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Gay 9/11 Hero Mark Bingham Remembered: An Audacious Gay Jock Became a Hero

2011-10-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

With the ten-year commemoration of one the most horrible tragedies in American history being marked on Sept. 11, 2011, a remarkable gay hero is also being honored. Mark Bingham was a passionate San Francisco rugby player and a charming public relations executive who found himself on hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 over the state of Pennsylvania. He led three other men into the cockpit to prevent the plane being used to attack a target in Washington, D.C. His cell phone conversation with his mother Alice Hoagland, the flight data recordings, and the calls of other passengers confirm that Bingham rose to the occasion. He had wrested a gun away from a criminal who was threatening his boyfriend on the street, and he used his 6'-4", 220-pound physique to play a determined and aggressive rugby game. Shouts of “Let's roll!” are heard on the cell phones from the doomed flight, as it is heard when a rugby team charges at a game.

Bingham played for the San Francisco Fog rugby team, and they are well known as formidable, but also as uninhibited and fun-loving. They barely blinked when emcee Donna Sachet cut off their jockstraps and they danced naked with their soccer balls at a Big Gay Fraternity House charity benefit in the Castro. The international gay rugby championship is named in Bingham’s honor, the gym at the Castro’s Eureka Valley Recreation Center features a large plaque honoring him, and his mother is adored for questioning any family’s separation from their children because of their sexual orientation.

"With You", a fascinating documentary film about Bingham, was screened to great acclaim at this year’s San Francisco Int'l LGBT Film Festival at the Castro Theatre. It was heart-rending to hear Bingham’s mother speak about her loss and to see multiple videos of Bingham with her, his boyfriends, his team, and his relatives. More than 1,200 people rose to their feet and applauded as Alice Hoagland walked down the aisle to ascend the stage.

Mark Bingham's mother Alice Hoagland on stage after the screening of "With You" at the Castro Theatre

The film’s message and the knowledge of Bingham’s actions have been a notable answering point to bigots who question the lives and morality of the LGBT community. Members of San Francisco’s congressional delegation and Senator John McCain have credited Bingham for possibly saving their lives. This journalist (and his extended family) is thankful because Flight 93 flew over his family’s farm 20 miles from the crash site when it was swarming with young relatives, and his father was at the U.S. Capitol that morning.

For more information on the Mark Bingham Foundation, visit markbingham.org.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Crescendo Fundraising Gala: A Unique Musical Artistic Event

2011-10-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Conductor Timothy Seelig, Grand Duchess Kylie Minono, and executive director Teddy Witherington

A unique brunch was hosted by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at the Four Seasons Hotel on Oct. 9: The annual Crescendo fundraising gala in one of the city’s most stylish hotels started at noon, a time of the day on Sundays when many are nursing hangovers at home. The chorus drew an amazingly large turnout for a quiche and fruit parfait brunch, with accomplished musical performances and awards for the organization’s supporters.

Chorus guests who arrived early enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the hotel terrace that overlooks the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s huge tilted blue cube. The chorus’ two ensembles, the Lollipop Guild and the Vocal Minority, performed to kick off the party and they projected the positive mood of the party and enhanced the admiration of the gathered donors.

Board president Michael Tate, executive director Teddy Witherington, and honoree Stuart Milk

The chorus’ new Human Rights Champion Award was given to Harvey Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk by chorus board president Michael Tate and executive director Teddy Witherington for his advocacy of LGBT rights worldwide. Milk’s day job is working with at-risk youth and he founded the Harvey Milk Foundation to fight hate and discrimination. From his base near Ft. Lauderdale, Milk researches and then visits communities where he can do the most good—from Spain to Turkey to San Jose Pride.

The new link between the Chorus and Harvey Milk was revealed when a “Dear Harvey, We’ve Got Hope” project video was screened, and then described by Witherington. Young people are being asked for their feelings about Milk and their submissions will be formed into musical creations for the Chorus’ upcoming 35th anniversary season. Impressive board president Tate then spoke about funding for the organization for the future.

A unique talent, counter-tenor Jacques Snyman, then performed, and the expressions of surprise on faces around the ballroom has been seen before, when other blatantly masculine looking countertenors reach high notes. Diageo Americas’ Phillipa Jones (of subsidiary Sterling Vineyards) said that their commitment to the LGBT community is sincere when she accepted a Corporate Champion Award. The Bay Area Reporter (BAR) received a Media Champion Award, though the decade-long LGBT press boycott of the Chorus led by the BAR’s publisher after a controversial Chorus dinner incident was not mentioned.

The guests were thanked by event co-chairs Paul Olsen and Sean Livingston, and there was talk from table to table about the Chorus’ altruistic tours through small California cities that also finance their local LGBT groups. Providing role models and self-esteem is an important side benefit to areas of the state where that can be lacking.

The Gay Men’s Chorus has managed to prosper during a time of financial uncertainty and much of the credit is due to not only the staff and board, but also the advisory board which includes Molly McKay of Marriage Equality USA, Dr. Betty L. Sullivan of Betty's List and the San Francisco Bay Times, Devesh Khatu of the Horizons Foundation, and Cecilia Chung of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Hardworking artistic operations manager Mike Holland also deserves credit for presenting professional light and sound in spaces where it never existed previously.

Artistic director and conductor for the last ten years Dr. Kathleen McGuire was remembered fondly, and her replacement Dr. Timothy Seelig has been embraced by the chorus after changes were made to the repertoire.

The Chorus is also thriving thanks to the monumental talents of Paul Saccone, the music director of the Lollipop Guild ensemble and Carl Pantle, the Chorus' associate artistic director, principal pianist, and the musical director of the Vocal Minority ensemble.

A wonderful event ended with musical interludes from the Lollipop Guild and the Vocal Minority.

The Berlin and Beyond Film Festival: A Daring, Shocking, and Lyrical Film Festival

2011-10-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Berlin and Beyond Festival President Sabine Erlenwein and Festival Director Sophoan Sorn

The 16th annual Berlin and Beyond Film Festival is opening Oct. 20 at the Castro Theatre, and this celluloid gift has been eagerly anticipated by film fans. San Francisco has always had a vibrant German-American community, and the Castro District was the home and business site for dozens of ethnic German families from the late 1800s to the post-WWII era. When homes and garages on Collingwood Street are renovated, German-language newspapers used as insulation are found in the walls. San Francisco boasts some of the Bay Area’s best array of German restaurants, including the high camp decorated East German restaurant Walzwerk that has catered the festival with its superb goulash.

The media was invited to a Sept. 29 promotional press conference where conversations with Festival Director Sophoan Sorn and Festival President Sabine Erlenwein developed over pastry and coffee. Erlenwein is also the Director of the San Francisco branch of the Goethe Institut, the German Cultural Center that is located in large cities worldwide. Sorn and Erlenwein then mounted the movie palace’s stage to discuss the films, lead a Q&A, and introduce the excellent festival closing night film “If Not Us, Who (Wer wenn nicht wir).”

That closing night film is an inspiration to activists as it introduces the intense, young, disenchanted characters who would become members of the Baader-Meinhof Group, an urban terrorist gang also known as the Red Army Faction that was active in the 1970s. Their dysfunctional personal lives are on display, and the movie complements the numerous other films about the gang, such as the award winning “The Baader Meinhof Complex” of 2009. Germans are still confounded by the gang, since its members were privileged youth who did not just attack government and business officials with handguns, they attacked relentlessly with machine guns. The message of the film and its title is to not be complacent, but to be become activists and form groups to make changes, though not necessarily as extremely as the subjects of this cinematic expression.

The festival is about films, but it also is well known and admired for its high-energy parties. The mezzanine of the silent film era Castro Theatre is the venue for the opening night and closing night soirées where Blue Angel Vodka and Spaten beer will be served with treats from the Castro’s Hot Cookie and The Sausage Factory (where this journalist shared meals with Harvey Milk).

The festival depends on volunteers, its publicist Jackson Scarlett, and on gay lovers Alex Randoph and Trevor Nguyen, who solve problems and enhance the event using their experience with government service and group dynamics.

The consulates of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have generously supported the festival since its founding, and their gatherings throughout the year advertise the festival and its rich cultural significance. German culture is celebrated in San Francisco and a central focus of that culture is philosophy, art, and music. That essence is captured by the festival film “Young Goethe in Love.” Unfortunately that film will only be screened in San Jose because the filmmakers and distributors have restricted its viewing to theaters of 500 seats or less so it can remain eligible for awards. Controversy may emerge after the film is mass released because recently discovered letters suggest that Goethe was gay or bisexual.

The other unique and stimulating film only being screened in San Jose in the festival is “3 (Drei)” which is a rarely shown scenario of a man and his wife sharing another man, and it was a hit at San Francisco Int'l LGBT Film Festival this year.

For more information: www.BerlinBeyond.org

The Bare Chest Calendar Auction: A Night of Restrained Debauchery

2011-08-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Mr. February Michael Rubinstein with hostess Donna Sachet

"Visual splendor" and "fine altruism" best describe the array of handsome men, generous donors, and resourceful party coordinators who enjoyed the 2012 Bare Chest Calendar Men auction benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) and the Positive Resource Center (PRC) at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on August 23.

Distinctive men included handsome filmmaker Philippe Gosselin, whose movie "The Rescue" was a hit at this year’s San Francisco Int'l LGBT Film Festival, and the devilish young Seth Watkins, who has overcome numerous obstacles to reach a new healthy point in his life.

Mr. December Philippe Gosselin

Guys chosen for the Calendar must agree to spend an enormous amount of time and effort at events where they promote the sale of the Bare Chest Calendar. Some guys such as Christopher Humphreys and Jay Laude have had extensive experience volunteering with non-profits. Humphreys is famous for going shirtless to make quick sales of Jello-O shots for charity.

Each of the men was lavishly presented by emcee Donna Sachet, who wore a golden goddess gown. Then masterful tuxedo-ed auctioneer Lenny Broberg pitted fans and the besotted in the audience to bid on the guys. They appeared first in hilariously boyish ensembles donated by Citizen/Body. And then Kira Stachelek, Anya Montiel, and Gerri Beauvais—helpful women who were beautifully gowned and accessorized—stripped off the Calendar men's shirts. There was a moment for the yelling-and-applauding crowd to run their eyes across the expanse of gym-toned muscles before a red bow tie and a leather vest from sponsor Miller Beer were slid onto the men's sweating bodies.

Lance Holman, Troy Anicete, Darren Bondy and friend

The competition was fierce, but also fun. Last year it was guided by the blinding fear that a magnificent and predatory Mr. SF Leather was trying to “buy” non-single studs. It went smoothly this year until the overtly primal Will Swagger assumed an athlete’s pre-pounce position and a seemingly mesmerized Sachet mounted the stage in response, but she was expertly led back to her seat by auctioneer Broberg. Stunning Andy Cross’ friends, a straight couple, astounded the other donors with a $10,000 winning bid, the highest of the evening.

The event featured two stylized climaxes. The first was when the winning bidders were joyfully invited onto the stage to join the Calendar men. The second climax shocked and pleased the audience, and only a glamorous Donna Sachet could seize the moment so well when she glided down the runway to Broberg in a luxurious satin bridal gown and veil.

Mr. October Will Swagger and Mr. December Philippe Gosselin

It was the best of San Francisco with the professional fundraising talents of Donna Sachet and Lenny Broberg and the expert guidance of coordinators Thom Grant (Mr. December 2007) and Mark Hollenstein (Mr. June 2006), along with the good-natured and alluring 2012 Calendar men in the historic and accommodating Sir Francis Drake Hotel, all for two wonderful charities.

For more information, visit barechest.org.

The 2012 Bare Chest Calendar men with hostess Donna Sachet (center) and host Lenny Broberg (right)

The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club’s Three Commemorations of Their 40th Anniversary

2011-08-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

There was a historic meeting of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and the San Francisco Police Department on July 11 during a forum at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.

Alice’s founder, Jim Foster, partially conceived of the political club as an activist group to oppose police raids and threats. Foster got an eyeful of what less affluent gays faced at the Society for Individual Rights (S.I.R.) headquarters on 6th Street in San Francisco, and he thought that a more political organization would help when he founded Alice 40 years ago. Raids on gay bars and hang-outs such as Compton’s Cafeteria in the Tenderloin were common. A lesbian bar named Peg’s Place was attacked by an inebriated bachelor party that included police officers as late as 1979. The Alice Club was quick to denounce these outrages and local politicians heard loud and clear that this kind of behavior would not be tolerated.

Club co-founders included lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who founded the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) in 1955, and their house party guests feared a police raid every time the doorbell rang. Lyon and Martin were active with the Council on Religion and the Homosexual which hosted the “Meet the Lesbian and Gay Community Weekend” events at Glide Memorial Church. Social workers, physicians, psychiatrists, attorneys, priests, family planners, and police officers met lesbian and gay couples and were invited to join them in their homes and restaurants. In the early 1970s a passionate gay teenage couple was introduced to the Weekend conference attendees, and this journalist and his boyfriend were that couple.

From a time when LGBT police officers had to be closeted to the present when open recruitment of out-of-the-closet officers has resulted in increasing numbers of police who have an insight into alternative lives. LGBT-friendly San Francisco Chief of Police Greg Suhr joined three lesbian police commanders at the Alice meeting: Lea Militello, Sandra Tong, and Denise Schmidt.

Alice member Terry Gauchet coordinated the panel and there was a lively Q&A. Over and over both Suhr and the commanders stressed that bring a police officer is the best job in the world because they can help people and see their positive impact on people's lives. Recruitment, maybe possibly from the ranks of the Alice members, was an ongoing theme of the evening. Another was the importance of police academy classes to add new officers that will replace retiring members of the department, and that the city budget should include funding for the classes.

The big news of the evening was that the SFPD will make an “It Gets Better” video to join the thousands that columnist Dan Savage and his lover Terry Miller inspired.

During a dialogue with Chief Suhr this journalist spoke about the early years in San Francisco when upfront gays were harassed by the police and when they were bashed by others, instead of helping them, law enforcement arrested them. The Frank Sinatra film "The Detective," which Suhr said he had seen, was cited as a view of that era. In contrast, now police officers are trained well in settling LGBT lovers’ and roommates’ disputes, and other sensitive situations.

Police deployment at Halloween in the Castro and Pink Saturday was discussed, and Suhr stated that he liked both events, but back when they were a few thousand neighborhood people and their visitors. Curtailment of publicity for Pink Saturday was mentioned as a logical action for 2012.

The Alice Club is also celebrating its “40 Years Together, 40 Years Strong” with a GLBT History Museum exhibit opening on August 1 which includes a visual history of the Alice Club and a recording of Jim Foster giving a lesbian and gay liberation speech at the Democratic Party convention that nominated George McGovern for president in 1972. Curator Nathan Purkiss’ phenomenal commentary about the Club’s history strongly affected the packed museum, and the people admired the event program which is crammed full of photographs and historical descriptions.

The following week there was a panel discussion about the Club’s history on Aug. 8, led by activist Phyllis Lyon, who spoke in detail about the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis, and about how its members were blue- and white-collar workers. She revealed that the group had been secretive during its early years,—they were more open later,—thanks to powerful political friends, some of the same friends that supported the Alice Club since its founding.

The courage of early lesbian and gay activists is astonishing, considering how much they had to lose, and Alice founders Foster, Lyon, and others deserve credit for their efforts.

For more information: www.alicebtoklas.org/

The 2011 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival: Uplifting and Serious Films for Discerning Fans

2011-07-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

More than 58 films from 16 countries are being screened at this year’s San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and the variety of celluloid offerings is sure to please the most discerning film fans.

The festival opened in San Francisco at the Castro Theatre with "Mabul (The Flood)" which meshes the biblical story of a great flood with a modern-day dysfunctional family. Yoav Rotman, the young Isreali star of the film, was congratulated over and over at the opening night party at the Swedish American Hall, while his mother stood nearby beaming. The hors d’oeuvres were superb and the cocktails were stiff, and the large crowd moved from room to room for taste treats and to chat up fellow filmerati.

Executive Director Peter Stein was joined by his partner Brian Freeman, and Corey Tong, Jenni Olson, Dan Wohlfeiler, and San Francisco Pride Grand Marshal Aaron Belkin made up some of the LGBT film contingent.

Actor Kirk Douglas was honored with the festival’s Freedom of Expression Award on July 24 for his brave action in demanding that blacklisted "Spartacus" script writer Dalton Trumbo be given credit in 1960. Douglas’ philanthropy was praised, as was his brilliance at playing forceful characters in such films as "Out of the Past," "Paths of Glory," and "Lust for Life" which were on display on film clips. Douglas also played an over-the-top Viking in "The Vikings" that seethes with authentic violent excesses and bold histrionics.

What was largely missing from the ceremony is that Douglas not only re-learned to speak after a stroke 15 years ago, but he is also an inspiration to the tens of thousands who suffer strokes every year. Douglas seemed to be enjoying himself and he was buoyed by the 1,400-person standing ovations to and from the stage. Too many people do not pursue a life as a stroke survivor and isolate themselves in their homes. Douglas not only speaks in public, he was a witty and clever presenter at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. He was equally witty and clever on the Castro Theatre’s stage at the Jewish Film Festival.

The festival ends on July 28 with the closing night film "100 Voices: A Journey Home" and live performances should not be missed. Think Al Jolson’s dramatic singing finale in the first sound movie "The Jazz Singer," and this will be ten times more intense with four singers and the Castro Theatre’s organ.

Most of the best festival films will be screened after July 28 in Berkeley, San Rafael, and Palo Alto. Checking www.sfjff.org will help in locating these movies.

LGBT themes can be found in "Mary Lou" and "The Queen Has No Crown." Both films were endorsed by celluloid connoisseurs. One film that delves into the betrayal of French Jews by their fellow citizens who collaborated with the occupying Nazis is "The Roundup." There are films for young adult viewers and even Israel’s first horror film. Israel has achieved more Academy Award nominations for its films than any other Middle Eastern country, and now it can claim a cinematic experience of movie characters yelling for help in Hebrew while facing a mindless bloodfest.

Karen Larsen and her publicity associates Ani Klose and Leo Wong again achieved a successful festival, and the only cloud in the cinematic sky was that Executive Director Peter Stein is retiring and he will be greatly missed. Hopefully his sensational award winning documentary "The Castro" will now be followed by equally fine future film projects.

The Jean Harris Memorial at Delancey Street: A Fearless Activist, and a Hell of a Friend

2011-07-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Lesbian activist Jean Harris speaking about Domestic Partnership legislation in October 1999

The cover of the Jean Harris memorial program featured an eye-catching portrait and a quote from California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton: “A fearless activist, and a hell of a friend.”
Burton joined more than forty political activists and friends of Harris at Delancey Street in San Francisco on July 21 to present a tribute to the tireless promoter of LGBT rights. Burton said that he received numerous complaints about Harris being a “pain in the butt” when she was working for the Democratic Party. He said that “A pain in the butt that gets the job done is better that someone who does not do the job.”

Harris lost her two daughters to an ex-husband in a custody battle. That set her on an activist course that would lead to other lesbians and gay men not losing their children to ex-partners, and multiple other rights now taken for granted. She co-founded Lesbian Agenda for Action, the first lesbian political action committee (PAC) in the U.S., steered San Francisco’s domestic partner legislation to victory when she was an aide to San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, and co-produced the “Lavender Sweep” that elected several lesbian and gay candidates. Harris also instigated needle exchange while working for San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan, became the executive director of Basic Rights Oregon to take on homophobic bigots, and the first executive director of the organization that became Equality California (EQCA).

Harris was front and center at a Queer Nation marriage equality protest at San Francisco City Hall, and she shooed the San Francisco Police Department Tactical Squad away after a storming of the City Clerk’s office and a mock wedding for eight couples. Her small army of domestic partnership campaigners easily overwhelmed local and bussed-in fundamentalists who tried to stop her. She met her match during the Rodney King protests in San Francisco when she was clubbed along with many others, and a huge angry cry went up when her clubbing was screened at the Roxie Theatre. Harris was decked out in a tuxedo and thoroughly enjoyed herself as the host of an election night celebration when Harry Britt became San Francisco Board of Supervisors President with over 110,000 votes.

Notables who attended the event at Delancey Street included: Kate Kendell, Roma Guy, Eileen Hanson, Happy Hyder, Dianne Jones, Dana Van Gorder, Geoff Kors, Ken Jones, Rafael Mandelman. Leslie Katz, Sharon Johnson, Kate Monica Klein, Lea Militello, and Melinda Paras. The reception was coordinated by Carol Stuart, and the choice of space and catering was impeccable.

Democratic Central Committee member Carole Migden passionately and eloquently summed up Harris and she received sustained applause:

Democratic Central Committee member Carole Migden

“Jean Harris was an absolutely original person, a harbinger ahead of her time. Coming from an awful life, Jean blasted into town in the mid eighties with a fierce agenda and a razor focus. She quickly gained access to important people. She intuitively understood the levers of power and how to use them. She was intense and charismatic and she cared nothing about status or personal gain. She provoked and prodded, dressed like a man and took the bullet that came with that. She was cool, older than us, attracted women like a magnet and usually traveled in a pack. Jean was confident, and you knew when she entered the room. Many times over the years Jean would stop by my office unannounced. In came Jean, in came the most important issue of all time. To experience Jean Harris was like being caught in a tidal wave. You are awestruck and transfixed. You know you are witnessing something profound and encompassing. The force was stronger than you, you stopped resisting for the best and knew here there’d be a lot of mopping up later. Jean invented a social media way before Zuckerberg and way before texting and tweeting took hold. I love Jean Harris. She made me shine and she gave me many good times. I hope her profound contributions to LGBT equality get the recognition they deserve.”

The Trikone Protest at the Indian Consulate: Protesting Bigotry in San Francisco

2011-07-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Members of Trikone, an LGBT organization of people of South Asian descent in the San Francisco Bay Area, converged on the Consulate General of India in San Francisco on July 22 to protest homophobic bigotry. An official in a position to help or do harm, Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, had claimed that men who have sex with men are committing unnatural acts.

Trikone drew about two dozen members and supporters to the protest. Success was achieved when Deputy Indian Consul General Kumar Tuhin agreed to receive a letter of grievance from Trikone’s Susmita Thomas and Harsha Mallajosyula. The letter condemned the health minister’s bigoted statements, and it will be seen and hopefully commented on by the Consul General based in San Francisco. There were also complementary protests in New Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities.

The last LGBT protest at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco was a few years ago, when there was a strident reaction to some hospitals in large Indian cities that chained people with AIDS to beds.

For more information: www.trikone.org.

The GAPA Happy Hour at the Lookout Bar: Cocktails and a Runway Pageant Kickoff

2011-07-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Chi Chi la Woo (out of drag) and Keri Hanna

The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) hosted a crowded and friendly gathering for their Happy Hour at the Lookout Bar across the street from Café Flore in the Castro district on July 21. Promotion of GAPA’s Runway Pageant was a key impetus for the event, and the complexities of the pageant’s production was a leading topic over cocktails and complimentary pizza.

Glamorous Keri Hanna, the partner of popular South Bay comic Marty Grimes worked the room to get a feeling for her possible competition for Miss GAPA this year. Former Miss GAPA Chi Chi la Woo appeared out of drag in a sleek suit and he conferred with GAPA Second Princess Marijoy Tabatsoy, who also skipped his drag but he did wear his sash with some highly elevated masculine attire.

One of the most experienced GAPA party promoters and hosts, Ken Hamai, was the party's center of attention. Again this year he will be hosting the GAPA Runway VIP Reception, which is a wondrous hour of exciting guests both in and out of thrilling drag, fine liquor and wine, and gourmet fusion taste treats that starts at 5:45 PM on Aug. 13. The show starts on time at 7:00 PM.

Marijoy Tabatsoy (out of drag) and Keri Hanna

Runway is a unique pageant because of emcee Tita Aida’s talent for drawing out the best of the Miss and Mr. GAPA contestants, and because of the almost continuous, hilarious situations that have the audience laughing with the title-seekers. It is a fantastic pageant experience for a good cause that should not be missed.

The Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center is the event beneficiary.

More information at www.gapa.org.

AIDS Walk’s 25th Anniversary: 3 Million Dollars Raised to Support HIV/AIDS Services

2011-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

On July 17 more than 25,000 people gathered in Golden Gate Park for the 25th AIDS Walk San Francisco. More than 3 million dollars was raised for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) and HIV/AIDS programs and services throughout the Bay Area.

The SFAF is well known for its excellent Black Brothers Esteem, the Magnet clinic that is the medical and cultural center of the Castro, and El Grupo that serves Latinos. It is the 30th year of the HIV/AIDS scourge and the SFAF has battled it since it was founded in a two-man office space on Castro Street by Cleve Jones.

There was a steady roar of voices in the audience and around a couple acres of booths and check-in stands at one end of the huge space and music from the stage coming from the other direction. More than a thousand volunteers registered and coordinated the walkers, recycled throwaways, and handed out bananas, yogurt, health bars, and drinks.

The event began with a bang when Culture Shock dancers joined by former San Francisco City Supervisor Bevan Dufty led the crowd in a warm-up and motivational exercise. SFAF CEO Neil Giuliano inspired with his comments: “The funds raised by AIDS Walk San Francisco play a vital role in our efforts to radically reduce new HIV infections in San Francisco, ensure everybody knows their status, and make sure all people living with HIV/AIDS get the care they need. And AIDS Walk San Francisco is about a community of people coming together not only to create something special, but also to make a substantial impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS across the Bay Area.”

More than 74 million dollars has been raised by AIDS Walk San Francisco in the last 25 years. 48 organizations receive funds from the event. It is an optimistic and positive experience balanced by the knowledge that almost a thousand people sero-convert every year in San Francisco. The SFAF is working to half the infection rate by 2015, assure HIV+ individuals receive proper care, and just about everyone know their HIV status.

Emcees and celebrities included ABC 7’s Dan Ashley, Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty"), Alan Cumming ("The Good Wife"), and Cloris Leachman ("Raising Hope"). San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spoke and gave a proclamation to Giuliano, praising the vast scale of the fundraiser. Notables included State Senator Mark Leno, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Supervisors Scott Wiener and Ross Mirkarimi, Treasurer Jose Cisneros, and Police Chief Greg Suhr.

Actress Leachman is a polarizing figure in many groups in San Francisco. Her inexcusable behavior at Donna Sachet and Gary Virginia’s Pride Brunch a few years back undoubtedly limited her public appearances, but there were a few people who delighted in her AIDS Walk mooning, leaping onto the lap of Foundation Board Chair Tom Perrault to swig water, and grabbing the sign-language interpreter on stage.

Mary Birdsong from Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City: A New Musical” performed a sublime “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with four smiling backup singers. Judy Kale, also from Maupin’s show, sang an uplifting “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as the 25,000 began their several-mile trek.

Concerned volunteers mentioned that the SFAF had taken over the former California AIDS Ride to establish AIDS/LifeCyle to deny a producer a large amount of the funds raised, and asked why they have not taken the AIDS Walk San Francisco production away from Craig Miller’s MZA company. A boost to the funds available for fighting AIDS would result, and AIDS/LifeStroll was a popular proposed name for a re-named event.

Magnet Anniversary: Eight Years of Medicine and Culture in the Castro

2011-07-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Most of the Magnet staff made an appearance at the eighth-year anniversary party on July 9 at their beautifully designed space. On Magnet's inauguration day, Mayor Willie Brown exclaimed that it “looks like the W Hotel!” The design is a combination of blue and a shade of green not favored by many outside of art schools, with clear and colored plastic panels. The ceiling panels appear like they will fly out onto the street momentarily.

Steve Gibson, Magnet’s director, spoke about the clinic before it opened, and as he gathered support its importance became known when community activists realized that the San Francisco LGBT Community Center would not be hosting men and women’s health clinics. The Los Angeles and New York City centers provide HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and other health services for people who would rather be at an LGBT center to receive those services. Those centers receive millions of dollars for those clinics, and millions more for youth services.

Initially conceived as the health place for 1,500 clients, now Magnet sees more than 9,500 clients yearly. There are special flu shot opportunities, and considering the city’s charges for Hepatitis A and B shots, Magnet is the preferred location for those all-important injections. STD and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment is the clinic’s main function, and its most noticed difference from other clinics is the friendly staff and volunteers. Many of the clients are agitated and distraught about a sudden change in their health, and the Magnet greeters and treaters are able to provide an educational and calming experience. An array of young men and more seasoned gay and bisexual men are sprawled daily on modern seating, and the tension level rises and subsides with the glances and the music.

There is a monthly art or photography display, and on the evening of each month’s first Friday there is an opening party that draws a varied audience of sometimes intense locals and also friends of the presenter.

Cupcakes from Luna Bakery, a mother-and-son business, were served instead of the traditional anniversary cake, and Steve Gibson’s eloquent comments about the future for the health center drew the attention of San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner Mark Kelleher and psychiatrist and sex therapist David Ortmann and three dozen other guests.

Three Extraordinary Directors: Frameline Festival Treasures Revealed

2011-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Frameline's San Francisco Int'l LGBT Film Festival is over for 2011, but its best directors and their films are still being discussed by the filmerati and people who just love the movies. Documentary filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, gay romance filmmaker David Lewis, and gay short film director Philippe Gosselin presented some of the festival’s finest moments.

Chasnoff mentioned from the stage at the Castro Theatre that her latest film, "Celebrating the Life of Del Martin," is her ninth film to premiere at the Castro Theatre. Del Martin was the partner of Phyllis Lyon for more than 50 years, and they are the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis, the first modern lesbian activist group. Martin and Lyon are shown brilliantly in the film as intuitive activists, knowing when to push forward with their lesbian, human rights, and senior issues, and their book "Lesbian/Woman," is given the prominence that it deserves as a groundbreaking conscious-raising educational tool.

Debra Chasnoff is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker who was able to capture the risk-taking, the community service, and also the fun that Martin and Lyon have provided as an inspiration for future leaders.

David Lewis has infused his newest film "Longhorns" with some of the easy-going romance of his popular earlier films "Rock Haven" and "Redwoods." "Longhorns" may not have the sheen of the other two films, but considering its home-movie texture and the raw gay-on-straight sexuality in the first half of the film, a romantic sheen would be out of place. His films have a theme of timing and missed opportunities, and they should be screened together for their full visceral and primal impact. The nudity in his films is not gratuitous, but natural, which is surprising compared to the panorama of gay films shown at festivals.

Lewis received invaluable producing assistance from filmmaker H.P. Mendoza ("Fruit Fly" and "Colma: The Musical") and editing and music from Lewis Tice.

Philippe Gosselin’s new short film "The Rescue" drew shouts and loud laughter of pleasure as the guide at The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Boyfriends led an attractive man from viewing room to viewing room to check out a possible future mate wearing just underpants. The scene was filmed at the famous Wag Hotel in San Francisco, which is an internationally known as the place to park your canine. Gosselin’s earlier film that was shown at film festival, "The Window," is still talked about for its humor and sexual audacity. "The Rescue" went way beyond inventive in its creativity, giving actress Cynthia Seats as the guide, and infamous actors Steven Satyricon as the bear-otter mix and Michael Soldier as the pig bottom a opportunity to maximize their verbal and visual impact in just a few moments.

All three filmmakers surpassed themselves in their latest films, and their fans are looking forward to future projects.

A Fundraising Party for Assemblyman Tom Ammiano: Great Fun and Food at a Political Party

2011-06-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

California State Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, who served with distinction and humor on the San Francisco School Board and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was the center of attention at a fundraising party in North Beach on June 17. Ammiano was one of first teachers to come out in San Francisco, and he and other out teachers became an activist core for future progressive change.

His other career as a comic—from the days of the Valencia Rose Nightclub in San Francisco, around the Bay Area, and across the U.S—comes through when least expected, and it is appreciated in the legislatures where he has served.

The event’s big draw was the hors d’oeuvres by gourmet chef Esther Marks, an Ammiano campaign operative and co-host of the event. There were suspected Republicans at the event, and donor Hank Donat said that “when Esther Marks is catering, even Republicans will turn out for Tom Ammiano.”

It was also Democratic Party Chair Aaron Peskin’s birthday, and there was a large, heavily-scented dome of a cake being hungrily eyed by guests. Neighborhood women at the party spoke in reverential tones that it was from Stella Bakery, and even in the North Beach area of excellent bakeries, it stands out. The Sacripantina birthday cake is a fine, vanilla rum, sponge treasure, inducing a couple guests to ask for a second slice of the award-winning specialty of dessert pleasure.

Ammiano spoke about the Governor’s lack of communication before his budget veto, and co-host Dick Grosboll drew laughs when he said that the money raised may be needed for food and transportation for Anmiano, since the budget battle may lead to legislators being cut off from their paychecks. And a week later Ammiano was in fact cut off financially by the State of California.

Most of the guests were from the North Beach area, and others included Women’s Building founder Roma Guy, former Democratic Party Chair Jane Morrison, attorney Paul Melbostad, Sparc Club’s Erich Pearson and David Owen, Maurice Belote, and Joe Grubb.

Ammiano acknowledged that he can be seen in the online and TV video showing a near-fist fight in the California State Assembly chambers, and he said he yelled out “Now girls!” to cool them off. Openly-gay Assembly Speaker John Perez is also shown on the video doing much of the persuading for the men to cool off and sit down.

There was a thrilling view of Alcatraz and Marin from the condo windows at the party and Ammiano welcomed guests, going from room to room at his happy fundraiser.

Bevan Dufty’s Mayoral Neighborhood Gathering: A Pancake Breakfast Rally in the Castro

2011-06-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

A large crowd that rivaled the mass rallies against Proposition 8 that met in the same former Tower Records site space near Café Flore welcomed San Francisco mayoral candidate Bevan Dufty on June 11. It was promoted as a pancake breakfast that was prepared by Don Ramon’s Mexican Restaurant, which is highly regarded by many of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club members at the Saturday rally from the days when Robert Barnes was the club president and he presented meetings and parties at that popular South of Market venue.

Dufty wore an apron to join City Treasurer Jose Cisneros, activist Roberta Achtenberg, and the BART Board’s Lynette Sweet to serve a pancake treat to hungry precinct walkers. Many of the people who gathered to hear community leaders announce their support for Dufty knew each other from Dufty’s two supervisor campaigns and were happily greeting each other. Dufty’s communications director Roby Chavez coordinated the event and there was a smooth transition between the introductions and stage events.

Treasurer Cisneros acted as the event’s MC and introduced Achtenberg and Sweet, who glowingly spoke of their approval of Dufty as San Francisco’s next mayor, mostly as a hands-on people pleaser who has had the necessary experience while working for Mayor Willie Brown and also as a City Supervisor.

Dufty was then introduced to loud applause and he expanded on his years of service and his expectations as the city’s chief executive. He said that the event was a chance for his supporters to meet the campaign team. He introduced communications director Chavez and a dynamic young man named Joseph Rocha, who is working on the campaign. Rocha had a critically important job with the military and he was relieved of his duties because of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT). As he told his story, the audience was moved when they realized that he was an explosive detection canine handler, but his positive message that drew smiles was that he expects to return to service when DADT is ended. Astute audience members realized that a canine commando like Rocha was the first of the Navy Seals team to enter Osama Bin Laden’s lair during a recent incursion into Pakistan.

Prominent activists who attended the event included Cisneros’ partner Mark Kelleher, Audrey Joseph, Rafael Mandelman, Bob Dockendorff, Rebecca Prozan, Rebecca Goldfader (the mother of Dufty’s child Sidney), Michael Costa, and Bob Mitchitarian.

There were discussions in the crowd about Dufty’s chances for victory. As mentioned in a Dec. 30 San Francisco Bay Times article, Dufty has new traction in the race for mayor because State Senator Mark Leno likes his commission appointment in Sacramento and chose not to run for mayor. Since then, however there is chance that his Senate position will be eliminated and that decision is just a few days away from the deadline filing for mayor.

Candidate Dufty is know for his June Pride party floats which are more of an outrageous traveling dance party than the usual sight of a politician progressing slowly down Market Street in a car. A hint of how extreme this year’s Dufty Experience will be were the huge masses of blue and yellow balloons mounted in doorways, the kind that are worn at carnivals.

The RADAR Reading Series Eighth Anniversary: Michelle Tea Gets What She Wants

2011-06-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

The RADAR Reading Series, which for eight years has presented a cavalcade of literary artists for the enjoyment of their fans and the curious in search of new writers, is the wondrous creation of unique writer Michelle Tea. Tea is best known not only for hostessing the queercore RADAR Series, but also as a co-founder of the famous Sister Spit traveling spoken word tour and also her novels "Valencia" and "The Chelsea Whistle."

The special anniversary night at the San Francisco Main Public Library on June 1 featured performers that Tea had fantasized about introducing for years and all four were there, and they came on strong. Renee Gladman is a poet and professor, Chinaka Hodge is a playwright and poet, Jonathan David Katz was the co-curator of the recent National Portrait Gallery Hide/Seek exhibit, and Catherine Opie is a world-renowned photographer with a unique eye for high-impact images.

Karen Sundheim, of the library's James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, warmly greeted the sizable audience and announced the upcoming events for June, then Tea invited the throng to pick up a piece of eighth anniversary cake.

Renee Gladman is highly regarded for her novel "Event Factory," which is the first in a trilogy about a city in a foreign land that is undergoing crises similar to what is happening in America today. She is the author of four books of prose and her goal of enlarging the definition of what is poetry and what is prose is admirable and is reaching national readership.

Chinaka Hodge is riding high since the East Bay Express awarded her a Best Poet title in 2008. Her most recent book "For Girls With Hips" is in its third publication, due to heavy demand. She read others works that had meaning for her, but then she stepped away from the lectern and performed one of her own spoken word confections, with great physicality and she was met with sustained applause.

Jonathan David Katz drew his former students, political operatives who have been following the censorship media coverage of the Hide/Seek show at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and activists who knew him when he co-founded San Francisco’s Queer Nation. Katz taught at Yale University and he is the first tenured faculty member of a lesbian and gay studies program in U.S. history. He showed slides of images that were in the D.C. show and he discussed their Sapphic and homoerotic symbolism. Tea interjected that the attentive crowd was being treated to a Yale-level art lecture and that it should be inspirational and enlightening.

Photographer Catherine Opie’s slide show raised the tension level measurably in the auditorium with images of what she said was her type of butch lesbian. S&M scars were another subject of the slides, and her new expansion into photographs of male high school football players made it possible for more of the diverse audience to appreciate the subjects of her work, which she said is influenced by the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe. Opie is a professor of photography at UCLA, and it was evident that about half the crowd came by to see her when Tea announced that the June 17 benefit for RADAR at the Verdi Club will not have Good Vibrations sex toys as raffle prizes, since each audience member already owned all of them. There was a loud roar of laughter in a room with almost every one of the 200+ seats filled.

The event did not end when the library closed because a large number of the audience members crowded the sidewalk outside to meet and mingle and discuss what they had seen and heard, long after the RADAR anniversary was over. Coordinator Tea and the Hormel Center deserve multiple compliments for a superb event.

Racing to Benefit the Castro Country Club: Running in Heels for a Good Cause

2011-06-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

Four hysterically screaming drag queens ran down Castro Street on May 30, Memorial Day, to the delight of locals, tourists, and a neighborhood street cleaning crew. It was a race from Jane Warner Plaza to the beneficiary, the Castro Country Club, which is a living sober space that has saved lives for more than 28 years. More than $2,500.00 was raised by contestant registrations, sale of raffle tickets, online donors, and barbecue contributions for the Keep the Steps in the Castro campaign to raise funds to make a downpayment on the building. There has been accelerating anxiety among members and supporters caused by the Club building being listed for sale in an economic downturn. The steps in the campaign title refer to the steps in front of the Club, which are known for an array of attractive shirtless men on sunny days.

Race contestants Hi Colonic Anderson, Landa Lakes, Randy Randi, and Olivia Heart are unique characters and each brought a special exuberance to the event. Anderson was the race winner and raised the most money and sported a large white wig, expressive makeup, cobalt blue short shorts, and a red shirt to complete an all-American look. Lakes is the organizer of the Brush Arbor Gurlz,
a Native American Two Spirits drag group, and an admired former Grand Duchess who came in second in the race in a rhinestone-studded black stretch dress inspired by Madonna. Randi wore a hot pink shirt, sparkle shorts, and a feather boa topped with a plumed hat. Heart, the race coordinator who came in last because of a broken heel, wore a red and white dress adorned by a Queen of Hearts sash, and heart-topped tiara.

In past races two large men ran alongside the runners, but this year the contestants simply signed a liability statement. One runner playfully mentioned that they should ask San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener if they should sign the statements, since he was nearby and he is an attorney. Lakes was clever enough to wear elbow and knee pads, and he had a cheering section led by his lover Hung Phan, who does drag as Miso Hornay, and Phan’s adorable young niece Emelie.

Charming barista Matt served Peet’s coffee, which is considered the best brew offered in the Castro, while a hot dog barbecue filled the distinctive garden. Notable guests included striking King of
Hearts Patrick Bondreaux, who found himself being enticed to share Hi Colonic Anderson’s hotdog after he had cast off his drag to become Jason. Grand Duke Jason Husted was there with his consort Christopher Humphries who is Mr. August on the 2012 Bare Chest Calendar that benefits the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Positive Resource Center. Comic Nick Leonard stopped by with his lover Sandra O, and photographers Mike Shriver and Michael Kerner captured images for club members.

Race winner Anderson and best drag winner Randi received generous gift bags with books and gift cards for Foot Worship, Payless Shoes, Orphan Andy’s and AMC Theaters.

For information about the Club: www.castrocountryclub.org

The Elizabeth Taylor Party at the Lookout: A Spectacle Benefit to Honor a Great Star

2011-05-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

There was a spectacle to honor actress Elizabeth Taylor at the Lookout bar on May 27 that rivaled their other raucous events. The Lookout is not a part of the Castro Triangle of bars that rarely allow fundraisers, and their tempting bartenders sometimes leap from behind the bar to become pageant contestants.

The party was a benefit for AIDS/LifeCycle and Project Inform, and both are worthy charities that need support. AIDS/LifeCycle is an event sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and their Executive Director Neil Giuliano conferred with co-host Donna Sachet, while the other co-host Sister Pat N Leather MC’ed. The event was sponsored by Stoli Vodka and the Lookout and a large crowd yelled enthusiastically for the performers. Sachet wowed the audience with a dance in a shimmering golden gown and a Pharaoh’s flail and shepard’s crook, that echoed dancing scenes in Taylor’s monumental film "Cleopatra."

Hunky bare-chested Stoli Men Brandon, Devin, Chad, Evan, and Bunny were persuasive at selling Jello-O shots and raffle tickets. DJ John LePage put out cools sounds and the drink specials were popular. Guests gathered around champion fundraiser Deana Dawn in awe, because of her convincing illusion of Taylor when she was at the height of her beauty. Stunning Dawn wore a faux diamond-studded white gown, with glittering bracelets on her long white gloves, with more sparkles around her neck and dangling from her ears. Café Flore manager Gary Virginia hovered nearby to protect Dawn from possibly infatuated straight men, and gay men approached reverentially to compliment her for her total effect, from her silver heels to her Hollywood fluff hairdo. Former Empress Cockatelia came out of her usual exquisite drag, as if in a tribute to Dawn, and he also commented on the fine impersonation.

Lots of much needed funds were raised for the two beneficiaries and it was an all around good time for everyone.

A White Diamond Tribute for Elizabeth Taylor at the Castro Theatre

2011-05-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Taylor had not received much in the way of thanks from the HIV/AIDS community in San Francisco that she helped so much until the night of May 27 at the Castro Theatre. Taylor Juel conceived of the benefit for Project Inform and Aaron Baldwin worked with him to coordinate the stage presentation to honor Taylor and commemorate the 30th year of AIDS.

Usually shirtless with muscles bared at street fairs and leather parties, Baldwin causes almost pathological staring by gay men and the air pressure around him seems to triple.

Project Inform works to find better treatments and a cure for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, and helps people access information to make decisions about their health care.

The event was called a White Diamonds Tribute for Elizabeth Taylor, which referred to her White Diamonds perfume. Ads for the scent featuring Taylor in moody tropical scenes are shown in TV ads every December holiday season for the last couple years. Juel let some guests know that love was in the air at the event. His new lover was pouring the champagne that was raised in toasts to actress Taylor and he was taking Juel away to live in a Seattle love nest the next day.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Pat N Leather spoke about his despair when he found out that he had AIDS. His despair changed to hope when Elizabeth Taylor spoke out for a cure for AIDS and for compassion for infected people. Leather challenged the large audience to be the activist that Taylor was and make a difference. Then Project Inform Executive Director Dana Van Gorder spoke about an upcoming concentrated drive to find cures for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in the next ten years. He said that the infections that enter 59,000 people's bodies in the U.S., and 1,000 in San Francisco every year, have to be stopped and the technology to do that is becoming possible.

Openhouse Executive Director Seth Kilbourn spoke about the overwhelming persuasive power of Eliabeth Taylor at his organization’s recent luncheon. He was a young Capitol Hill intern who watched Taylor approach curmudgeon homophobic legislators in the early 1980s and saw that their opposition to her requests for AIDS melt as she shook their hands and smiled at them. That is the kind of personal attention that Pat N Leather and Dana Van Gorder expressed when they looked out into the theater throng and spoke optimistically of a better future.

The Project Inform Spring Brunch at the Federal Building: A Dramatic Observation of AIDS at 30 Years

2011-05-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

Project Inform is the non-profit agency that provides information for people with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C to keep them alive through awareness of drug treatments, monitor funding for health needs, and alleviate suffering. Their commemoration of the 30th year of AIDS was observed at the San Francisco Federal Building Sky Garden on May 22nd, Harvey Milk’s Birthday. The Sky Garden is a huge 3 floor maw of an opening in the structure that is keyed into the building’s green technology that uses natural light and solar power to use less fossil fuel than buildings of comparable size. The agency prefers to choose unusual and outstanding venues for their events, and the second annual Spring Brunch was at a dramatic locale with spectacular North and South views.

Project Inform’s Executive Director Dan Van Gorder and Deputy Executive Director for Development Henry Lucero greeted early guests in the immense lobby where the agency’s name and radiating spoons and forks party symbol was backlit on a wall panel. Development Manager Taylor Juel, who made a provocative fashion statement at the recent Suzan Revah-sponsored Nasty Party at the Powerhouse to benefit Project Inform, welcomed party-goers at the venue foyer.

The bright Sunday morning light combined with many of the guests’ memories of over-indulgence on Saturday night drew them to order stiff Bloody Mary cocktails. Global Gourmet Catering provided delicious made-to-order South of the Border cuisine that had diners coming back for seconds.

Executive Director Van Gorder spoke about the expansion of the agency’s mission from HIV/AIDS to include Hepatitis C and that the goal is not only to devise treatment for the two infections, but also find cures. This tied in with the people who were being honored at the event.

There was a surprise change in the program when Van Gorder introduced special guest Cleve Jones, who founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and co-founded the Names Project.

Jones had met with Van Gorder at Supervisor Harry Britt’s office in 1981 to tell him about a new disease that had been observed infecting gay men in Los Angeles, and that an alarm needed to be sounded. This was the beginning of the AIDS epidemic that has ended so many lives and dominated so many others for three decades. Shortly afterwards it was observed in San Francisco, and a Black Dawn bacchanal benefit was staged for GRID (what AIDS was called then) to help raise funds for men who had become ill with something that doctors knew little about.

Jones stated that Project Inform had kept him alive, and he thanked the agency’s founder Martin Delaney, John James and others, and said that his position at Leo McCarthy’s Sacramento office in 1981 helped him to access Centers for Disease Control documents to try to understand what was happening. Jones passionately described the huge number of deaths and the despair that it caused when the epidemic appeared to be a pandemic in the mid 1980s, and how men and women in the LGBT community and its allies rose to the occasion to help the suffering and try to treat the manifestations of the HIV/AIDS. People were falling to the ground with convulsions from brain tumors, dying days after a diagnosis of lung congestion in terrible pain, and making a last visit to a favorite café in a wheelchair while other coffee drinkers quietly noticed the Kaposi Sarcoma lesions on their faces and hands. He also said that after all of the horrors that the community has endured, no one should dare to deny equal rights of same-sex marriage and military service to LGBT citizens.

The honorees chosen by Project Inform were the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force and its members Alex Randolph, Dominique Leslie, and Emalie Huriaux.

Alex Randolph founded the Hepatitis C Task Force while he was Mayor Gavin Newsom's Special Assistant of LGBT Affairs. He is now the Deputy Director of Community Affairs in the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. Randolph brought his devoted lover Trevor Nguyen who is active with the Berlin and Beyond Film Festival and the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance.

Dominique Leslie is the Task Force’s co-chair and a secretary at their meetings. She has worked on a program for new inventive awareness and treatments for Hepatitis C.

Emalie Huriaux has worked for a decade as a public health educator and is an expert on reproductive and sexual health, HIV, drugs, and homeless needs. She is involved with street outreach to homeless women and she set up a needle exchange for women.

There was detailed information throughout the event for guests, and many are generous donors. The only factor that seemed to be missing was a mention of what is a leading cause of HIV and Hepatitis C infection, which is the continuing scourge of crystal meth addiction.

Project Inform’s Director of Public Policy Ryan Clary is greatly admired for his work. He spoke about the growing need to add Hepatitis C to HIV/AIDS as a target for better treatments and eventual cures. Many clients have both HIV and Hepatitis C and the combined treatments are a devastating anguish for many of them. There is to be a narrowing of focus with medical and research experts toward cures, though the results so far have been discouraging.

The non-profit’s Director of Health Care Policy Anne Donnelly recently received a well-deserved honor at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation Dinner and it was made clear that she is effective while drawing the best from her co-workers.

Prominent guests included donor Bob Dockendorff, former San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty with his mayoral campaign communications director Roby Chavez, Hothouse Entertainment’s Sister Roma and her smiling entourage, and the Drug Policy Alliance’s Laura Thomas who was a vision in a dress, jewelry, and buccaneer boots out of a Johnny Depp film in shades of bronze.

The next event to benefit Project Inform is A White Diamond Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor at the Castro Theatre on May 27. Taylor is being honored for her strong advocacy for AIDS awareness, funding, and compassion.

For more information: www.projectinform.org

The Imperial Court Investiture at the Infusion Lounge: The Beginning of a Glorious Reign

2011-04-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

More than 100 elegantly dressed Imperial Court members and supporters appeared at the futuristic Infusion Lounge on April 3 to celebrate the investiture of the new Empress Saybeline and Emperor Frankie. Colorful, rich brocades competed with shimmering satins and organza for attention.

Infusion has been the striking site of many recent remarkable LGBT community events thanks to Michael Costa, who helps manage the venue. There was a bountiful buffet and guests enjoyed meeting the attractive young man who surprisingly directs traffic in the ultra modern unisex bathroom.

Former Empress China Silk kept track of the performers list and graciously introduced MCs Jason Ladd and Collette Le Grande. Former Emperor Berlin sang the national anthem in his own unique style—he and former Emperor John Weber are well known for singing professionally from the back of the annual Leatherwalk truck. Rev. Lyle Beckman gave a blessing for the new empress and emperor. Weber was dressed in grand Mardi Gras style in a brocade frock coat and bowler.

The Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco was represented by their new cute artistic director William Sauerland and hunky board member Jim Oerther, and they were quick to promote their upcoming concerts and future musical creations.

Chanel Cologne was surrounded by her escorts George Langford and David Newberg. Mr. Golden Gate State Gay Rodeo John Paul Soto arrived with his Baron Chris Benson. Besotted couple Grand Duke Jason Husted and Christopher Humphreys spent much of the evening wrapped around each other as the enjoyed their first year together, and took breaks to greet friends.

Grand Duchess Cookie Dough and performer Steven Satyricon were on stage with Bebe Sweetbriar in a hooker and john drama, as was Landa Lakes with Miso Hornay, U-Phoria, and Becky Motor Lodge, in a stylish and animalistic high-energy dance.

Sleek Patty McGroin paraded through the afternoon fête in a red and silver sparkled gown, and Stockton’s Empress Uneke Chanel joined China Silk at her stage show command table. Former Emperor Stephen Dorsey and former Empress Renita Valdez spoke with fans and enjoyed the stage show.

A high point of the show was when young shirtless stud Maxwell Lynch danced gracefully with ostrich plumes while former Empress Chablis lip-synched. Elaborately dressed Empress Saybeline and Emperor Frankie bestowed certificates of honor on their subjects throughout the afternoon, and all were appreciative of being recognized.

The next big Imperial event is the Sacramento Coronation on April 16, and that will give anyone who feels that they were short-changed because they have not received an invitation to the British Royal Wedding a chance to be submerged in pomp. Gold crowns, velvet robes, Elizabeth Taylor-sized jewels, beautiful men dressed in glamorous drag, handsome men dressed in heavily-medaled uniforms, and stunning women wearing drag and uniforms await guests to an event that will have a sizable San Francisco Imperial presence.

Information is at: www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Dan Savage and Husband Terry Miller at SF State University: The Climactic It Gets Better Anti-Bullying Event

2011-04-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Terry Miller and Dan Savage

Controversial sex advice columnist Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller attracted a crowd of more than 300 enthusiastic students and curious visitors to the César Chavez Student Center at San Francisco State University on March 25. It was unique in many ways. Savage is loved and hated for his sometimes black-and-white take on hot-button issues. He baits the far right whenever he can, but his appearance was to promote his new book "It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living."

Savage walked out onto the stage smiling and wearing his customary T-shirt and dark jeans. His charismatic personality and pumped-up arm muscles took over. He is a trouper since he has been on a grueling book tour while inflicted with influenza.

Savage told the audience how he was horrified by the surge of reported LGBT teen suicides last summer. Realizing that parents would not let him speak to middle school and high school students, he decided to use YouTube to contact at risk LGBT youth. He used an edgy tone of voice and grinned when he said that some parents wanted to keep him away from their daughters, but the young women could check out the videos under their bed covers on their iPads.

The first It Gets Better video was posted on Sept. 2010. It was a message from Savage and Miller telling queer and questioning youth that things will get better, that they should be patient and, if possible, move to a larger, more liberal locale. Numerous youth have messaged that the videos have given them hope and deterred their suicides. The campaign has become a huge phenomenon with more than 10,000 videos reaching over 15 million viewers.

The campaign has been profiled in Time Magazine ("10 Questions for Dan Savage"), on TV’s Nightline ("Savage Love"), in the New York Times ("Campaign Offers Help to Gay Youths"), on CNN ("Gays targeted for hate crimes"), and on NPR ("For Gay Teens, Life 'Gets Better'").

President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tim Gunn, as well as diverse individuals, groups, schools, businesses and non-profits have all produced It Gets Better videos.

Terry Miller, Savage’s rarely seen partner, was a revelation with biblical blond good looks that rival idealized actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar during his period of flowing golden locks. Miller wore a plaid shirt and a whimsical bow tie surprisingly matched with a hunky physique inside tight, worn, fantasy-inducing jeans. Miller had a strong command of the serious nature of the project. There was low-level guttural murmuring about him and some appreciative growling later during the book signing.

The agreement between Savage and Miller was that Miller be kept out of Savage’s career, but Miller made an exception for the It Gets Better campaign. They were married in Canada, but since they live in Seattle there is noticeable resentment throughout Savage’s nationally syndicated column Savage Love that he cannot marry in the State of Washington.

Savage is increasingly relentless in his disgust for people who continue to say that they “Love gays but hate their sin.” The columnist says that such an attitude is a source of potential suicides. He is widely known for linking the messy residue of a sex act with rabidly homophobic former senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), and it is believed to have helped defeat the bigot at the ballot box.

The production of a book version of the It Gets Better campaign is important since some reactionary parents place the family computer in the living room and monitor it closely. And like some schools, some parents block YouTube videos. Savage said that students could do what he did in the library when he secretly looked at gay books by hiding them inside another book.

A video produced at SF State was shown, and then Equality California (EQCA) Executive Director Geoff Kors spoke eloquently about three anti-bullying bills being placed before the California state legislature by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, State Senator Mark Leno, and the EQCA. Kors also announced two lobbying days in Sacramento. The one on April 4 traditionally draws a huge turnout of high-energy queer youth who eagerly walk the Capitol corridors and offices.

Then contributors to the It Gets Better book read from their portions. Anthony Antoine flew in from Atlanta, and Taylor Bailey, Joe Mastro, Kristen Rivers, and Tamsyn Waterhouse also read and spoke about how they became involved in the campaign to save lives. The profits from the book go to the Trevor Project, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and the ACLU's LGBT Rights | Youth & Schools project.

A potential flash point occurred at the beginning of the Q&A when a sarcastic voice yelled out the common criticisms of Savage’s sometimes outrageous column, led by his alleged bi-phobia. The columnist acknowledged the accusation and said that he thought that he was a bisexual before he accepted his homosexuality after a few years. He thought that other men who say that they are bisexual will eventually accept their gayness just as he did. It was mentioned later that Savage could spend some time in San Francisco and meet some happy bisexual men who have alternated in their dating between the genders for decades.

And it was repeated that Savage could spend some time in therapy in the Bay Area to overcome his Catholic guilt and need for punishment, which he spoke about. But this need for punishment wonderfully demolishes any pleasure his critics could seek when they've attacked him with hate mail over the course of his 20-year career. And his critics are ferocious because he can criticize them in his column and it can involve their sex lives.

Young people can be seen around town on Wednesdays reading the latest column of Savage Love in the SF Weekly aloud to friends and laughing, gagging, or staring at each other in amazement depending on the subject.

Savage is despised for announcing that if men want oral sex, then their female partners should receive equal oral sex. The reported increasing need of men to try anal sex with women not only has Savage suggesting that the men be equally penetrated with dildos, but also with strap-on dildos, as seen in Good Vibrations’ iconic hit film Bend Over Boyfriend. Messages seething with anxiety pour in to the columnist from men begging him to say that such acts will not make them gay.

One of Savage's most admirable messages is to his straight readers warning them that the authoritarian far right not only opposes queer sex, but also alternative non-queer sex. Savage has even fearlessly taken on possibly the most fanatical group in our culture — the anti-circumcision crew who threatened his life when he said that maybe his son would be circumcised since there is a perceived “ick” factor from many people who are prejudiced against foreskins.

Savage is a sexual liberationist in the tradition of gay rights founder Harry Hay and the 1970’s Gay Liberation Front, and he is carrying on a valuable tradition.

Links:
YouTube It Gets Better Project
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living
Savage Love

The Lyon-Martin Academy Awards Benefit Party: Glamor and Caring at Trigger

2011-03-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

Phyllis Lyon, Rebecca Prozan, Dr. Betty L. Sullivan, and Scott Wiener

Some of the glamor on the Academy Awards’ red carpet was matched, but with a uniquely San Francisco edge and lesbian-chic flavoring at the Lyon-Martin Clinic Academy Awards benefit at the Trigger Lounge in the Castro on Feb. 27. The event drew a large, diverse group of lesbians and their friends to a sumptuous setting to insure the future of the treasured community clinic, which is a source of low cost and free health care for women and transgender clients.

Lyon-Martin board chair Lauren Winter favored a Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ensemble and the clinic’s interim executive director Dawn Harbatkin matched her with a slinky Gilda-inspired gown and long gloves.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan of Betty’s List and Greg Bronstein of Flavors You Crave presented the second annual awards that coincide with the overwrought Hollywood event. Bronstein owns Trigger and the nearby Lime Lounge and is known throughout the Bay Area for his attractive, friendly employees, and especially his smiling, attentive bartenders.

Betty’s List is a leading information source and promotional aid for thousands of subscribers and businesses. Sullivan and her crew are not only bringing together a broad range of supporters to save Lyon-Martin Health Services, but they also joined with Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, Jody Cole, Chris Carnes, and others to make the San Francisco LGBT Community Center possible. They made it clear that women would be a large part of that long-overdue building’s operation.

Trigger's giant projection screen loomed over the guests who enjoyed champagne and stiff drinks. Large quantities of luscious mini-sliders and succulent deviled eggs were served by eye-catching Taylor Perry. She worked smoothly with bartenders Chris Nguyen and Jason Oscara, while sexy dancers Manuel and Crystal were poised to celebrate the gathering of caring donors to a good cause.

Sexy dancers Manuel and Crystal

A guest of honor was lesbian pioneer Phyllis Lyon, and her friend Pan Haskins was thanked for making Lyon’s appearances possible. Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Prozan, activist-philanthropist Jody Cole, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, former Supervisor Bevan Dufty, and Sullivan's partner Jennifer Viegas mingled and enjoyed the hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Donna Sachet showed up to host in a white gown seemingly writhing with red flames. Transgender activist Jamison Green performed spoken word with his wife Dawn looking on. And comic Marga Gomez was over the top and had everyone laughing until it hurt.

Betty (center) and her party guests

Olivia Cruises provided the starring raffle prize of a $1,500 voyage. Commander Zoe Dunning energized the room and had people laughing uproariously as she raised $550 for two vials of sperm from Pacific Reproductive Services. Olivia also featured popular DJ Rockaway whose sounds enhanced the party.

Dr. Sullivan summed up the evening with a message to her family of friends and supporters: “More than $7,500 total in in-kind and cash donations were raised for the Lyon-Martin Clinic. It was a fine evening for all involved and letters and notes of appreciation and praise are continuing to flow in from supporters of our community’s storied clinic providing services for the uninsured and under-insured patients.”

More photos can be seen at flickr.com/rinkfoto.

High LGBT Culture for Black History Month

2011-02-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

Marvin K. White, Jewelle Gomez, and Brian Freeman

Three masters of this era’s Black LGBT culture appeared at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center for a Black History Month event on Feb. 18. Jewelle Gomez, Marvin K. White, and Brian Freeman are accomplished writers and performers who were on stage for a full house of mostly African Americans on a rainy night. Over 100 people from local groups enjoyed “Generations: Black LGBT Experiences” to celebrate those who came before and paved the way for our present society and the ads promised “food, art, entertainment, and much more.” There was artwork that featured popular Black LGBT icons such as Sylvester and Angela Davis along the wall where a buffet at such events is usually provided. Instead of a buffet there was a sparse food offering for people who depend on such meals and for others who work hard and sometimes forget to eat lunch.

Jewelle Gomez performed a scene from her book “The Gilda Stories” that entranced the audience. The book is celebrating its 20th anniversary in print and is the only black lesbian vampire character in the world of literature. Gomez is a writer and activist and was a litigant with her wife Diane Sabin, who attended the reading, in the Proposition 8 court case that ended successfully in marriage equality. Gomez has also taken on the enormous tasks of President of the San Francisco Library Commission and dispersing much-needed grants at the Horizons Foundation.

Marvin K. White is a playwright, poet, visual artist, performer, and community arts coordinator. He is a former member of Pomo Afro Homos troupe, who performed at the Castro’s Josie’s Cabaret and Juice Joint and all over the U.S. He powerfully read from his spine tingling and affirming spoken word poem “I Want to Make Black History with You” and it drew resounding yells of approval from the audience.

Brian Freeman is a co-founder and director of Pomo Afro Homos. His work “Civil Sex” is based on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s openly-gay strategist Bayard Rustin and is highly regarded. He assumed the voice of Rustin’s event piano accompanist to tell a hilarious story about Coretta Scott King’s attempt to sing at a rally.

All three of the evening’s performers are fine actors and they convincingly portrayed the characters from their work and mesmerized the crowd, drawing rounds of applause.

Free rapid HIV and STD tests were available and the event was sponsored by Black Brothers Esteem of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, African American Health Disparities Project, AfroSolo Theatre Company, Black Coalition on AIDS, HIV Prevention and HIV Research Sections of the SFDPH, Our Love of the Stop AIDS Project, the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Shanti, Trans:Thrive of the Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center, and Walden House.

Activist Steve Ibarra, who works at City College battling HIV/AIDS and STDs, said that he was at the party to represent Blatinos. It was an extremely successful event and next year’s Generations is bound to be even bigger.

The Mr. Powerhouse Contest: Raw Male Sexuality on Parade

2011-02-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

Mr. Powerhouse 2011 Darren Bondy

The Powerhouse Bar is known as a center of raw male sexuality, especially during a big event. The Mr. Powerhouse Contest on Feb. 18 was one of those prime events. It coincided with the International Bear Rendezvous ensuring that there was a crush and lots of sweaty guys got to be up against their favorite studs.

Aaron Baldwin (left) and friends

Stunning Aaron Baldwin was posed behind the bar — irresistible and shirtless and being worshiped by a large friendly blond. Baldwin is a fundraiser for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence charities. He spoke passionately at a memorial for Matthew Shepard telling the heartbreaking story about a deer that sat at Shepard’s feet as he was dying while tied to a fence.

Richie Lillard and Adam Musgrave

A title holder murmured that his leather jacket had to be lowered into a bag with his name on it, like at sex parties, by coat check guy Albert Cromedy of the SOMA Guardians, because the coatroom was as packed as the bar. Tag team lovers Sean Kline and Philip Beers checked out the cruising guests while emperor candidate Ray McKenzie campaigned at the bar choke point. Charming Richie Lillard and Adam Musgrave served José Cuervo shots with a smile to promote the popular tequila.

Mr. Powerhouse 2003 Troy Anicete with Mr. Powerhouse 2010 Lance Holman

Bar manager Scott Peterson moved through the party, being eyed by regulars who like to see him in a jockstrap at special events. Friendly bartender José Guevara worked the back bar and redheaded bar back Charles was a tantalizing moving target for his admirers.

Judges Lance Holman, Brandon Clark, Ron Balos, Matt Johnson, and Troy Anicete

The attentive and good-natured contest judges included Brandon Clark, Ron Balos, Matt Johnson, Troy Anicete, and Lance Holman. Balos described himself as “eye candy” and he did resemble a sexy, handsome porn star in his harness and low-cut jeans. Anicete was a big hit at a SF Pride benefit where his custom made jeans raised big money from Deputy Vince Calvarese. Holman is the impressive 2010 Mr. Powerhouse who then won the Mr. San Francisco Leather Contest and beat out dozens of men to be Mr. International Leather runner-up in Chicago.

Contestants Hanz Bustamante and Darren Bondy with MC Travis Creston

Travis Creston MC’ed. He is not only a primal bartop go-go dancer, but he also starred in the gay Egyptian film "All My Life" by filmmaker Maher Sabry.

Darren Bondy

The 2011 winner was Darren Bondy who spoke with emotion that his favorite kinky sex involved a vacuum cleaner. A high point of the evening was when a judge asked Bondy if his inhumanly bulging leather jockstrap was padded and photographer Rich Stadtmiller rose to the occasion to reach up to jock-squeeze for everyone’s clarification. Runner-up Hanz Bustamante spoke through cute sign language interpreter Kevin to make it clear that he is versatile and enjoys butt sex with cherries.

Runner-up Hanz Bustamante with his ASL interpreter Kevin

The event ended with resounding applause and with good wishes for Bondy for when he runs for Mr. San Francisco Leather.

Darren Bondy from the back

The Female Condom Re-Introduction on Valentine’s Day: Women and Gay Men Try a Better Condom

2011-02-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Christopher Carz Adams and Vincent Fuqua of the SFDPH

While a sit-in at City Hall by Marriage Equality protesting
the continued second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays was happening, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) held a press conference on Valentine’s Day Feb.14 at the Civic Center. The department’s gunmetal gray education school bus was parked directly across from the seat of government and the health workers were dispensing the newly designed female condom for women and gay men. Some media members mistook the bus for a sheriff’s department vehicle and gazed into the windows expecting to see recently arrested Molly McKay, Davina Kotulski, Frank Capley, and Joe Alfano with their faces pressed up against the windows, holding up their bound wrists, and with pitiful expressions on their faces.

The earlier female condom was not as popular as expected because there were complaints about its comfort level. Like the redesigned Avanti plastic condom, the new FC2 female plastic condom has a reformulated consistency that is thinner and it does not bunch up. There is an expectation that it will find its way into the bedrooms of women and gay men who would like to use oil lubricants like Vasoline — and the sexual penetrators will be quietly celebrating that they do not have to wear a condom. It is a turnaround that the person being penetrated wears the new condom.

Alert Christopher Carz Adams, who is an SFDPH HIV Research Section outreach worker, joined SFDPH health educator Vincent Fuqua and others to ride to four locations besides Civic Center to engage people and hand out the new condoms in a gift bag. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Sharin’ Dippity Revealed, Pat N Leather, and a novice were in on the educational campaign, and two smiling women in Islamic dress greeted them at Civic Center. Stores in the Castro have the new condoms on their counters, and now is the time for the curious and the sexual avant-garde to try them out.

The SFDPH's "the fc2 for When He's Into You" female condom campaign can be reached at 415.355.2040 and www.fc2sf.org.

The Castro Fire Benefit at the Lookout Bar: The Community Pulls Together During a Tragedy

2011-02-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

Organizer Kate Ryken, host Rebecca Prozan, and friend of the victims Elissa Berger

There was a community fundraiser to benefit the victims of the fires in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood at the Lookout bar on Feb. 15. The event drew a cross section of local LGBT neighbors and friends to the trendy hot spot. Guests got a cold chill that was not from the cool drizzle when they spotted the horrific fire damage on a building’s façade just one home over from the Lookout on 16th Street. Activists Eileen Hanson and Denise Wells live in the building next to the damaged building, and Wells attended the benefit.

Thirteen people were displaced by the fire and they were thankful to the San Francisco Fire Department for their fast attention to a tragedy that could have been much worse. The arsonist set a fire that engulfed the front of the building and it could have caused injuries and deaths.

Victorian building in the Castro damaged by an arson fire

Friends of the victims Kate Ryken and Elissa Berger sold raffle tickets for prime goods and services from Café Flore, Nancy Boy, restaurants Home and Chow, and Beach Blanket Babylon. The donors and the raffle ticket buyers were thanked for their generosity. Hostess Rebecca Prozan joined San Francisco City Supervisor Scott Wiener, Rafael Mandelman, Andrea Shorter, and Charles Sheehan and dozens of others to try to alleviate the pain of a forced evacuation.

Fine sounds from the Lookout’s DJ APC (Andrew Gibbons) made it clear that he does not have Bieber Fever. His striking, wholesome, good looks rival those of DJ Christopher B who plays at the bar’s Pledge party.

A sleek, classy, seven-foot-tall drag queen in a clinging royal-blue dress sashayed through the benefit and revealed herself to be Patty McGroin, owner of the new drag clothing store Cocomo’s on Castro Street. It is the kind of business that will be of considerable help to cross-dressing neophytes and McGroin’s blue ensemble could be a fine choice for Supervisor Wiener on Halloween.

The protection group Castro Community on Patrol was represented by Greg Carey and Rick Holte. They handed out arson warning flyers with phone numbers to call and what to watch or listen for on one side and fire safety tips on the other side.

Victorian building in the Castro damaged by an arson fire

There is increased tension in the neighborhood, but there is also a new bonding and alertness that has caused an awareness that future fires can be deterred or at least spotted before they become serious. Increased police patrols possibly saved lives when a non-arson related fire broke out days after the Castro fires on Clayton Street and officers were passing by at 3:00AM. The police department suspects that the evil-doer being hunted has prior arson arrests, Neighbors who are agitated by the chronic vandalism in the Castro think that those destructive perpetrators may be linked to the fires.

The Equality California Dinner at San Francisco City Hall: A Proud Thank You, Honors, and a Farewell

2011-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

Civil rights pioneer Phyllis Lyon, NCLR executive director Kate Kendell, and Kate's partner Sandy Holmes

Equality California (EQCA)'s 2011 San Francisco Equality Awards at City Hall on Feb. 12 was a resounding success, where more than 600 community leaders, activists, elected officials, labor and corporate leaders packed into multiple spaces where they could see the evocative festivities or view them on wide-screen televisions. It was also the triumphant farewell for executive director Geoff Kors, who is stepping down after nine years to spend more time with his handsome lover James Williamson. It was a marvelous love story that the audience appreciated just two days before Valentine’s Day.

Geoff Kors

Chris Carnes and Jim Hammer

Kors was praised throughout the evening, during the cocktail reception, dinner, and dessert after-party, and especially by National Center for Lesbian Right (NCLR) executive director Kate Kendell on stage, who said that he was like a brother to her and that he was a master tactician for LGBT rights. California State Senator Mark Leno complimented Kors for initiating most of the breakthrough legal advances for California’s LGBT citizens and there were 71 of them for elected officials like Leno to develop and get passed through the legislature to the governor’s desk, thanks to Kors. Author Helen Zia and her lover Lia Shigemura cornered Kors at the dessert after-party to thank him for his passion for civil rights work. EQCA’s Deb Kinney joined filmmaker Jenni Olson and her lover Julie Dorf to also praise Kors.

Deb Kinney, Julie Dorf, and Jenni Olson

Shannon Minter and Victoria Kolakowski

Alameda County Judge Victoria Kolakowski was presented with the Equality and Justice Award by NCLR attorney Shannon Minter for being elected the first openly-transgender U.S. Judge and for advocating for full LGBT rights through her board positions at EQCA and the Transgender Law Center. The other honoree, newly-elected California Attorney General Kamala Harris was to receive the Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Marriage Equality Award, named for the lesbian and women’s rights pioneers. Harris could not attend the gala and Lyon was there to receive the award for Harris from presenter Senator Leno, and she received a sustained applause. Harris was honored for refusing to defend Proposition 8 in the ongoing federal case in her new state office and for setting up hate crime and same-sex sexual assault and domestic programs when she was San Francisco District Attorney.

Guests enjoyed the excellent wine and beef or vegetarian dinners and viewing the passing cavalcade of gowns, tuxedos, and suits on women and men.

Malia Cohen and Jimmer Cassiol

Matthew Denckla and David Ortmann

There was a quick frenzy at some tables as charming District 10 City Supervisor Malia Cohen worked the room with Jimmer Cassiol, a former Mayor Gavin Newsom co-worker. Cohen met with San Francisco City Treasurer Jose Cisneros and his lover Mark Kelleher, former City Supervisor Bevan Dufty, and the male fashion statements for the evening — psychotherapist David Ortmann in a bright coral sport jacket and Magnet board member Matthew Denckla in a showy pink sport jacket.

Alex Randolph and Trevor Nguyen

Civil rights attorney and EQCA board member Linda Scaparotti’s white-ruffled Tadashi blouse blew away all possible fashion competition from the design conscious women at the event. Pride board members Lisa Williams and Alex Randolph met and mingled as did party planner Jason Chan and GAPA’s Trevor Nguyen.

Publicist Chris Carnes came down from the Sacramento River delta with her entourage Heather Findlay, Alice Hill, and Gretchen Fleischmann, and she hosted wine donor Wine Tasting Network.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera and his wife Anne

Alfredo Casuso and David Perry of the DP&A public relations firm

Whole tables of men and some women had to remove their jackets because of the heat, especially on the gala’s upper floors, and many asked why Mayor Willie Brown had chosen not to air condition the building when it was renovated for $250 million after the 1989 earthquake.

EQCA’s deputy development director Michelle Ortiz and dozens of volunteers presented a well-coordinated gala and a fine send-off for executive director Kors.

The rotunda in San Francisco City Hall

Mike Shriver’s Photography Show Opening: An Artistic Event for a Good Cause

2011-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

Activist and photographer Mike Shriver

HIV/AIDS activist Mike Shriver has expanded his creativity into nature and sports photography, and his fans and passersby were able to see his hummingbird images show opening at the Castro Country Club on Feb. 11.

Shriver is a beloved former San Francisco AIDS Czar who has battled the police at peaceful rallies, hospital bureaucrats, and politicians to stay alive and to assure a future for people impacted by AIDS and HIV. He has overcome multiple obstacles, and observing his heavily shielded camera reveals that because of his health problems it has been dropped and smacked against walls.

Shriver chose one of nature’s most difficult subjects when he decided to photograph the magical, high-speed birds in the Golden Gate and Dolores Parks. He took on the elusive photographic prey as he has taken on some of the most insurmountable tasks in our society — and he was successful. The beautifully framed photographs are for sale, and the Country Club has received 100% of the $1,500.00 in purchase prices.

Shriver was a major part of the coordination of this year’s National AIDS Memorial Grove anniversary, and Grove board member Gina Gatto was joined by supporters Marge Boric and Marsha Raulston to congratulate Shriver at the show. He also photographs the new sport of bike polo, and some of the young people who dare to charge into each other on bicycles were there to encourage their photographer.

The Castro Country Club is a living-sober refuge that saves lives, and it is involved in a fund raising campaign to buy their building. Sources have made it clear that a new obstacle may make that goal more difficult. They say that more than $250,000 will be needed to re-build the structure and its foundation.

For more information, visit castrocountryclub.org.

The Harvey Milk Academy Benefit Drag Show: Over-the-Top Drag Queens for a Good Cause

2011-02-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

Grand Duchess Cookie Dough with Harvey Milk Academy Principal Christine Velasco

Some of San Francisco’s most over-the-top drag queens performed at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood to benefit the academy’s Parent Faculty Club on Feb. 11. The “adults only” designation on the show's promotional postcards and underground Muni signs were an accurate warning that the show was more of a fun, trashy, Trannyshack type of entertainment than a classy show like Donna Sachet’s Sunday's a Drag brunch at the Starlight Room.

More than 260 people crammed into the academy’s auditorium. There was a grand aisle down the middle of the room with two huge spotlights in a crossfire that MC and co-producer Ivy Drip craved and exulted in as she wildly vamped back and forth. Exuberant Drip explained Drag Queen Appreciation 101, with a primer on how to tip with thrown rolled-up dollar bills and how to react when a performer suddenly leaps onto a surprised lap. Then Drip laughed and repeatedly leaped onto laps and spoke about the beneficiary, which drew the first of many waves of applause.

Ivy Drip and Ana Mae Coxx

MC Drip has two children in the school and the much-needed funds will help with the Healthy Food Program, before- and after-school programs, and arts education. Drip and restrained co-producer Ana Mae Coxx described the raffle prizes and then they warmed up the runway for the dozen-plus performers including always fantastic Grand Duchess Cookie Dough.

Attentive school principal Christine Velasco greeted guests, and event coordinators Susan Tramontana and Shawn Maceiro joined Liz Torres and Whitney Berry to serve the food and drinks and arrange the seating. There were Harvey Milk T-shirts for sale — and they were not the brightly colored tops with a gun aimed at Milk’s head which have disgusted the gay supervisor’s friends.

Liz Torres and Whitney Berry

Children and teenagers checked in with their parents at the door and then went to the lively alternative party upstairs at the Milk Academy, away from the loud music and suggestive repartee.

It was a well-organized event that even had superior security from Ken Craig and the Castro Community on Patrol on duty.

The Mostly British Film Festival: A Unique Festival to Save a Theater

2011-02-11T00:11:00.000-08:00

Festival director Ruthe Stein with board members Jack Bair and Andrew Woodley

The Mostly British Film Festival surpassed their three previous years and dozens of other film festivals with two superb films at the historic Vogue Theatre in San Francisco on Feb. 8 when "Glorious 39" and "Dorian Gray" were screened for large turn-outs of film fans.

Festival director Ruthe Stein joined festival board members Jack Bair and Andrew Woodley and superb volunteer coordinator Ninfa Dawson to present a quality event in the restored 1910 theater in Presidio Heights. Stein is a popular film critic and Bair promotes the preservation of older single-screen theaters. Woodley is a refreshing young Englishman who gave a colorful and descriptive outline of "Dorian Gray" and its inventive director Olive Parker. The intriguing festival is presented by the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation and the California Film Institute.

The opening night party was at British Motors where guests indulged in drinks and hors d'oeuvres and wandered among the spectacular new Jaguar XJ luxury sedans.

The award-winning film"The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls," a documentary about amazing yodeling lesbian sisters from New Zealand, was popular and also a big hit at the 2010 San Francisco LGBT Film Festival.

Murderous aristocratic ruling class Nazi collaborators in the pre-World War II British government? That was a big surprise in the film "Glorious 39," with the stunning, freckled Eddie Redmayne and iconic Julie Christie.

Sexwork palace orgies and opium pipes were on display in rich, glorious color in "Dorian Gray." Everything that was suggested in an earlier black-and-white film version and Oscar Wilde’s notorious book is intensely blatant in this new celluloid treat starring Colin Firth from "The King’s Speech" and overwhelmingly handsome Ben Barnes from the "Narnia" movies. Outstanding 19th century paneled interiors were the backgrounds for the Dorian Gray character played by sultry Barnes to hunt and debauch Victorian girls, women, boys, and men, all in extravagant suits and gowns that were yanked off for Gray’s pleasure and ruin. The Egyptian cat god that Gray prayed to for his miraculously ageless face was missing from this film, but the notorious painting disintegration sequences were modern and spellbinding with their high-tech computerizations.

The Mostly British Film Festival is a well-regarded addition to the dozens of such festivals in San Francisco and hopefully funds raised during the event will help to save the Vogue Theatre for future generations of film-lovers.

The AEF/BCEF Volunteer Appreciation Party: Volunteers, Competitive Bowling, and Awards

2011-02-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Honoree Joanie Juster with Volunteer Manager Sean Greene

The AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (BCEF) presented a volunteer appreciation party at Yerba Buena Bowl on Feb. 7 for a couple dozen people who dedicated themselves to the charities throughout the year. The AEF and BCEF provide life-saving financial support and measurably improve their clients’ quality of life.

Yerba Buena Bowl has some of the few bowling lanes left in San Francisco. It is modern and well-maintained, like the ice skating center next door. A treasure of the bowling center is the attentive catering by Tammy Cessna of Mo’s Grill, which is also located in the Yerba Buena complex. While much of the cuisine in America that is in close proximity to bowling balls is an abomination, that is not the case at Yerba Buena where three varieties of fluffy gourmet pizza and wonderful roast beef and ham sandwiches were eagerly loaded onto party plates by the hungry volunteers.

Guests were greeted by BCEF Client Services Associate Suzy Goldsmith and hardworking double-jobbed BCEF Communication Manager and Volunteer Manager Sean Greene, and between them they knew everyone entering the party.

The party’s excitement level was noticeably lower than last year’s because Suzan Revah and her energetic crew were on an Atlantis cruise. Revah hosts the monthly Nasty party that benefits the AEF at the Powerhouse bar. Her party has brought electro-torture and unusually primal go-go dancers in jockstraps out into the SOMA mainstream.

Board VP Neil Figurelli, Volunteer Manager Sean Greene, and Board President Cynthia Hester

AEF/BCEF Board President Cynthia Hester, who is a Senior Marketing Director at Hewlett-Packard, graciously thanked the volunteers for being the “heart and soul” of the organizations, and BCEF manager Sean Greene announced several awards, including a well-deserved award to the "Every Penny Counts" program coordinator, Kelly Rivera Hart.

Executive Director Mike Smith

AEF/BCEF Executive Director Mike Smith revealed that the popular annual AEF County Fair would not be happening in 2011, but board president Hester said that another big spring event would take its place.

Board VP Neil Figurelli, who is the charities’ Senior Event Planner, is employed at Winslow & Associates public relations and the board is lucky to have secured his talents. He has been successful at providing superior entertainment at the County Fair and the charities’ annual December holiday dinner.

Volunteer Manager Sean Greene interrupted the bowling to introduce former volunteer manager Joanie Juster, and gave her a floral bouquet, saying that she is the reason that most of the attendees were at the event. Jester thanked him and said that the volunteers are now in good hands. Jester is touring the country promoting her award-winning documentary "Alaska Far Away: The New Deal Pioneers of Matanuska Colony."

Then the bowling started up again and Troy Brunet outscored his team and partner John Kiltinen. Paul Soto (who is Mr. Golden State Gay Rodeo Association) and Chris Benson furiously competed against each other as did a lot of the other volunteers with their partners.

Volunteer appreciation parties are a terrific way for charities to say “thank you” and it has worked well for the AEF and BCEF to retain the people who make the organizations’ work possible.

IndieFest Week One: Extreme Obsession and a Standing Ovation

2011-02-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Filmmaker Gregg Araki

The San Francisco Independent Film Fest continued to shock and surprise audiences with well-chosen, remarkable films during its first week at the Roxie Theatre.

"Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires)," shown on Feb. 6, is an tale of extreme obsession that seems subtle at first, but then it causes some movie watchers to yell out in disgust and shock. A gay man and his best friend, a straight woman, become obsessed with a younger, curly-headed blond man who somewhat resembles Michelangelo’s David statue. They project their assumptions onto him and desperately compete for his attention. Audience outrage came pouring out at the ending, after the two had been spurned by him and seemed to have escaped his mind twisting grasp. The horrible, anguished scream that comes out of the gay man when the blond approaches at a party has only been heard previously in horror films when an alien masquerading as a human is exposed and is killed. And then the best friends do something that shocked and surprised the audience and caused outcries heard throughout the theater.

Opening night film "Kaboom" received a standing ovation on Feb. 3, which greatly pleased director Gregg Araki. He told the audience how shocked he was at the Cannes Film Festival when the film received an unprecedented 15-minute standing ovation. He and his cast were prepared for the opposite reaction. This was inconceivable for the filmerati who feel that he is irresponsible and just into making movies for his own sadistic shock values. His fans in the audience yelled out and laughed loudly at scenes that are unseen elsewhere and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A pungent odor engulfed the tight group around Araki later in the lobby, and when the door was opened a cute boy with his hot dog and onion stand was revealed. This is a manifestation of the unique culture of the Mission that condo-ization and other gentrification could end.

The National Black HIV/AIDS March: Activists March for Awareness

2011-02-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Bent and Tony Bradford from Black Brothers Esteem

More than a hundred people rallied at San Francisco City Hall and marched to the African American Art & Culture Complex in the Fillmore District for a program to commemorate National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 7.

Vincent Fuqua addressing the crowd on City Hall steps

Coordinated by Vincent Fuqua, Health Educator with the HIV Prevention Section of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), there was a series of inspirational speeches and meeting-and-greeting of AIDS activists.

Susan Phillip, the SFDPH Medical Director of the STD Prevention and Control Services, was the first speaker. She was followed by Jonathan Bent, who is involved with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s (SFAF) Black Brothers Esteem (BBE). Bent said that after he became ill with AIDS he paid attention to his health and diet. He told the audience that he had learned from BBE that everyone should be tested and if infected, to be treated as soon as possible. The most important thing he said that he had learned was to love himself. BBE Program Director Tony Bradford looked on smiling, as did Michael Huff, Jonathan Batiste, Alfred McGugin, Frances Broome, and Derrick Mapp. Bent was given a floral tribute and thanked for his helpful comments.

San Francisco City Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi spoke about Black History Month and AIDS in the African American community. Marsha Herring, the SFDPH’s Contract Compliance Officer, spoke about prejudice against people with HIV/AIDS. Then a list of important African American activists who had died while battling AIDS was read, including Brandy Moore, who had helped to found the Black Coalition on AIDS while he worked for San Francisco City Supervisor Doris Ward and consulted with California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown on AIDS issues and funding.

Kyriell Noon with his sons Ziad and Junaid

Positive Resource Center Executive Director Brett Andrews and SFAF Executive Director Neil Giuliano were there and Stop AIDS Project Executive Director Kyriell Noon brought his sons Junaid and Ziad.

The rally ended after coordinator Fuqua thanked everyone for coming and supporting each other, and said that people positive and negative for HIV are not separate, but they are together in fighting AIDS. Then candles were distributed and the march set off in the fading light toward the Fillmore.

Kyriell Noon and his sons Junaid and Ziad

"Riding While Black 1955, Walking While Black 1999": An Historic Moment in Civil Rights Remembered

2011-02-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin

Small children and teenagers dressed for church joined their families, political activists, and academics to see and hear civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin at San Francisco’s Main Public Library on Feb. 6 as part of Black History Month.

Colvin was a 15-year-old student on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955 who refused to give up her seat to a white person, and she was kicked and dragged off the bus by police. A local law demanded that African Americans vacate their bus seats when a white person wanted them, but when she was arrested, handcuffed, and jailed there was a furious groundswell of outrage that ended up in the courts. Nine months later activist Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her bus seat and eventually the case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned discriminatory bus riding laws nationwide.

Colvin was transformed from a schoolgirl, whose teachers told her that she had a constitutional right to sit on the bus seat she chose, into a civil rights activist who yelled that fact to the police as they arrested her. She still is assertive and knowing about some of the more disguised racism that occurs now. She smiled and said that she objects to the overly polite and lavish attention that she encounters from some Southern white people, and that drew nervous laughter from the audience.

Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin, moderator Enid Lee, and performer Bryonn Bain

Storyteller Awele Makeba performed a striking scene from her show "I’m Not Getting On Until Jim Crow Gets Off" which told of the abuse faced by Colvin. Performer Bryonn Bain was so overwhelmed by Colvin’s presence that he canceled his show sequence and sat at a table with her and moderator Enid Lee to interact with the civil rights legend and discuss the prison experience. Bain spoke about prison for African American men and how it fits into the five categories of slavery, which noticeably shocked many audience members.

It was an historic afternoon that commemorated the turbulence and eventual victories of the civil rights movement that inspired the later LGBT, women’s, and anti-war movements.

The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony January Performance: A Tenor and a Symphony Together for a Good Cause

2011-02-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Tenor Brian Thorsett performing with the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony

The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony's inspirational performance "A Tenor in Winter: Benefit Concert & World Premiere" on Jan. 30 was a collaboration with the Calvary Presbyterian Church’s ConcertConnect program to benefit Larkin Street Youth Services and the Symphony's drum drive for timpani and percussion.

Almost every seat at the Upper Fillmore church was filled, and the acoustics and sound equipment were finely tuned. The musicians are paid at these concerts, but on Sunday night they generously volunteered their earnings to raise money.

The evening’s featured performer was extraordinary tenor Brian Thorsett, who was given quite a workout as he sang almost continuously with different configurations of the musicians. Thorsett’s carefully enunciated and vivid singing in English and German is in great demand all over the U.S. and in Europe, and he will be on stage in the near future at San Francisco’s Davies Hall.

The Rainbow Symphony’s prime directive is to challenge stereotypes about LGBT performing artists, composers, and instrumentalists, and to increase visibility. The Rainbow Symphony is also open to non-LGBT members who seek to express themselves musically, and like the players of the Gay Softball League, a sizable number of the musicians are bisexual or straight.

A leading composer of the evening was Franz Schubert, whose music is the height of Germanic Romanticism. Recent research suggests that he was gay and that he dedicated romantic songs to male musician friends. One of the most beautiful moments of the evening occurred when a lyrical text of Schubert’s music was read by flutist David Latulippe:

Oh Lovely Art, in how many grey hours,
When life’s fierce orbit ensnared me,
Have you kindled my heart to warm love,
Carried me away into a better world!
How often has a sigh escaping from your harp,
A sweet, sacred chord of yours
Opened up for me the heaven of better times,
Oh lovely Art, for that I thank you!

The other leading composer was David Conte, who was at the concert to receive appreciative applause and a floral tribute for the world premiere of his "Yeats Songs" — a musical setting of three W.B. Yeats poems for tenor and string quartet.

Tenor Brian Thorsett and composer David Conte

The evening’s music was dominated by the violins and a viola, but the marvelous cellos and wind instruments also made strong tonal statements.

Larkin Street’s Alexandra Horton spoke eloquently about how her agency’s youth service programs get at-risk and homeless youth off the streets, and she thanked the audience for their help.

The Rainbow Symphony’s next concert is on March 26 and their website is www.bars-sf.org.

Two-Spirits Native American Tribute to Two Worthy Leaders

2011-02-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

Ruth Villaseñor, Miko Thomas, Dakota Kyber, and Derek Smith

Two worthy leaders of the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) group received tributes from their fellow members on Jan. 29 at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. Chickasaw Indian Miko Thomas, who performs in drag as the outrageous Landa Lakes, and Chippewa Indian Derek Smith were stepping aside as group co-chairs after four years so that an intergenerational duo could take over the coordination of social and political activities. Thomas and Smith were given lavish, well-deserved praise and luxurious ceremonial blankets at a meeting that included a spiritual greeting, a craft class, and welcome refreshments.

Miko Thomas receives his ceremonial blanket

Thomas’ partner was there, and he performs as Miso Hornay when in drag in the Native American drag troupe The Brush Arbor Gurlz. The troupe has given much-needed visibility to LGBT Native Americans and funds have been raised when they perform at the Powerhouse bar and other venues.

Derek Smith

Smith’s partner of ten years, Lucius Bishop, was there and joined in when the group constructed drum sticks to encourage future drumming at events.

Ruth Villaseñor leads the group in making drum sticks

Two-Spirits are described in the BAAITS brochure and website as a balancing of both genders, but then there are the ultra-masculine brute men and feminine women who favor pink clothing that are not featured in that brochure. BAAITS was inspired by Gay American Indians, which was founded by activists Barbara Cameron and Randy Burns in 1975. Gatherings are sponsored throughout the year and they draw large crowds of LGBT Native Americans and their friends.

The event began with a passing around of burning sage in an oyster shell, meant to reach out to a higher power, and as a bonding ritual. New co-chairs Apache Indian/Mexican Ruth Villaseñor and Choctaw/Cherokee Indian Dakota Kyber were introduced and they thanked Thomas and Smith throughout the afternoon for their attention to detail and time while coordinating the group. Villaseñor was the greeter and Kyber was a server at the Native American AIDS Project Thanksgiving Dinner, which is just blocks from the LGBT Center. Both of the new chairs are high energy and resourceful, which is a good sign for the group in the years ahead.

Ruth Villaseñor (right) and friend

Ruth Villaseñor, Dakota Kyber, Miko Thomas, and Derek Smith

Tammy Faye Bakker’s Son Jay and His New Book: A Punk Preacher’s Inclusive Message

2011-01-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

Jay Bakker

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner’s and Jim Bakker's son Jay introduced his new book "Fall to Grace" at Borders Bookstore near San Francisco’s Union Square on Jan. 24, and almost every seat was filled by eager fans and curious book fanciers.

Jay Bakker is the charming and dynamic minister of the Revolution Church based in Brooklyn, New York, after its move there from other American cities. Some LGBT fans of his mother were there to exchange stories about how much she meant to them in overcoming adversity, and others were there to thank him for basing his message on nonjudgmental inclusiveness. Bakker revealed that he joins Mel White’s Soul Force to visit conservative religious schools to dialogue with students and faculty because he feels that the current extreme antagonism against LGBT rights must be dealt with by ongoing communication.

Bakker’s family scandal erupted when he was a pre-teen. He turned to alcohol and drugs to deaden the pain and then cleaned himself up and began to serve the ignored and despised when he founded the Revolution ministry.

Bakker was entertaining when he spoke about seeking to discuss inclusion with major evangelical ministers all over the country. He even believes enough in liberal goals to conduct a gay marriage. Bakker is against mixing politics with religion because he thinks subjects such as abortion and homosexuality are too divisive to discuss civilly with a religious aspect attached to them.

His publicity photograph resembles the close-up portrait style of artist David Hockney. Bakker said that he has been mistaken for a young bear and that he has attracted primal gay bears. In reality he is a gay ally who has a tattooed-and-pierced punk look and thinks he has Marlon Brando’s mystique from the film "The Wild One."

Jay Bakker

Borders Union Square is a huge, handsome four-story book palace with someone reading or computing in every lounge chair. Seattle’s Best has a café in the store and two attractive, cruising young men at a front table could have also been seen at the Castro’s Café Flore.

Sales Manager Jason Jeffries introduced Bakker with the fine sound system and he encouraged the guests to join in on the Q&A and to buy a signed book.

The Evangelical Network’s Ed Ness, who is gay, had a crew with him to interview Bakker, and they spoke about their experiences at the recent Marriage Equality rally on the San Francisco federal courthouse steps.

The bookstore audience gave Bakker a loud, enthusiastic reception and made it clear that his practice of welcoming and offering unconditional love to a subculture of people rejected elsewhere because of their appearance and personal lives struck a chord with them. There was a long line to buy books and Bakker was generous with his time when he spoke to each person even though he was exhausted after a long book tour that ended in San Francisco.

PAWS Grand Opening Party in the Mission: Biggest News in 23 Years for PAWS

2011-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

John Lipp, Bevan Dufty, David Campos, and the San Francisco Giants mascot Lou Seal

The biggest news in 23 years for Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) happened on Jan. 22 in San Francisco's Mission district. An enormous white edifice took supporters’ breath away when they approached the grand opening party, and many stopped and stared while thinking of the previous seven less-suitable locations of the organization. Lots of dogs on leashes were also eager guests at the event, and treats for them and for the cats who no one dared to bring, were provided.

The food and other pet supplies are housed in a huge warehouse space and smiling food bank manager Prado Gomez was at the counter. There also is an inviting clinic treatment space and multiple offices, Striking enormous cat paintings by Chuck Bierwirth adorn the walls. An anxious dog owner said that the artwork was too cat-sided, but he was coolly chastised for complaining about an event that was so canine-dominated.

PAWS executive director John Lipp received sustained boisterous applause for his vision and leadership and he in turn complimented the volunteers who made the move to the new space and the continuation of PAWS possible. CA State Senator Mark Leno brought a proclamation. Former District 8 City Supervisor Bevan Dufty and current District 9 City Supervisor David Campos had a good-natured verbal duel about the PAWS headquarters moving from the Castro to the Mission.

Lipp spoke with enthusiasm to guests about the cost-saving that the new location afforded so that direct services for clients and pets will be possible. Some clients were tearful when they described how PAWS had enriched their lives with a pet and with support by delivering pet food after they had become physically challenged. The PAWS blog has similar touching stories.

John Lipp, Kevin, Lou Seal, and Sidney

Thousands of people have volunteered and received services form this organization in a city appropriately named for Saint Francis of Assisi, the lover and caregiver of animals. The next 23 years of PAWS are guaranteed to be even better at the exceptional new location.

PAWS is located in San Francisco at 3170 23rd St.

The Mr. Hayes Valley Leather Contest: S&M Fetish Wear in Hayes Valley?

2011-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Mr. Hayes Valley Leather 2011 J.B. Kern, runner-up Rik Lopes, and host Marlena

Black leather in San Francisco's Hayes Valley? That was a question that drew curious regulars and new customers to Marlena’s popular drag bar to check out the tenth Mr. Hayes Valley Leather Contest on Jan. 22.

Mr. SF Leather 2010 Lance Holman and Monistat

A swarm of leathermen, and some women, squeezed into the watering hole that usually is known for a mix of LGBT locals, their friends, and tourists in casual barhopping wear. The high energy of the leather aficionados created a beguiling, sexually-tense atmosphere over Hayes Valley.

Human dogs and their masters outside Marlena's

Marlena’s has been open for 21 years and its namesake Marlena — who is a philanthropist, a former San Francisco Empress, and a leatherman — has fashioned an environment that welcomes the diversity of the newly rejuvenated neighborhood.

The bar is also known for its glorification of the Imperial Court of San Francisco with its magnificent wall displays of artwork, photographs, and jewelry of one of the leading charities in the United States.

Memorial display for Absolute Empress VIII Maxine

Seven years ago, Ray Tilton and Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt suggested to Marlena that a leather contest would enhance the bar, raise much-needed funds, and bring new thrills to the neighborhood.

This year’s impressive winner was J.B. Kern, who is single and serious about S&M sex. He enjoys the hospitality of Marlena’s exciting bartenders and their stiff, quickly served cocktails.

Jay Harcourt (Mr. Hayes Valley Leather 2005), J.B. Kern (Mr. Hayes Valley Leather 2011), Sean Kline (Mr. Hayes Valley Leather 2006), Rik Lopes (2011 runner-up), and host Marlena

Runner-up Rik Lopes, and the other stimulating contestants Lex King and Kelly Rivera Hart drew guys close to them on the crowded sidewalk after the contest finale. Striking Hart is as aggressive in his leather life as he is in his political activism and he did not hesitate to make a primal invitation to the newly chosen Kern, mentioning his king-size bed.

Kelly Rivera Hart (center) with friends

The panel of demanding judges included former Mr. Hayes Valley Leather Sean Kline, Mr. SF Leather Lance Holman, former Miss SF Leather Queen Cougar, former Mr. SF Leather Ray Tilton (who had two man pups growling at his feet), and Leather Daddy Jason Ladd. Lenny Broberg, a former International Mr. Leather, did another fine job of MC’ing.

High-quality leather hats, belts, and other well-crafted items were available from Paul Johnson of Off Ramp Leathers at the back of Marlena’s doomed smoking lounge. Johnson generously provided the contest with their winner’s leather patch, which is traditionally attached to a leather jacket or vest.

Paul Johnson, Gary, and friend

The beneficiary of this year's event was Magnet. Beguiling redheaded stud Jay Harcourt, a board member at Magnet and a former Mr. Hayes Valley Leather, was thankful for the $500 that was raised. Harcourt’s quote from the 2009 contest still rings true: “The title holders are a group of friends that has become a family, and there is a change in their lives for the better because we work together on fundraising. And it comes from the top down from Marlena, who has made a commitment to the community to help out Magnet and improve peoples’ lives.” Magnet is the medical and cultural center of the Castro and serves over 9,000 men a year.

German Gems at the Castro Theatre: A German Film Extravaganza

2011-01-20T18:31:00.000-08:00

Filmmaker Bjoern Richie Lob with festival coordinator Ingrid Eggers

The Bay Area is a central location for people who appreciate German high culture which celebrates high-quality cinema, art, music, theater, science, and philosophy. The first year of the German Gems Film Festival in 2010 was a success, so much admired festival coordinator Ingrid Eggers moved forward for a weekend of new German cinema at the Castro Theatre from Jan. 14–16. The films drew large crowds that made clear their approval for the German films, and intelligent questions were a welcome challenge to the filmmakers during the Q&A’s.

Eggers is the former Goethe Institut (the German cultural center that is in cities worldwide) powerhouse who founded the Berlin and Beyond Film Festival and she has a fine eye for the best movies that she views on her travels to Germany.

The opening night feature was “Mahler on the Couch” which is an unusual film that portrays two monumental intellectual giants of the last century — psychiatrist Sigmund Freud and composer Gustav Mahler — when Mahler sought Freud’s help to deal with his brilliant, adulterous wife.

The Castro Theatre’s mezzanine was the site of the opening night party where again Walzwerk — the German restaurant that serves East German cuisine with camp overtones — offered taste treats. There was also vodka and caviar, and surprisingly, pizza. Guests could wonder how far Bavaria extends into Italy to produce German pizza.

Director and producer Bjoern Richie Lob, who is a German river surfer, showed up with his film “Keep Surfing” and a huge red surf board. His sport could spread from Munich to American rivers after they check out his unique movie.

Transcendental Meditation was examined in David Sieveking’s film “David Wants to Fly.” The filmmaker revealed that though the process works to relax and alter consciousness for some people, there are alternatives. Tech scientist and inventor Mitch Altman was one of the audience members who asked Sieveking probing questions about his movie during the Q&A.

"Mountain Blood" musical composer Sami Hammi with festival coordinator Ingrid Eggers

Charming and handsome music composer Sami Hammi fielded questions about the closing night film “Mountain Blood (Bergblut),” which he scored. The film is a stupendous costume drama about the hopeless fight for Tyrolean independence in the early 19th century.

Gay men were thankful for views of the splendor of attractive lead actor Wolfgang Menardi’s body, though he did not shower under a waterfall. The film belonged to the women, led by actress Ina Birkenfeld who played a difficult role with ease.

Stunning Tyrolean mountains, woods, and waterfalls were a vivid treasure of “Mountain Blood” and the production values of every part of the film were first class. The shocker of the evening was when it was revealed that this is filmmaker Philipp J. Pamer's first film and that it was his graduation project!

Karen Larsen and her crew members from Larsen Associates, Leo Wong and Ani Klose, wrangled the media and got fine results for their work. There was sustained applause throughout the festival for coordinator Eggers, and also for her generosity when she invited everyone to the last screening for free.

The Power of One Party at Trigger: A Charity Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

Entertainers Jason Brock, John Weber, Saybeline, and Frankie

Hosts John Weber and Donald Cooper presented a wondrous charity tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. at Trigger in San Francisco on Jan. 15 that brought out the best of the LGBT community and its supporters. Trigger is one of the few bars or lounges in the Castro that features employees who are both attractive and friendly, and that is because owner Greg Bronstein would not have it any other way.

Event founder Weber not only spoke inspirationally, he also sang with conviction as he does throughout the year — and most notably on the back of a moving truck at Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt’s annual Leather Walk. He was joined by entertainers Cockatelia, Jason Brock, reigning Emperor Stephen Dorsey, Saybeline, and Frankie, among others.

John Weber singing with conviction

The event was entitled “The Power of One” and it was the third and most successful production for charity. Each guest was persuaded to contribute money, a day of volunteer work, and non-perishable food for the needy.

The event was sponsored by HandsOn Bay Area, John Weber and Our Love, and Stop AIDS Project. Greatly admired Stop AIDS Project executive director Kyriell Noon was there to meet and greet, but he did not sing to the multitude.

Guests enjoying the show

The beneficiaries included Our Love, the SF LGBTQ Speakers Bureau, and the San Francisco Food Bank.

Sylvester Awards were given to Kyriell Noon, Bevan Dufty, and Bebe Sweetbriar.

Co-host Weber summed up the feeling of many at the party with remarks about the need to reach out to LGBT youth to help them deal with bullying issues and build their self-esteem. The charities that the event benefited can help to reach that goal.

Entertainers Cockatelia and Saybeline

The Board of Supervisors’ Swearing-In at City Hall: A New Board Make-over for a New Decade

2011-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

San Francisco LGBT Pride board member Lisa Williams with new supervisor Malia Cohen

Four new supervisors, the equivalent of city council members in other locales, were sworn in at San Francisco City Hall on Jan. 8 with low key ceremony and with some emotion. Scott Wiener, Jane Kim, Malia Cohen, Carmen Chu, and Mike Farrell were sworn in for four-year terms.

The first to speak in the grand Manchurian mahogany-paneled supervisors’ chambers was Mike Farrell, who said that he is a product of the Marina and that he had washed dishes on Chestnut Street. Pouting supporters of his effervescent opponent Janet Reilly were seen throughout the building. Reilly had expected to win with a coalition of conservative, moderate, and progressive voters, but she was another victim of ranked choice voting.

Jane Kim said that she was overwhelmed by the gathering of activists who helped her — all gazing at her — and she teared up. She spoke about starting out as a community organizer (like Barack Obama) in Chinatown, and that her goal is positive change. She also said that her forays into District 6’s environs made it obvious that though the district is diverse, its citizens want the same things.

Openly-gay new supervisor Scott Wiener with his openly-lesbian aunt Leah Chaplin

Scott Wiener, who is one of two openly gay members of the board, thanked his aunt Leah for being a role model when she came out in the 1960’s, before “Will and Grace,” “Rosie O’Donnell,” and “Glee.” Wiener also thanked his parents, who live in the charming beach town of Margate, next door to Atlantic City, New Jersey. State Senator Mark Leno was thanked for mentoring him, and it was Leno who was heckled at the Wiener election night party at Harvey’s on Nov. 2 when he said and repeated that Wiener supports rent control. Conservative anti-renter guests made their views clear in the crush of mostly older gay white men who listened to Leno’s and Wiener’s comments on the stage.

Wiener made a point at the Saturday ceremonies of thanking his predecessors Bevan Dufty, Mark Leno, Harry Britt, and Harvey Milk, and he thanked his former boss City Attorney Dennis Herrera. Wiener ended his remarks by saying that though their politics are different, the made over board has common ground to work on transportation, pension and retirement reform, and job creation legislation.

Malia Cohen spoke emotionally about her encounter with Mayor Dianne Feinstein speaking to her school class when she was 16 about dedicating oneself to public service. Cohen said that she hoped that a woman would someday be board president and mayor again, and she said that she will encourage African Americans and Latinos to seek public office. The sight of some of her election opponents at City Hall led to her laughing remarks about “What a heck of a race it was” to run against 21 people, and she welcomed them to continue the dialogue for the betterment of District 10.

Carmen Chu said that she was thankful for not having an election opponent, and she thanked her staff and volunteers for feeding her after the ten-hour meeting that chose an interim mayor. Her parents were thanked for showing her what hard work was in their restaurant where Chu said that she ate a lot of egg rolls.

Supervisor Sean Elsbernd had hoped to be elected board president, but David Chiu was easily re-elected. Chiu asked the board to work together as a team.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi declared that the board of supervisors “Is the most charming local government in the United States.” He said that all of the board has the best intentions and a love for the city of San Francisco, and that the board has led the nation in civil rights, the environment, and other issues.

Aguilas' Erick Arguello, new supervisor Scott Wiener, Aguilas' John Marez, and HRC's John Lake

Supervisor Wiener invited his constituents to a reception at his office after the swearing-in, where his family met his friends and supporters, and gay attorney Paul Henderson campaigned for district attorney from room to room. Fusion Lounge impresario Michael Costa was also there, advising Reese Isbel, who is running for co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. Isbel, an aide to State Senator Mark Leno, joined Leno aide Anna Damiani to congratulate Wiener. Wiener welcomed his enthusiastic guests, and he was toasted with wine and sparkling cider.

There has been media musings that the new board will be less progressive than the last one, but surprises may be looming. Wiener was severely criticized for not being “tough enough” in his support for the Sit/Lie legislation by Castro District merchants, and both Kim’s and Cohen’s inside supporters alluded to their possible swerve to the left on certain issues.

Marga Gomez’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular: The New Year’s Comedy Blastoff

2011-01-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Host John Fisher and comic Marga Gomez

Marga Gomez sold out two New Year’s Eve Comedy Spectacular shows to benefit Theatre Rhinoceros at the Victoria Theatre in the Mission on Dec. 31. She cleverly asked first for gays, then lesbians, and then bisexuals to applaud. Then she tailored her humor to match the audience’s majority of lesbians, and she told a series of intense vagina jokes.

The media was lavishly praised from the stage for its successful promotion, and Gomez had a lot to with it — with her hilarious responses to writers’ questions. One example was that she said that she had a rough 2010, spending three months on Facebook.

There are few hosts in the Bay Area as exuberant as John Fisher, who was also the show’s producer. His enthusiasm helped to dissipate the audible disappointment that occurred when he announced that opening act Casey Ley’s flight to San Francisco was blocked by a blizzard. Ley’s fine comedy is matched by his cute smile and uninhibited material.

Filipino-American comic Nico Santos was the last minute replacement for Ley, and he gave a lower energy array of jokes to the 7PM show than he gave to the 9PM show. He did receive loud laughs for his description of a Filipino Christmas cake that someone had scrawled “Happy Birthday Jesus” next to the candles.

The middle act was transsexual comic Natasha Muse who quickly mentioned the disparaging titles that have been attached to her that include: Lady Boy, She Male, and Shim. She said that she prefers to be called Natasha, which drew some laughs and clapping. Muse said that people find transsexuals interesting, especially right after they have had sex with her, and that a film favorite of hers is “300” which she said is gay porn masquerading as an historical movie.

Marga Gomez began her set by announcing that it was her 10th and final New Year’s Eve benefit for Theater Rhinoceros, and that she was “quitting at her sexual peak.” Her fantasy for the next New Year’s Eve is to be immersed in a bubble bath with young women twins.

Gomez was full of surprises, and she did not criticize Sarah Palin for her mindless reactionary politics and her denial of evolution (she speaks often of seeing a human footprint inside of a dinosaur’s at a creationist roadside “museum”), her gun-craziness, or her annoying sarcastic tone of voice when belittling liberals, but she savaged her for her spending $200,000 on campaign clothing.

Gomez’s continuing assault on the digital takeover of our lives manifested itself in this show when she thanked iconic entertainer and charity fundraiser Juanita More for her beautiful mailed holiday card, and trashed the sending of emailed greetings. And she delved into social commentary when she described the trendy gay party guys who have dumped their non-dancing lesbian friends, including Gomez, for straight women who have the same male body part interests and mood elevation tastes.

O'DJ

Then she introduced the event’s DJ who calls himself O’DJ, and pointed out that he volunteers his fine services for numerous non-profits. DJ O’DJ usually causes the most primal male lust because of his good looks and magnetism, but at this show his faux fur hat and vest that showed off his arms, and the sprayed-on silver pants caused a lust mixed with confusion.

Gomez has come a long way from her early shows at the Valencia Rose and Josie’s Juice Joint, where this journalist enjoyed her humor, and she will be starring in multiple future performances. Check out her website at margagomez.com.

Comics Casey Ley, Marga Gomez, and Natasha Muse promoting their New Years Eve Spectacular on Castro Street on December 18

Rafael Mandelman Thank You Party at the Blackbird Bar: Who Lost District 8?

2011-01-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Nick Cooper, Christopher Yee, Carole Migden and Rafael Mandelman

The Blackbird Bar was the intense vortex for the volunteers, staff, and supporters of San Francisco Supervisor District 8 candidate Rafael Mandelman on Jan. 6.

A crush of earthy under 30 year olds made up the majority of the party that consumed over one third of the space, with no one more than two feet away from each other, and all speaking heatedly about the recent campaign. By contrast the rest of the bar was full of other young people speaking quietly over cocktails in mostly male/female couples seated in the usual six foot distancing.

Carole Migden, of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, was excitedly speaking with the young politicos, and bisexual activist Maggi Rubenstein spoke to Matt Dorsey from the City Attorney’s office about his endorsements.

Carole Migden and Rafael Mandelman

Popular restaurant La Méditerranée catered the soirée and a large box of Noe Valley Bakery’s excellent fruit rugelach pastry was emptied within minutes.

Mandelman emotionally thanked his campaign staff that included Stephany Ashley, Nathan Albee, Tim Durning, and Mitchell Lester. There was a cascade of applause for them from the throng.

Rafael Mandelman with campaign staff Mitchell Lester, Stephany Ashley, and Nathan Albee

Mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez defeated Gavin Newsom in the Castro District, but the extent of progressive ideology in the other District 8 neighborhoods in 2010 is still a subject of study. There were many activists that assumed that Mandelman would win and that he just had to get the district’s supposed majority of progressive voters to the polling stations.

Mandelman spoke loudly from a table top about Scott Wiener, the winner in the race, who began with a 20 point lead that was narrowed to five percent by election day. Mandelman said that he only lost Noe Valley by 250 votes, but it was pointed out that he had been the president of the Noe Valley Democratic Club, which should have given him a power base for victory.

Mandleman also spoke about Wiener’s greater name recognition and visibilty. While Mandelman had been elected to the Democratic Central Committee and serves as its vice chair, Wiener had been its chair, a co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, a rescuer of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center while on its board, a president of the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association, a board member and honoree of the Human Rights Campaign, and a founder of the neighborhood self-defense organization Castro Community on Patrol.

Mandleman and his workers also were chastised for low-key campaigning by experienced political operatives such as Cleve Jones, while Wieners’ campaigners did not flinch from interrupting café and bar patrons to make a pitch. Neighbors of Mandelman said that they were not aware of his run for office, there was a scarcity of posted campaign signs and ironing board volunteers, and at one debate when every candidate spoke about job creation, Mandelman spoke about helping the homeless, which discouraged his more pragmatic fans.

Wiener campaign consultant David Latterman spoke fervently and often about Wiener as an unusual moderate candidate who actually was a neighborhood denizen, in contrast to such candidates as an Alioto who ran against board president David Chiu. And the progressive swarm of hundreds of activists that elected four of their kind to the previous board did not materialize in the numbers needed to sweep Mandelman into City Hall.

There will be future studies by political analysts to determine if negative mailers by the nurses’ union and tenant groups who favored Mandelman and negative mailers from the Wiener campaign helped or hurt their candidates, and the question of money, its sources and its usage will also be an obvious question for dissection.

There was a key moment at Mandleman’s bar event when a clipboard appeared. It was not the usual sign-up sheet for a street fair booth. The top of the page said District 8 Democratic Club, a new organization. This should send a cold chill down the necks of the district’s conservatives when they realize that Mandelman has doubled the size of his power base, and that his supporters are not joining the current post-activist trend.

Mandelman was demonized by his opponents’ fringes as another fanatical Fidel Castro who planned a radical left Havana-by-the-Bay, and now they will be agitated to learn that he continues to rally his supporters for future political action.

The Royal Baby Contest at the Edge: A New Year’s Day Benefit With Royal Triplets

2011-01-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hosts Jason Husted and Cookie Dough with contestants Sadisha Shimmers, Jazzmine Diamond-Leggz and Marco X. Middlesex

There was big, festive New Year’s Day opening for what San
Francisco’s LGBT community is known for — its generosity for charity fundraising.

The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco’s Royal Baby Contest filled the quasi-blue collar Edge Bar in the Castro on Jan. 1 with glamorous drag queens that included Paloma Volare, Miso Hornay, Landa Lakes, and host Grand Duchess Cookie Dough. Handsomely attired San Jose Emperor Casey Jones, Royal Daddy George Langford and his Daddies Boy Eric Lopez (who is a favorite at the Deco Lounge), John Weber, and host Grand Duke Jason Husted casually displayed their overt masculinity.

Classy blonde Chanel of Reno caused a red and blonde danger flag warning when she slid into the bar wearing a tailored red leather suit, and she may not know that that look is taken in San Francisco. Chanel seemed uncomfortable, as if to imply that her usual party space is an exclusive VIP lounge of an upscale restaurant.

Shadisha Shimmers, Jazzmine Diamond-Leggz, and Marco X. Middlesex competed for the two Royal Baby titles. They impressed the hosts and audience so much that they were all chosen — as Royal Triplets!

The beneficiaries of the event were LYRIC and the Grand Ducal Council, which has several charities that it supports. The amount raised was $1,276.

Bubbly and lusted-after Valentin Aguirre from LYRIC was hugged throughout the party and thanked for attending. There was a lot of primal distraction until sexy uncovered barback Michael put his T-shirt on. Cute bartender Gavin and earthy bartender Mike served the thirsty crowd all afternoon with a smile.

The Edge’s Gary Virginia greeted guests and extended his usual high level of hospitality to the regulars and benefit party crowd.

The Tenderloin Tessie Christmas Day Dinner: A Friendly Dinner on a Rainy Christmas

2010-12-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

Chris, Santa Rich, and Richard Shadoian

There was a heavy rain on Christmas Day Dec. 25 that deterred some diners who usually attend the annual Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinner at the First Unitarian Church. The count from board president and volunteer coordinator Michael Gagne was 865, which is quite a bit lower than the 1,000-plus Thanksgiving Dinner. Gagne, his crew, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence worked together to show compassion as they brought the long line out of the downpour and into the church.

Founded by eccentric San Francisco Empress Tenderloin Tessie, the dinners occur on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The guests’ thank you’s are sincere and the parting gift is appreciated.

Empress Chablis and Nikos Diaman

Activist Richard Shadoian was helped by Santa Rich and Chris with ham wedges in the kitchen, and perennial volunteers Empress Chablis and author Nikos Diaman enjoyed passing out pumpkin pie.

Sisters Roma, Adora Penthouse-View, and Pat N. Leather manned the entry and exit doors and served dinners. State Senator Mark Leno served punch with a smile from table to table at the Thanksgiving Dinner, but he was with his family during the end of December.

Tempting fundraiser and donations coordinator Aaron Baldwin is a go-between with the Tenderloin Tessie crew and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, because he is active with both groups. He helped make the holiday dinner a success despite the weather.

Fundraising and planning is already underway for the Easter Dinner. Volunteers and diners are welcome to check in with Michael Gagne.

Black Brothers Esteem Kwanzaa Celebration: Awards and Camaraderie at the LGBT Center

2010-12-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

Tony Bradford, Vincent Fuqua, Micah Lubensky, Norman Tanner, Neil Giuliano, and Bob Rybicki

The warmth of the holiday season extended to include the Kwanzaa celebration at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center on Dec. 18. It was sponsored by Black Brothers Esteem (BBE), a strong and vital part of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

The presence of the foundation’s new executive director Neil Giuliano and its VP of programs and policy Bob Rybicki at the event reinforced BBE’s importance to the community, and more than 100 celebrants showed up. The tasty chicken dinner and chocolate cake dessert were catered by popular Boston Market, and greetings were exchanged and inventive drag and Afro-centric attire were checked out and complimented.

There was a distinctive Kwanzaa altar on the stage and the community service implied in the holiday’s principles mirror BBE’s instilling of confidence and knowledge in its members so that they can be capable of far more than they imagined. BBE has classes in safer sex and general guidelines for physical and mental health. Graduation diplomas were handed out to continued applause at the dinner.

Inspirational BBE program director Tony Bradford, BBE community development manager Micah Lubensky, and co-founder Norman Tanner bestowed the awards throughout the evening with praise for individual members and their achievements.

Tony Bradford, Vincent Fuqua, and Neil Giuliano

Hardworking and charismatic Vincent Fuqua, a health educator at the San Francisco Department of Public Health's HIV Prevention Section, was honored for coordinating his job with BBE’s outreach to African American men. The San Francisco LGBT Community Center was honored for welcoming BBE to its Rainbow Room for the last couple years to enjoy Kwanzaa.

Black Brothers Esteem and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation are joined together to alleviate the appallingly high HIV/AIDS sero-conversion rate among African American men in San Francisco. The Kwanzaa party was a fine way to celebrate what has been achieved and to set goals for the future.

A Sit/Lie Protest at Harvey Milk’s Store Site: Youth and Transgenders Feel Targeted

2010-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Activist Gabriel Haaland

A series of angry speakers mounted a replica of the soap box that Harvey Milk stood on during his campaign stops on Dec. 18 in front of 575 Castro Street, the site of Milk’s Castro Camera store. The themes of their speeches included denouncing of the voter-approved Sit/Lie Law, which is seen by progressives as an attack on youth and the housing-challenged, and also the exclusion by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of transgenders from their proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) legislation.

Union activist Gabriel Haaland spoke about his excursion to the HRC San Francisco Bay Area Gala Dinner that honored transgender activist Theresa Sparks and said that he and Sparks were the only transgender people at the event. He and others oppose HRC's plans to move into the Milk store site.

Jerry (The Faery) Berbier yelled that HRC assumed that progressives would forget that ENDA was being promoted without transgender inclusion and that activists surprised everyone by drawing over 300 picketers at the following San Francisco HRC Gala Dinner. He also spoke about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that is still missing from the HRC- and MCC Church-sponsored March on Washington.

Activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca shouted that Harvey Milk hated the type of rich people who attend HRC Dinners, though actually Milk hated people from a New Age cult that tried to take over the gay rights movement, as shown in a swimming pool scene in the film "Milk." And they are mentioned by name on a tape recording as people that Milk did not want to replace him if he was murdered.

The protest involved about two dozen people and most were anti-Sit/Lie activists and their supporters. Neither writer Dustin Lance Black or activist and former Milk aide Cleve Jones, who have been mentioned in the media as objecting to HRC moving into the Milk store site, showed up for the protest. The utilization of the 575 Castro space is under negotiation, and reportedly there will be compromises made by the people involved.

The Michael Brandon Leather Benefit party at the Edge: A Contrast Between Volunteers

2010-12-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

Michael Brandon and Boy Gabriel

There could not be much more of a contrast between the two groups of volunteers at Michael Brandon’s Leather Party benefit for Project Open Hand at the Edge Bar on Dec. 17. Open Hand’s volunteers who sold raffle tickets at the party looked like the casual, well-covered bar-hoppers that pack the local bars. Brandon’s volunteers looked and performed like erotic screen and stage performers and wore only bulging underwear and sneakers.

Go-go boy Element

The title of the event was “Edge-ing” which alludes to a torturous sex act and sexual magnetism was exuded by go-go dancer Element and Jello-O shot salesman Boy Gabriel. Host and primal erotic film star Brandon also danced provocatively in a jockstrap on stage when he took a break from MC’ing. Open Hand executive director Tom Nolan braved the packed heavy-cruising crowd to meet and greet the guests and he was happy to hear that $400 was raised for his organization. Bar manager Terry Penn was beautifully dressed as a voluptuous helper to Santa Claus and attentive party coordinator Gary Virginia adjusted the sound and staging. Leather Party co-founder Michael Dumont was introduced and he is well-known as someone equally comfortable in glamorous drag and in a leather uniform when appearing as a former Emperor of San Francisco.

Michael Brandon and Gary Virginia

In a neighborhood infamous for its Castro Triangle of bars that are not generous to worthy charities, the Edge stands out as a haven for non-profit organizations.

To see more of my photos off this event, visit flickr.com/rinkfoto.

The Gay Men’s Chorus Pre-Holiday Concert: Jingling Bells and a Farewell

2010-12-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

It was a night of jingling bells and a fond farewell at the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus pre-holiday concert the "21st Annual Home for the Holidays: A Soulful Celebration" show on Dec. 16 at the Castro Theatre. Ketel One Vodka provided large sleigh bells that could be purchased to benefit the chorus and shaken at appropriate musical moments, and some guys shook them at men that they wanted to get to know.

Popular conductor Kathleen McGuire announced her retirement from the chorus after ten years of leading and wrangling the varied personalities and talents of the hundred plus men, causing noticeable concern. There were three tribute pages celebrating her leadership as artistic director and conductor in the show program. She received a standing ovation and it is obvious that she will be missed. The show is a wonderful opportunity for fans who will be far from San Francisco on Dec. 24, when there will be three shows at the Castro Theatre, to experience a version of the holiday concert. There is more information at www.sfgmc.org, and the San Francisco Bay Times is a sponsor.

Soloist Ken McPherson

Superb principal pianist and associate artistic director Carl Pantle collaborated with McGuire and the chorus members to create the sound that brought the holiday music to life. Handsome Pantle’s breathtaking physicality as he played while flashing his dazzling smile drew the audience to him, and chorus members feel lucky to be in his presence and work with him.

The featured performer was the amazing dynamic singer Kim Kuzma, and the chorus and fans look forward to her performances and enjoy her new single "I Am Alive." Most of the songs were a celebration of Christmas, and there were also some Hanukah songs, though McGuire spoke to the throng about her belief that the music was not necessarily religious. The chorus members individualized their shawls, and those wearing Christian motifs were next to members wearing Jewish prayer shawls.

Santas Joseph Peralta and Michael Tate

There was an exciting can-can dance number that included Joseph Peralta and Michael Tate as prancing Santas, and there were sing-along numbers that drew waves of applause. Joshua Castellano and Ken McPherson delivered fine solo performances, and there was a steady buzz through the evening about the unique interpretations of holiday music, with anticipation for the Dec. 24 performances. A high point of the evening was reached when executive director Teddy Witherington staged a live auction for an audience member to direct the chorus with McGuire’s baton, and high bidder Steve Gallagher rose to the occasion, with crowd and chorus joining in enthusiastically.

Upcoming show info:
21st Annual Home for the Holidays: A Soulful Celebration
Friday, December 24, 2010 — 5PM, 7PM, & 9PM
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco

To see more of my photos of the event, visit flickr.com/rinkfoto.

The Project Open Hand Luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel: Commemorating 25 Years of Meals With Love

2010-12-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

Tom Nolan, David Chiu, James Hormel, and Jan Wahl

Project Open Hand commemorated 25 years of meals with love at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on Dec. 15 at their annual Hand to Hand Luncheon. Hundreds of well-dressed people enjoyed a gala reception followed by luncheon in the hotel ballroom.

Open Hand provides meals to people with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and other critical illnesses, and seniors. The most vulnerable people in our community are cared for with delicious sustenance, and the holidays are a special time for the organization’s clients. Holiday meals include holiday decorations that include tree ornaments from Under One Roof, and that organization’s executive director Beth Feingold and some of her crew were at the luncheon. Open Hand Communication Manager Hannah Schmunk helped coordinate the luncheon, meeting and introducing guests as she described the work that goes into getting 2,500 meals prepared and delivered each day.

CBS News’ Kate Kelly cleverly MC’ed the event, and she introduced Open Hand executive director Tom Nolan, who has masterfully run the organization for 17 years. Notable guests included donor James Hormel and his lover Michael Nguyen, Open Hand board chair Laura Smith, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors David Chiu, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Positive Resource Center executive director Brett Andrews, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, and Suzan Revah with her entourage from Real Bad. An expressive video that featured kitchen volunteers in dance routines that rivaled some current stage shows promoted the Open Hand food program, and it drew laughs of approval from the diners.

The luncheon is known for its diverse meal choices and this year 12 chefs prepared gourmet delights that included four different appetizers, entrées, and desserts.

Demetri Moshoyannis

Folsom Street Events was honored as the Most Outstanding Community Partner at the event. The organization’s executive director Demetri Moshoyannis spoke about the 27-year history of fund raising street fairs that started with visionary Patrick Toner. He also spoke about the $165,000 raised by the fairs for Open Hand and the $4.5 million raised for all of the charities. Moshoyannis is one of those rare executives who has yanked off his shirt to flip hamburgers over a hot grill at events while hungry benefit donors gather around him to have their buns filled and check out his muscles and tattoos.

The Walter and Elise Haas Fund was represented by Jennifer C. Haas, who is the granddaughter of the fund’s founders, who are descended from the Levi Strauss who sold jeans to 1849 Gold Rush miners. She accepted the Open Hand Most Outstanding Foundation Partner Award. The fund’s executive director Pam David was joined by Wally Haas at their table at the luncheon. Haas family members are well-known for their longtime generosity to Open Hand.

Open Hand’s angelic founder Ruth Brinker attended the event and she was awarded a new Visionary Award that in the future will be named for her. She is famous for caring for people with AIDS early in the pandemic. She realized that many were not accessing nutritious food so she started Project Open Hand to provide for them. Dozens of people took turns kneeling at her feet to express their admiration for her activism and for feeding their loved ones. Open Hand volunteers and Macy’s were also honored.

It was an exceptional event for an exceptional organization that compassionately cares for the needy and sets an example for altruistic groups worldwide.

The Krewe de Kinque Leather Brunch at the Edge Bar: A Wild Imaginative Fundraiser

2010-12-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Gary Virginia, Brett Andrews, John Weber, Donna Sachet, and Mark Leno

Excitement and generosity reigned at the Edge Bar in San Francisco’s Castro district for the 14th Annual Holiday Leather Brunch on Dec. 11 that benefited the Positive Resource Center (PRC). Wild entertainment and fantastic food and cocktails were the big draws and the local Mardi Gras organization, the Krewe de Kinque, pulled it all together to let the good times roll.

Diva D and Deana Dawn

Eye-busting colorful finery and makeup on greeters Deana Dawn and her sidekick Diva D was the first sign that this was to be an imaginative event. Stoli Bloody Marys and Mimosas, the popular bottomless kind, were served by the Edge’s attractive bartenders thanks to the generosity of Michael Daniels and Terry Penn. The expansive silent auction had some fine bargains, including leather pants with sharp side spikes to hold back backbar horndogs.

The wonderful smell of fried chicken wafted through the venue and celebrants anxiously awaited sultry host Gary Virginia’s signal to advance on the bountiful buffet. PRC executive director Brett Andrews brought succulent Kickin’ Fried Chicken, a family secret recipe and the toast of gay New Orleans, Saybelline, and her lover Frank Fernandez brought their delicious Southern Fried Chicken. Both chickens got the thumbs up and moaning erupted when provocative Don “Ho” Tse’s amazing Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie was consumed.

Jim Strano took a break from his Joan Crawford Texas persona to coordinate the food and drinks and hunky Julian Marshburn sauntered through the party and let people know that they could enjoy his lap when he will volunteer as Santa Claus on Dec. 24 at the AIDS Emergency Fund holiday dinner at the Green Room. And the Rainbow World Fund’s Jeff Cotter stopped by to promote his organization’s Tree of Hope event at City Hall on Dec. 15, where the Japanese and LGBT communities will join to honor their cultures and histories.

Donna Sachet stuffed contributions into Diva D's bodice while her tresses were teased by master stylist Cockatelia

The high point of the party was when master stylist Cockatelia teased Diva D’s tresses to incredible heights for contributed money, and again Diva D confounded people who assumed that he is a woman. He is a surprise gender illusionist and there is shocked disbelief when he introduces himself while out of female drag. Diva Donna Sachet MC’ed the event and she also generously sang live, as did tempting Mark Paladini who also bared his arms for guys who fantasize that he will wrap them around them. Former Emperor John Weber sang another excellent live performance, this time with Kitty Tapata. State Senator Mark Leno brought a state proclamation and he and supervisor-elect Scott Wiener extolled the event and its fundraisers.

It was a fine party — a merging of imaginative fundraising, costuming, and fun that brought in a much-needed $1,716 for the PRC.

To see more of my photos of the event, visit flickr.com/rinkfoto.

The Censorship Forum and Emergency Screening at SF Camerawork: Another Clash in the Culture Wars

2010-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Coordinators Alison Maurer and Julia Haas, speaker Robert Atkins, organizer Rudy Lemcke, and QCC's Pam Peniston

Another salvo was released in the culture wars that started with the National Education Association’s (NEA) funding of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s work in the late 1980s. Mapplethorpe's thought-provoking "Self portrait With Bullwhip" was published on a show invitation to San Francisco’s 80 Langton Street Gallery in 1987, and was shocking even for the ’80s. To San Francisco and the gallery’s credit, that “Censored” exhibit had been barred from Manhattan galleries, but when it opened here a large enthusiastic crowd attended, and this journalist was there. The notation on the invitation that the NEA, a federal agency, was funding his work was more shocking and it resulted in a virtual tidal wave of controversy that continues to 2010.

It is astounding that federal money has not been spent on widely-promoted displays of LGBT artwork since then and until co-curator Jonathan David Katz was able to get permission to display the current “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., there has not been a major American museum exhibit of same-sex desire in portraiture. Censorship of a film from that exhibit was the subject of the forum packed with artists, photographers, curators, and activists on Friday, December 10.

The San Francisco censorship forum drew a surprisingly large crowd of over 160 people to SF Camerawork, and many of them were glad a film included in the Smithsonian show was censored because they feel that it will lead to a push-back by activists that will restore the film to the show and advance the cause of uncensored art across the country. Others were agitated because the national mid-term elections had brought anti-intellectual and anti-LGBT politicians to new positions of power and they fear that a hornets’ nest of censorship could be instigated that will set back proposals for public displays of LGBT-oriented artwork for decades.

The event was called an "Emergency Screening" and the film was artist/photographer/filmmaker/AIDS activist David Wojnarovicz’s “A Fire in My Belly,” an experimental effort that encompasses political, religious, cultural, sexual, and deeply personal themes. [To watch the film online for free, click here.]

What is remarkable about the sequence of events is that the show was approved, and that when the film was removed, religious offense was given as the reason. As Katz pointed out on a large screen in the front of the gallery space live on Skype from Washington, D.C., queers have become so accepted that to censor the film for being queer could not be attempted in the current era, so the image of ants crawling on a crucifix in the movie was used to object to the video art. Katz and others mentioned that the real offense was the intense close-up masturbation scene, but since times have changed from the ’80s and ’90s, there had to be some diverting of attention.

Katz and his co-curator David C. Ward deserve lots of credit for mounting the historic exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery and for continuing to defend it. Katz suggested that activists contact their Congressional representatives to demand that the film be restored to the exhibit, and that the rest of the exhibit remain on the gallery’s walls through the end of its run in February.

Writer Robert Atkins, who wrote an arts column in the Village Voice and who was the final speaker at the forum, seemingly taunted the throng to organize a protest march similar to the march being planned in New York City. Other activists jokingly spoke about one-upping New York activists by planning civil disobedience, as seen in the recreation of the 1968 Paris art riots in filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci’s erotic thriller “The Dreamers” (2003).

The censorship forum was conceived of by multimedia artist Rudy Lemcke, and event coordinators Julia Haas and Alison Maurer spoke while Lemcke filmed them and others with assistant Mic Sweney. Jennifer Sichel assisted co-curators Katz and Ward, and she added comments to the discussion, as did SF Camerawork’s Chuck Mobley. The Queer Cultural Center’s executive director Pam Peniston greeted artists and photographers, and she was happy to join SF Camerawork in sponsoring the successful event. The forum had national significance, as does the exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and it was obvious that another key moment of LGBT history is developing around the portrait show in Washington, D.C.

A Superb Week in San Francisco: Honoring Latino Heritage, a Harvest Banquet, and a Beer Bust

2010-10-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

John Marez, Juan Dávila, Benjamin Bratt, and Erick Arguello

It was a superb week in San Francisco starting with honoring
Latinos and Latinas at City Hall, a Castro Country Club Harvest Banquet, and ending with a Leather Alliance Beer Bust.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom honored community leaders and organizations with Latino Heritage Awards at City Hall on Oct. 12. Numerous LGBT community members were honored, including Barbara García, Deputy Director of Health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). She was recently named to succeed Mitch Katz, a gay man, as Director of the SFDPH. Lesbian Latina Dr. Sandra Hernández was also honored. She held the same job as Katz and García during some of the most torturous years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. She is now the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation. This is her week for well-deserved recognition since she also was honored with a Shanti Project trophy on Oct. 13.

Juan Mendoza, John Marez, Alfredo Pedroza, Micheal Nava, and Miguel Bustos

There was noticeable excitement in the air that could only mean a major movie star. Actor Benjamin Bratt was honored with his brother writer/director Peter Bratt for their film La Mission — a story that deals with the Latino Mission and gay Castro scenes and does not exploit or degrade either experience. GLAAD’s John Marez and Aguilas’ Erick Argeullo and stunning Juan Dávila managed to stop Benjamin Bratt for a group photograph. Juan Mendoza, Alfredo Pedroza, Miguel Bustos, and Marez posed with Michael Nava, a gay Latino candidate for judge, while enjoying the entertainment at the crowded event in the City Hall rotunda.

Michael Brandon, Jodi Goldstein, and Terry Beswick

The Castro Country Club filled a room at the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Oct. 16 with more than 150 people for their Harvest Festival Banquet benefit. Controversy was averted when it was made clear that no rent was paid for the space. The Castro Country Club is a refuge for people seeking sobriety. It has occupied a building on 18th Street near Castro Street since 1983. The building is to be sold and the Keep the Steps in the Castro campaign — named for the club’s outside steps which are notorious for sunning and cruising — is underway to raise money for a down payment on the building.

The club saves lives and testimonials throughout the evening made its importance clear. Keep the Steps in the Castro campaign co-chair Terry Beswick worked with event coordinator Robbie Martin and silent auction organizer Jodi Goldstein to hopefully bring the building fund to the $100,000 mark.

The dinner was well executed by chef Jimmy Jardine, except for excessive pepper on the pepper steak. The waiters were excellently drilled by Maître d’ Frank G to outdo cater waiter acrobatic routines seen on "Will and Grace." The three-layer chocolate mousse truffle torte with wild berry compote was delicious and briefly distracted diners from staring at honored guest Michael Brandon, who is a champion charity fundraiser and provocative erotic film star and stage performer.

Robbie Martin, Billie Bertran, Ivy Drip, Terry Beswick, and Maître d’ Frank G

The other celebrity guest, Stu Smith, also a charity event fundraiser, enjoyed the company of his hunky partner Dave Earl. Speaker Billie Bertran was personally revealing and then gave a $500 check to Beswick, which drew applause.

DJ Robbie Martin spoke about his recovery and welcomed the San Francisco District 8 City Supervisor candidates, joking that they were seated far apart to avoid a food fight. At that point a table mate exclaimed, “It is the dirtiest campaign I have ever seen!” Candidate Rebecca Prozan worked the room and Scott Wiener made sure that he was seen smiling. Rafael Mandelman stayed for dinner with a group of supporters and campaign workers.

Impossibly cute and talented lyric pianist Paoi Ernest played his interpretations of Top 40 hits, and he actually calmed some of the more obviously agitated diners. The evening’s enigmatic MC Ivy Drip table-hopped and encouraged contributions to the club at the successful dinner, which drew to a close after multiple double non-alcoholic Sangría fizzes.

Leland Carina, Melissa Kennedy, Mirae Bouysson, and Kate McKinley

The San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance staged a beer bust at the Eagle Tavern on Oct. 17 with the handicap of a morning rain. Seattle and Portland denizens laugh heartily at Bay Area party types who do not go out on a rainy day, but it is a fact that even a morning sprinkle will depress attendance at events all day and evening. The San Francisco girls of Leather worked the grill and food line, and President Leland Carina, VP Kate McKinley, and members Melissa Kennedy and Mirae Bouysson represented their club well. Ms Tracey Wolf of The Exiles joined The Defenders’ Jim Remer, Alameda County Leather Corps’ Mark Ingram, and Independent Jim Sullivan at the front door, greeting guests and receiving their beer bust contributions. The Eagles’ bartender and resident Leather Daddy Gary Kenyon came from behind the bar to give the crew a pep talk and the men had a chance to check him out.

The Alliance is a coalition of twelve leather, motorcycle, and fetish organizations that enjoy the bonding and camaraderie that comes with being with others who are fulfilled by volunteering. President Dahn Van Laarz, who is a primal leatherman who wears only a heavy neck chain and black leather shorts and boots to demand attention as he coordinates SOMA fair booths, intuitively draws the best out of the Alliance members.

The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Fall Awards Ceremony: Activists Honored in a Futuristic Setting

2010-10-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, and San Francisco City Supervisor David Campos

The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club honored their favorite activists at their 2010 Fall Awards Ceremony on Oct. 14 at the Infusion Lounge, which is around the corner from the Powell & Market cable car turnaround in San Francisco.

The Alice Club had its start at the Society of Individual Rights Gay Center on 6th Street when co-founder Jim Foster held meetings for lesbians and gays who sought their civil rights. This journalist attended some of those mid-70’s meetings and the first of his 30 Alice Awards Dinners was with lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin at the Palace Hotel in 1980. Honoree Jose Sarria entertained some guests and shocked others, including then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, with his explicit voter registration stories.

The setting for this year’s event is quite different from the Palace Hotel. The Infusion Lounge resembles a futuristic San Francisco club of the next millennium with its Asian-themed red and black décor. Even the bathroom is something out of the film "Starship Troopers," with its severe, metallic, unisex design that necessitates an eager young man to coordinate the use of the locked stalls for various genders.

The key person for the use of Infusion Lounge is Michael Costa, Alice’s treasurer and the coordinator of political events at Infusion. Costa was also the host of a special VIP Reception for Congresswoman Jackie Speier that preceded the awards party.

Speier is admired as a hard-working legislator who promoted legislation to insure privacy and limit banks’ excesses before those issues received national attention. She is also admired as someone who has had to endure horrific personal tragedies and managed to continue to superbly serve the public.

VIP Reception guests asked pointed questions about such topics as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and redistricting. Speier answered each question with deftness and a steady gaze. Her chief of staff Cookab Hashemi accompanied her and they left after Alice co-chairs Charles Sheehan and Bentrish Satarzadeh gave her the the Visionary Award, the first of the honoree plaques of the evening.

San Francisco City Supervisor Bevan Dufty and activist Kelly Rivera Hart

The Alice co-chairs bestowed the Legislator of the Year Award on San Francisco Board of Supervisors president David Chiu, and the Community Individual Award went to Kelly Rivera Hart. The Community Service Organization Award went to the GLBT Historical Society, which was accepted by executive director Paul Boneberg and newly-single board member Bob Mitchitarian.

Paul Boneberg and Bob Mitchitarian

Hart was hosting a benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund at Trigger Lounge the night of the awards and took a break to come by Infusion, as did activist Andrea Shorter, whose birthday was being celebrated at Lime as a campaign event for District 8 City Supervisor candidate Rebecca Prozan. The benefit at Trigger was hosted by Betty Sullivan and, again, the generosity of Trigger and Lime owner Greg Bronstein is remarkable and a fine example to other business owners.

San Francisco City Supervisor Bevan Dufty received the Public Service Award and upon ascending the lit-from-below, Arthur Discothèque-esque stage, Dufty asked the DJ to play a Pussycat Dolls song and wildly gesticulated, drawing a pained comment from the audience: “I can’t wait for Scott.” Dufty stated that he will be running for mayor full tilt all over San Francisco starting in January when his supervisor term is over. He thanked the Alice Club and especially District 6 City Supervisor candidate Theresa Sparks for his election victories.

Theresa Sparks, Rebecca Prozan, and Scott Wiener were introduced as the endorsed candidates of the club, and they received sustained applause. Prozan ebulliently mingled with San Francisco Young Democrats president Max Sazbo and board member Kai Feder and moved throughout the lounge greeting supporters. Guys seemed mesmerized by Feder’s dazzling, bearded, good looks and smile and surrounded him for most of the evening.

Honorees Michael Costa and Susan Christian

The Volunteer of the Decade Award went to Michael Costa, and Lou Fischer received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Both seemed surprised, though they should not have been considering their listed accomplishments. Susan Christian received the well-earned Leadership Award from California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and State Senator Mark Leno.

Ammiano announced that he had spent the night with Leno in Sacramento settling the state budget and that Leno’s hair did not move for one moment. That drew a big laugh and Leno remarked with a smile that he had been set up as the “straight man.”

The Ally Award was sent to attorney Eva Paterson, who had to send a video thanking the club and she suggested that they work together in the future. Paterson has worked to desegregate San Francisco schools and the fire department, and she bravely stepped into the racial divide after Prop 8 passed to calm the antagonists.

Anna Damiani and Reese Isbell from Leno’s office attended, as did Mayor Gavin Newsom’s aide Francis Tsang. The complicated congenial party was organized by Jason Chan, and it was one of the best Alice Club functions in recent memory.

An Amazing Week of Events: Jazz Piano, Homosexual Conspiracy, Debate Tension, and Savage Drag Comedy

2010-10-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jazz pianist Tim Styles

It was an amazing week of jazz piano in a satellite café, a homosexual conspiracy book event, a supervisor election debate with much tension, and a savage drag comedy show.

Jazz pianist Tim Styles played the first of his two October nights at the Caffe Trieste on Market Street near Gough on Oct. 6. He played lively renditions of 30’s and 40’s hits for an attentive audience and was dressed as if he stepped out of a movie of that period. His future performances can be found at caffetriestedowntown.com. The Caffe Trieste on Market is a satellite of the famous iconic Caffe Trieste on Vallejo Street in North Beach that has inspired artists, poets, writers, composers, and politicos with its atmosphere and fine coffee for half a century. Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, singers Tony Bennett and Chris Isaak, civil rights attorney Angela Alioto, and this journalist (since 1969) are regulars.

Sandra O. Noshi-Di'n't, comedy impresario Nick Leonard and author Larry-bob Roberts

Larry-bob Roberts introduced his book The International Homosexual Conspiracy at Modern Times Bookstore in the Mission on Oct. 7, and it was more than a compilation of his rants and raves from his holytitclamps.com website. It is a series of striking observations about mass taste and culture, and then a narrowing down into the depths and heights of queer tastes and behavior. Personal revelations from the all important source of the sfqueer.com events calendar also touch knowingly onto the reader, and there were nods of recognition at Roberts’ remarks. While much of the book relates to the unfortunate in “Annoying Personality Disorder” and “Anonymous (online) Cowards” but there is also the effervescent “Reasons to Live” section which exalts in: “The joy of love reciprocated. Fresh bread. An orgasm, whether self-administered or with the help of a friend. The pleasure of having created. A deep massage. These are a few of my favorite things.”

Scott Wiener, Rafael Mandelman and Bill Hemenger

The latest in a long series of San Francisco District 8 City Supervisor debates occurred on Oct. 8 at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in the Castro. The unique feature was that the theme was for the candidates to describe how they related to the values and views of Harvey Milk. Milk had been the supervisor of much of what is now District 8, and his progressive views were more in line with his successor Harry Britt and current candidate Rafael Mandelman, and distant politically on many issues from present District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the three moderate candidates at the debate.

Three of the district’s neighborhoods are packed with mostly progressive voters, so if the progressive machine that placed four supervisor winners in the last election — including two in mostly conservative districts — get out the vote, Mandelman would win. This progressive machine election strategy was explained by candidate Scott Wiener’s consultant at a post-election political meeting. It would explain Mandelman’s buoyant optimism.

Candidate Scott Wiener has been tagged as dour but he managed to make a clever joke when he mentioned that no one wanted to answer the debate question about window displays of stores selling adult sexual items in the Castro. Wiener has enjoyed a beehive of activity in his campaign office and the endorsements of moderate newspapers and some right-wing organizations, but some of his support is based on an intense fear of a Mandelman victory.

Candidate Rebecca Prozan knows that she could do a good job as a supervisor, but seems frustrated that there are so many obstacles in her way. A secret poll or two place her in third place, but the polling is just a few hundred people with land line phones. She has the experience of working for Mayor Willie Brown and Supervisor Bevan Dufty and knows how to serve constituents.

Candidate Bill Hemenger reflected on his business background and agreed with Wiener on many of the issues discussed at the debate, including approval of the sidewalk sit/lie legislation.

The tension high point of the event was when Mandelman was asked if another candidate should not be supervisor. He said no. When Prozan was asked the same question at another debate she said that Mandelman should not be supervisor, which drew gasps mostly because of the geniality that had reigned and also because ranked choice voting leads candidates to at least pretend to be friendly to get second and third votes that could elect them in a close race.

Miss Coco Peru, Jackie Beat and Heklina

The Drag Queens of Comedy show at the Castro Theatre on Oct. 9 could have been more appropriately titled “The Un-PC Drag Comedy Show.” It was spectacular and there was some comedy, but there also was some racist "humor" from producer and performer Sasha Soprano, Shangela flaunted a stole made from three animals, and most of the jokes were caustic and aimed at small targets.

New York City’s Lady Bunny easily took the lead as the show’s star, and she received a sustained standing ovation for her explicit and sometimes shocking lip-syncing to her own versions of pop hits.

The other professional entertainer, Miss Coco Peru, hit heavily into political humor when she belted out that there was “marriage equality in Spain because they do not have Mormons there,” and that “the Mormons avoid coffee because it may sharpen their minds.”

Trannyshack producer Heklina of San Francisco had some glamorous moments during a screened montage and Jackie Beat heightened the savagery of the jokes.

There was a thrill that a lot of the audience felt with the “forbidden” comments from the stage, that they knew that they could not get away with much of what was said. Drag star Divine could have inspired much of the show with her outrageous screen and stage antics, and who can forget her in "Female Trouble" asking a crowd “Who wants to die for art?!” and then shooting a gun at them before they could answer or run out the door.

The drag stars greeted guests, cruised, and merchandised in the lobby afterwards, and there was an after party at Trigger, which was a great finale to an amazing week.

DJ Pinky Ring, show star Lady Bunny, and Puntanesca selling T-shirts, DVDs, and photo books in the lobby

A Week of Wonderful Events: Erotic Films, Art Auctions, Anita Bryant, and a Leather Brunch

2010-09-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Lady Bear and Hugz Bunny

The 5th Annual Good Vibrations Indie Erotic Film Festival began with a bang on Sept. 23. Uninhibited entertainers wearing very little clothing danced and pranced at the Castro Theatre mezzanine before the erotic films were screened. Some of the Castro’s habitually naked guys were there, but were not recognized with their clothes on. The VIP party of over 100 people was overwhelmingly female, and the fashions ranged from glamor to fetish.

Peaches Christ

The film judging was unusual even by San Francisco film festival standards. Drag filmmaker and midnight movie icon Peaches Christ appeared on stage wearing a bizarre Spanish outfit, and she was joined by Lady Bear in bright yellow and black and Hugz Bunny in scarlet. They situated themselves on stage in movie set chairs before a crowd of over 600 and announced that they were to be “the judging bitches” and then Good Vibration’s Carol Queen was introduced as the “nice judge.” Each of the twelve films was screened and then the lights were switched back on the stage for the judges’ comments, which ranged from wanting to commit oral sex acts on film actors to announcements of an after party at the Lookout. Gay men savored the multiple male-on-male sex acts, including impossible fantasy positions in “The Filth Element” that included Seattle’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

While the films were being screened there was a benefit for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Imperial Council of San Francisco at Trigger Lounge. The Imperial Council’s Empress XXX Donna Sachet hosted the soirée with NGLTF’s Sydney Andrews, Russell Raybal, and David Alexander. An appearance by primal Julian Marshburn reminded everyone that our community also has its sexy champion fundraisers who draw the affluent donors.

Art for AIDS benefit for the UCSF AIDS Health Project

The Art for AIDS benefit for the UCSF AIDS Health Project was held at the Galleria on Sept. 24. While auctioneer Patrick Walsh worked the stage, a silent auction continued around the edges of the vast room. The Castro was represented among the artists by Greg Cassin, who again used a religious theme in his work, and there was a nude male torso drawing by Ytaelana Lopez. The female nudes were subtle, except for a beach photograph by Jock Sturges. There was a popular moist cake passed around on the first floor and the VIP mezzanine’s culinary highpoint was the dim sum of Chef Marc Passetti of the famous Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel.

Art for AIDS benefit for the UCSF AIDS Health Project

In contrast to the careful nudes and self censorship by LGBT artists and photographers at the Art for AIDS show, the San Francisco Leather Daddies and Boys presented their erotic art auction on the same evening at the Eagle Tavern. The drawings, paintings, and photographs displayed a panorama of extreme sex acts and kinky fetishes. Master auctioneer Tom Rodgers worked the mostly leather-clad crowd mercilessly to raise funds for Visual AID. Greatly missed Scott O’Hara was spotted performing auto-erotically on a signed poster, and the works of Hun and Rex were also auctioned. Visual AID’s executive director Julie Blankenship mixed comfortably with leather daddies Tom Rodgers, Patrick Batt, Steve Gaynes, and Glen Tanking to present the twelfth annual auction to benefit people with illnesses and disabilities who want to continue their art creation.

Auctioneer Tom Rodgers

Visual AID volunteer Spike Lomibao with executive director Julie Blankenship

New Conservatory Theatre celebrated the opening of “Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins” on Sept. 25 with champagne, mimosas, and delicious San Francisco-style cheesecake. The cast and directing by Dennis Lickteig was excellent, and it is a complex and emotional story telling of coming out during the Viet Nam War era. Michael Doppe was a standout as the erratic gay country boy and Marie O’Donnell beautifully handled a transformation from homophobic to caring mother. Tom Orr and David Bicha shocked, surprised, and pleased the after show reception guests with songs from their “Dirty Little Showtunes” show which opens Dec. 3.

New Conservatory Theatre executive director Ed Decker, impressive star Michael Doppe, and Marie O'Donnell, who superbly played his mother

Donna Sachet presented her annual Pre-Folsom Street Fair brunch on Sept. 26 at her Imperial Palace. And again it was a mass turnout of the Leather/S&M fetish elite. Women and men title-holders, leather daddies, leather boys, and the people vital to Sachet’s charity functions stopped by for a gourmet brunch and luscious berry-laden cheesecake. Hunky bartenders at the open bar and efficient chefs served the guests the sustenance they would need for walking the SOMA blocks. The sexual tension level shot up every time someone unzipped their leather pants or chaps and yanked them off or pulled off their rubber hip boots to expose a leather jockstrap. Many of the men felt more exposed than usual but the 90 degree heat demanded some stripping. The house party ended as a migration of impertinent bare buttocks paraded down Castro Street.

Sexy Drew with sexy Donna Sachet

Conversations at the Museum of the African Diaspora: Past Pain and the Difficult Path to Future Empowerment

2010-09-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ericka Huggins and Ronald K. Porter

The 25th Anniversary Conversations Across Generations “Stirring the Waters, Fanning the Flames” was the first event of the silver anniversary speaker series of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society (GLBTHS). It was partnered with the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD) in a comfortably cool room on a scorching hot day at MOAD’s Mission and 3rd street location on Sept. 25.

One of San Francisco’s newest museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora traces all of humankind’s origins to Africa through that continent’s culture, art, and history. The diaspora of Africans was powerfully and painfully displayed on a slave trade map on the wall behind the speakers on stage.

Presenter Ronald K. Porter exclaimed his pleasure that the majority of the 60-plus person audience were people of color. Porter is a University of California at Berkeley doctoral candidate in social and cultural studies in education. He was in conversation with acclaimed activist, former political prisoner, and author Ericka Huggins, who was a leader of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and currently is an educator who teaches at three schools.

Ronald K. Porter

Porter began the discussion relating a conversation with his cousin that shocked him because his relative could not conceive of an openly-gay African-American leader like Bayard Rustin who worked with Martin Luther King. Both he and Huggins spoke about the deliberate suppression of information about the activism of both African Americans and LGBTs throughout history, especially when the activists are queer and people of color.

Porter spoke emotionally of reading through the archived personal papers of a deceased Black author and discovering that gay love letters had been removed. A desperate need for family respectability had ruined the preservation of a valuable historical resource, and he said that 1920’s magazines with gay themed articles by famed authors such as Langston Hughes were suppressed.

Ericka Huggins

Huggins strongly expressed her view that the BPP not only invented the first charter schools, but also provided food, education, legal assistance, and help for prisoners and parolees. She mentioned that there was and still is a misinformation campaign about the BPP and its ability to give empowerment to people with lower incomes and to challenge the abuses of law enforcement. She also mentioned that she was an open lesbian in the BPP and there were other lesbians also, but that she did not know of any gay men.

This journalist spoke with Huggins after the Q&A about an Oakland Gay Liberation Front meeting that he attended in the early 1970s that was visited by Black Panther Party members who invited the gays to the upcoming BPP convention in Washington, D.C. The BPP’s 19-year-old office manager outed himself at that meeting, much to the surprise of everyone.

Racism in the LGBT community and homophobia in the African-American community was discussed during the Q&A. Huggins said that it will be difficult and uncomfortable for people to join together to talk about racism and homophobia to make changes, but that it has to be done. She hoped that young people would make that effort. She also spoke about the courage of the first inter-racially married couples fighting for legality and she related her disappointment about the unappreciated accomplishments of women of color such as Audre Lorde, June Jordan, Angela Davis, and Dolores Huerta.

Porter has known Huggins for five years and when they first met he asked if she could connect him with other Black gay men, and now that he has met many of them in the Bay Area he still feels that he would be involved in more of a community on the East Coast. There was a disagreement between Porter and Huggins about which LGBT couples wanted to be married, and Porter’s experience was that lower-income queer couples did not seek marriage vows. And Porter needed to assure an audience member that he did not feel that Black people were so damaged that there was no hope in the future for them.

The centerpiece of the event was a back and forth discussion about Huey P. Newton’s memo to the BPP that homosexuals had been discriminated against and that it was unfair. Huggins said that there had been talk about LGBTs before Newton’s memo, but that its issuance was still monumental. Newton evidently wanted sexuality to be talked about and that memo can be seen as an extension of Black revolutionaries’ feeling of solidarity with other oppressed people during the Viet Nam War era.

The GLBTHS’ executive director Paul Boneberg was introduced to the throng just before they mobbed Huggins and Porter to express their admiration and support for their activism.

The GLBTHS is presenting their annual Masked Ball Gala on Oct. 28. See glbthistory.org for information.

The Castro Country Club Benefit: A Triple Helping of Leslie Jordan for a Good Cause

2010-09-24T00:33:00.000-07:00

Crispin Hollings, Leslie Jordan and Terry Beswick

More than 150 supporters of the Castro Country Club converged on Everett Middle School in San Francisco on Sept. 19 to view the film “Sordid Lives” and enjoy an appearance by talented, openly-gay stage, film, and TV star Leslie Jordan, who has been performing all week at the Rrazz Room at the Hotel Nikko.

The event was a fundraiser for the Castro Country Club’s “Save the Steps” campaign, necessitated by the building’s impending sale. The mentioned steps are in front of the club and are a major center for socializing and cruising in the Castro neighborhood, continuing the tradition of local gay street culture that started in the early 70s.

The club has been a safe haven for people in recovery for addictions for over 27 years and it saves lives. Fundraising chairs Crispin Hollings and Terry Beswick have been working to raise more than $80,000 and they hoped to break the $100,000 barrier on Sunday evening.

The show started when Hollings introduced California State Senator Mark Leno. Leno began a subtle fundraising drive when he confided to the audience that he was increasing the amount of money of his own pledge.

The screening of the "Sordid Lives" overcame its lighting and sound limitations with its outrageous, picaresque, country characters. Like with the TV show “Mama’s Family,” the mostly citified and non-Southern audience member was laughing along with the characters as each loony situation unfolded. Jordan's performance is a must-see, and he has a genius for intuitively interacting with other actors.

The movie covered uncomfortable territory for many with dysfunctional families, and the all too familiar modern folk tale of the handsome country boy who moves to the big city, loses his accent, gets into show business, and then comes home to come out — even as family members feverishly try to change the subject. The audience laughed through much of the film and yelled out and screamed at some of writer Del Shore’s best comedic material.

Leslie Jordan

Hollings then introduced Jordan and there was a well-earned standing ovation. His stage show was hilarious, XXX-rated, obsessively revealing, and its viewpoints and experiences had a deliciously funny but caustic edge.

Leslie Jordan

The show ended with another standing ovation, a Q&A, and a VIP party at Home Restaurant. Jordan was warm and gracious as guests inched up to him to express their admiration and join him for photographs. Unlike most VIP parties where wine and cocktails are furiously being imbibed before the open bar closes, the restaurant staff did a fine job of continually filling glasses with ice water and iced tea. Home presented their quality buffet of macaroni & cheese, burgers, and incredible fudge brownies — and guests lined up for seconds.

The event was a triple helping of Leslie Jordan and he mentioned that his link with the club is a past addiction problem.

For more information about the Castro Country Club and its fundraising drive, visit castrocountryclub.org.

Crispin Hollings, Leslie Jordan and Terry Beswick

Three Queer Cultural Events in Three Hours: A San Francisco Artgasm

2010-09-23T02:17:00.000-07:00

Larry-bob Roberts, Michelle Tea and V. Vale

Three uniquely San Francisco queer events happened in three hours on Wednesday Sept. 15. The Radar Reading Series, the Fringe Festival, and Smack Dab all presented events for large crowds, with special appeal for LGBT audiences. It was an artgasm and a pleasure for people who feel deprived of public culture that has creative intellect.

The first event of the evening was an unusually rich literary happening at the San Francisco Main Library. Hostess Michelle Tea has presented her Radar Reading Series for over six years, and she has conquered one of the major obstacles of audience participation by bribing questions out of the throng with gourmet cookies during the Q&A. Pungent chocolate confections from Tartine Bakery were an immediate lure for interaction. Eileen Myles, Larry-bob Roberts, Gina Gold, and V. Vale were the featured authors, and each had a revelatory form of work that drew the audience into the moment while they read.

Michelle Tea and Larry-bob Roberts

Eileen Myles is considered a cult figure of fiction and non-fiction works. Her book “The Importance of Being Iceland” delves into that country’s art, poetry, and not-so-hidden queer identity. She was on a book tour and the audience was happy that she could be in San Francisco.

Larry-bob Roberts introduced his new book “The International Homosexual Conspiracy” which is a collection of his rants and raves about our bizarre modern culture and clever LGBT adaptations to it. It is bound to be waved from pulpits at rapturous, fundamentalist tent shows. Yoko Ono fans and Björk crazies were shredded during his presentation and Judy Garland worshippers were degraded.

Gina Gold is a controversial improv performer who has few boundaries about her personal sex life and her stripping career. Who knew that guys wearing just sneakers and Nixon masks pleasure themselves while watching the dancers perform?

V. Vale tried writing but he discovered that interviewing is his forte. He screened a couple unusual face-to-face encounters for the library audience, including one with a lesbian body-modification pioneer.

Ryan Hayes as Walt Whitman

For the second event of the evening, a couple dozen curious people gathered at the new plaza at 17th and Market Street in the Castro to see Ryan Hayes perform his one-man show "Boys Together Clinging: The Gay Poetry of Walt Whitman." Academics in the audience were electrified — here was the physical manifestation of Whitman in his twenties, shouting out his homoerotic "Calamus" poems 150 years after they were written. Hayes jumped up on a footlocker to wildly gesture and then ambled into the crowd to hold the hand of a young man and speak emotionally of men joining together while eye-locking his new fan. His show was one of the better parts of the San Francisco Fringe Festival.

Marvin K. White

The final cultural event was the monthly Smack Dab open mic at Magnet, with Oakland author Marvin K. White as the featured performer. White is an arts event coordinator and former member of Pomo Afro Homos, the breakthrough queer African-American stage show. White read stridently from his work, increasing the tempo and cadence of his voice with a climax of his popular poem “I Want to Make Black History With You” which is a manifestation of two black men complementing and bonding on an extremely intense level. He received loud sustained applause and it was the perfect finale to a bountiful night.

Commemoration of 9/11 at Harvey Milk Plaza: The Show Tolerance Not Hate Rally

2010-09-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Activist Kelly Hart

A small but enthusiastic group of activists marked the nine years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11 on the evening of Sept. 11 at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro for a "Show Tolerance and Not Hate Rally." Coordinator and MC Kelly Hart emotionally began the event as the audience crowded around him in the rapidly fading light. Even a succession of his jokes did not lessen Hart’s intensity, and he is the kind of narrowly focused and driven marriage activist that has made it possible for marriage equality to be successful as a mass movement.

Activist Kelly Hart

Hart is the founder of POZ Activist Network, he is a member of the AIDS Care Planning Council, he was a chapter leader for Marriage Equality USA, he was on the San Francisco Pride Board, and he is active in the “Do I Look Illegal?” opposition to the Arizona racial profiling law.

The first speaker was Rev. Karen Oliveto from Glide Memorial Methodist Church and the Pacific School of Religion. She is on the Glide ministry team that provides health services, job training, affordable housing, and nearly a million free meals a year.

Rev. Roland Stringfellow

The Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Director of Ministerial Outreach from the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry from the Pacific School of Religion spoke next. He works to have political activists join with people of faith to do outreach to misguided religious people to alleviate the demonization of LGBT citizens.

Activist Jack Fertig

Jack Fertig of Muslims for Progressive Values and Al-Fatiha (an international organization for LGBT Muslims) spoke with his characteristic sarcastic tone to point out that the fringe Christian pastors such as Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, and Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kansas, help LGBT’s by linking their extremist remarks with the hate speech of religious figures who say they love LGBTs, but condemn same-sex coupling, and denigrate marriage and job equality.

Activist Andrea Shorter

Andrea Shorter, who is the Deputy Director of Marriage and Coalitions at Equality California, also spoke. She pointed out that the rally was at Harvey Milk Plaza, and that Milk stood for tolerance, diversity, and most of all hope. Shorter is the president of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women.

There were discussions later nearby about why more people did not join the throng on Sept. 11 and ENDA rally on Sept. 9. The statement from many has been that this is a post-activism era where even the most avid rally and protest participants — college students — are not to be seen. They are spotted shopping and buying and selling online, and increasingly getting in touch with their bodies on bicycles and in yoga classes. This is also evident among the mass of LGBT’s who used to show up in large numbers for the various events but are now on eBay on their phones and showing off new bikes and yoga mats on the streets.

The media reported that sex workers, massage therapists, and psychiatrists saw a huge increase in clients after 9/11, and that could explain where a lot of people have found themselves. Submerging oneself in extra hours of sex, body manipulation, and tranquilizers could take the edge off of a need to get out into the plazas to protest.

There also were comments that people feel less safe now on Castro Street, due to recent published reports of horrific crimes and vandalism. The lack of a police presence is the first thing that some tourists say about the area, besides the sewer smell coming from the Walgreens parking lot. The only obvious on-the-street deterrent since the death of the Patrol Special’s Jane Warner is the armed guard in front of Bank of America and an occasional patrol car.

Event speakers Jack Fertig, Rev. Karen Oliveto, Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Kelly Hart and Andrea Shorter

The anniversary of 9/11 brought out feelings of sorrow and helplessness in some people discussing the day later in cafés. Alternative publications said that TV commentator Dan Rather crying on David Letterman’s show after 9/11 was more about a wealthy, privileged person feeling fear for the first time, something that poor people feel every day in their dangerous neighborhoods and at their dangerous jobs. That fear may have had something to do with 9/11 rally attendance.

Labor Day Weekend Fun in the Castro and SOMA: Parties, Barbecues and Election Drama

2010-09-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jake Berkowitz and Naomi Akers at the St. James Infirmary beer bust at the Eagle Tavern

There were multiple festive parties and barbecues — and election drama unique to San Francisco — during the Labor Day holiday weekend in San Francisco's Castro and South of Market (SOMA) neighborhoods.

Drag icon Cookie Dough hosted a "New Whoreleans or Bust" pre-Big Easy party at the Lookout in the Castro on Sept. 2 to benefit the performers who wanted to join the more affluent Trannyshack drag stars in New Orleans. A big raucous crowd dived into the Jell-O shots being sold by Mercy Fuque and enjoyed Lady Bear and Holy McGrail’s lip-synched songs. The raffle prizes were erotica-themed and a bartender sauntering through the bar in just overalls and sneakers added to the excitement. Trannyshack’s Heklina and Bearracuda’s Rentecca (“The Filthiest Person Alive”) will be at future New Whoreleans Thursday parties. Cookie Dough, to the delight of her punk and millennium clone fans, is running full throttle for Grand Duchess.

Hostess Cookie Dough and Mercy Fuque

Lime’s marvelous hors d’oeuvres and champagne set the mood for former San Francisco Emperor John Weber’s birthday party on Sept. 4, and Weber warmly greeted his guests as they swarmed into the lounge. Delicious mini-burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches joined distinctive deviled eggs on the bar and were matched well to inventive cocktails.

The drama of two elections converged at Weber’s party: the Grand Ducal Court charity organization is having their election on Sept. 18 and the San Francisco District 8 city supervisor election is Nov. 2.

Rebecca Prozan, Christopher Humphries, John Weber and Jason Husted

Grand Duke candidate Jason Husted and Grand Duchess candidate Ana Mae Coxxx were subtle as they worked the room. Husted is young and eager to please and is glowing with a new romance with Christopher Humphries, who also is a champion charity fundraiser. District 8 city supervisor candidates Rebecca Prozan and Rafael Mandelman introduced themselves in the chic space and agreed to pose together for photographs with the birthday guy.

Weber and some of his guests lip-synched and danced through the lounge for the pleasure of his friends and the thrilled young straight couples in the back. Then the throng paraded down Market Street from Lime for the second half of the party at Greg Bronstein’s other popular lounge, Trigger.

The San Francisco Leather Daddy’s Boy Contest was on stage at the Eagle on Sept. 4 with a large happy audience, and sexy Powerhouse manager Scott Peterson was a friendly but demanding judge. Hunky Adam Schwenk won and he thanked everyone profusely.

The first of two packed beer busts at the Eagle Tavern occurred on Sept. 5 when the St. James Infirmary sex worker clinic hosted the kind of beer and soda spectacle that has made the Eagle infamous worldwide. The St. James Infirmary takes care of sex workers’ medical needs and empowers them by letting them know that people care about their lives.

Derrick Hanson and Todd Quackenbush at the Eagle Tavern

Hundreds of primal men surged around each other, cruising, touching and making contact, with some women acquaintances looking on. A bountiful comfort food buffet was presented with sausages, hot dogs and fried chicken. Raffle prizes included a three-day weekend at the Russian River Resort in Guerneville.

Sultry erotic-film star Derrick Hanson and Todd Quackenbush sold raffle tickets and Sister maeJoy Bee withU and Becky Dukes joined clinic executive director Naomi Akers and tempting Jake Berkowitz to welcome people to the sex-charged event for a good cause. District 8 city supervisor candidate Rafael Mandelman showed up with a group of young energetic supporters to educate undecided voters.

Candidate Rafael Mandelman (second from left) with campaign supporters

On Labor Day, Sept. 6, Barbecue Master Dan worked the grill at the Eagle. Adventurous single horndogs and lover tag-teams had their last chance before the holiday weekend was over to meet up with guys they communicated with on Grindr and hookup websites.

San Francisco Commemorates 20 Years of the Ryan White CARE Act

2010-08-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

Ernest Hopkins, Legislative Affairs Director for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation

More than 60 legislative aides, care-givers, executive directors, HIV Health Services Planning Council members, and clients gathered on the steps San Francisco City Hall to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act on August 18.

Randy Allgaier, director of the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council, acted as the MC and he began the event with introductory remarks. He mentioned the presence of executive directors Brett Andrews from the Positive Resource Center, Mike Smith from the AIDS/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, and Bill Hirsh from AIDS Legal Referral Panel. Shanti executive director Kaushik Roy and Stop AIDS Project executive director Kyriell Noon were there, as was Maitri interim executive director Tracy Teraoka, with their former executive director Tim Patriarca.

Randy Allgaier, director of the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council

Allgaier lavishly praised Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representives, and her aide Dan Bernal spoke at the rally about future goals. California State Senator Mark Leno’s aide Reese Isbel and San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty’s aide Alex Randoph also spoke. District 8 supervisor candidates Scott Wiener, Rebecca Prozan, and Rafael Mandelman joined the group near the podium to witness the event.

Ernest Hopkins, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Legislative Affairs Director spoke emotionally about the momentous commemoration. Hopkins is also Chair of the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR), a vital national organization.

Ryan White client Hulda Brown spoke about how she was able to have a new life thanks to the services provided to her

Ryan White CARE Act client Hulda Brown bravely spoke about how she was able to turn her life around with funding support to alleviate her AIDS diagnosis. She said that she did not mind that people knew that she was infected and commented: “It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it.” Sustained applause followed her remarks.

Past and present members of the CARE Council also spoke, including Cecilia Chung and Laura Thomas who referred to her ACT UP activism days. Council co-chair Steve Manley commented on his 22 years living with AIDS and he praised actress Elizabeth Taylor for shaming members of the U.S. Congress at hearings to provide funding in the early years of the pandemic. The final speaker, Shanti’s Mark Molnar, acknowledged the CARE Council members who are no longer alive.

Bigots and satirists facing off

Two anti-gay bigots, protected by barriers, kept up a steady irrational heckling of the event, but they were ignored. And two satirists stood next to them with kooky signs belittling their propaganda.

The commemoration was sponsored by the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council and the San Francisco HIV/AIDS Providers Network. Further information is at http://www.sfcarecouncil.org/.

Project Open Hand's Dessert First Party: Extreme Cocktails and Desserts for a Good Cause

2010-08-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

Project Open Hand executive director Tom Nolan (center) with the cupcake-hatted event promoters Yay! Sprinkles

Project Open Hand presented their tenth annual “Dessert First...A Decade of Delicious” gala at the InterContinental Hotel on August 15 and it was a doubly fine event. First there was the VIP Reception that featured some of San Francisco Bay Area’s best mixologists competing for the title of “Top Mixologist.” The party was a crush of trendy upscale gay men in groups and numerous opposite-sex couples, with some butch guys with tiny cupcake hats mixed in. Those were the Yay! Sprinkles guys who won this year’s outrageous Easter Tricycle Race that started and finished at Café Flore. Cocktails have been a major attraction of San Francisco since the Gold Rush, starting with such favorites as Pisco punch, and the well-dressed guests tightly squeezed around the drink creators before they voted.

Excellent music from the LiveWire band with their beautiful young women singers welcomed guests to the large reception in the hotel's grand ballroom. The event was a tribute to some of the Bay Area’s finest pastry chefs, and luxurious desserts were displayed on tables around the ballroom. The 16 chefs included Patti Dellamonica-Bauler of One Market Restaurant, Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake and Orson, Jessica Sullivan of Boulevard, and Terri Wu of Farralon.

A real treat for the chocolate lovers was a delicious confection with raspberries from The Claremont Hotel Club and Spa, and their executive chef Josh Thomsen and Janine were ready with a smile as people lined up around their table.

Chris Fentin, Jan Wahl, Ajay Herrejon and Tom Nolan

This year marks the 25th year of Project Open Hand, and there will be celebrations throughout 2010. A check of their website is a good idea. The organization was founded by grandmother Ruth Brinker because she realized that many people with AIDS were undernourished, and that it was a threat to their health. Project Open Hand has grown to be able to serve 2,600 meals a day to people who are in need.

Sponsors of Dessert First include the InterContinental Hotel, W&J Graham’s, Dow’s and Blandy’s port wines, Angove Family Winemakers, Blue Angel Vodka, Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur, DRY Soda, San Francisco Magazine, and the San Francisco Business Times. There was also a silent and live auctions, wines, cheeses, and hors d’oeuvres, and it was a very well-organized party with experienced and helpful staff and volunteers presenting a wondrous afternoon for the delighted guests.

Project Open Hand executive director Tom Nolan maneuvered himself through the vast sea of guests, greeting and welcoming happy diners, as did Angela Rauch and Jared Scherer. The only complaint that this journalist heard was a yearning for a past year’s splendid chicken salad sandwiches for guests who had skipped lunch.

Project Open Hand deserves congratulations for their pleasurable benefit as they enjoy the success of a quarter century of service to the San Francisco Bay Area.