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National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan
Springfield, IL - Illinois House Approves Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act - 11.9
Trenton, NJ - Court Upholds New Jersey Law Prohibiting Ex-Gay Therapy - 11.8 Judge Freda Wolfson of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey upheld a 2013 New Jersey law prohibiting licensed therapists from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity or expression of a patient under 18 years old. The ruling dismissed a legal challenge to the law filed on behalf of therapists who wish to engage in these dangerous and long-discredited practices. The judge also granted a request by Garden State Equality, the state’s largest civil rights organization and the leading organization supporting passage of the law, to intervene in the case in defense of the law.
The Illinois House of Representatives voted to approve the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, affirming the freedom to marry for all same-sex couples in the state. The bill passed the state Senate in February and will soon go to Governor Pat Quinn, who has expressed strong support for marriage and will sign it into law. “Today’s vote by the Illinois House means the Land of Lincoln will be our nation’s fifteenth freedom to marry state,” said Marc Solomon, Freedom to Marry’s national campaign director. “This is great news for the thousands of committed same-sex couples in Illinois who will now be able to make the ultimate vow before their friends and family, protected and supported by their marriage. It also represents tremendous momentum, with another victory in the heartland and our sixth state victory in 2013.”
Judge Wolfson concluded that the New Jersey law “restricts neither speech nor religious expression.” She noted that the therapists’ challenge to the law “runs counter to the longstanding principle that a state generally may enact laws rationally regulating professionals, including those providing medicine and mental health services.” In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision upholding a similar law in California protecting youth from these harmful practices by licensed therapists. Judge Wolfson’s decision applied similar reasoning in ruling that the New Jersey statute does not violate therapists’ constitutional rights.
This is all because of the tireless leadership of lead bill sponsors in the House and Senate, Representative Greg Harris and Senator Heather Steans as well as House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, Governor Pat Quinn, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel - all of whom played crucial roles in advancing the legislation.
On August 19, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a law - the nation’s second - prohibiting state-licensed therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor. Every leading medical and mental health organization in the country has warned that these practices do not work and put young people at risk of serious harm, including depression, substance abuse and suicide.
In other marriage equality news, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie signed into law a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage in his state. In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court’s ruling in the historic Baehr case made it the first court in the world not to rubberstamp gay couples’ exclusion from marriage, holding that the denial of the freedom to marry was presumptively unconstitutional unless the government could show sufficient reason for its discrimination. The decision launched the ongoing global movement for the freedom to marry that has resulted in 15 states with the freedom to marry and 18 countries on five continents.
An anti-LGBTQ legal group immediately filed a federal lawsuit challenging the new law on behalf of two New Jersey therapists and two organizations that support the use of these harmful practices. Garden State Equality filed two motions to uphold the law. When will these unscrupulous therapists stop harming queer youth?
Source: freedomtomarry.org
Colorado Springs, CO - “Queer” Is Accepted New Category for Colorado College - 11.8 At Colorado College, an optional question seeking gender information now lists five choices: Not disclosed. Male. Female. Transgender. And the fifth: Queer. Homophobes and some uptight homosexuals are not in favor of the latter category. And despite being in a community filled with many conservative religious entities, Colorado College officials believe they have nothing to apologize for. “I’m proud to work for a school that doesn’t just talk the talk, we walk it, too,” said Barbara Wilson, the college’s director of human resources. “In the midst of the volume of conservatism in this city, we’re almost a safe haven.” As far as Colorado College is concerned, using the term on applications is “intended to represent the college’s commitment to and acknowledgment of diversity related to gender,” according to a statement from the school. “Colorado College is very much committed to diversity, and is very open about sexual orientation.” The school’s office of Minority and International Students uses the following definition of queer in its training: “An umbrella term describing people who have a non-normative gender identity, sexual orientation or sexual anatomy - includes lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, asexual people, transgender people, intersex people, etc.” While the school acknowledges that the term is used as a slur by some, it adds: “Others have reclaimed it and are comfortable using it to describe themselves.” About a year ago as part of its long-term strategic plan, Colorado College surveyed its faculty and staff regarding issues such as race, employment status and gender. In the process, the company doing the survey told school officials that the climate at more universities has opened up to the point where the term “queer” has grown in acceptance. Charles Irwin, the executive director of Colorado Springs Pride, a gay rights organization in the city, said that age may be the reason behind the differing viewpoints. “Queer is a challenging word, a word that’s in transition,” he said. “But today’s youth embraces it very well.” Three cheers for queers! Source: denverpost.com
Source: nclrights.org
Richmond, VA - Virginia’s New Governor Is Hero to LGBTQ Community - 11.5
Washington D.C. - ENDA Passed the Senate! Will President Obama Lead? - 11.7
As expected, Democrat Terry McAuliffe defeated antigay Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the race for Virginia governor. The Virginia race was unexpectedly close, as polls had shown McAuliffe with a big lead over Cuccinelli, the state’s ultraconservative attorney general. By about 10 p.m. Eastern, CBS News, Fox News and some other outlets had called the race for McAuliffe, in what CBS termed “a surprisingly razor-thin victory.” The virulently antigay Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia, E.W. Jackson, also went down to defeat.
The passage of ENDA in the Senate is a tremendous symbolic victory for the LGBTQ community, though we have paid a high price for its passage. The version of the bill that passed the Senate contains broad religious exemptions - meaning that people like Carla Hale, fired from a Catholic school after mentioning her partner in her mother’s obituary, still would not have workplace protections.
LGBTQ issues figured prominently in Virginia. As Virginia’s attorney general, Cuccinelli had sought unsuccessfully to reinstate the state’s anti-sodomy laws, even though the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 ruled all such laws unconstitutional. “My personal beliefs about the personal challenge of homosexuality haven’t changed,” Cuccinelli told PBS’ Judy Woodruff at the Virginia Bar Association’s gubernatorial debate. Woodruff had asked for clarification from the would-be governor if he still believes that “same-sex acts are against nature and harmful to society,” as he stated when he was a state senator running for attorney general in 2009. Cuccinelli also had advised public universities in the state to rescind LGBTQinclusive antidiscrimination policies. Cuccinelli sent a fund-raising email from his campaign invoking the threat of ministers being imprisoned for teaching “Christian morals,” something often used as code for anti-LGBTQ sentiments. McAuliffe, the former head of the Democratic National Committee, is a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights, including marriage equality. In another debate, McAuliffe denounced Cuccinelli’s “mean-spirited attack … on gay Virginians.” McAuliffe and his wife formally came out for marriage equality after the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2011. “The idea we could send men and women across the globe to fight for us and then they come back and they don’t have the same equal opportunities and equal rights I just think was plain wrong,” said McAuliffe.
In a recent op-ed, President Barack Obama said that firing people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity is “offensive” and “wrong.” That’s why activists are again calling on President Obama to show leadership on this issue, and to sign an Executive Order that would make it illegal for any company contracting with the federal government to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This Executive Order was promised while Obama was campaigning for the office of president back in 2008, and has been sitting on his desk without his signature for over a year. As we continue to face a monumentally uphill battle in the House of Representatives to get ENDA passed (Speaker Boehner refuses to even bring ENDA up), now is the moment for President Obama to show leadership, and protect nearly one-quarter of the American workforce from discrimination. Every day, millions of LGBTQ Americans live in the workplace closet. Every time someone like Carla Hale is fired, our country is weakened. LGBTQ workplace discrimination compromises our country’s values, and President Obama has a real opportunity to show the House of Representatives that he means business about ending these discriminatory practices. Activists are urged to sign the petition at org2.salsalabs.com. As President Obama said in his 2012 re-election campaign, “We can’t wait!” Now is the time for the president to put his pen to paper and to sign the federal contractor Executive Order!
Our hero!
Forget Boehner! The time is now!
Source: advocate.com
Source: getequal.org
Local News Briefs New Exhibit Spotlights 50-Year Career of Iconic Transgender Drag Performer
Community Health Alert: Krokodil, Flesh-eating “Zombie Drug,” Showing Up
A new multimedia exhibit opening November 15 at The GLBT History Museum, 18th and Castro Streets, spotlights the life and career of Vicki Marlane, a transgender woman and drag performer who got her start as a carny in the early 1950s, rose to fame as a female impersonator in the 1960s and in her third act, became a beloved San Francisco community icon leading shows at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge in the Tenderloin until her death at age 76 in 2011.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have started an action intervention group, Sisters Addressing Meth and Krokodil, to alert our communities that a new street drug is invading the U.S. As Sister Maudlin Masscara, who called for action, states, “There are some drugs that should never be touched; my fear is that krokodil will gain a foothold in our community just as crystal meth has.”
“No matter what anybody said, Vicki Marlane always thought of herself as beautiful,” says Felicia Elizondo, the community curator for the show and a close friend of Marlane. “She lived a hard life, but the stage was her home. It was where she felt love and gave it back. Vicki opened a lot of doors for transgender girls. She gave us courage to become ourselves and live our own lives.”
“You will literally die to get high,” stated Sister Kitty Catalyst OCP, who did the initial research for this effort. Krokodil users’ life expectancy is 2-3 years or less. Seeing their flesh rot and their bones exposed is not enough to stop them, as they seek avoidance of withdrawal pain. Nonpermanent symptoms go away after a month or so, but addicts will shoot up more to avoid the withdrawal pain. Drug experts say bathroom chemists make the drug with crushed codeine tablets, gasoline, iodine and match heads. The cheap, brutal cocktail reportedly creates an intense but brief heroin-like high. In just an hour or two, a user will feel an intense need for another fix.
Titled “Vicki Marlane: I’m Your Lady,” the exhibit features never-before-displayed video, artifacts and photographs from the performer’s estate that tell a remarkable life story. The show is part of an ongoing series in The GLBT History Museum’s Corner Gallery that partner community curators with exhibitions professionals to create new perspectives on Bay Area queer history. During her half-century show-business career, Marlane performed around the United States, appearing everywhere from carnival sideshows to big-city cabarets. In the 2000s, she at last received a host of accolades, including being named a San Francisco Pride Grand Marshal in 2003 and honored as “best drag queen” in a local paper in 2009. Marlane is the subject of the 2009 documentary Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight, shown in film festivals across the country. “Vicki Marlane: I’m Your Lady” runs Nov. 15 through Feb. 28, 2014. An opening reception is set for Friday, November 15, 7- 9pm at the museum.
Krokodil (Russian for “crocodile”) is named for the green scaly sores that show up on users’ skin. It’s called the zombie drug because it also neurologically affects people’s speech and mobility, which makes them act like zombies. The Sisters call on all community members to help spread the word that this drug is serious and will kill users after it ravages their flesh. Health experts warn if someone takes this drug, they could lose a limb and eventually lose their life. The DEA has confirmed no local cases as of yet, and they might never be able to - as the drug breaks down in the human body fairly quickly and might not even show in blood and urine samples. If someone is dealing with a possible krokodil poisoning, call the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222. Story by Dennis McMillan
Story by Dennis McMillan
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P HOTO C OURT ESY OF EL IZABET H RIVER
Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Weddings, Anniversaries & Occasions section. Inquire how your social announcement can appear free of charge, or how your wedding services ad can be included at a special rate: Publisher@sfbaytimes.com or 415-601-2113.
Bay Times photographer Steven Underhill captured the moment as Alberto Cardenas and Gilberto Barajas joined hands before the officiant, witnesses and friends during the ceremony at SF City Hall.
PHOTO BY RINK
PHOTO BY STEVEN UNDERHILL, STEVENUNDERHILL.COM
Kathy and Marcy with their beloved Odetta (the ring bearer) on the occasion of their wedding officiated by Rev. Elizabeth River.
Statue of Harvey Milk in SF City Hall.
Nature’s Glorious Cathedrals creeks, over the pastures. At the very least, I go out of whatever building I’m in and look up, allowing the sky to pour its immensity and spaciousness down over me until I feel sane and whole again. At these times, I also pay attention to my breathing, which is a conscious reminder of living in the moment.
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of marrying two brides from Indiana who traveled to our beloved California for their wedding. I learned later that it came about because it fit in with a wonderful opportunity: One of them was invited to a writer’s retreat, at a lovely cottage on the Point Reyes Mesa, to work on her book. They wisely took advantage of this by having their wedding nearby. Their plan was to get married on one of our gorgeous beaches just at sunset—an excellent choice, I thought. However, the week they were here, the whole country was subjected to the ridiculous experience of the closing of our government, which meant the beaches were closed. Now I ask you, who has the right to close the beaches?! They belong to everyone! They belong to God! It’s like trying to close the sky. Well, that’s my opinion anyway. I found out from my friends in Point Reyes Station that there were very few rangers ‘guarding’ the beaches from sneaky people like me trying to go onto them. And so I talked these two respectful, out-of-state ladies into walking onto McClure’s beach. In the next issue of this paper, you can see a photo of them, just as the sun sank into the Pacific. They were thrilled, and so was I. It was a perfect moment for them. 4
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Weddings Elizabeth River In my next article for the Bay Times, I will talk more about these two women and their wedding, their marriage. Today, though, I want to focus on considerations regarding the location of weddings, or the venues, as we say. Somehow, without my consciously planning it, I mainly off iciate outdoor weddings. In one sense, though, I shouldn’t be surprised to discover this. I am an outdoor person. I find my spirituality is most nourished and stimulated in nature. I see the Divine in all that is wild, natural and not tampered with (at least not too much) by man. When I am spiritually bruised or shaken, I get outside as fast as I can, and go somewhere off the pavements—on the beach, in the woods, near the
So it’s not a mystery that most the couples that find me want outdoor weddings. I see outdoor settings as a glorious cathedral in which couples pledge themselves to one another. In fact, sometimes I use that very description during the ceremonies, and especially the ones that are right next to the ocean. Most of the important elements are present: Earth, air, and water. Such a setting seems to lift the couple, and everyone attending the wedding as well, out of their busy, stress-filled and overpopulated lives. I highly recommend an outdoor venue for your wedding, renewal of vows, and any important ritual. You will be lifted to a greater plane. The soul-satisfying experience of this natural high will stay with you forever. Rev. Elizabeth River is an ordained Interfaith Minister based in the North Bay. For more information, please visit www. marincoastweddings.com.
Traveling at the Speed of Love: Winning the Race for Equality Five years ago last week, on Election Day 2008, California’s electorate passed Prop 8, marking perhaps the most notable low point in the marriage equality movement when a minority was stripped of a previously recognized constitutional right. As of this week five years ago, only two states – Massachusetts and Connecticut – fully recognized the marriages of same-sex couples.
the percentage of Americans living in marriage equality jurisdictions to 38%.
How far we’ve come since then. And how fast.
Marriage Equality
By Election Day 2009, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington, DC had joined the marriage equality club, and by Election Day 2011, New York had, too.
Thom Watson
Those were the warm-up laps. The race was finally about to heat up. On Election Day 2012, three states – Maine, Maryland, and Washington – ratified the freedom to marry at the ballot, while Minnesota beat back a constitutional ban and then went on to pass its own marriage equality legislation a few months later.
Of course, marriage equality also returned to California in June – I have the marriage certif icate to prove it – when the U.S. Supreme Court let stand on procedural grounds the district court’s ruling striking down Prop 8 as unconstitutional. At the same time, the decision overturning DOMA Section 3 meant that all legal same-sex marriages finally would be recognized by the federal government.
Lawsuits challenging marriage bans as unconstitutional have been filed in more than 20 states. Every state that crosses the f inish line brings us increasingly closer to Supreme Court recognition of a constitutional right to marry the person you love, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Just as the Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia in 1964 that states could not prohibit marriages between people of differing races, it’s just a matter of time – and not very far off, I’m quite confident – before same-sex couples win our own “loving” decision.
Just one week ago, on Election Day 2013, the Illinois state legislature finally passed its marriage equality bill. Over the course of the same week, the Hawaii House went on to pass an amended version of a marriage equality bill passed by the Senate a week earlier. Illinois and Hawaii are now the 15th and 16th marriage equality states, increasing
Thom Watson, a leader in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA, lives in Daly City with his newly wed husband, Jeff Tabaco.
PHOTO BY RINK
This year, marriage equality laws passed in Delaware and Rhode Island in May, while the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled for the freedom to marry in that state just last month.
It took over 225 years from the ratification of the Constitution to achieve our freedom to marry in a single state, and four more years to add a second. Five years later, we’ve vaulted to 16. New Mexico, where some counties already have begun marrying same-sex couples, could easily be number 17. A legal challenge to Nevada’s ban already is being briefed in the Ninth Circuit, and Oregon is well positioned to win at the ballot on Election Day 2014.
Jeff Lewy & Ed Eishen celebrate the 5th anniversary of their official marriage, which took place 29 years after the fact. They’ve just returned from their “All Saint Cruise,” so dubbed because it included visits to St. Martin, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and San Juan.
Congregration Sha’ar Zahav event coordinators Wendy Brummer and Andy Fyne above, and original founders below at the 36th “double chai” celebration.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WENDY BRUMMER
PHOTO BY RINK
Nathan Ellis and Johnny D. Shafer Jr. of Ohau were married at SF City Hall by Carol Jean. Accompanying the newlyweds were their sons and relatives.
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Health News
Got HPV? Of Course You Do! oral HPV-related cancers. It has been understood for decades that HPV is a necessary cause of all cervical cancers. In the cervix, vagina, vulva and anus we have clear recognized precancerous changes and that is what the Pap smear (cytology) screens for. When a test indicates that there may be a lesion, the individual is referred for higher level testing, which could include a colposcopy exam and/or high resolution anoscopy.
Friends of Naomi Dr. Naomi Jay, RN, NP, PhD I promised I wouldn’t write every column on HPV (human papillomavirus) or anuses, and I won’t, but bear with me (pun intended) for one or two columns in honor of the upcoming inaugural International Anal Neoplasia Society Conference here in San Francisco beginning Friday November 22nd. I will report on highlights of the conference next month. The connection between the two topics is that HPV is associated with most anal cancers and precancer lesions as well as anal warts. The most common question I am asked by patients no matter their age, gender or sexual proclivities, is: “Can I pass this to my partner(s)?” The most common question I am asked by other providers is: “Who should get the HPV vaccine?” There are over 100 HPV types. About 30 effect the genitalia, anus and mouth. They cause warts and cancers of all these areas. Sadly, Farah Fawcett Major died of anal cancer, and Michael Douglas is the poster boy for
But what about exposure to HPV in the first place? If the HPV weren’t there, none of this would be going on, right? Well, therein lies the problem. Everyone gets HPV. There have been virgin and nun studies done that show HPV exposure. Women who have only had sex with women can be HPV positive. Studies have shown that most gay men (or any MSM) are HPV positive, and with multiple types, especially among HIV-positive men. The only persons unaffected by HPV are those who have never had any sexual contact. No hands, no tongues, no penises, no vaginas touching any or all of these parts. I like to think of HPV as a pyramid. The bottom of that pyramid is exposure to the virus – and it is universal. As you go up the pyramid, there are the low-grade changes and these includes warts. A nuisance, and no one wants them, but benign. The official medical term for these are low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). Then there are the high-grade lesions (HSIL), which are thought of as pre-cancerous. Since it’s a pyramid, most of these won’t become cancers, but we can’t tell which ones will and won’t progress to cancer, therefore our approach has been to treat them all by removing them.
We now know that in women, most of the cervical changes will go away by the time a woman is 30. It is the HPV and lesions that persist beyond age 30 that we have to worry about to prevent a cervical cancer from developing. However, we don’t have similar studies for the anal canal, and research on the oral cavity is in its infancy. So what do I tell my patients? First, that everyone has HPV and that unless they are sleeping with 16-yearold virgins they don’t need to worry about transmitting HPV to their partners. Everyone can give or get HPV from anyone – straight, gay, anywhere in the LGBTQI spectrum. The exposure to HPV is not the problem, because in a healthy sexually active person there will be exposure to HPV. Once exposed, it’s between the individual and their immune system what happens to that HPV. While you can give someone HPV, you cannot give someone a highgrade lesion or cancer. I also tell my patients that about 50% of HIVpositive individuals will have a highgrade anal lesion. We also find such lesions in about 25% of HIV-negative GBTQI anuses (lesbians, we get a pass here). The cancers are still rare, about 150 per 100,000 (compared to breast cancer that is more like 11,000 per 100,000), but this is still much higher than cervical cancer ever was. Therefore, if you have an anus that receives or received receptive intercourse and especially if you are HIVpositive, please ask your provider about getting screened with a Pap (cytology) smear. If the test result is not normal – then you should be referred for a high resolution anoscopy exam. (continued on page 22)
Staying Sane & In-Shape During the Holidays learn very fun, practical and effective Centering Techniques for personal empowerment, handling conf lict, and de-stressing. People will have a chance to talk about their own challenges during the holidays, and plan personal strategies for staying sane and balanced. Getting triggered is inevitable, but getting badly upset isn’t … when you’re prepared!
The KiAi Way Sensei Jamie Leno Zimron Peak Performance Speaker and Trainer Wow, another year has f lown by, it’s almost Thanksgiving, and then we’re plunged headlong into the joys, stresses and general craziness of THE HOLIDAYS. While these next 6 weeks will be filled with many great occasions and get-togethers, they also bring up challenging times and well-being issues for our LGBTQ community. This period can be especially difficult on at least 3 major fronts: 1) dietary 2) financial 3) family. From now until the New Year, people tend to eat too much, spend a lot or struggle to cover expenses plus buy gifts, and encounter extra emotional stress from either having or lacking family to be with. Issues of coming out, coming home with our partners and friends, bringing our gay families to churches/ synagogues/mosques, or being gay and alone, often complicate this time that is pictured as so joyful, social and heterosexual - yet isn’t necessarily so.
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And so at the Bay Times we have a treat for you this season! Together with co-publishers Betty and Jen, I’ve designed a special Holiday Fitness Workshop to help you stay sane, healthy and happy during holidaytime overload. You’re invited to come
To keep you in good physical as well as emotional shape, I’ll also be teaching powerful BLISS Body-Mind Fitness exercises. Besides happiness, BLISS means Balance Lengthen Integrate Stretch Strengthen. BLISSwork builds strength, f lexibility and co-ordination. It decompresses the spine and is great for injury prevention as well as rehab. It prepares you for peak performance, and helps you to simply feel good fast! Important neuro-muscular pathways develop through focusing the mind in the body and specific movements. I can actually feel my brain and nervous system getting more serotonin instead of stressful cortisol. Plus it’s easy to incorporate the exercises into any warm-up or workout routine, and fun to take ‘BLISS Breaks’ to get centered, relieve tension, clear your mind, and refresh your energy and spirits. I discovered BLISSwork in 1996 when I went to San Diego to heal
from a combination of chronic injuries and adrenal exhaustion. I felt like an old football player, having separated both my shoulders and suffered neck, ankle, back and hip injuries that made it hard to roll over in bed, much less on the martial arts mat. I was a golf pro who hurt and had to quit after 5 holes, an aikido sensei who couldn’t throw much less take falls so had to stop teaching, and a runner who could barely walk! Clearly, I needed to somehow heal. Rest, good bodywork and nutrition helped. Above all, I was fortunate to be introduced to Juawayne Kettler, a wellness instructor and ‘anatomy analyst’ who worked wonders through her BLISS Fitness exercise classes. I was honestly amazed as my physical pains started subsiding and disappearing, and function returned. With new core strength, spinal and muscular mobility, and a healthier nervous system, I started feeling and moving better than in decades. For years I’ve felt young again on the mat, and have even played over 200 holes of golf in 12 hours in charity Golf Marathons, with plenty of energy and no pain, which equals pure bliss. So mark your calendars now for Sunday evening, December 1, 5:45-8pm, at Fitness SF, 2301 Market St. in the Castro. We’ve timed this for recovery from Thanksgiving and preparation for the month of December ahead. It’s a sliding scale: $12-29. Dress comfortably. Just bring yourself - and a friend! Space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended. Email t hek ia iway@t hek ia iway.com, or call 760 -492-4653 to reserve your place. You’re bound to immed iately gain ef fective ways to stay in balance. You’ll come through this holiday season better than ever, ready to start 2014 with high energ y and in your f inest form! F o r m o re i nfo r m a t i o n a bo ut Ja m i e Leno Zimron and her work, please visit www.thekiaiway.com/.
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Real Estate and Design
Housing Market Forecast for 2014
with most home searches, and that’s assuming you were lucky enough to even get into contract on a sale.
Real Estate Mark Penn I closed last month’s column with a very brief statement about California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) releasing its annual Housing Market Forecast for 2014. In short, it looks as if statewide housing prices will continue to rise, but at a much more modest rate – 6% - than this year’s predicted 28%. That’s just one figure in the survey, however, and even though it’s probably the one that homeowners and homebuyers look at with the most interest, there are other numbers and trends that really bear consideration. While prices will at least hold steady in 2014, we do expect to see an increase in sales across the state. Although also modest, there should be at least 14,000 more sales of single family homes in 2014, meaning that at least 28,000 more buyers and sellers next year will consummate a transaction that they might not have been able to manage completing in 2013. If you were a buyer in the Bay Area this past year, you certainly can attest to the frustrations that went along
So, although the 14,000 increase in sales over 2013 only amounts to about a 3.2% improvement, it’s better than the 2.1% loss that we will have experienced at the end of 2013, and really means close to the same number of sales in 2014 as in 2012. Almost any Bay Area REALTOR® will tell you that he or she wishes s/he had more properties to sell – so we are glad to see any improvement in “inventory.” A much more difficult trend to predict is what will happen to mortgage interest rates in 2014. These numbers are tied to so many variables that depend on unpredictable factors. I therefore really don’t know how they can forecast anything in this area. But they do – and for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, those predictions include a 1.2% bump in rates, from this year’s average of 4.1% to 5.3% in 2014. In spite of the fact that 5.3% is not bad compared to rates of some years ago, the increase could be a serious factor tied to affordability for some buyers. In fact, assuming those numbers hold true and a sample transaction is based on typical down payments, etc., a homeowner’s buying power (the price that the individual could pay for a property based on a maximum mortgage payment) will slip from a sample of $750,000 to $635,000, or about 15%.
As a by-product of that potential, we may see a further advance in the number of adjustable-rate mortgages, which have been experiencing a recent resurgence. The forecast for those mortgage rates is much smaller – from an average of 2.7% in 2013 to 3.1% in 2014. Remember that these are averages for an entire year and those rates can swing considerably month over month and even day to day! In other interesting predictions, here are a few more from CAR’s Housing Market Forecast: • California unemployment will decrease from an average of 9% in 2013 to 8.3% in 2014. • Population growth in the state will remain at .09% (9/10ths of 1%). • Real disposable income will rise from .09% to 3%, double what it was in 2008. Judging from that last one, it’s awfully tempting to lengthen the holiday shopping list, but I think I will hold off for now. A Bay Area native, Mark Penn has been a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker since 2004. He is also active in animal welfare, and is a former educator, facilitator, and air traffic controller. Mark can be reached at mark@MyHomeInSonoma.com.
The Temescal: An East Bay Urban Village
Real Estate John Wesley There’s a “happening” in the East Bay! Let me be your guide. I recently met a client who decided that the real estate reality of buying a home in San Francisco was cost prohibitive for him. He was venturing to the East Bay for the first time. In our meeting, I listened to him describe what he wanted in a home and what he hoped for in a neighborhood. I heard things like: 20’s charm, a yard for a dog and the dog to go with it, diverse culture, exciting vibe for art, great food at places that I can walk to, a sense of community, and access to public transportation. A neighborhood immediately came to mind. It’s a favorite of mine that shines brightly: the Temescal. Running the corridor up and down Telegraph from 40th to 51th Streets and west from Hwy 24 to Broadway, the historic Temescal is experiencing a revitalization, becoming an Urban Village. Everywhere you turn, the Temescal boasts charming, Craftsman-styled bungalow homes. Beautiful wood built-ins, fireplaces with custom tile work, leaded glass windows 8
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and Wedgewood stoves are found in many of these Flapper-Era homes. So much so that these stunning period features, dare I say, seem almost common place!
Temescal, you’ll observe what so many already know about this village in a big city: The eclectic gatherings of people are making this neighborhood happen!
Not ever to be under appreciated, it is worth noting that a recent MLS search of these little Jewel Box homes known by such streets as Ruby and Emerald have an average listing price of $590,000 and an average sales price for the same period of $710,000. Not cheap, but a/la Harry Winston, you’d get a lot of comfy bling for your bucks.
As is the case throughout our Oakland and Berkeley neighborhoods, recovery of the real estate market has been swift and strong. Many areas are back to all-time highs. According to the latest National Housing Trend Report from Realtor.com, Oakland has the shortest median time on the market nationwide. Now is your time to become part of the urban village phenomenon.
The Temescal truly operates as a communal urban village. Take in the weekly farmer’s market on Sundays and you’ll get the best recipes for what is growing locally. Be creative and be part of the Trash Can Art Project that is moving through the business district, or lend your talent to the Temescal Art Center on 48th. The Temescal Street Fair, Taste of Temescal, and The Temescal Trick or Treat on Telegraph all feed the spirit of a community that wants to come together for the common good. Another vein of creativity within the community is the pioneering movement by noteworthy chefs that has created what is now a destination hub for countless hot spots for good eats. Included is the newly launched Hog’s Apothecary on 40th. Grab a seat at the communal table and, in one bite, you’ll realize the melt in your mouth made-in-house sausage and artisanal beer are a work of art. As evening progresses at places like this in the
Property values are increasing, interest rates will go up, and owning your own home can be a great tax break. Most importantly: There is still no place like home! So, like my city crossover client, there is no better time for you- should you be thinking of a move- to take your place in just such a village as the Temescal. This time next year, you could be hosting your own weekend BBQ in your backyard, leading the neighborhood history walking tours, and channeling your inner Rockwell for a holiday feast with family and friends gathered around your dining room table. Now that’s a happening! John Wesley, a realtor at The Grubb Company, has over twelve years of real estate industry experience defined by exceptional professionalism and client service. He and his partner Gene Boomer, along with dogs Smokey and Coco, live in the East Bay.
Real Estate and Design
Over the Tabletop
Project Remodel Jim Tibbs Each year, my partner Philip and I kick off the Holiday Season by attending DINING BY DESIGN, the annual fundraiser sponsored by DIFFA, Design Industries Foundation Fighting A IDS d i f f a .or g/. O v e r t he yea r s, DI F FA event s l i ke DI N I NG BY DE SIGN h ave r a i s e d more than $40 million for HI V/ A I DS care nat ionw ide. L oca l event proceeds suppor t pat ient s at t he c it y ’s la rgest H I V/A I DS cl inic at San Francisco Genera l Hospital, also known as Ward 86. DI N I NG BY DE SIGN feat u res awe-inspiring dinner table install at ion s c r eated by lea d i n g a nd emerg i ng des ig ner s a nd u nderwritten by cor porate hosts. Each des ig ner i s a s s ig ned a s pace to create a n ext r aord i na r y d i n i ng i nst a l lat ion for 10 g uest s. T he table themes are left up to the de-
this year’s event was anchored by an art installation entitled “Fade to Zero,” which visually depicted DIFFA’s goal of wiping out HIV/ A IDS in our lifetime.
real candles to achieve the perfect lighting scheme for every occasion. Mix and match your dinner ware to create unique combinations of old a nd new. Use t he hei rloom china that you have inherited, or purchase v intage china on eBay or at lo c a l res a le s hops to a dd character and charm to your tablescape. Use l i nens from A sia, Sout h A mer ica or Europe to introduce an exotic note to the proceedings. There are wonderful and af fordable linens from India, Peru, Italy and Uzbekistan that will create a d ist inct ive look for your holiday dinner parties. Use multiple f lower arrangements that are low to the table and full of frag rant blooms to ent ice t he senses of your holiday guests. J im T ibbs is the creative director of HDR Remodeling. If you would like to learn more, please read his blog at hdrremodeling.wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter @HDRremodeling1.
sig ners, and range from urba ne to rustic to over-the-top fantasy. S o me o f t he mor e me mor a b l e i n st a l l at ion s f rom r ecent yea r s i nclude a t able set t i ng i nspi red by the mov ie the “The Birds,” a tr ibute to Elizabeth Taylor, and a recreation from “Snow White” complete with dwarves and a costumed model “sleeping” in a glass cof f in that doubled as the dining table. For t he last t welve yea r s, DI N I NG BY DE SIGN w a s he ld at the San Francisco Design Center a nd most ly at t racted desig n i ndust r y professiona ls. T h is yea r, the event was moved to City View at t he Met reon a nd at t racted a younger, h ipper and, dare I say it, gayer crowd. There were fewer table installations to admire but the energ y in the room made for a better party. The entry area for
Attending DINING BY DESIGN always inspires me to create fabulous t ablescapes for t he hol iday season. I lear ned t he ar t of setting a beautiful table from a dear f r iend w ho d ie d i n 19 9 2 f r om H I V/A I DS compl icat ions. Now, I pass on some of what I learned from him to you: S e t t i n g a b e a ut i f u l t a b l e i s a g reat compliment to your g uests and makes the dining experience a memorable one. Use a framed photo of each g uest i n l ieu of a place card to add a persona l touch to the tablescape and prov ide each g uest w ith a memento to take home. C a n d le s c r e a t e a n i n v it i n g a tmos phere for a ny d i n ner pa r t y, whet her casua l or for ma l. I converted half of the electric candles in my d ining room chandelier to BAY T IM ES NOVEM BER 14, 2013
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FITNESS SF Announces New Location at Twitter World Headquarters
FITNESS SF will be opening a new location in Fall 2014 at One Tenth Street located in Market Square, the home of Twitter’s world headquarters. After recently celebrating its one-year anniversary with the purchase of the Fillmore location, FITNESS SF is proud to be the latest addition to San Francisco’s rapidly expanding Mid-Market neighborhood. FITNESS SF is a local, family-owned and operated fitness brand that is known for cutting edge, high-energy gyms. BT: When the name of the gym was changed from Gold’s to FITNESS SF, how was the new name selected? FSF: When choosing a new name, we had the opportunity to work with a clean slate to build our own brand and identity. We selected a name that would reflect our future as a family-based regional fitness facility and would allow us to broaden our appeal throughout the fitness community. BT: What can you tell us about the mission and purpose of FITNESS SF for the future, and how does the LGBT community of the Bay Area figure into those plans? FSF: Our goal is to always serve our members, employees, and shareholders by providing the best fitness facilities to people of all backgrounds and abili-
P HOTO C O URT E SY O F M IC H AE L G LO BI TS
(Editor’s Note: The Bay Times joins FITNESS SF in welcoming their new marketing manager, Michael Globits. Here, Michael and his colleagues at the FITNESS SF SOMA location share some FAQ’s about a new location and more.)
Michael Globis (right) with colleagues at FITNESS SF’s SOMA gym location.
BT: Why was the building where Twitter is located chosen as your next location?
ties. A large percentage of our members are from the LGBT community and we serve everyone in the communities we are apart of. Our members, employees and facilities mirror the communities we serve, and we don’t follow the “one size fits all” mentality. We look forward to supporting these communities and assisting in their growth and development in the future.
FSF: For a project such as Market Square to be successful, many moving parts needed to fall into place. The vision of Shorenstein Properties gave light to an idea and the improvement of a community. Local government support in the form of the business tax incentive was instrumental in allowing the project to move forward. Additionally, the presence of numerous global companies, including Twitter, provided a solid foundation for development. Shorenstein Properties was searching for a strong, local fitness operator and we were honored to be selected above our national competitors to be a part of a new and exciting community in the heart of the city.
BT: Do you have any new programs or events coming up that you would like for us to know about? FSF: It is hard to select any one program, since we are always improving our facilities and expanding our services, but we recently celebrated our One Year Anniversary as FITNESS SF with the purchase of our Fillmore location at 1455 Fillmore Street. One event that we always look forward to is being a major sponsor for the Academy of Friends Gala held each February.
For additional information and updates, please visit fitnesssf.com.
My Heart…San Francisco!
Karen Williams I am on a plane en route to the San Francisco Bay Area, the land that I love! I speak of San Francisco and Oakland with unabashed affection to whomever will listen to my many tales of queer comedy yore. I am often surprised that folks think that I could have started performing lesbian comedy anywhere else but the Gay Mecca of the World: San Francisco! With all due respect to the revolutionary Stonewallers of New York City, it was at the Valencia Rose and later Josie’s Juice Joint and Cabaret in the Castro that spawned the gayest group of comics. A little known fact: I was the f irst comic to perform at Josie’s. The club was still under construction, so that initial audience was slim. To make up for that night, club owner Donald Montwill told me that I could perform at Josie’s any time that I wanted, and I took him up on that offer many times over the next decade or so. Well, Donald is no longer with us, yet my fond memories of the cast of comics and crew of Josie’s will forever remain in my mind’s eye. I’d been a regular contestant at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competitions, and sharpened my laugh chops 10
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The eighties and nineties were an exciting time in the Bay for gay and lesbian entertainers, particularly with the emergence of pride activities, HIV/AIDS benefits, and other causes that evoked activism on our part and much-needed dollars at various benefits for the San Francisco community. The annual Cable Car Awards honored lesbian and gay comic activists with recognition for our part in raising money for local organizations, and though I was nominated many times, I lost pridefully to Marga Gomez each year!
PHOTO BY LE E L IM
Speak Up! Speak Out! Laugh Often!
Oakland was also a great supporter of lesbian comics.
at local Oakland clubs like Sweet Jimmie’s and Club Martinique. Introduced to the world of lesbian comedy by my dear friend Marga Gomez — to whom I will forever by indebted for encouraging producers to hire me sight unseen — I performed at the San Francisco Gay Pride festivities at her request. Then I became a regular at the Baybrick Inn in San Francisco, Ollie’s in Oakland, and clubs in Walnut Creek and San Leandro. Later, I performed at Theater Rhinoceros in a comedy ensemble featuring Tom Ammiano, Karen Ripley and Jeanine Strobel in an annual holiday extravaganza. I was also in the sketch comedy group Global Riot, directed by Suzy Berger, who is now a wellknown psychotherapist.
The Great American Music Hall was where I was “discovered” by Olivia Records, now Olivia Travel, headquartered in San Francisco; I have been a featured entertainer for 23 years! Backstage at the Music Hall and at other comedy venues like The Other Cafe, Valencia Rose, Cafe Flore, and Josie’s, I hobnobbed with gay comics like Danny Williams and Scott Capurro; lesbian comics Karen Ripley, Linda Moakes, Marilyn Pittman, and Lisa Geduldig (of Kung Pao Comedy fame); allies Diane Amos and later, Margaret Cho. And of course, Mama Bears Bookstore in
While I was born and raised in New York City, my lesbian identity emerged and grew to fruition in my beloved San Francisco. Through the good graces of my Vulvalutionary comrade, Dorrie Lane, I was able to maintain a room in her home in the Castro and travel to San Francisco once a month for thirteen years after I’d relocated to the Greater Cleveland area. Some folks believe I still live in the Bay because I make appearances in the area so often. This time, I am on my way to perform with the Queer Queens of Qomedy — Poppy Champlin and Marilyn Pittman — in Point Arena, three plus hours north of San Francisco, in an area where I’ve never been. I am eagerly looking forward to experiencing the transcendent beauty of this region of California. Since I’ll be in the area for a few days, I look forward to seeing some friends and family. Yet, I know that I will not be able to resist driving through the Castro and letting my mind’s eye meander through the past to my joyful beginnings in the city of my heart... San Francisco! Karen Williams left her heart in San Francisco. If you find it, let her know at karen@ sfbaytimes.com.
35 Years
T
he first issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, published on May 1, 1978, proudly proclaims that it is “a Newspaper by Lesbians & Gay Men.” This was a revolutionary concept. The Bay Times was the first paper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by gay men and women. As an Opinion piece in that first issue mentioned, “Though the Bay Area is often regarded as
a liberated haven for lesbians and gay men, these groups are surprisingly out of touch with each other and within themselves. Existing newspapers, which sufficed when they were founded several years ago, no longer meet the needs of today’s expanded and more politically conscious readership.” The Contributors list for that f irst issue reads like an historic Who’s Who, with
names such as Cleve Jones and Phyllis Lyon mentioned. These talented, dedicated individuals are still vibrant in our community, just as the Bay Times itself remains strong. We are the oldest fully LGBT funded and owned newspaper in San Francisco! As you scan this historic first page from May of 1978, consider what a pivotal time that was in our history. (continued on page 12)
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Looking Back kcaB gnikooL Looking Back kcaB gnikooL (ANNIVERSARY continued from page 11)
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Celebrates 35 Years
In January of that year, Harvey Milk became the f irst openly gay person in California to be elected to public of f ice. He was settling in as a member of the SF Board of Supervisors, with the Bay Times covering his work. Preparations were underway for the June 25 Gay Freedom Day Parade, which included the world debut of the Rainbow Flag and was led for the f irst time by Dykes on Bikes. We were busy f ighting the hateful Briggs Initiative, which would have allowed school boards to f ire, or refuse to hire, LGBT teachers and even non-LGBT teachers who supported our rights. Thanks to Milk and others, San Francisco had just passed a new gay rights ordinance that helped to prevent discrimination.
For 35 years, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has courageously served as the international standard bearer for a powerful and accomplished mix of high-caliber performance, human rights, community activism, empowerment and inclusiveness, establishing it as an icon among LGBT organizations.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SFGMC
Christmas, 2011, Rudolph and the Elves.
PHOTO BY CATHY BLACKSTONE
For more information about the performances and SFGMC, please visit www.sfgmc.org. Follow SFGMC on facebook.com/sfgmc and twitter @ sfgmc.
PHOTO BY RINK
While we at the Bay Times are looking back on our 35 years, we are also looking forward. We are getting ready to launch a new website, sf baytimes. com, and are already making plans for additional projects in the year to come. For now, though, let’s take a mental journey back to 1978…
Founded in 1978, it was the f irst organization of its kind, and is credited with starting the LGBT choral movement, galvanizing and changing the course of LGBT history. It continues to rally and inspire other arts-based community organizations around the world. Under the leader-
ship of Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Timothy Seelig, SFGMC has in recent seasons established a heightened level of performance standards receiving audience and choral acclaim, increased its touring and recording profile and broadened its impact and reputat ion in t he community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and high-voltage performances.
The lesbian resource book Our Right to Love was first published in 1978.
El Rio Rocks the 35 By Kirsten Kruse El Rio, everyone’s favorite queer community space, celebrated its 35th birthday on October 19 with a lineup that took guests on a musical journey from the 70s to jam band sounds, psychedelics and good old funk.
Queen Crescent continued the party with their unique neo-psychedelic
sound, because no party in San Francisco is complete without psychedelics. But what took the cake was shELO, a band that created an actual timewarped ELO show by dressing in tube tops, mumus and giant hair wigs. Simply said, all of their songs were sing-alongs for which every single person in the audience knew all the words, even if they had never been at an actual ELO concert! It made for a truly amazing experience.
1978 Trivia World Series Champs: New York Yankees Superbowl XII Champs: Dallas Cowboys Cost of a Superbowl TV Ad: $162,000 NBA Champs: Washington Bullets Wimbledon Winners: Bjorn Borg/ Martina Navratilova Time Magazine’s Man of the Year: Deng Xiaoping (leader of the Communist Party of China who led his country towards a market economy) Billboard #1 Songs in May of ’78: Night Fever, Bee Gees; If I Can’t Have You, Yvonne Elliman; With a Little Luck, Wings Most Popular TV Show: Laverne & Shirley Best Film Oscar Winner: The Deer Hunter Most Popular Pinups: Farrah Fawcett and John Travolta Scientific First: Test Tube Baby Louis Brown was born 12
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A tough act to follow, shELO was in fact followed by the Shake It Booty Band with Maria Stanford and Judea Eden laying it down with funky disco. Maria and Judea’s voices, stage presence and sound are always reminiscent of John Lee Hooker’s funky blues. The band’s “You Make me Feel (Mighty Real)” performance builds such great dancing energy that everyone ends up on their feet.
Performers at El Rio’s 35th Birthday included Judea Eden and Maria Stanford of Shake It Booty Band (left) and members of ShELO (shee-el-oh), a popular drag cover band.
As with any birthday party, guests ate cake, BBQ and enjoyed a treasure hunt for rubber rats that could be traded in for free drink tokens. Bonus! Dawn Huston, owner of El Rio for the last 18 years, acquired the club from Malcolm Thornley and Robert Nett who opened it 35 years ago. The bar’s outer Mission location almost naturally turned it into a mixed space. It has even been called the Best Queer Revolutionary HQ by another local paper. Dawn said she loves this description of the club
and added that it is “leftist and anarchist” and supports many local political causes, most recently the “Sleep-In” at Dolores Park. Ben Hippe, a regular since 1978, confirmed that El Rio started out
PHOTO COURTESY OF EL RIO
Los Train Wreck with the Bad Mommies and the legendary Ben FongTorres followed up. Los Train Wreck is one of the Bay Area’s most fun jam bands that has entertained at El Rio many times, and they make a great pair with the sassy Bad Mommies. They may be bad mommies, but they make up for it by being excellent singers and entertainers.
El Rio’s Dawn Huston
PHOTO BY KIRSTEN KRUSE
The party started with the mellow grooves of Sang Matiz’ Latin afrorumba funk, which may have been a tribute to El Rio’s very early days, when it was a gay leather motorcycle bar with Brazilian flavor.
as a gay bar not attended by many women. He said El Rio saw more women after the AIDS crisis in the 1980s when many gay men died. Then a new generation of gay men grew up who enjoyed the mixed and more inclusive queer crowd. Monthly Mango was the first party created 17 years ago to bring in more women. Dawn said that her intent was to keep the basic elements of the original club and to make a conscious effort to create a safe and healthy space for women and the queer community. She runs this community space like a non-profit, with a main goal of subsidizing worthy causes and to give away money. She estimated that at least 170 events per year are fundraisers. She expressed profound thanks to her staff, “the backbone of the club,” for adjusting to this philosophy.
Making Music Through History On June 25, 1978, a skinny, mustachioed music teacher blew a whistle, and a block of 70 musicians in jeans and red visors swung onto Market Street playing “California, Here I Come.” The crowds went wild as they passed by. They knew a radical act when they saw one. Jon Sims and the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps stepped out of the closet and into a tableau of Americana by marching down “Main Street” in their community’s parade. Harvey Milk, the country’s f irst openly gay elected off icial, rode ahead of them in a convertible plastered with his motto, “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are,” and the Band answered with a musical f lourish. At a time when losing your job or children for being gay was a given and anti-gay rights initiatives appeared on ballots across the country, this was heady stuff. The excitement kicked up by that first march gave that band instant celebrity status, and 35 years later, we musicians in the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (as it’s known today) still hear stories from our pioneering fore-parents about those times. The band was the first gay community music group in the world. Jon Sims leapt before the musicians like a gazelle and trained with ankle weights. The Band filled a full city block packed with musicians, flag bearers, twirlers and tap dancers.
Brass Tacks Heidi Beeler only one letter floating in our alphabet soup). Anita Bryant’s success in rolling back gay rights in Florida led California Senator John Briggs to champion an initiative that would ban gays and lesbians from teaching in this state. No on Proposition 6 became a rallying cry for the community that had just elected Harvey Milk supervisor, and Sally Gearhart and Tom Ammiano became the public face of LGBT teachers in the debate.
“We were full of life and full of ourselves and full of our own liberation,” Senator Mark Leno told me and videographers Billy Green and Chip Hoover. “At the same time we were really f ighting for our lives. There were serious forces out to… stop everything that we were just beginning to do.” The Freedom Band joined the fight against Prop 6, appearing at fundraisers with Sharon McKnight and Sylvester and all our community’s leaders, running into the streets with their instruments for protest marches, and leading the celebration when Prop 6 was defeated. “(The Freedom Band) began with great fanfare,” said Ambassador James Hormel. “It energized not just this community but communities across the country. It started a whole movement toward orchestral and choral activities in the Lesbian/ Gay constituency.” Thirty-five years later, the Freedom Band continues to make music as a symbol of LGBT pride with a performance season that ref lects the gains our community has made. This year, we led the Veteran’s Day Parade for the third year to celebrate the open service of gays and lesbians in the military. At this year’s Pride Parade for our 35th anniversary march, we featured a medley of the Wedding March and Going to the Chapel to celebrate the lifting of Prop 8 and DOMA. Our communit y concerts have celebrated L GBT h istor y a nd Civil Rights gains. Our upcoming Dance-Along Nutcracker will continue to bring in one of the most diverse audiences you’ll see on a dance floor. And we’re looking forward to making music for decades to come!
Jon Sims
Trumpet player Heidi Beeler has been a member of the San Francisco Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band since 1991.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SF LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND
Gay music and dance groups sprang up in San Francisco and spread across the country inspired by that first march. Sims took the Band to Davies Symphony Hall, to Bread & Roses at the Greek Theatre where they shared a stage with Robin Williams, to Francis Ford Coppola’s 40th birthday party, to Bette Midler book signings and fundraisers at Dianne Feinstein’s home.
The popularity of the Freedom Band was a reflection of how the political climate of the Castro in 1978 galvanized the entire gay community (and yes, back then there was
Bay Times 1978-2013
PHOTO BY RINK
Among the first contributors listed in Bay Times Vol.1 No.1 was lesbian icon Phyllis Lyon. Serving as News Editor for the first three issues was accomplished journalist and author Randy Alfred.
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ENDA—It’s Time Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011
2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-503-1375 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 Phone: 510-846-8158 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com
The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors
Ayana Baltrip Balagas Design Direction & Production
Abby Zimberg Design & Production
Kate Laws Business Manager Juan Torres Advertising Executive Juan@sfbaytimes.com Robert Fuggiti Calendar Editor
Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence Barbara Brust / Lucille Design Webmaster & Technology Director
Mario Ordonez Juan Ordonez Distribution
Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Pollo del Mar, Heidi Beeler, K. Cole, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Paul E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Shelley MacKay, Kit Kennedy, Leslie Katz, Karen Williams, Gary Virginia, Stu Smith, Zoe Dunning, Jim Tibbs, Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller & Joanne Jordan, Kippy Marks, Naomi Jay, Jamie Leno Zimron Photographers Rink, Dennis McMillan, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Bill Wilson
ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards are available online at sfbaytimes.com or calling: 415-503-1375. Classified Advertising: Refer to the order form in The Classifieds section, which you may mail or fax in, or e-mail us at classifieds@sfbaytimes.com. Deadline is 3 p.m. the Thursday preceding publication. For display classified information, please call 415-601-2113. National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Also represented by Rivendell Media., Mountainside, NJ 908-232-2021.
Guest Editorial Selisse Berry According to the annual Harris poll on workplace culture, commissioned by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates every year since 2002, a whopping 76% of American adults believe that under federal law it is illegal to fire someone because they are LGBT. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that in 29 states you can still be fired simply because of whom you love and how you identify. Why does that matter? It matters because an estimated 4.3 million LGBT workers are subject to arbitrary dismissal and harassment and because in an increasingly mobile workplace, that person could be you or someone you love. And it doesn’t stop there. Earlier this year, Out & Equal, together with other leading non-profits, produced A Broken Bargain, a report that documents the inequities that LGBT workers suffer in the workplace. Job discrimination without legal pro-
and inclusive work environments where people are evaluated on the work they do, not their sexual orientation or gender identity. Together we have created the business case for LGBT workplace equality and inclusion with companies who have led the way.
LGBT workers can also receive fewer benefits and pay more taxes. Depending on where you live, unequal access to health benefits and rules around the filing of state tax returns can further penalize LGBT families.
They know that to be a successful 21st Century company they must attract the best talent with a diverse workforce that drives innovation and creativity and can focus on the task at hand, bringing their full selves to the workplace and not investing their energy in hiding who they are.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which passed the Senate in an historic 64-32 vote on November 7 and is now heading for the House, would fix America’s broken bargain with its LGBT work-
ers. If passed, it would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for all civilian non-religious employers with at least 15 employees. ENDA has been introduced at every congress since 1994, bar one, and this year its passage stands a real chance of success. One of the reasons for this is that both the moral and business case is irrefutable. At Out & Equal we have been working with Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years, creating safe
This is about honesty and integrity. It is about not changing personal pronouns at the water cooler, covering our identities in a mantle of fear. It is placing the photos of the ones we love on our desk – just like anyone else. This cannot accurately be described as special treatment. It is equal treatment, and it is time to stand up and, to paraphrase a famous Justice, not to accept a skimmed-milk version of workplace rights. It’s time for our legislators to fix the broken bargain with our nation’s LGBT workers and to do the right thing for equality and the right thing for business. Selisse Berry is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. To find out what you can do to support the passage of ENDA, go to: outandequal. org/enda.
Exploring Forgiveness, Part 4: The Path of Forgiveness Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to let go of anger and the desire for vengeance against those who have harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve it. It doesn’t mean forgetting or glossing over the seriousness of the offense. Forgiveness doesn’t work as an emotional bypass. The pain of the offense must be thoroughly acknowledged and felt before authentic forgiveness can begin.
Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT (Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final article of a series concerning exploring forgiveness.) If you’ve followed the series this far, you may want to forgive someone who has harmed you, but are wondering how to go about doing it. The five-step approach described below is adapted from a research-based process developed by Dr. Robert Enright at the University of Wisconsin. I highly recommend his book Forgiveness is a Choice to anyone who wants to explore the path of forgiveness more deeply.
But, while forgiving doesn’t mean denying, forgetting, or minimizing, it does require of us that we let go of our loyalty to our suffering. There’s a widespread delusion that we somehow protect ourselves from harm by holding onto anger, when in fact all we do is keep our wounds open. The Buddha compared holding onto anger to grasping hot coals with the intention of throwing them at someone else. When you do that, all you do is burn yourself. The first step in forgiveness, then, is to sense the weight of the corrosive anger that you keep alive by refusing to forgive, and realize that it’s not in your best interest. Imagine what it would be like to feel the peace of mind that you’d have if
you were free of this burden. See forgiveness as an act of self-compassion. The second step is to set a conscious intention to forgive. Decide that you’re no longer willing to be a victim by continuing to allow your thoughts and memories of your offender torment you and deprive you of happiness. By setting a clear intention, you also set the compass of your heart. When you know where you’re going you’ll recognize what supports you on your journey and what doesn’t. Third, see the big picture. Every life includes experiences of hurt and betrayal. It’s the inevitable price of being alive. In this sense, your pain is not just yours, it is the pain of humanity. When you see it this way, your pain no longer separates you, but connects you to everyone through your capacity for compassion. Fourth, focus on the specific person who harmed you, and instead of seeing this person from the outside as an evil “other,” feel into his or her humanity. Try to understand the causes and conditions in their life that led them to act in the way that they did,
not to make excuses for them, but to find compassion for the blindness and suffering in them that made them act toward you the way they did. Finally, in your mind’s eye, imagine your offender in front of you. Speak to this person as if he or she is actually present and offer them forgiveness. Feel the relief that follows when you let go, even for a moment, of your grudge against them. The first time you do this, you may not feel forgiving. In fact, you may feel intense resistance or an upwelling of anger. If that happens, focus your attention on yourself, breathe deeply, and offer yourself acceptance. If you are feeling self-critical, offer yourself forgiveness for being harsh toward yourself. Forgiveness is a path, not a single act, and you may have to go through these steps many times before it begins to grow. It’s hard work. But the ultimate prize is worth it – the discovery that there are resources in your heart that are deeper and stronger than any injury. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is tommoon.net.
Profiles of Compassion and Courage: Thom Lynch Community Center. Looking at his numerous achievements, it’s almost easier to ask: What hasn’t he done? Now, Lynch is serving as Chief Development Officer of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. He is excited to apply his time and effort to this effective and much needed organization.
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SS: How did you become involved in your work?
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Don't Call It Frisco
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Stu Smith Dynamic non-profit executive Thom Lynch has nearly 25 years of leadership experience in our community, doing everything from serving as Program Director of the San Francisco Food Bank to holding the CEO & President positions at the SF LGBT
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tection makes it harder for LGBT workers to find and keep a good job. A 2009 survey in California found that 14% of LGBT adults were unemployed, compared to 10% of heterosexual adults. Among transgender workers, unemployment rates were double the average, with rates for transgender workers of color four times as high.
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TL: You know, I’ve done so many different things in my life. I was a gospel singer, a commercial actor, a social worker, and waited on my share of tables. But my life really came together when I came to San Francisco and fell in love with this city. I’ve always cared about fairness, and trying to make the world just a little bit better for all of us. There is so much cruelty around. But immersing myself in this city allowed me to have a voice and a career that can make a difference. SS: Who have been your key mentors?
TL: Well, my parents were tremendously caring people. They were involved in civil rights work when I was a kid and that left a real mark on me. They instilled a real sense of empathy. Professionally, there were so many wonderful people that I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Tom Nolan was a great mentor when I was really getting my legs in non-profit work in San Francisco. SS: If you could solve or fix a community problem, what would it be? TL: I think it would have to be the cost of living in the Bay Area and the growing economic inequality here and around the country. I remember talking about this 10 years ago. The level of poverty in the LGBT community is much higher than many of us acknowledge. This could really be a much higher priority for us. We are losing our middle class and we no longer live in a place where students, artists, the elderly, the poor, and the
Thom Lynch
sick can find a home. It’s great that the city is booming. But if only a part of the community can feel a positive impact from this growth, the cost may just be too high. SS: What achievement are you most proud of? TL: I’ve been lucky to be involved in many great projects. I’m proud that the Center survived and is now run so well by Rebecca Rolfe. I’m very (continued on page 22)
Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow Illinois, We Hardly Knew Ya As our last issue went to press, the Illinois House passed the long stalled marriage equality bill with one vote to spare, upending the conventional wisdom that thought the pro-equality side lacked a majority. Indeed, according to the Chicago Tribune, supporters decided to bring the measure to the f loor knowing only that the vote would be close. Like a lemming scuttling towards the sea, I followed along, echoing reports that the marriage bill would not be brought to a vote during this special session. Ever since the state senate passed marriage equality last February, we’ve been watching Illini activists struggle to overcome a five to ten vote deficit in the house, and although we’ve seen them win a commitment or two over the summer, most of their target lawmakers have remained stubbornly undecided. Or so it seemed. Apparently, even after a barrage of lobbying from the antigay National Organization for Marriage, the wavering handful wound up on the side of the angels. A key element in their calculus may have been rising public support; where once politicians feared a backlash for voting yes on marriage, many districts may now punish a representative for voting no. At any rate, I blame myself for not picking up on the possibility that the Illinois House would try and vote on marriage last week. It’s one thing for the mainstream media to be surprised. But marriage equality is supposed to be our specialty here in the gay press. After quick confirmation from the senate, Governor Pat Quinn is planning to sign the marriage bill on November 20, and weddings will start some time next year. Twenty Years A fter Baehr v Lewin, Hawaii Marriage Materializes Honestly, I was absurdly furious when I heard the news from Illinois. Instead of being excited to add another state to our growing list, I berated myself for my inattention. On further reflection, however, I realized that such an oversight is only possible at a time when so many dominoes are falling at once, so many cases are filed, so many bills are up for debate. The notion that I would be oblivious to the possibility of a major marriage development on my deadline even a year ago would have been laughable. It’s an amazing time. Even as Governor Quinn prepares to sign his bill, the Hawaii legislature has beaten Illinois to the punch, sending marriage equality through the house and senate like a warm breeze. Governor Neil Abercrombe is signing the bill as I write, and marriages will begin December 2, making Hawaii technically the 15th state to authorize gay weddings. Counting Illinois, we’re now at 16, plus the District of Columbia. With Oregon deciding to recognize marriages from out of state, you could call it 16 ½. Next up, unless I’m missing something, which is highly possible, is a decision from the New Mexico Supreme Court that fast-tracked its marriage case a couple of months ago. The hurry-up offense was triggered by the sad case of a dying woman, who sought and won lower court permission to marry in a state that does not explicitly ban same-sex unions. On Friday, November 8, Jennifer Neuman-Roper died of brain cancer, and her death certificate listed Angelique Neuman-Roper as her spouse. The two won permission to marry last August as Jennifer’s condition worsened, forcing the high court to make a quick determination. Oral arguments in the case were heard, I
don’t know, maybe four or five weeks ago. At any rate, we should soon hear from the justices. I’m not sure why I’m so convinced the high court will legalize marriage in the Land of Enchantment. Maybe it’s because the state has resisted anti-marriage laws and amendments. Maybe it’s the avalanche of new marriage states. Maybe it’s the surprisingly powerful impact of the Windsor ruling. Maybe it’s the fact that Santa Fe has already allowed same-sex marriage. It just seems unlikely that New Mexico would take a step backward just as everyone else is moving forward. That said, there’s no guarantee that this state will fall into our column. Just a hope. Another Notch in ENDA’s Belt Forgive me if I don’t shout from the rooftops now that the Employment Nondiscrimination Act has passed the U.S. Senate. It’s not that I have reservations about the bill, which I do. It’s just that the bill isn’t going anywhere! Does anyone out there believe that the same bunch of yahoos who spent tax payer dollars to defend the Defense of Marriage Act are going to turn around and pass ENDA? Does anyone believe that the man who can’t or won’t bring immigration to the floor, will offer a vote on gay employment rights? Does anyone think that the gang that brought us the government shutdown, and nearly defaulted on our national debt is going to advance this bill? No, they’re not. Ergo, our ENDA victory can be filed away with the many other symbolic wins that ENDA has enjoyed over the past 25 years. Yes, of course it takes time to enact civil rights laws. And yes, of course these mini-victories are steps in the right direction. But come on. If we’re going to keep beating our heads against the wall, let’s punish ourselves by trying to add sexual orientation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. It can’t be that much more difficult than trying to pass ENDA, which it seems will only pass once we have a strong gay friendly majority in both houses of Congress.
Professional Services Hoosier Daddy? I hope you didn’t assume that we were done with marriage news. Mais non! These days there’s always another story on the front burner, and quite a collection on the back burner as well. I haven’t mentioned for example that the Wisconsin Supreme Court is deliberating over whether to strike down the state’s domestic partner law, a status that delivers some, but not all, of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples. Yes, even as we progress in leaps and bounds, bad things are still happening, including a debate in the Indiana legislature over whether to send an antigay marriage amendment to voters next November. We have only the cumbersome amendment procedures in Indiana to thank for the fact that our brothers and sisters in Hoosier land have escaped an amendment thus far. Lawmakers have been trying to ban marriage for a decade, but they need to pass a bill in two successive legislatures to succeed. They did so in the last legislature, but we’ll see if they can make it two in a row. Spud State In The Mix And we have more lawsuits! The National Center for Lesbian Rights has filed a federal suit for marriage in Idaho, a Ninth Circuit state. And in Tennessee (Sixth Circuit), the NCLR has filed a suit for recognition only, asking a federal court to force the Volunteers—not to legalize marriage— but to recognize the marriages of state residents. That’s a tactic that may work well in red states that are governed by conservative appellate courts. After all, the Supreme Court has just ordered the federal government to respect legal same-sex marriages, and the vagueness of Justice Kennedy’s ruling may work in our favor as a precedent to force states to follow suit. We know a state like Tennessee is not going to legalize marriage anytime soon. And the Sixth Circuit is unlikely to force them to do so. But might they simply order them to recognize marriage? Maybe. Litigating Texas
Let me bring up one example of the difference between ENDA—- a stand alone bill that was conceived at a time when nothing else was feasible—and Title VII, the federal law that has protected everyone else against sex and race bias in the workplace since 1964.
Last week, we even saw a couple of federal marriage suits filed in Texas, although not with the blessing of the strategic thinkers at Lambda and elsewhere. Texas falls under the jurisdiction of the draconian Fifth Circuit, generally seen as the least friendly appellate bench in the nation.
Under Title VII, an employer may not create tests or stumbling blocks to advancement that appear neutral, but are actually designed to discriminate. You cannot, for example, limit higher paying manual jobs to those with a high school degree at a time when the overwhelming number of high school graduates is white.
A couple of years ago for example, the full Fifth Circuit ruled that Louisiana was within its rights to withhold a revised birth certificate for the child of two New York adoptive fathers. The astounding opinion, which flew in the face of every other court decision, including one from the Tenth Circuit, still stands as one of the worst recent gay opinions on record and it was sad to see the High Court subsequently duck review of that case. Let’s just agree that the Fifth Circuit will rule for marriage equality when pigs f ly and leave it at that.
This kind of disparate impact case is tricky, and indeed the High Court has ruled that the underlying discrimination must be deliberate, not inadvertent. But still, it’s an important feature of Title VII law that is explicitly excluded from ENDA’s text. Why? Because of the unfounded notion that employers might feel obliged to have a “gay quota” in place in order to defend themselves against an accusation of disguised bias. There’s always something in a gayonly law that needlessly caters to prejud ice. Rel ig ious exclusions. Loopholes. Limits on money damages. Listen, if I were convinced that ENDA was our only avenue to workplace protections, I’d be for it. But as I mentioned, it looks as if we’re never going to pass ENDA until conditions are overwhelmingly in our favor. If we have to wait until that glorious day, whenever it might be, why make these compromises?
That said, I really like the handsome and charming lawyer who filed one of those cases, Jody Scheske. Last week, Scheske argued a long delayed samesex divorce case before the Texas Supreme Court, asking the justices exactly how the Lone Star state can expect a couple to remain technically married, years after they have split and agreed on a division of property. Think about it. After the Windsor decision, these two men, who married in Massachusetts but moved to Texas for work, must file joint federal taxes and indeed are considered legally married for all federal purposes. As Texas residents, they may not divorce in Massachusetts. Yet the only option (continued on page 22)
Read more @www.sfbaytimes.com and check us out on Twitter and Facebook. BAY T IM ES NOVEM BER 14, 2013
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Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna at AT&T Park (Thru January 12, 2014) Photos by Steven Underhill
Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna takes the audience to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Queen Prospera directs her daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony in a rite honoring femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance. The ceremony marks the passing of these attributes, insights and values from one generation to the next. For the first time in Cirque du Soleil’s history, Amaluna features a cast that is 70% female. “Amaluna is a tribute to the work and voice of women,” according to Fernand Rainville, the show’s director of creation. “The show is a reflection on balance from a woman’s perspective,” he added.
Ladies Go Biking —Upcoming Ride
The Ladies Go Biking group has announced the 4th Annual Shed the Turkey & Trimmings Ride on Saturday, November 30, with a 10:30 AM start time from Cavallo Point / Point Baker in Sausalito. Following the ride the group will hold a Holiday White Elephant Exchange of cycling paraphernalia at Farley Bar, Cavallo Point Lodge. Riders of all ability levels are welcome with beginner and intermediate routes planned. Information: adrienne-bettyslistcycling@comcast.net (Photo courtesy of Ladies Go Biking)
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Arts&Entertainment Erotic, Mischievous Solo Is Wickedly Smart and Entertaining connection a one-night stand, or will it be the start of a full-blown relationship? Solo builds, inexorably, to its stunning conclusion—be sure to watch past the credits—as it provides the answer and addresses issues of intimacy in gay relationships. The leads are incredibly sexy, and Solo is both wickedly smart and entertaining.
Film
Gary M. Kramer Solo, now available on DVD, is a naughty—as in erotic, as in mischievous— queer Argentine film. Manuel (Patrico Ramos) and Julio (Mario Verón) meet in a chat room and arrange to hook up at Manuel’s place. Their initial kissing is hot, and as they get naked, they also expose their anxieties about relationships. They swear not to lie to one another, but little things such as a 4:00 am phone call Julio receives, or Manuel’s insistence that his friend Vicky is coming over early the next morning, play on issues of truth and trust. Is their love
For this 35th anniversary issue of the SF Bay Times, I met with writer/director Marco Briem Stamm, who also codirected the anthology Sexual Tension: Volatile, (an outstanding collection of short films in which two men seduce each other) to discuss his fine films. GMK: Like your shorts in Sexual Tension, Solo revolves around two people in a room involved in games of seduction. Why does your work pivot on two characters in a single space, navigating intimacy? MBS: The way I create a story is from a very small moment. The Sexual Tension stories are built from small moments. A lot of people like them because they felt they have been in the same situations. If I decide to make an 80-minute film, like Solo, set in the same room with two characters, I need to be creative. I don’t like to waste time in any scene; it’s an insult to the audience. I’m very obsessed with the story. I want this to be a story in one room with two characters. I work on the dialogue and the situations. I choose good actors and try to build a team with them. We work on the chemistry. GMK: Can you talk about the casting? You feature very sexy actors who seem to be comfortable doing erotic things on camera. MBS: We worked very hard on the casting. We try to get attractive people who can act and have chemistry. Mario Verón was in Ari (a short in Sexual Ten-
Marco Briem Stamm
sion) and I used him again in Solo. He had long hair when he showed up for Solo, so I had him cut his hair. He became a very different person. He looks good as Julio because he’s hot and dangerous. And Patrico, he has an angel face. So together, they were perfect. I thought: this is going to be good now! GMK: How do you work with your actors, especially on creating intimacy? MBS: I never studied cinema—for good or for bad. I have a career in advertising and making porn films, so I have a very different background from other directors. I don’t know the rules of filming. I can sit with an actor and say this is how we’ll do it. In my films, we show full frontal nudity. It’s important for me to approach it realistically, even though in cinema, we lie all the time; it’s fiction. I think the audience will have a connection with the story and the charac-
ters, and believe it. That is very important to me. And I want to please the people who are watching the film. Maybe have them explore their own fantasies. GMK: The characters in Solo are wary of relationships. Did Solo stem from a bad relationship you had? MBS: I thought: What if I made a movie where I tell a very common situation of two guys who meet in a chat room? You meet people you don’t know and, after an hour or two of conversation, you feel you know the person—you have chemistry. But you don’t know this person! I wanted to play on the psychology of that. It’s all about making first impressions. We are willing to show the best side of our self, tell our version of things. No one says, “I ended my last relationship because I was a bitch, and unfaithful to him!”
GMK: So how do you construct your characters? MBS: For me, one of the rules when I write and try to create something is “leave away the morality.” I don’t judge the characters. They are what they are. I don’t want to give the audience a “life lesson.” GMK: Given the sexual tension in your films, do you consider yourself a romantic? MBS: I am very romantic. © 2013 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” You can follow him on Twitter @garymkramer.
Rosemary Chicken, More Than a Great Meal
Gems of The Bay Kippy Marks I recently found a surprising Gem of the Bay. The voice resonates happiness and joy, security and fulfillment. It fills one up with a warm taste of satisfaction and leaves me wanting another plate full. That voice belongs to Robbie Nothstine, aka Sister Rosemary Chicken, whom I’m thrilled to introduce to you. On December 16, 1966, Robbie was born to parents Rev. Larry Nothstine
“My first musical memory was sitting on the organ bench at church with my mother watching her play 2 keyboards, flip a bunch of switches and play a piano with her feet. I believe I was 3 or 4 at the time and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow! My mom is amazing.” Robbie worked hard and continued to sing through school and church and eventually made it to a weeklong audition where 400 individuals were auditioning for a music program with a traveling choral group. Only 16 spots were available. Robbie recalls, “It was very nerve racking. So, of course when I saw my name on the list, I was very rude and inconsiderate by hugging people who hadn’t made it. I was jumping and running around being happily silly and full of joy and
zeal. Ah, the tides of youth.” Robbie has sung classical all over the world since that time, includinga with the London Symphony and at the High Mass at Florence, Italy’s Duomo (Cathedral). Robbie moved to San Francisco on September 1, 2012. Robbies says, “San Francisco has always been where I’ve wanted to live. I was just intimidated by how wonderful a place it is. And with being in my 40s, I finally said to myself, ‘How long am I going to wait to get my butt there?’ So I saved $5,000, quit my job, packed a truck and crossed my fingers. It was the best decision I ever made.” Robbie’s musical inf luences are Al Jarreau, Laurie Anderson, the 5th Dimension, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, The Manhattan Transfer, Queen, and current artists such as Regina Spektor, Florence and the Machine, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles. Robbie also currently sings with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and from time to time sings as Sister Rosemary Chicken at special events around the city. You can
PH OTO BY DAR RYL PEL LETIE R
and Willie Rose in Booneville, Missouri. Robbie has one older sibling, a sister. Soon after birth, the family moved to Hacienda Heights and then to Covina, in southern California. That’s where Robbie began his musical journey, but he has an even earlier memory.
Robbie Nothstine/Sister Rosemary Chicken also hear Robbie sing on a couple of soundtrack recordings, radio jingles, spots in theme parks and even at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.
debuts next year. For more information on Robbie Nothstine, aka Sister Rosemary Chicken, please visit www. facebook.com/SrRoseMarychicken.
Robbie will be a featured performer on December 29 at Martuni’s for a fundraiser for the Ministry of Presence. Robbie will also be a headliner at the Kima Exclusive Entertainment Local Artist Concert Series, which
Violinist Kippy Marks entertains audiences worldwide with his inspirational compositions and lively performances that draw from classical, jazz, blues and dance. kippymarks.us
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Success Stems from Happiness ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Leverage the law of attraction, Aries. Serendipitous social connections could significantly impact your career now. Hone in wisely, and hitch your wagon to well-wishers who vibe with your values.
LEO (July 23 – August 22) Listen to the beat of your body, Leo. Stellar signals summon you to “soup up” physical engines. Scale back where you need to, and streamline your system of self-care.
better.
Astrology Gypsy Love Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Robert Holden dedicates his life to studying happiness. Holden maintains that happiness doesn’t result from success. Rather, success stems from happiness. He states, “The reason we’re so interested in happiness is because we want to experience our true self. It’s difficult to know what makes you happy if you don’t really know yourself.” Cosmic messengers couldn’t agree more. Polish your purpose by pinpointing your pleasures.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Take a chance, Taurus. Now’s a terrific time to fine tune your taste for the exotic. Entertain opportunities that enlighten your spirit and heighten your senses. Explore the unexplainable.
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Dress to express, Virgo! Planetary cues are prompting you to cultivate your creative side. Don’t bother seeking stimuli outside of yourself. You’ll have more fun harvesting the glorious garden within.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Out with the old, Gemini. Currently, the cosmos is coddling you with courage and strength to incite long awaited changes. Release and revitalize now. Open your heart to new beginnings.
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Expand your limits, Libra. Astro-currents encourage you to crack through those silly self-imposed ceilings in your career sector now. Have confidence in the quality of your craft. Possibilities are endless.
CANCER (June 21 – July 22) Is it hot in here, Cancer? Don’t feel the need to cool anything down. Your magnificent mojo is on fire, and intimate suiters are begging for more. Sizzle on, sexy!
www.AstrologyByGypsyLove.com
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Say it with a smile, Scorpio. Some people may sorely misinterpret your skill for searing through to the center of things. Speak your truth, but be sensitive to your surroundings.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Slow your roll, Sagittarius. Celestial patterns point to your powerful earning potential now. Flashes of financial insight will generate greater gains if you take one secure step at a time.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Reclaim control of your base camp, Capricorn. Do you cling to certain dysfunctions simply because they wear familiar faces? Be willing to break cycles that have no business consuming you. AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Carve out some quiet time, Aquarius. Nowadays, your subconscious aches for undivided attention. Take advantage of any chance to hide away and hibernate. Sit back, and satisfy your soul. PISCES (February 19 – March 20) Glow with the flow, Pisces. “Big picture” dreams are blossoming now. Soak in the bountiful inspiration illuminating your ideals and interests. Take your talents to the next level.
Gypsy Love’s astrology readings have helped 1000’s of people attract what they authentically desire.
As Heard on the Street . . .
compiled by Rink
AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K
When you think of the year 1978, what comes to mind?
Glenne McElhinney
Jason Sirenus
Alwyn de Wally
Suzanne Gautier
Gina Gatta
“It was a landmark year for LGBT’s, with so many important organizations founded in 1978.”
“That was the year that I launched my professional whistling career, and I performed at the wharf.”
“That is when I realized that I was not bisexual.”
“I arrived here thinking what a nice quaint place and then all of the horrible things happened, but I stayed.”
“1978 means that I was an awkward 8th grade teenager at Smithfield Jr High.”
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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb From a Fun Nun
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “In the agreement to end the government shutdown, a Budget Conference Committee was set up to find a ‘longterm budget agreement.’ The committee is meeting in the coming days, and already the Repugnicans are ramping up to push for cuts to earned benefits like Social Security. As majorities of Americans in states from Kentucky to Texas agree, the real answer to helping solve economic inequality in America is to expand Social Security for generations to come - not cut it!” We’re not a political football to be kicked around the field; but speaking of football, special guest NFL punter Chris Kluwe appeared along with NATIONAL CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS Executive Director Kate Kendell and Senior Legislative and Policy Strategist Geoff Kors at Infusion Lounge for the MEN’S EVENT NIGHT NCLR fundraiser. Kors spoke of the triumphs NCLR has helped to accomplish regarding the banning of homophobic gay reparative therapy in California. The evil ones sued the decision, but the 9th circuit ruled it was unconstitutional. NCLR also worked with New Jersey and got Governor Chris Christie to sign the bill. “It seems every day we get another call for help to introduce a similar bill in their state,” said Kors. He introduced Kendell, joking, “It’s
Kendell introduced Kluwe, calling him a hero with a true act of courage. “This really is a human rights issue, and if we want to live in a country where I am free to live my life, everyone else has to be free to live their lives,” said Kluwe. “It boils down to treating others the way you’d like to be treated. By oppressing others, we are sowing our own seeds of destruction. If my daughters want to bring a boy home to go to prom, that’s great. If they want to bring a girl, that’s great. If they want to bring a transgender person, that’s great. That is their life to live. We all have to speak up and say something about [homophobia].” He quoted 1800 philosopher Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Kluwe explained he used “bad language” to counter the supposed “good language” but hateful speech of Burns. He concluded, “We all have to look out for each other. Keep doing great work!” Kendell then presented an award to Kluwe, an engraved dog-tag reading “Total Bad Ass Award.” She mentioned on sale as an additional fundraiser were “Official Lustful C**k Monster” tee shirts, signed by Kluwe. P ROJEC T N U N WAY: DI S S I DENT FUTURES by THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE and founded by Sister Baba Ganesh was a flawless fashion forward fundraiser at Yerba Buena Art Center featuring nun models showing off their designers’ haute couture formed from recycled materials. Futuristic fierceness! The fifth annual show was excellently emceed by Sister Roma and by Jane Wiedlin of Go-Gos fame. Pandora Boxx and Honey Mahogany performed perfectly and helped judge.
There was even a roving nun robot taking confessions. You know that Sister Dana worked the runway like a stuck-up supermodel (smell HER!). I was fortunate to catch the closing night of DIRTY LITTLE SHOWTUNES at NCTC, the extremely clever musical written by witty parodist Tom Orr. As the title suggests, it was an evening of Broadway’s famous tunes set with queerified new lyrics and boasting many costume changes from sweater to leather to drag. It opened parodying the lines from A Funny Thing Happened...Forum: “comedy tomorrow; parody tonight!” My favorite had to have been “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Gonorrhea” to the Sound of Music tune, with Orr as a nun and Rotimi Agbabiaka the other nun bemoaning their STDs. My other fave was the Wizard of Oz trio - David Bicha as the cowardly lion, Jesse Cortez as the tin man, and Randy Noak as the scarecrow. The quintet was superb in every role, including leather drag queens dancing with mucho macho leathermen. Don’t miss this when it comes back to town! THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE, INC. presented their annual CHILDREN’S HALLOWEEN at Eureka Valley Rec Center late H’ween afternoon. This traditional values event was emceed by Sister Selma Soul with entertainment by magician clown Cortez the Magnificent. Sister Dana, Guard St. Bernard, and Guard ‘n O’Pansies judged the little kiddles in three categories: scariest, animal, and princess, with the grand prize to the most creative, which was taken by a miniature faux queen in her best DQ getup. There were all sorts of games, and afterwards we nuns led the children up and down Castro Street in a lively costume parade - where many a shopkeeper had treats to put in their
special Halloween trick or treat bags. Soooo adorable! GR ASS ROOTS GAY RIGHTS W EST, producers of the annual REAL BAD fundraising party that follows EssEff’s world-renowned Folsom Street Fair, announced the results from REAL BAD XXV, which was held on September 29, raising $300,000 for worthy beneficiary organizations that create local impact in the Bay Area. Two million dollars has been donated to community organizations over the event’s 25-year history. Sixteen LGBTQ health and community service organizations are sharing the funds raised this year: Aguilas, A lliance Health Project (AHP), Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, GLBT Historical Society, Huckleberry Youth Programs, Lambda Legal Defense Fund, Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Center, Men’s Inner Journey / The Gateway, National AIDS Memorial Grove, Openhouse, Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS), Queer LifeSpace, SF Suicide Prevention, SF LGBT Community Center, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and Transgender Law Center.
KREWE de KINQUE, the queer/ queer-friendly Mardi Gras social/ charitable club founded in 2004 in EssEff to raise awareness and funds for charity, held our ever y-f irstWednesday FULL MOON PARTY fundraiser at The Edge bar, where it mattered not what phase the actual moon was in; because it was all about the bare ass contest in which some lucky a-hole always wins a $100 prize. The pageant was emceed by Grand Duke and KdK K ing X K ippy Marks and judged by KdK Queen VII Sister Dana, Mr. Edge Leather Patrick Dean Holstine, and KdK Founder King I Gary Virginia. Contestants compete in three categories: best answer to probing questions, best poise, and - of course - best derriere. RJ was the winner as Mr. Bare Butt November, which we all “gave thanks for” as that holiday was just around the corner. sfkinque.com for more info. In loving memory of our dear brother, we announce Imperial Grand Ba ron A RTH U R H U RW I TH passed peacefully from this life on October 14th. Bestowed his perma(continued on page 22)
PHOTO BY KEN HAM AI
really great to be a lesbian and have a lesbian boss like Kate.”
Sister Dana modeling in the Project Nunway Fashion Show 2013
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compiled by Robert Fuggiti
See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com
Castro CBD Board Meeting – Castro CBD Committee. Free. 6 pm to 7:30 pm. (501 Castro St., 2nd Floor) www.castrocbd.org. A meeting open to the public to discuss issues within the community. The agenda will be posted to the website 72 hrs. before the meeting. Covered California Lecture – The Commonwealth Club. $8 members/$20 non-members. 5:30 pm. (595 Market St.) www.commonwealthclub.org. Peter Lee of Covered California discusses the Affordable Care Act. Gym Class – Hi Tops. Free. 10 pm. (2247 Market St.) www. hitopssf.com. Enjoy a night of fun at Castro’s only gay sports bar.
Amaluna – Grand Chapiteau at AT&T Park. $92-$165. 8 pm. (24 Willie Mays Plaza) www.cirquedusoleil.com. Cirque du Soleil presents an alluring performance about a mysterious island governed by a goddess. Through January 12, 2014. Pamela Rose & Wayne de la Cruz – SF Jazz Center. $25. 7 pm. (201 Franklin St.) www.sfjazz.org. San Francisco jazz vocalist Pamela Rose and co-producer Wayne de la Cruz create a soulful evening of blues music. Matisse from SF MOMA – Legion of Honor. $11. 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. (100 34th Ave.) www. legionofhonor.famsf.org. The SF MOMA and California Palace of Fine Arts are proud to display an intimate exhibition of 23 works by Herni Matisse.
Bay Area Rainbow Symphony – St. Mark’s Lutheran
Church. $15-$35. 8 pm. (111 O’Farrell St.) www.bars-sf.org. Join guest conductor Cyr Ginwala for BARS’ November concert. Steve Aoki – Bill Graham Auditorium. $30. 8 pm. (99 Grove St.) www.steveaoki.com. The DJ/ Producer brings his “Aokify America” Tour to the Bay Area. Beatpig – Powerhouse. $5. 9 pm to 2 am. (1347 Folsom St.) www. beatbigsf.com. A kinky party happening third Saturdays of the month. Meditation Group – San Francisco Public Library. Free. 12 pm to 12:45 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.sfpl.org. A weekly meditation group to find inner calmness and peace.
Community Women’s Orchestra – Lake Merritt United Methodist Church. $15. 5 pm. (1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland) www.brownpapertickets.com. Kicking off their 29th season, the Oakland-based Community Women’s Orchestra (CWO) presents their annual Fall Concert. Korean Culture Day – Asian Art Museum. Free. 4 pm. (200 Larkin St.) www.asianart.org. Join for an afternoon of food, music, dance and culture. BIG! – The Stud Bar. Free. 6 pm to 1 pm. (399 9th St.) www.phattestevents.com. A monthly bear dance party with drink specials, go-go dancers and hot Djs.
SF Pride Holiday Food Drive – SF Pride. Donation. 11 pm to 3 pm. (30 Pearl St.) www.castrocbd. org. Donate toys and non-perishable food to those in need. Donations will be accepted
“Tristan & Yseult” will be at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre through January 6, 2014. through December 14. Wanted – Q Bar. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.sfwanted.com. Enjoy a night of dance and electronic music along with $2 drink specials. Piano Bar 101 – Martuni’s. Free. 9 pm. (4 Valencia St.) www.dragatmartunis.com. Sing along to your favorite songs with friends and patrons.
Lesbians Who Tech – Slate Bar. Free. 6:30 pm to 9 pm. (2925 16th St.) www.slate-sf.com. Mix, mingle and socialize with women who love tech. Evita – San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. $31-$92. 7:30 pm. (255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose) www.
Smack Dab Open Mic night is every Wednesday at Magnet. 20
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broadwaysanjose.com. The story of Evita, her charismatic rise to power and her tragic death hits the stage at San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts. Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25-$130. 8 pm. (678 Green St.) www.beachblanketbabylon.com. Enjoy Steve Silver’s famous musical revue packed with hilarious pop culture and political antics.
Smack Dab Open Mic – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of this weekly open mic night, with hosts Larrybob Roberts and Kirk Read. The Barbary Coast Revue – The Stud. $10. 9 pm. (399 9th Harrison St.) www.barbarycoastrevue.com. This new original musical features a typically complicated SF love story set in our notorious red light district, the Barbary Coast. Through December 18. Peter and the Starcatcher – Curran Theatre. $40-$160. 8 pm. (445 Geary St.) www. peterandthestarcatcher. com. A musical play takes a
hilarious romp through the Neverland you never knew. Through December 1.
Take the Hunger Challenge – Project Open Hand. Free. www. openhand.org. For one week, take the SNAP challenge with Project Open Hand and gain a better understanding of hunger in our community. Women’s Support Group – Congregation Sha’ar Zahav. Free. 2 pm to 3:30 pm. (290 Dolores St.) www.openhouse-sf.org. A free women’s support group dedicated to queer women over 60. 4Bidden – The Cellar. $10. 10 pm to 2 am. (685 Sutter St.) www.cellarsf.com. A fun lesbian dance night playing your favorite throwback songs.
Sissy Strut – Underground SF. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (424 Haight St.) www.undergroundsf.com. A dance party playing jams from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Happening every fourth Friday. I Love the 90’s – Madrone Art Bar. $5. 10 pm. (500 Divisadero St.) www.madroneartbar.com. A 90’s
themed party complete with nostalgic music and images of the decade. Bad Girls Cocktail Hour – The Lexington. Free. 9 pm (3464 19th St.) www.lexingtonclub.com. Enjoy $1 margaritas from 9 pm to 10 pm every Friday night.
Magic Makers – Temescal Arts Center. Free. 1 pm. (511 48th St.) www.themagicmakers.wordpress. com. The Bay Area’s first Queer Art & Craft Fair which will showcase and celebrate queer artists and their work. Frogz! – UC Berkeley Campus. $22-$52. 2 pm. (Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus) www.calperformances.org. Imago Theatre presents its trademark work, Frogz featuring panicking penguins, poorspelling sloths, and introverted frogs. Jalwa – Club OMG. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (43 6th St.) www.clubomgsf.com. Enjoy a night of dancing at this unique, Bollywood themed gay bar.
Tristan & Yseult – Berkeley Repertory Theatre. $29-$48. 7 pm. (2015 Addison St., Berkeley) www. berkeleyrep.org. Director Emma Rice and designer Bill Mitchell reunite to create must-see theatre, blending gorgeous music and ingenious staging Glamazone – The Café. Free. 9 pm to 2 am. (2369 Market St.) www.cafesf.com. Enjoy drink specials during the day and drag performances through the evening. Salsa Sundays – El Rio. $10. 3 pm to 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com. Enjoy live music and dancing.
Holiday ICE RINK – Union Square. $11. 10 am to 11:30 pm. (Union Square) www.unionsquareicerink.com. Kick of the 2013 holiday season at the Safeway Ice Rink at Union Square. LGBTQ Support Group – Petaluma Health Center. Free. 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. (1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) www.phealthcenter.org. A positive support group for the LGBTQ community in Petaluma. Meetings happen every Monday. Mahogany Mondays – Midnight Sun. Free. 8 pm. (4067 18th St.) www.midnightsunsf.com. A live drag variety show with $5 drink specials all evening.
“Evita” will be at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts November 19-24. (Photo: Richard Termine) Plaza. Free. 7 pm. (Castro St. at Market St.) www.castrocbd.org. Join the SF Gay Men’s Chorus and the community as they march from the Castro to City Hall in remembrance of the 35th Anniversary of Harvey Milk and George Moscone.
Visit our new website at
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Cocky Wednesdays – The Edge SF. Free. 7 pm to 2 am. (4149 18th St.) www.edgesf.com. A weekly underwear contest with cash prizes. Red Hot Burlesque – El Rio. $5. 7 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com. A hot, outrageous women’s burlesque show.
Women’s Support Group – Congregation Sha’ar Zahav. Free. 2 pm to 3:30 pm. (290 Dolores St.) www.openhouse-sf.org. A free women’s support group dedicated to queer women over 60. Funny Tuesdays – Harvey’s. Free. 9 pm. (500 Castro St.) www. harveyssf.com. An LGBT comedy night hosted by comedian Ronn Vigh. Meow Mix – The Stud. Free. 9 pm. (399 9th St.) www.studsf.com. A weekly cabaret variety show with drink specials
Harvey Milk & George Moscone March - Harvey Milk
4th Annual Shed the Turkey & Trimmings Ride – Ladies Go Biking Invites You! Saturday, November 30th 10:30. Depart Cavallo Point / Sausalito. Info: adriennebettyslistcycling@comcast.net
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(HPV continued from page 6) There are two HPV vaccines now that over time should change the natural history of what I just explained – meaning less of all these problems in the next generation of LGBTQI folks. Gardasil contains the 4 HPV types that cause most warts (6,11) and cancers (16, 18). It has been approved for both men and women up to age 27. Cervarix protects against the two cancer HPV types (16,18) and is approved only for women up to age 25. The vaccine is most effective before
someone is sexually active. There is some evidence that it may be helpful in people who are already sexually active (thus the approval in men and women up to age 27), and many believe it will help the immune system prevent the development or recurrence of lesions even in people who have clearly been exposed to HPV. These studies are underway. My advice: I don’t routinely recommend vaccination in anyone over age 26, although it is probably safe. I just don’t
think we know if it will help, and in anyone over the age of 26, the cost will not be covered by insurance.
ing itself into knots to avoid making an exception to its antigay marriage amendment. Yet the justices have no good options. And if they deny the divorce, Scheske and company would have a federal case that even the Fifth Circuit might have to swallow. (OK. Maybe not the Fifth Circuit.)
read: “foolish; stupid; ‘making students wait for the light is kind of a gay rule.’”
I hope to have updates on this and will have more to report next month concerning both the IANS conference November 22-24, and the AIDS Malignancy Conference on November 21st at UCSF. Dr. Naomi Jay is a nurse practitioner in the department of Infectious Disease at UCSF.
(ROSTOW continued from page 15) Texas offers is a proposal to have their marriage declared “void” in the state. Neither man would have the right to remarry anywhere else, and as for those taxes, they’d be filing jointly for the rest of their lives. It’s ludicrous. And it’s an example of how the Windsor ruling will gradually, but inexorably, force even the reddest states to recognize marriages. First in one context. Then in another. Scheske had no choice but to argue that a state court need not recognize a marriage in order to grant a divorce, but in fact, divorce is a subsidiary of marriage. The Texas court is between a rock and a hard place, twist-
That’s So Apple Finally, check this out. A high school student, Becca Gorman, was using the Apple dictionary and looked up the entry for “gay.” Definition one was a homosexual guy or whatever. No problem. Definition two was the erstwhile fun and carefree. But definition three, prefaced as “informal”
Can you believe that? Does Apple have an “informal” def inition for “Jew?” Something like: “to bargain for a lower price?” Someone actually composed that “definition,” someone oblivious to the fact that the GLBT community has been fighting the use of “gay” as a pejorative term for decades! Apple, a company that is run by a gay man by the way, called Becca and said they were also appalled, but it’s not clear at press time if they’ve fixed the problem. arostow@aol.com
(LYNCH continued from page 14) pleased with the work Project Open Hand has done in expanding its client base. I’m proud of the opportunities I’ve had to speak on LGBT issues in Cuba, Spain, Israel and many other places. I’m thrilled about the work Bevan Dufty and I did in economic development and LGBT youth issues. Right now, I am very proud to be serving on the board of LYRIC. It’s an LGBT youth organization that is doing tremendous work, particularly the work they are doing in schools to
help kids and make real long-term systemic changes. SS: What are your goals for the future? TL: I am joining a great organization, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. I want to make sure that their work continues to grow and makes a difference in the US and around the world. It’s wonderful to be able to be a part of a project that works to ensure opportunity and unlimited
potential for people in their jobs. And to move companies to make sure that all of their employees have the same chance. Stu Smith is board chair emeritus of Shanti Project, board chair of The Paratransit Coordinating Council, a member of the Castro Country Club Advisory Board and the LGBT Senior Task Force, and producer and host of the public access TV program “The Drag Show.” KQED has honored Stu as a 2013 LGBT Hero.
(SISTER DANA SEZ continued from page 19) nent title in 1984 by Emperor XI Tattoo Jim, Arthur became a noble member of the Imperial Family and for over three decades devoted much of his life in the service of others, with much of his work in recent years devoted to Senior Care Services for the gracefully aging LGBTQ community of San Francisco. CUMMING UP! Come join the L ESBI A N/GAY CHORUS OF SAN FRANCISCO as they open their 34th season with W E CEL EBR ATE!, an elegant evening of music honoring the lives of Matthew Shepard, Harvey Milk, and Benjamin Britten, on Saturday, November 16th, 7pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street. Tickets are $20 general admission, with a special $10 rate for students and seniors, at lgcsf.org or brownpapertickets.com. Across the globe, TR A NSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE (TDOR) on November 20th will memorialize transgender and gender nonconforming people who have been killed as a result of transphobia, violence and prejudice. Started by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in response to the murder of Rita Hester in Alliston, MA, in 2009, TDOR highlights the need for awareness around antitransgender violence by holding in silent testimony the names of those lost. TDOR will be held at the SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. transgenderdor.org. You can still catch FRIENDS LIVE: “the one where everybody’s in drag” at Rebel. It’s the all drag queen/king reenactment of two Friends sitcom clas-
Check out
sics starring Darcy Drollinger as perennially perky Rachel, Heklina as kooky, goofy Phoebe, Steven Lemay as always anal retentive Monica, Gerri Lawlor as her whiny, weepy, painfully shy brother Ross, Leigh Crow as f lirtatious (“how YOU doin’?!”) Joey, and Nancy French as jolly, overdramatic Chandler. Two shows nightly at Rebel, 1760 Market at Octavia, every Thursday, 7pm and 9pm through November 21st. In Act One you will discover how the friends all met at Central Perk coffee shop. The show begins with a video takeoff on the opening park fountain scene and theme song. Ross has just lost his wife of four years to a lesbian. Rachel has just f led from her intended groom at the altar. Monica takes a risk at being spontaneous and impulsive. Joey is the proverbial f lirt trying to break into a good acting gig. In Act Two, Monica forces slightly fatter Ross to jog and lose weight. Phoebe, everybody’s earth mother, sings her original guitar number, “Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat - It’s Not Your Fault” and even does a video that goes somewhat amiss vocally. The love between Ross and Rachel is constantly tested. The horribly heinously hideous laugh of Janice erupts. And friends fight and make up, as true friends often do. Tired of your “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss? Don’t get your L’eggs pantyhose in a twist as PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCTIONS proudly presents the classic ‘80s comedy NINE TO FIVE with the world premiere of the live, stage show WORK! featuring hostess with the mostess Peaches Christ, San Francisco legend Heklina, and Rupaul’s Drag Race/Rupaul’s Drag U” sensation, Pandora Boxx. Grab a
pencil and prepare to take a “memo” at the Castro Theater on November 23rd, 8pm. Tix and info: peacheschrist.com. AMALUNA, the latest edition of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, has its SF engagement November 13 – December 31 at AT&T Park. The audience is invited to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Their queen, Prospera, directs her daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honors femininity, renewal, rebirth, and balance - which marks the passing of these insights and values from one generation to the next. In the wake of a storm caused by Prospera, a group of young men lands on the island, triggering an epic, emotional story of love between Prospera’s daughter and a brave young suitor. But theirs is a love that will be put to the test. The couple must face numerous demanding trials and overcome daunting setbacks before they can achieve mutual trust, faith and harmony. cirquedusoleil.com. Pornucopia: flick pick of the week is Diversion from titanmen.com - for the diverse perv. Sister Dana sez, “As a major sponsor of the Olympics, Coca-Cola is under growing pressure to speak out against Russia’s anti-gay laws; but if thousands of us send them emails, they could see this is a huge threat to Coca-Cola’s fun, friendly image and finally do something. Check out allout.org/coca-cola!”
News, Entertainment and more in the
BayTimes CALENDAR & RESOURCE GUIDE at www.sfbaytimes.com
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Round About – All Over Town
Honoree Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, widow of tennis legend Arthur Ashe, surrounded by officials and special guests at the United States Tennis Association Northern California’s “Beyond the Baseline” Benefit held at the SF Design Center Galleria. (Photo by Steven Underhill)
New York Times bestselling authors Christopher Rice and his mom Anne Rice at Books Inc in Opera Plaza. (Photo by Rink)
Aguilas program coordinator Erick Arguello with a check to the organization presented by the Real Bad party organizers at Beatbox. (Photo by Rink)
Artist Susan Wiegardt’s popular “Rebots” at the Celebration of Craftswomen. (Photo by Steven Underhill)
NFL punter and LGBT ally Chris Kluwe speaking at the NCLR Men’s Party at Infusion Lounge (Photo by Rink)
Featured artist Justime arrives for the opening of his exhibit at Magnet. (Photo by Rink)
The 35th Annual Celebration of Craftswomen, benefiting the Women’s Building, was held at the Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center. (Photo by Steven Underhill) NFL punter and LGBT ally Chris Kluwe at the NCLR Men’s Party with NCLR’s Kate Kendell and Geoff Kors. (Photo by Rink)
Festival sponsor Sean Dorsey with partner Shawna Virago, artistic director of the 12th Transgender Film Festival. (Photo by Rink)
Beneficiaries of the 20th Anniversary Real Bad Party received a total of $300,000 in contributions. (Photo by Rink)
Kevin Lisle, Donna Sachet and Emperor Drew Cutler at the celebration of life memorial for Emperor Steven Rascher who also served as board chair of the Community Thrift Store. (Photo by Rink)
Jan Wahl was among the celebs attending Project Nunway, the benefit fashion More from Project Nunway 2013. show hosted and organized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Fashion (Photo by Steven Underhill) designs are created using recycled materials. (Photo by Steven Underhill)
Still more from Project Nunway 2013. (Photo by Steven Underhill)
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