January 19, 2023 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

SF’s Central Freeway, Embarcadero eyed for changes

by John Ferrannini

Voters’ decisions last November to ratify two closures of major San Francisco thoroughfares to cars may prefigure further, more substantial changes to where drivers can rev their engines.

Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) made the dramatic announcement late last year via Twitter that “it’s time to take down the remaining portion of the Central Freeway, south of Market” and, in a letter to Caltrans, asked the agency to study the potential cost of removing the freeway.

Separately, a group of San Franciscans is advocating for a car-free Embarcadero.

Wiener’s letter to Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El-Tawansy came on the heels of voters’ November decision to ratify the pandemic-era decisions to close John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park to vehicles on a permanent basis, and the Great Highway along Ocean Beach from Friday at noon to Monday at 6 a.m.

He stated that the Central Freeway, which lets out onto the surface streets blocks from the LGBTQ-heavy Castro and West South of Market neighborhoods, and the Bayshore Viaduct “may be approaching the end” of “useful life” and that the costs of maintenance, replacement, or rebuilding need to be studied.

“The transportation sector represents the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California,” Wiener’s letter stated.

“Freeways have long separated low-income communities of color in San Francisco. The continued existence of the remainder of the Central Freeway and Bayshore Viaducts straddling the Mission District, and the Interstate 280 spur cutting off the Bayview from much of the city, illustrates the vestiges of these discrepancies.”

It wouldn’t be the first time such a dramatic move was made in the city. The Embarcadero Freeway was torn down in the 1990s, paving

Email, text raise questions about future of Castro Theatre as meetings loom

by John Ferrannini

Anumber of Castro groups will be holding a meeting Thursday, January 26, to discuss future historic preservation and planning commission meetings about the neighborhood’s eponymous theater. It comes as Another Planet Entertainment faces questions about its continued management of the venerable movie house.

The Friends of the Castro Theatre Coalition, which includes the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and the Art Deco Society of California, among other LGBTQ, film and neighborhood groups, will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. that evening at Most Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church.

The city’s historic preservation commission is set to vote on the matter of the theater’s landmark status and the preservation of its seats on February 1. The planning commission is scheduled to take up the matter March 16, after another meeting of the historic preservation commission the prior day.

Expanding the theater’s landmark status had been on the historic preservation commission’s agenda at its December 7 meeting but the item was continued at the request

of gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Nevertheless, many people attended the meeting and spoke out against renovation plans proposed by Another Planet Entertainment, which took over management of the Castro Theatre last January, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported.

The proposed expanded landmarking

would bring the theater’s interior into line with the already established landmark status of the theater’s facade. In 1976, the exterior of the building, designed by prominent San Francisco architect Timothy Pflueger, was designated San Francisco Historic Landmark #100.

Groups mull ’24 ballot measure on ‘zombie’ Proposition 8

by Cynthia Laird

Nearly lost among the celebrations late last year when the U.S. Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act and President Joe Biden signed it was the fact that California still has the same-sex marriage ban Proposition 8 on the books – technically speaking.

Prop 8, passed by voters in 2008 by a margin of 52.24% to 47.76%, was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal court, which an appeals court upheld. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 decided that the ruling against Prop 8 could go into effect, which resulted in same-sex marriage becoming legal in the Golden State two years before the high court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision did the same thing nationwide.

But Prop 8 is still part of the California Constitution, as it was a constitutional amendment that voters decided on. Former Governor Jerry Brown signed a law in 2014 repealing the state’s law defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, but that didn’t remove Prop 8 from the state’s constitution.

Now, as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization last June that overturned the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade, some LGBTQ leaders are sounding the alarm that a

ballot measure is needed – possibly as early as 2024 – to remove Prop 8 from the state constitution once and for all.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in his concurring opinion in Dobbs, suggested that other precedents, including on same-sex marriage, contraception, and state sodomy laws, are

also ripe for reconsideration. With the 6-3 conservative supermajority now on the high court, LGBTQ activists, legal experts, and others are concerned marriage equality could be next.

The “zombie” Prop 8, as it’s referred to, is a problem, some people told the Bay Area Reporter in recent interviews.

Mopping up after storms

Donna McKechnie at Feinstein's

Marshall

State Senator Scott Wiener spoke at a December 2 news conference about the federal Respect for Marriage Act.

Christopher Robledo

A community meeting about the Castro Theatre is scheduled for January 26.

Scott Wazlowski

Cars prepare to enter the Central Freeway from Octavia Boulevard.

John Ferrannini

Prof leads ethnic studies

Out professor co-chairs Skyline’s ethnic studies dept.

by Heather Cassell

B lack nonbinary queer professor Arnetta Villela-Smith is co-chairing Skyline College’s new ethnic studies department that was recently launched.

The San Bruno campus, part of the San Mateo County Community College District, is offering students six courses examining the “experiences and contributions of people of Indigenous, African, Latinx, and Asian descent” in the United States. Three of the courses will delve deeper into race and gender, “Borders and Crossings,” and Filipina/o/x communities.

The spring semester began January 17.

The new department is cochaired by Villela-Smith and veteran Skyline College educator Roderick “Rod” Daus-Magbual, who in November was reelected as a Daly City councilmember. He did not respond to the Bay Area Reporter’s requests for comment by press time.

Villela-Smith, 43, is an alumnus of San Francisco State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and a master’s degree in ethnic studies.

SFSU was the nation’s first university to establish a College of Ethnic Studies in 1969. The college was established a year after California State University, Los Angeles instituted the first Chicano studies program in the country in 1968.

“Professor Arnetta VillelaSmith brings so much to our ethnic studies department and to our college,” wrote Danni Redding Lapuz, Skyline’s dean of Social Science & Creative Arts, in an email interview with the B.A.R. “Our faculty and campus commu -

nity are thrilled that we are creating an ethnic studies department.

“Enrollments in our course offerings are strong and as we continue to develop our curriculum and degree, I am confident that we will see a growing interest in ethnic studies,” she added.

Diversifying education

Skyline is one of 116 community colleges that are now all required by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to offer ethnic studies as of 2020. Fall 2021 was the first semester that Skyline students could take an ethnic studies course in Latina/o/x American, Asian American, and Native Amer-

ican subject matter under the new department’s banner.

Students can also delve deeper into subjects with courses on Asian Americans and U.S. institutions; race, gender, and power in America; and Filipina/o/x community issues.

According to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, California Assembly Bill 1460 signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020, did not mandate the Golden State’s community colleges to require ethnic studies. The law only mandated the California State University system, the United States’ largest four-year public university

system with 23 campuses statewide, make ethnic studies a graduation requirement.

However, the law impacted the two-year community colleges, of which more than 50 already had ethnic studies programs in place, to respond to CSU’s requirement by developing courses and programs to meet students’ needs at the higher education level.

California is the first state in the nation to require ethnic studies as a condition to graduate from a state university, according to the California Faculty Association, reported Ed Source. The law requires all students enrolled in the CSU system to take a threeunit ethnic studies course (African American, Asian American, Latina/o/x, or Native American studies) to graduate. The requirement started with CSU’s incoming 2021-2022 freshmen.

The bill was not in response to America’s racial reckoning in 2020. The legislation was authored by former San Diego Assemblymember and now Secretary of State Shirley Weber in 2019. The Legislature passed the bill and Newsom signed it into law in August 2020, just a few months after the murder of George Floyd by four ex-Minneapolis police officers that was captured on video on May 25.

Villela-Smith sees the graduation requirement at CSUs and the establishment of ethnic studies departments and programs at the state’s community colleges as a modern-day student development “reminiscent” of the ethnic studies movement 1960s and 1970s. Many of the students of that era were from communities of color just as the students are today, she noted.

“A lot of the students at the fouryear [schools] were demanding that it become a requirement,” she said. “It was student activism with the support of community and faculty and staff to establish ethnic studies and now to make it a requirement.”

Redding Lapuz, an ally, agreed, stating, “It is critical as we reckon with our nation’s history of racism, occupation, and social injustice, that we empower our students with the knowledge and self-efficacy to actively participate and make change within their communities, locally and globally.”

Villela-Smith noted that racism is by no means over. Despite the historic era of President Barack Obama’s eight-year administration (20092017) there are modern manifestations of racism. She pointed to several examples, including legislative action in some states to ban the teaching of critical race theory, school boards banning books that talk about race, and people’s lack of understanding power structures.

Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old, an article in Education Week noted.

The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.

“The folks in California said ‘Yes, we need to have this,’” Villela-Smith said about the need to require ethnic studies, recognizing that “we don’t live in a white society, we live in a multicultural society. We need to understand everyone’s experience, not just a one-sided history, a one-sided experience of what’s going on in the world.

“I think that’s one of the reasons that ethnic study needs to be really institutionalized across the nation, not just in California,” she added.

“Ethnic studies creates a dedicated academic space for our communities to engage in this work,” Redding Lapuz added.

Representation

Responding to the B.A.R.’s question about the importance that she’s co-heading the department as a queer nonbinary professor, Villela-Smith said, “I think it’s important.”

“Just me being a nonbinary, Black professor, for the last six years, what I noticed is it allows people, at least in my classes, to be themselves fully,” Villela-Smith said, talking about transgender and queer students who have come out to her over the years. “They see that representation” in her mannerisms, style, and how she talks, she said.

Villela-Smith was looking for a chance to return to the Bay Area when she saw opportunities at San Jose City College and Skyline College. She was living in Long Beach in Southern California teaching ethnic studies with an emphasis on Africana studies, queer and gender studies, and media studies at Fullerton College in Orange County for six years.

The St. Louis, Missouri native moved to the Bay Area in 2004 to attend college at the Academy of Art University. She later earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from SFSU.

Villela-Smith told the B.A.R. that she opted for Skyline College for the opportunity to build her own department, including a Black studies program and, eventually, a queer ethnic studies program. San Jose City College has an established ethnic studies program.

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s in the Midwest where Villela-Smith didn’t see anyone who looked like her queer-wise, especially in a leadership role, she said it is important for her to be at the head of the department and class.

“It was very taboo to be queer,” she said. “We had to be closeted where I’m from.”

Being at the helm of the department, Villela-Smith said, “I feel like it’s a possibility module,” about not having the opportunity that younger generations have now to see a nonbinary, butch, stud, or masculine-of-center female professor or teacher. “I can be a professor and I can be comfortable in my skin. It’s a very beautiful thing.”

Building the department

Redding Lapuz and Villela-Smith said Skyline is building a “robust” ethnic studies department and degreed programs to enrich students’ educational experience.

“The plan is to create a robust department,” said Villela-Smith. “We want all areas of study: African American studies, Latinx

Professor Arnetta Villela-Smith, right, works with student Stephen Robertson in the ethnic studies class at Skyline College last fall.

Rick Gerharter

In error, CA double funded trans health account

by Matthew S. Bajko

uried within the bills Califor-

B

nia legislators filed this month after Governor Gavin Newsom released his budget proposal for the 2023-2024 fiscal year is a line seeking to claw back $13 million from the state’s Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund. Created in 2020, it was only until last year that state leaders had allocated money toward it.

In the budget bills is one paragraph instructing the state controller to take back two different amounts specified in the Budget Act of 2022 – $2,728,000 and $10,272,000 – from the Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund and deposit the money back into the General Fund. No explanation is given for why.

In response to a question from the Bay Area Reporter, the Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the trans fund was mistakenly given $26 million last year. Thus, the governor’s office is aiming to correct the error this year, as the special fund was only to have been allocated $13 million.

“This language is a technical fix to the 22-23 Budget Act. The funds were double counted in the 22-23 Budget Act and the language you cited in the current year’s budget returns the funds that were added via appropriation. The original $13 million is still available for use,” wrote William Owens, a fiscal and policy analyst for the California Legislature, in an emailed reply to the B.A.R.

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), as chair of his chamber’s budget committee, introduced the 2023 Budget Act as Assembly Bill 221. East Bay state Sena-

tor Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) filed a verbatim bill in her chamber as chair of its budget committee.

A spokesperson for Ting explained that the state constitution requires each budget chair to introduce the governor’s budget bill immediately, which they did Friday, January 10, after Newsom released his proposal. It is the starting point for negotiations on the budget, which must be approved by the Legislature by June 15, as the new fiscal year starts on July 1.

Neither Newsom’s press office nor the governor’s Department of Finance responded to the B.A.R.’s inquiry regarding the budget request to reverse the funding for the trans wellness fund. With the gover-

nor projecting a $22 billion budget deficit this year, it is highly unlikely the extra $13 million awarded to the trans fund won’t be clawed back as part of this year’s budget.

The B.A.R. reached out to several LGBTQ groups and the offices of state lawmakers that had advocated around the special fund’s creation and fiscal allocation, including the initial author of the bill that set it up, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), regarding the language about the funding for it in this year’s budget bills. None have yet to respond.

As the B.A.R. has previously reported, Newsom signed the legislation creating the special fund three years ago with a pledge to later al-

locate funding for it. With the state flush in cash last year, Newsom and state legislators allocated the $13 million to the trans fund.

The Office of Health Equity within the California Department of Public Health is tasked with administering the fund and awarding the fiscal grants to organizations providing trans-inclusive health care. The state agency told the B.A.R. it is working out plans for the disbursement of the money.

“CDPH is continuing with plans to distribute this funding as intended by the legislature, stakeholders and the governor,” it stated in a January 17 emailed reply.

“CDPH’s Office of Health Equity has been – and will continue to –

work with stakeholders to implement this first-of-its-kind initiative to address significant health disparities experienced by Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex Californians.”

The trans fund was the impetus for new policies being enacted in the Golden State this year and next due to Senate Bill 923, authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) and signed into law by Newsom last year. It requires California medical professionals who interact with transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex patients to receive cultural competency training, as well as requires health providers to create searchable online directories of their gender-affirming services.

Known as the TGI Inclusive Care Act, it took effect on January 1 but has staggered deadlines for the impacted state departments and medical providers to meet.

For instance, the California Health and Human Services Agency has until March 1 to convene a working group that will help craft the new curriculum for health care providers with TGI patients.

The state agency has until September 1, 2024, to develop and implement quality standards for treating TGI patients. Meanwhile, the deadline for when health insurers and health plans have to require all of their staff in direct contact with patients to complete the cultural competency training is March 1, 2025 at the latest.

That is also the deadline for when health plans need to have rolled out their searchable databases for their gender-affirming services. The hope, however, is that the law’s provisions will be enacted prior to those dates. t

According to state officials, the Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund was double funded last year, and lawmakers are expected to put $13 million back into the state’s general fund.

California Assembly

New Santa Monica finish line for AIDS/LifeCycle

compiled by Cynthia Laird

AIDS/LifeCycle, the seven-day, 545-mile bike ride fundraiser traversing the Golden State from San Francisco to Los Angeles, has announced a new finish line in Santa Monica for this year’s event.

The ride, which benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, is scheduled for June 4-10 and is expected to have 3,000 participants “from the Bay to the Beach,” a news release stated.

The 2023 ride, similar to previous ones, will begin with cyclists pedaling out of the Cow Palace in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco. Cyclists will camp in six cities throughout the state and experience the diverse and beautiful landscapes along the way, the release stated. On the morning of June 10, cyclists will leave Ventura to-

have the Pacific Ocean as the perfect backdrop to celebrate their incredible accomplishment. What could be bet

and activities, according to its website.

Proceeds from the AIDS/LifeCycle benefit SFAF and the LA Center. Last year the ride raised a record $17.8 million. The in-person ride had been canceled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and, in 2021, opted for a virtual format called TogetherRide.

There are three ways to support the AIDS/LifeCycle, the release stated.

Cyclists commit to raising $3,500 to earn their “ticket to ride” and secure their spot in the event. Roadies are seven-day volunteers who are not required to fundraise, though many do.

They help with feeding rid ers and staff, and setting up and dismantling the mov ing camps. Roadie teams span health services, route, and camp. Lastly, there are @home

cations for its 2023 Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship. Over the past several years, the scholarship has helped over 250 LGBTQ+ women, nonbinary and trans people attend coding boot camps across the U.S. and abroad, stated Julia Miller, vice president of operations for Lesbians Who Tech, in an email announcement. It’s a way to help people break into the tech industry, she added.

Windsor was a lesbian who was a technology manager at IBM. She was the lead plaintiff in a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case, U.S. v. Windsor, which overturned Section 3 of the now-repealed federal Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor filed the lawsuit after the death of her longtime spouse, Thea Spyer, in 2009. The couple had married in Canada in 2007. After Spyer’s death, Windsor found out she owed more than $350,000 in federal estate taxes on her inheritance of her wife’s estate. Had the U.S. government recognized their marriage, Windsor would have qualified for an unlimited spousal deduction and paid no federal estate taxes.

Windsor went on to become a champion for marriage equality and, in 2016, married Judith Kasen. Windsor died in 2017 at the age of 88.

The Lesbians Who Tech scholarship applications are due Tuesday, February 14. For more information and to apply, go to https://bit. ly/3IN06b9.

Chet

Chet started life in Bronx, New York, born of Jewish immigrant parents and became a Harvard grad. He had a successful career in New York as a publishing editor but, in 1970 as a young gay man with progressive ideals, he moved to San Francisco. In the city he worked as an independent editor, coauthoring books with innovative 3D filmmaker Lenny Lipton. He authored a column for Zoetrope-funded City magazine entitled “Roaman Around,” interviewing gay celebrities including poet Allan Ginsburg, Cockettes founder Hibiscus, and disco great Sylvester.

Chet earned his bachelor’s degree at the City College of New York; his first master’s at New York University, and his second master’s degree at Harvard. He joined the faculty at City College of San Francisco, teaching English.

Chet’s community included Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, where he helped save local library branches. He helped improve neighborhood life with support of local parks and sat as arbiter in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office’s neighborhood court program.

Chet loved opera; the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; art museums; friends; the Bay Area food universe; his garden, deck, and home; housekeeper Mila and caregiver Juan; City College colleagues; Potrero Hill buddies; his library family; and traveling companions.

A memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, February 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 1180 DeHaro Street in San Francisco. RSVP to chetmemorial@ gmail.com. All friends and family are welcome.

“We are excited to welcome the AIDS/LifeCycle ride to Santa Monica,” stated Santa Monica Mayor Gleam

Obituaries >>

Chet (Chester) Roaman February 19, 1939 – September 6, 2022

(Chester) Roaman quietly passed away on September 6, 2022, at 83 years young.

AIDS/LifeCycle participants ride on the second day of last year’s event.

Courtesy LA LGBT Center

by Matthew S. Bajko

O ne day in 2021 Gia Angel Regalado received a call from a staffer at San Francisco’s Transgender District to inform her about a new grant program aimed at assisting local artists whose finances had been impacted by the COVID pandemic. An artist, activist, and model who performs under the stage name FKA Supernova Girl, Regalado had been able to book some modeling gigs but saw her performance opportunities dry up.

Also working as a hairdresser, who rented a chair at a salon near Union Square, Regalado, 32, saw many of her clients move out of the city due to the health crisis. After being forced to close in March of 2020 under the COVID lockdowns, the salon ended up going out of business.

Meanwhile, Regalado’s roommates also decided to move out, leaving her to cover the entirety of the $3,200 in rent for the threebedroom apartment she had been living in. Although she had been hired in July 2021 as a bilingual services navigator at the health center Strut in the city’s LGBTQ Castro district, Regalado made the decision to end her lease and look for a more affordable housing option.

“My whole life took a different turn financially for me,” recalled Regalado, who is a transgender woman and in recent months underwent gender-confirming surgery. “COVID really impacted me.”

Thus, being enrolled in the San Francisco Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists (SF-GIPA) offered her some fiscal relief. Since October 2021 Regalado has received a monthly check of $1,000, which covers her rent.

“I was so flattered. I was also just so grateful,” Regalado told the Bay Area Reporter about being selected for the program. “I feel I kind of struggle with my art being just looked at as meaningful to anyone else than myself. I didn’t realize I just made an impact on the community, you know.”

Franco Martinez, 27, who is trans and pansexual, also was selected for the SF-GIPA program. Over the last decade they have worked in various capacities within the city’s theater community, thus Martinez was greatly impact -

ed by the forced shuttering of local stages at the start of the COVID pandemic.

“It was so funny. At the beginning of the pandemic, in December of 2019, I quit my 9-to-5 job as a cashier at a restaurant – I was earning well enough but these other jobs became more plentiful – to work as a contractor for the Bayview Opera House and as a part-time assistant house manager at the Jewish Community Center,” recalled Martinez, who uses they/ them pronouns. “I was devoting my work to theater in December of 2019 and the arts. Then March of 2020 came and suddenly what seemed a very sensible decision at the time turned into the worst decision. I lost everything, absolutely everything.”

Without a steady income, Martinez was able to receive unemployment checks since they were furloughed from their jobs. But there were few other options to be hired by any other theater productions at the time and earn a paycheck, recalled Martinez.

They received their first check from the city program in March 2021. Martinez had applied for it as a way to help them cover the rent on a new apartment they had just moved into with their partner near the city’s Civic Center. They also needed to continue making payments on the loan they took out to attend the Academy of Art, from which Martinez graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.

“Interestingly enough, I heard about the program by my thenboss at the time at the opera house. Because of the program,

artists

honestly, I was able to continue working at the opera house,” said Martinez. “It was what I wanted to do. I love that theater and I love the work we do.”

Being accepted as one of the artist grant recipients was “lifechanging,” said Martinez, who initially thought the program would be for only six months until additional funding came in to extend it to 18 months.

“Before I was accepted I didn’t want to think about it, but I seriously was considering leaving the Bay Area entirely and moving back to Texas,” said Martinez, who grew up in the Lone Star State and still has friends and family in Fort Worth. “It was more of a cushion at the time; with the grant, I could stay in San Francisco. Suddenly, a lot of possibilities I was thinking of pursuing became available.”

Last year, the opera house hired them on as an events curator. In October, Martinez oversaw the show lighting for its Halloween event “A Haunting on Third: Death of a Star.”

“It was the first show I was allowed to create the look of the whole show. It went over really, really well,” said Martinez during a phone interview in early November.

Funding

The city initially funded $600,000 toward enrolling 130 artists in the program for six months and partnered with the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to roll it out in the spring of 2021 and oversee the application process. It was extended and expanded after receiving a $3.46 million donation from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s #StartSmall Foundation and additional funds from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to bring it to $3.5 million, allowing for an additional 60 artists to be selected.

But in response to criticisms from local artists concerned about how recipients were initially chosen, and wanting to ensure more people of color were helped by it, YBCA teamed with six local arts and culture groups and tasked them to each recruit 10 artists to receive the grants. In addition to the Transgender District, another group involved was the gay-led San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company.

Stephanie Imah, who is queer and lives in Oakland, managed

the grant program for YBCA. She works for the downtown arts organization as its director of artist investments.

“It feels nice to be in an ecosystem that believes in this model, and we had an opportunity to center artists in this conversation,” said Imah.

A guaranteed income (GI) program, Imah told the B.A.R., is a “great model but just really hard to sustain without a wealthy family or other bedrock to constantly funnel in resources to keep the program going.”

Were the program to become permanent and scaled up, it would need more than just city funds, Imah told the B.A.R. It would require state or federal level funding through some kind of tax, she said, plus ongoing philanthropic support.

Even if $8 million could be allocated toward keeping the grant program going, Imah pointed out it would only help 400 local artists.

“If it is going to be funded by an institution, it probably needs a wealthy family or endowment to fund it. It takes a lot of money to administer,” said Imah, adding a key concern would be what agency is administering it. “If it is implemented at the state, federal, or city level, or implemented by nonprofits looking at more equitable interventions in their community, you need to be advocating for this at a higher, more sustainable level.”

And that could be a hard argument to make, noted Imah, considering the ongoing attacks from various quarters on tax-funded investments in the arts.

“I think we are still finding ourselves in conversation of why artists, why support artists? People are not happy to even see GI given to artists. Artists are not seen as the cultural anchors that they are,” said Imah.

Speaking to the B.A.R. last fall about the grant program and how it had impacted her life, Regalado said she was still “kind of shocked” to have been selected for it. It was validation, in a way, for her artistic endeavors, she added.

“I love San Francisco and I love the community we have created and protected,” said Regalado, who now lives with two other artist friends in the South of Market neighborhood. “It is amazing, even, that we have this opportunity.”

The money came with no strings attached or requirement that those selected had to create an art project with it. They were free to decide however they wanted to spend the funds.

“I feel like when I first got the grant I thought I was going to spend that money on my art. But I realized I am my art; I am a walking piece of art,” said Regalado. “I need to spend it on whatever makes me feel safe and good. Not having to worry about my rent for a whole 18 months, it has been great. One less thing to think about.”

Meant as a pilot program, the grants to local artists have been phasing out since last October, when the first cohort of artists who had been selected stopped receiving their monthly payments. Because she was selected for a second round of grants, Regalado will be among the 38 participants receiving their last check in February. (The remaining 22 will see their last payment in July.)

“It will be unfortunate. I became accustomed to not having to worry about that,” said Regalado. “But I am a hustler. I will be fine.”

According to YBCA of the 130 artists in the first cohort, 49% identified as LGBTQIA2S. All faced income loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martinez was among that group of artists and received their last check in the fall. They told the B.A.R. they don’t view SF-GIPA as an income program but as an investment in the arts by San Francisco residents.

“Because without this grant being given to every one of us in the program, it wouldn’t have been guaranteed we would have stayed in the area or been able to continue doing our work,” said Martinez, adding that, “this kind of program would be great if it could continue. ... Personally, I would like to see it for the entire city and for everybody who lives here, and in the future, maybe the country.”

Of the city’s grants to artists, Martinez said, “I think or I hope this program did the same for everybody involved. It kept them going and sustained them while still being able to do what we do and what we love.”

Gia Angel Regalado was selected for an artist grant.

Rick Gerharter

Worst avoided as storms trickle to an end

by John Ferrannini

Aseries of destructive atmospheric rivers may have ended earlier this week, but the Golden State is still reeling from one of the wettest periods ever recorded here.

Warnings that storms over the weekend may leave the Monterey Peninsula an island without access to the rest of the state proved unfounded.

“It wasn’t that close,” Monterey County Public Information Officer Karen Smith told the Bay Area Reporter on Tuesday. “The rivers never reached a point where they needed to close the roads.”

The National Weather Service provided some perspective on how rare such a soaker is, however. KRON-TV reported that downtown San Francisco has received 18.09 inches of rain since the day after Christmas, making the period between then and Tuesday the wettest 22-day period since 1862.

Thankfully many of the establishments that saw flooding at the start of the year did not see a repeat even as the rain barreled down during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

For example, Rainbow Grocery, a worker-owned co-op in the Mission district adjacent to the Central Freeway, has not seen flooding again since its reopening January 3, a spokesperson told the B.A.R.

Susie Idzik, the executive director of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, the LGBTQ reform synagogue near Mission Dolores Park, told the B.A.R. that it has been holding in-person services again. Shabbat services had been virtual-only, the B.A.R. reported last week.

“Our office has been open and we have been holding services for the past two weeks but our lobby remains closed,” Idzik stated. “We are still without heat because our boiler room experienced flooding and we haven’t yet been able to get our boiler and gas up and working yet.”

The LGBTQ New Conservatory Theatre Center, located in the basement at 25 Van Ness Avenue downtown, reported flooding over New Year’s. Its website states that its next show, “Getting There,” will be opening January 20.

Dave Karraker, a gay man who coowns MX3 Fitness in the Castro, told the B.A.R. last week his decision to step down as co-president of the Castro Merchants Association was due to the extensive flooding there. Luckily, competitor Core MVMT Pilates set up a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised $13,377 of a $20,000 goal as of press time.

Apparel company Lululemon, which has several San Francisco locations, helped raise nearly $5,000, Karraker told the B.A.R.

“Our hearts are full from the unbelievable support we have received from the community following the flooding of our gym,” Karraker stated. “We really owe so much to Lisa Thomure, owner of Core MVMT, who started a GoFundMe as soon as she heard the news. Miraculously, someone from Lululemon heard about Lisa’s efforts and that led to a Lululemon charity pop-up in front of our gym last Fri-

day that raised nearly $5,000. This has really reinforced our belief that the Castro is one of the most caring, giving, close-knit neighborhoods in the entire city. When another small business is down, the Castro community rises up to support them and that’s what makes our little neighborhood so incredibly special.”

The Lululemon SF Giving Cart held the fundraiser for MX3 in front of the gym’s Castro location, featuring sweatshirts designed by local queer artist Simón Malvaez. Malvaez is perhaps best known in the community for his work on the “Queeroes” mural on the LGBT Community Center and the Young Hearts party at the Eagle.

Malvaez said that the partnership with Lululemon began with a local collection for Pride festivities in 2021, which grew into designing the company’s first global Pride collection the following year.

“When they approached me with the idea for using the artwork for their giving cart, I was excited by the impact behind it and community support as all sales have been donated directly to local organizations,” Malvaez told the B.A.R. “Last weekend, the merch and cart popped up in support of SF LGBT Center, a group I work closely with and currently have a mural at. With MX3 being a queer-owned gym, this opportunity is close to my heart.”

Lululemon San Francisco’s Tommy Tran stated, “Last Friday we chose MX3 because we value how they create access to wellbeing for the community.”

Terrance Allen, who is now the sole president of the merchants group, told the B.A.R. that Karraker “was a spectacular co-president, and he will be dearly missed.”

“He spearheaded so many initiatives that his shoes will be hard to fill,” Allen stated. “He spearheaded the rallying of merchants to pressure the city to do something about the unhoused living and dying on the streets, always using his excellent communication skills. We understand that being on the Castro Merchants board, especially in a leadership position, takes time and energy that can be scarce for us small business owners. We respect Dave’s decision to focus on rebuilding his business after the flood, support him in any way we can, and will look to the horizon for his return.”

Allen was referring to a letter the merchants group sent to city leaders last summer demanding action on a number of issues business leaders experienced, including homeless encampments and people struggling with apparent mental health issues, as the B.A.R. previously reported. What generated the most buzz, however, was a statement – not part of the letter – that threatened civil disobedience by businesses withholding fees they pay to the city. In December, a group calling itself the Tenderloin Business Coalition also contacted city officials with similar concerns in that part of the city. They are demanding a refund of taxes and fees to help them cover the costs of trying to sustain businesses amid the crime and drug dealing on the neighborhood’s streets, as the B.A.R. reported.

freeway traffic that would result from closing the freeway, Wiener said, “that’s why we’re initiating this process.”

Sonoma County

Up in Guerneville, Ben Tacla of the Rainbow Cattle Company said that he’s thankful that “at no point did the banks of the Russian River overflow,” in spite of fears.

“The flooding we got was where it’s supposed to flood, where it normally floods,” Tacla, a gay man, said. “It seems to be the consensus that we can’t call this a flood because it never really, truly flooded. … The business is doing great. The locals gathered at the bar – it was fun. The bar is open again and tourists are back in town. It really hasn’t been that detrimental when it comes to business.”

President Joe Biden is expected to be on the Central Coast on Thursday to visit the ravaged communities there; as of press time the specific cities of the visit have not been confirmed. Biden already had signed off on both a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration and a Presidential Emergency Declaration to help the state and local communities recover from the storms, which have resulted in at least 20 fatalities and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.

On Monday Governor Gavin Newsom signed his own executive order to further bolster the state’s emergency response to the severe winter storms. He has also traveled to impacted communities across the state, including in Santa Cruz County.

“California is moving with the urgency this moment demands, rapidly bringing support to Californians recovering from the devastating impact of the recent storms,” Newsom stated. “Business owners across the state can now access much-needed assistance to help accelerate their recovery efforts, including relief from interest and penalties.”

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY. Resources are also available at https:// bit.ly/3iOs7Vq t

was extended due to rush hour traffic – an average of 22.6 minutes per day, or 94.4 hours annually.

Overnight

the way for the current configuration of the city’s eastern waterfront. And the Central Freeway itself used to be longer, extending to Turk Street until that stretch was demolished in 2003, replaced with Octavia Boulevard.

These closures were prompted by damage incurred by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They were both opposed by leading figures in the Chinese American community, and led to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Central Subway that had a soft opening in late 2022.

When asked by the Bay Area Reporter about mitigating the impact on

“The same was true when they closed the other part of the freeway and created Octavia Boulevard,” he said.

“You have to take all that into account.”

When asked why now, Wiener responded bluntly “it’s overdue – that’s why.”

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center sits where Octavia intersects Market Street. When asked for comment, senior communications manager Miguel Raphael Bagsit had “no statement at this time.”

A study from CoPilot showed that of all U.S. metro areas, San Francisco Bay Area commuters ranked No. 7 in the amount of time their commute

As the remaining segment of the Central Freeway is a major commute corridor for residents of the city’s westside neighborhoods, the B.A.R. recently asked gay District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, elected last year, if he supported tearing it down. While he applauded the traffic calming and freed up space for new mixed-use housing developments that the removal of the elevated roadway created in Hayes Valley, Engardio stressed that any plan for removing the remaining freeway needs to benefit both the

KGO-TV’s Drew Tuma, left, joined colleague Jobina Fortson, MX3 co-owner Dave Karraker, and KGOTV’s Reggie Aqui at the Lululemon pop-up January 13.

Courtesy Dave Karraker

Feinstein needs to make her decision

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) needs to make her decision soon about retiring or running for reelection in 2024. At 89, Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor and supervisor, has served in the Senate since 1992 and is the state’s senior senator. But reports over the last year of possible health issues have led to calls for her not to seek reelection next year, and already, at least one person – Congressmember Katie Porter (D-Irvine) – has formally announced a bid for Feinstein’s seat. Others, such as Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), have signaled interest but are waiting for Feinstein to announce her intentions.

People may think that 2024 is a long way off, but they shouldn’t forget that next year California’s primary will be held in March because it’s a presidential election year. (The state made that change in an effort to have more clout in the presidential nominating contests.) Therefore, in just over a year voters will head to the polls. It takes time and money to run a statewide race in California, and candidates need to start soon in order to run a competitive campaign.

Over the years, Feinstein has mostly been a reliable ally to the LGBTQ community. She was one of only 14 Democratic senators who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 – a courageous position at the time as many mainstream Democrats, including then-Delaware senator and now-President Joe Biden, voted for the anti-LGBTQ law.

DOMA, which has had key sections declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court over the years, was finally repealed in full last month when Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which Feinstein strongly supported and co-sponsored. The Respect for Marriage Act requires federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide and also mandates that states must recognize such

unions performed in other states. The new law is meant to thwart possible negative action by the U.S. Supreme Court that was revealed by Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned the right to abortion. Thomas suggested that other precedents, including same-sex marriage, should be reconsidered. With the court’s powerful 6-3 conservative supermajority, that is certainly in the realm of possibility.

On the flip side, Feinstein angered many LGBTQ people and straight allies when she dismissed then-San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to order city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in February 2004. Newsom, now the state’s governor, was chided by Feinstein, who said at the time that the same-sex marriage issue “has been too much, too fast, too soon.” Ultimately, however, Newsom was proved cor-

rect and his jump-starting the issue had a lot to do with marriage equality becoming legal nationwide in 2015 (and in California in 2013). By 2008, when Proposition 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban was on the ballot, Feinstein came out against it.

During her years as mayor of San Francisco, she also had a mixed record on LGBTQ issues. She hosted the same-sex union of a lesbian couple at her home, but in 1982 vetoed legislation by the Board of Supervisors that would have extended benefits to domestic partners of city employees, among other things. At the time, it would have been the first law of its kind in the country. San Francisco eventually passed a domestic partner law, in 1989, but by then Berkeley, West Hollywood, and Santa Cruz had already adopted similar ordinances.

Overall, in the Senate, Feinstein has been with the LGBTQ community, and it’s critically important that her successor be of similar mind, which in deep blue California shouldn’t be an issue. Feinstein has had a long and distinguished career in the Senate, but last year the San Francisco Chronicle and other outlets reported on health issues, specifically, that her memory is declining. In response, Feinstein stated that she’s still performing her job well.

Far be it for us to demand that Feinstein retire at the end of her term. Porter’s decision to enter the Senate race before Feinstein has announced her decision strikes us as a bit of a protocol breach, however, these days politicians jump into a race when they want. We hope that Feinstein takes the next few weeks to make her decision, so that other candidates can plan accordingly. At this stage of her career, Feinstein has a legacy as a powerful voice for Californians as the longest-serving U.S. senator from California, and one who has long supported the LGBTQ community despite a few hiccups. We hope that if she decides to announce that she will not run in 2024, the candidates running will show the same fortitude on issues affecting our community. t

Becoming Brown and gay in LA

by Anthony Christian Ocampo

In the early morning of June 12, 2016, a domestic terrorist entered Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire. The gunman was equipped with a semiautomatic rifle and a nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol he had purchased legally at the St. Lucie Shooting Center about a week earlier. Saturday was Latin night at Pulse, and that evening there were somewhere between two and three hundred clubgoers, mostly queer Latinxs and other people of color. By the end of the attack, forty-nine people were dead, and more than fifty others were physically injured. Among the dead were a recent high school graduate, a sales associate, a military veteran, a choreographer, a theme park employee, an undocumented immigrant, several college students, and a mother of eleven who had twice beaten cancer. The attack occurred less than one year after the U.S. Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal.

Later that day, Rick Scott, the governor of Florida at the time, was quick to opine that radical Islamic terrorists were behind the Pulse shooting; he was part of a chorus of Republicans ready to weaponize the shooter’s racial identity to advance their own anti-Muslim agenda. In their first set of news conferences and tweets, Scott and his Republican colleagues described the Pulse shooting as an act of terror against “Americans,” conveniently omitting that the attack targeted queer Latinxs and people of color. These “straightwashed” and “Whitewashed” framings of the Pulse shooting minimized the unique devastation felt by LGBTQ Latinxs, both in and beyond Orlando.

For LGBTQ Latinxs, this wasn’t just a mass shooting at a nightclub. As journalist Veronica Bayette Flores notes, “The Pulse nightclub shooting robbed the queer Latinx community of a sanctuary.” Four days after the attack, poet and writer Rigoberto Gonzalez penned a piece for BuzzFeed explaining why Pulse felt so personal. “Latino gay clubs or Latin nights at any other gay club appealed to my sexuality and to my ethnicity,” Gonzalez notes. “Oh, yes, how I cherish the time I have spent in clubs like Pulse in cities like Orlando, where gay Latinos ... gravitate because we love men and we love our homelands, and that’s one of the places our worlds converge.” For

Flores and Gonzalez, Latin night at a gay club is one of the few spaces where they can just be –unapologetically.

The Monday after the Pulse shooting, I attended a vigil at Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles, where I ran into several of the men I had interviewed for this book. When I said my hellos, many echoed some version of “That could’ve been us.” One of the interviewees I ran into was Enrique Sandoval (b. 1983), a Mexican American artist. The Pulse shooting hit him especially hard. While he had never been to Pulse specifically, he knew what it meant as a cultural and community space. Enrique’s queer coming of age was inseparable from the gay Latino scene, and especially Friday nights at Circus Disco, which for decades had been one of Southern California’s most prominent Latino gay clubs before it was torn down in 2016. Circus was a massive twostory club with several dance floors: hip-hop and reggaeton might be playing in one room, Beyoncé and Britney Spears in another, and Spanish rock in a third. The crowd comprised mostly Latino gay men, but they were as diverse as the music blasting in the respective rooms.

“Circus is like church,” Enrique had told me a few years earlier. “It’s where everyone meets up. It’s where everyone who is a Latino gay guy at some point comes to see all the people they

know. It’s that mecca that feels like home.” Circus was where Enrique came to embrace being gay after a lifetime of associating it with shame. It was where he first connected with the gay Latino friends who eventually became part of his chosen family. At Circus, he found the social support and acceptance that he lacked in his home life. Unlike many of the other men I interviewed, Enrique didn’t attend college, where there were student organizations and cultural centers in which he could explore his sexuality, so Circus became a campus of sorts to him. It was where he became familiarized with gay pop culture. It was in which he learned about local gay Latino organizations. It was where he learned about how HIV/AIDS disproportionately affected Black and Latino gay men. For much of his early adult life, the community at Circus mattered more to him than his blood family and his childhood friends.

Gay men of color, for most of their lives, rarely find themselves in spaces where they can fully embrace both their racial and sexual identities. In their families, they’re marginalized for being gay; in their schools and the larger society, they’re marginalized for being gay and people of color. Gay bars – especially those frequented by other gay people of color – provide opportunities for connection and community. As the anthropologist Martin Manalansan writes, the gay bar “is the most prominent space for socialization and, for many, authentic belonging to the community.” Although many of these establishments cater to White gay men, ethnic-themed parties like Latin night provided rare opportunities for queer people of color to express and experience their full humanity – the three or four hours in the week when they can strut and dance and gab and love as fiercely as they desire, where they can stand out without standing out.

Discovering these queer communities of color in LA wasn’t always straightforward. The secondgeneration gay men I interviewed came to learn about places like Circus and other queer POC scenes through meeting other gay men of color, both in person and online, who brokered their entrée into these spaces.

Anthony Christian Ocampo

Courtesy Anthony Christian Ocampo

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

Rick Gerharter

Lesbian marriage activist joins CA school board

by Matthew S. Bajko

Back in the early 2000s Jennifer Sookne was fighting to achieve marriage equality in California. She and her former partner married in San Francisco 19 years ago during the Winter of Love, when city officials wed thousands of same-sex couples in violation of the state’s marriage statutes.

It led to a yearslong legal battle in state and federal courts to win the right to marry for same-sex couples.

With Sookne’s initial February 19, 2004 wedding to Theresa Mizell annulled by state courts, the Willits residents were the first same-sex couple to be married in Mendocino County in June 2008 when a court decision allowed such weddings to again take place that summer and fall.

(The weddings were halted by the passage of Proposition 8 on the November ballot that year. The antimarriage equality measure would be overturned by the federal courts in 2013, allowing for same-sex couples to wed again that June in California, with the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide two years later.)

Now separated from Mizell, Sookne is bringing her experience as a civil rights advocate, plus her time spent as an educator and decades of working as a social worker, to her new role as a public school leader. In November, Sookne won election to the board that oversees the Willits Unified School District in Northern California.

“I had a lot of people voting for me that I didn’t even know,” said Sookne, who came in third out of the eight candidates who ran for the three school board seats that were on the November 8 ballot.

It was her first time running for elected office. A member of her town’s Rotary International club, Sookne had invited the teacher who advises the school district’s Genders & Sexualities Alliance for LGBTQ and allied students to address the local Rotarians. The GSA is the only one now found in a Mendocino County school district, said Sookne.

“I asked her to come do a presentation on if they needed anything, as we fund things,” explained Sookne. “She did her presentation, and it went over really well.”

Afterward the local teacher approached Sookne and suggested she enter the school board race.

“She said to me after that if I really want to help the kids out to apply for the school board, so they have a representative of someone who has lived the life and is a member of the community on the school board. So if there is stuff that happens, they have a protector in a sense,” recalled Sookne.

As of yet, Sookne doesn’t have any LGBTQ proposals she intends to introduce as a school board item, she told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. Informed that the Willits school district did not fill out the LGBTQ school survey released last year by the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California, Sookne told the B.A.R. she would work to see that her district fill out the third one set for release in 2024.

Her more immediate goals are to boost arts and music education for her district’s 1,502 students and to have classes teaching Northern Pomo, the language of the Pomo tribe that has called the area home for centuries.

“They teach it in the Ukiah public schools,” noted Sookne, who lived in the nearby city when she first moved to the area in 1995.

As for arts and music instruction,

Sookne explained, “I want to see it be expanded and be used as part of regular lessons. They have found that people who know music or are musical think differently than other people.”

She has called Willits home since buying a house there in 1999 on the day of her 50th birthday. At 72 years of age, she is one of the oldest LGBTQ school leaders in the Golden State. (Lesbian former state legislator Jackie Goldberg, 78, now serves on the Los Angeles Unified school board and was elected its president for 2023.)

Sookne had helped launch a local chapter of Marriage Equality USA in Mendocino to organize the local community on the issue. She also served on the now-defunct group’s national board and held the position of board secretary for three years.

Sookne also joined the local group that puts on Pride events in Mendocino County, though the COVID epidemic has hindered its ability to host the LGBTQ celebration the last few years. Nonetheless, her leadership in the various groups meant her sexual orientation wasn’t an issue on the campaign trail last year.

“People in the community know me. I have been out there as a face of the queer community all the time I have lived up here,” said Sookne. “I have led vigils when people have died because they’re trans. If somebody doesn’t know I am a lesbian, it is because they haven’t had their eyes open.”

Cross-country journey

Born in Queens, New York City, Sookne moved at the age of 14 to the upper West Side of Manhattan with her mother when her parents divorced. She attended a high school focused on music and the arts.

Graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied government and did her thesis on ethnomusicology, first brought her west. She came to the Central Valley and spoke with farmworkers about the songs they sang.

After a brief return to New York post graduation, Sookne returned to Texas and ended up living in Corpus Christi. She dated a man off and on for five years and became pregnant with her son, James

“I worked with the Texas Migrant Council and was a cashier in a convenience store for over five years. I got held up twice at gunpoint while I was pregnant and working in the convenience store,” recalled Sookne, who told her boyfriend, who suffered from addiction, not to come around after she gave birth. “My mom came down to live with us after my son was born.”

With her mom suffering from Alzheimer’s, Sookne eventually had to move her into a nursing home.

“I couldn’t manage to take care of all of it at home because she needed too much care. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life,” she said. “She no longer knew who I was. I had zero support system at that point.”

A friend from California whom she had kept in touch with encouraged Sookne to move to the state with her son. She did so in the 1980s and was hired as a teacher’s aide at a school in Bakersfield.

Between 1986 and 1987 Sookne taught bilingual fourth graders and bilingual third graders in Delano, California. It required her to speak in both Spanish and English.

“I also had kids who spoke Tagalog and other Filipino languages. I am not 100% fluent in Spanish but can get by pretty well,” she said.

In 1993, she started dating Mizell a year after Sookne officially came out as a lesbian at the age of 42. Suffering from chronic bronchitis, doctors advised Mizell to move out of the Central Valley and its polluted air.

It led the women to relocate to the coastal, foggy climate of Mendocino County. At the time employed as a social worker for child protective services with Kern County, Sookne was able to transfer to a similar position in Mendocino. (She retired from that job in 2016.)

As for her first wedding to Mizell nearly two decades ago, it took two drives down to San Francisco to make it happen. They had first gone to City Hall right after the marriages had begun on Valentine’s Day in 2004 but were told to return another time due to the already lengthy line of couples waiting to say “I do.”

The couple “licked our wounds,” recalled Sookne, and returned on February 19 without an appointment. After picking up her son at 4 a.m. from Sonoma State University, where he was enrolled at the time, the family arrived at City Hall and were the sixth couple in line that morning.

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While they would divorce in 2009, the women have remained friends, said Sookne, who is now a grandmother. It is another perspective she brings as an elected school board member.

As she told the Willits Weekly in terms of her candidacy for the position, Sookne said she wants “to see that all children get the opportunity for the best education regardless of race, culture, religion, politics, economic standing, and abilities, in as safe (an) environment as possible.”t

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New Willits school board member Jennifer Sookne wants the district to complete Equality California’s next LGBTQ school survey when it’s released in 2024.

Courtesy Jennifer Sookne

“Prop 8 repeal, we’ve been talking about it for a long time,” said Jennifer Pizer, a lesbian who is the chief legal officer for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Pizer was in San Francisco on December 2 to attend a news conference by Senator Alex Padilla (D-California). He was in the city to tout the Senate’s bipartisan approval of the Respect for Marriage Act. That law, signed by Biden December 8, repealed what was left of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Specifically, the Respect for Marriage Act repeals the discriminatory DOMA that was passed in 1996 but had key provisions struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 (Section 3, U.S. v. Windsor) and 2015 (Section 2, Obergefell v. Hodges). Not only does it require federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide but also mandates states must recognize such unions performed in other states.

Pizer said the prospect of a statewide ballot initiative in California is daunting because it would be “so expensive.”

“At the same time, in California people must be able to marry,” she added.

A ballot initiative to remove Prop 8 likely would cost tens of millions of dollars. The campaigns for and against Prop 8 15 years ago raised a combined total of more than $83 million, NBC News reported in 2009.

And the cost of statewide ballot measures has only increased since

Prop 8. Last year’s dueling Indian gaming measures, for example, raised a combined $600 million and both ballot initiatives – Props 26 and 27 –lost. Much of the campaign money for statewide initiatives is spent on TV advertising.

Pizer said people shouldn’t assume the Supreme Court will overrule Obergefell. “But if it does, it’s not tenable to have Prop 8 go back into effect,” she said.

Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) was unequivocal in his comments made during Padilla’s news conference. “We need to get Prop 8 out of our constitution in California,” he said. He made those comments after praising the Respect for Marriage Act, adding that some Republicans in Congress voted for it and noting, “there is more work to do.”

Pizer said the old scare tactics used during the Prop 8 campaign – particularly around same-sex parents raising children and kids learning about LGBTQ issues in school – and by other states that passed same-sex marriage bans in the 2000s likely wouldn’t be met with the same level of support that they were during the Prop 8 fight. In California, at least, there are now state laws mandating teaching about LGBTQ history and other topics in public schools.

“It’s appalling nonsense, and I don’t think it works anymore,” she said.

She said that she believes most people just want the country to move forward but said that transgender and nonbinary people “are under sustained attack now.” She was referring to the many anti-trans bills that have passed in other states over the last couple of years. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 344 antiLGBTQ bills were introduced across 23 states in 2022.

Pizer also said that discussions about whether to attempt to get Prop 8 out of the state constitution have been ongoing for some time.

“Questions about Prop 8 have been discussed since the results came out in 2008 and whether it’s important to get rid of it,” she said.

Just who would run a campaign to remove Prop 8 from the state constitution is unclear. In 2008, staff from statewide LGBTQ rights organization Equality California took a leading role in the official No on 8 campaign, with help from leadership at the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Tony Hoang, a gay man who is the

executive director of EQCA, told the B.A.R. at the Padilla news conference that the group has been talking about it with others.

“We’re in active discussions and will assess next steps,” he said, adding that EQCA has had “preliminary conversations” among its board and “throughout the organization.”

An EQCA spokesperson stated in a January 17 email that the organization had no new updates.

Imani Rupert-Gordon, a queer woman who is the current executive director of NCLR, demurred when asked about the matter at the Padilla presser last month. She has not responded to follow up requests for comment.

Other issues are important

Other LGBTQ community leaders voiced their opinions. Maceo Persson, a trans man who’s co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center’s board of directors, said there is more of a need to pass the federal Equality Act in Congress. Persson made the comments before the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives January 3, which means it’s unlikely the act will be reintroduced in that chamber.

The Equality Act, which passed the House on a bipartisan vote in 2021, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It never did get a vote in the 50-50 Senate before the end of 2022, meaning it would need to be reintroduced in that body as well.

The Democrats have a majority in the new Senate, with 48 members

who are Democrats, 48 who are Republicans and three independents (including bisexual Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema) who caucus with the Democrats.

Persson added that California is home to great community organizers, but that “bread and butter” issues like poverty affect many LGBTQ people. And, he pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County that a federal law barring discrimination on the basis of “sex” also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status “doesn’t protect in public accommodations.”

In fact, the high court heard oral arguments in early December about a case that could affect just that. The case, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, challenges Colorado’s public accommodations law by seeking to allow web designer Lorie Smith to refuse to create wedding sites for same-sex couples. With the court’s 6-3 conservative supermajority, most observers said the session did not bode well for LGBTQ rights. A decision is expected by June.

Stephen Torres, a queer man who’s on the board of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, also said that LGBTQ rights need to be protected in all areas of law. That said, he noted that the effort to remove Prop 8 from the state constitution “is important,” especially given Thomas’ comments in his concurring opinion in Dobbs.

“We have to hold leaders accountable at all levels,” Torres said. t

studies, Indigenous studies, and Asian American studies.”

Redding Lapuz added that the department will collaborate with educational programs, such as the Puente (Chicano/Latino/a) and Kababayan (Filipino/a) learning communities at Skyline, and oncampus communities Brothers Achieving Milestones and Women’s Leadership & Mentoring Academy.

“Ultimately, we want every single student at Skyline College to feel a sense of belonging,” wrote Redding Lapuz.

“We need to have competent, conscious leaders,” she added, focusing on the education of future doctors, lawyers, nurses, and police officers. “The whole college system has an important role in developing the future society.”

“I think educating that younger generation that’s going to eventually lead us into the next centuries it’s extremely important to be conscious of these things, these matters, and understand how our system works and why our system is the way it is,” Redding Lapuz stated. It’s about “changing and empowering them.”

Examining the intersections

In addition to working on a Black studies program, VillelaSmith said she wants to fulfill her vision to create a degree program in queer ethnic studies. She proposed a degree program at her previous job that she now wants to bring to Skyline College.

The program “centers the queer and nonbinary trans experiences within communities of color,” she said, noting the importance of the

program due to mainstream society being “very hetero-sexist” and the queer BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) “narratives are left out.”

“We look at history, a lot of our contributions have been ignored,” she said, explaining that she had to go outside of the ethnic studies department to the queer and sexuality department to examine her own intersectionality as a nonbinary queer Black person. “I don’t think we should because what that does is separate this even further.”

She continued, giving examples of feminist and ethnic studies courses and historians ignoring contributions from Black and queer figures in history. She pointed to the late Black, queer, feminist author and poet Audre Lorde and the late gay Black civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who worked closely with civil rights leader the Reverend Dr.

The most contentious part of the proposed renovations by Another Planet Entertainment is removing the movie house’s banked seating in favor of level platforms that could hold both removable seats for film screenings and standing audiences for live music performances.

Therese Poletti, preservation director of the Art Deco Society of California, stated, “The purpose of the meeting is to give the latest updates on what is happening with the efforts to landmark the interior of the Castro Theatre and to encourage people to attend the Historic Preservation Commission hearing on the addendum to its current landmark status to include the interior and to add a second period of significance, to include the theatre’s association with the LGBTQ community and history.

“We really need to encourage everyone to attend the meeting, either in person or virtually, and speak up during the comments section on the agenda item,” she added.

Tina Aguirre, a genderqueer Latinx person who’s the manager of

the Castro cultural district, stated, “I’m looking forward to the Castro Theatre Coalition groups and members facilitating this meeting to gather and share information about how to best preserve the legacy of the Castro Theatre as a historically significant site that centers queer and transgender culture.”

Aguirre added, “… I remain very disappointed in the lack of progress in obtaining anything in writing from APE regarding this. The silence from APE is especially troubling given the imperative to engage with the community that has been given to them by Supervisor Mandelman and the SF Planning’s Historic Preservation.”

Mandelman told the B.A.R. that his office was not invited to participate in the meeting and has “no plans to do so.”

News of the meeting comes just days after gay activist Michael Petrelis published an email from Mandelman’s office showing that on December 13 the supervisor was interested in meeting with Alfonso Felder, an executive vice president of administration for the San Francisco Giants baseball club, regarding the latter’s “interest in the Castro Theatre.”

The email was sent by Mandel-

man’s legislative aide Jackie Thornhill, a trans woman, to gay consultant Terry Beswick, who replied with Felder’s contact information.

Felder is the president and cofounder of the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, a nonprofit behind the Vogue Theatre and the Balboa Theatre.

Petrelis also published a text between Mandelman and a constituent dated December 7, the day that the historic preservation commission’s hearing on the theater was continued to February 1, in which Mandelman wrote “not even sure if APE is still interested; they’re acting like they’re done” and “they’ve definitely put their pencils down.”

Petrelis wrote in a Facebook post where he published the email and message that “I’d like to know if he’s [Felder] pursuing management or purchase of the Castro Theatre.”

Through a spokesperson Another Planet Entertainment denied it is giving up management of the theater.

“Another Planet remains fully committed to the restoration and revitalization of the historic Castro Theatre to ensure its viability for this and future generations in -

Martin Luther King Jr. Lorde is often quoted in women’s and queer studies courses but left out of ethnic studies courses, she said.

“She’s a Black woman, a Black queer woman, who has given so

cluding an ongoing commitment to its cherished place within the LGBTQ, film, and other communities,” spokesperson David Perry, a gay man, told the B.A.R. “We look forward to our continuing work with the theater’s owners, the Nasser Family, and the City and County of San Francisco as we move forward. We are continuing to work with our team at Another Planet preparing documents for the upcoming hearings.”

When pressed, Perry reiterated the statement means APE is not giving up.

“That’s what it means, yes,” he stated.

Felder told the B.A.R. that “we [he and Mandelman] had a very casual conversation. I don’t think there’s any real news. I don’t have anything to share at the end of the day. I have a long connection with an organization that saves neighborhood theaters and the supervisor was interested in my thoughts.”

In a text January 13, Mandelman told the B.A.R. that the interest Felder has in the theater is because the baseball executive “cares about neighborhood theaters.”

“Alfonso [Felder] cares about neighborhood theaters; I think that’s as much as there is to it,”

much to so many ideas to the discipline,” said Villela-Smith.

Rustin organized King’s famous 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, although that is typically credited to King, she noted.

“My excitement is bringing that more into the Black studies program at Skyline,” she said. “Really looking at gender and sexuality and Black community.”

Villela-Smith had nearly 50 students in online and in-person classes during the recent fall semester. She anticipates as the classes get filled up that the new department will hire additional instructors – adjunct or full-time.

Students can still register for the spring semester at https://bit. ly/3GR4bZo until January 30.

For more information, visit https://skylinecollege.edu/ethnicstudies or contact 650-738-4122 or socialsci-creativearts@smccd.edu. t

Mandelman stated. “I was interested in getting his perspective based on his experience with other neighborhood theaters.”

Petrelis told the B.A.R. that Mandelman should have told everyone in December if APE’s interest in the Castro Theatre has waned.

“David Perry is an idiot and Mandelman owes us transparency and a town hall meeting,” Petrelis said. “It’s important that people who care about the Castro Theatre should know what Rafael texted on the 7th without it taking a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] request. You have the text. He’s saying that on the day the historic planning commission is rubberstamping his request for a second continuance that APE is putting the pencils down? Rafi: you should have been at that hearing to tell the community what you told your constituent in your text.”

Petrelis said he will be hosting a rally at the theater on Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m. to coincide with SketchFest, an annual event taking place there at the same time.

The January 26 meeting takes place at Most Holy Redeemer Church, 100 Diamond Street, in the Castro. t

Lambda Legal’s Jennifer Pizer

Courtesy Lambda Legal

Professor Arnetta Villela-Smith teaches an ethnic studies class at Skyline College last fall.

Rick Gerharter

T-Parties and queering ‘the Hood’

Justin Ruiz (b. 1981), a Mexican American hair stylist who grew up in Echo Park, first started hanging out in West Hollywood when he was a sophomore in high school, more than two decades ago. At age fifteen he and his friends weren’t old enough to get into the bars and clubs, so they’d sit outdoors for hours at restaurants and coffee shops along the main strip of gay establishments on Santa Monica Boulevard. “We would take our asses to West Hollywood just to go, almost like mall rats, but like West Hollywood rats,” he recalled, nostalgia

radiating from his voice. “You would go be a fucking West Hollywood rat at that one pizza place and literally just eat pizza and hang out and just meet other young gays. That’s what a lot of the young gays would do, because you couldn’t get into any of the clubs at the time.” Justin and his friends were what sociologist Theo Greene calls “vicarious citizens” – they were young gays who felt part of the WeHo community, even if they didn’t live there.

The drive from Justin’s home to WeHo took more than half an hour, but he made it a point to make the trip at least a few times a week “just to be around the gays.” This was the late 1990s, when teenagers were just starting to connect through the internet. Back then he “didn’t really do the AOL

word story inspired by the works of London (1876-1916), a novelist and journalist.

chat room thing,” so making the trek to WeHo was the only reliable way to connect with other gay people his age. That is, until he met Raymond Martinez (b. 1983). Raymond was a member of Infamous, a Latino party crew in East LA known for throwing “T-parties,” social functions that catered specifically to gay Latinos. Party crews (both gay and straight) were a staple of LA Latino culture during the 1990s and early 2000s. As artist and writer Virginia Arce argues, Latino party crews were an alternative to gang culture, a space “where familial bonds were established and strengthened.” Party crews were also a “resistant cultural practice,” a response to the negative ways Latinos were targeted as “illegal” and “criminal” – by

teachers in public schools, by conservative politicians, and in Hollywood story lines. Each weekend, party crews would throw backyard parties in predominantly Latino neighborhoods throughout Southern California, in East LA, South LA, Santa Ana, and the Inland Empire. The parties seldom took place in the same location, and they were often broken up by police within hours; nevertheless, Latinos from different regions continued to congregate by the hundreds every weekend. Justin and Raymond met when they were teenagers, in front of a WeHo pizza parlor, where Raymond was passing out flyers for a T-party.

“On this little party flyer, there was a number I had to call to find out where the T-parties were gonna be,” Justin

explained. “It was like some cholo guy on a voicemail that was like, ‘Wassup, party people, the place to be tonight is ...’ and then it told me the address and direction of where the party was that night.” One Friday night in 1997, Justin went to see what a T-party was all about. For the next two years he was hooked. “We were at those T-parties every motherfuckin’ weekend.” t

Anthony Christian Ocampo, a gay man, is a sociology professor at California Polytechnic University, Pomona. This is an excerpt from his book “Brown and Gay in LA: The Lives of Immigrant Sons,” which was published last year by New York University Press. Reprinted with permission.

Jack London state park’s young writers contest

Jack London State Historic Park has announced that submissions are being accepted for its eighth annual young writers contest. The program encourages middle school students (grades six to eight) to exercise their writing skills by creating a 1,500-2,000-

<< Central Freeway

From page 7

impacted neighborhoods and drivers who use that route.

“I see the benefit of taking away the scars freeways placed on the neighborhoods and rejuvenating those neighborhoods, but like everything it should not be a zero sum game,” said Engardio. “Things need to work in concert together with removing the scars but also paying attention to how traffic and people can travel and flow efficiently. It all has to work together.”

One of his immediate goals is to broker a deal among his constituents about the future plans for the Great Highway. The city closed the westside thoroughfare to allow for more space for social distancing at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Now, it is closed to vehicle traffic on weekends permanently due to a compromise brokered by Mayor London Breed and then-District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar, which was overwhelmingly ratified by voters citywide in November’s election.

But Engardio pointed out that voters in his district were closely divided on the ballot measure, though a slim majority supported seeing the thoroughfare that runs adjacent to Ocean Beach become a permanent park.

“That’s something we need to consider, but 47% wanted it to be highway 24/7. So people are very divided,” noted Engardio. “While majority rules, it is important to not discount the 47% who wanted it to be a highway. They have valid concerns about traffic congestion and traffic diverting through their streets as a thruway.”

With the program ending, Regalado had told the B.A.R. “it is unfortunate” there isn’t some sort of ongoing support for members of the transgender community,

According to a news release, this year’s theme is “Through the Eyes of Animals.” London was known for his love of animals, surrounding himself with horses and dogs throughout his adult life, and often including animal characters in the novels he wrote. He was also known for his naturalistic writing style and his focus on realism, the

‘People are scared of change’

Stacey Randecker, a straight ally, is among a small group spearheading a separate proposal: Grand Embarcadero.

“The Grand Embarcadero vision removes cars from the Embarcadero completely,” the website for the group states (http://grandembarcadero.com/).

“Our vision is a safe Embarcadero, where people on foot and bike don’t risk being killed or injured by cars.”

Randecker told the B.A.R. that the Great Highway experience was a model.

“I call it the Great Walkway because the Great Highway is its deadname,” Randecker said. “I live in Potrero and we don’t have that here. … We have more people, highways, sewer treatment plants, all the heavy infrastructure of the city, and we don’t have any of the good stuff. The Embarcadero is the perfect mirror of the Great Highway.”

When asked about mitigating the impact on traffic that would result from closing the thoroughfare to vehicles, Randecker said that “people are scared of change” and that “people are reticent to consider these types of things.”

“It’s the unknown,” she said. “How could it ever change? How could it ever be better?”

Randecker said that people were concerned about the traffic when the Embarcadero Freeway was demolished in the 1990s.

“There was an elevated freeway there,” she said. “With the volume of traffic there was and the carmageddon everyone predicted losing that capacity – what happened? It’s fine.”

Randecker said that potentially cars could be allowed onto the thorough-

whether they make an earning as an artist or another profession. (The city has since launched the pilot Guaranteed Income for Trans People, or GIFT, program to provide 55 low-income transgender San Franciscans with $1,200 each month, for up to 18 months. Those selected should begin re-

release noted. In novels like “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang,” he cast animals in the main roles and “spoke” from their point of view.

In this year’s writing contest, students are asked to create a story where the main character(s) are animals and tell the story from their perspective, the release stated.

“Beginning as a high school student, Jack London wrote about adventure, travel, and true sto -

fare in the morning so that waterfront businesses can use the road for deliveries. She said her group is meeting with the Port of San Francisco this week to discuss its proposal.

However, the port’s legislative affairs manager Boris Delepine told the B.A.R. in a statement that “the meeting in question is part of the stakeholder outreach the WRP [waterfront resilience program] is undertaking to inform the public about the USACE [United States Army Corps of Engineers] flood study and the significant investment needed to protect the city from rising sea levels.”

He added, “As with the many other groups that we are meeting with, we look forward to hearing from this group and also sharing the information the WRP has developed in response to the challenge of adapting the shoreline, including the access and mobility concerns that other users of the Embarcadero and people who live and work nearby have raised with Port staff.”

‘They have a hell of a nerve’ Opposed to both ideas is Quentin Kopp, a former judge, San Francisco supervisor, 1979 mayoral candidate, and state senator, who is the current president of the San Francisco Taxpayers Association and who, incidentally, has a freeway named after him (Interstate 380, between 280 and Highway 101 in San Mateo County).

Kopp told the B.A.R. that “the Embarcadero Freeway was only demolished because of the earthquake” and that “there is no groundswell to duplicate that demolition regarding the Central Freeway.”

He noted that the freeway is used dai-

ceiving the checks this year.)

“Not one for artists but for trans people in general; I feel like we go through so much. I feel in a city like San Francisco, where the culture and everything from it came from the people and the community, it is a shame it is not funded by the city. It is funded by the

ries,” stated Matt Leffert, executive director of Jack London State Historic Park, which is located in Sonoma County. “Throughout his life, he made it a practice to write 1,000 words everyday. We want to encourage young writers to discover his works and be inspired to develop their own writing style and voice.”

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 31. Winners will be announced in

ly and has “no structural defects” in it.

“It was built with taxes paid by motor vehicle operators, both state gasoline tax and federal gasoline tax, and they have a hell of a nerve to take that artery from the people who paid for it,” said Kopp. “With respect to the Central Freeway, you’d overwhelm Market Street, which is in terrible physical condition. It’s full of holes and cracks and it’s a pain in the neck to use it, but demolishing the Central Freeway would make traffic worse than it is now.”

When asked about the Embarcadero idea, Kopp scoffed, “that’s a joke! They’d go crazy in Chinatown.”

Kopp is referring to the years of rancor that accompanied the demolition of the freeway. Dianne Feinstein, who defeated Kopp for mayor in 1979, vowed to tear down the Embarcadero Freeway. But late Chinatown community organizer Rose Pak campaigned to keep the structure because it let out on Broadway, blocks from Chinatown merchants.

While the supervisors voted even before the 1989 earthquake to tear down the freeway, voters opted to keep it. Even after Loma Prieta damaged it, the removal was highly controversial.

The city vowed to build the Central Subway, which opened in late 2022 after years of delays, to try and make up for lost revenue to Chinatown merchants. A Board of Supervisors resolution that asked the Chinatown Muni stop be named for Pak credits her “advocacy and support.” The SFMTA ended up naming the station for her.

“The San Francisco Taxpayers

community, basically, you know,” Regalado said.

As for herself, Regalado continued to book modeling gigs last year, walking the runway for the Spring Summer 2023 collection of New York-based clothing brand Gypsy Sport. She also is back to work as a hairdresser, renting a

April. The prizes are $200 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place. The contest is judged blindly by a panel of volunteers (not employees of Jack London Park Partners, the nonprofit that operates the park).

For complete contest rules and the entry form, as well as links to last year’s winning entries, go to https://bit.ly/3IHHUjo. t

Association, and I personally, will oppose any effort to eliminate the Central Freeway or motor vehicles on the Embarcadero,” Kopp said.

Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), a straight ally and former District 6 supervisor, issued a supportive statement on the Embarcadero proposal to SFGate but declined to comment for this report.

Wiener spokesperson Erik Mebust said that his boss is “not prepared to get involved with the Embarcadero idea at this time.”

“Senator Wiener has a long history of supporting car-free spaces, and he is open to all ideas to improve traffic safety and expand peoplecentered modes of transit,” Mebust said. “However, Senator Wiener is not prepared to get involved with the Embarcadero idea at this time given the lack of engagement with a wide array of key stakeholders such as the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Chinatown small business communities. Senator Wiener will be following any such stakeholder engagement closely.”

Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, told the B.A.R. that “the Central Freeway proposal is interesting and seems worth exploring; need to learn more about Embarcadero proposal.”

Vice Chair District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, a straight ally, did not answer a request for comment for this report as of press time. t

chair two days a week at a private salon to see her former clients.

“I am focused on my medical transition. I am taking a lot of time and mental space for me,” she said. “I can’t really cater to anyone else’s needs … I need to focus on me. t

petitioner THOMAS WEN is requesting that the name THOMAS WEN be changed to UNTUNG SUDIBJO ABADI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of FEBRUARY 2023 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 29, 2022, JAN 05, 12, 19, 2023

In

in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of

2023 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 29, 2022, JAN 05, 12, 19, 2023

DEC 29, 2022, JAN 05, 12, 19, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557632

In the matter of the application of THOMAS WEN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557633

the matter of the application of JENNY LANA HUA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner JENNY LANA HUA is requesting that the name JENNY LANA HUA be changed to LAN NGOC HUA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court

FEBRUARY

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557630

In the matter of the application of MAN CHUNG HO, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MAN CHUNG HO is requesting that the name MAN CHUNG HO AKA THOMAS HO AKA THOMAS M. HO AKA THOMAS MC HO AKA THOMAS MAN CHUNG HO be changed to THOMAS MAN CHUNG HO. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 31st of JANUARY 2023 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557627

In the matter of the application of HUAN WEN DENG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner HUAN WEN DENG is requesting that the name HUAN WEN DENG be changed to HUAN WEN NG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 31st of JANUARY 2023 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 29, 2022, JAN 05, 12, 19, 2023

Donna McKechnie

Broadway legend sings Sondheim

by Jim Gladstone

Fifty years ago, Donna McKechnie choreographed and performed in the firstever concert tribute to Stephen Sondheim. The starry one-night fundraiser for the American Musical and Dramatic Academy was held at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre and captured for posterity on a celebrated Masterworks recording.

This weekend, McKechnie, best known for originating, and winning a Tony for, the role of Cassie in “A Chorus Line,” will honor her late colleague in two performances of her solo show, “Take Me To The World: the Songs of Stephen Sondheim,” at Feinstein’s at the Nikko.

“I was so thrilled” to be involved in that 1973 concert, recalled McKechnie in a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “Stephen was very involved in the production. The indelible picture that stays in my mind is of our dress rehearsal, when all these great people –Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera, Nancy Walker, Jack Cassidy, Alexis Smith– all in their glittery finest, just surrounded Stephen at the piano and sang together.”

At the time, both McKechnie and Sondheim were still on the rise, their respective paths toward icon status frequently crossing. McKechnie’s first major national theater job was in the 1961 touring company of “West Side Story,” a show which three years prior had marked Sondheim’s Broadway debut as a lyricist.

McKechnie also toured in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” which, in

1962, was Sondheim’s first big success in writing both words and music.

Intensive collaborations

By the late 1960s, both Sondheim and McKechnie had chalked up further Broadway successes. His included the lyrics for smash hit “Gypsy” and the score and lyrics for “Anyone Can Whistle.” Hers was highlighted by a star-making turn in Burt Bacharach’s “Promises, Promises.” McKechnie’s “Turkey Lurkey Time” dance –choreographed by future husband (for one year) Michael Bennett– brought her major recognition.

In 1970, McKechnie began her most intensive collaboration with Sondheim when she was cast as Kathy in the Broadway-bound “Company,” arguably the first of the unorthodox, deeply psychological, character-driven

works that are today considered most characteristic of Sondheim.

“After the cast was set,” McKechnie recalled, “we were all invited to director Hal Prince’s house to hear the score. I can see it clearly in my mind. We’re all spread out. Hal and Steve are by the piano. Steve proceeded to describe each song before he sang it, explaining what he wanted it to convey. It was an electric experience to be there, hearing this music for the first time. I thought my head was going to come off.”

While Kathy is a non-singing role, McKechnie, again working with Michael Bennett, riveted audiences with “Tick Tock,” her second act dance solo, which physically expresses a single woman’s passion, anger and frustration about the contemporary dating scene and the pain of serial rejection.

by Jim Gladstone

Not since Sylvester…

That’s a bold superlative to throw down in San Francisco, which has been the launch pad for an array of singular gay singers; Spencer Day, Shawn Ryan, Jason Brock, and the currently emerging Ryan Patrick Welsh among them.

But it can be applied with confidence to tenor Marshall Forte, a lightning bolt of charisma and musicality who, after a striking musical theater debut as Lola in last year’s Ray of Light Theatre production of “Kinky Boots,” is now setting off sparks with his own cabaret act, “Hello My Name Is Marshall.”

His sassy, confident set, featuring compelling interpretations of songs by Adele, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and others, is presented twice each Saturday night through February at Lyon & Swan, a new gay-owned and operated North Beach supper club that’s a showstopper in and of itself.

A history of fabulousness

The subterranean nightspot, owned by gay vintner couple Mark Lyon and Daniel Cisneros (swan in Spanish) is located in a storied Columbus Avenue property that in past incarnations has housed The Purple Onion, host to an eclectic range of performers (e.g. Phyllis Diller, Maya Angelou, and Zach Galifianakis), a lesbian bar, and a Jelly Roll Morton-owned club that was one of the only San Francisco venues welcoming mixed-race couples in the early 1900s.

The building’s upper stories serve as a stylish urban tasting room for the couple’s Sonoma winery, Eco Terrena. But the evenings-only basement boite, in just its first two months of operation, has already become one of the city’s most eclectic entertainment venues.

In addition to Forte’s sizzling debut, Lyon & Swan has presented a rotating slate of performers including a ragtime pianist, Nigerian fusion artist Bisi O, a gypsy jazz duo and drag star Varla Jean Merman. There is no cover charge, but patrons of the intimate jewel box venue are required to have dinner (Chef Joe Ball, formerly of La Folie, serves up star-quality French comfort food that’s by no means a side dish to the music).

The club’s entertainment supervisor, Boris Goldmund, himself a storied queer personality and world-renowned harpist, says he wants Lyon & Swan to “develop and showcase outstanding artists. I hope we can be a real launching pad for performers like Marshall.”

Cultivation and curation

A bit of a showbiz alchemist, Goldmund was introduced to Forte after a friend saw the 29-year-old SF Gay Men’s Chorus member perform in “Kinky Boots.”

“After meeting Marshall,” said Goldmund in a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter, “I invited him to do a few numbers at our opening parties and after seeing how well he did, I asked him if he’d ever considered doing a full solo show.”

Donna McKechnie

at Feinstein’s

Marshall Forte at Lyon & Swan

by Brian Bromberger

Based on previous comments from previous film festivals, my press invitation to see the new film “Women Talking” (MGM/Orion Pictures) implied that one would be a better person after watching this movie. Appearing to be a very talky theatrical play, its “medicinal” didactic/intellectual qualities might overshadow any emotional resonances.

Reassuringly, these assumptions were misplaced, which is not to say that “Women Talking” is a rip-roaring crowd-pleaser or a consistently riveting movie, but neither is it a static crashing bore. The ending is exhilarating with an incomparable once-in-a-generation younger cast, wholly committed to the film’s message of building together a better world.

Fight or flight

Based on Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel, “Women Talking” is an “act of female imagination” inspired by the real-life nightmare at a cloistered Mennonite community in Bolivia where 130 women members (from ages 5 to 65) were repeatedly drugged with a cattle tran-

quilizer and raped in the middle of the night by at least eight men for five years. They were then told their injuries were the result of dreams, “ghosts,” or Satan. When a young girl tore off the mask of one of her attackers and recognized him, he eventually named other men. They were arrested and later sentenced to 25 years in prison.

At the film’s opening, the remaining men have left to post bail for the accused perpetrators. The women representing three families have less than two days to vote whether to: (1) forgive the men and remain, maintaining the status quo; (2) stay and fight by seeking revenge; (3) leave, even though they’ve never lived anywhere else, and risk excommunication and eternal damnation. Do they take their boys with them? And what is the cut-off age?

There are no easy black-and-white alternatives, but just lots of messy questions. The clock is ticking and if they flee, they must do so before the men return. Whatever decision is made has real-life complexities and repercussions. The women are illiterate, religiously obedient and subservient to their husbands who essentially decide everything for them.

The pictorial ballot is tallied by the gentle August (Ben Whishaw), a schoolteacher who was once exiled by the community, who also transcribes notes and minutes as a record and analysis of each woman’s opinion during this pivotal meeting.

The rest of this chamber drama movie becomes an extended listening session, one long constructive conversation in a hay barn. Each woman has her showcase speech moment. To come to any sort of agreement, they must pay attention to each other, despite differing belief systems and ideas. And remember these are women who aren’t used to thinking about what they want or their accompanying ramifications.

Compassionate process

They attempt to find a morally acceptable solution congruent with their continuing religious beliefs, which are never questioned. Some will change their minds after being exposed to an opposing viewpoint, learning compassion and understanding through this process.

Fiery Salome (Claire Foy) almost vibrates with outrage and cannot forgive the violence done to her daughter. Yet there’s also the beatific soft-voiced Ona (Rooney Mara), who is pregnant after being raped. Then we’re confronted by the cynical Mariche (Jesse Buckley), who was physically abused by her husband, and possesses an almost biblical wrath. Pent-up emotions, especially repressed anger from decades of oppression, delivered in a chaotic, often contradictory, but always honest fashion, characterize these debates.

They develop together a battle plan to reckon their fate as well as their children. We admire these women for their courage, their friendship, and are awed by the transformative power of dialogue, forgotten in our individualistic modernworld soliloquies. They are compelled heroically to eclipse their own conditioning, confessing their sad stories to the world.

Writer/director Sarah Polley has wisely chosen not to depict or reenact the rape scenes. But that deafening silence leaves tantalizing clues about

them, reinforcing their horrors. And the women aren’t afraid to ask if they have passively perpetuated their own violent and unjust system.

Questions about faith, forgiveness, power dynamics, trauma, culpability, sexism, healing, and community emerge. Producer/actress Francis McDormand views the film not as taking down the patriarchy, but “illuminating a matriarchy that’s been there since time immemorial.” It’s not meant as an indictment of a particular group, but a fable on the corruption of absolute power and the corrosive effects of isolationism.

The film moves with unexpected buoyancy to what will seem a natural, even victorious conclusion. As an ensemble, the acting is rapturous and it feels unfair to single out individual performances, but Foy, Buckley, and Wishaw (the world’s greatest queer actor) are standouts in a sea of excellence. One can only guess at the resilience of the cast for what must have been a demanding shoot in what emerges as much a movement as a movie.

Provocative ideas

One fair criticism is that there is much heavy material thrown at the audience with little letup, though there are some moments of levity. The film goes for a universal timeless mien, using muted color tones that resembling a faded postcard from the 19th century rather than in 2010. Still, it is hard to imagine this film being made prior to the #MeToo movement, as it is the personification of sexual harassment taken to its direst conclusion.

At certain points, all the verbal jousting with provocative ideas does become

wearying, even overwhelming, especially when you parse the etymological difference between fleeing and leaving. For supposedly uneducated women, they’re very articulate, sometimes to long-winded proportions.

For queer audiences, there’s the Nettie (August Winter) character, who after being raped and impregnated, transitions by wearing men’s clothes and asks to be called Melvin, all of which is accepted by the other women.

Also, these Mennonite women, forced to move beyond threats of eternal damnation if they follow a certain course of action, will resonate with LGBTQ viewers routinely condemned by religious groups just for being who they are. As Ona says at one point, “when we’ve liberated ourselves, we’ll have to ask ourselves who we are.”

“Women Talking” reveals the devastating impact of sexual violence on women. While not always a pleasant experience, at its core, the film is an intense exercise in hope, that as human beings we can live in a world where we don’t hurt each other, physically or emotionally, that we can be kind to each other, no matter who we are or what we believe, personified by the women singing “Nearer my God to Thee” in unison.

Inadvertently, with its barrage of words, the film has much to say about the bitter divisive political partisanship gripping our nation and the imperative of listening to each other, if we have any hope of solving our problems. You may not always like “Women Talking,” but you won’t forget it. t

www.mgmstudios.com/ women-talking/

In that first production, “Company” was only a modest success on Broadway, but it transferred –along with McKechnie– to London, where it was greeted with critical and audience acclaim.

Over the years, McKechnie had the opportunity to play and sing a number of other Sondheim roles, including Desirée in “A Little Night Music” and both of the female leads –Phyllis and Sally–in two different productions of “Follies.” (“Send In The Clowns” and “Losing My Mind” from those shows will likely be in her set list at Feinstein’s).

While theater aficionados may most immediately associate McKechnie with her 1975 triumph in “A Chorus Line” (directed and choreographed by Bennett) rather than any of Sondheim’s shows, it’s arguable that ticket buyers may never have been ready for the angst-ridden, existentially probing aspects of “A Chorus Line” without the

precedents set by Sondheim. McKechnie spoke for generations of audiences as well as artists when she said, “He was such a great teacher.” t

Donna McKechnie, “Take Me To The World,” Jan. 19 & 20. $69. Feinstein’s at the Nikko. 222 Mason St. (866) 663-1063. www.feinsteinssf.com www.donnamckechnie.com

Donna McKechnie in ‘Company”

Donna McKechnie in ‘Follies’

Ben Whishaw, Rooney Mara, and Claire Foy in ‘Women Talking’

Francis McDormand in ‘Women Talking’

scene from ‘Women Talking’

Unlock the future

How do artifacts from the past inform our understanding of the future? Get an up-close look at rare specimens from our collections and learn how scientists are unlocking their secrets to help conserve and regenerate our world.

Now open | Get tickets at calacademy.org

Every visit supports our mission to regenerate the natural world.

Dalida

by Laura Moreno

A lthough she has a relatively small voice with limited range, it has been described as warm like the Mediterranean sun. She also had a knack for selecting the best, most innovative songs and creating amazing musical arrangements to showcase them.

With over 170 million records sold worldwide, Dalida’s first hit “Bambino” spent a record-breaking 39 weeks at #1 in 1956. (Michael Jackson’s 37 weeks at #1 with “Thriller” is a close second.) The Diamond Disc (for 10 million records sold) was created for Dalida in 1981 (not Elton John, as commonly reported). Yet she remains almost unheard of in the English-speaking world.

Born and raised in Egypt to Catholic parents from Serrastretta, Calabria (Italy), a town founded by Spanish Jews fleeing the Inquisition, Dalida married a Frenchman and lived out her life in Paris. She sang in 11 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew. Amazingly, each community proudly claims her as one of their own.

Since the days of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, there has been an Italian community in Egypt. Dalida’s father, concertmaster of the Cairo Opera, was arrested by the Allies in 1940 for simply being a working-age Italian male (due to fears of Mussolini); he was held in Fayed concentration camp near Cairo and did forced labor for the duration of the war. He suffered severe PTSD and died of a brain aneurysm in 1945 shortly after returning.

The experience affected Dalida profoundly and this was perhaps why she repeatedly refused to enter the US market. Her only performances in the English-speaking world were New York City in 1978 and 1984, Los Angeles in1984 and 1986, and in London in ’86.

cultural gay icon

A 1988 poll run by Le Monde newspaper identified Dalida as having the second largest impact on French culture after Charles De Gaulle. When asked to be the face of Marianne, the female symbol of French Revolution, stamped on the money and official documents, she refused.

Dalida became a gay icon in France with the groundbreaking 1973 song “Il Venait D’Avoir 19 Ans” (‘He Had Just Turned 19’). This is the first song gays in Europe connected with, spurring something of a movement.

The song resulted from a real love affair she had in December 1967 with a 22-year-old Italian student whose baby she decided to abort, leaving her infertile. He seems to have been her most compatible partner, but she would not consider staying with him for fear of what her mother would say.

In the 1980s, Dalida candidly talked about her life, her spirituality, and that homosexuality is accepted in Egypt and should be accepted everywhere; audiences would go wild with applause.

In 1983, at age 50 Dalida performed the bossa nova “Paroles, Paroles” (“Words, Words”) with sev -

ly’” recalled Forte, rolling his eyes and grinning at the memory.

Goldmund, a consummate networker with extensive ties in the

eral people including on French TV with 18-year-old singer Ginni Gallan, clad in tuxedos, putting a new twist on the popular song that could be considered the first-ever lesbian love song.

But it seems to have had negative personal consequences for both of them, who apparently never met again despite having much in common, as if determined to show it was only fiction.

Dalida developed serious eye problems and needed the same surgeries she had had as an infant. And Ginni Gallan, too young to have been thrust into that uproar, within months quit singing altogether.

a life cut short

Dalida’s life suddenly took a tragic direction in 1967 when she and her brother made the fateful decision to not renew their contract with the almighty Barclay Records, but to form their own company, Orlando Productions. From that very month, as they apparently vowed revenge, major things started going wrong in her life, including that three of her loves ostensibly committed suicide.

Mafia involvement was immediately suspected in the first suicide of her fiancé, Luigi Tenco, at a luxury hotel. Dalida found his body and was never the same again, according to her brother. One month later, she nearly successfully committed suicide.

Before 1967, Dalida’s career was run by the notorious bluebeard Eddie Barclay (who married nine times; his name was originally Ruault), a producer, radio station own-

er; gambling addict Lucien Morisse (who briefly married to Dalida; his name was originally Trzesmienski); and venue owner, producer and alleged mafioso Bruno Coquatrix. Mr. Coquatrix was a frequent presence at Dalida’s house and also managed Edith Piaf, who endured similar tragedies.

In her later years, Dalida started singing beautiful heartsick songs like “Je Suis Malade” (“I am Sick”) and “Mourir sur Scene” (“To Die Onstage”), as she always became one with songs she performed, it seems to have pushed her deeper into depression.

The night she took her own life, May 2, 1987, she told everyone she was looking forward to going to the theater with industry insider, Michel, but he stood her up, leaving the question of whether she was finally driven to commit suicide.

In 1969 Dalida went to India to study yoga and meditation. She had decided to give up singing to pursue spiritual growth full time. Her guru convinced her not to, saying that

singing was her God-given purpose on earth and that it expanded spiritual enlightenment for her as well as for the audience. Her spiritual and musical path, however, was cut short. t

The 2017 drama biopic “Dalida” (in Italian with English subtitles) is available online at www.tubitv.com/ movies/517853/dalida

“I was like, ‘Of course! Absolute -

local music scene, introduced Forte to his friend, keyboardist and arranger John Steiner, who began his career in the mid-1980s playing and recording with pop group New Edition (Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, et al). Along with multi-instrumentalist Daniel Berkman, the pair quickly assembled “My Name Is Marshall.”

“They are so much more seasoned and experienced than I am,” said Forte, grateful for the opportunity to have longtime professionals helping to sharpen his act.

While entirely satisfying in its

current form, the show continues to evolve as Forte tinkers with his R&B-leaning repertoire, cheeky audience interaction and a different guest performer each weekend.

Unable to resist his own pop star fantasies, Forte –who works for United Airlines by day– works not one, but two, costume changes into his hour-long show, including a simultaneously sexy and spoofy iteration of the signature “Kinky Boots” ensemble.

Forte, who has been winning the attention of local theater companies with the gregarious assistance of his close friend and manager, pianist/ composer, Joshua Gilstein, hopes to perform in additional theater pro-

ductions in addition to building a solo career that is promising, to say the least. Beyond Lyon & Swan, you can occasionally catch Forte dropping in by the piano at Martuni’s.

There’s little doubt you’ll have the opportunity to see Forte perform on larger stages in the future, but catch him at Lyon & Swan to earn bragging rights down the line. t

Marshall Forte, “Hello, My Name is Marshall.” Lyon & Swan, dinner reservations required. Show and dinner, approx. $100. 124 Columbus Ave. (415) 429-5200.

www.lyonandswan.com

Swanky décor at Lyon & Swan

Marshall Forte

European superstar singer; the first gay icon?

Dalida in a TV song and dance number in the 1980s

Ginni Gallan with Dalida on a French variety show

Two of Dalida’s albums

Dalida

by Jim Piechota

B ook lovers have so many reasons to be excited as it is already promising to be another stellar year for queer literature. Presented here are just a few examples of the amazing literary delights at –or coming soon to– a bookstore near you.

FICTION

‘The New Life’ by Tom Crewe, $28 (Scribner)

In this smashing debut, Crewe, an editor at the London Review of Books, crafts the epic tale of two gay Englishmen in 1894 and how they both defy the stiff and strict social standards of the Victorian era. The two men in question are John Addington, closeted yet married with children, and Henry Ellis, a young writer who is bisexual. Both connect via literary circles and through a series of letters, as each discover the bounty of their burgeoning sexuality. The life of British gay men at the turn of the century as portrayed by a writer of immense talent makes for engrossing and irresistible reading.

‘The Shards’ by Bret Easton Ellis, $30 (Knopf)

Ellis’s first novel in over a decade is a work of autofiction, reimagining the author’s final year of high school back in the glory days of 1980s Los Angeles. Into the cauldron of cokefueled characters, he tosses in a lot of unrequited homo love, a serial killer, and a new student who is as sexy as he is suspect. Ellis, as a protagonist, is a 17-year-old closeted guy at an elite prep school with a popular girlfriend and two male side-pieces whom he keeps under wraps. As he sleuths out possible motives and identities of a killer named “The Trawler,” there’s plenty of time for sex, drugs, innocence lost, and some choice ’80s music amidst the palm trees and Santa Ana winds of Hollywood. Be pre-

pared to invest some time and attention, as it’s a 600-page doorstopper, so grab yourself a comfortable chair and enjoy Ellis’s triumphant return to form.

‘Rent Boy’ by Gary Indiana $18 (McNally Editions)

This 112-page novella, first published in 1994 by High Risk/Serpent’s Tail Books, has been reissued with vivid new cover art but the same gritty storyline that made it the provocative wonder it was when it was first released. The enigmatic hustler at the book’s core, whose name is an interchangeable oddity (Danny, Mark, Billy, etc.), is, at 25, an architecture student, a Manhattan waiter at a hip writers’ club, and, most importantly, a hustler with massive bravado who services a variety of clientele with a cornucopia of sexual talents. All of these ventures are smoothly described within a story that eventually grounds itself around a fellow hustler and a john who wants to abduct another businessman for profit. It’s a plot that implodes disastrously and isn’t entirely necessary. Readers will mostly want more of the jaded, embittered perspective of the young men with the moves and the muscle to make grown men see stars.

‘Sorry, Bro’ by Taleen Voskuni $17 (Berkley) Jan. 31

Armenian-American author and Bay Area tech worker Voskuni turns in this enjoyable queer rom-com about Nareh “Nar” Bedrossian, an Armenian-American woman who dumps her tech boyfriend and goes in search of her heart’s truest desire.

Despite her pushy mother’s best efforts to fix her up (she creates a spreadsheet of men on Facebook!), her emerging bisexuality becomes the most important piece of the love puzzle. This is fun, funny, effortless reading from a writer who infuses her fiction with authentic Armenian flare

and an infectious sense of humor.

‘The Terraformers’ by Annalee Newitz, $28.99 (Tor Books) Jan. 31

Award-winning author and journalist Newitz has produced an epic space opera built from three interconnected novellas using science, ecology, and urban renewal as a springboard in its fantastical interplanetary world-building. Populated with a wide array of characters and animate objects, the plot follows members of the Environmental Rescue Team, namely Destry, on Planet Sask-E as they try and discover ecological solutions to a troubled corporate-overlorded planet in dire need of emancipation. If you enjoyed Avatar, you will delight in this new venture from a talented science fiction author.

MEMOIR

‘Hijab Butch Blues’ by Lamya H, $27 (Dial Books) Feb. 2

This moving memoir charts the life of a queer Muslim writer and how personally acknowledging her sexuality was intimately liberating, but coming out in an Arab country was a much different scenario with drastic consequences. Once in America, the author experienced bias and overt racism at university where white people were socially elevated above others, as much as the “light-skinned Arabs” were in her native land. Eventually in Manhattan, Lamya immersed herself in activism networks, found love, and developed a new relationship with religion, culture, and improving the world at large one person at a time.

POETRY

‘Couplets’ by Maggie Millner, $25 (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) Feb. 7

This brilliant story in poetry combines the allure of a fictional tale with the delicate nuances of verse to great effect. Millner, a senior editor at the Yale Review, is a pro at drawing the reader in to present this elaborate,

sexy, and highly seductive love story that’s unafraid of kinky exploration, polyamorous queerness, and obsession. It’s also loaded with personality and memorably unique passages, such as when the protagonist quizzically considers if a tiny person lived inside vape pen cartridges “who would sprint to switch the light bulb on and fan the fire when she felt a drag.”

NON-FICTION

‘Who Does That Bitch Think She Is? Doris Fish and the Rise of Drag’ by Craig Seligman; $29 (Public Affairs) Feb. 28

This fantastic, immersive history of drag comes courtesy of the life of Philip Clargo Mills from the Australian suburbs, better known as the iconic personality, Doris Fish (1952-1991). The book traces his introverted youth, then moves into his teen years when he came out to his family and discovered the drag scene, which birthed the group Sylvia and the Synthetics in San Francisco.

After turning tricks for extra money, Fish moved on to form Sluts-A-Go-Go and evolved her look and her attitude as she ushered in a new era and a fresh public appreciation for the art of drag from the 1980s on through her untimely death in the early ’90s. This is mandatory reading for drag fans and queens of a certain age.

‘A Guest at the Feast’ by Colm Toibin, $28 (Scribner)

This distinctive remarkable essay collection from the celebrated Irish novelist begins with an arduous journey through the pains of a testicular cancer diagnosis and the ordeal of treatment and metastasis. It’s not a departure

for the fiction writer, who has written works of nonfiction before, but Toibin gets particularly personal here with outspoken religious perspectives, profiles of notable authors, and notes on enjoying Venice, Italy to himself during the pandemic quarantine. Fans and newer readers will be absolutely glued to every word. t

BARtab salutes

by Jim Provenzano

Remember when nearly every bar rag included a little map for readers to figure out where the gay bars were? If you’re too young to recall the pre-digital days of having to hunt down an LGBTQ-friendly venue, buy a drink for an elder and ask for a story about the olden days. Meanwhile, here, with some new entries (huzzah!), is a list of nearly all our local queer hangouts. For updated nightlife and arts events, hook up to the interwebs, where we’ve been listing all the fun for years now at www.ebar.com.

440 Castro

Friendly neighborhood bar has ample outdoor seating, and indoor drink specials, Monday underwear parties and two bars. 440 Castro St. www.the440.com

After Dark @ Exploratorium

Evening cocktail parties return to the interactive science museum, with different themes; Thursdays 6pm-10pm. Pier 15 (Embarcadero @ Green St.) www.exploratorium.edu

Asia SF

Dining, nightlife and classy drag performers mix at the popular SoMa club; dinner shows from $59-$79. 201 9th St. www.asiasf.com

Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

The intimate bar serves strong drinks and hosts frequent drag shows. 133 Turk St.

Beaux

Popular Market Street club, with drag entertainers, gogo studs, drinks and food. Shangri-La second Saturdays. Latin Divas Live 4th Saturdays, You/nique 3rd Saturdays. Big Top Sundays and Friday Manimal with studly gogos. Drag brunch Sat & Sun, 2pm & 4pm. Pan Dulce Wednesdays, and weekly ‘Drag Race’ viewings. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Blackbird

Classy Duboce area bar known for its artisanal cocktails. 2124 Market St. www.blackbirdbar.com

The Cafe

Popular Castro nightclub with a dance floor and lounge areas, two bars, drag shows and gogo dancers on select nights; Picante Latin night on Thursdays. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Can’t Fake the Feeling

@ Emperor Norton’s Boozeland DJ Bus Station John’s new monthly ‘old school Tenderloin dance party’ celebrates his birthday with grooves of yesteryear. $10. Jan. 21, 10pm-2am. 510 Larkin St.

The Cinch

Historic bar in the Polk district. 1723 Polk St. www.cinchsf.com

Club 1220

Walnut Creek’s gay bar, with drag shows, karaoke and dance nights. 1220 Pine St., Walnut Creek. www.club1220.com

Club OMG

Intimate mid-Market nightclub includes DJed dancing, drag shows and a karaoke night. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Curio

Rexy hosts 12pm & 2pm drag brunch shows with Kylie Minono, Kipper Snacks, Bionka Simone and other talents. 775 Valencia St. www.curiobarsf.com

Detour

Castro bar and restaurant with pinball and arcade games; drag bingo Wed nights. 2200 Market St. www.detoursf.com

Dirty Habit, Hotel Zelos Hotel’s fifth-floor bar/restaurant hosts themed nights, plus Tuesday night street food and other rooftop events. 12 4th St. www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

DNA Lounge

SoMa nightclub hosts many queerfriendly events. 475 11th St. www.dnalounge.com

The Edge

Musical Wednesdays, the weekly Monster Show, Beards & Booze and other events have returned to the popular bar. 4149 18th St. www.edgesf.com

The EndUp

Historic SoMa nightclub hosts straight, gay and whatever late-night dance events. 401 6th St. www.theendupsf.com

Fireside Lounge, Alameda Woman-owned LGBT-friendly bar with live shows, outdoor lounge, cool cocktails. 1453 Webster St. www.thefiresidelounge.com

Golden Bull, Oakland LGBT-friendly bar presents diverse live music acts; Queeraoke on 2nd and 4th Sundays at 7pm. 412 14th St. www.goldenbullbar.com

Hi Tops

Popular sports bar with multiple TV screens, events, and an irresistible snack menu. 2247 Market St. www.hitopsbar.com

The Hole in the Wall Saloon Local rock DJs like Don Baird play at the SoMa ‘friendly neighborhood gay biker bar.’ 1369 Folsom St. www.blackwolfmetal.com

Jolene’s

SoMa queer and woman/transowned nightclub and restaurant; Coyote Queer, second Saturdays, with DJs Koslov & Livv, costume contest. Queer Karaoke Thursdays; UHaul SF, Fridays. Sunday brunch drag show 11am-5pm. 2700 16th St. www.jolenessf.com

Last Call

Small, neighborhood bar with a fireplace and old school jukebox. 3988 18th St. thelastcallbar.com

Lookout

The Castro bar with a panoramic view. Bounce (Sat. nights), Lips & Lashes Drag Brunch with host Carnie Asada (Sat. afternoons), Jock (Sunday nights). 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Lone Star Saloon

DJed events at the historic bear bar, plus regular nights of rock music and patio hangouts. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Lyon & Swan

New gay-owned North Beach supper club with a diverse array of live cabaret acts; vocalists, jazz bands and comedy acts; also specialty cocktails and meals (closed Tue/ Wed). 124 Columbus Ave. www.lyonandswan.com

Martuni’s

The intimate martini bar hosts music cabaret acts. Pianist Russell Deason hosts the fun weekly Monday Happy Hour open mic gathering. 5:30pm8:30pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Midnight Sun

The popular bar celebrates 50 years; Timeline Tuesdays, Honeypot Fridays with gogo studs; Galaxy Saturday nights with DJ Lu; K-Pop and drag shows like Munro’s at Midnight, 10pm Monday nights. plus Thursday Media Noche, and more. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Milk SF

Queer cafe in the Mission offers coffee, pastries, food, local drag shows. Sober Karaoke on 4th Wednesdays, 6pm-9:30pm. 302 Valencia St. www.milk-sf.com

The Mix

Castro bar with pool table, jukebox, popular patio. 4086 18th St.

Moby Dick

Popular neighborhood bar known for its colorful aquarium and tasty drinks celebrates 40 years. 4049 18th St. www.facebook.com/MobyDickBar

Oasis

The multiple award-winning nightclub’s shows include Princess, the weekly Saturday night drag show, 10pm-2am. Dina Martina Jan. 19-21, 7pm (sold out). Jan. 20, 10pm: D’Arcy Drollinger’s birthday party; free. Reparations, the Fridays all-Black drag show, 10pm-2am. Karaoke & Cocktails with Emma Peel, Tuesdays, 7pm-11pm. 398 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Port Bar, Oakland

Ongoing: Shake It Up Saturdays and Juicy (also Saturdays); Women’s night Sundays; Wednesdays are a Drag shows at 9pm, 10pm & 11pm; Big Gay Trivia on Tuesdays; Thursdays, Karaoke Star hosted by Amoura Teese; also weekend drag brunch. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

Powerhouse Bar

Popular cruisy SoMa bar; Underwear Thursdays; Juanita MORE’s Powerblouse (fun drag makeovers) 1st Saturdays, Glamamore’s Pillows drag show on Mondays; and Beat Pig, 3rd Saturdays. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Que Rico

LGBT Latin nightclub features cute gogo guys and fun drag shows, DJed dance floor, brunch and dinner menus, too. 381 15th St., Oakland. www.quericonightclub.com

‘L Word’ Trivia Night at Jolene’s

Hi Tops sports fans

Georg Lester

Katya Smirnoff-Skyy with Joe Wicht at Martuni’s

Beaux gogos

by Gregg Shapiro

S ome musical genres, including dance and pop, are more welcoming to LGBTQ folks than others. While it’s true that country and jazz have come a long way in recent years, the number of successful and popular out artists in those genres pales in comparison to others. Here are a few notable acts, some who’ll soon perform in the Bay Area.

Country club

It’s no exaggeration to say that no one else sounds like  Melissa Carper. With a vocal style that lands somewhere between Hazel Dickens and Billie Holiday, and a musical sensibility that is reverently retro, Carper creates music that is equally vintage and timeless. “Ramblin’ Soul” (Mae Music/Thirty Tigers) is a worthy follow-up to her brilliant 2020 album, “Daddy’s Country Gold.” From the rockabilly roll of “1980 Dodge Van” and the front-porch nirvana of “Zen Buddha” to the broken-hearted swing of “That’s My Only Regret” and the humorous humdinger “Boxers on Backwards,” Carper deserves to be heard by Americana fans from all walks of life.

Melissa Carper performs on January 21, 7:30pm at Amado’s in San Francisco; $15-$18. 998 Valencia St. www.amadossf.com www.melissacarper.com

Ty Herndon’s story is one for the ages. A major-label country artist with a string of hit singles and albums, from the mid-to-late 1990s, until a public indecency and drug possession arrest temporarily halted his ascent. Officially coming out in

the mid-2010s, Herndon has continued to release albums as an openly queer country artist.

On the deeply personal full-length “Jacob” (Pivotal), featuring the powerful “God Or The Gun,” Herndon continues in the vein of contemporary country in which he’s been working from the beginning. Co-writer of nine of the album’s 11 songs, Herndon is joined by notable guest artists including out lesbian Shelly Fairchild (“Landslide”), as well as Emily West (“Fighting With Me”), Wendy Moten (“Say It For You”), and Terri Clark (“Dents on a Chevy”). www.tyherndon.com

In their previous role as the charismatic front-person of the alt-country act Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, River Shook honored the genre with respectful tunes.

Putting some distance between that persona and their latest, known as  Mightmare, Shook takes some interesting musical risks on “Cruel Liars” (Kill Rock Stars).

For example, incorporating synth instrumentation and beats to good effect on songs such as “Make It Work,” “Easy,” and the title track.

However, the country twang + trill is never far away as you can hear on “Enemy” and “Red.”

Mightmare performs March 29, 8:30pm, at Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., San Francisco; $15$18. www.bottomofthehill.com www.mightmare.net

Jazz joint Incredibly prolific, Grammy-nominated, gay jazz pianist and composer  Fred Hersch, who has released at least one studio or live recording a year since 2003, returns with “Alive at the Village Vanguard” (Palmetto), on which he’s joined by Grammywinner  Esperanza Spalding

Recorded live in 2018 at the storied music venue, the eighttrack album features original compositions (“Dream of Monk” and “A Wish”), as well as interpretations by seminal jazz acts including Charlie Parker (“Little Suede Shoes”), Thelonious Monk (“Evidence”), and heroes of the Great American Songbook, such as the Gershwins (“But Not For Me”) and Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (“Some Other Time”).

Fred Hersch performs with Espe-

ranza Spalding on Jan. 26 & 27, 8pm & 10pm at Yoshi’s; $64-$99. 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland. www.yoshis.com www.fredhersch.com

The eight sophisticated and original tunes on young, gender-queer jazz vocalist  Samantha Fierke’s debut album “Mirage” certainly belies their age. These timeless modern numbers sound like the composer

could be several years Fierke’s senior. With a voice that sounds like it was meant to sing (and scat) jazz, Fierke has found a way to make even the most jazz-phobic listener welcome in their musical world.

Highlights include “Shower Song,” “I Remember Butterflies,” “Smile Again,” and “When People Speak.” www.samdoesjazz.com t

comedy and more. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Rize SF @ Origin

New LGBTQ dance party with K-Pop and other styles, DJ DNZA, drag performer Miss Shu Mai; first and third Saturdays. Free/$250. 1538 Fillmore St. www.simpletix.com

SF Eagle

The famed leather bar has numerous events. BLUF Cigar Buddies 2nd Fridays; monthly Lair with host Suppository Spelling; Frolic cosplay/ furry party, 2nd Saturdays, 8pm-2am, $8-$12. Sunday beverage bust, 3pm-7pm, $10-$15. 398 12th St. thesfeagle.com

Suavecito @ Space 550

Valentino Presents and Club Papi present a weekly Latin dance night with DJs Mike, Mr. Biggs, and Lola; Sonora Tropicana band, drag acts, gogo guys, three dance rooms, outdoor lounge. Saturdays, $15-$25. 9:30pm-3am. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.suavecitosf.com

Sundance Saloon

@ Space 550

The (mostly) Country music line-dancing, two-stepping nights (Sundays and Thursdays) has returned. $5, 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Toad Hall

Spacious Castro bar with a small dance floor and back patio. 4146 18th St.

Trax

Historic Haight gay bar (since 1940!) serves up cheap and strong drinks. 1437 Haight St. www.traxbarsf.com

Twin Peaks

Enjoy a great view and strong drinks at the historic tavern, now in its 50th year. 401 Castro St. www.twinpeakstavern.com

Underground SF

Reopened and renovated intimate Lower Haight nightclub hosts varied DJed events, including LGBTQ nights like Hella Tight; also a cafe by day. 424 Haight St. www.undergroundsf.com

White

Horse Bar

Enjoy outdoor dining and drinks at the famous Oakland bar; monthly music nights, 7:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.whitehorsebar.com

Wild Side West

Historic lesbian and friends bar in Bernal Heights with an airy backyard garden (stairs). 424 Cortland Ave. www.wildsidewest.com

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

Hella Tight at Underground SF

Gooch