Michael Sam makes history
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Vol. 44 • No. 20 • May 15-21, 2014
Harvey Milk SFO terminal idea remains grounded Jane Philomen Cleland
Now, Voyager is being evicted from its Castro location.
Gay travel agency being evicted by Seth Hemmelgarn
A
travel agency founded by gay men that’s been in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood for almost 30 years is being evicted. The fate of Now, Voyager, at 4408 18th Street, comes just over a year after the apparent suicide of founder Jonathan Klein, 61, and the departure of co-founder Peter Greene, 59, who’s been running the business. Greene thinks the landlord, Chandra Maniedeo, wants him out so she can raise the rent. But Maniedeo said Greene had expressed doubts about the survival of his business, and she wants stability in the space. The 60-day eviction notice was given on April 15 to Klein’s estate. Klein left Now, Voyager to Greene in his will, but the probate process hasn’t ended, so Klein’s estate still owns the business. Greene said the eviction notice came after he asked Maniedeo “if we could stay after the probate was finished.” He said the notice came with a letter in which she wrote, “Over the past 1.5 years, I found it to be very worthwhile to subsidize the monthly rent, due to my personal belief that businesses such as Now, Voyager are rare, important, and valuable to any neighborhood. I am saddened that it is now unrealistic for me to continue as things have been.” “To me, that says, ‘I need to get more rent,’” said Greene. In her letter, Maniedeo also noted that the lease allows for either party to give “60-day notice in order to terminate” the tenancy, which is month to month. Greene said the business wasn’t behind on rent, which is $1,700 a month. “She’s operating within the law, there’s no doubt,” said Greene, who declined to share copies of the eviction notice or Maniedeo’s letter but read part of it to a reporter. Greene acknowledged the rent is “below market rate.” He doesn’t know how much he would have been willing to pay, “but I would have liked to have entertained an offer.” He and Klein met on a gay bike trip in China in the early 1980s and started Now, Voyager, which is named after a Bette Davis film, in 1984. Klein bought out Greene’s half of the business about 20 years ago. Greene lived upstairs from the agency but took a buyout after Klein’s death. The agency’s services have included booking gay cruises. Klein is believed to have jumped to his death from the Golden Gate Bridge. Last year, Lieutenant Keith Boyd, assistant chief deputy coroner for Marin County, said in an email to the Bay Area Reporter, “We are working a case involving Jonathan Klein ... who See page 12 >>
San Francisco International Airport was awash in rainbow lights for Pride last year; Mayor Ed Lee has yet to name people to a city panel tasked with choosing a terminal to name after slain supervisor Harvey Milk.
by Matthew S. Bajko
T
he plan to name a terminal at San Francisco International Airport in honor of the city’s first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, remains grounded a year after initially being proposed. Last spring Mayor Ed Lee and gay District 9 Supervisor David Campos agreed to form an advisory committee that would recommend which of the airport’s four terminals should be named after Milk, who was killed
inside City Hall the morning of November 27, 1978 along with then-Mayor George Moscone by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White. The compromise came after Campos shocked the city in early 2013 with his proposal to rename the entire airport in recognition of Milk. The idea drew widespread criticism, including from within the local LGBT community, and Campos was unable to secure the six votes he needed on the Board of Supervisors to place an amendment to the city’s char-
ter, which refers to the San Francisco Airport, before voters for approval. Lee, who also publicly questioned the merits of designating SFO after Milk, worked with Campos to broker the deal establishing the Airport Facilities Naming Advisory Committee. The supervisors would select four members and the mayor would appoint five people to the advisory panel. It not only would be tasked with suggesting either the airport’s international terminal See page 5 >>
Lee backfills HIV funding by Seth Hemmelgarn
tive, previously served as AIDS policy adviser to former Mayor Gavin an Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has Newsom agreed to backfill an estimated Sheehy spoke of progress in the $2.7 million in HIV-related city’s efforts to cut the number of funding cuts that had been expected new HIV infections and said, “I nevfor next fiscal year. er thought we would be able to talk Representatives from Lee’s office about getting to zero.” announced the move at a recent At the regular meeting of the city’s hearing called for by gay Supervisor HIV Prevention Planning Council Rick Gerharter Scott Wiener. May 8, Dr. Susan Scheer, who’s with Mayor Ed Lee “I’m thrilled that Mayor Lee is actthe Applied Research, Community ing to ensure that our safety net for Health Epidemiology and Surveilthose living with HIV will be mainlance unit of the city’s Health Detained and that San Francisco will continue its in- partment, also noted the progress. novative work to reduce new infections,” Wiener, Scheer presented data showing that there were who had called the May 7 hearing to assess federal 332 new HIV diagnoses in the city in 2013. She budget cuts to HIV services, said in a news release. said she’s “very happy” the numbers are trending “Lives depend on this funding, and today we again have demonstrated San Francisco’s support for those living with and at risk for HIV.” Wiener added that the city has for years made up for gaps in federal funding. “We’ve consistently backfilled federal HIV Governor: Jerry Brown budget cuts in our local budget, and today, Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom we’ve again shown our commitment as a city to Attorney General: Kamala Harris combat this disease.” Secretary of State: Alex Padilla The cuts for care services through the Ryan Treasurer: John Chiang White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Controller: Betty Yee Act, as well as prevention work through the Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Superintendent of Public Instruction: had been meant for the 2014-15 fiscal year. San Tom Torlakson Francisco officials are in the midst of preparing Board of Equalization (District 1): next year’s budget. Fiona Ma Since 2011, Lee and the Board of Supervisors “have backfilled more than $20 million in federal State Assembly (San Francisco) HIV cuts,” according to Wiener’s office. Dist. 17: David Chiu After the funding restoration was anDist. 19: Phil Ting nounced, people who had come to the hearing at the supervisors’ Budget and Finance ComState Assembly (Bay Area) mittee to plead for help expressed their gratiDist. 15: Elizabeth Echols tude and spoke of the funding’s importance. Dist. 18: Rob Bonta Michael Smithwick, executive director of Dist. 24: Rich Gordon Maitri hospice, said he was grateful but added, Dist. 28: Evan Low “AIDS is not a problem that’s over, especially for the poor.” Congress (Bay Area) Others at the hearing also spoke of the need Dist. 2: Jared Huffman for more assistance to Latinos in order to help Dist. 3: John Garamendi them overcome barriers when it comes to preDist. 5: Mike Thompson venting HIV. Dist. 10: Michael Eggman Jeff Sheehy, who’s openly gay and HIV-posi-
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Courtesy SFO
down, adding, “We were a little worried in 2012,” when there were 428 new HIV diagnoses.
Governor’s budget
In his revised state budget for next year, which was released Tuesday, California Governor Jerry Brown put forward some proposals affecting people living with AIDS. Those proposals include $26.1 million in federal funds to add two new hepatitis C virus drugs to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program formulary. Many people living with AIDS are co-infected with hepatitis C. According to Brown’s office, the ADAP Medical Advisory Committee recommended the drugs “because they provide a significant improvement in treatment, have a better cure rate, and require a shorter treatment duration.”t
B.A.R. election endorsements DEMOCRATIC PRIM ARY Dist. 11: Mark DeSaulnier Dist. 12: Nancy Pelosi Dist. 13: Barbara Lee Dist. 14: Jackie Speier Dist. 15: Eric Swalwell Dist. 17: Mike Honda Dist. 18: Anna Eshoo Dist. 19: Zoe Lofgren Judges SF Superior Court Office 20: Daniel Flores Other races Alameda County Bd. of Ed. Area 1: Joaquin Rivera SAN FRANCISCO PROPS Prop A YES Prop B NO CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS Prop 41: YES Prop 42: YES
Remember to vote on June 3!