic, a BiNet USA National Board Member, Oakland LGBTQ Center’s Healing Arts Director, a member of Black Lives Matter Bay Area and Queer Black Lives Matter.

San Francisco L esbian/Gay Freedom Ba nd - Commun it y Grand Marshal, Organization, Selected by Public Vote The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is the first openly gay musical organization in the world, inspiring the formation of all other LGBTQ bands, choruses and other groups around the globe.

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band

Billy Curtis - Selected by the SF Pride Board of Directors Billy Curtis is a committed community activist and advocate. In 1999, Billy was hired as UC Berkeley’s first full time Director for LGBT Resources and is currently the Director of the university’s Gender Equity Resource Center.

Soni Wolf - Selected by the SF Pride Board of Directors Soni Wolf (1949–2018) was a founding member of Dykes on Bikes®. Please see the tribute to her on this page.

Jewelle Gomez - Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal, Selected by the SF Pride Board of Directors Jewelle Gomez is the author of seven books, including the double Lambda Literary Award-Winning vampire novel The Gilda Stories. She has taught creative writing and popular culture at institutions of higher learning from San Francisco State University to Hunter College in New York. She’s written for numerous publications and is playwright in residence at New Conservatory Theatre Center.

Heritage of Pride Awards Aria Sa’id - Heritage of Pride - 10 Years of Service Award For those organizations, individuals or other entities that have contributed at least ten years of consecutive service to the LGBTQ community.

Aria Sa’id is a writer, cultural icon, policy strategist and the Founder/Director of the Kween Culture Initiative.

Jen Orthwein - Heritage of Pride Pride Freedom Award For outstanding contributions to advancing civil rights and freedom for LGBTQ people.

Jen helped to launch the Detention Project at Transgender Law Center, leading the way to access to gender affirming surg er y a nd g en der expression for transgender prisoners in California. Jennifer cofounded Medina Or thwein L L P, a queer-owned, civ il r ights law

Shaun Haines - Heritage of Pride Pride Community Award For outstanding ser vice to L GBTQ communities.

Shaun Haines, the founder of San Francisco Impact Partners, works to produce events to support and provide resources for our community. He serves on the LGBT Cultural Heritage Strategy and Economic Development Committee, the Police Chief’s LGBT Forum, Castro Community on Patrol and the Stop the Violence Campaign.

Carolyn Wysinger - Heritage of Pride - Pride Creativity Award For outstanding artistic contribution to the LGBTQ community.

Carolyn Wysinger is an author, blogger, speaker, high school educator and the host of the podcast The C-Dubb Show.

Commemoration Awards Ali Marrero-Calderon - Gilbert Baker Pride Founder’s Award For those who have made a significant and historical impact on the LGBTQ community and the movement for LGBTQ rights.

Ali Marrero-Calderon began working for gay rights in the 1970s, fighting against the Briggs Initiative. In 1974, Ali joined GENTE, the first Lesbian of Color Organization in California.

Ali belonged to Gay Latino Alliance (GALA) and Mujerio (a Latina lesbian organization) and worked with Shanti Project in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Ali has belonged to Dykes on Bikes since 1976 and was their first Emeritus member. Today, as part of the National Steering Committee of OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), Ali fights for the rights of Old Lesbians, especially Old Lesbians of Color.

FAIR Education Implementation Act - José Julio Sarria History Maker Award Awarded to Bay Area people who make extraordinary changes in the way society views the LGBTQ community.

Convened in 2014 by Our Family Coalition, over half a dozen organizations comprise the FAIR Education

Act Implementation Coalition, and work to see this historic education reform thoroughly implemented across California. The FAIR Education Act, SB 48 (Leno), was signed into law on July 14, 2011, and went into effect on January 1, 2012. It amends California Education Code to include the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful reference to contributions by people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community in history and social studies curriculum. California is the only state in the nation to have such LGBT-inclusive legislation in place.

Kin Folkz

Brian “Chickpea” Busta

Kate Kendell - Teddy Witherington Award Recognizing those individuals who have contr ibuted a longstanding , large body of work to the LGBTQ community.

Billy Curtis

Kate Kendell leads the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of LGBTQ people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.

Under Kendell’s leadership of twentyfour years, NCLR won the California marriage equality case in 2008 and was later part of the team of attorneys to secure national marriage equality in 2015. Together with GLAD, Kendell led NCLR to file a federal lawsuit challenging Trump’s transgender military ban in August 2017, which secured a nationwide preliminary injunction stopping the ban from moving forward.

Soni Wolf

Jewelle Gomez

Aria Sa’id

Pamela Peniston - The Audrey Joseph LGBTQ Entertainment Award For those who have made a significant and historical impact or left an indelible impression on the LGBTQ community and the movement for LGBTQ rights, through their artistic expression or through their contribution within the entertainment industry.

Pamela Peniston is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Queer Cultural Center (Qcc). Since 1998, Peniston has provided visionary leadership for Queer Cultural Center’s iconic program, the National Queer Arts Festival—now celebrating its 21st year—commissioned generations of LGBTQI artists & artists of color and provided opportunities for them to discover their voices and connect with their communities. Peniston and Qcc have mentored and inspired queer artists who have become leaders and changed the cultural landscape of queer arts across the nation.

More comprehensive biographies, photos a nd i n for m at ion about San Francisco Pride’s Community Grand Marshals and Honorees can be found online (http://www.sfpride. org/grand-marshals/).

Jen Orthwein

Carolyn Wysinger

Shaun Haines

Ali MarreroCalderon

Kate Kendell

Pamela Peniston

In Memoriam: Soni Wolf, Dykes on Bikes Founding Member, Embodied the Ethos of Pride Shortly before her passing on April 25 of this year at the age of 69, Soni Wolf was selected by San Francisco Pride’s Board of Directors to be a Community Grand Marshal. A founding member of Dykes on Bikes (DOB), she began riding with this fabulous and fierce group of queer women in the late 1970s, just after the movement for women’s empowerment and visibility brought the DOB to the front of the San Francisco Pride Parade.

During her forty years of service, Wolf helped DOB evolve into a 501(c)3 non-profit, spearheading the group’s mission to create a national and international community of women motorcyclists supporting philanthropic endeavors in LGBTQ communities. Her commitment to the LGBTQ community never wavered. There is little doubt that the legacy of Dykes on Bikes would not be what it is today without her.

“Soni was chosen to be one of our Community Grand Marshals in this year’s Parade, and we look forward to celebrating her life by continuing the tradition she was so instrumental in establishing over 40 years ago,” said San Francisco Pride Executive Director George F. Ridgely, Jr. “Soni was an integral member of the San Francisco Pride family, and she will be missed.”

Dykes on Bikes will lead the procession of over 250 contingents—including community groups, affinity organizations, city agencies, local businesses and corporate groups—down Market Street on Sunday, June 24. A statement from Dykes on Bikes pronounced, “Soni will be represented in this year’s SF Pride by her closest friends carrying the historic and beautifully painted gas tank from the motorcycle Soni rode in the first Dykes on Bikes contingent in San Francisco.”

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Brian “Chickpea” Busta has been bringing light, laughter, art and music to San Francisco’s LGBTQ community since 1989. He founded Gay Glow Street Theater, the Temple Whores drumming troupe, was Grand Duke of the Ducal Court, inspires audiences as the comic figure “Amber Alert” and is the current Creative Director of Comfort & Joy.

firm that focuses on employment discrimination and transgender prisoner rights.

PHOTO BY RINK

He continued, “Every year, Pride brings almost a million people to San Francisco in celebration. Pride is also an opportunity for our LGBTQ+ communities to reflect on our past and look to the future. The 2018 theme for Pride, Generations of Strength, encourages us to express our gratitude to those before us who organized against and stood up to injustice, recognize those among us who advocate tirelessly for our progress, and lend our support to those who will lead us into the future.”

Brian “Chickpea” Busta - Selected by the SF Pride Membership

PHOTO BY RINK

Six Community Grand Marshals and eight Awardees will be honored at the 48th annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade on June 23 and 24. Please join us in congratulating them and cheering them on during the Pride events and beyond. As San Francisco Pride Executive Director George Ridgely, Jr., said: “We are inspired by the accomplishments and aspirations of these individuals and organizations, and we are glad Pride can be a part of their recognition.”

Films to Catch During the Last Days of Frameline42 craving Angel’s attention and affection before things get intense. Director Jordana Spiro’s film is full of smart details and compelling performances—Hall is a scene stealer—as well as some pointed commentary about how young women like Angel are forced to find ways to survive.

Film Gary M. Kramer There are only a few days of Frameline42 remaining. Here is the lowdown on eight films screening this weekend.

Mapplethorpe ( June 21, 6:30 pm, Castro) is Ondi Timoner’s ambitious but uneven biopic of the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whose stunning images of calla lilies and male sexual organs are now synonymous with his name. The film opens in 1969 with Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith) meeting Patti Smith (Marianne Rendón) and moving in together. While they struggle as artists and share a comfortable domesticity, Robert eventually starts to explore his sexuality with men. He also starts taking photographs. It isn’t until Sam Wagstaff (out gay actor John Benjamin Hickey) turns up to praise Mapplethorpe’s work and help him sell his sexually explicit pictures that the film hits its stride. However, like Sam and Robert’s relationship, this bliss is short lived. Instead, Mapplethorpe continues to hit the expected beats of the photographer’s life, having about as much depth as a Wikipedia entry.

When the film depicts Mapplethorpe’s relationship with Milton Moore (McKiney Belcher III), an African American model he discovers on the street, Timoner uses broad strokes to have Milton argue about Robert’s bad behavior rather than portray the actions and let viewers determine what to think and feel. Smith at times resembles Mapplethorpe, especially in his later years when he is suffering with AIDS, but the actor seems mostly to be going through the motions in the role. Mapplethorpe presents too much of its subject in black and white, when a shade or two of gray would have been much better.

Night Comes On ( June 22, 6:30 pm, Castro) features a phenomenal performance by Dominique Fishback as Angel, a savvy, lesbian teenager getting out of a juvenile detention center. Angel has no intention of keeping on the straight and narrow; her first order of business is getting a gun, and the second is tracking down her father ( John Jenks) who killed her mother. In between accomplishing these tricky goals, Angel meets up with her girlfriend, Eva (Camilla Harden), and reconnects with her sister, Abby (Tatum Marilyn Hall), who lives in a foster home. Night Comes On follows Angel down the hardscrabble streets of Philadelphia and its outlying areas, and Fishback is riveting throughout. Just watch Angel help Abby deal with getting her first period in a gas station mini-mart bathroom. A later scene of the sisters at the beach is quite tender, with Abby 34

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Shakedown ( June 22, 9:45 pm, Piedmont; June 23, 9:00 pm, Victoria) is a fascinating look into the subculture of exotic entertainers in the underground Los Angeles African American lesbian club scene.

Through observational footage, director Leila Weinraub celebrates the fantasy, family and community that are part of every Shakedown event.

Weinraub interviews many of the key members, from dancers Egypt and Jazmyne, to DJ Ronnie Ron, and Miss Mahogany, a house mother, all of whom talk about how they got involved in the scene. They also reveal tidbits about their personal lives, which flesh out the portraits of these women. The film features plenty of performance footage too, as well as some trouble the clubs and dancers have with the local police. While a little of Shakedown may go a long way for some viewers, others will want this documentary never to end.

For Izzy ( June 23, 11:30 am, Roxie) is a sweet romantic drama that revolves around Dede (Michelle Ang), a lesbian trying to recover from her drug addiction and her recent breakup with her girlfriend. She moves into a house in Los Angeles with her mother Anna (Elizabeth Sung). Anna soon meets and falls for their neighbor, Peter ( Jim Lau), who lives with his daughter Laura ( Jennifer Soo), who is on the autism spectrum. When Dede and Laura become friends—they bond over taking photos and shooting videos—things are great. However, an incident in Griffith Park splinters the two families, and Dede escapes to San Francisco. For Izzy peppers its drama with interview scenes of each of the four main characters recounting their sides of the story as well as some vibrant animated vignettes.

The result may sound soapy, but it is actually quite heartwarming as the protagonists all learn to care for one another, f laws and all. The ensemble cast is uniformly strong and the film, despite all of its drama, is quite feel-good.

Leitis in Waiting ( June 23, 4:15 pm, Castro) is an eye-opening documentary by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson about leitis, the transgender women in the Pacific Island kingdom of Tongo. Expanded from Hamer and Wilson’s 2017 short, Lady Eva, the film explores how leitis, such as Joey Joleen Mataele, Eva, and Miss Fatima, among others, have suffered bullying, abuse, discrimination and violence, often being kicked out of their homes for being queer. They have since organized and become activists fighting for human rights in a traditional culture where an evangelical Pastor argues against equal rights and same-sex marriage. The interviews with the leitis are inspiring, as is the footage from the 2016 Miss Galaxy Pageant, where Eva does a mean performance lip synching to Tina Turner. What emerges from this film is the courage, dignity and pride the J U NE 2 1 , 2 0 1 8

Mapplethorpe

Night Comes On

Shakedown

For Izzy

Leitis in Waiting

Ideal Home

leitis have and that they share with their supporters, which include members of the Tongan royal family.

Ideal Home ( June 23, 6:30 pm, Castro) is a diverting comedy by out gay writer/director Andrew Fleming about Erasmus (Steve Coogan), an egocentric cable TV show host, and his partner Paul (Paul Rudd), who must figure out how to be gay parents when Erasmus’ grandson Bill ( Jack Gore) unexpectedly turns up on their doorstep. As Paul tries to be responsible and get Bill to eat and take him to and from school, Erasmus, who does not even know his grandson’s name, puts on his raccoon coat, and—drink in hand—drives Bill out to Taco Bell for some late-night food and bonding. Will the gay couple fall for the son they always wish they never had? Will Bill prefer his two new dads to his real one? Ideal Home answers these questions as it provides some laughs with its deliciously sharp dialogue as well as the exaggerated situations the characters face, like explaining the derivation of gay porn titles to an agent from Child Protection Services. Coogan and Rudd are both drolly amusing. And if you can’t make the screening, Ideal Home opens in San Francisco on June 29.

Kill the Monsters ( June 23, 9:15 pm, Castro) Were it not for the trio of buff bodies often naked and on display, this pretentious “American allegory” about such topics as manifest destiny would be harder to watch than it already is. Writer/director Ryan Lonergan costars as Patrick, the sensible member of a threesome that includes trust funder Sutton (Garrett McKechnie) and the much younger Frankie ( Jack Ball). When Frankie develops a malaise, Sutton buys a condo in California and the trio head west, hitting various speed bumps and detours—including debates about drugs and money and a side trip to a mutual relation—before they arrive in Santa Monica. There, they engage in high stakes poker with lesbian neighbors and dole out advice about polyamorous relationships to anyone who will listen. Kill the Monsters is shot in annoying longshots and intense close-ups and edited with irritating quick cuts that might make viewers jumpy. The acting by the entire cast appears to be indifferent. Unfolding in a series of chapters representing key periods in American history, this film is far less than the sum of its parts.

Studio 54 ( June 24, 7:00 pm, Castro) documents the rise and fall of the storied nightclub as seen through the

Studio 54

eyes of co-owner Ian Schrager. In an almost confessional tone, Schrager explains how he and the late, gay Steve Rubell met in college, created an exclusive club (that operated without a liquor license) and ran afoul of the law (for tax evasion, and skimming unreported income, among other crimes), before prison and reinvention. Interviews with folks who worked and danced at the club help to create the heady atmosphere where cocaine, music, and money dominated. They describe the safe-space Studio 54 became for LGBT folks, as well as for celebrities, like Michael Jackson (seen in some terrific footage) and Liza Minnelli, etc. While Rubell may have been the club’s biggest promoter— he was most in his element at the club catering to the talent and getting press in print and on TV—Schrager was behind the scenes, managing things (or not).

His candor describing the raid on the club is ingratiating, even if it appears he knows more than he admits.

Studio 54 shows what it is like to capture lightning in a bottle, as well as what it means to get burned. The archival footage is fabulous, and this film is a rollicking good time. © 2018 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

The Importance of Transgender Literature const it utes l iterat ure, memoir, or poetry itself.

Such boundary-breakers include memoirist Luna Merbruja, poet Billy-Ray Belcourt and novelist Kai Cheng Thom.

Words Michele Karlsberg Michele Karlsberg: Two new books by authors Jacob Anderson-Minshall and Rachel Gold are featured in this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times. I asked both Anderson-Minshall and Gold how they would define the genre of Transgender Literature.

Jacob Anderson-Minshall: I define trans literature as written cultural production by, about, for, or resonating with gender nonconforming or non-cisgender people. Trans lit can subvert our definitions of gender and transgress the boundaries between men and women; these topics inform my new novel, Swimming Upstream. But trans lit can also explode ideas of what

Claire’s work knotted together queerness, disability, class and the trans exper ience. Later authors like Ryka Aoki have shown us that our sense of gender is often racially or culturally specific.

Akwaeke Emezi’s Freshwater suggests an African, spiritual origin for the protagonist’s nonbinary gender expression.

I don’t believe trans lit must be produced by a self-identified trans creator. After all, as someone who didn’t come out trans Jacob until middle-age, I’m well Anderson-Minshall aware that gender idenIn Swimming Upstream, tities can be time sensitive. perspectives on gender differ Today’s non-trans creator between characters who are can undergo a gender transtrans versus intersex, Native mutation tomorrow. And, as American versus nonindigsomeone who writes characenous, and rural versus urters outside my own experiban. ence (like Brooke, the Iraq Jacob Anderson-Minshall is the war veteran in Swimming Uptrans author of the award-winstream), I am loathe to sugning memoir “Queerly Beloved: A gest that other authors cannot transcend their own perspectives. Love Story Across Genders.” He lived in the Bay Area for nearly two decades and much Trans lit may have trans characters, of his new novel, “Swimming Upstream,” or it may f ind other ways to trou- is set here. ble white, heteronormative, cisgen- https://www.swimmingupstream.life der ideas about gender, sex and sexuality. And gender certainly needn’t Rachel Gold: I think of Trans Lit be the focus of these stories. Swimming as stories, poems, plays, comics, etc.

Upstream is more about queer kinship that center and support trans audiand the impact of surviving trauma ences. That doesn’t mean these works than about gender. Trans lit is of- can’t also be accessible and important ten intersectional: early pioneer Eli for cisgender audiences, but the trans

hurts a lot of people, including cisgender ones.

audience comes f irst.

It’s also a body of writing that’s very new, so it’s growing and changing rapidly. My definition of trans lit is what I write from, but it’s not comprehensive or final.

Trans kids and adults need to see themselves represented—not only because of high rates Rachel Gold of suicide and depression, but also because healthy, thriving trans kids and adults have a lot to offer our culture as a whole. In areas like sexual orientation and gender identity, it can be extremely hard to know how to be yourself and have a great life if you don’t ever see anyone like you doing that.

When I came out at 16 as a lesbian, I needed stories about lesbians. I needed to know they existed (even if I hadn’t met any) and that it was possible for me to date girls. I did not come out as genderqueer at 16 because I had no language for that and no contemporary examples. In addition to our personal wellbeing, it’s important for everyone in Western culture to see a variety of ways to approach, and escape from or evolve, current gender systems. Mainstream Western gender

In terms of recommendations, I mostly read young adult ( YA) and science f iction/fantasy (SFF), so for starters: April Daniels, whose novels are both YA and SFF. For younger teens a nd pr e - t e e n r e a d ers, there’s A lex Gino’s George. I’ve long admired Rachel Pollack.

She wrote the first trans character in a comic book by a trans author. She won the World Fantasy Award. She’s a tremendous storyteller and mystic.

Lastly, since I’m in Minneapolis, I want to recommend Andrea Jenkins, whose poetry and politics have been great for this city.

Rachel Gold is the author of multiple queer & trans young adult novels, including the award-winning “Being Emily,” the first young adult novel to tell the story of a trans girl from her perspective. Gold is a nonbinary lesbian, all around geek and avid gamer. www.rachelgold.com Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQI community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates thirty years of successful book campaigns.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DE YOUNG AND LEGION OF HONOR

Truth and Beauty: The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters At the Legion of Honor, June 30–September 30

Truth and Beauty: The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters is the first major exhibition to juxtapose examples by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with works that inspired its members, including Italian old masters Fra Angelico and Pietro Perugino and their Northern contemporaries Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. It reveals how the Brotherhood’s aesthetic evolved over time to embrace artistic influences from the High and late Renaissance, such as Botticelli, Raphael, Titian and Veronese. It also offers a rich multimedia opportunity to examine the artists’ attraction to stained glass, domestic decorations and sixteenth-century textiles. https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/exhibitions/truth-and-beauty-pre-raphaelitesand-old-masters

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

In 1848, a year of political revolution across Europe, seven young Englishmen formed an artistic alliance aspiring to rebel against the contemporary Victorian art world. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, defied idealized figures popularized

by Raphael and other High Renaissance artists to reflect the simplicity, spirituality and beauty they found in late medieval and early Renaissance art.

Veronese, “Lucretia,” ca. 1580-1583. Oil on canvas, 42 7/8 x 35 5/8 in. (109 x 90.5 cm). Gemälderie of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 1561

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “Veronica Veronese,” 1872.

Oil on canvas, 42 3/8 x 33 3/4 in. (107.6 x 85.7 cm).

Delaware Art Museum, Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft Memorial, 1935, 1935-28 36

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IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Sandro Botticelli, “Idealized Portrait of a Lady (Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci as Nymph),” ca. 1475. Tempera on panel, 32 ¼ x 21 ¼ in. (81.8 x 54 cm). Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Inv. no. 936

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, “Love and the Maiden,” 1877. Oil, old paint and gold leaf on canvas, 54 x 79 in. (137.2 x 200.7 cm). Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Museum purchase, European Art Trust Fund, Grover A. Magnin Bequest Fund and Dorothy Spreckels Munn Bequest Fund, 2002.176

Weddings, Occasions & Relationships Naturals and What Sets Them Apart Victor that he was also free to do as he pleased. Within a few months, however, George wanted their blossoming relationship to be monogamous, and after discussing it, they agreed.

Lonely No More Scott Tsui In my previous column, I spoke about three broad classes of people when it comes to relationships: 1. Naturals are people with personality traits that make them more “relationship ready.”

2. Learners are those who have learned from their past experiences and can avoid relationship-destroying mistakes.

3. Blamers are those who will never admit that they’re wrong and would rather point the f inger at others.

By knowing your own personality, and with a basic understanding of the above personality types, you should be able to avoid future heartache and headaches by being careful to pair up with someone more in sync with yourself.

Four years ago, while writing my book Lonely No More, 8 Steps to Find Your Gay Husband, I had the pleasure of interviewing Victor and George, a San Francisco couple that I immediately saw as Naturals and who have stayed together for forty years.

My goal was to understand what made their relationship so successful. I discovered that they both possessed similar traits that made them a loving, caring couple. If success leaves clues, we can learn from what they have been doing right and use the knowledge to help us to improve our own relationships.

Victor and George met at a birthday party. George had a partner, but the relationship was coming to an end. Victor had never had a serious relationship. A month later, they began dating. George was accustomed to living by himself. He loved bars and cruising and told

The above illustrates how Naturals have the ability to recognize someone special. They both felt comfortable and secure enough with each other to welcome a partner into their life. True Naturals, regardless of their past, have the ability to find their path and to recognize the importance of working out any conflicts or issues, rather than ignoring and running away from them.

Ever y couple makes their own rules. For Naturals, it is not about whether monogamy or open relationships are better than the other. They simply know what is right for them, and work through things to connect and stay connected intimately with each other. Victor and George have never looked back; they consider that they gained love and companionship rather than lost their freedom.

Views on finances can be very contentious in many relationships. Both Victor and George recognized that they were frugal; they didn’t fight about money and they understood its value. In other words, Naturals gravitate to those with similar core values and qualities, which minimize conf lict from the beginning.

They become teammates or comrades, rather than competitors, and are willing to work things out.

Interestingly, George was an extrovert and Victor was something of an introvert, but in this case, opposites did attract. Victor appreciated that George brought out the hidden extrovert in him, while George learned to be more grounded, patient and less volatile. Thus, they inf luenced each other positively and appreciated their differences.

Naturals are more likely to adopt new ideas from their partner and to let their partner influence them. eHarmony did a survey with their members that partnered up and stayed together. The results showed that adaptability is the number one factor underlying why the relationships survived.

When it comes to decision making, George and Victor would ask, “Is this something that both of us want

Openhouse Senior Prom 2018

to do?” Fifteen years into their relationship, there was a crisis. George was distraught because Victor closed a real estate deal without him. Victor claimed he was innocent and didn’t realize the realtor was there to close. George thought about ending the relationship because he felt left out, but deep down, he knew he trusted Victor.

After working through it, they put the incident behind them.

Naturals tend not to get vicious with each other, verbally or physically.

They know better not to say hurtful words that can’t be taken back. Instead, they show compassion, even when they’re upset or angry. They trust that their partner didn’t mean to hurt them intentionally. Naturals know how to “Forgive, Forget and Move on” instead of holding grudges, being angry or wanting to get even. They understand and know how to reconnect with their partner after disagreements or conflicts. They know there is a “reset” button to start over again.

Victor and George help and support each other, no matter what.

Naturals are selfless and considerate of their partner. They recognize their partner’s needs, not just their own. They have a “we” rather than a “me” mentality. For Victor and George, their thoughtfulness, consideration and mutual respect have helped to cultivate their life-long relationship.

Take a moment to ref lect on why Naturals have relationships that are more effortless than others.

See if you find yourself in agreement regarding the traits of Naturals. What have you learned about yourself? If you are having difficulties in a relationship, what might you do to rectify and improve the situation?

In the next column, I will share stories about “Learners.”

Scott Tsui is the author of “Lonely No More – 8 Steps to Find Your Gay Husband” and the creator of the world’s first online gay relationship training: Gay Men Relationship Blueprint. Tsui works to help gay men find their compatible companion or to build lasting friendships for fun and adventure. For more information: http:// scotttsui.com/

Photos by Sandy Morris

The Green Room at San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center was full to the brim on Saturday, June 9, with attendees at the 2018 Openhouse LGBTQ Senior Prom. With no dress code, need for a date or gender rules, the popular event included live music and entertainment, food and beverages plus prizes and a DJ spinning tunes. Congratulations to Karen Skultety and the Openhouse team of staff and volunteers on providing this important event with “Acceptance” as its only theme.

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Round About - All Over Town - Pride

It’s amazing how many activities there are during the weeks leading up to and during Pride Mo Be sure to say hello to Rink when you see him with his camera out and about all over town.

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t is hard just to glance at this evocative moment in time, captured by Rink at the 1978 San Francisco Pride Parade. The image’s many details invite deeper study. The photo shows several men dancing on a flatbed truck as it rolled down the parade route. While each individual displays his own dance moves and attire, the men form a unified whole, given their closeness at this intense, jubilant time of celebration and freedom.

A festive watermelon dress and handbag outfit stole the show at the Red Dress Day in the Castro gathering on June 16.

A host of Red Dress Day in the Castro participants gathered together for a photo op in Harvey Milk Plaza on June 16.

The image takes on bittersweet meaning, however, considering the rampant homophobia of the time and the fact that just three years later, the HIV/AIDS crisis would begin. The epidemic took the lives of many young men and others who were at this event.

When the photo was snapped, Rink described the contingent as a “traveling dance party.”

We wonder what music was playing in the background. Disco still ruled in 1978. Two of the hit dance singles in June of that year were “Last Dance” by Donna Summer and “Thank God It’s Friday” by Love & Kisses, so those are just a few possibilities.

Live in the Castro! continued on Saturday, May 19, with DJ Jim Strano’s music and spontaneous dancing in Jane Warner Plaza.

SF Pride Grand Marshal Kin Folkz of Spectrum Queer Media and Bernard Henderson welcomed guests to the annual Black LGBT History celebration at the SF Main Library on June 16.

Adults and kids were on hand at Harvey Milk Library for Children’s Storytime with the Sisters on June 16.

John Goldsmith of the Save Harvey Milk Plaza organization was on hand on Castro Street on May 19 during celebrations of Harvey Milk’s birthday.

Artists and photographers Miss Vera and Mr. Tina of Verasphere were on hand to entertain at the Harvey Milk Photography Center’s exhibit opening on June 16.

Photographer Jenny Rogers with her work on display in the Harvey Milk Photography Center’s LGBTQ Pride Exhibit that will continue through July 22.

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Photographer Kevin Kelleher with a display of his work at the Harvey Milk Photography Center’s opening night exhibit party on June 16.

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onth in San Francisco, and Rink has been there for many.

Velocity Circus’ Kyle Futrell and Gregangelo, plus Magic Chef Chris, joined emcee Donna Sachet for the Season Opening edition of Live in the Castro!

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Wearing his blue suede shoes, musician Kippy Marks also performed on May 19 during Live in the Castro!

A Levi’s jacket featuring a depiction of Harvey Milk, an array of “Ken” and “Barbie” type figures were on display at a private party in the Castro.

Outlook Video South Bay Cable volunteers (left to right) Christine Konkol, Raymond Hong, Roberta Gonzales-Gregg and Alice Heimsoth were on hand at the Frameline Festival Launch Party held at Oasis on May 22.

Entertainer LOL McFiercen and guest were at the LGBTQ Pride Exhibit Opening held at the Harvey Milk Photography Center on June 16.

The exhibit continues through July 22.

Frameline staff and volunteers, including Peter Stein, Frances Wallace, Kevin Schaub and Harrry Vaughn, were on stage at Oasis leading the discussion concerning this year’s Festival at the Launch Party on May 22.

A group of happy guests and volunteers enjoyed drinks and camaraderie at Oasis during the Frameline Launch Party on June 22.

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Well, Putin’s lap dog, Trump the Chump, has been busy doing Vlad’s bidding—wanting to bring in Russia to the G7 after it was thrown out for invading the Ukraine; and then angering and alienating our six allied nations (who aptly renamed the summit as the G6 + 1). He left early, and signed nothing! Nice going, Donny Dumbbell!”

The third annual LGBTQ SENIOR PROM was a festive celebration, presented by OPENHOUSE for seniors and allies of all ages to get another chance at Prom—with none of the tradition or rules like high school. No dress code, no need for a date, no dancing required, no gender rules and no holding back! Acceptance was the only theme on June 9 in the spacious Green Room of the War Memorial building. Dr. Karyn Skultety, Director of Openhouse SF, served as emcee. The Party Monsters band entertained us and got us dancing to golden oldies from Prince to Santana to Otis Redding and more. We learned how to line dance and set the floor on fire! We got to take our prom pictures in a special photo booth (https://snapf iesta.com/) and instantly take them home as souvenirs.

We had a champagne toast. Veteran drag queen Donna Personna danced her heart out and lip synched to “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.”

They held a contest for Prom Royalty. Brian was Royal Winner. Stevie Royscon was Prom King by popular vote. And after the final four had a “grueling” dance-off run-off, Sister Dana was voted Prom Queen (“by the slimmest of margins,” according to Karyn). And I thanked her for calling me “slim.” Ha! I proudly wore my silver (plastic) rainbow tiara for the rest of the evening and possibly for eternity.

PRIDE ART MONTH at the SF Castro ARTSAVESLIVES gallery of artist/curator Thomasina DeMaio was packed on June 8 with folks delighting in live performances of Larissa Archer in a salute to Bollywood in the Castro, Tribal Baroque duo of man and woman on electronic violins and voices that cut through the dark, punctuated by fierce stomping with dancer Kira.

They returned to do a calypso dance with Latin fury. Art Saves Lives is a monthly exhibition of great paintings, photographs, and more. The artists on display all Pride Month at 518 Castro Street are Jerry Frost, who has left his modern art phase

to do beautiful water lily scenes in oils; Michael Lawrence has a few rather disturbing little babies in possible danger; Alex Prestia has several oils and acrylics on canvas, with my favorite being the “Douche Shower;” David Wayne Floyd’s huge 3-D bejeweled oil on wood portrait, “Cernunnos, Celtic God of Fertility, Life, Animals, Wealth, and the Underground” is a suitably long title for a very big piece taking over the entire room; Fletcher Oakes has a series of archival prints on fine art paper, “Montages and Mandelas;” Billy Douglas has a lovely B&W photo series of famous ladies including Donna Sachet and DQ Joan Crawford; Kent Anderson displays a series, “Four Months After the Revolution,” referring to the Maiden Square in Kiev, Ukraine, uprising during July 2014 when thousands of Ukrainian citizens rebelled and ousted President Viktor Yanukovych; Alan Beckstead (also seen at Spark Arts) has vivid scenes from a Gay Pride Parade); J-Wo displays rainbow colored pieces of mixed media in the window, with my favorite, “Paint the Sky” and its blazing sun and colorful clouds; Michael Lownie has his usual tiny people in boxes, but also his Kitties series and my fave being “Pocket Panthers” because “Pink Panther” is the name of my tabby; Bill Haught exhibits “Tanglewood,” a series of inkjet prints on gatorfoam; Vincent Escareno has painted various celebs, including Divine, Liza Minnelli, Boy George, and RuPaul; Alex Ray shows a series of tasteful male nude B&W photos with men and their modestly placed musical instruments; Jack Mattingly shows his recognizable mixed media teeny miniatures pasted and coated in gold; Jack Stelnicki changes into a pottery crafter with his “Vanishing Treasures of the Coral Reefs” of various fish, complete with fishing line for hanging to illustrate the fish swimming in air. Believe it or not, there are many more artists’ works on display, but I don’t have room enough to elaborate.

I gleefully attended the big election night in Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro with a glorious rally for Mark Leno for SF MAYOR. I anticipated covering it thoroughly and writing it up; but now with the results in, I am just too depressed to write anything other than my great disappointment with the queer community voter turnout for what might have been the City’s first gay mayor. [sigh] The monthly CASTRO ART WALK featured many artists ready to discuss their art on June 7 at the following locations: Art Attack SF, 2358 Market Street; Spark Arts, 4229 18th Street; Berkshire Hathaway Properties, 2324B Market Street; Blackbird Bar, 2124 Market Street; Ruby’s Clay Studio & Gallery, 552A Noe Street; Local Take, 3979 17th Street; The Artist’s Gallery, 4406 18th Street; The Apothecarium, 2029 Market Street; Norden Living, 3618 17th Street; and Brewcade, 2200 Market Street. Most of these venues will continue to display the art for the whole Pride month of June. Sister Dana sez, “Take your own Art Walk and check these out!”

FRAMELINE42: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival kicked off on June 14 at the Castro Theatre with the West Coast premiere of TRANSMILITARY, directed by Fiona Dawson & Gabriel Silverman, who spoke before and after the viewing. Silverman said they thought they had wrapped the project after President Obama lifted the ban; but then when Trump tried to reinstate it, they had to continue rolling with the future: a big question mark. Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace said, “Film has always been used as a vehicle of change, and our tagline this year—Lights. Camera. Take Action.—speaks directly to our mission to change the world through the power of queer cinema.”

Additional guests were producer Jamie Coughlin, and subjects who appeared prominently in the film, former trans soldier and transgender advocate Laila Ireland and her new mother-in-law, Debbie Reim, whose trans-son Logan Ireland

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KREWE DE KINQUE, SF’s Mardi Grasthemed fundraising society, held another fabulous every-third-Saturday beer bust and open show on June 16 at the Edge bar. The theme was DISCO KINGS & QUEENS UNDER THE RAINBOW, featuring past and current Krewe de Kinque kings and queens of Mardi Gras. For us, Mardi Gras is not just in February; it’s ALL the time! An extra added treat was the invasion of the Ladies in Red: about four dozen boys in red dresses, no makeup, and furry faces! Such fun!

Sister Dana sez, “Pride Month has a lot more than just our fabulous parade; here are more events of pride to check out.”

HARVEY MILK PHOTO CENTER presents 2018 LGBTQ ART+PRIDE, a fine arts celebration in a mixed media exhibit at the Center at 50 Scott Street in the Castro. This Art and Pride Exhibit is an eclectic gathering of work by notable contemporary artists from across the United States. This show is a celebration of their embrace of the creative process. Each contributed work they felt resonated with the complexity of their artistic spirit. This show includes photography, paintings, sculptures, graphic design, and textile art. This event is free and open to the public.

The exhibit runs now through July 22. www. http://harveymilkphotocenter.org/ SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS presents UNBREAKABLE, June 22–23, with the world premiere of a spectacular new musical composed by and starring Tony Award-nominee Andrew Lippa. Celebrate the courage, passion, and triumph through the untold stories of the LGBTQ community over the last 120 years. Together, we are unbreakable. Three performances only at the Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes Street, Friday, June 22, 8 pm; Saturday, June 23, 2:30 pm; Saturday, June 23, 8 pm. www.sfgmc.org 15TH ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO TRANS MARCH is on June 22, 6-7:30 pm. Transgender rights and existence have been more intensely under attack since the election, so it’s even more critical to gather this year to fight back, resist, celebrate, and create community. The 2018 march route will once again weave from Dolores Park to Market Street, then down Market Street to Taylor and 6th Streets, and turn onto Taylor towards Turk, where we honor Trans history and the landmark of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots and Vicki Mar Lane. There are events prior to the march, and you can also enjoy a short program of speakers before dispersing to the after parties. www.transmarch.org

Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s 20TH ANNUAL PRIDE BRUNCH on June 23, 11 am–2 pm, Hotel Whitcomb, 1233 Market Street, honors the Grand Marshals of the SF LGBT Pride PaJ U NE 2 1 , 2 0 1 8

Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) shares a hug with San Francisco Bay Times and “Betty’s List” volunteer Phyllis Costa, who will be driving one of the vehicles in our contingent on Sunday, June 24, in the 2018 San Francisco Pride Parade.

Some of us SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE held a FATHER’S DAY BEER BUST at the Lone Star bar to benefit the grassroots documentary film about beloved activist HANK WILSON, our Patron Saint of Housing Justice, Compassionate Action, Queer Underdogs, and Plague Survivors. Hank founded or co-founded more than 20 queer organizations in SF, including the film festival, the Gay Teachers Association (with Tom Ammiano), the campaign against the Briggs Initiative (with Tom Ammiano and Harvey Milk), LYRIC, the Milk Democratic Club, the first queer comedy club, and many more. For 20 years he ran a 150-room SRO hotel in the Tenderloin as an informal, unfunded hospice for street kids, addicts, and anyone else dying of AIDS with nowhere to go. The film is entitled “Thanks to Hank.” For more info about the movie, see https://bobostertag.wordpress.com/ thanks-to-hank-documentary-project/

DYKE MARCH is June 23, starting at Dolores Park, time TBD. The mission of the San Francisco Dyke March is to bring the dyke communities together to celebrate unity, raise consciousness and be visible. Information is available about the free shuttle to the park, disabled parking, the Senior and Disabled Cable Car, and the Dyke March’s accessible, non-smoking and scent free area for senior and disabled dykes including an ADA porta-potty, an awning for shade, seating and water. http://www.thedykemarch.org/

Singer Connie Champagne with Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) viewing photos by Sandy Graham at the Opening Reception for the 2018 LGBTQ Exhibit “Art + Pride” exhibit at the Harvey Milk Photography Center.

Photos by Rink

was still active in the military. It was noted that the U.S. military is the nation’s largest employer of transgender people. But now, the careers of some 15,000 transgender military personnel are in peril.

This captivating documentary—fresh off its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award—tells the inspiring stories of four transgender troops who are the visible front lines of America’s fight for LGBTQ rights. Supported by the Frameline Completion Fund, TRANSMILITARY is also the first feature film to receive funding from GLAAD Media Institute.

Performer Shann Carr (left) with Dennis and Saralie Pennington at the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation’s “Songs for No Reason” comedy extravaganza at the Russian Center.

Dennis with Alfredo Pedroza, Alex Randolph and Khmera Rouge at the 20th Anniversary party at Asia SF.

rade and affords guests a rare opportunity to meet and hear them speak. The three-hour, spectacular benefit starts with rousing musical entertainment by the Dixieland Dykes +3, hosted bars by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and the Grand Ballroom festooned with rainbow bunting, colorful balloons, and gorgeous florals. All net proceeds support the San Francisco-based health and human services agency PRC. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gary-virginia-anddonna-sachets-20th-annual-pride-brunch-tickets-44127004057 THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE invite one and all to join them in a silent meditation on Sunday, June 24, at 5 pm in the Castro Community Room of B of A building at 501 Castro Street, 2nd floor. Many of the early Sisters were Transcendental Meditation teachers and practitioners. Come in and REVIVE YOUR INNER PRIDE! A chance to cool your heels after the Pride Parade. Rest deeply and come out recreated! They will do a 20-minute silent meditation.

All are welcome.

Sister Dana sez, “Have a safe and insane Pride Weekend, and look for me, the rainbow nun, waving at everyone from a “Bay Times” vehicle in the Parade. Blow me a kiss, shoot me a peace sign or gimme a thumbs-up!”

This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market Photos by Rink

Stone Fruit Arriving at Your Castro Farmers’ Market Have you ever eaten a luscious ripe peach, just picked from the tree and warm from the sun, biting into it to find sweet juicy flesh, juices running down your chin? Ah, the fruits of summer are arriving this month to the enjoyment of everyone. Highly anticipated peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and more are heading to the Castro market in the next few months. The weather was a bit unusual this spring, so arrival times might be a bit skewed, arriving later GRILLED APRICOTS than expected.

RR ATA CHEESE Use any stone fruit in salads, make a batch of homemade jam or preserves, create some divine sauces to go with meats and chicken, or wow the crowd with Grandma’s pie and cobbler recipes. Don’t forget: you can even toss some fruit on the grill for great caramelized flavor.

Visit Jacob’s Farm of Los Baños for a variety of both peaches and nectarines; Frog Hollow Farm from Brentwood with organic Amber and Ruby Diamond nectarines, and Crimson Lady or O’Henry (late summer) peaches; and Arata Fruit from Byron with white nectarines and Santa Rosa plums.

Stone fruit doesn’t get much better than this. We bet you won’t find better fruit than at your farmers’ market, where farmers bring what they grow, fresh from the orchards. Enjoy the taste of summer with delectable stone fruit. See you at the market!

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d and pitted 1¼ pounds apricots, halve g oil, plus more for brushin ve oli in rg -vi tra ex p cu ¼ und pepper Kosher salt and freshly gro Lemon juice to taste 12 leaves of baby arugula on juice ed and macerated in lem slic y inl th , ion on an of ¼ (for 10 minutes) into medium size chunks rn to , se ee ch ta rra bu . oz 8 ricots a grill pan. Dress the ap St ar t a grill or preheat lt and pepper. Grill over high sa lightwith oil and season with not touch and grill until do , wn do es sid t cu heat, the char to develop will ing low Al s. te nu mi 5 d, ly charre m the the fruit to pull away fro create flavor and will allow grill. Let cool. p of oil on juice with the ¼ cu In a bowl, whisk the lem pper. Gently toss in the apripe and season with salt and ansfer to a chilled platter and Tr . ula ricots, onions and arug ces around the grilled ap pie se ee ch ata rr bu rn place to ula. Serve at once. cots, onions and the arug Recipe: Cookin’ the Marke

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Take Me Home with You!

Strength Training Hacks

Zev

“Hi there, my name is Zev! If I had to describe myself in three words, it would be: upbeat, happy and goofy. I’m hoping to find someone special to join me on outdoor adventures! My ideal weekend includes hiking, a picnic and a trip to the beach. If you’re looking for the best doggie buddy in the Bay, look no further and come meet me!”

Zev is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Zev. To meet Zev as well as other pets seeking their forever homes, please visit: San Francisco SPCA Mission Campus 250 Florida Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-522-3500

Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup

Aside from major holidays, the adoption center is open Mon–Fri: 1–6 pm and Sat–Sun: 10 am–5 pm. Free parking is available for those wishing to adopt!

For more information: www.sfspca.org/adopt

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QUEER POP QUIZ C) penguins Roy and Silo (born 1987) were a same-sex male pair of chinstrap penguins. Staff at Central Park Zoo noted that the two engaged in mating rituals and pair bonding. After attempting to hatch a rock as if it were an egg, the couple were presented with an egg that had previously been rejected by another penguin pair. This resulted in Roy and Silo raising a chick that was named Tango. The trio later went their own ways, after Silo rekindled his interest in female penguins.

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Cinder Ernst Today’s article will give you ways to make your strength training more effective. You might be doing strengthening exercises at home such as pushups, planks or squats. Maybe you are following a physical therapy routine or working out in the gym. The strengthening principles that I share can be applied to any situation where you are working your muscles.

I learned these concepts decades ago when I first got interested in bodybuilding. I studied a book by the late Joe Weider (1920–2013), who is regarded as a grandfather of the science of bodybuilding. When you implement the Weider-inspired principles, you can increase the intensity and benefits of your workout. Bonus: You get the improvement with no increase in risk of injury.

Concentration Concentrate on the muscle you are working. When you do a bicep, for example, your arm is first positioned hanging straight down at your side. At this stage, the bicep muscle is long and relaxed. As you curl your arm up, the bicep muscle shortens or contracts.

Try it now. Focus your attention on the action of shortening/contracting

Peak Contraction Every strengthening exercise has a point of focus where the targeted muscle is at its strongest contraction. We call this the peak contraction. Pause for a moment at the peak contraction and give an extra squeeze. This will again provide you with the most bang for your buck. In the bicep curl, the peak contraction is when your arm is bent up.

Continuous Muscle Tension This is pretty much what it sounds like. The object is to concentrate on the muscle you are working for the entire 30 seconds or so, making sure the tension never lets up, not even for a second. Go for the squeeze at the peak contraction and avoid resting at the other end of the contraction. You are aiming for a full range of motion without letting the muscle tension release.

Rest Area There are two rest areas available during an exercise repetition. If you

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and then lengthening your muscle. Notice that as you intentionally concentrate, you create a different sensation than you would if you were doing the move mindlessly. You can add intensity with your mind. Since you’re doing the exercise anyway, you might as well get as much bang for your buck as you can. Bonus: Learning to concentrate on the muscle you are working gives you an opportunity to achieve a meditative state for those 30 seconds or so. This concept is similar to what meditation teachers are pointing to when they recommend focusing on your breath.

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San Francisco Bay Times and AGUILAS volunteer Juan Davila and Donna Sachet joined Emperor Leandro Gonzales and friends for a pool party in Sausalito on Saturday, June 16.

go past the peak contraction, the muscle gets a momentary break. I call it a rest area. You break the muscle tension for that moment. A rest area is also available at the lengthening end of the contraction. The lengthening is an important and cool detail. You are going for a full range of motion, but not going so far that the muscle tension pauses. Try this with a bicep curl now. See if you can straighten your arm at the bottom but keep the tension in the bicep.

Learning and using these skills will enhance your workout experience and improve your results with no additional time or weight increase needed. Plus, you can string together a few meditation moments. Have fun!

Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Her book, “Easy Fitness for the Reluctant Exerciser” (http:// cinderernst.com/easy-fitness-book/), is available in paperback and Ebook. She specializes in fitness and rehab for plus-size clients, but her stress-free approach is suitable for all. Find out more at http://cinderernst.com

Photos courtesy of Juan Davila

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21 Thursday Screening of That’s a Family - Tribute to Debra Chasnoff @ San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street. The Library’s Thursdays at Noon Film Series, for the month of June, is honoring the life and work of filmmaker and activist Chasnoff. 12-2pm. http://www.sflp.org Pride NightLife @ California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive.

This special SF Pride event includes a performance by Heklina & Friends with music by Hella Gay Dance Party and Swagger Like Us plus dance classes, the launch of the 500 Queer Scientists project and more. The evening in the Academy’s ongoing Thursday NightLife series features

art, music, performances and ideas shared with experts. 6–10pm. http://www.calacademy.org Marga Gomez at Feinstein’s - Free Birthday Show @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko, 222 Mason Street. Tom Ammiano will appear with Marga in a guest set. 7–8:30pm. feinsteinsathtnenikko.com Bad Habits Pride Kick-Off Party @ Bruno’s, 2389 Mission Street. An evening of dancing featuring DJs Silly Syl,Val G, China G and Lady Ryan. 9:30pm-2am. Party XO presents Bad Habits on Facebook

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J. The event is an intergenerational gathering of trans and gender nonconfirming youth and elders. 11am– 2pm. http://www. transwatch.com Sonoma Stompers Baseball Pride Night @ Arnold Field, 1st Street W, Sonoma. The Stompers will celebrate pride month with an evening of fun and Pride. 6:05pm. lgbtqconnection.org Oh, Coward! by Noël Coward @ Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida Street, Mountain View. An intimate revue of Coward’s songs and sketches about British high and low society, the theatah, mad dogs, Englishmen and other noteworthy subjects. 8pm through July 15. thepear.org

Trans March @ Mission Dolores Unbreakable: The Untold Park. 11am–8:30pm. Featuring special Stories of Our Community @ guests Gavin Grimm and Our Lady Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes Street. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus presents a new musical by and starring Tony Award-nominated Andrew Lippa with acclaimed soprano Lisa Vroman, Broadway’s Britney Coleman and rising SF tenor Marcus J. Paige. 8pm Friday & 2:30 and 8pm Saturday, June 23. http://www.sfgmc.org

23 Saturday 23rd Pink Triangle Installation and Commemoration Ceremony @ Twin Peak.Volunteers are needed to help with the setup 7am-10am to be followed at 10:30am by the ceremony which will feature Cleve Jones reading the history of the Pink Triangle and words from 2018 Pride Grand Marshals plus civic and elected leaders. Contact Patrick

Carney: 415-726-4914 and http:// www.thepinktriangle.com San Francisco Pride Festival & Parade @ Civic Center Plaza. Featuring information and merchandise booths, food vendors and entertainment stages, the event is a two-day celebration of Pride in San Francisco plus one of the largest Pride Parades in the world. Saturday Noon-6pm/Sunday 11am-6pm. http://www.sfpride.org Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s 20th Annual Pride Brunch @ Hotel Whitcomb, 1233 Market Street. The event, a favorite during Pride Weekend, includes gourmet buffet brunch, hosted beverages, live music, raffle and silent auction plus a program welcoming the 2018 Grand Marshals. http://www.prcsf.org/pridebrunch or 415-867-5004 26th SF Dyke March & Festival - Continued Resistance @ Dolores Park.

Celebrating the dyke identity, the rally begins at 11am at Dolores Park and the March begins at 5pm. http://www.thedykemarch.org SF Pride Party: Fusion @ The Chapel, 777 Valencia Street.

Presented by Hey Girl Hey, Little Gay Book and DJ Rockaway, the event is for women and features an evening of entertainment including Hip Hop artist Diiamon’d Royalty. http://www.littlegaybook.com 9th Annual Fallen Heroes, Rising Stars: A Juneteenth Celebration Through Dance @ Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice Street, Oakland. An all-star cast will present a show featuring tributes to Luther Vandross, Fats Domino, Nina

SAVE THESE DATES THURSDAY, JUNE 21

SF Giants Night Out SATURDAY, JUNE 23

SF Pride Festival Pride Brunch Pink Triangle Installation and Ceremony SUNDAY, JUNE 24

SF Pride Parade SUNDAY, JULY 15

AIDS Walk San Francisco AUGUST 2-5

Lazy Bear Weekend SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Oakland Pride SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6

Horizons Annual Gala SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7

Castro Street Fair MONDAY, DECEMBER 24

SFGMC Home for the Holidays Simone, Price and more. 6:30pm. http://www.grownwomendance.org

25 Monday Trip the Light Fantastic TTLF Monday Partner Dance Series @ Lake Merritt Dance Centre, 200 Grand

SAVE THE DATE!

Monday, September 17, for a very special LGBT benefit hosted by Celebrity Cruises. Watch for more info coming soon!

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Avenue, Oakland. Dance instructor Zoe Balfour hosts an LGBQ Intermediate Night Club Two Step class on Mondays through June 25. http://www.tripthelightfantastic.org

26 Tuesday Velvet Rage Book Club @ Strut, 470 Castro Street. The weekly Tuesday book club of the SF AIDS Foundation’s Stonewall Project, with facilitators Wade Smith and Christopher Zepeda, explores the complexity of gay identify and culture, HIV, substance use, healing relationship and more. 4–5:30pm. strutsf.org Pole For All Bodies @ Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission Street. Pole dancing building confidence and intentionality. 7:30pm. centerforsexandculture.org

27 Wednesday Fighting Back: Queers & Sex Work @ St. James Infirmary and the GLBT Historical Society, 4127 18th Street. The event is an exploration of LGBTQ people’s past and present associations with commercially mediated sex as workers, clients or pro-sex activists. 7–9pm. http://www.glbthistory.org Chosen Family Pride BBQ with Voices Sonoma Youth Center @ VOICES Sonoma, 713 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. A Pride month BBQ at the Voices location for program participants, staff, community partners, friends, you and allies of all ages. http://www.voicesyouthcenter.org

28 Thursday Senior Safari Walkabout @ Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, 1300 Senter Road, San Jose. A monthly Billy deFrank Community Center outing for seniors 50+. http://oag.ca.gov/ab953/board NightLife Spotlight @ California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive.

The evening’s programs include the best of the Academy with an evening of after-hours inside the greenest museum on the planet. 6–10pm. calacademy.org

29 Friday Dancing in the Mountains: Queer Dance Retreat @ Clear Air Mountain House, Sacred Mound Road, Sierra City. Two-step, Tango, WCS, ECS, Nightclub, rivers, lakes and community in an LGBTfriendly retreat space in the Sierra Buttes. Continues through July 1. http://www.clearair-mountainhouse. com Game Night @ Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, 3207 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland. Free night every Friday for older teens and adults in the common ground community room. 7:30-10:30pm. oaklandlgbtqcenter.org

30 Saturday Napa Pride Community Cookout @ Kennedy Park, 2295 Streblow Drive, Napa. LGBTQ people, family and friends of all ages are invited to join in the celebration at this fun, family-style cookout. LGBTQ Connection will provide the main dishes and you can

bring a blanket, beverages or sides. http://www.lgbtqconnection.org Party in Cotati @ Redwood Cafe Coffee House, 8240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati. Two Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence DJs plus Queer Life Radio host Kaiya Kramer will host a party with great food and beverages at a local restaurant. http://www.redwoodcafe.com

JULY

1 Sunday Sunday’s A Drag @ The Starlight Room, Powell Street. Hosted by Donna Sachet, the event features a brunch and a troupe of entertainers.

It is described as “The Greatest Drag Show in San Francisco,” and we agree that it is great! Two shows every Sunday at 11am and 2pm. starlightroomsf.com

2 Monday Out at the Fair - Marin County @ Marin County Fair, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. A Gathering of friends at the Marin County Fair for a day of Pride and fun. 11am– 11pm. http://www.marincenter.org Strut Book Club @ Strut, 470 Castro Street. Less by Andrew Sean Greer is the selection for April.

7:30–9pm. strutsf.org Milk at Munros At Midnight @ Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street.

Miss Big & Milky, Milk Queen will join Paju Munro, Mercedez Munro and Ruby Red Munro for a midnight show.

9pm–Closing. midnightsunsf.com

3 Tuesday 1st and 3rd Tuesdays - Castro Rotary Club @ The Sausage Factory, 517 Castro Street. Join LGBT Rotarians on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays and learn about current projects and volunteer opportunities. 6:30–8pm. portal.clubrunner.ca/13807 3rd Tuesday - You Sa Ho Bingo with Holotta & Saki @ Club 1220, 1220 Pine Street, Walnut Creek. Drag Bingo hosted by Holotta Tymes and Saki Samora, every 3rd Tuesday. 7pm. club1229.com

4 Wednesday 4th of July San Francisco Symphony with Fireworks @ Shoreline Amphitheatre, One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View. A festive outdoor performacne of hero-themed favorite tunes will be conduted by Edwin Outwater wth Broadway vocalist Capathia Jenkins and a salute to U.S. Armed Forces and a fireworks finale.

Queer As Fourth: A Radical Resistance Queer Dance Party @ El Rio, 3158 Mission Street. The 4th annual edition of this party highlighting the ways in which America fails queers, folks of color, immigrants, Muslims and other marginalized groups. 3–8pm. elriosf.com

5 Thursday First Thursday - Castro Art Walk @ Castro District Locations. A neighborhood art walk held monthly on the first Thursday of each month at multiple hosting locations.

6–7pm. Castro Art Walk at Facebook

Check Out the Castro Street Cam Streaming Live 24/7 http://sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/ 44

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San Francisco Bay Times wishes you and yours a happy and safe Pride 2018!

Smoked NightLife @ California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive. The evening’s programs explore summer grilling and include sweet, spicy and smokey food and drink, live entertainment and the chance to discuss how to roast veggies and define the properties of smoke. 6–10pm. calacademy.org

6 Friday The Quirky Queer Band Show! @ El Rio, 3158 Mission Street. Hosted by Polythene Pam and Scorpio Moon

7 Saturday Mr California King @ The Cafe, 2369 Market Street. Grand Duke Madd-Dogg hosts a new pageant for drag kings and the winner will be a title holder in the Ducal Court. 4pm.

Mr. California King on Facebook.

Jason Brock Sings R&B in 41st Birthday Show @ Martuni’s, 4 Valencia Street. Jason is turning 41. 7pm. http://www.jasonbrockvocals.com

8 Sunday World of Frida Exhibit Opening Party @ Bedford Gallery, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

The event includes a Frida Lookalike Contest, a free Frida look alike button and light refreshments provided. bedfordgallery.org

Check Out the New Personals Section for LGBTQ Singles: BayTimesDating.com

MAX SF Second Sundays @ Finn Town, 2251 Market Street. The social group for gay men hosts a Sunday afternoon mixer where attendees can enjoy cocktails and wine tastings. 3–5pm. maxsf.org

10 Tuesday Perfectly Queer San Francisco Summer Reading List @ Dog Eared Books Castro, 489 Castro Street. Hear readings by authors Andrew Demcak, Trebor Healey, Kathy Knowles and Luiza FlynnGoodlett whose works are recommended for summer reading. 7–8pm. http:///www.dogearedbooks.com

11 Wednesday Alan Cumming’s Concert Show Legal Immigrant @ Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon Street. Tony Award-winning performer Alan Cumming bring his new concert show to San Francisco presented

by Feinstein’s Presents. 8pm. http://www.feinsteinsathenikko.com Tapata Trivia Round UP! @ Wild Side West, 424 Courtland Avenue. Kit Tapata hosts the weeklyon-Wednesdays trivia competition mixed with music and live improv at the popular Bernal Heights location.

7–9pm. http://www.tapatatwins.com S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Professional Services

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A full service catering company serving the greater Bay Area

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

• Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Anniversaries and many other social occasions and corporate events • We offer Custom-Designed Menus in various cuisines with vegetarian, vegan and multi-cultural food options • Full Service Event Management 415.308.4555 www.cheatalittle.com We Give You Something To Talk About!

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