September 3, 2026 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

Plans to fill storefronts

WNBA fans help LYRIC

ARTS

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B.A.R.

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Vol. 56 • No. 36 • September 3-9, 2026

California legislators pass LGBTQ health, youth bills by Matthew S. Bajko

Courtesy Openhouse

A rendering shows the proposed affordable senior housing project that Mercy Housing and Openhouse are partnering on.

Funds for LGBTQ senior housing OK’d by Matthew S. Bajko

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state panel that allocates funding to housing projects across California has awarded financing to an LGBTQ-affirming senior housing development in San Francisco. It was one of the last hurdles the project sponsors needed to clear in order to break ground on the 185 affordable apartments sometime in early 2027. See page 8 >>

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number of bills related to LGBTQ health issues and youth passed out of the California Legislature this session and are headed to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom. He has until September 30 to either sign them into law or veto the legislation. Senate Bill 1023 authored by gay state Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) aims to ensure nonprofit service providers that furnish an injectable form of the HIV prevention medication PrEP via their own pharmacies can recoup their costs for doing so. As the Bay Area Reporter has previously reported, some insurance policies restrict injectable PrEP coverage to their medical benefit for policyholders, which can cause problems for agencies like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in being reimbursed. Laird’s bill, which passed out of the Legislature August 25, is among the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus’ priority bills this session. Co-sponsors of it include gay outgoing Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Department of Insurance, statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California, and nonprofit healthcare providers AIDS Project LA Health and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “PrEP works, and people should be able to access it regardless of where they receive care,” stated Laird. “SB 1023 removes a barrier that has made it harder

Courtesy Senate and Assembly offices and Facebook

State Senator Christopher Cabaldon, left, saw his bill advance to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom. One of Assemblymember Mark González’s bills was made inactive. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and state Senator John Laird had bills advance. Newsom has until September 30 to take action.

for community clinics and smaller providers to offer this important HIV prevention medication. I’m pleased to see it pass the Legislature and look forward to the governor’s consideration.” SB 1114 from gay Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo) aims to strengthen privacy protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex

data by limiting when state agencies can share the SOGI information. If signed into law by Newsom, sent the bill August 26, then LGBTQ data couldn’t be disclosed outside of California state government, except under limited circumstances. See page 8 >>

Meetings set for designating SF’s Castro a historic district Steven Underhill

Attendees watched others at last year’s Folsom Street Fair; health officials urge those who may be at risk for mpox to get vaccinated now.

Mpox vax urged ahead of Folsom by John Ferrannini

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he San Francisco Department of Public Health is urging those who haven’t to get their two-dose Jynneos vaccine to protect against mpox. The department issued a news release in advance of the Folsom Street Fair and associated festivities next month. “While we are in a much better place than we were during the 2022 outbreak, mpox infections can and still do occur,” San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip stated in the release. “SFDPH wants people to have a fun and healthy Folsom Street Fair weekend. We strongly encourage people at risk of getting mpox to know the symptoms and be fully vaccinated. There is still time to start the vaccine series before the events.” See page 8 >>

by Matthew S. Bajko

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ith his days in office numbered, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is working through a to-do list of items he would like to finish before he is termed out of office next year. One such matter is designating the heart of the city’s LGBTQ Castro neighborhood as a historic district. Doing so has been discussed for decades among preservationists and historians concerned about seeing properties tied to the birth in the 1970s of one of the country’s most beloved “gayborhoods” be torn down and replaced with infill housing developments devoid of the characterdefining features of the existing buildings. A number were built in various Victorian architectural styles and today house businesses, nonprofits, and residents. In 2019, city officials designated the Castro as an LGBTQ cultural district in order to help preserve its status as a haven for queer and transgender people from across the country and globe. But the designation did nothing to protect the buildings within its boundaries. Now, historic preservation matters have taken on greater importance at City Hall following the upzoning adopted by the supervisors and pushed by Mayor Daniel Lurie to allow denser residen-

LIVING LONGER

STARTS WITH LIVING IN THE

RIGHT PLACE

Cynthia Laird

People lined up to attend a show at the Castro Theatre. San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman is looking at creating a Castro Historic District in the heart of the LGBTQ neighborhood.

tial developments to be built on parcels across the city. In response, planning officials have been working with various members of the board to designate individual properties across their districts as local landmarks. Mandelman, who is board president, was the first to kickstart the process to landmark historic

sites in the neighborhoods he represents. As the Bay Area Reporter has been reporting, a number relate specifically to LGBTQ history, such as the 127-year-old Queen Anne Victorian once resided in by the late gay U.S. Ambassador James C. Hormel. See page 4 >>

Discover how your home and community influence your health, happiness, and future with bestselling author and longevity expert Ryan Frederick. Thursday, September 10, 2026 RSVP at SequoiaLiving.org/PlacePlan

<< Election 2026

2 • Bay Area Reporter • September 3-9, 2026

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Yekutiel walks Castro’s vacant storefronts, pitches plan by JL Odom

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here’s a simple way to get a sense of a place: Go there. San Francisco District 8 supervisor candidate Emanuel “Manny” Yekutiel recently did just that, spending a sunny Tuesday afternoon walking Market, Castro, and 18th streets to get a firsthand look at one of the LGBTQ neighborhood’s most visible problems: vacant storefronts. Accompanied by campaign staff, civic leaders, and business owners, Yekutiel stopped at empty storefront after empty storefront, noting their locations, discussing what they could become and keeping count. He’s determined to bring an end to the vacancies that have become fixtures along the Castro’s commercial corridors. “This is the beginning of the final chapter of all these vacancies,” Yekutiel said. “We’re all collectively witnessing them.” Yekutiel’s September 1 walk came just days after the San Francisco Democratic Party narrowly endorsed him in the race for the open District 8 seat on the Board of Supervisors, a closely watched contest on the November 3 ballot, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported. The party’s Democratic County Central Committee voted 12-10 after three rounds of voting to sole endorse Yekutiel rather than make no endorse-

ment. The D8 seat is being vacated by termed-out gay Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, currently board president, who endorsed Yekutiel early in the race and has continued to support him after gay San Francisco resident Brad Chapin accused Yekutiel of sexually assaulting him at a private party in 2020. Yekutiel has strongly denied the allegation. Yekutiel, who owns an eponymously named cafe and events space in the Mission District, centers on three priorities in his campaign plan for vacant storefronts: working directly with landlords to identify prospective tenants and reduce unnecessary red tape; supporting temporary pop-ups while permanent tenants are found; and strengthening the city’s vacancy tax to discourage property owners from leaving storefronts empty indefinitely. His campaign has identified 63 vacant storefronts across District 8. Joel Gentes, the campaign’s director of technology and data, rode his bike throughout the district, photographing empty storefronts and recording their addresses before compiling the information into a spreadsheet. “We physically went throughout the district because there were no good data sets that were publicly available – we created our own,” Yekutiel said. The campaign will also compare its findings with the Castro Merchants Association’s list of vacant storefronts.

JL Odom

Castro small business owner Jeffrey Wang, left, whose store, Entour, is closing, talked with District 8 supervisor candidate Emanuel “Manny” Yekutiel, who stopped by with former supervisor Bevan Dufty during a September 1 tour of the LGBTQ Neighborhood.

But, as the B.A.R. has noted in previous coverage, the number of such vacancies is fluid and somewhat misleading, as spaces that appear empty sometimes have been leased to new tenants whose openings can be delayed by either construction or permitting issues. Nate Bourg, a gay man who is the president of the Castro Merchants Association and co-founder of The Academy, a private social club, expressed support for Yekutiel’s approach during the walk. (The merchants group does not endorse candidates in political races, though Bourg has personally endorsed Yekutiel in the contest.) Serving the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ+ Community Since 1999. “It’s really exciting how many opportunities there are in the Castro to fill, • Probate • Wills/Trusts especially some of the notable vacan• Trust Admin • Estate Planning cies, but even down to the smaller ones,” FLAT FEE! Bourg said. “We’re not going to make big Flood Building, 870 Market St, Suite 420 progress if we think incrementally.” Now that the campaign has pinBy Appointment only! 415-421-1893 pointed the locations of the vacant www.ShelleySFeinberg.com • trust@shelleysfeinberg.com storefronts, Yekutiel said the next step is to contact the landlords behind each to learn the backstory. “We want to understand why it’s vaShelley_S_Feinberg_2x2_032025.indd 1 3/13/25 7:45 PM cant, if they’ve actively been trying to see tenants, if there’s an issue with the city, [or] if there’s a physical infrastructural issue with the space,” said Yekutiel, who rented a former bank location on 24th Street in Noe Valley for his campaign headquarters. Yekutiel said his campaign is focused on storefronts without active businesses, even if a space has technically been leased. “From the perspective of a resident, I think a vacancy is a vacancy, so it’s really about having them be filled,” he said. “Sometimes you can have a storefront that’s leased, but they never actually move in, or it takes years to get the construction done, so I still consider it vacant.” Some previously empty storefronts elsewhere in District 8 have recently been filled, he noted, including the former Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy space in Cole Valley, now home to Double Black SF cafe, and the long-vacant 24th Street Cheese Company space in Noe Valley, where Sala Thai Massage was approved to open last September by the city’s planning commission but has yet to do so. New storefronts have opened in Glen Park as well. “There’s been some action in the outer neighborhoods – we’ll have to see how the Castro compares,” Yekutiel said. The early legwork, he said, is intended to give him a head start if voters elect him. “We don’t want to have to do all this work starting in November – we want to have it all ready so that we can get to work as soon as possible,” he said. Yekutiel supports converting underused sites along Castro and Market streets – including existing gas stations and the long-vacant Pottery Barn site at the intersection – into housing. During the walk, Yekutiel stopped at a particularly dilapidated storefront at the corner of Sanchez and Market streets. The space was boarded up and covered

Law Office of Shelley S. Feinberg

in graffiti, as work to demolish it for new housing has stalled. (Plans to turn the prominent corner space into a mixeduse development with apartments over retail have been in the works for more than a decade, as the B.A.R. noted in a 2016 story about several housing redevelopments proposed for upper Market Street in the Castro, with SF Yimby noting in 2024 that construction on an even larger building at the site was to begin earlier this year. https://sfyimby. com/2024/09/permit-activity-for2201-market-street-san-francisco.html) “It’s in the middle of the district – a prime location,” Yekutiel said. “It’s been vacant for years and years and years, basically functioning as a parking lot. It should be housing with a ground floor for a retail establishment, restaurant, nightclub, or something [else].” He also wants to help businesses open in vacant storefronts through grants of up to $100,000, which could be used for construction, materials, or other costs associated with getting a business up and running. Other proposals include simplifying zoning rules that make it difficult to open businesses in neighborhood commercial areas and offering tax incentives to businesses that stay open later. His broader platform calls for a 4 a.m. closing time for bars, 24-hour Muni service and cleaner, safer and more vibrant streets. He has his eyes on rebuilding and renovating Harvey Milk Plaza and Jane Warner Plaza as well. The Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza has spearheaded a renovation for Milk plaza above the Castro Muni Station that is expected to break ground later this year, while a decadelong-planned new four-stop elevator within the public parklet for the subway station is scheduled to open this fall. As for Jane Warner Plaza across the street, Mandelman had city transit officials draw up potential plans for how to revamp the outdoor piazza carved out of a section of 17th Street between Castro and Hartford streets. As the B.A.R. reported two years ago, the suggested ideas would cost millions of dollars to implement, with no funding source secured at the moment. “We’d work with the community to figure out what the community wants, but, in my mind, I feel like finding a way to change the F-line [streetcar] turnaround so it’s not through Jane Warner Plaza,” said Yekutiel, who previously served on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors. His vision includes removing the rails, raising the concrete, and creating “an actual plaza” with landscaping, seating, activations, and entertainment, including music and theater performances.

Fellow District 8 candidates weigh in

Yekutiel’s approach to vacant storefronts is not unique among the District 8 candidates in that all seek to address the issue head-on.

District 8 candidate and Noe Valley resident Darshini Patel, a bisexual and queer woman who used to work at DoorDash, said the city first needs to better enforce its existing vacancy tax and close loopholes that allow some persistently empty properties to avoid it. “My understanding is the city largely tracks vacancies based on that vacancy tax,” Patel said in a phone call with the B.A.R. “Because they’re not enforcing it, we actually don’t have an accurate count of how many stores are vacant.” She said the city should also work more closely with merchants who are already tracking vacant storefronts themselves. “I know that, at least in the Castro, some of the merchants here have started their own database where they’re tracking which stores are vacant and which have been vacant for a while,” said Patel, who is renting a vacant retail space on the 500 block of Castro Street for her campaign headquarters. “They have a more robust system than what the city does, which is unfortunate.” She wants to pair that focus on stronger enforcement with an expansion of the city’s Vacant to Vibrant program https://www.vibrantsf.org, which helps activate empty storefronts with temporary businesses. She also proposed a community fundraising model in which residents could raise money for projects and receive matching public funds, allowing vacant spaces to be used for more than traditional retail. “It could be performance spaces if we wanted,” she said. “Maybe someone wants to help to raise funds for a shortterm gallery. It could be any number of things – it doesn’t have to be stores.” For the long-vacant Pottery Barn space on Market Street, Patel said she would want to involve the community before deciding what should go there. One possibility she has explored is a daytime drop-in center for unhoused people, offering a community lounge space, showers, and laundry facilities. The site has been eyed for various uses, such as affordable housing or a LGBTQ cultural institution, but the property owner has sought too high a price for the city to purchase it, Mandelman said during a discussion several years ago. “We talk a lot about how to get people off the street, but then not enough about how do we then help them find and maintain jobs so they can earn a living and stay off the street,” Patel said. District 8 candidate Gary McCoy, a gay longtime political aide to Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) who’s on leave from her healthcare campaign, said the city should both penalize property owners who keep storefronts vacant and create incentives for them to fill the spaces, even temporarily. He leased a vacant retail space fronting Jane Warner Plaza for his campaign headquarters. See page 3 >>

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Community News>>

September 3-9, 2026 • Bay Area Repor ter • 3

Valkyries fans help LYRIC queer youth agency by George Faville

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he protests over trans athletes that have erupted at WNBA games across the country, including the Golden State Valkyries, has led one fan to use the discourse for good. An online fundraising campaign has been launched to benefit LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ Youth in San Francisco. On August 10, Heather Green, a lesbian who has been a fan of the Valkyries since the expansion team’s announcement in 2023, started a GoFundMe campaign in honor of Gabby Williams, a queer woman who is one of the team’s stars and who has spoken out about trans inclusivity. Called “Backlash to Giveback – in Honor of Gabby Williams,” donations support LYRIC, which works with queer youth. Green wrote in an email to the Bay Area Reporter that this is her second GoFundMe, the first being for a coworker who was diagnosed with cancer. Green has had no communication with the Valkyries about the fundraiser, and is not connected to the team outside of watching the games. Nor is she connected with LYRIC, although loving the Valkyries could make her fast friends there. “We’re big fans,” Gael Lala-Chávez, who is nonbinary and the executive director and president of LYRIC, said in an in-person interview about the Valkyries. They added that the Valkyries have supported the organization and been a sponsor at its annual fundraiser since the team’s inception. The Valkyries inaugural season was in 2025. The Valkyries have recently been brought into the wider debate concerning trans athletes, which became a topic after anti-trans comments made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham were published in her ESPN feature last month. At Fever games – at home and on

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Vacant storefronts

From page 2

“A lot of the challenge – in the Castro in particular – is that we’ve got two or three property owners that just refuse to rent out their property and it’s been sitting vacant [and] boarded up for a very long time,” McCoy said in a phone call with the B.A.R. McCoy said he has seen the problem firsthand. While serving as Pelosi’s political director, he helped look for space for her Castro volunteer hub. The campaign used Les Natali’s space at 541 Castro on a month-to-month basis for several years, McCoy said, but the property owner declined to negotiate a longer-term lease because he was holding out for a formula-retail tenant. In addition to finding ways to encourage property owners to make their spaces available, including for shortterm pop-ups for artists, entertainers, and startups, McCoy said the city also needs to do more to help existing small businesses stay open. “I want to look at what we can be doing for them in terms of potentially reforming a lot of the annual permits that are required for them and see where

Williams, Courtesy GoFundMe page; Lala-Chávez, Cheryl Lala-Chávez

An online fundraiser in honor of Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams, left, benefits San Francisco queer youth nonprofit LYRIC, whose executive director and president is Gael Lala-Chávez.

the road – since then, rallies have been held both for and against Cunningham. Fans wearing XX-XY shirts, a clothing brand whose mission is to prevent trans inclusion in women’s sports, have made headlines at two Fever road games: for a confrontation with Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton and another when fans were asked by security to cover up the shirts at an Atlanta Dream game. (The WNBA later said security should not have asked the fans to cover up the shirts.) The league has never had a trans woman play in it, and its collectively bargained eligibility criteria states simply that players must be “women,” with no further definition. Earlier this month, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, in a stunt characterized as “bad-faith” by a WNBA spokesperson, used that ambiguity and said they identified as trans women and hoped to qualify for the 2027 draft. (The WNBA drafts its players from collegiate women’s basketball programs, with top talent coming from powerhouse NCAA schools.)

“I just think those dudes are clowns,” Green wrote in an email, referring to Freedom and White. At Sunday’s Chicago-Indiana game, Freedom sat courtside wearing a shirt reading “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” Sky guard Natasha Cloud, who is bisexual, confronted him during a timeout in the third quarter, resulting in his removal from the game. After the game, she posted on Threads: “To every trans kid/ person, You are a part of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me.” Last month, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase called for trans inclusion, and a May clip from Williams expressing her support for trans athletes went viral. “Trans rights now is our new battle,” she said in the clip. “I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team any time. I don’t think it’s a problem in the world, it’s just another way to attack trans people.” Green wrote in an email about Cloud and Williams, “I think it’s great that people are speaking up – again I think it’s sad

we can waive fees on some of those and eliminate the ones that aren’t posing any type of safety concerns,” he said. He pointed to Castro Coffee Co. and Castro Nail Salon, small businesses he said he helped try to keep in the neighborhood after they struggled to find suitable long-term leases. Castro Nail Salon eventually moved to 18th and Eureka streets, while Castro Coffee Co. moved into a smaller space on Castro Street. Both businesses previously flanked the Castro Theatre, as the B.A.R. previously reported. Their leases were not renewed by the Nasser family that owns the historic movie house, which includes the storefronts. https://www. ebar.com/story/167468 McCoy is widely viewed as Yekutiel’s strongest challenger and has secured endorsements from both of San Francisco’s leading LGBTQ political clubs, the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic clubs. Alice endorsed McCoy outright, while Milk designated him as its first choice, as previously reported by the B.A.R. District 8 candidate Michael Trung Nguyen, a gay patent attorney also known by his drag persona Juicy Liu, received Milk’s second-choice endorse-

ment in the race, which will be decided by ranked choice voting. He has yet to announce finding a space to rent for his campaign, recently telling the B.A.R. there weren’t many good options to do so in the supervisorial district. Commenting on the need to fill retail vacancies to create a safer district, Nguyen echoed Patel’s support for the city’s Vacant to Vibrant program. “D8 has 63 empty storefronts right now, and every one of them is a corridor that’s less safe and less alive,” he wrote in a statement to the B.A.R. “I’ve proposed a Vacant to Vibrant program that extends city investment and support to a full two years, instead of the current three months, so small businesses actually have a shot at getting established. I’d pair that with commercial rent stabilization, so existing businesses aren’t priced out the moment their lease turns over.” “Active storefronts are also a public safety strategy. Well-lit corridors with real foot traffic give us the eyes on the street that actually keeps people safe, and that’s the kind of vibrancy I want to bring back to our commercial corridors,” he continued.

McCoy, Rick Gerharter; Nguyen and Patel, courtesy the campaigns

District 8 supervisor candidates Gary McCoy, left, Michael Trung Nguyen, and Darshini Patel offered their plans on filling vacant storefronts.

Envisioning future occupancies

Those who joined Yekutiel on the Castro walk had their own ideas for what the vacant storefronts could become: a doughnut shop, a coffeehouse, a new restaurant. Suzanne Ford, who is the executive director of San Francisco Pride and the first trans woman to hold the office, said she would like to see a treatment center open in the Castro, as well as a trans-owned business. She emphasized that she was at the walk in her personal capacity and not representing SF Pride. “[It] would be revolutionary,” Ford, a Castro resident, said of a trans-owned establishment. In fact, the Lobby bar on 18th Street across from the Castro’s Mollie Stone’s Market is owned by Grace Huntley, a trans woman, as the San Francisco Standard reported last September.

this has even turned into an issue at all.” On August 12, the local group Rainbow Families Action, a trans rights organization connected to the LGBTQ+ family resource nonprofit Rainbow Families, held a pre-game rally before the Valkyries-Sky game outside of Chase Center to thank Williams and Nakase for their comments and support. The following week, a rally by antitrans groups Women Are Real, LGB Alliance, Our Duty, and Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender was held prior to the Valkyries-Minnesota Lynx game. It was met by impromptu counterprotesters, many wielding posters that RFA had passed out for the same game. WAR’s X feed regularly misgenders trans women and is critical of political leaders who support trans rights. In a post to the Valkyries subreddit created on August 9 by Green as u/ freckledoodledee titled, “Can we do something for Gabby,” she and commenters discussed how Williams had seemed down in interviews after the explosive online reaction to her clip. Among suggestions for supportive chants and signs, the commenter u/ care_freebomb brought up the idea of a fundraiser, Green noted. Green replied with a link to her newly created GoFundMe, which she also added to the main post, and several commenters said they donated and brought up ideas to promote it. Green wrote in an email that of the current donors, contributing a total of $500 toward the $1,500 goal, she only knows one of the people. Donations range from $20 to $100. Green wrote that she selected LYRIC after researching local nonprofits. “I chose LYRIC because they were a nonprofit that really seemed to specifically target LGBTQ+ youth, and it just seemed really appropriate,” she wrote in an email. She added that she had no communication with LYRIC prior to the fundraiser, but the organization has

since reached out so they could thank the donors. This is the first GoFundMe for LYRIC that Lala-Chávez remembers. Christina Hartman, a straight ally and consultant for LYRIC, said in an interview that 10% of the organization’s funds come from similar third-party fundraisers. LYRIC’s budget is about $6 million, according to its Form 990 tax documents. LYRIC was founded in 1988. It offers critical resources, school and career development programs, sexual health services, advocacy, drop-in recreation, and housing support to LGBTQQ+ youth 12-24 years old. Recently, LYRIC finished its renovations at the Purple House at 127 Collingwood Street, where the organization operates, said Lala-Chávez. The main renovation was to the back garage, they explained, which now has a patio leading from the main house, a multipurpose room, and confidential rooms in the back for one-on-one behavioral health services, case management, and rapid HIV testing. Lala-Chávez said LYRIC youth come both with desperate needs for genderaffirming care, jobs, housing, or basic necessities, and because they are seeking community and support. On August 21, LYRIC gave out backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies to over 80 youth. Lala-Chávez added that fundraising like the GoFundMe goes directly to LYRIC youth and will likely take the form of basic necessities, which have seen a recent increase in demand. “We are very grateful to our community. We actually are able to keep our lights on because of the community, and it is essential having individuals who donate, individuals that volunteer,” said Lala-Chávez. “To me, it’s the reason why LYRIC has been able to exist for close to 40 years.” A spokesperson for the Valkyries did not return a request for comment. t

Bevan Dufty, a gay man and former D8 supervisor, who currently sits on the city’s Homelessness Oversight Commission, was also among the group, occasionally stopping in open stores with Yekutiel to greet owners. “Manny has run a very strong campaign focused on small businesses, which really are the life’s blood of the Castro and the whole city,” said Dufty, who has endorsed Yekutiel. “It creates our identity. It builds community with these businesses that mean so much to people in their neighborhood.” Dufty also served two terms as an elected board member of the regional BART transit system.

“I see business owners talk to him, and they speak the same language, and he’s very passionate,” Dufty said of Yekutiel. “He’s somebody who’s proven that he can get things done, no matter how complex they are.” For Yekutiel, the walk was about identifying vacant storefronts while envisioning what could replace them – and laying the groundwork to begin making that happen. “I won’t be able to do any of this alone,” he told the group. “It’s going to be a big community effort – CBD merchants, the neighborhoods, nonprofits, all together – to get them filled.” t

<< Commentary

4• Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

There’s a light by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

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here is much to say about actor Tim Curry. I let out a shocked gasp the other day as I read the news of Curry’s passing. It isn’t so much out of surprise – we all knew that Curry, who died August 25 at age 80, had a number of health complications over the last few years, including a stroke more than a decade ago. No, it was the shock of knowing a person who had, somehow, ended up being such a part of my history was now gone. Curry had a long and storied career. He was a star of stage and screen, as well as a talented voice actor. He was King Arthur in “Spamalot” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Broadway production of “Amadeus.” On British television, he was William Shakespeare, and on U.S. television, Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries “It.” In movies, he was the Lord of Darkness himself in Ridley Scott’s “Legend” and Wadsworth the butler in “Clue.” He was a standout in “The Hunt for Red October,” “Home Alone 2,” “Annie,” and, of course, “Muppet Treasure Island.” I can’t even start on his voice acting work. The list would seem unending. There was one role, however, that – like it is for so many others – held a special place in my heart. For that, I need to go back to my high school years. Now, I know that for just about any adolescent, these are confusing, awkward times. For me, I was within a body that had simply betrayed me. I had known I was a trans girl from an early age, but the

Christine Smith

Actor Tim Curry died August 25.

body I inhabited, apparently, had other ideas. I felt trapped, hopeless, and leaned heavily into self-hatred. I lived in a suburban city east of Los Angeles, and being a shy and ungainly teen meant that I had few avenues to make friends. Somehow, I ended up getting involved in Dungeons & Dragons and, from that, found a small friend group. Our role-play gaming sessions eventually led to a local gaming convention and, there, a cramped “movie room” where VHS tapes would play in a rotation of gamer-friendly media. The war gamers could watch the “Shaka Zulu” miniseries, us role players could view “Monty Python,” and – at midnight – everyone could assemble to view an old video of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

It was a grainy tape from before they cut the Superheroes sequence from the film, in such bad shape that chunks of Brad and Janet’s walk up to the castle was replaced by warbling static. I was already versed in some of the music from the movie, being an avid listener of Doctor Demento’s weekly radio show, but this was the first time I saw Dr. Frank-N-Furter, as played by Curry, in glorious, poorly tracking, color. I have to step back a moment. “Rocky Horror” was penned by Richard O’Brien in the early 1970s. It exists in an era where David Bow-

ie, Marc Bolan, and the glitter rock era were in full swing, and where gender variance was just a part of the performance. Camp sensibilities are baked into the very DNA of the movie and its homage – some might say parody – of 1950s-era scifi movies. So, if you are looking for a serious exploration of trans lives within its 100-minute runtime – let alone in Curry’s performance – you will find yourself wanting. The movie’s use of “transvestite” might have been somewhat acceptable then, but surely isn’t today. Yet, for me, Curry’s performance in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was like a beacon. Eventually, I had my own grainy VHS tape, then later a long-delayed official release. The convention’s movie room gave way to seeing the film – with a shadow cast – at a nearby theater. Even today, when I hear a song from “Rocky Horror,” my mind instantly inserts call-back lines. There was no bigger star of that movie than Curry. Yes, Dr. FrankN-Furter may have been dreamed up with him at least partially in mind, but he imbued the character with a sexual swagger that made the role something unique. Much like Dr. F r a n k - N - F u r t e r, Curry embodied every character he played, while also allowing his natural charm to drip from every pore. No character was the same, but each was unmistakably Curry in a

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way that made them all compelling. They were over the top, but always memorable. But Dr. Frank-N-Furter helped show a closeted, deeply ashamed, and greatly anguished trans woman that – even though it was just a character in a movie – one could take on a role like this and make it just that raw, that compelling, and that sensuous. It was just a character, and one that never quite meshed with who I was, or am, but Curry was not playing it for laughs. In a movie that is camp and schlock, Curry provides a character that is charming, menacing, and even displays moments of pathos far beyond what the subject matter would seem to allow. A character not afraid to boldly sing that they are a “Sweet Transvestite” while adorned in pearls and black lingerie. The one thing we do not know about is Curry’s own relationships. His personal life was a guarded secret, and something he very much kept to himself. No matter what, he was most certainly an LGBTQ icon, giving each of us the chance to be unapologetically ourselves. So, sure, he gave us camp – but he gave us more than that. For me, he gave me a light to follow, in what was a pretty dark world. With his passing, it’s up to us to let our light shine. t Gwen Smith sees you shiver with antici ... pation. You can find her at www.gwensmith.com. For the Bay Area Reporter’s obituary of Tim Curry, visit https://tinyurl. com/4j5rprka.

Horizons gala honors outgoing prez Doughty compiled by Cynthia Laird

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oger Doughty has led Horizons Foundation for 24 years and, when the LGBTQ philanthropic organization holds its annual gala next month, he will be honored for his service. Doughty, a gay man, announced in January that he would retire at the end of November. The benefit event, “A Night of Pride,” takes place Saturday, October 3, from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell Street in San Francisco’s Union Square. Horizons is best known for its grantmaking to LGBTQ nonprofits in the nine county San Francisco Bay Area. Its grantmaking has grown to $12 million a year. Doughty stated that he’ll be appreciative of the evening. “This year’s Night of Pride will be a bittersweet moment for me – though it will be my last gala as Horizons’ president, I am looking forward to celebrating all that our community has accomplished, not only over the past 24 years of my tenure, but also spanning Horizons’ 46 years of serving as the world’s first LGBTQ community foundation,” he wrote in an email. “I can’t wait to see where Horizons goes from here, and I know the Bay Area LGBTQ community will continue

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Historic district

From page 1

Located at 181 Buena Vista Avenue East on the corner of Duboce Avenue across from Buena Vista Park, the private residence is expected to become a city landmark this fall. The supervisors unanimously adopted the ordinance granting it local historical recognition at their meeting September 1. It now goes to Lurie to finalize. Up next for Mandelman is creating an historic district covering the commercial heart of the Castro. As the B.A.R. first reported in February, he

Courtesy Onyx and Ash

Outgoing Horizons President Roger Doughty will be honored at the organization’s gala.

to be strengthened by the foundation’s wonderful donors, partners, board of directors, and staff,” he added. “I am immensely grateful for everyone who’s supported me in realizing Horizons’ vision of a world where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully.” Horizons’ board months ago engaged a national firm to search for a new leader, as the Bay Area Reporter noted when it spoke to Doughty. is looking to have it cover the 400 and 500 blocks of Castro Street and several blocks on adjoining streets. Doing so would provide some protection from seeing the properties in the designated district be demolished, such as requiring their facades be preserved and any plans to redevelop them be given greater scrutiny by city officials. “It would be looking to protect, particularly, the commercial buildings that might be at risk of demolition,” explained Mandelman, adding that many of the current structures in the Castro have played “an important part in the history of that neighborhood,” with

“Part of it feels it is time for me to move on,” Doughty said back in January. “It’s been an incredible privilege to do this kind of work at Horizons. I know there’s more to life than working, and it’s time to enjoy some of those other things.” But he stressed that just because he is retiring doesn’t mean he’s leaving the LGBTQ movement. “I’ve spent 40 years in the movement and I’m unlikely to disappear from the movement,” he said. “I’m not burned out but I’ll admit, I’m a little tired.” An announcement for the gala noted it will be a “historic milestone” as the organization recognizes Doughty, who also served as a grand marshal in this year’s San Francisco Pride Parade in June. Jeremy Rye, chief philanthropy officer for Horizons, stated that the organization is preparing to “launch our ambitious next chapter, preparing to meet the challenges of the future with a new generation of leadership.” Tickets for the gala are $350 per person; a VIP package is available for $500 that includes a reception. For tickets, visit https://tinyurl. com/2sr2fsjn.

Nonprofits, CBDs can apply for SF grants

San Francisco nonprofits, community benefit districts, and neighborhood groups can apply for the city’s Community Challenge Grants program. According to the city administrator’s office, the program fosters resilience, safety, and belonging by providing city funding for community-led projects that beautify or activate neighborhood public spaces. Projects are designed, led, and implemented by those who live or work in the communities they serve, a news release noted. Selected applicants will receive grants up to $150,000 for projects in five areas: greening and environmental stewardship; cleaning and neighborhood care; public art and cultural expression; community activation and events; and community gathering spaces and placemaking. “For over 30 years, Community Challenge Grants have put real resources directly into the hands of residents, nonprofits, and small businesses who care deeply about their neighborhoods and our city,” stated Mayor Daniel Lurie.

City Administrator Carmen Chu noted the grants carry forward from Lurie and first lady Becca Prowda’s One City Day in July that saw thousands of residents come together in a day of service. “Now is our chance to carry forward that momentum with the opening of our call for proposals for the Community Challenge Grants program,” Chu stated. In addition to the funding, the program offers technical assistance and coaching to support awarded grantees to implement their projects and sustain community engagement efforts, the release noted. Established by voter initiative in 1990 as the Neighborhood Beautification and Graffiti Clean-Up Fund, the grant program is funded by businesses that elect to send a portion of their gross receipts annual business tax to the grant fund, the release stated. Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to start the process now. Applications are due Tuesday, October 20. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or apply with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor. For the application and more information, visit sf.gov/ccg. t

many being of particular significance to LGBTQ history. It remains to be seen if Mandelman will be able to shepherd the establishment of a Castro Historic District through the approval process before his current term expires in early January. It could be up to whoever wins the November 3 election to succeed Mandelman to carry the proposal forward next year. To begin the public review process for it, two meetings will be held next week about the proposed historic district. It has tentatively been dubbed the Eureka Valley Commercial & Cas-

tro Village LGBTQ+ Historic District, by planning staff. “Individual Landmarks and Landmark Districts are unique and irreplaceable assets, serving to enhance and protect many of the physical surroundings in which past generations lived. Eureka Valley Commercial & Castro Village LGBTQ+ Historic District is a district of two histories, the first being early commercial development from 1879-1932, and the second being the beginning of a LGBTQ+ neighborhood beginning in 1953 and ending in 1980,” according to the flyer for the upcoming meetings. An in-person meeting with Mandel-

man and city planners will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center. It is located in the heart of the Castro at 100 Collingwood Street between 18th and 19th streets. There will also be an online meeting about the proposed historic district held from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 9. To request the virtual meeting link, email alex.westhoff@sfgov.org or call (628) 652-7314. More information about the meetings can be found at https://sfplanning. org/event/potential-landmark-districtdesignation-district-8. t

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6 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

Volume 56, Number 36 September 3-9, 2026 www.ebar.com

CA statewide recommendations

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n the June primary, four of our endorsed candidates for statewide office failed to advance to the November 3 general election. With the exception of the governor’s race, which we will address soon, here are our recommendations for the other three statewide races

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Courtesy the candidate

Lieutenant governor candidate Fiona Ma

stark choice, we recommend her for lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor’s main duty is to be in charge when the governor is out of state. But the lieutenant governor also sits on a number of important bodies, such as the University of California Board of Regents and the boards of the California State University and state community college systems. The position rotates with the state controller on the State Lands Commission, which is critical given the Trump administration’s efforts to interfere in public lands issues here. Ma, a certified public accountant, has been an effective state treasurer. We think she has the experience to be a good lieutenant governor.

Lieutenant governor Fiona Ma

Former San Francisco supervisor, assemblymember, and current state Treasurer Fiona Ma, a Democrat termed out of the treasurer’s office, is the clear choice, although we have some reservations. Those stem from a lawsuit accusing her of climbing into bed with a female staffer while sharing a hotel room. In 2024, the state paid $350,000 to settle the lawsuit. At the time, Ma claimed she was trying to save the state money; we’d advise her not to repeat this practice. But compared to the other candidate in the race, Democrat-turned-Republican state Senator Gloria Romero (East Los Angeles), Ma is the better candidate. Romero has long focused on education matters but is against trans female athletes. Ma, on the other hand, has long championed marriage equality and fought against conversion therapy, noted statewide LGBTQ rights group Equality California, which has endorsed her. Just this week, as a member of a state financing committee, Ma voted to provide financing to a San Francisco affordable housing project that is geared toward LGBTQ seniors. Ma’s campaign did not return our endorsement questionnaire earlier this year, but given the

versity Board of Trustees, she has helped oversee billions in public assets. Her leadership has focused on responsible investment in education, climate resilience, and infrastructure, according to her campaign website. Kounalakis also did not return our endorsement questionnaire, which is the main reason we did not recommend her in the primary. Her opponent is Jennifer Hawks, a Bay Area Republican Party activist who wants to rein in spending by state Democrats, according to media reports. We know what that means: targeting the safety net that the state has established for its most vulnerable residents. We recommend Kounalakis for state treasurer.

Courtesy the candidate

Treasurer candidate Eleni Kounalakis

State treasurer Eleni Kounalakis

Termed-out current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat and straight ally, is running for Ma’s elected position of state treasurer. A former U.S. ambassador to Hungary during the Obama administration, Kounalakis has been a longtime ally to the LGBTQ community. The treasurer is the state’s lead asset manager, banker, and investment officer. Kounalakis has an MBA and the business background to perform the duties. In her roles as chair of the State Lands Commission and a voting member on the UC Board of Regents and California State Uni-

Courtesy the candidate

Superintendent of public instruction candidate Richard Barrera

State superintendent of public instruction Richard Barrera

During our primary endorsements, we came close to backing Richard Barrera; we favor him in the general election. Barrera, a Democrat and a leader in the California Department of Education, also served for more than a decade on the San Diego Unified School Board. A straight ally, Barrera did complete our endorsement questionnaire and noted his commitment to equity and civil rights in public schools. See page 9 >>

As the trans military ban Headline takes its toll, CA steps up

by Katherine Koehlmoos

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he Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service members, Executive Order 14183, continues to ramp up its effort to force out all transgender people. In many ways this ban is worse than the nowrepealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” anti-gay policy, as anyone who’s been diagnosed with gender dysphoria is targeted. The hatred of transgender individuals is clear in the executive order, which falsely claims that being transgender “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.” After thousands of coercive “voluntary” discharges, where individuals received financial incentives to leave under the threat of far harsher treatment, the military began seeking involuntary discharges. Service members can and do present exemplary service records, deployment histories, and character witnesses, to no avail to military boards that are abnormally restricted from considering the quality of someone’s service. As a transgender service member I have seen the toll it takes, even for those who left “voluntarily.” Life plans upended, careers terminated without anticipated retirement benefits, and disruptions in medical care are common. Some had long awaited surgeries canceled after they arrived at the hospital. A transgender support group that provided one of my first safe spaces to come out at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where I also first received hormone therapy, no longer exists; it was shut down by an administration seeking to end that medically necessary care. In this crisis, organizations like SPARTA Pride, of which I am a board member, have worked to help those affected. SPARTA is a nonprofit focused on supporting and advocating for transgender service members and veterans, which it’s done long before the current ban. SPARTA creates community spaces for transgender service members to find each other and provides emergency grants for relocations. The organization is also proud to support trans service members’ legal cases like Talbott v. U.S. and Shilling v. U.S., arguing that the ban is unconstitutional and

Slava Blazer Photography

Katherine Koehlmoos

there are no grounds for a transgender ban. While transgender people have been most directly targeted, the broader animus toward the LGBTQ+ community is clear. The stripping of Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship, disbanding of queer student clubs at military academies, and a ban on celebrations of Pride Month demonstrate a disdain for LGBTQ+ service members by those in power. Those separated under the DADT ban suffered less than honorable discharge codes on their separation papers that denied them access to services offered to other veterans. Transgender service members are so far getting honorable discharges, but are simultaneously receiving irregular separation codes; for officers, the code implies they are a threat to national security. This black mark hampers access to employment and benefits. Those who justly hide to stay face the possibility of less than honorable discharges based on allegations that they concealed their transgender identity. Service members can be punished for leaving and potentially punished for fighting to stay. That is why gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) proposed Assembly Bill 1775, in partnership with SPARTA Pride. The bill would

allow veterans discharged under the transgender military ban to access specified services through the California Department of Veterans Affairs on the same basis as other veterans with honorable discharges. This includes expedited professional licensing and expanded access to housing support, sorely needed by people suddenly forced out of their careers and communities. AB 1775 would also make the process of upgrading discriminatory discharge codes at the state level free of charge. Nobody should have to pay out of pocket to undo the consequences of a discriminatory federal policy solely because they are transgender. California is leading the charge at the state level and others are following. AB 1775 was passed out of the Legislature in late August, and now awaits action by Governor Gavin Newsom. SPARTA Pride supports its partner, Out in National Security, who is working on similar bills in states such as New York and Virginia. These states recognize that while they may not end transphobic federal policies, they can help those living within their borders. In the long term, I firmly believe that open transgender service will one day be allowed again, though for transgender service members the sense of being a political target may never go away. Much of our nation is rightfully skeptical of our military. The disastrous Iran War is just the latest example; as a veteran of Afghanistan, I saw the failures of our military and civilian leaders who prosecuted a lost war and ignored signs of collapse to protect their own careers. But the institution has been at the forefront of social integration in America, including with Black, female, and LGBTQ+ members. We are all worse served by a military that can exclude transgender members to narrow the range of acceptable beliefs in its ranks. We are better served when our society treats all who serve our country with dignity and respect. t Katherine Koehlmoos is a veteran, a proud transgender woman, and a board member of SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit focused on supporting and advocating for transgender service members and veterans. For more information, visit spartapride.org.

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Politics >>

September 3-9, 2026 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

Out female council candidates aim for historic wins in Nov. by Matthew S. Bajko

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ither would be the first out woman elected to help govern their cities. One would be the first transgender person elected to a city council seat in the Bay Area. Come the November 3 election, Tara Beasley-Stansberry of Vallejo and Robyn Kuslits of Concord are aiming to break through pink-political glass ceilings with their council candidacies. Neither of their city’s governing bodies have had out LGBTQ female members on them. And Kuslits would become the first known trans city council member in the nine-county Bay Area region. She would also be one of only a handful of trans candidates in California for an elective office to win their race. “I try not to think about it too much. It feels like a lot of pressure,” Kuslits, 39, a U.S. Navy veteran told the Bay Area Reporter when asked about her potentially becoming the first trans councilmember in the region. Nonetheless, Kuslits acknowledged how historic her candidacy is, particularly since she is running in a city whose voters in 1991 adopted a local ballot measure that stripped sexual orientation out of Concord’s nondiscrimination laws. Known as Measure M, it was ruled unconstitutional by a state judge the following year. So far, Kuslits has not been subjected to any anti-trans trolling that she is aware of, though she is staying off social media and has someone on her campaign team posting about her council candidacy. She told the B.A.R. that the feedback she has received “has been really positive” since entering the race for the council’s open District 3 seat. “People in the community know me and know what I am about,” said Kuslits, a substitute teacher who identifies as queer and pansexual. “If they have any sort of fear about trans people, I think they are overlooking that and can see I am a good person, I am trustworthy, and I have integrity. I am here to serve the community.” This is Beasley-Stansberry’s second bid in four years for the Vallejo City Council’s District 5 seat. She lost in 2022 to gay City Councilmember Peter Bregenzer, who opted not to seek reelection this fall and has indicated he doesn’t plan to endorse in this year’s race. “We have to have that seat at the table in order to be equitable, in order to be inclusive. There is no other voice like the actual voice,” said BeasleyStansberry, 50, a Black lesbian married mom, about ensuring there is LGBTQ representation on the council. “Allies are great; they are wonderful. But there comes a time when you have to have a seat at the table.” While her sexual orientation hasn’t been an issue on the campaign trail – Vallejo has long drawn LGBTQ people searching for cheaper housing prices – Beasley-Stansberry has seen comments about her race from people who believe the council has enough Black members. (There are currently three out of the six councilmembers.) “My kids are watching. I have to show them that you have to fight not only for your rights but someone else’s. If you are called to do it, you better do it,” she said. Beasley-Stansberry and Kuslits are both running in contested races this fall. Each grew up in the Bay Area and have strong community ties in the cities they now want to help govern. Born at Fort Hood, Texas, to parents in the Army, Kuslits at age 2 moved to the Contra Costa County city of Antioch, as her mom grew up in the area and had left the military. Her father served in the Gulf War, while Kuslits joined the Navy in 2006 and was stationed on the nuclear submarine USS Michigan.

Courtesy the campaigns

Tara Beasley-Stansberry, left, is running for Vallejo City Council, while Robyn Kuslits is seeking a seat on the Concord City Council.

Eight years later during the Obama administration, Kuslits received an honorable discharge at the rank of machinists mate 1st class E6 and moved to Concord, where she is a renter. She had fond memories of spending time in the city during her youth, she told the B.A.R. In 2019, she served as president of the Lambda Democratic Club that was an LGBTQ political group focused on Contra Costa County. Another of its former presidents, gay Pinole City Councilmember Devin Murphy, endorsed Kuslits for the council seat. Gay Concord City Councilmember Pablo Benavente, meanwhile, is supporting Douglas Lezameta in the race. An immigrant from Peru, Lezameta is a married father who is founding CEO of Empower Minds ABA LLC, a behavior therapy practice that works with underserved families. Kuslits secured the endorsement of Concord’s current mayor, City Councilmember Laura Nakamura, and Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton. Five years ago Kuslits was appointed the club development chair for the Contra Costa Democratic Party and later was appointed its parliamentarian. In 2025, Kuslits was elected to a four-year term on the county party’s governing committee and is currently serving as its controller. Kuslits also spent four years on the board of Concord’s Rainbow Community Center, the main provider of LGBTQ services in the East Bay county, and was its president. She helped hire a new executive director for it and was part of the collective bargaining team with its employees after they unionized. “It taught me the power of partnership and collaboration,” Kuslits said of her time helping to lead the nonprofit agency. She earned a law degree and passed the bar exam in 2024, but a job with a local law firm fell through so Kuslits returned to substitute teaching, currently with the Mount Diablo Unified School District, to earn a living while she prepares to take one last exam needed to become a licensed attorney. She and Hope Dixon, who is serving as her campaign manager and works at a local college district on student services, have been dating since earlier this year. A motivating factor for Kuslits to enter the council race is that the district is home to the only federal immigration court the Trump administration is operating in the Bay Area, having closed this spring one in downtown San Francisco. “My priority is to stand up for our immigrant population. Twenty-five percent of Concord residents are immigrants and many live in my district,” noted Kuslits, adding that the city needs to be prepared for when federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents mount immigration raids in Concord. “It is not a matter of if but when. I personally feel the city has not responded enough to this. There are certain actions the city can take to be more prepared for when that happens.”

With the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors expected to discuss adopting an ICE non-cooperation ordinance at its September 8 meeting, Kuslits would like the city of Concord to adopt its own. She noted local businesses are hurting because so many of their immigrant customers are afraid to leave their homes. “Like Harvey Milk said, you’ve got to give them hope. People are really scared,” said Kuslits.

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Beasley-Stansberry was born and raised in Richmond, California, where her mom, Rhonda Harris, unsuccessfully sought a City Council seat in 2010. (That November saw the election of Jovanka Beckles as the city’s first lesbian councilmember; she served two fouryear terms.) As for advice that her mom gave her about seeking public office, BeasleyStansberry said she told her to “make sure I am connecting authentically with residents and follow through with what I say and do what I am going to do.” She and her wife of 10 years, Ronda Stansberry, are moms to sisters Dezire, 11; Daronae, 12; and Mikah, 15. The couple, who first met as friends two decades ago and began dating 11 and half years ago, moved from Fremont to Vallejo 11 years ago because they were able to buy a home in the Solano County city. Beasley-Stansberry commutes four days a week to her job as a human resources recruiter for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She sits on a board that advises Vallejo’s police chief and, since losing her first council bid, has served on the city’s planning commission. “That has, honestly, prepared me for City Council so much better,” said Beasley-Stansberry, noting it’s “been one of the most knowledgeable positions. I have really learned hands-on what is going on in the city behind the scenes.” In 2019, she and her wife opened the restaurant Noonie’s Place, which they had to shutter during COVID and reopened two summers ago only to see it be burned down in a fire this past April. They are looking to rebuild and reopen it by early 2027 but are currently focused on Beasley-Stansberry’s council bid. “I am very fortunate. She is going to take some time to be more hands-on with the kids so I can do my campaigning,” Beasley-Stansberry said of her wife, who is a chef and oversaw the kitchen at their eatery. Her platform includes such issues as helping businesses open in Vallejo, seeing more housing be built, and providing more services for the city’s unhoused population. As a planning commissioner, she backed seeing a navigation center open to assist homeless individuals. But there is a common concern she hears most often from voters in the district. “Potholes are number one,” said Beasley-Stansberry.

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8 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

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LGBTQ bills

From page 1

Assembly Bill 1930 authored by gay Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) aims to strengthen state privacy protections for confidential medical information. Sent to Newsom August 27, AB 1930 comes amid politically motivated investigations being initiated by the Trump administration and Republican officials in other states who are targeting providers of abortion and gender-affirming care in California and other states. “California cannot allow hostile jurisdictions to use our institutions to target patients and providers for health care that is lawful in our state,” stated Zbur. “AB 1930 gives our attorney general an important opportunity to step in when private information about reproductive or gender-affirming healthcare is being sought. I’m proud this bill has passed the Legislature, and I urge Governor Newsom to sign it into law.” If it is enacted, business entities in the Golden State would have to notify the California attorney general before responding to a subpoena or inquiry regarding healthcare they provide that is legally protected under state law. The attorney general would also be allowed to intervene in any civil action brought by a state business entity that faces a legal inquiry or summons related to the care they provide. “California is a safe haven for reproductive rights and gender-affirming care. In the face of ongoing attacks by the Trump administration, I’m proud to

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Senior housing

From page 1

Mercy Housing California and nonprofit LGBTQ service provider Openhouse are jointly working on the mixed-use development to be built at 1939 Market Street on the corner with Duboce Avenue. It will be their third such housing site they have partnered on in that section of the city’s LGBTQ Castro district with the goal of seeing most of the housing be assigned to queer and trans older adults. As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Mercy in the spring submitted an application for 4% low-income housing tax credits administered by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) and the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC). The nonprofit housing developer made a bond request of $45,702,865 and an annual federal credit request of $8,601,845 via the program. Staff for the tax committee recommended the project receive the annual federal tax credits and tax-exempt bond cap that Mercy had requested, having

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Mpox

From page 1

The Folsom Street Fair is the world’s largest annual celebration of kink and leather sexual subcultures held in the fall. It takes place this year Sunday, September 27. Fair organizers promote vaccinations for mpox on its website at https://www. folsomstreet.org/publichealth. Angel Adeyoha, the executive director of Folsom Street, told the B.A.R. that vaccinations will be provided around Seventh and Folsom streets, just after the main gate, by the health department on the day of the fair. But since two doses of the vaccine are required, health officials are getting the word out now. The 2022 mpox outbreak among mostly gay and bisexual men and their sexual partners was caused by clade II mpox. After a push to get those most at risk vaccinated, the outbreak by-and-

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Political Notebook

From page 7

Earlier this year, Vallejo City Councilmember Helen-Marie Gordon endorsed her in the race, as did the LGBTQ Latino-focused HONOR PAC. In July, Beasley-Stansberry picked up the backing of the national LGBTQ+

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Other bills await final enactment

One of the bills related to LGBTQ youth passed out of the Legislature this year is Zbur’s AB 1967 that would ensure young adults ages 18 to 21 are not blocked from extended foster care when they are no longer receiving support and are at risk of homelessness. Adopted August 27 by legislators, it would require county social workers to immediately review petitions filed by LGBTQ or straight youth seeking to enter the state’s fos-

ter care system due to being abused or neglected at home and determine whether to open a juvenile dependency case within 21 days. SB 998 by Senators Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) and Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), passed out of the Legislature August 26, would require the state’s Office of Civil Rights to appoint an LGBTQ+ discrimination prevention coordinator to develop educational materials for school teachers, staff, governing board and body members, administrators, and other local educational agency personnel so they can identify and proactively prevent LGBTQ+ discrimination at their school sites. Lesbian state Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) saw her SB 608 aimed at ensuring students in grades seven to 12 can get condoms from school-based health centers be sent to Newsom August 26. Former versions of her legislation were vetoed by the governor due to their costs to implement, so it remains to be seen if it will finally become law this year. Another bill, AB 1578 authored by gay Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson, Ph.D., (D-Moreno Valley), would require elected school board members and other public office holders across California to complete at least one hour of antihate speech training and education within six months of taking office and subsequently every four years thereafter. Sent to Newsom August 30, the bill’s requirements would kick in on January 1, 2028.

Sent to Newsom August 27 was AB 1836 co-authored by gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) that would allow nonprofit hosts of community events such as Pride celebrations and other LGBTQ public gatherings to seek funding upward of $500,000 for security measures via the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program. It currently covers nonprofit facilities but not off-site events put on by such entities. “California is stepping up to protect our communities, so that Californians of all faiths and backgrounds can gather together and celebrate without fear,” stated Gabriel, who chairs the Legislature’s Jewish caucus. “This bill sends a powerful message that California will continue to stand with the LGBTQ+ community and all others targeted by hate. We will never let hate win.” Sent to the inactive file August 30 was AB 1540 by gay Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) that aims to have dedicated counselors for LGBTQ callers to California’s 988 suicide prevention hotline via state officials requesting the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration allow it to have a “Press 3” option. The Trump administration eliminated the option at the national level last summer but is supposed to revive it by the end of the year after out congressmembers and their allies secured funding for the LGBTQ-dedicated counselors. Remarking on what has transpired

over the last year, nonbinary Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black noted, “LGBTQ+ youth suicide is a public health emergency that requires an urgent response. We need to integrate suicide prevention efforts for this high-risk group into our country’s public health infrastructure. It is no hyperbole to say that, right now, young people’s lives are on the line.” As the B.A.R. reported online August 25, bills dealing with access to state services by transgender veterans ousted from the military by the Trump administration and when survivors of conversion therapy can file legal claims against practitioners of the discredited therapy practice made it out of the Legislature this month. So did bills allowing employees to take bereavement leave after the death of a chosen family member and requiring college satellite campuses to have staff dedicated to work with LGBTQ students. The B.A.R. tracked 21 bills dealing with LGBTQ concerns this year. Four were shelved by legislators, while Newsom in July enacted one establishing for educators a permanent training program on how to address suicidal ideation among middle and high school students. A fifth this month was gutted and amended a second time by bisexual Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), who changed the focus of her SB 957 from social media companies needing to notify users when they have received an administrative subpoena to now be aimed at protecting the health and safety of people housed in private civil immigration detention facilities. t

awarded the project 111 points out of a total possible 112 points in reviewing its application. The staff report noted that new rental housing will consist of “106 studio units, 80 one-bedroom units, and 1 two-bedroom unit, serving seniors with rents affordable to households earning 30%-60% of area median income (AMI). The construction is expected to begin in January 2027 and be completed in January 2029.” At its September 1 meeting, the state debt committee unanimously voted 3-0 in support of Mercy’s application and several others that its staff had recommended be part of the Round 2 2026 4% tax-exempt bond projects. State Treasurer Fiona Ma chairs the committee, whose other two voting members are Governor Gavin Newsom and Controller Malia M. Cohen. The panel voted without comment, with proxies casting votes for Newsom and Cohen. There was no public comment, either, about the development from Mercy and Openhouse. Mercy officials told the B.A.R. Wednesday that they were “grateful to the California Debt Limit Allocation

Committee and the Tax Credit Allocation Committee for their support of 1939 Market.” Now that the state financing has been approved, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to sign off on a $52.36 million gap financing loan for the LGBTQ senior housing project. The development’s total cost is now pegged at $178,964,527, and Mercy must still secure roughly $100 million before ground can be broken. Last December, the California Strategic Growth Council awarded a $47.6 million grant to the new housing project, with $12.5 million to be used for transit improvement projects near the upper Market Street property. Former mayor London Breed’s administration paid $12 million to buy the site in 2020 from the Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 and later selected Mercy Housing and Openhouse to deliver the building of affordable housing affirming of LGBTQ seniors. With a target opening date in early 2029, the aim is to see that the majority of the below-market-rate studios and one-bedrooms go to queer and transgender older adults who meet the eligi-

bility requirements to apply for the units. Due to nondiscrimination policies, any senior regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity who qualifies will be able to enter the lotteries or application processes to be held to select the tenants for the units. Forty units will be set aside for those unhoused or at-risk for homelessness, while a batch of units are to go to veterans and another to seniors living with HIV. The selection processes are similar to those used to choose the tenants who moved into the first such units meant for LGBTQ elders built nearby at 55 and 95 Laguna Street. Openhouse and Mercy previously worked together on transforming a portion of an old college campus into several buildings with apartments plus offices and a community space for the service provider. The new building will be 15 stories with a 1,600 square foot ground floor space meant to allow Openhouse to provide services to both tenants and community members. This summer the supervisors approved a ground lease for a term of 75 years, with one 24-year op-

tion to extend, and an annual base rent of $15,000. Mercy is to enter into the lease with the city’s director of property and director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. It comes with a stipulation that the building’s rent levels be affordable to households up to 80% of area median income. There will be two additional units set aside for the on-site property managers. As the B.A.R. previously reported, execution of the lease paves the way for Mercy to begin razing the existing structures on the triangular lot. The lease also has a stipulation that it “automatically terminates” if the final financing needed to construct the project “does not close by February 23, 2027.” Due to being granted the state tax credits, Mercy is required to break ground within 180 days, which would be the final day of February next year. Should that occur, construction is expected to wrap up by the end of winter 2029, with the marketing and leasing for the units starting in summer 2028 so the selected residents are ready to move in when the building opens. t

large subsided – though the mpox virus has been circulating at much lower levels in the years since. There’ve been over 70 cases of mpox in San Francisco in 2026, according to the release, most recently on August 6, according to a case count on the DPH website. Of these, eight have been the more dangerous clade I mpox strain, which is more prevalent in central Africa. The B.A.R. reported on the first clade I mpox case reported in San Francisco this spring. According to DPH, each of these eight cases was “associated with international travel.” The B.A.R. asked Dr. Julia Janssen, who is DPH’s deputy director of the STI and HIV branch, whether each of the eight clade I cases had traveled internationally, or whether there was community spread from those who have. “All of those cases were among in-

dividuals who had traveled to places where clade I mpox was circulating, or someone who’d had close contact with an international traveler,” Janssen said. “At this time, we have no evidence of local transmission in San Francisco.” There’ve been over 40 clade I cases in the U.S. since November 2024, according to the release. Janssen stressed that the Jynneos vaccine “protects against both clade I and clade II mpox, and dramatically reduces the odds of infection. It’s not 100%, but for those folks who do, it dramatically reduces the odds of hospitalization, illness, or death.” “Both clade I and clade II mpox cause similar symptoms, which may start with flu-like symptoms such as a fever, swollen lymph nodes or fatigue, followed by a rash that looks like pimples or blisters,” the health department’s news release stated. “People who have a rash that

looks like mpox should contact their healthcare provider to get tested and talk to their partners so they can take steps to prevent the spread of infection.” State health officials noted that mpox can spread through intimate physical contact such as massages, cuddling, or sex (oral, anal, or vaginal); direct skinto-skin contact with the rash, scabs, or body fluids that touched sores; sharing a living space or personal items with someone who has mpox; and spread from a pregnant woman with mpox to the fetus or baby. Casual contact, like one might have in an airplane, office, or store, is unlikely to spread mpox. People at risk are advised to get two doses of the Jynneos vaccine from their health care providers as soon as possible. Two doses of the Jynneos vaccine are administered 28 days apart. If a person received one dose over 28 days earlier, the second dose can be administered

immediately. Vaccination is not recommended in patients who have previously been diagnosed with mpox, as infection likely confers immune protection. The antiviral TPOXX is used to treat mpox in immunocompromised people and others at risk for serious illness. Janssen said, “If anyone has received only one dose of the mpox vaccine, there’s no need to restart the two-dose series. If it’s been 28 days or more they can go ahead and get a second dose, and two weeks after the second dose, will be considered fully protected. This is why we want to get the message out now.” It’s “even more important” for people who are immunocompromised, she stressed, because “these folks may be more at risk of severe mpox infection.” The city website sf.gov/mpox has a list of vaccine locations, including four pharmacies with Jynneos on-site, Janssen said. t

Victory Fund, which works to elect out candidates across the U.S. Kuslits told the B.A.R. she hopes to also gain its endorsement. With only 9,000 registered voters in the council district, Kuslits noted every vote will count come election night. “I am a prolific door knocker. So my plan is to talk to all of my neighbors

and ask for their support,” said Kuslits, who told the B.A.R. that a big concern she hears from the people she meets is the need to regulate motorized vehicles from using city sidewalks. “It is hard to dodge electric bikes and scooters.” When Beasley-Stansberry first ran against Bregenzer and several other candidates in 2022 for the council seat,

she was selected that year for the Victory Fund’s Women Out to Win advanced campaign training. She ended up in second place that November, giving her a leg up this year running with even more governance experience and name recognition with voters. “Honestly, I feel really good about it this time around,” said Beasley-Stans-

berry, who launched her campaign in January. “I know I have more knowledge and more of a stronger platform.” To learn more about Beasley-Stansberry’s candidacy, visit her campaign website at taraforvallejo.com. For more information about Kuslits’ candidacy, visit her campaign website at votekuslits.com. t

sponsor legislation that strengthens our role as a safe haven,” stated California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “These medical decisions are deeply personal and should be made by patients with their providers, free from interference by politicians. California will not be intimidated into abandoning our values.” AB 2164 authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (DOrinda) would prohibit California’s governor from recognizing a request for extradition of a person related to their providing a legally protected healthcare activity in the Golden State such as gender-affirming care except under certain circumstances. It passed out of the Legislature August 25. Also sent to Newsom that day was AB 1876 authored by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) aimed at protecting intersex youth and adults. It would clarify that intersex traits, as well as gender identity and other characteristics, are included under state law prohibiting sex discrimination by health plans and insurers.

Youth bills sent to governor

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Election 2026 >>

September 3-9, 2026 • Bay Area Repor ter • 9

tem. In July, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 181 that enacted a proposal he made in his State of the State address. It unifies the policy-making State Board of Education with the Department of Education, now run by the state superintendent, and will implement those policies by establishing a new appointed education commissioner under the board to assume management of the education department. The bill will have the state superintendent of public instruction serve as an independent statewide voice for students, families, and educators across the public

school system from TK through higher education, according to Newsom’s office. The state Department of Education will be restructured and no longer run by the superintendent by 2027. The next governor will appoint the new education commissioner, subject to consent by the state Senate, according to the legislation. The superintendent will serve as an independent advocate for schools, although they will have a seat on the state Board of Education. And they will gain a seat on the community college board. The state superintendent already serves on the UC and Cal State boards, and that will continue.

ligence, and distinctive voice were recognized by teachers and fellow musicians. He wrote ambitious, deeply felt music and could transform an ordinary room simply by sitting down at the piano. His compositions and recordings remain a precious part of his legacy. Daniel made his home in San Francisco, a city he loved. He shared memorable journeys to Portland and Chicago, traveled across the country by train, and delighted in ferry trips around the bay. He was baptized at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in 2026 and found

meaning and community there. Daniel will be remembered for his brilliant mind, humor, sensitivity, and the beauty he created. He is deeply missed by his mother, Kathy; his brother, Jonathan; his extended family; his teachers and fellow musicians; and his devoted roommate and friend, Eric Wilcox. A memorial Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, September 9, at 2 p.m. at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, 2390 Bush Street, San Francisco. All are welcome.

AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560833 Petitioner MICHAEL BABATUNDI MCNAIR filed an amended petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MICHAEL BABATUNDI MCNAIR AKA MICHAEL MCNAIR to proposed name MICHAEL MCNAIR. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560863 Petitioner JARROD WAYNE DANIELS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name JARROD WAYNE DANIELS to proposed name JARROD CHRISTOPHER SCHINELLA. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410069 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): H&L AUTO; AMAZON AUTOBODY, 1255 MONTGOMERY AVE, SAN BRUNO, CA 94066. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): GTOP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560860 Petitioner MARGARET JESSICA SULLIVAN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MARGARET JESSICA SULLIVAN to proposed name JESSICA SULLIVAN NOE. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410026 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): PIRATE KING TRAVEL, 935 KEARNY ST UNIT 64, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): GARRETT LEE COLLINS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/30/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/04/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

Editorial

From page 6

“I oppose policies that would prohibit transgender students from participating on school sports teams consistent with their gender identity,” he wrote, “and I believe California law protecting transgender students must be upheld. More broadly, I believe LGBTQ students deserve the same thing every student deserves: safe schools, equal treatment, and the chance to participate fully in school life.” Should Barrera win in November, he will face a changed state education sys-

According to media reports, Barrera and his opponent, Republican Sonja Shaw of Chino Hills, both opposed AB 181. It remains to be seen if the new restructuring results in more efficiency and better outcomes for students. Shaw, however, would be a terrible choice for state superintendent. She has led anti-trans efforts on the Chino Valley Unified School Board and, in fact, that’s her priority on her campaign website. Shaw, in her role at the time as school board president, is the one who ordered the removal of current state superintendent Tony Thurmond from a school

board meeting three years ago when he showed up to speak in support of LGBTQ students. Despite the looming state Department of Education reorganization, we think Barrera will work to make the most of the changed landscape. Having a progressive voice at the helm is important, no matter the results of restructuring. An advocate for LGBTQ students is needed in top state education posts, and Barrera has shown he understands the issues facing queer and trans students. We endorse Barrera for state superintendent of public instruction. t

Obituaries >>

Daniel Joseph Zarb-Cousin May 22, 1999 – August 9, 2026

Daniel Joseph Zarb-Cousin, a gifted composer and pianist whose music brought beauty and joy to those around him, died at age 27 in San Francisco on August 9, 2026. Daniel studied composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where his talent, musical intel-

Reach the largest audience of local LGBTQ consumers! Call 415.829.8937 advertising@ebar.com

Legals>>

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560861 Petitioner MICHAEL S. PYUN JR. filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MICHAEL S. PYUN JR. to proposed name MICHAEL S. PYUN and present name LIEM ANH PYUN JR HA to proposed name LIEM ANH HA. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560864 Petitioner MARIA CHRISTINA RESENDEZ GONZALEZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MARIA CHRISTINA RESENDEZ GONZALEZ to proposed name MARIA CHRISTINA RESENDEZ. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560862 Petitioner AUDRIE LOK filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name AUDRIE LOK to proposed name AUDRIE LEE. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-561859 Petitioner ALEXANDER CAMERON GOLDENHAR filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ALEXANDER CAMERON GOLDENHAR to proposed name ALEXANDER CAMERON GOLDENHEART. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC26-560790 Petitioner ELLA MAE SMITH AKA ELLA MAE BOWERS filed an amended petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ELLA MAE SMITH AKA ELLA MAE BOWERS to proposed name ELLA MAE SMITH. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409807 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): CONFECTION CRAVINGS, 10 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): ZOE POINDEXTER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/02/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410062 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): FABRICS VETTED, 166 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): WILLIAM MORRIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409896 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): CABANA CT. H&G, 36 THOR AVE #C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): LORIN GEORGE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/16/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/16/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410030 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SAFETY PRO TEAM, 239 NEY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): TERESA HARTE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/04/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410053 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): EPIC EATS, 122 HARRISON ST #6613, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): RAYMOND RODGERS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/04/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410086 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): PICCOLO PLUMBING, 299 BONVIEW ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): LAUREN HAYNES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/22/2005. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/10/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410002 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): THE RUFF HOUSE, 816 SHOTWELL ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): LALA MOSS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/04/2025. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/30/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410056 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): ALDER, 600 DE HARO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): REAL PROPERTY AI CORP (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/04/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410070 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): GTOP RENTAL; HONEY BEE AUTO; BEE AUTOMOTIVE; VISTA AUTO WORKS, 1255B MONTGOMERY AVE, SAN BRUNO, CA 94066. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): GTOP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409832 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): PASS 4 LESS DRIVING SCHOOL, 71 STEVENSON ST #400, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): PASS 4 LESS DRIVING SCHOOL INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/07/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/07/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410068 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): HUES, 3053 FILLMORE ST #237, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): TAKE HUES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410065 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): PORTAL MINDFUL RETREATS LLC, 1655 MISSION ST #1030, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/ Owner(s): PORTAL MINDFUL RETREATS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410083 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): CASITO, 4601 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): UMAMI FAMILIA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/07/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410020 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SAIKO HANDROLL BAR, 943 COLE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): CLOVER RESTAURANT GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/03/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410052 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): KAMELEON, 490 POST ST #2462, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): KAMELEON GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409808 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): BAYVIEW OYSTER BAR, 5114 3RD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): AUNTIE APRIL’S POP UP SHOPS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/02/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE 2026-0408151 The following has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as PORTAL MINDFUL RETREATS, 1655 MISSION ST #1030, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by LAURA E. RAMOS. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/07/2026. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/06/2026. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2026

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560870 Petitioner ROSA AMELIA RAMIREZ CARCAMO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ROSA AMELIA RAMIREZ CARCAMO to proposed name AMELIA PANIAGUA RAMIREZ. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560871 Petitioner ANDREA NICOLE MOLINA RAMIREZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ANDREA NICOLE MOLINA RAMIREZ to proposed name ANDREA NICOLE PANIAGUA RAMIREZ. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 24, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560872 Petitioner ARMANDO STEVEN MOLINA RAMIREZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ARMANDO STEVEN MOLINA RAMIREZ to proposed name STEVEN PANIAGUA RAMIREZ. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 24, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560873 Petitioner ANGIE VALERIA MOLINA RAMIREZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ANGIE VALERIA MOLINA RAMIREZ to proposed name ANGIE PANIAGUA RAMIREZ. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 24, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560877 Petitioner ADRIENNA YU filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ADRIENNA YU to proposed name ADRIENNA HUIE. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 24, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560883 Petitioner KIRIA LEDRIAN MASON filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name KIRIA LEDRIAN MASON to proposed name KIRA LEDRIAN MASON. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 29, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560878 Petitioner SASHA KASHANI VERNICK filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name SASHA KASHANI VERNICK to proposed name SASHA KASHANI NILSEN. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 29, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409964 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): HANSEN’S LAUNDERETTE, 4258 18TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): KEVIN WEI HAN CHEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2015. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/28/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410120 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): GO ROAM TOURS, 322 12TH AVE #3, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): HEATHER EILEEN CASSELL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/2025. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/13/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410136 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): ARTHUR SEBASTIAN, 2285 UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): ARTHUR S. LESNIAK (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/17/2011. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/17/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410133 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): J LEONARD STUDIO, 2964 CALIFORNIA ST #10, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JAIME LEONARD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/17/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410093 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): FULTON FOOD SHOP, 1801 FULTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): IMAAN ALI 786 INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/10/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/10/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 625313 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): AMAZI BUILDING AND DESIGN, 1954 MOUNTAIN BLVD #13061, OAKLAND, CA 94611. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/ Owner(s): AMAZI PARTNERS, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of Alameda, CA on 08/11/2026. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026 NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY THE ROBERT P. CLARKE REVOCABLE TRUST DATED MARCH 28, 2023 SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. PTR-24-307568 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, subject to confirmation of this court on September 15, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 204 of the San Francisco County Superior Court, or thereafter within the time allowed by law, the trustee of the Robert P. Clarke Revocable Trust dated March 28, 2023 will sell at private sale to the highest net bidder, on the terms and conditions hereinafter mentioned, all right, title, and interest that the estate has in the real property located in San Francisco County, California, as follows: Real property located at 627 22nd Avenue, California, 94121, legally described as follows: Commencing at a point on the westerly line of 22nd Avenue distant thereon 150 feet southerly from the southerly line of Balboa Street; running thence southerly and along said line of 22nd Avenue 25 feet; thence at a right angle westerly 120 feet; thence at a right angle northerly 25 feet; thence at a right angle easterly 120 feet to the point of commencement. Being part of Outside Land Block No. 359 Block 1622, Lot 004. The sale is subject to current taxes, covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, right of way and easements of record, with any encumbrances of record to be satisfied from the purchase price. An exclusive listing has been given. The property is to be sold for cash only. The property is to be sold on an “as is” basis, except for title. An offer on the property in the total amount of $1,588,000.00 has been accepted by the trustee and a REPORT OF SALE AND PETITION FOR ORDER CONFIRMING SALE OF REAL PROPERTY has been filed in these proceedings, which Report and Petition have been set for hearing on September 15, 2026, and notice made to all interested parties. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NOTICE IS TO INVITE BIDS OVER THE ACCEPTED OFFER, in accordance with the provisions of California Probate Code section 10311. By statute, the initial overbid must be in the amount of $1,667,900.00. Overbids are invited for this property and must be in writing and presented on September 15, 2026, at 9:00 am in Department 204 of the Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of San Francisco, 400 McAllister St. 1st Floor, San Francisco CA, 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 2026

<< Classifieds

10 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560893 Petitioner KATE MARIE BARTENWERFER & DAVID WILLIAM BARTENWERFER filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name KATE MARIE BARTENWERFER to proposed name KATE MILLER and the present name JACKSON HAROLD BARTENWERFER to proposed name JACKSON WILLIAM MILLER. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 01, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560887 Petitioner RASHID ALI NUR filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name RASHID ALI NUR to proposed name BENDER ABDULRAHIM NUR. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 29, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560895 Petitioner NAOMI BARBARA QUINN & GRAHAM JAMESON WHITE filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name GIORGIO JAMES WHITE to proposed name REMI JAMES WHITE. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 01, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560896 Petitioner SHANNON NICOLE RIORDAN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name SHANNON NICOLE RIORDAN to proposed name SHANNON RIORDAN CHHIBBER. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 06, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560897 Petitioner AMANDA MATILDA REGODON & ARNO NIAZI filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name EVELINA WALLIN NIAZI to proposed name EVELINA WALLIN NIAZI. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 06, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560903 Petitioner LILIA TITULAURI filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name LILIA TITULAURI to proposed name LILIA CHANDLER DORENFELL. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 06, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560898 Petitioner MARTHA MCCUBBIN PLACK filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MARTHA MCCUBBIN PLACK to proposed name MARTHA PLACK DREXLER. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 06, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560900 Petitioner MARIA LOURDES GARCIA AKA MARY LOU GARCIA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MARIA LOURDES GARCIA AKA MARY LOU GARCIA to proposed name MARY LOU GARCIA. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 06, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410074 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SAAVEDRA DRAIN & PLUMBING, 1515 BRODERICK ST #141, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JOVANI SANCHEZ SAAVEDRA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/08/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/07/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410113 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): WGM CONSULTING, 231 VALLEY ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): GREG MOORE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/12/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410175 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): DJY GENERAL BUILDING, 1747 EUCALYPTUS DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): DEJIN YU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/23/2025. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410187 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): GUEVARA’S CARPET, 349 PARK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): TADEO GUEVARA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/21/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410142 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SOLO GUY LAB,1307 FRANCISCO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): MATTHEW FELDMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/10/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/18/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410105 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): FIRST RESPONSE TRAINING, 1243 RIDGEWAY DR, SACRAMENTO, CA 95822. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): MILES AQUIAR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/11/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/11/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410181 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): ENDS MEET CO., 11 BLACKSTONE CT, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JENNIFER MARIE ROSKO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410149 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MIKE KLOTZ COUNSELING; MIKE KLOTZ THERAPY; CYNICAL THERAPIST, 2443 FILLMORE ST UNIT 3807174, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): MICHAEL KLOTZ MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/19/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410182 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SERVE WELL LIQUOR MARKET, 595 ELLIS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): ALI IMAAN 2026 INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/18/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410177 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MISSION MARKET & LIQUOR, 4304 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): SF LAMA FAMILY INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/20/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410211 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): PRESENT TENSE FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY, 450 SUTTER ST #2125, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/ Owner(s): AMIT ARUNKUMAR M.D., PC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/25/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410172 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): EL ARROYO LAUNDROMAT, 2984 23RD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): R&R SERRANO (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/20/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0409959 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): BUSINESS OF SHOW BIZ, THE; BUSINESS OF SHOWBIZ, THE, 1534 HAYES ST #3, SAN FRANCISCO,C A 94117. This business is conducted by a married couple. Registrant/Owner(s): VELINA LUCETTE BROWN & MICHAEL GENE SULLIVAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/14/1997. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410184 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): THE ROOST, 1030 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): MERCHANT ROOTS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/07/2020. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/21/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410010 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): THE MOON GROUP; THE MOON MANAGEMENT GROUP, 1600 BRYANT ST #410481, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94141. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): THE MOON ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/20/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/31/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410144 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): STUDIO YUCA, 314 RUTLEDGE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): TRAVESIAS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/25/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/18/2026. AUG 27, SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 STATE OF NEW MEXICO, COUNTY OF VALENCIA, 13TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT. NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF ACTION. PLAINTIFF: NANCY YORK & VIOLET CHAVEZ V. DEFENDANT: GABRIELLE YORK AND BEN. CASE NO.: D1314-DM-2025-00457 STATE OF NEW MEXICO to GABRIELLE YOUR & BEN, DEFENDANT. You are hereby notified that the abovenamed Plaintiff has filed an action against you in the above-titled Court and case, the general object thereof being: Guardianship of Minor Child A.Y. If you do not file a response in this case on or before thirty days after the third publication of this Notice, a default judgement may be entered against you. Your response must be filed with the above-titled Court.This case does not involve real property. Plaintiff: NANCY YORK, PO BOX 490, LOS LUNAS, NM 87031; (505) 489-8507. WITNESS the Honorable Judge Allen R. Smith, Div. III, District Court Judge of the District Court of Valencia County this 26th day of November, 2025 SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF RAMONA KELLOGG IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: CASE NUMBER PES-26-309460 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of RAMONA KELLOGG. A Petition for Probate has been filed by CHRISTINA MILLER in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that CHRISTINA MILLER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: KRISTEN BARGMEYER (SBN 281230), 446 17TH ST #201, OAKLAND, CA 94612; Ph. (510) 465-3838. SEP 03, 10, 17, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560885 Petitioner ANA GLADIS SACAYON filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name ANDREW SANTIAGO SACAYON GALICIA to proposed name ANDREW SANTIAGO GALICIA-SACAYON. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: SEPTEMBER 29, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CASE NUMBER CNC-26-560906 Petitioner MATTHEW JOSEPH MARTIN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: present name MATTHEW JOSEPH MARTIN to proposed name MATTHEW JOSEPH O’DRISCOLL. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: OCTOBER 08, 2026, 9:00am, Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410215 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MIGHTY CONSTRUCTION, 961 GOETTINGEN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): CHIEWCHOY SAETERN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/25/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410212 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): BRITTANY MCLAREN COUNSELING SERVICES, 3042B CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): BRITTANY MCLAREN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/06/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/25/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410234 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): NEXTWAVE REAL ESTATE, 891 BEACH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JULIA VILLANEUVE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/26/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410245 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): OSTRA DESIGN STUDIO, 2766 GOLDEN GATE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): CHARLOTTE ANDERSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/24/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/27/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410241 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SF GIFT HORSE, 160 MIRALOMA DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JENNY MALCHOW. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/26/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/27/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410232 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): LOBA STUDIO, 803 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JENNIFER LOURDES GARZA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/29/2022. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/26/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410180 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MADDY RENE, 2169A GREENWICH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): MADISON J FAUCI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410273 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): KC FIT SAN FRANCISCO, 2275 MARKET ST SUITE D, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): BRIAN KEITH COLLINS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/31/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410252 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): KOVA MANAGEMENT GROUP, 1232 MARKET ST #104, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): N & S JANITORIAL SERVICES, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/27/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410006 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MILKTOPIA, 1139 TARAVAL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): JAM TEA INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2025. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/31/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410264 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): START AND SAVE MARKET, 405 EDDY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): NASRADDIN YAHYA AHMED ABDO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/24/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410X Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MOTOCAR BRAZIL, 3150 18TH ST #106, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): REAL FACTS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/25/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/25/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410274 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): EMPIRE REAL ESTATE, 461 BROADWAY ST #200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): FRANK C. YI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2010. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/31/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410275 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): QUESTION MARK TAVERN, 312 HARRIET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): SINOMBRESF LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/13/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/31/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410272 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SUTRO HOUSE PRESS; LILA BLAKE; CAMILLE ROTH; ROSIE DONLIN, 5432 GEARY BLVD UNIT #499, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): STEPHANIE LONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410154 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): AU PLAISIR BAKERY, 276 FOWLER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): JUILANA ERIN FROGGATT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/08/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/18/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410183 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): STARBOARD CRE, 49 POWELL ST 4TH FL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): STARBOARD COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/14/1991. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/21/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410185 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): BROOKWOOD STARBOARD CRE, 49 POWELL ST 4TH FL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): STARBOARD COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/14/1991. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/21/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410204 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): DOODLE, 599 3RD ST #304, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): WILD WEST LABS, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/24/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410227 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MAMAS ON WASHINGTON SQUARE, 1701 STOCKTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/ Owner(s): DBMK ENTERPRISES INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2005. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/26/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410279 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): HOMEWATCH CAREGIVERS OF SAN MATEO PENINSULA, 2935 VAN NESS AVE #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): BENRED GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/20/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/31/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410266 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): NAGO FOODS, 3145 GEARY BLVD #354, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant/Owner(s): NAGO LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/2009. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE 2022-0398955 The following has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SALON BELLE LINDA, 4448 CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by THUY LE. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/2022. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/24/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410168 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): MISSION FAST FILL MARKET #2, 4199 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): GAWFCO ENTERPRISES, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/22/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410166 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): LARKINS BROTHERS TIRE, 370 S. VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): KEWL AUTOMOTIVE INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/20/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410201 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): RC EVOLUTION ROOFING INC, 336 COUNTRY CLUB DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): RC EVOLUTION ROOFING INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/24/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/24/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410240 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): VERO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 2370 CHESTNUT ST #100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): SEVERO PROPERTIES, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/26/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410258 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): ARIELLE FUNG LMFT, 582 MARKET ST #602, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): ARIELLE DUALAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410269 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): AAHANA MEDICAL AESTHETICS, 2175 3RD ST UNIT C1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): SHANKAR NARAYANA MUNDLURU, MBA, PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/28/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/28/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410197 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): SAN FRANCISCO SYNTHWORKS, 1156 BOWDOIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant/Owner(s): AHMAD ABDO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/13/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/21/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 2026-0410222 Fictitious Business Name(s)/Trade Name (DBA): JOE FISHER ARCHITECT, 27 MAIDEN LANE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant/Owner(s): JOE FISHER ARCHITECT, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/10/2026. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/26/2026. SEP 03, 10, 17, 24, 2026

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A Fall season in motion

Our picks for the Bay Area’s autumn dance events, part 1

Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco

by Philip Mayard

F

rom ballet and contemporary to kathak, hip hop, folklórico, and dance on film, the Bay Area’s fall dance season spans a remarkable range of styles and traditions. Across San Francisco, Oakland, Napa, and beyond, audiences can find world premieres and revivals, festivals and

site-specific works that reflect a resilient, diverse dance community. Artists continue to create ambitious work with resourcefulness and determination, even in one of the country’s most challenging places for artists to live and work. Now it’s up to audiences to show up, take a chance, and support the artists who keep this community moving. And with so much dance to choose from, we’ll have more in next week’s issue.

Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco celebrates its 30th anniversary with “Anniversary of the Pearl,” a journey through 500 years of Mexican culture. The program features live music by Vinic-Kay, an experimental folkloric music ensemble founded in the 1980s by Musical Director José Roberto Hernández.

The show also includes a special appearance by the youth of ALAS’ Mariachi Media Luna, a Half Moon Bay-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latino families, farmworkers, and youth through culturally rooted programs, community services, and opportunities for young people. $25-$45, September 5-6, Blue Shield of California See page 14 >>

by Jim Gladstone

A weekend in the country Eclectic accommodations for adventures in Yosemite and Philo

T 2017 0 Media a Kit

here are only two months left to get in on the inaugural season of one of Northern California’s most unique outdoor getaways. Since April, on an 85-acre spread in Tuolumne County, just a three-hour drive from San Francisco, Under Canvas Yosemite has been welcoming travelers to experience what’s often exaggeratedly referred to as “glamping.” On October 26, the property closes until next spring. Unless you’re accustomed to a hardcore “NaThe Los Angeles Blade covers Los Angeles and ked California and Afraid”news, style of wilderness adventure (You know, foragingand for twigs and berries while politics, opinion, arts and entertainment and features national exposing your twig and berries.), there’s nothing international coverage from the Blade’s award-winning reporting traditionally glamorous about this serene oasis of team. Be part of this exciting publication serving LGBT Los Angeles tented cabins spread under the High Sierra skies. from the team behind the Washington Blade, the nation’s first LGBT But it’s not camping. I’d describe our recent twonewspaper. From the freeway to the Beltway we’ve got you covered. day stay as Smoothing It.

Mission Statement

Under Yosemite skies

Under Canvas Yosemite’s scenic glamping

Since the first Under Canvas site opened fourteen years ago in West Yellowstone, Montana, another dozen locations have opened; all adjacent to enviable road trip destinations from the Grand Canyon, to Maine’s Acadia National Park, to Moab, Utah. With 4.2 million visitors annually, the Yosemite area was in the brand’s sights from early on, but it took years of planning and development to successfully meet the state of California’s environmentally-conscious zoning and operations regulations. The result is a low-slung, ecologically sensitive resort where the best amenities may be the rustle of wind through the tall grass and a clear night See page 12 >>

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<< Travel

12 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

t

Left: Inside one of Under Canvas Yosemite’s tents Middle: Firefall Ranch Right: Yosemite National Park’s Tuolumne Meadows

<<

Country weekend

From page 11

sky practically clotted with stars; but you certainly won’t complain about the ensuite bathrooms or the handsome lobby and dining area, boasting a range of fabric-walled peaks akin to the architecture of the Denver International Airport. Accommodations are in safaristyle canvas-walled tents, each situ-

ated atop its own raised platform, comfortably distanced from its neighbors. King-size beds with hotel quality linens, heating, and decks with lounge chairs are featured in all tents, with additional sofa beds and sitting areas in the larger offerings. Visitors’ cars are parked in a monitored lot tucked below the accommodations’ sightlines, with on-demand golf-cart shuttles to bring visitors and luggage to and from their tents.

Proudly Celebrating our 49th Year! 1977 – 2025

Monday 8am (last seating 9:45pm) Tuesday Open 24 Hours Wednesday Open 24 Hours Thursday Open 24 Hours Friday Open 24 Hours Saturday Open 24 Hours Sunday 7am (last seating 9:45pm)

3991-A 17th Street at Market & Castro (415) 864-9795

A seasonal staff of gregarious outdoor enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s (Many will head to ski resorts in November) is eager to recommend favorite nearby hiking and trail areas, both within Yosemite and in less-trafficked nearby wilderness areas with fewer out-of-state tourists. They also lead complementary daily on-site activities, including morning yoga on a dedicated outdoor platform. Live acoustic music is presented several nights a week. Among the safety regulations strictly adhered to at Under Canvas Yosemite is a local ban on outdoor grilling. Guests are permitted to bring coolers of prepared foods (to be kept in bearproof lockers beyond meal time). But the in-house restaurant, with seating in the reception tent and on a large outdoor patio, does a surprisingly good job with fresh salads, pastas, burgers and vegetarian bowls. Full breakfasts and a full bar are also available. Further dining options, not to mention year-round indoor accommodations, can be found within a few miles at the Firefall Lodge and Rush Creek Resort, which offer particularly attractive rates between November and April. Worth noting: While Yosemite National Park easily merits repeat visits, we bypassed it altogether this time to hike Hetch Hetchy wilderness, where we took in spectacular views of the O’Shaughnessy Dam and reservoir, the source of San Francisco’s municipal water supply. Walking over the top of the dam (and taking in the placards and exhibits on its construction) is a vertiginous thrill that should be on every local’s bucket list. www.undercanvas.com www.firefallranch.com www.rushcreeklodge.com www.visittuolumne.com

ally, as are buyouts of all three for retreats, weddings, and other large gatherings. Zeeble is a super communicative host, and even if she’s off on location while you’re at her location, she’ll fill you in on all manner of local tips and offbeat spots to discover. Among them will surely be the classic hamburger stand just across the road from the Knotty Oak’s front gate: Jumbo’s Win-Win, a fat slice of Americana run by Scott Baird, a former owner of San Francisco’s beloved Trick Dog cocktail bar. Baird’s new trick, chosen as one of California’s most essential restaurants by the Los Angeles Times features not only burgers and fries, but a back porch with frequent live music, and a secret menu of top-notch Mexican food sought out by visitors and providing a taste of home to many local agricultural workers. www.theknottyoak.com www.philoapplefarm.com www.gracesoaktree.com www.jumboswinwin.comt

North to the orchards

In the tiny town of Philo, population 319, in Mendocino County, wine ORPHAN-ANDYS-2025.indd 1 4/2/26 10:11 AM grapes meet their match in a passel of apples: pippins, Gravensteins, Sierra Beauties, and heirloom Arkansas Blacks, just to name a few. You can compare and contrast their flavors at The Apple Farm, where a roadside farm stand typically offers a half dozen or more varieties grown on site, along with apple sauce, apple butter, apple juice, and more. If the barn-like stand seems abandoned, worry not. Just scan their Venmo code and pay for what you take. These parts are trusting territory. If someone’s on hand, ask about an overnight farm stay, or a Saturday night supper. Down Highway 128 a piece, you’ll spot Gowan’s Cider Garden, pouring award-winning local libations (and non-alcoholic iterations as well). Al fresco tastings are available Fridays through Mondays. Grace’s Oak Tree Fruit Stand, on the Professional headshots / profile pics edge of the Gowan orchards, carries a Weddings / Events wide array of whatever produce is in season on nearby farms, along with fresh orange-yolked eggs. And, until the weather gets nippy, don’t pass on Grace’s sweet, tart apple cider slushies; the best excuse for brain-freeze I’ve 415 370 7152 • StevenUnderhill.com ever come across.

StevenUnderhill

Philo’s most alluring overnight accommodations are at the Knotty Oak, run by queer impresario and entrepreneur Mary Zeeble, a one-time Los Angeles rock musician who currently travels the world producing commercials and promotional films when she’s not at home here. A lifelong scavenger of architectural ornamentation and pop culture ephemera, Zeeble has decorated the three rental homes on her Knotty Oak ranch in a nostalgic riot of collectibles and conversation pieces. There’s a phone booth in one living room, a wall papered with 19thcentury newspapers, endless antiques, framed maps and postcards, and in one building, formerly home to the headmistress of the Unicorn Ranch, a residential reform school for teenagers expelled from urban districts, a museum-worthy collection of JFK busts and portraits, including a classy black velvet painting. Alas, you can’t rent a single room, but the three-, four-, and five-bedroom houses are available individu-

Jim Gladstone

Above: Eclectic décor at the Knotty Oak Ranch Upper Middle: Rush Creek Resort Lower Middle: Saturday dinner service at The Apple Farm Below Left: Grace’s Oak Tree Fruit Stand Below Right: Jumbo’s Win-Win

<< Drag

14 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

San Francisco Drag King Contest by David-Elijah Nahmod

t’s hard to believe that the San Francisco Drag King Contest has been around for 30 years. For many years, the contest was seen at Oasis. But with Oasis nearly closing last year, co-host and producer Fudgie Frottage is bringing the show to another beloved venue, the Great American Music Hall. “The venue is one of San Francisco’s finest, with a long, colorful history,” Frottage told the Bay Area Reporter. “I’m looking forward to it; though of course, we all love Oasis.” Co-hosting the show with Frottage will be the iconic Sister Roma, whom Frottage had nothing but praise for. “Sister Roma is a dear friend and legendary community leader,” Frottage said. “She brings so much love wherever she goes, and she is as funny and as talented as they come.”

Two-fisted tomfoolery

This year’s theme is “Dirty Thirty.” Frottage promises that the contest will be “passionately filthy.” “This fierce and fun fueled competition is filled with head-to-head, twofisted tomfoolery complete with dazzling make-up and costumes, larger than life pulsating pelvises, crowns, gowns, clowns and hounds,” Frottage wrote in a press release. It promises to be a star-studded night. Besides Frottage and Sister Roma, the contest will feature performers Leigh Crow, Rusty Hips, Madd Dogg 20/20, Misterrr, and the hilariously named Howie Weenis. Serving as celebrity judges are Papi

30 years and going strong

Peckish

I

Sloane Kanter

Left to Right: Meatflap, Fudgie Frottage, Misterrr, and Fontaine Blue will perform at the 30th annual Drag King Contest.

Churro, Meatflap, Trixxie Car and Fontaine Blue. Frottage said that there will be a Lipsynch For Your Life segment which will showcase as many contestants as possible. “Fierce showdown competition at its finest where anything can happen,” he said. “Many times, the winner of the Lipsynch For Your Life segment has moved forward to win the title.” Performing as a special guest star will be drag king extraordinaire Mo B. Dick, who is also celebrating three decades as a king. Dick discovered the

world of kinging in 1995, when he read Amy Linn’s article on the drag king scene in San Francisco in SF Weekly. Upon returning to New York City, he immediately got to work by forming an appendage from socks, gathering his hair clippings to create facial hair, and studying how men walk. “When searching for men’s attire, I found a bowling shirt in a local thrift store with the name Dick on it,” he told the B.A.R. “Hence my drag king name became Mo B. Dick. The B stands for Bodacious.”

Dick reached an international audience when he was cast in a role in cult filmmaker John Waters’ “Pecker” in 1998. He played T-Bone, a lesbian stripper, albeit with a drag king twist. “I was the first character that he worked with for that film,” Dick said. “It was an incredibly memorable experience as well as being one of the very best highlights of my life. It is an honor and privilege to call John a friend.” Dick was slightly coy when asked how dirty the contest might be. “You will have to show up to see how dirty, dirty can be,” he said. “I will be performing ‘The Drag King History Song’ with original lyrics by Leslie Sloan, based on my Drag King History lecture. And I look forward to being a guest judge at the 30th annual SFDK contest. Please note that bribing me with salty snacks will not be frowned upon.” In addition to performing, Dick is the proprietor of www.DragKingHistory.com, a community funded digital archive that showcases female born performers who dress in male attire for theatrical purposes. In 2020 the U.S. Library of Congress requested and was granted permission to archive this website for generations to come. “It’s been a great joy for me to relish in the popularity and interest in this well-received project,” he said. As usual, proceeds from the SFDK Contest will benefit Rocket Dog Rescue and PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), an organization which provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income people who live with HIV and other

ance. $49-$82, September 12-13, Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco. www.presidiotheatre.org

Natalia Roberts

Chris Hardy

Left: ODC Dance’s annual Fall for Art fundraiser at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa Valley Right: Terez Dean Orr in “French Kiss” by Amy Seiwert

<<

Fall Dance

From page 11

Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St. ensambles-sf.com ODC/Dance ODC kicks off their fall season with a collaborative showcase in conjunction with the Oakland Western Arts Alliance (WAA) conference, highlighting the talents of top Bay Area choreographers and companies. All dance lovers are invited to enjoy this free event featuring ODC/Dance, Chitresh Das Dance, Kinetech Arts, RAWdance, Babatunji, and Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. Free, September 8, ODC Theater, 3153 17th St. Then, join ODC artists and patrons for the company’s annual “Fall for Art” fundraiser at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa Valley, a unique art destination set in an extraordinary natural landscape. Guests will enjoy an alfresco farm-to-table lunch and site-specific performances overlooking di Rosa’s sculpture meadow, art installations, and vineyards. Individual tickets $750 and $1,250, September 27, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, 5200 Carneros Highway, Napa. In October, ODC’s “Unplugged” program offers a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes with ODC Founder and Artistic Director Brenda Way and Co-Artistic Director Mia J. Chong for an exclusive look at their new work, “Infinite Scroll (She was always gripped

with the desire to be elsewhere),” featuring a new music commission by Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates. $25-$100, October 29, ODC Theater, 3153 17th St. www.odc.dance Smuin Contemporary Ballet Smuin Contemporary Ballet opens its fall season with a world premiere by Boston-based choreographer My’Kal Stromile, who makes his Bay Area debut following recent commissions for the Paris Opera Ballet and Boston Ballet. This new work for Smuin was originally developed during a period of personal and professional transition for Stromile, but has evolved into a broader choreographic investigation of thought as structure, process, and motion. The program also revisits Amy Seiwert’s 2023 “French Kiss,” set to music by Pink Martini, and Michael Smuin’s

“Stabat Mater,” his 2002 response to the collective grief of 9/11. $25-$100; September 11-13, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View; September 18-19, Lesher Center, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek; October 9-18, Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco. www.smuinballet.org Parsons Dance Company The internationally celebrated New York-based Parsons Dance Company returns to the Bay Area for the first time in many years, kicking off the Presidio Theatre’s 2026-27 season. Hailed by the New York Post as “one of the hottest tickets in contemporary American dance,” Parsons’ program will feature new and classic works that showcase the company’s unique blend of athleticism, musicality, and exuber-

Rachel Neville

t

San Francisco Dance Film Festival Now in its 16th season, the San Francisco Dance Film (SFDFF) is at the forefront of the dance film circuit, offering year-round screenings and special events, as well as its signature festival each fall. On September 17, SFDFF presents the classic cult favorite “Dirty Dancing” at the Herbst Theatre, followed by a Q&A with the film’s Emmywinning choreographer Kenny Ortega, and a VIP/Arts Patron afterparty with drinks, giveaways, and of course, lots of dancing. $30-$107, September 17, Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. This year’s festival features 18 in-person screenings showcasing 80+ dance films from around the world. The festival opens October 23 with a filmed performance of “Nureyev,” Yuri Possokhov’s 2017 ballet about the life and career of Rudolf Nureyev. Possokhov, San Francisco Ballet’s longtime Choreographer in Residence, originally created the work for Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet, where its frank portrayal of Nureyev’s homosexuality and defection to the West generated controversy. After Russia tightened its antiLGBTQ laws in 2022, the Bolshoi removed the ballet from its repertoire. This filmed performance of Staatsballett Berlin’s production, which premiered in March, marked the first presentation of the work outside Russia. The festival also includes a screening

disabling illnesses. “What we learn from our pets is unconditional love,” Frottage said. “There is nothing more pure than that. Pets Are Wonderful Support and Rocket Dog Rescue are well established non-profits that contribute so much. Pali Boucher, the founder of Rocket Dog, will be celebrating her birthday this night at the show, so I hope the house is packed to honor her hard and dedicated work.” Frottage promises that the audience will have a great time at the contest. “You’ll leave with a big grin, a full heart and memories to last a lifetime,” he said. “Come and support your Kings.”t San Francisco Drag King Contest, September 12, Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell Street, $27.50-$60. 21+ www.sfdragkingcontest.com www.dragkinghistory.com

Drag king and historian Mo B. Dick

of “These Violent Delights,” Scottish Ballet’s retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” as a journey of queer belonging and defiance, as well as the festival’s annual closing night tradition, “Bay Area Shorts,” highlighting Northern California’s dance film community. The program includes the premiere of “Griot,” starring incomparable LINES Ballet dancer Adji Cissoko. The full festival line-up will be announced on September 10, when tickets go on sale. $20-45, October 23-November 8, various theaters across San Francisco. Select films streaming online November 9-30. www.sfdancefilmfest.org RAWdance A contemporary dance company based in San Francisco and New York’s Hudson Valley, RAWdance returns to the Bay Area for their third residency at 836M. Throughout the fall, the artists will develop their new eveninglength work, “Echo,” set to premiere at Z Space in December. The company’s residency kicks off with a free opening reception at 836M. Designed for performance inside a mirrored sculptural set with the audience in the round, “Echo” explores how technologies like social media and artificial intelligence both reflect and distort our identities. Residency kick-off reception, Free with RSVP, September 17, 836M, 836 Montgomery St. www.836m.org/ exhibition/rawdance-echot

For more upcoming dance concerts, see next week’s issue.

Carlos Quezada

Left: Parsons Dance Company Middle: Staatsballett Berlin’s ‘Nureyev’ Right: RAWdance presents Wendy Rein’s ‘Echo.’

Marc Reagan

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<< Theater

16 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

‘Crushing’

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Writers talk about love at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater

by David-Elijah Nahmod

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ultidisciplinary writers and artists will share true stories from their love lives in “Crushing,” a live theater piece, September 10-12. The show, which was created by Carly Steyer and Megan Calfas and executive produced by Rosario Dawson, enjoyed a sold-out run last year at Fort Mason’s Bayfront Theater and now returns to the Strand Theater in partnership with American Conservatory Theater. Ten writers will perform in “Crushing.” They are a diverse group and include several who are members of the LGBT community, such as Jake Montano, aka drag artist Imelda Glucose. As Glucose, they have been performing for twelve years and is a member of the Rice Rockettes, one of the country’s longest running all Asian and Pacific Islander drag troupes. Out of drag they are an educator, with fifteen years of designing exhibits and experiences at the Exploratorium, building after school programs, and co-founding an all-queer affinity summer camp. Also performing will be Paul Loper, who danced professionally for 17 years. His career highlights include working with Twyla Tharp Dance, the American Dance Machine, two Olympic Games opening ceremonies, working as an assistant to Broadway choreographers Ron Field and Lynn Taylor-Corbett, as well as performing in one-man shows. Loper, who is a long-term HIV survivor, spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about his life and about what he’ll be talking about in “Crushing.” David-Elijah Nahmod: Please tell me about your early life. Paul Loper: It’s worth noting that I was very gender non-conforming as a little boy. Even as early as three and four, insisting on wearing a dress, having a Barbie, and I believe some little

The cast of ‘Crushing’

toy kitchen. So when the wonderful early 1960s world of Marvel Comics came into my suburban Seattle world – I was born in 1958 – I built my own world as it were, on paper, given how I had gotten the message I didn’t fit in this world, that world, I suppose, even Bothell and Kenmore are more open and diverse today than back in 1964 or so when I read a comic, Iron Man?, with the very early appearances of the beauteous Black Widow, inspiring me to start my own homemade comic, ‘The Insect Trio’ starring her. I wrote full, twenty-page issues for years, locked in my room, hunched over my desk. Ironically, I was expressing my deep dancer identity and sensibility, via the fight scenes, and of course all the superheroes were wearing tights. But I didn’t find dance in my own body full-on for several more years.

How did you segue into dance? As 1976 was unfolding, I was weighing what art form to focus on. I had done writing, drawing, 3-D art-making, acting, and had put a foot into dance, because the E. T. Company was planning on doing a show where there would be some tap dance. The director told me to take some tap classes, and in so doing, there was a frisson, some not-yetfully awakened but definitely stirred, feeling, connection, and aliveness about dance. How did you become involved in “Crushing?” I met Megan through her boyfriend, who is also a T-group facilitator at the GSB, Stanford. Carly and she invited me to submit for this year, and once I did, they, yay, accepted me to be one of the monologists.

American Conservatory Theater presents An Emma Rice Company, Kay & McLean Productions and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions co-production

Please describe what the show entails. Ten monologists deliver stories of their lived lives that they wrote, with Megan and Carly’s collaborative support, each in their own unique way, addressing the question, ‘How has love changed you?’ Note that all the monologists are artists of varying kinds. Why is the show called “Crushing?” What does the title refer to? A riff on/reference to crush, as in love. My understanding is that each time they do this, it’s always about love and/or romance, but the specific question per time might be slightly different.

—The Telegraph

Crushing, September 10-12, 7:30pm, Strand Theater, 1127 Market Street, $35-$116. www.act-sf.org www.crushing.show

Without giving too much away, what did you write about? My NYC-to-Europe final chapter of my professional dance career. A certain Frenchman figures significantly. Thematically, my pre-any-legit drugs HIV dance hangs over it all, and already being a dancer, investing in my immediate life in the immediate moment, dance being as here and now an activity as you can find, supports a carpe diem kind of “moral.” Why do you think “Crushing” resonates with audiences? Love and its intimacy and its vulnerability, and also its joy and in-

“A heck of a lot of fun”

vigoration, are deeply relatable. I also believe that at this time of fractured, screen-based connection, folks are starved for more real leaning into other real people, same as we’ve done in ritual and community for the last several thousand years. But the need, I believe, is ratcheded-up in our cyberdigital-AI age.t

Performer Paul Loper

GOING OUT

TOP 20+ ARTS & NIGHTLIFE EVENTS

SEPT. 3-12

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S

Danny Collins, photo by Rich Soublet II

ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY EMMA RICE

Based on the Turner Entertainment Co. Film North by Northwest Produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Kay & McLean Productions Originally co-produced by Emma Rice Company, York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Alexandra Palace Theatre

SEP 22–OCT 18 | A.C.T.’S TONI REMBE THEATER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT ACT-SF.ORG

You never know when or where your night out can get sexy. But sometimes you do, like at the September 3 opening of “Backwood Boys: The Monstrous Masculine” by photographer Carter Smith at the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives (see photo). For more possibly demure ambiance, check out the arts and nightlife events in this week’s Going Out, only on www.ebar.com.

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In Memoriam>>

September 3-9, 2026 • Bay Area Repor ter • 17

Tim Curry, 1946-2026

The prolific film and stage actor was 80

by Jim Provenzano

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ctor Tim Curry, known mostly for his role as Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” died on August 25 at his home in Los Angeles. His friend and manager Marcia Hurwitz confirmed his death to Associated Press. Known worldwide for one of his earliest roles as the “sweet transvestite” in the cult audience-participation film, and the earlier stage version “The Rocky Horror Show” in London and other cities, Curry became a prolific actor, singer and voiceover talent, and received three Tony nominations, including for his lead role in the musical comedy “Spamalot.” Born April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, his family moved to South London after his father’s death in 1958. A gifted singer and actor as a youth, Curry graduated from the University of Birmingham with a dual degree in English and Drama. One of his earliest roles in a production of ‘Hair’ in London led to meeting Richard O’Brien, who said he was working on an unusual musical that might interest him. That musical turned out to be “The Rocky Horror Show.” “It seemed like something that would go,” Curry said of the role in a 1975 TV interview in London. “I was hesitant in that, if it worked, it might be a difficult image to shake off. But really, I’ve often thought that it wasn’t worth doing unless you took a risk.” That risk paid off, and the character of Frank-N-Furter became as iconic as any of the great Hollywood stars of the 20th century.

Blue skies

His fans also know him for his multitude of other roles, including Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” and the gorgeously demonic Darkness in “Legend.” Other favorites include Mr. Hector, the Plaza Hotel’s nosy concierge in 1992’s “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” Additional movie credits include “Annie” (1982), “Clue” (1985), “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), “The Three Musketeers” (1993), “Muppet Treasure Island” (1996), “Addams Family Reunion” (1998) and “Scary Movie 2” (2001). His stage career included creating the title role in “Amadeus,” Peter Shaffer’s drama about Mozart. Theater remained his true love, including working with and befriending playwright Tom Stoppard in a production of “Travesties.” Curry also performed in multiple roles for the Royal National Theatre, including “Three Penny Opera” (he played Mack the Knife). At a 1980s performance of “Love for Love,” Prince Charles and Princess Diana were in attendance. At a postshow meeting, she asked Curry if he was in “The Rocky Horror Show.” He

Tim Curry, April 19, 1946-August 25, 2026

said, “Yes ma’am, but I don’t suppose you saw it.” With a grin, Diana replied, “Of course I saw it. It quite completed my education!” Curry also had a career as a recording artist, with five albums released. While devoted fans still admire some of his songs, like the indie hit, “I Do the Rock,” he wrote in his memoir that without a character to build on, his concert performances left something lacking.

Legend, legacy

“I don’t fear death, I try to avoid it,” Curry said in a recent CBS interview, “as I think we all do.” Curry’s death comes at an ironic time, amid the 50th anniversary of “Rocky Horror,” including celebrations, screenings with cast members, a 50th anniversary book, a book of the late prolific photographer Mick Rock’s on-set images, and an acclaimed documentary which was Curry’s last onscreen appearance. The 2025 documentary “Strange Journey” was directed and produced by “Rocky Horror” creator Richard O’Brien’s son Linus. Despite having a stroke in 2012 and enduring multiple physical disabilities, Curry offers some witty reminiscences in the film. He’s also said in many interviews that he understood the significance of such a gender-blurring role as Furter, and the positive effect it had on LGBTQ teenagers as the midnight shows continued throughout the decades. Curry persisted in his later years, including performing as The Narrator in a 2016 Fox television reboot of “Rocky Horror” called “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again.” He received a drag-filled festive tribute night hosted by Peaches Christ in February 2025 as part of SF Sketchfest. “The legacy of ‘Rocky Horror,’ you can say, is the music, Tim’s performance, people finding their own sexuality, even,” said Linus O’Brien in my 2025 interview. “But I think really what it boils down to at the end is community and connection.” Last year, Curry also released his

memoir, “Vagabond,” which became a best-seller. He discussed many aspects of his career, but kept his personal life private, leaving fans still wondering whether he was gay or “just British.”

Shout out

Many celebrities and artists shared their memories and tributes to Curry. Nell Campbell, who originated the role of Columbia, wrote in an Instagram post, “We have lost the head of our Rocky Horror family and it feels as though the household will never be the same. Such a wit, a joy, a reader, art lover, curious, charismatic performer, fancied by men, women and everyone in between, gentle, kind, generous, thoughtful and with the gift of friendship. He never needed be the centre of attention, was shy about his fame though very appreciative of the love he received from his fans. “Incorrectly worried his sublime Frank ‘n Furter would type cast him he became the most versatile of film and theatre actors, nominated for numerous Tony’s and adored by audiences. Tim managed wear so lightly

the devastating effects of his stroke, never feeling sorry for himself and remained as articulate and sharp as ever. “Let us be so grateful that we had Tim and now he is up there with Dolly, sharing the mic and competing for the most rhinestoned costume.” Broadway composer Marc Shaiman told his own tale about his connections to Curry in social media posts. “In 1977, when I was 17, my pal Sal Piro and I joined the line at The Waverly Theatre for one of the first midnight showings of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and became part of the small group of people that started the entire audience participation phenomenon!” he wrote. “We didn’t know what we were giving birth to, we were just having a great time and being creative in the most freeing way. “Then as fate would have it, a year later, in 1978, I worked with Dr. Frank-N-Furter himself, Tim Curry, as he prepped his first solo album. As we rehearsed around my piano on 79th Street, I surreptitiously called Sal on the phone and left the receiver off the hook so he could hear I was truly ‘not dreaming it, but being it!’ and actually playing for Tim Curry.

“And Tim and I remained friends. He even mentioned all this on Rosie O’Donnell’s show. Knowing Tim was a great gift.” Richard O’Brian shared his thoughts online as well. “It is with an exceptionally sad heart and misted-up eyes that I share these words with you,” he wrote. “Tim Curry was a wonderful man by nature, who was also a wonderful performer and understood the difference between such delightful achievements. He never sought attention and never put himself before the roles that he played. He was, in short, a good egg and class act. It was both a privilege and delight to have known him and worked with him. Rest in peace, dear Tim.” Tributes took place in multiple cities. In San Francisco, the nightclub Oasis, which has produced several performances of “The Rocky Horror Show,” hosted a free screening of the film on August 28. And on Broadway, on August 26, cast members of the currently running revival of “The Rocky Horror Show,” including departing ‘Frank’ Luke Evans and incoming lead Jake Shears, performed a curtain call version of “I’m Going Home.”t

NBC

Left: Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown in ‘It’ Right: Tim Curry in ‘Muppet Treasure Island’

DEVOTION AND DESIRE Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer

September 13–20 | San Francisco | ODC Theater A visually stunning theatrical experience

Mick Rock

Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

Jim Henson Studios

Buy Online at CHANTICLEER.ORG

<< Books

18 • Bay Area Repor ter • September 3-9, 2026

Lesléa Newman

Prolific author on writing, family and traditions

by Michele Karlsberg

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here are some friendships that become part of the story of a life, and my friendship with Lesléa Newman is one of them. Lesléa and I have been friends and colleagues since 1989, sharing countless memories, conversations, milestones, and moments within the ever-evolving LGBTQ+ literary world. Over the decades, I have had the extraordinary privilege of watching her career unfold. I have also watched her writing touch generations of readers, challenge assumptions, open doors, and give voice to lives and families that too often went unseen. Lesléa’s career is not simply a story of prolific writing it is a story of literary courage, curiosity, compassion, and an enduring belief in the power of words. Her work has continually explored identity, family, love, grief, Jewish life, LGBTQ+ experience, history, and the complicated beauty of being human. In this conversation, we look back at the writer she was, the writer she has become, and the writer she continues to be, as well as the extraordinary literary life that has connected us for nearly four decades. Michele Karlsberg: You began publishing poetry as a teenager and have now written across virtually every literary form. What has remained constant in your writing voice from those early poems in Seventeen to the work you are creating today, and what has changed most dramatically? What has remained the same is my writing process. I write everything with a pen in a lined spiral notebook. I do my best to write in an authentic voice, openly and honestly in order to do what I have always done: explore the world inside of me, the world outside of me, and the relationship between the two. What has changed over the last half-century, I hope!, is that I have become a better writer. I hope that over all these decades, I have written in a voice that speaks directly to the reader’s heart.

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Author Lesléa Newman

Your work has repeatedly brought your Jewish identity and lesbian identity into the same literary space. How have those two identities spoken to, challenged, or complicated one another in your writing over the decades? I was more surprised than anyone when Liza Goldberg, the protagonist of my first novel, “Good Enough To Eat,” had such a strong Jewish identity. Spoiler alert: she embraces her lesbian identity by the end of the book. Some of my work, such as “Heather Has Two Mommies,” has obvious, deliberate LGBTQ+ characters and content but no overt Jewish content. And some of my work, such as my newest poetry collection, “The Last Flame Last,” which was written in response to October 7th and the surge of antisemitism that has followed, is full of Jewish content and themes but doesn’t delve into my identity. And a recent picture book, “Joyful Song: A

Naming Story,” features a two-mom family and their son celebrating the birth of their newest family member in their synagogue. Each book tells its own story.

Queer words and pictures

Your short stories move between sexuality, relationships, family, aging, AIDS, illness, motherhood, Jewish life, and humor. What draws you to the short-story form, and how do you know when an experience or character belongs in a short story rather than a poem or novel? The character is the boss! My writing is definitely the alpha dog. My job is to listen closely to what the character has to say and allow the character to show me the way. I don’t usually make a conscious decision to write one thing or another. I simply start writing and follow the words’ lead. Though this changes when I start seeing a pattern. When I wrote the first two short stories in “A Letter to Harvey Milk,” I thought, ‘Oh, this is interesting. It looks like I’m writing a series of short stories that each feature a different Jewish lesbian. Let me see if I can keep going.’ The same thing happened when I wrote “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard.” After about ten poems, I thought, ‘I think I might have a book here.’ And the same thing happened recently with “The Last Flame Last.” I seemed to be writing about October 7th and antisemitism. Could I make it to 18 poems? Eighteen being a significant number in Judaism that stands for chai, which means life. When a common theme develops in separate poems or stories, I like to see how far I can push it. Writing a

series of poems on the same theme is actually my favorite form. If you could sit down with your younger self and tell her one thing about the writing life, what would you tell her? Oh, I would tell her that she has no idea how wonderful the writing life can be, and how many extraordinary people she will meet through her writing, and how her writing will change people’s lives, and that she would one day write a book that would change the world. And I would offer her a quote by Pablo Casals, who said, “My cello is my oldest friend, my dearest friend,” and assure her that her pen would be a loyal, constant companion for her entire life, which would get her through the good times and the bad. Sorry, that is more than one thing! But I have a lot to say to that young writer and to young writers everywhere. Be patient, be persistent, be disciplined, be joyful, and above all else, be kind to yourself and to other writers. We are all in this together. When one of us succeeds, all of us succeed. And if you fall in love with language, language will fall in love with you.t

Read the full interview on www.ebar.com. www.lesleanewman.com

A ‘Wicked’ sequel and other illustrated books

by Gregg Shapiro

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or something visual in books, we suggest these new graphic novels by comic book artist Emil Wilson, Beck Kubrick, Jonathan Graziano and Scott Hampton’s take on a Gregory Maguire classic. In his author’s note for his astonishing debut book “The Nightingales” (Avid Reader Press), San Franciso-based gay illustrator and comic book artist Emil Wilson writes that the “basic setup” of the story is true, but it “isn’t a memoir” and he took “several liberties.” Regardless, in addition to essentially reinventing the visual presentation of a graphic novel, he has created unforgettable characters. Set in 1985 Oregon, there’s wise teenager Lou (aka Louise), kid sister of gay brother Emil; helpful father Donald; self-involved mother Annemarie (who is on a first name basis with the Virgin Mary);

Donald’s gay co-worker Jim, a man with AIDS whom Donald invites to move into the family’s home when he loses his apartment; and Jim’s Pomeranians, Henny and Penny, who function as a kind of Greek chorus and add

a dose of levity. Be sure to have a box of tissues close by when you get to part five because you will need it. Geared towards a Young Adult readership, Beck Kubrick’s “Dead Girls” (Simon & Schuster) incorporates generational verbiage, true crime podcasts, ritual killings, witch hunts reminiscent of those in Salem, explicit ultraviolence, feminist messaging, and such. The graphic novel’s lead character Ash, the teenaged progeny of a notorious accused and deceased serial killer in small town Clossdale, is determined to stop the copycat killer terrorizing the residents. With five girls already brutally killed, by a gang of “murderous furries,” no less, Ash, along with Cassie and Jamie, bring final girl energy and wit to the proceed-

ings. In the middle of it all is a budding romance between Ash, and their girlfriend Heather, daughter of the town’s corrupt lead cop. What started as a series of TikTok videos by queer creator Jonathan Graziano, about his late dog Noodle (a pug), developed into an all-ages book series with “Noodle and the No Bones Day” and “Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain.” With “Milton Makes a Move” (Margaret K. McElderry Books), Graziano and illustrator Dan Tavis, introduce us to the latest addition to Graziano’s family, the titular newly adopted senior pug. With the meaningful message that “being brave can be hard, but everything is a little easier with a friend by your side,” this a book that is cer-

tain to be relatable to everyone. Seeing green? There doesn’t appear to be an end to the profits being accrued from the gravity-defying “Wicked” franchise. Beginning with gay writer Gregory Maguire’s original novel series and continuing with the beloved Broadway musical, its original cast recording, and global tours, followed by the unfortunate two-part movie adaptation and its corresponding original soundtracks, “Wicked” has bewitched the world. Unsurprisingly, Maguire’s “Wicked” has also entered yet another realm with “Wicked: The Graphic Novel, Part II” (William Morrow), adapted and illustrated by Scott Hampton, which picks up where 2025’s “Wicked: The Graphic Novel, Part 1” left off.t

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Books>>

September 3-9, 2026 • Bay Area Repor ter • 19

Joe Ovelman’s ‘Jesus’s Daddy Issues’ by Mia Philips

The pages portray senators voting against bills favoring gay people, then proceeding to sleep with their male aides, with emphatic attitudes emphasized by Ovelman’s use of multiple “yays” in his writing. This interaction repeats itself in different iterations and eras of history as Ovelman makes the point of suppression in the pursuit of power. In the end, he touches on the near-fatal repercussion this behavior has on young gay people growing up according to these attitudes. It becomes clear that the character of J.O.P. is perhaps simply a vehicle by which to express the repression, resentment, and regression ranks of gay and queer people are burdened with when growing up with religion. Ovelman’s pages are woven with frustration towards those who aim to make others feel outcast, sinful, and wrong for engaging in acts that those same people also do, only behind closed doors.t

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oe Ovelman’s latest book, “Jesus’s Daddy Issues,” has all the storytelling, themes, and virtuous messages of an ancient Greek myth. Stripped of ornate script, Ovelman’s language however, is straightforward, satirical, and silly. Coupled with his illustrations, the pages breathe life into the scenarios presented and communicate the serious subject matter in a light hearted manner. Ovelman’s new release is the latest in a long string of cartoon-laden compilations. Since starting the series in 2018, his picture books have touched on personal problems –like falling for your married hookup– but the book turns its focus towards an institution thousands of years old: religion. Despite this broader view, the execution of this book is similar to that of Ovelman’s past publications. Akin to his visual artistry, the book features Ovelman’s distinct cartoon-style drawings and boyish handwriting. This approach is very intimate, like the themes discussed, and the experience of reading an Ovelman book is like flipping through an illustrated diary. Its details are both revealing and poignantly personal. “Jesus’s Daddy Issues” begins when Joseph of Pennsylvania purchases a pregnant woman at an auction and becomes Uncle Joseph to her son. Rich and gay, Joseph of Pennsylvania, or J.O.P. as he’s referred to in the book, likes to spend his time swimming, reading, playing, and rejecting theism. He proceeds to impart his wisdom of the world onto his nephew, a Jesus Christ character, through creation stories that give readers a peek into the religious upbringing that shaped J.O.P. It answers the question, ‘what if Jesus Christ had been raised by his rich gay uncle?’ Laced with life lessons similar to

Author Joe Ovelman

those found in the bible, Ovelman aims to call out the hypocrisies of some of the teachings of monotheism, particularly those regarding homosexuality. Ovelman’s writing is a reaction to the hypocrisy latent within theism that preaches Leviticus yet practices homosexuality behind closed doors. The diary-entry-esque pages work to process the religious trauma that follows being raised in religion while also coming to terms with your sexuality. Ovelman calls out the blatant ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ attitude of religious preaching. “Don’t hide behind love and devotion just to break all the rules, please and thank you,” the statement printed on the back of Ovelman’s book, works as a thesis of his work’s entire point of existence. Can “Jesus’s Daddy Issues” be considered sacrilegious when its themes ring so true?

Personalizing questions of faith through fable

www.joeovelman.com

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb... and I also know that I’m not blonde.” — Dolly Parton (1946-2026)

You and a guest are cordially invited to

Saturday, October 3 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco

Honoring

Roger Doughty Get Tickets by Scanning the QR Code

horizonsfoundation.org/anightofpride

Extraordinary. Fearless. Live.

2 02 6–2 7 SEASO N

Join us for performances as wide-ranging as your curiosity! Coming this season: The Australian Ballet in Oscar (Sep 25–27), weaving Oscar Wilde’s life and work into a ballet of romance and forbidden love. Judy Collins (Oct 18) celebrates her remarkable six-decade career—“a lovely trip down memory lane” (Toronto Guardian). Celebrate Día de los Muertos with Mariachi Herencia de México (Oct 23) in a rousing fusion of traditional repertoire, salsa, and more. A one-night Steve Reich extravaganza (Oct 24) celebrating the trailblazing composer’s 90th birthday. William Kentridge’s The Head & the Load (Nov 12– 15), declared by The New York Times as a “fiercely beautiful historical pageant.”

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET OSCAR©

calperformances.org The official source for Cal Performances’ tickets.