San Francisco Bay Times - September 9, 2021

September 9–22, 2021 http://sfbaytimes.com

East Bay Faves for Oakland Pride Community Leaders Reveal Their Top 5: See pages 18–19

GLBT Fortnight in Review Cuomo Scandal Brings Down HRC President I suppose I have to lead with the news that the board of the Human Rights Campaign has fired HRC president Alphonso David for cause after two years in the job. David has lately been embroiled in a tangled mess stemming from the nine years he spent working for ex-Governor Cuomo. Last December, presumably based on lingering loyalty, David reportedly reached out to help the governor’s office fight off sexual harassment claims from Lindsey Boylan. That included handing over an old confidential memo about Boylan and editing a (never published) letter that did not reflect well on her.

In other words, David is accused of volunteering to help smear a former Cuomo staffer who was threatening the governor’s job and reputation. Boylan, who worked for Cuomo in 2016 as an economic aide, said the governor touched her back and shoulders, kissed her once in his office without warning, and made annoying suggestive comments.

As for David, his involvement in the Cuomo affair was documented in that recent report on the governor’s shortcomings by New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with the pro-Cuomo activities of lawyer Roberta Kaplan (who successfully challenged the Defense of Marriage Act) and Times Up CEO Tina Tchen. Although they stressed that they were not complicit in trying to smear Lindsey Boylan, both those women stepped down from their public roles after the AG’s report was released.

Moving on, I’ve been reading about a three-judge panel of the Virginia Supreme Court who ruled in favor of a conservative-sounding teacher who objected to some trans-friendly rules. The headlines I saw were similar to this one from NPR, which announced: “Court Backs a Teacher Who Refused to Use Transgender Students’ Pronouns.” Obviously, I was not prepared to write a positive account of this opinion, this panel or this plaintiff! (Cue: hisses and boos.)

Speaking of lawyers who (allegedly) help smear harassment victims, are you familiar with David Boies?

Of course you are. He represented Al Gore, but then descended into a bog, representing a bunch of tobacco companies, an arm of Blackwater, Harvey Weinstein, and Theranos.

Theranos was the scam run by oddball Stanford dropout Elizabeth Holmes that claimed to revolutionize blood testing, changing the process from a big needle at a lab to a single drop of blood at the drug store.

Thanks to Holmes’ hype, her company was once valued at something S E PT E MB E R 9 , 2 02 1

Back in the day, acting at the request of impatient activists, the two former opponents, Olson and Boies, teamed together to challenge California Prop 8’s ban on marriage, cluelessly stepping on the toes of the hardworking GLBT lawyers who had been strategically fighting for marriage equality for years. Olson and Boies had zero background in the decades-long fight for marriage, but that didn’t stop them from taking a zillion press conferences, fluffing their feathers, preening about and nearly derailing our various constitutional marriage equality lawsuits with what was basically an inept sideshow.

So, to hear him now described as some kind of gay civil rights hero is irritating beyond belief. The same promotional effort that delivered so much press to Boies and Olson at the time still resonates for sloppy journalists and lazy media outlets who vaguely remember something about Boies and same-sex marriage but can’t be bothered to verify the facts.

Holmes’ Boies

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Holmes was criminally charged with fraud and is on trial this month, which is why Mr. Boies has returned to the spotlight. I have now twice heard this bozo described as a “pioneer in the fight for same-sex marriage,” based on what was basically a PR stunt with his old Bush v Gore foe, Theodore Olson.

Please Google all this yourself if you want the details, because I’m basically rehashing a Maggie Haberman story from the Times and ignoring whatever nuance still shrouds these events. David has pledged to fight his dismissal, and there’s a back and forth with the board over whether or not an internal investigation has been completed. I’m sorry, but who cares? You can’t run an organization once the board of directors has fired you, period.

David, on the other hand, is having a conniption, showering everyone with tweets and statements nitpicking details about an internal investigation and refusing to step down as if this whole situation was a deliberate contrivance by nefarious enemies on the HRC board. I suppose it’s possible that David’s original offer of help to Cuomo’s office was innocent and that he truly believed his valiant ex-boss was being unfairly targeted by an overly sensitive woman— with flaws of her own no less! But at this point, it doesn’t matter. David never told the HRC board what he was up to, nor did he tell them that he had been interviewed by the Attorney General, nor did he warn them that he might be caught up in the Cuomo scandal and that this, um, might reflect badly on HRC. He decided instead to play it by ear and the board has turned off his music.

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like nine billion dollars, until we learned that her magical system did not actually work and the company collapsed in scandal.

Can you tell I’m not a fan?

Yes, Virginia

However, as far as I understand it, the situation is far more complex than it initially seemed. So far, there have been no transgender kids in Tanner Cross’ Leesburg Elementary gym class, so no, Mr. Cross has not actually refused to use a particular pronoun because he has not had the opportunity to display his holierthan-thou credentials. Instead, he has spoken out against the school’s gender policy at a public meeting on the subject. After listening to his opinions, some parents complained and Cross was suspended from duty, a pretty clear violation of his First Amendment rights we all must admit.

Cross, who has also challenged the underlying policy in court, contested his suspension and has been ordered reinstated by both a lower-level judge and now by the state supreme court.

The school tried to argue that Cross’ public comments and the reaction from parents and social media was having a disruptive effect and the school had a right to take some action. But neither court bought this explanation.

Now, Cross and a couple of other ne’er do wells will continue the legal attack on the school’s transgender policy, and we ourselves can return to rooting against him, a position that feels much more natural than the grudging sympathy we have (briefly) experienced.

Ad Astra Per Aspera On an unrelated topic, I’m strangely addicted to watching the Emirates airline ad over and over again. Have

By Ann Rostow you seen it? It’s the one that pans out until you recognize that a flight attendant is standing on a tiny platform at the very top of a spire on the tallest building in the world in Dubai. And then they play some very cool music and the whole effect kind of takes your breath away. The vista, the majestic music, the bravery, the logistics, the imagination of it.

I guess I’m particularly impressed by the fact that the airline could have easily produced a similar spot through computer graphics, but although it might look the same, it could never approach the magnificence of the real thing—which was carefully engineered and which starred a professional sky diver.

I’m also very fond of the Chevy truck ad featuring Walter the cat who acts just like a dog. Walter comes when called, hops into the passenger seat of the truck, helps herd cattle, dives into a lake to fetch a stick, and comes trotting out sopping wet with the stick in his mouth. I read that the crew needed nine specially trained identical cats in order to pull this off, and that the cats had their own air-conditioned trailer on set. Apparently, one cat could fetch, another could herd, a third could race through a screen door, a fourth could jump into the shotgun seat, and so forth.

Again, the producers put tremendous effort into creating a scenario that could have been designed by a computer, but was indeed an astounding performance by amazing little creatures, one that makes us think twice about our expectations and even our stereotypes.

I love the people who came up with these ideas and the people who agreed to invest in making them actually happen in the world.

Going Commando While we’re on the subject of TV commercials, our friends at One Million Moms have warned us against a recent spot by Sonic, in which two women sitting in a car confess to each other that they don’t wear their bras when they visit the fast-food restaurant. I originally signed up for the Million Mom news alerts in order to collect entertaining examples of antigay outrage triggered by mundane aspects of daily life. But here, I believe the Moms have jumped the shark.

“Sonic is airing a new commercial that is not only offensive—but this once family-friendly restaurant has made a deliberate decision to produce controversial advertisements instead of wholesome ones,” the Moms tell us.

“In a recent Sonic cheeseburger commercial, one customer is chatting in her car with another woman about how they don’t wear bras to Sonic and definitely not in their carpool.

One Million Moms finds this highly inappropriate for an ad, especially one selling food.” Especially one selling food? Say what?

“Does Sonic want children to think it is OK to go around in public wearing no underwear?” the Moms wonder.

They urge us to “let the company know that as a parent and a consumer, you are disgusted by its recent marketing choices.” Makes you want to strip off your panties and head out for a Peach Bellini Slush. Bring along a flask of vodka if you like. No one’s watching, right? Mom? Is that you?

Oh, and before we abandon commercials, I just read that Ford Germany presented a new blue Ranger Raptor. One person (continued on page 28)

Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History Louise “Lou” Fischer In 1990, when I moved from the Northeast to San Francisco, I assured my Jewish parents, “California is only a plane ride away; I’ll visit all the time.” For the most part, I kept that promise—until the pandemic.

Although my mother passed away in 1999, my father, while still lively and active, is 91 years old. After missing two years of Thanksgivings, birthdays, Passover Seders, and other milestones, I “studied the science” and recently booked a trip to New York/Connecticut to visit with him and other family and friends. I planned to spend three days in New York, take a rapid COVID-19 test, and then head up to Connecticut to spend a few days with my father.

While rapid tests aren’t 100% accurate, at least they are better than nothing.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t hard to be mostly “COVID-safe” in New York City; the vaccination rate is high, bars/restaurants actually check your vaccination record, and masks are required in the subway and public places. While it seems counterintuitive, somehow a city of 8.4 million people figured out a way

to be socially distant. Maybe being in the first-wave of Covid destruction contributed to their collective compliance.

win the coveted “Commencement Part,” which is the fancy term for first big speech after the procession, prayer, and anthem.

Whether it was luck, kismet, or just “New York,” on my last Dunkin’ Donuts coffee run in Lower Manhattan, I spotted a pop-up COVID-19 testing station that did both the rapid test and the “gold standard” PCR test. While there are no guarantees, at least I had two negative tests and felt less likely to be the “Typhoid Mary” of the senior living community center of Greater New Haven in which my father resides.

As Harvard University was founded in 1636, I wondered why it took 319 years for a medical student to “win” this honor. According to my father, it was because he was the only applicant willing to speak out against McCarthyism and write a speech without using the actual words “McCarthyism” or “communism,” because, after all, Harvard men (yes, they were mostly all men in 1955) were smart enough to know what the speech was about.

While my father is in good shape mentally and physically, visitation activities are limited to the usual options for elderly Jews: talking (about family or the weather) and going out to eat at 4:30 pm but “no more than 10 minutes away, what, we should sit in the car for a long time?” Sticking to the script, we went to dinner at nearby restaurants and discussed the big storm that was coming (it was huge and caused flash flooding). For the “talk about family” component, with my Dad’s help, I sorted through his notes, records, and pictures, and together we updated parts of my family tree at Ancestry.com.

Reading his speech in 2021, I’m both awestruck and at the same time concerned—and disgusted, repulsed, and scared for our future—at the level of prescience in his speech and that, despite the passage of 65 years, his warnings still ring true today. In what may well be the first “fatherdaughter” column in San Francisco Bay Times history, below are snippets of my father’s speech from 1955 that give meaning to the phrase “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (the more things change, the more they stay the same).

In addition to seeing some interesting pictures (my grandmother was a flapper?), my father was particularly proud of the speech entitled “Freedom, Education and Security” that he delivered at the Harvard University 1955 Commencement.

According to a congratulatory letter from the Dean of the Medical School, my father was the first medical student to compete for and

Source: “Freedom, Education and Security” delivered June 16, 1955, by David S. Fischer, Harvard University Commencement at the Tercentenary Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts (sections were edited for brevity and clarity) “Confronted as we are externally with a powerful enemy and internally with the danger of subversion, it is not at all surprising that we should be concerned with our security.

What is disheartening is the way

David S. Fischer, MD, Yale University of Professor of Medicine, and his daughter, San Francisco Bay Times columnist Lou Fischer.

in which we have reacted to the threat. I need not remind you of the antics of publicity-seeking fanatics, elected and otherwise. What is more disturbing is the acquiescence and participation of many sincere Americans in a multitude of silly and dangerous practices ... . It is these practices, among others, that seriously challenge our freedom.

The college graduate, once widely respected, is now suspect by virtue of education ... some of the most able men in our nation are now declining government service [don’t troll my Dad; he’s a good feminist who raised three strong daughters, the use of

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOU FISCHER

Vaccinated Visit with Dad: Nosh & Chat about Authoritarian Tactics from 1955 to Present

the word “men” in this discourse was appropriate for 1955]. Career diplomats have been demoralized and many have resigned. Scientists have left by the score and our public officials have not yet learned that ‘when you lock the laboratory doors, you lock out more than you lock in ... .’ These patterns of activity, far from making us more secure, make us more vulnerable.

The role of education in a free society is to prepare an unshackled mind to follow truth wherever it may lead. Of course, truth is spelled with a small ‘t’ because no one has (continued on page 29)

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How to Create a Retirement Spending Strategy That reduced amount lasts for the rest of your life. At full retirement age—67, or 66 and change for those born in the ‘50s—you get your full benefit. Hold off taking SSI until 70 and your monthly payment will be 32% higher.

Health, savings, marital status, and other factors enter into your timing. But, in general, if you have additional sources of income to tide you over, waiting as long as possible to collect SSI is a good move.

Money Matters Brandon Miller, CFP As a kid, I loved a board game called Stratego, which is different each time you play it. You try to protect your flag, while uncovering the other person’s. This requires moving your pieces just right to avoid the obstacles your opponent puts in front of you (miners can diffuse bombs, for example).

I find retirement income planning a bit like playing Stratego. You have a lot of pieces with different values— IRAs, 401(k)s, Social Security, etc.— that you can shift in various ways.

There are hidden bombs, such as rampant inflation or a serious illness, which can blow up part of your wealth. But there are also strategic ways to avoid or work around those challenges.

The first step in setting up your retirement “pieces” is to determine how much money you’ll need. For this article, let’s assume that you’ve already calculated that sum. Now you need to plot out where those funds will come from each month.

A good rule of thumb is to spend down your taxable accounts and savings first. Then turn to tax-deferred vehicles, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and, finally, tax-free Roth accounts.

This helps keep the tax advantages going for as long as possible.

Here are some other moves to consider: Be strategic about taking Social Security income.

There’s more to claiming SSI then we have space for here, but these are some key points: At age 62, those of you who are eligible can start drawing on your benefit, though it will be significantly less than if you wait.

Install financial guardrails.

One tactic is to recreate your paycheck by funneling all the income you get from various sources into one bucket, then taking out what’s needed each month or every two weeks. This provides the discipline and structure to help you spend what you should.

Knowing that the market is fickle, you can also create a shock absorber by funding an emergency account with 1–2 years of expenses. Draw on this account in ugly years instead of selling assets at a loss, then replenish the fund when the market recovers.

Keep repeating this and you can help avoid wrecking your plans whenever the market crashes.

Pay attention to taxes.

Your retirement income can dramatically impact what you pay for healthcare. Unlike income taxes that are graduated, Medicare expenses are a steep cliff. For example, individuals making $88k or less in 2021 ($176k or less for joint-filing couples), will pay the standard premium of $148.50 each month for Medicare Part B. Make more than half/three-quarters of a million for individuals/couples and now you’re paying $504.90 each month for the next calendar year— almost 3.5 times as much. So, getting a large inheritance or selling your home might result in significantly higher healthcare expenses.

Also, when you’re 72, Uncle Sam gets impatient and demands you withdraw some money from tax-deferred instruments. These required minimum distributions (RMDs) are based on your balance and life expectancy. Note that tax-free Roth money doesn’t have RMDs in your lifetime—because the government already has its money—though your beneficiaries may have to pay RMDs to avoid penalties.

RMDs for high-balance IRAs could put you into an expensive tax bracket. Instead, you could convert to a Roth IRA or significantly draw down your traditional IRA before RMDs kick in. Those who plan to give pots of cash to charities can use Qualified Charitable Distributions.

This gives all or part of your RMDs to charity(s) you name. The gift doesn’t count as taxable income for you, and your charity doesn’t pay tax on it either. Win-win!

In sum, Stratego is a game; your retirement is not. But in both cases, smart planning can help protect what’s most precious—your flag on the board and your dreams in real life.

Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing.

Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.

Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.

Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

Lyon, along with Del Martin, her wife and partner of 55 years, was a co-founder in 1955 of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian organization in the country. A year later, the DOB launched the publication The Ladder. They did so in the face of tremendous social opposition during a time often referred to as “The McCarthy Era,” which was characterized by extreme federal, state, and local harassment of the LGBTQ community, including public exposure, condemnation, and job loss. The efforts by Lyon and Martin throughout the decades to win civil and human rights for lesbians and other marginalized peoples have changed the world for the better.

According to Marcia Gallo— University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor emerita and New Yorkbased author of Different Daughters: A History of the Daughters of Bilitis and the Rise of the Lesbian Rights Movement 6

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(2006)—“Phyllis Lyon was a lifelong San Franciscan whose visionary leadership reflected her passion for social justice.” She continued that, in later decades, Lyon “went on to help organize the first lesbian and gay Democratic club, create the National Sex Forum at Glide Memorial Church, serve on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, represent lesbians at international feminist conferences, and insist that issues of ageism be addressed within LGBTQ and women’s communities. But her passion for ‘telling it like it is’ never kept her from having a good time. She showed us all how to put the ‘social’ in social change.

Her big heart, sharp intelligence, and quick wit inspired a wealth of love and commitment from colleagues, friends, and extended family throughout the world.”

In recognition of their pioneering status, Lyon and Martin were asked to be the first same-sex couple to be married in San Francisco in 2004 when then Mayor Gavin Newsom began issuing same-sex marriage licenses. In 2008, following the California court ruling affirming gay S E PT E MB E R 9 , 2 02 1

The Rainbow Honor Walk plaque honoring Del Martin was installed on September 2, 2014.

LGBTQ marriage equality, Lyon and Martin were again the first couple to be legally married, a civil right later upheld by the Supreme Court.

In 2013, The Rainbow Honor Walk honored Lyon’s lifelong partner with a bronze plaque in its first round of sidewalk tributes. The board is working with the San Francisco Department of Public Works to install the new plaque for Lyon’s near Martin’s on 19th Street, between Castro and Collingwood Streets.

Working with the San Francisco Department of Public Works, the Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon (1998) Rainbow Honor Despite Ongoing Pandemic, Walk has to date installed 36 plaques an Outpouring of Community along Market Street, Castro Street, Support and 19th Street. An additional 8 On May 27, the Rainbow Honor plaques, honoring Gladys Bentley, Quentin Crisp, Divine, Audre Lorde, Walk held its second Rainbow Reels virtual fundraiser, which this time Leonard Matlovich, Sylvia Rivera, highlighted Lyon and Martin. The Vito Russo, and Maurice Sendak, evening featured two films about are expected to be installed in the spring of 2022. (continued on page 28)

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENDRA MON

The Rainbow Honor Walk this week announced that it has chosen Phyllis Lyon, the world-renowned San Francisco-based activist for lesbian rights and visibility, as its next honoree.

PHOTO BY RINK

Rainbow Honor Walk to Honor Phyllis Lyon, Lesbian Activist and Civil Rights Trailblazer, with Sidewalk Plaque

Message from Leadership GGBA CALENDAR

Protecting My Gay Son’s Future While Helping Others

By Stacey Blanda Why did I, as a straight woman, become a board member of an LGBTQ chamber? I’ll tell you. As a mother of a young, gay man, I watched what he went through growing up with empathetic eyes. I couldn’t believe what I witnessed.

How could it be that, in today’s world, so many are still ignorant in their thoughts? I have to admit I was very naive until that day.

I personally never thought twice about someone’s sexual preference and gender identity, skin color, or religious beliefs. My son is an extremely intelligent, creative, honest, young man and strives to develop a brand that promotes his freedom of expression. I wanted to protect my son’s future from discrimination; not only his future, but the future of all members of diverse groups.

I decided that I wanted to advocate for the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA) that was signed into order in 2014.

I finally had the “ah ha” moment while I was employed by The Golden State Warriors, a wonderful organization that fully embraces diversity. Despite some positive steps in the right direction, I know many in our community still have a very real concern about the possibility of being fired for having nonconforming sexual and gender identities. I want to be a part of the community that looks toward a brighter and more equitable future. I was completely supported by my employer to take on this charge and be a part of the push for increased rights and protections.

As the Controller for The Golden State Warriors Community Foundation, I worked in a culture that supports diversity and inclusion, and not just in word but in real action, hard work, and ongoing mindful movement toward this mission. I take the topic very seriously. For the foundation I was an advocate for underserved youth in San Francisco and Alameda County, and I always

GGBA Member Spotlight

look for ways that our community involvement can support the variety of backgrounds it represents.

I have first-hand experience in collaborating with other nonprofits and engaging with business professionals to support policies and foster a more inclusive and welcoming business community.

I worked extremely hard, on a daily basis, on the mission of our foundation.

Now, as a hiring manager and a member of an executive team, I am always seeking ways to advocate, educate, and participate in providing opportunities based on qualifications without discrimination. I’m thrilled to share my professional experience and passion for equity serving on the Board of Directors for the GGBA. After serving for a few years, I decided to Chair the Nominations Committee of the GGBA. I did it because I would like to stretch my knowledge and understanding of this process. I believe that I can bring a fresh viewpoint to evaluations while supporting diversity in the decisions that are made.

I bring a perspective that is indirectly affected by issues of LGBTQ business owners, but one that strongly supports opportunity, education, and advocacy. With over 30 years in the finance and accounting industry, I feel I can also bring expertise to this committee. I am also passionate about compliance and the financial success of the chamber. I believe that the farther the GGBA’s reach is, the more we can give or provide support to those in need.

As a first-generation college graduate, I know how important it is to provide opportunities to those who need it. As an advocate, I am always looking for opportunities to push for economic, social, and political change for the LGBTQ+ business community. I hope the impact is not only for the current memberships and community partnerships, but also for future generations.

Stacey Blanda has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Golden Gate Business Association since 2018.

Jonathan Yeo of The Potential Space Photos courtesy of Jonathan Yeo

After a decade of working at Apple, Jonathan Yeo desired to help smaller organizations and individuals discover and unleash their potentials. To do this he created The Potential Space, which works closely with clients to develop strategies, design programs, and deliver experiences that build inclusion, enable teams, and develop leaders.

GGBA: Tell us more about The Potential Space.

Jonathan Yeo: The Potential Space is a learning, development, and inclusionfocused consultancy that provides strategy, program design, and content delivery to organizations looking to build or improve inclusive cultures, develop leadership skills, improve team collaboration, and individual growth.

GGBA: How did your past work experience, especially at Apple, inspire you to create your business?

Jonathan Yeo: After ten years working at Apple in the fields of leadership development and inclusion and diversity, I wanted to engage with and support organizations that don’t have the resources

or experience inhouse in these areas. I loved working for Apple, but let’s face it, they’re going to be ok without me; there are so many great people there to support that work. Starting my own business gives me the abilJonathan Yeo ity to work across the spectrum of my passions—helping organizations design their learning and DEI strategies, designing programs and content to support those strategies, and delivering workshops that enable individual and organizational growth.

GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to inf luence your business?

Jonathan Yeo: Firstly, there are those who’ve really elevated some key conversations into public and organizational discourse—people like Brené Brown (vulnerability), Amy Edmondson (psychological safety), Daniel Kahneman (decision psychology), and Ibram X Kendi (antiracism). But equally influential to me are the individuals I’ve had the privilege of working beside and supporting, people whose journeys are real world testaments to how potential can be activated and realized.

GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?

Jonathan Yeo: One of the areas of my work I am most passionate about is identity—the complexities of all the aspects of our identities and how they influence and impact our work lives. Being gay is a key part of my identity, one that I am proud of, and a journey that has significantly

shaped me, but there have been many times in work contexts where I’ve consciously or unconsciously downplayed that. Often it was from a fear of being stereotyped or pigeonholed. For me, joining the GGBA and certifying The Potential Space as part of the NGLCC (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce) was therefore a way of making sure I wasn’t downplaying that identity, showing that it’s important to who I am, and it’s a big driver of my passion to help others achieve their potential.

I joined the GGBA earlier this year so I feel like a newbie, but, unsurprisingly, I’ve already felt incredibly welcome.

GGBA: Although you have not been a GGBA member for very long at this point, has being a member helped your business?

Jonathan Yeo: Practically, being a member has helped me refine how I describe and pitch my business. But when you start your own business, one of the toughest parts is that at the end of the day it’s just you. Connecting with others through the GGBA gives you that reassurance that you’re actually not alone, that there are others who can sympathize, advise, and support in all sorts of ways. It also helps satisfy my insatiable curiosity—it’s such a unique opportunity to connect with and learn about people with all sorts of jobs and interests. I love the wide sense of possibilities that it reinforces.

GGBA: Do you go to the GGBA monthly Make Contact networking events (now virtual)? Have they benefited you and your business, and

Tuesday, September 14 GGBA Annual Meeting 5:30 pm–7:30 pm Join us as we host our first ever hybrid event for the GGBA Annual Meeting!

Virtual: Via Zoom (link to be sent 1 hour before event start) https://tinyurl.com/a7cn5zpn In-Person: At Brio Financial Group, 19 Sutter Street, San Francisco https://tinyurl.com/2tr94k28 Wednesday, September 22 GGBA New Member Orientation 12:30 pm–1:15 pm via Zoom Whether you’re a brand-new member or a seasoned networker, you may attend this event!

This session will help you: learn more about the history of the GGBA; introduce you to new members in your cohort; learn simple ways to get involved to grow your business and relationships. https://tinyurl.com/6kb8h5j Tuesday, October 12 October Make Contact - Member to Member Networking 5:30 pm–6:30 pm Meet new and established members for several rounds of breakout rooms sure to help foster connections in the GGBA family.

Via Zoom (link to be sent 1 hour before event start) https://tinyurl.com/2k5zejxe Tuesday, November 9 November Make Contact - Member to Member Networking Meet new and established members for several rounds of breakout rooms sure to help foster connections in the GGBA family.

Via Zoom (link to be sent 1 hour before event start) https://tinyurl.com/7teyy5nu Wednesday, November 17–Friday, November 19 NGLCC Back to Business (B2B) Summit A Solidarity Rally, Awards Gala, breakout sessions, one-on-one Matchmaker meetings, and more will be held. https://tinyurl.com/v4uph4s7 would you recommend them to others?

Jonathan Yeo: I haven’t, and I didn’t realize these exist!

GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

Jonathan Yeo: I’m a strong believer that the right ideas are the ones that gnaw at you, that keep coming back to you, that seem more and more insistent as time goes on. People will tell you that starting a business is tough, but the more you have a sense of certainty that it’s your path, the more the challenges just become obstacles to overcome rather than things to derail you. So, if you’re not sure that you’re ready, then you’re probably not. But what you can do is start laying the foundations and see if they gain momentum. For me, it was important that I create a list of contacts and connections that I could leverage if and when I took the plunge. The more I added to that list over time, the more that list helped me feel that I was ready.

GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?

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DIVAS & DRINKS @ The A

Dykes on B

Dykes on Bikes® 45th Anniversary Celebration at Divas & Drinks @ The Academy, August 27 San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent President Kate Brown and several members of the organization revved up to The Academy in the Castro on Friday, August 27, for a celebration of Dykes on Bikes’® 45th Anniversary. The event was held at the monthly Divas & Drinks at the popular LGBTQ social club located at 2166 Market Street. The event—a sell-out hosted by Donna Sachet with music by DJ Rockaway, presented by Olivia Travel—was coproduced by the San Francisco Bay Times and The Academy.

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45th Annivers

African American Art & Culture Complex Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community Bay Area Cancer Connections California Commission on Aging Castro LGBTQ Cultural District Castro Street Fair Chicana Latina Foundation San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women Dykes With Drills Galeria de la Raza Golden Gate Business Association Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club Human Rights Campaign SF Lyon-Martin Health Services LYRIC National Center for Lesbian Rights Openhouse Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project San Francisco Democratic Party San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus San Francisco Gay Softball Association San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band San Francisco LGBT Community Center San Francisco Pride South West Asian North African SF Democratic Club San Francisco Women’s Political Committee Somos Familia The Women’s Building Women’s March San Francisco

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman honored Dykes on Bikes® with a proclamation, and introduced San Francisco Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson, who is the city’s first openly LGBTQ individual to hold that position. After a rousing address to the crowd in The Academy’s back garden, Chief Nicholson introduced Brown.

A surprise moment happened when Brown awarded Dykes on Bikes® member Enda Davis with a coveted patch, signifying full-member status. Guests toasted to her with DOB-themed cocktails, including special mocktails, curated by Bacardi Vice President Heather Freyer. She was in attendance with her team.

Imani Rupert-Gordon, the Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, led a “roll call” of Bay Area women leaders who came to the event to honor Dykes on Bikes®. Here are just some of the organizations, groups, and more that were mentioned:

Brown shared that she and others at DOB are already looking ahead to their 50th Anniversary and beyond. https://www.dykesonbikes.org/

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San Francisco Bay Times extends special thanks to Bacardi, Grubstake, Olivia Travel, San Francisco Federal Credit Union, Ellaprint, Mary Sager and Michelle Jester, Kokak Chocolates, and also Nate Bourg and Paul Miller, Kate Brown, Patrick Carney, Sophia Andary, Olga Talamante, Crystal Jang, and Juan R. Davila.

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

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Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

Community: Cost of Entry greatest group impact. Everyone has some level of knowledge, resources, and talent to contribute. Collectively, we can choose to create value that can be shared equitably or extract value from many that only benefit the few.

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 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.

The Bay Times is proud to be the first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Beth Greene, Michael Delgado, John Signer, Abby Zimberg Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Calendar Editor

Social Philanthropreneur Derek Barnes What have you done for the community lately? If you’ve asked yourself this question recently, I invite you to read on to gain a broader perspective of why community and civic participation is so vital today. If you already have an answer to this question, congratulations; you’re probably on your way to discovering new areas of community involvement that will inspire, uplift, and activate you more.

Many people want to belong to a community or communities, but very few know what’s really required to fully participate and engage in one.

A community is only as good as each member, who must consistently be aligned around a central goal for the

In light of the societal needs and priorities revealed over the last 18 months, many have consistently asked a critical question: What problems can I help solve today? Your mind begins to do miraculous things as it ponders the question, only to land on a new question: What is the real problem and for whom?

With self-inquiry, we can challenge ourselves to think about housing and community issues in new ways that embrace more innovative thinking to go beyond historical efforts that have little or no lasting impact. Ask these questions repeatedly, and you’ll discover more and more ways to positively impact other stakeholders in our housing ecosystem and even the broader community with radical empathy.

Each of us holds the gift of generosity fueled by an innate need to engage in philanthropy—to love humankind (Greek translation). Advancing the lives of others is an incredible responsibility. If you are a housing ser-

vices nonprofit or housing provider, offering safe, accessible, and affordable homes creates stability for millions of people across the Bay Area.

The exponential impact is priceless with incalculable value. When people have stable living environments, they thrive and extend their unique gifts to others. It creates a never-ending cycle and ripple effect of people doing well and doing good.

Through mutual investments of time and money, we can continue improving core infrastructure, modernizing policy and legislation, developing innovative programs to support underserved groups, reforming systems of exclusion and inequity, and bringing our diverse communities together.

Despite the new threats of COVID variants, violent storms, and raging fires, more and more people remain committed to extending their support to the broader community. My personal mantra for 2021 is “Community Forward.” This belief is at my core and will continue to push my personal interests into new areas that support the communities in which I interact. It brings me and my partner enormous gratitude to support Bay Area nonprofits doing good work like Bay Area Community Services, Echo Housing,

Homebridge, Horizons Foundation, PRC, Shelter Inc., The LGBT Community Center, and others.

How much nonprofits and government can do for us is greatly dependent on our individual contributions, engagement, and activism. The more active you are as a productive member of our society, the more we can create change as a collective force.

Sharing your knowledge, experiences, resources, and time is crucial in preserving a healthy, vibrant, and sustaining community.

A significant challenge at hand is to continually find ways to engage more people to be the best citizens, advocates, and stewards in our community. Let’s continue exploring ways to help others in our human ecosystem thrive and tune into opportunities where different modes of philanthropic support can be an antidote to solve some of the most critical problems that we face in the communities we are here to serve.

Derek Barnes is CEO of East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @ DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF

Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren Technology Director Carla Ramos Web Coordinator

Memorial for Sally Gearhart to Be Held on September 19 in Willits

Mario Ordonez

A memorial for pioneering LGBTQ activist Sally Gearhart (1931–2021) will take place at noon on September 19 at Recreation Grove Park in Willits, CA. All are welcome.

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Juan R. Davila Volunteer Coordinator

Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Michele Karlsberg, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Lou Fischer, Brett Andrews, David Landis

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CONTRIBUTORS

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Kristopher Acevedo, Darryl Pelletier, Morgan Shidler ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only.

CALENDAR Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2021 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

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The event will run about 2+ hours and there will be remembrances, music, poetry, and possibly some photos and video of Gearhart, who was the first openly lesbian woman to obtain a tenure-track faculty position. She helped to establish the field of women’s studies, helped to defeat CA Proposition 6, and much more.

Gearhart’s home later in life was in Willits, where for many years she lived with other lesbians in a supportive community.

Although the memorial cannot be livestreamed, it will be videotaped and posted online shortly thereafter. For those who attend in person, a video crew will be present for individuals who wish to share their favorite Gearhart story or memory on camera.

The memorial organizers are working on a documentary of Sally’s remarkable life. https://tinyurl.com/4ec8ca2v

Honoring LGBTQ Heroes of 9/11

Father Mychal Judge, FDNY Chaplain and ‘Saint of 9-11’ Remembering Mark Bingham, Born on May 11, 1933; Died September 11, 2001 By Brendan Fay Hero of 9/11 (Editor’s Note: To mark the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, the San Francisco Bay Times is publishing a piece by Brendan Fay in memory of Father Mychal Judge.

The remembrance first ran in the Bay Times in 2013.)

Identified as victim 0001, FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge become a face of courage, sacrifice, profound hope, and of compassion. On September 11, he embodied the prayer of his father St Francis: “Where there is sadness let me sow hope, where there is hatred let me sow love ... where there is darkness only light.” On 9/11, as most New Yorkers fled the World Trade Center, Mychal rushed towards the site with other first responders; the brave men and women of the FDNY, EMS, NYPD. This was his calling as a Franciscan FDNY Chaplain, to go to the place of human tragedy, pain, suffering, and anguish and be present with comfort and healing.

Father Judge in the New York City Pride Parade

Father Mike was well known in New York for his ministry with the homeless, recovering alcoholics, people with AIDS, immigrants, the LGBT community, and others marginalized by society. He was a compassionate witness for peace and non-violence in Belfast and in Jerusalem. For the Irish, he was one of their own.

To the men and women Four New York City firefighters and one NYPD lieutenant were photoof the New York City graphed carrying the NYFD chaplain out of the World Trade Center’s Fire Department, he was North Tower shortly after the South Tower collapsed. The photo, by photographer Shannon Stapleton, distributed globally by Reuters, has been “Father Mike,” a familiar face in the firehouses, city commemorated in a bronze sculpture, First from the Flames, by artist diners, and in burn units of Timothy P. Schmalz.

Church, he provided compassion and saccity hospitals. He led the funerals for firefighters, and consoled and comforted wid- raments in our living rooms and community centers. ows and children.

He was a familiar face in New York AA meetings and counseled many like himself struggling with addictions. For the Catholic LGBT community, he was family as well as priest. We called on him during the darkness of the AIDS crisis. When exiled and excluded by the institutional

I met Mychal Judge as he was one of the priests who presided at the weekly Mass for Dignity NY, a group for LGBT Catholics at St Francis Xavier Church in Greenwich Village where we met each

Founded in 2002, the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament is administered by International Gay Rugby (IGR). http://www.binghamcup.com

After Bingham’s death, his mother Alice Hoagland (1949–2020) remained an avid supporter of gay rugby and LGBTQ sports teams around the world. She often spoke Mark Bingham with his mother Alice Hoagland with pride about her hero son, who was just 31 when he died reportedly doing all that he could to save others.)

Born in Los Gatos and educated at the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco resident Mark Bingham became a true hero on A memorial tribute to Mark Bingham posted September 11, 2001.

During the worst terror- at Hibernia Beach (18th and Castro Streets) in the Castro ist attack in American history, he and other passengers on United Flight 93, bound for SFO, subdued their hijackers to keep them from smashing the plane into the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., where it was likely bound.

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THE RUGBY PLAYER

Father Mychal Judge

(Editor’s Note: Mark Bingham was one of several openly LGBTQ heroes of 9/11. A public relations executive who founded his own company, the Bingham Group, he played for the gay-inclusive rugby union team the San Francisco Fog RFC. At the time of 9/11 in 2001, he had founded a satellite office of his firm in New York City and was spending more days on the East Coast, where he planned to form a rugby team called the Gotham Knights.

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The world came to know Mychal Judge from his death at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. That was a day of profound darkness for the human family—a day of terror and fear, injustice and death. Yet out of the WTC pit of death and darkness a light beamed in the iconic image of Mychal Judge being carried by firefighters and rescuers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENDEN FEY

Mychal Judge had a heart as big as New York. There was room for all. To each he met from the streets of New York to the White House he was a man of tender compassion. From Flight 800 to the AIDS crisis, Mychal was a source of hope and healing in the midst of personal and national pain and tragedy.

By Don Price

San Francisco March to #SaveAfghanistan, 8/28 Photos by Rink

Similar protests took place in 42 cities and 17 countries, also on August 28. The Afghan Student Association at the University of California at Berkeley, one of the rally organizers, shared: “For the past 40 years, the world has been silent about our suffering. And now, Afghans need your support more than ever. Afghans within our watan (country) and diaspora are deeply hurting and recent events continue to impact our people. These protests echo the cries of generations of Afghans. We need you to stand with us in this fight, uplift our voices, listen to our needs, and truly support us.”

United Afghan Association on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitedafghanassociation/

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PHOTO: UNITED AFGHAN ASSOCIATION

According to 2019 U.S. Census data, more than 66,000 people of Afghan ancestry live in California. A particularly large population is in Fremont, known as “Little Kabul.” Many have relatives who are still trying to leave Afghanistan in hopes of finding greater safety in the U.S. and other countries.

KRON4.COM

Well over 200 marchers in San Francisco attended a protest on Saturday, August 28, against the killing of innocent Afghans following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent U.S. military withdrawal. The gathering began at United Nations Plaza before protesters marched. Several chanted: “From Kabul to Kandahar, our freedom is not too far.”

By Donna Sachet

“Be thankful for what you have and don’t worry about what you don’t.”

– Harry Denton

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s we begin the cautious process of returning to some semblance of life before COVID, we applaud those venues that are fashioning creative approaches to live entertainment and those audience members who follow prescribed safety protocols in order to experience artistic performances. The renowned Feinstein’s at Hotel Nikko used their dark time to make improvements and has now opened an additional theatrical space of equal size with a little different ambiance. We were there last week to check it out with Paula West on stage. We missed the booths and banquettes, but otherwise the sound, lights, and feel of the room lended nicely to this accomplished singer, backed by skilled musicians on piano, bass, guitar, and percussion. Paula again confirmed her reputation for claiming well-known songs as her own, employing elements of jazz, blues, pop, and more, and the capacity audience was entranced and enthusiastic. Watch for opportunities soon to enjoy both spaces at Hotel Nikko, from established entertainers to new musical concepts. If you’ve missed the performing arts as we have, Feinstein’s is bound to please!

What began as merely an attempt to provide a gathering spot and time for the many women of our LGBTQ+ Community has quickly become a highly anticipated and enthusiastically attended monthly event for women and their many supporters. Divas & Drinks is a collaboration between the San Francisco Bay Times and The Academy and the fourth one, Friday, August 27, honored Dykes on Bikes®, celebrating 45 years of camaraderie, pride, and motorcycles! Joining us again were DJ Rockaway, Heather Freyer and her team from Bacardi, and Jimmy Consos providing food from Grubstake. The heart of the program was the roaring arrival in front of The Academy of around 20 motorcycles from Dykes on Bikes®, ridden by members and friends of the group and led by President Kate Brown. As they entered the open-air patio of the club, Imani Rupert-Gordon, new Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), read the names of the many groups represented there in honor of the Dykes on Bikes®, including both the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Clubs, Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, Castro Street Fair, Galeria de la Raza, HRC SF, Lyon-Martin Health Services, LYRIC, SF Lesbian & Gay Freedom Band, SF LGBT Community Center, SF Pride, Women’s Building, and Women’s March SF. City Supervisor Rafael Mandelman was on hand with an appropriate certificate and introduced SF Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson. We even raised a bit of money for the club by auctioning off a bottle of “Nasty Woman” wine with Kate’s image on the bottle!

After those festivities, Divas & Drinks returned to its game format, this time presenting Team Gay Softball League and Captain Liz Gonzales vs. Team Dykes With Drills and Captain Julie Peri in a spirited version of Name That Tune! After cocktail demos from Bacardi and a vigorous competition, Team Gay Softball League came out on top.

Among the crowd cheering them on were Openhouse SF’s Dr. Marcy Adelman, SF Pride’s Carolyn Wysinger, photographer Rink, SF Democratic Party’s Honey Mahogany, the Pink Triangle Project’s Patrick & Hossein Carney, Golden State Warriors’ Alysha Lofton, and Michelle Jester & Mary Sager. Everyone left with a gift bag that included a limited edition shot glass commemorating Rikki Streicher’s legendary bar Amelia’s. What a fitting souvenir of a night recognizing women in leadership roles, changing the world, and making an important difference.

D’Arcy Drollinger should be so proud of her film, Sh*t & Champagne, that had a full-scale premiere at the Castro Theatre last Saturday night!

The event had all the trappings of a Hollywood debut with red carpet, celebrity appearances, and costumes inspired by the film gathered in front of the theatre. What a treat to mingle with VIPs, congratulate cast members, and sip Champagne with Mark Calvano, Matthew Martin, Sister Roma, Jorge Hernandez, and Carissa Hatchel, to name a few. Once inside, some over-the-top strippers gave us a preview of what to expect during the film. We won’t say too much about the film itself since it will soon be available through several streaming channels, but suffice it to say, the title is no exaggeration; D’Arcy takes us on a rollicking romp with local and international guest stars and myriad cameo appearances. San Francisco Chronicle’s Tony Bravo led a brief, but stimulating, on-stage interview with attending stars of the film at its conclusion. Kudos to the creator of this film for her tremendous creativity, demonstrable video talents, and remarkable perseverance. No wonder Oasis, D’Arcy’s popular club, has weathered the storm of this pandemic and is back on the map providing a home for incredible talent and enthusiastic audiences!

Finally, although we are sure that many others are much more knowledgeable in matters political, some of whom write columns in this very publication, nevertheless, we feel compelled to weigh in on the upcoming California election on Tuesday, September 14. We support Governor Gavin Newsom and consider his leadership in the face of so many obstacles prudent, pragmatic, and courageous. The money required to launch this recall effort is substantial and, in our opinion, a ridiculous waste of much-needed funds. It is vital for California’s elected officials and its citizens to put this distraction behind us and to move forward to face the monumental challenges ahead. We urge you to vote NO on September 14.

Saturday, September 11 SF Pride Annual General Meeting Online meeting to elect Board, select theme, and more Voting is limited to active members 11 am www.sfpride.org Tuesday, September 14 California Election Day Vote NO on Governor’s recall 7 am–8 pm www.ca.gov Sunday, September 19 Golden Gate Gaymes & Picnic Imperial Court of SF sponsored title event Outdoor competition & shenanigans Mariposa Bay Front Park, 824 Terry A. Francois Boulevard 11 am–5 pm www.imperialcouncilsf.org Sunday, September 19 Golden Gate Finale & Crowning Wrap-up of contest & raffle ticket sales Powerhouse Bar, 1347 Folsom Street 6–9 pm www.imperialcouncilsf.org Saturday, September 25 SF Ducal Coronation 47 Bordello at St. Basil’s Cathedral Step-down of Grand Duke Tim Valdivia & Grand Duchess Katherine Rose Emerald Ballroom of Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness Avenue 6 pm $55 www.sfducal.org Thursday, September 30 Divas & Drinks @ The Academy Donna Sachet hosting, DJ Rockaway, drinks curated by Bacardi VP Heather Freyer Additional details TBA 6 pm–10 pm $10 https://www.academy-sf.com/

Donna with The Academy co-owner Nate Bourg at the August 27 Divas & Donna hosting the August 27 Divas & Drinks at The Academy Drinks event PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

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Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco.

Contact her at empsachet@ gmail.com

Women’s Equality Day 2021 In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Women’s Equality Day 2021 was commemorated on August 26 with a rally in San Francisco.

It was led by Major London Breed, City Administrator Carmen Chu, and other officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who challenged women to vote and be heard in every election.

Women’s Equality Day was also celebrated with a virtual webinar, featuring a conversation between Mayor Breed and City Administrator Chu. Hosted by W Challenge—a collaboration led by the San Francisco Assessor’s Office, the Department on the Status of Women, and the League of Women Voters San Francisco—the conversation focused on how their experiences as women of color have influenced their leadership styles, especially leading the city through a pandemic and racial inequity crisis.

A transcript of House Speaker Pelosi’s remarks at the event is at: https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/82621-2

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

Welcome to Oakland Pride 2021

By Rebecca Kaplan, Vice Mayor of Oakland

Oakland Pride: Virtual for 2021

We have worked to ensure that Oakland’s programming and funding for youth services includes LGBT youth, and are working with a multi-racial, multi-gender, all-orientation group, led primarily by Black women, to bring a WNBA team to Oakland.

We have built and expanded local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations, and have worked to expand support for our unhoused community members and to expand access to health services.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-person events planned over the past several months for Oakland Pride have been cancelled. The decision was made just a few weeks before the Parade and Festival were to have taken place in downtown Oakland on September 12. The San Francisco Bay Times had planned to have a booth again this year.

There will, however, be a virtual celebration. Here is the full statement from Oakland Pride:

We appreciate everyone who has helped advance these vital goals, and share in the commitment to continue to expand these vital efforts.

“It is with great regret that Oakland Pride has to cancel our inperson parade and festival this year ... but, we will be doing an online digital pride!

Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @ Kaplan4Oakland ( https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/ ).

We are saddened that this decision had to be made; we feel it’s the best choice considering the obstacles we faced planning a safe event while in the middle of a pandemic.

LGBTQ Family Pride Day at Fairyland’s Teddy Bear Picnic Area Oakland’s historic and beloved storybook theme park, Fairyland, remains open but with special precautions taken to safeguard visitors during this pandemic time. As of this writing, the 4th Annual Family Pride Day at Fairyland is still scheduled for Saturday, September 11, from 1 pm–3 pm.

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We have worked with local organizations, including those led by the trans POC community, to expand access to COVID vaccination, information, and support.

Rebecca Kaplan

Our number one concern in producing Oakland Pride, is safety.

We want our event to be a safe place for all ... and this year we can’t guarantee that if we gathered in person. The only thing Oakland Pride wants to spread in the LGBTTQ+ community is love!

LOCALWIKI.ORG

In recent years, our community has built Pride marches and festivals, an LGBT community center, strengthened the trans community, and helped provide education and information to allies and potential allies to help remedy prejudice.

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Oakland has one of the largest, and most diverse, LGBT communities in the nation, and has worked extensively over the years to build a welcoming environment. This includes a strong history of activism for social justice, and working to build more effective responses to the challenges we face, from the pandemic of AIDS/HIV to the pandemic of COVID, to the challenges of prejudice, injustice, and homelessness.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA KAPLAN

Wishing you all a healthy Pride week, and welcome, including virtually, to join in Oakland’s community and celebrations.

We want to thank you all for your understanding as we all learn to navigate in a healthy and safe manner, and we want to thank all of our sponsors who are still supporting us in our digital event. We encourage all of you to visit and support our sponsors. James P. Edoff Memorial Bandstand at Lake Merritt We look forward to seeing everyone at Oakland Pride 2022!” https://www.oaklandpride.org/

Located in the Teddy Bear Picnic Area, the event will include hand painting and outdoor games for kids (and children of all ages).

Admission for children under 1 year is free!

Information about this and other events offered by the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center is at: https://tinyurl.com/zhx86u2v Fairyland is a great destination for families all year round. Located close to Lake Merritt, it makes for a fun day trip. Multiple restaurants and cafés are in walking distance or are a short drive away on Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue, and other nearby streets. https://www.fairyland.org/

QUEER POP QUIZ

Remember Them: Champions of Humanity monument by Mario Chiodo

Port of Oakland

EAST BAY HOT SPOT Before starting his career at the famous Black Cat Café in San Francisco, LGBTQ rights pioneer José Sarria (1922–2013) performed at this gay-welcoming restaurant and bar in downtown Oakland: A) Pearl’s Club B) Gertrude’s Café C) Diamond Lounge D) Alice & Gertrude’s Pub S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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East Bay Faves

Community Leaders Share Their Favorite Places to Go, Things to Do in the East Bay

1. Lake Merritt - I love seeing our city’s ethnic and gender diversity on full display at the lake, and it’s where our center is located.

Truly the jewel of Oakland. https://www.lakemerritt.org/ 2. Go to an A’s Game - I used to take my son to A’s games when he was little, and now I look forward to taking my three grandchildren. The A’s have become huge supporters of the Center and our clinic is named after A’s alumnus, Glenn Burke, America’s first out gay major league baseball player. https://www.mlb.com/athletics 3. Eat at the Home of Chicken & Waffles - Jack London Square has many great places to eat and one of them is the Home of Chicken & Waffles. HCW was also established by a Black gay man (Derreck Johnson). https://www.homeofchickenandwaffles.com/ 4. Eat at Shakewell - Another gay-owned hot spot and consistent supporter of the Center. The food at Shakewell is fabulous! https://www.shakewelloakland.com/ 5. Eat at Arizmendi - Who doesn’t love Arizmendi? The pizza is delicious and they are another small business that has been a consistent supporter of the Center. http://arizmendilakeshore.com/ LaTonya Lawson East Bay Resident and a Leader of Celebrity Cruises Region Team West https://www.celebritycruises.com/ 1. Le Cheval Vietnamese Restaurant For the food, cocktails, and those “extracleansing” toilets in the ladies room. http://www.lecheval.co/ 2. Sundays in the Redwoods - Concerts that typically happen in October at the Woodminster Amphitheater. https://www.woodminster.com/ 3. Lake Temescal - Where I used to chill on many a Saturday over the years. https://www.ebparks.org/parks/temescal/ 4. True Vine Baptist Church - Love the bible teachings by Pastor Zack and appreciate all that he does in the community. http://www.truevine-ministries.com/home 5. East Bay Agency for Children - Provides a safety net and social services for the well-being of children, youth, and families by reducing the impact of trauma and social inequities. https://www.ebac.org/ Clara Yun Chef/Owner, Wanda’s Restaurant https://www.wandasrestaurant.com/ 1. Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline Hiking area with picturesque views. https://www.ebparks.org/parks/carquinez/ 2. Port Costa - (A census-designated place in Contra Costa County) Warehouse cafe, The Dram Shop (Wednesday night bar at the Bull Valley Roadhouse), the Theatre of Dreams ... . http://www.warehousecafeportcosta.com/ https://tinyurl.com/5y674s9e https://wendyaddisonstudio.com/ 3. Crockett - Bailey Art Museum, C&H Sugar factory, Crockett Historical Museum, Toot’s Tavern, Wanda’s Restaurant. http://www.claytonbailey.com/rolph.htm https://www.chsugar.com/ https://www.crockettmuseum.org/ http://www.tootstavern.com/ https://www.wandasrestaurant.com/ 4. Benicia - Park of Dreams, Benicia Peddler’s Fair, Red Door Escape Room (Concord) https://www.yelp.com/biz/park-of-dreams-benicia https://www.beniciapeddlersfair.org/ https://tinyurl.com/3e7v8ahf 5. Point Richmond - Richmond Plunge, Keller Beach Park, Hotel Mac and Suites http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/2140/Richmond-Plunge https://www.ebparks.org/parks/miller_knox/?#gsc.tab=0 https://www.thehotelmac.com/

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Aarin Burch President/Founder, Laurel Burch Studios https://tinyurl.com/hu7frezh

Barbara Jue Co-Founder/Board Member, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay https://lavenderseniors.org/

1. Joaquin Miller Park - For nature lovers.

Beautiful all year round. https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/joaquin-miller-park 2. Brooklyn Basin - Outdoors fun right next to the waterfront. https://rockysmarket.com/events https://tinyurl.com/455z89r9 3. Fourth Street Berkeley - Great shopping, good eats, awesome vibe! https://fourthstreetshop.com/ 4. Laurel Burch Studios - Bold, bright artist-designed apparel and home goods. https://tinyurl.com/hu7frezh 5. Gilman Brewing Company - Bay Area’s best craft brewery with taprooms and restaurant. https://gilmanbrew.com/ 6. Picante Berkeley - Delish Mexican restaurant, drive through available. Let the fiesta begin! https://www.picanteberkeley.com/

1. Lake Merritt Neighborhood - It includes Children’s Fairyland, one of oldest theme parks here. It is said that Walt Disney was inspired by Fairyland to build Disneyland. https://fairyland.org/ 2. Oakland Museum - It hosted an LGBTQ+ exhibit not long ago. https://museumca.org/ 3. (and 4.) Grand Lake and Lakeshore Neighborhoods and Shopping District - These are near the Oakland LGBTQ Center. While the Oakland Pride Parade has been cancelled, there will still be stationary events on both ends of Lake Merritt celebrating Oakland Pride. https://www.oaklandpride.org/ 5. The Terrace Room at The Lake Merritt - Very Art Deco. https://www.theterraceroom.com/go/ Judy Young Executive Director, UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health https://womenshealth.ucsf.edu/

Jeff Myers Board President and Co-Founder of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center https://www.oaklandlgbtqcenter.org/

1. Jack London Square - Nice place to walk, watch canoers & kayakers, explore the farmers’ market on Sundays, and take the ferry into San Francisco. https://jacklondonsquare.com/ 2. Alameda Beach (aka: Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach) https://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown_beach/ 3. NIDO’s BackYard - Great food, wonderful staff. https://www.backyardoakland.com/ 4. Emeryville Marina: Nice place to walk & to see the sunset. https://tinyurl.com/478rh483

Besides the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, my top 5 favorite things in the East Bay are as follows: 1. Visit Shakewell Restaurant - The food is exquisite, great customer service & atmosphere and it’s gay owned. They have been supporters of the Center since its inception. https://www.shakewelloakland.com/ 2. Visit Caña Restaurant - It’s another great establishment with delicious Cuban dishes, very friendly environment. It’s located next to the Center and draws a very diverse clientele. http://canaoakland.com/ 3. Lake Merritt - This is where I go on the weekends for walks, bike rides, picnicking with my partner and friends, or just to mediate. It’s the place to visit if you’re looking for a very diverse crowd of Oaklanders and visitors, music, performances, food vendors, and beautiful views of downtown and the Oakland Hills. https://www.lakemerritt.org/ 4. Jack London Square - It’s another one of my favorite places to hangout on the weekends for brunch while watching the sailboats cruise by. They are many wonderful restaurants and shops. https://jacklondonsquare.com/ 5. Oakland Museum - I love visiting this establishment for the Black History and Pride exhibits, and, of course, the classic period arts and artifacts. https://museumca.org/ Kin Folkz Founder + commUNITY Development Co-Director, The East Bay LGBTQ+ Healing Arts Center https://www.queerartscenter.com/ Founder/Director, Spectrum Queer Media https://www.spectrumqueermedia.com/ 1. Joaquin Miller Park - Such a wild and wondrous stretch of Nature offering vistas and adventures for all ages. It also includes The Woodminster Amphitheater, a world-renowned open-air performance space infused with the wonderfully heady aroma of redwoods. https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/joaquin-miller-park https://www.woodminster.com/ 2. The Oakland Pride Run + Queer Bay Cruise - A great annual back2back Spectrum Queer Media fundraising event held each year in September. https://www.oaklandpride.org/ 3. Miss Ollies Restaurant + Bar - A yummy Caribbean island getaway in the heart of the city with the sights, tastes, and sounds curated by celebrated chef and owner, Sarah Kirnan.

Stop by and grab some saltfish, ackee, red snapper, and a sorrel! http://www.realmissolliesoakland.com/ 4. The East Bay Queer Arts Center - The Bay Area’s first art, innovation, and tech hub led by Black and Indigenous Trans and Queer folks for marginalized LGBTQIA+ people in particular and ALL people in general. https://www.queerartscenter.com/ 5. Yoshi’s Jazz Club - Jazz aficionados flock to this magical place to be encircled by premiere musicians while enjoying delicious culinary treats. It is also a great after-work spot to unwind at! https://yoshis.com/

Tom Thompson Events & Project Manager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasjthompson/

1. The Port Bar in Oakland - Have a drink and catch a sidewalk drag show on the weekend. https://www.portbaroakland.com/ 2. The World Famous Turf Club in Hayward - Have a chill night on the back patio listening to local bands. https://www.worldfamousturfclub.com/ 3. Out of the Closet on East 18th Street in Oakland - Browse for a good book to read before heading to a picnic on the Lake. https://outofthecloset.org/ 4. Home of Chicken and Waffles in Oakland - End your evening here after a show for a late night snack. https://www.homeofchickenandwaffles.com/ 5. Sunday Brunch at Berkeley Buddhist Temple - Some of the best Thai food around and super affordable. https://www.berkeleybuddhisttemple.org/

PHOTO BY VASCHELLE ANDRÉ

Joe Hawkins CEO and Co-Founder of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center https://www.oaklandlgbtqcenter.org/

PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG

Ahead of Oakland Pride 2021, the San Francisco Bay Times asked local community leaders to list their top five favorite places to go and things to do in the East Bay.

Melanie DeMore Vocal Activist http://www.melaniedemore.com/ 1. (and 2.) One of my favorite places to go is the Oakland Museum of California There’s the permanent collection of the Black Power Movement (created following the widely-popular 2016 exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50) and a wonderful exhibit featuring Dorothea Lange: Photography as Activism. I am a proud member of the museum and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland. https://museumca.org/ https://tinyurl.com/5wrn2m5a 3. (and 4.) For music, you can’t beat Freight and Salvage in Berkeley and La Peña Cultural Center. https://thefreight.org/ https://lapena.org/ Lisa Lowe Executive Director, California Revels https://www.californiarevels.org/ Here’s a list from California Revels: 1. Oakland Zoo - Fun, learning, and exercise for all ages. https://www.oaklandzoo.org/ 2. Ardenwood Historic Farm - Nature and local history, all in one place. https://www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood/ 3. Freight & Salvage - Music venue supporting outstanding talent. https://thefreight.org/

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

East Bay Faves

4. Children’s Fairyland - Wonderful park for kids to have a good romp. https://fairyland.org/ 5. Le Bateau Ivre - Charming French restaurant with live music. https://www.lebateauivre.net/ Peggy Moore Principal/Co-Owner, Hope Action Change Consulting; Former Senior Advisor to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf https://www.hopeactionchange.com/ 1. Red Bay Coffee - Black-owned community spot; great place to gather with friends and family. Their charcoal latte is a must have! https://www.redbaycoffee.com/ 2. The Women of the Black Panther Party Mural - A 2000-squarefoot masterpiece installed on a private home in the heart of West Oakland; shout out to all the powerful women that brought this dream into real time. https://tinyurl.com/3t7npw5d

3. The Carroll Manor Rooftop - And that’s just for those who know! (So secretive we could not find a url for it!)

4. Z Café & Bar - Our home away home; where Hope (Peggy’s wife) and I celebrated our wedding reception when it became legal in 2013 and just about every family celebration to date. https://www.zcafeandbar.com/ 5. East Bay Church of Religious Science - My spiritual home and a place where all are welcome; founded by Reverend Elouise Oliver. https://ebcrs.org/ Kamika Dunlap Chief Strategist, Communications at the Women’s Foundation California https://womensfoundca.org/ 1. Bay Farm Island - Scenic walking or biking trail in Alameda with great views of the San Francisco skyline. https://tinyurl.com/28kcmw3p

2. Old Oakland’s Farmer’s Market - Continuously held at the same site on Fridays and featuring culturally diverse produce with live music from local artists. https://uvfm.org/old-oakland-fridays 3. Tilden Regional Park Steam Train Ride - Scenic miniature train ride near Berkeley along the Redwood Valley Railway; open year-round. https://redwood-valley-railway.business.site/ 4. Greenbelt Trail Head - Attractive wooded canyon suburban trail in Hayward with beautiful Redwoods and Eucalyptus trees. https://redwood-valley-railway.business.site/ 5. Brooklyn Basin - With lots of smooth asphalt and open space, the Oakland waterfront is great for roller skating or rollerblading. https://tinyurl.com/455z89r9

Virtual for 2021!

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Top of your stack

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Gay Uncle Patrick, or GUP as he’s lovingly referred to by niece Maisie and nephew Grant, relishes his time with them ... in small doses, like holidays and occasional weekends. But GUP feels overwhelmed when it becomes more than that. Such is the case when, through a series of unfortunate events, Patrick moves from part-time relative to primary guardian. He quickly realizes that parenting is so much more than just fun times and passing out treats. Written with Steven Rowley’s trademark heart and humor, Guncle is as poignant and life-affirming as it is at times laugh-out-loud funny.

Kink stories edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell This is a unique and dynamic collection of literary fiction short stories that opens up the world of desire. The stories’ themes are in different forms— love, longing, lust, and from different perspectives—straight and LGBTQ. Kink portrays sexual kinks in all their glory from some of today’s most celebrated and acclaimed writers, representing diversity of thought, literary style, and ethnicity.

Writers such as Callum Angus, Zeyn Joukhadar, Larissa Pham, and Roxanne Gay, just to name a few, are included. While, yes, it’s true, there are whips and chains, what really resonates is the heart and humanity woven throughout.

State of Emergency by Tamika D. Mallory In this searing indictment of America’s historically and continuing assault on Black and brown lives, longtime social justice leader, Tamika D. Mallory, lays out a crucial agenda for change. State of Emergency is both blunt as well as hopeful and life-affirming.

It is a message for the BIPOC people it is championing, but most definitely also enlightens lessons for allies and other white people. Since the recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the country is at a point of reckoning with its promises regarding race and class. Mallory speaks to this by portraying personal stories and observations from her boots-on-the-ground activism to weave a nonfiction narrative of urgency on these issues.

Come for the book’s incredibly unique foreword in the form of a conversation between rapper Cardi B and activist icon Angela Davis, but stay for the undeniably relevant social justice messaging.

Upcoming Events Saturday, September 11 @ 4 pm (in-store, Corte Madera) Achy Obejas/Boomerang: Poetry - in conversation with Carolina de Robertis Thursday, September 16 @ 5:30 pm (online) Brittany K. Barnett/A Knock at Midnight Friday, September 24 @ 3 pm (online) Anderson Cooper/ Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty https://www.bookpassage.com/

Talking with the Director of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie ing that the director, who has long worked as a choreographer, has substance to match his style. In what may be the most moving and magical sequence in the film, Jamie and Hugo are transported through gay history via images from a videocassette.

Film Gary M. Kramer Jonathan Butterell makes a splashy feature film directorial debut with Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, a crowd-pleasing screen adaptation of the hit West End musical he directed back in the U.K. The film opens in local theaters September 10 before streaming on Amazon Prime, September 17.

The filmmaker met with me for the San Francisco Bay Times to talk about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

Gary M. Kramer: Do you know the real Jamie, and did you meet with him to discuss or determine how to feature the character?

The openly gay Butterell is, himself, from Sheffield, where the film—based on a true story—takes place. Jamie New (Max Harwood) is a 16-year-old student whose life’s ambition is to become a drag queen. His mum, Margaret (Sarah Lancashire), is incredibly supportive, as is his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel), but his father (Ralph Ineson) is not. And while Jamie is taunted in school by Dean (Samuel Bottomley), he is encouraged by Hugo (Richard E. Grant), a veteran drag queen.

Jonathan Butterell: I saw the documentary, Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, about Jamie Campbell. I saw how the support from his mom, classmates, and community shifted around him to make a safe space for him to do that [drag]. And I was inspired by it and needed to tell the story. We created Jamie New to distance Jamie [Campbell] from it if he so chose. He hasn’t done that; he feels totally aligned with it. So, I only got to know Jamie a few weeks before we went into production in Sheffield.

We deliberately didn’t talk to him.

We wanted to be inspired by his story and not encumbered by it.

Butterell’s film is a feel-good coming-of-age story about self-expression and finding one’s place in the world. The upbeat musical sequences are fantastic and imaginative, show-

Gary M. Kramer: Jonathan, why does this story resonate with you? What can you say about your formative queer teen years?

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Jonathan Butterell: They weren’t dissimilar. I come from a working-class background.

I grew up in the council house estate [projects] and lived with grandad and mom for a while. My auntie Joan lived literally on the streets where we filmed Jamie. I grew up a queer kid. I’m from a massively extended Irish Catholic family and I had the amazing support and love from all of my family. That might seem at odds for a queer kid. It was a different time, and things got difficult, and could be difficult, but the love and support around me ... that’s what inspired me. I struggled to hold on to the story of Jamie not having conflict or being a victim for being gay. It’s not a coming out story, or a victim story.

Gary M. Kramer: Filming dancing is always tricky.

There’s a school of thought to show the whole body, but I think it’s appropriate that during “The Wall in My Head” number you focus on Jamie’s new pair of glamourous heels.

What can you say about your approach to filming the musical numbers and “opening up” the stage musical for the screen in general?

Jonathan Butterell: I am an advocate of that Fred Astaire quote—you want to see the whole body move through space—and I understand and agree with that.

This was different, though. This

took the influence of pop video, using editing as a tool within that, and it wasn’t always just about the choreography, though that was a big part of it; it was what was exploding out of Jamie’s imagination. And a lot of it was, in essence, his point of view of what that fantasy might be.

The dance element essentially comes from the street. Kate Prince, our choreographer, and her company bring young people from the street

into the dance world. [In terms of ] the music of the film and the choreographic language of the film, I wanted the working-class audience to recognize it immediately and feel it. It’s their music; it comes out of their radios and young people’s phones. “This Was Me” is reflective of the period and the time, and even “He’s My Boy” is, in terms of being (continued on page 28)

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Off the Wahl

John Fisher

WWW.THEATRERHINO.ORG

Genius at Work

Surprisingly, there are truly wonderful movies made from their remarkable books, short stories, and plays.

I will look at those in a moment, since an evening with Wilde and Maugham is something quite amazing. But let’s begin with an expert on these two, popular performer and playwright John Fisher, who is the Executive Director of Theatre Rhinoceros.

Regarding Wilde and Maugham, Fisher told me for the San Francisco Bay Times: “Though both of these men are gay icons today, they lived as bisexuals at one time. Both were married to women and had children, providing well for their families. Their lives interconnected when young Maugham experienced Wilde’s trial, horrified at the persecution of the artist and genius who stood up as a proud homosexual.

Like many, Maugham left England at that time, never to return.”

While many of us know Wilde and pay homage every time we see his name on the Castro’s Rainbow Honor Walk, Maugham is often overlooked. I am captivated by two favorites: The Razor’s Edge and The Painted Veil.

John agrees. “The Razor’s Edge was so far ahead of its time,” he said.

“Maugham created a true flower child way before the sixties, a

Oscar Wilde statue - Merrion Square, Dublin

protagonist who is bisexual and searching for meaning in his life. He would have journeyed to the Castro and to the Haight if he had lived in our time. He traveled to India and all over the world, returning to childhood friends.”

He continued, “The Painted Veil takes place at the edge of the world, reflecting Maugham’s years living in China. A couple lives in desolation and discovers Somerset Maugham with sculpture, Dorchester Hotel, London themselves while doing so.

“We are all in the gutter, but some are essential in our world,” This was made into a wonof us are looking at the stars.” I’m he said. Check out his derful film a few years ago, starlooking at a photo over my comwebsite at ring Edward Norton and Naomi puter of me at the Oscar Wilde http://www.johnfisher.biz/ Watts.” statue in Dublin. It’s a large rock I also recommend findJohn and I both got excited speakwith Oscar in his smoking jacket ing some great movies from ing about our favorite movie about overlooking the world. Fabulous.

Oscar and Maugham, Oscar Wilde, Wilde, starring the Do not miss it, across the street two geniuses. Maugham: magnificent Stephen Fry as Oscar. from his alma mater, Trinity Being Julia, Up at the John said, “This performance cap- College.

Villa, The Letter, The tured Wilde perfectly, including John makes it clear that both men Razor’s Edge (original!), his inability to read the signs of had totally different trajectories: Of Human Bondage, his own pride at being in love with “Maugham was determined to The Painted Veil, and a man. At the top of his career, make a lot of money so he could be Rain. Wilde gives us Wilde wanted the world to know free. He wanted to be able to proThe Canterville Ghost that his love was pure and gortect himself and not let a govern(Charles Laughton brilgeous. He felt entitled, and anytime ment persecute him. He led a great liance!), The Importance you feel entitled, you are in trouble. life of adventure (even was a spy in of Being Ernest, The The famous trial took him down, pre-revolutionary Russia) and the Ideal Husband, and The he went to prison, and his life after arts, dying at 91 living big on the Picture of Dorian Gray. was destroyed. I visited his grave French Riviera.” at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Jan Wahl is a Hollywood Most of us know what happened to historian, film critic on Paris. Go past Jim Morrison’s and our dear Oscar, and it still breaks various broadcast there is a large monument with outlets, and has her own my heart. kisses all over it. I love Wilde and YouTube channel series, my favorite saying of his is when he John Fisher is a raconteur, a story“Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She was showing his passport to offiteller who performs his passion for has two Emmys and many cials and they asked him what he characters like G.B. Shaw, Robert awards for her longtime had to declare: ‘I have nothing to Preston, and Modjeska. He takes work on behalf of film buffs declare except my genius.’” and the LGBTQ commuus on his travels and philosophies, including that George Washington nity. Contact her at There are so many great Wilde was gay. “Performance and culture www.janwahl.com quotes, my own favorite being,

WWW.NEWSTATESMAN.COM

I have had love affairs with Oscar Wilde and Somerset Maugham for most of my life. As a teen, both took on me on trips of adventure, fantasy, and lust. When I discovered Wilde’s spooky The Picture of Dorian Gray, suddenly every gorgeous phony (and there were a lot of them where I grew up in showbiz land) made sense to me. Maugham’s tortured women in Rain and The Letter not only were thrilling but also took me to exotic places I would someday visit.

WWW.DFA.IE

Jan Wahl

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LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2021)

PHOTOSSNAPFIESTA.COM

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “September is gonna be a very busy month for Congress. It has to figure out how to fund government, how to deal with the debt ceiling, with infrastructure, with reconciliation—and that’s just a start of their to-do list! There are also the vital issues of voting rights and women’s rights. And, of course, domestic terrorism when everyone remembers the awful anniversary of 9/11!”

Meanwhile in the HOUSE, Reps Manchin, Sinema, and other Blue Dog Democrats want to be “partisan” and keep the Jim Crow filibuster, blocking any progress in President Biden’s agenda.

Sister Dana sez, “We must bust the filibuster!”

Texas has created a blueprint for utterly abhorrent abortion restrictions, and Republican-controlled states are following suit. The ultraconservative Supreme Court will no doubt allow all these draconian laws.

Sister Dana sez, “Congress is now obliged to codify Roe v.

Wade!”

On August 23, over 150 people gathered near the SAP CENTER in San Jose to celebrate the grand reveal of BARACK OBAMA BOULEVARD, a newly renamed half-mile stretch of pavement that honors the 44th President of the United States. Bravo, Barack!

We joined THE IMPERIAL COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO and THE GRAND DUCAL COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO on August 24 at the Bank of America, Castro and 18th Streets, to celebrate Marsha P. Johnson’s Birthday. This was an occasion to distribute and gather signed letters requesting the ultimate birthday present by having an actual, real honest to goodness U.S. Postage Stamp made to honor her and her heroic accomplishments for all. Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) stood at the center of New York City’s gay liberation movement for nearly 25 years. But LGBTQ rights weren’t her only cause. She was on the front lines of protests against oppressive policing. She helped found one of the country’s first safe spaces for transgender and homeless youth. And she advocated tirelessly on behalf of sex workers, prisoners, and people with HIV/AIDS. She was also known for her dashing outfits and flower headpieces!

In addition, the signed letters requested an honorary stamp for Latina civil rights pioneer Sylvia Rivera, (1951–2002), friend of Johnson, fellow Stonewall Riot demonstrator, and activist for low-income people of color, queer, and transgender rights. A third request was for José Julio Sarria (1922–2013), Absolute Empress I of San Francisco, founder of the International Court System, LGBTQ and Latinx activist, as well as the first openly gay person to run for elected office.

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Sister Dana and friends at Westfield Center for the 2021 Bespoke Pride Prom

letter to print and send at

https://www.lgbtqueenstamps.org/

Check out the regal and fabulous setting for SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS’s latest music video at San Francisco City Hall!

Direct from the Civic Center lawn and their homes, these singers (and dancers) strut, twirl, and sashay their way through “COME THRU MAMA RU MEDLEY” written

by RuPaul Charles and Lucian Piane. Yes ... that RuPaul! Sissy that walk!” https://bit.ly/3jjZhJW On Saturday August 28, on the 58TH ANNIVERSARY of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, we activists gathered at Castro and Market to raise awareness for the need to protect voting rights across the country. There has been an onslaught of Republican backed bills in nearly every state that aims to restrict the voting rights of likely Democratic voters, and these have to be stopped. A democracy only works when its constituents have free and fair access to the polls. This is a right that many Republicans are trying to limit unfairly. We proudly joined the nationwide movement to MARCH ON FOR VOTING RIGHTS. We met at Harvey Milk Plaza at 5 pm (bringing signs and other media). We mingled, engaged passersby, and yelled at cars. We had a few speakers with bullhorns. We chanted, “NO RECALL! Stop the Republican grab” and “VOTING rights are HUMAN rights for all!”

We were happy to represent for San Francisco. Our mission was: “Stand up and march for fair, easy, and equal access to the polls for everyone, and show the country what San Francisco is about!”

Latest terrible tally: Republican legislators have introduced more than 389 bills in 48 states that would restrict voting rights.

The world’s first and only LGBTQ MARIACHI BAND just made their TikTok debut. Check out this rainbow delight! https://www.tiktok.com/@mariachiarcoiris/

Sister Dana sez, “Happy 82nd birthday to 1939 classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’! Keep clicking those fabulous, magical, red heels, Dorothy!”

The January 6 probe is demanding evidence from 11 GOP lawmakers. MAGA rioters committed over 1,000 assaults on police.

Meanwhile a MAGA group is planning a September 18 gathering at the Capitol to demand justice for the “political prisoners” who rioted on January 6.

Sister Dana sez, “Be afraid. Be very afraid!”

LEATHERWALK returns this year as the traditional launch to SAN FRANCISCO’S LEATHER WEEK. Proudly produced by the LEATHER & LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT, on Sunday, September 19, 11 am–3 pm we will walk together starting at City Hall, pausing at favorite neighbor-

hood spots such as the Ringold Alley Leather Memoir, and watering holes, culminating with the LEATHER PRIDE FEST, presented by the SF EAGLE at Eagle Plaza, including a ceremonial raising of the Leather flag. LeatherWalk is more than a fundraiser. It is a community event that brings people together and symbolizes the LEATHER & LGBTQ presence in SOMA and their contributions to San Francisco. On-site registration and check-in begin at 11 am on the steps of City Hall (Polk Street side). Drop off any last donations, and get your collectible LeatherWalk 2021 pin. Program starts at 11:30 am, step off at noon. Departing from City Hall, the walk includes stops at Oasis, Powerhouse, Hole in the Wall, Azúcar Lounge, Leather Etc., Wicked Grounds, Cat Club, Mr. S Leather, and the Lone Star Saloon. https://sfleatherdistrict.org/lw/ Camila Cabello stars in a delightful musical reimagining of the fairy tale, CINDERELLA, which centers on the orphan raised by her horrible stepmother and stepsisters; but this maiden yearns not necessarily for true love from a handsome prince, but rather for commercial success as a fashion designer and upscale dressmaker. And she wouldn�t mind a happy ending as long as it isn�t the patriarchal one in the original, sappy fairy story. Co-stars include Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, and Pierce Brosnan, with Billy Porter as a modern, magical, mystical, very gay fairy “dragmother.” Even the mice are raving about this! Showing in select theatres and streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

CIRCUS BELLA is excited to announce its triumphant return to Bay Area parks now through October 3 with its 12th annual all new, open air, outdoor show: HUMOROUS. A Post-Pandemic Season of Shenanigans! This series of FREE performances, featuring some of the dazzling circus talent from the Bay Area and beyond, will delight and amaze audiences in a treasured family event for children of all ages. https://www.circusbella.org/humorous

Sister Dana sez, “Science tells us this new Mu virus is a ‘variant of interest.’ Well, I am not INTERESTED in getting sick, so BRING ON THE BOOSTERS!” Lisa Geduldig, creator of LOCKDOWN COMEDY, changed it up a bit from only virtual to live in person with COMEDY AL FRESCO on September 2 from the patio of El Rio in San Francisco’s Mission District. The hilarious comedians who performed included Karina Dobbins, Arjun Banerjee, Bob McIntyre, Judi Leff, and, of course, Lisa. The show was also live-streamed.

Plagued by the pandemic, xenophobia, and crime, Chinatown has had one rough year. Nonetheless, tourists are starting to return and (continued on page 29)

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Epic BottleRock Napa Valley for 2021!

Beyond the Culinary Stage there was music aplenty. I saw just a few of the music acts: last minute fill-in for Chris Stapleton, The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby) wowed the crowd on Friday night. Guns & Roses delivered an impressive three-hour set on Saturday that included a surprise appearance by Pink and Grohl. Sadly, the 10 pm curfew cut off the Foo Fighter just as he was getting warmed up to join Guns & Roses for “Paradise City.”

Liam’s LGBTQI List Liam P. Mayclem The BottleRock Napa Valley festival brought music, food & wine, and good vibes under blue skies and sunshine over Labor Day weekend. I hosted the Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage for the sixth year after a two-year break, since May 2019, and it was brilliant to be back and well worth the wait.

The Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage presents a tasty stew of live shows each day (12 over 3 days) pairing celebrity chefs with rock and sports stars. On this stage it’s the Chefs (for the recent fest it was Aarón Sanchez, Ayesha Curry, Matt Horn, Michael Mina, Brooke Williamson, and more) who rock as much as the superstar guests (Warren G, Derek Hough, Dave Grohl). And no, these are not your Aunt Fanny’s cooking demos!

Overall, the weekend was wonderful and so worth the wait for the audiences and the musicians who performed. During his Sunday night performance, Grohl said, “It was great drinking Chardonnay in sweat pants these past 18 months, but this sure feels good to be back on stage doing what we love with all of you.” His set rocked for two plus hours and even included a break for two stellar covers: the Bee Gees song “You Should Be Dancing” and the Queen hit “Somebody to Love.”

Other artists worth mentioning that cranked it to “11”: Big Freedia with her infectious NOLA bounce music; The Village People, who brought the costumes and the YMCA; and Miley Cyrus, who won over lots of new fans with a passionate, rousing two plus hour set on Saturday and talked a lot about ... well, “smiling faces” and bare chests. “This is the true definition of heaven,” she added with a wink, saying that for those who want to see her chest, “... you have to buy tickets to my tour.”

Thank you, BottleRockers & our celebrity chefs, for bringing your love to Napa. It really was a slice of music, food & wine heaven. I’ll see you for BottleRock 2022 over Memorial Day weekend in May (May 27–29, 2022).

Here are a few examples: country-pop superstar Maren Morris made her fave Spicy Margarita for Chef Tyler Florence (he made fried chicken) and Top Chef Judge Gail Simmons. Chef Ming Tsai cooked his famous, mouthwatering Ming’s Bings. He also made a baseballsized rice ball and pitched it to twotime World Series Champion Hunter Pence; it was soon “outta here” into the crowd of a few thousand. Chefs Belle & Todd English hatched an Olympic-sized ravioli (8” x 8”) with a massive ostrich egg and a bucket of caviar for Dancing with the Stars superstar Derek Hough and girlfriend Hayley Erbert.

Cheers, Liam

There were so many feel good moments on the Culinary Stage. We honored first responders in a “Battle of the Brothers” cook-off that paired a firefighter with a Voltaggio brother (Bryan & Michael). Both teams were declared winners of the contest and were each given a $25,000 firehouse kitchen makeover by Williams-Sonoma. I took a moment to acknowledge those fearless heroes and also Chef Guy Fieri, who has done much in recent years by fundraising, showing up, and feeding those on the fire lines. Guy brought swagger and heart to the stage.

Ming’s Bings https://mingsbings.com/

Sunday’s union between superstar Chef José Andrés and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl brought the biggest crowds, biggest cheers, and nonstop warm fuzzies. Chef José turned Sunday preacher as he spoke of the importance of all of humanity coming together and for us to step up and lean in when others need a helping hand. His t-shirt reading “Immigrants Feed America” said it all. The respect between Dave & Chef José was palpable, and Chef showed it by sweeping the Foo Fighter off his feet with a bear hug at the end of the set.

Liam Mayclem on stage at the BottleRock Festival, taking a selfie with Chef Tyler Florence, Gail Simmons and Grammy-winning artist Maren Morris Following Chris Stapleton’s last minute cancellation, The Highwomen (Brittney Spencer, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby) stepped up to fill the Friday headliner role at BottleRock 2021.

For More Information BottleRock Napa Valley https://www.bottlerocknapavalley.com/home/ Big Freedia http://www.bigfreedia.com/ Foo Fighters https://www.foofighters.com

Paella from Gerard’s Paella Catering

Miley Cyrus https://www.mileycyrus.com Village People http://www.officialvillagepeople.com World Central Kitchen (founded by Chef José Andrés) https://wck.org

Chef Michael Mina & James Murphy (LCD Sound System)

Emmy Award-winning radio and television personality Liam Mayclem is regularly featured on KPIX as well as KCBS, where he is the popular Foodie Chap. Born in London, Mayclem is now at home in the Bay Area, where he lives with his husband, photographer Rick Camargo. For more information: https://www.bookliam.com/

Hangover Pizza by Chef Belle English

Liam with actor Jonathan Sodowski, Chef Brooke Williamson, Chef Voltaggio, Lawrence The Band & musician Jon Batiste

Dave Grohl with Chef José Andrés

Hunter Pence

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but you can make your own by blending slices of sweet, seedless (or de-seeded) watermelon in a blender. If desired, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before use.

Homemade grapefruit soda is also quick and easy. Add the juice of a grapefruit to a glass and top with chilled sparkling water. Mix in agave or simple syrup to taste. A pinch of salt helps to brighten the grapefruit’s tart citrus flavor.

Cocktails With Heather Heather Freyer Savor the last days of summer with this ultimate summertime cocktail.

This twist on a cooler is the perfect balance of fruity and refreshing. It is ideal for barbecues and relaxed Sunday brunches.

Watermelon juice is still available at many local stores now,

https://tinyurl.com/yyc4me8t Heather Freyer is a beverage expert who is the Vice President and General Manager for Open West States at Bacardí USA. Previously she was with Trinchero Wine Estates, Castle Rock Winery, Cost Plus World Market, and more.

LATE SUMMER WATERMELON COOLER 1 1/2 ounces Bacardí Superior 3/4 ounce watermelon juice 2 ounces grapefruit soda Fill a tall glass with lots of ice.

Measure and pour all ingredients into the iced glass. Give the ingredients a quick stir to combine everything together.

This Month at the Castro Farmers’ Market Five Ways to Preserve Fall Fruits

By Debra Morris There’s not much that surpasses the f lavors of apples, pears, grapes, figs, and persimmons in the cool fall months. You should be consuming produce in season for the best flavor and nutrition, but sometimes it’s nice to have the taste of an apple or pear to enjoy during the off season.

Preserving fall produce for later use means you can enjoy seasonal favorites all year long. A bag of crispy cinnamon apple or persimmon chips, a jar of canned pears, or even pickled figs and grapes could be what you need. When preserving, remember to start with the best fruit from your local farmers’ market for the best results.

The produce is fresh, flavorful, and often with unique varieties available.

Canning: One of the most flexible ways to preserve fruit is canning. Canning preserves fruit for about a year or so. Jams, spreads, butters, and fruit in syrup are just some of the delicious foods you can create with a simple water bath canner, jars, and a few tools. Apple butter and pears in light syrup are two easy ones to try. Just be sure to follow directions in your approved recipe to avoid illness or contamination. Visit the National Center for Food Preservation website at https://nchfp.uga.edu/ Uses: Top toast or ice cream with jams and butters; pour on top of chicken or pork.

Pickling: This version of canning allows for many fruits to be preserved by adding vinegar, salt, and pickling spices. Usually, vegetables are pickled, but homemade pears, grapes, figs, and even persimmons can be pickled. Pickled fruits can last up to two years because of the acidic content.

Uses: Impress at your next dinner party by featuring homemade pickles on your charcuterie board; add pepper jelly topping on a block of cream cheese.

Dehydrating: Love apple chips? Using a dehydrator, the oven, or even the sun can produce great snacks using fall and winter produce. Persimmon, apple, and pear chips are some favorites. An easy way to make raisins at home is to use a dehydrator. Dehydrated foods should be used within four months. One drawback to dehydrating is that it takes time and patience to dry fruit to the desired consistency. But the results are delicious!

Uses: Mix dried fruit with nuts for a homemade trail mix, or add to quick breads and muffins, or add to yogurt or your morning oatmeal.

Fermenting: This form of food preservation has been experiencing a renaissance as people discover the advantages of fermenting for the probiotics that are created. Start with a fermenting kit, or visit reliable websites to learn how.

Apples, figs, grapes, and more can be fermented. The difference between fermentation and pickling is that fermentation is preservation through a bacterial reaction, whereas pickling is preservation via salt and acid.

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PICKLED ASIAN PEARS 2 pounds Asian pears, very hard 1-1/3 cups Chinese white rice vinegar (can substitute distilled white vinegar; cider vinegar is not recommended because it adds too much apple flavor) 1-1/3 cups water 1⁄2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt Peel, wash, seed, and cut the pears in quarters. Add to glass Mason jars.

Mix all remaining ingredients well, until dissolved. Pour into the jars. Cover tightly. Keep in refrigerator, undisturbed, for at least 3 days before use. These pears will keep refrigerated for at least 6 months.

Makes about two to three pint jars, four to six servings. Adapted from The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. Uses: Make pastrami and homemade sauerkraut sandwiches; add to potato salad; toss in salads.

Freezing: Almost all fruit can be frozen. They are easily frozen, but some do not maintain their firmness. Frozen fruit is better used for sauces and jams. A good investment is one of the seal-a-meal machines if you do a lot of freezing.

Many of your seasonal produce selections can be stored, defrosted, and used at a later date.

Frozen fruit should last several months.

Uses: Pull fruit from the freezer for easy-toprepare jams; make healthy smoothies in the blender.

Enjoy fruits of any season by preserving their f lavor and nutrients using the methods above.

This month at your Castro Farmers’ Market you’ll find Allard Farms out of Westley with Hosui and Olympic Asian pear varieties. Organic Shinko Asian pears are available from Ken’s Top Notch from Reedley. They also have a wide variety of organic grapes and persimmons. Rodin Farms have sweet grapes and persimmons as well. Rainbow Orchards offers a nice variety of apples and pears from Camino.

Support your local farmers and shop the farmers’ market where you know you’ll be getting the freshest and most diverse selection of fruits.

Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/

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Winning Winemaker Rocks at Napa’s Chimney Rock to head to California and get her master’s degree in enology at U.C. Davis.

Sbrocco Sips Leslie Sbrocco Visiting Napa Valley is one of the pleasures of living in the Bay Area.

The famous wine-growing region is home to more than 400 wineries and tasting rooms. One that has been a standout since its founding more than 40 years ago is Chimney Rock, located in the noted Stags Leap District of Napa Valley.

I recently had a chance to taste their wine lineup and visit with winemaker Elizabeth Vianna.

Elizabeth ranks as one of Napa and California’s best winemakers devoted to crafting worldElizabeth Vianna class wines from Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc. Her story of discovering wine reads like a book.

She was a pre-med student at Vassar studying biology. After working in a New York hospital lab her intention was to attend medical school.

That all changed after she tasted a magnificent Bordeaux. With a serious pivot, she left the medical field

Since then, she’s worked with star winemakers like Heidi Barrett and Celia Welch and has become a superstar herself. She joined Chimney Rock in 2002 and moved from Assistant Winemaker to Head Winemaker in 2005 and is now the winery’s General Manager, too. As she says, “Watching these vines year after year is the greatest gift.”

vineyard experience options, it’s one of Napa’s top spots to visit.

Wines to Try The splurge-worthy wines of Chimney Rock express their birthplace with style. The Stags Leap District is tucked alongside Napa Valley’s eastern Vaca mountain range. The rocky outcroppings of the range, called the Palisades, help define Chimney Rock’s wines.

As Vianna remarks, “With well drained volcanic soil, the Stags

white opens with aromas of ripe apple and pear with a citrusy ping.

In the mouth, it sports hints of vanilla, toast, and lemon cream.

A Bordeaux-style blend that pays homage to the great whites of this famed French region, the Elevage Blanc is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and its lesser-known, copper-skinned relative, Sauvignon Gris. This is a beautiful, thought-provoking white to seek out.

2019 Chimney Rock “Elevage” Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California $110

Chimney Rock was founded in 1980 by Hack and Stella Wilson. He was an American but lived in South Africa and was enamored with Cape Dutch architecture. The couple brought that love to life when they built the property in the same style in the early 1990s. Since 2004, the winery has been in the hands of the Terlato family, whose commitment to Chimney Rock is to showcase the quality of these exceptional wines. With a picturesque tasting room and multiple tasting and

Leap District is the trifecta of geology, climate, and geography.”

Its unique location helps ripen the grapes with sunny days deepening each wine’s concentration.

Coolness from the nearby San Pablo Bay, though, rolls in at night to keep the acidity in the grapes, making for the perfect balance of ripeness and brightness.

2016 Chimney Rock “Elevage Blanc” Napa Valley, California $50 An aged white wine that is the epitome of class in a glass. Rich and full-bodied, this ageworthy

When elegance meets intensity, you get a stunning red blend dubbed Elevage. An ideal marriage of structured Cabernet Sauvignon with supple Merlot and aromatic Petit Verdot, it has aromas of dark fruit, rose petals, and cocoa. Aged in Burgundy barrels, the red blend serves up polished tannins and succulent layers of fruit and spice. It’s a complex wine to put in your cellar or uncork tonight alongside a seared steak with blue cheese melted on top.

2019 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California $100 Combining grapes grown throughout the estate vineyards, this Cabernet is the winery’s flagship bottling. It captures the essence of the Stags Leap District, which

is all about the balance of grace and power. Deep in color with luscious dark fruit aromas and palate-pleasing plushness underscored with vibrant freshness, this classic Cabernet Sauvignon is one of California’s best.

If you visit, I recommend the Vineyard Odyssey Tour where they offer a ride through the vineyards and a tasting of their distinctive single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons.

Each one reflects the parcel of land where the vines are planted. For example, the 2018 Chimney Rock “Clone 7” Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a plot closest to the Palisades, which gives it savory elegance with a deep velvety texture. Compare that to the 2018 Chimney Rock “Ganymede Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, which is named for the winery’s signature fresco of this cupbearer to the Gods. The wine comes from the northernmost parcel of vineyards planted on the valley floor. It’s a lush and layered Cabernet Sauvignon with dark berry fruit notes and a sleek mouthfeel.

Author, speaker, wine consultant, and television host Leslie Sbrocco is known for her entertaining approach to wine and food. She has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on PBS, which includes hosting the series "Check, Please! Bay Area" and "100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations." www.LeslieSbrocco.com

Black Restaurant Week 2021 From August 20–August 29, Black Restaurant Week presented its third annual campaign in the Bay Area. “This year we are passionate more than ever to serve the culinary industry,” the organizers wrote.

“We’ve expanded our participation from restaurants to food trucks, sweets, and more.”

There were also opportunities to win gift cards, cash prizes, and more.

American, African, and Caribbean cuisines in the Bay Area has concluded, a directory of the many participants may be found at:

While the week celebrating Black-owned restaurants and those featuring African

https://blackrestaurantweeks.com/

https://tinyurl.com/trm45fxr Black Restaurant Week events are held nationwide all year long. As we go to press, Atlanta is holding theirs, with the one in Washington, D.C., next.

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Preserving the Voices of LGBTQ+ Elders

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on-camera interviews of pioneers in the LGBTQ community. We value capturing every kind of meaningful diversity that we can think of, whether it’s racial, economic, cultural, or even geographical.

Out of Left Field Robert Holgate & Jennifer Kroot One night in 2014, Mason Funk couldn’t sleep. The TV producer lay awake next to his sleeping husband, the love of his life, and wondered, “How did I get here?”

Funk is 62. As a child, he never dreamed he’d be able to legally marry a man, or even be openly gay. That sleepless night, he decided that he would archive the stories of LGBTQ+ elders, who paved the way for his life to be fully realized. He’d use his production skills to make sure the stories would be filmed as beautifully as possible. The Outwords archive was born, and seven years later, he’s recorded almost 200 stories.

Mason interviews queer folks all over the country, and several are Bay Area locals, including San Francisco Bay Times writers Donna Sachet, Dr. Marcy Adelman, and Jewelle Gomez. Other locals include: Terry Baum, Corky Wick, Marcus Arana, Charles Stinson, and philanthropist Al Baum, who recently passed away.

We wanted to know the full story about Mason and his rich archive.

Jennifer & Robert: What is the Outwords archive?

Mason Funk: Most of our effort is in creating and collecting original,

Mason Funk: Many ways. Often, people that we’ve interviewed suggest other people, but sometimes subjects find us. One guy in Houston, Texas, emailed me and said, “Are you one of those projects that only interviews people on the coasts?” And I’m like, “No, and I’m coming for you!” His name was Ray Hill, and his personality was kind of salty!

We interviewed Ray on one of our first big road trips. He was like a giant of a man, not physically, but he was really father of the gay community in Houston. He’s passed away Outwords Executive Director, Mason Funk since, so we’re lucky we captured him.

PHOTO BY LEANNA CREEL @CREELSTUDIO.

PHOTO BY WILL ZANG

Jennifer & Robert: How do you find your subjects?

Jennifer & Robert: How do you get funding?

Mason Funk: We receive a lot of funding from government agencies in California. We’ve also gotten money from corporations, and we have a healthy handful of individual donors.

Jennifer & Robert: You usually conduct the interviews, but we’d like to turn the tables. Please tell us about your evolution as a gay man.

Mason Funk: Sure! I remember going to the library in high school, and looking up the words “homosexual” and “gay.” A feeling of terror would run through my body. It was like I wanted to know about something that was antithetical to everything I saw around me.

Transgender activist Valda Prout (left) with Mason Funk in Washington, D.C.

Around the same time, I had a born-again experience. I became deeply attached to my church youth group. It was a lifesaver in some ways. I made some real friends and we talked and shared feelings, but the problem, of course, was that I couldn’t tell my church that I was gay.

In college, I confessed to a couple friends that I was gay. It felt like saying, “I think I’m an axe murderer combined with like a pedophile.” They gave me a look that I interpreted as, “You are screwed.”

I was in my 20s when I started having sexual relationships, but still with a lot of guilt. It took me a long time to get comfortable. Even into my 40s, I would say things like, “I don’t really know what this whole Gay Pride thing is about. You’re just gay. It’s nothing to be proud of.”

I think everybody wants to live an authentic life. I don’t think anybody wants to feel like they have to be a smaller, narrower version of themselves. To the extent that we’re out there, flying our flags and even engaging in behavior that’s considered outrageous, I believe that we’re making space for all people to let their freak flag fly, or just be a little bit more comfortable in their proverbial skin. This is why I’m tremendously proud of Outwords.

Mason Funk with interviewee Carol Lease (longtime lesbian and HIV/AIDS activist), Denver, Colorado.

I think that transgender people, gender nonbinary people, and really anybody who shakes up the norms are God’s greatest gifts. They can make folks uncomfortable, and, yes, they take a lot of backlash, but they’re really doing us a favor by alleviating the rigidity of gender role conformity that so many people are trapped in. We don’t have to be stuck in boxes. We can be curious and a little less conformist.

The creation of Outwords radically altered my own internalized sense of pride. Now I’m like, “Give me a soapbox!”

Visit Outwords to see archived stories or to donate: https://theoutwordsarchive.org/ Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.” She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Mason (left) with Dick Leitsch (former president, NY Mattachine Society), New York, NY

A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues. With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes.

For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/

Mason with Betsy Parsons (first teacher ever to come out in Maine’s largest school district), Portland, ME

Whimsical sculpture and assemblage artist Alfred Glover, based in Cataumet, MA, uses metal and wood to create works inspired by nature and childhood memories. Glover’s work is reminiscent of the twentieth century “folk art” style that emerged from rural American settings. http://www.alfredglover.com Meet Glover on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo0B0t3NJB0&t=6s

Artshot Abby Zimberg

Abby Zimberg is a licensed California Marriage Family Therapist with training in art therapy. She formerly worked as a graphic designer and has always been a photographer. https://theartoftherapysf.com/ 26

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Founder David Landis Retires October 1 as President of Landis Communications, Inc.

Photos courtesy of David Landis

General Manager Sean Dowdall Promoted, Becoming Agency’s New President (Editor’s Note: Please join us in congratulating San Francisco Bay Times columnist David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” on his retirement from the highly successful and influential business he founded, Landis Communications, Inc. We are happy to report that David will continue to write his popular column for the Bay Times.)

David Landis, who founded San Francisco-based Landis Communications, Inc. (LCI), at his kitchen table in 1990, is retiring after a 43-year career in marketing communications. Sean Dowdall, LCI’s current General Manager, has been promoted to be the agency’s new president.

LCI specializes in serving clients representing a diverse array of industries, including: consumer technology, B2B, healthcare, the environment, consumer products, hospitality, and nonprofits. It is one of the last remaining independent communications agencies in San Francisco. Over the past 31 years, Landis has worked with notable LCI clients, including: Match.com, Old Navy, Whole Foods Market, UCSF, Save the Redwoods League, Centre for Neuro Skills, Graton Casino and Resort, Velodyne Lidar, Peninsula Open Space Trust,

“I started this integrated communications agency with the lofty goal of creating a corporate culture that values employees, clients, and those in need. Our commitment to the community, award-winning work, and partnership with clients is a testament to the teams who have worked at LCI for more than 30 years,” stated Landis. “During that time, we’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars—and volunteer hours—to San Francisco Bay Area nonprofits. LCI’s staff is ready to take the next step in the agency’s evolution and I’m excited to see what’s next.”

of numerous awards, he is a published writer and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry conferences, as well as a guest lecturer at Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley, University of San Francisco, and Golden Gate University. David currently writes for Forbes and the San Francisco Business Times, as well as penning a food/restaurant column for the San Francisco Bay Times called “The Gay Gourmet.” He is also the Curator of Amateur Music Network, where he interviews stars of opera, symphony, and Broadway.

“David is a true example of someone succeeding by following his passion,” said Sean Dowdall, president of LCI. “He has run LCI based on the tenets of superior client service, creativity, and service both to the community and our employees. The business he built has shaped the industry and led service evolution—whether that was the rise of social media and digital marketing, joining an international public relations network like the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), or focusing on employee well-being. I’m humbled to be following in those footsteps.”

Prior to launching LCI, Landis served as a Public and Community Relations Director for KPIX TV, the San Francisco CBS affiliate; there, he helped the station win both a Peabody Award and a National Emmy Award for the groundbreaking AIDS Lifeline nationally-televised AIDS education series. Before his work in television, Landis was PR Director of the San Francisco Symphony, where he helped open San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall. Landis is a Past President of PRGN. He has devoted both his life and his career to helping people in the community and throughout the business world succeed.

Project Open Hand, PRC, Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, San Francisco Symphony, iTrade Network, and many more. LCI is the recipient of numerous awards recently and over the decades: America’s #1 PR Firm (Ragan’s Ace Awards), two national IABC Gold Quill Awards, a national

PRSA Sabre Award, PR News Agency 100 Elite, Forbes Top 200 U.S. Agencies, and PRSA SF’s Agency of the Year and Campaign of the Year.

Landis taught public relations in the MBA program at San Francisco’s Golden Gate University. A recipient

An out gay businessman, he is a lifelong champion for LGBTQ+ causes and is proud that LCI is certified by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Landis currently serves on the boards of Friends of Alta Plaza Park, ODC (San Francisco’s modern dance company and school), and Project Open Hand, which serves meals to vulnerable populations. Landis is especially proud that the San Francisco Business Times named the agency a top Bay Area corporate philanthropy donor for the past two years. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he majored in classical piano. https://www.landispr.com/

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ROSTOW (continued from page 2)

LYON (continued from page 6)

KRAMER (continued from page 20)

complimented the company on the vehicle but said the blue color was “very gay” and recommended they produce it in black and gold. Ford clapped back with a short video basically telling the guy to stuff it and displaying a version of the Ranger Raptor in glitter and rainbow colors with the words “Happy Pride” under the hashtag “VeryGayRaptor.”

them and their impact and legacy: No Secret Anymore, directed by noted lesbian photographer Joan E. Biren; and One Wedding and a Revolution, directed by Academy Award winner, the late Debra Chasnoff. The films were presented in partnership with Frameline, whose digital archive of LGBTQ films is a national treasure. The event, hosted by Board of Directors Vice-President Barbara Tannenbaum, also featured a lively discussion with historian and author Marcia Gallo and Kendra Mon, daughter of Martin.

a classic ballad. In my head I was hearing Dusty Springfield singing. It felt in that world, not in the musical theater world. And I’ve lived in musical theatre for 25 years, so I’m not being pejorative about my work!

Show ‘Em the Money Let’s see what else we have before we go. Did you hear about the gay history run that was set up in the Missouri state capitol building in Jefferson City on August 30 for a four-month display? It was taken down two days later and sent to “a building at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site,” which doesn’t sound as if it has quite the cachet as the Capitol. It’s unclear what happened, but it sort of seems like some conservative muckymucks were caught unawares and threw a fit.

What do you expect from Missouri? (My dismissive Kansan family members would be quick to ask.)

I hate to end on a sad note.

“In these difficult times, I’m moved and grateful to see the outpouring of support from our community, friends, and family. This successful event raised more than $5,000 from donors paying tribute to Phyllis Lyon,” said Board of Directors President Donna Sachet at the time. “Their support enables our volunteer board members to raise the profiles of the notable lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals from around the world who left a lasting mark on society and made significant contributions in their fields/professions. Their courage in perilous times reminds us of how much we can accomplish when we join forces and work together.”

arostow@aol.com

http://rainbowhonorwalk.org/

We caught a glimpse of adopted twins in the arms of Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, a boy and a girl. I guess the two of them have been trying to become parents for some time, so congratulations.

And I love the fact that Gavin Grimm’s old school district, the Gloucester School District in Virginia, is now obliged to shell out $1.3 million in attorneys’ fees to the American Civil Liberties Union. This, of course, is after years of litigation over Grimm’s right to use the boy’s facilities first as a transgender high school student and then as an alumnus. That case went back and forth through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and twice to the Supreme Court. This year, the justices refused to hear an appeal, leaving Grimm’s second Fourth Circuit victory as the final word in this case.

Ominously, however, the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit will rehear a similar transgender high school case en banc, before all 12 of the court’s judges. Last year, a split three-judge panel ruled in favor of Ponte Vedra student Andrew Adams, but the outcome of a full court review is not likely something we’ll be celebrating.

QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 17)

A) Pearl’s Club Owned by Pearl Kershaw and her father Paul, Pearl’s Club opened in 1951 at 466 12th Street. It became widely known throughout the Bay Area as a place where same-sex couples were welcome and could dance. A statewide crackdown on “hangouts for sex deviates” later led to the revoking of the club’s liquor license. Two other Oakland bars were targeted as well. Pearl appealed the decision, and during the trial was accused of being intimate with women at the club.

She lost the appeal and the building that housed Pearl’s was later demolished. For more information: https://tinyurl.com/ravya4xx

Gary M. Kramer: The Loco Chanel number, “This Is Me,” where you take us back through gay history via videocassette, is particularly impressive. Can you talk about how you conceived this sequence in particular?

Jonathan Butterell: I felt it essential for “This Was Me” to tell that story in this time and in this context. It is new for the film. I was on those streets, I walked that walk, and went on those marches when Clause 28 essentially criminalized the promotion of homosexuality. “This is Me” feels like a club anthem, and the perfect person to sing that club anthem was Holly Johnson. I felt that, for those people who were there at the time, it would take them back to that time. The story is told from the perspective of Hugo’s lover, who is holding the camera. He’s not conscious of being a chronicler; he’s just watching his lover. I wanted it to be very personal. Of course, it has a polemic nature, but I didn’t want it to feel polemic or that we were being preached at.

We were in the life and story of this man and his love.

Gary M. Kramer: The film can help empower LGBTQ youth.

What observations do you have about the film’s depiction of shame, belonging, disruption, and inspiration? It’s about rulebreaking and finding your inner warrior queen!

Jonathan Butterell: An effeminate young man is portrayed here as the hero, and, in a sense, not just the hero, but as the everyperson. It’s so often that men in stories get to represent the everyman, but women don’t get to do that. So, I wanted this young, unashamed, effeminate young man to represent us all—not just who he is, but all of us. We all deserve to take up space in the world, safely. Every human deserves to have their joy up front in center. © 2021 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.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer 9/11 FATHER MYCHAL (continued from page 11) week until expelled by order of Cardinal O’ Connor in 1987. This was the middle of the AIDS crisis. I reached out to Mychal when asked for help by a family needing a priest to lead funeral prayers for two brothers who died from AIDS. As with many others in his life, we became fast friends.

Being gay ... it was understood between us. He wasn’t “out” out—Mychal was selectively open about being gay—with friars and friends he could trust and people whom he could help by coming out, such as parents struggling with their child in a world of ignorance and prejudice. In his diary he wrote, “I thought of my gay self and how the people I meet never get to know me fully.”

He would become a huge supporter of working for change. He wrote the checks to GMHC, to PFLAG, to St. Pats for All, and then he would show up in his Franciscan habit. He was delighted with the founding of FireFlag/EMS

by Eugene Walsh and first president Thomas Ryan, both inspiring pioneers in the FDNY. While proud of being Irish and a much beloved Catholic priest, he was disheartened by anti-gay prejudice in the church and Irish community, which he called “high levels of madness.” A telephone call between Mychal Judge and me would range [in subject] from Lourdes, Ireland, parade, the gift of sobriety, or the latest book by his favorite writers Father Richard Rohr or the gay pioneer priest John McNeill, who was his spiritual director for a while. Calls often ended in a brief prayer or laughter.

I was asked last year [2012] for the feast of the “Communion of Saints” to join the All Saints Roman Catholic parish in Syracuse as they unveiled a statue in Mychal’s memory. It was modeled on that iconic image of 9/11, of Mychal being carried out after the World Trade Center collapse. All that is good and tender about the human heart is etched on the faces of the first responders as they carry the body of Mychal Judge and lay him down near the corner of Church and Vesey, streets he walked and loved so much.

Mychal loved New York and often walked the Brooklyn Bridge. As a son of Irish immigrants, he never forgot and would be an advocate for immigrants until the day he died. He was proud of this land and its stories of immigrants.

I have been gathering his letters and notes for a collection. He was great letter writer. He would stay up until all hours of the night writing notes and cards—to say thank you, to send a word of comfort, of encouragement, to celebrate a new job, the arrival of a new baby, the new home, a newfound love.

He celebrated weddings and baptisms, and [attended] funerals as well as the major moment of new citizenship. For baptisms, he would write a note of welcome to babies. He [wrote] to couples wedding, to families and widows after a funeral ... and to someone in prison. People remember his love, his big heartedness and his sense of humor if you got too serious. That was our Mychal Judge!

On each May 11, his birthday, friends pause to give thanks for the gift of Father Mychal Judge, and on each 9/11 anniversary, Mychal even in his death sends us a message: from the midst of the hell of war and violence, Father Mike points us to another possible path as human beings, and, like him, to choose the path of compassion and tenderness.

Brendan Fay is a filmmaker and activist. He co-produced the films “Saint of 9-11” and “Remembering Mychal.” He has spoken at colleges and communities about his friendship with the late Father Mychal Judge.

9/11 BINGHAM (continued from page 11) Although all were lost when the plane crashed in Pennsylvania instead, Bingham and others onboard saved hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives by performing an act of bravery that will endure across generations.

Don Price is the husband of historian and “San Francisco Bay Times” columnist Dr. Bill Lipsky.

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FISCHER (continued from page 5) ‘Absolute Truth,’ not in religion, not in science, not in politics ... we can deal only in relative truths, and cannot guarantee that our way is the only or the best way ... .

Now leaving [Harvard] to take up our separate activities, we have learned to have a healthy respect for all informed viewpoints regardless of their divergence. We deplore those false patriots who exploit security as a weapon for personal gain. We ... are obliged to carry our heritage of free thought and speech to our future endeavors and to defend this freedom whenever and wherever it is challenged.

We know that a secure nation without liberty is less than worthless.

A free and educated society can work out its destiny without surrendering to either unreasonable fear or blind adherence to security. Her future is protected by the devotion of free men.”

Re-reading this speech scared the daylights out of me. I can only hope that in 2055, my four nieces and nephews aren’t saying, “Wow, look what Grandpa Dave wrote 100 years ago. It’s still true today.”

Louise (Lou) Fischer is a Former Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and has served as an appointed and elected Delegate for the State Democratic Party.

David S. Fischer, MD, is a medical oncologist at Yale University in New Haven, CT. He served as an Assistant, Associate, and then Clinical Professor of Medicine from 1967 to the present. He has published 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has received many awards, including the Award for Teaching, Service and Leadership, the Physician Honoree for the LeukemiaLymphoma Society, the Richard Blumenthal Patient Advocate for Life from the Connecticut Hospice, and most recently, the Yale Cancer Center Award for Lifetime Achievement.

GGBA (continued from page 7) Jonathan Yeo: If there’s a consistent theme in the work I do with clients—whether it’s a workshop on people leadership skills, a seminar on identity, or an individual coaching session—it’s curiosity. Staying curious, or challenging yourself to be curious, is at the heart of learning and growth. https://www.thepotential.space/

Take Me Home with You!

“My name is Holly. I enjoy meeting new people and love to be social! If you have a wand or faux feather toy, we’ll quickly become good friends. I’m 3 years old and ready for a second chance with someone who will give me lots of affection and playtime. My ideal home would be adults only, or possibly with older children. If you think we might be a match, I’d love to meet you!”

Dykes

Holly is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Holly.

To apply to meet Holly, visit https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/

With Drills Tip of the Week Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup

By Julie Peri

SISTER DANA (continued from page 22) things are beginning to return to normal. To enliven their spirit, the community can look forward to its traditional 31ST ANNUAL AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL returning in person to Grant Avenue in Chinatown on September 11 and 12, 11 am–6 pm. This year, festival director Eva Lee is excited to invite tourists and locals back into Chinatown in hopes of reviving some of the activity lost and reigniting the vibrant community.

Co-entertainment coordinators, Max Leung and Cynthia Yee are bringing in some contemporary young, local musicians to add to the traditional dancers and the LION DANCE. The festivities will open with a parade on Saturday at 11 am on California and Grant led by Mayor London Breed and other civic officials, beauty queens, and cultural performers on a street stage for everything from lively music to martial arts. http://www.moonfestival.org/ It’s LATINX HERITAGE MONTH, so SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY is thrilled to announce ¡VIVA! at the Library. This is an annual celebration of Latinx heritage, cultures, and traditions with an array of exciting programs for all ages, from Spanish/bilingual story times to cooking classes, author talks to art and cultural presentations. Come celebrate! ¡Bienvenidos! http://bitly.ws/ging ARTSAVESLIVES SIDEWALK SALON was held on September 5 as part of Sunday Slow Streets at Noe and Market. Thomasina DeMaio exhibited her art and curated local artists Carl Linkhart, Billy Douglas, Junara Greco, Alan Beckstead, Matt Pipes, Walker Dukes, and Bill Bowers. The Salon is now operating every Sunday, noon–5 pm. Go enjoy!

Sister Dana sez, “In case I haven’t nagged everyone quite enough: VOTE NO on the September 14 Recall of Governor Gavin Newsom! It’s easy: just check NO on the first page!”

Angle Divider A unique and useful tool for fine finish work is an angle divider.

There are a variety of designs for an angle divider, as well as names (some people call this a miter divider, for example). The purpose, however, remains the same. This tool helps you find the angle of any corner.

To find the angle, adjust the arms of the tool to match up with the angle you want to measure. Then you can transfer the angle to the piece you are cutting. It’s simple and ingenious! The angle divider shown in the picture is no longer sold (vintage!), but newer versions are available online and at select hardware stores.

Join us to learn more fun tool tips at one of our events!

Here is what we have coming up next: Happy Hour, September 23, Temescal Brewing, Oakland How to Build a Step Stool, September 25, Online Construction Workshop Series, October 2021, Walnut Creek

Castro Street Cam 24/7 Live-streaming http://sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/

As Heard on the Street . . . Who inspires you?

For more information about these and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/

compiled by Rink

Amy Sueyoshi & Tina Takemoto

José Miguel Vazquez

Larry Nelson

Phillip Ruise

“Our kibling (sibling-cousin), who came out as non binary TT Takemoto Awkwafina”

“My mom, and women in general.

My mom did a good job of raising nine children.”

“The 6–11-year-old children with HIV or AIDS whom I worked with at camp for 15 years. They continue to inspire me as adults.”

“My inspiration comes from within me while I am dancing to Egyptian music on Castro Street, and enjoying the sights of San Francisco.”

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Transgender History Month Ceremony

Photos by Rink

San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink was at San Francisco City Hall on August 24 for Mayor London Breed’s ceremony declaring Transgender History Month. Held on the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots, the ceremony marked the City of San Francisco becoming the first to recognize such a month.

Transgender community leaders Clair Farley, Honey Mahogany, Jupiter Peraza, Aria Sa’id, and Donna Personna joined the Mayor and elected officials, including Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and City Treasurer José Cisneros, in honoring longtime activist Cecilia Chung. Sister Roma served as emcee. Following the ceremony, the transgender flag was raised on the Mayor’s Balcony. https://tinyurl.com/rb8u274e

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Round About - All Over Town

Photos by Rink

CASTRO STREETCAM presented by

SF Knockers, the world’s only all drag queen baseball team, held a bake sale on 18th Street on Sunday, August 22.

Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) members enjoyed lunch at the La Méditerranée Castro’s parklet on August 22. La Med is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this month.

http://sfbaytimes.com/

On Wednesday, September 1, Nagi Mubarez, the new owner of Buffalo Whole Foods and Grain Company on Castro Street, displayed a ripe organic peach.

Musicians Simon Aks and Vincent McLauchlin performed for customers at El Lopo on Austin Alley in Lower Polk Plaza.

In character as Emperor Norton, Joseph Amster led guests on the Emperor Norton’s Fantastic Time Machine Tour through Chinatown on August 28.

“Nurse” Ehra Amaya (left) and four SF AIDS Foundation staffers joined Tina Valentin Aguirre (right) of the Castro Cultural District on Noe Street during the Noe Art Mart on Sunday, August 22.

Performers from LionDanceME and other local artists and community leaders gathered on Grant Street on August 28.

Two brides, accompanied by family and friends, were married at San Francisco City Hall on August 24.

Rink Remembers

Reduce plastic use in your kitchen with a healthier, more sustainable way to store food. Bee’s Wrap reusable and biodegradable wraps are the perfect alternative to plastic—for storing sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and for covering a bowl or casserole dish.

Emcee and entertainer Maggie Cao sang during the annual Chinatown Music Festival at Portsmouth Square on August 28.

Photos by Rink During a visit to the Castro on Wednesday, September 1, photographer Rink noted memorial tributes at Hibernia Beach (18th and Castro Streets) for Daniel Crisafulli (19602021) and Colin Yapp.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Crisafulli, a New York native who worked as an advertising and marketing professional in the Bay Area, at The Cafe, 2369 Market Street, on Saturday, September 25, 4pm. A memorial service for Yapp, who worked in information technology, was held on Saturday, August 21. Yapp was born in Jamaica and lived subsequently in New York City and Houston before he relocated to the Bay Area.

The Creative Energy Candles’ unique recipe features natural antiaging properties and the healthy moisturizing effects of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins A, E, and K. When burned, this Cosmetic Candle melts to create a beautiful scent, as well as a healthy body lotion suitable for the skin. O, The Oprah Magazine has named it one of the ten best massage candles.

I

know it seems early to be thinking about the holidays, but this year especially it might not be too early. The pandemic has done a real number on the supply chain. The ports are backed up several months, which has resulted in not only long delays in getting merchandise but also skyrocketing costs. On a daily basis we are getting emails from our vendors with price increases and notifications of 15% surcharges. So, if I had one piece of advice for you, it would be to shop early. If you see something you want, buy it now! We can’t promise we can get it again and it will probably be 15% more expensive when we can get it.

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