San Francisco Bay Times - May 20. 2021

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

Todrick Hall, featured performer Saturday, June 26 OZ Pride Concert @ Sonoma County Fairgrounds

PHOTO BY SHAWN ADELI

May 20–June 9, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com

GGBA Power Lunch 2021

O

nce a year the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) takes the opportunity to experience the power of connecting, the power of learning, and the power of our diverse community coming together. This year’s GGBA Power Lunch event is even more important in solidifying the foundation of individual and community resilience and optimism building resilience and strength in the GGBA community.

Attend this year’s virtual Power Lunch for an elevated, interactive experience that will provide opportunities to: • pitch your business to GGBA’s corporate partners; • showcase your business in GGBA’s virtual exhibit floor, complete with your own promo video; • gain inspiration and insight from business leaders.

As for who should attend, the GGBA advises that the event is geared for business & small business owners, GGBA members, corporate partners, students, and community members. In short, nearly everyone can benefit from this high-powered networking event.

Power Lunch 2021 will include these Expert Roundtables:

Marketing Yourself as an LGBTQ+ Business Founder with StartOut Presented by Julie Peri of Dykes With Drills and the San Francisco Bay Times & Emma Holland of StartOUT As business founders & entrepreneurs, our stories are an integral part of how we build our companies. Join StartOut experts as they share how marketing yourself as an Out entrepreneur builds resiliency and community for your brand.

Next Generation Youth Presented by John Tedstrom of Next Generation What does strategic career support look like for young LGBT entrepreneurs?

Surviving the Pivot or Spins & Thrills Presented by Day Darmet of Day Darmet Catering On March 14, 2020, Darmet’s corporate catering company went belly up. Instead of falling into a hole, Darmet decided to face the challenge and reinvent the company. Darmet has started three new businesses in one year, and is surviving and excited about the future.

Leveraging NGLCC LGBT Business Enterprise Certification Presented by Magdalena Rodriguez of Pro Internacional, Inc., Dawn Hatch of Matax, and Anna Colibri of Colibri Digital Marketing How do you use the NGLCC LGBTBE Certification to grow your business? Where do you start after you get certified? What works and what doesn’t?

GGBA Networking Roundtable with Olga Garcia of CG Moving Company, Inc. Olga Garcia of CG Moving Company, Inc., is a master networker and can make valuable connections if you are looking for a product or services, or are wanting to get the word out about your company. Join this session for a fast-paced networking experience where you can connect with other GGBA members.

Finding Financial Happiness in Good Times and Bad Presented by Pamela Schmitz of Brio The pandemic has made people recalibrate and reevaluate their measure of success. Many of us are now focusing on choosing happiness and using those same skills to get to a place of financial well-being. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but having a road map to financial independence can provide security and peace of mind while allowing for a reevaluation of your measure of success.

Doing Business with the Department of General Services Presented by Matthew Zweier and Wayne Gross of the Department of General Services You are certified. Now what? Learn about solicitations and the current needs of the State of California.

Opportunities Arise: Comcast Supplier Diversity and Comcast RISE Programs Presented by Lisa Roben of Comcast and Lisa Castillo of AT&T The discussion will explore California Region Supplier Diversity Program qualifications and opportunities as well as the enterprise-wide Comcast RISE grant program available to small, BIPOC owned businesses. Qualifications for the RISE Program will be discussed.

This year’s Power Lunch will also include a Keynote Address from Jeff Wallace, the Founder of Global Kinetics; a Fireside Chat; Power Pitches; and more!

Power Lunch 2021: Kick Off Event Tuesday, May 25 5:30 pm–6:30 pm The Power Lunch is the GGBA’s Annual Signature Event. In 2021, the GGBA is bringing the Power Lunch programming to you virtually: Resilient Business, Strong Community.

Join us at the Kick Off Party to network with likeminded people and make some business connections. The GGBA is partnering with StartOut to bring you more business resources.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/afkebk7s Power Lunch 2021 Virtual Experience Wednesday, May 26 11:30 am–1 pm $75 All GGBA members will receive a free booth at the Power Expo valued at $500.

Once a year, we have an opportunity to experience the power of connecting, the power of learning and the power of our diverse community coming together. GGBA’s Power Lunch event this year is even more important in laying a solid foundation in building resilience and strength in our GGBA community.

Join us for an elevated, interactive virtual experience that will provide opportunities to network with other businesses, pitch your business to our corporate partners, have an online exhibit space with your own company video, be inspired by leaders, and learn from the experts.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/4scb5ymz

4

SA N F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

What a Difference 17 Years Make: Cicadas and LGBTIQ Equality

6/26 and Beyond John Lewis 2021 is a special year. Although cicadas and their sonorous sounds are a regular part of summer in much of the world, this summer trillions of cicadas who have an unusual 17-year life cycle will emerge from beneath the earth in the eastern United States. The last time these cicadas saw the light of day, it was 2004.

Gavin Newsom had just burst open the doors of San Francisco City Hall for same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts had recently become the first state in the union with marriage equality. The national freedom to marry movement was in its nascence.

Those cicadas spent very little time above ground back then; they were newly hatched nymphs that quickly burrowed below to feed, grow, and live for the next 17 years. During that time, the marriage equality and LGBTIQ rights movements grew and gained momentum, too. Many challenges arose, including 31 states voting to prohibit same-sex mar-

6

SA N F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

We can’t help but wonder if the cicadas actually burrowed underground in 2004 to flee the presidency of George W. Bush, who advocated a federal Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and remained there until Trump and Pence no longer occupied the White House.

Recent public opinion polling also shows nationwide support for marriage equality at an all-time high of 70 percent, with 83 percent of the nation favoring laws prohibiting anti-LGBTIQ discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and housing. A recent study revealed that a whopping 66% of age 13–18 gay and bisexual boys are now out to their female parents, with 49% out to their male parents. We envision those percentages only rising.

Interestingly, the first thing a cicada does after it tunnels its way back above ground is to come out.

It sheds its golden, nymphal exoskeleton, leaving it behind forever. Its soft, vulnerable body is nearly translucent, but soon gains strength and color, soars upward, and begins to sing. Cicadas’ perva-

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

sive, all-consuming hum is beloved by many as a daily auditory reminder of the bounteous warmth of summer. This year, we think of them as an operatic chorus, proclaiming, “Love Wins.”

The revered Japanese haiku master Bashō, who was also queer, described this process over 300 years ago: The shell of a cicada; It sang itself Utterly away.

(Translation by R.H. Blyth.)

Bashō

Murasaki Shikibu, in her 11th century novel Tales of Genji, also likened a lover shedding their robe to a cicada’s molting its outer shell.

A cicada’s sound derives from its vibrating body, shaped similarly to a violin with a resonating inner chamber. Millions of cicadas vocalizing together powerfully amplify their voices, such that every 17 years can become deafening to those who try to resist it.

They are nothing short of “loud and proud.”

We think of the power of the voices of the LGBTIQ community and our supporters both individually and collectively. For instance, when Proposition 8 took away same-sex couples’ hardfought right to marry in California, a nationwide no-H8 LGBTIQ movement arose louder, stronger, and more numerous than ever before.

It ultimately led to the U.S. Supreme Court establishing nationwide marriage equality in 2015 and prohibiting anti-LGBTIQ employment discrimination last year.

Today, our movement’s success has spawned another backlash. This time, it’s a wholesale Republican-led attack on the health, wellbeing, and civil rights of transgender and gender nonbinary people, coupled with a cynical campaign to justify blatant discrimination against LGBTIQ people under the guise of religious freedom. We and our allies must summon the same strength, political commitment, and determination to give voice to the truth of our lives as we’ve done before.

Poignantly, an individual cicada only lives at most a few weeks above ground as an adult, but collectively their sound permeates the consciousness of all those who hear it. Although many struggles remain, we can only imagine

Rainbow Cicada

what a difference the next 17 years of our movement will make to the lives of LGBTIQ people when the next generation of these cicadas emerges in 2038.

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN LEWIS

riage from 2004–2008. But the tireless work of countless LGBTIQ people and their supporters means that today these teenage cicadas resurface into a country that has had nationwide marriage equality for six years. And the nation has never had a more pro-LGBTIQ president and vice president than Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Congratulations, Lavender Graduates of 2021 adults coming out, and coming into their own power as LGBTQ graduates during a global pandemic, which spurred their invitation to me to time travel, recount, muse, and perhaps affirm some of the affinity to the symmetries in cross-generational experiences.

Cross Currents Andrea Shorter It is the season of college and university graduations, and a few weeks ago I was invited by the LGBTQ student organization at my alma mater to deliver keynote remarks at its second annual Lavender graduates pre-commencement ceremony.

As a now 30-plus year alumnus, I could not have been more honored and delighted at the invitation by this generation and class of students I regrettably didn’t know at all. It became clear to me that I was chosen partly because of my distinction as a lead organizer and co-founder of Whittier College’s first LGBTQ students’ organization—way back before we were LGBTQ!—in 1988.

Yes, I know that, for more than a few readers, 1988 might as well have been yesterday compared to their college years well before the ‘80s.

However, to these incredible graduates, it was also what they acknowledged as the parallels between the impacts of the burgeoning HIV/ AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, generations before their own births, and the impacts on their lives as young

1988 is a long enough time ago, indeed. Of course, I did my personal best to recount what it was like to come out as any kind of queer young adult, and most specifically as a queer young person of color in a predominately white, conservative environment at the heights LGBTQ people were mobilizing aggressively to demand a response to HIV/AIDS. The feelings of isolation, possible threats to one’s personal safety and well-being, fear of rejection, and intense want to connect with someone—anyone—like yourself are feelings that are indelible and unforgettable to me, but eventually were overcome once I found my way to connecting with and building community to be visible, proud, and empowered.

Few of us would have imagined that 33 years from our first gathering of 12 students off-campus as the newly formed Student Alumni Gay Alliance or SAGA that we would see the 19-year run of a popular lesbian talk show host coming to an end, a former Olympic gold medalist and perhaps most famous transwoman in the world declare her candidacy for Governor of California as a Republican (or “kinda Republican,” as she states—whatever that means), an award-winning television series about a transgender community of color in New York in its final season, and the battle for LGBTQ rights revisiting 50-year-old tropes about transgender

girls taking over girls’ sports and destroying title IX as a reason to deny federal protection and equal rights for LGBTQ people.

All of the aforementioned took place within a week of the 2021 graduation of 27 openly queer young adults at a small liberal arts college that is now proudly predominately Latinx. And, of course, all occurred during what is hopeLavender Graduation is an annual gradutaion ceremony conducted at universities to honor LGBT students and fully the tail end of acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions. It was created by Ronni Sanlo, a lesbian keynote speaker in imposed social disLGBT communities. Lavender Graduation is an informal complement to an institution's formal commencement ceretance, isolation, and mony, rather than a replacement. (Source: Wikipedia) physical disconnect them know that we are counting on tance. As many of our lavender gradfrom others like yourself during your uates emerge from distance learning, them to keep fighting the good fight last year in college. sheltering in place, and lack of physfor full equality for LGBTQ people The interest and respect that these ical connection with community to all over the world, and we are conyoung people wanted to extend to an eventually put their new well-earned fident that they will do so with even elder LGBTQ alumnus was certainly greater tools, history, examples, allidegrees to work, perhaps now more an honor to receive. More important than ever we need to show them the ances, and spirit. is that we elders reach out to young appreciation, respect, confidence, Show them the importance of selfLGBTQ people we know who are and love they deserve. love as well as love for community, soon graduating. Let’s let them know Congratulations, lavender class of the importance of building and thriv- such that no matter their personal, 2021. We see you. In pride, always. professional, or occupational endeaving within communities of care, conors, there is probably at least one cern, and love for who they are and Andrea Shorter is a longtime Comelder LGBTQ person within six envision themselves to be as they missioner for the City and County degrees of their community who has now seek to empower themselves as of San Francisco, now serving on worked to forge a bit of path in the LGBTQ people and equals in this the Juvenile Probation Commissame or similar occupation and is world. sion after 21 years as a Commisthere to guide and support their jour- sioner on the Status of Women. She Let’s let them know that we supney if asked. If no one such person is a longtime advocate for gender port their own fierceness that canexists, let them know that there are and LGBTQ equity, voter rights, not be overshadowed, dampened, multitudes of us who are cheering and criminal and juvenile justice or deterred by the isolation brought them on as trailblazers. reform. She is a co-founder of the on by neither the pandemic of the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Coalition, We are everywhere. No one of us is past year, nor the three and a half and was a David Bohnett LGBT ever alone, truly. Perhaps commuyears prior of an administration that Leaders Fellow at the Harvard Kennity seems more obvious now than worked diligently to set back, disnedy School of Government. ever, but it never hurts or grows old miss, eliminate, and deny LGBTQ rights, protection, and equality. Let

to remind ourselves of its impor-

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

M AY 20, 2021

7

33 Years of LYRIC Pride Annual Open House Will Be Virtual for 2021

By Araceli Nuñez Lee It all started with a sandwich.

In 1988 over a lunch near San Francisco’s Civic Center, Donna Keiko Ozawa and B. Dana Kivel had a vision of building a world that honors, respects, and appreciates LGBTQQ+ youth and their contributions. 33 years later, that vision is a tangible reality: LYRIC ( www.lyric.org ), known to San Franciscans for its “Purple House” but with a philosophy, mission, and impact far beyond its Castro District home turf. Over three days, June 2, 3 & 4 each evening from 6 pm–7 pm, the LYRIC vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion will be celebrated in the esteemed nonprofit’s annual open house, which this year will be virtual.

“Little did we know that our lunch at Quincy’s, a beloved spot in the heart of the Civic Center, would result in the creation of LYRIC,” recalls Ozawa and Kivel for the San Francisco Bay Times. “But, over three decades later, here we are, still expanding.”

Vintage photos courtesy of LYRIC

being youth of color and 37% homeless or unstably housed.

Newman adds, “This past year brought new challenges of unemployment, remote learning, and further isolation for participants. Since the start of the pandemic, youth have reported elevated levels of emotional violence and family rejection within their homes and are at GABINO LUCENA

Ozawa and Kivel will kickoff the Pride Open House with a candid discussion about the lessons learned since that visionary lunch and their hopes for the future. Following on June 3, the LYRIC Virtual Open House will feature a youth talent show with the creative brilliance of LYRIC participants on full display as they perform pieces that showcase the way in which they embody Pride at a time when social distancing has affected the way we all interact with the community.

The Open House will close out June 4 with a Lavender Drag Show Extravaganza with the Rice Rockettes! The event will feature a youthonly space to learn about the art of drag before the Rice Rocketts will put on a fabulous youth-friendly drag show at 6 pm hosted by Buka Kay! Buka is LYRIC’s own Board member, Jack Choi. All of these events are open to the public and tickets are free.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, LYRIC has provided a stable form of income and routine for my everyday life,” said a LYRIC youth participant. “Both have been essential to surviving quarantine with chronic illness and have made sure that I don’t lose too much connection with the outside world.”

“During the pandemic, LYRIC was able to keep its virtual doors open to the city’s most vulnerable youth,” says Toni Newman, Interim Executive Director for LYRIC. She notes that 88% of LYRIC’s participants are low-income, with 75%

8

SA N F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

90s book cover

LYRIC founders

greater risk of violence and self-harm. “ While LYRIC still operates remotely, as we move into a more hopeful spring and summer, LYRIC has expanded in-person resource hours to 12 pm–5 pm every Thursday and Friday to serve additional youth who come through our doors looking for resources and community. Participants can access a hot meal, toiletries, and safe sex supplies and may connect with staff and peers on the LYRIC back deck.

Perhaps another LYRIC youth participant put it best: “LYRIC has always been a constant resource in my life for the past couple of years.

First dance

Even during a pandemic, I can rely on the support from staff and programs to help me in accessing vital resources. It’s one of the few spaces where I feel seen and cared for.”

Until we can gather again at our landmark “Purple House” in the Castro in large numbers, we hope to see you online this year at LYRIC’s Open House. For more information: https://lyric.org/open-house/ Araceli Nuñez Lee is the Communications Associate at LYRIC.

It’s Time to Get Rid of Jaywalking Tickets

Oakland City Council Leadership Writes to Major League Baseball

jobs and go to court to fight this, which only adds more penalties to these outrageous fines.

Assemblymember Phil Ting I’ve done it. You probably have too.

A flower shop or a store catches your eye on the other side of the street while walking. Maybe coffee or ice cream is calling your name. Giving in to the temptation, you look both ways, and when safe, you cross in the middle of the block. Most of us don’t realize we’re breaking the law, but that’s jaywalking—something you can get a ticket for.

Jaywalking is enforced arbitrarily throughout California. Most often, tickets are issued disproportionately to people of color, and sometimes these encounters with law enforcement can be life-threatening.

It’s time for change. That’s why I introduced AB 1238, the Freedom To Walk Act, to seek fairness and prevent unnecessary brushes with police.

Whether it’s someone’s life or hundreds of dollars in fines, the price of our jaywalking laws is too high.

We need to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and reevaluate whether our state’s jaywalking laws are actually protecting pedestrians.

AB 1238 would eliminate jaywalking infractions in California, whether that’s entering the street when the traffic light is red or crossing outside a crosswalk. Doing so would end the undue burden placed on low-wage workers, as tickets are expensive, ranging from $250 to over $1,000.

They often cannot take time off their

My bill would also end the use of jaywalking as a pretext to stop someone. There are examples in California when law enforcement has used it, including in the Bay Area, and the consequences were deadly. Chinedu Okobi was stopped by San Mateo County law enforcement in 2018 for crossing El Camino Real mid-block in Millbrae. When he declined to cooperate with authorities, they used a taser, leading Okobi to suffer cardiac arrest that eventually caused his death. More recently, Kurt Reinhold died in September while stopped for jaywalking in Orange County. Both accused jaywalkers were African American.

The numbers behind police stops for jaywalking are just as telling. The California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) compiled data from 2018 to 2020 show Black Californians are much more likely to be stopped by police for jaywalking than white Californians, up to four-and-a-half times more.

The history of jaywalking laws began in the 1930s.

As the number of deadly car accidents skyrocketed the previous decade, the emerging auto industry wanted to shift the blame from drivers to pedestrians. Over the years, street designs primarily considered the needs of drivers without accounting for people who are not in cars. Adding to the problem is the lack of crossing infrastructure in underresourced communities.

We have seen that decriminalizing jaywalking works. The United Kingdom allows pedestrians to cross the street mid-block and has half as many pedestrian deaths as the United States. Other states have begun the process of reevaluating such laws, too. Virginia recently decriminalized jaywalking, and the New York Attorney General recommended last summer that New York State do the same.

California has amended jaywalking laws in the past. Prior to 2018, police officers could and did ticket people for crossing once the traffic light countdown began. No more. The California Legislature changed that in 2018. Let’s go further and stop ticketing this infraction completely to ensure fairness across our state.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.

City staff negotiating with the A’s, have been hard at work developing the work needed to bring a project proposal forward for potential approval. Recently, the A’s leadership decided to change requests, and rather than send forward full completed deal terms for consideration, the A’s announced in the press that instead they were demanding that the Council take a vote on a summary “term sheet” without full details.

Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan On May 14, 2021, Oakland City Council leadership wrote to Major League Baseball about the negotiations to keep the A’s in Oakland. The full letter is found below.

Dear Commissioner Manfred: I hope this letter finds you and yours well and healthy.

The Oakland City Council is committed to negotiating in good faith for a strong future for the A’s in Oakland, and we invite the A’s and MLB to do the same by agreeing not to seek relocation while the A’s complete the project process as the Council moves forward.

As leadership of the City Council and representatives of the West Oakland, Downtown, and Chinatown neighborhoods, and the City atlarge, we are ready to meet with you and with the A’s ownership—as we offered previously—and to thoughtfully move forward.

From MLB’s statement, there appears to be incorrect information being conveyed. We want to make clear that it is entirely false that the City Council is delaying or refusing to consider the A’s project proposal.

In fact, many people, including

Council leadership expressed willingness to explore this request, and met with the A’s staff and other stakeholders to seek how to best move forward. We were asked to schedule it prior to the summer recess, and were in the process, when instead MLB announced that apparently you have been given incorrect information that City leadership is refusing to work with the A’s, and you have announced your plan to enable their relocation to a new city. This relocation announcement came without giving the Council an opportunity to receive and vote on a proposal, and did not even wait for the time requested for the vote.

Your current statement includes the unsupported conclusion that the Coliseum site is not viable. Please send to us any and all materials that you used or reviewed in making such a determination. In any case, we hope you will understand that the shifting “demands” on what Oakland must do, combined with your public threat to allow the team to leave, even while the City is undertaking the items that you and the A’s have urged, might leave the impression that there never has been any good faith intent on your part to work on a future ballpark in Oakland. However, we remain open to working together. It is possible that you didn’t intend to threaten relocation from a city, in the absence of that city’s leadership even being given an opportunity to consider a proposal from the team.

Since the request was for a vote by August, why would you announce permission to explore relocation, prior to the date of the requested vote, if the request had been a sincere one? As we continue to work in good faith to identify the most successful way forward for everyone involved, we seek to confirm your intentions.

Can you confirm definitively, that if the Council were to take such a vote for a term sheet regarding the A’s, that you would prohibit any action to seek or pursue relocation during those next steps?

In order to seek a way forward, we had previously suggested a meeting between the decision-makers of the A’s (ownership), and the decision-makers of the City of Oakland (Council leadership)—to understand what the A’s intend and how best to work together. This invitation by top city officials to discuss this project has not received a response from the A’s since Council President Bas made the offer to A’s President Dave Kaval on April 30th. After making a direct offer to work together, the response came instead, through the press, of the intended plan to seek (continued on page 29)

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

M AY 20, 2021

9

BAY TIMES S

Supporting Small Businesses in the Castro & Beyond

A

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

4049 18th Street 415-294-0731 http://www.mobydicksf.com Shuttered due to the pandemic since March 2020, Moby Dick Bar is preparing for its long-anticipated reopening! As Sister Dana Van Iquity writes in this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, this Castro landmark has just added an eye-catching leather jacket mural created by artist Serge Gay Jr. Serge met his husband at the bar over a decade ago.

The Legacy Business status of Moby Dick Bar is well deserved, given its decades of serving as a meeting place for those in search of good libations, camaraderie, entertainment, and more. First called the Corner Grocery Bar from 1973–1978, it featured opera and classical music for patrons who could purchase deli sandwiches. The business then changed hands as well as its name, becoming Moby Dick Bar in 1979. In the 1980s, it even had its own namesake record label, which released a number of disco hits.

Present owner Joe Cappelletti took over in 2002 and has created a welcoming space that feels like a home away from home for many local patrons. But it can be a special occasion place, too. The Bay Times with the San Francisco Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band, for example, had a memorable festive holiday party there a few years ago.

When Moby Dick Bar reopens—perhaps even by the time you read this piece—please stop by this friendly destination at 18th and Hartford. It’s a neighborhood gem that, like many businesses, has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Bar’s GoFundMe campaign is just a little over half-way to its goal: https://tinyurl.com/64sueyhb

Knobs

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY JUAN R. DAVILA

432 Castro Street 415-861-1035 http://www.knobssf.com

PHOTO BY JUAN R. DAVILA

PHOTO BY RINK

Knobs is a San Franicsco-based boutique offering the latest in men’s fashion clothing, shoes, and accessories at affordable prices. Their items are all unique and distinctive, from Pride/Rainbow attire to Steampunk/Goth to Club/Festival Wear. In a typical year, customers come from far and near to find everything needed for Pride festivals, Burning Man, Folsom Street Fair, Circuit Parties, and more. Go-Go boys love this shop and tourists enjoy stopping in to find unique gay-themed clothing and accessories not available back home. Many items are unisex, so women are welcome, too.

Knobs also has a strong online customer base and recently introduced a new website that offers frequent sales. You can get 10% off by mentioning the San Francisco Bay Times!

Fable 558 Castro Street 415-590-2404 http://www.fablesf.com Opened in 2013 in the Castro, Fable showcases a passion to create seasonal, approachable, and top-quality food without the pretense (and price tag) of fine dining. From starter to dessert, their team takes pride in each and every dish they serve. Fable is acclaimed as both the best garden patio restaurant and best brunch in San Francisco.

10

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

PHOTO BY JUAN R. DAVILA

At present there is limited capacity seating due to social distancing needs, so reservations are highly recommended at this popular restaurant. Note that there is a maximum of six people per table, unless all are from the same household. The garden & patio are perfect for these times, though. The secluded back patio is green with overhanging vines, trees, potted plants, frequent warm breezes, and often sunny seating. There you can relax with a glass of beer or wine as well as one of Fable’s seasonal dishes.

The menu offers delicious comfort food with creative twists. The Grilled 10-ounce Pork Chop, for example, comes with grilled pineapple, onion rings and house-made BBQ sauce. For vegans, there is a Mixed Zucchini Lasagna with Pomodoro Sauce, featuring almond mozzarella, house-made pasta, shallots, and finished off with savory garlic breadcrumbs. Desserts such as Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse, balanced with smoked sea salt, are also first rate.

O

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

Featured Legacy Business: Moby Dick Bar

Over the past year, the staff at Knobs has used its creativity to develop a new “Made in San Francisco” line of merchandise that includes face masks and other coverings, loungewear, shorts, tank tops, outerwear, and much more.

C

GLBT Fortnight in Review Is He Gay, or European?

Since we can travel again, let me tell you about the 2021 Rainbow Europe survey, which shows civil rights progress has stagnated this year. I found this somewhat alarming until I saw that GLBT progress in Europe has been deemed insufficient for the three years prior to 2020 as well, so maybe we’re just experiencing the charming on s’en fout attitude we all appreciate so much when we encounter it abroad.

Once again, Malta is the number one gay friendly European country, while Azerbaijan is the worst at number 49, preceded by Turkey and Armenia. Belgium, Luxembourg, and Portugal are ranked two, three, and four, followed by the four Scandinavian countries with Spain somewhere in their midst. Other former Soviet bloc countries populate the bottom of the barrel, with the bizarre exception of Monaco, which comes in at number 45, sandwiched between Belarus and Russia. Really?

It turns out that Monaco doesn’t have any laws against GLBT discrimination, nor does it recognize marriage equality. What’s up with that, Tax Evaders with Dangerous Roads? Looks like you and your fancy yachts are no longer part of our vacation plans. We’ll be staying at the backpacking hostel in central Nice, thank you very much!

Speaking of Europe, the latest issue of Instinct magazine asks an “age old question,” to wit: “Is he gay or European?” When directed towards Sherlock Holmes 3 with Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law, the answer is yes and yes. The producers of this upcoming film say Holmes and Watson are indeed an item. The other famous recent Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch for BBC, is asexual and quirky like that. And I guess a third Sherlock Holmes, found in the Netflix show Enola Holmes, is due to be outed in the next season. Or the next movie or whatever.

I haven’t seen it but I see here that Enola is Holmes’s sister and that the first Enola movie takes place before her brother has met Watson.

Brave Chicago Cat Still Missing!

Did you all see that a woman from the L.A. area sent a $26 million lottery ticket through the washing machine and destroyed it? The details are fuzzy, but we do know that the winning Super Lotto Plus ticket was sold at an Arco gas station in Norwalk just before the November 14 drawing. Recently, a woman came into the station and explained that she was the one who had bought the ticket, but that the ticket had gone into the laundry and she was looking for proof of her transaction. Unfortunately, she did not manage to produce anything before the six-month deadline to claim the prize expired.

Oops! The money reverts to the California department of education.

I know it’s not a GLBT story, but we can all relate to the horror of such an incident. It’s much worse than, let’s say, picking four out of six, or even seeing your favorite numbers come up on a week you didn’t buy a ticket. That’s bad luck. But in this case, you had it! You had $26 million in your hot little hand and you effectively flushed it down the drain.

Imagine trying to fall asleep at one in the morning after such carelessness.

Imagine trying to focus on work.

Imagine calculating your household budget. That car payment! You’re still stuck with it and the car’s in the shop every other week.

Moving on, the Department of Health and Human Services is the latest cabinet office to reaffirm a commitment to GLBT protections, announcing earlier this month that the department’s Office of Civil

Rights will enforce all rules prohibiting sex discrimination to include gay and trans bias, just as the Supreme Court insisted in their June 2020 Bostock ruling.

No, I’m not going to rehash that ruling, but it’s noteworthy that, again, even though Bostock involved sex discrimination in the workplace, the High Court’s reasoning applies throughout federal law wherever sex discrimination is outlawed, be it housing, health care, or education.

Did you notice that I’m trying to provide important Biden administration policy updates without boring you or leading you to skip a whole section? It’s like hiding vegetables under a three-year-old’s macaroni and cheese. And wait! Don’t leave. Keep reading for news about a cat!

Did you see that a cat jumped out of a window on the fifth floor of a Chicago apartment building to escape a fire? The cat seemed fine. He kind of bounced and ran off. According to the Chicago Tribune, the cat’s name is Hennessy and he is an indoor house cat. He is still missing, which is a little worrisome under the circumstances. Just google “Chicago cat fifth floor” for the video.

Step Away from the Screen So, I see that our media watchdogs at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) have determined that Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have all failed to deliver a safe user experience to their LGBTQ clients. The five outlets are all guilty of hosting “hate speech and harassment,” which is like giving the clouds a failing grade for not maintaining nice weather. Social media is toxic.

Not just for us, but for every type of demographic you can imagine. Short of treading on the First Amendment, the solution is to raise your own voice and to avoid the seedy side of social media as you would avoid the bad side of town.

One of the main international stories this week is the chilling description of some Iranian men, who discovered a male relative was gay, tricked him into getting into a car, slit his throat, and told his mother where to find his body. It’s hard to worry about homophobic TikTok videos when there are places in the world that look the other way as GLBT men and women are killed or beaten. Think this is limited to faraway lands? In 2020, over three dozen transgender and/ or non-conforming men and women were killed in the United States, a record number. I don’t have the numbers for regular old gays and lesbians.

And yes, of course, dehumanizing speech if allowed to proliferate without pushback will become a contributing factor to violence and hate. So perhaps I’m arguing against my own point. (Forgive me.)

Grow Up, New York!

I’m not sure what I think about New York’s decision to ban police from marching in the Pride Parade until 2025. Well, actually I am sure what I think. I think it’s insane. The core value of our community, assuming we still have one, is the rejection of stereotypes; the rejection of generalizations, of homophobia, race bias, pigeonholing, immigrant bashing, enforced gender norms.

But somehow, all police are violent racist misanthropes? Or what? Make no mistake, New York will no longer allow the frigging GLBT policemen and women to march in their parade.

That’s us. Or perhaps you would like to expel everyone in law enforcement from our community. Many of the institutions in our country are systemically racist. Shall we excise their GLBT employees and ban them from our special parades as well?

By Ann Rostow How about the corporations who sponsor Pride, many of whom have lobbied on our behalf at state legislatures, or boycotted antigay policies such as the North Carolina bathroom bill? They’re corporations!

Let’s ban their contingents and their employees from the parade as well.

Because, um, we don’t like big companies.

Are we children? We never used to be, but we seem to be losing our capacity for nuanced thought, complexity, holding two ideas in our heads at the same time, condemning police violence against Black men while recognizing the value of a modern, multi-dimensional community police force.

And speaking of boycotts, I think I mentioned that the NCAA announced it would not hold championship games in states that do not protect citizens against discrimination. I forget exactly how they phrased it.

Okay. This is what they said: “When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination should be selected ... . We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.”

At any rate, they recently announced that this year’s softball postseason games will be played in three of the anti-transgender states, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee. All three of these states enacted bans on female transgender athletes, who may not compete against cisgender women and girls in high school or college sports. Keep in mind that the NCAA itself, which governs college sports, allows transgender women to play college sports after one year of hormone therapy.

It’s true that, technically, these are regional postseason games, not “championships,” which in softball’s case is always played in Oklahoma City. And no, Oklahoma has not passed a transgender sports ban, so again, technically, the NCAA is not going to go back on its word. Nonetheless, everyone is annoyed.

But I Digress For some reason, I have taken note of a lobster named Freckles, who was released to a zoo after the staff at a Manassas, Virginia, Red Lobster recognized that the rare calico crustacean deserved rescue. According to whoever I was reading online, the odds of catching a calico lobster are one in thirty million. I also read that another Red Lobster in Ohio donated a blue lobster named Clawdia to another zoo. That lobster was a one in two million rarity, although I’m not convinced these analysts can really figure out how many lobsters of what colors are out there and how unlikely it would be to catch them.

Also, do the staff at Red Lobster name all their lobsters? I hope not.

I’m assuming they only name the unusual ones, and I also wonder exactly how these lobsters escape the pot. Do several people take the manager aside and plead the case for Clawdia or Freckles? What if someone orders a two-pounder and Clawdia’s the only big lobster still in the tank? For some reason, I imagine the evening shift coming to work at, say, three pm. Julie checks out the tank on her way in, and notices Big Ben isn’t at his usual spot in the corner. Uh oh. Back at the bar, her fears are confirmed. A hungry customer ordered the Seafood Palooza Plate and that was that. Steve sees that she’s upset and sneaks her a tequila shot. (continued on page 29) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

M AY 20, 2021

11

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

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, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, 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, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews, Karen E. Bardsley, David Landis,

Dr. Marcy Adelman Dr. Karyn Skultety, Openhouse’s Executive Director, will be stepping down from her position at the end of May. In her statement to the community, she explained that it was a family decision to move to Colorado. She wrote, “COVID-19 has forced all of us to ask questions about ourselves, our families, and our lives. It has also reminded us how quickly things change. My family and I are privileged in so many ways, and we have managed to maintain that perspective, even amidst the daunting challenges of the past year. Nevertheless, I have been shaped by this pandemic.

I have watched my kids struggle. I have gone through a COVID-19 scare with a family member that highlights my role as a caregiver to my parents as they age.”

She continued, “I love being your executive director. I also love and am called at this time by the person I am outside of my work: a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and LGBTQ+ chosen family member.”

Tim Sweeney, Co-Chair of Openhouse’s Board of Directors, said, “We are grateful for Karyn’s fierce and competent leadership over the past four years, which has ensured that the organization possesses the strength, self-sufficiency, and sustainable model of care to embrace

Under Karyn’s leadership, Openhouse seniors are honored and celebrated for their many accomplishments, and encouraged and supported to provide their leadership in all aspects of community.

Karyn elevates LGBTQ+ seniors at every opportunity and challenges the greater LGBTQ+ community and beyond to do the same.

Karyn said to me for the San Francisco Bay Times that “our job and our mission is to look at our LGBTQ+ elders and have the world notice the individuality, beauty, and wisdom that comes with age and with a lifetime of being out as who we truly are. I look forward to welcoming a successor who will continue to center the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ seniors we serve.”

Dr. Skultety, also instituted racial equity training for all board and staff. Karyn understands it is up to leadership to set the bar by being proactive and committing organizational resources to create a space in which everyone can thrive.

While Karyn was completing the Openhouse campus at 55 - 95 Dr. Karyn Skultety with Openhouse co-founder Dr. Marcy Adelman (2018) Laguna, she was also moving the organizaThe pandemic delayed the opening tion forward in providing services to of the Openhouse Community Centhe community. During her time as ter at 75 Laguna and consequently executive director, Dr. Skultety tridelayed the opening of this innovapled the number of LGBTQ+ seniors tive program. The grand opening served to more than 3000 commuwill hopefully happen sometime later nity members; this includes both resi- this year, and when it does, the comdents of Openhouse’s housing as well munity adult day program will be as LGBTQ+ older adults from all up and running and the Dr. Karyn across the city.

Skultety Balcony will be open—a fitThe variety and number of services grew exponentially, with programs that provide assistance in securing housing, help navigating the oftenconfusing system of care for older adults and adults with disabilities, to the volunteer-friendly home visitor program as well as a cornucopia of classes for fun, socializing, and education.

Also, in partnership with On-Lok, Dr. Skultety developed the country’s first community-based adult day program co-designed for and with LGBTQ+ elders. This is a muchneeded program that will include services for seniors who are physically and cognitively challenged.

PHOTO BY SAUL BROMBERGER

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY SAUL BROMBERGER

ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

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

Dr. Marcy Adelman, a psychologist and LGBTQ+ longevity advocate and policy adviser, oversees the Aging in Community column.

She serves on the California Commission on Aging, the Board of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California, the California Master Plan on Aging Equity Advisory Committee, and the San Francisco Dignity Fund Oversight and Advisory Committee. She is the CoFounder of Openhouse, the only San Francisco nonprofit exclusively focused on the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ older adults.

Alegre Home Care is proud to support Dr. Marcy Adelman’s Aging in Community column in the San Francisco Bay Times.

Dr. Skultety guided the organization, in partnership with Mercy Housing, through the construction of the Openhouse Community Center at 75

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Deborah Svoboda, Devlin Shand, Kristopher Acevedo, Darryl Pelletier, Morgan Shidler, JP Lor

ting tribute to an exceptional leader, by a grateful community.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OPENHOUSE

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

Aging in Community

PHOTO COURTESY OF EXCELERATE

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.

In the four years Dr. Skultety has been at Openhouse, she has reshaped and reinvigorated the organization by elevating and empowering seniors, expanding services, creating new models of care, and providing the kind of leadership that creates an environment where people feel seen, heard, and cared about. In gratitude, the Openhouse board is honoring Karyn by naming the balcony off the Openhouse Community Activity Center at 75 Laguna the Dr. Karyn Skultety Balcony.

Laguna and the 79 new units of housing at 95 Laguna. Together with the 42 apartments at 55 Laguna, these 79 apartments make up a total of 121 apartments welcoming to LGBTQ+ seniors—one of the largest LGBTQ+ senior housing complexes in the country.

PHOTO BY SAUL BROMBERGER

this transition. While we are sad to see her leave our family and community, we fully support her need to focus on the changing needs of her immediate and extended family.”

PHOTO BY SAUL BROMBERGER

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

Visionary Executive Director Departs San Francisco’s Leading LGBTQ+ Senior Serving Agency

CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com

12

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

© 2021 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

The 26th Annual Pink Triangle

By Patrick Carney The Pink Triangle has been installed atop Twin Peaks in San Francisco for each Pride since 1996 as a visible, yet mute, reminder of inhumanity. It is almost 200 feet across, nearly an acre in size, and can be seen for 20 miles.

But why is it still necessary? It is an educational tool and a warning for all to see.

Each year while planning takes place for the giant display and ceremony, it is important to remember why the Pink Triangle must return to the top of Twin Peaks.

Just like clockwork, clear reminders pop up in the news time and time again. This month, for example, a 20-year-old Iranian man named Alireza Fazeli Monfared was beheaded by his brother and cousins as an “honor killing” because he was gay.

(Thank goodness my Iranian husband was able to get out.) Plus, there are the reports of transgender people being assaulted in increasing numbers, and Trans youth are under attack in numerous states under the guise of protecting sports.

The Twin Peaks event not only recalls how the pink triangle was originally used to persecute LGBTQs, but also acknowledges other minority groups that are currently targets of hatred and assaults, such as the Asian American Pacific Islander community (AAPI), which has seen an increase in discrimination and attacks since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic. And, of course, we recall the injustice that led to the death of George Floyd and others in the past year.

The lighting ceremony on Tuesday, June 1, will be preceded by a Pink Torch Procession that will start at Oakland City Hall (with Mayor Libby Schaaf), travel across the Bay Bridge, wind through parts of San Francisco, and then culminate when the Pink Torch will be used at the ceremony as San Francisco Mayor Breed pushes the “pink illumination button” at 9 pm atop Twin Peaks.

Cities all over the world celebrate Pride by flying thousands of rainbow flags and other colorful decor, but San Francisco is the only city in the world with a giant Pink Triangle hovering over the city. It is all about remembering our past.

Part of celebrating any Pride Month is recalling where we have been and then building for a more equitable and inclusive future.

Be a part of history by helping to illuminate the 26th annual Pink Triangle atop Twin Peaks so it will shine during all of Pride Month.

Saturday, May 29, Noon to 3 pm Setup of the Pink Outline Social-distancing rules will apply, and face masks will be a must. https://signup.com/go/YyCALyL May 30–July 1 Site Prep and Site Monitors We will need help monitoring the site for a month and have shifts to choose from. https://signup.com/go/YyCALyL

The Pink Triangle is one of history’s reminders of hate and brutality, and part of appreciating where we are for any Pride Month is understanding what we have been through. That is why the Pink Triangle will be on Twin Peaks for the 26th time, to educate others about the hatred of the past to help prevent it from happening again. It is through the giant display that we hope to educate others of the lessons of the Pink Triangle; one lesson being: what can happen when hatred and bigotry are allowed to become law.

The test of any democracy is how well it treats its minorities. The Third Reich demonstrated how easily a government can devise minority scapegoats. Branding homosexuals as criminals let most Germans feel comfortable looking the other way while the Nazis went about their persecution.

The 2021 Pink Triangle will be on Twin Peaks for all of Pride Month in its longest run yet. It will again be lit up

by ILLUMINATE, the masterminds behind the Bay SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Lights (illumination of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge). Thank you to the nonprofit Illuminate and its founder & chief visionary officer Ben Davis. The illumination will feature 2,700 bright pink LED nodes. The mesmerizing Pink Triangle will serve as an uplifting and enduring symbol of San Francisco’s resilience and as a reminder of one of history’s darkest chapters.

You Can Help!

We must not forget that all communities include LGBTQ people within their groups, so those persons face a possible double-dose of discrimination and sometimes violence.

Using our LGBTQ community members as scapegoats to distract from real issues continues unabated. We face ongoing oppression in many places as well as attempts to legislate away many aspects our hard-fought equality.

14

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carney/Pink Triangle Project

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

Tuesday, June 1, 8 pm Lighting Ceremony Mayor London Breed and other widely-spaced dignitaries in masks will attend.

Help set up the ceremony from 6 pm–7:30 pm https://signup.com/go/YyCALyL Thursday, July 1, Noon Take-Down of the Pink Outline Social-distancing will apply, and face masks will be a must. Even an hour of help will be a big help. https://signup.com/go/YyCALyL Widely share the project information and charity link. It truly takes a village. https://tinyurl.com/98urm4pt For more information on the quarter-century project, including contact information, directions, and history of the pink triangle, go to www.thepinktriangle.com Questions?

Contact me, Patrick Carney, at 415-726-4914 or via email at pat724car@gmail.com Patrick Carney is the Founder of The Friends of the Pink Triangle. The group, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, constructs a gigantic pink triangle on Twin Peaks each year during the last weekend in June. Carney, who worked on the restoration of San Francisco City Hall, was appointed to the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission in 2013.

BAY TIMES S

A

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

C

O

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

Sonoma County Pride Goes Beyond the Rainbow for 2021 Photos courtesy of Sonoma County Pride

After a challenging year of cancellations and lockdowns, this year’s Sonoma County Pride celebration is returning with hope and positivity! This annual event will include a month-long series of COVID-19 aware micro-events in varied venues throughout Sonoma County. The events will offer activities for all ages and abilities. This year’s theme, “Beyond the Rainbow: Surviving, Reviving, and Thriving,” takes inspiration from The Wizard of Oz to offer renewal and support to the LGBTQ community.

Sonoma County Pride’s Secretary Cheryl Kabanuck puts the beloved film’s lessons into perspective. “There’s no place like home being back together with our community. Courage leads us here, knowledge is how we survive, and heart is what keeps us together.”

Since the worldwide pandemic forced the cancellation of 2020 Pride events everywhere, it was important to find a unifying theme to recognize we are not all in the same space mentally and emotionally. The past year has been incredibly

Sonoma County Pride Board of Directors (2019)

Shawn Brockmeyer

challenging for everyone, and each of us faced different struggles. The focus for Sonoma County Pride 2021 is on the mental, physical, and emotional health and wellness of community members.

Vice President Grace Villafuerte emphasizes, “While some of us are reviving and thriving, some of us are still focused on surviving. Wherever we are on our journey, we hope Sonoma County Pride 2021 will offer each of us a feeling of community, pride, and peace. We strive to not only reach our unique rainbows—our dreams and inner strengths—but we look to go Beyond Sonoma County Pride Main Stage (2019) the Rainbow!”

According to Director of Logistics Brian Rogers, “Those of us who survived this surreal year gained new respect and meaning for the prime lesson Dorothy learned in Oz: ‘There’s no place like home.’ Now that we have nearly survived the pandemic, let’s embrace that hopeful spirit as we revive together and support one another so we can once again thrive.”

Christopher Kren-Mora Brian Rodgers

2021 Sonoma County Pride Calendar

Christopher Kren-Mora, President of Sonoma Pride, promises a different but exciting series of events to bring the community back together in a spirit of celebration. “It won’t be a single weekend this year, but a month of fun, hope, and renewal that we’ve all been hoping for.”

Cheryl Kabanuck Grace Villafuerte

https://www.sonomacountypride.org/

Events are still being added, so check back at the Sonoma County Pride website for updates and additional information. Details on select events are also featured on page 16 of this issue.

PHOTO BY SHAWN ADELI

Todrick Hall

Flag raising ceremony in downtown Santa Rosa

Wednesday, June 23 “Friends of Dorothy Zoom” - Deep Eddy Cocktail Social & Educational Panel Body Dysmorphia Discussion

Tuesday, June 1 Scavenger Hunt begins Annual Raising of the Pride Flag - Rosenberg Building 11 am via Facebook Live Wednesday, June 2 “Friends of Dorothy Zoom” - Deep Eddy Cocktail Social & Educational Panel LGBTQIA+ Needs Assessment Survey presented by the LGBTAIA+ Coalition Saturday, June 5 “Beyond the Rainbow” Drive-Thru Parade - Graton Resort & Casino Sunday, June 6 Santa Rosa GayDar’s Drag High Tea @ Tudor Tea House

Sunday, June 13 Pride Friends & Fitness: Family Friendly Hike at Foothills Park Hosted by: North Bay LGBTRQI+ Families Wednesday, June 16 “Friends of Dorothy Zoom” - Deep Eddy Cocktail Social & Educational Panel Chosen Families - Hosted by North Bay LGBTQI Families Friday, June 18 Rise & Ride with Pride (GayDar/Rise Cycle) Saturday, June 19 “Behind the Curtain” Movie Night – Sally Tomatoes Hosted by San Francisco Bay Times columnist Jan Wahl

Pride Friends & Fitness: Sugarloaf State Park Hike, led by Laurie Lynn Hogan Wednesday, June 9 “Friends of Dorothy Zoom” - Deep Eddy Cocktail Social & Educational Panel Support & Resources for Caregivers facilitated by Rhiannon Coxon, MPA Thursday, June 10–Sunday, June 13

Saturday, June 26

Rally to Protest AAPI Hate

Sunday, June 20

Jan Wahl, Movie Night emcee

Pride Friends & Fitness: Paddle at Spring Lake Coordinated with Alexis P-Holmes & Sonoma County Regional Parks

OZ Pride Concert @ Sonoma County Fairgrounds Featuring: Todrick Hall, Ryan Cassata, Morgan McMichaels & Bright Lights Sunday, June 27 Drag on The River in Petaluma @ Grand Central Café, an SCP Benefit

by Lady Tastemasters Therapeutic Movement incorporating qi gong, stretching, slow movement, balance, and more Taught by JT Bymaster of Body Work Therapy Wednesday, June 30 “Friends of Dorothy Zoom” - Deep Eddy Cocktail Social & Educational Panel Emergency Preparedness presented by Cyndi Foreman, Fire Marshall

OutWatch at Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (virtual) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

M AY 20, 2021

15

SONOMA COUNTY PRIDE 2021 EVENTS

Sonoma County Pride 2021 includes a month packed with both in-person and virtual events. Here are just some of the highlights:

Come out (or join via Facebook Live) as Sonoma County Pride kicks off Pride Month by raising the Pride Flag on top of the Rosenberg Building at the corner of Mendocino Avenue & 4th Street in Santa Rosa.

A little history: The pride flag was first introduced in 1978

by Gilbert Baker (1951–2017). He was approached by the San Francisco Pride committee to come up with a new symbol to represent their fight for equal rights. After much deliberation, he decided on a rainbow, for its representation of diversity and of acceptance. Since then, the rainbow flag has become an internationally recognizable symbol for the gay rights movement. It is associated with love, tolerance, and peace. https://tinyurl.com/35hbxb9u

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 @ 5:30 pm–7:30 pm, Virtual Friends of Dorothy Community Conversations Sonoma County Pride & Graton Resort & Casino Presents “Friends of Dorothy” Community Conversations. Each week throughout Pride month they will engage with you on trending topics facing the LGBTQI community.

Zoom Format: 5:30 pm–6 pm Social/Meet & Greet 6 pm–7 pm Guest Presenter 7 pm–7:30 pm Q&A/Audience Discussion Weekly Topics: June 2 - Presentation by Sonoma County LGBTQIA+ Coalition Announcement of LGBTQIA+ Needs Assessment Survey Introductions, Purpose, and Recent Work of Coalition Mission: This coalition exists to advocate on behalf of all LGBTQ people in Sonoma County by coordinating services and using an intersectional approach to advocacy.

June 9 - Support & Resources for Caregivers Group activity for LGBTQIA+ caregivers, facilitated by Rhiannon Coxon, MPA June 10 - Chosen Families, Hosted by North Bay LGBTQI Families June 23 - Body Dysmorphia Discussion Presentation on body dysmorphia and its effect on the LGBTQI community. Four individuals will share their personal experiences.

June 30 - Emergency Preparedness Presentation & Resources from the Sonoma County Fire District facilitated by Cindi Foreman, Fire Marshall All “Friends of Dorothy” Community Conversations Zoom events are free to register!

Once you have registered, you will be sent a weekly email with the Zoom information for the workshop. https://tinyurl.com/3ehmxtrz

June 5 @ 11 am–2 pm, Graton Resort & Casino Beyond the Rainbow Drive-Thru Parade Sonoma County Pride is pleased to welcome back Graton Resort & Casino as Annual Title Sponsor of this year’s Pride celebrations, and host of this year’s unique re-imagined “Beyond the Rainbow Drive Through Parade” on Saturday, June 5!

A cornerstone of this year’s month of celebration, the Parade acknowledges and respects the need for COVID-19 safety and social distancing by re-imagining the event as a drive-through experience. Organizations and contingents will occupy defined spaces for their floats and celebrants, allowing attendees to drive through to experience the excitement and community of Pride in this unique, safe manner. A streaming soundtrack will be available to guide and entertain parade-goers as they make their way through the space.

There is no admission fee, but a suggested donation of $5 at the gate, or a donation of your choice, would be appreciated. Please register in advance for a time slot for the parade to help with traffic flow and safety. https://tinyurl.com/j7h4tz6t

June 6 @ 11 am–3 pm, Tudor Rose English Tea Room in Santa Rosa ‘Tea and Shade’ Drag High Tea Grab your ruby slippers and let’s go “Beyond the Rainbow!” Santa Rosa GayDar & Tudor Rose English Tea Room present “Tea & Shade” Drag High Tea with host Luis Manzo Milla Sokavitch and her girls Vicodonia Knightingale & Charity Kase as they spill the tea and toss out the shade with an afternoon of drag, high tea & fun in downtown Santa Rosa!

Proceeds from Bottomless Mimosas & Unlimited Champagne will benefit Sonoma County Pride 2021.

Space is limited & reservations are required. $65 per guest and suitable for all ages. https://tinyurl.com/vsp4zxsm

16

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

June 10–13, Virtual OutWatch Film Festival OutWatch is the Wine Country’s LGBTQI film festival. Each year, it brings to Sonoma County outstanding films that explore the vast diversity of our community and celebrate our unique history. For 2021, the festival will be a four-day virtual event featuring five new documentaries: A Sexplanation - From Sonoma County Pride 2019 neuroscience labs to church pews, this documentary features provocative conversations with psychologists, sex researchers, and even a Jesuit priest.

With humor and grit, the filmmaker takes audiences on his playful, personal journey from shame-filled past to a happier, healthier future.

A special conversation with the filmmakers will follow the screening of the film.

Girlsboysmix - Nine-year-old Wen Long candidly describes their experience growing up intersex. Doctors regularly assign intersex newborns a gender birth, but Wen’s parents felt their child should make that decision. Wen just wants to be Wen and isn’t interested in choosing a gender identity.

Julia Scotti: Funny That Way - In the 1980s, comic Rick Scotti was appearing in clubs across the country, but he wasn’t being his authentic self. Rick’s awakening at 47 led to gender reassignment surgery. Most everyone turned away—former wives, friends, comedy world buddies, and (most painfully) children. A decade after transitioning, Julia Scotti began her journey back to the career she loves.

Unforgivable - Geovany was a ruthless hitman for the 18th Street gang now serving his sentence in an isolation cell in El Salvador. In prison, he withdrew from the gang and joined an Evangelical church that lavished God’s forgiveness on him. However, there is a sin that is not forgivable for either the gang or the church: being gay.

Kapaemahu - Long ago, four Two-spirit individuals brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. Beloved by the people for their miraculous cures, they imbued four boulders with their powers. They still stand on Waikiki Beach, but the true story behind them has been hidden.

Narrated in an ancient Hawaiian dialect, this powerful legend comes to life in gorgeous animation.

5-Film Panel Bundle is $50; VIP All Festival Pass is $100.

You can also purchase individual tickets for $12. https://www.outwatchfilmfest.org/

June 19 @ 7:45 pm start time (dinner followed by movie), Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park Wizard of Oz Sing-Along with Jan Wahl Grab your ruby slippers and click your heels three times to transport yourself to Sonoma County Pride’s “Behind the Curtain” Dinner & Wizard of Oz Sing-Along! Sally Tomatoes will be transformed into a magical wonderland, and you are invited to come and watch this classic movie musical with all the words to the songs displayed on the screen for you and your friends to sing along!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road and sing along with Dorothy, Auntie Em, Toto, The Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and the rest appearing on the big screen as they make their way to Oz. Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be San Francisco Bay Times columnist Jan Wahl! Two-time Emmy Award winner, television and radio broadcaster, film critic, and Hollywood historian, Jan loves living in Emerald City with all of us.

She will lead the crowd through the evening’s audience participation activities, which will include a Wizard of Oz trivia and costume contest. The best part of the evening will be singing along with Dorothy and hissing at the Wicked Witch, while you watch the 1939 Academy Award-winning film, subtitled with words to such familiar tunes as “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead!” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “The Lollipop Guild,” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard.” Join in community while being transported to the magical land of Oz. https://tinyurl.com/sffez42

PHOTO BY DALE GODFREY

June 1 @ 11 am, Rosenberg Building in Santa Rosa Sonoma County Pride Flag Raising

Photos courtesy of S

Sonoma County Pride

BAY TIMES S

A

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

C

O

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

TODRICK HALL Shares Thoughts About RuPaul,

Family, SF, and More Before Sonoma County Pride

Liam’s LGBTQI List Liam P. Mayclem

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM MAYCLEM

Todrick Hall defies categorization. He is an artist, choreographer, drag star, entrepreneur, performer, and producer, but also much more. He has Bay Area ties and will soon be performing at Sonoma Pride. I had the joy of interviewing him recently for the San Francisco Bay Times. And just to let you know what a sweetheart he is, I mentioned my partner Rick’s birthday, and without being prompted, Todrick sent me a special, heartfelt birthday video for Rick. Rick was thrilled!

Back to Todrick ... we kicked off our chat talking about life during the pandemic and how he has stayed connected with fans.

Todrick Hall: Not being able to connect in person with fans and have a hug has been really hard.

I have still performed in a way, because I’ve done so many things online and I was making videos on the internet for years. So, in a lot of ways the pandemic didn’t change the way I navigate through the entertainment industry. But as somebody who’s been dancing on stage since I was eight years old, many performers took it for granted. I miss it. The fact that I couldn’t go see a show on Broadway, which is my favorite hobby, or the ballet, or go see The Nutcracker for the holidays. This was the first year that I had to refrain from doing those types of things.

Liam P. Mayclem: You are doing Sonoma Pride soon. Have you been to the Wine Country?

Todrick Hall: I’ve never been there before, but I’m really, really excited. I know that it is The Wizard of Oz-themed event that they’re doing. I love The Wizard of Oz so much that, over quarantine, I purchased a few items for Broadway cares, Equity Fights AIDS: the original costumes from Wicked. I have a Kristin Chenoweth dress and Idina Menzel’s alphabet costume from act two. That’s how much I love The Wizard of Oz. So, [I love] any time I get to do something to celebrate the story that really inspired me to become the person I am today. I am very stoked to be a part of Sonoma Pride and thrilled they asked me.

Liam P. Mayclem: What is Pride to you?

Todrick Hall: The meaning is changing for me over time. I think that Pride is truly being able to feel comfortable with who you are every day, not just when you’re with your community, but when you’re in your everyday life. I remember a time growing up where I would only hold my boyfriend’s hand when we were in a safe place, like backstage at Six Flags in Dallas, Texas. And now, I feel like I can just be my true, authentic self everywhere. I’m fortunate enough and privileged enough to live in Los Angeles, where being gay is so accepted, but it makes me sad that there are so many kids everywhere all over the world who are trying to figure out where and how they can be accepted. I think that, for me, Pride is getting everybody to a place where they feel comfortable, like they don’t have to shift from room to room to feel proud of whom they love.

Liam P. Mayclem: Do you have a favorite Pride memory?

Todrick Hall: I did Pride in Buffalo, New York, a couple of years ago. I think it was 2019 and I was up doing my soundcheck. I’m such a theater person that I don’t like to do soundchecks in front of audiences because I feel like it’s breaking the curtain. Part of the illusion of what we do is the anticipation about [the performance] and what your look is going to be and things like that. So, I usually don’t enjoy the whole soundcheck aspect of shows. But on this particular day, there was a family who showed up early, just to hope to see the soundcheck. They had a little girl in a stroller, holding a Pride flag. I almost started crying in the middle of my soundcheck because this is what progress looks like: kids being raised to understand that Pride is for everyone, no matter where on the rainbow spectrum they may fall. And, to me, that was just so beautiful.

Liam P. Mayclem: What is San Francisco to you?

Todrick Hall: The first thing that comes to mind when I hear San Francisco is freedom. I’ve never seen a gay community so open and so nonjudgmental. I feel like there’s so much love in San Francisco, and every time I come there, I feel so showered with love. My dad lives in the San Jose area and he’s in

San Francisco a lot. So, it’s fun for me because I had a very troublesome relationship with my dad growing up. Now when I come to San Francisco, I always share a story with the audience of how far we’ve come. As a gay Black man, being out was difficult, a lot of religious issues and prejudice. Me and dad are good now.

Liam P. Mayclem: For your “last supper” on Earth you can have two guests—from the past or present—but you also have to choose between RuPaul & Taylor Swift (two people Todrick has worked with & adores).

Todrick Hall: Okay, so I have to choose between RuPaul and Taylor Swift? I think I would take the dinner date with RuPaul. I love, love, love RuPaul. He is like my fairy Godmother and it has been like a dream come true to be around him. Every single second that I was in the room with that man I would soak up his energy. He means the world to me. The two other people that I would have there would be Judy Garland, because she’s Dorothy, and probably Whitney Houston, along with my fairy Godmother RuPaul. We’d have a lovely lunch. She’d love meeting Judy and being with Whitney. Fun! Todrick Hall https://www.todrickhall.com Sonoma Pride https://www.sonomacountypride.org Emmy Award-winning radio and television personality Liam Mayclem is regularly featured on KPIX as well as KCBS, where he is the popular Foodie Chap.

Born in London, Mayclem is now at home in the Bay Area, where he lives with his husband, photographer Rick Camargo. For more information: https://www.bookliam.com/

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

M AY 20, 2021

17

By Donna Sachet

“There’s something very different about wearing heels on pavement!”

– A limping Donna Sachet

W

e are relishing the opportunity to shed those long-worn masks when in a controlled environment, breathing fresh air, and making physical contact with friends. Our recent weekend at the Russian River was one of our first attempts to relax pandemic limitations and it transformed the experience. Last Sunday, we joined the Honorable Mark Leno in Sausalito for a birthday bash for movie buff and beloved radio and TV personality and columnist Jan Wahl. Her invited friends, family, and husband Russ put masks aside and filled Ondine, the lovely restaurant right on the water, as the weather opened up enhancing the gorgeous views. Birthday parties are always a love fest of sorts, but this one had a very special feeling, as individuals from various chapters of Jan’s life passed the microphone and shared personal stories, jokes, and even a tawdry tale or two! The room buzzed with entertainment legends, like Jon Provost, former child star who played Timmy Martin on CBS’s Lassie, and a granddaughter of Alfred Hitchcock, plus too many local television, radio, and theatre luminaries to name. Billy Philadelphia provided welcome piano music, joined by his wife Meg McKay for a vocal duet with carefully contrived lyrics. A gloriously constructed cake, reflecting Jan’s fondness for hats, topped the affair. We overheard a guest saying that more than simply glimpsing light at the end of the tunnel that they felt that light’s warmth on Sunday!

As Pride Month nears, widespread regret that there will again be no Pride Parade or formal Celebration in Civic Center will not dull the determination of our community to be recognized and celebrated. From movie nights at the ballpark to impromptu gatherings in the Castro, SOMA, and Polk, there are bound to be opportunities to mark the 51st year of LGBTQ Pride. Watch these pages for complete details as they become available and plan your own personal way to ommemorate Pride with your close friends.

Two particular events come to mind. First, the annual installation of the Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks, the brainchild of Patrick Carney, will again be spectacularly lit and visible from June 1–30. Now in its 26th year, the Pink Triangle always attracts international attention as a skillful reclamation by the LGBTQ+ community of a hated symbol from Nazi Germany. Rather than evoking fear and criminal retribution, it now stands for resilience and pride. We loved the passing of the pink torch ceremony last year that started in Oakland and crossed the Bay and on up to Twin Peaks. Volunteers are always needed for preparation, installation, and take-down, so check out their website.

Second, Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s annual Pride Brunch returns for its 22nd year on Saturday, June 26, at noon in a virtual event, similar to last year, but featuring A Taste of San Francisco, as we accompany Gary on a whirlwind tour of well-known local sites. Sadly, last year’s brunch cook-off will not recur due to rumored vote tampering and/or injured egos. We hope to have video messages from this year’s Grand Marshals and other distinguished guests, a tempting silent auction, and brunch swag to add to your weekend. Individual tickets and sponsorships are available. Complete details appear on the website of our beneficiary, PRC. Congratulations to AIDS Walk and all the enthusiastic participants in this year’s Live at Home version last Sunday. As one of the largest annual AIDS fundraisers, this event has been forced by the pandemic to rethink and reboot, but continues to raise significant money while engaging a loyal audience. Appearing on the list of top individual fundraisers are, not surprisingly, Tom Raffin, Glenn Good, Joanie Juster, Mike Smith, and Blake Spears, each tireless super-volunteers for years. This year’s virtual broadcast featured a cavalcade of celebrities, including Elton John, Rita Moreno, Billy Porter, George Takei, and Ann Margret.

Thursday, May 27 Petchitecture, Pets Are Wonderful Support Virtual gala for Shanti’s PAWS 6–7 pm Free! www.shanti.org Thursday, May 27 Rainbow Reels: Celebrating Drama Queens & Heroines on the Silver Screen Online screening of No Secret Anymore, The Times of Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon And One Wedding & A Revolution Guest speakers & door prizes Benefit for Rainbow Honor Walk 7–9 pm Donations encouraged www.rainbowhonorwalk.org

else’s full situation and should always err on the side of kindness. The journey ahead is a shared one, so make room for your neighbor and look forward with optimism!

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

PHOTO BY RINK

So, as you begin to explore the possibilities beyond the pandemic, please pay close attention to the guidance of the Center for Disease Control and other reputable scientific sources. Continue to support those organization that need your support so much, even as they wind down virtual events and gear up to in-person occasions. June 15 remains a goal date for returning to some sense of normalcy, but it won’t happen overnight. Find your own comfort level with the absence of face coverings and social distancing. And whatever you do, resist the unproductive and selfish temptation to shame others. You never know anyone

Wednesday, May 26 GGBA Power Lunch Virtual expo, networking, speakers 11:30 am–1 pm $40–75 www.ggba.com

Donna Sachet and friends at the 440 Castro parklet

PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

18

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times in One Day: June 6, 1981

Photos Courtesy of Tim Seelig

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation Dr. Tim Seelig On June 6, 1981, two things happened that caused seismic shifts in our world that continue to affect us and will for the rest of our lives.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a full-page article about two important milestones in the gay community.

The headline and majority of the real estate was taken up by the news that the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus was departing on its momentous 9-city national tour: “Gay Men’s Chorus Goes On The Road.” The piece included: “The wagon train is leaving and the new pioneers are gay. For the musical group and thousands of San Franciscans, gay and straight, who have supported it, the tour is a triumphant peak in a speedy and occasional controversial rise to prominence.”

This came after an unfortunate fight and subsequent lawsuit with the San Francisco Catholic Diocese, when the chorus was suddenly disinvited to perform at St. Ignatius Church in spite of having a contract to do so. Fast forward four decades and the wounds with St. Ignatius were healed when the chorus performed its 40th Anniversary Concert there in 2018. Issues with the Diocese and the archbishop, in particular, are still alive and well like serving Communion to a devout Catholic U.S. President.

A smaller story on the right side of the Chronicle announced, for the first time in print, the story of a mysterious pneumonia: “A Pneumonia That Strikes Gay Males.”

The article shared: “A mysterious outbreak of a sometimes-fatal pneumonia among gay men has occurred in San Francisco and several other major cities, it was revealed yesterday. Five cases have been reported at San Francisco hospitals.”

It was the smaller story; almost an aside. It would not be very long until that story filled pages and pages and ran like a deadly tor-

San Francisco Chronicle, June 6, 1981

nado through the streets of our world. Much has been written by people from every walk of life about the mysterious pneumonia, a soon to be mysterious cancer found in 41 homosexuals in New York City. I have written much about what would then become AIDS and the lingering stigma of those who survived this plague and are HIV positive.

Let’s back up three years earlier for just a moment. On October 30, 1978, 100 men gathered at Everett Middle School to form a chorus.

They had no idea that their actions would fuel a worldwide movement.

They just wanted to sing. But as the evening came to an end, they made a courageous decision. They stepped out of that room having selected a name for their brandnew chorus that proudly proclaimed its sexual orientation—the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. That decision set the path for countless moments of bravery in the years to come.

In its second year, the chorus took its first concert tour to Los Angeles. It was an overwhelming success with rave reviews and excitement beyond their imagination. Upon their return, the idea of something bigger than a one-city tour arose.

The committee began meeting in September to hatch a bodacious plan. At the October retreat it was unveiled that the chorus would be taking a 9-city national tour the following June. But, of course, it wasn’t just announced like that.

They had a singer dress in a “costume” befitting each of the cities they would visit. Each was revealed San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus members on tour in 1981.

SFGMC Tour America ‘81 program

to uproarious enthusiasm, for the city and the models.

The response to the plan was a resounding yes, let’s go! No one even thought, “Maybe we should do 3 or 4 cities to start!” It was the second huge, courageous step for the young chorus. Such an undertaking was a gargantuan effort.

The momentum had been building for two years. They were loud and proud! In addition to rave reviews for their singing, there was a great deal going on inside the chorus— boosting morale, instilling vision, and making them truly believe they could conquer the world, or at least 9 cities.

The chorus was receiving rave reviews for its musical expertise and was wildly received for its stance in the LGBTQ movement.

But there were also internal movements at play within the chorus.

The founder, Jon Sims, and many of the leaders graduated from Erhard Seminars Training, or EST. This gave them the spiritual motivation to reach for the moon.

In addition, Reverend Mother, one of the Sisters (Bill Graham), began teaching a large majority of the chorus Transcendental Meditation.

All of these things made the daunting task of a two-week, 9-city tour seem absolutely doable!

The vision and mission were clear.

Less than a year after planning began, on June 6, 1981, almost 150 singers boarded 3 planes— United, American, and Braniff—and headed for their first stop: Dallas, Texas. A few of the flights were non-stop, most routed through Chicago, making travel even more complicated.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus drew a huge crowd in the Castro District upon their return from a national tour on June 21,1981.

The schedule was grueling. 6 am hotel wake-up calls almost every morning. Looking back, the logistics were mind-boggling. There was no internet and no cell phones! (continued on page 29) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

M AY 20, 2021

19

LGBT Softball Is Back!

Sports John Chen Softball is back! After a full year of hiatus due to the pandemic, arguably the most popular LGBT sport has been given the thumbs up to resume play. This is indeed good news, and especially for the San Francisco Gay Softball League (SFGSL) and the Alameda Women’s Softball League (AWSL).

LGBT softball over the last 50 years has provided a safe haven for players, support for a fringe community, camaraderie for teammates, and family for those who lost theirs. For thousands of LGBT athletes in the Bay Area, softball has been, and is, a way of life.

Beth Gonzales, manager of the women’s D division team the Vixens told me for the San Francisco Bay Times, “When the pandemic happened our team felt like the rug had been pulled

SFGSL Board Member Steven Bracco

Photos courtesy of John Chen

from under us literally overnight! We are a very tightknit, strongly bonded team, and when we had to shelter in place, the team only had one another to lean on. We started weekly Zoom meetings where we played games and even conducted virtual scavenger hunts. We also held socially distancing car lunches. What we did was extremely important for all of our mental and emotional health and saved our own sanity. We are beyond excited that we can play as a team again and we had a number of ‘sleeps’ count down. And now, we are playing! We get to see one another.

Hopefully soon we will be able to hug one another!”

Sheryl Phipps, manager and coach of several Inferno softball teams, echoed similar sentiment. “We had the entire 2020 softball schedule planned out,” she said. “We were going to play tournaments in several cities around the country, including Hawaii. We were going to go to the Gay World Series. Just like that, everything was canceled. We couldn’t do this. We couldn’t do that.

We couldn’t even look at one another!

Worst of all, we were cut off from our softball family. But we made it through, and softball is back! Our first practice was something. Nobody could stretch, especially me. We were collectively out of shape and made a ton of errors. But who cares? We had fun and were incredibly happy to be back on the field!”

SFGSL D Division Team FLiners

SFGSL Commissioner Vincent Fuqua

According to SFGSL Commissioner Vincent Fuqua, “San Francisco Department of Health gave us the go ahead, but we must follow health safety protocols and guidelines in order to protect everyone involved.

We are super stoked and ready to go!

Although we lost some teams and players because not everyone’s ready and the pandemic is still happening, most players wanted to play, to compete, and to socialize in a safe and responsible manner. We are in complete compliance with the health department and are taking things week by week as guidelines may change at any given moment.”

SFGSL Board Member Steven Bracco added, “For the first time, anyone interested in playing can be added to a team at any point in the season.

We understand some players may not feel comfortable participating right now, but as more people are vaccinated and the city becomes less restrictive in the coming months, they may decide then it’s safe to play. We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to play even if it’s just one game. For those who are undecided or have always wanted to play softball, make new friends, and join our softball family, 2021 is the season to come check [SFGSL] out when you are ready. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!”

For more information on joining an LGBT softball team, please go to SFGSL online ( http://www.sfgsl.org/ ) and/or search for Alameda Women’s Softball League on Facebook.

John Chen, a UCLA alumnus and an avid sports fan, has competed as well as coached tennis, volleyball, softball and football teams.

SFGSL Women's D Team Vixens

Take Me Home with You! “My name is Dizzae! I’m an affectionate girl, and if you come to meet me I’ll probably cover you in kisses. I’m 2 years old and still have lots of youthful energy! I’m curious and love to learn, so I’m looking for someone special who will help me with my training. My ideal home would be somewhere quiet, where I can fully relax and enjoy my time with my new family!”

Dizzae 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 Dizzae.

Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup 20

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

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

Dykes

With Drills Tip of the Week

By Julie Peri

How to Use a Combination Square There are so many wonderful tools that help make your life easier when working with wood, and today we are highlighting the combination square. A combination square is a multipurpose measuring and marking tool that is used for squaring, leveling, and marking angles. It is made up of a ruler and an adjustable head that slides along its length. A nut and set screw fix the head to the ruler at any point along its length.

What is a practical example of how to use a combination square? When installing interior window or door trim, it is important to make sure that all of the reveals are matching. To do this, you can use your combination square. Just set the combination square to the length you desire (let’s say 1/4-inch) and mark all of your reveals. Then, use the lines you marked to install your trim pieces. Your trim reveal will be very exact and your room will look beautiful!

Check out our upcoming online and in person workshops: Learn Advanced Wood Burning, May 22 (online) Make Your Own Charcuterie Board, May 29 (online) Make a Veneer Keychain, June 5 (online) Learn Wood Burning Basics, June 12 (online) Introduction to Tools: June 12, July 10 & August 14 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/

Coming Out Stories Coming Out as a Transgender Man in Israel

By Dorian-Dean Van Allen

Growing up transgender is never easy, especially when it comes to living in different countries with different rules and levels of acceptance. Fighting for trans rights and the right to be your true self transcends national borders. It does not matter whether you are born in the United States or in Israel; coming to terms with your gender identity and then having others accept that identity pose monumental challenges no matter the language.

Coming to terms with one’s transgender identity is unique to every individual. Many understand that they are trans from a young age.

But for me, that was not the case. I started to feel that I was not a girl around the age of fourteen, and I did not know what I was.

Things began to become clear two years later when I attended my first pride parade in Tel Aviv with my best friend, Rotem. There, for the first time ever, I saw examples of what it meant to live a life that was authentic to my own personal feelings. I watched my trans brothers and sisters celebrate their identity in public. I suddenly had the words to describe myself, and it was at that time that I could finally articulate

to my friend that I did not identify as female.

Even then, I was not sure exactly how I identified. I just knew I was not a woman. Thankfully, my friend welcomed my revelation with open arms during this time of discovery.

It was only after becoming involved with IGY, the Israeli national LGBTQ+ youth program, that I become acquainted with the resources I needed to fully understand who I really was. If it were not for this important organization, I could not look into the mirror and say with pride and confidence that I am a trans man. I am panromantic.

And, I am demisexual.

While Rotem was accepting and understanding of my situation, others were not. When I came out to my parents as trasngender, they became hostile, shunning my newlyrealized identity. My revelation to them was made more difficult because they had always wanted and expected a daughter in me. And they believed I was that daughter.

But when their little girl came to them and said that he was actually a boy, my mother burst into tears and shouted, “You murdered my girl!” She told me that I was selfish, that my coming out was an affront

to her, and that I did not consider her feelings. My father simply dismissed me and said that I wasn’t transgender. He added, “All trans people are idiots,” and “you will never be a boy.”

experience, the government has streamlined the process for transgender people in my situation who do not wish to go through surgery or for those whose gender is nonbinary.

My parents were never married.

They separated before I was born, and my mother returned Dorian-Dean Van Allen to Israel while my father stayed Therapy. However, my top surgery in The Netherlands. It has taken a was done by a private doctor last long time to repair our relationship, August. For me, this was an incredbut my mother now accepts my true ible moment, when I first began to gender identity. Though, sometimes see the person I always knew I was she may slip up and call me by my inside. It was like a huge weight had “dead name,” I know her heart is been lifted off of me. I worked hard in the right place. My father, on to pay for the surgery, and I did it the other hand, was much more all by myself starting from absounsupportive of my transition. But lutely nothing. recently, we have reconnected. His My gender affirmation process messages nowadays seem to have a was complicated when I wanted to reconciliatory tone. I like to think change my legal name before I comthis is because when texting someone, one needs to think twice before pleted my surgery. I spent a year meeting with a panel of doctors, sending the message. including psychologists and uroloI began my gender affirmation pro- gists, constantly having to assert my cess in January 2020. In Israel, trans identity to them to prove that there is the option of undergoI was “trans enough” to be able to ing your transition using statechange my gender markers on my run health insurance or you can ID. Such a complicated process left do it privately. I chose to start my me emotionally drained, and I was gender affirmation process using relieved that the process concluded the national health system when last June. And I am heartened with I started Hormone Replacement the knowledge that, because of my

Now that I am at the end of my transition, I now know that life is not all tragedy for trans people.

Though it can be difficult to have to constantly come out as trans to people, it reminds me that it is all a process. Today, I am happy living as a man. I have a wonderful partner, Oren, who loves and supports me, and my mother has shown some positive growth in understanding the trans community.

I continue to work with IGY to pay forward the service that they have given to me, to help queer kids come to terms with who they are, to advocate for trans rights so that others do not endure what I did, and to help others understand that people are more than a sum of their parts. As a law student, I am willing to use this platform in the future to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. It is only through this work—through activism—that we will achieve true equality in our society.

Dorian-Dean Van Allen is a transgender rights activist and law student.

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

M AY 20, 2021

21

BAY TIMES S

A Family Tradition: Original Joe’s

The Gay Gourmet David Landis History and tradition are truly a very good thing— especially when it comes to food!

the fire in 2007 in the Tenderloin— that’s where we hit the fork in the road. That’s when my sister, Elena Duggan, and I took over. My mom is still involved, believe me (and my father)! The last year has been different with COVID-19. My sister and I drive the operations of the restaurant. We were closed for 5 years: October, 2007–January, 2012. That was the hardest and most challenging part in San Francisco.

We had a burnt-out restaurant in the Tenderloin: do we rebuild or build a new home? The great recession of 2008—the fire, plus the recession, slowed us down. It took us a while to

In a town like San Francisco, where new restaurant openings are a dime a dozen (even in these pandemic days), it’s nice to know that in the culinary world there is consistency.

And no one does it better—or at a higher level— than Original Joe’s.

Since 1937, this mainstay of Italian-American cuisine has been offering up with aplomb such delicious mouth-watering main dishes as homemade pastas with red sauce, Joe’s Special (hamburger, scrambled egg, onion, and spinach) and a luscious Chicken Milanese.

What’s the secret to their success? According to family member John Duggan, it’s a family affair. “I think we try to be a welcoming, comfortable, fun restaurant. From my grandfather and my mother, to my sister and myself—we want our guests to feel right at home. We want to give you a piece of the city.

We have been feeding people for 84 years. We go out of our way to make our guests feel special.

Our menu is Italian-American and those are two comfortable, welcoming cuisines. You can take the richest man or woman in the world and one day a week she or he will want to eat at Original Joe’s because they want something like that. Our corner (at Stockton and Union Street) is world-class real estate, the heart of North Beach, with a view of St. Peter & Paul—and a welcoming and charming atmosphere. We went out of our way to make the dining experience what it can be, one that pays off in the long run.”

So, the Gay Gourmet asked, what is the history of the place? Duggan said, “Tony Rodin, the original owner of Original Joe’s, was my mom’s father. He was a Croatian immigrant who had arrived in San Francisco a few years before.

He worked in North Beach before he opened his own place on Taylor Street. My grandfather was in charge from 1937–1983. He had a partner, Louis Rocca. Louis’ grandson owns the Original Joe’s in San Jose. My mom (Marie) and father ( John) in 1983 bought Louis out and they ran the restaurant with my grandfather until 2007.”

He continued, “I had been working at the restaurant with my sister, but mom was the boss. We had 22

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

find the courage and take the next step and find a new home. My mom had wanted to go back to the Tenderloin—she was the queen of the Tenderloin—she felt connected to that community. Taylor Street was an incredible place, an oasis within the Tenderloin. We had the most diverse customer base and the most tenured staff in San Francisco.”

“But my sister and I thought,” he added, “if we are going to reimagine the brand, finding a new home was an important foundational piece because the Tenderloin is a challenging place for businesses.

We always loved North Beach. It’s such a quintessential San Francisco neighborhood and the heart of the Italian community in San Francisco—it was the great combination of Italian and American, like our restaurant. Our new location was the old Fior d’Italia (which had been there for decades); it’s been a restaurant for over 100 years. We love the history. In 2010, North Beach was much quieter, not as vibrant as it is today. Tony Gemignani had opened Tony’s Pizza across the street and the longstanding North Beach Restaurant was there, up the street. We knew it would be a restaurant row in San Francisco.”

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

“It took courage to take over that space and make it what it needed to be,” Duggan continued. “When we took it over, it was Joe DiMaggio’s. We believed if we were going to succeed, we had to make it our own. We gutted that space, we brought in half the old red-leather booths from Taylor Street, we took

The Gay Gourmet asked, “Weren’t you one of the first to implement an exhibition kitchen?” Duggan replied, “We were the first communal table before people knew what they were. We believe the Joe’s concept was the first to introduce exhibition cooking. It was a matter of necessity on Taylor Street because of the size of the restaurant. It was a hit from day one. You get a great sense of the restaurant when you eat at the counter because you’re connected with the waiters, the chefs, and the busboys. That’s always resonated with our clientele. It’s fun.”

So, are all the Joe’s restaurants related? Commented Duggan, “Original Joe’s started on Taylor Street in 1937. The second Original Joe’s opened in 1938 at Chestnut and Fillmore; it was only there 52 years,” he said with a laugh. “My grandfather was there, the Della Santinas, Bruno Scatena and Louis Rocca. The Della Santinas opened Marin Joe’s in 1954. They still own it and they’re thriving. Bruno Scatena opened Joe’s of Westlake in 1956, which we took over in 2014.

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

C

O

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

Tony and Louis were partners; in 1956, Louis opened Original Joe’s in San Jose with his son Babe Rocca. The first Little Joe’s was not related. But we just opened a Little Original Joe’s in West Portal.

It’s located in the former Paradise Pizza, owned by the now-retired Sal Alioto. He consulted with us on our pizza. We serve pizza, pasta, and parmigiana there. During the pandemic, we’re a to-go operation. It’s fun to be in pizza. It’s new and different for us.”

OJ’s (as I like to call it) has been one

the wood from the old dining room, the brick from the old bar—everything we could save, we salvaged.

So, people who were customers at Taylor Street could see and touch and know we did everything we could to keep it authentic.

We had to bring it into the 21st century, too. At the end of the day, the culinary direction comes from my mother and my sister. Between the two of them, they have five decades of Joe’s recipes and food running through their blood. We’re a brand and our menu has been fairly consistent for 84 years. We tried to balance it keeping traditional, but from a culinary standpoint, we needed to up our game and be a little more refined, make sure our products were the best, and all our traditional dishes were done with a modern day look and feel without losing who you are.”

A

of the Gay Gourmet’s favorite haunts for years.

From family gatherings to holiday staff parties to celebrating in the newly-opened, Italian-garden outdoor parklet, the restaurant has class, comfort, and best of all, great service.

One of the things I like best about the restaurant is that, within minutes of sitting down, a staff person clad in a tuxedo arrives at your table and asks you what you’d like to drink. How many San Francisco

restaurants do that? (I’m not talking about the universal question in town, “What kind of water would you like?” I’m talking a real drink.)

Speaking of real drinks, OJ’s are legendary: a healthy strong pour that doesn’t break the bank.

Everything at OJ’s from start to finish is memorable. We started our most recent visit with cocktails (a Tito’s martini up and a Far Niente Chardonnay from Napa for our friends and a Negroni with Hendrick’s Gin and Wither Hills rosé from New Zealand for me and my husband). Boudin’s famous sourdough bread arrived at the table with pads of butter without asking—a welcome addition. We followed that with an antipasto platter, complete with buttery mortadella, melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto, salami, a variety of cheeses, olives, and mustard. Next, we sampled a light and perfectly-fried (not greasy) fritto misto, with shrimp, lemon, fennel, onions, olives, and green beans, served with a spicy aioli.

Needless to say, the portions at OJ’s are more than generous and sharing is a great option.

Moving on to our main courses, we ate family-style. We tried a super fresh Dungeness Crab Louie with hardboiled egg, avocado, and inseason cherry tomatoes; a filet of sole piccata with the perfect amount of capers to complement the lean, white fish that has such a delicate flavor; the famous OJ French fries, browned to a crisp; creamy mashed potatoes; and a classic—Joe’s famous cheeseburger: 12 ounces of ground chuck cooked on the charcoal grill with chopped onions (continued on page 29)

Bay Area Indian Restaurants Join in ‘Dining for India’ to Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts On May 25, the following restaurants will donate 50% of their sales to support COVID-19 response efforts in India: • Amber India (San Francisco, Los Altos, San Jose); • Aurum (Los Altos); • Besharam (San Francisco); • Bhoga (San Francisco); • Broadway Masala (Redwood City); • New Delhi (San Francisco); • Rooh (San Francisco and Palo Alto).

All participating restaurants will donate 50% of food sales (dine-in, carry-out, or delivery) to the American India Foundation’s (AIF) COVID-19 response efforts.

Funds will go towards supporting India’s health infrastructure, including oxygen, ventilators, cold storage equipment, and temporary hospital facilities, as well as protecting frontline workers and helping those whose lives are most disrupted by the pandemic.

The AIF is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. The AIF does this through high-impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods, because poverty is multidimensional. The AIF’s unique value proposition is its broad engagement between communities, civil society, and expertise, thereby building a lasting bridge between the United States and India. With offices in New York and California, twelve chapters across the U.S., and India operations headquartered in Delhi NCR, AIF has impacted 6.7 million lives across 26 states of India. For more information, go to https://aif.org

Photos courtesy of New Delhi Restaurant

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

M AY 20, 2021

23

BAY TIMES S

A

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

C

O

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

SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Overcomes Pandemic Challenges and Readies for Pride

By Alejando Rios

On March 3, 2020, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) was conducting its second-to-last rehearsal ahead of its upcoming concert, Notes From the Peace Corps, produced in conjunction with the Northern California Peace Corps Association. Two days later, San Francisco announced the first known cases of COVID-19 in the city. Suddenly, we had a difficult decision to make: whether or not we should cancel our upcoming event that we had been working Alejando Rios so hard for. After much thought, the executive decision was made not only to postpone our event indefinitely, but also to pause any future in-person rehearsals.

Having lost the auditory and physical sensations of rehearsing in person, the SFLGFB has been able to come back virtually to do what we do best—make music. It took some creativity and hard work from band members, partners, and our Artistic Director, Pete Nowlen, but we were able to overcome many technological challenges to revolutionize the way we rehearse.

“The virtual rehearsals and performances have been priceless to my mental well-being ... having a regularly planned activity that I enjoyed gave me something to look forward to,” says alto sax player, Jeunesse Monroe-Speed.

This process was further fine-tuned by creating an online portal where band members could access an intuitive rehearsal guide, listen to reference recordings, and submit audio and video recordings.

With all recordings in hand and streaming platform selected, our production and editing teams were able to piece together each individual video to create a final orchestrated piece. The end result was an experience similar to one that you might find at an in-person concert: one that uplifted spirits during this time where we needed it most. The main goal was to ensure we were able to cater to a wide variety of audiences, as we wanted to keep true to our mission statement.

Our first virtual concert, aptly named Concert From Home, featured our Concert, Marching, and Pep bands. It also included appearances from our sister band in Portland, the Rose City Pride Band, and a special guest appearance by Mayor London Breed. This was a first of many online con-

QUEER POP QUIZ

24

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

M AY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

certs that served as an opportunity to celebrate our community’s strength and hope for a brighter future, not only in our immediate community, but also across the U.S. With the huge outcome of our first virtual performance, we followed the same format and produced our biggest annual event as a new virtual adaptation, Dance-Along Nutcracker: The Nutcracker Express. This time around, our protagonists, Clara and Fritz, were transported on a train ride back to adventures of prior Dance-Along’s, with new special appearances from our friends at this publication, the San Francisco Bay Times, “Betty’s List,” the Lesbian/ Gay Chorus of San Francisco, and CHEER SF. “Through remote/virtual technology, I was able to play again with two of my former bands, while also sitting in as a guest musician with others,” says alto sax player, Jamie Roberson.

Our spring concert, Bandwidth, added a bit more variety as it also featured performances from smaller ensembles.

We had the great opportunity to highlight the world premiere of The Music of Will Marion Cook: Selections From Clorindy and In Dahomey, which celebrates the legacy and talent of popular music artist Will Marion Cook.

COVID-19 may have changed the world, but it did not break our spirit. It allowed the SFLGFB the opportunity to come together in a different way that extended our reach from local venues in the Bay Area to the homes of many across the country.

In celebration of Pride Month, our upcoming free virtual concert, Loud & Proud, will be featuring over a dozen LGBTQIA+ Pride bands from coast to coast. You’ll have a chance to join us on Saturday, June 26. Event registration is requested and open at https://loudandproudconcert.sflgfb.org/ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on this upcoming event and additional events in future.

Alejandro Rios is the Co-Director of Marketing for the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band.

MORE MOREY

Morey Riordan, recipient of SF Pride’s Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal honor for 2021, led an effort that resulted in this: A) the first transgender law center in the world B) the largest Pride parade in Asia C) the largest LGBTQ-serving clinic in the U.S. D) the first fully licensed sperm bank in the U.S. to accept gay men as sperm donors

ANSWER ON PAGE 29

BAY TIMES S

A

N

F

R

A

N

C

I

S

C

O

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

A Song That Changed My Life

Off the Wahl Jan Wahl It lives in my head. At least once a day it ventures out with my voice singing the perfect opening lyric, its power evident as it continues to open my soul. Suddenly, the air is cleaner, the sky is bluer, and my heart is full of joy.

the window every morning of his boyhood and sing out, ‘It’s today!’ That, of course, became a number in Mame. Our mothers brought Jerry and I together— his mother a pianist and music teacher, my own mother a chorus girl. Jerry was supported and nurtured by his mother from an early age. My mom was hoping my passion for dancing would go from ballet to jazz (she thought that was a bit more butch).”

Jason continued, “My mother was ebullient, delightfully judgmental. Jerry’s women are also, with a great sense of survival. ‘I Am What I Am’ is the mother lode of all anthems. It is defiant, full of pride and rage. It’s vis-

The genius Jerry Herman wrote the words and the music for “I Am What I Am.” It Jerry is from the BroadHerman way musical La Cage Aux Folles, and it has become an anthem for the LBGTQ community and for many others now who are fighting a system of prejudice or hate. This is a powerful song, and reminds us of how music can alter our perceptions and inspire us ... if only for the moment.

“You can’t sing a Jerry Herman song withceral for me to sing, out being filled with not about being the optimism and hope,” victim but about Jason Graae, the who we are, our superb singer of Jerown inventions and ry’s songs, told me beauty. It was a gay for the San Frananthem and still is, cisco Bay Times as he but also for anyone was talking about a who thinks outside the show he just did for 42nd Jason Graae box, a beautiful love song Street Moon titled Perto ourselves.” fect Hermany saluting Jerry and his shows (Mame, La Cage, The other day I watched Jason sing Aux Folles, Hello Dolly, Mack and perform “Before the Parade and Mabel, and The Grand Tour Passes By” from Jerry’s Hello Dolly. among others).

I had tears in my eyes when I got done dancing to it. My own amazJason agreed with me that there is a ing mother used this song to help trio of geniuses who wrote both the her through being a young widow words and the music to some of our with three children, looking for a greatest music: Irving Berlin, Cole way to survive on her own. As Jason Porter, and Jerry Herman. Yes, I said, it is optimistic and defiant. She know there are others, but let’s conused this song as a personal anthem centrate on these brilliant guys who the rest of her life. gave us so much.

You can’t get a couple of I met Jason when we took a cruise show queens like Jason and I with the great man celebrating together without going into his 75th birthday. Jerry was kind rapture about great musiand sensitive with everyone. This cals. If the younger folk out was about ten years ago, and Jerry there don’t know musicals, we wanted everyone on this big ship to decided on a few you should know he was HIV positive. “Here’s start with: Funny Girl, this famous man,” says Jason, “and That’s Entertainment he wanted people to be aware that, Parts One to Three, The during La Cage Aux Folles on BroadMusic Man, Seven Brides way, many young men died from for Seven Brothers, and AIDS. This was early in the days Singin’ in the Rain. Those of the disease, and Jerry received are just a few ideas! For more experimental treatment almost from inspiration, check out Jason’s the beginning. I met Jerry on a tour YouTube channel: we did together in 2000, and he was https://tinyurl.com/mhtbnmn7 frail, but defiant, and still full of that special joy. Play or sing one of his When a song lives in you, it is songs, and he became the energizer special and important. Find bunny, excited and ready to go.” your own tune and celebrate yourself!

Strong women are part of the Jerry Herman world, from Dolly Levi to Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, Mame Dennis to Mabel Norman. and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Jason agrees and said, “Jerry loved Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs women. His mother would open and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

M AY 20, 2021

25

Tove Is an Uneven Biopic of the ‘Moomin’ Books Creator

Film Gary M. Kramer Tove, a handsomely mounted biographical drama, chronicles the life of the bisexual artist and author of the Moomin books, Tove Jansson (Alma Pöysti), from 1944–1952.

The film, directed by Zaida Bergroth, and written by Eeva Putro, wisely focuses on Jansson’s salad days. She is chastised by her sculptor father Lars (Wilhelm Enckell) for not focusing her art on painting, claiming her drawings are not art. His chilliness towards her may be why she is something of a nonconformist.

Tove claims she is a visual artist and her sketches of fanciful characters provide her with a sense of whimsy in her mostly drab life.

Things change for her when she attends an “illegal” party (it is 1944, and the war is on). Tove meets the married Atos Wirtanen (Shanti Roney), and they sneak off to have a sauna. She tells him about her plans to create an artist colony in Morocco, where they can create their own morals. Atos claims he is openminded, and they begin a casual affair.

Their relationship, and her lack of grants and work, however, can’t pay her rent. In one scene, she offers her landlord a painting because she has no money. However, at an art exhibit, Tove gets a plum opportu-

Left: Vivica Bandler (Krista Kosonen), right Tove (Alma Pöysti).

nity when the mayor’s daughter, Vivica Bandler (Krista Kosonen), asks her to create an invitation for her father’s birthday. Attending the mayor’s party, Vivica boldly asks Tove, “Have you ever kissed a woman?”

She is intrigued, enamored, and attracted. Invited to stay over, the next day Tove ends up in bed with Vivica.

The encounter certainly awakens Tove’s spirit. She has found a muse, and it is cute that they communicate in Moomin-speak. Tove eventually makes it clear that this is not—as Atos hopes when Tove confides in him about bedding Vivica—an interesting experiment or act of freedom.

Tove falls hard for this rich, comely woman, but when Vivica moves to Paris, she hopes Tove can join her there. Of course, Tove is not able to afford such a trip, even when she gets a commission to create a fresco at City Hall.

That fresco was, not surprisingly, Vivica’s way of getting Tove the money to visit her in Paris. Likewise, Vivica, a theater director, encourages a collaboration by staging a play featuring Tove’s enchanting Moomin characters. However, Tove is more often hurt by Vivica personally, as Vivica seems to take on many other

lovers, rather than committing to a relationship with Tove.

Tove details its title character’s personal and professional ups and downs, and the drama is not uninteresting, but the film does not provide much in the way of what makes Tove tick. Yes, she’s fighting against a conformist society, and trying to eke out a career as an author and cartoonist, and she generates sympathy. Alma Pöysti makes the artist, a plucky young woman who searches for love and happiness, affecting.

Yet, Tove’s emotions are best expressed through her dancing, which along with drawing, appears to be what gives her the most pleasure since her sexual relationships are so fraught. The film features a number of tender scenes of Tove and Vivica in bed, and of Tove and Atos together, but Tove seems to have more warmth in her few interactions with Tuulikki ( Joanna Haartti), a woman she is introduced to, than with either of her lovers.

Tove’s relationships form much of the drama and emotional center of the film. But they also create some heavy-handed moments, as when Tove explains to Vivica and (continued on page 29)

New Work from the Author of One of the First Lesbian Mysteries Ever Published

Words Michele Karlsberg Barbara Wilson’s Murder in the Collective was one of the first lesbian mysteries ever published. Her later Cassandra Reilly series, featuring a footloose Irish-American translator who solves mysteries while exploring London, Barcelona, and Venice, won her a British Crime Writers’ award. Gaudi Afternoon was made into a film with Judy Davis and Marcia Gay Hardin, and won a Lambda Literary Award. Now Cassandra Reilly has returned in a new mystery—Not the Real Jupiter—set on the Oregon coast. Here is an excerpt: Once I was headed into the Northwest street numbers I found Giselle’s cottage easily enough, just off NW Coast. It was the last residence near the edge of the bluff; the street ended in a wooden barrier. The cottage must have a stunning view when the sun was out, but now the battered gray shingles hardly stood out in the fog. There were signs of remodeling: shingles removed around a couple of newly installed, unpainted sash 26

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

In the driveway I saw a latemodel Prius, but no house lights were on. Tarpaper flapped wildly on the part of the roof facing the sea. Up here on the bluff with only a few houses around, and no one in sight, the waves and wind combined to create a continuous roar, made more eerie by the fact that the ocean waves were invisible behind a bank of fog.

I knocked on the front door. I rang the bell. My watch said I was over half an hour late, but surely she wouldn’t have gone off and just left me to stand here? Through the small windows at the top of the door, I glimpsed a hallway leading to a larger room with photographs on the wall and bookshelves. Maybe there was an office in back and she hadn’t heard me knock or ring because of the sound of the wind and waves.

I took out my phone and checked, then called and left her a voice message. Her recording reminded me of the seductive power of her voice, even though the words themselves were brief and business-like. “You’ve reached Giselle Richard and Entre Editions. Sorry, I’m out of the office right now, but will return your call as soon as possible.”

Maybe I should go around to the back of the house and see if she was somewhere about. The wind was even stronger on the ocean-facing side, where I found a small deck with

BETSY HOWELL

windows at the front of the house, and bundles of cedar shakes in the sandy front yard.

Barbara Wilson

a couple of chairs knocked over and a metal table on its side. A sliding glass door to the house also seemed scheduled to be replaced, with the shingles removed all around the edges.

Standing on the deck, I could see a small basic kitchen with a table and two chairs off to the right, while the glass door, undraped, opened directly into a living room that had been turned into an office with the addition of a modern desk piled with piles of paper and books. A laptop was open on the desk. I tried the rusty latch of the glass door and it squeaked open. I wasn’t sure if it was broken or just not closed correctly, but I took that squeak as an invitation to enter.

For more information on Barbara Wilson and her books: https://bit.ly/3eVHCGb 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

Jewelle Gomez

Loving and Loving ginia who’d known the Lovings all of their lives were supportive; it was the police who persecuted them.

Jewelle Gomez I’ve got a film to talk about that then brings me to a book. I’m on a cultural roll right now. And not just because we’ve been in pandemic lockdown. But color is on every reflective person’s mind now and almost always on mine.

Loving was released in 2016; since everything is streaming, I watched it again recently. It stars Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton as the real-life couple Mildred and Richard Loving. He was white, she was Black and Native American, and they grew up as neighbors in a small, rural town.

Violating the “miscegenation” laws of Virginia (and many other states), they married in 1958 and were sentenced to a year in jail. Their lawsuit precipitated the landmark Supreme Court case (Loving v Virginia, 1967) that toppled the laws against interracial marriage in 16 states. Their victory is celebrated every year on Loving Day, June 12th. Mildred Loving later voiced her support for marriage equality, insisting that race and gender had no place in marriage law.

The film touched me politically and personally because of my own mother’s experiences in a small Rhode Island town only a couple years later. When my mother (fair-skinned, Mildred and Richard Loving mixed race) married my stepfather (white), they were settled happily in a former mill town. That is until I came to visit.

Her neighbors got a look at me and my grandmother and realized my mother was not white.

The neighbors in Vir-

The Loving story captures that same personal trauma and is full of the terror and frustration the young couple experienced. Both Negga and Edgerton have a very sensual screen presence, so you want them to be together. At the same time, you worry for their safety every second— just as I did for my mother; just as I do today when I see a young Black kid alone on the street.

If we want to start to understand the insidious nature of white fear in this country and the destruction it causes, this is a film not to be missed. When asked by their lawyer if he had a message to send to the Supreme Court, Justice Richard Loving said simply: “Tell them I love my wife.” Fortunately, it was not the Trump dominated Court that sits today.

A new book that amplifies this story is Loving Before Loving, a literary memoir

by Bay Area novelist/ essayist Joan Steinau Lester, a longtime friend.

Over the years, Joan and I have shared our writing, the crazy edits we have to make, and the pitted road to publication. In her memoir, Joan recounts her early days as a white ally in the Civil Rights movement, her arduous path to her literary Richard and Mildred Loving

Jewelle Gomez and her mother (1950)

Joan Steinau Lester

PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG

Leave Signs

In my mother’s case, it was the neighbors who broke her windows, made threatening phone calls, and set fire to trash in her tiny front yard. The police took none of the neighbors’ terrorism seriously. The chilling situation was resolved when urban renewal split the neighborhood with a highway. It displaced everyone, sending the bigots off to scare somebody else. My mother and her husband, however, never let down their guard. They devised tricks and codes to ensure my mother’s safety when she was home alone. For decades, their anxiety was always lurking not far in the background.

career in a time when a woman’s role in publishing was often just to type and get the coffee.

It’s a path that has a direct trajectory through her 1962 marriage to noted Black SNCC activist and writer Julius Lester. With the Loving decision still in the future, interracial marriage was illegal in 27 states.

Partnering with a male writer has a complexity for a woman writer that Joan sensitively unravels. She navigates the issues of race and gender in her book as openly as she does in her equity activism.

She explores the obstacles to such a union even in New England and New York; even between two thoughtful, “woke” people. Steinau Lester shares an intimate portrait of her youthful innocence and how her activism in the women’s movement helped her find her voice and her sexuality.

Even with decades and geography between the landmark Loving v Virginia case and Joan’s experiences in the North, she lets the reader inside the emotional rollercoaster one has to travel to dislodge the roots of racism as well as to gain understanding over one’s own body and desire. Her book is a good sendoff for our own journeys toward self-knowledge and forgiveness.

I’ll be in virtual conversation with Joan Steinau Lester this month celebrating her new book: http://www.joanlester.com/index.htm Jewelle Gomez is a lesbian/feminist activist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She’s written for “The Advocate,” “Ms. Magazine,” “Black Scholar,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The New York Times,” and “The Village Voice.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @VampyreVamp

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

M AY 20, 2021

27

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

Sister Dana sez, "In a recent poll, Tr@mp’s Big Lie is gaining ground—40% of Americans now believe that the 2020 election was fraudulent and don’t believe Joe Biden won the Presidency.

How can we still rightfully call ourselves the UNITED States?!”

ARTSAVESLIVES presents SIDEWALK SALON SUNDAY SLOW STREETS every other Sunday 11 am to 5 pm on Noe and Market—thanks to benefactor/curator/artist Thomasina DeMaio. On May 2, I had the awesome privilege of greeting our glorious San Francisco Emperor David Glamamore & Empress Juanita MORE! and her royal dog as well as Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Bevan Dufty, also lovely songstresses Connie Champagne and Kathleen Antonia. Thanx to vax, we all hugged safely in masks! The featured artists were Billy Douglas, Alexander Prestia, B. June Speaker, Alan Beckstead, Ed Terpening, Suzanne Cowan, Ben Iliili, Cynthia Louise, Matt Pipes, Meehaun Wade, Junara Greco, DeMaio, and Gordon Silveria. You should Google these talented folx and see their amazing works!

Sister Dana sez, "If the CDC recommends a third Moderna booster shot, then I heartily say, ‘Just shoot me!’”

We joined EQUALITY CALIFORNIA for EVENING FOR EQUALITY on May 4th (sorry, but I cannot help but continue the stupid Star Wars pun of "May the Fourth Be with You”—well, I said I was sorry) for an evening of online conversation and entertainment as they raised critical funds to support the organization’s work to ensure LGBTQ+ Californians have access to the resources they need to navigate the COVID-19 public health crisis and land on their feet. Rick Chavez Zbur is stepping down as executive director and taking his place is Tony Hoang (proud son of immigrants, who has been with EQCA since 2009). Hoang hopes

Sister Dana sez, "Why does Fox News conspiracy theorist F**ker Carlson ask so so many questions that have already been answered over and over again?!”

NCLR presented CHAMPIONS FOR JUSTICE on May 1l, celebrating 44 years of fighting for equality, access, and equity for all—and raising nearly $400,000. There were so many highlights, from the inspiring remarks of Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon to hearing from some of our favorite represented officials like State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta and State Senator Sarah McBride, and many more. You can view the evening on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/c52d59zt Did you ever listen to a song written by one of the greats and hear a phrase that made you say, “Did I just hear what I think I heard?” In this fun and tuneful show virtually presented

by THEATRE RHINO, GAY AS THEY SAY, Mark Nadler explores the theory that Cole Porter, Noel Coward, Larry Hart, and Billy Strayhorn meant what you think they meant when they wrote provocative, gay-sounding phrases in their lyrics. This world premiere performance created for Theatre Rhinoceros runs May 21, 22 at 8 pm and May 23 at 3 pm. https://tinyurl.com/ju5wvn6m In conjunction with TMIM Emperor Mr. David Glamamore and Empress Juanita MORE!, TRUE COLORS was a May 15 online fundraiser celebrating performers of color, and benefiting THE TRANSGENDER DISTRICT. It was hosted by Ms. Golden Gate Bernadette Bohan and Mr. Golden Gate Ashlé Blow. There were sterling performances by Mr. Gay San Francisco Sage Sanchez Munro, Miss Gay Linda Summers, Absolute Empress 52 Mercedez

Mission Food Hub Update

Munro, Mx. Cowhand Foxxy Blue Snacks, The One and Only Rexy, Kippy Marks, Ehra Amaya, Mercury Van Sciver, Afrika America, Sister Koko D’Amore, and Bebe Sweetbriar.

Check out the leatheriffic mural on the side of MOBY DICK bar, GEAR UP!, by proud gay artist Serge Gay Jr. of a multi-pin and patch adorned black leather jacket, red bandana band, cap, Converse kicks, and red high heel. I have reviewed this talented artist many times when he has exhibited in the Castro at Strut, Art Attack, and other venues. BTW Moby Dick hopes to open inside again very soon.

Mayor Breed has announced that the city is planning a new public art installation to honor Black lives and the history of African Americans.

The installation is planned to be located in Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse next month, in time for Juneteenth. The installation, MONUMENTAL RECKONING, by Bay Area sculptor Dana King (former KPIX news anchor), honors the first Africans stolen from their homeland and sold into chattel slavery in the New World. The installation consists of 350 sculptures representing the number of Africans initially forced onto the slave ship San Juan Bautista for a journey of death and suffering across the Atlantic. A handful of these original 350 ancestors became America’s first enslaved people.

“Have we already forgotten that 147 Republicans attempted to overthrow a free and fair election just four months ago?” reminds Democratic strategist James Carville.

Yes, we need to make Republicans OWN what they did, and we need to remind EVERY voter they betrayed our democracy!

Randy Rainbow, political song parodist to perfection, is at it again with his lively jab at idiotic insurrectionist Josh Hawley and his traitorous gang to the tune of “Clang Clang Clang Went the Trolley.” https://tinyurl.com/m7n7n6jn Actress Doris Bumpus stars, nay, is Billie Holiday in 42ND STREET MOON’S stellar production of LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL streaming online now through May 30. Set in 1959 in South Philadelphia, Billie Holiday takes the stage in a little nothing bar for one of her final performances before her untimely death. Get your drink on while enjoying some of her most famous songs like “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange

PHOTO BY RINK

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

the LGBTQ community can be a beacon for AAPI and LGBTQ civil rights. The lineup of special guests and performances for the virtual event included U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (out and proud but scarily in a Republican district), and amazing activist and drag star Honey Mahogany addressing homelessness and transphobia.

Standout live singing performances were by Peppermint, Estelle, Justin Tranter, and Jake Wesley Rogers. The guest host was Ryan Mitchell.

Dennis McMillan (right), aka Sister Dana, with (left to right) departing Openhouse executive director Dr. Karyn Skultety, Lance Toma and Eric Webb at Maitri’s annual Bliss benefit in 2018 at the Exchange Building’s Julia Morgan Ballroom. (See Page 12 for more about Karyn Skultety.)

Fruit,” and “God Bless the Child”— but also lesser known numbers such as “When a Woman Loves a Man” and “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer.” Lady Day talks about the good old and the bad old days—from racism in the Artie Shaw Big Band (with pretty proper peepee revenge), to addiction to wrongful jail-time.

You will discover just how she got her name. She loves to riff with her piano accompanist Jimmie Powers (Marcus McCauley, who will play a sweet set while Billie has a small breakdown and then returns feeling no pain). https://tinyurl.com/3999rur8 “Getting San Francisco moving forward requires us doing everything we can to get Muni back to full service,” said Mayor Breed. “As we reopen more businesses and activities, it’s essential that our transit service is able to accommodate more passengers and help people get around our city. MUNI subway service, the F-LINE, and more full routes are returning, and Muni is coming back even stronger with new improvements like Wi-Fi in the subway tunnels.” I don’t know about you, but this sister is breathing a sigh of relief (difficultly) through my mask.

The new comedy series, KIBITZ WITHOUT YA TITS, features award-winning Joe Posa as Joan Rivers revealing the men behind the divas in an innovative virtual format. This episode’s special guests are Russ K aka Miss Richfield 1981 and Steven Brinberg aka Barbra Streisand. Find out “what becomes a Legend most” as Joan pulls back the curtain and interviews some of the most formidable drag performers out of drag! Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis with a portion of the proceeds benefiting GOD’S LOVE WE DELIVER. May 25, 5 pm; May 26, 7 pm. https://tinyurl.com/5267exkj

For over twenty years, OUR FAMILY COALITION has fostered community-building and resilience among LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers through a vibrant calendar of family support workshops, groups, classes, and events; provided education about family diversity and anti-bias work to educators and child-serving professionals, and collaborated alongside partner organizations in vigorous advocacy for social, political, and cultural change. Their work will continue until the full and expanding spectrum of LGBTQ+ families and children are free to fully thrive. On May 14, they held OFC's 25th Anniversary (virtual) Night Out Goes ALL IN: Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Future emceed by the amazing Bebe Sweetbriar.

June 5 marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported by the federal government. It is also HIV LONG-TERM SURVIVORS AWARENESS DAY. On this important date in the long fight against HIV/AIDS, the NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL—the nation’s federally-designated memorial to AIDS— will honor and remember the more than 700,000 lives lost to AIDS during the past four decades. Forty blocks of the Quilt will be on display, symbolic of four decades of activism, hope, resilience, and remembrance. It will be the largest display of the Quilt in nearly two years. June 6, from noon to 6 pm, the Grove will be open to the public to see the Quilt. https://www.aidsmemorial.org/ Sister Dana sez, "Liz Cheney is no hero, but at least she stood up to the House Repugnican insurrectionists who continue Tr*mp’s Big Lie over the ‘stolen election,’ and then got ousted from leadership for truth telling.”

Photos courtesy of Juan R. Davila

The Founder of Mission Food Hub, Roberto Hernandez, recently shared that a large team of volunteers, using sixteen 18-wheeler trucks, made deliveries of quality foods to in need Central Valley recipients on Saturday, May 15.

Families of farm workers met up with the Mission Food Hub team at public parks in Watsonville, Salinas, Bakersfield, and additional locations where they received pre-prepared boxes. Juan Davila represented the San Francisco Bay Times during this special delivery project.

Food donations were made available through support of the Dolores Huerta Foundation in cooperation with Mission Food Hub. If you would like to volunteer or make donations to support the Food Hub’s distribution, assisting those experiencing food insecurity, text the word “Comida” to 202-858-1233 to find out more or visit: https://tinyurl.com/jwdszej4 (left) Roberto Hernandez, Mission Food Hub Founder 28

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

KAPLAN (continued from page 9) relocation. Thus, we find it particularly odd and inappropriate for you to suggest that we are unwilling to work together. We would like to similarly extend this offer to you, to meet and discuss these issues, and how to move forward most effectively.

We, the City Council leadership team, are ready to talk with you, as well as continue our prior offer to talk with the owners of the A’s.

You may contact Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas as our point person.

Sincerely, Nikki Bas, Rebecca Kaplan, Carroll Fife Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @ Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/ Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https:// www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).

KRAMER (continued from page 26)

ROSTOW (continued from page 11)

an actor in the play that love makes the character in the play brave. Moreover, when Tove convinces Atos that they should marry—he has left his wife—it is more an awkward act of revenge against Vivica than a heartfelt passion.

According to the Washington Post, Freckles now lives at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, which has a science center, zoo, and aquarium.

“We see this as an opportunity to share nature’s anomaly with guests, as well as continue important education about sustainable seafood practices and significant conservation efforts of the American lobster fishery,” said Chris Crippen, the museum’s senior director of animal welfare and conservation. His name sounds like a 19th century serial killer.

For fans of Jansson’s work who want to know more about the author, her literary success feels underdeveloped. The Moomin books may be famous, but little attention is given to that work. Her fame feels shortchanged. Perhaps Bergroth and Putro felt they should put the emphasis here on the author/ artist and not the work, but it is a disappointing decision.

Nevertheless, Tove does hold the viewer’s interest. Pöysti lets viewers feel her struggles trying to break through as an artist and as a woman hoping to break free of sex and gender roles in the conformist 1940s and 50s. She infuses Tove with a spirit that is infectious. As Vivica, Krista Kosonen cuts a striking, and at times imposing, figure. Her character is a bit one-note, but she is always alluring. In support, Shanti Roney makes Atos a genial confidante and companion for Tove.

Ultimately, Bergroth’s film can feel uneven and underdeveloped, but it is mostly worthwhile. © 2021 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

For dessert, we sampled the warm butter cake (not to be missed!) with cream cheese, chocolate sauce, vanilla gelato, and fresh berries; their New York-style cheesecake (possibly the best in the city)—creamy and rich, topped with raspberry coulis and fresh berries; and powdered-sugar covered beignets.

What’s next for OJ’s? “The last year has challenged us in ways we never thought,” explained Duggan, “but we’re determined to come out of this stronger and better than we ever have because of our brand, our great people working for us, and the passion to be the best we can be every single day. It’s an unforgiving business: our history and tradition set us apart, but you have to be great every single day. That’s what makes this business so tough. We try to work on that every day. This is why I’m so passionate about our restaurant. 400 years of Joe’s history in the Bay Area. That’s a lot of power. The brand resonates with customers. It’s an incredible history in the Bay Area.”

I take note of the fact that Ellen is giving up her talk show after 19 years, which makes perfect sense to me. I like her, even now that her reputation has taken a bit of a hit, and think there are things that she could do with her time and money that would be a lot more fun than hosting a show. I’ve watched it a handful of times if that, because although I can glue myself to MSNBC and listen to the exact same “breaking news” story over and over and over again with interest, I am instantly bored by chatting celebrities.

That said, have you seen Ellen and Michelle Obama at CVS? It’s hysterical.

And finally, a whole bunch of German priests defied the Pope by blessing same-sex marriages on Monday, May 10, in over 100 Catholic Churches in the nation, so good for them.

I now find myself hungering for a lobster roll and a margarita. Roughly chopped lobster meat with salt and pepper, a glop of mayonnaise, and a teaspoon or two of finely diced celery, served in a hotdog bun that’s been buttered and grilled. Maybe just a cold bottle of Bandol instead of the cocktail.

And pick me up a pack of smokes for afterwards. arostow@aol.com

LANDIS (continued from page 22) mixed in on buttered sourdough, topped with Swiss cheese. Other favorites on the menu include: tender, crispy, and juicy Chicken Milanese, served with a side of spaghetti (with the traditional red sauce, of course); Joe’s house-made ravioli (filled with beef and spinach, served with a red meat sauce); and for those who want something lighter, Joe’s chopped salad (romaine, radicchio, salami, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, pepperoncini, fennel, olives, provolone cheese, and parmesan cheese with an Italian vinaigrette).

I’m not sure why I drifted into that extended lobster story, but as loyal readers recall, I have my motto: “The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line.” We’re not revisiting the Freckles piece, period.

Lark), has inventive cocktails and celebrates the cuisine of the early California settlers, the Californios. The menu offerings include ranchero-style food incorporating Spanish and Mexican influences, with such delectable favorites as a grilled Castroville artichoke, lean and tender Santa Maria tri-tip, and Santa Barbara Mission chicken (with pink peppercorn sauce). It’s located in the former well-loved Paradise Café in the historic Presidio neighborhood. Also of note: Salty’s on the Beach, a great place for a casual lunch overlooking the gorgeous Santa Barbara harbor (don’t miss their “Endless Summer Mai Tai”); Convivo (owned by the proprietor of Poggio’s in Sausalito) in the Santa Barbara Inn, with delicious Italian cuisine right on the waterfront; and Flor de Maiz, also on the waterfront, which presents elevated Mexican delights paired with such creative cocktails as a Margarita Vallarta (with house-made green apple, cucumber, and basil juice and a black lava salt rim); and the Xalisco (Tequila blanco, house-made cucumber and green apple juice, and basil leaves).

Original Joe’s, North Beach: https://originaljoes.com/north-beach/ La Paloma, Santa Barbara: https://lapalomasb.com/ Salty’s on the Beach, Santa Barbara: https://saltyatthebeach.com/ Convivo, Santa Barbara: https://www.convivorestaurant.com/

Bits and Bites

Flor de Maiz, Santa Barbara: https://flordemaizsb.com/

The Gay Gourmet made a second sojourn recently to beautiful Santa Barbara, which is an easy drive-in getaway from the Bay Area. Here are a few restaurants to add to your must-dine list there: La Paloma, part of the Acme Hospitality Group (which owns Loquita and The

David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer and a PR executive. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF, on Twitter @david_landis, email him at: david@landispr.com or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com

SEELIG (continued from page 19) But at every single stop along the way, they were fulfilling their mission. Literally thousands of lives were being changed at their concerts. No one had ever seen anything like it.

In cities where there were brand new gay choruses, they were inspired to see this courageous chorus. For cities that had no gay chorus, they soon would! Isn’t this how religions start?

They visited Dallas; Minneapolis; Lincoln, NE; Detroit; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Boston; Seattle; and then home again in San Francisco.

Upon the chorus’ return to San Francisco, the proverbial red carpet was literally rolled out. They were heralded as heroes coming home from a mighty conquest. Their final concert was a welcome home extravaganza at the standing-room-only Davies Symphony Hall. The evening was hosted by dignitaries and drag queens and the chorus was awarded the key to the city by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

A life-altering experience such as this is impossible to describe in just a few words. It was bigger than anyone knew going into it and still stands as a marvel today. It set the course for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and LGBTQ choruses across the world. Yes, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus was here to recruit ... singers in your local city.

Of course, they went over budget, and were it not for the support of a

few major donors who took out second mortgages on their houses, the chorus may not have survived.

It’s hard to imagine that it has been 40 years since those first three planes departed San Francisco with merry men who apparently sang everywhere they went. It is hard to overestimate the lasting impact that tour has had on LGBTQ choruses that now exist across the globe. An international gay choral movement began to form called GALA Choruses. This organization continues today—even during the pandemic offering resources and quadrennial concerts as well as leadership growth opportunities. During the pandemic, GALA Choruses met often to keep up with the science of safe singing, Zoom singing, parking lot singing, and masks for choral singers.

In addition, touring itself has been adopted by LGBTQ choruses as they have traveled around the world sharing their music and furthering our mission. So much of what we take for granted today stands as a testament to the organization, the tour, and the courageous men who literally stepped out in faith and made it a reality. We will continue to honor them, celebrate their accomplishments, and be grateful for how what they did continues to change our world.

Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 24)

D) the first fully licensed sperm bank in the U.S. to accept gay men as sperm donors Morey Riordan served as Executive Director of The Sperm Bank of California, a feminist sperm bank focused primarily on LGBTQ family creation. He led the effort to have the nonprofit become the first fully licensed sperm bank in the U.S. to accept gay men as sperm donors, despite stigmadriven opposition from the FDA and other regulators. This is just one of Riordan’s many achievements, which are summarized here: https://sfpride.org/grand-marshals.html

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

M AY 20, 2021

29

Slow Streets Noe Art Mart

Photos by Rink

Thomasina De Maio serves as art coordinator for the Slow Streets Noe Art Mart at the intersection of Noe and Market Streets.

Concert cellist Matthew J. Linaman performed at the Noe Art Mart on May 2. Check out his website: http://www.mjlcello.com

Artist Matt Pipes and his artwork at the Noe Art Mart on May 2

Artist David A. Costa, who began creating his art during the pandemic, is participating in the Noe Art Mart. Visit his website: https://www.davidcostaart.com

Street seating adjacent to the Noe Art Mart was fully occupied on May 2.

Round About - All Over Town

Louie’s Barber Shop barber Chico welcomed clients to his station at the longstanding shop on Castro Street.

Volunteer Jimmy McConnell is celebrating his 33rd year offering homemade chocolate chip cookies to all who donate in support of the annual AIDS Walk SF.

Bartender Jeremy at the Cinch Saloon offered margaritas in celebration of Cinco de Mayo on May 5.

30

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

MAY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1

Photos by Rink

Khmera Rouge, Mimi Osa, Ehra Amaya and Misty Blue coordinated the 6th annual Imperial Empress Bake Sale, hosted on May 15 by newly crowned Empress Juanita MORE!, in the street area outside the Castro Stitchery on 18th Street.

Freddie Mercury was featured on a tote bag displayed in the window at Cliff’s Variety on May 8.

The window display at Dog Eared Books Castro included a selection of books themed for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Diners occupied the street parklet at Swan’s Oyster Depot.

Jeweler Anthony Soto displayed his Caribbean Azul brand work at the Noe Art Mart.

The window at Cliff’s Variety also displayed a Frida Kahlo tote bag.

Shanghai Kelly’s Saloon on Russian Hill at Polk and Broadway is welcoming customers back as reopening continues.

Tipu Flowers is a newly opened florist shop on Jackson Street on Russian Hill.

Sunday Brunch & Shared Spaces

Photos by Rink

CASTRO STREETCAM presented by

Customers enjoyed the Sunday Brunch at Beaux on May 2.

An entertainer prepared to dance for guests at the Edge bar’s parklet and street seating area on May 8.

Entertainers at the Edge Bar on May 8

Activist Lizzi Dierken (center) joined friends for Sunday brunch at Cafe Mystique on May 8.

Server Lulu welcomed customers at the Shared Spaces area adjacent to Harvey’s on May 9.

http://sfbaytimes.com/

Guests enjoyed cocktails at Poesia’s parklet on May 8.

Rink Remembers

Diners enjoyed sidewalk service at Lark on 18th Street.

Photos by Rink

Felicia Elizondo Friends and colleagues were saddened to learn of the passing of community leader and transgender activist Felicia Elizondo.

SF Pride Grand Marshal Felicia Elizondo with Theresa Sparks, Pride CEO George Ridgely and Lisa Williams at the Mayor’s Rainbow Flag Raising ceremony at City Hall on June 9, 2015.

Nothing says welcome to the yellow tier like thigh-high sequin boots. These Adore Boots for $126.99 are available in sizes 11 through 14.

Felicia Elizondo with City Treasurer José Cisneros at the annual Trans March at Dolores Park.

This little plastic sleeve doesn’t look like much, but it fits your and protects your vaccine card perfectly. $1.99

Alireza Fazeli Monfared Iranian Alireza Fazeli Monfared, murdered by his brother and cousin for being gay, was remembered at Hibernia Beach on May 12.

Paul Sieron Friends of Paul Sieron prepared a memorial tribute for him at the Hibernia Beach area at 18th and Castro Streets on May 8.

s the world opens up more, we are feeling cautiously optimistic. Most of our staff is fully vaccinated. Tourists are returning. And we have a had a few days of sunshine. The ever changing guidance on masks has required that we make decisions about what we feel is right for our staff and the community. We will continue to require everyone to wear masks in our store for the foreseeable future. We hope you all understand.

As Heard on the Street . . . May 22 is Harvey Milk Day. What do you think was his greatest legacy? compiled by Rink

Gary Virginia

John Weber

Keith Howard

Ehra Amaya

Nicole Whitten

“Harvey Milk proved that you can be authentic, run for office, get elected, and build coalitions to legalize equality.”

“Harvey said, ‘You’ve got to give them hope,’ now even more than ever.”

“To be who you are, take risks, and speak your mind, and include everyone.”

“Harvey helped give my generation and the AAPI community a future.”

“He had a unique talent for bringing people together.”

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

M AY 20, 2021 31