August 12–25, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com
Viva AGUI AGUIL L AS! PHOTOS BY WILSON FERREIRA/AGUILAS
See Pages 10–11
“AGUILAS was able to reduce the digital divide common among the Latinx communities by instructing participants to engage in various internet platforms. During the past several years, program participants needed instruction, encouragement, mentoring, and coaching on how to use the internet and social media for obtaining information and resources. Little did AGUILAS realize that these efforts were critical for the unexpected and extended time of being “sheltered in place” due to COVID-19.” –Eduardo Morales, PhD
GLBT Fortnight in Review The Pre-Game I’m not really working on this column because it’s not due until tomorrow, but can I just make one small complaint about Nicolle Wallace, one of my favorite MSNBC anchors? Wallace chairs a two-hour block of cable news every afternoon, and every day after her first hour, she tells the audience to stick around because: “We’re just getting started.” But that is a flat out lie. Nicolle isn’t “ just getting started.” With one hour done and another hour to go, she’s precisely halfway through her scheduled airtime. Why not say something like, “There’s much more ahead!” It’s even more annoying because, aside from the obvious misstatement, Nicolle seems to be a trustworthy voice for integrity in Washington. Am I making too much of her choice of words? I’m also getting ready to dump several items off my list before I start writing. I was going to report on some connection between Andrew Cuomo, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David, and lesbian activist lawyer Roberta Kaplan. I have just been glancing at headlines over the last week or so, and it’s been enough to suggest that these two community leaders helped the Cuomo cause before it became clear that perhaps things were more serious than they originally seemed. Cuomo wasn’t just a roll-your-eyes handsy Baby Boomer as some of us thought. He was a full-scale nut job complete with expletive-filled temper tantrums and cray cray ego mania. Ooops! What exactly were Roberta and the Fonz doing on his behalf? It seemed like a good story, so I scurried off to read all the articles and figure out what was what in Cuomo land and you know what? I couldn’t keep it up, if I may borrow an analogy from the men in our lives. Oh, I’m not saying that it was too complicated and that I couldn’t come up with an intelligent overview. I’m saying that most of the time, when something is complicated, it becomes more and more intriguing. Research is fun! But sometimes, as in this instance, the underlying situation is not interesting enough to warrant making the effort to dig deep. What exactly did they do? David helped with a victim-bashing opinion piece? Or maybe not. Kaplan did some legal work for Cuomo’s top aide, who herself was working on the not-sonice op-ed. It’s not clear who wrote the letter or what happened to it, since it was never published. And it’s not at all clear that David or Kaplan did any-
thing untoward. Ergo, I will just cross this story off my list. Normally you’d never know about such deliberations, but here I am, revealing my process. Sui Culpa And here we are for real on deadline day. We should start off with a nice juicy legal story, namely the July 28 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in favor of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Amazon. (Cue: cheers and applause.) The SPLC put the far right Coral Ridge Ministries on its list of antigay hate groups, and by doing so caused Amazon to drop Coral Ridge from its charity program. Coral Ridge promptly sued the SPLC, Amazon, and the AmazonSmile Foundation, losing first at the district court level, and now before a unanimous threejudge panel that included a Clinton appointee, a Trump appointee, and a Ford appointee. The panel ruled that the SPLC did not stick Coral Ridge on the hate list out of malice, a requirement for a successful defamation charge. As for Amazon, the judges relied, in part, on the famous 1995 Hurley case that allowed Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers to ban a formal gay contingent from their event. Although some gay activists were mad at the time, San Francisco Bay Times legal analysts noted that the same First Amendment rights enjoyed by the Boston parade organizers would also protect San Francisco Pride from being forced, for example, to allow an official float from the Westboro Baptist Church. Based on the principles underlying Hurley, the panel ruled that Amazon had the First Amendment right to pick and choose its charity recipients and was under no obligation to include Coral Ridge. Oh my God, you guys. I have the TV on mute and I see Andrew Cuomo at the podium surrounded by various flags and seals. Pause! Let’s check it out. (My grandchildren yell out “Pause!” now and then as if their real lives are governed by voice-activated apps. It works, so I do it too.) Well, that’s that. He did the right thing, although I could have done with a little less self-serving babble. As for those accidental bumps and pats, if I have ever inadvertently gotten a little too physical with anyone over the years, and if they are reading this column, I’d like them to know that it was just my special way of saying: “I see you. I appreciate you. I thank you.”
By Ann Rostow Domo Arigato I think I promised to report back on the Tenth Circuit’s friendly ruling in favor of Colorado’s right to enforce gay civil rights law. You remember the lengthy opinion that appeared on my radar just as I was signing off last issue? Well, detailed coverage on that may or may not lie ahead. But first, I was all set to write about the missing $5,800 bottle of whiskey that Japanese diplomats gave to Mike Pompeo, when all of a sudden, every website in the country had an article posted on the mystery of the lost or stolen present. I like extracting arcane bits and pieces from the news dregs and presenting them to you, like a cat bringing a dead mouse to its owner, as a special gift. But there’s no fun in rehashing a tired topic. And yet! I still like the story. Because I live with a whiskey aficionado. My wife drinks single malt scotch, but she’s not going to turn up her nose at a fine Japanese whiskey. Yet some of the Japanese options at the liquor store are so expensive I’d need a layaway deal in order to buy a bottle, so it’s not a common option at our house. Let’s just say that if I were an aide to the Secretary of State, and if a $5,800 bottle of whisky was handed over to me with vague instructions to put it in a remote storeroom with a bunch of other junk, well, that bottle might appear under the Christmas tree with Mel’s name on the card “from Santa.” Because who else is going to drink it? Is it just going to sit on a shelf for a few decades until some other enterprising assistant takes it under their wing? I’m actually glad that the bottle is missing, because it means that someone actually enjoyed it. And for the record, I am sure that even though it was technically given to him, Mike Pompeo would have been the last person to steal the booze.
other factors.” After analyzing 4,000 replies to the 2018 questionnaire, our boffins came to the shocking realization that voters continue to downgrade GLBT candidates based on prejudice and stereotyping. I know, I know. Hard to believe. By the way, have I mentioned that I researched some cool-looking sneakers that Meryl Streep wore to the Cannes Film Festival and that somehow the internet picked up on this cyber-window shopping and has sent pictures of the sneakers, in all ten colors, to follow me from link to link? They look like Keds. I don’t know what annoys me more: the fact that I am being stalked by this footwear, or the fact that I am increasingly tempted to buy a pair because I see them so often. Tenth Circuit, right? Of course, yes. But before we go there, let me mention another story that I was vaguely aware of before my deadline arrived. And that was the insane super spreader COVID horror show that was (cue: scary music) Provincetown! I never checked the details, but I kept seeing that hundreds of people had gotten COVID-19 through gay parties and what sounded like irresponsible shenanigans in the famous GLBT vacation town. So, it turns out that lots of people got the coronavirus, but they were all vaccinated and nobody died. Are you kidding me? Why are we covering COVID as if COVID was still the same COVID? Who cares how many flu-like “cases” there might be? We didn’t stay home for a year because we might have gotten sick. We did so because we might have died. Is that still the case? Do we need booster shots? Is there a new variant around the corner that might blow through our antibodies? Media people? Please focus on these issues.
Say It Ain’t So!
Tickle Me, Carlee
So, before we return to the Tenth Circuit, here’s an absurd headline from (sorry) I forget which website: “Lesbian, gay and trans politicians still face electoral discrimination, eye-opening study finds.”
Yes, I’ve been making an extended joke about the Tenth Circuit case, but I’ve been doing so with the full knowledge that (I think) this is one of those subjects we’ll be returning to again and again. I know I’m not going to let you down in the long run.
Oh, really? Readers, you can’t see me, but let me assure you that my eyes are open! Wait! What? Discrimination? By the voters? Against us? Since when? “Published in The Journal of Politics,” I read, “authors Gabriele Magni and Andrew Reynolds asked participants [from the U.K., the U.S., and New Zealand] to vote for hypothetical candidates who differed based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and
And meanwhile, let me pass along this quote from an article in The New York Times that also commands our attention: “It’s generally not a good time to be a rodent in Australia ... . But at one lab in Canberra, the nation’s capital, a select group of lab rats has had quite a different experience. Researchers have tickled them
every day for a month to see if it will improve their emotional well-being, and perhaps make them better models for research.” I think I’ve mentioned I’m a sucker for happy animal stories. And is there anything happier than a much-loved lab rat? I know what you’re thinking, and I was thinking the same thing. Lab rats. Hmmm. Nothing good is going to happen to these little critters in the end. And yet! According to the article, these rats are part of experiments to improve the lives of domestic animals. I can see you rolling your eyes. And, now that you’ve asked, yes, my childhood dog did, in fact, go live on a farm with friends of my parents because it was better for him than the city and these friends really loved him. And no, we never did visit the farm. But as I was explaining, there are three “proper ways to tickle a rat,” specifically “dorsal contact” (rubbing the rat’s back), “flipping” (flipping the rat gently from back to front), and “pinning” (pinning the rat on his or her back while tickling the chest). These techniques reportedly mimic the “play-fighting” enjoyed by juvenile rats. There is even an online course in rat tickling so that technicians like Carlee Mottley can become certified in the practice. “By participating in this behavior with our rats,” said Mottley, “we aim to lessen the impact of handling and increase positive associations with human interaction.” According to the article, the rats get used to the attention and come running up to their new human friends when the clock strikes Tickle Time. Oh, and they also make a particular squeak that you can only hear with a high-tech gizmo, which, of course, these scientists have in their lab. There’s a video. Well folks, it looks as if our in-depth review of the Tenth Circuit case will have to wait. (Cue: two sad trombone notes.) As our last issue went to press, the appellate court ruled that a onewoman web designer, 303 Creative, could not refuse to serve gay and lesbian weddings without violating Colorado state anti-discrimination law. That case is heading to the Supreme Court, which recently rejected a somewhat similar review in the case of a Washington state florist. Will the justices agree to hear this latest wedding dispute? Or will they continue to duck the issue? Too bad we are out of time and space! arostow@aol.com
Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Reveals Policy Platform Members of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club on Monday, August 9, unanimously voted against recalling Governor Gavin Newsom. They also voted in favor of the following recently released policy platform: Healthy Communities “As work across the city continues to ensure our streets are cleaner, we urge public officials to invest in more public toilets, giving respite to those who need bathroom access. As vaccinations for COVID-19 are ongoing at the time of the adoption of this plank, we urge city leaders to ensure adequate access to vaccinations, resources, and healthcare in general. This includes addressing the disproportionate levels of heart disease, STIs, as well as infant and maternal mortality in communities of color. We also urge that these communities have access to the most upto-date, culturally competent, and 4
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language inclusive information on COVID-19 vaccines as well as information on other health needs.” Environmental Justice Inaugural Plank “We urge the San Francisco Port and the Port Commission to continue to expand efforts to create cleaner infrastructure around our ports, especially cruise ships, and encourage state officials to expand efforts around ensuring cleaner operations for any cargo ships entering the Bay. We urge city leaders to explore creating expanded and specific protections for areas with higher levels of pollution risks, beyond those already offered through CEQA and SFDPH, as well as new zoning requirements that take into consideration environmental inequities both historic and current in communities of color. We urge city leaders to provide financial support and resources to AU GU ST 1 2 , 2 0 2 1
communities that have been subject to environmental injustice and are threatened by ongoing disasters and climate changes. We urge city leaders to investigate amending existing SF Air Pollutant Exposure Zones (APEZ) legislation in order to create environmental offsets and higher clean construction equipment requirements for APEZ areas. We urge city leaders to continue and expand efforts leading to the decarbonization of public, commercial, and residential buildings across San Francisco.” Additions to Current Platform
The Club urges “city leaders, especially those overseeing institutions of law enforcement and the courts, to shift from a punitive lens to a transformative lens. We support uplifting alternatives to policing including the Crisis Response Team, Compassionate Alternative Response Team, etc,. as well as additional efforts around Juvenile Hall. We also urge city leaders to explore creating a program that offers vacant buildings and/ or storefronts to community-based organizations as a way to expand this work and community services in general.
Club members approved the existing platform on homelessness, and made additions and/or amendments to these other areas of concern.
We support the expansion of funding, resources, and accountability for community-based organizations working on violence prevention and reentry services.”
Criminal Justice
Housing
“We urge city leaders and planners to explore identifying and supporting opportunities for more social housing in San Francisco and encourage city leaders to center the voices and feedback of the most marginalized in the planning and implementation of these types of developments.” Economic Justice “Alice urges City leaders to ensure that there is equitable and intentional engagement with communities of color when discussing the potential for a public bank in San Francisco, especially as these communities have been historically shut out by private banking practices and stand to benefit significantly from a potential public bank.” Racial Equity “With the passing of Commissions for All (Prop C, 2020), we urge city leaders to appoint more Black (continued on page 18)
The Edge of Glory
Team USA Photos
nection we shared and the introduction they gave me to their cultures have been lifelong gifts to me.
6/26 and Beyond John Lewis When Hmong-American Sunisa Lee took home gold as all-around women’s gymnastics champion, Cambodian-American Jordan Windle finished 9th in the men’s 10-meter platform diving competition, and openly LGBTIQ Filipinx boxer Nesthy Petecio won silver in women’s featherweight boxing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, I felt a special sense of excitement. Over 40 years ago, I had the great fortune to work with refugees from the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos—first in the U.S. and then at a camp in the Philippines. I taught refugees English as well as cultural elements and practical skills needed to adapt to life in America. But I learned far more from the refugees and my Filipinx colleagues than I ever taught them. The con-
I remember spending many hours listening to Cambodian refugees recount how they survived the Khmer Rouge genocide that Nesthy ensued after the U.S. Petecio military departed Southeast Asia. They faced torture and starvation and had to overcome the murder of close family members and dear loved ones. Vietnamese refugees told their stories of years of war, escaping on boats under the cover of darkness, and staying alive as their rickety vessels traversed the South China Sea. After working in the camp in the Philippines, I visited the Hmong refugee camp in northeast Thailand, just across the Mekong River from their home country Laos. Many of the refugees risked their lives as they crossed the river to safety. Sunisa Lee is the first Hmong American and presumably the first Hmong person to win an Olympic medal. Jordan Windle is the first Cambodian American to compete for the U.S. in the Olympics. Windle, born in Cambodia, was orphaned as an infant and suffered from serious malnutrition and illness when he was adopted by an openly
Sunisa Lee
gay man from the U.S. Now, he’s the proud son of an openly gay father and his husband, another Olympic feat. Windle is a vocal advocate for LGBTIQ and other marginalized people. He’s already working to help youth in his native Cambodia find opportunities. Upon her victory, Petecio declared: “This win is for the LGBTQ community. Let’s go, fight!” I feel truly proud of all of them. Lee, Windle, and Petecio’s presence at the Olympics also serves as a reminder of the grave consequences of war. Neither Lee nor Windle would have competed as Americans had the U.S. military not been a pivotal force in the horrendous wars in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 70s that cost millions of lives. I’ll never forget as an 11-year-old boy watching President Richard Nixon on national television announce the 1970 U.S. troop invasion of Cambodia, following over a year of secret bombing.
Hmong people had lived for millennia in tightknit isolated communities in the mountains of Laos. In the 1960s, the CIA recruited thousands of them to fight a secret war against communists in Laos. The death rate of Hmong soldiers was 10 times that of American soldiers in Vietnam. Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped more bombs on the nation of Laos than all the bombs dropped in World War II, making the tiny country the most bombed country in world history.
serves as an example that things can change for the better.
The Philippines were ruled by Spanish colonists for over 300 hundred years, then possessed as a territory of the U.S. for forty years, and occupied by the Japanese military during World War II, before gaining independence in 1946. Today, the Philippines still struggles to overcome the legacy of hundreds of years of occupation.
Although we all must participate in truth, reconciliation, and reparation for the present-day effects of the past, we don’t have to continue to live out the conflicts, hatred, and wars that previous generations enacted. Lee, Windle, and Petecio were born at the turn of a new century. Their Olympic triumphs symbolize what may be possible if we want it collectively as a global society—and are willing to undertake the dedication and effort that the three of them did to achieve their Olympic glory.
And a 29-member team consisting entirely of current refugees competed in the Tokyo Olympics as they did in Rio in 2016. We must ask Bob Dylan’s question: “How many times must the cannonballs fly, before they’re forever banned?” At the same time, we must take hope in the triumphs of Lee, Windle, and Petecio, and how their presence Jordan Windle
My dad and Stuart’s dad both fought against the Japanese military as part of the U.S. Army in the Philippines in 1945. Over 75 years later, we teach about marriage equality and LGBTIQ rights to Japanese university students, studying in the Olympic host city Tokyo, a place we love. As young soldiers, our fathers would never have imagined such a thing to be possible.
Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, 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.
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How to Switch Your Money Mindset in Retirement But if you want to create a happy, successful retirement, you’ll have to be like the mountaineer who prepares for both the climb and a safe return. In other words, your retirement planning should entail not only wealth-building strategies, but also plans for spending your funds wisely so that the money lasts your lifetime and accomplishes what you want.
Money Matters Brandon Miller One of my clients is gearing up to fulfill a lifelong dream next April by climbing Mt. Everest. We’ve been preparing his finances for the past few years—putting money aside for fees, guides, and equipment; planning for several months of lost income; and, yes, making sure his estate is in order. I feel confident he’s doing everything possible to get himself up that mountain. What I’m worried about is the way down. More climbers die descending the mountain than ascending it. They don’t have enough energy or resources for the return. But you can’t relive the glory of conquering the mountain if you don’t make it off said peak. Retirement money follows a similar arc with the focus on the uphill side of things. Gaining money is the sexy part of the retirement equation—and also how financial businesses and professionals turn a profit. That’s why you can find lots of guidance and strategies about how to save money, where to invest it, ways to calculate what’s needed in retirement, and much more. So, what happens when you switch from wealth accumulation to decumulation? Not nearly as much focus—or helpful advice—is devoted to retirement spending, perhaps because people have less incentive to advertise how to take money out of their pocket.
In next month’s column, I’ll provide some strategies for leveraging your various retirement income streams— savings, IRAs, Social Security, etc. (You can get a preview of these strategies at https://tinyurl.com/4u795c4j ) But this month, I want to address the psychological aspects of transitioning from adding to your wealth to drawing it down during retirement. Friends laugh when I say that one of the hardest parts of my job is getting people to spend money. But truly, it is very difficult for us as humans to change lifelong habits and mindsets. That “penny saved is a penny earned” mentality doesn’t just go away when you clean out your office and slice off a piece of retirement cake. And, of course, money mistakes in retirement can be more damaging when you stop working and can’t make up for the loss. But rather than be paralyzed by fear—or stay at a job you don’t love even with a fat retirement account—I suggest taking these three steps to prepare yourself for the transition from retirement saving to retirement spending. 1. Define your fears. “What if I run out of money” is the most common one. People also worry about prolonged inflation that eats into their savings as well as down markets that drag on for years, Social Security going bankrupt, and natural or human-caused catastrophes that wipe out property or savings. Whatever makes your list, defining what gives you nightmares allows you or a financial advisor to run the numbers and find solutions that help dispel your fears.
2. Get professional advice. How you spend your money in retirement is so important that I highly recommend turning to a pro to help guide you. You don’t have to make a long-term commitment, but a financial planner can objectively review your financial situation and possibly save you more than the advice costs. As mentioned, a financial professional can help allay your worries by running what-if scenarios and helping you see new solutions and opportunities. A pro can also give you a realistic assessment of your situation, suggest income strategies, and help mediate differences of opinion between you and your spouse. 3. Give yourself permission. The last step is to finally accept that, yes, you do have “enough.” And the rest of your life should be spent enjoying everything you worked so hard for. Remind yourself that you have literally earned this. It’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, to switch the focus from pennies saved to pennies used to live comfortably, and to have fun and do good with anything leftover ... because that’s how you make it off the mountain with a great story to tell. Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. 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. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and (continued on page 18)
Honda and Hyundai Reveal Hybrid Evolution for the Better
Auto Philip Ruth Hybrids keep getting better, and they’re no longer just the goofy-looking hatchbacks they once were. The newest Camry Hybrid was a revelation of speedy acceleration and enthusiastic handling, and the two competing sedans we’re examining this week—the hybrid versions of the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata—are impressive in their own ways. These Honda and Hyundai hybrids are the top of their lines, and they’re priced within a gnat’s eyelash of each other. Base models see the Sonata Hybrid (uniquely named Blue) notch $1,180 higher than the Accord Hybrid, while the Honda’s top Touring trim is $1,140 more expensive than the Hyundai’s Limited guise. 6
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Clearly these companies had one steady eye on the other as they planned these models, and not just with price. Overall EPA mileage is about the same, with the Honda’s 48 mpg beating the Hyundai’s by one. A greater difference is the extra 20 horsepower Honda pulls from its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, even though they have the same number of liters. Styling shows probably the greatest difference between them. The Honda’s fastback silhouette seemed striking when it debuted for 2018, and it still looks dramatic. The Hyundai’s design is more recent, and it is a clean break from Sonatas of the past. Its sharply angled contours are like those of no other brand, and they foreshadow the exciting Ioniq 5, the electric SUV coming this fall. They’re also distinct in the driving. Honda employs a continuously-variable transmission (CVT), and it’s a decent version of this technology, which in some brands can produce a ballooning effect when accelerating, where the engine seems to rev faster than the car is moving. San Francisco’s hills emphasize that feeling, usually accompanied by an unrefined roar under the hood. but not so much with this Accord Hybrid’s powertrain. For the most
Honda Accord Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
part, it felt almost as crisp as a geared transmission. The Hyundai’s thrust delivery was more satisfying because it actually does work with gears, six of them total, rather than a large flexible band. It goes a long way toward making the Sonata Hybrid feel like a traditional gas car, and it minimizes the electric-on-and-off lag that’s part of the hybrid experience. They both handle well, with a bit more sportiness coloring the Honda’s comportment. The Accord Hybrid’s steering is a little sharper, and there is a touch more of a refined feel in the way it handles bumps and curves. The Sonata Hybrid lacks that extra (continued on page 18)
Message from Leadership
Gathering, Once Again
GGBA CALENDAR
By Michael Gunther What a wild ride this last year has been. We were coming out of the first tunnel of the pandemic and were hoping to continue on a path of strength, connection, and health. However, none of us knows how long this current stretch of openness—albeit with restrictions due to the Delta variant—will last before we possibly hit a roadblock that will require additional restrictions. We were planning to celebrate in person that we made it through the first tunnel. The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) was looking forward to gathering in person with our members and community beginning in September at our Annual Meeting, but it appears this may be virtual as we enter the second tunnel of the pandemic. During this last year and a half, we had to adjust our programming, becoming more innovative in the delivery of our events and looking at new ways to connect with our members. I am truly in awe of the amazing Board of Directors who dedicated their time and energy to ensure the sustainability of the GGBA while also working to keep their own businesses or careers strong throughout this COVID-19 journey. This group of volunteers added new members every month, created new interactive programming that helped drive growth for our member businesses, developed an all online Power Lunch event that exceeded everyone’s expectations, formalized a volunteer program, raised sponsorship dollars (even during the pandemic), put on advocacy events with our elected officials, grew the Board of Directors by adding numerous new members, had the first annual plan and budget in place to ensure sustainability of the organization, and started the process of hiring an Executive Director. Whew, what a year! Can you imagine what will be created next, considering all of this was done during the first year of the pandemic?
GGBA Member Spotlight
It just goes to show us that a committed group of individuals who are passionate about building the economic and social strength of our community can have the collective power to drive change even during adverse times. Imagine what we can accomplish this next year if our membership continues to grow and we continue to offer engaging programming and events that make our members’ businesses and leadership skills stronger. With that in mind, the GGBA Board of Directors is currently engaged in developing our first 5-year strategic plan with the hope of rolling it out in December of this year, laying the foundation to build a sustainable organization as we enter our 48th year of existence. I implore you to determine how you might become engaged with the GGBA, the oldest LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce in the world. The more that we, as a community, can build economic sustainability for our community, the more that we can continue to build a healthy community for future generations of LGTQ entrepreneurs and business leaders. So, join us in acknowledging the hard work that made the achievements of this challenging past year possible while also celebrating hopes for the future at our Annual Meeting (we hope in person) to honor all of you for showing your leadership this last year and laying a solid foundation for the years to come. We all have an important role in the ongoing advocacy for our hard-won rights, as well as for ensuring that equity and equality in our community continue to evolve and thrive. Michael Gunther is a Board Member and President of the Golden Gate Business Association as well as the managing partner at Collaboration Business Consulting, which is a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive individuals build scalable, profitable businesses.
Friday, September 3 2021 Twitter Supplier Inclusion & Diversity Events: Twitter 101: The Basics Starts 9 am online What is a Tweet? What is Twitter? Why Why Why?? Have you asked these questions? Then this is the event for you. We will review the basics, including how and why to get started. Meeting link will be provided to those registered 48 hours in advance. https://tinyurl.com/4zpb2yyy Wednesday, September 22 GGBA New Member Orientation 12:30 pm–1:15 pm via Zoom Whether you’re a brand-new member or a seasoned networker, you may attend this event! This session will help you: learn more about the history of the GGBA; introduce you to new members in your cohort; learn simple ways to get involved to grow your business and relationships. https://tinyurl.com/6kb8h5j Wednesday, November 17–Friday, November 19 NGLCC Back to Business (B2B) Summit A Solidarity Rally, Awards Gala, breakout sessions, one-on-one Matchmaker meetings, and more will be held. https://tinyurl.com/v4uph4s7
Catherean Mitchell of Mitchells Transport Photos courtesy of Catherean Mitchell
Oakland-based Mitchells Transport, which transports goods intrastate, offers a 100% guarantee that the cargo will reach each and every destination at or before the time allotted. Safety and reliability are their number one priority, and they live up to the high standards. We recently enjoyed getting to better know the business’ President of Operational Affairs, Catherean Mitchell, whose emails end with a mantra that reveals her team’s strong work ethic: “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” GGBA: Please tell us more about Mitchells Transport, including its mission and values. Catherean Mitchell: Mitchells Transport is a full-service transportation company, offering hauling services. Over the last three years, we have grown our industry footprint based upon our relationships and capabilities. We have dedicated team members who are experts in managing; executing, directing, and coordinating each run to ensure a safe and expedited transition from origin to the destination. We are a small, but efficient, trucking company and we hold several certificates—to name a few: DBE, MBE, WBE, LBE, and LGBTBE. We are a firm that is more than capable of fulfilling your hauling needs. We haul freight all across California. We specialize in demolition removal, excavation removal, and transporting finished materials. We believe everyone deserves an opportunity to receive A1 service. It is our desire to ensure our clients feel confident
in their cargo being delivered efficiently so we offer satellite tracking and can give you an exact location of where your freight is at real time. We are insured and backed by an A-rated company that has our best interest in mind as we do yours. We aim to exceed the expectations of our existing customers so that they can refer us to new customers. GGBA: Are you one of the founders of Mitchells Transport? Catherean Mitchell: Yes. Mitchells Transport was started in 2018 when my husband and I were being pulled in two different directions and barely had any face-to-face time because of our jobs. Taishawn worked swing shift at his job; I worked early mornings at mine. We had a rotation and schedule for me dropping off the kids and him picking them up and going to work before I made it home. At one point we got tired of not seeing each other or having enough family time because of our demanding opposite schedules. We decided to create Mitchells Transport as a way to bring our family closer and enhance and enrich our core family values, which include togetherness. GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to inf luence your business? Catherean Mitchell: Role models include Eric Thomas, Les Brown, Lisa Nichols, and Tony Robinns. Well before I started my first company, I had ambitions to be a self-employed entrepreneur. I longed for the days that I would formulate an idea, create the product or service, and serve my community. I listened to podcasts daily from all of my top role models and acted
Catherean Mitchell with husband Taishawn Mitchell
as if they were talking to me directly. At that time, I didn’t have a lot of money to personally hire them, so when they spoke, I tuned in and took notes as if I spent my last dollar on their seminar and couldn’t afford to waste a moment. GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member? Catherean Mitchell: I decided to join the GGBA because I wanted to join a community of likeminded business professionals. I joined because I enjoy learning from others and feel my experience and knowledge can be helpful and resourceful to others. I’ve been a member for two months, and I look forward to a lasting membership with the GGBA. Being a member of GGBA will help my business to grow and foster relationships with potential partners, as well as foster joint venture prospects. It will allow me the opportunity to collaborate with other members. I would recommend that all businesses join an organization such as the GGBA. There is a plethora of helpful resources, facilitating connections that are critical in growing and scaling your business. Attending organizational networking events creates an environment for business owners to jointly venture and collaborate with companies that they would have not had the opportunity to meet if not for an organization like the GGBA.
Catherean Mitchell
GGBA: What other advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business? Catherean Mitchell: The advice I would give to someone who is considering starting their own business is to have a “why?”—meaning not just an idea, but a why behind their idea. That “why” will be the reason you never give up when things get hard and you momentarily decide quitting could be easier. Having a strong why will be the reason you wake up early in the morning to chase your goal, and go to sleep late at night fulfilling your task checklist for the day. I would recommend having a “why” and sticking to it. GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share? Catherean Mitchell: We are a family-owned business, and our competitive advantage is that I’m always seeking new ways to pivot our business and elevate the level of service we provide to our customers. We go above and beyond for our clients and treat each and every one of them like a member of our very own family. For more information: https://mitchellstrans.com/ S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Problems in Philanthropy
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taken for granted. Achievements are largely under-acknowledged and lead to a lack of advancement to senior roles and significant pay inequities— often enabled by white women in leadership roles. As one friend indicated as she recalled working in a management position for a white female CEO: “The racially motivated stonewalling and ostracism cited by the women in the article are so familiar to me and brought back painful memories.”
In mid-July, an article I read in The Washing Post, “A Racial Reckoning at Nonprofits” by Sydney Trent, confirmed a severe problem that few are aware of in the nonprofit space. I found the article illuminating and tough to read because it hit multiple areas where nonprofits must do better. I circulated the piece to a variety of friends and colleagues. A wide range of responses ensued.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that many nonprofits can miss opportunities to evolve. Their boards and senior leadership suffer from the same blind spots, attitudes, and biases within hierarchically established public and corporate structures. In response to public unrest last year centered around social injustice, many more organizations have chosen to embark on diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity (DIBE) programs to reconcile past injustices that continue to show up in our interactions and systems today.
The mention of Black women in the headline stopped some readers from reading further, but pulled other readers more into the article’s content. A few people just “skimmed” the article. The core premise of the piece is that the experiences and skills of Black women (and men) in nonprofits are undervalued and
People thrust into the DIBE work of understanding, reconciliation, and repair find out how much they didn’t know and feel overwhelmed—connecting the past’s impact on the present and future if not corrected. Those who have elected to do the work are shocked to learn how pervasive racism and social injustice really are
Derek Barnes
in America, even under the guise of philanthropy and altruistic endeavors. Like fructose corn syrup, it’s in almost everything, as Trevor Noah once pronounced. Current research confirms the inequitable distribution of nonprofit funding and resources. The underinvestment in underserved BIPOC communities is also well documented. Funding direct service organizations should be charitably targeted for triage and strategically directed to resolve what creates the conditions of poverty, wealth inequality, homelessness, inferior education, mass incarceration, and poor health in the first place. Properly conceived and administered, philanthropy can be the great equalizer to conditions that ill-conceived legislation and rampant forms of capitalism can create. I’m encouraged by the moves that Bay Area organizations like Homebridge are making—the addition of the Chief External Affairs Officer alongside their female CFO, both of African descent. Horizons Foundation elected to make social justice and DIBE a strategic imperative. Horizons’ Board of Directors realized the work isn’t about checking boxes, making fancy marketing statements, or token hiring.
To advance beyond the usual performative activities and gestures, we need people at the table in leadership roles making day-to-day decisions who can properly interrogate structural systems of exclusion with levels of empathy, compassion, experience, and insight for the proper problem and impact analysis. They must be courageous leaders as well—speaking out, taking risks, and making unconventional decisions. The LGBTQ+ community must demand more from its Bay Area nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. As The Washington Post article suggests, we should call out “snowcap” organizations and avoid falling into the “do-gooder syndrome” trap, meaning we can’t be doing anything wrong because of all the good we do. It’s in our community’s best interest to keep challenging nonprofits and philanthropic groups to think differently, embrace racial equity/justice change, and do more to increase representation at the senior leadership and board levels within organizations where we direct our dollars. Derek Barnes is CEO of East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @ DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF
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SF Sketch Randy Coleman
Randy Coleman hails from New York, but has lived in San Francisco since 1975. Coleman shares that before moving to the Bay Area, he studied Art History and Architecture at Boston University while working as a resident artist for architectural rendering at a Massachusetts historical society. “All of my life I’ve been an artist,” Coleman says. “To know me is to know that I have a passion for art and architecture. I love this project for the San Francisco Bay Times, and hope that you enjoy my sketches.”
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Sometimes You Gotta Go on (Hunger) Strike to Effect Change
Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Louise “Lou” Fischer In addition to poutine (french fries with gravy and cheese curds), Timbits (doughnut holes), loonies and toonies ($1 and $2 coins), free healthcare, and a hunky leader of the country, what does Canada have that we don’t? The answer is: “Safe Consumption Sites” (SCS), otherwise known as “Overdose Prevention Sites.” As of January 2021, there are 37 operating in Canada, and our neighbor to the north is not the only country that is shaming us. According to the National Harm Reduction Coalition, there are more than 100 SCS located in over 60 cities in 11 countries worldwide including Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, and Australia. In the United States—the ”Olympic Gold winner” of the highest drug-related mortality rate in the world, according to the United Nations’ World Drug Report—the use of SCS for addiction support is against federal, state, and local laws. A few weeks ago, my buddy and current Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ
Democratic Club Co-Chair, Gary McCoy, hit his “mad as hell and not going to take it anymore” moment. He staged a hunger strike at City Hall and vowed not to leave (or eat) until elected officials agreed to look into declaring a State of Emergency to implement SCS and address the body count of over 1000 overdose deaths in San Francisco since the start of the pandemic (nearly twice the number of COVID19 deaths.) He achieved his goal after 60 hours; District Supervisor Matt Haney agreed to introduce a resolution to urge Mayor Breed to declare a public emergency and authorize SCS once the board returns from recess after September 7. Gary’s story of redemption from homelessness, drug addiction, and stints in jail to serving as a staffer for multiple elected officials is inspiring. Until about 10 years ago, Gary, 43, suffered from a severe addiction to methamphetamine and barely escaped being an overdose statistic himself. Through the support of then-Supervisor Scott Wiener, who saw the potential in a self-declared “HIV-positive, former drug addict,” Gary found a home and employment in San Francisco’s political community as a staffer to multiple Supervisors, and until recently as a senior aide in the district office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. He is currently the director of policy and public affairs for HealthRIGHT 360, a nonprofit medical care organization that serves vulnerable communities in 11 California counties. I first met Gary in 2013 at a campaign fundraiser for then-Supervisor Scott Wiener. In an impeccably decorated SoMa loft full of unusually tall gay alpha-males, Gary, the only other person in the room (other than me) who wasn’t at least 6 feet
tall, possessed a humble and unassuming demeanor that stood out. He has a calm energy from which I’ve benefited over the years; he’s been my sounding board and shoulder to lean on when I needed to vent (or rant) about a personal disagreement involving others. At about the midpoint of Gary’s multi-day “Yom Kippur for a cause,” I wandered across the street from my office to bring him some juice, and after channeling my inner Jewish mother by wagging my finger at him with a stern, “Now you listen here; you can go a week without eating but drink some water NOW,” he answered questions about the logistics of his hunger strike and what he hoped to accomplish. Lou Fischer: Are you allowed to sleep in front of City Hall? Gary McCoy: Yes, I’m exercising my First Amendment right to protest. Lou Fischer: Lightning round: Where do you go to the bathroom? What do you do all day? Are you cold at night? Are you scared? Are you lonely? Is Kory (Gary’s husband) onboard with this? Gary McCoy: I use the bathroom inside City Hall during the day, and at night ... well, I’m a guy ... . I read during the day or visit with people who come by. Yes, it was cold at night; no, I’m not scared or lonely; I know a lot of the people around Civic Center Plaza from either my work at City Hall or from when I too was homeless. Kory is totally supportive. He brings water and tea at least twice a day and even did his own 24-hour fast in solidarity. Lou Fischer: Why don’t we already have at least one SCS in
San Francisco? It’s been on the radar for a while; there were studies and task forces. What happened? Gary McCoy: There was political momentum in 2017, but until laws are changed at the State and Federal level, they are technically illegal. It’s now a very clear public health emergency. Fentanyl is in almost every street drug; San Francisco went from 22 overdose deaths a year [in 2017] to nearly 1000—and that’s with more than 5k Narcan overdose reversals in the last year. Lou Fischer: Won’t they still be illegal even if the mayor declares a State of Emergency? Gary McCoy: Technically yes, but this isn’t the first time San Francisco implemented policies by political will. In 1993 we provided free syringes to slow the spread of HIV. We officiated same-sex marriages long before they were the law of the land, and more recently, we shut down and implemented a mask-mandate in response to COVID-19 before any other major city. I don’t see the DOJ (Department of Justice) under Biden going after San Francisco; they’ll probably accept the State of Emergency declaration and look the other way. I had to cut my time with Gary short to go back to work, but I didn’t leave him alone. Two new visitors came to interview him for a social justice streaming site. Hopefully Gary’s
efforts won’t be in vain because, as we learned a long time ago, “ just say no to drugs” doesn’t work. Fentanyl is its own epidemic; it’s everywhere and it’s deadly. Until San Francisco provides a safe, clean, warm, and dry place with professional overdose intervention services, access to healthcare, and addiction treatment, we’ll be mourning the next 1000 overdose deaths on our streets. Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and has served as an appointed and elected Delegate for the State Democratic Party. She is a proud graduate of the Emerge California Women’s Democratic Leadership program, was a San Francisco Commissioner, and has served in leadership positions in multiple nonprofit and communitybased organizations.
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Viva AGUI AGUIL L AS!
Its organic evolvement is rooted in a history of past events that led to its founding and the formalizing of an organization with corporate bylaws that eventually obtained 501 C-3 nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service in August of 1999. Many have pointed to the 1969 Stonewall uprising in NYC on the night of June 28 as the turning point in the LGBT movement. These riots were started by African American and Latinx LGBT drag queens in reaction to the constant harassment and raids by NYC police of LGBTQ+ persons who frequented the Stonewall Bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood in Manhattan. Interestingly, this uprising coincided with the funeral of Judy Garland. This uprising movement generated a formal change and removal of homosexuality as a mental illness in 1974 by the American Psychiatric Association and in 1975 by the American Psychological Association. As a result, several organizations were formed throughout the U.S. with the focus of providing support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. For the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco, various informal social groups emerged—most notably GALA and El Grupo Sociocultural that offered events for socializing with safety and pride. CURAS was formed in the late 1980s to provide HIV/AIDS services to Latinx gays and bisexuals in San Francisco. During the 1987 National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington, D.C., a gathering of Latinx LGBTQ individuals was called through an ad placed in the march materials entitled: el Primer Encuentro de Gais y Lesbianas Latinas. A meeting was held in a building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., and the attendees decided to have a gathering in UCLA to establish a national organization as a nonprofit corporation with bylaws that was then named LLEGO National (Latino/a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender OrganizersNational). This generated interest among Latinx LGBTQ+ persons in San Francisco to formally create a new organization in order to address the needs of the community locally. During 1991, numerous meetings were held in the basement of the St. Francis Lutheran Church on Church Street in San Francisco. Then, AGUILAS was created with its own bylaws and with the intent to serve and advocate for the community, and AGUILAS as mentioned would eventually become a 501 C-3 nonprofit organization.
During 1994, CURAS found itself in difficulty and AGUILAS was provided a small grant by the San Francisco Department of Public Health AIDS Office to conduct a randomized trial to examine two different HIV strategies for HIV prevention designed and implemented by five Latinx gay psychologists. A standard psychoeducational instructional strategy was compared with a novel one based on Paulo Freire’s theory of empowerment involving discussion and engagement of attendees. The qualitative data collected showed each participant’s preference for the more engaging empowerment strategy over the traditional psychoeducational approach.
AGUILAS' Eduardo Morales with honoree Barbara Garcia, Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Heath, at the organization's 20th Anniversary event. (2014)
This resulted in the start of the ongoing HIV prevention services AGUILAS is now known to provide. In early 2002, AGUILAS received direct funding for five years from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to expand its services and to include yearly overnight retreats by providing a more intensive intervention experience in a safe and protected environment. During the spring seasons when summer camps were available for rental, AGUILAS expanded its reach to Latinx LGBTQ+ persons throughout Northern California. Throughout the years the staff at AGUILAS have published articles about its approach in peer-reviewed journal articles and have presented its strategies nationally and internationally at numerous professional conferences. Later, local leaders and governmental agencies advocated for consolidation of smaller organizations. However, such integration presented challenges through competing organizational priorities. Many Latinx LGBTQ+ workers in these consolidated agencies expressed their frustration, noting the lack of attention and focus for Latinx LGBTQ+ concerns. Consequently, the Board of AGUILAS decided to maintain its independence and move forward seeking additional sources of funding, developing fundraising activities, and partnering with other agencies for the delivery of services to the Latinx LGBTQ+ community. For example, AGUILAS led the way to the formation of Purple Star, a marijuana dispensary in the Mission District of San Francisco whose profits are shared with nonprofits that include AGUILAS, Shanti, the SF LGBT Center, and the San Francisco Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. With the recent funding by ViiV Foundation, AGUILAS will now revive La Academia de AGUILAS for Latinx LGBTQ+ leadership development previously funded in 2011 and 2012 by the Levi Straus Foundation. Plans for leadership training and a certificate program are now being created with a calendar of events to be posted on the AGUILAS website very soon. The solid foundation of AGUILAS is a tribute to AGUILAS’ Board of Directors and dedicated staff who offer all of the provided services in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
AGUILAS members and friends gathered for the organization's annual Thanksgiving Party. (20
Our website contains more specific information as well as a monthly calendar of activities that includes individual and group sessions for Latinx gay bisexual men, social events, and outreach activities to provide HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infection (SDI), and hepatitis C testing in collaboration with the UCSF Alliance Health: https://www.sfaguilas.org/ Marco Austin, Erick Arguello, Hussain Sham, Juan Davila, Leticia Ramos and Eduardo Morales at the organization's Brazilian Carnival. (2019)
AGUILAS Finds Ways of Managing COVID-19 and Re-Entry The global pandemic of COVID-19 and the current Delta variant instigate challenges for businesses accustomed to conduct services in person or face-to-face. The health ordinances calling for shelter-in-place by local and state governments previously prevented businesses to conduct business as usual. This included health providers like AGUILAS. AGUILAS was able to reduce the digital divide common among the Latinx communities by instructing participants to engage in various internet platforms. During the past several years, program participants needed instruction, encouragement, mentoring, and coaching or how to use the internet and social media for obtaining information and resources. Little did AGUILAS realize that these efforts were critical for the unexpected and extended time of being “sheltered in place” due to COVID-19. Health mandates placed a heavy reliance in providing services through internet platforms on a regular basis. Encouraging COVID testing as well as being vaccinated for COVID became primary efforts of AGUILAS for the health and wellbeing of Latinx gay and bisexual men engaged in our activities. During this past fiscal year, AGUILAS was able to exceed its contractual expectations in the numbers of persons and the number of interventions it provided. The isolation and loneliness many individuals experienced during the shelter-in-place
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mandate required us to address this as part of AGUILAS’ reentry plans. As the news of lifting the shelter-in-place health mandates occurred, AGUILAS made sure all of its staff were vaccinated for COVID as part of the plan for re-entry and to begin providing services in person. After a lengthy period of doing work from home, AGUILAS staff established regular in office hours, and we focused on enhancing the spirit of teamwork. On June 5 and June 12, AGUILAS had two one-day retreats at the SF LGBT Center for its program participants where they could attend various skill building workshops, obtain health screening tests, and begin to interact with attendees. The recommendations of social distancing and wearing of facial masks were encouraged for the two one-day retreats. Given the success of these two Saturday retreat events, AGUILAS had a social event on Thursday evening of July 28 where attendees obtained health screening tests, were introduced to our new staff, reconnected with their friends, and were informed of new program activities that were just funded. Meanwhile, AGUILAS continues to monitor safety conditions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It plans a slow re-entry in offering services using a hybrid method involving various internet platforms and offering services in person or face to face on a limited basis.
In this past year, additional funding was obtained from the California Department of Public Health Office on AIDS to expand and enhance AGUILAS’ services. With ViiV Foundation’s funding for AGUILAS, we will revive a leadership development training and certificate program called La Academia de AGUILAS for Latinx LGBTQ community members. Check our website as plans develop: https://www.sfaguilas.org/ In mid-September, AGUILAS together with the SF LGBT Center and the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will unveil San Francisco’s Pulse Memorial to be located on the second floor of the SF LGBT Center and funded by SF City and County. For the first time, the four national ethnic psychological associations along with PROVOC and Providence as consultant agencies launched a #WellnessForAll campaign for people of color from July 13 to August 12 on Facebook and Instagram. This national resource for persons of color for their mental health and well-being may become an annual event. (See this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times for additional information on both of these efforts.) With careful planning and by combining various resources, our team at AGUILAS looks forward to an active and engaging re-entry.
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AGUILAS is an acronym that stands for Asemblea Gay Unida Impactando Latinos A Superarse (Gay Assembly United Impacting Latinxs to Surpass or rise above). Founded in 1991 by members of the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco, AGUILAS has a mission that states: “AGUILAS is dedicated to creating a supportive, culturally sensitive environment for gay/bisexual Latinos. We strive to foster knowledge and pride of the diversity of our language, culture, history, and spirituality. AGUILAS is committed to developing programs that promote health, well-being, and community building that foster positive self-identities, healthy relationships, and leadership skills.”
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The History of AGUILAS
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By Eduardo Morales, PhD Eduardo Morales, PhD, is a founder of AGUILAS, where he serves as Executive Director. He is also a Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University and is the 2021 President of the National Latinx Psychological Association.
Ad Campaign Drives Access to Mental Health Resources for BIPOC Communities The Alliance of National Psychological Associations for Racial and Ethnic Equity—a coalition of ethnic and cultural mental health leaders—on July 14 launched #WellnessForAll, a large-scale national digital ad campaign to shift the mental health narrative and empower healing for Black, Indigneous, and other People of Color communities during BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. The campaign, which ends today (August 12) and involved members of AGUILAS and other local nonprofits, has been so successful that it may occur annually. The Alliance of National Psychological Associations for Racial and Ethnic Equity made up of the Association of Black Psychologists, the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, the Asian American Psychological Association, and the National Latinx Psychological Association, along with Facebook, Providence Health, Rising Tide Interactive, and Provoc, collaborated on the #WellnessForAll campaign on Facebook and Instagram. The campaign has been providing communities of color with greater access to culturally relevant resources and healing opportunities anchored in roots, community, and tradition. “This groundbreaking #WellnessForAll campaign marks the largest and most expansive outreach campaign ever for BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month by the ethnic and cultural psychological associations that serve their communities,” said Raj Aggarwal, President of Provoc, a majority People of Color and women B Corporation that convened the groups.
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“We know that Western approaches to mental health were not designed for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color communities, and have actually done harm,” he added. “Through this campaign, we will support African American/Black, Latinx, Asian American, and American Indian/Native American/Alaskan Native communities and provide mental well-being resources and information that are uniquely tailored to their communities and cultural experience. We aim to foster discussion and provide healing opportunities to empower healing in our communities as we honor BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month.” The campaign used Facebook to reach millions of Americans and to provide greater access to wellness guides curated by the partner organizations. The campaign also shared community-based healing opportunities, like those that can be found on the campaign’s wellnessforallhub Instagram page and Emotional Health on Facebook. Members of the public shared culturally relevant healing practices and related information via stories, photos, and videos posted via social media. Search for: #WellnessForAll https://provoc.me/
San Francisco Will Soon Unveil a Memorial to the Victims of the Pulse Massacre
In the coming weeks, San Francisco will unveil its memorial to the 49 victims murdered in a mass shooting on June 12, 2016, at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. An additional 53 people were wounded during the massacre. This was the largest mass shooting of its kind in the history of the U.S. and the deadliest in the history of violence against LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. Most of the dead and wounded were Latinx LGBTQ+ persons at the Pulse club.
Artist's rendering of the San Franicsco Pulse Memorial to be installed at the SF LGBT Community Center
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors set aside $10,000 during the month of June, 2017, for a San Francisco memorial to be realized. Unfortunately, no organization was identified as being responsible to oversee the design and execution of the memorial. Meanwhile, the funds were allocated directly to the San Francisco Public Works Department. AGUILAS stepped up to the plate to inquire and lead the effort in order for the memorial to be designed and realized. Otherwise, the funding would have been lost and the intent of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would not have been realized.
Over the many years since the allocation of funds, inquiries were made to the Latinx LGBTQ+ community about what kind of memorial would seem appropriate, since most of the victims in this massacre were Latinx LGBTQ+ persons. Many attempts were made to find a home for the memorial. Finally, the SF LGBT Center team agreed to house the San Francisco Pulse Memorial on the second floor of the center’s building. In order to facilitate the process for design and execution of the San Francisco Pulse Memorial, the newly formed Castro LGBTQ Cultural District was designated by the San Francisco City and County to receive the $10,000 in 2020. A call for artistic proposals for this memorial was disseminated and only one proposal, submitted by Brazilian artist Wilson Fer-
reira, was submitted with three design options. Being that they were excellent, one option was selected for the San Francisco Pulse Memorial. The renderings present the memorial as a V-shaped shield that will have the names of the 49 persons who were murdered at Pulse. Currently, we are waiting for the San Francisco City and County to approve the artist’s renderings so that the memorial can go into production and then be housed on the second floor of the SF LGBT Center. It is expected that sometime in mid-September, in time for the start of Latinx Heritage Month (September 15–October 15), there will be a formal news announcement with a date established for the unveiling of this new memorial for the victims of the Pulse massacre.
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AGUILAS and Shanti were beneficiaries of a Booty Call fundraiser, hosted by Juanita MORE! (seco nd from left) held at QBar. (2015)
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AGUILAS members at the Castro Thea tre for the SF Gay Men's Chorus' Home for the Holidays performance on Christmas Eve (2017)
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AGUILAS was a beneficiary of REAF's Help Is on the Way Gala, attended by performer Andrew Cervantes and SF Department of Public Health's Garza Peru. (2015)
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Photographer Cabure Banugli and Christopher Martinez at Juanita MORE!'s Booty call at QBar where AGUILAS was a beneficiary (2015)
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AGUILAS' Eduardo Morales, Erick Arguello, and John Marez at REAF's Help Is on the Way Broadway & Beyond. (2013)
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AGUILAS boar d member Gre g Ro Eduardo Moral es and SF LGBT jas with Rebecca Rolfe Center 's at The Center 's annual Soirée. (2015)
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AGUIL lman (second from left) with Supervisor Rafael Mande nt (2019) tion's 25th Anniversar y eve
By Donna Sachet
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
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heltering in place has limited the ability of us all to travel, one of the most rewarding aspects of life. Visiting friends, exploring new places, returning to locations with special meaning ... these are just a few of the reasons we cherish the opportunity to travel. After this long period of restriction, we recently booked a flight to visit our ailing mother in South Carolina and we decided that it would be foolish to go all that distance without checking in on some nearby friends. So, in this issue’s column, we thought we would share some of those experiences. Before proceeding any further, let us assure our readers that we took every precaution while traveling to minimize the risk to ourselves and others, given the new concerns about the spread of the coronavirus and its Delta variant. Facemasks, social distancing, and frequent handwashing and use of anti-bacterial lotions are a must in this tentative time of transition. In addition, we will be self-isolating and taking a new COVID-19 test before returning to social events. Our first destination was Mobile, Alabama, where good friend Bob Brunson relocated after years in San Francisco. Many of you will remember Bob as a bar manager, Leather leader, Imperial Court participant, and our de facto manager. Our last visit there to Mobile was at his invitation to participate in Mobile’s first major Pride Parade and celebration in their historic town square. Remind us to tell you stories of that visit at another time; suffice it to say, Mobile is not San Francisco. The town reeks with history, including its claim to the first celebration of Mardi Gras as we know it today, famously, in New Orleans with parades, krewes, costumes, and related revelry. This visit was much more sedate as Bob was recovering from recent surgery and we did our best to help set him up at home for a full and speedy recovery. The weather was typically Southern, boiling hot and humid with afternoon showers nearly every day, accompanied by dramatic thunder and lightning. It was no surprise that in a state with around 30% vaccination rate, we saw very few masks, little social distancing, and limited conversation about the virus. Sometimes the absence of an active schedule of events can open the door to candid conversation and deepened friendship; such was the case here. A friend of over 20 years can give one a healthy perspective through a loving lens and we had much to share after such an unusual pandemic year. Our second stop was Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to visit with Skye Paterson and Patrick Gallineaux, both of whom recently relocated there from San Francisco. These are two die-hard fans of San Francisco, but work and other circumstances led them to sunny Florida and what a lifestyle they have found! Wilton Manors is essentially an island in the middle of Fort Lauderdale known for its diverse and creative population ... yes, the Castro of Fort Lauderdale! Skye found a beautiful home there, designed for entertainment with lots of welcoming outdoor space surrounding his pool. Perhaps you’ve heard of Michael Kruzich, the very talented local mosaic artist, but did you know a portrait of his inspired by a certain San Franciscan overlooks Skye’s Florida pool? And Patrick has made his home in a nearby high-rise with sweeping views and luxurious shared spaces, including a pool, health club, dance studio, etc. Every night of this leg of the trip was spent exploring the many clubs of Wilton Manors, like Drynk, Lê Boy, Johnson’s, Boardwalk, The Pub, Rosies, Shooters, and Alibi. Trust us, the Castro has nothing on Wilton Manors when it comes to nightlife venues. Remarkably, we ran into friends from San Francisco like Matt Fadness, David Parkinson, and Shawn Lehouillier, while making new friends like Wyatt Locke, Jeffrey Sommer, Tyler Merriman, Greg Wick, and even Patrik’s visiting father Tim Gallineau, full of fascinating stories and humorous anecdotes. A private club above it all, The Tower Club Fort Lauderdale, offered incredible 360-degree views and a lively mix of locals and visitors. If we had any doubt about our friends mixing in successfully with the Florida locals, our doubts were completely put to rest.
Friday, August 13 An Evening with the Matthew Shepard Foundation Exclusive appearance by Dennis & Judy Shepard The Academy, 2166 Market Street 5:30–10 pm Members & guests only https://tinyurl.com/2ujszpad Friday, August 27 Divas & Drinks: 45th Anniversary of Dykes on Bikes® San Francisco Bay Times & The Academy partner again! Follow the roar of motorcycles to The Academy for this fun party Donna Sachet hosts, special guests galore The Academy, 2166 Market Street 6–10 pm $10 https://tinyurl.com/p2mfpwcs Tuesday, August 31 & Wednesday, September 1 SF Gay Men’s Chorus Auditions Your chance to audition to be a part of this group Register online www.sfgmc.org
So, you may ask, when are you moving, Donna? In a nutshell, not now. Even when confronted with several other satisfying venues and comfortable lifestyles, we returned to San Francisco assured of its suitability for us. We often remark that the person we have become could only happen in San Francisco and no wanderlust is sufficient to uproot this 30-year resident from the City by the Bay. At least for the time being, our heart remains here and our readers can be assured that “Donna’s Chronicles” will continue to amuse, inform, PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
PHOTO BY RINK
Finally, we landed in Charleston, South Carolina, for a visit with our brother, whom some of you have met, and my mother ... no, not drag mother, but biological mother. Ron & Adam Robinson live in a palatial home, beautifully decorated and furnished, in a posh, but comfortable enclave outside of Charleston. Their home and lifestyle contradict everything we remember about our humble upbringing in the American South. The only remnants of our rather cloudy memories were the humid, sultry weather and annoying mosquitoes. A cocktail party at their home introduced us to several neighbors and resolved any concerns we had for their social life. The food at this stop was incredible! Dinner at the Post House was the perfect blend of old-world Southern charm and deliciously prepared fish and crafted cocktails, brunch at 82 Queens (alas, the name is nothing more than the street address) fulfilled all our remembered tastes of Southern foods, and Bistro Toulouse offered an extensive wine list, excellent fresh seafood, and duck as only the French know how to prepare. We completed our visit with home-prepared waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Donna with AGUILAS Executive Director Eduardo Morales and member John Marez at REAF’s Help Is on the Way Broadway and Beyond show at the Palace of Fine Arts (2013)
and stimulate them for the foreseeable future. Thank you, San Francisco, for welcoming us home. Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
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In Loving Memory of Janice Mirikitani natural born Midwestern skeptic, I remember trying so hard to be an objective, detached participant observer of the grand theatrics of it all.
Janice Mirikitani stood tall within the deep recesses of the heart of San Francisco. In countless respects, she fiercely and gracefully personified the heart of her beloved city. On July 29, the collective heart of San Francisco broke at the news of the sunset of its radiant dear heart at the day’s dawn. For many, there was a realization that San Francisco would never be the same without her. Perhaps most famously known as the co-founder and president of GLIDE Memorial Church, and as the wife and partner to GLIDE pastor Reverend Cecil Williams, she was a vital force and spirit in the creation of one of the most celebrated centers of worship and communion that was radically and unapologetically inclusive, progressive, and a fierce advocate for the city’s most vulnerable citizens. Whatever your religious denomination, or no denomination, whether you were of high or struggling station in life, homeless or sheltered, of means or in poverty, whatever your racial or ethnic makeup, color or hue, there was a place for you at GLIDE the moment you walked in the door. Mirikitani’s belief in “caring dangerously—daring to take the risk to open yourself up to somebody else” was a cornerstone, the rock upon which the church would be built and progress. The embrace, inclusion, and empowerment of LGBTQ people to live as perfectly authentic, equal, loved, and vital human beings would prove central to GLIDE’s mission and thrive of caring dangerously. When I first landed into the activist hotbed of San Francisco some 30 years ago, one of the most common questions asked of me was, “Have you been to GLIDE Memorial yet? You must experience GLIDE. It feeds the hungry, has an incredible choir, and is just good for the soul. And, when you do go, you really must meet Jan and Cecil.” When I finally got myself to GLIDE one Sunday morning, I was admittedly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of its packed to the rafters congregants, its joyful and affirming celebration, its wildly diverse, mindblowing, shake the walls choir, so radical it replaced the phrase “saved a wretch like me” in the sacred hymn “Amazing Grace” with an affirming declaration that not one of us was a wretch within or outside of these church walls. We were seated shoulder to shoulder for what seemed only minutes before we were all moved to rise, clap, and sing with the choir. I sat in between my brother and a woman who was recently homeless, next to her an older couple from Pacific Heights. Educated as a sociologist and raised a 16
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PHOTO BY NANCY WONG
Janice Mirikitani and others, inlcuding Rev. Cecil Williams and then-Supervisor Dorothy von Beroldingen joined protesters at the International Hotel in San Francisco. (1977)
Not long after my first Sunday at GLIDE, I met them and began a truly beloved kinship that would become a defining hallmark and touchstone along my own colorful, storied up and down journey in the hilly City of St. Francis. Along the way, I learned from them the history of GLIDE, their individual and collaborative paths as civil and human rights activists, and what they built together meant to thousands of residents fed, clothed, cared for, and housed by the resources of the church. Yes, they were revered celebrities for their radical irreverence for traditional Protestant ways of putting faith to work and action towards healing wounded souls, speaking truth to power. It wasn’t so much their celebrity that impressed me, though. It was that they were also keenly selfaware of their own human-ness— wounds, traumas, capacities to renew, from which they apparently found strength to help others renew. Jan was our poet laureate. An accomplished literary figure of premiere importance in the lifting up of Asian American literature, arts, and culture, she wrote volumes of poetry that often channeled her own personal struggles and troubles as a survivor of incestuous sexual abuse as a child, internment as a Japanese American, and growing into her own liberation as an empowered woman. Uniquely lyrical, visual, and often sensual, she was dynamic and her poetry captured the ever-changing landscape of San Francisco, celebrating its mosaic of ethnic diversity, forgotten histories, aspirations, and capacities to be and do better than its present self. She taught creative writing to women at GLIDE to help them claim and use their own unique voice to heal, repair, and liberate from the traumas of domestic and family violence, street violence against women, sexual assault, addictions, mental trauma, and homelessness. A longtime fighter for LGBTQ equality, she could tell you a few colorful stories about the days of Harvey Milk, life in the aftermath of his assassination, advocating for treatment and supports in the burgeoning, harrowing HIV/AIDS crises of the 1980s, standing up as an ally for marriage equality, and GLIDE’s inclusion of LGBTQ identified clergy, staff, directors, cooks, teachers, in pretty much every aspect of the GLIDE community. We connected largely in common cause for the safety and uplift of women and children survivors of violence, social justice for women of AU GU ST 1 2 , 2 0 2 1
PHOTO BY NANCY WONG
“I found that my wounds begin to heal when the voices of those endangered by silence are given power. The silence of hopelessness, of despair buried in the depths of poverty, violence, racism is more deadly than bullets. The gift of light, in our compassion, our listening, our works of love, is the gift of life to ourselves.” —Janice Mirikitani
color, and women’s political representation and power. The uplift of women’s voices seemed to be her mission eternal. She served as a touchstone and phone call away or drop in reality check for myself and others as we worked to elevate the status of especially our most vulnerable sisters, including those impacted by the justice system. On occasion I was invited to speak at GLIDE, mostly about the status of women. For one International Women’s Day, I must have prepared at least seven pages of single-spaced notes about the status of women in San Francisco, in the U.S., and, of course, globally. Educated as a sociologist, I over-prepared for my allotted 15 minutes at the pulpit. I started off okay, until I broke away from speaking from my volume of notes, and just spoke plainly. As I did so, the energy from the pews clearly shifted. Afterwards, Jan took me by the hand and whispered in my ear: “You did good. You were most wonderful without the notes. You are enough without the notes. That’s why we wanted you to speak. You are enough.” Never again did I publicly speak from notes at GLIDE or pretty much anywhere else. Well, at least no longer from seven pages of notes. Of the many words from a wise woman of her own making, if there is any one thing I learned repeatedly from Jan Mirikitani—in our own cherished kinship, or from observing her with others in need of little
encouragement, affirmation, or just a little love—is that we are all indeed enough. Seeing and embracing ourselves—as women, as young people, as LGBTQ, as survivors, as being enough—is where our liberation begins, progresses, and flourishes. It’s not always easy this work of being enough, but that’s the journey; that’s Dr. Emily Murase, Janice Miritikani, Gloria Steinem, Andrea Shorter, Reverend Cecil Williams the work, and that’s peace, compassion, service to oththe gift. But it doesn’t mean you have ers, and celebration of self-love will to go it alone. No one is alone, truly. remain the enduring gift and blessing Creation of community, movement, of Janice. Like so many, my heart is and spirit in which we “care dangerbroken at her sudden loss, but it is an ously” is her eternal gift to us all. undeniably fuller and grateful heart We can now imagine this earthly for having lived in the time and gift force of nature now reunited with light of Janice Mirikitani. her beloved friends Maya, GwenAndrea Shorter is a longtime Comdolyn, Audre, Toni, Ntozake, and missioner for the City and County other sister poet-activists all together of San Francisco, now serving on as a chorus of “bad women who celthe Juvenile Probation Commisebrated themselves.” I will miss our sion after 21 years as a Commistime together, our calls every now sioner on the Status of Women. and then just to check in, touch base, She is a longtime advocate for gencollaborate, conspire, commiserate, der and LGBTQ equity, voter rights, and celebrate. We are each enough and criminal and juvenile justo carry on in spirit, action, and with tice reform. She is a co-founder of heart the work of loving and caring the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Coalidangerously in this lifetime. tion, and was a David Bohnett LGBT Leaders Fellow at the Harvard KenTo love and be loved by such a nedy School of Government. relentless force for justice, equality,
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA SHORTER
Andrea Shorter
PHOTO BY NANCY WONG
Cross Currents
After the third or fourth revised song, my heart gave way. This was more than spectacle. It was real; it was meaningful; it was a force of and for community. These people really seemed to mean what they were preaching, singing, walking, and talking about: love, care, inclusion, and empowerment. While I didn’t come through those doors in need or want of spiritual repair from the brokenness of addiction, homelessness, abuse, or just plain being down and out as that day’s fellow congregants might have, I certainly felt more lifted, grounded, and whole when I walked out those doors. I knew then that I just had to meet Jan and Cecil.
In Memoriam: Deb Gumbley (1951–2021) Deb Gumbley passed away unexpectedly on March 12, 2021, at her home in Portland, Oregon, leaving behind her beloved partner of 28 years, Lynne Klaeveman. Deb also leaves behind the many, many close friends who were her chosen family. Deb was born in 1951 in Providence, Rhode Island. She spent her childhood in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut with her parents, Hank and Bev, and three siblings, Dave, Steve, and Liz.
PHOTO BY DAVID POWERS/UCSF LIBRARY AIDS RESEARH COLLECTION
Deb loved sharing her life with others. She had the gift of making people feel a part of her chosen family, while helping them to feel seen and acknowledged, and to live their best lives. Deb was a true-hearted friend, known for her sense of joy, her laughter, and her warm, intelligent presence. If she had one mantra it would be, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and that is the world she tried to create every day. Starting in the mid-1980s, Deb worked in Ward 86—the AIDS Ward—at San Francisco General Hospital, and volunteered in the AIDS Program at the University of California, San Francisco. She took great pride in helping people work through the health challenges so many faced during that time, and she was a touchstone of compassion for the sick and dying. In the early 2000s, Deb remade herself as an Information Technology and Networking consultant, and continued in that field for over a decade. Deb had a passion for sports. She was a devoted fan of Stanford Women’s Basketball (often traveling to away games with the Stanford team and other fans), as well as a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants. Deb coached women’s city-league softball in San Francisco for many years, generously sharing her skill, know-how, and love of the game. She also had an excellent eye for photography, with a focus on women’s sports and the beauty of the natural world. Deb aspired to be a great cook, and for many years hosted bountiful and boisterous Thanksgiving dinners—
Deb Gumbley, pharmacy technician, with a patient in the San Francisco General Hospital's AIDS Ward (1985)
not only for close friends, but also for anyone who did not have somewhere to go or family to celebrate with. Deb’s table was large enough for everyone, just like her heart. Throughout her life, Deb provided unwavering support and selfless devotion to so many of us. She was a beloved wife and a devoted friend, and she participated in life to the fullest. When we think of Deb, we see her smile, we hear her wry and humorous commentary, and we all remember how good it was simply to spend time with her. Deb was a remarkable woman. We are all better for having known and loved her. If you want to do something in her honor, pick someone in your life and treat them with a special, loving kindness—today and every day. Monetary donations in Deb’s name may be made to the Kristen and Buster Posey Foundation at https://bp28.org/ A Celebration of Deb’s Life is scheduled for September 25, 2021. For details, please email info@RememberingDebGumbley.com
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Dykes
With Drills
Tip of the Week By Julie Peri
DEMOCRATIC CLUB (continued from page 4) and Indigenous Peoples of Color to Boards, Commissions, Task Forces, and Public Office whenever possible.
portation, especially in communities of color, as well as expanding programs to make public transportation free where feasible.
We urge city leaders to continue efforts to reinvest from law enforcement and replace as much of their duties as possible with civilian staff/ local nonprofit services.
We urge city leaders to explore and expand private and public electrification of transportation.”
We urge city leaders to ensure that communities who have been most impacted by the War on Drugs gain access to and benefit from the cannabis industry in an equitable way, and with as much ownership as possible to ensure that they need not rely on private investment.
“We urge the SFUSD and education stakeholders in San Francisco to engage parent advisory groups and ensure that LGBTQ parents have representation in the school district.
We urge city leaders to continue to push for a reimagining of our justice system that not only centers the transfer of funding away from law enforcement agencies, but also prioritizes the transformation of those who are justice-involved through restorative practices, radical healing, and trauma-informed care.” Transportation “We urge city leaders to promote and expand efforts centering the safety of pedestrians and bikers in San Francisco. Those efforts could include, but are not limited to, the Vision Zero initiative and Slow Streets program. We urge city leaders and transit leaders to prioritize addressing racial inequities in public transportation including, but not limited to, expanding access to public trans-
Education
We urge the school district to hire, train, and place more culturallycompetent social workers and other support staff, especially those of color, in schools, to help our youth navigate their needs. We urge the San Francisco Unified School District to re-establish a district-wide environmental service learning initiative in schools in order to educate students at all levels about environmental justice and its impacts on our communities, especially communities of color.”
Cutting Drywall A very useful skill to know is how to cut drywall. Drywall, also known as sheetrock, is actually very easy to cut. First, measure for where you want to cut the drywall. Then use a straightedge, such as a ruler or a level, to draw your line. Box cutters are good for this task. Keeping your straightedge on your line, use it as a guide for your box cutter. All you need to do is score your line with the blade. Then, carefully bend the drywall along the line. It should bend easily if you have scored it with your blade. Now you can finish your cut by cutting through the paper on the backside of the drywall sheet. Voila! You now know how to cut drywall. Join us for more fun tips and tricks in person and online. Here is what we have coming up next!
Introduction to Tools, August 7, San Francisco Queer Family Gardening Workshop, August 22, Pleasant Hill
For more about the Club’s platform and mission:
How to Build a Step Stool, September 25, Online
https://www.alicebtoklas.org/bylaws-1
Construction Workshop Series, Fall 2021, Walnut Creek
Regarding the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, members will vote on August 17 to take a position on the recall of Governor Newsom. The vote will occur during the August General Membership Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/k9t6vvad
For more information about these and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/
Take Me Home with You!
MILLER (continued from page 6) 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.
RUTH (continued from page 6) edge of handling flair, but it’s still easy to flick around, especially considering its mid-sized dimensions. Inside, the Honda and Hyundai are very accommodating, like full-sized versions of themselves. The front doors open wide, and the Hyundai felt brighter and airier than Honda, probably partly because of the former’s light-grey trim, as opposed to the latter’s all-black setup, the only offering on the Touring. Both of these efficient mid-sizers should be on any hybrid buyer’s list. It’s a tossup, as each has their own emphases of engineering and design. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service. 18
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“My name is Sky, and I dare you to try to keep up with me! I’m just a year old and still full of puppy energy. Some might call me rambunctious, but I prefer to think of myself as exuberant. I love life and can’t wait to find someone special who shares my enthusiasm! Playtime is one of my favorite activities, especially fetch. If you bring me a toy, we’ll probably quickly become best buds. If you think we might be a match, I’d love to meet you!” Sky is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Sky. To apply to meet Sky, visit https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/ Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup
John Maynard Keynes: ‘Dismal Science’ and ‘Gay Romance’
Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky When the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle described economics as “the dismal science,” he never meant an economist could not be a bit of a Jack the Lad. Case in point: John Maynard Keynes, the most influential economist of the last hundred years. Not content with simply sitting in his room, developing economic policies that would change the world, he had loving relationships with some of the most respected men of his time, as well as anonymous encounters with many others. Keynes was not regarded as a handsome man, but only his friend Virginia Woolf could describe someone she considered physically unattractive with such poetic grace. He looked, she wrote, like “a gorged seal,” with a “double chin, ledge of red lip, little eyes, sensual, brutal, unimaginative.” Keynes actually agreed with her. “I have always suffered and I suppose always will from a most unalterable obsession that I am so physically repulsive that I’ve no business to hurl my body on anyone else’s.” Not everyone agreed, of course, or cared. Until he married in 1925, Keynes enjoyed numerous ongoing relationships and scores of anon-
liaisons include lan went off to temporary meanOxford, but ingful relationthey remained ships with the friends. Mac“Stable boy of millan went Park Lane,” on to be the “Auburn managing haired of Mardirector of ble Arch,” the the publish“Lift boy of ing house coVauxhall,” the founded by “Soldier of the his father and Baths,” the “Swede named for his of the National Galfamily, which publery,” the “young Amerlished Keynes’ first inJohn Maynard Keynes ican near the British Mufluential monograph, Consequences of the Peace, in 1919. Mac- seum,” the “beautiful young man in the P. Shed,” the “chemist’s boy of millan’s brother Harold served as Paris,” and many others. British Prime Minister from 1957 until 1963. The lists of Keynes’ intimacies shows At King’s College, Cambridge, Keynes joined the Apostles, a “secret” society founded in 1820, and shared intimacies with several of the members. He had affairs with Lytton Strachey (1880–1932), author of Eminent Victorians, published in 1918; James Strachey (1887–1967), future psychoanalyst, translator of Sigmund Freud, and brother of Lytton; and Arthur Hobhouse (1886–1965), who created the national parks system of England and Wales. The philosopher Bertrand Russell complained that Keynes and Strachey especially were making “homosexual infatuation” fashionable among the members, to no avail. After graduating from Cambridge, Keynes added to his list of eminent Edwardians whose intimacy he enjoyed. Among others there was Francis Burrell, whose father was Chief Secretary for Ireland when they met in 1910, and who became an antiquarian bookseller. Sidney Russell-Cooke (1892–1930) became a stockbroker; in 1922 he married the daughter of the captain of the Titanic. John Tresidder Sheppard (1881– 1968) was later Provost of King’s College, Keynes’ alma mater. None of their romances was exclusive. Perhaps the great male love of Keynes’ life was the painter Duncan Grant (1885–1978). A cousin of the Stracheys, his affair with Lytton ended when he introduced him to Keynes around 1908. “Dear, dear Duncan I love your very much,” Keynes wrote him soon after they met. “If I could kiss you and hold your hand I should be perfectly happy.” Strachey was left perfectly unhappy.
Keynes by Duncan Grant, 1908
ymous sexual partners, almost all of them men, which he dutifully catalogued for posterity. Among them are the sons of the socially and politically prominent as well as individuals from more mundane walks of life and occupations. As Shakespeare wrote in 1588, “Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye.” He met his first boyfriend, Alfred Dillwyn “Dilly” Knox (1884–1943), in 1901 at Eton, where both were students. “He is charming and he is affectionate,” he later wrote. Knox became a noted classics scholar and cryptologist. During World War II he worked at Bletchley Park, Britain’s codebreaking center, where he helped to crack the ciphers used by the Italian Navy and the German military intelligence service while Alan Turing was unscrambling the German naval enigma. Keynes became intimate with Daniel Macmillan (1886– 1965) the next year. Their affair ended when Keynes left for Cambridge and Macmil-
Keynes and Grant saw each other romantically off and on for many years, but they never had an exclusive relationship. Besides Strachey, both were intimate—at different times—with David (Bunny) Garnett (1892–1981), the son of Constance Garnett, a pioneering translator of Russian literature into English. Long after Garnett married Angelica Bell, Grant’s daughter with Vanessa Bell, in 1942, she was not amused to learn that her husband and her father had once been lovers.
that men in Edwardian England found each other in the same ways that they have met for centuries: not only through mutual friends, but also by exchanging friendly glances with strangers, asking for directions, or engaging in ambiguous, deniable conversation. They also connected at known cruising spots, which in London then included the statue of Achilles near Hyde Park Corner, an outstanding example of the nude male figure; and any of the city’s 25 public baths.
Duncan Grant
Keynes’ world of overlapping lovers and anonymous inamorato ended in 1925, when he married Lydia Lopokova, a dancer with the great Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes; Duncan Grant was best man. Homosexual for the first part of his life, he now was heterosexual for the last part. Their life together, by all accounts, was a happy one, bringing him, biographer Peter Clark wrote, “a new focus, a new emotional stability, and a sheer delight of which he never wearied.” Why do we care about whom Keynes or anyone else was enjoying a hundred or more years ago? Apart from some possible titillation on an otherwise dull afternoon, his list of lovers provides us deeper insight into the life and mind of an individual whose ideas changed the world. He refused to accept the sexual identity forced upon him by a society that condemned homosexuality, just as he re-
An equal opportunity enjoyer, Keynes never snobbishly confined himself to men of his own class. His lists of some hundred anonymous
John Maynard Keynes and Lytton Strachey
John Maynard Keynes and Lydia Lopokova by William Roberts, oil on canvas signed 1932
fused to accept the outdated tenets of a profession that resisted new ideas. The result? An authentic life spent revolutionizing a “dismal science.” Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
Mime Women Resist and Persist
PHOTO BY WILL ZANG
Jennifer & Robert: Has SFMT always had strong female characters?
Out of Left Field Robert Holgate & Jennifer Kroot The San Francisco Mime Troupe is the city’s legendary, activist theater troupe. Founded in 1959, SFMT satirizes politics through a working-class voice, and is famous for speaking truth to power. FYI, SFMT does not do silent pantomime. Au contraire! Their voice is loud, clear, and funny. Traditionally, SFMT’s live performances are very physical and visual, but during the pandemic they switched to audio plays. Their new season, Tales of the Resistance 2, is available now at: https://www.sfmt.org/talesvol2 We connected with some of the multi-talented women members to hear how the Troupe has persevered through the pandemic. Jennifer & Robert: How did SFMT’s transition from live theater to audio plays go? Lisa Hori-Garcia: Not as big of a challenge as we originally thought, though there was a large learning curve on the technical side. However, audio plays enabled us to reconnect remotely with our larger Mime Troupe family, so we’ve been able to work with former members who moved away. Marissa Ellison: Technology, man ... . We are a big group, with varying levels of technological comfort. Luckily, our tech blunders also created some wonderfully memorable moments! I hope these audio plays never stop. It’s exciting that our work is so accessible. If it’s not on a station near you, you can always hop on our website to listen to episodes!
Ellen Callas: Since I’ve been in the Troupe, yes, always strong women, reflecting our strong women members.
personalities could never get away with. She gives cover to folks who promote
Marissa Ellison: It’s not hard to have bomb women roles when you have an amazing group of bomb women to play them! Ellen Callas: Having women playwrights helped. The change came in 1970 when SFMT created An Independent Female at the height of the women’s movement—the same time the Troupe became a collective.
Velina Brown as Angelica Phenex
“real” jobs to enable me to live in San Francisco that I can’t spend as much time with the troupe—except for when we’re on salary and in production for our summer show.
Karen Runk: There’s always been an interest in strong characters, period. Jennifer & Robert: Who are your favorite female characters this season?
Jennifer & Robert: So, how do you stay hopeful in a city with so much inequity? Keiko Shimosato Carreiro: I’m teaching a class, “Theater for Social Change,” and when the inequities in San Francisco threaten to melt my brain, it’s heartening to know that my students are willing to risk entering into careers of creating political art. They feel it’s worthy to speak out against injustice.
Keiko Shimosato Carreiro as Liu Chang Caruthers
Marie Cartier: I wrote the episode Hobos in Space based on my work as a service provider for people experiencing homelessness, and my love of Star Trek. There are two strong women roles: a young, idealistic counselor who stands up to a brutally unfair system, and an older woman who’s worked her whole life, but refuses to take any s--t. Karen Runk: In the spirit of Bart Simpson (who is played by a woman), we have the character Little Jimmy, played by Ellen Callas, in several episodes this year. Keiko Shimosato Carreiro: I had fun playing the part of Eido Kawakami in The Black Fox. And I really enjoy Velina Brown’s character, Angelica. Velina Brown: Angelica is a highly ambitious African American woman who identifies as a conservative Republican. She has parlayed her willingness to sell out Black people, women, and anyone who has to work for a living, into a highprofile position on a conservative news network. Angelica promotes extreme, anti-Black sentiments that white media
racist, sexist, classist ideas, and is highly rewarded for this. Jennifer & Robert: In this era of political correctness, is it challenging to write funny scripts? Lisa Hori-Garcia: We do consider “political correctness/cancel culture” when tackling how to make a subject or situation comical—not because we’re into censoring ourselves, no! We investigate the ridiculousness of “today” and satirize it. We understand some people in our audience won’t like or agree with a certain stance—we can’t please everyone—but in comedy and politics you’re bound to trigger someone. Velina Brown: Right now, the behaviors of real people are so extreme that you can’t really exaggerate them. People who punch down with their humor complain the most about the constraints of “political correctness.” If you are punching
POP QUIZ
Jennifer & Robert: Besides acting, it sounds like you all “wear many hats”? Keiko Shimosato Carreiro: Yes. I’m an actor, director, and designer. We’re all caretakers of the building, truck loaders, janitorial staff, etc. Ha! When I first began at SFMT, I was 26 and had all the time in the world to devote to it. The cost of living in San Francisco in the late 80s was also so much cheaper (sigh). I spent most of my days with the Troupe. Nowadays, I have so many
San Francisco has a long history of backroom politics that seems opposed to its progressive ideals. I hope post-COVID San Francisco can resurface as a more equitable, fair, and livable place for all of us under the triple digit bracket. And, I always remain hopeful—I believe it’s my duty as an artist. Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.” She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues. With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes. For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/
Mime Troupe hit shows in previous years: Godfellas (2006), Posibilidad (2010), Seeing Red (2018)
QUEER
up, the issue isn’t political correctness as much as whether you are willing to take the risks involved with speaking truth to power.
Ellen Callas: It’s not easy to stay hopeful in general these days. There’s a lot of bad news out there. It would be great if there was more focus on San Francisco little guys, rather than chasing big corporations, to whom we give big tax breaks and then they move their headquarters when the tax moratorium is over. That tax money could’ve helped a lot of city issues, from homelessness to infrastructure.
BARRIER BREAKER
Leyna Bloom recently became the first trans person to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. Bloom also was: A) one of the first trans women to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week; B) the first trans woman of color to star in a film at the Cannes Film Festival; C) the first trans woman to grace the pages of Vogue India; D) all of the above. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Writer and Director François Ozon Talks About His New Gay Romance
Film Gary M. Kramer Out gay filmmaker François Ozon’s Summer of 85, available August 17 on DVD, is an absorbing and sensitive teenage romance that shifts into a crime drama. Set in a seaside community in Normandy, the film opens with Alex (Félix Lefebvre), a babyfaced teen, being taken in handcuffs by the police. He narrates this story of his loss of innocence, which recounts in flashback how Alex met and fell in love with David (Benjamin Voisin) who—spoiler alert—becomes the corpse in the story. Ozon recently chatted with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about making this lively tale of heartbreak and death. Gary M. Kramer: What appealed to you about Aidan Chambers’ young adult novel such that you adapted it for this film? François Ozon: I read the book when I was 17, in 1985, and I really loved it. As a teenager, I was not used to reading this kind of gay love story without guilt. The fact that the two boys were gay was not an issue in the story. It was quite surprising because all the gay representation in the 1980s, just before AIDS, was already very dark, and difficult, and I enjoyed that this story was a beautiful, universal love story. Gary M. Kramer: When you were a teen, were you more like Alex or David? Can you talk about how you identified with each character? François Ozon: I identified with both of them. At that time, I was like Alex, and now, maybe, I’m like David. I’ve changed. What I liked about the story was that Alex is full of illusion; he’s dreaming of love. It’s sad to see that he realized love is not exactly what he was dreaming of. It’s complex. There is something very romantic and charming about David. Gary M. Kramer: On that same idea, what can you say about the dynamics of the relationship between Alex and David? There is a seductive intensity to it. François Ozon: I think there is a contrast between the maturity of the two boys. Alex is quite younger and doesn’t have experience of life. There
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is a real gap between the two. Alex is dreaming of a charming prince, and David thinks that doesn’t exist. There are two visions of love in the film. I show that in the scene in the nightclub, when they are dancing together but are not in the same rhythm.
François Ozon
Gary M. Kramer: The film is cleverly constructed as a comingof-age/seduction story, and a mystery, an investigation of a crime. Can you talk about your approach to the narrative? François Ozon: My first approach was to be more linear, but reading the book again, I realized I love the construction of the book, which is like a puzzle. You have to put the pieces together. I decided to be faithful to the novel. I decided to follow Alex’s point of view and that he’s confused at the start of the film. He’s done something bad, but there is a mystery construction to what he has done. It’s a way to play with the audience, which is something I like. Gary M. Kramer: Can you talk about how the characters present themselves, their thoughts and their actions? François Ozon: It’s a classical theme in teen movies, the “reality principle,” and I like the voiceover because you can imagine—what we see is not exactly the reality. Maybe he is dreaming? This is what David says to him: "You don’t see the reality of your eyes; you are dreaming what we are living." Maybe the spectator is having the same feeling? In a love story, you are under their spell. The fact that you have to write a story is a way to reinvent it or make it better than it was. That’s the strength of art. There is something therapeutic for Alex to rewrite his story and express what he felt with David. Gary M. Kramer: The film also addresses themes of class, and
David’s family observes Jewish rituals. What do you think about the differences between Alex's and David’s families? François Ozon: They are not the same class. It was important David was Jewish because the rituals about death are different from Catholic or Protestant. He’s Jewish and gay, but neither of those things are an issue. Usually, it is a big deal, but in this case, we don’t care, and the boys don’t care. Gary M. Kramer: What can you say about creating the film’s shifting tone? François Ozon: I think the different tones come from the spirit of a teenager. When you are a teenager, you change your mind easily. One day you are king of the world, and the next, you want to die. The emotions are very up and down. I decided to make this film for the teenager I was; it is the film I wanted to see when I was 17. It would have been important in my development to see such a love story on the big screen at this time. For those still young at heart, they can connect with it, but it’s really a film for young people. © 2021 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.”
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Brilliant New Film Celebrates Billy Tipton Living His Authentic Self
Off the Wahl Jan Wahl He was a fine jazz pianist and singer. He developed a reputable touring and recording career along with his group The Billy Tipton Trio. He retired early to raise three adopted sons and had what his wife still calls a very happy marriage. After Billy’s death in the late 1980s, it was revealed that Billy Tipton was assigned female at birth. His family, friends, and colleagues never knew. The media and tabloids went wild. A brilliant new film has been released: No Ordinary Man. In it we celebrate Tipton living his authentic self. It also blew me away with truth and clearly articulated stories from various trans artists. It begins with a diverse group auditioning for a film about Billy. It gets deeper and richer from there. Marquise Vilson, Scott Turner Schofield, Susan Stryker, Thomas Page McBee, C. Riley Snorton, and others provide insight, humor, and touching moments of clarity. Co-Directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt have given us a movie of humanity about the trans experience. I asked co- director Chase Joynt about why this film felt so new, different, and important. “As a trans person interested in trans history, I have always been interested in who controls the trans stories told in the media,” Chase said. “In the case of Billy Tipton, the story has long been authored by the talk and tabloid circuit of non-trans people. The thing that is exciting about our film is that it uses Billy as a springboard as to how we tell our stories.” (I have to stop to say that, at this point, I was thinking this person is as clear and fascinating as the movie itself!) Chase continued, “We invite a cohort of transmasculine actors who are auditioning for the role of Billy in a film. We did a casting call in Los Angeles and New York for a who’s who of transexual artists, performers, and academics. There were many memorable moments, but the most for me were those of trans recognition, relating to and understanding Billy.”
Aside from falling in love with Marquise Vilson, I was completely taken in by Billy’s oldest son, William, a man who reminds us that forgiveness is the key to living well. Chase said, “Billy Jr. recognized that his father was a hero to multiple generations of trans people. I think Billy Jr. is a product of the same media landscape as we are, one that has produced images of trans people as liars or deceivers. Our film is proof that it is about who asks the questions, how that matters ... and the politics of representation.” No Ordinary Man had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It runs a fast 80 minutes. Catch it at the Shattuck in Berkeley or the Landmark Theatres in San Francisco. Or however you can find it. It is a remarkable film. Naturally, whenever I see a film that excites me with quality and insight, I think of other movies that have taken me to new horizons. The Imitation Game showed me scientist Alan Turing saving hundreds of thousands by breaking the Enigma Code during World War II, and being put to death for being gay. The King’s Speech opened up a world I personally related to, finding a speech therapist to learn to communicate with self and others. Roadrunner lifted the adventurous, sexy life of Anthony Bourdain and showed us the complicated man under it. Then there is The Oxbow Incident with its danger of mob rule, and my favorite, The Celluloid Closet, with its reminding us that media and cinematic images can define and destroy. Movies are important and educational at their best, providing entertainment but also stimulating and taking us on a journey of discovery. No Ordinary Man is the latest. Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
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Folsom Street Market 2021 Retail shopping therapy was encouraged at the Folsom Street Market on Sunday, July 25, held on the date previously reserved for the Up Your Alley event. Booths for nonprofit groups, city agencies, artists, craftspeople, and other vendors offered free information and merchandise for sale. Entry was free, but contributions were encouraged by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who collected donations and offered a keepsake sticker to those giving $10 or more. The event served as a fundraiser benefiting multiple charitable groups. Free face masks were provided and COVID-19 testing was available. Among the booths visited by San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink were those of the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, SF Department of Public Health, SF Community Health Center, LYRIC, and others.
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Rink Photo Throwback CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
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ith the Castro Street Fair now on the horizon—scheduled for Sunday, October 3—Rink shared this historic image that he took at the first such Fair held in 1974. The ever-busy Rink was one of Harvey Milk's favorite photographers and both were among the over 5,000 people who attended. Numbers increased to an estimated 70,000+ in many subsequent years. Rink writes: "Harvey Milk founded the Fair after I invited him to join me at the crowded popular annual Upper Grant Avenue Street Fair in North Beach (now the North Beach Festival)." In the photo, two couples were snapped in the front of Star Pharmacy, now the site of Walgreens at 18th and Castro Streets. Other former Castro stores, such as The Obelisk gift shop, are in view behind them. Note the hats worn by two of the primary photo subjects, as well as by individuals in the back. Hats were enjoying a fashion comeback at the time. For more information about this year's Castro Street Fair: https://castrostreetfair.org/ And for a look back at the Upper Grant Avenue Street Fair that, thanks to Rink and Milk, helped to inspire the Castro Street Fair: https://tinyurl.com/t3hha7z7
Artshot Abby Zimberg
“Float wars” is how the Cape Cod Times describes it in their 2004/2011 account. Two competing beach toy shops located across the road from each other on the Outer Cape’s Route 6 have a go at it every summer, each one hoping to outdo the other’s display of inflatable floats for sale. San Francisco Bay Times’ Abby Zimberg sent images created while there this past week visiting family. It’s Seaberry Surf Gifts v Riley's Gift & Beach Store once more until the season subsides. https://tinyurl.com/26r25k5k
Abby Zimberg is a licensed California Marriage Family Therapist with training in art therapy. She formerly worked as a graphic designer and has always been a photographer. https://theartoftherapysf.com/ S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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a refreshing cocktail on a warm summer day, Bombay Sapphire and Martini & Rossi have you covered. Salud, friends! GIN NEGRONI 1 part Bombay Sapphire Gin 1 part Martini & Rossi Rosso Vermouth 1 part Martini & Rossi Bitter Thin slice of orange
Cocktails With Heather
https://tinyurl.com/yyc4me8t Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice President and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.
Stir all of the ingredients together. Strain into an old-fashioned glass or a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with an orange slice.
Heather Freyer When it comes to aperitifs and classic cocktails like the Negroni, look no further than Bombay Sapphire Gin. The botanicals found in Bombay Sapphire Gin create a complex harmony that makes this the drink of choice for those of a discerning character. Bombay Sapphire is meticulously crafted and all 10 of its handselected botanicals are certified sustainable in 2021. Whether you are getting a head start on National Negroni Week, Sept 14–20, or are just looking for a delicious and simple way to enjoy
This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market August Is Farmers’ Market Month
HONEYDEW MELO
By Debra Morris
Photos by Rink
The first week of this month, August 1–7, was Farmers’ Market Week, but we are taking the whole month to celebrate and thank the farmers and the community who have supported their local farmers’ market through this last year. The resilience of small farmers during this past year of pandemic, drought, and farmers’ market closures has been truly remarkable. Their commitment to bringing fresh wholesome produce to their local community, their inherent love of farming, and their can-do spirit have been inspiring.
This past year, farmers’ markets saw a large increase in the use of EBT benefits and Market Match programs. With the loss of many jobs due to pandemic closures, the need for fresh produce increased exponentially. Last year, over $1,000,000 in benefits were distributed at PCFMA markets, with over $900,000 in EBT/Market Match/ 26
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1/2 cup mint Juice of one lime 3 cups water or coconu
t water 3 cups honeydew, cube d and frozen, from a small, ripe honeydew Combine ingredient s in a blender and purée until smooth. Also delic ious with a jig ger of gin or white rum.
During the pandemic it has become clear that local food systems with short supply chains are a necessity and can adapt to change. Throughout the pandemic, local small farmers continued to grow and harvest crops, altering their methods or growing patterns as they adjusted to the “new normal.” Corporate food systems were not nearly as flexible when it came to supplying the public with their products because of lack of transportation and product availability. Farmers’ markets provide one of the few direct-to-consumer entry points for new farmers, ranchers, and other local products, allowing them to start small and grow their business. Growers who sell locally and directly were able to hire more workers and grow their crops more sustainably this past year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
1 cup baby spinach
WIC benefits to over 6,800 participants. The Market Match program doubles the value of your EBT purchases, so your budget stretches further. The need for these programs is evident. As the state of California has opened up and farmers’ markets are back in business, farmers are planting crops, deAU GU ST 1 2 , 2 0 2 1
livering their produce to farmers’ markets, and are welcoming customers. Customers have returned in greater numbers than before as they rediscover the importance of their local farmers’ market to the community and their health. Throughout the Bay Area, communities have strengthened their relationships with farmers and farmers’ markets, now making them a more essential part of their community than ever. We have our dedicated farmers and their ability to grow quality produce to thank for that. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in California!
This month we are featuring melons and corn, which are both at their peak of deliciousness. There are many varieties of melons available at your local farmers’ market, not all of which are familiar but should be enjoyed. Cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew are the most familiar, but others are equally tasty. Uncommon varieties like bitter melon, Korean melon, and winter melon are some varieties you should try. Other delicious varieties are Golden Dew, Hami and Golden Hami, Galia, Orange Dew, and Canary. Discover something new to add to your recipe repertoire. Visit your Castro Farmers’ Market this Wednesday evening for juicy watermelon from Arata Fruit out of Byron, cantaloupe from Fifth Crow Farm of Pescadero, and sweet Brentwood corn from G&S Farms. Thank your farmers for persevering so that you can have the best in local fresh produce. Thanks also to farmers’ market customers who have hung in there and supported their local farmers and farmers’ markets through it all. Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/
Six at 6 ... PM That Is!
Sbrocco Sips Leslie Sbrocco
is a pink sapphire-hued sparkler made from primarily Glera (the grape most used in Prosecco) and a dash of Pinot Noir imparting lovely color. It’s succulently fruity with strawberry and spice notes. Considered one of the best producers of Prosecco, the Bisol family is known for the highest quality. This is a bubbly beauty to sip alone for a cocktail or to pair with fiery fare and brunch dishes.
Whether you’re living in the San Francisco fog or the inland heat, you can quench your thirst with these six sips for cocktail hour or dinner. Pinot Perfection Both of these unique wines made with Pinot Noir are perfect to pour and chill out on hot days or kick off a cool night of enjoyment.
American White & Red From Virginia and California, these bold and beautiful wines are proudly American. 2019 Bluestone Petite Manseng, Virginia $25 https://tinyurl.com/4rz2jha5 People in California are spoiled by our local wine selections, but there are stunning wines made across the country from New York to Texas to Washington. This singular white hails from Virginia. Both historic and bucolic, Virginia wine country is a place to be explored. Start with one of the state’s signature white grapes: Petite Manseng. This version is lush yet vibrant with fullbodied flair from fermenting and aging in oak barrels. It’s a special sip to seek out.
The latest star wine category from Italy is pink Prosecco. This one
Try these exceptional drinks to explore the wine and spirits world from light and bright to smooth and sumptuous. Cockburn’s Porto Branco Fine White Port, Portugal $15
https://www.roberthallwinery.com/
One of the best (and easiest) thirstquenching cocktails you can make is White Port and Tonic. It’s a drink I discovered on my numerous trips to Portugal because it’s what the Portuguese drink on hot days. Sipping a glass of White Port brings the taste of Portugal home and Cockburn’s version is my favorite. Most Port is red, rich, and delicately sweet. This unique dry, fortified wine is made with white grapes in a Port style. It’s delicious by itself when chilled, yet try adding 2/3 tonic to 1/3 White Port and add a twist of lime or sprig of mint. It’s lower in alcohol than a Gin and Tonic but with similar character. Saúde!
Robert Hall Winery is a stunning spot in California’s “other” wine
Michter’s Small Batch US1 Bourbon, Kentucky $45
https://leftcoastwine.com
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Spirited Picks
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2020 Left Coast White Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon $24
2020 Ruggeri Prosecco “Argeo” Rosé DOC, Italy $16
country—Paso Robles. If you are anywhere near the Central Coast, make sure to plan a visit. Even without stopping by you can soak in the flavors of Paso with this affordably priced, award-winning red. It is an impress-for-less wine that will leave you immensely satisfied. A blend of red grapes including Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Grenache (and more), its dark berry fruitiness is complemented by a savory herbal note and rich finish. It’s a perfect pairing for anything hot off the grill.
White Pinot Noir? Yes! Producers can make the well-known red grape in a white wine style (they do it in Champagne all the time). This is a distinctively different white made, however, by cool crushing the Pinot Noir bunches quickly, so they don’t soak in the deep color of the grape skins. Then the wine is vinified into a dry style with gorgeous aromas of white flowers and peaches with a crisp, minerally finish. This is definitely a wine for those in the know.
2018 Robert Hall Winery “Paso Red” Paso Robles, California $20
https://tinyurl.com/ea5nn5z2 Bring on the Bourbon, baby! That’s the way I feel about one of the world’s favored whiskeys. Bourbon is a corn-based spirit and it’s globally appreciated for its sweet and spicy smoothness. Michter’s ranks at the top of my Bourbon list. Their US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon blends up to 20 barrels for each batch and is only released when their tasting panel gives its stamp of approval. The name—US1— is an ode to Michter’s heritage as America’s first whiskey company. This brown spirit captures Bourbon’s best with aromas of caramel and apricots finished with sultry spiciness on the palate. Sip alongside aged cheeses for a night of pure pleasure. Author, speaker, wine consultant, and television host Leslie Sbrocco is known for her entertaining approach to wine and food. She has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on PBS, which includes hosting the series "Check, Please! Bay Area" and "100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations." www.LeslieSbrocco.com
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Castro Snapshot
Photos by Rink
Since the late 1960s, San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink has been capturing images in the city, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ community. These days, you will most often find him in the Castro, on Polk Street, Upper Fillmore, Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, and wherever noteworthy LGBTQ-related events are taking place. Often, however, everyday happenings are the subject of his images, and especially during this pandemic time. In this issue, for example, he captures moments in the Castro at Harvey’s, Fable, Cove on Castro, Cafe Mystique, Tanglad, Super Duper Burgers, and the popup store Freedom. Look for him during Shared Spaces in the Castro on Sundays when traffic is blocked on sections of 18th Street between Hartford and Collingwood, and on Noe Street between Market and Beaver. (Shared Spaces is a multi-agency program of San Francisco’s Economic Recovery Task Force that allows merchants and community groups to use sidewalks, full or partial streets, and other nearby public spaces like parks, parking lots, and plazas for restaurant pick-up and other neighborhood retail activities allowed under San Francisco’s Public Health Orders.) For an updated list of all Shared Spaces locations, go to: https://www.sfmta.com/projects/shared-spaces
QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 21)
D) all of the above When the history-making issue was published, Bloom wrote on Instagram: “I dedicate this cover to all ballroom femme queens past, present and future. Many girls like us don’t have the chance to live our dreams, or to live long at all. I hope my cover empowers those, who are struggling to be seen, feel valued.”
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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, "We absolutely must take into custody those routers ... er ... I mean rioters that have damaged our democracy!” PHATIMA RUDE MEMORIAL - A CELEBRATION OF LIFE was held on August 1 at the Public Works SF. Our beloved Phatima Rude passed away of natural causes on May 18, 2021. Their life was their art. Longtime family and friends, Kevin Sniecinski and Paul King, Mistress of Ceremony, Raya Light, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc., and Kochina Rude helped to manage the Live Drag Show. Performances and memories shared at “Wreck and Ruin, Beauty and Glamour” A Night of Remembrance for the Legendary Phatima Rude, included: The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Raya Light, Peaches Christ, Glammamore, Juanita MORE!, Matt Flynn, and a full lineup of drag performers such as Putanesca, Hallow Eve, Abortia Klinik, Noveli, Trixxie Carr, Krylon Superstar, Suppositori Spelling, Fauxnique, Raya Light, Kochina Rude, Zania Morgan and The Vivid, and a host of others. PrEP, PrEP, Cheerio! It’s tea time and RuPaul Drag Queen Trixie Mattel is serving Oscar Wilde, Bridgerton realness in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SALLY with Navaris Darson. Hilarious! https://tinyurl.com/82x5y5rn A new DAILY KOS/CIVIQS polling finds an eye-popping number: 80% of GOP voters “agree with former President Donald Trump’s claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.” Among the broader electorate, 39% say the election was stolen, while 55% say it was not. For an inspirational history lesson, check out GAY MEN’S CHORUS TOURS AMERICA ‘81, 40th Anniversary Reunion of the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS tour across America in 1981. https://tinyurl.com/ku8znesj San Francisco-based social, charitable Mardi Gras club KREWE DE KINQUE (KDK) has closed its books on a year of fundraising for the Q FOUNDATION, having raised $7,155 during the COVID19 pandemic. We giving circle members had crowned King & Queen XVII Omar Kubian and Diana Wheeler at our annual BAL MASQUE XVIII on March 7, 2020, just days before the city implemented business closures due to the COVID19 pandemic. But the ongoing shutdowns and curfews didn’t stop our club’s mission to raise funds in the spirit of Mardi Gras, with an emphasis on emergency relief. Soon after, KDK selected the Q Foundation as its beneficiary and quickly pivoted to produce creative virtual benefits. The Q Foundation is a nonprofit technology company providing rent payment processing in the social sector. It believes in a world where all people have a safe, decent, and affordable home. Toward that vision, they prevent homelessness by helping people keep the housing they have, provide resources to secure new housing, and promote public policy to expand opportunity for all. Over the past
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17 years, it has become one of the leading agencies providing emergency rent assistance in the Bay Area. In response to the COVID-19 housing crisis, they provided over one million dollars in emergency rent assistance in June 2020 alone. https://theqfoundation.org/
Honoring the life and legacy of artist, activist, From our ever-expanding collection of never-before-seen images poet, feminist, teacher, of Sister Dana comes one from photographer Paul Margolis preand GLIDE Co-Founder senting Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) with AGUILAS leaders (left to right) Juan Davila, Eduardo Morales and Leandro Janice Mirikitani Gonzales. The joyful occasion was REAF’s annual holiday seawill be THE son show in 2019. CELEBRATION OF PRIDE AT WORK is saddened THE LIFE OF JANICE to hear the news of the passing of MIRIKITANI on August 15, AFL-CIO President Richard L. 12:30 pm. GLIDE MEMORIAL Trumka, who dedicated his life to CHURCH is a spiritual community fighting for working people across the rooted in liberation and built on a country and around the world. He radically inclusive faith tradition that was an ally to LGBTQ working peowelcomes all. The event will be liveple as well, speaking loudly and often streamed at about the need to pass the Equality https://www.facebook.com/glidechurch Act and other LGBTQ inclusive legTHEATRE RHINO will Zoom islation. Within the labor movement, a reading of STUCK on Tuesday, he was an advocate for LGBTQAugust 17, at 7 pm. Jacob Charles inclusive contracts and reminded has just received news that his union leaders of the need for better girlfriend of three years is expecting inclusion in our ranks. their first child, but he can’t seem to LOCKDOWN COMEDY continues stop having dreams about someone its Zoom show on August 19 with else, Michael. He tries to unpack all an all-star lineup: Jason Stuart of these thoughts through therapy. (LA), Vijai Nathan (Washington, Little does he know that his therapist, Whitney Armstrong, is going through D.C.), Dan St Paul (SF), producer her own problems trying to manage a and comic Lisa Geduldig (back in SF after a year plus locked down relationship with a married woman. in Florida with her mom), and, of http://therhino.org/ course, mother Arline. Right-wing talk-show host Elder https://tinyurl.com/ahe2mr7f is the leading candidate to replace THE 25TH ANNUAL SF DRAG Governor Gavin Newsom in KING CONTEST marks its Silver the September 14 Recall. Elder has Anniversary with a cavalcade of stated: “No mask and vaccination stellar, jaw-dropping Kings celmandates when I become governor.” ebrating all things queer, kooky, Polls show that Newsom is basically kinky, and colossal. MC’s Sister tied against the recall effort, and Roma & Fudgie Frottage host while Republicans are eager to vote, the extravaganza on August 22, 7 The San Francisco Chronicle reports pm, at the Oasis—featuring spethat despite Democrats having a 2–1 cial guest Mo B. Dick, star of John advantage, they aren’t paying attenWater’s Pecker and founder of tion or planning to vote at the rates DragKingHistory online. Contestants we need them to in order to win. include Meatflap, Titus If Elder wins, it is game over for Androgynous, Tyson Check-in, California in this pandemic. We will Lotus Boy, Cosimo, and more. become another Texas or Florida, It’s a benefit for PAWS (PETS ARE rejecting science and suffering wave WONDERFUL SUPPORT) and after wave of the virus, while people ROCKET DOG RESCUE. die and small businesses crumble. http://sfdragkingcontest.com/ Sister Dana sez, "We utterly In the 1970s, five men struggling MUST vote NO on the recall with being gay in their Evangelical when it comes in the mail. We church started a Bible study to help cannot afford the recall—both each other leave the “homosexmonetarily and politically!” ual lifestyle.” They quickly received QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus suggests gun owners kill people going International, the largest and most door-to-door encouraging vaccinacontroversial conversion therapy tions: “ ... in the South we all love organization in the world. But leadour Second Amendment rights. And ers struggled with a secret: their own we’re not really big on strangers showing up at our door, are we? They “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as Christian supermight not like the welcome they get.” stars in the religious right, many Sister Dana sez, "What must we of these men and women have now do to get Marjie Q and her other come out as LGBTQ, disavowing QIdiots out of Congress?" the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys A new analysis finds that the GOP of former conversion therapy leadcan win control of the HOUSE next ers, current members, and a survivor, year by gerrymandering districts NETFLIX’s riveting documentary, in just four states where the GOP PRAY AWAY (the Gay), chronicontrols redistricting—a process cles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to that begins later this month when power, persistent influence, and the the CENSUS BUREAU releases profound harm it causes. its nationwide data. But there’s still hope: The Senate can pass a ban on partisan gerrymandering—which even Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia supports—before the new maps take effect for the next decade, but Democrats have only a matter of weeks left to act. And they›ll have to end or create an exemption to the filibuster to pass the ban with all Democratic votes.
Get your motor running on August 27 for Divas & Drinks at THE ACADEMY for “DYKES ON BIKES® 45TH ANNIVERSARY” celebration! For this special event hosted by Donna Sachet, Dykes on Bikes® will roar down to 2166 Market Street to receive welldeserved commendations. https://tinyurl.com/p2mfpwcs
Sister Dana sez, "Bust the filibuster!!!"
ART HOUSE SF GALLERY is now open at 2324 Market Street in
the Castro. Owner Max Khusid says he has traveled all over the world in search of artists. While not specifically from LGBTQ+ artists, Khusid notes the artists’ perspective is valuable. “They live in different parts of the world, so they see things a little bit differently than us,” said Khusid. https://www.arthousesf.com In a 6–3 vote, every conservative justice on the Supreme Court took the side of those who seek to suppress the vote by refusing to crack down on efforts to block oppressed communities from exercising their right to vote. Sister Dana sez, "Let�s pack the Supremes with progressive judges, and I nominate President Barack Obama for the first one!” S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
AUGUS T 12, 2021
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AfroSolo Arts Festival 2021 The annual AfroSolo Arts Festival, held this year on Saturday, August 7, at Yerba Buena Gardens, featured Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids in “Dream Keepers Awake!” Ackamoor, a multi-talented musician, actor, tap dancer, and producer, plays both alto and tenor saxophones. The program, which was described as an “Afro Futurism Dance Party to Afro Beat, Fund, World Music, Jazz and Cosmic Funk,” attracted an audience of spectators who, when not on their feet dancing, enjoyed the show from the provided seating area at Yerba Buena Gardens’ Esplanade. AfroSolo Festival Executive Director Thomas Simpson received a proclamation from Mayor London Breed declaring AfroSolo Arts Festival Day. For more about the AfroSolo Arts Festival: https://thomas-simpson-zq0o.squarespace.com/ Idris Ackamoor YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ackamoor
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Photos by Rink
Round About - All Over Town
Photos by Rink
CASTRO STREETCAM presented by
The Lookout’s balcony remains a popular destination in the Castro. Guests enjoyed the sunshine and views on Sunday, August 1.
Beloved companions are a welcome sight in the Castro, including this French bulldog, who was led across the Rainbow Crosswalk at 18th and Castro Streets on August 1.
http://sfbaytimes.com/
Cable cars are in intermittent service throughout August, but the iconic cars, such as this one at Van Ness and California Streets, are free to ride this month.
Dog Eared Books Castro has Kenneth C. Springirth’s book San Francisco’s Magnificent Streetcars on display in the front window.
An ad on the newsrack at Noe and Market Streets advertised the new all Black drag show, Reparations$ now at Oasis monthly on second Fridays.
Get ready for a picnic at Dolores Park or a Stern Grove Festival concert with these fabulous outdoor Oniva blankets from Picnic Time. They are available in two sizes: 59” x 51” for $21.99 and 70” x 80” for $34.99.
After a long year and a half, are you ready to start planning your next international adventure? Play cards and start learning a new language with Lingo Playing Cards for $12.99. Terrasol on California Street at Larkin features rainbow masks, equality mugs, and other colorful items.
W The Orbit Room on Market Street at Laguna is hosting a popular Trivia Night at the nearby Lunar Lot.
A street sign concerning Gilbert Baker’s rainbow flag was in front of the Edge bar on Sunday, August 1. The gay leather bar Powerhouse at 1347 Folsom Street was promoted on a Big Belly trash can on Saturday, July 31.
Signs calling for proof of vaccination–such as ones posted at Cinch Saloon on Polk Street, Oasis on 10th Street, and 440 Castro on Castro Street - have emerged in recent weeks.
e want to express our continuous gratitude to our community for supporting us for the last 85 years. Without you we wouldn’t be here and we are here for you. It is our sense of community that helps us keep going even on those days when we would rather hide under the covers. Thank you!
A launch event for LeatherWalk 2021 was held on July 29 at the Eagle bar. Embedded in the front sidewalk is the Eagle’s famous logo. LeatherWalk 2021 will be held on Sunday, September 19. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy
Dykes on Bikes
®
45th Anniversary Party
Friday, August 27, 6pm–10pm The Academy 2166 Market Street Tickets are required (1 ticket per admission) for this limited-capacity, general admission indoor-outdoor event.
About the Event
Get your motor running on August 27 for Divas & Drinks @ The Academy “Dykes on Bikes® 45th Anniversary” celebration! For this special event hosted by Donna Sachet, Dykes on Bikes® will roar down to 2166 Market Street to receive well-deserved commendation. We’ll toast to 45+ more years with drinks curated by Bacardi VP Heather Freyer and foods from Grubstake. Music by DJ Rockaway of “Play” and Olivia Travel fame, and much more for this indoor/outdoor (private garden!) event that will debut the second in our series of collectible shot glasses honoring historic SF lesbian bars.
Where are the women in the Castro? Rev up your engine, hug the curves, and come join us @ The Academy!
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area
CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
“Dykes on Bikes” and the Dykes on Bikes logo are trademarks owned by San Francisco Dykes on Bikes Women’s Motorcycle Contingent, register and/or applications pending in the United States, Europe, Australia and many other countries. No copying of the Logo or any content here is permitted. Unauthorized reproduction is punishable by law.