San Francisco Bay Times - April 9, 2026

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES Est . 1978

Race for District 8 Supervisor Kicks Into High Gear

On November 3, 2026, voters will get to decide who will serve as the next District 8 Supervisor. The three candidates—Gary McCoy, Michael Nguyen, and Manny Yekutiel—last month all held initial public events to help kickoff their campaigns.

On March 7, McCoy’s team presented their field kickoff at IBEW Local 6, flexing the endorsements of multiple labor leaders, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and others. Nguyen, who entered the race a bit later than the other two candidates, launched his campaign on March 21 at the Noe Valley Courts located across the street from his first San Francisco apartment and where his journey as a community organizer began over 15 years ago. On March 1, four house parties were organized within District 8 to support Yekutiel’s campaign. As Yekutiel later wrote: “It was serious and it’s exactly how I want this campaign to be: grassroots, living room-sized, and honest.”

On the surface, each of the candidates has a lot in common. All are openly out LGBTQ+ men who are democrats and well-known to many in the district.

Their leadership styles and backgrounds are very different, however.

Gary McCoy

A long-time aide to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, McCoy presently is a consultant who also manages the Save Our Health Care campaign ( https://www.saveourhealthcare.org/ ) that is fighting for the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the PACT Act that extends certain healthcare and benefits to veterans. In the LGBTQ+ community, he has been active in both the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club

and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. It is notable that many of Harvey Milk’s former colleagues, such as Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, Roma Guy, and Danny Nicoletta, are endorsing McCoy.

He is one of the hardest-working LGBTQ+ community leaders, who for years has attended countless events and often extended a helping hand when needed. He has been open about his early struggles in life, being the son of a physically abusive alcoholic father and facing his own struggles with homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and addiction. His recovery from those difficult years instilled great empathy for others and helps informs his work on issues such as healthcare, including improving mental health and addiction treatment, expanding housing access, and tackling public safety issues.

https://www.garymccoysf.com/

Michael Nguyen

Nguyen holds several important roles evidencing his diverse leadership skills. He is an experienced legal and business advisor in fast-paced and results-driven technology environments with a focus on product and intellectual property issues. He is also an elected member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC), where he represents Assembly District 17. A community organizer, he served as a member of the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, Board Chair of GAPA, and Founding AAPI Caucus Chair of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. He founded The QTAPI Coalition of the San Francisco Bay Area in the wake of increased violence against the AAPI commu-

nity in 2021. QTAPI subsequently produced the first QTAPI Week in the nation celebrating queer and transgender Asian and Pacific Islanders. He also performs as the popular drag queen Juicy Liu.

As for McCoy, Nguyen came from a family with significant hardship. His parents fled authoritarianism in Vietnam and met in a refugee camp. They worked multiple jobs, and the family moved constantly throughout Nguyen’s childhood. When he moved to San Francisco to attend law school, living in a tiny Noe Valley studio, he found home. As he writes: “I’m running for District 8 Supervisor because I believe in the audacity to hope we can build a San Francisco where nurses, teachers, and working families can afford to stay—where every dollar serves people, not just the powerful.”

https://www.michaelnguyen4sf.com/ Manny Yekutiel

Before creating the well-known civic events space Manny’s in 2016, Yekutiel already had extensive experience in the political sphere and as a community leader. Originally from Los Angeles, he was a political science major from Williams College who served as a White House Intern in the Office of Public Engagement and spent 12 months traveling through six countries on a Thomas Watson Fellowship studying LGBT rights movements. He returned to the U.S. as a field organizer for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and became chief of staff of FWD.us, an immigrant reform advocacy group, for which he was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in law and policy in 2015. He was also Deputy Finance Director for Hillary for America, Hillary

Clinton’s campaign in 2015.

In 2022, he co-founded The Civic Joy Fund, for which he also served as Executive Director. The fund has helped re-energize public spaces across San Francisco by bringing art, music, and culture to the streets. Yekutiel shares, “We believe that cities become more resilient, inclusive, and lively when people connect with their environment and with each other. By fostering vibrant street activations, we aim to draw people back to public spaces, stimulate local economies, and contribute to a broader cultural revival.”

https://www.mannyforsf.com/

Take Action

We urge you to take time in reading the candidates’ statements in this issue and carefully considering who will receive your vote. The District 8 Supervisor not only holds a powerful local role, but also has a tradition of carrying over to larger city influence. Current District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, for

(continued on page 5)

District 8 Supervisor Race Calls for Leadership Grounded in Public Service

By Gary McCoy

I’m running for District 8 Supervisor because this moment calls for leadership that is connected to the people who live here, grounded in public service, and focused on making people’s lives better.

My commitment to this community is personal, but it is also the foundation of my career. I have worked at every level of government, including serving in Congress for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, where I helped deliver federal resources and navigate complex issues affecting San Francisco. I

have also had the honor of leading both the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club.

District 8 has long been a center of queer life in San Francisco. Honoring and strengthening that legacy means making sure that queer people of color, immigrants, and longterm survivors of HIV/AIDS are safe here. That also means recognizing that our community will only remain vibrant if people can afford to live, work, and gather here.

Right now, too many people in District 8 are being displaced by the prohibitively high cost of housing. We must build more housing at

every level, from affordable to market-rate, and restore a real pathway into stable housing. I know how important that ladder is. I have lived it, moving from living on the streets into supportive housing to finally having a place of my own. That pathway should exist for everyone in this city, including young people just starting out, seniors on fixed incomes, and people living with chronic health conditions.

We also need to protect tenants who are at risk of displacement. I strongly support rent control, preventing the demolition of rent-controlled housing, and ensuring tenants have access to legal support so they can stay in their homes. Housing stability is the foundation for everything else, from health to employment to community connection. Public safety is another urgent issue for our

(continued on page 4)

An Independent, Courageous Voice for District 8 Not Beholden to Anyone or Any Corporate Entity

By Michael Nguyen

In 2016, I began performing professionally as Juicy Liu—a singing drag queen who believes that our joy is resistance, our visibility is power, and our community is worth fighting for. The courage it takes to step on stage as Juicy Liu is the same courage we need at City Hall.

For more than 20 years, I have been organizing alongside LGBTQ+ communities, building spaces for voices often left out of the conversation. I co-founded QTAPI Week (Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander Week), creating space for communities often invisible in both LGBTQ+ and AAPI organizing.

As an elected member of the Democratic County Central Committee, I’ve seen firsthand how local elections shape politics. The experience I have gained, as the only candidate in the District 8 race who has held elected office, has prepared me for the role of a Supervisor. I understand both policymaking and how essential it is for an elected leader to listen to the community.

I’m running because I refuse to accept a San Francisco that works only for the wealthy few. When I got to San Francisco as a broke, queer 24-year-old, I had nothing. However, after landing in an SRO, I was able to find affordable housing and work my way through law school and become a successful tech patent lawyer. I am saddened that, if I arrived in this city today, I would not be able to make it here the same way I did nearly two decades ago. I want to fight for a San

Francisco that welcomes people like me. Too many working people are being forced out. As someone who’s worked in tech law since 2008, I’m uniquely positioned to bridge that gap between big tech and the people being displaced by it. I want to ensure that the wealth generated here is reinvested into the people who make this city run—through reliable funding for MUNI, expanded childcare, and truly affordable housing.

Specifically, I don’t support the upzoning plans or the Mayor’s charter reform that

would give him more unchecked power. San Francisco needs people on the Board of Supervisors who are willing to stand up to power and represent our best interests. When I am on the Board, I will provide a check and a balance against the moderately-leaning folks currently in City Hall. I’m going to push back against the status quo that I believe is leading our city in the wrong direction.

My plans for the District are much the same as my intentions for the city: a government that works. That means ensuring our $16 billion budget delivers robust resources to residents, and strengthens transparency and accountability at every level. As the past President of the Board of Directors for Livable City, I’ve championed people-centered infrastructure for years. In a city as wealthy as ours, there’s no excuse for basic services—like clean, safe streets and adequate trash cans—to fall short.

I also recognize the need to raise more revenue, which is why I am a big supporter of Prop. D, the Overpaid CEO Act, that will be on the ballot in June. This will generate $200 million annually to protect services our most vulnerable residents depend on. I firmly believe that a city that works for everyone is also a city where businesses can thrive. I have consistently shown up for communi-

ties under attack—standing with Asian American elders facing violence, organizing with tenants to fight displacement, and rallying to protect drag performers and nightlife venues when they’re threatened. I’ve spent two decades building coalitions, mentoring younger organizers, and creating the infrastructure that allows communities to fight for themselves. As a drag performer, my candidacy is unconventional. However, drag allows me to draw attention and get more people involved in the political process that is especially needed in the time of Trump.

I’m ready to represent District 8 and all San Franciscans as an independent voice, not beholden to anyone or any corporate entity. https://www.michaelnguyen4sf.com/

district. Everyone deserves to feel safe walking home at night, taking transit, or simply existing in public space, including queer and trans residents who too often experience harassment or violence. That means expanding mental health crisis response, investing in community-based violence prevention, and making sure first responders have the resources they need to respond quickly and effectively. It also means making our streets safer through better lighting, safer intersections, and infrastructure that protects cyclists and pedestrians.

Why I’m Running for District 8 Supervisor

By Manny Yekutiel

San Francisco has always been a place people choose to be, choose to make their home. We are here because we love our city.

I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, and from a very young age I knew two things: that I was gay and that it was going to be a problem.

When I came out to my father at the end of my senior year of college, he disowned me on the spot. Things could have spiraled downward, but I remembered that there was a city with a reputation for taking people in like me who needed a fresh start, who needed to find new family, new community. That city was San Francisco.

I came to San Francisco with one friend, one duffle bag, and a desire to start over. In the thirteen years I’ve been here, San Francisco has given me everything: a chosen-family, a loving community, a real home. Because of this, I’ve devoted my time to building and supporting our community right back.

direct spending into our neighborhoods.

There’s a pattern here.

The strength of San Francisco exists not within one person. That strength exists in our collective. When we work together, we can solve any problem in front of us. I don’t just believe it. I’ve seen it.

I’ve been an organizer, a small business owner, a nonprofit leader, a city commissioner, and a community builder. And now I’m running for Supervisor because our city is at an inflection point and, if we work together, I truly believe we can solve the big problems that stand in the way of us reaching our full potential as a city.

When people needed a place to gather and get informed and organized after Trump’s first election, with the help of a willing neighborhood crew, I built a small business called Manny’s, a community gathering space, restaurant, and coffee shop that has, for almost eight years now, served that exact purpose.

When small businesses struggled to recover after the pandemic, Daniel Lurie and I created the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund to sponsor and organize string lights, night markets, block parties, and community events with the help of hundreds of citizen leaders, artists, drag performers, AV technicians, musicians, and creatives.

The result? A colorful resurgence that has brought tens of millions of dollars in

President Mandelman Plans to Remain in Public Service After His Term Ends

Rafael Mandelman, District 8 Supervisor and the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has nine months left before he is termed out in January 2027. A long-time San Francisco Bay Times columnist, he has had less of a presence in the paper during recent years as a result of his hectic schedule and dedication to his primary role in public service. Unlike other local and state politicians who are juggling their present roles with time-consuming campaigns, President Mandelman has chosen to remain laser-focused on his work at hand.

Looking to the future, he has, however, endorsed Manny Yekutiel for District 8 Supervisor. “I have known him for a long time and have watched him grow both through Manny’s and The Civic Joy Fund,” President Mandelman told the Bay Times. “He is an incredibly impressive leader and human being.”

I’m running to make San Francisco more affordable, more safe, and more joyful. We will make it more affordable to live here by building 10,000 new units of housing in the district, by making public education an easier choice for parents, and by making child care free.

We will make it more safe by hiring 500 more police officers, by getting deadly drugs off the street and out of people’s bodies, and by bringing those suffering from mental illness into care.

And we will make it more joyful by filling every vacant storefront, by investing more into our public spaces, and by fostering a deeper sense of in-person community.

Every generation of San Franciscans has their chance to leave their mark on the city’s future. Let’s be the ones who found a way to make it easier to live here, who reinvented San Francisco as a place that nurtured art and creativity, that found a way to house its teachers, its firefighters, its musicians, its writers, that remembered its responsibility to be a place that takes in everyone, including the young gay kid from far away whose father walked away from him.

I believe that we can build it. But I also know that the only way we do big things in this city is when we do them together. That’s the philosophy I’ve brought to my work until now and the kind of Supervisor I’ll be.

I hope you’ll join me.

https://www.mannyforsf.com/

As for his own future plans, President Mandelman could run either for a State Assembly or State Senate seat. He indicated that the former is more likely, if current Assemblymember Matt Haney runs for a State Senate seat. Assemblymember Haney’s present term will continue through December 2026, and he has publicly expressed an interest in running for the Senate.

Already, President Mandelman has carried on a legacy of strong District 8 leadership. Bevan Dufty, who served as District 8 Supervisor from 2002–2011, also termed out and now serves on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors. Scott Wiener, District 8 Supervisor from 2011–2016, additionally won reelection to a second term, which he held for two years before winning his campaign for State Senator. Dufty, Mandelman, and Wiener are all openly LGBTQ+, as are current District 8 Supervisor candidates Gary McCoy, Michael Nguyen, and Manny Yekutiel.

DISTRICT 8 (continued from page 3)

example, has served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors since January 2025. Former Supervisor Scott Wiener is now a State Senator running for Pelosi’s congressional seat. Consider wielding your influence now by making a donation to the campaign of the candidate of your choice. Early reports show that Yekutiel is ahead in fundraising, followed by McCoy and then Nguyen. Each campaign is also actively recruiting volunteers. Also, take time to check your voter status. You can do so at https://bit.ly/4shwHcn

Who Belongs?

In Case You Missed It

Joanie Juster

Our country’s most basic principles are being questioned, attacked, and reshaped by an authoritarian regime that is challenging the very concept of what it means to be an “American.”

Our bloviator-in-chief’s mental deterioration has been on full and obvious display as he ramps up his attacks on anyone he doesn’t think is worthy of being an American—which basically means all of us who aren’t fabulously wealthy, radically conservative, and, most importantly, white.

His blatant racism and homophobia—echoed, amplified, and enforced by his fawning enablers— threaten the very existence of countless people in this country. By taking his legal challenges to birthright citizenship to the Supreme Court, he is trying to force the country to grapple with existential questions: Who belongs here? What does it mean

to be an “American”? And who gets to choose? Arguing at the Supreme Court on behalf of the 14th Amendment, the ACLU stated, “The Executive Order we’re challenging at the Court today would create mass chaos. It would create a permanent class of stateless people—people born here who have never known another home but are denied every right of citizenship.”

The president and his followers are not only trying to enforce their vision of what an

(continued on page 14)

Changes Underway at Jane Warner Plaza

Jane Warner Plaza, located at the intersection of Castro, 17th, and Market streets, is undergoing multiple changes in stages. The first, on March 20, 2026, was the removal of The Seed, a sculptural piece by Los Angelesbased Aphid Studio dating to October 2017. A statement about the piece, at the studio’s website, reads: “Whoever came up with the idea that if you blow away the seeds of a dandelions you can make a wish? As a child, I remember doing this; I would run around and pick up curbside dandelion flowers and blow their tiny seeds into the wind and make a wish. But it never dawned on me where these tiny seeds go? Where do they land? No one knows. Could it be that someone else wished the same thing as I did? Could it be that these seeds find themselves together? This art piece is an homage to those seeds—’wishes’ that have prevailed and found their place in the world.”

Time blighted the heavy sculptures making up The Seed, however, prompting their removal. When initially installed, they were part of a $150,000 upgrade project. Realtor David Ayerdi of Sotheby’s footed the bill for the removal and organized the takedown crew.

On March 24, 2026, new tables and chairs were installed in the plaza. Two days later, new landscaping was added. There are still plans to paint the six concrete planters in the six colors of the rainbow. In midMay, the intersex progressive Pride flag on the ground of the plaza— created in a project led by HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ activist Harry Breaux—will be repainted.

Check out Jane Warner Plaza at any time via the 24/7 livestreaming Castro Street Cam, Cam #4: https://bit.ly/4sTRQu9

San Francisco

‘No Kings’ Marches and Rallies

No Kings 3

The third group of coordinated No Kings protests took place in cities around the Bay Area and nationwide on March 28, 2026. The organizers estimate that over 8 million people participated in the marches and rallies, making this likely the largest protest action in U.S. history. (No Kings 2 drew just over 7 million, according to estimates.)

The rallies involved over 3,000 locations across all 50 states. In the Bay Area, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose had the largest turnouts, collectively drawing around 100,000. There were also international events—sometimes renamed as “No Tyrants” or No Dictators”—in over 20 countries, including Canada, Japan, Mexico, and across Europe.

The next nationwide No Kings event will be virtual: a training on immigration and protestor rights concerning ICE actions. https://bit.ly/4c4APq1

Oakland Leads in a Time of Challenge

Leading With Pride From Oakland City Hall

Oakland City Councilmember

At-Large Rowena Brown

Greetings from the East Bay! I’m delighted to be back writing for the San Francisco Bay Times

We are living in a moment that often requires us to remain in advocacy mode 24/7, especially in response to ongoing attacks from the federal administration and geopolitical uncertainty. In the midst of that, I hope you are also making time to take care of yourself and your community’s wellness.

I am writing as the Oakland City Council begins its short spring recess—an opportunity to reflect and share updates from the spring quarter serving Oaklanders.

Oakland has been shining with pride in 2026. Our city was honored to be an official partner of Super Bowl 60, alongside the historic reopening of the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts near Lake Merritt. These moments of positive activation in The Town continue to affirm what we already know: Oakland is truly one of the best places to live, work, and play in the East Bay.

From community celebrations to City Hall, I have remained committed to showing up. Whether celebrating Lunar New Year, marking 75 years of our Main Public Library, or honoring the vibrancy of Black History Month and the joy of the Black Joy Parade, these moments reflect the heart of Oakland.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Oakland was recently recognized for the second consecutive year as the number one food city in the United States. What an incredible honor! I encourage you to explore one of my favorite neighborhoods, Temescal, recently designated as one of Oakland’s Entertainment Zones. I had the chance to do a walking tour, highlighting some of its amazing local eateries and shops ( https://bit.ly/4maLMLk ).

At City Hall, my colleagues Councilmember Wang, Councilmember Unger, and I authored a resolution reaffirming Oakland’s commitment to gender-affirming care (Resolution No. 91083, https://bit.ly/3O71wlW )

As a proud queer woman, I believe deeply in using my voice and platform to defend and uplift the LGBTQ+ community in Oakland and beyond.

The Trump Administration’s recent efforts to strip federal funding and restrict access to gender-affirming care—particularly for LGBTQ+ youth—are deeply troubling. These actions disproportionately impact vulnerable communities who rely on programs like Medi-Cal and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). I was especially moved to stand alongside community members who shared their stories before the City Council. While the queer community is no

stranger to attacks on our rights, we must remain steadfast in the fight for equity, dignity, and justice.

Oakland is advancing new strategies to address illegal dumping through stronger enforcement and innovative technology. Proposed amendments at the Public Works Committee would increase fines for firsttime violations from $750 to $1,500, alongside a pilot program using drones to monitor

(continued on page 14)

The Fifth Annual Alvin H. Baum, Jr. Memorial Lecture

Delivered by GenderCool

“Positivity is Omnipotent: One Jewish Family’s Human Approach to Building Support for Transgender Youth”

SUNDAY,APRIL 19 • 6:30 PM–8:00 PM

Xavier Auditorium, Fromm Hall

650 Parker Street (Adjacent to St. Ignatius Church)

Our 5th annual Alvin H. Baum, Jr. Memorial lecture spotlights the GenderCool Project, a youth-led movement helping to replace misinformed opinions with positive experiences meeting transgender and non-binary young people who are living their best lives.

GenderCool was inspired by the powerful, positive story of one family. Known as an inspiring disrupter, this storytelling campaign is breaking through to millions of people who say they’ve never met a transgender or nonbinary young person.

We will also meet the recipient(s) of this year’s Robert Holgate Pride Fellowship Award in Queering Religion at the University of San Francisco.

The SF LGBT Center’s New Executive Director Invites You to Celebrate Queer Excellence!

It’s been said that “during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.”

The world has been so heavy, and I know how much we need that dance right now. In a moment of grief and resistance, joy is a radical and necessary force.

By Jennifer Valles

I want to personally invite you to join our beautiful Bay Area queer community at the SF LGBT Center’s largest annual fundraising event, Soirée, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, ( https://bit.ly/4txOBsp ).

Hosted by San Francisco icons Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany, with entertainment by crown jewel Juanita MORE!, and music by DJ LadyRyan, Soirée features music, performances, dancing, locally-sourced food, an open bar, and a lively auction with the one and only Michael Tate. Every Soirée ticket sold supports our center’s critical programs and services, ensuring our LGBTQ+ Bay Area community can access the resources they need to thrive. I am honored to be extending this invitation for the first time as Executive Director.

This event comes at a time when queer community service providers are battling a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, budget cuts, and surging demand for services. Each year, the center welcomes over 100,000 visitors and provides direct services to nearly 7,000 people, many of them transgender individuals, youth, and immigrants. This is an all hands on deck moment—now is the time to show up and participate with generosity, action, and deepening commitment to one another.

If you can’t join us for dinner, we welcome you to be a part of our official after-party and enjoy drag performances, music, drinks, dessert, and, of course, the community dancefloor. The center can also offer a limited number of discounted after-party tickets for community members facing economic disadvantages, especially our trans and BIPOC community. You can always reach out to donations@sfcenter.org if you need more information. At its core, Soirée is about the Bay Area queer community coming together to support and celebrate each other; I think we could all use a bit more of that right now.

Love is a practice. Joy is a practice. It is a radical practice. And I truly believe the most radical thing we can do in this moment is to find that

in each other.

To purchase tickets to Soirée, please visit https://bit.ly/4mgxn0g I hope to see you there! Jennifer Valles is the Executive Director of the SF LGBT Center.

Marilyn Pittman (1952–2026), Influential LGBTQ+ Standup Comic, Radio Host, and Coach for NPR

Marilyn Pittman, an openly LGBTQ+ standup comic, radio host, performer, talent consultant, and coach for National Public Radio (NPR) stations, died on March 28, 2026, while in hospice care in Millbrae. The news was shared by Pittman’s partner of 25 years, Deb McDonald.

McDonald posted via Pittman’s Facebook page ( https://bit.ly/3Q5INb5 ):

“Although her ability to speak was extremely limited, she retained her comic chops; her last audible words were a perfectly timed ‘ar ar ar’ dropped during a lull in the conversation that cracked up the small audience gathered in her room. Stay tuned for information on her memorial (tba). If you have anecdotes, stories, tall tales, photos, or memories you’d like to share, we’re gathering them for a tribute befitting the absolute legend that she was.”

Pittman gained prominence during the AIDS crisis, performing comedy as an openly LGBTQ+ individual during a time when, as she later reflected, “we needed to laugh.” She performed at the 1993 March on Washington and in the first gay standup comedy video All Out Comedy

In 1997, tragedy struck when her father murdered her mother and then killed himself. As for during the AIDS crisis, Pittman faced the situation, and the resolve to survive unimaginable challenges, through performance. Her one-woman show It’s All the Rage, performed at San Francisco’s Marsh Theatre, shared how she was able to cope. Pittman addressed that further in a 2012 interview with Hana Baba of KALW ( https://bit.ly/3OrVigG ).

Pittman later expanded her work to include narration for documentaries and corporate films, consulting and coaching for NPR stations, and co-hosting and co-producing the weekly LGBTQ+ interview show Out in the Bay with Eric Jansen. The show has been re-airing memorable interviews that Pittman conducted, such as with the legendary singers Sylvester and Lesley Gore. Listen to those shows and more at: https://www.outinthebay.org/

You can also watch videos of Pittman, including her entire It’s All the Rage show, at YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Otkpjf

Show of Hope Gala Pays Tribute to Dedicated Social Worker Alberto Rangel

The life, legacy, and unwavering commitment to the community of social worker Alberto Rangel was honored at the Show of Hope gala on April 4, 2026, presented by the San Francisco Community Health Center.

Rangel worked in the HIV Clinic, Ward 86, at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. On December 4, 2025, he was stabbed to death by patient Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi in a hallway of the ward.

Rangel was 51. The incident has highlighted growing safety concerns for staff at this and other hospitals.

Members of the San Francisco Bay Times team have also witnessed patients—often on drugs and/or mentally ill—attacking social workers, nurses, and other staff at hospitals.

Rangel, through his dedicated work and compassion, touched the lives of many.

As the Dean of the UCSF School of Medicine, Talmadge E. King, Jr., wrote: “Alberto was a cherished member of the UCSF and ZSFG teams—a warm, dedicated, and deeply compassionate behavioral health clinician who devoted his career to supporting patients during their most vulnerable moments.

He was known for his kindness, his ability to meet people with humanity and respect, and his unwavering belief in the dignity of every person he served. Through his work, Alberto touched countless lives, offering comfort, connection, and healing to patients, families, and colleagues alike.”

He is survived by his husband, Stuart Moulder, who shared more about Rangel’s life and legacy in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle: https://bit.ly/3NSs9Lz

American is, and who should have the right to live here. They are also working overtime to decide who gets to enjoy the rights and privileges of citizenship. They are on a mission to make sure that only the “right” people—the ones they approve of (they have actually said that out loud)—can enjoy the rights previously guaranteed to all Americans: the right to vote (and to have your vote counted), to love and marry the person of your choice, to maintain autonomy

over your own body, to be who you are, to express your opinions freely, and much more. Many of these attacks on our freedom have come in the form of executive orders from the president; they are looking more and more like the rantings of a deranged old man. Most of these executive orders bear no legal weight, and are badly thought out. But they still cause damage, and tie up our court system as judges repeatedly have to respond that, no, Donald,

you don’t actually have the power to do that. This is no way to run a government. On March 28, over 8 million people took to the streets of every state, and many other countries, to protest the current authoritarian regime, and to speak out on behalf of democracy. It was a beautiful sight. The White House propaganda machine may have dismissed this massive protest as not worthy of their attention, but the rest of the world took note. And while the huge crowds in San Francisco and other big cities were impressive, what really made my heart leap with pride was seeing small gatherings of brave folks in some of the reddest corners of our nation. When you live in a rural area where everyone knows you, it takes real courage to stand up publicly. Well done, everyone!

But, of course, the big nationwide days of protest are just the most visible sign of the work being done every day. There is a lot to do before November to make sure we can have fair and free elections, and much of that is on the local level. Over the next few months, elections at the state and local level will determine who will be running elections in those jurisdictions. These elections often receive little attention, but they are crucial to maintaining the integrity of our election process, especially as the far right is trying to stack the deck by placing MAGA loyalists in many of those positions. Organizations like the State and Local Election Alliance are working to fund candidates who will ensure fair elections. A small donation goes a long way: https://tinyurl.com/slea6

Who Belongs? (Local Version)

Queer history expert Gerard Koskovich recently shared fascinating, but disturbing, images on social media ( https://bit.ly/3PKGbzt ), from the March newsletter of San Francisco Public Works. Their feature on the makeover of Harvey Milk Plaza includes renderings of what the plaza might look like. And, although they refer to the plaza as the “symbolic front door to the iconic Castro neighborhood,” you would never know it was the Castro by looking at their pictures, which depict young, white, heterosexual couples strolling through the plaza under magnolia blossoms. Is this the same plaza where we have all gathered, protested, mourned, and

BROWN (continued from pg 10)

high-dumping areas and improve accountability. Illegal dumping harms public health, the environment, accessibility, and local businesses. These local efforts are complemented by statewide action, including legislation from Senator Jesse Arreguín, SB-1218, that would link dumping violations to DMV registration. Together, these measures reflect a growing commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting Oakland’s communities.

Looking ahead, the Oakland City Council will begin exploring Charter Reform, which could be on the ballot this November. We held our first public meeting on the topic at the March 26 Rules & Legislation Committee and look forward to continued community engagement in the months ahead.

celebrated for decades? It doesn’t look like the Castro at all. San Francisco Public Works: Please do better.

Support Your Local Organizations

Every day brings more sad news from local nonprofits that are facing hard choices as a result of funding cuts from federal, state, and local sources. One example is El/La Para Translatinas, which has been serving trans, intersex, and gender diverse Latine immigrant communities since its founding in 1993 as the first translatina HIV prevention program in Northern California. Their April newsletter announced that their city funding has been cut by 75%, forcing them to end their lease on their community gathering space where they have provided in-person meetings, and food and goods twice a month for many years. Budget cuts are forcing organizations like this to cut back on services to the community. If you value these kinds of services, speak up, and do what you can to advocate for them. They will appreciate your support.

Dining Out for Life

Two other local organizations that need and deserve our support are joining forces again for this year’s Dining Out for Life on April 16. Dine at one of the many restaurants supporting this event, and you will automatically be supporting the vital services of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Project Open Hand. https://tinyurl.com/DOFL26

What’s

Next

So, what’s next? First and most important: the big rallies and marches are fun and impactful, but they are just the most visible sign of the community organizing and resistance that need to continue every day. There is plenty of work for all of us to do; find your niche and pitch in.

The next big public event I know of will be May Day, when organizers are calling for a day of solidarity. More details will be coming soon, but, in the meantime, here’s a link: https://tinyurl.com/MayDayIn

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, please reach out to my office at atlarge@oaklandca.gov or follow along on social media for updates: Instagram @rowena.brownoakland Facebook https://bit.ly/4bWCdME

Rowena Brown, elected in 2024 as Oakland’s At-Large City Councilmember, is an African American queer leader and lifelong East Bay resident. A former community organizer, civics educator, and State Legislative District Director, she has spent her career advancing equity, opportunity, and inclusive policies at both the local and state levels. As Councilmember, she is centering community voices and bridging grassroots movements with City Hall to build a more resilient, just, and thriving Oakland. https://bit.ly/4m3rMJ2

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders

Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor, 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309

SaN FraNciSco ca 94114

PhoNe: 415-601-2113

525 Bellevue aveNue oaklaNd ca 94610

e-Mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com

The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

The Bay Times is proud to be the first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city.

dr. Betty l. SullivaN/JeNNiFer l viegaS co-PuBliSherS & co-editorS

Beth greeNe, JohN SigNer, Michael delgado deSigN & ProductioN

kate lawS BuSiNeSS MaNager

Blake dilloN caleNdar editor kit keNNedy Poet-iN-reSideNce

J.h herreN techNology director

carla raMoS weB coordiNator

Mario ordoNez diStriButioN

JuaN r davila voluNteer coordiNator

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITeRS

Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, Kate Kendell, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Beth Schnitzer, Rowena Brown, Andrew Freeman, Kippy Marks, Ian Fullmer, Catherine Stefani, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis, Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Howard Steiermann, Fernando Camino, Honey Mahogany, David Landis PhOTOgRaPheRS

Rink, Paul Margolis, Bill Wilson, Jerome Parmer, Michael Kirschner, Sandy Morris, Karina Patel, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Debra Reabock

aDVeRTISINg

Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-601-2113

Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers.

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021

Circulation is verified by an independent agency. Reprints by permission only.

CaLeNDaR

Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com © 2026 Sullivan Communications, Inc

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow

Putting the Freud in Schadenfreude

I was so excited when I first saw the story about Kristi Noem’s husband posting photos of himself with the balloons under his seethrough top and texting about big boobs. Could this be true, I thought, with a journalist’s eye for accurate reporting? OMG it was! How much mileage will I get out of this one, I wondered with a lazy notion of hitting my word count with fun-filled rambling instead of time-consuming research? Tons! And, also, don’t you love it when obnoxious high-profile people demand “privacy” the minute a scandal spotlights themselves or their relatives? Please spare us the sanctimony. The victimhood! Privacy is what we give to the brokenhearted, the sick, and the dying. We don’t owe privacy to a grandstanding, gun toting, puppy killing harridan who wore her Rolex to a Salvadorian prison camp and told her lover to fire the pilot because he left her favorite blanket on the plane. I figured I could drop 200 words on that alone (and I just wrote about 100 as it happens).

But, after my initial exhilaration, I thought twice. Poor hapless Bryon was apparently a really nice guy (his neighbors told The New York Times) with a kind word for everyone and a storefront insurance office in small town South Dakota where the sign promises: “Old fashioned service, Easy as pie!” Did he really deserve the gleeful and humiliating publicity that certainly drew most of its energy from his wife’s nasty rep?

And what about his little kink, anyway? What’s so bad about a little cross-dressing? Surely our community knows better than to frown on some innocent cyber cosplay. Haven’t we all been seen as the personification of perversion at various times in our lives? There are many decades of our lives for the gay elders, like moi, to pick an example at random, as we went through years of social disdain before finally being elevated to a relatively normal status.

Yet, we were categorized as misfits out of unreasoned hostility. There’s nothing kinky, weird, or shameful about gayness. I’ve mentioned my memory of one of the early marches in New York City when the lesbians broke off from the main parade group because the guys had allowed a group of NAMBLA activists to march along for civil rights. That was the North American Man/ Boy Love Association, a bunch of pedophiles, and, in the early days of the gay civil rights movement, some (guys) felt, I guess, that since we were called deviants, we ourselves shouldn’t point the finger at some other group that was also ostracized. But they were ostracized for a reason. They were legit deviants.

C’mon people! Even back then, the lesbians were the conscience of the community despite the fact that the mostly male community leaders ignored us.

That lengthy sidetrack is to say that my third take on Mr. Noem was that, hmmm, it actually is a little nutty to put on spandex, pay money to go online with balloons under some spandex so that the knots sort of look like nipples, and rave about gigantic breasts.

And to do so using the public technology of 2026, when your wife is massively famous and presents her family as an all-American clan of devout Christians is just plain crazy. Yes, we’re GLBT and we don’t like to judge others, particularly as far as their sexuality is concerned, but really, Bryon. I suppose you’re not hurting anyone, but a therapist would not be a bad idea.

My final thought is this. When average low-information Americans think of transgender men and women, they don’t think of the thousands of transgender people living their lives, working, just going about their daily business, and, for the most part, blending into society as the men and women they are rather than the girls and boys that came into the world. No, they think of big cross-dressing guys with beards trying to check out the girl’s locker room. And they think of men like Bryon Noem—men with (sorry, Bryon) real issues that have nothing to do with being gay or transgender, but instead have to do with being a little messed up. Of course they don’t want them in the ladies’ bathrooms! I wouldn’t either.

Say What?

I just finished a confusing New York Times article headlined “U.S. Quits Deals on Trans Rights.” It seems the Department of Education is canceling or backing out of various legal settlements negotiated during the Obama and Biden administrations that concerned the treatment of transgender or non-binary students at certain federally-funded schools. Huh?

It seems as if the settlements stemmed from civil rights investigations launched by the government back when the government was in the business of protecting GLBT rights rather than destroying them. The Biden administration, you recall, interpreted Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Arguably, so did the Obama administration, but Biden’s policy was derived from the (oft-mentioned in our pages) 2020 Supreme Court ruling that ruled explicitly that a ban on “discrimination because of sex” inherently included gay and trans bias.

Somehow, I gather vaguely, Trump’s Department of Education is now trying to reverse the outcome of those investigations and require a number of schools to revert to whatever horrible behaviors provoked the original complaints. According to the Times, at least a few of these schools are either ignoring the demand, have not heard of the demand, or cannot alter their situations without falling afoul of state law. I don’t know if this will turn out to be a big deal or not, but it doesn’t sound good and it doesn’t sound legal. Since I don’t really understand it to begin with, I’ll leave it there.

Gray Area Redux

Meanwhile, in other trans news that involves the Gray Lady, do you remember earlier this year when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Medical

(continued on page 20)

Show of Hope Gala 2026

The annual Show of Hope gala benefiting the San Francisco Community Health Center’s lifesaving services took place on April 4, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. This year’s honorees included ABC7 News anchor Reggie Aqui, recipient of the Diva Award; Director of the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives Honey Mahogany, recipient of the Community Trailblazer Award; and retired San Francisco LGBT Center longtime Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe, who received the Community Impact Award.

The event included a cocktail reception, dinner and program, and an after party featur ing entertainment by The Boy Band Project. A coveted raffle prize was 200,000 United Airlines miles!

There are several other events on the center’s calendar, including TRANSThrive’s SHE Boutique on April 10 and a Cherry Blossom Festival Meetup the next day. https://www.sfcommunityhealth.org/

2026 Easter Party & Bonnet Contest at 440 Castro

Host and emcee Gary Virginia presented the annual Easter Party & Bonnet Contest at 440 Castro on April 5, 2026. There was a massive basket of chocolates for the Easter Trivia Contest, and the Easter Parade with Bonnet Contest had enthusiastic contestants strutting their spring looks. That was even easier to do after the many drink specials, such as $5 mimosas, $8 Bloody Mary’s, and $3 beers.

This event always provides some of the best views, via 440’s parklet, of busy Castro Street after the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Easter in the Park event. DJ/VJ Jim Hopkins was on the decks adding to the upbeat energy of the summery spring Sunday. http://www.the440.com/

TBy Donna Sachet

he Imperial Court’s Investiture, Come for a Nibble, Stay for a Bite, of Emperor John Brett and Regent Empress Queen Cougar, filled The Café on March 28, 2026, to capacity with colorful pageantry, time-honored tradition, and loving support. If this is any indication, these monarchs are in for a wonderful year! Various court members presented musical numbers, delicious hors d’oeuvres were served, and new titles were distributed. Imperial Crown Prince Nathan D’aguiar & Imperial Crown Princess Mx. Kiki Krunch completed their year of service admirably and the new Imperial Crown Prince West Walker & Imperial Crown Princess Nikita Vega were announced. Watch this column for upcoming Imperial Court events!

’Tis the season! As our loyal readers well know, April and May tend to be jammed with annual galas for our beloved local non-profits and 2026 is no exception. One of our favorites has become San Francisco Community Health Center’s Show of Hope gala, which returned again this year to the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero and lived up to its reputation. This one has it all: lively entertainment, delicious dinner and drinks, carefully selected awards with powerful acceptance speeches, and one of the most glamorously dressed crowds. We commented to our date Gary Virginia that we could have been at the Met Gala in New York! Gentlemen pulled out all the stops with vivid colors and fabrics and the ladies went for high drama, décolletage, and gorgeous jewel tones.

The evening started with cocktails, where we caught up with Brett Andrews, Larry Hashbarger, Suzanne Ford, Joshua Smith, David Glamamore, Juanita MORE!, Sister Roma, and so many others. We were then ushered into a sparkling ballroom and located our excellently placed table, full of engaging guests, including Tita Aida and Toni Newman. Popular television personality Reggie Aqui emceed with elan, but not before being presented with a new award, the Show of Hope Diva Award, to great audience response. The Community Impact Award went to Rebecca Rolfe who shared very humble and personal remarks, and the Community Trailblazer Award went to Honey Mahogany, accepting with a beautifully prepared and on-target speech.

Throughout the evening The Boy Band Project provided periodic audience-pleasing up-tempo music. The live auction moved quickly, including a Hawaiian vacation that was multiplied to over ten winning bidders. In addition to appearances by State Senator Scott Wiener and Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and several moving video presentations describing the impact of the center, a segment of the evening was dedicated to the memory of Alberto Rangel, who tragically lost his life in a violent incident while serving his community. His loss was powerfully felt by many in the room.

The program ended with a Fund-in-Need auction, starting at $5000 and winding down to $100 and eventually capturing everyone in the room, guaranteeing another successful gala to continue the life-altering work of the SF Community Health Center. Throughout the night, the presence of Executive Director Lance Toma, both on stage and off, reminded us again and again of his tremendous dedication and value as the head of the organization that is facing very real challenges, but meeting them with resolve and resilience.

Easter Sunday snuck up on us, but the sunny weather assured that Dolores Park would be packed for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence gathering, celebrating with joy and the humor for which they are known. Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany enveloped the thousands gathered for the Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary contests, and, once again, our community seemed more united than ever. Despite some concerns for excessive heat exposure, the crowd remained largely attentive and supportive, gradually filing out of the park early in the afternoon to gather in the various bars in the Castro.

We ended the day at 440 Castro, where Gary Virginia hosted a trivia contest and Easter bonnet contest. Every parklet spilled into the streets with celebrants, but none more than that at 440 Castro. It was another beautiful day in this fabulous place we call home!

Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com

“Showing up, being present in the moment ... that’s my North Star. That is always the answer.”

Tina Payne Bryson

Saturday, April 11

Alyssa Edwards Star of RuPaul’s Drag Race & more Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street 8 pm $167 & up www.tickets-center.com

Sunday, April 12

Mark Abramson reading Live reading from his latest fiction Fathers & Sons Fabulosa Bookstore, 489 Castro Street 4 pm Free! https://bit.ly/41irp5n

Wednesday, April 15 Serenade Imperial Court’s live music evening Midnight Sun, 4067 18th Street 6 pm Free! www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Friday, April 17

Stephen Schwartz: Songs & Stories Rare SF appearance of legendary composer With Michael McCorry Rose & Taylor Iman Jones Chan National Queer Arts Center 170 Valencia Street 7:30 pm $35 & up www.sfgmc.org

Saturday, April 18

Soirée 2026

SF LGBT Community Center’s Gala Dinner Program, auction, dancing at City View at Metreon 5:30 pm $95 & up www.sfcenter.org

Association appeared (in a Times article) to discourage surgery for transgender youth? The plastic surgeons came out against transition surgery for minors, the vast majority of which involves breast reductions for trans boys. The American Medical Association, in turn, appeared to echo these concerns, also urging caution before picking up the scalpels. “In the absence of clear evidence,” the Times quoted, “the AMA agrees with ASPS that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.”

But that statement did not represent a change in AMA policy, The Advocate reports. In a March AMA Board newsletter, the group explained that the whole discussion began with a meeting in January between medical honchos and Dr. Oz at the Depart-

ment for Health and Human Services on the subject of transition care (which Trump and company are trying to defund from Medicare and Medicaid). While the plastic surgeons issued a nine-page position report on youth surgery, the AMA did not. Nonetheless, they prepared a comment in the event they were asked to weigh in on the ASPS policy by the media.

When the Times article appeared, the newsletter said, it gave the impression that the AMA had tightened their stance in response to the ASPS press release issued the previous day. The AMA Board subsequently asked for a public correction. As they said in the newsletter: “This was neither a policy change nor was it an endorsement of a position taken by another medical society.”

Let’s Go Home!

‘Carrotini’- Loving James Bund and a Pibble Named Davey Full of Sunshine and Smiles

Here are two of the many pets now available for adoption at Oakland Animal Services (OAS):

James Bund was rescued from a mission gone awry, leaving him stranded here in Oakland. Being a secret agent bun in His Majesty’s Secret Service, Mr. Bund isn’t always sure whom he can trust. Though he can be shy at first, he genuinely craves affection. Patiently sit with him awhile, and he’ll come over for a sniff and then he’ll accept some gentle pets. Bonus points if you’ve got a carrotini for him! (Shaken, not stirred, of course.)

Davey is a 2-year-old, 46-pound pibble who is full of sunshine and smiles. Davey was found tied under a freeway, and, despite having a few scars, he’s remained cheerful and soaks up affection from anyone willing to give it. On a recent field trip, Davey had a nice relaxing walk along the shoreline. He showed interest in people and other dogs and remained manageable on leash and responsive to his handler. Davey is treat-motivated, already knows sit, and is ready to learn more.

The OAS adoption process focuses on matching you with a pet who is a good fit for you and your family. Come by during open adoption hours Thursdays 12–7 pm and Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays 12–3 pm to adopt your new best friend, or to learn more about the OAS adoption process. Please see the OAS website to learn more about how you can help by adopting, fostering, volunteering, and donating: www.oaklandanimalservices.org

The AMA’s stance, the letter concluded, is unchanged. “Our recent response to questions about ASPS’s position statement was intended to preserve—not diminish—access to gender-affirming care, and to clarify and reinforce what our policy has long reflected and standards of care. The AMA supports gender-affirming care as medically necessary per our policy.”

Okay then! Why do we care about the nuance in a two-month-old article anyway? For me, mainly, it’s because we were left with the impression that reputable scientific and medical organizations had abandoned a commitment to youth healthcare, presumably after careful thought. But both organizations made clear that their positions were advisory, and, of course, limited to surgery— not trans youth healthcare in general.

Indeed, as we wrote here at the time, surgery for underage trans kids is not a thing, and is mainly limited to top surgery for developing transboys in their mid to late teens. The Times article was juxtaposed with a successful $2 million malpractice suit from a cisgender girl who had her breasts removed when she was 16 after her parents were pressured by a careless psychologist. The girl thought she was trans, but had doubts. Nevertheless, she went ahead to her later regret.

These situations are tragedies. But, make no mistake. Little boys aren’t getting their penises chopped off and the vast majority of doctors do not sign off on operations without extensive evaluations. But that won’t stop the anti-trans bullhorns from adding the American Medical Association to their propaganda machine. Lots of people read the Times. Few read the AMA’s Board newsletters.

My Public Idaho

I think I told you about the Spud State proposal that could make it a felony to use the bathroom as a transgender person. The bill passed the state senate as expected last week and was just signed into law by Governor Brad Little. No other state has gone this far, although Kansas comes close with a recent statute that allows civilians to file civil suits for $1,000 if they are “aggrieved” by someone in the john, even in a private business.

Effective July 1, a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. A second offense within five years of the first is a felony, carrying a prison sentence of up to five years. The law applies, not just to government offices, but to all public accommodations. There are several exceptions, such as medical emergencies and “dire need.” But an amendment requiring that the person first be asked to leave the restroom before police are called was voted down. It remains unclear how police and sheriff deputies are meant to enforce the law in the event that someone’s gender is up for debate. What happens to the masculine woman, or the non-binary person? Do they carry their birth certificates into the stalls?

Obviously, it’s cruel. But it’s also absurd. What about the transmen forced to use the ladies’ room and the transwomen checking their makeup by the urinals? Just as we said in the Bryon Noem section, many people have no idea what it means to be transgender, and even these lawmakers seem to be imagining that their law “protects” women from burly cisgender men trying to invade an intimate space. Of course, it does the exact opposite, by forcing those men to use women’s facilities against their will and forcing the fragile ladies to confront the transmen they never even imagined existed. Who knows? Perhaps these laws will inadvertently lead to a new understanding of what it means to be transgender to begin with.

Christian ‘Speech’ Wins Again At

SCOTUS

Finally, we turn to the High Court ruling that called Colorado’s law against conversion therapy for minors a violation of Free Speech, sending it back to the lower court for a ruling almost certain to favor Kaley Chiles, the anti-gay therapist who complained about the statute. The 8–1 ruling included a concurrence by Justices Kagan and Sotomayor, who noted that, while the law prohibited talk therapy that discouraged homosexuality and transitioning, it did not bar talk therapy that supported GLBT orientations, therefore it represented viewpoint discrimination.

The law, which has never been enforced, does not involve physical treatment or coercion, but is limited to what licensed counselors can discuss. Nonetheless, one would think that Colorado has a right to regulate attempts by state-licensed professionals to discredit and reverse a fundamental feature of a patient’s identity that causes no harm— damaging young psyches in the process.

Justice Jackson read her dissent from the bench: “Ultimately, because the majority plays with fire in this case, I fear that the people of this country will get burned,” she wrote towards the end. “Before now, licensed medical professionals had to adhere to standards when treating patients: They could neither do nor say whatever they want ... . Today, the Court turns its back on that tradition. And, to be completely frank, no one knows what will happen now.”

She continued, “This decision might make speech-only therapies and other medical treatments involving practitioner speech effectively unregulatable—not to be reached via licensing standards, medical-malpractice liability, or any other means of state control. Who knows? Certainly not the majority. It appears to have made this momentous decision without adequately grappling with the potential long-term and disastrous implications of this ruling.”

arostow@aol.com

The Mysterious Death of Hugh Eric Trevanion

Faces From Our LGBT Past

Dr. Bill Lipsky

The story had everything needed to create a media frenzy in respectable newspapers and scandal sheets worldwide. Hugh Eric Trevanion (1884–1912)—scion of an old and well-known Cornish family, a cousin of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later the Queen Mother, and to many “an eccentric and, to all accounts, effeminate man”—was dead in his flat in Grand Avenue Mansions, Hove, Sussex, of an overdose of Veronal, a drug easily available, highly addictive, and known to be fatal when taken in large quantities.

Bernard Spilsbury, an eminent pathologist, determined that he was a “sexual pervert,” but, to spare the family any additional sorrow, that was not made public at the time. Neither was a note from Annie Rice, Trevanion’s nurse, which read, “He said that Mr. Roe had been his wife for the last seven months.”

After a “thorough” investigation and two inquests, everyone agreed that Trevanion died from an overdose of Veronal, which they already knew, but “how or by whom administered there was no evidence to show.” Roe finally married Margaret Derrick in Swansea in 1914, but he never did receive his inheritance. Veronal remained as easily available as ever. Some testimonials continued to describe it as “secure and harmless,” but, in fact, it was always highly addictive and its serious side effects, including unintentional—or intentional—overdosing, were often fatal.

Wealth, position, even a whiff of homosexuality, then illegal everywhere in the English-speaking world, and the unanswered questions of whodunit and why kept the public engrossed for months. Accidental overdose? Deliberate suicide? Murder must foul? Only 27 years old, but with an estate of some £60,000 (now some $6,000,000), Trevanion willed almost his entire fortune to his “great and good companion” Albert Edward Roe (1878–1926), 34, who, just three weeks before, declared he was leaving him to marry a woman he knew in nearby Swansea.

During the investigations that followed his death, Trevanion was described as someone who dressed “more like ... a female than a male,” a “frail youth” who “wore a kimono and white kid shoes with high heels in the house.” Roe was his constant companion, caring for him and sleeping with him, he admitted, “to comfort him.” The ending of their relationship, however, was never mentioned as the reason Trevanion might have taken an overdose on Veronal, accidentally or deliberately—or moved Roe to murder him before he could be disinherited.

Testimony that the two men were intimate in all ways, which may have provided a motive for the overdose, was suppressed. A post-mortem examination of Trevanion’s body by

In 1913, after completing her first novel, The Voyage Out, Virginia Woolf attempted suicide by taking an excessive amount of the drug. Renowned Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, then one of the most popular writers in the world, succeeded, using the medicine to end his life in 1942. Veronal, classified as a poison in many countries, was finally taken off the market in 1956, when safer alternatives became available. By then, thousands of deaths and near-deaths had been attributed to it worldwide.

Another sensational story alleging murder by Veronal commandeered the public’s attention “headline by headline” some twenty years after Trevanion’s death.

Like his case, it had flamboyant and eccentric personalities, drugs, and illicit sex, plus two adulterous relationships, one heterosexual and one between two women.

Although this time the supposed motive was not money, which no one had, authorities struggled to answer the same question: was the overdose from this medication, known by every physician and pharmacist to be poisonous, accidental or deliberate?

First among the personalities was bandleader Eric Mareo (née Eric Joachim Pechotsch) (1891–1958), who often appeared in public, according to The Observer in 1936, immaculately dressed, with a long white cigarette holder “sufficient to attract attention to the man ... one end of it in his mouth, the

other sticking out rakishly about a foot in front of him.” He led his musicians using an enormous, tinsel-covered baton where “the stage was decked in crimson roses,” and “every music stand trailed its garland.”

Mareo married the actress Thelma Trott (1905–1935), his second wife, in 1933, the same year she met dancer Freda Stark (1910–1999), when both were touring New Zealand as members of the Ernest Rolls Revue Company; they became dear friends. None of them seemed to respect the marriage vows, however. Eleanor Brownlee (1910–1995), one of his music pupils, became the pianist for his orchestra and his private secretary, with “a considerable degree of intimacy” between them. That also was true of Thelma and Freda.

Minister in 1972.

In addition to his other duties, Robinson entertained troops as one of the Tui Concert Party, a group of female impersonators, performing in drag as Carmen Miranda and “Minnie from Trinidad.” Stark also “did her bit” for the war effort. During the day, she worked at the Colonial Ammunition Company, but, at night, she danced for visiting servicemen at the Auckland Civic Theatre. Wearing nothing but a feather headdress, a G-string, and a coat of gold paint, she affectionately became known as “the Fever of the Fleet.”

Thelma died in April, 1935 of an apparent overdose of Veronal. Five months later, police arrested Mareo, whom they accused of poisoning his “better half” with the barbiturate, which they both habitually used, stirred into an innocent-looking cup of warm milk. His alleged motive: to be free to marry his mistress. He was tried and convicted twice, spared the hangman’s noose only because of a newly-elected government that did not support the death penalty and commuted his sentence to life in prison. He served 12 years. At both trials, Stark was the principal witness against him and the truth of her sexuality became public knowledge. Somehow, she survived the scandal surrounding her lover’s death. Six years after Mareo’s second conviction, she met Harold George Robinson (1919–2012), then a soldier in the Army. Never disguising his sexuality, he served in North Africa and the Pacific during World War II, where he was batman (orderly) to then Major John Marshall, who became New Zealand’s Prime

After the war, Robinson won a scholarship to study with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) in London, when the company’s principals were dance immortals Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann, whose life partner of 36 years, Michael Benthall, was an English theatre director. Stark also was in London and she and Robinson married there on September 13, 1947, at the Church of St. Mary-the-Virgin, a name that allegedly became an inside joke among many of their friends.

The couple returned to New Zealand in 1953. Robinson opened The Bridal Boutique on fashionable Queen Street in Auckland and became a noted dancing teacher. Living apart for many years, they finally divorced in 1973, but remained close friends. When she died in 1999, he had her ashes interred with Thelma’s remains, where a marker, placed long before, was inscribed, “Waiting Till We Meet Again ... Freda.” Always openly gay, he died in 2012, a beloved and respected member of New Zealand’s LGBT community. Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “LGBTQ+ Trailblazers of San Francisco” (2023) and “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.

Dykes on Bikes® 50th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser!

Friday, April 24 6 –10 pm Lesbian Visibility Week 2026

Rikki’s in the Castro Music by DJ Christie James of iHeartRadio

The San Francisco Bay Times invites you to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Dykes on Bikes®—on the Friday evening of Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 and at Rikki's in the Castro! For five decades, the Dykes on Bikes have galvanized the women's presence at SF Pride, roaring down Market Street and inspiring local, national, and international communities of diverse women motorcyclists and allies.

Join Bay Area and state officials in honoring and thanking this powerhouse group, which as an organization supports numerous other LGBTQ+ nonprofits and helps uplift all women. Quench your thirst during the beer bust fundraiser, check out the incredible raffle and Live Auction prizes, test your music savvy during Name That Tune, and expect memorable surprises befitting this landmark big 5-Oh year for the Dykes on Bikes!

Sean Dorsey Dance’s Queer Dance Invites Us to Grieve ... and Heal

Queer dance favorite Sean Dorsey Dance returns to the San Francisco stage April 24–26, 2026, offering audiences a powerful evening of dance created as a balm for this moment in America.

The trailblazing company will treat audiences to a “sneak peek” of their new show-in-development, We Choose Each Other, performing the world premiere of several new pieces.

“Our 22nd home season is really responding to this horrifying moment in America,” Dorsey told the San Francisco Bay Times. “We know this: again and again, when our communities are under attack, when we are being harmed, we choose each other. We choose to protect each other; we choose to hold each other more tightly. That is what these dances are about—coming together out of deep care and love.”

And why does Dorsey refer to these performances as a “balm”? This one-weekendonly engagement arrives at a critical time as trans and LGBTQI2S+ communities are “reeling from national and state attacks on our rights, bodies, access to healthcare, freedom of travel, and freedom of expression,” explains Dorsey.

Along with the new work, the company will also restage a piece from the company’s 20-year award-winning repertoire, performing the opening sections of 2015’s award-winning show The Missing Generation, which Dorsey created after recording oral history interviews with longtime survivors from the early AIDS epidemic.

In sum, this is a program brimming with Sean Dorsey Dance’s signature fusion of full-throttle dance, luscious queer partnering, intimate storytelling, and theater.

“This Home Season is a powerful opportunity for our communities to gather together, celebrate ourselves, and remember that artists are a foundational part of social change and revolution.” says Dorsey.

Sean Dorsey Dance’s 22nd Annual Home Season is performed by Sean Dorsey, Brandon Graham, Héctor Jaime, David Le, and Nol Simonse.

Dorsey has long blazed a trail as a transgender and queer artist, community leader, and activist. Highly physical, accessible, rooted in story, and danced with precision, guts, and deep humanity, Dorsey’s work has boldly created new space for trans and queer voices, bodies, and stories in contemporary dance. Dorsey previously won an Emmy for his work and this year was awarded the GLBT Historical Society’s History Maker Award.

Dorsey is also the founder and Artistic Director of Fresh Meat Productions, home of the beloved Fresh Meat Festival of trans and queer performance. (Save the date: this June 19–21 is the 25th Anniversary Fresh Meat Festival, which Dorsey promises to be “a massive celebration not to be missed!”)

About the April 24–26 Home Season, Dorsey adds, “Performing this evening of dances is not just about offering audiences beauty and artistry—it’s also about love, community, and resistance.”

Advance tickets are recommended for this one-weekend-only event.

Access Information

ASL interpretation will be provided at the Sunday, April 26, 4 pm performance. Dance Mission Theater is mobility-device accessible and has all-gender restrooms. Full access information is available on the company website at:

https://bit.ly/4twZlaC

Sean Dorsey Dance’s 22nd Annual Home Season

April 24–26 @ Dance Mission Theater (3316 24th Street, SF)

- Friday, April 24 @ 8 pm

- Saturday, April 25 @ 8 pm

- Sunday, April 26 @ 4 pm (with ASL interpretation)

For Tickets and More Info

https://seandorseydance.com/

Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel Shine in The Christophers

Film

Gary M. Kramer

It’s best not to say too much about director Steven Soderbergh’s enjoyably twisty drama

The Christophers, about a once-famous bisexual artist, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), and his working relationship with his new assistant, Lori (Michaela Coel).

What can be disclosed is the set up: Julian’s adult, greedy offspring, Sallie (Jessica Gunning) and Barnaby (James Corden), “hire” Lori to secretly “restore” eight unfinished paintings their father started decades ago—the “Christophers” of the title, named after his then lover/muse—so they can be sold after his impending death for a huge windfall.

Lori clarifies that they want her to forge them. “Forge through them,” Barnaby spins, smarmily. Reluctantly, Lori agrees, and goes off to be interviewed by Julian in his home and studio for the assistant position that Sallie and Barnaby have “recommended” her for to their father.

A slumming Julian is first heard delivering inspirational messages on video for money before he is seen. He is both an eccentric and formidable presence, and McKellen delivers a pitch-perfect performance as the “bloviator with a bloated ego.” Lori observes what he says and does with wideeyed expressions that speak volumes. If a picture paints a thousand words, every one

of Coel’s reaction shots conveys a myriad of emotions.

But Lori is no shrinking violet. Sallie and Barnaby seize on the fact that she hates Julian—the reason why becomes apparent later—and they know that this would not be her first job passing off her work as someone else’s.

The Christophers plays out like a chess match between two grandmasters. Julian asks Lori a question about her personal life, which she refuses to answer. She insists it is not work-related and explains that he has the power in the relationship as her employer. (She does eventually reveal that she was in a consensual relationship between three adults.) Julian also asks her one morning if she minds him appearing shirtless and in his dressing gown, and she admits that she does. He soon gets the upper hand by ordering her to destroy the very series of paintings she was planning to copy, asking her to shred them and deliver the evidence to him. Check mate, perhaps?

Soderbergh, working from a script by Ed Solomon (who wrote No Sudden Move for the director) shoots the scenes between Julian and Lori with a handheld camera that often captures the whipsawing between them. Yet, The Christophers is about more than just who, if anyone, will come out on top. There are very clever points about art and criticism, inspiration and legacy, all of which play into how the characters behave. As Julian shrewdly asks Lori about betrayal at a critical moment, he also wonders aloud if Lori’s interest in art is actually her interest in becoming someone else. Other key questions arise: Was Julian “justifiably canceled” back in the day? And did he try to maintain control of his downfall by selling his work on the sidewalk for less than their value in what he claimed was an appropriate commentary on the business of art? And why did he keep those 8 unfinished paintings for 25 years if all he wanted to do was to destroy them? Lori challenges Julian

(continued on page 42)

The World of Broadcasting as Depicted on the Big and Little Screen

Off the Wahl

Jan Wahl

Did you ever see a movie that perfectly portrays your workspace? I’ve got a few that portray the world of broadcasting. I asked my friend and colleague Adam Kent to help me illustrate.

Adam Kent: You get impatient with movies that don’t reflect the authentic world of television.

Jan Wahl: That is so right, Adam, but I can right away think of two that get it exactly right in all its bloody details.

This first one also explains our current president. 1957’s A Face in the Crowd is the astonishing story of Lonesome Rhodes, a vulgar rogue who goes from bum to the nation’s number one broadcast philosopher. With his importance, his ego takes over his being and he goes quite mad. This is Andy Griffith as you’ve never seen him; he should have won an Oscar. It is also a prescient critique of American media, ending with a monster created by popularity.

Another perfect look at broadcasting is one of my favorite films ever made: 1976’s Network. Like the previous film, it captures the cruelty of this industry and is a satirical black comedy. It won Oscars

for director Sidney Lumet and writer Paddy Chayefsky. We watch a national anchorman threatening to kill himself on the air, as well as an obsessed TV executive who can only have an orgasm depending on the ratings! See it or see it again; it will blow you away.

Adam Kent: You keep mentioning cruelty, but The Mary Tyler Moore Show takes place in a newsroom. Everyone is nice to each other.

Jan Wahl: And that’s what drives me crazy about that show. The only real character is Ted Baxter, an egocentric anchorman. I worked at KABC in Los Angeles in the 1970s and Ted Baxter was said to be based on our anchor Jerry Dunphy. Another jerk anchorman is portrayed in The Legend of Ron Burgundy. We are lucky here in the Bay Area to have two very cool anchors, Janelle Wang and Dan Ashley.

Adam Kent: I know you never miss an episode of The Comeback on HBO.

Jan Wahl: Lisa Kudrow perfectly plays a B-list sitcom star desperate to revive her career. I have been watching it since it began. I think it is on season three now, and it is a perfect depiction of the lack of humanity in Hollywood. Far more glamorous is Robert Altman’s 1992 movie The Player ; this neo noir mystery is about a hotshot studio executive losing his moral compass.

See any of the movies and shows we have talked about here and you’ll enjoy the dive into broadcasting’s underbelly.

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Learn more at www.janwahl.com

Tenderloin Tessie 2026 Free Easter Dinner

A dedicated team, including Juan Davila of the San Francisco Bay Times as the Easter Bunny, made possible another successful free Easter Dinner as part of the nonprofit Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners series that has been going strong for half a century. The event took place on the afternoon of April 5, 2026, at The First Unitarian Church in San Francisco. Each guest was able to find their desired seat before being individually served a multicourse meal. Live bluegrass music further helped set a festive mood. Guests also received a free gift bag and the opportunity to obtain free clothing and a free haircut from LoveCuts.

While the next Tenderloin Tessie free holiday meal won’t be until Thanksgiving, there are a number of fundraisers scheduled before November. The next one will be a Beer Bust Benefit at The Eagle on May 24. For information about this, additional fundraisers, and more, visit https://www.tenderlointessie.com/

Queer Joy Unleashed: Sistory From the Archives at the SF LGBT Center

A pop-up exhibition and party, Queer Joy Unleashed: Sistory From the Archives, was held on April 3, 2026, at the SF LGBT Center followed by an After Party at the Lookout. Helping to kick off the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Easter birthday weekend, the event included:

• an “Invocation of The Nuns of the Above & Queer Ancestors”;

• “Sisters turn water into wine”;

• Sister Hellen Wheel’s Nuns in the Wild;

• “Surprise Exorcisms”;

• music from DJ Pusspuss;

• Sister Boom Boom “Button Therapy”;

• refreshments;

• and a surprise roasting of longtime beloved Sister and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Sister Dan Van Iquity! Sister Dana writes more in this issue about the event in “Sister Dana Sez.” https://www.thesisters.org/

Leave Signs

When folks think about professional conferences, they usually picture middle-aged middlemen and women in dark suits and name badges. I just attended three conferences in two weeks and, yes, there were name badges and some middle-aged people, but there was not a dark suit in sight and the music was memorable.

Writing is usually a solitary activity, except when you get to go to a conference and especially like these three. Sirens was an ebullient four days in New Haven; its mission was to “cultivate examination of gender through the framework of progressive speculative fiction.” It’s an especially critical goal in light of the current regime’s dedication to blowing up the progress made for all the genders over the past couple of decades. Sirens is more about conversations than dry lectures, but the event did include a riveting (pun intended) talk, “Race and Robots,” by witty

Jewelle Gomez Conference Music

historian Micaiah Johnson. There was also a roundtable discussion entitled “Queerness in Fairytales,” and another with the compelling topic “Lesbians Aren’t Monsters.”

The closing night Market had many of us appearing in creative costumes: from medieval queen to a saucy 1920s cigarette girl.

A surprise treat was Ellen Kushner, author of the cult hit novel Swordpoint. She serenaded the night Market attendees with olde English ballads! Wherever women gather, singing emerges as the common thread that binds us and reinforces how much we need music to keep us from sinking under disappointment that the daily news cycle spits out.

The difference between New Haven and New Orleans was as big as the temperature difference but, of course, music always played. In New Orleans (NOLA), it’s literally everywhere. The Tennessee Williams and Saints and Sinners are overlapping literary festivals in what African Americans used to call The Big Easy. Even if attendees stayed inside the French Quarter hotel for the entire conference, there would be background music from the street—horns and singers filter in through the windows like a perfume. However, the watery landscape of NOLA can be anxiety-producing—50% of it is below sea level. And, until the powers that be study the successful levees in other countries, the specter of Katrina will always hover. But nothing can drown out the brassy sound of jazz bands, kids tap dancing in the street, and poetry.

For several years, I’ve read alongside professional performers at the Tennessee Williams opening night held at the NOLA Jazz Museum. There is nothing like passing a trumpet that belonged to Louis Armstrong for inspiration. The event always features Williams’ less familiar works; and, yes, this Bostonian can do a

Top of your stack

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (fiction - hardcover) by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for the husband-and-wife writer duo Ilona and Gordon Andrews. Their newest release, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, is the start of an epic fantasy series featuring portal magic, romance, and adventure. The story follows Maggie, who wakes up in a gutter only to realize she has been transported from her own world into the setting of her favorite fantasy series.

Where the Girls Were (fiction - hardcover) by Kate Schatz

Kate Schatz sheds light on a little-known piece of American history with her new book

Where the Girls Were is a historical fiction novel taking place in 1960s San Francisco. Seventeen-year-old Baker has everything going for her until she falls pregnant. Without any choice, she’s sent away to an old Victorian house full of other unwed mothers.

credible Southern accent, at least for a page of dialogue!

This year, I upped my game as I read on the same stage as two of my favourite actors: CCH Pounder ( NCIS: New Orleans) and Gideon Glick (É toile). Having stayed close during the production of my plays, I have a deep appreciation and respect for the work actors put into any role. Few (me included) can understand the place they must go inside themselves to make the words of others come alive, so I felt extremely proud to be the lesbian among the thespians.

NOLA is a town with a long, complex, and flamboyant history that was reflected in the range of discussions, workshops, and writers. There were Pulitzer Prize-winning memoirists (Michael Cunningham) and Black, historical detective novelists (Cheryl Head). Also in the musical parade were two of my former students: Patrick Earl Ryan and Matthew Clark Davison. Then there was Betty Carswell, leader of the lesbian writers’ organization the Golden Crown Literary Society (which also presents good conferences), making music, too.

Someone said to me once that everyone you meet has something to give you. I came home from these conferences to the solitude of my (figurative) typewriter, bringing many new tunes and reminders of songs I’ve always loved.

Jewelle Gomez is a lesbian/feminist activist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She’s written for “The Advocate,” “Ms. Magazine,” “Black Scholar,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The New York Times,” and “The Village Voice.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @ VampyreVamp

Recommendations from Book Passage

We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America (non-fiction - hardcover) by Norah O’Donnell

Norah O’Donnell, an award-winning journalist, has brought the untold stories of American heroines to light in her new book, We the Women. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, O’Donnell tells the history of America from the perspective of the women who shaped it.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 11 @ 1 pm (non-ticketedCorte Madera store) Ada Limón, author of Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry

24th Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, has created a new work meant to inspire and engage readers with the power of poetry. She is known for her accessible and beautiful prose, and this small volume is both powerful and profound.

Sunday, April 12 @ 2 pm (non-ticketedFerry Building store) Khiara M. Bridges, author of Expecting Inequity

Expecting Inequity, is an unsettling look into the persistent racism seen in maternal healthcare especially for Black women. Khiara M. Bridges is a leading expert in race, class, reproductive rights, and maternal health. Bridges will be joined in conversation by pediatrician and public health professional Zea Malawa. Saturday, April 18 @ 4 pm (non-ticketed - Corte Madera store) Tommy Siegel, author of Extremely Accurate Birds

New Yorker cartoonist Tommy Siegel’s new book, Extremely Accurate Birds, is the newest guide for all bird enthusiasts. Siegel has illustrated birds with how he perceives their legs and posterior should look—and it’s not little stick legs.

https://www.bookpassage.com

and Conversation

Dr. Tim Seelig

To set the stage for this tale, let’s start at the very beginning. My son, Judson, was seven years old when I came out and left home and family behind. For the next 20 years, ours was a tenuous relationship, often completely estranged. Then things began to change: time, patience, unconditional love, and life happened with kids, marital changes, moves, religion, and HIV. Then we lost my daughter, Judson’s sister, Corianna. It was a lot.

Two years ago, I attended the Turtle Creek Chorale’s annual fundraiser. That was my chorus before San Francisco. Judson went as my +1. He bid on and “won” a week in a luxurious villa in Bali. When his plan to take work colleagues fell through, I was the lucky backup plan. I had not spent

A Father and Son Dream Trip to Bali

2 weeks with my son in exactly 40 years, since 1986. It was high time.

Bali is a fantasy destination. I’ve heard about it since childhood. I grew up with musicals like South Pacific. My repertoire included “Kum Bah Yah” and “Bali Ha’i.”

The song described a mysterious, magical, enchanted island where dreams await.

“Here am I your special island. Come to me, come to me.” We accepted the invitation.

Then reality hit. You can’t see Bali from here, like in the musical. In fact, it’s on the opposite side of the planet. We took a deep breath and booked our 24+ hour travel. We invited our dear friends Robert and Bryan, who live in Canada, to join us. We were set ... four gays and one metrosexual. (Is that still a thing?)

I know the last thing you want is a detailed daily travel log. I get it. I’ll hit the highlights, share one experience in depth, and touch on religion (you would expect that from me). Judson, Bobby, and I broke our trip up with four days in Hong Kong. We did the Lantau Island Buddha, Michelin-recommended street food at the night markets, and dim sum in a 100-year-old restaurant. I had my first chicken feet. Hong Kong is incredible. With bellies full, we set off for Bali.

stunning Hindu Balinese temple founded in 962 A.D. Its centerpiece is a large spring that has provided clear, cold water for over a century. As we entered the temple, we changed into special sarongs. We knelt at an altar adorned with flowers and incense to prepare for purification.

We did all the things. We had adorable monkeys crawl all over us at the Monkey Forest. We sampled rare Luwak coffee, which involves a cute little animal called a civet that eats the beans and poops them out. The beans are extracted from the poop and roasted. I hope the extractors are paid well! The coffee is delicious.

There are temples everywhere. I mean everywhere. This is not like the South with a church on every corner. Every home and business have a temple placed right on the road. Eighty-seven percent of residents practice Balinese Hinduism. It remains deeply rooted in ritual practice over doctrinal authority, and involves communal religious obligation and ancestor veneration. This was all described to us in very personal ways by our guide and driver Eddie.

The surprising highlight of the trip was our visit to Pura Tirta Empul. It is a

The water flows into two large, ancient pools, with water flowing from ornately carved fountains along one side of the pools. We were instructed to use 10 of them. In this deeply spiritual, quiet space, it didn’t even cross my mind to holler out when the cold water reached the upper regions of my sarong! This “baptism” was nothing like my first. I vaguely remember being dunked at six years old in a warm tub of water up behind the choir loft. This was not that. It was as far from the religion of my youth as I could get.

The ritual is designed for healing, emotional release, overcoming obstacles, and for spiritual purification. At each of the fountains, you show gratitude by bowing with hands clasped. Then, you place three handfuls of water to your face, submerge your head and shoulders under the water, and move to the next fountain. It is one of the most beautiful rituals of prayer I have ever experienced. With each fountain, you are challenged to dig deeper to

(continued on page 42)

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Totally 80s at the Curran Theatre

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus presented Totally 80s at the Curran Theatre on March 21, 2026, featuring iconic hits from that era by Madonna, Whitney Houston, Queen, Cyndi Lauper, Heart, Journey, Tina Turner, the Pet Shop Boys, The Pointer Sisters, The Weather Girls, and more. Led by Artistic Director Jake Stensberg, the chorus delivered a high-energy, nostalgic, and often emotional show. As the chorus later posted, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house during ‘Like a Prayer’ at Totally 80s last weekend. A reflection, a release, a reminder of what it meant to live, love, and hold onto each other in a time that asked so much of this community.”

Vintage cartoons, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Inspector Gadget, added to the 80s vibe, as did shared memories from chorus members who are Millennials or who otherwise remember that era of MTV pop culture, big hair, the emergence of home computing, and much more.

The nostalgia really hit home, as even upbeat songs like Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” which were performed with multiple dancers, got some tears flowing. Audience members shared that the song reminded them of artists like Houston who are no longer with us, romances from the past, and also that the performances brought out tears of heartfelt joy. The chorus will next perform Dolly! A Pride Show on June 6 at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and on June 13 at the Curran Theatre. https://www.sfgmc.org/

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

Sister Dana sez, “They say: April showers bring May flowers. But how does ‘The Mayflower,’ the English ship that carried 102 Pilgrims from England to the New World in 1620, concern us anyway?!”

It warms my little activist heart that the NO KINGS protests on March 28 drew a massive nationwide total of at least 8 million demonstrators—the largest, single-day, nonviolent protest in modern American history. Organizers said that nearly half of these protests were held in red or battleground states. My fave placard in one of the crowds has to have been: “We dumped Tea for a reason!” And what was the most incredibly visible from a helicopter above was the human banner at Ocean

Beach spelling out: “TRUMP MUST GO NOW!” Lilian Soroceanu, organizer with INDIVISIBLE San Francisco in SF Civic Center Plaza, summed it all up perfectly, saying, “The main message we have today is: No ICE, no War, no Kings!”

Meanwhile, we are spending $800 billion a year on war. Now the Trump Sadministration is demanding $1.5 TRILLION for more military money!!!

Sister Dana sez, “Never mind Trump’s ongoing desperation for regime change overseas! It’s high time for a regime change in the United States of America! Down with the terrorist Trump and his entire incapable, corrupt cabinet!”

But the game plan for Trumpy Republicans is to just ignore the huge protests (that even occurred in Spain and across Europe). This is very unlike our small protests in 2009 against the Tea Party, when the Republican propaganda claimed we “hated America,” and were just a bunch of professional paid performers. What did Trump do during these current “No Kings” demonstrations? He spent another weekend at his West Palm Beach golf club (where thousands gathered to demonstrate) playing golf.

Giving us hope is the 3.5% rule from Harvard University that points out that, with only 3.5% of the population (a small

minority) protesting nonviolently, these efforts can still change the world. Also, President and CEO of DEMOCRACY FORWARD, Skye Perryman, assured us that “every single day there’s a new case filed where often the President is losing.”

On March 30, the Co-Executive Director of INDIVISIBLE , Ezra Levin , announced the economic Nationwide General Strike (no shopping anywhere, all day and night, no business, and no school) will be on May 1, Mayday. Sister Dana sez, “Trump chose to go to war, but we the people are just getting started to choose the future!”

And what about these poor, overworked TSA employees when the House (including three centrist Democrats) passed the funding bill for DHS that included more ICE bucks after the Repugnicans rejected the unanimous Senate-passed measure funding TSA agents with back pay and current salary? But Trump actually followed through with his executive order of payment to TSA workers. Will wonders never cease?!

Meanwhile, having pardoned the January 6 rioting insurrectionists and beginning his purge of the Department of Justice and FBI of anyone investigating him, Trump continues his ugly retribution agenda in needlessly prosecuting innocent federal employees.

We joyously celebrated an author reading and Q&A at Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro Street, on March 31, of Transgender History: A Resource for Today’s Struggle and Tomorrow’s by Susan Stryker, the modern classic on transgender life in America since the nineteenth century, encompassing the major movements, writings, and events that shape today’s gender revolution. Stryker’s amazing, intersectional account covers more than a century of history, showing how rising acceptance in the 1960s and 2010s was met with waves of bigotry and intolerance that began in the ‘70s and continue today. Through her explanation of central concepts and terms, informative

sidebars, and brief biographies of trans pioneers, Stryker reminds readers of one crucial truth: Transgender people have always been here. In good times and bad, they’ve built supportive and expansive communities, battled for freedom, and transformed American culture and society in the process. This completely revised and updated edition includes a longer, global history and a timely chronicle of the latest wave of antitrans backlash. This current version is both a vital resource and a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of trans lives.

Susan Stryker speaking at Fabulosa was so successful (standing room only) and there I addressed my latest rage: The day before, the Supreme (NOT) Court passed their ruling–8–1—eight to one —against the ban on transgender conversion therapy! Disgusting!

Let’s backtrack just a bit to remind everyone that The Republican Party gave the first-ever “America First award” to T-rump on March 25, an ironic achievement to a tyrant who only ever puts Himself First Sister Dana sez, “Yep, a Golden Eagle (Donnie loves his gold) was presented at the National Republican Congressional Committee annual fundraising dinner by House Squeaker Mike Johnson who kissed Trump-ass and raved (lied) about why Prez deserved it. Someone please invoke the 25th Amendment!”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. and Novice Sister Lolly Gagg’N presented Queer Joy Unleashed: Sistory from the Archives at the SF LGBT Center on Good Friday, April 3, a Pop-up Party. The festivities included Invocation of The Nuns of the Above & Queer Ancestors; Sisters turned Water into Wine; Sister Hellen Wheel’s Color (your own Sister Dana with crayons), and sculptures, portraits, slide-show; additional art—featuring oil paintings of nuns

(continued on page 38)

Bay Times Dines

Over the Rainbow Cheese Counter

One of the things that has changed the most in my thirty-plus years of working a cheese counter is the size of cheese available. When I started, cheddars almost always came in forty-pound blocks and stores were expected to know how to deal with them. Gruyère came in low quality “cuts” or nicely aged seventy-pound wheels. Parmigiano Reggiano? Your choice was an eighty-pound wheel or a twenty-pound quarter, and the quarter wheel was wholesaled at about 20% more.

Increasingly, a lot of stores have lost the skills that were once required and they don’t even have the tools they need to deal with cheese of size. This isn’t the place to criticize

A Big Literal Piece of Cheese History

others, but I really like being able to pass those monger skills on to others. That’s why I ordered the biggest traditional cheese I could recently: a two-hundred-pound Swiss Emmentaler.

Most Emmentaler cheeses, like Gruyère, are partially skimmed. There is nothing wrong

with that. Cheesemakers use the cream for other things and have done so for centuries. Though lower in fat, these aren’t the monstrous “diet cheeses” designed in labs for a lowfat cheese market that doesn’t really exist. These are cheeses that evolved over hundreds of years along with the needs of the people who made them.

hundred times more interesting when heated up.

But I bought a twelve to fifteen month-aged Rahmtaler, a version of Emmentaler that dates back to the 16th century. Only three producers ( https://bit.ly/4mA8Vax ) still make this style where the fat is not skimmed off; indeed, in some months, extra cream may even be added. Alpine-style cheeses are meant for melting and the extra fat makes this an even more amazing cheese than usual: silky, rich, nutty, earthy, and floral. Rahmtaler and Emmentaler are not strong cheeses. They are the basis for the recipes of non-name-controlled cheeses such as Maasdammer, Jarlsberg, or even the domestic Swiss you get in your sandwiches at your local deli. But the flavor of an Emmentaler is a

I should also mention that there is a campaign to “Save the Emmentaler”: https://bit.ly/4ceoeAO

The campaign exists, in part, because there are less and less traditional producers every year. Yes, the cheese that gives us the iconic image of cheese—yellow and holey—can be considered endangered. Some recipes date back to the 13th century and it would be a shame not to appreciate this influential wonder.

I’ll be honest. A 200-pound wheel is not easy to deal with. Usually—despite my aforementioned protestations of traditionalism—I buy quarters or eights. For worker safety-sake, four workers lifted our wheel up onto the counter, and everyone took turns cutting it with a handmade wire, long enough to reach all the way around the wheel. If a cheese worker has a little imagination, just

(continued on page 38)

San Francisco Giants Home Opener Features Radio Broadcasting Legend Suzyn

The boys of summer are back, with the San Francisco Giants having opened the 2026 MLB season on March 25, 2026, at Oracle Park with a series against the New York Yankees. The traditional home opener was on March 27. Both games included dazzling pregame ceremonies with military flyovers and fireworks, plus beautiful performances of the National Anthem. Check out video from the first night’s ceremony here: https://bit.ly/4dF5mxj

What also made these games memorable—although the Giants lost the series—was the presence of radio broadcasting legend Suzyn Waldman of WFAN. Since the 2005 season, she has been the Color Commentator for the Yankees. Like Frank Sinatra, whose music plays following Yankees home games in New York, her voice is iconic with the Big Apple. Her intimate, conversational phrasing, precise diction, immense breath control, and more evidence her years on the Broadway stage. Watch how she effortlessly steps from her broadcast booth position to belt out a

Waldman

flawless version of the National Anthem: https://bit.ly/4t4u2UO

Waldman’s knowledge of baseball is also astounding, not to mention her meaningful friendships with players and managers past and present from multiple teams. Their mutual respect carries through her work. It was sweltering on March 27 at Oracle Park, but Waldman—wearing a cool, crisp white shirt and elegant pants—strode onto the field with more chutzpah than Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada

There is nothing like a game at Oracle—one of the most striking ballparks in the nation—and there is no other like the brilliant and ever-amazing Waldman. She will soon be back in Northern California when the A’s take on the Yankees at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento in late May.

Bay Times Dines

Rikki’s to Co-Host Taco-Eating Contest and 50th Anniversary of the Dykes on Bikes® During Lesbian Visibility Week

Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 will happen April 20–26, and Rikki’s in the Castro will be one of the key locations for events.

On April 22, there will be a night of Sports Trivia. This will offer a chance to try Rikki’s signature cocktails and mocktails, which are all worthwhile. Two of our team’s favorites are the Iron Maven—with bourbon, amaro, rosemary, vermouth, hibiscus, ginger, lemon, and aquafaba—and, on the N/A side, Twelve-Sixteen—with Pathfinder N/A amaro, pineapple, honey, and lemon.

The food at Rikki’s is equally delicious and, in our team’s view, worthy of Michelin Bib Gourmet status. (That is a prestigious rating by the Michelin Guide highlighting restaurants that serve high-quality food at a great value.)

Clearly a tremendous amount of care and thought has gone into each dish at Rikki’s. The meatloaf here is like the ratatouille in the 2007 Disney film of the same name in that it’s inherently humble and nostalgic, yet the Rikki’s version takes it to another level. It is ultra-moist, savory, and wrapped with bacon. The accompanying creamy mashed potatoes and brown butter-roasted carrots set it off perfectly.

On April 24, the San Francisco Bay Times and Rikki’s will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Dykes on Bikes®. See the ad in this issue for more information, and prepare to quench your thirst with the Beer Bust (N/A option provided) DOB fundraiser and with other quality beverages. Come hungry too, given how Rikki’s is evolving into a destination restaurant on top of everything else that it has to offer.

There will then be a Taco Eating Contest on April 25 with both meat and vegetarian options. If the tacos are anything like the rest of the menu choices at Rikki’s, it will be easy to consume a lot of them with ravenous glee. (Somehow, that sounds like a Freudian slip with the previous 2025 pie-eating contest winner in mind.) Suffice it to say, there is always a good time to be had at Rikki’s, and especially during what will be its first celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week.

https://www.rikkisbarsf.com/

Bay Times Dines

Farmers’ Market Finds

The Castro Farmers’ Market is back for the season! The market opened with a bang on April 1 (we promise this isn’t an April fool’s joke) and will run until November 18. Despite the looming rain clouds, the weather cleared just in time for a blessing from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a greeting from Donna Sachet, and a ribbon-cutting with the farmers’ market managers.

The Castro Farmers’ Market Has Opened for the Season!

Donna—a fellow San Francisco Bay Times columnist—has been at the Castro Farmers’ Market opening every year since its inception, and we were honored to have her and the Sisters share some words and positive energy this year. One of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence shared, “The Sisters have come here for many years to give an opening blessing and are excited to be here to help welcome the farmers’ market back for the season, celebrate the community, and to celebrate all the hard work that goes into creating a sustainable and life-affirming bit of community.”

Asparagus Quiche

6 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped salt and black pepper to taste

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed of tough ends (about 2 inches), cut into 1-inch pieces

1-1/2 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

1 cup whole milk

5 to 6 stalks asparagus saved from the bunch for garnish on top

one prepared deep dish pie crust (or make your own favorite from scratch)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick frying pan. Add chopped onion and lightly cook until clear. Add chopped asparagus and cook until just softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In the bowl with the eggs, add the cooled asparagus and onion. Mix in cheese and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The day was soundtracked by Mama Mia and the Spicy Meatballs, who brought some great tunes and welcoming atmosphere.

Pour into the deep-dish pie plate on top of the crust. Place on a sheet pan to avoid spills and then place in the oven. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center of the quiche doesn’t jiggle. Cool slightly before cutting.

We got to welcome several new vendors and are excited for the fresh energy they’ll bring to the market. Stop by next Wednesday and give all the farmers and vendors a warm Castro welcome. Brian of Scone Wild (whose chocolate chip scones are to die for) said, “We’re really excited to be starting at the Castro market today, and to keep growing our business and meeting new people here.”

Roli Roti already had a long line waiting to get their hands on some rotisserie chicken and potatoes; farmers’ market shopping makes ya hungry! I picked up a mocha muffin and olive bread from Bernal Bakery and cannot stop singing their praises. They started as a small operation and have grown into a brick and mortar bakery now selling at many markets.

More farmers and producers will continue to join the market once produce like cherries and stone fruit come into season. We can’t wait to see how the market grows over the coming months.

Later in the season, Ken’s Top Notch will have cherries, grapes, and stone fruit, so keep your eyes out for those delicious summer treats. Alpine Blue boasted a table overflowing with blueberries; I got my hands on a pint and snacked the whole way home. Many of the farmers, artisans, and hot food vendors expressed that they feel excited for the start of seasonal farmers’ markets and the new faces they get to see at markets like the Castro. Oliver of Super Duper Microgreens said, “This is always one of my favorite

(continued on page 38)

(continued from pg 33)

touching this wheel can put you in touch with centuries of history.

For you cheese eaters, you can get in touch with that history as well. While it lasts, it is $19.99/lb, down from the 34.99/lb price it demanded during the worst of the tariffs. I am not sure where the regular price will land when the dust settles, but this is a terrific deal. By the time you read this, we will probably have around 160 pounds of it left. You don’t have to run to the store to get a piece, but check it out before the end of the month.

Gordon Edgar loves cheese and worker co-ops and has been combining these infatuations as the cheese buyer for Rainbow Grocery Cooperative since 1994. He serves on the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition Committee and is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Edgar has written two books on cheese—”Cheesemonger” (2010) and “Cheddar” (2015)—and lives in San Francisco with his adorable white mini schnauzer named Fillmore Grumble. He writes about grief, and sometimes cheese, at https://bit.ly/42IwYf0

(continued from pg 32)

by artist Deidre Defranceaux; with music by DJ Pusspuss, and a good-natured Roast of Sister Dana (more love than vicious barbs). And, after all that, we had an After Party at the Lookout. It was truly an indulgent night! Congratulations and brava to my dear nun daughter, Novice Sister Lolly Gagg’N, who should now immediately receive her black veil to full sisterhood!

Easter in the Park: Love Thy Neighbor was held in Dolores Park on Easter Sunday, April 5. It was us Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s invitation to rise above hate and fear to celebrate our shared humanity. This year’s theme, “Love Thy Neighbor,” was a joy-fueled reminder that our neighbors are not “others”; they are family. In a time when neighborhoods are being divided by fear and misinformation, the Sisters are calling communities back to the radical idea of love—showing up for one another, regardless of our differences. This is exactly what the Sisters’ mission has always stood for: universal joy, acceptance, and unapologetic solidarity with targeted communities.

“Easter in the Park” kicked off with Children’s Easter at 10 am and included family-friendly programming such as an Easter egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny,

FARMERS’ MARKET (continued from pg 36)

and games. Beginning at noon, the park became a more adult San Francisco spectacle of outrageous joy and sacred nonsense— culminating in the legendary contests, which Sister Dana helped judge: “Easter Bonnet,” “Foxy Mary,” and the famous “Hunky Jesus.” Hosted by emcees Sister Roma, Peaches Christ, and Honey Mahogany, the celebration featured live entertainment, drag artists, miracles, and Sisterly mischief.

The Sisters’ Annual Easter Celebration is a free event open to all. Each year, we Sisters collect donations to help cover event expenses and to support the Sisters’ community work and grants. Contributions help offset the cost of producing this 10,000-person block party, ensuring that Easter in the Park remains radically free and accessible to all. Donations also expand the grants the Sisters distribute to small, grassroots organizations caring for their neighbors year-round.

Sister Dana sez, “It was so appropriate that the most foolish President we have ever endured spoke—in his sleepy, lying, erratic primetime address—on April first, APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!”

markets. When it opens, it’s the start of the whole season and that’s really exciting.”

Local shoppers were also excited for the return of their neighborhood market. One woman buying cheese at Pacheco Family Ranch said, “I live around the corner and I’m so excited for the market to be back!”

Strawberry season is starting, and you’ll find the most flavorful berries at the market. Celio Farms, Fifth Crow Farm, and Orozco Farm all bring strawberries to the market, so you have many options to choose from. Another market super star this season is asparagus. It’s best to eat asparagus right after harvest, and, for just-picked-flavor, stop by Jacob’s Farm. For a true springtime meal, check out our asparagus quiche, made with eggs raised by Clara’s Egg Farm and Fifth Crow Farm.

The Castro Farmers’ Market takes place every Wednesday from 3–7 pm at Noe and Market streets. The market is open through November 18. Come shop local, say hello, and enjoy this community space.

Stella Singer is a recent UC Berkeley graduate who writes and designs for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. With a background in environmental journalism and science, she brings a keen interest in food systems and sustainability to her work.

Bay Times Dines

From Monarchs to Margaritas: Mexico’s Quiet Green Revolution

Cocktails With Dina by

Dina Novarr

Mexico may be best known for its beaches or food, but right now it’s having a moment as an environmental success story. Scientists just reported a stunning 64% surge in monarch butterfly populations, with wintering colonies now occupying 7.24 acres compared to 4.42 the previous year. This comeback took decades of sustained conservation effort. Meanwhile, the country’s most famous export is quietly doing its own version of the same work.

To see this work in action, you just need to order a drink. Next time you’re at your favorite dive bar or hole-in-the-wall taqueria, ask for a margarita with Jose Cuervo. Or order that shot of Jose and lick salt on your hand, lime wedge ready to chew, as a chilled shot is poured into a shot cup. If it’s got a warm, natural tan color and feels suspiciously solid for something that isn’t plastic, you’re holding one of Cuervo’s agave shot cups or straws. And it has a great origin story.

The fibrous pulp left over after the piñas are pressed for juice gets upcycled into a biobased composite that decomposes up to 200 times faster than regular plastic. Unlike paper straws, which turn to mush in about 40 seconds flat, it has the mouthfeel of traditional plastic without dissolving in your drink. Sometimes, the greenest ideas come with a shot of genius.

But that shot cup is just the beginning of the story. Since 2019, Cuervo’s Agave Project

Landis, The Gay Gourmet, is recovering from yet another shoulder surgery but will be back with tastebuds tingling later this spring.

https://bit.ly/4t6kA3g

has been finding consumer-facing uses for that leftover agave fiber, and making straws, surfboards, car parts, and a Fender Stratocaster, among other things. CMO Lander Otegui puts it plainly: “Big Tequila are the ones capable of doing the big things for the community, the big things for the environment, the big things to protect the future.”

This vision of responsibility is what brings tequila and butterflies together. The monarchs and the agave don’t share a direct ecological relationship. After all, butterflies need milkweed, not Blue Weber. But they share something bigger: they’re both emblems of a Mexico worth protecting, and both are proof that sustained, unglamorous conservation work actually moves the needle—one measured in acres of forest, and the other in fiber that is repurposed instead of ending up in a landfill.

Lick the salt. Take the shot. Squeeze the lime. Mexico’s doing the work, from the forest to the distillery.

San Francisco-based Dina Novarr enjoys sharing her passion for fine wines, spirits, non-alcoholic craft beverages, and more with others.

Easter in the Park 2026: Love Thy Neighbor!

Under blue skies and with the sun beating down, thousands of celebrants gathered at Mission Dolores Park for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Easter in the Park on April 5, 2026. This year’s theme was Love Thy Neighbor! and the emcees were Sister Roma, Honey Mahogany, and Peaches Christ.

The San Francisco Bay Times congratulates the 2026 Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary: Renewable Energy Jesus (the incredibly buff Miguel Velez, who is a musician and songwriter) and Santa Maria de Exorcism. The latter could lead to another twist on the Victor/Victoria story as Foxy Mary was played by Santa Maria de Exorcism played by drag queen Dirty Carol created by David Thompson! Santa Maria de Exorcism “exorcised Trump,” who was hiding (in doll form) under her skirts.

Congratulations also go to Magenta Easter (Bruce Beaudette) and Golden Cock Bonnet (Aaron Dence), who won the Easter Bonnet Competition.

The always incredible event—now immortalized in the new documentary Hunky Jesus by former Bay Times columnist and filmmaker Jennifer Kroot— also included performances from Per Sia, Flamy Grant, Xochitl, Papi Churro & Friends, Grace Towers, and Alotta Boutee. https://www.thesisters.org/

perhaps for her own gain, but also, perhaps, for him to realize what his actions as an artist and a person mean. When Julian discusses his relationship with his model, Christopher, it is a heartfelt recollection of the arc of their romance. Lori also has some ideas about the paintings and how Julian’s coming out informed them.

Both characters have an agenda that slowly comes into focus over the course of their working relationship. Julian learns something about Lori that might give him the upper hand, but Lori uses her position to leverage things with Julian (as well as with Sallie and Barnaby.) As these reversals of fortune play out, the film gets more delicious to see who will outwit the others.

(Hint: Blackmail does come into play at one point.) The Christophers keeps twisting and twisting until the final reveal, which may not be entirely surprising, but is still very satisfying.

The film can be a bit stagey as it unfolds largely in Julian’s home/studio, where Julian and Lori have a series of extended, but never uninteresting, conversations. McKellen and Coel ably go toe-to-toe in their scenes together. Viewers will be hanging on their every word, their every gesture,

Sandy’s Sketches

By Sandy Morris

and their every expression, because both actors are so captivating. Their push-pull dynamic is on display in one of the film’s best scenes where Lori encourages Julian to paint “badly”—only to discover that his deliberate efforts prove otherwise.

If the supporting characters are all pretty one-dimensional—Sallie and Barnaby are completely, amusingly transparent, especially when they claim they are not thinking about “The Christophers” on an occasion where Julian mentions them— Gunning and Corden are fun to watch particularly because they get more desperate as thing get more complicated.

The Christophers is a modest drama that yields great pleasure. It even provides a little food for thought.

© 2026 Gary M. Kramer

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” He teaches Short Attention Span Cinema at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and is the moderator for Cinema Salon, a weekly film discussion group. Follow him on IG @garyemkramer

Accessibility

Sandy Morris has been making art for the last 60 years. She says, “My pen, ink, and pencil drawings usually start with no preconceived idea—just drawing a straight or curved line or two. From there, my imagination takes over. I build upon the piece. My works range from the whimsical to the political, to emotions, and everything in between.”

uncover areas in your life that need help. (I could have used another 10 spouts.) It was wonderful to share this experience with the four fellow travelers, all of whom I love deeply.

We spent hours with Eddie, traveling all over. We asked if there were homeless people on the island. He looked at us like we were crazy. “No,” he replied. We asked why. He said, “Because we care about everyone.” Mic drop.

Eddie explained Nuduk Galih. When a family member dies, they are buried in a “temporary” cemetery wrapped in a cloth. After four years, they are exhumed. The family gathers to lovingly and respectfully clean the bones of the deceased. The remains are then cremated, releasing the soul to find its way to the next life. We have much to learn from these gentle people about our irrational fear of death.

What I will treasure most is simply the time we spent together. There were mornings spent around the big table at the villa

talking about life and enjoying our coffee (not the poop kind), afternoons by the pool including massages from wonderful local therapists, evenings that included a Bali jigsaw puzzle, card games, reading, and more talk! There wasn’t a TV in sight!

Travel is magical. Travel with friends is even better. Travel with friends, your son, and your husband is priceless. We shared deep thoughts and a lot of not-so-deep ones. We brought Corianna into the conversation often. It was a precious time of processing, bonding, and healing old wounds.

It is difficult to describe how deeply affected I am by this time together. I’m not sure we’ll ever spend 2 weeks together again, but we always have these memories. As they say, “Sometimes to feel something you’ve never felt, you have to go someplace you’ve never been.” Bali turned out to be the promised enchanted island.

Dr. Tim Seelig is the Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. http://www.timseelig.com/

Kit-Cat Klock

The clock is ticking, but at least it’s catshaped! The original Kit-Cat Klock has been bringing joy to walls since 1932. Enjoy his rolling eyes, wagging tail, and cheeky grin in a variety of colors for $59–$69.

Momma Pots

Momma Pots has become our goto for durable garden pottery in an extraordinary range of colors at accessible prices. The Gemstone Collection features sleek and sturdy pots fashioned from high-quality porcelain. In sizes from 4-inches to 12-inches. $24 to $115 each.

Enjoy a super bloom without trampling a national park! Use Chive’s handmade porcelain flowers to create a dramatic wall installation, add color to your potted succulents, or gift a flower that won’t fade. There are poppies, marigolds, daffodils, and more. Starting at $26.99, each flower comes individually gift boxed.

Keep up with Cliff’s Variety news at Facebook ( https://bit.ly/4qh1Xbb ) & IG @hilario_sf