San Francisco Bay Times - July 27, 2023

Beach Escapes

Summer Fun

at Clothing Optional

Beaches: San Gregorio, Laguna Creek, and Little Muir Beach

Sports

For many of us who grew up in Southern California, going to the beach was a way of life. We played beach sports, frolicked in the ocean, and showed off our golden, sun-kissed tans. Southern Californians tend to sometimes chuckle at the obviously pale or burnt tourists.

The funny thing was, I avoided the beach between the ages of seven and fourteen because I was deeply scarred by Jaws, a movie my much older cousins took a very young and impressionable me to see in the summer of 197 ... er ... never mind the year. In high school, my friends and I would routinely bike down to the beach on weekends. We especially loved sitting around a bonfire while belting out pop hits from Michael Jackson and Madonna. I actually never heard of clothing optional beaches or nude beaches until I moved to the Bay Area, mainly because there were no such beaches in or near Los Angeles.

I did spot several nude sunbathers during off hours on a popular LGBTQ+ friendly beach, Will Rogers, where Pamela Anderson and her large bouncy boobs graced the opening sequence of Bay Watch During my first summer in the Bay Area, I unknowingly and unwittingly went on a nude beach outing with a friend where I saw many, many people on the beach, chatting, strolling, and sunbathing in the buff?!? I turned to my friend and said, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

I learned that day that the Bay Area has several not just nude beaches, but gayfriendly nude beaches. We are lucky that our rugged coastline topography produces numerous hideaway beaches perfect for frolicking in the buff. That first nude beach my friend introduced me to is also the largest in Northern California, San Gregorio. Since then, I have discovered and introduced several friends to Bay Area clothing-optional beaches. And I would like to do the same for you.

Before going, I would like to begin with some warnings, pre-cautionaries, and etiquettes of going to a clothing optional beach, particularly in the Bay Area:

• Check the fog. Northern California coastline weather is often the most challenging to predict with fog and marine layer ruining preplanned beach days. The best way is to check the 10-day forecast and pencil in days that predict full sun and no clouds. On the day of the outing, check the fog tracker to see if there will be fog where you are planning to go. Remember, just because San Francisco is fogged in doesn’t mean Marin is also foggy.

• Check the tide chart. Several of the most picturesque small hideaway beaches disappear during high tide. It’s important to know ahead of time if there’s an actual beach for you to enjoy.

• Bring sturdy shoes. The rugged California coastline hides many

secluded and beautiful hidden beaches. The hike to some of the beaches can be steep, a bit slippery, and dangerous. Others require you to climb and scale small boulders and large rocks.

• Pack light and pick up your trash. If the hike to your destination is steep and somewhat strenuous, it makes sense to pack just the necessities and not weigh yourself down. And please pick up your trash and take it with you.

• Respect the privacy of other nude sunbathers. Clothing optional is just that, optional, so it’s OK to be modest and wear a swimsuit. And there’s nothing wrong with being a bit curious and looking around. But please do not stare and/or specifically take photos of people enjoying the beach unless you are granted permission.

Here are the first three of numerous clothing optional beaches in or near the Bay Area:

San Gregorio

San Gregorio is known primarily as a gay nude beach, although visitors come in all genders and sexual orientations. Perhaps the largest clothing optional beach in Northern California, San Gregorio is at least a mile long and has a wide beach area that is generally not affected by high tide. The beach is so vast that even on the most crowded days you feel like it’s just you and a few people around you. Not to be mistaken for San Gregorio State Beach, which is just south, the clothing optional section is separated by a natural boundary that connects the two beaches only during lower tide.

Once on the beach you will notice lots of dried driftwood, both large and small, lying close to the cliffside. Over the years, beachgoers used driftwood to build two- to three-feet-high enclosures called “condos” at the foothills to shield from the elements. These “condos” are first come first served and extremely popular.

A naked stroll on this lengthy beach can be both relaxing and freeing, especially on a warm sunny day. Frolicking in the water is definitely optional since the Pacific Ocean in Northern California is pretty

darn cold! Objects may appear much smaller after entering the water. At the northern end of the beach sits a large cave that during low tide connects to the next beach just north, Tunitas Creek Beach.

Access to San Gregorio is not at the entrance of the State Beach, but on California Highway 1 just north of the Highway 84 junction. Look for a small access dirt road with a metal gate on the west or oceanside of Hwy 1. Follow the road and please drive slowly; you are on a private road. At the end of the road, you’ll see a dirt parking area with a man at the entrance collecting a parking fee of around $10, cash only. Please respect and follow instructions. You are on private property. Once parked, follow the short but somewhat steep trail down to the beach.

(continued on page 3)

Laguna Creek

Laguna Creek is a quarter mile stretch of beach below a bluff a little more than seven miles north of Santa Cruz. The actual creek empties here into the Pacific Ocean at high tide making the mouth lush-green and picturesque. Many of the naked beachgoers camp out on the southern end where the surrounding tall bluff walls and the creek provide extra privacy. Although there are other similarly-sized beaches in the area such as Bonny Doon that people have claimed to be clothing optional, Laguna Creek is the only one where I have seen nude sunbathers enjoying the blue skies. Since Laguna Creek is just north of Santa Cruz, it is much less likely to be fogged

in compared to other Bay Area beaches. However, I would still recommend checking the fog tracker before going.

Access to Laguna Creek is pretty easy. Park at the designated dirt parking lot at the junction of California Hwy 1 and the northern T intersection of Laguna Road. From there, cross Hwy 1 to a trail leading to the beach. The hike is relatively short and easy. You will first pass a set of defunct railroad tracks, then walk on top of the bluff before an approximately 20-foot descent onto the beach.

South Rodeo Beach

South Rodeo Beach is a beautiful secluded small beach in the Marin Headlands. Although it is known as a clothing optional

beach, hikers and visitors to the Batteries from high above, especially the southside, have a clear view of the entire beach. On a clear day, the lush vegetation and bright native coastal flowers canvas the hillside, making it one of the most photo-worthy hikes. In addition, from the northern end of the beach, sunbathers can get a clear view of the rock arch at the bottom of Bird Island.

A buddy and I recently went to South Rodeo Beach; however, the main trail was closed due to erosion and winter storm damage. We found a narrow but manageable side trail from the northern end and made our way down to the beach, although the last leg of the trail is a steep 15-foot drop that took a little time and a lot of care to get up and down.

South Rodeo Beach, at low tide, connects directly to the much larger and popular Rodeo Beach to the north. But at high tide, South Rodeo beach nearly disappears. The best access to South Rodeo Beach is to head to the Marin Headlands and follow the signs to Point Bonita Lighthouse until close to the coast, then follow the sign to the Battery Alexander parking lot where you can take the main trail north to the narrow side trail down to the beach. Or just take the main trail to the beach, if open.

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

Beach Escapes

Pioneering Naturalist Kim Powell Leads Unforgettable Eco Tours and Other Outdoor Adventures

“Kim Powell and her team are simply the best in enabling you to have an outdoor adventure on or near water. Having taken trips with Blue Water Ventures to Baja California, whale watching, Loon Lake and Mendocino, kayaking, I can testify that each trip provides a wonderful, safe, informative, and playful environment in which to get closer to nature. Kim’s knowledge as a naturalist combined with her ‘deep blue’ passion experience make for an exceptional combo.”

—Adventurer Ruth Landy

Naturalist Kim Powell of Blue Water

Ventures is so attuned to California’s marine and forest ecosystems that she is able to blend effortlessly into them.

When she surfs near the Santa Cruz home that she shares with her wife, Nellie Farstad, she rides the waves like a dolphin catching the crest of the water in the surf. It is challenging for any person to enter wilderness areas without leaving a disruptive footprint, but Powell is so respectful of nature that marine mammals have even come to know her over the years. Local lore has it that more than one has looked to her for protection when under threat from predators.

Since the age of 5, Powell has led others on outdoor adventures. Those early trips were basic hikes into the woods, but they speak to her lifelong love of nature and desire to teach what she has learned

about it. After earning a B.A. in environmental anthropology, she went on to earn a master’s in environmental interpretation at Clemson before becoming a full-time naturalist guide in 1985 in Georgia.

Twenty-eight years ago, she “landed in Santa Cruz” and has not looked back. When Shoutout Socal asked her to describe a day in her chosen home town, here’s what she said:

“I would begin the day with a stop for some dark roasted brew followed by a walk along West Cliff Drive. Over the years we have witnessed newborn sea otters wrapped up in kelp, pods of dolphins, humpback whales lunging upward as they feed just meters from shore, and sunsets exploding across the bay. One incredible evening I was swimming along West Cliff Drive when a baby gray whale and its mother joined me for over an hour. An unforgettable life moment, truly profound. Before leaving the cliffs, let’s have a quick stop at our surfing museum to review Santa Cruz’s most famous aquatic sport. Included is a display that commands a nod to ‘our landlord,’ the ‘man in the gray suit,’ also known as the great white shark. A map reveals just a handful of shark attacks over the decades.”

“Midday,” she continued, “we could stroll along the historic Santa Cruz Wharf, grabbing some clam chowder and a locally brewed beer.

A Guerneville Gay Staycation

Juan Davila of the San Francisco Bay Times team recently enjoyed his first visit to Guerneville and spent an afternoon with friends at Johnson’s Beach. Located ninety minutes north of the Bay Area in the gay staycation town of Guerneville, this classic summer getaway sits in the heart of the Russian River Valley and provides the quintessential summertime river experience.

According to Gay Travel, other recommended stops in Guerneville include the Armstrong Redwood State Reserve and the Austin Creek State Recreation Area. Johnson’s Beach can be a traveler’s sole destination, though, as the area offers vintage cabins from the 1920s and an urban campground complete with BBQ area and laundry facilities. Visitors can rent canoes, kayaks, beach chairs, and umbrellas— nearly everything needed for a relaxing beach stay.

Davila, who is pictured on the cover of this issue at yet another classic Northern CA beach, San Francisco’s Baker Beach, is a dedicated runner who often ends his runs with a scenic walk along one of the local beaches. For him they provide inspiration, renewed energy, and “a sense of freshness” to detox from the city center.

In Guerneville, it also helps to have a cold drink in hand while floating down the river on a warm summer’s day. LGBTQ locals and visitors alike have

additionally enjoyed water sports in the town since its inception. Coming soon to Guerneville will be the popular annual Bear Week (July 31–August7) followed by Russian River Pride, October 13–15.

Be sure to support the local LGBTQ+ community bookstore, Russian River Books & Letters, owned by Michael Rex. He serves on the board of the Guerneville Chamber of Commerce. He has an education, theater, and restaurant background, and brings all of these skills and more to his shop. It’s the perfect place to buy books before heading out to Johnson’s Beach and reading them in a comfy chair beside the river.

A favorite beach read of another Bay Times team member is Musings: The Short Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys by Joseph Rosendo, who is an LGBTQ community ally and an Emmy Award-winning director and host of the PBS series Travelscope. The quote that closes out all of his shows is a favorite from Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness.”

For More Information

Johnson’s Beach: http://johnsonsbeach.com Guerneville: https://tinyurl.com/44xwk7rx

Russian River Books & Letters: http://www.booksletters.com

Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope : https://travelscope.net/

From there we might kayak into the bay searching for whales and wildlife, mountain bike among wildflowers, or hike through a majestic grove of redwoods, all within Santa Cruz County. Our day might end at a local book store or wine bar as we watch the migration of two-legged characters found in our colorful downtown. A day well spent.” We agree, and that is one reason why Dr. Betty Sullivan of “Betty’s List,” and a Co-Publisher of the San Francisco Bay Times, has been collaborating with Powell for over two decades, creating outdoor adventures for women. Powell leads such trips, not just here in California, but also in other parts of the U.S. and internationally to places such as the South Pacific, the Sea of Cortez Island, the British Virgin Islands, and more.

Sullivan said, “San Francisco Bay Times readers and women throughout the Bay Area have for many years looked to naturalist and guide Kim Powell’s Blue Water Ventures for well-planned and conducted outdoor adventures. From tide-pooling on the beach, to kayaking, whale watching, hikes to elephant seal habitats, and many more,

(continued on page 18)

Right Here in Our Own Backyard

for worship services, saying “really inappropriate things” about the LGBTQ+ community.

In Case You Missed It

It is always tempting to feel complacent here in San Francisco, in our rainbow-hued bubble by the bay. We read about drag bans in Tennessee, book bans in Florida, anti-trans legislation in dozens of states, and say, “Thank goodness we live in San Francisco, where we’re safe from that kind of hate.” Well, think again.

Last week Calvary Presbyterian Church, a welcoming congregation in Pacific Heights, was targeted by far-right pickets protesting because the Church had recently hosted a Drag Bible Story Hour. On Sunday, July 16, a man who had entered the 9 am Bible study became disruptive, interrupting the group and making homophobic comments. Rev. Joann Hae-jong Lee tried talking to him, and walked him out of the building, where he joined a growing group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters, who were gathering outside the church with a microphone. According to Rev. Lee, the protesters were yelling and harassing some of the members as they were entering the building

For years Calvary has been quite open about its commitment to welcoming marginalized communities. Their motto for this year is “God: The Original They/ Them,” and signage on the outside of the church clearly welcomes a very diverse congregation. While there has been some pushback over the past few years, since the Drag Bible Story Hour on June 15, the church has received an increasing number of disturbing emails, mail, and social media comments. To their credit, the Calvary family has firmly remained committed to remaining a safe and welcoming home for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities.

love. The post read, “We invite you to invite your friends this Sunday—a response to hate, homophobia, and bigotry. We will never back down from our stance on inclusion. Help us show the world that fear and hate have no place in our hearts. Wear your sparkles, wear your glitter, wear your God-loving and Godgiven rainbows!!!” The post also included an invitation to gather on the steps of Calvary after the service for a “Calvary Strong” family photo, to show solidarity and support for Calvary and its inclusive values.

Calvary is asking allies to show their support for the church and its values. City Attorney David Chiu, a longtime Calvary member who was married at Calvary, and whose son was baptized there, showed his support on Calvary’s Facebook page, writing, “I’m proud my church has stood up for Christian values of love, tolerance, and inclusivity. We won’t be bullied by bigotry, homophobia, and hate.” Rev. Victor Floyd of Calvary posted, “When people possessed by hate persecute us, chances are very good that we are on a righteous path.”

It is up to all of us to stand up and speak out when hatred and intolerance shows up. The incidents on July 16 at Calvary may well be repeated elsewhere. Please show up for your community. Wear your sparkles proudly, and show the power of love over hate.

Following the protests on July 16, Calvary announced on their Facebook page an invitation to a special service on July 23, featuring guest preacher Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, speaking on answering hate with

AIDS Walk Raises Over $1 Million

Sunshine has been a rare sight in San Francisco this summer, but the sun shone brightly on July 16 as Golden Gate Park filled with thousands of

walkers and volunteers for the 37th annual AIDS Walk San Francisco in Golden Gate Park. Walkers were welcomed by a hearty breakfast, and visited panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed on Hippie Hill before setting out for the 5K walk through the park.

While longtime walkers may have noticed some changes to the format of the event, the core of AIDS Walk remains the same. Since no one organization can provide needed services to all people in the Bay Area living with HIV or AIDS, AIDS Walk has always benefited multiple organizations. This year fifteen organizations throughout the Bay Area were co-beneficiaries, reflecting the diverse populations and needs of the HIV community. While still focusing on prevention and medical care, AIDS Walk’s co-beneficiaries also provide services that address issues that are intertwined with the epidemic: HIV and aging, hunger, homelessness, discrimination, and poverty. AIDS Walk gives organizations—especially smaller ones—an opportunity to raise

much-needed funding they might not be able to raise on their own, or to raise funds for specific projects. One example is UCSF Ward 86 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, which was able to open a unit focused on specialized care for HIV-positive people over 50, thanks to dedicated AIDS Walk funds. Thanks and congratulations to the walkers and sponsors who helped AIDS Walk San Francisco raise $1,034,622 for these local organizations.

New Mural in SOMA Celebrates Mr. S Leather

A new mural is being dedicated in SOMA on July 27 celebrating Mr. S Leather, a cornerstone business in

(continued on page 18)

A Simple Matter of Dignity

The juxtapose of these two major news events underscores the urgency of protecting transgender rights and dignity not only in Japan, but also in the U.S. and around the world.

6/26 and Beyond

On July 11, 2023, a five-judge panel of the Japanese Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in favor of a transgender government employee who had for years been denied the right to use the work bathroom that matched her true gender. The decision signaled an important step forward for trans rights in this island nation that lags far behind fellow G-7 nations in enactment of LGBTIQ rights. But it was much too little, much too late for the popular gender nonconforming Japanese singer, television personality, and LGBTIQ advocate Ryuchell. The effervescent and influential celebrity, whom we saw perform vibrantly on stage at Tokyo Rainbow Pride just three months ago, was found dead from apparent suicide in her agency’s office the day after the decision was issued. For years, Ryuchell had been mercilessly attacked on social media ever since they dared step out of the traditional gender binary that had so constrained them in their life.

The landmark lawsuit before the Japanese Supreme Court was brought by a transgender woman who is a long-term employee of Japan’s Economy and Trade Ministry. According to published news reports, the employee after her gender transition in 2010 requested that her employer permit her to use the work bathroom that aligned with her true gender.

The ministry refused to allow her to do so on the floor where she worked because some of her co-workers said that they would be uncomfortable with her doing this. Instead, the ministry permitted her to use women’s rooms located at least two floors away, presumably on the assumption that no co-workers who knew her would use those restrooms.

The plaintiff complied, but in 2013 petitioned the National Personnel Authority to lift the burdensome and harmful restriction. The authority declined, and she filed suit. In all, it appears the plaintiff was forced to endure this indignity for over 12 years.

In all those years, not a single fellow employee complained about her using the women’s restroom. Indeed, her fellow employees on different floors likely did not even know that she was transgender. If they did, they obviously didn’t care. The ministry’s position was

particularly inconsistent because by allowing her to use the women’s restroom on a floor other than her own, they conceded that she posed no actual threat to anyone. It was merely a matter of giving in to her co-workers’ apparent discomfort.

The Supreme Court panel lambasted the government for “excessively emphasizing consideration for co-workers and unjustly making light of the disadvantages suffered” by the plaintiff, according to The Mainichi newspaper They said that the personnel authority’s rejection of her request was “grossly lacking in legitimacy.”

The court’s rejection of the argument that the plaintiff’s fellow employees’ subjective comfort, based on fear, unfamiliarity, or ignorance and not on fact, should prevail over the LGBTIQ’s person’s actual needs is particularly significant. The spurious claim that protecting the rights of LGBTIQ people and respecting their dignity

somehow imposes an unfair burden on the majority population has been a dangerous trope that has permeated anti-LGBITQ rhetoric and political strategy for decades, going back to Anita Bryant’s “Save the Children” campaigns of the 1970s.

This falsehood pervades the current wave of anti-LGBTIQ legislation and litigation in the U.S. supported by conservative Republican and Christian forces today. And when the Japanese Parliament controlled by the conservative Jiminto Party (LDP) passed legislation last month purportedly intended to promote LGBTIQ understanding, it slipped in language at the last minute that conditioned the ability of schools and governments to undertake measures to increase such understanding on all citizens’ feeling “peace of mind.”

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported one other detail of the case that we found particularly disturbing: the plaintiff at some

point as part of the case had apparently needed to obtain a medical diagnosis that she had “a low possibility of committing sexual violence based on sexual urges.” Presumably, this diagnosis was used to substantiate that she posed no threat to other women in the women’s restroom.

We, like billions of other people, have used the bathroom countless times with countless other people. Undoubtedly, billions of people have never even considered the possibility that they would be forbidden from using the bathroom that matches their gender, much less have to prove through formal medical diagnosis that their using the bathroom posed no threat to others. The fact that the plaintiff for whatever reason needed to obtain such a diagnosis is in itself a profound afront to her human dignity.

The Japanese Supreme Court declared that the ability of a person (continued on page 18)

Supporting the Gay Community Through Your Investments

and practices that may harm them?

Us too! And now you can.

Introducing BRIO PRIDE portfolio!

Our newest investment strategy allows you to put your money where your heart is. Squarely centered on LGBTQ+ values, BRIO PRIDE allows you to invest in positive change in both retirement and nonretirement accounts.

Okay, so what does this really mean?

Money Matters

Brandon Miller

Now that we’ve fully recovered from Pride month, it’s time to talk about how we can make a difference year-round. It’s also a good time to evaluate if your investments reflect your values. How so?

Environmental, Social, and Governance or ESG investing measures the ethical impact of companies so you can decide whether to invest in them. More and more investors want to have companies they care about in the mix. Also known as “socially responsible investing,” ESG allows you to have a say.

Brio was founded by gays, for gays and we have gaily been helping folks since 1999. As a gay business owner, it is important to me to serve the community but also give back. It’s also important to put our money where our mouth is. That’s why we, always at the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights, are proudly launching BRIO PRIDE, one of the first gay-centered portfolio strategies.

Would you like to invest your money in companies that do the right things by the LBGTQ+ community— and redirect your money away from companies with products, policies,

The investments in BRIO PRIDE all exhibit or focus on:

• socially responsible choices;

• commitment to positive change;

• and capital D diversity.

You’ve certainly heard us trumpet about the importance of a diversified portfolio. The impact of a custom portfolio with diversity itself at the forefront was the next natural step. BRIO PRIDE supports our community, and not just in June. Sounds like a win-win to us!

It’s not just for friends of Dorothy, though; allies can show their support and throw their money towards investments that help fight the erosion of equality. Investing in BRIO PRIDE will let you go gaily on your way knowing your money is helping to make a difference.

Want to learn more? Reach out and let’s wave that rainbow flag together!

Loud, proud, and ahead of the pack, the Brio way.

Brio utilizes unaffiliated thirdparty managers to achieve clients’ ESG goals. Brio has partnered with independent advisory firm ethic. to offer the new BRIO PRIDE strategy. Brio relies on ethic. for our primary research and security screenings and given their expertise in this area, primarily uses their metrics when constructing the portfolio. More information about our process and the criteria used by ethic. to

construct the strategy is available upon request.

The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however, Brio cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.

Brio Financial Group is a Registered Investment Adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.

Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals. For more information: https://www.briofg.com/

The Importance of Estate Planning Documents When Finalizing Your Retirement Plans

testamentary trusts, offer various benefits such as avoiding probate, protecting assets from creditors, and providing ongoing asset management.

Powers of attorney, both financial and healthcare, authorize trusted individuals to make decisions on behalf of the retiree in the event of incapacity.

Trust Essentials

Jay Greene, Esq., CPA

Estate planning documents are critical legal instruments that individuals use to manage and distribute their assets, make healthcare decisions, and plan for incapacity or end-of-life situations. These documents become especially crucial during retirement as individuals seek to protect their assets, ensure the smooth transfer of wealth, and make provisions for their healthcare and financial decisions.

Understanding Estate Planning Documents Is Essential for Retirees

A last will outlines how assets will be distributed upon death, appoints guardians for minor children, and minimizes potential conflicts among beneficiaries.

Trusts, such as revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, and

Advance healthcare directives, like living wills, allow individuals to express their preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments and endof-life care.

Estate planning documents play a crucial role in retirement by ensuring that retirees’ assets are distributed to their chosen beneficiaries, providing financial security, and preventing potential disputes. By utilizing estate planning tools such as trusts, retirees can minimize costs, delays, and public scrutiny associated with probate. Estate planning also allows retirees to designate specific assets or funds for their family members or loved ones, ensuring their financial well-being.

Incapacity Planning

Incapacity planning is another important aspect of estate planning during retirement. Powers of attorney enable retirees to designate trusted individuals to handle their financial and healthcare decisions if they become incapacitated. This helps ensure that their affairs are managed appropriately and avoids the need for a court-appointed guardian.

Tax Planning

Estate planning documents also play a significant role in tax planning and optimization. By utilizing strategies like trusts, gifting, and charitable giving, retirees can minimize estate and gift taxes, allowing for a more efficient transfer of wealth to beneficiaries. Retirees can optimize tax planning and preserve wealth for future generations while supporting charitable causes and organizations.

Healthcare and End-of-Life Decisions

Estate planning documents also address healthcare and end-oflife decisions. Advance healthcare directives, such as living wills, allow retirees to outline their preferences for medical treatments and end-oflife care. By designating a healthcare power of attorney and providing specific instructions, retirees can ensure that their healthcare decisions align with their values and wishes, relieving family members from the burden of making challenging medical decisions.

Working With an Estate Planning Attorney Is Crucial for Retirees

These professionals provide personalized advice and guidance tailored to individual needs and goals. They help develop a comprehensive estate plan, draft and review necessary documents, and ensure legal compliance. Regular review and updates of estate planning documents are

Message from Leadership

Elevating Equality: The GGBA’s Role in Addressing the LGBTQ+ State of Emergency

In the fabric of our American society, we often boast of our unwavering commitment to equality, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Despite such proclamations, a significant sector of our population finds these tenets elusive.

Our LGBTQ+ community continues to face profound inequality, a reality recently underscored by the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) issuance of a National State of Emergency for all LGBTQ+ Americans. This proclamation serves as a sobering reminder that our fight for genuine equality is far from over.

Enter the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA)—an organization situated at the forefront of this crucial battle, leveraging the power of entrepreneurship, business, and community to drive meaningful change.

Founded in 1974, the GGBA holds the esteemed title of being the world’s first LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.

From its conception, the GGBA has made tremendous strides in promoting economic growth, prosperity, and equality for its members and the wider LGBTQ+ community. Today, it stands as a bastion of hope and empowerment amid this alarming state of emergency.

Through the GGBA, businesses large and small find a platform to grow, network, and form resilient partnerships. The GGBA champions diversity and inclusion, fostering an ecosystem where one’s sexual orientation or gender identity does not impede their professional progression.

The organization’s robust offering of

training, mentorship, and networking opportunities equips LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with the resources they need to thrive.

However, the GGBA’s influence extends far beyond business.

The association recognizes that economic empowerment is a pivotal stepping stone to broader societal acceptance and equality.

To this end, the GGBA collaborates with government entities, nonprofits, and the business sector to push for policies that uphold the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals.

In response to the HRC’s State of Emergency, the GGBA has redoubled its efforts. More than ever, the organization is resolved to combat discrimination and prejudice, fostering an environment where every individual—regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity—can lead a prosperous, fulfilling life.

To this effect, the GGBA has intensified its advocacy efforts, championing legislation that safeguards LGBTQ+ rights. The organization has also ramped up its educational initiatives, aiming to cultivate a broader understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community among the general public.

The GGBA further recognizes that the fight for equality is intersectional. Consequently, it remains committed to tackling issues like racial injustice, gender inequality, and socioeconomic disparities, which disproportionately impact members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite the significant challenges before us, the GGBA’s unwavering commitment

GGBA Member Spotlight

The attorneys at Huff Legal, PC, are passionate about pursuing justice and providing exceptional service for their clients. They strive to resolve legal issues quickly and with outstanding results. They are experienced and knowledgeable in both California state and federal courts and are skilled and highly effective negotiators.

Before becoming a lawyer, Michel René Huff, Esq., (aka “Huff”), was a police officer and patrol supervisor, gaining valuable experience in dealing with highconflict situations and multicultural issues. He graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and served as a U.S. Judicial Law Clerk in the Federal District Court.

GGBA: Please describe your business and its mission and values

Michel René Huff, Esq.: Our vision is to be the law firm of the future—right now. Huff Legal, PC, is committed to delivering top tier legal services tailored to our clients’ individual needs by delivering creative, effective, and efficient solutions. Huff Legal’s mission is to provide our clients with a broad network of high quality and innovative legal solutions, excellent legal representation, and a dedication to a seamless client journey.

GGBA CALENDAR

Tuesday, August 8 GGBA August Make Contact https://tinyurl.com/mrxr7kwu

offers a beacon of hope. The organization serves as a rallying point, empowering us all to play our part in this essential fight for equality. Whether you are an entrepreneur seeking resources, a business leader looking to build a more inclusive organization, or an ally yearning to make a difference, the GGBA welcomes you to join its ranks.

The path to equality may be long and fraught, but with tenacious organizations like the GGBA leading the way, we can be confident of making headway. The HRC’s declaration of a State of Emergency is undoubtedly a call to arms—a stark reminder of the work that lies ahead. It underscores the criticality of the GGBA’s mission and the need for us all to support such trailblazing organizations.

In conclusion, the GGBA embodies the power of unity, resilience, and determination in the face of adversity. It serves as a vivid testament to the role business can play in fostering societal change. So, let us rally behind the GGBA and other organizations championing LGBTQ+ rights, demonstrating that when it comes to equality, we mean business.

To become part of the solution, join the GGBA, support its initiatives, and leverage its resources. Remember, every contribution, no matter how small, propels us forward in this ongoing struggle for equality. The fight is far from over, but together, we can turn the tide.

For more information on the GGBA, please visit: https://linktr.ee/ggba

Tony Archuleta-Perkins is the founder and owner of Ide8 Real Estate & Eclat

Wednesday, August 9

LGBTQ+ Real Estate Investors Monthly Meetup

6–7:30 pm

Castro Community Meeting Room

501 Castro Street, San Francisco https://tinyurl.com/3xzwmk34

Tuesday, August 22

GGBA August Board of Directors Meeting

5:30–7:30 pm Virtual via Zoom https://tinyurl.com/ufdbs5r5

Wednesday, September 13

LGBTQ+ Real Estate Investors Monthly Meetup 6–7:30 pm

Castro Community Meeting Room 501 Castro Street, San Francisco https://tinyurl.com/2x2xtv9y

Thursday, September 14

Chase for Business LGBTQ+ Series: Managing Your Cash Flow In Person or Online, Time TBA 3005 Broadway, Oakland https://tinyurl.com/5s84tk85

Group He has worked in finance for 25 years, ten of those years specifically as a fractional CFO. He has two master’s degrees: an MBA and a Master of Science in Real Estate. In addition to his educational and professional pedigree, Archuleta-Perkins has a passion for advocacy for the LGBTQ+ Community and their allies. He proudly volunteers and serves on two boards here in San Francisco: President of the Golden Gate Business Association and Treasurer of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, SF Chapter. He and his husband enjoy international traveling and scuba diving.

Michel René Huff, Esq., of Huff Legal, PC

working atmosphere—which is a hallmark of our firm.

Community - We will pursue our belief that individuals with a sense of family and community and with interests outside the practice of law are better for it.

GGBA: Why did you decide to create your business?

Excellence - We strive to become one of the most sought-after providers of legal services in California.

Honesty - We will be honest, even when it is inconvenient or unpopular.

Service - We endeavor to meet or exceed the expectations of our clients in all aspects of their legal representation.

Diversity - We encourage diversity among our members and respect for differences among us.

Supportiveness - We work daily to enhance the supportive attitude, common bond, and collective sense of humor—the special

Michel René Huff, Esq.: Founding Huff Legal was a result of recognizing the need for skilled and compassionate legal services (including: criminal defense, civil litigation, contested probate, and cryptocurrency litigation) in the Bay Area. Our passion for ensuring the protection of individual rights and liberties, coupled with our legal expertise, motivated us to establish a law firm that could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives when they are facing challenging legal circumstances.

GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to influence your business?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: I have great admiration for prominent legal minds like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who devoted her career to advocating for equality and justice. Attorney John Burris also comes to mind. Additionally, attorneys within the GGBA community have been

influential in shaping our business. Their dedication to their clients and the local community has served as an inspiration and encouraged us to contribute positively to the Bay Area’s legal landscape.

(continued on page 18)

Rink Remembers: Tony Bennett

Photos by Rink

Following the announcement of the passing of beloved singer Tony Bennett on July 21 at age 96, San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink was among fans who fondly remembered attending Bennett’s live performances at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel’s Venetian Room in years past. Rink covered the 90th birthday celebration for Bennett held outside the Fairmont on August 19, 2016.

Bennett (1926–2023) was on his way to the Fairmont in 1961 during a tour when he was first presented with the iconic song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which he sang in December of that year for the first time—in the Venetian Room. In the audience that night were then San Francisco Mayor George Christopher and future mayor Joseph Alioto. For the next two decades, Bennett always sang the song at his appearances in the Venetian Room. For the 2016 commemorative event, a large appreciative crowd of admirers gathered to hear the program led by then San Francisco Chief of Protocol Charlotte Schultz (1933–2021) and former Mayor Willie Brown. The statue of Bennett singing on the lawn of the Fairmont, a favorite attraction of visitors to San Francisco, was unveiled. Bennett attended accompanied by his wife Susan Crow.

For more about the history behind “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” check out this San Francisco Chronicle story: https://tinyurl.com/hx3zshjf

An AP Archive video shows the Bennett statue unveiling in 2016 and program: https://tinyurl.com/5n85sam3

Olga García Becomes First Latina President of the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

The South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce recently proudly announced the appointment of Olga García as its newest Board President, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first Latina President in the Chamber’s 110-year history. This significant milestone reflects the Chamber’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and embracing the rich cultural tapestry of the South San Francisco community. García is an accomplished leader and highly respected Manager at CG Moving Co., where she has been delivering comprehensive office and residential relocation and storage solutions since 2013. With extensive experience in the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, García’s expertise has solidified her reputation as a trusted leader in the industry.

At CG Moving Co., García oversees every aspect of customer interaction, ensuring seamless coordination and exceptional service from start to finish. Her unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and her ability to navigate diverse needs and cultural nuances have earned her the trust and admiration of her clientele.

Beyond her professional achievements, García actively engages in industry associations and community organizations, demonstrating her dedication to making a positive impact. She co-presides over the Northern Region Chapter of the California Moving and Storage Association, spearheading initiatives that promote collaboration and excellence within the moving industry. She is also the co-founder of the renowned “Women on the Move” series and conferences, empowering women in leadership and professional development within the moving industry.

In addition to her industry involvement, García holds influential positions in various business and trade associations. She is a board member of the Golden Gate Business Association, the nation’s first LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. Now, as the Board President of the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, she continues to drive local business support and community development initiatives. García’s exceptional managerial acumen, industry leadership, and commitment to advocacy have garnered her recognition and respect within the moving industry and the communities she serves. She holds a B.A. in Latino/Latina Studies from San Francisco State University. As the first Latina Immigrant President of the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, she embodies the spirit of diversity, representation, and inclusive leadership, inspiring others to achieve their full potential.

Established in 1913, the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is a prominent business organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for local businesses. With a membership representing diverse industries, the Chamber strives to foster economic growth, provide valuable resources, and promote a thriving business environment in South San Francisco.

CG Moving Co.: https://cgmovingcompany.com/

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders

Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor

1978

Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309

SaN FraNciSco ca 94114

PhoNe: 415-601-2113

525 Bellevue aveNue oaklaNd ca 94610

e-Mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com

The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

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

dr. Betty l. SullivaN

JeNNiFer l viegaS co-PuBliSherS & co-editorS

Beth greeNe, Michael delgado, JohN SigNer, aBBy ZiMBerg deSigN & ProductioN kate lawS BuSiNeSS MaNager

Blake dilloN caleNdar editor

kit keNNedy Poet-iN-reSideNce

J.h herreN techNology director

carla raMoS weB coordiNator

Mario ordoNeZ diStriButioN

JuaN r davila voluNteer coordiNator

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITeRS

Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Carolyn Wysinger, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Tabitha Parent, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Holly Near, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis

Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis

PhOTOgRaPheRS

Rink, Phyllis Costa, Sparks, Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Karina Patel, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster

aDVeRTISINg

Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375

Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021

Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only.

CaLeNDaR

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

© 2023 Bay Times Media Company

Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

A letter recently signed by 19 Republican state attorney generals expresses opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposed rule, HIPAA Privacy Rule To Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy. The letter specifically targets medical records concerning not only abortion but also transgender healthcare.

Read the full letter at: https://tinyurl.com/ve5pzamr

Following the release of the letter in June, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) confirmed that it provided transgender patients’ medical records to the Tennessee attorney general as part of an investigation into medical billing. “The Tennessee Attorney General has legal authority in an investigation to require that VUMC provide complete copies of patient medical records that are relevant to its investigation,” John Howser, VUMC’s Chief Communications Officer, said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, holds that the Health Insurance

Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires protection of sensitive patient health information, such that it is not disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA.

A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to make sure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high-quality healthcare, and to protect the public’s health and well-being. The Privacy Rule permits important uses of information while at least attempting to protect the privacy of people who seek care and healing.

Chris Sanders, Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, said three different parents of transgender children called him in a panic after they were told by Vanderbilt that their child’s medical records were released to the attorney general as “part of an investigation.”

According to CNN: “19 states have laws restricting gender-affirming care, some with the possibility of a felony charge. While some states have enacted laws that can punish healthcare professionals who provide gender-affirming treatment to minors with prison time, others have built in limited exceptions for minors to continue medication-based or nonsurgical forms of care.”

Transgender medical treatment for minors is one of the key issues being debated during the present lead up to the 2024 presidential primary election, with each side digging into their position. Blue

Policy Malfunction

the increased demand and shortage of housing. The U.S. population was also growing after the war, and baby boomers would be an important factor in the need for more housing.

states have been enacting protections for access to care, but the following states have placed bans on genderaffirming care: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. Alabama’s law has since been blocked by a federal judge as it faces a challenge in court. Due to these bans and other problems, the Human Rights Campaign has declared “a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people” in the U.S.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May even signed a law that, in the words of the organization TruthOut, “allows trans children to be taken by the state, giving courts the power of ‘temporary emergency jurisdiction’ to modify out-of-state custody agreements in certain circumstances. The bill classifies gender-affirming care as ‘serious physical harm,’ allowing a dissenting parent to request a warrant to receive physical custody of a trans child if they are undergoing or ‘threatened,’ as the bill says, with gender-affirming care.”

This, in essence, allows the state under the aforementioned circumstances to kidnap children in Florida. According to The New Republic, “The new law will allow the state to take custody of a child if they have been ‘subjected to or [are] threatened with being subjected to’ gender-affirming care, which includes puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy. Florida courts could modify custody agreements from a different state if the minor is likely to receive genderaffirming care in that second state

[and] refers to gender-affirming care ... as a form of physical harm.”

But, as legal expert Chris Geidner wrote for Rolling Stone : “This isn’t about disagreeing on issues. We aren’t all expected to think the same things or make the same decisions about how to live our lives or how to raise our children. This is about his using the law to take away fundamental choices that we all should be free to make for ourselves. And in the latest attacks, DeSantis and his ilk are staking out an even more extremist position— criminalizing certain choices, turning fundamental freedoms into potential prison sentences.”

The privacy of all of our medical records is at stake as well, considering the letter released by the 19 Republican state attorney generals. At least at the state level here in California there is the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act. Yet it allows for disclosure of medical information by providers under multiple possibilities. Know your rights by reading about those situations here: https://tinyurl.com/259kxt9j

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.

It’s always good to understand the history of how and why some laws, legislative policies, and programs are formed—many in response to a crisis or an urgent need (good and bad). An immediate problem emerged where a temporary solution or legislative fix was implemented to respond to that urgent need. The “quick fix” was ultimately made permanent because it may have effectively achieved a short-term objective. Still, the longterm impact may not have been contemplated or properly assessed, nor was comprehensive stakeholder analysis completed to determine the lasting impact or unintended consequences.

Twentieth-century housing policy provides some great examples. Implemented as a temporary measure, Rent Control in the U.S. emerged during World War II to address housing shortages and prevent price gouging. The influx of rural populations to cities and metro areas where booming defense industries were located, government rationing diverted material/ resources from home construction, and returning soldiers contributed to

In the 1970s, the focus of Rent Control shifted towards regulating evictions and increasing tenant protections in cities like Berkeley, New York, and San Francisco. With rents being the highest in the nation today in these metro areas, the results have been mixed, to say the least. Rising income inequality, Rent Control restrictions, inadequate home production, and housing affordability in these cities have only worsened. Some would agree that the 50+ year agenda passing policies like Rent Control or Rent Stabilization under the guise of renter protections, along with enacting major infrastructure projects and urban renewal programs, have created other conditions as well:

1. devalued properties significantly in some communities to advance sweeping social and public housing programs;

2. took land/property/wealth away from minority communities and pushed them out of markets that were gentrified;

3. protected the interests of more affluent renters/residents who didn’t want to give up their lowerrent housing.

In a nutshell, the prolonged impact of Rent Control and Stabilization policies is clear—increased prices in the market. These policies actually promote scarcity by removing units of housing from the market by owners and stifling the natural movement of people in the market, who become more affluent, to find above-market-rate housing or pursue home ownership.

The latter scenario may explain why there has been little appetite from community and municipal leaders to install “means testing” or “needs testing” of affordable rentcontrolled housing that could be reserved for lower-income workingclass residents. This would be a pragmatic solution to close the affordability gap. One could argue that restrictive housing policies have been generally effective and working as designed. But at some point, the market attempts to correct these manipulations, leading to the unintended consequences that we see today with the high cost of housing in many metro areas with Rent Control and excessive renter protections.

The amplified plight of minority and immigrant renters and residents is also used as a cajole to advance greater restrictions on housing providers and more renter protections. However, these more progressive social agendas end up targeting and harming underresourced and under-represented communities of color the most.

The leaders of some tenant activist organizations claim to be concerned about inequity but aren’t really accountable to these marginalized groups to solve systemic core issues— especially in Black and brown communities. An inconvenient truth revealed is that permanently fixing long-standing and systemic housing issues and poverty would mean less need, relevance, funding, and political power for many Bay Area service organizations, often referred to as the industrial nonprofit complex (INC).

Large commercial investors need an INC to continue advancing a radical, disruptive agenda and new housing models that don’t consistently deliver what they promise. The objective

is that big, centralized housing programs are owned/operated by 1) the government with large commercial contracts or 2) a few commercial interests with enormous municipal contracts. The latter scenario is a newer adaptation of the socialized housing model. Government has a terrible track record of building, managing, and sustaining public and affordable housing programs. As one city official told me recently, “Governments are saddled with bureaucracy and inefficiencies and aren’t set up to solve these complex problems.”

Historically, these are some of the worst-managed and maintained properties in cities when economies falter, housing funding dries up, or the tax base is threatened— especially if there is a prevailing sentiment that social programs are helping too many Black and brown people. The education and prison systems are other examples where the government gets over its skis and pushes more privatized or centralized solutions. Inevitably, it sets into motion a set of perverse incentives that end up hurting the communities they purport to help. Few in political power and the media want to acknowledge these conclusions. Inequality, lack of access to resources, and historic equity imbalances are evident. We don’t have to do a deep analysis to see the impacts of housing policies on minority and immigrant communities in cities like New York, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. Census data tells the story. What’s new is that more radical social progressives in power have

(continued on page 18)

GLBT Fortnight in Review

Life Is Short

I just re-read my previous column, which I always do before I get started in order to make sure that I don’t repeat myself, but now I’m depressed and not in the mood to think about GLBT news, let alone write about it. Oh my God, what a dismal series of stories. And you can add my latest news gathering to the list: Court cases lost. Books banned. Progressive teachers fired. Lawmakers targeting us. Make it stop!

I also checked out a different recent column I wrote, which ended with a discussion of how fruit flies who have encountered a dead fruit fly don’t live as long as their non-traumatized peers. I found that strangely sad, mainly because it implies that fruit flies have some kind of sensibility

I mean, if mindless instinct were at work, why wouldn’t the ones who met dead flies be extra cautious in the future and live longer? It’s as if they lose their positive energy; they get a little depressed; they can’t cope with life as well as they did before. I recall with chagrin that I have deliberately killed large numbers of them at times by trapping them in a little orange juice and pouring them down the sink although at least other flies will likely have avoided those corpses. The whole thing reminds me of a Star Trek episode where the crew discovers that the strange particles in the nebula are actually sentient beings after one of the particles takes over Counselor Troi’s body and tells them to “stop killing us” in a low baritone. Maybe I made that one up. Also, how would the researchers have come up with this hypothesis, and how did they test it? Did they stack

up some dead fruit flies and monitor the cohort that came across their remains? Those boffins! What will they come up with next? I am struck as I write about this, by the thought of my favorite New Yorker cartoon that I may have told you about at some point. I have it taped to the inside of my pantry door.

It shows two mayflies flying away while two other mayflies wave goodbye to them from a rock in the distance. The caption reads: “We’re only alive for one day, and you had to schedule dinner with the Hamiltons.”

Keep Going

So, continuing the fun mood, I was driving down the street yesterday and went right past a sweet looking tabby cat in the middle of the road, looking as if it had died in pain. I returned home via a lengthy detour in order to avoid the scene and frankly, I feel as if my life has been slightly shortened by this grim experience. When I’m in a pessimistic mood, I have yet another favorite New Yorker cartoon that springs to mind. It shows a car driving on a long empty road that seems never ending. A single sign on the side of the road reads: “Go.”

We don’t really have a choice, do we?

I suppose that I have a few upbeat episodes to tell you about this week.

Over in San Diego, two conservative citizens checked out all the GLBT books in a local library branch and sent an email to the librarian announcing that the books would not be returned until the facility removed its June gay pride display, calling the books “inappropriate content.”

After The Union Tribune wrote an article about the incident, librarian Adrianne Peterson started receiving Amazon boxes filled with GLBT books, financed by over 180 local readers. The readers contributed about $15,000 towards replacements, a sum that was matched by another $15,000 in city funds, all of which will go towards GLBT materials and events, including drag queen story hours.

According to The New York Times, the two antigay residents, Amy M. Vance and Martha Martin, have not responded to any of the hoopla. Interestingly, the Times reports that Vance and Martin appear to have copied their email from a template provided by an Indiana-based group called CatholicVote that is running a campaign against gay visibility called “Hide the Pride.” Even more interestingly, it seems as if Vance and Martin recently returned the books, perhaps in fear that their meanspirited antics might come back to bite them.

Foreign Affairs

I should be covering the samesex kiss by members of The 1975, a British band I’ve never heard of who performed at a music festival in Malaysia and got kicked out of the country in punishment for the public display. The Good Vibes festival was canceled, as was The 1975’s tour of Indonesia and Taiwan. I guess I just did cover the story, but I’m always embarrassed by never having heard of apparently famous musicians and actors. That said, many people under 40 have never heard of historical figures and politicians who are household names to their elders, so it all evens out.

Over in Jamaica, the rightwing country is refusing to grant accreditation to the husband of an unnamed American diplomat who is about to be posted to the island.

I’m a bit mystified by the secrecy here. Who is this diplomat? Is it a would-be ambassador? What exactly does “accreditation” mean? Will the husband get a residency permit for his time in the embassy? Why is this in the news when we don’t even know if the two men have been given the job and who they might be?

I guess the U.S. has twice asked Jamaica to confirm that the men will be well-treated, given that the country outlaws gay sex and, of course, does not recognize gay marriages. At first, Jamaica didn’t reply, but after the second letter, they reportedly said no. After that, it seems in retaliation for the snub, the State Department declined to renew the visas for three Jamaican diplomats, including Jamaica’s ambassador to the U.S., Audrey Marks, and Consul General Oliver Mair, who is based in Miami. All three will have to return to Jamaica shortly.

If I were more professional, I’d give you citations for the above information, but I’ve run though a dozen articles looking for details and I don’t want to backtrack in order to tell you the names of these news sites. All in all, I’m pleased that Biden and company didn’t let this slide. Finally, my eyes glazed over a report out of Botswana until I realized that the African nation had actually done something positive (sort of) striking down jail sentences for gay sex in a bill that was mandated by a 2019 high court ruling. I say

sort of because, yes, it’s a positive step, but it’s also a positive step to stop beating your wife. At any rate, I was surprised because most, if not all, of the African news that comes across my proverbial desk is negative, including the antigay bills out of Ghana and Uganda. The conservative populace rose up against the bill, with one protestor calling it an “abomination” and “a sin.” Botswana, this person added, “is a Christian country.” I’m sure.

Is the Worst

Alito

I missed a noteworthy Supreme Court story last week, to wit the decision to let stand a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in favor a transgender prisoner, Keesha Williams. Williams was housed for six months at a D.C.area facility where she was initially placed with women, but quickly sent over to the men’s side. Although she had been on hormone therapy for 15 years, she had never had surgery, and the prison authorities based their decision on that fact. Further, her medications were withheld for a week.

Williams sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which excludes “gender identity disorder” but makes no mention of “gender dysphoria,” a term that was not in use when the ADA was enacted in 1990. The split Fourth Circuit panel ruled that, unlike gender identity disorder, gender dysphoria describes a physical and/or emotional disability that falls under the ADA. Williams’ case was sent back to the lower court for continuing litigation, and the prison asked the High Court to intervene.

(continued on page 18)

2023 AIDS Walk San Francisco

Walkers, volunteers, staff, and supporters by the thousands gathered in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, July 16, for the 5k AIDS Walk San Francisco 2023. The event began with its signature Red Ribbon Breakfast held in Robin Williams Meadow.

The walk started at 10:30 am and was followed at noon by the Post-Walk Picnic and entertainment. Along the route, walkers were cheered on as they passed locations set up by groups including the Cal Band Alumni, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, Alhambra Tribal Dance, and Batalá San Francisco.

The total amount raised by the event is reported to be over one million dollars.

For those unable to attend, the event was covered, with live broadcasts, by ABC7’s news team led by anchor Dan Ashley. https://tinyurl.com/bdhb3kux

Mid-July was a time of celebration! We started on Saturday, July 15, at Midnight Sun at Krewe de Kinque’s monthly fundraiser, this time with a Moulin Rouge theme and raising money for AIDS Walk San Francisco. King XX Mez and Queen XX Moxie paid tribute to the historic film and iconic Parisian club with decorations, Jello shots, and raffle prizes, while also celebrating the birthdays of Mark Paladini and Diva D. Online as well as in person generosity yielded $1000 for AIDS Walk SF and a good time was had by all.

A smaller group of us then adjourned to Beaux for a festive retirement party for well-known and much beloved Michael Daniels aka Papasan. Gary Virginia added to the private bar service with hors d’oeuvres as many of Michael’s well-wishers came by to celebrate. The highlight of the evening was a rare performance, requested by Michael, we are told, from Khmera Rouge. We wish Michael a happy new chapter of his life in retirement, but hope we continue to see him among our community.

The following day we spent a few hours at Daytime Realness at El Rio, where friends of Suzan Revah gathered to celebrate her birthday. The music was great, the weather ideal, and the vibes incredible. We are sure Suzan felt the love!

That evening was Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation’s annual Help Is on the Way, this time raising money for Project Open Hand and the REAF’s own Small Emergency Grant program. The Marines’ Memorial Theatre again welcomed the event, providing a perfect showcase for the staged show and a bustling lobby space for pre-show and intermission mingling and silent auction.

Having attended every one of these annual Help Is on the Way shows, we can assure you that Ken Henderson & Joe Seiler provide their audience with a wonderful evening of outstanding vocal talent, star power, and welcome laughter. Highlights this year included local favorite Leanne Borghesi performing with her frequent musical partner Marta Sanders, capturing the audience with bawdy lyrics, playful staging, and first-rate vocals, Broadway veterans David Burnham and Lisa Vroman singing passionately, masterfully, and beautifully, and Debby Holiday, fresh from an extensive tour tribute to Tina Turner, giving a dazzling performance in her honor. Members of the touring cast of Les Mis érables added immeasurably with large ensemble numbers, as well as singing in smaller groupings. The child actors were an undoubted hit. Most moving were two memorial tributes to frequent past participants in Help Is on the Way, Leslie Jordan and Carole Cook, both of whom we were fortunate to get to know over the years. Their dedication to fundraising and specifically REAF was remarkable and greatly appreciated. Del Shores of Sordid Lives fame, among many other credits, was on hand to assist with a short and lively auction after intermission.

After the performance, the cast and VIP audience members adjourned to the Beacon Grand Hotel, formerly the Sir Francis Drake, for a spirited party with food, drink, and photos galore. We are always amazed at the generosity of the cast, after a demanding event, to spend time meeting with fans and receiving their praise. We chatted with Sophie Azouaou, Doug Waggener, Dennis White & Lawrence Wu, Ken Ferraris & Matt McClelland, Lynn Luckow, Beth Schnitzer, and so many others. Whenever you see an upcoming REAF event, get your tickets and go!

The SF Gay Men’s Chorus once again proved to be the perfect choral ensemble to deliver gorgeous music, unrivaled humor, and community spirit at Davies Symphony Hall last Wednesday with Hello, Yellow Brick Road. The first half of the concert paired the 300-strong chorus with the San Francisco Symphony, providing lush arrangements of favorites from The Wiz, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, and Sir Elton John standards. The second half featured several of the small ensembles of the chorus, strong solo performances, and the choreographic antics for which they are so well known. Longtime choreographer Steve Valdez received heartfelt recognition for his decades of talented assistance, much to the delight of the chorus on stage and the audience in the house. Artistic Director Jake Stensberg seems to have reached a great comfort level with this historic group, bringing fresh exchanges and buoyant energy. Half the fun was reuniting with fellow attendees during intermission, including Betty Sullivan, Michelle Jester, Paul Franz, Cicero Braganca, Jim Oerther, and former Artistic Director Tim Seelig.

We ended the week with Patrick Rylee, Producer of Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi, at the incredible new event space at One Sansome for San Francisco Magazine’s Best of the Bay party. Planners made the most of the historic architectural elements while adding sweeping modern touches, offering a variety of areas for multiple events.

Everyone, from event organizers and small business owners to entertainers and San Francisco stalwarts, was there and a lively raffle for several prizes benefited the local creativity of Illuminate, represented by Ben Davis. His recent installations at Coit Tower, Sutro Tower, and Market Street are part of the Summer of Awe, and we love how they lift our spirits and renew our optimism.

Joining our group were Sara Beckstead, Janet Lee, and Allison Van de Berghe of New Deal Hospitality, the team that has been promoting our Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi. Performances start Sunday, August 6, for the four Sundays of August only! What a wonderful opportunity to take a show that delighted audiences for nearly 15 years at The Starlight Room of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel to North Beach and the iconic home of Beach Blanket Babylon for so many years! We hope to make Harry Denton and Michael Pagan proud. Don’t miss it!

“We’re not doing anything malicious. We’re following our dreams and doing it graciously, doing it kindly, and doing it while putting smiles on other people’s faces.”

Beaujangless, Drag Queen, talking about drag in Bazaar Magazine

Friday, July 28

Divas & Drinks at The Academy

Monthly party produced by the San Francisco Bay Times & The Academy

Emceed by Donna Sachet

DJ presented by Olivia Travel

Bacardí cocktails, Extreme Pizza

Name That Tune game

The Academy, 2166 Market Street

6–10 pm $15

https://tinyurl.com/y6cksukz

Saturday, July 29

Judy vs Liza Fundraiser

Cavalcade of performers, including Connie Champagne

Hosted by Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

DJ Jimmy Strano Beaux, 2344 Market Street

5–8 pm

Sunday, July 30

Dore Alley Street Fair

11 am–6 pm Free!

https://www.folsomstreet.org/

Sundays, August 6, 13, 20 & 27

Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi

Classic San Francisco Drag

Italian brunch by Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza

With Donna Sachet, Holotta Tymes, Mercedez Munro & more

Club Fugazi, 678 Green Street

11 am doors, Noon show $75 www.sundaysadrag.com

JUSTER (continued from pg 6)

the leather community since 1979. Commissioned by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, the mural painted on the Heron Street wall of Mr. S by prominent artist Serge Gay Jr. depicts a playful human puppy and other images associated with Mr. S Leather. The public dedication of the mural will take place Thursday, July 27, from 5 to 6 pm on Heron Street, with more festivities and an opportunity to meet the artist inside the Mr. S showroom.

Prominent queer artist Serge Gay Jr.’s work can also be seen at Oasis, where he was part of the five-artist team of queer artists that created the massive and celebratory 2,240 square foot mural, Showtime, which wraps around two sides of Oasis, celebrating both the joy and the history of queer nightlife. Commissioning the new mural is part of the Cultural District’s mission of commemorating and celebrating SOMA’s queer history, and supporting the continuity and vitality of the Kink and Queer communities. That’s it for this week, friends. Enjoy the sunshine while it’s here, and remember to lead with kindness. Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

LEWIS/GAFFNEY (continued from pg 9)

to live their life in accord with their true gender was a “compelling benefit” that was “legally protected.” We hope this month’s decision is a harbinger of things to come on both sides of the Pacific. We all need to do everything we can to stand up for transgender and gender nonconforming people—to honor the life of Ryuchell and those of far too many others who have died too young, and to enable everyone to live as their true selves today.

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

GREENE (continued from pg 10)

essential to accommodate changes in personal circumstances, laws, or preferences.

Working With an Estate Planning Attorney

Estate planning documents are essential tools for retirees to protect their assets, ensure a smooth transfer of wealth, plan for incapacity, optimize tax strategies, and make healthcare decisions in advance. Retirees are encouraged to proactively create and implement a comprehensive estate plan, consulting with an experienced estate planning attorney to navigate the complexities and to ensure that their wishes are accurately documented and legally enforceable. By doing so, retirees can safeguard their interests and provide peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.

If you are looking for help with your own estate planning needs, or would like to discuss how we can help your loved ones with their plans, please feel free to contact us at obed@greenelawfirm.com or call us at 415-905-0215.

Statements In Compliance with California

Rules of Professional Conduct: The materials in this article have been prepared by Attorney Jay Greene for educational purposes only and are not legal advice. This information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Individuals should consult with an estate planning and elder law attorney for up-to-date information for their individual plans.

Jay Greene, Attorney, CPA, is the founder of Greene Estate, Probate, & Elder Law Firm based in San Francisco, and is focused on helping LGBT individuals, couples, and families plan for their future, protect their assets, and preserve their wealth. For more information and to schedule an assessment, visit: https://assetprotectionbayarea.com/

BARNES (continued from pg 14)

GGBA (continued from pg 11)

GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: As an openly transgender man of color and Managing Attorney of Huff Legal, PC, I decided to join the GGBA because of its reputation as a supportive and inclusive community that fosters networking and professional growth. We have been proud members of the GGBA for the past two years and have greatly appreciated the camaraderie and resources that the organization offers.

GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your business so far?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: Being a member of GGBA has provided us with numerous opportunities to connect with likeminded professionals and expand our network within the LGBTQ+ and allied communities. The GGBA has offered valuable workshops and events that have enhanced our business acumen and allowed us to reach potential clients who may benefit from our legal services.

GGBA: Do you go to the GGBA monthly Make Contact networking events? Have they benefited you and your business, and would you recommend them to others?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: We’re looking forward to attending future events as our extremely heavy schedule allows!

GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: Starting your own business is both exciting and challenging. It’s essential to thoroughly research and plan your venture, including understanding the legal requirements and potential obstacles you may face. Surround yourself with a supportive network of mentors and fellow entrepreneurs who offer guidance and encouragement. Stay resilient, adapt to changing circumstances, and always prioritize your clients’ needs to build a reputation based on trust and reliability.

GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?

Michel René Huff, Esq.: We would like to express our gratitude to the GGBA and the San Francisco Bay Times for providing this opportunity to share our story. If you or someone you know in the Bay Area is in need of representation in criminal defense, complex civil litigation, contested probate, or cryptocurrency litigation, Huff Legal, PC, is here to offer our dedicated services and support during these challenging times.

For more information about Huff Legal, PC: https://hufflegal.com/

POWELL (continued from pg 4)

Kim has been the phenom behind hundreds of inspiring outings attended by thousands of LGBTQ women and allies.”

She added, “The end result is that just the name of her company, Blue Water Ventures, conjures up memories of amazing experiences with her on beaches from Santa Cruz to Bodega Bay.”

Powell is truly one of the great naturalists of all time. Like John Muir and other well-known nature experts that preceded her, she both experiences the transcendental powers of the wilderness while allowing others to do the same in a safe, welcoming way. So many of us could use such an escape from urban life these days, reflecting that timeless need. As Muir wrote, “Wilderness is not only a haven for native plants and animals but it is also a refuge from society. It’s a place to go to hear the wind and little else, see the stars and the galaxies, smell the pine trees, feel the cold water, touch the sky and the ground at the same time, listen to coyotes, eat the fresh snow, walk across the desert sands, and realize why it’s good to go outside of the city and the suburbs. Fortunately, there is wilderness just outside the limits of the cities and the suburbs in most of the United States, especially in the West.”

https://bluewaterventures.org/

ROSTOW (continued from pg 15)

On June 30, the justices declined to take the case, triggering a nine-page dissent from Sam Alito, joined by his likeminded buddy Clarence Thomas. And here’s what struck me about Alito’s objection. The decision to let the Williams decision stand, he wrote, “will raise a host of important and sensitive questions regarding such matters as participation in women’s and girls’ sports, access to single-sex restrooms and housing, the use of traditional pronouns, and the administration of sex reassignment therapy (both the performance of surgery and the administration of hormones) by physicians and at hospitals that object to such treatment on religious or moral grounds.”

Let’s pause and think about that. I just reread the Fourth Circuit’s opinion (okay, I re-skimmed the 35-page majority) and can confirm that the legal rationale consisted of page after page considering the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the distinctions between gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria. By contrast, the “sensitive questions” that Alito mentions have nothing to do with the ADA. Women’s sports raises questions about Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination in public education; same with single sex bathrooms, which might also give rise to Equal Protection claims. Hospital care might, let’s say, involve analysis of Obama care’s rules against trans discrimination. The use of pronouns might raise Free Speech issues.

Basically, Alito reveals that, in his view, all transgender cases rely, not on any serious legal analysis, but on the answer to a simple question: is it okay to be transgender?

“In short,” he continues, “the Fourth Circuit’s ruling leaves a great many people and institutions under the looming threat of liability, forcing them to change their behavior—behavior that may be deeply rooted in moral or religious principles—or face an unending stream of lawsuits. If it is at least possible that the ADA does not require these results, we should be willing to resolve the question now rather than later.”

Again, the ADA is a feature of the Williams lawsuit, but it’s not the main legal thrust of the challenges facing the trans community. Nor would it have an impact on “a great many people and institutions,” nor as we said does it have anything to do with sports, bathrooms, or pronouns. But Alito is reaching out to a subset of citizens like himself who dislike transgendered people based not on “deeply rooted ... moral or religious principles” but based on “deeply rooted” old fashioned hostility towards people they don’t like or understand. It’s the same hostility that served as the foundation for Jim Crow and segregation, and it doesn’t deserve to be championed by justices of the Supreme Court or anyone else.

For the record, Williams was convicted of scamming investors out of $4.5 million and using the money for extravagant vacations, so she did benefit from a couple of years of the high life before her consignment to the unpleasant slammer. Not that this has anything to do with the groundbreaking ADA ruling from the Fourth Circuit.

Save the Gay Bunnies!

I managed to descend into the bleak world of Sam Alito and company despite myself, and I am almost at the end of my column. The Seventh Circuit issued another irritating ruling, opining that a lesbian guidance counselor at a Catholic school could be legally fired under the “ministerial exception” that allows churchy groups to avoid the requirements of Title VII’s ban on workplace discrimination. They are two for two on this issue. On the other hand, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that an unmarried partner can continue her legal fight for custody of the son she helped raise with her ex. The court ruled that the two women would have married, but for the unconstitutional restrictions on same-sex marriage during their relationship. As such, the partner has the right to pursue a relationship with the boy regardless of the fact that the other partner gave birth. We used to see tons of these cases back in the day, remember?

now turbo-charged the scheme, which is not just impacting small rental owners/operators (most vulnerable with the older affordable housing stock), but now larger owners/operators as well. We now have a crisis and emergency impacting many more stakeholders in the housing ecosystem.

Derek Barnes is the CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the board of Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @DerekBarnesSF and on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF

And the powers that be in Wilton Manors, Florida, have threatened to exterminate about a hundred domestic bunnies, now wild and causing havoc in gardens throughout the gay township. Wilton Manors is super gay, or at least it used to be, which is why we like to cover all the Wilton Manors news that’s fit to print. But really, guys?

The bunnies, which sound like a designer breed of some sort, came from someone who had some and I don’t know, let some escape? I didn’t follow the details. I just know that we can’t allow these village elders to dull our joyful community spirit through soulless bureaucratic pragmatism. arostow@aol.com

Smoke-Free Bar Patios Protect Workers and Improve Business

When I came out in 1981, the first queer space I went to was a bar in San Francisco. Like every other bar in those days, it was full of cigarette smoke, as was the bar’s patio where I would escape to cool off. Although I hated the smoke, I kept going there because I wanted to find community and someone to love.

Times have changed a lot. There are more queer-friendly spaces that aren’t bars, most people look for love online now, and smoking inside bars is now illegal in California. However, bar patios in San Francisco and Oakland remain as smoky as ever.

Our LGBTQ Minus Tobacco project gathered air quality measurements on San Francisco and Oakland bar patios in 2022. We found that “Unhealthy” air by EPA standards is common, and one bar in SF even had consistent readings in the “Hazardous” range.

While it is possible for bar patrons to avoid bars with smoky patios— and many do for that very reason— bar workers at patio bars don’t have that choice. Sometimes even the workers who are able to stay inside the bar can’t get away from it. A former bartender at a San Francisco gay bar once told me that the bar where he worked kept filling up with smoke from the patio. He ultimately decided to quit, but it wasn’t an easy decision. He told me that he didn’t want to lose the community he had there, and of course it meant giving up a steady job, but he knew that his health depended on it.

Something else that has changed since 1981 is there aren’t as many queer bars as there used to be. The reasons for this are many— gentrification, greater queer acceptance, online hookups, straight incursion, the pandemic— but smoke-free bar spaces is not one of them. When California bar interiors went smoke-free in 1998, bar revenues increased, and bar workers kept their jobs. Data from two decades shows that smoke-free air laws don’t have an impact on restaurant and bar employment.

Last year, we surveyed 221 SF bar goers. Over 70% of those who smoke and vape said they would support a city law requiring all bar patios to be smoke (and vape) free. Of all respondents, 57% said they would go to bars with patios more often if they were smoke-free. Only 9% said they would go less often. At SF Pride this

year, we asked the same question to 56 more people who could tell us the names of specific patio bars in SF they go to. 36% would go more often, 45% would go as often, 18% would go less often, and 2% would stop going. So, it is reasonable to assume that patio bars will gain at least as many customers as they lose, and again, decades of research bears this out.

Still, during these economically uncertain times, it is understandable that many of the patio bar owners and staff we have spoken to are not supportive of a possible law requiring all patios to be smoke-free. They think their regular customers who smoke will stop going there and they are not confident that non-smoking customers will replace them.

These concerns leave several things out of consideration. First of all, smoke-free bar patio policies, like those in over 50 other Bay Area cities (including some cities with gay bars—like San Jose, where Splash is still going strong) apply to all of the bars in the city. So, no one will go to another bar with a smoking patio as none will exist. People go to particular bars because they like the staff, décor, drinks, music, shows, clientele, social environment, etc. so most of them will likely take a smoke break on the sidewalk and come back in to enjoy the things they go there for.

Another thing to bear in mind is that most smokers (about 70%) want to quit. LGBTQ+ smokers have told

researchers that smoke-free outdoor spaces have helped inspire them to make quit attempts and that “No Smoking” signs, especially if they contain information on quit smoking resources, also move them in that direction. Tobacco is public health enemy number one, killing 480,000 people in the U.S. every year (38,000 of them from secondhand smoke exposure), and LGBTQ+ folks use tobacco products significantly more than others due to the stress caused by the discrimination that we face. Many LGBTQ+ people can’t go to bars with patios because of smoking. Two gay men who used to volunteer with us have cystic fibrosis, requiring them to stay away from places where smoking takes place. They got involved in our work because they wanted to be able to enjoy queer outdoor spaces.

All of us who work on this project have personally experienced the vital importance of queer bar spaces to our communities. As marriage equality activists for decades, my husband and I shared our stories, celebrated victories, and mourned losses together with our community in gay bars. We don’t want these spaces to go away. What we want is for them to be welcoming to everyone, including smokers, who return after taking a smoke break— or maybe get inspired to quit by the signs sending the message that we support your struggle to quit and are there to provide resources to help you reach that goal.

One of our project’s volunteers, a gay man, died from lung cancer last year at age 66 after a lifetime of smoking. He had quit recently, but it was too late. What would have happened if, when he first walked into a gay bar, it hadn’t been a smoking environment—a place where smoking was the norm and one way to meet someone was to ask for a light? Would he have been a smoker? How many lives could have been saved if bar interiors had been smoke-free earlier? How many more lives could be saved now, either by protecting workers and patrons from secondhand smoke exposure, or by inspiring smokers to quit, if bar patios were smoke-free?

To find out more about LGBTQ Minus Tobacco, visit our website at www.lgbtqminustobacco.org

Trailblazing Trans TV Actor/Activist Shakina on Stage in the Bay Area for Special Benefit Performance

breathe, and feel the live energy of immediate performance together.”

Don’t miss this vibrant, fun-filled night, raising funds for TheatreWorks in its continued missions of supporting the development of new theatre and bringing the arts to Bay Area audiences.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents

On Friday, August 18, Shakina will be taking the stage during TheatreWorks’ 20th Anniversary New Works Festival, sharing a night of transcendent tunes, followed by a dazzling dance party. At this one-night-only benefit performance, the trailblazing trans activist and powerhouse performer will offer a sneak peek at the future of musical theatre, debuting songs from her new musical Five & Dime and insight into her creative process.

Shakina is the creative force behind bold new work, including her hilarious turn as trans truther Lola in Hulu’s Difficult People; writing, directing, and appearing in NBC’s Quantum Leap; and guest-starring in the musical finale of Amazon’s Transparent (which she also helped write and direct).

She’s gained acclaim in the theatre world with her solo show Manifest Pussy and as a Founding Artistic Director of New York’s Musical Theatre Factory, where she developed shows including the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop.

She also made history as the first trans person to have a starring role on a major network comedy show with NBC’s Connecting ..., which chronicled life during lockdown. “I had been working on TV for six years or so, and I knew Series Regular was the ultimate goal,” Shakina shared with the San Francisco Bay Times. “I just didn’t imagine that it would be a show I had to shoot by myself, from home, during a global pandemic. All the pomp and circumstance of being a cultural

groundbreaker was overshadowed by the greater, collective task we all felt making that series. The cast had a sense of shared responsibility to be a time capsule of the moment, and to speak truth to power. I’m so proud of what we created.”

She’s now adapting the play (and film) Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean into the new musical 5 & Dime. Shakina collaborates with Dan G. Sells (Brokeback Mountain, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) and Ashley Robinson (Brokeback Mountain, Fall of ‘94) to offer a new take on this classic about the reunion of a fan club of the infamous Rebel Without a Cause actor.

Ed Graczyk’s 1976 Broadway play and the 1982 film (both directed by Robert Altman), which starred the likes of Cher, Kathy Bates, Karen Black, and Sandy Dennis, offer a rare early example of positive trans representation in media. “I remembered the original play from high school. I either never knew, I had forgotten, or blocked out that there was an iconic trans character at the center of the story,” Shakina said. “When I was invited to join the creative team and I reencountered the play, I was so excited to rescue this incredible character of Joanne from the archive, and really to give all the women in the show [a] new voice, and new insight into their characters through song.”

Shakina will return to TheatreWorks where she packed the house with a wildly successful appearance during the company’s 2014 New Works Festival. “One Woman Show marked the beginning of my transition, and now I’m returning to TheatreWorks a completely self-made woman, so that feels victorious,” she said. “I’m also excited to be telling a story this time that’s not my own (not autobiographical), and to be using my skills as a writer and storyteller to bring these beloved characters to life in new ways.”

This New Works Festival performance offers a unique opportunity for the innovative artist to peel back the curtain. “What’s adding even more zip to this concert: I’m not only going to be performing songs from the musical, but I will also be sharing the stories behind how we wrote it, when we were collaborating intercontinentally over Zoom during the pandemic. We didn’t meet in person until after we had finished a few drafts of the show, and the backstories behind the

songs are just as fun, moving, and heartfelt as the tunes themselves.”

After Shakina’s performance, audiences are invited to don their dancing shoes for a Texas Honkytonk-themed after-party with drinks and music as TheatreWorks celebrates the Bay Area’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. You should stick around as you might just see the evening’s star showing off her moves: “I never miss out on a dance floor!” Shakina exclaimed.

Theatre was an early love for Shakina and she advocates for its importance.

“I think there’s something special about live performance. As we spend more time in front of our screens and in artificial realities, I think it’s more important than ever for people to gather in shared physical space,

Songs and Stories with Shakina: A Musical TheatreWorks Fundraiser and Party Friday, August 18, at Palo Alto’s Lucie Stern Theatre. The event is presented in partnership with the Commonwealth Club of California. At 6 pm, Shakina will sit down with Michelle Meow for a pre-show conversation to be broadcast on the Commonwealth Club’s Michelle Meow Show—tickets to this conversation are free and can be reserved at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/

At 7 pm, Shakina will perform, followed by an after-party. Tickets for the special benefit performance are $150 for the show and after-party, $50 for the show only.

For tickets and information, please call 877-662-8978 or visit https://theatreworks.org/

The Hottest Summer, now available on Prime, is an enchanting Italian romcom directed and cowritten by out gay filmmaker Matteo Pilati (Mascarpone). The film chronicles a tale of forbidden love as Nicola (Gianmarco Saurino), a handsome young deacon, unexpectedly falls in love with Lucia (Nicole Damiani), a young woman in a Sicilian village where he takes a position in the local parish.

Pilati treats this potentially charged situation with more charm than irreverence. He captures the simmering heat between Lucia, who has a boyfriend, and Nicola, who is preparing to be ordained into the priesthood.

what makes this character human— you can see yourself in his story.

Matteo Pilati: Gay people can relate to that aspect—it is a forbidden love. I think The Hottest Summer is as gay as a straight story can be in a way. I am a gay man, so it is natural that I have a sensitivity in how I approach stories no matter who the characters are. When Nicola sings the song from The Sound of Music, it’s a very gay moment.

Forbidden Love Is Explored in The Hottest Summer Film

Gary M. Kramer: Matteo, how do you approach making a “straight” film? There is a sensitivity here in some of the heartfelt exchanges, but you include a gay character who is accepted by his peers, and there is a queer history ascribed to a painting.

Matteo Pilati: There are strong homosexual undertones in Lucia and her friend Valentina’s (Alice Angelica) relationship, which is somehow explicit in the one part of the film. They can be seen as a couple. They sniff each other, fight like jealous lovers, and Valentina explicitly asks Lucia to deflower her at the beginning of the film. The undertone is there, and it is for the audience to pick it up or not. It is subtle, but it’s there. The Hottest Summer can be seen as a gay love story between Lucia and Valentina.

Gary M. Kramer: Nicola is an almost perfect man. He can fix pipes, he saves animals from a fire, and even gets more folks to attend church. Can you talk about his flaws and sins? It was fun to see that Nicola is not holier than thou.

Saurino is utterly irresistible in the lead role and his relaxed, engaging performance helps make The Hottest Summer so appealing. In separate interviews, Pilati and Saurino spoke with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about their new film, a gender reverse version of The Sound of Music Gary M. Kramer: The characters of Nicola especially, but also Lucia, live double lives; their relationship is on the down low—it’s closeted—which is something members of the gay community can understand.

What can you say about how the couple struggles to be truthful about their forbidden love?

Gianmarco Saurino: I loved Nicola. He’s a beautiful character. The most fascinating thing is the dualism of him being caught between loving God and loving a woman. It was important that you cannot have sex when you are a priest—not because someone said that you can’t, but because you are in love with God. That was my focus. This is the most important thing for him. He is wrong, and full of doubts, and he doesn’t know what the right choice is. This happens to everyone, many times, throughout our lives. That’s

Matteo Pilati: He has flaws. He is tempted by the compromise that Don Carlo (Nino Frassica) tells him, “Don’t think about your own soul; think about all the souls you can save and all the good you can do through the church.” The fatal flaw for Nicola is that he doesn’t believe in himself enough. He needs an institution like the church to give him a complete identity. He thinks [that] without the church, he has no place in the world. But maybe it’s not his path?

Gianmarco Saurino: I think he doesn’t know he will be a sinner. He is just himself, in the moment. He loves the community and wants to help the community. That is what his mother taught him, which is why he is the way that he is. That’s why he is relaxed. And that is how I wanted to play him. When you want to help (continued on page 12)

Travel Is the Star in Many Great Films

the best Cuban musicians and singers we’ve ever heard. Havana itself is well represented: crumbling facades in crayon colors, classic cars. The soundtrack reminds us that what we hear can be a powerful mode of transport.

Off the Wahl

They don’t call them motion pictures for nothing. We move with them, from Ecuador to the Arctic, Italy to the moon! Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday was the face that launched a thousand trips, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell had people boarding glamorous ocean liners in Gentlemen Prefer

Blondes; Lawrence of Arabia took thousands to the desert. It is easy to celebrate the chemistry between celluloid journeys and realworld settings. Here are a few favorite examples.

Hitchcock’s smoothest caper, To Catch a Thief, has swank Riviera backdrops.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s heroine dashes back and forth across China, through settings so different that they hardly seem to occupy the same planet. From the red glare of the Gobi Desert to an ancient Taoist monastery on Wuhan Mountain, director Ang Lee takes

Landmarks like the Nice flower market and the chic Carlton Hotel match Cary Grant and Grace Kelly zipping through the hills above the Mediterranean on narrow, winding roads. The clothes and jewelry shown in this film knock us out, but it is the location that makes us want to travel.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World dropped anchor in the Galapagos Islands, where the unique wildlife nudged Darwin toward the theory of evolution. In this fine adventure film, we marvel at the birds, tortoises, and eerie enchantments of the land itself. Many filmgoers booked trips there after this movie.

The Buena Vista Social Club has American guitarist Ry Cooder and director Wim Wenders with some of

us high in the bamboo treetops for an unforgettably exotic journey.

Join a wizened boat captain and prim missionary aboard The African Queen in the Congo. Go across the long bridge from the U.S. to Canada in Niagara. There’s Istanbul in Topkapi, Paris in Amélie, Kenya in Out of Africa, India in Monsoon Wedding, Thailand in The Beach. The U.S. is well represented, but we’ll save those films for our next trip. Let’s travel with the movies!

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

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

Sister Dana sez, “Happy Dore Alley! You don’t HAVE to be an aficionado of leather, rubber, fetish, BDSM or kink—but it helps!!!”

Up Your Alley/DORE ALLEY

Street Fair & Fetish Festival is Sunday, July 30, 11 am to 6 pm at Dore Alley, 9th, and Folsom Streets. In the general SoMa area you will find many activities pre- and postevent. FREE, but you might want to donate. As some may say: “Up Your Alley” is only for real players—and not for the faint of heart—where leather daddies rule the streets of SoMa. Not to exclude feathers and sequins—but basically, if you’re into it, there’s probably a scene for you. “Dore” typically features DJs, go-go dancers and bondage & kink performers, plus you can cruise 40 “adult” vendors selling all sorts of gear. https://www.folsomstreetevents.org/

At MOULIN ROUGE, KREWE DE KINQUE raised funds for our first-ever TEAM KDK in the AIDS WALK! Organized by KdK King XX Mez, this was a fun event whether or not we were walking on July 16. The theme, “Moulin Rouge” was all about the “rouge” (red) décor throughout the Midnight Sun on July 15. KdK Queen VII Sister Dana wore a red habit to collect donations at the door.

RICHMOND-ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) presented Help Is on the Way XXVII: Broadway & Beyond on July 16 at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre. REAF produces fundraising events for HIV/AIDS, hunger, and youth services. Co-producers Ken Henderson and Joe Seiler welcomed us and brought out the touring cast of Les Miserables to sing the very welcome “Another Opening, Another Show.” Then one of my dear friends and a fabulous chanteuse, Leanne Borghesi, joined Marta Sanders to give us a very campy version of “Bosom Buddies” and

“Friendship.” Note: the last time I saw Leanne at a show, during the intermission she gave me a quickie makeup makeover just for kicks. But back to reviewing this show: more cast members of “Les Miz” performed, and then veteran Broadway baby Lisa Vroman stirred our hearts with “Ordinary Miracles” by Marvin Hamlisch. What a treat to listen to Del Shores and his stories and a fascinating tribute to the late, great Leslie Jordan! Joe Seiler provided a vast array of clips featuring the always hilarious Leslie. Before Act 2 commenced, Governor Gavin Newsom sent a Certificate of Recognition to REAF. For the second half of the program, Debby Holiday took on the character of the late TINA TURNER in a wonderful tribute with a rousing “Help” by John Lennon & Paul McCartney. And for the third tribute of the evening, Seiler and David Engel edited clips of a tribute to the late CAROLE COOK and her comic wit. It should be noted that both Cook and Jordan were more than frequent performers at REAF fundraisers. And they were always ready for a big hug after the show. Closing the star-studded night were singers David Burnham, Vroman, and the entire cast singing the traditional finale number, “Help Is on the Way.” And with REAF raising funds, help is most assuredly on the way!

Sister Dana sez, “There have been so many different versions of the BARBIE doll; but I am waiting for Barbie the nun—so Sister Barbie Dana can live happily in the Barbie Dream Chapel!”

HELLO YELLOW BRICK ROAD was performed by the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS on July 19 at Davies Symphony Hall along with the SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA—all conducted by Jacob Stensberg. It was a wild and wonderful celebration that combined highlights from Elton John’s groundbreaking album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—marking its 50th anniversary— along with favorites from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Stephen Schwartz’s blockbuster musical, Wicked. The choreography was simply superb because of singer and in-house choreographer Steve Valdez. It was also a goodbye party for him as he leaves SFGMC. Mayor London Breed sent a Certificate of Recognition to Valdez and her official declaration of Steve Valdez Day in

San Francisco. Naturally the acoustics were awesome in the Symphony Hall. There was plenty of drag that evening, including over a dozen guys picking out the perfect dress to wear from a rack onstage. Well, what do you expect when the Billy Elliot song, “Expressing Yourself,” should be illustrated so colorfully?!

For Act 2, The Lollipop Guild (an offshoot of SFGMC) sang what else but “The Lollipop Guild” from the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. Plus a few other tunes before HomoPhonics (an a capella offshoot from SFGMC) took the stage to give us “As Long as You’re Mine” from Wicked and then Elton’s “The Bitch Is Back.” For the perfect encore, the entire cast (including the dancers) got us all on our feet to sing along to the Elton classic, “I’m Still Standing.”

After three seasons, Bob The Drag Queen, Eureka, and Shangela are about to “sashay away” from HBO’s award-winning reality series, WE’RE HERE. HBO is welcoming three crowned queens to its drag family: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 champ and All Stars 7 competitor Jaida Essence Hall; the first-ever winner of Canada’s Drag Race (and recent Lip-Sync Assassin) Priyanka; and published author/Drag Race season 9 victor Sasha Velour. The HBO press release states: “The series’ new structure will allow it to take an in-depth and more immersive look at the local political systems and participants, anti-LGBTQ legislation and opposition, and their effect on the LGBTQ community.” I have been watching this show since its inception, and I hope the new format will keep the rural vs. citified ladies learning to find common ground. And please keep us laughing!

RIP legendary singer Tony Bennett—and I will let our Senator and Mayor express my feelings.

“Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, and so many San Franciscans’ hearts broke this morning when we learned of his passing,” said Senator Scott Wiener “Bennett created intense beauty, and he captured San Francisco’s essence. Rest in peace.” Mayor London Breed stated, “Tony Bennett provided us with a song, a spirit, and a magic that is intertwined with the history of San Francisco and who we are. His contributions to this city go far beyond words on a page or melodies in the air.” She recalled, “From the first day he sang ‘I left My Heart

Top of your stack

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE

Turning Japanese - new expanded edition (nonfiction/graphic - hardbound)

Turning Japanese is a comics memoir that chronicles

MariNaomi’s experiences working in illegal hostess bars in San Jose and Tokyo while attempting to connect with a culture that had eluded her since childhood. The story begins in 1995 (where Mari’s first memoir, Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, left off), when 22-year-old Mari had just gotten out of a long-term relationship. She moved to San Jose, California, where she was exposed to a wider Asian population than she’d ever known in her hometown of Mill Valley.

The East Indian: A Novel (historical fictionhardbound)

Meet Tony: insatiably curious, deeply compassionate, with a unique perspective on every scene he encounters. Kidnapped and transported to the New World after traveling from the British East India Company’s outpost on the Coromandel Coast to the teeming streets of London, young Tony finds himself in Jamestown, Virginia. Like the play that captivates him—Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream —Tony’s life is rich with oddities and hijinks, humor and tragedy. Set during the early days of English colonization in Jamestown, before servitude calcified into racialized slavery, The East Indian gives authentic voice to an otherwise unknown historic figure and brings the world he would have encountered to vivid life. In this coming-of-age tale, narrated by a most memorable literary rascal, Charry conjures a young character sure to be beloved by readers for years to come.

Some Girls Do (YA/fiction - paperback)

In this YA contemporary queer romance from the author of Hot Dog Girl, an openly gay track star falls for a closeted, bisexual teen beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars.

Sally Miller Gearhart: A Documentary Film in Progress

Photos by Rink

Upcoming Events

Sunday, July 30 @ 1 pm (free - Corte Madera store) Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less is Lost In the follow-up to the “bedazzling, bewitching, and be-wonderful” ( New York Times) best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning Less: A Novel, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America. Less roves across the “Mild Mild West,” through the South and to his mid-Atlantic birthplace, with an ever-changing posse of writerly character. He grows a handlebar mustache, ditches his signature gray suit, and disguises himself in the bolero-and-cowboy-hat costume of a true “Unitedstatesian” with varying levels of success as he continues to be mistaken for either a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or, worst of all, a “bad gay.” We cannot, however, escape ourselves—even across deserts, bayous, and coastlines.

Saturday, August 5 @ 3 pm (freeCorte Madera store) Anita Gail Jones, author of The Peach Seed

Please join us in celebrating Anita Gail Jones’ launch debut event with a presentation and book signing beginning at 3 pm in the main event space, followed by a reception beginning at 4:30 pm in our gallery. The multigenerational novel is an epic debut that explores the origins of a South Georgia family’s tradition and how its modern-day sons and daughters struggle with the legacies of America’s Civil Rights Movement and the far-reaching impacts of the 1800s slave trade from Senegal to Charleston, SC.

Sunday, August 6 @ 2 pm (free - Ferry Building store) Julia Vee, co-author of Ebony Gate: The Phoenix Hoard

A retired assassin is forced to confront her bloody past (and an army of the dead) in the summer’s hottest new fantasy, Ebony Gate, by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle.

This is the first book in an exciting new series. Readers are dropped into San Francisco’s modern-day Chinatown where nothing is as it seems. With a tough-as-nails heroine, unique world-building and magic, and an engrossing cast of characters, Ebony Gate is perfect for fans of Fonda Lee’s The Green Bone Saga series.

https://www.bookpassage.com/

Lit Snax

Boyslut by Zachary Dane

Boyslut asks: Why can’t we just live and be slutty?

It’s funny, sexy, bisexual, and happily anti-shame.

Dykette: A Novel by Jenny Fran Davis

This book is wickedly entertaining. It’s a send up of modern lesbian millennial life, and is a hilariously dysfunctional romp and romance.

The Biography of X concerns a strange quest to be sure: the resistant wife of recently deceased polymath X endeavors to discover X’s hidden past, bringing her difficult truths and weird interactions. Catherine Lacey never disappoints!

https://www.fabulosabooks.com/

Filmmaker Deborah Craig presented a preview screening of the new documentary-in-progress about the life and work of lesbian feminist activist, scholar, and author Sally Miller Gearhart. The event took place on Sunday, July 9, at the San Francisco Public Library. It was hosted by the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center and was held in the library’s Koret Auditorium. Following the well-attended screening, Craig led a panel discussion about the film. The documentary’s producer, Jörg Fockele, was among those present. Panelists included historian Ruth Mahaney, internationally recognized author Cherrie Moraga, and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Jewelle Gomez, who is a noted activist, educator, author, and playwright.

To find out more about the documentary and to support the project, visit: https://www.documentaries.org/films/sally/

Faces from Our LGBT Past

To those who did not know or had forgotten, the revelation was electrifying. To those who knew, it was still exhilarating. A beautiful young woman, apparently adorned in nothing but glittering jewels, had performed a breathtaking aerial and acrobatics act, then descended to the stage, removed her headdress and revealed to her adoring audience that, in fact, she was a man. During the years between the World Wars, audiences first in Paris, then in all of Europe and beyond were mesmerized by the sensation that was Barbette. Critics especially were impressed. Janet Flanner, whose “Letter from Paris” appeared regularly in The New Yorker, called him a “new Phaethon” (whose father was the sun god Helios) and termed his elegant drop to the stage at the close of his performance a “chute d’ange” or “angel’s fall.” Writer, filmmaker, visual artist, and critic Jean Cocteau, one of the most influential creative minds of the 20th century, described his performance as,

Barbette and the Cult of Sexual Mystification

“Ten unforgettable minutes. A theatrical masterpiece.” Barbette, he said, was “an angel, a flower, a bird.”

He went even further in his famous essay “Le Numéro Barbette,” published in 1926. On stage, at a time when people thought about a person’s gender, if they thought about it at all, as being either male or female, Barbette moved easily and fluidly between the two identities. He first appeared as a woman—who “eclipses the prettiest girls ... on the program”—then stripped to a near naked androgyny, performed his specialties, and after seemingly endless curtain calls, removed his headdress and left the stage as a man.

Here was something new, something unique, something shocking to audiences: a performer who dared them to question their ideas of gender identity and sexual attraction.

Earlier female and male impersonators, dating back to the earliest days of the theater, rarely did that. Either they disguised their true self completely from the public— the truth, when revealed, often destroyed their careers—or they made no secret of it, appearing openly as someone performing “a very finished piece of acting.” Anything else would have been considered extremely distasteful.

For Cocteau, however, “the essence of Barbette [was] as neither a man impersonating nor transformed into a woman, but instead as a being that takes advantage of the fluidity of aesthetics and theatrics to render gender and sex amorphous, constantly in a state of movement.” By combining “feminine grace” and “masculine strength,” by moving effortlessly between them, he challenged the conventional definitions and enforced ideas about what was male and what was female. We are each of us much more complicated than we thought.

The man Cocteau called “an angel, a flower, a bird” was born Vander Clyde Broadway on December 19, 1899, in Trickham, Texas, a state not

known at the time for a welcoming attitude toward female impersonators. His family moved to Llando, the “deer capital of Texas,” then to Round Rock, a few miles from Austin.

A visit to a traveling circus changed the course of his life.

He became enamored with the show’s tightwire act and began practicing on a rope he installed in his family’s backyard and anywhere else he could find.

After graduating from high school as the valedictorian of his class at age fourteen, he answered an advertisement to become one of the Alfaretta Sisters, billed as the “World Famous Aerial Queens.”

During his interview Ms. Alfaretta told him, he remembered, “that women’s clothes always make a wire act more impressive ... and she asked me if I’d mind dressing as a girl. I didn’t, and that’s how it began.” He later toured with Erford’s Whirling Sensation as one of three girls dressed as butterflies.

Barbette debuted as a solo performer at New York’s Harlem Opera House in 1919. His success seemed assured. “A distinct novelty,” The New York Dramatic Mirror wrote in its review, “she works hard and fast and her stunts are quite thrilling. She is liked so well, she is called out to make many bows.” In addition, “she is not a bad looking girl at all.” The greatest moment came soon after, when “she pulls off her wig and ‘she’ surprises everyone by being a man.”

Although he began as the opening act, Barbette quickly became the star attraction. Francis Steegmuller wrote in 1969 that he believed her performance was so immediately successful “because of its surprise element—his revelation, at the end, of his masculinity—which to him was always only one part of the whole.”

Whether anyone at the William Morris Agency agreed, they sent him to London, and then to Paris, in the fall of 1923, where he became one of the greatest and most influential stars of the decade.

If nothing else, Barbette knew how to ensnare an audience. He first appeared high above the stage against black velvet curtains, illuminated by a single spotlight. As Harry Daley described him, “She slowly descended

a great stairway magnificently dressed in white ostrich feathers, delicately discarding them one by one in a sort of floating strip-tease.”

After displaying spectacular skill and daring on a tightrope and trapeze, “swinging upside down with fluttering curls and looking so helpless and cuddly,” she “leapt down on to the stage to thunderous applause.”

Now an international sensation, Barbette returned to the United States in 1927 to headline at the Palace Theatre in New York, the ultimate achievement in vaudeville. Variety wrote, “As an impersonator, Barbette will fool anybody, as an aerial artist, he is superb.” Success then followed success. In 1935 he appeared on Broadway in Jumbo, which ran for a then-remarkable 233 performances. Sadly, his stage career ended only three years later, when he contracted poliomyelitis while performing at New York’s Loew’s State Theatre.

After several years of physical therapy, he became “a trainer, trying to give young present-day acrobats some faint idea of what a refined act can be,” then worked as a consultant for stage and film productions, including Disney on Parade. By the time he died on August 5, 1973, he had already

achieved immortality because “no one,” as Jacques Damase wrote in A History of the Paris Music Hall, “went further in the cult of sexual mystification than this young man who transformed himself into a jazzage Botticelli.”

Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.

Bay Times Dines

Stopping to Admire the Coffee and Scarlet the Corpse Flower

An infamously pungent, towering Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) named Scarlet went into rare full bloom on July 3, 2023, attracting hundreds to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers to see and smell the rare corpse flower. The bloom of this plant, native to the rainforests of Sumatra, only lasts for a few days. Its corpse-like fragrance has an even shorter span, diminishing after the first couple of hours following the bloom.

The history of at least one Titan Arum at the Conservatory traces back

bathroom was full of sun and Price’s cleanliness also proved to be fortuitous. His twice daily showers created humidity that, with the ample sunshine, promoted the plant to grow— and grow. It became so large, with leaves measuring at least 7 feet, that it could no longer easily be maintained; Price donated it to the Conservatory. The challenges of raising it did not dampen Price’s fondness for the plant, though.

“It was just so beautiful,” he told Mission Local’s Laura Wenus. “It’s like looking at a Georgia O’Keeffe painting ... except a hundred times bigger. It’s so beautiful and, I have to say it, kind of erotic. I fell in love. It was love at first sight, even though the stench of it was unbearable, because it really is very bad. You could smell it like 100 feet from the closed building where it was blooming.”

Botanical-Themed Coffee

to a Mission District bathroom.

Sidney Price raised the plant there after acquiring it at a sale at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. The

Price is a survivor in his own right. A longtime out gay man, he moved to San Francisco from Arkansas in 1975 and worked in IT for many years. Popular here in the city, he told KQED that “Harvey Milk even hit on me.” He retired in 1996 when he was diagnosed with AIDS. Medication and more turned things around for the better. As he said, “It was like all the conditions came together for my survival. And later, for the plants.”

https://conservatoryofflowers.org/

Plants also provide inspiration for barista Emmett at Highwire Coffee Roasters in Oakland at Rockridge Market Hall. A member of our San Francisco Bay Times team recently went there and admired the designs Emmett created with seeming ease on his delicious drinks. He is an artist both at and away from the espresso machine. “I try to incorporate art in all that I do,” he said.

Highwire has just introduced an enticing new summer menu of drinks that includes the Cruel Palmer (iced tea with watermelon syrup and lemonade over ice), a Lavender Latte, and the East Bay Breeze (a double shot of espresso, tonic water, and watermelon syrup over ice).

Rockridge Market Hall: https://rockridgemarkethall.com/

Highwire Coffee Roasters (with multiple locations): https://www.highwirecoffee.com/

Bits and Bites: The Column

Rodney Strong Vineyards

I wasn’t as familiar with Rodney Strong’s more upscale single vineyard offerings, but I have to say I’m quite impressed. I recently tried the 2018 Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2018 Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon. They’re all winners. The Alexander’s Crown might be my personal favorite, but the Rockaway is a close second. Alexander’s Crown is bold as a California Cabernet should be, but has softer tannins to balance the fruit flavors of blackberries and black currant. It’s refined and smooth, and a perfect pairing for your filet mignon or even a hamburger at home.

As my regular readers know, with my Bits and Bites section, I try to keep my readers abreast of news in the restaurant industry in the Bay Area. But lately, it’s been hard. With only two columns a month, and everything that seems to be exploding foodwise in our market, it’s been a challenge.

So, I thought: it’s time to catch up. Herewith is a full column devoted to Bits and Bites, with a lot of new places and products worth your while.

Perrier-Jouet

First up, I had the pleasure of recently attending an idyllic luncheon at Brix in the Napa Valley, hosted by champagne producer extraordinaire Perrier-Jouet with the winemaker Severine Frerson (Perrier-Jouet’s first female winemaker) in attendance. The setting is bucolic: you’re dining among the vineyards with views toward Napa’s surrounding mountains, all while sipping and sampling some of the best champagne and food pairings around.

Our luncheon started with a greeting of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut. It was clean, floral, and fresh, setting the mood for what was to come. A 2017 Chardonnay Blanc to Blanc— complex yet subtle—followed to accompany a picked-from-the-garden baby green salad with homegrown strawberries, herbed goat cheese, and a lemon balsamic vinaigrette. The cleanness of the champagne provided a welcome counterpoint to the tanginess of the dressing.

To accompany the mains of grilled salmon with tomato beurre blanc and roasted Mary’s chicken, we sampled both a 2013 Belle Epoque Brut and a 2013 Belle Epoque Brut Rosé (my personal fave!). In my humble opinion, every lunch is more special with a quality bubbly rosé (this one is made from both Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes). A surprise finale included a very special Belle Epoque Blanc to Blanc from 1999, which Severine personally had brought all the way from her wine cellar in France. The winemaker has described it as “crisp and clean, with hints of almond and nougat. While the cuvee is light and elegant, it has a surprisingly long finish.” The Gay Gourmet thought it was the perfect complement to a smattering of sweets, including honey panna cotta with lavender shortbread, carrot cake, and a salted caramel and chocolate tart. All in all, Perrier-Jouet should be at the top of your list when you’re looking for a quality champagne. And add Brix to your mustvisit restaurant destinations in Napa.

Rockaway has more concentrated flavors, described by the winemaker as “dark plum and red current with notes of tobacco and leather.” Brothers packs more of a punch and has a sharper edge, but for the California Cabernet lover in the household, they won’t be disappointed. It may be even better if you lay it down in your cellar for a few years.

Symington Family Estates— Quinta do Vesuvio Wines—at Farley, Cavallo Point

I also attended a lovely luncheon and wine tasting for Symington’s Quinta do Vesuvio wines from the Douro Valley in Portugal. The setting was the recently-renovated Farley’s Restaurant at the gorgeous Cavallo Point Lodge in Marin County, with breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. First off, I hadn’t been back to Farley’s since pre-pandemic. The renovation makes the space lighter, brighter, and more inviting. We were sitting in the room with dead-on views of the Bridge and the Bay—a reminder why we love living here in the Bay Area.

Back to the wines! I had traveled to the Douro Valley a few years ago and was anxious to revisit some of their reds. I’m happy to report that Quinta do Vesuvio wines are elegant, smooth yet complex, and utterly captivating. Our host was Symington winemaker and category manager Mariana Ferreira de Brito, whose charm and knowledge made our afternoon very special. The luncheon started with one of my personal top choices, the Comboio do Vesuvio Douro from 2019. This silky wine has, according to the winemaker, “bright aromas of red fruit and rock rose, rich plum with notes of fresh herbs, and clove on the palate.”

What I liked best was that it paired well with all of our starters: everything from poached prawns to corn truffle arancini and smoked trout rillette. That’s a sign that a wine has flexibility!

Our second wine, the Pombal do Vesuvio Douro 2019, had a little more edge to it, with hints of balsamic. The next two wines, the Quinta de Vesuvio Douro 2019 and 2011, held up well with my entrée choice of Farley’s excellent Niman Ranch burger. Both wines are wellbalanced, showing elements of florals, oak, and natural acidity.

For our finale to accompany the chocolate caramel tart, Mariana poured the Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port from 1995—simply delicious. Often, I find port wines a little too stringent. This one was smooth and velvety, and paired well with the sweetness of the tart.

Quinta do Vesuvio wines are affordably priced and available at K&L Wine Merchants, D&M Liquors, and more, and at such San Francisco restaurants as Ozumo, Pink Onion, and Nightbird

San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building Marketplace, our own gastronomic food hall, celebrates 125 years this July. Many festivities are planned, including: the Clocktower Crawl summer shopping promotion (through mid-August) and the Summer Ferry Fest on August 17. There’s a new steakhouse in town and it’s one to watch. My fellow San Francisco Bay Times columnist, Jan Wahl, introduced me to Gallo Rosso Italian Steakhouse in Sausalito. Chef Salvio cut his teeth working in restaurants owned by Robert De Niro and has opened a spacious, yet contemporary, nod to the steakhouses of yesteryear (complete with a Frank Sinatra playlist). First off, his steaks are the real deal: corn fed and tasty. The wine list has an array of both Italian and California choices to please any palate. Among the standouts there: a todie for Caesar salad with homemade, tangy dressing that doesn’t drown the crispy spears of romaine; a steak sandwich that instead of slices of steak has a real one-inch steak between two slices of homemade Italian bread; house-made pappardelle with wild boar ragu that melts in your mouth it’s so tender; and a homemade tiramisu with real chocolate chips that’s a perfect ending to the meal.

My husband and I just spent a great weekend in Los Angeles and there’s a terrific new (to me) Italian eatery called Nerano in Beverly Hills that’s

top notch. Owned by gay husbands

Andy and Carlo, the restaurant is intimate, chic, and full of gorgeous art. And then there’s the food. My pal Sophie Gayot (of the Gayot Guide) has called their pasta Francobolli alle cime di rapa vongole (pasta with rapini, clams, and toasted breadcrumbs) “most likely the best pasta I ever had.” We loved their pizzas, cocktails, and more. But even more fun, once a month during the summer, the couple hosts one of the best drag brunches ever in the outdoor garden. The brunches benefit Rainbow Railroad, which helps LGBTQ+ folks escape violence in their home countries around the world. Bravo, Andy and Carlo, and keep up the good work and great food!

I had the honor of attending a recent luncheon hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand at Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine on Florida Street (they have several locations throughout California). How have I never been here? It’s first-class. First off, the establishment is partly gay-owned and super LGBTQ friendly (with Pride flags peppering the décor throughout the dining room). The luncheon specials for one are enough to feed a very hungry family and include 3 courses. I selected the beef wrap with mint, cilantro, and cucumber; mieng kum kung with shrimp; a spicy and sour tom yum soup with chili paste; a very tasty (and filling) pad thai with tofu; a

Bay Times Dines

vegetarian samosa with coconut curry; and a vegan fresh roll. Their jasmine rice is a berry blue color that stands out on the plate, and tastes even better.

The restaurant’s own mai tai was a welcome accompaniment—and they used the real Trader Vic recipe. The tourism board wants to remind our LGBTQ community that we are welcome to visit—and Thailand is rolling out the red carpet to LGBTQ travelers. Having just visited there, I can vouch for the friendliness of the Thai people, how safe it is for LGBTQ+ folks, and how fun Bangkok is! Plus, if you’re transgender, the country offers a wealth of gender affirming surgery options at a reasonable cost. There’s a clubbable new, fun, underground speakeasy bar open to the public in Union Square called The Felix. You first look for a neon sign with Felix the cat on Mason Street, then push the photo of a man on the wall to gain entrance to the hopping space one flight below. The venue is Chinese hip and cool, decorated with Prohibition era photos, graffiti, and mahjong tiles. But best of all, the drinks are creative— and potent. Think a “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Vietnamese gin, crème de cassis, and chrysanthemum syrup. The Felix is a sister operation to the popular upstairs Vietnamese eatery, Bodega SF The joint fills up fast, so get there early!

I’m a big fan of Feinstein’s at the Nikko, where you can hear some of the best Broadway stars live in an intimate and upscale setting. And upstairs, Anzu Restaurant has one of the best sushi bars in town. Executive chef Adam Mali presides over a kitchen where the

quality is always first-rate. I’m consistently impressed with their simple yet perfect maguro nigiri. Their fish is flown in fresh from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo, and sourced as well from Hawaii (tombo, halibut) and the Farallons (wild salmon). You can count on an always-perfect miso soup, plus their varied selection of California, French, and Italian wines. It’s a terrific pre-theatre choice.

Copain Wines: With its 2021 vintage, Copain Wines has, in the spirit of transparency, started listing ingredients for their wines. These include: grapes, SO2 (sulfur dioxide), and tartaric acid. I’ve recently sampled a couple of Copain’s new wines. The 2022 Daybreak white blend is, according to the winemaker, “a light, fresh, easy-drinking white wine where the art of the blend takes center stage. Composed of seven white varieties from four distinct Sonoma County sites, this wine celebrates the terroir-driven characters of its components: exotic aromatics from Viognier and Gewürztraminer, acidity, and brightness from Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, mid-palate intrigue from Pinot Grigio and Picpoul, and structure from Chenin Blanc.”

The winery also has a new P2 red wine, described as a wine “first made by accident in 2009 and (which) has developed a cult following among the most fervent of Copain enthusiasts.”

To create this wine, made up of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Pinot Gris, Copain selected two vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA. This coastal region gives grapes with bright, energetic fruit characteristics and vibrant acidity, which in turn make a fresh and existing wine. The Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard along the far

reaches of the Sonoma Coast, contributing bright, tart Pinot Noir flavors; while the Pinot Gris hails from a grower on the outskirts of Santa Rosa. Both are worthy of a taste!

I just received a fun new book titled Dragtails: Fierce Cocktails

Inspired by Drag Royalty. With a forward by RuPaul Drag Race superstar Raja Gemini, Dragtails spotlights inventive libations inspired by such queens as Monet X Change, Danny La Rue, Delta Work, Jinkx Monsoon, Manila Luzon, and more.

Published by White Lion publishing (an imprint of The Quarto Group), the other co-authors are drag photographer Greg Bailey and recipe developer Alice Wood. Look for such great new concoctions as an “Absolutely Alien” (gin and lemonade, inspired by Juno Birch), Grand Maha-Raja (with sambuca, Grand Marnier, and lemonade, inspired by Raja), and Piñarita (a tequila drink with pineapple, inspired by Manila Luzon).

This just in: Serena and David Fisher, the owners of Michelin-starred Marlena restaurant (which I profiled recently), are opening a new restaurant in Pacific Heights in the former Gardenias space. They’re partnering with Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group and the working name of the restaurant is 7 Adams. Stay tuned.

The beloved Harvey’s in the Castro has a new owner: the owners of Beaux have taken it over and promise to expand next door and offer up a great new LGBTQ+ gathering place, complete with great drinks, pub food, and dancing. Can’t wait!

Original Joe’s in North Beach is now serving lunch again Thursdays and Fridays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. What a welcome development for the neighborhood! Italian-American staples, big portions, convivial surroundings, and indoor or parklet dining with a view of Washington Square make it a lunchtime destination! My favorites include the shrimp cocktail appetizer, wedge salad, fish and chips on Friday, thick-cut French fries, great pastas with old-time red sauces, Joe’s special scramble, an excellent Pinot Grigio on tap no less, the butterscotch pudding, and an old-fashioned ice cream sundae. Plus, it’s the best charbroiled burger in town and enough for two (and they don’t judge you for ordering American cheese with that!). Ask for waitress Jan, who is saucy, sassy, and fun!

Dita’s has just opened upstairs from The Trident in Sausalito and is offering up four-course EuropeanAsian fine dining. And speaking of The Trident, they’re celebrating the (continued on page 12)

Two Provocative Selections

four-cylinder engine’s roar was out of place in such a large sedan, and the noise was particularly noted when accelerating from the tunnel to the newer stretch of the Bay Bridge. The experience was pretty views accompanied by grating audio.

So, the Toyota Crown isn’t perfect, and neither is the Mazda CX-5 we’re also discussing. The CX-5 meets the Crown’s compelling charisma with Mazda’s granular approach to building a roadgoing delight.

And so we look to the CX-5, also with a 2.5-liter four but adding a turbocharger. The result is a hoot to drive. The CX-5 is supple and nimble, and it is effortlessly flickable, as so few new cars are these days.

“There’s something arresting about it,” said my pal after she exclaimed “Whoa!” at the sight of a Toyota Crown curbside. She has seen my parade of press cars. Still, she then said, “Wow.”

“Is this ... an Acura?” asked the 15th Street Chase Bank security guard when I parked. I replied it was a Toyota. I opened a door and gestured toward the dual-screen dashboard. Again, “Wow.”

Car buyers spend big to attract this kind of attention. Compared to the appeal of the $50,648 Crown Limited, other press cars close to double its price have slipped through their weeks here like appliance-white rentals.

Additionally, this Crown got modern respect. At the Castro Chevron, I asked an Instagram-model-worthy woman in a luxury SUV mildly blocking the Crown’s reverse path to please mind my aim. She dipped her sunglasses and said, “That is very nice. Electric?” I replied, “Gas hybrid,” and she nodded approvingly and gave a wide berth.

Rare for a new car these days, the Crown had something about it that elevated the people who saw it. My inner car critic saw the Crown as a built-up sedan with coexisting styling cues from Teslas and SUVs, but this Toyota demonstrably came across as so much more.

Visual wattage aside, the Crown could use steering that’s firmer and more communicative. Also, the 2.5-liter

The $41,655 CX-5 is an old design, first sold in 2012 and here we still are with it after many updates and more than 3.5 million sold. For me, it remains one of the most engaging compact SUVs on the market.

We’re not here to disparage the Mazda CX-50 that debuted in 2021 alongside the CX-5. We won’t talk about the CX-50’s extra bulk, or its bone-stiff ride over SOMA’s rutted streets. This column focuses on the positives.

It’s likely that the CX-5’s age, in part, makes you feel like you’re interacting with a rewarding machine, rather than parsing out the Crown’s more programmed responses. I fished for feedback from the Crown, while the CX-5 was a puppy that was ready to play.

Conversely, the comely Crown conferred instant celebrity with a sort of pure energy from its onlookers. As we San Franciscans cope with our quality-of-life challenges, it was nice to have around this Crown’s fourwheeled beacon of good feeling. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.

Celebrating 50 Years of the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco

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.

We have taken a look at the last 43 Royal Houses and have gotten to know a little about each of them. Now, I am featuring the remaining Royal Houses one at a time with each leading us to the current Reigning Monarchs and to the candidates of The Grand Ducal Council’s 50th Reign. Here is a spotlight on the 44th Royal House:

2016–2017

The 44th Royal House of the Beautiful Butterfly and the Penguin of Peace

Grand Duke XLIII: The Penguin of Peace Peter “U-Phoria” Griggs

Colors: black and white

Symbol: penguin

44th Royal House

Grand Duchess XLIV: Migitte

Nielson

Colors: purple and black

Symbol: monarch butterfly

Coronation Theme: “A Night at the Russian Disco “

Their court consisted of:

Royal Crown Prince: Madd Dogg

20/20

Royal Crown Princess: Miss Shugana

Prince Royale: Ken Harper

Princess Royale: Cis-sy Fit

Prime Minister: Miso Hornay

White Knight: Ryder Moore

Miss Debutante: Mama Celeste

Royal Baby: Troix Boyd

Miss Royal Baby: Kelly Rose

King of Hearts: Jared Neil

Queen of Hearts: Sendra Rose

Mr. Royal Bunny: Gareth Gooch

Miss Royal Bunny: Menorah Manischevitz

Royal Daddy: Lee Earl

Royal Daddies Boy: Kody Staubitz

California Gold: Intensive Claire

Best in Show: Pup Mez

Grand Duchess Migitte became aware and involved with the Ducal Council in 2014. After two years, she was ready to run for Grand Duchess of San Francisco. I asked Migitte to share a little of her journey. She told me for the San Francisco Bay Times, “When I ran for the title, I did not think I was going to get the votes because I was a cisgender female who is a drag queen. A female who does drag? Why would they want that?”

In the past 43 years, The Grand Ducal Council has always had a male as a drag queen.

Migitte continued, “I beat the odds and became the first cisgender female to become a Grand Duchess in San Francisco. It was the most fun, stressful, and fulfilling year of my life.”

About three months into their reign, Grand Duke Peter Griggs got extremely sick and many of us didn’t think Peter was going make it. Grand Duke Peter Griggs did survive, and he made it to their step-down coronation, Migitte said, “I was so grateful he was there in person; and that I received a lot of help from our court members, the House of Glitter, and my sisters from the Alameda Imperial Court and Sacramento Imperial Court during the prior absence of my Grand Duke.”

During their reign, Migitte participated as a rider in the AIDS/LifeCycle. Migitte said, “I got to experience riding a bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles with thousands of other riders and roadies. A big part of our success was all due to the sponsors we

had. The bars that allowed us to do the fundraisers were The Edge, Oasis, Midnight Sun, Aunt Charlie’s, and Divas, and without their support and love we couldn’t have raised as much money throughout the whole year as we did. I am very grateful to them all.”

During her reign, Migitte did a lot of traveling to other Realms meeting other Kingdom members in the Imperial Court System. She traveled to Portland, Denver, New Mexico, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Alameda, San Diego, Long Beach, Las Vegas, and Reno. Migitte said, “I really enjoyed visiting other realms and getting to see what they do in their own communities. I developed a lot of friendships and still have them to this day.”

Their Court won awards such as “Absolutely Fabulous Musical Contingent” in the 2017 Pride Parade, Migitte received several honors from her travels abroad from other monarchs and their Realms such as Lifetime title awards. To this day, Migitte still travels and supports the reigning Monarchs in the Ducal Council, although work and family have kept her from

doing as much as she would like to do to help out.

I was unable to reach Grand Duke Peter Griggs for this feature, but Peter did share the following in an excerpt from their Coronation program:

“I want to say that I am humbled and honored to be a part of this organization and will continue to be an upstanding member of the Council. Distributing the money we raised this year gave me feelings that I don’t think I will shake anytime soon. I realized that every single award we gave to these organizations is great, no matter how big or small.”

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.

KRAMER (continued from pg 2)

people, you don’t have to prove anything.

Gary M. Kramer: Is his altruism overcompensating for his desires?

Gianmarco Saurino: We see him in the first part of the movie, and he doesn’t know what is going to happen [that he will fall in love]. He has had sex and felt love before he decided to be a priest, but now he is sure about being a priest. What happens next is something that he doesn’t expect. It’s not a way to cover his desire for Lucia. He is both a good person and a good priest, but at the same time, he has a desire for a woman—even though the church says he cannot. But we are not black and white.

Gary M. Kramer: Gianmarco, I get the sense you are a reluctant heartthrob. Do you enjoy this romantic comedy sex symbol role you’ve been cast in by

SISTER DANA (continued from pg 4)

in San Francisco’ at the Fairmont Hotel and through all the decades since, Tony Bennett embodied a love for this city shared by all San Franciscans. Today we honor his memory and celebrate his legacy that will stay with us forever.” Mayor Breed ordered the flags of City Hall to be lowered to half-mast in honor of Bennett’s life, legacy, and love for the City of San Francisco.

It’s finally here. The legendary musical A CHORUS LINE—considered by many to be the greatest of all time—made its debut on the San Francisco Playhouse stage on June 22. Seventeen Broadway dancers are auditioning for eight spots on a chorus line. Exploring the inner lives and bittersweet ambitions of performers, A Chorus Line captures the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition. It is the winner of the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, winner of nine Tony Awards, four Drama Desk awards, three Obie Awards in 1976, and a Special Gold Tony Award in 1984 in honor of becoming Broadway’s longest-running musical. 450 Post Street.

LANDIS (continued from pg 9)

Matteo? You seem to be his muse.

Gianmarco Saurino: I don’t want to be recognized as a sex symbol. That was why I chose to make this film, because I’ve never done a romcom. I am a romantic, but I’ve never really watched many romantic movies. This character is not a sex symbol. He has a soul. You can’t play a sex symbol. That is something people see in you. How do you play a sex symbol—by running on a beach? But I loved his soul. That’s more interesting to me.

Gary M. Kramer: Matteo, you certainly objectify Gianmarco, with shots of Nicola running shirtless on the beach. Do you deliberately play to the gay viewers?

Matteo Pilati: I try not to objectify the human body whether it’s female or male. Nicola is perceived by the

other characters as sexy and attractive, and I could have played with it more, if I wanted to. It would have been justified, but when he is running shirtless on the beach, it’s natural, not gratuitous. He has a very nice body, and he is a charming man, but I try not to objectify him. I’m very sensitive about that. You can charm the viewer with the story. If you see nudity in the film is does not mean you are objectifying the character. That was my intention. The results may be different from what I was hoping for, but that’s part of the game. That running on the beach sequence was an homage to Britney Spears’ music video for “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know.”

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

Now through September 9. Ready, dancers: and 5, 6, 7, 8: get your tix before it’s too late!

https://www.sfplayhouse.org/

It’s been six months since MAGA took over the House of Representatives, and there have been few if any hearings on rising inflation, high gas prices, and other vital discussions being ignored; whereas there has been an abundance of sham hearings regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop, nude photos, and various absurd conspiracies. Sister Dana sez, “Yep, that’s our Congress diligently (not) working for us!”

THE SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE (SFMT) has returned to doing what they love and do best: LIVE FREE Political Musical in the Bay Area parks. The Tony AwardWinning SFMT opened their 64th season with BREAKDOWN - A New Musical, now through September 4.

“Sometimes it’s not all just happening in your mind.” By the way, they aren’t really mimes, because they speak and have something to say!

https://www.sfmt.org/

50th anniversary of re-inventing the Tequila Sunrise. For every Tequila Sunrise ordered, the establishment will donate $3 to refurbish Sausalito’s sea lion statue, which was damaged in the recent storms.

Congratulations to Korean SF-based restaurant Bansang, which just received Michelin’s Bib Gourmand recognition! Well-deserved and another great addition to restaurant row on Fillmore.

Also, the San Francisco Wine Society just received a Wine Spectator Rising Star Wine Restaurant award for 2023. 41 other San Francisco restaurants were honored as well. Congratulations!

Drumstick, the ice cream brand headquartered in Oakland, is celebrating its 95th birthday. Bravo!

A sad bit of news. After more than 100 years in business, San Francisco’s own Anchor Brewing Company is ceasing operations. You’ve had a great run and we’ll remember your iconic Anchor Steam Beer. As of this writing, though, employees have expressed an interest in purchasing the brewery, so stay tuned!

And Michelin just announced their 2023 winners and bravo to Liam Mayclem for hosting the awards from the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. The Bay Area won big. Lots of folks retained their Michelin stars, but congratulations to new winners: Nari, Aphotic, Chez Noir, Auro, Pomet, Chef Harrison Cheney of Sons & Daughters, Josh Schafer of Single Thread, and John Haffey of Carmel’s Aubergine. Perrier-Jouet: https://www.perrier-jouet.com/en-us Brix restaurant, Napa Valley: https://www.brix.com/ Rodney Strong Vineyards: https://www.rodneystrong.com/ Symington Quinta do Vesuvio Wines: https://www.vintageandfinewines.com/

And thank you, Mission Local, for the accidental shout-out to Sister Dana Van Iquity regarding the SF Mime Troupe: “San Francisco has long been portrayed by right-wing politicians and press as a den of iniquity.”

Thanks so much, and I’ll take it!

Just days before the return of Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi in August, hostess Donna Sachet will present eleganza extravaganza performances by her and Christina Ashton paying tribute to Tina Turner, Cher, and other music greats. Yes, it’s Divas & Drinks & Drag produced by the SF Bay Times at the Academy, 2166 Market Street, on July 28, 6–10 pm.

Legendary DJ Page Hodel and piano bar ace Dr. Dee Spencer will bring music to your ears.

https://www.academy-sf.com/

Sister Dana sez, “Thank the Lord below for Governor Ron DUH Santis keeping the children safe from killer drag queens and teaching them their revised history that slavery was really not that bad!”

Farley’s at Cavallo Point: https://tinyurl.com/c6ya33pu

San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace: https://tinyurl.com/4yxm3st6

Gallo’s Italian Steakhouse: https://gallorossosteak.com/ Nerano, Beverly Hills: https://neranobh.com/ Farmhouse Kitchen: https://farmhousethai.com/ Rainbow Railroad: https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/ Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine: https://farmhousethai.com/

Tourism Authority of Thailand: https://tinyurl.com/47n876ea

The Felix: https://www.instagram.com/thefelixsf/ Feinstein’s at the Nikko: https://www.feinsteinssf.com/ Anzu Restaurant: https://www.restaurantanzu.com/ Copain Wines: https://www.copainwines.com

Dragtails: https://tinyurl.com/4dvh3epb

7 Adams: https://www.hineighborsf.com/

Beaux: https://www.beauxsf.com/

Original Joe’s: https://tinyurl.com/3frc6vxj

Dita’s: https://ditasmarin.com/

The Trident: https://www.thetrident.net/

Bansang: https://bansangsf.com/

San Francisco Wine Society: https://tinyurl.com/4bxf77nd

Wine Spectator: https://www.winespectator.com/

Drumstick: https://tinyurl.com/5fabc4kn

Michelin winners 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5hce7jam

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

Krewe De Kinque’s Moulin Rouge

Fitness SF Trainer Tip

Kaitlyn at Fitness SF Transbay

“Kettlebell Training is an incredible full body workout. When you combine all the different moves that can be done with a single kettlebell, you can target every part of the body. Stop by our gym to learn more about these techniques.”

Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Media for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers. For more information: https://fitnesssf.com/

Take Me Home with You!

“My name is Bronson! I am an 11-month-old, male Siberian Husky. I am friendly and outgoing, and am eagerly awaiting a family to introduce me to home life. Being a doggy ‘teenager,’ I am working on skills like impulse control, calm behavior, and that good things—like yummy treats—come to those who wait. Adopt me to bring my silly charm and good looks into your home. My Husky kisses are the best! If you think we might be a match, come say hello!”

Bronson 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 Bronson.

To meet Bronson 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/

Round About - All Over Town

Ferry Building 125th Anniversary

Photos by Rink

Members of “The Official Band of San Francisco,” our community’s own SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, joined pedestrians, guests, city officials, and promoters dressed in period costumes for a ceremony held on Thursday, July 13, to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the iconic Ferry Building. The event, dubbed “A Very Ferry Birthday Party,” celebrated the historic building and the docking of the first ferry boat there on July 13, 1898.

A month-long series of special events is planned, extending through August 17. Among these will be an anniversary cocktail from Hog Island Oyster Co., a cookie from Acme Bread, and tastings at Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and at Dandelion Chocolate.

https://tinyurl.com/3x735z8p

http://sfbaytimes.com/

Picnic Time Vista Outdoor Picnic Blanket & Tote

This rugged camping picnic blanket is fully machine washable and you can even put it in the dryer. Measuring 59 by 51 inches when open, it folds up into an easy to carry 12.8 by 16.5-inch tote with adjustable carrying strap and extra-large pocket to hold other items. $33.99

Tom of Finland Pool Float Nothing says summer like floating in the pool on this sexy Tom of Finland Pool Float for $44.99.

Happy Summer 2023 from all of us at Cliff’s Variety!

https://cliffsvariety.com/

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.