San Francisco Bay Times - December 7, 2023

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2023)

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December 7–20, 2023 http://sfbaytimes.com

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Holidays in the Castro About Our Cover “Gays just know how to do stuff. You know, they’re survivors.”

—Jennifer Coolidge From Trans Handy Ma’am (the home repair TikToker) to Queer Eye, the LGBTQ community continues to gain a reputation for not only tackling work tasks but also doing so in style. Cliff’s Variety, the landmark Castro variety store, has forever seemed to marry form to function with ease.

Even Hot Cookie often adds extra flair to its treats, such as the wintry coat of peppermint white chocolate and dash of colorful sprinkles on its December Cookie of the Month: Merry Mint.

So it is that many homes in the Castro go beyond basic outdoor holiday lighting, reflecting the creativity, generosity, pride, and essence of both the homeowners and the season. For example, “68 Castro Street is everyone’s holiday decoration goals,” according to The San Francisco Standard.

Many of us at the San Francisco Bay Times agree, and look for this stunning display each year. When an image of it was shared via Reddit, a commenter posted, “I work at the hospital in front of this house & this is the only reason I go to work every day especially during the holidays.” 45 Upper Terrace, with its unique storybook appearance, is one of numerous other homes in the area that has gained fame for its holiday decorations.

In addition to individual homes, certain businesses in the Castro go all out with decorations during the holi-

days. Orphan Andy’s is a favorite stop, both for its decor and warm comfort foods such as chocolate chip pancakes.

Owners Bill Pung and Dennis Ziebell live above the restaurant, helping to explain its home-away-from-home feel.

This year is bittersweet, as it is without the memorable display at Tom and Jerry’s “Christmas House” at 3650 21st Street. Jerry—Dr. Jerome Goldstein—died last month. His husband, Tom Taylor, passed in 2020. As Donna Sachet writes in this issue, visiting their elaborately decorated house was a treasured holiday tradition for many in San Francisco. The great Norfolk Island pine in front of the home, estimated to stand 65 feet, required a hydraulic lift to decorate it. Tom led that effort, and with Jerry opened their doors to members of the community for visits with Santa, unforgettable parties, and more.

Whether the holiday was Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Diwali, or any other in fall/winter (and the other seasons too), Tom & Jerry were happy to celebrate it with great gusto. However you observe this season, we hope that you and yours enjoy this time and urge you to support the small businesses, restaurants, nonprofits, and more in the Castro. We hope to see you at our holiday party with the Golden Gate Business Association on December 12 at The Academy SF ( https://tinyurl.com/mvan4he3 ) and at Home for the Holidays on December 24 at the Castro Theatre ( https://www.sfgmc.org/ ).

A Holiday Challenge: Delete Those Items in Your Amazon Cart & Shop Local

By Terry Asten Bennett We have all heard the term “shop small” or “shop local.” American Express made a whole to-do out of Small Business Saturday for years. But why should we shop small and shop local? It is so easy to sit on your couch at 2 am and put things in your Amazon Cart.

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Our Castro Merchants are fun, talented, creative, and resilient. When you shop in the Castro, you will find things you never knew you needed but simply can’t live without. Obviously, we have the best bars and nightlife! But we also have the most amazing services, hair, skin, nails, gyms, chiropractors ... . And if you haven’t eaten in the Castro in a while, you will find we have really upped our food game. From breakfast to dessert (any time of day), we have you covered.

I know this sounds cliché, but shopping small and shopping local matter and they help keep your community vibrant. I challenge you to delete those items from your cart and go out into your community to shop. Your dollars really do go to work in your community.

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Terry Asten Bennett is the General Manager of Cliff’s Variety and is the President of Castro Merchants.

Castro Merchants Association also thanks Solidcore for their sponsorship.

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After several brutal years of pandemic, a negative narrative about San Francisco, inflation, and the impact of tech layoffs, it has been a challenging year for your Castro businesses. So yes, this year more than ever it matters if you shop in the neighborhood.

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Sure, Amazon loves your money, but does Amazon love your community? Have you thought about the impact of your money when you spend it in your local businesses? Local stores, bars, and restaurants donate to the charities that matter to your community. They donate products, they donate space, they donate time and resources. Local stores hire local people. Local employees spend their money in other local businesses. It really is its own circle of life. When you shop locally it is truly an investment in your community.

Holidays in the Castro Remembering Tom & Jerry’s San Francisco Holiday House

By Donna Sachet

JO-LYNN OTTO

They were unabashedly gay and made no attempt to disguise their relationship. Even on that competitive show about their tree, they stood proudly as a long-term married gay couple, openly sharing a warm kiss on national television.

Anyone who knew them can share stories of their idiosyncrasies— Tommy’s circuitous, often racy stories and Jerry’s outlandish outfits—but in San Francisco, it all made sense and we will all miss their indisputable contributions, motivated by a deep and abiding love for this city they made home.

Jerry Goldstein with a friend at Light in the Grove (2022)

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Behind the scenes, the tree and the opulent display stood as a reflecEvery holiday season, when tion of the lives a creative display catches my of two generous eye, I will always think of Tom individuals who & Jerry, and I will smile. enjoyed bringing joy to the city Donna Sachet is a celebrated they loved. Their performer, fundraiser, home on 21st activist, and philanthropist Street became who has dedicated over the host of many two decades to the LGBTQ annual events, Community in San helping nonprofit Francisco. Contact her organizations at empsachet@gmail.com Donna Sachet sang “Just to raise money, in Time for Christmas” at to share their sto- the Bay Times Holiday

Jerry Goldstein at the SF Bay Times/SF Lesbian Gay Freedom Band Holiday Party (2019)

Jerry Goldstein (front) with Tom Taylor and a guest at the SF Bay Times/SF Lesbian Gay Freedom Band Holiday Party (2014)

Partygoers sang carols accompanied by members of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (2014)

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Donna Sachet introduced Jerry Goldstein, who welcomed guests to the Tom & Jerry House. (2019)

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Party (2019)

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The Tom & Jerry house exterior decorated for the holidays (2014)

PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY GOLDSTEIN

In 2019, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Tom & Jerry for a feature article about their holiday tree for the San Francisco Bay Times.

Although we were already friends, this was an opportunity to learn so much more about their lives, their relationship, and their activism and philanthropy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY GOLDSTEIN

Maybe you have heard the charming story that a tiny Cost Plus tree bought and planted in the 1970s became the centerpiece of an annual display. Richard Gutierrez’s 2011 documentary entitled Making Christmas: The View From the Tom & Jerry Christmas Tree, readily available online, reveals the backstory and includes inperson interviews with the couple. Despite yearly challenges, including health issues, ornament storage, power drains, neighbor complaints, and even troublesome weather, Tom and Jerry never wanted to disappoint the public that so highly anticipated their display for over 30 years.

Never forget that the tremendous expense of this holiday display was always born by them alone, as were the expenses of many of the parties held there. Not just during the holiday season, but yearround, Tom & Jerry were the magnanimous patrons of many causes, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. They took on the legacy of their good friend Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag, establishing a foundation after Gilbert’s death and were always ready to share his story and to promote this universal symbol.

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Every San Francisco resident remembers driving by their incredible 65-foot tree, dazzling with lights and reaching high into the Castro sky, surrounded by giant gift-wrapped boxes, a winding train set, and even a miniature Ferris wheel. Eventually they accepted an invitation to appear on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight in 2018, determined to reveal their personal delight in sharing this annual gift with the community. After Tommy’s death in 2020, the lights went dark, and with Jerome’s recent death, this beloved spectacle has reached its end.

ries, and to gather their supporters together to celebrate.

JOANIE JUSTER

Any review of holiday decorations in San Francisco must include the towering Macy’s tree in Union Square, the colorful display in Ghirardelli Square, the Rainbow World Fund’s Tree of Hope in Grace Cathedral, and ... the eye-popping home of Tommy Taylor and Jerome Goldstein.

Singer/songwriter Holly Near led guests in a rendition of “Singing for Our Lives.” (2019)

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Holidays in the Castro Castro Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony Terry Asten Bennett, President of Castro Merchants, began the 2023 Castro Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony with a rousing welcome that introduced emcee Donna Sachet. Mayor London Breed also spoke and expressed how important the Castro is for San Francisco, saying, “We are not going to allow someone else to define our city!” She acknowledged that the turnout for this year’s ceremony was excellent.

Additional speakers for the event, held at the Bank of America Plaza near the intersection of 18th and Castro Streets, included California State Senator Scott Wiener and District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who declared Sachet to be First Lady of the Castro for Life. He thanked the local business associations, city agencies including the San Francisco Police Department, and the volunteers of Castro Community on Patrol.

Sister Roma and Sister Bella Donna Summer blessed the tree. Sachet led a carol singalong and Santa arrived to push the “button” to turn on the lights, illuminating the 2023 Castro Holiday Tree. The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band also performed.

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Watch the entire ceremony on Outlook Video’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/ypsvsac2

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Holidays in the Castro 45th Harvey Milk and George Moscone Vigil and Candlelight Walk On Monday, November 27, LGBTQ community leaders, activists, and allies gathered in the Castro to observe the 45th Anniversary of the deaths of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone.

Organized by the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the event is held annually, starting at Harvey Milk Plaza and concluding with a candlelight walk.

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This year, the vigil acknowledged the 45th Anniversary of the first public performance of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, when members of the newly formed choral group joined with those who had gathered from throughout the Bay Area at San Francisco City Hall following a candlelight march to there from the intersection of Market and Castro Streets. The chorus performed Mendelssohn’s “The Lord, Our Refuge” at City Hall.

Additionally, the vigil commemorated the November 2022 shooting at ClubQ in Colorado Springs, CO, where five people were killed and more than 25 were injured in what prosecutors deemed a hate crime.

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Watch on ABC7 News: https://tinyurl.com/39655ckb

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A walk to the site of Harvey Milk’s camera shop on Castro Street followed. The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band also performed.

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Speakers included activist Cleve Jones, former supervisor Carol Ruth Silver who served with Milk, Milk’s colleague Gwen Craig, State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Harvey Milk Democratic Club’s Jeffrey Kwong, and others.

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A Cup of Kindness tion, whatever I wrote felt empty, and my words lacked insight into the fullness of their lives.

In Case You Missed It Joanie Juster As we count the days to the end of what has been a particularly challenging year, I find myself more grateful than ever for even the smallest acts of kindness. In a world filled with conflict, let’s celebrate those who choose to make life better for others around them.

A Gift of Peace of Mind

That’s when I realized: when doing estate planning, it isn’t enough to leave a financial and legal paper trail. To really give your loved ones peace of mind, draft your own obituary. It doesn’t have to be fancy—feel free to leave the prose to others. But providing even an outline of your life with all the facts, places lived, dates, and accomplishments will be a tremendous help to those who will be dealing with the aftermath of your departure from this earth.

None of us is guaranteed how much time we have left. Do it this month, and make sure someone you trust knows where to find it. Think of it as the ultimate holiday gift. Your survivors will be grateful.

Focus on Community at Tunnel Tops Park, December 10 Whenever I sit down to write this column, the word I use most frequently is “community.” Each of belongs to a variety of communities, based on our identity, our work associations, our volunteer and social activities, and other traits and activities that bind us to others.

Over the past few years, I’ve been asked to help with a difficult and delicate task: helping to write obituaries for friends or family members. Being entrusted with distilling a loved one’s rich and meaningful life into toofew words is both a deeply-felt honor, and also absolutely daunting. What I’ve found on each of these occasions was that, no matter how long or how well I knew that person, I really knew very little about them at all. Where did they grow up? What kind of family did they come from? What early influences helped mold them into the person I was lucky enough to know?

What jobs or careers did they have before I met them? What were their proudest accomplishments, which they would want to be remembered for? Without that kind of informa-

An extraordinary new book provides a window into some of San Francisco’s communities that have received too little attention until now. Focus on Community is a catalogue of the photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado, who immigrated to San Francisco in 1928 as part of one of the first waves of immigrants from the Philippines, known as the Manong (“older brother”) generation. Like so many immigrants of that generation, he first supported his family by working in the kinds of jobs

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A group photographed by Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado

most available to people of color at that time: as a janitor and houseboy.

Career opportunities for immigrants, particularly immigrants of color, were still very limited at that time.

When he returned to San Francisco after serving as a medical technician in the Army during World War II, he enlisted with the Army Reserve for eight years while working as a cook at Letterman Hospital in the Presidio.

His workplace became his second home, until he retired in 1975.

But Alvarado also had a hobby and a passion: photography. And specifically, photographing the communities in which he lived and worked.

After he died in 1976, one of his daughters, Janet Alvarado, made a remarkable discovery: a treasure trove of over 3,000 4”x5” negatives of the photographs he took through-

out the 1940s and 50s. His photographs reflect a very particular community of that time in San Francisco: people of color living their daily lives—working, dancing, attending parties, posing proudly with their cars. They show a side of San Francisco of that period that has rarely been shown before, in luminous black and white photos that capture people, and their community, in relaxed, candid moments.

American community. She has spent many years carefully stewarding her father’s photographs, worked closely with Stanford University Archives to help archive this valuable collection of photos, and is inviting the public to help celebrate the publication of a catalogue of her father’s photographs called Focus on Community: The Ricard Alvarado Photography Archive at Stanford.

The book launch celebration will take place Sunday, December 10, from 3–6 pm at Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio. Admission is free, but a suggested donation of $10 is welcome. For tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ROAphoto23

Janet Alvarado is an artist also, and as a lesbian of color and cancer patient, has spent many years deeply involved in building community.

After discovering her father’s work in 1976, she became the founder and driving force behind The Alvarado Project, a nonprofit communitybased volunteer organization of artists, students, and educators, which seeks to foster multicultural understanding, strengthen the community through art, cultural programs, and collect historically significant artifacts and material about the Filipino-

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is kicking off the holidays with their third annual Holiday Market on Saturday, December 9.

The market is an indoor version of their monthly SOMA Second Saturdays, and will take place at SOMArts Cultural Center at 934 Brannan Street. There will be more than thirty vendors and a free shuttle will be provided, courtesy of San

SOMA Second Saturdays: 3rd Annual Holiday Market

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Castro Patrol Needs Your Help

By Gregory “Greggy” Carey

The need for safety patrols continues, but since the pandemic the number of trained CCOP volunteers has dropped to below a dozen. As a result, walking patrols have dropped to one or two per month because we need at least three Patrollers to field a team safely. We still assist with special events such as the Castro Street Fair and the Navy band concert held

As a result, CCOP has turned its attention to improving personal safety through free or low-cost trainings. One example is the return of our popular Basic Self-Defense workshop, which has trained over 3000 people through the years.

We also began delivery of Active Shooter workshops for businesses after the ClubQ mass shooting in Colorado in 2022.

We have a companion Active Shooter workshop for the general public ready, but have been unable to locate enough public interest for such a class so far.

Steve Ayala, a local university student, wrote a research paper in 2008 studying CCOP and similar groups across the nation. He learned that most groups like CCOP failed to survive beyond twelve months. The prime reason was that the original crisis that caused the group to form quickly dissipated and the original volunteers lost interest because there no longer seemed to be a need. Often, the original threat remained in the background and reappeared in some form later. He found that groups with a longer success changed their focus from being reactive (confronting a specific danger) to proactive (making changes to prevent reoccurrence of similar problems).

Greggy Carey

Based on this knowledge, a primary theme of Castro Patrol has been “a visible safety presence.” Our teams of three or four people in bright orange uniforms are a deterrent to those seeking to cause harm. A successful patrol is not filled with adventure, but reflects a quiet evening where we help strangers find their way to a train or specific business, or come upon someone needing medical assistance. In addition to the walking patrols, we have distributed more than 100,000 safety whistles with instructive literature to help people be more self-aware. Our theme is “Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Your Friends, and Take Care of Your Neighbors.”

In order to keep the commitment of time reasonable, a Castro Patrol volunteer is only asked to com-

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The original issue quickly disappeared, but the need for prevention continues for various reasons, including the national political theatre of finding a way to blame the queer community for some new but obscure reason (currently drag performances and trans people) to continue to elect ultra-fascists (rebranded as “conservatives”) during the leadup to the presidential election every four years.

in Jane Warner Plaza for Fleet week, but you will often see the same faces each time because of our low number of helpers.

CASTROPATROL.ORG

It all started as a response to a crisis. Reports of two or three violent robberies with associated sexual attacks in the Castro in 2006 brought a response from more than 100 local residents with the common message, “This should not be happening in our community.” Castro Community on Patrol (also known as Castro Patrol or CCOP) was established and for the first two years nine volunteers formed three patrol teams every Friday and Saturday night to watch over the safety of friends, neighbors, and visitors.

(left to right) San Francisco Patrol Special Police Officer Alan Byard, CCOP Chief Greggy Carey, and Chief Ken Craig celebrated CCOP's 15th Anniversary.

mit to a single 3-hour patrol each month. We have changed the process of training from a pre-scheduled event four times a year to an ondemand, virtual (Zoom) initial session to fit into a potential volunteer’s busy life. We gladly train individuals. An even more effective training session involves two or more friends who want to patrol together. To learn more about CCOP or to schedule an initial training, just drop an email to info@castropatrol.org

Gregory “Greggy” Carey is the Chief of Patrol for Castro Patrol, which he joined as a volunteer in 2007. Originally from South Dakota, he was a co-founder of the first South Dakota queer organization, the Sioux Empire Gay and Lesbian Coalition. In 1983, he led the creation of the Eastern Dakota AIDS Network, He and his life partner Rahn moved to the Bay Area in 1991 and married in 2008.

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New Year, New Laws Another bill that affects many in my district is AB 449, which requires law enforcement agencies to adopt a hate crimes policy and follow specific guidelines when responding to incidents. We have seen cases and victims treated differently jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A hate crime victim should consistently be treated with respect and dignity no matter if the crime was committed in San Francisco or Oakland.

Assemblymember Phil Ting It’s almost time to ring in the New Year! As 2023 comes to a close, I want to let you know about a few state laws that I championed, which will be taking effect on January 1.

At the top of the list is one that will be affecting the families in California, by cleaning up the air that children riding school buses are breathing. AB 579 requires all new school bus purchases after 2035 to be zero emission. According to the California Air Resources Board, a child who rides the bus to and from school will experience 33 percent of their daily exposure to toxic air pollutants during those rides. A consistent statewide planning goal to obtain zero-emission buses is critical to improving air quality and student health outcomes, especially in communities already disproportionately impacted by severe air pollution.

Differences of opinion on religion, war, and even wearing a mask have spurred debates that have sometimes turned hostile. What does this mean for our diverse communities? We saw a massive spike in hate crimes against the AAPI community. Stop AAPI Hate has collected over 10,900 reports at their website. Thankfully, we have seen a decline in AAPI hate crimes and incidents, but other communities continue to suffer from hate violence: • Overall, reported hate crime events in California increased 20.2% from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022; • Black people remain the most prevalent victims of such crimes, with an increase of 27.1% from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022; • Reported hate crime events involving a sexual orientation bias increased, rising 29% from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022.

It is my hope that, with the passage of laws such as AB 449 and providing awareness about resources such as the hate crime reporting hotline and

website at the California Civil Rights Department, we can spread the message that hate is not okay and that there is support available for those who need it.

Also starting next year, consumers will get more information about the cookware they are using and purchasing. AB 1200 requires manufacturers to label their cookware if it contains PFAS. The law was passed in 2021, but companies were given until 2024 to comply with the labeling component of the bill.

PFAS is a class of roughly 9,000 man-made chemicals linked to health problems, including cancer, hormone disruption, thyroid disease, and vaccine interference. When PFAS come into contact with food, people ingest them. With AB 1200, consumers can make a choice on whether or not they want their food to be in contact with these harmful chemicals.

This coming year will be my last in the Assembly. It has been an absolute honor serving as your Assemblymember and I will continue to prioritize making California a better state for everyone until my term is over. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and a great 2024.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the west side of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City, as well as part of South San Francisco and San Bruno.

Celebrating an LGBTQ District in Oakland

Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan On November 7, Mayor Sheng Thao, several elected officials, Oakland LGBTQ leaders, and Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider gathered to celebrate the opening of the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District. The organizing of community leaders and a resolution I wrote along with Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Councilmembers Fife and Kalb came together to make this district a reality.

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This metropolitan area has the highest percentage of LGBTQ residents of any metropolitan area in the entire United States, and Oakland has been at the forefront of fighting for justice and equity for the LGBTQ community, including the celebrations of Oakland Pride and Pridefest and the establishment of the oldest operating gay bar in the nation, but Oakland has lacked any designated LGBTQ cultural districts.

In 2023, a record number of bills restricting the rights of LGBTQ people have been introduced across the country, with a particular focus on eroding protections for trans youth, making efforts to sustain, protect,

Cultural districts are an important and established strategy for preserving, protecting, and expanding the cultural vitality of vulnerable communities, and LGBTQ cultural districts have proven successful in other cities.

San Francisco alone has three designated cultural districts for the LGBTQ community, including the Transgender District, Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, and LEATHER & From left to right: Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan, LGBTQ Cultural Assemblymember Mia Bonta District. icated to serving the multi-ethnic, A coalition of LGBTQ commuintergenerational, LGBTQ comnity stakeholders has united to estabmunity members. It is one of very lish Oakland’s first LGBTQ cultural few, all-inclusive LGBTQ commudistrict in the Lakeshore area, with nity centers in the nation, led and the mission of the District being to founded by African Americans, and uplift the rich history of the LGBTQ is the first such center in the state of Oakland community; cultivate a California. supportive environment for diverse The District is home to a concenLGBTQ individuals, families, allies, and businesses; and to nurture a safe, tration of cultural facilities, creative enterprises, and arts venues vibrant, and welcoming community. owned and operated by LGBTQ The history of LGBTQ community people. In addition to the Oakland and culture in Lakeshore includes LGBTQ Community Center, these Sistahs Steppin’ in Pride, an annual institutions include the Queer march and festival that brought the Arts Center, Shakewell, Slick & East Bay’s diverse queer women’s Dapper, Modigliani Café, Kinetic community together for a decade, Chiropractic, United Grooming, and whose historic gathering and Baymade, Galleria Scola Picture march began at Lake Merritt at Framing, VT Nail Spa, Alkali Rye the pillars between Lakeshore and Beverage Shop, Arizmendi Bakery, Grand Avenues. and Michael’s Chocolates.

The District is home to a primary The District is a walkable, compact cultural hub for the LGBTQ comarea that is easy for visitors to recmunity in the form of the Oakland ognize, and can act as a center for LGBTQ Community Center, LGBTQ cultural activities—curafounded in 2017 as Oakland’s first nonprofit multiservice center dedtive, artistic, and economic.

Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, 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://tinyurl.com/2dtjmazc ) and Facebook ( https://tinyurl.com/2p9dd5ta ).

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uplift, and celebrate LGBTQ people all the more critical.

2023

WORLD

DAY

Recommitting to Realizing a World Without AIDS

By John Cunningham One of my closest friends, Joe, was a bright light for all who knew him.

He warmed their lives and impacted mine in a way few others have. Just last month, he passed away from AIDS related complications. Not in Autumn 1983. Not in Autumn 1993.

Autumn 2023.

When I utter the words “cryptococcal meningitis,” a fungal infection that ran rampant throughout Joe’s brain on account of his weakened immune system, I see a shake and shudder within the core of those I’m speaking to. It takes us back to a hauntingly familiar time when there was no hope for our loved ones who perished from this and other opportunistic infections. It was a time when there was no treatment. When stigma and discrimination hindered any effective treatment from being developed at an urgent pace.

These casualties were gay, transgender, persons of color, and other marginalized lives. Lives considered less important and/or demonized and hated. And so there was, tragically, no urgency.

Today, there is hope for those living with HIV and AIDS thanks to medical advances and treatments developed over the years. The challenges Joe confronted were not only those caused by the HIV virus but also those resulting from a dysfunctional healthcare system that failed to value and protect him. It is no secret that we live and die within a healthcare system that does not treat everyone equally. It does not avail equal access to all who need it.

While AIDS is no longer at the forefront of the public’s attention, it is still destroying lives, particularly in marginalized communities where, predictably, lives are often shamefully

undervalued and underserved. The common substandard healthcare in these communities is causing unconscionable physical harm, but also psychological and emotional harm stemming from the stigma associated with it. It is challenging to realize one’s true self-worth when society sends a contrary message. This consistent messaging damages one’s selfesteem.

Coalition, we brought the Quilt to these communities to tell the stories of Black and Latinx lives lost to AIDS, to raise awareness about the ongoing destruction AIDS is causing, and to gather with these local communities for Quilt panel making workshops. This effort resulted in the creation of nearly 300 new Quilt panels representing lives from communities of color taken far too soon.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is considered the largest community folk arts project in the world. It was conceived by activist Cleve Jones as a way to honor those lost to AIDS—and also as a weapon to bring attention to the disease that the Reagan administration and much of society had mostly chosen to ignore. It features more than 50,000 panels stitched together by friends and loved ones to honor the stories of those who succumbed to AIDS.

Communities of color have always been disproportionately impacted and underrepresented in the story of the AIDS epidemic. The National AIDS Memorial is committed to ensuring that we accurately represent and honor those lives. In doing so, we strive to bring about change in those communities. Being in the communities most impacted by the epidemic today and hearing the stories of those it continues to impact, our drive to make a difference is reignited.

Within the threads of these beautifully crafted panels, there are now more than 110,000 names, mementos, and stories sewn into the Quilt.

And while we are honored that people are compelled, to this day, to memorialize lost loved ones by sending new Quilt panels to add to the Quilt, it is gut-wrenching to see new names and stories appear on this growing memorial.

As a society, we must redouble efforts around healthcare access: full access, no matter what color a person is, their sexual orientation, or how they self-identify. We all possess the right to our own bodily autonomy, and that autonomy should not adversely impact the way anybody is treated.

Coming out of a monumental World AIDS Day 2023, we must revitalize our efforts to bring an end to an epidemic that has raged on since The Cold War. In 2023, the National AIDS Memorial traveled to vulnerable communities in Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi for our “Change the Pattern” initiative. In partnership with Gilead Sciences and the Southern AIDS

2023 Light in the Grove

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Photos by Onyx and Ash

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Bodily autonomy is the fundamental principle that individuals have the inherent right to make decisions about their own bodies and physical integrity without external interference or coercion. The topic of bodily autonomy was a key conversation at our 2023 World AIDS Day National Observance. Our annual December 1st observance brought leaders together from across the country for a national conversation. This year’s theme, “Powerful Conversations,” shined a light on the ongoing struggle to end the epidemic, progress made, and hope for the future.

The moderator for our conversation on bodily autonomy, Imani RupertGordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, fostered a conversation that delved into the complexities of bodily autonomy, its intersections with various aspects of life, and the pressing issues and challenges surrounding this essential concept.

One of our panelists, Lashanda Salinas, has suffered immense injustices from a legal system in which bodily autonomy is not respected. Lashanda was first diagnosed with HIV at age 16. In 2006, she was unjustly imprisoned, charged with a crime for living with HIV, and forced to register as a sex offender. Today, Lashanda is creating change by standing up for those facing similar injustices.

Lashanda was also honored with the 2023 Inspiration and Hope award at our beautiful Light in the Grove celebration. It was voted the Bay Area’s best LGBTQ+ fundraiser for the 3rd time this year, and all proceeds are going toward scholarships and programs that strive to protect future communities from fear, silence, discrimination, and stigma. During a time in which negativity clouds our society, it offered the AIDS community a space to reconnect and celebrate life in the National AIDS Memorial Grove. As Harvey Milk so eloquently said, “We must give them hope,” and today, out of the AIDS crisis, we shared hope for a brighter future.

The National AIDS Memorial Grove stands as a testament to the best in humanity and the best in the community, and it will forever remember all those lives no longer with us.

It is a living, breathing testament to the heroes who diligently fought to

demand and ultimately bring about change.

The National AIDS Memorial is the only federally designated memorial to lives touched by AIDS. With that designation comes the solemn responsibility to remember those no longer with us and ensure that their memory and lives are honored into the future.

As the National AIDS Memorial looks to the horizon, arising out of the human tragedy and triumphs of the AIDS crisis, we are committed to building the Center for Health and Social Justice. Arising out of the human tragedies and triumphs of the AIDS crisis, the Center will use the richness of place, story, object, and human gathering to support, strengthen, and lead an enduring movement towards a healthy society free from stigma, discrimination, and othering.

Thank you to those who joined us at the National AIDS Memorial Grove for Light in the Grove and World AIDS Day. You helped us continue to deliver hope for the future. For those like Lashonda, who continue to face injustice to ensure that nobody will be criminalized for being themselves.

For the memories of those like my dear friend, Joe, the 110,000 names stitched into the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and the nearly 5,000 names engraved at the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

Coming out of World AIDS Day, we recommit ourselves to realizing a world without AIDS. John Cunningham is the Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Memorial. https://www.aidsmemorial.org/

2023

WORLD

DAY Photos by Onyx and Ash

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DEC EM BER 7, 2023

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You Can’t Bomb a Rainbow

BBC reporter Steve Rosenberg responded to Milonov by reiterating how in actuality there wasn’t such an organization, much less one with a political structure, and asked the obvious question: “How can you ban something that doesn’t exist?”

6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis Last week, horrific news emerged from Russia. The Russian Supreme Court gave the green light to the government to prosecute and sentence to long prison terms essentially anyone who engaged in LGBTIQ support or activism. The court held that such activities constituted participating in an “extremist organization,” which Russian law criminalizes.

Sergei Troshin, an openly gay city official from St Petersburg, explained to the BBC how the ruling would exacerbate the severe persecution that LGBTIQ Russians already face: “This is real repression. There is panic in Russia’s LGBT community.

People are emigrating urgently ... .

We’re having to evacuate from our own country.”

Particularly striking about the court’s decision is its basis. The court declared that something it called the “international LGBT public movement” was a prohibited “extremist organization.” Putting aside the fact that there’s nothing extreme about LGBTIQ people advocating for equality, there’s an even more glaring problem with the court’s declaration.

There is, in fact, no organization, extremist or not, called the “international LGBT public movement.”

That did not stop virulently antiLGBTIQ Russian Parliament

Rosenberg’s pertinent query points to something broader and more insidious at work here: the creation, manufacturing, teaching, and propagating of queerphobia.

As we all know, babies are not born homophobic. Those who grow up to be so are taught it, or learn it from myriad possible external sources.

Russian efforts to brand their LGBTIQ movement the product of pernicious outside influence are mirrored by similar events around the world today. In China, President Xi Jinping and his government are currently perpetrating a nationwide anti-LGBTIQ crackdown as a tool to promote Chinese political nationalism, by falsely claiming that a global LGBTIQ movement is trying to impose Western values on China.

Xi undoubtedly knows that such an assertion is fantastical, given the millennia-long, well-documented existence of same-sex love throughout Chinese history.

Since the rise in the power and influence of fundamentalist Islam beginning in the 1980s, extremist leaders in the Middle East and elsewhere have employed antiLGBTIQ rhetoric as a political tool against the West. They justify persecuting queer people,

by claiming erroneously that homosexuality exemplifies Western “moral decay.” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad notoriously declared in New York in 2007 that: “In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”

Ahmadinejad seemed to forget the exquisite expressions of samesex love in the poetry of renowned Persian Poets Rumi, Hafiz, and Sistaní, whose verse written hundreds of years ago still resonates today.

Pride March for Freedom Together in Riga, Latvia (2022) Earlier this year, the Ugandan government bow attire at a recent large popular enacted the “Anti-Homosexuality music concert asked the governAct,” which made worse Uganda’s ment rhetorically: “What exactly already existing harsh anti-LGBare you afraid of?”

TIQ laws. Widely condemned by

Western leaders and human rights advocates, the draconian new law among other things institutes the death penalty for people convicted of so-called “aggravated homosexuality.” Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who signed the measure into law, applauded lawmakers for having “rejected the pressure from the imperialists.”

Museveni declined to mention the significant outside monetary and other support for the law from U.S. conservative Christian political groups and the fact that the very law that Museveni heralded has its origins in nineteenth century antiLGBTIQ laws that British imperialists imposed on its African colonies.

And, of course, for decades, conservative political forces in the U.S. have cynically fabricated fears and fictions about the purported threats that LGBTIQ people pose to society, Christianity, and especially children—all to further conservative political interests. The current onslaught of legislation targeting transgender people, especially trans youth, and efforts to evade anti-discrimination laws under the guise of religion are the latest iterations of these tactics.

Russian PM Milonov gleefully told the BBC how he was “looking forward to the next step” of “banning the ... rainbow flag.” Chinese activists tell us that the Chinese government appears to be moving to ban display of the rainbow imagery there, too. An LGBTIQ Chinese person responding on social media to the apparent prohibition of rain-

Belgian Pride Parade, Brussels, Belgium (2017)

All of this reminds us of a queer Arab friend who lives in exile from their home country and reports regularly seeing appalling antiLGBTIQ social media posts from their home country, some from their own family and friends. A family member recently wrote with disgust: “We are in 2023 and still have the right to live.” Our friend explained to us that sometimes queer supporters mock such posts by chiding the poster that he wants to “bomb a rainbow”— something which, of course, you just can’t do, because a rainbow is simply a radiant refraction of sunlight in the sky.

“Living in the closet is impossible.

It is too hard; it is pointless. Living in peace with yourself is the only thing that matters.”

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, 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.

Regardless of the lies and fictions that conservative political forces around the world construct to oppress LGBTIQ people, one thing they will never be able to stop is the existence of LGBTIQ people and the love we share.

Indeed, our movement is based on truth, and we hope that the fabricated nature of opponents’ claims will accelerate their dissolution over time.

Last year, international Russian tennis star Daria Kasatkina came out as lesbian, a decision that she recognized may prevent her from returning to Russia for the foreseeable future. She Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis at the Tom & Jerry House for chose truth over fiction: the San Francisco Bay Times Holiday Party. (2019)

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

Member Vitaly Milonov from describing how this nonexistent organization supposedly operates: “They have their own tasks, their own goals. They act as a political force, a political structure and the goals of this structure contravene the Russian Constitution.”

JUSTER (continued from pg 8) Francisco Love Tours, which will be making a continuous loop through SOMA with stops at some of the favorite Cultural District venues, including SF Eagle, Azucar Lounge (opens at 3), Powerhouse (opens at 4), Zozi’s Loft, Leather Etc., and Mr. S Leather.

But wait, wait—there’s more! In addition to shopping, the Holiday Market will include entertainment.

Twisted Windows will be providing ambient performances on the SOMArts stage, along with a special burlesque performance by Alotta Boutté. Visit the PhotoBooth for holiday pictures with Naughty Santa. There are even rumors that there might be elven puppies! And to top it all off, enjoy Kinky Speed Friending. There will be two different rounds of Kinky Speed Friending with PsychoKitty at 12:30 and 2:30.

For details & updates: https://tinyurl.com/CalHol23 14

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Fighting HIV Stigma the Friendly Way

him, stigma-free, regardless of their status.

Long-time volunteer and activist Kelly Rivera Hart recently competed for a title for an organization with which I was not familiar. I had seen the colorful Team Friendly tent at Castro Street Fair, but didn’t really know who they were, or what they did, so I asked Kelly to educate me about this organization’s work, and why he was committed to their mission.

He created a variation of the ubiquitous smiley face from the 1970s. One eye is a negative symbol, signifying people who are HIV-; a plus symbol representing HIV+ people in place of the nose, and the other eye is a black circle; for all those who don’t know their HIV status. The bright smile is meant to welcome everyone, no matter who they are, or what their status.

Pins and t-shirts bearing the Team Friendly symbol have popped up at LGBTQ+ fairs and bar events over the past few years. Watt has stated, “Mr. Friendly was carefully designed with equal weight for both a positive and a negative symbol. It’s important to me that the symbol is for everyone without indicating the person’s status.”

Team Friendly is a nationwide grassroots movement committed to reducing the stigma of HIV, encouraging testing for HIV, and improving quality of life for those living with HIV in friendly ways—one conversation at a time. The founder, Dave Watt, wanted to create a symbol that would show that he was positive-friendly and invite conversations where people could freely discuss HIV with DE C E MB E R 7 , 2 0 2 3

After winning the Mr. Michigan Leather contest in 2008, Watt spent a year traveling to over 40 events, talking to people about the stigma of

HIV, and passing out Mr. Friendly buttons. His advocacy led to a movement: According to their website, Team Friendly now has outposts in 22 locations around the country.

Team Friendly Bay Area, formerly Mr. Friendly SF, grew out of attendees at the 2012 Folsom Street Fair being invited to have more inclusive, friendly conversations about HIV. Steve Nunez-Jirgl, who was the first Mr. Friendly SF in 2015, and is now the President of Team Friendly Bay Area, said, “It starts with that first conversation, with us standing by them no matter what their status is.

He went on to say that they are constantly evaluating their campaign to be more inclusive.

The newest Team Friendly ambassadors for 2024, Kelly Rivera Hart and the first Team Friendly Pup, Pup Loadz, were chosen at a competition at SF Eagle on November 21. Rivera Hart shared the following about why he chooses to support the

work of Team Friendly: “One out of every seven people with HIV doesn't know they have it, largely because of the fear of the stigma towards people with HIV that still exists. It’s time for that to change, now. We are family and we need to be treating each other with more kindness and respect, and work together towards ending this 40-year-old pandemic.”

For more information on Team Friendly: https://teamfriendly.org/ The Greatest Gift During this season of giving, remember that the greatest gift of all is the gift of your time and friendship.

Being a willing ear to someone who is lonely or troubled can make all the difference in the world—and it costs nothing. Kindness is the greatest gift of all.

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

Protest Over Israel-Hamas War Shuts Down Castro Street On Saturday, December 2, during a day of protests at multiple sites, a crowd of hundreds brought Castro Street traffic to a halt with a sitdown protest.

San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink captured images of protestors seated on the rainbow crosswalks at 18th and Castro. Demonstrators waved flags, carried signs, and used a bullhorn from a mid-street position. The crowd extended on Castro from 18th to the Castro Theatre.

One day prior, on December 1, the San Francisco Examiner published an account of the split within San Francisco’s LGBTQ community over the war in Gaza. Both the Examiner account and a subsequent article on December 2 in the San Francisco Chronicle noted the role of the organization Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism ( www.quitpalestine.org ) that promotes LGBTQ community solidarity with Palestinians.

The divisions of opinion among LGBTQ community members include those who support Israel’s right to defend its citizens and territory, such as Matan Zamir, who is the Deputy Consul General at the Israeli Consulate General to the Pacific North West. He told the San Francisco Bay Times that Hamas is “the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization, an organization whose goal is to abuse, burn, or behead anyone who does not mold to their extremist views.”

BETTY L. SULLIVAN/SCREENSHOT

PHOTO BY RINK

Members of the LGBTQ community within the organization Code Pink, in turn, recognize “Palestinians as the rightful owners and caretakers of Palestine, their indigenous homeland.

We support Palestinians’ right to resist the violent Israeli occupation of Palestine. We are committed to supporting Palestinian liberation from abroad, using the demands of Palestinians as our guideline for organizing, and we endorse the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.”

Drag queen Mama Ganuush, a queer activist and refugee of Palestinian descent who was mentioned in both the Examiner and Chronicle reports, discussed feeling anxiety and experiencing struggles to continue live performances amid a lack of support from the local LGBTQ community.

PHOTO BY RINK

Mama Ganuush was a keynote speaker for the Drag & Spirituality Summit 2023 held on October 14 at the Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco: https://tinyurl.com/mpb4n397

Embracing Pansexuality: A Personal Journey Toward Authenticity

PHOTO BY RINK

By Suzanne Ford In a world that is fighting to be more diverse and accepting, it’s crucial that we celebrate and acknowledge the multitude of identities within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. As we commemorate Pansexual Pride Day on December 8, it is an opportune moment to shed light on what it means to identify as pansexual and to share my own personal journey navigating this fluid landscape.

binaries, acknowledging that attraction is not confined to specific genders or gender expressions. It is about embracing the person for who they are, beyond societal norms and expectations.

Pansexuality, often misunderstood or overlooked, represents a broad and inclusive spectrum of attraction. Unlike some other sexual orientations, pansexuality transcends gender

As someone attracted to all genders, my experiences have taught me that love and attraction transcend the physical. A prime example of this revelation is my relationship with my wife.

As my body changed during my transition, our

For me, personally, identifying as a trans woman has been a profound journey toward self-discovery and authenticity. Living an authentic life has allowed me the freedom to explore and understand my own sexuality more deeply. It has been an evolution, a continuous process of self-reflection and acceptance.

intimacy changed, revealing a love and attraction that transcends physical appearances or societal expectations.

It has become clear to me that my attraction is rooted in the person, their essence, and the connection we share, rather than being confined to a specific gender or the physical form they inhabit. This realization has been a liberating and empowering experience, reinforcing the importance of seeing beyond societal constructs to appreciate the authentic self.

Pansexual Pride Day is not just about celebration; it’s a call to understanding and acceptance.

It’s an opportunity to recognize the validity and beauty of all expressions of love and attraction,

irrespective of societal norms.

As we commemorate this day, let us stand together in fostering a world where everyone feels seen, accepted, and celebrated for who they truly are.

In the spirit of Pansexual Pride Day, let us embrace diversity, champion inclusivity, and continue the journey toward a more accepting world where love knows no boundaries. Today and every day, let us celebrate the rich tapestry of human connection that goes beyond the limitations of gender and embraces the beauty of authentic love.

Suzanne Ford is the Executive Director of SF Pride.

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AGUILAS Staff Is Here to Help During the Holidays and Beyond Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

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

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

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

Nuestra Voz Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. The holiday season can generate a variety of feelings and emotions. At AGUILAS, we continue to provide individual counseling sessions and group interventions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese as part

Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

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

Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Kit Kennedy

Poet-In-Residence

J.H. Herren

Technology Director

Carla Ramos

SF Sketch Randy Coleman

Web Coordinator

Mario Ordonez Distribution

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

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

Coleman shares that before moving to the Bay Area, he studied Art History and Architecture at Boston University while working as a resident artist for architectural rendering at a Massachusetts historical society. “All of my life I’ve been an artist,” Coleman says. “To know me is to know that I have a passion for art and architecture. I love this project for the San Francisco Bay Times, and hope that you enjoy my sketches.” © Randy Coleman, 2023

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Sparks, Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Karina Patel, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Debra Reabock ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

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

CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2023 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

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to generate new types of activities and services to address multiple needs.

We are aware that people move to San Francisco for a wide range of reasons and that the holiday season may present feelings of loneliness and longing for connecting with others.

Many people travel during this time to be with family and friends in other parts of the country, such that those who remain may find themselves feeling more alone than usual.

La Academia de AGUILAS

Staying busy and engaged in various community social events can help mediate the holiday blues. At AGUILAS, we continue to search for funding opportunities to maintain our services for the community and

As mentioned in previous articles, La Academia de AGUILAS will resume in the new year. Many of our participants enjoyed the program’s initial set of workshops and desire to continue to build upon their leadership skills.

Look for the new schedule of training sessions and events at AGUILAS at our website ( www.sfaguilas.org ).

The VIIV Healthcare Foundation plans to provide continued funding for leadership development in our

community, given the successes of its current grantees throughout the nation. We hope to continue our leadership development institute that we call La

Academia.

AGUILAS 30th Anniversary

2024 will mark the 30th Anniversary of AGUILAS, as we have been providing services to the community since 1994. AGUILAS, however, was founded even earlier, in 1991, by the Latinx LGBTQI community with a dedication to creating a supportive, culturally sensitive environment for LGBTQI Latinxs.

AGUILAS strives to foster knowledge and pride in our respective languages, cultures, histories, and spiritual lives.

AGUILAS is committed to developing programs that promote the health and well-being of participants. We also promote community building to foster positive self-identities, healthy relationships, and leadership skills.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas

Calendar Editor

of our array of services. Located at the SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market Street on the fourth floor, our team welcomes those in need of support and especially during this time.

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On August 5, 1999, AGUILAS obtained its 501 c-3 status from the Internal Revenue Service, making our nonprofit status officially recognized by the federal government. AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQI organization in all of the Americas. We look forward to continuing the nonprofit’s vision and mission as we head into our third decade of service.

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University.

He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.

GLBT Fortnight in Review Raids in Moscow as High Court Outlaws GLBT Activities In an extraordinary move, on November 30, Russia’s highest court ruled that the “international LGBT social movement,” a generic designation for all people in the world who support GLBT rights, is an “extremist group.” The decision came after the nation’s justice ministry asked for a formal judgment, and signals an end to all public activism and media acknowledgement of the gay community in the country.

According to Human Rights Watch, anyone associated with an “extremist organization” in Russia could face jail time. Displaying a pride flag might get you a couple of weeks, while organizing or activism could land you behind bars for a decade or more. It would not be unthinkable for authorities to dig up someone’s old social media posts and use them as grounds for disciplinary action.

Indeed, as the Associated Press and others reported, on the night after the ruling, Moscow police raided several gay-friendly nightclubs, bars, and saunas, ostensibly looking for drugs and photographing people’s IDs without consent. A few clubs have decided to close rather than attempt to do business under these new circumstances.

I have dozens of articles and outraged quotes from various international human rights spokespeople, but I was particularly struck by a little item about the online movie database “Kinipoisk,” which immediately changed its rating on the animated film, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, to adults over 18. The new guidance, believed to be a direct result of the ruling, was provided with no explanation, but one of the little ponies, “Dash,” has a rainbow mane and tail.

Hey, even those of you readers without kids recognize that the “My Little Pony” franchise is aimed at pre-teen children, mostly girls, and features cartoon ponies along with their plastic replicas and paraphernalia. If you are over 18 and deliberately watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic without a small child by your side, you have your own problems in addition to the civil rights violations imposed by the state.

And while our jaws may drop at this latest Putin-esque holier-than-thou family posturing, we recognize now that parts of our country are not that far behind.

A little over 10 years ago, we were astonished by the “don’t say gay” bill in St. Petersburg, and subsequently by the version that spread throughout Russia. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen our own home-grown censorship move from Florida’s grade schools to the state’s entire public school system, and now to other red states. What else is coming our way?

Procrastination in Action I don’t want to write about depressing cases of gay and trans bashing, and I don’t want to think about the bizarre antisemitism coming from the left and I really, really don’t want to look at those “must-read” articles about how the prospect of a second Trump term is something we all must prepare for. I feel as if I have a 25 percent chance of having some terminal disease; I’m waiting for the test results, and everyone is insisting that I read lengthy detailed articles about the dismal prospects of people who get said disease. I’d rather not, thanks.

Plus, it’s Christmas; one of the rare moments when life seems to pause a bit and our colorful GLBT world settles in for a festive period of glitter and rainbows and champagne.

Instead of news, we can rehash our favorite holiday topics: Hallmark movies, or perhaps our annual critique of the people who make rubber car floor mats and try to convince the TV audience that their products are potential Christmas gifts. I know! Gold, frankincense, myrrh, WeatherTech seat covers. Toss in a roll of paper towels and a can of Windex and watch your wife’s face light up with delight.

Speaking of paper towels, may I add that those commercials for Bounty towels are irritating. I’m speaking of the ones where something spills, everyone screams in slow motion, and the sturdy towel arrives in time to prevent the spill from spreading.

But people! Just move the thing first and avoid the possible damage. In particular, when water is heading for your multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket, don’t look for the paper towels. Pick up the ticket and move it away from the water. Then, and only then, get the towels.

You may be wondering why I watch so much commercial TV. It’s mostly live sports, but I digress.

Potpourri Here’s a one-sentence/per item recap of my main news list to illustrate my professional dilemma: Virginia kids win $10,000 GLBT grant for a project but authorities reject the cash.

Not many people go to the Gay Games. NBA player Dwight Howard had sex with some guy, but he says it was consensual not abuse. A bunch of GLBT people won elections last month. I hate the use of the expression “melty cheese” in commercials; the word is “melted,” not “melty,” unless we’re all toddlers.

Deep breath.

In fact, I was just reading about a proposed Florida bill that would forbid the state from funding any contract or organization that recognizes sexual orientation or gender, a restriction so preposterous that I normally wouldn’t even cover it. Every year there are lots of crazy antiGLBT bills that go nowhere, and I have not seen the point in adding their details to the muddy waters of our legislative threats.

Raids in Moscow (because I forgot to delete this item after I wrote about it).

The head of the Florida Republican Party whose wife was a founding member of Moms for Liberty has been accused of raping a woman whom he and his wife both had sex with. I think we’ll be returning to that last one. Lawsuit filed against Iowa book ban. International cricket group bans trans women from competition. Gay fuzzy hackers attack government database. Bad things happening to gay people in Jordan.

The Washington Post reports on a new fetish that involves people who want to be dominated by MAGA masters and mistresses who humiliate them for being weak libtards (and vice versa).

This one “would effectively ban all LGBTQ nonprofits in the state,” said Harvard Law Professor Allejandra Caraballo on Threads; she called it “horrifying.” What’s horrifying is that I have to start covering these proposals as they slouch from the fringe towards the realm of the possible, perhaps to be born.

Where would I start? That Florida GOP story is a bit of a show stopper, so I think I’ll end with that, and the other ones are all so different. I like to put things in a larger context, but I’m not in the mood for sports, or law, or more negative news from foreign places. If I go with libtard S&M or gay fuzzies (who tweeted “meow

By Ann Rostow meow meow meow” after their last attack), I’m doing a disservice to the fine advocates fighting censorship in Iowa. And cricket is just a black hole to me. I have tried to understand that sport many times over a long time span and it’s still impenetrable and it feels, deliberately so, like a club that doesn’t want me to be included. Matches that last for days. Players staying at bat forever.

Everyone wearing those same tennis sweaters. Hundreds of runs for reasons unclear. Don’t get me started.

Have You Heard the One About I’ve also got other stories; we’ll call them floaters. The Spanish motorcycle racer who joked with an interviewer that whoever loses a motorcycle race is a faggot. Who cares? Who cares about Spanish motorcycle racing or motorcycle racing in general? What? You care?

Sorry, man.

Speaking of jokes, my son in law told a good one at a family wedding the other day. A moth walks into a podiatrist’s office.

“What can I do for you?” the podiatrist asks.

“Well doc,” the moth says, “I’ve been having a hell of a time lately. I go to the same job I’ve held for years and push around some meaningless paper and go home each evening.

My wife is bored with me and my son looks at me with such disdain in his eyes I can barely stand to see it. I eat some leftovers, I watch some reruns on TV, and I drink two or three big glasses of whiskey so I can get to sleep at night. I’m barely functioning and sometimes I lie in bed wondering if I could ever find the strength to take the 45 I keep loaded in my bedside table out of the drawer, go downstairs, and end it all ... .”

“Look, it sounds as if you might need a psychiatrist,” the podiatrist says.

“Why did you come to my office?”

“The light was on.”

On That Note So, let’s talk about Moms for Liberty.

This nasty little operation was founded in January 2021, by conservative Florida activists to protest COVID-19 restrictions, mask requirements, and school closures. It devolved into a really nasty type of antigay and anti-trans activism, premised on a benign-sounding commitment to “parental rights,” and energized by the rightward trend of DeSantis-style Florida politics. Moms for Liberty has since expanded into most of the other states, although the group, with its insane book banning and toxic rhetoric, has lost momentum in recent months. Last month, for example, Moms for Liberty lost 70 percent of their school board races.

I don’t know if you remember a story I wrote a few months back about my stepdaughter, who went to bat with her friends and colleagues against a Moms for Liberty effort to oust a transgender high school tennis coach near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to that, I thought these characters were mainly banning books in the Sunshine State, but no, they’re all over the place and they have been running amok.

Lately, a few of them posed for pictures with Proud Boys and had to be dropped from leadership positions for “lack of judgment and misalignment with our core values.” Earlier, someone “accidentally” quoted Hitler in one of their brochures. And when I checked out their background on the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation website, I found far too (continued on page 22) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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“Yes, there really is a Donna Sachet.”

—the San Francisco Bay Times, November 16, 2017 https://tinyurl.com/46h9nvz9

By Donna Sachet

W

e appreciate the many who noticed our absence in the last issue of this publication, our first missed column in years, due to a stubborn and debilitating flu, despite being fully vaccinated. We are sincerely grateful for your kind inquiries and wishes for a speedy recovery. And now ... we’re back!

Following up on four wildly successful Sunday’s a Drag shows at Club Fugazi in August, we returned on November 26 with a special holiday edition, co-starring Khmera Rouge, Dulce de Leche, and Ehra Amaya. As an added bonus, we are collecting contributions for the SF Firefighters’ Toy Drive. Club Fugazi and North Beach in general have been so welcoming and it is a joy to perform in such a historic and professional venue. We won’t leak any spoiler alerts here, but encourage you to get tickets now for our second and final holiday Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi on Sunday, December 17. Those who remember the magical Miracle on Powell Street at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room won’t be disappointed and first-timers will be swept up in a holiday drag extravaganza like no other.

The holiday season can truly begin when the Castro holiday tree lights up the neighborhood! On Monday, November 27, at the kind invitation of Castro Merchants President Terry Asten Bennett, we hosted the official lighting, as we have for so many years, surrounded by Castro residents, including lots of beaming children. A special thanks to 440 for the hot beverage in advance! With humor and an abiding optimism, we kicked off the ceremony and then introduced visiting elected officials, Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, and City Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, all in particularly jolly moods. The music from the Gay & Lesbian Freedom Band and the SF Gay Men’s Chorus had everyone singing along. And suddenly, as it happens every year, Santa Claus magically appeared, pushed his secret button, and lit the towering tree in the colors of the Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. Now, let’s support those merchants who gift this tree to the Castro every year!

Following the tree-lighting, many of us strolled up the street for the 45th annual George Moscone/ Harvey Milk Vigil in Harvey Milk Plaza, marking the dark day of their tragic assassinations.

This annual event has fallen off the schedule of many and attendance has waned, but hundreds gathered to listen to painful remembrances and inspiring words from Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club President Jeffrey Kwong, Cleve Jones, San Diego’s Nicole Murray-Ramirez, Scott Wiener, Carol Ruth Silver, Sister Roma, and a few others. The Freedom Band and SF Gay Men’s Chorus were both on hand, providing the perfect musical accompaniment. Two very different events, back-to-back, but each uniquely Castro and with their own significance.

One of our favorite annual events is Light in the Grove, when the AIDS Memorial Grove is magically lit up the evening before World AIDS Day and we remember the scores of people lost to this pandemic and redouble our efforts to stamp out this plague. On November 30, we were led through the grove’s illuminated trees, past the candlelit Circle of Friends and entrancing modern dancers among the foliage and into a huge clear tent glittering with colorful decor and packed with the largest crowd we’ve seen for this event. Ethereal harp music and passed hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and bars greeted elegantly dressed guests, including Leslie Ewing, Joanie Juster, Paul Aguilar, Troy Brunet, Michael Ruppert, Kevin Ortiz, Frank Woo, Mario Diaz, Vince Crisostomo, and Dan Bernal. A short program, led by AIDS Memorial Grove CEO John Cunningham, updated the crowd on various projects, especially an effort to spread the word and mission of the Grove to other places, most recently the Southeastern United States and soon Mexico. Within a few minutes, thousands of dollars were raised. A short video revealed the shocking story of Tennessee-based AIDS advocate and the inaugural Hope & Inspiration Award recipient Lashanda Salinas; her inspiring story of state-sanctioned injustice and eventual personal triumph will linger in our mind for a very long time. Also on hand was Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, who would speak the next day at a free World AIDS Day event in the Grove.

Last Friday was a rare opportunity to enjoy a couple of private parties with no responsibilities, but in the delightful company of Peter Goss & Sean Pattanasuvoranun. The first party was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of David Perry & Alfredo Casuso at the historic Elks’ Club downtown, attended by the likes of Mayor London Breed, Carlos Casuso, Alfredo’s brother and Rainbow Honor Walk artist, Jim Haas, John Newmeyer, Leslie Katz, and Billy Philadelphia & Meg Mackay, who offered a lovely musical tribute to the couple. The second event was a holiday kickoff party hosted by Orkut Büyükkökten & Pablo Fischer in a historic building previously used as a chapel and now serving as a beautiful event space. We loved reconnecting with Carolyne Zinko & Dan Dieguez and several other friends, not to mention the sexy shirtless Santa bartenders, servers, and wish-granters.

As the holiday season speeds into high gear, we hope you’ll find ways to look beyond your own world and give some money, some time, some energy towards worthy causes. San Francisco is full of reputable organizations working on a variety of ongoing concerns. Find what resonates with you and jump in. We all have something to give, but you have to make the effort.

Happiest of Holidays to you all!

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

PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

Thursday, December 7 14th Annual Drag Queens on Ice Emceed by Donna Sachet and Pride Radio’s Christie James Paju Munro, Baby Shaques, Tara Lipsyncki, Helixer, Dusty Porn, Kylie Minono, and more all on the ice Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 6:30 pm Free! www.unionsquareicerink.com Sunday, December 10 Camp 101: Getting Schooled in Art, Politics, Drag!

On the anniversary of José Sarria’s birthday Hosted by Emperor Bill Bulkley Emceed by Honey Mahogany Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street 4–7 pm Imperial Fundraiser www.imperialcouncilsf.org Monday, December 11 Community Menorah Lighting Jane Warner Plaza, Castro and Market Streets 6 pm Free!

Tuesday, December 12 Toast to the Season Bay Times & Golden Gate Business Association holiday party Celebrate with friends, hosted by Donna Sachet The Academy SF, 2166 Market Street 6–10 pm $25 www.academy-sf.com Friday, December 15 Kiki & Herb Holiday Show Hilarious camp performance Castro Theatre 8 pm $57 & up https://tinyurl.com/33v4hz77 Saturday, December 16 The Roast of Graylin Thornton Ray Tilton event, emceed by Race Bannon & Sister Roma SF Eagle Tavern, 398 12th Street 2–4 pm Free!

Saturday, December 16 Slay Ride!

Hosted by Grand Duchess Christina Ashton & Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro Ducal & Imperial performers galore!

Toad Hall, 4146 18th Street 3–7 pm Free!

Saturday, December 16 Naughty or Nice?

The Academy Annual Holiday Party Hosted by Donna Sachet, pianist Russell Deason, sexy elves The Academy SF, 2166 Market Street 7–11 pm $40 www.academy-sf.com Sunday, December 17 Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi Holiday show with Khmera Rouge, Mercedez Munro, Ehra Amaya, & Donna Sachet Produced by Patrick Rylee Miracle on Green Street 11 am $89 & up www.sundaysadrag.com

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These are not public servants or well-meaning citizen activists. They are hateful self-righteous knownothings wielding local power that they have amassed while the normal Moms were busy making dinner, taking the kids to soccer, and going to their jobs.

In that context, how interesting to discover that one of the three main founders of Moms for Liberty, Bridget Ziegler, has admitted in an affidavit that she had a three-way tryst with her husband and another woman over a year ago. Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, who is Chairman of the Florida Republican Party, is now accused of raping that same woman when he was alone with her at her house on October 2. The news was uncovered by The Florida Trident, an arm of the Florida Center for Government Accountability.

According to a December 5 report, a judge has found probable cause that Ziegler assaulted the woman, a first-degree felony with a sentence of up to 30 years.

18th Annual World Tree of Hope Lighting Celebration The World Tree of Hope Lighting Celebration for 2023 took place on the evening of December 4 at Grace Cathedral.

Presented by the Rainbow World Fund (RWF) and emceed

by Donna Sachet of the San Francisco Bay Times, the event also featured the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Boys Chorus, The Very Rev. Malcolm Young, the Queer Chorus of San Francisco, State Senator Scott Wiener, Manny Yekutiel of Manny’s, soprano Lerberta Lorál, pianist Tammy Lynne Hall, Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro and Emperor Michael Chua, origami artist Linda Mihara, RWF Founder Jeff Cotter, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who blessed the tree.

Cotter explained that the “RWF World Tree of Hope is a holiday tree decorated with thousands of origami cranes, each containing written notes of hope & peace from children and individuals from around the world. Created annually as a symbol of global unity and world peace, the tree is a gift from members of the San Francisco LGBTQ+ and Japanese American

According to the information on the Trident website, Ziegler had known this woman for 20 years. On October 2, he texted that he wanted to come over for another three-way and the woman reluctantly agreed.

Later, Ziegler said it would just be him coming over, and the woman said she’s rather skip it and was more into Bridget than Christian. Christian arrived by himself anyway, came in, and raped the woman on a piece of furniture taking a video while he did so. It’s not clear if that video still exists, but the whole thing is pretty horrific.

Bridget Ziegler herself stepped down from her position at Moms for Liberty in late 2021 but stayed on the advisory board. She now runs a project that (God help us) recruits and trains conservative candidates for school board positions.

He added, “Wishes from world leaders to school children, from San Francisco to Sri Lanka, make the RWF World Tree of Hope a powerful expression of people coming together to create a better world.”

Be a part of this unique symbol of global unity! Send RWF your wish, and it will be turned into an origami crane for placement on The World Tree of Hope: http://www.worldtreeofhope.org To see a minute-long timelapse of one of the past year’s trees being decorated, go to: https://tinyurl.com/2p9xvmt3

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA SACHET

arostow@aol.com

communities to the world—given to inspire hope, love and humanitarian action.”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL G. PAPPAS

many incidents to list here. Basically, each new little cell is a law under itself, and the top people are obliged to mop up some fascistic incident on aisle three every week or so.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL G. PAPPAS

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Your True Name Photos courtesy of Tim Seelig

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation Dr. Tim Seelig Throughout this year, I have recommended some amazing books that specifically speak to our community: Best Little Boy in the World, Old Turtle, and Everything Possible. Here is another brand-new must-have. On Monday, December 11, a new book will be released: Your True Name: Poems, Songs, and Stories to Find Your Way to You. It is penned by someone you may know, the Bay Area’s own Bobby Jo Valentine. If you don’t know about Bobby Jo, here is a little background.

In 2018, I wrote an article about a singer/songwriter named Bobby Jo Valentine. I met him in October of that year walking down the aisle of St. Ignatius Church just prior to the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’ (SFGMC) 40th Anniversary concert. There would be another aisle some years later. He had just released a beautiful music video, “Dear December.” It was, and is, a poignant letter to the month that carries a wide range of emotions for all of us.

In early 2019, he performed a benefit concert with the SFGMC ensembles for the Paradise fire fund.

Bobby Jo had lost his own home in the Napa fires of 2017. He turned his grief into action and raised over $50,000 for fire victims. He also joined SFGMC in a concert in Los Altos in support of the LGBTQ+ members of the United Methodist Church.

When he was 2 days old, Bobby Jo was adopted into a very strict Independent Baptist family in Rohnert Park. This was not unlike my own early life, but his sect made my Southern Baptists look like flaming liberals. After attending Baptist K–12 and Baptist college in Lancaster, California, he began a life as a music minister in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was engaged to a lovely young woman with plans to become missionaries in Uganda.

He just couldn’t do it.

He came out and decided against a reparative therapy camp his parents suggested. Everything fell apart.

So, he began to piece himself back together as many of us have done.

Bobby Jo Valentine

This would not be the last time he needed to do that. He delivered pizzas and did magic shows to pay the bills and began to write songs.

He moved back to California where he met his first partner and his life changed completely and for the better.

It was at that time in 2008 he began to pursue his dream of singing and songwriting full-time. And it worked. Now, 14 years later and six CDs later, he continues fulfilling that dream. The pandemic was tough on all performers, but he has come roaring back with more than 80 concerts booked this year from coast to coast.

From childhood, Bobby loved words. The books he was allowed to read in his school were very limited. His childhood librarian provided him with the tools he needed to ignite an even greater desire to read and learn more. He escaped into words and then music for his own well-being and healing. His gift is evident in his lyrics. His music is filled with deep, thoughtful, often challenging lyrics. Along the way, his fans encouraged him to publish his lyrics in something other than a CD insert!

Soon, he also began writing poetry that he didn’t set to music. At his concerts, he shares stories of his life, from coming out to losing everything in the fires, and his mental health challenges. His songs and poetry show the depth and vulnerability of a person who has struggled and survived. When you read his words, you will be deeply moved.

Another dream is finally coming true. Bobby Jo’s first book will be released on December 11. It is available at his website ( www.bobbyjovalentine.com ) and will be available on Amazon sometime around mid-January.

The book takes its title from one of Bobby Jo’s most poignant songs about our shared experience.

“Be careful the doors that you open

With the words that you speak Or the people who will hold them Cause long ago, someone told me I was broken, and it stuck People can call you by so many things But I know my true name ... .”

His 2023–2024 tours are themed, along with his new book, Your True Name. We are all challenged throughout our lives by name-calling and the search for our authentic selves and names. He was not only fortunate enough to perform “Strong Enough” with SFGMC, but also with Dallas’ gay men’s chorus, the Turtle Creek Chorale. It has been performed around the country including by Transpose PDX, Portland’s transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming chorus. His “Dear December” has been performed by the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. Writing and publishing a book is a huge deal. It takes a team. The book includes doodles by Bobby Jo’s longtime friend Thomas Kinsfather.

The design and layout were done

by San Francisco graphic designer Alejandro Magyroff.

Don’t take my word for it. I’m biased. Here are some other folks’ thoughts about the book.

“Hearing Bobby Jo Valentine’s voice is like finding a coat at the far edge of the closet and knowing immediately that this one was made for today’s weather. He knows you, because he knows himself. Bobby has listened to life deeply, and out of that listening, a better humanity has revealed itself to him. Slip these poems on like that coat, and then go out into real life—where even if it’s cold, or dark, or rainy, there’s also warmth, and light, and shelter.”

—Kathi McShane, Co-Founder of The Changemaker Initiative “Some people leave their broken pieces scattered on the floor.

Bobby Jo Valentine has picked his up, found new and creative ways to piece them together, and then held them up to the light. This poetic stained-glass window into his soul is a sacred piece of literary art for the rest of us. Don’t just read it. Sit with it. Gaze at it. Enjoy the beauty.”

—Dr. Jim Dant, Co-Pastor of the 19th Avenue Baptist Church, San Francisco, and Best-Selling Author “Bobby Jo Valentine is an artist in every sense of the word. This latest addition is a living testimony to his art, his passion, his commitment to live life within the call of God. Do yourself a favor, sit back, relax, and bathe in the words of grace and healing, light and love.”

—Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas, Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Hope, Dallas Finally, back to the reference in the second paragraph about “walking down the aisle.” Well, we did

Tim Seelig and Bobby Jo Valentine celebrated their wedding on October 15, near Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

just that—sort of.

In October of this year, Bobby Jo and I got married! We didn’t walk down the aisle because we eloped to the stunning Oregon coast at Cannon Beach. The proverbial aisle was made of sand and was the culmination of a 5-year path to that “altar.”

Our backdrop was not a church or a hotel ballroom, but the magnificent Haystack Rock. We are both loving settling into our Portland home. We live close to the airport so Bobby Jo can easily get in and out

as he travels the country. Stay tuned for a concert in the Bay Area in the spring.

Life is good on “our” river. I’m a lucky man.

I know you will love the new book.

Dr. Tim Seelig is the Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. http://www.timseelig.com/

“Some people leave their broken pieces scattered on the floor. Bobby Jo Valentine has picked his up, found new and creative ways to piece them together, and then held them up to the light. This poetic stained glass window into his soul is a sacred piece of literary art for the rest of us. Don’t just read it. Sit with it. Gaze at it. Enjoy the beauty.”

–Dr. Jim Dant, Co-Pastor of the 19th Avenue Baptist Church, San Francisco

“Singer/Songwriter Bobby Jo Valentine is a modern day troubadour. He has toured fulltime for 14 years releasing six CD recordings. Known for his thoughtful lyrics, he has included poetry and life stories to create Your True Name: Poems, Songs and Stories to Find Your Way to You.” –Dr. Tim Seelig, Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

Purchase at https://bobbyjovalentine.com/ Available on Amazon in January S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES DEC EM BER 7, 2023

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2023)

RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Lady Camden Hosts LGBTQ+ Night for Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet After a successful career dancing with (and choreographing for) Smuin, Wheeler began performing as Lady Camden around San Francisco at mainstays such as Hamburger Mary’s, Oasis, and Beaux.

She rose to worldwide acclaim following her appearance on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, before embarking on a worldwide tour as a fea-

PHOTO BY CHRIS HARDY

A fan favorite and first runner-up on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lady Camden is the drag alter ego of former Smuin artist Rex Wheeler—a dancer, actor, and choreographer who previously performed with and choreographed for Smuin.

The festive alternative to The Nutcracker was created more than 25 years ago by company founder Michael Smuin, who declared he was going to set dances to all different types of holiday songs, from popular melodies to multi-denominational songs. Each year, fans of

adapted and expanded to encompass a wide variety of modern dance. He declared: “It looked like such fun. I want to dance like that!”

with welcoming housing, resources, highimpact direct services, and innovative community programs; and the LGBT Asylum Project, the only San Francisco nonprofit organization dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for asylum seekers fleeing persecution due to their PHOTO BY CHRIS HARDY

Can you hear the “slay” bells ringing? Smuin Contemporary Ballet is kicking off the holidays in San Francisco with The Christmas Ballet, December 14–24 at the Blue Shield of California Theater. Smuin’s annual holiday program gets a twist with special guest Lady Camden for its annual LGBTQ+ Night performance on Tuesday, December 19.

This one-night-only performance celebrating the queer community near and far features everything from ballet to tap, jazz, and swing. Just what you need this holi-gay season!

Hailing from across the pond, Wheeler attended the Royal Ballet School and devoted his early career to mastering classical repertoire. After seeing Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet, he saw that classical ballet could be

The Christmas Ballet can look forward to pieces such as the slinky “Santa Baby” trailing the world’s longest feather boa, or a tropical oasis in “Christmas Island.”

Lady Camden’s sizzling “Santa Baby” performance will headline the LGBTQ+ Night performance of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, December 19, at the Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (700 Howard St, San Francisco).

The full run of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet is December 14–24. Tickets for LGBTQ+ Night and the Afterparty are available by calling 415-912-1899 or at https://tinyurl.com/mr3vr4hb

The lineup changes year to year, with new numbers unveiled every season (this year unwraps two world premieres by Smuin Associate Artistic Director Amy Seiwert and former company dancer Nicole Haskins). For the LGBTQ+ Night performance of Smuin’s irrepressible holiday show, the company has created special programming and casting that celebrate the vibrant LGBTQ+ community. Plus, Lady Camden will step into the red-hot heels of the iconic “Santa Baby” role, which was originated by Smuin Artistic Director Celia Fushille and has since been passed on to other dancers.

tured performer on RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World.

Now, San Francisco’s very own British Queen is home for the holidays! Offering an irresistible combo of British sauce and American pie—plus tons of talent to boot— Lady Camden will host and “werk” the stage in this extra-special edition of The Christmas Ballet.

The festivities won’t end when the curtain goes down. Follow the procession of revelers to the YBCA Grand Lobby across the plaza for an official Afterparty, hosted by the Imperial Council of San Francisco and Lady Camden herself. With a bar donated by Casa San Matias Tequila, attendees will enjoy specialty cocktails, drag performances, photobooths, and dancing—including a featured line dance led by Sundance Saloon, an LGBTQ line dancing venue in Bayview. This is one holiday party you won’t want to miss.

Each ticket purchased for LGBTQ+ Night will provide a donation to partner organizations that are doing work in and for the queer community. “I think it’s important for us to support local organizations each year, to raise funds and spread awareness about the incredible work they do,” says Fushille.

PHOTO BY CHRIS HARDY

PHOTO BY CHRIS HARDY

sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV status.

This year, the company is proud to join forces once again with Project Open Hand, which brings meals to those in need, and the Imperial Council of San Francisco. Also receiving funds are Openhouse SF, which provides LGBTQ+ seniors S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2023)

Image Versus Reality: Showbiz Style

Off the Wahl Jan Wahl

When it comes to LBGTQ in Hollywood, William J. Mann is a rock star. It all began for me with Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood 1910–1969. Unlike another favorite of so many of us, The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo, Mann’s book takes a deep dive into

Jan. Mann carefully constructs and deconstructs the truth from the careful images. He paints a vivid portrait of the true backgrounds, alcoholism, battles, affairs. There’s a sympathetic, yet clear-eyed look at Bacall’s conflict about her Jewish identity and her bitter, grouchy years after Bogie’s death. Bogart’s wealthy upbringing was at odds with his acting out as a mean drunk and actual tough guy. I recently asked Mann why he chose these two stars as his subjects.

“I’m fascinated by the tension between public and private lives,” Mann told me for the San Francisco Bay Times. “When you become as famous as my subjects, there is a compromise constantly asking you, ‘How does the world want to see me? Is it worth hiding the truth?’”

“Some will keep the lying image going to the day they die and some are not willing to put up a false front,” he continued. “From Bogie’s business partner, I discovered unseen material; Bacall’s letters and other personal papers were part of the research.

Bogart was fortunate to

the actual, usually wild, personalities rather than cinematic images.

Mann’s latest is a book I wouldn’t have picked up if it was not written by him. It is Bogie and Bacall: The Surprising True Story of Hollywood’s Greatest Love Affair. I am such an avid reader of all things Hollywood that I thought I knew it all about these two icons. Wrong,

William J. Mann

be born wealthy, though he clawed his way up the Hollywood system from bit parts to leading man.”

I am a fan of Bogart’s work; he was so good at infusing even the most violent or complicated characters with humanity. When he would get drunk, which he did from an early time, he could become vicious.

One of his wives was actress Mayo Methot. They were known as The Battling Bogarts for their nightclub brawls. She has gone down in Hollywood history as the instigator, but Mann sets the record straight.

Mann said, “Bacall was raised Jewish and the reason it’s important is that she felt forced to deny it in order to create a career. Bogie

Jan Wahl with Nick Roby and Cindy Roby at the 2023 Dickens Fair 28

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Then I read Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood, the winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Fact Crime in 2015. This work actually solved an infamous crime, the death of closeted William Desmond Taylor, an early renowned movie director. Soon I was devouring every book by Mann, from Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn to Wisecracker: The Life and Times of Billy Haines, Hollywood’s First Openly Gay Star.

could care less, but antisemites were all over Hollywood at this time and talked freely about the Jewish moguls running the studios as well as the need to keep Jews out of the business. Howard Hawks, Bacall’s mentor, was one of these people and she felt shamed and allowed lies to flourish.”

“Though Bacall was gifted at playing the sexy and mysterious, she was also ashamed of her limited acting range since she compared herself to the genius of an actor she was married to,” he added. “Later on, living in the famed Dakota in Manhattan, she was bitter for losing her place among the Tinseltown elite (including a fiasco with Frank Sinatra). Known to many as cold and angry, even sometimes to her own children, she missed out on many years of happiness or at least satisfaction.”

Allow me to return to Mann’s great read Wisecracker, about silent mega star Billy Haines. His story is remarkable, not only for his absolute devotion to being out of the closet but also for his extremely successful second act as an interior designer. Haines had his career cut short in a most cold and calculated way because he refused to hide his homosexuality and his longtime lover.

This took tremendous courage in the early 1930s, especially since he was a beloved leading man and a popular box office draw. He would not use a beard to go to premieres or in any way falsify his life.

Thankfully, he had a hobby that led to an amazing second career.

He loved designing furniture and redoing his girlfriends’ (Carole Lombard, Joan Crawford, etc.) homes to great acclaim.

I asked Mann why a movie has not yet been made about Wisecracker, sharing the story of this courageous man. He said that it has been optioned since he wrote it, but no luck yet. What an amazing movie this life would make! Thank you, William J. Mann, for shining a light on so many fascinating lives and for giving readers the joy of truth.

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com

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Eileen Is an Intriguing, Yet Flawed, Character Study

Film Gary M. Kramer The lukewarm slow burn thriller Eileen, opening December 8, is set in 1960s Massachusetts, where the 24-year-old title character (Thomasin McKenzie) lives with her dad (Shea Whigham), an alcoholic retired cop. Eileen works in a prison for boys, and her life is pretty unexciting. She spends her time driving to the beach, having sexual fantasies, and binging on candy. The clouds of smoke her car belches through its vents are an apt metaphor for her gray, hazy life.

of dream sequences into the film to keep viewers off kilter and express what Eileen is thinking. These episodes, however, are cheap and gimmicky. It is pretty clear how much Eileen dislikes her father’s treatment of her— he consistently makes her feel bad — that her imagining shooting him in the head is, well, overkill.

Prior to Rebecca’s arrival, Eileen was fascinated by Lee Polk (Sam Nivola), a boy who was imprisoned for murdering his father. Rebecca develops an interest in Lee’s case as well, inviting the boy’s mother (Marin Ireland) to a meeting with her son that goes badly. But Eileen and Rebecca’s interest in Lee’s crime guides the film’s third act, which takes a turn that viewers likely won’t see coming—unless they have read Ottessa Moshfegh’s source novel. (Moshfegh and her husband Luke Goebel adapted her book for the screenplay.)

McKenzie plays Eileen with the right mix of innocence, wonder, and

A sequence of the two women at a local bar, having a cocktail and then dancing together, is pure romance for Eileen. The ways Rebecca handles a guy who tries to cut in on them are impressive. A kiss Rebecca gives Eileen at the end of the evening only prompts the young woman to go back in the bar and finish off the cigarette butt Rebecca left in the ashtray.

desire. She can be assertive at work, or with her father, but she can also be naïve, especially as Rebecca draws her in by complimenting her and boosting her confidence. Eileen’s behavior is also odd, as when she pulls faces in Rebecca’s bathroom mirror out of anxiety. Her infatuation with Rebecca could be attributed to the fact that someone paid attention to her than any latent same-sex desire.

Eileen is mysterious, but her character does not engender much emotion, which is necessary for the film to succeed; at times Eileen feels as lifeless as her character.

Oldroyd’s deliberate approach holds interest intermittently up to the twist that puts Eileen in a moral quandary.

Eileen’s love for Rebecca motivates her to participate in what is, in fact, a crime, and the film will polarize viewers with its last act because it is difficult to care about the characters given their rash decisions. Eileen certainly plants several seeds to indicate that its title character may not be the “good girl” everyone thinks she is. But as the story plays out, what unfolds becomes hard to swallow.

That said, the film is impeccably well lensed, with an appropriately burnished color palette. A lengthy scene of Eileen staring out the window is so

Eileen, directed by William Oldroyd, makes Rebecca an enigmatic beauty, and surely she is up to something.

And Rebecca does find Eileen, whom she describes as “plain but fascinating,” as having a “beautiful turbulence.” The film builds up the connection between these women with Eileen sneaking into Rebecca’s office at work and having fantasies about her comely new colleague.

But Eileen has other fantasies, including sexual ones about a guard (Owen Teague), but also violent ones that involve the use of a gun. Oldroyd sprinkles a handful 30

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In contrast, Hathaway is convincing in the femme fatale role, and she knows exactly how to play up Rebecca’s seductiveness. The film provides some real pleasure when she shows off a nifty trick that she learned for opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Rebecca also drips with innuendo when she tells

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEON

PHOTO BY JEONG PARK COURTESY OF NEON

PHOTO BY JEONG PARK COURTESY OF NEON

However, things change, dramatically, when Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), the new prison psychologist, arrives in a red convertible. Fabulously dressed, and sporting dazzling blonde hair, Rebecca has an attitude like spiked heels; she attracts attention but doesn’t care what people think. Moreover, she sees Eileen, whom she says “has gumption,” as a kindred spirit. Their initial meetings percolate with some mild sexual tension, and things really begin to simmer when Rebecca asks Eileen out for a drink one night.

Eileen, “People are so ashamed of their desires,” or, “I live a little different than most people. I have my own ideas ... . Maybe we share some of those.” It is a tease, and Hathaway makes these lines alluring before she reveals what she is actually up to.

beautiful (and heartbreaking) that it resembles an Edward Hopper painting. In contrast, the film’s soundtrack also feels very on the nose, especially when a song, heard early in the film, features the lyric, “How bad I am.”

Eileen is a not uninteresting character study, and there are some compelling scenes. But ultimately it fails to stick the landing. This story may have worked better on the page. © 2023 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.” He teaches Short Attention Span Cinema at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and is the moderator for Cinema Salon, a weekly film discussion group. Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

The 2023 Dance-Along Nutcraker Takes a Spooky Turn! By Doug Litwin

Photos courtesy of Doug Litwin/SFLGFB

It was nearly a year ago in January 2023 when the creative team at the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) sat down to develop a concept for the 2023 Dance-Along Nutcracker®. Even though the 2022 show had been presented less than a month earlier, it was time to once again develop a unique theme for this San Francisco holiday favorite. It would be so much easier for the Official Band of San Francisco to present the same Nutcracker show every year—just like most performing groups do—but not for these intrepid volunteers. Sure, the music from Tchaikovsky’s beloved The Nutcracker ballet is featured in the show every year, but each show is wrapped in a completely different creative theme, and 2023 is no exception. San Francisco’s audiences like to be kept on their toes (literally) and expect nothing less!

It’s a Real ‘Nutmare’ In this year’s show, The Nutmare Before Christmas, Clara & Fritz sneak away from the December familiarity of Christmas Town to investigate the strange world of Halloween Town, encouraged by a visit from their uncle. There, they meet some spooky denizens and learn some important life lessons along the way!

As always, the result is a fun-filled original musical production brimming with wit, artistry, and ingenuity.

When the “Dance Along!” sign flashes, the audience is invited to get out of their seats and sashay around the theater. Even audience members who don’t want to dance have a blast!

Brandon Moss, the President of the Band and Chair of the Creative Development committee behind this year’s show, had this to say regarding the importance of the Dance-Along Nutcracker: “This show encompasses the heart of the SFLGFB. It introduces young audiences to the joy and community of live music, tells a story that embodies queer identity, and brings together both straight and queer families, as well as folks from across our whole community. There’s a real sense of togetherness at the performances, and it’s always a joy to watch the faces of first-time band members and audiences as they take in the spectacle!”

Dancing Along Since 1985 Although the Dance-Along Nutcracker has been around since 1985, many first-timers discover it every year. Even those who’ve attended the show many times come back since no two shows are the same. In past years, the show has mashed up the traditional Nutcracker story with such themes as superheroes, pirates, summer of love, outer space, cowboys, Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz, fairytales, Frosty the Snowman (in Hawaii, no less), The Polar Express, I Love Lucy, and more.

For more than ten years, the creative mind behind many of those wacky themes was band member and former San Francisco Bay Times columnist Heidi Beeler. More recently, Heidi has passed the Sugar Plum Fairy Wand onto a team of other Band members, showcasing the deep talent that exists within this group.

Fun For Young & Young at Heart When the Dance-Along Nutcracker first started in 1985, it was a way for the adult LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco to let their hair down, release their inner child, and enjoy The Nutcracker as never before by joining in the dancing. For a community being ravaged by AIDS, this show was the perfect antidote in a very dark time in San Francisco.

By the mid-1990s, an unexpected thing happened: more and more children were appearing in the audience, led by parents of all persuasions and gender identities. Noting the evolution of the DanceAlong Nutcracker audience, the Band pivoted to offering more daytime shows and crafting the storylines and the jokes to appeal to all audiences. Nowadays, the audiences are an exciting mix of children dragging their parents onto the floor and adult couples and singles twirling under the mirror ball. After all, where else can anyone enjoy The Nutcracker and be a part of the show instead of having to sit passively and watch for two hours?

Great Artistic Minds Behind the Show Once the Band’s all-volunteer creative team chose The Nutmare Before Christmas as the 2023 theme, Artistic Director Pete Nowlen and Cast Director Allen Sawyer took over. Nowlen said, “This is my 10th year directing the show and I’m excited to take the show somewhere it hasn’t been before. After all the shows we’ve done since 1985, it’s not easy coming up with a new adventure for the Nutcracker family of Clara, Fritz, and the others, but we’ve really done that this year ... by merging two holidays into one. We will mash together the fun, spooky spirit of Halloween—a holiday taken very seriously in San Francisco—with the pure family joy of the winter holidays. Audiences are sure to love it!”

Allen Sawyer, who also works at the San Francisco Opera House, observed, “I’ve seen kids grow out of the traditional Nutcracker. Because we’re always changing our theme and adding new music, audiences keep coming back year after year to see what’s new. Folks who were brought to the Dance-Along Nutcracker when they were children are now bringing their own kids!”

26 Years of Support From the San Francisco Bay Times The 2023 Dance-Along Nutcracker also celebrates the 26-year relationship between the San Francisco Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band and the San Francisco Bay Times & “Betty’s List.” Since 1997, Betty Sullivan, Jennifer Viegas, and their associates have been stalwart supporters of this annual show, providing extremely valuable media and promotional support. Needless to say, the Band cherishes this long-term relationship. Betty had this to say about her love of this show: “I was new to the Bay Area and a dear friend invited me the first time I attended the Dance-Along Nutcracker. I saw José Sarria, the Grand Mere, perform, and since then, I’ve enjoyed so many remarkable moments at this crazy show that is so beloved and family-friendly. Why, after a cocktail, I’ve even danced there myself!” Thank you so much, Betty and Jen, for the kind words and all the support!

Don’t Miss the Show. Get Tickets Now! Be there at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on December 16 or 17 for the 2023 DanceAlong Nutcracker. It will be a spooky good time!

To get into the spirit of the show, audiences are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes before putting them away until next October. They’ll fit right in!

The Nutmare Before Christmas Saturday, December 16, 3 pm and 7 pm Sunday, December 17, 11 am and 3 pm Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - Forum 701 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Tickets start at $27 for children/students & seniors and $45 for adults. Individual sponsor packages are also available.

Information & tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ycxzvn8d Doug Litwin is a long-time volunteer musician and Board member in the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and has the distinction of performing in every “Dance-Along Nutcracker” since the show premiered in 1985.

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Community Treasures from the GLBT Historical Society Archives

Special thanks to Andrew Shaffer

Photos from the Collection of Lesbian Scrapbook Photographs; Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society, San Francisco CA.

A Mystery and an Invitation All year long, we have been sharing selections from our archives—from the drag performers who graced the stage a century ago to the dreamers who dared to imagine a utopian community in the Nevada desert, and many more.

For the final installment of our Community Treasures series, we are sharing a mystery—and an invitation.

The photos seen here are from a scrapbook of “anonymous lesbian photographs.” The collection spans the mid-1940s to the early 1960s, and includes pictures of individuals, pairs, and small groups at social gatherings. Some photos are in the snow, others are from the beach;

some capture time in the military, and many are just snapshots of everyday life.

That’s about all we officially know; the rest is a mystery. The scrapbook was spotted in a Berkeley junk shop decades ago, and lovingly preserved because the right person happened to stumble upon it and knew to send it to us.

Countless people have contributed artifacts to us over the years, and our archives now hold one of the largest collections of LGBTQ historic materials ever assembled in human history.

scrapbook—come without any context. We faithfully preserve them regardless, because we know that our stories will be forgotten unless we ourselves remember them.

So, as we wrap up this series, we want to invite you to help us keep remembering.

To talk to our archivists about contributing your material to our growing archive, visit www.glbthistory.org/archives

To make a tax-deductible donation to help us preserve and share our vast queer past, visit www.glbthistory.org/donate

While many collections come directly from the person who created them, some—like this

Or email kelsi@glbthistory.org To book your visit to our museum or archives, visit www.glbthistory.org

Or call us at 415-777-5455 x007.

Lit Snax

Songs on Endless Repeat: Essays and Outtakes

by Anthony Veasna So

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

This is a perspicacious and charming collection of this ‘n’ that from everyone’s favorite died-too-soon queer Cambodian-American literary superstar.

300,000 Kisses by Seán Hewitt & Luke Edward Hall

Hilarious and zany, Death Valley This collection is a novel about of queer love serious stuff— stories from dying parents, the classical compassion vs. world arrives empathy, your will with both sucto live—without cinct explantaking itself too atory introductions and gorgeous seriously. color illustrations. https://www.fabulosabooks.com/

Top of your stack

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE

Class (nonfiction/memoir hardbound) by Stephanie Land From the writer who brought us Maid comes a story about a housecleaner and also a story about a woman with a dream. Stephanie Land’s saga continues with the new memoir, Class. In Class, Land takes us with her as she finishes college and pursues her writing career. She faces barriers at every turn, including the U.S. loan system and navigating the judgments of professors and fellow students who didn’t understand the demands of attending college while under the poverty line. Class paints an intimate and heartbreaking portrait of motherhood as it converges and often conflicts with personal desire and professional ambition.

Day (fiction - hardbound) by Michael Cunningham As the world changes around them, a family weathers the storms of growing up, growing older, falling in and out of love, losing the things that are most precious, and learning to go on. The story was crafted by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours.

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Covered over three pivotal years, before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown, Day is a searing, exquisitely written meditation on love and loss and the struggles and limitations of family life—how to live together and apart.

Young Queer America (nonfiction- hardbound) by Maxwell Poth Here is a great coffee table gift book for the holidays! Get to know real queer kids from all over the country. These inspiring stories of LGBTQ+ youth, written in their own words, provide crucial snapshots of what it’s really like to grow up trans or queer in America. Photographer and activist Maxwell Poth has traveled the United States, inviting LGBTQ+ youth to share their stories as part of Project Contrast, a nonprofit that amplifies these voices and connects kids and families with the resources they need to survive and thrive. (continued on page 44)

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Jewelle Gomez

This Is What an Old Lesbian Looks Like

Jewelle Gomez The title of this piece is emblazoned on t-shirts of the members of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC). When I wear it, the shirt gets many stares and doubletakes as if “old lesbian” is an oxymoron that barely computes. I’ve been out since the 1970s so I believe that qualifies me as an “old lesbian,” one of those birds rarely sighted in the wild or in captivity. This year, two events changed that.

To grasp that, we at first need to go back in time, to 1975. That year, athlete Diana Nyad broke the record for swimming around Manhattan Island (7 hours, 57 minutes). I’d recently moved from Boston to New York City, and I watched the news waiting to hear the outcome, not especially interested in records but anxious for the word that she’d survived. Maybe there used to be a secret lesbian gaydar, so somehow, I “knew” Nyad was a lesbian. I felt she carried the banner for all of us even though I was about as athletic as the quilt on my bed.

pushy currents, and storms. The triumph of Nyad staggering onto the Florida beach in 2013 after 53 hours in the water is joyous.

Still, some “officials” have tried to disavow her accomplishment with retroactively enacted rules. Nyad, the athlete and author, remains a revered figure in sports and is one of the most determined and courageous old lesbians ever. The film Nyad is a glorious testimonial to the excruciating and

exhilarating regimen she embraced to reach her goals.

Another old lesbian celebration was held recently in Berkeley when photographer Irene Young launched her new book, Something About the Women.

It is a collection of pictures of musicians, artists, and activists Young has taken over the past fifty years. She created the photos for more than 600 CD covers and has taken professional photos of such artists as Judy Collins, Kate Clinton, and Laura Nyro.

The musical celebration launching Young’s book (reveal: it includes a photo of me and my spouse) was a cornucopia of old lesbians who came to burn the house down—figuratively speaking! Most of the white-haired audience had come of age listening to the more than thirty performers for over forty years. Many of the musicians are now legends, yet the event felt like a private concert for old friends.

FACEBOOK/DIANANYAD

Leave Signs

Fast forward to 2023 and the film Nyad has already made a splash— not only because Jodie Foster finally plays a lesbian (as Nyad’s former lover and trainer), but also because Annette Bening brilliantly embodies the spiky, determined swimmer I remember from the news clips. At aged 64, for example, Nyad swam the 110 miles between Cuba and Florida. The film recreates her four grueling attempts that were halted by stings from jellyfish and man-of-war,

Diana Nyad

From Rhiannon to Mary Watkins to Holly Near, each woman brought that long distance energy that I associate with

lesbian success. We have to take the long view and embrace endurance to avoid despair. It was inspiring to again rock to the singing of the Washington Sisters (twins Sharon and Sandra) as if it was still the 1980s, their voices just as strong and determined as ever. And yes, there was some dancing in the side aisles and a lot of singing along.

Linda Tillery (75), leading her band from a wheelchair, was fiercer than any teen star I’ve ever heard. Her singing has a powerful blues thread that enlivens all of her music along with a sly sense of humor that’s only deepened over the past decades.

And the sweetest moment for me was Ferron singing the songs that saved the lives of many a lesbian who thought she was alone with her broken heart. Her poetic lyrics wrapped around us again, reminding us we’d survived. Seeing Ferron (71) strumming the guitar, her new glasses slipping down her nose, was like a call to arms.

The coda that Holly Near (74) delivered was a reminder that the music, the artists, and the activism should not be seen as nostalgia. The spirit these old lesbians—musicians and audience—brought into the room is something we still need today.

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

Something About the Women Book Premiere Celebration

Young Artist Showcase Presented by the Community Women’s Orchestra

Legendary photographer Irene Young’s new book entitled Something About the Women was celebrated on Sunday, November 19, at two standing room only concerts at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage.

San Francisco Bay Times contributing photographer Sandy Morris attended the annual Young Artist Showcase family concert of the Women’s Community Orchestra (CWO) on Sunday, November 2023, at the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland.

Photos by Sandy Morris

Photos by Sandy Morris

For more than five decades, Young has photographed artists from the “Women’s Music” genre, historic for its style and content of music by, for, and about women who love women.

Described by singer/songwriter Holly Near, the genre is “98 percent lesbian-feminist music.”

Performing at the concert, in addition to Near, were The Washington Sisters (Sandra and Sharon), Alive!, Emma’s Revolution, Rhiannon, Carolyn Brandy, Christelle Durandy, Jennifer Berezan, Barbara Borden, Tret Fure, Tammy Hall, Terry Garthwaite, Nina Gerber, Melanie Monsur, Suzanne DiVincenzo, Michaelle Goerlitz, Debbie Fier, Nancy Vogl, Suzanne Shanbaum, Deidre McCalla, Lisa Zeiler and Jennie Chabon, Eve Decker, Inge Hoogerhuis, Robin Flower, Libby McLaren, Sheila Glover, Mary Ford, Laurie Lewis, Margaret Belton, Jean Fineberg, Rachel Garlin, and Skip the Needle (Vicki Randle, Katie Cash, Shelley Doty, Kofy Brown).

Margie Adam

Introductions were made by Carolyn Brandy, Tret Fure, Barbara Borden, Michaelle Goerlitz Terri Lynn Delk. Women’s Music pioneer Margie Adam spoke at the first show and author and professor Bonnie Morris addressed guests at the second one, saying, in part, that Young’s photography “electrified rather than objectified” women.

The first printing of the much-anticipated book already sold out, but a second printing is now shipping. A pop-up store where the book may be purchased in person will be at the Artisan Cafe in Richmond on December 9 from noon–3 pm. https://www.somethingaboutthewomen.com/

Led by Martha Stoddard, Music Director and Conductor, the orchestra welcomed Cadence Liu (Composer and Flute Soloist) guest composer and flute soloist Cadence Liu. The program included “Suite in Ancient Style,” Alberic Magnard; “Matinees Musicales,” Benjamin Britten; “La Cenerentola Overture,” Gioachino Rossini; and the world premiere of Liu’s “Flute Concerto.”

Since 1989, the CWO has created a welcoming environment to engage, inspire, and celebrate women in classical music. The organization, originally founded as a community adjunct to the professional Women’s Philharmonic, is a thriving independent organization with more than sixty members.

The next CWO performance will be on March 3, 2024.

Irene Young

Martha Stoddard, June Bonacich

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She gets mesmerized by the concourse’s fountains, intently watches dancers practicing new routines, and is getting more proficient using fat chalk to create designs in the tunnel near the Blue Playground.

One enters the de Young’s lower gallery and immediately sees two large rooms full of art from floor to ceiling—a lot of art. Upon turning the corner, you realize there is far more.

And then around the next corner, and another, and another. There are portraits, quilts, threads, wood,

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It was captivating to see such a wide array of art and artists, rather than a focus on well known, aka, well-marketed pieces. I really appreciate that a world-renowned museum dedicated so much exhibition space to hundreds of undiscovered or newly

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

I was similarly mesmerized during the recent trip my partner and I

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How refreshing it is that a major museum exhibit contains such a diversity of art and artists—including art of, and created by, people of color and queer folx. It felt novel seeing more than just white men portrayed (although Paul Newman was quite handsome in one painting).

Some other famous faces I saw were those of Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, RBG, Malcolm X, and a wonderfully powerful Harriet Tubman.

Paul Morin. They/Them (Jonathan With Earring), 2023.

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After making my way through the exhibit, I circled back to the beginning to absorb more. However, I quickly realized I was saturated, so I set a date to return.

My partner’s comment upon leaving was that being immersed in the Open was worth a whole year’s cost of membership. (Tip: admission is free every Saturday.) And, yes, one can view the individual pieces online, but the visceral and delightful overload on your senses is definitely worth the trip to Golden Gate Park.

The exhibit closes January 7, 2024.

Kev Gill. Hiroshige and Hokusai Hang Ten, 2022

Howard Steiermann is an ordained ritual facilitator. https://www.sfhoward.com/

Lorraine Woodruff-Long. You’re Getting Warmer: Rising Global Temperatures 1850-2022, 2023

Jeffrey Nemenzo. Reminisce Over You, 2021

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

My partner and I try to avail ourselves of the Bay Area’s cultural offerings, as well as California’s natural beauty. Recently we headed to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. We enjoy the park often, sometimes to check what’s in bloom in the Botanical Garden, but more often than not we are using it as the neighborhood park when babysitting my cousin’s three-year-old.

emerging artists. So different than the high stakes, multimillion dollar art shows Michelle E Fillmore. Autonomy, 2023. in which the art sometimes come across as commodities.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

I was primed for viewing the de Young Museum’s Open 2023. The Open is an exhibition showcasing over 800 works of art by local Bay Area artists. I was eager to view the exhibit, as many times over the course of a year I visit galleries, and attend various artist open studios. I was curious to be introduced to artists I hadn’t yet seen, and smile in recognition of those I had. The aesthetic side of my brain was ready for seeing art. But wow! I had no idea what a wonderfully visceral reaction I would have.

Howard Steiermann

Cory Piehowicz. Kansas City Cowboy, 2021.

carpet, monochromatic, linear, curvy, two dimensional, three-dimensional.

Images as familiar as a down vest, to sculptures I wasn’t quite sure what it was I was looking at.

Some pieces were huge, some as small as my hand.

Some images were brilliantly vibrant, some quietly muted. There were collages of all materials and amazingly photorealistic paintings; each piece clamors for attention as it pops from the darkly painted walls.

took to the park. Perhaps it was the Chicago born and raised boy in me who simply delighted in being outside in shirtsleeves on a sunny, bluesky late November morning. All the bushes appeared to have been recently trimmed into perfect shapes, and some trees were displaying their panoply of fall color.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

By Howard Steiermann

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARTIST

I Found My heART in San Francisco

Bay Times Dines

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This Month at the Farmers’ Market California Citrus for the Holidays Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and pomelos are here to brighten up the holidays.

Mandarins and oranges are available in large quantities, little kumquats fill bins and boxes, giant pomelos and grapefruits cover market tables, and both blood oranges and Cara cara oranges hold colorful surprises inside.

You can’t beat the selection of citrus at your farmers’ market in the winter months!

Serve them sliced fresh in salads and desserts; juice them for holiday beverages, dressings, and marinades; or decorate them with cloves for holiday centerpieces. Make a batch of orange nut bread, lemon bars, or lemon pound cake with citrus glaze.

Toss together sliced red onions, orange and grapefruit segments, spinach leaves, and a balsamic vinaigrette for a refreshing salad.

Slice fresh citrus and add to your favorite fruity red wine for a winter sangria.

Use colorful citrus for fragrant holiday decorations.

Stud large oranges with cloves in interesting designs and add to a carved wooden bowl.

Swirl colorful ribbon throughout and add a candle or two.

Tie small tangerines, kumquats, and lemons to a fresh wreath at your front door for fragrance and color. Add to fresh garlands throughout the house.

Add lemon (or orange) juice to water in a shallow bowl and float thin slices of lemon or orange and eucalyptus leaves to add fresh fragrance to your room.

By Debra Morris

SOUR CANDIED CITRUS PEELS

Use as candy, in baking, in salads, or as cocktail garnishes.

4 large oranges, 3 grapefruits, 6 lemons or limes, halved through stem ends 3 cups sugar, divided 2 tablespoons citric acid (8–10 tablespoons of lemon juice) Tear out flesh from all citrus halves, being careful not to create any holes in peels. It’s okay if you can’t remove all of the pith. Save flesh for another use, cut peels into 1/4-inch strips.

Bring peels and 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan and cook 5 minutes. Drain and return peels to pan. Repeat process twice more, using fresh water each time. Return peels to pan; add 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until peels are soft and translucent and vibrant looking, 30–40 minutes (about 10 minutes longer for grapefruits, or 10 minutes less for lemons or limes). Drain and transfer peels to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; chill until cool, about 15 minutes.

Whisk citric acid and remaining 1 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add peels; toss to coat. Return to rack; let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Toss peels again in sugar mixture. Return to rack; let sit 4–12 hours to dry out.

Note: Citrus peels can be candied one month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

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The Gay Gourmet’s 2023 Culinary Holiday Gift Guide

The Gay Gourmet David Landis

One of the most celebrated and popular San Francisco holiday traditions is the Teddy Bear Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, where guests (ages 2–11) receive a teddy bear while enjoying a children’s high tea. The festive entertainment includes ani-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RITZ-CARLTON, SAN FRANCISCO

You can almost hear those sleigh bells jingling because it’s that time of year again. Holiday fever is taking hold! So, the Gay Gourmet has compiled some of my favorite gift recommendations for the foodie in your life. As a bonus, I’ve also

Hotel Lumberjack; book a chef’s dinner at The Branch in Twain Harte; dine at the Columbia City Hotel Restaurant, which I hear has a hot new chef, Jimmy Vela; visit the historic Railtown 1897 State Park in Jamestown; rappel into a cave at Moaning Caverns; and sip some Calaveras County wines at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys. Don’t miss the Sierra Repertory Theatre’s production of Sh-Boom, A Christmas Miracle. Set at a Christmas bazaar, this fun-filled show is filled with memorable “60s doo-wop hits and holiday classics.”

continues with the twelve-hour succulent smoked beef brisket, served with farro, pomegranate molasses glazed carrots, and a rich onion gravy. The sweet conclusion to this festive feast is the traditional sufganiyot, a golden-brown jelly-filled doughnut that encapsulates the essence of Hanukkah’s sweetness.”

Over in the Castro, Mat Schuster of Canela will be preparing “a fixed Hanukkah menu with classics like potato latkes with herbs, cheese, and sour cream, applesauce, or both. The menu also includes arroz caldoso, a soupy rice dish, featuring mixed mushrooms and mushroom broth that is vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. For the main course, chef offers wild white fish filet, accompanied by a zesty lemony chard salsa verde, poached potatoes, and roasted carrots, complemented by labneh and sesame.

An option is an addition of a slowcooked beef brisket with veggies.

For dessert? A decadent black and white challah bread pudding, tres leches, and a medley of dark and white chocolate.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RITZ-CARLTON, SAN FRANCISCO

One of The Gay Gourmet’s favorite celebrity chefs, Kathy Fang of Fang Restaurant, is offering some great new holiday products from the new Fang Kitchen.

Fang’s chili black bean sauce ($12) is a salty, savory, umamibursting chili sauce with fermented black beans, garlic, and chili peppers that “give each spoonful a powerful punch.”

This sauce has been a fan favorite at Fang Restaurant for the last 10 years and is now available to put in your pantry wherever you are in the U.S.

included a treasured holiday family recipe that my sister Kate borrowed from my mom, LaVerne Shirley.

One of my personal favorites is back in San Francisco: The Winter Wonderland at The Vault Garden on the Bank of America plaza downtown. Through January 10, guests can experience “a redesigned magical atmosphere adorned with glittering lights and a themed decorated outdoor restaurant. The fully tented, expansive outdoor space, lounge seating, outdoor bar, and expansive view of the 555 California Christmas tree, makes Winter Wonderland a mustvisit destination this holiday season.” Don’t forget to try some of rockstar mixologist Kate Bolton’s holiday-themed cocktails: “Let’s Get Jolly,” with vodka, spiced cranberry, pomegranate, rosemary, and winter snowball, or the “Sled Dog” with Appleton rum, roasted pumpkin, maple, sage, and lemon.

How about a weekend trip to Sonora, that historic gold mining town in the Sierra foothills that’s a perfect holiday setting? You can stay at the gay-owned Sonora Inn or

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mated elves, photo opportunities, and holiday “eye candy.”

Hot chocolate, scones, teddy bear sweet treats, and assorted sandwiches are on offer. Children are also invited to bring a wrapped toy (to place under the holiday tree), which is then donated to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. The Teddy Bear Tea is available on select dates through December 23.

A portion of the proceeds from the Teddy Bear Tea will be donated to both Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

For those celebrating Hanukkah, One Market Restaurant is presenting “a special 3-course dinner featuring Mark ‘n Mike’s Matzo Ball Soup—a comforting blend of chicken consommé, celery, carrot, and fresh parsley. The culinary journey DE C E MB E R 7 , 2 0 2 3

For the daring and adventurous, Fang’s Sichuan chili shallot oil ($12) brings the heat. This chili oil was inspired by Chef Fang’s Biang Biang Noodle experience in Xian. Flecks of chili, red pepper flakes, shallots, and tingly numbing Sichuan peppercorns make it hauntingly good. Drizzle it on noodles, dumplings, or Mapo tofu,

and feel the tingling Sichuan sensations. Crunchy, nutty chili garlic crisps ($15) are the perfect addition to noodles, rice, soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, grilled proteins, eggs, and stir fries. The spiciness from the chili combined with umami flavors and crunch will elevate any dish you create at home, no matter if it’s Asian, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, or American. This chili oil was inspired by Chef Fang’s visit to a chili sauce emporium in Guilin. After bringing home her favorite chili sauce from the shop, she began making it at home to satisfy her addictive cravings—Åand now you can too. Can’t decide?

Get all three sauces for $35 with the “Hot Sauce Pack.” Chef Kathy has also authored the Easy Asian Cookbook, with “100+ takeout favorites made simple.”

or a food enthusiast, the partners plan to cook, host, and share wine, with stories of the Golden State, their history, and of the Napa Valley. With reservations offered by appointment, Wolosz and Durham will also offer a paired threecourse breakfast and a six-course dinner, in addition to their flagship lunch experience. The couple plan to open The Bungalow to the public for ticketed events as well as paired tastings. A vibrant addition to the nightlife on First Street, their monthly “Salon Soirées” will feature live music, burlesque performances, adult magic shows, guest speakers, and other special events that speak to the inclusive, artisanal Gentleman Farmer ethos.

This holiday season, customers can also purchase a gift card for an experience at The Bungalow.

The gay dynamic duo at Gentleman Farmer Wines has some great holiday ideas.

“The Bungalow: A Studio for Gustatory Well-Being” is scheduled to open soon (call just to make sure) and will be the newest “wine with lunch” tasting experience in downtown Napa. The Bungalow, created by husbands Joey Wolosz and Jeff Durham, reimagines the traditional wine tasting experience through homemade meals paired with elegantly crafted wines.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur

Health-conscious dog owners can clearly show their holiday love by giving their dog delicious, sustainable, and healthy Farm to Pet dog treats packaged in fun, holiday-themed bags. Farm to Pet dog treats are made in the U.S., and are unique, crispy chips made from only one ingredient: 100 percent farmfresh turkey breast or chicken breast that is dehydrated, not cooked, so they stay fresh and flavorful.

There are no other ingredients— no unhealthy by-products, binders, fillers, additives, or preservatives: just the highest quality, 100 percent human-grade turkey or chicken in a crispy chip form.

Signia by Hilton San Jose is this year’s exclusive host hotel for Enchant Christmas San Jose, bringing the spirit of the season to PayPal Park and a variety of fun sensory-forward activities for all ages to enjoy. Guests looking for the ultimate experience can book the hotel’s Enchant Christmas VIP package and receive two VIP tickets, roundtrip transportation via Lyft to and from PayPal Park, exclusive themed swag, and two signature cocktails at AJI Bar & Robata. Signia by Hilton San Jose will also feature an exclusive Enchant lighted display for complimentary photo opportunities adjacent to the main entrance of the hotel. Package reservations for stays are available through December 31. On Christmas Day, leave the cooking to the Signia by Hilton San Jose team, and enjoy a delectable Christmas Day feast.

Buffet highlights include an array of holiday favorites, a carving station with glazed ham and roast goose, assorted pastas, smoked fish board, raw bar, sushi and sashimi, and a variety of indulgent desserts, including a chocolate fountain.

Additionally, there’s a specialty kids’ corner for the youngest members of the family.

Castro favorite Kokak Chocolates’ yuletide collections feature two limited edition chocolate truffle boxes: “Celebration Pies” and “Under the Mistletoe.”

The 9-piece “Celebration Pies” collection features fall, tropical, and California classic flavors: apple pie, coconut pie, and pumpkin spice. “Under The Mistletoe” is available in 9, 16, or 25 pieces and has a festive spread of yuletide flavors: 64% vegan dark, blueberry, sea salt caramel, pumpkin spice, and peppermint. The “Under The Mistletoe” collection is nested in a beautiful quilted red box fit for that special holiday.

What better way to celebrate the holidays than a great drag brunch? Beaux’s version is in the gayborhood, to boot. According to Eater, “Glam and glitter are on the menu, along with food from Taco Boys, at Beaux’s weekend drag brunches held every Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 and 2:30 pm. The brunch menu boasts creative ‘cocktales’ and a wide variety of Mexican favorites including tacos, burritos, nachos, and many vegan options. $8 cover.”

This holiday season, Queerful, a social purpose startup, has officially launched with a mission to support, connect, and inspire the LGBTQ+ community. Queerful empowers visitors to support both LGBTQ+ small businesses and grassroots organizations by providing a platform for curated products, with a portion of sales going to vital community resources, including the Transgender Law Center. Queerful sets itself apart by spotlighting products exclusively from LGBTQ+ small business owners, offering a chance to shop with purpose this holiday season. The launch curation will feature brands such as Equator Coffees, Poured Candle Bar, Equality Vines, Omsom Asian noodles and sauces, Kafto clothing, Barb hair products, and a selection of branded Queerful merchandise.

Finally, another holiday recipe from my sister Kate, who still makes my Mom’s holiday treats.

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2023)

PHOTO COURTESY OF FARM TO PET TREATS

Bay Times Dines

BAY TIMES

Happy holidays and here’s to the New Year!

The Vault Garden: https://www.vaultgarden.com/ Sonora Inn: https://thesonorainn.com/ Hotel Lumberjack: https://www.hotellumberjack.com/ The Branch: https://tinyurl.com/2th27yy5 Columbia City Hotel Restaurant: https://tinyurl.com/7pvsc8z7 Railtown 1897 State Park: https://www.railtown1897.org/ Moaning Caverns: https://moaningcaverns.com/ Ironstone Vineyards: https://tinyurl.com/mvrwn6dn Sierra Repertory Theatre: https://www.sierrarep.org/ Visit Tuolomne County: https://www.visittuolumne.com/ The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco: https://tinyurl.com/4kv873v6 One Market Restaurant: https://onemarket.com/

Canela: https://canelasf.com/ Fang Kitchen: https://fangkitchen.com/ Gentleman Farmer Wines: https://gentlemanfarmerwines.com/ Farm To Pet dog treats: https://farmtopettreats.com/ Signia by Hilton San Jose: https://tinyurl.com/2p82yhpv Kokak Chocolates: https://www.kokakchocolates.com/ Beaux: https://tinyurl.com/psjzpwck Queerful: https://www.queerful.com/ Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www. gaygourmetsf.com

LaVerne Shirley’s (and now Kate’s) Raspberry Bars Kate says, “Our mom used to make several batches of holiday cookies each year for us to give away to friends and family. This was always one of my favorites.”

5 ounces sweet butter (1 1/4 sticks) 5 tablespoons sugar raspberry jam 1 light cup sugar chocolate shots (little chocolate sprinkles) 2 cups sifted flour 3 egg yolks 3 egg whites 3 ounces ground nuts (pick your favorite, Kate prefers pecans) Preheat oven to 350º. Work butter into flour. Add 5 tablespoons sugar and egg yolks. Line 9” x 13” pan with dough. Spread jam on top. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add 1 cup sugar, nuts, chocolate shots, and fold gently. Top dough/ raspberry jam with egg white mixture. Bake 60 minutes or until meringue is toasted.

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Speaking to Your Soul ARIES (March 21–April 19)

A trip to a culture different from yours can have a profound effect on your outlook on life. Your challenge now is to expose yourself to experiences very different than where you came from.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)

TAURUS (April 20–May 20)

Have the courage to peel the onion back to get close to the source of your feelings so you can rise above your patterns and soar. This is your sign. This is the time.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Astrology Elisa Quinzi

This is a good time to acknowledge that we are all suspended in a mysteryglob, along with planets, pine trees, and kitchen sinks.

Considering the absurdity of the time-space scale, it feels true that we probably don’t know much, and that a degree of trust is necessary to maintain sanity, let alone harmony. The cosmic signs prompt us to zoom out and see the much bigger picture of which we are all in together, so that we can approach our daily living together with fresh eyes and hearts.

The next time you feel scattered or overwhelmed, ask the universe for signs. Practice connecting the dots and letting extraneous information float past you. Get a higher perspective on life to form a strategy for the next phase.

You have skills you are underutilizing. In fact, it’s your duty to use what you’ve got to the best of your ability.

Act with determined effort and you’ll win.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) You were born to delight in life’s bounty, so if you’re not feeling it, one reason could be you’ve lost yourself to a cause. Remember the most important cause is whatever the moment you find yourself in calls for.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19)

CANCER ( June 21–July 22)

Your sense of belonging is deeply rooted in family and your past. But your soul knows that your kindred spirits transcend culture and labels.

Indulge yourself in a retreat where you can experience transcendence. You need to integrate that higher perspective into your daily living.

AQUARIUS ( January 20–February 18)

LEO ( July 23–August 22)

Life can feel restrictive, and that doesn’t do your soul justice. You want to feel your wildness. Creative expression is tied to play, and both can use a boost. Dancing is a useful tool.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22) Trust your heart to lead you. Facts and figures will only get you so far.

Make your future brighter. Course correct to align with the outcome you desire. Let the light in.

PISCES (February 19–March 20)

Be bold to attract your community. Be wild in thought and deed. You can trust your consciousness.

Elisa Quinzi is a certified professional astrologer who brings a strong spiritual perspective, as well as over 20 years of experience, to her work with clients. Contact her at futureselfnow@gmail.com or at 818-530-3366 with your exact birth time to schedule or to ask questions.

For more information: www.elisaquinzi.com

Take Me Home with You! Discover Pepper, an enchanting brindle terrier, pit bull mix who is ready for her forever home. If you’re considering her as a new family member, start with a week-long foster trial to ensure compatibility. Though initially shy, Pepper becomes a loyal companion with patience and love.

Let’s Go Home!

Pepper

She adores walks and thrives in tranquil, grassy settings. She will make a great adventure partner! If you’re ready to welcome this charming pup into your life, meet Pepper today and find the sophisticated friend you’ve been searching for.

With a supportive environment, she’ll blossom into the perfect addition to your family. Adopt Pepper now, and let the magic begin!

Here are two of the many pets now available for adoption at Oakland Animal Services (OAS): Max is a gentle 9-year-old pup looking for his forever home! Max loves car rides and long walks, and is happy to lie next to you while you work or watch TV. His unique look with two different colored eyes turns heads wherever he goes!

For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions

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Silk & Eggplant

Silk and Eggplant are a bonded pair of 6-month-old kittens looking for a calm, quiet home together. They are a little shy at first, but warm up quickly with tasty treats and fun toys!

To meet Pepper in person, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. Visitors are welcome from 11 am–6 pm (Wednesday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Tuesdays.

The SF SPCA is closed on Mondays.

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LIBRA (September 23–October 22) Your intuition is awakened. Life is trying to hand you a clue that leads you to a golden doorway. Expect the best.

Max

The OAS adoption process focuses on matching you with a pet who is a good fit for you and your family. Come by during open adoption hours Thursdays 12–7 pm and Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays 12–3 pm to adopt your new best friend, or to learn more about the OAS adoption process. Please see the OAS website to learn more about how you can help by adopting, fostering, volunteering, and donating: www.oaklandanimalservices.org

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

Sister Dana sez, “Did everyone remember to commemorate WORLD AIDS DAY by doing more than just wearing a red ribbon? It’s not too late to put this in our social media, and do whatever we can for AIDS organizations!”

WORLD AIDS DAY, designated on December 1 every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. Every year, hundreds of World AIDS Day events have taken place across the world to raise awareness and show support for people living with HIV. https://worldaidsday.org The annual LIGHT IN THE GROVE and the 35th Anniversary of WORLD AIDS DAY at the National AIDS Memorial in San Francisco started on November 30 and December 1. Light in the Grove kicked off the commemoration on the evening of November 30 with glowing lights, disco balls, and hearts in the forest. Truly inspirational speeches were given inside the tent by John Cunningham, CEO, National AIDS Memorial, and Daniel O’Day, Chairman and CEO, Gilead Sciences, which devoted a special AIDS Quilt square: “Honoring Our Loved Ones.” The total raised through donations was $26,260. The Hope and Inspiration Award (inaugural award introduced in 2023), is bestowed upon an individual who has clearly exemplified through challenge and struggle what it means to be resilient, and who serves as an inspiration for the HIV/AIDS community.

Lashanda (Tootie) Salinas definitely merited that honor. She is an active member of the Tennessee HIV Modernization Coalition; a Health Not Prisons advocate; and a member of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Council of Justice Leaders. First diagnosed with HIV at 16, in 2006, Salinas was unjustly imprisoned and charged with a crime for living with HIV, forcing her to register as a sex offender. She was instrumental in changing Tennessee state law to decriminalize living with HIV.

392 trans, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming people worldwide have died due to violence, suicide, or unknown causes. Of those, 25 were people living in the U.S.

Overall that event was so uplifting and perfect—despite my complaint every year: there is not enough seating (especially for this ancient nun).

A federal judge rejected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s request to have an upstate New York man convicted of sending her threatening voicemails to pay $65,000 for her Georgia home’s security fence. Sister Dana sez, “Oh, MTG, you don’t need a fence—you’ve got a whole lot of assault rifles to keep you safe!

The December 1 noon event featured 5-time Olympic medalist and LGBTQ activist Greg Louganis, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, among so many others.

And adding to commemoration on World AIDS Day, I walked right out my door to once again be moved, for the ninth consecutive year, to participate in INSCRIBE, a community sidewalk chalk art event. Created and coordinated by community activist and my friend George Kelly, this is the Castro’s annual colorful chalk celebration honoring the millions of people who have died of AIDS globally, and paying special tribute to the more than 15,000 men and women who died of AIDS who called the Castro their home. It is always recognition that AIDS is not over, and brings attention to the struggles and challenges that survivors still face!

House speaker Mike Johnson has passed the funding bill—only with help from the Democrats and just a few Republicans. The country is saved—for now; but the whole ordeal will come back in January, the new deadline. President Joe Biden got to sign the funding bill, averting a Government Shutdown. Hopefully MAGA Mike will be ousted from speakership—as have his predecessors. Meanwhile tensions flared among Republicans. For example, Senator Markwayne (that’s not a typo; it’s his actual first name) Mullin tried to physically fight a Teamster Union Leader. And former Speaker McCarthy was accused of elbowing another Congressman in the kidneys.

And don’t even ask why “normal” people have allowed Santos to remain a Congressman after all the overt lying and butt-kissing and fundraising skullduggery. So much chaos!

Also on December 1, history was made on Capitol Hill. Prior to then, only five House members (all Democrats) have ever been expelled—years 1861, 1980, and 2002. George Santos became the sixth member of that infamous club. His reaction? “To hell with this place!” Sister Dana sez, “Among all his other crimes, Santos was a psychopathic liar.

If only he could tell one last lie: that he was NOT GAY! Because I do NOT want him on my team!”

Sister Dana sez,“Hurry! Hurry!

Step right up! Get your tickets now, because the circus (complete with clown cars) is coming to town!”

House Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson has made a couple of truly alarming statements: “The reality is that PLANNED PARENTHOOD and all these Big Abortion, they set up their clinics in inner cities. They regard these people as easy prey.” He has insulted Jewish people in comparing abortion to “an American Holocaust.” He said, “We have to acknowledge collectively that man is inherently evil and needs to be restrained. That’s the problem with the radical left. They don’t acknowledge a God.”

Sister Dana sez, “Otherwise, sashay away, Kitara Ravache!”

During Transgender Awareness week 2023, it was announced that PARIVAR BAYAREA and THE LGBT ASYLUM PROJECT forged an enhanced partnership under the CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT PROTECTION (CIP) making history with CIP being the first organization in San Francisco to provide comprehensive support to LGBTQ immigrants, centering TGNCI identities. The mission of CIP is to empower and advocate for LGBTQIA immigrants, ensuring their safety, well-being, and celebrating social belonging, while uplifting TGNCI identities, to belong in the U.S., and to build a community of light, love, and unity. They strive to provide comprehensive and accessible support services, including legal assistance and social integration, while promoting awareness, education, and acceptance. Since the last TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, reportedly

Sister Dana with Santa outside of the famous Tom & Jerry House where he attended the San Francisco Bay Times / SF Gay/Lesbian Freedom Band Holiday Party (2016)

Sister Dana sez, “If we are activists—or just political armchair quarterbacks; or Jewish or have any belief in a God— then we ‘lefties’ must vote the Repugnicans out of Congress, and not let their fearless leader Trump anywhere near the White House! This is a loud and queer call to ACTION!” Pope Francis has been quite clear lately. He made several announcements giving trans people support inside the Church; and he’s been giving some financial and medical aid.

Then, in a rare show of power, he personally fired one of the most antiLGBTQ bishops. Sister Dana sez, “I’m not usually a fan of popes, but in this case: AMEN!”

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

Sister Dana sez, “I cannot even imagine anyone being arrested for being POSITIVE. That positively blows my mind! No way!”

New research has found that the children of gay dads conceived via surrogacy are happier and more welladjusted than the children of heterosexual couples conceived naturally.

The study—published in early November in Family Process—examined 67 two-dad families and 67 families with heterosexual parents, all from Europe. All children in the study were between 1.5 and 10 years old; and for the gay families, all children were genetically related to one of their dads. The study’s authors concluded that the results overall “refute concerns about possible detrimental effects on child development of surrogacy conception or of being raised by gay fathers.” Sister Dana sez, “Hoorah for Gay Daddies of ALL kinds!” (continued on page 44) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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F1 Racing Wrap Up, 49ers Charging Up, and Rivalry Week in College Football

By Colby Michaels

F1 Grand Prix Season Wrap Up

Colby Michaels

Under the bright lights of a rare, nighttime F1 race, a manhole cover popped up and destroyed one of the driver’s cars (driver ok, team owner not happy). The entire street track had to be checked and manholes sealed with cement instead of bolts, causing an hours-long delay for Practice 2. Fans who paid good money were told to leave, and F1 got a second practice running much later that ended at 4 am PST! Practice 3 was a relatively clean affair except for a wayward tire that bumped a wall, stopping the race with four minutes to go.

The qualifying races were very interesting. Here’s how they work: in 15-minute intervals, 20 cars start in Q1. The five race car drivers with the slowest times are eliminated. The same goes for the 15 cars in Q2. Q3 determines the top 10 order, and the all-important pole position (the fastest driver who wins Q3).

Several big-name drivers did not make the top 10, so multiple drivers vied for the top winning trophy on a rare Saturday night GP. Almost all GP races are on a Sunday, and the Vegas race was the first such one on a Saturday night. Drivers’ and pit crews’ body clocks were definitely out of whack that weekend.

The race itself consists of 50 laps, and Max Verstappen won, as many predicted. But we had some major excitement on the last lap of the race to the checkered flag as Charles Leclerc overtook Sergio Perez in the last lap to take second podium.

This F1/GP event drew an estimated 315,000 fans and generated $1.7 billion over the three-day weekend for the Las Vegas economy. It was a pretty sweet and profitable debut.

In a clean, no crashes, last race of the F1/GP season, Verstappen easily won his 19th race. It was an absolutely dominant season for the Flying Dutchman, as no other F1 driver has racked up that many wins in a single season. Joining him on the winners’ podium were Leclerc/Ferrari and George Russell/ Mercedes. After yet another first place finish for Red Bull, Mercedes edged out Ferrari for second place earning $10 million, with Lando Norris/McClaren securing fourth place over Fernando Alonso/Aston Martin in the Constructors Cup (team) final standings.

PHOTO BY RINK

In auto racing news, the final F1 Grand Prix (GP) race of the season was the inaugural F1 GP race on the Las Vegas Strip.

After a star-studded party and music performances on Welcome Night, the first practice race was a nightmare.

places, and win the tens of millions of dollars that go to the higher-placed finishers.

The final Drivers Cup rankings for 2023 are as follows, for the top five: 1- Verstappen, 2- Perez, 3- Lewis Hamilton, 4- Fernando Alonso, and 5- Leclerc. And that’s a wrap on the F1/GP 2023 season. The engines will be revving up again in March 2024!

Operations Farhan Zaidi. Free agency opens soon and trades are in the wind.

Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously to approve the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas, banking on early January 2028 for new stadium completion.

College Football Rivalry Week With the 2023 season coming to a close, the NCAA rankings are: 1Michigan, 2- Washington, 3- Texas, 4- Florida State, and 5- Alabama. It was a wild ride for several teams in the last several weekends! For example, the Ohio State vs Michigan rivalry lived up to the hype with then #3 Michigan beating #2 Ohio State, 30–24. The Apple Bowl up in Washington saw the then 4th ranked Huskies beat their in-state rival, Washington State, on a last-second field goal, 24–21. The wildest finish was the Iron Bowl, where then 8th ranked Alabama came from behind in the final 40 seconds to defeat its rival, Auburn, 27–24, on what was basically a hail Mary pass! There was elation and heartbreak all in one play; that’s Rivalry Week in college football.

In NFL news, after suffering through a three-game losing streak, a fully healthy San Francisco 49ers team is on a major winning streak as of this writing. Most recently, the 49ers decisively beat the Philadelphia Eagles 42–19. They are now riding high at the top of the NFC West with 9 wins.

Locally, Stanford is out but the Cal Bears, led by head coach Justin Wilcox, are ranked 8 as of this writing in the Pac-12 Conference. This has paved the way for them to play in the Independence Bowl versus Texas Tech on December 16 in Shreveport, Louisiana. To get in the cheering spirit, here are some of the most memorable Cal fight songs: https://tinyurl.com/4986ehfe

In baseball, the SF Giants have a new manager in local Bay Area native Bob Melvin. He already started filling out his coaching staff with some former Giants fan favorites, such as Matt Williams and Pat “the Bat” Burrell. Now that the coaching staff is complete, we turn our eyes toward President of Baseball

Colby Michaels is a San Francisco Ingleside native. He grew up as a sportsball fan, and has lent his volunteer time fundraising for the Imperial Court, the San Francisco Ducal Court, and Krewe de Kinque. In addition to sports, he also enjoys sci fi and mysteries.

NFL and MLB News

For the Abu Dhabi GP from November 24–26, millions of dollars were at stake for the teams and drivers based on where they ended up in the final rankings. The practices and qualifying rounds went about as expected, with Max Verstappen and sponsor Red Bull again earning the pole position (sigh), with Leclerc/Ferrari second, and Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri third on the grid for team McClaren. While Max and Red Bull already claimed the Drivers and Constructors trophies, this 58-lap race had Mercedes and Ferrari just 4 points apart for second place.

Four drivers were within 12 points of each other to fill out the fourth to eighth Max Verstappen, F1 Grand Prix Winner 42

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F1/GP Season Finale

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San Francisco Fog Rugby Players Get Naked to Welcome 2024

Photos courtesy of John Chen

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players. Rugby footballers around the world are known for their candid and “as a matter of fact” attitude towards the naked human body as nature intended. There are no hang ups, no reservations, and especially no shaming.

—Garrett Mack, VP Marketing, The San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club

Several weeks ago, I attended the photo shoot of the 2024 San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club Calendar. The energy was sky high.

The focus was about camaraderie and body positivity. At least 20 enthusiastic players participated in the photo shoot because they strongly support and believe in their cause.

One by one, Fog rugby players stripped off their clothes and proudly presented their true selves, smiled, posed, laughed, and contributed to a worthwhile task.

In my eight years writing about LGBTQ+ sports in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve covered the sport of rugby a few times focusing mainly on its immense support of the gay culture, the tightly knit brotherhood (and sisterhood), the physicality of the game, and the sexiness of the

Jacob Zaionz, a Fog Rugby rookie, was one of the first footballers to take his clothes off for the camera.

Zaionz told me for the San Francisco Bay Times, “I wanted to pose nude because for the longest time I struggled with my own body image and my own perception of what my body

John Chen “For the first time ever, Fog Rugby plans to release a sexy 2024 Calendar to help increase our football club’s visibility, promote our amazing sport, raise body positivity awareness, and support our LGBTQ+ community.”

is and how I look. The rugby guys have been incredibly supportive and playing rugby has increased my confidence about who I am and what I can accomplish. So, I decided to take the jump and get naked with the guys. Nothing brings a group of guys closer than being naked together.”

SF Fog Rugby Football Club was founded in 2000 and is the first gay and inclusive rugby club on the West Coast. Rob Flores, President of The San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club, said, “I didn’t start playing rugby until I was 45 years old. I was nervous and didn’t know how my body would respond. I learned that Calendar Front Graphic - SF Fog Rugby 2024 Calendar Teaser Fog Rugby is especially welcoming to new players and has a dedicated new player development program called Pathway [to rugby]. The first time I hit someone on the pitch, I knew this was the sport for me!”

Flores added, “Yes, rugby is a very physical sport and injuries do happen. But, once you learn the proper techniques through Pathway, your chance of getting hurt is greatly reduced. I would definitely encourage everyone to come out and give rugby a try. Maybe you’ll fall in love with the sport like I have. And just as importantly, you’ll be welcomed with open arms into our rugby brotherhood. And that’s forever.”

SF Fog Rugby season runs every year from January through May. The Pathway to Rugby program (bootcamp for new players) generally starts at the end of September for five weeks. Anyone interested in Fog Rugby may join at any time of the year. For more information, please visit https://www.fogrugby.com/

SF Fog Rugby Football Club VP Marketing Garrett Mack

Oh, and I almost forgot (no, not really): The San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club 2024 Calendar will be available before the end of this year. To get your calendar and all upcoming Fog events like the Jingle Balls Out! Ball on December 9, follow them on Instagram and Tik Tok @fogrugby.

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

Fog Rugby Players in Blue from left to right - Daniel Crowley (31), Mark Gage, Alan Merlino-Trinh, and Dylan Palmer

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SISTER DANA (continued from pg 41) Former T-rump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly recently said this: “What’s going on in the country that a single person thinks this guy would still be a good president—when he’s said the things he said and done the things he’s done? It’s beyond my comprehension he has the support he has.” Sister Dana sez, “It’s nice that you finally woke up, John dear; now can you roust up and awake all the RepubliCAN’Ts from their Trump coma?!”

The annual, festive CASTRO TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY was on November 27, 6 pm outside Castro and 18th Streets (Bank of America).

Everyone joyously celebrated the holidays with Mayor Breed, Donna Sachet, Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, members of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus, the SF Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band, and Santa & the elves! Go check out this gorgeous gigantic tree addition to the Castro!

The annual HARVEY MILK CANDLELIGHT MARCH was also on November 27, 7 pm at Castro and Market Streets.

This was a night of remembrance of the lives and untimely deaths of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone on the anniversary of their 1978 assassinations - and commemorating the spontaneous candlelight march on the night of the shootings. Everyone met at the Castro Station Milk Plaza, then marched two blocks up the street to the site of Milk’s old camera store for speeches by local celebs and recorded archival speeches from Milk.

Sister Dana sez, “In the debate between GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM and Ron Duh Santass, our California Gov Gavin talked about Bidenomics and 14 Million jobs created; 3.9% Unemployment; the lowest Unemployment for Blacks, Hispanics and Women in history; the lowest rate of poverty in history; and so much more. Gavin was heels higher than his tiny, clueless opponent!

There is no better way to kick off the holiday season than by dropping trou, rais-

ing funds, and fighting for health justice!

The annual SANTA SKIVVIES RUN is on December 10, 10 am. This underwear fun run/walk and fundraiser benefits SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION. The route weaves throughout the streets of the iconic Castro neighborhood, starting and ending at LOOKOUT on Noe and 16th. Info at https://tinyurl.com/5af6jhr3 A HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR is on Sunday, December 10,11 am–4 pm at Harvey Milk Center for the Arts, 50 Scott Street.

The CASTRO MENORAH LIGHTING is on Monday, December 11, 6 pm at Jane Warner Plaza, Castro and 17th Streets.

The SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS starts with the always fabulous HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR at Sydney Goldstein Theater in SF, 375 Hayes & Franklin Streets, and other locations. This is the grand preview to more, different, happy Holiday Spectaculars at the Castro Theatre on December 24 on 5 pm,7 pm, 9 pm. Oh, there is so much more info at https://www.sfgmc.org Sister Dana sez, “ConDRAGulations to Chicago Drag Superstar Kara Mel D’ville! The ‘Bearded Bestie of Chicago’ won a $50,000 cash prize and was crowned Smirnoff’s Flavorite Queen in a fierce drag competition hosted by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ royalty Shea Couleé!”

Ex-president Trump has idiotically compared himself to notorious mob boss Al Capone after being hit with a gag order several times, and purposely ignored those warnings. “If you looked at Al the wrong way ... he blew your brains out. He was only indicted one time; I was indicted four times.»

This unsettling mob talk followed with his use of hateful language direct from the Nazi playbook, Mein Kampf.

Sister Dana sez, “Mein Trumpf should not just have a gag order. This dangerous, awful autocrat should have a BALL GAG in his mouth at ALL times!!!”

BOOK PASSAGE (continued from pg 34) Upcoming Events Thursday, December 7 @ 1 pm (free - Corte Madera store & online) Book Passage All-Stars with Elaine Petrocelli, 2023 Annual Holiday Book Talk You are cordially invited to join the All-Star Book Passage staff and Elaine Petrocelli for a best-of-the-best presentation of our favorite picks for this holiday season. We’ll be covering all the genres for readers young and old. If you’re curious what you should be reading or gifting this winter, this is the event for you! Not only will we be discussing the perfect gifts in print, but we will also be announcing some fabulous upcoming experiences that should definitely be on your radar as presents for discerning friends and family.

Sunday, December 10 @ 11 am (ticketed - San Francisco store) Abigail Hing Wen, author of Loveboat Forever Return to the sparkling world of Loveboat, this time with Pearl Wong, on an entirely new, romantic, whirlwind adventure from Abigail Hing Wen, The New York Times bestselling author of Loveboat, Taipei, streaming now on Paramount+ “Buddy Bonks,” the San Francisco Bay Times cat, is decked out for the season and wishes you “Happy Holidays!”

Select an array of citrus—lemons, oranges, limes—and intersperse with garland, pine cones, and cinnamon sticks along your fireplace mantle. Add a string of LED lights.

The Castro Farmers’ Market is closed for the season and is scheduled to reopen on SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Saturday, December 16 @ 10 am (ticketed online event) Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll, movie chat with Diana and Bonnie The Netflix hit movie Nyad is inspiring viewers worldwide. The story of 64-yearold Diana Nyad and her relentless pursuit of an epic dream, becoming the first to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, is portrayed brilliantly by the pedigreed actress Annette Bening. Diana’s coach Bonnie Stoll is brought to life by the inimitable Jodie Foster. On December 16, you are invited to a special movie chat with the real Diana and Bonnie. Come join these two mavericks for a lively conversation about both their real-life ocean crossing and about the movie. https://www.bookpassage.com/

FARMERS’ MARKET (continued from pg 37)

At the Divisadero Farmers’ Market at Grove and Divisadero Streets, Allard Farms from Westley will have tables filled with Satsuma and Tango mandarins; navel, Cara cara, and Washington oranges; Meyer lemons; and other delicious fresh citrus.

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(adaptation titled Love in Taipei). Pearl was ready for a worldwide stage. Instead, she needs to stage a comeback. Sweeping, glamorous, and deeply soulful, this companion to Loveboat, Taipei and Loveboat Reunion will reunite readers with their favorite characters, in a thrilling new journey of romance, self-discovery, and empowerment. It is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen.

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April 3, 2024. In the meantime, please visit the Divisadero Farmers’ Market at 1377 Fell Street or the Inner Sunset Farmers’ Market at 1315 8th Street. Both are in San Francisco on Sundays year-round from 9 am–1 pm. For information about additional local farmers’ markets, as well as on recipes and more, visit the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association website: https://www.pcfma.org/ Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.

SUPER FRIENDS NYC Holiday Season in New York Through the Lens of Fernando Camino of SuperFriends NYC Photos courtesy of SuperFriends NYC/Special to SF Bay Times SuperFriends NYC vlogger Fernando Camino, a contributor to the San Francisco Bay Times, is famed for his live broadcasts in Time Square on weekend nights. He has been more than busy lately, covering many of the major holiday happenings in the Big Apple.

Camino, for example, joined the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade staff during the balloon installation at Central Park West on Wednesday, November 22, and returned to cover the Parade live on Thursday, November 23.

On Thursday, November 30, he and his team toured the site of the 100th Annual New York Stock Exchange Tree Lighting where the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus was among the featured performers.

See them at the 1:17:25 mark at https://tinyurl.com/z5xnab8a And watch the SuperFriends NYC livecast of this historic tree lighting: https://tinyurl.com/7m2aczds As reported by Camino, frames from filmmaker Andrew Ondreicak’s Screen Test: Isabel, were featured in the Times Square Arts Midnight Moment throughout the month of November. The film presents the story of transgender actress and director Isabel Sandoval, who hails from the Philippines, and her experiences, including becoming the first out trans woman of color to compete in the Venice Film Festival.

Hear Ondrejcak discuss the film: https://tinyurl.com/bdcw5ae6

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Castro Winter Wonderland Photos by Rink The 3rd Annual Castro Winter Wonderland block party was held on Sunday, December 3, and was hosted by the Castro Merchants Association.

The family-friendly event offered activities for youngsters and the young-at-heart, including free photos by the Grinch played by Juan R. Davila of the San Francisco Bay Times, a petting zoo, drag time story hour, face painting, children’s arts and crafts booth, and others.

The event also included drag performances, live music and entertainment, the Holiday Art Mart, and a Sexy Elf Contest. A contest was additionally held with participants vying to collect stamps in their passports along with stocking stuffer treats.

The event was co-sponsored by Castro Merchants, the SF Office of Workforce and Development, the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association, and Artyhood SF. The Castro Art Mart, coordinated by Artyhood, is held on the first Sunday of each month, and features LGBTQ art, live music, drag performers, and more. https://artyhoodsf.com/

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9th Annual Inscribe - World AIDS Day 2023 On Friday, December 1, World AIDS Day, the 9th annual community sidewalk chalk art event was held on Castro Street. Created and coordinated by community activist George Kelly, Inscribe is sponsored by Cliff ’s Variety and Crayola in partnership with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network and Shanti Project’s Honoring Our Experience program.

STREETCAM presented by

Each year for Inscribe, students from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, a neighborhood elementary school in the heart of the Castro, join with adults and other participants to write the names of loved ones lost to AIDS in brightly colored sidewalk chalk.

http://sfbaytimes.com/

Check out the newest Le Creuset color, Rhone.

Particularly nice for the fall season is the 4-quart pumpkinshaped Dutch oven. $367.99

PHOTO BY JOANIE JUSTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN R. DAVILA

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE KELLEY

PHOTO BY JOANIE JUSTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN R. DAVILA

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN R. DAVILA

PHOTO BY RINK

The annual event honors the memory and legacies of many former neighbors and community members while also celebrating their lives and providing an opportunity for youth to learn about the AIDS epidemic in the U.S.

Another Le Creuset classic is the 1.7-quart tea kettle in the new Rhone color with gold accents. $134.99

From cookware to holiday decorating, gifts, and much more, Cliff’s Variety hopes to help make your fall holiday season merry, bright, and unforgettable.

As a customer, Benjamin, wrote: “Cliff’s has everything and is always my first stop for projects, the kitchen, and much more. The staff is attentive and helpful. The pricing is great for Cliff’s quality, convenience, and service.”

As Heard on the Street . . . What did you do on Thanksgiving? compiled by Rink

Cristina Mitra

“I am a San Francisco native, from the Mission. That is where I celebrated.”

Fred Lopez

“I went to the Hudson Valley in New York”

Chris Kline

“I volunteered at the Tenderloin Tessie Thanksgiving Dinner at the First Unitarian Church.”

Morningstar Vancil “I was at home with my caregiver.”

Raoul Thomas

“I enjoyed an early Thanksgiving meal with a group of friends, then rode a luxury bus to the Graton Casino to gamble and savor a Japanese dinner.”

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