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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area
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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEER SF
October 22–November 4, 2020 http://sfbaytimes.com
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Jackie vs. Goliath for California State Senate By Jennifer Kroot interests rather than affordability and renters’ groups. Since 2015, Wiener has received $800k from real estate interests, not including money from Super PACs.
Jackie Fielder, a young, indigenous, queer, Latina, Democratic Socialist is running for California State Senate. The District 11 seat, held by Scott Wiener, is up for grabs. When looking around D11, and seeing widening inequality and epidemic homelessness, despite the nonstop erection of luxury units, Jackie couldn’t Jackie Fielder understand why no one was challeng- Jennifer Kroot ing Wiener. Frustrated by the status fighting against the Dakota Access quo, she threw her hat in the ring. Pipeline. Angered by the devastation the Jackie, a California native, was raised pipeline would bring to her ancestral territories of the Dakotas, she wondered, by a single mother. “We were low “What kind of economic system would income,” Jackie says, “but my mom unleash this violence on peaceful people?” worked her butt off as a secretary, so She decided to take on the banking industhat we always had just enough to get try funding the pipeline. by.” In 2017, Jackie co-founded the Public Jackie mirrored her mom’s work ethic. Bank Coalition, so that communities At 17, she attended Stanford University could make their own investment choices. with the help of a financial aid packShe worked with State Assemblymembers age. She majored in public policy, and David Chiu and Miguel Santiago, who in her fourth year, she added a master’s co-authored AB 857. The bill simplifies in sociology. the establishment of regional and municipal public banks in California. AB 857 During college, Jackie became an became law in 2019. activist, first joining BLM, and then Despite Jackie’s legislative success, Wiener dismisses her as young and inexperienced. Jackie, however, must be doing something right, because Wiener is flooding the internet and airwaves with advertisements, to remind voters that he’s a “progressive.” Senator Wiener may be best known for his obsession to pass SB 50, which would expedite deregulated, “trickle down” development at the expense of community input and interests—but it has failed three times. Wiener claims SB 50 would create affordable housing, yet he collaborates with real estate
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Misguided development is “a product of our housing policy system, wherein real estate developers, who want to maximize their profits, get to write our housing policies,” Jackie explains. “Senator Wiener has consistently been on the other side of his constituents when it comes to issues of renters and homelessness. Now we’re facing Grapes of Wrath levels of destitution in this pandemic.” Jackie is also disappointed with Wiener’s record on homelessness, especially his opposition to Proposition C, which voters passed to increase support for homeless shelters and mental health services by taxing San Francisco’s wealthiest companies. Wiener’s donors include Uber, Lyft, Facebook, Airbnb, PG&E, and billionaires, like conservative, venture capitalist, Ron Conway. In contrast, Jackie is running a grassroots campaign. Jackie says she expects more progressive action from our State Senator: “It’s time to stop criminalizing poverty. It’s time to prioritize people over profits. It’s time for bolder leadership.” Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker, known for her LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.” Kroot is a Bay Area native, and has lived in San Francisco for 31 years (15 years in District 5). She studied filmmaking at SFAI, where she has also taught. Jennifer is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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About Our Cover CHEER San Francisco, the official cheer team of the City and County of San Francisco, has provided inspiration and support to the LGBTQ community and beyond since the group’s founding in 1980. Now, in an image created exclusively for the San Francisco Bay Times, they are urging you to vote—make that VOTE in all caps—during this extremely important election season. We are in the home stretch, so if you haven’t voted already, now is the time to do so. The battle even to have the right to vote led to imprisonment and death for some seeking equality. Black men in the U.S. did not gain the right to vote until after the Civil War, with Black male suffrage established by the 15th Amendment in 1870. It took another 50 years before women were technically granted the right to vote in 1920. Widespread voter suppression, however, prevented numerous women of color from voting until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. When you vote, you are therefore exercising a hard-earned right and honoring those who fought for it, along with helping to decide elections. Data from the U.S. Elections Project shows that roughly 43 percent of eligible voters nationwide did not bother to fill out a ballot during the 2016 elections. Parsing out the votes for those who did, this means that people who could have voted but chose not to outnumbered those who cast a vote for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or another candidate. Such indifference empowers those who wish to influence election results outside of voting. Please then heed the call of our cover, and hopefully then we will all have something to truly cheer about in November and the months to come. CHEER San Francisco: https://www.cheersf.org/
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Running Down the 2020 Ballot in the Sprint for the White House to study the California ballot as it did to prepare for the State Bar exams.” Notably, he scored exceptionally well and aced that exam, albeit some 30 years ago. There are no lawyers here, but if you are still studying up on, or are anxious about, choosing wisely on the long California and equally dense San Francisco ballot, with less than 10 days to get your ballot out the door, let’s see what we might do to help make sense of at least a few of its most controversial points of debate.
Cross Currents Andrea Shorter America is striking back and voting with a vengeance. No matter which side of the thickening blue line one stands, voters nationwide have been coming out in droves wearing personal protective masks, keeping six feet apart, and bringing their snacks and lunches tucked away, as Michelle Obama so wisely advised, to endure the potentially long hours of waiting in queues to cast their ballots at early opened polls. Perhaps you were one of the many who stood in line. If so, you were one of the record-breaking scores of over 26 million and climbing early ballot casters during a presidential election cycle. For California voters it can take days of studying near inch-thick party voter guides full of information about candidates for local offices to the presidency, arguments for and against dozens of local measures, and state propositions on the ballot. As one friend said, “It feels like it took as long
Let’s start with what should be super easy no brainer choices, shall we? For pro-LGBTQ, pro-choice, proBlack Lives Matter, pro-immigrants, pro-climate change mitigation, proAffordable Care Act, pro-science, pro-civil rights, pro-voting rights, pro-democracy candidates for high office, the choices are clear: President and Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris, Democratic Party What more needs to be said? Right? Done. Thank you. The overwhelming majority of a grateful nation thanks you. Moving on.
should-have-removed-himat-impeachment-when-theyhad-a-chance slavish Trump devotees. State Representatives Re-elect openly gay Senator Scott Wiener, and LGBTQ allies Assemblymembers David Chiu and fellow San Francisco Bay Times columnist Phil Ting. All are fighting the tough good fight for more affordable housing, environmental protections, and a host of progressive, sensible justice reforms. Each face noble, yet implausible, opponents. We need this trio’s continued leadership in Sacramento for the heavy lift of a post-Trump worldwide recovery ahead. Now let’s run through the many State Propositions numbered 14–25 with recommendations, a few deep dives, and some deep breaths. Prop 14: Borrowing for stem cell research - YES Prop 15: Schools and community first - YES
United States Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Lee, and Jackie Speier
Prop 16: Repeals Proposition 209, ending the ban on affirmative action - YES, YES, and YES!
Let’s return our own original badass squad of Bay Area Congressional representatives to lead a super Democratic majority held House aligned with what we hope will soon become a Democratic majority Senate, freed of the creepy grip and reign of Mitchell McConnell and useless GOP majority of
About a decade after the passage of 209, the evidence of its devastation was becoming apparent, I was part of a series of discussions among leaders within various civil rights organizations who began to explore the feasibility of its repeal. Now is the time. A California without affirmative action that allows for diversity as
a factor in public employment, education, and contracting decisions has produced grave disparities and disadvantages for women and minorities for two decades. Join leading organizations like the Equal Justice Society, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Planned Parenthood, NAACP, Asians Advancing Justice, Equality California, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, and others to help restore affirmative action in California: the most diverse, and economically powerful state in the union. Prop 17: Restores the right to vote after completion of a prison term, to people on parole - YES It should seem a no brainer to restore the right to vote to people who have paid their “debt to society” by imprisonment. I certainly understand the concerns of victims’ rights advocates in opposition holding that violent offenders, perpetrators of fraud, and other horrendous crimes would then also be allowed to run for office, serve on juries, and enjoy the other rights and privileges of registered voters.
Community College Board member Tom Temprano, who is a candidate for re-election, campaigned on 18th Street with his partner Andrew during the Shared Spaces closure on October 11.
However, I trust that the public and voters will be able to sort that out. As a longtime activist for voter rights for ex-offenders, I believe it is time we lift these restrictions that have disproportionately disenfranchised minorities disproportionately impacted by the justice system. Catch up with Florida; free the vote. Prop 18: Amends California constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections if they will turn 18 by the next general election and be otherwise eligible to vote - YES I have been hearing more of a “sure, why not” response rather than wild enthusiasm at the proposition of teenagers being
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ELECTION 2020
It’s Time to Vote What to Do with Your Mail-In Ballots To avoid crowds and ensure your ballot is received well before Election Day, I recommend filling it out and returning it as soon as you can via:
Assemblymember Phil Ting The November 2020 election is finally here. Along with other Californians, I am counting on you to vote, as we are fighting for the soul of our nation. Your voice will also help decide important state and local initiatives related to key policy issues, such as housing, taxation, criminal justice reform, and more. Due to COVID-19, all Californians registered to vote will automatically receive a mail-in ballot, which began arriving in our mailboxes over the last few weeks. Voting by mail is safe and secure. If you are not yet registered to vote, you can do so through your local county elections office website or by visiting Register to Vote ( https://registertovote.ca.gov/ ) before the October 19 deadline to ensure you receive a mail-in ballot on time.
• U.S. Mail: Take it to a post office or mailbox; must be postmarked no later than November 3. • Drop-Off Locations: Search for drop box locations at CA Early Voting ( https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ ) In San Francisco, the locations are: Chase Center, the Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton & the Excelsior Branch libraries, Portsmouth Square (Clay & Kearney St.), and the Vote Center described below. Either way, you can track your ballot’s journey via https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/ Be sure to sign your ballot envelope, or it won’t count. Early In-Person Voting Even though you received a mailin ballot, early in-person voting is still an option, especially if you need physical assistance or want to use accessible voting equipment. Some jurisdictions are using Vote Centers. San Francisco, for instance, set up one location for the entire city outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium at 99 Grove Street near City Hall. It is now open with safety protocols in place. And you can check wait times
( https://sfelections.sfgov.org/ ) before making the trip. The hours are: • Monday–Friday: Now through November 2 from 8 am to 5 pm. • Saturday–Sunday: October 24–25 & October 31–November 1 from 10 am to 4 pm. This site is also open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 am to 8 pm. In addition, you can bring your mail-in ballot to the Vote Center anytime it is open from now until election night. On Election Day, November 3rd On Election Day, November 3, you can vote in-person or drop off your ballot at your polling place or Vote Center from 7 am to 8 pm. If you haven’t registered to vote by then, you can conditionally register and cast a provisional ballot on Election Day. To find your polling location, you can go to the California Secretary of State’s website at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections Given all the options, please vote because so much is at stake. Do it today. Then encourage your friends and family to do the same. Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.
In The News New Funds Approved for Castro District Safety Measures At the Transportation Authority meeting on October 20, additional funds were approved to enhance safety in the Castro District. As Supervisor Rafael Mandelman wrote, “You shouldn’t have to risk your life to cross Castro Street, and I have heard of too many scary incidents where pedestrians were hit or nearly hit in that crosswalk.” The funds will help to pay for signal improvements to the busy Castro and Market Streets intersection. Supervisor Mandelman added that the additional funds “will also close a funding gap and advance the larger Upper Market (Street) Safety project, which will add safer crosswalks and bike lanes, new lighting, street trees, and trash cans to the neighborhood. I’m proud to support this project and these improvements which will make the Castro a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.” Upper Market Street Safety Project: https://bit.ly/35h1FsK San Francisco Continues Reopening with Expanded Business Operations and Activities Mayor London Breed and Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax this week announced San Francisco is continuing its measured reopening of the economy. Here are the newly revised goals for the reopening of the City: Allowed to reopen as of October 27 - Non-essential offices, with limited capacity; climbing gyms, indoor, with limited capacity; indoor gyms with increased capacity (but no indoor cardio classes); indoor personal care that includes 4
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mask removal for some services; outdoor higher education classes with increased capacity. November 3 - Businesses, new with limited capacity; swimming pools, indoors; bowling alleys, indoors, and other family entertainment centers; locker rooms in indoor gyms; drivein live performances; activities with increased capacity; places of worship, indoors and outdoors; political protests; movie theaters, indoors, with no food or drink; dining, indoors; indoor zoos, museums, aquariums; film production, indoors. Mid-November - Bars, wineries, and breweries without food (outdoors). Details about the reopening plan are at https://sf.gov/topics/reopening ‘Safe Sleeping Site’ Placement Envisioned for All Unsheltered San Franciscans To address the crisis of street homelessness in San Francisco that has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced legislation this week that would require the City to establish a network of temporary safe sleeping sites to provide a safe place for every homeless person in San Francisco to sleep. “In San Francisco, in 2020, no one should have to spend the night in a tent on a median or curled up in a doorway,” said Supervisor Mandelman. “Despite investing billions of dollars in addressing homelessness over the years, we have never taken responsibility for the many thousands of unhoused people who can still not access a supportive housing unit, shelter bed, or hotel. A Place for All will finally
ensure that all unhoused people have a safe place to spend the night so that no one has to camp on our streets, and that no neighborhood has to offer up its sidewalks as shelter of last resort.” The legislation would require the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to submit an implementation plan to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors within 60 days that describes how the Department plans to open enough safe sleeping sites to serve 500 unsheltered people within nine months, and all safe sleeping sites needed to accommodate every unsheltered person without alternative shelter within 18 months. The legislation is expected to be voted on in the coming months. 30% of Income Proposed as Standard Maximum Rent for Supportive Housing Tenants Supervisor Matt Haney on October 20 introduced legislation to codify the practice of setting rents at no more than 30% of a client’s income for new PSH (Permanent Supportive Housing), an extension of current practice. It would also set a timeline of October 1, 2023, to transition all older supportive housing units to a 30%-of-income model. “San Francisco’s current practices are inequitable and unfair because they don’t apply evenly across all supportive housing buildings,” said Supervisor Haney, who authored the legislation in partnership with supportive housing tenants. “Tenants who are overwhelmingly in some of the oldest supportive housing buildings sometimes pay up to 70% of their income to rent in PSH, leaving little for basic necessities.” Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing information: https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/housing/
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GLBT Fortnight in Review There’s the Rub
Wellness Check
Sadly, we have to start with the untimely death of the greatly admired transgender blogger and activist, Monica Roberts, who collapsed outside her Houston apartment building on October 5 at the age of 58. It sounds from her friends and family that her death may have been Covid-related. Roberts had been feeling ill and easily winded, but had not taken a Covid test.
I’m sitting here watching Nicole Wallace with the sound off, blaring Bad Bunny out of the Alexa machine, drinking white wine, and wondering what to write about next. I feel out of time, encouraged by the polls but haunted by the memory of our last election night. I want to know the outcome right this second. Two weeks is an abyss.
You know who annoys me? Dianne Feinstein. And it’s not just her kind words for Lindsay Graham or her inappropriately pleasant demeanor at the Barrett hearing. It’s the selfishness of running for reelection at the age of 85. You know you’re in decline, physically and mentally, and yet you go ahead and leverage your (albeit well-earned) credentials to the detriment of your state and your country. She cannot be allowed to preside over what I hope will be Judiciary Committee hearings on Court reform once we win the Senate and the White House.
Roberts ran her blog, TransGriot, for over 10 years, advocating for civil rights and notably shining a light on murdered transgender women and men. It had never occurred to me to look up “griot” before, but now I see it is a West African storyteller, poet, or musician. A traveler offering an oral history. Like hers, a unique voice. It’s heartbreaking to check out the website in this context. Instead of a tribute to its founder, the October 1 post offers Monica’s Week 4 NFL picks, a 20-year obsession. By my count, she was 10–5.
My cousin just sent me a link to the story about Jeffrey Toobin, the CNN legal analyst and New Yorker columnist who exposed his dick while masturbating during a work-related Zoom call. Meanwhile, Don Junior sent out an odd post complaining about Instagram censorship while lying in bed under the covers. Readers, am I dreaming? Four years ago, Mel and I were headed out to an election party. But we kept waiting. We waited to make sure, to hit the next poll closing, to reassure ourselves before throwing our high spirits into the festivities ahead. A seriousness descended. A worry. A dread. The New York Times needle kept shifting off Hillary’s margin of victory. And then the horror set in. Later, we learned that the party crowd devolved into stunned disbelief. We had stayed home, of course. The next mornings felt like the days after my father died. You knew your life had changed but for a minute you couldn’t remember why. And then it all came rushing back to you. We can’t go through that again.
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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2020)
By Ann Rostow
RIP, Monica Roberts
“Monica was fearless, and she demanded respect for transgender people, no matter who it was,” said Lambda Legal’s Kevin Jennings. “Her love for and her commitment to her community saved lives. Monica Roberts never stopped talking about the violence against transgender women. Her mission to end the misgendering of transgender victims in media to ensure transgender women’s dignity in death was often the only final rites that they received. Monica’s care for those women is her legacy.”
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I’m not sure what Feinstein or anyone else could have done to delay the Barrett confirmation, which looks inevitable. But there might have been something, right? Something other than, “How lovely to see you here,” and, “What a wonderful answer,” or whatever jarring platitudes came out of her mouth. You know who else I hate? The arrogant GEICO “motaur.” He’s rude. He hogs the gym equipment, he’s dismissive to his friend as they watch a herd of wild motaurs, and he’s just generally unpleasant. As I traverse the final weeks of Trump, I am like a live electric wire: testy, impatient, less tolerant than usual. Where once I would have been mildly irked by the motaur, these days he fuels a smoldering anger in my soul. Get off the treadmill, you obnoxious gas guzzling jerk. You’ve been spinning your wheels for nearly an hour and there’s another guy waiting for the machine!
I shudder to think how I’d perform on the various medical apps that you can now download to your phone to let you check your own heart health or blood oxygen levels. At one point, Mel and I had a blood pressure monitor that never worked particularly well, producing a range of life-threatening readings that would have worried us had the device seemed more reliable. The last thing we need now is a random piece of software informing us that our cardiac rhythms are erratic or our oxygen saturation rates are dropping into the low 90s. Assuming we feel fine, what can we do with these amateur medical observations besides stew over the anomalies and compulsively retake the tests every hour or so? Oh, and now I see from the Times science section that even the healthy sounding blood pressure level of 120 over 80 is dangerously high, and that we should all be down to 100 or something. Paging Medical Experts: Is this really the right moment in history to change these guidelines? Don’t we have enough to worry about? The Nineties Are Calling… I read with some astonishment that the police in Hillsborough County, Florida (think Tampa area), have been running around targeting men in parks and arresting them for simply agreeing to sexual activity. Nothing actually happened, and presumably, the 11 hapless victims of this old-fashioned sting operation thought the cops who approached them on the trail or in the parking
lot were legitimately interested in a little harmless fun. But when they whipped out their badges instead of something else, the men found themselves under misdemeanor arrest and their mugshots were handed over to the press. Quite frankly, I thought the age of outdoor cruising was a pre-Grindr thing of the past, but then again, many of the men in my GLBT circle of friends like to take advantage of any opportunity that may arise. The press reaction has been a collective eye roll, on the order of, “Haven’t they got anything better to do,” and, “Are they going to arrest the teenagers on lovers’ lane?” Someone wondered whether they’d arrest women who agreed to naughty business in the bushes, but the better question of course, is how many guys they’d nab if cute female officers propositioned straight men? Because this is not a gay thing, it’s a guy thing. And I guarantee you the Hillsborough police force could wrangle 11 happy husbands in no time with the right bait. Guys, I love you, but let’s just agree that we’re not going to catch Marcia Coyle or Nina Totenberg masturbating during their Zoom calls anytime soon. My Least Favorite Things, Continued Just so you know, a day has gone by and I’m now watching Chuck Todd (with the sound off) and drinking grapefruit juice. Talk about a step down. Chuck Todd bothers me with
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Outing Originalism as Outrageous
6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Illinois Senator Richard Durbin called it “shameless”; Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar: a “sham.” They were, of course, talking about last week’s unprecedented U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to engineer Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The purpose of the nomination, culminating a decades-long partisan Republican effort to pack the Court with staunchly conservative ideologues, was laid bare by the words of Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham. Despite Barrett and her Senate allies repeatedly maintaining that her personal views had nothing to do with how she would act as a Justice, Graham proclaimed: “This is the first time in American history that we’ve nominated a woman who’s unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology and she’s going to the Court ... . This has been a long time coming and we have arrived.”
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The fact that the nomination is proceeding just days before the presidential election further underscores Graham and his colleagues’ partisan motives. After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republicans blocked confirmation of President Obama’s March 2016 nomination of centrist Merrick Garland to the Court, Graham promised that “if an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term and the primary process has started, we’ll wait to the next election.” Graham and his fellow Republicans are now reneging on that promise, exposing once and for all their nakedly partisan approach to the judiciary. Their aim is to further their own political power and to cater to the personal interests of their financial backers and political base. They seek not to serve the American people who largely reject much of their radically conservative agenda. Barrett, with connections to the homophobic hate group Alliance Defending Freedom and far right Catholic group People of Praise, appeared duplicitous herself at the hearing. A key moment came when she claimed it highly unlikely that a case challenging Obergefell, the landmark nationwide marriage equality decision, would make it to the Court. Barrett simplistically told the Committee that any case challenging Obergefell would first go to lower courts who would have to say: “‘We’re going to flout Obergefell.’
U.S. Supreme Court
And the most likely result would be that lower courts, who are bound by Obergefell, would shut such a lawsuit down, and it wouldn’t make its way up to the Supreme Court.” Surely Barrett is aware that the losing party in any such case may simply ask the Supreme Court to hear their case, and if four Justices agree, the Court will do so. Indeed, the State of Indiana right now is asking the Court to take its case challenging the right of married same-sex couples to have both their names on their child’s birth certificate. A Texas case challenging the clear directive in Obergefell that same-sex spouses of government employees have the right to health care and other spousal employment benefits on the same terms as different-sex spouses is working its way through the Texas appellate courts and could reach the U.S. Supreme Court in perhaps two years. And just two weeks ago, Justices Thomas and Alito wrote an opinion all but inviting potential litigants to challenge Obergefell. This term, the Supreme Court will also decide Fulton v. City of Philadelphia determining whether (continued on page 24)
Getting Oakland Back on the Board of BAAQMD BAAQMD is a public agency that regulates numerous sources of air pollution in the nine counties of California’s Bay Area. BAAQMD also distributes many millions of dollars every year for programs and projects to improve air quality. It is governed by a 24-member board of directors composed of elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties. The board has the duty of adopting air pollution regulation for the region.
Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan Fire season seems to grow longer and longer each year. With more fires, the quality of the air becomes more of an issue for us all, while East and West Oakland have been dealing with the disproportionate impacts of environmental racism in their air quality for generations. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) was an essential part of Bay Area living this past summer and deep into the fall. As wildfires raged nearby since August, including in Alameda County, Oakland, a community heavily impacted by air pollution, had to sit idly by as policies and funding allocations were being made without an Oakland representative.
The City of Oakland is the largest and most diverse city in Alameda County and one of the largest cities in the Bay Area, with an approximate population of 430,000 people. The people of Oakland suffer from disproportionate exposure to pollution and toxins, including a heavy concentration of air pollution that can cause asthma, cancer, and other devastating health outcomes. It is essential that all of Oakland, especially the communities that are impacted by air pollution most, be represented on the body that generates policy about the air pollution and funding to remedy it. It is essential that the City of Oakland has a seat on the BAAQMD’s board of directors.
Black Trans Lives Rally at SF City Hall Photos by Rink “All lives can’t matter until Black lives matter. All lives can’t matter until Black Trans lives matter. We’re in this together,” Mayor London Breed said, speaking on the steps of San Francisco City Hall at the Bridging Black Trans Lives: Advancing Racial Equity for All Black Lives rally held on Friday, September 25. The event was in commemoration of Black August and was organized by Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community, Alameda County Behavioral Health Office of Ethnic Services, The San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and MegaBlack SF. Partners included The Transgender District, TAJA’s Coalition, TGIJP, Brotherhood 510, and the UCSF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health. Activist Phelicia Jones, the founder of Wealth & Disparities in the Black Community, and Supervisor Shamann Walton were among the other speakers. Spoken word artist Kin Folks of Spectrum Queer Media also participated, and DJ Lamont provided music. Video of the event is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqkUA2c6NKc
The City of Oakland has had representation on the BAAQMD Board of Directors in the recent past, and the City benefited greatly. I had the honor of representing Oakland for two years on the BAAQMD board of directors. During that time, I successfully worked with the board to adopt policies to clean up hard hit areas; to bring back funds to our communities for cleaner cranes, trucks, and clean-air shuttles; and much more. Currently, there is no Oakland representative on the BAAQMD board, which makes vital decisions impacting our community. As air pollution and climate change continue to harm our residents, it is more important than ever that Oakland have a seat at that table.
Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).
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In Memoriam: Randall “Randy” Schiller (1950–2020)
525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. The Bay Times is proud to be the only newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco that is 100% owned and operated by LGBT individuals. Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors
Beth Greene Michael Delgado Abby Zimberg Design & Production
Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Calendar Editor
Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren Technology Director Carla Ramos Web Coordinator Mario Ordonez Distribution
CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Tim Seelig, Cinder Ernst, John Chen Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Kin Folkz, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Peter Gallotta, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Michele Karlsberg Lyndsey Schlax, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews, Karen E. Bardsley, David Landis, Jan Wahl
Randy was a longtime supporter of the San Francisco Bay Times, and we hired him and his crew for many years to manage the sound system for our Pride Parade contingents and other events. His work was always first rate, backed by intense focus, care, and decades of experience. As Page wrote in her tribute, Randy became established as “the king of the dance party scene” in the 1970s and 80s. She explained, “He did sound and lights for all the big ‘mega-parties’ and he was without argument the best in the business.” A San Francisco native, Randy graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, where he was a science major and all-around athlete. He proudly proclaimed that his ambition was to become an electrical engineer. Little did his classmates know that this talent, further honed at San Francisco State University (where he also studied film), would contribute so much to San Francisco nightlife, and to the LGBTQ community, in particular. For many years Randy operated a recording studio, and was asked to build the sound system for the I-Beam nightclub and music venue that opened in October 1977. On opening night, groups of bare-chested men in jeans and construction hats memorably carried I-Beams on their shoulders into the club. Randy went on to host the club’s popular “Monday Night Live!” that introduced local artists. He also did sound and lighting for Sylvester, Two Tons of Fun, and numerous major artists. Nearly every prominent San Francisco club at the time benefited from Randy’s engineering expertise. Legendary entertainer and Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet wrote, “I had worked with Randy for over 25 years. From the 1993 Mr. & Miss Gay Pageant at Pleasuredome to the 50th Anniversary
Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Deborah Svoboda, Kristopher Acevedo, Morgan Shidler, JP Lor ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers. National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only. CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2020 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas
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2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113
Randy enjoyed the great outdoors, especially on trips with his beloved family.
of the Imperial Court at City Hall in 2016 and at so many events between, Randy was always creative, supportive, and a joy to work with; his high standards elevated San Francisco!” Another drag icon, Sister Roma, said: “People from so many communities are coming forward remembering his generous work in our community. He did the sound for the Sisters at our 10th Anniversary party, Halloween in the Castro, and Easter in the Park. And always such a sweet guy.” Bay Times lead photographer Rink wrote, “He was a terrific, friendly guy who enhanced so many happenings. He will be missed.” The National AIDS Memorial posted the following tribute: “Our community mourns the loss of a dear and loyal friend, Randy Schiller. For many years, Randy was the sound, lighting, and video master for iconic San Francisco clubs and bars such as I-Beam, The Box, Trocadero Transfer, Detour, Badlands, Midnight Sun, Moby Dick, Phoenix, and others. It was Randy who first brought magic to the Redwood Grove in the early years of our annual fundraising gala, Light in the Grove—magical lighting, sound effects, and ethereal glowing fireflies. Randy gave generously to his community in so many different ways. He was a longtime, generous supporter of the National
AIDS Memorial and other organizations such as The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation and the AIDS Emergency Fund. Thank you for everything, Randy—our love for you will live on.”
PHOTO BY WILLIAM DUCATI BROWN/ FACEBOOK
Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011
“We all loved Randy,” DJ Page Hodel said of this month’s passing of sound, lighting, and video wizard Randall “Randy” Schiller, expressing the view of many. “Anyone who met him,” she added, “recognized right away his perfect mix of professional passion and excellence mixed with the kindest sweetest gentlest soul. The tenderness of that man’s heart was palpable, authentic, and deeply touching.”
PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHILLER
Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978
Abraham Lincoln High School
At a Bay Times holiday party a few years ago, just before Randy’s retirement, he excitedly spoke of his beloved family and RV, which Page described as a “tricked out man-cave on wheels.” He frequently enjoyed trips in it before his recent death due to a heart attack. Page—who also has a treasured camper—wrote: “I am so comforted to have received sweet little missives on Facebook of his being genuinely in ecstasy in his RV wandering the coast of this state he loved so and getting some hard-earned well-deserved rest and relaxation. And he was spending time with his family and especially his little nieces or grandnieces that he just cherished.” As the San Francisco Bay Times goes to press, we have learned of the passing of LGBTQ community leader Tom Taylor. A tribute to Taylor, known for "Tom & Jerry's Christmas Tree House" and so much more, will be in our next issue.
Photos courtesy of Karen Williams
Coming Out Stories
Come Out! Stay Safe By Karen Williams Come out, come out, wherever you are! How many times have we heard folks who are already out telling others to “come out” and to be proud? Choosing to come out about your sexuality and private life can be a life-changing venture. That old adage, “To thine own self be true,” will take on new meaning as you struggle within yourself to live your best life. Choosing to be authentic—to be who you are—involves internal struggle and sometimes, just knowing that, helps you manifest the courage to take on the challenge of coming out. It may be that you decide to come out to make it more comfortable for you to be honest with yourself and in your relationships with others. I certainly had that experience. I thought that it would be too difficult to be open and honest with some people yet closed and guarded with others. Besides, my memory is not that great and I was afraid that I would not remember whom I told that I was a lesbian. The fear would drive me crazy, and I knew I would not be able to carry off the “double life” charade without doing psychic and emotional damage to myself. When I realized that I loved women and wanted to make them my primary preference, I did a great deal of soul searching. It was the early seventies, I was still married to a man, and I had a child to consider. I remember that I prayed long and hard for my own well-being, and I vowed to trust myself no matter what might happen. I attended the first and only meeting of the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO)—a national conference devoted to black women that was held in New York City in 1973—and after meeting and talking with several
black lesbians, I felt something stir inside of me. I wrestled with the excitement I felt being around so many women-loving-women and during that conference, I summoned up the courage to admit the truth about my preference to myself. I went home after that conference with names and phone numbers of lesbians who lived near me. I was so excited about my new realization that I couldn’t wait to talk with my husband. We were friends from college; I was sure that he would understand. We talked and talked and my continued bold assertions about my love of women eventually led to the dissolution of the union. I was only 22 and not quite sure what to do. I had that list of phone numbers, and with my newfound lesbian identity urging me on, I called that gym teacher whom I met at the conference, and the rest is “herstory”! He moved out, she moved in, and I began my life as a lesbian. There was no U-Haul because she only lived three blocks away! And we were fine for a while until my former husband’s family threatened to take me to court to remove my son from the home. I knew that, in 1973, I would not win custody in the State of Connecticut, so I fled to southern California with my son to stay with my father. I expected my lover to follow. She did not! Because of my vow to be true to myself, I survived this initial lesbian drama and have gone on to have many more. Yet I have never regretted my decision to be out, proud, confident, and dedicated to living in my truth as a woman-loving-woman, a lesbian! Our society tends to be so externally focused that we can forget that the most important person is YOU! As meaningful and significant as it is to be a part of a movement or a community, the quality
of our lives as individuals is also important. There may be times when the only person you can truly depend on is YOU! You may find that once you make peace with your decision to come out and to be proud about it, you will gain the love and respect of many people. Some of those people may become part of your friendship support networks, and spur you on when you hit rough patches as well as help you celebrate your victories. I believe that “coming out” is a gift that you give to worthy recipients. If that recipient is your employer, so that you can take advantage of domestic partnership or health insurance benefits offered at your job, then it is worthwhile for you to do so. If the confidante is closer to home, you may find that the bridge of authenticity brings you together. Coming out to parents, children, mates, friends, relatives, and colleagues offers them the opportunity to be more authentic in their own lives, and to examine their beliefs. They may even learn to embrace and encourage difference because of your example. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we have lots of time to examine our longheld beliefs ... about ourselves, others, and the world in which we live together. For many of us, this crisis reminds us of the AIDS pandemic that we lived through, and the many friends and family members whom we lost. We also had a federal administration during those
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Supporting Small Businesses in the Castro & Beyond
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Just For Fun & Scribbledoodles
Mixcoatl Handicrafts & Jewelry
3982 24th Street 415-285-4068 Contact: David Eiland JustForFun@justforfunsf.com https://tinyurl.com/y64ch5uu 10 am–5 pm Daily
3201 24th Street 415-341-4191 colibrisfs24@icloud.com Contact: Connie Rivera and Ricardo Peña Mixcoatl on Facebook 11 am–6 pm Daily
Since its opening in 1987, locals have enjoyed shopping at this LGBT-owned business for more than three decades. Many will swear by the store’s extensive offering of toys for children and adults, kitchenware, art and party supplies, unique office items, personalized invitations, table names, and cards for many occasions. It’s considered a great place for last minute gifts, including silly, unusual, novel, and useful ones, too. There is also a selection of Judaica, including Seder plates.
LGBT community members who love wearing masks will admire the selection of high-quality handmade ones available at Mixcoatl. Located on the corner at 24th and Van Ness, the shop also receives rave reviews for their selection of everything you’ll need to celebrate Day of the Dead aka All Souls’ Day. Originating in Mexico, this holiday has grown in popularity in recent years and is now celebrated broadly. In the U.S. for 2020, Day of the Dead will be observed beginning on Saturday, October 31, and concluding on Monday, November 2.
Co-owner David Eiland tells us that in response to COVID-19, Just for Fun has implemented strict protocols. Masks are required and hand sanitizer stations are available. Surfaces are continually sanitized and distance markers indicate where to stand in line. You can therefore relax as you peruse the store’s impressive selection of items, such as elegant Crane & Co. cards. All personalized holiday card orders are now 10% off through November 2!
Owner Connie Rivera and her partner Ricardo Peña, who are wellknown for their community service, have taught free Aztec dance classes for more than 25 years at the Mission Cultural and Rec Centers. Connie has also inspired low-income women through the organization known as ALAS. They are currently volunteering as distributors at the Mission Food Hub. Mixcoatl was hit hard since the start of pandemic, so friends and neighbors began a supportive GoFundMe campaign that is still active. To contribute, go to: https://bit.ly/2FMduhU
Fun Cars for Serious Times ous utility, and the 4Runner lifted the lid on it.
Auto Philip Ruth Home stretch! It’s been a long political slog, and now we’re within shouting distance of having our vote on the matter. Amid this electoral tension, I had relief with two press vehicles that are unquestionably focused on fun. This Mazda MX-5 Miata Club (about $33,000 as tested) is an iconic fun convertible for two and their luggage. It’s quaint to remember the revelation the Miata was when it debuted for 1990, because pretty much up to that point, pint-sized drop-tops were made by makes like Fiat and Triumph, and they needed a lot of wrenching—and a lot of pushing, as in the case of my beloved Fiat Spider 2000. They were worth the trouble, because few other vehicles could provide their open-air thrills. Then the Miata came along and started every day just like other Mazdas, and the game, as they say, had changed. The 4Runner sprouted about five years earlier as a version of Toyota’s small pickup truck. The 4Runner also had a wide skyward view, at least for rear passengers, when you removed the rear roof cap. You bought the Toyota pickup for seri10
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This 4Runner TRD Pro is the top trim of a bewildering nine 4Runner trims available, and you’d need a pinch more than $50,000 to drive off in a 4Runner TRD Pro—and in a nod to the first 4Runner, the tailgate window motors down for flow-through ventilation. In the decades since, many models have shifted identities; the ever-renamed Lincoln lineup is Exhibit A, but the Miata and 4Runner never strayed from their original formulas.
Mazda MX-5 Miata Club
Most fortunately, they are the best they’ve ever been. This MX-5 Miata Club came with the “Brembo/ BBS Recaro Package,” which costs a stiff $4,470 but includes names that are music to an enthusiToyota 4Runner TRD Pro ast’s ears. Brembo means high-tech front disk brakes development of models like these. with red calipers, BBS refers to Granted, a lot of the 4Runner TRD the forged 17-inch wheels in Dark Pro’s distinction lies in styling nugGunmetal, and Recaro calls out the gets like embossed headrests and a heated black sport seats that hold TRD shift knob. But there’s subyou in place without cramping your stance as well, with FOX-brand style. Sill extensions around the botfront shocks and knobbly Nitto Terra tom of the body add some visual sizGrappler tires. zle. Altogether, this package applies The 4Runner’s TRD Pro heavya more serious approach to driving to the Miata’s typical happy-go-lucky duty hardware made it feel strong, but the ride didn’t knock me around. demeanor. Likewise, the Miata was extremely “Serious” applies to the tested nimble but never felt harsh. Let’s 4Runner TRD Pro as well—after hope for the same for us all as all, “professional” is in the name. November approaches. TRD stands for Toyota Racing Philip Ruth is a Castro-based autoDevelopment, which first got its name back in 1979. Racing improves motive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging the breed, and the off-road ralservice. lies in which Toyota competes so ferociously directly influence the
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Flowers of the Valley 4077 24th Street 415-970-0579 Contact: Yuliya flowersofthevalley@hotmail.com http://www.flowersofthevalley.com 9 am–7:30 pm Daily We all know some special places where we love to shop, and often they are run by special people. This is one of those places. San Francisco Bay Times team members, captivated by the ever-evolving selection of seasonal wreaths, have shopped here for at least two decades. Fresh flowers arrive daily at this distinctive florist in the heart of Noe Valley located near the intersection of Castro and 24th Streets. With more than 40 years combined experience in the family, Flowers of the Valley specializes in orchids and gets rave reviews for their floral services for all occasions. With staying safe in mind, there’s a limit of two customers inside. Wear your mask! Mention this article and get 10% off during October. Tell Yuliya the Bay Times sent you!
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Edward Prime-Stevenson: In Defense of Similisexualism
Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky In Her Enemy, Some Friends, and Other Stories, published in 1913, Edward Prime-Stevenson (1858–1942) kindly provided his readers with a list of books to be found in a well-read homosexual’s lavender library at the turn of the 20th century. “Almost every man of like making-up,” he wrote, “had a special group of volumes ... crowded into a few lower shelves, as if they sought to avoid other literary society, to keep themselves to themselves, to shun all unsympathetic observation.” The list contained publications both immortal and obscure. In addition to Greek and Roman “antologists,” it included Michelangelo’s and Shakespeare’s homoerotic sonnets; Tennyson’s In Memoriam, which expressed the poet’s deep love for his friend Arthur Henry Hallam; The North Shore Watch by George Edward Woodberry; Horace Annesley Vachell’s The Hill, the story of two students at Harrow who compete for the love of a third; and Tim, published anonymously, “a delicate portrayal of a sensitive boy’s devoted affection for an older boy.” The only writer on the list with more than one book was Xavier Mayne, author of Imre: A Memorandum and The Intersexes: A History of Similisexualism as a Problem in Social Life—both groundbreaking works of enduring influence—and Sebastian au Plus Bel Age, a novel now presumed to be lost (if it ever existed anywhere except in this catalog of titles). What PrimeStevenson did not tell his readers was that he and Mayne were the same person. Imre was privately printed in Naples in 1906 as a “little psychological romance,” during an era when medicine was formalizing its view that homosexuality was an identifying pathology, not what many then believed was a sinful behavior or an acquired vice. It tells the story of the love affair between Oswald, a “past thirty” Englishman who is spending a summer in Budapest, and Imre, a 23-year-old Hungarian cavalry officer. Eventually they join together in “the friendship which is love, the love which is friendship.”
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Prime-Stevenson’s goal, however, was not to write a romance with sensual encounters—there are none— but to describe how its heroes, “lovers of their own sex,” found each other; how they gradually told each other about their sexuality; and how, as a couple, they changed their ideas about themselves, which had been negative and self-loathing, to face an optimistic future together. It was the first novel by an American to give a happy ending to a story of two men in love with each other. The author himself was less “lucky in love” than Imre. Although he almost certainly had intimacies before and since, the great romance of his life seems to have been with Harry Harkness Flagler, son of a co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, who became president of the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Society and the orchestra’s principle financial backer. Their “great and good friendship” ended in 1893, the year before Flagler married, although Prime-Stevenson continued to always care for him deeply. Two years after Imre appeared, Prime-Stevenson published The Intersexes: A History of Similisexualism as a Problem in Social Life. As the pioneering survey of homosexuality in Europe and America, it is one of the foundational works of modern LGBT
The Intersexes
studies. “Before we loathe the homosexual as anarchist against Nature, as renegade toward religion, as pariah in society, as monster in immorality, as criminal in law,” he wrote, “let us feel sure that we have considered well whatever the complex mystery of Life presents as his defense.” To provide the historical, legal, and scientific context for that defense, Prime-Stevenson read almost everything then available about homosexuality. He interviewed physicians, psychiatrists, and workaday people from many different backgrounds. His conclusions, then not generally accepted socially or scientifically: homosexuality was neither an abnormality nor a disease. It was, in fact, inborn, a normal and natural temperament. “Temperamentals,” as they were often called then, might face social and legal persecution,
Edward Irenaeus Prime-Stevenson
but they could not and should not be other than who they are. For Prime-Stevenson, similisexualism was “a problem in social life” because the medical profession had made it a problem and society had made it illegal. He knew the difficulties very well, which is why he used a pseudonym to publish his books about homosexuality. Howard Overing Sturgis (1855–1920) went even further. For Tim, his first novel (1891), which he admitted on the title page was a story of the “love that surpasses the love of women,” he used the pen name “Anonymous.” He probably worried for nothing. Published simultaneously in London, New York, and Leipzig, Tim was immediately successful. It tells the story of a sensitive young boy very much in love—emotionally and spiritually, of course, not sexually— with Carol, a boy a few years older, his best friend. When Carol meets the girl he will marry, Tim, out of his great affection, graciously steps aside to assure Carol’s happiness at the loss of his own, then wastes away like Werther lamenting his loss of Charlotte. Nicknamed Howdie, Sturgis was “a delicate child, closely attached to his mother, and fond of such girlish hobbies as needlepoint and knitting, which he continued to practice throughout his life.” He became “a sturdily built handsome man with brilliantly white wavy hair, a girlishly clear complexion, [and] a black moustache.” His sexuality was not a secret to his friends, who included the deeply closeted novelist Henry James, although one intimate defended him by explaining, “There was ‘nothing effeminate about his execution of female tasks.” Howdie’s life companion was William Haynes-Smith (1871– 1937), known as “the Babe,” son of an English colonial administrator. In 1888, the two men moved into a country house they called, without a hint of irony, Queen’s Acre; they lived there as a couple for more than 30 years. Four years after Sturgis died in 1920, Haynes-Smith married his niece Alice. Both were in their 50s. If not as happy together as Howdie and the Babe had been, hopefully they were content. Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.
Howard Sturgis and William Haynes Smith on the steps at Queen’s Acres, Windsor.
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Mark Rhoades
Sweet Support for SF LGBT Center Thanks to Visionaries Mark Rhoades and fnnch
In June 2020, amidst the pandemic and sheltering in place, LGBT community leader Mark Rhoades was seeking a creative, safe way for LGBTQIA+ leaders and supporters to celebrate Pride. With the onset of COVID-19, the San Francisco Pride Parade was canceled for the first time in 50 years. All social and philanthropic events came to a sudden halt, including Rhoades’ very own 13th Annual Pride KickOff Party. There were rapid closures of businesses, the economy was plummeting, people were losing their jobs and sanity, and were forced to turn to Zoom and social media in order to “stay home, save lives.” Dressing up, going out, and physically supporting local causes became a “social distance” thing of the past.
Roberto Ordeñana, Mayor London Breed, Rebecca Rolfe
Rhoades took the lead and reached out to Rebecca Rolfe and Roberto Ordeñana of the Center, seeking their approval for a Pride “rainbow honey bear” mural on their wall. He proposed that this project would be a huge local and tourist attraction, where people would be clamoring to take their photo in front of the mural. Rolfe and Ordeñana gladly accepted, making the Center the hub of the Pride mural.
Fnnch donated his time, resources, and daily upkeep as a gift to the Center. He dedicated the mural to his beloved late, gay uncle. Once the mural had been completed, Rhoades began inviting LGBT leaders and socialites, near and far, to support the Center by taking their photo in front of the mural. He encouraged each guest to post their fun photos/videos on their Instagram and Facebook pages, tagging the Center and artist fnnch. The Pride mural project has exploded all over social media, receiving over 55,000 views/ likes! This has given the Center increased national and local visibility.
As an established PR strategist, Rhoades spent dedicated hours trying to decipher what he could do to positively change the macabre mood that was filling the air. As a huge fan of artist fnnch, specifically his rainbow honey bear, Rhoades knew this would be just the happy collaboration San Francisco needed.
Rhoades is moved by the many people who took time to support the Center and fnnch in this way. They include Mayor London Breed; famed ballerina Yuanyuan Tan, who danced in front of the mural; the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, who sang a song about the honey bears; CHEER SF, who did a cheer about the honey bears; and so many more. It is awe inspiring! Also, fnnch raised $10,000 for the Center.
Rhoades contacted fnnch, suggesting he paint rainbow honey bears all over the Castro. Fnnch loved the idea, and added that he would like to honor Pride by painting one specific wall, with one dynamic focus: the SF LGBT Center.
Beyond the imagination of Rhoades, the Center, and fnnch, the honey bear rainbow mural continues to bring joy to San Francisco and its onlookers daily. It is the smile we never knew we needed. The images will be exhibited next year for Pride inside the Center. Rhoades wishes to give special thanks to the media outlets that have covered the mural. They include Kenny Choi for a CBS News Pride segment in June, the Nob Hill Gazette, Haute Living magazine, KQED, and now the San Francisco Bay Times. We hope that you enjoy this selection of just some of the images taken so far. For More Information
Myles Tatcher, San Francisco Ballet
Yuanyuan Tan, Prima Ballerina, San Francisco Ballet
Mark Rhoades PR https://www.markrhoadespr.com/ fnnch https://fnnch.com/ SF LGBT Center https://www.sfcenter.org/ S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Community College Board Member Tom Temprano
NCLR Co-Founder and Former U.S. Commissioner, Roberta Achtenberg
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Mark Leno, Former California State Senator
Bevan Dufty, BART Board Member
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Tim Seelig, SFGMC Artistic Director & Conductor Gina Grahame, GGBA Past President
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Donna’s Chronicles
By Donna Sachet
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” –Thomas Merton
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he challenges of this pandemic have stymied some, but they have also demonstrated amazing resilience in others. Those of us who frequently indulged in the enjoyment of live performances and other artistic expressions have been flailing about for months, trying to find that indescribable sensation somewhere. Yes, the San Francisco Opera has made past performances available online, offering a glimpse at this rich and multi-layered art form. Yes, the de Young Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the California Academy of Sciences have all offered virtual three-dimensional walk-throughs, putting a treasure trove of beauty, nature, and history in your living room. And yes, individual performers of all kinds, comic, drag, dramatic, musical, and others, have reinvented themselves by creating a home studio, experimenting with apps, and gazing into a camera lens in order to keep in touch with their loyal fan bases. But, by and large, we remain unsatisfied. Last Saturday, however, the SF Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) shared its 42nd birthday celebration online and delivered the perfect combination of humor, music, history, and community, an oasis of entertainment in a desert of boredom. Yes, we have a special fondness for this group, since they were one of the first organizations we joined after arriving in San Francisco over 25 years ago. Yes, we appreciate any and all efforts by community groups struggling to stay relevant in unprecedented times. And yes, we are going to gush a bit, so sit back and get ready! The Artistic Director of SFGMC is a born entertainer, so from the first image of Tim Seelig in formal white tie from the waist up and loungewear waist down, we knew we were in for a rollicking good time. Anniversary celebrations of any kind can quickly devolve into maudlin events without a healthy dose of self-deprecation and light-hearted humor; no fear of that here! This being a choral group, of course the event was full of music, including concert performances by the full chorus and its small ensembles, Homophonics and The Lollipop Guild, in various venues at times during its history, from Kool & the Gang’s Celebration at the Sydney Goldstein Theater and It’s Rainin’ Men at Davies Symphony Hall to a moving Never, Ever sung at the AIDS Memorial Grove and a world premiere of Andrew Lipp’s What Will We Hear? with guest artist Christine Chenoweth. Executive Director Chris Verdugo continued the fashion mash-up during his remarks, combining a handsome tuxedo jacket with printed beach shorts. (Those legs! Who knew?) Events of this kind serve the important function of sharing the larger mission of SFGMC and Associate Artistic Director Mitch Galli spoke about the youth outreach of RHYTHM and the sadly cancelled spring concert, Penned in Pink, celebrating LGBTQ composers at Davies Symphony Hall. He introduced the online world premiere of Julian Hornik’s Extracurricular, featuring some tantalizing male sports images to frame the whimsical music. Principal Accompanist and Artistic Coordinator Lynden Bair appeared in a particularly touching vignette, sharing his amazing talent and deep connection to the chorus. We admit to loving those unexpected cameo appearances from genuine celebrities, especially those with a special connection to our LGBTQ Community, and this event kept them coming. Wanda Sykes, Sharon Stone, Martha Wash, and Pete & Chasten Buttigieg all made appearances and shared birthday wishes. As an anniversary celebration, SFGMC was careful to acknowledge its sister organizations, also founded by Jon Sims, the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus, and to include messages from past Artistic Directors Kathleen McGuire and Stan Hill, phoning in from Australia and Palm Springs, respectively. Prerecorded greetings followed from around the world and across the country. We can’t say enough about the seamless technical execution of SFGMC’s 42nd Anniversary event, under the direction of Brian Kent. How many online programs have we watched with high hopes, only to be frustrated by audio/visual glitches and well intentioned, but less than professional, individual efforts? Let’s face it: virtual events have come a long way in the past eight months or so, raising the bar and elevating our expectations, leaving little room for technical snafus and/or time gaps.
Calendar
a/la Sachet Friday, October 23 50 Years of Fabulous Frameline, GLBT Historical Society, Roxie Cinema, & OUTWORDS present the virtual premiere of documentary about Imperial Court of SF Drag performances, film screening, panel discussion 7 pm Free! Contributions welcome www.imperialcouncilsf.org Saturday, November 7 MIGHTY REAL: PRC’s annual gala Online event with special guest THE Patti LaBelle Absinthe Brasserie & Bar delivered food & wine 6 pm www.prcsf.org
Congratulations to the newest title holders of the Imperial Court, Mr. Gay San Francisco Sage Sanchez Munro and Miss Gay San Francisco Linda Summers, who competed in last week’s pageant. Our Reigning Monarchs, Emperor William Bulkley & Empress Mimi Osa, continue to find new and reinvented ways to perpetuate the events and important fundraising of the Imperial Court. For an astounding look at the history of the Court System, check out the virtual film screening listed in this column’s calendar. 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
PHOTO BY RINK
One of the best things about this event is that it stands as a demonstration of what can be accomplished within the new National LGBTQ Center for the Arts, the building that is now home to the SFGMC. They are anxious to share this space with similarly aligned artistic groups in need of rehearsal and performance space and hungry for collaboration and growth. As the restrictions surrounding the current health crisis ease, availability and flexibility within this space will make professional, top quality virtual and inperson events possible.
Gary Virginia (second from right) and Donna welcomed two visitors from Texas on their first visit to the Castro on Sunday, October 11.
PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun Sister Dana sez, “I am so proud of the monumental movement of gay men everywhere who have snatched away the title of �Proud Boys’ from the white nationalist supremacist brutes and have adopted the term for themselves! Proud gay guys forever!”
Sister Dana sez, “Happy Halloween to all us queens! This is our high hallowed homo holiday. In other words, Happy HallowQueen!” My friend and yours, Jason Brock, is posting Halloween songs from his HALLOWEEN CONCERTS all month long on YouTube. Do check them out and get a little holiday cheer despite all the terrible news we’re hearing. You know you can’t resist hearing Jason do “The Addams Family” and other spooky hits! https://bit.ly/3iIYOO1 THE NATIONAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE celebrated THE POWER OF US at the 24th annual Task Force Gala. “There are very few upsides to this pandemic,” said Executive Director Rea Carey, “but one of them is that hundreds of people from across the country are able to join us this evening.” The firstever virtual Task Force Gala drew guests from all fifty states nationwide, and even a few international guests tuned in for the broadcast. Proceeds from the event helped support the Task Force’s QUEER THE VOTE campaign, which aims to drive voter participation in the 2020 general election. “I am struck by our power,” said deputy executive director Kierra Johnson. “Our power is in our numbers, but our power is also in our diversity. We are on the coasts, but we’re also in the bible belt, we’re in the rust belt. We are immigrants. We have disabilities. We are America!” She concluded, “This is what the future is for us. It’s taking our power, it’s reclaiming this democracy, and it’s not taking anything less than what we deserve!” https://www.thetaskforce.org/ Sister Dana sez, “Here’s a To-Do List for triumphant President Biden: one = realistically deal with the virus; two = eliminate the Electoral College; three = give statehood and voting rights to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico! Please!” Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego)—Chair and Vice Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus— have applauded Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Justice Martin (Marty) Jenkins to the CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT. Justice Jenkins will be the very first LGTBQ justice to sit on the California Supreme Court. Sister Dana sez, "Trump’s COVID drug was tested using tissue from an aborted fetus. Trump has cut funding to ‘gruesome’ HIV cure research that involves cells from aborted fetuses. But that research is apparently good enough for his COVID-19 drugs. Hypocrite!” Actor and activist Billy Porter narrates a stirring PSA for Equality California reminding LGBTQ+ and pro-equality voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box in the 2020 election. Californians and people across the country are mailing in their ballots as you read this! Be inspired by Billy’s message: https://go.eqca.org/a/watch-eqca-psa 18
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Randy Rainbow is at it again with his delightful parody of “If Mama Got Married” from the musical Gypsy— but now extra special with Broadway diva Patti LuPone in duet. Please enjoy “If Donald Got Fired!” https://bit.ly/3dE1mvU Sister Dana sez, "What we learned from the VEEP Debate is that while Trump is an absolute bully, Pence is a calmer bully— but rarely answering the moderator’s questions and constantly talking way over his time limit. Kamala Harris definitely won as appearing far more vice-presidential than the current veep!” Sister Dana sez, "Oh to have been a fly on the wall ... er ... I mean �hair� of Pence at that debate!" Members of the SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE, INC., and their friends came together to celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg on October 9 in Jane Warner Plaza at Castro and Market Streets. The Sisters sainted her with the title of “Saint Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Mensch of Magistrates, Mamele of Justice, Tzadik Notorious RBG of the Divine Striking Dissent.” SPI is not a religious organization, but we are made up of people representing many religions, spiritual practices, and faiths. We recognize and respect that RBG was proudly Jewish, and we did not feel by sainting her that we were in any way disrespecting her faith. We have sainted many people who identify as Jewish, including posthumously Supervisor Harvey Milk. In fact, Harvey Fierstein told me he was so tickled and said he couldn’t wait to tell his rabbi. We honored the life of our Notorious RBG to help make sure her legacy will live forever! The Trump campaign continued their attempt to woo LGBTQ voters by holding a closeted “Trump Pride” rally in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on October 13— National Herpes Awareness Day. But the invitation shared on Twitter showed neither the words “gay” nor (continued on page 25)
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIGHT IN THE GROVE
By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Bivett Brackett, Tuquan Harrison, Diana Feliz Oliva, and Joshua Smith joined SF PRIDE’s governing body when the Board convened for its meeting on October 7. While they are sad to see the wonderful Amy Sueyoshi, Nicky “Tita Aida” Calma, and Vice President Jake Little move on after years of service to the community through San Francisco Pride, they are delighted that Elizabeth Lanyon won reelection.
Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) shared a hug with Randy Schiller in 2018 at the annual Light in the Grove benefit at the National AIDS Memorial Grove on the eve of World AIDS Day 2018. (See more photos in the memorial feature for Randy on Page 8.)
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Looking to stay FRESH ... at HOME? Fresh Meat Productions’ new online video series is free, accessible, bodypositive, diverse ... and best of all, it’s FUN! During the current era of shelterin-place, the internet has exploded with new instructional videos offering to “get you moving” or “find inner peace” or “up your workout.” But not all of us want a kettle ball workout. What about those of us achAntoine Hunter ing to feel creative AND embodied? What about those of looking for something a little, well ... queerer? Enter #stayFRESHatHOME—an outstanding new online video series offered by Fresh Meat Productions San Francisco’s much-loved trans arts organization (best known for their annual FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL and resident dance company Sean Dorsey Dance). To date, the series offers 11 different videos—each led by a different trans, gender-nonconforming, or queer artist. All videos are free to watch, and closed-captioned for deaf and hard-ofhearing audiences.
Randy Ford
* BONUS! A great hour-long #stay FRESHatHOME music mix on SoundCloud by the talented DJ Frida Ibarra, a queer trans-Chicana composer and DJ.
And ... did we mention the series is also super queer, super sassy, and FUN? The videos are a delight to watch and experience—empowering, joyful, and life-affirming.
The #stayFRESH atHOME series is Jahaira and Angelica curated by Fresh Meat Productions’ Artistic Director Sean Dorsey, and edited/captioned by Access and Social Media Coordinator StormMiguel Florez and Production Coordinator Eric Garcia (with a super cute video intro by Gwen Park, and tech guidance for artists by Annalise Ophelian).
Season One of #stayFRESHatHOME Will Woodward
“We are offering #stayFRESHatHOME as an act of love,” says Dorsey. “Our communities already had such limited access to supportive creative expression and body-positive embodiment. And we were already navigating multiple layers of stress, trauma, and oppression. Then COVID-19 hit. BIPOC trans, queer and/including disabled folks are leading the resistance against white supremacy and state violence even as BIPOC and/including disabled folks are the most impacted by COVID and the national backlash.” Dorsey adds, “This series is offered as a balm, as medicine, as love, as resistance. Being in our bodies IS resistance. Experiencing JOY and HEALING is a central part of our collective liberation.”
* Beginner bachata dance by world champion queer bachata duo Jahaira & Angelica; * A 20-minute guided meditation for trans, gender non-binary, and beyond communities by Fresh “Lev” White—a loving and compassionate activist, coach, and educator; * Intro To Singing by Black transgender multi-media artist and activist J Mase III TAJAH J aka Akira Jackson; * Jazz Dance taught in ASL (American Sign Language) by acclaimed Deaf choreographer Antoine Hunter; * Seated movement taught by SF’s own beloved Drag Queen artist/hostess Churro Nomi; * 5 minutes of breath, poetry, and grounding for BIPOC trans and queer folks by award-winning Black/trans/ queer poet J Mase III; * A lesson on making dances in small spaces by Marc Brew, Artistic Director of AXIS Dance Company; * Stretch and condition with dancer Will Woodward, a longtime member of both Sean Dorsey Dance and SF burlesque group Baloney; * Lighting tips for using Zoom by videographer, photographer/activist Gwen Park; * Sing along/move along with NEVE Mazique, a disabled multigender femme fop mixed race Black African choreographer/dancer, composer/singer, and performance artist; * A full-body dance warmup by Seattle-born dancer, choreographer, actor, curator, director, and activist Randy Ford;
KIT’N KITTY’S
QUEER POP QUIZ
Churro Nomi
* Coming soon: Moving Toward Self-Love with activist, choreographer, dancer, and writer Mark Travis Rivera;
Marc Brew
#stayFRESHatHOME is beautifully body-positive, and offers a range of activities for those who want to stand, be seated, use their wheelchair or TAJAH J aka Akira Jackson scooter, or lay down.
Season One offers these free videos:
Fresh “Lev” White
NEVE Mazique
Marc Brew: I think about wellness holistically, trying to find the balance of supporting others’ wellness of body, mind, and spirit—and giving permission for my own self-care and needs. San Francisco Bay Times: What do you think of the #stayFRESHatHOME series? Will Woodward: I love the #stayFRESHatHOME series! Community is a big component of wellness, and this series has managed to successfully bring our communities to our homes in a safe and fun way. TAJAH J aka Akira Jackson: #stayFRESHatHOME allows Trans and Queer artists of color the opportunity to stay connected with the community at large! Mark Travis Rivera: I feel super honored to have been asked to participate in #stayFRESHatHOME, and I was excited to do a movement exploration rooted in affirmations and self-love. I think we all need more self-love and affirmations in our lives. The diversity of those who are part of the series is also remarkable and to be celebrated ... especially during a time when we are being asked to consider who is missing from around the table. Marc Brew: #stayFRESHatHOME feels welcoming, accessible, and inclusive, and supports our diverse community.
We asked several featured #stayFRESHatHOME artists a few questions:
Fresh “Lev” White: While some folks were freaking out about not having access to in-person events, Fresh Meat leaped full speed into bringing their much-loved experience into our homes—Brilliant!! Brilliant, generous, and healing! Bravo!
San Francisco Bay Times: How are you thinking about wellness at this time?
San Francisco Bay Times: What is the role of the artist in our collective liberation?
Mark Travis Rivera: My wellness during this time of racial uprising and a global pandemic has shifted; I just feel fortunate enough to have a support system and my creative outlets to get me through my days.
TAJAH J aka Akira Jackson: To bring attention to the issues on the ground concerning anti-Blackness, anti-feminism, xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia—in order to bring justice for all!
Will Woodward: I think that wellness is holistic and all-inclusive. I have to check-in with my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual “houses” regularly to keep my wellness meter full. It’s been both easier and harder to do this objectively over these last several months, but finding the breath is always a good start. Fresh “Lev” White: I meditate each morning for 10–30 minutes, and will take 5–10 minutes throughout the day when possible. I’m practicing turning off my phone for 30–120 minutes each day. My phone automatically goes into DND mode from 9 pm–9 am every day. This allows me to control when I check it. Drinking plenty of water, and taking in fresh nutrient-rich foods as much as possible. Wellness also requires getting enough sleep. I don’t schedule anything until 9 am when possible so I can have my morning to myself.
(continued on page 24)
For More Information Fresh Meat Productions http://freshmeatproductions.org/ FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL http://freshmeatproductions.org/fresh-meat-festival/ Sean Dorsey Dance http://seandorseydance.com/ AXIS Dance Company https://www.axisdance.org/ Baloney https://www.sf baloney.com/
VOTE FOR YOUR LIFE
ANSWER ON PAGE 26
In a PSA recently released by RuPaul, the drag superstar wears an outfit inspired by an iconic one that garnered attention at the: A) 2019 Women’s March B) 1998 San Francisco Pride Parade C) 1993 March on Washington for LGBT Equal Rights and Liberation D) 2020 New York City Drag March
Karin Jaffie, aka Kit/Kitty Tapata, won the title of Mr. Gay San Francisco in 2011 and has earned many other honors since. Connect with Jaffie via Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ktapata
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2020)
Smart Chills and T hrills
Off the Wahl Jan Wahl This is the time of year scary movies are celebrated. Whether it’s Halloween or the darkening days of fall, let’s get our minds out of the real frightening world and into a smart suspense thriller. It seems that latter films in this genre are often gross out horrorfests, so I’m including some of my favorite classics that don’t need gore to entertain. It doesn’t get better than 1955’s Night of the Hunter. Robert Mitcham’s brooding and demented Harry Powell learns in prison that a condemned man has hidden $10,000. Obsessed with finding it, Harry tracks down the widow and children who unknowingly have it. Lillian Gish and Shelley Winters lead a strong cast, with some of the best lighting ever in a black and white movie. It is hard to believe this was the only movie Charles Laughton directed; he definitely shows a true talent for it.
Cape Fear (1962) brings us Robert Mitchum again, this time as a man obsessed with hunting down the small-town lawyer who put him in prison. Gregory Peck is perfectly cast as the lawyer who has to save his family from the deranged man bent on revenge. This is one of those thrillers with a superb climax, keeping us tense and afraid for the good guys. The 1991 remake was good, but I’ll take the original every time. Time for laughs mixed with classic horror: Young Frankenstein (1974). Gene Wilder, who stars and wrote the screenplay, told me it was the favorite of his films. All of us can see why, because it is a truly brilliant spoof and satire of every horror film made by Universal Pictures in the 1930s and on. Wilder portrays a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein, journeying to Transylvania and eventually reanimating a dead body. Director Mel Brooks insisted on
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The Birds Rear Window
making this movie in black and white, much to the studio’s dismay. It was a good call. Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Gene Hackman, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn play it straight, with actual props from the original classic films adding to the reality of the sets. Alfred Hitchcock is front and center this time of year. Though we have a long list of perfect films from the Sultan of Suspense and the Master of the Macabre (Rear Window, The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo), my own favorite is Strangers on a Train (1951). Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, a gentleman villain tries to entice a tennis star to participate in a double murder. The carousel climax combined with a riveting tennis game brings out the worst in Bruno Anthony, beautifully played by Robert Walker. Bruno is one of the weirdest characters in a Hitchcock film, and that’s saying something! 1988’s Beetlejuice is imaginative and also strange. A couple tries to chase an obnoxious family of postmodern art lovers who move into their home. They meet the demonic Michael Keaton, who promises to rid the house of the intruders. Big mistake. This is a surreal farce, directed by Tim Burton. Not surprisingly, the film won the Oscar for Achievement in Makeup! There is no need to be left grossed out or gasping with movie thrillers. Have fun with the smart ones!
Emmy Award-winner Jan Wahl is a renowned entertainment reporter, producer, and teacher. A member of the prestigious Directors Guild of America, she is regularly featured on KPIX television (every Monday morning starting at 6:15 am) and on KCBS AM & FM and other media outlets. To read and listen to her reviews for KCBS, go to: https://kcbsradio.radio.com/authors/jan-wahl For more info about her remarkable life and career: http://www.janwahl.com/ Check out her entertaining and informative videos at http://sfbaytimes.com/
Young Hunter Explores Gay Male Teen Sexuality with a Twist
Film Gary M. Kramer Out gay Argentine filmmaker Marco Berger applies his patented style— long, lingering, homoerotic shots of two guys, more silence than dialogue—to a kind of thriller narrative in his provocative new film Young Hunter, available October 27 on DVD and streaming. This hypnotic drama opens with 15-year-old Ezequiel ( Juan Pablo Cestaro) hanging out with a classmate from school. He studies his friend as they play a video game, and he quietly ogles him lounging around the pool. As they peruse a porno magazine, Ezequiel makes a pass at his buddy, who insists he is not into boys. Soon after this rejection, Ezequiel catches the eye of Monos (Lautaro Rodríguez), a sexy, tattooed, and slightly older boy he admires at a skatepark. Ezequiel invites Monos over and slowly a potential romance develops. Young Hunter is very much about seduction, but not quite in the way viewers might expect. Berger is slowly developing a sinister atmosphere—as cued by the music and camerawork. (One fantastic shot
has the camera titling 90 degrees as Ezequiel is emotionally devastated.)
filmmaker delivers a satisfying payoff.
Given that Ezequiel is a gay 15-yearold, horny, and home alone—his parents and sister are away for a few weeks; his aunt checks in on him every three days—there is ample opportunity for him to find trouble. Berger plays up this danger as Monos and Ezequiel become closer and spend more time together. When they arrange a sleepover at Monos’ cousin Chino’s ( Juan Barberini) house, the youths plan to have sex when Chino is not around. However, after their night of passion, Monos grows distant, and Ezequiel becomes forlorn. What is more, at this point in the story, Young Hunter reveals what it is really about—a blackmail plot that puts Ezequiel in a very uncomfortable position. Viewers will also squirm given what transpires.
One of the strengths is Cestaro’s performance, which involves him looking, but not speaking, through much of the film. A scene of Ezequiel and Monos quietly sitting conveys so much without dialogue. The young actor, in his feature film debut, communicates his desire and despair through his expressions, especially when he is drifting off in a classroom or at home. He is so perfectly vulnerable, especially regarding his love for Monos, that he transfers those emotions—consciously or not—to Juancito.
That may already be disclosing too much, and it would spoil the film’s tension to reveal more. Berger lets viewers absorb the situation Ezequiel finds himself in by shifting the narrative to focus on Juancito (Patricio Rodríguez), a baby-faced 13- yearold who befriends Ezequiel. (They first meet when he bums a cigarette off Ezequiel.) Juan is, like Ezequiel, quietly exploring his own attractions, but their friendship is creepy given Juancito’s youth. Nevertheless, Berger truthfully captures the infatuation a younger gay teen has for a slightly older boy. Viewers will likely feel conflicted and unsettled as Young Hunter plays out. Ezequiel makes some questionable decisions that will likely prompt a loss of sympathy for this otherwise likeable teen who is confronted with a difficult situation. Berger takes a calculated risk here, but his skill as a
But he also has another agenda, which weighs on him heavily, freighting his every move and his every exchange with deeper meaning. Ezequiel is young and impressionable, and when his naiveté is exposed, he feels wounded. Cestaro makes that aching palpable. Berger is masterful in keeping things ambiguous, and a scene that feels like it could be a dream is real, while a scene that feels real turns out to be a dream. He also provides uneasy answers when Ezequiel and Chino have a discussion about Monos and other things. Young Hunter, like many of the director’s films, throbs with sexual tension. Berger emphasizes the attraction Ezequiel has for his classmate and for Monos in how he shoots
male bodies. The camera doubles as Ezequiel’s eyes when he admires his classmate, Monos, and even Chino in various stages of undress with a shameful lust. Likewise, when Juancito is seen contriving an opportunity to glimpse at an older man he knows in the shower, the parallels between the two youths is prominent. Young Hunter is discomfiting with its focus on gay teenage sexuality, but it absolutely acknowledges the insidiousness of youths, gay or straight, being exploited. Berger carefully walks a very fine line—as he did in his award-winning film Absent nearly a decade ago. (In that film, a teacher allowed a student to stay at his apartment, only to have complications arise as a result.) There are scenes in this new film that are suspect, but Berger includes them to provoke and confront. This story is uncomfortable, but it needs to be told—and seen.
© 2020 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer
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Santa Barbara: America’s Riviera
The Gay Gourmet David Landis
and radishes; a cold watermelon and tomato gazpacho with lump crab; and a wedge salad with crispy bacon and bleu cheese dressing. Moving to the entrées, I ordered a deliciously fresh maple-glazed salmon garnished with fennel in a light lemon beurre blanc sauce; and my husband had the classic Steak Diane (a throwback to the 60s), cooked medium rare and flambéed tableside. Insider’s tip: order the house rosé from local winery Margerum— it’s Provencal style and doesn’t break the bank. For dessert, what could be better than a house-made cherries jubilee, also flambéed tableside? Divine.
They don’t call it America’s Riviera for nothing. Santa Barbara has the coastal vibe of California, the Mediterranean influence and architecture of Spain, and that year-round temperate climate. And, it’s a perfect 5-hour getaway from the Bay Area. But how is it to travel there during Covid? And with dogs? Easy squeezy. Being travelers “of a certain age,” we made sure to ask lots of questions before we hit the road, especially during the current pandemic. In particular, Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals couldn’t have been more helpful. My husband and I chose the dog-friendly “West Beach Jewel,” a two-bedroom, twobath remodeled condo one block from the beach and a dog park— and walking distance to the hipster Funk Zone, home of many innovative Santa Barbara restaurants. Set in a Mediterranean, red tiled-roof property, the condo had accents of chartreuse, my favorite color. The set-up includes a sizeable living room for lounging, a generous eat-in kitchen (fully-equipped with Miele appliances and a Viking range), contemporary design, and plenty of storage. Best of all, the condo featured a front-facing balcony, perfect for sipping a cocktail and with a peek-a-boo view of the beach. And did I mention parking, too?!! I spoke with Bob at Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals prior to our trip, just to make sure there would be a day between when the last guests left and we arrived—he helped make sure that happened. –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Places to Eat Santa Barbara, not surprisingly, has become something of a culinary destination, with innovative young chefs as well as longstanding restaurants of note. Here are some of my favorites:
Our first night we decided to splurge and met some friends at the San Ysidro Ranch, made famous because that’s where JFK and Jackie honeymooned many years ago. The stylish Stonehouse restaurant, located in a 19th century citrus packing house, was serving outdoors and welcomed us with our dogs on the patio. Arriving at the sumptuous property, we were transported to the south of France given Stonehouse’s outdoor terrace, mature trees, and quaint atmosphere. Beginning with a perfect Negroni, we split starters of olives 22
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The next day, we traveled to nextdoor Montecito, home of the rich and famous. I have to admit, we were looking for Oprah. We didn’t spot her—but we did have a simply lovely outdoor meal at Coast & Olive, located in the Hotel Montecito on the main drag in town. Upon seating, the restaurant delivers their house-made popcorn with just the right amount of spice—a perfect start while you’re perusing the California-style menu. My trout almondine with lemon caper brown butter was tender, flavorful, and big enough for two. My husband felt righteous by ordering the little gem chicken salad—light and tasty, served with avocado and a green goddess dressing. Coast and Olive also has an extensive wine list; we tried the Folded Hills rosé from the St. Ynez Valley nearby and it hit the spot. That night, we took the pups and met friends at the dogfriendly Hendry’s Beach—an easy 10-minute drive from our condo. A predinner beach walk fueled our appetites to then sample the seafood offerings at the Boathouse. The Boathouse is a bit touristy, but if you order carefully, you’ll find some crowd pleasers. Our favorites were the fresh mussels in a cioppino sauce and the just-out-of-the-ocean California stone crabs (I didn’t realize California has native stone crabs!) with two kinds of sauces for dipping. And yes, Maude, their house-made Negroni (made with a local gin, distilled by the owner)— along with the spectacular view— makes you think you’ve arrived in Portofino. For lunch the next day, friends had recommended the intimate Margerum Wine Company, Tasting Room and Café on the brink of the Funk Zone. Our server, Ariel, couldn’t have been more welcoming, and it was re-assuring that he took everyone’s temperature prior to seating us with the dogs on the outdoor covered patio. This local winery has locations in Santa Barbara and nearby Buellton. The Santa Barbara venue is one block off State Street but feels
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area
CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2020)
a world away. Their Margerum Riviera Rosé (which we had sampled at Stonehouse) is so dry and light that we had to buy a case of it to be shipped back home. Munching on green chick-pea hummus and pizza with four cheeses, fresh tomatoes, pesto, and arugula (we added sopressatta salami)—it was the perfect way to while away a couple of hours in the Santa Barbara sunshine. As readers of this august column know, I’m something of a tiki buff. And believe it or not, Santa Barbara has one of the best tiki bars in the state, the aptlynamed Test Pilot. All drinking these days in SB is outdoors and food purchases are part of the mix, too. We visited Test Pilot prior to dinner one night— again, it’s in the cool Funk Zone and offers many fun cocktails, including: a passionfruit mule (vodka), a Zombie (multiple rums, grapefruit, and clove), the signature Test Pilot drink (house blend rum, cloves, absinthe foam) and a Bahama Mama (rum, cold brew coffee, and pomegranate). But I couldn’t pass up the “Purple Mai Tai,” a classic mai tai made with purple butterfly pea extract that turns the drink a beautiful color. It’s as tasty as it looks. While you’re sipping your mai tais and pretending you’re on a beach in Hawaii, they’re, of course, playing 60s lounge music by Brazilian bossa nova artist Walter Wanderley. Caruso’s at the Rosewood Hotel (Miramar Beach) is worth a visit—just for the spectacular view. The California cuisine menu is terrific and the service is first-class— but there’s nothing quite like looking out at the beautiful expanse of beach in Montecito. Don’t miss their cacio e pepe, one of the best pastas around. Just bring along your pocketbook—it ain’t cheap! I’m saving the best for last. It’s on every culinary list and has been around seven years (since we last visited SB), but The Lark might be our absolute favorite. One of the first restaurants to pioneer and open in the Funk Zone, The Lark has set the standard from day one. Now with Covid, they’ve turned the entire parking lot into a beautiful outdoor dining experience. The Lark starts the meal with their house-made, seasoned popcorn (not sure why this is a thing in Santa Barbara, but I like it!); we then ordered the perfectly vine-ripened heirloom tomato salad with dill, parmesan, and vinaigrette. For our next course, we split the fig and goat cheese tartine (with lemon basil!), which melts in your mouth. For our main course, we had the most tender pomegranate-braised beef cheeks with yams and turnips, pistachios, and mint. The wine list steers toward California, but we ordered a light Caparsino Chianti, which paired well with the beef cheeks. –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Things to Do Besides the gorgeous beach, there’s a lot to do in SB (even with Covid), especially outdoors. Here’s a sampling: Santa Barbara Botanical Garden (continued on page 26)
LEWIS/GAFFNEY (continued from page 6) Catholic Social Services can take local taxpayer money to provide foster care placement services when it flagrantly violates local anti-discrimination laws by refusing to place children with loving same-sex couples. Barrett throughout the hearings embraced “originalism,” a doctrine by which judges claim to decide cases without considering their own views. Barrett asserted she neutrally interprets the Constitution “to have the meaning that it had at the time people ratified it.” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot put her view of originalism this way: “You ask a gay, black woman if she is an originalist? No, ma’am, I am not ... originalists say that, ‘Let’s go back to 1776 and whatever was there in the original language, that’s it.’ That language excluded, now, over 50% of the country.” More importantly, most of the Constitution’s actual provisions are, in fact, broad and general because they are intended as fundamental principles to apply to a wide variety of circumstances arising over centuries as society evolves and gains new understandings. The fact that the Constitution’s original drafters made the document exceedingly difficult to amend demonstrates how they intended it to be adaptable and not amended every time something new arose. By contrast, many state constitutions like California’s can be amended by simple majority vote every two years at statewide elections and contain numerous very particularized provisions.
SHORTER (continued from page 3) The truly originalist view of the U.S. Constitution has never been more eloquently expressed than in Justice Kennedy’s concluding paragraph of Lawrence v. Texas, the case that finally ended the criminalization of the physical expressions of queer love: “Had those who drew and ratified the [Constitution] known the components of liberty in its manifold possibilities, they might have been more specific. They did not presume to have this insight. They knew times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress. As the Constitution endures, persons in every generation can invoke its principles in their own search for greater freedom.” Those words remain the highest law of the land today: a search for ever greater equality and freedom. We must stand up for our lives now more than ever to try to keep those words and the promise of the Constitution alive. Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
WILLIAMS (continued from page 9) years that did not care about our struggles or our losses. Yet we bravely banded together, fought, and came up with solutions to save our own lives and the lives of those we lived. “I Will Survive” was our battle cry! Today, we battle with many of the same feelings and this adds to our pandemic fatigue, yet we can’t give up the fight. Imagine how difficult it must be for some younger people to come out when we’re being asked to stay in! We can share our battle cry and be there for them. It’s time for us to reach out and continue to encourage people to, “Come out, come out wherever you are!” This pandemic will pass, and when it does, we’ll be able to reach out and touch one another, in community, as our authentic selves, and help others do the same. After all, this is OUR world! Let’s enjoy it to the fullest. Karen strives to be authentic most of the time. You can reach her at http://hahainstitute.com/
FRESH MEAT (continued from page 19) Fresh “Lev” White: The role of the artist is to live fully into their vision and spark the light within each of us, which demands liberation from anything that keeps us from being our full and loving selves! Marc Brew: Artists are adaptable and we are resilient. Together we will move. Mark Travis Rivera: To bare our souls, to tell our truths, and to be a possibility model for others to be able to get free by doing the same thing. Sean Dorsey: Artists have always been at the forefront of social justice and cultural transformation ... as storytellers, healers, carriers of knowledge and joy and wisdom, guardians of community stories, and prophets of what is possible. Check out Season One of #stayFRESHatHOME at www.freshmeatproductions.org ... and watch for the premiere of Season Two of #stayFRESHatHOME in January 2021!
ENJOY THE VIEW! CASTRO STREET CAM Live-streaming 24/7 http://sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/
permitted to vote. According to FairVote ( https://www.fairvote.org/ ), there are at least 23 states, including Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, and the District of Colombia, which allow 17-yearolds to vote. With many 17-year-olds already in the workforce, paying taxes, and nearing the age of majority where they can serve in the military, they should have the right to vote within the prescribed periods. Frankly, there are days we’d be better off trusting certain engaged 17-year-olds with the power to vote on issues concerning their futures like climate change, justice reforms, and public education than we do some oblivious adults. So, yes, why not. Prop 19: Property tax breaks and wildfire fund - YES Prop 20: Tougher on parole, property crimes - NO Prop 21: Rent Control - YES Prop 22: Repeals AB 5, classifies ridehail, other app drivers as self-employed NO Prop 23: Regulates dialysis clinics - NO Prop 24: Stronger consumer privacy laws - YES Prop 25: End cash bail - YES San Francisco Local Measures San Francisco is true to form by packing its ballot with a series of measures during a presidential election. However, during this election cycle the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on San Francisco services, businesses, and residents riddle this slate of local measures. Amendments to the City’s Charter and changes to local ordinances are requested, and in many cases are required to save businesses and services, and to promote public health safety measures as we prepare for some time of uncertain recovery from COVID-19. A - Health and Recovery Bond, provides $487.5 million for three priorities concerning health and homelessness, parks, and street repairs, creating jobs for COVID-19 economic recovery - YES B - Public Works Commission, Department of Sanitation and Streets, and Streets Commission - NO POSITION C - Removing citizenship requirements for members of City bodies; expands inclusion of gender identity and sexual orientation - YES D - Amend the City’s Charter to create a Sheriff’s Department Office of Inspector General and a Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board - YES These will be needed to hold sheriff and department personnel accountable to good governance and delivery of safe, fair, public services that help mitigate against discrimination and abuses towards persons in custody. It is a sensible and overdue justice reform measure. E - Amend the City’s Charter to remove outdated mandatory minimum police staffing requirements, and establish a regular process to set police staffing levels based on data and communities’ needs - YES It would take the handcuffs off the City’s budget process and ability to regulate police personnel with the changing needs of our City and neighborhoods with databased, data-driven analysis. It is a sensible, up to date justice reform measure. F - Business tax overhaul - YES
KIT’N KITTY’S
QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 19)
C) 1993 March on Washington for LGBT Equal Rights and Liberation See the PSA at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKp-uhZl7o0&feature=emb_logo
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This measure would eliminate the payroll tax and encourage businesses to hire again, especially small businesses severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. It would provide much needed tax relief to restaurants, retailers, manufacturing, and the arts. It would also immediately release $700 million in untapped funds that could help homelessness services, early child care, and other critical services while creating 5,500 jobs. It would help small businesses—many of which are women and minority owned—regain their footing, thereby helping to jumpstart a COVID-19 impacted recovery. G - Youth voting in local elections - YES Consensus is overwhelming to support this measure. Let’s empower young people with the power to vote and to become leaders on their futures concerning climate change,
public education, police reform, and affordable housing. Also, the measure would potentially boost voter registration, creating lifelong habitual voters. H - Change the Planning Code for Neighborhood Commercial Districts - YES Let’s increase the types of permits and conditional use permits that allow restaurants and other businesses to expand outdoor area use, maintaining public health and safety measures that keep us safe from spreading exposure to COVID-19. I - Real estate transfer tax - YES J - Parcel tax for San Francisco Unified School District - YES This measure will not increase taxes. The City can replace the 2018 School Parcel Tax with a new tax that changes the annual tax rate from $320 per parcel to $288 per parcel, adjusted for inflation each year, and exempting people aged 65 or older. The school district could use money collected from the tax to increase teacher salaries; invest in technology, including digital learning; and to fund public charter schools. In this COVID-19 era, these funds could help develop the distance learning modes needed for thousands of students and teachers learning and working from home. K - Give the City authority to own, develop, construct, acquire, or rehabilitate up to 10,000 units of low-income rental housing in San Francisco - YES The fact that San Francisco needs more housing and more affordable and lowincome housing for families and persons at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness is no secret. A major selling point of this measure is that it could work to keep communities of color in the City, as well as to confront head on the legacy of racist NIMBY-ism in housing development that has plagued a purported progressive, inclusive, and diverse San Francisco for decades. L - Business tax based on comparison of top executive’s pay to employees’ pay - YES I am not a gauge, stick it to the rich type, but I do believe in sense and sensibility, fairness, stopping exploitation of employees, and employers paying their fair share into the local tax base. This measure proposes to place an additional tax permanently on some businesses when their highest paid managerial employee earns more than 100 times the median compensation paid to their employees in San Francisco, where an additional tax rate would be between 0.1%–0.6% of gross receipts or between 0.4%–2.4% of payroll expense for those businesses in San Francisco, for an estimated revenue of between $60–$140 million a year. RR - Caltrain sales tax - YES Prevent traffic congestion and save Caltrain, a vital lifeline for our City. As we recover from the pandemic and people go back to work and move about more, we’ll need an affordable transit system such as Caltrain. Preserving, improving, and expanding Caltrain services will be essential to getting San Francisco moving again. As for candidates for local offices, let’s return our effective LGBT leaders in Shanell Williams and Tom Temprano to the San Francisco Community College Board, and Bevan Dufty to the BART Board. While I am rooting for my highly experienced longtime colleague and former Director of the Department on the Status of Women, Dr. Emily Murase— we need more women on the Board of Supervisors!—in the most competitive race for Supervisor District 7, openly gay candidate, friend, and colleague Joel Engardio would also make a fine addition to the Board of Supervisors. There you have it. Thank you for voting, and especially for voting Blue. A change is going to come, with your vote helping to make it happen. Keep the faith. Andrea Shorter is a Commissioner and the former President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights and marriage equality. A Co-Founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
SISTER DANA (continued from page 18) “LGBTQ”—just a rainbow-lettered “PRIDE” appeared. Who do they think they’re fooling?! THEATRE RHINOCEROS hosted a Zoom, RANDY! The Story of Shilts, conceived and performed by John Fisher on October 15 about Randy Shilts, one of the greatest gay journalists of all time, who took on Dan White, AIDS, and the U.S. Military. From discos to sex clubs to battleships, he was always on the beat. Sister Dana sez, "The last two Republicans elected president have LOST the popular vote, but WON the Electoral College—and some experts predict that T-Rump could get FOUR more years despite losing by MILLIONS of votes! We gotta demolish this so-called ‘college.’ Have they even graduated high school?!” The 2020 GOLDEN STATE EQUALITY AWARDS were hosted by Angelica Ross. Some of my favorite highlights from the event included Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rufus Wainwright’s moving tribute to the late Rep. John Lewis; Pete and Chasten Buttigieg’s inspiring acceptance speech; and the fact that EQCA raised $85,000 on the night of the event.
https://uniteforequalitylive.org/ THE SF LGBT CENTER’s annual SOIRÉE went virtual on October 10 with Sister Roma emceeing and Juanita MORE! returning as Entertainment Director. Juanita was also our virtual bartendress teaching us how to make a Tenderknob Iced Tea (SF version of the Long Island Iced Tea). LadyRyan was Party DJ. Senator Mark Leno welcomed us giving the rich history of the Center as founding board member way back in 1995 when it was called the COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT. Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe spoke of the importance to vote (and I might add: Vote BLUE). She lauded the over 900 Center volunteers. She addressed the way many of us feel these days—struggling to find a path forward. Stand-out performances were by Rahni NothingMore with some hot, fast jazz; Dulce De Leche lip-synching “I’m a Woman (W-OM-A-N)”; and God’s Lil Princess as a drag queen Freddy Mercury in mustache doing Queen’s “I Want to Break Free.” It was a super swell soirée! Sister Dana sez, "We in San Francisco are on Ohlone territory. The time is now for federal lawmakers to address widespread
Native voter disenfranchisement and pass the Native American Voting Rights Act!" During these challenging times, TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER is proud to continue their legacy of 18 years of doing what it takes to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. On October 16, TLC held the SPARK Virtual Celebration. “The COVID19 pandemic has given everyone a glimpse into what trans and gender nonconforming people knew all too well—our local, state, and federal governments fail to protect far too many of us,” said Executive Director Kris Hayashi. “We know the TRANS AGENDA FOR LIBERATION will guide us through these difficult times." We heard about TLC’s powerful work from clients, community, and staff. The event was hosted by Honey Mahogany, an appointed member of the SAN FRANCISCO DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE; co-founder of the COMPTON’S TRANSGENDER CULTURAL DISTRICT; and a legislative aide in San Francisco. Chico Chi, a queer, nonbinary transmasculine DJ, spun the tunes for dancing.
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS kicked off their virtual season on October 17, with a premiere of a new work by Andrew Lippa featuring Kristin Chenoweth and SFGMC. They began with the very apropos �Celebration.’ Executive Director Chris Verdugo and Conductor Tim Seelig welcomed us in their pajamas. Homophonics and Lollipop Guild performed coronavirus’ “Under Pressure.” Martha Wash introduced choristers singing “It’s Raining Men.” The hilarious Mandrew Sisters sang "It’s My Party." Sharon Stone & Wanda Sykes urged LGBTQs to vote. Chasten Buttigieg received the Inspiration Award. Those are just a few highlights of that fabulous 42nd birthday party online. View it at: https://tinyurl.com/y2ymsom5 Sister Dana sez, "I love what Speaker Nancy Pelosi rhymed regarding White House poison: �The Big Vote is the antidote.’ So true!"
ROSTOW (continued from page 5) his sing-song cadence and his inept use of the teleprompter, which leads him to emphasize the wrong syllables and mispronounce standard words. He reads the script without first allowing the text to enter his brain, which is extremely annoying. He also has a tendency at times to rush his speech into an incoherent jumble, and finally, he does not listen to his guests, so instead of following up or probing people who sidestep, he just moves on to the next question on his list.
child from school in a scene from Toy Story II that literally lasted less than one second. And a glance at their website indicates that they’ve recently put their thumbs down for KitKat bars, Frank’s hot sauce, and the Muppets, among others.
“So, Doctor Smith, can you explain exactly what herd immunity means to our audience and tell us why you think it’s poor public policy?”
arostow@aol.com
The Moms want us to boycott the full lineup of Mondelez products, including Triscuits, Ritz, Wheat Thins, Cadbury, Chips Ahoy, and more. I’m not an Oreo fan, but I can load up on Triscuits. Anything for the Cause.
“Well, in simple terms, herd immunity would involve infecting or vaccinating at least 60 percent of Americans ... ” “How about you, Doctor Jones. Are steroids safe?” “Um, steroids are not part of the standard protocols for Covid treatment ... ” “And what do you say to those who suggest a vaccine will be ready by the end of this year? Doctor Smith?” “Well, developing any vaccine is a time-consuming process because you have to have trials at every stage and that’s not something you can rush.” “Gentlemen, we have to leave it there. And when we come back. The Senate Judiciary ... Committee. Will be having a vote on Amy Coney Barrett next week. Don’t go away!” Judicial Watch The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit just ruled in favor of one of those binational married gay families where one of the kids was biologically related to the non-American parent. There are several of these cases pitting the State Department against the Forces of Decency and Reason, and so far, they have all been resolved in favor of the married couple who seeks American citizenship for all their children, regardless of whose sperm or gene or egg was used in their conception. Straight married couples with one American partner do not have to jump through hoops in order to qualify all their offspring as natural born citizens, yet gay couples have been pursued through the courts by Pompeo and company. I’m not going to look up the status of some of these other cases, but the Supreme Court would be the next step in this particular instance. It’s frightening to think that a Justice Barrett might countenance tagging a child of an American dad with a permanent immigrant status, but winning the White House will put an end to these, and many other, horrific administration policies, ergo the case will be closed. Still, I don’t like to think about the road ahead with Barrett on the High Court. As I’ve said, I can’t imagine them reversing marriage equality, although I wouldn’t put it past Thomas and Alito. But there are ways to turn our unions into second class versions of marriage, where county clerks can opt out of signing our papers, businesses can refuse to print our wedding invitations, and states might fiddle with our children’s birth certificates. You know, of course, that Fulton v City of Philadelphia is due up for oral arguments November 4, because I have told you that a million times. I won’t get into it again now, but with Barrett on the Court, this major clash between gay rights and religion looks like dangerous territory indeed. Crackers Finally, our friends at One Million Moms, an antigay offshoot of the American Family Association, have set their sights on a sweet Oreo ad that the Mondelez Group produced for Coming Out Day. The ad is three minutes long, so I can’t imagine the whole thing getting on the air. It starts with two twenty-something women in the car heading for the parents’ house around Christmas. Mom greets the two warmly, but Dad is gruff. He hugs everyone else, but speaks to the girls in monosyllables. Later, he sees a neighbor giving the girls the side eye. The next morning, they wake up and find Dad painting rainbow colors on the white picket fence that encloses their front yard. Nice, right? “Mondelez International is attempting to normalize the LGBTQ lifestyle by using their commercials, such as the most recent Oreo ad featuring a lesbian couple, to brainwash children and adults alike by desensitizing audiences,” huffed the Moms. “It is obvious they are going after our children in a dangerous partnership with PFLAG.” These people would object to the animal shelter ads if the sad dogs were gay. This is the same group that complained about two women picking up their S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Round About - All Over Town Halloween is Coming! Photos by Rink
Cliff’s Variety has a longstanding reputation for front window displays and merchandise for Halloween.
Deana Dawn and Jorge Gonzalez presented the Halloween and Day of the Dead-themed masks at The Mask Shop on 18th Street.
Dog Eared Books Castro has a window display of books with themes related to Halloween including the children’s book She Wanted to Be Haunted by Marcus Ewert.
Eyewear for Halloween available at Cliff’s Variety
One of the Halloween windows at Cliff’s Variety this year includes a tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales and Poems is among the books in the Halloween window display at Dog Eared Books Castro.
A selection of unique masks is prominently displayed in the front window at Terrasol gift shop on California Street in the Nob Hill neighborhood.
Orphan Andy’s waiter Theo serves up an order for a guest in the outdoor seating area at Jane Warner Plaza.
Umbrellas were available for guests in the sidewalk seating area shared by Twin Peaks and Orphan Andy’s during a recent Saturday afternoon brunch service.
Designer Bruce Beaudette and his beloved canine Yoko O-Yes visited with a friend on 18th Street during the Shared Spaces closure.
LANDIS (continued from page 22) https://www.sbbg.org/ Set on 78 acres in the hills above Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is a testament to all plants that are native to California. A living museum, the Garden utilizes collections-based research to preserve more than 1,000 types of native California plants in a knock-your-socks off setting (on a good day, you can even see the Channel Islands!). The Garden boasts a huge meadow, the historic Mission Dam (which served water to Santa Barbara’s beautiful Mission), and one of the southern-most groves of redwoods in the country. On top of it all, well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Santa Barbara Mission https://www.santabarbaramission.org/ While the Mission is currently closed due to Covid, you can still explore 26
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the outdoor gardens and appreciate the mission-style architecture of this 234-year-old Mission, located at East Los Olivos Street and Laguna St in Santa Barbara. Wheel Fun Rentals https://bit.ly/3m3AzMp What’s more fun than bicycling around town—either in a twowheeler or a six-wheeler with your family? Wheel Fun Rentals is one block away from the beach and Stearns Wharf, in the heart of the Funk Zone. It’s the perfect starting point for rolling expeditions along Santa Barbara’s coastal bike path, along the boardwalk, past beautiful sandy beaches and all the way to the bird sanctuary. Lotusland https://www.lotusland.org/ O C TO B E R 2 2 , 2 0 2 0
Created by a Polish opera singer and socialite—and touted as one of the world’s most important horticultural wonderlands—Lotusland is a must. Named one of the top 10 gardens by The Telegraph, its magical 37 acres include a Japanese garden, waterfalls, an aloe garden, a fern garden, a spectacular cactus forest, a tropical garden, and more. With Covid, you must make reservations and tours at this time are self-guided only (with knowledgeable docents positioned throughout the garden). State Street Promenade http://statestreetpromenade.com/ This is Santa Barbara’s main artery and where the action is, closed to vehicular traffic and spanning multiple blocks. You could almost imagine you’re in Barcelona on Las Ramblas. According to Visit Santa Barbara, “Santa Barbara has transformed its
downtown area into a pedestrian mall, with restaurants, bars, and businesses expanding onto sidewalks and the main boulevard, infusing a sense of energy and vitality.” It’s also the perfect place to appreciate Santa Barbara’s quintessential and historic Mediterranean architecture. So, take it from the Gay Gourmet. Santa Barbara is worth the drive and an easy Covid getaway from San Francisco. And it’s a lot closer than St. Tropez. For More Information about Santa Barbara Visit Santa Barbara https://santabarbaraca.com/ Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals https://www.sbvacationrentals.com/ Restaurants/Cocktail Bars
Stonehouse Restaurant at San Ysidro Ranch https://bit.ly/2TbdM4M Coast and Olive https://www.coastandolive.com/ The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach https://boathousesb.com/ Margerum Wine Company https://www.margerumwines.com/ Test Pilot http://www.testpilotcocktails.com/ Caruso’s at the Rosewood https://bit.ly/34dbgS5 The Lark http://www.thelarksb.com/ David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a PR executive. Follow him on Instagram @ GayGourmetSF, on Twitter @ david_landis, email him at: david@ landispr.com or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
CASTRO STREETCAM presented by
A close-up of Orphan Andy’s famous grilled chicken sandwich with cole slaw on one of the outdoor tables where shared service is available with Twin Peaks bar
http://sfbaytimes.com/ Diners and their server in the outdoor seating area at Twin Peaks
On Indigenous People’s Day, October 12, a rider acknowledged the occasion with his Native American themed t-shirt and flag.
Decorated pumpkins welcomed customers to The Mask Shop.
SF Sketch Randy Coleman Randy Coleman hails from New York, but has lived in San Francisco since 1975. “All of my life I’ve been an artist,” Coleman says. “To know me is to know that I have a passion for art and architecture. I love this project for the San Francisco Bay Times, and hope that you enjoy my sketches.”
As Heard on the Street . . . How many face masks do you have and which one is your favorite? compiled by Rink
Jesus Pa
Mia Simmans
Veronika Fimbres
Troy Brunet
“Five masks, and my favorite has an open mouth on it”
“Ten masks, and my favorite is a floral mask that I can wear comfortably while running”
“Sixteen masks, and my favorite is from Palmia beer”
“Around twenty, and my favorite is the one that fits that day’s fashionable look, plus a sparkle mask”
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