December 2–15, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com
”I’m sending you light, to heal you, to hold you ... I’m sending you light, to hold you in love.”
Vocal Activist Melanie DeMore,
who will be featured in the 2021 Christmas Revels
VASCHELLE ANDRÉ/DIVINE PHOTOGRAPHY
See pages 10–11
Social Philanthropreneur Derek Barnes I usually don’t write about politics or politicians in my column. However, I’ve been listening to and reading about the growing discontent some Democrats are having about the Biden administration’s performance—mainly growing opinions from detractors about Harris’ performance. So, I’ll pivot a bit to engage the framework of philanthropy (love of humankind) with a political twist. Instead of whipping readers up into a frenzy with the anticipation of delivering explanations, opinions, and theories relative to the perception of accomplishments and failures from the Biden-Harris administration, here’s the better question to ask: What’s wrong with our media that clearly has incentives to tear down Democratic leaders (pitting politicians against each other) and liberals/progressives who need to experience more fight, thrill, and excitement from their political leaders? Triggered by polls and news salvo, people are gazing into their mid-term
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and 2024 election crystal balls and already romanticizing about who they want to run on the Democrats’ presidential ticket. When I hear that VP Harris just isn’t electable (like I heard in 2020), I’m always shocked that people forget some basic facts. She’s won all of her city and state elections. She was a U.S. senator from California and brought 20M+ votes from state-wide wins. She was on a winning ticket that garnered 81M+ votes—the highest in U.S. history and that she helped secure. I recently read a piece by Reecie Colbert in TheGrio, and I was thrilled to learn how active VP Harris has been since the presidential inauguration. Since January 20, Harris has held over 100 meetings with President Biden, attended over 300 events where media was present, and was instrumental in passing the $1.2T infrastructure bill. After being dispatched by Biden to France in November for diplomatic discussions with France’s President Macron, the media claimed that the Vice President was essentially “invisible” and implied that she was missing in action. The reality is that media and her critics refused to acknowledge and often deny her engagement and successes, “relentlessly trying to harm her prospects.” The “invisible” Vice President is a narrative propagated by conservatives to instill the same old tropes about Black people who began to hold political office after the Civil War: incompetent, incapable of leadership, lazy, and shiftless. Did we forget about Pence, Cheney, Quail, Agnew, and that near-miss of a stellar Republican VP hopeful, Sarah
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ contingent marching on Market Street in the San Francisco Pride Parade, June 30, 2019.
Palin? Republicans shouldn’t be allowed to propagate this double standard, and Democrats shouldn’t fall so easily for the sleight of hand. Harris’ attacks occur because of her winning track record and competence, potentially threatening political leaders on both sides of the aisle. Even failed Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann came out of her forced political retirement on Fox News with recent comments about Harris that were just offensive and wildly inaccurate. To add insult to injury, Bachman then references Meghan Markle in an attempt to connect both women to a brand of entitlement and self-proclaimed victimization. Democrats should not allow Republicans and conservative media to run these offensive narratives. Moderate and progressive Democrats should be in the business of protecting their installed leaders with records of success and winning instead of aiding the opposition in their destruction—doing the other side’s dirty work. Being on constant
defense with messaging is exhausting and is often a losing proposition. The Democratic Party also needs to be much more proactive and intentional with a unified voice to celebrate big wins and hit back with compelling messages and counternarratives that are both repetitive and effective. The administration and Democratic Party desperately need a Chief Marketing Officer or whatever the political equivalent of that is in Washington. It’s not lost on many that, without the daily train wrecks of Trump and the previous administration, the media misses its dysfunctional golden boy. It guaranteed a steady stream of viewers and listeners—profiting from the dissension. That’s why mid-term and 2024 election conjecture, polling frenzy, inter-party feuds, and political in-fighting (real or manufactured) are so prevalent now and lucrative. Harris’ newsworthy headlines are just not sensational enough, nor does she provide the type of hyper-clickbait triggers and endorphin highs that audiences crave today.
The critical message to Democrats is to recalibrate your expectations, stop finding fault, and focus on touting the wins and accomplishments of this historic pairing and your party. There’s still so much to do over the next three years. Personally, I want to see more progress in advancing voting rights, police reform, and public safety. Irrefutably over the last ten months, the administration has accomplished a great deal after inheriting a mess. It’s equally crucial for Democrats to come together to support the Biden-Harris administration and all their extraordinary accomplishments to date. Derek Barnes is the CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @ DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF
PHOTO BY SHELIA FITZGERALD
What’s Wrong with VP Harris?
In the News Joanie Juster The holidays are here, and events and social gatherings are back in a big way. From tree lightings to the Santa Skivvies Run to concerts, plays, and drag shows, there are plenty of choices to fill your social calendar. As we return to these in-person events, please remember to follow safety protocols so you and everyone else can stay safe and healthy. Campaign Season Comes to the Castro Just as we are kicking off the holiday season, it is also election season once again—with extra focus on the Castro and the all-important LGBTQ vote. Governor Gavin Newsom has set February 15 as the date for the special primary election to fill the 17th District Assembly seat left vacant after David Chiu stepped down on November 1 to become San Francisco’s first Asian American city attorney. Chiu was appointed by Mayor London Breed after she named former city attorney Dennis Herrera the new general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote then the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff race April 19.
Acknowledging the political importance of the LGBTQ vote, two of the top candidates for the Assembly seat have opened campaign headquarters in the Castro. David Campos, who is on leave as chief of staff to District Attorney Chesa Boudin, is renting the former Under One Roof space at 541 Castro Street, while District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, a straight ally, has moved into the vacant retail space at 17th and Market, former home of Pottery Barn. Both spaces had previously housed campaign headquarters. Campos hosted a kickoff party for his headquarters on November 13; Haney‘s grand opening is slated for December 10. The candidates will be facing off in a debate at Manny’s, the café and event space owned by Manny Yekutiel, at 16th & Valencia on January 20. The two other candidates running to succeed Chiu—City College of San Francisco trustee Thea Selby and former Obama administration staffer Bilal Mahmood—are expected to open their campaign headquarters by early 2022. Groundbreaking Trans Journalists Honored
Two groundbreaking trans journalists, Christina Kahrl and Monica Roberts, are being inducted into the LGBTQ Journalists Hall of Fame, as announced by NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists.
Christina Kahrl is the sports editor for The San Francisco Chronicle, and the first out transgender editor at a major metropolitan media outlet. When Kahrl came out as transgender in 2002, she was the nation’s first openly trans sportswriter. She also became one of the first four internet-based writers accepted into the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, as well as its first out trans member, in 2008. In addition to her accomplishments as a journalist, Kahrl is a nationally known advocate for transgender civil rights. She has served on boards including GLAAD, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, and Equality Illinois, and has worked with the Chicago Police Department and the Justice Department on improving police interactions with transgender citizens. Monica Roberts was a trailblazing blogger, writer, transgender advocate and activist, sports lover, and the founding editor of TransGriot, a blog that chronicled the lives and deaths of trans women, particularly trans women of color. Roberts described her blog as “A proud unapologetic Black trans woman speaking truth to power and discussing the world around her.” Her writing has been lauded for covering transgender issues more deeply and authentically than mainstream media outlets. Roberts passed away at her home in Houston in October 2021. Christina Kahrl praised her friend and fellow journalist, saying on Twitter, “Moni was a relentless fighter for the proposition that trans Americans are people who possess the same rights as every other American. She was never shy about calling out hypocrisy, whether by word, deed, or legislation.”
Castro Community on Patrol Needs You – Oh, and There’s a Party! For 15 years, Castro Community on Patrol (CCOP) has been keeping our community safe at parades, protests, vigils, marches, parties, and more. So now they are celebrating—and recruiting! The holidays are a particularly busy time for CCOP, as many community organizations ask them to assist with events. As fun and rewarding as this time of year can be, they could really use some extra pairs of hands helping our fellow community organizations to succeed. As CCOP says, “Safety is a community effort.” Sign up through the CCOP website, complete online initial training in one three-hour session, and you can be out patrolling with them in a blaze orange vest the following week. www.CastroPatrol.org Now, about that party ... CCOP will be celebrating 15 years of improving Castro safety at The Academy (2166 Market Street) on Monday, December 13, from 7–9 pm. They will be honoring current and former volunteers, and also having conversations about the past, and making plans for the future. Please come, and bring friends! (And, by the way, congratulations to CCOP for being honored with the Community Service Award at the recent Harvey Milk Democratic Club Annual Gayla. Well done!) To attend CCOP’s 15th anniversary party: https://tinyurl.com/ccopparty Santa Second Saturday! Those festive folks who brought you SOMA Second Saturdays! this sum-
mer are at it again, producing a multi-location holiday fair with a kinky twist. On the heels of a very successful debut summer season of SOMA Second Saturdays!, The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, Folsom Street, and SOMA West Community Benefit District have announced their firstever Santa Second Saturday! This one-day holiday fair will feature the best of local leather and kink artists, craftspeople, and businesses to kick off the holiday season. The fair will take place at multiple locations throughout the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District on Saturday, December 11, with a free hop-on, hop-off shuttle from Fogcutter Tours running continuously between the locations from noon until 6 pm. The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Manager, Cal Callahan, said that after such a wellattended summer season of SOMA Second Saturdays, the community was eager to try an indoor holiday event. “Santa Second Saturday! will provide a welcoming, festive space for the leather and kink communities, as well as providing artists and craftspeople a venue to sell their wares, and bringing revenue to local businesses that had been so severely impacted by the pandemic. And when you’ve finished your holiday shopping, stay to play in SOMA!” https://tinyurl.com/Santa2ndSat
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How to Keep Taxes from Distorting Retirement Horizons from an upfront tax break and paying no taxes on gains when they are earned, you agreed to pay taxes at the going rate when you withdrew the money.
Money Matters Brandon Miller Every Waymo that passes makes me wonder when self-driving cars will become a reality. And what will they look like? If we won’t have accidents, will cars need bumpers, seat belts, and airbags? What about mirrors? Will “objects in mirror are closer than they appear” no longer have meaning? Even without convex mirrors distorting our perception, plenty of other illusions stand ready to trip us up. Take retirement account balances, for example. It feels great watching the numbers go up in your IRA and 401(k), 403(b) or other tax-deferred account, especially when the stock market surged during the pandemic, making it easier to feel comfortable about a comfortable retirement. But that big, beautiful number on your statement doesn’t reflect your giant IOU to Uncle Sam. A milliondollar balance might only be worth $700k by the time you pay your tax bill. So, unlike the aforementioned mirror, your retirement horizon may be farther away than it appears. Before you complain about that tax bill, remember that this is the bargain you made with the IRS when you opened your account. In exchange for faster growth potential
“Going rate” is the sticking point here. You may think you’ll be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, but honestly, most people don’t want to lower their living standards if they can afford not to. Plus, who knows what Congress will do with tax rates in the future? Despair not. We still have Roth accounts—one of my favorite financial planning tools. Unlike retirement accounts funded with money you haven’t yet paid taxes on, Roth accounts force you to pay the taxes upfront. Why would you do that? Let me count the ways. The biggest reason is that Uncle Sam doesn’t ask for more once you’ve paid the initial tax bill. Gains earned in Roth accounts are tax free. Put another way, every dime shown in your Roth balance belongs to you. Another Roth advantage is controlling taxable income. That’s important because the IRS forces you to begin taking money out of traditional retirement accounts at age 72. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are based on your account balance and make you chip away at your IOU to Uncle Sam. The higher your balance, the more you’re required to withdraw. Withdrawals are considered taxable income—the very thing that drives the amount of taxes you pay on Social Security income, and what you owe for Medicare services. Depending on the amount of your RMD, you could go from owing less than $150 a month to paying over $500 a month for Medicare Part B (based on 2021 rates). That alone is a good reason to get a handle on your taxable income.
Roth benefits are easy to gain through contributions and conversions. Contributions are fairly painless as you pay taxes before money goes into the Roth account. Each $100 deposited may only show up as $70 now, but tax-free growth can make up the deficit quickly. Conversions can feel a bit more like waxing, where you hate doing it but love the results. Paying your tax bill upfront—all at once or spread over a period of years—guarantees the amount you’ll pay for taxes and lets you know down to the penny how much you have for retirement. To bring this into focus, let’s say that you have a million in cash accounts and a million in a traditional IRA. Converting the IRA to a Roth account could result in a $300K tax bill. Pay this bill from your cash accounts and the full $1m in your Roth account can continue to grow—tax-free, I emphasize yet again. Yes, you have $300k less in cash. But your tax bill, which would have continued to grow with your traditional IRA account balance, no longer exists. This is financial planning’s ultimate short-term pain, longterm gain win. So, to recap: tax-free growth offers control over taxable income and peace of mind. Need I say more about the beauty of Roth, or the value of seeing your true net worth without distortion? That’s something not even Waymo’s fleet of cameraoutfitted cars can capture. Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It (continued on page 18)
Two Luxury SUVs With Unique Style monly pleasing and masculine presence. The GV80 got curious glances, while the GV70’s incoming attention was more focused and intense, akin to lust.
Auto Philip Ruth Blocky or sleek? Outdoorsy or urbanchic? SUVs have as many flavors as Baskin-Robbins, and so you can probably find one that suits your taste. The two we’ll examine here are just about polar opposites in terms of niche and purpose, and both are so satisfying to drive that you would likely live in harmony with either one. Deciding between them comes down to what you want to do with your new purchase, and how you want to look. Land Rover has a storied legacy of selling royalty-driven off-roaders, while Genesis is an upstart brand from budget-minded Hyundai. I recently covered the Genesis GV80—the larger sibling to the $64,045 GV70 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige featured here. Genesis has something interesting going with their style, as both were head-turners. This GV70 in its $500 Adriatic Blue paint contributed to an uncom4
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The Land Rover Defender 110 SE is on-brand, appearing utilitarian at first glance with many interesting shapes and design flourishes when your gaze lingers. There’s a pleasing heft to the doors and hatch, and the rear roof windows are a cool throwback touch, while the floating trim plate on the B-pillars is bracingly modern. The well-equipped 2021 tester was a hair less than $70,000. The hot ticket for people parking parallel with regularity is the Defender 90, an arbitrary 20 down from the 110 tested. But with two fewer doors, it measures 180.4 inches versus the 110’s 197.6. That makes the Defender 90 shorter than a Civic or Corolla sedan, which much increases your chances of squeezing into a spot. The GV70 is also parkable at 185.6 inches. The high-300-horsepower club is a fast place to be, and Genesis’s 375 and Defender’s 395 ratings translate into two-ton luxury SUVs that are consistently brisk, with muscle off the line and powerful bursts for passing. Mileage checks in at 21 for the GV70 and 19 for the Defender. Inside, the environments are suitably special. The Defender’s 14-way, heated, and cooled memory seats position you as commander of your domain. The instrument panel is long and broad, a contrast to the cockpit-like shapes of most modern cars, and the big windows keep things bright, whether your safari
Genesis GV70
Land Rover Defender 110 SE
is the sunny Castro or foggy Sunset District. The Genesis leans more toward sports car as it feels more intimate. It has the brand’s signature horizontal monospoke wheel, and the dashboard behind it is gracefully curved and contoured. Sparky illuminated details light up the armrests and console, and there’s just enough shiny stuff to feel like it all belongs. We discuss these different vehicles in the same breath partly because they’re close in price, and also because they’re both fun to drive. The Defender 110 was unexpectedly nimble, while the GV70’s ability to carve up curves could make sport sedans obsolete. Both are worth an enthusiastic test drive. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.
Message from Leadership
Three Moments that Turned Me into an LGBTQ Ally
GGBA CALENDAR
By Pamela Schmitz As a straight woman, I may not be the most obvious choice to become the newest member of the Golden Gate Business Association board. However, if you get to know me, you’ll see how I’ve grown passionate about my allyship and sense of community building since the 1980s. That’s when a dear friend—she was my little sis in our sorority—told me she was gay. Having grown up ultra-liberal in the Bay Area, my reaction was, “Yeah, so?” It didn’t matter one iota to me whom she loved. I’m embarrassed to say that I was so flippant, acting like it was no big deal when it was something major in her life. I wish then that I had been mature enough to thank my friend for her bravery and for trusting me with her truth, before letting her know that this wouldn’t change our relationship in the least. Watching many people my friend considered close walk away when she shared who she was provided my first awakening to the discrimination the LGBTQ community faces. Until then, I had been blind to how often that happened, especially in the height of the AIDS epidemic.
I check out Brio Financial Group, a company she worked with periodically. It quickly became clear that this was some place where I could make a significant difference in people’s lives. Founded by a lesbian and gay man, Brio has a goal to be the go-to financial planners for the LGBTQ community. Before same-sex marriage was legal, this required great creativity to develop workarounds that could approximate the treatment afforded to married couples. And even now that gay marriage is legal, the community faces unique challenges, such as HIV+ people not planning financially for a future they never dreamed they would have. Working at Brio for seven years now, I continue to be honored when people from all walks of life open up about what they truly want, and trust me to help them bring their finances into alignment with those hopes and dreams. That work feels more important than ever right now with the pandemic causing so many people to shift priorities and start valuing their time over their money.
The next step on my journey was when Prop 8—that horrendous amendment banning same-sex marriage—was on the ballot. My college friend, by now with two girls about the same age as mine, called to ask us to join her at a protest. I immediately agreed to support my friend. “No,” she told me. “I need your whole family to be here. I need my girls to see that this is not just a gay issue.” That still gets me teary eyed when I think of it. Needless to say, we came to the protest in full support.
Being able to view the world through the rainbow lens of my friend and many clients has made me more attuned to the discrimination and injustices that LGBTQ people continue to face, even here in the Bay Area. It also makes me passionate about being an ally who actively works to help overcome this inequality. That’s why I feel so privileged to be a part of the GGBA board, where I’m eager to advance the mission of creating a more inclusive and welcoming business community.
My third eye-opening moment came at a time when I was looking for a new challenge in my life. Once again, my little sis from college helped me see a new way forward. She suggested that
Pamela Schmitz is the Financial Planner at Brio Financial Group ( https://www.briofg.com/ ). She is also a member of the Golden Gate Business Association Board of Directors.
GGBA Member Spotlight
Jorge Colunga of Self-Help Federal Credit Union
Photos courtesy of Jorge Colunga
Credit unions are not-for-profit organizations that exist to serve their members. Like banks, credit unions accept deposits, make loans, and provide a wide array of other financial services, but as member-owned and cooperative institutions, they provide a safe place to save and borrow at reasonable rates. Self-Help Federal Credit Union takes these already beneficial services to another level, as Jorge Colunga—Manager of the Self-Help branch at 2430 Mission Street in San Francisco—explains. GGBA: What is the mission of the Self-Help Federal Credit Union? Jorge Colunga: Our mission is creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents, and low-wealth families and communities. GGBA: When and how was this credit union started? Jorge Colunga: Self-Help Federal Credit Union was chartered in 2008 to build a network of branches that serve working families and underserved communities. It is part of the national Self-Help family of nonprofit organizations whose collective mission has provided almost $10 billion in financing to help over 192,000 low-wealth borrowers buy homes, start and build businesses, and strengthen community resources. GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to inf luence your work? Jorge Colunga: I personally look up to Dolores Huerta, and Harvey Milk. They both stood for the disenfranchised and discriminated communities. GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?
Jorge Colunga: I have known and participated in various GGBA events for over a decade as a representative of a previous employer. I just joined again as a representative of Self-Help Federal Credit Union. GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your work, both past and present? Jorge Colunga: I love the work GGBA does to connect our small business communities, helping them network and grow organically. Being a member has allowed me to connect and partner with others to help provide financial products and services, and other financial options to the communities we serve. GGBA: Have you been to the GGBA monthly Make Contact networking events? If so, would you recommend them to others? Jorge Colunga: I would recommend others to join [the GGBA]. The monthly Make Contact helps keep businesses connected regularly and updates the resources we have at our disposal.
Tuesday, December 2 The Nature of Marketing 9 am–11 am Via Zoom In this session led by Kristin Mehiel, business owners and organizations will learn the key fundamentals of marketing channels, how to execute an overall marketing strategy, and how to create a plan that creates sales growth. Mehiel is a sales and marketing expert with a 20+ track record. She co-founded Mad Jack Snowsports, a B2C snowsports manufacturing company in acquisition phase. She is also a consulting partner with Spark Inbound Marketing and is a lead consultant with the Small Business Development Center. https://tinyurl.com/k4p39exk Tuesday, December 14 December Make Contact: Annual Holiday Party 6 pm–10 pm The Academy, 2166 Market Street, San Francisco Come to The Academy for a holiday celebration with the San Francisco Bay Times and the Golden Gate Business Association featuring: • Emmy Award-winning radio and television personality and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Liam Mayclem as emcee; • music by DJ Rockaway presented by Olivia Travel; • welcome by GGBA leaders Krystal Drwencke and Terry Beswick; • open bars on multiple levels; • complimentary hors d’oeuvres; • indoor/outdoor Castro venue with fire pits, and more! Special thanks to our event sponsors: Bacardi, Brio, Celebrity, La Méditerranée, Extreme Pizza, Olivia Travel, and the San Francisco Federal Credit Union. Cost: $25, but free with code for GGBA members. Email ea@ggba.com https://tinyurl.com/35fw6srn Thursday, December 16 DEI: Responding to Bias and Microaggressions at Work 9 am–11 am Via Zoom Unconscious bias can affect your business in many ways, from diversity and retention rates to undermining recruiting efforts and employee development. Micro-aggressions can also have a profound impact on your team. They justify inequality, reinforce stereotypes, and reinforce destructive power dynamics. Learn from webinar leader Nancy Geenen how to spot them and tackle them. Geenen is an accomplished entrepreneur, trial attorney, and strategic facilitator. She is the founder and CEO of Flexability, a workplace equity & inclusion firm. https://tinyurl.com/2p8m2fuf Wednesday, January 19, 2022 GGBA New Member Orientation 12:30 pm–1 pm Via Zoom Whether you’re a brand-new member or a seasoned networker, you may attend this event! This session will help you: • Learn more about the history of the GGBA; • Introduce you to new members in your cohort; • Learn simple ways to get involved to grow your business and relationships. https://tinyurl.com/2evzx8kk
GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?
GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share? Jorge Colunga: Self-Help offers one to one financial coaching, credit-building services, financial education presentations—including homeownership workshops—and competitive rates for people looking to save money. Jorge Colunga (third from left) with colleagues wearing masks inside their Self-Help Federal Credit Union location.
https://www.self-helpfcu.org/
Jorge Colunga leading a Homebuying Workshop at the Self-Help Federal Credit Union Mission location. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Jorge Colunga: Join the GGBA, leverage the business network community it offers, and meet with Self-Help Federal Credit Union for business financial resources and referrals.
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Don’t Forget Thanksgiving Amidst the December Holiday Frenzy
6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis For many Americans, Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. It precedes the frenzy of the consumerism, busyness, and attendant stress of the December holiday season, which is now upon us. Thanksgiving can be more a time to take a break and gather with friends and family, rest and relax, gorge oneself at the dinner table, or even watch football. For some, it’s also a time to genuinely take stock of all they have in life for which they are grateful. Doing so raises the question: What does feeling gratitude actually mean and entail in 21st century America? Maybe gratitude is simple—just taking the time to notice and appreciate all the good fortune we have, whatever it may be, and all the people in our lives we value. Inclining our minds to positive things that elicit warmth and happiness amidst all the difficulties of the world seems very healthy. Millions attest to the mental health benefits of maintaining a daily gratitude journal. But when it comes to material wealth and comfort, is gratitude a sufficient response for those of us who have abundance when others do not? All too often, the reason for the disparity is systemic discrimination or the fact that countless people are not lucky enough to have been born into a measure of wealth or advantage, or they simply do not have the skills that modern American corporate culture rewards. Should contemplating gratitude lead us to reflect on the degree to which we are driven to value material wealth beyond such things as essential food, clothing, shelter, and medicine? Moreover, what does it mean more broadly to feel gratitude for something, material or otherwise, that we have that other people don’t? In Theravada Buddhism, gratitude is linked particularly to one thing: another person’s genuine kindness. An ancient Buddhist text asserts that two types of people “are hard to find in the world.” One is a person who is the first “to do a kindness,” and the
other is a person “who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” Connecting gratitude to kindness takes us out of focusing on material things in and of themselves and instead directs us toward considering how we treat each other. It forces us to confront the complex question of who are the many people to thank for the good in our lives. It invites us to be thankful for people, not things apart from the people who made them possible. It points us to examining how we act and the intentions behind our words and actions and their likely consequences. The Theravada texts emphasize that gratitude for kindness should not be static; it calls for an active response. That response is not repaying one’s benefactor in a one-for-one exchange. It’s acting with discernment, wisdom, and integrity oneself in myriad different ways in the world. The grateful response to kindness is more kindness. The experience of receiving kindness and offering gratitude interpersonally can be very intimate. On a broader societal level, making kindness really mean something involves working for social and economic justice and preservation of the planet in the face of the climate crisis. Kindness that merits gratitude often entails hard work, political activism, and advocacy. Indeed, increasing numbers of Americans are infusing a social and economic justice component into the Thanksgiving holiday. They remind us that in 1621, when tradition says the first Thanksgiving took place in the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts, colonialism and oppression—the legacy of which we still contend with 400 years later—were taking root in America. The native Wampanoag people had lived at Plymouth for 10,000 years before and called it Patuxet. As Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones’ The 1619 Project reminds us, Anglo-based enslavement of Africans in what is now the U.S. began two years before the first Thanksgiving.
For many LGBTIQ people, the Thanksgiving tradition of spending time with family, something many non-LGBTIQ people take for granted, may not be comforting or even possible. Many of us create our chosen families. For some of us, Thanksgiving may be a painful reminder of our struggle to live our lives freely and openly in the face of discrimination, disapproval, or the threat of violence. Although Thanksgiving 2021 has come and gone, something magical about kindness and gratitude intertwined together is that they may arise perhaps only for a brief moment even in the face of formidable personal challenges or long, momentous struggles for justice. And we have countless opportunities to choose kindness and gratitude in ways that might not be immediately apparent. In his 1980 novel More Tales of the City, Armistead Maupin models such an opportunity through his fictional character Michael Tolliver when Tolliver learns that his parents to whom he has not come out have joined Anita Bryant’s anti-gay “Save the Children” campaign of the 1970s. Tolliver writes his mother: “I know what you must be thinking now. You’re asking yourself: What did we do wrong? How did we let this happen? Which one of us made him that way? I can’t answer that, Mama. In the long run, I guess I really don’t care. All I know is this: If you and Papa are responsible for the way I am, then I thank you with all my heart, for it’s the light and the joy of my life.” This month and beyond, let’s keep gratitude and kindness as vital parts of our lives. John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
4–7 pm Martuni’s
4 Valencia Street Featuring live singing by Absolute Empress 30 Donna Sachet Absolute Empress 52 Mercedez Munro Miss Gay SF 2008 BeBe Sweetbriar Honey Mahogany Benefiting The Imperial Council of San Francisco 6
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Tracking the (Potential) Four SF Elections in 2022
Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Louise “Lou” Fischer Over the last two months, I profiled the upcoming 2022 elections brought about by the recent “musical chairs” of mayoral appointments (corruption in a big city? I’m shocked, shocked!) and potential recalls of elected officials by disgruntled constituents (more shock!). At no time did I expect to be writing a three-part trilogy. While San Francisco elections are hardly the equivalent of the Dionysia festivals of ancient Greece, by the time the elections of 2022 are over, we may pray for the tetralogy to be completed with the equivalent of a satyr play complete with dancing, drinking, and comedy to alleviate the emotional tension. Review of How We Got Here City Attorney Dennis Herrera was appointed to the SF Public Utilities Commission and Assemblyman David Chiu was appointed to his seat, setting up multiple elections for the District 17 Assembly. The SF School Board mismanaged the pandemic response, causing disgruntled parents to force a recall election. While the city listened to science and was a model for keeping COVID-19-related illness at bay,
it didn’t stop “recall fever” from spreading to District Attorney Chesa Boudin, so now his job is in jeopardy. Carmen Chu was appointed City Administrator, which opened up the elected position of Assessor-Recorder, which was filled by Joaquín Torres (appointed by the Mayor), who must run for the position in February and then again in November. On November 12, 2021, Governor Newsom set the date of April 19, 2022, for the special election to fill the vacancy of David Chiu’s Assembly seat. The primary for this election will be held on February 15, 2022; if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, then the top two vote getters will face each other again in April. However, these are “special elections” brought about by the aforementioned game of musical chairs occurring in an “odd-numbered year.” Assembly Members, who represent the lower house of the bicameral California State Legislature (the Senate is the upper house), only serve two-year terms and are subject to biennial elections, so Chiu’s seat was already set up for a June primary and November regular election in 2022. And just like that, the lucky contestants who want to represent Assembly District 17 may have the opportunity to run for office four times in one year!
• School Board Member Recall Vote to recall up to three members of the seven-member Board of Education; • Assessor-Recorder - Joaquín Torres must run to serve out the remainder of Carmen Chu’s term; • Assembly District 17 - Open election for David Chiu’s Assembly seat; choose from the current four candidates: David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood (who?), and Thea Selby. April 19, 2022, Special Election (General)
• Statewide offices Top-two run-offs for all primary elections (see prior list) including possible election #4 for Chiu’s seat; • Federal offices - Top-two run-offs
• Top two candidates from the District 17 race if no candidate achieves a majority of the votes. I’m going to go out on a pretty sturdy limb here and predict that this election will be between Campos and Haney (possible election #2 for Chiu’s seat).
• Statewide Judges;
June 7, 2022, Statewide Primary Election
• Public Defender - I can’t see anyone running against Manohar Raju, but you never know;
• City Attorney - David Chiu must run to keep his new job; • District Attorney Recall - Vote yes if you think Chesa Boudin is doing a bad job; • Superior Court - Some local judges;
Yes, if you live in San Francisco, you should vote in all four elections; you’ll automatically receive a ballot in the mail. If you want to vote in person, you can do that too.
• Statewide offices - Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Board of Equalization, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and State Assembly (election #3 for Chiu’s seat if there is an April run-off);
February 15, 2022, Special Election (Primary)
• Federal offices - United States Senator, Congress.
What is on which ballot and do I have to vote in 4 elections?
November 8, 2022, Consolidated General Election
• BART Director, District 8; • Assessor-Recorder - Torres will have finished out Carmen Chu’s term and must run for a full four-year term;
• Board of Education - If any of the three candidates subject to the February recall are not recalled, they will have to run in this election for a new 4-year term. If the recall is successful, then any candidate(s) appointed by the Mayor will have to run in this election; • Community College Board - Three seats are up for election; • Board of Supervisors, Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 - None of the five Supervisors are termed out, so the only intrigue in this election will be if Matt Haney wins the District 17 Assembly seat in April, forcing the Mayor to appoint a new Supervisor
for District 6. If Haney wins in April and does not make the top-two in the June run-off, he conceivably could run to regain his D6 BOS seat, but that’s even too crazy for SF politics. As I say in almost every column, “elections matter,” although we don’t usually have four chances in one year to show how much they matter. Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and has served as an appointed and elected Delegate for the State Democratic Party. She is a proud graduate of the Emerge California Women’s Democratic Leadership program, was a San Francisco Commissioner, and has served in leadership positions in multiple nonprofit and community-based organizations.
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First Cohort Graduates From La Academia de SFAGUILAS Your Legal and Civil Rights, and Efficient Communication Tools for the Mass Media. This training series completed its pilot phase and now the training program is officially launched. Training sessions are offered continuously by La Academia de SFAGUILAS in two Levels: Basic and Advanced. These trainings are available for the next three years at the offices of AGUILAS located at the SF LGBT Center.
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Nuestra Voz Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. La Academia de SFAGUILAS The graduation ceremony of the first cohort of La Academia de SFAGUILAS included seven participants who completed the first level of four workshop trainings. (See my column in the prior issue for more about this leadership training program.) They were presented with their certificates of completion by me at Alliant International University. Completion of the joint effort of trainings led to a very proud moment in the lives of the program’s first cohort. The program is funded by the foundation ViiV HealthCare for Positive Action, and is staffed by AGUILAS ViiV Program Coordinator Gustavo Ordoñez, M.A. Graduates participated in the first of four in-person, three-hour leadership development workshops on topics specially designed for the Latinx LBGTQI+ community. The four-part training series included: Financial Training, Effective Strategies for Advocacy, Knowing
Other highlights of the evening’s program included a Presidential Citation to Renato Talhadas, MFT, APCC, MADC, who is AGUILAS’ Program Director and was the 2021 Conference Chair of the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA). As the President of NLPA, I presented the honor to Renato for his outstanding contributions in organizing the highest attended and most successful virtual conference in NLPA’s history. In a capacity crowd at the SF LGBT Center’s Rainbow Room located on the building’s second floor, AGUILAS celebrated the Graduation and Year-End Holiday Fiesta on Thursday evening of November 18, 2021, with a sit-down dinner banquet and a spectacular program while adhering to COVID19 guidelines. HIV, SDI, and Hep C Testing were made available by the UCSF Alliance Health Project. The Graduation and Year-End Holiday Fiesta had entertainers that included live multilingual performances by international performing artist Alex Costa, and SF Bay Area’s well-known performing artist and the Masters of Ceremonies for the evening Betty Fresas. Ney Nascimento,
the Outreach Coordinator of AGUILAS, led the organization of this Graduation and Year-End Holiday Fiesta of AGUILAS and was assisted by Gustavo and the staff of AGUILAS. Pictures and videos of this spectacular event can be found on the internet Facebook page of AGUILAS El Ambiente and on SFAGUILAS’ Instagram page. There are very few activities and programs throughout the SF Bay Area for Latinx LGBTQ+ persons, and special events like this Graduation and Fiesta by AGUILAS draw attendance from a wide range of Latinx LGBTQ+ persons. Information, program services, contact information, a calendar of upcoming events, and registration are available through the tab Mi Águilas at our website: www.sfaguilas.org Rainbow Beginnings In attendance at the Graduation and Holiday Fiesta were representatives of a new nonprofit program in San Francisco entitled Rainbow Beginnings. Founded in 2020, this 501 C-3 nonprofit organization recently moved from Southern California to San Francisco. They provide assistance to Latinx LGBTQIA+ migrants with sponsorship and housing support, legal advocacy, community engagement and education services. Rainbow Beginnings specializes in services for LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers by connecting folks in detention with sponsors and various forms of support. Nobody wants to leave their homeland illegally, however, they may be compelled to do so as a last resort due to degradation of their life circumstances.
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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis
AGUILAS Thanksgiving Dinner 2021 Photos by Rink AGUILAS, the nonprofit providing services to LGBTQ people of Latinx heritage, held its annual Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 18, at the SF LGBT Center. In addition to a full Thanksgiving menu, the event included performances by Brazilian star Alex Costa, Betty Fresas, and Shriel Drogracias. Executive Director Eduardo Morales welcomed guests and presented certificates to La Academia de SFAGUILAS graduates. Renato Talhadas was honored for his service to the organization.
Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Kristopher Acevedo, Darryl Pelletier, Morgan Shidler 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 © 2021 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas
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More information can be obtained on their Facebook and Instagram @ RainbowBeginningsLGBTQ and their website: www.rainbowbeginnings.org A New Groundbreaking Comic Book A recent discovery of mine is Kraven Comics, which is claiming to be one of the newest LGBTQ+ comic books created and the first of its kind conceptualized by queer Latinx individuals. It aims to provide representation in the comic book industry, and has just started its first print and digital issues in English and Spanish. Its creators have plans to have print and digital issues available in other languages. Other products and information can be found at Instagram @kravencomics and at the Kraven Comics website: www.kravencomic.com Fernando Velez is Kraven Comics’ 34-year-old creator and visionary and is from Yauco, Puerto Rico. His and his team’s superhero narratives feature LGBTQ+ heroes. Their hope is to draw positive attention to Latinx LGBTQ+ persons in entertaining and compelling ways. Their large, creative team further desires to focus on inclusivity and awareness of social justice issues and in productions that are accessible anywhere in the world. Eduardo Morales, PhD, is one of the founders of AGUILAS, where he serves as Executive Director. He is also a retired Distinguished Professor at Alliant International University and is the 2021 President of the National Latinx Psychological Association.
GLBT Fortnight in Review All Hail Melania I’m not sure how I missed the Log Cabin Republicans’ tribute to Melania Trump, who was given an award at some gay Republican gala at Mar-a-Lago earlier in November. I could not finish watching the three-minute video that celebrated the former First Lady’s commitment to GLBT Americans, a stance that eluded most of us over a dismal four years of gay and trans bashing by the Trump administration. The transgender military ban, the lack of recognition for Pride, the ban on rainbow flags at American embassies, the anti-GLBT policy statements throughout the cabinet departments that aimed to undo much of the progress of the Obama years, the opposition to court cases and any gay rights legislation—all of it simply ignored in favor of pure fantasy. During the Spirit of Lincoln Gala, Ronna McDaniel, the head of the Republican National Committee, announced a GOP outreach to the gay community called the RNC Pride Coalition, formed in cooperation with the Log Cabin gang. This unfortunate initiative, in turn, drew a backlash from conservatives, leading McDaniel to host a conference call to explain herself. She went on to apologize in an email and make clear that the Republicans are not really supporting the gay community, but just looking for votes in odd places. “We are actively committed to fighting the radical left on culture issues and standing up for religious liberty, family values, and Republicans of faith,” McDaniel wrote. “We would never, ever organize or communicate with organizations that undermine our values. You have my word on that. The goal of this new outreach is simply to get more voters to vote Republican in 2022. That’s it.” The disturbing aspect to all of this is that a full 27 percent of the GLBT vote went to Trump in 2020, about the same level as support for George W Bush in 2000, but a rise from the 14 percent he won in 2016, according to exit polls. We are not a monolith, but I’m still surprised at that number, reported by The Washington Post. I can accept conservatives within our community; indeed, I’m very fond of some of them. But Trump supporters? Really? Clean Up Time Speaking of the Trump administration, I should have already mentioned that the Biden gang recently rescinded a “waiver” that allowed three states to avoid anti-discrimination rules about the use of federal money. Texas, South Carolina, and Tennessee have been allowed to lean on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in order to relay taxpayer dollars to faith-based organizations, including one South Carolina foster agency that will not welcome Jewish foster parents. There are bits and pieces of nasty Trump policy hiding throughout the government, and like dust in your house, you can’t get rid of them without a deep cleaning. It’s worth remembering that all these religious freedom claims not only target groups that seek to discriminate against GLBTs, but also technically would open the door to discrimination on the basis of race or creed. In the Hobby Lobby case, Justice Alito wrote that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act would not allow a company to avoid racerelated civil rights law, but why not? What’s special about racial discrimination? How can you be allowed
By Ann Rostow
to fire or refuse service to same-sex or Jewish parents but not allowed to refuse to interview mixed-race foster parents?
his marriage vows, to which others noted it could be argued that Santa was not necessarily married to begin with. You get the picture.
It’s a dismal prospect that these and many other questions remain to be decided by our current High Court. As I write, the Court is poised to hear oral arguments in the Mississippi abortion case, which does not bear directly on our civil rights. But doesn’t it? The battle over abortion is essentially a religious debate. Allowing state legislatures to impose a religious viewpoint on an entire citizenry is exactly what our side has been fighting against for half a century. So, buckle up.
Don’t you love Norway?
Let The Games Begin Moving on, I don’t know what to think of the new Olympic Committee framework on transgender athletes, a ten-point series of non-binding recommendations that sound good and no longer specify hormone treatments. The previous guidelines, set in 2015, required some transgender women athletes to reduce their testosterone levels before they could qualify for Olympic competition, and prior to that, trans players had to have had surgery in order to participate. I guess I’m just not sure what “nonbinding” means in this context, although a number of gay and trans activist groups praised the framework, so it must be a step forward. The announcement comes after ten U.S. states passed laws that prohibit trans women and girls from competing on female teams in public schools and colleges; several of those laws also inexplicably ban trans men and boys from playing for the male teams. Every year, conservative state legislatures fixate on some GLBT issue: marriage, bathrooms, books, school curricula, or whatever. This year it was transgender athletes, and this year, conservatives were far more successful than usual. Over half the states tried to pass this type of legislation, and as mentioned, ten succeeded. One of the earliest such laws was passed in Idaho in 2020, and was quickly put on hold by a federal court. That court case might be dismissed now that the plaintiffs are no longer playing sports, but one transgender plaintiff is considering playing club soccer at Boise State next year, which could keep it alive. Watch this space. Prepare to Be Charmed What else is new? Have any of you seen the Norwegian post office ad that celebrates fifty years since the end of the country’s sodomy law? Well, you have to google it. Just search for “Posten,” and enjoy the three-minute video When Harry met Santa. The vignette tells the story of a middle-aged gay man who encounters Santa one night and is dumbstruck. Over the years, he and Santa meet every Christmas night and get to know each other, falling in love. Finally, one Christmas, Santa delegates all his deliveries to the Norwegian post office and the two of them spend the whole evening together. Naturally, the ad has drawn some backlash, accused of sexualizing Santa. Yet no one objects to Santa kissing Mrs. Claus, and indeed the whole concept of a Mrs. Claus is “sexualizing Santa” just as much as this fairly innocuous scenario (the two share a kiss). After that was pointed out, some said the ad implied that Santa was breaking
Putting the Ban in Orban While we’re in Europe, the Hungarian parliament has unanimously approved a public referendum on a proposal that would ban the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to children, code for a crackdown on gay rights that would include book censorship and anti-gay school policies. The referendum seeks to put a stamp of approval on an antigay law passed earlier this year, and will likely pass given the hostility towards our community in much of central Europe. Hungary is part of the EU, where I had thought generalized gay-friendly rules and policies apply to all countries. But I confess I obviously have a limited understanding of how such policies are enforced. Every now and then I read about court cases or threats to hold back certain (negligible) funding to various EU miscreants, but it doesn’t seem as if any of these remedies have teeth. As you know, Poland has declared a number of “LGBT-free zones,” areas of announced antigay sentiment and has banned gay couples from adopting kids. At one point, the country faced a fine or some kind of rap on the knuckles from the EU, but again, I’m not sure this had much of an effect.
year. But we have changed our minds in view of Hamilton’s advocacy. The two men are neck and neck going into the last two races of the season.
really want, who you are, or what you like—even though you are a member of my immediate family.”
Hamilton drew criticism from our community several years ago when he made fun of his nephew in an Instagram post for wearing a princess dress. After the backlash, he removed the post and apologized: “I realized that my words were inappropriate so I removed the post. I meant no harm and did not mean to offend anyone at all. I love that my nephew feels free to express himself as we all should.” Since then, the driver says he has educated himself and become a staunch supporter of our community.
Then there were the travel plans, the snow and cold, and traffic and ice, and the question of what to wear to this or that party or dinner. Because jeans and t-shirts and old sweaters were not appropriate.
Jingle Bells Have you noticed it’s Christmas again? Doesn’t it seem as if “the holidays” arrive before you know it and stretch endlessly into the future? I have a love/hate relationship with the season, the hate side fueled by unpleasant memories including those spent in shopping malls with not enough money and no idea what to buy. The crowds, the stores filled with candles and holiday-packaged bath and beauty sets that scream: “I bought this at the last minute with little or no thought as to what you
Do any of you remember that?
One year, I flew back to San Francisco through Phoenix, and my connecting flight was cancelled for two days. That year, Phoenix was the only warm spot in the nation, in the seventies. I took a bus from the airport motel into town and spent the morning at the art museum, where they had an exhibit on Bruegel’s use of copper (fascinating), and had lunch outdoors with a glass or two of wine. It was a strange day out of time. Very un-Christmassy and unexpected. That said, a big part of me loves the holidays despite my Grinchy side. I’ve even come to appreciate the darkness at six o’clock, the excuse to batten down the hatches and light a fire or make a cocktail. Did I say six o’clock? I meant four o’clock. arostow@aol.com
“The anti-gay campaign in Hungary came out of almost nowhere this summer; it’s as if they cut and pasted the issue from the Polish government,” Peter Kreko, director of Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based think tank, told Anthony Faiola in a recent piece in The Washington Post. “In Hungary, you really didn’t have a political tradition of anti-gay politics before. But now you do.” Start Your Engines One man taking a stand against homophobia whom you may not have noticed is Formula 1 race driver Lewis Hamilton, the sevenyear champion out of England. “To all in this beautiful country Hungary,” Hamilton wrote last summer, “ahead of the grand prix this weekend, I want to share my support for those affected by the government’s anti-LGBTQ+ law. It is unacceptable, cowardly, and misguiding for those in power to suggest such a law.” He continued: “Everyone deserves to have the freedom to be themselves, no matter whom they love or how they identify. I urge the people of Hungary to vote in the upcoming referendum to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community; they need our support now more than ever. Please show love for those around you because love will always win. Sending you positivity.” In November, Hamilton wore a rainbow helmet for the Qatar grand prix, and he is planning to do the same for the Saudi Arabia race in early December. “I hope that it highlights and sparks conversation, I hope that kids here and whoever is watching are asking what the flag is if they don’t know and why I am wearing it,” he told Sky News. Mel and I have become Formula 1 racing fans by virtue of watching three seasons of Drive to Survive on Netflix. This season, I was tempted to root for Hamilton’s challenger, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, simply because Hamilton wins every S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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Melanie DeMore, The Tradition ‘Revels’ Captures Timeless Magic of the Reason for the Season The winter solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year— has long captivated humanity. Several Neolithic monuments from the Stone Age, such as Newgrange in Ireland, were built in alignment with the sunrise on the winter solstice, which depending on the year occurs between December 20–23. While city lights and the indoor life-
Young cast members dressed as sailors for the California Revels 2021
style of modern times have lessened our awareness of celestial happenings, they remain an ever-present and still profoundly influential aspect of all of our lives. At the root of nearly all holidays this month, the winter solstice has also inspired countless artists over the millennia. Related musical, dance, and other artistic works—both old and new—were cleverly compiled into productions led by musician and educator John Langstaff (1920– 2005). The performances, called the Christmas Revels (although interfaith and largely based on winter solstice traditions), were first held at Town Hall in New York City starting in 1957. Since then, at least ten independent Revels organizations have emerged and are in operation nationwide: Cambridge Revels of Cambridge, MA; Revels North of Hanover, NH; New York Revels of New York, NY; Washington Revels of Washington, D.C.; Revels Houston of Houston, TX; Rocky Mountain Revels of Boulder, CO; Santa Barbara
Revels of Santa Barbara, CA; Portland Revels of Portland, OR; Puget Sound Revels of Tacoma, WA; and our own local California Revels of Oakland, CA. Each holds events throughout the year, but the Christmas Revels remains a key part of their programming. Members of the San Francisco Bay Times team have been attending Revels events in different cities for decades. Leadership and casts have always included LGBTQ individuals, and sometimes even couples who share a love for these arts organizations. The welcoming atmosphere is mirrored in the California Revels mission statement: “California Revels believes people of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, genders, orientations, incomes, and ages are connected as one global community through rich music, singing, dance, and storytelling. The passing on of these traditions unites us from one generation to the next, as well as within our local and global communities. It is through these traditions
Melanie DeMore and cast members during rehearsals for the Christmas Revels 2021
that, despite our differences, we can find common ground and mutual understanding.” It is little wonder that during Christmas Revels performances, toddlers, great grandparents, and everyone in between finds themselves singing along and often literally dancing in the aisles—which is promoted during a favorite part of each show. Adding to the fun spirit are traditions around the event, such as the freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies whose enticing aroma greets audience members as they arrive.
The sugar high from these warm cookies cannot fully explain the magic of Christmas Revels events. Is it the artistry, the festive music, the beautiful sets, the gratitude that we are still in the land of the living despite winter and pandemics, or the community that forms in the intentional space? The winter solstice may be the reason for the season, but even its wonderment may not fully explain the joy and camaraderie of Revels events if your heart is open to what they have to offer. https://www.californiarevels.org/
California Revels Artistic Director Rene Collins: ‘Revels Is Always Seeking to Break the Fourth Wall and Draw the Audience In’ Rene Collins, the Artistic Director of California Revels, has a long history with the organization, having originated The Fool character in the f irst CA Christmas Revels and performing in numerous productions ever since, including the highly acclaimed 2014 show An American Journey. (The custom of Christmas fooling, also sometimes called “mumming,” goes back hundreds of years. It was sort of like trickor-treating for entire families or other groups, where they dis-
guised themselves and “fool”ed others.) This year’s Christmas Revels show, La Sirène, is poised to be one of the Revels best ever for many reasons, including the fact that it will star 3-time Grammy Award nominee Melanie DeMore. We are grateful to California Revels Executive Director Lisa Lowe, in addition to Collins and his team and cast, for their help in making this interview possible during a hectic time of rehearsals and more.
San Francisco Bay Times: For those who are not familiar with the Revels, please explain what it is. Rene Collins: Revels is a celebration of the turning of the seasons through traditional song, dance, and storytelling. We spend the year highlighting various cultures and their celebrations. We end each year with our annual Christmas Revels, not really a pageant or a play, focusing on a particular culture or historical time period and its winter solstice traditions. Through these events we come together as a community to lift our voices and spirits in revelry. San Francisco Bay Times: We are looking forward to this year’s Christmas Revels. Please tell us about it.
Following the stories of Joseph Johnson, a sailor turned busker, we come upon the Gullah Islands where Melanie will be leading traditional stick pounding rhythms and Gullah songs. La Sirène, the titular character, is a water goddess guiding Joseph’s journey through life. La Sirène also takes us to the Caribbean for a Jonkonnu Parade, featuring a troupe of Tradition Bearer dancers, drummers, and stilt walkers. San Francisco Bay Times: Was Joseph Johnson an actual person in history? Rene Collins: Yes! Joseph Johnson was an historical person. Joseph Johnson, or Black Joe, was a 19th-century London street performer and beggar. Despite injuries,
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Rene Collins: This year’s Christmas Revels, La Sirène, weaves a diverse cast to bring in elements of people of color especially from the Caribbean and Gullah Traditions. Melanie DeMore joins us this year not only as our featured performer, but also as a Tradition Bearer. California Revels Artistic Director Rene Collins
Johnson didn’t receive any compensation even though he is recorded as a British merchant sailor. To make ends meet, he began singing in public. His creative genius led him to create a model of the ship Nelson, which he mounted on his hat. It was reported he would make the ship dip and sway while singing songs of the sea. There is no other information about his past, so we chose to give him a history in the form of La Sirène! San Francisco Bay Times: Melanie DeMore is one of our favorite performers. How did you f irst learn about her work?
Rene Collins: We first met Melanie through a long-time chorus and board member as we sought to partner with her for our Juneteenth and Summer Solstice event. I began following her inspiring performances. She is a force of nature, wisdom, and truth that uplifts and unifies both cast and audience through her voice, charismatic storytelling, and Gullah stick pounding. Revels is always seeking to break the fourth wall and draw the audience in. Melanie is a perfect agent to induce this phenomenon. San Francisco Bay Times: We love how each of the Revels productions includes old (continued on page 18)
n Bearer in Christmas Revels 2021 Vocal Activist Melanie DeMore Uses Her Voice as a Weapon of Mass Connection
While recently teaching stick pounding to Christmas Revels cast members, DeMore frequently stopped to allow individuals who were not quite into the groove to better participate and enjoy the moment. She told the San Francisco Bay Times: “One woman came up to me in tears, telling me it was the first time that she had ever truly felt like she belonged. She said that she did not have a close family or community before joining the Revels, and that the stick pounding cracked something open in her that had been missing for her entire life.”
This could be one of many of what her students have called “Miss DeMore-isms,” or memorable words of wisdom imparted by this exceptional artist.
VASCHELLE ANDRÉ/DIVINE PHOTOGRAPHY
She continued, “It is our Melanie singing “Sending You Light” at Freight & human nature to want to be Salvage in Berkeley (2019) connected. So much of our society is based on rugged indithe Grammy nominated vocal vidualism, but we are all basically ensemble Linda Tillery and the tribal. It is in our nature to nurCultural Heritage Choir. Since ture.” then, she has forged her own We are proud that DeMore is part unique path as an artist, performof our own local LGBTQ tribe, ing solo; in residency with choirs being an out lesbian for as long all over the U.S.; serving as a as we can remember and radiatteaching artist at the University of California, Berkeley; forming ing powerful, unapologetic butch an a cappella choir of sixth-gradenergy with her essence, deep in ers in the Oakland school district; all respects voice, and always stylworking with preschoolers to high ish eye-catching suits. Born in schoolers, and (yes, here’s that the Bronx, DeMore was raised in word again) more! Anchorage, Alaska, before her family moved to San Antonio, Texas. Just a few days before After finishing school, she moved Thanksgiving this year, she was to New Mexico, where she “kinda Melanie (lower right) with Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir informed of her third Grammy got off on being the only Black folk Award nomination. It is for the she comes your way, her energy will Johnson, based on a historical figsinger in Taos.” groundbreaking ensemble children’s ure, meets her during his travels. charge the very air you breathe like album All One Tribe, highlighting DeMore then moved to Oakland, a meteor shower, so get ready to the work of Black composers and We encourage you to connect with where she has been based ever rise up!” performers. Her primary contributhis vibrant spirit on your own travsince. Here she met legendary feltion to the album is “We All Live,” els by attending La Sirène: The 36th Even the pandemic failed to low artist Linda Tillery, and with which she wrote based on the words Annual Christmas Revels. For more slow DeMore down. As she said, her became a founding member of of the late civil rights leader John information: “During the pandemic I’ve been Lewis. We are grateful that this https://www.californiarevels.org/the-show.html singing on Zoom and I’ve been the along with her other work continues guest minister for everyone from Melanie DeMore’s website is at to gain well-deserved recognition. Baptists to Buddhists.” http://www.melaniedemore.com/ While DeMore’s fame grows, her Now, in the Christmas Revels, she And we will leave you with one mission remains unchanged. As plays the Tradition Bearer, a final Miss DeMore-ism that holds mentioned at her website, she will woman from a South Seas island especially true when considering “make sure you unlock the key to who has written songs in the traher music and during this still very experiencing yourself in all your dition of the locals. (DeMore actuchallenging pandemic time: “A song Glory and return home with the ally did write new material for the very same excitement and passion can hold you up when there seems for living that she herself has. When production.) The character Joseph to be no ground beneath you.”
Melanie organized friends to join the San Francisco Bay Times’ SF Pride Parade contingent celebreating the 40th Anniversary of Women’s Music. L-R:Regina Wells, Linda Tillery, Mary Watkins (front), Melanie DeMore, Judy Young and Maria Cora (2015)
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DeMore added that “sinking into the rhythm and connecting with others is part of the African American tradition that goes back to at least Harriet Tubman; you
never leave anyone behind. We will carry you.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE DEMORE
The aptly named DeMore indeed offers more than the surface level connection many of us have with many commercial artists. As a choral conductor, music director, and educator, she over the years has mentored numerous artists of all ages. She facilitates vocal and stick pounding workshops for professional choirs and community groups. Stick pounding, with origins in Africa and among those who were enslaved in South Carolina’s Sea Islands, became a sonic language during times of great oppression and need. Its relevance has not diminished.
Melanie with Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club’s Boo Price aboard the San Francisco Bay Times SF Pride Parade contingent bus celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Women’s Music (2015)
YOUTUBE/IRENE YOUNG & DJ ROCKAWAY
This quote from the late great Maya Angelou comes to mind when thinking about DeMore: “There is something more—the spirit, or the soul. I think that quality encourages our courtesy and our minds. And mercy, identity.”
PHOTO BY ANDRES GARCIA-PRICE
Melanie DeMore, featured in this year’s Christmas Revels production La Sirène, goes about as deeply as a singer and musician can, touching others in ways so heartfelt that they remain transformed by the experience. The powerful response mirrors the love and care DeMore pours into her art, which includes being a charter member of The Threshold Choir that brings songs of comfort to those who are in the midst of life’s thresholds, including under hospice care and in their final moments. The singing is offered as a gentle blessing, and not as entertainment.
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Castro Holiday Tree Lighting 2021
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A favorite for many of us is the Castro Tree Lighting Ceremony hosted annually by the Castro Merchants Association, signaling that the holiday season, Santa and his Elf, and good cheer have arrived. Held on Monday, November 29, with Donna Sachet as emcee, the ceremony was attended by a large crowd of spectators including youngsters, elected officials, and civic and community leaders. Mayor London Breed spoke about the importance of supporting small businesses, such as those comprising the LGBTQ business community. Music was provided by the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band.
By Donna Sachet
“The holidays don’t begin until you’ve seen Donna Sachet’s Songs of the Season ... presented by Brian Kent.” – Unknown
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arely are we so affected by an event that we are tempted to devote an entire column to that event, but out of respect for the holiday spirit, we shall limit it to a paragraph. The Rainbow Honor Walk is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the historic impact of LGBTQ pioneers with commemorative plaques in the heart of the Castro District. We have proudly served on its Board of Directors for several years, currently as its President. Bronze plaques began appearing up and down Castro Street, 19th Street, and now Market Street over the past 10 years. Some names are instantly recognizable, some less known, but each is distinctly deserving of this recognition. Those plaques celebrate individuals from every walk of life, span decades of history, reach across the globe, and represent the great diversity of our LGBTQ+ Community in age, gender, ethnicity, and more. As has often been said here and elsewhere, if we don’t write our own history, it will be written by others and not necessarily with accuracy or proper perspective. Last week, this labor of love suffered the damage of wanton vandalism. We speak not of a simple nonchalant act of disrespect, but vindictive damage carefully inflicted with painstaking attention. The creator of these bronze plaques has been contacted to inspect the damage and determine what can be done, but it may require replacement or at least expensive repairs. Yes, we know that other acts of vandalism are rampant, from broken windows of stores and cars to graffiti scarred buildings and sidewalks, but this particular incident seems so personal. Our hope is that it is an isolated act without significant meaning or intent. Whatever the case, please know that the Board of Directors of the Rainbow Honor Walk will repair the damage and that they remain committed to this project, made possible only with the financial help of people like you, members and allies of the LGBTQ+ Community, who respect our history and want significant individuals to receive the recognition they so richly deserve. On to jollier topics, the holiday season appears to be revving up to be busier and more festive than ever with nearly every event that was cancelled or went virtual last year returning live and in-person! Just peruse the nearby calendar of events to find something that appeals to you. Among them, we especially encourage you to join us in Union Square tonight for Drag Queens on Ice! For 10 years in a row, this shopping mecca downtown has been invaded by sassy drag queens and their admirers for an “only in San Francisco” merging of Gay apparel and mainstream holiday magic. Last year, the event was sadly cancelled due to COVID-19, but this year we are back bigger and better than ever featuring Dusty Porn, Mahlae Balenciaga, Khmera Rouge, Paju Munro, Jubilee & Jola Mercury, and for the first time ever Denali from RuPaul’s Drag Race. You can purchase VIP tickets online or join the hundreds of people who line the sides of the Safeway Ice Rink for all the fun. Arrive early to get your spot with the best view. We are delighted to return as your hostess and co-emcee for the 11th year, as the drag queen on the mic, not on the ice! The other event we would like to highlight is the return of a live and in-person Songs of the Season at Hotel Nikko, Tuesday & Wednesday, December 14 & 15, 7 pm. For 25 years, we produced this event ourselves, sharing our love of music, the holiday season, and charitable work with all of you and featuring wonderful local talent in an intimate setting. Now, Brian Kent is the producer and he brings his own professional skill, talent contacts, and creative approach to the event. Guest stars include Sister Roma, Breanna Sinclairé, Charles Jones, Dan O’Leary, Effie Passero, Frenchie Davis, Kenny Nelson, and Leanne Borghesi with instrumentalists Roberta Drake and Rusell Deason. And don’t worry, both Brian and this humble columnist promise to sing a couple of holiday tunes for you. There has always been something very special about this annual fundraiser for PRC and we encourage you to get your tickets now to see for yourself. Gather some friends and expect music that will produce smiles, laughter, applause, and even a nostalgic tear or two. With so many events in December, you are sure to find some that will get you into the holiday mood. We encourage you to take sensible precautions, coordinate with your friends and loved ones, and get out of the house. This is a very special time of the year; enjoy every minute! 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
Thursday, December 2 Drag Queens on Ice Union Square Holiday Ice Rink Top drag queens take to the ice Special guest Denali from RuPaul’s Drag Race 7 pm Free! Sunday, December 5 Celebration of Life for KC Dare Hosted by Gary Virginia Spoken & musical tributes 440 Castro Noon–3 pm Free! Sunday, December 5 Help Is on the Way for the Holidays XX Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation benefiting Project Open Hand Auction & performances Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street 6:30 pm $45 & up www.reaf.org Monday, December 6 Tree of Hope Lighting Rainbow World Fund Hosted by Donna Sachet Origami decorated holiday tree Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street 7 pm Free! www.rainbowfund.org Sunday, December 12 Christmas Birthdays Are a Drag! Celebrating José Sarria, hosted by Emperor XLVIII, A.N., William Bulkley Emceed by Imperial Crown Princess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, Joe Wicht on piano Martuni’s, 4 Valencia Street 4–6 pm $30 https://tinyurl.com/mmntf34x Tuesday and Wednesday, December 14 & 15 Donna Sachet’s Songs of the Season Presented by Brian Kent Holiday Cabaret benefits PRC Feinstein’s at Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason Street 8 pm $25 & up www.prcsf.org
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Saturday, December 18 Naughty & Nice Holiday party hosted by Donna Sachet & Santa’s elves Music, cocktails, desserts 8 pm–Midnight www.academy-sf.com
Donna and Santa with Castro Merchants Association President Masood Samereie PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
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Cocktails With Heather Heather Freyer Bartender Ash Haussermann, who is a member of our LGBTQ community and is the drink duchess at Instagram, is the lead bartender at Sally Can Wait in NYC. She is an alumni of The Roosevelt Room in Austin, TX; Blacktail in NYC; and the iconic Clover Club in Brooklyn. There, she worked with talented Julie Reiner for three years. (Reiner, in turn, is the protégé of legendary bartender Dale DeGroff.) Ash, who created this well-balanced elixir, is on her way to fame among the current generation of bartenders.
CURIOUS REBEL 1.5 oz Bacardi 4 Year Añejo Cuatro Rum .5 oz Apple Brandy .5 oz Cointreau .5 oz L’Orgeat .75 oz lime 1 dash Angostura bitters nutmeg, lime wheel, and mint bouquet for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, Shake, strain, and serve in an Old Fashioned rocks glass over ice. Sprinkle with nutmeg and garnish with a mint bouquet and lime wheel.
https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/where-to-buy/ Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice President and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.
This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market How We Holiday - Diverse Food Traditions
By Debra Morris
Holiday customs in California are as diverse as its population. Many wonderful and eclectic food traditions have been brought to our shores and incorporated into our everyday lives from people around the world.
J&M Farms from Hollister with Brussels sprouts, and many other fantastic producers selling only the best products.
We are fortunate to have a climate that allows for fruits and vegetables to be grown and harvested throughout the year in California and it has allowed these new inhabitants to easily grow their distinct and varied produce in a new country. We are also lucky to be the recipients of their hard work and delicious produce!
Ashley Olivera-Cortez, Direct Marketing Coordinator, says her family’s favorite thing to do is “watch football, drinking mulled cider, and watch movies. We make our traditional roasted Garlicky Brussels Sprouts With Bacon and Pecans.” ASHLEY’S
Favorite foods this time of year consisted of recipes featuring winter squash, persimmons, pomegranates, Brussels sprouts, citrus, and potatoes (based on those that were most mentioned in early recipes). The Castro Farmers’ Market is closed for the season, but you’ll find this delicious produce at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market, DMV parking lot, 1377 Fell Street, every Sunday, 10 pm to 2 pm. At Inzana Ranch from Hughson you’ll find citrus,
Another member of our staff, Mia Simmans, Market Manager, says she and her family “light the candles for Hanukkah and make latkes.” Her favorite thing about working at the farmers’ markets this time of year is the festive feel they have. Jason Rodriguez, Market Manager, says, “My family gets together to make the traditional tamales at Christmas—and I get to taste-test them!” He also loves all the winter squash available during December. Regional Manager, Lis Garon, mentions, “My family and I typically make pancakes the day of Christmas and drink mimosas, Irish coffee, eggnog, or hot toddies. I love my mom’s prime rib recipe and I love the beautiful wreaths sold at farmers’ markets.” Dimitri Hagnéré, Market Manager, states his family piles in the car and tours Candy Cane Lane and looks at holiday lights. “We have Dungeness crab and hot cider for the holidays and I make cannoli from scratch, a family tradition.” Others enjoy seeing their family, having cookie baking sessions, playing Santa for the kids, and savoring the holiday atmosphere that permeates the air. There are as many different traditions as there are families, each one unique, and each one familiar. We hope you hold on to your traditions and enjoy this holiday season with the ones you love. Happy Holidays from all of us at PCFMA!
GARLICKY BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND PECANS Fresh Brussels sprouts halved, about 2 pounds (de-stem and remove outer leaves) 6 to 7 slices of bacon, thick-cut 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 to 5 cloves garlic ¼ cup pecans 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 teaspoons dried thyme 2 to 3 teaspoons dried oregano 2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 3 to 4 teaspoons maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350°F on middle rack. Use a baking pan or casserole dish to roast. Cut stems off and remove outer excess leaves on sprouts; cut in half. Mince garlic and rough-chop pecans. Coat everything with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Transfer to baking pan/casserole dish and roast for 17–20 minutes. Cook bacon in a frying pan, just enough so it’s still flaccid but fully cooked through. Rough chop bacon into pieces and transfer to pan with sprouts. Toss in the bacon and drizzle over balsamic vinegar. Roast for another 5–8 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle on maple syrup and toss. Add grated or shaved Parmesan, if desired, before serving.
Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/ 14
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A Time for Family Mix all ingredients. Knead well until dough isn’t sticky. Roll in plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes. Roll paper thin on floured surface. Cut into rectangles 1 ½” x 3.” Cut a slit in the middle—turn ½ through to twist. Deep fry a few at a time until light golden brown. After they’re cooled, sprinkle powder sugar on them. Grandma Krater’s Kolacki As The Gay Gourmet attests, “We used to eat the inside jam first!”
The Gay Gourmet David Landis Whether it’s Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s, or whatever floats your boat, holidays are not just religious or cultural, but truly a chance to celebrate family. So, what better way to share the holidays with my loyal readers than to share recipes from three generations of the Landis family. (One actually was a “Talandis” from Lithuania whose name got changed at Ellis Island, but that’s another story for another time.) To celebrate, I asked my dear sister Kate Landis (who happens to be a great cook in her own right) for holiday family recKolachki cookies ipes. I offer the following delectable desserts from our Lithuanian, Austrian, and American kin: grandmother Ona (Anna) Landis (originally Talandis), my paternal grandmother from Lithuania; Catherine Krater, my maternal grandmother from Austrian heritage; my American mother, LaVerne Shirley Landis; and my sister Kate. Kate gets all the credit since she’s still around. My other holiday hope is that my two Grandmas and Mom are smiling down from wherever they are, knowing that their recipes live on.
8 oz cream cheese 2 sticks butter 2 cups flour 1 can Solo filling (apricot, prune, or raspberry) powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350º. Soften butter, mix with cream cheese and flour. Roll out dough to 1/8” thickness. Cut 2” squares. Fill with ½ teaspoon filling. Fold two kitty corners into center so filling appears on two sides. You can also cut into circles and put filling into “thumbprint” in the center. Bake 10–15 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
ground pistachios or, alternatively, green sugar Preheat oven to 350º. Cream sugar and egg yolks. Work flour and butter like pie dough. Mix. Roll like pie dough. If too dry, add a little egg white. Cut into shapes with shot glass and thimble (or equal size cutters). Put the cookie bottoms on one sheet and the tops on the other in case the tops cook faster. Roll to a thickness of 1/6th inch and cut with 2” round and ¾” round. Beat egg whites. Brush on cookie tops and decorate to resemble wreaths with cherries and green nuts. Bake about 13 minutes, but watch closely. Wash cookie sheets before using again to get rid of any pistachio or cookie residue. Put together after cooked with raspberry jam in between the bottom and top. Kate Landis’ Nanaimo Bars Kate explains that these are “a later addition to our family recipe book,
peanut butter to make a simple, delicious, no-bake bar cookie that’s super kid-friendly.”
electric mixer until light. Spread over the cookie and freeze while you prepare the chocolate glaze.
Cookie: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1 large egg, beaten 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut 1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
For the glaze: Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwavesafe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.) When cool but still runny, pour the chocolate layer over the chilled peanut butter layer and carefully smooth out with an offset spatula. Freeze 30 minutes. To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Pull out of the pan using the foil flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Peanut Butter Filling: 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar Chocolate Glaze: 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan or casserole with aluminum foil, with long flaps hanging over each edge. For the cookie: Put the butter in a heatproof medium bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer over medium-low heat. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the water.
Busy baker’s tips: Finished bars can be wrapped in the pan in plastic wrap, then covered with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. Holiday Bits and Bites Here are some last-minute holiday gift ideas for the foodie in your family:
Christmas Wreath cookies
Grandma Landis’ Krustries According to sister Kate, “I actually have memories of making these with Grandma Landis. She was always afraid we’d burn ourselves!”
LaVerne Shirley Landis’ Christmas Wreath Cookies Kate says, “These take a lot of work, but they are wonderful little bites that look just like wreaths. One recipe yields between 32 and 36 cookies.”
2 eggs 1 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon whiskey 2 ½ tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla
½ pound butter 3 cups flour Seedless raspberry jam Diced red and green cherries 3 egg yolks ½ cup sugar
made after our boys graduated from high school. It is an all-time favorite. You can make a batch, eat a few, freeze in small quantities, and then take out for a treat in the middle of the summer. There are a number of stories as to where this cookie came from. It’s thought to be native to Nanaimo, British Columbia (hence the name), and it gained widespread popularity in the 1950s. Whatever its origins, we love it. We added the twist of
Mr. Espresso is offering “Espresso Krusty cookies d’Italia,” a coffee break in a box. It contains three bags of Mr. Espresso coffee, assorted Condorelli Italian chocolates, and a sleek, black, six-cup Moka pot. Canela, the Spanish tapas favorite in the Castro, is planning an “our home is your home” event—a Spritz cookies New Year’s Eve tapas tasting menu with a pairing option. Party size is a maximum of Once the butter is melted, add the 5 guests. Dine-in only. sugar and cocoa, and stir to combine. Add the egg and cook, stirring Local favorite TCHO Chocolate constantly with a whisk, until warm has gift boxes that are sure to be a to the touch and slightly thickened holiday hit with the family. (it should be about the consistency of hot fudge), about 6 minutes. Boxxle is a must-have for wine Remove from the heat and stir in lovers, like The Gay Gourmet! This graham cracker crumbs, coconut, stylish, bag-in-a-box appliance and nuts. Press the dough firmly creates wine on tap at home. The into the prepared pan. Save the pan dispenser holds up to four bottles of water for melting the chocolate. of wine or one boxed wine. It uses new technology to dispense wine, For the filling: Beat the butter, peaelevating the experience both by nut butter, and confectioner’s sugar together in a medium bowl with an (continued on page 18)
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Happy Holidays!
Sbrocco Sips Leslie Sbrocco The holidays are here and that means celebrating the love of family and friends in special ways. From small gatherings to extravagant gifts, try these bubbly recommendations for a sparkling season. Sparkling Wines to Savor and Sip 2020 Adami Vigneto Giardino ‘Rive di Colbertaldo’ Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG, Italy $23 https://www.adamispumanti.it/en/
This juicy pink sparkling wine is a winner to stock up on. Quality bubbles in South Africa are known as a Cap Classique. Made with the best grapes grown in cool growing regions of the Western Cape, this dry-styled Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend is a lightly hued bubbly that makes a powerful impression. Crisp and yet creamy, it sports red berry and citrus notes making it an affordable and exotic option for holiday sipping. Segura Viudas Brut ‘Reserva Heredad’ Cava, Spain $22 https://seguraviudas.com/
Prosecco is favored as a light and lively sip, but there are versions that rank among top worldwide sparklers such as those hailing from the area of Valdobbiadene in Northern Italy. Adami is a highly respected producer who crafts some of the best bubbly in the Prosecco category. Rive describes steep hillside vineyards and Adami’s Giardino vineyard produces fizz of layered complexity and succulent freshness. It impresses for less.
One of the most striking bottles you will see in the wine world, this stunning wine is worth twice the price (or more!). Cava is Spanish sparkling wine, and this elegantly earthy fizz is comprised of white grapes Macabeo and Chardonnay. Made with the traditional process (like Champagne), it’s aged for more than two years in the bottle. Of the many things I admire about this heralded producer is its history dating back to the 11th century. Having had the opportunity to visit the winery outside Barcelona, I can attest that it makes drinking the wine even more special.
2013 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Champagne, France $65 https://www.moet.com/en-us For a splurge worthy of every penny, this iconic house creates beautiful Champagnes. As one of the region’s most famed and celebrated wineries—with a more than 270-year history—Moët & Chandon has long been a favorite of mine. This vintage-dated sparkler celebrates the 2013 harvest, SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S
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Booze-Free Sparkling Options If booze isn’t on your holiday menu, there are more and more high-quality, alcohol-free options to choose from these days. Two drinks with a hint of fizz that I discovered and are worth seeking out come from Mingle Mocktails. https://www.minglemocktails.com
Mingle Blackberry Hibiscus Bellini ($14 per bottle) Just as the name implies, this fizzy beverage is a blend of blackberry juice and hibiscus essence. It’s a dash sweet with a pleasing palate-cleansing freshness.
2015 Graham Beck Brut Rosé, South Africa $22 https://grahambeckusa.com/
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which is the winery’s 75th version of their collectable Grand Vintage Champagne. The cuvee of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier spends seven years aging in the ancient cellars, giving it lush richness and stunning depth.
Blood Orange Elderf lower Mimosa ($14 per bottle) This is a delicious combination of blood orange juice with delicate floral aromas. Fruity but dryish on the finish, this light sparkler will make your holiday sips shine. Author, speaker, wine consultant, and television host Leslie Sbrocco is known for her entertaining approach to wine and food. She has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on PBS, which includes hosting the series "Check, Please! Bay Area" and "100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations." www.LeslieSbrocco.com
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LGBTQ+ Intersectional Identities in STEMM
We recently reported that Bay Area filmmaker Peter Stein competed on Jeopardy! on October 28. Well, the Bay Area continues to be well-represented on Jeopardy!—this time by Oakland-based computer scientist and stand-up comedian Amy Schneider, an openly trans contestant who as of press time has been dominating the iconic game show, with eight wins and earning $295,200. For the Thanksgiving episode, she wore a Trans Pride flag pin. Schneider is now the first trans person to qualify for the show’s Tournament of Champions. While not the first openly trans contestant on Jeopardy!, Schneider’s participation in the show—and her success—has attracted media attention, including interviews in Newsweek and USA Today. Her first three winning games happened to air during Trans Awareness Week. On Twitter, Schneider remarked on the importance of representation: “FYI, I am not the first out trans person to appear on Jeopardy! (a few friends have asked). There have been a handful before, including one, Kate Freeman, who was the first out trans champion on 12/16/20. My thanks to all of them for blazing the trail!” May Schneider continue to blaze a trail for future contestants. 16th Annual World Tree of Hope Lighting After another long year marked by the COVID pandemic, we can all use a dose of hope. For 16 years the Rainbow World Fund (RWF) has been providing just that, with the World Tree of Hope—a symbol of global unity created each year to promote peace, love, and humanitarianism. This year’s tree lighting ceremony will take place on December 6, from 6:30 to 8 pm, at Grace Cathedral. The event is free. Founded in 2000, RWF is the world’s first and only all-volunteer, LGBTQ-based humanitarian aid organization. RWF works to help people affected by natural disasters, hunger, poverty, disease, oppression, and war by raising awareness in, and funds from, the LGBTQ community to support relief efforts around the world. Their mission is to promote peace, unity, and hope by leading and participating in local and humanitarian relief efforts. The RWF Tree of Hope is the largest origami decorated holiday tree in the world. Traditionally 23 feet tall, this year’s tree, due to COVID-19 and subsequent time and social distancing restrictions, will be 15 feet tall, and decorated with over 10,000 origami cranes and stars, each hand folded and inscribed with wishes for the future of the world. The lighting ceremony on December 6 will feature musical entertainment, speakers, blessings from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Landa Lakes, emcee Donna Sachet, and much more. The Tree of Hope will be displayed at Grace Cathedral through January 8. https://tinyurl.com/2p89y3bx
Kunal Palawat, Soil Scientist (they/ them)
(This series of profiles from the California Academy of Sciences New Science exhibit tells first-person stories of LGBTQ+ women and gender minorities of color working in STEMM—science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine—professions.) I was taught to compartmentalize my identities, to hate myself, and to ruminate on trauma. But I strive to relate to myself, communities, ecologies, and spirits in ways centered on joy. And the Earth, specifically soil, has taught me the most about centering joy. Complex relationships to the environment guide my career in STEMM. I am not separate from nature; I am an extension of the environments that raised me—of the grandparents and air in New York City, the yards and allergies in Jersey, the vegetables and isolation in Vermont, the data and dust in Arizona. I am often misunderstood by the dominant paradigms, which do not connect to my sad, brown, queer, earthy, trans self, but I’ve always found solace in the soil.
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What – Another Jeopardy! Item?
I now analyze soil, rainwater, kale, and cactus for metals as part of Project Harvest ( https://projectharvest.arizona.edu/ )—a co-created, community-based research project that integrates sense of place, environmental monitoring, and health literacy to address injustice. I finally feel like my relationship to soil and queerness are valued and important to my work. https://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/new-science-exhibit
World AIDS Day Events Continue In addition to the World AIDS Day commemorations around San Francisco that took place on December 1, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation-Latinx Health Program, El Grupo, is hosting an event to celebrate the lives of Latinx and indigenous people who have died of HIV and AIDS. The event will be hosted at the AIDS Memorial Grove on December 3 from 12–3 pm and will include an art installation at the Latinx boulder, Aztec dancers, and mariachis. Tamales and atole will be served. For more information contact Rosa Mercado at 415-823-3499. https://tinyurl.com/elgrupowad Two moving displays of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will continue beyond World AIDS Day. Both St. John the Evangelist Episcopalian Church at 15th Street and Julian, and Grace Cathedral on California Street at Taylor have a number of Quilt panels on display indefinitely. Check with each location about visiting hours. That’s it for now. Enjoy this holiday season, and stay safe! Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
MILLER (continued from page 4) is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional. Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place. Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.
offering a convenient and attractive way (one button touch) to pour boxed wine and by placing the spigot above the rim of the glass for easy dispensing. Boxxle will keep your wine fresh for up to a month if you do not finish all of it in one sitting. It also prevents oxidation, which eliminates spoiled wine. Meatcrafters salamis, cured meats, and sausages are made for charcuterie lovers everywhere. The company uses high quality meats, many locally sourced and produced in small batches, along with fresh spices, herbs, and seasonal blends designed to bring out unique and complex, yet subtle, flavors. This holiday season, hand-crafted and locally-owned Johnny Doughnuts is offering a holiday doughnut box for $60, which includes a pre-made dozen to order, wrapped in gold ribbon. The box includes seasonal exclusives like apple pie bismarks and wildberry bismarks, as well as 8 other assorted flavors. Mr. Espresso: https://mrespresso.com/ Canela: https://canelasf.com/ TCHO Chocolate: https://tcho.com/ Boxxle: https://boxxle.com/ Meatcrafters: https://www.meatcrafters.com Johnny Doughnuts: https://www.johnnydoughnuts.com/ David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
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favorite segments—mirroring the dynamic of treasured interfaith holiday traditions—along with new material. Please highlight your favorites. Rene Collins: Professionals and amateurs join to present our gifts on stage, and invite the audience to participate as equals in our performance, especially the “Dona Nobis Pacem” round, this year led by Melanie DeMore. Each year, no matter what the theme of the show, the whole theater sings a song with only three words: “Dona Nobis Pacem” (Give Us Peace). Hundreds of voices, singing together regardless of race, religion, gender identity, or ability, are moving and powerful. Another recurring element is the Mummers Play of St. George and the Dragon—symbolizing the return of spring. This year we especially show the commonality across cultures by fusing our traditions with others. A Caribbean Jonkonnu Parade features recurring characters and a set storyline, akin to the structure of a Mummers Play. Our Mummers Play tells the story of John Canoe, an African King who successfully fought off European slave traders for twenty years. Even the Revels audience favorite, “Abbots Bromley Horn Dance,” is blended with Caribbean and Gullah culture in beautiful ways. San Francisco Bay Times: What do performers love about Revels?
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Cast Member RM: Revels is a community of friendship and kindredship, embodied in the circle we form at the beginning of every rehearsal. As opening night approaches, the circle expands to include performers from small children to professional musicians from around the world. With each show, we on stage open our circle and invite the audience to lift their voices with ours and join us in celebration. It is painful and sweet and laughing all at the same time; I guess the best word to describe it is “ joy.” A Young Performer: I immediately fell in love with the embracing of tradition and cultures. This is my first year participating in the Revels Christmas show. I was warmly welcomed and included in a community that accepts everyone for who they are. One of my favorite things about Revels is coming together to sing; it feels like I am in heaven with the harmonies and the emotion. Cast Member MS: I was immediately struck by the power of the community that appears during each Revels performance. The stage families blend and flow to include the audience in timeless rituals celebrating the turning of the seasons.
Rene Collins: It is inspiring to realize that this season—for me, Yuletide—brings people of different cultures and creeds together, allowing our divisions to be set aside. One’s background doesn’t matter; in this season the world longs for peace and good will. We are reminded of the heritage of the human family. This year’s Revels celebrates the winter solstice and we joyfully aspire to inspire people from every walk of life. I participate because coming together with likeminded people creates and reinforces a deeply spiritual connection with my community seen and unseen. We’ve always been an advocate for social change. I started with California Revels in the ‘80s as The Fool character and now I am the first African American Artistic Director in the 50 years since Revels inception. Revels was the highlight of my life then as it is now. San Francisco Bay Times: We have always enjoyed the holiday “market” set up during intermission. Will you have merchandise available for purchase this year? Rene Collins: Yes! Our Revels store and tables are largely stocked with goods from local artists and businesses. Some items are available now through our online store via our website ( https://tinyurl.com/2p8pvt33 ). More items will be released December 3, including our annual show ornament. Merchandise tables will be open at the live shows as well. San Francisco Bay Times: We’re excited to learn about what’s in store for the Revels in 2022. Rene Collins: Lots of projects are coming down the pipe for 2022! We will be launching our first Educational Theater Program next year. The details are still being worked out, but we are committed to widening our doors to more of the community. A youth theater program, focused on bridging generations, will help keep our traditions alive. We hope to return to more live events while continuing to provide new online content. San Francisco Bay Times: How do we find out more about this year’s Christmas Revels? Rene Collins: La Sirène runs December 11–12 and 17–19. For more information, go to our website: https://www.californiarevels.org/ Tickets are on sale now! We will be releasing an on-demand streaming version of La Sirène through December 21 to January 5. Preorders will be available starting December 1.
The Phoenix Rises at The Sword and Rose
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Patrick: I moved away from Catholicism because I was gay. I’d gone to Catholic grade school and high school. I’d been an altar boy all the way through the middle
of high school and I learned Latin. I wanted to be a priest at 13. I’d loved my faith and had a spiritual commitment. Randy’s whole family was spiritual. His mother did seances and table tipping. His grandmother was full Cherokee. She was an herbalist. When they were out driving, she’d say, "Stop the car," and she'd go out into the desert and grab herbs and things to heal.
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Patrick: Well, I know that I was chosen for this. Four days before he died, Randy asked me if I wanted to learn how to make the incense. I said, "But, I'm four years older than you. It makes more sense to train somebody younger." He said, "No. There’s nobody else." So, I promised him I’d learn. Four days later he died.
At 16, Randy was healing people in a faith healers’ tent. He would
He knew that he was going to die. He had visions where he had to go to the center of a revolving sphere. There was less movement in the center, but on outside edges you could be flung out. He was trying to stay inside, and stay incarnate, but he knew something was going to happen. Jennifer and Robert: How did you learn to make the incense after Randy died?
PHOTO BY SEAN ANOMIE
Patrick: The recipe cards for the incense were found in Randy’s bedroom, which was where the fire started. Randy always carried the cards with him, because he didn't want anybody to steal his recipes. Several people had tried. The bag and wood box that the cards were in had completely burned, and the paper cards were wet from putting out the fire. The ink had soaked through and many were burned, so they were nearly impossible to read. But the top card was still legible: “Grandmother Spider.” This incense reminds us that faith, joy, and love are more powerful than fear, and I knew I had to make it first.
Jennifer and Robert: How did you decide to open The Sword and Rose?
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK FERRY
For more information, visit https://www.theswordandrose.net/ Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including "The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin" and "To Be Takei." She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK FERRY
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK FERRY
That afternoon we attended a housewarming party for our landlady, who had just bought the building, and the real estate agent who’d listed it was there. I mentioned that we wanted to open a store and she knew of a space that was available. She asked if I wanted to check it out. That was Saturday. Sunday, I checked it out. Literally, within a couple days of Randy saying he wanted a store, we had this space. Randy had an uncanny ability to manifest things.
I came into the shop at two in the morning. I said, "Okay, we have to make this incense, and I'm going to use my tarot cards and what's left of my eyesight to try to figure out WTF is on Randy’s recipe cards." It was amazing. It just started coming to me. And that was perfect because I was grieving and I wanted my energy to go somewhere else. It really was my way of processing my grief. I heard Randy on the other side saying, "Enough tears; let’s have some fun now."
PHOTO BY SEAN ANOMIE
Patrick: I moved in with Randy on August 5, 1985, which was my birthday, and Randy was the best birthday present I ever got. He told me he wanted to open a shop and make incense. It was young love, so I just said, "Sure." He’d always had a deep interest in spiritual things and had worked at a well-known occult shop called The Mystic Eye.
Patrick: Sometimes people have gone through a crisis or have been ill. They appreciate that our incenses are highly consecrated and bring spiritual energy. So many people
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Jennifer and Robert: Is it tough to carry on without Randy?
As longtime customers of The Sword and Rose, we recently checked in with Patrick to learn more about the history of the shop, his relationship with Randy, and how he’s been able to carry on without his partner. However, we quickly realized that Randy’s spirit is everpresent.
Jennifer and Robert: What are your customers usually looking for?
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put hands on and the whole thing. One day, the church brought Randy into the office. The bishop was there and offered him a full scholarship to go to Bethany Bible school. Randy told them, "I'm gay." They didn’t care and said, "You're the real deal. You're destined to be a healer and a spiritual leader." He thought about it, but realized that he wanted to do something different with his life, and on his terms.
PHOTO BY SEAN ANOMIE
The Sword and Rose is a one-of-akind spiritual and metaphysical shop in Cole Valley, hidden behind an alleyway. A charming garden separates the shop from the hustle and bustle of Cole and Carl Streets. It’s cozy and cabin like, covered with rich tapestries and fragrant with handmade incense. Life partners Patrick Ferry and Randy David Jeffers opened the shop 36 years ago this month. Their hand-blended incenses, oils, and baths are legendary among San Franciscans looking to attract and direct spiritual energy.
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Jennifer and Robert: What are your spiritual backgrounds?
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don’t believe in spirituality, or that you can bring that energy into your life. We always tell them to play like a little kid. Light the incense, and ask for something. Just say, "Show me." This shows you might have a smattering of faith. People then come back saying, "You wouldn't believe the experience I had." And we say, "Oh, yes we would."
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On the evening of December 26, 2013, Randy died in a fire at their home, started by a space heater that malfunctioned. Patrick’s hands were badly burned in the fire, but he fully recovered and has remained committed to the shop that he and Randy created together.
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A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues. With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes. For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
Legendary Artist Barbara Higbie Returns to Live Performing for 35th Anniversary of Windham Hill Winter Solstice This issue of the San Francisco Bay Times features two legends of Women’s Music: Melanie DeMore (see pages 10–11) and Barbara Higbie. Women’s Music—which emerged during the secondwave feminist movement as well as the labor, civil rights, and peace movements—is music by, for, and about women. DeMore and Higbie shine in this genre and others, skillfully collaborating with many artists. The San Francisco Chronicle even once referred to Higbie as “a high priestess of collaboration,” given her work with Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, jazz greats, classical stars, and too many others to name here. The Grammy nominated Bammy award-winning prolific pianist, composer, violinist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has played on well over 100 CDs!
The first female instrumentalist signed to Windham Hill records, she also recorded solo or duo projects for Olivia/Second Wave records and Slowbaby Records. As a folk, jazz, pop, and fusion composer and singer-songwriter noted for her highly melodic, jazz/folk performances, she has toured nationally and internationally since the early 1980s. While the pandemic halted such travels for her and other artists, she will soon mark her return to live performing with the 35th Anniversary of Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice series of albums. The beautiful collections of songs are so timeless that, like Vince Guaraldi’s work for the Peanuts’ holidays specials, they seem to never lose impact and relevance. Higbie spoke with the San Francisco Bay Times ahead of her national tour for the anniversary. It will include a stop at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley on Friday, December 17. The shows will also feature Todd Boston, Mia Pixley, and other artists. San Francisco Bay Times: How has it been for you coming out of the COVID-19 shutdowns and into not only preparations for a national tour, but also going to shows presented by other artists? Barbara Higbie: It’s great to be back on stage and to share our love of music with the audience. This will be an inter-generational, multi-cultural celebration. These venues (on the new tour) all observe safe protocols. Everyone is fully vaxxed, and the HVAC filtration systems keep fresh air circulating regularly. COVID hit musicians hard. Our livelihood went “Poof!” Doing online shows was OK-ish, though nowhere near the real thing. It was relaxing to be off the road, but it’s been long enough. I am so ready to get back out there! This tour starts in the Midwest, then goes to the Northwest, the Southwest, then California. I can’t wait! The Windham Hill concerts are perfect for getting back in the swim. Since we’ve all been locked up in our houses, going to see live shows is such a treat. It’s emotional. Getting ready—putting on real pants! waiting in line, then being part of a spontaneous, non-choreographed and interactive event as part of an audience. It’s thrilling and emotional. San Francisco Bay Times: Who are you collaborating with now for the new tour? Barbara Higbie: I’m so excited about this tour! First of all, it will be the first live concerts we’ve done in almost two years! Second, Mia Pixley (cello/vocal) and Todd Boston (guitar), along with our special guests Jasper Manning and VOENA (multi-cultural youth choir) are simply phenomenal young talents. I’m completely blown away by their talent.
Third, we have been rehearsing for months, first via Zoom and now in person. Mia, Todd, and I each have brand new studio albums out. With all this new material and preparation, I can’t wait to get out of the starting gate and get on the road. It feels like spring bursting forth after a harsh winter—lots of new, exuberant energy in the air!
days by recording high fidelity acoustic music was groundbreaking. The albums have been the background to millions of folks’ holiday celebrations for 35 years. We’ve had whole families fly in from Australia to see our shows. It really is an inter-generational, multi-cultural, long-standing phenomenon that we are honored to be a part of.
San Francisco Bay Times: Please share more about the upcoming Windham Hill Winter Solstice shows.
Todd Boston plays acoustic guitar inspired by Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, Alex DeGrassi, and all the great guitarists who recorded for the label (Windham Hill). In addition, he has a strong kirtan and Indian music background. Mia is a beautiful singer-songwriter cellist comparable to Zoe Keating, whose (continued on page 28)
Barbara Higbie: The Winter Solstice show is inspired by the 8 million selling Windham Hill Winter Solstice series of albums that started in 1985. The concept of celebrating all the seasonal holi-
Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice Tour Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice Tour returns to the stage to celebrate the season, live and in-person! Once again, acoustic music lovers can celebrate the winter solstice and its warm traditions with a concert drawn from the multi-platinum selling Winter Solstice series. Barbara Higbie, who is Berkeleybased and featured here in the San Francisco Bay Times, will be joined by acoustic guitarist Todd Boston and cellist Mia Pixley, coming together to lead this joyous holiday concert.
December 18 Carriage House Theatre @ Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga (with special guest Jasper Manning) 3 pm performance: https://my.montalvoarts.org/1666/1694 7:30 pm performance: https://my.montalvoarts.org/1666/1693
Windham Hill is the original Silicon Valley start-up and was Apple co-founder Steve Job’s (1955–2011) favorite label. Today, the Solstice torch is carried by Higbie, who brings together this lively production each November. We are grateful that it is back this year! Here are the 2021 California tour dates: December 14 Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto https://tickets.galloarts.org/8202/8203 December 16 Green Music Center in Rohnert Park (with the VOENA Children’s Choir and special guest Jasper Manning) https://tinyurl.com/yvkp9m6z
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
It was in Paris that she met jazz artist Darol Anger and began a fruitful musical collaboration. In 1984, she co-led a group live album recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which then became the successful group “Montreux” with Anger, Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, Andy Narrell, and Michael Manring.
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
Born in Michigan and raised in Indiana, Higbie spent several years as a teenager in Ghana with her family. She worked a summer in Honduras as a medical volunteer with the nonprofit Amigos de Las Americas, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mills College here in the Bay Area, attended the Sorbonne in Paris, and was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to collect traditional music in West Africa.
December 17 Freight and Salvage in Berkeley (with the VOENA Children’s Choir and special guest Jasper Manning) https://tinyurl.com/4ax5uhu2
QUEER POP QUIZ
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FREIGHT & SALVAGE
HONEY MAHOGANY AND ADELE
Honey Mahogany, the first transgender and first Black chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party who has achieved other groundbreaking historic firsts, recorded this song by singer/songwriter Adele: A) “Hello” B) “Set Fire to the Rain” C) “Chasing Pavements” D) “Hometown Glory”
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A Quartet of LGBTQ Films to See This Month Film Gary M. Kramer While the studios are putting out their Oscar bait this holiday season, there are a number of small, worthwhile LBGTQ films that may not be on everyone’s radar this December. Here are four films to seek out on streaming platforms this month. Silent Night (December 3) may be set at Christmas, but it is not exactly cheerful fare. Four couples—including lesbians Bella (Lucy Punch) and Alex (Kirby Howell-Baptiste)— gather together for the holiday to eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow they are all going to die from
Silent Night
his career? When he and Matt meet up the next night to talk, they also have sex. Things get more complicated when Syd’s girlfriend Rachel (Daiva Johnston) surprises him with a visit the next morning. I am Syd Stone eventually addresses Syd’s decision
I Am Syd Stone
a poison gas. The setup allows the friends, most of whom met at university, to reveal things about their love lives, and their regrets. They also tease each other, dance together, and puncture egos as tensions mount. The kids are also quite foulmouthed—especially the anxious Art (Roman Griffin Davis, of Jojo Rabbit), whose parents Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) are hosting this last-night-on-Earth shindig. The film starts off with some amusing banter, but it gets more serious and emotional over time. One key subplot has Art not keen to take the pill, which leads to some dramatic and moral moments. Silent Night is well played by the entire cast, but Davis is the standout. I Am Syd Stone (December 7) is an engaging Canadian series—compiled into an 80-minute feature— about the title character (Travis Nelson), a closeted actor. Staying at a hotel while shooting a new movie, Syd is recognized by various fans until he meets Matt (Benjamin Charles Watson), a lawyer unaware of Syd’s celebrity. The two men start to hook up, but they are interrupted, which sends Syd into panic (and self-protection) mode. Should he follow his desires, if that will potentially cost him
to come out, which develops not just in his interactions with Rachel—he’s cagey towards her, which prompts her to suspect something—but also with Nathan (Kevin Kincaid), the father of a young boy who is costarring in the film Syd is making. These con-
Also from Canada is Circus Boy (December 14), a terrific documentary about Thomas, a gay man in Peterborough, Canada, who with his husband Michael, adopts Ethan, a youth Thomas is training in circus arts. The film, which is under an hour in length, focuses on Thomas’ mother meeting Ethan— as well as Ethan’s birth mother— for the first time. There are heartfelt scenes of Thomas explaining his relationship with Ethan to his mom, as well as Ethan discussing his comfort with and benefit from the arrangement. Ethan’s mother also describes why Ethan’s biological father was not equipped to parent. What emerges is a thoughtful discussion of the relationships that parents have with their children—Thomas talks about his own issues with his father—as well as the importance of Thomas being a mentor and male role model to Ethan, his protégé. Circus Boy also features some hypnotic scenes of Ethan and Thomas on the Cyr Wheel, and it ends with a performance by father and son that beautifully illustrates their loving bond. The Novice, (December 17), portrays Alex (Isabelle Fuhrman), a
The Novice
versations, which take place over the various episodes, function as part of the five stages of grief that Syd experiences: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Travis Nelson makes Syd’s self-awareness and eventual decision credible (he takes lots of thoughtful showers), but as likable as this lowbudget production is, there is still a sense that this coming out story has been told many times before.
queer college student who challenges herself by joining the rowing team despite having no previous experience. Far from being an inspirational sports drama, this intense film, written and directed by Lauren Hadaway, shows how Alex’s obsession for perfection consumes her, especially when she becomes a rival with her teammate Jamie Brill (Amy Forsyth). Fuhrman gives a committed performance as this case study in self-destruction shows how Alex sabotages everything and everyone around her, including her relationship with Dani (Dilone), a TA in one of her classes. Hadaway make The Novice stylish by getting inside Alex’s head and shooting the rowing scenes in different formats to illustrate their impact on her. It’s an accomplished debut for the director. © 2021 Gary M. Kramer
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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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Come Into The House of Gucci and Also Visit the Ricardos
Off the Wahl Jan Wahl It might sound insane, but sometimes I leave a film screening saying to myself, “Only gays and women will love this movie.” That was the case for The House of Gucci. I doublechecked that instinct by having a quick conversation with two of my colleagues at this private screening. Both thought it was long and boring. Both are straight guys (which is not to be unfair to straight guys—director Ridley Scott is presumably one—and I will be the first to cheer any straight guys in the audience who get the film). Yes, it is too long at two hours and 37 minutes. But it is juicy fun all the way. When one is dealing with the compelling and fully committed Lady Gaga, one does not look at one’s watch! She soars as Patrizia Gucci, the spurned woman who becomes, well ... I won’t give it away. Just her clothes in the first two thirds are worth the price of admission. It is hard to believe that this is Scott’s fashion designer Janty Yates, who won the Oscar for The Gladiator. Yates has said she was inspired by the va-va-voom clothes of Gina Lollobrigida in the 1960s rather than Joan Collins in Dynasty (though I see a little of both). As Yates also said in a recent interview, it was helpful to have the divine Gaga wear her clothes, since this is a woman born to be her authentic, fabulous self. Aside from Al Pacino as the Gucci overlord in New York and abroad, everyone in the cast looks somewhat like their real-life counterpart. Adam Driver, Jared Leto, and Jeremy Irons all give us wonderful and weird men to follow through the maze of this dysfunctional family. Pacino’s acting is believable such that his height and less-than-perfect
looks don’t get in the way. He is tough but loveable, a hoodlum under the guise of a true gentleman. The clothes these men wear help us understand their characters and the House of Gucci they represent or are fighting against. I loved the subtext of the Gucci knockoffs (Patrizia is insulted) as well as the sumptuous cinematography of villas and ski slopes. The next day I was sitting and waiting for another private screening: Being the Ricardos. I was lucky enough to view two movies in a week I actually wanted to see! There’s no way writer/director Aaron Sorkin was not going to get this one right. For once, the movie gods and goddesses did not disappoint. Nicole Kidman does not look a lot like Lucy, but after ten minutes, we are lost in the manner and vibe of Lucille Ball. We want her to win her fights with studio bosses and her love for a bandleader. That Cuban is brilliantly played by Spain’s Javier Bardem, who is smart and loveable, sexy and innovative as Desi Arnaz. We buy into this time of Communist witch hunting by our government as we watch a week in the filming of I Love Lucy. There are flashbacks and flashforwards, but we never lose sight of the story and characters, hoping all will work out, but knowing our own showbiz history too well to be certain of a happy ending. Sorkin treats us as an intelligent audience, able to understand nuance and political references. He combines that with artistic courage. This is one terrific movie. I was once lucky enough to take a cruise with Lucie Arnaz (the daughter of Ball and Arnaz). What a terrific performer. She gave
us a one woman show where she referenced her parents, especially her beloved father. His Cuban songs and her mother’s humor plus Lucie’s own talent were wonderful. By the pool one day, I told Lucie I had taken a class with her mother at UCLA at the end of her life. Lucy was teaching a seminar on comedy and a few of us lucky ones got to attend. It was about two years before Lucy passed away, and she was one tough cookie. I saw a peek into the character Nicole plays in the movie, organized and comedically brilliant. Lucy almost had ESP when it came to what makes an audience laugh. In interviews now on YouTube, Lucie talks about this aspect of her mother. Back to The House of Gucci ... look for other movies about fashion to get in the mood or stay in the mood: Halston, Unzipped, Funny Face, Phantom Thread, Coco Before Chanel, and The Devil Wears Prada. I hope I’ve given you two big screen movies worth your time and money this holiday. They both are gifts to those of us who love good storytelling and a visual feast! Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
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Top of your stack A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003–2020 (memoir) by David Sedaris A window into humorist David Sedaris’ mind and full access to his diaries is as entertaining as you would expect, and then some. We are reminded that not too long ago we really hated George W. Bush, and Donald Trump was just a harmless laughingstock ... at least on French television. The entries reflect an ever-changing background, new administrations, and new restrictions on speech and conduct. It’s a sampler of sorts at its best, and a book that makes a great holiday gift: the gift of joy and laughter.
All In (autobiography) by Billie Jean King This is an inspiring and intimate selfportrait of an athlete whose greatness transcended her sport and carried over into her activism for equality. Billie Jean King was the first of her kind, a woman athlete who became a global cultural icon because of her pioneering activism. Throughout it, she does not hold back in describing the early days of the pro tennis world she pushed to create, and her success in achieving 39 Grand Slam championship wins. King recounts how fearful she was of admitting her sexual identity, her closeted time that led to health issues, and her ultimate embracing of who she was. This is a powerful, all-engrossing read that also makes for a great holiday book gift, especially since Book Passage still has signed first edition copies. The House in the Cerulean Sea (fiction) by TJ Klune New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab refers to this wholly creative and enjoyable ride of a book as “being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect.” The story’s protagonist, Linus Baker, has an uneventful job and life as a meticulous caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. His quiet life changes when he receives a curious and classified assignment to travel to an orphanage on a
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE distant island and determine whether six dangerous magical children are, in fact, about to usher in the end of days. While there, he meets Arthur, the master of the orphanage, and others. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story about the experience of discovering an unlikely family and realizing who you are and that family is yours.
Noah Griffin has sung professionally since the age of seven. As a soloist for the San Francisco Boy’s Chorus, he performed in La Boheme, Turandot, Carmen, and Bor Gudenov, He has sung with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Philharmonic, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Nashville Symphony, the Harvard University Choir, and soloed with Duke Ellington.)
Upcoming Events
Sharing a series of mindfulness techniques and acting exercises that show how malleable the self can be, award-winning actor, narrator, and Zen Buddhist priest Peter Coyote reveals how to use masks, meditation, and improvisation to free yourself from fixed ideas of who you think you are and help you release your ego from constant defensive strategizing, calm the mind’s overactivity, and allow spontaneous playfulness to arise out of your deepest nature. Developed through 40 years of research and personal study, Coyote’s synthesis of mask-based improv games and Zen practices is specifically designed to create an ego-suppressed state, akin to the mystical experiences of meditation or the spiritual awakenings of psychedelics. After preparatory exercises, seeing yourself in a mask will temporarily displace
Tuesday, December 7 @ 5:30 pm (online ticketed event) Peter Coyote in Conversation with Anne Lamott
Sunday, December 5 @ 1 pm (in-store/San Francisco) - John Briscoe & Noah Griffin; A Child’s Christmas in San Francisco At the core of A Child’s Christmas in San Francisco are seven poems composed, author John Briscoe tells us, by generations of San Francisco schoolchildren. Over the week before Christmas, these children paired iconic San Francisco food and drink with the days of the week. Each day got a poem featuring a particular food or beverage. In this way, Briscoe observes, the young poets showed “a precocious affection for the culinary tradition and abiding spirits of Christmas in their City of St. Francis.” This little book provides a history of San Francisco. It is a bit of nostalgia: for first visits to Playland, first trips to Fisherman’s Wharf, and first dates. ( John Briscoe is a San Francisco poet, author, and lawyer. His poetry has been praised by Kirkus Review, Columbia, and other reviews. His book Crush: The Triumph of California Wine took the Oscar Lewis Award in Western History for 2020, 1st prize in the Top Shelf Book Awards, and his Tadich Grill: The Story of San Francisco’s Oldest Restaurant, is a critically praised history of the Tadich, but also of all of San Francisco’s remarkable culinary history.
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BAY TIMES S
Milk-Moscone Memorial Vigil for 2021
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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)
The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club co-sponsors the Milk-Moscone Vigil held annually on November 27 to honor the lives of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, who were assassinated by former supervisor Dan White in a shooting at San Francisco City Hall on this date in 1978. At the 2021 memorial vigil and march, Harvey Milk supporter and friend Cleve Jones—along with civic leaders, elected officials, and community activists including Milk’s fellow supervisor Carol Ruth Silver—gathered at Harvey Milk Plaza. Arriving at the original site of Harvey Milk’s camera shop at 575 Castro Street, participants paused, lit, and placed their individual candles in his memory. Coordinators for the event were Jeffrey Kwong and Stephen Torres as well as Milk Club Co-President Edward Wright. https://www.milkclub.org/
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PHOTO BY BILL WILSON
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PHOTO BY JOANIE JUSTER
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Nobuko Yoshiya: Stories of the Bonds Between Women Photos courtesy of legacyprojectchicago.org
two adolescents. Although critics ignored it, the schoolgirls for which it was written did not.
Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky During the early years of the 20th century, no one could have imagined that an openly lesbian woman, writing romantic stories about intense emotional relationships between young women in a deeply patriarchal society, would become one of Japan’s most prolific, successful, and influential writers. A pioneer of sh?jo sh?setsu (girls’ fiction), Nobuko Yoshiya (1896–1973) published her first sketches while still in her teens, became her country’s highest-paid author less than 20 years later, and is still an important inspiration for modern sh?jo manga (graphic novels for girls). Nobuko’s middle-class, culturally conservative parents trained her for the “good wife, wise mother” role expected of women in Meiji era Japan. A lecture she attended by author and educator Nitobe Inazō during her first year at Tochigi Girls’ Higher School, however, changed all that. “I believe,” he said, “you all should be a good person before you become a good wife or mother.” His ideas inspired her to discover who she was as an individual, as a woman, and as a creative mind.
In stories like “Yellow Rose,” recently translated into English by Sarah Frederick, Nobuko described how two young women could develop deep emotional bonds with each other, and she shared her concerns about how social convention then destroyed their relationship. Katsuragi Misao, 22 years old, has accepted a teaching position at an all-girls school, “a thousand miles from Tokyo,” to avoid getting married. On the train she meets Urakami Reiko, a student entering her final year at the same school. After reaching their destination, teacher and student become great friends and deep feelings of affection develop between them. Their endearment remains platonic always, although, as Kathryn Hemmann has pointed out, Nobuko allows readers to fill in any suggestive gaps in the text with their imaginations. They make plans to visit the U.S. together after Urakami graduates, but her mother expects her to enter an arranged marriage immediately. As Katsuragi boards the ship to America alone, she “abandons herself to her grief.”
cannot live their lives in the form of a conventional marriage is redoubled by the chagrin of parents—for whom marriage represents the sole pinnacle of womanly achievement—and the opprobrium and scorn of everyone else.” There is hope, however, given “the utopian possibility of a space for these two girls’ love, even when there is no space other than in the depths of their own hearts.” Nobuko only occasionally wrote explicitly about a romance between two women, but she did so in Yaneura no nishojo (Two Virgins in the Attic), published in 1919. Based upon her affair with Kikuchi Yukie when both women lived at the Tokyo YWCA, it tells the story of two students, Akiko and Tamaki, whose longing for each other finally ends in a kiss and, unique to books about women for many years, a happy ending where they decide to live together as a couple. Nobuko was already a successful author when she met Monma Chiyo, a 23-year-old mathematics teacher, at the beginning of 1923. Their loving relationship and collaborative partnership lasted for more than five decades. Perhaps Nobuko expressed her feelings best in her diary. “Chiyo,” she wrote, “I give thanks to fate which gave this person to me.” Unlike many people of her generation, in whatever country they lived, Nobuko was never guarded or secretive about her personal life with Monma.
The years between the World Wars provided her with an opportunity to do just that. She moved to Tokyo in
Flower Stories
Monma Chiyo, Nobuko Yoshiya and friend, ca.1950
1915, embraced Japan’s emerging “modern girl, modern boy” movement, with its “Western” ideas and fashions, and began to live as she chose, not as society told her she must. She became one of the first women in the country to cut her hair short in the “Western style” and to wear non-traditional, often androgynous clothes. She owned a car, which she drove herself, designed her own house, and even played golf. Nobuko’s first important work was Hana monogatari (Flower Stories), a collection of 52 sketches of female friendships that appeared serially between 1916 and 1924 in Sh?jo Sekai (Girls’ World), one of Japan’s earliest magazines for young women. Each story focuses on the feelings of affection, admiration, or adoration of two women for each other: a teacher and a student; a mother and a daughter; 26
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Gates of Nobuko Yoshiya’s house, now a museum
Here was something new and different: a story for girls that spoke directly to them and understood the feelings they were experiencing, but might not yet fully understand. It did not prepare them for a traditional role, but told them that, despite all the social pressures to conform, there were other possibilities, filled with beauty, affection, and the opportunity to express their true selves. What happens to the women becomes much less important than the women themselves and their tenderness for each other.
Throughout their years together, the two women expressed their ongoing affection for each other openly, honestly, and lovingly. When Nobuko passed, with Monma holding her hand, her life partner said of her, “Even in her old age, Ms. Yoshiya remained in pursuit of the sweet fragrance of her girlhood dreams. Perhaps that is why I was attracted to her.” What were those “girlhood dreams?” As Nobuko herself said, “There is nothing shameful about loving someone or about being loved by someone.”
Nobuko acknowledges the internal emotional conflicts these young women face. “The sadness of those who love their own sex and therefore
Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun can soon fire Trumpian Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has been trying to demolish the USPS and mail-in voting. Sister Dana sez, "Joy! Joy! We'll be rid of DeJoy! USPS he will not destroy!”
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, "My Christmas wish is that D.C. will become the 51st State!” Washington, D.C., has ZERO representation in Congress. That means D.C.’s 700,000 residents have NO U.S. Senators and NO Representatives in the House! It’s taxation without representation! But if D.C. were to become a state, not only would its residents FINALLY have representation in Congress, but also Democrats would gain seats in the House and Senate. Our majority would be unbreakable! Show your advocacy for LGBTQ friends and family in fun, festive style with the PRIDE NUTCRACKER from Wondershop on the Target website. It pictures a man dressed in a traditional nutcracker costume holding a progress pride flag and wearing a rainbow hat with trans flag colors of pink hair & beard, with a blue and white coat. This decorative wooden figurine could be the perfect icebreaker gift at parties to start the conversation! https://tinyurl.com/2p882fk8 And just the opposite on your gift list should be Donald J. T-rump Jr.’s online merchandise emblazoned with LGBTQ in rainbow lettering. Disgustingly, the initials spell out the phrase: “Let’s Get Biden To Quit.” Sister Dana sez, "Aw, poor DJTJ doesn't get enough attention from daddy and has to stoop this low!" The SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS rings in the holiday season with its annual seasonal extravaganza, HOLIGAYS ARE HERE ... AGAIN! Returning to the stage for the first time since the 2019 holiday season, SFGMC brings back everything that has made this concert one of the Bay Area’s annual signature holiday treats. This year’s concert will feature something for everyone, including “Festival Gloria,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Los Peces en el Rio,” and “Over the River” with special guests, SFGMC’s very own HOMOPHONICS and THE LOLLIPOP GUILD. December 10 and 11, Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes Street. https://bit.ly/3cwBimo
Congratulations to out loud and proud Lil Nas X, whose song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” just scored three Grammy nominations! The song received nominations for Music Video of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year at the 64TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS on November 23. The official LIGHTING OF THE CASTRO HOLIDAY TREE ceremony, sponsored by CASTRO MERCHANTS and made possible by generous donations, took place on November 29 at 6 pm at the Bank of America Plaza (501 Castro Street at 18th Street). And as in pre-pandemic years, they pulled out all the stops with entertainment and rousing speeches. We heard Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, SFPD Chief William Scott, Castro Merchants President Masood Samereie, Donna Sachet, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, and, of course, Santa and his elf! What a way to start the ho ho holidays! LIGHT IN THE GROVE GALA returned on November 30, completely outdoors, as a re-imagined, magical celebration of Reunion, Remembrance, and Renewal in the NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE. Light in the Grove, held annually on the eve of WORLD AIDS DAY, is their largest annual fundraising event, with all proceeds directly supporting the mission and programs of the National AIDS Memorial. There were beautifully illuminated pathways with brilliant, colorful light displays, imaginative artistic features, and enchanting dance and musical performances. We viewed the traditional, moving candlelight reflection at the Circle of Friends and a stunning, night-time outdoor display of the 50,000 panels of the AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT. The evening included inspirational reflections from featured guest speakers during a short outdoor program. (continued on page 28)
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSIE KAMENY
On November 20, President Joe Biden announced his nominees for the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, “to replace outgoing Governors Ron Bloom and John Barger.” This means the Board
Republican lawmakers in 43 states have carried over, pre-filed, or introduced more than 250 relentlessly anti-democratic bills that would restrict ballot drop box locations, restrict types of IDs you can use to vote, restrict vote by mail, restrict weekend early voting, and more. Voter suppression is a fundamental attack on democracy that Republicans have deployed repeatedly to maintain their power. Sister Dana sez, "We've got to fight back and pass those vital voting bills!"
Sister Dana, accompanied by Susie Kameny, attended the recent Opening Night of the Broadway musical Hairspray at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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SISTER DANA (continued from page 27)
BARBARA HIGBIE (continued from page 21)
Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were the brightest beacons of hope for San Francisco’s disenfranchised and displaced. But more than that, they represented the spirit of San Francisco. They were both brutally assassinated on November 27, 1978. THE 43RD ANNUAL MILK-MOSCONE VIGIL was held in Harvey Milk Plaza on November 27 at 7 pm. It was hosted by the HARVEY MILK LGBTQ DEMOCRATIC CLUB, CASTRO LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT, and FRIENDS OF HARVEY MILK PLAZA. Attendees received lit candles for the event. A large banner stated Milk’s solemn, prophetic words: “Only that way will we start to achieve our rights. All I ask is that the movement continue, and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door!” Next to that were black & white photos of Milk and Moscone in their heyday. Among the speakers were Senator Scott Wiener; Milk Club-endorsed David Campos for State Assembly, District 17; and veteran activist Cleve Jones (who worked with Milk back in the day on his campaign for SF Supervisor). After the rally, we all marched down the sidewalk behind a banner with Milk's well known inspirational phrase: “Hope Will Never Be Silent.” We paraded to the site of Milk’s old camera shop/campaign headquarters at 575 Castro Street—now the HRC HQ store. It’s an historic place with Milk looking down at us through a mural painted above and a plaque under which are buried Milk’s ashes. The RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) provides aid for HIV services, hunger programs, and support for homeless and disenfranchised youth and seniors. REAF will present “HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS XX: Feliz Navidad” on Sunday, December 5, 6 pm silent auction and 7:30 pm concert at Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street. The star-studded cast includes David Burnham: Broadway, TV star; Leanne Borghesi: Cabaret star; Rodney Earl
Jackson: Broadway actor/co-founder Bay Area Theater Company; Steve Knill: from TV’s The Voice; Sharon McNight: Tony nominated cabaret star; Jai Rodriguez: Broadway, TV star; Shawn Ryan: from TV’s America’s Got Talent; Marta Sanders: MAC award winning cabaret star; Bruce Vilanch: Broadway (Hairspray), TV star; Lisa Vroman: Broadway (Phantom of the Opera) star; Paula West: Cabaret/recording star; and Salsamania: World Champion dance troupe. https://www.reaf-sf.org/ T-rump has claimed at least $65,500 of his taxpayer-funded presidential pension since leaving the White House. He is the only president to be twice-impeached, who is guilty in inciting life-threatening violence at the Capitol riots. Sister Dana sez, "Strip this treasonous monster of his pension!" THE CASTRO MERCHANTS & THE CASTRO ART PROJECT are pleased to bring back the annual CASTRO ART WALK on December 9 in the Castro District from 5 to 8 pm. It’s always such a delight to walk around and see various artists’ works displayed. The exact art venues have not been finalized as of this printing, but you can check them out at https://www.castroartwalk.com/ On the heels of a very successful debut summer season of SOMA Second Saturdays!, The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, Folsom Street, and SOMA West Community Benefit District have announced their firstever SANTA SECOND SATURDAY! This one-day kink-themed holiday fair will feature the best of local leather and kink artists, craftspeople, and businesses to kick off the holiday season. The fair will take place at multiple locations throughout the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District on the afternoon of Saturday, December 11, with a free hop-on, hop-off shuttle from Fogcutter Tours running continuously between the locations from noon until 6 pm. https://sfleatherdistrict.org/
Sister Dana sez, "Bah! Humbug! There will be no Dance-Along Nutcracker this year!" However, THE SAN FRANCISCO LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND will take us on an aural journey with music celebrating the winter season from around the world. WINTER POSTCARDS features a number of fantastic compositions, including Alfred Reed’s seminal Russian Christmas Music, Julie Giroux’s lyrical Evening Snow in Kambara, and James Curnow’s enthralling Overture to a Winter Festival. The Band will also perform several sentimental favorites, including Greensleeves, A Rollicking Hanukkah, and Concert Suite from The Polar Express. December 11, 1 pm, St Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1111 O’Farrell St. https://www.sflgfb.org/ Republican Rep. Margie QAnon Greene introduced a bill to award a Congressional Medal of Honor to murderer Kyle Rittenhouse for “protecting Kenosha, Wisconsin,” while 21 Republicans had voted against giving that medal to heroic law enforcement officers who protected the Capitol during the riots. Sister Dana sez, "How extreme do these Repugnicans have to get before we oust them?!” It touches my heart to discover this fourminute-long Norwegian postal service ad of a grown man’s wish written in a letter to Santa: “All I want for Christmas is you,” resulting in a wish come true with a long, romantic hug and kiss from Santa to the man. This reflects Norway’s decriminalization of homosexuality with the banner stating, “In 2022, Norway marks 50 years of being able to love whomever we want,” and the tag: “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us to all of us.” So charming! And so inclusive! Sister Dana sez, "May I be the first to wish everyone a very Happy Queer Year 2022!"
BOOK PASSAGE (continued from page 24) your familiar self and the spirit of the mask will take over. (Peter Coyote is an award-winning actor, author, director, screenwriter, and narrator who has worked with some of the world’s most distinguished filmmakers. Recognized for his narration work, he narrated the PBS series The Pacific Century, winning an Emmy award, as well as eight Ken Burns documentaries, including The Roosevelts, for which he won a second Emmy. In 2011 he was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest and in 2015 received “transmission” from his teacher, making him an independent Zen teacher. The author of several books, he lives in Northern California. Anne Lamott is the author of The New York Times bestsellers Almost Everything; Hallelujah Anyway; Small Victories; Stitches; Help, Thanks, Wow; Some Assembly Required; Grace (Eventually); Plan B; and Traveling Mercies, as well as several novels. A past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an inductee to the California Hall of Fame, she lives in Northern California.) https://www.bookpassage.com/
career is exploding right now. I am a pianist, composer, singer-songwriter and championship fiddle player and the first female instrumentalist signed to the Windham Hill label, back in 1981, when I was 23. In those days, Windham Hill was a startup in a garage in Palo Alto, like a few other companies that took off. Steve Jobs was a huge Windham Hill fan. George Winston’s huge success helped Windham Hill become a household name. San Francisco Bay Times: You are also known for your involvement in Women’s Music. Please share some thoughts about that, both in terms of your past and present work. Barbara Higbie: In 1983, at the height of the Windham Hill craze, I was lucky enough to start playing music with Teresa Trull, Cris Williamson, Linda Tillery, Meg Christian, and Holly Near. Teresa and I recorded for Olivia Records in 1983 and became a national sensation. We were kind of the pre-“Indigo Girls.” We toured with the amazing Cris Williamson, who is doing two album release concerts at the Freight in Berkeley on January 14 and 15. I will be there. She’s calling these shows “the Grand Reunion” because they feature Vicki Randle, Skip the Needle, Julie Wolf, and many more. Cris and Teresa are two of my very best friends. They are both geniuses. Teresa is a now a horse trainer in New Zealand. She and her Kiwi love, Michaela, were married recently. We will all be on the Olivia 50th Anniversary Cruises in January 2023, and many of us will be at the Olivia 50th Anniversary event at The Academy in the Castro on January 13. Women’s Music saved my life, as it did for so many women. In the early 1980s, I was experiencing stalking, bullying, and severe hazing in the very male dominated music industry. Without the support of the women’s community, I most likely would have quit. It’s easy to take for granted what the pioneers of Women’s Music did. I can attest to the fact that they moved mountains and deserve our deepest respect. That’s why the Smithsonian is documenting the whole movement now. It’s a strong, loving community that is still thriving. San Francisco Bay Times: The Freight and Salvage has always been important to you, beyond your work there as a performer. What is your involvement with the venue now? Barbara Higbie: Speaking of community, the Freight is the hub of a huge community of musicians. It is a phenomenal place: a 53-year-old nonprofit that owns its own building and fundraises in order to keep presenting diverse musical artists from all over the world. If you’ve never been there, do yourself a favor and get to the Freight! I’m serving as the Co-Chair of the Board right now, along with conductor and community activist Elizabeth Seja Min. I believe in the importance of the Freight to my core. It has weathered COVID thanks to loyal donors and government grants. Attending shows is the best way to ensure that places like the Freight stay in business. It is a true cultural treasure that has beat the odds. I’d like to let people know that they can rest assured that all these venues follow COVID protocols. We are returning to live music in a safe way. For tickets and more information about the 35th Anniversary of Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice at the Freight and Salvage on December 17, go to: https://tinyurl.com/4ax5uhu2 To learn more about Barbara Higbie and to purchase her recordings, visit https://barbarahigbie.com/
QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 21)
D) “Hometown Glory” The debut single by Adele, 2007’s “Hometown Glory,” was recorded three years later by Honey Mahogany. Mahogany’s version was recognized by Limelight Records as being one of the Best Cover Songs of the Year. Fast forward to the present and both Mahogany and Adele are flying high with many achievements earned in their respective careers.
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Dykes
With Drills
Tip of the Week By Julie Peri
How to Remove Paint from Antique Door Hardware Antique door hardware can be beautiful and ornate. But when you move into an old home, sometimes that hardware has been painted over, hiding the beauty and craftsmanship. Here is an easy fix to clean up your antique hardware to its full ornate beauty again. First, you will need a crockpot or pot that is no longer being used for food, baking soda, tongs or pliers, a soft bristle cleaning brush, a plastic scraper, fine steel wool (grade 0000), and clear lacquer spray. To start, heat water in your pot on low and add some baking soda. Then place your hardware in the pot. Let the hardware sit in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. Use the tongs to pull the hardware out of the water. Use the scraper and/or cleaning brush to remove the paint from the hardware. Get off as much as
you can, put back in the water to soak longer, if needed, and repeat the process again. Once the paint is off of the hardware, you can use the steel wool to clean up the metal, then apply the clear lacquer spray to protect it from rusting in the future. We hope you enjoyed this tool tip! Join us for more fun tips at our workshops! Introduction to Tools Workshop, December 11, San Francisco More to come in 2022! For more information about this and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/
Take Me Home with You! Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month Antonio at Mid-Market “The Renegade Row is a favorite exercise of mine. It strengthens your upper back muscles and also challenges you to keep your core tight. During the movement, keep the motion of your elbows as close to your side as possible.”
“My name is Gus! I’m just two months old and still learning about the world around me. I’m hoping to find someone special who will give me lots of love, socialization, and playtime! Puppy Playgroup class sounds like so much fun, and I would love the opportunity to meet other pups my own age and work on my socialization skills. There’s no denying that adopting a puppy is a big commitment, but I promise you it’s worth it!” Gus is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Gus. To apply to meet Gus, visit https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/ Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup
Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Media for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers. For more information: https://fitnesssf.com/
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Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021
Photos by Rink
Held annually on November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Observance of the day was co-created in 1999 by Bay Area-based transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed the preceding year. The week leading up to the day is now observed as Transgender Awareness Week. Among the events commemorating the day was a program, organized by activist Aria Sa’id and held at CounterPulse located at 80 Turk Street. There, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence bestowed their Sainthood status on Sa’id. Co-emcees for the event were Jupiter Peraza and Ivory Smith. Sister Roma spoke about the Sisters’ support for transgender rights. Also honoring Sa’id were Miss Billie Cooper, Empress Juanita MORE!, Emperor Mr. David Glamamore, and Honey Mahogany. At the La Cocina Municipal Marketplace in the Tenderloin, a shrine memorializing transgender people who have died by violence was displayed at Fluid Cooperative Cafe. The cafe is owned and operated by transgender people. Posters honoring individuals who have died were also displayed. In the evening, as night fell, San Francisco City Hall was illuminated in colors from the transgender flag.
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Round About - All Over Town
Photos by Rink
CASTRO STREETCAM presented by
A selection of holiday trees for sale at The Mask Shop at the Castro Stitchery
Among the guests attending the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival’s VIP reception at El Techo restaurant’s rooftop lounge were producer Lisa Blumenberg, festival director Sōpón Sorn, Goethe Institut director Noemie Njangiru, actor Dan Stevens, and German Consul General Oliver Schramm.
http://sfbaytimes.com/ Tom of Finland greeting cards and votive candles for sale at P.O. Plus on Castro Street
Following his farewell lunch at The Cove on Castro, fifty-year Castro resident Curtis Canaday was cheerful as he prepared for his move to the veterans housing facility in Yountville. During his years in San Francisco, Canaday served on staff at Beach Blanket Babylon, the Midnight Sun bar, and The Cove on Castro.
A poster advertising the Scream Bingo game held at The Mix in the Castro
A holiday season window at Cliff’s Variety in the Castro
A sold out audience awaited the screening of I’m Your Man at the Roxie Theater during the Berlin & Beyond Festival.
Check out Zavor Multi Cookers! This LUX LCD 8 Quart is highly recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. $179.99
Event host Gary Kamiya with Moving San Francisco co-producers Peter Stein and Jim Yager and SF City Archivist Susan Goldstein were on stage for a panel discussion in conjunction with the library’s screening of the film.
Books on display during Native American History Month in the window at Fabulosa Books on Castro.
A slide presentation accompanied the discussion at the screening of Moving San Francisco at the Main Library. San Francisco is noted for advancements in transportation including the invention of cable cars to conquer the city’s hills, envisioning the future of driverless vehicles, and more.
Christopher Radko has been making beautiful handmade ornaments for decades. Come see An En-deer-ing St. Nick, plus many others! $66
W Artist and teacher Cora Jaeschke painted a mural celebrating coffee culture on the wall at Brownie’s Ace Hardware on Polk Street at Sacramento. www.corajae.com
e are so grateful to our community for keeping us going for the last 85 years, but especially the last 20+ months. I could never have fathomed this world we are now living in, but I know with humanity, humility and community we can make it through this. Please shop small. Support your local businesses. And be kind to retail workers. Happy Holidays!
As Heard on the Street . . . What are you thankful for?
compiled by Rink
Jason Blackwell
Lisa Blumenberg
Justin Kim
Michael Huff
Nguyen Win Pham
“I’m thankful for each day out of a shutdown.”
“Enjoying being together with other people, what I missed for the past year”
“I’m thankful that Jason and I are visiting Barcelona soon.”
“I’m thankful to be alive and living in San Francisco.”
“I am thankful to be out, to be at films with an audience, and to be with my family.”
S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES
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