September 22–October 5, 2022 http://sfbaytimes.com Castro RoyalsSee Pages 2–3 PROJECTDEEDSNOBLETHEFORFINKBENBYART
Marks
Kippy
LGBTQ Photographer Bill Wilson’s Images of Queen Elizabeth II Castro Royals
After the birthday celebration was raided by police, Swann was “bursting with rage” as he stood up to one of the arresting offi cers and declared that the individual was not a “gentleman.” Swann’s choice to resist that night “rather than to submit passively to his arrest, marks one of the earliestknown instances of violent resistance in the name of gay rights,” according to a report by the Oxford African American Studies Center.
William Dorsey Swann
As a child, he was paraded through town in carriages and sedan chairs carried by duti ful followers. As an adult, he was welcomed by dukes, duchesses, czarinas, and assorted Court dignitaries who became silent and reverential in his presence, deferring to his leadership. His biography proudly begins with two family trees that display his lin eage in two separate lines.
LGBTQ Ties to Royalty
Musician Kippy Marks, featured on the latest cover of the San Francisco Bay Times, is one such Castro royal. When he dons a crown and robe and plays his treasured violin Izabella, Marks can captivate audiences and earn followers. He is the king of the stage in such moments.
There were, of course, many queer individ uals—whether openly so or closeted—who were members of royal families since likely the beginning of monarchies and primogen iture. One could argue that the institutions themselves, not to mention those underlying many world religions, were shaped in large part by LGBTQ people and culture.
Artist Ben Fink noticed these qualities in Marks and others. He created the Bay Times cover image, and is in the process of compiling a series called Noble Deeds. The images, as for the one of Marks, draw from past fine art archetypes but bring them vividly into the present with modern LGBTQ portraiture. We hope the artworks will go on exhibit in San Francisco before long, since they are best experienced in person. For now, you can view them at https://tinyurl.com/y3nvj659
Who was this royal personage? He was leg endary Bay Area-based drag artist José Julio Sarria (1922–2013), Absolute Empress I de San Francisco and founder of the Imperial Court System.
While, as pop star Lorde sings, most of us will never be actual royals, many of us still crave that kind of “buzz.” Whether you are already a Castro royal or one in the making, it is not too late to explore this side of yourself if you want to do so.
And
2 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
Live That Fantasy
As significant and influential as Sarria was, the origin of his and the LGBTQ communi ty’s ties to royalty date to long before 1962.
The San Francisco Bay Times is a proud supporter of Operation Rainbow Kippy Marks, a fundraiser to assist with his recent medical https://www.gofundme.com/f/operation-rainbow-kippy-marks-orkexpenses:
“Letout:me be your ruler (ruler) You can call me queen bee baby, I’ll rule (I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule) me live that fantasy.”
The intertwined terminology, ceremonies, pomp, pageantry, and more that today link certain aspects of LGBTQ culture with monarchies going back hundreds of years therefore rest on the shoulders of brave and brazen individuals like Sarria and Swann. While the parallels with ancient royal institutions are unmistakable, San Francisco has evolved its own unique Court cultures—Imperial, Ducal, that of the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA), and still others. Even beyond these established groups, individuals have expressed their own creativity and identity through royal imagery.
22–October 6, 2022
In his biography The Empress Is a Man by Michael Gorman (1998, The Haworth Press, Inc.), Sarria recounted the ini tial Empress moment. The setting was the glamorous and fantastical Beaux Arts Ball in San Francisco on Halloween, 1962:
Some historical accounts hold that, start ing from around the 17th century, men playing women’s roles in theatrical produc tions such as Shakespeare’s plays were said to “drag” their costumes on the ground, often while playing queens and other royal characters. The first recorded use of drag, though, dates to 1870 and is linked to balls like the one Sarria attended.
Castro Royals
Photos by Bill Wilson
San Francisco Bay Times contributing photographer and longstanding LGBTQ community member Bill Wilson was based in Washington, D.C., in 1976 when Queen Elizabeth II came to the United States during the U.S. Bicentennial. During this trip to the states, she also visited Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, and other cities. On Wednesday, July 7, of that year, the Queen attended a banquet at the White House hosted by President Gerald Ford, and on Thursday, July 8, she attended a banquet at the British Embassy.
“That night they declared me ‘Queen of the Ball,’ but they couldn’t make me queen; I was always the queen. So, I declared myself Empress José the First.”
The first known person to self-identify as a “queen of drag” was the remark able William Dorsey Swann (1858–1925). Born into slavery in Maryland, Swann after the Civil War organized a series of balls in Washington, D.C. It was at these events that he referred to himself as a drag queen. His social group con sisted of other former slaves and fel low “rebel drag queens” and was known as the House of Swann. They often wore beautiful, hand crafted silk or satin gowns.
Like Sarria, Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor envisioned a more regal life for herself. She changed her professional name to Lorde, rose to stardom, and, like Sarria before her, has dedicated many of her efforts to philanthropy. She will sing us
San Francisco’s royal-imbued LGBTQ culture is accessible to all regardless of family lineage, wealth, and some of the other trappings of most established monarchies. This practice of putting royalty within reach goes back thousands of years. Even religious historians sometimes refer to Jesus as “the homeless king.” Matthew 8:20 in the Bible wrote: “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Rabbinic literature similarly uplifts the poor to royal-like stature, pointing out that they too are “sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” suggests scholars from Bar Ilan University and the Ashkelon Academic College.
As you might imagine, Swann was arrested in police raids numerous times, including in the first docu mented case of arrests for female impersonation in the United States, on April 12, 1888. This event was Swann’s thirtieth birthday celebration, and accord ing to The Washington Post, he was “arrayed in a gorgeous dress of cream-colored satin.”
About Our Cover: September
Wilson’s photos were taken during her walkabout visit to the Lincoln Memorial on July 7, 1976, where he snapped both the Queen and Prince Philip, with whom he spoke briefly. https://billwilsonphotos.com/
Let
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By Donna Sachet
Why I Dressed as Queen Elizabeth II for the San Francisco Pride Parade Bay Times Contingent
A British Subject in San Francisco on the Passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II U.S. Presidents 7 HM30PopescorgisQEII
In addition to this, the fact that Princess Elizabeth actually worked as a truck mechanic during the war gave my mother comfort as she went about her work making bat teries in the factories, for wartime airplanes. And in 1953, as the Princess was crowned Queen, there
Though born in Westminster London, I was of Irish parents and later lived for almost a decade in Northern Ireland. We were not a royal house
I’ve resided in San Francisco for many years and call both this city and London my home. As a child and to this day, the Queen has just always been there, like a stable grandmotherly fig
(continued on page 14)
Irene Hendrick as QEII and her daughter Emily (2018)
Sister Dana and Irene Hendrick as QEII
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My mother would tell me stories of wartime England, of how King George (Elizabeth’s father) and the Queen Mother, rather than evac uate, would stay in London during the Blitz, visit bombed sites, and chat with neighborhood residents. This all gave a sense that the King and Queen really did care about the population.
Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Donna Sachet is the Absolute Empress XXX of San Francisco.
14
San Francisco Bay Times contingent for several years because I wanted to bring a lit tle of the
By the end of my flight to Colorado, within two hours of that earlier news, came the inevitable statement from Buckingham Palace: The Queen is Justdead.like that, our constant, steady Queen was no more.
Cecil Beaton’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth for her coronation in 1953 was included in a trib ute to Great Briitain’s Queen Elizabeth II placed at Hibernia Beach by Donna Sachet, Absolute Empress XXX of the Imperial Council of San Francisco.
SHOTNEWS/SCREENBBC
Artist Irene Hendrick at the Hyde Park Corner station of the London Underground, where one of her paintings was featured on the wall in full view of passing trains. (2016) (continued on page 14)
sallyiswonderherwordsheathertheshortwhetherherisedWhensohasGreatElizabethQueenIIofBritaintouchedmeprofoundly.shepromtodevote“entirelife,itbeorlong,toservice”ofkingdom,theageof21,meanteveryandkeptword.Noshesounivermournednow.
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Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96, has reigned supreme for 70 years. The time might be nigh for her to join her Prince on the other side.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession through London was broadcast globally on Monday, September 19, 2022.
From growing up with the Queen, I already knew how to perfect her wave, and so I tirelessly performed it from my vantage point in the Bay Times cable car float. Once the crowd saw my Queen’s face, waving with an oversized Union Jack flag draped around me, they erupted into hysterical laughter and smiles, nudging others and saying, “Look, there’s the Queen!” My face ached from smiling so much behind the mask, as people curtsied and bowed.
When José Sarria created the Imperial Court, he wanted to elevate those who had long been downtrodden by soci ety, who had questioned their intrinsic value, and who had grown to hate themselves. Suddenly, not only were Gay people valued, but they were our own Royalty, swathed in elaborate costumes and donning sparkling crowns. Ours is a game of pretend, but we feel a special connection to true Royalty and the loss of such a special Monarch is extraor Thankdinary.
It has been said that Queen Elizabeth may have met more individuals than anyone in his tory, and when you think of her travels, her many public appearances, and her commitment to her duty, that claim becomes believable.
the San Francisco’s LGBT community, and to present a tongue-in-cheek nod to San Francisco’s very own San Francisco queens. These were fabulous experiences for me.
Liam Mayclem and partner Rick Camargo outside Buckingham Palace (2019)
It may be hard to explain the Gay Community’s fascination with Royalty, but I cer tainly share it. Perhaps that is why the recent death of Her Majesty,
(Editor’s Note: The following tribute was placed by Donna Sachet, along with an image of Queen Elizabeth II flanked by elegant floral bouquets, at 18th and Castro Streets on September 14, 2022.)
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 3
you, Your Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, for your shining example of grace, service, and dedication to duty.
ure—the kind of grandmother who would always be neutral, would never tell secrets, never say any thing nasty about anyone, and never take sides.
wasthatwantedcommunity.England’srepresentationquirkinessEnglishintoaofLGBTItoshowourQueeninsolidaritywith
Castro Royals
Fasthold.forward to the summer of 1986: I was a teenager and my best pal Mark Walker invited me to his Granny’s for a Royal Ascot tea party—he men tioned that the Queen would be trot ting by in a horse and carriage on this quiet back road to the Royal Ascot races. The Queen and Prince Philip attended every year.
Photos courtesy of Liam Mayclem
Liam’s LGBTQI List Liam P. Mayclem
has lived through it all: from radio to TV to the internet age. All prayers and love her majesty’s Longway. live the Queen.”
Britain’s“#QueenElizabeththis:steady,solid monarch
I dressed as Queen Elizabeth II at the ParadeFranciscoSanPrideinthe
15 U.K. Prime Ministers
I thought Mark was joking about the royal passing until, like clockwork as promised at the stroke of noon, our Queen would be in our midst. And then came the moment, a loud rat tle of teacups, then an instant hush on the row of packed green lawns along our street, followed by cheers of “hip, hip, hooray!” as HMQEII and Prince Philip clip-clopped by in an open top horse and carriage, doing the royal wave as they trotted by. There she was, my Queen with a smile and a twinkle in her eye that seemed to put a spell on every single person she passed. In that moment, I became a fan, and for a lifetime was impressed by her steadfast, unstinting commit ment and duty to crown and coun try. I will treasure that day and that moment seeing the Queen in person. I am pretty sure she was waving just to me, thought 15-year-old Liam.
On Monday, September 19, follow ing a dozen days since the announce ment of HMQEII’s death, we finally said goodbye.
It’s been an emotional ride this week. All I really wanted to do was hop on a plane back home to the U.S. and say farewell in person. Alas, that was not possible. Instead, in grief, I have been chatting to U.K. pals and FaceTimed
As family heads to Balmoral to be at her side, I cannot help but sit in grat itude for this incredible woman who has led with grace, purpose & duty all these years:
The date Thursday, September 8, 2022, shall forever be in my memory. I was on a plane heading from SFO to Denver when the news landed in my Twitter feed that the Queen’s doctors were concerned about Her Majesty’s health. We also learned that the immediate royal family had been summoned to Balmoral to be with her. I knew instantly that this really was not good. On Twitter I wrote
I shed a few tears as I sat quietly alone in my seat on that plane, everyone around me engrossed in their books or movies. Quite bizarre.
By Irene Hendrick
I’m keeping my eye on a lot of issues these days—the upcoming midterm elections, book bannings, the ongo ing efforts of a certain political party to simply erase entire segments of the population from the planet, cli mate change—but I have also made time recently to go out and see live performances and films because, well, because it’s possible again. And because they make all the other struggles worthwhile.
Oakland City https://jananiforoakland.com/Council
A Bit of This and
For more info, email Gert ( gmcmullin@aidsmemorial.org ) or Michael ( mbongiorni@aidsmemorial.org ).
To Your Queer Health! HIV/AIDS, Monkeypox, and Elders
The celebration of Pasolini’s work continues at the Pacific Film Archive and the Berkeley Art Museum with screenings of eight of his films, October 22 through November 22. For info and tickets: www.bampfa.org
“Dear Senator: You’re Invited ... ”
What Dubb Says Carolyn Wysinger
The Quilt Needs You!
Banned Books Week: Judy Blume Speaks Out
Truth. Beauty. Freedom. Love.
Bay forNowLGBTQAreaWomenRunningOffice
Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones, and whirred it all together into one huge, delicious, fabulously frothy sundae, with extra cherries and glittery sprinkles on top. I went in with no expectations, and came out dancing down the street. Moulin Rouge is a bold and brilliant antidote to the grim reality around us. Sheer theatrical pizzazz can be good for your spirits.
Fair Time
The first workshop was held September 10, and they will continue on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, from 12–4 pm as follows:
Carolyn Wysinger
BART Board of https://www.janiceforbart.com/Supervisors
Janice Li
I’m willing to bet a lot of you grew up reading Judy Blume’s classic tween novel Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. A perennial favorite since its publi cation in 1970, it has also appeared on bannedbooks lists more frequently than almost any other book. Why? It is because of its frank and realistic portrayal of the thoughts and concerns of pre-teen girls as they navigate the challenges of puberty, menstruation, bras, boys, and religion.
San Mateo County Board of https://www.lauraforsupervisor.com/Supervisors
4 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
Monterey County https://www.tinaforsheriff.com/Sheriff
2nd Saturdays: At the Quilt office at 543 Castro Street (between 18th & 19th Streets)
El Cerrito City http://www.carolynwysinger.com/Council
Carolyn Wysinger is an LGBTQ author, activist, and President of the SF Pride Board of Directors. She has written for Autostraddle, Everyday Feminism, and Black Girl Dangerous. She can be found starting trouble on Instagram & Twitter @CdubbTheHost
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volun teer, activist, and ally.
Happy September!
Alameda County Board of https://www.supervisorkaplan.org/Supervisors
San Francisco Board of https://www.honeymahogany.comSupervisors
Rebecca Kaplan
Laura Parmer-Lohan
Amie Carter
For 35 years, panels from the Quilt have been displayed in venues large and small, indoors and outdoors, hanging or on the ground. It was designed to be modular, so that por tions of it could always be on the road. But the traveling and displays also mean inevitable wear and tear on the panels. Many need some lov ing attention, like loose buttons or other small items that need to be sewn down firmly to avoid being lost.
Well done, Zola. Let’s hope the senators accept this invitation. Read all about their clever cam paign here: https://tinyurl.com/RFAZola
Why, send them a lovely invitation, of course.
You heard Blume. Go out and make your voice heard. Start by speaking up to your local school board, and keep speaking all the way up the line of your elected officials. The only way for us to pro tect freedom us to fight for https://bannedbooksweek.org/it.
When the House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act on July 19, all eyes turned to the Senate to see if and when they would pass it as well. The bill would officially repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require all states to legally recognize same-sex and inter racial unions. Given the warning signals from the current right-wing Supreme Court, the bill is seen as providing necessary protections for the right to privacy, including same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and more. With so much on the line, and the midterm elections just two months away, how do you get the attention of lawmakers?
Nenna Joiner
Zola CEO and co-founder Shan-Lyn Ma told AdWeek , “This was really a no-brainer for us, to step up and look at how can we do everything pos sible to make sure that this bill passes.”
Janani Ramachandran
We are about 6 weeks away from Election Day 2022 (November 8), and as many of you know, I am currently running for office! But I am not the only LGBTQ woman doing so. Across the Bay Area, there are many LGBTQ women stepping up to support our communities by running for elected office.
Gert McMullin instructs volunteers at a Quilt workshop.
Banned Books Week is through September 24. As the extreme right-wing escalates its assault on the freedom to read and think by banning books from schools and libraries, it was refreshing to see Blume speaking out on the issue. In an interview in AARP Magazine, she said: “We went through a period of book banning in the ’80s, and it seemed that we came out of it. And now here we are all over again. Mine get banned frequently because they are about the inner lives of tweens, and I try to really reflect the ways kids think and feel, including about puberty and sexuality. What I tell people is, ‘Unless you stand up and say why these books are important to you, they’re going to be gone. So, you’d better make your voice heard.’”
The Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference and Openhouse will co-sponsor a free hybrid event—both live and on Zoom—on Saturday, October 8, from 11 am–3 pm. The live event includes lunch, and is wheelchair accessible. The program includes a discussion of HIV and aging populations, as well as the ongoing crisis at Laguna Honda and the national response to the current MPX outbreaks.
Want to help preserve and maintain the AIDS Memorial Quilt? Now is your chance: volunteers are needed to help with quilt repair.
Gert McMullin and Michael Bongiorni are hosting new panel and repair workshops, and they swear you don’t need to be an expert; if you can sew a button on a shirt, they’ll put you to work. Gert, lovingly referred to as “the Mother of the Quilt,” has been with the Quilt since its beginnings in 1987. As the Quilt’s official conservator, one of her jobs is to maintain the physical integrity of the Quilt. Michael’s tenure with the Quilt goes back almost as far, as he has coordinated Quilt displays across the globe; he still can’t sew.
In Case You Missed It
Inclusive marriage planning website Zola created an elegant wedding-style invitation that ran as a full-page ad in The Washington Post on September 13, inviting senators to codify marriage equal ity by voting for the Respect for Marriage Act. And just to make sure they got the message, Zola is mailing the invitation to any senator who has not publicly declared their support for the Act. 60 votes are needed to pass it in the Senate.
Panelists will include: Theresa Palmer, Laguna Honda; Dr. Monica Gandhi, Director of HIV Clinic at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital; Vince Crisostomo, Director for HIV & Aging, San Francisco AIDS Foundation; Vinnie Eng, Openhouse Board.
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools https://carter4schools.org/ Tina Nieto
4th Saturdays: At the Quilt ware house, 130 Doolittle Drive, San Leandro Bongiorni94577toldhow at the first work shop a group of volunteers ages 6 to 60 helped make repairs to sev
Honey Mahogany
eralThatsectionsof
Pasolini 100
The Bay Area is joining in a worldwide centen nial celebration of the life and work of Pier Palo Pasolini this year. An all-day mini-festival was held at the Castro Theatre on September 10, fea turing screenings of Pasolini’s Mamma Roma , Accattone, Medea, and Salo, as well as Abel Ferrara’s dramatic film about Pasolini’s final days, Pasolini, starring Willem Dafoe.
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On the agenda are upcoming legislative goals for HIV policy as well as the U.S. response to the MPX infections happening globally. Local, state, and federal strategies will be discussed, as well as
It’s as if they threw La Traviata , La Boheme, and Rent into a blender, added a supersized dollop of
HARTRIVERAKELLYBYPHOTOHARTRIVERAKELLYBYPHOTO
Since my brain is deep in campaign fog, it makes better use of my space here to list who those women are and how you can find them to support their campaigns! Remember, the best ways you can help are to donate or sign up to canvass in their dis tricts. And to show you how much I care, I won’t even list myself first :)
Pasolini was hugely influential as a writer, poet, filmmaker, and intellectual. But as a man who was both openly gay and proudly Marxist, he stirred controversy because he persisted in push ing the boundaries of what was considered accept able at that time. His legacy as a queer pioneer was referenced by the consuls general of both Italy and Greece at the Castro prior to the screening of Medea, as they both acknowledged how fitting it was that Pasolini’s films were being shown in the Castro neighborhood, and particularly at the Castro Theatre.
Folsom Street Fair (September 25) and Castro Street Fair (October 2) are both coming soon. Is it safe to go? The good news is that monkeypox infections seem to be dropping, thanks to public awareness campaigns and the greater availability of vaccines. However, monkeypox and COVID are still around. So please take appropriate pre cautions, folks. Have a great time, and stay safe.
More info: graysonconference@gmail.com
Oakland City https://www.joinerforoakland.com/Council
Joanie Juster
After more than two years of making do with less, of diminished expectations and smaller dreams, there is nothing like returning to the live theatre for a Really Big Show. Moulin Rouge is all that, and much, much more. It glitters, it sparkles, it roars with energy and excitement. It pulls out every stop, with eye-popping scenery, bewitching costumes, dazzling lighting, melodrama, schmaltz, and, of course, True Love.
the Quilt: “A volunteer with a nee dle in hand looked up from a loose photo and said, ‘I can almost hear Roberto giggling.’ Volunteers gained a deeper understanding of the AIDS years, shared Quilt history, and the importance of com ing together for good.”
what available services exist but have not yet been well integrated. This lack of resources is an addi tional burden, particularly on older people who have been living through the HIV/AIDS pan demic over the past 41 years.
6 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
• $500 additional deposit: for fos ter youth;
ahaveCarrollCouncilmemberThao,TemporePresidentFortunatoPresidentwithtives.contracepI,alongCouncilNikkiBas,ProShengandFife,introducedresolutionthat
I encourage you to register for a webinar to find out more about this new program. The soonest dates include: October 6 and 20, from 11 am–noon PST. You can regis ter through the CalKIDS website: Whilehttps://calkids.org/therearemore than one hun dred programs nationwide that open long-term savings accounts for chil dren, California’s will be the largest. As Assembly Budget Chair, it’s excit ing to think about our investment and the brighter futures that the CalKIDS program has the potential to bring. A degree or special career training can open so many doors, leading to good careers and upward mobility. Plus, an educated workforce helps the state’s economy thrive.
With statistics like that, it’s easy to see motivation behind another great program we just launched called the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program, or CalKIDS. It promotes the mind set—even the expectation—of going to college, while also helping fami lies jumpstart college funds with seed money from last year’s and this year’s state budget, totaling more than $2
While people cannot directly add money to a CalKIDS account, they can open a ScholarShare 529 col lege savings account to make their own deposits, then link the CalKIDS account to it. CalKIDS is managed by the ScholarShare Investment Board, which is under the California
September is College Savings Month! To celebrate, ScholarShare529, a state-sponsored college savings plan, is offering a $100 bonus when you open an account by the end of this month with an initial deposit of $1,000 or more. Anyone can contrib ute thereafter. Watch earnings grow; then when it’s time, withdrawals for qualified higher education expenses are tax-free at both the federal and state level.
the right not to choose to use
NotPropositiontotheinPropositionbyOncehttps://tinyurl.com/2fc4b2edCMS:again,wearetakingastandsharingourferventsupportof1,whichwouldenshrinetheCaliforniaStateConstitutionrighttoanabortionandtherightchoosetousecontraceptivesand1:Gamblingwith Women’s Reproductive Rights
Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://tinyurl.com/2p974fmk ) and (Facebookhttps://tinyurl.com/34c3zkrv ).
Assemblymember Phil Ting
Court rollback on a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion has reverberated across the county, both galvanizing commu nities to denounce the decision and energizing others to impose strict limitations on individuals seeking an abortion. Since the reversal, more than 20 states have restricted access to abortions, imposing criminal sanc tions on individuals receiving or per forming an abortion. In some cases, states have also imposed civil offenses against any person who aids or abets a person who is receiving an abor
College Savings Rates
When the child enrolls in a four-year or community college, or a techni cal/vocational program, the state will send the money directly to eli gible schools across the country and even some abroad for the student’s educational expenses, like tuition, books, computer equipment, sup plies, and more. The student must live in California for at least one year immediately preceding a distribution to a postsecondary institution. If the money is not used for college before the age of 26, the money stays in the fund for others to use.
Reproductivetion.
College savings accounts will be automatically opened for all lower income students in California from grades 1–12 and all newborns born on or after July 1, 2022. The California Department of Education and the California Department of Public Health will identify the children who qualify, which may include families on CalFresh or CalWORKS. There is no need to apply, and no requirement that fam ilies make any kind of financial com mitment. The state-funded, one-time deposits are as follows:
• $25 automatic deposit: every eli gible child born on or after July 1, •2022;$25 additional deposit: those who register on the pro gram’s online portal;
On June 24, 2022, Californians woke up to a world that many of us had never known. Earlier that day, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the devastating decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center. And with that, 50 years of settled law that was Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights, was struck down. The consequences have been vast and tremendously negative. With a subsequent wave of restrictions and bans on abortions in states through out the U.S., Oakland has pushed back against these regressive poli cies, declaring Oakland a Right-toChoose Sanctuary City in Resolution No. 89201
Why start? Research shows that chil dren with a college savings account with $500 or less are three times more likely to enroll in college and nearly four times more likely to grad uate than children with no savings.
Up to $100 for newborn children, regardless of income:
Boostingbillion.
• $50 additional deposit: those who link a new or existing ScholarShare 529 account to the CalKIDS account.
State Treasurer’s Office, ensuring the seed money will safely grow.
Out of the Closet and into City Hall
Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco and portions of South San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City.
• $500 automatic deposit: eligi ble lower income public school stu dents in grades 1–12;
freedom is intertwined with many issues of social justice, such as economic, gender, and racial equity. A strong support system for reproductive freedom measures therefore ensures people of all back grounds have access to the care they need and reproductive choices they want. We know access to reproduc tive health care should not depend on your zip code, and people should be able to access reproductive health care without medically unnecessary barriers or restrictions.
would put the City of Oakland on the record in support of Proposition 1 and the rights it safe
Theguards.Supreme
Up to $1,500 for 3.4 million schoolage children:
Proposition 1, which will be voted on in the November 2022 election, will allow individuals and families to con tinue to have the freedom to deter mine what is best for them and their families, giving people the ability to plan their lives and make important reproductive decisions without gov ernment interference. By expressly stating the right to choose to have an abortion is a fundamental right in the California Constitution, Proposition 1 will protect against potential future attacks at the federal level and ero sion of those rights by the courts and legislatures. With the passage of Proposition 1, Californians won’t live in fear of a morning like June 24. I encourage you to vote for Proposition 1 for the future of women in this state.
• $500 additional deposit: for youth experiencing homelessness.
of her fellow activists are now writing memoirs of their life and times. Asked if she had ever considered pen ning a memoir, she said that her cartoons stand as her record of her life and work in activism. “The cartoons are my memoir of many of our lives at certain times under certain circumstances,” she explained. “I think I have around 300 cartoons drawn between 1984 and the present.” She added that the need to keep the wording brief in cartoons provides discipline that helps hone and focus her message.
became known for her effective and strategic leadership skills, guid ing with a firm hand, drama-free demeanor, and keen focus on the mission. And throughout it all, she kept chronicling the times in her car toons. Even through the most diffi cult times—losing friends to AIDS, Rebecca’s death from breast cancer in 2001, and Ewing’s own bout with cancer—Ewing kept drawing.
Photos by Joanie Juster
tions.andinershipwork,thenenceCivilshowingso,showanstopthat?“WhoseRebeccarecounts,asked,faultisWeneedtowaitingforinvitation&up!”Andtheystartedup.disobeditraining,volunteerledtoleadpositionsmovementsorganizaEwing
work has been fea tured on community out reach literature and in local publications including this publication, the San Fran cisco Bay Times ; The Senti nel; and Lesbian News. It has also been featured in many underground commix and community-oriented anthol ogies. In 2015, she collected favorite ones from the beginning with a sequen tial narrative entitled It Gets Bitter (available on her web site). She’s now (very) casu ally working on a follow up that reflects her elder sta tus, It Gets Brittle. The tim ing of the current show is largely a result of hav
And during all that time, as she was leading movements and guiding non profits, she was drawing cartoons that reflected the times and commu nities in which she lived and worked.
Leslie Ewing’s résumé reads like a roll call of activism and social jus tice movements of the past four decades, featuring leadership roles at the NAMES Project AIDS Memo rial Quilt, AIDS Emergency Fund, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, Under One Roof, Lyon-Martin Health Services, 1993 March on Washington, Queer & Present Dan ger, the marriage equality move ment, the Pacific Center for Human Growth, the National AIDS Memo rial, and much more.
She told me for the San Francisco Bay Times : “The cancer ones are pow erful because cancer is powerful, I guess. And, these cartoons are not afraid to make fun of cancer. Can cer is something that touches most
Raised in Orange County, Ewing said she started cartooning in grade school. “As Pete Seeger once said, ‘Plagiarism is the root of all creativ ity!’ I first learned by tracing charac ters in coloring or comic books, then changing them slightly to create new ones. I would then make up stories and ‘illustrate’ them.”
Ewing’s cartoons can be viewed at the Rockridge Café during business hours, 8:30 to 2 pm daily through October 25. It is located at 5492 College Avenue, just a few blocks from the Rockridge BART Station. She has announced plans to be at the café each Saturday during the show’s run around 1 pm, to greet viewers. For more of her www.leslieewing.comwork:
gender, race, and social justice movements.
Manynity.”
product selec tion & visual pre sentation, and for over 20 years she consulted with theme parks and attractions, and represented man ufacturers. While living in Nevada, she canvassed to promote the pas sage of the ERA. Moving to North ern comingCalifornia,out,and falling in love with Rebecca LePere, who became her partner for 20 years, were all part of a life-changing journey that led to increased participation in activ ist movements. Settling down in the Rockridge district of Oakland at the beginning of the AIDS cri sis, they found an increasing aware ness of the need to be of service, but they didn’t know anyone with the disease. As Ewing
ing time on her hands during COVID isolation. “I kind of started thinking about it in terms of ‘If not now, when?’ I am 73, after all,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve ever shown them and I am treating it like a learning opportu
She went on to study art design at Occidental College & UCLA, working her way through school at Disneyland’s shops. Her design expe rience led to merchandising design,
Leslie Ewing
of us one way or another and we shouldn’t be afraid of it, even though it might kill us. Matt Sharp once told my partner Rebecca, ‘Hit hard and hit early!’ when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Ten years later, when I was doing chemo and radiation for uterine cancer, I would take my iPad to treatment and draw while I joked with the nurses who watched over me. Humor was my contribution to the treatment Ewing’splan.”
TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 7
Joanie Juster is a long-time commu nity volunteer, activist, and ally.
Now, for the first time, she has mounted a public exhibit of her car toons, at the Rockridge Café in Oak land through October 26. Created over a period of nearly four decades, the exhibit con sists of more than toonsdozenthreecarthat cap ture the foundhumanityhumoringwellEwing’singbeenismpoliticalchroniclesoftimes.humorandchallenges,spirit,quirkyofthoseHercastcharacterstheactivthathasthedrivforceoflife,asasexplorboththeandtobeinsexuality,
Political Cartoons of LGBTQ and Social Justice Activist Leslie Ewing on Display for First Time
By Joanie Juster
The Bay Times is proud to be the first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city. diStriButioN
Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Darryl Pelletier, Vincent Marcel
Who was the first openly gay candidate for public office in the U.S.?
In Mexico on the morning of November 18, 1901, a drag ball took place that attracted homosex uals and transvestites. It was raided and attendees were arrested; many were wealthy, influential individu als. At least 22 partygoers were cap tured, had their heads shaved, and were jailed. Nineteen who were in
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(continued on page 14)
Introduced by Congressperson George E. Brown in June of 1968, National Hispanic Heritage Month has a mission to highlight, appreci ate, and celebrate the colorful cul tures, history, and diversity of the
Custom by the
In addition to being National Hispanic Heritage Month, September is also the month for observing National Suicide Prevention Week (September 4–September 10). The suicide death rate for Latinx indi viduals nationally is more than double than that for other populations, according to the Suicide Prevention Center. The suicide rate for Latinx men is additionally more than four times that of Latinx women. You can see some of the data here: https://tinyurl.com/yckz352k
National Suicide Prevention Week
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The San Francisco-based non profit AGUILAS: El Ambiente has been honored by a project called the Award Program that honors “the achievements and accomplishments of local busi nesses throughout the area,” according to the program’s website. “Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competi tive advantages and long-term
Thehttps://tinyurl.com/mc6vapdjstateoffersresourcestohelp
“Eachvalue.”year, the Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved excep tional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local com panies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These excep tional companies help make the area a great place to live, work, and play.”
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Hint, he was the founder of the Imperial Court system in 1965 in San Francisco. José Sarria, also known as Mama José, adopted the name Widow Norton in 1964 with refer ence to Joshua Norton, who declared himself Emperor of the U.S. and Protector of Mexico in 1859. The Imperial Court System is the sec ond largest LGBTQ+ organization in the world second to the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). As a grassroots network of organizations, the Imperial Court System has a focus of building community relation ships for equality and raising funds for charitable causes.
What does ‘el 42’ mean?
publishers.
The 2020 Trevor Project reports Latinx LGBTQ youth were thirty per cent more likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year. It was deter mined that these youth had greater worries about themselves and their family being detained or deported to immigration policies. Those who were particularly anxious had double the risk of attempting suicide. assess, treat, and intervene in moments
Test Your LGBTQ+ Latinx Knowledge for National Hispanic Heritage Month
We honor
strengthen
JuaN r davila voluNteer coordiNator
ability to build
8 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 Roland Schembari and Bill PublisherKim1978FoundingRandyCo-FoundersHartman,Alfred,NewsEditorCorsaro,1981-2011 2261 Market Street, No. 309 SaN FraNciSco ca 94114 PhoNe: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue aveNue oaklaNd ca 94610 e Mail:www.sfbaytimes.comeditor@sfbaytimes.com
taBitha PareNt SPecial aSSigNMeNt 2022
Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Carolyn Wysinger, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Tabitha Parent, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, 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
aDVeRTISINg
dr. Betty l. SullivaN JeNNiFer l viegaS co-PuBliSherS & co editorS Beth greeNe, Michael delgado, JohN SigNer aBBy ZiMBerg deSigN & ProductioN kate lawS BuSiNeSS MaNager Blake dilloN caleNdar editor kit keNNedy Poet iN reSideNce J.h herreN techNology director carla raMoS weB coordiNator Mario ordoNeZ
The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. our history and the paper’s and unity in our community.
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pendence on that day including El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, and Chile. October 12 is Día de la Raza, which recognizes the cultural fusion of indigenous American and Spanish Contributionsheritage.
Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com
American Latinx community. It started as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Johnson, and was extended to a 30-day celebration by President Reagan and enacted into law on August 17, 1988, as Public Law 100-142. September 15 of each year is the start date, since several Latin countries celebrate their inde
of Latinx Americans to the LGBTQ+ movement are vast. Let’s test your knowledge!
AGUILAS Recognized for ServiceCommunity
The program has also honored Intuit, Inc., the American Red Cross, Zipcar, and https://www.sfaguilas.org/more.
I haven’t been paying much atten tion to the World Cup, scheduled to be held in one of those antigay Arab countries, Qatar, in October. I remember people mentioning that it could get well over a hun dred degrees at this time of the year, which doesn’t sound like a great time. I also have yet to understand
Out of The Closet
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 9
Oh, I’m just kidding. The man threw a vacuum cleaner at his son’s mother and I’m sure he deserves whatever he gets in terms of punishment. Still, I hope the Chiefs manage to hold the fort until he returns.
Yeshiva is not technically a religious corporation, but a secular college, receiving public money and sub ject to New York City’s anti-discrim ination codes. A state court judge ordered the college to accept the gay club, but Yeshiva instead booed and hooed and asked the High Court to give them an injunction to allow them to ban the gay club while they litigate its Surprisingly,fate.Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh joined the three liberals on the bench in rul ing against Yeshiva, mainly because the college did not bother to cor rectly file an appeal with the New York Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) prior to running to the Supremes like a spoiled child.
they both knew exactly what was on that roadway!
And while we’re off our main subject, I have a secret source to thank for news that the COO of Beyond Meat was arrested for biting off part of a man’s nose during a road rage fight in the parking lot of the University of Arkansas football stadium. I guess someone inched in front of his car while he was in line to exit and made contact. According to the account, the Beyond Meat guy, Doug Ramsey, 53, hopped out of his car, smashed the back window of the other car, and when that driver emerged, Ramsey attacked him in what sounds like a blind rage.
Given the High Court’s track record on religious freedom cases, I have no doubt Yeshiva will eventually emerge victorious from a showdown before the nine justices. But they will have to wait. Meanwhile, in a fit of pique, Yeshiva decided to ban all student clubs rather than allow the gay club to carry on.
them receiving state money and con sidered public schools for the pur poses of, oh, I don’t know, civil rights law. According to court records, the dress code reflected the founder’s notion that girls are “a fragile vessel that men are supposed to take care of and honor,” and that wearing skirts inspired students and staff to “treat girls more courteously and more gen tly than boys.”
So, I’m going to resist the story about the chess expert who may have cheated by wearing vibrat ing anal beads and getting a friend to remotely feed him computer ized moves, because as much as we enjoy these tidbits from you-knowwho-you-are, we have serious news to Let’scover.start with Manhattan-based Yeshiva University, which insists on rejecting a GLBT campus student club based on religious objections. The only problem with this is that
That said, of course a Congressional stamp of approval on the right to marry is a welcome addition to our arsenal of legal weapons. And just in case I am wrong about the Court’s possible future rulings (surely an unlikely development), a same-sex marriage law would protect us from that kind of outrage. Finally, how ever, it occurs to me that I’ve never bothered to read the text of this mar riage bill. Have you? I suppose one of us Youshould.goahead.
We’re Gonna Celebrate
“Not really. Maybe you can tell—I can’t tell,” Jim replied. “There’s a lot of stuff laying on the road. Whatever it is, it’s going to take a while to clean
Shame On Yeshiva
Note that Yeshiva’s law school, Cardozo Law School, has long had a gay student group and has stressed to the public that it is committed to GLBT rights as well as gay and trans legal studies.
(continued on page 14)
While we’re on the subject of schools, the High Court, discrimination, and state actors, do you recall the case of the charter school in North Carolina that wanted to force girls to wear skirts and boys to be “chival rous”? There are four “Charter Day Schools” in North Carolina, all of
Let’s see what else is new. The gay marriage bill in Congress has been put on hold until the lame duck ses sion, because it seems our side is hav ing a hard time getting the ten GOP Senate votes we need for success. The votes are there in theory, we are told, but they will be hard to wrangle before the midterms. As The New York
Oh,up.”
Times explains, the bill was designed as a symbolic gesture, but after win ning 45 GOP votes in the House, Democrats saw a road to passage in the Senate and went to work to make that happen.
It (Probably) Can’t Hurt
Boomer Sooner
The majority sent the case back to a lower court for further analysis under Title IX, the federal ban on sex dis crimination in public education. I suppose I could scrounge around to find out what happened to that aspect of the case, but I don’t think we need to dive that deep. Charter Day is asking the Supreme Court to review the case, so we’ll see what they say. For now, however, the girls are wearing the pants in the class room.
After one family sued in 2016, the case see-sawed around the courts, eventually winding up before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Last June, the 10–6 court ruled that Charter Day was indeed part of the public school system and obliged by the Equal Protection Clause to forgo discriminatory sexbased classifications.
“Jim, can you tell what he’s carry ing there? What’s all over the road?” asked the anchor.
Finally, since we’ve lowered our stan dards and are just beginning the slow climb towards reclaiming our dig nity, let’s turn again to our favorite
If you ask me, the bill remains sym bolic. Marriage is legal in this coun try, and regardless of some scare tactics in the press, not even this con servative High Court will endanger that status. Further, I fear that some lawmakers might use a “yes” vote on this marriage bill as an excuse to vote “no” on something that really matters—the Equality Act, for exam ple. So, in general, I’m not a big fan of this effort.
Discussing the incident was not easy for the bashful local news correspon dents, who seemingly could not bring themselves to utter the words “sex toys” or “dildos” on the air.
Loyal readers may recall that I used to cover the exploits of pro basketball player Rudy Gay, only because sto ries about him would appear when ever I googled “gay.” It was no big deal, but if I were out of topics and at the end of my column, I’d toss in some news about our pal Rudy as sort of a joke. But Readers, Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay is no joke. The Chiefs are my favorite football team. Willie Gay is a defensive genius. And now, he has to sit out the next four games because some biddies over at NFL headquarters decided to med dle in his personal business. Say it ain’t so!
GLBT Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow
source who informs us (via the Daily News) that a truckload of sex toys spilled onto a major interstate high way just outside of Oklahoma City the other day. I guess the toys can no longer be sold since they touched the ground, even though they were in their packages. What a waste.
“This is a semi that overturned and lost its load here,” pilot Jim Gardner told his anchor. “There is a lot of stuff to clean up.”
Ann F, Biderman, 67, a Rossmoor resident, passed away in Dallas, Texas, on July 2, 2022.
10 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
Kit Kennedy
Ann was preceded in death by her par ents, Max and Helen Prengler Biderman. She was the beloved sister of Linda (Barry) Hoffer and brother Stanley and wife Kathryn Minette. She was a loving and attentive aunt to neph ews and nieces Hollan Hoffer, Andrea (Matt) Silverman, Harlo Hoffer, and Zach (Annie) Biderman.
Ann had flair and a zest for life. As President of the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club (RLSC), she expertly guided RLSC during the height of COVID by quickly moving existing activ ities to Zoom and creating new ways to connect virtually, such as dancing and story telling. Under President Ann’s creative lead ership, RLSC thrived.
Poet in Residence
Persimmons herald the New Year and the heart’s hard work.
Ann Biderman (front row left) co-hosted a reception for Kamala Harris during Harris’ first campaign for elected office.
I cradle the Fuyu no crevices lodge white lies no folds trap presentments.
She was the essence of joie de vivre. She loved music and sang, played drums and guitar, and relished jamming with oth ers. She was an inspiring DJ who also loved dancing. Ann had an impish smile and a knack for turning something as mundane as grocery shopping into an adventure. She immersed herself in nature, marveling at hummingbirds, whales, and everything in Wildflowerbetween.
Not quite ripe time deepens orange-red crafts a crunchiness to truth. Flesh holds firm the lesson: from ripe to rot within a few steps.
A Poem for Ann Biderman
TIMESBAYFRANCISCOSAN PHOTO
season was her holiday time. Travelling brought Ann joy, especially if it included an alfresco meal in Italy. Back at Rossmoor, Ann enjoyed pickleball and golf. She was a professional bookkeeper and organizer, holding leadership offices in the National Organization of Organizers. Ann was also active in Jewish Lesbian Daughters of Holocaust Survivors. Above all, Ann loved her family and her circle of friends.
Ann never lost her Texas accent.
How the heart leans into what must be set aside issues forgiveness and beckons us into living.
Additionally, she is survived by six great nieces, Lexi, Sammy, Justice, Casey, Davie, and Noa; uncles; and many cousins. A Celebration of Life for Ann Biderman was held at Rossmoor on Sunday, September 4, 2022, at 4 pm in the Fireside Room. Donations in her name can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Dallas Holocaust Museum, or the Contra Costa Food Bank.
In Memoriam: Ann Biderman, Former President of the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club IN MEMORIAM
Photos Courtesy of Kit Kennedy
Kit Kennedy is the Poet-in-Residence of the “San Francisco Bay Times” and at herchurch Ebenezer Lutheran ( http://www.herchurch.org/ ). She has published 5 poetry collections, and for several years hosted the poetry series at Gallery Café. For more information, please visit her http://poetrybites.blogspot.comblog:
TENUOUS & RESPONSIBLE IS ABUNDANCE
By Kit Kennedy
She was a first generation American, born in Dallas of two Holocaust survi vors. She grew up in Dallas and gradu ated from UT Austin. Living in Austin after college, Ann eventually moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spent most of her adult life. Boy-howdy,
AssociationMembers
MEMORIAM
IN
In Memoriam: Bradley “Scott” Levine, Former President of GGBA and the Rainbow Business
A memorial service was held at the Green Lawn Memorial Park Chapel in Colma. Memorial gifts in Scott’s memory may be made to the GGBA: http://www.ggba.com
of the San Francisco Bay Time s team fondly remember Scott for his role in carrying the banner in the newspaper’s San Francisco Pride Parade contingent for several years as well as for his legal counsel.
Scott Levine with Kevin Cox
Scott loved living in San Francisco and made his permanent home there with part ner Kevin Cox. He became “Uncle Scott” to Kevin’s many nieces and nephews and was deeply admired and inspired by Kevin’s mother, Juanita. Scott and Kevin’s relation ship spanned 28 remarkable years and they acknowledged bringing out the best in each Scottother.was a volunteer and leader in the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community, serving as presi dent of the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA), where he was revered as a Business Networking Group leader. He also served as president of the Rainbow Business Association in the East Bay and was known for organizing San Francisco Bay cruise parties during the holiday season in December.
ily, including brother Marc, relo cated. He entered college at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, at the age of 16. Following his graduation in 1979, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to enter the University of San Francisco Law School, where he excelled and earned the cov eted American Jurisprudence Award in Corporation Law and gradu ated in 1982. He completed the LLM advanced law degree from Golden Gate University Law School.
Bradley Scott Levine, a Bay Area-based attorney and LGBTQ community leader, died on July 20,
Photos courtesy of Kevin Cox
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 11
His career in law spanned more than four decades and included his active practice followed by service as an arbi trator/mediator where he helped liti gants settle disputes out of court. The San Francisco Bay Times was among his clients.
Born2022.
Scott Levine with his parents on Graduation Day
in 1958, Scott grew up in New York State and was the son of Chuck and Natalie Levine. He spent his teen years in Florida after his fam
San Francisco Bay Times Honored as Best Newspaper for Excellence & Community Service
Media
Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, CHEER SF, Transgender Law Center, pioneering marathon runner Cal Calamia Rockaway, Bacardí drink specials, Name That Tune 7
Drinks The Bay Times monthly party at The Academy
https://tinyurl.com/mtnakss6$10pmFriday,September30
https://www.folsomstreet.org/Free!Saturday,October1 The Emperors’ 50th Anniversary: A Golden Jubilee The Imperial Council of San Francisco & Brotherhood of Emperors Historical moments, performances, food, & drink Oasis, 298 11th Street 5–9 https://www.sfimperialcouncil.org/$30pm SACHETDONNAOFCOURTESYPHOTO
Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)
“To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past, I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy. With the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.”
Following the program, we returned to the City Hall Rotunda where elaborate gowns and sparkling jewelry reminded us of more traditional Opening Night revelry. As is our habit, we shall give special recognition to the particularly stylish presentations of Komal Shah in strapless multitiered rich colors, Maria Manetti Shrem in a dramatic floral print, Vasily Vein & Rada Katz in theatrical fantasy-wear, and Mayor London Breed in shocking pink off-the-shoulder drama. (For the fashion curious, we changed our pre-selected gown to wear a black beaded slip dress with beaded shawl in deference to the recent death of Great Britain’s Monarch.) After a bit more socializing with the likes of Tom Horn, Joel Goodrich, Mark Cal vano, John Rosin, David Laudon & Randy Laroche, we strolled into the crisp evening air, proud of 100 years of SF Opera and humbled by the opportu nity to be included in Opening Night.
W
We also attended two different title contests, both coincidentally held at the SF Eagle on different weekends. The Imperial Court concluded their vigor ous Golden Gate Gaymes in Golden Gate Park with the crowning of the new Mr. Golden Gate Fernando Palacios, Miss Golden Gate Nikita Vega, and Ms. Golden Gate MD Bunni. Watch for them as they are out in the com munity raising money for worthy organizations a part of the Imperial Court. And after a vigorous competition between three contestants and judged by Jeffery Wayne, Caity Lynch, Brent Heinze, Howie Ramirez, and Reika Minxie, the new Mr. Eagle Leather is Mark Hankins, who will go on to compete for Mr. San Francisco Leather. At that contest, skill fully emceed by Tammy Lg Hatter and Daddy Ray Tilton, a special Leather-to-Leather award was presented to Lenny Broberg, Interna tional Mr. Leather 1992, on his 30th anniversary, but not before Sis ter Roma reprised her poem written for Lenny’s roast several years ago. Suffice it to say, the audience was in stitches with laughter! At both these events, we were thrilled to reunite with many in the Leather community, reminded of their strong bonds, fundrais ing acumen, and proud legacy.
where we chatted with John Newmeyer (in elegant white tie), Mark Rhoades, Tony Bravo, Russ Fischella, and even Kate Brown, President of SF Dykes on Bikes. We then crossed Van Ness to the Opera House where gorgeous floral displays, again generously provided by Diane Wilsey, and Cham pagne awaited. This being the 100th year of the SF Opera, it was decided to change things up a bit and instead of a full opera, to present a concert. Reviews were mixed. We loved seeing the full orchestra seated on stage, offering the audience a rare chance to see the instrumentalists and to watch the skill ful direction of Eun Sun Kim, most notably in the commissioned world premiere of Texu Kim’s fffanfare, a five-minute tour de force con taining passages from 25 operas; but we missed the grand costuming, sets, and other visual aspects of a full opera. We enjoyed the insight and occasional humor offered by emcees Matthew Shilvoch, SF Opera Gen eral Director, and famed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; but the format of musical segments grouped by the emcees did not best show case the music included. And we relished the beautiful operatic perfor mances of tenors Michael Fabiano and Pene Pati, baritone Lucas Meachem, and especially soprano Nadine Sierra ; but the conclud ing renditions drawn from popular musical comedies seemed strangely out of place. The shock of the night was a haka, a traditional ceremonial dance and song of the Maori people, performed by Pen Pati, dressed in native costume. No one could miss the pride with which this artist shared his New Zealand roots, but audience responses ranged from silent shock to energetic applause. This was, after all, an audience there to celebrate 100 years of outstanding opera history.
Divas
https://www.sfartscommission.org/Free!pmSaturday,October1 Folsom
PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT
The Fall social season officially kicked off on Friday, September 9, with Opening Night of the San Francisco Opera and this dedicated reporter was there to capture it for our readers. Our escort this year was the handsome Julian Marshburn, sporting formal leather head to toe. Festivities began at City Hall with a seated dinner in the Rotunda and cocktails and more casual dinner in the light courts,
DJ
39th
By Donna Sachet
On Friday, September 9, Donna Sachet attended Opening Night for the San Francisco Opera's 100th year escorted by Julian Marshburn. 30 &
hat a few weeks it has been! And through it all, we’ve been reminded that this marvelous City continues to give us extraordinary opportunities. As reported in the last issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, Queen M á xima of The Netherlands visited San Francisco and purposefully included the Castro in her whirlwind tour. Security was tight and the strings we pulled to be introduced to the Queen were unsuccessful, but we resolutely arrived in front of Twin Peaks in the Castro the morning of the announced visit and dutifully waited for her arrival. Soon the entourage appeared crossing Castro Street at 18th from the GLBT Historical Society Museum and after a brief stop in front of the iconic Castro Theatre, the Queen came into sight, elegantly swathed in hot pink, hair swept up on the sides, and wearing designer sunglasses. As she neared Twin Peaks, Mayor London Breed caught our eye and gestured to the guest of honor, saying, “Oh, you have to meet Donna Sachet!” Thanks to that generous moment, Queen M á xima turned to us, the cameras flashed, and we shared a couple of minutes of conversation. We thanked her for her bold support of the LGBTQ+ Community and her encouragement of music programs in schools. (A little research is always beneficial, just in case opportunity knocks.) Although brief, we found our conversation with Queen M á xima substantive and attentive, ending with her taking our hand in a parting handshake, an unusually personal gesture from a member of European Royalty. We have labeled some of our rare experiences as “pinch-me moments”; this was definitely one of those.
From rubbing shoulders with San Francisco’s elite to bumping into compatriots in the Leather and Drag com munities, is it any wonder we so frequently express our gratitude to this incredible City, full of opportunities and bristling with hope?
Juanita: 30 Years of MORE! Opening Reception of Fashion Exhibit Continues through November 12, 2022 SF Art Commission Main Gallery, War Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. 6–8 Street Fair year of Leather/Kink/ Alt-Sex celebration demos, people-watching 11 am–6 pm
Friday, September
Booths,
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fund raiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 13
This was a mass exodus of Cubans from Cuba’s Mariel Harbor to the U.S. between April 15 and October 30, 1980. Various churches including the MCC in San Francisco developed sponsorship programs for the exiled LGBTQ+ Cubans.
Fun! (Cue: Def Punk, “One More Time,” top volume.) Oh, the theme this year was sup posed to be “It’s Time.” Um, not quite yet, guys.
Thank you. I shall be raising a gin & tonic in your honor today celebrating the past and looking forward to the future with your son as our king; arise King Charles III.
Called La Monja Alférez (the “Nun Ensign”) and born in the coastal town of San Sebastián, Spain, she introduced herself as Francisco de Loyola. She fled the convent dressed as a man, worked as an accountant and page in 1607, then fled to America as a “cabin boy.” She became a soldier of fortune in Perú, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. When it was revealed that she was a woman, she returned to Spain where she was received by the Spanish King Philip IV. He awarded her a lifelong military pension. Then she visited Pope Urban VIII, who was clearly amazed at her story and officially granted her permission to wear men’s clothing. She collaborated with priest, poet, and novelist Juan Pérez de Montalván to write stories based on her adventures and returned to Mexico in 1630.
because we’re running out of space, you know the sanctimonious public high school football coach who insisted on holding a prayer session at the 50 yard line after games? I was just reading an interesting article about this joker in the aftermath of his vic tory before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Emmy Award-winning radio and television personality Liam Mayclem is regularly featured on KPIX as well as KCBS, where he is the popular Foodie Chap. Born in London, Mayclem is now at home in the Bay Area, where he lives with his husband, photographer Rick Camargo. For more information: https://www.bookliam.com/
MAYCLEM (continued from pg 3)
The Queen is dead.
Who was Catalina de Erauso (1592-1635)?
Long live The King.
The point I was getting to is that I am now realizing something that most people figured out months ago. The World Cup is about to be held in a country that outlaws homosex uality. According to Reuters, a survey of the roughly 70 hotels that welcome World Cup spectators shows that three of them will not accept gay couples, while 33 didn’t care and other 20 said gay couples were fine as long as they didn’t show any affection in public. I’m not sure what the other 14 hotels thought, but I am sure that I’m not going to Qatar any time soon. One hundred twenty degrees in the shade? No thank you. I’m not too keen on a seven-year prison sentence either.
14 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 Read More Online! www.sfbaytimes.com ROSTOW (continued from page 9)MORALES (continued from pg 8)
Who was considered the ‘Dean of Leather Columnists’?
It has been wonderful and stirring to watch all the pomp and pageantry these recent days. No country fully executes pomp better than the Brits, especially on moments like this, the passing of a monarch, the longest in British history, 70 glorious years. It’s been a mix of emotions, both gratitude and hurt.
Thank you, your Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for always being there, for rising above the fray, for being our constant while all other things went south.
Everyone at home is a little shaken. Although the Queen had a long, wonderful life, the news of her passing came quickly. No one was really, fully prepared. That royal face that adorns our money, our stamps, part of our daily lives—our entire lives—is gone, forever. The hurt is palpable.
Speaking of antigay foreign countries, whose idea was it to hold “EuroPride” in frig ging Serbia this year? EuroPride skips around from major city to major city in September of every year, centralizing the continent’s annual celebrations. The only exception is if “WorldPride” is held in Europe, then they skip EuroPride. I didn’t know that WorldPride was a thing, but you get the picture.
drag were sent to forced labor in the military. A 42nd person, “First Son in Law of the Nation” José Ignacio Mariano Santiago Joaquín Francisco de la Torre y Mier, the son of then president of Mexico Porfirio Díaz, managed to escape. The Mexican press on November 20, 1901, referred to the incident as “Los ’41 Maricones.” In 2020, the film Dance of the 41 about the events leading up to and after the party was released. It can be viewed on Netflix. Today the term “el 42” is used widely in Mexico in a derogatory manner to refer to someone as gay.
As I write this jocular account, it occurs to me that those brave activists risking life and limb in Belgrade and Doha and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and the Middle East are actually putting me to shame. Thank you for what you do, whoever you are and wherever you are.
family (Charlotte, Scarlet & Veronica) as they made their pilgrimage to Buckingham Palace to say thank you and goodbye.
What was the Mariel boatlift?
Eduardo Morales, PhD, is one of the founders of AGUILAS, where he serves as Executive Director. He is also a Professor Emeritus and retired Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Alliant International University and is the current Past President of the National Latinx Psychological Association.
This novel by Brazilian writer Adolfo Caminha, initially published in 1895, was one of the first major literary works on LGBQ+ issues published in western literature. It was also the first to have a Black person as its hero.
(I did just ask Alexa to put on “One More Time” at full blast.)
why I grew up calling this country “caTAAR,” when everyone now calls it “Cutter.” Was I wrong? Why? Where did I get the wrong pronunciation? Did it change at some point? Or was I always just wrong, like with “KEY-YEV” versus “Keeve”?
England-born artist Irene Hendrick, based in both San Francisco and London, often draws inspiration from U.K. history, particularly through stories that were told to her by her mother and grandmother concerning the post-World War II era. http://www.irenehendrick.com/
I wouldn’t sit by the phone if I were you. arostow@aol.com
Gilbert “Marcus” Hernandez (1932–2009) wrote a column for the Bay Area Reporter under the pen name “Mister Marcus.” His weekly column that ran for 38 years featured contests, goings-on, and gossip concerning the SF Bay Area’s leather community.
HENDRICK (continued from pg 3)
stories, I saw how the Queen’s self-sacrifice and hard work made my mother, who eventually went on to raise seven children, feel that the Queen was on her side. And I was inspired to paint images of workingclass people going about their daily lives in wartime, whether it be children playing on bombed out ruins, mothers walking with prams and young chil dren, or girls and boys holding suitcases as they prepared to be evacuated to the countryside away from the bombs.
At any rate, each year there are rainbow pictures and YOLO stories about EuroPride in say, Paris or Amsterdam or Madrid or some other cool city. This year, Serbia tried to can cel the event, but considering it was EuroPride, a shortened version went ahead amid righ twing protests and a few dozen GLBT people were arrested by Serbian police.
Missing In Action
In Seattle, a Christian university has caught the eye of the state Attorney General and become the target of a civil lawsuit after refusing to hire partnered gay men or lesbians as faculty. Sixteen staff, students, teachers, and alumni of Seattle Pacific University have sued the board members who voted in favor of the antigay “Employee Lifestyle Policy,” arguing that the school is “financially and structurally imploding” as a result of this and other deci Andsions.finally,
Bremerton High has done so. After all, this is an order from the Supreme Court. But Coach Kennedy has yet to show up on campus, given that he is busy touring the country as a rightwing celebrity. A spokeswoman for the school district told Westneat: “He’s had the paperwork for his reinstatement since August 8th, and we haven’t gotten so much as a phone call.”
What is Bom-Crioulo?
I have more stuff, but it’s hard to concentrate with nightclub music blaring through the room. Did you know that Marco Rubio has a penchant for electronic dance music? He confessed this to Anderson Cooper during the 2016 primary race.
were street parties everywhere, seemingly a great sense of the nation com ing together for a much-needed post-war community and a distraction from the hardship that was everywhere. Austerity was side by side with Fromostentation.these
First of all, Coach Joseph Kennedy was never fired from his post at Bremerton High school. He was told in 2015 to stop the public prayer sessions. He refused and was put on paid leave for the rest of the year. The following school year, Kennedy did not apply for a new part-time coaching contract, and that was that. During High Court arguments ear lier this year, the notion that Kennedy was “fired” for praying was raised repeatedly, both by Kennedy’s counsel and by the justices, and comments to the contrary were waved away with an attitude of “don’t quibble ... you know what we mean here.” Indeed, as part of its ruling, the Court as noted by Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat ordered the high school to reinstate Kennedy as coach.
The website for GAPA Runway is as fabulous as the event. Check it out!
San Francisco’s Latino Heritage Month this year began on the evening of Wednesday, September 14, at City Hall with a gala dinner and awards presentation that included music, dancing, and community networking.
Among the San Francisco Bay Times team members attending were photogra pher Rink and volunteer coordinator Juan R. Davila, whose family hails from Mexico.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 15
The City of San Francisco, in partnership with the Latino Heritage Steering Committee, coordinates the celebration of the Latino Heritage Month annually. Observed each year from September 15–October 15, it is celebrated not only here, but also in cities throughout the U.S. The theme of the month-long observance for 2022 is “Unity Through Our Diversity.”
On Thursday, September 15, Mayor London Breed hosted a flag raising ceremony on the Mayor’s Balcony at City Hall. Following the flag raising, Mexican music and dancing were presented live on a stage erected in Civic Center near the front of City Hall.
In the competition, contestants presented their best outfits fitting the theme of ascension and transcendence in an evening of glamor, entertainment, and Asian Pacific Islander
RINKBYPHOTORINKBYPHOTORINKBYPHOTO DAVILAR.JUANOFCOURTESY DAVILAR.JUANOFCOURTESY
the
Photos by Rink
Sinceexcellence.2021, previous titles of Mister and Miss GAPA were replaced with nongendered titles in one category with two winners determined by the highest scores and the winners given the option to choose the honorific they prefer. In divesting from the gender binary, GAPA hopes to usher in a new Runway era marked by inclusion, community-driven organizing, and
The ceremony on the balcony included the “El Grito de Delores” (The Cry of Dolores), a traditional shout for independence, mark ing the start of Mexico’s Day of Independence. Mexican Consulate General Remedios Gómez Arnau led the shout from the balcony.
https://www.gapa.org/runway SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
GAPA Runway 2022
Latino Heritage MonthMexican Independence Day
Sirabundance.Whitney
Queers and Jezebel Patel served as emcees for the event that was held at the Herbst Theater. Named as winners for 2022 were Siam Pussey and Obsidienne Obsurd. Congratulations to both from the San Francisco Bay Times
As the oldest queer and trans Asian Pacific Islanders (QTAPI) pag eant in the Bay Area, GAPA (GLBT+ Asian Pacific Alliance) Runway for more than 30 years has showcased QTAPI humanity, talent, and artistry. For 2022, GAPA Runway’s theme was “Harmonic Convergence.
sion. Mirren’s tradi tion-bound Elizabeth struggles with this anguish and we feel every frame of it— grief, anger from her public, bow ing to national pres sure, holding on to her persona ... this is one fabulous film and bears watching a few Thetimes.best documen tary for my money (in Euros or pounds) is Elizabeth at 90, a 2016 TV spe cial commemorating her 90th birthday. It is also titled A Jubilee Tribute to the Queen by the Prince of Wales, or is broken up into two different films. Both are interesting as we watch archi val footage and even peer into royal reac tions as they them selves watch private and public films of the
GAGA LIGHTNING
Dignity, Humor ... and What Did She Have in That Purse?
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood his torian, film critic on film Contact her www.janwahl.comat
awardsandhasShowbiz.”“Janchannelownlets,broadcastvariousoutandhasherYouTubeseries,WahlShetwoEmmysmanyforher longtime work on behalf of
chance to speculate on this impres sive person of non-stop specula tion. She has been the subject of an endless stream of movies, plays, and series; books and articles have never stopped and are now everywhere all at once. Nobody was imprisoned in the Tower or beheaded, but the drama was there and palatable.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 17
D)
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was remarkable for encompassing so much history. Since she died at the advanced age of 96, we had a long Off the Wahl
Princesses Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Margaret (Bel Powley) engage in flirting, drinking, dancing, and riding a city bus (gasp!). You will have a fun ride yourself with this fresh and funny
Thefantasy.divine Emma Thompson was per fectly cast as her Maj in 2012’s Walking the Dogs. Based on a true story, the film tells how an intruder broke into the Queen’s bedchamber and had a ten-minute sit-down chat with the monarch. Thompson brings both gravitas and warmth to this portrayal. Is there anything Thompson can’t play perfectly, from her early Shakespeare roles to the recent Good Luck to You, Leo Grande? If you have not seen this gutsy and very sexual com edy drama from 2022, get thee to it as soon as possible. Thompson is a woman who hires a sex worker hoping to discover a sensuality she never allowed herself before. She should’ve won every award possible for this performance, but I digress.
inWhetherfamily.portrayedadrama,comedy,romance,ordocumentary,thisisamonarchwhowillliveforever.
drama queens among us cannot top that!
Okay:myself.sandwiches, Daniel Craig, and dogs. Add adoration of big jewelry, bright colors, and hats. The Queen and I had so much in common!
The Queen and Paddington Bear teamed up for a special sketch for the Platinum Jubilee Party at the Palace.
Helen Mirren shows us the inner con flict as she tries to be there for her grandsons as well as her country. It is no wonder Mirren won the Oscar. The performance is a deep dive into the Queen’s sorrow, bewilderment, and even confu
Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball tour, which made a recent stop in San Francisco, came to a dramatic close when a rain storm with lightning forced the show at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium to end early. The singer shortly thereafter posted a tearful apology to fans while picking up this:
Many genres of film have been part of the Queen’s story. Let’s begin with comedy.
buffs and the LGBTQ community.
A) photo of Tony Bennett B) bouquet of roses check for charity her dogs
C)
In one of my all-time favorite films about her father, King George V1, The King’s Speech shows us Elizabeth as a young girl (por trayed by Freya Wilson). The crown is firmly planted on her young head as her fragile father passes and she is called back from an African honeymoon to trans form from a young bride to Queen of England. Even the biggest
While there are many others about Queen Elizabeth II in the drama category, my personal favor
ite is 2006’s The Queen. The film depicts the Queen’s complex public and private reac tions to the death of Diana in 1997. This is an inside look at how she han dled, or mishan dled, the death of the beloved Diana.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
ANSWER ON PAGE 28 QUEER POP QUIZ
Many fine actresses have had the opportunity to play Queen Elizabeth II. In the aforementioned The Crown, she was played as a young woman by Clara Foy, later by Olivia Colman, and in senior years by Imelda Staunton. There aren’t too many of us who don’t love this Netflix series, now filming its sixth season. Two of my favorite actors have been added: Leslie Manville as Princess Margaret (love that wild royal spare) and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. But, of course, it will be Imelda Staunton who will drive the action as the for midable Queen.
Jan Wahl
Though there are com ical moments in The Crown, sometimes lighter moments in her life are illustrated or just made up. The lat ter would be the fun of 2015’s A Royal Night Out. The time is VE Day in London, 1945. Somehow the two Royal daughters are sprung from the pal ace, mingling and free for once in their lives.
SHOTBBC/SCREEN
Elizabeth the Second was a monarch who was so complicated that she needed three women to play her in The Crown. She herself was often an enigma, not letting us see under the pomp and circumstance. But when she did, the results could be most Whencharming.belovedPaddington Bear had formal tea with Her Majesty, he had problems with a jam sand wich. Her Highness opened up her purse and took out a wrapped mar malade sandwich, saying that this is where she always kept one. In another humorous skit, hunky Daniel Craig as OO7 paid her a visit; lucky Queen. And her great love for her corgis touched my heart, being a dog fan
Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls is a sweet queer romantic
Mill Valley Film Festival 2022 Showcases Some Great LGBTQ Films
Just
Arguablyprograms.thebest
Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
comedy about Erin (Elliot Stocking), an eighth-grade lesbian who loves comics and is determined to kiss a girl before high school. She sets her sights on Sydni (Rosali Annikie), the cool new girl, and conspires not only to spend time with her, but also to ask her to the school dance. However, her goal strains Erin’s friendship with her bestie, Liz (Jesyca Gu). Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls is geared squarely toward younger viewers, but adults can appreciate the pangs of a crush and value of being true to oneself. This is a slight but winning teen film.
The Mill Valley Film Festival also gives moviegoers an early chance to see Living, a fantastic remake of the Arika Kurosawa’s 1952 classic, Ikiru, directed by gay filmmaker Oliver Hermanus, and written by Kazuo Ishiguro. In this moving drama, Williams (Bill Nighy) is an office work er who tries to find meaning and pur pose in his life now that he has very little time left to live. Gorgeously filmed (it is set in 1950s Britain), this is one of the year’s best films, and Nighy delivers an Oscar-worthy perfor
Charcoal is an outstanding feature debut by writer/director Carolina Markowicz about a poor Brazilian family—Irene (Maeve Jinkings), Jairo (Rômulo Braga), and their young son, Jean (Jean de Almeida Costa)—who agree to hide Miguel (César Bordón), an Argentine kingpin, who faked his own death.
of queer interest is Close, gay film maker Lukas Dhont’s tender drama about two 13-year-old boys and a tragedy, and My Policeman that is set in 1950s Britain, where Patrick (gay David Dawson) connects with Tom (Harry Styles) and Marion (nonbinary actress Emma Corrin) as well as in the 1990s, when Patrick (gay Rupert Everett) reunites with Tom (Linus Roache) and Marion (Gina OfMcKee).theLGBTQ
Glass
FERGUSONROSSBYPHOTO (continued on page 19)
The Mill Valley Film Festival opens October 6 with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, with director Rian Johnson and actors Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Kate Hudson expected to attend. The festival closes 10 days later with The Good Nurse, with stars Eddie Redmayne, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Tobias Lindholm expected to attend. In between, there are hundreds of features, shorts, and documentaries. Here is a rundown of the queer films to catch at this year’s Somefestival.of
shocking doc, full of anecdotes about what women put up with—and should not have to—as part of their job, as well as the consequences they face when they do nudity and if they don’t. Trans actress Alexandra Billings is one of the many women who are interviewed about their nude scenes in this excellent film.
Johnny
One of the best is The Blue Caftan, an exquisite slow-burn romantic drama from Morocco, a country where homosexuality is illegal. Halim (Saleh Bakri) is a maalem, a tailor who works painstakingly by hand. He sews gorgeous caftans that are sold in the shop he and his wife, Mina (Lubna Azabal), own. But they are behind in their work, and she is in ill health, which is why Halim is training Youssef (Ayoub Missioui), a hand some new apprentice, to learn this dying craft. The looks Halim and Youssef exchange are full of smolder ing desire, and when they touch—as
The eye-opening documentary, Body Parts, explores how female bodies are depicted in sex scenes in cinema as well as how female nudity is filmed, negotiated, and manipulated. It is a
Gary M. Kramer
Charcoal
Living
conflicted thoughts and feelings—he is periodically seen having anonymous sexual trysts with men at the local hammam—forms the heart of this poignant character study. Bakri makes Halim’s internalized guilt and shame palpable and Azabal and Missioui respectively deliver steely and sensi tive performances. This is a tender, achingly beautiful film.
is Cardiff, a charming romantic comedy about Fred (Richard Elis) who is unlucky in love while his pansexual mom Sally (Ruth Madoc) and his gay friend Joe (Stifyn Parri) have multiple partners. When Fred meets Omar (Esh Alladi), he thinks he might find happiness, but the path to true love is not as straight (or gay) as it seems. Filmed in lumi
Theremance.are also several LGBTQ shorts screening at the festival in various shorts
Film
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
when Halim trains Youssef to cut a collar or guide a needle—it is down right erotic. The Blue Caftan subtly depicts the love that develops between Halim and Youssef, as well as Halim’s deep affection for Mina. How Halim grapples with his sexuality and his
Charcoal provides a wonderfully claustro phobic experience, and features a queer sub plot, as it slyly com ments on both inequity and the price of life.
18 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
film that were avail able for preview, there are several worthwhile features.
Cardiff
the biggest LGBTQ titles were not available for preview. These include two films featuring Oscarbuzzy performances—Tár, starring Cate Blanchett as a fictional queer female composer-conductor, and The Whale, with Brendan Fraser as a severely obese gay man trying to con nect with his estranged daughter. Also
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
Small Town Gay Tragedy #1 is a very clever short, told almost entirely without words. It concerns a woman who follows a newly spotted gay couple in town— until she makes a startling discovery. Writer/director Luisa Dantas’ romantic drama, Riptide, has Lee (Imani Russell) and Izzy (Sofia Riba)
Tár
The Good Nurse
One Like Him has the gay Jordanian Karim (Kais Nashif) meet ing with Ramzi (Loai Noufi) in a bar to talk about when they were teens and Karim (Mohammad Nizar) was cut off from Ramzi (Hamzeh Mahadin) because of a letter he sent. Hoping to address this pivotal moment in their lives, Karim’s efforts are repeated in an attempt to make things right between them. This com passionate short captures how time can shift attitudes about homosexuali ty and the hope and need for accep
Two somber international shorts are The Distance of Time, an elegiac Peruvian film about a young man (Carlos Caycho) whose lover (Juan Davila) is in the hospital. The film provides a snapshot of their lives as they dance and reflect on things.
Fortance.tickets, showtimes, and more information, https://www.mvff.com/visit©2022GaryM.Kramer
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 19 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
Two short films consider queer youth. Just Johnny, from Ireland, has the title character (Daniel Willis) wanting to wear a dress to his first Holy Communion. His father Dermot (Martin McCann) is dead set against it, but his mom Maria (Roisin Gallagher) is unconditionally support ive. It is in the compromises the char acters make that a solution is found in this feel-good short. Likewise, Mama Has a Mustache, is a lively, animat ed short about kids and their attitudes about gender nonconfirming, nonbinary, and trans Schlossberg’sWriter/director/starparents.Rose
Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls
The Queen’s Closet
on Twitter @garymkramer
Two documentary shorts are Bay Area based. Last Call is a eulogy for The Stud, and other San Francisco gay bars during the pandemic. Director Drew De Pinto in under 4 minutes features images of various venues as well as reflections on their impact and importance. The vibrant and terrific short, The Queen’s Closet, has Bay Area transplants Blake and Andrew talking about the power they found in drag and gender expression, having come from conser vative backgrounds.
spending their “fauxniversary” at the beach until something unexpected occurs. This is a melancholic story, well told, and the actresses have good opposites-attract chemistry.
nous black and white and filled with memorable characters and humor, Cardiff is a delight.
The Blue Caftan
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Lit Snax
In this intimate and eye-opening book, Diya Abdo—daughter of refugees, U.S. immigrant, English professor, and activ ist—shares the stories of seven refugees.
On the Rooftop (fiction, hardbound) by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
At home they are just sisters, but on stage, they are The Salvations. Thanks to the rigorous direction of their mother, they’ve become a bona fide girl group whose shows are the talk of the Jazz-era Fillmore.
On the Rooftop is a stunning novel about a mother whose dream of musical star dom for her three daughters collides with the daughters’ ambitions for their own lives—set against the backdrop of gentrifying 1950s San Francisco.
Treat writes: “Everyone stutters occa sionally, but only a few of us are stutterers. And those of us who are stutterers don’t always stutter, just as the rest of you don’t always speak perfectly. We all stammer confess ing love, but never do if crying out in pain. The well-meaning compliment, ‘But you’re not stuttering now,’ is as hurtful as it is unknowing. A stut terer is always a stutterer, even when Insilent.”Treat’s second novel, First Consonants, we find Brian. an unre markable child, until he isn’t. As other children start to babble, add ing to their vocabularies day by day, Brian grows quieter with age, stum bling over the words he needs to lead a normal life: He is a stutterer.
“But neither can he cope with them in active battle on equal terms, so the animosity is suppressed, the whole process frequently taking place in the subconscious mind.”
that. “Stuttering never had its right place in history, in practice, in science or thought, but was always considered rather a mannerism, like wearing one’s hat at an angle.” I don’t wear hats. “It was not considered in its true light as a prominent symptom of an emotionally unstable nervous indi vidual, and prominent symptoms are not lightly brushed away.” Unstable? Maybe. “Why does the stutterer have such dreams of being a hero?” I never dream of being a hero.
“The stutterer’s handicap and circumscribed experience often lead him to harbor animosity toward
Less is Lost (fiction, hardbound) by Andrew Sean Greer
Scopa was a strike team leader for the Dude Fire in 1990, where six firefighters were trag ically killed, and she served at Ground Zero immediately after 9/11. She’s worked moun tain rescues, city fires, mega-wildfires, etc. While battling conditions and harsh flames on the outside, she also found herself waging a tougher battle on the inside. Scopa was torn between how to maintain the façade everyone expected of her or her true self. “A hero firefighter can’t possibly be transgender, right?” she thought.
From renowned scholar Dr. Victor Ray, On Critical Race Theory explains the centrality of race in American history and politics, and how the often-mischaracterized intel lectual movement became a political necessity. To many, our most shocking politi cal crises appear unprecedented—un-American, even. But they are not, writes The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer in The Cruelty Is the Point. He dissects the most devastating moments in recent memory to reveal deeply entrenched dynamics, patterns as old as the country https://www.bookpassage.com/itself. Consonants, About the Life of a Stutterer
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
The Magic Fish is a coming out and coming of age story about Tiên, the son of Vietnamese immigrants. While his mother speaks mostly Vietnamese, Tiên speaks mostly English. He reads fairytales to his mother to help her understand what it means to be a young gay teen ager in America, navigating two cultures, and aware of the dangers of being gay. Rich with imagery, sweet, and tender, this book is full of courage and hope.
Serano will be reading at Fabulosa for our Bi Visibility Day Party on 9/22 at 7 pm! https://www.fabulosabooks.com
Upcoming Events
others, because he feels deep down in his mind that he cannot meet them on equal terms in friendly Iscompetition.”thatwhyIget into fights?
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Tuesday, September 27 @ 5:30 pm (free online) Victor Ray, author of On Critical Race Theory, & Adam Serwer, author of The Cruelty Is the Point
his own understanding of right ver sus wrong.
Sunday, September 25 @ 4 pm (free in store, Corte Madera) Paola Gianturco, author of Cool: Women Leaders Reversing Global Warming Women are especially effective leaders when it comes to combating global warm ing. For this book, Paola Gianturco and her 12-year-old granddaughter and co-author, Avery Sangster, interviewed and photographed heads of grassroots organizations, activists, politicians, corporate executives, scholars, and presidents of nonprofits in the U.S., U.K., Sweden, Denmark, Tanzania, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Canada, and Hong Kong. All of them are using intelligence, creativity, and courage.
Coming from around the world, they’re welcomed by Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR), an organization Diya founded to leverage existing resources at colleges to provide tempo rary shelter to refugee families.
enjoy an excerpt from First Consonants :
20 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
He closed the book when one of the librarians walked by, and reopened it when he was alone again.
American Rufuge (nonfiction, paper back) by Diya Abdo
Saturday, September 24 @ 1 pm (free in store, Corte Madera) Bobbie Scopa, author of Both Sides of the Fire Line
Stuttering defines his formative years, filled with prejudice and bullying, as he creates his own scales of right and wrong, both justified and unjusti fied. He uses his fists whenever words fail him. As he increasingly fills with rage after life-changing abuse at the hands of a priest who takes advan tage of his vulnerability, he resorts to ever greater acts of violence, risking everything he has worked hard for in life. Brian’s one hope for his redemp tion? Alaska. An elderly Brian moves to the Alaskan outback, and here he
Top of your stack RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE An Excerpt from First
Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight by Julia Serano
Brian found a book at the town library with the longest title he’d ever come across: The Cause and Cure of Speech Disorders: A Text Book for Students and Teachers on Stuttering, Stammering and Voice Conditions. He looked at the inside back cover and saw the book had been checked out many times.
This was not his first trip to the library. He’d gone before, some times to look at the drawings of wom en’s bodies in the anatomy textbooks, sometimes to see if there were new things about stuttering. He wouldn’t ask either of the librarians for help in locating any books. Brian wandered around pretending to be interested in other things until he found them. He stumbled upon things by browsing. He’d take a book or two off the shelf and scurry to the chairs in the back of the stacks. He’d thumb through them there.
John Whittier Treat is Emeritus Professor at Yale University and the author of two novels: “The Rise and Fall of the Yellow House” (Big Table Publishing, 2015) and “First Consonants” (Jaded Ibis Press, https://www.michelekarlsberg.comFormarketingcelebratescommunity.inandMichelewww.johnwhittiertreat.com2022).KarlsbergMarketingManagementspecializespublicityfortheLGBTQ+Thisyear,Karlsberg33yearsofsuccessfulcampaigns.moreinformation:
This book is a fascinating compilation of history, biology, and social observations. Julia Serano, known as the author of Whipping Girl, discusses the ways in which marginalized groups—LGBT and BIPOC folks, among them—are hypersexualized in the dominant nar rative. Serano draws on her background as a biologist and longstanding bi-trans community activist to bring to light the ways in which shame can be a mechanism of control, and how we can reclaim our narratives.
attempts to redeem himself and the Pleaseworld.
Brian felt a familiar anger. Before throwing the book onto the library floor and walking out, he read the line: “The stutterer’s sacrifice is his salvation.” The experts had their idea of what sacrifice and salvation meant. Brian had his own take. He would do terrible things until the balance of the world, with him at its center, fit
Words Michele Karlsberg
Michele Karlsberg: John Whittier
In the follow-up to the “bedazzling, bewitching, and be-wonderful” best-sell ing and Pulitzer Prize-winning Less: A Novel, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America. He grows a han dlebar mustache, ditches his signature gray suit, and disguises himself in the bolero-and-cowboy-hat costume of a true “Unitedstatesian” with varying lev els of success, as he continues to be mis taken for either a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or, worst of all, a “bad gay.”
He checked the card in the back of the book again. Someone must have just returned The Cause and Cure of Speech Disorders. He flipped through it and found that someone had under lined passages, sometimes in pencil, sometimes in pen.
“Our experience indicates that stut tering children, to begin with, are the victims of sensitive, impressionable, high-strung, excitable, or emotional temperaments.” I guess that means me, though no one ever said it like
Then, it was time to start checking Portland boxes: Costco, Drag, Food, Beauty, and the Beach.
3. Water, water everywhere. Palm Springs dropped. So did Denver. Pools don’t count.
71-year-old bladders on board. We divided the trip in half with a stop half-way at Rogue River near Grants Pass. Stunning.
I moved several times during my 11+ years in San Francisco. It most defi nitely helped me get to know the city. Got to say one of my favorites was the Inner Sunset. It’s one reason I felt comfortable moving to Portland—trading Karl the Fog for Portland’s reportedly wet/gray weather. That has not been my expe rience for my first two months. There has been zero rain and it’s been warm, but not San Francisco warm. By the way, The New York Times recently reported that Karl has decreased his appearances by one third since 1951.
weeks for the movers to arrive with the furniture. I took that time to dec orate the patio and balcony. I do not have a green thumb. I chose succu lents to remind me of SF and because they are impervious to neglect. My bestie Dan flew in from Denver as soon as the movers arrived and helped enormously with unpack ing and all things IT.
I had the amazing help of a wonder ful realtor who sings in the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and serves on the GALA Choruses board. He found us the perfect place. It is one level on the first floor—an excellent selling point for retirees! Water? We live on an island, for heaven’s sake.
Thisended.move was like none other in my life. For the first time, I was not mov ing for a job. I was not moving to upgrade my living quarters—or downsize them. I wasn’t moving in with or out from another human. I was moving into the unknown in so many ways.
Everyone insisted I experience the iconic drag queen Darcelle XV. At
Portland is just so darn gorgeous. My first Portland Labor Day, Tater and I jumped in the car and just starting driving East on the Washington side of the Columbia River. We had no idea where we were going. We dis covered the stunning Bridge of the Gods. It carried us over the river and then we made our way back to Portland on the Oregon side.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 21
It’s hard to believe my last article, “SF in the Rearview Mirror,” was two months ago. My friends at the San Francisco Bay Times allowed me to skip a month since my laptop was buried somewhere in the mountain ous piles of boxes and bubble wrap filling my new condo. It looked like the view of Mt. Hood outside my liv ing room window. Oops. Spoiler alert (rubbing it in a bit). The moun tain is covered in this white stuff called snow nearly year-round.
2. Liberal politics. Dallas dropped from the contenders like a rock!
We have a balcony and a patio! It feels like we live in the middle of the Columbia River and, yes, Mt. Hood sits at the end of our river view! Tim and Tater Tot are home. It took two
Upon weigh in at my annual physical after my first year in San Francisco, my doctor asked, “Are you just eating your way through the city?” I said, “Yes.” And got a new doctor. I’m off to a great start in Portland, another foodie
Tim’s Portlandia
Breathtaking green and blue and mountains and, oh yes, water.
If you made it this far, you must love reading travel logs! I promise there won’t be another one of these. I’m not going anywhere! I am so very excited that I get to continue writing to you each month. I am already thinking about the things I want to Atshare.this point, I want to thank you for your support over these last six years of writing this column. I look for ward to sharing with you every month and I am so very grateful for you! “See” you in October. Maybe by then, I’ll experience that rain everyone talks about.
heaven. First of all, the donuts. What is it about Portland and donuts? Faves are Voodoo, Blue Star, and Pip’s. I know I’ve only been here two months, but the food scene is incredi ble and very different than SF. There are the famous food trucks, of course. The restaurants are casual and offering phenomenal local fare. I think Portland holds the records for more coverage by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives than any other city. I have done seafood several times, Vietnamese, Italian, Peruvian, Thai, Mexican, Guamanian, Chinese, modern American and some of the best Southern food ever at places such as Gravy and Pine Street Biscuits. I’ve just started! I have not had a doctor’s appointment yet, so there will be no shaming since there will be no base line for comparison!
Dr. Tim Seelig is the Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation
the SFGMC medical team literally put me in quarantine to make sure I would not contract COVID and miss my final concert. It’s very hard to say goodbye to someone who is not there. That time at home allowed me to pack little by little so I was ready when the movers arrived July 18, only three days after the festivities
1. Cost of living less than the Bay Area. That was easy to find.
Beach
91, she holds the Guinness World Record as the “oldest working drag queen.” She is currently doing her act from a wheelchair, which she will “toss aside” one of these days. She ended Act 1 singing “Send in The Clowns.” Tear jerker. She owns Darcelle XV Showplace, the longest continuously running cabaret in the U.S. at 55 years! I am so happy I experienced it.
Portland answered all three, so we headed out on our adventure. We? Of course. I could not have made this life change without my adorable partner in crime, Tater Tot. I have had a dog my entire adult life. I don’t think I have ever leaned on one for support as I have Tater. He was so incredibly sweet to listen to me talk as we drove out of town. They know when we are sad, when our hearts hurt. Each step of the way, I shared with him what I was thinking and feeling. He was wonderful, and best of all, he’s not going to tell anyone what I said or divulge the tears I shed as we drove across the Bay
PortlandBridge.
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Tim Seelig
Food
I made the requisite trip to Costco. I wanted rice but not 50 lbs. I obvious ly need “Costco Training for Singles.” I have to learn the trick to buying in bulk. I didn’t do it in San Francisco due to space constraints. I have a little more room here, so I can invest in the 36 rolls of toilet paper!
ple, after all. Sixty percent of San Francisco residents were born out side of the city. Moving is never fun. I have found, though, that the more you do it the less you have to move! Every time, I channel Marie Kondo. If it doesn’t spark joy, it’s off to Community Thrift where sales bene fit the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC)!
Vancouver, WA, Farmer’s Market: gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, Rainier cherry vinegar, Portland herb goat cheese, wild huckleberry lemon chess pie, and Washington apple butter. I love the massive Portland Saturday Market and Rose City Food Park. I’ve just begun with food trucks!
My final week in SF was the thing of dreams. In fact, beyond dreams. I will cherish every moment of it the rest of my life. The last three weeks,
Why Portland, you ask? Well, a year ago, I started looking for 3 things:
Costco
Most of us have moved at least once in our lives. We are a transitory peo
Dr. Tim Seelig
One of my friends, who is the con ductor of the Eugene Gay Men’s Chorus, and his husband packed up their dog and me and Tater Tot and we drove to the beach at Seaside, Oregon. Oh, the Oregon coast. It’s just under 2 hours from here. I have a feeling Tater and I’ll be making that trip fairly often. They brought chairs and snacks and Prosecco and we spent the afternoon just soaking in the beauty.
Street
Drag
is basically a 10-hour drive. That is without two approximately
The summer is obviously the time to be here in the Northwest. The street fairs and markets are in full bloom. I bopped over the bridge to the
Beauty
Onto the delicious food! For starters, we split the house-made guacamole, which had plenty of citrusy zing and was served with my favorite, housemade, thicker-style tortilla chips. To follow up, we sampled the restau rant’s own version of queso fundi do—not at all like the cheesy inter pretations at lesser establishments. This one had queso Oaxaca, housemade ground pork chorizo, sautéed chile poblano, roasted corn, and car amelized onion. This combination made for a more refined approach to the dish and a pleasing and filling
Humo
and chopped eggs and then topped with pumpkin seed sauce, tomato salsa, and queso fresco. This dish sang for me, with the ingredients complementing each other beautiful ly and the end result completely yummy. To accompany the “egg-chi lada,” we ordered the homemade grilled corn with crema, cotija, lime, and chile de arbol. The cheese and crema in the dish make for a velvety combination where the taste of the fresh corn still shines through.
Merkado:Landis Where San Francisco Meets Jalisco and the Yucatan Bay Times Dines SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022) Taco platter DECOUDREAUXMOLLYBYPHOTOChef Lorenzo Caamal Seafood entrée at Merkado
the Square. Featuring California cui sine (like California king salmon and Mary’s chicken), the pop-up restau rant and bar is open 4–10 pm, but take note: the establishment doesn’t take reservations.
Inmeal!addition
Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor was recently named one of the top ten best new wineries in the country
Fresco DECOUDREAUXMOLLYBYPHOTO
22 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
Jalisco is famous as the birthplace of tequila, mariachi, and charrería (Mexican rodeo). But its cuisine holds its own, with pozoles, moles, fish or goat birria (seasoned with chili peppers, cumin, and bay leaves), and bote (a stew made with beef, chicken, or pork simmered with pulque and a thick sauce). The Yucatan, by contrast, is known for huevos motuleños (eggs with haba neros, plantains, and turkey ham), cochinita pibil (suckling pig roasted underground with banana leaves), and papadzules (corn tortillas dipped in pumpkin sauce with a hard-boiled egg filling, topped with tomato and chile).
Arrivingcenter.at
Chef Matthew Dolan and restaura teur Chad Bourdon have reopened San Francisco’s 25 Lusk with a new concept: tapas-style dishes that are shareable, as well as a reimagined outdoor rooftop bar and lounge.
Bits and Bites
For our brunch, I started with the signature Altos Highland Margarita
So, if you’re looking for a quick culi nary trip to Mexico, skip the flight and head to Merkado instead. Viva Mexico!
While San Francisco has a plethora of Mexican dining destinations, res taurants that specifically highlight the cuisines of Jalisco and the Yucatan are in short supply. That is, until Merkado opened in 2019 at the site of the former Tres Agave, a stone’s throw from Oracle Park on Townsend Street.
The indoor and outdoor seating offers a variety of spaces: the Cantina and Dining Room (adjoin ing the kitchen, with soaring ceil ings); La Plaza de Agave (adjacent to the back patio); a tequila tasting room; the Chef’s Table; and the patio. Because we were dining with our pound pups, we opted for the beautiful outdoor courtyard patio at the rear of the restaurant. The sunny space has individual tables and is lined with Astroturf (a hit with our dogs), offers heaters for those chilly nights, and is a quiet respite from the busy neighbor hood. There’s a second outdoor area where Fabien has created a series of modular squares dubbed “picnic boxes” that allow people to hang out, mingle, and meet.
to brunch, Merkado has a full all-day dining menu, lunch and dinner options, a bar bites menu, and Taco Tuesdays. Merkado is also offering up some specials for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) and Filipino Heritage Month in October. Check their website for details.
Big Alma Bar Americain, a tribute to “San Francisco’s grand mother” Anna Spreckles (who adorns the top of the column in Union Square), opened in the Villa Florence Hotel on Powell Street near
Merkado dining area
Bin 415 wine bar has just opened at the Fairmont San Francisco, fea turing hard-to-find Sonoma and Napa favorites.
Merkado Owner Fabien Santos
Merkado, which means “market” in Spanish, replicates the look of a lofty, plant-filled, indoor-outdoor, open-air market. Because its Executive Chef Lorenzo Caamal is a native, the restaurant features both the cuisines of Jalisco and the Yucatan, accentuated by a seasonal approach. Another plus? The extensive craft cocktail program that puts tequila and mezcal front and
Merkado is like visiting a friend’s home in Mexico: you’re often warmly welcomed by owner Fabien Santos, who personally shows you to your seat. We took the advice of a baseball fan and decid ed to visit for brunch on a nongame day to avoid the crowds (when parking is easy and cheap). But if a festive, buzzy atmosphere is in your DNA, Merkado is a good choice pre or post game.
For a restaurant known for its cocktails, the wine list is surprisingly international, with selections from Mexico, France, Portugal, Argentina, and of course, California. The by-the-bottle beer selection also has a solid variety of Mexican beers and the expected Bud Light for baseball enthusiasts.
made with El Tesoro wineAngeltruefortequilamezcalbandlime.mint,melontequila,Asuchsonales,nearlylisttas.potententperfectsmooth,issalt.ontequila—servedBlancotherockswithThistequilatrulytopshelf,andaingrediforthosemargariThecocktailcontains30choicincludingseafavoritesas“OneinMelon,”withwaterpurée,agave,andMyhusskippedtheandandwenthistried-and-WhisperingstillroséfromProvence.
The Gay Gourmet David
An added bonus: the portions were all so big that we took everything home and had yet another tasty
Foralternative.ourmains, we split the “egg-chi lada,” which is Merkado’s rendering of the aforementioned papadzules from the Yucatan. The corn tortillas were stuffed with homemade chorizo
Al pastor pork tacos
more, visitors can taste their way around the world—all while staying in Filipino-MexicanOakland.”
Culinarynowroles,Teamingexperience.”upinnewReylonAgustinservesasDirectorof
restaurant Senior Sisig opened its third brick and mortar location at the San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
Complimentary chili-lime popcorn with clarified butter is an added
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 23 Bay Times Dines SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
Weawards.agree that happy hours shouldn’t be limited to weekdays. So, Copas in the Castro launched a new happy hour from 4–7 pm that includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Featured drinks include their mezcal margarita, as well as selected beer and wine.
by USA Today’s Reader Choice
San Francisco-based chocolatier tinyB Chocolate has thought of a fun Halloween activity for the whole family: tinyB Monster Chocolate Pops, an at-home chocolate-popsicle making experience. As they describe it, “This easy-to-use kit helps kids of all ages make monster, ghost, or mummy popsicles with creamy bri
Post Ranch Inn with his longtime colleague Il Hoon Kang promoted to Executive Chef.
Making tortillas at Merkado
Ceviche
dishes, as well as wine, whisky, private label beer, and sake.
https://tinyurl.com/2s4hnep2Sierrahttps://www.tinybchocolate.com/tinyBhttps://www.senorsisig.com/SeniorTrail:Visithttps://momosansantanarow.com/Momosanhttps://www.copasonmarket.com/Copas:https://tinyurl.com/ynaazw2xBricoleurhttps://tinyurl.com/2f59urepFrancisco:BinBig25https://www.merkadosf.com/Merkado:Lusk:https://www.25lusk.com/Alma:https://bigalma.com/415attheFairmontSanVineyards:SantanaRow:Oakland’sOaklandVeganhttps://tinyurl.com/4s8x6ffsSisigattheFerryBuilding:Chocolate:MaratthePostRanchInn:
creativity.”workersly,andlatesimpletoppings,thembrigadeiroshells,chocolatetempereverythingtioning.chocolate(Braziliantruffle)fillThelimited-edikitcontainsneededtoandmoldpopsiclefillthemwithandcoverwithcolorfulmakingittomakechocoHalloweenghoulsletchildren,famifriends,andco-expresstheir
Ironplus.
Post Ranch Inn’s celebrated Sierra Mar restaurant has started a new, more casual lunch option for a “more relaxed midday
chef Masaharu Morimoto opened his popular ramen concept restaurant Momosan Santana Row in San Jose. Expect a new take on his Momosan temomi noodle
Visit Oakland has created the Oakland Vegan Trail, an Mexican,Ethiopian,ChineseAmericanvegangloballyingnaryOakland.rantsplant-basedthatgastronomic“onlineguideboasts20+restaufoundinWithculihotspotsservupdeliciousinspiredcuisinefromtotoFilipino,Thai,and
gadeiro
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a free lance 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
Project
Round About - Food & Beverage
Photos by Rink
As SFGMC recently shared, the chorus “will finally have a resplendent home worthy of our 44 years of breaking ground. To date, the chorus has raised $12 million of the $15 million goal to complete the first phase of this proj Attendingect!”
On September 7, 2022, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) broke ground on the chorus’ new home, The Pansy L. Chan and Terrence D. Chan National Queer Arts Center. Soon, the doors will open to welcome local and national LGBTQ artists to the nation’s only queer arts center. The center is in an historic art deco building at 170 Valencia Street.
San Francisco
Bay Times lead photographer Rink is known for documenting events and occasions in the Castro neighborhood since the 1960s. Additionally, he has frequently captured images at restaurants, cafes, delis, donut shops, bistros, and other venues offering food and beverages not only in the Castro, but also in neighborhoods all over the city.
Mikkel Svane, Sally Kay, Jon
SeeligDr.Chan,TerrenceEdwardMandelman,RafaelSupervisorStensberg,JacobVerdugo,ChristopherKounalakis,EleniGovernorLieutenantMoscone,Sell,D.Timothy
the event this month were the newly named SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, former artis tic director Dr. Tim Seelig, special guest Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, major funders, champions of both SFGMC and the Chan Center, singing members of the chorus, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and other elected for Center
24 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 Bay Times Dines SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
Queer Arts
SFhttps://www.sfgmc.org/capital-campaignofficials.GayMen’sChorus Nears Initial Fundraising Goal
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022 25
“Remember me? I was featured in the August 11 issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, but that was when I was Topaz. Now I have a new name, Beyoncé, and renewed hope that I will be adopted very soon. I’m a three-year-old jewel looking for my charming family! I am originally from Kings County and I’m known for my strength and love for toys. I am a female shepherd mix who prefers a quieter area of the neighborhood and would adore a backyard away from distraction but near a quiet avenue walk. I love areas where I feel safe and secure away from high traffic areas with people and bicycles. I’m a gentle and sensitive gal, looking for a peaceful and quiet home. If you think we might be a match, come say hello!”
“Everyone wants to be hot, but being hot requires consistent discipline. consistent is and
To meet Beyoncé in person, visit the SF SPCA Mission Campus @ 201 Alabama Street. It is open for appoint ments from 10 am–6 pm (Monday–Wednesday, Friday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Thursdays.
Steven Luibrand at Fitness SF Mid-Market
Wild Rainbow African Safaris founder Jody Cole provided a photo from a recent Source Journeys cruise aboard the tall ship Star Clipper. She was a fea tured guest speaker on the ship along with Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin, who entertained passengers with both real-life and fictional stories. The cruise toured the Amalfi Coast and other scenic locations in Italy.
SNAPSHOTS
For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/ with You!
discipline
Take Me Home
Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Louie
If you wish to meet Beyoncé, you can do so vir tually before choosing to adopt. For more information, please email Beyoncéadoptions@sfspca.orgispresentedto
Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month
Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Me dia for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers. For more information: https://fitnesssf.com/
Beyoncé
PHOTO COURTESY OF JODY COLE/WILD RAINBOW AFRICAN SAFARIS HTTPS://WILDRAINBOWSAFARIS.COM/
And
valuable.”
San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s CEO. Our thanks also go to Paradise Osorio for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Beyoncé.
rare
As you are most capable of leading empires, it becomes imperative that your pursuits align with your core value of integrity. Then the fruit feeds everyone. Count your blessings at home and bring a sense of magnanimity into all that you
I attended weekly business meetings at The Eagle and became a patch holder in about a month before the 2018 San
Deep insights arise, if you allow them, raising your confidence. It’s a good time to step out on your own behalf. You radiate a peace and beauty that the world needs more of. Your net-worth is equal to your selfworth.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)
Judith L.
Astrology
Elisa Quinzi
As Aries came here to do battle, it’s essential that you choose the river of life you can give all of your passionate energy to. It benefits you to see the highest vision of what love can be, and navigate toward recreating that. Since you don’t give up until you win, it’s important to win at something vital, creative, and nourishing, rather than to win at destroying someone or something.
Intuition is strong. Life leaves you breadcrumbs to follow. Your skills at social graces are meant to serve a greater audience. Answer the call of your heart to shine your brightest yet.
When I think of the spirit of the members, the word “devotion” really seems to be the right word. A tremendous amount of work fell on the shoulders of a few determined participants that spring. I could also feel
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)
Expect the best and you’ll be more apt to find it. Raise your eye-line to see a wider perspective. There is great power backing you and the love you bring, so don’t hold back.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20)
VIRGO (August 23–September 22)
26 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 , 2022
I am Judith L. My partner, a long-time member of the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® (DOB), proposed that I prospect with the DOB at the end of 2017. My prospecting was prior to the passing of Soni Wolf, who had been the heart and soul of Dykes on Bikes® for 40 years, but by that point she had stepped down from active participation due to her health. Soni passed suddenly, but peacefully, in April of 2018.
Whenanymore.Ijoined, I rode on the back of my partner’s bike, but now she can no longer ride. Even so, we are still
As you keep your inner senses open, you catch a glimpse of a future utopia. Rather than dismiss it as too fantastical, give yourself permission to see a brighter future, and express that vision to the rest of us, as all of our futures depend on it.
My partner and I volunteered for the SF LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, Folsom Street Fair, and other events, always proudly wearing our Dykes on Bikes® vests. Then COVID “hit,” and we started meeting on Zoom. Those Zoom meetings were one of the ways we stayed connected with community. Gradually, more women joined, and we now have a robust group with many events and the group is thriving. None of us is worried
Judith L. (third from the right) receiving her Patch at a San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® meeting at the SF Eagle in 2018.
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19)
AQUARIUSdo.
This is one of those times the crab leaves the safe cover of home, to be seen by anyone and everyone. The great love you usually reserve for your closest loved ones is also meant to serve a greater cause. Lean into your faith and inner knowing, and serve the office of the most high.
Ego is a four-letter word to Pisces, but soul-confidence is necessary for deep Pisces to give fully the gift you were given. So, take dominion over your energetic space and express the beauty and truth as only Pisces knows. Your gift is the key to take us to higher realms.
LEO (July 23–August 22)
Dykes on Bikes ®
I could see that the loss of Soni’s pres ence was a gaping hole in the group, and the number of people running the group was down to a handful. As for many vol unteer organizations, membership and involvement tends to wax and wane, and my partner who is devoted and loves the group was worried about the health of the group. My involvement started off as a favor to my partner.
Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride. For those first few months, I heard abundant sto ries about Soni, could feel the group’s grief of having lost her, and wished I’d had the chance to have met her. The group felt very intimate and I was warmly wel comed. I started to look forward to those weekly meetings. The members were com mitted to keep the group going, and grad ually, a few more women became involved.
is made up of adven turous, fun-loving, caring women. We are like a family. I have watched Kate Brown, our President, create a loving, encouraging atmosphere. I am proud to be a member of Dykes on https://www.dykesonbikes.org/Bikes®
LIBRA (September 23–October 22)
that, while they were deeply passionate about moving the organization forward, the patch holders were at the same time concerned and burdened as they mourned the loss of a friend, mentor, and leader.
involved in the group, going to business meetings and helping at events. We can go on rides in our car, and in doing so, provide an important role as the group often needs support cars to carry gear. It was so great to be at Pride this year, 2022, for the first in-person SF Pride in three Dykesyears.onBikes®
TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
Tales From Two Wheels
CANCER (June 21–July 22)
Speaking to Your Soul
Your super-power is regeneration. The phoenix rising from the flames is tattooed on more than a few Scorpios’ sacrums. Awareness of the mind-body connection is on point now. As you purify your waters of any debris, you channel higher power with even greater strength and clarity.
(January 20–February 18)
ARIES (March 21–April 19)
PISCES (February 19–March 20)
Beauty and order are trying to have their way with you. As you pay attention to the immense good that surrounds you, you relax into trusting life. A portal opens through which you can create an intentional environment around you that adds to and supports your need for harmony and peace.
Open up to strangers. Pour your Aquarian waters onto your fellows and be the example of unity. Take special notice of people outside your normal sphere, and find the good in them. While no doubt you live this way already, see the ways you’ve kept your world small, and soften the borders to allow more good in.
The pull to create and have fun is strong now. The Universe wants to get you out of your comfort zone. Take notice of intuitive hits and signs arising while at play that start to paint a vision of your ideal future.
Elisa Quinzi is a certified professional astrologer who brings a strong spiritual perspective, as well as over 20 years of experience, to her work with clients. Contact her at futureselfnow@gmail.com or at 818-530-3366 with your exact birth time to schedule or to ask questions.
The cosmic mirror reflects the antidote to our madness: We are to press outward our circle of familiarity, practice seeing each other’s inherent good at the level of the soul, and relate to and from that. As our cynicism has crystalized, this can feel uncomfortable, even unsafe. But nothing is less safe than cutting ourselves off from our fellows. Culture has conditioned us to defend, attack, and take sides. Yet survival requires that we transcend lines in the sand, and lift each other up. It is time to aim for an ideal we can all agree upon as humans, rather than continuing to be corralled into opposing sides and subsequently hurting each other.
Since the foreign terrorist attacks of 9/11, Homeland Security has now had to become concerned about ter ror at home. It is rather upsetting to realize that currently on the extrem
ist, radical, conspiracy-spread ing, Trumpie OATH KEEPERS
The first major “Change the Pattern” Quilt display will take place in Jackson, Mississippi, from September 28 to October 4 with a week of free events and programs drawing multigenerational audiences for community activities and fellow ship. More than 500 hand-stitched Quilt panels, many from the local area, will be displayed for the first time at various locations in Jackson
uitous medium allows for the pub lic projection of a private self. Photo Realness celebrates the ways photog raphy helps queers do what queers do best: playing with the boundaries of gender and sexuality, testing, and expanding them beyond norms and expectations, discovering new ways to live more openly, more expan sively, more queerly. My fave is “All
Sister Dana sez, “It must just totally kill Trump that he’s never won an Emmy; but President Barack Obama won one! Eat your heart out, Donald!”
Sister Dana sez, “We absolutely must insist the January 6 Hearings be held on Major Networks Primetime TV, so the whole nation can hear the truth and vote for justice!”
A solemn 21st anniversary NEVER FORGET ceremony was held at ground zero on 9/11 in NYC with the reading aloud of the almost 3,000 victims. 9/11 remembrances were held across the nation—includ ing in San Francisco at the Fire Department with Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman attending.
Sister Dana sez, “It is exciting to hear that some 40 subpoenas have been issued by the Department of Justice regarding the January 6 Insurrection inquiry! Some of these are even against sitting Congress
Kinque to self-acclaimed—we love ‘em all! Emceeing the live show was the lovely KdK Queen XIX Tawdry Hepburnn! We celebrated the birthday of KdK Queen XVIII Christina Ashton (who “Turned Back Time” with an awesome Cher rendition), and we cheered on KdK XVI Queen Kelly Rose running for Grand Duchess. KdK Queen VII Sister Dana sat on his royal ass and took donations at the door.
On September 13 from the White House lawn, President Biden spoke regarding the INFLATION REDUCTION ACT as “one of the most significant laws passed in our nation’s history.” He added two times, “With this law, the American people won, and special interests lost!” He noted, “The other team did not play,” because not one Republican Congress person voted for the bill. His words rang out: “The soul of America is vibrant; the future of America is great; and the promise of America is real!”
At the Castro Theatre, I enjoyed a special screening of the new gay romantic comedy, BROS, on September 11. BTW, this was the international preview held especially for us at the Castro! The evening included remarks by cute co-stars Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane. This fall, Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major stu dio about two gay men maybe, pos sibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy. From the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, 2019’s The Lion King, Difficult People, Impeachment: American Crime Story) and the hit-making brilliance of filmmak ers Nicholas Stoller (the Neighbors films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall ) and Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck, The Big Sick), comes Bros, a smart, swoony, and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with. It’s really very gay. I mean “tres gay!” In theaters September 30.
FOLSOMoccasion!”STREET
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FOLSOM WEEKEND, which is September 23, 24, and 25—so plenty of opportunities to wear leather or whatever suits the
On September 15, we enjoyed Betsy Salkind (LA), Sandra Valls (LA), Jeff Kreisler (NY), and show producer and comic Lisa Geduldig (who had just come down with COVID, dammit, but she carried on nevertheless in https://www.koshercomedy.com/Florida)!
With an emphasis on portraiture, Photo Realness explores the playfulness of photography and the ease with which, in the 21st century, this ubiq
Sister Dana with friends Lori Howes (center) and Karin Lee Jaffie (Kitty Tapata)
COMEDY has been running monthly on Zoom since July 2020, having celebrated its 2nd anniversary show this July. Since the monthly shows still cater to audiences of some 50–100 people monthly throughout the U.S., and since the pandemic is not yet over, the show will continue on Zoom for the fore seeable future. Please note: The show is now Closed Captioned enabled.
FAIR , this year on September 25 all day long Sunday, is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair that caps San Francisco’s “Leather Pride Week.” The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes simply referred to as “Folsom,” takes place on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets, in San Francisco’s South of Market district. It is open to everyone, but encourages participation —how ever one chooses to interpret that.
THE NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL is bringing sec tions of the AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT to communities throughout the Southern U.S. to highlight and honor Black and Brown lives lost to HIV and AIDS as part of “Change the Pattern,” a new initiative to rei magine the response to the epi demic in the region. Partnering with SOUTHERN AIDS COALITION, the multi-city ini tiative will address opportunities to take action and support communi ties in the fight to end the Southern epidemic. Funded by a $2.4 million grant by Gilead Sciences, “Change the Pattern” will focus on reaching, engaging, and sharing the experi ences of marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2022)
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KREWE DE KINQUE , a fun fun draising social club based on love of leather and Mardi Gras, held our monthly festivities on September 17 at the Midnight Sun bar in the Castro. This time the theme was THE ROYALS because it was VOTING DAY for the next Grand Duke & Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco, and we were hon oring ALL ROYALS from Imperial Court to Ducal Court to Krewe de
The mission of FOLSOM STREET is as follows: “Folsom Street is com mitted to cultivating a safe, open, and inclusive environment for the kink, leather, and alternative sexu ality communities while centering equity for BIPOC and LGBTQA2I+ people in our work. We are rooted historically in the fight against gen trification and displacement both here in San Francisco, on unceded Ohlone land, and worldwide. We unite, strengthen, and affirm the community through support, resources, education, advocacy, vis ibility, and celebration. We are ded icated to sexual liberation and the right to pleasure as a crucial part of the whole liberation movement. Folsom Street is an explicitly antiracist organization, and we are com mitted to decolonizing our practices. We welcome feedback and guidance from our communities.”
MEMBERSHIP LIST: 373 people serve in law enforcement, 117 serve in the U.S. military, and 81 hold or are running for public office. This is really alarming!
On September 7, Senator Tammy Baldwin told CNN news that Democrats are “darn close” to get ting 10 Republican senators to back a marriage equality bill, saying she “absolutely” wants it passed before November. With a Supreme Court that has shown itself not just will ing but eager to overturn far lon ger-standing precedents than Obergefell v. Hodges, Congress has to act to protect the marriages of millions of people! But is Senator Baldwin perhaps too “darn” hopeful?
and surrounding communities. It will be the largest display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt ever in the state.
By Sister Dana Van Iquity
The six artists in Photo Realness are not all, or not strictly, photographers. Yet each artist exploits the dyna mism of the photographic medium to slightly different ends, through can did and formal portraiture, intimate reportage, faux-fashion tableaux, appropriated imagery, archiving and collage, and photorealist drawing.
Trump and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE have been proposing and arguing about a Special Master over the seized Mar-a-Lago classified top secret documents, with Trump’s lawyer interfering greatly. Sister Dana sez, “Frankly, I think the whole idea of needing a Special Master is FISHY, and the DOJ shouldn’t have taken the Master BAIT!”
In: Jack of Diamonds” by Lipps (that is quite overtly GAY !). Pieces on exhibit now through October 15 at 2128 Market Street.
SCHLOMER HAUS GALLERY presents “PHOTO REALNESS: THE QUEER AESTHETICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY”: a group show curated by Christopher Tradowsky featuring Zackary Drucker, Clifford Prince King, Matt Lipps, Alec Marchant, Joe Sinness, and Suzanne Wright
LOCKDOWNpeople!”
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
(continued on page 28) JAFFIEKARINBYPHOTO
SISTER DANA (continued from pg 27)
Rink
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ANSWER (Question on pg 17)
Home Maid Ravioli Company
support your local farmers’ market!
Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY BISEXUAL VISIBILITY DAY, which is September 23! Now is the time to go out and be even MORE VISIBLE than ever!!!”
I look forward to dancing in the streets with all of you at the 48TH CASTRO STREET FAIR all day Sunday, October 2. The Fair has been celebrating the Castro District and all of San Francisco since its founding by Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1974. Directors have also been able to give back more than $1.5M to their beneficiaries through the years. Go, Castro, go!
La Vie Wellness, Inc.
Happy Boy Farms
A fan had tossed the bouquet of roses onto the stage as a gift for Lady Gaga. She said that she would “cherish them forever,” after saying, “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to anybody in the audience or to any member of my crew.”
B) bouquet of roses
QUEER POP QUIZ
Please
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is proud to present JUANITA: 30 YEARS OF MORE!, an exhibi tion that highlights and celebrates the groundbreaking and radical work of San Francisco drag icon and denizen of the limelight, philanthropist, fashionista, DJ, activist, community leader, chef, and drag mom to many: Juanita MORE! On view at the SFAC Main Gallery in the War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness, #126 from September 30 through November 12.
Castro Farmers’ Market
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Sunday, September 11, 2022, was a day of incredible entertainment, information tables, mer chandise booths, and food and beverage vendors as Pridefest Oakland was celebrated at 20th and Broadway Streets in Oakland.
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Led by a talented, diverse board comprised of local community leaders, Pridefest Oakland is an annual LGBTQ pride celebration. Led by co-chairs DJ Christie James and Sean Sullivan along with The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center’s Joe Hawkins, the leadership also includes Val Klein, treasurer; Michael Barajas, secretary; and board members Michael Fuentes, Janelle Vinson, Valentino Carrillo, Jessie Spivey, Lauren Wilson, and Sergio Ardila.
The San Francisco Bay Times is a proud sponsor of Pridefest Oakland and was represented by our booth manager Juan R. Davila and volunteers Blas López and Miguel Vázquez to whom we express much https://pridefestoakland.com/appreciation.
The extensive lineup of entertainers featured special performances by Big Freedia, Crystal Waters, and Madame Gandhi and an appearance by Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, who will be a featured guest at Divas & Drinks @ The Academy on September 30: MPXhttps://tinyurl.com/yzfhavp5vaccinationswereavailable throughout the event, provided by the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency and the Public Health Department.
Oakland 2022 Photos courtesy of Juan R.Davila
Pridefest
At the Midnight Sun on 18th Steet, Krewe de Kinque (KDK) held a benefit on Saturday, September 17, with Deana Dawn serving as host. The event, featuring emcee Tawdry Hepburnn and Queen Kelly Rose, who is a can didate for Grand Duchess, was a benefit for the KDK’s Bal Masque XX Fund. Special guest Christina Ashton performed a tribute to Cher. Jell-O shots were served by Candi Mint, and among the guests were John Brett and Mark
30 SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
https://tinyurl.com/22v9rndfPaladini. Krewe De Kinque Benefit - The Royals Photos by Rink 2022 SF Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Photos by Rink The 2022 Autumn Moon Festival held along Grant Avenue in San yearTheAugustthanandMerchantsnizedChinatownFrancisco’swasorgabytheChinatownAssociationattendedbymore40,000onSunday,28.event,heldeveryduringtheeighth month of the lunar calendar, includes a parade through the heart of Chinatown, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and a variety of food and drinks. Among the organizations, agencies, and businesses staff ing informational tables and booths were The Chinese Historical Society of America, the San Francisco Fire Department, the San Francisco Police Department, and Graton Resorts & https://www.moonfestival.org/Casino.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once, which had a reality, an alternate reality, and a perspective for a possible better life”
Le Creuset Pumpkin-shaped Baker New this year is Le Creuset’s autumn line. This pumpkinshaped baker comes in three different colors: Sea Salt, Persimmon, and Meringue. $124.99
Introducing a newly released color from Le Creuset, Sea Salt, in several new items like this 5.5 quart Dutch Oven. $419.99
CJ Haven
Artist Jessalyn Ragus displayed one of her works at the September Castro Art Mart held at the intersection of Noe and Market Streets in the Castro.
“The Truth About Cats and Dogs because of Uma Thurman, and the cheesy zany way she steals every scene”
Rink
Lizzi Dierken
Known(1966-2022)tohisclose friends
James Thomas Porras
Items of the week
Vesuvio, a bar on Columbus Avenue in North Beach, has been open since the Beat era in the 1950s.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 31 CASTRO presented http://sfbaytimes.com/by STREET CAM
What was the last film that you saw and why did you like it? compiled by Rink Heard on the Street
A resident of San Francisco for 36 years and popular on Haight Street where he lived, Porras was described by one admirer as “the funniest person I know,” given his uproarious sense of humor always coupled with a beaming smile and an infectious giggle.
At Fabulosa book store, owner Alvin Orloff (right) welcomed author Davey Davis to a reading and book signing for Davey’s book X: A Novel.
Oscar Gallegos
Le DutchCreusetOven:
Photos by Rink
Loma Prieta
Yunoka Berry
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Round About - All Over Town
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Everything Everywhere All at Once. It has a great story that makes you think about how things really are.”
Among those attending the Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 100th Birthday Party at The Castro Theatre on September 10 were (left to right) Frameline’s Tony Rojas and James Woolley and Berlin & Beyond Festival’s Sophoan Sorn.
as “Pickles,” James Thomas Porras was beloved and well known in the Castro commu nity. He is remembered as a kind, caring, beautiful, hilari ous soul.
Rink photographed the memo rial display for “Pickles” at Hibernia Beach. A memorial service was held on Sunday, September 18, at The Edge.
A customer observes books on display in the front window at the historic City Lights Bookstore on Columbus Avenue in North Beach.
Rink Remembers
“I saw Elvis twice since it was so good.”
Voting for the next Grand Duke and Duchess was held at the polling table in front of Strut on Saturday, September 17. Santos Duenas, Jr., Sue Taw Tawes, (below) and candidate Kelly Rose (right) were among those cam paigning near the table.
“Soapdish. I love the way Sally Field cries.”
As
