January 27–February 9, 2022 http://sfbaytimes.com
A Turning Point
for the Castro Theatre “Show an image of the Eiffel Tower and immediately the city of Paris comes to mind. The clocktower of Big Ben evokes the city of London. The Statue of Liberty evokes the city of New York. Similarly, any depiction of the 100-year-old Castro Theatre suggests the neighborhood in which it stands, the epicenter of the LGBTQ+ Community the world over.” —Donna Sachet
PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE CAROL M. HIGHSMITH ARCHIVE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION.
See pages 2–3
A Turning Point for the Castro Theatre
Donna Sachet Shares Memories About the Castro Theatre (Editor’s Note: Legendary entertainer, fundraiser, and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet has not only attended countless events at the Castro Theatre over the decades, but has also performed at the theatre numerous times. We asked Donna to reminisce about this San Francisco landmark, in light of news that Another Planet Entertainment is set to take over the century-old venue’s programming and more.) The Roast of Donna Sachet Photos by Friends of Donna
We remember... The world premiere of the ABC-TV’s miniseries When We Rise at the Castro Theatre. We watched, we cheered, and we wept with many of the people portrayed on the screen. Speaking with Gilbert Baker during the intermission in the lobby, we remembered he had sometimes spoken of one day being forgotten, but when we asked him how he felt now, between his tears, he was very proud and he knew he had made his mark.
Donna Sachet with “roasters” in the balcony reception area at the Castro Theatre (2018)
Marc Huestis welcomed Holllywood star Debbie Reynolds to the Castro Theatre (2015). Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjRMPBjDqQ8
SF Bay Times columnist Jan Wahl interviewed Tony Curtis at the Castro Theatre (2008). View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI0_-8JhuA0
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James Hormel, Phyllis Lyon, Del Martin and Kamala Harris at the premiere of No Secret Anymore (2003)
Ken Jones at the premiere of When We Rise (2017)
Roma Guy with Cleve Jones at the When We Rise premiere (2017)
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
PHOTO BY RINK
Cleve Jones and Gilbert Baker at the When We Rise premiere (2017)
Cecilia Chung (center) with Olympic diver Tom Daley and producer Dustin Lance Black at the premiere of When We Rise (2017)
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
Special Events at the Castro Theatre
We remember... Many Christmas Eve concerts with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus at the Castro Theatre. Especially memorable was the year we appeared with Lisa Vroman and the chorus. Naturally, Lisa was given the office as her dressing room, but the chorus graciously erected a tent structure in the upstairs lobby for us to use, knowing that there would be costume changes. The roar of the crowd for three consecutive concerts remains unforgettable. We remember... The big screen premiere at the Castro Theatre of 50 Years of Fabulous, David Lassman’s documentary about the Imperial Court of San Francisco. Rarely have we been prouder of this organization and its tireless work over 50 years. As the film ends with the dramatic tableaux of the Emperors & Empresses of San Francisco on the steps of the Rotunda of City Hall at the earlier Gala Celebration, we were proud of the past and hopeful for the future.
Dr Tim Seelig with original Chorus members celebrating the 25th anniversary of Home for the Holidays (2014)
PHOTO BY RINK
We remember... Meeting so many celebrities at the Castro Theatre, thanks to Marc Huestis, the Commonwealth Club, and others, including Debbie Reynolds, Ann Miller, John Waters, Peter Bogdanovich, Kim Novak, Patty Duke, Tony Curtis, Andy Cohen, and Ann Blyth.
Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany at the premiere of Stilettos for Shanghai at the Castro Theatre (2017) YouTube: https://vimeo.com/111876288
PHOTO BY RINK
We remember... D’Arcy Drollinger’s big-screen premiere of her film Sh*t & Champagne at the Castro Theatre. From the raucous preshow, through the amazingly professional and hilarious film, and to the Q&A on stage afterwards, we were so impressed with the talent of this local club owner, event producer, performer, and now filmmaker. This was the Castro Theatre at its campy best!
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
We remember... Rocket Dog Rescue’s benefit at the Castro Theatre with headliner Emmylou Harris. We could hardly believe that she was coming to town and would be there! After a series of other country music performers, out came Emmylou, as down to earth as expected, singing a few songs, interspersed with patter about her love of dogs and the cause that night. Given her huge following in the women’s community, we think that was the most Lesbians we had ever seen at the Castro Theatre!
PHOTO BY RINK
We remember... The world premiere of Dustin Lance Black and Gus Van Sant’s film MILK at the Castro Theatre. We attended with Richard Sablatura and we wore blue and white, reflecting the colors of the promotional posters. When we ran into Mark Leno on the red carpet, after mugging for the cameras, we turned around to face the south side of Castro, waving at observers who had gathered there; they went wild with excitement.
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
We remember... The Roast of Donna Sachet at the Castro Theatre. Organized by Peaches Christ and her team of professionals, it was an evening of amazement, something of a blur, overall, as Heklina, Jai Rodriguez, Mark Leno, Cleve Jones, Sister Roma, and Lenny Broberg skillfully skewered us, emceed by Bruce Vilanch. We were warned that there might be some surprise unannounced roasters and there were: Nicole Murray Ramirez, who also presented a check to the GLBT Historical Society, and Adam Reeves, our brother, who started with a slide show including the log cabin where we were born and too many incriminating slides to remember. But we had the final word, ending the event by singing “I’m Still Here” from Follies.
The incomparable Bruce Vilanch on September 29, 2018, emceed The Roast of Donna Sachet at the Castro Theatre. Presented jointly by Oasis SF and Peaches Christ Productions, the one-night-only event benefited the GLBT History Museum. Featuring “the ridiculously rude talents” of Cleve Jones, Jai Rodriguez, Heklina, Lenny Broberg, Sister Roma, Mark Leno, Sharon McKnight, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (where Sachet was born), the Roast also included surprise guests such as Queen Mother I, Nicole the Great and Sachet’s brother. As the organizers wrote ahead of the event: “Few people in SF do more for this city than tonight’s victim, ahem honoree, Donna Sachet. Donna has been at the forefront of LGBT rights and visibility in this wonderful city of ours for, well, let’s just say a lot of years.” The Roast, which took place on Folsom Saturday, was a resounding success. As Sachet friend Joe Mac said, “[It was] one of the funnest nights I’ve had in years ... And all in tribute to our SF icon Donna Sachet. Well deserved. An ‘only in San Francisco night.’”
Former Mayor Willie Brown at a fundraiser for the new Castro Theatre organ campaign (2019)
The LGBTQ+ Community, as an organized entity with a recognized history, is adamant about protecting its sym- The Castro Theatre’s art deco chandelier created by Phoenix Day Lighting bols, fiercely fighting over With a clear understanding of how public which version of Gilber Baker’s rainbow relations and skillful spins work, it is hard flag to raise, legislating legacy recognition to find fault with the words in the aforeof historic buildings like The Stonewall Inn mentioned press release. “Another Planet is in New York and Harvey Milk’s camera honored to be a part of and protect the irreshop in San Francisco, and commemoratplaceable heritage of the Castro Theatre,” ing our historic figures with Rainbow Honor “we’ll be meeting with local community Walk bronze plaques in the Castro neighgroups,” and “we look forward to being a borhood sidewalks. So, it should come as collaborative partner with the ‘94114.’” And no surprise that any news about the Castro yet, many of those who have benefited from Theatre would elicit protective instincts. the use of this sprawling venue in the heart of the Castro are looking for more guarMany memories of the Castro are closely antees of its continued availability, affordtied to this iconic theatre and its neon-blazability, and neighborhood and community ing marquee, from Christmas Eve concommitment. certs with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus and Masood Samerie, President of Castro celebrity-studded movie retrospectives with Merchants, has met with the theatre manMarc Huestis to Rocket Dog Rescue funager, owners, and new operator and draisers, drag queen roasts, and gala preexpresses enthusiasm for the increased trafmieres of major Hollywood films, like fic and close community involvement they MILK, Downton Abbey, and The Matrix. propose. Documentary filmmaker David But before the picket lines form and the ragWeissman has written to Another Planet ing editorials appear, let’s look at what last expressing excitement about possibilities, but week’s press release from Another Planet concern about the lack of specific mention in their press release of the impact of these says: changes on the LGBTQ+ Community. “Another Planet is honored to be part of The Castro Cultural Business District has and protect the irreplaceable heritage of the Castro Theatre. In the coming days, we’ll be gone so far as to congratulate Another Planet, but to suggest some very spemeeting with local community groups who cific actions to calm community panic rightly love and have a stake in the Castro and to assure a smoother transition. In a neighborhood and Castro Theatre. Movies January 20 detailed letter to Another Planet will continue at the Castro. Frameline will Entertainment and the Nasser Family that continue at the Castro. Another Planet is maintains ownership of the property, they adding to, not taking anything away from, emphasize the need to offer low-cost rental the Castro Theatre and we look forward rates for nonprofit organizations, to hire to being a collaborative partner with the personnel with “deep and broad knowledge ‘94114.’” of the LGBT Community,” to commit to upgrading the organ for which significant —Another Planet Entertainment
PHOTO BY ELISA ROLLE/WIKIPEDIA
Show an image of the Eiffel Tower and immediately the city of Paris comes to mind. The clocktower of Big Ben evokes the city of London. The Statue of Liberty evokes the city of New York. Similarly, any depiction of the 100-yearold Castro Theatre suggests the neighborhood in which it stands, the epicenter of the LGBTQ+ Community the world over. More importantly, Castro Theatre interior the Castro Theatre has served not just as a backdrop, but as the epicenter of a movement, a community, and a neighborhood. So, it is no wonder that the recent announcement that Another Planet will be taking over operations at the theatre venue has caused such a firestorm of public reaction.
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
By Donna Sachet
PHOTO BY CAROLINE CULLER/WIKIPEDIA
The Castro Theatre’s Future
money has already been raised, and to continue the practice of repertory film screenings, among other things. In order to meet with local community groups, to whom is Another Planet reaching out? Frameline Film Festival is specifically named in their press release, but what about other organizations and individuals with an ongoing connection to the theatre and the community, e.g. SF Gay Men’s Chorus, Silent Film Festival, Noir City Film Festival, Commonwealth Club, Imperial Court of San Francisco, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Peaches Christ, D’Arcy Drollinger, and many others? Perhaps the Castro Cultural Business District is a good place to start, but smaller, independent players must not be left out of the equation. Obviously, the telephones at Another Planet have been ringing constantly since their announcement and Greg Perloff, CEO of Another Planet Entertainment, is quick to point out success stories like Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Fox Oakland Theater, where venues in danger of closure were revitalized, benefiting their surrounding neighborhoods.
TURRILL & MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY
The Nasser Family’s representatives have stated that their economic operations were not sufficient to fund the major physical and technical improvements that Another Planet plans to complete. Quotes in various publications are full of assurances that we will see a new and improved facility with wonderful new programming added to an established, respected, and valuable day-to-day operation. A rally planned in front of the theatre on Sunday, January 23, to protest many implied changes drew only meager attendance, but represents an undercurrent of dissatisfaction.
The original Castro Theatre located at 479 Castro Street; it opened 12 years prior to the theatre’s present site
When one steps back from the hullabaloo for a moment, Another Planet’s plans may prevent what has become all too common across America. How many grand old theaters, after experiencing declining attendance, have been split into multi-screen venues, often with little regard for architectural beauty or community input? How
Sidewalk view of the Castro Theatre’s “blade”
many once treasured cinemas now stand vacant and often boarded up and graffiti scarred? How many beloved theaters have met the tragic fate of the Fox Theatre (San Francisco) movie palace, falling out of favor with the public, unable to generate sufficient sales volume, and tragically relegated to history by the wrecking ball? No matter how you look at it, this is a turning point for the Castro Theatre and for a neighborhood hard hit by the COVID pandemic, declining retail sales and foot traffic, and skyrocketing costs of living. Will we see this international symbol of the LGBTQ+ Community and its modern struggle slowly erased from the landscape or will the Castro Theatre continue to offer rare repertory film screenings, quirky local events, neighborhood benefits, and be a cherished home for the LGBTQ+ population, while adding first-class experiences hitherto unavailable and injecting new life and vitality into its surroundings? Only time will tell. 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
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JANUARY 27, 2022
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In Case You Missed It
Donation Love Throughout the Year If you’re like me, you might have experienced a flood of emails during the last two weeks of December from every nonprofit you have ever supported (and probably a few you haven’t) proclaiming this is your LAST CHANCE to make a taxdeductible donation before the year’s end. Confession: I delete them. It isn’t that I don’t love and support the work of these organizations, because I do. And it isn’t because I don’t think they need and deserve my support, because they do. But as someone who has had to write some of those year-end solicitation letters myself, I know one thing to be true: Nonprofits don’t just need our support in December. They need it every month. So, here’s my challenge to you: Spread your donation love throughout the year. Your favorite causes will be thrilled to receive your donation in February, or May, or August, not just in December. And if you really want to help an organization—especially the smaller ones—become a monthly donor. Even a modest amount, when given monthly, makes a world of difference for a nonprofit. SOMA Second Saturdays Presents Game Day and More After a successful indoor holiday debut, the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District has announced plans for more indoor winter events. Up first is Game Day on February 12 from 12–5 pm at the Folsom Street Community Center, at 145 9th Street. Plans for games—with a twist, of course!—include Kinky Pictionary, Taboo, SOMA Trivia, UNO Dare!, and many more. Enjoy the games, and free snacks and nonalcoholic beverages. Applicable COVID-19 precautions will be enforced, so bring your proof of vaccination and ID, and mask up. Volunteers are still needed for two shifts; for more info or to sign up contact manager@sflcd.org Mark your calendar for more SOMA Second Saturdays: March 12 - Movie Day April 9 - SOMA Second Saturdays returns to the streets Booth applications for artists and craftspeople will open soon; stay tuned. Dr. Monica Gandhi Brings Focus Back to AIDS As San Francisco has been at the forefront of battling COVID-19, critical resources have been drawn from a pandemic that has been going on for 40 years, according to Dr. Monica Gandhi, who is not only a widely respected infectious disease expert and leading voice on COVID19, but she is also the medical director of Ward 86, the HIV Clinic at San Francisco General Hospital. “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a lot of setbacks in the city’s HIV response. I think the COVID response in the city did deflect resources and interest in combating HIV/AIDS, but I also think that 4
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Dr. Gandhi’s call to action: “I think the HIV treating community, i.e. healthcare workers, need to team up with activists, community, and patients like we did in the 80s to again raise awareness that HIV is not over and that more resources and support should go towards HIV/ AIDS. Our strength in HIV activism has always been researchers, clinicians, patients, advocates, and activists working together. We need to do this again to ‘take back’ HIV as a major priority in our city.” Read Hank Trout’s full article here: https://tinyurl.com/wadtrout Good News for LGBTQ+ Elders: Survivor’s Benefits Now Available The legalization of same-sex marriage brought a certain measure of equality to LGBTQ+ couples, but they were still left without critical protection in one major area that becomes more crucial as they age: Social Security survivor’s benefits. According to the National Center on Law & Elder Rights (NCLER), “whether they were barred from marriage throughout their committed relationships or they were finally able to marry, only to lose their beloveds less than nine months later, these survivors continued to feel the sting of discrimination even after marriage exclusions were struck down by the courts.” But there is now good news. Two recent court cases have fixed this oversight, and now the Social Security Administration can no longer deny survivor’s benefits to those same-sex survivors who could not previously meet the marriage-related requirements as a result of discriminatory laws.
Welcome to SFAF, Tyler TerMeer! Coverage concerning Dr. Tyler TerMeer, the new CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, appears elsewhere in this edition. But I just wanted to offer my own congratulations to Dr. TerMeer. Besides his expertise in nonprofit leadership, HIV/AIDS policy and advocacy, Dr. TerMeer brings to SFAF his own experience as a person living with HIV, and as a person of color. He also has participated in the AIDS/ Lifecycle an impressive 11 times. This is an historic and welcome step for SFAF.
More Congratulations – To Sister Roma! In addition to their title as Most Photographed Nun in the World, San Francisco’s own Sister Roma has now been elected Mistress of Novices (MoN) of the San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Their duties will include guiding all volunteers, aspirants, and Novices through the membership process. So, if you’ve always wanted to serve the community by joining the Sisters, Sister Roma will be there to help you. Roma shared their excitement over this new role on their Facebook page: “Believe it or not, in my 35 years as a Sister, this is my very first official leadership role in the Order. I am committed to see us continue to evolve and grow to become even more diverse and inclusive to reflect the many communities we strive to serve.” Congratulations, dear Roma! We are all grateful for your service.
On January 19, NCLER presented a free webcast on survivor’s benefits. The webcast was recorded; watch and learn about your rights: https://ncler.acl.gov/ ICYMI: Free Forum on Mental Health, HIV/AIDS & LGBTQ+ Seniors The Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation co-sponsored a virtual forum on January 22 titled To Your Queer Mental Health! HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, and Elders. The free Zoom event featured panelists Cecilia Chung from the Transgender Law Center; AIDS & human rights activist Cleve Jones; Derrick Mapp, Senior Services Care Navigator at Shanti Project; and Liliana Talero, Health Counselor at Shanti Project. The forum, led
YOUTUBE.COM
Joanie Juster
• HIV testing was down by 44% at community testing sites from 2019 to 2020. Since HIV testing is a key strategy for identifying people with HIV early in order to prevent transmission, this huge drop in testing is worrisome. • Rates of viral suppression (being “undetectable”) dropped from 75% to 70% from 2109 to 2020. More disturbing, among the unhoused, viral suppression rates dropped from 50% to 20%, while overdose deaths skyrocketed. • Many scientists and researchers were pulled from their HIV/ AIDS work to work on COVID, and funding was diverted. • During lockdowns and social distancing, trips to clinics decreased, which interrupted testing and early treatment of HIV.
by co-chairs Gregg Cassin and Katherine von Rothschild Grayson, focused on a call to action for community resources to be allocated to mental health services, and to better integrate those services to support LGBTQ+ elders. The Zoom forum was recorded; for further information email: graysonconference@gmail.com
PHOTO BY FRANK FANUCCHI
HIV has been losing attention for some time. We need to refocus our efforts on the care and treatment of people with HIV and on prevention of HIV in San Francisco,” said Dr. Gandhi, quoted in a blog post by AIDS activist Hank Trout on the SF AIDS Foundation website. The post also cited some disturbing trends in San Francisco during the time of COVID:
Honoring Val Bias The community lost a giant when Val Bias died on December 30. Bias, who overcame the effects of hemophilia that disabled him as a child, successfully advocated on a national and international level for better health care for those with hemophilia and HIV/AIDS. He was 63. (continued on page 14)
Interview with the Groundbreaking New SF AIDS Foundation CEO Dr. Tyler TerMeer
The Cascade AIDS Project is the largest community-based provider of HIV services in Oregon and southwest Washington. During Dr. TerMeer’s seven years of leadership there, he grew the organization from a staff of 55 to more than 185, expanded from one office location to seven across two states, oversaw a merger with Our House of Portland, and launched Prism Health to serve the primary care and mental health needs of LGBTQ+ community members. Previously, Dr. TerMeer served as the Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at AIDS Resource Center Ohio, and as Director of Ohio AIDS Coalition. In 2012, he was honored by the White House as one of the “Nation’s Emerging LGBTQ+ Leaders,” and in 2013 was named by the White House as part of the “Nation’s Emerging Black Leadership.” Dr. TerMeer is living with HIV; he has served on the Board of Directors for Positive Pedalers (PosPeds), an HIV-positive cycling group, and has participated in AIDS/LifeCycle eleven times. He holds a Ph.D. in
Public Policy and Administration from Walden University.
order to fulfill its commitment to all of us living with and at risk of HIV.”
“The Board Search Committee was tasked with finding a leader that could oversee the complex and multifaceted strategy and service delivery of SFAF. We have found that leader in Dr. TerMeer,” said Douglas Brooks, co-chair of SFAF’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Board Search Committee. “We have every confidence that he will guide the organization toward even greater progress on achieving the transformational goals of racial equity and health justice outlined in our strategic plan.”
“San Francisco AIDS Foundation is pleased that our Board has selected the next CEO for our organization, with commitment to finding the right person for this unique role,” said Kevin Rogers, SFAF’s interim CEO. “Dr. TerMeer has demonstrated he is a strategic leader, whose focus on equity, racial justice, and experience in HIV health will serve him well as he leads our organization into its next chapter.”
“Dr. TerMeer is an incredibly talented leader and has made clear his commitment to HIV prevention and care,” said Maureen Watson, cochair of SFAF’s Board of Directors. “His personal connection to the work, combined with his skill and demonstrated leadership in this field will no-doubt serve SFAF well. We are looking forward to seeing how he moves the work of SFAF forward.” “I was very excited to hear that Dr. TerMeer will be joining San Francisco AIDS Foundation as the next CEO,” said Cleve Jones, the co-founder of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “Dr. TerMeer is eminently qualified for the role through his leadership in HIV and AIDS. And it is notable that he will be our first CEO who is a person of color and also living with HIV over the organization’s nearly 40 years of history. This is an incredibly historic moment, and one that I welcome fully. With Dr. TerMeer at the helm, I have no doubt that the organization will continue to grow and evolve in
The San Francisco Bay Times recently caught up with Dr. TerMeer to learn more. San Francisco Bay Times: What are your goals for the SFAF over the coming year? Dr. Tyler TerMeer: In the coming year, I’m looking forward to developing a complete understanding of SFAF’s: Depth and Breadth of Programs and Services: I want to engage with SFAF’s community, both those served under the mission as well as the dedicated community of staff, board, donors, supporters, and volunteers. I’ll be listening to learn and gain a strong grasp of the experiences individuals and community have had with the foundation over time and what folx envision for the future of SFAF. Not only as the incoming CEO, but as a Black gay man living with HIV, this grounding in community is an incredibly valuable part of my journey. It is my belief that spending this time creates the best possible pathway to authentic, bold, and courageous leadership. Understanding SFAF’s history,
both the highs and the lows, will put me in the best possible position to lead the team at SFAF as we work together towards a future where health justice is achieved for all people living with or at risk for HIV. Culture and Community: As SFAF continues its work through an unprecedented time of dueling pandemics, the racial reckoning, and COVID-19, I’ll want to quickly gain an understanding of the pulse of the organization. The passionate and dedicated folx that have been working in social and human services throughout the last 21 months have shown immense resilience and at the same time are exhausted. I hope to continue to assess the landscape and work with the leadership team at SFAF to find the ways in which we best support staff engagement and work to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Financial Status: In order to best plan for SFAF’s continued fiscal health and ensure that the organization is able to fulfill its commitments to donors and the community, I’ll be working with the leadership team to gain a complete understanding of the organization’s revenue and expenses. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Journey: In order to advance its mission and vision,
Dr. Tyler TerMeer
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO AIDS FOUNDATION
Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., on February 14 will assume his role as the 8th Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His appointment was announced on January 4. Dr. TerMeer will bring more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and HIV/AIDS policy and advocacy to the organization. He joins SFAF from Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health, where he served as CEO for both organizations.
one of the priorities of SFAF is to strengthen organizational excellence with a focus on living our values, including a commitment to racial justice. It is this commitment to a transformational journey as well as their acknowledgement that this work would not be quick or easy, but imperative to ultimately realize the organization’s vision, mission, and values that drew me to the foundation. The current strategic plan adopts a cross-cutting theme of racial justice and reinforces the need for policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that will produce equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts, and outcomes for all. I am thrilled to be entering an organization that continues to prioritize Racial Justice and I am looking forward to learning more about the past, present, and future of this critical work!
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Holding the Gun Industry Accountable But I believe we have legal ground when those responsible for the manufacturing, sale, distribution, and marketing of firearms are creating a public nuisance— defined as contributing to conditions that endanger the health or safety of others–or are engaging in unfair business practices. My hope is the threat of civil litigation will compel the makers and sellers of firearms to take every step possible to follow our state’s comprehensive firearms laws aimed at preventing illegal sales and theft. That includes:
Assemblymember Phil Ting It’s heartbreaking to hear stories from mothers like Loren Lieb, who tried to sue the gun industry for a 1999 Southern California daycare shooting that wounded five people, including her young son. Her child survived, but the experience left him with lifelong trauma and she sued gun manufacturers to hold them accountable. Her civil lawsuit did not gain traction because of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gives near immunity to firearms manufacturers and dealers. Ms. Lieb is now joining me to make sure my bill, AB 1594, passes so we can help make our communities safer. It’s the first proposal I introduced this year, allowing public citizens like you, as well as state and local governments, to sue the gun industry for the harm their products cause. It’s unfair that almost every industry in the United States can be held liable for what their products do, yet the powerful gun industry succeeded in getting an exemption. There’s no incentive for them to ensure safe and legal gun sales if they’re virtually untouchable.
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• meeting the standards set for all guns manufactured or sold in California; • requiring the sale of approved firearm safety devices or a safe with all gun purchases; • conducting rigorous background checks and testing of all gun buyers; • banning the sale or manufacturing of assault weapons and parts to make weapons; • maintaining meticulous sales records; • and implementing greater safeguards against straw purchases and theft. (Editor’s Note: a “straw purchase” refers to buying a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one or for someone who does not want his or her name associated with the transaction.) AB 1594 builds on my record on gun safety. My previous legislation made gun owners criminally liable for leaving a weapon where a child can easily access it. I also expanded our state’s red flag law, adding school administrators, employers, and co-workers to the list of people who access a court process to get a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) to help prevent shootings at schools and work. If approved by a judge, GVROs temporarily takes away someone’s firearm if they pose a danger to themselves or others. Prior to my 2020 law, only law enforcement and family could file for one. Let’s work toward adding AB 1594 to this list. Ms. Lieb has said she personally knows my proposal will help keep Californians safe and believes holding irresponsible and negligent gun industry actors accountable for their role in facilitating gun violence is a common sense way of preventing gun violence. Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.
We Can’t Wait for Jobs and Freedom That is part of why I and others have been pushing to remedy these problems, and keep pushing to ensure that jobs, business contracts, and development opportunities in the City of Oakland must, much more significantly, include our Black community.
Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan In 1963, hundreds of thousands of people marched in what many now refer to as the “March on Washington for Civil Rights.” But march organizers called it the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” and sought both justice and equality under the law. They were also fighting to remedy the lack of equal access to economic opportunities and jobs. This struggle remains, and the work must continue, as today, the Black unemployment rate continues to far exceed the white unemployment rate in America. The racial wealth gap is large, and, in Oakland, our local disparity studies continue to document, year after year, the ongoing exclusion of Black-owned businesses from important city opportunities in contracts and economic development.
One of the recommendations, which came from conducting the most recent Disparity Study, was to ensure that Black contractors are ready and able to bid on city contracts. As a result, and with strong community support, we fought for and won a budget amendment allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund a project, in conjunction with the Construction Resource Center, to provide training and technical support to ensure that Black contractors have improved access to these opportunities. And yet, at every turn, there has been opposition and obstruction to these efforts from an Administration that initially tried not to conduct the legally-mandated disparity study in the first place, in an attempt to hide data about the extent of the ongoing inequities. The Administration then tried to block the release of the study. Once the study was released, and our budget amendment passed, they then continued to obstruct these efforts, refusing to issue funds for the contract. It required repeated and ongoing efforts, including requiring follow-up public reports from the Administration on the status of funds to get them to issue the support that Council had approved. Similar obstruction also took place with workforce investment funds—even as communities in Oakland continue to suffer the economic fallout from both the pandemic and decades of underinvestment and inequality. Monies the Council has
approved to support workforce development, job training, and job placement have been delayed and undermined. In fact, the issue of delay of funding of these types of vital needs has been such as ongoing problem that former Councilmember Desley Brooks authored a law, which Council passed, mandating “prompt payment.” This law recognizes that crucial organizations doing work to improve quality of life and opportunity are impeded and undermined when payment is not issued promptly for this work. We have continued to push for full implementation of this law.
David Campos for State Assembly Photos by Rink Members representing the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club and Rose Pak Democratic Club organized a campaign event at Dolores Park on January 16 in support of former Supervisor David Campos’ candidacy for the State Assembly. Campos is one of several candidates seeking election to the seat vacated when former Assemblyman David Chiu was appointed SF City Attorney. In addition to the gathering at Dolores Park, campaign volunteers canvassed door to door in the adjacent neighborhoods.
Therefore, the plan of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) to develop 30,000 jobs in the revitalization of the Oakland Coliseum Site is so important. This vital development opportunity is one of the most important in the entire county. It is on a large site that is central to the entire region with easy access to BART, the freeways, the airport, and more. The land has been approved for development through the completion of the Coliseum Area Specific Plan, as well as Oakland having completed California’s required Surplus Lands process. This large site can provide for housing at all income levels, business, entertainment, hotel, convention space, biotech, public services, and much more, and provide for quality jobs for our community, both during construction and after. This important effort also faced ongoing obstruction from the Administration, and nevertheless, we persisted. In November, it was approved by the City Council in a unanimous vote! We can’t wait for jobs and freedom, and the work continues. Giving up this fight is not an option.
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).
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John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney When legendary actor and civil rights pioneer Sidney Poitier died earlier this month, we were struck to learn that Poitier credited the dignity he felt as a person of African descent growing up in the Bahamas as the foundation for his natural ease in portraying powerful, confident, and unapologetic African Americans on the big screen with incomparable eloquence and intelligence. Poitier explained: “I never had an occasion to question color; therefore, I only saw myself as what I was ... a human being.” Poitier’s insight about the sources of his personal confidence sheds light on the pernicious effects that legal and societal systems of discrimination have not only in specific substantive areas like employment, housing, and education, but also on the psyche of those oppressed or marginalized. When Poitier came to the U.S. as a teenager in 1942 to live with his brother in Miami, he experienced very different attitudes than he had in his formative years in the Bahamas. As Poitier told NPR in 2009, he “couldn’t adjust to the racism in Florida,” because it was “so blatant.” He explained: “I had never in my life, my early life, been so described as Florida described me.” He interpreted Florida as saying to him that “you are not who you think you are. We will determine what you are.” In face of such insult, Poitier resolved: “No, I will determine who I am.”
Several years ago during the height of the marriage equality movement, we rewatched Poitier’s classic film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. We, of course, appreciated the audacious statement the movie was making about race and love in 1967, the same year the U.S. Sidney Poitier at a Washington D.C., book signing, May 23, 2000 Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia ruled that laws banwe think. The only thing that matning interracial couples from marters is what they feel.” In the face of riage were unconstitutional. bigotry, the father advises, “where The film also spoke to us across necessary, you’ll just have to cling the decades as an LGBTIQ coutight to each other and say screw ple working as part of the moveall those people,” declaring “there ment to end discrimination against would be only one thing worse” LGBTIQ people in marriage than the adversity they will face and all other aspects of our lives. getting married and that is if they Indeed, every time LGBTIQ peo“didn’t get married.” Tracy’s charple come out to their parents or acter could have been speaking to introduce their partners to their LGBTIQ couples in 2015, the year families not knowing what will the U.S. Supreme Court held that ensue, they play out their own realprohibiting same-sex couples from life versions of Guess Who’s Coming marrying violated the Constitution. to Dinner. In the face of uncertainty Poitier enunciated in his autobiand challenge, LGBTIQ people ography: “I am the me I choose to have needed to summon the same inner strength, commitment to our- be.” May that dictum be true for all of us in all aspects of our lives. selves and each other, and willingness to fight for our love that John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Poitier’s character and his fiancée together for over three decades, display in the movie. were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights At the end of the film, the white decided by the California father portrayed by Spencer Tracy, Supreme Court in 2008. Their who has been reluctant to accept leadership in the grassroots orgathe marriage, recognizes that the nization Marriage Equality USA young couple’s love is no different contributed in 2015 to making than his own love for his wife. He same-sex marriage legal nationproclaims that “in the final analysis it doesn’t matter a damn what wide.
OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY PETE SOUZA. COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
Poitier decided to leave Florida and move to New York City, where he pursued an acting career. Throughout that storied career, he never wavered in that commitment to his dignity and embodied it in his numerous groundbreaking portrayals of African American characters, most iconically the fearless Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night. As historian and Black studies professor Elwood Watson put it, “Poitier skillfully showcased the dignity and pride of the Black experience to the entire world.”
Poitier’s discernment that white Floridians in the 1940s believed they possessed the Sidney Poitier in For Love of Ivy, 1968 power and entitlement to determine who he was as a Black person reminds us of the presumptuous attitudes of a prominent homophobic Floridian decades later— Anita Bryant, leader of the anti-gay “Save Our Children” campaign of the 1970s.
© COPYRIGHT JOHN MATHEW SMITH 2001. COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
6/26 and Beyond
Although Poitier did not directly address LGBTIQ issues in his work, the actor’s life, in particular his steadfast commitment to never compromising his integrity, served as a model for LGBTIQ people and indeed for all those who face discrimination and adversity. LGBTIQ people, like other marginalized minorities, deserve to live in a society that does not cause us to question who we are or our worthiness or to impose upon us its determination of who we are. Dignity and pride lie at the heart of the LGBTIQ movement.
COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
Sidney Poitier: ‘I Am the Me I Choose to Be’
Then President Barack Obama hugs Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient actor Sidney Poitier during the award ceremony in the East Room of the White House on August 12, 2009. 8
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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
The Importance of Organizations Created by LGBTQ+ People to Meet Our Community’s Needs I knew I was different for as long as I can remember. I sometimes talked or moved in a way that drew attention and ridicule for being effeminate. I didn’t know there was a word for it, but I knew it was bad. I had learned the word “gay” by the time I was 11 or 12, and I knew that’s probably what I was. But I was still terrified to come out. I grew up in the 1990s and had seen images of gay men dying of AIDS on the television, and people would say that they deserved it. That was how I understood my future. There weren’t many other models at the time. Of course, teenagers being teenagers—even with the specter of death hanging around—I eventually found my way into situations with other guys. It was all PG-13 stuff until I was 16, when I had an encounter with a much older man that I was not at all prepared for. It became sexual when I was not ready, and I left that encounter feeling terrified I had been exposed to HIV. I was not out of the closet, and as a result I could not talk to my parents, my friends, or my teachers about what had happened or what to do about it. I was scared and felt completely alone. I knew they did HIV testing at Planned Parenthood, thanks to my girlfriends who got their birth control there, so I drove to the one across town to avoid running into them. When I arrived, I explained the situation, and they said they could not confirm a negative test result until six months after exposure. “Come back then.”
parked my car and walked up the stairs into their office. Immediately I knew this was a place where I could be myself. I walked right up to the person behind the front desk and spilled my guts, telling him everything that had happened from start to finish. When I was finally done talking, he stood up and walked around the desk and gave me a big hug. It was exactly what I needed. I didn’t feel alone anymore. He explained that actually there were oral tests that can give you a result in 15 minutes if I could wait, and he sat me down with their clinician for a consultation. And just like that, the entire ordeal was over. By going to a clinic created by gay people for gay people, I found the support and resources I needed when I had nowhere else to turn. I ended up coming out later that year to little fanfare. My family was accepting to the point of nonchalance, and I wondered why I had been so scared to tell them in the first place. But the importance of organizations created by LGBTQ+ people to meet our own community’s needs has stuck with me ever since. As soon as I graduated college, I started working in LGBTQ+ nonprofits like the one that helped me, and six years ago I left my full-time job to start TurnOut. At TurnOut our mission is to mobilize our
communities to power queer and trans movements. We work all year to recruit a robust and passionate cadre of volunteers to support the nonprofits that Jack Beck (left) with State Senator Mark Leno, OurTownSF’s Paul Margolis and SF Department of Public Heath’s Vincent Fuqua at the community Expo organized by OurTownSF. LGBTQ+ communities depend on. Today, we have over 5,000 volunteers in our network, supporting more than 150 LGBTQ-focused nonprofits across California.
PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS
By Jack Beck
That clinic I walked into when I was 16 may have saved my life, and LGBTQ+ nonprofits continue to do that work every day—for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth, for LGBTQ+ folks struggling with mental health, for LGBTQ+ elders who don’t have biological children to help support them, and so much more. Our nonprofits depend on us as much as we depend on them. I’m very proud of the work we do to help care for the organizations that have cared for me and so many others. If you would like to dedicate some of your time to volunteering to support them, I hope you’ll consider joining us!
Jack Beck (second from right) with vounteers at the National AIDS Memorial
Jack Beck is the Executive Director of TurnOut, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing communities to power queer and trans movements. For more information: https://www.turnout.org/
I was devastated. Without any resolution in sight, I became severely depressed. My grades tanked and my teachers asked me what was going on, but I was too scared to tell them. Things became very dark. And then one day I drove by a clinic in the gay part of town with a sandwich board outside offering HIV testing. Although I was nervous, I With volunteers from the Transgender Gender-variant and Intersex Justice Project
At the Oakland LGBT Community Center
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Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011
Celebrating St. Valentine’s Day Across the Americas: Día de Amor y Amistad day of romantic celebration in his poem “Parliament of Foules,” or the Assemble of Fowls, written sometime between 1370 and 1380. This set the groundwork for Europeans to shape romantic ideas. Imagine the many European romantic stories that were generated as well as tragic operas about romances that could not flourish or be realized.
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Nuestra Voz Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. During the month of February, we celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways in the U.S. compared to Latin American countries. In the U.S. there is a celebration of partners and spouses with some acknowledgement of the romance they have and the special relationship they share. In many Latin American countries, they celebrate Valentine’s Day as not only a day to acknowledge the love of someone with whom they have a mutual primary relationship but they also honor and value friendships. The Spanish word for friendship is amistad. In Latin America, the idea is that love and friendship are important for the overall quality of life. Hence, both love and friendship should be honored and in Latin America they call Valentine’s Day “Día de Amor y Amistad.” The history concerning how Valentine’s Day originated is unclear. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a
The image of Cupid or the Greek god of love Eros is often presented as a naked cherub launching arrows of love at unsuspecting lovers. During the Hellenistic Period, Cupid was portrayed as a mischievous, chubby child and now is commonly seen on Valentine’s Day cards. As for the word “Valentine,” there are several stories about various persons with this name. The Catholic church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine, or Valentinus, who were martyred. One account involved Claudius II, who had decided that single men were better soldiers than those who had wives and families. Consequently, Saint Valentine of Terni, a Catholic bishop, was beheaded by Emperor Claudius II of Rome for performing marriages for young lovers in secret. The feast of Lupercalia was recognized as a day to celebrate fertility and was held on February 15. Lupercalia was dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as
St. Valentine’s Day to intentionally combine the holiday of Lupercalia with this new religious holiday of romance. In France and England, February 14 was observed to be the beginning of birds’ mating season. This added to the idea that Valentine’s Day is a day for romance. Given these European recollections of history, it is understandable that, in the U.S., Valentine’s Day is seen as a day to honor and value romance. In Latin America, the importance of having personal relationships extended the meaning of Valentine’s Day to include and be inclusive of honoring important relationships in one’s lives. Given this social norm, Valentine’s Day for countries in Latin America is better seen as honoring both romantic love as well as important friendships. Interestingly, in the mid 1980s, the state of California initiated a campaign called “Friends Can Be Good Medicine” that was based on the scientific research demonstrating social support and friendships enhance health and well-being. This campaign focused on various ethnic and LGBT+ communities in California. In San Francisco, AGUILAS will hold its February social event in recognition of the importance of love and friendship with the themes of Fiesta de Amor y Amistad as well as Carnival. The season of Carnival ends on the evening of March 1, 2022, since March 2, 2022 is Ash Wednesday. This social event will be held in the SF LGBT Center on Thursday evening, February 24,
from 6 pm to 8:30 pm with dinner and entertainment. This will allow the Latinx LGBTQ+ community to gather and celebrate love and friendship. At this social event, attendees can meet new friends while re-engaging with their social networks. HIV, SDI, and Hep C testing will be offered by AGUILAS’ partner and collaborator UCSF Alliance Health Project. Given the continued pandemic of COVID-19, all attendees will need to wear masks and show proof of COVID vaccination. Having a booster vaccination is also preferred to help create a safe and healthy environment for this celebration in accordance with the new SF Department of Health COVID-19 guidelines. You can register to attend the event at the AGUILAS website ( https://www.sfaguilas.org/ ) and Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/aguilas.elambiente/
Let’s celebrate this Día de Amor y Amistad with those whom you value in your life while also honoring a romantic love with someone special and important to you. Meanwhile, get ready for upcoming Carnival festivities! Eduardo Morales, PhD, is one of the founders of AGUILAS, where he serves as Executive Director. He is also a retired Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University and is the current Past President of the National Latinx Psychological Association.
CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, 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, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Darryl Pelletier, Morgan Shidler ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers. 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 © 2022 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas
Jacob Ittycheria Named Director of Community Engagement at Openhouse Jacob Ittycheria has been named Openhouse’s new Director of Mission Engagement, the department responsible for raising revenue and bringing resources to the organization. Ittycheria was most recently the Associate Director of Major Gifts at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, where he held a significant portfolio and produced community mini-documentaries that helped bring to life the stories of San Franciscans who are HIV positive and who have found health and solace in the programming and care of the foundation.
They include his “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C., which was coordinated by his aide Bayard Rustin, who was an out gay man.
He was also a successful fundraiser for AIDS LifeCycle, working out of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “We are thrilled to have Jacob join the Openhouse family,” said Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, Executive Director. “He has proven success at connecting donors and the mission of the organization, which is always a powerful way to invite individuals to invest in the good work the staff is doing.” Ittycheria shared, “My reason for coming to Openhouse was because I wanted to lift up and center the stories and life experiences of our community’s LGBTQ+ adults. Many LGBTQ+ older adults fought for equal rights and representation of our gay, queer, transgender, gender nonconforming/nonbinary members and my desire is to share their stories with the world. It is my hope to create a more inclusive, safe space that allows our seniors to thrive while allowing future generations to learn from their life experiences.”
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On January 17, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, visitors at the MLK Memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens read excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches inscribed on the walls behind the waterfall fountain in his memory. The voice of Dr. King is projected by speakers so that visitors also hear Dr. King’s words that were recorded live at historic events.
Jacob Ittycheria
Openhouse has a strong base of long-time donors, corporate, and foundation support. This, along with the support of the City of San Francisco, has made Openhouse the go-to organization for cultural humility training, LGBTQ specific programming, social services, housing, and now a day services program in coordination with On Lok for community members of greatest need.
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MLK Day Visitors at Yerba Buena Gardens
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GLBT Fortnight in Review Swimming Upstream Last issue, I deliberately avoided the story of Lia Thomas, the transwoman who swims for the Penn State women, because I found The Washington Post coverage unnerving. Thomas, the Post reports, “has shattered school records and has posted the fastest times of any female college swimmer in two events this season.” The Post continued: “Since she obliterated two school records and posted nation-leading times at a meet last month, Thomas has garnered attention from across the swimming community and rightwing media. Credentialed media at Saturday’s meet included Fox News, Newsweek, the Daily Mail and ESPN. Tennis icons Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have publicly said Thomas has no business competing in women’s swimming, as has Olympian Erika Brown ... .” Make no mistake, Thomas has been on female hormone treatment and testosterone blockers for two and half years, twice as long as required by the NCAA rules. Her times have declined by over five percent since she swam for the men’s team. Yet her times are still good enough to beat the women against whom she competes. Ironically, her only losses have come against a transgender man who has not started hormone treatments and who swims for the Yale women’s team. Of course, the right-wing media is ecstatic about this story. It’s a weapon in the hands of ant-GLBT lawmakers and conservative activists who are busily engaged in trashing the transgender community at every turn, particularly transgender
By Ann Rostow
women in high school and college sports who have been banned from competition in at least six states.
Thomas (like Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider) is in the latter category. Enough said.
And the reason I didn’t want to touch it last issue is because it doesn’t neatly fit my thoughts on the matter. I thought that a year of testosterone blockers was enough to even the playing field. I thought that the notion that transgender women are crushing cisgender female athletes was a myth based on stereotypes and bias.
Backwards Christian Soldiers
So, how come Lia is “posting nationleading times” and how come she beat the times set by two Olympians this year, including a three-second improvement over Olympian Brooke Ford’s time in the 500 meter freestyle? For that matter, how did that Yale transman manage to beat her despite never having hormone therapy himself? That doesn’t quite fit my layman’s understanding of hormones and gender. And that’s part of the problem. The interplay between hormones and gender, the effect of testosterone, the impact of puberty—none of this can be reduced to a simple policy or pronouncement or regulation for women’s sports. It’s too complicated for a layman, and that means it’s too complicated for conservative lawmakers, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and yours truly. Further, Lia Thomas is clearly a phenomenal athlete. As one of my informal consultants on this story pointed out, Penn is not a top-ranked swim school, so it’s not surprising that an exceptional swimmer would lead the team. Do transwomen have to be mediocre in sports in order to fit our political narratives? Obviously, many transgender women will be great and some will be extraordinary. Lia
Earlier this month, the High Court heard arguments in an interesting First Amendment case, one that affects our community only because, um, because every High Court First Amendment case affects our community. This one involves the three flagpoles outside Boston City Hall: The first flies the stars and stripes. The second flies the State of Massachusetts flag. And the third usually flies the flag of Boston. The Boston flag is often switched out for other flags, the rainbow flag for Pride, a flag for Juneteenth, and so forth. But Boston has refused to fly a Christian flag with a white cross for a faith group called Camp Constitution because the religious image would breach the wall between church and state. Camp Constitution sued, claiming the city was discriminating, given that Boston had said yes to every flag request in the past, some 284 different banners. These, however, were not religious-based, and as such, Boston won its case before the lower court as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. And it does seem on the surface as if Boston is within its rights. According to the Constitution, the government may not endorse a particular religion, and sticking a crusader cross on the city flagpole looks like an official thumbs up from the government. Plus, doesn’t Boston have the right to pick and choose what goes up in front of City Hall? Surely the city doesn’t have to fly a swastika, right?
Well, that’s the question. If Boston has allowed its third flagpole to become a public forum rather than a government signpost, it may have forfeited its ownership. When the state creates a public forum, it is not allowed to discriminate between opposing viewpoints. I think it was a city hall somewhere in Florida a few years back that was designated a public forum (I forget why) and was obliged to allow a “religious” display from the Pastafarians featuring a pile of cooked spaghetti on a folding chair. In theory, Boston might be forced into a similar dilemma, although I’m not sure if there isn’t a loophole that would save them from hoisting a Nazi flag. I can’t quite see how Boston would not maintain its right to decide what flag to fly on a pole that a) sits next to the U.S. and state flags, b) is often flying the City of Boston flag, and c) is right in front of frigging City Hall. If you’re an average citizen, or passerby, or just anyone who hasn’t seen those 284 flags-for-a-day, wouldn’t you assume the third pole is delivering government-approved speech? If so, and that is indubitably so, then Boston has not created a public forum. I’m following the case, however, because with this Court, who the heck knows what they’ll do? They may see a Christian flag and their eyes might glaze over. We’ll see later this year. Don’t Look Up I may have said this before, and it has nothing to do with GLBT news, but I am annoyed by click bait headlines that tell us a massive asteroid is heading towards Earth, let’s say, next Tuesday. These are not dangerous scenarios. The asteroids have been tracked for months or years,
and are not coming anywhere close to actually hitting us. And yet, I have recently read: “Large asteroid stronger than nuke heading towards Earth late January,” “Potentially hazardous asteroid set to zoom by Earth,” and similar absurd warnings. Now it seems the danger has passed, because I just saw, “Massive asteroid zooms safely past Earth,” as if there was ever a doubt about its trajectory. Sure enough, I see that this particular space rock has been tracked since 1994 and it was over a million miles away, or four times the distance between us and the moon. In other non-gay news, you should know that a female “blanket octopus” can grow to six feet, while a male of the species measures about two centimeters, the size of a thumbtack. These rare octopuses feature the largest gender gap in these terms in the animal kingdom, I read in The Guardian. The males die after procreating, which isn’t surprising if you think about it. At any rate, I think we can all agree that it would be better to be a gay blanket octopus than a straight one. And finally, in additional unrelated news, a study in the Journal of Nature Products (whatever that is) says some of the compounds in cannabis may prevent the entry of the coronavirus into human cells. I know! That’s Not So Gay Returning to our core subject, I was reading about the state legislature in South Carolina, where conservatives were rubbing their hands together at the prospect of passing a law that allowed medical practitioners to decline treatment based on their conscience.
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Upside Down Pyramid? chorus in its then 33 years. This is different from the Board Chair. The Board Chair leads the business side; the President, the membership. Once we started, we didn’t look back. We didn’t always get it right, but it remained a core belief.
TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation Dr. Tim Seelig January 9, 2011, was my first rehearsal as the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. The ensuing eleven years have flown by. It was a Sunday afternoon. We met at the First Unitarian Universalist Church and Conference Center. That name and acronym were enough to let me know I wasn’t in Texas anymore. Where I came from, church names were simpler like 1st Baptist, 2nd Baptist, etc. 2nd Baptist had broken away from 1st Baptist over some issue such as alcohol, money, or women wearing pants. Then came Bethany, Grace, and Hope. It would be much later when churches began to use “Daybridge,” “Destiny,” and “Elevate” for church names! I digress. As I entered the church that afternoon, I had a feeling something big was happening—as if my entire life had brought me to that moment. I had no idea how big that something was going to be! The next eleven years would bring huge and exciting developments with the chorus. The public-facing strides have been amazing, from the Lavender Pen Tour, Gay Chorus Deep South documentary, the Artists Portal at the National AIDS Memorial Grove, and the Chan Queer Arts Center. The chorus also commissioned works from all the great composers of our day. But that is not the whole story. Seeing the chorus perform is one amazing thing. But we are also a family. Have you ever wondered how it functions on the membership level? Spectacular concerts are just the sausages you get to see, not the way they are made. I’m going to pull back the curtain a bit so you can see half of the sausage factory: the membership side. When I headed for California, I packed a number of things I thought would be needed and I hoped would transfer out here. I left my cowboy boots behind. I packed a sense of humor, excited anticipation, a dog (or three), humility, and a concept I had embraced in my last years in Dallas called Servant Leadership. It was quite the topic in Dallas as one of its most notorious adoptees was the CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher. He took being a CEO to new “heights” as he literally worked in every level of the company doing every job from luggage handler to flight attendant in order to know how they did their job and felt about it. This was long before the TV series Undercover Boss. This and the hot pants and go-go boots built the successful company it is today. Upon my arrival, the chorus leadership immediately began discussing the concept of Servant Leadership— turning the traditional organizational pyramid upside down rather than top down. We began to discuss how we could incorporate that concept in a nonprofit, LGBTQIA+ arts organization. Some of the rungs of the pyramid needed help, specifically the organization within the chorus membership. Within the first eight months, we birthed a brand-new concept to SFGMC: Leadership Team with the Chorus’ first ever President in the 12
How did the inverted pyramid work for SFGMC? What did it look like? The Artistic Director and Executive Director were no longer at the top, but the bottom. It was our task to listen to all the rungs above us, learn from them, and support them in every way possible. The most important and radical change came in the 2nd layer: the singers. We knew we could not grow with only a few people running the ship. We would need help!
various capacities on committees, task forces, ensembles, etc. In the last decade, we’ve been busy building an internal structure that would improve the life of the chorus and those singing in it. Level 2B has added the Leadership Team (from the chorus and for the chorus). And there is the Member Engagement Team (responsible for satisfaction within the chorus), RHYTHM (Reaching Youth Through Music), Homophonics (a cappella ensemble), Volley Awards (honoring members for service), Ryan’s Fund—formerly Financial Assistance Network (pro-
Layer 2 The 2nd layer is the singers! They are the lifeblood of the organization. Let’s be clear again. Without the singers, there would be no need for any other layers—above or below— and the pyramid would simply crumble in on itself. But there needed to be another layer made up of singers who did even more. Layer 2 is divided into 2 sub-layers. All are volunteers, of course. They volunteer hundreds of hours, pay monthly dues, and pay for their own travel, wardrobe, etc. This commitment is huge in and of itself. The singer layer includes those who stepped up to something “extra” in the performance area. These include performing at outreach events, soloists, dancers, ensembles, narrators, stage crew, wardrobe, and on and on. The level of volunteerism required to create world-class performances is staggering. Most shows such as ours hire an army of professionals. Ours remain at least 95% volunteer. Of course, it is difficult to “do more.” But they do it with incredible talent, amazing ease and depth of passion. But, we still needed more help as we grew. Layer 2b Eleven years ago, the responsibility for running the chorus was entrusted to a fairly small group of people— mostly the board of directors. As we began to grow fairly quickly, in order for there to be a functioning chorus, the 2B level of the pyramid simply had to develop. We began expanding that layer; we’ll call them organized worker bees. We needed a volunteer force made up of singers, groups, and committees to enable the organization to run smoothly to make the singer experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. Today, that layer now numbers well over half of the average 275 singers who serve in
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Layer 5 This layer consists of the executive staff of SFGMC—all two of us. They are Executive Director Chris Verdugo and me, the Artistic Director. We are work husbands with all the rights thereunto appertaining. Chris takes care of the administrative functions and I the artistic. I am 100% clear that it is an unbelievable gift from the universe that Chris and I get to rest at the bottom of the SFGMC pyramid. I know I speak for Chris in expressing how grateful we are. As equal partners, Chris and I have learned amazing things about ourselves through this process. We continue to learn how to swim in different lanes while working as a team. One of the things we share that has been invaluable is the propensity to always say “yes” and figure out the rest. There is no question that this has been a huge part of where we are today. Chris has done his best to teach me patience, coining the phrase early on: “Patience, Grasshopper.”
Layer 1 (the top) The top and largest layer by far is made up of all the people we touch across the world—now in the hundreds of thousands: friends, families, fans, etc. (and, of late, a few detractors!). Our reach is now worldwide and will continue to grow exponentially with increased internet presence. This remains part of our overarching goal: to make a difference in as many people’s lives as we can. SFGMC TV and Zoom videos have accelerated that promise during the pandemic. Our goal is to serve them in all the ways our mission statement sets forth. To be clear, without this top layer, there is no reason for the other layers below it to exist.
is no way to thank each of them individually—but they are always grateful when you do!
vides scholarship fund for singers’ expenses), Easy Bake Coven (bake sales), Forte (coordinates social activities), Member mediators (ensure internal peace), Queers in Recovery, Hot Mess Tickettes (internal ticket sales), Urban Hikes, Building Committee (for our new building at 170 Valencia), ENCORE (alumni organization), and more. We created an entire virtual world for the chorus during the pandemic with Chorus Conversations, SFGMC TV, Virtual Showcases, and online community building activities. And, of course, our incredible Medical Team was created to guide us through the last two years and now our energetic and purposeful DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiative. Volunteerism in this chorus— over and above singing—is a model for all choruses across the country. Layer 3 The next level of support is our amazing board. They literally keep the lights on! There has been a huge transformation of the board. Under Executive Director Chris Verdugo’s leadership, the board has moved from a working board, moving chairs and providing water backstage, to a group that now manages a multi-million-dollar budget and a $10m building and arts center! They do their job phenomenally: keeping us fiscally sound, hiring executive staff, managing the strategy behind the machine, and upholding our mission statement. With their undergirding, we are able not just to function, but also to soar. At their very core is the desire to serve those in the rungs above them. The Chair of the Board and the President of the Chorus work in absolute lockstep with each other. Layer 4 Near the bottom of the service pyramid are the paid and unpaid staff. This group of people believes so passionately in what we do that they sacrifice countless hours, giving up personal time, loving every moment and everyone in the beautiful rungs of the pyramid above them. Our staff is small for an organization this size, but everyone just loves what they do so much that it works. There
Just as Chris and the Board Chair shepherd the administrative side of the organization, I and the Chorus President do the same for the artistic/membership side. We can’t imagine how it worked without this structure and organization.
As I look back and ponder this beautiful thing called SFGMC and the astounding successes, my mind boggles at the coordinated effort that it took. My heart, however, is not boggled at all. I know what love and passion can create. There is the whole membership sausage. I may have missed some of it, but you get the picture. The next time you attend a concert or see the chorus around the Bay Area or online, I hope you’ll see the upsidedown pyramid behind those beautiful faces and glorious voices of the singers. And, while you’re listening, relish your position at the very top! In the sometimes completely overwhelming days of our work, we need only look up at the massive pyramid above us. We look up and see you. Looking up at the massive organization above is like looking directly into the sun. It is almost blinding in its power and magnificence. But it brightens and warms us and reminds us of the light we are creating together. Our jobs are so much easier when we remind ourselves of the beautiful, wonderful people we are allowed to serve. Again, YOU. Recent Birthday Wish My secret wish is not a secret. It did take me awhile to blow out 71 candles. When I got my wind back, I made my wish. My wish is to do all the magical things we do together— sing, laugh, and love—for the next six months. And I snuck in a second wish: for the chorus to continue to soar long after I put my cowboy boots back on August 1. Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
By Donna Sachet
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“United we stand; divided they catch us one by one.” – José Sarria
he Imperial Court of San Francisco welcomes you to the month of February and a return to in-person events celebrating over 50 years of charitable fundraising, exciting community events, and leadership development. This column is your source for all these upcoming events, the people around whom they center, and how you can become involved.
For the past nine months or so, Reigning Emperor Mr. David Glamamore & Reigning Empress Juanita MORE! have represented the Imperial Court, hosting numerous events and fundraisers, continuing and enhancing various title contests, and generally honoring the dream of Our Beloved Founder José Sarria, all while facing the continuing challenges of the COVID pandemic. On Saturday, February 26, their reign will officially end and a new Emperor & Empress will be crowned at Imperial Coronation 57: Family is Universal at Midway SF, 900 Marin Street, starting at 6 pm. If you’ve never attended such an event, here is your opportunity to see what it is all about, from elaborate costumes and stunning jewelry to traditional pageantry, exciting entertainment, and the presentation of funds raised over the past year to various charitable organizations. Typically attended by hundreds of people, including local and State elected officials, San Francisco Imperial Coronation will leave you agape with fantastic splendor. It is hard to believe that this formal ceremony has been happening for over 50 years, that each year the San Francisco public elects a new Emperor & Empress, and that never have we been without candidates, nor has any Emperor or Empress served more than one reign. Quite a record! Surrounding this primary event are many others that will be listed in our calendar in this column with details as they become available. The most immediate event is Voting Day on Saturday, February 19, with polling locations at Harvey Milk Plaza, noon–6 pm, The Cinch, 11 am–4 pm, and Powerhouse, 1–5 pm. You must prove residency in the County of San Francisco, Marin, or San Mateo in order to vote. Over the years, there have been as many as eight candidates for Emperor and six for Empress, but this year a single candidate is seeking each title, Brent Marek for Emperor and Ehra Amaya for Empress. Both must fulfill all the requirements to be elected, including fundraising events, professional behavior during the campaign, and attendance at all prescribed events; and they will be out and about over the next three weeks asking for your vote. Get to know them, ask them pertinent questions, and be sure to vote on February 19! The week of Imperial Coronation, the Reigning Monarchs host the In-Town Show & Awards on Wednesday, February 23, 6–9 pm, when local performers will entertain and various awards will be presented to those who have actively supported this year’s reign. Emperor XXVIII, A.N., John Carrillo and Absolute Empress XLIX Misty Blue host the Anniversary Monarchs’ Reception on Thursday, February 24, 7–8:30 pm. And on Friday, February 25, 6–9 pm, there will be the Out-of-Town Show, featuring performances by titleholders visiting San Francisco for the glamorous weekend. This is often a highlight of the week as we get a glimpse at talent ranging from Alaska to Hawaii and New York to Idaho. The International Court System has nearly 70 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and many will be converging on our kingdom, attending Court events, enjoying the local sights and scenes, and adding considerably to our nightlife. Even after the new Monarchs have been crowned with all the pomp and circumstances for which we are known, there is one more event not to be missed. On Sunday, February 27, we head to Colma at the crack of dawn for the Annual Pilgrimage to Woodlawn Cemetery where José Sarria and Emperor Joshua Norton are interred. This is an event unique to San Francisco, when hundreds of Court members and others assemble for a rousing ceremony, started by the Emperors of San Francisco and hosted with wit and personality by José himself for decades. There will be spirited music from the Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, ecumenical remarks from members of the Night Ministry, comments and humor from the emcees, and traditional formal ceremonies. It is the perfect way to end a dizzying circuit of events. We hope to see you at many of these Imperial functions.
Sunday, February 20 14th Annual Earthquake Party Hosted by Absolute Empress XLI Galilea Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, 133 Turk Street 4–7 pm Free! Wednesday, February 23 In-Town Show & Awards Blackbird Bar, 2124 Market Street 6–9 pm Free! Thursday, February 24 Anniversary Monarchs’ Reception Ha-Ra Club, 875 Geary Street 7–8:30 pm Free! Friday, February 25 Out-of-Town Show The Cat Club, 1190 Folsom Street 6–9 pm $25 cover Saturday, February 26 Imperial Coronation 57: Family is Universal The Midway SF, 900 Marin Street 6 pm $85 each Sunday, February 27 Annual Cemetery Pilgrimage Woodlawn Cemetery, Colma 8–10 am Free! Sunday, February 27 Victory Brunch Hyatt Park Central, 50 Third Street 11:30 am–1:30 pm Price TBD Sunday, February 27 Hawaii, Alaska & Texas Party Detour, 2200A Market Street 3–6 pm Free!
PHOTO BY RINK
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
Saturday, February 19 Voting Day for Emperor & Empress Brent Marek for Emperor and Ehra Amaya for Empress Harvey Milk Plaza, noon–6 pm The Cinch, 1273 Polk Street, 11 am–4 pm Powerhouse, 1–5 pm Proof of residency required to vote Free!
Empress Donna Sachet performed “Skyfall” at the James Bond-themed 2015 Imperial Coronation held at the San Francisco Gift Center. PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
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JUSTER (continued from page 4) A survivor of both hemophilia and AIDS, Bias became co-chairman of the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Blood Safety Working Group and encouraged the Federal Drug Administration to mandate testing on all blood donations.
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.”
John Cunningham, CEO of the National AIDS Memorial, said of Bias: “Occasionally, there are people who enter our lives who are transformative in spirit, heart, and action. Val was one of those people. His commitment in creating the Hemophilia Memorial Circle within the National AIDS Memorial Grove brought our two communities together to bring hope, healing, and remembrance, ensuring that the painful story of the hemophilia community and AIDS is forever known.” A Val Bias Memorial Fund has been established at the National AIDS Memorial, and a celebration of his life is planned for this spring in the Hemophilia Memorial Circle in the Grove. Bias was filmed as part of the National AIDS Memorial Surviving Voices mini-documentary, The National Hemophilia Community & AIDS. https://youtu.be/oDjEpg0Vj4M
© Randy Coleman, 2022
SF Sketch Randy Coleman
@JeopardAmy Wins Hearts and Minds If you haven’t been watching Jeopardy! for the past few weeks, you’ve missed a dazzling and historic winning streak by Oakland resident Amy Schneider, a trans woman who as of this writing is the second-most winning contestant in Jeopardy! history. She is not only piling up impressive winnings on the show, but also winning hearts and minds with her witty, charmingly down-to-earth posts on Twitter as @JeopardAmy. Go, Amy, go! Election Season Is Here: Do You Know Where to Vote? San Franciscans are facing a dizzying array of elections this year. The first one is the Consolidated Special Municipal Election on February 15. Ballots have already been mailed out—have you received yours? And do you know how to submit your ballot so your vote is counted? You can vote by mail (and track your ballot online). You can vote in person at your designated polling place on Election Day, or at the City Hall Voting Center until February 15. And new this year! You can drop off your ballot at one of the 34 official ballot drop boxes that are popping in neighborhoods across the city. The boxes bear the official seal of the City and County of San Francisco, and are clearly marked “Official Ballot Drop Box.” Still have more questions? Call (415) 554-4375, or visit www.sfelections.org But the important thing is: VOTE! Stay Safe! I know it’s hard, folks, and this pandemic seems to be dragging on and on, but PLEASE hang in there and stick to the safety protocols. Wear your N95, wash your hands, and keep your distance. If we all do our part, it will, eventually, get better for all of us. Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally. TYLER TERMEER (continued from page 5) Relationships: To have the greatest impact, any organization needs strong relationships. I’m really looking forward to getting out in the Bay Area to meet SFAF’s community members, community partners, and supporters and to continue to build upon and enhance those relationships in support of those we serve, especially among BIPOC communities, people over 50 living with HIV, and in support of drug user health. San Francisco Bay Times: Have you ever lived in the Bay Area before? Dr. Tyler TerMeer: I’ve never lived in the Bay Area before, but have visited frequently over the years. Most of my time in the Bay Area has coincided with more than a decade of participation in AIDS/ LifeCycle, as both a rider and roadie captain, which benefits the SFAF and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. San Francisco Bay Times: What do you think will be unique about your work here versus your prior extensive experience at Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health? Dr. Tyler TerMeer: Much of my experience at the Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health provides a solid foundation for the amazing work already being provided by SFAF in the Bay Area. As organizations that have been responding to the HIV epidemic in the communities we serve for nearly 40 years, both CAP and SFAF have had to be nimble, have transformed as the epidemic has evolved, and been responsive to community need. One area that will be unique about my work in the Bay Area versus my experience over the last 7.5 years in the Pacific Northwest will be in SFAF’s priority to maintain, expand, and pilot substance use services, syringe access, and overdose prevention efforts, including establishing safer injection sites. While my time and work at CAP have supported these efforts from a public pol14
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ROSTOW (continued from page 11) icy stance as well as in community partnership to offer collaborative HIV and STI prevention, I have not directly worked for an organization providing this scope of work in support of drug user health. I’m looking forward to being briefed on this scope of work and policy efforts upon my arrival to SFAF. San Francisco Bay Times: How do you believe that your personal experiences being openly HIV positive and a person of color help to inform your work? Dr. Tyler TerMeer: In my personal and professional journey it has been incredibly important for me to find community. Now, each of us defines community differently, and in this instance, I am referring to community as a group of people or spaces where lived experiences and contributions are honored. In my nearly 18 years living with HIV, it has been unbelievably rewarding for me to cultivate and find this community of practice. I know that my current positionality in the world has been made possible because of the fight for life, access, and dignity. It is possible because of the decades of people living with and affected by HIV, who dating back to the Denver Principles in 1983 demanded meaningful involvement of people with AIDS in this movement. It is possible because generations of Black people before me fought for our rights and our/my place at the table. This is a historic moment for SFAF and for the communities to which I belong. I’m both incredibly honored to be offered this opportunity and proud to be taking the helm of an organization with such a powerful history of impact and future of justice. https://www.sfaf.org/
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We’ve seen similar laws debated and passed. In Ohio, for example, a law passed last year gives “a medical practitioner, health care institution, or health care payer ... the freedom to decline to perform, participate in, or pay for any health care service which violates the practitioner’s, institution’s, or payer’s conscience as informed by the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or principles held by the practitioner, institution, or payer.” There’s another one just enacted in Arkansas, and there are other variations on the theme. But just as our nemeses were poised to hit their voting buttons, someone realized that this same law could easily be used to protect medical personnel and clinics that refuse to treat unvaccinated patients. Ooops. The bill is shelved for now. “I want to make sure what we’re passing isn’t codifying what we’re railing against on the other side,” co-sponsor Senator Shane Martin told the Charleston Post and Courier. I’ve lost track of the other Republican state legislatures and the dozens of antigay and anti-democratic measures they continue to promote. I see that both the Florida house and senate, for example, are working on a bill to snuff out any discussion of GLBT issues in school. And who knows what else is going on? Meanwhile, my “gay” search results are overwhelmed by news that the Chief’s linebacker, Willie Gay, had a fight with his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child. He threw a vacuum cleaner across the room and got thrown in jail for a misdemeanor criminal damage. Of course he stayed on the team for the playoff game last week, which I can’t complain about since I’m a Chiefs fan. Oh, I am just kidding, for God’s sake. That kind of domestic violence, particularly against the mother of a fragile child who was born prematurely and is on oxygen, is reprehensible. And if it were up to me, he’d be sidelined. That said, did any of you see that Chiefs Bills game? Oh. My. God. Paging Hercule Poirot Like everyone else, I’m a fan of Wordle, although unlike some others, I could spend hours on word games anyway so this is not surprising. I just tried “Queerdle,” which is a seven-letter Wordle-type game with a GLBT edge. The game I just played, for example, produced “STRAPON,” which I got in five, thank you very much. I won’t be playing it as a rule, because the thing I like about Wordle is that you can only play it once a day. This saves me from squandering an hour or so on repeated Wordles that I know I am capable of doing. And in other random gay news, the GLBT party host, Atlantic Events, just set sail on a week-long Caribbean cruise for 4,700 people, in the middle of Omicron! Really guys? “It’s time to start living our lives again and vaccines and tests allow us to do that. This isn’t Covid 2020,” cruiser Andre Mayer told The New York Times. “This is going to be the wildest party for our community in two years. I’m talking dirty dancing, sex, drugs, raves, orgies and sweet, sweet freedom.” The cruise, nicknamed “Omicron of the Seas,” has already led to one fatality, which was due to cardiac arrest. It followed a smaller gay cruise, with 2,200 passengers, as well a zillion straight cruises, give or take a few. As the Times article pointed out, getting Covid on a cruise ship is not a relaxing spell on the balcony with a blanket over your lap and a few sniffles. You’re likely to be quarantined in a lower cabin with cold food, not to mention that fact that just because Covid 2022 is no longer lifethreatening for vaccinated patients, it’s still no walk in the park. More like one of the worst flus you have ever had with the possibility of long-term side effects and (I just read) the potential loss of male fertility. I think the cruise will be back from the party by the time this issue goes to press, so by all means google it for the latest information. And finally, how about those 49ers! arostow@aol.com
Michelle Alyssa Go Remembered During Candlelight Vigil
Photos by Rink
East Bay native Michelle Alyssa Go (1981–2022) was killed in New York City on January 15 when she was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train at the Times Square Station. A candlelight vigil in her memory, organized by the organization Asians Fighting Injustice, was held in San Francisco on January 18 at Portsmouth Square. In addition to friends, colleagues, and the family of Go, numerous prominent members of the Asian American community attended the vigil, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, City Attorney David Chiu, former U.S. Ambassador Curtis S. Chin, and anti-violence advocate Mary Tung. Other vigils were held in cities such as Fremont and NYC at Times Square. All called for an end to AAPI hate, which has been on the rise nationally. Go’s loss has been deeply felt, in part due to her lifelong dedication to volunteerism, such as helping low-income individuals. https://www.afihq.org/
Two Stylish Crossover Hybrids Range anxiety is less of an issue as many current EVs, pricey as they can be, will go as far as their owners need to on a daily basis.
Auto Philip Ruth The days of the internal-combustion engine are numbered, as more manufacturers roll out aggressive timelines to go all-electric. Even General Motors, which not long ago was a green pariah for killing the electric car, has pledged an all-electric fleet by model year 2035. That’s only 13 years from now, and it assumes that a charging infrastructure will be firmly in place by then.
For those not ready to fully jump into this electrified future, the answer can lie in a gas-electric hybrid, which has come a long way from the earliest Priuses and Insights. I’d groan a bit when a hybrid came for review, as its responses were generally slow and syrupy. Now, more than two decades on, gas-electric hybrids are our welldeveloped ushers into the unfolding electric era. This week’s test subjects, the Toyota RAV4 Limited AWD and Hyundai Tucson Limited Hybrid AWD, exemplify the state of gas-electric art— mainly because their performance is smooth and powerful enough to make you forget you’re saving fuel. While more expensive than their gasonly brethren, these hybrids would seem to make good financial sense. These numbers have been crunched almost identically by both companies, as less than $100 separates their
sticker prices. Using the Hyundai for an example, the hybrid adds only $1,150 to the gasser’s $36,350 bottom line, while it increases overall EPA mpg from 26 to 37 mpg. At our recent pump prices of five dollars per gallon, it wouldn’t take long to amortize the added electricity.
ota’s CVT. This gives the Hyundai an almost muscular vibe when heading up and down San Francisco’s hills, while the RAV4 is perky enough but has a softer response.
Both are also available in plugin versions that have significantly more power along with electric-only ranges for exhaust-free errand running. Prices for the plug-ins increase to the $42,000 tier as they move you closer to an all-electric experience.
On the other hand, the RAV4 felt a bit plusher and quieter than the Tucson, with its ensconcing front seats and expansive roominess. Mad props to the Hyundai, however, for its interior trim, which looks chic and modern enough to be lifted from a luxury car designed five years from now.
Though they spec out closely to each other, the Tucson and RAV4 hybrids have very different feels behind their wheels. For drivers who like decisive performance, the Hyundai has two advantages. First, it has more lowend torque—258 lb.-ft. of it, which is all available at a low 1,500 rpm. By contrast, the Toyota twists out 163 lb.-ft. up at 3,600 rpm. Second, the Hyundai translates that torque to the wheels via a six-speed geared transmission, versus the Toy-
Toyota RAV4 Limited AWD
Outside, they both make bold statements with Hyundai Tucson Limited Hybrid AWD dramatically-contoured sheet metal. This is icing on the cake for these two stylish and sensible crossovers. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Jewelle Gomez
Culture in the Quiet
Steven Riel Brandi Carlile
Leave Signs
One of the winners of the Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ poetry contest is Steven Riel. In his new collection, Edgemere, he writes poignantly of the 5th grade despair of an obvious sissy, as well as tender moments like sending a letter to heaven to find a dead brother. His poems speak of life with affection as well as melancholy. R.B. Lemberg’s speculative fiction novel The Four Profound Weaves is a wondrous story where gender is no fixed little box and weaving holds the history and methods of change upon which Lemberg’s desert world is built. If a page could project colors, Lemberg’s book would be a multi-tiled rainbow spilling off the page.
Amber Midthunder
Staying in the historical (if not accurate) mood, I streamed episodes of Deadwood so I could watch Robin Weigert bring Calamity Jane to life as the lesbian I always imagined!
Calamity Jane
The Bay Area has been extraordinarily quiet during this pandemic, yet the sound of arts and culture is everywhere.
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE
But the quiet of lockdown isn’t all TV. Many books kept me engaged and excited. Stephanie Andrea Allen’s speculative fiction collection How to Dispatch a Human: Stories and Suggestions is never predictable. There’s a chilling, futuristic tale of a partner who engages the home security entity to help her steal her lover’s baby. Then the title story told from the perspective of a lesbian’s cat is super real and, at the same time, surrealistic.
PHOTO BY C.E. FINN/WIKIPEDIA
As a femme lesbian who falls for any woman driving a big rig, I’ll send a shout out to Amber Midthunder (Ft. Peck /Sioux) as the driver of a semi-tractor trailer truck in Ice Road with Liam Neeson. Also streaming is The Harder They Fall (frontier violence alert), a visual feast featuring every Black cowboy/girl you’ve ever heard of. It even ends with a lesbian kiss, providing a small sweet sigh.
PHOTO BY ANDY WITCHGER/WIKIPEDIA
I remember my grandparents’ first television set; stations broadcast only during certain hours. When channels went off at the end of the day, a test pattern was broadcast, kind of like a screensaver. Oddly enough, it featured the image of a Native American, about the only one I ever saw except those slaughtered by John Wayne. Now, of course, the device never goes off. But at least there are finally a few real Native Americans on the screen. Reservation Dogs is my favorite.
PHOTO BY JAMISON WEXLER
Jewelle Gomez
Singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile has innumerable Grammy nominations for her “Americana” style (okay, Americana is kind of Country). She is out in the most difficult genre to be a lesbian, next to Hip Hop. The exquisite k.d. lang broke that still bumpy ground twenty years ago. Carlile’s memoir, Broken Horses, examines the class and race issues that shaped her as a person and activist. I have a playlist that alternates Carlile and lang that can keep me ecstatic for hours.
QUEER POP QUIZ
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
BLACK HISTORY MONTH The precursor to Black History Month was created in the U.S. in 1926 by this historian: A) Carter G. Woodson B) Stephen L. Carter C) Angela Davis D) Claude M. Steele S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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The Book of Casey Adair We then formed a line along the fence and across the driveway. At first things were low-key, especially compared to the demonstration you and I went to in Madrid. We walked back and forth with our signs (“Living With AIDS, Dying from Our Mayor” in English and Spanish; a photo of Mayor Koch with the words, “I’d Fight AIDS If I Only Had a Heart”). One guy took about half a dozen pairs of handcuffs out of his backpack. He cuffed himself to the metal gate, and urged others to do the same. The only thing that I was thinking was, “I have to do something.” I grabbed one of the handcuffs and locked myself.
Words Michele Karlsberg Michele Karlsberg: Readers of all persuasions will relate to the f lawed and deeply human characters in The Book of Casey Adair by Ken Harvey. With its themes of how we confront both authoritarianism and a pandemic, the novel may take place four decades ago, but it is painfully relevant now more than ever. Please enjoy an excerpt from The Book of Casey Adair: From Casey in Boston to Gustavo in Madrid December 9, 1984 Dear Gustavo, I must be violating every rule of etiquette by writing to you for the second time out-of-turn, but I’m feeling such a connection with you right now that it’s impossible to keep quiet. Yesterday morning I was released from a New York City jail. I was arrested at a demonstration held in front of the New York City mayor’s mansion to protest the lack of response to the AIDS crisis. Right before the demonstration, one of the leaders briefed us on some rules for non-violent protest. He told people to put away their umbrellas, because if the police came, anything we held would be seen as a weapon.
I didn’t think about being arrested until I was attached to the fence, and I realized that without keys, the cops would have to come and remove us, which is exactly what they did. I lay limp, not resisting, but not helping either. They cut my handcuffs off only to slap another pair on me.
While I was in jail, I thought of you a lot, Gustavo. I thought of you bloodied as they carried you away during the demonstration you organized in Madrid. I thought about how you lost your vision in one eye while protesting the attempted coup. Your courage anchored me this weekend. I thank you for that. Time to sign off. I promise I won’t write you any more letters until you write me back. Hugs from your friend, Casey Ken Harvey’s work has been published in over twenty literary magazines. His book of short stories, “If
Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin This book is both a candid personal essay about the author’s quest for community and companionship in gay bars (some in San Francisco!) and an erudite examination of the gay bar as a social institution. Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit This series of essays examines George Orwell’s love of roses from a multiplicity of angles. Be prepared to learn about the history of the flower, the great author himself, where your supermarket roses come from, and a lot more. https://www.fabulosabooks.com/
Memorial (fiction) by Bryan Washington Recently released in paperback is this quietly stunning book that details the small moments of a relationship during a personal pivotal time. Benson and Mike live together in Houston. Mike is a Japanese American chef and Benson is a Black daycare worker. Although they’ve been together for a few good years, they’re beginning to question their coupledom at a most inopportune time. Lost and Found (memoir) by Kathryn Schulz Eighteen months before journalist Kathryn Schulz’s beloved father died, she met the woman she would marry. In Lost and Found, she weaves the stories of those relationships into a dazzling exploration of how all our lives are shaped by loss and discovery. This heartwarming real life account will resonate with everyone. Upcoming Events Tuesday, February 1 @ 5:30 pm (live-online event) Weike Wang, author of Joan Is Okay, with May-lee Chai
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You Were With Me, Everything Would Be All Right,” won the Violet Quill Award for Best Gay Fiction of the Year and was named one of the “twenty books of note” by the Lambda Literary Review. The book was also translated into Italian and received enthusiastic reviews in Italy. His memoir, “A Passionate Engagement,” was honored by the American Library Association as a Rainbow Book.
For more information: https://www.kenharvey.net Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 33 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE
Fiona and Jane (short stories) by Jane Chen Ho A witty, warm, and irreverent book of stories that follows the lives of two young Taiwanese American women as they navigate friendship, sexuality, identity, and family dynamics over a two-decade period. Beyond their school and family life, Fiona and Jane explore their city of Los Angeles together, and are often there for each other as they experience romance and heartache. Told in alternating voices, Jean Chen Ho’s unique and impressive debut collection shines a light on female friendship in all its intensity and glory.
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Gordo by Jaime Cortez Set in and around a farm labor camp outside Watsonville in the 1970s, the stories comprising Gordo are at once moving, funny, peculiar, and utterly charming. Think Steinbeck with a queer and Latinx twist.
I ended up in a jail cell with some of the other guys from the demonstration. Between the paperwork and it being a busy Saturday night, we weren’t released until this morning, but only after we were formally charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing. I took the next train out of New York to Boston. I’m writing you this letter as we pass Hartford, Connecticut. My court date isn’t until January, but our lawyer thinks we can come to some agreement before then.
Top of your stack
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Lit Snax
Kick off Lunar New Year with this timely and special event. Joan is a thirtysomething ICU doctor at a busy New York City hospital. The daughter of Chinese parents who came to the U.S. to secure the American dream for their children, Joan is intensely devoted to her work, happily solitary, successful. When Joan’s father suddenly dies and her mother returns to America from China to reconnect with her children, a series of events sends Joan spiraling out of her comfort zone just as her hospital, her city, and the world are forced to reckon with a health crisis more devastating than anyone could have imagined. Weike Wang is the author of “Chemistry” and the just released novel, “Joan Is OK.” She is the recipient of the 2018 Pen Hemingway, a Whiting award, and a National Book Foundation 5 under 35. Her work has appeared in “Glimmer Train” and “The New Yorker,” among other publications. Tuesday, February 15 @ 5:30 pm (live-online event) Shayda Kafai author of Crip Kinship, with Patty Berne Crip Kinship explores the art activism of Sins Invalid, a San Francisco Bay Area-based performance project, and its radical imaginings of what disabled, queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming bodyminds of color can do: how they can rewrite oppression, and how they can gift us with transformational lessons for our collective survival. Shayda Kafai (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in the Ethnic and Women’s Studies department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. As a queer, disabled, Mad femme of color, she commits to practicing the many ways we can reclaim our bodyminds from systems of oppression. To support this work as an educator-scholar, Shayda applies disability justice and collective care practices in the spaces she cultivates. https://www.bookpassage.com/
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
Documentary Profiles an Inspiring, Out Female Conductor Film Gary M. Kramer The fabulous documentary The Conductor, opening February 4 in San Francisco and available on demand February 28, is an affectionate profile of Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a major American symphony orchestra. Alsop, who is a lesbian, was inspired by Leonard Bernstein and wanted to conduct since she was a child. (She would study under him at Tanglewood.) However, when she expressed interest in conducting, she was repeatedly told, “Girls can’t do that.” It only made her determination stronger. As director Bernadette Wegenstein’s inspiring film shows, it is a good thing Alsop persevered. Alsop’s love of music is infectious. Watching her
teach a masterclass to students is one of the film’s many highlights, and watching her at work conducing in Baltimore or São Paolo, she is poetry in motion. Wegenstein spoke with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about her new film. Gary M. Kramer: How did you meet Marin and what do you recall about seeing her conducting? Bernadette Wegenstein: I met her because I’m at John Hopkins, and she’s a colleague technically, because she’s in the music school here. I knew of her. When I moved here, people said, “You’re from Vienna; you should go to the symphony here.” I went, and I was really surprised. I saw Marin, and I thought: Why is she a woman? I caught myself asking this question. I knew how problematic it was. I wasn’t accustomed to seeing a woman in this position. I was attracted to her as a conductor and how she got this music under my skin.
and openly gay conductors who were forgotten. It’s such an extremely conservative profession. But I made the film about Marin because we’ve seen films about one man, so why not a story about one woman? It’s an allegory from which you can go into other stories of forgotten histories. I didn’t want to lump all these stories of diversity all together. I had to convince Marin to make it a story about her. Gary M. Kramer: What did you know about conducting prior to making the film? Bernadette Wegenstein: What did I know about conducting? Really very little. There are movements that mean something that are communicated like a sign language, like the figure four. What I knew and was attracted to most was the conductor needs to anticipate in a nanosecond what is going to happen. They are always a little bit ahead. That’s an art; when you hear rhythm, you want to go with that rhythm. But you have to anticipate the rhythm, so how does that work? I wanted to bring this [conducting] action close to me. That’s how I developed the “phantom” lens aesthetic for her action. She’s doing something important, but it is tiny movements like nanosurgery. These movements have meaning, and they really moved me. Rather than explain it to the viewer, I created the magic. It draws you in. Marin conducts exactly what is on the page and doesn’t give too much personalized deviation, which some conductors do. I tried not to overload the viewer with all this technical info, but it is there underneath. Gary M. Kramer: As the director, you are a bit of a conductor. What can you say about creating the narrative, telling her story, using interviews, archival footage, observational scenes, and performances? Bernadette Wegenstein: I didn’t want to put viewers on this “will she make it?” narrative. What is interesting is that she takes two steps forward then one step back. She shines
PHOTO BY JNDYINCDY/WIKIPEDIA
Bernadette Wegenstein
then has a setback. That narrative reflected the marginalized identity who has to be threatened by the mainstream all the time. The arc of her career becomes about giving back to the next generation and being a mentor, like Bernstein, who was her mentor. We feel all of these emotions through her. The feminist signature of it is that she’s in control of telling the story. I wanted her to tell the story. I had very few experts. I tried to keep outside voices limited and empower my subject with her own voice and help her take us on the journey and not speak for her. Gary M. Kramer: Did you use any specific motif? Bernadette Wegenstein: There’s always a sentence or question that ties everything together in my films. The sentence in this film was, “I want to be a conductor.” The music became a character because if I want to be a conductor, I need to make the music work for me. The music is a tool. Everything she says and is shown in the film is asking the question: Does this relate to this wish? Gary M. Kramer: You spend some time with Marin and her wife, Kristin Jurkscheit. What can you say about presenting her personal life? Bernadette Wegenstein: I wanted to create a story where the fact that she was gay wasn’t in itself a story, just part of the normalcy around her. It’s not about being gay. Her wife Kristin said that Marin always wanted to be a conductor. She did not want to be a gay conductor, or a woman conductor—but a conductor. Once you point fingers and you say, “gay conductor,” it sticks. It was not something she talked about. I didn’t want to hide it—it’s her life and important—but I didn’t want to make it into a bigger thing in her story. I asked her if she ever faced discrimination for being gay, and she said, “No, being a woman alone was enough.” © 2022 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer
Marin Alsop conducting the Baltimore Symphony
Gary M. Kramer: What made you decide to tell her story? Bernadette Wegenstein: I researched women and people of color S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
JANUARY 27, 2022
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
When André Leon Talley attended an Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective event at the de Young in San Francisco six years ago, all eyes were on this towering in all respects fashion icon. It was not just because of his elegant attire, but also because of his commanding presence and inherent style that went far beyond the surface level. The 6’6” Talley in heels and flowing garb inherently was an eye-catcher, and an ear-catcher too given his strong, confident voice that carried across any room. He seemed to be as gay as can be, but was famously quiet about his private life. As he said on The Wendy Williams Show in 2018: “No, I’m not heterosexual; I’m
saying I’m fluid in my sexuality, darling.”
serving as their stylist during their time in the White House.
He was regal, talented, and, as said of Sidney Poitier in this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, came into his own without being defined by others. Few can make that claim in the highly competitive and often trend-centric fashion industry.
News of his death on January 18 due to complications from COVID-19 and a heart attack rippled across the many networks he was a part of: fashion, politics, literature, the world of entertainment, and more. As Michelle Obama wrote: “André Leon Talley was a one-of-a-kind presence who changed the face of fashion and beauty for a generation of girls just like me. He will be missed, but I know his legacy will continue inspiring people for years to come.”
An author, stylist, and creative director, Talley was best known for serving as editor-at-large of Vogue magazine, where he started as news director before becoming the publication’s first Black male creative director, and then editor. He helped countless well-known figures, including former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama,
PHOTO BY DAVID SHANKBORN_WIKIPEDIA
Remembering Fashion-Industry Icon André Leon Talley (1948–2022)
To learn more about the remarkable Talley, read The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir, which with honesty and candor tells his riveting story in his own words.
Animals Rule ... or Should! included fluid movement, high camera angles mixed with intimate dialogue closeups—could handle any genre from comedy to melodrama.
Off the Wahl Jan Wahl Before Betty White, Doris Day, PETA, Actors and Others for Animals, American Humane, and many organizations and individuals that try and protect animals on Hollywood sets and off, there were no laws safeguarding our furred and feathered friends. I watched a Netflix movie on director Michael Curtiz and his shooting of Casablanca. It is titled Curtiz and I recommend it. But though he is portrayed as a deeply troubled and very creepy guy, they do not mention his treatment of animals. This fine director (Mildred Pierce, King Creole, Adventures of Robin Hood, White Christmas, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Casablanca)—whose visual style
When my colleague Bruce Vilanch reminded me of Curtiz’s treatment of horses on movies like The Charge of the Light Brigade, I immediately remembered David Niven’s second autobiography Bring on the Empty Horses as being a quote from Hungarian Curtiz during the making of that movie. I also recalled some terrible details of that film and others when horses were killed or maimed and never reported to anyone. Gratefully, this has changed. Both humans and animals now benefit from unions and regulations, forcing everyone to be responsible, or at least we can hope. Enter with a grand flourish Jo Anne Worley. Those of us who were devotees of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In, Hollywood Squares, and 1991’s Beauty and the Beast also remember she was the understudy for Carol Channing in Hello Dolly ... but, of course, our Carol never missed a performance! I have always been a fan of Jo Anne’s extravagant style and exuberant voice. My kind of dame. Jo Anne is the President of Actors and Others for Animals. When we chatted the
other day, she told me when and how the organization began. “Actor Richard Basehart and his wife were on the way to a studio and saw a dog thrown out of a car window,” Jo Anne told me for the San Francisco Bay Times. “The couple rescued the dog. They told others on set what happened and everyone from technicians to craftspeople to actors wanted to give money to help. The dog recovered. So, an idea was formed and in 1971 Doris Day, Betty White, Jackie Joseph, and others formed the organization that today does so much good. We help with vet information, spaying and neutering, so many other services.” Then Jo Anne and I dished for at least a half hour, from her favorite Laugh In moments to her fabulous costumes. “During Laugh In, John Wayne was a guest,” she said. “He lifted me down from a ladder as if it was a stagecoach from the olden days of westerns, hands around my waist. Great moment. Bob Hope gave great presents like engraved watches when you worked with him. Aaron Spelling gave cut glass
decanters. We were paid scale on Hollywood Squares; they let us pick out some cool stuff.” She continued: “I gave my good friend Ruta Lee a yellow, full-length coat from a show. Have you read her terrific autobiography yet? It’s called Consider Your Ass Kissed.” In terms of her famously colorful garb, Jo Anne told me, “I have a wardrobe house in my backyard, costumes from Gypsy, Mame, Same Time Next Year, Annie. I often wore my own stuff, especially Rudi Gernreich double-knit pantsuits. I wore a powder blue one on a Tom Jones show.” “This loud voice began early,” she said. “I was raised on a farm, so no reason to use an inside voice. I was great at, ‘Here, pig, pig, pig.’ I would make kids and even the mean teacher laugh at our tworoom schoolhouse. I learned to trust in the timing. As a lowly freshman I was voted Best Comedienne, but got thrown out of the Glee Club for being too gleeful.” When asked about coming from rural America to LBGTQ cast members like Alan Sues or Lily Tomlin on Laugh In, Jo Anne explained she never thought about this. “Jane, Lily’s longtime partner and now
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Joanne Worley & Harmony
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wife, was always around and I thought it romantic. Alan didn’t know how to pull his punches, would land on top of me, and I would be hurt a bit; he was kind of a klutz. But that just an actor’s thing. No, never thought about it and I never saw anybody care.” “The only time anything really made me ferklempt,” she shared, “was when I met my childhood idols Roy and Dale Rogers ... and when Rosalind Russell and I were somehow going through a doorway and she told me I was going to be a star. Wow!” I love it when people stay enthusiastic about life and their memories. I also love it when people raise money for important causes. Go to the Actors and Others for Animals website (https://www.actorsandothers.com/).
Or visit www.bettywhitechallenge.com
Animals make us better humans. Always. Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
Mercedez Munro and LGBTQ+ Community Save the Day for Smuin Fundraiser for Project Open Hand After Star Tests Positive for COVID-19
PROJECT OPEN HAND
No longer able to act as hostess or to perform in the gala evening, Lady Camden put out an urgent call to fellow drag queen Mercedez Munro,
Said Munro, “What I’ve gained from the losses [due to COVID-19] is a deeper respect for artists—their time, their commitments, and their passion. Being an ablebodied person and having one of my closest friends reach out to me and trust me with something as huge as hosting the LGBTQ+ Night for Smuin was just a huge honor.”
The beneficiary of the evening, Project Open Mercedez Munro leapt at the opportunity to host Smuin’s LGBTQ+ Night of The Christmas Hand, is a nonBallet, benefiting Project Open Hand, after original host Lady Camden was unable to attend. profit organizaPictured: Mercedez Munro (center) with the Smuin Company and Artistic Staff tion that seeks to improve health outcomes ents as they battle serious illnesses, isolation, or the health and quality of life by prochallenges of aging. “We are humbled and truly honored viding nutritious meals and that Smuin made us the beneficiary of The Christmas Ballet groceries to vulnerable popuLGBTQ+ Night,” Project Open Hand CEO Paul Hepfer lations in San Francisco and told the San Francisco Bay Times. “Not only is Smuin at Alameda counties. Founded the forefront of contemporary ballet, but they are also at in 1985 to provide nutritious the forefront of supporting and helping their community meals to people with HIV/ members in need. We are grateful to them, to Mercedez AIDS, the organization has who ‘saved the day,’ and to all the others who stepped in to since expanded to serve older make sure the show went on!” adults and people fighting Others who stepped in to make the night a success included other illnesses, helping them Tito’s Vodka, poured at the afterparty in a special signato recover, get stronger, and ture cocktail created for the evening, and John Konstin of lead healthier lives. John’s Grill, who provided nibbles for the festive gatherEvery day, Project Open ing in which supporters gathered with dancers to toast the Hand prepares over 2,500 night’s performance. Smuin Ballet Managing Director Lori Laqua presented a nutritious meals and procheck for $4,500 to Executive Chef Adrian Barrow of https://www.smuinballet.org/ Project Open Hand. The funds were raised during Smuin’s vides more than 200 bags of LGBTQ+ Night performance of The Christmas Ballet. groceries to help sustain cli-
CYNTHIA WUTHMANN
Plans for the fundraiser evening came to a screeching halt when San Francisco drag queen extraordinaire Lady Camden (alter ego of former Smuin dancer Rex Wheeler, currently competing on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race) tested positive for COVID-19 two days before the show.
who dropped everything to step in and don the red-hot high heels of the iconic “Santa Baby” for this festive night, getting a roar of approval as she dragged “the world’s longest feather boa” across the stage.
CYNTHIA WUTHMANN
Behind the scenes drama almost derailed Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s LGBTQ+ Night performance of The Christmas Ballet on December 21, 2021, but a remarkable groundswell of support from members of the community saved the day, enabling the ballet company to recently present Project Open Hand with a donation check for $4,500.
(l-r) Project Open Hand CEO Paul Hepfer, Mercedez Munro, and Smuin Artistic Director Celia Fushille
Dykes
With Drills
Tip of the Week By Julie Peri
Tie the Knot Here’s a quick tip for using extension cords. When you attach two cords together, use a knot to keep them together. That way when you tug on them when using your tool, you won’t have your connection come loose. Learn more fun tips and tricks with us at one of our workshops in the Bay Area! Introduction to Tools Workshop, February 12 @ San Francisco Introduction to Tools Workshop, March 5 @ San Francisco Tiny House Workshop Series, March 12–April 24 @ Bay Area Overnight Carpentry Camp, July 24–July 30 @ Bay Area For more information about these and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/ S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
JANUARY 27, 2022
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Food & Beverage
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
The Gay Gourmet David Landis You’ve heard of extreme skiing, and extreme snowboarding. But Extreme Pizza? That’s the brainchild of Extreme Pizza CEO Todd Parent, who has guided this company devoted to the beloved Italian pies through 27 years of growth with more than 20 locations nationwide. Well, it was his idea—and his sister’s! More on that later. It all began in a small shop on Fillmore Street in San Francisco’s lower Pacific Heights. I had the pleasure of speaking with Todd recently for the San Francisco Bay Times and here’s what he had to say: Gay Gourmet: What made you decide to open Extreme Pizza 27 years ago? Where was the first store? Todd Parent: Fillmore was our first store—it’s still there. It’s my baby. It’s great to have your pride and joy open. The lower Fillmore is the “in” spot now; it was a blessing that we got to open there. You really get to know your customers by name. That makes it special in business. Gay Gourmet: What’s your personal history? And, do you have a favorite sport?
After I graduated college, I worked for the U.S. Trust in New York. We focused on entrepreneurs who were wealthy and managed their money. Speaking to interesting, smart people—talking to them about how they built their businesses—got me thinking: there are many other opportunities. That was the impetus that motivated me to start my own business.
I got back in touch with my sister and wrote a business plan, but not [with] specifics about what the restaurant would be. My sister said, “Todd, you love extreme sports, you love great food, you’re taking a class at the Academy in designer pizza—you should start Extreme Pizza.”
My sister lived out in California. I decided to drive across the country and I stopped to see a friend in Colorado. The weekend I was there, they got 10 feet of snow. I had a great long weekend skiing and then stayed for a season and another summer—and another year. I was transitioning from Wall Street to restaurant groups that included the Chart House, the Mother Lode, and working for the Aspen Ski organization in their hospitality division ... dabbling in the restaurant business as an employee. I thought, “Maybe I can eventually start my own business one day?” I got a bit landlocked after a while, but loved the water sports. So, then I drove out to California in mid 1993. One of the first places I visited was Noah’s Bagels; at that time, Noah’s had 2 locations. I thought, “This is a great concept, something I had been thinking about.” I applied for a job at Noah’s and started baking bagels at Chestnut Street and Laurel Village. I brought them expertise I had learned along the way to establish some good systems and processes to make it more efficient. One of the owners, Dan Alper, said he was opening up a ton of locations and asked if I would like to be a part of the expansion. I said, “Sounds great,” but I explained what I was thinking about. “By all means, I get it if that’s what your dream is,” he said. I was also taking a class at the California Culinary Academy for pizzas and calzones, learning different techniques. We experimented with different pizzas and doughs—
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Todd Parent: Many moons ago, I studied abroad in Paris. During that time, I was able to experience crepe stands on every corner. That was what you ate for many meals. That was the initial idea—the seed was to bring crepes back to the U.S. and open up crepe stands in fun places:
some of the different toppings and recipes were sauces I experimented with elsewhere. I put them onto our pizzas in this class. I took some of those ideas and created new pizzas and the chef told me, “You’re on to something. We’ve never seen pizzas like this.”
Veggie and protein-packed pies from Extreme Pizza including Pandora’s Box (top left), Drag It Through the Garden (top right), Extreme Greens salad (middle), Baja 1000 (bottom right) and a custom-made “Create Your Own” pizza (bottom left) 22
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The light bulb went off. Once that name popped up, I honed the business plan to what became Extreme Pizza. The first version of Extreme Pizza 1.0 was a complete failure; many businesses wind up that way. We offered “Take and Bake” pizzas primarily and didn’t do any delivery. Customers didn’t even know what to do with the unbaked pizza. The “Take and Bake” concept was unknown and under-appreciated.
tried to source locally. We support our local farmers (produce and meat); that’s been a behind-thescenes objective of ours. Building those relationships helps everyone innovate. Being able to choose from signature pizzas or create your own—we can bake them, you can get slices, you can do “Take and Bake,” you can do it for a party or in-home. To the best of our
The Screamin’ Tomato
I learned that you have to pivot quickly or you’re out of business. We started baking slices and that caught on—they bake pretty quickly. Then, customers wanted pizzas delivered. I’m proud to give credit to our customThe Yardsale ers—a significant portion of our menu has been “developed” by our customers. Customers team’s ability, we’re trying make recommendations and some to give customers what they have even shared their family reciwant. pes with us, which have been great Gay Gourmet: Where do new additions to our menu and you source your ingredifrankly some of our best sellers. We ents? call our employees “The Extreme Team,” and our staff have creTodd Parent: Our purveyated great sandwiches, salads— ors include local folks such my new favorite is the Spice Route, as: Stanislaus for pizza sauce, a tandoori-flavored chicken pizza. tomatoes from Modesto; Listening to those around you who Raymond’s for artisan sourhave good ideas allows you to condough bread and sweet rolls tinue to be innovative. Our team from San Francisco; Silva has had great technology advances Sausage for linguica from that have helped us navigate to get Gilroy; local craft beer always to where we are now. on tap from Altamont, East Brother, and Trumer from Gay Gourmet: What makes the Bay Area; Bay Area Extreme Pizza different from Herbs for basil and assorted fresh other pizzerias? herbs & spices from San Francisco; D’Arrigo Brothers—founded in Todd Parent: Kudos to all of 1923 by three brothers in Salinas my colleagues—building a comValley—for produce and fresh vegpany culture with passion. We call it the Extreme Team because every- gies; Saputo Brothers for mozzarella cheese from Tulare; and Gayles one matters. You listen to everyone. When you truly care about any sug- Barbecue Sauce of Beverly Hills. gestion, that is an important thing; Gay Gourmet: I like the “cusit’s an important relationship buildtomize your pizza” option ing opportunity. That has been one Extreme offers customers. of the great things: to listen, to do How did you come up with research and development, with a that idea? lot of effort. Todd Parent: Other pizzerias We also pivot and change; we’re not have 4–6 pizzas on the menu and set in our ways. We’re always try“this is what you get.” A company ing to push the creative palate and called North Beach Pizza had make new creations: the sauces, the a few locations—they were one of combinations of toppings. Allowing the pizzerias that allowed you to everyone to be involved is a collabopick and choose toppings. Through ration between employees, customresearching, we decided to allow for ers, you name it. We differentiate “build your own creations.” our brand through our menu offerings. During the pandemic, we Gay Gourmet: Were you changed up all of our salads, offerthe first to offer “Take and ing great new ideas. Bake”? Being inspired by our competitors makes us better. You have to have great service and consistency. There’s a lot to be said about great purveyors. From day one, we have
Todd Parent: There were a couple of pizza places in Portland that did “Take and Bake.” That’s where I first experienced it. Now, Papa Murphy’s is one of the largest
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mountain towns, surf towns, etc. I participated in surfing and wind surfing and skiing and snowboarding growing up. I wanted to bring those passions together; that was my dream.
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Making Pizza Extreme
pizza companies in the world—and they primarily focus on “Take and Bake” pizzas. We knew this could be a great thing. Gay Gourmet: How many stores are there now? Do you have plans for further expansion? Why did you choose the franchise model? Todd Parent: We never really set out to be the biggest. We wanted to be the best. Franchising came about in a roundabout way. San Francisco is a very touristy area. When tourists would find their way to Extreme Pizza, they asked if they could open up a store in their hometown. Franchising came about because of the inquiries. We started to do our homework and figure out how to help them and allow them to open. You can expand through private equity or venture capital, cash flow or licensing and franchising. Franchising rose to the top. We wanted to stay true to our core objectives, including franchisees. We wanted likeminded, dedicated folks who would treat this as something we’re trying to build.
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Truth be told, I’ve been going to Extreme Pizza since they opened in 1994 (when I used to live on lower Fillmore Street). This time, my husband and I tried the customized “Take and Bake” option, but you can also pick it up already baked or have it delivered. We started with the Broken Wedge Salad, a variation on the traditional wedge, with the iceberg lettuce already chopped up for easier eating, along with smoked bacon, Gorgonzola cheese, fresh, chopped mini tomatoes (a great idea!), and blue cheese dressing. Their blue cheese dressing is a thing of wonder: most have too much “creamy” and not enough “blue cheese,” but Extreme Pizza’s blends both beautifully. The salad was fresh, crisp, and delicious.
Gay Gourmet: How big is your catering business? Todd Parent: Through the pandemic, our customers have been donating pizzas to first responders, namely police [and] fire departments, hospitals. That’s been our true catering throughout the pandemic. We’re getting interest from businesses coming back to work now and the catering will continue to ramp up. Gay Gourmet: Philanthropy has always been a big part of your corporate culture. Tell me a little bit about that and how you choose whom to support. Todd Parent: Very broadly, there’s no one we don’t support. We almost never say no. We look through all the different businesses we have donated to—nonprofits and needy organizations. We have tallied it as more than $1 million for in-kind donations. More important than the dollar amount, we try to help people in need; we do it day in, day out without looking for the glory. We want to give back to the community. This pandemic has shown that in spades. It’s part of our DNA and culture.
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Gay Gourmet: What’s your most popular pizza? And what’s your personal favorite pizza? Todd Parent: Popular? It changes from market to market and location to location. South of Market/ Potrero Hill might like something different than folks in the Marina. I’m a fan of the Pandora’s Box (Mediterranean pizza) and the Spice Route pizza (chicken marinated in a spicy Tandoori sauce, green pepper, red onion, cilantro, and mozzarella). Those are two of my favorites. Customer favorites: Drag It Through the Garden (with at least six veggies), The Yard Sale (Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, and veggies); some of our chicken pizzas rise to the top as well. There’s something on the menu for everyone. The Gay Gourmet will vouch for that. One of the best things about Extreme Pizza is the selection: it’s not your Italian Mama’s pizzeria. In addition to The Spice Route and The Yard Sale, their pizzas include The Bunny Slope (light tomato sauce, mozzarella, pine nuts, mini heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula dressed with white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper), The Screamin’ Tomato (mini heirloom tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, grated and fresh mozzarella with optional balsamic
Our pizza was a customized option: a Screamin’ Tomato (margherita) pizza, thin crust, with extra mozzarella (yes, you can ask for and get it, right online), Italian sausage, mushrooms, and red onions. They’re easy to bake (the instructions are on the box and also on the website) and they come out piping hot from your oven. The crust was crisp, the sausage savory, and the veggies tasted as if they were right off the farm. We were impressed by the innovative toppings and creations; it’s not your normal pizzeria. Along with Delfina and North Beach Pizza, Extreme Pizza is one of the city’s top three pizzerias. Returning to some more questions, I had to ask Todd, “What are some of your other favorite San Francisco Restaurants?” Todd Parent: There are so many new ones. My go-to places are Tacolicious and Papalote Mexican Grill. Other pizza places I like are Pizzeria Delfina and Giorgio’s on Clement. I love Hillstone on the Embarcadero— their service and attention to detail and food quality is unsurpassed. They treat everyone amazingly well. I love Wayfare Tavern as well. There are so many great spots in San Francisco.
probably March/April. And another store in Livermore is just breaking ground. So, The Gay Gourmet recommends that you go to extremes, especially when selecting your pizzeria. Extreme isn’t just for sports anymore. Bits and Bites Speaking of pizzas, classic Detroit pizza restaurant Joyride Pizza has introduced a new plant-based menu of square pan vegan pizzas at its two San Francisco locations (Yerba Buena Gardens & Valencia Street) featuring artisanal ingredients for four delicious pizzas. Joyride Pizza brings the largest selection of plant-based Detroit pan pies to San Francisco with the same dedication to quality and flavor as their beloved meat & cheese pizza menu. Worth watching is Birch & Rye, a “modern Russian kitchen” from chef/owner Anya El-Wattar, which will open in Noe Valley in February. According to the restaurant, the new venue will “explore the myriad flavors of Russian cuisine, viewed through a California lens that brings vibrant seasonal ingredients to the fore.” The menu takes a historical bent, focusing on food from Czarist Russia as well as the former Soviet Union. Taking center stage are special house-made vodka infusions. The restaurant will also spotlight the country’s many regional cuisines. I’ve just learned about Gong cha Bubble Tea, which has a location near Union Square, one in Oakland, and nine locations in the South Bay. The chain brews fresh tea every four hours in each store. It’s the first bubble tea brand to introduce a signature milk foam topping and releases new limitedtime seasonal specials quarterly. Dumpling Time’s newest outpost (and its first South Bay location) is slated to open this month at Santana Row in San Jose. A part of the Omakase Restaurant Group, Dumpling Time is known for its delicious homemade dumplings. From the restaurateur who gave San Francisco one of our most popular brunch spots with its signature Millionaire’s Bacon®, Hoyul Steven Choi expands his brunch and dinner empire throughout California.
He’s opening new Sweet Maple restaurants in Palo Alto, Cupertino, Walnut Creek, and Santa Monica, as well as a new Kitchen Story + U Dessert Story in Mountain View and on Taraval Street (San Francisco). According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the Cliff House building is on track to potentially open with a new restaurant as soon as later this year. The National Park Service has begun its formal leasing process and hopes to make a decision by summer about a new operator. Chef Fico, Burma Superstar, Barebottle Brewing Company, and five others are among the big restaurant names set to populate a splashy new mixed-use Menlo Park development on El Camino Real called Springline. Opening is set for some time later this year. And finally: I’m proud to announce that the Gay Gourmet has been asked to judge the nationally prestigious but LA-based Taste Awards, honoring the best television, film, and online programs devoted to food, fashion, and lifestyle. May the judging begin! Extreme Pizza: https://www.extremepizza.com/ Joyride Pizza: https://www.joyridepizza.com/ Birch & Rye: https://birchandryesf.com/ Gong cha Bubble Tea: https://gong-cha-usa.com/ Dumpling Time: https://dumplingtime.com/ Sweet Maple: http://www.sweetmaplesf.com/ Kitchen Story: http://www.kitchenstorysf.com/ U Dessert Story: http://udessertstorysf.com/ The Taste Awards: http://www.thetasteawards.com/ Springline: https://springline.com/ National Park Service applications: https://tinyurl.com/2p8abnya 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
Gay Gourmet: Finally, what’s next? Todd Parent: We’ll be opening 4–5 new locations, despite all the challenges. We’re optimistic and driven to expand the business in a modest way. Some of the openings have been pushed back. We are opening in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C.; after that, we have another location in the suburbs of Boise—Melba, ID; and after that, we’ll be re-opening the Shattuck Avenue location in Berkeley. That building was demolished and it’s been re-built—
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COURTESY OF EXTREME PIZZA
A custom “Create Your Own” pizza
Personality and experience had a key role in finding the next right person.
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
glaze or tomato sauce), Peace in the Middle East (homemade hummus, vine ripe tomatoes, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions, feta, fresh basil, pepperoncini, and mozzarella), and much more.
Extreme Pizza Folsom Street
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Cocktails With Heather Heather Freyer The seasonal flavors of mid-winter star in this well-balanced cocktail. The tang of Bacardí Spiced Rum and ginger ale complements the sweetness of fresh apple juice. SPICED, APPLE & GINGER 1.5 ounces Bacardí Spiced Rum 1.5 ounces apple juice 1.5 ounces ginger ale 2 dashes Angostura bitters (optional) 1 lime wedge Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour all ingredients into the glass. Squeeze in the juice from the lime wedge. Add Angostura bitters, if desired. Stir to combine. Garnish with another lime wedge and/or an apple slice. https://tinyurl.com/yyc4me8t Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice Pres-ident and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.
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Looking Back at How the Pandemic Affected Sports in 2021
Sports John Chen 2021 was supposed to be the year where everything returned to normal. COVID-19 was supposed to be under control as vaccines became readily available. At this time last year, January 2021, outdoor sports and activities were in full swing with indoor sports soon to follow. Professional and college sports returned to competition, although with limited
John Chen and Ted at UCLA in August 2021
or no fans in attendance. There was plenty of room for optimism that 2021 would be the end of the pandemic.
Volleyball hosted three tournaments, and both San Francisco Gay Flag Football and Gay Softball leagues completed a full season.
But 2021 was strained with several COVID ebbs and flows, ups and downs that stunted any continuity to recovery and normalcy. At the beginning of the year, we celebrated the opening of indoor sports and activities only to be shut down due to major spikes in Delta cases. We rejoiced at being able to workout at our local gyms, but that lasted only briefly. COVID fatigue took its toll on everyone. Even the staunchest of introverts had had enough. At least I had plenty of toilet paper rolls stocked up.
Athletes and weekend hacks alike had to be fully vaccinated and adhered to wearing masks, social distancing, and sanitizing over the course of play and competition. It was the new norm in order to participate. For most sports people, the price of admission and safety is worth the inconvenience.
By late spring, as more and more people became fully vaccinated, COVID cases declined and the deadly Delta variant was under control. Predominantly indoor activities and sports such as gym, basketball, bowling, and volleyball returned with strict safety protocols. More good news followed as fans were allowed to attend both indoor and outdoor professional and college sporting events. Things were starting to look promising. Our local LGBT sports including football, volleyball, softball, tennis, soccer, rugby, and basketball all returned to competition welcoming players, fans, and supporters back with open arms—or, during the pandemic, fist bumps. For examples, Balls of Furry
By the end of summer 2021, there was great optimism that the pandemic might just be over soon. Large outdoor events, concerts, and street fairs in San Francisco including Folsom and Castro, although scaled down somewhat, took place to the delight of attendees. On a personal note, I attended a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl as well as a few collegiate volleyball and soccer matches at Stanford and Cal. I also supported friends at Bay Area volleyball and tennis tournaments as well as various other LGBT sports leagues. It was good to be a live fan again! Then on November 24, 2021, on my birthdate no less, a new COVID variant Omicron was reported to the World Health Organization. Apparently, this variant is extremely transmittable, but the severity of this contagion was still under research. But there was no need to panic. At least, not yet. By mid to late December 2021, the heart of college football Bowl season arrived, and my beloved UCLA Bruins earned a bid to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Four hours before the game, we arrived at the tailgate parking lot of Petco Park excited, decked out in gear, and ready to rumble. “The game is canceled due to COVID protocols in the UCLA program,” someone from the other side of the parking lot shouted. Omicron struck fast and hard as numerous college and professional
John Chen at the Rose Bowl 2022
sports games were canceled or postponed due to the rapid spread of Omicron. So, here we are, January 2022. The pandemic is still going strong thanks to the uber contagious, but more manageable Omicron variant that has replaced the deadly Delta variant. The New Year brought new fears and frustration. The Australian Open, tennis’ first grand slam tournament of the year, was already mired in COVID controversy that garnered international notoriety even before the first serve. Many California collegiate sports giants including Stanford, UCLA, and USC have temporarily banned fans from attending games. Scores of people
returning from holiday trips tested positive for Omicron. Houston, we have a problem. Will 2022 finally put an end to the pandemic? The good news is that Omicron, now the dominant COVID strain, has shown to be far less effective in causing major damage and may play itself out much sooner than later. Maybe 2022 is the year we finally return to normal—when we can play and attend sports games and matches both indoor and out without restriction. Let’s hope. John Chen, a UCLA alumnus and an avid sports fan, has competed as well as coached tennis, volleyball, softball and football teams.
At Least 32 Out LGBTQ Athletes Scheduled to Compete at 2022 Winter Olympics When the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing take place February 4–20, at least 32 out LGBTQ athletes will be among the elite competitors. This is a record-breaking number for Team LGBTQ+, which for the 2018 Winter Olympics had 15 publicly out athletes. Several have already made headlines. Gus Kenworthy previously was a member of Team USA, but he was actually born in the U.K. and will be on Team Great Britain at this year’s Olympics. (His mother is British, while his father is American). Look for this talented
skier, who won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Team Canada will feature figure skater Eric Radford, who was the first openly gay man to win a gold
medal at a Winter Olympics. (Fellow figure skater Brian Boitano of San Francisco also won gold, at the 1988 Winter Olympics, but came out publicly later.) Radford is married to Spanish ice dancer Luis Fenero. Timothy LeDuc of Team USA is the first out nonbinary athlete to compete in a Winter Olympics. The figure skater and partner Ashley CainGribble recently won their second U.S. National Championship.
bisexual and pansexual. She is yet another world class figure skater.
to her collection. Wüst came out as bisexual over a decade ago.
Ireen Wüst of Team Netherlands has already earned a record-breaking number of Olympic medals in women’s speedskating and will likely add
So, as you cheer for Team USA while watching this year’s Winter Olympics, root for Team LGBTQ+ too! https://tinyurl.com/48j455c7
Another groundbreaker is Amber Glenn, who identifies as both
Irene Wüst
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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “It’s exciting! Winter Olympics is coming! And the gayest sport of all: MEN’S ICE DANCING! Sooo many sequins!!!” Andrew Blaser, 32, has made history as the first out gay man to win a spot representing the United States in the winter OLYMPIC sport of skeleton. Skeleton involves a single person riding a small sled (lying face down and head-first) at quick speeds along a frozen track. Blaser will be the only man on the U.S. skeleton team at the 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS in Beijing. He will also be part of a record number of out LGBTQ athletes competing in China, a country whose government largely opposes LGBTQ rights. Pardon my pun, but he will be a real BLAZER on that ice! Congratulations to actress Mj Rodriguez, who became the first out trans person ever to win a GOLDEN GLOBE! She won for Best Actress in a TV Drama for her role as Blanca Evangelista in POSE, a hit show about the 1980s and 1990s New York City ballroom scene. Mj Rodriguez dedicated her win to the “LGBTQIA, Black, Latina, Asian, the many multi beautiful colors of the rainbow around the freakin’ world.” This year’s Golden Globes were not broadcast (nor livestreamed) after NBC announced it would refuse to air the ceremony due to financial and ethical questions and a lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is in charge of the awards. Sister Dana sez, “Regarding voting rights, Democrats, and the destructive actions of Republican Congress-people, I heard a great metaphor: you can’t ask a firefighter to compromise and make peace with an arsonist!” Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) has called for CAPITOL POLICE to investigate Rep. Marjorie Taylor “QAnon” Greene (R-GA) after she said that conservatives should use guns to “defend ourselves” from Democrats who support vaccinations and gun control. “I am concerned about the mental health of my colleague from Georgia and would like @CapitolPolice to address her dangerous threats in my workplace,” Stevens tweeted on January 12. “Just as we would in any school or job site, we cannot let calls for gun violence go unchecked.” One of the incredible ways FBI easily tracked insurrectionists was when these fools called the Capitol to ask if there was a LOST & FOUND DEPARTMENT. Like shooting fish in a traitorous barrel! Sphen and Magic, the gay penguin power couple from Australia that captured the world’s heart, just celebrated their third anniversary at Sydney’s SEA LIFE Aquarium. The male couple (who have hatched two eggs together) enjoyed frozen fish cakes for dinner and held a party with their neighbors in the enclosure. The penguin dads hatched their first chick, Lara, in 2018, after patiently waiting for her to hatch and taking turns to incubate her for 68 days. It all started when zookeepers noticed an opposite-sex penguin couple struggling to incubate two eggs, so they took no time to transfer one of 26
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Sister Dana posed with Tilly ComesAgain at the Berrison Street Fair held South of Market during October.
the eggs to the loving penguin dads. In November 2020, they hatched their second egg, named Clancy by the zookeepers. Sister Dana sez, “Gorsuch is the only Supreme Court Justice who refuses to wear a face mask for high-risk Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has diabetes. Gorsuch Justice? Just ass!” After comic books writer Tom Taylor began receiving hateful messages and death threats in social media for making the iconic Superman Bisexual in the latest series, he has been responding to the haters by donating money to an LGBTQ organization in their name. MINUS18 is the charity that provides life-affirming events, leadership programs, and educational opportunities to LGBTQ youth in need. The charity is based in Australia, Taylor’s home country. This nun sends heaps of blessings and love to San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman for introducing a resolution to the Board on January 11 to add a welldeserved commemorative street name “SISTER VISH-KNEW WAY” to an EssEff street in honor of not just a longtime LGBTQ activist; and not just a very dear friend; but also, my wonderful nun grandmamma. She brought me into the SF Order of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI) on Gay Pride Day 1985, and she’ll always be Vish to moi. My nun mothers (and lovers) were the late Sister Boom Boom and Sister Mysteria (Nuns of the Above: Rest in Peace and Power). The resolution would add the commemorative street name “Sister Vish-Knew Way” to the 000 Block of Alert Alley in SF’s Mission Dolores neighborhood to honor the co-founder of the global LGBTQ community service organization, SPI. “When Sister VishKnew donned a nun’s habit in San Francisco on Easter weekend in 1979, she launched a spiritual movement dedicated to queer community service, activism, and art that has spread across the globe,” said Mandelman. “As the co-founder of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and through her decades of service to the organization and to San Francisco, Sister Vish-Knew has made a huge impact on the lives of countless LGBTQ+ people. I am glad we have the opportunity to honor her by adding ‘Sister VishKnew Way’ to a street in her longtime neighborhood.” And Sister Dana sez, “Amen!” LIVING JAZZ (Transforming Lives Through Music since 1984) was unable to present its 2022 IN THE NAME OF LOVE Annual Concert. Instead, on MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY their 2021 MLK: 20 YEARS RETROSPECTIVE virtual event was an extremely powerful and poignant experience. Hosted by Dana King, it featured Toshi
Reagon and Allison Miller, the Kronos Quartet and Meklit, The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, Tory Teasley and The Teasers, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Branice McKenzie & Bryan Dyer with Glen Pearson, the Living Jazz Children’s Project, Myles Staples of the 2019 Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, and the Presentation of the Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award by Congresswoman Barbara Lee to Noha Aboelata, M.D., Founder/ CEO of Roots Community Health Center. https://www.livingjazz.org/ The latest comical LOCKDOWN COMEDY took the virtual stage on January 20 produced by our extraordinary host Lisa Geduldig with guest comedians Matt Kirshen (LA, via London), Sampson McCormick (SF/LA), Lauren Hooberman (Chicago), Arline Geduldig (FL) and Lisa Geduldig (SF/FL) on ZOOM from the comfort and safety of our homes. Lockdown Comedy takes place every 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 pm. This show has been running monthly since July 2020 with outstanding comedians from around the country and globe. As they say: “Laughter is the best medicine.” And Lord knows I need that—having just come out of the Davies Hospital Emergency Room for ten hours over extremely agonizing groin, hip, and back pain—and having been prescribed very weak pain “relievers.” Congratulations and best of luck to former Representative Donna Edwards (D - Maryland) for launching her campaign for her former Congressional Seat. “I decided I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any more. And I want to fight for both my district and my country,” she stated. “I’m looking forward to going back, joining my colleagues, feet to the fire, to make sure we can preserve and protect our democracy!” Last week, obstructionist senators blocked Congress from voting on the Freedom to Vote: JOHN R. LEWIS ACT. The late, great John R. Lewis once wisely stated, “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have!” This bill is the culmination of John Lewis’ lifelong fight for voting rights and would have restored protections in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, expanded voting rights, and reformed redistricting. It should be noted that Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema sided with Mitch McConnell and the GOP and voted to keep intact the filibuster—the arcane, racist Senate rule that enables Republican obstructionism and prevents the Senate from passing legislation with a simple 51-vote majority. Good news: The Arizona Democratic Party has officially censured Sinema. Sister Dana sez,“Movie News: Nobody wants to go to the Sinema in Joe’s Manchin!” (continued on page 28)
Birthday Celebrations San Francisco Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila has, with good friends Antonio and Leticia, celebrated his January birthday. Antonio and Juan, with their recent copies of SFBT, visited Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Leticia and Juan celebrated with a birthday lunch at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito. Happy birthday from all of us at the San Francisco Bay Times!
QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 17)
A) Carter G. Woodson Carter G. Woodson envisioned a week (that later evolved into a month) where Black history could be taught and celebrated. He chose a week during the second month of the year because both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born at that time. Recommended reading is Working with Carter G. Woodson, The Father of Black History: A Diary, 1928–1930 by Lorenzo Greene and published in 1989, nearly four decades after Woodson’s passing.
SISTER DANA (continued from page 26) LUNA RIENNE Gallery, 3318 22nd Street, will be holding its big OPENING RECEPTION FOR ROBERT BOWEN on Saturday, February 5, 5–9 pm. Capacity may be limited, and masks are required indoors but not on the lovely heated outdoor patio. Bowen has been exhibiting his artwork throughout the U.S. for over twenty years. He got his start through graffiti and street art, briefly attended art school, and continues self-schooling to obtain a classical education as a painter. He lives and works in SF. Luna Rienne has become one of my favorite art galleries—featuring visual artists working in contemporary mediums who integrate elements of urban culture with traditional techniques. https://lunarienne.com/ Sister Dana sez, “Without Voter Rights Legislation getting passed, Republicans are not only allowing but also ANTICIPATING VOTER FRAUD in their favor—with their cheating process of installing partisan pro-Republican officials at the polls and elsewhere. It is appalling!” After ANOTHER PLANET ENTERTAINMENT announced a recent takeover of the 100-year-old CASTRO THEATRE, a small demonstration assembled in front on January 23 to make sure APE continued to show movies not just live shows, and also to keep the venue LGBTQcentric. Drag creative producers such as Peaches Christ MUST keep the spirit of drag alive there! (See pages 1–3 of this issue for more about the Castro Theatre.) Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) daughter, Caroline, has reportedly come out on social media as Bisexual while castigating her father’s far-right political views. Sister Dana sez, “Let’s welcome another one to Our Team, who will hopefully help dump others from the terrible Trump team!”
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Speaking to Your Soul ARIES (March 21–April 19) Plan and strategize to get you closer to your future vision. You have much to contribute and can make best use of your energy when you direct it toward specific goals and the upliftment of the collective. .
back out of fear. You’ll either gain recognition where you are, or grow beyond the confines of your current situation. LIBRA (September 23–October 22) The universe opens a portal through which you can sense your more authentic self. This is the hero of your life. Step into the authority this role holds, and dare to boldly assert yourself, creatively, romantically, and playfully.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20) While you do have a tendency to overstay your welcome in comfortable conditions, you are in a period of awakening, and shedding dead weight. At the same time, trust your own authority to use your ideas to advance your mission. So long as you consider what’s good for the group, your ideas will be on point.
Astrology Elisa Quinzi Our ruts and rusted grooves get a jolt of electricity, meant to move us forward, upward, on a spiral of ever-expanding universe. Thinking outside the box, and outside of culture’s limitations, is necessary for our survival. The alarms have sounded and we must get serious about the common good of the whole. We can start with self by taking seriously our own creative ideas and sharing them with others regardless of how we believe they might react.
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) While this may be a time of pressing family responsibilities, you might simultaneously be breaking away from adhering to the family mythology of your past. It can be both unsettling and liberating. Through this maturation process, the goal is the discovery that the stability you crave is within your very being, and wherever you find yourself is where you belong.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you haven’t already broken free from any cults of belief you might have been raised with, you could find good reasons to now. Follow any prompting to study alternative healing or some innovative sustainable technology that can benefit civilization.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) You have depth and wisdom that people around you can benefit from, so go ahead and elevate the conversation beyond the superficial. Your ideas gain acceptance to the degree that you are able to receive feedback and support other viewpoints too.
CANCER ( June 21–July 22) You, Cancer, have an innate awareness of the impact a true power couple can have on the world. A natural activist due to your caretaking instincts, you want to ride-or-die with someone who values, as you do, making a positive impact on the world around you. As you face your fears and show up more authentically, others will sense and respect your natural authority.
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Don’t settle for a purpose that is unfulfilling. The universe wants you to actualize your fullest potential—the one that aligns with your heart and also challenges you the most. To be your best requires commitment to effort, and of all the signs, you can achieve anything once you put your mind and heart to it. AQUARIUS ( January 20–February 18) You are going through a maturation process. It’s the beginning of brand-new cycle for you, Aquarius, and the planets support you claiming your natural authority. If you want to be alone, take the time to be alone so you can hear your inner guidance and align with it. This world needs your progressive ideas. First fill your well in solitude, then bring your treasures forth into form.
LEO ( July 23–August 22) In order for you to fully shine your light, you need to connect with kindred spirits. If you’ve been feeling like no one understands you, ask yourself just how comfortably you show up in your own skin. In order to cultivate real connections, know yourself and own it, so that you can show yourself and be supported. Your people are looking for you too.
PISCES (February 19–March 20) Though we’re into a new year, a truly new cycle doesn’t quite begin for you, Pisces, until you let go of the things that keep you imprisoned—be they habits, people, or resentments. Use this time to cut cords where appropriate, clean up loose ends, and prepare to take on responsibility that you are now mature enough to handle.
VIRGO (August 23– September 22) As you are mindfully immersed in the tasks at hand, creative thoughts and visions can emerge as reward for your diligence. Promote your ideas and take on more responsibility; no more holding yourself
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.
Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month Chris at Transbay “Whether with a new client, or with a long-time Gym Member, I always take them through Forward Lunges. This exercise targets the large muscle groups of your lower body, and will boost your metabolism to help you lose weight fast.”
Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Media for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers. For more information: https://fitnesssf.com/
Take Me Home with You!
“My name is Luna! I’m a 2-year-old husky mix. I’m a sweet country gal who prefers a slow pace, so I’m looking for a home in a quiet neighborhood outside of the city. My ideal adopter would be someone who can give me continuing education, because I love to learn! I know several cues already and can’t wait to learn more. Most importantly, I’m looking for an adopter who will believe in me and give me a second chance—I have so much love to give to the right person!” Luna is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Luna.
Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup
To meet Luna, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. It is open for appointments from 8 am–6 pm daily. For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/ S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Round About - All Over Town
Artist Stephanie Tsao’s Year of the Tiger statue, installed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, is on display in Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Photos by Rink
On January 16, Extreme Pizza’s Fillmore Street location manager, “Junior,” displayed a personal mushroom and cheese pizza.
Just some of the many face masks available at the Mask Shop at The Castro Stitchery.
On January 13, guests enjoyed outdoor dining at the iconic Zuni Café on Market Street. The Café has been in the news for requiring proof of a vaccine booster for inside dining.
Designer Bill Bowers’ decorated denim jackets were on display and for sale at Fabulosa Books on January 21.
A selection of books on display at Fabulosa Books
From the vista point near 19th and Church Streets, local neighborhood members and their guests enjoyed the warm weather on January 16. 30
SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S
JA NUA RY 2 7 , 2 0 22
Round About - All Over Town
Photos by Rink
CASTRO STREETCAM presented by
The City of San Francisco’s newly installed Ballot Drop Box located at the intersection of 4th and Mission Streets
On January 16, guests enjoyed outdoor dining at Dolores Park Cafe located at the intersection of 18th and Dolores Streets.
http://sfbaytimes.com/
Le Creuset Heart Shaped Cocotte in Cherry Sized for cooking two servings, perfect for that date night, holiday, or some whimsical cooking for two. $200
Volunteers Jackie Thornhill, Cesar Cedabes and Samuel Favela served as greeters welcoming everyone seeking testing or information at the Vaccine Hub behind Walgreens that is sponsored by the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District.
Volunteer Robert Finley displayed a poster at Hibernia Beach (intersection of 18th and Castro) announcing the COVID Testing & Vaccines Hub located behind the Castro Walgreens.
Hug Me Pot Say it with a plant! This charming pot and saucer set will be sure to put a smile on their face. $17.99
Outdoor diners at Willkommen Restaurant on Market Street near Sanchez
S
ince our founding in 1936, Cliff’s Variety has been constantly growing and evolving in response to the needs of our customers. Our buyers strive to keep our selection fresh, on-trend and competitive.
We carry the best of everything from hardware & tools to cookware, garden supplies, toys, crafts, and gifts.
We also offer re-keying and lock repair, knife sharpening, glass, acrylic & wood cutting. Light fabrication, pipe threading, and cable crimping are among the many other services we offer at Cliff’s Variety. If your project has gone a little beyond your abilities, we’re here to help. Diners at the outdoor seating area at Lark Gastropub located on 18th Street between Hartford and Castro Streets
Diners enjoyed the parklet service at Cafe Mystique on Castro Street.
https://cliffsvariety.com/
As Heard on the Street . . . Who is your favorite artist?
Gordy Nopper
Ryann Haskins
Michael Petris
“Lana Del Rey”
“Amy Winehouse”
“Balenciaga and Salvador Dali”
Raoul Thomas
compiled by Rink
David Cannon
“Andy Warhol, a leader of the “Banksy, since he does not American pop and modern art care what people think movements who inspired my paintings.” about his artwork.” S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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