June 15, 2023 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

A man has pleaded not guilty to hate crimes and other charges stemming from a June 5 incident in the Castro.

Castro hate crimes defendant pleads not guilty

by John Ferrannini

Aman who pleaded not guilty to Castroarea hate crimes made a statement during his arraignment at San Francisco Superior Court June 7, explaining that “what the LGBT community is doing to kids is disrespectful to everyone who stands for God.”

It took awhile for Muhammed Abdullah, 20, to get to Department 10 at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street – a San Francisco sheriff’s deputy was overheard by a reporter saying he was “in the tank screaming” for some time before he was called before Judge Victor M. Hwang.

The San Francisco Police Department announced his arrest earlier Wednesday afternoon. Abdullah was detained Monday afternoon at 18th and Church streets, near Mission Dolores Park, and booked into the county jail on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of committing a hate crime, and resisting arrest.

Abdullah also pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanor battery, violation of a person’s civil rights, and petty theft, the DA’s office stated June 8.

The deadly weapon in this case was a “glass object” that Abdullah allegedly threw at a 40-year-old male victim in the vicinity of 18th and Hartford streets just before noon June 5, according to police. He’d been following the man and a 58-year-old victim “aggressively shouting anti-LGBTQ language,” police stated in the news release.

“These kinds of attacks are unacceptable,” Police Chief William Scott, a straight ally, stated. “It’s especially troubling that this incident took place as we celebrate Pride Month in San Francisco. Anyone who threatens or harms someone based on being a member of the LGBTQ community will be held accountable.”

The office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins did not initially return a request for comment. However, the following day she released a statement via news release.

“San Francisco is a safe haven for LGBTQ people,” Jenkins stated. “Our city is proud of our diversity and for being an open and welcoming beacon to all people, especially those who have been marginalized elsewhere.  Hate crimes that seek to demean and otherize people because

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Castro remembers Pulse tragedy

Christopher Vasquez, joined by others, placed a flower at the Pulse Nightclub memorial at 18th and Castro streets Monday, June 12, the seventh anniversary of the mass shooting at the LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead and 53 injured. It had been Latin Night at Pulse that evening when gunman Omar Mateen entered the building, and most of the victims were Latino. It was the deadliest incident against LGBTQ people in U.S. history. The San Francisco tribute also included a short remembrance at Jane Warner

Plaza that featured speakers and dances by the Bay Area Mexico Dance Group. In a statement, Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) noted that “49 beautiful souls were lost and more than 50 were injured.” Since then, of course, many more mass shootings have occurred, and President Joe Biden signed a new gun safety law last year. But Pelosi said more action is needed and called on congressional Republicans to join Democrats to reinstate the assault weapons ban and enact universal background checks.

People took to Market Street protesting the passage of Proposition 8 on November 7, 2008, a few days after the election.

Effort to excise CA same-sex marriage ban heats up

by Matthew S. Bajko

With the start of Pride Month has come a concerted effort to see that the homophobic legacy of the 2008 same-sex marriage ban Proposition 8 be fully erased from the California Constitution. From state lawmakers to local elected officials, there has been a groundswell of support in recent days behind repealing Prop 8’s “zombie language” from state statutes.

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Anti-LGBTQ backlash comes to CA

by John Ferrannini

The nationwide backlash against LGBTQ equality has reached the Golden State, with queer heroes being demonized, Pride flags being banned, and even physical fights breaking out up and down California.

In Temecula – between Los Angeles and San Diego – a book about slain gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk has been banned from use in schools; in Sacramento, some Republican lawmakers walked out of the Legislature when Sister Roma of the drag nun Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, among others, were being honored; in Glendale, three have been arrested after violence outside a school board meeting; and in Orange County, the Pride flag has been banned from county buildings.

Open vitriol and scorn against the queer community in the United States is reaching a fever pitch just as Pride celebrations get underway across the country. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who just launched his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, signed bill after bill making the Sunshine State perhaps the most restrictive for LGBTQ people in the country, amid a wave of similar laws throughout America, including the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Things have gotten so fraught that for the first time in four decades, the Human Rights Campaign has declared LGBTQ people are in a national state of emergency.

And the rhetoric that LGBTQ people are a threat

to children has been heard even in San Francisco; on June 7, Muhammed Abdullah, 20, said during his arraignment in San Francisco Superior Court on hate crime and other charges stemming from a June 5 incident in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood that “the LGBT community is going against families,” adding that it’s “so fucked up” and “you know the truth.”

From

Temecula

Temecula Valley School Board President Joseph Komrosky called Milk, who was the first out person elected to public office in California back in 1977, a “pedophile,” just as the board decided to exclude a social studies book, “TCI Social Studies Alive,” that mentions Milk in supplemental materials. The board voted 3-2 against the book.

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Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, center, was honored by state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), left, and Assemblymember Matt Haney June 5 where some Republican lawmakers walked out during the ceremony.

Haney’s Twitter

Rick Gerharter

Scott Wazlowski

Rick Gerharter

Breed meets with LGBTQ leaders in Israel

by Heather Cassell

San Francisco Mayor London Breed met with Israeli LGBTQ community leaders during her recent trip to Israel.

The trip was to celebrate San Francisco’s 50-year relationship with Haifa, its sister city, and renew the cities’ commitment to each other. This was Breed’s first dedicated sister city trip since she became mayor. Breed conducted sister city activities during her trip to Paris last year as part of her European tourism tour.

Breed led a delegation of about 30 Bay Area travelers to Israel on a “San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Mission” May 9-14, according to a May 5 news release from the mayor’s office.

“It’s an opportunity to strengthen ties between our cities and for Mayor Breed to deepen her relationship with the Jewish community in Israel,” Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Tyler “Tye” Gregory, 34, a gay man, told the Bay Area Reporter.

The trip wasn’t “politically focused,” said Gregory, who organized and went on the trip. He described the visit as “more of a cultural exchange.”

The trip was a collaboration between the San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee and JCRC.

“We didn’t go too deeply into the political situation in Israel,” Gregory said, noting that similar to the U.S., Israel’s LGBTQ community is struggling with an anti-queer backlash and a fight for democracy as the country has been engulfed in mass demonstrations for more than 22 weeks and rocket attacks from Palestine, even during Breed’s trip.

“I think she was very interested in understanding how different minority communities were engaging with LGBTQ rights and the intersection between different minority communities and the LGBTQ community in Israel,” he said.

Gregory also noted that the tour guide at Yad V’Shem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial, touched on what happened to LGBTQ Jews during the Holocaust. The delegation stopped at the section at the museum that had photos of LGBTQ Jews wearing the pink triangle and the Star of David patches on their jackets.

Breed requested to meet with activists and leaders of two communities – the LGBTQ community and Israeli Ethiopians – in Haifa and Tel Aviv during the trip, he said.

Breed told the B.A.R. that it was key for her to meet with LGBTQ Israelis because the community in Israel is experiencing a similar backlash as the community in the U.S.

“It was really important to me because of just a lot of what I had heard about some of the anti-LGBT, and trans specifically, sentiment and the concerns about certain policies simi-

lar, sadly, to what we see happening to trans community all over the [United States],” Breed said. She wanted “to just have that discussion with some advocates and some people who were involved in the advocacy world as well as an elected leader to understand from them directly what is going on and how we can continue to be partners in this fight.”

“It was very much understanding the climate, the environment, and the experiences of the people,” especially for LGBTQ Ethiopian-Israelis, she added. Breed also met with non-LGBTQ Ethiopian-Israelis.

Specific policies and strategies weren’t discussed during this trip, said Breed, but “we made a commitment to really share and talk about our various policies.”

Breed believes that the U.S. is a “little bit ahead” in fighting back against the anti-LGBTQ backlash than Israel is.

“I think that we’re probably a little bit ahead,” she said. “I think we have a lot of great organizations here in San Francisco [and] in California.

“We did touch upon some of the transformative policies that we have implemented in San Francisco,” she said, talking about the universal basic income and the city’s plan to end transgender homelessness by 2027. “The basis of our conversation was sharing information, sharing ideas, and really talking about ways in which we should consider collaboration.”

The Guaranteed Income for Trans People, or GIFT, accepted applications late last year, as the B.A.R. previously reported. It provides $1,200 per month, for up to 18 months, to recipients.

Lesbian Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Chen Arieli expressed to Breed that Israel’s LGBTQ community looks to San Francisco and the U.S. queer and transgender community to model their organizations and programs, pointing to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ

people to public office.

“They established a victory fund so that financial resources could be available to LGBTQ candidates to get them elected,” Breed said. She added that Arieli mentioned during their conversation her plans for reelection as vice mayor of Tel Aviv in 2024, but that her eyes are also set higher on Israel’s Knesset, the country’s parliament.

Breed did not meet with members of the Knesset in Jerusalem, the capital, due to the Israeli legislative body’s conservative, anti-Democracy, and anti-LGBTQ stances, reported J. the Jewish News of Northern California. She did meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem. Herzog’s son, Noam Herzog, is gay and lives with his partner, David, and their three children, reported Ynet News.

In Palestine, Breed met with Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman.

Pleased with trip

Jewish LGBTQ and ally leaders are pleased with Breed’s trip.

Arieli is “a native daughter of Haifa,” Gregory said, and an LGBTQ activist, feminist leader, and former leader of Tel Aviv’s Welfare Ministry.

She’s “leading the charge for equality in Israel in Tel Aviv now,” he continued, adding that the week before the trip, Arieli became chair of Israel Gay Youth , the country’s leading LGBTQ youth organization. The B.A.R. previously reported (https://www.ebar. com/story.php?ch=news&sc=latest_ news&id=309513) on the group when IGY leaders visited San Francisco in 2021.

Sam Lauter, a San Francisco resident who was chair of the 2023 sister city Israel mission, observed the conversation between Breed and Arieli, stating that “it was so clear that the two of them connected.”

Lauter is a public relations professional, who is a principal at BMWL and Partners, a boutique public affairs and consulting firm based in the Bay Area.

He is also an ally and serves on the boards of A Wider Bridge and Democratic Majority for Israel. Democratic Majority for Israel is an American organization that supports pro-Israeli policies within the U.S.

A Wider Bridge connects North American and Israeli LGBTQ communities, according to the organization’s website. The organization was founded in San Francisco by gay Jewish community leader Arthur Slepian in 2012. As the B.A.R. previously reported) in 2018, Gregory is a former executive director. He took the helm when Slepian stepped down from the organization and moved the A Wider Bridge’s headquarters to New York.

In 2020, as the B.A.R. previously reported, Gregory was tapped as JCRC’s executive director and Slepian became chair of the board of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Marin and Sonoma Counties.

Strengthening SF’s Israel ties

Last month’s trip was Breed’s second visit to Israel, Gregory said. Breed first went to Israel, also as a guest of JCRC, in 2012 when she was executive director of the African American Art and Culture Complex.

It also wasn’t the first time Breed was in Israel during a turbulent time. During her 2012 trip tensions were high between Israel and Palestine when there were rocket attacks from both sides. Breed told the J. that she likened the rocket attacks in Israel to growing up in San Francisco’s Western Addition projects where gunfire was the norm.

“We’re talking about rockets vs. guns,” she told the J. “I think that choosing to be afraid and walk away from a situation is the easy thing to do. And I think the hard thing to do is to open your eyes and go and explore and learn

Backlash

From page 1

This statement earned Komrosky the ire of the state’s Democratic governor and longtime straight ally, Gavin Newsom. A former San Francisco supervisor himself, as well as mayor of the city, Newsom tweeted that Komrosky’s remark was “an offensive statement from an ignorant person … Congrats Mr. Komrosky you have our attention. Stay tuned.”

Now, Newsom and straight ally Attorney General Rob Bonta are urging the school board “to provide information regarding its process and decisionmaking related to the board’s decision to reject the Social Studies Alive program.”

The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful, or FAIR, Act, signed into law by former governor Jerry Brown in 2011, states that a “teacher shall not give instruction and a school district

and be unafraid.”

Lauter marveled at how Breed made the connection between the gunfire in her childhood to the rockets in Israel during the trip. “It’s incredible how Mayor Breed internalized that into the world she grew up in where gunshots were not an unusual sound to hear,” he said.

The delegation started its five-day journey in Haifa, where Breed celebrated the 50th anniversary of its sister city partnership with Israel’s northern port city and to renew the two cities’ partnership. Haifa has been a sister city of San Francisco since 1973.

Breed and Haifa Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem signed a memorandum of understanding that continues the bond and commerce relationship between the two cities. She also signed an agreement for a collaborative partnership between Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Rambam Medical Center, Haifa’s primary level 1 trauma hospital, reported J.

During the trip, the delegation also met with environmental and academic experts and business and technology leaders in clean tech and biosciences in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, according to the mayor’s release. The meetings were an effort to learn about innovative technologies and to entice businesses to make San Francisco their base in the U.S. They also visited the Western Wall, the holy site in Judaism, as well as toured other cultural and historical sites.

In addition to Gregory and Lauter, the delegation included Jewish Community Federation CEO Joy Sisisky; former American Israel Public Affairs Committee leaders and Bay Area Jewish philanthropists Amy and Morton Friedkin; Rabbis Beth and Jonathan Singer from SF Congregation EmanuEl; Koret Foundation chief program officer Danielle Foreman; Lynn Altshuler and David Kaufman from the sister-city committee; three members of Breed’s staff, including chief of staff Sean Elsbernd; and a handful of her close associates.

According to the release, the San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee is chaired by Bob Tandler. The committee previously led similar mayoral delegations in 2008 with then-mayor Gavin Newsom (now California’s governor) and with the late Mayor Ed Lee in 2016 prior to his sudden death in 2017.

The J. reported the trip was also cosponsored by The Koret Foundation and the federation. t

Got international LGBTQ news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at WhatsApp/Signal: 415517-7239, or oitwnews@gmail.com.

shall not sponsor any activity that promotes a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation.” It was the first such law of its kind in the nation.

In 2017, state education officials approved a number of textbooks under the FAIR ACT, but the initial rollout was slow, as the Bay Area Reporter reported a year later.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Tony Thurmond, a straight ally who’s the state superintendent of public instruction, visited Temecula June 6 to discuss the controversy with administrators and teachers. His office told the B.A.R. June 8 that “The California Department of Education is currently handling an investigation regarding Temecula and cannot comment on it.” Thurmond joined Newsom and Bonta in sending a letter to all school administrators statewide June 1 cau-

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San Francisco gay Jewish leader Dan Garon, left, Haifa Communities House for Pride and Tolerance Executive Director Daria Hershko, Haifa Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area CEO Tye Gregory, and Lebanese-Israeli activist Jonathan Elkhoury attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the San Francisco-Haifa sister city relationship last month in Haifa.

Courtesy the Jewish Community Relations Council

Dorsey critiques SFAF’s messaging on overdose centers

by John Ferrannini

Agay city supervisor is taking issue with some of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s messaging in support of overdose prevention centers, saying it is endangering law enforcement and drug users in addition to being irresponsible and tone-deaf.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey wrote a letter to the foundation’s gay CEO, Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., and board chair Maureen Watson on June 12 in reference to a sign being displayed at an HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day march and rally that took place June 5. The sign, headlined “End Overdose Now,” shows a scale. On one end is a syringe and Naloxone, a drug that can be given to someone experiencing an opioid overdose, designated as “LIFE,” and on the other is a police car and handcuffs, designated as “DEATH.”

It is the image of a police car with the word “DEATH” over it that is troubling to Dorsey, who said that police and nonprofit organizations must work together when overdose prevention sites are opened in the city. They will likely be funded by private dollars, as City Attorney David Chiu has argued that city funds cannot be used for them.

California Governor Gavin Newsom last year vetoed a bill that would have allowed pilot programs of overdose prevention sites, also called supervised consumption sites or wellness hubs, in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Federal law does not recognize such interventions, as drugs like heroin and fentanyl remain illegal and public funds cannot be used for programs that allow people to use drugs.

Dorsey wrote in his letter that the poster’s message endangers law enforcement and drug users alike.

TerMeer told the Bay Area Reporter that Dorsey’s letter is based on “a number of incorrect assumptions about the signs … in order to make the point that

San Francisco AIDS Foundation is unwilling to forge productive and respectful relationships with the San Francisco Police Department.”

“It is unfortunate that Supervisor Dorsey has misinterpreted the meaning and intent of these posters, but we stand firm in our statement that criminalization of people who use drugs only causes harm, and we stand behind our activism on this issue,” TerMeer continued.

Dorsey told the B.A.R. that he saw the sign at the June 5 event, during which he spoke in support of long-term HIV survivors and ensuring their needs are met in the city’s next two fiscal year budgets.

A lead organizer of the rally had been SFAF.

Overdose prevention centers, which the city is working on, are proposed sites where people who use drugs could go to do so under supervision. City officials, including Dorsey, have long supported

the creation of such sites as a continuation of the city’s tradition of harm reduction, exemplified by the needle exchange program during the AIDS epidemic, which is credited with having helped some intravenous drug users avoid contracting HIV.

As the B.A.R. has previously reported, Mayor London Breed proposed $18.9 million to open up to three Wellness Hubs in her budget proposal for the next two fiscal years “to improve the health and well-being of people who use drugs, including those experiencing homelessness, and reduce public drug use.” But any safe consumption site “would be funded by private entities,” specifies her budget document.

Dorsey, a long-term HIV survivor who is also a recovering drug addict, stated in his letter to SFAF that he is committed to supporting a wellness hub in the South of Market neighborhood he represents.

“Together with two other proposed ‘Wellness Hubs’ – one in the Tenderloin neighborhood and another in the Mission district – these services will afford those who use drugs with better access to appropriate services and a safer venue for consumption in a manner that affirms the promise of San Francisco’s long-standing harm-reduction policy, which aims to reduce the adverse health effects of drug use and substance use disorder to individuals as well as to the broader community,” he wrote.

Dorsey stated it is his understanding that the AIDS foundation intends to be the “primary nonprofit partner for the SOMA Wellness Hub, with HealthRIGHT 360 and the Gubbio Project (together with Saint John the Evangelist Episcopal Church) serving as primary

partners for the Tenderloin and Mission Wellness Hubs, respectively.”

In his letter, Dorsey, who used to be the communications director for Police Chief William Scott and before that worked in communications under former city attorney Dennis Herrera, elaborated on why the AIDS agency’s poster is problematic for law enforcement.

“In my view, the most woefully illadvised aspect of this messaging is its implication that individuals who use drugs should fear for their lives in their encounters with law enforcement officers in San Francisco,” he stated. “The association between violence and methamphetamine psychosis, in particular, is well established, of course, and the narrative advanced by this portrayal poses potentially grave dangers to law enforcement officers as well as to drug users recklessly moved to fear them. Whatever else this marketing strategy may be, it isn’t reducing harms but elevating them.”

The second objection was that it paints the police as adversarial when, as part of the city family, they are needed for supervised drug consumption sites to succeed, wrote Dorsey.

“Importantly, the police department’s role in the success of overdose prevention centers, or OPCs, isn’t speculative. It’s a cornerstone of the ‘New York Model’ I personally observed with OPCs run by OnPoint NYC in the East Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods of New York City,” stated Dorsey, who traveled with other city officials earlier this year to tour the East Coast facilities.

OnPoint runs the only legal overdose prevention site in the country. It is funded with private donations.

The San Francisco Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Finally, Dorsey found the imagery used in the rally signage to be “tonedeaf.”

“While I understand and appreciate that clean needles and Naloxone are potentially life-saving interventions for people who use drugs, I shouldn’t need to explain that the visual representation of drug paraphernalia as ‘LIFE’ is unlikely to find agreement with large numbers of San Franciscans evaluating whether to support Wellness Hubs in their neighborhoods,” Dorsey stated.

Criticism

One person who took issue with Dorsey’s letter is Gary McCoy, a gay man and recovering addict who is vice president of policy and public affairs with HealthRIGHT 360. McCoy, who previously worked for Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), said the letter “could have been a simple phone call,” and accused Dorsey of undermining the AIDS foundation’s efforts.

“The San Francisco AIDS Foundation has provided care and advocacy to our LGBTQ+ community through more than one crisis over many decades, saving countless lives through direct-service and activism when most others have largely been silent – from the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis to the mpox outbreak last year,” McCoy told the B.A.R.

“At a time when the LGBTQ+ community faces yet another dangerous uptick in hateful rhetoric and the trans community is facing unprecedented attacks and violence, we should be working together to better the lives of those suffering with substance use disorder on our streets through evidence-based best practices, not sending a 6-page letter that could have been a simple phone call, over a flyer at a critical rally for HIV funding,” he added.

When asked about the messaging Dorsey took issue with, McCoy stated that “we have ample historical data, specific to not only the LGBTQ+ community, but also Black and Brown communities, associating terrible policies with death.”

TerMeer issued the B.A.R. a lengthy response June 13. He stated the AIDS foundation has “maintained productive and fruitful relationships with SFPD and the Police Commission for many years –actively hosting captains of the Southern Station to our Harm Reduction Center, attending police community meetings to discuss our mobile sites, and staying in active communication with members of SFPD to coordinate the roll-out of new harm reduction and overdose prevention services to the community. This history of collaboration goes back decades, as SFPD were integral to the success of early harm reduction efforts to curb the transmission of HIV by injection drug use.”

TerMeer continued that, with regard to the messaging Dorsey took issue with, “we used symbolic imagery meant to convey the message that criminalization of drug users and drug use leads to overdose death and contributes to/increases risk of other health issues/conditions (hepatitis C, HIV, homelessness).”

“This is not simply rhetoric – we know from peer-reviewed public health research that people who are incarcerated are at a significantly increased risk of overdose upon release, and that drug arrests lead to an increase in overdose in areas surrounding the drug arrests for up to three weeks afterwards,” TerMeer added, stating that the imagery was meant to highlight the destructive effects of the war on drugs.

“We have shared this research on criminalization with Supervisor Dorsey and his staff, at their request,” TerMeer

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San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey wrote to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation complaining about this poster at a recent rally for HIV funding, stating that the word “DEATH” over a police car, seen in the sign at lower right, was endangering to law enforcement and drug users alike.

Matthew S. Bajko

Many organizations, including APLA Health, marched in the Los Angeles Pride parade Sunday, June 11. The parade, produced by Christopher Street West, went along Highland Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard and ended on Sunset Boulevard. The festival featured headliners Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion. This

Friday Pride continues with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Pride Night (against the San Francisco Giants) which, after much controversy, will include the L.A. chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which will receive a Community Hero Award.

John Ferrannini

Be you. The Gender Institute

Surgeons and staff of The Gender Institute at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital are passionately committed and trained to provide individualized care that is inclusive and affirming of all gender identities. Because we believe the best outcomes can only be delivered when patients feel seen, safe and free to be their true selves.

Castro sees progress on streets, D8 liaison says

by John Ferrannini

Two and a half years into his time as District 8’s public safety liaison, Dave Burke said street conditions in the LGBTQ Castro area are improving. But he acknowledged they still lag behind other San Francisco neighborhoods.

“I think people are making positive changes,” Burke told the Bay Area Reporter. “It’s very different but I think the Castro is on a better track. I live two blocks from the Lower Haight. I go there to get my daughter her favorite pizza, and the Lower Haight is hopping. It’s hopping. Then I walk out to the Castro and I’d like to see more storefronts with things in them. That would go a long way, but it’s way outside my field.”

What is in Burke’s purview, however, is “helping the neighborhood help themselves.” He repeated a line from the B.A.R.’s first interview with him, in 2021: “Cities die block by block. They are reborn that way too.”

For example, public drug intoxication on Hartford Street has gone down after neighbors set up planters.

“If you walk on Hartford, you see beautiful planters, homemade,” he said. “You don’t see a tent on Hartford Street anymore; you just don’t see it. Neighbors are also participating in the planting. It’s their way of having their neighborhood be better, safer, look nicer, frankly, and all this work was pretty much by citizens.”

Another example Burke gave was the updated AIDS mural on 16th Street, across from the Eureka Valley branch of the San Francisco Public Library. A tent encampment in that location caught fire in 2020, almost killing someone.

Burke, a straight ally who lives in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood, works through the civilian arm of the San Francisco Police Department and

From page 2

tioning them against removing books and other materials from libraries, stating that it’s forbidden by the constitution and that state law requires local educational agencies “provide a representative and unbiased curriculum.”

Bonta stated that “we urge the board to adhere to the FAIR Act’s provisions and provide a comprehensive social

is responsible as a liaison for all of District 8, including Noe Valley and Glen Park. (SFPD did not return a request for comment for this report as of press time.)

Burke had been recommended for the position in 2020 by gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who according to a statement to the B.A.R. last week has no regrets. Gay former D8 supervisor Jeff Sheehy secured the original funding for the program. Burke replaced Jessica Closson, who was the first safety liaison.

“Dave is uniquely well suited for this job, and I often hear from grateful constituents who he has assisted with all manner of public safety concerns,” Mandelman stated. “Dave’s contributions to interdepartmental efforts to address persistent challenges are invaluable, and any progress we’ve made in recent years wouldn’t have been possible without him.”

Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who is the president of the Castro

sciences curriculum that reflects our diverse state and nation.”

The remark also led to a strong statement from the five gay living supervisors who represent, or represented, the Castro district Milk served: state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), former state senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), current District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and former supervisors Bevan Dufty and Jeff Sheehy. (Milk, along with then-mayor George Moscone, was assassinated in Novem-

DISPLAY OBITUARIES & IN MEMORIAMS

Merchants Association, called Burke “an amazing asset to the Castro.”

“He is attentive, informative, and caring,” Asten Bennett said. “He is an important piece in keeping the community safe. He lets us know when problematic characters are back in the neighborhood so we aren’t blindsided. He also helps us collect the information we need to work through the process of getting stay away orders for persistent problem people. He is a blessing in helping us work a murky and unmanageable system.”

Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who is the executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District, told the B.A.R. that Burke “works tirelessly trying to solve street level challenges, working with street outreach workers, the police, the DA, and the Castro Community Benefit District.”

“Dave Burke is an incredible asset to the community. He really cares about the neighborhood, he cares about the residents, the merchants and the unhoused,” she stated. “In fact, Dave’s close collaboration with the CBD’s clean and safe ambassadors encourages the efficient use of scarce resources. The Castro is lucky to have Dave Burke.”

Burke, who has worked in the city attorney and district attorney’s offices, said his skill is helping people figure out where to go and who to talk to about problems.

“I know how things get done and I know the people who get them done,” he said.

Burke said an interdepartmental working group has identified some of the unhoused people who need help the most and “some of the more intractable unhoused people” have agreed to accept services, after some persistence.

“I feel conditions in the Castro, compared to two years ago, are dramatically better,” he said. “We don’t

ber 1978 by disgruntled ex-supervisor Dan White.)

“The most shameful aspect of this vicious attack on Harvey’s memory is the use of children in this assault,” the men stated. “Two of us are parents, all of us are uncles, and we can attest to the impact of homophobia and transphobia on the mental health of vulnerable children in California and across the country. When children’s differences are acknowledged and celebrated, regardless of whether they stem from sexual orientation or gender identity, all children who feel different, who march to a ‘different drummer,’ feel safer and freer

have dozens of tents. Because of this effort, we have people who’ve refused housing for years accept some shelter.”

It continues to be difficult for the Castro in particular, however, due to fear of discrimination, he noted.

“Many homeless people in the Castro are LGBT people who may face danger in the general homeless population and who come here for some protection,” Burke said. “We do have the injunction in place, and I’m not going to get into that, but I do think it’s important.”

The injunction Burke is referring to was ordered late last year by federal magistrate Judge Donna Ryu in the case of Coalition on Homelessness v. San Francisco. The order prohibits the city from enforcing policing practices that violate the civil rights of unhoused San Franciscans. Additionally, the order stops the city from seizing and destroying unhoused people’s survival gear and personal property. City Attorney David Chiu has appealed the decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal.

Mandelman agreed with Burke’s assessment on street conditions having improved.

“Street conditions in the Castro are not what I’d like them to be, but when I look back to the height of the pandemic there is no question we have made enormous progress in reducing the number and scale of encampments in the neighborhood and have moved many folks off the sidewalk into shelter and housing,” he stated, referring to the 2020 lockdown due to COVID.

Asten Bennett, who co-owns Cliff’s Variety on Castro Street, agreed.

“Although still problematic on many levels I would say that we are seeing slow but steady improvements,” she stated. “I no longer see the blatant outdoor use of needles that plagued the Castro a few years ago.”

to be themselves and achieve their full potential.”

In response to the Temecula school board’s action, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, Ph.D. (D-Perris), the first Black LGBTQ person elected to the Legislature, on June 6 unveiled Assembly Bill 1078, which would mandate that any school within the K-12 system must secure a super majority on the school board to vote in favor of banning a book.

Under the current circumstances, school boards throughout California have been swayed by a small but vocal group of individuals who are deter-

Not everyone does, though. Kathy Amendola, longtime owner of Cruisin’ The Castro Walking Tours, told the B.A.R. that “from my perspective of running a business several days a week, the reason they think there’s more improvement is because many of us are calling in complaining.”

“If you stand at Castro and Market [streets] at 9-10 in the morning, just watch the psychosis going on all over the corners,” she said. “As a business owner, I am the only company exposed to drag my tour members through illegal drug encampments and psychosis and mental illness.”

Burke said he understands Amendola’s concerns.

“I know how Kathy feels and I respect that,” Burke said. He reiterated the responsibility of neighbors, landlords, and businesses to look out for each other.

“When something shutters, like the 7-Eleven at Noe and 18th [streets], there’s a lot of activity,” Burke said. “That’s the big thing – neighbors taking care of their own streets.”

Burke said the liaison program has expanded to District 11, which covers the Excelsior and Outer Mission, among other neighborhoods, and is represented by Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who is running against Mayor London Breed next year.

Safaí stated to the B.A.R. that “the position was created last year and has been doing amazing work for our district.” He did not say who the liaison is. Burke called the program’s expansion “my biggest source of pride” and said several other supervisors are looking to bring a safety liaison into their districts.

“I’d like to see a job like mine in every district,” he said. People who’d like to get in touch with Burke can contact him at Dave. burke@sfgov.org, he stated. t

mined to strip away the diversity that makes our state so vibrant, according to a news release from Jackson’s office. “Their agenda is rooted in hate and seeks to erase the historical narratives and perspectives of people of color, as well as communities that do not conform to the social norms dictated by white Christian nationalism. Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson, himself a person of faith, finds these actions deeply disturbing and strongly condemns the weaponization of religion to cause harm,” the release stated.

See page 10 >>

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District 8 safety liaison Dave Burke, with his dog Daisy, thinks that street conditions are slowly improving in the Castro.

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SFAF should rethink overdose messaging

We fully support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s expressed interest in helping to run an overdose prevention center, now dubbed wellness hubs, in the South of Market neighborhood, one that has been hard hit by substance use and desperately needs programs where people can safely use drugs while also being apprised of available services to treat their addictions. But we think SFAF stumbled last week when, at a rally for HIV funding in the city budget, some people held signs urging the funding of overdose prevention sites that included the image of a police car with the word “Death” underneath it. It was on a mock scale of justice that, on the other side, featured an image of a syringe and Naloxone, an overdose prevention drug, with the word “Life.” As gay San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, whose District 6 includes SOMA, wrote in a letter to SFAF, the messaging endangers law enforcement officers and drug users alike.

“In my view, the most woefully ill-advised aspect of this messaging is its implication that individuals who use drugs should fear for their lives in their encounters with law enforcement officers in San Francisco,” Dorsey wrote to SFAF CEO Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., and board President Maureen Watson.

There is broad support among San Francisco leaders for overdose prevention centers. Mayor London Breed has called for $18.9 million in the budget for three wellness hubs, though that does not include funding for drug consumption sites. She previously worked to get a safe consumption site established, but that was thwarted by Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who last year vetoed a bill that would have allowed a pilot program of safe consumption sites in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Federal law also prohibits such services, and City Attorney David Chiu has argued that public funding cannot be used for such facilities.

That means it’s up to nonprofit organizations to use private funding for such programs. SFAF would be the primary partner for the SOMA wellness hub, while HealthRIGHT 360 and the Gubbio Project, together with Saint John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, were mentioned in Dorsey’s letter as the pri-

mary partners for the Tenderloin and Mission wellness hubs, respectively.

Yet the temperature is rising, both among city leaders and nonprofits like SFAF. At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Breed defended the policy of arresting drug users, lashing out at progressive Supervisor Dean Preston, whose District 5 includes the Tenderloin, telling him he had never lived what many Black and Brown people go through, including members of her own family, regarding drug use. At the same time, shortly after our article about Dorsey and SFAF was published online, the organization doubled down on its Facebook page, stating it “condemns new city policies to arrest and jail people using substances, attempt to force people into drug treatment, and ‘crack down’ on public drug dealing.”

Dorsey, a long-term HIV survivor and a recovering drug addict, is in a unique position to speak out on this issue. He is also a supporter of harm reduction, which aims to reduce the adverse health effects of drug use and substance use disorder to individuals as well as to the broader community, as he wrote in his letter. He pointed out that the rest of the posters contained straightforward messages such as “End Overdose Now,” “Fund Overdose Prevention Sites,” “Harm Reduction Saves Lives,” and “Action=Life,” which is itself a message that was used at the height of the AIDS epidemic to spur government funding and action.

Dorsey’s letter highlights another key point: that police are often part of the solution in helping drug users get to overdose prevention centers. He wrote that SFAF’s messaging “bodes poorly for the partnership San Francisco will require for the OPCs to succeed.” At OnPoint NYC, the first organization in the U.S. to launch safe consumption sites, located in Harlem and Washington Heights in New York City, Sam Rivera, the nonprofit’s executive director, told San Francisco supervisors back in January that the relationship between the center and police is critical. Officers help get people to the center instead of arresting them, Rivera pointed out in remarks during a supervisors’ budget committee meeting. It was the police who asked OnPoint to develop a card they could

hand to a user that states they will escort the person to OnPoint. Dorsey also visited New York City and personally observed OnPoint’s services, he wrote.

In his letter to SFAF, Dorsey noted the association between violence and methamphetamine psychosis. The narrative advanced by the foundation’s messaging “poses potentially grave dangers to law enforcement officers as well as to drug users recklessly moved to fear them,” he wrote.

SFAF CEO Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., a gay Black man, responded that the agency’s messaging was symbolic and meant to refer to the war on drugs, which indeed has resulted in greater numbers of Black and Brown people serving lengthy prison terms. TerMeer said that SFAF has had a long and productive relationship with the San Francisco Police Department, going back decades to when the foundation started syringe exchange programs. We’re glad to hear that, but in the overcharged political climate today – including in San Francisco – we expect some neighborhoods to loudly protest these wellness hubs.

We think SFAF and other agencies working to open the wellness hubs should have more inclusive messaging that can’t be misinterpreted. Most San Franciscans don’t want open-air drug dealing and using on city streets. A significant number also seem to have reservations about wellness hubs in their neighborhoods. That’s where the foundation and other organizations need to start – with messages directed at residents about why these centers would be better than the status quo. Once the wellness hubs are open, we suspect that drug users will quickly find their way to them, either through word of mouth or with the help of police or community ambassadors, who should receive training and information about how to direct a person to the facilities.

The bottom line is that San Francisco needs to establish these wellness hubs as quickly as possible. It’s been almost a year since Newsom vetoed the pilot program legislation. The number of accidental drug overdoses is staggering – 268 through April, which is 72 higher than in 2022. Dorsey and SFAF should work together on clear messaging for residents –they’re the ones who need to be persuaded first. t

SF DA pledges support for LGBTQs

by Brooke Jenkins

Iam looking forward to marching in San Francisco’s 53rd annual Pride parade this year, alongside members of the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, other elected officials, community members, family, friends, and allies. This will be my first year participating as an elected official, and I feel especially proud to do so at this time when the community and the progress we have made is under renewed assault by right-wing forces, seeking to divide and tear us apart, rather than to bring us closer together.

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As the district attorney for a city that is a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, I will stand with the community, as I always have, and seek to ensure that San Francisco continues to lead and set the standard for other cities across the country in providing safety and justice for the LGBTQ+ community. Pride has always been about demanding and creating safe, welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ people while recognizing and celebrating the deep impact that this community has on San Francisco.

The tragic death of Banko Brown impacted the community and was emblematic of the systemic failures facing underserved communities, especially the trans community. My heart was broken for Brown’s family and friends at the tragic loss of life, and I am committed to working with the community to address and advance solutions for issues that disproportionately affect young people of color and the trans community.

As hate crimes and policies attacking LGBTQ+ people and communities for just being who they are persist and spread across the country, I view it as my duty to be a tireless advocate in the fight for justice, fairness, and equity. Actions always speak louder than words. Under my leadership, the LGBTQ+ community and all of San Francisco should know that cases brought forward will meet the highest ethical standards and cases will be tried in good faith, vigorously, to protect public safety, support victims of crime and ensure that there is accountability and consequences for criminal behavior.

I understand that representation matters and it is a priority for me that my administration reflects what San Francisco is and looks like. Safety and justice is strengthened when we have representation of all of our diverse communities. That’s why I elevated leaders from the LGBTQ+ community to my management team to help drive accountability and justice.

Last week, my office filed hate crime charges, in

addition to assault with a deadly weapon charges, against Mohammed Abdullah in connection to a violent attack near 18th and Church streets. Abdullah allegedly attacked two gay men with a glass object while making homophobic and disparaging remarks towards LGBTQ+ people. If convicted on all counts and all allegations are found true, Abdullah faces more than 10 years in prison for his crimes. Hate crimes are unacceptable and will not be tolerated; this case is a reminder that hate rears its ugly head even here in San Francisco and we must do all we can to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure there are consequences.

As a former hate crimes prosecutor in our office, I understand the profound effect these crimes have both on the victims and the larger community. These crimes strike fear into the hearts of marginalized community members while sowing division and discord. We must remain vigilant and ensure there is zero tolerance for hate in our community. While serving as the hate crimes prosecutor for the office, I worked with many hate crime victims directly as I fought for justice for them in the courtroom. One case that I am especially proud of prosecuting was that of People v. LaVonndre Harper. Harper was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and a hate crime allegation for violently slashing the face of a Black trans woman in 2018. Although nothing can undo the pain and suffering the victim endured at the hands of Harper, he is still in prison for his crimes.

To better serve LGBTQ+ victims of crime my office will continue partnering with Communities

United Against Violence. CUAV has been a trusted partner for well over a decade and has just been awarded a three-year, $420,000 grant to provide trauma-informed services to victims and witnesses of crime with the goal to help victims of crime mitigate the trauma, navigate the criminal justice system, and rebuild their lives. CUAV provides peer advocacy counseling, crisis response support, healing justice activities, self-defense, and peer support groups to queer and trans-identified victims of violent crimes in San Francisco. CUAV has been a committed partner with SFDA Victim Service Division to ensure the queer and trans-identified community has access to their Marsy’s Rights, a state law that provides victims with enumerated rights like being treated with respect. In the spirit of collaboration, SFDA VSD offers education and support navigating the legal system, completion of state Victim Compensation Board applications when applicable, and emergency resources and referrals.

Since taking office I have intentionally worked to get to know the LGBTQ community’s needs directly. I have visited the Castro numerous times alongside gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, met with the Castro Merchants Association, and been actively working to address the public safety concerns of Castro neighbors and the small business community – such as property crime, public drug use, graffiti and other quality of life crimes we cannot ignore.

I have also had the honor and privilege of participating in fun community building events, judging multiple contests sponsored by the Castro Merchants Association like the Halloween costume and sexy elf contests, and enjoyed community events, like the Castro Art Mart.

I have also walked the Transgender District with members of the transgender community and learned about the history and current challenges that the trans community faces so that I can be a stronger ally and advocate for them. I have also stood proudly on the steps of City Hall with federal, state, and local leadership in support of the Respect for Marriage Act, and attended Equality California events to offer my support and voice for its critical advocacy work.

With the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ+ community under attack, I commit to the LGBTQ+ community to remain vigilant and a steadfast ally at all times. Let us all use this month of Pride as a time to keep fighting for the rights and protections that all people deserve. t

Brooke Jenkins, a straight ally, is the San Francisco district attorney.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, third from right, enjoyed a Castro Art Mart event.

Courtesy SFDA’s office

Home invasion spurred CA Senate candidate Beckles into politics

by Matthew S. Bajko

Wanting to live closer to where they both worked, Jovanka Beckles and her wife, Nicole Valentino, left Alameda in 2005 for Richmond, California, where they could afford to buy a home for themselves and their then teenage son, Lucio Valentino. They were undeterred by the East Bay city’s reputation as being unsafe.

“We had heard all the stories about crime,” recalled Beckles, employed 23 years now as a mental health clinician with Contra Costa County. “The whole city is not crime laden.”

The women throughout their careers, Valentino as a life coach, have worked with children, in particular Black and Latino youth. Beckles, who was born in Panama City, Panama, and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1972, is both Black and Latina.

“When we would pass young people on the street, we would make eye contact, give them a smile and say hello. Most of the time they would smile and say hello back,” said Beckles. “For a lot of young people, they are used to being on guard to always be ready for some confrontation. We felt it was important to present them with an energy of love and trust, so we were not going to be afraid when a young person walks up to us in a hoodie.”

One night in 2006, coming home from DJing a wedding with her wife in the passenger seat, Beckles pulled their car into the couple’s garage and noticed a young man walking up the driveway. Instinctually, she rolled down the car window and asked if he needed help.

“That was when he pulled out a gun. Another young man came up after him and had his hand in his pocket like it was a gun,” recalled Beckles. “We didn’t know if it was or not. It was a really horrifying moment for us.”

Their son, a recent high school graduate, was at home in his bedroom with a headset on, unaware of what was taking place in the garage and then the living room, where the two robbers had brought his mothers.

“The one with the gun in his pocket had my wife sit down in the living room and he stayed with her. Meanwhile, the other one kept his gun pointed at me and my chest. I led him around the house to see what we had; it was terrifying.”

The last room they entered was that of the couple’s son, who looked up at what was happening with a look of “is this a joke?” recalled Beckles. The robber made him lie down on the floor, while his accomplice had brought Valentino into the room at that point. They surveyed the bedroom with its guitar, video games, and other items.

“Wow, it must be nice to be loved,” one of the young men said.

“I would never forget that – you can see why it was a pivotal moment for me – what he said amidst the chaos he was causing and trauma he was causing because of the pain and trauma in his life, but he could look around and sense the love our son had,” said Beckles, now a grandmother to her son’s three children ages 4, 7, and 19.

Because the assailants had masks on, Beckles told them her family wouldn’t be able to identify them and asked that they just leave them alone and go. The two men did leave, but not before ripping out the family’s landline telephone and stealing some cash, jewelry, and several computers.

The family waited 15 minutes before contacting the police and filed a report with their insurance company the next day. The suspects were never found.

Speaking about the incident recently with the Bay Area Reporter, Beckles said she no longer recalls the exact date the robbery took place. The experience, though, has had a lasting impact, she said.

“It was a defining moment for me. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh! Some

children in our community are blessed enough to be getting mental health services and therapy, but so many in our community feel nobody loves them or feel the community is not here for them. They are feeling helpless and turning that internalized pain and inflicting it on others.’ A few weeks later I was still thinking about that and what is missing, what is the policy or legislation that is going to help our children have some hope?”

Soon thereafter, Beckles received a phone call from someone suggesting she run for a seat on the Richmond City Council. She decided to do so and won election in 2010. One of her first accomplishments was banning the city from asking job applicants if they had a criminal record.

“So many children I worked with had parents or caretakers who would be incarcerated for crimes of survival. But when released and they would come back to their homes, they couldn’t get a job,” said Beckles, 60, who lost her bid for a state Assembly seat in 2018 the same year that a statewide “ban the box” law (https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fairchance-act/) went into effect for most private employers.

Now seeking election to a state Senate seat, Beckles traces her wanting to become an elected officeholder to that fateful night 17 years ago. As her campaign website notes, “It was after experiencing a life-altering home invasion by desperate young people, that Jovanka was directly impacted by the profound needs of our growing marginalized communities. She felt moved to run for political office…”

Talking about the incident with the B.A.R., Beckles said, “It really changed my perspective on how to address systemic oppression, systemic violence, and I think it helped me to address the root causes of so many of the problems we are seeing in our society.”

Crowded field

She is one of five Democrats seeking the East Bay’s open 7th Senate District seat that spans western Contra Costa and Alameda counties from Rodeo south to the San Leandro border. The seat largely mirrors the current 9th Senate District held by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) but was renumbered during the 2020 redistricting process.

Skinner is term limited from running again next year. Beckles, elected two years ago to the board that oversees the AC Transit public transportation agency, would be the first LGBTQ member of the state Legislature from the East Bay and the first out Black female state legislator should she win the Senate seat.

Also in the race is California Labor Federation President Kathryn Lybarger, who lives with her wife, Nina Ackerberg, in Berkeley. A gardener at UC Berkeley since 2001, Lybarger has also served as president of the UC system’s largest employee union, AFSCME Local 3299, since 2011.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín, Oakland City Councilmember Dan Kalb, and former Assemblymember Sandré Swanson, who departed the Legislature in 2012, are also running for the Senate seat.

Supporting Beckles in the race is Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, a Black progressive leader who has faced criticisms for her lenient charging decisions in a number of cases since taking over the office in January. Rather than downplay having Price’s endorsement due to the public scrutiny of her tenure to date, Beckles told the B.A.R. she is excited to have Price’s support.

“This is a woman, a civil rights attorney, that believes in justice and believes we can have a justice system that works for us, not just a few people who are wealthy and have a different skin color,” said Beckles. “Pamela is, I feel she is righteous and she ... I feel like the controversy isn’t coming from the community in general.”

Rather, Beckles said it is due to certain media sources treating Price differently than they did her predecessor, Nancy O’Malley, who didn’t receive the same media scrutiny for how she made her charging decisions.

“Now we have someone making sure justice is served right for all of us and they are making it seem so controversial and as if she is allowing criminals to walk free. That is not true,” said Beckles.

In a follow-up message Beckles noted how those working for change are routinely seen as controversial, whether it be the Black Panther Party or Martin Luther King Jr. to Jesus Christ during his day.

“We shouldn’t be afraid of people who are doing the right thing for the advancement of a group of people,” she said. “I would not be at all concerned about them endorsing me; they stand for justice.”

Wanting to address the root causes behind why someone turns to criminal acts, particularly young people like the two men who robbed her family, continues to drive her desire to serve as an elected officeholder, said Beckles. And like other out candidates now running amid a rise in anti-LGBTQ sentiment and online vitriol, she is undaunted about putting herself in the public eye.

“People ask me that, ‘Why are you running? Are you a glutton for punishment?’ I really am not,” said Beckles, who was routinely subjected to anti-LGBTQ slurs during city council meetings. “It is the same reason why I endured those types of attacks and vitriol on the Richmond City Council. I think about the young people and the young people watching. If we are afraid then it just creates hopelessness for the next generation.”

Harkening to a sentiment espoused by the late gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk, Beckles added, “I am all about providing hope and comforting a younger generation and empowering the next generation to be who they are in this world.”

To learn more about her candidacy, visit jovanka4casenate.com t

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State Senate candidate Jovanka Beckles, center, spoke to supporters during her campaign kickoff May 13 in Richmond.

Courtesy the campaign

Gay glass artist Bruce St. John Maher dies

by Cynthia Laird

Bruce St. John Maher, a gay man and glass artist, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Monte Rio on April 9, Easter Sunday. He was 70.

Mr. Maher had suffered from several health issues over the years, including malignant hypertension, severe persistent asthma with acute exacerbation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with exacerbation, stated Robert W. Ferren II, Mr. Maher’s friend and executor of his estate. Mr. Maher also had bladder and lung cancer that were in remission, Ferren stated.

During his life, Mr. Maher accomplished many things, Ferren wrote in an obituary, and fought injustices, mostly in Sonoma County, where he resided for many years.

“I am honored to have called Bruce St. John Maher a friend,” Ferren stated. “Never could someone have been more humble. I am not alone in saying that I will miss him dearly.”

Mr. Maher was born October 31,1952 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Virginia Rose Harrington of Duluth, Minnesota, and Edward Urban Stephan Maher of Providence, Rhode Island. Ferren wrote that Mr. Maher didn’t have the greatest childhood. Even though his family was wealthy, he suffered a tortured upbringing. Mr. Maher’s father was a hotel manager and his parents moved from hotel to hotel with Mr. Maher often locked in a closet for hours at a time because his mother lacked the capacity to look after him, Ferren wrote.

Backlash

From page 6

State Capitol

On June 5, Sister Roma joined Wiener and straight ally Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) to be

As Mr. Maher approached adolescence his mother began to suspect that he was gay, and he was subjected to gay conversion treatments and treated with male hormones and electrical aversion techniques. This not only pushed Mr. Maher into earlier puber and heart damage, the obituary stated.

Mr. Maher ran away many times in his youth but finally made his lasting escape in 1965 at the age of 13, arriving in San Francisco, where he was embraced by the Beat community, the obituary stated. The hormone treatments had left him with a full beard and a deep voice, and he was able to pass as a grown man. Ferren wrote that Mr. Maher even lived with gay poet Alan Ginsberg for a time. According to the obituary, Mr. Maher also lived with Ram Dass and Wavy Gravy, with whom he would be bitten by the country bug.

honored as part of Pride Month.

The Sisters, which is an international organization, had been involved in a row of their own last month after the Los Angeles chapter was invited, disinvited, and then re-invited to the Los Angeles Dodgers Pride Night on June 16, as the B.A.R. previously reported.

Conservatives and right-wing Ro-

Glass art

Mr. Maher was a master glass artist. According to the obituary, Mr. Maher found his passion for the glass arts in San Francisco while walking down Haight Street in 1965 when he spotted a beautiful, but badly damaged, stained glass window. He had learned about stained glass and miniature arts from his grandparents, Edward and Helen Maher, renowned jewelers and enamelists for over 60 years in Providence. He resolved to repair the window and he did the job remarkably well so that the commission helped him start his first glass studio on Haight Street.

From 1970 to 1982, Mr. Maher expanded his knowledge as head of the restoration department at San Francisco Stained Glass. His amazing painting, repair, and exquisite window compositions were soon in high demand throughout the Bay Area and beyond, the obituary stated. When doing his stained glass repair, Mr. Maher studied the techniques and process that were used in the glass manufacturing at the time each piece was created. He learned the techniques of all the old masters, becoming an expert in Medieval Church stained glass, as well as 17th century Dutch Wedding windows.

According to the obituary, Mr. Maher was commissioned to work for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., conservator of the Axt Collection of Alta Dena, California, and many wealthy collectors. His works have been on display in the Corning Glass Mu-

man Catholics had claimed they were a hate group, as they accuse them of mocking religion, including with their drag nun attire.

“The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus is proud to honor Sister Roma for her tireless work raising millions of dollars to support HIV/AIDS patients, as well as creating the ‘Stop the

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seum, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum at the Smithsonian Institute and even the Louvre.

Gay activism

During his time in San Francisco Mr. Maher became a prominent gay activist and worked on Harvey Milk’s supervisor campaigns, Ferren stated. Milk would go on to win a supervisor seat in 1977, making him the first openly gay elected official in California. He and then-mayor George Moscone were assassinated in November 1978 by disgruntled exsupervisor Dan White.

“They were good friends,” Ferren wrote in an email.

With the late lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, Mr. Maher helped to start the first gay support groups at Bishops Coffee House in Berkeley, according to the obituary. At the start of the AIDS pandemic, Mr. Maher was among the first to help care for those suffering from the disease when its mode of transmission was still unclear and the health care professionals and family members were afraid to be in proximity.

Mr. Maher saw the suffering of gays living in rural areas, many of whom were starving, and he helped to found the Billy Club of Saratoga Springs, the obituary stated. Throughout his life Mr. Maher was a champion for gay rights and samesex marriage, organizing many protests. In his later years he would hold Sunday Suppers for his many food insecure friends at his home in Monte Rio.

In 1982 Mr. Maher moved to Laytonville in Mendocino County and formed

Violence’ campaign to raise awareness about attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the caucus stated. “We look forward to giving her the recognition she deserves at the state Capitol.”

Some Republican lawmakers chose to walk off the Assembly floor during the celebration.

Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) stated that though he recognizes that “the Sisters have done charitable work in the community … their vulgar mockery of our Christian faith is extremely insulting and disrespectful. We cannot condone this.”

Haney called the walk-out “disgusting.”

“Seeing the California Assembly Republicans get up and walk out was one of the most shockingly infuriating and cowardly things I’ve seen since I’ve been in elected office,” Haney stated to the B.A.R. “That type of homophobia must be roundly condemned, confronted and those who engage in it should face repercussions for their behavior. Homophobic officials who blatantly violate the rules of the Assembly should not be in positions of leadership in our legislature.”

Obituaries >>

Robert Neal Thornton

July 15, 1950 – May 1, 2023

The Cinch Saloon family is saddened to announce the death of owner, Robert Neal Thornton, age 72. Bob died from cancer at his home in Novato, California on May 1, 2023. Bob was born on July 15, 1950 in Longmont, Colorado. He attended Hygiene Elementary School, St. John the Baptist School and the Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado. He attended Colorado State University and majored in art.

Bob was predeceased by his parents, Wilbur and Eunice Thornton, and two sisters, Diane McGinnis and Vicki Edmiston. He is survived by three brothers, Dennis, James, and David, as well as his two sisters, Jean and Patty. He also leaves behind his life partner Robby Mor-

a gay collective called Rattlesnake Creek with his friends, the brothers Dio and Victor Galloti, the latter becoming his lover. The various houses they built by hand had to be reached by cable car across a steep ravine. This experiment in rural living lasted many years, during which time Mr. Maher began his love affair for making glass beads and faceting semi-precious stones. Later, Mr. Maher would befriend the miners at Bonanza and Dust Devil mines in extreme Northern California and he helped to pioneer the recognition of the Oregon Sunstone as a unique precious stone, according to the obituary.

The collective experience came to an end in 1990 when one of the members set fire to the main house, Ferren stated. That’s when Mr. Maher moved to Monte Rio and purchased an old house that had once been a brothel frequented by many high society figures. Mr. Maher and Victor Galloti restored the house to glory and built the perfect studio for him to continue his art.

Later years

Mr. Maher’s later years in Monte Rio were spent with some heartache, as Victor Galloti had contracted HIV; Mr. Maher cared for him tirelessly until he died on April 15, 1992, Ferren stated.

Mr. Maher championed water rights in the Russian River.

In addition to Ferren, Mr. Maher is survived by his sister, Fran Maher; brother, Stephen Maher; and many beloved friends he called family. t

When asked about the backlash, Roma told the B.A.R., “I’ve never seen drastic measures like this in my entire life.”

“Our community is under attack and we can’t win this alone,” Roma stated. “Now, more than ever, it’s important for our allies to speak up. We need elected officials, school teachers, news media, corporations, and every single person who loves someone gay, lesbian, bi, queer, or trans to join us to combat this wave of hate.”

Los Angeles County

When the Glendale Unified School District met June 6 to discuss whether to recognize June as Pride Month, hundreds of people gathered outside to make their voices heard on both sides of the issue.

According to media reports, a physical melee ensued and three people were arrested as a result. The school board sheltered in place as law enforcement declared an unlawful assembly and issued a dispersal order.

The school board did end up recognizing June as Pride Month.

Terra Russell-Slavin, a lesbian who is

See page 14 >>

genstein and many friends – his local loving and supportive family.

We are all indebted to Robby, who cared for and supported Bob for many years, especially the past 16 months.

Bob was a soft-spoken, generous, and kind person. He had a strong connection to animals, especially his dogs, chickens, and goats. Friends called him “The Dog Whisperer.” Bob was also an avid gardener. You could find him most days tending his beloved roses and his vegetable garden. Bob was a fan of fashion, art, architecture and design. He loved food and dining out at Michelin Star restaurants.

Twenty-five years ago, he and Robby purchased The Cinch Saloon, the last remaining gay bar on historic Polk Street. We feel it’s only fitting that we have a celebration of life event for Bob at The Cinch at 3 p.m. on July 15, Bob’s birthday, and the 25th anniversary of the day they purchased the bar.

I NCLUDING M INORITY, WOMEN, AND DISABLED VETERANS

Bruce St. John Maher Robert W. Ferren II

Alameda County Fair to hold Pride celebration

compiled by Cynthia Laird

The Alameda County Fair kicks off

Friday, June 16, and will include a special Pride celebration Sunday, June 18, featuring Out at the Fair, an organization that works to increase LGBTQ presence at county fairs in California and other states.

According to Out at the Fair’s website the LGBTQ-themed programming will take place on the grandstand stage from noon to 6 p.m. Performers include Erica Ambrin and the Eclectic Soul Project, KingQueen, Jeffrey Chan, and Winter Grain. There will also be a Glam Show at 5:30.

Other events include an Out at the Fair storytime and giveaways.

Out at the Fair has been participating at the Alameda County Fair since 2018, a spokesperson stated.

The fair itself runs through July 9 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Hours are noon to 11 p.m. daily. The fair is closed Mondays and Tuesdays except for July 3-4, a news release stated. Carnival rides are open from 1 p.m. to closing.

Concerts will take place each night except July 4, starting at 8 p.m. Groups include tribute bands such as Bee Gees Gold (June 18), Queen Nation (June 24), and George Michael Reborn (July 1). There’s also a nightly drone show at 9:30, except July 4.

In addition to entertainment, the fair will have plenty of rides, traditional fair foods, and new items with an international twist, like the Korean corn dog, Boba, and Musubi rice snacks, the release stated.

There will be family-friendly movies as part of the fair’s “Movies on the Lawn” series, FMX Motorcross shows, and merchandise vendors.

On Saturday, June 17, the West Coast qualifiers for Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place at 3 p.m. The top three male and female quali-

fiers will punch their ticket to the finals, which take place July 4 on Coney Island in New York.

Advance general admission to the fair, until June 15, is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (62+) and kids (6-12) Parking is $13. Unlimited carnival plus the Sky Ride is $32, valid for any one day.

Those prices increase after Thursday by a few dollars.

There are various promotions and special days. For more information, visit alamedacountyfair.com.

Celebration at Alameda County library

After a drag storytime event was rudely disrupted by alleged members of the Proud Boys at the Alameda County library in San Lorenzo a year ago, staff implemented “Every Month is Pride Month,” which featured LGBTQ programming for 12 months. Now, the end of the formal program will be commemorated with a special celebration Saturday, June 17, beginning at 11:30 a.m. and followed by an afternoon of fun for the whole family. It coincides with “Queer Comics Expo,” the last program in the series.

Every Month is Pride Month programming amplified the stories, talents, and creativity in the LGBTQIA+ community, a news release stated. The up-

coming program will feature speaker panels and appearances by queer authors and artists, crafts, cosplay, comic and zine creation, community resources, and prize drawings.

Cindy Chadwick, Ph.D., Alameda County librarian, is expected to make remarks. She wrote an op-ed for the Bay Area Reporter last August discussing why drag story hours were important for public libraries. She will be joined by Sergio Ardila, LGBTQ+ policy adviser to Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam, and other community members.

The release noted that while Every Month is Pride Month is ending, Alameda County Library will continue to offer LGBTQIA+ programming.

“Every Month is Pride Month has been a success, not just with supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, but with developing an innovative programming model that other libraries can adopt,” the release stated. “Alameda County Library has received both national and state awards for the achievements of Every Month is Pride Month.”

The library received an honorable mention for the Urban Libraries Coun-

cil 2023 Innovation Awards in the advocacy and awareness category. It was also named the recipient of the Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award, given by the California Library Association.

The San Lorenzo Library is located at 395 Paseo Grande.

Heklina’s image to be featured at flower show

The late drag queen Heklina will be one of several local LGBTQ people whose images will be adorned in flowers at the Pride-themed Fleurs de Villes show that opens Friday, June 16, at the San Francisco Mint, 88 Fifth Street. The touring show uses floral mannequins representing local queer icons who’ve made a significant impact on the city’s LGBTQ community, according to a news release.

About 13 local florists have been tapped to help design the floral displays.

Heklina, the drag persona of Stefan Grygelko, died April 3 in London. A former San Francisco resident, Heklina had moved a few years ago to the Palm Springs area after selling her stake in the Oasis LG-

BTQ nightclub South of Market.

Others who will be depicted as floral mannequins include Peaches Christ (Joshua Grannell), a drag artist and good friend of Heklina’s; slain supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California; the late Ken Jones, a gay man who was the first Black president of the San Francisco Pride board; Nguyen Pham, a gay Vietnamese man who is the current SF Pride board president; Dr. Nasser Mohamed, a 2023 SF Pride community grand marshal; and late lesbian pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Martin.

Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (DSan Francisco), a straight ally, will be depicted, as well the late trans leader Marsha P. Johnson and the late gay activist Bayard Rustin. The late rainbow flag co-creator Gilbert Baker, outgoing Transgender District President and Chief Strategist Aria Sa’id, and late disco singer Sylvester will be shown as floral mannequins.

The late Jose Julio Sarria, a gay Latino veteran and founder of the Imperial Court System; bi comedian Margaret Cho; trans activist Mia Satya; and Tongva-Ajachmem artist L. Frank will also have floral mannequins featured. Suzanne Ford, a trans woman who is executive director of SF Pride, praised the upcoming show.

“Inspired by the vibrant spirit of the LGBTQ+ community, Fleurs de Villes is beautifully weaving the essence of our heroes into breathtaking floral sculptures, including one of our very own SF Pride president, Nguyen Pham,” she stated.

The release noted that the show is inspired by SF Pride’s theme, “Looking Back and Moving Forward.”

The show runs through July 3. Tickets are $35 for adults, $28 for seniors, and $15 for kids, and can be purchased at fleursdevilles.com/sf-pride.

See page 12 >>

People took selfies and waved Pride flags during a previous Out at the Fair at the Alameda County Fair.

Courtesy Alameda County Fair Fleurs de Villes features mannequins adorned with lavish floral displays.

Courtesy Fleurs de Villes

Marking 3rd anniversary, Castro chocolatier Kokak hosts Pink Saturday drag brunch

by Matthew S. Bajko

As it marks this month its third anniversary in business at 3901 18th Street in San Francisco’s Castro LGBTQ neighborhood, Kokak Chocolates is shaking up its menu items and eying expansion into breakfast and lunch options. The shop is also hosting a special drag brunch next weekend featuring its Filipino-inspired chocolates.

As she worked to open her first brick-and-mortar shop in 2020, chocolatier Carol Gancia was also fighting endometrial cancer, which begins in the uterus. Diagnosed the year prior, Gancia began her chemotherapy in the fall of 2019 and finished her treatments just as she welcomed her first customers to the former bread shop she had taken over across the street from the popular Parisian-themed Le Marais Bakery at the intersection of 18th and Sanchez streets.

“I feel like the neighborhood still doesn’t know about us,” said Gancia, 53, who told the Bay Area Reporter she feels like it is more the shop’s second anniversary this year due to having opened in the midst of the COVID outbreak.

“We lost a whole year in 2020 because of the pandemic.”

Gancia, now in remission from her cancer, is switching things up at her shop. She has pared down the 50 truffle flavors she used to offer to a more manageable five to 20 flavors at most.

“We streamlined the chocolate product line and kept the most popular recipes,” said Gancia, who identifies as queer and first began making chocolates for sale in 2017.

<< Dorsey

From page 4

continued. “The police car and handcuffs used on our posters were meant to symbolize ‘criminalization’ and the devastating impacts of the war on drugs in general. We do not believe, as Supervisor Dorsey has stated, that the posters could inadvertently ‘glamorize deadly drug use and further encourage mounting drug-related lawlessness.’ We also take issue with the claim that the posters will ‘endanger law enforcement officers and drug users.’”

Law enforcement crackdown

When asked if it’s possible the messaging on the poster would encour-

<< News Briefs

From page 11

Summer Pride

well-being fair

Mukunda Studio and Tendwell Collective will hold their third seasonal well-being fair timed with Pride Month Sunday, June 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the studio, 1250 Folsom Street, second floor, in San Francisco.

According to a news release, there will be eight in-person presenters sharing information and offering minisessions to attendees. The fair will also be livestreamed. A plant-based lunch and beverages will be provided for the in-person event.

Makunda Studio is a gay, Asianmixed race-owned yoga and wellbeing facility that Marc Morozumi opened in March 2020, just as the COVID lockdown commenced. As a result, classes and private sessions shifted online. Since then, the studio opened

“It was pretty insane. Other chocolatiers told me I was crazy.”

Kokak is the Filipino word for “ribbit” or a frog’s croak. Gancia’s truffles are inspired by the flavors and fauna of her home country of the Philippines, where she was a successful documentarian and broadcast journalist in Manila. Gancia immigrated to the Bay Area in 2004 because her former partner wanted to move to the U.S. She established a video production company, Ripplemakers Inc., and worked as a producer on several food-based shows, such as KQED’s “Check Please! Bay Area” program that reviews local restaurants. Gancia continues to operate the company as its executive director while she also runs Kokak.

After a planned second location in San Francisco’s Japantown fell through last year due to zoning issues, Gancia told the B.A.R. she is

age people who are in need of harm reduction services to seek out such programs, Dorsey told the B.A.R. that it’s nonetheless “irresponsible” and “potentially dangerous” to equate police with death.

The city has been starting to enforce public intoxication laws in recent weeks and, as of June 8, at least 58 people were arrested on either public intoxication or drug possession charges.

Six California Highway Patrol officers were assigned to the Tenderloin by Newsom; later, the sheriff’s department announced it was deploying 130 deputies for six months, a move Dorsey stated he supported.

“We must send a clear message that our communities won’t tolerate the destructive influence of drugs and

its doors and offers a hybrid experience, with simultaneous in-person and online classes.

Tendwell Collective is a San Francisco-based wellness platform that connects values-aligned studio partners and facilitators with individuals and organizations overlooked by the mainstream wellness industry, the release stated.

The cost for the well-being fair is sliding scale $108-$144. To register or for more information, go to mukundastudio.com/well-being-fair.

Gay SF supes hold Pride reception

The three gay members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a Pride at City Hall reception Thursday, June 15, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 278 at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place.

The event, hosted by Supervisors Rafael Mandelman (District 8), Matt Dorsey (D6), and Joel Engardio (D4),

still interested in expanding at some point. During an interview last month at the Castro storefront, she said the rash of layoffs earlier this year at local tech companies had resulted in a drop off of business, with foot traffic noticeably down during weekdays.

“Last year, we were busier than this year,” said Gancia, whose current lease runs through 2027.

Drumming up business

To drum up business, she has added pastries and cookies to the menu, such as a chocolate chip cookie with Ecuador heirloom chocolate ($5) and a classic brownie ($5). The new items, including a chocolate cupcake with almond crumbs ($5), debuted in April.

“There is no frosting. I wanted to go back to the basics,” explained Gancia. “It is part of my simplification process.”

This fall she hopes to add breakfast items to the menu, such as a Japanese egg sandwich, porridge, and rice cake pancakes. Gancia is also

open-air drug scenes. That’s why I’m committed to working with the sheriff’s department to increase enforcement efforts in the hardest-hit neighborhoods,” Dorsey stated in a June 8 news release. “Together, we will create an environment where families can feel safe, where children can thrive, and where our city can flourish once again.”

McCoy differs with Dorsey on this issue, too, citing it in his defense of the AIDS foundation’s messaging.

“In fact, the city’s newly announced drug enforcement program is once again prioritizing a failed carceral approach over an evidence-based public health approach, targeting people who use drugs – and we know policing, through decades of research, will

will also include an art showcase to celebrate young LGBTQ artists. There will be refreshments.

To RSVP, go to bit.ly/cityhallpride

Summer solstice celebration

Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture and its resident partners will hold the second annual Summer Solstice Celebration and Art Walk Wednesday, June 21, from 5 to 9 p.m. at 2 Marina Boulevard in San Francisco. The event marks the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

The event, which is free and open to the public with registration, features a variety of exhibitions, performances, artist and curator talks, and artmaking activities presented by FMCAC and its partners.

“We are excited to expand on last year’s full-house summer solstice program to showcase our resident organizations’ incredible art and cultural programming,” stated Frank Smigiel, FMCAC director of arts programming

planning more lunch offerings, like empanadas based on the ones her grandma would make for her when she was a child.

The new food options will all have “an Asian feel” to them, said Gancia, who has been testing out recipes with her friends as she fine-tunes them.

But first she needs to find an office she can rent in order to move the shipping side of her business, which accounts for 50% of her sales, out of the storefront so the space taken up for packing and addressing boxes can instead be used for customer seating.

“The idea is to grow the retail presence,” said Gancia, who expects to be able to accommodate up to 20 people at a time inside the store.

“I want to transition to being a cafe with a retail component.”

Pride event

For Pink Saturday on June 24, she is hosting two seatings of the pricefixed drag brunch ($120 per person) featuring Asian and Pacific Islander performers. Kiki Krunch will serve as host, with performances expected

most certainly increase the number of fatal overdose deaths on our streets,” McCoy said.

To back up that assertion, McCoy cited a 2023 study out of Marion County, Indiana, published in the American Journal of Public Health, which found that “supply-side enforcement interventions and drug policies should be further explored to determine whether they exacerbate an ongoing overdose epidemic and negatively affect the nation’s life expectancy.”

When asked if even supervised drug use would be enabling drug users in a potentially life-threatening addiction – the city hit a new record for accidental overdose deaths this year: 268 through April, which is 72 higher

and partnerships. “For visitors, this is a fantastic opportunity to sample several flavors of San Francisco’s arts and culture scene in one place, with a side of incredible bay and bridge views.”

For more information and to sign up, go to fortmason.org.

Bayard Rustin Coalition

Pride reception

The Bayard Rustin Coalition will hold a Pride reception Friday, June 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. at ULA Restaurant, 450 Post Street in San Francisco.

A flyer states that attendees will enjoy African diaspora art, music, and food and beverages. The San Francisco Pride parade community grand marshals will be honored, along with Black community leaders. This year’s Pride grand marshals include Dr. Nas Mohamed, a Qatari physician and LGBTQ activist; Honey Mahogany, a trans nonbinary person who is chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and district director for Assemblymember

by Xtina Agitera, Ehra Amaya, Lady P Galore, and Nutasha Quintine

“Get ready to enjoy a one-of-akind dining experience that combines our Filipino-inspired brunch menu, live drag performances, and a whole lot of sass,” promises the store.  It is one way Gancia is aiming to boost attention, and sales, for Kokak.

“The retail business is not an easy business. Even if you have a lot of business experience, each business industry is different. You have to crack the code,” said Gancia.

Kokak is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

To book a seating for the drag brunch, or order Kokak’s chocolates and special Pride-themed truffle boxes online for delivery, visit its website at https://www.kokakchocolates.com/. t

Got a tip on LGBTQ business news? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ ebar.com.

than in 2022 – Dorsey stated he is a “strong believer in harm reduction.”

“Especially in light of the potent lethality of drugs like fentanyl that are flooding street-level drug markets, I think harm reduction strategies can save lives and provide an entry point to services to support people’s journey in recovery free from substance use,” Dorsey stated.

He also had a word for those fed up with public drug sales and use.

“I think Wellness Hubs reflect everything our harm-reduction strategies should be – which means to reduce harms to the individuals, and also reducing harms to the community by getting public drug use and antisocial behavior off of neighborhood streets,” he stated. t

Matt Haney (D-San Francisco); Laura Lala-Chávez, a nonbinary person who is executive director of LYRIC, the queer youth organization; Breonna McCree, a trans health care advocate and educator; and Paul Aguilar, a gay longtime HIV survivor and AIDS advocate.

Rustin, the coalition’s namesake, was a gay Black civil rights leader who was a confidante of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rustin, who died in 1987, was posthumously pardoned by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 for a 1953 arrest in Pasadena, California, on vagrancy charges that led to jail time and inclusion on the sex offender registry, as the B.A.R. previously reported. The upcoming reception is co-hosted by Soul of Pride. All are welcome. To RSVP, contact 415-690-8572

See page 13 >>

Kokak Chocolates founder and head chocolatier Carol Gancia holds a tray of delectable confections.

Courtesy Kokak Chocolates Kokak Chocolates sells rainbow and love heart truffles. Courtesy Kokak Chocolates

Stand in joy and Pride

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

Pride, in 2023, feels a bit surreal. For months, we have heard the worst people on the right relentlessly labeling LGBTQ people – and in particular transgender people – as groomers, preying on the nation’s children. The lack of any evidence of this has been irrelevant: they know that if they repeat these empty claims enough, people will grow accustomed to them and, eventually, just accept them as true.

As this goes on, locations across the country have passed increasingly draconian laws against transgender and other people. Bathroom bills have returned, as have bans on drag, “don’t say gay and trans” bills, and bills barring our ability to access care and medications. The worst of these have been in Florida, though large swaths of the country have become dangerous for transgender people to set foot within.

I’ve also recently written about the way that “corporate pride” has been targeted, with Hershey’s, Disney, Bud Light, and Target being high profile companies bearing the brunt of rightwing animus. (https://www.ebar.com/ story.php?ch=News&sc=News%20 Columns&id=325726) The actions of course aren’t just focused on these companies, but they will force other businesses to weigh their support of LGBTQ people against the cost of the negative publicity they’ll face. I suspect we are nearing the end of the era of “corporate Pride” for a while, at least.

It’s a frustrating and, frankly, depressing time to try to celebrate Pride – and yet, when I pass the elementary school down the street from me, I see the Progress Pride flag on the pole outside, just below Old Glory and our own state flag. The Progress flag recently adorned the Truman Balcony of the White House, overlooking the largest Pride event ever held at Executive Mansion.

Even as Target pulls Pride-themed swimsuits and flags from their shelves at some stores, other companies still sell LGBTQ-themed goods. The North Face clothing company was attacked in the same way as Target. But made it clear it wasn’t caving in. You can still get plenty of rainbow-themed products, drinks, and snacks from scads of other companies, if you feel the need to do so. They may even be marginally better than what passes for chocolate and beer from The Hershey Company and AnheuserBusch, respectively, but I digress.

The point is this: even during this time of runaway hatred and violence surrounding Pride, the celebration of the LGBTQ community is still going on this year. It’s a bit like the end of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” where even after the eponymous character removes the vestiges of the holiday, it still happens, showing that it exists in the people,

<< News Briefs

From page 12

Trans soccer games in SF

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will present Trans-Tastic Soccer Games Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the James P. Lang Soccer Fields, at Gough Street and Golden Gate Avenue.

Co-hosted by Kicking Out Transphobia and the Queer Trans Sports Alliance, the day will include matches for kids and adults, a flyer stated.

Youth games, for those ages 8-16, take place from 9 to 11 a.m. with an 8:15 check-in. Adult games (ages 17 and older) take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a 10:15 check-in time. A $10 entry fee includes a T-shirt, snacks, and water.

For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/3xmfhv9v t

not in the baubles, decorations, or the cans of Who Hash.

Here’s the secret: the backlash against Pride, against drag, and against trans rights has a simple cause. It’s not about grooming, or about “mutilating children,” or whatever horror stories the right is shouting. It’s not even about trans TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney’s image being slapped on a single Bud Light beer can or about Target selling

items festooned with queer-affirming statements.

No, it’s about this: the right is losing.

This has been happening for a long time. The attacks on trans rights came as a direct reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, and it shouldn’t surprise us to see these attacks ramp up to new, awful heights as former President Donald

Trump and the Republican Party’s influence has waned after the 2020 election. They can see their power being threatened and are looking for any possible foothold. While they attack us, they also attack women’s rights, Black people and other people of color, immigrants, and any other target they can find. Even their attacks on The Walt Disney Co. or Anheuser-Busch can be viewed in the same way. They need that outrage to feel power and strength, and feel like they aren’t standing on so much shifting sand. This is where we come in. They are so desperate to feel potent, and need to see us scared, cowering, and in fear of them. All their protests, all their rage, it’s all so they can continue to feel that power that’s slipping through their fingers.

As I mentioned, this Pride season is surreal, with us dancing into a world that is hostile, even violent. I’m not going to downplay that. I do urge you to be cautious, and remain safe in the face of all this. This is not a time for unnecessary risks – but this is also a time to balance that against our community’s strength. It is a time for us to stand together against those who would seek to have us live in fear.

It is incumbent on us that we continue to thrive. We need to continue to show our radical, beautiful joy.

That may well be your participation in your local Pride events, marching in the streets, dancing near the stages, or otherwise being a part of the mass of people showing our Pride and our joy. This is the most obvious thing we can do this month, to show that we will not be so easily cowed.

It is more than this, however. It’s living every day. It’s being out and proud and vibrant in a world that would rather sap us of our glorious color. It’s every day you embrace hope and possibility when the right wants to hand you limitations and fear. Every one of us who is out, and joyful, and visible – even in the smallest ways – shows the waning power and influence of those who stand against us.

Right now, it is a radical act just to be yourself – so be yourself boldly. t

Gwen Smith wishes everyone the best Pride they’ve ever had. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com

Christine Smith

Narrowly adopted by voters in 2008, Prop 8 defined marriage as being between a man and a woman under California law. It was later found to be unconstitutional by federal courts, paving the way for same-sex marriages to resume in the Golden State in June 2013. Two years later the U.S. Supreme Court established marriage equality as a federal right with its Obergefell v. Hodges decision released during Pride Month of 2015.

Despite those legal rulings there is concern among LGBTQ advocates that the current conservative majority on the court could rescind Obergefell akin to its ending a federal right to abortion last June. Under such a scenario, the fear is that Prop 8’s language would once again become law and bar same-sex couples from getting married in California.

To avoid that from happening, gay Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Cupertino) earlier this year introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5, which would excise Prop 8’s language from the state’s governing document. On June 5, Low gathered with several of his legislative colleagues on the West Steps of the California State Capitol to announce ACA 5’s actual language that would appear on the November 2024 general election ballot.

Last week, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis asked supporters of her 2026

<< Hate crimes

From page 1

of who they are, what they look like, or who they love are unacceptable and will be prosecuted.”

If Abdullah is found guilty on all charges, he faces over 10 years in prison. In the courtroom, Assistant District Attorney Jamal Anderson claimed Abdullah was “targeting members of the LGBTQ community and yelled ho-

<< Backlash

From page 10

the chief impact officer of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, stated, “Glendale parents and educators overwhelmingly showed up in support of the LGBTQ+ community.”

“The school board was simply voting on whether or not Glendale Unified should recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month,” Russell-Salvin continued. “What should have been an amicable meeting – even if there was disagreement among some community members – turned into a shelter-in-place order that frightened participants. This is, of course, the goal of far-right extremists: They want us to be afraid.”

Russell-Salvin also clarified that “there is a difference between sex education and LGBTQ+ competent curriculum in schools.”

“In the case of Glendale Unified, there are specific policies in place that allow any parent to review sexual education curriculum ahead of its implementation, and decide as to whether or not they should remove their child from those lessons,” Russell-Salvin explained.

Newsom stated that it “should have been a routine vote.”

“The words of the resolution did not change from years past, but what has changed is a wave of division and demonization sweeping our nation,” Newsom stated. “With hate on the rise nationally, we must rise together in California to affirm what both Pride Month and Immigrant Heritage Month represent – that in the Golden State, no matter who you are or what diverse community you are from, you belong.”

Wiener warned that “LGBTQ Californians … are at significant risk of harm due to inflammatory rhetoric that incites violence.”

“It’s an orchestrated national campaign to erase LGBTQ people from history and intimidate us back into the closet,” he stated. “This harassment

gubernatorial campaign to sign up as citizen sponsors of ACA 5 on a website she launched June 7. Kounalakis is a cosponsor of it herself.

“In a time where the extremist Supreme Court has the power to disband the rights and liberties that embody our country’s foundation – like they’ve done with abortion and threatened of gay marriage – it is of the utmost importance that our state leads the cause in protecting marriage equality,” wrote Kounalakis.

“Enshrining the right to marriage equality is long overdue. So let’s stand up to defend the right to love & uphold equality by overturning Prop 8.”

Despite calls from a number of Baptist pastors in the state to reject ACA 5, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 9-1 in favor of it on June 13. At the hearing Tuesday morning several members of the panel came on board as co-authors of it, including Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose). Over the weekend he officiated the wedding of two women he is “dear friends” with, saying everyone should have the same “privilege” to marry the person they love.

“Our state should absolutely stand with love, not with bigotry, not with those that seek to divide, but those who seek to actually bring a loving community together,” said Kalra. “I am grateful that the voters will have a chance and opportunity to make it very clear where California stands, that we stand on the side of love.”

mophobic slurs.”

Deputy Public Defender Tehanita Taylor said in this case “there was no direct threat” to life, and Abdullah’s speech was “sarcastic.”

“He’s fairly young, only 20 years old, and doesn’t have a lot of family,” Taylor said. “He has some religious principles he was socialized in.”

Anderson disagreed about the threat question, saying Abdullah had said “kill the gays,” to which the defendant laughed when it was repeated in court.

ACA 5 requires a two-thirds vote by the Legislature to be adopted, with the Assembly expected to pass it by the end of the month. The state Senate is expected to pass it later this summer, although the chamber has until June 30, 2024, to vote for it in order to get it onto the November ballot that fall. ACA 5 doesn’t need to go before Governor Gavin Newsom to sign.

Francisco Castillo, who is raising two children with his husband, told the Assembly committee this week that Prop 8 is “a deep wound inflicted upon our hearts” that must be repealed.

“Despite the strides we have made toward equality, the shackles of discrimination still exist in our constitution,” said Castillo, a board member with statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California.

Tuesday evening the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted 11-0 without comment a resolution in support of ACA 5 and seeing the Prop 8 repeal measure go before voters next November. The coming votes on ACA 5 in the Statehouse prompted District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí to bring forward a resolution.

As the Bay Area Reporter’s online Political Notes column first reported June 8, Safaí secured the blessing of his three gay colleagues on the board – Supervisors Joel Engardio of District 4, Matt Dorsey of District 6, and Rafael Mandelman of

Hwang said he would not rule on Abdullah’s release at the arraignment, but if he were to be released, the judge would issue a protective order to stay away from some locations and individuals. Abdullah remains in custody in San Francisco County Jail.

Anderson said that Abdullah may be implicated in tearing down a Pride flag at a nearby store, and attacking people “at some kind of street fair near the Castro … clearly indicating a targeted attack on this community.”

disappointed to read about the events unfolding at Saticoy Elementary School – and not just from where I sit as the chief impact officer of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. To be completely frank, I am more so concerned as a lesbian mother who’s raising a child in Los Angeles County.

District 8 – to introduce the resolution. All three signed on as co-sponsors.

“We felt, given the fact this is still embedded in the California Constitution, it is the right time to repeal it,” Safaí told the B.A.R. in an exclusive interview June 7, a day after introducing the resolution at the board.

As for taking a lead role in authoring it, Safaí said he felt it was an appropriate action, so long as his gay colleagues supported his doing it, because it will take a coalition of voters to support repealing Prop 8’s language next November.

“It is the LGBTQ+ community and allies who will have to do this together,” said Safaí, who will also appear on the same ballot as a San Francisco mayoral candidate.

His officiating the marriage in April of Thomas Luchini, 69, and Adrian Catuar, 71, had sparked the idea for the resolution, said Safaí. He has been friends with the couple since Luchini volunteered on Safaí’s first losing bid for supervisor in 2008 on the same ballot that saw Prop 8 pass. (Safaí would go on to win election to the District 11 seat in 2016.)

Luchini told the B.A.R. he was happy to learn the couple’s marriage had sparked the resolution from Safaí, calling it “a great idea.” But in a sign of how LGBTQ advocates will need to educate voters that Prop 8 still lingers, Luchini also said he thought the court rulings had completely invalidated it.

The next hearing in the case will be at 9 a.m. June 21 in Department 12 at the Hall of Justice.

When being escorted out of the court, Abdullah asked if he could make a statement. Hwang said that would be appropriate at a later time, but Abdullah spoke nonetheless, saying the LGBTQ community is “against God,” whether one is “Christian, Jewish or Muslim.”

“The LGBT community is going against families,” he said, adding that

the burning of a Pride flag on school grounds. She attended the June 2 Pride assembly at Saticoy Elementary to show her support for the school’s students and staff.

“I was surprised; I thought Prop 8 had been repealed. But I guess the language is still in the constitution,” said Luchini, who first met Catuar in April 1978 at the now-closed Castro gay bar Alfie’s.

It is believed the San Francisco board is the first county municipal body to publicly come out in support of ACA 5. The Cupertino City Council in April had sent state lawmakers a letter of support for seeing ACA 5 move forward; the Oakland City Council last July became the first known elected body in the state to call for voters to repeal Prop 8.

“Marriage equality is a fundamental right, and I’m thankful to have the support of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors,” Low told the B.A.R. “This is an opportunity for our state to remove a black mark from the California constitution and protect our community members, especially considering the recent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.”

As for having confidence that voters will do away with Prop 8 once and for all next year, Safaí pointed out that since its initial passage, public support for marriage equality has only grown and President Joe Biden last December signed bipartisan legislation, the Respect for Marriage Act, to repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act that was passed in 1996.

See page 15 >>

it’s “so fucked up” and “you know the truth.”

The public defender’s office did not return a message asking if Abdullah would be willing to speak to a reporter. SFPD stated that while an arrest has been made, the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous t

for having been a conservative mainstay for generations before recently becoming more moderate – will only fly federal, state, and county flags.

Courtesy

office

campaign targets LGBTQ-focused curricula – for example, the recent banning by a Temecula school board of a textbook that discusses Harvey Milk – and even Pride celebrations. Driving the mob last night in Glendale are years of slander against LGBTQ people that far-right extremists use to stoke hate –particularly the slander that LGBTQ people are ‘groomers’ and ‘pedophiles.’”

Tony Hoang, a gay man who’s executive director of statewide LGBTQ rights group Equality California, stated that “school board meetings across the country have been turned into arenas for anti-LGBTQ+ political propaganda.”

“We applaud the Glendale Unified School Board for supporting the Pride Month resolution, and GUSD administrators and educators for supporting and affirming LGBTQ+ students every day,” he continued.

The Glendale incident came just days after anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations at Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood, also in Los Angeles County.

A Pride assembly had been scheduled at the school for June 2. The Los Angeles Times reported that 100 people showed up to protest, with signs like “No pride in grooming.”

Russell-Slavin stated, “I am beyond

“The Pride celebration scheduled at Saticoy Elementary School was meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ community members and families like mine,” she added. “My wife and I are proudly raising our child to be accepting, welcoming, and loving to everyone – and hope that his education reflects those same values of basic human dignity and decency. The fact that this is somehow a controversial or ‘hot-button issue’ is not just alarming, it’s deeply saddening. Families like mine deserve to be included and represented in our classrooms and our school events. My child should not be educated to be ashamed of his mothers. I am not a threat to anyone by loving my family.”

LGBTQ caucus member Senator Caroline Menjivar (D- San Fernando Valley) condemned the violence and

“As a lesbian and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a strong advocate for inclusivity, I believe it is crucial to foster an environment where all students feel accepted and celebrated,” stated Menjivar. “I commend Saticoy Elementary for taking the initiative to organize a Pride event.

Such inclusive programming “is vital,” added Menjivar, “in promoting a positive and respectful school culture, one that embraces differences and encourages students to appreciate the identities of each other and their families. By recognizing and celebrating LGBTQ+ identities, the school is setting a shining example of acceptance and understanding for all its students, staff, and parents.

Orange County

The same day as the Glendale melee, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 that the county – famous

Stephanie Camacho-Van Dyke, M.A., the director of advocacy and education for Orange County’s LGBTQ Center, told the B.A.R. that this comes in the context of the wider national backlash, stating “we condemn the actions that have taken place over the last year, where over 525 state bills have been introduced and 70 bills that attack LGBTQIA+ people have become law.”

“Earlier this week, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to remove all Pride flags, as well as non-governmental flags, from county buildings,” Camacho-Van Dyke wrote. “The timing was too coincidental. The fact that the decision was made during the beginning of Pride Month amid the relentless attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community is suspect. What does this message send to queer and trans students and youth? We cannot stand by while this happens.” t

Dancers impressed at Fantastic Field Day

Members of FACT/SF, a contemporary dance company in San Francisco, performed as part of the Presidio Tunnel Tops’ Fantastic Field Day June 11. The LGBTQ-themed event was part of the Queer Athletic Futurity and challenged how people look at conventional forms of athleticism. The Tunnel Tops, which opened last July, is a new attraction within the Presidio National Park.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Governor’s

Matthew S. Bajko

by David-Elijah Nahmod

On June 17, the sixth local incarnation of “Broadway Bares” strips its way into the DNA Lounge. “Broadway Bares/San Francisco Strips VI: ChampionStrips” will raise critical funds for the Richmond Ermet Aid Foun-

dation while also promising a rollicking good time not only for the audience, but for the performers.

Proceeds from “Broadway Bares/SF Strips VI will benefit Project Open Hand, which, since the 1980s, has provided free meals for people with AIDS, for people who are critically ill with other diseases, and for seniors. Proceeds will also benefit Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, a New

York based organization that supports charities such as the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and HIV/AIDS Initiative.

REAF was founded in 1995 in honor of two women who had lost their only sons to AIDS. The organization stages a variety of performing arts events throughout the year that raise critical funds for a myriad of non-profits and local charities.

“Fewer causes are more aligned with our community than these,” said Deb Leamy, this year’s director of “Broadway Bares,” in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “Each performer in the show has either been personally affected by or has a close friend or relative who’s

by Brian Bromberger

Looking through this year’s Frameline film selections, a majority of the films focus on young adult LGBTQ people and their concerns. Out of 71 films (not including shorts or screenings of older movies), about 21 could generously classify as featuring characters or issues over 35, with the remaining 50 in the teensto-35 category.

Director of Programming Allegra Madsen was asked if this was deliberate or, being the top films available this year, they just happened to focus on a younger age range.

“Each year at Frameline I aim to create a program that is an accurate representation of modern queer cinematic production,” said Madsen. “My goal is to showcase the diversity of the queer experience through film. Frameline47 is no different We want our audience to be a diverse as possible, particularly at this moment when queer person-

hood is under attack. Because of all this, we need to be in conversation with one another and have an understanding of all of our stories.”

This doesn’t really answer the question, but clearly the programming this year is skewered to younger queers in the hopes they will attend and become regular future Frameline audiences. There’s nothing wrong with this per se, though the conversation and multiplicity Madsden is seeking might be more effective if the program was more age-diverse as it’s been in the past.

In the Canadian “Golden Delicious” we have yet another coming out/coming-of-age drama which should inspire yawns, yet surprisingly has a few new spins on this clichéd genre and a winning performance from Cardi Wong as Jake. He’s a closeted Chinese Canadian teen trying to figure out who he is and what he wants as he enters his senior year at high school. He’s being pressured by his father, a former basketball star, to play on

‘Golden Delicious’

the team, when his real interest lies in photography.

His girlfriend Valerie wants them to lose their virginity together, like now. Meanwhile, a new family moves in next door, including Aleks (Chris Carson) the handsome openly gay basketball player also in his senior year. And guess what? Jake is suddenly interested now in playing on that team.

All this angst is complicated by Jake’s parents’ failing marriage and Jake’s sister desire to enter culinary school in spite of her mother’s opposition, as she’s fed up working at the family’s Chinese restaurant. In spite of this melodrama it succeeds, mainly due to the believable hot chemistry between Jake and Aleks. Also there are scant gay films featuring Asian American actors and even fewer movies about sports figures coming out, plus the added bonus of social media’s often pernicious role in teen’s lives. It’s a rather delightful surprise not to be missed, about following your dreams and being true to yourself.

Emotional upheaval follows a couple after the child they had fostered for a year must be returned to the birth mother in “The Mattachine Family.” The two men are pulled in different directions, with Oscar (Juan Pablo Di Pace) throwing himself into work after his long-stagnant acting career takes off, traveling to Michigan to film a TV show. Meanwhile, photographer Thomas (Nico Tortorella) feels emotionally lost and seems to want to parent a child as he revaluates his life in a journey of self-discovery.

His best friend Leah (Emily Hampshire, “Schitt’s Creek”) and her wife

are trying to conceive through IVF. Based on director Andy Vallentine’s and husband co-writer Danny Vallentine’s own experiences, it explores what happens when one member of a couple wants a child and the other partner does not.

It’s a very relevant examination of how same-sex families must navigate nontraditional means of securing a child, whether it be surrogacy, adoption, or medical procedures. While the ending seems foreordained, the story is compassionately and even-handedly told, buttressed by a terrific performance from Tortorella and the alwayswelcome presence of Hampshire.

A hectic day with resurrected ghosts from his past characterize LatinX trans man Fena (Lio Mehiel) living in New York City, as he tries to rekindle old relationships following his gender transitioning in “Mutt.”

His ex-boyfriend John (Cole Doman) can’t quite accept Fena’s change but still wants to have sex with him. His half-sister Zoe, on a truant day from school, helps Fena come to terms with their mother who kicked Fena out of the house while transitioning.

Finally, Fena must his retrieve Chilean father at the airport (he hasn’t seen Fena since the change) as he attempts to renew his visa and deal with their unresolved feelings.

Shot in a cinema verité style, the film manages to showcase with authenticity the way trans people have to juggle their lives to deal with varying reactions to their transition. The film wouldn’t be as effective (with its cumbersome plot contrivances) and poignant if not for the emotionally honest, raw, passionate performance of Mehiel, who is relatable in all his pain and the obstacles life throws at him.

If you thought Caitlin Jenner had a media firestorm when she transitioned, her trials seem like a cakewalk compared to Ruzgar Erkoclar, the former Turkish actress and model who transitioned and was outed by the media, as recounted in the documentary “Blue ID.”

The film opens in 2012 with a beaming Ruzgar receiving his first testosterone injection, followed by other milestones such as top surgery, with his parents mystified but supportive, while he now works at a bakery. However, once the media trumpets his transition in front-page tabloid-like headlines, his life becomes a living hell in transphobic Turkey.

It complicates his decision to change the sex markers on his ID, with females IDs pink and male ones blue, hence the title. This involves a court case that took years to resolve. It also shows Ruzgar trying to reenter his professions, post-transition. The film at times resembles home movies, complete with phone videos. But we can only root for Ruzgar as he must deal with frustration, death threats, humiliation, endless waiting, with courage and patience, which is not to say the frenzied scandal doesn’t take an emotional toll. Draggy in spots, but overall you will be applauding Ruzgar as he walks on the runway in the final scene.

It all starts at a swimming pool in 1987 El Paso, Texas when quiet Aristotle/Ari (Max Pelayo) meets the extroverted Dante (Reese Gonzales) who wind up teaching him to swim in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” based on the acclaimed Young Adult novel by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

Both teens are Mexican Americans who bond over their classical names and become inseparable that summer. Dante informs Ari he and his family are moving to Chicago where his father will be teaching, but before leaving, he tells Ari he loves him, which annoys Ari. They keep in touch via letters, eventually Dante revealing to Ari he’s gay, while Ari falls in love with a girl from school.

The next summer Dante kisses Ari, who doesn’t seem to reciprocate, or does he? This hedging indirectly leads to a potentially horrific hate crime. These romantic feelings get tangled up in issues of racial identity and family dynamics as Ari seeks to answer why his older brother landed in prison, which his parents refuse to discuss.

The austere Texas cinematography features into the stark drama. It’s very

good but could have been great if the film had explored each of the two main characters separately instead of entangling from the very start. Like the book, this movie will probably be treasured by queer teens.

A compassionate nuanced profile of an overweight teen boy trying to sort out his sexuality is featured in “Big Boys.” 14-year-old Jamie (Isaac Krasner), who’s hero is the late chef Anthony Bourdain, is going on a camping trip with his obnoxious brother Will and favorite cousin Allie. To Jamie’s consternation, Allie brings along her new boyfriend. However, he finds himself increasingly attracted to the affable muscular guy, even fantasizing romantic dinners with him.

Will encourages Jamie to hook up with one of the nearby female campers (“You’re 14, you need to get some ass”) and in one hilarious scene he pretends to be drunk to fend off an invitation to do precisely that. What’s welcome here is a portrait of a gay teen who is not supermodel-beautiful and is trying to deal with his confusing feelings. Affectionate, sympathetic, and subtle, though the latter might contribute to some teens missing the message, still it’s a pleasant low-budget festival welcome addition.

“If a fish gets trapped in ice, it doesn’t come back to life. It dies,” is the principal metaphor about freedom underlying the captivating Belgian/French narrative, “The Lost Boys.” Teen Joe (Khalil Gharbia) is excited about his imminent release from what’s really a juvenile delinquent correctional facility, but he’s floored when newcomer William (Julien de Saint Jean, also in the festival’s “Lie with Me”) appears in an adjacent cell and is immediately smitten in scenes of smoldering passion. The scene where William gives Joe a tattoo is a scorcher.

When Joe is released, they must redefine their relationship and a rocky road lies ahead, as the interplay between freedom and desire takes precedence. This sensuous film is to be applauded for approaching a subject often taboo in American films. It would have been even stronger if the audience had been given some clues as to the background of both characters and why they landed in the facility. The score by French-Lebanese musician Bachar Mar-Khalife is perfect in this minimalist but still very powerful effort with sexy undertones that unexpectedly ignite.

Based on the magnificent Philippe Besson novel of the same name, the French drama “Lie With Me” concerns a writer coming to terms with his past. Celebrated author Stephane Belcourt (Guillaume de Tonquedec) is set to deliver the local cognac maker’s bicentennial address in a return to his small hometown. Potent memories bring him back to 1984 when at 17 he encountered his first love with Thomas a jock classmate.

In order for the affair to continue Thomas forces Stephane to keep it a secret, hence the double-entendre title. On his trip, Stephane meets Lucas (Victor Belmondo) who turns out to be Thomas’ adult son. Stephane has many questions for Lucas about what happened to his father and he will eventually learn Thomas’s sad fate.

The flashback scenes are achingly beautiful with Jeremy Gillet as the young Stephane and especially Julien De Saint Jean as the young Thomas. The film skillfully delves into the devastating impact of shame and internalized homophobia, but it’s also a paen to the power of writing, claiming we always write to someone, to make them present again, to give back what they gave to us.

Tonquedec is magnificent in expressing all the ambivalence and regret of someone reluctant to face the truth in his life, but through the healing power of insight learns to become a more integrated person. The stunning, sexy “Lie With Me” is our favorite narrative film of Frameline47.

Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Makoto Takayama, Japan’s Egoist” is an incisive character study that is somewhat groundbreaking because it presents queer characters as normal, not obsessed with sex. Japan is currently debating same-sex marriage, a contentious issue in this culturally conservative country.

Stylish gay fashion magazine editor Kosuke (Ryohei Suzuki) seems to have it all, but hires a younger personal trainer Ryuta (Hio Miyazawa) with whom he becomes infatuated. He employs him to become his lover, essentially a paid prostitute. Ryuta abruptly breaks off the relationship, confessing he’s been a sex worker for years. Kosuke suggests a monthly stipend so Ryuta can quit his “profession” and use the money to help his elderly ailing mother.

Ryuta reluctantly accepts and the

Left: ‘Blue ID’ Middle: ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ Right: ‘Big Boys’

Left: ‘The Lost Boys’ Right: ‘Lie With Me’

been affected by HIV and AIDS. We also have a senior in our lives and someone who’s been recently struck with severe illness. It gives all of us a sense of purpose knowing that the money raised is actually going to help someone, or to make their day or week or month a little bit easier than the month previous.”

Along with buying tickets to the show, donors can also donate to specific performers’ fundraising efforts on the event website, www.giveoutday. org/event/Bares-A-Thon-2023.

<< Frameline

From page 18

couple spend much time together in the presence of his mother (Sawako Agawa). Then the film takes a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction, reminiscent of the beautiful Asianinspired film “Lilting.” We won’t spoil the plots denouement. This is a lovely sensitive examination not only of financial disparity in a relationship, but the transformational power of love, as Kosuke becomes more compassionate, less cocky and self-centered.

Since there are few out Japanese actors, straight actors play the leads. I didn’t really believe Suzuki as a gay man, but he atones marvelously in the second half when he’s forced to reconcile the character’s rocky past with his own mother who died when he was 14.

Singing & Skivvies

One “Broadway Bares” performer who’s had a relative affected by HIV is singer Iris Vazquez, who will be performing the show’s opening number.

“Being asked to be a part of this show is a huge honor,” Vazquez said. “I have very fond memories as a child of my youngest uncle, Placido, who lived in San Francisco in the late ’70s and early ’80s. While in San Francisco, he learned how to love and embrace himself, paving the way for many like him to come. Sadly, my uncle left this earth young due to HIV. This show is an opportunity for me to perform in his honor and give back that same love he instilled in me.”

Leamy told us that the theme of the show will be sports and championship events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series, World Chess, and NBA Championships.

“Pure fun,” she said. “Nothing unites people more in this country than watching a match or a game.

Leamy promises that the show will feature pom-poms, fabulous dance moves, beautiful people, and lots of balls! There may even be a little skin, so those under 21 years of age will have to stay at home.

Some of the skin may be coming from performer Nick Cearley of the scantily-clad musical duo The Skivvies. Cearley tells the B.A.R. that he’s part of the show’s plot.

“My character and my onstage sister get lost in the world of sports….ness,” Cearley said. “And then of course cha-

os, hilarity and debauchery ensues.”

Cearley is a long time fan of “Broadway Bares,” a show he describes as campy, musical, tongue in cheek, and with amazing dancing. It’s everything he loves about life.

“The first time I saw a ‘Broadway Bares,’ it followed an innocent couple through their sexual awakening journey,” he recalled. “And by the end they had their worlds rocked and they joined in on the naughtiness, like ‘Rocky Horror.’ Anything that involves that kind of theatricality is my bat-signal.”

Leamy wanted to be a part of this show because she felt like it didn’t exist before. Being part of helping to mold each year’s show and seeing it grow in production values has been quite rewarding for her.

“A true passion project creatively and artistically that actually also does some good,” she said. “What’s more satisfying than that?”

“Every contribution to REAF, no matter the amount, helps to provide essential support to many disenfranchised communities here in San Francisco,” added Vazquez. “Our collective support can truly make an impact in helping our communities live a life of wellness. Please support us and help us to provide healthy living for all.”

‘Broadway Bares/San Francisco

Strips VI: ChampionStrips,’ June 17, 6pm and 9pm, DNA Lounge, 375 11th St. $49-$100. reaf-sf.org/ broadway-bares-sf-championstrips.html

Miyazawa is more convincingly gay and adds vibrancy to the proceedings, but alas his Ryuta is not as well-developed as Kosuke. Agawa is sensational and overall this is a tender, heartbreaking film that despite these minor quibbles, is my second favorite narrative in the festival.

Yet another portrait of grief, “Winter Boy,” from France, centers on gay teen Lucas (Paul Kirchner), his mother Isabelle (Juliette Binoche), and older brother Quentin (Vincent Lacoste) as they cope with the death of the father in a car accident.

Lucas’ gayness is not an issue and he’s thoroughly accepted by his family. The film is more about confusion and loss.

To deal with his bereavement, he tags along with Quentin to Paris for a week, where the wayward Lucas predictably gets into trouble, including a failed at-

tempt to become a rent boy. He’s infatuated with Quentin’s roommate Lilio, who moonlights as a prostitute, yet acts as a father figure towards him.

Lucas gratuitously addresses the camera directly to reveal his inner thoughts (a recent cinema cliché) that over time becomes annoying and tiresome as well as self overdramatizing. The death of his father is cataclysmic, but we learn virtually nothing about their relationship, not even in flashbacks.

Binoche is incapable of giving a bad performance and is exceptional, but she’s given little screen time and is missed when off-camera. Kirchner is fine, but the character is flighty, unsentimental, cloying at times. Still it all feels real, even the clumsy family dynamics. While worth seeing, it should grab us emotionally more than it does.t

Singer Iris Vazquez

Left: Nick Cearley of The Skivvies

Right: Performers in ‘Broadway Bares/San Francisco Strips IV, Fairy Tales’ in 2022

<< Broadway Bares

Left: ‘Egoist’ Right: ‘Winter Boy’

Director Lear deBessonet on ‘Into the Woods’ t

by Jim Gladstone

“Youneed to use your time machine to understand why we chose to do ‘Into the Woods,’” explained Lear deBessonet, who directed the new production of the 1987 musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine that will play a limited engagement at the Curran Theater next week.

“The decision was made in the very early days of the pandemic,” said deBessonet, 42. In 2019, she was named Artistic Director of the Encores! series at New York’s City Center, which over three decades has built a reputation for presenting short runs of infrequently (or never) revived Broadway musicals.

Often, these older, lesser known shows have admirable scores but dated scripts that feel disconnected from contemporary attitudes about gender, race or class. (“L’il

“Grand Hotel”).

But “Into the Woods” not only has a book that avoids those issues, it’s also hardly obscure, with a fairly prominent place in public consciousness as far as musicals go. It’s been revived on Broadway, at the Hollywood Bowl and Central Park; adapted for a Disney movie; and is widely produced by schools and regional theaters. A touring production played the Golden Gate Theater in 2017.

For deBessonet, though, turning to “Into the Woods” was not just about the revival of a particular show, but of a spirit and a belief system.

“We were just two months into the pandemic and it was killing people in the theater community,” she recalled in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

“The very act of gathering, which is part of theater’s essence, had become toxic. People weren’t able to be togeth-

er and we really didn’t know when that might resume.”

Grimm times

‘Into the Woods’– which cleverly interweaves and reframes the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales – is often discussed as an examination of parent-child relationships (in no small part due to its bedtime story source material). But deBessonet was also attracted to the way the show reaches beyond the dynamics of individual families to address the family of mankind.

“Thematically,” deBessonet explained, “the story is about a group of people who go from wanting things for themselves individually to realizing that our very survival as a species is about figuring out how to become a ‘We,’ about how we are inseparably tied to each other through all of our hopes and fears.”

The musical opens with self-cen-

Q-Music: solos and sides

tered characters individually singing the words, “I wish...” but concludes with a harmonized one-two emotional punch of collective realization in the present “No One Is Alone,” and generational admonition for the future in “Children Will Listen.”

“I just felt like whenever people were able to be together again this was the show we should do,” said deBessonet.

Indeed, when the show arrived to mark the post-pandemic return of City Center Encores last May, it was rapturously received by both audiences and critics. It quickly transferred to Broadway and now comes to the Curran as part of a ten-city national tour.

More than a year after deBessonet’s “Into the Woods” debuted, the pandemic may have receded in public consciousness. But I’d contest her explanation that one needs to travel

backwards in a time machine to appreciate her decision to once again present this oft-revived show.

While we seem to have pandemic variants under control for the moment, so many strains of social unrest that have emerged over the past tumultuous decade remain with us.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the rampant sexism laid bare by the #MeToo movement, the resurgence of White Supremacy and the war in Ukraine, deBessonet’s take on this particular show remains utterly of the moment.

Beneath its fairy tale accessibility and musical charms, it delivers an urgent plea for selflessness and community. We’re not out of the woods yet.t

‘Into the Woods,’ June 20-25. $60-$329 at the Curran Theatre. 445 Geary St. (415) 358-1220. www.broadwaysf.com

by Gregg Shapiro

Simon & Garfunkel, the legendary duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, only released five studio albums over the course of their brief musical partnership, but what unfor-

gettable music they made together. Both men embarked on solo careers in the early 1970s, with Simon outnumbering Garfunkel’s studio recordings, and surpassing him in accolades with four Grammys (two for “Still Crazy After All These Years” and two for

“Graceland”) to his credit.

“Seven Psalms” (Owl Records/ Sony) is Simon’s first album of new material in seven years (on 2018’s “In The Blue Light,” Simon revisited 10 songs of his he considered underappreciated).

At almost 82, Simon’s voice is showing some signs of wear, but his songwriting chops are still sharp. The seven songs, presented as one long suite without separation, feature Bob Dylanesque philosophizing with a touch of David Byrne language play. As serious as Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker” album, “Seven Psalms” is a meditation on forgiveness, love, doubt, refugees, the environment, heaven, and a higher power. “The Sacred Harp,” a duet with his wife Edie Brickell, is a particular standout.

During her time as lead vocalist with 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant recorded four major-label studio albums with the band (including 1987’s brilliant “In My Tribe”) before departing to become a solo artist. Her eight solo albums, including 2015’s “Paradise Is There,” on which she, like Paul Simon, revisited earlier material, all reinforce her singular talent.

“Keep Your Courage” (Nonesuch), Merchant’s first solo album since her eponymous 2014 release, was created during the pandemic, and is, in her own words, “an album about the human heart…that has come to represent not only our source of life but also of feeling.”

This theme of resilience gives the al-

bum an atmosphere of strength, reinforced by the image of Joan of Arc on the cover. Once again drawing on talented guest vocalists, the album opens with a pair of duets – “Big Girls” and “Come On, Aphrodite” – featuring Abena Koomson-Davis. “Sister Tilly,” an amalgam of strong women from Merchant’s life is a magnificent miniepic. Other stunning selections include “Guardian Angel,” the love song to Walt Whitman “Song of Himself,” a cover of “Hunting the Wren,” and the brassy “Tower of Babel.”

Natalie Merchant performs September 26, 8pm at The Masonic, 1111 California St. $59-$95. livenation.com

Whether performing with his trio, Ben Folds Five, collaborating with Nick Hornby (2010’S “Lonely Avenue”), Music and Nashville Symphony (2015’s “So There”), or going solo, Ben Folds’ name has always been front and center. “What Matters Most” (New West), bears Folds’ moniker but it’s really a collaboration with Boston duo Tall Heights, who play on the album, and co-wrote the song “Moments.” Folds, good at playing well with others continues to perfect his brand of piano-driven pop, alternately snarky (“Exhausting Lover,” and the political “Kristine From the 7th Grade” and “But Wait, There’s More”) and touching (“Fragile,” “Back to Anonymous,” the title cut), enhanced by strings and synths.

Ben Folds performs Aug. 17, 8pm at the Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $55-$90. thefoxoakland.com

For her solo albums, including “Manzanita” (Hardly Art), Shana

Cleveland, of the all-female quartet La Luz, focuses attention on the indie folk aspect of her musical personality. The interplay between Cleveland’s lovely vocals and guitar playing and Will Sprott’s synthesizer work give songs such as “Faces In the Firelight,” “Mystic Mine,” “Evil Eye,” “Babe,” and the light twang of “Gold Tower” and “Walking Through the Morning Dew,” a timeless retro quality. This album sounds like it could be from 2023 or 1973, and that’s meant as a compliment.

Shana Cleveland performs July 18 at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission St. $15-$20. brickandmortarmusic.com

As indie supergroups go, The No Ones are super-duper. The line-up consists of Peter Buck (R.E.M., Minus 5, Filthy Friends, and others), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5, Filthy Friends, and others), and I Was A King’s Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen and Frode Strømstad.

In addition to the core group, “helpful friends” such as Debbi Peterson (The Bangles), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service), and out musician Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven), all help to raise the star quality of the project. “My Best Evil Friend” (Yep Roc), The No Ones’ sophomore effort is a 21st-century power pop update containing strong numbers including “Phil Ochs Is Dead,” “KLIV,” the George Harrison tribute “George (Song for),” “Throwdown in Whispertown,” “Cameo Parkway,” and “The After Party.”t

Abner,” “Big River,”

Let’s talk cannabis.

Left: Stephanie J. Block, Sebastian Arcelus, and Katy Geraghty and Middle: Montego Glover as the Witch in ‘Into the Woods’ Right: The company of ‘Into the Woods’

All photos: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

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Chanel Tilghman, Beth Wilmurt, and Courtney Walsh.

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Indictin’, enlighten

by Victoria A. Brownworth

Happy

Pride Indictment Month!

We won’t dwell on the Trump indictment news as it’s gonna be 24/7 forever, but Special Counsel Jack Smith, had been serving as the top prosecutor investigating war crimes in Kosovo in The Hague, is like the Marvel hero we didn’t know we needed. Amen and godspeed.

Maybe instead of calling Walt Nauta to move his boxes of purloined national secrets around (Trump really did treat him like a houseboy), Trump should have called on the Swedish Death Clean-

The Lavender Tube on the name games in politics and programs

ing folks. If you aren’t watching this fab queer straight-to-the-heart show I wrote about last time about, you should.

Pat

And as if the indictment news wasn’t a cool drink on a hot Pride day, Rev. Pat Robertson, who founded the Christian Coalition and ran for president in 1988, has died. Robertson was a vile homophobe who blamed gay people for 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and said gay men in San Francisco were deliberately infecting people with HIV via special rings that cut and infected

unsuspecting straight people during handshakes.

Robertson famously said the “feminist agenda” is “a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.”

May he roast in the fires of the medievalist hell he said gay people would be relegated to. Amen.

Janelle

From the slime to the sublime, Janelle Monáe is everywhere these days touting her new LP “The Age of Pleasure,” and we are so here for it. Monáe, who identifies as bi, pansexual and non-binary and uses she/ her and they/them pronouns, vows to fight anti-LGBTQ legislation saying, “I will never sit back and be silent.”

In April 2022, she came out publicly as non-binary on the Red Table Talk saying, “I’m nonbinary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely ... I feel like god [sic] is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or the ‘she.’ And if I am from God, I am everything.”

Monáe also said, “I feel my feminine energy, my masculine energy, and energy I can’t even explain.”

And we feel Monáe’s energy. Monáe, who won a Children’s and Family Emmy Award and has eight Grammy nominations, can be seen in a plethora of TV series for Pride viewing, including “Homecoming,” “Sex, Explained,” “We the People,” “Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer,” and “Electric Dreams.”

Elliot

If you missed ABC’s “Soul of a Nation: The Freedom to Exist with Elliot Page” because they forgot to promo it until a couple days before, you can watch it on Hulu. It’s so good, and Page is so good. The Pride month documentary is an in-depth look at the transgender community that includes an interview with Page and a report on how statewide bans across the country are impacting families and conversations in schools.

The “Umbrella Academy” star has been outspoken as he tours with his new memoir, “Pageboy,” which came out June 6. Page explained how he wanted to tell a trans person’s story in detail and in his own words. Page told ABC, “There’s no debate to trans people’s existence; full stop. It’s not a debate. We’re real. To debate our existence continuously over and over again, I think it’s appalling.”

Page, who came out as a trans man in 2020, discussed transphobia now rampant in the culture wars.

“I think this period of not just hate, of course, but misinformation or just blatant lies about LGTBQ+ lives, about our healthcare, it felt like the right time. Trans and queer stories are so often picked apart, or worse, universalized,” Page said.

He added, “The reality is, trans people disproportionately are unemployed, disproportionately experience homelessness. Trans women of color are being murdered. People are losing their healthcare or couldn’t access it.”

In “The Umbrella Academy’s” third

season, Page reintroduced his character Number Seven as Viktor Hargreeves, with the character transitioning just as the actor has.

Page said of the critical storyline in the beloved queer sci-fi series, “These scenes were resonating with [my experience], which was really incredible. We don’t see that when we’re not in control of our stories a lot of the time. So it felt really special.”

“The Umbrella Academy” seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix.

BeBe

OUTtv Proud, the FAST channel created by OUTtv, the world’s leading LGBTQ+ network and streaming service, and Fuse Media, the Latinoowned, multiplatform entertainment company, reveals its first-ever Pride Month programming throughout June 2023 at a time when anti-queer and anti-drag rhetoric is rising.

Cameroonian drag icon BeBe Zahara Benet and trans performer and activist Peppermint are among those sharing their personal challenges and triumphs in OUTtv Proud’s programming throughout June.

OUTtv Proud features more than 400 hours of content. Among the offerings are the award-winning documentary/bio pic “Being BeBe,” about the drag icon and her rise and the documentary film “Between the Shades,” looks at love through 360 degrees of parents, children and multiple generations in 50 conversations. Participants, representing a wide range of age groups, ethnicities and professions, are multi-gendered.

For the full Pride-ful schedule and how to access the programming, check out OUTtv Proud at OUTtv’s streaming platform, available at OUTtv.com and is available for iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Roku and on web browsers.

Louis, Ron

We’re not sure what this means, but it doesn’t seem good to us. A #MeToo documentary focused on Louis C.K., accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by multiple women comedians, including lesbian comic Tig Notaro, and a Vice report on Ron DeSantis, enemy of LGBTQ people everywhere, have both been shelved by Showtime. Why are we hiding the bad guys?

Nikki

Finally, for Pride Month, the GOP has ramped up their gay groomer/ radical gender ideology rhetoric via presidential town halls on CNN. While no one (except Republicans) complained about these in 2019 when there were 26 Democrats, Democrats are enraged about the same process now, with a Democratic incumbent and a slew of GOP hoping to unseat him. But we need to know how the enemy thinks. And make no mistake. These people, from the most extreme to the less extreme are targeting the LGBTQ community because it works for them.

We won’t spend too much time on these, but two you need to know about are former Vice President Mike Pence

and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Pence vows to return the GOP to its conservative pre-MAGA roots, while Haley is trying to lure suburbanites with her moderation of hot button “culture wars” rhetoric.

In her June 4 town hall, Haley was amazingly nuanced on abortion, but MAGA extremist on trans girls in sports, saying, “The idea that we have biological boys playing in girls’ sports; it is the women’s issue of our time.”

No, it’s not.

“How are we supposed to get our girls used to the fact that biological boys are in their locker room? And then they wonder why a third of our teenage girls seriously contemplated suicide last year,” Haley said. “We should be growing strong girls; confident girls.”

Linking trans girls in sports – there are fewer than 100 trans women athletes in the U.S.– to the post-pandemic spike in girls’ suicidal ideation is dangerously wrong.

Here’s what the CDC says. Girls are self-harming and suicidally depressed because they are under threat from discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, and sometimes because they are targeted for bullying for being lesbian, bi and queer.

Mike

If Haley was bad on this, Pence, whose anti-LGBTQ history is legendary, came out against anything gay and for state intervention to stop trans teens from getting gender affirming care. He told moderator Dana Bash when she pushed back on his claim that parents should have the last word in what happens in the classroom that parents don’t know what’s best when it comes to trans kids.

“When you’re talking about something that is absolutely transformational and has profound negative effects on people in the long-term,” Pence said, “before they had a surgical procedure. I would say, just wait.”

Pence repeatedly referred to “radical gender ideology,” a phrase used by the GOP and others who claims transgender identity is simply an ideological position. That false narrative and language also bolsters the claim by the right and others (like trans exclusionary radical feminists) there is an actual political and social movement that is attempting to convince young people to change their gender identities.

Pence said, “We’ve got to protect kids from making decisions that permanently alter their bodies. There’s a reason why you don’t let kids get a tattoo before they’re 18.”

When Bash asked what he would say to those who feel targeted by his stance, Pence said, “I’d put my arm around them and tell them I love ‘em, but [tell them] ‘Just wait.’”

Oy. There are now 11 Republicans in the race. We’ll keep you updated on what these town halls tell us about their positions on queer and trans people.

So for the naming and gaming, and the incitements and indictments du jour, you know you really must stay tuned t

Left to Right: Good riddance to Pat Robertson, and long live Janelle Monáe, Elliot Page, and BeBe Zahara Benet.

His lion eyes

by Tim Pfaff

There’s such sinewy, feral strength in the voice that powers Henry Hoke’s new novel, “Open Throat” (MCA/Farrar, Straus & Giroux) that the voices both promoting and commenting on it to date have not had to deploy the prevailing nostrum of the day, “genrebending.” The novel is sui generis, literally in a class of its own.

The unnamed firstperson narrator is a queer mountain lion living under the Hollywood sign in the hills of what they call “ellay.” This is no cuddly kitty, but our canny cougar is an engaging storyteller the reader is inclined to believe, if not rescue.

“Open Throat” is hardly the first work of fiction to view the human world through the eyes of an animal, nor the first to imply that animals are really better people than people. The cougar’s observations of human behavior are at once scathing and dismissive, but in no time the reader is solidly on the cougar’s side.

Pride of lion

What makes the novel work is that it hews more to the style of a fable than the strangely more limiting parable. The reader will, largely, relate to the animal’s horror at what man has made of his shared physical environment, but the harshest assessments are typically presented with a disarming charm.

Hoke leads with a sentence many another writer would die for.

“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might.”

The forces that drive the cat’s passage through the urban hellscape –insatiable hunger and unquenchable thirst– could hardly be more basic. Regarding the world with equal parts bafflement and harsh judgment, the beast experiences drought-stricken “ellay” as both predator and prey. Even their summary judgments are disarmingly simple. “I try to understand people but they make it hard.”

Hoke does not overwork his creature’s queerness. Even the most assiduous book-banners might have to have the sexuality issues pointed out to them. There are clear indications that the cougar is anatomically male; they have “dangling parts” like those of the man who pisses on them, initially unaware of the danger afoot. There’s an erotic component in sharing a meal with an accommodating fellow predator. The violence the cat sees in the world echoes the life-threatening violence of their own father.

The cat’s essential queerness allows them to regard examples of the same-sex rites they witness with a kind of knowing wonder. Fascination with two boys walking hand in hand comes with an unmistakable warmth. There’s something more sinister in the cat’s account of two men going into a cave together, having sex (perfectly told with the insights of a quadruped, which gets around the inherent traps of sex writing), and then leaving the cave separately. Outdoorsy gay men will understand.

Going out with pride

Modern-day perils

There’s tenderness in the cat’s protection of a group of otherwise homeless tent dwellers – “my people”–whose fragile existence is imperiled by a man-made fire. At the other extreme of the critter’s emotional arc is an obsession with a man assaulting a couple with a whip. The telling detail Hoke employs is the cat’s obsession with the bulging vein in the man’s neck, which infiltrates the whole novel and sets the stage for one last kill. The man with the thick neck is reduced in the final pages to the Open Throat of the title.

Much of what the lion sees reflects concerns of their human counterparts. At a time when smoke from the north looks to imperil all of the continental U.S., Hoke’s depictions of the real fires that menace the region are at the least disconcerting. It’s distressing when the lion quips “fire is the only future.”

A reader initially puzzled by the lion’s reference to the “long death” is struck by the eventual realization that it identifies the freeway. Similarly, there’s “green paper” for money (both what it can and cannot do for you).

When the lion overhears hikers speaking of scarcity, what he hears instead is “scare city.” “There’s something wrong with my ears,” they say. “I can’t shut them like I can my eyes.”

Is the apostrophe punctuation?

The novel unfolds in a fast-paced series of short chapters composed of sentences that seldom run to more than five lines. There is no capitalization, and the only punctuation mark used is the necessary apostrophe. Amazingly, that never becomes wearying. What the style permits is the occasionally blazing line: “The burn is behind me but the smoke is everywhere.”

The “wall of metal poles” points to the Los Angeles Zoo.

“I expect the animals I smell to be impaled here too…. alive this time not fake alive and dripping blood that I can lick and lick from the metal.”

The cumulative power of Hoke’s short sentence fragments makes for “paragraphs” as disturbing as these:

“I’ll show you a predator beyond a murky green pond that even I won’t drink from my nostrils catch an irresistible scent small and sick and afraid three of my favorite flavors.”

When the lion attracts the attention of an innocent young girl, she says “good morning heckit,” and they puzzle over the name she has given them.

“heckit

I’ll take it

I can’t tell her my real one my mother gave it to me when she first saw me lick blood off my lips it’s not made of noises a person can make.”

What makes the novel such a compelling read is precisely Hoke’s uncanny ability to conjure noises no person can make with customary words magically recombined.

“Open Throat” is Hoke’s first novel published by a major publisher, but it’s his fifth book. This being Pride Month and all, it seems only right to tip the hat to Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Its MCD division has led to the publication of several books, like this one by queer authors with singular visions that would otherwise not seen the light of day.t

‘Open Throat’ by Henry Hoke. MCA/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 161 pp., $25, www.fsgbooks.com

With so many LGBTQ events taking place, you might feel a bit of rainbow overload. But never fear. We’ve got arts and nightlife events carefully selected, so you can plan your gay agenda, every week on www.ebar.com.

Heather Cassell

Pals at The White Horse Bar

Author Henry Hoke