Welcome to the Aging in Community column’s first special edition, a two-part series in the month of May, to celebrate Older Americans Month.
The articles and stories are from a diverse group of contributors, state and city officials, senior service providers, social justice and LGBTQ aging advocates and artists. The subjects cover a broad range of subjects.
In Part 1 there are seven articles that cover the following topics: legislation to protect the rights of LGBTQ elders in nursing homes; the challenges and resiliency of HIV longterm survivors; advocacy in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and orders to shelter-in-place; increasing awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and LGBTQ people of color; dementia care and concerns of transgender people; how life review and reflection helped a gay man in his 70s achieve greater self-acceptance and deepened his confidence in himself and his capacity to live in the moment; and last, the progress being made in San Francisco to provide services and resources to unhoused LGBTQ elders.
Part 2 will cover another set of issues with different contributors: There will be articles by Dr. Kathleen
Sullivan, Openhouse Executive Director; Jewelle Gomez, nationally acclaimed author and playwright; Grace Li, On Lok Executive Director; Dr. Jason Flatt, Associate Professor of Behavioral Health at the University of Nevada; India Harville, Founder of Embraced Body and a queer disability activist; Honey Mahogany, Founder of the Transgender District and Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party; Eric Carlson, Director of Long-Term Services and Support Advocacy at Justice in Aging; and Suzanne Ford, Executive Director of San Francisco Pride.
My hope is that this special edition will inform you about the challenges and opportunities of later life and some of the important issues facing our aging LGBTQ community, and that it will inspire you to get involved. All of us working together can make our community and our city a place for all people to age and thrive.
Part 1
1. Senator Scott Wiener’s article describes the history of the LGBTQ Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights, which was passed in San Francisco in 2015 and became
By Dr. Marcy Adelmanstate law in 2017. These were both firsts and would eventually spark a movement of protection across the country. These laws are essential to protect LGBTQ people from experiencing discrimination in long-term care facilities. But these laws are now under attack. Senator Wiener wisely writes that “progress is rarely linear” and calls us to keep on pushing for protections and for our civil rights. In these dangerous times, when it is sometimes hard to see the road ahead, his message is both hopeful and inspiring.
2. Dr. Meredith Greene is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and is an expert in the field of HIV long-term survivors. She describes the many health and mental health challenges faced by HIV long-term survivors (LTS) and lists their top concerns. She identifies the HIV LTS targeted services in San Francisco, but makes it clear that the available services are not enough. HIV LTS services have not kept pace with the changing needs of this population as they have aged. Dr. Greene’s article serves as a call to action and a powerful reminder that much more needs to be done.
3. Daniel Redman is an elder law attorney and advocate for LGBTQ elder policies and programs. He tells the story of an informal group of San Francisco advocates and city offi-
cials who organized in 2020 during the time of COVID-19 and shelterin-place to identify the unmet needs of the city 's LGBTQ elders. This group quickly identified areas of greatest concern, offered solutions to the city, and successfully secured the resources necessary to address those concerns.
4. Brendalynn Goodall is an East Bay social justice and LGBTQ aging advocate. She describes a committed and loving care circle she and her wife belonged to where they cared for a friend living with Alzheimer’s. She tells how this experience motivated her to work with the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She writes about partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in LGBTQ people of color, and to increase culturally competent services and resources in the East Bay for all LGBTQ older adults.
5. Ames Simmons is a transgender man, lawyer, and member of the National Advisory Council of the SAGE & Human Rights Foundation’s Long-Term Care Equality Index. He shares his personal story of painful family rejection, his father’s cognitive decline and death, and his fears of having dementia later in life. Simmons’ greatest concern is about having dementia and being powerless to help himself. He is, however, not alone. Many transgender people are
similarly concerned about losing their ability to protect themselves. Simmons encourages people to be proactive and offers several ways to reduce feelings of powerlessness that often keep people from seeking the care that they will need.
6. Rudy Lemke, a multidisciplinary visual artist and co-founder of the Queer Cultural Center in San Francisco, writes about how, in his 70s, he has acquired a greater sense of self-acceptance and inner peace through self-reflection of his life as he has lived it. He suggests that later life itself offers perspective and the opportunity for self-acceptance, and finally, the gift to live more fully in the moment.
7. Shireen McSpadden, the Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Services (HSH), now one year
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Alegre Home Care is proud to support Dr. Marcy Adelman’s Aging in Community column in the San Francisco Bay Times
When you’re a public official, occasionally an idea comes along that’s so obvious and so necessary that all you can do is stop and think, “How has no one done this before?”
That’s how I felt about the first LGBTQ LongTerm Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights (also known as SB 219 and the LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights), which we passed in San Francisco as a first-in-thenation effort we then got signed into law statewide in 2017. This law grew out of a community working group we created to study the needs of LGBTQ seniors. I was honored to work with that group on this and related policy proposals.
LGBTQ seniors face a variety of unique challenges, including discrimination in long-term care facilities that poses serious risks to their health and safety. Moreover, LGBTQ seniors are less likely to have adult children to look after them, more likely to have lost parts or all of their social networks during the HIV crisis, and less likely to have a broadly supportive family network. For me, the need to protect aging LGBTQ people from discrimination was so obvious, I couldn’t believe that such protections weren’t already on the books. Protecting aging LGBTQ people is a moral imperative—those currently in long-term care facilities are part of the generation that fought and won the protection and acceptance that so many LGBTQ people enjoy today. It’s also a deeply practical concern—the number of LGBTQ adults over 50 in the U.S. is expected to double by 2030 ( https://tinyurl.com/2p9ejw52 ), and a just elder care system must adapt to their unique needs.
Since we began this work a decade ago, California’s LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights has grown into a nationwide movement, championed by the White House and replicated by states and municipalities across the country. Yet progress is rarely linear, and even here in California, these protections are under attack as the forces of bigotry and ignorance challenge them in the courts. Even as the need for these protections is becoming widely accepted, it’s critical that we keep pushing to expand
them in the face of rising anti-LGBTQ bigotry.
For decades, discrimination against LGBTQ seniors was the norm in long-term care. A 2011 study ( https://tinyurl.com/ej3w629u ) found that 89% of respondents believed caretakers would discriminate against them for being LGBTQ—and 43% personally witnessed or experienced mistreatment of LGBT seniors.
SB 219 clarified for the first time which actions constitute unlawful discrimination against LGBTQ people. It covers refusing to use a resident’s preferred name or pronoun, denying admission to a long-term care facility, transferring or refusing to transfer a resident within a facility or to another facility, or evicting or involuntarily discharging a resident from a facility, on the basis of a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status. Facilities are also required to post notices about these forms of discrimination wherever nondiscrimination notices are currently posted.
Under SB 219, facilities that discriminate against LGBTQ people in any of these ways can be reported to the California Department of Social Services. The Department can issue a range of penalties depending on the seriousness of the infraction.
While it’s important that facilities face real consequences for discriminatory actions, the real power of SB 219 is the clarity it brings facilities and allies on the standards by which LGBTQ people are to be treated.
Before SB 219, a facility may not have known that refusing to use a patient’s preferred name and pronoun was discriminatory. But with the law on the books, the facility has the clarity to train its workers to treat LGBTQ residents with the respect they deserve.
Even more important, the bill gives allies a tool to advocate for LGBTQ
residents to be treated with respect. For example, an East Bay trans woman was being treated disrespectfully by staff at her facility, and because of a cognitive disability she had difficulty advocating for herself. The woman’s conservator was able to use SB 219 to advocate for her with the facility, and the issue was resolved. Across the state, the law has been yielding hundreds of wins like these even without needing to escalate to a formal complaint.
We’re still far from a world free from discrimination—a 2022 survey found that 85 percent of all LGBTQ adults over 45 fear the impact of discrimination on them as they age ( https://tinyurl.com/2xw4tj8h ). But with protections on the books, we have more tools to work with than ever before.
As so often happens, other cities, states, and even the federal government have begun to follow California’s lead. Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland, and New Jersey have all passed versions of the LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights. There is even a version of the LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights in Congress, though with Republicans in control of the House there is little prospect that the bill will advance for now.
Meanwhile, President Biden issued an executive order during Pride Month last year that calls for the U.S. Department of Social Services to issue its own Bill of Rights for LGBTQ Older Adults ( https://tinyurl.com/2p9c4xvm ). We’re still waiting to see what the Department will come up with— strong and robust rules from them could extend protections to millions of LGBTQ seniors overnight.
As much as we’ve won with this remarkable bill, the fight to protect LGBTQ seniors from discrimination is far from finished.
In a case that’s currently pending before the California Supreme Court, right-wing activists are using bogus free speech arguments to sue the state of California to challenge the provisions of SB 219 that protect residents from a facility’s refusal to use their preferred name and pronouns. The case is called Taking Offense v. California, and we’re hoping for a verdict in our favor soon.
Similarly, while President Biden’s executive order sets an important precedent, it could be undone by a future administration antagonistic to LGBTQ rights.
In many ways, these threats highlight the importance of passing SB 219 and the other LGBTQ Seniors Bill of Rights. There will always be bigots out there willing to use the law to enable hate and discrimination, and we’re much better off with some protections on the books.
But they also show that, as with any right, we must continue to advocate for LGBTQ seniors to be protected from discrimination. Our silence is their invitation to act, so it’s important that we continue to raise awareness around these
By Senator Scott Wiener
issues, elect LGBTQ champions, and advocate with our federal representatives.
Senator Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and Northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Before his election to the Senate, Senator Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Harvey Milk. He also served in a number of community leadership roles, including co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and on the national Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign. Senator Wiener has lived in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood since 1997.
By Dr. Meredith Greene
Sam was 25 when he was given the news that he only had a year to live. Although he had heard about a mysterious new illness, this was not 2020 and COVID-19. It was 1983, and Sam was diagnosed with AIDS. Now 40 years later, Sam was not prepared to see 26 let alone age 65. Over the next several years, he did not die but watched many of his friends and social networks disappear. In addition to AIDS, he survived a cancer diagnosis and still deals with painful neuropathy from participating in one of the early clinical trials of AZT.
Sam is not alone. Currently, half of all people living with HIV are over the age of fifty with almost 75% of people with HIV in San Francisco age 50 or older. Most older adults living with HIV have aged with HIV and many are HIV Long-Term Survivors (LTS) like Sam. Yet too often, the stories of HIV LTS are overlooked, their voices excluded from international conferences, and many feel invisible—a “silent majority,” especially in a youth-focused culture.
Who are HIV LTS? Persons like Sam, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996, are included. Some also include those who have lived with HIV for more than 10 or 20 years— including those who were perinatally infected with HIV and are now in their 30s and 40s. HIV LTS can also include HIV negative persons who lived through the early years of AIDS—which may include many
readers of the Bay Times. HIV LTS are a diverse group with a variety of lived experiences, reflecting the communities that continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV, such as Black and Latinx communities as well as the LGBTQ+ community.
The transformation of HIV/AIDS from a fatal illness to a chronic disease is one of the biggest successes of modern medicine. However, new challenges exist for HIV long-term survivors. Chronic inflammation from HIV and side effects of antiretroviral drugs increase the risk of other chronic conditions like heart disease and osteoporosis. As a result, many long-term survivors are living with multiple chronic conditions often resulting in multiple medications. A study of older adults with HIV in Canada found that while the number of antiretroviral pills has decreased over time, older adults are frequently taking the same number of pills as in the 1980s and 1990s— now just for other diseases instead of HIV.
Many, like Sam, suffered traumatic loss of multiple people over years. They are isolated—not just because of the loss of social networks in some communities, but also HIV stigma, as well as now ageism. Some LTS experience PTSD symptoms and are reluctant to form new connections for fear of losing more people. The communities disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS were already marginalized and suffering from discrimination, which also affects mental health.
Yet despite these challenges, HIV LTS demonstrate incredible resilience and abilities to face these new challenges. Communities that were already embattled for their rights had to continue to come together to support each other through the crisis. That tradition and support continues—seen in the care circles of friends who rally around someone who is sick (even if not from AIDS), or in the person continuing to be open to a new relationship even after losing three partners, and in the tradition of giving back to the community and especially in advocacy.
Community organizations, and social and medical services are beginning to address the challenges faced by HIV LTS as they age. The Bay Area arguably has more services available than other parts of the country. San Francisco is where Let’s Kick Ass (AIDS Survivor Syndrome) originated that helped develop HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day on June 5. Longstanding organizations like Shanti and San Francisco AIDS Foundation have dedicated programming for LTS such as “Honoring Our Experience” and the 50+ Network. AIDS Legal Referral Panel serves the legal needs of the HIV/AIDS community, especially the complex legal needs of older people with HIV. PRC also provides legal advocacy services around healthcare and disability. UCSF has HIV geriatric medicine services through the Silver Project at 360 clinic and the Golden Compass Program at San Francisco General
Hospital. Yet many LTS express frustration that, despite completing multiple needs assessments over the past 10 years, services have not kept pace with the changing demographics of people with HIV. The need for additional mental health services was the top concern mentioned by all the long-term survivors interviewed for this story. The isolation experienced by many LTS is closely intertwined. Long wait lists for affordable mental health services are too common especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite the increase in telehealth options. This is critical, as for some LTS the start of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered emotions experienced in the early days of AIDS.
Activities and support groups are important for shared experiences and
In 2020, as the COVID-19 lockdown began, a group of LGBT elder advocates and government officials began meeting to keep track of concerns and needs arising, share information, and organize to protect our communities. One year later, the result was impactful: almost one million dollars in grants approved, a groundbreaking study of the impact of COVID-19
on LGBT elders, and important educational outreach to the community.
We learned some important lessons from this:
• LGBT elder advocacy requires collaboration to be effective—our communities and our issues don’t fit into neat disciplinary or topical boxes.
Second, if you know what you’re doing, don’t wait for permission to organize.
Third, don’t wait for someone else to do the work you know needs to be done.
And finally, a handful of committed people who trust each other and don’t care about taking credit can make important policy happen.
In 2012, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors named a dozen people to the LGBT Aging Policy Task Force. We had 18 months to produce recommendations for how the city could better support LGBT elders, and then the task force con-
cluded. There were advocates from a variety of backgrounds (legal matters, mental health, housing, community-building, health care policy, etc.). You can learn more about the task force at https://tinyurl.com/3w5r22zv
As the COVID-19 lockdown in San Francisco began on March 16, 2020, former task force members and other advocates knew that our community would be hit hard. LGBT seniors are 20% as likely to access services as
straight seniors. They’re half as likely to have biological family members to help them. They are more likely to be poor than straight seniors. And trans seniors in particular have faced serious obstacles to accessing care. An isolating pandemic was a perfect storm.
Within days, former task force members and other advocates were informally regrouping to identify problems across the range of policy areas: access to care and services,
community building, but additional funding to support these services is needed. Additionally, while groups can help with processing traumatic losses, for many individuals one on one therapy to help manage and treat this trauma will be required. This will also require culturally competent psychotherapy. LTS expressed concerns not only about the shortages of HIV specialists, geriatricians, and mental health providers but also that the knowledge and familiarity with LTS’ experiences will be lost among newer providers. Many HIV specialists are now retiring who worked during the early days of AIDS. Enhanced services are also needed to address the unique challenges facing LTS around employment and disability. For example, Sam quit his job
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MEREDITH
housing, educating the community, legal equality, and thinking through ways to gather the empirical evidence that drives policy. Shireen McSpadden, who is head of the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services, was on board immediately, as were representatives from Supervisor Mandelman’s office and Senator’s Wiener’s office, and leaders from half a dozen crucial nonprofits.
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By Brendalynn R. Goodall, M.S.W.
My entire life has been centered around giving back and building community engagement. I identify as an out and proud 72-year-old Black lesbian who is passionate about public service and a sincere desire to serve. I have been the voice and advocate for elder justice, mental health issues, LGBTQ+ rights, and BIPOC issues. All those issues have touched me personally. I would like to share with you a topic that is often overlooked in our society: Alzheimer’s disease and the LGBTQ + community and, in particular, the Black LGBTQ+ community. As we all know, Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating disease that can rob people of their memories, their sense of self, and ultimately their lives. But what many people may not realize is that this disease disproportionately affects certain communities, including Black LGBTQ+ elders. Black LGBTQ+ seniors have unique challenges when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. Not only are they more likely to experience discrimination and marginalization due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, but they are also more likely to experience social isolation, lack of support systems, and inadequate health care.
Let me share with you one of my experiences with caregiving for a friend living with Alzheimer’s. I was part of a support group called “Myra’s Circle.” Myra struggled with dementia and was unable to manage her life for nine years. In her last few months, she was attended by hospice because of advanced cancer. Myra’s Circle was a racially diverse group of lesbians who helped manage her life from July 2012 to the end. Myra passed away January 1, 2021. The experiences of her young life made Myra feel that no one was going to take care of her, and that she always had to be selfreliant and wary of the motives of others. I was not a long-term friend of Myra; however, she reached out to me and my spouse Nancy to be included in her family of choice. She asked us to be her support and caregiver at the beginning stage of her dementia. We were a group of older lesbians that met initially biweekly and then monthly. Over time, our circle of caregivers grew closer, and we became good friends.
I remember Myra as an independent, strong, and smart woman. She had been a college English teacher, City of Oakland plumber, and the proprietor of Wonder Woman Plumbing.
We managed her money, healthcare, transportation, and housing needs. We moved her several times and connected her to social service resources and made daily and weekly check-in phone calls and frequent visits, especially to organize her living space. Many times, we “found” her lost phone and investigated “strange noises” in her apartment while she struggled with her dementia. While Myra’s disease progressed, it was heart-wrenching and emotionally draining. Yet, our Circle did not waver in our love and support of Myra. Chosen family care circles are common in both the LGBTQ+
and Black LGBTQ+ communities. It turns out that our experience was not isolated.
There is a growing body of research indicating that LGBTQ+ BIPOC older adults are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Experiences of structural, interpersonal, and institutional racism are associated with poor memory and increased cognitive decline in midlife and old age, especially among Black individuals. In addition, elders in communities of color are often underserved when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and support. Several factors contribute to this increased risk, including discrimination, social and economic disparities, and lack of access to culturally competent healthcare resources.
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Guests filled the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco’s ballroom on Sunday, April 23, 2023, for the sold-out 25th Anniversary of Openhouse, the beloved LGBTQ+ senior housing and services organization co-founded by Dr. Marcy Adelman and Jeanette Gurevitch.
Following an opening “bubbly reception,” a stirring processional led by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band’s drum core opened the 2023 Spring Fling with remarks of welcome presented by Openhouse Executive Director Kathleen Sullivan and activist Morningstar Vancil.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi received the Founders’ Award presented by Dr. Marcy Adelman, and gave a rousing acceptance speech that included memories of her work for more than 36 years as a supporter of HIV/ AIDS advocacy efforts.
On Lok, Inc., the senior services organization recognized as a pioneer in elder care providing health care services for more than fifty years,
received the Openhouse Trailblazer Award. Chief Executive Officer Grace Li accepted the award. In partnership with Openhouse, On Lok created the nation’s first community-based adult day program for LGBTQ+ seniors.
Also presented was the Openhouse Remembers award in memory of Juan Carlos (J.C.) Wallace and honoring his service as Co-Chair of the Openhouse Board of Directors and his tireless support of the organization.
Current Board Co-Chairs Maite Echaniz and Bill Lowell presented the award, which was received by members of his family.
Sullivan presented keynote remarks along with a cinematic overview of the organization’s role in the LGBTQ+ community of San Francisco. Following the brunch and program, guests enjoyed a selection of desserts and a dance party.
https://www.openhousesf.org/
“We’re not really a family anymore.” These were the last words spoken to me by my father, who at age 81 experienced rapidly advancing cognitive decline before his cardiac arrest and death in July 2021. Although the chances of inheriting Alzheimer’s disease are slim, my father’s dementia and the fragility of our family ties after my gender transition seven years ago reactivated a worry that I have long held as a transgender person: that I will experience cognitive decline, rupture of family relationships, and an existential threat to my gender identity. Emerging research shows that I could be partly right because transgender people have elevated risks of cognitive decline and dementia, and that I’m not alone in worrying about how dementia will affect my ability to control my gender identity and expression.
For clarity, a transgender person has a deeply held internal sense of their gender that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Analysis of Washington State data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) shows that transgender people are almost six times as likely to report subjective cognitive decline than cisgender (non-transgender) people, and a separate study of national BRFSS data from 2015–2020 shows that reports of subjective cognitive decline are even higher for transgender people of color—higher than white transgender people and
cisgender people of any race.
This is not all that surprising given what we know about the impact of marginalization on the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) older adults.
Chronic minority stress in LGBTQ elders heightens the risk for premature cognitive aging. Higher rates of subjective cognitive decline have been reported among LGBTQ older adults who are people of color as well as LGBTQ people who report depression and/or functional impairment. Research on transgender and nonbinary people bears out that minority stress impact. Transgender people report higher rates of depression, stress, disability, and poor health than cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.
Nearly 16 percent of transgender and nonbinary participants in Rainbows of Aging, an ancillary study of LGBTQ adults age 50+ from the Pride Study, rated their memory as poor/fair, and 17 percent reported that their memory was worse than in the previous year, both higher than rates for cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. A different study of administrative data from Florida shows the prevalence of risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease to be two to three times higher for transgender people.
Little is known about the impact of dementia on gender identity: it may
cause new or increased gender fluidity, or trans people may forget that they’ve had gender-affirming procedures. Healthcare providers likely have not had training about how to respond, whether to correct or affirm a patient’s shifting gender identity.
Traditional memory care models have called for person-centered care that meets the patient in the reality they are experiencing that day. However, if we respond to transgender patients as they identify at that point in time without regard for their historical gender identity, there could be health implications if genderaffirming medical care is stopped and started quickly or repeatedly. It is exactly this result that some transgender people fear, particularly if they experience their gender in a very binary way (strictly male or strictly female) and had a hard-fought struggle to be recognized in their affirmed gender.
It is important for healthcare providers and caregivers to understand that 1 in 2 transgender people (and 68% of transgender people of color) report past mistreatment by a healthcare provider, so fear and anxiety about losing their sense of agency due to dementia is high. In long-term care, mistreatment can mean intentional misgendering (use of the wrong pronouns), ridicule, substandard or delayed care, and being denied care altogether.
Unfortunately, many long-term care providers do not have nondiscrimination policies in place to prevent this kind of mistreatment. There is a new resource from SAGE and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation called the Long-Term Care Equality Index that can help you find residential long-term care facilities in your area that have trans-inclusive policies. Additionally, laws such as California’s LGBT Long-Term Care Facility Residents Bill of Rights and D.C.’s LGBTQ and HIV Long-Term Care Bill of Rights provide some protections. We need a federal law to provide protection to transgender older adults everywhere.
Some of the fears and anxieties that transgender people have reported include being afraid of lack of affirmation of their gender identity by healthcare providers or even fear that their transness will be viewed as a pathological symptom of dementia. Trans people may be afraid that
their age or cognitive decline will result in termination of gender-affirming medical care such as hormone therapy.
Diminution of cognitive abilities can reduce people’s ability to advocate for themselves in long-term care settings. That loss of agency is the aspect of dementia that transgender people report the most fear about, because of perceived loss of control over their gender identity. One in six transgender people report fear that dementia will disempower them, with transgender people of color reporting twice as much fear as white transgender respondents.
Perceived powerlessness can make options seem limited for trans and nonbinary people. The ideal option would be care at home by a chosen caregiver if transgender people can afford in-home nursing care and/or have chosen family to provide the care. However, transgender people are less likely to have the resources to afford in-home nursing care due to lower incomes, reported by more than twice as many transgender people as the general population, with higher rates among transgender people of color. Additionally, transgender people are less likely to have family members to provide care, due to rejection by families of origin, reported by almost half of transgender people, with higher rates among transgender people of color.
It is incumbent on us as a society to find additional offramps to this perceived powerlessness loop. Given that it is expected that the U.S. population of people age 65+ will double by 2060, the time for us to take charge and creatively plan for dementia and cognitive decline is right now, and for many people, that means earlier in our life cycle.
Currently, about 172,000 transgender people are estimated to be
age 65 and older, and are concentrated in the South, where there are comparatively few legal protections against gender identity discrimination. Providers need to talk about dementia risks with transgender people, and proactively help them plan for dementia with advance care planning tools. Transgender people might want to think about how they feel about increased gender fluidity that might accompany cognitive decline, and how they might want their gender expression to be honored if they are less able to express those wishes. Talking about those values with loved ones in their lives is an important way of sharing community, as well as designating people they trust to carry out specific gender-affirming care provisions in their advance directives. Look for more information about advance care planning for transgender people in the Aging in Community column this June. Being proactive by planning ahead can help to reduce fears, allow for feeling more in control, and promote peace of mind.
Ames Simmons (he/him) is a queer white transgender man who holds a senior fellowship at the Duke University School of Law. Simmons is a member of the National Advisory Council of the SAGE and Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Long-Term Care Equality Index, and the Trans Elders Special Interest Group of the U.S. Professional Association for Transgender Health.
The other day I was talking to a friend about a song I had heard by the band Radiohead called “Glass Eyes.” The song ends with the lyrics:
“And the path trails off And heads down a mountain Through the dry bush, I don’t know where it leads I don’t really care
I feel this love to the core
I feel this love to the core”
I said to my friend, “How could someone write a piece of music that sounds this beautiful? I don’t think I’ve ever listened to music the way I do now.” And my friend replied, “My father was like that when he got older, too.”
This exchange makes me reflect on my aging self and about the changes I’ve been going through as I have grown older.
Now in my early 70s and coping with the physical changes one experiences as we age, I know I won’t be climbing any mountains or running a marathon, but I’ve found a new sense of contentment with my place in the world and satisfaction with my life that I believe is more important. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that the question of identity has shifted and returned to its earlier fluidity. Success no longer means the same thing to me as it did in my youth, and I’ve come to appreciate the perspective that age has brought me. I’ve learned who I am and what I’ve accomplished, and my priorities
have shifted accordingly. My values have become more clearly defined, and I’ve found greater peace with myself than I ever did by striving to achieve what my younger self deemed important. As the reality of my own mortality grows closer and I experience the profound loss of loved ones, I find that the importance of living life fully comes into sharper focus. This newfound clarity has brought a sense of fulfillment and meaning to my life that I never could have imagined in my youth. Even as new physical limitations arise, the ability to cope with these changes comes from a center that is not physical.
What is it exactly that opened me up to growing older, allowing me to “feel this love to the core” as the song goes? I think it is the discovery of the secret meaning of our individual lives—or at least mine. It’s no huge lightning bolt revelation but rather a quiet understanding of the path in life I took and how I came to be here in this place and time. I can see the long trajectory of my life choices that have led to this inevitable moment. Some regrets, maybe, yes. But I am better equipped to acknowledge the path I took—and continue on—and am able to make a certain peace with
the histories that I can’t change or rewrite.
At the center of it all is a collection of memories and reasons, like old letters in a shoebox. Each one holds a story, a connection, and a choice that has brought me to this point. As I reflect on these letters, I find beauty in the uniqueness of my journey, and the deep connections and love that are among my most cherished memories. It is here I find and “feel the love to the core” and the place from which I draw strength.
As a visual artist, my sense of self, my center, has always been intertwined with my artistic expression. My life choices and experiences have shaped me into who I am today. Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I created an art exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art in San José titled The Transit of Venus,
where my intention is to express our zeitgeist (the spirit of our time). The piece draws inspiration from early Modernists who were navigating the rapid changes brought on by industrialization and urbanization a century ago, and I draw parallels to our current time of rapid technological change and globalism.
The central image of the piece is a tightrope walker, symbolizing our precarious lives as we strive to stay balanced amidst the dizzying chaos of it all. Through my art, I aim to capture the unease and vertigo of this era and convey the emotions that we are all experiencing as we face these feelings.
The artwork resonates with the theme of aging, as it explores the challenge of navigating a transformation that is beyond our physical control—dancing on a tightrope between the earth and sky, the past and future. It’s a reminder that we have a choice in how we approach life, whether to choose joy over fear and actively shape our own narratives instead of simply accepting what fate hands us.
To paraphrase the Austrian psychiatrist, Victor Frankl, who was sent to various concentration camps by the Nazis, including Auschwitz: to
(continued on page 10)
into her new position, describes her strategy for a more robust response to the needs of LGBTQ older adults. LGBTQ people, both young and old, and especially LGBTQ people of color, are overrepresented among the city’s homeless population. While the city has had a better response record caring for the needs of LGBTQ homeless youth, under McSpadden’s leadership, the city is finally working to correct the lack of focus on LGBTQ older adults. In her article she describes the many ways the city is now matching homeless LGBTQ older people with culturally appropriate resources as well as stepping up to provide more homeless prevention resources as well. This is a welcome and much needed change.
The Aging in Community column now has an email address: agingincommunity@sfbaytimes.com
We invite you to comment on our column, let us know what aging issues are on your mind, and what topics you would like to see in the future. We thank you for your support and your readership.
Dr. Marcy Adelman, a psychologist and LGBTQ+ longevity advocate and policy adviser, oversees the Aging in Community column. She serves on the California Commission on Aging, the Board of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California, the California Master Plan on Aging Equity Advisory Committee, and the San Francisco Dignity Fund Oversight and Advisory Committee. She is the Co-Founder of Openhouse, the only San Francisco nonprofit exclusively focused on the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ older adults.
REDMAN (continued from pg 4)
Within weeks, McSpadden and leaders from Meals on Wheels, Curry Senior Center, Shanti, Openhouse, and the City’s Office of Transgender Initiatives were presenting through Manny’s online speaker series on their work and taking questions from the community.
Just a few weeks later, as President Trump and other politicians ramped up hideous anti-Asian and anti-disability sentiment, group members and other LGBT leaders signed on to an open letter to the Bay Area Reporter pledging solidarity with the AAPI and disability communities, drawing connections to our own community’s experience of hatred and violence in the first decade of the AIDS epidemic.
The key goal of the group was to be as flexible as possible—to hear any concern, loop in any expert, and consider every possible solution. We didn’t know where we could be helpful, what was possible, where money might be available, what would be needed, or what curveball the virus might throw at us. But when we found solutions that seemed actionable, we pounced.
First, we knew we needed data to drive any policy changes. Dr. Marcy Adelman sprang into action getting funding and lining up experts to conduct a survey of LGBT elders during the pandemic. The groundbreaking study confirmed what we had all feared: more isolation, more suicidal ideation, insufficient access to support and services, and a serious “digital divide” that kept isolated seniors from the telehealth services and community activities that could alleviate loneliness and provide health care continuity.
Drawing on this data, we were able to identify three key policy goals. 1) The number of clients at the major LGBT elder organizations had doubled as a result of the pandemic, so we requested funding for three new staff members. 2) The need for LGBT culturally competent low-cost/no-cost mental health care exploded, so we requested funding for a groundbreaking program to better provide it. 3) There was a need for digital devices and training to give our elders access to the internet, so we requested funding for a staff member to supervise the roll-out and money for purchasing devices for 500 low-income seniors. We were proud when the city granted our funding request (almost $1m).
As the pandemic recedes from public view, crises continue for low-income LGBT elders: housing insecurity and homelessness, food insecurity, isolation, services lacking cultural competency, and so much more, but we must also celebrate our progress and success because they show us what works and how to fight for the next goal.
Throughout LGBT history (and our communities have had many names over the decades), the lesson we’ve learned again and again is that no one is going to do the work for us. Pick up the phone, hop on the Zoom, call up your friends, and get to work. We can do it.
Daniel Redman is a partner in the estate planning department of Sideman & Bancroft LLP. From 2012 to 2014, he served on the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force where he chaired the legal committee.
when he was diagnosed with AIDS and has been on disability for years. He did not plan for retirement as he was not expecting to live even a few years. As he turns 65, his disability benefits will switch to Social Security and will likely decrease. He, like many others, may need to consider returning to work after being out of the workforce for many years. Some of the financial concerns relate directly to the high cost of housing—the other major service gap identified by LTS for this article. For people with HIV, housing is critical to health, as it is well known that people with unstable housing and homelessness in San Francisco are less likely to have viral suppression.
Once again, in spite of these challenges, HIV long-term survivors in San Francisco demonstrate their resilience and lead the way in advocating for the needs of all long-term survivors and those aging with HIV. The SF Principles started in 2020 in the height of the COVID pandemic by a group of San Francisco advocates, demanding training for medical professionals, adequate mental health and health services and the inclusion of LTS in research and service development ( https://thesfprinciples.org/why/ ).
The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in May 2022 supporting the SF Principles, while also reaffirming support for the Getting to Zero initiative and urging the Department of Public Health to sustain funding for organizations providing HIV/AIDS safety net services. Additionally, in 2022, the Glasgow Manifesto was developed by an internal coalition of older people with HIV who demand tailored and holistic aging services, a focus on quality of life, and meaningful involvement in decisions focused on older people with HIV ( https://tinyurl.com/ukbtat98 ).
To meet the demands outlined in the SF Principles and the Glasgow Manifesto, more coordination is needed between aging and HIV services. Legislation, such as SB 258 signed by Governor Newsom in 2021 identifying older adults with HIV as a population with “greatest social need” in the Older Californians Act, should in theory help to facilitate this but will depend on implementation. LTS shared additional suggestions such as fostering intergenerational connections and going back to original service models for AIDS but now adapted for aging needs including adult day health programming and intensive case management.
In the spirit of “Aging Unbound,” the theme of this year’s Older Americans Month, we should learn from the advocacy of HIV long-term survivors and work to improve aging services. The spirit of “nothing about us without us” should be better implemented, for those with HIV and for aging services in general. Interested readers can join organizations like the HIV Advocacy Network, or pick an area of focus (like housing or mental health) and advocate on that issue. Even the simple act of listening and sharing stories is powerful—so the history of the early days of the AIDS epidemic is not forgotten.
As we all have recent reminders of pandemics with COVID19 and Mpox, it is critical to remember that HIV is an ongoing pandemic without a vaccine or a cure. We must remember HIV long-term survivors and continue to advocate for improved services as they age.
Dr. Meredith Greene is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a geriatrician and American Academy of HIV Medicine Specialist who works with older adults living with HIV and HIV long-term survivors.
LEMCKE (continued from pg 9)
choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way, is the last of the human freedoms. Thinkers and artists in the era of the rise of European fascism have always had a profound meaning for me as they experienced firsthand the violence and trauma that the world is capable of bringing forth. Echoes of this era of hate and the rise of authoritarianism haunt my thoughts as I look at today’s news and write these words. To think, to act, to consider one’s part, to choose one’s way, to choose life is what Frankl thought was at the heart of our humanity. It is precisely our liberation and freedom in the choices that we make (and have made) where we find our meaning—our core. This most certainly becomes clearer and more valuable with age.
Rudy Lemcke is a multidisciplinary artist and curator who lives and works in San Francisco. He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Louvain, Belgium, and a degree in web design and technology from the San Francisco State Multimedia Studies Program. His artwork has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the de Young Museum, the Pacific Film Archive/University Art Museum in Berkeley, the San Francisco Art Institute/Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, The Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, the Musée d’Art Contemporain in Montreal, and more.
Furthermore, BlPOC LGBTQ+ elders may be less likely to seek medical care or participate in research studies due to historical and systemic racism. This results in a lack of understanding of the unique needs and experiences of BIPOC LGBTQ+ elders and hinders the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies.
It is essential that healthcare providers and policymakers address these disparities and develop culturally sensitive approaches to care for BIPOC LGBTQ+ elders with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. This includes providing access to appropriate medical care, mental health support, and social services that are specifically tailored to the needs of this population.
For the past two years, I have been working with the Alzheimer’s Association to bring greater awareness about Alzheimer’s to the LGBTQ+ community in the East Bay.
As a longtime LGBTQ+ aging advocate, I knew that it was critical to use my passion and voice to make it happen, to help create those relationships in the East Bay.
To do the work, I served with the Alzheimer’s Association to develop a partnership with East Bay nonprofit organizations—Lavender Seniors, Pacific Center, and the Oakland LGBTQ Center. We call ourselves the East Bay LGBTQ+ Community Outreach Group.
We have held three Alzheimer’s Awareness Forums. Our first was for LGBTQ+ caregivers, a listening session to hear about their experience with dementia and Alzheimer’s, and especially how it was impacting our community, particularly our BIPOC LGBTQ+ elders. The second was an educational session for staff of nonprofits serving the LGBTQ+ community. The third, a conference entitled “Aging with Pride: Building a Caring Community Together,” was with Openhouse, a San Francisco LGBTQ+ senior serving nonprofit. It helped to educate our LGBTQ+ community members about dementia.
I am happy to be part of this collaborative effort because the Alzheimer’s Association is reaching out to build a relationship with the East Bay LGBTQ+ community and they are committed to providing culturally competent services and resources to our underserved communities.
I also would like to share a few statistics about the LGBTQ+ community and dementia:
• LGBTQ+ older adults experience more health disparities than their heterosexual peers—including increased rates of depression and higher rates of tobacco and alcohol use. This is in addition to higher rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease, all of which are risk factors for Alzheimer’s.
• 7.4% of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adult population is living with dementia.
• Black Americans are approximately two times more likely than white Americans to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
• Although the rate of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in Blacks and Hispanics is higher than whites, they are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis of the condition. LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely to develop dementia than straight people.
• LGBTQ+ older adults are often reluctant to reach out for needed services and support because they fear poor treatment due to their LGBTQ identity.
• When LGBTQ+ elders develop dementia, there is less social support as we are more likely to live alone and not have adult children to provide care.
1 in 5 LGBTQ adults provide care for someone else— 20% higher than the general population.
• Often our caregivers are “our chosen family.”
Living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia is not easy for anyone. However, LGBTQ+ individuals can often face additional challenges that need to be considered and addressed to ensure that our communities receive respectful and competent care. As a community, we need to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity, have access to the resources and support they need to age with dignity and respect.
The Alzheimer’s Association has a commitment to serve all communities. Inclusion is a core value of the Alzheimer’s Association. As we are continually reminded, systemic racial and social injustices permeate all aspects of society and are intertwined with the causes of health disparities for many of our communities. Let us work together to create a society in which all people feel safe, cared for, and valued.
Brendalynn R. Goodall, M.S.W., is an accomplished administrator and social worker with more than 32 years in the fields of aging, mental health, and workforce development. As a native of Oakland, Goodall has activist and social justice roots that are anchored in the East Bay.
San Franciscans hold many opinions and stereotypes about people living on our streets. People I speak to are often surprised to learn that many of these individuals are older. Nationally, older adults are the fastest growing segment of homeless adults. In our city, 35% of people experiencing homelessness are 51 years and older. Aging on the streets is particularly challenging—74% of older homeless survey respondents reported living with one or more health conditions, including chronic physical illness, physical disabilities, chronic substance use, and severe mental health conditions, all exacerbated by life on the street. We also know that LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those of color, are overrepresented in the homelessness populations and that this trend continues in older age groups.
Data from the National Research on Homelessness and Older Adults shows that when individuals lose their housing at older ages or have more comorbidities, they are more likely to become chronically homeless. Unhoused older adults face some serious challenges to their well-being relative to younger adults. For example, people experiencing homelessness ages 50 to 62 often have similar health issues as people 10–20 years older who are housed. We also know that older LGBTQ+ people’s needs are often overlooked and they’re often not
heard or recognized as the individuals they are. Their needs are therefore not met.
As a city, we are working toward a much more targeted and coordinated systems approach to ensure that we are matching older adults, and LGTBTQ+ people generally, with the right resources. Here are some examples of work that is underway:
• Centering equity. This means asking the people we are serving to inform our work. We have to understand the perspectives of older LGBTQ+ people in our system to really understand how to design systems that will respond to their needs.
• Working with our expert partners. San Francisco has a myriad of expert organizations serving LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and older adults. They have to help shape our response system.
• Prioritizing unsheltered older adults for shelter/housing.
• Working with our city and nonprofit partners to address the specific needs of LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness with particular attention to the transgender and gender non-conforming community. We are doing this through our Ending Transgender Homelessness Initiative, operating the first transgender-focused navigation center, and operating
the country’s first LGBTQ+ adult shelter.
• Ensuring that people in permanent supportive housing and shelter have access to home care and accessible services.
• Bringing an enhanced medical care permanent supportive housing model that is funded through Medi-Cal to serve those with acute and complex medical needs.
• Implementing the recommendations of the cross-departmental needs assessment on affordable housing needs among older adults and people with disabilities, particularly focused on better assessment and homelessness prevention.
• Adjusting processes to rapidly house older adults from the street and decrease long stays in shelter.
We also need to make sure that older adults do not become homeless in the first place. One significant difference between older adults who become homeless for the first time and their younger counterparts is their reason for and pathway to homelessness. Older adults typically fall into homelessness due to a significant financial change, death of a family member, or significant change in family makeup. These causes give us clear direction on how to prevent first-time or recurrence of homelessness among older adults.
Homelessness prevention is a set of strategies to prevent households at highest risk of homelessness from entering homelessness. This can include one-time financial assistance, rental subsidies, back rent, future rent, or move-in assistance. By focusing on
prevention for this community, we can stabilize lives and continue to support older adults in our community to age in place and thrive. Between FY 2020–2023, the City of San Francisco invested approximately $194 million in homelessness prevention. This investment is expected to serve approximately 7,500 households.
• Approximately $6 million of this investment has been used to reduce the rent burden of people living in permanent supportive housing to help ensure that they remain stably housed. The San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing is partnering with the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services and service providers with expertise in working with older adults and people with disabilities to ensure that they have access to these prevention resources.
Homelessness prevention is a critical intervention for people who have never been homeless before and those who have been homeless in the past and are at-risk of housing instability. To improve the targeting of these resources, the homeless service system must collaborate with the aging services both upstream and at the moment of crisis.
San Francisco has a lot of work to do to ensure that older people gen-
McSpadden
erally, and older LGBTQ+ people more specifically, receive the services they need to avoid homelessness, to make it brief, or to receive robust services within the homelessness response system. Fortunately, we have the experts—people with lived experience, savvy nonprofit organizations, strong departmental partnerships, and a clear set of priorities in the city’s new strategic plan on homelessness—to ensure that older adults will be well served.
Shireen McSpadden is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing. She previously served as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Disability & Aging Services.
“Welcome Castro,” a new visitor center and gift shop focusing on all things Castro, celebrated its grand opening on April 27, 2023. The event, which took place from 4–7 pm at 525 Castro Street—formerly the Levi’s Store—drew drag queens, city politicians and other officials, community leaders, business owners, locals, and even some curious tourists.
Owner Robert Emmons, who lives in the Castro with his partner Terry Haney, also owns and operates Welcome Haight & Ashbury at 1500 Haight Street and the San Francisco Mercantile at 1698 Haight Street. All, including Welcome Castro, offer locally themed and sourced items in addition to serving as destinations for visitors seeking information about the respective neighborhoods.
Welcome Castro’s grand opening ceremony included a ribbon-cutting event with Mayor Breed, District
8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Castro Merchants President Terrance Alan, Emmons, Haney, and others doing the honor. Also attending were photographer Dan Nicoletta, Grand Duchess Olivia Hart, singer Christina Ashton,
and Per Sia with a “story time” reading. DJ Nico was on hand to spin tunes.
A window art installation by Serge Gay, Jr in collaboration with the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and a History of the Castro exhibit featuring images from local photographers were also highlighted.
Visitors to the Castro, as well as neighborhood residents seeking Castro-centric information and gifts, now have multiple places to check out. Local Take at 4122 18th Street sells quality goods from over 140 local artists. The venerable Cliff’s Variety is also a bastion of all things Castro and San Francisco, in addition to serving as a hardware, home goods, variety, and fabric store. As for Welcome Castro, it features a wide array of LGBTQ and Castrothemed merchandise, with many items crafted by local queer artists and designers. It also has a great selection of maps and guides concerning everything from bars to historic landmarks to “best-kept secrets.”
Welcome Castro is now open seven days a week from 11 am–7 pm.
This past winter was the longest and coldest (by San Francisco standards) I can remember in over four decades. But after a couple of false starts, spring really is here! All those atmospheric rivers we endured have turned the landscape lush and green, and colorful flowers are putting on a show everywhere. They remind us that despite problems and conflicts all around us, there is beauty everywhere if you just look for it. Stop and smell the roses. They really are lovely.
First, the News
The news from too many states continues to be awful, as right-wing state and local governments continue their brutal legislative attacks on transgender people, drag performers, LGBTQ+ people in general, and the rights of young people to read books about any of the aforementioned. Try as I might, I can’t keep up with the hateful and harmful legislation pouring out of Florida—but Florida is far from alone.
Not wanting to be left out of the “Most Hate-Filled State” contest,
Missouri just became the first state to essentially ban gender-affirming care for trans people of any age. The state’s Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, issued an emergency rule on April 13 to all trans people in Missouri, which was set to go into effect on April 27 before a state judge temporarily blocked it. As reported in PinkNews, the draconian rule would not only make it nearly impossible for any resident of Missouri to receive gender-affirming care, but it also would encourage Missourians to report medical professionals they believe are providing care.
This blatant attempt to erase trans people from their state is being challenged: the ACLU, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLBTQ Legal Advocates, and Human Rights Campaign issued a joint statement, declaring: “This is a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in the assault on evidencebased health care for transgender people ... . It is also a blatant attempt to strip transgender people of equal protection under the law and to subject them to intrusive government surveillance and control.” Don’t be surprised if other red states follow suit. Read more about this bill and the efforts to overturn it here: https://tinyurl.com/PinkMo
Action Alert: Help Secure Funding for HIV & LGBTQ+
Communities
San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) has launched a campaign to advocate for critical funding in the San Francisco budget for HIV housing and healthcare investments. They are seeking funding in the city budget for essential services including HIV housing subsidies, mental health support for
long-term survivors, intensive case management for people living with HIV and AIDS, support for HV service organizations, safer consumption sites, and preserving the HIV care safety net.
How can you help? They are looking for volunteers to help write effective op-eds and letters to the editor that highlight the importance of HIV housing and healthcare investments in the city budget.
To this end, they are holding an online Grassroots Activists Workshop on Tuesday, May 9, from 6–7 pm to train volunteers, providing them with the necessary tools and strategies to craft compelling arguments, target specific audiences, and navigate the submission process. Volunteers of all sorts—community members, frontline workers, seasoned activists—are encouraged to attend this workshop. This is a great opportunity to receive training in important skills from the experienced advocates and communicators who will be leading the workshop, and to hone your skills so you can use your voice effectively in advocating for important issues. Register for the workshop via Eventbrite here:
https://tinyurl.com/HANwkshp
Sad News for Book Lovers
For those of us who love books, the closing of a bookstore is like a death in the family. When the Alexander Book Company on 2nd Street announced that it was closing its doors for good on April 28, it felt like one of the last pieces of the soul of downtown San Francisco was disappearing. Opened in 1990 by siblings Bonnie and Michael Stuppin, Alexander Book Company was a beacon of light among its Financial
District neighbors, providing not just books, but also community.
There are plenty of places to eat along 2nd Street, but Alexander Book Company fed the soul—organizing book groups like Sister Circle, partnering with Trees for the Future to plant trees for every book sold (628,424 so far!), hosting readings, and, every day, providing a friendly, welcoming space for everyone. Unfortunately, the lack of foot traffic in the Financial District since the pandemic has made it too hard for small family-run businesses like this
to remain viable, and this store’s closing is a loss for our city. If you love books, support your local independent bookstore. Amazon doesn’t support communities the way local booksellers do. And while you’re visiting your local bookstore, expand your mind by buying a few banned books.
When Title IX was passed in 1972, it opened up a world of opportunities in the world of sports for female athletes. But challenges still remain for female athletes, and especially for LGBTQ+ athletes. On May 11, The Academy SF is presenting a forum featuring two women with long and distinguished careers in sports journalism: San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat writer Susan Slusser and Christina Kahrl, editor of the Chronicle’s Sporting Green. This should be a fascinating evening: https://tinyurl.com/SSCKAC
Drag
In these times when drag performers are under attack around the country, local drag artists are working overtime to fight for the
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I see that I spent the entirety of “lesbian visibility week” (in late April) lounging around the house reading trashy novels, watching TV, and drinking wine without doing a damn thing to make myself visible. But how exactly are we supposed to be aware of these special days and weeks in the first place? I also missed “margarita day,” on February 24, to my vast regret, as well as several other important annual milestones. There ought to be a calendar app that allows us to itemize personal holidays. Oh, don’t tell me that one already exists. You know who did manage to make a statement during lesbian visibility week? Delaware County, Indiana, Councilman Ryan Webb, who came out of the closet as a lesbian woman of color. “After much consideration I have decided to come out and finally feel comfortable announcing my true authentic self,” wrote the white Republican father of five who, as you might have figured out, was making a joke at the expense of our vibrant and diverse community.
“It is with great relief that I announce to everyone that I identify as a woman and not just any woman but as a woman of color as well. I guess this would make me gay/lesbian as well, since I am attracted to women,” he announced. Webb noted that he will continue to use masculine pronouns.
According to the (Muncie, Indiana) Star Press, Webb has drawn backlash from both the left and the right; the left objecting to being ridiculed, and the right featuring humorless critics who actually think he is sincere. At a recent council meeting, Webb seemed to suggest that he was mak-
ing an important point. “I’m being dead serious,” he insisted. “This isn’t a joke. I said what I said. I don’t know what to tell you. You don’t get to question me. You do not get to require proof from me. You were part of the movement that helped establish these rules and set the bar, OK? You don’t get to come later when someone else joins the club that you don’t want in ... . You don’t get to question how I identify.”
It reminds me a bit of those bozos who always wanted to “celebrate Straight Pride,” because they had a right to be just as proud of their sexual orientation as gays. Note to bozos: it’s called Pride because, unlike you, we had to overcome Shame. Note to Webb: you haven’t joined the club or changed how you identify. You’ve pulled a publicity stunt. Of course, people are allowed to question that.
Dress for Success
As usual, there’s a ton of transgender news this week, including a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to challenge Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for transgender youth, as well as a 219–203 vote by the House of Representatives to ban trans girls and women from participating in federally funded school sports. (That’s not going anywhere, but still.)
I was particularly struck by a couple of related stories about dress, including an agreement between the ACLU and Alaska Airlines to open up the uniform policy on behalf of a nonbinary flight attendant, and a new rule from the Texas Department of Agriculture, where employees now “must dress in a manner consistent with their biological gender.”
One of the nagging issues in the laws that surround sex discrimination is
By Ann Rostowthe idea that employers have the right to dictate how men and women dress, up to a certain point.
Under Title VII, which bans sex discrimination in the workplace, the High Court has long said it is illegal to hold men and women to gender stereotypes. That case involved a woman who was denied partnership, not because she was female, but because she was too butch for the company image.
On the other hand, in 2006, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a casino had the right to hold men and women to dramatically different dress codes; expensive and time-consuming makeup and hair styles for the women, versus a neat, clean-shaven look for men. This policy, the court decided, was not based on stereotypes but reflected, I don’t know, commonly held standards of appearance? (Don’t get me started on this senseless ruling.)
In today’s cases, Alaska Airlines agreed to cover the legal bills, compensate Justin Wetherell, and change the uniform rules to allow Justin to dress in a non-binary manner with makeup and long hair. The Texas bureaucrats, by contrast, are not simply imposing a simple dress code; they are forcing transgender staff to revert to a style that is totally antithetical to their identity. As such, they arguably violate a more recent Supreme Court opinion, the 2020 ruling that discrimination based on gender identity is a form of impermissible sex discrimination under Title VII. Can Texas argue that the new dress code is gender “neutral”? I don’t see how, particularly since one of the cases at issue in that three-year-old High Court decision involved a trans-
gender woman who was accused of ignoring the male dress standards at the funeral home where she worked— and the Court ruled in her favor.
Finally, there’s another dress code lawsuit swirling around the courts, namely the petition from North Carolina’s federally funded Charter Day School, which seeks to maintain a strict dress code forcing girls to wear skirts. The skirt policy was rejected by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, but Charter Day has asked the Supreme Court to take the case. In January, the justices asked the Solicitor General for a brief as it decides whether or not to accept review. If it does accept, the Court will be focused on whether or not a charter school that takes public money is a state actor under the law. But the underlying issue, whether in the workplace or in a school, is to what extent can authorities force a specific gender role on staff or students.
Sigh.
Forty-Thousand for Brady
I just took a break and looked around for some lighthearted topics. You know the sort of thing I’m looking for. The anti-gay lawmaker caught searching for boy toys online. The crazy British lesbian breaking into her ex-girlfriend’s flat and destroying her bedclothes with a steak knife. Or why stick with our GLBT rubric?
There’s always an array of irritating television commercials, like the ones from Duluth Trading with risible scenes of tight underwear squeezing the family jewels of an animated middle-aged man with the irritating macho voiceover.
Actually, I fell in love with one TV ad the other day. It was another one
of those ubiquitous “truck months” from Chevy or Dodge or Ford, whatever. Over the shots of trucks, I heard this compelling song, sort of country, sort of a ballad, called “Heart Like a Truck.” I looked it up, and it’s an actual song, which I listened to several times. I noticed in the YouTube comments that every other person said they had also heard this on the truck commercial and done the same thing. This woman must have just made a fortune. Either that or I’m the only person who had never heard of Lainey Wilson, whom I see plays a character on Yellowstone
As for my news list, it’s still full of anti-trans stories, polls, protests, and the like, grist for our mill, perhaps, but not exactly fun subjects. Meanwhile, as I was reviewing the Duluth Trading ad, I came upon an item from last year, when Tom Brady apparently posted a short, somewhat revealing, video of himself in the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror while wearing his own “Brady Brand” underwear. One guy, reacting to the show, asked Tom if he would deliver him a pair of worn, unwashed, briefs if his reply garnered 40,000 likes, and Tom seemed to agree. No, I did not pursue this further and I don’t know for sure if Brady hand delivered dirty underwear to his slightly creepy sounding fan, but what the hell? It’s a little bizarre anyway. And since when did Tom Brady create and market a personal collection of men’s underclothes? Where have I been?
Florida Man
I’m developing an increasingly intense dislike for Ron DeSantis, who just goes from bad to worse. Did you see that speech where he speculated that he might have to build a prison
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LGBTQ community members, including San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson and San Francisco Bay Times columnist and drag legend Donna Sachet, joined Mayor London Breed and other City of San Francisco officials and preservationists on Monday, April 18, at 5:12 am for the 117th commemoration of the 1906 earthquake. The 7.9 quake rocked San Francisco for 45 seconds, causing immense destruction and igniting several fires that burned for 3 days and destroyed nearly 500 city blocks.
Since 1919, the annual commemoration has been held at the site of Lotta’s Fountain, a cast iron fountain commissioned by actress Lotta Crabtree as a gift to the city in 1875. The fountain was used as a meeting point in the aftermath of the quake and subsequent fires. Following the ceremony at Lotta’s Fountain, celebrants then go to 3899 20th Street—the location of the Golden Fire Hydrant, credited with stopping the progression of the fires—to repaint the hydrant.
Public relations expert Lee Housekeeper is credited with having organized and sustained the annual memorial event over the past several years. At his Facebook page, Housekeeper just before the 2023 memorial ceremony quoted San Francisco Chronicle reporter and cultural historian Carl Nolte:
“San Francisco is an odd place. It is always changing, but still rooted to its past. One of the great traditions is a celebration of a disaster—the 1906 earthquake and fire, marked every year just before dawn on April 18 at Lotta’s Fountain on Market Street. This classic San Francisco event has honored thousands of quake survivors over the years but they are all gone now. Why then will we still gather Lotta’s Fountain at 5 am this year? In a sense, we honor San Francisco itself for The City is the real survivor of the events of 1906.”
Watch this year’s memorial event: https://tinyurl.com/mr323ar7
To read an historical essay about Lotta’s Fountain, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yven8nbn
must now go through the redetermination process every year. This is essentially an annual review of whether someone qualifies for MediCal.
There are two ways people can lose their benefits: they are no longer eligible for the program; or they have failed to renew in time. In California, the Urban Institute estimates the number of people possibly being dropped from Medi-Cal could be as high as 3 million of the 13 million enrolled.
Assemblymember Phil Ting
Millions of Californians could soon lose their Medi-Cal health coverage if they don’t act over the next few months. That’s because the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is ending, which means eligibility rules are reverting back to the way they were before the pandemic. Everyone in the program
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government gave states extra funding to allow more people to enroll in Medicaid. In California, the program is administered through Medi-Cal and provides medical care and services to adults and children with limited income and resources. The financial boost was timely because peo -
ple were losing their jobs and health insurance.
As a result of this funding increase, Medi-Cal enrollment jumped 16 percent since March 2020, giving millions a safety net while the public health crisis grew. Program participants were also automatically renewed every year with no yearly requirement to determine eligibility.
But under the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, those automatic renewals are no longer in effect, and annual re-enrollments are necessary. Coverage renewals are based on a person’s Medi-Cal “anniversary.” Prior to 2020, that date is when you last renewed your coverage. After 2020, it’s the date you first applied to the program. Either way, renewal packets are mailed out ahead of this anniversary date and will continue over the next year.
If you renew by mail, the state will ask for information, such as income, residency, and other factors. Supporting documents may also be needed. The same process can be done online through the following website for residents of San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Solano, and Sonoma counties: www.MyBenefitsCalWin.com
The remaining Bay Area counties can renew through www.BenefitsCal.com
For those no longer eligible for MediCal, there may be other options. Covered California, for instance, could offer similar coverage, and the system will automatically enroll qualified Californians who no longer qualify for Medi-Cal. Covered California is an insurance marketplace offering affordable health plans. The state legislature invested in subsidies, which help people pay for their premiums. Nearly half the
people getting health care through Covered California pay less than $50 a month, while a quarter of people enrolled don’t pay a monthly premium at all.
If you have any questions or have not received a renewal packet prior to your Medi-Cal anniversary date, you can contact your county’s social services agency. The state assures us they will not cut off someone’s health care benefits without multiple attempts to contact them. The first disenrollments will begin in July and will continue for a year, as people’s Medi-Cal anniversary date comes up. But don’t let it get that far. Act today.
Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco and portions of South San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.
Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan
As Oakland’s Councilmember At Large, representing the entire city, and as our first openly lesbian councilmember, I am thrilled to announce that, this year, Oakland’s LGBT community is coming together for a historic Pride weekend-long event, September 9–10 of 2023. This set of events and celebration and support of our diverse area LGBT community united Oakland Pride, and PrideFest, working together.
Oakland Pride is an annual event that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in Oakland and the East Bay, while Pridefest Oakland is a music and arts festival that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The history of Oakland Pride goes back to 2008 when a group of LGBTQ+ activists decided to organize a community-based Pride celebration. Since then, the event has become one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ events in the Bay Area, attracting people from all walks of life. Similarly, Pridefest Oakland was established to promote cultural diversity and inclusivity through music, dance, and art.
This year, we are excited to merge the two festivals into one event, which will take place on September 9–10, 2023. By combining our efforts, we aim to create an even more inclusive, diverse, and joyful experience for everyone in attendance.
Attendees can expect two days that will include live music, food, drinks, exhibitors, and vendors. We will have a dedicated family area with activities for children and a health and wellness area. Oakland has a strong history of building Pride events that are uniquely reflective of our LGBT community—racially diverse and including a strong BIPOC leadership and presence, family-friendly, having children’s areas, and more. We need to unite in this time of unprecedented attacks against our LGBTQ+ community. This event is a chance to show our pride, celebrate our progress, and come together to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
www.oaklandpride.com
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @ Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/ Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).
Castro Street between Market and 18th will be closed to vehicles starting at noon on May 23 for the program, “Heklina: A Memorial (She Would Have Hated It),” at the Castro Theatre. With tickets at the 1400-seat venue sold out, a telecast starting at 6 pm is now planned to bring the show live on screens to the crowd outside.
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Program participants and staff gathered on Friday April 21, at AGUILAS (1800 Market Street) before traveling by bus to the Enchanted Hills Camps and Retreat in Napa for a three-day, two-night retreat. Thanks to partial funding from the Office of AIDS of the State of California Empowerment Initiative, the retreat—exclusively for Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals— provided instruction about health promotion strategies in a safe, beautiful, and welcoming environment.
The warm weather helped to make the retreat experience pleasant for all three days. This was the first time the Enchanted Hills site had been open since the pandemic. Tasty vegetarian meals were provided, and participants stayed at the location’s recently renovated camp site.
Upon arrival on April 21 attendees made their way to their assigned cabins, had dinner, and participated in a welcoming session where they introduced themselves and shared their retreat objectives. On Saturday, April 22, various workshops were
facilitated by staff of Queer Arts
Featured (aka Queer A. F.), whose office, store, and gallery are located at 575 Castro Street where Harvey Milk had his camera shop.
Participants engaged in the health promotion workshops throughout Saturday, followed by free time in the camp pool for recreation and an evening of music and dancing.
On Sunday, April 23, participants attended a Paint Your Feelings and Expressive Arts workshop facilitated by artist Juan Manuel Carmona, M.F.A., who was one of the artists who created the mural entitled Queeroes on the SF LGBT Center building on Market Street, which is also home to AGUILAS. After lunch, participants completed their satisfaction questionnaires about the retreat experience before leaving the camp site to return home by bus and private cars.
Although there were fallen trees, evidence of landslides, and limited road access due to the recent rains and past fires in the Napa region, the site was still very much enchanting, as its
name suggests. The retreat experience was highly rated by participants, given its opportunities to bond and network with other retreat attendees as well as to enjoy stargazing during the night in the clear skies over Napa.
In past years, AGUILAS has offered similar overnight retreats that had a significant impact among their attendees. It is hoped that funding can be found to continue this annual activity that research shows helps to reduce HIV/AIDS risk behaviors when compared with those who do not attend the retreat. These intensified retreat interventions appear to not only be effective for reducing HIV/AIDS risk behaviors, but they also foster networking and a sense of community among participants.
In another matter, currently several other media outlets report that San Francisco and the State of California are repealing the ban on city- and state-funded travel to states that restrict abortion, voting, and LGBTQ rights. The intent of the boycott was to put economic pressure on the states, but it has not had enough of this desired effect. San Francisco passed the boycott in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
The travel ban appears to be doing more harm than good. A report released by the city administrator concluded that the policy was increasing costs and administrative burdens for San Francisco. The report estimates that, by ending the boycott, local contracting costs will be lowered by 20% annually. It also mentions that “no states with restrictive LGBTQ rights, voting rights or abortion policies have cited the city’s travel and contract bans as motivation for reforming their law.”
To date, about 30 states and over 450 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation are being considered by various legislative bodies in addition to anti-abortion legislation. The boycott affected sports teams at public colleges and universities who had to find other ways to pay for road games in various states. Meanwhile, antiLGBTQ+ and anti-abortion sentiments have increased. It is hoped that other strategies, such as advertising campaigns, might have a more impactful effect and foster a change in anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion sentiments across the U.S. Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an awardwinning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.
The photos in the Jiro Onuma papers at the GLBT Historical Society tell an extraordinary story. Onuma (1904–1990) was born in Japan and immigrated to the United States in 1923, settling in San Francisco. He was one of over 110,000 Japanese Americans whom the U.S. government incarcerated as “enemy aliens” in concentration camps during World War II. For a decade after we received his collection, Onuma remained an enigma to archivists and historians, who could only speculate about his sexuality based on his collection of “male physique” and “physical culture” magazines that were surreptitiously marketed to gay men in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 2009, the artist Tina Takemoto scoured War Relocation Authority records and interviewed archival donors. She confirmed Onuma’s homosexuality and established that he had a partner, Ronald, whom he had met before the war; they were incarcerated together in the Topaz, Utah, camp. Unfortunately, they were separated when Ronald was transferred to the Tule Lake incarceration camp, but Onuma’s collection shows they found ways to stay connected by sharing photos.
As we honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we reflect not only on the hardship of the concentration camps, but also on the unmistakable joy Jiro found with his friends and lovers, even in the most abject circumstances. Our archives preserve this and countless other stories of hope, inspiration, joy, love, loss, and so much more that are just waiting for a passionate researcher to come in and put the pieces together.
We make these community treasures available to all at our archives downtown and our museum in the Castro district. To book your visit, or to make a contribution to support our work, visit: https://www.glbthistory.org/
Tales From Two Wheels
This week we would like to take the opportunity to thank Code Tenderloin and Executive Director Donna Hilliard for their generous financial support of the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® WMC.
Founded by Del Seymour in 2015, Code Tenderloin positively impacts the lives of those living in and around the Tenderloin, providing assistance and removing the barriers that keep people from securing long-term employment. Code Tenderloin participants are often faced with housing insecurity or are currently unhoused, may have been recently incarcerated, or may be older and returning to the workforce.
Code Tenderloin has programs that focus on computer literacy and job
readiness, such as coding & programing, which can help prepare participants to go on to software bootcamp opportunities. Code Tenderloin also offers further support for their participants by assisting with transportation to jobs and interviews, as well as enrollment in the Public Defender’s Clean Slate Program. Additionally, they support job readiness with interview preparation, résumé drafting, and connecting program participants with local entities through their business partnership network.
Our connection to Donna and Code Tenderloin is facilitated by Enda Davis, Treasurer for the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes®. Enda is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor II and teaches classes for community healthcare workers for Code Tenderloin.
On reflection of her time working with Donna and Code Tenderloin, Enda said: “Donna is the type of woman who
will ensure that she adds to one’s life by any means necessary. Throughout my career at Code Tenderloin, it has been an honor to follow in her footsteps, to proudly represent Code Tenderloin in all my endeavors, and to constantly walk in the shadow of greatness. My hope is to one day emulate her kind spirt and to give back to the community as well as she does on a daily basis.”
To Donna, the team at Code Tenderloin, and Enda, thank you all for your support. We are tremendously grateful for the generous donations of community members and institutions through which Dykes on Bikes® carries out our mission to support philanthropic endeavors in the LGBTQ and women’s communities.
For those interested in learning more about Code Tenderloin, please visit www.codetenderloin.org
Street
Following an opening reception, event co-chairs Sally Kay and Vinney Le welcomed guests to the ballroom at the Four Seasons San Francisco for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’ (SFGMC) 17th Annual benefit Crescendo. Also welcoming guests were Board Chair Dr. Glenn DeSandre; Chris Verdugo, CEO; and Artistic Director/ Conductor Jacob Stensberg.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered opening remarks as the evening’s featured speaker, and received standing ovations honoring her more than 30 years of support for HIV/AIDS advocacy and years of service on behalf of the Bay Area in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mayor London Breed received the 1st Annual Nancy Pelosi Ally Award, which was presented by State Senator Scott Wiener. Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria received the Visionary Award. Olympian Brian Boitano received the Vanguard Award presented by ABC-7 News anchor Dan Ashley.
Michael Tate, former president of the SFGMC Board of Directors, led the live auction that featured a list of amazing experiences, including a VIP trip for two to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. In total, the benefit raised more than $700,000 to support the Chorus.
The elegant evening also included performances by selected members of SFGMC, a gourmet dinner, and an after-dinner dessert party.
Attending on behalf of the San Francisco Bay Times were columnists Donna Sachet and movie critic and historian Jan Wahl. Co-publisher Dr. Betty Sullivan and former columnist Howard Steiermann are the founding co-chairs of Crescendo, dating back to their years of service on the Golden Gate Performing Arts Board of Directors.
SFGMC’s next concert, Ease on Down the Road, featuring hits from Elton John, The Wiz, The Wizard of Oz, and Wicked, will be held on Wednesday, July 19, at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall.
http://www.sfgmc.org
Last month’s article was about our pursuit of perfection by embracing AI to write for me. It didn’t work out well. The article also included our pursuit of perfection in recording and the trajectory from vinyl through 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, digital downloads, and, finally, streaming. In my other life of academic writing, I
have written a great deal about our pursuit of perfection in music performance often to the detriment of actual connection. Are they mutually exclusive? But now, on to the book that literally pulled the curtain back on closeted gays and how we attempt to avoid detection by being perfect.
In 1973, the release of The Best Little Boy in the World took the burgeoning gay community by storm. It resonated deeply in every way. Regardless of the title, the message is non-gender specific. Most of it applies to every single LGBTQ+ person. It has been in print nonstop ever since it came out. 50 years is quite a run. Interestingly, and sadly, the author felt he had to use a pseudonym, John Reid, to avoid the repercussions of being openly gay. It was 1973. He was already a best-selling author in finance. The book was republished in 1998 under his real name, Andrew Tobias, and coincided with the release of a sequel, The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up
In his original book, Andrew relates his experience doing everything possible to be the best boy in the whole world. He describes a boy who doesn’t eat his Halloween candy without permission, won’t rip the tag off his mattress because the tag says not to, and didn’t fart for the first time until he was eighteen years old. He was always at the top of his class, honored his mom and dad, deferred to elders, and excelled in sports—and all other competitive activities.
A recently published study by John Pachankis and Mark Hatzenbuehler substantiated the “Best Little Boy in the World” hypothesis. Its research
reveals that young, closeted men deflect attention from their sexuality by investing in recognized markers of success: good grades, athletic achievement, degrees, awards, elite employment, and so on.
Overcompensating in competitive arenas affords them a sense of self-worth that their concealment diminishes. The study also reveals that the longer a young man conceals his sexual orientation, the more heavily he invests in external measures of success, often leading to undue stress and social isolation.
His story is also my story. This is exactly the way I lived my early years. OK, all the years until I came out—35 of them. Those may not sound particularly “early,” but when you are a septuagenarian, they look pretty young. I grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s. No one was “out.” There was no role model to find who was like me. The closest celebrities were those who “acted” gay like Liberace, Paul Lynde, and Tiny Tim. None of them were officially out. In fact, they all denied it. There was a lot of celebrity drag out there such as Milton Berle and Flip Wilson. I remember church showcases where the men would dress as women. Absolutely none of those came close to making me want to be gay, much less dress in drag.
I remember vividly looking around to find things that would allow me to fit in with other boys. I learned early on that you crossed your leg with one ankle on the opposite knee; never dangling with one knee on top of the other. God forbid you would then wrap your ankle around the other in a pretzel leg. You carried your books—regardless of how many there were—in one hand/arm. You never held them to your chest. That was most definitely for the girls. Of course, you participated in sports. I was terrible at it. Strangely, in Texas, it was OK to be a cheerleader or member of a pep squad. I did both in middle school and high school. It was as close as I got to sports. Participating in music was a bit of a slippery slope. I started in orchestra playing the string bass. It was the largest instrument of all. That surely counted for something. Carrying that big thing around gained me some hetero points. Being in church choir and even school choir was not tantamount to gay. It was long before Glee, so we were not required to add flamboyant choreography. Safe.
I had girlfriends. Note plural. It was most often a group of girls. Somehow, that was enough. I never allowed myself to get trapped in the back seat of my 1956 Chevy with just one girl. Don’t think for a minute I was riding around in a brand-new car. I graduated high school in 1969. The car was well worn. I drove my brother and whatever girlfriend he had at the time to and from events and church. I knew what activities happened in the back seat. Ew.
I overachieved with a vengeance. I absolutely deflected attention from what, in hindsight, should have been
so obvious; there were lots of scholarships, awards, honors, and degrees. I would like it to be known I was nothing like Tiny Tim, even though I did marry a woman named Vicki. All of that was before the screaming out of the closet at 35.
I’m going to repeat this here: “[T]he longer a young man conceals his sexual orientation, the more heavily he invests in external measures of success.” I found those patterns impossible to break. But I was no longer working to deflect. I was living out and proud. I still wanted to be the best man/boy in the world. But now, everything I did from that time was to make life better for those who might follow in my path. I was laserfocused on changing whatever I could in my corner of the world.
Whenever I ponder peoples’ needs, I always return to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. It was ingrained in my education. Of course, our greatest needs rest in the physiological needs: food, rest, water, shelter. Immediately after that comes our need for safety. As our world continues down the current path, this has more and more to do with actual physical safety than before. In Maslow’s work, he describes safety as including health, personal, emotional, and financial security.
The need for self-esteem and achievement doesn’t enter into the list of needs for quite some time. It follows the need for love, belonging, and connection. Those may have been there from our biological family, but all too often, in our hiding, we held even that at bay. “If they knew the real me, they wouldn’t love me.”
It is interesting that our lack of feeling safe emotionally and inability to be loved lead us straight into the achievement need.
Truth is, there is no way to feel emotionally safe until we are able to come out and be our authentic selves. Author Brenda Uhland says, “Everyone is talented. Everyone is unique. Not everyone is authentic.” That is truly our Holy Grail.
At 72, do I still want to be the best boy in the world? 100%. Retirement
is a word I haven’t embraced very well yet. Semi-retired is much better. I have too much yet to do. I’m incredibly grateful to have you all still along for the ride—and reading. By the way, I still do not tear the tags off mattresses or pillows. I guess it is some irrational fear of the pillowpolice, now headed by My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell. I purchase my own Halloween candy, turn off the lights to trick the Trick or Treaters into thinking no one is home, and eat the candy. No permission is required. Whether you are still trying to be the best boy or you have let it go, I hope you know that there’s no bigger achievement you can make than just being your true self. Your authenticity helps make the world the best. U B U always. Surround yourself with others who do the same.
http://www.timseelig.com/
Music, performances, and art activations were just part of the multiphase party Art Bash, held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) on April 19, 2023. Art Bash funds SFMOMA’s education, family programs, and community engagement events that benefit more than 150,000 people annually. This includes the museum’s First Thursdays, which offer free admission for all Bay Area residents.
Art Bash this year honored Marilyn Minter, “whose thrilling artworks explore the female body, glamour, and beauty from a feminist perspective.” The evening began with a dinner experience designed by Minter, with guests hearing from the artist about the provocative, hyperrealist artwork in her immersive installation. Pre-party guests had first access to Woody De Othello’s Jazz Lounge with a performance art piece curated by Cheflee and featuring local musicians Pat Mesiti-Miller, Eli Maliwan, and Sasha Fuentes. Guests further explored the museum and art activations by Rewina Beshue, Jeffrey Cheung, and Simón Malvaez in surprise locations. Music experiences throughout included a performance by Amber Mark and
DJ sets by Toro y Moi, DJ Umami, and Duserock.
The New Eagle Creek Saloon
Guests at the party included in the evening’s activities enjoyed a preview of Sadie Barnette’s The New Eagle Creek Saloon, with performances by Bay Area drag queen Nicki Jizz and vogue artist Sir JoQ and a set by DJ Align. Redwood Hill served signature cocktails inspired by Barnette’s installation. It reimagines The New Eagle Creek Saloon, which was the first fully Black-owned gay bar in the Castro. The artist’s father, Rodney Barnette, who is a member of our local LGBTQ+ community, owned and operated the bar from 1990 until its closure just three years later in 1993.
The San Francisco Bay Times highlighted both the former bar and the new exhibit in the April 20, 2023, issue. This sparked input from many readers about early bars in the Castro that catered to
LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). The first reportedly was The Pendulum, which opened in 1971 at the site of several prior bars, 4146 18th Street. The Pendulum closed in 2005 and since 2009 has been the location of Toad Hall.
Another important early bar to emphasize inclusiveness is still going strong: El Rio. It was founded by Malcolm Thornley, a BIPOC LGBTQ+ man, and his partner Robert Nett in 1978. It was originally envisioned as a “Leather Brazilian Gay Bar,” according to El Rio’s website, and still has strong Latin and Leather vibes. Thornley, who passed in 2008 at age 64, was an avid motorcyclist, as was Nett, who previously had owned Gus’ Pub at 1466 Haight Street.
While you can still visit El Rio at 3158 Mission Street, the only way now to experience The New Eagle Creek Saloon is through Sadie’s installation that requires a liquor license since it functions as an actual bar in addition to artwork. Check it out before it closes on May 11.
https://www.sfmoma.org/
The Reign of Emperor Michael Anthony Chua & Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro is off to a fantastic start after Investiture
2023- An Enchanted Evening at DNA Lounge. The Monarchs kept the audience fully entertained with fantasy numbers inspired by Disney movies and musicals, complete with elaborate costumes and magical surprises. Court titles were distributed apace, including new Imperial Crown Prince Dennis Hendricks & Imperial Crown Princess Bernadette Bubbles, both familiar faces who will work side by side with the Emperor & Empress all year. Watch for an active year of fundraising and fun-raising!
Crescendo, the annual gala of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus, followed the same night at the Four Seasons Hotel and was packed with supporters of this first openly Gay chorus in the world. As many loyal readers will remember, we were born at a retreat of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus some decades ago and this group will always hold a special place in our heart. The evening began with cocktails and guests, including Rebecca Rolfe of the LGBT Community Center, photographer Randall Whitehead, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Jeff Doney & Adam Thier, Honey Mahogany, and APE’s Mary Conde, spilled out onto the spacious patio with stunning San Francisco views.
Inside the sparkling ballroom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi gave inspiring opening remarks before introducing Mayor London Breed as the recipient of the award named after the Speaker. Awards were also presented to Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris of Gratin Resort and Brian Boitano of Olympic fame, both of whom gave gracious and uplifting speeches. In between, chorus member and
auctioneer extraordinaire Michael Tate offered several valuable items and a fast-paced and productive Fund-in-Need auction. And the audience did not leave without musical inspiration, as Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg and Associate Director Mitch Galli led members of the chorus in several numbers, highlighting the history and outreach of this historic organization. Everyone left enlivened and inspired.
This month’s Divas & Drinks at The Academy saluted Frameline, the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world, taking place this June. Representatives Allegra Madsen and Nguyen Pham were on hand, as were Mani Fata, Executive Director of the SF Film Commission, and Lex Sloan of the Roxie Theater. Raffles and auctions during the night benefited Frameline. Extreme Pizza and Bacardi kept guests fed and happy.
Then, we celebrated multiple birthdays, those of Debra Walker, Selisse Berry, Betty Sullivan, and this columnist, with singers from the Gay Men’s Chorus, recognition from the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor, cake, and merriment. Singer Lambert Moss then offered a couple of beautifully performed songs and a powerful message of individualism. As always, we also played a quick and captivating game of Name That Tune, this time with returning champions Team Gay Softball League against Team Frameline, with the softballers taking the win. Throughout the night, legendary DJ Page Hodel, courtesy of Olivia, provided perfect music and lovely memories, as new friends were made and old friendships rekindled.
The next night, Gary Virginia joined us at Show of Hope, the annual gala of the SF Community Health Center at the Hyatt Embarcadero. This was truly a night of “Who wasn’t there?” We caught up with Supervisor Ahsha Safai, State Senator Scott Wiener, Reigning Emperor Michael Anthony Chua and Emperor L, A.N., Brent Daddy Munro, Larry Hashbarger of AsiaSF, Saul Sugarman of The Bold Italic, Brett Andrews, Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal of this year’s Pride Parade Paul Aguilar, one of this year’s Community Grand Marshals Nas Mohamed, and many more.
The ballroom was a dazzling display of silver, black, and white with sparkling crystals everywhere. Popular TV personality Reggie Aqui emceed and we got another chance to hear from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, this time receiving an award presented by Mayor London Breed. Also, Cecilia Chung received recognition for her many years of work on behalf of others with glowing remarks from Tita Aida and others. The live auction and Fund-inNeed were professionally executed and generously supported. As the formal program ended, the remaining crowd rushed to the dance floor to see and hear the iconic Martha Wash, accompanied by back-up singers and an instrumental ensemble. Many danced into the night, ending with “It’s Rainin’ Men,” much to everyone’s delight.
Saturday, May 6 British Coronation of King Charles III & Queen Consort Camilla London, England
11 am British time, 3 am California time Once in a lifetime experience
Saturday, May 6
Emperor Fernando Robles’ Annual Cinco de Meow
Emperor John Carrillo & Empress Alexis Miranda host Chika Diva & Chico Chulo contest, raffle, show Beaux, 2344 Market Street 4:30–7:30 pm Free! www.imperialcouncilsf.org
Saturday, May 20
Spotlight on the ’70s SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band concert Phaedra Tillery-Boughton & Donna Sachet guest stars
Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street 6:30 pm $45 www.sflgfb.org
As any reader can see, events in San Francisco are returning in full force, so get out that calendar and get out that door! Supporting your favorite charitable organization has never been so important and you’ll enjoy reconnecting with friends and meeting new people at events that only San Francisco provides. See you on the circuit!
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
“I love drag queens ... they perform me better than I ever could myself.”
–Taylor Dayne
Smuin Contemporary Ballet will close its 29th season with a program for the lovers! From Amy Seiwert’s playful world premiere set to French music, to an evocative Michael Smuin work returning to the stage after two decades, Dance Series 2 is packed with fun, flirtatiousness, and joie de vivre Don’t miss this smashing season finale, performing May 5–14 at the Blue Shield of California Theater in San Francisco.
French Kiss is the latest work from Seiwert, and is set to a collection of eclectic French tracks by Pink Martini, the world’s most iconic
cross-genre group. Blurring the boundaries of modern pop, jazz, baroque, pop, and classical music, Pink Martini’s tunes are the perfect backdrop for this striking new ballet. Featured songs include cabaret star Meow Meow’s aching torch song, “Mon homme marié,” from the album Hotel Amour, a collaboration with Pink Martini founder and bandleader Thomas Lauderdale.
Seiwert will also set a section of French Kiss to “La premier bonheur du jour,” recorded with Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August von Trapp. This song is taken from the hit
collaborative studio album recorded by Pink Martini with the great-grandchildren of Baron and Maria von Trapp, the family made famous by the Broadway musical and subsequent blockbuster film, The Sound of Music Music phenom Jimmie Herrod, who rose to fame on America’s Got Talent, is also featured in “Que tout recommence,” a haunting tune from the French production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. After wowing Sofia Vergara during his AGT audition in season 16, the rising star began touring worldwide with Pink Martini. Another notable track is “Ma solitude,” featuring vocals by internationally acclaimed Egyptian-French singer-songwriter Georges Moustaki, who recorded with Pink Martini shortly before his death in 2013. French Kiss will also feature movement set to Pink Martini’s popular “Où est ma tête?” and the jazzy “Dansez-vous,” plus “Autrefois,” which mixes piano with an unexpectedly funky beat, and “Fini la Musique,” an anthemic lament
written for legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert to sing in her film, Souvenir
Seiwert was mentored as a choreographer by Michael Smuin for eight of her nine years as a dancer at the company, with Artistic Director Celia Fushille naming her Smuin’s first Choreographer-in-Residence in 2008. She was recently appointed the company’s new Associate Artistic Director, a role she will assume next season.
Dance Series 2 will also feature the company premiere of Kate Skarpetowska’s Sextette, a whimsical work set to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor.”
Michael Smuin’s romantic Dream, created for Smuin Artistic Director (then dancer) Celia Fushille and dancer Easton Smith, makes its long-awaited return to the stage. A pas de deux set to “Romanza” from Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11,”
the piece was originally commissioned as an anniversary gift by a devoted Smuin patron in 1999.
Finally, Val Caniparoli returns to Smuin with Swipe, a masterfully crafted piece for four men and three women set to a remix of “String Quartet No. 2” by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev. A classically trained composer known for electronic and hip-hop music, Prokofiev has music that complements the vibrant energy of Caniparoli’s blend of classical and contemporary movement.
Smuin’s Dance Series 2 will perform May 5–14 at the Blue Shield of California Theater at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (700 Howard Street, San Francisco). Tickets and information are available by calling 415-912-1899 or at https://www.smuinballet.org/
Oakland resident Amy Schneider made history with her 40-game winning streak on Jeopardy! that began in November 2021. She now has two projects, Jeopardy! Masters, a show that will have her competing with other Jeopardy! champions, and Amy Always Wins, a podcast, starting May 6, where she will square off with celebrities in trivia games and other challenges.
I caught up with Schneider for the San Francisco Bay Times to talk about her new projects, her trans activism, and her top karaoke songs.
Gary M. Kramer: I was certainly gratified by the trans visibility your run on Jeopardy! created and that you generated a huge fan base. You will next be seen in a spin-off of the show, the forthcoming Jeopardy! Masters What can fans expect from you going head-to-head with other champions? Surely you know each other’s skills, weaknesses, and strategies by now.
Amy Schneider: That’s exactly the point. With almost every game of Jeopardy!, if you lose, you’re done. This is a different scenario, like a season of a sports league. You keep playing. If you lose you pick up and take it to the next game. That’s going to be interesting. How do you adjust over the course of a season? How do you change your game play when you are up against James Holzhauer, versus Matt Amodio or Sam Buttrey? Does that change how you play the game? That is something Jeopardy! hasn’t had a chance to explore before.
Gary M. Kramer: Do you continue to study for specific categories, such as the latest popular culture? History doesn’t change. What can you reveal about your approach to the game?
Amy Schneider: History doesn’t change. I have said popular music is my weakest category partly because there’s so much of it. I’m not into opera, particularly, but you can learn everything you need to know about opera for Jeopardy! There are like 15 operas they will ask about. Popular music is a massive field that is fair game for Jeopardy! questions. The difference is since being on Jeopardy! and now realizing I will be back on it, my wife and I are always listening to the radio and I’m like, “This one is Harry Styles. This is The Weekend.” I’m actually trying to pay attention to artists and titles more, whereas in the past, I would have just been, “Oh, that’s a song,” and just moved on with my life.
Gary M. Kramer: You are also starting a new podcast, where you get to play against celebrities in Amy Always Wins. Can you talk about that and the format and content of the show?
Amy Schneider: The concept is that Rob Corddry is the host, and he is bringing in his friends to compete against me in somewhat silly trivia games. He brings in two, so there is
some level of fairness to it. Some of them are genuine trivia; some are ridiculous and fun. One example, and I’m not sure if we’ll use it in the show, but Rob’s 80-year-old dad explains a movie based on how he remembers it and you have to figure out what movie he was talking about. He may be giving completely inaccurate facts about it. That was a lot of fun. One we did in one of our rehearsals was called “Bad News Bears.” It was just trivia questions related to Bears, but the twist was you had to deliver the answer like it was bad news. Such a dumb thing, but I really enjoyed it.
much respect and admiration for people who were being out in society in the ‘50s and ‘60s and all throughout history. I think to myself, “Would I have been willing to come out at that time, or would I have lived my life in the closet?”
There [were] people who kept fighting and pushing. When you are trying to get a big rock moving, the first effort you feel [is that] you are not getting anywhere, and then slowly, slowly, slowly, the momentum starts to build, and the things start barreling along. All those people from the ‘60s, ‘70s,
it is. Maybe they were right to boycott it, honestly.
Gary M. Kramer: A lot of people may wonder about how you spent the $1.4–1.6 million dollars you won on Jeopardy! and Tournament of Champions. I’m far more curious how you were able to maintain the silence for 40 days and 40 nights during your streak. Surely, people were suspicious!
Amy Schneider: It helped that it was still Covid-y at the time, so I wasn’t going into the office. People might not have known. It also helped that I was completely checked out from my job so not hearing from me for a couple of days was not unusual. [Laughs] It was really challenging, I kind of told more people than I was technically supposed to tell. But it was one of the strangest periods of my life. I knew I had done something that was lifechanging. And to most of the people in my life, we were hanging out and tried to come up with small talk that had nothing to do with the biggest thing in my life.
My brother recently said to me, “I’m loving all this happening for you, and all these interviews and seeing you being so gracious, and relatable. And none of these people know what a snarky bitch you are.” This podcast is an opportunity to find out what a snarky bitch I am. [Laughs.]
Gary M. Kramer: You made a political stand by testifying in Ohio’s General Assembly against an antitrans bill. Do you feel a pressure or responsibility because of your “celebrity”? Can you talk about your activism?
Amy Schneider: A lot of it comes out of being trans; if you are an out transperson you’re doing activism every day in your daily life. It’s activism just to appear on Jeopardy! as a transperson with your true gender and true name. By the nature of that, I have one foot in the door. I do feel a certain responsibility, and one I have felt for a while. I grew up in Ohio, in a fairly conservative environment, but I came out as trans in the Bay Area back in 2017. There was almost this feeling of guilt; it was really easy [to come out as trans] in the Bay Area because people understand transpeople are people, and they are totally fine with it. I know how hard it is for people back home in Ohio and all over the country who don’t have the things that I take for granted. When this whole Jeopardy! thing happened, I knew I would have to find some kind of way, rather than existing, or being a relatable transperson on Jeopardy!, which had a big impact by itself, but I knew I had to do more. I don’t want to become a partisan political divisive figure. I want to talk to Republicans, because many of the people I know and love are on that side of things, and I want to be able to communicate with them. But I came to the conclusion that as long as I am talking from my point of view, and describing my experience and what I know, then it will all be all right. Since that testimony in Ohio, I’ve been trying to build my ability to really be speaking out.
Gary M. Kramer: Do you still experience moments of transphobia, and how do you handle them now?
Amy Schneider: I don’t blame anyone for being transphobic, or thinking that transpeople are weird or frightening, because I used to feel that way. That’s how I was raised. I used to think transpeople were dangerous outliers. Everyone did in society. I’m not upset by anybody who feels that way. I just want to explain to them what it is that I learned that took me away from that position.
Gary M. Kramer: Has your fame helped you make a difference to the local LGBTQ community?
Amy Schneider: I think the main fact that I’ve been fortunate enough is that I’ve heard from so many people, transpeople and otherwise, talking about their older relatives after seeing me on Jeopardy! and “got it,” and started gendering transpeople appropriately, and realizing that transpeople are just people. For people who are transphobic, it’s brittle; they’ve never been challenged on it. Talking before about feeling that guilt, I have so
and ‘80s did all that hard, unrewarding work, and then the momentum started gathering, and in the last 10 years, we’ve come farther than I ever imagined. The understanding [is] that there were just as many transpeople at any historical moment as there are now. We were always there. I try to educate people about Weimar Berlin and the emergence of transpeople there. If it wasn’t for the Nazi’s burning it all down, we could have been 80 years advanced. The idea that this is some new thing just isn’t true.
Gary M. Kramer: What can you say about living in Oakland with your wife and your cat, Meep? Do you feel you can maintain a pretty regular life— and I assume that includes watching and playing along with Jeopardy! every weeknight?
Amy Schneider: We have another cat, Rue, now. When we are home and having a regular night it’s a regular night. I’ll get recognized in Oakland and I’ll get asked for a selfie, but people let me live my life and do karaoke or whatever I’m doing. But I do spend much more of my time flying around the country and doing things that are not like my own life. But when that is not going on, we hang out and watch Netflix. We are four episodes away from finishing our Jane the Virgin rewatch.
Gary M. Kramer: I have to know—what are your karaoke songs?
Amy Schneider: I have three songs. Radiohead’s “Creep,” which is my most impressive one. I can hit that last note. “Peaches” by The Presidents of the United States of America, which is a lot of fun. People don’t see it coming, but they always enjoy it. And
“Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. There were all these controversies when I was a kid about Disney and gay stuff and Catholic people boycotting it. And I watched it and “Part of Your World” is absolutely about being a queer child. 100% what
Gary M. Kramer: I know on Jeopardy! they always ask questions about the contestants’ lives after the first commercial break. You’ve talked about your Ozma of Oz tattoo, among other things. What is something folks might not know about you that you can share?
Amy Schneider: I’ve had a more complex and interesting life than necessarily fits into all-audience 20-second anecdotes. Like many transpeople, when you realize you’re trans, you realize you’ve been following a bunch of arbitrary rules all your life, so you question all the rules of life, whether around sex and drugs but all norms of behavior. I have had an interesting life with many killer anecdotes that I could not tell on Jeopardy! because they were not all-audience appropriate.
Gary M. Kramer: I know you weren’t quite the first; there were other trans contestants on Jeopardy! before you. But you are the first woman to have the longest winning streak. What advice do you give to contestants?
Amy Schneider: I was just giving advice to a transwoman who will be taping her episode soon. The number one piece of advice I always give is to practice putting every distraction out of your mind and letting go of the outcome. The odds are 2-in-3 you will play one episode and lose and that will be it. Go there determined not to worry about that, how you look, or the cameras. Experience it; live in the moment. All that matters is the next question. There are not many opportunities you get in life where that amount of focus is called for.
Gary M. Kramer: What advice do you have for those auditioning?
Amy Schneider: I was auditioning for 13 years before I finally got the call. That is just how it is. They have 400 slots a year. The fact that you are not getting called back isn’t that you aren’t good enough. Keep trying!
© 2023 Gary M. Kramer
Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer
What includes polyester, bell bottoms, disco balls, and the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB)? The band’s celebration of turning 45 and dedicating its annual Spotlight concert to music from the ‘70s!
The Band was born in 1978 as the first openly gay musical organization in the world, by a Daly City music teacher originally from Kansas named Jon Sims. It only seemed fitting to current Artistic Director, Pete Nowlen, to celebrate the Band’s birthday with music from the era of nascent LGBTQ+ rights and what he considers a zenith of musical styles.
Spotlight on the 70s happens on May 20 at 6:30 pm at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St in Oakland (12th Street BART is around the corner). The Band will play music from ABBA, Village People, Carole King, Queen, Elton John, and more, and will feature San Francisco drag legend Donna Sachet and Bay Area theatre phenom Phaedra Tillery-Boughton as hosts and solo performers. Spotlight will also showcase the world premiere of Awakening by Roger Zare, the winner of the Band’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) composer commission. Doors will open at 6:30 pm with a pre-show and open-mic piano bar of ‘70s music, hosted by yours truly. Come early, sing, drink, and check out the silent auction items. Then get ready for a musical trip down Memory Lane with the Band joining at 7:30 pm for the main show. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/mr23spfw
I had the opportunity to sit down with both SFLGFB’s Artistic Director, Pete Nowlen, and award-winning composer, Roger Zare, to talk about the show and Zare’s composition Awakening. Our talks encompassed a wide variety of topics, but the question I asked both of them was about Awakening and how this new piece, written in 2022, connected to a concert of music from the 1970s.
Zare’s initial reaction to learning of the composition commission was to think about identity. He said, “We all have our own identities and some identities have been suppressed by society and others have been embraced. The idea of awakening is allowing you to find your true identity and really be who you should be, because a lot of people don’t really know who they are for quite a lot of their lives.”
Awakening was inspired by the coming out stories of some of Zare’s friends and their realizations at some point in their lives that helped them be true to themselves. As the child of a Chinese mother, who came to the U.S. via Jamaica, and a white American father, Zare shared that composing Awakening helped him reflect on his own identity as an AsianAmerican who doesn’t feel he is part of any one group, but part of a lot of groups.
Zare revealed that the work is in two very different musical styles. He begins in a minimalist “boxed-in” style and limits the range of the instruments. The opening clarinet solo (an homage to his clarinetist friends who came out to him) is initially limited in range and expression. Then it discovers it can do things “outside of the box” and begins to explore, moving into jazz idioms that allow the instrument to find its true identity and for the band to then celebrate this. The composition ends with a clarinet solo that “affirms who they really are and finds comfort in this identity.”
Zare concluded our discussion of the work by telling me, “It becomes a narrative of the clarinet trying to find its identity and break out of societal bonds. Societal repression is represented by muted brass who are kind of yelling at the clarinets and woodwinds to stay in their box. The brass eventually removes the mutes, helps prop up the clarinet, and joins with them. Other instruments gradually unmute and join in the new jazz style of the composition when it really breaks free.” For conductor Nowlen, the themes represented in Awakening reflect personal awakening and the back-and-forth the queer community experienced with society in the ‘70s as we started to awaken and claim our identity. He said, “The ‘70s were a watershed moment when LGBTQ+ folks realized we are a community, which in turned helped birth the Band.” He said he is “wild” about the piece and the compositional method used by the composer: “Awakening is fresh and innovative in its compositional approach. The theme is consistently apparent and accessible for the audience, while avoiding the presence of cliché or vacuous sentimentality. Roger’s deft compositional hand has created a piece of the highest level.” Nowlen had known of Zare’s other works for quite some time and was thrilled to receive this submission for the composition commission.
The 1970s impressed fond and vivid memories upon Nowlen. With 4 older siblings who came of age in the decade, he grew up in the ‘70s and graduated high school in 1980. He feels that decade was an amazing period for music, hallmark wardrobe, and fashion styles. Aside from Awakening, he is excited about a planned ‘70s medley that features over 20 musical quotes from television and radio, and that will be the focus of a fun music trivia competition for the audience. Nowlen said that he is an “ecstatic fan” of ABBA and also adores the band transcription of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen that will be performed at Spotlight
Both composer and conductor agree that the ‘70s era was a time of awakening and self-discovery, when people found who they were and so much of society was opening up. Awakening was commissioned and written prior to the concert theme being adopted, but could not be more appropriate for the show.
Zare is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory at Appalachia State University in North Carolina and has previously taught at Illinois State University. He began studying piano at age five and violin at eleven. He started composing when he was in high school, which is when he discovered this is the area of music he loves most. He is primarily a composer of orchestra and concert band works, but has also written for other musical combinations. He holds degrees in music from the University of Southern California, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His uncle is a renowned professor of science at Stanford University and his niece, a member of the queer community in the Bay Area, is a professional French horn player.
On May 20, don your tie-dyes, get out your flashiest apparel, and come support the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, the Official Band of San Francisco!
John Lehrack is the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Event Production Manager and is the Band’s pianist.
Jan Wahl
CAAMFest is a call to gather so that we may witness our transformations, restore our bonds, and lift each other up in the audacity of our stories. Celebrating Asian and Asian American stories in film, music, food, and ideas, it runs from May 11 through May 21. Festival and Exhibitions Director Thúy Trần is clearly celebrating.
I began by asking her if the success at this year’s Oscars of Everything Everywhere All at Once was a true milestone. She replied, “It is a great step and, yes, it definitely opens more doors. But why did it take so long? This 41st year is amazing, but we’ve been here a long time [and are] ready to tell our stories in so many ways. So, of course, it is great, but organizations like CAAM have been here ready and able to present it all. We create experiences
for our community and others to heal, communicate, rejoice. Our pride is here and diverse, though relating to our sexuality and generational struggles.”
She added, “This year we have a wonderful LBGTQ Short Film program, artists and filmmakers looking at the Asian and Asian American queer experience. The documentary on Fanny, an all-female rock group, will also have a live performance by this mostly queer group who was instrumental in early female rock. In their 70s they are still rocking, giving us all hope! There will be a centerpiece highlighting cuisine, anime ... the list goes on.”
Director and Producer Quentin Lee is proud of his part in the Festival. The Last Summer of Nathan Lee was inspired by movies he loved, like American Graffiti and Porky’s. He also had a friend who was dying of brain cancer and told him he wanted to have as much sex
as possible before he passed on. Lee was sure to infuse the film with sexuality that was fluid and as intimate as he could film it. The Nagisa Ōshima 1976 film In the Realm of the Senses was one he saw as a young person, when he was taken by its depiction of insatiable sexual desire. He is hoping he captured some of its brilliance.
With Pride Month coming up, I am ready to watch Happy Together, The Handmaiden, and Netflix’s original from 2018, Dear Ex Performers of note include Awkwafina, Ross Butler, Dev Patel, Constance Wu, Sandra Oh, Margaret Cho, and so many others.
Three of my favorite movies with Asian and Asian American casts definitely were crossover hits: Minari, Parasite, and Crazy Rich Asians
I’ll always reach for The Joy Luck Club and anything directed by Wayne Wang. Spirited Away and Raya and the Last Dragon are
terrific family animated films, while Saving Face and The Wedding Banquet are two of my favorite romances of all time. From Akira Kurosawa to Ang Lee, Joan Chen to Chow Yun-Fat to Bong Joon-ho, this list could go on forever and into the future.
The Hollywood past of Asians on screen is well documented in 2006’s The Slanted Screen, 2008’s Hollywood Chinese, and 2019’s Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood. My mother was fortunate enough to know Anna May Wong when they lived in Santa Monica in the ‘50s. Mention her name and Mom would really get
mad at Hollywood, seething about the fact that Wong did not get to star in The Good Earth Searching for Anna May Wong tells the actress’ heartbreaking struggle as well as the journey of other Asian and Asian American performers. Find this movie streaming somewhere, and see you at CAAMFest 41!
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
friendship that went wrong. My friend ghosted me when we were in our twenties. When I hadn’t gotten over it by the time I was in my forties, I thought it was time to write about it. Focusing on and explaining my experience was an attempt to exorcise my ghost, but then it turned into something else.
Michele Karlsberg: Bay Area resident MariNaomi (they/them) is the award-winning bannedbook author and illustrator of nine graphic books, including the Eisnernominated Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories. Their work has appeared in The New Yorker “Daily Shouts,” The Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, Kazoo Magazine, and more, and has been displayed in venues such as the Smithsonian, the de Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum,
and the Japanese American National Museum. MariNaomi is the founder and keeper of the Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists databases. Recently, I sat with MariNaomi to discuss her new graphic novel: I Thought You Loved Me (Fieldmouse Press, May 2023)
Michele Karlsberg: Tell me about your new LGBTQ+ comic/graphic novel and memoir.
MariNaomi: I Thought You Loved Me is a memoir about a long-term
Michele Karlsberg: Why did you choose to share this with the public versus working it out on your own?
MariNaomi: I have a therapist now, and I joke with her that if I’d started therapy earlier, I would’ve never written this book! But I wonder. I’ve talked about this experience a lot over the years, partly because it’s something that has shaped me, and still continues to do so. And partly because I think it’s an unusual but relatable experience. Lots of people have stories about close relationships mysteriously dissolving, or not getting over old broken friendships. I believe that reading about this could
Did You Eat Yet? Craveable Recipes From an All-American Asian Chef This cookbook includes yummy dishes that are easy to make and fun to eat, along with funny anecdotes and mouth-watering pictures from a gay chef who is himself rather craveable.
It Came From The Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe
Vallese
An amazing collection for any horror film and/or queer theory buff, the book includes an essay about blob monsters that is especially fantastic! https://www.fabulosabooks.com/
The London Séance Society (fiction - hardbound) by Sarah Penner
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they team up with London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps are entangled in one themselves. Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.
Poverty, by America (nonfiction - hardbound) by Matthew Desmond
The United States is the richest country on earth, yet it has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in five of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay workers poverty wages? In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond sets forth a new and hard-won answer to this ques -
tion, revealing that there is so much poverty in America not in spite of our wealth but because of it.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School (fiction - paperback) by Sonora Reyes
Now available in paperback! This is a sharply funny and incredibly moving YA debut about a queer Mexican American girl navigating Catholic school and familial expectations while falling in love and learning to celebrate her full, true self. Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.
Sunday, May 7 @ 1 pm (ticketed - Dominican University of California) Laura Dern, author of Honey, Baby, Mine
Join award-winning actress and activist Laura Dern for a deeply personal conversation on love, art, ambition, and legacy, inspired by her own heartto-hearts. During the pandemic, Laura and Diane began walking and were able to break down the traditional barriers between mothers and daughters. They spoke honestly about the moments in their lives that impacted them deeply, and their new book, Honey, Baby, Mine, a compilation of their reflections, takes readers on an intimate tour of their lives and reveals universal lessons.
Tuesday, May 9 @ 5:30 pm (free - online event)
Tara Ison, author of At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf
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By Debra Morris
Growing cherries requires a lot of patience, constant vigilance, and hard work to bring a successful and abundant crop to market. The work of pruning, watering, and fertilizing goes on through the entire year for a harvest that takes daily hand picking for only two or three short months. This year the trees received more than enough chill hours (the number of cold hours between 32 and 45 degrees that a fruit tree or nut tree requires for flowering and fruit production each year), lots of precipitation because of the rain, and lower temperatures we had from December through March.
Last year’s January and February left a lower-than-average harvest because of the drought. However, this year’s cherry season seems to be off to a good start, according to many of the local farmers we spoke to. Even with the winter’s wind and rain,
1/2 pound fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 pound arugula
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly shaved (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Flaky coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the cherries in half lengthwise and place in a large serving bowl. Add the arugula, cheese, and almonds. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar, crush a few generous pinches of salt over the top, and season generously with pepper. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
crop totals look to be average or slightly above average. and will be harvested a week or so later than last year.
Hilma Lujan, owner of Lujan Farms from Hughson in the Central Valley, says their cherry yield will turn out to be “average, compared to other years. Our cherries should arrive the first week or second week in May.” She says their peaches may arrive before the cherries!
Francisco Resendiz of Resendiz Farms, who farms in Hughson as well, says he’s predicting cherries should arrive at markets on May 10. He explained, “Everything is a week to 10 days behind, pretty much everywhere, due to the weather this year.”
Farmer Mike Billigmeier, of B&B Farm in Linden, is looking forward to stone fruit season, of which cherries are a part. Mike says, “It looks like we’re going to have a good year, though it’s hard to judge what the harvest will be like compared to last year during the drought.” He grows Coral, Brooks, Bing, and a new
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Who doesn’t remember those great continental restaurants of yesteryear where surf ‘n’ turf entrees ruled the day? While it may not be de rigueur on menus these days, the Bay Area offers up some viable steakhouses and coastal cuisine worth your while.
Two that I’ve visited recently and that make the grade are Coho in Mill Valley for seafood (surf) and Porterhouse in San Mateo for steaks (turf).
Coho in Mill Valley (Surf)
To the north in Mill Valley, the new, contemporary, seafood-focused Coho has opened across from The Depot in downtown. It’s an easy 20-minute drive from the city. Also welcome is the abundance of street parking nearby. The space is airy, with a marine blue décor and a modern feel reminiscent of California designer Kelly Wearstler.
Owners Luigi Petrone (son of Piazza d’Angelo’s Domenico Petrone) and Felicia Ferguson have transformed the venue into a buzzy, fun, gathering space, and hip watering hole that could easily be right at home in the city.
The sourdough with home churned butter was a winning start to the meal (along with a perfectly dry gin martini). Another starter, the Kanpachi crudo, was as fresh as could be. But the Instagrammable moment of the evening was the pea shoot salad, a fun presentation served “live,” growing in soil, with scissors for your own personal pruning. The accompanying dressing of carrot with sunflower crumbles packs an aromatic punch. It all adds up to one of the most innovative salads I’ve had all year.
For our mains, we sampled the tasty maple tahini vinaigrette black cod (sweet but not overly so), the satisfying Dungeness crab noodles (made with tagliatelle), the McFarland Springs trout (with green lentils and cauliflower), and the seared albacore tuna with sun-dried tomato, green beans, egg, and potato gaufrette. Clearly, the chef knows what they are doing here. Every piece of fish was just caught, cooked properly, and presented and plated in an originally artistic way. The cocktail list is creative, and includes the signature Coho, with gin, elderflower and jasmine, Cocchi Americano, and lemon oil. All in all, it is well worth the trip across the bridge.
Porterhouse in San Mateo (Turf)
Relocated to an old, several-story, classic bank building in downtown San Mateo, Porterhouse has been around at its former location for
more than 15 years. What made me decide to venture down from the city was that the restaurant has recently embraced “tableside experiences.” Who doesn’t love a great flambé, created at your table, while you watch? Why they ever went out of style, I’ll never know. Happily, they’re back at Porterhouse, and it makes an evening not just dinner, but dinner and a show.
Porterhouse features dryaged Midwestern grassfed beef (with a grain finish) and the results are stunning. We started the evening with a classic gin martini (shaken, not stirred), and executed perfectly (with an olive, of course). A seasonal butternut squash soup followed, with a throwback, tasty wedge salad, piled high with bacon and blue cheese. The extensive wine list covers the gamut from California to France and we selected a balanced 2015 Clos des Menuts Saint Emilion Grand Cru to accompany our meat selections.
For our entrées, we couldn’t pass up the signature Porterhouse (a combination tenderloin and strip steak), which was juicy and cooked as ordered to medium rare. It didn’t
disappoint. The welcome sauces served on the side included both a classic house-made bordelaise and a tangy bearnaise sauce. A small, twice-baked potato (another great nostalgic offering) and grilled seasonal vegetables, along with a side of velvety home-made creamed spinach (worth the calories) accompanied the steaks to a T. But the piece de resistance was the show-stopping dessert: our able waitperson served the chef’s tableside Bananas Foster (bananas, rum, banana liqueur, and ice cream), flambéed to high heaven, in a display that drew a round of applause from the restaurant at large. Add Porterhouse to your dining list!
Bits and Bites
Let’s take a moment to toast iconic New York Times food critic Mimi Sheraton, who recently died at age 97. I love that she wore wigs to disguise herself while dining out, and that she also visited restaurants 5 or 6 times before reviewing. We’ll miss her erudite writing, especially this bon mot: “Food writers in general devote too much space to chefs’ philosophies. They’re not Picasso, after all—this is supper. So I don’t want to hear about a chef’s intentions. Call me when it’s good.”
Music makers Tertulia are partnering with Dandelion Chocolate, San Francisco’s own premium, bean-to-bar chocolate maker, for a chocolate tasting with musical pairings in their Mission factory. Pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe curates a program of musical works inspired by her own tasting of the chocolates to be sampled on May 5, with additional guidance
provided by Dandelion’s own chocolate makers.
Winemaker JUSTIN just released some new wines for spring, and they’re affordable winners. The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is only $16 and pairs well for summer picnics: dry and crisp with a touch of citrus and tropical fruit. It’s “rosé all day” with the winery’s 2022 Rosé ($20) that tastes like Provence, enhanced by a beautiful salmon color, perfect for the beach or poolside. The 2020 Isosceles (at $85, a bit of a splurge) is in the Bordeaux style, with mellow notes of black fruit and spice.
A new find in Carmel: the six-table Le Soufflé, with both savory and sweet soufflé offerings. At $89 for three courses, it’s also a steal. Standouts include: the Alsatian style mushroom soufflé with mushroom Riesling sauce; the roasted fennel salad with cara cara oranges, mache, and pecans (enough for two); and the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. Book early since it fills up fast!
Congratulations to AsiaSF, who just recently celebrated 25 years as one of America’s most longstanding transgender restaurants and bars. Owners Larry Hashbarger, Skip Young, and Aaron Nelson have accomplished something of which we should all be proud. Way before “transgender” was a “thing,” they were employing transgender women and giving them not just a job, but a future. They’ve done it all these years with great cocktails, a superb wine list, delicious food, and a show to beat the band. Go back and celebrate with the Ladies of AsiaSF now!
I just read a captivating new book by chef George Geary called LA’s Landmark Restaurants (published by Santa Monica press). If, like me, you love everything culinary about California, it’s a mustread. It’s an illustrated history of 50 popular L.A. restaurants where Angelenos (not celebrities) dine, including such memorable haunts as Nate ‘N Als, Cole’s, Philippe the Original, The Victor Hugo, Canter’s Delicatessen, Sportsmen’s Lodge, Mocambo, Tail o’ the Pup, The Apple Pan, and Valentino.
Petaluma-based McEvoy Ranch (a Gay Gourmet favorite) has just come out with a new high-quality cooking olive oil. Like all of its other products, it’s first-class and splendid. It’s made with Frantoio olives, and is a cold-pressed EVOO ideal for sautéing, frying, and baking.
I just sampled the new Drumshanbo Gunpowder
Irish Gin California Orange Citrus, which fuses oriental botanicals with regional citrus, juniper, and spice. It’s perfect for a Negroni, as it ably complements the Campari, but it’s also great for a sipping gin, a summertime gin and tonic, or a classic martini. It’s another Gay Gourmet favorite.
And, about those James Beard finalists ... only three from the Bay Area? Methinks the judges are just trying to spread the wealth around, but IMHO there are many more of our local restaurateurs who deserve the recognition.
Porterhouse:
https://tinyurl.com/2p8kkuas
Coho: https://tinyurl.com/w8vwxm76
Tertulia Chamber Music: https://tinyurl.com/58664969
Dandelion Chocolate: https://tinyurl.com/3p4zfzhx
JUSTIN: https://tinyurl.com/j545zwye
Le Soufflé: https://tinyurl.com/bdf92a5j
AsiaSF: https://tinyurl.com/2p98bxbt
LA’s Landmark Restaurants: https://tinyurl.com/2m9u4p9u
McEvoy Ranch: https://tinyurl.com/aty5t4fa
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin California Orange Citrus: https://tinyurl.com/2s48nwvn
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
youngest Grand Duchess to complete her reign, which she did at age 26.
Kylie created what currently continues to be one of the largest financially successful fundraisers that the Ducal Council puts on each year. What fundraiser is this, you ask? It is So You
Think You Can Drag. In its premier year, it was named You Gotta Give ‘Em Drag
Grand Duke, our Court, and the entire Ducal Council.”
When a candidate campaigns to become a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, there is always a representation of colors that allows voters to know whom they are voting for. In most cases, candidates will also have a “catchphrase” and a coronation theme for their step-down. Here is a look back at what those were from 2011–2013.
2011–2013
The 39th Royal House of The Huggable Red Lion
Grand Duke XXXVIII Alan Toomey
Colors: red and white
Symbol: lion
Grand Duchess XXXIX Kylie
Minono
Colors: teal and white
Symbol: heart
Always saying: “Free hugs for everyone! HUGGLES!”
Frequently called: “San Francisco’s Sweetheart”
Coronation Theme: “The Fabergé
Ball - A Night of Russian Royalty”
This Royal House came in with a bang and Grand Duchess Kylie Minono reigned graciously. She holds the historic Ducal record as the
The idea was originally birthed when Kylie served on the Board of Directors of the Queens of the Castro and it was in conjunction with The Grand Ducal Council and Harvey Milk Academy. The fundraiser generates around 40K+ annually, and features celebrity Drag artists such as the likes of Laganja Estranja and Thorgy Thore along with local Drag artists and performers. It just completed its 7th year run!
Kylie has served on the BOD of The Grand Ducal Council as VP of Community Affairs and has served on the BOD of Folsom Street Events and The GLBT Historical Society. Kylie has been awarded the Grand Duchess Trixie Memorial Workhorse award and The Grand Duchess Kitty Memorial Presidential award, which she won twice.
When Kylie was reigning, she received the Most Regal Monarch award at the San Diego Coronation and was bestowed the title of Great, Great, Grandchild of Queen Mother Nicole The Great.
I recently spoke with Kylie for the San Francisco Bay Times and asked her to share some of her experiences as Grand Duchess. She said, “I love the Ducal Council because we celebrate the unique beauty of our members and support each other wholeheartedly in achieving community service through fundraising and volunteering for local nonprofit organizations. Serving as Grand Duchess 39 will always be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It was a deep honor to learn and grow with my
On a personal note, Kylie’s dedication to the Grand Ducal Council organization truly inspired me, so much so that I decided to run for Grand Duke. She is the overwhelming reason I asked, begged, and pleaded for her to represent me and become my campaign manager. I will share more about this in the next issue.
2012–2013
The 40th Royal House of the Majestic Dove of Peace, Love, and Integration
Grand Duke XXXIX Moses “Moe
Jo” Garcia
Colors: purple and yellow
Symbol: Coxxx
Favorite Saying: “Everyone needs a little Coxxx in their life.”
Grand Duchess XXXX Paloma Volare St. James
Colors: silver and black
Symbol: plane
Always Saying: “Okaaaay”
Coronation Theme: “Dancing With the Czars at the Ice Castle”
On September 22, 2023, the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco will celebrate 50 years of Camp and Fundraising. The celebration will take place at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Please consider becoming a sponsor.
Inquiries: 50thanniversary@sfducal.org
Tickets ($60) are on sale through August 25, 2023, with a hard stop on that final date. We hope to see you at this once-in-a-lifetime historic event!
https://www.sfducal.org/
Kippy Marks is Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.
Celebrating 50 Years of the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco
Kippy MarksTop 2 rows: Grand Duke XXXVIII Alan Toomey and Grand Duchess XXXIX Kylie Minono
Sister Dana sez, “MOTHER’S DAY is happening on May 14. May I be the first to wish all you mothers and drag mothers a very happy day! Congratulations and conDRAGulations! You have raised some very fine folx!”
MOTHER’S DAY is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2023 will occur on Sunday, May 14. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization, and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards, and other gifts.
The ACLU has tracked an astonishing 469 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures across the country. Florida, the land of “Don’t Say Gay,” has become the epicenter of such discrimination. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden gave a tremendous toast on April 29 at the WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER: “Let us commit that we will be a nation that will embrace light over darkness, truth over lies, and finally, finally, finally restore the soul of the nation!”
Sister Dana sez, “The 4th of May is a very special day for STAR WARS fans. To them, I say: ‘May the 4th be with you!”
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) held their annual fundraiser, CRESCENDO, at the Four Seasons Hotel SF on April 22. Inspirational opening remarks were given by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. The Nancy Pelosi Ally Award was given to Mayor London Breed The Visionary Award was presented to Tribal Council Chair Greg Sarris & the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Olympic Medalist Brian Boitano received the Vanguard Award.
Montana’s GOP-dominated House of Representatives has decided to silence
Representative Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker, barring her from speaking or attending floor sessions for the remainder of the legislative session. This was a direct attack on democracy and the rights of an elected representative to voice their opinion and represent their constituents. Sister Dana sez, “And yet a screaming loudmouth like Margie Taylor Grinch is allowed to shout out as much as she wants!”
LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District’s Fifth Anniversary Party is May 6, 6–10 pm at the Folsom Street Foundry, 1425 Folsom Street. Free admission to AUDACIOUS ANNIVERSARY 5 offers entertainment, food, demos, and fun!
Emcees are Lance Holman and Alotta Boutté. Strut your stuff at the 2nd Annual “Brazen Runway.”
Also on May 6, Bare Chest Calendar Finals at DNA Lounge, 375 Eleventh Street, 3–6 pm. As well as Ms. SF Eagle Leather Contest at the SF Eagle, 3–5 pm. https://sfleatherdistrict.org/
WELCOME CASTRO is a new neighborhood visitor center and fabulously queer retail experience celebrating the LGBTQ history and queer culture of the Castro village.
Located at 525 Castro Street (at the old Levi’s store), right at the “gay crossroads of America,” it’s a great first stop to learn about all the sights, attractions, and people that make the Castro so unique. It is very similar to the old UNDER ONE ROOF queer retail store—by queers and for queers.
We watched folx ceremoniously cut the ribbon for the GRAND
OPENING on April 27 with special guests and announcing a new round of grants to support pop-ups in vacant Castro storefronts. The dynamic speakers included Terry Beswick as emcee; Mayor London Breed, who snipped the ribbon with oversize scissors; Castro District Supervisor Rafael Mandelman; proud new owner of Welcome Castro, Robert Emmons; Terrance Alan, President of the Castro Merchants; and a very special drag queen storytime with the DQ extraordinaire Per Sia reading to us about how all bodies are “cool,” which we repeated each time she asked about various bodies, and we “children” shouted out loud and proud: “COOL!” She later joined Olivia Hart and Christina Ashton with fabulous drag performances outside the store.
We also celebrated a window art installation by Serge Gay, Jr. in collaboration with the CASTRO LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT, as well as a History of the Castro exhibit
featuring photos from Daniel Nicoletta and others. Staffed by friendly neighborhood ambassadors ready to answer peoples’ questions about the queer Castro’s rainbow of offerings, with guides and other printed materials in multiple languages, Welcome Castro (in the words of the late, great Supervisor Harvey Milk) is “here to recruit you!” BTW, I was quite happy to purchase a lovely pair of rainbow kneehigh socks.
Sister Dana sez, “Shop till you drop at Welcome Castro! Buy, buy, buy! You’re not going broke, you’re supporting the queers!”
LOVE YOUR UGLY was an artist talk with Clint Frederic Wiater on April 27 at 2358MRKT. He discussed art, life, healing, and queer existence. He displayed 44 pieces of original art work, highlighting the last decade of his creative journey. Among my favorite encaustic on wood panel pieces (that will still be on display all May) are #40 “Iconic Castro,” #42 “Hope We Never Be Silent,” #34 “CEO of Grindr Is a Pimp,” and his entire underwear series. Check all of them out at 2358 Market Street!
Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS), a program of SHANTI PROJECT, keeps people and their companion animals together. PAWS believes that no one should have to make the difficult choice of caring for themselves or caring for their beloved pets. They provide free comprehensive support services for pets of older adults and individuals living with disability or illness. PAWS presents their annual fundraiser, PETCHITECTURE at the Fairmont San Francisco on May 18, 6 pm reception for canine guests & their humans; 7:30 pm formal dinner and program. In the past, on display were various forms of architecture for pets. Thus, the titled fundraiser. https://www.shanti.org/
With over 900,000 members, Equality California (EQCA) is one of the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organizations. And they are California’s only LGBTQ civil rights organization working at the local, state, and national levels.
EQCA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that works to achieve full, lived LGBTQ equality by electing proequality leaders, passing pro-equality legislation, and fighting for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice in the courtroom. EQUALITY
CALIFORNIA (EQCA) recognized Stop AAPI Hate and also Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a glass-ceiling-breaker and American icon who has been a champion for the LGBTQ community from the very beginning of her career. The annual SAN FRANCISCO EQUALITY AWARDS fundraiser was held on April 29 at the International Mark Hopkins Hotel. We mingled with legislators, advocates, and community leaders as we celebrated the accomplishments of the past year and geared up for the fight ahead. Speaker Pelosi received the Vanguard Leadership Award, and Stop AAPI Hate received the Community Leadership Award, which is so apropos to kick off AAPI HERITAGE
MONTH
LOCKDOWN COMEDY continues to make us laugh on Zoom, with the next scheduled for Thursday, May 18, 7 pm, featuring headliner Dhaya Lakshminarayanan (SF), Nina G (Oakland), Nick Leonard (LA), and “The Geduldig Sisters”—producer/comic Lisa Geduldig and her 92-years-young mother, Arline Geduldig (both coming to us in Florida).
https://www.koshercomedy.com/
JUSTER (continued from pg 3)
rights of people everywhere. On Saturday, May 20, the League of Women Voters of San Francisco and the League of Women Voters of California are joining forces to present a festive evening of drag performances to support the vital work LWV does daily: strengthening our democracy for everyone, and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and equity. The event will also present awards to Honey Mahogany, Matt Foreman, California Senator Scott Wiener, and Councilmember Carol Wysinger, with special guest Erika Ishii hosting. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/DragLWV
Castro Country Club to Celebrate 40th Anniversary
Forty years of making a substantial difference in people’s lives is an achievement worth celebrating. Castro Country Club is inviting the community to help them celebrate their 40th anniversary at a celebration picnic in the AIDS Memorial Grove on Sunday, May 7. The event will feature a free catered picnic-style lunch, a speaker or two, then dancing on the lawn to tunes provided by DJ Charlotte The Baronness. Come eat, mingle, dance, and show your thanks to Castro Country Club for being a cornerstone of the community for 40 years. https://tinyurl.com/CCC4023
Happy Anniversary, LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District!
Speaking of anniversaries, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is celebrating their fifth year of serving the community with an Audacious Anniversary Party on Saturday, May 6. And “Audacious”
ROSTOW (continued from pg 6)
next door to Disney World? It wasn’t just the nasty suggestion that bothered me; it was the weird little giggling smirk, like a mean little boy showing off on the playground. Plus, is the man stupid? Does he not recognize that whatever the far right, unwoke, Trumpy voting bloc is hating on at the moment probably does not include Disney World—regardless of what Robert Iger thinks of GLBT rights?
This week, in addition to the ten or so anti-GLBT bills already proposed and/or passed in Florida so far this year, the state Department of Education has adopted a rule that bans discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools through senior year, voting this through at a meeting in late April.
Of course, we all remember the socalled “Don’t Say Gay” bill, passed by the legislature and signed into law last year. That bill, which regulated discussion of sexuality and gender through third grade, caused a massive stink and has been roundly condemned for months and months.
Now, Don’t Say Gay runs all the way through 12th grade based on a simple Board of Ed meeting. How did that happen? Why didn’t the Board of Education take this action to begin with instead of letting the earlier version maneuver its way through the legislature and take heat?
Under the new policy, teachers “shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction ... on sexual orientation
BOOK PASSAGE (continued from pg 22)
This is the story of a twelve-yearold Parisian Jewish girl in World War II France, living “in hiding” as a Catholic orphan with a family in a small village. When Danielle Marton’s father is killed during the early days of the German Occupation, her mother sends her to live in a quiet farming town near Limoges in Vichy France. Now called Marie-Jeanne Chantier, Danielle struggles to balance the
seems an appropriate adjective: the free community event will feature MCs Lance Holman and Alotta Boutté, burlesque performances, ambient suspension bondage by Twisted Windows, a Brazen Runway featuring fetish gear, demos by The Exiles, ONYX Northwest, House of Kush, Service Pups of San Francisco, and BLUF SF, with performances by Ryan Patrick Welsh, John Weber with Kippy Marks, and much more. Beats by DJ Fawks, and MamaBear’s Kitchen will be providing tasty treats. Audacious Anniversary 5 will take place at the Folsom Street Foundry at 1425 Folsom Street, from 6–10 pm. More info: https://tinyurl.com/LLCD5
As if that weren’t enough anniversary celebrations in one day, the Audacious Anniversary Party is being held right after the Bare Chest Calendar Finals Contest that same afternoon. Contestants will by vying for the honor of being on the 40th anniversary edition of the Calendar, which raises significant funds each year for PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance fund. Come cheer on the contestants at DNA Lounge from 3–6:30 pm. More: https://tinyurl.com/BCC4023
The District also recently raised a record amount for the PRC Emergency Financial Assistance fund at their annual Golden Dildeaux Awards, presenting a ceremonial check for $18,000. The folks at the District have been working nonstop for their community, so stop by Audacious Anniversary 5 on May 6 to celebrate, and thank them.
or gender identity” unless it is “part of a reproductive health course,”
The Washington Post reported. Florida Chancellor Paul Burns told the meeting audience that there would likely be no need to talk about any of this in a health course either, given that “abstinence is the required expectation of what we teach in our schools.”
All I can say is God help the young adults in Florida. And I’m starting to sort of enjoy Trump’s attacks on DeSantis, which makes me cringe when I think about it too hard because it’s kind of like rooting for Trump. Bartender!
And the Survey Said
I promised you polls and surveys and I won’t disappoint. First, the CDC surveyed over 17,000 U.S. high school students and found that the number of “LGBTQ” kids rose from 11 percent in 2015 to 26 percent in 2021. This is not new, because we’ve been noticing that a quarter of Gen Z adults are not heterosexual, and indeed, this upward trend is part of what the right finds alarming.
Included in the non-straight cohort are 12.2 percent identifying as bisexual, 5.2 percent as questioning, 3.9 percent as other, 3.2 percent as gay or lesbian, and 1.8 percent who did not understand the question.
I include the survey first, because it was large, and second because we also learned that 57 percent of high school students have had no sexual
Frameline: Calling All VolunQueers and Hosts
Frameline47 is just around the corner, and they are asking for help.
As the longest-running, largest, and most widely-recognized LGBTQ+ film exhibition event in the world, it draws a huge audience from around the world. The festival is not only a major artistic achievement, but also a mind-boggling logistical feat, running for 11 consecutive days (this year June 14 through 24), at multiple venues, featuring well over 100 films plus live events. An undertaking of this magnitude would not be possible without significant support from the community it serves.
They are asking for two kinds of help: volunteers to help with a variety of roles including box office, event staff, and ushers, and hosts to provide housing and hospitality for visiting filmmakers. Frameline is offering enticing perks for both volunteers and hosts, but the real perk is being an up-close part of the Festival experience as part of the Frameline family. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/FL23VH
Coming Up Soon
Tune in next time for news about Page Hodel’s JOYRide opening at the White Horse Bar in Oakland, Project Nunway, and the epic Heklina memorial that will take on Castro Street. Until then, enjoy the spring flowers!
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
contact in their lives, 34.6 percent had sexual contact with someone of the opposite sex, 6 percent had sexual contact with both sexes, and only 2.4 percent had sexual contact with only the same sex. So, despite the seeming rise in promiscuous GLBT youth, they’re really, let’s say, aspirational.
Finally, we will end with an NBC poll that reveals 61 percent of American adults say they want the country to “become more tolerant and accepting of the LGBTQ community.” Not too bad when you think about it. But then again, 50 percent believe society should be promoting greater respect for traditional social and moral values, while 42 percent think society should be encouraging greater tolerance of people with different lifestyles and backgrounds. I’m not sure how that 61 percent fits into these other numbers, which is partly why I don’t like polls.
Only 28 percent say they know someone who is transgender, and of this subset, 67 percent say society hasn’t gone far enough in accepting transgender people and 25 percent think society has gone too far. As for those who don’t know anyone trans, only 34 percent think society hasn’t gone far enough, while 57 percent thinks society has gone too far.
Again, I can’t wait for Gen Z to grow up.
SISTER DANA (continued from pg 27)
In response to overwhelming demand, organizers of the upcoming May memorial for drag icon Heklina have announced that a block of Castro Street will be shut down. It s been almost a month since the LGBTQ community was shocked by the passing of this amazing drag performer and nightlife promoter. Heklina, aka Stefan Grygelko, passed away unexpectedly while on tour with longtime friend and collaborator Peaches Christ in London.
HEKLINA: A MEMORIAL (She Would Have Hated This) will take place on Tuesday, May 23, both inside and outside the Castro Theatre. Tickets for the inside are no longer available, but the show will be livestreamed on a big outdoor screen. Beginning at noon, Castro Street will be closed between Market and 18th streets where a stage for the event will be set up. The stage will be hosted by LOL McFiercen and Dulce De Leche.
DRAG FOR CUBA: Collection in the Castro was held on April 30. In addition to the financial and medical donations that RAINBOW WORLD FUND always brings, this year they collected wigs, female clothing, costume jewelry, make-up (new), and accessories for the Trans and drag community. Most Cubans live on or near the poverty level. Trans and drag expressive people simply cannot afford these items. They will be taking the items to Cuba on their 9th annual
WORDS (continued from pg 22)
help those people process their own feelings. There’s also a voyeuristic element to it, because the mystery behind our separation turned out to be a lot more scandalous than I had thought it would be.
Also, it’s important that there be more books about friendship out there! This is my second graphic memoir specifically about long-term friendships, and I hope I inspire others to make their own. I want to read them! Friendships are an important part of life that feels under-examined in literature and the media.
Michele Karlsberg: Why did you choose to use collage, prose, and comics?
MariNaomi: I’ve always been drawn to collage and photography. When I started getting comfortable with creating art digitally (not long before I began making this book), collage became a lot more accessible. Like a lot of mid-career cartoonists,
Rainbow World Fund humanitarian aid trip May 11–21. The items will arrive in time for Cuba’s Pride celebrations.
Incidentally, RAINBOW WORLD FUND (RWF) is honored to be the beneficiary of a special KREWE DE KINQUE event and beer bust on Saturday, May 20, from 4–7 pm at the Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street. Please come meet our new Royals! Krewe de Kinque King XX Mez & Queen XX Moxie invite you to their first benefit at KDK s home bar, the Midnight Sun! King & Queen XIX Mark & Tawdry will be presenting a BIG CHECK from our Bal Masque XX to the RWF LGBTQ+ Ukraine Emergency Fund.
CINCO DE MAYO, or the 5th of May, commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 where Mexico defeated the French. This is seen as a day to celebrate the culture, achievements, and experiences of people with a Mexican background, who live in the United States. There is a large commercial element to the day, with businesses promoting Mexican services and goods—particularly food, drinks, and music.
Sister Dana sez, “Happy CINCO DE MAYO—no matter how you choose to celebrate it! But I would definitely think twice before wearing a giant sombrero.”
I have hand pain that makes analog collage a limited hobby. So now is the time!
In addition, I’m always looking for new ways to tell a story, as I get bored reusing the same methods and mediums again and again. That’s one reason graphic narrative is so appealing to me. There’s always something new to try, so it never gets stale! Of course, when you deviate from the norm, it’s a lot harder to sell a book, but I don’t mind some hardships if it makes it easier for others down the line. That’s my intention, at least.
For more information on MariNaomi and her work: https://marinaomi.com
Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 34 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com
FARMERS’ MARKET (continued from pg 23)
Royal Hazel variety of cherries, along with peaches, apricots, and nectarines.
truth of what’s happened to her family and her country with the lies she must tell to keep herself safe.
Thursday, May 18 @ 5 pm (free
- SF Ferry Building store) Christina Wallace, author of Portfolio Life In The Portfolio Life, Harvard professor, serial entrepreneur, and self-described “human Venn diagram” Christina Wallace adapts tried-and-true practices from the business sector to help you eschew
arostow@aol.com
the cult of ambition and experience the freedom of building the flexible, fulfilling, and sustainable life you want. Drawing on research, case studies, and her own experience, she walks you step-by-step through the process of designing a strategy for the long haul—because you deserve rest, relationships, and a rewarding career not someday, but today. After all, you only live once.
https://www.bookpassage.com/
He says they should be harvesting the first week or so of May, which is about two to three weeks later than during the last few years of drought. Their orchards do not appear to have had much damage due to the wind and rain from this winter, but it’s taking longer for the fruit to set and develop. The first cherry varieties to appear at your farmers’ market will be the early Corals and Brooks, followed by other varieties.
Guy Allard, of Allard Farms in Westley, says, “The cherries are setting up well and we think that there should be enough groundwater for summer irrigation.” Among the varieties that he thinks will be ready by the first week in May are Champagne, Coral, and Brooks.
Further south in Morgan Hill, Chris Borello of Borello Farms says the cold weather has been great for their trees and the rain provided enough water throughout the winter. “All but one of
our orchards fared well with the rain since they have good drainage. One of our orchards along the creek flooded out and caused significant damage to the irrigation system. It’s likely a large percentage of those trees will die because they were underwater for an extended period of time.” Borello says the crop looks very promising and they anticipate being at the markets with cherries in early May.
Harvesting healthy crops depends on many factors, from good soil and good care to rain and sunshine. Our local cherry farmers are coming through another season, relatively unscathed. Stop by your farmers’ market this May and June and enjoy some of California’s best sweet cherries.
Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/
Leira at Fitness SF Marin
“My name is Corinne! I am a fiveyear-old, female terrier who shows my friendly and eager personality with the SF SPCA staff and volunteers. While I can get overexcited when I see dogs, I am super social with people and am always ready to hang out or be out and about. I have been doing so well learning basic commands like sit because I am very treat motivated and trainable. I will brighten anyone’s day!”
Special offer for a special dog! Corinne: “I have been at the shelter for several months and it’s time to find my forever home. Do you think I might be your one and only, but need to make sure it’s a good fit first? You can foster me to find out! If you’d like to do a week-long foster trial period with me, with the end goal of adopting me, please come check me out!”
You can also meet Corinne virtually before choosing to adopt. For more information, please email adoptions@sfspca.org
Corinne is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s CEO. Our thanks also go to Paradise Osorio for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Corinne.
To meet Corinne in person, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. It is open for appointments from 10 am–6 pm (Monday–Wednesday, Friday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Thursdays.
For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/
ARIES (March 21–April 19)
The emphasis for you, Aries, is on harnessing your energy and channeling it intentionally. Rather than continuing to waste your precious vitality on activities that are not true priorities, your power will increase as you focus on what matters most.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
Peace comes from harmonizing with nature. We’re now receiving a cosmic push to break through our self-absorption and egoic bondage into a larger field of awareness where we recognize our deep connection with our fellow earthlings of the animal and plant kingdoms. As our scope widens, our sense of personal responsibility matures and we are compelled to make effort toward reshaping reality to be sustainable and beautiful for all beings. This evolution will, however, require each of us to slay our own emotional dragons that have kept our spirits hostage for too long now.
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.
This begins an incredible time for you to escape your comfort zone. The universe wants to bring you a blessing and it is up to you to open yourself up to receive it. Say yes to invitations and experiences that you’d usually refuse. If ever there were a time to shift to a more optimistic outlook, it is from now on.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20)
Something ends so that something else can begin for the sake of a better future. To the degree you let go of the lesser, you make space for the greater. Astrologer Dane Rudhyar wrote in 1972, “If we sing and dance in irresponsible pleasure while the world goes to its doom, must we not feel within our subconscious, if not consciously, the impact of this doom?” Attune yourself to a higher symphony.
CANCER (June 21–July 22)
So that history does not repeat itself, what can you use from your life experiences to do your part to move the whole thing forward? Have your ideals degenerated into that which you are settling for? Or do you press outward on culture’s boundaries, fueled by the inner knowing of where we could and should be heading?
LEO (July 23–August 22)
What self-imposed restraints have held you back from greater victory? In the words of Marcus Aurelius, “Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?”
You are ruled by the Sun itself, so do not give your energy to the hypnotic spell of the world’s clamoring. Rather, stand erect, listen to the call from beyond our clouded atmosphere, and show us a better way to live.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22)
You, Virgo, are skilled and capable. A sharp mental faculty makes you hyper-concerned with details and with facts. But those circuits can keep you trapped in a closed loop. So, it should come as great news that a portal has opened through which an expansive perspective is accessible to you now. Your paradigm is incomplete; your horizon too narrow. Lean just beyond your edge.
“Are you having trouble doing pull-ups? Try the “Dead Hang” exercise. Hold on tight to a horizontal bar and let your feet hang over the ground. Stay there for as long as you can. This will improve your pull-up strength.”
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/
LIBRA (September 23–October 22)
Though you have a tendency to align with more socially acceptable behaviors, the planets are prompting you to get honest about what you really want to do. Your delicate senses might shed some tears in order to get there. Trust the process to become a brighter, happier version of yourself. It will be worth it.
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)
Do your chosen relationships function in ways that support the reason you were born? Is there a purpose to your partnerships beyond self-gratification and fulfilling each other’s needs? Or are your friends and lovers more like placeholders helping keep your deepest fears at bay? Ideally, our true soulmates help us fulfill our highest destiny, and it is this ideal that the universe wants to remind you of now.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)
This is an excellent time for self-improvement and personal growth. You could find the right mentor now, or get a raise or promotion if you ask for it. Maintaining a positive attitude will improve your health and set you up for future success. Any loss or setbacks encountered are best responded to with optimism and resilience.
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19)
The universe is urging you toward some fun and pleasure. Follow the signs and synchronicities to experiences that can bring much-needed joy into your life. Confidently express your sense of humor to attract those who are right for you while weeding out the ones who aren’t.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18)
Experiences now can reveal the strength of your foundation. Deep roots reach beneath our family of origin to the center of earth itself. The universe wants to remind you that you belong to the earth, and as such, to the entire cosmos in which you are now suspended.
PISCES (February 19–March 20)
The Cosmos steers you toward a more positive way of thinking now. Assume the law of attraction is real, and act as such. As you expect the best from people and situations, you will experience it. Your mind is your greatest asset, and it’s time to overcome the old stories that no longer serve you. Start learning a foreign language to grease the wheels and open up your world to what is possible.
“Thanks to Harvey Milk, our community has been strengthened to the point that politicians and prominent individuals come to us for support. It shows that we are powerful.”
“Harvey Milk set a standard for activism.”
“I live in the neighborhood that Harvey helped to create, and I feel it every day.”
“Harvey advanced human rights in a way that had never been done before ”
“Thanks
Street in dragand no one
bothers me. I get yelled at in theTenderloin.” Clint Frederic Wiater Appearing as part of the “Pickin’ and Polk” program on Polk Street, performers Rob Reich and Ari Munkres serenaded the long line of customers waiting outside Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street on Earth Day, April 23. “Best Drag Performer” winner Sadyst Payne performed at the Eagle Tavern on April 19 during an event organized by Cal Callahan to benefit the SOMA Leather District. A symbolic check for $8000, signifying 8,000 votes at a dollar each, was presented in support of PRC at the benefit organized by the SOMA Leather District led by Cal Callahan. Artist Todd Shook with his work entitled “Tree Divided” at the Natural Forms show on April 20 (right) Girl Scouts from the Oceanview Troop at Hibernia Beach (18th and Castro Streets) for their annual cookie sale Queer Arts Featured gallery owner Devlin Shand, photographer Dan Nicoletta, and artist Bruce Beaudette enjoyed the ‘Natural Forms” group show held at the Gallery on April 20. The Gallery is located at 575 Castro Street, the former location of Harvey Milk’s Castro Camera shop. (right) Activist Christopher Vasquez (second from right) with friends at the Queer Arts Featured gallery
With its elegantly attired entertainers, cartoon anime art, costumed characters, and gorgeous floral blossoms, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown is one that San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink never misses. The festival for 2023 was well-attended, with sunny spring weather adding to the festival’s good vibes.
http://sfbaytimes.com/
Create a safe haven for beneficial and adorable beetles with Kikkerland’s Ladybug House. Hang it in a sheltered spot near any plants that need protection from aphids and skip the pesticides! $11.99
Rewild any sunny patch with California native wildflowers from Botanical Interests. Each packet contains more than 5000 seeds, including favorites like sunny golden poppies, elegant Clarkia, and cheery baby blue eyes. $6.29 per packet
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Since 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.
