San Francisco Bay Times - October 5, 2023

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2023)

October 5–18, 2023 http://sfbaytimes.com

California’s First Openly LGBTQ United States Senator

DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

Divas & Drinks Halloween Party

Friday, October 27, 6–10 pm @ The Academy

2166 Market Street (between Sanchez & Church)

A super group of top Bay Area women musicians, Shake It Booty Band, will be making their D&D debut! These women comprise one of the most entertaining, rollicking, funky, disco-down dance bands to hit the scene. Plan your Halloween outfit now!

IN MEMORIAM

Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Life and Career Were Inextricably Tied to the LGBTQ Community

Today, October 5, 2023, the funeral for Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023) was held at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in the Herbst Theatre.

President Joe Biden, a longtime friend and colleague, previously ordered that the flag of the U.S. be flown at half-staff at the White House and at numerous other sites, including at embassies and facilities abroad. The honor demonstrates the scope of her lengthy career, which included serving as:

• San Francisco Supervisor (1970–1978) and President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1978);

38th Mayor of San Francisco (1978–1988);

• United States Senator from California (1992–2023);

• and serving as Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, Senate Narcotics Caucus, and Senate Intelligence Committee; among other roles.

So many of us of a certain age remember the shocking moment, in 1978, when then San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Feinstein broke horrific news to the world: “Both Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot and killed,” she told a gasping and crying gathering of reporters. “The suspect is Supervisor Dan White.”

She had discovered his body and attempted to take his pulse, telling colleagues later of the passing while in shock herself, Milk’s blood still on her hands. Already a champion for gun control, she fought for it relentlessly throughout the rest of her career.

In terms of her stance on LGBTQ+ rights, the following is just a brief summary from her office describing some of her work over the decades.

Marriage Equality

In 1996, Senator Feinstein was one of only 14 senators to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. She chaired the first congressional hearing on repealing DOMA and was the lead Senate sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to repeal DOMA. She also led a congressional delegation in filing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to find bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges

Rink Remembers

San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink, who covered Dianne Feinstein’s political career for more than five decades, was invited by her, during the years when she served as San Francisco mayor, to events at her home, office, and campaign locations. Rink’s memories of her range from funny to poignant to inspiring, and we are proud to present just some of his original images of her taken in the Castro, at City Hall, and beyond.

LGBTQ+ Equality in the Military

Senator Feinstein was a consistent opponent of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibited LGBTQ+ service members from disclosing their sexual orientation. Senator Feinstein continued to champion LGBTQ+ service members after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed in 2011. She strongly opposed President Trump’s attempts

to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military.

Equality Act Support

Senator Feinstein supported the Equality Act, which would expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in public accommodations and facilities, employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation.

Worked to End Discriminatory Adoption Laws

Senator Feinstein cosponsored the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would prohibit discrimination against would-be foster parents and adoptive parents based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Diversified Data Collection

Senator Feinstein supported the LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act, which would require federal agencies to collect demographic information on the LGBTQ+ community to asses needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Workforce Equality

She voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, known as

ENDA, which would ban employers from firing, refusing to hire, or discriminating against workers or applicants based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Helped to Define Hate Crimes

Senator Feinstein was a strong supporter of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal hate-crime laws to include crimes motivated by gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

A Loss That Goes Beyond Politics

Several of us who grew up in the Bay Area and/or who have lived in San Francisco for several years have personal memories of meeting with Senator Feinstein. A member of our team, for example, had an office for many years in the San Francisco Federal Building, and fondly recalled Senator Feinstein’s kindness during meetings and just casual moments, such as impromptu conversations in the elevator. Outside of the limelight she loved nature—a hobby was painting animals and flowers that caught her eye—and was fiercely loyal to her friends, including Hillary Clinton, when few in the Democratic Party showed meaningful support beyond surface level statements to the press.

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Laphonza Butler Makes History as the First Black Lesbian to Serve Openly in the U.S. Congress

Governor Gavin Newsom on October 1, 2023, announced the selection of Laphonza Butler— the President of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List—to complete the United States Senate term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024.

Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor leader, and advocate for women and working people, is now the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate. She is also be the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history and the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate following Vice President Kamala Harris.

“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” said Governor Newsom. “As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for—reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence—have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C.”

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

President Kelley Robinson said, “The appointment of Laphonza Butler to the Senate is a landmark moment in the fight for social, racial, and economic justice. As the first Black lesbian to represent California in the United States

Senate, Laphonza brings a compelling voice for abortion rights, the labor movement, and civil rights into Congress. Her leadership is a testament to the legacy of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s strong record of pro-LGBTQ+ support.”

Robinson added, “The threats to reproductive freedoms and LGBTQ+ families emanating from the Supreme Court and anti-equality politicians are twin crises that require immediate attention, and Laphonza Butler is an exceptional advocate on both of these issues. We thank Governor Newsom for making an excellent choice in Laphonza Butler to succeed Senator Feinstein.”

Actor and LGBTQ activist George Takei wrote, “This is a proud moment for the LGBTQ+ community because Butler is a prominent Black lesbian political organizer!

A former labor leader and a well-

regarded figure in state politics for nearly 15 years, Butler was the former leader of California’s largest labor union and an adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris. In 2021, she took the helm at EMILY’s List to help elect female candidates and supporters of reproductive rights.”

Butler comes from a working-class family. Her father, who was a smallbusiness owner, was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died when Butler was 16 years old. Her mother was the household’s sole provider, working as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard, and a bookkeeper to provide for Butler and her two siblings.

With her selection to the Senate, Butler has stepped down from her role as President of

EMILY’s List, where she was the first woman of color and mother to lead the organization. Prior to joining EMILY’s List, Butler ran political campaigns and led strategy efforts for numerous companies, organizations, and elected leaders—including for Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Butler was a key leader of Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign. For more than a decade, she served as the president of the largest labor union in California—SEIU

Local 2015—a union representing more than 325,000 nursing home and home-care workers throughout the state.

Previously, Butler served as President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW) and also as SEIU’s Property Services Division Director, in which she was responsible for the strategic direction of organizing on behalf of more than 250,000 janitors, security

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‘Tis the Season

In Case You Missed It

If you’re reading this, that means you have survived Folsom Street Fair, Castro Street Fair, and any number of other events, but there’s more around the corner. It’s gala season, and street fair season, and the fall arts season all rolled into one. And Halloween is just around the corner. This community is renowned for its generosity. Yes, there are plenty of parties and celebrations, but the mantra always seems to be hey, as long as we’re having a party, let’s raise money for a good cause at the same time. Every night, every weekend, throughout the city and the Bay Area you will find events geared toward making life better for someone, somewhere. Here are just a few: there are many more if you look around.

Russian River Pride 2023 Built on Community and Heart

The best community events arise from the heart of the community itself. Over the past few years, the Russian River has endured more than its share of challenges. Fires. Floods. Violent storms. And all while

coping with the physical, emotional, and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the folks who live there are nothing if not tough, resilient, and big-hearted. After all the heartache and hard work, they are ready to party, and are inviting the world in for Russian River Pride 2023.

The Russian River Alliance, including a core team of about 25 volunteers, has been working hard to create not just a festive event, but also one that supports local nonprofits. In less than three months, they have raised over $75,000 to produce Russian River Pride 2023. That amount includes contributions to each of five organizations serving all the people of West Sonoma County, including the Guerneville Library, Food for Thought Food Bank, Watch Duty Wildfire Alert System, Guerneville Youth Center, and the Russian River Alliance Workforce Fund.

The weekend of events that constitute Russian River Pride 2023 will culminate in a parade on Sunday, October 15, at noon on the main street of Guerneville, followed by a tea dance on the beach hosted by Juanita MORE!, with special guest DJ Lady Ryan. The event will also include performances by Dulce de Leche, Miss Rahni, Mr. David Glamamore, Nicki Jizz, and VERA!

In addition to the official Russian River Pride 2023 events, the weekend will feature food booths and vendors, and a number of additional happenings including: portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on display at a health fair sponsored by West County Health Centers; a Clean and Sober Lounge at Outlaw Barber and Beauty; a Flag in the Map exhibit sponsored by the Oli Gallery and the Gilbert Baker Foundation, featuring a photographic display of rainbow flags around the world; a Rainbow Camp for all ages at Johnson’s Beach Campground; the Russian River Pride Senior Brunch sponsored by West County Community Services; a Women’s Weekend Pop-Up Pool Party; and showings of Milk and Moonlight at the Monte Rio Theater.

Funding for Russian River Pride 2023 has come from a variety of businesses large and small, labor unions, and partner organizations. The organizers give a special shoutout to the Guerneville business community for their support.

After all they have been through, the Russian River community is showing that they know how to pull together not just during the tough times, but also to celebrate the good times, creating a weekend that will benefit all of the communities of the lower Russian River, as well as providing a wonderful experience for visitors from all over. For details and more info: https://russianriverpride.org/ Speaking of Communities with Heart ...

On September 22, the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco celebrated its 50th anniversary with a festive gala at the California Academy of Sciences. The history of this organization has been celebrated here in the San Francisco Bay Times for the past several months with articles by Kippy Marks sharing the Ducal Council’s rich lore, year after year representing 50 years. On September 22, much of that history was on display, as generations of titleholders and their supporters gathered to celebrate their heritage.

I was particularly struck by a speech by Landa Lakes. She talked about how the checks they distributed to organizations might sometimes seem small, but how, for small organizations, every dollar counts. She described the Ducal Council’s humble beginnings at drag shows, raising money for local nonprofits, literally one dollar at a time—and how the Council would take that dollar and hand it back to the community.

It’s that kind of heart that has kept the Ducal Council an essential component of the community for 50

years. Congratulations to all, and here’s to your next 50 years.

https://www.sfducal.org/

Calling All Volunteers: Bearrison Needs You

Bearrison Street Fair is coming up on Saturday, October 14, and they need your help. “Many paws make light work,” says Bearrison. They are looking for over 150 volunteers to help produce this large street fair. Not only are you bound to have fun and meet great people, but also every shift completed will earn money toward a nonprofit or charity of your choice. And bear hugs will abound.

Bearrison Street Fair was created in 2021 by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Bears of San Francisco to provide an inclusive event for all LGBTQ+ adults and promote body positivity. The event seeks to build a more supportive, welcoming, and inclusive bear scene by representing a diverse arena of cultures. For info, and to sign up to volunteer: https://www.bearrison.org/ Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

More Resources Targeting Organized Retail Theft

gle investment to combat organized retail crime.

Assemblymember Phil Ting

Videos shown on news outlets and social media across the state have captured large groups of thieves stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise in a matter of minutes. The crime can be devastating to the business, traumatic for workers, and unsafe for shoppers. The loss often leads to higher prices for consumers.

To help crack down on these brazen smash-and-grabs, the state is stepping in with funding I championed with Governor Newsom that targets these crimes. Nearly $270 million in grants has been awarded to 55 law enforcement agencies to increase arrests and prosecutions of these cases. This is California’s largest sin-

These grants can be used to staff retail theft investigative units, install advanced surveillance technology, train loss prevention officers, create new task forces, foster increased cooperation with businesses and the community, and conduct blitz operations. Many Bay Area jurisdictions will receive some of this state funding, including $15 million for San Francisco police. The city can address persistent staffing shortages by hiring more personnel and allowing overtime for patrol officers. They’ll also be able to purchase additional vehicles and equipment.

Included in the $270 million grant program is funding to thirteen district attorneys’ (D.A.) offices with each receiving $2 million for vertical prosecution. That means the D.A. will be hiring or assigning staff dedicated to major retail theft cases, rather than assigning these cases to multiple attorneys as they pass through the system. San Francisco is one of the recipients, and the office has indicated they will use the money for a fully dedicated prosecutor and investigator, both assigned to the city’s repeat and group offenders of retail theft.

Instead of the cases being distributed in the D.A.’s general felonies group, a vertical system allows the new staff to familiarize themselves with store managers and workers, while developing the ability to identify witnesses. These relationships could be key to successful convictions. The D.A.’s Office also says these extra resources will help them build strong cases against fencers and resellers that make these crimes lucrative.

The $270 million is distributed over three years with the first installment going out this month. This state support from arrest to conviction is critical to the efforts in stopping organized retail theft, and it helps ensure law enforcement has the resources they need to stop it. I know there are other criminal activities that need similar attention, and the Legislature is looking at more ways to enhance state/local partnerships to help make our neighborhoods safer.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the west side of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City, as well as part of South San Francisco and San Bruno.

Oakland Lowers Speed Limits in Commercial Districts to Save Lives

Department of Transportation (OakDOT) Director Fred Kelley, and other city leaders announced the first 11 locations that will see reduced speed limits and safer streets.

Out of the Closet and into City Hall

Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan

A new state law (AB 43) enables Oakland to lower speed limits in high traffic areas in the city. On September 25, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Janani Ramachandran, my office, Oakland

San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany was among the Bay Area LGBTQ+ community members at Moffett Field in Mountain View on Tuesday, September 26, to welcome President Joe Biden as he arrived aboard Air Force One. The President’s schedule included several campaign events during his two-day visit.

We celebrate the implementation of AB 43 on the local level. I have long been an advocate of tools to create safer streets, such as speed bumps, roundabouts, and lower speed limits. In fact, in 2021, I authored legislation in support of AB 43 ( https://tinyurl.com/cn5tfv5a ). So, I would like to thank OakDOT for implementing this important law and helping to make our streets safer by lowering the speed limits. It is a well-established fact that by lowering speed limits, the number of traffic fatalities are correspondingly lowered.

“The traffic safety epidemic disproportionately impacts our historically underserved communities,” said Fred Kelley, Director of OakDOT. “That is why we are implementing lowered speed limits in business activity districts in our highest priority equity neighborhoods first and prioritizing locations on the High-Injury Network.”

As part of implementing AB 43, OakDOT conducted a detailed analysis to identify more than 50 corridors totaling 25 + miles in Oakland that are eligible for 20 or 25 MPH Business Activity District speed limits. OakDOT anticipates implementing signage in all identified eligible Business Activity Districts, as feasible, by the end of 2025.

Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://tinyurl.com/2dtjmazc ) and Facebook ( https://tinyurl.com/2p9dd5ta ).

Latinx Heritage Month in San Francisco

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

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

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WRITeRS

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National Hispanic Heritage Month began as a week-long celebration under President Johnson and was expanded to a month by President Reagan 20 years later. The monthlong observance provides more time to properly recognize the significant contributions that Latinx Americans have made in the U.S.

In 2013, KQED created a documentary series called Latino Americans that I recommend watching. Read on for additional recommendations here in San Francisco during this Hispanic/ Latinx Heritage Month.

San Francisco’s Mission District is a virtual outdoor art gallery full of vibrant murals. Take a stroll to see the murals up-close and to enjoy nearby restaurants and attractions. Some of my favorite murals are at: 1) Balmy Alley, between 24th and 25th Streets, and Treat Avenue and Harrison Street; 2) Clarion Alley between 17th and 18th Streets, and Mission and Valencia Streets; 3) 24th Street and South Van Ness Avenue for the Carnaval Mural; 4) 3543 18th Street for The Women’s Building Maestra Peace Mural; and 5) 2981 24th Street for the Precita Eyes Muralists arts and visitor center.

The 15th San Francisco Latino Film Festival, happening now through October 15, features virtual and in-person film screenings, visiting filmmakers, panels, meet-ups, and more. The festival is organized by Cine + Mas SF and is produced by Lucho Ramirez.

Locations include the Roxie Theater, Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, and the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. The center, located at 2868 Mission Street, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It makes the arts accessible as an essential element to the community’s development and well-being and focuses on supporting and promoting the full spectrum of Latino arts, including visual and graphic arts, music, theater, dance, writing, poetry, and cultural festivals.

El Rio was voted for decades as the best LGBTQI+ bar by various newspapers and organizations. As you probably know, it is a queer run community space, an event space, a gathering place, a venue, a Mission mainstay, and many other things to many people. Its exterior building was painted by Juan Manuel Carmona. On the 2nd and 4th Sunday afternoons from 4 to 8 pm there is live Latinx music.

The Latinx Cultural District in San Francisco became official in 2014 with Calle 24 and encompasses the stretch of 24th Street running from Mission Street to Potrero Avenue. It boasts a vast number of colorful and unique specialty stores, restaurants, taquerias, Mexican bakeries, fresh produce grocers, butchers, cafés, and art galleries, as well as the greatest concentration of murals and Latinx businesses in the city.

Calle 24 was created in 1999 and its current president is Erick Arguello,

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month

who was AGUILAS’ Program Coordinator for 25 years. The nonprofit represents the work of longtime residents, merchants, service providers, and arts organizations. Travel the length of “El Corazón de la Misión,” or The Heart of the Mission from Mission Street to Potrero Avenue, and depending on the time of year, enjoy various activities such as those during Carnaval and the Día de los Muertos for a richness of culture unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Roccapulco, located at 3140 Mission Street, is a large entertainment venue and is the home of the best international shows and dancing with live bands and entertainment.

Club Puertorriqueño de San Francisco, Inc., is a Puerto Rican Social Club located at 3249-A Mission Street in San Francisco. Incorporated on February 25, 1912, it is the oldest Latina/ Latino/Latinx organization in the U.S. Its goal is to conserve and promote the values and culture of Puerto Rico by keeping its culture alive through various activities.

AGUILAS, located on the fourth floor of the SF LGBT Center on Market Street, is dedicated to creating a supportive, culturally sensitive environment for LGBTQI Latinxs.

Founded in 1991, AGUILAS pioneered a comprehensive HIV prevention and education program in 1994 and has La Academia, which is a leadership development program funded by the ViiV Foundation. It is the only agency in San Francisco that offers all its services in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. There are numerous wonderful places in the city to sample cuisines from various Latinx countries such as Café de Casa in the Castro for Brazilian food, Lolinda for Argentinian dishes, El Metate for Mexican food and their famous mole dishes on weekends, and Dianda’s for pastries and for ordering special cakes. Enjoy what San Francisco has to offer during Latinx Heritage Month and beyond.

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

Legacy Business Plaque Unveiling –La Méditerranée Noe

Alicia Vanden Heuvel and the entire staff at La Méd Noe, as the restaurant is affectionately known in the Castro neighborhood, is wearing its new Legacy Business Plaque with pride.

Founded in 1981 and serving continually since, La Méd Noe received its Legacy Business status in 2019, joining a list of others based in the Castro, including Cliff’s Variety, Marcello’s Pizza, For Your Eyes Only, Anchor Oyster Bar, Scarpelli & Associates Physical Therapy, Moby Dick, Castro Village Wine Co., Beck’s Motor Lodge, PO Plus, The Cove on Castro, the San Francisco Bay Times, and more.

District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Rick Kurylo; program manager of the Legacy Business Program; and others joined in the unveiling on Monday, September 2. The new bronze plaque was installed on the restaurant’s exterior.

The Legacy Business Program is a groundbreaking initiative of the City and County of San Francisco that recognizes and preserves longstanding, community-serving establishments that have contributed to San Francisco’s history and identity.

GLBT Fortnight in Review

Give It Up, Catholics!

I never know what to say when the Pope does something relatively nice for our community, emphasis on “relatively.” I gather we are on the brink of a significant three-week synod at the Vatican, where GLBT issues are part of the agenda. As such, some conservative cardinals have been pressing His Popeness for a clarification of his tepid views on samesex unions, which he provided earlier this year and released to the public on October 2, The Washington Post (along with a zillion other outlets) reported.

“The Church has a very clear conception of marriage: an exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the begetting of children. Only this union is called ‘marriage,’” he wrote according to an official translation. “For this reason, the Church avoids any kind of rite or sacramental that could contradict this conviction and give the impression that something that is not marriage is recognized as marriage.” So, um, nix on the gay union business.

“In dealing with people, however,” he went on, “pastoral charity, which must permeate all our decisions and attitudes, must not be lost. The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made up of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot become judges who only deny, reject, exclude.”

“For this reason,” he continued, “pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage. Because when a blessing is requested, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better.”

Woah Nelly! This sounds like the green light for a vague unofficial blessing of some sort! Pinch me!

“Although there are situations that from the objective point of view are not morally acceptable,” he continued, “pastoral charity itself requires us not to treat as ‘sinners’ other people whose guilt or responsibility may be attenuated by various factors that influence subjective imputability.”

Say what? “Subjective impunity?”

I don’t have the time or energy to parse this knotty expression, which apparently comes from “St. John Paul II, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 17.” Let’s just say that I’m less than overwhelmed with the Pope’s comments, which generated the usual excited headlines that arise whenever he says anything that lacks the tone of unadulterated hostility that usually permeates Vatican statements about gay things.

“He’s telling us that there’s a chance!”

Underwater

At first glance, this week does not offer up any blockbuster GLBT community news stories, which is always a relief these days. It also makes my job harder, requiring me to a) string together numerous minor items, or b) wander into the realm of unrelated musings.

Let’s just start, though, with a 2–1 ruling out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where, as expected, the panel ruled that Tennessee and Kentucky can go ahead and ban healthcare for transgender kids under 18. Earlier this year, the same panel issued a preliminary injunction, allowing these laws to be enforced during litigation, and sending a strong signal that the majority (one George W. Bush and one Trump nominee) leaned against

Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and their clients. That injunction is now confirmed and the case will continue, but not before the whole kit and caboodle likely winds up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Eleventh Circuit has also ruled against trans kids, while the Eighth Circuit and several lower federal courts have taken our side.

Can I just admit to you right here that I am having trouble keeping up with transgender law? It was hard enough back in the day when I juggled a dozen or so marriage equality cases in state and federal courts, but at least the marriage cases were invariably centered on the same group of legal issues.

Now, we have transgender health cases, transgender sports cases, transgender discrimination cases, drag bans, bathroom cases, and all sorts of other areas of dispute. I was just investigating the Eighth Circuit’s trans-friendly healthcare ruling a minute ago because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a sports ruling.

I myself have been writing that the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of trans health last year, setting up a so-called circuit split that could send the matter to the High Court. But as I was checking on this Sixth Circuit decision, I kept reading that lower federal courts had issued trans friendly decisions but I didn’t see the far more significant Eighth Circuit mentioned. Why? Was I wrong? I wondered, recalling in horror, the many times I have repeated this information to my trusting readership. Are you following this? No? I’m barely following it myself and I’m the one writing it.

While I was looking for the Eighth Circuit health ruling, (which was indeed a preliminary injunction blocking Arkansas’ transgender health ban), I discovered a new decision from the same court striking down a friendly school district policy that aimed to protect trans kids against parental interference and bullying. What’s this? Turns out the policy of the (Iowa) Linn Mar Community School District was a) mostly gutted by a “parental rights” bill passed by the state legislature earlier this year, and b) impermissibly vague since it mandated “respect” for transgender students without providing a clear context. Well, okay, I understand that. But that illustrates another problem with tracking trans cases. The areas of law might vary with every situation. That school case came down to a First Amendment issue. Many trans cases, particularly in schools, involve Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination.

The full Fourth Circuit just heard two cases asking whether a state can refuse to insure transgender health services; one from West Virginia, where the state-run Medicaid program is under review; and one from North Carolina, where the state employee insurance plan is seeking to avoid coverage.

Those raise completely separate issues from your run-of-the-mill trans case and they’re both actually quite different. Or how about the anti-discrimination clause in Obamacare that seems to guarantee equal treatment for gay and trans patients? Does it? Courts want to know! And finally, I am hard pressed to remember who is seeking a temporary injunction and who is seeking a permanent injunction and where the merits cases might stand and what else is under review because it’s often unclear to me. Some of these decisions are close to 100-pages, of which only six contain the relevant information and those are scattered haphazardly around the file.

Oh, and by the way, I completely forgot to cover that full Fourth Circuit hearing, even though I’ve been writing about it for months. I only remembered just now while blather-

ing on about how hard it is to track transgender law.

Spinning Off Track

After all that, may I be forgiven for skipping the two federal drag ban rulings out of Texas? One judge struck the ban, while our old friend Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, he of abortion pill fame, upheld it. That’s all I’ll say. I’m not reading those rulings.

Anyone have kids or grandkids?

Then let’s talk about Paw Patrol, or actually, let’s talk about the Paw Patrol spin-off, Rubble and Crew, where woke writers have added a non-binary character, generating the usual humphs. My grandchildren have aged out of this genre, but I have always preferred Wonder Pets to Paw Patrol, just based on the jingle and Ming Ming’s sing-song expression: “This. Is. Sewious.” To this day, my wife and I will sometimes quote Ming Ming when remarking on a household matter of some gravity.

And, by the way, when I was a kid, whatever I was watching was promptly switched off when a parent came home regardless of my protests. The TV was either turned off, or switched to boring news programs. I recall fantasizing about the day when I could watch cartoons all the time if I felt like it. Here I am all grown up, and in our families, it’s the kids who decide what to watch. How did that happen? I think I’ve complained on this score in prior columns.

Returning to Rubble and Crew, (did you think I was done with this?) the character of River appears to be a standard tomboy, but they wear blue and pink socks, which evoke transgender colors. According to the rightwing Washington Examiner, writer Lindz Amer confirmed, or maybe triggered, the Examiner ’s suspicions on Instagram:

“I wanted to write a non-binary character that was aspirational and incredibly cool, someone for the pups (and kids at home) to look up to,” she wrote. “They found an awesome non-binary actor to voice River, and

I have the definite feeling that the anti-woke contingent would not even have noticed this development were it not for Amer’s post, but now the socks are center stage. “It may sound alarmist,” writes whoever it is in the Examiner, “but if you’ve spent any time watching children’s content in the past few years, you’ll be painfully aware that it’s true: Creators are trying to find out if they can incrementally spread gender and sexuality-themed agitprop and get away with it. The mandate for parents is clear: Don’t let them.” Agitprop! That’s one of the many words that I believe I know, but have to look up anyway. It’s a combination of “agitation” and “propaganda” invented by the Soviets. Hah! I knew there was something insidious about it. First Khrushchev, now River.

Life in These United States

Josh Kruger, a gay freelance journalist, was killed in his South Philly home the other night, shot seven times by an intruder who remains unidentified. Kruger, 39, was an advocate for the GLBT community and covered homelessness and addiction, both of which he had suffered himself years ago.

I thought at first that this might have been a hate crime, but I see in The Philadelphia Inquirer that Josh had been hounded by an ex earlier this year, and recently, some unhinged stranger, calling themselves “Lady Diabla, the She-Devil of the Streets,” came to his house looking for someone and threatening him. In August, someone threw a rock through his window, so it seems that his life was pretty frightening. Whatever the story, it’s sad. He seems like he was a pretty nice guy, and a brave one. Let’s see what else. The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a new guideline for foster care, requiring state foster care agencies to make sure that kids who come out as GLBT are not placed with

antigay foster parents. That’s the gist of the regulation, which obviously concerns those kids old enough to have an orientation to begin with.

“The proposed rule would protect LGBTQI+ youth by placing them in environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status,” said the Department in an overview. “And the proposed rule would require that caregivers for LGBTQI+ children are properly and fully trained to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”

Sounds pretty standard, n’est-ce pas? Not according to “news busters,” whoever they are, who claim in their headline that the suggested: “HHS Will Remove LGBTQ Foster Kids From Homes That Don’t Affirm Their Delusions.”

The HSS statement, this person writes, “indicated that HHS will do all it could to ‘Protect LGBTQI+ youth in foster care.’ Yup. The HHS wants to help kids who are probably already suffering from mental health issues from having to be pulled from their family home, continue on a negative mental health path. Really seems like they aim to put ‘children’s well-being first …’ NOT!”

I bet if I looked around, I could find a dozen more reactions of this nature. “Essentially,” our news buster continues, “if a foster family doesn’t think it’s best for their foster child to get his penis turned into a vagina, the child will be removed from the home and placed in one who will help affirm their delusion.”

Today, there is nothing our community can do, say, write, or advocate that will not generate public outrage, litigation, ranting, false articles, ballistic social media posts, or even violent acts. We have no choice but to prepare for the continued onslaught, and as the British once said in a time of crisis, keep calm and carry on. arostow@aol.com

I’m so so happy about how it turned out.”

The Grand Ducal Council is to be congratulated on a spectacular weekend, starting with their 50th Anniversary Gala on Friday, September 22, at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Nearly the entire museum was open for the hundreds of guests, dressed as instructed in camp and royalty, to wander and take in the amazing collection of flora and fauna on display.

Even the white crocodile was ready to greet us! Once inside, we were treated to an amazing three-dimensional reproduction of the Grand Ducal seal and a table featuring Grand Duke Kippy Marks’ San Francisco Bay Times articles about each of the 50 reigns. A lavish buffet meal, followed by a short program, took place in the center atrium, where it was announced that the current reign had raised $100,000 for charity. 50th Anniversary Chair Grand Duke Patrick Noonan and his hardworking committee delivered a memorable evening for all.

The following night, the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway’s Emerald Ballroom hosted Grand Ducal Coronation 49, themed Pop Art at the Pushkin Museum, inspiring many colorful ensembles on hundreds of attendees. Grand Duke Gregg Starr & Grand Duchess Kelly Rose pulled out all the stops for a wonderful step-down, including opening remarks and awards from Queen Mother of the Americas Nicole the Great, entertaining command performances, visiting courts from as far as Georgia and Canada, and moving last walks. Even our own Absolute Empress XXXI Cockatielia was decked out in fabulous drag! Our new Grand Duke Rayson Roldan & Grand Duchess Christina Ashton were crowned with all the accompanying pomp and circumstance

to great acclaim at an amazingly reasonable hour, allowing everyone to spread across the city to celebrate.

Concurrent with the Ducal activities were the many events surrounding Folsom Street Fair on Sunday, September 24. We segued into Leather for Magnitude late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Although some might have cautioned us about taking on too much in one weekend, how glad we were that we went to this Brian Kent Production at the long-abandoned car dealership at Market and Van Ness. DJs Morabito, Brady Prince, and Boomer Banks outdid themselves. There was incredible music as well as mood shifts, phenomenal lasers, and other lights, and the stark architectural space with its packed dance floor was gorgeous! Don’t worry; we left shortly before 3 am.

That very morning was our 25th annual Pre-Folsom Brunch, again this year at the lovely home of Briggs Hawley, completed only with the fantastic support of Mark Paladini, Don Ho Tse, Gary Virginia, and Ray Tilton. Photographs all over social media convey the atmosphere much better than any words we could compose here; it was electric! Leather titleholders from far and wide, as well as scores of supportive friends, packed the house for three hours, eating, drinking, and socializing like we haven’t done since the advent of COVID-19. Surprisingly, Ray had set up quite a little speaking program, including Mark Leno, State Senator Scott Wiener, and International Mr. Leather Lenny Broberg, as well as giving us the rarely presented Leatherto-Leather Award. In addition, Ray had privately asked each guest to bring a red rose for us and we were delightfully inundated. Thank you to all who attended and to all who had a hand in making this event such a success!

Usually, after such a conglomeration of events, we take a day or two to recover, but not this time! We co-hosted with our new friend Cream the 73rd annual San Francisco Council of District Merchants Gala at The Green Room of the War Memorial Building, chaired by its President Masood Samereie, attended by Mayor London Breed, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Dorsey, Myrna Melgar, and Aaron Peskin, and many other city officials, as well as a host of active businesspeople. An air of optimism pervaded the room. This is a group that has not given up on San Francisco and rightfully so. The gala included cocktails and tasty hors d’oeuvres, a short program of awards and recognitions, and wonderfully lively music from Wobbly World. Not to mention incredible views of City Hall and the full moon! What a night!

The next night we caught the always entertaining Varla Jean Merman at Oasis in Stand by Your Drag. Varla’s inventive take on the current political climate against drag and so many other trends was right on point, keeping the audience in stitches and with something to think about as they went home. With colorful costuming, witty rewritten lyrics, and amazing vocal talents and stage presence, Varla is entertainment at its best! We attended with Desmond Perrotto and visited with Matthew Martin, Jonathan Moscone, Matthew Goudeau, and many others.

Friday night was Divas & Drinks at The Academy, probably one of the most historic and memorable of these monthly events, since we were thanking the legion of volunteers who made up the Bay Times SF Pride Parade contingent and honored legendary singer and activist Linda Tillery. Representatives from the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley each presented Mayoral proclamations declaring it Linda Tillery Day!

Now that’s historic! But the peak of the evening was sitting in the East Wing of The Academy surrounded by so many well-known local female musicians as they joined Linda in an extemporaneous explosion of music. Dee Spencer, Barbara Higbie, Melanie DeMore, Terrie Odabe, Sharon Washington, and more created a beautiful tribute to Linda and captured the audience in love.

Thanks to all who came and participated, including Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson, Commissioner Debra Walker,

Saturday, October 7

Jerry Roberts Celebration of Life

Lenny Broberg & Audrey Joseph host

Eagle Tavern, 12th & Harrison

2 pm Free!

Saturday, October 7

Love Shack: Empress Take-Over

Hosted by Cockatielia, Alexis & Chablis

Drag show & surprises

Beaux, 2344 Market Street 4:30–7:30 pm Free!

www.sfimperialcouncil.org

Sunday, October 15

Emperor Steven Dorsey’s Sock Hop

Open show, food, surprises, collecting new socks

Benefiting SF Night Ministry

Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, 133 Turk Street 4–7 pm Free!

www.sfimperialcouncil.org

Saturday, Oct, 21

Krewe de Kinque fundraiser

Benefiting Rainbow Honor Walk Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street 4–7 pm Free!

Edward Wright from the Office of Vice Mayor of Oakland Rebecca Kaplan, Michell Jester, Dr. Marcy Adelman, and so many more. We raised some money to help with Linda’s mounting medical expenses and we reminded her of exactly how important she is to so many people.

And Saturday night, we joined the Imperial Family for the 51st Mr./Miss/Ms./Mx. Gay Pageant at the Hyatt Regency Downtown SOMA. Mx. Gay SF Ashle Blow, Mr. Gay SF Josué Henriquez, Miss Gay SF Rahni Nothingmore, and Ms. Gay SF Bobbee Trans Mooremon all stepped down and after completing all the categories of competition; Mr. Gay Josue Henriquez will serve for another year and our new Miss Gay SF is Nikita Vega. Thank you to the judges and all who supported and attended this long-standing Imperial competition. We barely have room to mention our final event: the Castro Street Fair! Suffice it to say that the perfect weather, packed crowds, and busy Castro businesses made for a very happy Sunday. What better way is there to usher in the Fall Season and the gradual, but unavoidable, revival of the neighborhood? Get out there and see for yourself!

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

“Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation. It means you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arise.”

—The Dalai Lama

(continued from page 4)

Not everyone got to see this side of Senator Feinstein, and we have heard some LGBTQ community leaders express anger and frustration over her position on various issues or her not regularly attending certain community events. But for those who did experience it, including President Joe Biden, the loss is very personal. As he said, “Senator Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American. A true trailblazer. And for Jill and me, a cherished friend. Dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared, and never pulled a punch, but she was also a kind and loyal friend, and that’s what Jill and I will miss the most.”

officers, window cleaners, and food service workers across the country.

Butler also served as an SEIU International Vice President and President of the SEIU California State Council.

President of the SEIU Local 2015, Arnulfo De La Cruz, issued the following statement on October 1 concerning the appointment of Butler to the Senate: “Today is a proud day for SEIU 2015 and hundreds of thousands of caregivers across California as our dynamic and inspiring former President of over a decade, Laphonza Butler, was appointed by Governor Newsom to fill the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein.”

Artshot

Abby Zimberg

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/

He continued, “Laphonza has been steadfast in her dedication to improving the lives of everyday Americans and bringing longterm care workers, women of color, and immigrants out of the shadows and to the forefront of our national conscience where they belong. Laphonza will bring a fresh perspective to the U.S. Senate from her decades of experience in the labor movement fighting for racial and economic justice, as well as her experience being a mother and serving as an inspiration for young women of color everywhere.”

“Laphonza’s tenure as President of SEIU 2015 and SEIU California was inspirational and impactful—

she achieved historic victories, including the passage of the nation’s first $15 statewide minimum wage that changed the lives of millions of Californians, for which Laphonza’s leadership was honored by President Obama,” he added. “At this pivotal moment, pro-worker voices like Laphonza Butler are absolutely imperative to ensure progress for working families. We look forward to seeing the impact we know Laphonza will have in her new role.

Butler was the former Director of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System. In 2018, she was appointed to the University of

California Board of Regents by Governor Jerry Brown, where she served until 2021. She served in various other roles, including as a board member for the National Children’s Defense Fund, BLACK PAC, and the Bay Area Economic Council Institute, and as a fellow for the MIT Community Innovators Lab. As De La Cruz indicated, Butler was named a “Champion for Change” by President Barack Obama.

Butler received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Jackson State University. She is married to her wife, Neneki Lee, and together they have an 8-yearold daughter, Nylah.

Jonah, the Whale, and Coming Out

confused, and all slimed up with fish bile, the artist has Jonah rolling out of the fish’s mouth with strategically-placed, clean, dry clothes, without a trace of whatever was in the ginormous fish’s stomach, offering up for the viewer, a bit of cheesecake on his exit.”

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation

A few weeks ago, I had a revelation—the shocking similarities between the Bible story of Jonah and coming out. It knocked me right upside the head. I’m sure some of it had to do with National Coming Out Day right around the corner. I was in Wichita, Kansas, of all places, conducting a big choir and orchestra festival for the Plymouth Fine Arts Series. The festival is hosted by the Plymouth Congregational Church. Growing up Southern Baptist, I knew little about other denominations and was taught they were almost all on a slippery slope right down to the devil! Turns out the Congregationalists are pretty cool.

I am what the evangelicals call “unchurched,” but along with the big concert, I agreed to direct the choir at the Sunday morning worship service. I was stuck in the choir loft with no chance of escaping between the singin’ and the preachin’. I was especially dreading the sermon when I saw the front cover of the bulletin (that’s church-speak for program). It featured a full-color rendering of Jonah being spit out by a whale. I couldn’t wait to see the pastor’s take on this story (sarcasm). I also couldn’t help noticing that, in the painting by Pieter Lastman (1583–1633), Jonah is super-hot. He was obviously able to continue his workout routine while inside. Muscle daddy prophet. I digress.

There I was on the front row of the choir facing the congregation. I could not nap or text or browse Facebook. Then the very formal Senior Pastor, Dr. Donald P. Olsen, stepped forward in dignified, imposing black clerical robes. He began with a deep voice that commanded the room. Within moments, his dry wit spilled out all over the lectern. Imagine my relief when, a few moments later, he said, “We know Jonah’s story is pure fiction, myth, legend, that was probably told in times of uncertainty, decision, and soul searching. The story never happened. But it’s truer than true. Because it happens every day—in every kind of situation.”

He said exactly what I had always thought about Jonah’s tall tail [sic] and other Bible stories. Disney used that same story with Geppetto and Pinocchio. The only differences were that it was a giant dogfish instead of a whale and Geppetto was having a lovely dinner in the fish’s nasty stomach instead of working out. Dr. Olsen added a little critique on the bulletin cover painting. “Instead of depicting him as dazed,

Dr. Olsen went on to describe Jonah as someone who had “a choice between a comfortable—and a meaningful life.” I perked up some more, thinking about my own LGBTQIA+ community. We have choices—not just coming out, but what we will do once we have come out. Hold that thought. Jonah’s choice was between Tarshish—the easy option, preaching to the choir as it were— and Nineveh, the more difficult path and more difficult message to deliver.

Dr. Olsen described Jonah’s (and our) dilemma. Jonah could take the easy way and “sail for Tarshish. It’s in the South of Spain, on the coast of the beautiful Mediterranean. There are beaches there and cabana boys who will bring you a margarita or a Corona with a slice of lime. You could get all tanned and relaxed and happy—but maybe empty too, maybe a little lost.”

Or Jonah could take the more difficult path to Nineveh where the folks were obviously high drama and dysfunctional, but also in need of someone to shake them up by telling them the truth as uncomfortable as that might be.

My thoughts immediately wandered to members of our own community. Here we are with National Coming Out Day around the corner. I thought about how we encourage folks to come out. It’s not the easy road; it’s no Tarshish. There is danger of getting swallowed up by some awful whales on the way. Most certainly, when people take the courageous step of coming out, they are often swallowed up and then spit out by all manner of people—church, family, friends.

It then hit me that, while the choices Jonah had could be applied to coming out, they had as much or more to do with after coming out.

After we’ve done the hard job of coming out, Jonah’s choices are still ours. My heart aches to see large swaths of our LGBTQIA+ community choose only the easy, party life, ignoring the reality of the larger picture. The law of thirds says that in any organization or movement, a third of the people are fully engaged in the fight, a third go along when it’s convenient, and you can expect a third of the folks to literally do nothing to advance the cause or be involved.

This will not work. We’ve seen what happens. We’ve seen people being elected or elevated to positions of power who would love to see us disappear—even if that means death.

And somewhere between one-third and two-thirds of our chosen family does not choose to engage or help or, God forbid, fight the good fight.

I am encouraging you to use this National Coming Out Day, October 11, to assess where you are. I might even be so bold as to say, “Don’t

you be doing to further the cause of justice and equality for your queer family? It’s not enough just to be counted in our numbers. We need everyone engaged in our fight. Our rights are slipping away before our eyes.

Of course, all of us are not born to be crusaders, politicians, use a bull horn (thank you, Harvey Milk) or sing in a gay choir. But every single one of us can:

1. Stay informed.

2. Speak out.

3. Volunteer.

4. Donate.

5. Vote.

Dr. Olsen assured us that, “We all deserve the Mediterranean trip with the margarita. But sometimes, we are called to practice truth in the face of falsehoods.” How about this idea for Coming Out Day? Figure out how much of your time you spend on fun. Spend an equal amount of time on making a difference. If you are going to take a cruise to Tarshish, also plan to do something to make a change in Nineveh. Calculate how much money you spend on vacations, parties, the things that make you feel extra. Spend or donate an equal amount supporting queer organizations, issues, even politicians. Spending anywhere close to 50% of our disposable income on basic, human rights would be a game changer for our community and world.

The folks in Nineveh needed to hear from Jonah. Had he not been swallowed by a whale, who then spit him out, who would have delivered the message? If not you, then who? Before ever risking whale swallowing and spitting, we can simply choose to share the truth with those who need to hear it. This comes to coming out. Are you out to family, friends, work colleagues? It may be uncomfortable, but all those people (residents of Nineveh) must hear from you. Only when all of us are willing to stand and be counted, will we truly make progress. It depends on you.

Unlike Jonah, I think we can have it all—the fun of Tarshish and the important, life-changing work of Nineveh. Let’s let our fabulous frivolity give us fuel for the meaningful work of LGBTQIA+ activism and change. And if we can, let’s skip the whale in between.

I want to thank Dr. Olsen for his amazing sermon and for his permission to quote it for this article. I know he did not write it for National Coming Out Day, but it gave me lots of fodder for thought from a completely unexpected source. I might even go back to church sooner than later. I can’t wait to hear how they spin a loving God killing off an entire planet except Noah and the animals. I’m still upset that unicorns missed the boat!

encourage others to come out until you have fully embraced your own place in our movement.”

What have you done to make a difference for yourself and others in our community? If all you do is chase the fun part of being queer and out, we all lose. What could

Finally, let’s celebrate National Coming Out Day. It’s a day of joy and courage and many of us wouldn’t be here without it!

Dr. Tim Seelig is the Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. http://www.timseelig.com/

Community Treasures From the GLBT Historical Society Archives

Coming Out and Coming In

On June 25, 1978, recently elected San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk stood before a crowd gathered for the Gay Freedom Day celebration (the precursor to today’s Pride events) and gave one of his most remembered speeches. He ran through the list of lies and myths about queer people and invited those gathered to push back: “Gay brothers and sisters, what are you going to do about it? You must come out ... . Come out to your relatives. I know that it is hard and will upset them but think of how they will upset you in the voting booth ... . But once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions.”

More than 40 years later, the same myths Milk described are still in wide circulation, and anti-LGBTQ activists have introduced hundreds of bills that would use those myths and distortion as the basis for law.

October is LGBT History Month, and October 11 is National Coming Out Day—a holiday first celebrated a decade after Milk’s speech. This month,

we want to invite folks to come out and to come in—to visit our museum and learn about the incredible history of folks pushing for greater equality; to explore our online resources and celebrate the heroes and everyday people who have built the world we inhabit today.

And we hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 14, at Reunion, our fall gala. Hosted by Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma, Reunion is an opportunity to gather to celebrate our vast queer past, while honoring the history makers who move our communities forward. The funds raised at Reunion help us keep our history alive, and push back against the lies and distortions our enemies continue to spread about us. Tickets and additional information are available at https://rb.gy/mq9zf

The photos seen here are from one of the more than 1,000 individual archival collections held by the GLBT Historical Society that reveal a vast array of LGBTQ life, history, and culture. We make these community treasures available to all at our archives downtown and at our museum in the Castro district. To book your visit, or to make a contribution to support our work, visit https://www.glbthistory.org/

Castro Street Fair 2023

The 49th Annual Castro Street Fair was held on Sunday, October 1, 2023, and featured a lineup of entertainers at the stages as well as food and beverage booths and information and merchandise booths presented by nonprofit groups and small businesses.

The fair this year included an expanded “footprint’ extending on Market Street, Castro Street, and 18th Street, as the street space used continues its return to pre-pandemic levels.

Performers included annual favorites CHEER SF and the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, and numerous others who performed on two stages that also featured local DJs and drag artists.

The San Francisco Bay Times gives special thanks to our volunteer team led by Juan R. Davila that included Miguel Lopez, Leticia Lopezz, James Martinez and Irene Francés. Thanks also to all who stopped by to say hello while making their way through the fair this year.

Founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. The fair takes place on the first Sunday in October, so mark your calendars now for Sunday, October 6, 2024.

https://castrostreetfair.org/

Celebrating 30 Years of Dedication: Shannon Minter’s Milestone Anniversary at the National Center for Lesbian Rights

“Principled,” “brilliant,” and “quirky.” Those are just some of the words that Shannon Minter’s colleagues used to describe him, but probably the most accurate would be “muchbeloved.”

In the realm of LGBTQ+ legal rights, few names are as heralded as Shannon Minter’s. For three remarkable decades, Minter has been a driving force behind the legal greatness of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), championing equity, justice, and legal rights for the entire LGBTQ community.

As we celebrate his 30-year work anniversary at NCLR, it’s not only a time to honor his unwavering commitment to fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community and our families, but also to look back on the monumental progress made under his guidance as the organization’s hard-working and unstoppable Legal Director.

Minter’s journey with the NCLR began in 1993 when he joined the organization as a staff attorney directly out of law school. At the time, no one knew the major impact he was going to make on the LGBTQ legal world over the next three decades or that he would become one of the most influential and revered figures in the LGBTQ+ legal world.

One of Minter’s most monumentally significant achievements was his work on the groundbreaking legal case In re

Marriage in California. This case was instrumental in laying the foundation for marriage equality in the nation’s largest state, marking a historic moment in LGBTQ legal history. His legal brilliance, tireless advocacy, and dedication to the movement played a pivotal role in the ultimate victory for marriage equality not only in California but also in all 50 states. However, Minter’s impact was not confined to just the Golden State.

During his time at NCLR, he worked tirelessly to dismantle discriminatory laws and fight for legal equity across the United States. From challenging adoption bans to advocating for transgender rights, his passion for justice, access, and equity has been a driving force behind numerous precedent-setting legal victories that have changed the world for countless LGBTQ individuals.

NCLR’s Senior Staff Attorney Amy Whelan waxed poetic when asked to describe some of Minter’s biggest achievements, saying that he “has been involved in every major victory for LGBTQ people and their families over the past three decades. He litigated some of the earliest family law

cases protecting gay and transgender parents, employment discrimination cases, housing discrimination, and bullying and harassment cases involving LGBTQ students.”

“His work has literally touched every aspect of LGBTQ people’s lives, from fighting conversion therapy and winning nationwide marriage equality, to challenging the U.S. military’s ban on transgender servicemembers,” she added. “Shannon has also worked tirelessly behind the scenes on LGBTQ-related policies and education, including in faith communities, at schools and universities, and in rural communities around the country.”

Another of NCLR’s colleagues, NCLR Supervising Help Line Attorney Ming Wong, also was effluent about Minter’s work ethic, calling it “strategic” and “unwavering,” and noting that “Shannon has protected countless young people from being harmed by abusive institutions ... or being permanently separated from their completely loving and competent non-biological parents—the lifelong impact of that work cannot be overstated.”

In addition to his legal prowess, Minter’s leadership qualities have been instrumental in NCLR’s reputation for punching above its weight class in the LGBTQ nonprofit world. Under his guidance, the organization has grown and evolved, expanding its reach and influence. NCLR has become a formidable force in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, with Minter as the Legal Director, steering it toward ever-greater wins both in and out of the courtroom.

Minter’s influence also extends far beyond the courtroom. Since transitioning himself, he has served as a tireless advocate for trans rights. His outspokenness of his own trans existence helps to raise awareness and understanding of the unique challenges faced by transgender Americans and his work has contributed to greater visibility and acceptance of transgender people every day.

Beyond his legal work, Minter has been a source of joy and inspiration on social media. Many people have learned to ardently follow Minter on X (formerly Twitter) not only for his never-failing dedication to LGBTQ legal analysis, but also for his pure adoration of all the amazing dogs, cats, and other animals he has taken in and raised over the years. It’s an understatement to say that he is now followed up as much for love of animals—which he regularly shares pictures of—as for his keen legal mind.

As we celebrate Minter’s remarkable 30-year work anniversary at NCLR, we not only honor his achievements

but also recognize the lasting impact of his legacy. His dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community have been instrumental in advancing the cause of equality and justice for all.

Looking ahead, Minter’s work is far from finished. As his colleague Amy Whelan noted about his work ethic, “I’m not sure he sleeps. I hope he does but I’m not sure how he could accomplish all that he does without compromising on sleep.” Minter is keenly aware that the fight for LGBTQ rights is nowhere near complete, and as we navigate new hurdles, particularly during a year when more than 600 anti-LGBTQ bills were filed in state houses around the country, his leadership and expertise remain invaluable as he continues to make strides toward a more inclusive and just society.

Minter’s 30 years of service at the NCLR are a testament to his unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and the LGBTQ community. As Minter is leading NCLR’s legal cases challenging anti-LGBTQ bills in several states including Arizona, Alabama, Florida, and Kentucky, his commitment to the movement has never been more important—which is good for all of us, because he shows no signs of slowing down or giving up the fight for our rights. Cheers to 30 years, Shannon!

Christopher Vasquez is the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Director of Communications.

Round-the-Clock Celebration of Banned Books

Across the country, people who believe in free speech have been rising up to fight back against the epidemic of book bans that has swept the U.S. this past year as part of the antiLGBTQ+, anti-trans, anti-“woke” campaign by far right extremists to abolish anything that doesn’t fit within their extremely narrow world view.

Good news: Here in San Francisco, Fabulosa Books on Castro Street is holding a round-the-clock reading of banned books to shine a light on their antics, and encourage people to celebrate queer literature.

Their bannedbook marathon, Read for Filth, will take place at their store at 489

Castro Street from 10:30 am on Saturday, October 7, to 10:30 am Sunday, October 8. The 24-hour series of events will include activities for all ages, scheduled at different times of the day and night. All are welcome and encouraged to participate. While they have posted a preliminary schedule of events, activities will be added regularly until October 7, so check their website for the most upto-date information.

Besides being a defiant gesture in the face of rampant censorship, Read for Filth is a fundraiser for Books

Not Bans, the bookstore’s program for sending LGBTQ+ books to red states. To date, Fabulosa Books has sent books to Tulsa, Cheyenne,

Charleston, Ft. Mey ers, Hattiesburg, and Montgomery. Each box is filled with 20 new and popu lar queer books that are a mix of current titles and classics.

Bex Hexagon, events man ager for Fab ulosa, and the creator of Books Not Bans, said, “It is very easy to feel powerless, but books show us a road to what is pos sible, and stories save lives. This event is an affirmation of hope and our resilience as a community.”

Fabulosa Books owner Alvin Orloff said, “We may be far from the worst of the book bans and anti-LGBT bigotry, but we can do our part to support our community. If I can help the kids of today weather the stupidities of Ron DeSantis and Don’t Say Gay, you bet I’m going to do it.”

The event will begin at 10:30 am on October 7 with programming for families, including Drag Story Hour.

The San Francisco Public Library will have a representative on hand to register people for library cards. Saturday afternoon will feature a series of readings and poetry from across the community. They will have a lineup of authors, performers, and members of community groups reading poetry and stories, as well as

musicians and an opportunity for attendees to read as well.

Queer Bedtime Stories and Sister Roma will be among the

Saturday night from 9:30 to 2:30 am will feature an in-store party, with DJs, as well as drag host Delilah Blackheart and special guest performance artists. A donation is requested to attend during those hours.

Also, from 9:30 pm until whenever, as part of the in-store party, guests will read from All Boys Aren’t Blue, one of the most banned books in America. Plans are to read all 327 pages until they finish it. The event will end by 10:30 am on Sunday with coffee and donuts.

The event is scheduled to coincide with Banned Book Week, an annual occurrence created by the American Library Association (ALA) that celebrates the freedom to read, in opposition to book bans. Book bans are increasingly common and restrictive, targeting works that affirm LGBTQ+ identities, as well as books about racism and other systemic injustices.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in this event (especially in the wee small hours!). This is a neighborhood event, with national resonance. Sign up, people! For info, and to sign up: info@fabulosabooks.com

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

Celebrate

Intellectual

Freedom With the San Francisco Public Library

Banned Books Week ends on October 7, but the San Francisco Public Library will continue to step into the national debate with public programs and displays designed to raise awareness about the ongoing challenges to intellectual freedom.

“While not prevalent in San Francisco, the increase in book banning across the country, particularly challenges to books that affirm LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities, is of grave concern to everyone,” said City Librarian Michael Lambert. “This movement to remove certain titles from the shelves of schools and public libraries is fundamentally un-American. San Francisco Public Library is lifting up Banned Books Week this year, because these threats to intellectual freedom are a threat to our democratic values. We want our patrons to get involved in protecting the ability for every member of our community to read freely.”

Dear Banned Author

Write a letter or a postcard to your favorite banned and challenged authors, sharing how their words have impacted you. For teens. October 5 at 4 pm, Portola Branch, 380 Bacon Street, San Francisco.

Panel: The Right to Read

The Library and Litquake will host a panel of children’s and YA authors who will discuss what it is like to write as a creator whose work has been banned or censored. Authors will include MariNaomi, Sarah Hoffman, and Jasmine A. Stirling, in a discussion moderated by Ian Hoffman. For adults & teens.

October 7 at 11 am, SF Main Library, 100 Larkin Street, Koret Auditorium, Lower Level.

Paint Your Feelings About Banned Books

Let your sentiments on book banning unfold onto the canvas. Materials will be provided and the paintings will be displayed at the Branch, if you wish, then collected at a later date. Ages 10 and older. Space limited. Reservations preferred: 415-355-2898. October 21 at 10:30 am, Ingleside Branch, 1298 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco.

Banned Books Button Maker

Celebrate Banned Books Month and learn about our freedom to read. Design and create your own button and make one for a friend. For children ages 5 and older. Octo ber 24 at 4 pm, Merced Branch, 155 Winston Drive, San Francisco.

https://sfpl.org/

Banned Books Month

Let My People Know

people. The easier and cheaper printing became, however, the easier it became to share new ideas and different views of the world, including some that might offend prevailing public attitudes and threaten the powers that be, who could do something about it.

Faces from Our LGBT Past

“He who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself.”

—John Milton, Areopagitica, 1644

For hundreds of years, the guardians of other people’s minds and morality tried to make sure that “the love that dare not speak its name” did not speak at all. Authority forbade books about women loving women and men who loved men. Publishers refused to print them. Authors feared to write them. It was not only same-sex intimacy that could not be acknowledged. An entire world of individuals was made to disappear.

Johannes Gutenberg, who in ca. 1452 produced the first book in Europe printed from movable type on a press, probably was also the last publisher not to worry about his work being censored or banned outright by secular authority or canon law. Even with its accounts of fratricide, mass annihilation, adultery, incest, rape, betrayal, and much more, Gutenberg’s Bible was praised by both church and state; it sold out quickly. Gutenberg’s technical achievement created an ever-expanding world of information that demanded less and less expensive books, pamphlets, broadsides, and handbills that could be read by or to more and more

Censoring same-sex content began early and transformed even classic texts. Before Marsilio Ficino published The Platonic Theology in Florence in 1482, his commentary on Plato’s Symposium, he completely erased the homoeroticism of the original; men no longer had a sexual attraction to each other, only a spiritual one. The first English translation of the Symposium itself, published in 1761 and revised in 1804, went

Frankenstein, translated the Symposium in 1818, when he was 26, but his manuscript was not published until 1840, after his widow and the essayist and critic Leigh Hunt created a bluepenciled version of it that changed “men” to “human beings”; “love” to “friendship”; “his beloved” to “the other”; and deleted any text that could be read as homoerotic. Shelley’s true text did not appear until 1931—in a private edition of one hundred copies.

Plato and Shelley were not the only great authors who were rewritten or censored to remove any sense of homosexuality. Before Michelangelo’s homoerotic love poems were published in 1623, his great nephew, who edited them, heterosexualized them by replacing the pronoun “he” with “she” as the object of affection every time it appeared. Worse, he simply did not include most of the passionate verse his famous relative wrote remembering Cecchino Bracci, his beloved student. A corrected edition of the poems did not appear until 1863.

Shakespeare’s first editor did the same thing to his sonnets in 1640; women, not men, became and remained the object of affection in the only available edition for the next 140 years, after which the “experts” denied any homoeroticism in the text for another two centuries. Even now, some scholars argue that the first 126 sonnets, devoted to Shakespeare’s “fair youth,” a “lovely boy,” cannot be about same-sex desire because there was no concept of sexual orientation or gay identity then.

between men and women might or might not be acceptable, but authors, editors, and publishers understood they were not allowed to include any mention at all of homosexuality in their books.

The most consistent, concerted effort by government to ban books began in the mid 19th century, after the introduction of the penny press in Great Britain and the dime novel in the United States made reading matter available to almost anyone who wanted it. The first modern, secular English law against obscenity, the Obscene Publications Act of 1857, allowed for the seizure and summary disposition of all impure, vulgar, profane, and pornographic materials, even when found in private homes.

Challenged in court, the act was upheld in 1868. Now the government

could ban any publication that had a “tendency ... to deprave and corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences, and into whose hands a publication of this sort may fall.” Not until 2019 did the Crown Prosecution Service indicate that it would no longer forbid even “material that is purposefully obscene” when, “in the interests of science, literature, art or learning,” it could be justified as being “in the public good.”

Leave Signs

Every year the San Francisco Public Library and Litquake hold public events highlighting the phenomenon of book banning to remind us how significant books really are. This is crucial because there has always been a small number of small people who feel they have the political mandate to protect others from writing that threatens the status quo. Many of the efforts are cloaked in spurious religious dogma or jingoistic patriotism. Yet they appeal to the personal insecurities of too many people and provide handy verbiage for ambitious politicians.

From the early lesbian novel, The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, to Toni Morrison’s classic Beloved, frightened people have pursued the futile effort of holding back the tides of information. For me the key word is “futile.” While a book might be briefly kept out of the hands of the public, such bans never last and they

even further, making women, not men, the object of men’s “purest desires” and turning Plato’s male “army of lovers” into an “army of knights and ladies.”

Poor Plato. The English poet Percy Shelley, whose wife Mary wrote

Seeds

At first books were censored, banned, and burned locally. By the 16th century, however nearly all of Europe’s central governments had agencies and officers to regulate, control, forbid, and confiscate what was printed. Some material about affaires de coeur

Jewelle Gomez

are never total. Ideas and information ride on waves of thought that are not governed by official printing or “parental guidance.” So banning a book is ultimately doomed to fail; ideas cannot be disappeared.

Just as the ill-fated efforts of conservative anti-porn feminists to regulate erotic literature in the 1980s made not a dent in big-business porn, they did generate a blossoming of new erotic lesbian magazines and journals. Banning lesbian material almost guarantees we’ll bounce back and proliferate.

Despite the years in which The Well of Loneliness was banned from distribution in the U.S., it remains a staple in gender and women’s studies courses. In 1923 the cast of Sholem Asch’s play God of Vengeance was indicted for being “indecent, immoral and impure.” Then, in 1927, The Captive —also featuring a lesbian story—led to the arrest of the cast and the implementation of a law forbidding presentation of “sexual perversion,” meaning lesbians. This law stayed intact until 1967, making lesbians invisible on stage for decades.

Yet, lesbian culture thrived underground, giving life to institutions

like the WOW Café Theater in New York City and its founders/performers Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver. Or the comic lesbian genius of performers like Karen Williams and the late Danita Vance celebrating more than 30 years making people laugh. So, the ground was sown in readiness for Fun Home, the musical adaptation of cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about coming out to her closeted gay father. The young, butch lesbian character’s “Ring of Keys” moment as she sings about recognizing

herself in a butch delivery person is a showstopper and a life changer. No matter how arid the field may have been, Fun Home swept the 2015 Tony Awards.

Similarly, growing out of the dearth of mainstream literature about lesbians in the early part of the 20th century, the Women in Print movement of the 1980s and 1990s nurtured

In the United States, Congress passed the first nationwide “Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use” in 1873, making it illegal everywhere to create, sell, mail, or own any “immoral” texts or items. Anthony Comstock, who headed the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and promoted the legislation, later boasted that he personally was responsible for 4,000 arrests and the destruction of 15 tons of books.

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the growth of a plethora of lesbian presses and magazines. Today, scores of lesbian novels are published every year including by presses such as the explicitly named Black Lesbian Feminist Press. The Golden Crown Literary Society welcomes hundreds of women to its annual conferences to celebrate lesbian books, as does Saints & Sinners, which celebrates queer writing in New Orleans.

I’ll paraphrase the oft-quoted, 20th century gay poet Dino Christianopoulos: “they tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we are seeds.” This is an apt response to conservative attempts at repression. Even though lesbians are still disproportionately underrepresented in mainstream media and literature, lesbian talent continues to sprout through.

I recently heard that my Black lesbian feminist vampire novel, The Gilda Stories, was banned in some obscure school system. The book has been in print for more than thirty years. A ban, now, probably guarantees at least another couple of decades! So, thanks. And still we grow!

Jewelle Gomez is a lesbian/feminist activist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She’s written for “The Advocate,” “Ms. Magazine,” “Black Scholar,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The New York Times,” and “The Village Voice.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @VampyreVamp

Words

Michele Karlsberg: This month

J.M. Redmann brings us the eleventh Micky Knight mystery, Transitory. As a reviewer at Amazon wrote: “It tells of the horrible things happening in our Trans community that people prefer to ignore. The book has Micky much more matured in her late 40s. I know what she is waiting on and I am waiting with her. JM

Redmann had me drawn into Micky’s life like we are actual friends.”

J.M. Redmann’s first book was published in 1990 and presented one of the early hard-boiled lesbian detectives. I recently interviewed Redmann for the San Francisco Bay Times

Michele Karlsberg: How does it feel to have Micky called a “lesbian Kinsey Millhone”? (Editor’s Note: Kinsey Millhone is the name of a popular detective in a bestselling Sue Grafton-penned mystery series.)

J.M. Redmann: It was meant as a compliment and I’ll take it as such. Besides, it is a hell of a lot better than some other things she could be called. Maybe someday some new detective will be called the straight Micky Knight.”

Michele Karlsberg: Mickey has grown and changed through the course of the series. Has this reflected changes in your own life?

J.M. Redmann: Not in the least and of course. Micky’s struggles and changes do not directly reflect mine, but, of course, my life influences my writing. I wasn’t interested in writing a static character, the Miss Marple who never changes from book to book, so in the first book Death by the Riverside, I started out with her as on the edge of being unlikable. And I

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Lit Snax

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

Donaghue returns to lesbian stomping grounds in Learned by Heart. Tomboys and queer ladies abound in this riff on Anne Lister and her friends in 1805 England.

The Pride Atlas: 500 Iconic Destinations for Queer Travelers by Maartje Hensen

If you’re wondering where to go on your next fabulous vacation you might want to explore this enormous guide chock full of fun photos and LGBTQ+ information.

Laughing Matters: Pandemic Diaries From Castro Street 2021–2022 by Mark Abramson

Once again The Bard of The Castro delivers a warm, witty, and wise slice-of-life memoir set in everyone’s favorite gayborhood.

https://www.fabulosabooks.com/

Top of your stack

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE

Ryan and Avery (fictionhardbound) by David Levithan

A blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance—a queer prom and both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection. Follow them through their first ten dates as they bridge their initial shyness and fall in love through snowstorms, groundings, meeting parents (Avery’s) and not (Ryan’s), cast parties, heartbreak, and every day and date in between.

Silver Nitrate (thriller/f iction - hardbound) by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with a good book! From The New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism Silver Nitrate is a dark thriller about a curse that haunts a legendary lost film, and awakens one woman’s hidden powers. Silvia MorenoGarcia conjures a tale of movie magic and supernatural suspense.

The Bluest Eye (fiction- paperback) by Toni Morrison

For Banned Books Week 2023 (October 1–7), support authors and read or re-read titles that are on the banned list. A great example is The Bluest Eye by the literary legend Toni Morrison. It is a powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity that asks questions about race, class, and gender with characteristic subtly and grace.

The protagonist, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others—prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be “beautiful,” so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 7 @ 11 am (free - Corte Madera store) David Kipen, author of Dear California: The Golden State in Diaries and Letters California has always been, literally, a place to write home about. Renowned figures and iconoclasts; politicians, actors, and artists; the

(continued on page 40)

The Magic of George Hurrell

Off the Wahl

George Hurrell’s Hollywood Glamour Portraits 1925–1992 by Mark A. Vieira is one for the ages. It is the most beautiful coffee table book for gift giving or for your own collection.

Mark is a longtime friend and colleague. If you don’t know his work, honey, you are reading the wrong books. His latest wildly informative and entertaining read contains lavish photos of a man called a legend. I recently spoke with Mark from his Hollywood studio.

“Eleven years ago, I did a Hurrell book, but this time I found new images and acquired new skills to reproduce them,” he told me for the San Francisco Bay Times

There is a crispness and a vibrance, anew and very honest text. Stars and their remarkable glamour photos are shown: the ones who hated the process (Gable) and those who enjoyed it (Errol Flynn). Mark shared that “Hurrell found Claudette Colbert bitchy and Dietrich too controlling, since she knew lighting almost as well as he did. Harlow and Lombard had fun with it, but Olivia de Havilland did not like Hurrell’s bawdy, sexy humor. He loved working with Shearer, changing her into a sex siren and appreciating her own creativity to always try something new.”

There are amazing photos of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford here. Crawford is the book’s cover girl. Dictating exactly what he wanted in clothes, makeup, and hair, as well as with the backgrounds and poses, Hurrell made his subjects look their best and unforgettable. Davis went from dowdy to sleek luminosity. Crawford was a true muse; in her images both the photographer and star revealed an unanimity of purpose, one mind. There are period clothes and

looks as Hurrell helped to promote films, along with evening clothes by renowned Hollywood costume designers Adrian, Orry-Kelly, and others. Sharon Stone, one of my favorite interviewees, collects Hurrell and writes the forward. This tome is around $35 on Amazon and is so worth it!

Want to know about my wicked, wicked ways?

My Wicked, Wicked Ways is the title of Errol Flynn’s fabulous autobiography with the aid of ghostwriter Earl Conrad. I have a few tales of my own to tell in the new book Gene Nelson: Lights! Camera! Dance! by Scott O’Brien. Gene was a supreme dancer (Oklahoma, Tea for Two, Lullaby of Broadway) and respected director (Elvis movies Kissin’ Cousins, Harem Scarum, Your Cheatin’ Heart) and helmed hundreds of episodic TV shows.

In my 20s, Gene and I had a glorious affair, culminating in a date at the Oscars. But it is not our suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel that is interesting in the book (though it was ... love those older dancers!) but Gene’s varied career and his sheer talent.

His screen dancing was on par with that of Gene Kelly, yet he just didn’t catch the breaks. It’s a cruel business, though Gene kept reinventing himself until the end here in the Bay Area and Southern California. It’s a fun read, by BearManor Media and available on Amazon in paperback. Scott does it

again with this terrific look at an undervalued talent.

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. 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

Mill Valley Film Festival Offers a Cornucopia of Queer Cinema

The Mill Valley Film Festival, October 5–16, features several high profile queer films (not available for preview) including Nyad starring Annette Bening as Diana Nyad, a lesbian who at age 60, swam from Cuba to Florida; out gay director Todd Haynes’ new film, May Decembe r, about an actress (Natalie Portman) researching a role based on a teacher (Julianne Moore) who had an affair with her student (Charles Melton); and Maestro directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as gay conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Here is a rundown of a handful of several films by, for, or about LGBT folks to catch at this year’s fest.

Set in the 1930s, the stylish comedy-mystery The Crime is Mine, by out gay filmmaker François Ozon, has Madeleine Verdier (Nadia Tereszkiewicz), a young actress, confessing to a crime she didn’t commit. Her roommate Pauline (Rebecca Marder), a newly minted lawyer, gets her acquitted, striking a blow for feminism by claiming Madeleine acted in self-defense. Then another actress, Odette Chaumette (Isabelle Huppert), turns up admitting she is the criminal. A series of schemes are hatched to ensure love, money, and reputations are secure. Ozon’s talky film—adapted from a play—features fabulous costumes and art deco sets. The performances are mostly broad, with the amusing Huppert camping it up, but Marder serves up some serious lesbian vibes as Pauline. If the film is a piffle, it still makes some valid points about women’s roles and society that are no less apt today.

Musica!, by out gay Bay Area filmmaker Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, is a joyous documentary that showcases four student musicians at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Havana. Kevin (trumpet), Rodrigo (piano), and Lil and Dariana (bass) all love their instruments, and their skills can be life changing. These (and other students at the conservatory) are also the beneficiaries of the Horns from Havana program, which donates instruments and supplies as Cuba cannot provide for these students. While each subject is interviewed, much of Musica! features the students performing, and the music is fantastic. It is gratifying to see them practicing, jamming, and even playing a concert during a trip to New Orleans, where the students are taught music they don’t know, and Lili learns the “slap” technique for her bass. Watching the development of these young musicians is inspiring, and it is hard not to share their joy as they perform, captured by the filmmakers in an observational style in this relaxed, feel-good documentary.

Fancy Dance, by director/cowriter Erica Tremblay, has Jax (Lily Gladstone) a lesbian on the

Seneca-Cayuga reservation, caring for her teenage niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Roki’s mother has been missing for a few weeks, and Jax has taken the search into her own hands given the FBI’s unhurried investigation. However, Child Protective Services have come to take Roki away. As Jax searches for her mother, Roki is determined to attend a powwow. Fancy Dance can be didactic at times with characters overexplaining things, and the plotting is frequently contrived—Roki effortlessly steals what she needs, and an identity check by an officer fails to build the suspense it should—but Gladstone is marvelous and flinty, and the film ends on a truly graceful note.

Frybread Face and Me is a slight but involving drama, by out gay writer/ director Billy Luther. Benny (Keir Tallman, charming) is an 11-year-old who “sticks out” in San Diego in 1990. (He listens to Fleetwood Mac and reenacts soap operas with his action figures.) When his parents

from the principal (Tanaka Yuko) are frustrating. The second chapter recounts Mr. Hori’s point of view, and it shows that much of what was said and assumed are not necessarily the whole truth. There is talk that Minato was bullying his classmate, Yuri (Hiiragi Hinata). Monster ’s third act reveals the secret friendship between the two young boys, who are processing their feelings for each other. As the film’s secrets and

lies are revealed, the sensitively made Monster stirs emotions. So too does the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s lovely final score.

The fest also offers a sneak preview of The Persian Version, which opens October 27 in the Bay Area.

Written and directed by bisexual filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz, this vibrant comedy-drama has Leila (Layla Mohammadi) recounting her life through voiceover, flashbacks,

varz’s high-energy style makes all the drama about identity and belonging, while feeling displaced between two cultures, go down smoothly.

Buoyed by an outstanding performance by out gay actor Coleman Domingo in the title role, Rustin illustrates the force of nature that was out gay activist Bayard Rustin. This emotional biopic focuses mainly on Rustin’s efforts to organize the largest peaceful protest of the 1963 March on Washington and his fraught interactions with Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock) and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., (Jeffrey Wright), as well as his friendship with Martin Luther King (Aml Ameen). His personal life is addressed in his relationship with both Tom (Gus Halper), a young white man, and Elias Taylor (Johnny Ramey), a married closeted man. This galvanizing film shows the value of owning your power.

send him to Arizona to go live with his maternal grandmother (Sarah H. Natani) on the Rez, Benny feels they are ruining his life. Once there, however, he meets his aunt Lucy (Karhara Hodges) who may be a lesbian; his uncle Marvin (Martin Sensmeier), a rodeo rider; and his cousin, Fry (Charley Hogan), who becomes his best friend. Fry teaches Benny to find strength in his culture, as well as how to drive. He also gains wisdom from his grandmother, who does not speak English. A gentle, poignantly narrated queer comingof-age drama, Frybread Face and Me provides nice insights by creating meaning with symbols, such as a Navajo rug that express life’s possibilities.

Monster buries its queer content until its third (and strongest) act, because director Kore-eda Hirokazu, working from Sakamoto Yuji’s screenplay, tells this story of Minato (Kurokawa Soya) a pre-teen, from three different perspectives. The first chapter has Minato’s mother Saori (Ando Sakura) concerned that her son is being abused in school by his teacher, Mr. Hori (Nagayama Eita). Her efforts to get justice

and direct address. She focuses mainly on her complicated relationship with her mother, Shirin (Niousha Noor), who demands much from her only daughter. (Leila has 8 brothers.) Shirin also has trouble accepting Leila is gay. As The Persian Version unfolds, viewers come to understand both Shirin—who faced difficulties in Iran and America—and Leila, who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand with Maximilian Balthazar (Tom Byrne). The story has a few too many subplots and digressions, but Kesha-

Saltburn is director Emerald Fennell’s nifty and nasty film about Oliver Quick (Barry Keogan) who befriends the dreamy Felix (Jacob Elordi) at Oxford. When Felix invites Oliver to stay at his family’s estate, Saltburn, for the summer, Felix’s gay cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) thinks Oliver has something either sexual or sinister—possibly both—in mind. To say more would spoil the film’s pleasures, but this film is for anyone who wants to drink Elordi’s dirty bathwater.

Summer Solstice is a thin but ultimately satisfying tale about NYCbased trans actor Leo (Bobbi Salvör Menuez), who joins Eleanor (Marianne Rendón), her best friend from college, on a weekend escape upstate. There is an initial awkwardness at first as Eleanor is restless, and Leo is shy, but things get more fraught as Eleanor is needy, drunk, and insensitive to Leo’s transness. When they meet Oliver (Mila Myles), another trans actor from Leo’s acting class, and the bisexual Joe (Yaron Lotan), Leo starts to feel more comfortable, but Eleanor acts out making things more uncomfortable. A chat between Leo and Oliver is romantically promising, but Summer Solstice focuses on Eleanor and Leo’s relationship, which comes to a head during a hike, where Eleanor expresses some thoughts and feelings that may change their relationship forever.

Summer Solstice is squarely on Leo’s side and Menuez’s low-key performance is engaging as Leo comes into his own. Rendón is pitch-perfect in her role as Leo’s messy best friend and scenes of them running lines really capture the dynamic of their friendship, and demonstrate why this film delivers.

©

2023 Gary M. Kramer

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.”

He teaches Short Attention Span Cinema at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and is the moderator for Cinema Salon, a weekly film discussion group. Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

DIVAS & @ The Academy

Appreciating San Francisco Volunteers & Celebrating

“Linda Tillery Day” was proclaimed simultaneously in the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco on Friday, September 29, marking what is believed to be the first time an honorary day is declared concurrently in three Bay Area cities. The historic moment was announced at Divas & Drinks @ The Academy during an event celebrating not only the beloved musician, activist, and educator Tillery but also the San Francisco Bay Times volunteers who made the 2023 Bay Times SF Pride Parade contingent possible.

Emcee Donna Sachet opened the evening acknowledging the two-pronged purpose of thanking supporters and volunteers of the contingent and honoring contingent member Tillery, whose legendary career now spans more than five decades. Musician Amy Meyers, who performed a great set during the opening hour, accompanied Sachet in singing “Happy Birthday” to Tillery, Olga Garcia, Warren Alderson, Jimmy Consos, and Janet Rachel, all of whom have September birthdays and are Divas & Drinks and San Francisco Bay Times supporters.

San Francisco Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson and Spring Collins of the SF Pride Board of Directors spoke about the significance of the annual Pride Parade and the work that goes on behind the scenes to organize and produce individual contingents representing many facets of the Bay Area’s LGBTQ+ community.

DJ Rockaway presented by Olivia helped present an original video featuring City of Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan who declared Tillery to be a treasure of Oakland and proclaimed the day. Edward Wright, a City of

& DRINKS Academy

Francisco Bay Times

Celebrating Linda Tillery

Oakland Legislative Analyst, also spoke on behalf of Kaplan and the city.

DJ Rockaway also helped with a video, created by musician Holly Near and her team, sharing an interview with Near and Tillery and revealing some of Tillery’s many achievements and challenges as a Black woman artist.

San Francisco Police Commissioner Debra Walker, joined by Chief Nicholson, presented a proclamation from Mayor London Breed declaring Linda Tillery Day.

Musician Barbara Tillery, co-chair of the legendary music venue The Freight in Berkeley, spoke of Tillery’s importance in the East Bay, and then went on to accompany Tillery in a number of songs.

Other talented artists joining Tillery included Melanie DeMore, Sharon Washington, Dr. Dee Spencer, Terrie Odabe, and others. They all received well-deserved standing ovations throughout the memorable evening. Actress and comedienne Diane Amos additionally performed and was another audience favorite.

A live auction and raffle took place, raising money to benefit Tillery’s mounting medical expenses after a recent heart surgery and more. If you would like to help out, donations are still being accepted via the Use the News Foundation at http://usethenews.org/

The annual Divas & Drinks Halloween

Party will be held at The Academy on Friday, October 27, featuring Sachet, DJ Rockaway, the Bacardí team of mixologists, and music by the many groovy women of the Shake It Booty Band! Reserve tickets at: https://tinyurl.com/ynxprcfh

The de Young Open 2023: 883 Local Artworks Across Nine Mediums

The de Young Open has returned this fall as a newly established triennial, building on the success of the hugely popular inaugural iteration in 2020. Designed for local artists from diverse artistic backgrounds and free to enter, The de Young Open is the only exhibition of its kind at a major U.S. museum. This year, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) received a resounding 7,766 submissions during the open application period from June 5 through 18. Of those submissions, 883 were installed salon-style, or nearly floor-to-ceiling, in the de Young’s largest galleries in the celebratory exhibition one past participant called “a giant love letter to the people of the Bay Area.”

“The de Young Open is a joyful celebration of the creativity that abounds throughout the Bay Area, and we are delighted to bring it back this fall as a triennial exhibition,” remarked Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the FAMSF. “It is rare to be able to offer a platform to hun-

dreds of artists in one’s community simultaneously, and as the city’s museum, FAMSF is both honored and proud to host an exhibition that connects our diverse audiences with the work of nearly 900 local artists.”

Open to visual artists 18 years of age or older from the nine Bay Area counties—San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo— The de Young Open is a unique exhibition created by and for the people who call the region home. New this year, the call for submissions capped entries to one per applicant, enabling 1,574 more artists to participate over 2020. The works on view in the Museums’ Herbst Exhibition Galleries, all made over the past three years, take the pulse of creative energy and culture across the region. Arranged in the galleries to draw out dialogues that emerged organically

Donna Sachet Featured in Photo Exhibit Kings, Queens & In-Betweens

A photo exhibit by Randall Whitehead at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts at 50 Scott Street in San Francisco— Kings, Queens & In-Betweens —features an iconic image of San Francisco Bay Times columnist and popular drag artist Donna Sachet.

Regarding the image of Sachet with canine friend Peanut, Sachet commented about the “evoking [of] so much emotion” in the photo that captures “the connection between my puppy and me, and my love of the city I call home. Thank you, Randall.”

The photo shows Sachet in trademark red holding Peanut in front of a sweeping vista of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The exhibit runs through October 7, so see it while you can. On October 6 there will be a closing night party from 5–8 pm coinciding with the Castro Art Walk. There will be live entertainment by Matthew Martin and Maureen McVerry at 6 pm.

To learn more about Whitehead’s work, visit: https://tinyurl.com/2xmysbyu

among the 883 accepted works, the exhibition shines a light on the concerns and practices that propel artistic inquiry and production in the Bay Area today. The exhibition is installed loosely by thematic topics, which include historical and contemporary politics and social issues, the urban environment, nature, abstraction, surreal imagery, and the human figure. The broad range of media represented in The de Young Open 2023 includes painting, photography, drawing, and prints, fiber, sculpture, video, film, and digital art. Serving local communities and celebrating the artists who enrich the Bay Area’s cultural landscape, the new triennial is designed to enhance access to the greatest number of applicants. Participants are again able to sell their artworks, retaining 100 percent of the proceeds, throughout the run of the exhibition. This year, they will also receive a complimentary one-year membership as part of the FAMSF’s new Artist Membership program. With an open application process and anonymous jurying solely from digital images, The de Young Open represents an inclusive and accessible community-oriented model for exhibitions.

This year’s presentation was juried by Bay Area artists Clare Rojas, Stephanie Syjuco, Sunny A. Smith, and Xiaoze Xie, the first three of whom have works in the de Young’s recently acquired Svane gift of Bay Area art. Timothy Anglin Burgard, Distinguished Senior Curator and Ednah Root Curator in Charge of American Art, headed the Museums’ curatorial jury that included Emma Acker, Curator of American Art; Natasha Becker, Curator of African Art; Claudia Schmuckli, Curator in Charge of Contemporary Art and Programming; Curator in Charge of Costume and Textile Arts Laura L. Camerlengo; Christina Hellmich, Curator in Charge, Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas and the Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art; Isabella Lores-Chavez, Associate Curator of European Paintings; and Hillary C. Olcott, Curator of Art of the Americas.

“This community-based exhibition serves as a snapshot in time of artists who are working locally, but thinking globally—both about the world of art and also the world we live in,” noted Timothy Anglin Burgard, the originator and curator of the triennial. “The de Young Open represents a significant paradigm shift from historical perceptions of museums as gatekeepers of art—often imported nationally or internationally—to a more democratic model in which museums foreground the voices and visions of local artists.”

The de Young Open 2023 runs through January 7, 2024, and is free to all who visit on Saturdays. Tickets for the exhibition are available at https://tinyurl.com/yfxkek8r

SF Pride’s Third Annual Excellence in Golf Awards Party and Fifth Annual Golf Tournament

The SF Pride Golf Tournament each year recognizes Excellence in Golf, and for 2023, the prestigious award was presented to LPGA professional and former San Francisco Bay Times sports and wellness columnist Jamie Leno Zimron. The ceremony took place in San Francisco at the Fairmont Hotel’s Crown Room at 7 pm on September 29. (See the prior issue of the Bay Times, which includes a related piece from Zimron.)

A 6th-degree Aikido Black Belt, somatic psychologist, and champion golfer (the latter since age 7), Zimron “is a pioneering holistic leader whose contributions to the game and its growth are exceptional. Along with her brother Mark Leno, former San Francisco Supervisor and State Senator, Jamie has been a lifelong LGBTQ+ advocate and activist, always blazing trails and making a difference,” shared SF Pride in a statement.

“I am deeply honored and excited to receive the 2023 Excellence in Golf award,” said Zimron. “While sport remains one of the hardest places to come out, the PGA/SF Pride partnership is a brilliant initiative to finally do away with gender stereotyping and heterosexist discrimination—in golf and on all the playing fields of life!”

The next day, the fifth annual Pride Golf Tournament took place at TPC Harding Park, with 144 LGBTQ golfers and allies coming together to promote inclusivity and community while raising money for SF Pride. The event is the first and only PGA of America sanctioned LGBTQ tournament. Since the first one was held five years ago, over a half million dollars has been raised for SF Pride. https://sfpride.org/

This Month at the Farmers’ Market

Spuds

Who can resist a fluffy baked potato or a creamy potato gratin? Few foods are as versatile, delicious, or as nutritious as the potato. A member of the nightshade family, it was once thought to be poisonous.

We can thank Sir Walter Raleigh for debunking this superstition by planting them on property he owned in Ireland. The Irish began growing and eating potatoes in large quantities, and today hundreds of varieties are grown around the world. Here are just a few varieties to choose from and how to use them:

Russet (Burbank): The workhorse of potatoes, it is oblong, russet brown in color with netted or somewhat rough skin. It is primarily used for baking and for French fries because of its high starch content, which makes it fluffy when cooked.

Red potatoes: Round red potatoes have a rosy red skin with white flesh. Red Norlands, Pontiac, Red Lasoda, Sangre, and Larouge are the main varieties. Chiefton, Viking, and Red Ruby are less common. Their waxy texture makes them perfect for boiling, but they can be used for any cooking purpose. Cook them unpeeled, and mash, or use in a potato salad.

White potatoes: Round whites, such as the Superior, are light to medium brown in color, and are an all-purpose potato used mostly for boiling and baking. Long whites such as the White Rose are grown in California during the spring and summer. They have an oval shape with a thin, light tan, almost translucent skin and are good for boiling and roasting as well as in potato salads.

Yellow-fleshed potatoes: Yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold seem richer and less in need of butter than others. They are best for boiling and adding to potato salads.

Blue (purple) potatoes: They are considered somewhat of a novelty, although they’ve been around for

thousands of years. The outside is deep blue or purple and the flesh ranges from blue to white.

Fingerlings: These small potatoes are about the length of your pinkie finger and are wonderful for roasting and for tossing together with other vegetables like green beans and root vegetables.

New potatoes: These are a variety of young potatoes that haven’t had time to convert their sugar fully to starch. They have a crisp waxy texture with thin, undeveloped wispy skins. Their small size makes them perfect to cook whole boiled or pan-roasted. They are excellent for potato salad because they retain their shape after being cooked and cut.

Sweet potatoes: The sweet potato is in the morning glory family. It is an enlarged storage root that comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. California grows both “dry flesh” and “moist flesh” varieties. The “moist flesh” type is sometimes referred to (continued on page 40)

Bay Times Dines

ACRE Kitchen and Bar

A few members of our San Francisco Bay Times team recently stopped for a quick lunch at ACRE Kitchen & Bar in Oakland, just across from the Rockridge BART Station. Right after their party was seated, dishes were delivered to a nearby table.

Not long thereafter, muffled sounds of “mmm” and “Oh my, God, this is delicious” could be heard. Like the classic scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally, these women were enjoying a moment of orgasmic pleasure, only this time it had everything to do with the pizza.

As it turns out, the pizzaiolo that day was Sous Chef David Jacobson, who is the 2022 Real California Pizza Contest Grand Prize Winner. The annual contest, sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board, has multiple chefs vying for the coveted title.

Jacobson also won for the “Real Californian” category with his entry The Gold Rush. It featured mozzarella, Monterey Jack, provolone, heavy cream, and multiple California specialty cheeses, including a washed-rind triple crème and a nutty aged hard cheese. The judges remarked: “Topped with fingerling potatoes, pancetta, and smoked sea salt, the pizza offers rich, complex flavors that are synonymous with California cheeses.”

The pizza the women at ACRE enjoyed was another culinary knockout: The Fig and Pig with mission figs, prosciutto, goat cheese, a balsamic reduction, and more.

Our hungry Bay Times team diners ordered the Pepperoni with hot honey and pickled peppers, and the classic Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes, a super creamy mozzarella, and basil. The crust was superb, with perfect leoparding (slightly charred parts) and cornicione (raised areas of the crust). Every bite of these Neapolitan-style wonders was devoured with ravenous glee.

Jacobson told the Bay Times that he grew up just down the street from the restaurant. At his website he mentions: “I’ve learned a lot about both culinary and restaurant operations from many local Northern Californian destination pizza spots, notably Pizza My Heart, Pizzeria

Delfina, Flour + Water Pizzeria, and Forge Handcrafted Pizza, and have developed pizza programs and recipes for a handful of other pizza programs including at Fist of Flour and ACRE Kitchen and Bar.”

With a subtly sweet Mommenpop orange spritz, Chef Jacobon’s pizza at ACRE led to a memorable moment of unexpected culinary bliss in Oakland. ACRE Kitchen and Bar https://www.acrekitchenandbar.com/ Jacobson Pizza https://www.jacobsonpizza.com

Real California Pizza Contest

https://tinyurl.com/36saeju2

Chef David Jacobson

New York, New York: Food, Glamour, Theatre, And More

The Gay Gourmet

Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green; from On the Town

Those famous lyrics describe one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Post-pandemic, New York is back. With it are ravishing restaurants, haute hangouts, terrific theatre, and marvelous museums that make a trip back East a must.

As theatre fanatics, my husband and I used to make twice-a-year

trips to the Big Apple, packing in 4–6 shows in a weekend. We prided ourselves on seeing the latest and greatest before the touring shows brought them to San Francisco. Then COVID-19 hit and it all came to a screeching stop, for 3 years. Thankfully, we’ve been back a couple of times this year. Suffice it to say, the energy and pulse of “the city that never sleeps” has returned. With it has come a welcoming new local spirit, where Manhattanites seem to be on their best behavior for tourists like us. The result is a destination that’s eminently hospitable, especially for LGBTQ+ visitors.

So where to go, and what to do?

Lucky for you, The Gay Gourmet has a round-up of some of the premiere places to experience the best of New York (and a few klunkers to avoid).

Where to Eat

At the top of the list of destinations are always the hot places to eat. But unlike San Francisco, New York is such a vast city that you really need to have someone curate where you should spend your dining hours. Here are some favorites (and not so favorites):

Essential by Christophe: My new favorite restaurant in Manhattan, this gem that’s housed in an historic townhome on the Upper West Side is elegant, chic, glamourous, and most of all, tasty.

Run by an alumnus of award-winning Joe Robuchon, Essential by Christophe is helmed by Christophe Bellanca. A native of France, he cut his teeth at the famed L’Orangerie in Los Angeles before moving

to New York, working at award-winning Le Cirque. What a talent! You have two choices at Essential: a tasting menu in the more formal dining room, or a la carte selections at the more casual bar. The tasting menu offers a variety of tasting options, and we erred on the side of modesty, selecting the 3-course bill of fare. One of our guests was vegetarian, so I also selected the vegetarian option. When executed properly, I believe vegetarian cooking separates the professional chefs from the amateurs. The verdict?

Amazing. A starter of tantalizing mushroom cappuccino and sweet potato mousse set the stage. Standouts included a beetroot salad that was a piece of art; warm artichoke carpaccio with chickpea emulsion; and a butternut squash cannelloni that melted in my mouth. A cardamom soufflé, as well as a dense chocolate dessert (and homemade madeleines) brought the perfect evening to a close.

Katz’s Delicatessen: This lower East Side stalwart has been all the rage since When Harry Met Sally filmed here in 1989. Being from Highland Park and always looking for a good Jewish deli, I thought it was time to try it. On the plus side, the place has a fun vibe, is packed with people, boasts typical fast-talking New York waiters, and decent half-sour pickles that arrive when you sit down at the table. Speaking of that, there’s a whole system at Katz’s. You have to get a ticket when you enter (or you can’t leave!). If you elect to get your meal at the counter you have to stand in several lines—one for sandwiches, one for drinks. Instead, go to the back of the restaurant and opt for table service. On the not-so-great side? The corned beef is sliced too thick, is a little dry, and not nearly as moist or thin as what you get at Nate ‘n Al’s in Beverly Hills. That said, all the locals say you should try the pastrami.

Union Square Café: This longstanding Danny Meyer flagship enterprise was a little hitand-miss. The soup and salad starters were delicious. My lemon pasta was light and flavorful, but my companion’s mussels were so salty she had to send them back. The corn and blueberry sundae saved the day, bringing a bright, delectable, and innovative conclusion to the meal. Another plus? The welcoming (and humorous) service, which makes you feel as if you’re center stage off-Broadway.

La Goulue: This is a quintessential Upper East Side French spot where the ladies who lunch, lunch. Everything is consistently excellent, especially the trout, the tuna tartare, the

hamburger, and the famous soufflés. The service is professional, efficient, and welcoming. Highest recommendation.

Bar Baccarat: For the most elegant establishment to quaff a drink, look no further than Bar Baccarat in the posh Baccarat Hotel on 53rd Street (across from NY’s MOMA). Located on the second floor and beyond the salon, this chandelierladen, opulent, bathed-in-red boite boasts both indoor and outdoor terrace seating. Small creative bites (like spice roasted tri-color cauliflower) are a creative complement, and the drinks (love their Negroni) are perfect. It’s not cheap, but the bonus is that the crafty concoctions are served in Baccarat crystal stemware.

La Grande Boucherie: This is a great pre-theatre choice. It is a gorgeous Art Nouveau, authentic French brasserie, located on an alleyway between 53rd and 54th Streets and 6th and 7th Avenues, which transports you from midtown Manhattan to a Parisian square. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it an all-day indoor/ outdoor destination. I love the vichyssoise, the foie gras torchon, the steak frites, and the classically French wine list.

Dear Irving Gramercy: Quirky, romantic, and filled with off-thebeaten-track wines and spirits, this Gramercy Park cocktail parlor with “elevated bites” even has buttons to push to summon your waitperson! Bar Director Meaghan Dorman provides seasonal influences to the changing drinks menu. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating, but my preference is the cozy and intimate interior salon.

Masseria dei Vini: A newer outpost owned by the same folks who run La Masseria in the theatre district, this contemporary Italian eatery is located near Columbus Circle. The marble cocktail bar is perfect for an aperitif (and Wine Spectator has recognized the establishment with a “Best of Award of Excellence”). Featuring the cuisine of Puglia in the south, Masseria dei Vini has homemade pastas that are a must order. The crispy fried zucchini is light and delish, the crudo makes for a great starter, and save room for the excellent chocolate cake!

Empellon: Here you will find modern Mexican fine dining on Madison Avenue in Midtown from award-winning chef Alex Stupak. Empellon, which means “to shove,” buzzes with two-story excitement. The bar is crowded with afterhours workers from nearby office

buildings, so I recommend eating upstairs. It’s a bit quieter, and the food takes center stage. Don’t miss: the homemade guacamole and chips with seven kinds of salsa; the ground dry aged beef picadillo tacos; and the tomato, coriander, and watermelon salad. We selected a lovely dry, white wine, but the variety of specialty margaritas looked aptly potent!

ROBERT: Housed atop the offbeat Museum of Art & Design at Columbus Circle (there’s a worthy Taylor Swift costume exhibit on view now) is the chic restaurant ROBERT. It is a perfect lunch spot perched above a Central Park view (ask for a window table), and chef Armando Cortes steers the menu to out-of-the-ordinary comfort foods. You can sample a great Wagyu burger with tomato fig marmalade and yucca fries, a lovely jumbo Maryland crab cake with corn salad, and a luscious chicken sandwich with basil pesto and mozzarella.

Sant Ambroeus: Another New York lunch favorite, the Upper East Side location of this Italian restaurant is elegant, quiet, and sophisticated. You enter through the café with desserts, pastries, and coffees tempting you. But head to the back room, where Sant Ambroeus delivers some of the best Italian meals in the city. The vitello tonato (veal with tuna mousse) is a knockout starter; the risotto Milanese is one of the best outside the city of its origin; the minestrone is authentic; and the carciofi a rucola (shaved artichoke and arugula) salad and homemade pastas shine. Save room for the phenomenal desserts like a chocolate hazelnut crunch cake with cream.

Industry: I’m told by friends that this is a “go-to” gay bar in Hell’s Kitchen, and the design is reminiscent of Berlin’s famous Berghain nightclub. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my old pal, Bob Pontarelli, opened this hotspot. Expect drag queen shows and more, plus lots of flirting, and dancing— and lines on the weekends.

Where to Stay

Conrad Hilton Midtown: Our hotel of choice is the Conrad Hilton Midtown; we’ve been staying at this property since it was the Rihga Royal and then re-flagged as the London NYC. The big differentiator? All the rooms are suites, many with spectacular city or park views. The location is perfect for walking to the theatre; the service is divine; and Nicole is one of our favorite bartenders at the hotel’s modern cocktail bar, Dabble.

“New York, New York, it’s a helluva town.”

Bay Times Dines

The Pearl: A newish boutique hotel in the heart of Times Square (but off the hubbub of Broadway and 7th), The Pearl is a lovely gem that has nice-sized, updated rooms (ours had a terrace), breakfast included, a wine happy hour, and the convenience of the delicious Empire Steak House and its wine (and soon to be full) bar next door.

What to See On (and Off) Broadway

Here are some of our favorites, but always check to see if they are still running (or the casts have COVID-19!).

Titanique: This is the funniest and best-sung Off-Broadway romp. It is a hilarious spoof of the film Titanic, as well as of Celine Dion (whom you may recall sang the theme song from the movie). Marla Mindelle, who plays Celine, is off the charts. Lucky for you, this show is so popular it’s just been extended through January 7, 2024.

Some Like It Hot: This Tonyaward-winning musical based on the famous Marilyn Monroe film is pure toe-tapping, feel-good Broadway. Marc Shaiman and Scott Witman (of Hairspray fame) wrote the score and you’ll be humming those catchy tunes for weeks. Christian Borle (Smash) always delivers, this time as one of the two cross-dressing musicians. And although Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee (who plays the transgender Daphne) is out for surgery, his understudy DeMarius R. Copes is a rockstar.

Merrily We Roll Along : This re-mount of the classic Sondheim musical has an all-star cast: Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez. It might be the best show on Broadway right now. The score is my absolute Sondheim favorite, with such hits as “Not A Day Goes By.” Director Maria Friedman has re-configured the storyline so it finally works, and the mid-century modern set and costumes only add to the pizzaz. The story is told backwards, so even though it starts cynically, there is a happy ending. Insider’s tip: splurge and get the Ambassador lounge tickets and you have a private bathroom!

Museum of Broadway: For theatre nerds like me (and how many in our community are?!), the Museum of Broadway is a must. This newly-opened Times Square destination has it all: from Sondheim to Kander & Ebb, from Cabaret to Wicked, and more. There are even Instagrammable photo opps that make for engaging fun.

There’s a lot to absorb, so make sure to spend enough time reading all the information. It’s also by reservation only so they keep the guests to a manageable number.

Ed Ruscha at NY MOMA: We were rained out so we didn’t get to see this show, but everyone is raving about this exhibition of the modern master. And NY’s MOMA’s permanent collection is a wow.

Don’t Tell Mama: This is a great after-theatre cabaret spot on 46th Street where the waitstaff/bartenders sing Broadway tunes while they’re pouring your drinks. No reservations, but you can wait next door at the renovated bar until a table is ready in the main room. They also have a small theatre in the back with bigger Broadway names, and you reserve in advance.

Perelman Performing Arts

Center: This is the new downtown performing arts venue at the site of the World Trade Center and the 9/11 memorial, and it’s a winner. Clad in Portuguese marble, this giant cube glows amber at night, but is open to the public on the first floor throughout the day. Upcoming performances include a new work by choreographer Bill T. Jones.

Essential by Christophe: https://tinyurl.com/2p9dru3f

Katz’s Delicatessen: https://katzsdelicatessen.com/ Union Square Café: https://www.unionsquarecafe.com/ La Goulue: https://tinyurl.com/ymtwtvpf

Bar Baccarat: https://tinyurl.com/bdhztp87

La Grande Boucherie: https://tinyurl.com/y6da5r9e

Dear Irving Gramercy: https://www.dearirving.com/ Masseria dei Vini: https://masseriadeivini.com/ Empellon: https://tinyurl.com/3f3my48j

ROBERT: https://robertnyc.com/ Sant Ambroeus: https://tinyurl.com/yc4d9ne6 Conrad Hilton Midtown: https://tinyurl.com/4w44r7ss

The Pearl: https://www.pearlhotelnyc.com/ Titanique : https://titaniquemusical.com/ Some Like It Hot : https://somelikeithotmusical.com/ Merrily We Roll Along : https://merrilyonbroadway.com/ Museum of Broadway: https://tinyurl.com/yc6v5pnv NY MOMA: https://www.moma.org/

Don’t Tell Mama: https://donttellmamanyc.com/ Perelman Performing Arts Center: https://pacnyc.org/ Industry: https://www.industry-bar.com/ David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

during the beginning of the AIDS crisis. And she was full of anger regarding The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, stating, “When I see The Sisters, I just see red! ” And the nuns immediately struck back by holding a fundraiser with “red” being the thematic color.

Sister Dana sez, “It’s FLEET WEEK in San Francisco! So, pick up a sailor and take him or her home!”

FLEET WEEK , established in 1981, is held every year in San Francisco on the first or second weekend in October. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are set to perform on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (October 6, 7, and 8) afternoon from 3 pm to 4 pm. They will usually do some practice runs on Thursday afternoon also. This celebration has been one of the country’s largest events of its type, bringing out locals and visitors alike to honor service members in uniform. In 1981, then Mayor Dianne Feinstein founded San Francisco Fleet Week as a celebration of naval services rolling out the red carpet for Sailors, Marines, Coasties, and their families, with a parade of ships, a spectacular air show, and neighborhood festivities. The entire San Francisco Fleet Week community is saddened by the news of their Honorary Co-Chair, Senator Feinstein’s death. In honor of Senator Feinstein’s service to our country and to Fleet Week, the Patriots Flight Demonstration Team will perform a traditional “Missing Woman” flight formation at the 2023 Fleet Week Air Show Presented by United. https://fleetweeksf.org

So many people gave statements on the passing of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein Senator Scott Wiener said, “Dianne Feinstein was a true giant. She helped save our city, becoming Mayor after horrific political assassinations and leading us during the worst of the HIV/ AIDS health disaster. As our Senator she led on gun safety and so many issues.” He concluded, “There will never be another Dianne Feinstein.” Mayor London Breed said, “Dianne Feinstein was an icon and a trailblazer. She was a fierce and unrelenting champion for our city, our state, and our country. As a Senator, she fought for the health, safety, and prosperity of everyone in California and the United States of America. She was a fierce and principled national leader who never backed down from a fight, while also working across divisions to bring people together and make meaningful change.”

But not everyone was a fan. For instance, many gay men were furious that she closed down the bathhouses

The latest edition of this monthly event for women, their friends, and allies, DIVAS & DRINKS , was co-presented with the San Francisco Bay Times at The Academy SF on September 29. The program included the largest ever gathering of Women’s Music stars at The Academy including Melanie DeMore, Shelley Doty, Barbara Higbie, Sharon Washington , and many others who were in the house to celebrate music legend Linda Tillery during her birthday month and return to performing after a health hiatus. As the lead singer of the psychedelic rock band, The Loading Zone, in the 1960s, Tillery was at the heart of San Francisco›s “Summer of Love.” She co-founded The Cultural Heritage Choir, performed with Santana & other greats. We Bay Times Pride Parade contingent volunteers and participants happily partied with Donna Sachet emceeing.

A shocking statistics number of 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries this year in the U.S. Because Congress will do nothing about gun violence, President Biden created the first of its kind OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION on September 22. “After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message; do something, please do something,” said the President— surrounded by hundreds of gun violence survivors and those dedicated to ending it. Vice President Harris will head the Office. “On this issue, we do not have a moment to spare, nor a life to spare,” said the Vice President.

THE 49TH ANNUAL CASTRO STREET FAIR was a festive San Francisco LGBTQ street festival and fair. It is typically held on the first Sunday in October. Founded by the late Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1974, this year it came to us on October 1, 11 am to 6 pm around Castro and Market Streets. There were several stages with live entertainment, an ArtMarT, and many info and merch booths. It was all very artsycraftsy, and this year featured many more artists and their works than previous years. I was thrilled to witness the awesome acrobatics of the talented CHEER SF squad. Proceeds from donations received will be shared with their 13 beneficiaries. They were proud to support the CASTRO MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION in the purchase and maintenance of the worldfamous Rainbow Flag that flies in Harvey Milk Plaza. Since 1998, the Castro Street Fair has given over $1.6 million back to the community beneficiaries. https://castrostreetfair.org

Join HORIZONS FOUNDATION

on Saturday, October 7, 6:30 pm at the spectacular Terra Gallery in SF, 511 Harrison Street, for a glamorous and friend-filled reception with delicious food by Melons Catering, entertainment from our LGBTQ community, and lots of memories to be had! The event will also feature a short and inspiring program and opportunities to support Horizons Foundation and the LGBTQ community throughout the evening. Horizons claims it is the world’s first community foundation of, by, and for LGBTQ people. They invest in LGBTQ nonprofits, strengthen a culture of LGBTQ giving, and build a permanent endowment to secure our community’s future for generations to come. There will be dancing at the after-party with DJ LAMONT https://w w w horizonsfoundation org/ “As both a leader in the Democratic Party and the former Attorney General—and given the nature of the charges, I call upon Senator Menendez to resign,” tweeted Eric Holder. “The nation will be better served if he steps aside and allows a transition to occur that will best serve the people of New Jersey.”

Sister Dana sez, “Menendez couldn’t possibly be guilty. I mean—who among us DOESN’T hoard two kilos of gold? And when leaving my house, I always sew a couple thousand dollars for ‘petty cash’ into my clothing! Don’t we all?!”

Trans lives deserve celebration, today and every day. Come to an evening of celebration with TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER on October 13, 6 pm at Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison Street. For the first time in-person in three years, SPARK 2023 will bring together hundreds of friends and supporters. TLC’s largest annual event, SPARK, resources trans- and BIPOC-led work building power and demanding justice, grounded in the principles of the Trans Agenda for Liberation. Celebrate trans lives with music, art, mocktails, an open bar, appetizers, highlights of TLC’s current work, and a look ahead to what’s next for TLC as part of interconnected movements for justice. The evening ends with a delightful dance party.

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Do you like bear hugs? I do! We Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Bears of San Francisco invite you to the 3rd annual BEARRISON STREET FAIR on Saturday, October 14, noon to 6 pm, at the intersection of Harrison and 11th Streets. Bearrison seeks to provide an inclusive community event for all members of the adult LGBTQ community that promotes body positivity for all and builds a more supportive, welcoming, and inclusive bear scene by representing a diverse arena of cultures.

https://www.bearrison.org/

(continued on page 40)

Celebrating 50 Years of the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco

Wow! What a spectacular and most memorable 50 Years of Camp and Royalty Celebration Gala! It was presented by the Council of Grand Dukes and Duchesses of San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties, and took place at the California Academy of Sciences on September 22, 2023.

The evening was filled with tons of campy fun, laughter, surprises, scrumptious foods, interactive table trivia of the 50 years of history of the organization, a spectacular no host bar, a beautifully catered buffet dinner, awesome commemorative decorations, gift bags, and, yes, everyone was dressed to the nines.

There was the Tour of the Universe, and Expedition Reef showing in the Morrison Planetarium, and guests could also walk around the many educational open spaces including the rooftop overlooking Golden Gate Park that had beautiful views for the eyes to feast upon. The 50th Anni versary cake was so yummy that I found myself having sev eral pieces. And, of course, there was a historical dis play of the articles I have had the honor of writing through our media sponsor the San Francisco Bay Times

There were brilliant speakers including Coco LaChine (first in line of succession to

Queen Mother Nicole

Murray Ramirez of The International Court System), and a surprise Saint hood presented by The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (Sis ters Roma, Anni Coque L’Doo, and Tee Kow) to The Native American Goddess of Glitter Grand Duchess XXXVI Landa Lakes, who, in turn, presented a fabulous speech concerning the Grand Ducal Council’s 50-year history.

Please give a readers’ round of applause to the 50th Gala Committee who brought us all a once in a lifetime fabulous event:

Patrick Noonan

Landa Lakes

Sophilya Leggz

Carlos Medal

David C. Herrera

Diva LaFever

The Grand Ducal Council’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

Miso Hornay

Olivia Hart

Todd Baron

Kippy Marks

Victor Sanchez

Anthony Anchundo

Here is a message from the 50th Gala Committee Chair Patrick Noonan:

“Salutations everyone!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for an incredible 50th Anniversary gala. It was an amazing evening. All of our hard work and efforts paid off.

I heard and read so many comments such as, ‘Last night was lovely. It was a definite change,’ ‘G-damn great job,’ ‘Fantastic night!,’ ‘Great job, everyone,’ and so forth. Coco LaChine was wowed by the venue.

The centerpieces, programs, the crest, the jpeg banner, and San Francisco Bay Times displays were amazing. The food was delicious. Hayden from Knight’s Catering said the staff mentioned how wonderful the guests were and many complimented on the food to the staff. The butternut squash ravioli was a hit!

Hopefully we can all gather together soon to celebrate our accomplishments and discuss ways to improve for our 60th.

Peace & Love & All Good Things, Patrick”

I want to give a special thank you

to our media sponsor San Francisco Bay Times publishers Jennifer Viegas and Dr. Betty Sullivan for trusting in me and allowing me the honor of archiving this incredible organization that is The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties. (Editor’s Note: All of us here at the Bay Times were very proud to do so and to welcome back Kippy Marks—additionally a phenomenal musician and performer— as a columnist!)

All hail the Grand Ducal Council!

Hip Hip!

Hooray!

Hip Hip!

Hooray!

Long live The Grand Ducal Council! https://www.sfducal.org/

Kippy Marks is Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.

LIPSKY (continued from pg 22)

Authors certainly got the message. Wanting to find a publisher and an audience while also avoiding the very real possibility of going to prison—and feeling the need to protect their reputations—they used deeply coded language, spiritualized same-sex relationships, published privately, or censored themselves by changing genders. One example: the man who clung to Walt Whitman in his manuscript of “Once I Pass’d through a Populous City” became a woman in the printed version.

Sometimes authors banned their own work. Gertrude Stein wrote Q.E.D., the story of an ill-fated lesbian love triangle in 1903. Although her sexual orientation was widely known, what was possibly the first modern lesbian novel remained solely among her papers until 1950, four years after her death. E. M. Forster’s Maurice, written in 1914, did not see print until 1971, the year after he died; Forster him-

self believed the book was unpublishable during his lifetime.

By then public sentiment and legal opinion had changed greatly. In 1957, the United States District Court in San Francisco decided that the poet Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems was not pornographic because of its “redeeming social importance.” Although the ruling applied only to California, it became a precedent for the United States Supreme Court when it established the criteria to determine if a publication can or cannot legitimately be subject to government regulation.

Ten years later, the United States District Court of Minnesota ruled that publications “were not obscene simply because they might be aimed at a homosexual audience.” The “rights of minorities expressed individually in sexual groups or otherwise must be respected.” Authors now could feel safe writing books about

LGBT people and topics. Publishers could print them without fear they would be confiscated. Readers could buy them, own them, and give them as gifts without violating any laws. Until today.

The current attacks against books about LGBT people are not simply against our right to read, but against our right to proclaim our very existence; to express ourselves freely; and to live our lives openly, not hidden in the shadows. We must be always vigilant of the self-righteous moralists who want to move us backward to 1873 and especially to 1482. As famed attorney Clarence Darrow said 100 years ago, “Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding.”

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

This year, the GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY has something truly extraordinary in store for their fall gala, REUNION, which you won’t want to miss. They are thrilled to introduce their remarkable honorees, the late, great Heklina and the Queer Ancestors Project ! Both have made considerable contributions to LGBTQ history and culture, and they will be honored on October 14, 6–9 pm, Marines’ Memorial Club, 609 Sutter Street. Hosted by the fabulous duo, Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma, this is an opportunity to gather to celebrate our vast queer past, honor the history makers who move our communities forward, and raise funds to keep LGBTQ history alive. https://www.glbthistory.org

Tickets are now available for the AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL (ALRP) 40th Anniversary Reception on October 19, 6–9 pm, Julia Morgan Ballroom, 465 California Street, 15th floor. https://www.alrp.org

On September 28, President Biden paid tribute to the late Senator John McCain during the dedication ceremonies at a library in the Senator’s name in Arizona. Biden also warned the country about extremists’ threats to democracy. Biden noted that he could always work with the late Congressman to reach a compromise, and how McCain would not recognize today’s MAGA Republicans. The President was angry that some people want to “ban books and bury history.”

THE 40TH ANNUAL FOLSOM STREET

FAIR was held on September 24, spanning 8th to 12th Streets between Howard, Folsom, and Harrison Streets. The dress code went from formal (a couple wearing matching tuxedo vests, top hats, and black leather jockstraps) to as informal as possible (being nude). There were furries, plushies, human “dogs” on leashes, and every imaginable leather and spandex and fetish gear. Live music and entertainment were everywhere! Fun games included a fair favorite from Steamworks, “Naked Twister,” very similar to the classic original, except players were half naked to participate. There was live wrestling. Vendors offered every imaginable leather/fetish item for sale. Various organizations provided plenty of info and demos. Some of my favorite t-shirts seen on the scene: “I’m Jewish. Wanna check?” with a big arrow pointing down! Proudly professing his love of the Barbie movie, a happy bear’s t-shirt was appropriately pink with the word, “Bearbie.” And finally: “I doubt tequila is the answer, but it’s worth a shot!” https://www.folsomstreet.org

An astonishing number of 21 House Republicans voted against a bill to keep the government open.

On September 30, the Democrats in the Senate and House narrowly averted the shutdown. Now the House and Senate have 45 days until a complete shutdown. President Biden signed a stopgap funding resolution, exhorting: “Stop playing games! Get this done! Enough is enough is enough!”

Sister Dana sez, “Since it was so much ‘fun’ the first time, we can again look forward to a possible shutdown on November 17 as more MAGA maggots try to destroy democracy while demanding steep spending cuts, harsher border measures, and an end to Ukraine aid. MAGA: Make America Go Broke Again!”

BOOK PASSAGE (continued from pg 25)

world-famous and the not-so-much all have contributed their voices to the patchwork of the state. With this book, cultural historian and California scholar David Kipen reveals this longstoried place through its diaries and letters, and gives readers a highly anticipated follow up to his book Dear Los Angeles.

Tuesday, October 10 @ 5 pm (free - Ferry Building store) Rukmini Poddar, author of Draw Your Feelings

Our emotions add color to our lives. Happiness can feel like bright sunshine. Anxiety can feel like a gray cloud. Even though it may be uncomfortable at first, it’s clear that sitting with your emotions, feeling them fully, and exploring their depths can teach you more about yourself and help you better anticipate and process big feelings when they come. In this mind-opening and beautifully illustrated guide, popular artist Rukmini Poddar leads you through the steps to creative self-reflection, giving your emotions a physical representation through lines, shapes, colors, and more.

Sunday, October 15 @ 2 pm (ticketed - Corte Madera store & online) Bob Odenkirk and Erin Odenkirk, authors of Zilot & Other Important Rhymes ; moderated by Dave Eggers

Emmy Award-winning and New York Times bestselling writer, comedian, and actor Bob Odenkirk and his daughter, illustrator Erin Odenkirk, present poetic nonsense for all ages and perfect for fans of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky! From the titular made-up word for a blanket fort, an adorable dog with a penchant for the zoomies, and a father teaching his kids how umbrellas work, the subjects of these works, complemented by Erin’s whimsical and detailed linework, come alive on the pages. Featuring over seventy poems, Zilot & Other Important Rhymes will delight readers young and old.

https://www.bookpassage.com/

knew that life was going to teach Mick a few lessons. One big overlap with my life and hers was Katrina in August of 2005. Everyone in New Orleans was affected; the entire city was evacuated, myself included. So, Micky and her circle of friends had to experience it as well. I’ve let her age, although she hasn’t aged as relentlessly as I have.

Michele Karlsberg: You’ve tackled some heavy issues in your work, including child abuse and violence against women. Was that a conscious choice, or did it just work within the context of the story?

J.M. Redmann: I’ve never sat down and thought, “I want to tackle child abuse in this next book.” To me, issues are what we look at from a faraway vantage point, but it’s peoples’ lives when you live the everyday reality of it. Besides, the best way to “argue” an issue is to simply tell the story of how it affects one person’s life.

As a writer, I search for the conflict, the rough patches, and seek to explore who is she (or he), how does she deal with this, what are the consequences of the consequences—for example, what are the myriad ways that having a rough growing up affect someone twenty years later? How many places does this seep into your life? I have consciously tried to weave the cases that Micky takes with hot spots in her emotional life, because that way they echo each other and it forces her emotional terrain to be one of the mysteries to be solved.

Michele Karlsberg: How much of you is in Micky?

J.M. Redmann: That would be telling. Actually, anyone who knows me would tell you that I’m not Micky and they’re right. That’s part of the fun of writing her, I get to live a whole different life from my own boring, mundane existence. She can say the witty come-back in real time that took me three days to come up with.

For more information on J.M. Redmann and her work: https://www.jmredmann.com/

Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 34 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com

as a yam, and the “dry flesh” as a sweet potato. They are both sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are native to Central America and Peru. A true yam is native to Africa. The term “yam” came to be synonymous with sweet potatoes because Louisiana used the term to market their moist, orange sweet potatoes.

All these potatoes can be found at your Castro Farmers’ Market. Stop by Fifth Crow Farm from Pescadero, which has red, Russet, purple, gold, and white potatoes. Or stroll over to Jacob’s Farm where they have fingerling, red, Russet, and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Cook up your favorite potato recipes with these farm-fresh spuds and enjoy the best the farmers’ market has to offer.

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/

Take Me Home with You!

“Meet me, Marshall, or as close pals say, Marsh or Marshmallow! I’m a spirited 4-year-old terrier mix with an undeniable charm that instantly wins hearts. I’ve enjoyed many sleepovers at foster homes, giving me a taste of the loving forever home I seek. The team at SF SPCA is all praises for my smarts, often sharing tales of my playful escapades. They’ve also given me a clean bill on housetraining and even crowned me the ‘snuggle king.’ Though I’ve had a great time at the SF SPCA, I’m on the hunt for my permanent home. Curious if we’re a match? Why not try a week with me? If you’re interested, visit me at the SF SPCA Mission Campus. Hope our paths cross soon!”

No Tricks, Just Treats!

Adopt a pittie this October. All pit bull mixes (adults and puppies) are free to adopt throughout the month of October at the SF SPCA.

Marshall is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s CEO. Our thanks also go to Paradise Osorio for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Marshall.

To meet Marshall in person, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. Visitors are welcome from 11 am–6 pm (Wednesday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Tuesdays. The SF SPCA is closed on Mondays. For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/

Fitness SF Trainer Tip

Albert at Fitness

SF SoMa

“Remember three words: time under tension. Slow and controlled movements are often much better for growth than fast and erratic patterns.”

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

Round About - Folsom Street Fair 2023

Photos by Rink and Juan R. Davila Folsom Street, the nonprofit behind the Folsom Street Fair, has declared this year’s celebration to be the “best yet.” The event is the world’s largest leather gathering, and this year did not disappoint in terms of attendance. Huge crowds packed the South of Market neighborhood where the event—San Francisco’s largest street fair—took place.

In addition to the kink offerings, exhibit booths featured health and wellness advice, haircuts, massages, works of art, and much more. San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink and volunteer coordinator Juan R.Davila were among those from the Bay Times team at Folsom on Sunday, September 24. They captured images reminding us that Folsom is nothing less than a phenomenon—one that benefits numerous LGBTQ+ community service organizations. It is truly a party for a cause and an exercise in freedom of expression even beyond one’s greatest expectations.

https://www.folsomstreet.org/

Round About - More Castro Street Fair

It is Halloween time at Cliff’s! You will find décor, makeup, and more for goblins of all ages. Decorate early and enjoy a whole month of Halloween frights and fun! https://cliffsvariety.com/