San Francisco Bay Times - October 7, 2021

October 7–20, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com

SFFD Stands at the Ready See pages 2–3

CHLOE JACKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY/SPECIAL TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES

Chief Jeanine Nicholson and Her Team

Chief Jeanine Nicholson Leads San Francisco Fire Department to National Acclaim for Service and Diversity

Photos by Chloe Jackman/Special to the San Francisco Bay Times

San Francisco Bay Times: Please share some memorable experiences from your time as a Firefighter EMT.

San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) Chief Jeanine Nicholson, the first openly LGBTQ chief in the city’s history, has only held her position for a few years, and yet her accomplishments during this time— most of which has been during a challenging pandemic—are already many. They include helping to establish San Francisco’s Street Crisis Response Team and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office, as well as groundbreaking work on firefighter safety, behavioral health, disaster preparedness, and community paramedicine.

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: There are so many memorable experiences.

Some of them happened in the firehouse with the camaraderie and the teamwork and the relationships that you build. We make and eat meals together. We do chores together and we live there together for 24 hours at a time. It is bonding like in no other city department. This is extremely important because, once we go out to a call, we always have to have one another’s backs whether it be at a fire or a vehicle accident or a medical call.

On top of that, Chief Nicholson is successfully managing the dayto-day tasks of running one of the busiest fire departments in the nation. According to the Firehouse National Run Survey, San Francisco frequently ranks in the top 20 of the busiest fire departments nationwide when factoring in total annual fire and EMS (Emergency Medical Support) calls. SFFD reports that it serves an estimated 1.5 million people.

I have been to fires were people and animals have been rescued, and I’ve been to fires where there are deaths.

We go to calls on the worst day of people’s lives, so I don’t feel right giving you details of those things. But suffice it to say that we work codes, which means we do CPR on people and try to resuscitate them. And we do not always succeed. So, we also have to interact with family members and friends who may be devastated by what is happening in front of them. We go to chaotic and traumatic scenes on a regular basis, whether it be a shooting, a stabbing, a car accident, or an overdose. There is a lot of suffering out there and I always did my best to bring my best self to those incidents.

When Mayor London Breed appointed Chief Nicholson in March 2019 she said: “She has been on the front lines fighting fires, and she has saved lives as a paramedic, and she has done the complicated work as a deputy chief to manage multiple divisions. This woman is tough; this woman is resilient; this woman is a leader. I am confident she will be ready to lead the department on day one.”

Chief Nicholson has lived up to the high praise, and then some. On a national level, she has drawn positive attention to the SFFD for its service and ongoing efforts to promote diversity. We were honored when she recently agreed to an interview.

San Francisco Bay Times: We read that you grew up across the street from a fire station in New York. Please share your memories of those early years, in terms of the fire station and related happenings, as well as your father and grandfather both serving as volunteer firefighters.

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: Yes, I did indeed grow up across the street from a fire station in Pelham, New York. My father would bring me in

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there on Election Day when I was little. I never saw a female firefighter when I was in there and did not have a role model to [inspire me to] even think about the job then. But I was fascinated by all the equipment in the feel of the place. In addition, when there was a fire in town, the horns would sound a particular number, and we would go to our phonebook and look up the number and see what the address was of the fire.

I was fascinated by all of this. My father and my grandfather were volunteer firefighters in Long Island, New York. My dad was thrilled when I became a firefighter. My grandfather was also a New York City police officer for many years before he was

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struck by a drunk driver and could no longer work as a police officer.

San Francisco Bay Times: What led to you moving to San Francisco, and what line of work were you in before joining the SFFD in 1994?

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: I moved to San Francisco from Boston in 1990. I had been here before to visit and I had many friends here.

I was still searching for a career, so I was doing different odd jobs. I worked in construction for a while. I was a bartender for a while. But neither of those completely suited me.

I always wanted to be of service in what felt to me in a meaningful way.

San Francisco Bay Times: At age 49 and as a breast cancer survivor you broke the agility test record for the best time by a female firefighter: 8 minutes, 4 seconds. Do you know if that record still holds?

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: That record no longer holds. Another woman who was close to my age also returned from a breast cancer diagnosis and did it in well under eight minutes. She is a bad ass. But for myself, I have always taken pride in staying in shape and being fit. And, in fact, working out is part of my mental health regimen.

San Francisco Bay Times: Fast forward to the present, and in just a few years as Chief you have helped to launch major groundbreaking efforts such as the Street Crisis Response

Team and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office. Please provide a brief update on them along with other priority projects, such as Behavioral Health and Succession Planning.

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: Wow, there is a lot wrapped up in that question! First, I will talk a little bit about our community paramedic response. Community paramedics are different from the paramedics on our ambulances. They have additional trauma-informed training.

They go out and meet people where they are to try to get them the services and connections that they need.

This is to improve people’s quality of life and, in turn, this can decrease the number of 911 calls from a particular individual. They are able to build trust with many of their clients and patients. So, our community paramedics are medical professionals and part social worker. They do some case management and they are trained in de-escalation techniques.

They are trained and educated so that they can properly relate to people from a trauma-informed perspective.

The Street Crisis Response Team is one of these community paramedics teams. They specialize in responding to behavioral health issues on the street. Sometimes those people do need an ambulance and sometimes they do not. Again, we try to meet people where they are and facilitate care and services for them. You can now see departments from all over the country that are standing up community paramedic and alternative responses to many of the issues on the street. The police have typically been the department to respond to all of these calls. We have been doing community paramedicine for many years in the SFFD, and now have expanded that team as part of the alternative to policing in San Francisco.

We also have a Street Opioid Response Team (SORT). We found that, last year, when there were over 700 deaths due to drug overdoses, over 400 of those individuals had at one time been in one of our ambulances. What that indicates is that a predictor for someone to die of an overdose is a previously reversed overdose. SORT identifies, responds, and engages with survivors of non-fatal

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

overdoses and individuals with opioid use disorder. They provide both harm reduction and abstinencebased connections, depending on the individual.

Overall, community paramedicine outreaches and responds to different types of incidents that an emergency room visit is not going to help. We have seen people cycle in and out of ambulances and ERs and not receive what they need to help them in the long run. This is some of the solution to that issue. Not every problem is a nail and not every fix is a hammer—or something like that! I could go on and on about community paramedicine. I have seen the work that is being done on the streets by our members and it is incredible and inspirational and life changing.

I stood up the first diversity, equity, and inclusion office (DEI) in the SFFD. While the SFFD is seen as a leader in diversity in the Fire Service across the United States, there is always more work to do.

The DEI office is looking at these issues throughout the department, and not just in the hiring process.

We are looking at it through promotional opportunities and succession planning and disciplinary proceedings and a multitude of other angles.

I want to be able to give everyone the tools they need to succeed.

As an example, we are building up our own cadre of training instructors. The reason for this is that if a firefighter wants to go take a class, whether a state fire marshal class or some other class, they need to take time off and maybe travel to Sacramento or Los Angeles to take that class. Now a single parent may not be able to do that because of family commitments, whereas the single person may be able to do that. So, we want to be able to offer these classes in-house to everyone who wants them. We should be learning something new every single day we come to work, so we want to provide this additional support and opportunity for all of our members. In addition,

San Francisco is an extremely unique city. With all the topography and architecture, and as we like to say “wooden boxes on hills,” it is important that we teach our members how to fight fires the San Francisco way and no one can do that any better than an experienced San Francisco firefighter.

therapy dogs. We will have two different firefighters handling these dogs. The dogs will go to work with the firefighters and may be specially called to a fire station or a hospital to meet with an EMS crew or even to my office if I’m having a stressful day! This program will be implemented over the next several months.

In addition, the SFFD has spearheaded a new program in the city. It is called City EMT (similar to EMS Corps). It is a wraparound program for approximately three months for San Francisco at-risk youth from the ages of 18 to 25. They receive life coaching, trauma counseling, health and hygiene, budgeting, and an EMT class. And a stipend. Mayor London Breed showed up the first day to this program and advised these students that they were going to get a stipend each month so they could focus on this opportunity. She didn’t want anyone to be distracted by other challenges (such as food or housing insecurity). The young people are supported throughout. Many have gone on to earn their EMT licensure for California. And we now have five of these young people doing paid internships in the SFFD on our ambulances. This will give them experience to help them grow in their lives and in their careers, should they choose to be a member of the SFFD or not. Can you tell how excited I am about this program?!

San Francisco Bay Times: What has recent response been like for NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team), and how do you view those efforts complimenting the work of the SFFD?

Now for behavioral health, we have several employees dedicated to responding to our own members who are having challenging issues (such as divorce or a death in the family), or members who have been to an extremely stressful incident, or to many of them. Over our careers we see a lot of things that no other people see or frankly should ever see.

This is part of the reason our bonds with each other are so strong, and that we have this understanding of one another. And many of us can use some extra support. So, we recently connected with a nonprofit called Thor’s Hope Foundation and they are providing us with two trained

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: The NERT volunteers have been deployed throughout the pandemic.

They have staffed vaccination centers and food pantries. These are wonderful people who are of service to their communities. In addition, NERT is designed to be helpful to the SFFD and the citizens of the City and County of San Francisco after an earthquake or other disaster. The 911 system may be overwhelmed with 911 calls after an earthquake, and there may be too many incidents for us to get to all of them. So, the SFFD and other public safety agencies in San Francisco will not be able to answer every call for help. NERT will fill in some of those places, whether it be triaging different streets for the amount and extent of damages and or injuries, or staffing their own community hubs or working side by side with us in the stations as ham radio operators. At the very least, NERT volunteers are trained in how to prepare themselves and their families in the event of a disaster, so that will be one less person calling 911.

San Francisco Bay Times: Please tell us about Camp Blaze and your experiences volunteering there.

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: Camp Blaze is a 100% volunteer organization staffed by women firefighters and their friends. It is a weeklong camp during the summer that is

offered to approximately two dozen young women from the ages of 14 to 19. The camp is free to them. It is a leadership and empowerment camp based on firefighting skills. The two summers I was there I saw some of these young women come in very unsure of themselves and leave a week later really believing in themselves and having a bigger perspective on what could be possible for them. It was hard work and a whole lot of fun.

San Francisco Bay Times: October has seen some of the Bay Area’s most devastating fires, such as the Oakland Hills fire of 1991. What are your goals at SFFD to help prevent such fires, and is there anything that our readers can do, such as participating in NERT or something else, to help with these efforts?

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: Fortunately, in San Francisco we don’t have much in the way of wildfires. While we do have some brushfires and tree fires in our different parks—which we are completely prepared for—it is nothing compared to what is going on in other parts of California. We have seen what we call WUI or Wildland Urban Interface Fires. As we see our populations expand further and further into forests and nature, we see more fires. Add a severe drought (global warming) to that and these fires can be colossal. We have specially trained members within the department who volunteer to be deployed to these fires. We have deployed dozens of members to several different fires this year. They go for up to two weeks at a time. We will have sent numerous engines and strike teams to incidents. The fire season seems to get longer and longer every year.

When I first came in, the season was from October for about three or four months. Now, NERT is a wonderful thing to have under your belt and we have deployed NERT volunteers to other disasters in the country as well.

San Francisco Bay Times: You are a tremendous role model for LGBTQ women, and particularly those who are first responders or hope to be. What advice do you have for such women, given that women and people of color are still in the minority at most major fire departments?

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: What I would tell people is it’s OK to dream big and expand your perspective on what you can do. Believe in yourself!

And it is really important to have people in your corner who not only believe in you, but also can support and mentor you. You do not have to do it all alone. In addition, it can be very challenging for women and people of color in some departments (as the world in general can be). So again, have the support that you need in your corner. I believe representation is incredibly important and that diversity is our strength. That doesn’t mean there will not be bumps along the road. But you can do it!

There is a lot of support!

San Francisco Bay Times: Please mention anything else that you would like Bay Times readers to know.

Chief Jeanine Nicholson: The SFFD stands ready to answer the call in San Francisco and throughout the state of California and elsewhere. We take great pride in what we do. It is an honor to serve the people of this city. I pinch myself every day because I won the lottery all those years ago when I was given an opportunity. And it was an absolute thrill for me to march at San Francisco Pride in 2019 as the Chief of the SFFD. I have never felt that much love and appreciation in my life. Wow. The queer community and allies were wonderful! https://sf-fire.org/

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David Chiu’s Appointment to City Attorney and the Ensuing Chain Reaction: Let the Games Begin

Photos courtesy of Lou Fischer

Chiu, to replace Dennis Herrera as City Attorney, practically breaking Facebook and Instagram when every political junkie in San Francisco posted congratulations and a selfie that included Chiu.

Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Louise “Lou” Fischer It’s time to play musical chairs again in San Francisco politics.

If you’ve ever wondered why it is important to have a really good mayor in San Francisco, it is because in addition to leading the executive branch of the city and county government, kissing babies, cutting ribbons, and lighting up the city with a 1000-watt smile, Mayor London Breed has appointment power over vacancies. Since 1931, San Francisco’s City Charter (Article III, Section 2.100.15 for the policy nerds in the audience) allows the mayor to “make an appointment to fill any vacancy in an elective office of the City and County until a successor shall have been elected.”

Setting off a domino theory (the falling kind, not the game your grandfather played) in city and state government, Mayor Breed appointed current State Assemblymember, former Supervisor, and President of the Board of Supervisors, David

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I worked for David on his first Assembly campaign in 2014, volunteered on subsequent campaigns, and served as one of his appointed delegates to the State Democratic Party. I am an unabashed fan of David’s, so any semblance of neutrality in this article just flew out the window faster than the Blue Angels in diamond formation over the Marina Green.

I checked in to congratulate him on the day of his appointment and to ask about his commitment to advocacy for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in light of his new role. He responded that he was humbled and grateful to serve as the next City Attorney and that “it will be an honor to use the power of the law to uphold the rights of our LGBTQ+ communities and fight for justice on behalf of the people of San Francisco.

The City Attorney’s office has been on the forefront of some of the most important legal battles in the country, and I look forward to continuing that legacy.”

What started this game of Musical Chairs?

This past spring, Mayor Breed appointed Herrera to lead the city’s Public Utilities Commission because who better to take over an agency where the level of corruption exceeded the Teapot Dome, Watergate, the Keating Five, Tammany Hall, and the entire Trump presidency than the city’s self-proclaimed “top watch-

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dog”? The appointment of Chiu to Herrera’s seat, a surprise to no one except for the remaining pandemic shut-ins who have eschewed broadcast TV, newspapers, and the entire internet, made Chiu San Francisco’s first Asian American City Attorney.

This is probably one of the last city elected offices where the designation of “First Asian” still applies. Former District Attorney Kamala Harris and current Public Defender Manohar Raju are of Indian descent and therefore qualify as Southeast Asians.

The last holdout might be the office of City Treasurer, where Mary Callanan served for 17 years (1980– 1997), followed by Susan Leal (1997– 2004), and where current Treasurer José Cisneros super-glued himself to the seat in 2004 and has shown no intention of leaving his plum post.

What happens now?

Chiu’s tentative date to leave the Assembly is Oct 31, after which

Governor Gavin Newsom must call for a special election two weeks later to be held between 126 and 140 days after that or within 200 days to consolidate it with another election. Candidates will face the voters sometime in early-to-mid 2022 and then again in November 2022 because Chiu’s term Amy Meyers (left) and Lou Fischer with Assemblyman David Chiu at ends in December, the San Francisco Pride Parade (2017) 2022. There’s no progressive voter base. They chose electoral honeymoon for Chiu to forgo a backroom deal in which because, as a mayoral appointee, he a “Progressive Papa” (or “Mama,” must run in the June 7, 2022, pribut the alliteration works better mary or sooner (if there is an elecwith “Papa”) anoints one as the heir tion in San Francisco before that apparent with an easier path to vicdate, such as a Board of Education tory. Pundits are calling it a proor District Attorney recall election) gressive wrestling match, but the to keep the City Attorney position musical theatre geek in me sees a until the end of Herrera’s term. And rivalry on par with Guys and Dolls, if he wishes to run for his own 4-year Grease, Hamilton, or West Side Story— term, he must run in November but without anyone getting killed at 2023. the end. It will be interesting to see Who is running? how the two progressive candidates split votes among the progressive So far, four candidates have declared establishment and Democratic club their intention to run for Chiu’s endorsements, and if this opens the seat: Supervisor Matt Haney; fordoor for a more moderate candidate mer Supervisor David Campos, to sneak in and steal the win. and current Chief of Staff for the San Francisco District Attorney; Thea Selby, a City College of San Francisco Trustee; and Bilal Mahmood, a scientist that no San Francisco voter has ever heard of but has the coolest sounding name of the four declared candidates.

Haney and Campos in the same Assemblyman David Chiu spoke at the 2019 Pink Triangle Ceremony held atop Twin Peaks, while his race sets up an internecine struggle between two darlings of the city’s son Lucas visited with Mayor London Breed.

While Mayor Breed has not endorsed (yet) in this race, if Haney wins the Assembly seat, the Mayor gets to make another appointment to fill Haney’s District 6 Supervisor seat. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Democratic clubs and campaign consultants are going to be very busy. (continued on page 18)

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‘March for Our Rights’ -

San Francisco Community-Organized March for Reproductive Justice Saturday, October 2

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

In San Francisco and cities throughout the U.S., thousands of marchers took to the streets on Saturday, October 2, demanding that women’s reproductive rights must be preserved. The route began at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and continued on Market Street to the Embarcadero Plaza.

Prompted by a restrictive law recently passed in Texas and similar ones pending in other states, the activists’ message is aimed for the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court who have agreed to hear cases designed to challenge the historic Roe v. Wade decision that has protected a woman’s right to choose since the landmark court ruling by the Court announced on January 22, 1973.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA ANDARY

“I’m just glad I live in California” was a common sentiment expressed by marchers who voiced dismay with having to take to the streets on reproductive rights once again, but vowed determination to continue expressing their views on the importance of this matter.

Co-hosts of the San Francisco March included ACCESS Reproductive Justice, Alliance for Girls, Batalá San Francisco, Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits, Black Women Organized for Political Action, California Commission on the Status of Women & Girls, Department on The Status of Women SF, GENup, League of Women Voters of San Francisco, MomsRising/MamásConPoder, NARAL Pro-Choice CA, National Center for Lesbian Rights, One Fair Wage, Planned Parenthood Northern California, Raging Grannies Action League, San Francisco Office of SHARP, San Francisco Women’s Political Committee, The San Francisco Human Rights Commission, The Women’s Building, The Transgender District V-Day/One Billion Rising, WChallenge, and Youth Advocates for Change.

Among those attending and shown here were Jolene Linsangan ( Jolene’s Bar), Sophia Andary (Women’s March San Francisco), Elizabeth Lanyon (NCLR), Latashia Govan aka Sgt. Die Wies (Burlesque Artist), and the drum band Batala San Francisco. Holding up the primary banner from left to right were Director Shannon Hovis (NARAL Pro-Choice California), Director Jessica Pinckney (ACCESS Reproductive Justice), Women’s March SF Co-Founder and Commissioner Andary, Supervisor Connie Chan, Director Sheryl Davis (SF Human Rights Commission), Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and Advocacy Director Haleema Bharoocha (Alliance For Girls).

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https://womensmarchsf.org/

Cryptocurrency: Goldmine or Empty Claim?

Why the Hype Our world is increasingly digital and global, which poses myriad challenges for traditional, border-bound currencies. Cryptocurrency was developed to address these vulnerabilities.

Money Matters Brandon Miller The CEO of Levi’s recently talked about people needing new clothes because of the pandemic—either because they had shed or added significant weight. How brilliant to sell something that people need no matter which way the wind blows (or waist goes). Of course, brilliance is in their genes, given Levi Strauss’ recognition that the real gold was not in prospecting, but in outfitting those who did.

Mr. Strauss’ early customers might recognize the Wild West, gold rush feel of today’s cryptocurrency environment. After all, “miners” are needed to run the whole system.

Everyone is jockeying for the richest claims in this uncharted territory.

And tales of Bitcoin billionaires are just as alluring today as yesterday’s gold-strike yarns.

But is there gold in them thar hills for you? First, let’s make sure you understand what you’re investing in given that crypto is a super volatile investment and currently not recognized as an official security by the SEC. Then decide if it fits into your portfolio.

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Cryptocurrency is a virtual form of currency that you can exchange for goods and services, just like traditional money. It’s secured by encryption that makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. The currency has no intrinsic value, but is worth whatever people will pay for it.

Traditional currencies are under the control of a government or central bank. Value rises and falls based on economic and political factors in that country or bloc. This makes them vulnerable to manipulation and corruption. Crypto avoids this through a decentralized network of computers—open to anyone with enough computing power—that creates and verifies transactions. The value of this border-free currency is based on supply and demand. Many cryptocurrencies limit their supply to increase the price as interest grows.

Crypto transactions can transfer money from one account to another in mere seconds versus the days many banks require to do the same thing. They also eliminate money transfer, exchange, and other fees that get tacked on when banks and middlemen are involved. Merchants that accept cryptocurrency win twice because they get their money immediately and don’t have to pay any fees to a credit card company.

How Crypto Safeguards Data Much like pickaxes were essential to the prospectors, cryptocurrency

requires blockchain technology that ensures the integrity of transactions.

Blockchain has other uses, including smart contracts that secure the exchange of everything from electricity to legal documents. (Sensing a Levi’s-type opportunity here?)

Blockchain requires a vast network of extremely sophisticated computers working 24/7 with complex algorithms to encrypt transactions and verify transfers. Rather than one company owning all of these computers—and gaining control over the currency—different individuals and groups lend their computers to the network. These “miners” get paid in cryptocurrency when their computer is the first to solve an impossible-forhumans-to-guess code that authenticates a transaction. That transaction is added to a block of others and stored in a permanent ledger that is theoretically too large and complex to corrupt because it constantly changes.

Considerations When Investing With its speed, security, and global reach, cryptocurrency has the potential to be transformative in the near future. And it’s fairly straightforward to invest in today; even PayPal lets you buy it. The question is, what to buy?

We’re still in the early days when both start-ups and regulators are ironing out the kinks and wrestling with things like extreme price volatility and unsavory folks using the network for illegal activities. As the internet’s infancy showed us, many of today’s cryptocurrencies will likely fail before a few emerge as winners in the coming years. (continued on page 18)

Message from Leadership

The GGBA 2021 Annual Meeting Recap

By Michael Gunther and Dr. Krystal Drwencke

Michael Gunther

The 2021 GGBA Annual Meeting was our first ever Hybrid event with attendees gathering in person and online. We are so proud of our community as we united in our strength and resiliency in the last year and are bouncing forward to a prosperous 2022!

The GGBA Annual Meeting was held at GGBA member Brio Financial Group. Every year we have the opportunity to review the accomplishments of the previous year and see what’s in store for next year. Our celebrations included our first ever virtual Power Lunch event in May Dr. Krystal Drwencke of 2021. We also put two cohorts of members through the Virtual CEO Roundtable Coaching Program. This program enabled members to pivot their businesses and grow at the start of the pandemic. We continued having our monthly mixers virtually, which highlighted a different member each month. We also developed the Virtual Power Pitch Platform. This enables members to receive coaching on how to represent their story and their business, along with the opportunity GGBA members participating virtually to have it recorded at a local proin the organization’s Annual Meeting. duction studio or via Zoom. New programming also included anti-racism and bias trainings. Last but not least, we created a 5-year vision and introduced our new Executive Director, who will make a more formal announcement soon.

2021 Visionary Award We had the opportunity to honor Audry deLucia, past president of the GGBA and long-standing member, with the Visionary Award. Audry has been a dedicated member and advocate for the

GGBA Member Spotlight

community and served on the board of directors for two terms where she worked tirelessly to move the organization forward. It has been a privilege working with and knowing her. She is the owner of ellaprint, along with her partner Fran Herman. Ellaprint is a women-owned and operated, WBE and LGBTBE Certified Business and proudly doing business in San Francisco since 2003.

2021 Leadership Award

GGBA CALENDAR

Dr. Krystal Drwencke presents the Visionary Award to GGBA past president Audry deLucia of ellaprint.

Tony Archuleta-Perkins was honored with the Leadership Award this year. As a longtime member, board director, treasurer, and member of the executive committee, Tony has transformed the GGBA’s annual budget and accounting process. He has also introduced Memberships Works to our membership for a more seamless membership and directory experience for our members. Tony is the owner of Ide8 Real Estate, which is a boutique luxury real estate agency. Their focus is quite simple: to proudly serve California LGBTQ+ clients and allies in residential real estate. Ide8 is based in San Francisco, but has local experts not only in San Francisco but also in Palm Springs and West Hollywood. Ide8 Real Estate proudly maintains its independently owned brokerage with the local savviness required to navigate the California real estate market.

Virtual Voting Ballot Results The changes to the by-laws have passed, which allows our organization to meet and conduct business virtually. It is also my pleasure to announce that Michael Gunther will stay on the board for another term AND he is staying on as President for 2021–2022.

Tony Archuleta-Perkins is also staying on the board for another term and as treasurer. Furthermore, we have two newly elected board members, Pamela Schmitz of Brio who is serving on the (continued on page 18)

Suzette Lin, J.D., of Substantia Law Group Photos courtesy of Suzette Lin

For those seeking legal help concerning mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, private placements, ventures, contracts of all varieties, and more, Substantia Law Group has you covered. Managing Principal Suzette Lin, J.D., has a stellar background including her education at the Hong Kong International School, Boston University, the University of San Francisco Law School (where she earned her juris doctorate with honors), the University of Hong Kong, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

GGBA: Please tell us more about Substantia Law Group.

Suzette Lin, J.D.: Substantia Law Group advises small businesses and startups on every legal matter the companies face, from formation to financing to exit.

We serve clients throughout the Bay Area and are located in The Castro District in San Francisco.

GGBA: Why did you decide to establish your own firm?

Suzette Lin, J.D.: I started out my legal career working in a big corporate law firm in Silicon Valley back in 2000. Then I spent some time overseas in China and was General Counsel for two medium-size companies there. I met my wife in Beijing and we returned together to the Bay Area in 2014. As someone who has personally handled business and startups valued from a million to 2 billion, I decided to start my own firm where I would have more flexibility and better work-life balance.

GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to inf luence your business?

Suzette Lin, J.D.: My mother is one of my top role models and I have met many mentors along my career path. She grew up on a farm in a remote part of Taiwan and had 11 other siblings. She was the only one who made it past middle school

and then graduated from college. When we first immigrated to the U.S., she couldn’t speak a word of English, and to help ends meet she would do house cleaning and work at the nearby mall Suzette Lin, J.D. in Westchester; she also went to the local community college to learn English. She was always very dynamic, into self-development, and loved people. By her mid-40s, she decided to start investing in real estate and soon she also became an entrepreneur. She had a large network of professional contacts and close friends because she was compassionate, a great listener, and a real no-nonsense doer. Throughout her life I saw her build successful businesses in retail, restaurant management, and education.

Many were surprised that, even in her late 70s, she was vibrant and a President of a boarding school in China that had nearly 1000 students. She always taught us to stick to our values, to work hard, and to respect everyone.

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

Suzette Lin, J.D.: I recently rejoined since we moved back to the city during the start of the pandemic in May 2020. As someone who always likes to be active in the community, I am looking forward to meeting more minority women business owners in San Francisco.

GGBA: What other advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

Suzette Lin, J.D.: First of all, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur—it’s

Tuesday, October 12 October Make Contact - Member to Member Networking 5:30 pm–6:30 pm Meet new and established members for several rounds of breakout rooms sure to help foster connections in the GGBA family.

Via Zoom (link to be sent 1 hour before event start) https://tinyurl.com/2k5zejxe Monday, October 18 PG&E Economic Summit Access to Capital Market and Resources for Small Business 2 pm–3:30 pm The webinar will examine economic and financial topics affecting consumers and communities, provide guidance on accessing capital and financial products tailored to small businesses, describe development resources available for small business (training and business development), and will include talking with small businesses experienced in doing business with corporations. https://tinyurl.com/dww9tust Wednesday, October 20 StartOut Equity Summit 8 am–1 pm This virtual event will intentionally focus on ways for underrepresented entrepreneurs to thrive across geographies and industries regardless of their background. https://tinyurl.com/yjy3wnrh Tuesday, November 9 November Make Contact - Member to Member Networking 5:30 pm–6:30 pm Meet new and established members for several rounds of breakout rooms sure to help foster connections in the GGBA family.

Via Zoom (link to be sent 1 hour before event start) https://tinyurl.com/7teyy5nu Thursday, November 11 GGBA Power Pitch - Fall 2021 This first Virtual Power Pitch of 2021 will be a pre-kickoff to our in-person Power Pitch during the Power Lunch 2022. Four member LGBT Certified Business Enterprises (LGBTBE) will be pitching to our partners, our membership, and hopefully you! https://tinyurl.com/439eph52

Suzette Lin conducting a seminar on legal issues impacting small businesses and startups

Suzette Lin and her family

okay. Realize what your risk tolerance is; it might not be your thing. Once you have decided either with yourself or with your loved ones that this is what you want to do, start researching and do due diligence on the industry and talk to people. Advice from veterans is always important, but also realize that you are your own unique person with your own strengths and weaknesses. When possible, find a partner or partners, or at least have a confidant with whom you can bounce ideas.

You can be passionate about something, but you also need to be practical. As a business owner, you often have to deal with administrative matters, such as legal and accounting. You do have to understand your costs and expenses. For example, if you want to scale (increase your business size, open multiple branches, or even different businesses), consider if you

Thursday, November 11 11th Annual California Cable Supplier Diversity Symposium 9 am–12 pm The Symposium will engage, educate & strategically connect diverse suppliers with important Cable Industry trends and opportunities. Meet Supplier Diversity representatives, Buyers, and Prime Suppliers in this virtual 1-day event. https://tinyurl.com/2wp93tm6 Wednesday, November 17–Friday, November 19 NGLCC Back to Business (B2B) Summit A Solidarity Rally, Awards Gala, breakout sessions, one-on-one Matchmaker meetings, and more will be held. https://tinyurl.com/v4uph4s7 really have the bandwidth, know-how, or want to deal with managing a bigger workforce.

Whether you are in a brick-and-mortar business or a startup, networking and public speaking skills will come in handy. The first 3 to 5 years may be challenging, but keep working on it and be adaptable to changing demands.

GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?

Suzette Lin, J.D.: I am a mother to a toddler and am currently the Co-Chair of the Career & Entrepreneur (continued on page 18)

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DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

Largest Gathering of Wom in the Castro, September

The largest known gathering of women business owners and managers in the Cast event at 2166 Market Street. The event, co-presented by the San Francisco Bay Time NBC Bay Area News.

An unsung hero surprised with honors by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman at the ev marking its 85th Anniversary this year. Asten, Cliff’s CFO and a co-owner, was c gap that existed between LGBTQ-focused and owned businesses in the Castro wi she unified business groups in the 1970s, resulting in a unification that has lasted t

The women of the Golden State Warriors, represented by Alysha Lofton, were als LGBTQ night on Thursday, October 28, and gave away t-shirts to attendees, who lectible series of shot glasses by ellaprint commemorating historic lesbian bars and tured. Representatives of Team Dykes on Bikes® and Team Castro Merchants As

Hosted by Donna Sachet and with music by DJ Rockaway of Olivia Travel, the ev team, and food by Annie Flores and Sara McNulty of Marcello’s Pizza. Cliff’s Var the women business owners and managers in attendance, as well as related organi Businesses, meaning that they have operated in San Francisco for 30 years or long Endrizzi, Executive Director of the City of San Francisco Office of Small Busines neighborhoods throughout the city. Richard Kurylo, Manager of the Legacy Busi

PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRY ASTEN BENNETT

Organizations

Businesses

Castro CBD (Community Business District) Angela Aiello, Executive Director

Alternative Mortgage Beth Hoffman, Owner*

Castro LGBTQ Cultural District A. Sparks, Advisory Board Member Castro Farmers’ Market Mia Simmons, Manager Castro Merchants Association Haley Adams, Co-Vice President; Suzie “Zie” Jennings, Secretary Castro Street Fair Jenn Meyer, President City of San Francisco Office of Small Business Regina Dick-Endrizzi, Executive Director Golden Gate Business Association Dr. Krystal Drwencke, Vice President

Anchor Oyster Bar** Roseann Grimm, Owner* Ascent Sports Chiropractic, Inc Dr. Krystal Drwencke, Owner Bangin Hair Salon Diane Ramirez, Owner Beck’s Motor Lodge** Bethany Beck, Owner* Brio Financial Joanne Jordan, Co-Founder; Shannon Kennedy, Director of Client Service Castro Day Spa Sandi Bault, Owner Castro Fountain Juliet Pries, Owner Cliff’s Variety** Terry Asten Bennett, Co-Owner Martha Asten, CFO, Co-Owner Cove on Castro** Solange Darwish, Co-Owner Crusin’ the Castro** Kathy Amendola, Owner Crystal Way Linda Amburgey and Kathleen Carter, Co-Owners* Double Rainbow Taryn Segal, Owner* Duboce Park Café Rachel Herbert and Dana Oppenheim, Co-Owners*

The San Francisco Bay Times exten and Sara McNulty of Marcello’s Pi Travel, Rob Seide of the SF Federal Merchants Association, and volunt

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Terry ’s list

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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

One Night Only!

Photos by Rink

men Business Owners 30, 2021

tro took place on September 30 during the Divas & Drinks @ The Academy es and The Academy, preceded the 2021 Castro Street Fair and was covered by

vent was Martha Asten, the matriarch of family-run Cliff’s Variety, which is celebrated during her birthday week, in part, for helping to bridge the once wide ith those that were not. With her husband Ernie (1947–2019) and Harvey Milk, to the present.

so celebrated. Loften presented information about the Warriors upcoming o also received Divas & Drinks signature goodie bags and the latest in the cold gathering places of San Francisco. This time, Whiptail Lizard Lounge was feassociation competed in a lively Name That Tune contest.

vent featured drinks curated by Bacardi Vice President Heather Freyer and her riety co-owner Terry Asten Bennett (Martha Asten’s daughter) led a roll call of izations whose representatives also came to the event. Several were with Legacy ger and have contributed to San Francisco’s history and identity. Regina Dickss, noted the importance of small businesses in the fabric of the Castro and other ness Program, also attended the event.

ellaprint Audry deLucia and Fran Herman, Co-Owners For Your Eyes Only ** Kathleen Kennedy, OD, Owner Frances Chef Melissa Perello, Owner* Giddy Candy Mary Mueller, Founder* Haley Adams Tattoos Haley Adams, Owner Jeffrey’s Natural Pet Foods Anna Koscielniak Thiel, Regional Manager Kasa Indian Eatery Anamika Kanna and Wendy Kawanda, Co-Owners

Olive This, Olive That Janell Pekkain, Owner San Francisco Bay Times** Dr. Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas, Co-Publishers/Editors Scarpelli & Associates** Physical Therapy Elizabeth “Liz” Scarpelli, Owner* Soko Joshi Judo Club Dr. Shelley Fernandez, Co-Founder* Spark Arts Gallery Aviva Kanoff, Owner Spunk Hair Salon Suzie “Zie” Jennings, Owner Substantia Law Group Suzette S. Lin, Attorney at Law

Kokak Chocolates Carol Gancia, Owner

Swirl Sabeen Minns, Co-Owner*

La Méditerranée Noe** Alicia Vanden Heuvel, Owner*

Tanglad Restaurant Jeannie Munez, Manager

Lisa Hair Design Lisa Cam Ha, Owner*

TIN Rx Pharmacy PJ Nachman and Dr. Christina Garcia, Co-Owners*

Local Take Jenn Meyer, Owner Marcello’s Pizza** Annie Flores and Sara McNulty, Co-Owners Mollie Stone’s Castro Taniesha Broadfoot, Store Manager Not Just Flowers Lisa Taylor, Owner*

Traci Hollander Insurance Traci Hollander, Owner* Trestman Chiropractic Dr. Julie Trestman, Owner* (* Unable to attend; ** Legacy Business) https://www.academy-sf.com/

Now Sell Anything & Nosh’s Dirty Popcorn NaNoshka Johnson, Owner

nds special thanks to Terry Asten Bennett of Cliff’s Variety, Annie Flores izza, Alysha Lofton of the Golden State Warriors, Anna Chase of Olivia l Credit Union, Heather Freyer of Bacardi, Zie Jennings of the Castro teer coordinator Juan Davila and his team.

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

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

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

Kate Laws

Business Manager

Blake Dillon Calendar Editor

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

Juan R. Davila Volunteer Coordinator CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales , Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis

Not the Greatest Generation I have been casting about for interesting topics and procrastinating to some extent, since I don’t have a major lead story this week, and I couldn’t resist clicking on: “Most Uncool Things Boomers Still Think Are Cool,” preparing myself for an affectionate dressing down by some Gen X or Millennial writer assigned to one of these clickbait listicles.

Sure enough, I agreed with “cruises,” “racquetball,” and “crocs.” No, Mel and I don’t go on cruises or play racquetball. But we have friends who play pickle ball and we do have an ugly pair of crocs on the porch, so that’s not too far off the mark. But after that, these analysts devolved, accusing us of hanging out at the mall and preferring chain restaurants like Applebee’s to more sophisticated fare. Boomers also like the Home Shopping Channel, and read Readers Digest, they continued inexplicably.

I had to stop at that point because, as many people know, Boomers are still busy people with no time to waste on nonsensical internet tangents. Applebee’s? Really? Haven’t you noticed that Boomers managed to avoid student debt and retire at the end of a decades long rise in the stock market? You’re the ones at Applebee’s. We’re deciding whether or not we agree with Pete Well’s latest restaurant review. And no, we’re not at the mall. We’ve never liked the mall. That was Gen X, you fools!

Oh, and Readers Digest is the Silent Generation, not us.

Also, we may still be guilty of doing and liking uncool things, but we’re not so out of it that we still think these things are cool. We know they’re not cool and we choose to do them anyway.

In all seriousness, I’m not happy about our generation, those Americans born in the 1950s and 1960s.

We allowed the civil rights movement to fail. We set the stage for climate change. We were complacent.

Most of us were too young to participate in the opposition to Vietnam or Woodstock or the Summer of Love, yet we assume those mantles as if we were part of a valiant struggle or a cultural revolution.

I’m sure you’ve heard that we Boomers had to duck and cover for those absurd nuclear bomb preparations. But we were kids. That wasn’t frightening. Gen Z students, on the other hand, live with a legitimate sense of dread based on an actual possibility that has happened dozens of times and killed hundreds in the last ten years alone. They and their older siblings are also the ones who will have to save our planet, while paying off loans and trying to support their families on two incomes with expensive health insurance and lousy child care.

Hey, we did fight for gay rights, live through AIDS, invent computers, increase everyone’s life span, map the human genome, and discover the Higgs boson. So, we’re not complete wastrels. And any of us with extra cash will presumedly leave it to you guys to help with your many projects.

It just feels as if we could have done better.

Gay Is Not Always Good I see from the Human Rights Campaign’s news email that Amazon is going to make a movie out of the best-selling novel Red, White and Royal Blue. Because I am fond of trashy paperbacks and because this book had a gay theme and good beach read type reviews, I bought it and read it.

Friends, I advise you not to follow my lead. It was not good. It was trite, predictable, and just plain stupid. I sort of like bad novels, but there are good bad novels and bad bad novels and this was in the latter category. So much so that I wondered if some of those “saucy and fun!” reviews and blurbs reflected people’s fear of looking politically incorrect by dissing a gay book.

The premise is that the handsome son of the Hillary-esque female President of the United States is secretly gay and in love with the handsome Prince of Wales, who is also secretly gay and in love with the President’s son. They pretend to dislike each other at various important events, but that’s just their way of hiding their true feelings. This “tension” is presented with the subtlety of an opera plot, and before you know it, the two of them are having a steamy affair. The rest of the book

By Ann Rostow is just them, having their affair, trying to hide it, breaking up and making up, and living happily ever after.

Each of these transitions is signaled loudly in advance so the reader is not disturbed by any distractions, like suspense.

This book was one of the ones I took along on a visit to family a few months ago, and now that I think about it a) it has a number of sort of raunchy sex scenes, and b) I left it in my grandchildren’s playroom.

Ooops. I would warn their parents but I don’t want them to know how low I will stoop in my trash reading habits since I like to parade around with sophisticated novels or serious nonfiction selections.

“Oh, hi, Matthew! This? Yes, I’m just rereading David Talbot’s history of the Kennedy brothers. Do you know it?”

“Has anyone seen my copy of The Overstory? I was sure I left it here in the living room. What? Red, white, and what? No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

It’s That Time Again The U.S. Supreme Court is back in session, and will be considering whether or not to accept a number of GLBT cases. For now, however, most people are focused on the scheduled review of Mississippi’s abortion ban, which takes effect at 15 weeks. Roe v Wade effectively guarantees the right to an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, ergo this Mississippi law would seem to violate settled law.

But, I can hear you out there, what about Texas? Isn’t that a ban on abortion after just six weeks? Well, yes and no. The state of Texas is not going to go after women who have abortions after that time, nor will the state confront the doctors who conduct the procedures. Instead, the state has left it up to vigilante bystanders who can sue anyone who facilitates an abortion and legally be awarded damages of up to $10,000.

We’ve talked about this already, and indeed, the Justice Department has sued Texas over this convoluted situation. But did you know that the judge in charge of this lawsuit is a gay man, appointed by Obama with the full support of Senators Cruz and Cornyn? Well respected through-

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Kristopher Acevedo, Darryl Pelletier, Morgan Shidler 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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Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only.

CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2021 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

Handcrafted protest signs observed at the March for Our Rights San Francisco held on Saturday, October 2. Photos by Bill Wilson 14

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out the federal bench, Judge Robert Pitman heard arguments on October 1 in Austin.

And here’s what I should have known already, but just discovered.

A few years ago, the city council of San Antonio voted against Chickfil-A, which wanted to set up a franchise at the airport. San Antonio’s administrators didn’t like Chick’s antigay postures, and also did not approve of the Christian company’s Sunday closings. That may be fine and dandy to encourage small town church attendance, but it’s not really useful in a busy airport.

Well, of course there was an uproar, and Texas being Texas, the state legislature passed a special statute in 2019, the “Save Chick-fil-A law,” that Governor Abbot promptly signed. I’m not kidding. I remember the situation and I’m sure I mentioned it in these pages, but I had not paid close attention to the logistics of the Save Chick-fil-A law. It allows anyone to sue when they believe religious discrimination has denied someone or some organization a government contract or benefit.

Sound familiar? It’s just like the abortion law, providing totally unconnected strangers the right to interject themselves into conflicts that are none of their damned business.

In the Chick-fil-A case, the restaurant was offered a spot at the airport in some kind of settlement with the FAA, but they declined.

Subsequently, in line with this wacky law, some rando and his pals sued the San Antonio city council in an effort to give Chick-fil-A another opportunity for an airport restaurant (even though there was no indication they wanted one). That suit was dismissed on the grounds that the city council had sovereign immunity, but the fact is that the law remains operable and that this statute has provided the predicate for the abortion nonsense.

Look, there’s a clear mandate in American jurisprudence that a third party does not have the right to sue just because they don’t like a situation. Further, a plaintiff with standing must have suffered an actual injury. It’s not enough to argue that you might be injured in the future or that you’re offended (continued on page 18)

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Castro Street Fair 2021

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The 47th Annual Castro Street Fair took place on Sunday, October 3, under sunny skies and with Castro and Market Streets full of locals and other visitors. It was the first such event since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to the Fair’s cancellation last year.

The 2021 Fair featured “Dance Alley” with DJs Trevor Sigler, Rich King, Infinite Jess, and Jordee. In addition to other entertainment, CHEER SF performed amazing routines throughout the Fair, which was founded in 1974 by Harvey Milk after San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink encouraged Milk to join him at the crowded popular annual Upper Grant Avenue Street Fair in North Beach (now the North Beach Festival).

Along with food vendor and merchants’ booths, staff and volunteers from Bay Area nonprofits offered information and free services, including COVID-19 vaccinations, HIV/ AIDS testing, and a variety of giveaway items. The event marked a welcome chance for participants, visitors, and Fair organizers alike to be together—some for the first time since the pandemic restrictions began in March 2020. https://castrostreetfair.org/

San Francisco Bay Times Booth at the Castro Street Fair

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN DAVILA PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN DAVILA

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN DAVILA

San Francisco Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila and his team—including Leticia López, Rodolfo Medel, and Nomey Perdomo—offered a chance to spin the Bay Times wheel of fortune and receive a free goodie bag. Print copies of recent issues were available along with items provided by partnering businesses including Olivia Travel, San Francisco Federal Credit Union, and others.

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Grubstake Redevelopment Update Photos by Rink

A community rally was held on Wednesday, September 22, at the site of Grubstake diner, 1525 Pine Street, where supporters gathered to voice their support for final approval of plans for the location’s redevelopment project that will raze and then rebuild the diner while adding 21 units of housing. Two of the 21, both studios, are to be rented below market rate. The project’s approval has been delayed by appeals filed by residents of The Austin located at 1545 Pine Street next to the Grubstake location.

The redevelopment plan previously was approved by the City’s Planning Commission and also by the Board of Supervisors in a prior vote. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for October 5, but was continued until October 19. Supporters of Grubstake owners Jimmy Consos and Nicholas Pigott of The Pigott Group LLC, who purchased the diner from longtime owners Fernando and Linda Santos in 2015, hope that the redevelopment plan will soon be fully approved. http://sfgrubstake.com/

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he reign of Grand Duke Timothy Valdivia & Grand Duchess Katherine Rose (extended for a second year due to the COVID pandemic) came to a grand finish at San Francisco’s Ducal Coronation XLVII, Bordello at St. Basil’s Cathedral, on September 25 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gate. Emcees Royal Grand Duke 28 of Alameda, Manny Santos, and Empress 4 of Washington, D.C., Muffy Blake Stephyns, got things off to a rousing start and the visiting Imperial Dove Court of Fresno staged an eye-popping opening number. Both Queen Mother I of the Americas, Nicole the Great, and King Father I, Terry Sidie, came to town for the event and, along with members of the International Court Council, congratulated the outgoing monarchs and presented various awards, including the prestigious Cleve Jones HIV/AIDS Leadership Award to Gary Virginia. Local elected officials attending included State Senator Scott Wiener and City Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Dean Preston. The evening was full of amazing command performances, most notably by Mr. Gay San Francisco 2018–19, Khalil Riley, Miss Gay Virginia United States at Large, Sable Jones St. James, and Emperor 36, After Norton, John Weber. Emotional and entertaining musical numbers from Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses celebrating anniversaries gave the event a special flavor and evoked lovely memories from their followers. Reigning Emperor Mr. David Glamamore & Reigning Empress Juanita MORE! led the walk of the Imperial Family for their first time since being crowned. This was an extraordinary two years in many ways, impacted significantly by the pandemic and suffering the loss of several key leaders of the Grand Ducal Family, but these monarchs rose to the occasion and announced their grand total raised for charitable organizations of over $145,000! The community owes all who were involved their gratitude and admiration, which was demonstrated beautifully that night.

The evening ended with the formal crowning of the new Grand Duke Scott Rice and Grand Duchess Bobby Friday with all the related pageantry and traditions. We look forward to great things from them. As the first Coronation attended by many in the room for nearly two years, it all felt distinctly familiar and yet oddly strange, like a reunion with good friends, but haunted by the many precautions this pandemic has piled upon us. Let’s hope it is a sign of a return to some sense of a normal world where the generous work and important camaraderie of the Grand Ducal Court may continue.

On Monday, September 27, we joined Juanita MORE! and Gary Virginia for a rally in front of the popular Grubstake diner in the Tenderloin. Plans to build housing above the restaurant and to rebuild the diner, while maintaining its look and local flavor, have been threatened by years of delays caused by complaining neighbors. Speakers at the rally laid bare the baseless objections and called for public support for owners Jimmy Consos and Nick Pigott and the future of Grubstake. On October 19, the Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of this project. We are hopeful that saner heads will rule.

The most recent Divas & Drinks @ The Academy was September 30, and once again, the club filled to capacity with women and their supporters. DJ Rockaway of Olivia Travel, Heather Freyer of Bacardi, and yours truly as emcee returned for the night, this time giving special recognition to women-owned and operated local businesses. We gave a special birthday celebration to Martha Asten of Cliff’s Variety Store, including cake and a presentation from the Board of Supervisors by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Terry Asten Bennett, also of Cliff’s, then read a list of those local businesses as representatives were recognized and the audience cheered. Paul Miller of The Academy welcomed attendees and spoke about the advantages of membership. Another spirited game of Name That Tune pitted Team Dykes on Bikes ® against Team Castro Merchants and the first of those teams was victorious. Marcello’s Pizza provided food and ellaprint created commemorative shot glasses saluting Whiptail Lizard Lounge. Guests included Chris Carnes, Gretchen Fleishman, Dr. Marcie Adelman, SF Pride’s Suzanne Ford, George Ridgely, Andrea Aiello, Kathy Amendola, Director of the SF Office of Small Businesses Regina Dick-Endrizzi, and surprise guest Alysha Lofton of the Golden State Warriors, who handed out souvenirs, introduced a raffle for tickets to a game, and announced October 28 as LGBTQ+ Night at Chase Center. Music played and guests danced into the night. Don’t miss the next Divas & Drinks on Thursday, October 21! Check the calendar a la Sachet for complete details.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”

– Alfred Tennyson

Saturday, October 9 49th Annual Mr./Miss/Mx Gay San Francisco Pageant Where Dreams Come True Mr. Sage Sanchez Munro & Miss Gay Linda Summers complete their year Full judged pageant to select the new Mr., Miss, & Mx Gay SF The Midway, 900 Marin Street 5 pm–9 pm $29, Tables of 4 for $150 www.imperialcouncilsf.org Thursday, October 21 Divas & Drinks at The Academy DJ Rockaway, Bacardi specials, Bay Times partnership The Academy, 2166 Market Street 7 pm–10 pm $20 www.academy-sf.com Saturday, October 23 Bearrison Street Fair Return of in-person outdoor event Bears of SF and Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Focusing on body positivity for all!

12–6 pm Free! www.bearrison.org Sunday, October 31 HalloQueen Drag Brunch Hosted by Sister Roma, DJ Juanita MORE! Performers Carnie Asada, Roxy-Cotton Candy, Nicki Jizz, & more Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason Street $125 www.opentable.com

Varla Jean Merman once again amazed audiences at Oasis with her creativity, on-stage wit, and musical talent. The show, titled Little Prick, uses the COVID-19 vaccination as a launch pad for social commentary and hilarity, as always delivering her message through thinly veiled references and gutpunching statements. How lucky we are to have Oasis as the stage for so many and varied performances in such a welcoming environment! Trust us, wherever you are, if Varla is on stage, go see her! You won’t regret it.

We ended our weekend at the Castro Street Fair in bright sunshine and surrounded by hundreds of participants. We never forget that this event originated with the legendary Harvey Milk and we were delighted to see it return this year to an in-person format. The boundaries were changed, beer and liquor booths eliminated, and entertainment limited, but we congratulate the organizers on finding a way to stage a successful street fair while following health guidelines. We saw lots of reunions of good friends, smiles, and laughter. Could it be that an end to this long pandemic is truly around the corner?

PHOTO BY RINK

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

Empress Donna Sachet with Emperor Kevin Lisle and Empress Khmera Rouge at the 47th Grand Ducal Coronation held at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn on September 25

PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

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FISCHER (continued from page 4)

GGBA LEADERSHIP (continued from page 9)

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

Membership and Events Committee, and Nancy Geenen of Flexability LLC who is serving as Secretary and on the Fundraising Committee.

MILLER (continued from page 8)

For More Information

So, if you knew Amazon would become a global behemoth when they were just selling books online, well, maybe go ahead and aim for a crypto winner.

But I wouldn’t tilt your portfolio’s balance too heavily toward this high-risk/high-reward investment.

Instead, you might cool your crypto fever through a fund or ETF that focuses on cryptocurrency.

GGBA: https://ggba.com

Or you could invest in blockchain companies that supply the technology that many industries might need to compete in the modern world. After all, most goldminers faded into history, but Levi’s is still going strong 170 years later. Just sayin’.

Want to know more? My firm is offering a virtual crypto seminar on October 29. For details, contact us at hello@briofg.com Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.

Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has 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.

Join us!

Last but not least, we had Juan Torres with Torres Wine Tours on site pouring from a selection from Foley Sonoma. It was a great way to reunite face to face and celebrate. If you missed this recent event, don’t fret. Our next in person event is on Tuesday, December 14, for our Annual Holiday Party - A Hybrid Celebration. Details to come!

Brio Financial Group: https://www.briofg.com/ ellaprint: https://www.ellaprint.com/ IDE8 Real Estate: https://www.ide8realestate.com/ Collaboration Business Consulting: https://collaboration-llc.com/ Flexability LLC: https://www.flexability.com/ Torres Wine Tours: https://www.facebook.com/TorresWineTours Michael Gunther is a Board Member and President of the Golden Gate Business Association as well as the managing partner at Collaboration Business Consulting, which is a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive individuals build scalable, profitable businesses.

Dr. Krystal Drwencke is the Vice President of the Golden Gate Business Association. She is the founder of Ascent Sports Chiropractic: http://www.ascentsportschiro.com/ GGBA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT (continued from page 9) Committee of GGMG (Golden Gate Mothers Group).

I am also a member of BALIF (Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, the LGBTQ Bar) and the Asian American Bar Association. To be honest, I have noticed most women often think too much before they dive into starting a business. And most of the time, they are better qualified and smarter than the men I have worked with.

Especially, if you are already living in the Bay Area, most likely, you are educated and have a network of contacts who are willing to provide you with resources or even to join you on the journey. So, “Don’t over-think it; just do it!” would be my advice.

Substantia Law Group on Yelp: https://tinyurl.com/rn7y877s

Wishing You a Safe & Happy Fall Season!

–San Francisco Bay Times

ROSTOW (continued from page 14) by something that’s going on. You and I cannot sue the state of California or the city of San Francisco because we believe we’ve observed some nefarious instance of discrimination against some other person. We can’t (well, we shouldn’t be able to) sue an Uber driver who drove our Texas cousin to the women’s clinic and collect $10,000.

Any law that says otherwise is opening the door to complete chaos. And that’s why the Supreme Court decision that allowed that Texas law to stand during litigation is such a jaw dropper. It’s like temporarily allowing the volunteers with the neighborhood watch to demand an ID check, or lock people up in Mrs. Parker’s basement overnight. It’s not right. And I can only hope Judge Pitman puts an end to it, pronto, and takes the Save Chick-fil-A law down while he’s at it.

And Another Thing or Two There are a lot of school stories here and there. A Gay Straight Alliance was discriminated against in Indiana (allegedly)—the school in Oregon, where the farmers put out a rainbow flag in the field, remember? That school board voted again to ban “controversial” paraphernalia that apparently includes rainbow images and Black Lives Matter signs. And in the Dallas area, students held a walkout after safe space stickers and rainbows were removed from classrooms, and some gay-friendly teachers appeared to have been disciplined.

It seems evident that the country’s step back into more overt racism, meanness, jingoism, and conspiratorial nuttiness has been colored with a wash of homophobia. I don’t recall the same number of antigay school stories in pre-pandemic years. The increase fits with our narrowing minds.

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Speaking of narrowing minds, I was pleased to hear Liz Cheney’s mind widen to accept the blame for the opportunistic hostility to same-sex marriage that she affected in order to ingratiate herself to Wyoming conservatives during her 2013 run for Senate. “I was wrong,” she told 60 Minutes the other day. “It’s a very personal issue—and very personal for my family. I believe that my dad was right. And my sister and I have had that conversation ... .

Freedom means freedom for everybody.”

Finally, we can thank Psycholog y Today for observing that gays and lesbians are more likely than straight men and women to be friends with their exes. The authors cite three fairly recent academic papers on the subject, all from the late teens, concluding that yes, it’s more than an urban myth. We do indeed put the “long” into long-term relationship, even after we break up. I guess another research project on this subject is underway at Trent University, wherever the hell that is. Oh, okay, fine. It’s in Ontario, Canada, in a town called Peterborough.

The original authors, the Canadian writers say, “suggested that the continuation of such relationships in the form of platonic friendships may help to preserve access to social support and security,” in particular, due to the fact that us gays and lesbians historically lack social support and might need to hang on to our exes as a result.

It also might be that we have no choice in the matter because our ex just took up with our other ex, who is dating our sister and we can’t avoid them. Plus, considering we’re having an affair with her ex’s best friend, we’re bound to run into each other. Did we mention there are only two gay bars in town? Oh. And we’ve always really liked each other and still do. arostow@aol.com

Future Features in Today’s SUVs

SF Sketch

extra cost, with a full-sized length of 211.9 inches, which is Crown Victoria territory. The GV80 fits in more parking spots with 17.2 fewer inches to manage.

Auto Philip Ruth People I help to buy cars very often have not been in the market for at least five years or so, and many times, they are blown back by the explosion of technology in even the cheapest models. Some have confessed when I’ve followed up after purchase that they still use only a small portion of the available features.

I’ve certainly noticed it with the press cars, where “ jump in and drive” has been replaced by a thorough preflight orientation. Otherwise, you’re cursing at it when underway because you haven’t learned the systems in place.

This becomes more of an issue as prices rise and more features are added. This week’s $66,475 Genesis GV80 and $112,465 Cadillac Escalade take two different approaches to technology and the environments they create around it.

These are the top trims of each— Platinum for the Escalade and Advanced+ for the GV80. Size is part of the Escalade’s near-$46,000

On other hand, the extra size and nine extra inches in height give the Escalade its familiar authoritative presence, both in the driver’s vantage point and the plutocratic exterior styling.

The Escalade is one of the few new cars people recognize at first glance.

The Genesis is the opposite, where hints of Bentley and Jaguar combine with the relative newness of the brand’s identity to make it the subject of many curious looks. The GV80 trades the Escalade’s truck-based stateliness with a sport-sedan platform that loses little in the translation to crossover SUV. The tested GV80 sparkled over the road, with a range of drive mode options that took the ride from opulent to fully engaged. While not sporty, the tested air-suspension Escalade is worlds better than its predecessors, with sharp reflexes and a refined ride.

Both were equipped with “Level 2” self-driving features: Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Genesis’s Highway Driving Assist II. Cadillac’s goes a bit further by allowing hands-free driving, and both can perform automatic lane changes when the turn-signal lever is flipped. It won’t be long before this tech trickles down the price scale, and here, they’re well-executed and very easy to use.

Inside, you’d expect the Cadillac to be ornate and the Genesis to favor

Randy Coleman

Genesis GV80

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.” © Randy Coleman, 2021

Cadillac Escalade

subtle European styling, but you’d have it exactly backwards. The tested Escalade “Whisper Beige” interior matches its delicate name with a softwhite look, accented by linen-like fabrics on the doors and console. And here are some words I never thought I’d write: the Escalade’s instrument panel is a thing of beauty, a continuous and gently-curved display that’s perched on a sculpted plank of wood.

The Genesis is more extroverted, with diamond-patterned leather and the neat Ergo Motion Seat, which clamps in the side bolsters as speeds rise.

As a preview of common future features, these SUVs also deliver their own version of luxury satisfaction.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.

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Queer Film Offerings at Mill Valley Film Festival 2021 Zaga (Nada Sargin), brought her new lover Tanja ( Jovana Gavrilovic) to the party. However, the minidramas that unfold are involving because Tomovic make viewers care about these ingratiating characters who are eking out life the best they can under the circumstances. A scene between Otac and his brother-in-law, Anka— where the former complains about his wife’s short haircut, and the latter says he likes the boyish look—is sweet, awkward, and absolutely why Celts is so terrific.

too. This documentary is not to be missed. (However, anyone who can’t catch it at the Mill Valley Film Festival can see it in theaters and on Apple TV on October 15.)

Film Gary M. Kramer The Mill Valley Film Festival will screen films both in theaters and online October 7–17. There are nearly a dozen features, shorts, and documentaries with LGBTQ interest or talent. Parallel Mothers, and Memoria by out gay filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, respectively, will play at the fest. And queer actresses Kristen Stewart and Tessa Thompson will be showcased in Spencer, and Passing, respectively. The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion, which features a gay storyline, will also screen at the fest. (These films were not available for preview.) Here is a rundown of what to watch: Out gay filmmaker Todd Haynes’ first non-fiction film, The Velvet Underground, is an outstanding documentary about the seminal band. The director charts the

group from its formation to its dissolution, and tells the story in an artful way, opening with discordant music and shooting various segments in the style of an experimental Andy Warhol film. (He uses split screens a la Chelsea Girls, and clips from Warhol’s Screen Tests and Kiss shorts.)

And while Haynes does feature plenty of fabulous archival footage from the era, the editing by Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz at times mirrors the Velvet Underground’s music, as when the song “Heroin” is played. The dazzling imagery and classic music certainly make The Velvet Underground enthralling to watch, and all of the talking heads in the film—including surviving band members, John Cale and Maureen Tucker, as well as John Waters, Jonas Mekas, Mary Woronov, and Jonathan Richman—are compelling,

Petite Maman is lesbian filmmaker Céline Sciamma’s (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) enchanting drama about 8-year-old Nelly ( Joséphine Sanz), who has just lost her grandmother.

One afternoon, as her parents (Nina Meurisse and Stéphane Varupenne) clean out her grandmother’s house, Nelly meets Marion (Gabrielle Sanz),

also 8, and the two become friends.

Then some things are revealed that shift the dynamic between the characters, causing viewers to recalibrate the film’s relationships. Full of lovely, natural scenes—such as the girls working together in the kitchen or in the woods—Petite Maman is a slight, austere, and beautifully realized drama.

7 Prisoners, by out gay writer/director Alexandre Moratto, has Mateus (Christian Malheiros) taking a job in São Paulo to earn money for his rural family. However, when he arrives at the junkyard run by Luca (Rodrigo Santoro), Mateus and his fellow workers are enslaved, forced to work off an incurred debt and punished for any transgressions. Mateus makes a series of calculated decisions to survive and possibly escape his dire situation. Shedding light on social issues of poverty, education, power, and human trafficking in Brazil (and elsewhere), this potent absorbing drama is a gritty little nail-biter.

The Novice portrays Alex (Isabelle Fuhrman), a lesbian who joins her college rowing team. But far from being an inspirational sports drama, this intense film, written and directed by Lauren Hadaway, shows how Alex’s obsession for perfection consumes her. This topic is significant; many queer youths and adults strive for perfection in ways that can cause harm. Fuhrman gives a committed performance as this case study in self-destruction shows how Alex sabotages everything and everyone around her, including her relationship with Dani (Dilone).

Celts, set in 1993 Croatia, unfolds almost entirely in Marijana (Dubravka Kovjanić) and Otac’s (Stefan Trifunović) house during a costumed-themed birthday party for their eight-year-old, Minja (Katarina Dimić), who loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the kids are all playing rowdily in one room, the couple’s friends and adult family

planning to open a dispensary in Berkeley, struggles to realize her dream. This modest documentary offers compassionate stories of hopes and setbacks, but it feels like a public service announcement as it points about the difficulties in this business, especially for women in general, and women of color in particular.

Chris J. Russo’s not uninteresting documentary, Lady Buds, profiles six women who work in the cannabis industry in California as marijuana was legalized for recreational use. Some of the growers, like Pearl Moon and Joyce Centrofanti (aka the Bud Sisters), and Chiah Rodriques, have been operating for years. Others, like Karyn Wagner, are newcom-

ers in this booming industry. Lady Buds examines the legal and financial challenges these women face— especially as small farms, which were guaranteed “a head start” over big business mega-growers—become vulnerable when policies are violated. One of the subjects, Felicia Carbajal, is a queer Latinx activist who advocates for equality for minorities, while Sue Taylor, a Black woman

The documentary Bernstein’s Wall uses interviews, photographs, archival film clips, and letters to examine the gay composer and conductor’s life and work. The footage of Bernstein teaching and conducting is terrific, but the film itself is unfocused. Director Douglas Tirola traces Bernstein’s early days, and his fraught relationship with his father, to his musical education at the Curtis Institute of Music and Tanglewood, and his first job as assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic.

But the film glosses over Bernstein’s homosexuality—addressed only in snippets from letters he exchanges with his lover Aaron Copeland, and later, Bernstein’s wife, Felicia. Bernstein’s Wall only briefly mentions the composer’s collaborations on the films On the Town and West Side Story (continued on page 32)

members gather in the rest of the house and misbehave. Director/cowriter Milica Tomovic’s captivating film has some terrific observational moments, such as a scene were Minja bonds with her father while he is shaving, or when the young Fica (Konstantin Ilan) catches two men kissing. The film’s queer content is slight, consisting of little more than the aforementioned friskiness between Anka (Milica Grujicic) and Nesa (Slaven Doslo), and a love triangle that has Marijana’s sister, Ceca ( Jelena Djokic), jealous that her ex,

QUEER POP QUIZ

EMBRACE THE ACE Asexuality Awareness Week, now called Ace Week, will be observed from October 24–October 30. This week was founded in what year?

A) 2007

B) 2008

C) 2009

D) 2010

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Elvis, Kirk, and Velvetta - The Wild Genius of Leigh Crow first drag show later that year (1988), as Elvis Herselvis.

Leigh Crow is a gender-bending cabaret singer and drag king. For 30 years, she’s been pushing boundaries, from drag shows and country bands to films and performance art.

As Elvis Herselvis, she was the world’s first female Elvis impersonator—much to the chagrin of the Presley estate—and toured with her band, The Straight White Males. As the swashbuckling, macho Captain Kirk, she’s won a solid cult following in the hilarious Star Trek Live drag shows at Oasis. And as Divina in the Thrillpeddlers’ production of Vice Palace, Leigh won a Bay Area Theater Critics Circle award in 2011.

Divine played the role in the original Cockettes’ 1972 production.

We first met Leigh in the 1980s, when she worked at the punk home decor shop Forma on Haight Street.

Leigh was making Elvis votives that were sold alongside misshapen, surreal tea pots and nail-your-own-Jesus kits.

Years later, when Jennifer was filming To Be Takei (her documentary about George Takei), she asked Leigh to surprise George as Captain Kirk at the historic Twin Peaks Tavern. In full Star Trek regalia, Leigh swaggered up and planted an enthusiastic kiss on the lips of a stunned, yet appreciative, Takei.

Then, Leigh hit up the bar for a bourbon on the rocks.

We’ve always loved Leigh’s all-in, mesmerizing, enthusiastic, Belushiesque passion for performance, and wanted to hear about whatever mischief she’s up to now.

Jennifer & Robert: Where are you from?

Leigh Crow: Phoenix, Arizona. I lived there until I was 24, when I followed a woman whom I had a flirtation with to San Francisco. I did my

Leigh Crow: I have my belt, which I made, and it’s the hugest belt buckle ever! I used a novelty Elvis license plate and glued sequins all over it. It’s a nod to the jumpsuit that Elvis wore. I couldn’t wear the full white jumpsuit, because touring in all white is a terrible idea. More importantly, jumpsuits really accentuate your more feminine qualities, so not a good idea if you’re impersonating a man.

PHOTO BY FREAK THE MIGHTY

Robert Holgate & Jennifer Kroot

Jennifer & Robert: Do you still have any Elvis outfits?

Jennifer & Robert: Did you always want to pursue drag?

Leigh Crow: Sort of. As a kid, I saw some inspiring representations of women in male drag. Cher had a show where she did all four parts of “Tonight” from West Side Story wearing adorable, Bob Mackie boy drag.

I also saw Lily Tomlin as Tommy Velour. These both really affected me. I always loved dressing up as pirates, cowboys, and Batman.

Leigh Crow (center) in the group Velvetta

Jennifer & Robert: Talk about your role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek Live.

Leigh Crow: It’s been a dream come true! I’ve been a Trekkie since I was a kid. As a drag king, I look for hyper-masculine characters. Kirk is to such a degree that it’s a natural choice to impersonate him.

Jennifer & Robert: Tell us about working with your partner, Ruby Vixen.

Leigh Crow: Ruby’s my producing partner, and my life partner. We created the Dandy Drag King Cabaret. The next one is Sunday, October 24, at Oasis, and I’ll be a vampire.

Ruby and I also perform in the queer country band Velvetta. During the pandemic, we could only practice about once a month, in a big backyard. This was a lifesaver, since performing is really my creative outlet. Thankfully, we’re finally performing again. We’ll be at the Riptide on Saturday, November 6, and then every Sunday, starting November 28 ( http://riptidesf.com/ )

Leigh Crow

We recently recorded an EP of four original songs, called, Rhymes with Loretta, available online ( https://tinyurl.com/rkuts5b9 ) Now we’re conceptualizing music videos and considering doing one with Legos, so I’ve contacted some Lego masters.

Jennifer & Robert: How did you get into country music?

Leigh Crow as Elvis Herselvis with Leslie Austin Young

Leigh Crow: When I was growing up, we never listened to country music at home. It was all jazz and

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEIGH CROW

Out of Left Field

Leigh Crow: Seventeen years!

It started to feel really limiting. It wasn’t a conscious decision to move on. I just started doing other things.

PHOTO BY FREAK THE MIGHTY

PHOTO BY WILL ZANG

Jennifer & Robert: How long did you perform as Elvis Herselvis?

Leigh Crow as Daddy

Joni Mitchell, then one day my sister brought home Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and I was hooked.

This is my third country band.

First was The Mighty Slim Pickens, next was Flat Cracker. Before you ask, that’s a Southern term for “lesbian.” Incidentally, I first heard the word in a documentary about Aileen Wuornos, the serial killer.

Jennifer & Robert: Hmmm, I see, and what is Velvetta?

Leigh Crow: Velvetta is Victorian imitation velvet, like velveteen. We liked the name because of its smooth, velvety goodness, and it also sounds like cheese.

Jennifer & Robert: Anything else?

Leigh Crow: Yes! During the shutdown, when we couldn’t perform, we needed to do something creative, so we learned acrylic resin casting. We make bolo ties and pendants, available on https://www.dandyvixen.com/

PHOTO BY AUSTIN YOUNG

Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.” She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Ruby Vixen (second from left) with Leigh Crow as backup, sings lead in the group Velvetta PHOTO BY FREAK THE MIGHTY

A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues. With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes. For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/

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Fall Films

Off the Wahl Jan Wahl I vote for fall as a great time of the year. Maybe it’s because I love the color orange—I really enjoy pumpkin and squash (especially spaghetti squash with brown sugar or pumpkin curry, but I digress)—the sound of crackling leaves under foot, or the best of all, some magical trees showing us their colors. I will drive, cruise, or even fly to see the fall colors. Of course, movies have taken advantage of this season. Let’s begin with some glamour: Anna Wintour and Vogue.

2009’s The September Issue is a terrific and fun documentary, showing the struggle between Editor in Chief Wintour and rebellious Creative Director Grace Coddington. Apparently, the September issue of Vogue is the most important, biggest issue of the year (who knew?) and this is the behindthe-scenes story of putting together the 2007 issue. From André Leon Talley to Iman to Vera Wang and Lagerfeld, we experience the personalities and backstage drama.

Follow up this one with my favorite recent Netflix production, the brilliant Halston. The primetime Emmys were really stupid television (take it from an old TV producer), but the one good moment was Ewan McGregor winning for the lead role. Of course, where was Krystal Rodriguez as Liza in support? Not giving the Emmy to Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page was beyond crazy.

Two other great documentaries along the lines of The September Issue are Bill Cunningham New York and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, salutes to the eccentric and talented who only got better as they aged.

Back to fall in films: between sticky summer and gray slush there are a few weeks when New York City is drop dead gorgeous. That is when, in You’ve Got Mail, a superstore magnate and an independent bookstore owner play out the game of attraction and love. But the film directed by Nora Ephron is more, reminding us that we are missing our independent bookstores and need to support the ones still fighting on. The fall colors are vivid, and Meg Ryan is underrated as usual, playing it feisty and smart. Move her over to When Harry Met Sally, and in the ads she and Billy Crystal are standing in the golden leaves of Central Park.

Let’s visit the small screen with the gorgeous sweaters Dan Levy wears as David Rose in Schitt’s Creek.

Canada’s fall is stunning, and the show’s town of Goodwood, a tiny hamlet in Ontario, calls to visitors and fans every October for a glance into Rose’s Apothecary, Bob’s Garage, and the Café Tropical.

A wonderful crime show is set

in New Zealand called The Brokenwood Mysteries.

Every week a surly, but sweet, detective solves a treacherous murder, and every time the camera takes a wide shot, it is always fall. Check out this fine series on Acorn Television.

André Leon Talley

The fall colors are gorgeous in Massachusetts, and movies love to exploit this gift from Mother Nature. My favorite is the recent comedy Knives Out (2019).

This laugh-out-loud crime satire draws inspiration from Sleuth, Murder by Death, and all that is Agatha Christie. The famous and very rich mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) may be murdered.

His nurse is suspected but makes a bad subject since she has a condition that has her vomiting whenever she tells a lie.

Imagine if that were a common affliction ... what a mess!

So, local detective Benoit Blanc is called in (Daniel Craig with a Tennessee Williams meets Andy of Mayberry accent) and starts interviewing Thrombey’s eccentric family. Chris Evans, Toni Collette, and Jamie Lee Curtis are among this dysfunctional group. See this one for the first time or see it again.

I’m thinking about how much I loved Daniel Craig in this comedy, so far from Bond ... James Bond. And how hunky and brave he was in Defiance, a powerful Holocaust drama. I just saw his new and last Bond movie, No Time to Die. It is a half hour too long, so bring some snacks and an empty bladder.

At almost three hours, the extra time took away from the story and turned the shooting scenes into Marvel comic book garbage. Otherwise, this Bond is some sexy and fun Craig. There is action galore, along with smart women, hot gadgets and cars, fabulous locations, and sizzling Craig, who is almost nude in one scene. Since it’s the end of Craig’s Bond, I was glad to hear he is shooting Knives Out Two. See you in line!

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Top of your stack The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina (fiction) by Zoraida Cordova For Latinx Heritage Month or anytime of the year, this is a stirring tribute to the importance of cultural legacy. The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is an enchanting novel about what we knowingly and unknowingly inherit from our ancestors, the ties that bind, and reclaiming your power.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (fiction) by Ocean Vuong This stunning debut novel from 2019 is still haunting its original reading fan base, attracting new ones, and garnering critical praise. It is now in paperback. It is a unique story with an even more unique approach and style by poet Ocean Vuong.

The novel is written as a letter from a son, at the time in his late 20s, to his mother who is illiterate. The letter/story (the narrator-protagonist called Little Dog) reflects back on his life as the son born to a Vietnamese immigrant single mother. Throughout, he gives images of a harsh upbringing and struggles with his sexuality and lack of acceptance. The harsh background was due, in part, to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, a pattern carried on because she too had been abused throughout her life in Vietnam. It’s as if when she beats him, she is in a trance and unaware of what she is doing and the toll it will take on his young life.

The pages are filled with ruminations on being beaten down by life and survival, as well as the importance of throwing out a lifeline to one another. Stylistically, it often bounces in and out of thoughts and rhythms, more like stream of consciousness

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE writing than a traditional format or pattern. It is not surprising that Ocean’s background is rooted in poetry and would serve as his transition into literary fiction.

It’s an impressive debut novel with a distinctive voice.

be a powerful panel of authors and agents of change. Book Passage invites you to listen to the discussion and be part of the solution.

Not a Nation of Immigrants (nonfiction) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz This powerful counter-narrative to traditional U.S. history books is a compelling must-read.

Throughout it debunks the pervasive and self-congratulatory myth that our country is proudly founded by and for immigrants, and urges readers to embrace a more complex and honest history of the United States.

Tuesday, October 12 @ 1 pm (online) - The Kaeperneck Effect This event will share riveting and inspiring firstperson stories of how “taking a knee” triggered an awakening in sports, from the celebrated sportswriter Dave Zirin. In 2016, amid an epidemic of police shootings of African Americans, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began a series of quiet protests on the field, refusing to stand during the U.S. national anthem. A book about the politics of sport and the impact of sports on politics, The Kaeperneck Effect is for anyone seeking to understand an essential dimension of the new movement for racial justice in America.

Whether in political debates or discussions about immigration around the kitchen table, many Americans, regardless of party affiliation, will say proudly that we are a nation of immigrants. In this bold new book, historian Dunbar-Ortiz asserts that this ideology is harmful and dishonest because it serves to mask and diminish the U.S.’ history of settler colonialism, genocide, white supremacy, slavery, and structural inequality, all of which we still grapple with today. She explains that the idea that we are living in a land of opportunity—founded and built by immigrants—was a convenient response by the ruling class, and its brain trust to the 1960s demands for decolonialization, justice, reparations, and social equality.

Upcoming Events Saturday, October 9 @ 4 pm (online) - Immigration in America Special Panel We have a new administration and seemingly a whole new set of issues regarding immigration. While the Biden administration is acting on a number of fronts to reverse Trump-era restrictions on immigration, they are also incurring other obstacles of their own. Among those items is the pressure to do more for asylumseekers and migrants, to stop increased hate crimes against Asian-Americans, and to help Afghan refugees in the U.S. Delving into these and other issues will

Friday, October 15 @ 7 pm (in-person/ ticketed event at Dominican University) Midnight in Washington In the years leading up to the election of Donald Trump, Congressman Adam Schiff had already been sounding the alarm over the resurgence of autocracy around the world, and the threat this posed to the U.S. But as he led the probe into Trump’s Russia and Ukraine-related abuses of presidential power, Schiff came to the terrible conclusion that the principal threat to American democracy now came from within. In Midnight in Washington, Schiff argues that the Trump presidency has so weakened our institutions and compromised the Republican Party that the peril will last for years, requiring unprecedented vigilance against the growing and dangerous appeal of authoritarianism. https://www.bookpassage.com/

The Audacity of a Kiss

Words Michele Karlsberg Michele Karlsberg: Community icon Leslie Cohen is celebrating the publication of her memoir The Audacity of a Kiss (Rutgers University Press). In this evocative work, Cohen tells the story of a love that has lasted for over fifty years. Transporting the reader to the pivotal time when brave gay women and men carved out spaces where they could live and love freely, she recounts both her per-

sonal struggles and the accomplishments she achieved as part of New York’s gay and feminist communities. In 1976, she and Michele Florea, Barbara Russo, and Linda Goldfarb opened Sahara in New York City, a groundbreaking, elegant women’s nightclub that hosted, at different times, Pat Benatar, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Jane Fonda, Adrienne Rich, Patti Smith, and many others. After Sahara closed, she became a nightclub promoter and then went to the New York University School of Law in 1989.​​ The Audacity of a Kiss is a moving and inspiring tale of how love, art, and solidarity can overcome oppression.

Please enjoy this excerpt: Prologue In 1979, George Segal, the famous Pop artist, was commissioned to create a sculpture commemorating the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. The uprising was the seminal, although not the only, event to

kickstart the gay liberation movement. Segal’s bronze sculpture, covered with a white lacquer finish, was eventually unveiled in Christopher Park in Greenwich Village, formerly known as Sheridan Square Park, in 1992, after almost thirteen years of controversy. The sculpture is called Gay Liberation. It depicts a life-size male couple standing a few feet away from a lifesize female couple sitting together on a park bench. One of the men holds the shoulder of his friend.

One of the women touches the thigh of her partner as they gaze into each other’s eyes. Over the years, Gay Liberation, the sculpture, has become more and more recognizable around the world and an icon that is visited by thousands of people every year.

Beth Suskin, my partner (and now wife) of more than forty- five years,

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and I were the models for this sculpture. Since Leslie Cohen the sculpture’s unveiling in 1992, we have stood before it many times, staring at our doppelganger selves. We have witnessed drunken men slouched on the park bench with their heads resting on our laps, children climbing on us like monkey bars and sitting on our knees, and grown men and women crying openly before it, overcome with emotion, because they remember the many years of humiliation they experienced when they were taunted, arrested, and forced to hide because they were gay or lesbian.

Gay men and lesbians from around the world have come to see the sculpture as a symbol of gay pride and as a confirmation of the great progress that has been made towards their visibility and acceptance.

It is astounding to us that our love for one another is publicly signified and immortalized in this way.

However, our love story cannot be told in full without also including the tale of Sahara, the first New York City nightclub owned by women and designed for women.

I opened it with three other women in Manhattan in 1976.

The club was an elegant oasis in a desert of oppression against women, both gay and straight, where women discovered a safe space to express who they were.

Luminaries of the time came to witness and bask in the welcoming scene, which in turn nurtured a generation of women who would become luminaries of the future. Beth and I discovered our love for each other and nurtured it against the backdrop of Sahara, and in my mind, they are inextricably woven together. This is our story. https://tinyurl.com/xdcuhvcp Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 32 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, "I cannot BELIEVE that nearly 200 members of the San Francisco Police Department have applied for a RELIGIOUS exemption from the City’s employee vaccine mandate, the highest number of waiver requests from any city department, by far!

HOLY Crap!"

The laugh-out-loud September 23 LOCKDOWN COMEDY show on Zoom featured LA comedians Greg Proops (from TV�s Whose Line Is It, Anyway?) being a quite superior San Franciscan; Betsy Salkind (best known as the Squirrel Lady) with hilarious pandemic humor; and Zahra Noorbakhsh (Feminist Muslim, Iranian-American comedian) ragging on her 'adequate' white husband while making us all “magically Muslim”; in addition from Florida: The Geduldigs (Lisa and flirty mother Arline) gave us the giggles. Alas, producer/comic Lisa had but a brief stay in SF for a live show— only to return home to Florida. We wish her a speedy return home to EssEff! On October 21, Lockdown Comedy continues its Zoom show with an all-star line-up: Karen Williams (Ohio); Avi Liberman (LA); Dhaya Lakshminarayanan (SF); and Lisa Geduldig and her 90-year-old mom, Arline Geduldig (Florida). https://bit.ly/3CKVVGU Sister Dana sez, "The Arizona fraudit has found 99 additional votes for President Biden and 261 fewer votes for Trump in Maricopa County, so I guess all that time and money was worth it, huh?! AZ if.”

Meanwhile Texas is running a senseless, costly, democracy-demoralizing audit in a state that Trump WON! Ridiculous!

FOLSOM STREET FAIR also known as MEGAHOOD2021 was on Sunday, September 26, 11 am–6 pm on Folsom Street between 8th and 12th. We were appropriately checked to be vaxxed and masked— although most of us dropped our masks as the day progressed. The weather was perfect for wearing anything from leather to feather to birthday suit. There were plenty of booths offering information and SM/BD items for purchase. There were supposedly six entertainment stages with live acts performing all day long, but I spent most of my time in the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence booth with info and merch for purchase. Also, for a donation, “sinners” could kneel at our special bench for a nun’s proper flogging!

We are witnessing the most direct and dire threats to abortion access in decades. Therefore, joining over 600 local and national organizations, MARCH FOR OUR RIGHTS & A SAN FRANCISCO AND BAY AREA COMMUNITY ORGANIZED MARCH FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE was held on October 2, 11 am starting at SF Civic Center, Grove and Hyde Street, ending at Embarcadero Plaza.

Masks and social distancing were

GOP Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has an annoying announcement ahead of the holidays: Nationwide postal delays and increased shipping prices are imminent. How much longer are we going to allow Trump’s handpicked USPS saboteur to run the show? You know he will do his best to delay mail-in ballots again.

How much more must We know for sure that Halloween is coming when we see this favorite Sister Dana throwback photo where SD is decked out in we endure?

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required. (See page 6 for more information.)

orange, accompanying a band of youngsters in a Trick or Treat

Parade through the Castro sponsored by Cliff’s Variety. (2015) Sister Dana sez, “Fire DeJoy and bring The Joy back for myself) was the BAY TIMES one. to The Post Office!”

Founded in 1978, the SF Bay Times is the first LGBTQ newspaper founded On October 2, we attended jointly and equally by gay men and HORIZONS’ virtual GALA women. Today, it remains one of CELEBRATION co-chaired by the largest LGBTQ newspapers Board Members Xochitl Carrion and Dora Dome with special guests in Northern California providing compressive news and information to Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC; our community. And I hear some old US Senator Tammy Baldwin nun has been writing a column for (D-Wi); Sean Dorsey, Fresh Meat them for decades.

Productions Artistic Director;

Jewelle Gomez, novelist, playwright, activist; Kris Hayashi, Transgender Law Center Executive Director; SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman; Imani Rupert-Gordon, NCLR Executive Director; Lily Tomlin, actor, comedian, activist; and Shawna Virago, SF Transgender Film Festival Executive Director. Activist Michael Tate was our host. He reminded us that Horizons was founded in 1980, and to date it has made more than 55 million dollars in grants with a focus on Bay Area LGBTQ organizations, but affecting the worldwide community. Also, Horizons looks to the future with an LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund to secure our community’s future for generations to come. Horizons Executive Director Roger Doughty announced a fourth round of funding because Covid was not just last year’s story.

“We don’t just follow the headlines or the spotlight,” he said, “We go where the community needs us.” Horizons was one of the very first organizations to fight AIDS. “We have fought, and we will keep on fighting, until all LGBTQ people have freedom and equality!” he concluded.

THE 47TH ANNUAL CASTRO STREET FAIR was held on October 3, 11 am–6 pm in the heart of the Castro District surrounding Castro Street and Market. Founded by Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair has since raised more than $1.5M for community nonprofit beneficiary organizations.

Every year, the Fair shares proceeds to help nonprofits continue providing essential services to the communities in and around the Castro.

Additionally, they are proud that they are able to support the purchase and maintenance of the world-famous RAINBOW FLAG that flies in Harvey Milk Plaza. This year’s beneficiaries are: Buen Dia Family School, Castro Community on Patrol, Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School, Imperial Council of San Francisco, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Most Holy Redeemer – AIDS Support Group, Queer Life Space, and McKinley Elementary. The hottest merch there IMHO was the purple tee emblazoned with Harvey Milk’s immortal words: “Hope Will Never Be Silent!” And one of the more impressive booths (if I do say so

FAUCI - An Intimate Portrait of Dr. Anthony Fauci launched October 6 on Disney + and worldwide. This is Dr. Fauci—a public servant, scientist, physician, husband, and father whose career spans seven presidents and is bookended by two pandemics: HIV/AIDS, which shaped him, and COVID19, which has tested him beyond all expectations. FAUCI is a National Geographic Documentary Films release. With his signature blend of scientific acumen, candor, and integrity, Fauci became America’s most unlikely cultural icon during the COVID-19 pandemic. A worldrenowned infectious disease specialist and the longest-serving public health leader in Washington, D.C., he has overseen the U.S. response to 40 years’ worth of outbreaks, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola. He was also our enemy as AIDS activists with ACT UP in the ‘90s protesting his withholding experimental drugs and other reasons for holding vehement protests in the streets—which are actually partially covered in this film.

San Francisco’s Landmark Musical Theatre ( Jon Rosen, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, will run from October 9 to November 7 at the Children’s Creativity Museum Theater, 221 4th Street.

This show has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fastpaced, wildly funny, and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score

by William Finn (composer of Falsettos), this bee is one unforgettable experience. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents (all portrayed by adult actors) vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime.

While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the “tweens” spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life-unaffirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. The (continued on page 32) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Highlights from Judy Chicago: A Retrospective Through January 9, 2022, at the de Young

Judy Chicago, Rainbow Shabbat, 1992. Collection Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. Judy Chicago and Donald Woodman. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo © Donald Woodman/ARS, New York

Judy Chicago in Judy Chicago: A Retrospective at the de Young Museum (Photo - Gary Sexton).

Installation view of Judy Chicago: A Retrospective at the de Young Museum. Photography by Gary Sexton. Image provided courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Judy Chicago, The Crowning 4 (1984). Painting on 18 mesh canvas by Judy Chicago with Lynda Healy; needlepoint by Frannie Yablonsky. 40 1/2 x 61 1/2 in. (102.9 x 152.4 cm). © Judy Chicago / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photograph by Jorge Bachman, courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Image provided courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Judy Chicago, “Big Blue Pink”, 1971. Collection Art Bridges Foundation, Texas. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo © Donald Woodman/ARS, New York

Artshot Abby Zimberg

Headstones taken at South Congregational Church cemetery, Centerville, MA Abby Zimberg is a licensed California Marriage Family Therapist with training in art therapy. She formerly worked as a graphic designer and has always been a photographer. https://theartoftherapysf.com/

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Judy Chicago Pasadena Lifesavers Red Series #3, 1969-1970 Sprayed acrylic lacquer on acrylic 60 x 60 inches (152.4 x 152.4 cm) Courtesy of the artist, Salon 94, New York, and Jessica Silverman, San Francisco © Judy Chicago / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image provided courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Judy Chicago, Birth Hood, 1965/2011. Sprayed automotive lacquer on car hood. 43 x 43 x 4 1/8 in. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photograph by Randy Dodson, courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Image provided courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

The Remarkable Mrs. Hicks

Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky Between the World Wars, the small farming community of Oxnard, California, was home to a remarkable woman. Described by the local press as “a six-feet-tall, skinny, very stylish raw-bone Negress,” she was a prizewinning cook, nanny, and society hostess beloved by the town’s most influential residents, who did not know or care that she also ran a successful bawdy house—or that she began her life identified as a male. She was Mrs. Lucy Hicks, who insisted on being herself always.

After their wedding, Mr. and Mrs. Hicks travelled to Los Angeles, where Clarence went to the local police complaining that “his ‘bride’ was acting suspiciously.” During questioning, Lucy allegedly “confessed to being a man.” Clarence left her immediately, although he never filed for divorce. Lucy moved to Oxnard, 60 miles north, where she quickly became known for her wizardry in the kitchen. She finally filed divorce papers in 1929. No one questioned her gender.

Eventually, Lucy bought an old boarding house at the corner of 7th and B Street, near Oxnard’s notorious China Alley, which she promptly turned into a speakeasy and brothel.

Successful immediately, she eventually expanded “into a half-block of frame buildings, each well furnished, neatly painted and with window boxes full of geraniums.” Both her businesses were illegal, but local authorities were interested only in her illicit sale of alcohol.

In 1945, when the military began investigating an outbreak of venereal disease among local servicemen, authorities ordered that all of the women at Lucy’s brothel undergo a medical examination, including Lucy. She objected. She never worked as a prostitute, she said, so no evaluation was necessary. Overruled, a panel of five physicians then reported that Lucy biologically was a male.

Having been denied her identify, Lucy faced serious felony charges of perjury for “falsely claiming to be a woman on her marriage license.”

At her trial, she challenged the authority of the physicians who insisted that she was male. “I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman,” she said. “I have lived, dressed, acted just like what I am, a woman.” A jury still convicted her, but her judge sentenced her to ten years of probation only.

Now legally a man, Lucy learned that the federal government was in-

Lucy was born in 1886 to former slaves William and Nancy (Webb) Lawson in rural Kentucky. Named Tobias, but called “Toby” or “Tossie” by family and friends, the youngster at first was raised as a boy. When still “a very young child,” however, her mother became concerned that her son “would only dress in girls’ cloth-

Lucy Hicks Anderson

vestigating her for “failing to register” for the draft and, no longer lawfully married, for “fraudulently accepting” allowance checks that were meant for the wives of servicemen. Eventually, the first case was dropped, but she stood trial in the second. A gynecologist testified that “the Oxnard Negro could be of dual sex” because she had “both female and male characteristics, with the female predominant,” but the jury was unpersuaded.

China Alley, Oxnard, California

ing.” At nine years old, they went to see “Dr. Jesse,” who told them, Lucy explained later, “I was more of a girl than a boy.”

During his examination, the good doctor may have noticed essential qualities of both genders in the child. Whatever his diagnosis and however he explained it, Nancy apparently accepted the information with grace and understanding. “There’s nothing to do,” she said. “You’re a girl and you’re not like other little girls.” She began raising Tossie as a daughter, calling her “Lucy.” For the rest of her life, Lucy lived as a woman and fought for her right to be who she was.

We know very little for certain about Lucy’s life during the next 25 years.

At some point she left Kentucky, worked for a while in a hotel in Texas, then moved to New Mexico, where she married Clarence Hicks in 1920. Apparently, the couple maintained a virtuous relationship before their honeymoon, because the groom was unaware that, among her other attributes, his “‘bride’ was rather peculiar in that ‘she shaved every day.’”

Mrs. Hicks twice faced charges for violations of the Volstead Act. In 1927, she was convicted for possessing liquor and paid a $200 fine, but spent no time behind bars. In 1928, however, after a jury found her guilty on three counts of selling alcoholic beverages, she spent 45 days in the woman’s wing of the county jail. Although her brothel was intimately connected to her speakeasy, no one mentioned it; she continued to run it for another 17 years.

Lucy married again in 1944. Reuben Anderson, born in 1911, worked at Bullock’s department store in Los Angeles before joining the Army in 1942; by the time the war had ended, he’d risen to the rank of corporal. No one knows how he reacted when he learned that his wife legally would be considered a man 26 years older than himself—those may have been among her many qualities that charmed him—but they remained a couple for the rest of her life.

The prosecuting attorney concluded his case with a familiar argument: “Does the jury wish to allow Hicks to continue to live as a woman, to violate the sanctity of homes, to associate with women in rest rooms?” The court sentenced Lucy to one year in jail and ten years on probation. During that time, she could not return to Oxnard for any reason. Reuben, tried separately, also was convicted of fraud. At the end of their terms, they moved to Los Angeles, where Lucy died in 1954.

Unlike many people before her and since, Lucy knew who she was from an early age. Despite the concerted efforts of so-called medical experts and well-meaning jurists, unaware of the infinite variety in human sexuality, she never wavered from her understanding of her true self. No social, cultural, or even legal expectations could force her into being anyone but who she was. “I shall die a woman,” she told the court during one of her trials. Indeed, she did.

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

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Winning Images from the BigPicture Na

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n Saturday, October 16, the Califo will open BigPicture, the museum’s e world’s best wildlife and conservat from the 2021 BigPicture: Natural World Pho Earth’s biodiversity, illustrates the many threa importance of protecting, conserving, and reg Academy’s BigPicture NightLife event (21+) will October 14, ahead of its public opening.

Photographers representing 68 countries subm Renowned wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterh posed of some of the world’s leading photogra gallery of winning images was recently publis azine about nature, conservation, and regener Picture competition.

Ralph Pace | Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Marek Jackowski | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

This year’s grand prize image, Canadian ph Burned Plantation,” shows an eastern grey ka tation, a joey just visible in her pouch. McArth and hope: cataclysmic bushfires driven by rec ravaged the Australian landscape in recent million acres) and displacing nearly three bill kangaroo and her offspring are a powerful rem that life can persist against all odds.

In 2020, BigPicture launched the Emerging grants and mentorships to support young pho turing conservation, science, and regeneration gural grantee Lianna Nixon, whose five-min Arctic expedition to discover personal stories ence, and the natural world.

Petr Bambousek | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org Jo-Anne McArthur | Grand Prize Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

In addition to award-winning wildlife photo ing panel included international photo editor and Morgan Heim, and award-winning natu Aw, Shem Compion, Claudio Contreras Ko Photo categories for the competition and exhi Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora; Aquat BigPicture also includes a Photo Story category theme. The 2021 Photo Story category, Out unique and unexpected events that occur in from a new perspective.

The grand prize and first place category win vate reception on October 14 ahead of the BigP in cash prizes and winning images featured museum’s public floor.

Since launching in 2014, BigPicture has establis tography community, receiving one of just a h Photographer’s Guide to Photo Contests” by photography resources. The competition was Contests & Prizes in 2021” by Pixpa, a leadin and was included in My Modern Met’s list of “ vate Your Craft.” https://www.calacademy.org/

Florian Ledoux | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Fran Rubia | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

LGBTQ+ Intersectional Identities in STEMM

Ivan Pedretti | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Andrew Whitworth | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Dr. Jessica Esquivel, Particle Physicist (Editor's Note: This new series of profiles from the California Academy of Sciences New Science exhibit will tell first-person stories of LGBTQ+ women and gender minorities of color working in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) professions.

“New Science is all about showing the world that queer and intersectional identities are changing who does science and how science gets done,” says

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Nicolas Reusens | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

atural World Photography Competition

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ornia Academy of Sciences in San Francisco eighth annual exhibit celebrating some of the tion photography. Featuring 49 top images otography Competition, the exhibit highlights ats that our planet faces, and underscores the generating the natural world. Attendees of the l get a sneak peek of the exhibit on Thursday,

mitted nearly 8,400 photos for consideration. has chaired an esteemed panel of judges comaphers, photo editors, and conservationists. A shed by bioGraphic, the Academy’s online magration, and official media sponsor for the Big-

hotographer Jo-Anne McArthur’s “Hope in a angaroo pausing in a burned eucalyptus planhur’s photograph represents both devastation cord-setting droughts and temperatures have years, burning some 17 million hectares (42 ion animals in 2019 and 2020; yet the mother minder of nature’s resilience, symbols of hope

Yung-Sen Wu | Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Peter Mather | Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

g Photographer Grant, which awards $2,500 otographers sharing fresh approaches to capn. BigPicture 2021 showcases the work of inaunute film Letter to the Arctic takes viewers on an of scientists at the intersection of identity, sci-

ographer Eszterhas, the BigPicture 2021 judgSophie Stafford, filmmakers Inka Crewswell ure and conservation photographers Michael oob, Jasper Doest, and Rathika Ramasamy. ibit include Terrestrial Wildlife; Winged Life; tic Life; Art of Nature; and Human/Nature. y, featuring four to six images that highlight a of the Ordinary, highlights some of the truly nature, and enables viewers to see the world

Vladimir Cech Jr. | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Nick Kanakis | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

nners and their work will be honored in a priPicture NightLife debut. Awards include $12,000 in the BigPicture photography exhibit on the

shed a fast-growing reputation within the phohandful of recommendations from “The 2020 y PhotoShelter, one of the world’s top online s also named one of the “Top 15 Photography ng online portfolio service for photographers, “30+ Best Photography Competitions to Ele-

Andy Schmid | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Dr. Lauren Esposito, the Academy’s Curator of Arachnology and Founder of 500 Queer Scientists, a powerful visibility campaign for LGBTQ+ professionals working in STEMM advocacy. “I am in awe of the incredible people featured in the exhibit and their unique stories and pathways to careers in science, and I hope everyone who visits the exhibit either in person or online feels inspired as well.”)

Michelle Valberg | Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Dr. Jessica Esquivel: I am a Black, Mexican, lesbian woman and proud of all the things that make me myself. I am a badass particle physicist because of—not in spite of—these identities.

My journey to becoming a physicist wasn’t easy. I didn’t fit the mold of what a scientist looked like, or who could be a scientist. Most of the time I've been the only (or one of a few) in these physics spaces, and the realization that these laboratories, these physics classrooms, these halls weren’t built with me in mind hit me like a ton of bricks.

Shane Kalyn | Winner 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

Jen Guyton | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

It took a lot of time and a lot of people in my corner for me to finally realize that if I don’t fit the mold, I need to break the mold. https://tinyurl.com/nbyry4pz Alexey Korolyov | Finalist 2021 | bigpicturecompetition.org

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HOTEL NACIONAL 2 ounces Bacardí Reserva Ocho Rum 3/4 ounce pineapple juice 1/4 ounce lime juice 1/4 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce apricot liqueur

(Above) The Academy’s Nate Bourg and Heather Freyer from Bacardi welcomed guests to Divas & Drinks “Terry’s List” One Night Only! on Thursday, September 30. (Below) Guests enjoyed special cocktails created by Heather Freyer and Team Bacardi.

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake mixture vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Cocktails With Heather Heather Freyer For Latinx Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) we bring you the Hotel Nacional, named after the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Still a popular destination, it was the epicenter of culture in Havana during the 1950s.

As a cocktail, the Hotel Nacional mixes the sweet Caribbean taste of Bacardí Reserva Ocho Rum with nectarous apricot liqueur. It will bring you back in time to Cuba’s Golden Age.

https://tinyurl.com/yyc4me8t Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice President and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.

This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market Small California Farms Hurting During Drought and Water Shortages

Photos courtesy of the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association

By Debra Morris Farming has always been dependent on varying weather patterns.

With a water shortage and fear of wildfires, farming has become an even riskier occupation. These circumstances are beyond their control and small farmers are having an especially tough time because they don’t have the many resources available to them that larger farms do.

As the drought continues to worsen, many water-use limitations and regulations will be enforced upon all California residents and businesses—including mandatory water restrictions. Some restrictions have already been enacted, leaving

farmers unable to pull water from streams and rivers. This crippling drought has endangered the livelihoods of almost 78,000 small farmers in California (American Farm Bureau statistics).

As reservoirs and wells run dry, groundwater is lowered to dangerous levels, and as natural water sources are restricted, farmers have abandoned fields, reduced crop size, tried to truck in water when they can, or forgo planting their crops altogether. With drastically reduced water allotments, most farmers are scrambling to make ends meet—or are leaving farming altogether.

For the last few years, farms like Bautista Ranch in Stockton have curtailed water usage through water management techniques such as drip feed and other water management techniques. Vidal Navarro of Bautista says, “We pride ourselves on being good stewards of the land and improving soil conditions to get the best produce, but in years of drought it’s very difficult to find enough water to keep our peppers and tomatoes growing. In past drought years, we’ve had to let some of the fields go fallow or just not plant at all.”

Along with sacrificing crops, many small farmers have doubled down on their resourcefulness by increasing their efficiency of agricultural water use. Drip irrigation has grown rapidly and has almost replaced gravity irrigation as a method of watering crops. This will have far reaching implications for the future of California’s agriculture.

Farmers from Alhambra Farms, Bautista Ranch, and others have spoken about the severe effects on produce of the current drought affecting the Bay Area and beyond.

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The Pereira family at Alhambra Valley Pears and Beef have had to pay for and truck in a majority of

their water this year. Their well water is running out. Darryl Pereira says, “This year has been a difficult one. In a normal year during peak season, we harvest about 600 boxes of pears. This year it’s 25% of that, and the season is shortened, too, to only 4 or 5 weeks.”

Even though the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, earlier this year, declared California’s 58 counties as a primary natural disaster area due to recent drought and allows for farm operations in impacted counties to be eligible for certain assistance available through the USDA Farm Service Agency, it still doesn’t solve the need for more water.

We are all dependent upon a limited natural resource whose

availability is outside of our control and it is important to manage this resource wisely. It’s also important to remember that small farmers are the backbone of our local food system, and without them, you would not have fresh local fruits and vegetables on your table. Please continue to support our small farms by purchasing fresh-from-thefarm produce at your local farmers’ market.

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/

Flavorful Fall Sips

Sbrocco Sips Leslie Sbrocco With fall officially here, it’s time to get in the spirit with six libations sure to please.

Powerfully Stylish This set of familiar wine styles is a twist on the combination of elegance swirled with power.

2018 Peñalolen Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile $20 https://tinyurl.com/tfhwr2mm

Chile is home to growing regions with cool coastal climates, but it’s red hot in terms of wine with high quality to low price ratio. This wine is an ideal example of why Chilean wines are special AND affordable.

Hailing from the historic Maipo Valley on the outskirts of Santiago, the Cabernet Sauvignon is smooth and fruity but captures appealing herbal undertones. It’s a beautifully designed bottle to look at and to drink.

2017 brick & mortar “La Perla Vineyard” Brut, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California $58 https://brickandmortarwines.com From the husband/wife duo of Matt and Alexis Iaconis comes one of the best California bubblies I’ve ever tasted.

Made with mountaingrown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay coming from the La Perla Vineyard at 1,700 feet altitude in Napa, this sparkling vino is classy and full of character. The vineyard’s soil is volcanic, which imparts taut sleekness to the wine, too. Crafted in a dry style, it’s perfect alone or paired with spicy Thai noodles and bacon-wrapped pork loin.

Hallo-Wine Sips With Halloween fast approaching, treat yourself to special bottles from Flora Springs. This iconic Napa Valley winery celebrates every Halloween with flair.

2019 Flora Springs “Ghost Winery” Malbec, Napa Valley, California $60 https://www.florasprings.com/ What an ideal wine for Halloween ... or any time this fall. Ghost wineries are the few remaining abandoned structures built in Napa Valley more than a century ago.

The building depicted on the label is a ghost winery renovated decades ago as a home for the winery’s owner—the Komes family. This red is 100 percent Malbec making it rich and plush.

Drink alongside a hearty vegetable soup or beef stew for a wickedly delicious meal.

2019 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley, California $60 https://tinyurl.com/vp7csdpt This collectable bottle changes annually, but for each Halloweenthemed label the winery’s General Manager, Nat Komes, collaborates with a variety of artists. Marc Sasso, an artist from New York

known for comics, skateboards, and album covers, designed this “witches at a party” label.

The sumptuously sleek wine inside is made with Cabernet Franc (the Good Witch of red grape varieties). It showcases dark berry fruit, mineral notes, and a supple texture for a serious wine with a whimsical touch.

Spirits and Brew It’s easy to get in the fall spirit drinking these frothy and flavorful potions.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company 805 Original, California $15 (12 pack of cans) https://www.firestonebeer.com/ Firestone Walker is one of my go-to beers when I crave refreshing and bright. Crafted on California’s Central Coast, this lightly hoppy brew with less than 5 percent alcohol is ideal to sip sitting on a beach or hiking the great outdoors. The brewery was born more than 25 years ago when wine industry brothers-in-law, Adam Firestone and David Walker, merged their

creative forces. What resulted is a heralded producer making a wide selection of beers spanning the flavor spectrum.

The London Nº 1 Gin, England $39 https://thelondon1.com Gin is a four-season spirit.

Warm weather calls for its partner tonic but crafting colorful cool-weather cocktails (like my favorite—an orange-hued Negroni) makes gin perfect for fall.

This unique, aqua-toned spirit is a return to London distillate history utilizing 12 English-grown botanicals such as juniper berries, orange peel, coriander, almond, and cinnamon, to name a few.

The London Nº 1 is a delicate yet earthy spirit that’s a Gin Win. Author, speaker, wine consultant, and television host Leslie Sbrocco is known for her entertaining approach to wine and food. She has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on PBS, which includes hosting the series "Check, Please! Bay Area" and "100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations." www.LeslieSbrocco.com

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Take Me Home with You! KRAMER (continued from page 21) and his televised Young People’s Concerts, and music education efforts. Instead, Tirola emphasizes Bernstein’s political activism, shoehorning clips and recordings to provide context on the times. While this work is notable and important, it should have been its own film. Bernstein’s Wall will satisfy fans of this cultural ambassador who want to recall his accomplishments, but it fails to truly illuminate its subject.

God’s Daughter Dances, one of the entries in the festival’s shorts program “The Ocean,” is a marvelous South Korean import about a transgender performer, Shin-mi, who has audiences eating out of the palm of her hand at a nightclub where she dances. However, when she must report for a military service examination, Shin-mi is less appreciated. Her female identity is questioned by one doctor who does not accept her paperwork and insists she “prove” she has had gender reassignment surgery. This engaging short, written by Sungbin Byun, conveys Shin-mi’s discomfort as she is tested, repeatedly, before she becomes empowered.

For tickets, showtimes, venues, and more information on the festival, visit https://www.mvff.com/ © 2021 Gary M. Kramer “My name is Hennessy! I’m one year old and spent my puppyhood in the Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup Central Valley. I’m a country boy at heart and am looking for a quieter neighborhood where I can settle down. In my ideal home there would be at least one other dog; it would be great to have a canine companion to help show me the ropes! If you think we might be a match, I’d very much love to meet you.”

Hennessy 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 Hennessy.

To apply to meet Hennessy, visit https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the coeditor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

SISTER DANA (continued from page 25) production also includes a novelty not often seen in a Broadway musical, as four members of each night’s audience get a chance to shine when they are invited to the stage to compete as spellers during the first act of the show! The show would be rated PG-13 for strong language and some sexual content (dealing with the “complications” of male puberty) and is recommended for youth 13 and over. https://www. landmarkmusicals.com/ Despite the violence and discrimination we see, our trans communities have shown time and again that they have the brilliance, commitment, and care needed to not only support one another but also to usher in a better world for all people. Join them for SPARK, TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER (TLC)’s largest annual gathering, to celebrate the ways we are rising up together, and for each other. Funds raised at SPARK help TLC continue to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. “SPARK 2021” is virtual, free, and open to all. October 14, 5 pm. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ Sister Dana sez, "October 11 is National Coming Out Day. If Sister Dana came out any further, he would fall off a cliff!"

Read much more online www.sfbaytimes.com

QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 21)

D) 2010 Ace Week (formerly called Asexuality Week) was founded in 2010 by activist Sara Beth Brooks.

For more information about Ace Week: https://aceweek.org/

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Dykes

With Drills

Tip of the Week

By Julie Peri

How to get an Aged Wood Look Using Household Items Do you love the look of aged barn wood? We do too! Using a gray stain to finish a project may give you a similar effect, but if that particular look is what you are going for, a homemade oxidizing solution is a better and cheaper option. Oxidation is the natural process that dried wood goes through over time, resulting in a grayish brown patina. The homemade oxidizing solution speeds up this process, leaving you with beautifully “aged” wood within minutes of applying.

All you need to make this oxidizing solution is a jar with a tight-fitting lid, white vinegar, and steel wool pads (grade #0000). Place one steel wool pad in the jar. You can speed up the process if you tear the steel wool into a few pieces before placing it in the jar. Fill the jar with vinegar and put the lid back on the jar. Let the solution sit for at least two days before using. The longer the solution sits, the darker it will become, but it does not need to appear dark to cause the oxidation on the wood, as this is a chemical reaction.

Apply the oxidizing solution evenly over the wood the same way you apply stain, with a brush or cloth. As the solution soaks in, it will start to darken the wood. If the wood is not as dark as you would like after 10 minutes, you can apply the oxidizing solution again. Once you achieve your desired darkness, let the wood dry before applying a finish, such as polyurethane. The finish will enhance the oxidation process, giving your wood a beautiful aged look.

For more tips and tricks, join us in the Bay Area for some entry level workshops this fall!

Build a Planter Box Workshop, October 30, Walnut Creek Introduction to Tools Workshop, November 20 and December 11, San Francisco For more information about these and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/

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Round About - Annual Leather Community Week Photos by Rink The LeatherWalk returned after a hiatus on Sunday, September 19, as the traditional launch to San Francisco’s Leather Week.

Produced by the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, LeatherWalk began with a program on the steps of City Hall, paused along the route at favorite neighborhood spots and watering holes with strong ties to the Leather community, and ended up at Eagle Plaza for a ceremonial raising of the Leather flag and the inaugural Leather Pride Fest, presented by the SF Eagle.

The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District’s Samuel Favela, Stephen Torres and Cory Fusco were at City Hall for the start of the annual LeatherWalk on September 19.

Activist Tita Aida, right, and friends from Trans Thrive staffed their booth at Megahood, which referenced the first (1984) Folsom Street Fair’s original name.

Planned Parenthood staff and volunteers welcomed visitors to their booth at Megahood on Folsom Street on September 26.

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A street scene at the Megahood street party on Folsom Street on September 26.

Megahood street party attendees strolled past the dynamic mural by Josh Katz featuring an image of recording artist Sylvester on the wall outside of OASIS.

Galilea and Stephen Dorsey at the 47th Grand Ducal Coronation held at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn on September 25.

Entertainers MGM Grand and Militia paused for a brief break during their Carnie’s Playhouse Show at Beaux on September 24.

Baby Snacks and Foxxy Blue enjoyed the 47th Grand Ducal Coronation on September 25.

Guests at the 47th Grand Ducal Coronation

Round About - All Over Town

Photos by Rink

CASTRO STREETCAM presented by

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman congratulated Mat Schuster, chef and owner, and manager Paul Iglesias at Canela Bistro & Wine Bar’s 10th Anniversary Party on September 26.

Guests enjoying cocktails at Canela’s 10th Anniversary Party

http://sfbaytimes.com/

Staff members at Canela welcomed guests for the restaurant’s 10th Anniversary Party that featured a special station offering a selection of festive sweets and appetizers.

Is it time to add a little spooky to your foliage? These super cute pots from Accent Decor are looking at you.

Yes, these skeleton ducks are dying to follow you home.

Christopher Dunn of Sewciopath Designs (left) and artist Alan Beckstead (right) were among the vendors offering their creations for sale at the Noe and Market Street Art Mart on Sunday, September 19.

Nothing says Halloween like these fantastic collector pieces from Department 56.

S

Two clients, fresh from their spa treatment at Mudpuppy’s Tub & Scrub on Castro Street, posed on a drying mat for their photograph by Rink on September 22.

Server Brad Hopkins, a favorite staff member among regular customers, welcomed guests at Spike’s Coffee & Teas.

ince our founding in 1936, Cliff’s Variety has been constantly growing and evolving in response to the needs of our customers. Our buyers strive to keep our selection fresh, on-trend and competitive.

We carry the best of everything from hardware & tools to cookware, garden supplies, toys, crafts, and gifts.

At The Mocas Group office located in the Mission, host James Bazydola welcomed guests on Friday, September 24, for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence exhibit featuring the work of artist Diedre DeFranceaux. The large painting depicts Sister Selma Soul raising funds for charity.

We also offer re-keying and lock repair, knife sharpening, glass, acrylic & wood cutting. Light fabrication, pipe threading, and cable crimping are among the many other services we offer at Cliff’s Variety. If your project has gone a little beyond your abilities, we’re here to help. https://cliffsvariety.com/

As Heard on the Street . . . What are your favorite places to visit in the Castro? compiled by Rink

Kevin Hoskins

Sue Englander

Jonathan Griffin

Juanita MORE!

Michael Youens

“Moby Dick bar”

“Double Rainbow Ice Cream and Castro Coffee”

“Orphan Andy’s and the Castro Theatre”

“Starbelly restaurant and the Q Bar”

“Mama Ji’s restaurant”

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