San Francisco Bay Times - September 19, 2019 Shanti

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019) September 19–October 2, 2019 | http://sfbaytimes.com

See pages 2-3

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANTI PROJECT

Peer Support Volunteer Leslie (left) with Queen, a 94-year-old client in Shanti’s Women’s Cancer Program

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019)

Shanti Project 45th Anniversary: Celebrating a Legacy of Compassion

By Kaushik Roy

Kaushik Roy

The contemporary research indicates that a majority of Americans desire more compassionate interactions in their lives, while simultaneously feeling that society as a whole is becoming less and less compassionate.

According to a University of Michigan meta-analysis, these feelings reflect a disconcerting trend in our country: over the past three decades, empathy in the U.S. has been on the decline, while narcissism has risen notably during that same time period.

In this context, the Shanti Model of Peer Support provides a roadmap for any of us who would like to try to be more compassionate in our own lives. The most profound feature of the Shanti Model is that every single person, regardless of how adamantly we disagree with one another— or how different we believe we are from one another—is still connected to each other by virtue of the shared humanity we all experience. From this philosophy springs the foundation of how we serve clients. Namely, that every single human being deserves dignity and compassion.

My own introduction to this way of service started when I went through the Shanti volunteer training back in the Spring of 2004. During one of the most transformational

weekends of my life, I was given a glimpse into what it feels like to come together with another human being as equals, who share a common humanity. I fell in love with Shanti that weekend because what that training was truly about was how we could live by some of our highest values; how we could, in the words of Lincoln, be the better angels of our nature.

And what does striving to be our better angels mean as service providers? It means, for people who have been told they are the “other” in society, we say we recognize and respect our differences, because our common humanity is so much greater; it means for folks who have lived their lives in the face of systemic inequities and disparities, we say, your life story matters as much as anyone else’s life story, and we are here to be compassionate witnesses to yours. In short, it means, that for individuals who have been deemed invisible in our society, we show up for them and say, “I see you.”

Dr. Charles Garfield

Shanti was founded in 1974 by Dr. Charles Garfield, who was the UCSF Cancer Ward’s first mental health professional. Several years later, as the nightmare of the AIDS epidemic enveloped San Francisco, Shanti was one of the world’s very first community-based organizations to help support people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Today, the Shanti Model is utilized by over 50 staff members and 600 volunteers in providing compassionate support to more than 2,000 clients in diverse marginalized communities. And all of our services today continue to be grounded

in the timeless ideas prescribed by the Shanti Model: that the most powerful gifts we are capable of offering to one another are our compassionate presence and our affirmation of each other’s human dignity.

In these dystopian times, it is easy and understandable to feel helpless, as I’m sure we all have done, at least on some occasions, over the last few years. What is particularly demoralizing about feeling like the world is becoming a less compassionate place is just how few courses of action are actually available to us to increase the level of compassion in society.

We cannot force anyone to feel compassion—there is no way to physically compel someone to be more compassionate. We cannot legislate compassion—there isn’t a bill any politician could pass that would require people to have more compassion in their hearts.

In fact, there is only one thing we can do, and that is to be more compassionate—to exercise more compassion—and to teach others who want to be more compassionate how to do so. This is the enduring legacy of Shanti’s near half century of compassion. And, we invite anyone who may be interested in providing this kind of from-the-heart service to join us, for it is exactly what our world is yearning for in these difficult times.

Kaushik Roy serves as Executive Director of Shanti Project and President of the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Interfaith Council. To learn more about volunteering at Shanti, please email volunteerservices@shanti.org

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHANTI PROJECT

2019 marks Shanti Project’s 45th Anniversary, and as we celebrate our unique legacy of compassion in San Francisco and beyond, I believe, more than ever, that the way Shanti asks us to be in the world is exactly what our world needs right now.

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From Marvin to Melissa: Mercy Mercy Me - Wake Up! protested Gaye’s veer away from the tried and true popular gleeful songbook branded the Motown Sound to venture into serious-minded, “protest” songs that spoke to and reflected the social and political turmoil of the day: the Vietnam War, burgeoning urban and racial strife, environmental concerns, and political corruption of the ill-fated Nixon era.

Cross Currents Andrea Shorter Ah, oh mercy, mercy me Ah things ain’t what they used to be, no no Radiation under ground and in the sky Animals and birds who live nearby are dying Oh mercy, mercy me Oh things ain’t what they used to be What about this overcrowded land How much more abuse from man can she stand?

—”Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology Song)”

by Marvin Gaye

Nearly a decade before arguably his last greatest hit “Sexual Healing” in 1982, the late great Motown icon Marvin Gaye released “Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology Song).” A single on the legendary 1971 What’s Going On album, “Mercy Mercy Me” rocketed to #1 on the R&B and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.

Of course, once the song “What’s Going On” parted the air waves to a number 1 hit, Gordy’s resistance subsided. Gaye’s album went on to revolutionize popular music, becoming a mainstay to this day at the top 100 on nearly every “must hear before you die” or “songs and albums that changed the world” lists.

We need a new ecology song. And, by “we” I mean every living being, creature, body of water, land mass, crevice, canyon, mountain, and ant hill of planet Earth.

Even a robust, earnest remake of the “Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology Song)” would do. Marvin Gaye estate foe Robin Thicke need not apply, but, should a remake or re-release happen sometime soon, it would be even more timely and necessary than a half a century ago as a common, popular mantra to help galvanize against red-hot alerts of the out of control climate crises we now face.

Legend has it that Motown founder and mogul Berry Gordy vehemently

For the most part, the song’s lyrics remain relevant, hitting every mournful note about the now heightened red-hot alerts of an out of control climate crisis we now face.

Forty-eight years later, temperatures have since risen to unimaginable, but predicted, record highs. There are

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ongoing threats of drought, flooding, and glacial dissolves that are displacing humans and animals from indigenous habitats. Such events are also increasing exposure to viral disease, hunger, and unrest. It’s a bad, bad state of affairs indeed. Scientists consent that we have about another 10 years to set major do or die course correction or face irreversible, catastrophic consequences.

Along the LGBTQ diaspora, the “L’s” have been singing about love for and on behalf of Mother Earth for millennia. Well, at least since the old Women’s Music Festivals. The last major come to Jesus anthem and toll bell about climate change was courtesy of Melissa Etheridge. Her Academy Award winning theme song, “I Need to Wake Up” at the end credits of former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary film An Inconvenient Truth, provided the ultimate mega Cassandra public education campaign about global warming and was a powerful, soulful sendoff from the theater. It was not as memorable as “Mercy Mercy Me,” but only Etheridge can belt out “I Need to Wake Up” in her distinctive, fullthroated voice.

LGBTQ people have been at the forefront of environmental and envi-

ronmental justice movements for decades, and we continue to lead in the fight to save Mother Earth and her billions of inhabitants. Go to the website QueerBio ( http://tiny.cc/5nescz ) and you’ll see that the global environmental movement was founded by an LGBTQ person: scientist and marine biologist Rachel Carson of the U.S. Carson authored the groundbreaking book Silent Spring (1962), based on her scientific studies into the effects of the chemical DDT and other pesticides on natural habitats around the world. At Autostraddle ( http://tiny. cc/gpescz ) you can learn about 6 queer women (including Carson) who have spearheaded the fight for environmental justice. Today there are literally hundreds if not thousands of either LGBTQ led or well represented organizations, movements, and thought leadership that are articulating the intersected dynamics between race, economics, poverty, gender, health, capitalism, and power to advance meaningful environmental justice. I urge us all to seek them out and to keep these important issues at the forefront of our policies and national dialogue.

Meanwhile, I remain hopeful that aside from the political debates, dry policy papers, and more frequent news reports of record-breaking rising temperatures, hurricanes, and other canaries in the coal mine, someone will gift us all with another anthem that will inspire us, encourage us, and give us hope to meet environmental challenges today and into the next decade. Time is ticking, and we could use a good song along the way.

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 CoFounder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Election Day 2019: Thoughts and Recommendations

Louise “Lou” Fischer November 5 is another Election Day in San Francisco. While it’s not the momentous “most important election ever in the history of the United States” that next year will be, there are a few juicy tidbits to get excited about.

There are two nail-biting competitive races: district attorney and supervisor of District 5 (which includes the Inner Sunset, HaightAshbury, Fillmore/Western Addition, Japantown and surrounding areas). Vallie Brown, longtime activist and former legislative aide for the district (10 years!) was appointed to the supervisor seat by Mayor Breed.

Per the San Francisco charter, she must run in the next upcoming election, which is this one. I’m a huge fan of Vallie; she has the credibility from working in the district for over 10 years, and she has the knowledge and can-do attitude to be successful for the constituents of D5.

Regarding the district attorney contest, current DA George Gascon decided not to run again, thereby making this the first time in 109 years that there has not been an incumbent in the race. We haven’t had a competitive DA race since William Howard Taft, the portly president with the rocking handlebar mustache, was in office! I’m rooting for former assistant district attorney Suzy Loftus. She is the most qualified candidate in the race, and she sees a way forward to fixing our broken criminal justice system by balancing the concerns of both safety and justice in San Francisco. I’ll be doing an in-depth report of both races in an upcoming column, so stay tuned!

There are seven other candidate races in this upcoming election, but those who are running have no viable competition. All but one are incumbents, so try not to fall asleep when you fill out your ballot. Here’s the lineup and my thoughts on the presumed “shoo-in” candidates.

Mayor Mayor London Breed is running against ... other people. I don’t know any of them; you probably don’t know any either. Mayor Breed is a San Francisco gem. She’s done more in one year than many of her predecessors did in full terms. The last mayor that excited me this much was Dianne Feinstein. I guess the “sisters” just know how to get stuff done.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera, the hero of gay marriage, is running for his 6th term. He must really like that job and there’s no reason to fire him, so vote for him again.

Public Defender Manohar Raju, who stepped in after the sudden death of Jeff Adachi, is running for a full term. From what I’ve heard, he’s well-respected, so vote for him.

Sheriff Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, who is eligible for another term, has opted to

PHOTO BY LOU FISCHER

Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Mayor London Breed joined affordable housing advocates, activists, residents and civic leaders on Saturday, September 7, at 10th & Mission Family Housing for the "Yes on Prop A" campaign kickoff event.

retire. I love Vicki; she stepped in when the city really needed her. We owe her a debt of gratitude for bringing respect back to the Department.

Sure, it’s not perfect, but it certainly trended upward during her period of leadership. Paul Miyamoto, current Chief Deputy, is running unopposed.

He seems like a nice guy who will do a good job, so vote for him.

Treasurer Jose Cisneros, one of San Francisco’s few remaining LGBT elected officials (we really need to work on this!), is running for another term. He has done some great work since being appointed by then Mayor Newsom in 2004, so vote for him again.

Board of Education Jenny Lam was recently appointed

by Mayor Breed to fill the spot vacated by Matt Haney when he prevailed in the D6 supervisor race. She’s very smart and has a good background. Vote for her.

Community College Board In another “shifting of the chess pieces,” Ivy Lee was appointed by the Mayor to fill in for Rafael Mandelman as he ascended to the Board of Supervisors. Ivy was an interesting choice; she was an aide to former supervisor Jane Kim, who ran against London for mayor, so props for Mayor Breed for reaching “across the aisle” to appoint a worthy successor to Rafael. Ivy has a great background and worked hard to get the “Free City College” program across the finish line. Be a good egg and vote for her.

There are six ballot measures to vote on and let’s all say a “Hallelujah and praise Jesus, Moses, Allah and the Goddess” that we only have six and not the mind-numbing 26 that we had in the past. There are two measures, Props A and C, that are extremely important and deserve attention. Not to diminish the importance of the remaining four, but Props A and C are the main event for this election.

Vote YES on Props A, B, D, E, F Proposition A: This is the most important “Yes” vote. It will allow the city to sell $600 million of bonds to build, rehabilitate, or acquire affordable housing in San Francisco. If all goes well, it will add 2,800 new affordable housing units in the next four years. It’s also the first time since William H. Taft was president that the mayor and Board of Supervisors have agreed on anything in San Francisco (OK, I made that part up, but it *might* be true).

I attended the recent kick-off and asked Mayor Breed why this proposition was so important to her, and she said it better than I can: “Too many residents and families are struggling with the high cost of housing in our city. We have to pass Prop A to create more affordable housing for seniors, low-income, middle-income and public housing residents. This historic investment in affordable

housing will make a difference for San Franciscans across our city.”

Proposition B: Renaming the existing “Department of Aging and Adult Services” to “Disability and Aging Services” is supposed to clarify the meaning and mission of this department and commission for residents. I’m not sure if that’s the case.

I still don’t know what they do, but I recently got a Senior Citizen discount, so I might need this someday soon.

Proposition D: The Traffic Mitigation Congestion Tax would put a tax on every Lyft and Uber ride to provide funds for transit improvement. If you are frustrated by the increase in traffic, you should vote Yes. Proposition E: This would help to expedite affordable and educator housing on public land. During the housing crisis, anything with the word “housing” in the title should get a Yes. Proposition F: Prop E targets campaign contributions and advertisements by mandating that independent expenditure committees disclose who is funding the IE. This is a tough one; it makes sense “on paper”, but having managed an IE for 5 years, it puts a huge burden on volunteer-led political clubs. I’ll probably still vote Yes. VOTE NO on Proposition C Proposition C: Prop C would repeal the ban on e-cigarettes. My friend Chasel says to think of this as “voting No on the murder of teenagers.” A “No” vote upholds the ban passed by the Board of Supervisors on the sale of e-cigarettes. Vote No. I was originally on the fence on this one—civil liberties, freedom of choice and all of that—but after I met the spokesperson for JUUL, who implied “we don’t need FDA approval, our products are safe,” I’m firmly in the “No” camp. If JUUL wants to sell their products in San Francisco, they can get approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which they’ll never be able to get because, to no one’s surprise, e-cigarettes are really dangerous and nicotine is heavily additive. Marketing death sticks to teenagers so you can make a boatload of money should result in a one-way ticket to hell. Vote No on C. Stay tuned in two weeks for more indepth election-related coverage!

Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former 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 proud graduate of the Emerge California Women’s Democratic Leadership program, was a San Francisco Commissioner and has served in leadership positions in multiple nonprofit and communitybased organizations.

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This November, We Could End Mass Incarceration in San Francisco ing on how much money they have, where they’re from, or what they look like. Public defenders see the system firsthand from the perspective of those who continue to be most unfairly impacted by it.

To the Left, To the Left Peter Gallotta When Chesa Boudin was just 14 months old, his parents dropped him off with a babysitter and never came back. That day, they drove a getaway car in a robbery that tragically took the lives of three men. Growing up, Chesa became all too familiar with the experience of going through metal detectors and steel gates to give his parents a hug. Today, he’s one of the most outspoken voices for criminal justice reform in the country. And this November he’s running to be San Francisco’s next district attorney.

Chesa’s personal story distinguishes him in this race, but so does something else. He’s a public defender. In the criminal justice system, public defenders represent people accused of crimes who are unable to afford their own legal representation.

They face off with the district attorney’s office to ensure their client receives fair representation and a fair trial before a judge.

Their role is to defend people in a punitive system that has a history of treating people differently depend-

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Electing a public defender as the city’s chief prosecutor would not just be different; it would also be transformative for San Francisco. And it’s exactly what many Bay Area and national advocates for criminal justice reform are hoping for.

Across the country there’s a growing movement of activists, organizations, formerly incarcerated people, elected officials, and celebrities calling for the end of mass incarceration in the United States. And it’s not hard to understand why. The U.S. is the world’s leader in incarceration.

According to the Sentencing Project, the country’s prison population has grown 500% over the past 40 years to a total of 2.2 million people today—an unprecedented number in world history.

The precipitous rise of mass incarceration is the direct result of the failure of the “War on Drugs” and other “tough on crime” policies, like mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which have put more and more people behind bars for longer periods of time. The system is far from fair. Most people impacted by these policies are non-white. In fact, people of color make up 67% of Chesa the country’s prison popuBoudin lation and only 37% of the national population. African Americans are more likely to be arrested and convicted, and they face stiff sentences more often than white Americans. Black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men.

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San Francisco’s story is no different.

The city that takes immense pride in its progressive policies must contend with a stark truth. Over 50% of our jail population is black in a city where today the black population is less than 3% (you are reading those numbers correctly). How do you explain this if not for a system rife with racial inequities?

While San Francisco’s jail population has been decreasing and crime rates have fallen to historic lows, racial bias remains entrenched in the system. Black San Franciscans are 11 times more likely to be booked into county jail, and black and brown people are more likely to be stopped by the police, searched without their consent, and experience bias when charged or during plea bargaining.

After conviction, black defendants receive sentences that are, on average, 28% longer than those received by white defendants.

Last week, Chesa announced an entire plan to “eradicate” racial bias in the criminal justice system in San Francisco. The plan is bold and calls for the release of demographic data of people stopped, arrested, jailed, convicted, and sentenced to increase the transparency and accountability of every agency involved in the system.

He wants to implement race-blind charging and plea bargaining, and would decline to prosecute cases where an arresting officer has a history of racist behavior. He’s also been one of the most vocal proponents of ending cash bail in San Francisco and in California, a system where innocent people can be kept in jail because they’re poor, while wealthy people who are guilty and dangerous go free.

Chesa has a plan to address violent crime, reduce car break-ins, end

wrongful convictions, and expand language access and mental health treatment. But he also has a vision of a just system that involves making the district attorney’s office a more active part of the solution. It’s a big reason why he’s backed by prominent criminal justice reform leaders like civil rights icon Angela Davis, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, and Tiffany Caban, an LGBTQ public defender who ran for district attorney in Queens, New York. They’re weighing in because it matters. Make no mistake, this is a local election with national implications.

The criminal justice system in this country is more than just racist and oppressive. It’s broken. For us to truly make progress on this issue, we have to stop fixing the cracks. We have to move beyond rhetoric about reform and elect candidates who are com-

mitted to transformative, “decarceral” change.

We can have a safe, healthy, and diverse city. We can address car break-ins and other property crimes.

We can ensure victims have a voice in the process. And we can end mass incarceration in San Francisco. Don’t believe me? Just ask Chesa Boudin.

He’s got my vote.

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.

ICE Headquarters Protest Photos by Rink Protesters gathered on August 31 in front of ICE headquarters on Sansome Street in San Francisco to hold the 30th rally in the past month calling for open borders and refuge for immigrants along with an end to the ICE agency.

The Numbers Concerning Racial Inequity and Health Disparities Don’t Lie Earlier this year, another Point-inTime Count was conducted. It boar out similar numbers and statistics.

The number of unhoused individuals increased by nearly one thousand to approximately 8,000, and the percent of homeless African Americans represented in the study increased by one percent (37%).

From the Frontlines Brett Andrews In October of 2017, I wrote an article for the San Francisco Bay Times that focused on the city’s Point-in-Time Count, which is a report primarily informed by a citywide survey of those homeless on any particular evening. The results of the survey captured the state of the city’s homeless situation, reporting approximately 7,500 unhoused as well as alarming demographic statistics for people of color—specifically African Americans.

At that time, African Americans made up approximately only 5% of San Francisco’s general population, but disproportionally 36% of the homeless population. Since that report and subsequent article, I have paid particular attention to San Francisco’s homeless numbers, in addition to monitoring reports of other contributing factors that impact an individual’s overall health and well-being including HIV, mental health, and substance use disorders. I am loathe to share that in all three of these other critical areas, all have similar outcomes of racial inequity and health disparities.

This month, the Department of Public Health released the 2018 HIV Epidemiological Annual Report.

And while there were many trends and successes to note—like the number of new HIV diagnoses dropping below 200 to 197 (the lowest ever recorded) or no new births diagnosed with HIV—there were other alarming disparities and health inequities, such as new HIV diagnoses having increased among African Americans and Latinx populations, with African Americans at the highest rate.

The Behavioral Health and Homelessness in San Francisco: Needs and Opportunities report was also recently released. It cited that of the 18,000 adults who experienced homelessness at some point in their lives and received health care or social services in the city, 4,000 were also suffering from mental health and substance use disorders. Of those 4,000 individuals, 36% were African American.

Part of me thinks that this is the place where I should be putting forth an all-encompassing panacea that will somehow magically address the historic and systemic racism that allowed these and so many other societal challenges to persist and promulgate. Alas, I do not have it, nor do any of us.

What I do have is an invitation for all of us to care for and love human-

ity even more—don’t ignore it, even in its sometimes-unpleasant state. We are all a work in progress, and exist as someone more than our circumstances. It’s going to take all of us coming together to begin to love ourselves and each other in deeper and more profound ways that may test our desire, will, and patience.

When we see the tattered women on the street or young person that may have one too many tattoos for our liking, reach deeper into your heart and find compassion enough to extend a kind thought or a gesture of generosity. Toni Morrison once said, “Love is divine only and difficult always. If you think it is easy you are a fool. If you think it is natural you are blind.”

If I’m going to be reduced to a number, then let me be counted among those who had the courage to love— who chose to be a help to the helpless, be a friend to the friendless, and a lover of the unloved.

Leading PRC since 2003, Brett Andrews has overseen PRC’s evolution from a small HIV/AIDS legal service agency to an integrated social and behavioral health provider bent on fighting poverty, stigma and isolation by uplifting marginalized adults and affecting the social conditions of health. He holds an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from George Washington University, received the San Francisco Pride Celebration’s Heritage Award for 10+ years of service in 2017, and was appointed to the San Francisco Mayor’s Methamphetamine Task Force. https://prcsf.org/

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San Francisco Bay Times Photographer to Open New Studio in Vintage Store If you have been reading the San Francisco Bay Times these past several years then you have likely seen the beautiful and striking images taken by Chloe Summer Jackman-Buitrago. Chloe, for example, took the photo of Mayor London Breed holding an original Gilbert Baker-sewn rainbow flag for our Pride issue this year. She is one of the city’s most in-demand photographers, given the quality of her work, her style, and tremendous charisma.

Chloe recently informed us that she is opening a new photography studio at 147 Clement Street.

She is sharing the space with her friend Morgan Amber of The Golden Hour Vintage, which sells timeless and stylish vintage attire—including shoes! You are invited to check it all out on October 5 from 5 pm–9 pm at the Grand Opening Party for the Chloe Jackman Photography Studio.

In the meantime, please visit her website for more information: https://chloejackman.com/

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019)

Read the San Francisco Bay Times online www.sfbaytimes.com www.issuu.com/sfbt

Morgan Amber and Chloe Jackman

Real Estate

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Bay Area Ace Realtor: Laura Martell Realtor Laura Martell and her team at Albany-based Winkler Real Estate Group are among the most successful agents in the East Bay, being in the top 10 percent for that expansive region. With many prospective home buyers traveling across the Bay seeking good deals, large properties and other benefits, we were eager to chat with Martell to learn more about her and her work.

San Francisco Bay Times: Please tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to become a Realtor.

Laura Martell: I started my career after being disappointed working for a local government as a management analyst in human services. I was going back to school with an emphasis on Public Administration, when I realized this is not what I want to be doing. I am a people person and tend to bond with folks quickly, I have a counseling background and wanted more in depth professional relationships.

San Francisco Bay Times: Do you have a business partner?

Laura Martell: My business partner Danielle Clements and I started working together almost ten years ago. She came to the Winkler Real Estate Group right out of UC Davis and started as my assistant. Now we can almost complete each other’s sentences in our business at this point! We have recently expanded our team to include Jeffery Vu and Gabrielle Degen-Nosek, both new to real estate and who are outstanding individuals.

San Francisco Bay Times: We’ve heard that you are part of the top producing team in your office. Congratulations also on being among the top 10 percent of all agents in the East Bay. Laura Martell: Please take a look at our status on Yelp or Reach150.

We don’t chase this stuff and generally stay below the radar. Our clients are super important to us, so we try not to make it a personality rock star contest. The client is the rock star!

San Francisco Bay Times: What do you think is the most underrated neighborhood now in the Bay Area?

Laura Martell: Richmond Annex is a very diverse neighborhood in all ways. Much of it feeds to El Cerrito schools, and has a great community feeling with prices that are a little bit easLaura Martell and Danielle Clements ier than most of the East Bay. There is easy access to BART and AC Transit. We love all of Berkeley too! My wife and I live in Berkeley and adore it. I am a native San Franciscan who has fallen in love with the East Bay! San Francisco Bay Times: What are some of your favorite neighborhood small businesses, and why?

Laura Martell: I love Philz’s iced mint mojita, Lucia’s in downtown Berkeley for the margarita pizza, and César (in Berkeley) for tapas. I also love the green goddess salad at Little Star Pizza, and Gordo’s crispy carnitas tacos on Solano Ave. There are so many wonderful places in the East Bay ... Grand Lake Kitchen in the Dimond and Lake Merritt districts.

The Lake Merritt area is another fantastic place similar to Dolores Park, only sunnier! I love 4th Street in Berkeley for shopping and food, too.

San Francisco Bay Times: What is one of the most unique homes that you have for sale right now, and why do you think that it is special?

Laura Martell: We have a newly built home in Albany, 4/3.5. We have this one listed at $1,495,000. It is a new craftsman and with excellent schools. This is an amazing home with fantastic flooring and tilework. It has Thermador appliances, a powder room and really stunning finishes. It is unique to Albany both because of its size and the fact that there is very little new construction available in this town. This is the Urban Village by the Bay, and it’s a great lifestyle in this amazing community!

San Francisco Bay Times: For bargain hunters, what home do you have for sale now that is a best buy?

San Francisco Bay Times: What advice do you have for those looking to purchase a new home now?

Laura Martell: We have a property at 5826 Avila in El Cerrito. It’s a 2/1 great condo alternative with a deck off the kitchen and a private backyard. Listed at 499K, this is a deal! We also have a 2/1 in the NOBE district in Oakland, 899 54th Street. It’s cute, cute, cute and is move in ready.

Laura Martell: Rates are excellent, so the time is now! Make sure that you trust your agent and are well represented.

For more information: https://bit.ly/2mgyg ff

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Richard Halliburton:

‘The Royal Road to (Gay) Romance’ Photos Courtesy of Dr. Bill Lipsky

Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky He ascended the Matterhorn, swam the Hellespont, retraced Ulysses’ journey home from Troy and the route Cortez took through Mexico, slept atop an Egyptian pyramid, and took the first aerial photographs of Mount Everest. Given his bestselling books and sold out lectures about his ongoing world travels, his adoring followers knew everything about him and his exploits except that the rugged, romantic daredevil of their dreams was gay.

Richard Halliburton (1900–1939)

During the two decades between the 20th century’s world wars, Richard Halliburton (1900–1939) was the most famous adventurer in the world—the very personification of a globetrotting, swashbuckling explorer. Tall, slender and with luxuriant brown hair and blue eyes, he was dubbed “Daring Dick,” “Romantic Richard” and “The Prince of Pilgrims” by press agents.

The inspiration for his endless wanderlust? Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). “Don’t squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, or giving your life to the ignorant and the common,” Lord Henry had told Dorian. “Live the wonderful life that is in you.” These are worthy goals, but are difficult for a gay man to achieve in an era when same-sex intimacy was illegal everywhere in the United States.

Determined not to be “haunted by the memory of the passions of which we were too much afraid, and the exquisite temptations that we had not the courage to yield to,” Halliburton concluded that the best—perhaps only— way he could be his own true self was to trade the respectability of the sedentary for “the romance of the seas, and foreign ports and foreign smiles.”

He did just that, seeking, he wrote, the “freedom [and perhaps the privacy] to indulge in whatever caprice

Richard Halliburton and Dolly the Elephant

Richard Halliburton on the Golden Gate Bridge

struck my fancy, freedom to search in the farthermost corners of the earth for the beautiful, the joyous and the romantic.”

They even included a vivid description of his visits to the Rue SaintLazare, a popular gay district, where he offered sexual gratification “to passersby.”

Halliburton’s first travel book, The Royal Road to Romance, was published in 1925. A best-seller for three years and translated into 15 languages, it is still in print. There were no charter tours to Budapest then, and no cruise ships stopping at Cairns. Travelers could not yet order a sausage McMuffin for breakfast in Cuzco or pause for a skinny cinnamon dolce latte in Singapore. At a time when few could have afforded the journeys, his escapades captured the imagination of readers far and wide.

Some pundits derided his exploits as self-serving, publicity-seeking stunts, but many were pioneering. Leander may have been the first (of many) to swim the mile-wide Hellespont between Asia and Europe thousands of years before him, but only Halliburton ever swam the 48-mile length of the Panama Canal. The exploit cost the ancient Greek the highest toll possible—his life—but Halliburton’s transit cost him only 36 cents, still the lowest toll ever paid.

Halliburton knew that knowledge of his sexual orientation would end his career, so he created a public image of a thoroughly heterosexual man.

Even so, his narratives often included descriptions of male beauty: “[A] dugout appeared ... manned by an extraordinarily fine-looking young Dyak. His trim muscular body, shining in the sun ... made a perfect picture of natural grace and strength.

Thick, straight, jet-black hair hung in bangs across his forehead.”

His homosexuality was not a secret among his friends and co-workers.

Moye Stephens, Jr., his pilot during a trek to 34 countries in 1931–32, not only knew about Halliburton’s sexual orientation, but he also understood the need to keep his private life private. “During the trip,” he said many years later, “I met some people, some homosexual people that he met along the line.” However, “He didn’t discuss his partners at all.” All Stephens asked was for a separate bedroom.

The French authorities also knew of his sexuality. They noted in his file not only that Halliburton, then living at 1 Rue Scribe in Paris, “crossed the Alps at the Grand Saint-Bernard pass on his elephant Dolly” in 1935, but also that he “is a homosexual very well known in some specialized institutions [établissements spécialisés].”

Richard Halliburton in Panama with ocelot kitten Tommy 10

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By then Halliburton had known Paul Mooney, his last and most gifted “secretary,” for almost five years.

Theirs was not an “exclusive relationship,” but it endured. Mooney helped him with—some say ghost wrote—his last four works, including the Book of Marvels: the Occident (1937) and the Second Book of Marvels: the Orient (1938), possibly the most influential young adult travel books ever written. He also was there for Halliburton’s final adventure.

On March 4, 1939, Halliburton, Mooney and a crew of 12 sailed from Hong Kong in a 75-foot Chinese junk to San Francisco, where the ship was to become an attraction at the city’s Golden Gate International Exposition. On March 24 they encountered a dangerous storm with gale-force winds and 40- to 50-foot waves. All were lost at sea.

Many of Halliburton’s critics, who in their sourest moments had dismissed his adventures as mere antics, simply ignored or misunderstood their greatest importance: the significant and lasting inspiration they provided to his readers young and old, not to duplicate his efforts, but to imagine their own daring moments; to dream their own glorious adventures in distant realms; to experience, however briefly, the joy and excitement of a carefree life.

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

Halliburton’s first travel book, The Royal Road to Romance.

Richard Halliburton at the Panama Canal

Why ‘Dating’ Your Financial Planner Is a Good Idea ting into a long-term (financial) relationship. It’s true that you may not have had enough time to build up many assets. But if you have a high income, many planners will be happy to take you on as a client because you have years of compounding magic ahead of you.

Since one of the best things you can do for your future is to start saving early, it may be smart to begin your search for a financial professional whom you mesh with now.

Money Matters

Which brings me to my final point.

Understand what you need.

Brandon Miller You know that moment during a first date—often when you’re deep into your entrée or second drink—where you have this very vivid feeling. You think, hmm, this might work. Or your thoughts go to how quickly and gracefully you can exit.

That deep down “don’t know where it came from, but don’t deny it” feeling doesn’t just serve you well when you’re dating. It’s also a great way to find the right financial planner for you.

Sadly—or perhaps, not—there’s no Tinder or Grindr for financial planners. So how do you even know where to find a wonderful money person to “date”? I have a few suggestions for you.

Be realistic.

The truth is, size matters when it comes to financial planning. If you don’t have many assets or much income, most financial planners aren’t interested in you. But then again, you probably don’t need them.

A robo solution can provide a basic alternative for many people. After you input some data about your situation, they provide financial advice based on algorithms. Since these algorithms are executed by software, and not a human being, the plans they provide are often considerably cheaper. These are cookie-cutter plans, and not something tailored to your specific circumstances. But they can be much more helpful than trying to figure out things totally on your own.

Don’t let age be a barrier.

Just because you’re young doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider get-

Not everyone wants the same thing in a financial planner. Some only seek reinforcement for their own decisions, while others want somebody who will just handle all that money stuff for them. As with many other aspects in life, figuring out what you need can make it easier to find.

Here are a few of the roles a financial planner can play for you: Trusted Opinion. You may love doing your own research into investments and strategies and all things financial. But overconfidence can lead to big mistakes. Rather than go it alone, it may be smart to find an advisor who can review your ideas, keep you away from trouble, and guide you toward the best options for you.

Therapist. Maybe you don’t really know what you want out of life or what you want your money to accomplish. Or you could be in a relationship where you and your partner(s) have different goals for your money.

A financial advisor can act as a neutral party, helping you to uncover goals, handle competing interests and to work through other concerns that you might have about money.

Coach. Major life decisions—whether to have another child, keep living in San Francisco, take the retirement package you’ve been offered, etc.— are also enormous financial decisions. A financial advisor can help you to gain the confidence to take these leaps by showing you how to position and use your assets to live your dreams.

Money Maximizer. Perhaps your dream is to make as much money as you possibly can. You’re not so interested

in delving into what the money is for or how you’ll use it; you’re simply interested in building your bottom line. If this sounds like a fair description of your money philosophy, look for an advisor who stresses returns over all else.

You can use these factors to narrow down the field of potential advisors and help to find a professional whose approach matches what’s right for you.

Remember to look for someone who is also a fiduciary. (See last month’s article for why that’s important.) And by all means, do your research to investigate their credentials, experience, reputation, and fee structure.

But above all else, trust your gut about the person, just like you would on a date. After all, you’ll be sharing a lot of time and intimate details with your financial planner. Make sure that you find someone whom you like and trust.

The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing.

As always, please remember that investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.

Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.

No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.

Brandon Miller, CFP ®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

It’s a Good Time to Go Electric varying degrees, from ensuring the recycling container is free of contaminating items to growing vegetables with their own compost.

The extreme of going green with automobiles entails saying goodbye to the internal-combustion lifestyle. Gas stations with dirty nozzle handles, skimmers in the ATM card slots, fluorescent-lit stores bursting with junk food—it’s not something a lot of us would miss. Not to mention, the trail of pollution ever in your wake.

Auto Philip Ruth How do you like being green?

We define “being green” as taking deliberate steps to favor the environment in our decision-making. Most folks I know in the Bay Area do it to

So it’s a big step to an EV. The two we’re examining this week—the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf— interpret that step differently. The Chevy emphasizes the electric-car distinctions, while the Leaf normalizes them.

The Bolt and Leaf are priced similarly, but the Bolt currently enjoys

2019 Chevrolet Bolt Premier

a $5,500 discount off the top from Chevrolet. This reduces the entry price of a base Bolt LT to $31,995, and the fancier Bolt Premier adds $4,400 to the bottom line. The EPA figures the Bolt is good for 238 miles of range.

The lowest Leaf prices undercut the Bolt even with the discount, but you’d need to upgrade to the Plus versions of the Leaf’s three trim levels (S, SV, and SL) to get the more powerful battery that kicks the range over 200 miles—the non-Plus versions are EPA-rated for 151 miles, while the Plus versions claim 226 miles. Plus prices range from about $37,445 to $43,445.

While the Bolt is offered with substantial price reduction, it’s likely that a good deal could be found on the Leaf as well. Electric-car sales (continued on page 26)

2019 Nissan Leaf SL S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men’s Lives by Walt Odets Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 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 J.H. Herren Technology Director

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT Dr. Walt Odets, a clinical psychologist in Berkeley, has been doing psychotherapy with gay men for thirty years. His new book, Out of the Shadows, is a distillation of what he’s learned from us. It is a deeply thoughtful and insightful book, and I strongly recommend it.

In his account of the last half-century, he mentions that there have been three pivotal years in gay men’s lives: 1969, 1981, and 1996. In 1969, the Stonewall uprising ushered in the era of Gay Liberation, when millions of gay men made a collective decision to live their lives openly. In 1981, a scant twelve years later, AIDS arrived, “leaving in its wake devastating death, desolation, and shame, as well as a legacy of incredible courage and heroic action ... .” In 1996,

new and effective treatments became available, “and they would allow gay communities to slowly return to something resembling every-day, noncombat lives.”

that characterize gay lives today.

We live in a country where we are often still reviled and stigmatized, and many of us still carry the scars of early-life rejection and ostracism.

Today “our communities are no longer united by a radical, in-your-face liberation movement or a struggle for biological survival,” he writes.

“Without liberation or plague to unite us, today’s gay communities— still living in a highly stigmatizing American society—are surprisingly divided on what it means to be gay and live a gay life ... . However the differences are understood, this new postepidemic era has offered us the possibility of finding and living lives as ourselves, both as individuals and as communities that do, after all, have some common interests.”

Many older gay men still live with the trauma of overwhelming loss in the epidemic. And many of us still struggle to find love and connection in a world that has taught us that being gay is only about sex and untrustworthy bedfellows. In the face of such issues, Odets offers many possibilities for fuller, richer lives, including sexual lives.

How shall we achieve this authenticity? Shadows is Odets answer to that question.

First, Odets insists that we acknowledge the many difficulties that gay men still face. We may imagine that today—with increased visibility and more social acceptance, effective treatments for HIV, and gay marriage—we’re now in Shangri-La and our personal and social struggles are behind us.

Through moving, personal stories of the lives of 25 men, including his own, Odets reveals the obstructions

Second, Odets challenges the hopeful myth that we can find our authenticity and fulfillment simply by aligning with a gay community. “So-called gay communities in America have always been more defined by their outsiderness than by the diverse characteristics of their insiders ... . I have spoken with innumerable young men who grew up as outsiders and moved to San Francisco’s Castro in the hope of belonging in a large outsider community. Many have been deeply disappointed, and many live in loneliness and a new form of outsiderness, still hoping that ‘the gay community’ will take them in.”

But, he writes, “The futures of young gay lives will not be transformed through assimilation into gay communities seeking seamless internal unity, or through assimilation into

an often-ugly, divisive, contentious American society. The transformation will happen when, one by one, each man discovers who he is, and makes a life for himself that expresses that self-discovery. Gay lives will be diverse, but all will share one important aspect: they will be honest lives that stand on authentic self-acceptance.”

Andrew Holleran, author of the seminal gay novel Dancer from the Dance, says of Odets’s book: “Out of the Shadows is several books—a snapshot of three generations of gay men and the effect AIDS has had on them, an argument for the gay sensibility in a time of assimilation, and a memoir. But most of all, it’s stories, fascinating stories gleaned from the gay men who came to Walt Odets for talk therapy. They make it both riveting and moving. A gay man could read this book as if his life depended on it—and perhaps it does.”

Next time I’ll discuss one of the central themes in Shadows—the concept of “gay sensibility”—and why Odets believes that gay men are not “homosexuals.”

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

Carla Ramos Web Coordinator Mario Ordonez Distribution

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

“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.”

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, Kin Folkz, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Peter Gallotta, 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, Lou Fischer, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews, Karen E. Bardsley, David Landis

SF Sketch Randy Coleman

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Morgan Shidler, JP Lor ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

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GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow

Nightmare on Washington Street This morning I tossed and turned, thinking about how I would soon have to get up and write about the Arizona Supreme Court’s 4–3 ruling in favor of two Christian conservative business women who sought, and narrowly won, the right to ignore a ban on sexual orientation discrimination in Phoenix. The glib majority opinion explained that the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech means that a stationery store can’t be forced to sell wedding invitations to samesex couples if the owners disapprove.

No state or local statute can compel “pure speech,” they wrote, blithely ignoring the law itself, its purpose, the gay men and women of Phoenix, the equality goals of the city of Phoenix and—by virtue of the implications— gay and lesbian citizens throughout the country.

Part of my problem is that I’ve written about the subject so many times, and with such frustration, that I feel hard pressed to go over the same material, the same objections, the same obvious points, the same dangers we face from similar courts in similar conditions.

And I’m writing to you, the chorus who has heard the same sermon time and again. I see you rolling your eyes in the alto section, begging me to skip the legal reckoning that pits the right to equal access in the public square against the right to free speech or religious expression.

And after all, this ruling only affected “custom designed” wedding invitations, an artful exercise that claimed to implicate the “Brush and Nib” store owners in a gay celebration against their will. The local law is still intact and gay couples have many other options. Who wants to do business with an antigay wedding purveyor to begin with?! Can’t we all get along?

But here’s the thing. A law against sexual orientation discrimination is not directed at the vast majority of bakers and florists and photographers who are happy and eager to do business with gay couples. It exists to protect us against the small minority who would turn their backs and flip the sign on their door from “open” to “closed” whenever we approach.

The Phoenix council and other legislative bodies passed laws to protect us against these very people; the gals at Brush and Nib, the florist in Washington, the baker in Colorado, the photographer in New Mexico, the innkeepers in Hawaii, the videographers in Minnesota. And while courts have mostly sided with gay plaintiffs, the tide is turning. Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of the antigay videographers, and now this, the Supreme Court of Arizona ruling in a case that they have been sitting on since oral arguments last January.

It’s not a coincidence. It’s a growing trend against GLBT rights that is manifested throughout the Trump administration and is leaking into red state policies, seeping through increasingly conservative courts and simmering into society like a broken sewer. It’s ominous.

I can’t stress to you enough: these are not cases of Christian Business versus Jim Roe and John Doe. These are cases of Christian Business versus State Anti-Discrimination Law or City Civil Rights Ordinance. These laws and ordinances cover race, religion, GLBTs and others, but as far as the courts are concerned, they carry a gay exception for anyone operating under a religious banner. It’s exactly like passing a law against speeding with court-based exceptions for people who really like to drive fast.

Pure Nonsense The Arizona case was based on Free Speech, not religion, but all of these public accommodation cases involve Christian business owners, because they are the only ones with a formal excuse for discrimination. To date, no one has tried to argue that they reject gay clientele because of the “ick factor,” but who knows? Indeed, considering the broader context of Christianity, it’s pretty clear that the “ick factor” lies beneath the expressions of sincerely held beliefs that are trotted out to justify antigay behaviors. Nowhere does the New Testament belabor the pros and cons of sexual orientation and many, if not most, Christians harbor no faithbased ill will towards gay men and lesbians.

And yet courts pride themselves on not examining or second guessing these ostensibly devout business owners, taking for granted that their deep religious convictions compel them to express disdain for their GLBT fellow citizens and would be customers.

At Brush and Nib, the owners argued, the wedding invitations are individually designed and tailored to each couple, requiring the owners to take a personal and artistic stake in each celebration. How could they possibly invest themselves to such an extent in an unwholesome gay marriage?

In fact, looking at the example cards on file with the court, it seems that the customized part of the invitations involves the names of the couple inscribed in a flowery script. Obviously, all wedding invitations are individually designed because they all include the frigging names of the two people getting married! Brush and Nib claim that they would be happy to sell generic wedding invitations to gay couples, an oxymoron unless you don’t mind leaving your names off your invitations and letting your prospective wedding guests figure out for themselves who is getting married. Or maybe filling in your names by hand on each card.

But I digress. I promised myself I would avoid a simple rehash of the legal arguments involved in these discrimination cases. I also promised myself that I would resist the temptation to trot out the case of the religious taxi driver who kicked two lesbians out of his cab on an interstate highway at 1 am, even though that’s my favorite example of why we can’t just go down the street to the gay friendly baker. Because there’s no gay friendly taxi driver out cruising the highway in the middle of the night.

Okay. I had my fingers crossed on that last promise. But there’s no significant difference between the taxi driver and the other service providers. I’ve used the taxi driver story often enough that I just looked up the details to refresh my memory. The driver threw the women out of his cab on I-84 in Portland back in 2013. The women climbed a fence to get off the highway and were eventually driven home by police. In checking this out, I encountered a half dozen other news reports of gay men and women being kicked out of cabs and Ubers by religious drivers, so the anecdote is not some off-the-wall example.

Tangentially, if you google “taxi driver lesbians,” which was my first search attempt, you are presented with an entire page of porn links.

Who knew that lesbian taxi drivers were a staple of sexual fantasies right up there with the pizza delivery guy? I mean, if you think about it, they have to keep their eyes on the road, right?

Doesn’t that limit their options?

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019)

Photos by Rink

Executive Director Roger Doughty speaking at the Horizons Foundation Gala (2018)

On the Verge of an Incredible Moment

By Roger Doughty

Founded in 1980, Horizons is the world’s first community foundation that is of, by, and for LGBTQ people. We invest in LGBTQ nonprofits, strengthen a culture of LGBTQ giving, and build a permanent endowment to secure our community’s future for generations to come. Ultimately, we aim to create a world where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully.

Next year is a big one for us—2020 is our 40th anniversary. As we look forward to the momentous occasion, we also look back on the incredible year that was 2019. At the annual Horizons Gala on October 5, we’ll celebrate this year’s important moments while we raise critical funds that allow us to continue our important work into our 40th anniversary and far beyond. We hope that you will be able to join us.

One of this year’s important moments was on Give OUT Day, Horizons’ national day of giving for the LGBTQ community.

Together, we made history, raising $1.1 million for over 475 nonprofits—the first time that so many LGBTQ nonprofits raised so much through a single-day campaign. Organizing Give OUT Day is one way that Horizons invests in LGBTQ nonprofits while also strengthening our community’s rich culture of giving. I encourage you to read more about this success in this spread.

Though we should celebrate this success, we must also remember that our community still has a long way to go. This is true even in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a reputation as a welcoming place for the LGBTQ community. Though many in our community are thriving, many face significant obstacles to participating fully and equally in society and to accessing programs and services to meet fundamental needs.

This is exactly what we found in our LGBTQ Community Needs Assessment, which we released this year—another important moment for the foundation and our community. The Needs Assessment investigated critical areas of need like safety, economic and housing security, medical and mental health care, drug and alcohol recovery, legal assistance, community connection and social life, and civic engagement. See some of the top-line findings in the infographic in this spread.

As our 40th anniversary inches closer, I encourage you to learn more about Horizons and get involved at https://www.horizonsfoundation.org/ Thank you for being in community with us.

Roger Doughty is the President of Horizons Foundation.

Dr. Marcy Adelman, Openhouse Co-founder and San Francisco Bay Times columnist, presented the Adelman/ Gurevitch Founders Award to Horizons’ Roger Doughty at the Spring Fling. (2016)

Dr. Royce Lin with Roger Doughty at the Openhouse Spring Fling (2017)

Positive Resource Center’s Brett Andrews (also a San Francisco Bay Times columnist), Roger Doughty and API Wellness Center’s Lance Toma at an AIDS Emergency Fund/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund benefit. (2015)

Horizons’ Roger Doughty, with a performer from the Fou Fou Ha! couture clown ensemble, at the organization’s 35th Anniversary Gala. (2015)

Roger Doughty with Hon. Donna Hitchens, Co-founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, at the NCLR Anniversary Dinner (2017)

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San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ Community Needs Assessment

By Francisco O. Buchting Because the San Francisco Bay Area has a worldwide reputation as a welcoming place, it might be assumed that LGBTQ people here are, put simply, doing fine. And it is true that many in our community are thriving.

At the same time, many in the Bay Area’s broad and diverse LGBTQ community face significant obstacles to participating fully and equally in society and to accessing programs and services to meet fundamental needs. Indications of those needs permeate the scores of applications for grant support that come to Horizons Foundation each year.

There had been no systematic effort to assess a wide range of needs among LGBTQ people in the Bay Area in 24 years when Horizons Foundation first conducted such a study. The world has changed considerably since 1995. Because of the importance of knowing the community’s needs—especially as described by diverse LGBTQ people themselves—Horizons commissioned a needs assessment.

By surveying more than 1,400 community members across the Bay Area’s nine counties, researchers investigated critical areas of need like safety, economic and housing security, medical and mental health care, drug and alcohol recovery, legal assistance, community connection and social life, and civic engagement.

The study assessed how people access services and resources in the Bay Area, looking for gaps between needs and available services and for the barriers keeping community members from accessing these services.

Additionally, the study probed deeply into difference in experience across factors like sexual orientation, gender identity, race and ethnicity, age, income, ability, and geography.

Francisco O. Buchting, PhD, is the VP of Grants, Programs, and Strategic Initiatives at Horizons Foundation.

Horizons’ Now and Forever Campaign It’s easy to create your Legacy of Pride with Horizons, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ community foundation. Your gift fuels LGBTQ organizations that help all of us in the Bay Area and beyond to live with pride, dignity, justice, and joy.

Change Our World Forever Since 1980, Horizons Foundation has been meeting the needs, securing the rights, and celebrating the lives of LGBTQ people in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The Foundation has helped thousands of people in need to receive lifesaving or life changing services from hundreds of organizations, and has made great strides towards real equality and full inclusion.

Horizons’ work is far from done, however. Many LGBTQ people—even in the relatively progressive Bay Area, as Roger Doughty mentions in this issue—still experience widespread discrimination, violence, economic inequality, illness, and isolation. LGBTQ youth, elders and the most vulnerable people in our community need our support now, and will for the foreseeable future. While we cannot predict what challenges we will face, we do know that if we act today—with the resources we have—we can change our world.

The historic Now and Forever Campaign will ensure that nonprofits have the funding they need to serve and advocate for the LGBTQ community, here in the Bay Area and further afield. Now in the Campaign’s second phase, Horizons has set a goal so audacious as to be unprecedented in the LGBTQ movement: by 2020, Horizons Foundation will have secured a minimum of $100 million in legacy commitments from our community, for our community.

This campaign will: • create permanent resources for our community (through the LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund) to face our current challenges and the challenges we cannot predict; • mobilize increased, dependable, long-term support from LGBTQ people for organizations serving and advocating for LGBTQ people; • ensure a strong, enduring philanthropic institution dedicated to the LGBTQ community—forever.

By including Horizons in your estate plans, these gifts will both help to meet our community’s immediate needs and provide for future generations. To learn more about how you can support the Now and Forever Campaign, phone 415-398-2333 or visit http://tiny.cc/6h2ucz

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2018 Community Issues Grantee Partners

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Photos and infographic courtesy of Horizons Foundation

Together, We Raised $1.1+ Million for 475+ LGBTQ Nonprofits on Give OUT Day

By Nikole Pagan April 18 was Give OUT Day, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ community. And together, we made history, raising $1.1+ million for 475+ nonprofits—the first time that so many LGBTQ nonprofits raised so much through a single-day campaign.

Horizons Foundation organizes Give OUT Day because we believe that building a stronger future for the LGBTQ community requires us to strengthen the organizations, from youth groups to senior centers, from choruses to advocacy groups, from nonprofits in Alaska to Puerto Rico, working every day to ensure all LGBTQ people thrive.

One of these organizations is The Source LGBT+ Community Center in Visalia, California, a rural, conservative community located a couple hundred miles southeast of San Francisco.

The Source has participated in Give OUT Day every year since 2016, growing its success each year.

In 2017, The Source secured enough individual donors to win second place on the national leaderboard for small-budget organizations, earning additional Founding Board Members of The Source prize money. The next year, they took first prize, which helped to fund a move to a larger building for their organization to provide critical community services.

The Source has grown rapidly, this year moving to the medium-budget category—and winning first prize yet again. Funds raised on Give OUT Day this year will go toward their critical youth programs.

And The Source is only one of over 475 participating nonprofits.

Organizations across the country, mostly small, local groups with limited fundraising capacity, use Give OUT Day to secure critical operating funds that power the LGBTQ movement.

The success of Give OUT Day is a community-wide effort. This success is because of the over 12,500 donors who made contributions. It’s because of the hundreds of participating nonprofits. And it’s because of our partners, including our funding partners, Laughing Gull Foundation, Harnisch Foundation, Lesbians for Good, and two anonymous funders; our promotional partners, Clever and The Blade Foundation; and our technology partner, Click & Pledge.

There’s no doubt that our community has incredible power when we join forces. Here’s to building a stronger future, together.

Nikole Pagan is the Program Officer and Give OUT Day Program Manager of Horizons Foundation.

2019 Financial Planning Day

Moms Make Movements

2019 Loyalty and Legacy Circle Event

Professional Advisors Circle 2019 Pride Luncheon

2019 Leadership Circle Luncheon S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Amplify! 2019 - The Cheer for Life Foundation Annual Soirée Photos by Paul Margolis CHEER for Life Foundation, the nonprofit sponsor of CHEER San Francisco and a Pride Cheerleading Association partner, held its Amplify! 2019 event on Thursday, September 5, at The Academy—a Castro-based social club.

Presented during the event were grants totaling more than $40,000 to beneficiaries, including Edgewood Center for Children and Families, The Spahr Center, Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County, The Diversity Center Santa Cruz County, and Santa Cruz Pride.

The event is held annually to honor volunteers, supporters, and beneficiaries and to kick off a new fundraising year. http://www.cheerforlife.org

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Donna’s Chronicles

By Donna Sachet

elieve it or not, this week marks our one-year anniversary of writing for the San Francisco Bay Times! Yes, “Donna’s Chronicles,” a name devised in collaboration with Gary Virginia, began in September of last year with extensive coverage of Opening Night of the San Francisco Opera and a splashy Gareth Gooch cover photo of us and the Golden Gate Bridge. We weren’t really looking for a change from our decade-long previous column for another publication, but after its surprise cancellation and a summer without a written voice in the community’s press, Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas made us an offer we couldn’t refuse and we have been delighted ever since. Imagine seeing for the first time this page you now read with its eye-catching photo, personal logo, quote of the week, upcoming calendar, and extensive coverage of the goings-on and the who’s who in the LGBTQ Community! Thank you, Bay Times, for all the support, and thank you, readers, for finding us here and remaining so loyal. We love hearing from you and encourage your feedback and input. It is an honor to have a regularly scheduled, written voice in the local LGBTQ press and we restate our commitment to providing an accurate, diverse, and amusing glimpse of the San Francisco we love!

Opening Night of the San Francisco Opera was more glamorous, more celebratory, and more successful than ever before! We arrived at the Grove Street porte-cochere, Richard Sablatura elegantly tuxedoed and us resplendent in red, and were immediately swept into the crowd by Premier Usher Billy Repp. Any earlier concerns that this year’s Opera Opening Night would be outshined by the SF Symphony in Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas’ final year were put to rest as glorious gown after ornate jacket set the tone for a fabulous night. Many donned embellished masks in a nod to the masked ball scene from the night’s opera and many others grew weary of careless footsteps on beautiful trains, a risk best left to experienced gala goers. In the press room, we were warmly greeted by Jeffery McMillan and Teresa Concepcion, who always treat us so wonderfully. Champagne flowed in the ornate lobby, festooned with flowers, where we caught up with Willie Brown & Sonya Molodetskaya, Allison Speer, Jan & Maria Manetti Shrem, Joel Goodrich, Carolyn Chandler, Victor & Farah Makras, John Rosin, Roselyne Swig, Susan Swig, and many others, all being madly photographed by Drew Altizer and his expert team.

Upstairs, the breezy loggia offered splendid City Hall views at the BRAVO! CLUB’s reception abounding in wine and hors d’oeuvres. Chiming bells summoned us all inside where more flowers surrounded the balcony and the glorious gold curtain rose for opening remarks from Opera Association President Kevin Geeslin, Chairman of the Board John Gunn, and General Director Matthew Shilvock.

Charles Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette is the perfect Opening Night opera with its familiar storyline and lush, romantic music. Last minute substitute tenor Pene Pati and soprano Nadine Sierra filled the Opera House with extraordinary performances, immediately demonstrating a genuine connection and natural affection. Sets were simple, but evocative of Italian settings; costumes were lush and colorful; on-stage action was engaging and balanced; and the chorus was particularly outstanding. We may be overstepping our limited role as social columnist, but we can’t say enough about this excellent production.

During the brief intermission, we promenaded through the lobby, greeting Lewis Sykes & Jim Connor, George & Charlotte Shultz, Deepa Pakianathan, Michael Purdy, Jay Jeffers, Ken McNeely & Inder Dhillon, Bob Hill, Dede Wilsey, John & Judith Renard, and David Laudon & Randy Laroche. In our humble opinion, the best gown of the night—multicolored, multi-fabric, and off the shoulder—was worn by Yuke Uehara, and the best mask—a face completely and eerily covered in faceted crystals—was by Ronnie Genotti. Please excuse our sometimes-esoteric reverie about fashion, but we’ll remind readers that our background career at Saks Fifth Avenue is never far away.

What a delight to see San Francisco personalities enjoying first class opera while embracing the finest in ready-to-wear!

CHEER SF has been spreading enthusiasm for years with its technically challenging routines, lively cheers, and amazing energy! We were at the Academy recently when they presented various organizations with over $40,000 in annual fundraising. Others we knew there were Larry Horowitz, Bill Hirsch, Okan Sengun, and Nguyen Pham. Who knew that such incredible fundraising could be such fun?

At the risk of running too long in this column, we’ll briefly thank Eye Gotcha for including us in their L.A. Eyeworks trunk show, Patrik Gallineaux for bringing us to see Sherry Vine in a brand new show at Oasis, and Mr. Gay SF Khalil Munro and Migitte Nielsen for hosting a fun event at Beaux raising money for Larkin Street Youth Services.

And if you were ever a fan of the television series Downton Abbey, get to theaters now for the just released film! We immersed ourselves in that rarefied world of privilege at the Castro Theatre, a perfect setting preceded by a fashion show of those dressed for the occasion, none more elegantly than John Newmeyer! Without any spoilers, Downton Abbey: The Film is wonderful!

Finally, we note with regret the closing of Rick Hamer’s clubby Finn Town and lively Papi Rico. It is always sad to lose businesses in the Castro and we enjoyed both of these creations by this talented and community committed individual. We saw Papi Rico out in style on Sunday with a going-away party for Skye Paterson, a person who leaves an indelible and delightful mark on the Castro, the city, and our heart. All the best to you, Skye!

Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com

PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

“Why red? At this point, I have a significant investment in red dresses.”

–Donna Sachet

Calendar a/la Sachet Every Sunday Sunday’s a Drag!

The Starlight Room Sir Francis Drake Hotel 10:30 am Brunch, 11:30 am Show $75 inclusive https://starlightroomsf.com/sundays-a-drag Sunday, September 21 Project Nunway X: Decades of Indulgence Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence unique fashion show SOMArts Cultural Center 934 Brannan Street 6 pm $40 & up https://bit.ly/2lOZ6Lh Saturday, September 28 Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco Coronation 46 Pansies in Russia: A Garden Party at the Hermitage Step Down of Grand Duke Ken Harper & Grand Duchess MGM Grande Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness 5 pm Doors, 6 pm Coronation $45 www.sfducal.org/coronation46 Sunday, September 29 Folsom Street Fair The World’s Biggest Leather Event Folsom Street from 8th to 13th 11 am–6 pm $10–$15 suggested gate donation www.folsomstreetevents.org Thursday, October 3 Compassion is Universal Shanti’s 45th Anniversary Gala Palace Hotel Grand Ballroom, 2 Montgomery 6 pm $300 & up www.shanti.org Friday, October 4 Bummers Ball 3: Rocket Dog Rescue Castro Theatre 6 pm $50 & up www.rocketdogrescue.org Saturday, October 5 Horizons Foundation Gala Fairmont Hotel Grand Ballroom 5:30 pm $350 & up www.horizonsfoundation.org Friday, October 11 Mighty Real: PRC Gala Four Seasons Hotel Veranda Ballroom 6 pm $300 & up www.prcsf.org Saturday, October 12 Imperial Council’s 47th Annual Mr. and Miss Gay Pageant Folsom Street Foundry, 1425 Folsom 6 pm $20 www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Congratulations to Donna on the One-Year Anniversary of "Donna's Chronicles" in the San Francisco Bay Times!

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From the Coming Up Events Calendar See page 28 Monday, September 23 - Newsmakers: Don Lemon @ Lescher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

Lemon will discuss rising to prime time, the power of social media and news of the day.

7:30-9pm. http://www.lesherartscenter.org

World Premier of Del Shores’ This Side of Crazy Opens at New Conservatory Theatre Center

Photos by Lois Tema

By Louise “Lou” Fischer San Francisco’s own New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC), dedicated to bringing highquality and innovative theatre to the queer and allied communities, is kicking off its 2019–2020 Season with the world premiere of This Side of Crazy, a “delightfully campy comedy” written and directed by cult-phenomenon Del Shores (creator of the Sordid Lives franchise, Southern Baptist Del Shores Sissies, Daddy’s Dyin’ ... Who’s Got The Will?, Blues for Willadean, and Queer As Folk).

Here’s how NCTC describes the play: “Little superstars for Jesus, the Blaylock Sisters, are all grown up and kind of a mess. There’s Rachel, a Christian vlogger who still has sex with her comatose husband, Abigail, a chain-smoking virgin with anger management issues, and Bethany, a closeted atheist stripper. When their overbearing stage mother, Ditty, “volunteers” her daughters for a star-studded reunion performance, all hell breaks loose. From the brilliant and hilarious mind that created Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies, comes a brand-new play about fame, family, and finding your way back home.”

Play Features 4 Talented Actresses The play features four talented Bay Area actresses: Christine Macomber (Ditty), Amy Meyers (Bethany), Cheryl Smith (Rachel) and Alison Whismore (Abigail).

Meyers is appearing in her second Del Shores production, having played Bitsy Mae Harling in NCTC’s recent run of Sordid Lives. I recently spoke with her for the San Francisco Bay Times about her experience with this production.

Lou Fischer: How is it different preparing and rehearsing for a new play versus one that has already been in production?

Amy Meyers: As an actress, it’s a thrill to bring a character to the stage for the first time. It’s also more challenging because you can’t get ideas or tips from watching other actresses in the same role.

Lou Fischer: What kind of research did you do for the role of Bethany?

Amy Meyers

Amy Meyers: Bethany is the youngest sister in a dysfunctional family of Baptist singers

from the South. I’m from Texas. I’m the youngest sister in my family. I was raised in the Baptist Church and have been singing since I could talk.

Lou Fischer: What is the “dysfunctional family” aspect of the role?

Amy Meyers: Come on, every family has their share of dysfunction. That part was easy.

Lou Fischer: And the stripper part?

Amy Meyers: I watched a lot of pole-dancing videos on YouTube.

Lou Fischer: What’s it like working with a playwright on a brand-new play?

Amy Meyers: You can’t get too attached to your lines because, if a scene isn’t working, Del will rewrite it. There’s also a heightened sense of responsibility to do right

by Del’s vision for the characters and it’s great having him there to help us find who they are.

Lou Fischer: Anything else you want to share?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCTC

Amy Meyers: It has been a privilege to work with Del and the rest of the amazing cast on this piece. Del understands and respects our process as well as the work of the stage and production teams, and I’m excited about how well it all came together. Come see the show!

KIT’N KITTY’S

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“This Side of Crazy” runs from September 20– October 20. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Opening Night is Saturday, September 28. Tickets are $25–55 and are available online ( https://www.nctcsf.org/ ) or by calling 415-861-8972.

Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former 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 proud graduate of the Emerge California Women’s Democratic Leadership program, was a San Francisco Commissioner and has served in leadership positions in multiple nonprofit and communitybased organizations.

ONE TOO MANY The 1997 TV film Any Mother’s Son was about the brutal beating death of this gay man: A) Matthew Shepherd B) Allen Schindler C) Brandon Teena D) Scott Amedure ANSWER ON PAGE 26

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Karin Jaffie, aka Kit/Kitty Tapata, won the title of Mr. Gay San Francisco in 2011 and has earned many other honors since.

Connect with Jaffie via Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ktapata

Cowboy Boots Meet Pointe Shoes in Smuin’s Season Opener

This company premiere choreographed by James Kudelka, the former artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, is an ode to American working-class grit featuring complex choreography influenced by popular country-western dance styles including line, square, swing, and step dancing.

Arresting and inventive, Kudelka’s piece is set to six songs covered by Cash, including Trent Reznor’s “Hurt” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.”

Also on the bill: the mainstage premiere of former Smuin artist Rex Wheeler’s “Take Five,” a delightfully witty work set to the jazzy beat of Dave Brubeck—just in time for the celebrated musician’s centennial. Michael Smuin’s dazzlingly dramatic “Carmina Burana,” set to the sensual Carl Orff score, rounds out this spectacular program of classical ballet and contemporary dance.

Smuin’s Dance Series 1 program launches with shows at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts (September 20–21), then tours to San Francisco’s Cowell Theater (September 27–October 6). Information and tickets are available at http://www.smuinballet.org/ “The Man in Black” One of the world’s most versatile and innovative dance artists, Kudelka began his choreography career with The National Ballet of Canada in 1972. After a widely praised rework of The Nutcracker, Kudelka

served as artistic director at The National Ballet for nine years.

“The Man in Black” utilizes six songs covered by Johnny Cash in his final years.

When asked why Kudelka selected the music of Cash, he wrote: “I was told about his America CDs and all the covers he had done late in his life, and that was intriguing to me and somehow once removed from what one expects from him. And the songs are beautiful and so sad and intimate and elegiac in his performance of them. And ‘Four Strong Winds’ and ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ are songs from Canadian writers from my childhood. I knew every word of those.”

Kudelka also makes an appeal to the tenaciousness of blue-collar American industry in this piece for three men and one woman by incorporating country-western dance styles. He learned the principles of linedancing and two-stepping online, reading How-To articles and watching YouTube videos. He wrote, “There are interesting rules to line dancing. Forty moves in a row. Each forty moves are done in each of the four directions. I read the moves off a sheet to the cast and then massaged them into a more mysterious and ghostly form, claps with no sound, and it becomes a line of dead men walking. The female, blinded, survives.”

“Take Five” An exuberant tribute to Brubeck’s Centennial, Wheeler’s “Take Five” offers a charming and colorful set of inventive and surprising movements to match the landmark jazz standard. Born in London, Wheeler performed with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and for the Royal Family on several occasions, before joining Smuin as a dancer in 2015. As a choreographer, he has created works for organizations across

PHOTO CREDIT: KEITH SUTTER

Smuin Contemporary Ballet launches its 26th season with Dance Series 1, a fall program featuring three extraordinary works by established and rising choreographers. The music of country icon Johnny Cash comes alive in “The Man in Black,” an acclaimed work for three men and a woman, danced in cowboy boots.

Smuin dancers Tessa Barbour, Oliver-Paul Adams, and Erica Felsch in Rex Wheeler’s “Take Five,” making its mainstage premiere in Smuin’s Dance Series 1 in Walnut Creek September 20-21 and San Francisco September 27-October 6.

the country, including Sinfonietta, presented last season by Smuin.

“Carmina Burana” Rounding out the program is the revival of founder Michael Smuin’s renowned “Carmina Burana.” Set to German composer Carl Orff’s triumphant score of the same title, this impassioned piece celebrates life, lust, and joy, honoring the enduring legacy of Michael Smuin’s genius.

For more than 25 years Smuin has pushed the boundaries of contemporary ballet within a distinctly American style, engaging and delight-

ing audiences with uncommon physicality and expression. Founded in San Francisco in 1994 by Tony and Emmy award-winning choreographer Michael Smuin, the company is committed to creating work that merges the diverse vocabularies of classical ballet and contemporary dance.

Artistic Director since 2007, Celia Fushille has celebrated Michael Smuin’s legacy while enriching the company’s impressive repertoire by collaborating with inventive choreographers from around the world, commissioning world premieres, and bringing new contemporary choreographic voices to the Smuin stage.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS HARDY

More information and tickets for Smuin’s Dance Series 1 can be found online ( http://www.smuinballet.org/ ) or by calling 415-912-1899.

Smuin dancer Valerie Harmon is tossed into the air by the men of the company in Michael Smuin’s “Carmina Burana,” part of Smuin’s Dance Series 1 in Walnut Creek September 20-21 and San Francisco September 27-October 6.

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End of the Century Is a Hypnotic Gay Romantic Drama Gary M. Kramer: Lucio, can you talk about your film’s structure? It’s very deliberate.

Film Gary M. Kramer End of the Century, opening September 27 at the Opera Plaza and Shattuck cinemas, is writer/director Lucio Castro’s absolutely hypnotic romance. Ocho ( Juan Barberini) hooks up with Javi (Ramon Pujol) in Barcelona. Their tryst is erotic, but it becomes something more complicated when Javi confesses: “We’ve met before.” Cut to twenty years earlier ... End of the Century unfolds slowly, deliberately, and it plays with time, memory, and imagination in ways that will provoke viewers.

It also features a scene of the guys dancing that is pure magic.

In separate interviews, the openly gay Castro and Pujol spoke with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about their remarkable film.

Take Me Home with You!

Michele Karlsberg Michele Karlsberg: For this month’s column, I asked author SallyAnne Monti to share her Golden Crown Literary Conference experience.

To meet Meadow, 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 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!

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Ramon Pujol: The script talked about things I found interesting— that we are all connected to and are a part of everyone’s life. Choosing whether (or not) to have a long-term relationship, or kids—it’s something we all think about. It was very interesting and well written. I didn’t worry

The keynote speaker was award-winning Young Adult author Malinda Lo, with special speaker, LGBTQ community leader and Lesfic awardwinning author Cindy Rizzo.

Words

Meadow 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 Meadow.

Gary M. Kramer: Ramon, what did you think of the script when you read End of the Century?

about the trickiness. It was clear.

There is something about the ambiguity—that the characters don’t look different in the different time periods. When you think about yourself in the past you don’t think of a younger you. This ambiguity is important; it’s about relationships and time and how we relate to others.

Gary M. Kramer: Lucio, can you describe how you presented the guys? The film is very stylized.

Lucio Castro: [For] the beginning of the film, I liked the idea of Ocho being part of the city, the architecture, (continued on page 26)

When Community Become Friends and Family

Meadow

“My name is Meadow! I’m a sweet and affectionate lady who prefers life on the quiet side. My dream home would be outside of the city, or at least in a quiet neighborhood where I can fully relax and be myself. I enjoy going for leisurely walks, saying hello to everyone I meet, and spending lots of quality time with my loved ones. If that sounds like a match, I’d love to meet you!”

Lucio Castro: The structure came organically. I surprised myself as I typed it. It may feel special, but it was how I wanted to think of these two characters. It started with an archetypal beginning of a novel: a man arrives in town. I had this character in the city alone for 12 minutes with no dialogue. He comes to Barcelona and does what any tourist does.

He visits places and gets horny. He starts cruising on Grindr and then he sees this guy and he likes something about him. They finally meet and after sex they speak. Straight couples have cheese and wine and then have sex. Gay couples—first they have sex and then they have cheese and wine.

Then I thought: What if they met before? So, I went back to show how they met.

SallyAnne Monti: The Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS), the leading lesbian-themed literary organization, brings authors, editors, publishers, readers, and supporters together every year at their annual conference. This year’s gathering marked their 15th.

The conference moves about the country, year after year, in a caravan of volunteers hauling signage, swag, sisterhood, and books—lots of books and publishers. This roadshow hosts jam-packed educational panels, master classes, and presentations, woven in between karaoke, game night, liarliar storytelling, and open-mic.

This year, attendees were treated to the exclusive screening of In Her Words: 20th Century Lesbian Fiction, a feature documentary examining the history and impact of lesbian fiction from the 1920s through the 1990s.

The conference culminates with its crowning jewel, the renowned industry-recognized Goldie Awards. Hosted this year by leading author Lynn Ames and pop-culture and entertainment writer, Dana Piccoli, these awards honor the best in lesbianthemed literature. This all-volunteer, nonprofit organization credits the community for its ongoing success and growth. The conference and membership are on a steady incline since the organization’s inception in 2004.

In 2018, I attended my first GCLS conference. Like a sponge seeking water, I soaked up every ounce of knowledge this author could stuff into her overactive mind. I asked endless questions, took copious notes, signed up for every handout available, and participated in as many panels and events as my time would permit.

My quest for literary enlightenment was my charge. With my conference goodie bag over my shoulder and my shiny new nametag, I found that the GCLS exceeded every expectation, with sessions across a plethora of topics for editors, publishers, readers, and writers of every level. And this was before pioneering lesbian author Dorothy Allison gave me a big ole hug and a sweet Southern, “Hi, Darlin’.”

At the 2019 Conference, I was all about relationships. The GCLS did not disappoint. Did I mention the GCLS conference is one part family reunion, one part love-fest, and one part literary excellence? It’s like A Very Brady Christmas meets Michigan’s

Women’s Festival (with clothes on), meets World o’ Books.

From the second the registration bell rang open, attendees charged for the conference lines, stopping only to hug each other. Did I mention that everyone hugs each other? Yes, even people you’ve just met.

I was in my personal glory. I’m a hugger. I love family reunions. This was my family. Like any family, some folks preferred a quick wave vs. a stop-and-chat, or a high-five instead of a bear hug, but the end result was community euphoria.

We learned together, we pontificated together (hey, we’re literary types, we have a lot to say), we laughed together, we ate the yummy included food together, we cheered together for the Goldie nominees and winners, and we danced together, all night long.

Friends, family, community, and member benefits, that’s your GCLS! For more information: www.goldencrown.org Sallyanne Monti is a published author, editor and storyteller. Her memoir “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” a suspenseful, page-turning, true-love story, is under film consideration. Sallyanne and her wife Mickey live in Palm Springs, California, and Sedona, Arizona. www.sallyannemonti.com Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQI community.

This year, Karlsberg celebrates 31 years of successful book campaigns.

For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun to his dealing with mental health in himself and in the queer community.

Two of his subjects are drag winners from RuPaul’s Drag Race: #54 “Alaska” and #60 “Trixie” Mattell.

This is a sensational exhibition!

My second venue is DOG EARED BOOKS, 489 Castro Street. And speaking of ears, AURICULAR BEINGS by Dina Marshalek has ink on paper portrayals of characters displaying particularly large ears.

One is just a giant ear sitting crosslegged on a bench. “The Angel” has an ear that is more than a third of his face. All of these pieces are ear-popping!

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “We now sadly know that 53 people died in mass shootings in August alone. Hey, Repugnican Congress folks, isn’t it about time for sensible gun control?!”

The third venue is SPARK ARTS, 4229 18th and Collingwood Streets, with SEPTEMBER SHOW and four featured artists. Sylvia Kanoff is a painter, author and song writer, but most importantly, the very proud Mama of Spark Arts Owner, Aviva Kanoff. Deena Marlo finds inspiration in the quirks of her imagination, the wilds of her dreams, the humility of nature and women, and the human race’s tremendous potential for growth—including some very weird but lovable monsters. Andre Brott depicts the Ermine Princess from a folktale in progress that she is writing and illustrating. The Princess’ mentor is a bee, who instructs her in the lore of flowers and medicinal plants, and helps her to create potions. Jenny Feinberg and her modern art oils are exhibited for the second month. Do check out these marvelous galleries with their artists on display all month!

I was delighted to witness a stage reading of PORN YESTERDAY—loosely based on the hit 1950 romance/drama movie and earlier play, Born Yesterday—at Spark Arts on September 3. The original play

by Andrew Black and Patricia Milton was written years ago, but was discovered and directed by Alan Quismorio as a hilarious parody, replacing the brassy blonde moll and her sugar daddy with a gay porn star, Rex (Nick Trengove) and his older lover, producer ( Joe Tally). Rex is being coached ( Jason Wayne Wong) into a serious role as the gay lover in Shakespeare’s Edward II. So clever! I anticipate when this gets mounted into an actual play someday soon!

Sister Dana sez, “You’d think a BLOWHARD WINDBAG like Trump would recall the three previous category 5 hurricanes before Dorian during his presidency. This BLOWS my mind!

Also, zero words of condolence from Donnyboy to the Bahamas and the catastrophic loss of lives there. He has no heart; just a black Sharpie.”

Sister Dana sez, “The U.S. Senate has returned from their summer break, and they must be exhausted with Repugnicans passing nothing—but [Beyotch] Mitch McConnell seems to think he’s on a permanent vacation. He’s blocked over 100 bills from seeing a vote on the Senate floor, including the Equality Act! We desperately need to take over the useless RepubliCan’t Senate!

I visited three of my favorite venues on September 5 for first Thursdays’ CASTRO ART WALK. First was ART ATTACK, 2358 Market, presenting SF-based artist David Puck for a SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE. Puck is a young independent traditional figurative painter, primarily working in his own special technique of spray paint and acrylic/oil, both in studio and as public murals. What is most impressive is his portrayal of electrifying eyes and luscious lips. His unique work looks at depiction of the queer and fringe—playing with the relationship between abstraction and realism. He has 24 pieces, but among my faves are #45 “Fine” and #58 “Self Portrait.” These two are special because David told me they relate

During the month of September, STRUT at 470 Castro Street is exhibiting “GREETINGS FROM DADVILLE,” a collection of the original comic book art and illustrations on 9x12” Bristol board by Justin Hall. On September 6, he held a reception. His art is in three sections. Section one is from his graphic novel-in-progress, Castle and Creek, revolving around the SF Armory building and Mission Creek and a weird Wonder Woman character. The second section is from the series, Greetings from Dadville, recalling finding Dad's hidden girlie mags and being compelled to peek. The third section is from his Full Moon, a campy anthology of queer monsters hosted by famed Midnight Movie Horror Queen Peaches Christ. That night we were treated to a live reading by Hall in front of a projector screen.

Go check out these fascinating comic book series!

PHOTO BY RINK

Sister Dana sez, “Don’t most libs agree with me that President Obama should be nominated to the Supreme Court?

No, not during this Obamabashing ASSministration, but during the year 2020 when the world has returned to normalcy. Aw c’mon, I can dream, can’t I?!

Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) shared a toast with Sister Scola at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Tribute Celebration held at the Metreon on Saturday, September 7.

SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION honored leaders in the fight to end AIDS at TRIBUTE CELEBRATION, its gala event on September 7 at City View Metreon. (continued on page 26) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Oakland Pride 2019

Photos by Paul Margolis

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN R. DAVILA

The 10th Anniversary of Oakland Pride was celebrated on Sunday, September 8. The Parade and Festival, held along Franklin Street in Oakland, was preceded by a week-long schedule of activities, including the Oakland Pride Arts + Film Fest.

Featured entertainers on the Main Stage included Purple Madness, Ava LaShay, Shea Diamond and El Dasa. Collaborating organizations included Our Family Coalition, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, Pacific Center, East Bay AIDS Advocacy Foundation, and many others.

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ARUGULA PEAR

PACIFIC COAST FARMERS MARKET ASSOC. PHOTO

By Debra Morris Fall is almost here and that means your farmers’ market is filled with the best of both worlds: the last of summer’s amazing fruits and vegetables and the arrival of the first of fall produce. We’re so lucky in California to have the best climate and soil to grow almost anything in our extended seasons. Get your back-to-school lunch needs, your late summer barbecue items, your early fall dinner ingredients, and even your produce for canning and preserving. Your certified farmers’ market ensures that the produce you buy is grown by the farmers who bring it to market.

Pears are a wonderful way to brighten up a recipe with a mildly sweet flavor and smooth texture. They’ve been around for centuries with delightful Bartlett pears new varieties appearing every so often. At your farmers’ market you’ll find creamy, mildly sweet Bartletts; slightly crisp sweet Red Anjou; crisp and sweet Bosc; soft and very sweet Comice; the crisp, firm, and sweet Seckel; and the crisp, mildly sweet Asian pear.

Pears are very versatile. You can make some apple pear sauce, slice them into salads, bake a pear and onion rustic tart, and more. Here are some tasty ideas for “pearing” them with cheese and wine on an appetizer platter: Red Anjou: a good sharp cheddar and a cabernet sauvignon; Bartlett: a mild gouda and brut champagne or merlot; Bosc: a manchego and a pinot noir or a blue cheese and Riesling; Comice: an aged goat cheese and a chardonnay, or a Stilton cheese and a port wine; Seckel: a mild fontina cheese and a pinot noir; Asian Pear: a gouda cheese with a chardonnay.

Pears are available at your farmers’ market from Rainbow Orchards with Bartlett and Bosc pears; Allard Farms of Westley with Bartletts; and Ken’s Top Notch out of Reedley with Asian pears.

PCFMA’s Mia Simmons and Davon Sripukdee at the information booth

PHOTO BY RINK

Colorful offerings at the Fifth Crow Farm of Pescadero booth

PHOTO BY RINK

Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/

1/2 pound arugu la 2 Bartlett pear s, sliced 2 shallot cloves, sliced Parmesan chee se as garnish 1/4 cup of hazel nuts Dressing 1 tablespoon p omegranate vin egar 2 tablespoons olive oil Honey, to taste Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast h 5 –10 minutes, az until toasted. R elnuts for emove from oven and place in aside to cool. O a towel, wrap it up and set n off skins. Rough ce cool, use the towel to rub ly chop nuts.

Cover shallots w Set aside to mac ith vinegar and a pinch of salt . er ally whisk in oliv ate for 5 minutes. Gradue oil. Combine all ingredients, arugula with dress, and toss together. Use a zester to grate cheese on top.

Musician James Funk

PHOTO BY RINK

Pairing Pears

SALAD

Flore restaurant’s sign announcing specials

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This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market

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ROSTOW (continued from page 13)

RUTH (continued from page 11)

The worst part of this ruling was the easy patter of the majority. I called them blithe and glib earlier, because the opinion seemed to rest on an assumption that their conclusion was obvious, natural, and based on commonly respected constitutional principles. Of course, these invitations represent “pure speech.” Of course, a Christian business can refuse gay custom. Of course, producing a gay wedding invitation represents a violation of deeply felt Christian faith.

Writing on an array of false foundations, the majority presented its opinion as a slam dunk, dismissing the three separate dissents with an airy wave.

I was particularly struck by their indifference to the obvious argument that other businesses might raise a religious objection to, let’s say, interracial marriages. Yet that just happened the other day in Mississippi, where the owner of a wedding venue refused to host a Black man marrying a white woman, telling the man’s sister that her Christian views conflicted with mixed race marriages.

After a social media meltdown, the woman apologized and explained that she had misread the Bible and had not realized that interracial marriages were actually a-okay with Jesus! But what if the next racist business sticks to its guns?

There is nothing to differentiate Brush and Nib from the people who frown on interracial marriage at some other Phoenix wedding purveyor, although the Arizona court seemed to think such qualms were absurd.

Last month, the Eighth Circuit skipped merrily down the antigay path with the same breezy confidence, led 2–1 by one of Trump’s new conservative appointees. Soon, the Kentucky Supreme Court will rule on the similar case of a t-shirt company that refused to print Lexington Pride shirts. Last week, antigay Washington florist Barronelle Stutzman again asked the Supreme Court to hear her case after losing for a second time at the Washington Supreme Court.

Last spring, the High Court sent Melissa and Aaron Klein of Sweet Cakes by Melissa back to the Oregon courts for additional litigation, but it’s only a matter of time before one of these public accommodation cases gets accepted by the nine justices. After making a hash of the issue in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, thanks to our “champion” Anthony Kennedy, the potential for a disastrous conservative ruling from the current Court is obvious.

Meanwhile, two major GLBT cases of workplace discrimination are scheduled for oral arguments on October 8 as the U.S. Supreme

Court steps back into the arena for its new session. We can discuss those next time.

It’s enough to make me crawl back under the covers. Or ring the maid for an Aperol spritz.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like a Big Pizza Pie I have a confession to make. I often sprinkle my column with references to having a cocktail, but in fact, I don’t drink when I write. It’s just part of a louche image that I’m trying to promote.

And I always drink after I finish a column, so it’s not a total fiction. I’m telling you this because this time around I am actually making myself a Campari, white wine and soda (I don’t have any Aperol) and it’s the middle of the day. Also, I don’t really have a maid or a butler, but my wife will fetch me things if I ask nicely.

She went to the store, so I had to make it myself.

Anyway, they drink these things at 11 am in Italy all of the time, so I think it’s fine.

And speaking of Italy, my beloved cousin sent me a Washington Post article about a burial site in Modena, where ten years ago, two ancient skeletons were found facing each other and holding hands in a single grave. The skeletons were dated to the fourth, fifth, or sixth century AD, the end of the Roman era, and were nicknamed “the lovers of Modena.”

Now, scientists have determined that the two people were both men of about the same age, raising questions about the goings on fifteen hundred years ago. According to the experts, no other male pairs have been discovered in single graves from this era, and it would have been “unusual” for male lovers to be buried together.

Perhaps, one of the boffins speculated, the two were brothers or cousins, or maybe soldiers who died together during battle.

They were holding hands! Occam’s razor suggests that it’s most likely they were lovers, or at the least, Best Friends Forever. At any rate, the study that revealed the skeletons’ genders notes that “the discovery of two adult males intentionally buried hand-in-hand may have profound implications for our understanding of funerary practices in Late Antique Italy.” I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the further extrapolations on funerary practices in Late Antique Italy. What else might turn up?

An extra scapula in the columbaria outside Gnatia? Don’t miss our next column.

Now this flippant streak is why I don’t drink when I write. Meanwhile, Mel has returned from the store with cod filets, baby tomatoes and a bottle of Chablis. There was a reason I married her. arostow@aol.com

are withering our time of relatively cheap gas, making it a fine time to grab a deal if you’re EV-inclined.

interior trim, a bright antidote to the Leaf’s black surroundings. We’d opt for the Leaf’s Light Grey selection instead.

The Bolt and Leaf make their own style statements. The Bolt has many eye-catching contours, and its chrome-lined rear pillars follow current crossover-SUV trends.

Some of the Bolt’s materials appeared unrefined, and the front door panels didn’t line up well with the dashboard, but the Chevy’s commanding driving position and better visibility felt like clear advantages.

Your writer can’t stop seeing the Leaf as a four-wheeled pregnant duck. Refinements in this second-gen Leaf seem to pull the details inward, a stark contrast to the bold Bolt. Inside, the tested Leaf felt much like a normal Nissan, with mainstream controls and materials. Typical of the brand are the Leaf’s exceptionally comfortable and supportive front seats.

The Bolt is taller than the Leaf, but has a bit less headroom up front. The tested Bolt had the Light Ash Grey/Ceramic White

The Bolt and Leaf are competitors with different approaches, though they’re similar in being attractive prospects in this period of EV discounts. Either are solid choices if you’re ready to make the jump.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive journalist and consultant ( www.gaycarguy.com ).

Check out his automotive staging service at www.carstaging.com

KRAMER (continued from page 22) and spaces—he’s framed on the balcony or getting lost in a maze, a labyrinth. A new city feels like that. So can love, especially the beginning, when you are going with it, not knowing the destination. I wanted to present Ocho first, and then [the guys] together. The film is static because I feel the more [motionless] the camera is, there is more nuance in the performance and how the characters react and interact.

Gary M. Kramer: Ramon, how did you work on developing your onscreen relationship with Juan/ Ocho? There is a real chemistry between you guys.

Ramon Pujol: I think there’s a message of not taking yourself so seriously. If you pay too much attention to what you love, or want, life takes you in a different direction. Enjoy what happens and be happy with what you get. Try to get what you want, but don’t get mad if you don’t.

Be honest with where you are, and what you feel. I don’t know if this is the message of the movie or life. There is a point where nothing is so important that it gives you a feeling of nostalgia or a happy sadness about what could have happened if ... . There are plenty of ifs in anyone’s life, but maybe this is what relates us to the film or touches us.

Ramon Pujol: We did nothing in particular. We met the day before shooting started. Sometimes you have that chemistry and sometimes you have to pretend or build it. When we looked at each other, it worked. We were focused. It just happened. You can’t [force] it, but when you feel it, you have to use it. That’s what we did. There’s no secret. It’s like meeting people. You meet someone at a bar and there is magic that happens. The same is true with actors. What I focused on was how I related to him. That may be the chemistry—how do you feel in each part of a relationship with someone?

© 2019 Gary M. Kramer

Gary M. Kramer: Ramon, what do you think the film is saying about the past and future, that we are different people at different points in our lives and our priorities change?

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

Gary M. Kramer: Lucio, there is a line about a magical connection vs. a rational one. This to me is the crux of the film. Do you think the relationship between Javi and Ocho is magical or rational?

Lucio Castro: I don’t have much to say about that. There’s a rational and magical part to a connection. I like this person for this, this, and this, but these other reasons you can’t explain. You said it better than me.

SISTER DANA (continued from page 23) This year’s honorees included Sister Roma, community leader and activist, given the Cleve Jones Leadership Award; Fernando Castillo, founder of SFAF’s EL GRUPO DE APOYO LATINO, receiving the Community Excellence Award; and Walgreens given the Corporate Pillar Award for its commitment to increasing access to and destigmatizing HIV testing. SFAF CEO Joe Hollendoner also unveiled the organization’s new strategic plan, which includes a new vision and a new mission statement for the 37-year-old community organi-

zation. Event Co-chairs Megan Minkiewicz and James Pincow welcomed us. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, celebrating our 40th anniversary, graced the event with a blessing. Activist and SFAF co-founder Cleve Jones presented the Cleve Jones Leadership Award. Distinguished elected officials included California State Senator Scott Wiener, District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, and San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros, who introduced San Francisco Mayor

London Breed, who lauded the many accomplishments of SFAF and proudly noted that the number of new HIV positives has dramatically reduced on the way towards zero—the goal for both San Francisco and Oakland. An additional treat was one of my fave DQs Katya Smirnoff-Skyy singing live her popera (pop plus opera) medley renditions of “Over the Rainbow,” “I Will Survive,” “YMCA” (with us happily making the appropriate hand gestures), “It’s Raining Men,” Madonna’s “Material Girl,” “I’m Every Woman,” Cher’s

KIT’N KITTY’S

QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on page 20)

B) Allen Schindler Though sadly all of these young men were beaten to death because of their sexual identity, United States Navy Radioman Petty Officer Third Class Allen R. Schindler, Jr., was the subject of Any Mother’s Son. He was murdered October 27, 1992, for being gay. He was killed in a public restroom in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan, by a fellow shipmate who acted with the aid of an accomplice, Charles Vins, in what Esquire called a “brutal murder.”

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“Believe,” and closing with all of us singing along and heartily agreeing “We Are the Champions”

by Queen. It’s as if she sang the International Queer Song Book! Fabulous!

Sister Dana sez, “Three National Security Advisers have now left the Trump administration. I don’t feel very secure, do you?”

Some of us Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence celebrated and/or roasted SISTER ROSE MARY CHICKEN in a fundraiser for ST. JAMES INFIRMARY lovingly entitled TASTES LIKE CHICKEN at Moby Dick bar on September 12 with a farewell ... for now! She is escaping to Germany to find her roots, but will ultimately hopefully return one day to Gay by the Bay where she belongs, dammit! The glorious night was emceed

by Kit Tapata, Queen Dilly Dally, Dusty Pörn, and others.

The entertainment was incredible.

Kit Tapata did a funny, but somehow also sad, goodbye in a chicken suit with “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from Grease. Puppet Master Rich acted out his chicken puppet having the nerve to “eat” fried chicken from a KFC bucket. That’s chicken homicide. He also did a duet with Queen Dilly Dally. Sister Tilda Next Time came out in royal robes and then disrobed in a

sexy scary strip. Dusty Pörn did “A House Is Not a Home.” Elsa Touche did a riveting monologue. Sister Bella Donna Summer was true to her name, lip-synching Donna Summer’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” which perfectly described our feelings about Sister Chicken leaving us. Sister Mary Media did “I Hope You Dance”

by Lee Ann Womack while tossing out photo after photo after quite revealing photos of Sister Chicken to the adoring audience. All this with DJ Jimmy M Strano providing sound. It must be mentioned that in between roasting the chicken we also did the chicken dance and wore occasional masks of the Sister of the Hour (I purposely wore mine upside down). The evening closed so apropos with many of us nuns and fans on stage to sing “Thank You for Being a Friend” from TV’s Golden Girls. All I can say is: you bettah come back, Sister Chicken! You will be mightily missed.

Sister Dana sez, “There are so many wonderful events coming up. Check out the ‘San Francisco Bay Times' calendar!”

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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COMING UP

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS http://sfbaytimes.com/ Compiled by Blake Dillon

19 Thursday AGUILAS El Ambiente 25th Anniversary Dinner@ Roccapulco, 3140 Mission Street. The oldest Latinx LGBT organization in the Americas will celebrate 25 years and honor Erick Arguello along with founders and current and past leaders. Dress is elegant for this gala dinner event. 6-10pm. http://www.aguilas.org In Search of Stonewall: The Riots at 50 Book Event @ GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street.

Three contributors to a collection of Stonewall-related articles published in The Gay & Lesbian Review at 25, Jewelle Gomez, Will Roscoe and Eve Goldberg, will form a panel to discuss the new book. 7-9pm. http://www.glbthistory.org The Cockettes 50th Anniversary @ Balboa Theater, 3630 Balboa Street. Drag, movies and performances by the original Cockettes will entertain you at this anniversary celebration hosted by the SF Cultural History Museum and The Balboa Theater. 7-10pm. http://www.balboamovies.com

20 Friday Enola Gay: Early AIDS Activism @ GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street. Speakers Richard Bell, Jack Davis and Robert Glück will discuss the affinity group known as Enola Gay. 7-9pm. http:www.glbthistory.org Charo! @ Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness. Kung Pao Kosher Comedy welcomes the “cuchi cuchi” pop culture icon back to San Francisco.

8-9:30pm. http://www.koshercomedy.com Titus Andronicus Opening Night @ La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley. Theatre Lunatico presents Shakespeare’s tragedy about an escalating cycle of violence and terror with three central male roles swapped to female. 8pm Fridays & Saturdays; 7pm Sundays through September 29. http://www.theatrelunatico.org

21 Saturday San Francisco Pride Annual General Meeting @ SF LGBT Center, Rainbow Room, 1800 Market Street. Election of the Board of Directors for the 2020-2022 term will be conducted along with other business of SF Pride. 11am-5pm. http://www.sfpride.org Leather, Lace, and Kinque Fundraiser @ The Edge, 4149 18th Street. Hosted by Lady Cuki Queen XIV, the event is a fundraiser for Krewe de Kinque Ball and features a lineup of performers and a special appearance by Lady Phoenix with Sister Dana working the door.

4-7pm. http://www.edgesf.com Project Nunway X: Decades of Indulgence @ SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street. Join the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for an evening of fashion and fundraising with special guest Trixie Mattel.

6-10p http://www.thesisters.org Opera at the Ballpark Romeo and Juliet @ Oracle Park.

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A free live simulcast of SF Opera’s performance of Charles Gounod’s production of Shakespeare’s romantic classic, where you can sit on the grass or in the stands and watch on the scoreboard’s big screen. 7:30pm. http://www.sfopera.com/simulcast

22 Sunday Live! in the Castro: Silver Bell Jazz Band @ Jane Warner Plaza, 401 Castro at 17th Street. Silver Bell Jazz Band will perform in this ongoing series produced by Castro/Upper Market Community Business District.1-2pm. http://www.castrocpd.org

23 Monday Downton Abbey @ Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street. Julian Fellowes’ grand motion picture event brings the Crawleys and their intrepid staff to the Castro for multiple screenings and dates. Check listings. http://www.castrotheatre.com Newsmakers: Don Lemon @ Lescher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. Winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award and multiple Emmys, Lemon will discuss his rise to prime time, the power of social media and the news of the day. 7:30-9pm. http://www.lesherartscenter.org

24 Tuesday Margaret Atwood @ Carol Channing Theatre, Lowell High School, 1101 Eucalyptus Drive. Book Passage and Curran present the acclaimed novelist. 7pm. https://bit.ly/2kOGfQt

25 Wednesday An Evening with 2020 Candidate Secretary Julián Castro @ Manny’s, 3092 16th Street. The organization The Next 50 welcomes Secretary Castro for an update on his experiences on the campaign trail, Q&A and selfies with the candidate. 6:30pm. http://welcometomannys.com

26 Thursday NightLife Presents: FURY @ California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive. This evening - one in a popular ongoing series, with food and beverage options along with DJs, live music and dancing - features a special presentation of FURY, a multimedia concert experience inspired

by George Miller’s iconic movie Mad Max: Fury Road. 6pm. http://www.calacademy.org The Journalist of Castro Street - The Life of Randy Shilts Book Event @ LGBTIA Center, SF Main Library, 100 Larkin Street.

Author Andrew E. Stoner will discuss his new book. 6-7:30pm. http://www.sfpl.org The Ventriloquists @ GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street.

Novelist E.R. Ramzipoor will read from her new novel and discuss stories of everyday queer heroes from WWII until the present. 7-9pm. http:www.glbthistory.org

27 Friday GGBA’s Coffee with the President @ Equator Coffees, LinkedIn Building, 222 2nd Street.

GGBA president Gina Grahame invites you to share thoughts each Friday morning through December 6.

7:30-8:30am. http://www.ggba.com Smuin Ballet’s Johnny Cash and More! @ Cowell Theater, 2 Marina Blvd. Dance Series I debuts and continues on selected dates through October 6. Also in Walnut Creek September 20-21. Check listings. http://www.smuinballet.org 8th Annual StartOut Awards @ The St. Regis San Francisco, 125 3rd Street. The organization’s annual event honoring business leaders.

6:30-11pm. http://www.startout.org

28 Saturday Live! in the Castro: Eddie Scher and Art Span Open Studios @ Jane Warner Plaza, 401 Castro at 17th Street. Eddie Scher will perform and ArtSpan artists will share their media in this ongoing series produced by Castro/Upper Market Community Business District. 11-3pm. http://www.castrocpd.org Maestrapeace, San Francisco’s Monumental Feminist Mural Book Launch @ de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. The Women’s Building’s mural is the subject of a new book to be discussed at a panel and book signing. 1-3:30pm. http:/www.deyoungfamsf.org Cal Performances Triptych (Eyes of One on Another) @ Zellerbach Hall #48001, Berkeley.

Finding Poetry and Music in Mapplethorpe is the theme as sound and text combine for a hybrid theatrical experience. 8pm. https://bit.ly/2k0X0HR

29 Sunday Folsom Street Fair @ Folsom Street between 8th and 13th.

The world’s largest leather and fetish event with over 200 exhibitor booths, live stage, dance area and more. 11am-6pm. http://www.folsomstreetevents.org Live! in the Castro: Market Street Railway @ Jane Warner Plaza, 401 Castro at 17th Street.

Take a ride on the Market Street Railway with Castro CBD in this ongoing series produced by Castro/ Upper Market Community Business District. http://www.castrocbd.org

30 Monday Paint Nite: Sky Full of Blossoms @ Flore, 2298 Market. One of an ongoing series on Mondays, you’ll be provided with paint, canvas, brushes, easels and a professional guide and you’ll take home your own masterpiece. 7-9pm. http://www.yaymaker.com Holy Divers Queer Karaoke @ Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley. Every Monday this karaoke for queer, trans and non-binary folks, friends and alllies welcomes all genders and is led by genderqueer

Jockey (KJ) Dana Morrigan. 8pm. http://www.ivyroom.com

OCTOBER

1 Tuesday How to Take Back the Supreme Court @ Manny’s, 3092 16th Street. Activist Kate Kendell and Dr. Aaron Belkin, scholar and advocate, will join moderator Nato Green in a timely discussion on SCOTUS and the new organization, Take Back the Court. 6:30pm. http://www.welcometomannys.com AIDS/LifeCycle People of Color Info Session - See Yourself Here @ San Francisco AIDS Foundation, 1035 Market Street, Suite 300. Sponsored by AIDS/LifeCycle, this event is hosted by people of color who bike and volunteer for the annual ride, presenting info about SFAF programs and services such as Apoyo Latino, Black Brothers Esteem, Dream, TransLife and QTPOC. 6:30-8PM. http://www.aidslifecycle.org

2 Wednesday Marc Stein Book Event @ Dog Eared Books Castro, 489 Castro Street. The author of The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History will discuss his work. 7pm. http://www.dogearedbooks.com

3 Thursday Remembering A Police Riot: The Castro Sweep of 1989 @ GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street. A panel of veteran activists, including Brian Bringardner, Randi Gerson, Gerard Koskovich, Lester Olmstead-Rose and Bryndis Tobin, will discuss their memories of the police action and discuss the evolution of relations between SFPD and the LGBTQ community. 7-9pm. http:www.glbthistory.org Shanti Project’s “Compassion Is Universal” @ Palace Hotel Grand Ballroom, 2 Montgomery Street. Shanti’s 45th Anniversary will include a cocktail reception, dinner and program with honorees Hulda Brown, Shanti Client; Brisdell Hunte, Board Member; and Dede Wilsey, Philanthropist. 6pm. http://www.shanti.org Madeleine Peyroux @ Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison, Berkeley.

Recording artist and singer/songwriter Peyroux brings the genre-challenging music of her new album, Anthem, to the Bay Area for four nights (October 3-6) at The Freight. Check times. http://www.thefreight.org

4 Friday Economic Justice Month KickOff @ SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. Celebrate the start of Economic Justice Month and the upcoming events, including workshops, panels and networking opportunities during October. 5-8:30pm. http://www.sfcenter.org

5 Saturday Out of the Closet Ball 2019 @ Beaux, 2344 Market Street. Hosted by Emperor JP Soto and Empress Misty Blue in conjunction with the Imperial Court of San Francisco, the event will benefit the Monarchs Charity Fund. 4-7pm. http://www.imperialcouncilsf.com SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band - Fall Community Concert @ Forest Hill Christian Church, 250 Laguna Honda Boulevard. SFLGFB will present an evening of musical contrasts featuring unique sounds of industrialization opposite nature and much more. 6 pm. http://www.sflgfb.org S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Rink Photo Throwback ) CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019

Round About - All Over Town

Photos by Rink

1983

A Folsom Street Fair banner at Market and 8th Street announces the upcoming event on Sunday, September 29.

District 8 Supevisor Rafael Mandelman spoke at the Meth Town Hall held at the SF LGBT Center on September 9.

The success of the 21st Annual Friends of Duboce Park Tag Sale, held on September 7, was acknowledged by event coordinators Rose Gillen and March Scheuer.

Indigo Vintage Cooperative, based in Berkeley, has opened a pop-up store at 463 Castro Street where All American Boy and then Outfit, both clothing stores, were located. Flying Falafel has applied to open at the site, but faces hurdles due to opposition from nearby restaurants serving Mediterranean fare.

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egendary San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink has been to every Castro Street Fair since this street festival and fair began in 1974.

Rink’s friend Harvey Milk (1930–1978), along with an association led by Milk, founded the event. It attracted over 5,000 people that first year, with attendance reaching 70,000 by 1977.

Rink captured this sweet couple in an intimate pose at the 1983 Fair. That year proved to be a challenging one for the LGBTQ community, given the rising threats posed by HIV/AIDS. It was the year that Ward 86—the world’s first dedicated outpatient AIDS clinic—opened at San Francisco General Hospital.

Just before the Fair was held, the New York Attorney General and Lambda Legal joined forces to file the first AIDS discrimination lawsuit.

On a lighter note, 1983 was a great year for pop culture, with Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” dominating the airwaves, along with The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” Popular movies included Tootsie, Flashdance and Terms of Endearment. Shoulder pads and hair were big; colors were bold. Ronald Reagan was president and Dianne Feinstein was the mayor of San Francisco.

While those moments seem so long ago, time stands still in this photo. The couple’s loving embrace appears as powerful now as it was nearly four decades ago. Rink’s easygoing nature when he’s at work perhaps added to the subjects’ relaxed mood in that instant. The Fair itself surely helped as well. Find out for yourself on Sunday, October 6, for the 46th year of this popular Castro event: https://castrostreetfair.org/

Signs on Turk Street near Market indicate the entrance to the Tenderloin neighborhood.

The first Tenderloin Pride event, held on September 8, was sponsored by Aunt Charlie’s Lounge and hosted by poet Aja Monet (fourth from left).

Representatives of Openhouse staffed their booth on September 8 during the Tenderloin City Streets Day at SF Civic Center.

SF Library’s button making booth was operating at the Civic Center location of the Tenderloin City Streets Day. 30

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The drumming group Sounds from the Ground performed at the Civic Center location of the Tenderloin’s City Streets Day held on September 8.

An exercise group was led by staffers from All Abilities Open Gymnasium at the Tenderloin City Streets Day.

Soccer players enjoyed competing at the Civic Center on Tenderloin City Streets Day, September 8.

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2019)

CASTRO STREETCAM presented by

The Beauty Operators String Band performed at Jane Warner Plaza, located at Castro and 17th Streets, during the September Castro Art Walk.

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Flying their flag at half mast, Fire Station #3 on Polk Street marked the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

items of the week Artist Deena Abramson was on hand with her work displayed at Spark Arts galley on September 5.

Artist David Puck stood before a display of his work at Art Attack during the Castro Art Walk on September 5.

Gumball Poodle Socks Some of our hottest items right now are socks! Dress up your feet, make a statement or just make yourself super comfy when chilling at home. Socks, wonderful socks!

Blue Q Oven Mitts Also hot right now are oven mitts...

I guess you could say that they’re like socks for your hands.

DJ EhV and Spark Arts gallery owner Aviva Kanoff on September 5 during the Castro Art Walk.

Key chains were created by Mr. Rogers of Bunnymatic at the Local Take store during the September Castro Art Walk.

On the evening of Castro Art Walk for September, a street sign announced artist David Puck’s new exhibit at Art Attack.

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Artist Dina Marshalek presented a display of her work during Castro Art Walk on September 5.

Spark Arts Gallery owner Sylvia Kanof (second from right) welcomed artists (left to right) Jenny Feinberg, Avia Kanoffsmothers and Denna Abramson to her store during the Castro Art Walk on September 5.

n times of economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever to shop local. It keeps San Francisco fun and interesting and directly supports our local economy.

As Heard on the Street . . .

In what way would you suggest that a newcomer volunteer in the LGBT community?

compiled by Rink

Derrick Hanson

Sue Trayling

Charles Sands

Audry deLucia

Cuki Couture

“It would depend on their interests but I’d support the St. James Infirmary or Strut. They are both great organizations that do important work!”

“Glide Church, where they have wonderful programs”

“At Lyric in the Castro”

“If they have an interest in business. I would suggest volunteering with the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA).”

“As a person who brings people together and helps the needs of many, I think that a group or organization is great as long as they are helping those in need.”

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