Tucson Weekly 6.23.22

CURRENTS: What’s New at the Zoo? | LAUGHING STOCK: Steven Wright Brings His Act To Town

JUNE 23 - JUNE 29, 2022 • TUCSONWEEKLY.COM • FREE

Happy Birthday, Loft Cinema!

Beloved indie movie theater celebrates a half-century of movie magic

By Linda Ray CHOW: Barrio Bread’s Don Guerra Brings Home Beard Award | TUCSON WEEDLY: Lawmakers’ Last Dance with Mary Jane

20% off Sunday Goods eighths June Sale!

2

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

THE ALL NEW TRIBUTE CARD!

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT COULDN’T GET ANY BETTER. SIGN UP TODAY FOR

NEW BENEFITS

$5 FREE PLAY TH U R S DAYS

10 % OFF G I F T S H OPS

15% OFF

CON CE RTS & E VE NTS

20 % OFF R E S TAU R A N T S

THAN K YO U FO R YO U R S E RVI C E !

*See Rewards Center for Details. An Enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

JUNE 23, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

3

JUNE 23, 2022 | VOL. 37, NO. 25 The Tucson Weekly is available free of charge in Pima County, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue of the Tucson Weekly may be purchased for $1, payable at the Tucson Weekly office in advance. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Tucson Weekly, please visit TucsonWeekly.com

CONTENTS CURRENTS

Take a Summer Safari at the zoo

4

FEATURE

Happy Birthday, Loft Cinema!

6

CHOW

10

Baker Don Guerra wins James Beard award

LAUGHING STOCK

12

STAFF

EDITOR’S NOTE

ADMINISTRATION Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher Michael Hiatt, Vice President Tyler Vondrak, Associate Publisher, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

MOVIE MAGIC As I’ve said in the space numerous times over the years, I’m a huge fan of the Loft Cinema and all they do, whether it’s the annual Loft Film Fest, the special screenings of Essential Cinema or the the wackiness of Mondo Monday. If you love movies, you have to love The Loft.

As the theater celebrates a half-century of showing alternative cinema, I want to raise a glass to Loft Cinema Executive Director Peggy Johnson, Programming Director Jeff Yanc and the rest of the Loft gang. While the pandemic hasn’t been kind to movie theaters, the audience is steadily returning to picture shows and the Loft is back to presenting all the cool stuff its known for, including late night Cult Classics, special screenings of the films of 1972 and this summer’s celebration of Studio Ghibli. I’m most excited about the return of the Loft Kids Fest, which starts with an outdoor screening of Looney Tunes at Himmel Park on the evening of July 1. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my last day of work here at Tucson Weekly, so I’ll be there with my kids, letting out a hearty “Th-th-that’s all, folks!”

Claudine Sowards, Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

In the meantime, enjoy this week’s cover story about The Loft, courtesy of Linda Ray. Elsewhere in the book this week: Staff reporter Katya Mendoza previews this weekend’s Summer Safari Night at the Reid Park Zoo; staff reporter Christina Fuoco-Karasinski talks with one of my favorite comedians, Steven Wright ahead of his visit to Tucson; calendar editor Emily Dieckman rounds up all the fun you can have in the week ahead; XOXO columnist Xavier Omar Otero tells you all about the rock ’n’ roll shows on the horizon; Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott examines the Arizona Legislature’s last dance with Mary Jane this session; and we’ve got comics, sex advice, horoscopes and puzzles besides.

See you at the movies!

Jim Nintzel Executive Editor Hear Nintz talk about where to howl in this town at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings during the world-famous Frank Show on KLPX, 96.1 FM.

RANDOM SHOTS By Rand Carlson

Comedian Steven Wright comes to town

EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Alexandra Pere, Staff Reporter, apere@timespublications.com Nicole Feltman, Staff Reporter, nfeltman@timespublications.com Katya Mendoza, Staff Reporter, kmendoza@tucsonlocalmedia.com Contributors: David Abbott, Rob Brezsny, Max Cannon, Rand Carlson, Emily Dieckman, Nicole Feltman, Christina Fuoco- Karasinski, Katya Mendoza, Andy Mosier, Xavier Otero, Alex Pere, Dan Perkins, Linda Ray, Will Shortz, Jen Sorensen, Clay Jones, Dan Savage PRODUCTION Courtney Oldham, Production Manager, tucsonproduction@timespublications.com Tonya Mildenberg, Graphic Designer, tmildenberg@timespublications.com CIRCULATION Aaron Kolodny, Circulation, aaron@timeslocalmedia.com ADVERTISING TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com Gary Tackett, Account Executive, gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com Kristin Chester, Account Executive, kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Zac Reynolds Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com Tucson Weekly® is published every Thursday by Times Media Group at 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona. Address all editorial, business and production correspondence to: Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona 85741. Phone: (520) 7974384, FAX (520) 575-8891. Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN). The Tucson Weekly® and Best of Tucson® are registered trademarks of Times Media Group. Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

TUCSON WEEDLY

16

A single cannabis bill sprouts at the AZ Legislature

Cover image of The Loft Cinema. Image courtesy of Noel Haro-Gomez.

Copyright: The entire contents of Tucson Weekly are Copyright Times Media Group No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher, Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, AZ 85741.

4

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

CURRENTS

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Reid Park Zoo open for Summer Safari Nights Katya Mendoza

Tucson Local Media Reid Park Zoo takes visitors from continent to continent in celebration and conservation of some of the world’s most majestic animals.

The Summer Safari Nights series has been running for 10 years, contributing its proceeds towards conservation efforts and projects.

Admission is free for zoo members, $10.50 for adults 15-61, $8.50 for seniors 62 and over, $6.50 for children 2-14, and free for children under 2.

The Reid Park Zoo is located at 3400 Zoo Court.

For more information about the Reid Park Zoo’s Summer Safari Nights visit, https://reidparkzoo.org/event/summer-safari-night/.

(JIM NINTZEL)

The Reid Park’s rheas will be front and center at the next Summer Safari Night, focusing on South America.

SORENSEN

PLAN A FAMILY TRIP DOWN TO South America without having to board a plane on Saturday, June 25, at Reid Park Zoo’s Summer Safari Nights.

The summer series opens the zoo in the evening from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 13, offering a variety of themed nights that feature zookeeper chats, animal ambassador encounters, games with Tucson Parks and Recreation and other family-friendly activities such as riding the Cox Jungle Carousel.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the Zoofari Market as well as live music from local bands.

Some of the featured animals for this weekend’s South American animal night include Oja and Joaquin (the zoo’s playful Andean bears), Contessa and Tupi (a pair of Baird’s tapirs) and Flora and Fauna (two sister rheas).

From South America to Africa, the

JUNE 23, 2022

CELEBRATE

PRIDE

IN ARIZONA!

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

ARCHIVES DONATION Donate Your LGBTQIA+ Historical Items & Collections Now

Help Save Arizona’s LGBTQIA+ History!

Include Your Return Address for Postage-Shipping Reimbursement to:

Arizona LGBTQIA+ Archives Security Screening Center STE 101, UNIT 5161 Tucson Arizona 85703 All Items Pass Through Federally Monitored Security Screening Inspection Processes

The Arizona LGBTQIA+ Archives aquires, preserves, makes virtually available the heterogeneous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Gender Non-Conforming, Two Spirit Communities+ [LGBTQIA+] from around Arizona and beyond that include records, manuscripts, papers, videos, VHS/DVD/CD, audio recordings, photographs and ephemera of LGBTQIA+ History that document those communities distinct histories.

5

6

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

COVER STORY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOFT CINEMA! Beloved arthouse turns 50 with big plans on the horizon

By Linda Ray

Tucson Local Media

IF THOMAS EDISON, OR anyone else, despaired when his kinetoscope invention was exploited within five years by the next big thing, it was lost on early movie fans.

They flocked to the new kinetoscope “parlor” off Times Square to see the moving images with friends and family.

That primordial multiplex featured 10 kinetoscopic “movies”, including one of a strongman client of Florenz Ziegfeld.

A relentless flow of innovations followed, representing humanity and its fables ever more realistically, and ultimately, fantastically. The history of movie theaters is a trail of invoices for updating technology.

For good or ill, we can now make our own movies, starring ourselves, in virtual reality fantasies of our own narration. Or we can go to the multiplex and see the latest sequel to a favorite super-hero’s story, even in 3-D. Sadly, lots of art house cinemas have shuttered along the way. Yet this year marks The Loft Cinema’s 50th year of almost continuous success, built upon lucky and persistent traditions of gifted programming, talented leadership and the canny agility of a roadrunner.

Having just come through the COVID lockdown, The Loft’s darkest hours to date, Loft Marketing Director J.J. Giddings suggests that we still have every reason to don sunglasses for a look at its future.

“For some reason, the media has an obsession with the end of movie theaters,” says Giddings with a laugh. “It’s been happening since TV came out, even radio.

When streaming started, it was ‘Who’s going to go to the movies?’ And our numbers were going up every single year, despite the doomsday scenarios.”

The Loft has had exceptional programming from the beginning. Its first programmer, Bob Campbell, went on to become president of the New York Film Critics Association. Early Loft Film Festival programmer Mike Plante is now

Senior Programmer for Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival. Another early programmer, Gary Meyer, became a founder of the Landmark chain of art cinemas and the Art House Convergence, an affiliation of independent art houses. The Convergence has held conferences to encourage members to work together toward solutions to shared challenges. An ongoing listserv keeps the conversations going Giddings says the Convergence especially helped theaters walk each other through the transition from 35 mm to digital distribution in the early 2000s.

Thirty-five millimeter had been the standard gauge since 1917. The average movie required shipping five 100-pound cannisters to the next destination.

Switching to digital all but zeroed out physical distribution logistics, but art houses paid dearly to overhaul their entire projection systems and retrain staff.

The Loft Cinema became a nonprofit entity in 2002, just in time. Executive Director Peggy Johnson says, “Grant funding, sponsorships and major gifts have taken us over the ups and downs.”

Johnson says, that besides making the theater more sustainable, nonprofit status amped up its visibility.

In 2015 the Loft became a member of CICAE (International Confederation of Art Cinemas), an organization that endows awards to exceptional art films at festivals around the world. The same year, Johnson was elected the first American ever to serve on the board of the CICAE. Then The Loft Film Festival became a festival member of CICAE, lifting Tucson to the ranks, if not quite yet the stature, of Cannes and Telluride. The Loft Film Festival, this year set for October 12-20, now routinely hosts international CICAE jurors to judge and present awards to films screened at the Tucson event.

ALTHOUGH JOHNSON HEADS UP The Loft, she is quick to credit the savviness of its program director, Jeff Yanc,

(NOEL HARO-GOMEZ)

Loft Programming Director Jeff Yanc and Executive Director Peggy Johnson are celebrating 50 years of indie cinema.

and the singular reputation he’s achieved in the art-house world.

“Everybody in the industry knows him, and they know that it matters to know him,” she says. “He’s really a key to our success.”

Yanc earned a master’s degree in film history from the University of Arizona, but then devoted his work life to books, running the popular Readers Oasis bookstore in Rancho Center. Located across the street from The Loft, Rancho Center is now home to Whole Foods and the Loft office.

Yanc considered leaving Tucson when he closed the bookstore. “Then I thought, is there anything I really want to do here?” he recalls. “I love The Loft. I’ll volunteer.”

On the afternoon in 2006 when he locked the bookstore behind him, he walked across the street to talk to Johnson. Maybe he could do lectures or organize events, he thought. But instead, Johnson offered him a job.

“Coincidentally, their program director had just left,” Yanc remembers. “I just

started right away. I didn’t even take a day off. It took off like a rocket because there weren’t a lot of rules yet. It had just become a nonprofit.”

Yanc says the challenge of programming the Loft’s films and events is to fill three theaters that operate at least 12 hours a day 365 days a year. That scale helps drive the theater’s financial success.

It generates economies in operations, and continuity of staffing, that aren’t available to art houses that open for a handful of shows a week. It also gives The Loft leverage with producers and distributors.

When he started, though, “The theater was still struggling to find an audience,” Yanc says. “So we just decided to try everything. We found by process of elimination things that brought people in. We did a lot of one-night events, ran films for one week and then changed, singalongs, interactive events. It is exciting, finding what works and giving things time to find an audience. That’s the magic of an independent art house, because you’re

LOFT CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

JUNE 23, 2022

LOFT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 not relying on one movie, like a Top Gun: Maverick, to fund your whole theater.”

With agility and creativity, the Loft has even been able to leverage multiplex megahits into the theater’s own programming, “A good example of this,” Yanc says, “is Everything Everywhere All At Once. Right now it is our No. 10 highest grossing film ever. It’s been the No. 1 run all over Tucson for eight weeks. It’s a great film, but also it really spoke to a lot of different audiences, young people, older people, the Asian American community, people who just like weird, fun movies.”

We can almost imagine cartoon dollar signs in the eyes of the Loft programming team as they spun out a series of movies

by Everything, Everywhere star Michelle Yeoh. Then they booked Swiss Army Man, the first film by the directors of Everything, Everywhere. “And let’s show The Goonies,” Yanc says, “because the kid in the Goonies grew up and now he’s co-starring in Everything Everywhere.”

Yanc’s sensitivity to Asian-American community’s response reflects a drive toward inclusivity that’s long been another hallmark of Loft programming. He shares a story about his current efforts to bring the Navajo translation of Finding Nemo. Nemo and Star Wars were the first in what was to be a series of Disney films translated to Navajo.

After sorting out what Yanc says were “a lot of legal entanglements,” The Loft

CLAYTOONZ By Clay Jones

screened Star Wars earlier this year. “The audience was packed, primarily with indigenous folks. It was a fun moment when everyone laughed the first time they heard Han Solo speaking Navajo.” Yanc says.

“We had been trying to get that film for years. When certain audiences see themselves represented in a film, we’ve found a lot of gratitude for that. We have tons of examples like that of films that really speak meaningfully to communities.”

Those who appreciate Japanese culture may join animation fans in following the Studio Ghilbi Summer series continuing through September 4. The animated features, in the original Japanese, were created by the award-winning father-son team of Hakayo and Goro Miyazaki. Viewers may choose either dubbed or subtitled versions.

Yanc says kids’ programming has generated a large following among Tucson families. Kids shows are a party as much as a film screening. They include activities, appearances by personalities and, often, something for everyone to take home.

This year’s Loft Kids Fest is set for every Saturday and Sunday morning in July.

Loft series can also speak to offbeat communities of interest. “The Mondo Monday series is specifically built around artistically failed films (and those who love them),” Yanc says. “They’re literally, entertainingly bad movies, like Planet Nine From Outer Space.” Cult movie fans, too, have their own series, the popular

LOFT CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

OFFICES

Office Space Has Changed!

TOUR TODAY!

WORK

Starting At

$399/month 520-333-6691

www.theLoffices.com

FITNESS

FUN

7

8

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

LOFT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Cult Classics on Friday and Saturday nights at 10 p.m.

The longest-running Loft series is the monthly Essential Cinema. Reflecting on its success, Yanc says, “That didn’t like take off immediately, but then people started to expect great, classic films coming every month, and it’s free.” Throughout 2022, the series shows movies that attracted the largest audiences in the theater’s first half century.

Yanc says free programming is a big part of the Loft’s mission to serve the community. Nonprofit status makes underwriting possible through grants and sponsorships. A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, for instance, paid for the Loft’s Solar Cinema Van. Its inflatable screen and solar-powered sound and projection system allow the Loft to show movies throughout Southern Arizona.

“We reach out to communities and ask if there is any space where people would be interested in having us come show a film. We recently went to an art gallery in Nogales and showed a documentary about butterflies and how the border wall is affecting their ecosystem. There’s research going on down there about that.”

NOW, THE THEATERS ARE OPEN, much of the regular programming has returned and the outlook is promising.

But The Loft is not yet in the same place it was in 2019.

According to Johnson, “2019 was the best year ever. We had almost 250,000 tickets sold, and I think our income was over $3 million.” At that time, she was optimistic enough about the future to work with an architect and meet with a bank about building out some long-planned new construction.

By March of 2020, though, the Loft was reeling like the rest of us, without a clue what was next.

They found a stockpile of love and respect among Tucson’s community of film fans, and influential, well-heeled supporters the world over. “People were very generous,” says Johnson. “In the beginning they renewed their memberships and gave donations (that enabled us) to ride out the first few months of the pandemic.

“Then the federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) really helped. We got more from the SBA’s Shuttered Venues

Operators Grant. That was a really big shot in the arm.”

The Loft programming team set up a theater of pay-per-view streaming films, accessible from its website. The interface was wonky, though, and, while many used it, there emerged no loyal, let alone sizeable, audience. Once the Loft’s theaters re-opened in May, 2021, its digital participation dropped to zero.

What did work were outdoor movies in the back parking lot. Everyone brought chairs and gathered around a screen built on the north-facing wall of Theater 1. “People loved it,” Yanc says. “They were so grateful. It was 2020 during the height of COVID, and we were doing socially distanced seating and still requiring masks outdoors. But everyone was just hungry to see other people and share the experience.”

When the Loft began opening theaters for live screening, entirely within CDC guidelines, Loft staff quickly gauged a trend. Yanc says, “It became clear that young people weren’t afraid to come back.” The programming team immediately began offering movies and events pitched to that demographic, “The older audience was one of our biggest demographics.” Yanc says. “It’s a more compromised demographic, and a big question in our industry has been ‘Will that older audience come back?’

They’ll come back for a Downton Abbey, but will they come back consistently?”

As favorite series and special events return, and new programming is being road-tested, Johnson naturally regards filling seats as paramount. “Right now, we’re just hoping that the film industry can stabilize, and we can start getting back to close to where we were on our box office,” she says. “We are still making a fraction of what we made.”

But she also sees this downtime as an opportunity. Construction might disrupt capacity, anyway. Why not get it under way when attendance is still recovering?

“We had this big vision around 2009,” she says. “Then we got real. Instead of baking a big cake, we decided to bake cookies. So we bought the auto place next door and made it screen three, and then we renovated screen one and the marquee. We bought the big north parking lot and paved it. We repaved everything and brought everything up to code. We covered the parking lot with solar panels.

“Those are all the little cookies we’ve been baking for 10 years,” Johnson says.

“Now we’re barreling ahead to finish the entire project. It will be as streamlined as I can make it. Nice, but I just want it to be functional and feel like an authentic Tucson place, you know?”

To expand on Johnson’s metaphor, we can think of the build out as the milk for her cookies. The new construction will increase the theater’s functionality and versatility, but it won’t increase seating capacity. She says the campus actually will lose 15 seats, but that could help resolve a problem. Upstairs, theater 2, which has never been fully accessible, will be converted into the Loft office, eliminating the overhead of maintaining their office off site.

A new 60-seat theater will go into the patio space behind theater 2. Then the open space between Theaters 1 and 2 will be reconfigured as an outdoor event space, which the Loft can use or rent out.

One wall will feature a screen for future outdoor movies, freeing up the parking spaces formerly used for outdoor seating.

The entrance, refreshment area and new bathrooms will occupy a low-slung unifying addition across the campus’ front along Speedway Blvd. Johnson expects the build-out to be complete by 2024.

With theater and audience development under way, the Loft seems to be controlling what it can control to attract audiences and navigate the dynamics of its industry. Giddings, who, with Johnson and Deputy Director Zach Breneman, is also a member of Yanc’s programming team, has the confidence of an experienced hand. “We’ve had the same team doing programming for over 10 years and we show over 500 movies a year. So we have a pretty good idea of what our people are into,” he says. “A lot of people are already coming back. Even with (major) first-run films available, people still come out for the events and our unique programming.”

Yanc is realistic. “Audience expectations and their movie-going patterns changed drastically in two years. Our challenge now is to get people back into the habit of going to theaters.”

Asked whether they anticipated a Loft presence in streaming, both Johnson and Yanc said, simply, “No”. Johnson says, “I really take a lot of pride in how good our picture is and how good our sound is

and how much attention we pay to that. I think that’s one of the things that makes an art house different.”

Yet she doesn’t entirely rule out virtual reality. “We had virtual reality at our 2019 film festival. It was brilliant. That’s becoming a really big part of a lot of festivals. Some even have competitive virtual reality programs.”

But she notes that, like streaming, “It’s an individual experience, and going to a film is a community experience.”

Yanc thinks that film production itself may be holding audiences back. “The number of films being made now has dropped because of the pandemic.” Until the film industry can generate enough movies, Yanc et al can recombine and re-bundle dozens of series from more than a hundred years of global film output. But there are other models on the sidelines, too.

Consider the Loft’s First Friday shorts events. They’re like a poetry slam for short, mostly amateur films. The audience screams, laughs and groans, ultimately demanding, or not, that a giant gong be sounded to put them out of their misery.

Entrants are often, but not necessarily, affiliated with the UA Film School. The films are remarkable: funny, awkward, thoughtful and in flashes, brilliant. They mostly use minimal, often single-room sets, featuring fewer than five actors, but it’s the technology that shines. Deft camera effects, radical angles, post-production tinkering and visual overdubs varying in speeds, colors and images can create moods and underscore the action.

Good or terrible, the entries share the daring energy of innovation.

It’s all going somewhere new, and it’s been on that road for some time. Consider the 2015 full-length feature Tangerine. Filmed entirely on three iPhone 5s Smartphones, it was nominated for 46 prestigious awards.

And virtual reality pods turn up in rooms at film festivals, echoing the original kinetoscope parlor where people engaged their brains and eyeballs in fun things, separately together.

Meanwhile, Etsy has several vendors offering vintage kinetoscopes, zoescopes and flip books that create illusions of motion. There’s even a reproduction of a flip book featuring a Felix the cat cartoon by its creator, Pat Sullivan.

Moving pictures will always be with us.

JUNE 23, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

Unlock the

cash in your home!

Get a CASH-OUT ReFinance!

Property values have increased and rates are expected to rise. Lock in your rate now and use your equity for: Home Improvements

Education Expenses

Debt Consolidation

Cash for Your Specic Needs

NOVAHomeLoans.com | 800.955.9125.

NMLS 3087 | AZ BK 0902429 |

9

10

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

CHOW

GRAIN OF THOUGHT

Local baker brings home James Beard Foundation Award Nicole Feltman

Tucson Local Media

DON GUERRA, THE FOUNDER OF Barrio Bread, took home the Outstanding Baker Award at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago on Monday, June 13.

But Guerra says he doesn’t plan to rest on this particularly noteworthy laurel.

Instead, he looks at the award as another ingredient in his recipe for success.

“It feels surreal right now,” Don laughed. “You know, it is definitely a recognition that I am on the right path with my profession. I love baking and I have been in love with it for 30 years.”

The James Beard Foundation Awards are considered the “Oscars of Food” and are granted to those who have performed exceptional work in the culinary arts with focus on talent, hospitality, the broader food system and sustainability.

Guerra was previously nominated for this national award twice, in 2019 and 2020.

It’s a huge honor for Guerra, who started out baking about 900 loaves of bread a week in 2009 with his Italian Dutch oven in his garage, with his main focus on feeding the community—hence the name “Barrio Bread.”

Today, his mission stays the same: To feed and cultivate the community of Tucson with a hyper-local model.

The Beard Award is just the latest milestone for Guerra, whose work has been celebrated in national publications. The New York Times called him “a leader of the local-grain movement in Tucson” who “challenges others to reimagine craft baking with an eye towards Latino and Indiginous roots.”

Guerra’s Natural Love and Bread uses local grains and an ancient French sourdough technique without sugars or oils.

During the pandemic, Guerra was able to feed his community due to his “grain chain,” a hyper-local model he has used since he started baking bread and ran his own bakeries in his 20s.

Guerra finds all his ingredients within

100 miles from Tucson. He has recruited farmers to plant grain through the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant under the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) program, which not only enhances the local economy, but also reduces pollution and shines a light on Tucson’s indigenous lands and history.

Guerra was able to provide large supplies of flour to Tucsonans during the pandemic due to the thousands of pounds from his local farms. He also had instructional videos on his website teaching the community about how to bake Natural Love and Bread.

Outreach education is a priority. He worked as a teacher in the Tucson Unified School District for seven years and has traveled all over the world to share his hyperlocalism model and Natural Love and Bread, including speaking events in Mexico, Taiwan and Poland.

Guerra also paired up with Carlotta Flores, owner of El Charro, and her family to open Barrio Charro, as well as the pantry-styled restaurant that recently opened downtown, The Monica. Guerra and Flores were recently featured on Bravo’s Top Chef for the season 19 finale that was filmed in Tucson.

Moving forward into his next chapter, Guerra plans to continue bringing light to localism in Tucson and serving his neighborhood.

“For me, it has really been about my community, feeding my community,” he said. “Teaching and learning with my community has created this passion. I feel this encouragement from my community to do my best and contribute.”

Two other local chefs, Maria Mazon of BOCA Tacos y Tequila and John Martinez of Tito & Pep, were semifinalists in the James Beard Foudation Awards this year.

To hear more about Guerra’s journey as a baker, listen to the Prickly Pair Podcast on Apple Music and Spotify.

(SUBMITTED)

Barrio Bread owner Don Guerra: “I love baking and I have been in love with it for 30 years.”

JUNE 23, 2022

Dining on the Patio!

Vegetarian & Vegan Entrees * A Sanctuary in the City

ALL YOU CARE TO EAT BUFFET 11:30am to 2:30pm for Lunch Wed -Sat 5pm to 8pm for Dinner, Tues - Sat 11am to 2:30pm for Sunday Brunch Closed Mondays / Tuesday is “India Night” Lunch is $9.95, Dinner & Brunch $11.95 for a delicious 14-course meal w/ salad bar Student & Senior discounts apply Dine In or Take Out - Spacious Patio Dining

711 E. Blacklidge Dr. • 520-792-0630 E. of 1st Ave., 2 Blocks S. of Ft. Lowell

See complete menu at govindasoftucson.com

Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar Daily Specials Half Price Rolls $6 Sake Bombs All Day

M-F 11:30am to 2:30pm & 5pm to 10pm Sat 12pm to 10pm Sun 12pm to 9pm

We Love Tucson!

Now let your voice be heard.

Best of Tucson voting starts July 1st!

Go to

5036 N Oracle Road 888-6646

shoguntucson.com

COMING SOON! BESTOF

2022

Our reader poll is designed to let YOU tell us about your favorite people, places, shops, restaurants and things to do in Tucson.

PEOPLE | PLACES | SHOPS | RESTAURANTS | THINGS TO DO

Section Coming July 2022!

View the digital version at LovinLife.com

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 11

TucsonWeekly.com/Tucson/bestof to nominate your business today to be included on the ballot.

12

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

LAUGHING STOCK

THE SWING OF THINGSGHING

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Local Media Queer Bazaar. Happy Pride Month!

Tucson Hop Shop is celebrating with an evening full of shopping and other festivities to benefit the Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Come on down to support local LGBTQIA+ vendors and artists, sip a cold beer and enjoy some chow from local food trucks (including The Curry Pot, Ciao Down and HUB Ice Cream). There are so many talented folks here in the Old Pueblo, and we always love an event that brings so many of them together into one place—especially for such a great cause. 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Tucson Hop Shop, 3230 N. Dodge Blvd.

Reid Park Zoo Summer Safari Nights.

We love the Zoo, but we especially love the Zoo when it’s open for special evening hours, allowing us to spend the hottest parts of the day hiding in an air-conditioned building. That’s why this series, which features animal encounters, keeper chats, photo ops and special food and drinks, is so great. This week’s theme is “From the Amazon to the Andes – Celebrating South American Animals.”

Special guests Geraldo and Lupita of Salsòn Dancers will be providing a dance demonstration and instruction so you can get your Latin American groove on.

Live music by Chalako. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 25. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors 62+, $6.50 kids 2 to 14.

Movies in the Park. Did you miss Encanto playing through Oro Valley’s outdoor movie series last week? Never fear, because this week it’s playing in Sierra Vista’s outdoor movie series!

There’s nothing like an outdoor movie on a summer night. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, kick back and enjoy. You can bring your own snacks or enjoy treats from Lori’s Poppin Kettlecorn, Two Barking Dogs and (perhaps most importantly) Icee Queen. You can make this into a day trip by visiting the aquatic center in Sierra Vista, too! to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Veterans Memorial Park, 3105 E. Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista.

Yoga in the Gardens. As the blazing heat of summer sets in, it’s becoming critical to wake up early (when it is still blazing hot but slightly less so), if you have any desire to venture outside. These morning yoga sessions at Tohono Chul are a good way to get in some time connecting with nature, while also doing something nice for yourself. Mary Carhuff, a certified yoga teacher and yoga therapist, is leading the class. All are welcome to attend.

Just bring a mat, a water bottle and a hat.

A beautiful way to start the day! 7:15 to

CITY WEEK

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

AU

COMIC STEVEN WRIGHT CAN find humor in anything.

On a walk near his home in Carlisle, Massachusetts, Wright came upon a Little League baseball team.

“I used to play Little League out here,” he said.

“There’s no manager or anything.

There’s one kid who’s acting like the boss.

He’s yelling and he’s not any older than the rest of them.

“It’s Orwellian — except it’s on a Little League field instead of a farm,” he added with a laugh. “He’s a little bit taller and a little bit heavier. He just took over.”

Wright and his dead-pan sense of humor will come to The Rialto Theater on Friday, June 24.

Raised in Burlington, Massachusetts, Wright stepped onto the stage for the first time during an open mike night, and became regular at Ding Ho’s Comedy Club and Chinese Restaurant in Cambridge.

He appeared on the “Tonight Show” for the first time on Aug. 6, 1982. The comic soon found himself performing his off-beat routines on “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and numerous trips back to “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

Wright expanded his comedy career to include comedy albums, film and TV appearances.

His 1985 debut album, “I Have a Pony,” earned a Grammy nomina-

S TOCK

by Emily Dieckman

L

Comic Steven Wright turns observations into humor

tion. The same year, he starred in his first HBO offering, “A Steven Wright Special.”

Four years later, in 1989, Steven was honored with an Academy Award for Best Short Film for his film entitled “The Appointments of Dennis Jennings” in which he starred and co-wrote.

His second HBO special, “Wicker Chairs and Gravity,” hit the small screens in September 1990.

The silver screen has been home to his humor, too. His resume includes “Desperately Seeking Susan,” Mike Meyers’ “So I Married An Axe Murderer,” Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers,” and Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts.”

Wright was the voice of the DJ, K-Billy, in “Reservoir Dogs” and starred with John Cleese and Jack Palance in New Line’s animated film, “The Swan Princess” as the voice of Speed, the turtle.

LAUGHING STOCK

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

Steven Wright 8 p.m. Friday, June 24 The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson Tickets start at $34 520-740-1000, rialtotheatre.com, facebook.com/StevenWrightOfficial

(STEVEN WRIGHT/SUBMITTED)

Steven Wright has released a multitude of albums and comedy specials throughout his career.

JUNE 23, 2022

CITY WEEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, June 28. Tohono Chul Performance Garden, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $10.

Cool Summer Nights: Party With Pollinators. I am sure you already marked your calendars, but friendly reminder that it’s National Pollinator Week! Shout out to the bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and probably even some creatures that don’t start with “B” who keep our desert ecosystem thriving. I mean, did you know that the Sonoran Desert alone has more than 700 species of bees? 700!!! Come learn more about these pretty lil’ pollinators, see and hear some night blooming plants, and enjoy the Sonoran Wildlife at this event at the Desert Museum. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $24.95 GA, $22.95 senior 65+, $13.95 kids 3 to 12.

Mezcal Sunday: Sotol. Are you embarrassed by how little you know about agave-based spirits for someone who lives in the Sonoran Desert? Or do you know a lot about agave-based spirits and just want to learn more? Either way, I think this new tasting series at The Century Room is for you. Doug Smith will guide guests through four tastes of sotol, along with some light food. 6 p.m. doors / 7 p.m. tasting Sunday, June 26. The Century Room, 311 E. Congress St. The event is $35, or you can pay $40 to get a VIP reservation at the Cup Café at 5 p.m. before the tasting.

Martin Schoeller: CloseUp. Itching to get out of town? This new art exhibit at Bisbee’s Artemizia Annex gallery features the work of Martin Schoeller, one of the preeminent contemporary portrait photographers.

You’ve almost certainly seen his work on the cover of

LAUGHING STOCK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 In 1999, Wright played a guest starring role in Albert Brooks’ film “The Muse” starring Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell and Jeff Bridges. In ’98 he played a supporting role in Dave Chappelle’s “Half-Baked” and was a featured voice in “Babe 2: Pig in the City.”

He continued to be prolific through the 2000s, when he premiered his special “When the Leaves Blow Away” on Comedy Central. When it was released on DVD, it featured Wright’s 1999 short film, “One Soldier.”

With his efforts came accolades. His second CD, “I Still Have a Pony,” was released by Comedy Central Records on Sept. 25, 2007, and earned his second Grammy Award nomination for best comedy album.

Wright was honored as the first inductee into The Boston Comedy Hall of Fame on Dec. 15, 2008. The ceremony included performances by legendary Boston comedians Tony V, Don Gavin, Lenny Clarke, Kenny Rogerson, Steve Sweeney, Mike Donovan, Barry Crimmins, Mike McDonald and Fran Solomita.

On June 15, 2013, Wright received The Johnny Carson Comedy Legend Award. The award is given each year

publications like Time, Rolling Stone, GQ and National Geographic. Originally from Germany, he now lives in NYC, but will be in attendance for an opening reception of this exhibit. The Artemizia Foundation has hundreds of works by 90 artists, including Banksy, de Kooning and Warhol. Come check it out! Reception is 5 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, June 28 and runs through Sept. 10. Artemizia Annex gallery, 24 Main Street, Bisbee, AZ. Dog Stuff Swap Meet. Can you relate to the feeling I sometimes have of wanting to bring my dog home a gift when I go out to do something fun and can’t bring her along? I just want to make it up to her! Kill two or three birds with one stone at this event, where you can have fun, bring something home for your dog and even get rid of some dog stuff you don’t need anymore.

Swapping, selling, trading—whatever floats your boat in this exchange of all things canine. The event is free, but please leave your dogs at home to minimize chaos. 6 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Journey Agility Training Center, 4809 E. Speedway Blvd.

Viva Performing Arts 35th Anniversary. Did you know that Mara Wilson, the actress who played the title character in Danny DeVito’s Matilda, is turning 35 this year? Yes, we are all old! But also turning 35 this year is Viva Performing Art Center, the passion project of artistic director Julie Gallego. This celebration at the Fox Theatre features Gallego’s dance companies Ballet Folklorico San Juan, Ballet Folklorico Arizona, and Viva Arizona Dance Co. Plus, special guests vocalist Olga Flores and ensemble Mariachi Sonido de Mexico. This is something worth celebrating, and this lineup won’t disappoint! 3 p.m. doors, 4 p.m. showtime. Sunday, June 26. Fox Theatre, 17. W. Congress St. $20 to $30. to a celebrated comedian who has been influenced by Carson and has left his or her own mark on the comedy world. In past years, award recipients have included Dick Cavett, Cloris Leachman and Ed Asner.

These days, Wright performs occasional shows.

“When I was younger, I did that and it was just normal,” he said. “But it’s tiring.”

He kept his morale up during the COVID-19 pandemic, however. Wright stuck with his routine of exercising in the morning and drinking coffee for two hours.

“That heightens my imagination,” he said. “I write down everything that comes into my head, whether it’s jokes or not.

“During the pandemic, I couldn’t do shows for two years and three months. However, my mind didn’t stop ever. Stand up is two things: writing and performing. It’s two completely different things.”

In better times, his whole MO is about observation.

“It’s like being in nursery school with fingerpaints, but it’s with words and ideas,” he said. “Like this Little League kid, this kid takes over. I love watching the world and then some of it are done on the stage. It’s a very playful thing.”

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 13

14

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

By Xavier Omar Otero tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com

MARK YOUR CALENDARS… THURSDAY, JUNE 23 Leaving the electric guitars and their usual backline of amplifiers behind for one night, Jason DeVore (Authority Zero), Gabo (Fayuca), Zach (ZeeCeeKeely), Desert Fish, and Randy Vega perform unplugged. Local Love presents Acoustic Lounge. At 191 Toole… Like the binding molecules that the band is named after, The Morpholinos attribute their unique sound to contributions from songwriters Neil McCallion and Gary Mackender combining sequences. “It’s the Texas Tornados meeting up with Nick Lowe and John Hiatt for a drink in a funky bar in Nogales,” says Mackender. At Monterey Court… Scoffing at Copernicus’ cosmological model of heliocentrism, The Metal Music Society presents The Fall of Summer Festival. Tucson metalcore maniacs Versus

the Fall headline. At House of Bards. With Sub-Terraneo and Sun Monkey… Citing guitarists as well as horn players as influences, jazz guitarist Mike Gellar’s repertoire consists of swing, be-bop, cool and modern jazz from a vast variety of composers.

Featuring vocalist Sheryl Ann McKinley, the Mike Gellar Trio bear the torchlight on through the Late Night. At The Century Room. Preceded by Susan Artemis tickling the piano keys during cocktail hour… Quietly honoring the simple beauty and traditions of early American folk, blues, and country in their original compositions, Lana Rebel & Kevin Mayfield perform Live & Free. At Tap & Bottle…

FRIDAY, JUNE 24 Awaken. Tucson power trio Insound perform material from Take Away (2021), an album of innovative progressive rock.

With SF electronica enthusiast DJ Flow.

At 191 Toole… Led by guitarist Steve Shell, veteran rockers Shell Shock keep the classics alive. At House of Bards… Disco Oscura: A monthly descent into darkwave, electro, postpunk, EBM, synth, acid, and techno. This installment finds resident DJ Mijito observing his day of birth with a bashment. At The Royal Room… There is a dreamy transcendency, something that surpasses the ordinary, like taking a road trip back through time, one where Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Gene Clark and France Gall all beam through an old AM car radio that serves as guide, such is the music of Louise Le Hir. Bringing stills to life. The Vision of the Vibe is a photographic exhibit showcasing Tucson musicians captured in flagrante.

This installment shines the spotlight on Le Hir with a live performance. At Revel…

Bring your skates. Ambent curates classic disco sets. Roller Disco Drag Show. At Hotel Congress (plaza)… DJ Humblelianess—La Reina of Tucson’s legendary Latinx dance party sin fronteras—presides over El Tambó.

At Hotel Congress (plaza)… Bearers of light, the Hump House crew bring the dancefloor to life, indoors. At Club Congress… Offbeat and full of fire like the city itself, A Night in New Orleans finds Mr. Boogie Woogie paying a one-of-a-kind tribute to the piano legends of The Big Easy. At The Century Room… Specializing in music from the late ’50s to early ’70s, R*A*W Band provide the excelerant for the All Shook Up Dance Party. At The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley… Sweeter than a song. Tucson-based multi-instrumentalist Sunny Gable is a natural storyteller. Her distinct voice will intoxicate your ear while her prose will hold your imagination. Sunny Gable & the Whiskey Machine mix bluegrass, country, blues and rock ’n’ roll into a concoction they call “SoulGrass.” At Saint Charles Tavern…

SATURDAY, JUNE 25 Emerging from the underbelly of Los Angeles’ South Bay, the Circle Jerks debut release, Group Sex (1980)—a breakneck collection of 14 songs (totaling just 15 minutes), featuring gems “Live Fast Die Young” and “World Up My Ass”—is a hardcore punk tour de force. Appearances in Penelope Spheeris’ documentary Decline of Western Civilization (1981) and Alex Cox’s cult classic film Repo Man (1984) immortalized this band of misfits in the pantheon of all-time punk rock greats. Running “Wild in the Streets,” the Circle Jerks—out on their last tour of North America—are set to fire off a Golden Shower of Hits. At Rialto Theater. Flanked by The Adolescents and Negative Approach... Not to be missed.

A trifecta of local female-fronted talent congregate. Rock/pop/folk singer-songwriter Katie Haverly, loop musician/vocalist Jillian Bessett, and weavers of psychedelic dreamscapes Female Gaze share the stage.

At 191 Toole… Tucson Musicians Museum Concert features performances by The George Howard Band, AmoChip Dabney, Mike Blommer, Soulville Horn Section y mas. At Hotel Congress (plaza). Proceeds to benefit Tucson Musicians Museum… Afterwards, Houston rapper Fat Tony returns for a monthly DJ residency. At Hotel Congress (plaza)… Spinning dancefloor hits, DJ duo Posi & Walters the Don set the tone. At

Club Congress… Embracing the essence of improvisational jazz—imagination and risk taking—saxophonist Mike Moynihan and his quartet chase an elusive muse. Late Night. At The Century Room… “All the world’s indeed a stage, and we are merely players, performers and portrayers. Each another’s audience, outside the gilded cage.”

Freewill: The Rush Experience. With The Smokin’ Crowes: A Tribute to The Black Crowes. At Encore… Lisa Lemke and Mik Garrison join forces as The Bird Lords.

The duo offers an eclectic repertoire— songs that are equally in step on dance floors, mosh pits, or city streets—with an underlying message of love. With special guests Deshtuco. At MotoSonora Brewing Company… Bela Lugosi is not dead. Fineline Revisited is a monthly tribute to the Fineline; a Tucson nightclub of yesteryear that lives on in infamy. DJ Stubbie spins new wave, electronic, gothic, alt, and industrial.

At Surly Wench Pub…

SUNDAY, JUNE 26 Mariachi Sonido de Mexico featuring vocalist Olga Flores soundtrack Viva Performing Arts 35th Anniversary. This musical and dance celebration will feature artistic director Julie Gallego’s international performing troupes: Ballet Folklorico San Juan, Ballet Folklorico Arizona and Viva Arizona Dance Company. At Fox Tucson Theatre… Despite frontwoman Gabi Montoya relocating to Seattle two years ago during the lockdowns, the “mutual desire to be absolute putas chingonas and to make everyone happy as fuck with our music,” remained a constant, as bassist Isabella Rodriguez eloquently states on IG. Reuniting for a few select shows, Taco Sauce host a pool party. At Hotel McCoy. DJ Humblelianess and Tonight’s Sunshine add to the festivities… Leading the rebirth of smooth jazz. In terms of phrasing, this saxophonist’s approach varies from that of many traditional smooth jazz artists. “I like taking off on an uncharted path in music.” National recording artist saxophonist Dee Lucas brings The Time Is Now (2020), his latest studio album. At The Rock… Firebrand Connie Brannock and her Lil’ House of Blues return to set the stage en fuego. Congress Cookout. At Hotel Congress (plaza)… Equally adept at performing on both woodwind and brass instruments, musical wunderkind Max Goldschmid

XOXO CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

JUNE 23, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 15

XOXO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 hosts a Sunday night jazz jam session through June. At The Century Room… Master of the Delta blues, guitarist Christopher T. Stevens leads the Last Sunday Revival, with reverence. At Tap & Bottle - Downtown… A testament to the Ronstadt legacy, Peter Dalton Ronstadt & the Company perform original post-modern Americana, while placing their own unique watermark upon traditional compositions. At Monterey Court… DJ Dirtyverbs drops a special set for Harmony House. At Templetons…

MONDAY, JUNE 27 Shelter in place. Hydrate.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28 Music. Comedy. Burlesque. DJs. Rock for Roe: A benefit for Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom features performances by The Cooper Queens, Just Najima, Street Blues Family, Humblelianess, Pretty Slick, Ashley Tappan, Stephanie Farrington, Tucson Libertine League y un chingo mas. At Hotel Congress (plaza)… Rock and Roll Nightmare. Since their formation in 1973, these Canadian metal-mongers’ on-stage antics, the enormous setbacks they have suffered, and their sheer determination to plod forth have led to comparisons to fictional English heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The release of Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008), a rockumentary directed by Sacha Gervasi (a former Anvil roadie) garnered critical acclaim from numerous major music publications.

Anvil bring Impact Is Imminent (2022), their 18th studio recording. At The Rock…

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 Blowout. From “The Dirty T,” rock ’n’ roll singer/songwriter Noah Martin shares the stage with The Basements and Public Freakout. At Hotel Congress (plaza)…

Like a mountain echo. From Cranberry Lake, New York, award-winning songwriter Jonathan Foster writes “authentic roots music for the ears of old souls.” A touring musician for over a decade, he has released five independent studio albums of acoustic guitar and harmonica-laden folk/Americana, including his latest Lantern Shade (2021). Foster performs solo-acoustic sets.

At House of Bards…

Until next week, XOXO…

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

If you think oxygen therapy means slowing down, it’s time for a welcome breath of fresh air.

Introducing the Inogen One family of portable oxygen systems. With no need for bulky tanks, each concentrator is designed to keep you active via Inogen’s Intelligent Delivery Technology.® Hours of quiet and consistent oxygen flow on a long-lasting battery charge enabling freedom of movement, whether at home or on the road. Every Inogen One meets FAA requirements for travel ensuring the freedom to be you.

• No heavy oxygen tanks • Ultra quiet operation

• Lightweight and easy to use • Safe for car and air travel

• Full range of options and accessories • FDA approved and clinically validated

Call 1-844-201-2758

for a free consultation and info guide.

MKT-P0253

16

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

STRIKE FORCE

Final cannabis bill of the season is a doozy

By David Abbott IN ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE session that is dragging on to the monsoons of summer ,one lone cannabis bill has settled over the statehouse like a dusty haboob ,as strike-everything House Bill 2050provides an olio of legislative fixes that have drawn mixed reactions from across the marijuana firmament.

While the bill attempts to address several aspects of the business ,from research to testing to cost reductions for veterans, a key part of HB2050 seeks to increase access to cannabis and help social equity

applicants by changing adult-use licenses to” dual licenses “and allowing medical alongside recreational sales.

The social equity program is designed to repair some of the harms associated with the decades-long war on drugs by giving ownership opportunities to individuals impacted by previous drug laws.

The change in licensing could help solve zoning issues in places like Tucson that are not set up to accommodate adult-use-only establishments .It would also increase access in rural communities

where there are vast distances between dispensaries.

The Arizona Department of Health Services classifies medical outlets as” dispensaries “and adult-use as” establishments“. ”HB2050 provides immediate relief to rural medical marijuana patients by allowing the most recent backfill of adultuse establishments in our rural counties to become dual licensed “,Arizona NORML Executive Director Mike Robinette wrote in a recent email” .This would allow them to sell medical marijuana to patients in the five counties that currently do not have a medical marijuana dispensary“.

Not only would that shorten the commute to acquire medicine in the far-flung corners of the state ,it would also save rural patients the 16% excise tax charged on adult-use products.

AZNORML has been on a roller coaster with the bill as it has evolved from the remnants of Senate Bill .1402 That bill would have changed 13 rural” backfill “adult-use licenses released in April ,2021 meant to establish shops in all of Arizona‘s 15 counties ,to dual licenses.

Those licenses ,however ,would have counted against the state‘s cap of one med-

ical cannabis license for every 10 pharmacies ,a percentage agreed upon with the passage of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act of 2010 that limits the current number of marijuana outlets in the state to 131 for a population of roughly 7.5 million residents.

That was enough for SB1402 to lose support from the advocacy group that seeks to improve access for citizens and help reduce costs through increased competition .The new bill would not count those licenses against the cap.

AZNORML was neutral on the striker as it passed through the Senate on Tuesday ,June ,14 but once it moved on to the House ,and with the help of an amendment by Sen .David Gowan) ,R-Sierra Vista (cosponsored by Sen .Rebecca Rios) D-South Phoenix ,(the bill garnered NORML support.

The Gowan amendment would tighten cannabis testing rules to ensure a consistent process for safe product on the shelves of local pot shops .It would also allow ”secret shoppers “to purchase commercial cannabis off the shelves for independent third-party testing to ensure compliance

WEEDLY CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

JUNE 23, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 17

DAILY FLOWER SPECIALS! Go to

tucsonsaints.com tucsonsaints .com for easy online ordering

112 S. Kolb Rd., Tucson, AZ 85710

520-886-1003 tucsonsaints.com

Hours: 10am-7pm, 7 days a week

EAT, VAPE, DAB, TWAX, OR INFUSE entourage.ilava.com

FOREVER 46 LLC 00000126ESDQ50929013

46 WELLNESS LLC 00000128ESJI00619914

18

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

WEEDLY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 and accuracy.

But the expansion of licenses was a sticking point for many in the industry, whose economic interests may be adversely affected by increased competition.

The Arizona Dispensary Association, a trade group for dispensary owners ,has taken a firm stand against the bill and has lobbied in the halls of legislature to try to stop HB2050 ,calling out proponents for alleged haste in passing” sweeping changes“ to the industry without broader consent. ”HB 2050 has bypassed most all of the legislative and public input required processes “,wrote ADA Executive Director Ann Torrez in a statement to the Weedly” .The legislative process is in place to ensure proper deliberation and resolving problems of public concern .The rules and procedures are in place to provide the opportunity for a thorough consideration of policies before they impact the public as new laws“.

Strike everything amendments are ”sometimes used to allow legislators to circumvent the deadlines on introduction of new legislation ,deal with an issue that arises after the deadline or revive a bill that

has previously been defeated “,according the 26 social equity applicants by helping to the azleg.gov website. them get their businesses off the ground Not everyone associated with the ADA within the-18 month timeframe that began is against the bill ,though. in April by” circumventing zoning probBrian Warde ,CEO and part owner of the lems “that exist in urban centers that have Prime Leaf dispensaries in Tucson ,said not adjusted local regulations to accommoit is” probably one of the most contested date adult-use licenses. bills] he‘s [seen “,since he became involved ”There‘s virtually nowhere right now with the business in.2014 that‘s zoned appropriately for adult-use His stance on the bill has softened ,due only “,he said” .There‘s a bunch of places in part to the idea of increased access that allow for dual licensees where you for patients and the help it might give to have medical as the primary use and adult social equity licensees. use as an accessory use ,so if we can cirWarde also sees the expansion of the cumvent the zoning problems by getting Advertiser: Behavioral Awareness number of licenses in the near future this done ,it‘s huge ,huge ,huge [for social Representative: Kristin Chester anyway ,and there is little toSales be gained by equity licensees]“. waiting.

Another positive would be access to Run Date: 3/14/19 ”To have more access to dispensaries, the medical marijuana market ,attracting medical and adult use ,just makes more patients who might go to a dispensary to sense “,Warde said” .It‘s true to what we avoid the excise tax. started in this business for ,although I Udell said he believes some of the understand the opposition“. opposition to the bill is that it could reward For Warde ,being in the business has a pair of dispensary owners involved in ”always been for the patients “,and having litigation with ADHS over dispensary apeasier access to medical marijuana in rural plications filed in .2017 But many supportareas makes sense if that is the ultimate ers believe the tradeoff is worth it for the stated goal of the program. overall good it will do for consumers.

According to Jon Udell ,AZNORML‘s ”On balance ,it‘s good public policy “,he said” .Very few bills are perfect .It is what Director of Politics ,HB2050 can assist

AD: 6834_2

LEARN TO GROW A POUND PER PLANT!

A Grower’s Paradise Become a member for just $44.99 a year!

520-420-8506 • 4837 E Speedway Blvd AZ420RECREATIONAL.COM

TAKE THE GUESS WORK OUT! NOW FEATURING PREMIXED NUTRIENTS

Now Offering High-Grade CBD Oils

-Highest in the three omegas -$59.99 with discount for members

it is and it‘s a pill I‘m willing to swallow for the greater good“.

As to the greater good ,there are several other positive aspects to HB2050 .Aside from efforts to improve product testing, it creates whistleblower protections for cannabis employees who file verified complaints with ADHS ,and also waives the state fee for medical marijuana cards PLEASE REVIEW PROOF CAREF for veterans.

Submit changes approve you Another majorany piece of the billorwould via the link attached to proof. adjust wording of last year‘s HB2298this ,a bill that designated 25$ million in 5$ million increments fromTimestamp: the Arizona Medical Mar- - 3 Proof 12:28p ijuana Fund to perform clinical research on Proof Number: 1 the drug. ”TheDesigner: bill fixes HB 2298 OMby changing ’may ‘to a’ shall “‘,Udell said” .So now it‘s not ,they’ may ‘issue up to 5$ million ,it‘s, they’ shall ‘issue 5$ million every year for five years .If ,for whatever reason ,there‘s not enough money ,they can now tap Prop 207tax revenue to make sure that program can get funded“.

Warde said the research dollars are another important piece of the puzzle that changed his view on the bill. ”That was one of the high points for me“, he said.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT & COUNSELING • On staff physician certified in addiction treatment • Individual and Group Counseling provided by licensed drug & alcohol counselor.

• Group Topics: Relapse prevention, Peer Support, Crisis interventions, and Family dynamics • Liquid methadone, tablets, diskettes, and suboxone • Walk-ins welcome no appointment needed • Mon-Fri 5AM-6PM Sat 7AM- Noon

NOW ACCEPTING AHCCCS

Behavioral Awareness Center Incorporated 2002 West Anklam Road, Tucson, Arizona 85745 (520) 629-9126 Fax: (520)629-9282 BACmethadone.com

JUNE 23, 2022

SAVAGE LOVE PRIDE AND PREFERENCE

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

I’m taking a week off, so this week’s “Savage Love” is a reprint of a column that was originally published on January 13, 2016. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Pride. Please be careful out there. — Dan As a queer man of color—I’m Asian—I feel wounded whenever I am exposed to gay men in New York City, Toronto, or any city where white gay men dominate. Gay men, mostly whites and Asians, reject me because of my race and no one admits to their sexual racism. I understand that sexual attraction is subconscious for many people. But it is unfair for a gay Asian like myself to be constantly marginalized and rejected. I fight for gay rights, too. I believe in equality, too. I had the same pain of being gay in high school and the same fears when coming out, too. Why is there no acceptance, no space, no welcome for me in this white-painted gay community?

I’m six-foot-one, 160 pounds, fit, and very good-looking. What can I do? I might as well be a sexless monk.

—Enraged Dude Details Infuriating Experience “I relate to a lot of what EDDIE is feeling here,” said Joel Kim Booster, a Brooklyn-based writer and comedian.

“The double-edged sword of living in a city with a large gay community is that the community gets so large that we finally have the opportunity to marginalize people within it.”

Jeff Chu, a writer who also lives in Brooklyn, can relate: “Racism still thrives in the gay community, just as in broader society,” said Chu. “Many of us who are

W Orange Grove Rd

Rd iner W Jo

d rR ive WR

Rd ge nta Fro I-10

N Camino De La Tierra

6227 N Travel Center Dr.

le Rd rnyda N Tho

I-10

Asian American come out of the closet and walk into this weird bamboo cage, where we’re either fetishized or ignored.

Many times I’d go into a gay bar and see guys playing out some gross interracial porno in their heads—with me playing the part of their Chinese pocket gay.

Others (the ones I was interested in, to be candid) would act as if I were wearing an invisibility cheongsam.”

Chu feels there’s plenty of blame to go around for this sad state of affairs. “It’s the gay media,” said Chu. “It’s Hollywood.

Even with all the LGBT characters we have on TV now, what images do we have of Asian American ones? It’s that LGBT-rights organizations still haven’t diversified enough, especially in their leadership. And it’s all of us, when we’re lazy and don’t confront our own prejudices.”

Booster and Chu are right: Racism is a problem in the gay community, some people within are unfairly and cruelly marginalized, and we all need to confront our own prejudices.

Even you, EDDIE. You cite your height (tall!), weight (slim!), and looks (VGL!) as proof you’ve faced sexual rejection based solely on your race. But short, heavy, average-looking/unconventionally-attractive guys face rejection for not being tall, lean, or conventionally hot, just as you’ve faced rejection for not being white. (The cultural baggage and biases that inform a preference for, say, tall guys is a lot less toxic than the cultural baggage and biases that inform a preference for white guys—duh, obviously.)

“As a stereotypically short Chinese guy, my first reaction to reading ED-

DIE’s letter? Damn, he’s six-foot-one! I’m jealous,” said Chu. “And that’s also part of the problem. I, like many others, have internalized an ideal: tall, gym-perfected, blah blah blah—and, above all, white.”

Booster was also struck by your stats.

“It’s hard for me to wrap my head around any six-foot-one, fit, VGL guy having trouble getting laid,” said Booster. “On paper, this is the gay ideal! I don’t really consider myself any of those things—and I have a perfectly respectable amount of sex.”

Booster, who somehow manages to have plenty of sex in New York’s “white-painted gay community,” had some practical tips for you. “EDDIE should stay away from the apps if the experience becomes too negative,” Booster said. “If logging on to a hookup app bums him out, take a break. Being a double minority can be isolating, but living in a big city can be great. There are meetups and clubs and activities for all stripes.

Join a gay volleyball league—truly where gay Asian men thrive—or find one of the many gay Asian nights at one of the gay bars around the city. They’re out there.”

Chu has also managed to find romantic

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 19

success in New York. “I’ve been where EDDIE is, except shorter, less fit, and less good-looking, and somehow I found a husband,” said Chu. “The monastery wasn’t my calling, and I suspect it’s not EDDIE’s either.”

A quick word to gay white men: It’s fine to have “preferences.” But we need to examine our preferences and give some thought to the cultural forces that may have shaped them. Do yourself the favor of making sure your preferences are actually yours, and not some limited and limiting racist “preference” pounded into your head by TV, movies, and porn.

And while preferences are allowed (and gay men of color have them, too), there’s no excuse for littering Grindr or Tinder or Recon—or your conversations in bars— with dehumanizing garbage like “no Asians,” “no Blacks,” “no femmes,” “no fatties,” etc. (But “no Republicans” is fine.)

The last word goes to Booster: “A note to the rice queens who will undoubtedly write in about this man: We like that you like us. But liking us solely because of our race can be uncomfortable at best, and creepy as hell at worst. In my experience, it’s perfectly okay to keep some of those preferences behind the curtain while you get to know us a bit as humans first.”

Follow Joel Kim Booster on Twitter @ ihatejoelkim and be sure to watch his wonderful new movie Fire Island, streaming now on Hulu. Jeff Chu is the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America, follow him on Twitter @jeffchu.

I recently moved to the South, and on Grindr I’m noticing a lot more racist messaging in profiles, sometimes as overt

SAVAGE LOVE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

Zone d’Erotica

GRAND RE-OPENING!

Adult Boutique

Free Giveaway - ENTER to win WITH a purchase of $50 or more!

6227 N. Travel Center Dr., Tucon AZ 87741 • 520-742-4044

Come in check out all the new products! Best selection of Plus size Intimates in town! • Lingerie • Adult Toys • DVD’s • Shoes • Magazines • Smoke Shop • NPR

18 years and over, must have ID. 15% off for Military, police and fire

8am till Midnight Daily

20

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

By Rob Brezsny. Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY HOROSCOPE 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 $1.99 per minute. 18 and over. Touchtone phone required.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Aries actor Marilu Henner has an unusual condition: hyperthymesia. She can remember in detail voluminous amounts of past events. For instance, she vividly recalls being at the Superdome in New Orleans on September 15, 1978, where she and her actor friends watched a boxing match between Leon Spinks and Muhammad Ali. You probably don’t have hyperthymesia, Aries, but I invite you to approximate that state. Now is an excellent time to engage in a leisurely review of your life story, beginning with your earliest memories. Why? It will strengthen your foundation, nurture your roots, and bolster your stability.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) Poet Elizabeth Bishop noted that many of us are “addicted to the gigantic.” We live in a “mostly huge and roaring, glaring world.” As a counterbalance, she wished for “small works of art, short poems, short pieces of music, intimate, low-voiced, and delicate things.” That’s the spirit I recommend to you in the coming weeks, Taurus. You will be best served by consorting with subtle, unostentatious, elegant influences. Enjoy graceful details and quiet wonders and understated truths.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) In the coming weeks, you will need even more human touch than usual. Your mental, physical, and spiritual health REQUIRE you to have your skin in contact with people who care for you and are eager to feel their skin against yours.

A Tumblr blogger named Friend-Suggestion sets the tone for the mood I hope you cultivate. They write, “I love! human contact! with! my friends! So put your leg over mine! Let our knees touch! Hold my hand! Make excuses to feel my arm by drawing pictures on my skin! Stand close to me! Lean into my space! Slow dance super close to me! Hold my face in your hands or kick my foot to get my attention! Put your arm around me when we’re standing or sitting around! Hug me from behind at random times!”

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Author John Banville wrote what might serve as a manifesto for some of us Crabs:

“To be concealed, protected, guarded: that is all I have ever truly wanted. To burrow down into a place of womby warmth and cower there, hidden from the sky’s indifferent gaze and the harsh air’s damagings. The past is such a retreat for me. I go there eagerly, shaking off the cold present and the colder future.” If you are a Crab who feels a kinship with Banville’s approach, I ask you to refrain from indulging in it during the coming months. You’re in a phase of your longterm astrological cycle when your destiny is calling you to be bolder and brighter than usual, more visible and influential, louder and stronger.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) “We wish to make rage into a fire that cooks things rather than a fire of conflagration,” writes author Clarissa Pinkola Estés. That’s good advice for you right now. Your anger can serve you, but only if you use it to gain clarity—not if you allow it to control or immobilize you. So here’s my counsel: Regard your wrath as a fertilizing fuel that helps deepen your understanding of what you’re angry about—and shows you how to engage in constructive actions that will liberate you from what is making you angry.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) Virgo author Jeanette Winterson was asked, “Do you fall in love often?” She replied, “Yes, often. With a view, with a book, with a dog, a cat, with numbers, with friends, with complete strangers, with nothing at all.” Even if you’re not usually as prone to infatuation and enchantment as Winterson, you could have many experiences like hers in the coming months. Is that a state you would enjoy? I encourage you to welcome it. Your capacity to be fascinated and captivated will be at a peak. Your inclination to trust your attractions will be extra high. Sounds fun!

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) Libran lexicographer Daniel Webster (1758–1843) worked hard to create his dictionary, and it became highly influential in American culture. He spent over 26 years perfecting it. To make sure he could properly analyze the etymologies, he learned 28 languages. He wrote

definitions for 70,000 words, including 12,000 that had never been included in a published dictionary. I trust you are well underway with your own Webster-like project, Libra. This entire year is an excellent time to devote yourself with exacting diligence to a monumental labor of love.

If you haven’t started it yet, launch now. If it’s already in motion, kick it into a higher gear.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) “Shouldn’t the distance between impossible and improbable be widened?” asks poet Luke Johnson. I agree that it should, and I nominate you to do the job. In my astrological view, you now have the power to make progress in accomplishing goals that some people may regard as unlikely, fantastical and absurdly challenging. (Don’t listen to them!) I’m not necessarily saying you will always succeed in wrangling the remote possibilities into practical realities. But you might. And even if you’re only partially victorious, you will learn key lessons that bolster your abilities to harness future amazements.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) Sagittarian novelist George Eliot wrote, “It is very hard to say the exact truth, even about your own immediate feelings—much harder than to say something fine about them which is not the exact truth.” I believe you will be exempt from this rule during the next seven weeks.

You will be able to speak with lucid candor about your feelings—maybe more so than you’ve been able to in a long time.

And that will serve you well as you take advantage of the opportunity that life is offering you: to deepen, clarify, and refine your intimate relationships.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)

Author bell hooks (who didn’t capitalize her name) expressed advice I recommend for you. She said, “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving.

When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” As you enter a phase of potential renewal for your close relationships, you’ll be wise to deepen your commitment to self-sufficiency and self-care. You might be amazed at how profoundly that enriches intimacy. Here are two more helpful gems from bell hooks: “You can never love anybody if you are unable to love yourself” and “Do not expect to receive the love from someone else you do not give yourself.”

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) In April 2005, a 64-year-old Korean woman named Cha Sa-soon made her first attempt to get her driver’s license. She failed. In fairness to her, the written test wasn’t easy. It required an understanding of car maintenance. After that initial flop, she returned to take the test five days a week for three years—and was always unsuccessful. She persevered, however.

Five years later, she passed the test and received her license. It was her 960th try.

Let’s make her your role model for the foreseeable future. I doubt you’ll have to persist as long as she did, but you’ll be wise to cultivate maximum doggedness and diligence.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) In the eighth century, Chinese poet Du Fu gave a batch of freshly written poems to his friend and colleague, the poet Li Bai. “Thank you for letting me read your new poems,” Li Bai later wrote to Du Fu. “It was like being alive twice.” I foresee you enjoying a comparable grace period in the coming weeks, Pisces: a time when your joie de vivre could be double its usual intensity. How should you respond to this gift from the Fates? Get twice as much work done? Start work on a future masterpiece? Become a beacon of inspiration to everyone you encounter? Sure, if that’s what you want to do. And you could also simply enjoy every detail of your daily rhythm with supreme, sublime delight.

Homework: Tell a story that imagines what you will be like a year from now.

Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

JUNE 23, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS 520.797.4384

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

If you are a 55 plus male and would like to get together with a fun Sierra Vista couple call (520) 685-8535

English Language Teacher: Send resume to Daisy Education Corp., 1489 W. Elliot Rd. Ste. D103, Gilbert, AZ 85233., Job located at Sonoran Science Academy Tucson in Tucson, AZ.

PT FLEET CLEANER Flexible schedule – Ideal for ft students Early morn. & Wknds Washing, vaccuming, ck fluids, Air pressure.

Based on bus. Flow Must have ref & reliable Trans. – age 21yrs+ (ins), paid training, Apply in person 10A – 4P 520-271-8762 180 W. Magee Rd. #116 drivers@catalinatucson .com

PT NIGHT/WEEKEND RESERVATIONIST/ DISPATCHER NW office – great cust.

Service Experience – age 21yr+ (ins), Phone skills, computer knowledge, typing 45 wpm, GPS & coordinate routing of chauffeurs schedules.

Paid training apply in person 10A–4P 520-271-8762 180 W. Magee Rd. #116 drivers@catalinatucson .com

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL IMMEDIATE POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Drivers/Chauffeurs Dispatcher/Bookkeeper

F/P time available Vehicle Detailers Flexible Scheduling Must be 25+ years old Valid driver’s license Working weekends and some major holidays

Please Call for Info 520-271-8762

Catalina Transportation

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 21

180 W Magee Rd. #116, Tucson, Arizona 85704

Crossword Answers

H AV ING A YA RD S A LE ?

Increase your traffic by advertising it here.

Call 520-797-4384 for details! classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Catalina Transportation Services, Inc is an E.O.E and Drug/Alcohol Free Workplace

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

HANDYMAN Handyman Service

Doors* Drywall*Painting Roof Repair/Coating Hauling*Coolers* Odd Repairs Minor Plumbing/Electrical* BBB Member.

Not a licensed Contractor

520-425-0845

LESSONS/ TUTORING

LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY? LOVE TO WRITE? WE MAY HAVE THE PERFECT JOB FOR YOU! • Full-Time • Part-Time • Freelance This paper has exciting opportunities for experienced news reporters and features writers.

We are seeking strong writers and storytellers who excel at capturing the news and issues of a community.

If interested, email clips and your resume, along with a cover letter explaining why you are a good fit, to

Suzanne@TucsonLocalMedia.com

EOE

TAP DANCERS WANTED The Tucson Prunes A senior (50+) tap dancing & entertainment group of 10 currently recruiting women & men. We perform lively musical reviews highlighting dancing, singing & comedy. Tap dancing exp preferred.

Student teacher available for training.

(520) 591-9810

PLEASE RECYCLE ME.

22

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Pace set by a metronome 6 Ewe’s mate 9 Percolate 13 Measure of gold’s purity, not its weight 14 Cause of a laugh 15 Bone parallel to the radius 16 Closing bit of music 17 In memoriam piece 18 Doe or buck 19 “Have another round — my treat!”

22 ___-bitsy 25 Private eye, in old slang 26 C-worthy 27 Gloating words of mock consolation 31 Wretched 32 Amanda of “Sleeping With Other People” 33 Texter’s “Hold that thought” 36 Revealed accidentally 39 Once-standard feature not found in most newer vehicles 41 greenpeace.___ 42 Trolley 44 Blow, as a volcano 45 Invitation to a prospective waltz partner 48 Actress Rudolph of “Bridesmaids” 50 Feathery accessory 51 Lays down turf 52 Empower a successor, metaphorically 56 “Dagnabbit!”

57 Decorated, as a cake 58 In a good mood 62 Rough patch in adolescence?

63 Rainy day hue 64 Full of fury

520.797.4384

NETWORK ADS

65 Bogus 66 Make music on a kazoo, say 67 Sufi poet thought to have coined the adage found at the starts of 19-, 27-, 45- and 52-Across DOWN 1 Boxing ring ruling, in brief 2 ___ de toilette 3 Mohawked star of “The A-Team” 4 Transport built for revelry 5 Tweeter’s “alternatively” 6 Title cyborg in a 1987 sci-fi flick 7 Similar (to) 8 Distribute, with “out” 9 Puzzle with a 9 x 9 grid 10 Justice Kagan 11 Foe 12 Peel … or, phonetically, a fruit you might do this to 14 ___ K. of Kafka’s “The Trial” 20 “___ be a big help” 21 Solaced 22 Author Calvino 23 The ___ of Babel 24 Sound heard twice in “George” 28 Something special 29 Stephen of “The Crying Game” 30 “You bet!”

33 Uncle “we don’t talk about” in Disney’s 2021 film

DISH Network. $64.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today!

1-855-722-2290 (AzCAN)

Experience

Cleaning Services

Plan your future.

Senior Pride’s Honoring A Life Workshop takes away the mystery of Advance Medical Care Planning for LGBTQ people. Register for workshop: https://soazsenior pride.org/events Learn more: eol@soazseniorpride.org

(520)-396-8695

Free In Home Estimates

Marisol Gomez: ExperienceCleaning150@gmail.com

• 25+ yrs Experience • Low Prices • Licensed & Insured • Disinfecting • Eco-friendly • Detail is a focus • Satisfaction is a Priority “Encanto” 34 Bygone music collection from Nas or Lil’ Kim 35 Computer memory units 37 Good name for a financial planner?

38 Buddy 40 Sculptures made of found objects and scraps 43 The Reds or the Red Sox, for short 45 The “S” in iOS

46 47 48 49 52 53 54 55 59 60 61

Folk icon Guthrie Anatomical canal locale 1963’s ___ on Washington Cat pose or downward dog BlackBerrys and PalmPilots, for short Low’s opposite Hosiery shade ___ Pet (onetime fad item) Small butter unit School fund-raising grp.

“Oh, quit ___ bellyachin’!”

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

MEETINGS/ EVENTS

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING WORKS! CALL US 520-797-4384

CLEANING SERVICES

CLASSIFIEDS 520.797.4384

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.c

MASSAGE

MASSAGE

MASSAGE

 FULL BODY RUB Best full body rub for men by a man. West Tucson. Ajo and Kinney. Privacy assured. 7AM to 7PM. In/Out calls available.

Darvin 520-404-0901.

No texts. 

Body Rub Ajo and Kinney area.

You all stop by and enjoy a stress free body rub by a man for a man.

Private/Discreet.

Call or text Oliver: 520-358-7310

Mature Woman Full Body Massage Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Provided by a woman for a man.

10 am to 8 pm Text or Call 520-278-0597

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING WORKS!

CALL US! 520-797-4384

AUTO PARTS/ACCESSORIES

Complete and All Auto Parts & Metals Top $$ For Cars Running or Not

We buy Propane Tanks All Auto Parts, All Aluminum Metal and Automotive Parts Complete Cars, Trucks & Metal Catalytic Converters from LICENSED sellers only

520-999-0804 Se Habla Español

WORSHIP GUIDE CLASSIFIEDS 520.797.4384

JUNE 23, 2022

SAVAGE LOVE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

Casas Adobes Congregational Church

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the UCC

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!

Join Us In-Person and Online Sundays at 9:30am

In-person Taizé, 2nd Thursdays, 6:30pm

www.caucc.org/welcome 520.297.1181 | info@caucc.org | 6801 N. Oracle Road

Get the word out!

Reserve Ad space in your local Worship Directory

Call 520-797-4384

Get the latest events happenings in Tucson!

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

tucsonweekly.com

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com 520.797.4384 Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

as “no Blacks” and “no Asians.” I’m wondering what I can (or should) do as a chat user? Is it sufficient just to block these people? Should I flag their profiles? Or should I message them and ask them to change their profile?

—Grinding Endlessly Against Racism Ugh, “just my preference” gays.

JMPGs pop up everywhere, of course, but they’re thicker on the ground in more conservative areas. And while you can find examples of white gays in their 30s and 40s (and older) doing this kind of crap, it sometimes seems to be more prevalent among younger gay white men. These young guys—often recently out and from overwhelmingly white areas—get online and start saying dumb, racist shit. So long as they stay in Kansas or Utah, GEAR, they don’t get a lot of pushback.

But once a JMPG moves to Chicago or Los Angeles, they suddenly encounter pushback.

Other gay men… reformed JMPGs or never-ever-were JMPGs… start to get in their faces about how unacceptable and harmful this shit is.

Decent gay men of all ages and races despair over this “just my preference” crap because it never seems to stop. But that’s not true; it does stop. After gay people who know better (and are better) get in the face of a

Comics

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 23

JMPG, his latent moral imagination can kick into gear. The JMPG starts to think about how it would feel to be on the receiving end of this shit, maybe he recalls the Golden Rule back from Sunday School, perhaps he makes a few non-white friends and listens to them.

Maybe he even starts to question his own precious preferences. (Are they his actual preferences? Or did he mindlessly adopt preferences assigned to him by Hollywood and porn?)

And then maybe—hopefully, ideally—he stops being a JMPG. Even if he figures out that, yes, he’s primarily attracted to other white guys, he realizes he can act on his preferences—he can fuck the guys he wants to fuck—without needlessly disparaging anyone along the way.

What happens next... well, what happens next is kinda depressing. Another young and/ or dumb JMPG moves to town and the whole someone-needs-to-get-in-his-face process starts up all over again. So, when you see a JMPG with “no Blacks” or “no Asians” or “no fats” or “no femmes” in their profile, GEAR, push back. Tell him he’s being an asshole.

Getting through to JMPGs is slow, one-dudeat-at-time work, but you can be part of the solution. questions@savagelove.net Listen to Dan on the Savage Lovecast.

Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage.

Columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at savage.love.

24

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JUNE 23, 2022