July 7, 2022 edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

More states on 'no-fly' list

Monkeypox cases double

Sketch dances

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Vol. 52 • No. 27 • July 7-13, 2022

SF supes OK $1.25M to cash-strapped PRC by Eric Burkett

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation repealing the state’s loitering law.

Newsom repeals CA’s ‘walking while trans’ loitering law

by Matthew S. Bajko

overnor Gavin Newsom on July 1 repealed California’s “walking while trans” loitering law, ending nine months of speculation on whether he would do so. Sex worker advocates and LGBTQ leaders have denounced such criminal codes due to police using them to arrest transgender women who engage in prostitution in order to make a living. The Golden State now joins the state of New York in repealing its loitering laws. The Empire State did so in 2021. The California Legislature last year had approved the legislation repealing the state’s Penal Code section 653.22, which makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution. But gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who authored Senate Bill 357, had withheld sending it to Newsom amid concerns that the governor would veto it. The bill additionally allows a person convicted of loitering to petition the trial court for resentencing or dismissal of the charges, and the sealing of their records. In a signing message Newsom pointed out how the crime of loitering has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown women and members of the LGBTQ community. Black adults accounted for 56.1 % of the loitering charges in Los Angeles between 2017-2019, despite making up less than l 0% of the city’s population, noted the governor. But Newsom also said his administration would be watching to see if there were any repercussions in the enactment of SB 357. “To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution,” wrote Newsom in his message. “It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women and transgendered adults. While I agree with the author’s intent and I am signing this legSee page 14 >>

Rick Gerharter

Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC, demonstrated the new sit-stand desks in the agency’s new offices during a 2019 tour.

Place, a 29-bed psychiatric respite program. Administrators for PRC and Baker Places approached the supervisors at their June 14 meeting to request $3.2 million in emergency funding to help them meet expenses, including payroll, in providing behavioral health

and detox services for 215 beds. The programs serve more than 2,000 people per year, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health. See page 14 >>

Queer Latinx creators tackle HIV stigma in new podcast series by Matthew S. Bajko

he new podcast series “Love in Gravity” aimed at addressing HIV stigma within the Latinx and Afro-Latinx communities starts off with a bang. A gay mixed-race male couple picks up a guy at a bar and brings him home for a three-way. After discussing how they are all negative and on the HIV prevention medication PrEP, the three engage in a sexual hookup depicted audibly. At the start of the 56-minute episode, titled “Elote PrEParado,” a warning gives listeners a heads up about the explicit content they are about to hear. “Oh fuck, use my hole, daddy!” one of the three men lustily begs. The story then cuts to the trio talking about open relationships, eventually segueing into the couple traveling to the Latino partner’s family home in Arizona for a Quinceanera celebration. His white partner lends emotional support as the couple navigates the family dynamics spurred on by confusion at the discovery of their PrEP use. “For me, it was an opportunity to de-stigmatize PrEP and open up a conversation,” said Estevan, a queer Mexican American television show writer who wrote the podcast episode. “I think HIV still disproportionately affects us. There is

Estevan, courtesy Twitter; Faison, Brett Erickson

Estevan, left, who uses one name professionally, wrote the “Love in Gravity” podcast in which Adam Faison is one of the actors.

such shame around PrEP and taking care of your body. I think this will hopefully give someone an example of how to navigate those conversations with a partner and with family.” Born Estevan Quintero, but using only his first name professionally, Estevan told the Bay Area Reporter he has been on PrEP for a number of years now. But it is not a subject often spoken about within the Latinx community, he said. “Even just the idea of PrEP as an option is not something that is really talked about within our community,” said Estevan, who grew up in Phoe-

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nix. “PrEP is still seen as a white gay male option. It was a new space for me to navigate personally. It was important for me to say, ‘Hey! This is an option.’” As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted last year, just 27% of Black/African American and 31% of Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men who could have benefitted from PrEP used it in 2017, compared to 42% of white gay and bi men. See page 14 >>

Photo: DepositPhotos

Courtesy Governor’s office

n 11th-hour emergency funding request from a key behavioral health services and HIV/AIDS provider in San Francisco last month left some members of the Board of Supervisors livid, but city officials are largely quiet on what actions they plan to take next. The Board of Supervisors ultimately gave final approval by a vote of 10-0 June 28 to a total of $1.25 million in one-time limited grants to PRC and Baker Places (District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan was not present). Baker Places and PRC merged in 2016, though it is not finished. PRC provides HIV/AIDS services and workforce development. It also provides emergency financial assistance for people with HIV/AIDS, having taken over the former AIDS Emergency Fund; legal representation for access to basic income and health care benefits; and residential treatment and supportive housing for people affected by HIV/AIDS. PRC Baker Places provides residential housing for those with substance use or mental health issues. It also oversees Hummingbird

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<< Community News

4 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

Wiener secures $5.5M for LGBTQ museum in CA budget compiled by Cynthia Laird

mong the $19.8 million in state budget funds that gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) obtained for San Francisco needs, $5.5 million will help establish the first full-scale LGBTQ history museum in the city. In a June 30 news release just before the Legislature began its summer recess, Wiener noted that the project, which has been in the works for years, “will also serve as a community gathering space for lectures and events, and as an economic driver for San Francisco, bringing in visitors from around the world.” As the Bay Area Reporter has reported, the GLBT Historical Society has sought to relocate from its small museum in a leased storefront on 18th Street in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood. It has sought to find a larger, more permanent location, preferably in the Castro. San Francisco Mayor London Breed budgeted $12 million in the city’s fiscal year 2021-2022 budget toward the purchase of a site where the society can build what is billed as the first largescale, freestanding LGBTQ history museum in the country. Andrew Shaffer, a gay man who is interim coexecutive director of the historical society, said the organization was pleased with the allocation. “We are immensely grateful to Senator Wiener and all of our allies in Sacramento for their continued support of LGBTQ history,” Shaffer wrote in an email. “As legislators across the country are looking for ways to erode our rights, we are

Courtesy GLBT Historical Society Museum

Courtesy Facebook

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is in the Castro.

proud to be represented by those who stand with us and help keep LGBTQ history alive. “Education is a powerful antidote to hate, and we connect tens of thousands of people with LGBTQ history every year through our museum, archives, events, and online resources,” he added. “A full-scale museum of LGBTQ history will help to reach even more people, and re-affirm San Francisco’s place at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ rights.” Shaffer explained that opening a new museum is “a long process” and encouraged those who are interested to check out the historical society’s website and make a donation if they are able. Breed praised the state funding. In a release she noted that the city has been evaluating various sites over the last year and has funded an economic analysis to ensure the project’s success.

Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has been involved in the discussions of what property to purchase in the Castro to situate a museum, told the B.A.R. the state funding will help with the build out costs for the museum project. “We now have a good amount of funds to pay, not just for finding it, but wherever the site we settle on is, it’s going to need probably at least millions of dollars of work,” said Mandelman. “I am really glad both the city and state are prioritizing us, and Scott was able to get these funds. Now we’ve got to find the right spot.” Part of the problem, said Mandelman, is the sky-high asking prices for properties in the city’s LGBTQ neighborhood. “A lot of property owners have unrealistic expectations of what they should be able to get for their properties,” he said. “I think the city is willing to pay a premium but is not willing to pay a ridiculous amount.” Other projects that received funding through Wiener’s efforts

Kory Powell-McCoy, left, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-San Francisco) district office, presented Redwood Credit Union’s Eric Maldonado with GGBA’s award, along with Terry Beswick, right, GGBA executive director.

include $5 million for the Sunnydale HUB, a community service and recreation center in southeastern San Francisco; $500,000 for the Tenderloin Museum’s basement expansion project; $2.1 million to the California Academy of Sciences to fund its Thriving California environmental learning plan; $5 million to upgrade the SF Market in Bayview-Hunters Point; and $1.7 million to the Box Shop, a collaborative art workspace that hopes to purchase a new site in Bayview-Hunters Point. “With California’s historic budget surplus, now is the time to deeply invest in our community, particularly in key infrastructure needs,” Wiener stated. Breed stated that the projects “will help ensure that San Franciscans, especially in communities that have historically been underserved, have access to support and resources to live fulfilling lives.”

Sunday Streets Valencia returns

Sunday Streets SF 2022 returns to the Mission district on Valencia Street, between Dolores Avenue and 26th Street, Sunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. A program of the nonprofit Livable City, Sunday Streets encourages residents and visitors to stroll along a mile-long carfree block party that is outdoor fun for everyone, a news release stated. Activities will include dancing in the streets, outdoor dining, exercising in the pop-up recreation facilities, and supporting local vendors. The Sunday Streets program is supported by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Public Works, and the Shape Up SF Coalition. See page 6 >>

Alert

8AX/8BX Bayshore Expresses Return On April 16, the SFMTA is bringing back service on the 8AX Bayshore Express and 8BX Bayshore Express to help reduce travel times between south side neighborhoods and downtown/Chinatown. 311 Free language assistance / 免費語言協助 / Ayuda gratis con el idioma / Бесплатная помощь переводчиков / Trợ giúp Thông dịch Miễn phí / Assistance linguistique gratuite / 無料の言語支援 / Libreng tulong para sa wikang Filipino / 무료 언어 지원 / การช่วยเหลือทางด้านภาษาโดยไม่เสียค่าใช้จา่ ย / ‫خط املساعدة املجاين عىل الرمق‬

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<< Politics

6 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

CA Dem Party vice chair Campos says he’s done seeking office by Matthew S. Bajko

ecause he placed second in the June 7 primary for San Francisco’s 17th Assembly District seat, David Campos’ name will appear on the November 8 ballot even though he is not actively seeking the elected position. Under California’s jungle primary system, the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation move on to the general election. Thus, as the first-place finisher with 63.24% of the primary vote according to the unofficial returns, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) easily advanced to the fall election. Due to his garnering 24.85% of the vote last month, Campos is also moving on after besting Republican Bill Shireman, who received 11.91% of the primary vote. Campos, 51, had qualified for the race in case he had won the special runoff election this spring for the vacant Assembly seat. But he lost to Haney in their April contest to succeed David Chiu, who had resigned last November after his appointment as San Francisco’s city attorney. After he lost to Haney, Campos announced he would not campaign against him in the general election for a full two-year term in the Assembly. Nonetheless, 27,270 people still cast their primary ballots for Campos. “I am appreciative of that. We didn’t do anything to get that,” Campos told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. “It is some solace.” Asked about having his name now appear a fourth time on a ballot this year for the Assembly seat, Campos reiterated his pledge not to be an actu-

News Briefs

From page 4

“Sunday Streets allows neighborhoods to experience and breathe life into their own vision of what car-free streets can and should do for their community,” stated Jeffrey Tumlin, a gay man who’s SFMTA director. For more information on Sunday Streets, including upcoming events in the South of Market and Western Addition, visit https://www.sundaystreetssf.com/

Credit union receives GGBA award

The Golden Gate Business Association, the world’s first LGBTQ

Jane Philomen Cleland

David Campos, speaking at a housing rally, is pondering his next steps after falling short in his state Assembly bid this spring.

al candidate going forward. He noted the situation was out of his control. “I am not running for this office,” said Campos. “It just is the way the rules work. I can’t really change those rules.” What he can control is if he will be a candidate in any future electoral campaigns. And on that possibility, Campos told the B.A.R. he has no plans to again seek election to public office. “I think my days of running for elected office are behind me,” he said. “I think so.” He ruled out running to be the city’s district attorney in the fall now that his former boss, Chesa Boudin, was recalled last month. Hired by Boudin to be his chief of staff in September 2020, Campos had taken a leave of absence earlier this year to focus on his Assembly bid and decided not to return after the April election. San Francisco Mayor London chamber of commerce, recently recognized Redwood Credit Union with its 2022 Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award. In a June 20 Facebook post, Terry Beswick, a gay man who is executive director of GGBA, stated that the credit union is a local financial cooperative with offices throughout the North Bay and in San Francisco. The Civic Center branch serves more than 17,000 members, he noted. “With this award, RCU is being recognized not only for its consistent support for the GGBA, but for its unwavering commitment to its communities, including its #LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and small business partners,” Beswick wrote, referring to Black, In-

Breed will now name Boudin’s replacement, and the person will need to run in November to serve out his term through the end of 2023. Campos told the B.A.R. he has no plans to run against the mayoral appointee. And as the B.A.R. reported last week in its exit interview with Boudin, Campos said he doesn’t “have an opinion one way or the other” on if he thinks Boudin should run again for election as DA in November. It is a decision his former boss needs to decide on his own, said Campos.

Future plans

As for his own next steps, Campos is still trying to determine what he wants to do. He plans to continue to do public service of some type and remains vice chair of the California Democratic Party. Having won election to the party post in 2021, Campos noted that he had been running for some form of elected office for the last year. He wanted to take some time off to spend digenous, and people of color. The award was presented at GGBA’s Power Connect event. In a Facebook comment Eric Maldonado of Redwood Credit Union thanked GGBA for the award.

Presidio Tunnel Tops prepares for opening

The Partnership for the Presidio has announced opening season programs at San Francisco’s long-awaited new national park destination – Presidio Tunnel Tops. According to a news release, the slate of programs was co-curated by the Presidio Activator Council, composed of Bay Area leaders, activists, and artists representing communities histori-

with his husband, Phil Hwang, before he commits himself to his next job. “It was a very busy year. I am trying to spend some time with my husband and with family,” said Campos. “That has been the most rewarding part of it. I am trying to figure out what makes sense in terms of the options out there. Sometimes you need time to step back and think about things. I certainly have been able to do that.” Campos and his family escaped Guatemala when he was 14 and illegally crossed the border into the U.S. He went on to graduate from Stanford then Harvard Law School and was hired as a deputy city attorney in San Francisco, serving for several years as the lead counsel for the city’s public school district. He served as a city police commissioner and was elected in 2008 as the District 9 supervisor. After serving the allowed two four-year terms, and losing his first bid for the Assembly seat to Chiu in 2014, Campos was hired as a deputy county executive in Santa Clara County, where he worked until resigning two years ago in order to join Boudin’s staff. In 2017, Campos was elected as chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. He helped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) retake the majority in the 2018 midterm elections by opening an office in the city’s Castro district where local Democrats could call voters in swing districts across the country being targeted that year by the party. As she attempts to hold on to control of the chamber in this year’s midterms, Pelosi has taken over the Castro storefront that Campos had used for his Assembly campaign at 541 Castro Street. It will serve as a place where local Democrats can once again get involved in House races the party deems

critical if it is to fend off the expected GOP takeover of the chamber this year. The Keep it Blue HQ will be operational later this month. “We are trying to make sure we keep the House in 2022,” said Campos. “I am already doing a lot of work on that. As vice chair of the state party, I have been going to different parts of the state trying to promote voter outreach. We want to make sure Democratic turnout is really strong.” As for what impact the constitutional amendment to protect abortion access in California, put on the fall ballot by state Democratic leaders, will have on close races for House and legislative seats, Campos told the B.A.R. it remains an open question at this point. “It’s hard to say across the board if it is going to be helpful or not. I do think, though, my hope is that it will at least mobilize the base, which hasn’t really been mobilizing in the last few months,” said Campos, of Democratic voters. “I think, in that sense, it will be a positive overall. In terms of individual races, I think each candidate is going to have to figure out how they present themselves relative to this issue.” Last spring, Campos was a vocal supporter of seeing Honey Mahogany succeed him as the first nonbinary, transgender chair of a local Democratic Party in the state. Yet Campos has not endorsed Mahogany, formerly Haney’s chief of staff in his District 6 supervisor office, now that she is running for the board seat on the fall ballot against gay Supervisor Matt Dorsey, whom Breed appointed to fill the vacancy created by Haney’s election to the Legislature. Campos told the B.A.R. he likely will remain neutral in the contest. “I haven’t endorsed anyone in that race. I am not sure I will,” he said. “I think that voters will have an opportunity to decide for themselves.”t

cally underrepresented in national parks. The council’s goal was to work with the community to include experiences that reflect the region’s cultural vibrancy and invite people from around the Bay Area to visit the site, the release stated. Presidio Tunnel Tops is a new 14acre national park experience at the heart of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was overseen by a gay man, Michael Boland, chief of park development and visitor engagement for the Presidio Trust, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported. The Tunnel Tops includes scenic overlooks, trails, picnic areas, and gathering spaces with stunning

bridge and city views, surrounded by gardens and meadows that include 180 varieties of plants native to the Presidio, the release stated. The Presidio Tunnel Tops will open Sunday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and include a new art installation, entertainment, pop-up food trucks, and National Park Service ranger talks at the Campfire Circle. Future events will include First Sunday Afternoons, from 1 to 4 p.m., on August 7, September 4, October 2, and November 6. Upcoming events are free. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3R2xzAc. See page 10 >>

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Community News>>

t CA bans state-funded travel to nearly half of US

July 7-13, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

by Matthew S. Bajko

tate employees in California will soon be banned from using taxpayer funds to travel to nearly half of the country due to the enactment of anti-LGBTQ legislation in other states. With the additions of Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, and Utah in the coming months, the Golden State’s travel ban restriction will cover 22 states. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office determines which states are placed on the state-funded travel restrictions list, made the announcement Thursday, June 30, on the last day of Pride Month. Legislators in the quartet of states being added to the list passed laws this year that curtailed the rights of transgender youth and adults, with all four set to force non-cisgender girls and women to play on sports teams based on their gender assigned at birth. “Make no mistake: There is a coordinated, ongoing attack on transgender rights happening right now all across the country,” stated Bonta. “Blanket legislation targeting transgender children is a ‘solution’ in search of a problem. It is detached from reality and directly undermines the wellbeing of our LGBTQ+ community. During this Pride Month and all year round, we’re committed to standing up against discrimination in all its forms.” Under California’s Assembly Bill 1887, which Bonta had voted to adopt in 2015 when he served in the Assembly, state funds can’t be used to travel to states that have adopted discriminatory laws against LGBTQ people since June 26, 2015. Authored by gay

photoCourtesy Visit New Orleans/Paul Broussard

New Orleans’ Pride parade in the French Quarter returned this year; the city is now part of the Louisiana travel ban that California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced June 30, along with state-funded travel restrictions to Arizona, Indiana, and Utah.

Assemblymember Evan Low (DCampbell) and signed into law by former governor Jerry Brown, the restriction on taxpayer-funded travel covers government workers, academics, and college sports teams at public universities. There is an exception if the travel is for emergency purposes, such as providing support in fighting wildfires. Meanwhile, college sports teams have found ways to cover their travel costs to the banned states via alumni funds and other means. Since the Golden State bill took effect, the list of states covered by the travel ban has only grown. No states have yet to be removed from it due to repealing the anti-LG-

BTQ laws that placed them on it. “As mandated under AB 1887, we’re putting our money where our values are,” stated Bonta in restricting state-funded travel to Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, and Utah. The use of taxpayer money to travel to Indiana and Utah will be banned as of Friday, July 1. In both cases, it is due to state lawmakers overriding vetoes by their Republican governors of transphobic sports bans. In Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb (R) had vetoed House Bill 1041 only to have it be reinstated by the Indiana Legislature on May 24. It repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women

and girls from participating in interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity. Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) had vetoed similar legislation adopted in the Beehive State. But the Utah Legislature overrode his veto on March 22. The prohibition on state-funded travel to Louisiana will kick in on August 1. It is due to the same type of anti-trans sports ban being passed by the Legislature in the Pelican State. It passed on June 6 despite Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards refusing to sign it. The restriction against travel to Arizona will become effective September 28. It is due to passage

in the Grand Canyon State of Senate Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 1165, which were both signed on March 30 by Republican Governor Doug Ducey. SB 1138 prohibits health care professionals from providing, and insurance companies from covering, gender-affirming care to minors. The other law is the same anti-trans sports ban adopted by the three other states. Last fall, Ohio had become the 18th state covered by California’s travel ban due to the enactment of House Bill 110, which allows for medical providers in the Midwest state to deny care to LGBTQ+ Americans, including Californians traveling in Ohio. The Buckeye State was officially added to the restricted travel list on September 30. Florida, Montana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and North Dakota landed on the list last year during Pride Month. Also covered by the travel ban law are Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.

San Francisco list

The office of San Francisco’s city administrator keeps a similar list banning taxpayer-funded travel for non-essential trips to states that have adopted antiLGBTQ laws since 2015. The city also includes states with abortion restrictions on its list. Last updated March 6, the list currently includes 28 states. The only state not on it that is now covered by California’s travel ban is Utah. But it should now be added in the coming days to San Francisco’s travel ban list.t

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<< Open Forum

8 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

Volume 52, Number 27 July 7-13, 2022 www.ebar.com

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Here we go again

hen the COVID pandemic started in March 2020, the federal response was lackluster to say the least. Much of that blame fell on the shoulders of former President Donald Trump, who routinely spouted misinformation and hobbled U.S. scientists, researchers, and public health officials for many months. Finally, he advocated for vaccines, and the National Institutes of Health helped develop the Moderna vaccine, which, along with Pfizer, has proved to be a game changer in largely preventing serious illness or death. Now, although the country is still in the grips of the COVID virus – and cases continue to rise as new variants are easily transmissible and vaccine immunity wanes – there is a monkeypox outbreak and, this time, federal officials in the Biden administration have been slow to respond. They can and must do better. San Francisco has seen its probable cases more than double in less than a week, to 40 as of July 5. Monkeypox is an old virus and is not a “gay” disease, as officials so wrongly said about AIDS back in the 1980s. And officials have rightly pointed out that anyone can contract monkeypox through close personal contact, as we have reported for the last couple of months. That said, we’d be foolish to ignore the present reality: the virus now is primarily spreading within networks of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Many of these men reported multiple recent sex partners or attended venues and events where sex and other intimate contact takes place. Only a small number of cases have been identified among women and children. As we’ve reported, the monkeypox virus is transmitted from animals and from person to person through skin-toskin contact, kissing, and contact with contaminated clothes, bedding, or surfaces. It also can be transmitted through respiratory droplets at close range, but it does not spread through the air over longer distances like the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the monkeypox virus “is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace.” It can be transmitted between people who live in the same household and to caregivers, but it does not spread, for example, via casual conversation, passing someone in a grocery store or touching doorknobs, agency officials said. Monkeypox, which is related to smallpox but less severe, causes flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that can appear anywhere on the body. In the current outbreak, many men have presented with lesions on the genitals or in the anal area that may resemble common sexually transmitted infections such as herpes or syphilis.

Courtesy UKHSA

These images from the UK Health Security Agency are more representative of what the current monkeypox outbreak looks like.

Monkeypox has an incubation period of up to three weeks before symptom onset, and the illness usually lasts two to four weeks, we reported this week. It is considered infectious until the sores heal completely and scabs fall off. Most people recover without treatment, and there have been no deaths in non-endemic countries so far. But the sores can leave scars, some patients have required hospitalization for pain management, and people with severe disease can develop complications. Pregnant people, children, and immunocompromised individuals – including those with poorly controlled HIV – are at greater risk for severe illness. Most experts do not consider monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease in the traditional sense, as we’ve also reported. It is not known whether the virus is transmitted in semen or vaginal fluid, but it can spread through contact with sores or face-to-face contact during sexual encounters. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a gay man who’s director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, calls it a “sexually associated” – rather than a sexually transmitted – infection. Yet monkeypox cases continue to climb, with California now having the highest number in the country, at 95 reported cases as of July 1, and there were 460 cases nationwide (those numbers are now likely higher). Meanwhile, federal officials have been slow to distribute a new effective vaccine, Jynneos, which was approved in 2019. It’s in short supply because federal officials did not make procuring it a priority when the outbreak first started in May. San Francisco, for example, received about 560 doses of Jynneos. This is a woefully inadequate number. New York City and Washington, D.C. had offered vaccine clinics for gay and bi men but had to shut down within hours

because they ran out of vaccine. As the Washington Post reported last month, “The government’s failure to clearly and urgently communicate the symptoms and risks associated with monkeypox, a disease spread by close contact that can lead to fever, pain and a visible rash, has left gay and bisexual men, who are disproportionately contracting the virus, especially vulnerable, public health experts say.” Some administration officials have said that the monkeypox response raises doubts about the country’s preparedness for the next pandemic, the paper reported. The same thing was said back in 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic. And unlike COVID, monkeypox is not new. The Post pointed out the virus has been studied for decades, and health officials know the vaccine protocols that can limit spread. All of this makes for a frustrating situation. The federal government needs to ramp up tests and vaccines – indeed, last month it did authorize more labs to run the tests starting this month. While updated education materials have been made available recently, it took longer than in other countries, according to David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, as the Post article mentioned. Pride Month is now over, but other summertime events are coming up in the Bay Area, such as the Up Your Alley and Folsom Street fairs, as well as Pride events in San Jose and Oakland. The vaccine supply must be increased so that there can be clinics at these events where people congregate. The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District held a successful COVID vaccination program and could replicate the effort for monkeypox vaccines. But outreach like that will only happen if vaccine supplies are quickly distributed to local health officials. Time is not a friend in this situation, and the Biden administration must step up its efforts. t

Reflections on the AIDS quilt by Bill Hirsh

ast month I was able to get to Golden Gate Park for the largest display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt ever in San Francisco. Saturday, June 11, was a sunny day, not the usual foggy June days we know and love in San Francisco. The last time I was able to view more than a few panels of the quilt was at a March on Washington in the early 1990s when the quilt covered the entirety of the National Mall. It is hard to think of a community response to a health crisis that is more beautiful, more compassionate, more creative, and more intimate than the quilt. The stories of countless lives are sewn into colorful patches of panels creating a burst of color, a deep well of sadness, and a sense of hope. I had traveled to D.C. in a van with a group of friends. In the face of relentless and especially cruel and hateful attacks on people living with AIDS, we found solace in our growing numbers. We were not only responding to the immediate needs of our friends and family, but we were fighting quarantine measures, government inaction, and endless fear and ignorance. We were young, but already we were seasoned in knowing the harshness of the world. And we were learning more and more about compassion, love, and activism. That weekend at Golden Gate

Rick Gerharter

People watched as volunteers unfolded the AIDS Memorial Quilt in Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park on June 11 as part of the weekend display.

Park, I ran into old friends, former and current AIDS Legal Referral Panel board members, and clients. Many shared how ALRP had been there for them during some of their darkest times. I cried thinking of all the folks we had lost: my dear friend and teacher David, my supervisor Thom (who had me examine what was to be the first of his Kaposi sarcoma, or KS, lesions), ALRP’s first executive director, Clint

Hockenberry; the list goes on and on. Right now, I choose to think of David. A kind, gentle-hearted man, a teacher of young people, a handsome hippie. I remember being a part of the close circle of friends who cared for him as the disease weakened his bright spirit, helping him to get to the place where he could let go. I was not there to hold his hand or feed him some love in his final days. I think of him still in the peaceful, blue midnight joy of nature, with cabins by the sea. See page 11 >>

Pride 2022>>

July 7-13, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

Rick Gerharter

Crowds enjoy the San Francisco Pride parade June 26, but LGBTQ sports groups and others were left out of beverage sales this year.

Community groups locked out of SF Pride beverage sales by Eric Burkett

decision by San Francisco Pride to have a third party operate the organization’s alcohol and beer booths during last month’s Pride festival has had a serious impact on the budgets of several LGBTQ community and sports organizations. Numerous community organizations have relied on the chance to staff the booths over the years; the benefit in doing so is receiving a 25% cut of the proceeds plus tips, which helps support the groups financially. For small, volunteer-run organizations the proceeds earned from the annual event – which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors – could amount to several thousand dollars. For the nonprofits’ leaders, the decision was made even more difficult by the apparent way it was carried out. After being invited to participate, and led to believe they would be running the booths as they had for years, they were informed only a few weeks before Pride – and more than three months after they had filed their applications – that the booths would be staffed by a third-party for-profit organization. At least 20 community groups were affected by the decision, said Vincent Fuqua, commissioner of San Francisco Gay Softball League, just one of the groups affected. In a Zoom interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Fuqua and SFGSL treasurer Sheryl Phipps said they had been led to believe that everything was proceeding as it always had prior to the COVID pandemic that temporarily sidelined the annual parade for two years. Fuqua and Phipps said that in-

vitations to apply had been sent in March, a little later than usual, and, after applying, they had received confirmations that their applications were in place. It wasn’t until May, however, that they were informed by Marsha Levine, SF Pride’s community relations director, of SF Pride’s decision to move to a third party. The decision to switch from community partners to a third party, they were told, was a result of “post-pandemic realities,” Fuqua said. “I’m not really sure what a post-pandemic reality is.” As consolation, the community groups were offered donations from SF Pride, based on each group’s revenues from 2019.

Third party switch

The decision to switch to a third party, however, was made under former executive director Fred Lopez, according to Andy Copperhall, who has served as beverage manager for SF Pride both as a volunteer and as a paid employee since 2002. Lopez stepped down as executive director in February. “I contacted [Lopez] in December last year to continue conversations around the event for this year, and was told that they had already awarded the contract to run beverages to someone else and did not need me,” Copperhall told the B.A.R. in an email. “They had not spoken to me about this or given me the first right of refusal or even the opportunity to discuss the year. I am not certain they would have even told me if I had not reached out.” At that point, Copperhall said, the management of the alcohol and beer booths was to be handed over to IDK Events, a San Francis-

co-based event company, whose president, Scott Shuemake, is a friend of Lopez, Copperhall said. Shuemake’s company has long had a hand in producing SF Pride, and helped produce SF Pride’s Movie Night at Oracle Park in 2021, an alternative to the Pride parade that had been canceled as a result of the pandemic. Shuemake’s company was also a partner in the short-lived Shared Spaces program that closed off a section of 18th and Castro streets to vehicular traffic in an attempt to draw foot traffic to the neighborhood during the pandemic, as well as Oakland Pride before it apparently folded in 2021. Lopez declined to be interviewed for this story, and Shuemake did not respond to requests for comment. After hearing that Lopez had moved on from his post as executive director at SF Pride, Copperhall said early in 2022 he again reached out and spoke with interim Executive Director Suzanne Ford and, despite what he described as a “very positive conversation,” was told that SF Pride was in a contract with another company and “they did not want to negate that.” As all this was happening, the community groups were still under the impression they would be working the booths at SF Pride. In May, those groups learned they would not be doing so. But still, things turned out even more differently than anticipated. According to Copperhall, SF Pride instead awarded the contract for alcoholic beverages in early June to a company called See page 10 >>

Letters >> About the term ‘pansy’

I was researching the term “Good As You” (a backronym – or acronym deliberately formed from a phrase whose initial letters spell out a particular word – of “gay”) and most of the citations are from the United Kingdom. However, there was a letter to the Birmingham (UK) Post, July 4, 1992, which stated that there were “Good As You” badges in San Francisco in 1988. Does anyone know about this backronym from the 1980s? Thanks for any help. You have an article on “Pansy Division,” [“The persistence of Pansy Division: Jon Ginoli on the queer band’s longevity,” June 28] and you may be interested to know that the term “pansy” was made famous (or infamous) by Jimmy Durante in the 1920s. It was used in the routine “So I Ups to Him,” and the original term Durante used was “fairy.” I also did some newspaper research on Fay Norman’s “Gay Boy Revue” of 1934 and similar 1930s revues, and I can share the

results with anyone. It appears that I am the first person to clip these articles on Newspapers.com, (https://www. newspapers.com/) so this is new information. Barry Popik Goshen, New York

SF only welcomes the rich

I participated in my first (or many) gay Pride marches in 1979. As this year’s celebrations have just concluded in San Francisco, we queers and our allies must prepare for the coming assault on our civil rights, and even our physical safety, in light of the recent decisions handed down by the “Supreme Republican Court.” I regret that San Francisco now only welcomes rich queers to your safe haven. Les K. Wright, Ph.D. Cortland, New York

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<< Community News

10 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

AIDS advocates lambaste CA lawmakers over budget by Matthew S. Bajko

investment in STD prevention, according to the coalition. Their ask for an additional $8 million to reach the goal of eliminating hepatitis B transmission in the Golden State was included and will be allocated out over three years. It is the first time the state has invested in community-based services for hep B, according to the coalition. While they were appreciative of the $38 million that was included in the budget, AIDS advocates nonetheless made their disappointment known in a statement sent to the B.A.R. June 30. They pointed out that the failure to fully fund the sexual health and harm reduction services will negatively impact LGBTQ individuals, especially people of color. San Francisco AIDS Foundation Chief Executive Officer Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., stated that the coalition was “outraged” that the other $67 million in funding it was seeking was not allocated. He also criticized Newsom’s refusal, “for the second year,” to fund the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund when there is a record state budget surplus. “California is in the midst of an

overdose crisis that is killing thousands of Californians every year. There is a clear moral imperative to fund critical harm reduction and overdose prevention measures that will save lives,” stated TerMeer, a gay man living with HIV who took over leadership of the AIDS agency in February. “The choice to exclude funding for harm reduction, hepatitis C, STI services for LGBTQ+ people, and community-based health equity initiatives fails California’s most vulnerable communities, many who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color.” Left out of the budget was $20 million being sought to address hepatitis C and $7 million to expand STI testing and treatment services to low-income, uninsured LGBTQ+ individuals through the state’s Family PACT program. The coalition also wanted $750,000 for free condom distribution in public schools. With overdose deaths up 45% in California since June 2020, $20 million was also being sought for syringe services programs and

overdose prevention programs. Most of it would have been earmarked to continue a pilot program called the California Harm Reduction Initiative set to expire June 30, 2023. “National Harm Reduction Coalition is outraged by the lack of continued investment in the California Harm Reduction Initiative. As the overdose crisis rages on in our state – heavily impacting BIPOC communities – it is negligent not to invest in evidenced-based strategies like harm reduction,” stated Jenna Haywood, the coalition’s associate director of community mobilization. “Now is not the time to cut the only state investment in harm reduction program staffing and instead the state should be expanding this low barrier, low-cost intervention on overdose and other drug related harms. The message this budget sends is that people who use drugs’ lives are disposable and that especially BIPOC lives are disposable.” Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to the B.A.R.’s request for comment July 1, nor did a spokesperson for the LGBTQ caucus, chaired by gay Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), respond to a request for comment Friday. A spokesperson for gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told the B.A.R. he was traveling and wouldn’t be reachable for several days. The Legislature is now in recess until August. In a statement released June 30 California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly called the budget “historic” and said the state was making investments that will improve the lives of vulnerable Californians while addressing various underlying societal inequities. “In order to create a state where all of us can have a chance to thrive based on our efforts and hard work, we cannot allow certain groups and individuals to be dis-

agreement with a guaranteed minimum, and that they would use paid bar staff for the event and the tips go to these paid staff,” Copperhall said. “So, no community involvement whatsoever. This is the bit I find hardest to come to terms with.” In other words, not only would SF Pride be handing over part of the profits to an out-of-state, company, paid staff would be receiving

payments rather than volunteers giving their tips to the community groups they represented. Tennessee is also on the state and city’s no-fly list, meaning that taxpayer funds can’t be used to travel to states that have adopted discriminatory laws against LGBTQ people. San Francisco’s list also restricts city agencies and departments from signing contracts with businesses based in those states.

A text Copperhall said he received from an employee of Matagrano, a South San Francisco-based beer and beverage distributor and the longtime supplier to SF Pride, said that beer consumption – due to longer wait times and lines – was down to 183 kegs from 2019’s 425 kegs. “Good afternoon 183 barrels a total shit show Peter’s booth right across from mine to beer pores

SF Pride

From page 9

Event Hospitality Solutions, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company has handled other Bay Area events such as Bottlerock in Napa County and works with Beverly Hills-based Live Nation, a concert promotion company. “My understanding is that this company was in a revenue share

Courtesy Twitter

AIDS advocates are critical of Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers for only partially funding their budget requests to tackle sexually transmitted infections and drug overdoses.

WALLBEDS

AND

IDS advocates and service providers are lambasting California lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to fully address the state’s dual epidemics of sexually transmitted infections and drug overdoses, particularly due to opiates, in the 2022-2023 budget despite a record surplus of nearly $100 billion. Of the $105 million in new funding a coalition of nonprofit service providers had sought in the new fiscal year budget to address the twinned STIs and drug epidemics, a mere $38 million was allocated. The agencies are now calling on state lawmakers to take further actions to fund increased sexual health services and harm reduction efforts for those with drug addictions. “We call on Governor Newsom and the Legislature to take immediate action to ensure that these programs are not left to fend for themselves as overdose deaths continue to skyrocket,” stated APLA Health Chief Executive Officer Craig E. Thompson. Newsom, for a second year in a row, didn’t add any of the additional funding sought by the AIDS advocates in the budget he submitted to lawmakers. The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus had pledged to champion the budget request in the Legislature, as the Bay Area Reporter noted in May. Yet, they secured less than half of the funding the coalition of more than 150 organizations using the name End the Epidemics was seeking in the budget that was adopted and signed by Newsom in late June. There is $30 million over three years to address the ongoing uptick in syphilis and congenital syphilis cases. While that figure is $19 million less than what the advocates had asked for to address that specific sexually transmitted disease, it is the largest-ever state

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Left out of the budget

advantaged because of the color of their skin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability,” stated Ghaly. “This budget seeks to lift all boats, but some boats are being lifted more. It also allows us to be a leader in the fight for equity and gives us the opportunity to create programs that address the persistent and systemic inequities that fueled the pandemic.” The coalition of service providers pledged to continue to mobilize and call on Newsom and the legislators to allocate additional resources “to achieve true health equity” for the people they serve, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and people who use drugs. Among them is the San Francisco-based GLIDE Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the liberal church located in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Like its coalition partners, the agency expressed a dual reaction to the final budget adopted this year by state leaders. While applauding the boost in STI funds, it called on state lawmakers to “do more” to address the ongoing health concerns impacting vulnerable populations across California. “GLIDE is grateful to the state Legislature for ensuring California’s most vulnerable populations - including communities that GLIDE serves – are supported with critical access to STI testing. With historic levels of investments for these public health measures, GLIDE can continue providing our clients with the vital community health resources they need,” said Miguel Bustos, a gay man who is senior director of the foundation’s Center for Social Justice. “While expanded funding for STI testing access is welcomed, it is disappointing the budget does not do more to address the state’s overdose crisis and provide desperately needed services to communities of color and people who use drugs.” t

[sic] 5 to 7 people in each beer booth pouring beer and cocktails totally crazy beer lines 100 deep all day… our guys are not very happy we need you back,” the text read. The decision to change how Pride operates the booths has been a huge disappointment, Phipps said. “I just felt sad.” Levine and Ford did not return multiple messages seeking comment. t

News Briefs

From page 6

U.S. Bank reopens Castro branch

U.S. Bank recently announced the reopening of its Castro branch at 443 Castro Street following a remodel that officials said brings a new look and feel to it, along with design enhancements. According to a news release, the 1,820 square foot Castro branch is one of four U.S. Bank’s LGBTQ+ flagship branches (the other three are in West Hollywood, Capitol Hill in Seattle, and Lakeview in Chicago). The branches feature year-round, Pride-themed artwork. “U.S. Bank has been serving the Castro district for nearly 20 years and today we are deepening our investment in this vibrant community by bringing an updated and refreshed branch experience,” Priscilla Singh, branch manager of the Castro location, stated during the June 22 ribbon-cutting. “We are also reinvesting in the community groups that serve our LGBTQ+

Courtesy U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank Castro employees celebrated the recent reopening of the branch in the city’s LGBTQ neighborhood.

community and continue the important work that started here in the Castro.” During the event, the bank donated $2,500 to the San Francisco LGBT Community Center to support its mission of building a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and allies; and $2,500 to the Transgender District, which seeks to foster the rich history, culture, legacy, and

empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood, the release stated. The Castro bank branch offers business and commercial banking, as well as mortgage services. The branch also has a walk-up ATM. A spokesperson said the bank was not able to disclose the cost of the remodel.t

Community News >>

July 7-13, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

SF budget contains $17M for LGBTQ needs by Matthew S. Bajko

an Francisco’s two-year fiscal budget set to be approved by the Board of Supervisors this month includes more than $17 million for various LGBTQ needs, from funding services for transgender individuals and people living with HIV to monetary support for the city’s Pride committee and queer arts organizations. The funding includes the $6.5 million to end trans homelessness and $6 million for HIV prevention service providers spread over the next two years that Mayor London Breed had included in the budget proposal she sent to the supervisors in June. There is also $35,000 the mayor allocated to launch a drag laureate position for the city, as the Bay Area Reporter first reported last month. Also included is the $300,000 that the mayor had sought for the new organ being installed in the Castro Theatre. The supervisors allocated $100,000 for a Black, Indigenous, people of color trans and queer arts residency and performance event to be housed at the queer-led African American Art & Culture Complex that Queer Rebel Productions had sought. The board also added into the budget $100,000 sought by Fresh Meat Productions for its transgender/gender-nonconforming (TGNC) dance and performance festival. It also allocated $20,000 in rental assistance for LGBTQ live performance nonprofits in the Castro that was requested by Theatre Rhinoceros. The committee that puts on the city’s annual Pride festival was earmarked $300,000 by the supervisors to help it recover from having to mothball its in-person parade and celebration the last two years due to the COVID pandemic. It was able to host a live event last month for the first time since 2019. The supervisors also set aside $275,000 sought by the SF LGBT Community Center for various community building activities with a special focus on BIPOC and noncisgender individuals. They also allocated $225,000 toward mental health services for LGBTQ seniors requested by the nonprofit Openhouse and $200,000 for LGBTQ historical research/exhibits capacity

Guest Opinion

From page 8

My personal story is deeply entwined with that of ALRP. 1983, the year ALRP was founded, was also the year I arrived in San Francisco to attend law school. It was a scary time, especially for young gay men. AIDS informed our experience as gay men, our sexuality, our sense of mortality, and our sense of community. I began my service with ALRP as a volunteer when I finished law school in 1986 and I have proudly served as its executive director since 2000. For more than 22 years now I have embraced this role as my life’s work, and it is a privilege I do not take lightly. While some would say that the early days of the AIDS epidemic were the city’s darkest time, I would suggest that it was not the disease, but the city’s response to it, that truly defines the time. San Francisco unleashed an army of compassionate, creative volunteers who stepped up to meet every conceivable need of those suffering, from home delivered meals to practical and emotional support. The AIDS epidemic has changed drastically over the years, with huge advances in treatment and prevention, and hard-fought progress to reduce stigma. While we no longer see folks being evicted just for having HIV, the

Rick Gerharter

Ricardo De Melo Matos

Gay Supervisors Matt Dorsey, left, and Rafael Mandelman, worked to include funding for LGBTQs in the San Francisco city budget.

building sought by the GLBT Historical Society. Case management services centering Black TGNC communities with a history of incarceration will be funded at $750,000, per a request made by the TGI Justice Project that the supervisors added to the budget. They also allocated $475,000 for legal services and other programs for TGNC immigrants and asylum seekers sought by Parivar Bay Area, El/La Para TransLatinas, and the LGBT Asylum Project. The board also allocated $350,000 toward hiring more employees for a TGNC housing program called the Bobbie Jean Baker House so it is staffed on a 24-hour basis. St. James Infirmary had sought the funding for the 18-room, three-floor transitional housing program. There is $1 million split over the two fiscal years for housing subsidies for people living with HIV or AIDS that the HIV/AIDS Provider Network had sought as part of its budget request this year. It also secured $300,000 for housing subsidies for seniors and adults with disabilities, plus $200,000 in funding in each of the two fiscal years for expanded mental health services for long-term survivors of HIV and AIDS. “I could be happier,” said AIDS Legal Referral Panel Executive Director Bill Hirsh, who co-chairs the city’s provider network, about the city’s proposed budget. Nonetheless, Hirsh said he was pleased that the mayor had included the $3 million per fiscal year

consequences of losing their home are just as painful: long-term tenants lose their home, their community, and their health care. As the legal needs of our clients have changed, ALRP has adapted to address them. For almost 40 years, the AIDS Legal Referral Panel has been the legal community’s caring response to AIDS. As I reflect on how much has changed over the last 40 years, I find myself feeling hopeful, even in the face of the many challenges we still face. I know the difference that a handful of lawyers have made in the lives of thousands of people living with HIV. I see it every day in the work of ALRP’s dedicated staff attorneys fighting to keep our clients housed, insured, and healthy. Often a few panels of the quilt have been displayed at the San Francisco AIDS Walk where, over many years, I have proudly joined thousands, invariably on a cold, foggy Sunday morning. They serve as a gentle reminder of the many lives we have lost. The quilt continues to enfold us all in its comfort and grace, as we support people living with decades of illness, poverty, and stigma. Sadly, AIDS is not over.t Bill Hirsh, a gay man, is executive director of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel.

for HIV service providers as it will help avoid “significant layoffs” at the agencies facing funding decrease due to a change in how the city’s health department is awarding contracts this year. “I am pretty happy about that,” said Hirsh. He added that the city will not see its federal HIV prevention funding cut this year, currently at about $15 million. Thus, the supervisors and mayor avoided having to backfill any reduction in its Ryan White Federal CARE grant with local dollars. The HIV provider network is trying to determine if its member agencies that receive Ryan White funding will be eligible for a pot of money the supervisors set aside to help service providers recoup their increased costs of doing business, Hirsh told the B.A.R. It had sought $500,000 in the city’s budget specifically for HIV service providers to use for that purpose. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael

Mandelman told the B.A.R. it was “unfortunate” the supervisors could not allocate the funding this year, as the problem of service providers facing rising costs due to inflation and other reasons isn’t going away. “It is a real issue. The general cost of doing business increases for nonprofits,” said Mandelman. “It is unfortunate we weren’t unable to find money for that this year, and over time, that becomes a real problem for these nonprofits.”

Some budget wins

Overall, there are “definitely some good wins in the budget,” Mandelman said. In particular, he noted, “There are a lot of investments in the most vulnerable people in the community, with a real focus in trans folks in the mayor’s budget and the board’s budge too. I think that was also really good.” Mandelman also secured $341,000 for various street activations and LGBTQ events held in the

Castro and other neighborhoods he represents like Noe Valley and Cole Valley. Some of the funding will be used to pay for porta potties at Mission Dolores Park during Pride Weekend next June. “We have some money to do some cool things in the Castro around film festivals and throughout the district like tree planting, garden installations, things like that,” he said. “There is also some support for the arts in here and some support for performance nonprofits. I feel pretty good about that.” Mandelman had worked with newly appointed gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey in seeking the funding for the various LGBTQ needs. Dorsey did not respond to the B.A.R.’s request for comment for this article by the paper’s press deadline Wednesday. The supervisors are expected to pass the budget by July 19. Breed has until August 1 to sign the budget for fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Hirsh told the B.A.R. that in addition to the two gay board members, Breed and District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who is serving as the board’s budget chair this year, should be applauded for addressing the needs of the city’s HIV providers in the budget compromise they reached in late June. “We really want to acknowledge the work of supervisors Dorsey and Mandelman, and we certainly want to acknowledge the mayor’s office for her support for this. It was huge,” said Hirsh. “Supervisor Ronen also did a great job in a tough year. There was a lot more money in the add back process this year than in most, and it is difficult to balance all the competing needs.” t

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<< Health News

12 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

SF party attendees warned as monkeypox cases double by Liz Highleyman

rganizers of two large pre-Pride dance parties have alerted attendees that people known or suspected to have monkeypox were present at the events. Steamworks bathhouse in Berkeley has also warned patrons about potential exposure. On July 5, the San Francisco Department of Public Health updated its count of known or probable monkeypox cases to 40, more than doubling since last week. Comfort and Joy, the queer community and arts collective that hosted the Afterglow party on Saturday, June 25, sent an email blast last week stating that it had received a “plausible

report” that an attendee tested positive for monkeypox. Organizers of the Electroloxx pride party on June 24 posted a similar alert on the event’s Facebook page Tuesday afternoon. In an email message dated July 5, Steamworks management said the Berkeley Department of Public Health informed them that “over the past month, some of our members have been either a confirmed or a probable case of monkeypox.” These members visited the bathhouse May 27-29, June 3-4, June 10, and June 17. Ken Rowe, co-owner of Eros sex club, which reopened in the Tenderloin June 24, said they have not received any notifications about monkeypox cases from DPH.

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The hosts “took a really smart, proactive approach,” Frank Strona, who leads the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s monkeypox incident management team, told the Bay Area Reporter in a July 5 interview. “We think it’s great that they reached out.” The San Francisco health department is urging anyone with new rashes or sores to seek medical care and get tested for monkeypox. People at high risk may be eligible for a vaccine, but the supply is currently limited. “If you had a lot of close physical intimate contact that puts you at the higher risk level, we want to get you vaccinated first,” Strona said. “Then, as we get more vaccine in from the state, we’ll be expanding it so that more and more people who fall into those next areas of risk would be included.” Jarrod Stanley of Comfort & Joy stated in an email that the group’s first concern is the community’s health and safety. “We received one report via an anonymous email that a single attendee at our June 25th Afterglow Pride event is now showing clear signs of monkeypox. This same notification was sent to the organizers of two other Pride weekend events. After brief due diligence, we determined the report to be plausible. To best protect our friends and community members, we elected to make a public announcement about the potential exposure. C&J has not received any additional notifications of monkeypox cases related to our event,” Stanley wrote. Stanley added that monkeypox can affect anyone, “and it’s critical that we not stigmatize the queer community during this outbreak.” “Social ills such as this thrive in a climate of shame. It is up to all of us to create an environment where individuals feel safe and comfortable coming forward about their symptoms or potential exposure,” Stanley added. “The CDC and SFDPH depend on accurate case counts to prioritize the limited vaccine supply to areas of greatest need. If you are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox, please contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible and limit your exposure to other people.” Representatives Electroloxx did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Steamworks Bathhouse in Berkeley also sent out an alert to patrons July 5. In it, Steamworks stated that the Berkeley health department informed it that over the past month, some of its members have been either a confirmed or probable case of monkeypox. Dates the person or persons visited Steamworks are: May 27-29, June 3-4, June 10, and June 17. Steamworks advised its members who were there on those days to selfmonitor for symptoms.

A growing outbreak

The current monkeypox outbreak was first reported in the United Kingdom in early May. As of July 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 560 cases in the U.S. California has reported the most cases, at 111, including 16 in San Francisco (before the latest update), five in Alameda County, and at least one each in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties. Worldwide, the CDC has tallied more than 5,300 cases in nonendemic countries. While anyone can get monkeypox through close personal contact, the virus is primarily spreading within networks of gay, bisexual, and transgender men who have sex with men. Many of these men reported multiple recent sex partners or attended venues and events where sex and other intimate contact takes place. Only a small number of cases have

Courtesy Facebook

Comfort & Joy, which held its Afterglow party June 25, has sent notices to attendees warning of a “plausible” report of monkeypox exposure.

been identified among women. However, because of limited testing and the challenges of contact tracing when people have sex with casual partners or attend large gatherings, many experts think the latest case counts do not reflect the full extent of the outbreak. Monkeypox, which is related to smallpox but less severe, causes flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that can appear anywhere on the body. In the current outbreak, many men have lesions on the genitals or in the anal area. These may resemble common sexually transmitted infections such as herpes or syphilis. People with monkeypox usually recover without treatment, but the sores may be painful and those with severe disease can develop complications. The monkeypox virus spreads through close personal contact, including skin-to-skin contact, kissing, and respiratory transmission at close range. But it does not spread through the air over longer distances like the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to the CDC. It can also spread via clothing, bedding, or surfaces that come in contact with fluid from the lesions. It is not yet known whether monkeypox is transmitted in semen, but it does spread through contact with sores during sex.

Limited vaccine supply

Last week, the DPH began offering monkeypox vaccines to a wider range of at-risk gay and bisexual men and transgender people in an effort to stem the city’s growing outbreak, but supplies are very limited. “The vaccine is going to be our most important tool for really getting this under control,” San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip told the B.A.R. Smallpox vaccination can prevent monkeypox too. The virus has an incubation period of up to three weeks, so vaccines can be used for both post-exposure and pre-exposure prophylaxis. Monkeypox can be contained through targeted vaccination of close contacts of known cases, but because contact tracing can be difficult or incomplete, a broader strategy involves vaccinating people who are likely to have been recently exposed. Broader still is vaccinating individuals at risk for future infection in communities where the virus is circulating. The city’s rollout is part of an enhanced vaccine strategy released by the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services on June 28. HHS officials said 56,000 doses of a new monkeypox vaccine, known as Jynneos, have been allocated to affected communities. The agency expects to have 1.6 million Jynneos doses by the end of the year. (The United States maintains a stockpile of an older smallpox vaccine, known as ACAM2000, but it can cause adverse side effects and is not safe for people with HIV.)

San Francisco has received 560 Jynneos vaccine doses as of this week, according to DPH. It is administered as two doses a month apart. The city is prioritizing people at highest risk, including those who have had close contact with someone who has monkeypox and those who have received a notification from a venue or event about potential exposure. While people who attended the Afterglow or Electroloxx parties fall within the DPH criteria, Strona said the alerts are an invitation to assess one’s risk. Vaccinating everyone who was at a dance party with hundreds of people is impractical at this time, given limited availability. “We’re really encouraging folks to self-assess their behavior,” he said. “It’s one thing if you go to an event like a sex party, but the likelihood of proximity in that kind of environment is very different than a dance. If you didn’t engage in more intimate close physical contact at the venue, then you’re likely in a place where you can wait and see. If you did have closer intimate contact – more than just dancing around and maybe brushing against somebody – at that point follow the recommendations around seeking a vaccine.” Health officials urge anyone with a rash or other possible monkeypox symptoms to seek medical care and get tested. Currently, testing is done by swabbing lesions, and there is no test for potentially exposed but asymptomatic people. Avoid sex, other close contact and social gatherings until the results are known. People who do test positive are advised to isolate for three weeks. The virus is considered infectious until the sores heal completely and scabs fall off. In San Francisco, people who do not have a regular health care provider can contact City Clinic on Seventh Street or the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Magnet sexual health center in the Castro. “What we’re trying to do is disrupt the chain [of transmission] in the community,” Strona said. “Think twice. If you don’t feel good, stay home. If you have unusual symptoms, talk to your providers. If you are not at the highest risk, sit back for a minute and let those who are at greater risk get vaccinated. This is a great opportunity for gay, bi, trans and other men who have sex with men to really step up. We take care of ourselves and each other by being aware and by leaving room for others who are at greater risk to take care of themselves.” For the latest updates on vaccine eligibility and locations, go to https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox. t To contact City Clinic, go to https://www.sfcityclinic.org/ or call its new phone number, 628217-6600. To contact SFAF’s Magnet clinic at Strut, go to https:// www.sfaf.org/programs/magnet/ or call 415-581-1600.

Health News>>

July 7-13, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 13

COVID on the rise as new variants take over by Liz Highleyman

OVID-19 cases are rising in San Francisco and nationwide as more transmissible coronavirus variants make up a growing share of new infections. Hospitalization of people with COVID is also on the upswing, but deaths remain low in the highly vaccinated Bay Area. “People should not forget about COVID,” San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip told the Bay Area Reporter in a June 30 phone interview. “It’s a challenging time because cases remain high. We’re watching the newer subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, which are increasing as a proportion of viruses sequenced in California. What we’re watching most closely is hospitalizations.” COVID cases plateaued in May and June after reaching their highest-ever peak in January, but the latest numbers from the San Francisco Department of Public Health show a recent upturn. The provisional new case count on June 27, after the month’s Pride events, was 596, the highest since mid-May. The city’s test positivity rate – the proportion of tests that come back positive – is around 15%, but health officials acknowledge this is an underestimate because many people now test at home and don’t report their results. This puts San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area – along with much of California and about 20% of the country overall – in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “high” COVID-19 community level category. (California now follows the CDC and no longer uses a colored tier system.) Experts attribute the rise to novel coronavirus omicron variants, dubbed BA.4 and BA.5, that now account for a majority of cases in the U.S. The new variants are both more easily transmitted and better able to escape immune protection from vaccination or prior infection, leading to a growing number of breakthrough infections and reinfections. As of June 28, DPH reports 114 people were hospitalized with COVID, up from 20 in early April but down from nearly 300 in mid-January. Of these, 16 required intensive care. Eleven deaths were reported during the month of June.

Rick Gerharter

San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip noted that COVID cases are on the rise thanks to new variants.

mised people can get five shots. Immunocompromised individuals who don’t respond well to vaccines may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis using the monoclonal antibody cocktail Evusheld. People at risk for severe illness can be treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which cuts hospitalization and death by up to 90%. Many experts predict that new coronavirus variants will lead to ongoing waves or a steady slow rise in cases, though some expect that successive waves will be smaller and less deadly thanks to increasing population immunity. On June 30, the FDA advised vaccine manufacturers to update their vaccine formulations to include the BA.4 and BA.5 variants in anticipation of a fall surge.

“A legal requirement really requires an extraordinary risk of population-wide severe illness in order to take that step,” she said. “If something changes with a variant in the future, we will relook at the issue of health orders. We’ve been very aggressive in San Francisco, and we

will continue to use orders when they’re appropriate.” While many San Francisco residents continue to heed the health department’s masking advice, the appetite for further precautions See page 14 >>

Michael Nelson Finn (March 20, 1967 — August 28, 2021)

Health recommendations

San Francisco’s high vaccination rate is a key factor in the low rates of severe illness and death, officials said. DPH reports that almost 8 million city residents have been vaccinated, with more nearly 90% of those ages 5 and older having completed their initial vaccine series. On June 17, the federal Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children aged 6 months to 4 years old, and the CDC recommended vaccination for this age group the following day. Compared with the country as a whole, Bay Area parents have been eager to get their kids vaccinated as soon as possible. Three-quarters of children ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated in San Francisco versus about a third nationwide. (DPH has not yet updated its online vaccine tracker to show how many kids in the youngest age group have gotten their first shot.) Keeping up to date with boosters further reduces the risk of severe illness and death, especially for older individuals, because vaccine protection can wane over time. Vaccines and boosters also reduce the risk of long COVID – symptoms that persist for months or years after acute infection – although it is unclear by how much. Currently, everyone ages 5 and older is eligible for a first booster, those over 50 are eligible for two boosters, and immunocompro-

The CDC recommends that people in communities with high COVID levels should wear face masks indoors in public, stay up to date with vaccines and boosters, and get tested if they have symptoms. San Francisco health officials have not reimposed a mask mandate or other legal restrictions. San Francisco and other Bay Area counties lifted their latest mask mandate on February 16. Alameda County briefly reinstated an indoor mask mandate in early June but removed it three weeks later. Nonetheless, the health department strongly recommends wearing a well-fitted mask indoors when community transmission is high. (Loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks appear to provide minimal protection.) “We have no immediate plan to return to masking requirements, but there’s still a strong recommendation. Not having a legal requirement is different than saying it’s not a good idea,” Philip told the B.A.R. “When I’m in public spaces right now, I am wearing a mask, and I would really recommend others do that as well.” Philip noted that masks requirements and other restrictions are most effective if implemented on a regional basis, and DPH continues to consult with partners in other Bay Area counties and across the state.

cal tribute to Mike that can be viewed on YouTube. (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=2T97RGelQYE) He was a champion of the arts, a devoted dad to poodles and exotic birds and, most importantly, a good friend who will be very much missed. He is preceded in death by parents Charles Robert and Emma Kae Finn. He is survived by former partner Russell Zellers, siblings Melissa Henry, Maureen Alvarado and Max Finn, seven nieces and nephews, his poodle Willie Brown, and a legion of admirers and friends.

me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance Disco Heat.” When Sylvester moved to Megatone Records, Johnny contributed to multiple hits on the “All I Need” alWhen you plan your life celebration and lasting remembrance in bum including “Don’t Stop,” “Do You advance, you can design every detail of your own unique memorial Wanna Funk,” and “Hard Up.” and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning ahead In 2019, “You Make Me Feel” was When your celebration lasting protectsyou your plan loved ones fromlife unnecessary stress and and financial burden, selected by the Library of Congress for When you plan your celebration and lasting in allowing themlife to focus on what will matter most at design that remembrance time—you. remembrance in advance, you can every preservation in the National Recordadvance, you canofdesign every detail of your ownand unique memorial ing Registry in the category of songs detail own memorial provide Contact usyour today about theunique beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy that are “culturally, historically, or aesatyour theloved San Francisco Columbarium. and provide loved ones with true peace mind. Planning ahead your ones with true peace ofof mind. Planning thetically significant.” protects your loved ones from unnecessary stress and financial Billboard magazine named “Johnahead protectsProudly yourserving loved onesCommunity. from unnecessary burden, the LGBT ny Disco,” as Mr. Hedges was known, allowing them focus on whatburden, will matter most them at thattotime—you. stresstoand financial allowing among the nation’s top Disco DJs in 1976, when he was blowing up the focus on what will matter most at that time—you. dance floors at all the biggest clubsContact in us today about the beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy San Francisco. FranciscousColumbarium. today about the beautiful ways to create Later, Johnny was a resident atDJthe San Contact at Daddy’s bar (now 440 Castro) for a lasting legacy at the San Francisco Columbarium. many years before retiring. One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 Having spent virtually zero days SanFranciscoColumbarium.com apart in their half-century together, Proudly serving the LGBT Community. the couple made the move to Palm FD 1306 / COA 660 Springs in 2009. So many of their friends made the same southern migration that the social group of their youth has been almost entirely reconstituted, trading fog and bay for sunshine and pool parties. It was another great fit for them. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, July 24, at 2 p.m. at Wiefels Mortuary, 690 S. Vella Road, Palm One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 Springs, CA, 92264. Join us to share SanFranciscoColumbarium.com love, laughter, music, and toast to the passion that John shared so prolifically; casual attire. FD 1306 / COA 660

Born in Endicott, NY, raised in Houston, TX among a family of nationally recognized unicyclists and jugglers, he earned a degree in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.. Relocated to San Francisco, Mike became a fixture of the performing arts scene, contributing many memorable performances in the realms of circus, musicals and camp theatre. A true Renaissance man, he was an adept unicyclist, juggler, tap dancer, pianist, singer, musician and comic actor, appearing in stage shows such as “Scalpel”, “Three’s Company Live” and “Trog”, to name a few. He is also featured in the films “Baby Jane?” and “Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte”. He inherited the iconic Victorian mansion at 814 Grove St from Bill Plath and Dick Rousseau, two pioneers of Queer culture who legally adopted him. Nicknamed Finny’s Funhouse, it’s been home to countless community events and theatrical doings. He was a gracious host to friends and AirBnB guests alike. His sister recalls his joy at befriending icons from his youth, such as Jane Wiedlin and Bahaus’ David J, who composed a musical tribute to Mike that can be viewed on Youtube. He was a champion of the arts, a devoted dad to poodles and exotic birds and most importantly, a good friend who will be very much missed. He is preceded in death by parents Charles Robert and Emma Kae Finn. He is survived by former partner Russell Zellers, siblings Melissa Henry, Maureen Alvarado and Max Finn, seven nieces and nephews, his poodle Willie Brown and a legion of friends and admirers.

Obituaries >> Michael Nelson Finn March 20, 1967 – August 28, 2021

Michael Nelson Finn (March 20, 1967-August 28, 2021) was born in Endicott, New York, and raised in Houston among a family of nationally recognized unicyclists and jugglers. He earned a degree in occupational therapy from Texas Woman’s University. After relocating to San Francisco, Mike became a fixture of the performing arts scene, contributing many memorable performances in the realms of circus, musicals, and camp theater. A true Renaissance man, he was an adept unicyclist, juggler, tap dancer, pianist, singer, musician and comic actor, appearing in stage shows such as “Scalpel,” “Three’s Company Live,” and “Trog,” to name a few. He is also featured in the films “Baby Jane?” and “Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte.” He inherited the iconic Victorian mansion at 814 Grove Street from Bill Plath and Dick Rousseau, two pioneers of queer culture who legally adopted him. Nicknamed Finny’s Funhouse, it’s been home to countless community events and theatrical doings. He was a gracious host to friends and Airbnb guests alike. His sister recalls his joy at befriending icons from his youth, such as Jane Wiedlin and Bauhaus’ David J, who composed a musi-

Johnny Hedges June 26, 2022

Johnny Hedges passed away on the afternoon of June 26, 2022, at his home in Palm Springs, California. He spent his final day hanging out with his husband of 52 years, Gerry McBride, and their longtime Sunday-fun-day friends. In 1972, Johnny and Gerry moved from Cleveland, Ohio, to San Francisco, where they lived a super social life for decades that exceeded all their Midwest dreams. Johnny consulted with Marty Blecman for Fantasy Records on the production and re-mix for gender-bending pioneer and disco icon Sylvester, producing hits including “You Make

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<< Community News

14 • Bay Area Reporter • July 7-13, 2022

Newsom

From page 1

islation, we must be cautious about its implementation. My administration will monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.” As the Bay Area Reporter first reported online Monday, June 20, Wiener made a motion that day to enroll SB 357, kick-starting the formal process to submit the bill to Newsom’s desk. Considering the timing of Wiener’s decision to finally submit the bill to Newsom during Pride Month, supporters of the legislation had expressed optimism that the governor would not veto it. “Today, as trans people are being criminalized across the country, Governor Gavin Newsom has once again

sign SB 357, Wiener had noted that the annual Pride celebrations aren’t “just about rainbow flags and parades” but also about protecting the LGBTQ community’s “most marginalized” members. “This Pride Month, as we see a surge in violence against and harassment of the LGBTQ community, it is more important than ever to get rid of a law that targets our community,” stated Wiener. “Current law essentially allows law enforcement to target and arrest people if they are wearing tight clothes or a lot of make-up. Many of those impacted by this law are Black and Brown trans women.” The legislation doesn’t decriminalize soliciting or engaging in sex work but merely eliminates people being arrested on a loitering offense for “appearing” to be a sex worker, noted Wiener’s office. The district attorneys

Latinx podcast

From page 1

Meanwhile, roughly two in three Black/African American (62%) or Hispanic/Latino (67%) gay and bisexual men with HIV were virally suppressed in 2019, compared with about three in four (74%) white gay and bisexual men, according to CDC figures. And while new HIV infections declined among white gay and bisexual men from 2010 to 2019, cases remained higher and relatively stable among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men. Actor Adam Faison, who is queer and half-Black and half-white, voices the podcast character who hooks up with the married couple. After moving to Los Angeles he started taking PrEP but no longer does now that he is in a relationship, he told the B.A.R. during a joint virtual interview with Estevan. (Due to their working in the entertainment industry, they both declined to state their current ages.)

Glad for second opinion

His pediatrician in San Diego, who he was still seeing, had steered him away from using it, recalled Faison, warning him PrEP could be harsh on his body. Instead, Faison’s family doc-

PRC

From page 1

The money was needed desperately, Dr. Hillary Kunins, director of DPH’s Behavioral Health Services and Mental Health SF program, told the board. The two organizations, because of that $3.2 million shortfall, are “at risk of insolvency,” Kunins told the board, according to a video of the supervisors’ meeting. If the money is not granted, Kunins continued, “the agencies are at risk of closure as a result of their financial insolvency.” Supervisors, particularly Hillary Ronen of District 9 and Ahsha Safaí of District 11, were notably unhappy with the request, coming only one month after the board had OK’d a $65 million contract extension – double that of previous years – with Baker Places. There had been no mention of the organization’s financial concerns at that time, they said. At the June 14 meeting where the money was approved the first time (a second and final vote occurred June 28), gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman wondered if the expansion of services was at the root of PRC’s financial problems. Addressing the supervisors, PRC CEO Brett Andrews, a gay man, told the board that “the challenges are around our legacy contracts. Not

shown that California stands with the LGBTQ community and communities of color,” Wiener stated shortly after the bill was signed. “Everyone – no matter their race, gender or how they make a living – deserves to feel safe on our streets. Thank you, especially, to our coalition of former and current sex workers and LGBTQ advocates who made this day a reality. Your leadership is inspiring.” Bamby Salcedo, a trans Latina immigrant woman who is the president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition based in Los Angeles, had told the B.A.R. that “sex work is work” and that sex workers needed to be supported and not harassed or jailed by the police. “It will improve the quality of life for individuals who practice or exercise sex work,” said Salcedo. In urging Newsom last month to

COVID

From page 13

appears to have waned, and indoor dining, large gatherings, and travel have returned to near pre-pandemic levels.

Courtesy Between the Lines

Actor Robin de Jesús will be part of the cast of a live reading of the script for “Love in Gravity’s” fifth episode Tuesday, July 19, at OutFest in Los Angeles.

in San Francisco and Los Angeles supported the bill. In the Legislature Wiener’s bill faced opposition from a number of his Democratic colleagues in addition to Republican state legislators. As the B.A.R. first reported in January, nearly two-dozen Democratic legislators lost points on the annual scorecard produced by statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California for their not voting in support of SB 357. In an interview earlier this year with the B.A.R., San Francisco Police Chief William Scott urged Newsom to sign SB 357 into law. He called it a “forward-thinking” measure that would assist the police in keeping people safe and protecting people from crimes. “Sex workers are many times victims and get victimized of brutal crimes, robberies, sexual assaults, things like that,” Scott had noted.

Certain police departments have already made changes in how they implement California Penal Code section 653.22, which makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution. In 2017, Scott issued a bulletin that clarified how San Francisco police officers should address a sex worker who is a victim or witness of a violent crime and/or who may be subject to arrest. It stated they were not to arrest “persons for involvement in sex work or other forms of sex trade when they are victims or witnesses” to various crimes. Specifically, it said officers were not to arrest sex workers in such situations under the state penal code section relating to loitering. Because of Wiener’s bill, that section of the state penal code is now repealed. t

Faison, who starred in “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” on Hulu. “We get this heteronormative idea of what relationships should be. Estevan tried to tackle what we feel and how we don’t always try to fit in by what society is telling us on how to fit in.” The six-episode audio series, presented by pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare, debuted June 29 with Estevan’s episode. The next five episodes will drop weekly on Wednesdays. Harley&Co produced the roughly hourlong podcasts, which were directed by Zhailon Levingston. “We need HIV prevention and living with HIV to be mainstreamed into our everyday lives and conversations. That won’t happen until we start seeing it portrayed regularly and accurately in our entertainment,” stated Marc Meachem, ViiV Healthcare’s head of U.S. external affairs. Each podcast episode’s original story is the creation of gay, bisexual, and queer Latinx and Afro-Latinx writers. The anthology series features a stellar lineup of actors including Robin de Jesús, Harvey Guillén, Jessica Marie Garcia, Jason Genao, Javier Muñoz, and Wilson Cruz. “All the episodes stand alone but are woven together thematically,” said Estevan, who had never before written

for the podcast medium. “Podcasts give actors and characters the space to have these conversations I don’t know TV would typically allow. TV tends to cut out a lot of dialogue.” While focused on Latinx characters, the series addresses issues anyone can relate to, said Estevan. “This is such a great opportunity for anyone really. The shows center queer Latino voices and characters but it is for everyone,” he said. “These are stories we asked for and are so hungry for; I hope everyone listens to the podcasts.” When he wrote his episode, Estevan didn’t know it would lead off the podcast series. Admitting he feels a bit of pressure with his being the first, at the same time Estevan noted, “it is a big honor.” Hopefully, he told the B.A.R., it entices listeners to tune in for the entire series. “I think my episode is the only one that has a sex scene in it, so come for that and stay for the family drama,” said Estevan. “Ultimately, we are excited to do honest, accurate portrayals of Latinx and Afro-Latinx people today.” t

enough detail about how we got to this situation… we can’t just give $3.2 million without understanding how did this take place and how is this going to resolve the situation… “Is this just a Band-Aid?,” she asked. According to PRC’s IRS Form 990 for 2020, the agency had a budget of approximately $8.7 million. Andrews’ salary and benefits were listed at $293,230. Six other employees’ salaries were cited in the document, ranging from $71,570 to $171,282, excluding benefits. A separate 2020 990 for Baker Places, but using the same 170 Ninth Street address as PRC, lists a budget of about $9 million, with $12 million in liabilities, resulting in a deficit of about $2.9 million. The Baker Places 990 lists five people with salaries over $100,000, including positions like medical director and clinical director. In 2019, PRC moved its headquarters to the Ninth Street location. As the B.A.R. reported at the time, the budget to build out the 25,500 square foot space was $6 million, though Andrews would not reveal the monthly payments on the 10-year lease, saying there’s a stipulation in the lease that prohibits it. About $2 million of the costs were donated, Andrews said. Requests for comment from Mandelman, Dorsey, and Ronen were not returned. t

tor advised him that the best thing for him to do was to use condoms and practice safe sex. “I am glad I got a second opinion and had community around me,” said Faison, who first met Estevan at a friend’s party several years ago. When Estevan reached out to him about the podcast and sent him the

script, Faison said he was struck by the authenticity in how Estevan had depicted the various personal relationships and was able to address not just HIV issues but also sexuality, gender identity, and infidelity. “It was cool to see someone bring to life what I think a lot of queer people in relationships feel like,” said

around the new contracts and so, to the second part of your question, if you treat the new contracts like you treat the legacy contracts you’ll end up having the same scenario where you don’t look at the full cost of what it is to provide the service, and we can see that across city departments.” PRC would not make Andrews available to speak with the Bay Area Reporter for this article. While the board did give final approval for $800,000 for PRC and $450,000 for Baker Places to help the organizations meet payroll and to avoid displacing clients, that was nearly $2 million less than the original request. Both action items were detailed in the board’s agenda with those amounts that were approved. On July 1, Andrews emailed all 11 supervisors seeking clarification on the funds they had approved just days prior. “While the BoS agenda and grant agreements reflect $1.2M, with a schedule of payments, the actual realtime vote read by the clerk and voted on by the BoS was for the full $3.2M,” Andrews wrote, according to a copy of his letter obtained by the B.A.R. “… it was PRC’s understanding the vote was for the full amount, which would eliminate the need to go back to the BoS for the remaining amount.” A statement to the B.A.R. on June 30 from DPH, however, seemed pret-

ty clear on the matter, in addition to stating plans to hire a consultant to help understand the sources of PRC/ Baker Places’ financial woes. “The $1.25 million will provide short-term funding to enable Baker Places/PRC to complete and implement a financial and business plan to assure the city of the stability of their program,” said the statement from DPH’s press office. ”The city will retain an independent consultant to evaluate the financial conditions, including the reasons for the Baker Places/PRC financial deficit and identify all steps necessary to support Baker Places/ PRC’s long-term financial stability. Receipt of the full amount in the grants is contingent on Baker Places/PRC completing a financial and business plan that the city accepts.” Beyond stating that the city would take on a consultant to “evaluate the financial conditions” there were no other statements about what the city might do. Even Mayor London Breed’s office was vague on the matter. When asked if Breed was aware of just how deep the organizations’ financial woes were at the time she, along with Mandelman and gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, agreed to co-sponsor the legislation for the emergency bailout, or if her office had plans to open an investigation, press officer Jordan Wilson sent the following response.

“PRC has been a valuable partner in our behavioral health response for many years,” the statement read. “We are working closely with the Department of Public Health on finding a path forward to ensure the long-term stability of these critical services, which are essential to the health and well-being of some of our most vulnerable residents.”

People who want to further minimize their COVID risk can avoid indoor and crowded outdoor gatherings, meet with people outdoors, and open windows to improve ventilation. Health officials urge people to stay home if they’re sick, and self-

testing before events can reduce the likelihood of transmission. “COVID remains a challenge, but we have a lot of tools, vaccines being most the important,” Philip said. “People should continue to think about getting their boosters

when they’re eligible, and if they have young children, we encourage people to talk with their providers about vaccinating them.” “People who would like to avoid infection because of their health status or that of their family re-

Hints of problems

There were hints of problems, however. The initial request for funding was not a complete surprise, said a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on background. DPH had warned supervisors that PRC and Baker Places were having financial difficulties “a little while ago,” the person said. Still, the scope and circumstances of the request came as an apparent shock to Ronen, who was the most critical of the 11 supervisors. “I don’t even know where to begin,” Ronen, the first supervisor to speak, said at the June 14 meeting. “There wasn’t that much information in that presentation. “I just don’t understand how we got to this place and how this is coming to us so last minute and with such grave consequences if we don’t pass it,” Ronen continued. “I don’t feel like we’ve been given

To subscribe to “Love in Gravity” via ApplePodcasts go to https:// apple.co/3bUlEo9. It can also be found on Spotify at https://spoti. fi/3yf3XHn.

ally should think about high-quality masks,” she added. “We’re talking about N95s, KN95s – respiratortype masks. That’s really the best way of protecting oneself right now.” t

Legals >>

July 7-13, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

Photo: DepositPhotos

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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557195

In the matter of the application of KWOK YAM JUNG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner KWOK YAM JUNG is requesting that the name KWOK YAM JUNG AKA CHARLEY YAM JUNG AKA CHARLES JUNG AKA CHARLEY KWOK JUNG be changed to CHARLEY KWOK-YAM JUNG. 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 21st of JULY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.