DoxyPEP works, research shows
13
Eddie Izzard's 'Hamlet'
ARTS
Legacy status for nail salon
ARTS
08
02
13
SF Ballet
The
www.ebar.com
Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities since 1971
Vol. 55 • No. 13 • March 27-April 2, 2025
Three long-term HIV survivors reflect on COVID five years on by John Ferrannini
John Ferrannini
Sharon Johnson spoke at the dedication of the Harry Britt Building at City College of San Francisco.
City College dedicates Britt building by John Ferrannini
C
ity College of San Francisco officially dedicated a building for the late gay supervisor Harry Britt during a ceremony Tuesday afternoon. Confidantes of the progressive leader and community college officials provided remarks prior to the official renaming of the school’s newly built Multi-Use Building. The four-level, 102,000 square foot academic multi-use building on CCSF’s main campus will be called the Harry Britt Building. The community college’s oversight board had voted in 2020 to name a campus structure in honor of Britt, and as the Bay Area Reporter reported https://www. ebar.com/story/73153 in late 2023, it decided on the MUB located at 50 Frida Kahlo Way, which is named in honor of the late famed bisexual artist. Coming as public schools at all levels are being threatened by the Trump administration for supporting LGBTQ students, college officials noted that having Britt’s name on one of their buildings not only honors his legacy, but is also a visible declaration that the 89-year-old community college will continue to stand up for the LGBTQ community. “This renaming ceremony highlights the significance of the role Harry Britt played in shaping San Francisco. As a proud and visible member of the queer community, Harry Britt called attention to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ people and advocated for equality,” stated gay CCSF interim Chancellor Mitchell Bailey, one of four finalists up for the chancellor position. “Having his name on a City College building not only honors his legacy, it also sends a clear message to our queer students, employees and members of our community that they are welcomed, supported and celebrated at City College.” Two years ago, college board members were unclear on how soon the new signage for the Britt building would be revealed due to the costs involved. College board member Alan Wong had told the B.A.R. that the cash-strapped school may need to find private funds to pay for it. Gay former state legislator and San Francisco supervisor Tom Ammiano, a close friend and colleague of Britt’s, told the B.A.R. that he first saw the new signs last month. There is Harry Britt Building signage on all four sides of the building, he noted. See page 8 >>
W
hen much of the world was first introduced to physical distancing when COVID broke out in 2020, gay San Francisco resident Kevin Bradley already knew what it meant to isolate. “When I got HIV, I got really sick,” Bradley said during a phone interview, referring to over two decades earlier, when he started experiencing opportunistic infections – Kaposi’s sarcoma and thrush – in the 1990s. “It was horrendous. I had four T-cells.” At that time, Bradley also had wasting syndrome, “horrible, horrible diarrhea,” and frightening dreams, he said. Because his immune system was weakened, Bradley was advised at the time that he should keep to himself as much as he could. “I went to doctor’s appointments, went home, would eat by myself,” he recalled. Bradley, 70, had first moved to the city from the Ohio Valley in 1977 with a “buddy and a lover,” he said. “I used to be very social when I was younger and hotter,” Bradley said. “But when I got sick with HIV and started isolating, I found comfort in that. … I learned how to live and function like that.”
Jane Philomen Cleland
Kevin Bradley, who is living with HIV, adjusted pretty well to COVID isolations five years ago after spending time alone decades ago when he was severely ill.
Bradley started taking protease inhibitors in 1998, and his HIV-related symptoms improved greatly. But he didn’t forget how he’d learned to pass the time alone. “When COVID started, not only was I prepared for it, but I found solace in that I knew the routine,” Bradley said. “I’m going to die
alone – and, not to be too morbid about it, I’m kind of OK with that.” Jeff Taylor was among those who started the HIV+Aging Research Project-Palm Springs, of which he’s now the executive director, two decades ago. An HIV-positive gay man who said he first contracted the virus 42 years ago, Taylor was enrolled in one of the first clinical trials for azidothymidine, or AZT, a very early treatment for AIDS. When COVID started, Taylor said members of the project “decided to use our contacts in the community to do monthly Zoom meetings.” “We called it the COVID task force,” he said, and they met with service providers and the Riverside County Department of Public Health. Taylor was dismayed by what he saw as a similar phenomenon of politicization regarding HIV, COVID, and the mpox outbreak, which was in 2022. “AIDS at the time was much more fatal than COVID ever was,” Taylor, who was 57 in 2020, said. “A lot of us got [post-traumatic stress disorder] by watching the same shitshow unfold, with the CDC dropping the ball. [President Donald] Trump first ignored the problem, then made light of it.” See page 4 >>
La Crema wine will sponsor SF Pride by Cynthia Laird
A
local wine company has returned to the fold as a sponsor of the San Francisco Pride parade and celebration. According to SF Pride, La Crema said March 19 that it would be a sponsor again this year; the company maintains it never withdrew. The Bay Area Reporter noted in a previous story that La Crema was one of four companies that have dropped their sponsorships this year, and that was confirmed by SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford. The others are Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and Diageo, an alcoholic beverage company that makes popular brands such as Johnny Walker. But that changed last Wednesday, Ford, a transgender woman, told the Bay Area Reporter in a brief phone call March 20. SF Pride also issued a statement attributed to Ford. “About a month ago, we were initially informed that La Crema would not be participating in our event this year, which was disappointing.” Ford stated. “We called them to try to get them to reconsider and we were told that we could put in a request for donated wine. “However, yesterday, La Crema indicated they would be returning as a sponsor,” Ford added. “We’re working with their team on details and hope to have something signed soon. We are incredibly grateful for their renewed support and their commitment to finding a meaningful way to partner with us!”
Courtesy La Crema
La Crema’s larger mobile wine tasting room has been a big hit at prior San Francisco Pride celebrations.
A La Crema spokesperson had a slightly different take and maintained the company had not withdrawn as a sponsor. “La Crema has not withdrawn from San Francisco Pride and remains a proud partner,” stated Janel Lubanski, PR director for La Crema. “We will be present at the celebration in June and will continue to support this important organization.
La Crema has been a steadfast supporter of the LGBTQ+ community for decades and our values have not changed.” The B.A.R. asked Lubanski about the fact that earlier this week, Ford had confirmed that La Crema would not be a sponsor. But Lubanski denied that. See page 10 >>