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Vol. 52 • No. 18 • May 5-11, 2022

Tax status leads to scrutiny of leather nonprofit by Eric Burkett

Justin is three years sober from G and meth. His photography, featured behind him, is on display at the Castro Country Club, a sober community gathering space in the heart of the Castro.

Meth without GHB is like ‘coffee without cream’ by Adam Echelman

ustin used to sell “Happy Meals” for $135: an ounce of G, an eighth of meth, and two to three Viagra. The meth pumps your brain with dopamine, the G makes you horny, and the Viagra allows you to stay erect. “It’s all the things that make you feel happy and loved and then also with the added boost so that you can perform,” said Justin, who asked that his last name not be published. For gay men in San Francisco, the “methamphetamine problem” is much more than a single drug. It’s about Gamma hydroxybutyrate, GHB or G, which is often used concurrently with meth, and it’s also about sexual and mental health. This trio — co-addiction, sex, and trauma — are fueling the demand for Happy Meals. “The majority of gay men I’ve worked with have also used G at least some point with the crystal [meth],” said Kevin Shone, the supervising substance use counselor with the UCSF Alliance Health Project. He has been working with meth users for over 20 years in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Because the high from meth is so extreme, he explained, many users experience a debilitating sense of depression that can last as long as a week. G then provides a brief respite during the comedown, distracting from the overwhelming side effects of meth. Sometimes, gay men will use both G and meth at the same time to heighten pleasure during sex. But G has a number of knock-offs like Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-Butanediol (BD/BDO), which can be more or less powerful and look the same. The science of dosing becomes especially precarious when the person using G is also high on meth. Shone recalled one patient who went home after a night of partying and started the water in his bathtub before taking a little more G. He passed out on the floor and woke up with an inch of water. “We, as a community, don’t recognize that this is almost a co-equal addiction,” said Justin, 41, who identifies as gay. After he was evicted from his longtime apartment in 2014, he felt directionless and began more regularly using drugs. G and meth became habitual

he San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance, serving as fiscal sponsor for the massively successful Queer Nightlife Fund that raised nearly $400,000 over 2020 and 2021 for LGBTQ folks thrown out of work by the COVID pandemic, may not have had its financial house in order when it told would-be donors their financial gifts were tax deductible. In March, 2020, following the collapse of the hospitality and nightlife industry because of the outbreak of COVID-19, several LGBTQ community leaders in San Francisco agreed to launch what would become the Queer Nightlight Fund, or QNF, in an effort to get money to hundreds of queer nightlife workers who were suddenly without jobs. The endeavor was incredibly successful, raising $399,641, which was dispersed in 511 grants through eight rounds of giving. Like COVID, the fundraising project went on much longer than originally anticipated. “When Phil Hammack [also known as Pup Turbo] first reached out to fellow community leaders in March 2020 concerned about

Rick Gerharter

The San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance is being scrutinized over its tax-exempt status.

the future of local queer nightlife workers, the steering committee and QNF nonprofit that resulted had no idea we’d still need to be around for so long,” according to QNF’s website. “QNF thought perhaps after a few months passed things would return to nor-

mal. But the pandemic had other plans, and QNF remained committed to sustaining local queer nightlife by supporting its workers for 17 months.” Initially, the money raised was collected by San Francisco-based Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research, or CLEAR, a nonprofit social welfare organization that assists LGBTQ households, organizations, and communities with financial education and services. A 501(c)4, CLEAR was in a position to accept the funds, which it then transferred to the QNF through a common practice called fiscal sponsorship. “CLEAR’s role in supporting the QNF using our systems was always meant to be temporary until a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor could be identified,” Spencer Watson, president and executive director of CLEAR, wrote in an email to the Bay Area Reporter. The next group to align with QNF was Q Foundation, an organization that helps people with HIV/AIDS with housing, also served as an unofficial, temporary sponsor until the leather alliance took over. “They were very kind to be doing this for us but it was an overload for them,” said See page 10 >>

Matthew S. Bajko

Adam Echelman

At SF elementary school, LGBTQ pride is on the march Students at San Francisco’s George Peabody Elementary School marched in a Pride parade Friday, April 29.

by Matthew S. Bajko

ecked out in rainbow accessories roughly two-dozen George Peabody Elementary School students came together on the blacktop courtyard of their San Francisco public school for a flash mob performance to “LOVE” by Gianluca Vacchi and Sebastián Yatra. The 2018 song, sung partly in English and Spanish, includes the refrain, “We all need a / A little bit of love.”

Following the choreographed performance before the start of school Friday, the entire student body proceeded to march around the city block of its Inner Richmond neighborhood. Arranged by class, one first-grade teacher spelled out “l-o-v-e” with her students chanting back “spread love, spread love.” Greeting his pupils as they completed their loop back to the school was Principal Willem Vroegh wearing a rainbow sport coat and holding up a sign that read “Pea-

See page 16 >>

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body Pride.” He had decided to forgo the matching rainbow pants or else the entire ensemble would have been “too bright,” he joked with a colleague. “This is our first official Pride parade,” Vroegh, a straight ally who has overseen the school for 17 years, told the Bay Area Reporter. “During Pride Month we have talked about it in the classroom for many, many years, for as long as I could remember, but have never had something this big before.” See page 11 >>

<< Community News

t Mental health survey shows LGBTQ youth struggle 2 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

by Eric Burkett

survey just released by The Trevor Project, a national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth, revealed that little has changed since its previous study in 2021. Trans and queer youth are struggling with mental health issues and, in many cases, not finding the health services or support they need. Released May 4, the 2022 survey is the fourth documenting “the experiences of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 across the United States,” according to the nonprofit. Forty-five percent of respondents were youth of color and 48% described themselves as transgender or nonbinary. The Bay Area Reporter was given the results of the survey, conducted between September 20 and December 31, ahead of their official release. Among the key takeaways were that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Fewer than one in three transgender and nonbinary youth found their home to be gender-affirming. LGBTQ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support. Those who found their school to be LGBTQ-affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide. Sixty percent of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. LGBTQ youth who live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQ people reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide than those who do not. Whereas 45% of LGBQ youth seriously considered suicide, that figure was 8% higher for their transgender peers. Even more distressing is that 14% of LGBQ youth actually attempted suicide during the previous year, while 19% of their transgender

Courtesy The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project works with LGBTQ youth through various programs

peers did so, as well. Those figures were dramatically higher the younger the survey participants were. Fifty percent of LGBTQ youth between the ages of 13 and 17 considered suicide as opposed to 18% of youth ages 18-24. Thirty-seven percent of youth between 13 and 17 actually attempted suicide, as opposed to 8% of their 18-24 year old peers. “These data provide critical insights into some of the unique suicide risk factors faced by LGBTQ youth, top barriers to mental health care, and the negative impacts of COVID-19 and relentless anti-transgender legislation,” Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of The Trevor Project, stated in the report’s introduction. According to the 2021 survey conducted by The Trevor Project, which is based in West Hollywood, California, 42% of LGBTQ youth had seriously considered suicide. Nationwide, among youth in general, those figures are notably lower. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “18.8% of students nationwide reported seriously considered attempt-

ing suicide” in 2019. Collecting this data is important, advocates said. Local organizations LYRIC – formerly Lavender Youth Recreation Information Center – utilize these types of surveys as it tries to figure out where resources should be allocated, said Adam-Michael Royston, development and communications director for the 34-year-old organization located in San Francisco’s LGBTQ Castro neighborhood. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the demand for mental health services have more than tripled,” said Royston in a phone interview. The demand for those services means that LYRIC routinely has about 10 to 15 youth on a waiting list, he said, although the reopening of public schools in San Francisco last summer following the worst of the pandemic has alleviated the problem somewhat. The wait time overall is “generally short,” Royston said. Still, money only goes so far and organizations like LYRIC have to utilize what they have to best effect. “I think it shows that we have to have more resources for families of

trans and nonbinary youth,” said Royston, noting that LYRIC is in the beginning stages of conducting a needs assessment for LGBTQ youth in the nine-county Bay Area. “We want to go to youth and ask ‘what is your greatest need?’” Larkin Street Youth Services, which provides services for youth experiencing homelessness, including LGBTQ youth, also sees the data as a way to push for more resources for youth. “At Larkin Street, we know that racism, homophobia, and transphobia are major drivers of homelessness, and the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color among those who are experiencing homelessness is well documented,” Ilsa Lund, chief of strategy for Larkin Street, wrote in an email to the B.A.R. “The Trevor Project survey shows what a significant difference it can make in a young person’s life if they have access to LGBTQ-affirming support,” she added. “As the rights of LGBTQ+ youth are under attack by state legislation across the country, we take very seriously our responsibility to provide that support, and we hope that data like these will lead to increased resources for young people whose lives may depend on it.”

Accessing services

Another point highlighted by The Trevor Project survey is that among all LGBTQ youth, 82% wanted mental health care and 18% did not. Strikingly, 60% of all LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the last year were not able to get it. That includes nearly three in five transgender and nonbinary youth (58%) and more than three in five cisgender youth (62%). Some of the reasons cited for not being able to obtain mental health care included fear of discussing mental health concerns (48%); concerns with obtaining parental/caregiver

permission to do so (45%); fear of not being taken seriously (43%); and lack of affordability (41%). At the bottom of the list was the lack of parental/ caregiver permission (20%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey also found that when LGBTQ youth were able to find support at home or at school, they were far less inclined to consider suicide as an option. Only 37% of youth interviewed said they considered their homes to be LGBTQaffirming. Somewhat more encouraging is that 55% said they considered their schools to be supportive. In the cases of transgender and nonbinary youth, those figures were 32% and 51%, respectively. There is an issue with the survey itself. Paley wrote in the introduction to the survey that the lack of real sexual orientation and gender identity statistics hampers efforts to pull together hard statistics. “It’s essential to emphasize that we still do not have known counts or registries of the LGBTQ youth population,” stated Paley, “and comprehensive, intersectional data on LGBTQ youth mental health outcomes remain limited.” Nationally, there are really no reliable databases of LGBTQ statistics. Even here in California, efforts to collect such information are limited. That said, the survey offers a detailed look at the mental health of LGBTQ youth, particularly at a time when right-wing leaders seem more than happy to use them as punching bags to drum up money and votes among their voter base. Queer youth seeking assistance can contact The Trevor Project at www. thetrevorproject.org. To read the report, go to https://2022survey.thetrevorproject.org/ t

UNIT NO.

BEDROOM COUNT

BATH COUNT

SQUARE FEET

FLOOR #

MONTHLY HOA DUES W/O PARKING

PRICE W/O PARKING

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE INCOME LEVEL

203

1,052

$759.57

$402,447

100% of AMI

206

722

$686.36

$352,766

100% of AMI

304

612

$662.45

$293,814

100% of AMI

312

626

$667.19

$292,897

100% of AMI

403

1,052

$759.57

$402,447

100% of AMI

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<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

Volume 52, Number 18 May 5-11, 2022 www.ebar.com

PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003)

Endorsements for CA offices T

he Bay Area Reporter recommends the following candidates for statewide offices in the June 7 primary.

Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis

NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS & NIGHTLIFE EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Eric Burkett CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tavo Amador • Brian Bromberger Victoria A. Brownworth • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • John Ferrannini Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone Liz Highleyman •Brandon Judell • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • David Lamble David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith •Sari Staver • Charlie Wagner Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood

ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Rich Stadtmiller • Christopher Robledo • Fred Rowe Steven Underhill • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Christine Smith

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News Editor • news@ebar.com Arts Editor • arts@ebar.com Out & About listings • jim@ebar.com Advertising • scott@ebar.com Letters • letters@ebar.com Published weekly. Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter. Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation. Advertising rates available upon request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is confidential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

Governor: Gavin Newsom

Fresh off his resounding win in last year’s recall race, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is almost certainly going to win reelection to a second four-year term. For LGBTQ residents in the Golden State, that is a good thing. Newsom has consistently been a strong ally to the community, dating from his days as San Francisco mayor when he helped launch the nationwide fight for marriage equality by ordering city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As governor, Newsom has signed significant pro-LGBTQ bills into law. Last year these included bills requiring big stores to have gender-neutral toy aisles; allowing marriage and children’s birth certificates to be updated to reflect their legal name and gender in a way that protects their privacy; and requiring public colleges and universities to stop deadnaming trans and nonbinary students on their diplomas and academic records. Over his first term in office the governor also signed a controversial bill ensuring LGBTQ adolescents are treated the same as their heterosexual peers when faced with the possibility of being listed on the state’s sex offender registry. And there are many others. We expect his pro-LGBTQ stance to continue in his second term. But one piece of legislation that he hasn’t signed yet is an important one. Senate Bill 357, the Safer Streets for All Act, was delayed last year even though it passed out of the Legislature. Co-authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), it would repeal California Penal Code Section 653.22, the law that criminalizes loitering for the intent to engage in sex work. It also allows those convicted of loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, particularly the Black women and transgender individuals often targeted under the law, to have their records sealed. Wiener told us earlier this year the bill would head to Newsom’s desk “soon,” but that hasn’t happened yet, likely due to some concerns on the part of the governor. We urge him to sign this legislation. Newsom has governed well over these last four years. He instituted measures to help manage the COVID pandemic and has repeatedly stood up for California values and equality for all and confronted pushback from Republican governors like Ron DeSantis of Florida. He has appointed qualified LGBTQ people to various roles in his administration, including the courts, and has the state on the right track. We recommend Newsom for governor.

Eleni Kounalakis (D) has no strong opposition and should easily win reelection. She has been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community. Last fall she announced the formation of a transgender advisory panel. While that is a good thing, we haven’t heard much about its work since its formation. At the time there was no one from a San Francisco-based agency on it, which we opined about at the time. She also passed up a chance to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community when she declined to comment to us about top Hungarian diplomats who had their photo taken in San Francisco City Hall last August (she was the U.S. ambassador there during the Obama administration). That drew the ire of some Hungarian Americans and LGBTQ leaders because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long been on an anti-LGBTQ tirade that shows no signs of abating now that he’s won reelection. On the positive side, Kounalakis last year co-sponsored legislation that benefits the community. Assembly Bill 387, by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), eliminated gendered language referencing constitutional officers. Newsom signed it into law. We hope Kounalakis can be more proactive in terms of LGBTQ issues in her second term.

Controller: Ron Galperin

Ron Galperin (D) is a gay man who currently serves as controller and chief financial officer for the city of Los Angeles. He is a son of immigrants and was L.A.’s first citywide LGBTQ elected official. He stated in his endorsement questionnaire that he has transformed the office by “launching independent, hard-hitting audits – rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; exposing misspent funds to address homelessness.” He stated that California needs a controller “with the experience and credibility to safeguard the people’s dollars – and to strengthen the financial health of all Californians.” Another candidate in the race is Malia Cohen, a Democrat who is a former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco police commissioner, and currently chair of the Board of Equalization, the state’s tax administrative body. In her endorsement questionnaire she said she would direct state funds to be invested in resources that uplift historically marginalized communities and sustainable investment sectors. Cohen has been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community, but on balance, we think Galperin has more direct experience.

Insurance Commissioner: Marc Levine We wanted to recommend current Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara (D) for another term. A gay man, he was the first LGBTQ person to win election to statewide office four years ago and shattered that pink glass ceiling. But Lara has had a rocky tenure beset by ethical scandals dating back to 2019. He accepted industry campaign contributions in excess of $270,000 from 56 different sources with ties to the insurance industry and he has intervened in cases involving donors, as multiple news outlets have reported. Enter Marc Levine, a Democratic assemblymember who represents Marin and Sonoma counties in the North Bay. In his questionnaire, he stated that the current officeholder is “ethically compromised” and wrote that he would be an “activist insurance commissioner who will stand up against the insurance companies on behalf of Californians...” Notably, many of Levine’s constituents have been impacted by wildfires in recent years. Levine helped increase transparency on homeowners’ insurance, which is particularly critical for those living in areas vulnerable to wildfire, the website states. He ensured home-

owners are provided with timely estimates about their current property values so they don’t find out they are underinsured following a wildfire. Levine is a strong supporter of universal health care and a staunch advocate and leader on consumer protection legislation, he wrote. He has taken on Big Oil, the National Rifle Association, and other special interests. Lara has done some important work to help the LGBTQ community. He issued an order in support of trans youth accessing medical care (https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_ news//300626) and he worked with state Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) to adopt Senate Bill 1255, ending the practice of insurance companies discriminating against individuals because of their HIV status. He also imposed a one-year moratorium on insurers leaving wildfire prone areas. (https://www.ebar.com/news/ news//304497) But California deserves an insurance commissioner who is independent of the industry they regulate, and on that metric, Lara has not lived up to his pledges. We recommend Levine for insurance commissioner.

Secretary of State: Shirley Weber

Shirley Weber, Ph.D., a Democratic former assemblymember from San Diego, was named the state’s chief elections officer by Newsom last year after he appointed Alex Padilla, her predecessor, to the U.S. Senate to replace Kamala Harris when she assumed the vice presidency. In the Assembly, Weber worked on criminal justice reforms and has been a great ally to the LGBTQ community. As chair of the Assembly Black Caucus, Weber in 2020 joined with state Senator Scott Wiener in the successful effort to have Newsom posthumously pardon gay Black civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who had been arrested in Pasadena in 1953 on vagrancy charges. As secretary of state, Weber states on her campaign website that she is committed to making California the national leader in running inclusive, trustworthy, and transparent elections – expanding the franchise to more of our citizens, ensuring election security, and empowering voters to make informed decisions. We recommend Weber for a full term as secretary of state.

Treasurer: Fiona Ma

Fiona Ma, a Democrat and former San Francisco supervisor and assemblymember, is seeking reelection as the state’s treasurer, the state’s chief investment officer. She stated on her campaign website that in her first term, “we refinanced billions of dollars of bonds to save California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars that were reinvested back into critical public services.” She stated, “I will continue to invest California’s money in a socially responsible manner and ensure our state is on sound financial footing. I will continue to prioritize funding for health care, housing, jobs, the environment and our schools, while making it easier for Californians to afford college and retirement.” Ma, a certified public accountant, has no serious opposition in deep-blue California. One cause for concern, however, is a lawsuit filed by a former staff member alleging wrongful termination. In the complaint, Judith Blackwell alleges sexual harassment. Other records obtained by the Sacramento Bee show that Ma regularly shared hotel rooms with staffers; she said it was to save the state money, other experts say it crossed an ethical line. Ma says the lawsuit claims are without merit. Ma has done a good job as treasurer but we hope that she will maintain clearer boundaries with her staff.

Board of Equalization District 2: Michela Alioto-Pier

A former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Michela Alioto-Pier has championed environmental and economic issues. California counties rely heavily on taxes collected through the Board of Equalization, the state’s tax administrative body. In her endorsement questionnaire, she told us that as a member of the Board of Equalization, she would work to make sure there is a fair tax system in place so that funds are appropriately collected. Taxes fund a variety of programs in the state, including affordable housing and other critical services. Alioto-Pier has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair. She stated that she has always fought for and represented the disabled community as a citizen, mother, and elected official. She has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of San Francisco. She has long been an ally to the LGBTQ community and we recommend her for the BOE position.

Politics >>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

Starbucks union organizer aims to be 1st CA nonbinary legislator

by Matthew S. Bajko

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Starbucks union organizer and UC Santa Cruz student aims to be California’s first nonbinary state legislator. But first Joe Thompson has to survive the June 7 primary race for the 28th Assembly District seat that straddles Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Thompson, 19, is one of three Democrats running for the open seat in addition to one Republican candidate. The leading contender who has racked up the broadest support among Democratic officials and liberal groups is former Santa Cruz County clerk Gail Pellerin, who retired in 2020. It is expected that Pellerin will be one of the top two vote-getters next month and advance to the general election in November. She would be the first woman elected to represent Santa Cruz in the Legislature. It remains to be seen if Thompson or fellow Democrat Rob Rennie, the mayor of Los Gatos, can grab the second spot. There is also the possibility of them splitting the rest of the Democratic vote enough to allow GOPer Liz Lawler, a Monte Sereno city councilmember, to survive the primary contest. Having raised little money for their campaign so far and lacking the name recognition of their opponents, Thompson is banking on their work to unionize the staff at the Starbucks where they work as a shift supervisor to provide a bump of media attention and public awareness about their candidacy just as ballots begin to drop next week in voters’ mailboxes. Wednesday, May 11, Thompson and their co-workers are expected to vote to form a union. “When you look at the numbers and look at the map, because no one knows who these people are when it comes down to it, I have a better shot than Rob and Liz because of Starbucks,” Thompson, who also identifies as gay, told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. The Assembly district, reconfigured due to the decennial redrawing of California’s legislative seats, no longer includes Monterey or Prunedale. It runs from the Santa Cruz coastline and Big Basin State Park over the Santa Cruz Mountains into the Bay Area to cover Los Gatos, parts of southwestern San Jose, and Morgan Hill. The district is taking the number of the Silicon Valley-based Assembly District currently represented by gay

415.356.2260 kirk@yankeeclippertravel.com Courtesy Joe Thompson

Joe Thompson, left, met up with out professor and activist Angela Davis, Trent Willis, president of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10, and Kelly Kick, a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 5, at the May Day rally in San Francisco.

Assemblymember Evan Low (DCampbell). He is moving to run for reelection this year in the new Assembly District 26 seat and has yet to endorse in the AD 28 race.

Pellerin gets backing

A number of South Bay and Central Coast LGBTQ leaders are backing Pellerin in the race, including gay state Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Adam Spickler, a transgender man who serves on the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees in Santa Cruz. Wednesday the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, or BAYMEC, an LGBTQ political group that focuses on the South Bay and Central Coast, also endorsed Pellerin. Many LGBTQ leaders have known Pellerin due to her nearly three decades serving as county clerk and having been a strong backer of marriage rights for same-sex couples. “I have a 30-year relationship with Gail and have worked with her on voting rights issues. We were county employees together,” said Laird, who also has a photo of himself and his husband with Pellerin after she signed their marriage license in 2008. “For 15 years she was out there on marriage equality as county clerk.” Spickler recounted how he and his husband, who is also trans, had a photo taken in Pellerin’s office when she helped them re-register to vote with their updated genders on their forms. He had worked with her to put on

workshops to walk trans and nonbinary individuals through the process to file for name and gender changes on their government-issued IDs and other forms. “She has really helped people,” said Spickler. Laird and Spickler both told the B.A.R. they were unaware that Thompson identified as nonbinary and didn’t know them very well. Thompson doesn’t talk about being nonbinary on their campaign website, but their bio does use gender-neutral pronouns. Thompson also doesn’t address LGBTQ rights on the issues page of their website. (LINK: https://joeforassembly.org/issues) One needs to scroll all the way near the end of the page under the heading of “Reproductive Rights” to find a reference of Thompson being “a low-income LGBTQ+ person.” “I don’t want to make it the forefront of my campaign,” explained Thompson. “It is something I want to talk about.” Coincidentally, the day that the B.A.R. interviewed Thompson, their campaign had sent out an email to supporters with the subject line reading, “I’m a non-binary, plant lover, policy geek, Starbucks barista, and union organizer.” Within it the environmental policy major wrote about the difficulty they had when they came out of the closet as gay during their freshman year of high school. See page 6 >>

Letters >> Supports Parmer-Lohan for supe

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<< Commentary

6 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

The real groomers by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

n Watertown, South Dakota, on April 25, Calvin Hillesland, a German teacher at Watertown High School, handed letters to four trans and nonbinary students. The letters, shared widely on social media by at least two sources, begin as follows: “I am hoping that by now you know me well enough from class to be able to trust me. I respect you. I support you. I want what’s best for you. If there were a rattlesnake under a pile of leaves on the path in front of you, I’m hoping you could easily imagine that I would run out ahead of you to warn you. If your home were on fire, I’m hoping you could believe that I would try to help you get out.” As this point, the letter takes a turn. “That’s sort of what’s happening now. When you asked me to call your friends by masculine names and I started trying to do that, I was wrong. It was a lie. I didn’t warn you about the rattlesnake. I didn’t try to rescue you from your burning home. I hope you’ll forgive me – and I want to ‘turn things around’ now.

Political Notebook

From page 5

“Growing up in a household where my parents didn’t immediately accept me for being gay, I learned early on the importance of taking a stand for my liberal beliefs no matter the cost,”

And like I said – I’m hoping you’ll trust me. I realize that what you feel is saying something totally different. But feelings are like a mirage. You don’t dare trust in them to guide you. They’re not an accurate reflection of reality. So what is the reality? What is the truth? How can you know the truth for certain? Well, biologically, every cell in your body is (female symbol) – female – feminine. That’s the bilogical (sic) truth. The same is true for your friends. And it’s the truth that I want to encourage you to pursue. That’s what a good teacher does, right?” The letter closed by promising a DVD that “will explain everything more clearly than I can – the spiritual as well as the scientific facts” as well as a piece of candy, as “a symbol of the sweetness that I hope and pray you’ll discover.” A piece of chocolate was included with each, though the promised DVD was not. Hillesland has been teaching in the Watertown School District for more than a couple of decades, and was intending to retire at the end of this school year. He hasn’t been back to the school since word of the letters got out and parents complained, though a statement from the school district was inconclusive in regard to Hillesland’s tenure.

wrote Thompson, who came out as nonbinary after enrolling in college. Thompson told the B.A.R. they understand why LGBTQ electeds like Laird and Spickler have endorsed Pellerin, since they are closely acquainted. They were less forgiving of Equality California, the statewide LG-

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It is also unclear if anyone else, such as the school principal, was in any way aware of the letters before Hillesland handed them out. All of this is happening amid a multi-state push against transgender people, predominately focused on transgender youth. Thirty-two states have proposed scores of bills against transgender people this year. In Florida, their “Don’t Say Gay” bill has become law, prohibiting discussions of gay and trans identities in school thanks to deceptively broad wording. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott has weaponized the Lone Star State’s Department of Family and Protective Services against trans youth, likening trans care to child abuse. Oklahoma has passed a trans sports ban, but is gearing up to follow both Florida and Texas’ lead and pass even more restrictive bills. BTQ advocacy organization, for solely endorsing her in the race. “They could have chosen to do no endorsement or a dual endorsement,” said Thompson, who met with EQCA’s political action committee. “Just deciding to endorse Gail, I wouldn’t say it is a stab in the back, but it is not what LGBTQ organizations should be doing anytime when trans rights are persistently and relentlessly under attack.” Samuel Garrett-Pate, EQCA’s managing director of external affairs, did not respond to the B.A.R.’s request for comment by deadline Wednesday, nor did Pellerin. The organization often takes into account how much money a candidate has raised when assessing their viability. On that criteria Thompson acknowledged to the B.A.R. they fall flat, having raised roughly $15,000 to date. Their goal is to raise $150,000 by the end of May. “I was told funding is an issue,” said Thompson, who hopes to parley the successful unionization drive next week into an appeal for campaign donations.

Alabama, too, has made it a felony – punishable by up to 10 years in prison – to provide necessary care for transgender youth, leading the United States Department of Justice to file a complaint against Senate Bill 184. And, oddly, when people speak out against these bills, one term has come up time and again: those who support LGBTQ and, in particular, transgender people have been called “groomers.” It’s an interesting word choice, hearkening back to decadesold claims that gays have to recruit children, popularized by Anita Bryant and the late California state senator John Briggs during the push for the Proposition 6 ballot measure in 1978. It is notable, perhaps, that Prop 6, which failed, was seeking to remove gay and lesbian teachers – as well as their supporters – from being able to teach in California public schools. It followed similar bills in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Grooming, in this context, typically refers to seducing or luring a child into a sexually abusive situation, though it would seem that those using it to attack opponents of these anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans bills want to both keep the sinister aspect of the term while expanding the meaning to include those that might influence

someone to become LGBTQ. When I was a child, I was warned to avoid groomers, who might stop me alongside the road with promises to share a cute puppy with me, or ask for my help as some sort of clever ruse. Or, perhaps, they would offer me a candy as a way to gain my trust, such as a chocolate. Perhaps even the same way Hillesland, the German teacher at Watertown High School, chose to write a letter hoping that his students would know they could trust him, and offering them a piece of chocolate to help them “discover” their “sweetness.” It feels to me that we’re looking for the groomers in the wrong place. Such influencing is not what LGBTQ advocates are involved in. Frankly, someone cannot be “groomed” into being trans, nonbinary, gay, lesbian, or bisexual. LGBTQ people just exist, and one can help them have a successful, happy life – or you can be like Mr. Hillesland. t

Thompson grew up in the small city of Lincoln, north of Sacramento. Their parents divorced when they were in high school and decided it would be better for them to move to Argyle, Texas to live with their aunt and uncle. Within five days of graduating Thompson drove to Colorado to visit their sister then headed to Santa Cruz for college. They got a job as a barista at Starbucks and soon were organizing efforts to unionize the staff at the coffee chain’s locations across California. “We have the votes; we know we will win,” Thompson said of next week’s election at their store. The lack of support they have received from elected leaders for the union effort partly prompted Thompson to seek the Assembly seat. “Only a handful of elected officials, I would say, are true labor allies. I definitely think that needs to change,” said Thompson. “As someone who is nonbinary, gay, and young, we need someone who is going to shake up the political landscape.”

When Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Santa Cruz) decided not to seek reelection to the AD 28 seat, he gave a heads up to Pellerin, who was planning to run in 2024 when Stone would have termed out. His decision pushed back the filing deadline, leading Thompson to scramble to qualify for the race. Their mother and sister each gave $600 toward the $1,300 filing fee, with Thompson making up the rest. “It was one of my most expensive purchases this year,” Thompson noted. If they can survive the primary then Thompson plans to particularly target voters aged 18 to 36 years old and low-income residents of the district in the general election. They also plan to roll out a vigorous getout-the-vote effort over the summer while on college break. “I am young, I can knock on doors 12 hours a day if I want to,” they said. “I just need to beat Gail on the amount of people I talk to.”t

Gwen Smith would love to get her hands on a No on 6 button someday. You’ll find her at www. gwensmith.com

Haney takes his Assembly oath of office

Courtesy Twitter

ew San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney (D), center, was sworn into office May 3 by Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Los Angeles) as Haney’s mother, Kris Calvin, looks on. Haney won the runoff race April 19 to finish the term of former assemblymember David Chiu, who resigned last November to become San Francisco’s first Asian American city attorney. Haney, the former District 6 supervisor,

represents the 17th Assembly District (eastern half of San Francisco) and will be on the ballot in June and November as he seeks a full two-year term. Mayor London Breed is expected to soon name Haney’s successor to the Board of Supervisors. Haney tweeted that he’s “ready to work hard every day for the people of Assembly District 17.”

<< Community News

8 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

LGBTQ archive seeks adoptive donors for collections T

alya Sokoll, a high school librarian in Massachusetts, is now a proud adoptive caretaker of the José Sarria Papers archival collection maintained by the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco. She hopes to see the archive in person this summer when she vacations in the city. “To see archives associated with our queer ancestors is really valuable. There is so much we don’t know about because we don’t learn about it,” said Sokoll, 36, a queer Boston resident who works at a private school. “If you ask students about LGBT history, they know about Stonewall and that is it until we talk about other stuff.” In the fall Sokoll taught for the first time a queer history elective to eight students at her school. One of the people she discussed happened to be Sarria, a Latino Army veteran who died in 2013 at the age of 90 and was a legendary San Francisco-based drag queen. Sarria founded the Imperial Court in 1965 and grew it into an international philanthropic organization that crowns drag royals and others to carry on its mission. Sarria also made history with his 1961 ultimately unsuccessful bid for a seat on the San Fran-

cisco Board of Supervisors, as it was the first time an out gay person had sought elective office in the U.S. When the historical society sent out an email in April about launching its new “adopt a collection” program with Sarria’s papers listed among the 10 options, Sokoll jumped at the chance to do so. Not only does she benefit by purchasing a $120 membership with the historical society, which provides her free access to more than 1,000 partner museums throughout North and South America, Sokoll is also contributing toward the upkeep costs to maintain the Sarria archival materials. “I thought that is cool, as a librarian we are very adjacent to archives. I decided to become a member and support them from afar,” Sokoll told the Bay Area Reporter during a recent phone interview. A research friend in Seattle had initially connected her to the historical society as a resource for Sokoll to use as she developed the curriculum for her LGBT history class, which she plans to offer annually during the fall semester. She included a lesson about the B.A.R., which worked with the historical society and the Bob Ross Foundation, named after the newspa-

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A series of personal diaries written by transgender activist Lou Sullivan are part of the collections at the GLBT Historical Society. In this photo, Sullivan wrote, “Damn I’m going to be a gorgeous man,” at bottom, lower right.

per’s founding publisher, to digitize its old issues and make them accessible for anyone to read online. That project was completed in 2018. “The museum is obviously amazing, but there is something uniquely special about these archives,” said Sokoll. “I have a lot of feelings about archives in general as a librarian and how important they are. So much of LGBT history is not taught or erased, or taught through the lens of cisgender, heterosexual people.” Having virtual or in-person access directly to the personal papers, diaries, oral histories, and belongings of important LGBTQ figures is a special resource worthy of fiscal support, said Sokoll. She told the B.A.R. that she hopes other individuals will also see the merit of being adoptive donors for the 10 collections available for adoption. “This is an opportunity to learn more about LGBT history and in detail,” she said. “And to hear from people who lived it in their own words is really valuable.”

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The historical society is aiming to raise $10,000 in new funding over the next year via the adoption program. It would mark a roughly 20% increase from the $40,000 to $50,000 the nonprofit usually sees each year through its membership program. “But the bigger goal is really to give people a stronger connection to our archives,” historical society interim co-executive director Andrew Shaffer told the B.A.R. “The historical society is tasked with preserving these incredible historic artifacts, but in a very real sense their stories belong to the whole community. My hope is that people who adopt a collection come to feel a sense of connection and ownership of the material in our archives - and maybe even add their own collection someday.” The nonprofit spends $250,000 each year on supplies for its archives and to rent space on Market Street to house it. It is hopeful that the adoption program will become a successful way to raise enough money to not only cover those costs but also additional funds to further its archival work. “I’d love to see the adoption program grow to the point that it can sustain more of this budget, and help us expand our collections and digital resources,” said Shaffer. “I know there are lots more people out there who would love to support our work, so my hope is that this program can help us connect with them.” During much of the first two years of the COVID pandemic, the archive was closed not only to researchers and visitors but also to the historical society staff. They are now working through a backlog of archival materials that either have been waiting to be processed or were recently donated. Nine of the collections to be adopted were chosen because they need more extensive digitization work, explained Shaffer. The Vanguard Street Sweep Photos collection was digitized and posted online due to the finan-

cial support of private donors Zane Blaney and John Caldwell. “Much of our digitizing work is funded through grants and private donations, so we rarely have the opportunity to fully digitize an entire collection unless there’s dedicated funding for it,” Shaffer said. “Completely digitizing all 10 of these collections would cost tens of thousands of dollars, and we’re always on the lookout for donors who want to help us process and digitize our collections.” One collection that documents the life of an African American lesbian and army veteran who served in Germany during World War II, the Lorraine Hurdle Papers, is processed but needs remediation for cigarette smoke, Shaffer told the B.A.R. “It’s actually not uncommon for collections to come to us with physical damage, from smoke, mold, poor storage methods, or just the passage of time,” he noted. Both the collections for Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, the deceased pioneering lesbian couple, and the late gay artist Gilbert Baker are quite extensive and have yet to be fully processed, especially the most recent materials acquired by the historical society for them. “Processing is where our archivists sort through the boxes, describe them in a finding aid, and put them in a logical arrangement to make it easier for future researchers,” explained Shaffer. “This can be slow, tedious, and expensive work, but it significantly increases the lifespan and research value of the collections.” The Jiro Onuma Papers, about a gay Japanese American interned during World War II, was selected to highlight someone whose story remains obscure. “We picked it because we think he is somebody not enough people have heard about,” said Shaffer. “It is a unique story of a gay Japanese man interned during World War II and not a story many people have heard.” The Louis Graydon Sullivan Papers include a series of personal diaries written by the transgender activist, as the B.A.R. highlighted in 2019 during an LGBTQ History Month series about unique items held by the historical society in its archives. Sullivan, who died in 1991 at the age of 39 due to complications from AIDS, had published a book the year prior considered to be a seminal work about the unique experiences of trans men. Since the story ran, researchers transcribed and digitized all of Sullivan’s journals. The collection was selected for the adoption program as an example of how the historical society’s archival materials are utilized. “We can share with people that here are some books about him that came directly from our archive,” Shaffer said. A gay man hired to direct the society’s outreach, media, and fundraising programs, Shaffer had the idea to launch the adoption program after guiding one of the nonprofit’s board

Courtesy Andrew Shaffer

Andrew Shaffer is the interim co-executive director of the GLBT Historical Society.

members on a tour of the archives. He was struck by the emotional connection the person felt to the material. “He had been to the museum and understood that aspect to our work. But seeing him walk through the archives, a light bulb went off,” recalled Shaffer. “We have a lot of people who only ever experienced our work through the museum or events or online resources. They don’t know we have this treasure trove of resources sitting in a basement on Market Street.” At some point the historical society hopes to relocate the archives, which houses more than 1,000 individual collections, and its jewel-box of a museum on 18th Street in the heart of the Castro into one larger museum and archival center somewhere in the LGBTQ neighborhood. Mayor London Breed last year allocated $12 million toward the acquisition of a site, though no property has yet to be purchased. Should the adoption program prove successful, the historical society plans to feature 10 new collections each year in need of processing or some other preservation work. In addition to raising awareness about the selected collections, the historical society hopes to instill a closer connection and personal proprietorship over the materials in the adoptive donors. “We can’t sell off our collections or anything. This is a way to give people a sense of ‘This is my piece of the puzzle’ or ‘My piece of the collection,’ if you will,” Shaffer said. Students, seniors and people on low or fixed incomes can do so for as little as $35 a year. Others can adopt a collection beginning at the $70 associate membership level; each person will receive an adoption certificate. The historical society plans to send additional materials about the collections to each adoptive donor, such as a postcard featuring an image from the one they selected. Since the program was launched April 11, a number of people have already adopted the collections. “It is a great program everybody should join,” said Shaffer. t To learn more about the adoption program, visit https://www.glbthistory.org/adopt

Community News>>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

Pridefest Oakland details festival plans compiled by Cynthia Laird

ridefest Oakland organizers have released new information about their planned September 11 street festival, which replaces the previous event held by the Oakland Pride organization. As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, several LGBTQ leaders in the East Bay announced in February they would hold a festival in light of Oakland Pride’s implosion last year. A parade, however, is not planned for this year. Sean Sullivan, Pridefest board member and co-owner of the LGBTQ Port bar in Oakland, said that organizers have been lining up sponsors and finalizing other details. With a goal of keeping queer Oaklanders in the heart of the city, Pridefest will take place at 20th Street/Thomas L. Berkley Way from Broadway to Harrison Street and encompass parts of Snow Park and 19th Street, a news release stated. It is a different location than that of previous Oakland Pride festivals but mostly in the same general area. There will be three stages, each with diverse programming to reflect the entire queer community as opposed to gender- and ethnic-specific stages, according to the release. “Our goal is inclusion and we feel our committee, made up mostly of queer people of color, will help us achieve that for this year,” stated board member Christie James, who identifies as pansexual and bisexual and is the morning time DJ at 103.7 FM and past stage producer of last year’s Pridefest that took place on two blocks of Broadway near the Port bar. In addition to Sullivan and James, other Pridefest board members are: Michael Barajas from Gilead Sciences; Valentino Carrillo from Que Rico; Richard Fuentes, who is Sullivan’s partner, from BART; Nenna Joiner, owner of Feelmore Adult; Joe Hawkins, executive director of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center; Janelle Luster of TransVision; and Val Klein of iHeartMedia. Some of the organizers have worked with Oakland Pride in the past. Hawkins is a co-founder and past board member, while James managed the women’s stage from 2017-2020, the release stated. Sullivan told the B.A.R. in a Facebook message that festival admission is expected to be donation-based at the entry gates. “That will be settled during the summer,” he wrote. Oakland Pride charged $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under for the festival. Evolving information can be found at Pridefest’s website, https://pridefestoakland.com/, where organizations can sign up as sponsors, make donations, sign up for the mailing list, check for programming updates, and check out the ambitious footprint. James pointed out that the Get Involved button allows artists to sign up to be a performer. “In addition to bringing in some notable names for the LGBTQ community, we know we have incredibly talented QPOC right here in Oakland and the greater Bay Area,” James stated. “Sign up. Represent. Show us what you’ve got.”

Leather district celebrates anniversary

The San Francisco Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District will mark its fourth birthday with what it’s calling an “Audacious Anniversary” party Saturday, May 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Folsom

Giotographer/Pridefest Oakland

Oakland Pridefest was first held in September 2021 near The Port Bar in downtown Oakland.

Street Foundry, 1425 Folsom Street. A news release noted that the celebration will feature performances by the House of MORE!, The Rebel Kings, ambi-

ent suspension bondage by Shay Tiziano and Ivy Limieux, DJ Fawks, and demos by ONYX Northwest, The Exiles, The 15 Association, and Society of Janus. “We want to celebrate our anniversary by throwing a party for

our community, after spending so much time separated in the last two years,” stated Cal Callahan, district manager. There will be an inaugural Brazen Runway Strut your Smut. Fashionistas of leather, fetish gear,

and drag are invited to participate in a fun audience-choice fundraiser for the district. Treats will be provided by MamaBear’s Kitchen. The Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, created by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2018, is 22 city blocks in the western South of Market neighborhood that have been home to numerous leather and kink venues since the 1960s, as Bob Goldfarb, a former board president and now executive director of the district, wrote in a Guest Opinion piece in the B.A.R. last year. The other two LGBTQ cultural districts are the Transgender District in the Tenderloin and the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District in the city’s queer neighborhood. The release noted that applicable COVID precautions will be enforced. Attendees should bring proof of vaccination. Admission is free. This is a 21 and over event. For more information, check out the Bloom Community app at https://bit.ly/3LLIZ8F or the Facebook event page “Audacious Anniversary.” See page 11 >>

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<< Obituaries

10 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

David Forbes, a reverend and leatherman, dies by Eric Burkett

he Reverend Canon David R. Forbes, a leatherman, outdoorsman, and Episcopal priest loved as much for his compassion as his intellect, died at his home in Palm Springs, April 26, three days short of his 97th birthday. Born April 29, 1926, in Palo Alto, Reverend Forbes would “live a life of extraordinary service to the Episcopal Church, Episcopal schools, and their communities,” stated an obituary issued April 28 by Grace Cathedral, where he served on and off in numerous capacities for several decades. Remembered as the first Canon Precentor of the modern era, David was instrumental in the transformation of our liturgy, and the completion and consecration of Grace Cathedral in 1964,” according to the obituary. “He served as our vice dean from 1966 to 1972. David was the founding headmaster of the Cathedral School for Boys, a lifetime trustee of the school, as well as the founding headmaster of St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Oakland. We remember fondly his wisdom and generous presence, and willing participation in tasks great and small.” Reverend Forbes, who had been married and had children with his wife, came out later in life. But it was in coming out, and finding likeminded men who shared his interest in spirituality and leather, where he was able to practice a spirituality that brought those two aspects of his life together in a deeply meaningful way. In the late 1990s, Reverend Forbes joined the Defenders Leather Levi Club, an affiliate of the Catholic affinity group, Integrity, geared toward men who wanted to bring their sexual and spiritual lives together. Although a Protestant, he eventually became chaplain of the San Francisco chapter.

Courtesy GoFundMe

The Reverend Canon David Forbes

It was there he met many of the men with whom he would go on to forge deep friendships, such as Guerneville resident Mario Torrigino. “David was a very centering energy for me,” said Torrigino in a phone interview. “Those days I was out slaying dragons every day. That’s what I did as an attorney. I was a heavy, and I was doing a lot more heavy litigation. That’s why I found it beneficial when David would lead the discussion at our meeting. It would take me out of my head and bring me back to the room. That had been a common thread throughout our relationship for 25 years. “He knew what I did for a living and he could help me get out of the mindset,” Torrigino continued. “The remnant of an argument that your mind rehashes in your head afterward can interfere with your being present. I always trusted David to respect me and take me into the present. That’s a funny thing but that’s true spirituality.”

A man of compassion

Others remembered him for his compassion. Former San Francisco

resident Peter Fiske of Palm Springs, a founder of The 15 Association, Mr. SF Leather Daddy XXI, and a former president of the San Francisco AIDS Emergency Fund, remembered Reverend Forbes for his outreach to Fiske’s late partner, Coulter Thomas, Mr. International Leather in 1992, in addition to work he did for the LGBTQ community. Fiske and Reverend Forbes knew one another for 50 years, Fiske said. “In 1992 when Coulter was dying, he was very depressed,” Fiske wrote in an email. “Coulter said, ‘Why is God punishing me? I have led a good life and tried to always be loving and kind and now I am sick and in pain and dying. I hate God.’ “I sent him to David Forbes, who saw him immediately at Grace Cathedral, in his office,” added Fiske. “Coulter told him he hated God and David said, ‘I can work with that. If you had said you didn’t believe in God I would have a hard time helping you.’ At first he saw Coulter daily, then semi-weekly and then weekly until he passed away three months later, at peace with God and his own death.” Reverend Forbes was responsible for starting an Episcopal shelter for homeless people living with HIV/ AIDS at the former Club Baths in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, Fiske continued, and in 1986 he “quietly began a group to collect donated AZT from those who passed and get it to those people who needed it to stay alive.” At one point, he brought a sixmonth supply to Fiske’s partner. Reverend Forbes’ “unselfish and loving kindness were legendary in San Francisco,” wrote Fiske. Former San Jose neighbors, Mark Fuentes and the Reverend Dr. Fr. Roger Warton, remembered him as an avid outdoorsman. “He very much was a nature per-

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son,” said Fuentes. “He loved hiking, he was hiking in the Sierra up until a year ago.” Reverend Forbes’ own love of nature was deeply rooted in his Christian faith, said Warton. Nature was a part of his concept of God. Others in the church, which was always central to Reverend Forbes’ life, remembered him with tremendous admiration. Burns Jones, head of the Cathedral School for Boys which Reverend Forbes founded in 1957, remembered him as “patient and passionate, witty and wise, historian and humanitarian, admirer and admired.” In a letter to the students and staff of the Cathedral School announcing Reverend Forbes’ passing, Jones wrote, “One of the things that have dawned on me during my tenure at Cathedral School is just how conscious and prescient David was, both in founding Cathedral School for Boys and in championing the cause of Episcopal schools throughout the subsequent decades. “David’s vision was divinely inspired and directed by an almost preternatural understanding of the rhythms and needs of boys,” Jones wrote. “While the quality of Cathedral School’s academics was always prominent, of equal significance was the diversification of the student body. Unlike many independent schools at that time, Cathedral was a school that would seek to provide a

full education to any boy, regardless of his background and regardless of his circumstances. Long before most, David understood that all students and the communities in which they lived would benefit from this educational vision.” Jones, speaking with the B.A.R. in a phone interview, remembered Reverend Forbes as a man with a deep interest in those around him, who remembered details about people, even the students who had passed through the Cathedral School years before. “Even well into his 90s, David remained a force,” Jones said. “And by that, I mean, he continued to show up to board meetings, and be actively involved in important conversations about the school. His level of energy and intellect into his 90s was just phenomenal.” Jones had known Reverend Forbes for only seven years but was deeply touched by his friendship with the man and all that he had accomplished. “I thought, my god,” he said, “what a personality, what a force.” Reverend Forbes was preceded in death by his partner of 19 years, Toby Wiggin, who died in 2019. He is survived by his daughters Elizabeth Forbes Whitaker, Margaret Forbes MacDonald, and Mary Forbes Nicoll. A Requiem for Reverend Forbes will be celebrated at Grace Cathedral Wednesday, May 25, at 3 p.m. t

Memorials >> John William Hughes January 12, 1938 – April 24, 2022

John William Hughes, 84, died peacefully at home Sunday, April 24, 2022, succumbing to late-stage Parkinson’s disease. Born on January 12, 1938 in Troy, New York, John moved to San Francisco in 1973. He worked for The San Francisco

Leather nonprofit

From page 1

Hammack. Shortly afterward, the leather alliance picked up the reins and assumed fiscal sponsorship. Since QNF did not have tax-exempt status itself, fiscal sponsorship allowed Q Foundation to collect donations for it all while allowing donors to, essentially, make a taxexempt donation to QNF. In June 2020, QNF found a new fiscal sponsor in the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance. “We just wanted to help them get going,” said Brian Basinger, Q Foundation executive director, adding that his nonprofit had no other ties with the effort. The B.A.R. reached out to members of the QNF board but only heard back from Hammack. Very few people, even those who had only a tangential connection to the leather alliance, would go on the record for this story. The B.A.R. did view copies of various letters sent to the leather alliance. Most of the information for this story came from phone interviews with sources willing to only speak on background in order to protect their identity. In a small group of people in a comparatively small population such as the leather community, few wanted to risk the potential retaliation they feared might arise from speaking publicly to the B.A.R. By the time the leather alliance assumed sponsorship, QNF had raised $214,000, said Angel Garfold, president of the leather alliance and a professional accountant. She is also interim treasurer at Folsom Street Events, which produces

Chronicle, The San Francisco Public Library, and volunteered at the Asian Art Museum. John had a magnetic personality that always put a smile on people’s faces. He and his jokes will be incredibly missed. To honor John Hughes, we invite his friends and family to a celebration of life event at the Cinch Saloon, located at 1723 Polk Street in San Francisco, Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m. to pay tribute to this good-humored gentleman

the annual leather and kink street fair and other events. The balance, $221,000, was raised under the leather alliance’s auspices. In late April Garfold told the B.A.R. she had been working on bringing the leather alliance’s tax filings up to date and expected to have them completed by mid-May. One of the challenges of operating any small nonprofit organization is that those groups are typically run by all- or mostly-volunteer staff. In this case, there were complicated paperwork requirements due to it being tax-exempt. For example, when an organization clears all the requirements for federal tax-exempt status, it must still meet state guidelines which, while based on federal rules, require yet more paperwork and time. So, while an organization may be taxexempt federally, unless they meet those local requirements, they’re not tax-exempt when it comes to dealing with state taxes. That is just one of the issues faced by the leather alliance, said Garfold. The organization was forced to be without a treasurer for a couple of years and, as president, it wasn’t a role she could step into herself, she said. Eventually, she was able to bring in a treasurer, Angel Adeyoha, the executive director of Folsom Street Events. Adeyoha, who identifies as queer and nonbinary, did not immediately return a call from the B.A.R. at deadline. COVID also presented problems, she said. Dealings with tax agencies slowed to a crawl as employees found themselves working remotely. See page 16 >>

t <<

Pride 2022>>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

School Pride

From page 1

Members of the school’s Rainbow Club, launched last school year, came up with the idea for the LGBTQ celebration. Since its schools are closed in June when Pride Month celebrations normally take place, the San Francisco Unified School District marks the annual observance in April, with its nearly 100 schools holding their own events throughout the month. “I joined last year because I like learning about LGBTQ,” said club member Ari Reifsteck, a 9-year-old third grader whose family is friends with their gay neighbors. The club helps teach people “it’s good being who you are,” she added. Fifth-grader Mila Lofti, 10, told the B.A.R. that she signed up for the club this school year “because I thought it was important to learn about the LGBT community and hear other people’s experiences being in the LGBTQ community.” One of the founding Rainbow Club members, fifth grader Eleanor Sewell, 11, uses she and they pronouns. The group is helping them “to be as open as possible” about their preferred pronouns at school, Sewell told the B.A.R. “I want to learn more about the LGBT community and be in a place where everyone is welcome,” said Sewell. Fifth grader Zohara Luck, 11, also uses she and they pronouns. They told the B.A.R. they joined the club this school year “because LGBT rights are human rights” and that everyone “has the right to be who we are.” Vroegh told the B.A.R. the Rainbow Club has been particularly impactful for the students who are questioning their gender identity and what pronouns they want to be addressed by. More are asking not to be referred to as he or she, Vroegh noted. “Coming out is not quite the word for it. They are still young and

Matthew S. Bajko Matthew S. Bajko

Students took part in a flash mob dance to “LOVE” at George Peabody Elementary School April 29 before marching in a small Pride parade.

exploring who they are and want to take risks,” he said. “I think it has made us feel it is way more important what we are doing.” Throughout the last academic year the eight original members of the Rainbow Club only met virtually after school because of the COVID pandemic leading to the closure of the city’s public schools. With the students returning to the classroom this school year, the club has been meeting in person during lunch and has seen its membership grow to 20 students. “Our Rainbow Club is an amazing thing,” said school social worker Kristine Keane, sporting a Pride bandana on her wrist, rainbow leggings and a black T-shirt with a rainbow design, as she helped to kick off the Pride event. “It got started last year when we were all learning from home and was a chance for those of us feeling lonely to build community online.” Keane, a straight ally, launched the club at the suggestion of the school’s former garden teacher. This year she is co-leading it with Cassidy Hall, a paraprofessional at the

school who served as flash mob director at the April 29 celebration. “It’s been an amazing thing,” Keane said of the club being able to gather together outside as a group. “We learn about community. We learn about kindness. We learn about equality.” The club also focuses on how the students can ensure their classmates are treated with kindness and feel like they matter, added Keane, who gave a shout out to the many parents who came to observe and participate in the Pride celebration. A number of them are now talking about forming their own parental version of the Rainbow Club. “This turnout is amazing,” Keane said.

Taking place amid national debate

The school’s Pride observance took place amid a heated national debate this year over if it is appropriate for elementary schools to be discussing issues around sexual orientation and gender identity. Several states are moving to enact policy similar to Florida’s so-

George Peabody Elementary School Principal Willem Vroegh greets the students as they return from their Pride march.

called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation that bans such topics in kindergarten through third grade. Critics fear such laws will severely curtail discussion of LGBTQ issues in any grade if teachers self censure themselves, fearful of being sued by parents who protest any mentioning of the topic in the classroom. Other policies are being enacted to strip away the rights of LGBTQ students, particularly those that are transgender or gender-nonconforming, and to purge books about LGBTQ issues from school libraries. “They are aware this is happening in other parts of the country,” Keane said of the students in the Rainbow Club. “They are also aware we are living in a very safe place for them and are all very grateful for that.” The San Francisco school district has long been a leader when it comes to teaching about LGBTQ people and topics. By the fall it plans to add an additional six to eight LGBTQ book titles to the libraries at all of its 72 elementary schools, such as the one at George Peabody. “We are doubling down on our values of inclusion,” Erik Marti-

nez, manager of the school district’s student and family services division, told the B.A.R. Martinez, a queer Latinx, began with the division eight years ago as its LGBT program manager and took over as division manager in 2018. Friday’s Pride event at the elementary school was the first one he has been able to attend in person since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020. “We have been marking Pride Month for about 30 years in the classroom,” said Martinez, noting that it began partly due to LGBTQ parents who wanted a more inclusive family curriculum to be taught in the city’s schools. “It is one thing to have a lesson in the classroom and it is another to have school-wide events with flash mobs and parading around the neighborhood.” Fifth grader Sherri Reifsteck, 10, had signed up for the club last year along with her younger sister, Ari. She told the B.A.R. she has enjoyed learning about LGBTQ history and hopes the club is imparting to all students at her school that they “can be themselves.” t

Communit y is what it is all about. Lani Garfield

Each of our communities offer a unique place where you can be yourself, live among friends and experience new adventures, all while securing your future. Explore your next steps for joining today!

Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC, second from left, holds an award at the San Francisco Community Health Center gala. He was joined by Lance Toma, left, CEO of the health center; Sherilyn Adams, executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services; and Tomiquia Moss, founder and CEO of All Home and co-chair of the Black Leadership Council.

News Briefs

From page 9

Crowdfunding underway for mural repair

Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and Precita Eyes Muralists founding director Susan Cervantes have organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to restore “The Hope for the World Cure” mural in San Francisco’s LGBTQ Castro district. Cervantes was the lead artist and director for the Hope for a World Cure project; the mural was painted in 1998 and commemorates the Castro district’s struggle with the AIDS pandemic in vivid colors and rich detail. On the fundraiser’s webpage, organizers aim to raise $55,000 to fully restore the mural, which has been damaged by vandals as well as faded over time. In January, Broke Ass Stuart reported that the mural had been badly defaced. Restoration will include a strong conservation quality varnish to protect the mural from UV light and pollutants and a graffiti shield that should last decades, according to the description.

The mural was painted as a collaboration with the Precita Eyes Muralists Association and Art from the Heart Heals. It had previously been damaged in 2017 by a graffiti artist. To date, nearly $3,000 has been raised. To donate, go to https://bit. ly/3LT46WF

PRC honored by nonprofit group

PRC, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides residential and other services for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, substance use, or mental health issues, was recently named one of the California Association of Nonprofits of the Year. PRC was honored at the April 16 California Community Health Center gala, according to a news release. PRC, which started in 1987, assists approximately 5,700 individuals annually, a news release stated. It merged with Baker Places, a residential treatment agency, and the AIDS Emergency Fund in 2016, and also provides benefits counseling and workforce development programs. t

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<< Travel

12 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

Calaveras County mines for tourists in Gold Country by Ed Walsh

alaveras County in the Sierra Nevada foothills gets its name from the Spanish word for skulls. Early Spanish explorers reported seeing skulls of Native Americans along what is now called the Calaveras River. But it was gold, not skulls that would put the region on the map. The area’s population exploded following the 1849 California Gold Rush. Now one of Calaveras County’s biggest cash cows is tourism, which was kept afloat during the COVID pandemic mostly by Bay Area residents who were looking for a getaway within easy driving distance. At about a 2.5-hour drive from San Francisco, Calaveras County fits the bill. The Calaveras County Visitors Bureau estimates that about a million tourists a year visit the county, which has a population of only 45,000. That translates into support for jobs that employ 2,400 people and nearly $6 million in state and local taxes. The county, like much of rural California, has long had a live-and-letlive attitude toward LGBTQ rights. It also could soon elect its first openly gay member of the Board of Supervisors. Martin Huberty is running for the District 3 seat, looked upon as the most liberal district in the otherwise deep-red county. The election is June 7. Huberty grew up in Sacramento but his ancestors emigrated from Luxembourg and Ireland to Calaveras County during the gold rush. He moved back to his family’s roots with his partner, Grant Armstrong, and currently works as the

Ed Walsh

Martin Huberty, executive director of the Calaveras County Visitors Bureau, and a candidate for the county Board of Supervisors, points to The Stump in Big Trees State Park.

executive director for the Calaveras County Visitors Bureau and is CEO of the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce. “There is a strong lesbian community here,” Huberty said. “I wish it was the same with gay men.” The Tri-County LGBT Alliance representing Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties maintains a Facebook page with LGBTQ events and support groups. The Alliance this year plans a Pride in the Park day in Murphys September 3. The Alliance is also organizing the #Out4MentalHealth Tri-County Picnic and Skill Share event on June 19 in Sutter Creek. Also coming up is the Safe Space Art Show celebrating “rural queer identity and artists” that includes all three of the tri-counties. Art is due May 23 for the May 29 opening and reception at Rosebud’s Cafe in Jackson.

Ed Walsh

Vocalist and guitarist Jill Warren now calls Murphys home.

Attractions

Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Arnold is the biggest draw for tourists to the county. The park’s northern grove of giant sequoias first became a tourist attraction in the 1850s and is one of the longest, continuously operating tourist attractions in California. It has been a state park since 1931. The town of Murphys is a magnet for tourists. It is home to art galleries, live theater, eclectic shops, restaurants, wine tastings, and charming hotels and bed and breakfasts. Boyle MacDonald Wines on Main Street includes live music Fridays. Among the most popular performers you may see there and at other venues in Murphys is lesbian vocalist Jill Warren. She has performed around the country and worked as a guitarist in the Las Vegas mega-show “Peepshow” as well as for touring companies of “Grease” and “Cats.” She now calls Murphys home. The Murphys Historic Hotel in the heart of downtown features fine dining and a separate saloon

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge, you will find a place that seems a world away. MARIN COUNTY, CA

Ed Walsh

The Gateway Hotel in Copperopolis reminds some of the courthouse in the movie “Back to the Future”.

with casual bar food. It has been in business since 1856 and former president Ulysses S. Grant, banker J.P. Morgan, and writer Mark Twain are among those who have slept there. Be sure to check out the Red Apple, an apple stand about 10 minutes north of Murphys, along Highway 4. It’s on the way to Big Trees park. It is famous for its fresh-made apple doughnuts and pie, and, of course, fresh-picked apples. Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys features wine tastings and great food at the Gold Leaf Bistro. The vineyard’s bucolic grounds include a large amphitheater concert space that attracts big name musicians. The restaurant gets its name from the world’s largest crystalline gold piece that is on display in a vault at the vineyard’s gift shop and museum. It was unearthed in nearby Jamestown in 1992. Ironstone founder John Kautz purchased the piece two years later for an undisclosed sum, but it was appraised at the time for $3.5 million. If you have had your fill of wine tastings, Hinterhaus Distilling in Arnold offers vodka, gin, whiskey, and liqueur tastings. Husband and wife team Nate and Bonnie Randall, hands-on owners, opened for business in 2020. Arnold is 4,000 feet above sea level. The higher elevation translates into a lower temperature boiling point and some say that results in better flavors. Calaveras County could be renamed Cavernous County, with three huge caves open for touring. Mercer Caverns was discovered by Walter Mercer in 1885 and has been a tourist attraction ever since. Early tourists had to repel down the cave with ropes and candlelight. Mercer Caverns is about a mile north of Murphys. Moaning Caverns Adventure Park (https://moaningcaverns.com/) is about a 15-minute drive south of Mercer Caverns and features the largest single cave chamber in California. A 10-story spiral staircase leads to the cave’s floor. The other cave, California Cavern State Historic Landmark, is a little out of the way, about 40

minutes from Murphys, but if you can make it there you will be treated to the state’s longest cavern system. It is also California’s first “showcave,” opening to tourists in 1850. Copperopolis is a town that is hard to pronounce but easy to visit. It is just off of Highway 4. The town dates back to 1860 and gets its name from copper mining. While most of the old town was destroyed in fires, a brand-new Copperopolis sprung up about 16 years ago. It is designed to look like an old gold rush town. The centerpiece of Copperopolis is the upscale Gateway Hotel. Many have said that it looks like the courthouse in the movie “Back to the Future.” A picturesque plaza with quaint shops and restaurants surround it. The Gateway’s sister property, the Golf Club at Copper Valley, offers two-bedroom bungalow accommodations and the property’s restaurant, Vine18, is known for fine dining; the Vine18 Bar attracts a crowd for its 2 to 5 p.m. happy hour Monday-Friday. The aforementioned Twain is believed to have penned the short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” while staying in Copperopolis, but the story is about the frog jumping contest in nearby Angels Camp. The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee (https:// www.frogtown.org/frog-jump) happens on the third weekend of May (19-22 this year) in Angels Camp and focuses worldwide attention on Calaveras County every year. You will need a car to get up to Calaveras County, but once you are there, a good way to go if you are wine tasting is to take an organized tour from the Gold Rush Tour Company. The company combines wine tasting with a guided walk of Murphys, and another of their tours combines wine tastings with tours inside wine caves that stay cool even during the hottest summer day. For more information, check out the county’s official tourism site at Gocalaveras.com. t

IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK!

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<< Travel

14 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

New York City is ready to dazzle visitors again by Heather Cassell

ew York City felt like it was almost its bustling self again as I walked through the streets enjoying the warm spring weather during a recent trip. The city, like many others, is forever changed after more than two years of the COVID pandemic, but in true New York fashion, the Big Apple is coming back. It was my second trip within six months after about a two and a half year break. New Yorkers rolled up their sleeves (more than 80% are vaccinated), masked up, and have done pretty much everything they can to get their groove back. However, COVID subvariants continue to emerge in the ongoing pandemic. Some venues are still enforcing proof of vaccination and masks. Face coverings are still required on all public transportation until further notice and in Broadway theaters at least until May 31. Recently, COVID cases have been on the rise in New York due to the new highly contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2.12.1. People planning to visit should check VisitNewYork.com (under Basic Information) for the latest. Some Broadway shows have canceled performances due to COVID. Other shows are taking place. New restaurants are opening, and reservations are harder to get than ever before. New museum exhibits are opening. Big events are coming back like New York Pride, which returns in-person June 26 with the theme “Unapologetically Us.” “Our community has been through tremendous hardships over the past few years, beginning with the pandemic, and continuing with a reckoning with social justice, threats to our democracy, and more recently armed conflict overseas,” stated NYC Pride’s new executive director, Sandra Perez, in a March 25 news release. “Compounding these struggles is the onslaught of legislation around the country that directly targets LGBTQIA+ individuals. “In spite of these challenges and attacks, we are here to tell the country and the world: we will not be erased,” Perez continued, stating that the community will stand together to face the attacks on the LGBTQ community across the country and around the world. “We will continue to love and live our truth and be our full and complete selves – and we are not going to apologize for it.” NYC Pride board Co-Chair Sue Doster noted the importance of the annual celebration that attracts upward of two million people from across the United States and all over the world. “We’re thrilled to be able to finally invite everyone back,” she stated. Tourism officials said the city is rebounding. “The city is as vibrant as ever,” said Chris Heywood in a phone interview. Heywood, a gay man, is executive vice president of global communication of NYC & Company, New York City’s destination marketing and convention and visitors bureau. The pandemic did not completely stop New York from retrofitting, innovating, and building new hotels, spectacular sites, and opening new restaurants. “That’s the beauty about New York,” Heywood continued. “Resilience is really our middle name. People are going to encounter a city that is continuing to come back.”

New attractions

Some of the new things to see in New York are Summit One Vanderbilt, the Moynihan Train Hall [LINK: https://moynihantrainhall. nyc/], and Little Island, the latest park near the Chelsea Piers. The city’s newest vantage point is at Summit One Vanderbilt. The Summit is a 65,000 square foot space at the top of the 93-story office and residential building at One Vanderbilt adjacent to Grand Central Station. The observatory deck opened in October 2021. It is much more than the highest view (for the moment) of New York City; it’s an experience with a view. Each room is an art installation accentuating the feeling of being high in the sky or in the clouds. At the very top are Apres and the Summit Terrace, where my girlfriend and I enjoyed a cocktail while admiring New York’s sparkling skyline under the night sky. Tickets to catch the sunset view cost about an extra $16. The Summit does not itemize what the extra amount is at checkout, but it’s for experiencing the Summit at the golden hour, the optimal time of day. It wouldn’t be New York City without the many opportunities to see art. This spring and summer visitors can catch the 80th edition of the Whitney Museum of American Art’s “Biennial 2022: Quiet As It’s Kept,” which opened April 6. The two-floor exhibit brings together a survey of 63 American artists exploring the darkness and disruption of 2020. The title is a colloquial phrase taken from the late novelist Toni Morrison. The show runs through September 5. Henri Mattise lovers can take in a rare exhibit of the French artist’s early works that formed modern art at the Museum of Modern Art,” which opened May 1. The show runs through September 10. The Brooklyn Museum is featuring “Andy Warhol: Revelation”, showing now through June 19. Brooklyn Academy of Music is featuring the DanceAfrica Festiva, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary through the end of this month. I rarely leave New York without seeing at least one show on Broadway. Right now, it’s all about the classics and some new musicals (“Wicked,” “Chicago,” and “Funny Girl” and new to the stage “MJ The Musical”) and plays (“Plaza Suite” and “To Kill A Mockingbird” and new to the stage “Birthday Candles”).

Dining and drinking

Food draws my girlfriend and I to New York just as much as Broadway’s musicals. For this trip, I sought out restaurants that were old favorites that survived the pandemic, some that were reborn, and others that were new. During the day we lunched at the fun, cheeky and very gay diner Cafeteria; a Chelsea neighborhood staple, Elmo; and famed chef and restaurateur David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar. At night we hit the town enjoying dishes crafted by some of New York’s finest lesbian chefs. Chef and restaurateur duo Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ beloved Via Carota lived up to the hype. You can’t go wrong with pasta, but this is exceptional pasta. I also dined at the culinary couple’s newest venture The Commerce Inn. It veers away from the chefs’ usual turf, French and Italian cuisine, exploring and modernizing American Shaker dishes that hit the mark.

Courtesy Madison Voelkel/NYC Pride

New York City Pride returns to an in-person march in Manhattan June 26.

Lesbian executive chef Hillary Sterling crafted a distinctive Italian menu at Ci Siamo, restaurateur Danny Meyer’s latest culinary venture. Lesbian executive chef Mary Attea at the Michelin-rated The Musket Room serves a revisioned world on your plate. There was no doubt that I wouldn’t enjoy chef and restaurateur Mark Strausman’s new restaurant Mark’s Off Madison, which has a warm atmosphere and incredible, flavorful comfort food. Two unique restaurants that might signal a shift in the queer culinary scene in New York are Tagmo [LINK: https://www.tagmonyc.com/] and Hags [LINK: https://hagsnyc.com/]. Both restaurants are queer-owned and -operated. They actively hire LGBTQ staff and are deeply involved in the community. Queer chef Surbhi Sahni is the heart behind Tagmo, an Indian restaurant that opened in Seaport, a small shopping and dining center near One World Trade Center, in September 2021. Tagmo is not your average Indian restaurant. Dining there is a gastronomic adventure through India with all its diverse cuisines. The much-anticipated Hags is targeted to open just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, May 25. The Lower Eastside restaurant aims to be the first upscale queer restaurant, according to business and life partners Telly Justice, a transgender woman, and Camille Lindsley, a queer woman. New York’s nightlife isn’t quite what it used to be like yet. My girlfriend and I enjoyed early nightcaps at Tiny’s & The Bar Upstairs in Tribeca, the historic Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, and Bar Veloce in Chelsea. Village lesbian bar mainstays – Henrietta Hudson and Cubbyhole – and Brooklyn’s Ginger’s Bargot makeovers during the pandemic and recently reopened. Catch roving lesbian events hosted by Dyke Beer and Dave’s Lesbian Bar on their websites or follow them on social media. The boys are back in action from Midtown to Harlem with bars and nightclubs for every stripe in the rainbow flag. Check out Midtown’s swanky The Townhouse of New York. Head to the West Village’s Playhouse or get nostalgic at New York’s oldest gay bar Julius’ and the historic Stonewall Inn. Head uptown to Harlem for the last remaining Black-owned gay bar Alibi Lounge.

Where to stay

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Smyth Tribeca. The newly renovated modern 100-room hotel

Courtesy Hags

Restaurateurs chef Telly Justice, right, and sommelier Camille Lindsley, are about to open Hags, New York’s first-ever queer fine dining restaurant.

Courtesy of Tagmo/Brittainy Newman

Queer chef and restaurateur Surbhi Sahni brings the world of India to New York at Tagmo restaurant in the Seaport neighborhood.

Heather Cassell

A new view of New York City from The Summit at One Vanderbilt.

opened in September 2021. The hotel is comfortable, chic, and perfectly located on the corner of Chambers Street and West Broadway above the Westside’s 1 line. The subway line is a direct vein to Broadway, the Village, and many of New York’s most popular destinations.

Getting around

New York’s metro is going touchless with Omny, an app that allows riders to tag on and off the subway and buses with their smartphones and other smart devices. Riders can choose to use the Metro Card or the app to get around the city. t

Community News>>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

Redistricting panel adopts map critics call gerrymandered by Matthew S. Bajko

divided San Francisco Redistricting Task Force approved April 28 a new map for the city’s 11 supervisorial districts that critics charged is a gerrymander of the city. It brought to a close an eight-month process marred by racial divisions, bullying of meeting attendees, heated infighting amid the panel members, and repeated hoodwinking of transgender residents of the Tenderloin and Chinese residents of the Portola. The 5-4 vote to finalize a new political map for the city now moves the process to the courts and eventually the ballot box, as it will be used to elect the supervisors over the next decade starting with the even-numbered districts this November. One lawsuit already filed against the task force for having missed its April 15 deadline to complete its work as mandated in the city charter was dismissed Friday, April 29, due to a map having been approved. But the map is likely to be challenged in the courts. Task force member Jose Maria (Chema) Hernández Gil, part of the minority that opposed the final map, predicted as much during the body’s April 28 meeting. “This is a map that gerrymanders our city,” said Gil, decrying that it resulted from a “deeply flawed” process. “I assume there will be legal challenges.” Among those upset with the work of the task force have been LGBTQ leaders, particularly in the Tenderloin and South of Market. The final map is splitting the two neighborhoods apart into separate supervisorial districts. The Tenderloin and most of the Transgender District is now part of District 5 with the Western Addition, Japantown, and the Haight. The Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District in western SOMA is remaining in District 6 with the rest of SOMA,

Screengrab

The final map of the city’s 11 supervisorial districts sees the Tenderloin moved into District 5.

Rincon Hill and Mission Bay. Jeremy Lee, one of two queer men on the task force, pointed out how the panel went back and forth six times over the last month on voting for maps that either moved the Tenderloin out of District 6 or kept it in the district. He called the yo-yoing decisions “cruel” to the residents of both neighborhoods. “We incited communities and put them against each other,” said Lee, who also voted against the final map because it “harms my own communities as a queer person and a voice for Chinatown. I can not in good conscience support this map.” Task force members J. Michelle Pierce and Raynell Cooper cast the other two votes against the final map. The four have consistently opposed the maps advanced by the task force, at one point walking out on the proceedings, because of the harm they felt was being done to various marginalized communities in the city. “This map will always have issues for some communities,” said Cooper. “It is up to us moving forward to overcome those issues as best we can.”

In a statement ahead of the meeting the San Francisco Community Unity Map Coalition condemned “the lack of process and transparency” that resulted in a map “the public cannot stand behind,” it contended. “Instead of prioritizing the needs of our city’s most vulnerable populations and communities of interest, including low-income communities of color, renters, LGBTQ populations, and cultural districts, the majority of the task force has chosen to keep wealthier, predominantly white communities whole and together in the final map,” stated the coalition. “The nation’s first Transgender Cultural District will be split in half, opening the doors to further displacement and invisibility of the transgender community. The Tenderloin will be severed from the SOMA and District 6, forcing a diverse vulnerable low-income community into a district they have repeatedly and adamantly rejected.”

Disappointment all around

Even several of the five task force members who voted in favor of the map – chair the Reverend Arnold

Townsend, vice chair Ditka Reiner, Matthew Castillon, Lily Ho, and Chasel Lee, the other out member – expressed disappointment in how the new boundaries ended up for the supervisorial districts. Ho echoed the complaints that it negatively impacts certain communities. “This is not the perfect map I would like to see because I do think that Portola is being gerrymandered, but I will accept that hard choices needed to be made,” she said. “I think we have done the best we could.” Castillon again defended moving the Tenderloin into District 5, pointing to emails and letters the task force had received from the public supportive of such a move. With District 6 seeing the bulk of the city’s population growth over the past decade, it was impossible to maintain the current boundaries for it, he argued. Ensuring the 11 supervisor districts had balanced populations, said Castillon, “was always going to be the central challenge with the entire map.” Due to that “conundrum” the task force faced, “we could not keep everything together in District 6,” he added. “It was not mathematically possible to do that.” Ho and Chasel Lee had strongly advocated for moving the Portola out of District 9 and into District 10 so it was connected with Visitacion Valley, both heavily Asian American neighborhoods with monolingual Chinese speakers. Chasel Lee grew up in the area and repeatedly said at meetings that he joined the task force to “raise the voice of the voiceless” of its residents. But similar to what happened with the Tenderloin, the Portola moved in and out of District 9 during successive votes on proposed maps. The issue partly prompted the walk out by the quartet of task force members; ultimately the decision was made to keep the Portola in District 9 with the Mission and Bernal Heights in order

to maintain the Potrero district and the Dogpatch in District 10, which was advocated for by both Latino and African American residents of the two districts. “This entire process finally let us see what needs to be fixed in this city, that in itself, I think, while we couldn’t resolve those conversations here, those are conversations worthwhile to be had,” said Chasel Lee. Although the Portola and Visitacion Valley will remain divided, Chasel Lee said he could live with the outcome because attention had been brought to the needs of the districts and their residents via the redistricting process. “We have heard what they want for their communities and for the future. I am proud of that legacy,” he said. “I can sleep well at night knowing their voices are now heard.” As for District 8 the Castro and its LGBTQ cultural district will continue to be at its center combined with the neighborhoods of Twin Peaks, Corona Heights, Duboce Triangle, Noe Valley, Diamond Heights, and Glen Park. At its northeastern edge will now be Ashbury Heights and Cole Valley. But District 8 will be losing parts of the Mission Dolores neighborhood and nearly all of the Valencia Street corridor to District 9. Due to a carve out that saw his residence on Valencia between 24th and 25th Streets remain in District 8, gay Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will be able to run for reelection in the fall without having to move. “I am sad to be losing a big chunk of that Valencia corridor, but I am looking forward to getting to know the residents and businesses of Cole Valley,” Mandelman had told the Bay Area Reporter earlier this week. To view the final map approved by the redistricting task force, visit its website at https://sf.gov/publicbody/2020-census-redistricting-taskforce# t

<< Community News

16 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

GHB

From page 1

and inseparable for him. “It was never like, ‘Oh I’m just going to have meth today,’” he recalled with a laugh. “It’s like coffee with no cream.” He spent four years wired to G, meth, and whatever else he could find when G and meth were unavailable. “I lived probably 15 years in those four years,” he said. Meth users often forget to sleep, and Justin didn’t always have a bed either. He moved around, sleeping on couches at friends’ homes in Washington, D.C., Indiana, Alabama, Florida, and California. By the time he started dealing drugs in 2018, he wanted help getting sober, but he couldn’t figure out how. He had flirted with 12-step programs like Crystal Meth Anonymous and had spent time in a rehabilitation center. One night in October 2018, he was high at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, carrying half a gallon of G and up to 200 grams of meth in his backpack when he had a nervous breakdown. He was paranoid that he would be arrested soon (another friend who dealt drugs had gotten caught earlier that year). Frantic, he left the bar and went over to a friend’s house. He proceeded to flush everything – roughly $2,000 – $5,000 dollars worth of drugs — down his friend’s drain and cried for two hours while his friend held him. He hoped it would be the end of his substance abuse.

Adam Echelman

Kevin Shone is a substance use counselor at UCSF Alliance Health Project. He has been working with gay and bisexual men who use G and meth for 20 years.

It wasn’t, but it was an inflection point: “That was the moment that I realized that this thing that I was using, all of these things that I was using, to make me feel okay – those were the ones that were causing me the most harm,” he said.

G through sickness and health

For many gay men who use G and meth, the goal is to enhance their sexual experience. “I needed the meth to stay awake and kind of ‘up,’ but G was the physical, physiological experience I was looking for,” said Justin. Together, meth and G also lower inhibitions, making it easier to per-

Leather nonprofit

Gate Guards were leaving, or had left, as well. From a one-time high of 15 member organizations, the leather alliance is now down to four. The leather alliance was also questioned over some money it owed the Leather Pride Contingent that takes part in the San Francisco Pride parade. But during a recent virtual meeting, the leather alliance members voted to release the funds to the contingent.

From page 10

Prior financial concerns

But there were concerns already about the finances of the leather alliance. Beth Bartlett-Downey, a member of Leather Quest, one of the leather alliance’s former member organizations, said the group became concerned when requests for financial information from the leather alliance weren’t being answered. Leather Quest, a BD/SM educational group with chapters across the country, had been a member organization since 2008 but withdrew from the leather alliance in September 2020. “I found out at the time that the organization had received a delinquency notice from the California attorney general,” said BartlettDowney in a phone interview with the B.A.R. Barlett-Downey is a former Ms. Golden Gate Leather and has been watching the goings-on at the leather alliance because, she said, she was disturbed by the “appearance of a lack of transparency” in the alliance for the past two years. That letter stated that individual directors are personally responsible for any fees or penalties incurred as a result of delinquencies, she said. Late in the summer of 2020, “our representative [to the leather alliance board] did ask them at the time to invest in a bookkeeper, and was turned down,” Bartlett-Downey said. “She was told no, they could not afford it.” But because Garfold wouldn’t put out financial statements, “we have no way of knowing,” she said. By that point, of course, the leather alliance had already begun with the SF Bay Area Leather Lifeline – “a fund to help kinksters and leather folk in the SF Bay Area who need immediate help during the COVID-19 crisis,” as the fund describes itself on Facebook – and the Queer Nightlife Fund. The leather lifeline gave out $12,900 in April 20, 2020, according to its Facebook page. “So somebody was doing transactions,” said Bartlett-Downey. “I don’t know how they kept up with those transactions.” At some point, she said, the Leather Quest rep was told there was supposedly a volunteer CPA

form activities with a partner that might otherwise feel shameful. This formula of drugs and sex among gay men increases the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The phenomenon of chemically-induced sex is known as “chemsex” or in other circles, “party and play.” Even without meth, users who drink G report that they were more likely to have unprotected sex simply because they were high. Three out of four gay men interviewed by the Bay Area Reporter, for example, contracted HIV while using G in conjunction with other substances like meth. For Justin, the early symptoms of HIV triggered an

Courtesy Queer Nightlife fund

Angel Garfold is the president of the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance.

who was set to help the leather alliance with its tax filings for 2018 and 2019. A name was never provided as the rep was told “the CPA who was helping, their help was contingent on remaining anonymous,” recalled Bartlett-Downey. By the fall of 2020, leather alliance leaders were aware of members’ concerns. On September 19, 2020, they posted a statement on Facebook concerning the group’s tax-exempt status. “The SF Bay Area Leather Alliance seeks to correct misinformation regarding our tax-exempt status which recently circulated on social media,” the post began. “Foremost, an IRS employee confirmed that all 2020 donations are tax-deductible.” It noted that, as a 501(c)3, the leather alliance is required to file annual tax reports. “If three consecutive years are not filed, an automatic revocation of tax-exempt status is triggered,” the statement read. “The deadline this year was 5/15/2020. The Alliance filed its 2017 return on that date yet an automatic revocation still triggered. The IRS website clearly states the automatic revocation list does ‘not necessarily [reflect] its current tax-exempt status.’ We believe this is the case for the Alliance.” Leather Quest leaders, however, still did not receive the information they were looking for, said Bartlett-Downey. After receiving no answers, much less financial statements, Leather Quest left the leather alliance. They were not the only groups to leave. Other organizations, such as Leathermen’s Discussion Group, The 15 Association, and the Golden

Oversight issues

There seem to be oversight issues with the leather alliance, sources said. Garfold told the B.A.R. she is trying to address the concerns. “I don’t want to be the only one in charge of the money,” said Garfold. “I try to be as hands off or as transparent as possible.” A Bay Area-based certified public accountant who asked not to be identified because of their familiarity with the leather alliance, noted that it’s not unusual for all-volunteer organizations to miss regular required paperwork filings. In fact, they said, tax agencies are quite aware of that problem as well, and will typically give the groups time to get their paperwork in order. But, as a rule, organizations will only get a couple of chances. If they fail to meet their deadlines, they run the very real risk of losing their tax-exempt or charitable status, the accountant said. The California Department of Justice maintains a list of tens of thousands of organizations that have, for any number of reasons, lost their status. When the leather alliance began to take in the donations meant for QNF, it was classified as a taxexempt organization by both the IRS and California’s Franchise Tax Board. In either case, organizations can only maintain that status as long as they file regularly with both entities. However, in December 2020, the leather alliance lost its charitable trust status with the state after it had failed to respond to a series of letters from the California Department of Justice. The first letter, dated March 17, 2020, warned the group that “[t]he organization is delinquent in filing required reports for prior fiscal years” referring specifically to the leather alliance’s failure to file reports for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. The second letter,

immune response that worsened an underlying case of syphilis and led him to be hospitalized for three days. Underneath these physical and sexual health complications are deeper mental health challenges. “A certain percentage of people who ended up having substance use issues have a history of trauma,” said Shone. His team at the UCSF Alliance Health Project includes therapists who help substance users manage that trauma, but he admits it’s a “double-edged sword”: in the short-term, G and meth can alleviate feelings like depression or anxiety, but over time, substance use will make those mental health conditions worse. For Justin, these drugs led to bouts of psychosis. Franz Lao, another former substance user who was featured in part one of this series, stopped taking anti-depression medication because he felt it interfered with the high he wanted from G and other party drugs like MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly. A recent study in Germany found that gay and bisexual men had higher rates for anxiety and depression than the general population, but that men who used drugs like G and meth during sex did not differ much from other gay and bisexual men. G and meth are not only a coping mechanism for mental health challenges; they are also the basis of a tight-knit community for gay and bisexual men. While they might initially revolve around drugs, the relationships among fellow users often

turn into genuine friendships. When someone takes too much G, i.e. they “fall out,” other users watch after that person. “One of the main reasons that I have used substances in my life is to find ways to connect with other people, especially gay men,” reflected Justin. For people who try to stop using G and meth, the recovery process is as much about the people in their lives as it is about the drugs. Some of those people are friends and family who have been harmed too, and seeking amends for them is a piece of the 12-step program that users in Crystal Meth Anonymous follow. Others struggle to navigate the relationships with friends who continue to use G and meth. Shone has even seen many patients develop close relationships with their meth dealers. “There’s real grief in letting go of these people,” he said, “Just like there’s real grief in letting go of the drug.”t

dated July 17, 2020, again warned the leather alliance about its failure to file noting, “An organization that is delinquent, suspended or revoked is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.” By this point, the delinquency notice included the additional fiscal year 2019 with the added proviso “The California Franchise Tax Board will be notified to disallow the tax exemption of the above named entity. The Franchise Tax Board may revoke the organization’s tax exempt status at which point the organization will be treated as a taxable corporation… and may be subject to the minimum tax penalty.” On December 15, 2022, the state Department of Justice sent out its third, final reminder stating, “If the organization has not cured its delinquency with our office, or submitted a signed Appeal and Request for Hearing within 30 days, your registration will be suspended or revoked, and you will no longer be permitted to conduct business in the State of California.” Garfold denied knowing that the notices had even gone out even though at least one copy of the notices had been sent to her address, according to copies of the documents viewed by the B.A.R. Another copy went to former President Dahn Van Larz’s address, as well. Van Larz did not respond to a request for comment from the B.A.R. “In 2020, I could have received one and I would have addressed it,” Garfold said. “That sounds familiar to me. The state doesn’t really know that we were behind on our 990s.” The IRS describes Form 990 as its “primary tool for gathering information about tax-exempt organizations, educating organizations about tax law requirements and promoting compliance.” The leather alliance failed to respond and lost its tax exempt status the following month. However, it continued to receive money intended for the nightlife fund which, in turn, continued to solicit donations with the understanding that those donations were taxdeductible in California as well as at the federal level. It’s important

to note that, during this time, the leather alliance still enjoyed tax exempt status with the IRS. In fact, at the time of writing this story, it still does. The nightlife fund continued to solicit gifts, notifying would-be donors on its website that “[d]onations to QNF are tax-deductible contributions. The San Francisco Queer Nightlife fund is a fiscally sponsored project of the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.”

If you’re seeking help, visit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Stonewall Project at https://www. sfaf.org/programs/stonewall-project/ or the UCSF Alliance Health Project at https://alliancehealthproject.ucsf.edu/. This is the second in a three-part series on GHB and the gay community. To read the first article, click here. https://www.ebar.com/news/ news/315055

What to do

There was no reason for potential donors to assume their gifts weren’t tax deductible when they filed their state tax returns. In cases like this, said the CPA, their advice would be for donors to contact the Franchise Tax Board and to contact the organization in question directly. “Let them know 1) that you know and 2) that you have contacted the FTB. And I use FTB but it could also be the IRS. Depending, of course, on what was screwed up,” the accountant said. Garfold said she had spoken with the IRS about the matter. “The IRS confirmed there is no negative impact on the donor if they made a donation in good faith,” she said. “There is no negative repercussion to the donor at all.” Agreeing with Garfold, Hammock – who initiated the QNF fundraising efforts – said, “Because there’s still federal status, it’s nothing for our contributors to be concerned about.” The QNF steering committee, however, knew nothing of the leather alliance’s tax issues, nor would it have had any reason to, he added. The leather alliance was a good fit for QNF’s efforts and the relationship between the two organizations went very well, he said. Despite the apparent lack of transparency around the leather alliance’s tax-exempt status, Bartlett-Downey said she doesn’t believe the group’s problems are a result of intentional wrongdoing. “Honestly, I think that the lapse was them making their best effort to help the most people during the pandemic,” she said. “I think they had honest intentions. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.” t

Legals >>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Reporter • 17

Legals >> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557030

COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557045

In the matter of the application of ZIRU FAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ZIRU FAN is requesting that the name ZIRU FAN be changed to ZEE FAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 19th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

In the matter of the application of CAREY BESCOBY ANDERSON, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner CAREY BESCOBY ANDERSON is requesting that the name CAREY BESCOBY ANDERSON be changed to CAREY ESTELLE BESCOBY. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103 on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557027

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557047

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

In the matter of the application of JAMES ANTHONY COTTON, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner JAMES ANTHONY COTTON is requesting that the name JAMES ANTHONY COTTON be changed to JAMES ANTHONY SAYLES-ALLEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 17th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-556946

In the matter of the application of SEOK MENG TAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SEOK MENG TAN is requesting that the name SEOK MENG TAN be changed to SHERONE TAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 30th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557021

In the matter of the application of WEI YANG CHEN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner WEI YANG CHEN is requesting that the name WEI YANG CHEN be changed to MICHAEL WEI YANG CHEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 17th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557042

In the matter of the application of CASANOVA KAHLIL TEIXEIRA JENNINGS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner CASANOVA KAHLIL TEIXEIRA JENNINGS is requesting that the name CASANOVA KAHLIL TEIXEIRA JENNINGS be changed to CASANOVA KAHLIL MOON. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557039

In the matter of the application of MARY TERESA DUFFY, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MARY TERESA DUFFY is requesting that the name MARY TERESA DUFFY AKA MAURA TERESA DUFFY AKAMAURA DUFFY AKA MAURA DUFFY-HAMILTON AKA MAURA T. DUFFY be changed to MAURA TERESA DUFFY. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

In the matter of the application of JASPER STEVEN NELSON AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER S. THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner JASPER STEVEN NELSON AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER S THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS is requesting that the name JASPER STEVEN NELSON AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER S. THOMAS JR. AKA JASPER STEVEN THOMAS be changed to JASPER S THOMAS JR. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039677900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as AYUS CONSULTING, 1995 OAK ST #11, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHANDRA SWENSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/31/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039678200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ZAIN’S LIQUOR, 34 3rd St, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MOHAMMAD A. ZUGHAIYER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/05/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039681500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GUSEVAPHOTO, 4239 ANZA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed VALERIIA BURKATOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/06/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/06/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039681100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SAN FRANCISCO BAY COMPUTER SERVICES, 4830 MISSION ST #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EDUARDO F. SANCHEZ DUARTE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/06/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/06/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039682200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ESSENTIAL DEBRIS HAULING, 1370 CALIFORNIA ST #311, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANATOLIY KULYA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/07/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557046

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039683100

In the matter of the application of PRECIOUS FAITH M TAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner PRECIOUS FAITH M TAN is requesting that the name PRECIOUS FAITH M TAN be changed to FAITH TAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557035

In the matter of the application of MELINA SARABI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MELINA SARABI is requesting that the name MELINA SARABI be changed to SATCHITA MELINA SARABI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 19th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557044

In the matter of the application of SAM GAMEL YOUTOUB, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SAM GAMEL YOUTOUB is requesting that the name SAM GAMEL YOUTOUB be changed to UNCLE SAM. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 24th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA,

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SHE.HER, 2108 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRETT GLICKMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/08/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039683200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LA TROKITA, 2963 24TH ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed VANESA SANCHEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/08/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039679600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ABOVE/BELOW, 690 MARKET ST #702, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSHUA KATZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039682900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PAOLA GALLARDO DAY CARE, 1190 MISSION ST #301, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PAOLA GALLARDO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/06/21. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/08/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039675300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HOME RANCH LAND REALTY, 1160 BATTERY

ST EAST #100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JUAN CHAVARRIA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/25/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/29/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039685100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as JOY NAIL SPA, 3636 CESAR CHAVEZ ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DOMINIC CAY NGUYEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039680500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PHO DAY, 59 30TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PHO BERNAL (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039668800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as VCMA, 415 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed VALENCIA CORRIDOR MERCHANTS ASSOC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039681800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CHUY’S FIESTAS TAQUERIA II, 710 POST ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CHUY’S FIESTAS RESTAURANT INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039686100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NGUYEN PROPERTIES, 301 TOCOLOMA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed DOMINIC CAY NGUYEN & JENNY NGUYEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on . The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/01/95.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039669000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HELIOTROPE, 415 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HELIOTROPE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039656400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GOLDEN STATE GRAMS, 4348 3RD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GOLDEN STATE GRAMS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039682100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HPJ COACHING, 821 IRVING ST #225162, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed AO&FO LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/07/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039682500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FLYING RAIJIN, 1737 POST ST #320, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SUSANO GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/09/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/22.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038428900

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as HIDI SUEN PHOTOGRAPHY; PMP COCO, 3065 CLAY ST #302, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by VIRTUOSO COLLECTION LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/10/18.

APR 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

SUMMONS: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, 400 MCALLISTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102 LACY, ET AL., V. CITY & COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, ET AL. CASE NO. CPF-22-517714

Notice To: Defendants City and County of San Francisco; John Arntz, in his official capacity as Director of Elections for the City and County of San Francisco; DOES 1 through 25, inclusive; and All Persons Interested in the Matter of San Francisco Ordinance No. 206-21, which allows noncitizen voting in elections for the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Trustees. James V. Lacy, Michael Denny, United States Justice Foundation, and California Public Policy Foundation, the

Plaintiffs in the above-captioned action, are suing Defendants City and County of San Francisco; John Arntz, in his official capacity as Director of Elections for the City and County of San Francisco; DOES 1 through 25, inclusive; and All Persons Interested in the Matter of San Francisco Ordinance No. 206-21, which allows noncitizen voting in elections for the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Trustees. In this action, Plaintiffs seek to invalidate San Francisco Ordinance Number 206- 21, adopted on November 2, 2021 and effective on January 13, 2022. This ordinance permits noncitizen voting in elections for the San Francisco Unified School District. Plaintiffs contend that the ordinance is invalid because it is contrary to controlling state law that limits voting rights to United States citizens. You may contest the legality or validity of the matter by appearing and filing a written answer to the complaint not later than May 20, 2022. Persons who contest the legality or validity of the matter will not be subject to punitive action, such as wage garnishment or seizure of their real or personal property. You may seek the advice of an attorney in any matter connected with the complaint or this summons. Such attorney should be consulted promptly so that -2- your pleading may be filed or entered within the time required by this summons.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557061

In the matter of the application of YIN-JEN WANG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner YIN-JEN WANG is requesting that the name YIN-JEN WANG AKA ANGELA WANG AKA ANGELA YIN-JEN WANG be changed to ANGELA YIN-JEN FOX. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 31st of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557062

In the matter of the application of MYKHAILO MYKOLAICHUK, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MYKHAILO MYKOLAICHUK is requesting that the name MYKHAILO MYKOLAICHUK be changed to MICHAEL ALEXANDER BRUIN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 2nd of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557033

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as QUEER ARTS FEATURED, 575 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DEVLIN SHAND. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039688000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as UNIVERSAL BREAKFAST & LUNCH, 1217 GENEVA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed UINIVERSAL BREAKFAST & LUNCH LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/13/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RUSSIAN HILL CANNABIS CLUB, 2424 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed A&E GREEN SOLUTIONS INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LUCC BY ONLLWYN, 1190 MISSION ST #1209, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LEVEL UP COACHING & CONSULTING (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as COLTON BEVERAGE COMPANY, 849 AVE D, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130-2000. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TREEHOUSE CRAFT DISTILLERY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039684000

In the matter of the application of FATEMEH SADAT SAJJADI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner FATEMEH SADAT SAJJADI is requesting that the name FATEMEH SADAT SAJJADI be changed to FATIMA SADAT SAJJADI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 19th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ADAPT FITNESS, 1395 HAMPSHIRE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed EQUITABLE FITNESS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/14/21. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039684300

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039248600

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BOB’S CUSTOM FRAMING, 1710A MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROBERT HERNANDEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as ADAPT FITNESS, 1395 HAMPSHIRE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110-4227. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by MELISSA ASHLEY M. PERAZA. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/10/21.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039684800

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF EUGENE ROBERT STAGNARO IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA: FILE P22-00050

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SHAMIEH BROS, 605 MARKET ST #600, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELIAS SHAMIEH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as TOPIARY SALON, 646 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HAREGEWOIN KASSAYE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039685900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RE’NEWED BEAUTY CHÅTEAU, 1211 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIFFANI ELLIOTT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039688200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ROOKY RICARDO’S RECORDS, 419 HAIGHT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD R. VIVIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/85. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039691100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as A&K HAIR SALON, 2250 TARAVAL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHANCHIO U. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/16/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/22.

APR 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of EUGENE ROBERT STAGNARO. A Petition for Probate has been filed by ROBERT GAI in the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa. The Petition for Probate requests that ROBERT GAI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: MAY 17, 2022, 9:00 am, Dept. 30, Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court St., Martinez, CA 94453. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: MICHAEL WOODS (SBN 227665), 395 WEST PORTAL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127; Ph. (415) 759-1900.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 2022

<< Legals

18 • Bay Area Reporter • May 5-11, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557076

In the matter of the application of DORA WAI HAN WINTOR-SNIDER, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner DORA WAI HAN WINTOR-SNIDER is requesting that the name DORA WAI HAN WINTOR-SNIDER be changed to DORA WAIHAN SNIDER. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 7th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557051

#212, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHANTÉ SAULSBERRY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/19/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/20/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039690900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ESCOBAR BROS RECYCLING & DEMOLITION, 1225 THOMAS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DOUGLAS ESCOBAR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/15/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039691300

In the matter of the application of RAYSANA HURTADO, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner RAYSANA HURTADO is requesting that the name RAYSANA HURTADO be changed to RAYSANA HURTADO AMADOR. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 26th of MAY 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as POST BROKERAGE, 60 FAIR AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHARLES POST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/07/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039694400

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039695500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as A’SHANNIE PRODUCTIONS, 180 BRANNAN ST SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS – GENERAL INFORMATION ON-CALL SUSTAINING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR BART RFP NO. 6M8204 The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (“BART” or “District”) intends to engage the services of a consulting firm or joint venture (“CONSULTANT”) to provide on-call sustaining systems engineering services for BART. Accordingly, BART will be accepting proposals (“Proposals”) from proposers (“Proposers”) for consideration for the selection of a CONSULTANT to perform the scope of services specified in this Request for Statement of Qualifications (“RFSOQ”). Proposers are hereby notified that statements of qualifications (“SOQs”) may only be submitted by firms certified as a Micro Small Business Entity (MSBE) under the District’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Small Business Elements (“SB Elements”). A MSBE is a small business entity (“SBE”) certified by BART, whose average annual gross receipts (including those of its affiliates), for the previous three fiscal years do not exceed $6 million for firms whose primary industry classification is professional services. Any firm seeking to be certified as a SBE shall comply with BART’s SBE certification process detailed in BART’s website www.bart.gov/ocr. Please note: Prime proposers will not be allowed to participate as a subconsultant under another SOQ submitted in response to this RFSOQ. In addition, no Prime joint venture teaming / agreements will be permitted under this RFSOQ. However, a MSBE Prime consultant proposing under this RFSOQ may subcontract out a portion of the work to other MSBEs and/or non MSBEs. Any subconsultant may be a participant as a subconsultant on more than one proposing team. Proposals must be received by BART by 2:00 PM local time on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 . Proposals shall be submitted to the following address: District Secretary’s Office San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District 2150 Webster Street, 10 th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 REQUIRED REGISTRATION ON THE BART PROCUREMENT PORTAL In order for prospective Proposers to be eligible for award of an Agreement being solicited on the BART Procurement Portal, such Proposers are required to be currently registered to do business with BART on the BART Procurement Portal online at https:// suppliers.bart.gov and have obtained Solicitation Documents, updates, and any Addenda issued online so as to be added to the Online Planholders List for this solicitation. If a prospective Proposer is a joint venture or partnership, such entity may register on the BART Procurement Portal with the entity’s tax identification number (TIN) and download the Solicitation Documents so as to be listed as an online planholder under the entity’s name prior to submitting its Proposal. If such entity has not registered on BART Procurement Portal in the name of the joint venture or partnership prior to submitting its Proposal, provided that at least one of the joint venturers or partners registered online on the BART Procurement Portal and downloaded the Solicitation Documents so as to be added to the Online Planholders List for this solicitation, such entity will be required to register with the entity’s TIN as an online planholder following the submittal of Proposals, in order for the entity to be eligible for award of this Agreement. PROPOSERS WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED ON THE BART PROCUREMENT PORTAL PRIOR TO SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, (OR FOR A JOINT VENTURE OR PARTNERSHIP AS DESCRIBED ABOVE PRIOR TO AWARD) AND DID NOT DOWNLOAD THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS FOR THIS SOLICITATION ONLINE SO AS TO BE LISTED AS AN ONLINE PLANHOLDER FOR THIS SOLICITATION, WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AWARD OF THIS AGREEMENT. PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING A Pre-Submittal Meeting will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. local time via Zoom presentation . All interested parties must RSVP via registering with the Zoom link included within the RFP in order to participate in this Pre-Submittal Meeting. Should there be difficulties in registering, please contact veronica.zamani@bart.gov. Instructions on attending the Zoom Presentation are included within the RFP. At the Pre-Submittal Meeting, the District’s Equity Program(s) will be explained. Prospective Proposers are requested to make every effort to participate in this only scheduled Pre-Submittal Meeting. At the conclusion of the Meeting, participants will be given the opportunity to share their contact information to facilitate networking offline. /s/ John Mazza John Mazza, Director of Procurement 5/5/22 CNS-3581786# BAY AREA REPORTER

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NEWMOON BY LENA, 1550 EDDY ST #411, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARLA ALLEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/21/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039690300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FOG CITY CONCRETE, 115 GLADEVIEW WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ZACHARY NACHTSHEIM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039680600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DE LA TOUR SAINT RAPUNZA, 536 14TH ST #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KIRSTEN JANENE-NELSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/29/02. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/06/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039677600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GENERAL MAX CONSTRUCTION, 322 31ST AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MAXIM OSTAPOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/31/21. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/30/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039695000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CITY TENT, 900 FOLSOM ST #453, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed HUNG GIA HA, ROMERICO RIEMEDIO & AUKUSITINO FELISE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/20/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/20/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039694100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PAZGEAR.US, 1388 HAIGHT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BUBBLE LOUNGE LAUNDROMAT LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/20/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039696400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ACTUARIAL CONSULTING GROUP LLC, 626 POWELL ST #506, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ACTUARIAL CONSULTING GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/21/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039682300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HURD LIMO LLC, 466 23RD AVE #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HURD LIMO LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/04/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039696600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HEY BIG SISTER PROJECT, 1808 47TH AVE #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HEY BIG SISTER PROJECT (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039677700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PRIVACYCARE, 1700 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed QUANTA NETWORKS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/03/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA

on 03/31/22.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039698200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SF PLAZA HOTEL, 510 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed KAS HOSPITALITY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039688900

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MISSING AUDREY VINTAGE, 1767 STOCKTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SABRINA BODNAR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/13/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/22.

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039378300

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039699500

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as ESCOBAR BROS RECYCLING, 1225 THOMAS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by DOUGLAS ESCOBAR. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/23/21.

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BRUSHED LINE PAINTING, 123 HIGHLAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOHN PAUL LOPEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/27/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/27/22.

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037550200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039693100

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as CONSENSUSLAB, 400 MONTGOMERY ST #700, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business was conducted by a corporation and signed by TERRIS BARNES WALTERS BOIGON HEATH, INC. (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LVNENG UNLIMITED, 181 MARGARET AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAYMOND K. YEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/19/22.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557083

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039700300

APR 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2022

In the matter of the application of LIEM DUC NGUYEN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner LIEM DUC NGUYEN is requesting that the name LIEM DUC NGUYEN be changed to LIEM KADAS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 14th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557082

In the matter of the application of CONSTANCE NATALIAH PELKEY, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner CONSTANCE NATALIAH PELKEY is requesting that the name CONSTANCE NATALIAH PELKEY be changed to AARUSHI LALITA DASGUPTA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 7th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557085

In the matter of the application of LOGAN KINSEY BECK, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner LOGAN KINSEY BECK is requesting that the name LOGAN KINSEY BECK be changed to LOGAN KINSEY BERU. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 14th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557086

In the matter of the application of SCOTT DOUGLAS REU, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SCOTT DOUGLAS REU is requesting that the name SCOTT DOUGLAS REU be changed to SCOTT DOUGLAS BERU. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 14th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557088

In the matter of the application of ROLAND DEREK WETZEL & ANNE GASTON MONTGOERY, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ROLAND DEREK WETZEL & ANNE GASTON MONTGOERY is requesting that the name JUNIPER BEA MONTGOMERY WETZEL be changed to JUNIPER BEA MONTGOMERY WETZEL. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 14th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557084

In the matter of the application of SON VAN NGUYEN AKA ANDY NGUYEN AKA ANDY SON NGUYEN AKA SON ANDY NGUYEN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SON VAN NGUYEN AKA ANDY NGUYEN AKA ANDY SON NGUYEN AKA SON ANDY NGUYEN is requesting that the names SON VAN NGUYEN AKA ANDY NGUYEN AKA ANDY SON NGUYEN AKA SON ANDY NGUYEN be changed to SON ANDY VAN NGUYEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 9th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22-557097

In the matter of the application of JORDAN HOPE CERULLO, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner JORDAN HOPE CERULLO is requesting that the name JORDAN HOPE CERULLO be changed to SARAH JORDAN HOPE KAUK. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103N on the 16th of JUNE 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

The following person(s) is/are doing business as WRITERS’ CIRCLE, 1451 JACKSON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JAMIE LEE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/27/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/27/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039698900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LOST BOTTLES, 2199 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MAYA AND BEN (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/25/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/26/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039699000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CLUB CANTTOLAO SF, 266 ATHENS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CLUB CANTTOLAO SF (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/26/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039697400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, 402 DEWEY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, P.C. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039697500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, 3129 VICENTE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, P.C. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039697600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, 230 CALIFORNIA ST #400, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, P.C. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039697700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, 1700 CALIFORNIA ST #530, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, P.C. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039697900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, 3222 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SELECT PHYSICAL THERAPY, P.C. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/25/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039689100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RYZ ELECTRICAL, 2435 44TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed RYZ CONSTRUCTION INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/13/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039694200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as KUM SUN CHINESE AFFAIRS, 677 JACKSON

ST 2ND FL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed INTL CHINESE AFFAIRS INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/28/87. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/20/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039693500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LELEKA, 40 BELDEN PL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MEREY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/20/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/20/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039700500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SUPER DUPER BURGERS, 98 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MISSION 98 SUPER, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/27/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/28/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039700600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE BIRD, 115 NEW MONTGOMERY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 115 NEW MONTGOMERY, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/09/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/28/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039701200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CHINGONAS, 105 STEINER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed RED TABLE MANAGEMENT (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/28/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039700900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as AZUVO, 12 HILLVIEW CT, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ED CLOUD LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/25/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/28/22.

MAY 05, 12, 19, 26, 2022

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by Gregg Shapiro

f patience is a virtue, then Bitch fans are among the most virtuous. Nine years after she released her last full-length disc “In Us We Trust,” Bitch is back with “Bitchcraft” (Kill Rock Stars), an album that draws on all of her strengths with dazzling results. There are dynamic dance tracks (“Hello Meadow,” “You’re The Man,” “Nothing in my Pockets”), powerful person statements (“Pages,” “Another Wound”), as well as provocative social commentary (“Polar Bear,” “Hello Meadow”). The common denominator in the brew is Bitch’s trademark violin work combined with her political perspective, making this one of the best albums of her long and varied career. Always a lot of fun to interview, Bitch (aka Karen Mould) was kind enough to answer a few questions about the new release. Gregg Shapiro: I’m bad at math, but according to my calculations, almost ten years have passed between your previous album, “In Us We Trust,” and your new album, “Bitchcraft.” Is that right? Bitch: Pretty close! It’s nine years. In a nutshell, what were you doing during that time? [Laughs] hiding in a log cabin in the woods. What? Really? [Laughs] yeah. I left New York. I went to a log cabin in the woods. I finished “In Us We Trust” during that phase, too. I was still touring, etcetera, but I just had to take a break. It’s not like I took a break from making music. I just took

Bitch is back Queer singer-songwriter’s new music

a break from sharing it. It was in that log cabin that I started to work on the early phases of this album. Some of the tracks were recorded during that period. I think I put the violin down for “Pages” in 2015. I took a break from sharing. “Bitchcraft” features a pair of irresistible electro numbers, opener “You’re the Man” and “Hello Meadow,” which are the kinds of dance tracks that give you something to think about while you’re working up a sweat. Can you please say a few words about combining message music with dance beats? For me, there’s something about dance music. Something where there’s a beat that unifies us and kind of forces us to move, like you almost can’t help it. There’s a certain universality to that. As an artist, I’ve been in the underground for a

Mark Abramson

long time. There’s something about adding this kind of universal element I felt like, “Why not?” Why can’t I do that, too? Why can’t I put what I call my poet talk-ness, my obtuse poetry, and my political poetry into a sonic landscape like that? I think this whole album has been a little bit of experimentation with that. Would you say that living in that cabin was part of the inspiration for “Hello Meadow”? Yes! When I left New York, I wrote that song, I believe, right as I was driving to the log cabin; kind of leaving the city and the urban landscape, and suddenly being in this kind of nature’s paradise. What would it mean to you if either or both of these songs became popular with DJs spinning for the tea dance crowd?

by Mark Abramson

ditor’s note; While we holed up indoors in 2020 –which now seems like much more than two years ago– prolific local gay author Mark Abramson took notes. He shared a few witty diary entries which are included in his latest book. See endnotes for info on his May 15 reading at Fabulosa Bookstore.)

Pandemic prose Excerpts from ‘Arlene Francis & Me Pandemic Diaries from Castro Street 2020’

Monday, April 13, 2020 I’m watching Rachel Maddow stoned. I mean me, not her, although she might be stoned too. I just smoked a bowl of primo buds out on the back deck. It’s become a nightly ritual after our virtual happy hour. That daily hour-long video connection with friends is a very good thing in my life right now! We share a lot of laughs and some love. I try not to be one of those people who post too often on Facebook, but I love people who make me laugh. Sometimes it feels like the whole world is more connected now than ever, just because all of us have been separated by this killer virus. Sunday April 26, 2020 I’ve been laughing about something I saw on

I would be thrilled! Absolutely thrilled. I would think of it as one notch toward lesbian visibility. One more notch [laughs]. Do you see that as the mission of your music, and this record in particular? Absolutely! I can’t help but be political in my work and be part of the times that we’re in. To me, it’s one of the jobs of an artist. These days where people have been gathering less physically and it’s more digital and we’re a little less connected, weirdly, even though we’re globally connected. The possibilities of movements feel a little more esoteric. But with what we’ve seen with the Black Lives Matter movement and a lot of the organizing around climate change, I still think it’s possible and necessary that we stay engaged. See page 22 >>

Facebook about Betty White staying safe and healthy in her 90s during this pandemic. That got me to start thinking about “life and death” again in a way I hadn’t thought about that phrase in a long time, maybe since my friends stopped dying from AIDS every week. I remember a few weeks ago, the first time I checked in at SF General when they asked, “Have you traveled outside of the country lately? Have you been around anyone who has? Any fever lately? Have you had a cough?” We weren’t even wearing masks yet, but I soon realized people asked the same questions each time, apologetically, sometimes adding, “We have to ask, you know, because of the new virus.” I politely answered, “No, no, no, no.” It seemed as silly as checkers at Safeway asking my date of birth every time I bought wine. The other day they asked an old guy ahead of me and he said, “I’m 94 years old.” The checker still needed his birth date. I think I would have told the checker, “You do the math!” Monday, April 27 I just got off the phone with my dear buddy Nile. God, I miss that guy! He said he was nearby this afternoon and wanted to have a visit from the sidewalk, but he got so frusSee page 26 >>

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<< Books

20 • Bay Area Repor ter • May 5-11, 2022

Gran Fury’s glory

Jack Lowery discusses his book, ‘It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic’

by Jim Provenzano

n “It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic” (Bold Type Books), writer and scholar Jack Lowery fully explores the history of Gran Fury, the activist-artist collective that cleverly incorporated advertising style into activist agitprop in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Lowry not only discusses and fully explores the intent of the notorious posters that were wheat-pasted on buildings around New York City during the peak of the ACT UP’s heyday amid the AIDS crisis. He also dives into the collective’s inception and their internal squabbles, relationships, losses, and eventual rise to fame with galleries in the art world. The book’s title is derived from a quote by Gran Fury member Donald Moffat, who, when Lowery critiqued other sanitized depictions of the AIDS activist group, saying, “What made ACT UP so effective was that it was kinda vulgar and raunchy,” Moffatt replied, “It was vulgar. It was all those things. It was vulgar and beautiful.” Formed in 1988 by 11 artists, Gran Fury members included Amy Heard, Marlene McCarty, Robert VazquezPacheco, Richard Elovich, Avram Finkelstein, Tom Kalin, John Lindell, Loring McAlpin, Donald Moffett, Michael Nesline, and the late Mark Simpson. Initially called the Silence=Death Collective, the group’s later name comes from the brand of the Plymouth cars used by police departments, but also, as one member noted, it sounded like a Tennessee Williams play. Lowery doesn’t pull punches and includes some of the darker aspects of the struggle that members of Gran Fury had in keeping the consistency of their focus while others later critiqued the growing expense of their projects. Rather than frame the posters as remote objects, like certain later exhibits that leave viewers possibly unable to recognize the immediacy of their placement on subway and bus posters– like the famous “Kissing Doesn’t Kill” series– Lowry investigates and shares the full evolution of how these powerful now-iconic images came to be. Through personal interviews, oral histories from Sarah Schulman and Jim Hubbard’s ACT UP Oral History Project, as well as numerous research materials, Lowery has been able to piece together a thorough history of a specific aspect of the AIDS activist organization that helped empower people with AIDS/HIV. In a phone interview from his Brooklyn home, we discussed his extensive study of Gran Fury, and enthusiastically compared notes on my own experiences in ACT UP New York during these tumultuous years. Jim Provenzano: In reading your book, I was struck by how many memories came back to me from my years in ACT UP, specifically participation in actions, the creation of a few smaller ones, the regular Monday night meetings at the Community Center on 13th Street, and later at Cooper Union. Can you talk about how you avoided nostalgia in recounting those years? Jack Lowery: One of the things that gets cast in retrospect is showing the human frailty of what was happening in ACT UP; the human-ness. One thing that several interviewees mentioned was how when people were being trained to talk to the press, they wanted to be portrayed as regular human beings, not just militant activists, which they were, of course. But that’s not the whole story of what was happening. To be nostalgic about ACT UP, you have to cut a lot of stuff out. People often talked about things like where they went after the demonstra-

Kissing Doesn’t Kill, Gran Fury, 1989

tions, not just what they did at the demonstrations. You do reference the inspiration for writing the book in its first part, but can you share a bit of that? I started working on this book five years ago; writing and researching. The motivation for it was partially the moment that we were in around 2017. What was happening in politics

and in our culture at the time set it off. Obviously, a lot has changed in the past couple years, but a lot hasn’t. The further and further I got into this work, I began to realize how integral Gran Fury was to ACT UP’s success. It seemed like that was not being discussed. These posters had such an effect in visualizing its intent. Living in New York, even though it’s decades later, I can get a feel of how the posters, wheat-pasted on buildings, acted on people, confronting them. I was really interested in exploring the impact these posters had once they entered the world; what conversations they caused to have or circumvented. Yes, I remember walking down a street in Manhattan on a date with a guy and seeing the posters, and when he criticized them, I basically broke off the date after defending the posters. Less than a year later, I was going on guerilla wheat-pasting parties with a few other members of ACT UP. It was very sticky. There was a kind of alchemic mix of despair and joy in struggling together. In the interviews I’ve done, one thing that people have asked is, ‘Would a 25-year-old be able to understand about those days, for example, without social media? What I couldn’t wrap my head around were all the pre-9/11 security measures that were in place; that you could just get away with so much. The affinity group The Costas broke into federal property, the CDC offices in Atlanta. And they got released that day. You cannot do that anymore. You can’t infiltrate the New York Stock Exchange. You would be shot, and that is not an exaggeration. No, definitely. We accomplished some rather daring feats. I was arrested half a dozen times. People ask what strategies ACT UP used that are applicable today, and there are a lot of things, specifically as it relates to Gran Fury and messaging, but ACT UP exists in a context that ended so shortly after.

Above: Read My Lips (Men’s version), Gran Fury, 1988 Middle: Silence=Death, the Silence=Death collective, 1987 Below: AIDSGATE, the Silence=Death collective, 1987

The consistencies of Gran Fury’s imagery –borrowing a visual style from Barbara Kruger, the persistence of Futura Bold as a font– are explored in your book, in particular the now-iconic Silence = Death poster, and eventually, T-shirts. Another memorable favorite is the ‘Kissing Doesn’t Kill’ campaign, which featured three couples, including people of color. Gran Fury was always about fitting their work into the visual landscape. ‘Kissing Doesn’t Kill’ is a great example of camouflaging, how they started to place their work in spaces reserved for conventional advertising. They didn’t want it to be immediately clear. It looks like a Benetton ad, which you’re used to seeing, but there’s just enough that’s ‘off ’ about it, even though it’s using all the usual visual signifiers. With Silence=Death, though, there was no confusion. This was not disguised as ‘a new product.’

Author Jack Lowery

I like how you also bring up different people’s perspectives of not remembering certain specifics while others have varying memories, like the Read My Lips posters and T-shirts, specifically the two male sailors kissing, and how that came to be. You even recount how one of the subjects contacted ACT UP to thank them for using the image, and the sexy back story of the original photo shoot. That was from Avram Finkelstein’s book (“After Silence: A History of AIDS Through Its Images”). With two new ACT UP-themed books coming out, including Ron Goldberg’s memoir, “The Boy With the Bullhorn,” and K.M. Soehnlein’s upcoming novel, “Army of Lovers,” there seems to be a resurgence of literature about ACT UP. Peter Staley’s memoir “Never Silent: ACT UP and My Life in Activism” was recently released, and last year Sarah Schulman’s epic “Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993” was published. Did that have any effect on your work? We were finalizing my manuscript when Sarah’s book came out, but the Oral History Project interviews were hugely foundational for my work. It’s hard to disentangle her book from the interviews themselves. Towards the end of the book, you go into detail about the Ashes actions with how the ashes of the deceased were integral to some of the more somber events, particularly the ashes of David Robinson’s partner Warren Krause, and another used Tim Bailey’s body in a coffin at a protest in 1993. Did they, as some have claimed, lead to the end of Gran Fury and other prominent actions? All the fun and joy had been extinguished by that point. Some people consider the political funerals as the dour acts that extinguished the last flame, but I think that’s so not true. I think they externalized what had been happening in ACT UP for a long time. I guess what I’m trying to explain is that it seemed like what with so many people dying, that it was the end of metaphor, the end of cleverness and just literal dead people used as part of a protest.

What the political funerals were saying was, ‘This is where we’re at now. We no longer have the aptitude to put on a campy Read My Lips-esque demonstration.’ If you look at the timeline, there is one month where Vito Russo, Ray Navarro, Kevin Smith; about five people died in the span of a week. Every person in the room was good friends with one of those people. I don’t think the group found a way to fully process the unending stream of grief. No, it was rough; lots of memorials. When you’re 28 years old, you don’t know how to process the death of your peers. How do you process the fact that your phonebook is full of crossed-out names? Your straight friends just don’t understand about going to funerals so often. There’s no script for what happens when half of your friends die in 18 months. One thing you mentioned, that I heard from my interviews, is how they miss it, but they don’t. They say, ‘If I was in my 20s again, of course I’d jump back in to ACT UP. But they also have a realization that a defining time of their youth was extremely traumatizing. It is a form of PTSD, and I’m not using that euphemistically. They’re like war veterans. It seems difficult to explain to a younger generation how few avenues we had to communicate, and how essential public poster campaigns were when we had mere fax machines and phone trees. Also, I wonder whether current activists have the true collective structure that affinity groups like Gran Fury had. This was interesting to talk about with members of Gran Fury. There wasn’t an effort to say, ‘This person made this.’ All this stuff was being made on an ad-hoc amorphous basis. It wasn’t so clear with a defined mission, but much more messy and spontaneous. I had to find a way to write about the real-time decisions that were made and show the organic growth.t Jack Lowery will read from and discuss ‘It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic’ May 12, 7pm at Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro St. www.fabulosabooks.com www.jacklowery.net www.boldtypebooks.com

Books>>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Repor ter • 21

Paul Mendez’s auspicious debut by Brian Bromberger

aw and transcendent are the words applicable to Paul Mendez’s semiautobiographical debut novel “Rainbow Milk.” A multi-generational dissection of sexuality, race, and religion on the rocky evolution of a young gay Black man, it is set in England from the late 1950s to the 2016 Brexit election. The book was published last year and will be released as a paperback later this month. It has been nominated for a Lambda literary award (“Lammy”) as Best Gay Fiction and will likely win. It has received mostly raves from the UK press, transforming Mendez into one of their hottest authors. Clearly Mendez is a bold remarkable talent, perhaps nearly matching that of his partner, the acclaimed almost-thirty-years-older British novelist Alan Hollinghurst (“The Swimming Pool Library,” “The Line of Beauty”), making them potentially the Mary Shelley/Percy Shelley of English gay literature. Both writers concentrate on the challenge of finding one’s self while wrestling with a homophobic and racist society. The novel begins in 1956 with Norman Alonso, a gardener and Jamaican emigrant, who resides in Blixton, a coal town, part of the Black country, named after industrial pollution, but also for the first wave of the Windrush immigrant generation who journeyed from the Afro-Caribbean West Indies to Britain from 1948 to 1971. They came to fill labor shortages after World War II, hoping for a more prosperous future. Norman started as a boxer but bad health, and limited options forced him to revert back to his horticultural skills, much prized by his clients. However, he’s going blind and can no

longer work, so his wife supports the family through two jobs. He muses, “We leave the Garden of Eden for the Land of Milk and Honey and find Sodom and Gomorrah.” Then the plot skips ahead to 2002, introducing us to Jesse McCarthy, a 20-year-old Black man, whom we will later discover is Norman’s grandson. Gloria, Norman’s daughter and Jesse’s mother, had left his abusive father and married an older white man, Graham, converting to his Jehovah’s Witness religion. His mother resents Jesse because he reminds her of past failures. Starting as a young boy, with no Black male role models, he attempts to erase himself by using a Brillo pad on his skin with “the hot tap on until it ran scalding and set to scratching off the black, rubbed until the foam went pink.” Later a friend will observe about him, “you’re like a black boy trying to be a white boy trying to be a black boy,” meaning learning what it means to be Black from white men. Jesse develops into “the darling of the congregation,” with talk of him entering the ministry. He makes a flimsy pass at his friend Fraser, thinking he’s gay, suggesting they run away and share a flat together: “I’d be like your girlfriend. I’d look after ya.” Now outed, the church “disfellowships” him. Jesse flees from his family to London, where in order to survive, he becomes an in-demand rent boy, esteemed for his capable sexual skills (i.e. no gag reflex), especially servicing older white daddies. He starts to live on his own terms, which includes unprotected sex and degrading encounters, as he searches for a white savior, even rejecting other black men as clients. All his early sexual encounters are

King of filth

Author John Waters

by Jim Piechota

tep aside, Dawn Davenport. There’s a new bitch in town and she means business. Her name is Marsha “Liarmouth” Sprinkle, and she dominates all the depravity in filthy filmmaker and bestselling author John Waters’ debut novel, “Liarmouth.” Marsha is that unforgettably unique, nasty, compulsively lying bad girl with a heart of … deep dark coal. She balks at the idea of a boss, of sharing space with fellow coworkers, or punching a time clock and paying taxes. At 40, she still wears her brazen sexuality on her sleeve and when we first encounter Ms. Sprinkle and her boner-prone crime partner and “sex slave” Daryl, they are both actively squatting in a foreclosed mansion. They earn a “self-employed” living pilfering the contents of stray luggage stolen off the baggage carousels at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. It’s not really Daryl’s ultimate idea of a living, yet “after 364 days of delayed ejaculation,” he lives to fulfill his agreement with Marsha that one a time a year, if he helps her swindling business, he and his penis named “Richard” get to have intercourse with her.

But Marsha is no ordinary fraudster. She is a spit-shined John Waters creation, so she believes she’s superior to everyone (“and smarter, too”) and doesn’t even care about conning her own estranged daughter, Poppy, or her mother, Adora. These peripheral characters, just a few in Waters’ bulging bag of tricks, are just as whacky, of course. Poppy is 22 and corrals a misfit group of awkward gymnasts with names like Leepa, Vaulta, and Double Back Barbara, all obsessed with the progression of the “radical trampoline movement” for equality. Mother Adora, equally deranged, is a well-respected Upper East Side animal cosmetic surgeon whose own gender dysphoric dog has been stretched, sliced, and preened into the uncanny likeness of Joan Rivers. Since Marsha is the type of con artist who subsists on a solitary diet of artisan crackers which, at bathroom time, produce spare “little pellets that leave no trace or mess,” she yearns for an escape from Daryl and seizes the opportunity after one particular airport heist goes seriously awry. On her own with a gaggle of malcontents hot on her trail and thirsty for revenge, Marsha’s tour de force on the lam is a gloriously protracted

Author Paul Mendez

rooted in shame and humiliation. The intense sex described here is raunchy, explicit –almost like reading pornography– and after a while these scenes become repetitive (perhaps intentionally). He is abused and assaulted, with tricks projecting their demeaning racial stereotypes onto him. It becomes clear how Jesse is both hated for being Black and desired for that same reason. Being a sex worker, he’s trying to learn to love that which he’d been taught to hate and suppress. It will be one horrifying encounter with a man using a razor blade to infect Jesse with HIV, that will shock him into ending this self-destructive behavior, by finding a different line of work. He secures a job as a waiter in a posh restaurant, but on the first day, is demoted to kitchen porter due to the manager’s racism. He works in other eateries and cafes, but no matter how high class, racist snobbery raises its ugly head. Settling down with a former housemate, Owen (Cambridgeeducated and a published poet), Jesse, despite feeling inferior, develops his own ambitions to become a writer.

chase scene overstuffed with poop, penis, anus, cheap hotel and airport references glorified by Waters’ dirty mind and magnificently unfiltered sense of humor. The oddball gang of miscreants all regroup in Provincetown, a seaside resort hosting the annual Anilingus Festival where entire families stroll around sporting “I EAT ASS” t-shirts. Could this family reunion be just the thing to soften Marsha? Has the tide shifted so drastically beneath the Dick Dock that it could signal the end of her nefarious ways? Is true change for the filthy population possible? Only Adora’s dog Surprize, who is transitioning into a cat, knows for sure. For readers unaware of this devilishly creative Baltimore native known for making his copy editors teeter “on the edge of taste with me, hopefully protecting my cockeyed balance,” John Waters is best known for his artistic expression of perverse morality that has produced landmark films like “Pink Flamingos” which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To say that the cult icon at 76 is in flagrantly filthy form here would be an understatement, and this first foray into fiction (after notable works of journalism and memoir) and into the deep recesses of extreme high camp outrageousness is hopefully not his last. It’s finally time for some low-grade ridiculousness and John Waters is just the man to splatter this kind of “artistic trouble” right in our faces. And all that raunch tastes simply Divine.t John Waters will be in conversation about ‘Liarmouth’ on Monday, May 9, 7pm at a Green Arcade Bookstore event at McRoskey Mattress Co. Loft, 1687 Market St., 3rd floor. Doors at 6:30. ($10; free with book purchase) www.thegreenarcade.com ‘Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance’ by John Waters; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26 us.macmillan.com

Gritty realism

“Rainbow Milk” –the title comes from the sweet/repulsive Fruit Loops cereal his mother fed him for breakfast– at its very best reveals how racism has been ingrained into Jesse’s very identity and records his long bumpy often heartbreaking journey to healing and self-acceptance, by creating another “center of gravity.” Mendez uses gritty realism to portray Jesse’s damaging self-abandon and emotional deterioration, but with luminous almost religious language as he learns to stop running away from himself and gain a modicum of selfrespect. Mendez employs popular song lyrics from often Black divas (Mary

J. Blige) to propel the plot, injecting certain scenes with a pulsating energy. It often works, but other times it can seem like long digressions that can drag and stall the pace of the book. As beautiful and lyrical as the prose can be, some of it is overwritten, notably excessive when recounting minor mundane details. Also, the heavy Jamaican dialect in chapter 1 and interspersed occasionally later, can be a frustrating comprehension exercise for American readers, but perseverance will reap abundant rewards. Overall, “Rainbow Milk” is a viscerally thrilling damning intersectional indictment of racism and religious homophobia. It also functions as an inspiring testament to Jesse’s resilience and survival over both physical and emotional traumas, as he gradually releases his anger and allows himself to be loved unapologetically for who he is. Readers will come to care deeply about Jesse, invested in all his exploits. By no means flawless, “Rainbow Milk” heralds a sensational memorable new voice in gay fiction that will simultaneously intoxicate and sear audiences, but leave no doubt they are in the hands of a budding literary star.t ‘Rainbow Milk: a novel’ by Paul Mendez. Anchor/PenguinRandom House, $17.00. www.penguinrandomhouse.com

<< Music

22 • Bay Area Repor ter • May 5-11, 2022

Eli Conley

Queer trans country artists to perform in East Bay

by David-Elijah Nahmod

li Conley lives for country music. The Sacramento resident, who once called Berkeley home, has been making a name for himself as a queer country music artist for quite a few years. This has been no small feat, as country is a genre which usually appeals to straight conservatives. Conley is a queer trans man. On May 15, he and a few of his musical friends will be performing Queer Country West Coast at the Ivy Room in Albany. It’s an afternoon show that begins at 4 p.m., with Conley, Mya Byrne, Polythene Pam and Side Pony. Conley admits that it can at times be challenging to play in traditional music venues. “There are some country music venues I’ve played where I didn’t know how my obviously queer lyrics would be received,” Conley said in an email interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “That can be scary. But sometimes people surprise you.” He spoke of a time when he played at a cafe in a small West Virginia town in which Trump signs could be seen

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Above: Eli Conley Right: Mya Byrne

everywhere. But the audience was quite receptive to his show, so he threw caution to the wind and came out as a trans man onstage. “You could have heard a pin drop,” he said. “Afterwards, almost everyone in the room came up to me to tell me how meaningful the show was. There were two women in the back who were a couple, and it turned out that one of them was trans. She grew up in the town and had just moved back, and she told me how happy she was that I’d come to play. Those moments mean everything to me.” Conley acknowledges that country music as it’s heard on the radio could be taken to be racist and homophobic. But he’s glad that more and more people are carving out a space for themselves as openly queer roots musicians. And that’s why he created Queer Country West Coast, to showcase his fellow artists and to build a community of support. “I think people are hungry for it,” he said. “I think there is actually something delightfully subversive about being a queer country and folk

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artist in a genuine, non-ironic way. I’d say the majority of my audience is probably queer.” Though he has his straight fans as well. “I try to write songs that are specific to my experience but invite you in even if you don’t happen to be a queer trans guy from the south,” he said. “I listen to plenty of straight artists, you know? I think good music can connect with everybody.”

Sharing the stage

One person that Conley has connected with musically is Mya Byrne, a queer trans woman from New York who has lived in the Bay Area for nearly a decade. For the past seventeen years she has performed her own music and collaborated with others. She’ll be one of several artists who join Conley at the Ivy Room. “Many have described me as country/rock Americana,” Byrne said. “I liken myself to the vibe of chopping wood for a fire in a semi-urban backyard with stars on one side, light pollution on the other, while wearing a

really nice Carhartt jacket you found in a free pile.” Like Conley, Byrne has faced challenges as a queer trans country musician. “Because my life and my bodily autonomy rights are a debated topic in so much of America, I’m often thrown in a box of too edgy and thus I’m systematically denied privileges straight, cis musicians often take for granted,” she said. “I’m often paid less, put on smaller stages. It’s really awful. I’m grateful to be in the Bay where I can be a worker among workers and be just a musician without necessarily thinking about my identity and sexuality.” This is only Byrne’s second show since the lockdown ended. She has a long history with the Ivy Room and is excited about performing songs from her new album. She has a message for anyone who might be on the fence about attending the show.

“Why be on the fence, friends?” she asked. “We got chicken in the barn! Where else are you going to see some of the best country songwriters in the Bay? All of these artists are at the top of their game, and we literally haven’t seen each other in over two years. It’s gonna be a god-dang love fest. Come on down.” Conley added that Byrne will be moving to Nashville soon, so this will be one of the last chances Bay Area audiences will have to see her in-person for quite some time. “If you want live music to continue, now is the time to come out,” he said. “Venues are getting back into the swing of things and they can really use our support.”t

like, “Listen! You’ve got the chorus. Write about your breakup. There’s a whole metaphor for writing. So here you are at this chapter. Just write about that and keep it as simple as possible poetry-wise.” It was such a great challenge. I’m so glad I did it. I resisted a little bit. I was like, “Oh, man! Isn’t this good enough?” [Laugh] she said, “Just try it.” I love a writing assignment! I would send it to her, and she’d say, “Okay, now

shave off two bars. We’ve got too many bars before that.” She really pushed me, and pushed me to simplify, too. Every time I listen to it, I think, “I’m so glad that I listened to her!”t

Queer Country West Coast, May 15, 4pm at the Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany www.ivyroom.com www.eliconley.com www.myabyrne.com

songs you’ve recorded, and it also sounds very personal. What can you tell the readers about that song? I love talking about this one. You know the rapper God-Des? Of (lesbian rap duo) God-Des and She? Of course! Yes! She was a huge part of this album. And was very much a part of my coven, as I call it, that I relied on to run things by as I was making it. I wrote that chorus years and years ago. She was always saying, “Oh, my gosh, I love that hook so much. But you’ve got to rewrite the verses.” The verses were very classic Bitch, kind of spoken wordy, a poem that she wasn’t quite sure what it was about. She was always trying to push me into putting my craft, if you will, into a pop structure. We’ve had such a long friendship. We kind of spar with each other creatively and push and challenge each other. She was always saying, “Of all songs, that song, I really want you to put it into a pop structure.” For this album, I was interested. This was me saying, “Okay, I want to write like that. I want to try that.” She really pushed me to rewrite the verses. At the time, I was going through a pretty big breakup in my life, and she gave me a writing assignment. She was

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<< TV & Film

24 • Bay Area Repor ter • May 5-11, 2022

Legacies, loss and losers by Victoria A. Brownworth

pring has totally sprung! May is a good month to get outside and do outside-y things. But then you come home and watch TV, right? Our inbox is full of previews of June Pride specials, some of which look good and others of which look like the network wanted to cash in but didn’t know any actual queer people. Sigh. But we’ll cover those things next time. For now we have the end of “Batwoman” and a new gay romance on the CW.

Instant Karma

Legacies

The CW’s long-running hit series “The Vampire Diaries” spinoff “Legacies” has always been essential viewing for those of us who couldn’t let go of “TVD” or its first spinoff, “The Originals.” The town of Mystic Falls is just so enrapturing. “Legacies” introduced a new –and equally hot, beautiful and oh-so-complicated– generation of protectors via The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. There, young witches, vampires and werewolves trained to overcome their feral instincts and instead are taught ways to keep balance in the world through exploration of ancient rituals and lore. Into this milieu the series has brought Jed (Ben Levin) a new love in Ben (Zane Phillips) after Jed’s devastating experiences last season. The Observer reports Phillips originally auditioned to join the series in October 2021. The New York-based theater actor stars in Hulu’s gay romcom “Fire Island” (out for Pride month, June 3) and Netflix’s legal drama “Partner Track.” At the same time, series original Levin approached the “Legacies” team, saying he was open to playing a queer character to support members of his family who are “in the LGBTQ community.” Kismet! The result is a hot and angst-y connection between Jed and newbie Ben. Phillips posted on Instagram: “Thanks @newyearscake @kimndombe and the rest of the @cwlegacies team for letting me play a part and for giving this story some real heart. This

Above: Zane Phillips and Ben Levin in ‘Legacies’ Below: Javicia Leslie (center) and the cast of ‘Batwoman’

represents a lot to so many people and that is not lost on me!” On April 27, Phillips told The Observer: “I’ve heard [some] not great things about actors who are in a queer love story, but they don’t really want to be.” Phillips said, “And for me, I just wanted to be open-hearted the entire time, and I could not have been more blessed to have Ben because I think he’s the ideal scene partner. He is so open, he is so responsive, he wants the work to be good. He wants to have a personal relationship with me because I think it shows through in the characters. I do think we’re good friends now, and I adore him so much as a person already, so it’s not hard to have chemistry with him onscreen.” Blissful. More representation like this, please.

Batwoman, bye

The CW giveth and the CW taketh away. We are still devastated over the series finale of “Killing Eve,” so we were

Anaïs in Love by Gregg Shapiro

hen it comes to what the French think is funny, it’s important

Once a homeless resident of Gotham City, Ryan found the Batsuit in the wreckage of a plane crash where Kate Kane went missing. Ryan put the suit on and began acting as Batwoman–including being lovers with Sophie. “Batwoman” was a dark and engaging chapter in the DC Arrow-verse and we loved all its iterations. As we know, canceled doesn’t always mean dead and buried, so hopefully one of the streaming services will decide to do another season of this show.

heartbroken when “Batwoman” show runner Caroline Dries announced on April 29 via Twitter that the series was ending, canceled by the CW. Dries wrote: “Just got the sad news that #Batwoman will not be seeing an S4. I am bummed, but full of gratitude. What an honor to make 51 episodes. So many inspiring, brilliant people contributed to this series. Thank you producers, cast and crew. Thank you, fans! We love you.” Holy leather catsuit! There have been so many great things about “Batwoman,” as we have reported over the series’ three seasons in the DC Arrow-verse. “Batwoman” debuted lesbian superhero Kate Kane (out actress Ruby Rose) aka Batwoman. Like so many of us, ourselves included, Kate was expelled from school for “homosexual conduct” with her lover Sophie (Meagan Tandy). Many of her exploits involved saving Sophie. The series also introduced lesbian superhero Ryan Wilder, played by bi actress Javicia Leslie. When Ruby Rose left the series after being injured on set, the show decided to shift gears and Ryan became the new driver of the story.

The Don’t Say Gay Republicans have been out and loud in recent weeks. Yet amidst all the GOP hate speech, we have been spotting a lot of ads with lesbian couples on network and cable. Amazon, Eggo waffles, Kay Jewelers, Pandora, eHarmony, Kim Crawford wines all have subtle or blatant pro-queer messaging featuring lesbian iconography. Our absolute favorite is Credit Karma’s ad with an interracial lesbian couple planning their finances. The ad tells the story of a white limo valet driver who is an obvious butch and her pregnant love, who is Black, as they plot out how to get a bigger place for their soon-to-be bigger family. In the final scene they are playing on the floor in their spacious new abode with their biracial child and it actually made us tear up, it was that affirming. We know how affirming it was

because the second after the new ad dropped on April 12, the anti-LGBTQ American Family Association had to devote a whole alert to it with the headline “Credit Karma Continues Promoting LGBTQ Lifestyle.” Thanks to AFA’s anti-gay messaging, we also discovered that Kay Jewelers has an ad featuring another interracial couple and their child. This one features two gay men, one white, one Black, out with their toddler. We see their wedding rings and they are gloriously happy. The tag line is “celebrate every kiss” and yes, they do kiss. AFA headlined their April 28 alert “Kay Jewelers Attempts to Redefine Family” and state that “Kay Jewelers’ current commercial, ‘Celebrate Every Kiss,’ attempts to normalize sin by featuring two homosexual men together with their young son.” They meant Kay Jewelers shows the range of families and promotes diversity. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, says this about the AFA: “The American Family Association says it promotes ‘traditional moral values;’ in media. A large part of that work involves ‘combating the homosexual agenda’ through various means, including publicizing companies that have pro-gay policies and organizing boycotts against them.” The SPLC has a full dossier on AFA, You can read more about them at www.splcenter.org.t

Credit Karma’s ad with an interracial lesbian couple.

French romantic comedy’s not so funny

to remember that they considered Jerry Lewis to be a comic genius. Jerry Lewis! That’s why it’s best to approach the French romantic comedy “Anaïs in

Love” (Magnolia) with great caution. The film’s running joke is that the titular Anaïs (Anaïs Demoustier) is always running late; running to appointments to parties to school to family functions, rarely breaking a sweat. She’s late with the rent on her Paris flat, late with her graduate thesis, late with her period. She’s late when she tells her estranged husband Raoul (Christophe Montenez) that she’s pregnant, but on time when she has her abortion. Anaïs has more issues than being time-challenged. She has started an affair with publisher Daniel (Denis Podalydès), an older man closer to her parents’ age. Daniel is being unfaithful to Emilie (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), a well-known writer with whom he has been in a relationship with for 12 years. Meanwhile, Anaïs is coming to terms with the return of her beloved mother’s (Anne Canovas) cancer which has metastasized in her liver. While this isn’t an excuse for her bad behavior, which also includes lying to her academic advisor, it may be a sort of explanation. However, Anaïs’ questionable choices reach a fever pitch when she insinuates herself into Emilie’s life. At first, it begins innocently enough when she comes off as a fan of the writer’s work. But soon her actions border on stalking when she shows up at a writer’s symposium in the French

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Anaïs Demoustier in ‘Anaïs in Love’

countryside where Emilie is being featured. Then, without warning, the women begin a sexual relationship. It comes as a complete surprise as neither character had previously indicated such a proclivity. In terms of comedy, there are a couple of genuinely funny scenes. The one involving the Korean couple who have agreed to sublet Anaïs’ Paris apartment may produce a chuckle for some viewers. Also, the scene in which Anaïs shows up at her brother Balthazar’s (Xavier Guelfi) apartment,

shortly after he gave his pet lemur a Xanax, which leads to a visit to the vet, is darkly funny (spoiler: the lemur survives!). But for the most part, a movie about an inconsiderate young woman, whose mother is dying of liver cancer, and who makes the lives of the others around her unpleasant, is not a laugh riot. In fact, the Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person in the World” did a better job with this kind of annoying lead character. In French with English subtitles. Rating: Ct

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<< Shutdown

26 • Bay Area Repor ter • May 5-11, 2022

Left: The Edge bar, boarded up in 2020. Right: The Castro Theatre, closed in early 2020.

Pandemic Diaries

From page 19

trated shopping at Mollie Stone’s on 18th Street, he went straight home afterward. I’m okay, enjoying the back deck. Mayor Breed announced that the shelter-in-place will be extended at least through May. I expected as much. Pride is canceled this year, the 50th anniversary, plus the Folsom Street Fair, Dore Alley Fair, and Burning Man. Joe Mac posted on Facebook today: “I hope they open the bars pretty soon because I need to cut down on my drinking!” I laughed, but my liver hurts. Monday, May 4, 2020 I think the San Francisco death toll from COVID is still under 30. Marc Heustis has been posting the numbers every day on Facebook. I went to Mollie Stone’s Market today. I knew it was noon because the church bells were ringing. There was no line at all. I wasn’t inside very long but when I left,

at least ten people were waiting to get in, spaced six feet apart. My handsome neighbor Marcus recognized me with a cheery “hi” even with my mask on. He had a small Asian woman (a girlfriend?) on his arm. She was masked but he wasn’t. He couldn’t have gotten inside without one. I often see Asian people wearing masks in San Francisco, even when it isn’t even flu season. They’re not stupid. Some people have these new high-tech watches that tell you how far you’ve walked or how many steps you’ve taken. Someone on Facebook today posted: “My Fitbit says I’ve masturbated nearly 10 miles since this shelter-in-place started!” I saw another episode of “What’s My Line?” last night with Jane Fonda, but this time she was on the panel in Arlene Francis’s place. The celebrity mystery guest was Lee Remick, who happened to be in New York for the opening of Blake Edward’s 1962 film, “Days of Wine and Roses,” costarring Jack Lemmon. Jane kind of ruined

things by guessing who it was right away, but maybe that was planned in order to give Lee Remick more time to plug the movie. Thursday, May 7, 2020 Bette Midler tweeted this morning: “I’ve got to get up and get out of bed before I’m late to the couch again!” You’ve gotta laugh these days or go crazy – maybe some of both! My big outing today was to Walgreens between the boarded up Badlands and the boarded up “Does Your Mother Know?” next door to the boarded up Edge, one of my favorite gay bars. The neighborhood is eerily quiet! Castro Street always used to feel like the county fair. When I was done viewing prized tomatoes and had seen which pig won a purple ribbon, it was time for the midway. I could almost hear calliope music, screams, and clanging noises from the rides. Then I’d satisfy my craving for junk food. I brought home plenty of junk

food from Castro Street too! Some was lacking in any food value, offering nothing of substance but a quick meaty exchange, but what’s wrong with a roll in the hay? Nothing! I heard someone say, “I miss the times before the plague when people weren’t so darned nostalgic about everything.” I should send that one to Leah Garchik for her Overheards column in the Chronicle. Friday, May 15, 2020 I saw a meme the other day with a picture of Betty White in a jail cell with another woman, both of them in orange jump suits. The woman asked Betty White, “What are you in for?” She said, “They caught me going the wrong direction down the one-way aisle at the supermarket!” It’s true; they have one-way signs on the floor of the aisles at Safeway, plus reminders everywhere to maintain social distancing, which they consider the space of two shopping carts. As Margaret Hamilton said when she was melting at the end of “The Wizard of Oz,” “What a world, what a world!” Monday, August 31, 2020 The Brian Egg house recently sold for 1.5 million dollars. Most of that side of Clara Street is condos now. Kamala Harris and her husband bought their place in 2018, a couple of doors down from the murder house. The neighbors told the press they always know when she was there because of the secret service out front 24/7. They found Brian Egg’s body two years ago this month, but still haven’t found his head and hands. Nile told me some homeless people tried to become squatters while the place was empty. I hope they cleaned the fish tank and got some colorful angel fish, maybe a plastic palm – something to cheer up the place. It’s such a weird story that it makes me want to laugh. Sick shit happens. I figure drugs are usually involved – bad drugs! I don’t mean to make light of Brian Egg’s decapitation, but about a thousand Americans are dying every day from a disease our president called a “hoax” and promised that it would just “go away.”

Friday, October 16, 2020 Here’s a mystery! Sharon McNight posted on Facebook that she got invited to a concert by the meanest person she’s ever met. Speculation was flying in the comments! I asked her, “Is it a virtual concert online? One of those with a fee you have to pay in advance?” She wrote me back, “Yes… and I’m sure you know who it is.” But I don’t. Someone else commented, without naming names, “Last time we saw her, our seats were terrible! They faced the stage!” That made me laugh out loud. Tuesday, October 27, 2020 I was spoiled by the sex we had in the ’70s and ’80s in San Francisco. It was fleeting and fun and filled with fantasy. I could have sex eight days a week and even more nights without even taking my boots off. Home was where we went to clean up afterward and maybe eat and sleep and laugh with our housemates. Sex that came home with us was a much more rare and serious business. I’m full of it, as usual! I had meaningless sex at home, too. We all brought home dozens of guys. It’s just that we had lots more sex outdoors than indoors. I mean sex in the parks or the backrooms of bars or dark alleys outside the bars, in parked cars on Ringold Alley and all around Collingwood Park, in the book stores and afterhours clubs. We probably had sex outside ten times more often than at home, even if we brought a different guy home every night of the week. I miss that aspect of gay life. See page 27 >>

Above: Mark’s hunky neighbor Marcus with his dog Yoda. Below: Street parklets on 18th Street in the Castro in 2021.

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Awakening>>

May 5-11, 2022 • Bay Area Repor ter • 27

The Edge

Friday Happy Hour photos by Steven Underhill

he Edge is back in action, and its weekly Friday Happy Hour is just one of many events making a comeback at the favorite Castro bar. 4149 18th St. www.edgesf.com Enjoy more nightlife albums at facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife And see more of Steven’s work at www.stevenunderhill.com For nightlife, arts and community event listings, visit www.ebar.com.

Last night I watched an episode from September 15, 1963 when Tony Randall was on the panel, the “celebrity mystery guest” was Allen Funt, host of “Candid Camera” (another childhood favorite TV show) and Arlene Francis was quite obviously “tipsy,” to say the least, but it only made her even more delightful.

Neighbor cat Rufus

Pandemic Diaries

From page 26

Friday, November 27, 2020 Life is good. Well, life is good as long as you’re healthy and haven’t lost anyone to the coronavirus. They’re calling it “Rona,” now. Are we infantilizing something earth-shattering to make it less scary? “Rona” is feminine, isn’t it? Our culture tries to soften things by making them more feminine, as if women were weaker than men. I don’t want to be female, but I’d like to live in a world where women ran things. I started watching a gay movie on Netflix called “Uncle Frank.” It’s unbelievable! A woman ordered a martini and the bartender handed her a martini in a chilled glass with an olive on a toothpick, as if it didn’t take any time at all to prepare the drink. I had to turn it off. I figured if they were going to be that sloppy with reality, it would only get worse. Hadn’t anyone on working on that film every ordered a martini? There’s “fake news” everywhere these days! I blame Trump! I still can’t get over Arlene Francis smoking on the air the other night.

Saturday, December 26, 2020 Today was Boxing Day in Canada and England, but it’s never really caught on here. I’ve only known about its origins because I’ve lived in San Francisco long enough to know gay guys who will celebrate anything! I remember a bartender at the Pilsner Inn on Church Street back in the ’80s. I think his name was Olin, a big bear of a guy who was a bit intimidating until I got to know him. Then he was loveable and very entertaining. I stopped at the Pilsner one afternoon for a drink with Jim Cvitanich, my partner in ‘Men Behind Bars,’ who was bartending that day. Jim and I spent hours planning our shows over that bar. I glanced out toward the back patio and there were four big burly men on folding chairs around a card table, playing bridge. Each of them was dressed in something his mother would wear to a bridge game – hats and high heels, bras and brooches and wigs and bracelets! I asked Jim what was going on and he told me it was Olin’s club, “ARTPOD.” “What the hell does that mean?” “Any old Reason To Put On a Dress!” You’ve just gotta love the gays, don’t you?t Mark Abramson reads from ‘Arlene Francis & Me -Pandemic Diaries from Castro Street 2020’ at Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro St. on Sunday, May 15 at 4pm. www.fabulosabooks.com markabramson.net