Katie Dettman

You know you are a true Upstate/Western New Yorker when ...

2008-12-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

by Jeff Foxworthy ...

My college friend, Jess Drewing, forwarded this to me. She grew up in Syracuse, NY and now lives in Denver, CO. I grew up in Rochester, NY and now live in Eugene, OR.

Jess says: These are so true. I actually miss the snow (sometimes). Like on Christmas day. (maybe) Or to ski (I never skied.) Yeah, I really miss it. (NOT)

I never skied, either. And I moved to the West Coast in 2005 because after my 25th winter in western/upstate New York, I'd finally had enough of the cold and the snow ...

Jeff Foxworthy on Upstate New York.

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse gets more snow than any other major city in the US , you might live in Upstate NY.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through May, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here,' you might live near Oswego in Upstate New York.

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year, you might live, bundled up, in Upstate New York.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in Upstate NY.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Upstate New York.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE UPSTATE NEW YORKER WHEN:

"Vacation" means going south past Syracuse for the weekend.

You measure distance in hours.

You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

Down South to you means Corning.

Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed.

You go out for a fish fry every Friday.

Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." And 55 is shorts weather.

You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Upstate New York friends and to those who used to live here and left (chickens).

Inefficiencies of the Health Care System, and What it Does to Patients

2008-12-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Or, more specifically, what I deal with far too often. I live with Type I diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis and a number of other illnesses. I spend far too much of my time helping pharmacies communicate with doctors' offices, repeating my information to the same people ad infinitum, and generally holding the hands of those I pay to help me.

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but the majority of my experience going to 15+ doctors' appointments per year, and being on several prescriptions for the past 20 years of my life, has produced head-bashing frustration time and time again.

For example (please take this example and multiply it by multiple times per month for my entire lifetime), last week I realized I needed more Humalog insulin, which I use in an insulin pump to keep me alive (one young person once asked what the pump was, and I explained that it is something I need to "keep me alive." I believe my exact words were "that's to keep me alive!").

Why a person with Type I diabetes, an incurable condition, needs a prescription (i.e. a doctor's permission) to procure a hormone that other people's bodies produce naturally, a hormone that one needs to stay alive, I cannot tell you. Well, I can, but it's crazy, and it puts barriers in peoples' ways that can sometimes be life-threatening (one of the inhumane inefficiencies of the health care system in America.)

I called my new pharmacy, Rite Aid, at 57 West 29th Avenue in Eugene, OR, and asked that they transfer my insulin prescription over from Walgreens in Springfield. Rite Aid is closer to my house, and I shop at the Market of Choice next door, etc. I gave them the prescription number and the phone number for the Walgreens in Springfield. They said they'd call me when the prescription was ready.

After a few days with no phone call, I called them to find out if my prescription was ready. They told me that no, the prescription wasn't ready – that there were no more refills and they were contacting the prescribing doctor to get a refill. Okay. I called them a few days after that, and found out they still hadn't heard from the prescribing doctor's office. (I recently moved to Eugene from San Francisco, CA, and hadn't seen this doctor in a while. Today, I found out that the original doctor denied the refill request, although Rite Aid didn't share this essential detail with me until my fourth or fifth call).

Having been through this a number of times before, I inferred that the original doctor probably had denied the request. So I called my new rheumatologist in Eugene. (I have a new patient appointment set up with a general practitioner/endocrinologist, but she couldn't squeeze me in for a month, and the month hasn't passed yet.) The rheumatologist told me I could ask him to write me an insulin prescription if such a bind occurred. And it has. (This particular rheumatologists' office is one of the rare exceptions to the terrible service/inefficiency rule.)

I spoke to a nurse there yesterday, and told her my plight, which was at this point much more serious than it had been over a week ago when I originally took action, since, as the reader knows, I use insulin every day to keep me alive. The nurse was great and said she'd speak to the doctor that afternoon and call in the prescription. Flash forward to this afternoon. It's curious that I still haven't heard from Rite Aid. I called the doctor's office and speak to the nurse again. She tells me that when she called Rite Aid, they told her that they didn't have any record of such a prescription on file for me. I call Rite Aid. They tell me about the original doctor denying the request, and ask me again for my prescription information. I tell them that I originally asked that the prescription be transferred from Walgreens in Springfield. The woman I am speaking with asks me for my rheumatologists' number, which I know they already have, in addition to Walgreens' number, which, as the reader knows, they already have, as I've given it to them already for this prescription. (What the reader doesn't know is that I have given them this number numerous times before, as I've transferred a number of prescriptions to them from Walgreens in Springfield in the recent past). She also asks me how much insulin I use per day, even though she should be able to get all of this information from Walgreens. I tell her about how much I use, off the top of my head, and she says, “okay, I'll just put 20-40 units per day.”

When I got home this afternoon I had a frantic voicemail from Rite Aid, asking me to give them the number for Walgreens once again. I just called them to give it to them, and after about three minutes of being put on hold, spelling my name, and being asked again and again what doctor was prescribing it this time, and what medication it was, the woman I spoke to said, “well, we have a filled prescription for you for Humalog on the shelf.”

Again, please multiply this example by several times per month, for every year of my life. Now multiply this example by the number of patients there are in America. No one hears about this unless they live it, or live with a person who lives it, because at the end of the day people who are sick, or who are living with chronic illnesses, don't have the time or energy to share these issues with the world. We, like everyone else on earth, live full lives and use what time and energy we have left, after dealing with such scenarios day in and day out, to live, to enjoy our time on this planet.

Body Love

2008-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

With the economy in shambles and winter setting in, what better way to put your worries behind you (or your loved one) than with a healing massage or other spa treatment? Eugene offers a plethora of spas, salons and other professional relaxing spaces.

The reader-voted Best New Business 2008 is A Healing Space, Inc. (380 W. 3rd Ave.). It’s a calming, literally healing space that has been open for about a year. Services include chiropractic, naturopathy, massage therapy, acupuncture, reiki, flower essence therapies, microcurrents and holistic medicine as well as classes in yoga, fitness, boxing and tai chi.

Owner Adam Dropkin has been a practicing chiropractor for 14 years. A Healing Space came about, he says, “because I’ve worked in an office with a few other practitioners, but to coordinate care between a medical doctor, a naturopath, a massage therapist and a fitness expert is so hard to do. You don’t exactly know how people work or what their specialties are, so the idea was to bring in a bunch of people who are very good at their jobs, but all do slightly different things.”

He also wanted to create a “non-doctor-like atmosphere.” The office, located in an old warehouse space, sports tall cardboard-tube circular pods with fountains running between them. Patients receive treatments inside the pods.

Tom Etges practices medical acupuncture and medicine at A Healing Space. The family medicine doctor incorporates aspects of alternative therapies into his practice. “I think I’ve given a number of people options as to how to proceed,” he says. “For a number of folks who wish to continue with certain kinds of Western drugs, I can offer that to them as well.”

A Healing Space accepts insurance and also has gift certificates available.

Readers named Gervais Salon & Day Spa (with two locations, 248 E 5th Ave. and 301 W 5th Ave.) Best Personal Indulgence Provider this year (with Bello Day Spa and Pearl Day Spa rounding out the top three). Gervais’ downtown location is a full-service spa and salon, while the Fifth Street Public Market location, which opened in June 2007, provides salon and waxing services.

Gervais carries and uses Aveda products, which are plant- and flower-based. Sharah Madrone, Gervais’ owner, says she appreciates Aveda’s environmentally and socially responsible practices. “Our holiday gift sets are a great example of Aveda’s social commitment,” she said. “The paper is made in Nepal. It is sustainably sourced, helping to preserve 90,000 acres of Himalayan forest.”

In addition to the spas listed here, many care professionals have individual practices (be assured that we don’t talk to our sales department about this, but we do often check the wellness ads at the back of the Weekly). Remember to be sure that your practitioner is licensed (most will have license numbers on fliers, business cards or websites). Your body — er, we mean your giftee’s body — will be thankful.

- Eugene Weekly, Nov. 27, 2008

Review of American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century

2008-11-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Howard Blum's American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century gives readers an insider's view of seemingly disparate early-20th century events and characters, and their surprising relationships with one another. At the heart of the story is the October 1, 1910 early morning bombing of the Los Angeles Times building, which killed 21 people (some accounts say that 20 people died) and sent the American public into a panic as more explosions rocked the country, one after another.

Blum allows readers inside the minds of the book’s three central characters. Billy Burns was a famous Chicago detective who was hired by the City of Los Angeles to find those responsible for the destruction of the Times building. Renowned attorney Clarence Darrow was hired to defend the men accused of the bombing, union leaders James and Joseph McNamara. The third is D.W. Griffith, widely acknowledged as the father of the American film industry, whose short films inspired sympathy for American workers like the McNamara brothers.

Blum goes to lengths to portray the extreme tension between labor and capital during this era, when the western United States was growing at an exponential pace, and the Industrial Revolution raged. The events portrayed in the book illustrate an eerie parallel to today's war on terror, and the tension between corporate America and low-income Americans as the gap between them widens.

Although the insider's view of these events and the people involved, is riveting, Blum does not get to the heart of the plot until well past the mid-point of the book. The reader is left wondering at Darrow and Griffith’s role in the narrative. Once it becomes clear that Darrow will defend the McNamara brothers, his importance to the story is secured. Griffith's tale, while fascinating, lacks a direct and necessary connection to the book’s other events and characters. Blum scrupulously explores the details of the various events and people involved in the tale of the bombing, its investigation, conclusion and place in American history. But he would have done well to exclude some events and characters, such as Griffith’s relationships with Biograph movie studios and the various women in his life.

Blum's research and investigations, as well as his exploration of historical documents and main characters' own accounts of the events, are impeccable and exhaustive, and the book is worth reading if only for the author's informative account of this little-known chapter in American history.

- Etude, Fall 2008

Celebrate Downtown at the EC

2008-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Merchants anticipate excitement, if not more sales

Downtown merchants are gearing up for this weekend’s Eugene Celebration - expect big sales and discounts, but don’t expect extended hours.

Some retail merchants are excited about the Celebration and plan to enjoy the crowds and the sights but do not expect any increased sales as a result, even if their shops lie in the midst of it all.

For one thing, there will be a greatly reduced amount of available parking, and Celebration-goers don’t want to carry bags full of merchandise with them all day, according to Kenny Herrin, owner of Letterhead Fine Papers and Gifts on Eighth Avenue. Letterhead is closed every Sunday, and this weekend is no exception. “The Celebration will bring in lots of foot traffic, but it’s not worth being open an extra day,” he says.

Despite not expecting extra sales, Herrin is excited about the Eugene Celebration and plans to watch the parade from his shop’s front windows. “Sometimes people don’t want to get behind Eugene, [but] we have to start applauding it it’s a great town. I’m 100 percent behind anything that gets it on the map and brings people downtown,” said Herrin.

Eighth and 10th Avenues are the boundaries of the Celebration on the north and south, and Oak and Charnelton are the boundaries on the east and west.

Harlequin Beads, located just outside the Celebration boundary on Willamette near 10th, plans to hold a blowout sale during the Celebration to try to lure potential customers into the shop. They are offering a 50 percent discount on all loose beads and a 25 percent discount on “everything else,” according to manager Michelle Rose. But Rose explained that some find it challenging to get to Harlequin during the Celebration, because organizers erect barriers that make it look as though the rest of Willamette is closed off. Willamette is not closed off, and bikes and pedestrians should be able to get to the Harlequin block with ease.

Billy Elias, co-owner of Magical Dreamtime gift shop, next door to Harlequin, suggests that the Celebration begin distribution of discount coupons for local businesses with admission, or a map of all vendors in the area, to make the Celebration work better for downtown vendors.

Restaurateurs mostly don’t plan to extend their hours of operation for the Celebration. Barbara Whitehorse, restaurant and bar manager at Rock n’ Rodeo/Charro’s on the corner of 7th and Willamette, explained that their hours extend longer than the event, so they do not plan to offer extended hours. They do notice a small increase in sales when the Celebration is in town, however. “It always works out well,” said Whitehorse.

Unfortunately, you can’t plan to have brunch at the Broadway wine shop (at the corner of Broadway and Charnelton) this year, for the store is no longer serving food. Co-owner Ellen Chamberlain explained that the owners hope to bring their chef back next month for small plates, but at the moment their food sales are not profitable.

Still, you don’t need a Celebration bracelet/wristband ($12 for three days) to shop and eat downtown. From the new Café Maroc to Smith Family Books, from the Bagel Sphere to clothing boutiques, downtown’s open for business during the EC.

(EugeneWeekly.com, September 11, 2008)

Twins and puppets and music, oh my!

2008-08-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Puppets, visual aids and a wild mixture of music anchor the Roving Park Players’ outdoor presentation of The Comedy of Errors. The young theater company makes Shakespeare accessible with a stripped-down manner and nothing to distract from the action.

Hilarious and entertaining, the production includes several unexpected turns, including silent pieces (lazzi) between scenes, which the actors perform wearing handmade masks. One of the lazzi incorporates a member of the audience.

The most entertaining bit of the play, which presents several instances of mistaken identity, is undoubtedly Bob Glasser’s all-too-brief portrayal of Dr. Pinch, a conjuring schoolmaster who wears a white doctor’s coat, a neon pink and green necktie and a black derby hat. As others speak in the scene, he repeatedly glances up at the sky and silently speaks to a specter unseen to the audience. He ends one of his scenes with a throwback to The Wizard of Oz, murmuring “What a world!” as he melts.

Other highlights include Katelyn Bruhn as Adriana and Kella Hanna-Wayne as her sister, Luciana. Each project and deliver their lines with clarity and the right amount of emotion - some of the best acting in the production. The two also charm the audience with a capella duets, singing certain lines together or in a round. The play is intermixed with various forms of music, including recorded tunes blasted from the sound system behind the audience.

Director Vicki Harkovitch encourages much improvisation, and the company appreciates this freedom. Sam Hediger as Antipholus of Syracuse and Seth Hansen as Dromio of Syracuse employ synchronized slapstick to hilarious effect.

One of the more confusing aspects of the production is the portrayal of the officer of Ephesus by Big Rag Doll (so-called in the program); literally a big, rag doll, whose lines are spoken by whichever actor happens to be holding him at the time. Perhaps this is another way to draw in the audience, but it seems more distracting than anything else. Still, this is a production you shouldn’t miss.

Errors continues on Aug. 21 & 22 at Campbell Senior Center’s garden, 155 High Street in Eugene, and on Aug. 23 & 24 at Island Park, 200 West B Street, Springfield. For more information, visit www.rovingparkplayers.org

(Eugene Weekly, August 21, 2008)

Out, Proud and Smiling - Pride turns 17 under sunny skies

2008-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

It’s true - one doesn’t need to go all the way to Portland to celebrate the gay: Thousands of LGBT folks and allies reveled in their rainbow-colored best at Alton Baker Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, during the Eugene/Springfield Pride Festival.

This year’s theme was “Live, Love, Be.” The weather was ideal for the event — sunny and clear with a cool breeze. The celebration experienced a bit of growth over last year’s fête, with 56 vendors and more than 3,200 participants. Last year there were 40 vendors and about 3,000 attendees.
Members of the Thunder Chickens prepare for the five-legged race. Photo: Suzi Steffen

Julie Weismann of QueerEugene.com started what she hopes is a new tradition: Pride games, with teams doing everything from a five-legged race to finding new and creative ways to pass beach balls and water bottles from person to person. Local entertainers as well as acts from the San Francisco area performed in a newly designed stage area.

“We tried out a new stage that everyone liked a lot — we put the tables closer to the grass so that people could dance on the grass instead of on the dirt,” said Jer Megowan, Pride Festival Coordinator. He added that festival-goers appreciated the new dance area and a wider variety of food vendors.

“I think it’s great that [Eugene] has Pride so that everyone in the community and outside areas can pull together and then do this versus having to travel all the way to Portland,” said Robert Lemaster, who actually came down from Portland for the event.

Entertainers included Joshua Klipp of San Francisco; Nicole Sangsuree, long a standout at the UO and now living in Portland; Mr. JoyBoy; and Spin Cycle Squares of Eugene. Klipp’s back-up dancers were a perfect complement to his sunglasses- and baseball cap-clad cuteness. Spin Cycle Squares got the audience up and dancing.

“It’s nice — it’s not overly political,” said Lemaster’s friend Tim Thatstowl, who has lived in Eugene for almost 20 years. This year was his first visit to the Pride Festival. “There are booths set up that have different information on what these organizations are doing, and there’s some stuff going on that I wasn’t aware of, and I’ve lived here 20 years. I’m glad I came,” he said.

Kelly Windhaven, a massage therapist and energy healer in Eugene who comes to the Pride celebration every year, wore a kilt, made by her partner, and a 2008 Eugene/Springfield Pride Festival T-shirt. “This year is better — there are more people, more booths, more vendors, more people, I’m hugging and kissing my sweetie, so I’m having a great time!”

Mary Robertson, Windhaven’s partner, helped at the Religious Response Network (RRN) booth. “RRN is a group of about a dozen congregations in town that try to give a voice of reason when there’s a hate crime, a piece of legislation, anything like that,” she said. Robertson is also a member of Soromundi, Eugene’s women’s choir, which is celebrating its 20th year. (Want to join? Check out www.soromundi.org and attend rehearsals in early September.)

Club Pynk’s Pride White Party took place later at John Henry’s. Hundreds of revelers, many wearing mostly white, danced the night away and enjoyed performances by Mills, the Club Pynk Go-Go Dancers and others. One poor lad lamented the predominantly female crowd: “There are so many lesbians here! But where are all the gay men?”

So why is the Eugene/Springfield celebration so late in the summer? According to Megowan, the traditional late June Pride weekend observed by most other celebrations around the world too often risks rainy weather here. He added that the planning committee doesn’t want to compete with other summer events like Art and the Vineyard and the Oregon Country Fair. Pride has been taking place during the second weekend of August for the past four years.

“We’re always looking for volunteers to help us plan the event,” Megowan said. The committee was short-handed this year, he added, and said that the committee welcomes new members, who can find out more and sign up at www.eugenepride.org (meetings begin in September for next year’s fest).

(Eugene Weekly, August 14, 2008)

Head up to the alley Sunday

2008-07-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

If people can't wait any longer for the 25th annual Folsom Street Fair in late September, they're in luck. This weekend Folsom Street Events, producers of the fall leather extravaganza, host two summertime events. While not as large, they nonetheless will set the stage and whet the appetite.

This Saturday night is the Bay of Pigs dance party, followed by the Up Your Alley street fair on Sunday, July 27.

Up Your Alley expands this year, and will take place on Folsom Street between 9th Street and Juniper Street; Dore Alley from Howard Street to Sheridan; and 10th Street from Howard to Harrison. That means an expansion of an entire block, giving attendees three blocks of space rather than two, which they've had for the last decade. With the new space, FSE will add additional vendors and will move the food court and the dance area.

"We were finding that Up Your Alley was becoming a little too crowded for people when confined to those two blocks, so we felt it was important this year to expand," said Demetri Moshoyannis, executive director of FSE. "It's something that we've wanted to do for years, so we finally made it happen."

"We like to think of Up Your Alley as a more intimate production of the Folsom Street Fair," said Moshoyannis. "It's more locally driven and much more focused on gay men. It's less pansexual than Folsom Street Fair, but it's certainly a great precursor. This year marks the 25th Folsom Street Fair and so we're really hoping that Up Your Alley will really give people a taste of Folsom."

Up Your Alley attracts about 12,000 people each year, whereas Folsom Street Fair typically brings more than 400,000 people to South of Market.

While there is no set admission price, FSE encourages attendees to donate $5 at the gate. As with previous years, 100 percent of gate donations and net sales from beverage vendors will benefit a number of nonprofit organizations. With the gate donation, attendees will receive $1 off beverages during the fair.

Sixteen nonprofit organizations will benefit from the donations this year, including AIDS Emergency Fund, API Wellness Center, Pets Are Wonderful Support, Project Open Hand, the Transgender Law Center, and many more. FSE holds a competitive process every year during which community nonprofits can apply for grants from the money raised at Bay of Pigs, Up Your Alley, Magnitude (the dance party preceding the Folsom Street Fair) and Folsom Street Fair. FSE awards the grants to nonprofits that address the community's needs in the areas of public health, human services, and the arts. In 2007, FSE raised over $350,000 for beneficiaries.

Moshoyannis sees Up Your Alley and Folsom Street Fair as part of the revitalization of the South of Market neighborhood. "I think people will see that the neighborhood is changing in part because of who we are as a community and our presence is still definitely felt, encouraged, and supported," he said.

"For local fetish enthusiasts, Up Your Alley is really the event of the year," Moshoyannis added. "It's really an opportunity for us to come together as a community and learn from one another, engage one another, and just have a sexy time out on the streets of San Francisco. I think that that positive energy is starting to attract people from other cities across the world, so it's exciting to see the event expand this year."

When asked about the most exciting part of Up Your Alley, Moshoyannis said, "you have to see it to believe it. I like to think of Up Your Alley as a continuation of the 1967 Summer of Love and the hippie movement here in San Francisco, part of that free love movement that we can all still hopefully celebrate."

The Bay of Pigs dance party starts at 10 p.m. at New York Studio, 535 York Street. Tickets are $30 in advance or $45 at the door. For more information, including where to purchase Bay of Pigs tickets, visit http://www.folsomstreetfair.org. Enthusiasts are strongly encouraged not to bring pets or children to Up Your Alley.

Arguello works to bridge gay, Latino worlds

2008-06-26T08:00:00.001-07:00

Erick Arguello moved to San Francisco from Nicaragua in 1963, at the age of 4. At the time, the country was in the midst of unstable relations between the Somoza dynasty and the Sandinista guerillas. Arguello's parents wanted a better life for their children, and moved their family to the Mission District in San Francisco, where Arguello has lived ever since.

Although Arguello, 48, has not returned to Nicaragua since he left, he does still have family there. He has gay cousins who moved to the United States because of Nicaragua's intolerance of LGBTs. The gay community in Nicaragua, Arguello said, exists underground.

In 1989, Arguello lost his partner of three years to AIDS. He was just 33 when he died. Later that year, Arguello learned he was also HIV-positive.

"Losing my partner to AIDS and feeling helpless watching him die is something that I will never forget and it changed my life forever," said Arguello.

As a Latino, Arguello had trouble finding health services that addressed his cultural needs and catered to gay Latino men. Twelve years ago, he became a client of Asociacion Gay Unida Impactando Latinos/Latinas A Superarse (AGUILAS), which translates to Association of United Gays Impacting Latinos/Latinas toward Self-Empowerment. He now serves as its volunteer coordinator.

"AGUILAS is one of the few [health providers] that looks at the complete person individually," said Arguello. He plans to continue advocating for the gay Latino community in San Francisco, "to make sure services of this manner are available and continue. Federal cuts have made it more difficult to maintain these services ... I think in government, we need to think more outside the box so that services can be accessible to the community on many levels. Many everyday people that work all day have very little access to services. The working class is the backbone of the country and needs to be heard. People living with HIV/AIDS struggle just to stay healthy."

The membership of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee selected Arguello as an individual grand marshal for this year's Pride celebration.

"I feel very honored to be chosen," he said. "It's a historical year with gay marriage [becoming legalized in California] and the celebration of Harvey Milk getting his statue at City Hall."

Arguello has worked to build a stronger LGBT and Latino community for many years with organizations like AGUILAS and others. He is a founder of the Lower 24th Street Merchant and Neighborhood Association, which provides a voice for Latino small business owners. He is also a member of the advisory committee on safety to District Attorney Kamala Harris, a past member of the community policing advisory committee for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, as well as a past member of the Instituto Familiar de La Raza speaker's bureau program, where he shared his life experience with HIV/AIDS with other Latinos.

"As a gay Latino man, the gay community and Latino community have been two separate worlds," said Arguello. "Demographically, the communities live as neighbors but don't quite mix. What I am able to do as a gay man in the Latino community is bring visibility and understanding that we are like anyone else with the same needs and concerns as others, and the same as a Latino in the gay community, in hope to bridge differences and bring understanding."

Arguello has invited a coalition called Latinos de Ambiente de La Bahia (Bay Area Gay Latinos) to the Pride Parade. "This group consist of 25 gay, Latino organizations throughout the Bay Area that work around HIV/AIDS," he said. "We are a minority within a minority and creating visibility creates unity and tolerance and will help us bring attention to the work these groups do and the need that is there."

Arguello credits his early diagnosis and faith for his 19 years of survival with HIV. "My HIV positive diagnosis and health issues that have arisen over the years, I believe, have made me a better man. No matter what life throws at us we need to learn from it, put it in perspective, grow stronger, and keep moving forward. Life does not wait."

The personal is political for Turman

2008-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

For one grand marshal, helping lead the parade Sunday is worlds away from where he began his life. Julius Turman was born in Montgomery, Alabama and grew up in Lansing, Michigan. He moved to San Francisco in January 1998.

"I moved to San Francisco because I wanted to get away from snow, I wanted to be able to live a more open and accepting lifestyle, and I always wanted to live in California," he said.

Turman, 42, has been practicing law since 1992, and currently practices labor and employment law at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. In the past, he has worked as a federal prosecutor and was the lead attorney for the complainants in the racial discrimination case against Badlands bar in the Castro.

In that case, which broke wide open in June 2004, several people filed discrimination complaints against Badlands owner Les Natali. Natali denied the charges. After a 10-month investigation, a report by staff at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the bar was discriminating against African Americans. But the findings were never official because then-Human Rights Commission Executive Director Virginia Harmon never officially signed off on the staff report.

Subsequently, a mediated settlement was reached between the complainants and Natali. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Earlier this year, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Turman to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and last month, the San Francisco Pride Board named Turman a community grand marshal for this year's parade.

"My work in the community focuses around inclusion," said Turman. He served as the first African American president of Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, which is the oldest and largest regional LGBT bar association in America. He was also the first African American to be co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. He is currently co-chair of the club with Susan B. Christian, who is also African American.

Turman is on the board of the Bar Association of San Francisco and, as part of his role with the bar association, co-chaired the Equality Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, which released a groundbreaking report last year on creating ways to make LGBT attorneys feel more acceptance in law firms and legal departments.

Turman's work in the LGBT, African American, and legal communities focuses on combating discrimination and promoting equality.

"I think that there are stereotypes that exist among both African Americans and about LGBT persons," he said.

"People expect that I am to exhibit certain types of behavior, certain types of attitudes and when we rely on stereotypes, we rob people of their individuality, we rob people of their own unique voice, and we rob the greater community of their ability to express the interest that individual groups have," he said. Turman said that he has experienced discrimination because of both his race and his sexual orientation.

"As an African American, I think that people have an automatic belief or challenge to me on the grounds of competence. So I have to work that much harder to prove that I have something to contribute. It's not always fair but it certainly is tiring."

"As a gay man, I think that especially in times like this, when LGBT persons are experiencing a time when we should be much more integrated into policy and community and culture in San Francisco, we're under attack by people who would deny us the same rights as others: marriage, and a political voice, and an inclusive ENDA, and all the things that others expect to have but we have to fight even harder for. We're criticized for fighting for what we want."

Turman was referring to last year's decision by the Human Rights Campaign to drop gender identity protections from its signature piece of legislation, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. That move resulted in more than 300 local, state, and national LGBT organizations forming the United ENDA coalition to push for an inclusive version of the job protection bill.

Turman works on several fronts; as the Alice Club co-chair, he works to support those candidates the club is working to elect. He has endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president, and encourages others to vote for him in November.

"I have been an active member [of the Alice Club], raising my voice, asking the people whom I help elect to office to be accountable to me and to my community and asking them to do what's right," he said. When asked if he has plans to run for elected office, he replied: "I don't have any plans to run for public office, but I have great plans to always ask questions of people who want to represent us. I have great plans to contribute to people who represent us as much as possible."

Turman is very excited about Pride. He said that he is "quite honored" to serve as a grand marshal. "I hope that at least for one day, it brings focus to me as a black gay man to tell other black gay men, 'we are part of this community. What we do and what we think matters and it's something to be proud of.'"

"I see Pride as an opportunity for me to say to all those people who have helped me along the way and all the people who have recognized me in this way, 'thank you very much,'" he said. "I don't do what I do for recognition or for prizes, but because I care and I want to thank people for caring right back."

The Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition will host a reception for Turman Friday, June 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen, 1666 Market Street.

Center throws open doors for Pride

2008-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

As estimated 400 people turned out at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center Saturday, June 7 to kick off Pride Month and celebrate last month's California Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe welcomed the crowd in the lobby of the center and thanked Comcast for its donation of a new electronic events calendar that was installed in the center's entryway. Supervisor Bevan Dufty spoke and introduced Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who won the Democratic nomination for 3rd District Senate seat last week. Following Leno's remarks, the Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits performed a short opening ceremony.

Activities included Lesbo bingo, a queer erotic reading and a mini singles' event for women, each hosted by Center Women Present in the Rainbow Room; music and food hosted by And Castro for All and AGUILAS; activities for kids; resource tables from several community organizations, as well as a meet and greet and other activities specifically for the transgender community.

Sister Dinah Might of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence hosted Lesbo bingo. The irreverent Sister spanked participants who yelled "Bingo" when they didn't actually have it (it was a fast-moving, complicated bingo). Winners chose wrapped gifts from the stage, and numbers were drawn for random winners of free stuff between rounds.

Those who attended the open house were supportive of the center, which celebrated its sixth anniversary earlier this year.

Jose Santamaria, 49, has lived in the neighborhood a block from the center for 10 years. "It's very convenient," he said. "I should come here more often and I think I will from today onwards. I think it's great. It provides a place where LGBTs can get a variety of information about the community. It was much needed."

Rick Oculto, 29, of San Francisco said that he attended the event, "because I'm gay." "I think [the center] is a positive influence and I think it still needs to find its niche within the community," he said. "It's interesting because there are so many resources here already for LGBT folks. It's a nice idea that this is supposed to be the intersection of all those places but that conversation is very hard when many of those resources haven't talked to each other before and so [the center] is put in a very interesting position."

"It's good to see lots of folks in the center," said Eli Stepnitz, 21, a barista at Vince and Pete's Three Dollar Bill Cafe inside the center. "Sometimes people don't use it to its fullest – it's a really great place."

Rachel Carroll and Michelle Mapp came to the event from their home in Oakland. "I just recently moved here and I'm looking at starting a formal black Pride," said Mapp, who is a member of the International Federation of Black Prides. "I think one of the things that's needed here in the Bay Area is a black Pride celebration."

"[The center] is a great place and I think Pride is going to be phenomenal," added Mapp. "It s about pulling all communities together to make it an inclusive Pride for all."

San Francisco LGBT Pride takes place June 28-29. Visit http://www.sfpride.org for more information.

Lesbian to be honored at SFSU commencement

2008-05-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Katherine Kramer is a lesbian originally from Washington, D.C. who has been diligently working toward her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics for the past two and a half years. She will finally receive her degree at San Francisco State University's commencement on Saturday, May 24.

And she will receive it with honors. Kramer, as she likes to be called, was selected as a hood recipient by economics professors at SFSU, and was selected by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences to represent the school at graduation. One student from each college at the university will receive hoods for graduation, which are symbolic vestments worn by honored students.

Kramer, 31, said that she is excited to be earning her degree after spending the last eight years in San Francisco. She moved to the city in September 2000 after leaving Yale, where she'd spent four years and hadn't earned a degree.

"It wasn't a very good time for me," she said of her time at Yale during a study break on Saturday. "I had some stuff I needed to work out and so I just wasn't using my time very effectively. It just wasn't a good fit for me and I spent a lot of time not studying."

"I was leaving Yale and I didn't really know what to do with my life. I had heard that there were a couple gay people out here and that I might like it," she said with a laugh.

She planned to spend a weekend in San Francisco, but soon realized she was going to stay permanently. She found a job as a paralegal and an apartment, and later worked in the hotel industry.

"I had actually been unemployed for a while with the dot-com bust and I suddenly realized that how the economy was doing really made a difference in people's lives. That sort of opened my eyes to how economics could actually affect people."

"At the same time, I was really becoming more and more scared by what was going on with global warming, and I wanted a way to do something about that. Economics seemed to give me an entry point into how to affect some of the things that were going on in the country that were contributors to global warming."

Kramer's research focuses on the intersections between the economy and the environment. Her dream is to work for a research and policy non-governmental organization or nonprofit, such as the World Resources Institute.

"What economics is really about is how different sets of incentives affect people's behavior," she explained. "So, if you change different parts of different systems, how will people react differently? How do you get people to drive less? How do you get people to buy more fuel-efficient cars? Are there ways to structure your cities so that people don't feel the need to drive? Economics is sort of about setting things up so that decisions that people will make on the whole are decisions that will be better for society."

Kramer is one of nine students to receive a hood at commencement this year. She plans to return to SFSU in the fall to pursue a master's degree in economics.

Why Should I Vote?

2008-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

"If this is the worst part of your day, then that's pretty good."

2008-04-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

I got on the K train (or was it the L?) going outbound from Embarcadero at about 5:05 p.m. on Friday afternoon, excited to be heading home to start the weekend. I had a lot in my hands and was annoyed (as usual) by the molasses pace of the people boarding the train in front of me. There were a couple of seats available and I struggled to take one, but was too late to grab one near the door.

I saw a seat a few rows into the car, on the inside near the window. The young man sitting in the outside seat saw me coming and smiled, moving over. I smiled back and sat down, thankful for a place to sit.

He looked really friendly, and as though he wanted to talk, so I asked him how he was after a few stops, trying to make small talk.

"Okay," he replied, looking a bit forlorn and mentally far away. “How are you?” he asked.

“I’m alright,” I said.

We exchanged words I can’t remember about vague notions of “hanging in there”, “doing what we had to do” …

"I hate this part of the day - commuting," I said; starting to notice his long, shaggy hair and his worn, dirty clothes. “It’s the worst part of my day.”

“Well,” he said, “If this is the worst part of your day, then that's pretty good."

I was suddenly embarrassed, sitting next to him with a box full of cell phones I needed to return and a brand new back-pack, my belly full and my health relatively good, going home from a job that pays me enough to live with little struggle and isn’t physically demanding.

Was he homeless? I couldn’t tell. But I could tell that I was better off than he was – complaining about a commute; not worrying about where I’d sleep that night or where my next meal would come from.

I was too embarrassed to speak anymore. He got off at Van Ness and I said: “I’ll see you later.” He just smiled.

History project aims for a snapshot of Polk St.

2008-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Joey Plaster is in search of people who are knowledgeable about San Francisco's Polk Gulch neighborhood to serve as narrators for the Polk Gulch Oral History Project, which will focus on the area through the decades, with a focus on the 1960s through the present.

Plaster is in the beginning stages of the project, and hopes to be finished by April 2009.

"The finished project will include an exhibit at the GLBT Historical Society, a series of radio documentaries, a Web site, and roundtable discussions at the GLBT Historical Society," noted Plaster. In addition, all recordings will be archived at the society.

Plaster, 29, a freelance journalist and oral historian, decided to pursue the project because when he became interested in the neighborhood a few years ago, he was unable to find a wealth of written historical documents about "the Polk," as it is sometimes called.

"We hope that this project will create an enduring snapshot of the neighborhood, help diversify representations of LGBT people, dramatize issues important to the city and the nation as a whole, and help promote understanding in an area that is experiencing rapid change and tension," said Plaster.

Martin Meeker, an academic specialist at UC Berkeley's Regional Oral History office and a historical society board member, is advising the project.

Shortly after graduating from Oberlin College in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in history, Plaster moved to San Francisco and lived near the Polk, which was unlike anything he'd seen before in terms of its diversity and rich history.

"People of all races, ages, professions, classes, genders, and nationalities seem to share space with each other there," Plaster, who currently resides in Berkeley, explained. "I started asking people about the neighborhood's history, and the stories I heard were fascinating. The Polk, a largely working class LGBT neighborhood, seems to have been passed over, while San Francisco's wealthier gay male centers, like the Castro and North Beach, have been written about and studied in detail."

Plaster, who is openly gay, felt that the history of the Polk was being lost quickly as the neighborhood changes, which has leant a sense of urgency to the project.

"The Polk is now quickly changing, as mid-income heterosexual businesses replace the LGBT bars on the street and long-term residents move elsewhere," he said. "It increasingly feels like its now or never for recording the area's history. It's a history that is also almost completely unexplored and, during a time of rapid neighborhood change, at risk of being lost."

Alexis Miranda, 40, has been performing at Diva's bar in the Polk for 21 years, and currently bartends and manages the club. Plaster has interviewed Miranda several times as part of the project, and she has been able to refer him to other potential narrators.

"A lot of young people today take a lot of things for granted today that we weren't able to do even when I was younger, said Miranda, who was Absolute Empress XXXIII and identifies as a transgender woman. "There were a lot of people that contributed to the community that are no longer around."

Miranda worries about the gentrification and recent transformation of the Polk, and hopes the oral history project will preserve some of the neighborhood's history.

"In the beginning, I was doing this more as a favor to [Plaster]. I like to encourage and help young people get to their goals," she said. "But then we started talking and a lot of memories started coming up for me."

Plaster has been scouring the neighborhood for narrators for the project, and has already interviewed a diverse group of people familiar with the area, including Wayne Friday, the former Bay Area Reporter political editor and Polk bartender; Stephen Cornell, who was born and raised in the area and owns a business in the neighborhood; Bill Campbell, a member of Old First Presbyterian Church, who, along with the church, was instrumental in the founding of Larkin Street Youth Center (now Larkin Street Youth Services); and longtime B.A.R. columnist Dick Walters, a.k.a. Sweet Lips, a founding member of the Tavern Guild, an organization of gay bar owners concerned about police harassment that was founded in 1962.

Larkin Street Youth Services is also working on the project, spokeswoman Nicole Garroutte said, as the agency is compiling its own history project in advance of its 25th anniversary next year.

Megan Rohrer, 27, an out lesbian, is director of Old First Presbyterian Church's Welcome Ministry, which assists homeless residents of the Polk. Although she has only lived and worked in the neighborhood for the past six years, Plaster plans to interview her, too.

"It just really intrigues me to go into what the history has been for lessons that can help us today," she said about Plaster's project. In addition to running the Welcome Ministry's various programs, Rohrer counsels homeless people in the Polk.

"We've done a lot of talking through things and I've connected [Plaster] to people that would be really helpful for him to talk to, particularly homeless people who have a long history of being in the neighborhood." Rohrer also feels compelled to tell the stories of those who cannot speak for themselves.

"What I've noticed is a lot of the people who end up in this area are queer individuals from the Midwest whose families kicked them out, or they thought they would and so they came to San Francisco thinking it would be a safe space for them," Rohrer explained. "They found hundreds of other people who had done the same thing and ended up going through a meat grinder and becoming sex workers and homeless and were trapped in this neighborhood."

"If you try to think about what gentrification does to a neighborhood, there is no way to care for both the people on the lowest sidewalks of the neighborhood and also the people in the highest buildings unless you're willing to sit down and listen to all of their stories," she said. "I think it's really amazing that [Plaster] is willing to sit with those stories and come up with something out of it. I'm really excited to see what it looks like."

Plaster is on the lookout for more narrators, particularly those who are knowledgeable about the Tavern Guild or the Polk neighborhood as it was in the 1960s and 1970s. He needs potential narrators to contact him by July in order to ensure representation in the project. Plaster is also in need of volunteers to transcribe interviews.

In addition to applying for several grants, Plaster is seeking tax-deductible donations for the project. Contributions can be made online at www.glbthistory.org, or checks made out to GLBTHS with "Polk Project" in the memo line can be mailed to: Daniel Bao, GLBTHS, 657 Mission Street #300, San Francisco, CA 94105. Plaster hopes to raise $20,000 through grants and individual donations.

Those interested in participating in the project can e-mail Plaster at polkstories@gmail.com or call (415) 615-2107.

Multi-ethnic club a hit

2008-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of beautiful men and a handful of beautiful women attended the San Francisco premier of Club La Zeez at Club Eight on Saturday, March 15.

Saleem Azzouqa, 45, brought Club La Zeez to San Francisco after receiving funding for the event from the New Venture Seed Fund, a project of And Castro for All. He is a Los Angeles resident and has been producing Club La Zeez events there. He is hoping to start holding the event regularly in San Francisco.

The event featured Latin, Mediterranean, South Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern music, male and female exotic belly dancers, and Middle Eastern hors d'oeuvres. The crowd was diverse and featured people of all ages, races, and genders.

One third of the over $1,000 raised on Saturday will go toward the gay Arab film All My Life, which depicts the lives of gay men in Egypt. Maher Sabry, who made the film, is a gay activist who alerted the public to the infamous Queen Boat raid in Egypt in 2001.

Those who attended the event had a good time.

"Dancing at this kind of event keeps you young. It's a great time," said Ira Johnson, 48, of San Francisco.

"I'm having a blast. I think they did a great job," said Michael Mullin, 42, who lives in the Castro and has attended Club La Zeez events in Los Angeles. He alerted Azzouqa to the New Venture Seed application. "I'm delighted. It's a huge success," he said.

"We couldn't help but notice all the hot men," said Philip Ruth, 36, who attended the event with Mullin and Johnson.

"There is a really positive vibe and a nice energy to this crowd," said Kathy Reid, 25, who attended the event with her girlfriend.

And Castro for All leaders also were pleased with the event.

"We are truly ecstatic about the launch of Club La Zeez. It is our hope that Club La Zeez will help broaden the breadth and diversity of safe, fun spaces for LGBT people of color within the San Francisco Bay Area," wrote And Castro for All co-founder John Newsome on http://www.OutinPalmSprings.com.

"The event was a great success," said Azzouqa. "The feedback from people was very encouraging. Everyone thought that the music was great. I would like to thank the LGBT community in San Francisco for coming and supporting the event."

The next Club La Zeez will be at the Stone bar in Los Angeles on April 12 and the next San Francisco event will take place at Club Eight on April 19.

This is the pilot year for the New Venture Seed Fund, which "seeks to encourage and support enterprising entrepreneurs to create new social ventures whose formats are explicitly inclusive and affirming of women, people of color, and other underserved LGBT sub-communities – and at the same time, welcoming of all LGBT people," according to a concept paper written by Aimee Forster, an And Castro for All board member.

Trans women get ready for 'Catwalk' Event

2008-03-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

Tita Aida, who has hosted numerous charitable benefits over the years, has something new this month – "Catwalk '08," which is billed as an "elite modeling competition and beauty pageant for the transgender community."

The competition is expected to feature 16 transgender women, said Aida, who during her day job at the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center is Nicky Calma, a transgender woman herself who was named to the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women last month.

Aida, who is a health program supervisor at the API Wellness Center, said the agency will receive most of the proceeds from the March 22 Catwalk pageant, which she is producing along with Lee Evans. She explained that she used the word "elite" to describe the event because "we hope to bring it one step higher for the TG community. It is time for the TG community to get what they truly deserve, a well put-together event and competition." Aida hopes to hold the event annually.

"The purpose of this event is to create new venues and events for the greater transgender community and to showcase a part of the male to female transgender community that celebrates their identity in the form of fashion, beauty, and art," said Aida. "We also want other communities to be educated, entertained, and learn more about this segment of the transgender community."

Aida became involved with the API Wellness Center as a volunteer in 1990. Four years later, she started working at the agency. Her company, New Guard Production Company, plans to award over 80 percent of the funds raised at Catwalk 2008 to API Wellness Center's unrestricted fund.

"We are not only hoping to raise funds for the wellness center," Aida explained. "We are also hoping to raise positive awareness of who the male to female community is. We also want to create a 'movement' in different aspects of the community: advocacy, employment, acceptance, and understanding."

Catwalk will differ from the recent Cotillion sponsored by Transgender San Francisco in that it will have more contestants and is specifically a modeling competition. Aida hopes that the woman crowned as the transgender "supermodel" next weekend "will advocate for TGs to encourage them to embark in the modeling world, advocate for TG rights, and create positive role models for TGs."

Transgender musicians Veronica Klaus and Josh Klipp will perform, along with dance troupes La Femme Panache and City Slam. Modeling contestants will perform in cocktail dress, swimwear, and eveningwear competitions. Finalists will compete in a question and answer spokesmodel segment.

"After years of emceeing pageants," explained Aida, "I realized that most of these pageants don't sustain long enough to create that sense of identity and community for the TG community. Hopefully, this will."

The event starts at 7 p.m. at SomArts, 934 Brannan Street in San Francisco. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/25351 or call (415) 839-6764. For more information on the event, visit http://www.catwalkusa.com.

Gays ready for SF Flower and Garden Show

2008-03-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Six green-thumbed gay gardeners are participating in the 23rd annual San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, taking place now through Sunday, March 16 at the Cow Palace.

Business partners Jeffrey Lim, 53 and David Le, 32, are the owners of DJ Curb Appeal, and collaborated on their exhibit, "The Jeweled Garden." This is their second year participating in the show and their garden will feature over 20,000 pounds of recycled glass. ASG Glass in Utah is sponsoring the exhibit.

"Our garden design illustrates how you can live beautifully, live outdoors, and live colorfully with recycled glass," said Lim. "Glass is a timeless material. The right color glass can embolden the plants and trees it holds. Glass planters add color to otherwise austere trees. In combination with the colorful glass the garden glows, becomes magical and crystalline."

Lim was 6 when he began gardening, and Le was 10. "I started out by helping my mom in the garden on the weekends, picking tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and all sorts of vegetables and Asian herbs to sell to the local markets," said Le. "Gardening was our family source of income when we first came to America. Having to be in the garden every weekend, I developed a passion for digging holes, putting a plant in the hole, and watching it grow."

Lim said that he enjoys participating in the show because, "you get a chance to demonstrate your creativity without client impositions. It lets you do your thing and perhaps push yourself into new landscape design territory."

Davis Dalbok, 56, is the owner of Living Green Plantscape Design, which has been in business for 25 years. He built his exhibit, "Living on the Edge," with the help of five other gay men, including employee Steven Schwager.

With the garden, explained Dalbok, "we're trying to create a very strong sense of place, a very California-driven aesthetic where these two terraces at various heights are pictures to be placed on the edge of a coastal canyon."

The exhibit features an upper and a lower terrace. The upper terrace features a grill and refrigerator as well as teak furniture. The lower terrace features a hot tub and is described by Dalbok as a "sacred bathing terrace."

Garden Design magazine approached Dalbok and asked him to create its garden at this year s show. Living Green was involved in the very first San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, and has participated in about six shows since then.

The camaraderie of the building process is Dalbok's favorite part of the garden show.

"There's just an excitement in the air – everybody's busy, everybody's focused," he said. "You can take a break and walk around and see what other people are doing and get ideas. It's just a great three days of working with your peers to create the show, which is going to really impress the public ... for me, that's actually the best moment of all."

Dalbok gardens at home in Fairfax and also has a garden on land he owns on the island of Hawaii. He gives talks to garden clubs called "Gardening with One Foot in the Tropics," which he describes as "the story of two gardens." He is working on a book based on these lectures.

Daniel Owens, 50, is the owner of EnviroMagic, which has been in business for 10 years. His exhibit is called "Mixed Media Open Studio" and "explores the boundaries of materials and their use in the outdoor environment," according to Owens.

Owens has been gardening since the age of 5, when he began planting watermelons in North Dakota. He is excited that his two children, whom he co-parents with two moms, are becoming old enough to help him in the garden.

The best part about participating in the garden show, Owens said, is, "the camaraderie and madness, creating something with no client demands." His gardens are installed by Cal Landscape Designs.

Ric Lopez calls his exhibit "Scapeline." He collaborated on the project with Anders Bjorn-Byrd of Bjorn Landscapes. Lopez has owned a company called Modern Past for the last eight years. The company sells furniture, art, and antiques. This year is his fourth participating in the garden show.

Lopez describes his exhibit as "inspired by urban skylines – I set concrete tablets flat, layered, on side or askew to create a tableau."

Lopez, who declined to give his age, said that he has been gardening since he was a child and said that he has always enjoyed playing in dirt. He encourages everyone to try to plant something to experience a sense of growth, which is very satisfying.

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Saturday; Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adults all-day tickers are $20; half-day tickets are $13. Children ages 5 and under are free; tickets for youth ages 6-17 are $4. Student tickets (25 years or under with valid student ID) are $9. A two-day adult pass is $29. Parking at the Cow Palace is $10. For more information, visit http://www.gardenshow.com/sf .

Imperial Court crowns new royal couple

2008-02-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cher A Little Smith (a.k.a. Jonathan Eklund) and John-John (a.k.a. John F. Weber) became San Francisco royalty last weekend after being crowned the 2008 Empress XLIII and Emperor XXXVI, respectively.

Elected by community vote, the winners were announced during the Imperial Court of San Francisco's Coronation Ball Saturday, February 23 at the Gift Center Pavilion.

It is the second time in the 43 years since the inception of the Imperial Court that both winners are persons of color. The first year was 2000, when John Carillo was crowned Emperor and Suzie Wong was crowned Empress.

Although Jose Sarria (a.k.a. the Absolute Empress I the Widow Norton), who founded the International Imperial Court system in 1965, was hospitalized the morning of the Coronation, the show went on and nearly 300 people attended the celebration.

The annual Sunday morning pilgrimage to Emperor Joshua Norton's gravesite in Colma, however, was canceled due to Sarria being in the hospital. Carillo, this year's Coronation Ball co-chair, said that Sarria was admitted to Davies Medical Center on Saturday morning and stayed until Monday for observation.

Sarria did not, in fact, have a heart attack, as originally thought, but was suffering from symptoms of asthma. Carillo said that Sarria attended an Imperial Court meeting on Monday night in "full fiery spirit" and returned to his home in Palm Springs on Tuesday.

Members of Imperial Courts from around the country, including Alameda, San Diego, Long Beach, Colorado Springs, Phoenix and Alaska, attended the weekend's activities and shared the stage Saturday night with San Francisco Imperial royalty. Every attendee was decked out in beautiful outfits featuring leather, glitter, makeup, crowns and hats.

Many members of the San Francisco community attended the coronation, including members of the Alexander Hamilton Post 448, the AIDS Emergency Fund, the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, the Gay Rodeo Foundation, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The evening began with the singing of the Mexican, Canadian and U.S. national anthems, followed by musical acts featuring songs from Grease and West Side Story and a procession of all of the members of the community that were present. Before the announcement of the winners, each candidate for Emperor and Empress performed musical acts.

Smith, 44, has been involved in the Imperial Council of San Francisco for eight years and was involved in the Imperial Court of Spokane, Washington for eight years (she was crowned Empress of the Imperial Court of Spokane in 1991-1992).

"I don't think that it's sunk in yet," said Smith of her win on Sunday. "It's still a shock to me, but I'm so excited."

Weber, 37, served as Mr. Gay San Francisco 2007 and has been involved in the Imperial Council system for four years. He said that he would like to make sure his Empress looks fabulous in the coming year.

"I'm excited that the community spoke loudly and clearly for me to be Emperor and that I had such great support and so I'm feeling humble and rejoice-full inside," said Weber. "I would like to bring the message that everybody has value in our community. That's our message this year."

The two will spend the next year raising funds for local charitable organizations and hosting numerous social events.

Employees and Bicycles are Just Good Business

2008-02-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

There is a quiet revolution happening at businesses large and small across the Bay Area. Many employers are encouraging their workforce to commute by bike and are offering incentives and benefits to their employees for doing so.

Employers are starting to recognize that encouraging and supporting biking is a good way to lower parking costs, retain employees, improve workers’ health and decrease sick days. Many businesses are also doing it because they feel it’s the right thing to do – that it reduces the company’s impact on the environment.

Lower Parking Costs
Yahoo Inc., with offices around the world, including Sunnyvale, San Jose, and San Francisco, has about 13,600 full-time employees and provides a plethora of commuting options, including bike friendly options.

When Yahoo’s Sunnyvale headquarters were built, the city required the company to meet a goal of 18% of its workforce commuting via a method that didn’t include driving alone. Yahoo has met that goal by offering shuttles with room for bikes, bike cages, showers, and free Santa Clara County bus passes. They also offer the services of an on-site “bike doctor” who visits the Sunnyvale headquarters monthly and fixes bikes, as well as loaner bicycles for employees who want to test the bike commuting waters before purchasing a bike of their own.

“[Biking amenities] contribute to the carbon reductions that Yahoo is committed to,” said Danielle Bricker, Yahoo’s Transportation Demand Manager. “Additionally, there’s the parking aspect. We don’t have enough parking for one car per person. If we were to have all these cyclists drive in, we would need to procure parking somewhere else and that would be a financial commitment on our part.”

Similar to Yahoo, Stanford University had to mitigate its transportation impact. In 2000, Santa Clara County approved the Stanford University General Use Permit (GUP), which placed conditions on Stanford’s land use, growth, and development.

In response, Stanford chose a “no net new commute trips” approach, the goal being to not exceed the 2001 counts of vehicles entering and exiting the university during peak times. To keep cars off campus, Stanford created innovative programs such as “Clean Air Cash” in which employees who ride their bikes – or use other forms of alternative transportation – are paid $234 per year to not drive to work. Employees are also eligible for the “Folding Bicycle Promotion,” a $100 subsidy towards the purchase of a new folding bike, which makes it easier to commute on Caltrain.

Says Carolyn Helmke, Stanford’s Bicycle Program Coordinator: “Since driving to work can be a habit that is hard to break, we try to make alternatives such as biking, walking, using transit or carpooling, very appealing.”

Employee Retention
Fenwick & West, LLP, a law firm with about 600 employees and offices in San Francisco, Mountain View, and Boise, Idaho, offers biking amenities to employees at each location.

“Biking to work is encouraged by providing secure bike parking and on-site showers,” said Julie O’Loughlin, Senior Director of Operations and Facilities. “The program is so successful we are in the process of doubling our bike parking capacity.” Since Bike to Work Day 2007, the firm has had to increase bike cage capacity in Mountain View by 30%.

“Financially, where it pays off is obviously retention of employees and associates and partners and having them feel like there are options,” said O’Loughlin. “We just think it’s part of creating an environment here that helps retain people. That is a huge payoff. And, if you have people that are healthier, they’re obviously not out sick.”

Yuko Chapman, an SFBC member and Localization Quality Engineer at Adobe
Systems, Inc. in San Francisco, loves the bike-friendly amenities her employer offers. She says that, “the fact that Adobe provides secure places to park my bike made it easier for me to choose the bicycle as my commute option.” Adobe’s “Alternative Commute” program includes secure bicycle parking and shower facilities, shuttles to and from transit stations and other amenities for both bicycle and other types of commuters.

Charles Schwab provides secure bike parking at each of their four San Francisco locations. “The reason we provide bike parking is that it aims to accommodate employees’ work-life preferences, promotes physical fitness and well-being, and also helps reduce commuting congestion,” said Sarah Bulgatz, Director of Corporate Public Relations.

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP, with offices in six cities including Berkeley, has a racing team sponsored by Ridley Bikes. The firm gives employees who commit to bicycling to work for three months a Ridley bike.

Cutting Costs
The City and County of San Francisco recognizes the benefits of providing bike-friendly amenities to employees while they’re on the job. Faiz Khan, Transportation Demand Manager with the City’s Dept. of the Environment, explained that the City has issued over 400 bicycles to employees who do a lot of on-the-job traveling in order to offset the cost of purchasing vehicles, insurance, gas and parking. Bicycles have been given out mostly to the Municipal Transportation Agency and Department of Parks and Recreation employees, according to Khan. If these employees’ supervisors approve it, the employees can take the bicycles home with them at the end of the workday.

Top-Down Support
It is clear that without management support, it is hard to procure large-scale biking amenities for employees. While some amenities were provided because employees just asked for them, the majority of companies interviewed enjoyed amenities because of top-down support from higher-level employees.

As the environment becomes a larger concern for companies, more companies realize the benefits of encouraging bicycling and more corporate models are created, we expect the trend of encouraging and rewarding bicycle commuting to continue.

(This article appeared in the Feb/Mar 2008 issue of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's newsletter, Tube Times).

Emperor, Empress candidates seek votes

2008-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Imperial Court of San Francisco has a storied history since its founding in 1965 by Absolute Empress I the Widow Norton, Jose Sarria. Long an institution in the drag community, the annual Coronation celebration of Emperor and Empress brings out the finest in gay San Francisco society. The court raises funds for various charitable organizations and hosts numerous social events throughout the year.

In keeping with tradition, the 2008 election for Emperor XXXVI and Empress XLIII takes place Saturday, February 16 with community voting. Heading into its 43rd year, with the annual Coronation later this month, the Imperial Council is holding elections in two locations in San Francisco. There are three candidates for Emperor and two for Empress.

Empress XXV Marlena, the proprietor of the eponymous Hayes Street bar, has long been a leader in the Imperial Court. Her bar serves as kind of an informal hub, along with the Edge, Metro, Divas, Aunt Charlie's, and the Mix, she said.

Marlena said this year's crop of candidates is a good one.

"Oh, I think so," she said, when asked about the group. "There are three boys and two girls to put some competition out there and that's a good thing."

Empress candidate Cher A Little Smith (a.k.a. Jonathan Eklund), 44, has been involved in the Imperial Council of San Francisco for eight years and was involved in the Imperial Court of Spokane, Washington for eight years (she was crowned Empress of the Imperial Court of Spokane in 1991-1992).

"I initially got involved because I liked what the organization was doing during the AIDS crisis and how the court was actually helping to raise money and awareness about the disease," said Smith.

Empress candidate Mercedez Munro (a.k.a. Lonnie Haley), 36, who served as Ms. Gay San Francisco 2007, was crowned Ms. Gay Michigan in 1995. After winning that title, he didn't perform as Mercedez again until 2006 in San Francisco.

"The title of Empress, the highest honor within the Imperial Court System, would give me a voice from which I can promote my platform of unity, evolution, and service. Unity among individuals and sub-groups within the gay collective here in San Francisco is crucial to the survival of the whole," he said.

Emperor candidate John-John (a.k.a. John F. Weber) 37, served as Mr. Gay San Francisco 2007 with Munro. He has been involved in the Imperial Council system for four years. Weber became involved in the council after an outpouring of support from the community in 2005, when he was attempting to bring 15 family members to San Francisco from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I was so touched by this display of immediate love and response that I decided to give back to the community and run for Mr. Gay San Francisco the following year," said Weber.

Emperor candidate Paul Maka Poole (a.k.a. Paul Alexander-Maka Poole), 30, was the first runner-up for Mr. Gay San Francisco last year.

"I have really seen how wide the divide has become between the youth in our gay community and historically relevant organizations like the Imperial Council of San Francisco and many more – the men and women who have dedicated decades to improving LGBT rights, raising money and awareness for HIV/AIDS, and promoting my ability to live freely and without fear of ramifications," said Poole.

Emperor candidate Mr. Happy (a.k.a. Stephen Dorsey), 47, initially became involved with the council when his partner, Chanel Colone, ran for the title of Ms. Cowgirl in 2002. His favorite part of being involved with the council is giving back to the community. Dorsey was crowned Mr. Gay San Francisco in 2005.

In order to cast a ballot on Saturday, voters must have a valid ID from San Mateo, San Francisco, or Marin counties. Voting will take place from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Project Open Hand (730 Polk Street) and from noon until 7 p.m. at the Castro Muni station (at Castro and 17th streets). For more information, visit http://www.imperialcouncilsf.org.

The Coronation gala, "Starstruck, Be Jeweled, Be Dazzled," takes place Saturday, February 23 at the Gift Center Pavilion, 888 Brannan Street, starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $50 and can be purchased by calling Marlena at (415) 864-6672.

Progressives need to reframe 'values' debate

2008-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for the progressive movement to come out about its values and reframe the public conversation about what is important, said blogger Samiya Bashir, who spoke at last Saturday's "Deciphering the Code: 'San Francisco Values' and the Media" at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

After showing a video that contained several clips of right-wing pundits like Bill O Reilly and others such as Chris Matthews eschewing "San Francisco values" during the lead-up to Nancy Pelosi's (D-San Francisco) ascension to speaker of the House in January 2007, Bashir responded to questions posed by Andy Marra of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The video was produced by the nonprofit San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee Inc. and served to frame Saturday's conversation, which was part of the Pride Committee and the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center's quarterly "Threat Level: Lavender" series.

Marra, a trans media activist who lives in New York City, asked Bashir why conservative media has targeted San Francisco so heavily in recent years. Bashir, an award-winning writer and former San Francisco resident, said that she believes the city has been a target because it is proud, not shy, about embracing progressive values.

"It's the same three reasons that frame this conversation time and again, and that's race and that's gender and that's sexual orientation and those are the three things that remain the hot-button issues no matter what kind of group that we're having this conversation with," said Bashir. "Nobody wants to stand up and have a really honest conversation about race on an actual stage. It's too scary; it's too dangerous. And nobody wants to be caught on camera having a conversation about these things in a way that will hurt them later on down the road."

Bashir noted that progressives who appear on shows like O'Reilly's often spend their time on the defensive rather than presenting their views. "It's important for us to not always default to allowing them to create and frame the language," said Bashir. "The more that we challenge ourselves and our opponents to be as critical as possible and as clear as possible with the language, the less these things run away. What that does is it leaves the power in our hands to say wait a minute: 'this is what we believe.'"

In addition to acceptance of the LGBT community, Bashir said, other San Francisco values (that sometimes get less media attention) include health care, the importance of and need for diversity, and a commitment to the basic humanity of all people.

"These are things that are not just San Francisco values but are progressive values," said Bashir. "The more that the larger progressive community is able to come out about its values like San Francisco has the more honest and interesting and exciting our conversations around these things will be."

Marra encouraged those in the audience to help reframe the conversation by becoming media savvy and spreading the progressive message by writing blogs, writing letters to editors of newspapers and magazines, and posting videos on YouTube. "Our movement really needs more voices out there and we really need more people to get into the conversation and add their two cents," Marra said.

Murdered trans people remembered at service

2007-11-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

Cardboard cutouts representing each of the people remembered as part of the 2007 Transgender Day of Remembrance were on display both outside and inside Nile Hall in Oakland on Sunday. One cutout on the steps outside Nile Hall read: "Erica Keel, Age 21. Philadelphia, PA. March 21, 2007. Roland Bottom picked me up in his car at 2 a.m. I was then ejected from the moving car and run over four times as I lay in the street. The police classified the accident as a hit and run."

The moving tribute was part of the Tri-City Health Center TransVision program's second Alameda County Transgender Day of Remembrance service on Sunday, November 18 at Nile Hall in Oakland's Preservation Park.

Tuesday, November 20 marked the ninth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Tiffany Woods, TransVision program coordinator, chose Sunday for the Alameda County event to ensure that it did not conflict with other celebrations and remembrance activities.

The Day of Remembrance was established to memorialize those who died during the previous year due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. Rita Hester's murder in Boston, Massachusetts, in November 1998 inspired the beginnings of the Day of Remembrance, which was started by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, now a columnist for the Bay Area Reporter.

Events also took place in Sacramento, Berkeley, San Jose, San Francisco, and other California cities, as well as dozens of other locations around the world.

There were approximately 90 people in attendance, and the evening commenced with comments from the Reverend Vicky Kolakowski, a pastor at Metropolitan Community Church in San Jose.

"I think that it's important for us to remember where we come from and how far we've come," she said. "The most amazing thing that a person can do is to be themselves in front of other people. People wear masks all the time. We show everyone who we are. Everyone goes through transformation on the inside. We go through transformation on the outside. It's an amazing thing."

Lisa Dummer spoke on behalf of San Francisco's Transgender Law Center where she serves as board chair.

"We have reasons for hope this year," she said. "Even though we still face violence, harassment, and discrimination on a daily basis, there is hope. That's why events like Day of Remembrance are important to bring it out to the people that we are here to raise awareness about the challenges that we face. Our duty is to educate the public about the realities of our community and create laws and policies to protect our brothers and sisters and others who fall under our umbrella."

Openly gay Berkeley City Council member Darryl Moore told the crowd: "We say to the world tonight that we will not let this continue, that the bigotry and the violence must stop, that we as a community have had enough and that we will no longer tolerate intolerance, we will no longer tolerate the hatred and the bigotry and the discrimination that we all have felt, that tonight we will tell the world that enough is enough, that we will not allow another life to be taken because of injustice and intolerance."

Berkeley City Council member Kriss Worthington, who's also openly gay and has announced he is running for the Assembly next year, was also in attendance, as were field representatives for Assemblyman Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland) and state Senator Ellen Corbett (D-Fremont).

In addition to speakers, the evening also featured music and spoken word performances, as well as a reading of the names of those killed in 2007.

Yosenio Lewis, an FTM activist who is on the board of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation and Tenderloin Health, spoke before reading a poem he wrote, saying: "As trans people of color, as FTMs of color, we have a responsibility to stand up and be seen, we have a responsibility to care for all of us and work together to make the wrongs right. When we are killed, when we are denied care, when we are treated as if we are less that human, we can ill afford to close our eyes to the violence all around us. Close your mouth and open your eyes. See what's in front of you. Stand up for me. Stand up for you. Stand up."

Case made for gay neighborhoods

2007-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

The future of gay neighborhoods such as the Castro was the focus of a panel discussion earlier this month, even as planning officials have begun a design workshop process to gather public input on the issue.

The Commonwealth Club hosted the event, entitled "The 'De-Gaying' of the Castro: Are Queer 'Hoods Worth Saving?" on Thursday, November 8. About 60 people attended.

"Since the 1970s, the Castro has emerged as a gay, lesbian, and bisexual destination for all sorts of things," said moderator Don Romesburg in his opening remarks. "It's become a powerful political voting bloc in the city and in the state; it's become a beacon of possibility and belonging for many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. It's also been a place of some exclusion; it has been a place that some lesbians, bisexuals, men of color, and others have felt left out of at different times or explicitly marginalized from."

Romesburg also mentioned the major redevelopment plans that are currently under way for the Castro and Upper Market neighborhoods. The plans "can profoundly alter the Castro's demography and its cultural landscape in ways that can both benefit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and potentially threaten it," he said.

Panelist Alan Martinez, a San Francisco architect and co-founder of the Castro Coalition, talked about the hints of futility and resignation he has heard in recent discussions on the future of the Castro and other gay neighborhoods.

"It's just human nature to only appreciate what you have after it's lost, but I hope we don't end up in that position," said Martinez. "What do we have to lose? Think of what the GLBT community has accomplished since the Second World War. The queer institutions, the businesses, the culture, literature, social networks, media, art, social services, political groups, and yes, neighborhoods that have been created in these years have never happened before in human history. Our forebears and us made this all happen out of nothing but outrage and friendship and hard work and love."

AnMarie Rodgers, an urban designer at the San Francisco Planning Department, was also on the panel. She noted that although she works for the Planning Department, she was not at this event representing the department, and the views she expressed were her own.

She spoke about the planning process during the redevelopment of Chinatown, as well as the process currently occurring in Japantown. She explained that the Planning Department asked both neighborhood activists and developers to submit plans for the redevelopment of Chinatown. The Planning Department then took the best aspects of each plan and applied them to the process. "What we have learned from this is that keeping people [informed] is crucial to keeping the neighborhood function," she said.

"We've learned that if we want an authentic queer neighborhood with real, live queers, queer culture, community and tourists ... we need affordable housing and viable local businesses," she said.

In the Castro, Rodgers explained, "The neighborhood community needs to be examined. Who is the community? How has the idea of a queer mecca evolved? Was the Castro ever a place for a women's community, and I think most of us probably know the answer to that. And if not, should there be?"

Rodgers closed her remarks with a cautionary tale about the gentrification of the Valencia corridor. "The Valencia corridor was home to multiple women's bars, bookstores, and women-centered businesses. When Valencia Street gentrified, these women's spaces were pushed out. It was not seen as an issue to all queers. If it was seen as an issue at all, it was seen as an issue for the women. Inclusive, dedicated queer space – queer neighborhoods – will not be gained without a struggle. What we learned from the loss of the Valencia corridor is if you want inclusive, queer neighborhoods, we need to fight for it with a broad, diverse coalition."

Castro resident Demian Quesnel reminded the audience that the night of the panel (November 8) was the 30th anniversary of the late Harvey Milk's election to the Board of Supervisors. "That really couldn't have happened, at least not at that time and place 30 years ago, without the Castro as the concentration of our community and I think that's very significant," said Quesnel.

Quesnel also spoke about his move to the Castro in 1971 and the way he watched the neighborhood transform from one abandoned by its Irish and Italian residents during the 1950s and 1960s to a gay enclave.

"A paradigm was borrowed from Chinatown, which is that [the Castro] is a neighborhood and a village to the people who live there and it's also a capital city and entertainment district to gay people all over, and it's a tourist destination," said Quesnel. "It's the challenge of working that paradigm, getting people to accept all those elements, that is what's going to carry us forward."

Supervisor Bevan Dufty also addressed the audience: "For me, over the next few years that I'll be your supervisor, the sustainability of the Castro is really my biggest interest and concern."

Panelist Don Reuter read a passage from his forthcoming book.

Questions from the audience addressed the economics of the recent shifts in the Castro, including the disappearance of affordable housing; LGBT senior housing; AIDS communal housing; family housing; cultural institutions and the Planning Department's design workshops on the Castro and Upper Market.

"Some people will choose to live in a more integrated neighborhood and some people will choose to live with more like-minded people and that's a personal choice that people should have the right and the ability to make," said Quesnel in response to a question. "The idea that gay liberation and gay freedom has been obtained is a bit shortsighted and we've got a long ways to go before we can truly call ourselves equal citizens. Having a geographic base gives us some political power that we would lose if we didn't have a geographic base. When you become integrated your voice becomes diluted, and I think we've got a long ways to go before we can afford to have a diluted voice."

Martinez encouraged all who are interested in the process to attend Planning Commission meetings. The final community design workshop on the Castro and Upper Market plan is Monday, December 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, 4235 19th Street at Collingwood.

Grants aim to expand social activities for LGBTs

2007-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hoping to expand social events in the Castro, and perhaps elsewhere in the city, grants were announced last week to four people through And Castro for All's New Venture Seed Fund program.

The recipients were named Thursday, October 18 at a celebration and fundraiser at the Edge bar in the Castro.

This is the pilot year for the New Venture Seed Fund, which "seeks to encourage and support enterprising entrepreneurs to create new social ventures whose formats are explicitly inclusive and affirming of women, people of color, and other underserved LGBT sub-communities – and at the same time, welcoming of all LGBT people," according to a concept paper written by Aimee Forster, an And Castro for All board member.

The recipients will each receive between $1,000 and $2,000 from And Castro for All, as well as tailored training sessions, advice, and assistance with fund development through the San Francisco LGBT Community Center's economic development program. They will also gain access to small business and entrepreneurship programs from the Small Business Administration and the San Francisco Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

John Newsome, one of the founders of And Castro for All, explained that the exact award amounts each person will receive has yet to be determined, and will be based on how much money was raised at last Thursday s event.

"They will all get a minimum of $1,000 and it will range up to quite likely $2,000 and there is potential for each of them, depending on their planning and depending on their needs over the next few weeks, to each receive more funding from [And Castro for All] and from others," said Newsome.

Cindy Emch, 33, founder of Queer Open Mic, is one of the award recipients. In addition to outreach and advertising to bring in as diverse an audience as possible, Emch would like to be able to have a set fee she is able to pay Queer Open Mic's featured readers.

"I really believe that artists should get paid for what they're doing because I think it encourages people to keep making more art," she explained. The Queer Open Mic takes place at the center's Three Dollar Bill Cafe the second and fourth Fridays of every month; the next one is October 26 at 8 p.m.

"More than three quarters of our featured readers are usually people of color," said Emch, who identifies as queer. "We tend to get a really diverse audience as well. We are a really welcoming audience."

Saleem Azzouqa, 45, who goes by Saleem, is a Los Angeles resident who is well known in the Bay Area as a DJ, dancer, and promoter, as well as the author of Salam Shalom, a play that was produced at the New Conservatory Theatre in 1995 and in 2003. Saleem identifies as an Arab American gay man, and produces a DJ event in Los Angeles called La Zeez. He wants to use the venture seed funds he receives to bring the party to San Francisco. La Zeez brings together music, food, and dancing from South America, the Mediterranean, South Asia, India, and the Middle East.

"It's a very specialized event," Saleem explained. "The idea is to do it on a regular basis. And it's not going to be only for the Middle East and South Asian gay and lesbian community, it's actually for everyone who wants to try something new or different. We're open to everyone who appreciates that kind of culture and wants to experience something different in terms of DJ dancing." Saleem hopes to hold the event once a month or once a quarter.

Ondine Kilker, 40, who identifies as a lesbian, is co-chair of Center Women Present, a program of the community center that addresses women's community issues and holds three monthly ongoing events.

"We try to create programs for self-identified women at the center and so we're going to use [the venture seed] monies to continue with movie screenings, poker nights, game nights, and socials, but also we're going to focus in 2008 on social justice and activism within the community, whether it be health and wellness or other issues that we think are either underrepresented or creating tension in our community," said Kilker.

Bill Doggett, 52, is a gay man who organizes the monthly potluck socials for black gay men at Magnet, the health center in the Castro. He will use his grant to hold black gay men's business mixers.

"I'm building on the success of the Magnet [mixers], which I inaugurated in February of this year during Black History Month, with the launch in February 2008 of a black professional gay men's mixer," said Doggett. "It is envisioned to grow and to eventually formalize as a black gay men's chamber of commerce."

Doggett hopes his events will "bring together the rainbow of black gay professionals, all of these people who have a presence in our community that can be so much more if we are willing to come together to get to know each another, to do business with one another as well as to make a difference in our community."

Black gay professionals are dispersed, explained Doggett. "We're out there, but not as a unit and this is an opportunity for us to find a place at the table, to be more visible," he said.

"We and others recognize that there is a real hunger for more interesting, more diverse, and more innovative social outlets and gatherings in our community," said Newsome of And Castro for All.

Newsome added that it's hoped the seed fund can "create more of a pipeline of entrepreneurs and to make sure the pipeline is as reflective of the diversity of our community as possible.

He noted that the community center, which acts as the fiscal sponsor of And Castro for All, has been a very strong partner in creating the venture seed fund initiative.

"[And Castro for All] would of course appreciate more long-term support from everywhere in our community and encourage everyone to hold on to that glimmer of long-term possibility. We're investing in the Castro in five years, or 10 years, when this community will truly have something for everyone."

Lesbian TV show airs in Oakland

2007-10-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

A locally produced cable television show for lesbians has started its second season, and the producer wants to get the word out to those living in the East Bay.

"Inappropriate women always make history," Susan Kay Gilbert shouts at the close of her show, which airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on Comcast channel 26 in the East Bay.

Called The Inappropriate Show, the program features history-making women from around the Bay Area. Gilbert is the show's host and executive producer.

"I wanted to produce a television show by women and for women (mostly lesbians) who have achieved much in their lives, but are deemed by some members of society to be 'inappropriate,'" states Gilbert on the show's Web site, http://www.bookwoman.org/TIS.

Gilbert explained that she wants to present images of women of size, older women, women of color, and lesbians "in all our glory in thoughtful conversation and sometimes cynical conversation but never derogatory and never unkind. That's very important to me." Historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich penned the phrase that inspired the title of Gilbert's show: "Well-behaved women seldom make history."

The show will run until December 26. Each episode runs for approximately 28 minutes. "We focus on women who've normally been relegated to the periphery of media and that includes lesbians, women of color, and women of size," explained Gilbert. "I think it's a little bit harder to be featured on mainstream TV when we're not decorations."

Born in Milwaukee, Gilbert, 46, moved to San Rafael at the age of 3, and, after short-term stints living in Japan and Massachusetts, has lived in the Bay Area ever since. She spent three years as a teacher in Oakland schools and has been producing television shows for LGBTQ people in Boston and San Francisco for over 20 years.

Guests on The Inappropriate Show have included Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, author JoAnn Loulan, author Linda Zeiser, and DJ Page Hodel. Previous episodes have covered issues including HIV and AIDS in the lesbian community, wellness and gender issues as well as lesbian parenting. Future guests and topics will include: comedian Lisa Geduldig, body acceptance, as well as lesbians and religion.

The name of the show is ironic, said Gilbert, who explained that when women are girls, they are always being told what behavior is appropriate and what is not. Women are expected to act a certain way and conform to a certain code of behavior that can be constrictive.

"The first thing people do normally when they hear the name of the show is laugh and I think that's because we're always being told all our lives what was appropriate to do and what was not," explained Gilbert. "A lot of what we're told that we're doing, whether it's playing with the boys or saying something that's outrageous or having an emotion that doesn't quite match a situation ... we're always being told these things are not okay, they're not appropriate. I wanted a place, where we could be inappropriate, where I could bring women on the show and we could talk about how to diagnose and treat cancer and why a transgender person or a gender queer person might not have a strong reaction about having a double mastectomy if she's more toward the masculine spectrum of the scale."

"We're definitely not marketable but we definitely are not a product to sell and I think that's what makes it unappealing to major sponsors," Gilbert said. "We're not bright and shiny, we don't have the violence of The Jerry Springer Show, we don't play politics, we're not prurient and we're not overtly sexual."

"[The show is] just a thoughtful, respectful dialogue between two women or amongst a panel of women."

Gilbert's crew is comprised of 10 lesbian volunteers. "My crew is just awesome. These are women who willingly drag themselves down for three hours a week at night, most of them after working a long, eight or 10-hour day and they are thrilled to show up. They laugh all the way through the taping and we end up with a good product that I think the lesbian community can be proud of."

The Inappropriate Show is actively seeking supporters and sponsors "who would make it possible to continue to sustain, produce, and distribute this series." Gilbert said that she is unsure if the show will continue to be taped due to lack of funds to remain sustainable. Names of sponsors are mentioned by Gilbert at the end of each episode, and appear in the closing credit roll.

Gilbert also welcomes feedback from the audience. "We don't have any way of measuring the demographics. I would really love some feedback from those women or LGBTQ people who are watching."

The show can be seen on Comcast channel 26 in Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Piedmont, and Emeryville. For more information about ordering DVD recordings or sponsoring the show, or to provide feedback, visit http://www.bookwoman.org/TIS or e-mail Gilbert at susankaygilbert@yahoo.com.

Gay rodeo hits SF

2007-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Saddle up starting Friday, September 14 for the 16th annual Best Buck in the Bay, the gay rodeo. Rodeo events, dances, and other activities will take place throughout the weekend.

A welcome dance takes place Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sundance Saloon, 550 Barneveld Avenue in San Francisco. Admission is $5.

Douglas Graff, who has served as rodeo director with the Bay Area chapter of Golden State Gay Rodeo for the last five years, explained that the events are always a lot of fun and are a good place to meet people from all over the country, as well as those who come from Canada.

This year, over 100 contestants will be traveling from as far away as Toronto to compete in events such as bull riding, bareback bronc riding, steer riding, chute dogging, roping, and racing. There will also be what rodeo organizers call "camp" events, including goat dressing (where contestants attempt to "dress" a goat in a pair of underwear), steer decorating, and a wild drag race.

"What we call our camp events ... are teams of people, specifically a man, a woman, and one person in drag," explained Graff. "People also compete with the gender that they identify with in gay rodeo."

Competitions will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 15-16, in the Wild Turkey Arena at Driscoll Ranches in La Honda, south of San Francisco. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at any event. Kids under 14 get in for free.

Last year, the Bay Area chapter was able to donate $10,000 to Project Open Hand from money raised during the rodeo. Graff hopes to double that amount this year. Two nonprofit organizations, Healing Waters and New Leaf: Services for Our Community, will be the beneficiaries of funds raised this year. Healing Waters provides outdoor wilderness adventures for those living with HIV. New Leaf provides mental health and social support services to LGBT persons of all income levels.

The gay rodeo tradition was born in Reno, Nevada in 1975, and today, chapters can be found in over 30 cities across the U.S. and in Canada. All chapters use their rodeo events to raise money for nonprofits. With the formation of the International Gay Rodeo Association in 1985, scoring was standardized and contestants were able to compete in events systemwide.

The gay rodeo has come under fire from animal rights activists. Last month, the Bay Area Reporter published a letter critical of all rodeos for being cruel to animals.

"We take great pride in treating our animals very well," Graff said when asked about the complaints. "We believe that rodeo is an incredible sport and it's a nice tool that we can use to give back to our community."

While IGRA and Bay Area Gay Rodeo use both spurs and bucking straps, which letter writer Warren Jones called "painful ways of forcing animals into aggressive behavior," Graff said that the methods used by Bay Area Gay Rodeo are the safest methods available for both the animals and the riders.

Graff encouraged people to come to the rodeo events, and mentioned that the goat dressing event is open to anyone who wants to compete (even those in the stands).

"Anyone in the stands can get down into the dirt and partake in the community goat dressing and potentially win a 2007 Best Buck in the Bay event buckle," he said.

A welcome party and reception takes place Friday, September 14 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, from 6 to 9 p.m. The big Interactive Male Buckin' Ball is Saturday, September 15 at the hotel from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission is $15. For a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.bayarearodeo.com/Rodeo2007/2007schedule.html.

Sistahs step out

2007-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Approximately 300 lesbian, bisexual, transgender women and their supporters gathered at Astro Park near Lake Merritt in Oakland on Saturday, August 25 for the sixth annual Sistahs Steppin' in Pride celebration.

About 100 people began marching at noon, led by a band of women on motorcycles. The group marched for 90 minutes before returning to the park for a celebration. Organizers provided drums and percussion instruments for marchers to use during the march and the drum circle that followed.

"I'm grateful for the turnout this year and it just continues to demonstrate that there's a need," said Peggy Moore, founder of Sistahs Steppin'. Despite 2000 U.S. census data that lists Oakland as the home of the largest lesbian population in the country, Moore explained that the East Bay women's community is quiet.

"We go play in San Francisco a lot and so it took us a while to be able to own our own space. One day I was over at the San Francisco Dyke March and I looked up and everybody was from the East Bay. That was kind of the main motivation to get it going," Moore said.

The first Sistahs Steppin' march was in 2002.

The celebration that followed the march featured performances and informational booths from organizations including Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, and Community United Against Violence.

Members of Hand to Hand Kajukenbo Self Defense Center performed a board-breaking demonstration and Raks Afrika, the belly dancing duo, performed. Many women brought their children and a bounce house was set up for kids to use during the festivities.

"We have a different flavor about how we do things on this side," said Janell Lee, who was with friends near the drum return table.

"Compared to San Francisco, I think the East Bay is probably a little bit quieter. Clearly, we have the numbers, but there aren't many events to pull us together," said Cathi Bartice, a festivalgoer. "This is the one time a year when all the East Bay lesbians and those who support us can get together."

New class looks at creative process

2007-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Local author, stand-up comic, columnist, and filmmaker Maureen "Mo" Brownsey is teaching a new class at City College called "Queer Creative Process." The class will meet on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 9:50, beginning August 30 at the Castro/Valencia campus at James Lick Middle School, 1220 Noe Street at 25th.

The goal of the class is to "investigate how censorship and discrimination – overt and covert – influence queer art, artists and themselves, queer or not," said Brownsey. She emphasized that the class is open to all students, no matter their sexual orientation.

When asked how her various activities influence one another, Brownsey explained: "They feed each other: the teaching fires me up about the art and the art fires me up about teaching. It's a wonderful combination – I'm lucky, I have a vocation (teaching) that I love and I'm a working artist. Because I teach mostly film studies, boiled down it's all how to tell stories and since in one form or another, that's what I've been doing my entire artistic career, it's a perfect match. It's amazing how much I learn from my students."

Brownsey will have students create their own work of art in one of the following mediums: fiction/non-fiction writing, writing for performance, film/video, stand-up comedy, and comic genres. The works of art created should "express queer realities, lives and moments." She will also engage students in studies of contemporary queer artists.

"I developed [the class] because I felt like I was sitting on all this knowledge as an 'out' queer artist and had gone through the struggles of being taken seriously, getting paid, both embracing the queer artist 'title' but also wanting to be a 'good writer," she explained.

Brownsey has taught LGBT studies and film studies for 10 years at City College as well as at San Francisco State, College of San Mateo, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing, and the Harvey Milk Institute. She also served as the chair of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Studies Department at City College from 2003 until 2006. She holds a bachelor's of arts degree in creative writing/literature, a master's degree in film studies, and a master's of fine arts in film production.

Students can take the class for credit (3.0 units) or as a non-credit course. San Francisco residents will be charged $20 per unit for the class. Non-residents will be charged $170 per unit.

To enroll, register online at http://www.ccsf.edu or contact Brownsey at mbrownse@ccsf.edu. The class code number is CRN 77968, GLST-77.

Presidential Candidates Express Views on Gay Rights

2007-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Community Marketing Inc. recently released the results of a survey they conducted of 22,000 lesbians and gays this spring. The survey revealed that 92.5% of gay male respondents and 83.8% of lesbian respondents voted in the 2004 presidential elections.

“The results of the Gay Consumer Index and Lesbian Consumer Index studies demonstrate that the political parties would be smart to pay attention to the issues that mean the most to gay and lesbian voters,” said Tom Roth, president of Community Marketing. “We have far more at stake than the average voter and we're therefore far more engaged in the political process."

And yet, only two of the presidential candidates support full marriage equality for LGBT citizens, according to the Web site www.365gay.com. The two candidates are Democrats Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Senator Mike Gravel.

Still, candidates who are “out” about not supporting gay marriage enjoy the support of many LGBT people. Why is this? I think it is because the LGBT community believes that they have no other choice.
But if those of us who believe we deserve equal rights really think gay marriage is a priority, then we should support either Kucinich or Gravel, making it clear to the frontrunners (no pun intended) that we will not stand for second-class citizenship.
The LOGO Network televised a presidential forum on August 9, 2007, which was the first debate exclusively focused on LGBT issues. um featured Democratic candidates Barack Obama, John Edwards, Kucinich, Gravel, Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton.

Below you will find Democratic candidates’ opinion on gay marriage, including Christopher Dodd and Joe Biden, who did not participate in the LOGO forum:

Dennis Kucinich, Democrat: Supports gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender right to marry.

Mike Gravel, Democrat: Unequivocally supports same-sex marriage.

Hillary Clinton, Democrat: Opposes same-sex marriage, but supports civil unions (marriage “light”); voted “no” on a constitutional ban on gay marriage in June 2006.

Barack Obama, Democrat: Opposes same-sex marriage but supports civil unions; voted “no” on a constitutional ban on gay marriage in June 2006.

John Edwards, Democrat: Opposes same-sex marriage, but is opposed to the Defense of Marriage Act because states can already ignore gay marriage.

Joe Biden, Democrat: Supports civil unions; voted “no” on a constitutional ban on gay marriage in June 2006.

Christopher Dodd, Democrat: Opposes same-sex marriage, but supports civil unions; voted “yes” on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes in June 2002; supported the Defense of Marriage Act.

Bill Richardson, Democrat: Supports hate crimes law, domestic partnerships and civil unions.

The Logo Network invited several Republican candidates to participate, though none accepted the invitation.

Sources: http://www.ontheissues.org/, http://visiblevote08.logoonline.com/
To register to vote, visit: http://www.register-vote.com/

Fat March has lesbian comic in its ranks

2007-08-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

by Katie Dettman

If you watched ABC's Fat March reality show on Monday night, you may have noticed a familiar face. Chantal Carrere, a lesbian comedian who moved to Brookline, Massachusetts from San Francisco just under a year ago, is one of the 12 participants on the show.

Carrere, 35, grew up in California and started doing stand-up at a gay bar in Walnut Creek when she was 21. Since then, she has enjoyed an active career as a comic, performing as a part of the Lesbians of Laughter and Five Funny Females tours.

Carrere and her co-stars on Fat March , with the help of two trainers, were challenged with walking 570 miles, from Boston to Washington, D.C., across nine states, in just 10 weeks. In addition to attempting to change their lives, the participants were lured with a $1.2 million prize pool. The more people who finished, the more money each could win. Participants are able to "vote off" their counterparts if they feel a person was holding the group back. If they did so, however, $10,000 was subtracted from each participant's potential prize money (each participant, at the beginning of the walk, was eligible for a $100,000 prize).

On Monday's episode, one of the participants quit after only three days, and another was voted off, reducing each remaining participants' potential award by a total of $20,000.

Carrere began the show at 250 pounds. Although she cannot reveal how far she made it, or how much weight she lost, she did say that she feels much better than she did when the walk began. At the end of the first episode, she had walked 65 miles in eight days and lost four pounds.

Although she was scared, she realized that if she didn't lose weight and become more active, her life was in danger. "I've had three back surgeries, I've had open heart surgery. I was like, 'I'm headed for an early grave. Something's got to change.'"

During the walk, participants had to camp outdoors and could compete for rewards such as indoor accommodations or trips to Hawaii.

One of Carrere's major motivations was her partner of four years, Lisa Herbinger.

"Being away from my partner really made me more determined about my relationship and how much she really means to me. I was definitely talking about Lisa a lot. It just overwhelmed my heart with how much love I have for her, for her to support me the way that she does and be so good to me."

Participants were not allowed to contact friends or loved ones during their journey.

Carrere was out on the show, and she thinks that she represented the LGBT community in a positive manner, especially because of the connection with her partner she portrayed on the show.

"I think the show will show how amazing and how normal gays really are. I hope I'm a good representation," she said.

"I loved that I was the only gay person," she added. "Nobody cared. I thought it was awesome that I was, and that I was the only comedian, too. I felt like I got a lottery ticket."

She hopes to appear on television again in the future, performing as a comedian. She also hopes to continue her new habit of walking. "I'm going to keep walking and try to lose the rest of this weight."

"I miss everybody [in San Francisco]," she said. "I have fans there and I miss them." She encouraged the Bay Area LGBT community to watch the show. "They're going to be blown away – it really is that engaging."

Fat March airs at 9 p.m. on Mondays for the next five weeks.

Grand marshals: North Bay couple honored to help lead parade

2007-06-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

As a 10-year-old in Mexico City, Laura Espinosa confessed to her mother that she was in love with an older woman. Her mother was outraged, and Espinosa realized that in order to be happy, she would have to leave home. She sold tamales and washed cars for a year to save up money to move to America. At 11, Espinosa traveled to the United States in the back of a rag truck with other undocumented immigrants.

She worked in the fields and made her way north, washing dishes and bussing tables. At Josef's Restaurant in Santa Rosa, she worked 12-15 hour days, seven days a week for over 11 years, working her way up to the position of sous chef. She studied English as a second language, got her green card, and eventually became a U.S. citizen.

"I always wanted to become a citizen because every job that I had, someone in authority would threaten to call immigration or to fire me because of my citizen status," explained Espinosa, 42, who identifies as lesbian. "So I knew that if I didn't become an American, I would always hear the threats of being deported or I would be made to do something I didn't want to do."

Espinosa has been with her partner, Dolores Caruthers, who identifies as bisexual, for 14 years. They met at Aunt Ruby's, a gay bar in San Rafael. "She asked me to dance three times that night and the third time I said to myself, 'I should check this person out,'" explained Caruthers, 52.

Caruthers grew up in Port Jervis, New York, and moved to the Bay Area in 1980 when her husband was assigned to the San Francisco field office of the United States Park Police. She separated from her husband, Earl Caruthers, with whom she has two children, just before meeting Espinosa. Caruthers and Espinosa live in Novato next door to Caruthers's husband. "We are a family, the five of us together," Caruthers said, referring to herself, Espinosa, her husband and their two children.

Espinosa and Caruthers will represent their family and community as grand marshals in this Sunday's LGBT Pride Parade. For the last seven years, Caruthers and Espinosa have been hosting friends, families, and passersby at the San Francisco Pride Parade in what they call "The Compound," a canopy tent they set up on the day of the parade on the corner of 1st and Market streets. They honor parade participants with signs that express their support and thanks, as well as refreshments and rainbow leis.

This year, the compound will be set up as usual, and run by their daughter, Danyelle. "We will still set the compound up at 6 a.m. as always. This will be our first time actually being in the parade. We have had so many opportunities to march and we have always declined because the compound is the best way to see and view everything," said Caruthers.

Longtime activists fighting for peace, marriage rights, and equality for all people, Caruthers and Espinosa were very pleased to be named community grand marshals.

"The reaction to being selected was overwhelming – pride, tears, and lots of screaming and hugs all around," explained Caruthers.

The organizations with which they work to help further equality include Marriage Equality USA, Spectrum Center for LGBT Concerns, the AIDS Project, Triangle Alliance of Marin, Marin NOW, Multicultural Commission of Marin, Peace and Justice Coalition in Marin, and the Colon Cancer Alliance. They helped organize Hands Across Marin, which protested the invasion of Iraq. Caruthers and Espinosa have served on the Multicultural Commission of Novato as liaisons to the gay community. They also helped coordinate the No on 22 campaign in Marin in 2000. Proposition 22, which was approved by state voters, prevents California from recognizing same-sex marriage. Sixty-one percent of California voters voted to approve the initiative. In Marin County, over 62 percent of voters voted against it.

Despite their support for marriage equality, Caruthers and Espinosa are unable to marry for reasons other than the fact that same-sex marriage is illegal in California. Caruthers is still married to her husband because of his health benefits, and a major financial loss would occur if they divorced. Caruthers has faced two major health crises in the last decade. In 2001, she was diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery. In 2002, she shattered her ankle and required four more surgeries.

"If I had not remained married, I would not have been able to afford to get the care that I had received," said Caruthers.

The two were in San Francisco City Hall when the first gay marriage ceremonies took place in 2004. They had a commitment ceremony, attended by 125 friends and family members, on June 28, 1997. Earl Caruthers helped decorate and coordinate the event.

Caruthers and Espinosa continue to believe in the fight for marriage equality. During the "Winter of Love" in 2004, Caruthers served as a marriage commissioner and married same-sex couples in San Francisco's City Hall. In addition, they both traveled on the National Marriage Equality Caravan in 2004, with 46 other gay activists. The bus crossed the United States, stopping for demonstrations and events on the way to a large rally in Washington, D.C.

"We are politically active because everyone should be," explained Caruthers. "When you see something that is wrong, then you work hard to change it and if you can't change it on your own, then you get other people who think the same way to help begin the change. Why not be politically active? We couldn't imagine being anything else."

Bucking the mainstream nothing new for Gay Shame

2007-06-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

Did you ever get the feeling, during Pride, that something wasn't quite right? The yearly festivities are meant to celebrate our queerness, our otherness, and our right to exist and be who we want to be. Increasingly, however, it seems as though the parades and parties act in homage to politicians as well as corporations that want to sell us alcohol, medications, vacations, healthcare, cigarettes, and cable packages. Some argue that Pride is a celebration of assimilation.

What happened to the community's radical beginnings? The "radical" side of the gay liberation movement, and Pride as a movement, began in June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. That summer, queers at the Stonewall Inn decided they'd had enough of the regular police harassment gay bars and patrons faced, and were ready to fight back. Riots began on the evening of June 27 and early morning of June 28, and demonstrations occurred in Greenwich Village for nearly a week afterwards. The following June, celebrations were held to commemorate the Stonewall riots. These events comprised the beginning of what we know today as gay Pride, now called LGBT Pride in San Francisco and in many other cities.

Over the years, it seems as though Pride celebrations have become inundated with products and ads, free samples and surveys, mailing lists and a platform for companies to hawk their wares at the "gay market," and for politicians to tout their support to the powerful gay voting bloc.

This year, San Francisco Pride has no less than 25 corporate sponsors. While 50 percent of the gate revenue raised during Pride goes back to the nonprofits that provide volunteer labor, the money is not donated until "all operational costs (i.e., stickers, buckets, signage, and other associated expenses) have been deducted from the donations received. Each individual donations partner's share of the 50 percent will be based on the number of volunteer hours supplied. ... The remaining 50 percent retained by San Francisco Pride will help cover administrative and operational costs for the Pride event." according to material on Pride's Web site at http://www.sfpride.org.

"The mission of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee is to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people," according to its Web site.

But there is something about what Pride has become that does not sit well with some people, including members of Gay Shame, who describe themselves as "a virus in the system."

"Gay Shame started as an alternative to Gay Pride. Gay Pride had become a disgusting consumerist and assimilationist nightmare, and Gay Shame was devised to be a space for queers who didn't want to deal with that shit," said Mary Sumptions of Gay Shame San Francisco. (Each member of Gay Shame identifies him or herself as "Mary.")

"Queer folks exist because of a legacy of direct action activism. However, the gay mainstream is actively working to 'clean up' all forms of queerness that do not fit into the white, upper class, married, heathery dream," explained Mary J.

Lindsey Jones, executive director of Pride, wrote in an e-mail that while the event started as a small local celebration 37 years ago, today it has grown into one of the largest gay Prides in the world.

"Unfortunately, the event can no longer be supported by 'passing the hat' and collecting donations," said Jones, who noted that half of the voluntary $5 gate donation provides funds for local nonprofit organizations. "The donations collected at the gate are not enough to cover expenses and 50 percent of these funds are granted to Community Partners."

Jones said that keeping the event free and accessible to all has been a priority for the Pride Committee. The gate donation is not mandatory and no one is turned away. Pride events in cities such as San Jose and Long Beach have an admission fee for their festivals.

Corporate sponsors are asked to support Pride at a higher cost so that nonprofit organizations and small local businesses can participate fully in the event at lower prices, Jones added.

As for Gay Shame, Jones said, "All of us, in a free society, have the right to alternate points of view, beliefs, and understandings. The members of Gay Shame serve an important counterpoint. Diversity, in all forms, is a good thing."

Jones said that she invites Gay Shame members to talk with Pride members about their differences.

While Gay Shame San Francisco produces direct actions, albeit on a small scale, at least in recent years, it has also held periodic "Gay Shame Awards," during which members recognize people who "should be ashamed of their disservice to the queer community, progressive politics and social justice."

"Gay Shame evolved to a direct action spectacle because people really wanted to challenge a racist, classist, sexist mainstream gay culture," said Mary Sumptions. "We have focused on a variety of issues from the hypocrisy of the nonprofit industrial complex to AIDS evictions to gentrification. Our group has been very good at making connections between these different struggles."

This spring, Gay Shame teamed up with the newly formed ACT UP Bay Area, taking part in a demonstration in the Castro to commemorate ACT UP's 20th anniversary and to focus on AIDS housing issues.

The group is also involved in direct action in the Tenderloin to fight gentrification.

The phrase "Gay Shame" and groups calling themselves as such have been in existence for nearly 10 years and originated in Brooklyn, New York, according to an entry on Wikipedia. Working under the tenets of direct action and complete equality (i.e. no leaders, no decision-making without consensus), Gay Shame as a movement has often been criticized and rejected by the mainstream of gay culture.

In 2003, Gay Shame participants clashed with the contingent of then-Supervisor Gavin Newsom and Pride Parade monitors and two people were arrested. The charges were dropped. The group also protested when Newsom kicked off his campaign for mayor later that year and during a fundraiser at the LGBT Community Center.

Gay Shame members put out a poster of the late Bob Ross, founding publisher of the Bay Area Reporter, after his death in December 2003 entitled "Ding-Dong! Bob Ross is Dead!" and said they were "dancing on" his grave because of his support for Mayor Willie Brown over gay Supervisor Tom Ammiano in the 1999 mayor's race, and for supporting Newsom in his 2003 election, among other issues.

And Gay Shame is opposed to same-sex marriage.

"Fighting for gay marriage, gays in the military, and other forms of combination is not activism," said Mary J.

For more information, visit www.gayshamesf.org.

Shanti awards scholarships

2007-06-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Shanti, a San Francisco health service organization that assists people living with HIV/AIDS as well as those living with breast cancer, has announced the recipients of its 2007 LIFE program George F. Solomon HIV Prevention Scholarships. The scholarships are being financed by a $5,000 grant from the Until There's a Cure Foundation.

The grant will provide the recipients, who are graduates of the Learning Immune Function Enhancement program, with educational training and supplies in order to become HIV peer health educators. This year's scholarship awardees are Ross Hayduk, Mitch Mitchell, and Chip Supanich.

The award will pay for the men's attendance at HIV and AIDS health workshops and seminars. Each recipient also will be attending community college classes this fall to complete their training.

The LIFE program uses health enhancement as an incentive for those living with HIV/AIDS to reduce risky behaviors. Dr. George F. Solomon was one of the first scientists to see a link between emotions and immunity. Applications of his research have been developed to assist people in managing psychological and social issues in their lives, thereby increasing their well-being.

Shanti, with an annual budget of about $2.5 million, a staff of 35 and over 175 active volunteers, has offered the LIFE program for several years.

"The three awardees bring heart, smarts, and experience to this scholarship opportunity for becoming HIV health professionals," sad Jeffrey Leiphart, Ph.D., director of the LIFE Institute.

Hayduk is a volunteer with the Positive Resource Center's SF LGBT Pride staffing project, Healing Waters, the Horizons Foundation, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (Sister Jane D'oh!). He also is a longtime member of Team San Francisco and has participated in the Gay Games.

Hayduk completed the LIFE program last fall, during which he "learned the value of 'trusted support' – creating a network of people who are willing to partner with you to improve your overall health," he said.

"Shanti is a fantastic organization, in that it addresses issues surrounding HIV in a holistic manner, incorporating mental, spiritual, physical, psychological, and social elements to help individuals thrive," said Hayduk.

Mitchell, 63, has been driving a cab for 40 years, and has been living with HIV for 23 years. For the last year, he has been volunteering with the Stop AIDS Project, Quan Yin Healing Arts Center, and the Positive Resource Center, co-facilitating meetings and seminars. He will be facilitating a seminar for Shanti in August.

Mitchell said that he is interested in entering the health education field after he completes the program.

Supanich has lived in San Francisco for 13 years and grew up near Detroit. He is currently on disability and is recovering from many years of severe illness due to HIV. He was diagnosed in 1985.

Supanich has been volunteering for Shanti for 10 years speaking on panels, helping plan activities and assisting clients. He hopes to learn more about the science and chemistry behind what he intuitively knows, as a person who has lived with HIV for 22 years. He also hopes to learn more about prevention.

"This is probably the area in which I have the most to learn," he explained.

Supanich also volunteers with the UCSF AIDS Health Project, Positive Resource Center, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation needle exchange program. He hopes to eventually return to graduate school to get a master's degree in social work or counseling.

"In the last couple of years, I have started to regain my health, my vigor, my vitality," said Supanich. For more information on Shanti and the LIFE program, visit http://www.shanti.org.

Black women filmmakers discuss queer portrayals in media

2007-06-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

As part of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project's third annual film festival last weekend at the Brava Theatre, attendees were treated to a forum on queer black women in the media.

Entitled "Representations of Queer Black Women in the Media," the June 9 forum drew about 75 people. Participants included out black women film directors Cheryl Dunye, Shari Frilot, and Tina Mabry.

Dunye is director of The Watermelon Woman (1996), the first African American lesbian feature film, and Stranger Inside, a 2001 television movie. Frilot is a senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and an award-winning filmmaker. She was the director of MIX NYC and the Outfest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Mabry is the director of Brooklyn's Bridge to Jordan (2005) and co-writer of Itty Bitty Titty Committee, which won the Grand Jury Award for best narrative feature at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Jewelle Gomez, an award winning author and former Village Voice film critic; and T. Kebo Drew, award-winning writer and QWOCMAP Film Festival manager, moderated the forum. The panel was the highlight of Drew's work as a Rickey Williams Fellow. The program was launched last year by the anti-racism group And Castro For All and the Horizons Foundation, the LGBT grant-making organization. Gomez is the program officer for Horizons.

Gomez began the discussion by asking the panelists why they decided to become filmmakers. Mabry spoke of a relative, who is closeted. "I needed to do something that really meant something, that had a voice, to speak for [her relative] because she couldn't speak for herself."

Dunye echoed Mabry's comments, saying that she went into filmmaking in response to the lack of visibility of women of color in film, particularly queer women of color. Filmmaking is Dunye's way of interjecting herself, her characters and her storylines into the public eye. Filmmaking is, to Dunye, "[my] way to kind of interject myself in there because I wasn't being represented, let me put myself in the picture. I literally had to do it because nobody else is going to do it for you."

Gomez recalled seeing Porgy & Bess, the 1959 film starring Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier: "Dorothy Dandridge was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen in my life. It was stunning to me and I remember being really pissed off that she died in the end. Emotionally, it was very disturbing to me."

Dunye spoke about feeling unrepresented during the "black film revolution" of the 1990s and unrepresented in the black television shows of the 1970s. Dunye said that she was able to identify somewhat with F. Gary Gray's 1996 film, Set It Off, starring Queen Latifah.

"I was so happy to see that film," said Dunye, adding that she identified somewhat with the four lead female characters. "But again, it was by this black male director and he was about making money and he wasn't about really addressing these issues, it didn't go further than that. Nobody wanted to say [the four female characters] were gay."

"Certainly, the biggest secret I feel I unveil as I press along in my career is if you follow your heart and be original, you'd be surprised how much people want to work with you and you build momentum and it goes beyond our community," said Frilot. "I moved to L.A. for love in the late 1990s, and I didn't think I had anything to offer L.A., Hollywood, that entire town, but it turns out they really wanted to work with somebody who was working what they call 'alternative' circles to bring a new, fresh perspective. They're secretly bored."

Dunye and Frilot discussed the importance of collaborations among queer women of color, and the mistake young filmmakers often make when they take on every aspect of the filmmaking process on their own. They encouraged young filmmakers to get their friends involved, even if they have no experience making films. Each collaborator can use her own skills to contribute to the process. It is much easier to complete a film project in collaboration with a team of advocates and supporters.

Each panelist discussed the difficulty of working in a male, white, straight-dominated industry. Mabry is in a generation of filmmakers that came up a few years after Dunye and Frilot, but she was still only one of three queer women of color in the film program at the University of Southern California.

"You have to jump yourself," said Dunye, who, along with Mabry, expressed a desire for more role models for queer women of color in media. "Get a response, get feedback. Get out there. I think that's the hardest thing. It's a big, scary abyss and you really have to just do it a little blindly."

Mabry said that queer women of color who have become successful in the industry have a responsibility to mentor younger women of color.

"People have a responsibility to reach back and help ... If you have somebody coming to you and they've got the vision, they've got the talent and you've got the means to guide them, do it.

"I looked for people to help me and there was no one, no one had time. ... There were some people who came through to help me but for the most part, I wanted that, I needed that support or someone saying, as a queer black woman, I can get to this point," Mabry said.

"If I follow my heart and really believe in what I'm doing, my strength comes from that, my offering comes from that and I've been able to build a career on that, and it's a secret," said Frilot. "Your greatest strength is your vision inside."

Founding Point director to be honored

2007-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

The average cost of higher education is steadily increasing, with the current per-year cost averaging between $8,000 and $40,000. According to the College Board, the median debt incurred by bachelor's degree recipients in 2004 was $19,300.

For students who have been abandoned by family and other support systems because of their sexual orientation, obtaining a higher education degree can be close to impossible.

Thanks to the Point Foundation, a national LGBT scholarship fund, 115 LGBT students have been awarded scholarships to help fund their college educations in the last seven years. During its first year, the foundation awarded seven scholarships. This year, the foundation awarded 38, the largest number in its history. The awardees were chosen from a pool of over 1,000 applicants.

A statement from the foundation noted that since 2002, it has invested more than $2 million in multi-year scholarship grants to 77 scholars, not including the 2007 recipients. The foundation's annual budget is around $6 million.

Foundation officials will be in San Francisco next week to host a benefit reception and recognize its founding director. The foundation will award its first Leadership Award to John Pence, founding director and current president of the board of trustees. Pence opened his eponymous art gallery in San Francisco in 1975 and both he and the business have been active in the city's nonprofit community as host for numerous benefits, including Project Open Hand and the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, and of course, the Point Foundation.

The original intent of the foundation "was to create a legacy so that those of us who were LGBT could set up something in which we were ensuring that the next generation of young people could receive an education," said Pence.

"When we began to research this, we were astounded by how many people had been thrown out of their homes ... for being gay or lesbian and yet some of these same people went on to become valedictorians of their class. Those are the kind of people that we were looking for scholars and young people that have already demonstrated a great deal of leadership in their young life."

Pence, 71, was surprised to hear that he would be receiving the Leadership Award. "I thought I was on the inside of everything for this organization," he said. "I know that we talked about establishing a Leadership Award. I know I've done a lot quietly, but I never expected this."

As with all Point Foundation events, there is no cost to attend the upcoming reception, which will take place on May 24 in San Francisco.

"All of our events, unless there is some sort of formal entertainment, have been free," said Pence. Nevertheless, the foundation has received about $45,000 in donations from the invitations it sent out. Point Foundation co-founders Bruce Lindstrom and Carol Strickland will be on hand, as well as Executive Director Jorge Valencia.

An anonymous donor has pledged a fundraising challenge and will match every dollar up to $100,000 that is raised at the event.

"I can say that it's certainly a worthy cause because the average scholarship and attendant cost that we bear to each student averages about $30,000 a year," said Pence. "It really is incumbent upon us to raise money and we've been pretty successful."

Point scholars also will be on hand to speak at the event. "There are so many people out there [that need financial assistance]. We just need to get the word out [about the Point Foundation]," explained Pence. "There is an amazing need."

The reception will take place on Thursday, May 24, beginning 6 p.m. at the John Pence Gallery at 750 Post Street. For more information on the Point Foundation, visit http://www.pointfoundation.org.

Nepal LGBT group fighting for visibility

2007-05-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

A more visible LGBT community in Nepal is the goal of the Blue Diamond Society, which last week received the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's Felipa de Souza Award.

Sunil Pant, founder of the society, was in San Francisco last week to receive the award and participate in a panel called "South Asia Here and There: A Dialogue about LGBT and Human Rights" that took place May 2 at the API Wellness Center.

Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of IGLHRC, which has its headquarters in New York, moderated the discussion, which also included panelists Dechen Tsering and Sandip Roy.

Tsering is a program officer with the Global Fund for Women and manages the fund's Asia and Oceania portfolio.

Roy is an editor at Pacific News Service and host of "Upfront," the service's weekly radio program on KALW. He is also editor emeritus of Trikone magazine, which was founded in the Bay Area and serves LGBT people of South Asian descent.

Pant spoke about the activities of the Blue Diamond Society, which he founded in Nepal in 2001. Nepal is a geographically small country between India and China with an estimated population of 28 million people. The society organizes activists and health educators who focus on HIV prevention and outreach education. It also conducts the only HIV prevention and education program in Nepal that targets men who have sex with men. Society staff run a weekly clinic that offers free HIV and STD checkups and treatment as well as a social support group, a weekly film show, and seven drop-in centers around the country.

While homosexuality is not against the law in Nepal, there exists no open LGBT community, and the military and government often attack, torture, and interrogate LGBT people or people they suspect to be LGBT. The country is in the midst of overhauling its constitution after the resignation of King Gyanendra, and Pant said the society is working with the new government to ensure that the constitution protects the rights of sexual minorities.

"The [LGBT rights] movement has become national now, particularly after last year's People's Movement, where BDS played a crucial role and came out into the streets to actively participate and fight for democracy for everyone in Nepal," said Pant. "BDS was one of the first groups that publicly opposed the king's code of conduct to control civil society."

Pant shared stories of individual struggles LGBT people have faced in Nepal in the last few years, including the attack of one of BDS' outreach educators and the arrest of 39 members of BDS in August 2004. During that same month, one cross-dressing man was raped and had his throat and fingers slashed, Pant said. One man reportedly suffocated his 13-year-old son when he found out his son was visiting one of BDS' drop-in centers. Local activists alerted the police, who discovered that the father lied about how his son had died. The father was arrested, but later released after his son's medical report was reportedly altered.

"Many field staff of BDS are threatened not to conduct HIV/AIDS awareness raising and safer sex education program; they are also frequently arrested by police for a few hours or overnight and often beaten or blackmailed whenever they are found carrying condoms," said Pant. "They are accused of promoting homosexuality, unnatural behavior, etc."

Roy spoke of the 20th anniversary of Trikone , and the increased visibility of LGBT people in South Asia since the magazine's inception. When the first issues were released, many interviewees did not want their pictures to appear in the magazine, and the 20th anniversary issue includes pictures of LGBT Asians from all over the world.

"If you go and look at media in South Asia you will see so much more about gay and lesbian issues pertaining to the region," said Roy. "Several years ago I did an interview with Sunil for Trikone about Blue Diamond Society and at the end of the interview I asked him, 'Can I take a picture?' and I was kind of hesitant because you always feel like you're making somebody vulnerable."

Pant agreed to the picture, and it was an amazing moment for Roy because "I realized it had become so natural in some ways to realize that in order to make change you have to first become visible."

"It is immensely courageous. It is one thing to march in the gay Pride Parade in San Francisco when the mayor of the city is leading the way," said Roy. "It's quite another thing to do it in Calcutta or Nepal and that requires a really special kind of courage that I think many of us often forget when we live here."

Alexandra: "I felt like a whole new world had opened up for me."

2007-05-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Gay Men's Chorus spotlights DADT

2007-04-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

If you missed the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus preview of Divas' Revenge II last weekend in Santa Rosa, you have one more chance to catch it. SFGMC, with special guests the Community Women's Orchestra, will perform the show at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco later this month.

Don't let the name fool you – while Divas' Revenge II is the sequel to the chorus' 2005 Divas' Revenge, this production features entirely new content, including numbers from Broadway shows Rent , The Producers, Miss Saigon, Dreamgirls , and Passion as well as songs made famous by Judy Garland (performed by special guest Connie Champaign).

The show also features the one-act "USS Metaphor," a parody of Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore.

"The concert on April 14 was extremely well received, with a standing ovation," said Teddy Witherington, managing director of Golden Gate Performing Arts Inc., which manages and raises funds for the chorus.

Artistic director Kathleen McGuire, and members of the SFGMC production committee, wrote "USS Metaphor," which takes jabs at the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

When asked why SFGMC decided to take a political stance in this production, Witherington explained: "As ambassadors for San Francisco's LGBT community, providing entertainment with a 'message' is what we're about. SFGMC's first-ever appearance was a political statement – singing on the steps of City Hall the day that Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated. Gilbert & Sullivan cast their wonderful music against a background of rapier wit, humor, and satire. The opportunity to take HMS Pinafore, contemporize it, and remain true to the spirit of Gilbert & Sullivan was too good to pass by."

"Nothing like it has been premiered with such anticipation in the recent history of the chorus, possibly in its entire 29-year history," said Witherington of Divas' Revenge II . "SFGMC has premiered new music before, but this adaptation of a complete operetta is a bold new venture. It has proven to be hugely popular with both our younger and older members."

The chorus will be dressed in Navy whites and will perform dance routines that "surpass anything the chorus has done before � We're extremely proud of this program, from the angles of both technical excellence and social comment," Witherington added.

The show seems timely, given recent comments by Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace stating that gays are "immoral."

"We definitely want our audience to be entertained � but at the same time think about the ramifications for the LGBT community in regards to such issues as gays in the military and gay marriage. As long as LGBT persons are denied their basic human rights, SFGMC will have something to say. Culture can entertain but it also has the capacity to move the spirit and change minds," said Witherington.

The show takes aim at the military and its policies, according to Witherington, but it also honors those LGBT military personnel who have served and suffered under DADT.

"USS Metaphor" is dedicated to all LGBT persons who are or have served in the military, Witherington noted, particularly Leonard Matlovich, who was a Vietnam War veteran and came out as a gay man in 1975. He later became a volunteer with the chorus.

"Matlovich died of AIDS in 1988 after serving tirelessly as a gay and AIDS activist," said Witherington. "His tombstone reads, 'When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.'"

The show takes place Monday, April 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $17-$80, and the chorus has increased the number of lower priced tickets for the show. SFGMC is also offering a 25 percent discount to current and former service men and women. For more information or for tickets, visit http://www.sfgmc.org or call (415) 865-2787.

DeBold leaves Mautner Project

2007-04-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Kathleen DeBold, executive director of the Mautner Project, a national lesbian health organization, has resigned, following a paid sabbatical that started late last year.

Her resignation was announced publicly on April 2. She served as executive director for seven years.

The Metro Weekly , an LGBT newsmagazine in Washington, D.C., reported that since going on paid sabbatical in December, DeBold has been taking classes related to social-justice issues as well as volunteering for refugees and helping them with citizenship preparations. According to Kathleen Maloy, who has served as interim executive director since December, DeBold "wanted to return to more hands on work with people needing services."

The paper also reported that DeBold's mother died last November and that she plans to spend more time with her father, who lives in Rockville, Maryland.

"When I first started [with Mautner] I had more opportunity to work with volunteers, clients, and other grassroots groups," DeBold told the Washington Blade. "As we've grown and I've done more fund-raising, communications and policy work, I had less one-on-one time with the people we served. Mautner has people who are doing that work, so they don't need me to do it. I want to be looking for the next best way to be of service."

DeBold, 51, plans to continue to volunteer for the project along with her partner, Barbara Johnson. "It has been an honor to be part of Susan Hester's and Mary-Helen Mautner's brilliant vision and loving legacy of lesbians taking care of themselves and each other," said DeBold. "For the balance of my life and work, this always will be what inspires me to do more."

"We are deeply grateful to Kathleen DeBold for her outstanding dedication to the cause of the health and well-being of lesbians and women who partner with women," said Maloy. "She put the Mautner Project in the first rank of American LGBT health organizations, and championed the everyday needs of women from all walks of life. Her leadership and vision inspires our future."

"Kathleen DeBold has been an incredible gift to lesbian health and to the Mautner Project. Her passion and vision propelled the promise of the Mautner Project, and enabled us to make significant gains in visibility, health improvements and empowerment for all women," said Mautner Project founder Hester.

DeBold's salary upon departure was $105,000. The project's annual budget is $1 million.

Maloy has been a Mautner volunteer since 1991, and does not plan to seek the executive director position.

"It is a real privilege to lead the Mautner Project during this period of executive transition," said Maloy. "We will take our time to conduct an open and wide-ranging search for a new executive director and our programs will continue fully."

The Mautner Project was created in 1990 after Mary-Helen Mautner died of breast cancer in 1989. Mautner had asked her partner, Hester, to start an organization that could help lesbians facing life-threatening illness. The project is based in Washington, D.C. and "works to improve the health of lesbians and their families through advocacy, education, research, and direct service."

Neighborhoods of the future debated

2007-04-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

It seems that the giant rainbow flag at Castro and Market streets isn't for everyone.

"For me, the future of the Castro begins when we burn the [rainbow] flag and when we find meaningful ways to deal with the realities that we face now," said Henry Urbach, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's new Helen Hilton Raiser Curator of Architecture and Design.

Urbach, who has only lived in San Francisco since last September after more than 20 years in New York, joined a panel of five other speakers during the GLBT Historical Society's fourth and final installment of its popular series "Queer in the City: GLBT Neighborhoods and Urban Planning," which started last November.

The March 27 session was called "Queer Neighborhoods of the Future." Panelists included Urbach, Susan Stryker, Andrea Shorter, T. Kebo Drew, Tito Vandermeyden, and Joy Silver.

Don Romesburg, board co-chair of the historical society, moderated the forum. In his introduction he spoke about "a national and even international flow of queer people out of some of the spaces that have been traditional LGBT ghettos or living spaces and its happening for all sorts of reasons." He quoted Tommi Avicolli Mecca's March 27 piece on http://www.BeyondChron.org, saying: "Without the rabble-rousing activists who used to call it home, the Castro is quickly disintegrating into a symbol of a bygone era that has no more tourist appeal than Betsy Ross's grave.

"Making the neighborhood affordable to activists and artists would go much further toward restoring the old Castro than all of the ruby slippers in the world," Avicolli Mecca wrote, referencing a March 22 Bay Area Reporter article about the Castro.

"In the 1960s and 1970s, the middle class fled urban centers and it provided a kind of space for other populations to move into but now that we've done such a good job ... the middle class and the upper class and, in fact, the super rich are moving back in, so that sends us out into a new kind of diaspora " said Urbach, who explained that although he has lived in the Castro since his move here last fall, he doesn't feel particularly drawn to it as a gay man.

"That [rainbow] flag really symbolizes an attitude toward space that I think is a kind of reactionary and maybe even destructive one. With that flag we mark an attitude toward space, which is one of appropriation and conquest – 'this is ours, we planted the flag,' and of course immediately we get into all kinds of questions about who are 'we', what is the 'our' that 'we're' marking with this flag?"

Vandermeyden, who works for Nextbus Inc., is also vice president of Castro Area Planning and Action. He spoke about his move to the Castro from the Netherlands. He found the Castro to be a friendly place full of neighbors who were willing to help one another. He found a job and a place to stay in only one afternoon.

Vandermeyden advocates the Castro being formally recognized as a community in the San Francisco General Plan, which guides development. There are many important social and cultural and historical institutions in the Castro that need to be recognized and protected in light of all of the development that is being planned in the district, he said.

Andrea Shorter, commissioner on San Francisco's Commission on the Status of Women, spoke about sometimes feeling like an outsider in the Castro, even though it has been her home for 16 years.

"What does it mean for me to live in what so many people herald as the gay capital of the world? It represents so much to many folks worldwide," she said.

"Clearly, as an African American woman, as a lesbian who is living in the Castro ... I do feel very much part of the neighborhood, I do feel it is my community. Not to say that there are times that I still feel as an outsider, even as involved as I am."

Shorter discussed the recent activism around racism in the Castro.

"I think it is important to have that geographic space. It is very important not only for the political - and economic empowerment that it creates - but it is important because of what I think it so much represents and symbolizes. We still have many struggles, I think, that clearly the issue of And Castro for All is a recent one in terms of how far we've come but also how far we have yet to go."

And Castro for All is an organization that was created to combat race- and gender-based discrimination experienced by customers at some Castro businesses, including Badlands bar, whose owner, Les Natali, was accused in 2004 of discriminating against African American and female patrons. Natali has denied the allegations.

"I think that the next step for the Castro is really continuing to push on those issues of ethnic and racial diversity," she said.

The issue of older LGBT folks was also addressed.

Joy Silver is president of RainbowVision Properties, the first retirement community company in the country specifically marketed for LGBT people. It currently has one property in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is planning a development in Palm Springs. Silver also is on the historical society's board.

"We're just learning to take the power and establish what we want for ourselves," she said of aging LGBT pioneers, those that were among the first to stand up for their equal rights as LGBT people in the 1960s and 1970s.

"We have always been accepting the things that other people didn't want and so rather than the gay ghetto that we were forced to live in, we're really putting together communities by design and that's really different," than the way LGBT people lived in the past, Silver explained of Rainbow Vision.

Others were concerned about those who may not be able to afford such a home.

"I'm really concerned about those of us who don't have the money for a retirement home, for those of us who are getting pushed out of the Castro who might have been able to live there at one point in time," said Drew of Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project.

"I'm very concerned about whether we are able not to just go to a neighborhood because we feel some sense of community there, but can we work there? Can we live there? Is there education? What is the cost of groceries in the neighborhood?" Drew said.

Historian Stryker spoke of her dislike of the nostalgia she sees emerging as queer neighborhoods evolve.

"It's not that I feel like I've lost community, I just feel like it's been specialized differently," she said. "I don't want to romanticize the past nor do I want to make the kind of communities that shaped me any less significant than they were. I just want to be alive to the fact that cities and neighborhoods have to be living spaces that we continue to occupy in these really intentional and conscious ways and that we will take that community with us into the future even if it's shaped a little differently than it was in the past."

Gays who can give should give, panel says

2007-03-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

In the face of sobering statistics that show giving by LGBT people is just a fraction of what straight people give to groups, including those that are anti-gay, local organizations last week hosted a briefing on philanthropy.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Horizons Foundation, and Merrill Lynch Private Banking and Investment Group hosted the March 12 briefing on LGBT giving, called "Trends in Philanthropy" at the City Club in San Francisco.

About 50 major donors and board members from NCLR and Horizons, as well as several Merrill Lynch Private Banking and Investment staff people, attended the event.

Glenn Perry, with the Bhatia Perry Group, Merrill Lynch Private Banking and Investment Group, and a Horizons board member, moderated the event and provided some staggering statistics.

"Five hundred million dollars is given each year for LGBT causes by LGBT folks and that may sound like a big number but $1 billion a year is given to fight us, to prevent us from having our equal rights by� non-LGBT folks. We're not going to identify those people but you all know who I'm talking about," Perry said.

Of that $500 million, only 25 donors gave a total of $108 million. Another 250,000 donors made up the remaining $392 million. "Only 250,000 folks give $35 or more out of 8 million LGBT folks that are capable of giving $35 or more," said Perry.

David E. Ratcliffe, director of the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management, said that LGBT donors must address the challenge of supporting LGBT nonprofits.

"How do we not only support our own financial well-being ... but how do we make the financial well-being and security of the nonprofit organizations that are out there fighting the fight on our behalf? How do we help them?" he said.

Ratcliffe shared some interesting statistics, including the fact that of the $260.28 billion given to charity in the U.S. in 2005, 80 percent came from individual donors and 5 percent came from corporations. Fifty percent of that amount went to religious and/or educational organizations and causes. Individuals are giving more, and want to be recognized by nonprofit grantees and have more control over how their investments are spent, he noted.

The U.S. is a deeply philanthropic nation, he added, and suggested people attempt to give more of their income to nonprofits because otherwise the U.S. government will decide where and how people's money is spent (the more people give to the nonprofit organizations of their choice, the less money will be taxed).

In addition, by taking advantage of creative estate planning techniques, one can attempt to avoid tax problems from which legally married spouses are automatically exempt. Members of the LGBT community and LGBT donors in particular, must seek what Ratcliffe called "double bottom line philanthropy," wherein they search for both financial and social returns on their philanthropic investments.

"How do we fund philanthropic interests we care about, how do we make a difference in our community, how do we create and sustain ability and capacity in the nonprofit organizations that are trying to achieve the missions that we have put out for them to achieve? This is what it's all about," he said.

Julie Dorf, director of philanthropic services and development at Horizons, spoke about what giving trends look like in the local LGBT community. Horizons pulled together research from the 2000 census, a survey it did in 2003, and a research report issued by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles in October 2006. Dorf told the Bay Area Reporter that Horizons' 2006 research confirmed its 2003 findings in that there are approximately 400,000 LGBT-identified people in the nine-county Bay Area region.

Of those 400,000 self-identified LGBT people, they discovered 25,000, or just 6 percent, are donors. Of those, only 8.3 percent were major donors. There are simply not enough LGBT people giving to LGBT and other nonprofit organizations, she said.

Referring to the 6 percent of LGBT people who give, Dorf said: "Obviously, we need that number to move. Just imagine if we could double that, so we get 12 percent giving. Imagine what we could do in terms of our movement."

Kate Kendell, executive director of NCLR, spoke about the small number of people who are motivated and passionate about giving. Because the LGBT movement has come so far, especially in the last two decades, some LGBT people can live their entire lives without ever feeling outright, direct discrimination.

"Only 3 percent of donor giving goes to nonprofits headed by individuals of color. Even a smaller percentage goes to organizations focused on social justice advocacy, really trying to move everyone forward, recognizing that folks are marginalized for a number of reasons based on race or class or gender identity or sexual orientation," Kendell said. "It's actually a very small number of people that we're able to motivate, who have passion for giving.

"There are a finite number of people who are going to be moved by that in a passionate way," she added.

Like Dorf, Kendell spoke of what the future might hold.

"Its amazing what we've been able to achieve with these very small numbers of people investing in a vision of what the world could be � What kind of world would we really live in [if more LGBT people invested]?" she asked. "What would it be like to really invest at a level that maybe 20 years from now, because we've been serious, we don't hear the same kinds of stories anymore?"

Lyon, Martin honored by Planned Parenthood

2007-03-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

They have been making history for decades, but last week, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin were honored during Women's History Month for their visibility in being the first same-sex couple to marry in San Francisco during the "Winter of Love" three years ago.

Lyon appeared at the LGBT Community Center on Thursday, March 15 to accept an award from Planned Parenthood Golden Gate on behalf of herself and Martin, her partner of 55 years.

Martin was unable to attend due to unfinished repairs that are being made to their San Francisco home.

"It's very sweet of them to invite us," Lyon said. "I'm happy to be here. I'd like it better if [Del] was here, too."

Lyon and Martin are one of the 11 plaintiff couples in Woo v. California, the case brought by several same-sex couples that were married in San Francisco in 2004 or who wanted to get married but could not after the California Supreme Court ordered a halt to the nuptials a month later. California's Supreme Court overturned the marriages in August 2004.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer ruled in 2005 that the state's laws restricting marriage to a union between one man and one woman are unconstitutional. In October 2006, however, the state Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 decision, overturned Kramer's decision. The state Supreme Court said last December that it would review the six same-sex marriage cases.

"What we're complaining about, of course, is the fact that they said we weren't married and that our marriage certificates were null and void," Lyon explained.

When asked if she thinks that she will live to see marriage equality in California, she replied: "I hope so. It depends on how long I live." While Lyon believes that the movement is closer than ever to achieving marriage equality in California, she said: "I'm 82 and Del's going to be 86 in May, so I don't know if we'll get to see it. But it is closer. I think a lot has happened that's good. It's nice to know that younger people are in favor of it."

In 1955, Martin and Lyon founded the Daughters of Bilitis, considered to be the first lesbian rights organization.

"Its interesting to realize that back in the 1970s, there was a little bitty push on the part of heterosexuals to get us allowed to marry," explained Lyon. "The Chronicle ran an editorial that said that they didn't see any reason why gays and lesbians couldn't get married and we all thought that was kind of nice of them � none of us at that point were really involved in marriage equality. We were more interested in passing laws that would allow us to not be fired because we were gay and not thrown out of our apartments and all of those other little basic things."

Martin was the first out lesbian elected to the National Organization for Women's board. "Feminists really thought that marriage was a mess, it was nothing but giving men control over women, so we were kind of against marriage anyhow," explained Lyon. "It wasn't until the last few years really that we realized how many young lesbians and gay men were working toward it and how much they wanted it and we thought, maybe that's not a bad idea at this point, too."

Several other history-making local women were also recognized at the event, including Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (D-San Leandro), the first Korean American to join the California state Assembly; Beth Parker, one of the San Francisco attorneys who successfully challenged the federal partial-birth abortion ban in Planned Parenthood v. Gonzales in the 9th Circuit; as well as several local labor leaders, who led the fight to persuade the state labor federation to take a no position on Proposition 85 during last fall's election. Proposition 85, which was defeated by voters, would have required a waiting period and parental notification before termination of a minor's pregnancy.

Kotulski steps down from marriage group

2007-03-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Members of Marriage Equality USA's all-volunteer staff gathered at San Francisco's City Hall Friday, February 23 to celebrate the closing of the Marriage Equality Movement Story Quilt and the work of outgoing Executive Director Davina Kotulski.

Kotulski has been involved with MEUSA since 1998. She joined the fight for marriage equality because it is a personal battle. She wants to marry the woman she loves.

"First of all, I met Molly McKay and we fell in love and we wanted to get married and we couldn't. There was no place in the United States that allowed marriage at that time, in 1996. So we've been working for the past nine years together to try to change the laws so that LGBT people can have the same rights as straight people," she said.

McKay, who serves as MEUSA's media director, said the couple's home, including garage, has been a de facto "marriage equality headquarters" ever since the two took on the fight for same-sex marriage. McKay, who plans to continue working with MEUSA, said the organization is strong enough now that it could survive the change in leadership.

"It's been phenomenal to work in the community of people we've been with and meet all the love warriors around the nation who are committed to this fight," she said. "I think that she realizes that there's tons of leaders that we have helped connect with and build a network. Part of being a leader is knowing when it's time to step back and let others take the reigns. I think that she's reached that time for her."

Kotulski, the author of Why You Should Give a Damn about Gay Marriage, agreed it was the right time for her to resign.

"This is a great opportunity to have other people step up and to lead. I've been doing this fight since 1998 and I need to pass the torch," said Kotulski, who plans to work on her writing after stepping down. "I've seen the tide change in the nine years I've been doing this work and I know that we're going to have equal rights for LGBT people and I know that these kids are going to grow up in a different world."

Despite the setbacks along the way, Kotulski remains confident that gay and lesbian couples will some day be able to marry.

"It's going to happen. I think that it's hard to put a date on that but I think it is happening," she said. "The world's changing and I think that [because of] the culmination of everyone's hard work people know, they understand we have to have equal rights."

The group is looking within the organization for its new leader. McKay said an announcement would be made sometime after March 15.

"This organization [is] an all-volunteer driven organization," said McKay. "I think that it's sort of a do-it-yourself organization. It's there for people who want to be active and who want to plug in with whatever talents they have. It's set up – just take it and run and Davina will be cheering from the sidelines."

At her going away party Friday night inside City Hall, where thousands of same-sex couples wed during the 2004 "Winter of Love," Kotulski's friends presented her with a quilt commemorating her work at MEUSA.

Christopher Gomorra, Two-Spirit Outreach Director for MEUSA, performed a ceremony that celebrated Kotulski's work and asked those present to stand in a circle holding hands, reading aloud the quilt's text. PFLAG members and MEUSA supporters Julia and Samuel Thoron then wrapped Kotulski in the quilt.

The story quilt is the thesis project of Maya Scott-Chung, MEUSA's LGBTI parents outreach director who is working on her master's degree at San Francisco State University. It serves as a visual and oral history of the movement and outlines the lives of several local LGBTI couples, and how their families have been affected by their inability to marry.

"I'm a lesbian mom and I'm part of a tri-cultural family," explained Scott-Chung. The quilt was designed to highlight the "very diverse voices in the community" and provides "opportunities for people to listen to each other's stories and to see also the diversity and the beauty and the incredibleness of our community."

The project also aimed to "augment and identify the diverse ways that marriage discrimination affects us it obviously affects us differently depending on who we are," she explained.

MEUSA is currently working in collaboration with several grassroots organizations around the state to launch an extensive community education campaign around marriage equality this year. Scott-Chung said the group wanted to engage the public before the 2008 presidential election race and ahead of any antigay marriage amendments right wing groups want to put before voters.

"We know it's quite likely that we're going to have a right-wing ballot initiative to try to repeal domestic partnerships as well as to try to ban same-sex marriage," she said.

Kotulski also had a message for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently said he would once again veto the gay marriage bill, AB43, introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill in 2005, the first time a state legislature passed a same-sex marriage bill.

"Sign that bill," she said. "Make it easy on us. Don't make us fight so hard. We all have families. We want to have time to spend time with our families. We want to have time to do other things in our lives and all he's got to do is sign it and he'll change millions of people's lives. Do the right thing, Arnold."

Gays protest ex-gay meeting in SF

2007-02-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

Desert Stream Ministries, known for its sexual and relational "healing" workshops and programs, brought its annual Crosswalk conference to San Francisco's Promised Land Fellowship Church on Market Street last weekend. According to the group's Web site, the conference was meant to: "address topics such as sexual promiscuity, pornography, same-sex attraction, and relational integrity for singles and married couples."

But not everyone was buying into Desert Stream's message.

Corey Hidlebaugh, an ex ex-gay, and his friends were in front of the church Saturday, February 17 to hold a peaceful vigil and protest against what they said were Desert Stream's harmful teachings. Hidlebaugh, who is currently studying to become a minister, spent eight years trying to rid himself of homosexuality. Most of the 30-odd protesters are members of the Graduate Theological Union (a consortium of nine seminaries in the Bay Area), based out of Berkeley, and are studying to become members of the clergy of various Christian faiths. Their message: Ex-gay therapy is harmful, both emotionally and spiritually, and needs to be stopped.

"We're not here to debate," Hidlebaugh reminded the group. "For me, the debate's over ... This is kind of a somber thing. I don't want to be here. We shouldn't have to be here. ... Try to be silent as much as possible, but talk when people want to talk. People are not the enemy. Untruth is the enemy.

"I spent eight years trying to change my sexual orientation, using everything from ex-gay therapy to exorcism to try to do that," Hidlebaugh told the Bay Area Reporter. "And of course it didn't work and it caused everything from depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and even attempted suicide. So one of my goals as a Christian is to expose the hurt and the pain that individuals go through that feel like they have to change their sexual orientation, because God won't accept them if they won't."

One protester held a sign that read: "Ex-gay therapy killed my friend." Another spoke of a friend who shot herself at the age of 19 because she was gay and thought God didn't love her because of her sexual orientation.

"I'm a straight ally," explained Audrey DeCoursey, one of the protesters. "I'm an ally of my friends and lovers and classmates and colleagues who are gay and who are oppressed because they're gay and told that God doesn't love them. We need to end that message, and I, as a straight person, have to come out and stand with people who are being oppressed every day for who they are, who God made them to be."

Recently, former Colorado pastor Ted Haggard, who was outed last year as having a relationship with a male escort, said he underwent three weeks of therapy and is now "completely heterosexual." That has led to an increase in publicity for ex-gay ministries, which have been largely debunked by mainstream mental health professionals and numerous organizations.

"We're here because ex-gay therapy has been said by every major health and mental health organization in the United States that it does not work," explained Hidlebaugh. "Not only does it not work, it's harmful to those who participate in it. The truth is God created and loves gay and lesbian people just the way they are without any reservation. We're here to say its okay to be gay and a person of faith. It's okay to be gay and Christian. You don't have to change. Ex-gay therapy is poor science but not only is it poor science, its poor theology, to say that God isn't big enough to love gay and lesbian people just the way they are."

A handful of conference attendees spoke peacefully, and at length, with the protesters during the lunch break. Most, however, ignored them. Many passersby honked their horns or clapped in support of the protesters. "I agree," one man told the protesters as he walked by.

Maria Caruana and Todd Ferrell of San Francisco's Freedom in Christ Evangelical Church came out to join the protesters, wearing purple "Christian + Gay = OK" T-shirts. Ferrell was there, he explained, "To let people know that there are people out there that have found freedom and have a great relationship with God. I don't think that he intended my life to be in a quandary about change for 40 years. What happened is that I found freedom just by accepting myself and accepting the gift that God gave me as a gay man and suddenly peace and joy and all of the things that I didn't have before that I was fighting, finally came."

Michael Laird, a member of Promised Land, came out during the lunch break and offered water and conversation to the protesters. He spoke at length with two of them.

"Jesus talked about how we're all very broken people," he told the Bay Area Reporter. "Obviously, that comes out in the sexual area and Jesus would often, when he walked on Earth, talk to people who were broken sexually. He loved all of us and he also said: 'Okay, it's time to stop doing what you're doing.' That's true with homosexuals and that's true with straight people."

When asked why he wants to change other people's sexuality, Laird said that that was not his intention, that he was there just to attend the conference: "The church is having a conference for both straights and homosexuals to try and receive healing to get God's power to live in the right way."

"Unfortunately, the lie has been that people need to change their sexual orientation and that's just not true," said Caruana, the pastor of Freedom in Christ. "God created us gay. God loves us. God sent his son to save us. All he cares about is our salvation in Jesus Christ and not what orientation we are sexually."

Valentine's day dating event offered for gay men

2007-02-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Still trying to find something to do this Valentine's Day? Still haven't found "the one" and want the opportunity to meet him on the Big Day? Christian de la Huerta offers, for the first time, an event called "Soulful Dating" for gay men looking for more meaning in their relationships. The event offers a place and a process by which to meet others on a similar quest. For $30 in advance (at http://www.soulfuldating.us) and $40 at the door, one can treat oneself to an evening of possibility.

"Our intention is that anyone attending Soulful Dating will get some value out of the experience, regardless of whether they get a date or not – which, of course, we hope they will," explained de la Huerta. "We hope that everyone who attends will walk out with another way of seeing themselves or a new way of looking at the nature of relationships."

The event consists of guided group activities including an "innovative soulful cruising process" and a speed-dating component where attendees will have the chance to connect with 10 or more potential dates. "We are offering an opportunity for gay men to meet each other in a safe, fun environment designed to elicit more profound connections among those seeking relationships that work," said de la Huerta.

De la Huerta is the founder of Q-Spirit and author of Coming Out Spiritually. He and his business and life partner Marcus Thorndike will co-facilitate the Valentine's Day event. They co-founded their business, Revolutionary Wisdom, in 2002.

There was some controversy over the event when a news release for it was listed on San Francisco Gay Men's Community Initiative's Yahoo! message board without the price information.

"As far as what was posted on SFGMCI's Yahoo! group, no cost information was included because there was no cost information on the information I received," said Doug Sebesta, executive director of SFGMCI. "I just posted what I got."

According to de la Huerta, there was no intent to misinform or deceive the community about the event. "We simply forgot to include this information in the press release," he said. "The pricing can be found on our Web site, as well as on the ad we placed in the Bay Area Reporter, and on promotional cards we have placed in coffee houses and other locations around the Bay Area."

"Members of SFGMCI's Yahoo! group can post anything that's related to developing and building community and friendship that they feel others may be interested in," explained Sebesta. "As a rule, the activities and events that SFGMCI itself has organized and put on have not cost anyone any money � In regards to the Soulful Dating event, SFGMCI has no part in putting on this event, nor was the posting any kind of endorsement or advertisement."

De la Huerta and Thorndike have also paired up with Felice Newman, author, sex educator, and co-founder of Cleis Press, to offer a similar event for gay women in the future.

"We're also seeking someone to partner with for the straight version of Soulful Dating," said de la Huerta. "We'll probably offer the men's version one other time before launching the women's and mixed gender versions."

Soulful Dating will take place at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street, from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, February 14. Attendees are required to arrive early as doors will close once the event begins. Organizers expect between 60 and 100 attendees. Tickets can be purchased online. For more information, visit the Web site or call (415) 460-1177.

Students can apply for LGBT scholarships

2007-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

With the ever-increasing cost of college, two LGBT organizations have once again opened up their application process for student scholarships.

Point Foundation and the League Foundation at AT&T have announced the deadlines for their 2007 LGBT academic scholarship programs. The application deadline for this year's Point Foundation scholarships is March 1. The League Foundation scholarships are due April 27.

Students who will be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs in the 2007-08 academic year are eligible for Point scholarships, which are multi-year awards. Point Foundation board chair Bruce Lindstrom founded the Point Foundation in 2001 with his partner, Carl Strickland.

A Point scholarship covers tuition, books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and living expenses. The foundation assists awardees with programs in addition to monetary awards. Its mentoring program, training, and summer conference help scholars develop leadership skills. The mentor program matches scholars with mentors from the professional arena, who provide support and act as role models. If the additional programs are taken into account, the average amount of financial support given to each scholar is more than $30,000.

To remain enrolled in the Point program, awardees agree to maintain good grades and to contribute to the LGBT community through community service projects. According to a Point Foundation news release, "Point scholars are chosen for their demonstrated leadership, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, involvement in the LGBT community, and financial need. Particular attention is paid to students who have lost the financial and social support of their families and/or communities as a result of revealing their sexual orientation or gender identity."

"We look for students who are intellectually and morally capable of leadership and who are dedicated to playing an influential role in the betterment of society," said Jorge Valencia, who began work as the foundation's new executive director this month. "We also identify students who have exceptional financial needs requiring assistance for personal success. Many of our scholars have experienced significant marginalization and would not otherwise be able to pursue their dreams through higher education."

Prior to joining the Point Foundation, Valencia served as the executive director of the Trevor Project from 2001 until 2006. The Trevor Project is a nationwide nonprofit organization established to promote acceptance of LGBTQQ teenagers and to aid in suicide prevention among that group by operating the nation's first 24/7 free suicide prevention helpline aimed at LGBTQQ youth.

When asked about the extremely competitive nature of the Point scholarship program, Valencia said: "We hope to expand our programs in the coming years."

He added that the foundation has hired Chris Fritzen as its first development director.

"This is a moment of positive transition for Point Foundation," said Valencia. "We are poised for even more growth, which will have a direct effect on our ability to offer more scholarships to more deserving students."

The foundation declined to provide financial information on its budget or Valencia's salary. According to the agency's 2005 Form 990, the foundation had a budget of $2.2 million; the last executive director had a salary of $150,112.

To apply, visit http://www.pointfoundation.org/apply.html.

League Foundation
According to a news release, the League Foundation is "a business resource group recognized by AT&T that was created by retired and active, non-management and management employees of AT&T who support gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues."

Applicants for its scholarships should graduate high school in 2007, identify as LGBT, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0, be actively involved in community service, live in the U.S., and have been accepted to attend a U.S. accredited college or university.

The League Foundation has awarded 57 academic scholarships since 1996. Scholarships currently open to applicants are: the Matthew Shepard Memorial Scholarship and the Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship. The Laurel Hester award is named after the Ocean County, New Jersey Police lieutenant who successfully battled county officials for the right to leave her pension and other benefits to her surviving domestic partner. The Shepard award is named after the slain Wyoming college student.

Applicants can get further information and scholarship applications at http://www.LEAGUE-att.org/foundation.

Pelosi in SF for Martin Luther King Day event

2007-01-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) made her first public appearance in her hometown since her ascendancy to the speaker's position Monday, January 15 at the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast.

Pelosi addressed 1,000 people at the San Francisco Hilton and followed speeches by Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Reverend Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church.

Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also spoke at the event, praising the late civil rights leader. He also spoke of his healthcare plan.

The number of attendees at this year's breakfast almost doubled the number present last year, organizers said. Newsom spoke of what King referred to as our "web of mutuality." He said that he is proud to serve as mayor of one of the most diverse cities in "the world's most diverse democracy."

"[King] took ideals that he tried to manifest. He took risks in that process � he had moral authority," said Newsom. "So many people feel that they can't make a difference because they are not somebody else. They don't have that title. And I think the real lesson of Dr. King is you didn't need any title. You didn't need that formal authority. You have to have a purpose, a vision, passion, a willingness to share that passion and take risks � that's how you change the world. That to me is an inspiration."

Millard Larkin II, president of the MLK Civic Committee, which sponsored the event, said as he began the celebration: "Let's not concentrate on what makes us different. Let's concentrate on what makes us the same and get it done."

Larkin also introduced Pelosi, explaining that she has attended the breakfast virtually every year. This year, however, was different.

"It's always a pleasure to be here," said Pelosi. "It's a particular pleasure to be here as the speaker of the House of Representatives."

She spoke about King and other leaders such as Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, describing them as "magnificent disruptors of the status quo."

And she addressed the war in Iraq, saying that she is trying to gather strength from their inspiration, and is working to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.

"There is no bigger ethical issue facing our country than the war in Iraq," she said. "But in this last election the American people spoke out for change in a big way. They called out for a new direction and nowhere is that direction more clear � than in the war in Iraq.

"As the number [of U.S. troops killed in Iraq] grows," she said, "so, too, does the need for a new direction."

She said of the troops: "We salute them for their sacrifice, their courage, and their patriotism."

"We in Congress will hold the president accountable," she said. "We have made history. Now let us make progress."

Pelosi said that Democrats strongly oppose the war and that Congress, which is now controlled by Democrats, will "exercise oversight" over the president's power.

The audience included a who's who of local and state political leaders, including former Mayor Willie Brown Jr., Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), state Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), members of the Board of Supervisors, and state officials including Treasurer Bill Lockyer (D) and Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D). City College trustees John Rizzo and Anita Grier also were on hand.

Needle exchange bill again introduced in legislature

2007-01-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

Seeking to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS, state Assemblyman John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), once again introduced a bill Friday, January 5 that would allow state funds to be used for the purchase of needles and syringes for exchange programs.

AB110 will "clarify current state policy to make clear that local public agencies may use state HIV prevention and education funds to support authorized clean needle and syringe exchange programs, and grant local agencies the authority to purchase sterile hypodermic needles and syringes for authorized clean needle and syringe exchange programs, a policy currently prohibited by the state," stated a news release from Laird's office.

"This bill will help local agencies reduce the needle sharing, which results in more than 1,000 new HIV infections annually in California," said Laird. "Local needle exchange programs save lives, protect communities, and result in significant savings for the taxpayer – AB110 will help local agencies continue to provide access to these vital programs."

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which has long operated needle exchange programs in the city, supports the bill.

"Studies have concluded that needle exchange programs suppress the spread of HIV without contributing to increases in drug use," said Dana Van Gorder, director of state and local affairs for SFAF.

According to a news release on Laird's Web site, California Department of Health Services statistics reveal that sharing of contaminated syringes is linked to 20 percent of all reported AIDS cases in the California. The DHS data suggests that 1,000 to 1,500 new HIV infections occur annually in the state due to the sharing of needles.

AB110, co-sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance Network and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, continues an effort started by Laird in 2005 to support local needle exchange programs.

According to Van Gorder, this is the third time this piece of legislation has been introduced. While a similar bill passed the legislature last year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office asked that it not be sent over, essentially placing a hold on the bill. At the time, the governor's office cited some concerns by the California Narcotics Officers' Association.

This year, it is expected that Laird's office will be in talks with the governor's office to address any concerns Schwarzenegger may have.

"They asked that we not send it to his desk because he didn't want to veto it and he wanted to have more discussions this year," explained Van Gorder of the governor's action last year. "I'm sure we'll get it through the legislature [this year] and the question will be whether we can address any concerns that the governor has. We'll start those conversations and consider any amendments that they propose."

"We may never be able to get the narcotics officers' support on this, but we will certainly be trying to get the governor's," Van Gorder added. "He clearly has been supportive of syringe exchange programs in the past � He understands the need to have strong syringe access programs."

The Narcotics Officers' Association has cited concerns that needle exchange programs encourage illegal drug use.

"From our perspective," explained Van Gorder, "sterile syringe access has been proven to be one of the most effective prevention strategies that we have.

"Prioritizing spending on syringes is probably more important than any number of other HIV prevention activities that are going on and I think that's what we'll be pointing out to the governor."

Get ready to 'bare it' for 2008

2007-01-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

It's the new year – do you have a calendar? If not, 2007's hot South of Market Bare Chest Calendar is now available, and auditions for the 2008 calendar begin on January 18.

The calendar has been produced every year since 1985 and always features 12 sexy Bay Area men. The Web site www.BareChest.org features pictures from every year's calendar. Take a look and feast your eyes on 23 years of pecs, abs, mustaches, lots of leather, and pure sexiness. The photos from each calendar are artfully beautiful, and sometimes, the models' chests are not the only things that are bare.

The first of 11 contests to select the 2008 models will be held at the Powerhouse bar at 1347 Folsom Street on Thursday, January 18 at 9 p.m. The calendar committee will hold the rest of the contests on January 25, February 1, February 15, February 22, March 1, March 15, March 22, March 29, April 5, and April 19.

The finals, featuring up to 26 men vying for 12 spots, will be held on May 5 at a location yet to be determined. The 2008 calendars will make their debut during 2007 Gay Pride festivities.

Some men are lucky enough to be selected for more than one calendar, including the

Scott Brogan, Mr. December 2005, is now helping run the contests for the 2008 Bare Chest Calendar. Photo: James Scott Garas
late Kevin Simms, who holds the record at appearing in four different calendars. The calendar committee's current policy states that any calendar man can appear in more than one calendar, as long as they do not appear in more than two consecutive years.

According to Mike Smith, executive director of AIDS Emergency Fund, one of the beneficiaries of the Bare Chest Calendar, 2006's calendar raised about $62,500 for AEF and Positive Resource Center. This amount is a slight increase from funds raised from the 2005 calendar. AEF has been a beneficiary of the calendar every year it has been produced, according to P. Tyrone Smith (no relation), chair of the calendar committee.

"Each year an amazing group of dedicated and fun guys is selected to raise money for AEF and PRC. In that process, they each have experiences and make friendships that last a lifetime. And the money they raise makes a difference for many of those less fortunate in our community," he said.

Each contest is open to all men with an interest in and willingness to appear in the calendar and who want to make a difference in their community by committing to appearing at a series of promotional events, fundraising activities, and other volunteer tasks during the 2008 calendar season.

The contests themselves serve as fundraisers, as those present who buy raffle tickets will be entered into a contest to win a series of prizes, including iPod Shuffles, photo sessions with Bare Chest Calendar photographer Dennis Tyler, dinner gift certificates, Bare Chest Calendars, porn and toys from Rock Hard, and books from Damron.

Volunteers for the 2008 Bare Chest Calendar Committee are: P. Tyrone Smith, Scott Brogan (Mr. December 2005), Reece Joyner (Mr. October 2006), Jay Hemphill (Leather Sir/boy contest producer), Barry Skown (Mr. September 2006), John Cunningham (PRC development director), Alan Breslaw (Mr. November 2006), and Dan Weber (Mr. November 2007).

The 2007 calendars are still available for $20 at www.leatherpost.com or www.damron.com, or at Rock Hard, Jaguar Books, or A Different Light in the Castro.

For more information, or to enter one of the upcoming contests for next year's calendar, contact Smith at ptyrone@barechest.org or at (415) 786-9611.

Horizons Foundation hands out grants

2006-12-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Santa brought early Christmas presents to numerous LGBT nonprofits that will help community centers, people living with HIV/AIDS, seniors, and others as the Horizons Foundation announced its latest round of grant recipients.

Patricia Kevena Fili, executive director of the Lighthouse Community Center in Hayward and development director at the AIDS Project of the East Bay in Oakland, commented on the $5,000 grants received by each organization.

"The money for the Lighthouse is huge for us. Our budget is $50,000. I'm the first staff – the first executive director we've ever had. We're trying to get our feet off the ground."

Kevena Fili expressed gratitude for Horizons' unrestricted grant award to the Lighthouse center. "Our ultimate goal is to be a catalyst for the LGBTIQ community in southern Alameda County. The reality is that we struggle to actually serve Hayward, let alone the other parts of Southern Alameda County, but we're very committed to fulfilling our mission as we're moving forward."

The Horizons Foundation held a reception Tuesday, December 12 for recipients of its 2006 community issues and LGBT senior services grants. Twenty-eight organizations received community issues grants totaling $190,000. Four organizations received LGBT Working to Increase Services to Elders grants, totaling $150,000.

Community issues grant awards were funded in part by grants from the California Wellness Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Horizons Foundation's LGBT Community Endowment Fund. The LGBT WISE grants were made for the first time this year through Horizons' new partnership with the California Wellness Foundation. The awards will increase the capacity of LGBT organizations in the Bay Area to provide services to LGBT seniors.

Jewelle Gomez, program officer at Horizons, spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about the grant-making process. She said that this year, Horizons was able to provide about 30 percent more funding than it did last year, thanks to the gift from the wellness foundation for the seniors program, as well as a gift from the Hewlett Foundation for its performing arts grant program.

Horizons approves grants using a peer panel process. Members of the peer panel meet to review applications and work with staff to make recommendations to the board of directors, which makes the final funding decisions.

"The Bay Area has a very lively and diverse LGBT community," said Gomez. "There are always new organizations popping up � One of the things that we do is suggest that LGBT organizations apply for general operating support." She said that general operating support funding and unrestricted funding is very difficult for nonprofits to find.

"Most foundations push for projects, so then organizations find themselves running around trying to create projects for foundations as opposed to just being able to pay their salaries, or they're trying to build salaries into projects," Gomez said. "We want to be able to fulfill their basic needs so they can do the projects that will strengthen the community and not be creating projects just to suit funders."

AIDS Project of the East Bay is currently in the process of merging with the HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County. "We don't have grants actually to pay for medications for our clients and we serve all of the HIV-positive people who actually come in from Alameda County. We don't turn anyone away," Kevena Fili explained.

"Lab fees and medications that are not covered under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program are a huge gap for us and it creates a deficit so we have to try to get unrestricted funds to try to cover that, so that's really going to be a big to help a lot of our clients, the majority of whom are people of color as well as transgender folks," she said.

AIDS Project of the East Bay and HEPPAC are merging in order to consolidate services, and create long-term sustainability in order to ensure that their clients' needs are met.

San Francisco's Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center received a $17,000 Horizons grant. Jodi Schwartz, executive director, explained: "In working with LGBTQQ youth, the Horizons funding is particularly important, as is our other foundation funding because they really are able to be our most innovative dollars. Horizons dollars are really critical to complete the kind of support that we need to be responsive to the ever-changing needs of LGBTQQ youth."

She said that LYRIC has received about $75,000 in funding from Horizons since 1992.

LYRIC's long-term goals include helping LGBTQQ youth define the movement and set the vision for the LGBT community. "What LYRIC is about is bringing youth voices into the work both within the LGBT community and within the larger social justice community," Schwartz said.

Lyon-Martin Women's Health Services provides health care and support services to women and transgender people who lack access to quality care because of their sexual or gender identity, regardless of their ability to pay. Lyon-Martin received a $6,500 grant from Horizons, which is the first part of a renewable grant. The unrestricted funds will be used for the agency's HIV services.

According to Dr. Dawn Harbatkin, medical and executive director of Lyon-Martin, the funding will help support a drop-in lunch group that acts as an entry for patients to begin to access the full range of services available.

"The Horizons funding has had a tremendous impact on Lyon-Martin," said Harbatkin. "In 2006, only 27 percent of our uninsured patients were able to make any contribution toward the cost of their care and 84 percent of our patients are uninsured. General operating support, like this Horizons grant, allows us to continue to offer care regardless of ability to pay."

Chris Weber, development director at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, which received a $40,000 LGBT WISE grant from Horizons, said that the center would use the funds to expand one of the many programs they run for LGBT seniors. The funds will be used to provide a second day of lunch and activity per week for seniors. The program currently serves an average of 35 seniors each week.

"We're really looking to expand the DeFrank center to being across the South Bay and the Silicon Valley," said Weber. "We are the only LGBT community center in the Silicon Valley and we really need to boost our profile. We stand for leadership, advocacy and support of the community and it will be important for us to take steps to continue to grow in those three areas."

In addition to the community issues and seniors grants, Horizons has grant cycles for HIV/AIDS, scholarships, and field of interest funds.

For more information, including a complete list of grantees, visit www.horizonsfoundation.org.

New director for Academy of Friends

2006-12-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

Academy of Friends, the nonprofit that has been raising money for HIV/AIDS service organizations around the Bay Area for over two decades through its popular Oscar-night gala, has a new executive director.

Kathleen Meyer, who has served the organization as interim executive director for the last seven months, officially joined the organization as its permanent leader December 1. Meyer replaces former director Elisabeth Loeffler, who left the organization earlier this year and is now development director at Project Inform.

"My plan is to build on the 27-year legacy of AOF and the incredible commitment and energy of the current board, underwriters, and corporate sponsors to raise as much money as possible to distribute to HIV/AIDS nonprofit organizations throughout the greater Bay Area," said Meyer.

"Academy of Friends is such a unique and effective vehicle for raising money, and our proposal review process ensures that every dollar distributed is used for critically needed services for those living with HIV/AIDS," she added.

Meyer, 58, who is not gay, previously was a consultant in philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. She served on the advisory board of Share Our Security, a national marketing campaign that encouraged wealthy, older Americans to transfer their Social Security benefits to the indigent, and was deputy director of Equal Rights Advocates, a nonprofit law firm that litigates on behalf of women in economic discrimination cases. She holds a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University.

Jon Finck, public relations committee chair of AOF's board, said that Meyer's annual salary was still in negotiation, but would be under six figures.

In related news, Academy of Friends celebrated the holidays Monday, December 11 with a reception at Le Meridian and announced that 11 Bay Area organizations are beneficiaries of its 2006-2007 holiday grants. About 300 people were in attendance.

The organizations receiving holiday grants included: AIDS Emergency Fund, Children's Hospital of Oakland, Dolores Street Community Services, East Bay Agency for Children, Food for Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank, Lyon-Martin Women's Health Services, Meals of Marin, Project Open Hand, Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County, San Mateo AIDS Program, and the UCSF Positive Health Program. With a $20,000 match from Macy's West employee giving campaign, Academy of Friends granted a total of $40,000 to the 11 organizations.

Representatives from each organization were on hand to receive the grants, including A. Daniel Ramos, with the East Bay AIDS Center; Dr. Ann Petru of Children's Hospital of Oakland; and Leslie Ewing of Lyon-Martin.

Jan Wahl, KRON-TV movie critic, served as master of ceremonies. "I was lucky enough to be raised with a lot of gay men and lesbians � My mother said that when she was a little girl in Waukegan, Illinois, during the war, her best friends rented out rooms in their house. At the top were these two gay men and they became very close friends with my mother when she was a little girl. A hate crime happened and these men were forced out of town, and my mother said: 'If I ever have kids, they are going to know that gay people are just the best, most wonderful, fantastic people and it's all going to be inclusive in my household when I'm an adult.' And that's what happened. Thank you for letting me be part of this community," Wahl said.

Brett Andrews, executive director of the Positive Resource Center, also addressed the crowd. Positive Resource Center provides benefits and career/employment counseling services to over 2,200 people living with HIV/AIDS annually. It is one of the organizations selected to receive an unrestricted grant from Academy of Friends' 2007 gala in February. The Oscar party is the organization's major fundraising event.

"I want to congratulate the Academy of Friends for 27 years of raising funds and raising awareness around the cause of HIV/AIDS," Andrews said. "Your work is to be commended for your tireless and unwavering efforts � It's all volunteer – that is something that is significant."

Academy of Friends employs only two full-time employees and one half-time employee, and has a 28-member all-volunteer board.

Over the last two decades, Academy of Friends has distributed nearly $6 million to more than 60 organizations serving men, women, and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

"Our new tag line, 'Celebrating life, empowering hope,' says it all," said Meyer. "Come to our events, especially the gala on February 25 at Fort Mason. Contribute, volunteer, partner with AOF, and by doing so you can make a real difference in the lives of people who need our help."

For more information, visit www.academyoffriends.org.

Meeting to discuss men's social events

2006-12-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

Mitchell Halberstadt wants anyone that's interested to come to the initial meeting of community members to explore possibilities for an ongoing, regular series of gay men's social events in San Francisco. The discussion will take place at the SF LGBT Community Center Monday, December 11.

"This project has evoked a remarkably varied range of approaches since it was first proposed," Halberstadt said. He has been working with community members for about six months brainstorming ideas. "At times, I've found myself (along with many others) questioning whether our community is too diverse or fragmented to find cohesion in any particular sensibility or vision of identity.

"Instead of a sense of despair, however, what's consistently emerged from these discussions has been an even stronger sense of appreciation for the opportunity to bring together the most vibrant and creative components of our seemingly fragmentary identities – a recognition that if we 'hang loose' and simply give this our best effort, we're likely to succeed – and that the result will be something entirely new, very interesting, and lots of fun."

Halberstadt spent the 1970s and the 1980s in New York City, and remembers dances and events sponsored by the Gay Activists Alliance and held at the Firehouse in Greenwich Village. Today's queer community is more fragmented and inundated with consumerism and advertising, and, some say, pressure to assimilate. Halberstadt wants to bring community members together to create events that are reminiscent of the good old days in New York.

"One of the things that is lacking [in today's gay men's groups and gatherings] is any place, any function, any ritual if you will, that would bring everyone together," he said. At the Firehouse, "they had these dances [that would have] hundreds of people in the room throbbing as if they were one person to the tune of 'We Are Family' � It was a whole different concept � almost a kind of eroticized spirituality that threw everyone together and I want to kind of recreate that."

Halberstadt described that time: "Youth culture was largely enthralled by the afterglow of hippie culture, the issues for a gay man often had more to do with choosing between a consumer culture whose primary gratifications were shopping, status, and conformity – or a liberationist ethos that celebrated creativity and a sense of togetherness. I felt that one of the ironies was that we were now the shock troops and the vanguard of hype for consumer culture, and that many aspects of the 'queer' approach to marriage and gender were merely highly stylized renditions of conventional identities."

"It's a wonderful idea," said Thom Lynch, executive director of the center. "Mitch is really committed to doing something." He added that the center is pleased to help any member of the community with community-building ideas they may have. However, he noted that the center is not in a financial position to underwrite many events.

"People have to be realistic," Lynch said. "The center cannot fund all those ideas. Money's always an issue."

Halberstadt has had preliminary conversations with several individuals and organizations in the gay men's community who plan to attend the meeting and participate in the discussion. "Still, there's no business plan, no administrative structure," he said.

"Most of the agenda for this meeting will need to evolve organically – from the initial proposal, toward practical implementation, ad-libbing according to our respective insights and concerns. With this meeting, we're basically starting from scratch. It's therefore important for everybody now involved or potentially interested to come to this particular meeting."

Monday's meeting starts at 7 p.m. The center is located at 1800 Market Street. For more information, contact Mitchell Halberstadt at (415) 724-6036 or at mitchell@mitchellhalberstadt.net.

Facilities, programs issues in college board race - 10/12/06

2006-12-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

The six candidates running for three seats on the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees met Thursday, October 5, at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco.

All six candidates on the November 7 ballot, including three incumbents, participated in the forum. Incumbents present were: Anita Grier, Johnnie Carter, and Lawrence Wong. Challenging candidates present were: Green Party members Bruce Wolfe and John Rizzo as well as Republican Party member Johnny Knadler.

(City College's Board of Trustees has seven members and one student member. Each trustee serves a four-year term. Trustees Natalie Berg, Milton Marks III, Rodel Rodis, and Julio Ramos are not up for election this year.)

Johnnie Carter. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland
Grier has been a member of the board since 1998. She was re-elected in 2002. Democrat Wong, the only out gay trustee, has been a member of the board since 1994. He was re-elected in 1998 and in 2002. Carter has been a member of the board since 2001, when he was appointed by then-mayor Willie Brown Jr. He was elected to a four-year term by San Francisco voters in 2002. There are no term limits for board members.

Jody Sanford, president of the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, introduced Brenda Wade, who acted as moderator. City College taped the forum for airing on public access channels 26, 27, and 29.

Candidates fielded questions from the league and from members of the audience. There were approximately 25 members of the public in attendance. Questions addressed parking, facilities, English as a second language programs, online curriculum and distance education, vocational versus academic classes, and customer service.

Anita Grier. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland
The first question had to do with candidates' opinions of the most pressing need of the college. A common theme among the candidates was keeping City College accessible to students while keeping the school competitive and able to provide services to over 100,000 students each year.

"I'm running on a platform of 'Education is a right, not a privilege,'" said Wolfe. "That means that we must not be gatekeepers. It means that we must keep fees affordable. Balancing the state budget on the backs of students is definitely not the way to provide this right to every San Franciscan."

"Eighty percent of our budget comes from the state of California," explained Wong. He said that City College is working on an initiative to reduce per-unit fees from $20 to $15 this coming year. "City College of San Francisco was built on the premise that education should be accessible to everybody who wants to attend. Education is a human rights issue, as I see it, and as I see affordable housing and universal health care."

Johnny Knadler. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland
In response to a question about balancing the college's vocational and academic programs, Rizzo expressed his belief that the college should assess the needs of the community and create vocational programs around them.

"For instance, we have home hospice care. It's an area that's growing and we can't find enough qualified people. We have people who need jobs – let's create a home hospice care training program. ... the city is going to be installing 31 megawatts of solar energy in the next few years. The people who are going to be installing that should be San Franciscans and City College should train them." Rizzo is chair of the San Francisco chapter of the Sierra Club.

John Rizzo. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland
Knadler, who is currently a student at City College, said: "I have one goal in mind and that is: Follow the agenda that best helps students. I come from a student perspective." He described his experiences with the college's limited equipment, facilities in disrepair, and limited lab and library hours.

Carter described his efforts during the past five years to create positive change at the board level. "My five years on this board have been marked by some success in terms of changing policy ... Before I got here, we didn't meet twice a month. I pushed the board and the administration to set up time so that we could have a working session of this board in order for us to vet issues, have resolutions, have information to the board prior to us having to vote."

Grier has served as board president twice and as vice president of the board, the position Carter currently holds. In response to a question from the audience concerning online curriculum and distance learning, Grier said: "I know that we are constantly improving what we do for distance learning ... our technology department is constantly updating to keep up with new trends and providing for that. We might need to move a little faster, and we also might need to publicize this a little more, because I think the advances that we're making toward full distance learning – we're very close."

Bruce Wolfe. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland
Some observers believe that this could be a close race, despite the fact that incumbents are usually re-elected to these seats. Wong almost lost the endorsement of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee after attending the Bay Area Reporter's 35th anniversary celebration at the Fairmont Hotel, one of 13 hotels that had been on the official boycott list of Unite Here Local 2. The union last month reached an agreement with management on all issues. In addition, both Rizzo and Wolfe have a strong group of progressive supporters. The SF Tenant's Union, among others, has endorsed Wolfe. The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club endorsed Rizzo. The San Francisco Bay Guardian endorsed both Wolfe and Rizzo. The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club endorsed Carter, Grier, and Wong.

With a student body of 100,000 every year and 12 campuses, City College is one of the largest community colleges in the nation.

Forums, concerts to mark World AIDS Day

2006-11-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

This year, AIDS turned 25. In June 1981, the first published reports of the disease appeared, which was the beginning of a worldwide epidemic.

According to www.AIDS.org, 21.8 million people worldwide have died of the disease since 1981. There are currently about 40 million people living with the disease, 26 million of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The rate of HIV infection for African Americans in the U.S. is higher than any other racial or ethnic group, and 50 percent of all new diagnoses in the U.S. are within the African American community (African Americans account for 12 percent of the entire U.S. population).

The Bay Area community will be commemorating World AIDS Day 2006 – December 1 – with the following events:

National AIDS Memorial Grove
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the National AIDS Memorial in Golden Gate Park. The grove will present its ninth annual AIDS Community Service Award to Abraham Verghese, a doctor and author. Hank Plante, openly gay political editor for CBS 5 TV, will give a retrospective of AIDS at 25. There will be a light lunch following the program.

The grove was created by a group of San Franciscans devastated by feelings of loss, searching for a place to remember friends and family lost to AIDS. Volunteers completed much of the construction and landscaping at the grove. Anyone who has been touched by AIDS is welcome to come to the grove to find solace in nature and remember those lost. Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) helped the grove receive federal recognition.

The event will take place at the grove in Golden Gate Park, beginning with a reception at noon on Friday, December 1, followed by the program at 12:30 p.m. The event will take place rain or shine and is free and open to the public.

The grove is located in the eastern end of Golden Gate Park at the intersection of Bowling Green and Middle Drive East, across from the tennis courts. For more information, visit www.aidsmemorial.org.

UCSF AIDS Research Institute
The AIDS Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco will sponsor its fifth annual World AIDS Day concert featuring jazz artist Spencer Day and titled, "An Evening of Remembrance and Hope."

This event will be held on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at the UCSF Mission Bay Community Center, Robertson Auditorium, at 1675 Owens Street (at 16th Street) in San Francisco. Tickets are $50 and up. For more information or to order tickets, contact klorenzo@ari.ucsf.edu.

J. David Gladstone Institutes
The Gladstone Institutes' free public lecture series, "Science for Life," will commemorate World AIDS Day with an update on research progress by scientist Dr. Warner C. Greene, director of the Gladstone Institute of Immunology and Virology. He will discuss the latest developments in prevention and treatment. Following the talk and a question and answer session will be a performance by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Chorus.

The event will be held on Thursday, November 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Gladstone Institutes' Robert Mahley Auditorium at 1650 Owens Street at the UCSF Mission Bay campus. Open to the public. RSVP to Sally King at (415) 734-2087 or e-mail sking@gladstone.ucsf.edu.

Commonwealth Club
Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of the late Ryan White and a board member of the AIDS Institute, will be speaking at the Commonwealth Club.

In 1984, 13-year-old Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS, which he contracted from a blood transfusion. With the support of his mother, he became the center of a court battle and national crusade to remain in school. He helped make people aware that AIDS was not just a gay men's and intravenous drug-users' disease. Ryan died in April 1990 at the age of 18. White-Ginder will discuss the effects of Ryan's diagnoses on her family, and the battle she has waged for 22 years. The federal Ryan White CARE Act was named after him.

The program is on Friday, December 1 at the Commonwealth Club office, 595 Market Street, second floor. Check-in is at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. The cost is $8 for members and $15 for non-members.

To make a reservation visit https://www.commonwealthclub.org/reservations/index.php or call (415) 597-6700.

SFAF forum
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation will present a forum "Renew the Promise. End AIDS" on Friday, December 1 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street at Grove. CBS 5 political editor Hank Plante will moderate. Topics to be discussed include "Changing HIV Testing Paradigms" by Dr. Timothy Mastro of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; "Social Contextual Influences on African American Men's HIV Risks" by Robert Fullilove of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University; "New Prevention Strategies" by Judith Auerbach, Ph.D. of SFAF; and "Sustaining the Commitment to End AIDS" by Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The forum will include a question and answer session and remarks by SFAF Executive Director Mark Cloutier.

The event is free and open to the public, though space is limited.

Zimbabwe AIDS Relief benefit
Zimbabwe AIDS Relief is holding a reception and gala dinner on Friday, December 1 to raise money to buy AIDS medication for the people of Zimbabwe who are affected by the disease. The benefit will honor Mother Jean Cornneck of Mother of Peace – Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe AIDS Relief is a project of the Allen Temple Baptist Church AIDS ministry. The pre-benefit reception and silent auction will be from 5 to 6 p.m. at Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison Street in Oakland. The reception is free and open to the public.

The gala dinner and entertainment benefit, also held at Lake Merritt Hotel, is from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person. All proceeds will go to: Mother of Peace Orphanage in Mutoko, Zimbabwe (serving 465 children and families), Alameda County Sister City partnership with Mashonaland-East Province Ministry of Health, the "Sponsor-a-Child" project (helping Mutoko primary schools attended by Mother of Peace Children) and direct purchase and dispensing of AIDS medications by Dr. Robert Scott at clinics in Harare and Mutoko, Zimbabwe.

For tickets or more information, visit zimbabweaidsrelief.org, www.allen-temple.org or call (510) 544-7505.

Grace Cathedral
Grace Cathedral will host a special presentation "that commemorates both the sad losses and the examples of heroic service during 25 years of the pandemic," according to a listing on www.SFStation.com. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will perform. The Omega West Dance Company will also perform a contemporary dance number called "The Passion According to Mary: Fantasy/Mother and Child," which is set to music from Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 1 at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street at Taylor in San Francisco. Tickets are free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, visit www.gracecathedral.org or call (415) 749-6350.

AIDS in China
Bay Area organizations will promote HIV/AIDS work in China. On Monday, November 27, the China AIDS Media Project, AIDS Relief Fund for China, Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Asia Society Northern California will co-sponsor a film screening of The Blood of Yingzhou District, by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon. The film received the grand jury prize at the 2006 Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival in Washington, D.C. There will be a post-screening discussion with the filmmakers and AIDS activist Humphrey Woo. The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, screening room, 701 Mission Street in San Francisco. Admission is $8 general, $6 students, seniors, and teachers.On Wednesday, December 6, AIDS Relief for China, a locally based grassroots group, will mark its third anniversary with a reception in San Jose to commemorate World AIDS Day. The event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Rotunda at San Jose City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara Street. Suggested minimum donation is $50, which will be matched from a $5,000 new donor challenge fund. To RSVP e-mail info@arfcusa.org or call (415) 820-9630.

HRC's 'Rap on Race' sparks dialogue

2006-11-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

In an effort to spark dialogue and gain information about gays and race, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission hosted a rap session Wednesday, November 8 at the offices of Community United Against Violence on Capp Street.

One of four discussion groups entitled "A Rap on Race," the forum gave LGBT people of color and others a chance to discuss issues of inclusion and exclusion within the community.

About 10 people from the community were in attendance, including Blue Buddha, Christopher Gomora, and Calvin Gipson of the HRC's LGBT Advisory Committee; Praveen Basaviah of the University Consortium for Sexuality Research and Training (housed at the National Sexuality Resource Center at San Francisco State University); and Connie Champagne of CUAV.

HRC has hosted two previous rap sessions, the first of which attracted about 10 people, and the second of which attracted about 20 people, according to Buddha.

Some of the major themes that emerged from the discussion last week included white privilege, classism, racism, other "-isms" in the queer community and the lack of (and need for) safe spaces for queer people of color in San Francisco.

Buddha moderated the forum, and posed several questions to the group, which discussed their answers, opinions, and feelings about the questions passionately.

"The way arguments are created in the most visible forms of media is the fact that no one matters in the country except for black and white ... but it causes all of these divides in communities of color," said Basaviah, who is of South Asian descent. "It's hard for Asian Americans to relate to blacks and its hard for black people to relate to Asian Americans ... because we are made to think that we should only care about our own race or our own ethnicities because we don't all share the same problems.

"We're all going through the same struggle ... it really hurts me, saddens me, disappoints me that there is no heterogeneous third-world community... there's no community of color organization, there's no QPOC [queer people of color] organization where we can relate to each other."

In response, Buddha said: "One thing I have to say to that, which I've heard all of my life and it just makes so much sense is: 'United we stand, divided we fall.'"

"It's really important that people of color have places to gather – especially queer people of color," said Gipson, who directs the meal program at Glide United Methodist Church. "Because even if we're gathering in the midst of other white people, we still can't be ourselves and we still have to wear that drag. And every now and then it's like when you're this way 16 hours a day, when you want to be with other people of color, where you have to wear that drag, where you can just be yourself and just relax."

A young gay white man who gave his name as Quiet commented on classism in America: "Within races there is: 'You're from a certain sect, or you're from a certain province, we don't like you.' And that happens here in America. I'm trailer trash. I'm homeless and I'm looked down on as: 'You're no better than anyone else. You're no better than the garbage on the street because you can't support yourself.' I can't support myself – not because I choose not to, but because my health restricts me from it and that is, I see, as the beginning of the breaking down of boundaries is internalized racism."

Gomora, a Native American queer man, spoke of the programming of racism within all Americans and about white liberal racism.

"I have a Ph.D. in Indian," he said. "Give me my money. I know the history of that money. It's blood money. My people died for the resources that you took, so just step back and let me step up. In fact, step back and step out.

"As a person of color and a person who tries to work on this – it's a continual process – it's day in and day out and what keeps me going is maybe I can plant the seed and be witness to an 'a ha!' moment, and it's not just white people, it's people of color, too, and it's kind of a strange dynamic – even within education, I find that white people are actually more conscious of it than people of color."

Gipson explained: "I think when we think of diversity, we think of different colors being in the same room, with women and men together. But I don't think that's true diversity in my mind because people of color still have to acclimate to being Eurocentric. A lot of times when I think of diversity, I think, diversity should be that we can remain in our own cultures while we're all represented together and because a lot of the times we can be together in mixed groups, but I still have to compromise my culture and I still have to speak perfect English and I still have to dress appropriately and I don't think a lot of white people understand that.

"When we're around white people its like being in drag. You have to be in drag, you have to dress up the right way to be acknowledged and everything and you don't realize that when you go home and when you're going back to your culture, you're actually taking off the drag and being yourself again," Gipson added.

Macias to lead HIFY

2006-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Health Initiatives for Youth has announced that Esperanza Macias has taken over as its new executive director.

Macias started her new position this summer, following a six-month search by the board of directors. Former Executive Director Sharon Dolan accepted the executive director position at the Oakland Youth Chorus after six years with HIFY.

Macias, who declined to state her age or annual salary, joined HIFY on August 28. She has a long history of working in the Bay Area nonprofit community, including working with the Women's Institute for Leadership Development for Human Rights, Dolores Street Community Services, and Rainbow Adult Community Housing. She also served as executive director for the Women's Building.

"One of the great things about being a Latina lesbian in the Bay Area is that there are a great many nonprofits that address the LGBT community, women, communities of color, and various social justice issues that I'm interested in," explained Macias.

"I've been very fortunate to work with some of the best organizations in the Bay Area. Hopefully, HIFY will benefit from the lessons I've learned from them," she added.

According to the agency's Web site, HIFY's mission is "to improve the health and well being of young people by empowering them through education, advocacy, and leadership opportunities." The organization serves over 5,000 youth, youth providers, organizations, and community members each year. With an annual budget of $1.1 million and a staff of 16, most of HIFY's funding comes from foundations, government grants, and individual donors.

HIFY works to train youth to be their own health advocates, and recognizes that the techniques of encouraging abstinence or ignoring the issue of teen sexuality are both failing.

"The truth is young people make decisions every day regarding their sexual practices, for example," said Macias. "Young people need to have information and understand their options at the time that they're relevant � they can be empowered to make decisions that will carry them into adulthood."

As a member of the LGBT community, and as a Latina, Macias is prepared to serve the diverse community of youth in the Bay Area.

"While HIFY is concerned with many of the health needs related to youth, we also define the term 'health' very broadly," said Macias. "If, for example, you accept the notion that a young person who is oppressed or victimized in one way or another is more prone to make risky decisions, then issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia become health issues."

HIFY operates three main programs: the training program offers workshops on a variety of topics for youth and youth providers; the publications program publishes a variety of materials for youth and youth providers, including the very popular "Walk Like a Warrior: A Young Man's Survival Guide and Young Woman's Survival Guide"; and the peer health education program provides direct and ongoing training to youth, including 12 trained peer educators who present workshops on health topics of their choice.

"By addressing these issues with young people, we can also invite them to look at how their own behaviors might also perpetuate oppressive conditions. Linking youth development, health, and social forces together is an incredibly effective tool," Macias said.

HIFY's board president praised Macias.

"We wanted to find someone who had the right mix of nonprofit management skills, involvement in the community, a commitment to HIFY's multidisciplinary and innovative approach to youth development and health, and a vision for how to move the organization and the discussion on youth forward," explained Usha Ranji. "Esperanza brought this experience and a dynamic leadership style that won us over."

For more information on Health Initiatives for Youth, visit www.hify.org.

UOR's Marshall resigns

2006-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Mike Marshall, executive director of Under One Roof since early 2005, has announced his resignation, which will be effective at the end of the year.

Marshall explained that his resignation was a personal decision. "After a recent illness I realized I wanted to shift the priorities in my life," he said. "Serving as executive director of Under One Roof is incredibly rewarding and frankly, a hell of a lot of fun. But understandably, it is also pretty consuming. That said, we have accomplished a great deal since I joined the Under One Roof team and I think it's an appropriate time to transition to new leadership."

The store in San Francisco's Castro District sells a variety of items with proceeds going to numerous Bay Area HIV/AIDS organizations.

Derek Barnes, chair of Under One Roof's board of directors, will be leading the search for a new executive director.

"Given the medical condition Mike was managing through most of August and the increasing demands of the position, it was not surprising," Barnes said of Marshall's decision to step down. "However, it's often shocking, initially, when any leader announces they want to step down and it was their vision and enthusiasm that influenced your decision to join the organization. I was sad to hear of Mike's decision, absorbed the news as quickly as possible and began working with our executive director and the board to plan for an exit that would consider Mike's goals and leverage new opportunities for Under One Roof."

Under One Roof's board retreat occurred last weekend. "We discussed current opportunities and future strategic positioning to kick off our fiscal year," explained Barnes. "Within the next several weeks, we will implement a transition plan to meet our most immediate objectives and then engage a search process for new leadership when we've finalized our organizational needs assessment.

"Because of the board and remaining staff's capability, the board of directors is confident that the operation will run with few disruptions even if a new executive director has not been immediately placed," Barnes added. "This will allow us to proceed prudently in developing leadership requirements and engage a fruitful selection process."

Since Marshall came on board, more than $200,000 has been distributed to participating agencies. The organization also has raised $25,000 for the Katrina relief fund, a $70,000 debt was retired, and a $45,000 lapsed grant from the city was reinstated. New staff has been hired, the volunteer body has grown, the board was expanded, and a new signature fall gala was created.

The benefit, "Sparkle," a Champagne and sparkling wine tasting and auction, takes place Friday, November 3 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the St. Regis Hotel, 125 Third Street in San Francisco. Entertainment includes a special performance by Kenny Washington. Tickets are $150 per person.

Marshall also said the organization has increased its donor base since his arrival.

"All in all, Under One Roof is much more visible today than it was two years ago," said Marshall. "More than just a fundraising operation, Under One Roof is a community asset. Serving in a leadership role in our community is always incredibly rewarding and I'm really appreciative of the support of all of our customers, donors and especially our volunteers."

Nic Hunter, who has been volunteering for Under One Roof for the past year, said: "We're all sad to see him go but at the same time, if it's something that's going to better him personally or professionally, then we're going to encourage him."

During its 16 years in business, Under One Roof has raised millions of dollars for over 33 local AIDS services organizations, including the AIDS Emergency Fund, the AIDS Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Legal Referral Panel. One hundred percent of the profits at the retail store go to participating organizations.

Prior to joining Under One Roof, Marshall was interim director of the LGBT Community Center. He also was the co-founder of Californians for Civil Marriage and in 2000 ran the No on Knight campaign against Proposition 22. The measure, which passed with about 60 percent of the vote, added a provision to the family code stating that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. It is that proposition that a state appellate court recently upheld when it ruled 2-1 and reversed a lower judge's decision that California's marriage laws are unconstitutional. The consolidated marriage cases are now headed for the state Supreme Court.

Confab raises cancer awareness

2006-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Health professionals and community members participated in a conference on October 13 and 14, "Cancer in Our Lives: Raising Awareness in the LGBTQI Community," in conjunction with the 24th annual conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

Saturday's events took place at the LGBT Community Center. Topics included making cancer an LGBTQI issue, research and risk reduction, young people, legal and financial implications, caregivers, intersex cancer sufferers and "do-it-yourself" care.

The GLMA conference focused on bringing LGBT healthcare into the mainstream, the overarching theme during Saturday's morning plenary sessions at the community workshop.

Shane Snowdon and Sara Orozco, Ph.D., presented during the first session, which looked at making cancer an LGBTQI issue. Snowdon, director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Resources at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that many LGBTQI people find themselves avoiding or delaying healthcare because of challenges they face in doctors' offices, including inadequate intake forms and providers who often discriminate or give substandard care when they learn that their patient is gay.

"The problem is that where cancer is concerned, delaying and avoiding and substandard care equal death, just as with AIDS," explained Snowdon.

"You may hesitate because if you're going to give an accurate health history and an accurate picture of your support system, which are critical with cancer, you have to come out over and over – in person, on paper – to providers who may or may not react positively ... It's clear what the tragic consequences of that can be with cancer," Snowdon added.

Orozco, a licensed psychologist and clinical director at Commonwealth Psychology Associates, LLC in Boston, also is a breast cancer survivor. She addressed the higher incidences of alcohol and tobacco use and abuse in the LGBTQI community, explaining that alcohol and tobacco use put people at greater risk for cancer.

"Because of our stigmas and the level of secrecy we have to keep, we continuously isolate," she said. "But because of our isolation and our level of depression we seek other people like ourselves.

"[In the past], the only place that LGBTQI folks could really go to see other people like themselves was usually bars and other places where there was a high rate of alcohol and a high rate of tobacco."

Jack Burkhalter, Ph.D., Dr. Michael Berry, and Amy Andre discussed cancer research, screening, and risk reduction.

"If we want to reduce health disparities based on sexual orientation, we need to focus on cancer because it's the second leading cause of death in this country after heart disease," said Burkhalter.

He discussed several studies that show that the rates of cancer in the LGBTQI community are much higher than they are in the heterosexual community.

One study done at UCSF in 1998 showed that the risk of developing breast cancer may be two to three times higher for lesbians than for heterosexual women.

A study done in Denmark by Morton Frisch in 2000 showed that "all HPV-associated cancers in AIDS patients occurred in statistically significant excess compared with the expected numbers of cancers."

Andre discussed cancer avoidance techniques including not smoking, eating smart, and leading an active lifestyle. She also presented data on the recommended number and type of cancer screenings that different segments of the population should have. She spoke about mammograms, breast self-exams, cervical and pelvic exams, Pap smears, colonoscopies, PSA blood tests, digital rectal exams, and screening for endometrial cancer. Since the LGBTQI community is at higher risk for certain types of cancers, members of the community need to be especially vigilant about getting the medical care they need, she noted.

"These negative attitudes, all the phobias that we face, all the discrimination that we face are prevalent in the general public, they could be in doctors' offices, hospitals, clinics, other health care settings. And those negative attitudes of course will impact our access to health care," said Andre.

"For some of us, we may be so reluctant to access healthcare services that we stay away until our health deteriorates," she added.

Many cancer LGBTQI survivors, as well as those still struggling with the disease, also were in attendance. Hal Seip, who has been cancer-free for 22 years, is nearing his 87th birthday. He found himself fighting melanoma and prostate cancer at the same time. He described himself as "a tough old geezer," and he flitted around the LGBT center full of life. When he was first diagnosed, he explained, he was defiant: "I said: 'I'm gonna lick this.'" Lick it, he did.

Benefit held for gay Islam film

2006-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Halal Films raised $17,000 Monday, October 16 for In the Name of Allah, the working title of a groundbreaking film that's been four years of work by director Parvez Sharma and producer Sandi DuBowski. Donors and supporters gathered at the SupperClub in downtown San Francisco to celebrate Sharma's film as he enters the final stages of production.

The film addresses the hidden lives and daily struggles of gay Muslims all over the world. Sharma filmed his subjects in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. A 12-minute clip was shown to supporters Monday.

In many Islamic countries throughout the world, religious leaders still condone beating and executing gay people. There have been confirmed reports of gay people being executed in Iran and Saudi Arabia by hanging, stoning, and beheading, and gay people can be jailed in India.

According to www.SodomyLaws.org, being a gay male is punishable by death in Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In addition, being a gay male is illegal in 78 countries around the world. Being a lesbian is illegal in 50 countries around the world.

Sharma said Monday that he is trying to send a message to President Bush and Osama bin Laden, both of whom he said present the wrong image of Islam to the world.

"What I'm really trying to do is present the vast middle in what is the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam's most unlikely storytellers are stepping out and they're stepping proud to tell Mr. George Bush and Mr. Osama bin Laden that the Islam that both of them talk about is not the Islam that the prophet, peace be upon him, had revealed to him 1,400 years ago," said Sharma. "I think this film is very important because it gives an opportunity for the most unlikely voices from this religion to come out and to talk.

"The Islam that this film is seeking to reclaim is rich, it is pulsating, it's welcoming, condemning sometimes, it's loving, it's erotic, it's sensual, it's poetic and it's musical," said Sharma.

It is clear that both producer and director want to bring a message of tolerance and acceptance to gay and straight people of all religions.

DuBowski's 2001 film Trembling Before G-d , portrays gay and lesbian Hasidic and Orthodox Jews. "Trembling has gone on to have an impact that has gone way beyond what we ever dreamed or imagined," said DuBowski. "It has been seen now by an estimated 8 million people worldwide. The most important thing is that it has truly changed the lives of individuals, of families, of religious leaders around the globe, but we are all here tonight because we too want In the Name of Allah to be a profound catalyst for change."

Sharma and DuBowski's goal is to launch the film in 2007 in a world premiere and screen it at festivals around the globe. "We want to seek the widest distribution possible and also to create an international healthy dialogue project with the film over the next years. If there is anything that characterizes our work, it is [that] finishing the film is only the beginning," said DuBowski.

"We truly have a lot to do. We have to edit, pay salaries, move this film into completion, and launch it in the world. So this is where I invite you to become partners in this process. Your active involvement in this is critical," DuBowski added.

According to Halal Films' Web site, "The international chorus of gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims brought together by In the Name of Allah doesn't seek to vilify or reject Islam, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. In doing so, the film's extraordinary characters point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile, war-torn present, toward a more hopeful future."

A gala benefit is planned for Los Angeles next month, in addition to fundraising house parties in Portland, Oregon and New York City.

To donate online, visit www.hartleyfoundation.org.

Berkeley Center Seeks Support

2006-10-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Center for Human Growth, a 33-year-old LGBT community center located in Berkeley, is working to solicit donations from the Bay Area LGBT community and allies in its fall fundraising appeal.

Despite a 40 percent increase in individual giving last year, the center is experiencing a financial pinch in the wake of reduced government funding, the end of two significant foundation grants, and a reduction in mental health counseling client fees.

"This year, our funding comes from the city of Berkeley, Alameda County Office of AIDS, State of California Office of AIDS, several foundations, fees for service, and individual donations," explained Juan Barajas, who has served as the center's executive director for the past 13 months.

But the funding is not enough.

"As with most not-for-profit organizations of our size serving the constituencies we do, the Pacific Center periodically faces cash crunches," explained Scott Vachon, president of the all-volunteer board of directors. "Some organizations have fared better than others during the most recent five-year economic downturn. At the Pacific Center, we have actually done pretty well. We are still here and will continue to be here. Cutbacks that have occurred in recent years have been less drastic than elsewhere, though our excellent staff is definitely overstretched right now. Alleviating this situation is our top priority from a fundraising standpoint."

The center offers an on-site mental health clinic that provides LGBT sensitive, professional mental health services at sliding scale fees. Counseling services offered include those for HIV-positive individuals, LGBT youth, and LGBT seniors.

"Additionally, we provide support and leadership training for LGBT youth as well as 15 different peer led support groups for our community," said Barajas. "Pacific Center is the oldest LGBT community center in the Bay Area and the third oldest in the nation."

Barajas said the center's annual budget is $425,000. The center has a staff of five, more than 100 volunteers, and reaches more than 2,000 people per year.

To alleviate the financial squeeze, the center has worked to reduce expenses by subleasing part of its facilities, leaving support positions vacant, and utilizing more volunteer hours. It has also reached out to top donors for extra support, which has helped significantly.

Barajas noted that funding for nonprofit LGBT organizations has never been significant in this country. He is optimistic that the center will be able to bring in a significant amount of unrestricted individual donations this fall. He and the center's board and the fundraising committee also have begun implementing an annual fundraising plan.

"There are many who, like me, were helped by the center through past difficult times," said Bob Carr, co-facilitator of the senior men's group at the center. "They might not have thought much about the center for years, but might want to help it now."

"We really need our past as well as current users to help support the center with donations and volunteer time," said Barajas. "Even in 2006, we still have individuals of all ages and backgrounds coming to our center daily who are struggling with coming out, harassment, isolation, depression, and anxiety. While LGBT issues are more openly talked about in our world today, it doesn't mean that it's any easier to be an openly LGBT person."

To donate, visit www.pacificcenter.org and click on the support link.

Gay Amputee to Start Support Group

2006-09-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

In 1992 Peter Little was riding his motorcycle to work in downtown San Francisco when a tourist in a rental car made an illegal left turn in front of him. Little lost his right leg below the knee in what he described as "amputation by car bumper without anesthetic." The accident changed his life forever.

"Everything they say about your nervous system shutting down is not true," he explained. "I was in so much pain I couldn't move. All I could do was scream."

Little, 55, spent six months on crutches, waiting for his leg to heal (it was severely infected from the pavement). Even after he was fitted with a prosthetic leg, Little said, "I avoided going out of the house. It was very hard to deal with the staring. I was used to being looked at in a totally different way. It's a real switch to go from being cruised and looked at that way to having people look at you and seeing horror or pity in their eyes."

After the accident, Little's friends drifted away. "I was in a different kind of crowd [then]," he explained. "It was fun, but it was much more superficial and body image oriented. I think [my amputation] kind of freaked them out.

"Gradually, I kind of turned my back on the community. Because I felt – wrongly, as it turns out – that I was not finding acceptance anymore because of this."

Fourteen years later, Little is in search of other gay amputees in San Francisco. According to the Amputee Coalition of America, 4.9 out of every 1,000 Americans are amputees. There are probably a couple of hundred LGBT amputees in the city, Little estimates. He has lived in San Francisco for 27 years, 14 of them as an amputee, and in that time has met only one other gay amputee. His mission is to launch a peer support group called San Francisco Gay Amputees, which he hopes will serve as a "peer support and discussion group for gay amputees only."

The group will hold its first meeting next weekend.

Little not only wants to find gay amputees with whom to share stories, joys, and frustrations; he also wants to spare his peers the suffering he endured after his accident. For many years, Little avoided contact with the gay community, preferring solitary hikes in the Redwoods and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

"One of the things that I'm really hoping that this group will do is reach gay amputees who may have become stay-at-home people, reclusive, the way I was, and at least give them a way to be back in the room with fellow peer gay amputees. There are at least three straight amputee support groups in San Francisco. There are no gay ones."

Little has spent the last several months researching and planning for San Francisco Gay Amputees. He was brought out of his "hermit phase" last year, with the help of the Radical Faeries. While "coming out" of the amputee closet, he has been facilitating and participating in discussions with the Billy Club community and the San Francisco Gay Men's Community Initiative.

"I set out to start a little discussion group and what I'm finding is that it dovetails into so many issues of male body image and questioning values that we assume exist but maybe don't," he said.

Little was sure to make it clear that, although he has been working with the Billy Club and SFGMCI on issues surrounding gay male body image, his group will be open to all amputees in the LGBT community.

"This began as my specific issue of dealing with being a gay amputee in a community that is allegedly obsessed with the body � and what I'm learning is that's not true and there are a lot of really loving, helpful people that have helped me out."

When asked if he still finds discrimination within the gay community because of his amputation, he said that it does come up at times, but he is more interested in making sure amputees are respected for triumphing over something so challenging.

"I would love to get a lot of people in the community thinking about body image and their assumptions about visible disabilities as well as invisible ones � What I'm learning working with some of the fabulous loving people that I've met [is that] � some of the base assumptions that I had about the community have been completely wrong," Little said.

"This business of acceptance is a two-way street," he explained. "It's an acceptance of me by somebody who has no visible disability and it's my acceptance of the fact that there are people that are not put off. And that my global assumptions about the way gay people are can be dead wrong. You don't even have to be disabled to get this issue."

San Francisco Gay Amputees will meet for the first time on Saturday, October 7 from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. For more information, or for a schedule of meetings, contact Little at sanfranciscogayamputees-owner@groups.queernet.org.

Lee announces proposal for condoms in prison

2006-09-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

by Katie Dettman

Congresswoman Barbara Lee announced Saturday, September 16 new legislation she is proposing that would allow condoms to be distributed in prisons in an effort to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

Lee's (D-Oakland) proposal came during a morning forum that she hosted at Oakland's Merritt College called "Getting Real: A Forum About HIV/AIDS in the African American Community."

The event was billed as: "an open and honest discussion on HIV/AIDS in the African American community, vulnerable populations, high risk sexual behavior, men having sex with men, and the role of the faith community in addressing this HIV/AIDS pandemic in our communities."

Lee hosted a panel of speakers that included: Sheryl Lee Ralph, artist and HIV/AIDS educator; Cynara Chatman-Dillon, educator and HIV test counselor; Dr. D. Mark Wilson, assistant professor of ministry and congregational leadership at Pacific School of Religion; Roosevelt Mosby, executive director of Sexual Minority Alliance of Alameda County; and Bishop Dr. Yvette Flunder, senior pastor at San Francisco's City of Refuge United Church of Christ.

When George Herring, president of Merritt College, introduced Lee as the only member of Congress to vote "no" to approving President Bush's resolution to launch his war on terror in September 2001, the crowd of 70 or so attendees stood and applauded her for over two minutes.

Lee welcomed the panelists and organizations present, and spoke about her two new pieces of HIV/AIDS legislation – H.R. 2553, the Responsible Education About Life Act, and the Stop STIs in Prisons Act.

H.R. 2553 will create a grant program that allows states (currently prohibited from receiving federal funding for sexual education and prevention programs that do not adhere to the Bush administration's mandated abstinence-only-until-marriage doctrine) "to implement a comprehensive approach to sex education that includes information about both contraception and abstinence."

The Stop STIs in Prisons Act will allow community organizations to distribute condoms in U.S. prisons, where the rates of HIV and hepatitis C infections are on the rise.

According to a news release on Lee's Web site, African Americans account for nearly 50 percent of all people in the U.S. living with HIV/AIDS, even though they represent only about 12 percent of the total population. African American women also account for nearly 70 percent of new infections among women, and AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African American women between the ages of 25 and 34.

Lee spoke of the need for help from churches in the fight against the HIV pandemic in the African American community. "Black clergy is critical and key – this is where a majority of our people are," said Lee.

Lee is co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Global AIDS Task Force. In Alameda County, over 60 percent of HIV diagnoses in women occur in the African American community. In 1998, Alameda County was the first in the country to declare a state of emergency on HIV/AIDS among African Americans.

Ralph, who recalled watching men dropping dead from AIDS on Broadway 25 years ago, said: "We sat back, we let it be okay because 'they' – gay people – were dying � We took comfort in sitting in judgment because it was a gay white man's disease. Because we let it be okay, now look who it is. The same way they didn't come to the aid of gay people is the same way they're not coming to the aid of black people 25 years later."

Chatman-Dillon, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1993 days after her husband died from AIDS, gave an impassioned account of her struggles with discrimination because of her HIV status.

"Why haven't we marched on Washington, when it's women that are dying like flies?" she asked. "This auditorium should be packed with people. But nobody wants to own it, this disease."

Flunder spoke of the 149 people she has buried in the last 25 years at the hands of HIV and AIDS. Her former husband, Charles Flunder, was diagnosed and died in the early 1980s.

"I did not test positive and people say 'by the grace of God,' but that implies that people who did test positive do not deserve the grace of God," she said.

Flunder spoke of the challenges that the African American community faces in dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is ravaging their community. "We are our greatest enemy in this struggle," she said. "Religion is not a friend in many places to the stopping of HIV and AIDS. Our first struggle is fear. [Church people] are the most fearful people on the planet."

If the clergy and churches took the lead in removing the punitive aspects of getting tested and treated, people would be more likely to do so, she explained.

"The church has got to be a safe place to land. It's our time. Something has got to be done about our taking a prophetic role again. A prophet is the one who goes before and speaks truth to power and says difficult things. Barbara Lee is a prophet. Cheryl is a prophet. A prophet's life is a dangerous life because you move out in places where nobody comes with you. And you stand in that truth until people get it. You just keep on telling that truth because it came from God," Flunder said.

Flunder's church, City of Refuge United Church of Christ, offers free rapid-HIV testing services.

Wilson concurred with Flunder's statements, sharing his experiences as a gay man in the Baptist church. He is considered to be one of the first African American gay men and pastors ever to be "out" in a traditional African American Baptist church.

He asked that all clergy in the audience raise their hands, and three people did. "Where are the clergy?" he asked. He described a "message of fear" that is created in the Baptist church. "There wouldn't be a secret community unless we encouraged it with our teaching," he said. "I don't know if we're really going to get the black church on board."

Roosevelt Mosby of SMAAC also spoke, and gave each attendee a CD put out by Ambassadors for Change, called Healing is for You . The CD features gospel songs and messages that encourage HIV testing, treatment, care, and prevention. His goal is to use the CD to reach out and have 100,000 people get tested by December 1, which is World AIDS Day.

"As a gay black man, I need to go back to the church. The church cannot do it without me. And I cannot do it without the church. We're going to have to be uncomfortable," he said.

New synagogue for Richmond District

2006-09-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

by Katie Dettman

Congregation Beth Sholom of San Francisco officially broke ground Sunday, September 10 for its new synagogue, which it is building at 14th Avenue and Clement Street in the Richmond District.

Beth Sholom, which has a 500-household congregation, has been serving the San Francisco Jewish community for 75 years.

Beth Shalom is a Conservative congregation, but has a 40-member LGBT group (called "Keshet," which is Hebrew for "rainbow"). Keshet was founded nine years ago by Kenny Altman, who was raised a Conservative Jew in Bergen County, New Jersey, and joined the congregation in 1996.

Altman founded Keshet, he explained, "in order to let LGBT Conservative Jews know that if they wanted to join a synagogue in San Francisco they did not necessarily have to join a Reform synagogue, that they were welcome at our [and other] Conservative [more traditional practice] synagogue. The purpose and goal is to integrate LGBT Jews fully into congregational life, and to create visibility and awareness, and change, for LGBT Conservative Jews in the movement nationwide."

Altman served Congregation Beth Sholom as its first openly gay president from 2002 until 2004.

"There is a great deal of progress that has been made in the Conservative movement for LGBT Jews over the past several years, but at the same time we have not yet completed our mission. The Conservative movement at large does not accept LGBT people into their clergy training programs, nor does the Conservative movement yet support same-sex marriage," Altman explained.

In April, the New York Jewish Theological Seminary, a leader in U.S. Conservative Judaism, announced that Arnold M. Eisen was appointed its new chancellor. Eisen, chair of the religious studies department at Stanford University, told the New York Times that he supported ending the ban on gay rabbis. He also said that the issue of same-sex union ceremonies should be left to individual rabbis.

"Many of us, myself included, believe strongly in affecting the change from within as opposed to standing outside with a picket sign," Altman said. "It has been a wonderful experience. I am fortunate that I came upon Beth Sholom 10 years ago and decided to make this my community and my spiritual home. As much as people think I contribute to Beth Sholom, I get far more out of it than I could ever dream of putting into it."

Several members of Keshet sit on the Congregation's board of directors, the building committee, and the fundraising committee. Altman served as vice chair of the capital campaign.

Slated for completion in December 2007, the new synagogue will comprise 24,000 square feet, and will feature an innovative sanctuary, social hall, library, classrooms, meditation center and community meeting spaces.

The old synagogue was demolished after final services were held there on July 1. During construction, Congregation Beth Sholom will continue to offer morning and evening minyan services as well as morning meditation at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. The congregation has also joined with Congregation Ner Tamid at 1250 Quintara Street for Shabbat services.

"We undertook an important fundraising campaign more than two years ago to support the long-term growth and development of our diverse community," said Sandy Goldstein, president of the congregation.

The campaign has raised $10.5 million so far, which brings the campaign to 75 percent completion. The total cost of the new building's construction is $14 million.

The construction of the new building "represents only the physical manifestation of synagogue transformation in the Bay Area and all over the U.S., that is only now beginning and will take the next three to five years. It will affect all aspects of what we do: our missions, our interactions with all Jews in the community, as well as our members, our services and celebrations, our staff and clergy, even our use of technology, so that we may be ready for the next generation and the future," said Goldstein.

"The groundbreaking marks the ongoing process of renewal and the strengthening of the congregation, its programs, schools, and spirit," said Rabbi Kenneth R. Leitner, the synagogue's spiritual leader.

The new building's construction, "reinforces our commitment to strengthen the neighborhood and in turn, its commitment to our congregation. Many of our neighbors and local neighborhood groups spoke in support of our building project and were there for us during the permit process. It's a great 75-year relationship that will only deepen over the next 100 years," said Harvey Lubar, executive director of Congregation Beth Sholom.

"Among other things, our new sanctuary will be 'in the round' as opposed to a frontal, theatre-style setup, therefore allowing for a more inclusive and participatory service," said Altman.

Speakers at the groundbreaking included Goldstein, Leitner, Lubar, Consul General of the Israeli Consulate of San Francisco David Akov, Education Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-el Peretz Wolf-Prusan, San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, and a message from Rabbi Emeritus Alan Lew.

The congregation participated in communal prayer and song and in a ritual burial of unusable sacred items such as prayer books, prayer shawls (tallits) and other sacred documents containing the name of G-d. (It is Jewish custom to bury, rather than to destroy, such items.) The congregation buried them underneath what will be the new building. The congregation "engaged in other Jewish ritual activities such as eating, dancing and rejoicing. It was a great afternoon," said Altman.

For more information on Congregation Beth Sholom, visit www.bethsholomsf.org.

Syphillis on the Rise Among Gay Men - Outcome, Fall 2001

2006-01-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Only a year ago, cases of syphilis were at their lowest level ever in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control. In 2000, 5,979 cases of syphilis were reported in the U.S., a decline of 9.6 percent since 1999. Only 619 counties (out of 3,135 counties in the country) reported at least one case of syphilis.

However, there have been outbreaks of the sexually transmitted disease in several U.S. cities among gay men, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and Miami Beach.

In 1998, the federal government launched a program designed to reduce the number of syphilis cases to less than 1,000 total by 2005. The program did not target homosexuals. “There was a wide assumption that sexual safety in gay men was now the norm,” said Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, director of the STD Control Program in Seattle.

In New York City, the health department expects to see as many as 250-300 cases of syphilis for 2001, more than double the rate of 2000. Many syphilis victims in New York are gay men, according to the department. In Los Angeles, new cases jumped from 5 in 1999 to 89 in 2000.

According to Dr. George Counts, director of the CDC’s syphilis elimination program, as many as 70 percent of gay victims of syphilis may also be infected with HIV. “That’s a very troubling element and heightens our activities of focusing on [gay men],” he said.

Gay Men’s Health Crisis, an AIDS advocacy group in New York City, became concerned after the city’s health department reported a surge of cases, especially in the largely gay neighborhood of Chelsea.

“It’s a sign that there’s a lot of unsafe sex going on,” said Marty Algaze, the group’s spokesperson. “If people aren’t using condoms and getting syphilis, they’re possibly being exposed to and infected by HIV.”

Peggy Neff - Outcome, Fall 2001

2006-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Peggy Neff, 51, of Hyattsville, Md., wonders if she will be able to keep the home she owned with her partner of 18 years, Sheila Hein. Hein was killed Sept. 11 when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, where she worked.

Since the attacks, Neff has appealed to the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, which provides assistance to surviving spouses and relatives of deceased victims of criminal injuries. Neff has been denied any assistance because the state does not recognize the relationship she had with Hein. In an Oct. 19 letter, the state wrote: “Please accept out condolences on the loss of your friend, Sheila M.S. Hein. We regret to inform you that you are not eligible to file a claim for benefits under Virginia Victims of Crime Act.”

Under Virginia state law, only a surviving spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, adult child or legal dependent of a deceased victim can receive an award.

Whereas New York State Governor George Pataki signed an executive order to ensure the eligibility of surviving partners of gay victims of the Sept. 11 attacks who apply for aid, Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore has refused to take such action. Reed Boatright, a spokesperson for the Gilmore, said : “Our law is pretty clear on who is eligible, and it does not include domestic partners.”

Neff has contacted several organizations seeking help with her mortgage payments. She received financial assistance from The National Association of Realtors, the Red Cross and the Human Rights Campaign. Both the United Way and the Salvation Army denied her requests.

Neff plans to appeal to the Department of Justice, which is expected to release the rules of eligibility for its Sept. 11th Victim Compensation Fund on Dec. 22. “I have more faith in the Department of Justice than I do in the state of Virginia,” said Neff. “I think they may be broad-minded enough to include domestic partners in their package.”

Neff has put off scattering Hein’s ashes in the garden of the home they shared, because she is unsure whether she will be able to keep it. “I was raised not to cry,” she said. “Some day it will all come out – the tears.”

Four More Arrested in Cairo - Outcome, Fall 2001

2006-01-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Four more young men were arrested in Cairo, Egypt on Nov. 10 and taken to the Boulak Prison Station in Giza near Cairo. The men are accused of “the habitual practice of debauchery,” and of running a “den of prostitution,” in the apartment shared by three of the men.

The men were arrested a day after the conviction of 23 presumed homosexuals in the Emergency State Security Court in Cairo and their sentence of one to five years of hard labor each.

Scott Long, with the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGHRC), spoke to one of the men as he was being shuttled from the Public Prosecutor’s Office back to the Boulak Police Station. The IGHRC reports: “According to [the man’s] testimony, he was arrested [Nov. 10]. While in detention he was submitted to beating and humiliating treatment: stripped naked and beaten with batons, splashed with cold water in the face, left hanging by the bars in his prison cell…the other three defendants were beaten as well.”

The men have no legal representation at all, but there are two defense lawyers working on the case.

The arrests occurred in the wake of the arrests of the “Cairo 52,” all arrested on May 10 in a raid of the Queen Boat discotheque in Cairo or in random police pickups during the following days. Twenty-three of the 52 were sentenced to one to five years of hard labor on Nov. 9. The other 29 men were acquitted, but remain in detention.

Civil Unions Face Challenge in Vermont - Outcome, Fall 2001

2006-01-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Groups of town clerks, taxpayers and legislators are challenging Vermont’s landmark civil union law, which is the first and only law passed in the United States that gives gay couples the same rights under the law as straight couples and has been in effect in the state since June of 2000. The groups brought their case to the state Supreme Court.

Matt Staver, lawyer for those challenging the law, said that 14 members of Vermont’s House each threw $1 into a pot on which they wagered in regards to the outcome of the vote that day. Therefore, Staver argues, the members had a stake, or “direct interest” in the outcome of the vote, which is a violation of House rules. If those 14 wagering lawmakers had been disqualified, the bill would not have won passage. (The 14 lawmakers voted for the bill, making the vote 76 for and 69 against).

Assistant Attorney General Bridget Asay said both the House rules and Mason’s rules of parliamentary procedure require that someone who believed a particular lawmaker had conflict of interest should have raised it at the time.

Some of the town clerks among Staver’s clients argue that they are morally opposed to homosexuality on religious grounds, and forcing them to issue civil union certificates violates their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

The Supreme Court, which two years ago said that gay and lesbian couples were being unconstitutionally denied their rights, has not yet given an opinion on the civil unions law.

Atlanta Elects Lesbian President of City Council - Outcome, Summer 2001

2006-01-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

ATLANTA, Ga. – The city of Atlanta elected out lesbian Cathy Woolard to be its city council president Nov. 6. With 55 percent of the vote, Woolard became the first publicly acknowledged lesbian city council president in a major U.S. city. Next to the mayor, the city council president’s job is the most politically powerful office in Atlanta.

During her city council tenure, Woolard sponsored the city’s nondiscrimination policy, which includes protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and allowed Georgians their first opportunity to sue as victims of such discrimination.

Woolard has expressed an interest in running for a national office once her term as city council president has expired.
In 1997, Woolard became Georgia’s first openly gay elected official when she was voted to represent city council District 6. Anne Fauver, who is also a lesbian, was elected to replace Woolard in District 6.

SONDA Passes in New York State Senate - Voices Magazine, Winter 2003

2006-01-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

After a 31-year struggle, New York’s State Senate passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) during its December 17 session with a vote of 34 to 26. Hours later, Governor George Pataki signed the bill into law. The bill, the first version of which came before the state assembly and the state senate in early 1971, became effective on January 16, 2003.

The bill added the words “sexual orientation” to the state’s existing Human Rights Law, which made it illegal in New York State to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, color, national origin, disability, age and marital status. The bill now outlaws anti-gay discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodation, education and credit throughout the state.

The bill faced opponents throughout its history, including the Catholic Church, the NYS Conservative Party, and transgender groups. Members of the transgender community and their supporters argued that gender should also have been a part of the bill, and would not support SONDA because it did not mention transgendered persons. Melissa Sklarz, transgender activist, told the Associated Press, “They have closed the door on us time and again.” The senate did vote on an amendment to the bill that would include transgendered persons, but it did not pass.

“We are fighting among ourselves,” openly gay Senator Thomas Duane told the Associated Press. “I promise the transgender community I’m not going to forget. The battle for that begins right away.”

The Empire State Pride Agenda, a political advocacy group for whom the passage of the bill has been a central issue for over a decade, invites New Yorkers to celebrate the passage of SONDA at the World Financial Center Winter Garden in New York City on Saturday, March 1 from 8 p.m. to midnight. For more information, visit www.prideagenda.org.

Buffalo's Gay Families - Voices Magazine, Spring 2004

2006-01-22T18:36:00.000-08:00

I don’t ever remember not wanting children. My mom and I have a very tight bond, and I’ve always known I want that with a child of my own. Every time I see a baby nowadays, I can literally feel my biological clock ticking.

When I discovered I was gay at age 15, though, I was convinced that I’d spend my adult life alone. Although my parents have gay friends and I knew gay people growing up, none of them had children.

In the nine years since then, I’ve slowly come to terms with my sexuality. I’ve found a girl I’d like to spend the rest of my life with. But my dream of having children has taken a back seat to coming out. And before I met the three families profiled in this article, I’d never really gotten to know any gay people with children.

These families showed me that they are no different than their straight neighbors. They work hard and love their children and each other very much. And with at least two children per family, all are still together, marriage or not. But all struggle in the face of a heterosexist world. Although they are all obviously committed, because they are gay, none of these couples enjoy the same rights and responsibilities that straight married couples do.

New York is one of only seven states in the union that guarantee the opportunity for same-sex parents to jointly establish themselves as the legal parents of children they raise together.

However, according to HRC.org, “The full and certain protections of marriage are available [to same-sex couples] in no state. This means that no same-sex parents or their children have access to the 1,138 federal protections that come with marriage. And only couples in Vermont and California have access to the hundreds of marital benefits states provide.”

Despite the odds, though, these three couples (and hundreds like them) created families of their own. They are part of a growing movement of gay couples having children. And they give me hope that the same is possible for me.

Shari Jo Reich and Sheryl Duquette
Mothers of Cydele, 3 and Lillian, 5 months

It was love at first sight for Shari Jo Reich, 43, when she met Sheryl Duquette, 39, six years ago at a real estate closing.

“I was very interested”, she said. So much so that as soon as business was taken care of, she started doing some follow-up and got Sheryl’s phone number.

“It was just so nice”, said Sheryl of that first phone call. “She asked me to go out for dinner…it was really sweet…it was romantic.”

Six years later, the two are parents to 3-year old Cydele and 5-month old Lillian. The family makes their home in Williamsville. It’s apparent that the two are still very much in love as they finish each other’s sentences and care for their daughters.

When I met them at their home on a rainy April evening, Shari answered the door with Lilly in her arms. Sheryl busily attempted to keep up with Cyd, who was engrossed in her Land Before Time dinosaur collection that I’m sure is the envy of all the kids in her playgroup.

But the impression I got of the family was that they’re very normal. The kids are being raised in a natural, loving way. Their parents worry about them and care for them as much as any straight couple, married or unmarried, would.

“We’re as conventional and as non-conventional as you can be,” explained Sheryl. “I think that’s why we are so well accepted in this world…our roles are pretty clearly defined”.

Shari works full time as an attorney, with an office on Summer Street in Buffalo. She is the primary breadwinner of the family. Sheryl stays home with her daughters and works part-time as a mentor at a college.

This is an aspect of gay family life that I think people who are against gay marriage don’t want to hear. Gay families care just as much about their children as do straight families. Among the three couples I interviewed, two out of three have one parent staying home with the children.

And while there are many straight stay-at-home-moms as well as is a slow movement of straight stay-at-home dads, it seems less of an issue for one half of a gay couple to give up their career to stay home and raise their children.

“I don’t mind not doing that right now,” explained Sheryl. “Because the fact is, we worked so damned hard for these children that it would be absolutely insane for me to consider having them 24/7 with a babysitter so I could have a career.”

“We’ve really redefined some rules here and a lot of straight couples don’t have to really think along those lines. The moms still are out there working the full time job. Putting the kids in those types of situations is perfectly socially acceptable.”

Sheryl gave birth to Cydele, who was conceived via artificial insemination, and the couple adopted Lillian in the fall of 2003.

Shari explained the agonizing process of trying to get pregnant: “We knew that we didn’t want a known donor. We didn’t want to deal with any person who would add any claim or control or emotional attachment. It took 11 months.”

“Getting pregnant is a science for us,” explained Sheryl. “Its not a romantic date and a glass of wine.”

After many months of no success, the two sought the help of fertility specialist Dr. Ralph Sperrazza, a fertility specialist in Amherst.

“We had made the decision that if she wasn’t pregnant by the time she was 36, then we were going to forget it and go for adoption and then she got pregnant that May,” said Shari. Sheryl turned 36 the following month.

“We had no interest in having a second child,” said Sheryl. “There is a great set of friends who have a son that’s four months older than our daughter [Cyd] and she wanted to get pregnant a second time and just listening to her and understanding it and our talking about it, we were like, ‘Yeah, we do too.”

“Having a [second] child makes me realize…what it is not to be a 24/7 friend but to be a mom with your child, what it is to have enough love to be able to do it.”

“My brother and sister are both here and they’re real important,” said Shari. “I’ve got 4 nephews and 2 nieces… Hopefully they’re all going to be close and we kind of wanted the same, to make sure that Cyd wasn’t an only one, so that we’d have somebody that she could share so they could bitch about moms together.”

Lillian is a beautiful, bright-eyed, happy baby. During my conversation with her parents, she had a bottle and took a long nap in Shari’s arms. Cydele sat with us in her toddler-sized chair and munched on a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

“This house has become a very peaceful oasis for us,” said Sheryl of their Williamsville home. “The kids are really happy.”

“I think [having a family] is about letting go…of wanting to do and be everything to each other. ‘Mom’ is the first role that I wear…Shari has the full responsibilities of keeping the dream established and maintained and so she’s exhausted. We’re support systems but…you remind yourself that to have all of this [your relationship is] not going to be the priority at all times, and [Shari] helps me with that. She’s a good reminder of that.”

The two mentioned the difficulties associated with being a minority among minorities. While their numbers are quickly growing, there are still very few gay couples with children.

“Most of our friends don’t have kids,” said Shari of their gay friends. “When you kind of transition into this world, there’s so few out there that your friends will still call you and say: ‘You want to go out tonight?’”

“Or they stop calling you after a while,” continued Sheryl. “We do once every 6 months catch ups…and they’re really surprised when mom shows up for an evening.”

“And even if you get together, the stuff that you have to talk about… you don’t know anything about the local bars…and they don’t know about formula and sitting at a play group,” explained Shari. “You’re in a totally different mindset.”

“So you’ve got to come back to base point one,” said Sheryl. “Which is you’ve got to have a good relationship with your partner. Because they’re the one that you’re going to about all of this the most.”

She explained that, while they do not have an extensive network of straight friends with children, they know they will make them once Cydele and Lillian are in school.

“As I see my friends having kids, I try to remind them: ‘Don’t…become so submerged in your own little world. Try to keep in contact because you probably don’t have a lot of friends that are doing this and it’s really important that you do connect at least once every few months. Otherwise you’ll go crazy…”

“We’re the happiest people in the world,” Sheryl continued. “[The kids] make us so happy but our good friends in this world tend to have very carefree lives and I think in straight world you have many more people who are doing this… you’re not butted up to it as much. We want more people to do this and join us.”

Andrew Mattle and David Vitka
Fathers of Grace, 5; Jon, 3 and Aidan, 1

Andrew Mattle, 42 and David Vitka, 40 met at church four and a half years ago. David grew up in Connecticut and moved to Buffalo for a job after spending several years going to graduate school and working in St. Louis. Andrew grew up in Greece (a suburban town on Rochester’s west side).

Andrew is one of five children, and David is one of three. They both always knew they wanted to be dads some day.

A mutual friend that David worked with introduced them formally. David told the friend about his interest in becoming a father.

“He said, ‘I’ve got a very good friend who already did what you want to do.’ So we got together…just to talk about it,” recalled David. “I just wanted to hear his story, I didn’t want a relationship,” he said with a chuckle. “In fact, I held off for a whole year on having any relationship after I settled here.”

When the two met, Andrew was father to Grace, whom he’d adopted internationally with his friend Kathy.

“I adopted Grace with a very good friend of mine…She’s straight. She never married or had kids…always wanted kids, so, we decided that neither one of us really wanted to be a single parent and so we adopted.” They tried conceiving via artificial insemination for five years. After three miscarriages, they decided to adopt.

Since then, Kathy has adopted another daughter, Emma, and Andrew and David have adopted Aidan, 1 and Jon, 3.

“Kathy’s a great mother and an excellent friend, and a great influence on all of these kids,” said David. “We decided that we would raise them all as siblings, all four of them, even though we’re not technically the adoptive parents of Emma and she’s not to the boys. Why wouldn’t you give them more?”

On the night I came to their beautiful Williamsville home, Aidan and Jon had just had a bath and were running around the living room in their pajamas, drawing in my notebook and watching a Barney video. Grace was at Kathy’s house. She is in kindergarten, and spends half her time at Kathy’s and half with Andrew, David and the boys.

They live on a quiet street and have two dogs and a big fenced-in back yard. David works full time and Andrew stays home every day to care for the four children (including Emma while Kathy is at work). Their home is filled with photographs of the large extended family.

“I was a little nervous about being out here,” said Andrew, who lived in the city before moving in with David. “I was afraid of a lack of diversity.”

“Most of this neighborhood, the majority of them are people between their upper 70s and early 80s and they’re awesome,” said David. “They’re all educated people who’ve lived good lives and worked hard and they’re pretty open.”

“I didn’t know what eventually we would have to deal with, but I was really pleased when they welcomed me,” Andrew continued. “They love the children. They bring presents over on Easter. They’re just special people.”

The rest of their community has been tolerant, as well. “David comes to parent-teacher conferences with Kathy and I and the school knows our situation. I think they’ve been wonderful,” explained Andrew.

“I always knew I’d have kids,” said Andrew. “I didn’t always think it was a possibility, you know, because I’m…gay and everything, but I figured I would find a way, that somehow…it would happen. My only regret is that I didn’t do it a little earlier…because I’ll be 43 in July.”

“You do have a lot less energy,” interjected David with a laugh.

“Yeah,” agreed Andrew as he chased Aidan, who was attempting to climb the entertainment center. “Especially when they’re this young.”

When the two met, David was already planning on becoming an adoptive father as a single person.

“I felt like I was ready,” he said. “I was on my way to do the adoption regardless of whether or not I found a partner.”

“I was on the road for plan B, to do it myself and when I was ready personally. All of the sudden plan A walked in the door right at the right time. That’s the best part of the story. I got to do it with someone I love who had the same vision as I had.”

Andrew explained: “My biggest piece of advice [to people planning to have children] would be: I’ve heard a lot of gay couples (and straight couples), but more gay couples say: ‘Well we want to have kids when…’ If I had waited for everything to be perfect (that would have meant having a partner first and foremost)…I would have been having my first child at 39.”

“[My advice would be] not to wait for everything to seem perfect and also not to hone in on one particular option. A lot of times people say…that if they can’t conceive their own biological child, they look at adoption as like a final option…and sometimes people spend all this money on in-vitro and all this stuff and then the light bulb goes on about adoption. I guess it’s just to think about every option.”

“I also have several friends who’ve gone through a lot of infertility – straight friends,” explained David. “And I think that first of all, just to be a parent, you have to be ready. You have to be in a place where you’re ready and I say also go for it. But if you’re going to consider adoption, I think you have to be there with adoption being as good as natural birth before you actually should be doing it.”

Jon is the most recent addition to David and Andrew’s family. When I met them, he had only lived with the family for about a month. After some changes in the adoption laws in the country from which they adopted their boys, the two were told an adoption might take longer than expected. So, David put his name into a special needs adoption program, hoping they’d find quicker success there.

By a twist of fate, the process was successful for both programs. Their adoption of Aidan went through, and so did the one for Jon.

“So now we’re staring at two pictures,” said David. “We thought: ‘How can we not take care of this child – get him out of there and bring him here?’ So we soul-searched and found the money.”

An unexpected third child does come with many extra expenses, however. And under federal and state laws, as a stay-at-home-dad, Andrew is not afforded the same rights as a married, heterosexual stay-at-home-parent would.

His COBRA health insurance from his previous job (as a counselor at AIDS Community Services) will run out in October. David’s employer does not offer benefits to domestic partners.

“It’s a big deal because it’s going to mean over $400 a month starting in October extra coming out of our budget which isn’t in the budget right now,” said David.

“We do the best we can to protect ourselves in terms of life insurance, making sure each other’s covered, our wills are all written the way they need to be for the protection of us and the children,” explained Andrew. “There are a lot of things you can do to protect just as if you’re legally married…but there are other things that you just can’t.”

No gay couples are entitled to basic rights married couples are, such as social security survivorship benefits and certain parenting-related and earned income tax credits.

Both Andrew and David were raised Catholic, and still practice the faith today. They are raising their children Catholic at St. Joseph’s University Church on Main Street near UB’s South Campus.

“Our local church is a very progressive church,” said Andrew. “I think people should know that it’s very gay-positive.”

“There’s every race there, interracial couples, all different nationalities,” said David. “It’s a great place to be and they’re very supportive. In fact when we got Aidan, they had us up on the altar that Sunday when we got back…and they all applauded, a standing ovation of our family. That’s how fair they are.”

Andrew explained: “I can honestly say if that church wasn’t here or if there wasn’t a Catholic church like that here – progressive, supportive, etc…we would have left the Catholic church by now, especially in the light of the last year with the comments coming out and the…the negativity around it. But also then they had to take the next step and say…that gay people shouldn’t be raising children, and that’s pretty offensive.”

“We grew up hearing that,” said David. “We have to answer the question: Why did you stay at a place that didn’t accept you? We have to have a good answer for that…I think about this every day. Gandhi said: ‘You [must] be the change you wish to see in the world.’ And that’s my number one slogan.”

Barbra Kavanaugh and Lynn Edelman
Mothers of Brian, 21 and Jack, 14

Barbra Kavanaugh, 49 and Lynn Edelman, 49 have been together for 19 years. They have lived in the same home on the city’s northwest side for as long as they’ve been together.

They have raised two sons together. Brian is 21 and is a student at SUNY Purchase. Jack is 14 and attends City Honors High School. Both full-time lawyers, Barbra and Lynn took the super mom route – they both worked while they raised their sons.

When they met, Barbra had a two-year-old son and was fresh out of law school.

“I didn’t want to have kids until I was told that I couldn’t,” Barbra recalled, laughing. “I had been married in my early twenties and I had been told that I probably would not be able to get pregnant. My pregnancy was a real surprise.”

After her marriage, she conceived Brian via artificial insemination, as a single person. Jack was conceived seven years later the same way.

“When we got together, I had wanted to have another child so we looked into adoption but…then a doctor came into town (a lesbian herself) who had very strong feelings about gay and lesbians being able to create our own family. I had gone to a doctor beforehand who I knew did fertility, but he wouldn’t do it when I told him I was a lesbian.”

I met Barbra at her home and began interviewing her before Lynn arrived home from work. Their large, black 9-year-old shepherd mix, Bill, hung out with us in the kitchen.

Lynn and Barbra were the first gay couple in Erie County to obtain a joint custody order for both of their children in 1993.

Barbra explained: “Before that, even though Lynn is in many ways the primary care taker, if I could die or something, the law at that point, and still is for folks who don’t adopt…doesn’t even have standing to go into court and say: ‘I’d like the court to consider letting me have a relationship with my children.’”

Barbra now works in the office of the judge who granted that order, Supreme Court Justice Judge John O’Donnell.

“The state provides domestic partnership benefits, but you have to document it,” explained Barbra. “One of the pieces of paper that I brought to the office to document the domestic partnership was the joint custody order that this judge, that I’m working for now, signed 13 years ago and we didn’t know each other.”

“One of the things that [Judge O’Donnell] said when he gave us our joint order is his realization that whatever he did, the family had already been created,” said Barbra.

“It’s not like if he said ‘no,’ we would have walked out of the building and said, ‘well we’re not a family anymore’…or that if he said ‘yes,’ then we’d say ‘guess what, we’re a brand new family.’ So he said all the joint custody order did is really afford us both and the kids most importantly, equal rights and responsibilities so that Lynn was also responsible for support…so I think folks…miss the point that you already have gay families, I mean it’s not something new.”

Lynn came home from work and sat down with us. Barbra and Lynn act like kids around each other, teasing about their first date, and about Barbra’s desire to have a commitment ceremony.

“I had heard of Lynn through mutual friends but I didn’t know her,” explained Barbra of the first time they met. “All my recent law school graduate friends who had got to work - I would meet them for lunch and that’s what I was doing. I had the baby with me and suddenly this woman walked in – this vision of loveliness and it was like a thunderbolt. I just knew… I still remember today what you looked like…”

Lynn rolled her eyes and laughed. “You weren’t gay then,” she teased.

“I was but I had not been involved in any same-sex relationship until that point,” Barbra quipped.

“You weren’t gay,” said Lynn.

“Not actively,” said Barbra.

“Do you think you were? Recessively?” asked Lynn.

“No. I have to say that in the family I grew up in, the way I grew up and the people I knew growing up…I don’t know that I even knew it was an option…really.”

“And that’s why people more than anything else are against gay marriage,” said Lynn. “I think they don’t want to present it as a viable option.”

“That’s kind of foolish,” said Barbra. “I don’t know that reading about gay marriage would have made me say: ‘Well, there’s a thought. Maybe I’ll do that.’ But I think you’re right. I think that’s how they think of it.”

“It creates a viable option that shouldn’t be there so [they think that] anything that accepts it promotes it,” said Lynn.

Lynn and Barbra both support gay marriage, although they have not had a commitment ceremony in the 19 years they’ve been together. Lynn is of the opinion that, because they have the joint custody orders for Brian and Jack, a civil union or similar ceremony isn’t necessary.

Barbra, however, has a more sentimental view.

“Lynn thinks that [the custody orders are] good enough,” explained Barbra. “I’m still trying to get her to do something.”

“I’ll marry you already!” Lynn shouted with a laugh.

“It’s not a lark,” Lynn said of being a parent, explaining the importance of their joint custody orders. “You can’t take it back. It’s something to take on, it’s a lifelong commitment.”

“I think it’s real important to be happy and healthy and involved,” explained Barbra of raising children. “For some people, that is staying home with the kids. I don’t mean to put that down, but for me, I wasn’t happy…my job is to raise my kids so they’ll leave. That’s what they’re supposed to do. My primary relationship is with Lynn. Lynn is who I spend my life with, the most important relationship.”

Being out as a gay family is something that may be a new concept for many gay parents and their children. Barbra spent several years on Buffalo’s Common Council, and was the first openly gay member of the Council.

“It was very public,” she said of her time on the Council. “In the beginning, Jack just had problems with people knowing and our rule with the kids has always been, just like we make our decision about who we come out to and when to do it, that’s our decision to make and the kids also have that right. If they don’t feel like coming out, that’s fine. But what they could not do is lie about us.”

Both Brian and Jack struggled with explaining their family situation as they grew up simply because there were so few other visible gay families in their community. Although the number of gay families in America is growing, Jack admits that it’s still hard to explain his home situation in a largely straight world.

“I don’t think everyone really got the concept,” he explained during a telephone interview.

“The worst thing probably would be having to talk to people and trying to explain it and kind of trying to do a little circumlocution to try to talk around it. It’s kind of funny. It hasn’t gotten any worse, but it hasn’t gotten any easier.”

Jack is a math whiz at 14, taking college-level math classes at UB. He’s an avid biker and is a member of the City Honors Gay/Straight Alliance.

He told me it makes him laugh when people ask what it’s like to be raised by a gay couple.

“There really isn’t that much of a difference. Most people think that we’re all different or that they’re weird, or whatever, but we grow up more or less the same.”

On being a gay parent, Barbra explained: “One of the things I do say to folks is no child is entitled to the perfect parent. They’re entitled to the best parent I can be and that means the flaws and quirks and all that.”

“I think that too often, especially with gay and lesbian parents, when the kid ends up being really rotten at 15, they think its because [the parents are] gay. No, 15-year-olds are rotten and I think sometimes we don’t understand that we have…all of those developmental things and conflicts that any family does and I don’t think there’s more or less because you happen to be gay. My kids…they’re blessed…my own kids say that they’re more able to meet the world on their own terms because they lived with two women, they know that things can be different. I have two boys, but they, especially Brian, he says he can see a real difference in the way he relates to women between him and other boys. He says he can actually have a close friendship with a woman.”

“I think there are some good things that come out…that’s what they have to keep in mind. They don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be the best they can be and sometimes that isn’t so hot. They’ve got to be aware of that…not everything that happens is because you’re gay.”

Facts from HRC.org:

• In Buffalo and Niagara Falls, 0.66 percent of coupled households are gay or lesbian.

• Erie County has a below-average proportion of same-sex couples with children.

• Across New York State, 1.02-5.15 percent of coupled households are gay or lesbian.

• Census 2000 counted 601,209 same-sex unmarried partner households in the United States.

• Same-sex couples raising children live in 96 percent of all counties in the country.

• There is an at-home parent in 25 percent of heterosexual couples with children, 26 percent of male couples with children and 22 percent of lesbian couples with children.

Pride Center of WNY Opens - Voices Magazine, Autumn 2003

2006-01-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

Center Is The First Of Its Kind In The Region In 25 Years

After receiving a generous $100,000 grant from the New York State Department of Health, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Western New York opened the doors of the Pride Center of Western New York at the beginning of October. The Center is the first of its kind in the Western New York area in twenty-five years. (Buffalo’s Gay Center on Main Street closed in 1978, leaving the city without central meeting place for the region’s diverse LGBT groups.) Located in the heart of Allentown at 18 Trinity Place, the Center will be used as a central meeting point for the region’s many LGBT organizations.

James Ver Steeg, former Community Relations Director at the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley out of Rochester (GAGV), has been appointed the Center’s first director. Ver Steeg has many years of experience in public relations and activism, including working for The Buffalo News and AAA of Rochester and being an active member of Rochester’s LGBT community.

Ver Steeg brings with him experience with Rochester’s thirty-year-old GAGV, the voice of the Rochester LGBT community and the organization that brings us the ImageOUT festival and The Empty Closet, the oldest gay newspaper in the state and one of the oldest in the nation.

Ver Steeg is a true activist, and his priorities for the Center include making the Buffalo LGBT community more unified. “I think that there is a lot of support in Western New York for things like gay marriage, for things like sexual orientation non-discrimination in the workplace,” Ver Steeg explained. “Until we provide a voice to those issues we’ll never know how much that support can help and so we’ll be looking to develop partnerships with the business community in the Western New York region, with faith-based communities, with of course all the other LGBT member groups and really try to create a healthy, happy environment, and a safe environment for people who identify as LGBT.”

The Center will be working with community organizations such as Health Net to help connect LGBT people without health insurance with affordable medical care. “It’s really a tremendous program… They actually donated a computer and printer and DSL connection so we can use their web-based health referral system to get people who don’t have insurance medical care,” Ver Steeg explained. “There are a lot of people in the LGBT community…that work in the service industry, work in retail and they don’t have health insurance and it’s really unfortunate because everybody needs to be healthy and happy and we can’t do that without insurance.”

The Center hopes to have a website up and running by the first of the year, and Ver Steeg hopes that in the next couple of weeks, different LGBT member groups can begin using the Trinity Place facility for meetings. Ver Steeg expressed a desire to provide a space for the members of Pride Buffalo to plan next year’s Pride celebrations. “There are a lot of groups out there who meet regularly…Hopefully they’ll be able to use the space…and realize it was created for them,” Ver Steeg said. “You can have a website and you can do a newsletter and mail it all out but there’s nothing like getting people within the community to come in and use the space.”

Ver Steeg brings a fresh perspective to the Buffalo community, and recognizes that one of the biggest threats to our community comes from within. “[The Center] is not business as it’s happened for years,” Ver Steeg explained. “This is something that’s entirely new and the way that we’re going to accomplish [unity] first and foremost is by not just giving lip service to diversity but by fully embracing everyone in our community. There is no room for distinctions between… race, gender identity, class…It’s time for all the members of that acronym (LGBT) to get together and understand that we are in this together…”

He also recognizes that, as a new leader in Buffalo’s LGBT community, there were many great things that happened here before the Pride Center opened. “We don’t have any intention of taking away or trying to siphon out the programs and services that the groups are doing,” Ver Steeg stated. “I think that the work that the individual groups are doing is terrific and I don’t want to take it over. What I want to do is make sure that those groups have a chance to have a central focus.”

He said that one of the big differences between Rochester’s LGBT community and Buffalo’s is the existence of the GAGV, which was founded in 1973. “Being in Rochester, [the GAGV] is almost something that you take for granted but when you move… there are a lot of cities in the country that don’t have a focused, organized community center for LGBT activities,” he explained. “Along with that central place comes an identity…All of the good stuff that the LGBT folks do in places like Rochester kind of stem from that one central focus.”

“I think that a lot of the support that the main stream community gives gay folks in Rochester comes because they have been able to present themselves as a unified body and as a body of intelligent and steady people,” he explained. “That exists in Buffalo, but I don’t think that there has been a concentrated effort to communicate with the larger main stream society.”

“I’m hoping that through regular communication and through some really organized effort we can shed some light on the fact that…the LGBT folks in Western New York really aren’t shady shadowy figure[s]…they really are people who are professionals and they are people who are community-minded and they are people who care a lot about guaranteeing the rights and privileges associated with other people.”

In the few weeks Ver Steeg has been spending his days at the Trinity Place offices of the Pride Center, he has already seen first-hand the large need for a gay center in the region.
“We’ve just been listed in the phone book without any kind of real advertising…and not much time goes by that I don’t receive a phone call from somebody looking for something,” he explained. “The biggest call so far has been people needing help coming out and I think there’s ….a need to address that very primary need as far as…being able to identify as LGBT in a healthy and satisfactory way. Until we do that, we’ve got no business doing a lot of other things…It’s time to help those who need it.”

The Center is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but they will become more flexible with requests from community member groups who may need to use the facility for meetings at other times. The Center can be contacted by e-mail at PrideCenterWNY@aol.com, or by phone at (716)852-PRIDE.

About Magazine - Voices Magazine, Winter 2004

2006-01-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new free gay mag in town? abOUT is its name, and providing a diverse, positive spin on bi-national queer life is its game. Funded by a private, undisclosed donor, abOUT's glossy, colorful first issue hit newsstands across Western New York and Southern Ontario in January.

I met with abOUT's partial owner and publisher, Don Cialone, Jr. at Buffalo Coffee Works, deep in the heart of suburban Amherst to talk about the new addition to the region's collection of gay publications. He's a strapping, friendly type who reminded me of the good-looking fraternity boys that crowd the streets of Chippewa on warm summer nights. A faded A&F baseball cap shading his piercing blue eyes, he was brimming with pride and fresh ideas for his new venture, which has thus far been very well received in the gay communities of both the Buffalo and Toronto regions. "As far as we know, it's the first bi-national gay publication." And it's the first of its kind in more ways than that. In addition, Cialone proclaims that the cover of the first issue is the first time a magazine cover in Buffalo has portrayed "two men being intimate." Jonathan Worden and Jamie Murphy are portrayed beautifully on the cover of abOUT's February issue, both donned in matching red button-down shirts in a tasteful, loving embrace.

One of the purposes of abOUT, explained Cialone, is to "make the public aware that [the region does] have a vibrant gay community and we want people to know what we're all about." abOUT's staff is aware of the major differences between being gay in Buffalo and being gay in Ontario. "People in general are more receptive up in Canada to things," he said. "Buffalo needs to open up to it more, and that's another one of the reasons that we're doing this." The magazine is attempting to "ease people into the whole thing. I think with the television shows and all the court actions that have happened, we've come a long way, but I think Buffalo's still kind of a couple of steps behind everybody else."

abOUT's staff is made up of members of both Ontario's and Buffalo's gay communities. Cialone grew up in Buffalo and currently makes his home in Amherst. Editorial director, Duane Booth, is an Ontario native and former city editor at Niagara Falls, Ontario's daily. Cialone and his partners took a regional approach to publishing abOUT because they saw such a product as something that could unify the communities on both sides of the border. Pointing out the socializing that goes on between gays in Ontario and their brothers and sisters to the south, Cialone quipped: "there's all this interaction amongst us but there's nothing really that pulls us all together until now."

abOUT offers a positive alternative to the one-city gay publications that fill the newsstands in Rochester, Buffalo and Toronto today. abOUT addresses a bi-national audience in a gay population that shares much more than alternative sexual preference. While Fab caters to the strictly Canadian gay set and Outcome caters only to Americans who live in the Western New York region, abOUT brings them together.

So what exactly can Western New York and Southern Ontario queers find in abOUT? The content is professionally and impeccably laid out, mirroring everyone's favorite national queer publication, the Advocate. But abOUT is the Advocate with a distinctly local bent.

Issue 1brings us a plethora of local and national ads in color on 44 pages of newsstock enclosed in a traditional glossy cover (a cost-effective compromise that Cialone describes as "much more presentable than a newspaper.") Articles mostly addressed national issues such as the upcoming presidential election in the U.S. and Showtime's new dramatic series, the L Word; the gay angle of Martha Stewart's trial and abOUT's take on some of today's most popular lubes and designer fragrances. Also included were a cute story about the long-standing relationship of two suburban queers and an interview with Toronto's Simone Denny (the voice behind the theme to Queer Eye for the Straight Guy).

Although a bit rough around the edges and limited in terms of the all gay, white men who wrote the articles, abOUT's first issue offered a well-balanced, aesthetically pleasing, quality alternative to Fab and Outcome.

Testimonials

2006-01-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

I am overwhelmed. You did a brilliant piece of writing. Of course your prose is flawless. You use the english language like a maestro uses his strativarius. But that is just the technical part. And it's no more or less than I expected from you. The emotional feeling depth is quite another thing. I was awed.

You really "got" me as I always hope people will but it so seldom happens. When it does happen it is truly gratifying and give me so much pleasure.

Clearly the amount of work you did is monumental. I can only hope that your achievement is given all the care and respect it deserves as it makes its way to press. I shall let Craig know my feeling about that.

A simple thank you from me to you is absurd. I think I'll just thank you forever and ever and maybe eventually it will start to be enough.

Bless you
Danny

(Danny Winter, aka Vicky Vogue)

Vicky Vogue - Voices Magazine, Summer 2003

2006-01-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

Vicky Vogue has been around since the beginning. Also known as Mama Diva, the Steel Magnolia, The White Diamonds and Crystal Hearts Empress, Danny Winter and (a new one) Doctor Winter, she is everywhere. All those A.K.A.s she’s got should tell you that, while Vicky is the most visible part of her, she is a lot of other things as well.

Danny Winter, Vicky’s male counterpart, was born in 1934 in Buffalo. Danny has been a member of the gay community here for longer than just about anyone else. He came out in the early 1950s. In his own words: “I know some people who are even older than I am. Not many, of course. Just a select few.” He’s been doing drag since he was about seven, when he and his younger brother Joe would dress in a few (very limited) articles of women’s clothes and makeup and ride the bus downtown.

Everyone knows who Vicky Vogue is, whether they know her as that fabulous queen you see in the Pride parade year after year, and or as Danny Winter, who is a member of a number of organizations, including the Buffalo LGBT Archives, the Imperial Court of Buffalo, and Buffalo Pride. Vicky is without a doubt one of the most visible members of Buffalo’s gay community, as is Danny. “I’ve just gone over the years to whatever was the gay activist organization at the time,” he explained. “...It’s good to be involved.”

In fact, Danny and Vicky are the mothers of Pride Buffalo as it is today. He was a central figure in the rebirth of the celebrations that occurred in 1998, and was the president of Pride Buffalo, Inc. for its first two years. In addition, he “was the first and maybe only lifetime member of the Mattachine Society.” That honor was bestowed upon him because he borrowed $600 from the Niagara Mohawk credit union to pay the final month of rent for the Buffalo chapter of the Society before it finally went under in the 1970s.

Robb Yonkin, a Rochester filmmaker, is currently in the process of making a video documentary about Danny's life. He will shadow Danny for one year and hopes to enter the film into ImageOut and other film festivals. The film is tentatively titled Love and Kisses, Vicky Vogue. “The biography of Danny Winter is quite simply one hell of a good story, and of great value to our collective gay history,” said Yonkin of the film.

Part of what Yonkin hopes to show with his film is that Danny is so much more than what we all see everywhere. He is a public figure with many, many facets to his personality. According to Danny, “My life is about being outside the box. I refuse to be compartmentalized and labeled…Yesterday I was a political activist, today I am a drag queen. Tomorrow I may be a counselor and the day after that all or none of the aforementioned.”

Vicky Vogue’s larger-than-life visibility takes part in hiding who Danny Winter really is. It’s easy to compartmentalize him, mostly because his drag persona is so outrageous that it’s easy to forget that there’s a real person under all that makeup and all those sequins.

There is a lot to Danny that is invisible in the gay community. For example, Danny, a gay man, has been married to his wife Irene, a straight woman, for over thirty years. His marriage is a part of his life that is most certainly the least public part of it. And the reasons behind his marriage to a straight woman are as multi-faceted as he is himself.

When Danny and Irene were married, as today, it was illegal for two men or two women to marry. As today, gay people could be fired or denied housing for being gay. Most of the U.S. population thought being gay was wrong, unnatural, and evil. Danny says that Irene married him “because she loved me.” That, of course, is the uncomplicated answer. But life of course is very complicated and not always as it seems, as is Danny’s relationship with Irene, and as is Danny’s life.

One of the most important reasons that no one knows about Danny’s marriage is because as a gay activist and very visible drag queen, having a thirty-plus year heterosexual marriage is not something that is easily accepted by the gay community. Just as Danny (and every gay person, for that matter), has struggled his entire life living as a gay person in a straight world, he has also struggled for the past thirty years living as a married person in the gay world and in the drag world. And in fact, he hasn’t lived openly as a married person in the gay world because it’s a part of his life that is simply not accepted by the gay community.

“Gay men were very critical of me being married,” said Danny “…I’m just now able to say these things, talk about them for a publication you know because it’s time to do it…An awful lot of gay men discriminate.”

Irene is Danny’s best friend, and has been since they met forty-eight years ago. According to Danny, “I met her through a lover that I had…she worked with him…I was 21 and they were both 18…Eventually my lover…started cheating on me and I put up with that for a long time but eventually he wanted to leave anyway because he wanted to live with another guy…When he left to go with this other boyfriend, Irene and I continued to be best friends…I became really, really close to her then.”

Danny grew up in a family of six children, and he is the only one who survives. He was the fourth-youngest, “smack in the middle,” he says. He and his younger brothers Tommy and Joe were all gay. “That was significant,” said Danny, “because my family had to more or less deal with three and that’s a lot, you know? One is bad enough…When I finally came out to my parents, it was my brother, Joe…who told my mother that we were gay. Well, the little one, Tommy, wasn’t old enough to you know, but [Joe] told her, he said, ‘I’m gay and so is Danny…’”

Tommy and Joe both committed suicide when Danny was a young man. His brothers’ suicides were significant contributing factors to Danny’s marriage to Irene. “When they committed suicide, everybody thought that I would do it too, including me…We were very much alike and our stories were very the same and they died and everybody thought, ‘well, two down, one to go’… and I give my wife credit for saving me from that.”

It’s important to Danny that people try not to jump to conclusions about his marriage. Irene has known since she first met Danny that he is gay, and he has never been anything other than that to her. Why did they decide to marry? Danny explained: “We definitely decided we wanted to live together and Irene said she didn’t want her mother to think we were living in sin (remember this was 1973 and her mother didn’t know I was gay.)…She said, ‘Before we move away I’m going to tell my mother that we eloped and got married,’ and I said, ‘Okay.’ Then I decided after thinking about it I didn’t want to lie to her mother and I said, ‘You know I don’t want to do that. Let’s just get married and we wont have to tell a lie.’”

It seems very much as though Danny has strived to be honest in every situation throughout his life, no matter the consequences.

While Irene and all of Danny’s gay friends knew that Danny was gay and that their marriage was far from traditional, she made sure that, in public at least, she and her husband were perceived as a straight married couple. “I didn’t hide anything from her,” Danny explained. “But we did hide it from other people…from her family, her coworkers.”

“It was a good trade off” anyway, he explained. “Those things were really quite insignificant compared to the joy …that we received from our relationship.”

“I think whenever two people (men, women, gay, straight, whatever) love each other enough to want to make a commitment to share their lives (platonic or otherwise and with a legal document or without it), it is a beautiful thing,” he explained. “True love is always a miracle, regardless of the circumstances, or maybe in spite of them.”

Danny and Irene lived together for their entire marriage until about a year ago, when she was moved into a nursing home. He calls her every day and visits as often as he can.

Discrimination in its many forms is not the only adversity Danny has faced in his life. Danny has recovered from addictions to codeine, Valium and cigarettes. He is also an alcoholic, and had his last drink in 1982 when he was convicted of driving while intoxicated. “The judge [at his DWI hearing] talked to me about who I was and he told me that I was the scum of the earth,” he explained. “…He made me believe that and I’m so thankful that he did because when I walked out of there I thought, ‘If that’s what I am, I can never, ever drink again.’”

Vicky Vogue is better known than Danny Winter is. Vicky has lived in Danny’s heart since he was five years old, when he stole a doll from his neighbor and played with it in secret in his basement because his parents wouldn’t buy him one. He has fun with it, but wants people to remember that Vicky is not all that he is. He explained that no one will ever know all there is to know about him. “Even I don't,” he explained. “Just when I think I've figured myself out I learn something new and unexpected.”

Danny has been doing drag in public in Buffalo since he was in his late teens, when he made his first appearance at Ryan’s Hotel Niagara. In those days, however, it was illegal to dress in drag in public unless it was Halloween. The drag queens would walk the bar at Ryan’s each Halloween when the winners of the drag contest were picked. “The only problem was the ceiling fans,” Danny explained. “When we were walking the bar the fans were at the level of our foreheads and we had to be very careful that one of them didn't grab our wig and sling it across the room.”

Vicky has served as the reigning empress of the Imperial Court of Buffalo twice, in ’96-’97 (reign VI) and ’01-’02 (reign XI). She has been involved with the Imperial Court for fourteen of the organization’s fifteen years.

“I don’t think I’m a drag queen,” Danny explained. “…I think I am a performance artist …I don’t do really good lip synch and when I sing with my own voice its pretty bad, but I do it and I’m just everybody’s grandma up there on the stage wearing a sequined dress and you know they kind of like it.”

“I don’t ever for one minute kid myself that I am the least bit pretty when I’m in drag,” Danny said. “I’m pretty grotesque is what I am, but that’s okay and I play that up. I can be very elegant, but I still look like…a formidable force…I want to project this motherly, nurturing image…I try to be goofy and comical and keep people laughing.”

Danny performs with the Imperial Court and as a part of Lambert and Vogue, a new theater group he recently organized with his friend Richard Lambert (owner of the New Phoenix Theater). The group has done about four Vaudeville shows since its inception, and it is something that he is very excited about.

The Imperial Court, with Vicky’s help, raised $3,000 for Benedict House this year, and gives about $10,000 a year to local AIDS charities. “It’s a wonderful organization and I’m very dedicated to it,” Danny said of the Imperial Court. “It’s full of drama and melodrama and intrigue and backstabbing and …we all really just love each other…so we just go on doing it and we have a good time.”

“I try very hard to have a relationship with the audience so that they think of me as their friend,” he said of his performances. “…I talk to the audience and I invite them onstage.”

Vicky’s motherly image is not just an image. Danny really is everybody’s grandmother. He is known as a counselor to all of his friends, and is always trying to help people with their problems. “I’m constantly going into…really fairly intense therapy because I’m an active listener,” he explained.

I could tell from the moment I sat down to speak with him a few weeks ago at Hamlin House that Danny is a person who is genuinely interested in each person he meets. After we’d been talking for about an hour, he asked, “Who’s interviewing who?” We had become so involved in talking about my life and my opinions that I’d somewhat lost track of the real reason we were there.

“Years ago I counseled at Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services," he said. “If I had my life to live over again,” he said, “…I would absolutely be a counselor. Somehow, someday, I’m going to do it. I’m determined…I want to do counseling for…people who really just have ordinary everyday problems in living. I want to talk to them about it and I just know I can help. I think it’s just a gift I have…I’m able to help people sort things out and see things that they weren’t able to see and I’m very effective in that way…It’s a gift and I don’t want to waste it.”

Danny offers an insight into gay Buffalo’s history, and he touches every life he comes across. Danny serves as a role model to us all, gay or straight. He teaches us to be true to ourselves, no matter what we are. His honesty and bravery serve as examples of how we should all strive to be.

As we left the restaurant that Friday night, a woman sitting on the porch gestured towards Danny’s big crown necklace he was wearing over his shirt and asked him “are you a king?”

“No,” he answered with a smile. “I’m a queen.”

Melissa Seifert - Cheektowaga Times

2001-08-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Recent Niagara University graduate and lifetime Cheektowaga resident Melissa Seifert will be playing the role of Mabel Washington in Artpark’s production of Fame, opening tonight at 8 p.m and running until Sunday August 26. Seifert graduated from Niagara University in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater, and has been performing since the age of ten. She appeared last year in Artpark’s production of Man of La Mancha as a member of the ensemble cast. This summer, she returns with a featured role.

Seifert, a Maryvale High School graduate, has played a variety of roles since her theater debut at the age of ten as a member of Cheektowaga’s Young and Young at Heart Players, now defunct. Her interest in theater and the performing arts came long before then, however. “I don’t really remember how it started…it goes back before I established memories,” she explained. As a child she would watch Singing in the Rain every chance she got. Among the roles she played as a part of the Niagara theater company were Shelby Stevens in Kander and Ebb’s Steel Pier, Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Constance in Dear World, Mama Euralie in Once On This Island, Mrs. Bramson in Night Must Fall and Mrs. Medlock in The Secret Garden. In addition to her hectic schedule of rehearsals for Fame, she has just finished appearing as the narrator in Niagara Falls Summer of Fine Arts’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

While most of her roles thus far have belonged to the traditional Broadway show tune genre, her role in Fame is “different from everything else that I’ve basically done because it’s more of a rock musical,” she said. But Artpark’s production of Fame is not like Alan Parker’s famous 1980 movie. “The characters are basically the same stereotypes but they’re not at the same time and none of the music is the same, so it’s really not the movie at all, but it’s still cool because they talk about it…” explained Seifert.

Siefert’s character, Mabel, is an overweight dance student who “loves to eat, but she doesn’t want to stop for dancing,” and so changes her major from dance to drama, explained Seifert. When her drama teacher tells her she needs to watch her weight, just as her dance teacher had, Mabel has a second epiphany and decides to become a character actress. “I can identify…with my character very much because the entire theater world is very much image-based and then it’s talent-based, but it’s always image-based first,” said Seifert. “When I was younger, I always wanted to play the little ingénue and even going into college I still…thought I could play it and what college taught me was that I’m a character actress,” she said with a laugh. “The roles I’m built for and the roles that…I will hope to be playing in the future are incredible,” despite not being what she always imagined for herself, she explained. “They’re much more fun, in my opinion, than playing a straight character” she said.

Performing is Seifert’s life’s passion. This fact is obvious from the way her eyes light up as she talks about being on stage: “It’s indescribable…there’s nothing else in the world I would rather be doing…it’s something that’s in your blood, and when you get up on stage…you just look out and you…see all of these seats and all of these people, and the adrenaline just kicks in and it’s just like you’re outside of yourself…when you do it right, it’s just incredible.”

Seifert’s favorite role was Shelby Stevens in Steel Pier a couple of years ago. The musical was on Broadway in 1997, and was nominated for several Tonys. Seifert recalls creators John Kander, Frank Ebb and David Thompson watching rehearsals of Niagara University’s production of their musical, and attending some of the shows. “To be in that cast was just incredible,” she explained. “My character…had this song called ‘Everybody’s Girl,’ and that’s basically what she was…Frank Ebb sang the song to me, and he was just explaining to me about my character and how the song shouldn’t be sung this way, because she wouldn’t do it that way…I mean it was the creators of the show giving me first-hand knowledge of what their brainchild was…I’ll never forget that...”

Seifert plans to continue her pursuit of an acting career. She plans on moving to Chicago in a year or so to immerse herself in the theater culture there. “Eventually I’m going to go to graduate school and get my Master’s and Ph.D. so I can teach. I’d really like to go back up to Niagara University and teach there…I’d love to give something back to that community that gave me so much.” She is well on her way to reaching her lifelong dreams.

“I have little goals set up, the things that I need to achieve before I can hit the next plateau. Performing in Artpark was one of them…My parents would take me when I was younger to see [it] and I remember seeing one of their West Side Storys…and I saw it and I was just so blown away…I was just like, ‘I need to perform on that stage sometime.’” And tonight, she will.
Call Artpark at 754-9000 to order tickets. Fame runs through August 26.