The San Francisco Bay Times, this year in partnership with the Oakland LGBTQ Center, will present the fourth annual Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Black Women Leaders & Allies awards ceremony on February 26, 2026, at The White Horse Inn in Oakland. This will mark the first time that the popular event will be held in the East Bay.
Fifteen individuals representing multiple fields and generations will be recognized. The Co-Emcees of the event will be Imani RupertGordon, who is the President of the National Center for LGBTQ
Rights, and Oakland LGBTQ Center CEO and Co-Founder Joe Hawkins. Welcoming guests will be Judy Young, the Executive
Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, and the Co-Publishers of the San Francisco Bay Times, Dr. Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas. Suzanne Ford, the Executive Director of SF Pride, will be heading up the live auction benefiting the Use The News Foundation and the Oakland LGBTQ Center.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and renowned performer Linda Tillery will be among the award recipients at this year’s Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Black Women Leaders & Allies. The event will be held at The White Horse Inn in Oakland on February 26.
Mayor Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee was elected the 52nd Mayor of Oakland in a historic special election held on April 15, 2025, becoming the first Black woman to lead the city. Mayor Lee brings a wealth of public service experience and deep roots in the community to Oakland City Hall. From overcoming personal adversity— raising two sons as a single mother on public assistance, while earning degrees from Mills College and UC Berkeley, to becoming an award-winning leader—she combines personal tenacity with unwavering dedication to Oakland.
Before her election as Mayor, Lee represented Oakland in the California Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives for over three decades. During her tenure in Congress, she secured billions in funding for Oakland, supporting community safety programs, local police and fire services, safer and greener streets, small businesses, affordable housing, and the expansion of the environmentally friendly Port of Oakland. She is a social worker by training and a community organizer at heart. As a graduate student, she founded CHANGE, a mental health clinic serving underserved neighborhoods. She also built a career as a small business owner. Her lived experience fuels her
focus on equity, transparency, and results-driven leadership.
Mayor Lee is leading the City of Oakland with a focus on addressing homelessness in partnership with the County and community-based organizations, strengthening public safety through prevention, accountability, and services, reforming City Hall to operate more efficiently and transparently, and ensuring that core city services are delivered reliably for all Oaklanders.
She has always been a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. A founding member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, she strongly supports the Equality Act to ban discrimination in housing, employment, and
public accommodations. She has fought against anti-transgender legislation, has stated that “no form of discrimination should be acceptable in our society,” and has long emphasized that safety, health, and dignity for all members of the LGBTQ+ community should be a priority.
Walking the talk, she is a favorite participant in the Oakland Pride Parade and has declared herself a steadfast ally, saying: “I have always been—and I always will be—an ally and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Linda Tillery
A trailblazer in the Northern California music scene, Linda Tillery has an illustrious career that spans over five decades, during which she has captivated audiences with her soulful voice, masterful percussion, and profound contributions to vocal styling, arranging, music production, and ethnomusicology.
Tillery first made her mark as the lead singer of the psychedelic soul group The Loading Zone in the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, she worked as a session musician and vocalist for icons like Santana, Boz Scaggs, Huey Lewis and the News, and the Turtle Island String Quartet. Her pioneering work as an artist and producer at Olivia Records significantly contributed to the Women’s Music genre, leading to collaborations with renowned artists such as June Millington, Deirdre McCalla, Barbara Higbie, Holly Near, Margie Adam, Kenny Loggins, and Bobby McFerrin.
In addition to her performance and production work, Tillery founded the Grammynominated Cultural Heritage Choir, a group
The Junior, a favorite DJ at The White Horse, will be in the house that is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the U.S. (Some historians believe that Café Lafitte in Exile, in New Orleans, is another contender for this distinction, but Cafe Lafitte moved from its original location in 1953.) A queer speakeasy since before the end of Prohibition, The
dedicated to preserving African-American roots music. Her journey has also seen her produce music for documentary films and dance performances, challenge societal norms through powerful songs, and build bridges between diverse cultures. Not resting on her many laurels, she remains a vital presence in the Bay Area music scene. Most recently, on February 8, 2026, she led the Cultural Heritage Choir in a performance at The Freight in Berkeley. The show was dedicated to the memory of “Soprano Supreme” Tammi Brown and also helped debut the long-awaited release of Tillery’s solo recording Alabama Shoes ( https://bit.ly/4tWauCT ).
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White Horse of the 1930s was the vision of Abraham C. Karski, a Founder of The Grand Lake Theatre, which is also still going strong.
Karski was an early member of the mysterious “South of Market Boys,” a loosely-formed group in San Francisco whose members later became some of the region’s most influential men.
The White Horse was originally a combination bar and Chinese restaurant; the eatery was called T’ien T’an and served everything from giant steaks to “chopsticks hot food.” Because of its lowkey atmosphere, The White Horse gained a rep utation for being a discreet, “safe” refuge for members of the growing LGBTQ+ community. That was true even during the challenging 1940s–1960s, when police raids regularly took place at other bars known to draw queer patrons. Karski established a strict “no touching” policy in the early years that actually served the bar well, as that rule applied to everyone—not just LGBTQ+ individuals—and helped keep the cops away. During the Great Depression and World War II, soldiers and sailors were in force at the bar. Word began to quickly spread that The White Horse was LGBTQ+ friendly (and, hello, sailor!) so, as of at least the mid1940s, it became a hub for nearby UC
Berkeley’s gay life.
Fast forward to Independence Day, 2022, when Patty Nishimura Dingle took over ownership of The White Horse. She had always dreamed of owning a bar, and when the well-known White Horse went up for sale, she could not resist. An honoree this year, Dingle is the first woman and first queer person of color to own the establishment. Her leadership marks a major milestone in the venue’s queer history.
Just as she could not turn down such an appealing opportunity, the San Francisco Bay Times could not refuse the opportunity to
hold this year’s Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Black Women Leaders & Allies event at The White Horse. Nearly everyone who has been contacted about the event has had a story to tell about spending treasured time at this beloved hangout that sports many fun
faves: a jukebox, pool tables, retro DJ booth, stage with bleacher seating, a dance floor with a disco ball, and much more.
The event will be taking place just as this issue comes out, so we hope that you heeded our earlier ads and attended! Even if not, please take time to read and learn about this year’s honorees, and to plan a visit(s) to The White Horse soon.
The Fourth Annual Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Black Women Leaders & Allies
February 26, 2026
The White Horse Inn 6551 Telegraph Avenue Oakland IG @whitehorsebar
DJ Black
Reverend Dereca
Blackmon
Taniesha Broadfoot
Reverend Angela Brown
Kamika Dunlap
Cassandra Falby
Shay Franco-Clausen
Khilynn Fowler
Elena Gross
Tammy Hall
Dr. Stephanie Anne
Johnson
Midgett
Peggy Moore and Hope Wood(posthumous)
Christiana Remington
Nadirah Shakoor
Ramona Laughing
Brook Webb
Alex U. Inn
Joy Baucom
Angela Berry
Aisha Brown
Aarin Burch
Tosca Comvalius
Brendalynn Goodall
Ebony Gordon Ericka Huggins
NaNoshka “Nosh” Johnson
Shauna Madison
Honey Mahogany
Linda MartleyJordan Iowayna Peña
Dr. Sonya Richardson
Pat Robinson
Dr. April Silas
Lisbet Tellefsen
Jilchristina Vest
Stephanie Rae
Wilborn
Shanell Williams
Anitra Winder
Nettie Bonds
Imani Brown
Susan Christian
Pamela Connie
Mimi Demissew
Jewelle Gomez
Melanie Green
Melorra Green
Sandy Holmes
Renée Lubin
Janelle Luster
Angelique Mahan
Pamela Peniston
Di’ara Reid
Karen Roye
Imani RupertGordon
Andrea Shorter
Dr. Dee Spencer
Natalie Thompson
Darlene
Underwood
Lisa Williams
Carolyn Wysinger
Judy Young
Dennise Acio
Rooted in Hawai‘i, Dennise is shaped by the spirit of aloha, family, and community. Over the past 20 years in the Bay Area, the heartbeat of her roots has guided her journey— as a seasoned bar and hospitality leader, certified massage therapist, Reiki master, dancer, event curator, and lifelong learner. Her background in culture, arts, and movement informs the way she approaches every space, infusing Oakland’s new home for music, cocktails, and communication, Golden Ratio, with intention, creativity, and heart.
She currently serves as GM of The White Horse Inn in Oakland, as well as leading Golden Ratio, and continues to focus on uplifting queer spaces and fostering connection.
Sonya Brewer
Sonya Brewer, MFT, is a somatic psychotherapist and leadership mentor in Oakland, where, for over sixteen years, she has been helping visionary progressive leaders and partners in all sorts of relationships reclaim their wholeness through trauma-informed, somatic, and soul-rooted work. Her mission is to restore what has been fragmented and create sanctuary for those who are here to lead, love, and liberate. With radical presence, she creates sacred containers for individuals, couples, and small groups where she guides those who often hold so much for others, but rarely feel held themselves, into deeper connection with their truths, their boundaries, their lineage of wisdom, and their embodied leadership. She is here to midwife a new paradigm—where nourishment fuels impact, and empathy and intimacy are sources of power.
Oakland At-Large City Councilmember
Rowena J. Brown
Rowena J. Brown was sworn in as Oakland’s At-Large City Councilmember in January 2025. She is a proud African American queer woman and lifelong East Bay resident, and her leadership is rooted in resilience,
community, and justice. After losing both of her parents by age 17, Rowena transformed personal hardship into a lifelong commitment to public service.
An award-winning community organizer, former civics educator, and state legislative district director, she has dedicated her career to expanding opportunity and uplifting Black and LGBTQ+ communities. She holds degrees from Laney College, Mills College, and the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.
In her first year on the Oakland City Council, Rowena served as Budget Chair, leading a balanced budget that strengthened infrastructure and housing investment. As Chair of the Community & Economic Development Committee, she led in establishing the city’s first Economic Activations Zone Pilot Locations to advance inclusive economic growth and revitalize Oakland’s business corridors.
Rowena leads with courage, equity, and an unwavering belief in Oakland’s promise.
Demisha “Dr.D”
Dr. Demisha Burns is a distinguished advocate for holistic and inclusive approaches to health and wellness for African Americans. With a Doctorate in Social Work focused on Policy, Planning, and Administration from Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Burns brings over 25 years of experience across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.
Dr. Burns’ career is characterized by her commitment to diversity and the African American community, underpinned by her profound engagements in sexual and women’s health, HIV/AIDS and STIs, and mental health support. Her previous tenures as Policy and Program Manager at WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to LifeThreatening Diseases), Co-Chair for the Racial Justice Working Group of End the Epidemics (EtE) Coalition, member of the Steering Committee for East Bay Getting To Zero, in addition to her former role as Deputy District Director for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, her current role as a Capacity Consultant for the UMOJA HAP, amongst other actions and involvements, highlight her expertise in community support & mobilization.
As a spoken word artist and transformational speaker, Dr. Burns leverages her personal journey as a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault to foster resilience and empowerment among marginalized groups.
Her personal businesses, Makn’ Movz’ & Sis Unleashed, acceptance as one of the 25 Global Thought Leaders in 2025, and her upcoming publication this spring reflect her unapologetic vision to create safe spaces that promote healing, particularly for Black women in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Dr. Burns’ approach focuses on addressing immediate needs, internal and external stigmas, and resilience from generational trauma, to equip others with the tools to transform their lives.
Her life’s mantra, “Stop trying to fit into a mold that you were meant to create!” encapsulates her advocacy for unapologetic authenticity and self-determination.
Terri Lynn Delk
“Born in 1971, I remain deeply grateful that, by age 13, I could access lesbian literature at my local library in Chesapeake, VA—a gift made possible by those who came before and fought for liberation. As a Women’s Studies and Theater major at Virginia Tech, I immersed myself in Radical Lesbian culture and worked my first women’s music festival, RhythmFest, at 19.
In 1999, I attended the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (Michfest). After two years on crew, I moved from Atlanta to the Bay Area and, in 2001, was hired by Lisa Vogel to support the festival’s year-round production. Michfest was more than a music festival—it was a feminist town built by women’s ingenuity, skill, and Amazon pride. Co-producing the festival for 15 years deepened my commitment to meaningful impact. In 2016, I joined Olivia, where I’m honored to create joyful, community-centered experiences as Olivia’s Senior Manager of Entertainment & Production.”
Patty Nishimura Dingle
Patty Nishimura Dingle has worked as a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner for over 20 years.
Most recently, she was the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Riot Games, where she led an international team that developed a strategy focused on creating inclusive programs and practices impacting internal talent and players. As the Head of DEI, Americas at BNY Mellon, and while at Visa, she drove the enhancement and implementation of corporate
diversity and inclusion strategies, ensuring that DEI was integrated into business and client initiatives.
Today, she is the proud sole owner of The White Horse Bar in Oakland, which is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country, established in 1933. The bar’s mission, “Fun with Love,” is the anchor to everything you see and experience at the bar, from programming to the employees and the support of the community.
A Seaside, California, native, Patty currently serves on the executive advisory board of Self-eSTEM, a non-profit organization that ignites pride, purpose, and possibility among girls.
Richelle Evelyn Donigan
Richelle is a visionary Life Mastery Coach, author, and multidisciplinary artist whose career spans dance, activism, and wellness. From founding her first girls’ club at an orphanage to choreographing BBC2’s The Real McCoy, to collaborating with legends like Prince and Seal, she’s also featured in Pratibha Parmar and Alice Walker’s film, Warrior Marks. A veteran choreographer of San Francisco’s Club Q, a performer with Dance Brigade, Sarah Bush Dance, and other notables, Richelle’s legacy includes gold medals at the Gay Games and a feature at the Tate Modern gallery (London).
As a pioneer in queer wellness, Richelle founded Sauda, a gathering for women of African descent (London); and co-created the first Queer Women’s Yoga Retreats and Butch Yoga. She has also served as Olivia Travel’s “Yoga/Vision guru” for over a decade.
Today, Richelle empowers women globally through her coaching, books, and courses on worthiness, proving that a life lived with intention creates limitless expression. www.ojahlife.com
Dawn Edwards
Dawn Edwards is the Deputy Director at Lotus Bloom Family Resource Center, and is responsible for overseeing the programs, evaluations, and quality assurance. She earned a BA in
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Political Science, a MPA, and a M.Ed in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from Mills College. Dawn has over 20 years of nonprofit and program management experience and is a 2022 graduate of the LeaderSpring Fellowship. Her Community Leadership is serving the LGBTQ community as the VP of the Board of Directors for the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, a member of the Lakeshore Cultural District Committee, and as a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Dawn is a mom, wife, a published author with two current book projects in the works, a blogger ( https://locz4lyfe.com/ ), and a trained dancer and gymnast who has performed with several companies throughout the Bay Area.
Kin Folkz
Kin Folkz (né Monica Anderson) is an award-winning educator and multidisciplinary artivist whose work builds and successfully sustains communityrooted cultural ecosystems and equitycentered practices that uplift marginalized LGBTQIA+ communities.
As founder of the Queer Arts Center Gallery (QAC), Racism Under the Rainbow, and Spectrum Queer Media, Folkz has curated decades of exhibitions and cultural programming and established direct-service initiatives, including a Food Justice program that delivered over 40,000 meals during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place period. Through these initiatives, Folkz builds equity-centered platforms that strengthen artistic visibility, technological access, and material support for marginalized LGBTQIA+ communities. Folkz’s social justice practice extends from community institutions to large-scale public art, where they served as the lead artist and creator of the eight-block-long “All Black Lives Matter” mural at Lake Merritt in Oakland, featured in international publications including Complex magazine, and served as a lead designer and artist for the “Black Trans Lives Matter” mural in San Francisco. In recognition of their leadership, they were named a 2018 San Francisco Pride Grand Marshal, are featured in the award-winning documentary State of Pride, and have received four mayoral proclamations from three Oakland mayors, as well as a State Citation of Honor from Alabama Representative Thad McClammy for humanitarian work between Alabama and Haiti.
Their exhibition history includes the Queer Arts Center Gallery, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Betti Ono Gallery, ACCI
Gallery, Gray Loft Gallery, and international participation in The Art Tunnel in Barcelona, Spain. At the Oakland Museum of California, they created a large-scale installation honoring QT child and youth ancestors and curated interdisciplinary art and music programming integrating performance and ritual practice.
Across murals, museums, media platforms, classrooms, and mutual-aid networks, Kin Folkz advances a practice where art, justice, nourishment, technology, and collective memory converge—ensuring that creative spaces function, not as temporary stages, but as sustainable community ecosystems.
Mayor Barbara J. Lee (See biography on page 2.)
Miranda J. Manning
Miranda Manning is a compassionate Peer Advocate, certified HIV Test Counselor, and poet with over 20 years of experience across healthcare, nonprofit, and community settings. Grounded in her lived experience in mental health recovery, she builds trust, reduces stigma, and empowers clients toward sustainable wellness. She uses motivational interviewing to support behavior change, strengthen selfefficacy, and help clients define meaningful, self-directed goals.
As a Clinical Peer Advocate with Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases (WORLD), Miranda provides oneon-one support, facilitates empowerment groups, offers HIV testing and counseling, and connects clients to housing, healthcare, and essential resources—ensuring holistic, wraparound care.
Previously, she spent more than a decade with Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation, coordinating patient services, mentoring staff, and excelling in high volume environments. Her caregiving roots include 15 years as an IHSS Home Care Provider, offering compassionate support to elders and medically fragile individuals.
Altruistic, purposeful, and sincere, Miranda is a resilient leader, creative spirit, and fierce ally committed to equity, advocacy, and nurturing wholeness in every individual she serves.
McYb
“Hello, fam, my given name is Armelia Hampton but in the LGBTQ
Community I’m known as McYb. I have been an MC for over 25 years of my life in my community from SF Pride to Oakland to Las Vegas to Half Moon Bay to Sacramento, and even in New York City, Atlanta, and Florida doing what I love the most and working in and with my LGBTQ+ community to create positive change.
I am a Black and Puerto Rican woman who is an activist for LGBTQ+ rights as well as racial justice and women’s rights. I have worked and volunteered at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District, and Word Of Mouth Food Pantry. I am also an honorary member of The Conscious Daughters; Carla Green (aka CMG) has added me to honor the late Special 1 by rapping her verses to pay homage.
I work closely with wonderful people whom have always shown me there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and to fight for what I believe in. A few of those people whom I want to thank for helping me along my journey are my Mother Natividad Hampton (Mrs Natty), who has always supported me and believed in me since the moment I came out when I was 14 years old and never once turned her back on me. She told me to never change, and to use my voice because people will listen, and to always fight for what’s right and for what I believe in. I also wish to thank Lisa Williams (Soul of Pride Stage SF Pride) Joe Hawkins (Founder of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center) Jeffrey Myers (Co-Founder of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center and Founder of the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District Oakland), Darrell Ferrell (Founder of the Word of Mouth Food Pantry at the City of Refuge UCC Oakland), and Mady Willie (Co-Founder of the Word of Mouth Food Pantry).
I believe that we grow from what we are taught. By learning from our mistakes and taking accountability in these days and times with the current challenges of the sitting president in office trying to rip away what we have fought for all of our lives, I will always be there to fight against the hate. As a Black/Puerto Rican LGBTQ Woman, I promise I’ll continue to make our community proud. Thank you for this amazing honor. Happy Black History/Herstory Month 2026 and forever.”
Linda Tillery (See biography on page 2.)
Cheryl Troup
Cheryl Troup is a passionate advocate and became an activist over 33 years ago after being inspired while attending the 1993 LGBTQ March on
Washington. Her enthusiasm to make a difference led her to not just volunteer with the Michigan Human Rights Campaign, but to jump in as the Co-Chair of their Annual Gala. She continued her volunteerism by facilitating youth groups and mentoring youth at the Affirmation Queer Community Center in Detroit. Cheryl later joined the editorial board for the Michigan LGBTQ newspaper.
Upon moving to Oakland, Cheryl volunteered for many years with the East Bay Church of Religious Science. She later connected with other Black lesbians in Oakland and spent just over five years on the core committee of Sisthas Steppin in Pride coordinating vendors for the annual march and festival. Later, while working at Our Family Coalition, Cheryl built successful partnerships and collaborations with practitioners and other organizations to bring education, resources, and information to LGBTQ parents and their children. These partnerships included the Berkeley YMCA, Lotus Bloom, Habitot, Bananas, San Francisco Pride, and Oakland Pride.
She has continued to share her knowledge with youth through mentorship at Hack the Hood and through the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. Debra A. Wilson
Debra A. Wilson (she/her) is an award-winning Director and Producer. Her directorial debut, Butch Mystique, and her second film, Jumpin’ the Broom, aired on Showtime. She produced the award-winning feature Mississippi Damned and several scripted shorts, including The Lake Merritt Monster, filmed in Oakland. As a Location Manager for over 10 years, she worked on films such as Milk, Blindspotting, and Ryan Coogler’s breakout film Fruitvale Station, for which Debra won the California on Location Award for Best Location Team. Debra also worked with Ryan Murphy on the series Pose
Debra is currently a Producer for the feature documentaries Coach Emily and The Day the Curtains Came Down, and she is directing the feature documentary Phillip Bloch: Always Fashionable
Debra is a San Francisco FilmHouse Resident Alum, BAVC National MediaMaker Fellow, and Sundance Producers Lab Alum. She earned her B.A. in TV/Film from California State University, Northridge.
Thank you to Sponsors of the Fourth Annual Honoring LGBTQ+ Bay Area Black Women Leaders & Allies
Dr. Marcy Adelman
Celebrations of Black Women Leaders & Allies - 2023, 2024, & 2025
The California Democratic Party 2026 State Convention took place February 20–22 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. It is the premier gathering of Democratic leaders, elected officials, activists, organizers, and community members from across the state. The annual convention brings together voices from every region of California to shape the future of the party and advance shared priorities.
Notable this year was the endorsement of State Senator Scott Wiener for Congress. He is running for the seat currently held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Conversely, the Party declined to endorse any candidate for California governor. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) received the highest number of delegate votes (24%), but that was far from the required 60% threshold to secure the endorsement.
Former San Francisco Bay Times columnist and current PAC Committee member of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Louise “Lou” Fischer was among those who attended the convention, held just days before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24. All eyes are now on the 2026 midterm elections, which will be on November 3.
The powerful and gorgeous new book LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality, published late last year to much critical acclaim, will arrive in San Francisco with the West Coast premiere of the accompanying LOVE & PRIDE streaming event ( https://bit.ly/46LZ0I0 ) on Friday, February 27, at The Academy SF.
The debut event, featuring Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley, will include the voices of Jim Obergefell, George and Brad Takei, Judy and Dennis Shepard, and many more from the 100 stories featured in the book. The beautiful LOVE book brings together vivid photographs and compelling stories to make you feel as if you’re right there for each and every twist and turn of the many decades of queer and marriage equality activism that culminated in the 2015
nationwide marriage equality victory at the U.S. Supreme Court.
But the book is far from just a recounting of the past; it speaks to how the queer community can respond to today’s political climate when LGBTIQ+ rights are once again being put to the test.
Last year, Oprah Daily heralded LOVE as one of six “books that illuminated a path forward.”
The brainchild of the award-winning queer photographer and author Frankie Frankeny, the book is part of the JustMarried Project’s broader multimedia mission of education, celebration and activism. As the book’s co-author John Casey describes in The Advocate: “LOVE isn’t just a collection of stories. It’s a testament. A reminder. A celebration. A rallying cry.”
By distinctively presenting queer personal
stories through images and words, LOVE documents and celebrates our collective history, depicting over seventy years of work by couples, activists, and allies. It reveals how decades of courage and love transcended prejudice, reshaped the law, and captured both the compassion of the courts and the conscience of a nation. The project also invites us to get engaged in queer activism today through its From Fear to Fierce campaign. As Frankeny notes, our stories “hold what those trying to erase us fear most: our community’s long-cultivated power to turn fear into fierce.”
Indeed, the heart of the project is storytelling. Scholars of social movements have documented how personal testimonies and lived experiences become catalysts for broader social change. Social movement researcher Jonathan Christiansen describes: “Through shared stories, activists can build collective identities, helping individuals understand their place within the movement and its broader purpose. Origin stories, in particular, can be strategically crafted to emphasize a movement’s uniqueness while connecting it to historical struggles. Moreover, narratives can aid in addressing setbacks by framing challenges as part of an ongoing journey, thus enhancing resilience among members.”
We couldn’t agree more. Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA), the grassroots organization we helped lead for many years, was dedicated to empowering queer people of all backgrounds to advocate for equality in their own words. MEUSA offered our voices, not only in the court of public opinion, but also to the U.S. Supreme Court itself through its unique friend of the court briefs in the landmark 2013 and 2015 marriage equality cases that made the legal case for marriage equality exclusively through the unmediated personal voices and experiences of diverse LGBTIQ+ Americans.
On the political front, MEUSA collaborated with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein in her 2011 efforts to repeal the so-called
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by helping her humanize the devastating effects of DOMA’s depriving same-sex couples of over 1,000 critical federal rights and benefits through the personal stories of her constituents. As Feinstein introduced the repeal legislation, she dramatically led off the hearing by sharing the tragic story of discrimination faced by the husband and children of the late UCSF physician Dr. Kevin Mack after he was suddenly killed in a vehicular accident and they were left with no protections as a family under federal law.
One visit to the JustMarried website ( https://www.justmarried.us/ ) reveals how this new multifaceted project offers ways for everyone to get involved, as well as purchase the book. In response to the removal of our stories from libraries, curriculum, museums, and even the national parks, the JustMarried Project’s From Fear to Fierce Campaign invites people to donate ( https://bit.ly/46OGcry ) to putting LOVE free of charge into libraries, educational institutions, and all LGBTIQ+ community centers from coast to coast.
Although the LOVE book itself includes stories up through 2024, powerful new content is being added by the minute via the website and will be included in future editions of the book as history continues to unfold. In fact, the story of Renée Good, her wife Becca, and their children, as told by Nicki Hangsleben, the founder of Minnesota’s QUEERSPACE Youth Center, was featured at the recent premiere of LOVE & PRIDE in Minneapolis. “One need only look at Renée and Becca Good’s story to see how marriage equality made our love recognizable to the world, allowing both our joy and our grief to be honored—without qualification—by those outside our community,” Frankeny movingly recounts. “Without question, this is what we must protect.”
Please contribute your story
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By Tom Moon, MFT
(Editor’s Note: Longtime readers of the San Francisco Bay Times may recall the popular column “The Examined Life,” which ran in the paper for many years before Moon decided to retire it in 2019. He has remained busy as a psychotherapist in San Francisco, and recently wrote this new piece for the Bay Times.)
Watching what has unfolded in Minnesota, and reading the comments about it on social media, has led me to think a lot about the more than 75 years of psychological research on the authoritarian personality, a concept usually simply defined as a disposition to treat the voices of “authorities” with unquestioning respect and obedience.
The authors of The Authoritarian Personality (1950), written in the shadow of Nazism, wrote that people who were susceptible to fascist ideology and anti-democratic politics tended to have such personality characteristics as a cynical and disdainful view of humanity; and a need to wield power and be perceived as tough. They hypothesized that these traits arise from extreme anxiety over people whom they perceive as a threat to the dominant value system, which is usually imagined as besieged and perpetually endangered. (Germans didn’t just hate “the Jew”; they feared “World Jewry” as an organized, diabolical conspiracy bent on their destruction.)
Authoritarian personalities are inclined to act oppressively against such imagined enemies; they’re also prone to anti-intellectualism and simplistic solutions to complex issues. They have a general opposition to the subjective and imaginative tendencies of the mind, which shows itself, for example, as suspicion of the arts. Usually, they also have an extreme need for adherence to rigid gender roles and hostility toward “sexual promiscuity,” especially in women.
The authors proposed that authoritarian personality characteristics are fostered by parents who have a psychological need for domination, and who harshly threaten and punish their children to compel obedience to conventional norms. These domineering parents are also preoccupied with social status, a concern they communicate by forcing their children to conform to rigid, external rules. The result of such domination is that the child suffers emotionally from the suppression of his or her feelings of aggression and resentment towards the domineering parents, whom the child also idealizes, but never criticizes. Rage is directed instead toward enemies who are almost always unseen and invisible—the stranger, the Other—Jews, Communists, atheists, sexual “deviants,” and so on. Any of this sound familiar?
To live in the authoritarian mental universe of MAGA is to inhabit a kind of comic book world in which you are aligned with all that
is good and holy against all that is unholy and demonic. There are no shades of grey, no partial truths, no maybes, no subtleties. For the MAGA true believer, for instance, Trump can’t be just a good president; he must be the greatest president in American history. He must be universally beloved and respected all over the world; and any evidence to the contrary—his poll numbers, his reception in Davos, the boos in Milan— must all be “fake news.” To oppose him is prima facie evidence that you have Trump Derangement Syndrome, a mental disorder that you won’t find described in any psychiatric textbook. There is only One Truth, which you can absorb daily on Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, right-wing radio, etc. You must never watch “main stream media,” as its sole purpose is to lead you astray. In the current situation, the defenders of what ICE is doing consistently see themselves as representing “law and order,” and to view anyone who stands against ICE in any way as lawless, troublemakers, agitators, traitors, etc. When ICE agents bully, arrest, or murder people, the first MAGA instinct is to blame the victims. If you stand in the way of those who are “only enforcing the law,” then you deserve whatever you get, no matter how vicious it is. People who are “lawless” are completely otherized. They deserve no respect, no empathy, and no compassion for their suffering. Any cruelty is justified “self-defense,” because ICE is only trying to
stand up for what is true and good, against vast evil forces.
I have read the posts of people who argue that ICE should turn water cannons on Minneapolis protestors in freezing temperatures, and they express glee at the thought of the suffering this would cause. I wonder how many of these people have ever heard of Bull Connor, the “authority” who, in 1963, turned high-pressure water hoses and attack dogs on civil rights marchers in Birmingham, and arrested thousands, including teenagers and children—all in the name of law and order and Christian values. And Bull Connor was “right,” in that he was fully backed by the city and state laws at the time in Alabama.
But what he did marked a turning point in the civil rights movement. Television images of what he had unleashed on nonviolent anti-segregationists shocked the nation and forced white Americans to face what racism really means and to see with their own eyes the moral contrast between the just demands of Black America and the response of “law and order.” In the end, segregation was dismantled, and Bull Connor died in obscurity. This gives me hope that the trance of MAGA will end, because something similar is happening today. All over the country there is a backlash against ICE, as more and more Americans openly confront and defy
(continued on page 20)
Brandon Miller
If you’re reading this, you probably already think carefully about the choices you make, like where you shop, which businesses you support, and how you show up in your community. You’re intentional about a lot of things, because you care (even on days when it feels easier to look away).
But here’s something most people don’t realize: Your money is never neutral. It’s always building, supporting, and endorsing, whether you’re paying attention or not.
In traditional investing, your money flows through standard mutual funds or ETFs, where it’s automatically spread across hundreds of companies—some doing incredible work, others potentially working against everything you believe in. And most inves-
tors never even see which companies they’re funding.
So, the real question isn’t whether your money reflects values. The question is: whose values is it reflecting?
That’s where the Brio Pride Portfolio comes in. We created it for people who want their investments to quietly, consistently stand for what they believe in—no compromise, no apology, just alignment between what you care about and where your wealth actually goes.
Instead of buying a fund that bundles everything together, the Brio Pride Portfolio is built using a separately managed account (SMA) structure.
It was developed in collaboration with Ethic, Inc., a technology-driven asset manager that specializes in values-aligned investing. Their platform makes it possible to filter companies that do or don’t pass your vibe check while you own individual stocks directly. Why does all of that matter? This isn’t about trying to beat the market or making shortterm bets. You’re still invested across hundreds of companies and riding overall market growth, but the companies included are chosen with purpose and aligned with your values.
(continued on page 12)
Jay Greene, Esq., CPA
With the 2026 Medi-Cal asset limits now in effect, February is the perfect time for Bay Area homeowners and couples to review their financial picture. This month’s checklist helps you understand which assets affect eligibility and ensures your long-term care planning stays on track.
Whether you are part of a married couple, domestic partnership, or chosen family arrangement, clarity about Medi-Cal’s 2026 asset rules is essential for protecting your home, savings, and care options.
Understanding Exempt vs. Countable Assets in 2026
Under the current Medi-Cal framework, individuals may hold $130,000 in countable assets, while married couples may keep $195,000, plus $65,000 per additional household member.
Exempt assets include your primary residence (if it meets Medi-Cal guidelines), one vehicle, certain retirement plans, personal belongings, and prepaid burial arrangements. Countable assets include excess cash, secondary properties, and investments such as stocks or non-retirement brokerage accounts.
Because Bay Area home values often exceed $1 million, accurately identifying exempt assets is crucial for determining eligibility and structuring future care plans.
The February 2026 Medi-Cal Asset Review Checklist
1. Gather your financial records.
Collect at least 30 months of bank, brokerage, and retirement account statements. This helps identify any gifts or transfers that could trigger penalties later. Although transfer penalties apply only to gifts made on or after
(continued on page 12)
By Aaron Boot-Haury
I’ve received many questions lately about the relationship between the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) and the National LGBTQ+ & Allied Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Most in our community know that the Golden Gate Business Association was the first LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce in the world, founded in 1974. What many may not know is the history of the NGLCC and how our organizations work together in service of LGBTQ+ business owners and professionals.
The NGLCC was founded in 2002 by Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell with a vision to elevate the economic impact of LGBTQ+ business owners at a national scale. They recognized that, despite the significant contributions of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs to the U.S. economy and a handful of successful local chambers like GGBA, there was no unified national voice advocating for eco-
nomic inclusion, supplier diversity opportunities, and business advancement.
From those beginnings in Washington, D.C., NGLCC has grown into the largest advocacy organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunities for LGBTQ+ and allied business owners. In 2004, NGLCC launched its LGBT Business Enterprise certification program, becoming the exclusive third-party certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses.
GGBA is proud to have been one of the founding affiliate chambers of the NGLCC network. Our affiliate relationship means that GGBA and each of the other local LGBTQ+ chambers are independent organizations. We operate autonomously with full control over our local programming, operations, and strategic direction. This affiliate model differs from a traditional “national and chapter” structure where a central organization directs local chapters. At GGBA, our board of directors sets our course locally, while we benefit from being part of a strong national network.
One of the greatest benefits of being part of NGLCC is the power of scale. Through NGLCC’s work, the network has built relationships with more than 500 corporate partners that operate across the country. Those relationships help open doors to local introductions with some of the largest companies in the United States and create meaningful opportunities for LGBTQ+-owned businesses.
NGLCC also serves as the certifying authority for the Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (LGBTBE®) credential, which plays a critical role in supplier diversity and procurement programs nationwide. For businesses interested in learning more about LGBTBE® certification, you can visit either the GGBA or NGLCC website for details, and be on the lookout for an upcoming information webinar we’ll be hosting soon to walk through the process and answer questions.
In addition to certification and corporate engagement, NGLCC hosts the largest LGBTQ+ business conference in the world
each year, bringing together thousands of business owners, executives, and community leaders for education, connection, and growth. Just as importantly for chambers like GGBA, NGLCC provides education, training, and support for affiliate leadership. Each spring, staff and board members from across the affiliate network come together for the Affiliate Chamber Education Summit (ACES) to participate in training, roundtable discussions, and community-building that strengthen our work both locally and nationally.
This year, I’m thrilled to share that four members of our GGBA board will be attending ACES as part of our investment in the future of our organization. We’re excited to bring those insights back to our community and to share key takeaways from the conference as we continue building a stronger, more impactful GGBA for the Bay Area’s LGBTQ+ business community.
Aaron Boot-Haury (he/him) is the President and CEO of the Golden Gate Business Association.
Management Consulting Group CEO Todd Ghanizadeh and his colleagues are behind some of the most important and influential hires at top companies nationwide. As one client wrote: “Todd is a rockstar. He has a wonderful team that gets you interviews at the biggest firms.” Ghanizadeh has a remarkably diverse background that includes classical ballet training at the School of American Ballet in New York, experience as a dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and The Boston Ballet, followed by a pivot to the business world as a Senior Talent Management Recruiter before his decades of leadership at Management Consulting Group.
GGBA: Please tell us more about Management Consulting Group.
Todd Ghanizadeh: Management Consulting Group is headquartered in San Francisco and has served Fortune 500 companies nationwide for 25+ years. Our boutique approach combines deep industry expertise with exceptional talent mapping. Our comprehensive suite of professional services caters to a diverse clientele ranging from Permanent and Temporary position recruiting with comprehensive pre-screening, reference checking, and background verification. [Key areas include:]
• Technical IT Applications Development (software developers, UI/UX);
• Infrastructure (network engineering, systems administration);
• Scientific (lab operations & research scientists);
• Communications (marketing, epidemiology, medical affairs);
• Retail Operations for GAP and its 7 brands.
GGBA: Why did you decide to create your business?
Todd Ghanizadeh: To be honest, this is a relationship business and I thought I could do it better than the average staffing company and do it with a more diverse flair representing a larger talent group for Women & Diverse Minorities while still representing “Best in Class.”
GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to influence your work?
Todd Ghanizadeh: My immigrant family and the women who were such strong role models for me.
GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?
Todd Ghanizadeh: I thought I could network and utilize a larger platform to help sell Management Consulting Group’s services
to a larger enterprise audience.
GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your business?
Todd Ghanizadeh: I was able to speak at a GGBA client event where I was able to procure a million-dollar contract with PG&E. It was a matchmaking event set up by the GGBA and I was asked to create a deck of slides, a three-page flyer, and to speak and present. At first, I didn’t want to and was nervous, but I was pressured to do it and “get out of my own way.”
GGBA: Do you go to the GGBA monthly Make Contact networking events? Have they benefited you and your business, and would you recommend them to others?
Todd Ghanizadeh: Yes, but I have not been to the client events as much and that is what is beneficial to Management Consulting Group: meeting clients who want a diverse vendor base. The general meetups to meet other members are less important to me personally. The GGBA can use their clout with larger clients and introduce them to smaller businesses.
So, I stepped up to the panel and stated I was not looking for many clients; just one where I could partner and become an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) and partner and grow both companies. The Director of Procurement at PG&E asked for a meeting the following week and awarded Management Consulting Group a million-dollar contract through their MSP (managed service provider) to support their contract needs. We are now ranked the #2 vendor. [From 2022–2025, Management Consulting Group has also been ranked as one of the top 8 LGBTQ+ businesses in California.]
GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of becoming a Marketing Consulting Group client?
Todd Ghanizadeh: Know what you are selling and why you are better at it than most. Don’t lead with work with me because I am diverse; lead with why you are the best solution and what the client will get out of the relationship. Also, have the website, marketing materials, and references already created.
https://www.mcgsf.net/
There are two ways clients typically engage with the Brio Pride Portfolio. Some choose Brio’s firm-built version, which reflects our company’s values. It’s shaped by the many LGBTQ+ individuals and allies we serve and is built around what we know matters: equality, inclusion, social justice, and corporate leadership that actually shows up for people. It’s ready to deploy and unapologetic about what it stands for.
Others want their portfolio to feel even more personalized to their specific values. For those clients, we build a fully customized Pride Portfolio from the ground up. Through a short values questionnaire and real conversation, you identify what matters most to you (reproductive rights, climate action, gun reform, worker protections, whatever keeps you up at night), and Ethic, Inc., translates those priorities directly into investment decisions. Your values become the filter. Your money becomes the statement.
And yes, you can still be diversified across hundreds of companies while also not funding, say, companies with a track record of discrimination. Turns out you don’t actually need every company in the S&P 500 to build wealth. Who knew?
The Tax Opportunity
There’s a persistent myth that investing with intention means giving something up financially. The Brio Pride Portfolio is designed to challenge that assumption.
Because the strategy remains broadly diversified, it participates in overall market growth just like a traditional portfolio would. And because clients own individual securities, the structure also allows for enhanced tax flexibility. If one company underperforms while others thrive, that position can be sold strategically to capture a loss without disrupting the broader allocation.
In other words, this isn’t about choosing between heart and head. It’s about using both.
Your Money Can Do More
One portfolio probably won’t change the world overnight. But capital, collectively deployed, absolutely shapes markets. Markets shape incentives. Incentives shape behavior. It’s not magic; it’s economics.
When significant assets consistently support companies that prioritize fairness, inclusion, and responsible governance, that matters. It reinforces standards and rewards progress.
You’ve worked incredibly hard to build your wealth. The Brio Pride Portfolio helps ensure that wealth is working just as hard to build the world you actually want to live in. Because here’s the thing: Caring about the world and growing your money were never mutually exclusion.
If you’re not yet working with Brio, this is exactly the kind of thing we do differently. We care about the whole picture: your wealth, your values, your life. Schedule a complimentary Make It Happen Meeting to learn more about the Brio Pride Portfolio and learn more about our values-based approach to financial planning.
This material presented by Brio Financial Group (“Brio”) is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however, Brio cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source.
For select clients, Brio has partnered with unaffiliated independent advisory firm Ethic to offer Brio’s Pride strategy to achieve clients’ ESG goals. Brio relies on Ethic for our primary research and fund screenings and primarily uses their metrics when constructing the portfolio. More information about our process and the criteria used by Ethic to construct the strategy is available upon request. The total fees to be charged, as well as the billing cycle information, will be detailed in Ethic’s ADV Part 2A and separate advisory agreement, to be signed by the client.
Brio does not provide legal or tax advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as legal or tax advice. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.
For more information about our advisory services and fees, please refer to our ADV brochure found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/
Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals. For more information: https://www.briofg.com/
GREENE (continued from pg 10)
January 1, 2026, reviewing activity since mid-2023 allows your attorney to address potential red flags early.
2. List all assets and determine their market value.
Include real property, investments, vehicles, business interests, and retirement funds. Accuracy now prevents delays later during Medi-Cal or long-term care planning.
3. Separate exempt from countable assets. Cross-check each item with Medi-Cal’s exemption list. For instance, your main residence may be exempt if you or a spouse live there. Identify non-exempt holdings such as second homes, savings, or luxury items that may push you over Medi-Cal’s limits.
4. Review transfers, gifts, or loans.
Note any funds given to friends or relatives and document dates, amounts, and purposes. This recordkeeping protects you from transfer penalties and supports transparency—especially important for samesex couples or chosen families whose shared finances may have informal arrangements.
5. Optimize your asset mix.
If you exceed the allowable limits, consider using a legitimate spenddown strategy. This may include paying off debt, prepaying funeral costs, or investing in home accessibility upgrades. These actions convert countable assets into exempt ones while improving your quality of life.
6. Document your household structure. LGBTQ+ households or non-married partners should prepare proof of shared expenses, co-ownership, or caregiving arrangements. Keep copies of utility bills, joint accounts, or notarized declarations that verify your financial connection. Clear documentation avoids scrutiny or delays during a Medi-Cal review.
7. Consult an elder law attorney.
Even a brief consultation provides clarity
GAFFNEY/LEWIS (continued from pg 8)
( https://bit.ly/4aIb8e6 ) to this growing, participatory project. These stories will be considered for inclusion in the forthcoming podcast, docuseries, and Substack.
Kickoff events, both online and in-person, are taking place right now. We welcome you to join us ( https://bit.ly/3ZJZFpB ) at The Academy SF at 6 pm on Friday, February 27, where LOVE & PRIDE will be co-presented by Frameline. We will be joined by Kris Perry & Sandy Stier, Shirley & Jay Mercado, and more in a wonderful celebration of the power of love.
As the JustMarried website says: “LOVE’s
on exemptions and future planning tools like irrevocable or living trusts. Professional advice ensures compliance while preserving flexibility for long-term care or eligibility appeals.
Why the February Review Matters
February sits at a strategic point between the new year’s financial reset and the March Medi-Cal application period. A proactive review now helps you address gaps, confirm documentation, and prepare for potential policy updates later this year.
For LGBTQ+ families, in particular, early review also supports stronger evidence of household relationships and ensures fair treatment during asset verification.
Taking these February steps will help secure your eligibility and peace of mind as Medi-Cal’s 2026 rules take effect. Homeowners, couples, and chosen families alike can use this checklist to stay compliant, protect their estates, and plan for quality care in the years ahead.
Your assets and eligibility deserve professional attention. Schedule your February Medi-Cal asset review now to ensure everything aligns with 2026 requirements—and to protect what matters most: your home, your care, and your future.
Contact Greene Law Firm, P.C. today. Call 415-905-0215 or email info@greenelawfirm.com—free initial assessment.
Statements in Compliance With California Rules of Professional Conduct The materials in this article are for educational purposes only and are not legal advice. Consult an estate planning attorney for personalized guidance.
Attorney Jay Patrick Greene, Esq., CPA, founded Greene Law Firm, P.C., which is licensed in California, Alabama, and Florida. He has over 15 years of experience in wills, trusts, probate, elder law, and asset protection. For more information, visit https://www.assetprotectionbayarea.com/
power is unstoppable when we refuse to be silenced.” Join us in continuing to raise our voices together.
John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide in 2015. Today, they continue to educate and advocate for marriage equality and LGBTIQ+ rights worldwide.
Presented by the San Francisco Bay Times in partnership with Cliff ’s Variety, Orphan Andy’s, and SoulCycle
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Julia Miller Thoron, who with her husband Sam (1939–2018) was a longtime LGBTQ+ community advocate and Bay Area-based leader of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National, passed on February 16 from complications of a recent stroke. Their son Benjamin shared: “She spent her last days surrounded by her three children (Joseph and Elizabeth, in addition to Benjamin), her grandchildren, brothers, and in-laws, no doubt listening to the sounds of conversation, stories, and laughter, just as she always delighted in.”
He added, “Julia’s friends remember the support and advice she so willingly provided, whether it was nursing or financial. Her activism could be quiet and private, or public and loud. She believed in women’s rights, quietly encouraged financial independence for her women friends, marched down Market Street in support of PFLAG, and was featured in the first statewide television commercial for the No on 8 campaign. It came from the heart, and she surprised herself with the fierceness of her actions. Her children remember cross-country travel, waiting for a restaurant breakfast to be served while listening to her read out loud from classic books. Her favorite place was on her window seat overlooking Tomales Bay, reading while her dear Sam sat nearby. We wish her smooth travel, a good book, and a lovely view.”
The mentioned No on 8 commercial may be viewed at: https://bit.ly/4baLbV9
It was one of many public declarations of support for not only her own out daughter, Elizabeth, but also for other LGBTQ+ individuals. She also stood by her husband, whom she married at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in December 1962. Their engagement announcement had appeared in The New York Times
The family had their own challenges, however, as Sam struggled with alcoholism. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous, and found connection and understanding with others grappling with addiction. Open about his problems, he stopped drinking in 1983 and worked to help others facing similar struggles.
With Julia’s full support, he served on the PFLAG National Board for ten years and as PFLAG National President from 2002–2006. She was nearly always with him at events, bolstering his work and evidencing the family’s unity around LGBTQ+ and other social justice issues. They financially supported numerous nonprofits, such as Horizons Foundation.
In 2015, the couple was honored by the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee as recipients of the José Julio Sarria History Maker Award, in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the way society views the LGBTQ community.
A celebration of Julia’s life will be held on March 28, 2026, at 10 am at the First Unitarian Universality Society of San Francisco. Guests are asked to RSVP at https://bit.ly/3ZS7CJs
• Monthly Support Groups2nd Tuesdays
• Annual Advocacy Day
• Volunteer Opportunities
PFLAG SF’s fascinating history includes a tribute to Sam and Julia Thoron’s leadership locally and nationally for more than two decades.
Thank You to Sam & Julia Thoron from the San Francisco Bay Times!
By Joanie Juster
In 1984, Reverend Jesse Jackson galvanized the Democratic Convention in San Francisco with his speech calling for a “Rainbow Coalition” to work toward unity and social justice for everyone, building bridges between people across the board. These are values evident throughout San Francisco to this day.
“Our flag is red, white, and blue, but our nation is a rainbow—red, yellow, brown, black and white—and we’re all precious in God’s sight. America is not like a blanket—one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture. The same size. America is more like a quilt: many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.”
Reverend Jesse Jackson’s impact on every corner of American life has been seen in the many tributes people have shared, of working with him on a broad spectrum of social justice causes. For decades, the man was simply everywhere: always fighting for justice for the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised. While his work for civil rights and racial justice is well-known, he was also an early and important champion for the LGBTQ+ community, speaking at the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987, and championing equal legal protection for LGBTQ+ people.
He also stood up for those with HIV/AIDS, long before it was considered “safe” or acceptable to do so. In 1993, he was arrested with members of ACT UP, protesting the U.S. government’s detention of Haitian refugees at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, who had tested positive for HIV. He continued to work with AIDS activists, advocating for distribution of generic HIV medications in South Africa and other developing countries. He visited the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and, at a time when President Reagan still couldn’t bring himself to mention AIDS, Reverend Jackson visited Coming Home Hospice in San Francisco, and visited with every patient there.
Our paths crossed in 2005, on the Golden Gate Bridge. From 1992 to 2006, when the state of California reinstated the death penalty, my husband Mark joined a group of anti-death penalty activists who marched 25 miles from San Francisco to San Quentin each time an execution was scheduled. I was able to join Mark on a few of these marches. It was challenging work, but our presence on the day-long marches brought attention to the issue, and helped change hearts and minds.
In December 2005, we faced a particularly challenging march. Tookie Williams, a notorious gang leader who had completely changed his life in prison, was due to be executed that night. It was a high-profile case that attracted national and international press. As we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge that winter morning, Mark and I were at the head of the procession. I felt someone take my arm as we marched, and realized it was Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Jackson felt the need to stand up for Williams that day, as he stood up for countless other people who faced injustice. He understood that his very presence that day would shine a light on the issues, and create conversations that might eventually lead to change. He understood the need to bring all voices to the table, and that all people must be lifted up together.
I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to march with this great man. May his legacy be carried forward in the work that we do.
(For additional tributes related to Reverend Jackson’s LGBTQ+ community advocacy, see the February 17 post from Eric Sawyer at: https://bit.ly/3ZOxGFh and Pam David’s piece at: https://www.facebook.com/phd52 )
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
Helene Wenzel, a native of Brooklyn, New York, passed away on February 4, 2026, at her home in San Francisco.
After completing her BA at Barnard and her PhD in French at UC Berkeley, she taught women’s studies at San Francisco State University and Yale University before changing direction and earning her law degree at New College of California. Helene put French literature in conversation with feminism in her studies and teaching.
She then dedicated her career to estate planning and elder law, specializing in the challenges faced by people in the LGBTQ+ community. With her wife of thirty-seven years, San Francisco Bay Times designer and contributor Abby Zimberg, she supported many LGBTQ+ and women-serving nonprofits among others.
In a 2021 video about LGBTQ+ seniors and aging produced by Desperado Film, Helene shared information about her life and work. This summary in her own words may be viewed, starting at the 6:53 point, at: https://bit.ly/4b6Y0AM
In lieu of flowers, you may donate to the social change charity of your choice.
A celebration of life is being planned.
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Horizons Foundation recently announced that its president, Roger Doughty, will retire from his position late this year after more than two decades of service. Doughty will continue to lead the organization through November 2026, working closely with Horizons’ Board of Directors to support a thoughtful and seamless leadership transition.
“Working at Horizons has been an extraordinary privilege,” said Doughty. “Horizons’ purpose has always inspired me: to help our community meet needs, win rights, and celebrate LGBTQ lives—both now and for generations to come. I’m immensely grateful to both the donors and funding partners who have made our work possible, and to the scores of incredible LGBTQ nonprofits that Horizons has the honor of supporting.”
During his tenure, Doughty has greatly strengthened Horizons Foundation’s role as a trusted philanthropic partner, not only in the San Francisco Bay Area, but also nationally and internationally. Under his leadership, the foundation’s grantmaking has risen to $12 million a year. Horizons’ assets have grown from $2 million to $72 million. Similarly, the foundation’s endowment—dedicated to future support of the community—has increased from less than $1 million to more than $20 million. Doughty also provided leadership in numerous impactful initiatives, including:
• the highly effective national Civil Marriage Collaborative and sector leadership in the fight against California’s Proposition 8;
• Give OUT Day, a national day of giving for LGBTQ nonprofits across the country;
• the Global Faith and Equality Fund, which has invested millions of dollars in blunting the impact of the export of religiously-based homophobia and transphobia throughout the world;
• the multi-year Diversity in Philanthropy initiative, among the earliest nationwide efforts to increase diversity in all aspects of the country’s foundation sector;
• the National LGBTQ Legacy Giving Initiative, a pioneering effort to realize the movement-funding opportunity for LGBTQ people in legacy (planned) giving.
In addition to Horizons’ ongoing grantmaking, Doughty led the foundation in creating special, multiyear funding partnerships to improve the lives of LGBTQ elders, LGBTQ people of color, and transgender people of color, and to improve LGBTQ health access and LGBTQ arts and culture. He has also become known in the Bay Area and nationally for his advocacy to amplify legacy (planned) giving in the LGBTQ movement. His efforts have led to millions of dollars in future gifts for LGBTQ organizations, as well as more than $150 million in gifts identified for Horizons’ future work for the community.
ment as a result.
He will be sorely missed.”
“Roger is a visionary who has raised the bar for what LGBT philanthropic leadership can achieve,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal. “He focused on strategic initiatives like planned giving, which were rarely prioritized by our movement, and brought tens of millions into our move-
“Roger has been a guiding light for the LGBTQ movement here in the Bay Area, nationally, and globally,” said Lance Toma, CEO of San Francisco Community Health Center. “His leadership at Horizons is marked by his unwavering commitment to radically inclusive philanthropy, particularly through his intentional investment in queer- and trans people of color-led organizations. I am deeply grateful for Roger’s mentorship over the years and for the profound, enduring impact he has had on my leadership, my organization, and our movement.”
(continued on page 20)
By Ann Rostow
For the last two years we’ve been hit with a strong backlash against transgender Americans, who were beginning to make some progress in their fight for civil rights. You’ve seen it: state laws against transgender girls in sports, bans on minors taking hormones and puberty blockers, bathroom bills, and the like. Used as a political cudgel and broadcast in campaign ads, this vilification of transgender people has resulted in a shift of public opinion. Hostility has penetrated the middle of the road, where most people could once be characterized as neutral or indifferent, but where they now put themselves in the majority that opposes specific transgender rights.
I sort of thought that the anti-trans wave might begin to subside, just as the public impression of Trumpy craziness has moved into negative territory. But it seems as if the reverse is true. It seems as if we are gearing up for a brutal year, when anti-trans laws are piling up in state legislatures and midterm ads are doubling down on trans derangement syndrome.
This trend was described in a recent New York Times article that caught my eye, but I could also feel it in my news collections. Just the other day, my adopted state of Kansas overrode the Democratic governor to pass a bathroom bill, along with a bill that allows random people to sue anyone who uses a public bathroom that doesn’t match their sex at birth. It’s noteworthy that transgender men must now use the ladies’ room, in some cases that means men with beards and manly muscles. Don’t be alarmed! It’s just us girls, right?
As if that weren’t enough, Kansas also passed a bill requiring transgender drivers to take their licenses into the DMV office, where they will be replaced by a birth gender license. Noncompliant licenses will be considered invalid as soon as the law goes into effect.
Really? Not only have they humiliated transgender Kansans, but they also have stressed them out by nullifying their IDs. Worse, they are forcing their transgender neighbors to spend a couple of hours at the DMV, watching the numbers slowly advance to 96 while holding a ticket marked 134. Can they fly with their invalid license? Is their insurance still in force? What if they get a ticket? Do they get an extra fine?
Meanwhile, on February 19, the Trump administration issued a new federal prison policy, barring surgeries for transgender convicts, but, more insidiously, ordering transgender inmates to “taper off” of hormones. The policy ends the practice of housing transgender prisoners according to their gender identity, and restricts inmates’ ability to dress and operate in their transgender identities. In short, the policy is an attempt to de-transition transgender inmates—not just an attempt, perhaps, but more a giant leap in that direction.
Indeed, the state laws under consideration, combined with the administration’s executive orders and policy changes, now seem designed to eliminate transgender Ameri-
cans, and Trump’s Day One executive order that a person’s gender is defined at birth has inspired red states to enact similar decrees. I assume the new prison policy will wind up at the Supreme Court, but I’m not sure I can see five votes to overturn it. Justice Barrett, who recently joined Gorsuch and Roberts to strike Trump’s power to unilaterally impose tariffs, is notably anti-trans, writing a concurrent opinion in the Tennessee healthcare case to make the point that transgender people are not a protected class. Gorsuch, quixotically, gave us a gay rights victory in 2020 that included transgender Americans under the Title VII of the Civil Rights act, which bans workplace discrimination. But Roberts has never been our pal. So, I count three, maybe four votes on our side, and five, maybe six votes against us. It’s possible, I suppose, that someone will be struck by the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment, but I’m just speculating. I have no idea.
What’s to be done? The Human Rights Campaign asks candidates to stand up strongly for trans rights when threatened by an opponent, but to pivot quickly back to bread and butter issues. I don’t always side with the Human Rights Campaign, but I agree with them. We can’t be trapped into a debate with those who flatly demonize all transgender Americans, because in this 30-second sound-bite political world, candidates don’t have the time or space to present a nuanced view. Should a 14-year-old get top surgery? Um, maybe not. Hormones? Yes, in a case-by-case basis. Should a trans girl play on the girls’ tennis team? Of course. What about the college track team? Well, has she transitioned? To what extent?
In the long run, transgender men and women need the kind of visibility that the gay and lesbian community showed during the long fight for marriage equality. Many low-information people don’t know the difference between transgender women and drag queens or cross dressers. In fact, I’ll bet many of them imagine big guys in skirts when they hear about transgender women— the kind of guy whom we see in old army movies when the all-male troops are putting on a show to lift their spirits during a break in combat. Just as gay men were once seen as sex perverts hooking up in back alleys and lesbians were thought of as tough butches, packing whatever and looking to seduce some innocent girls, trans people need to be seen and heard in order to turn their own stereotypes inside out.
Did You Watch?
The Olympics are finally over. I enjoy them, of course, but there was something about this year’s TV coverage that didn’t work for me. I never really knew what was going to be on, and, when it would air. I would wake up with the sense that I was missing something but had no desire to interrupt my sluggish mornings with a search of my Peacock app. Invariably I’d be scrolling through news or emails, only to encounter spoiler headlines about the Quad God screwing up or Vonn crashing on the slopes. I liked curling, but
(continued on page 20)
Led by founder Gary Virginia, the volunteer charitable social club Krewe de Kinque held its annual Fat Tuesday Pub Crawl on February 17, 2026. Celebrants ventured to 440 Castro, Midnight Sun, Moby Dick, Lookout, Twin Peaks Tavern, and then back to 440 Castro. Several of the stops included special guests, drinks, and delicious treats like homemade King Cake Cupcakes.
Gary shared: “Our Krewe de Kinque King & Queen XXII John M. Brett & Olivia Hart led our Second Line parade & we enjoyed John’s plentiful snacks & Emily’s Mardi Gras cupcakes. Thanks too to Brent Marek for the delicious Jell-O shots that helped us raise funds for Openhouse, the beneficiary for our March 15th Krewe de Kinque Bal Masque XXIII at The Cafe.”
Prior to the Pub Crawl, Krewe de Kinque held a Valentine’s Bake Sale in the Castro on February 13 that raised $704 for Openhouse ( https://www.openhousesf.org/ ).
For more information about the upcoming event on March 15, which will also be a watch party for this year’s Academy Awards, visit: https://bit.ly/4qTiWQu
WBy Donna Sachet
hen you’ve attended as many Coronation Weekends as we have, you begin to realize that they are very much like amusement rides. You may have to stand in line beforehand, but you’ll finally board your car to experience several exciting thrills before the primary sensational peak in speed and cleverly designed scares, followed by a couple of wind-down curves and a gentle return to your point of origin. San Francisco Imperial Coronation Weekend begins long before the primary event as participants compare schedules, plan wardrobes, and busily coordinate elaborate looks. And then, we’re off for a memorable ride!
The first formal event is the Wednesday night In-Town Show, a chance for local performers to strut their stuff and for the monarchs to reward loyal subjects for a year of partnership. Beaux hosted this first event, offering an elevated stage, great sound, dizzying lighting effects, and a very friendly staff. Various local performers showcased their best talents and were rewarded with generous tips. Reigning Emperor Ashlé Blow and Reigning Empress Afrika America presented checks for funds raised during the year to assorted charities and awarded court members with recognition. From there, the celebrants scattered to partake of the bounteous offerings at bars and restaurants throughout the Castro.
On Thursday, we celebrated those monarchs with decade anniversaries at Ha-Ra Club on Geary Street, hosted by Emperor John Carrillo and Empress Misty Blue. We recognized the 50th anniversary of Emperor Michael Caringi & Empress Flame, 45th of Emperor Bobby Pace & Empress Pushy Phyllis, 40th of Emperor Matthew Brown & Empress Sable Clown, 35th of Emperor Michael Bowman & Empress Caresse, 30th of Emperor Steve Valdez & Empress Cockatielia, 25th of Emperor Tom Basch & Empress Chablis, 20th of Emperor Jason Ladd & Empress Galilea, 15th of Emperor Frankie Fernandez & Empress Saybeline Fernandez, and 10th of Emperor Salvador Tovar & Empress Emma Peel. A brief video about the life of Our Beloved Founder José Sarria was a highlight of the night. This was a night to contemplate and celebrate the long legacy of this thriving charitable organization.
Friday is reserved for visiting courtiers to perform at the Out-of-Town Show, a chance to see the great variety of talent from across the continent where Imperial Courts exist. This year’s show was long, but full of fresh talent with special emphasis on the newer non-binary titles and their performances. This is often the last night for visitors to experience the variety of bars in San Francisco from the Castro to Polk Street and South of Market. Old friendships were renewed and new ones were nourished. We thoroughly enjoyed a romp through the Castro with visiting friends, proud to show off all that we have to offer here in San Francisco.
When Saturday arrives, it is much like the thrilling peak of ups and downs on that amusement ride.
Imperial Coronation LXI: Diaspora, the Power of Cultural Excellence started with the traditional color guard, national anthems (this time featuring the Black National Anthem), and spiritual blessings. After introducing the leadership of the International Court System, Imperial Coronation continued with charitable disbursements from a very successful year of fundraising, command performances, awards, and announcements of new Imperial titles.
Next, every visiting courtier gets the opportunity to walk across the stage with their court, often showing off fabulous costumes, sparkling jewelry, and dynamic presentations. Speaking of which, Ashlé & Afrika did not disappoint with gorgeous costumes and regal pageantry. Things wound to a conclusion with the formal awarding of numbers to the outgoing monarchs and their emotional last walks, followed by the announcement and crowning of the new Emperor and Empress. This year was a bit unusual with only one candidate for Emperor, namely John Brett, and no candidate for Empress, leading to the secret ceremonial selection of a Regent Empress for the first time
“Life is like a roller coaster. It has ups and downs, but it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the ride.”
Unknown
Sunday, March 15
Krewe de Kinque’s Bal Masque XXIII
Annual Mardi Gras ball & fundraiser
Entertainment, Oscar viewing party, New Orleans-style celebration
Benefiting Openhouse
The Cafe, 2369 Market Street
4–8 pm $25 & up https://bit.ly/4aLg3uX
Tuesday, March 17
Trash Talk With John Waters Screening of Serial Mom Castro Theatre
429 Castro Street 7 pm $30 & up www.frameline.org
Coronation Weekend 2026 included the annual pilgrimage to Woodlawn Memorial Park by Donna Sachet, additional Imperial Court members, and others to visit the gravesites of José Julio Sarria and Emperor Norton (Joshua Abraham Norton).
(continued on page 20)
its authority. Of course, that defiance also triggers the Bull Connors of today, who fear that this “anarchy and chaos” is a tool of the “lunatic Left” or “Communists” or “Democrats” or “libs” (pick your favorite villain), in their evil campaigns to destroy the country. Things may get uglier before they get better. Yet, in countless ways, the wheels seem to be wobbling on the MAGA wagon. The excesses of the Trump regime are weakening his support, which, in any case, has always come from a minority. Fascist regimes always carry the seeds of their own destruction because human beings cannot survive in a cartoon universe, only on planet Earth. But what can we do to hasten the day of this regime’s demise? First, it is important that we have a clear understanding of the nature of the lunacy we face, which is why I believe knowledge of how the authoritarian personality operates is so important. Clarity is an indispensable tool in an environment where we are under constant pressure to deny the reality of what is directly in front of our noses.
Second, we need to remain firm in our knowledge that factual reality exists, that it deserves our allegiance, and that it doesn’t change just because those currently in power find it inconvenient.
And third, in a time of darkness like the one we’re passing through, it is vital that, as Bad Bunny said so beautifully at the Grammys and the Super Bowl, we remember that love is stronger than hate. It is home; it’s where we belong. Whenever we love deeply, we know immediately that this is what life is for: to be resolute in celebrating our love for our people, our communities, and all those in our lives whom we hold dear; and to allow ourselves to be guided by what that love teaches us about who we are and what we must do. These are the indispensable foundation for any resistance we mount.
Finally, we must be willing to take risks, and, if necessary, to endure discomfort in the service of the truth. Too many Americans have had it far too easy for far too long. Too many of us have never been called to struggle or to fight for our values, a luxury not enjoyed in most of the rest of the world. If this malignancy is to be excised, we all have to be willing to resist, and, if necessary, to endure pain in the service of that resistance.
For now, the forces of “God and country” are arrayed against us. Let’s own what they accuse us of being. Tell them: we are the traitors, the troublemakers, the “libs” the “Demoncrats,” the Communists, the agitators, the “men who think they’re women,” the “illegal aliens,” the “rapists and murderers,” the “domestic terrorists.” Imagine who we are in any way you like; it will neither impress nor deter us. We will defeat you.
Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. He can be reached at tmoonmft@gmail.com, or through his website, http://www.tommoon.net/
DOUGHTY (continued from pg 16)
“Roger has been an extraordinary leader for Horizons,” said Horizons Board of Directors Co-Chairs Dipti Ghosh and Shilpen Patel. “Over more than two decades, his integrity, strategic vision, and deep commitment to community shaped the foundation into a nationally respected institution while keeping its mission at the center of everything it does. We are profoundly grateful for his stewardship and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Horizons’ Board of Directors has launched a comprehensive succession planning process. A search committee has been appointed, and the foundation has retained NPAG, an executive search firm that does extensive work in the philanthropic and social justice sectors, to support the search for the foundation’s next president. The board will share additional updates in the weeks to come, and the community foundation remains fully focused on advancing its mission and serving the community. https://www.horizonsfoundation.org/
from pg 19)
in over 60 years. The crowd was thrilled to hear Queen Cougar announced. Cameras flashed and well-wishes were exchanged, as bright hopes for another successful reign floated in the air.
Just like that amusement ride, however, all was not over. San Francisco, as the Founding Mother Court, is unique in offering a bus ride to Colma on Sunday to visit the gravesites of José Sarria and the eccentric and historical figure Emperor Joshua Norton. We emceed this early morning event with Emperor Bradley Roberts, staying true to the established mix of history, ceremony, and whimsy. Around 100 people awoke early and joined this unique event at Woodlawn Cemetery. We returned to the host hotel for the final official event, Victory Brunch, and Ashlé and Afrika fulfilled their last responsibilities with flair and then surrendered the microphones to the newly Reigning Emperor John Brett & Reigning Regent Empress Queen Cougar! May they enjoy a successful year and continue our rich 60-year heritage! And may we all catch our breath after such an extraordinary roller coaster ride!
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
had no patience for the lengthy round robin tournaments. Whenever I turned it on during the first week or so, I ended up watching preliminary contests that might get a skier or snowboarder into the next round. As you might expect, I am only interested in events that will result in medals, because that’s the whole excitement of the Olympics, isn’t it? Would you turn on the TV to watch some random Bank of Geneva ski race that merely rewards the winner with some points on the ski circuit? No. Have you ever watched, say, a swim meet when it didn’t have a gold medal as the prize?
The rare moments when I thought to watch the NBC overview, I got stuck on, I don’t know, kilometer number six of some fifty-kilometer cross country thing, or a skating race that involved twenty laps around the rink and only qualified you for the next stage. I don’t have time for these interminable events.
I only bring up the Olympics because one of my GLBT athletes, bisexual skier Breezy whatshername, got a public marriage proposal from her boyfriend after winning one of her medals. Many headlines ensued. This annoyed me on two counts. First, I was oddly disappointed in Breezy, even as I recognized that her professed status as bisexual includes being attracted to men or women. If you have the inclination to go either way, I thought subconsciously, why would you pick heterosexuality? Analyzing my reaction, I’m sad to say I caught a whiff of bi-phobia in myself and gave myself a few internal slaps about the face.
Second, I hate public proposals. They are so self-absorbed. They transform what should be a profound expression of love into a self-aggrandizing spectacle of performative romance. Worse are the ones where the woman is taken by surprise, which I gather was not the case with Breezy. Unless you know for sure that she will appreciate getting engaged during the seventh inning on the kiss cam, it’s controlling, pompous, and egotistical. Enough said!
Rotten Pot
Let’s see. There’s a new draconian law about to emerge in Turkey, aka Türkiye with two dots over the u, which sentences anyone who “publicly encourages, praises, or promotes attitudes and behaviors contrary to innate biological sex and general morality” to one to three years in prison. Under the law, you would also go to prison for attending a gay wedding.
As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, I don’t know why we’re all suddenly supposed to use local spellings and pronunciations for cities and countries. We don’t say “Italia,” we don’t pronounce Paris “Paree.” Personally, I still say “Kiev” like we all did back in the day when we ordered the chicken dish. I know the Ukrainians say “Keeve,” but I’m not a Ukrainian.
And last week, I submitted my column just before Trumpy officials from the National Park Service took down the rainbow flag from the Stonewall Inn national monument and replaced it with the stars and stripes. Apparently, this was due to some policy about flags that prevents, um alternative flags, from gracing our nation’s historic sites. When Trump returned to office last year, the
“Progress Pride” flag that includes transgender stripes, was replaced by a rainbow flag and all the references to transgender activists who actually fought the police were removed from the Stonewall website in yet another example of the depth of distain held by the administration.
Are you kidding me? Activists, as well as the Gilbert Baker Foundation and Village Preservation sued the Department of the Interior and the National Parks Service on February 17 in a 41-page complaint that I have not read. And New York city officials raised another rainbow flag on the same flag pole, disappointing trans activists who pushed to return the Progress Pride flag to its preTrump position.
Finally, let’s go to Nashville, where first grade teacher Eric Rivera refused to read a book, Stella Brings the Family, which describes a same-sex marriage and that is part of the curriculum at the KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary school. (Do we really have to prepare first-graders for college?) Rivera got a colleague to read the book, which conflicted with his so-called religious beliefs, and was later called to the office for a written “final warning.”
He was transferred to a tech teaching post and later over to kindergarten, but, even though he’s still teaching at KIPP, he insists he is living with the “fear that I could lose my job for anything I do based on my religious beliefs.” On February 17, his lawyers at First Liberty Institute sent the school a letter that First Liberty’s counsel said demands “that they accommodate Mr. Rivera’s religious practices and that they not discriminate.”
The letter cites Title VII, the federal law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on a number of categories including religion. But Bay Times legal authorities note that a bigoted view of same-sex families should not be categorized as a “religious” belief, even as it is advanced by various conservative branches of Christianity. If someone said their avowed racism was based on Christian theology, I doubt they’d be given a pass on state and federal civil rights law.
Rivera also advocated for parental guidance, arguing that parents should be aware of nefarious lesson plans (my words) and have the ability to opt out. Sound familiar? Yes, this idea echoes the Supreme Court case from last year that gave Montgomery County parents the right to remove their kids from story time when a GLBT-friendly book was on the agenda. The problem there was that the books weren’t scheduled in advance and the logistics of informing parents was too cumbersome. Again, this case was couched in religious terms even as marriage equality has been the law of the land for a decade and settled law suggests that minor faithbased objections cannot disrupt schools or offices. By the way, the parents who won that case just picked up $1.5 million in damages for the distress of having their kids listen to a gay kids’ book for ten minutes.
Nice work if you can get it.
arostow@aol.com
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on its charm and Margarita’s desperation. For one contest, she creates a glamorous outfit that showcases her response to her father’s orange prison jumpsuit.
Margarita Levlansky (Anna Baryshnikov), the heroine of the genial comedy Idiotka, opening February 27 in the Bay Area, is a downtrodden fashion designer who lives in the Russia section of West Hollywood. Named after the Bulgakov character, not the cocktail, she hopes to enter Slay, Serve, Survive, a fashion competition reality show, to win $100,000 and save her impoverished family.
“I’m doing it for the girls and the gays,” she said in the film’s opening moments as she recorded her audition tape, adding that her taste is “old world trash and treasure.” She sees fashion as a way of “being someone new, every day.” Given how awful her life is— Margarita lives with her grandmother, Gita (Galina Jovovich), her just-out-of-jail father, Samuel (Mark Ivanir), and her hot brother, Nerses (Nerses Stamos), in a too-small apartment that often lacks running water—who can blame her?
That said, the humor in Idiotka never generates much more than a smile. It is funny when the judges, Emma (Julia Fox), Jonathan (out gay Benito Skinner), and Candy (Saweetie), don’t hold back in their assessments. And these fashionistas’ outfits, such as Jonathan’s sweater with oversized sleeves, do amuse. Alas, most of the clothes designed for the various runway projects are unattractive. Perhaps this is
Idiotka (a dumb title) picks up when Margarita is encouraged by producer Nicol Garcia (Camila Mendes) to participate in the unscripted fashion competition series hosted by Oliver Knowles (out gay Owen Thiele, killing it). Nicol wants Margarita to “pull back the curtain on her life” to get her authentic self—and manic family—on screen. The trouble is that Samuel wants nothing to do with the series. An extended subplot has Nicol pushing Margarita to get his signature to use the (not so) juicy footage of him or she will be cut from the show like a stray thread.
Director Nastasya Popov, who cowrote the film with Tess Cohen, gently skewers fashion reality TV competition shows, with catchphrases and challenges such as one that uses yuzu as a design element. The satire is broad, and Idiotka coasts by
over the core of the film, but their fraught relationship seems slight. When Margarita gives her dad a “makeover,” it comes across as silly, not sincere. Better are Margarita’s exchanges with Gita, her “inspiration.” (The film is dedicated to the director’s grandmother.) Gita is a wonderfully outsized personality and Jovovich injects the series (and the film) with some verve whenever she is on screen. It is cute to see Gita wearing “Kalvin Kleins” clothes—and Margarita has been known to replace designer labels on knockoff clothing, a counterfeiting operation that gets her into trouble but also defines her style.
part of the satire, but it is disappointing given the potential of mocking the pretentions of designers.
Likewise, a possible romance in the film also feels like a missed opportunity, especially since both male design contestants read as straight. When Margarita is paired with Jung-soo (the sexually fluid Jake Choi), she reluctantly gets to know him. But, rather than flirting, she makes a discovery that could influence the outcome of the contest. The suspense of the competition series feels very low stakes. This is partly because
Nicol guides Margarita with tips about being more “relatable” or coaching her on how to deliver her speech about the eviction notice her family received to gain sympathy.
Popov uses the reality show as a way of pivoting back to Margarita’s family for the drama, which feels like a mistake. The conflict Margarita has with her father takes
Too often, Idiotka feels more like a sketch than a fully developed feature. Margarita has eczema, perhaps for no reason other than just to make her suffer further. In addition, Gita discloses something late in the film that comes out of nowhere to pull at the heartstrings. Other scenes, such as Nerses, an aspiring musician, hoping to connect with a record producer, or Samuel tending to Oleg (Marcelo Tubert) in a sauna in an effort to get money from him, feel superfluous. The film, which clocks in at a nimble 82 minutes, never drags, but some sequences are edited too quickly—as if Popov is trying to compress time lest viewers get bored or to appeal to the TikTok generation.
Anna Baryshnikov acquits herself well here, even though at times she may remind viewers of Alicia Silverstone’s Cher in Clueless, but with a less fabulous fashion sense. The supporting cast all got the assignment and give committed performances, even if their roles are one-note.
Idiotka is an affable film, and obviously a labor of love for Popov, but it really could have been a sharper satire.
© 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
Jan Wahl
In my last column, we explored the glittering neighborhoods of 1950s and ’60s Beverly Hills and Westwood. Since then, readers, including my friend Adam Kent, have asked how I transitioned into television from there. So, we sat down over coffee and dished.
Adam Kent: How did you make the transition to becoming a wellknown TV movie critic?
Jan Wahl: I fell in love with the TV show 60 Minutes as a child. I loved non-fiction storytelling. Because of where I lived, I got a chance to be on TV when I was in high school. I appeared as a student on Gene Autry’s TV station, KTLA. I preferred the world of television to the world of film because it moves faster and there aren’t long setup times. Fast-forward to my first broadcasting gig: I called a radio station and “killed” a movie I had just seen. The DJ liked it so much he kept putting me on the air to do movie reviews.
Eventually, stars and celebrities would come to be interviewed by me to promote their projects. That’s how I met Mel Brooks. He invited me to come down to Los Angeles to interview him in his office. I recommend the two-part HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man. He is remarkable and a broadcaster’s dream since he talks in soundbites.
Adam Kent: I met you on a cruise ship giving lectures on Hollywood. How did you get that gig?
Jan Wahl: I combined my love of performing with my teaching about early Hollywood, and it turned into a lecture series on Crystal Cruises. I still give lectures with film clips, including segments on gays and lesbians in showbiz history.
Adam Kent: Did you meet anyone from the movie industry while giving lectures on the cruises?
Jan Wahl: I interviewed everyone from Patricia Neil to Jay Russell on the cruises, but my favorite was Troy Donahue, who became a good friend. Later on, with the
Adam Kent: How old were you?
Jan Wahl: I was in my twenties. At that time, there was nobody else colorful, funny, and steeped in Hollywood history doing movie reviews. KRON-TV hired me, leading to 22 years on the air.
Adam Kent: Why the hats?
Jan Wahl: The song “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” from the musical Gypsy helped me decide to wear hats. I would rate movies with four hats being the highest. Pretty soon, people were yelling out of their cars, “Hey, Wahl, how many hats does this movie get?” It was very gutsy for KRON to allow me to do this.
brilliant Marc Huestis, we put together an unforgettable night with Sandra Dee at The Castro Theater.
Adam Kent: Yes, I hear that you are still giving lectures. Tell me more.
Jan Wahl: I’m a regular professor at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco. My next class this fall is titled “Scandals, Songs, and Supporting Characters.” It’s a lot of dishy fun, and people come away learning a new way to watch movies.
Adam Kent: Tell me about a high point in your career. (continued on page 38)
Of Blood and Fire (fiction - hardcover) by Ryan Cahill
Return to epic fantasy with the first of a sensational series by Ryan Cahill. Of Blood and Fire has a worldwide fanbase and is now being traditionally published in a beautiful collector’s edition. For fans of George R.R. Martin, Cahill’s fantasy epic has everything from dragons to dwarves. Step into the world of Epheria.
Hot Chocolate on Thursday (fiction - hardcover) by Michiko Aoyama
From the author of What You Are Looking for Is in the Library comes a new novel. It begins and ends with a woman ordering her hot chocolate at the Marble Café. Hot Chocolate on a Thursday is heartwarming, hopeful, and reflects on how the smallest acts can influence someone’s life.
A Brown Tabby Gentleman and a ‘Heartstopper’ Bunny
Here are two of the many pets now available for adoption at Oakland Animal Services (OAS):
The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender’s Search for Justice in America
(non-fiction - hardcover) by Emily Galvin Almanza
Former public defender, Emily Galvin Almanza, lifts the curtain and gives readers a glimpse into America’s criminal courts. The Price of Mercy details what our justice system is lacking and provides a path for moving forward. Almanza provides keen insight into America’s legal system, detailing, not only what is going wrong, but also highlighting what’s working.
Monday, March 2 @ 6 pm (non-ticketedCorte Madera store) Rebecca Robinson, author of The Wicked and the Damned
The Wicked and the Damned is the second book in the Dark Inheritance Trilogy. This thrilling
Courdoroy is a 10-year-old floofy brown tabby gentleman with the unmistakable look of a cat who has lived a full story—and isn’t in a hurry to tell it. An indoor companion, he’s a bit reserved at first and may politely sidestep unfamiliar hands, but patience is always rewarded. With a calm, gentle approach, Courdoroy warms up quickly, leaning into cheek and head rubs and revealing his sweet, affectionate nature. Mellow and thoughtful, he would be happiest in a quiet, predictable home where the pace of life suits his own. See video at:https://bit.ly/4aS6DxM Eugene is a charming bunny who arrived at our shelter as a stray in January, and he’s been winning hearts ever since. Eugene is bursting with personality—friendly, spunky, and full of that infectious energy that makes every day an adventure. Eugene is looking for an active family who can match his enthusiasm and give him the space and attention he craves. 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
romantasy series follows Reid and Vassa as they navigate a continent at war. It is full of magic, political intrigue, and romance!
Tuesday, March 3 @ 6 pm (ticketedFerry Building Store) Berner, author of Becoming Legend
Young entrepreneur Berner reveals the secret to his success in his new book Becoming Legend. Berner provides the instruction manual for building a business and leaving a legacy. This is a meet-and-greet event with a signing line and photos.
Friday, March 6 @ 6 pm (ticketed - Ferry Building Store) Cazzie David, author of Delusions: Of Grandeur, Of Romance, Of Progress
Delusions is a collection of darkly humorous essays by Cazzie David. Coming up on her 30th birthday, David reflects on her twenties, what’s to come in her thirties, and the crises of womanhood. This is a meet-and-greet event with a signing line and photos. https://www.bookpassage.com
A Shepherd Mix With Movie Star Looks and Charisma
Cooper has the kind of presence that makes people stop mid-sentence and smile. He is a 5-year-old Shepherd mix with movie star looks, bright curiosity, and a joyful way of moving through the world that feels contagious. When it is time to head out, he is easy to leash and instantly ready for action, greeting the day with happy bounces and the unmistakable expression of a dog who believes every walk is the main event. Ask anyone who has met him and they will tell you about his signature move, an athletic high jump that looks like he is training for the Olympics. Cooper is also a devoted fan of toys and snacks, the kind of dog who treats every squeaker like a treasure and every treat like a standing ovation. Because those special items matter a lot to him, he is hoping to be the only dog in his new home so he can relax and enjoy his favorites without worry. With that security, Cooper can focus on what he does best: being a fun, friendly companion and a loyal teammate for whatever comes next. His adoption fee has been generously sponsored, making it even easier for the right match to say yes. Cooper is now hoping to meet his new family at the SF SPCA. You can visit us Tuesday through Thursday from 1 pm to 7 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm.
https://www.sfspca.org/
By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “Gung Hay Fat Choy! The Chinese New Year Festival & Parade is soon upon us as we embrace the theme ‘Horse Leads to Success’ for the Year of the Horse!”
On March 7, 6 pm, Huaxing Arts Group of San Francisco, the Parade’s opening act, will return to bring us a mesmerizing Chinese cultural performance that will leave audiences captivated. Then watch two-time Olympic gold medalist, Grand Marshal Ailing “Eileen” Gu, light the ceremonial opening firecrackers! Honorary Marshal Harlan Wong will help us welcome the “Year of the Horse.” And finally—following the stunning showcase of elaborate floats, colorful costumes, and captivating performances—a breathtaking, signature drone show will truly be a
sight not to be missed! If you can’t be there in person, catch the coverage live on ABC KGO-TV.
Tyrant T-rump has boldly stated on his February 13 Truth NOT Social, “There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!” Meanwhile, Repugnican Congress was busy passing the notorious SAVE Act— restricting millions from voting. DHS Secretary Nobody Noem assured the racists, “to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.” Dictator Donald wrote, “It’s a CAN’T MISS for the re-election in the midterms, AND BEYOND!” Sister Dana sez, “The right people on the Left and Independents need to vote out every single billionaire bigot that is leading us into this undemocratic mess!”
The Washington Coal Club has presented trophy-loving Trump with “The Inaugural Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal Award.” When did coal become clean? And, no thanks to President Dump & Company, the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA , established by a Republican in 2009) can no longer protect us from pollution. Also, perilous Prez has ordered the Pentagon to buy electricity from coal plants. Sister Dana sez, “Climate Change is NOT a hoax, Donald Dumpster! Our planet is getting horrifically hotter!”
In more pathological news, recall back on July 21, 2015, when Trump promised to hire “only the best” people.” Fast forward to January 19, 2025, when he praised (grossly): “We have a great cabinet, amazing people, some stars, fantastic people, visionaries and reformers—all of them high-IQ. I think the cabinet is fantastic and doing a great job.” But we Democrats and a few Republican Congresspeople disagree vehemently, including AG Bondi’s childishly theatric response to the Epstein files, Lutnick’s lie about visiting Epstein Island, and Noem’s utter chaos inside the DHS (both with her staff and horrendous handling of innocent immigrants and their peaceful protesters). Sister Dana sez, “When will we hear Donald’s famous catchphrase from his TV’s ‘Apprentice’ show: ‘You’re FIRED!’”?!
In happy news, just days after “the enemy” of LGBTQs had taken down the Pride Flag, New York politicians and leaders have re-raised THE RAINBOW FLAG at the STONEWALL NATIONAL MONUMENT in a giant rebellion against the T-rumpers! Sister Dana sez, “Well, where else but the heart of queer rights rebellion, the Stonewall Inn, should the Pride Flag be freely flown ?!”
It is shocking (yet not surprising) that ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers. Sister Dana sez, “How comforting (not!) to discover that the Big Ugly Bill will help pay for jails and not for more buildings for the unfortunately unhoused! Holy Incarceration, Batman!”
I am excited to announce a new nonfiction book by Kenji Yoshino & David Glasgow, HOW EQUALITY WINS: A New Vision for an Inclusive America. As Trump’s war on diversity intensifies, this new book explores a vision for Equality amid bigot Donald’s continual DEI attacks.
We were delighted to attend Centering Change: A Community Welcome for Jen Valles on February 19 at the LGBT Center. We celebrated Jen’s incredible
contributions to the center and heard more about her vision as new Executive Director regarding where we’re headed next. Board Chairs Mary Kate Johnson and Travis Mitchell raved about Jen, her impressive résumé, and long-term dedication to the community. They then introduced Valles, who spoke of her deep compassion for our community. She emphasized, “We don’t tear things down; we build them up. That’s what we do here!” She asked rhetorically, “What is the love and joy we have to radiate out?” We also were greatly entertained and moved by the amazizzzzzzng guitar, singing, and original song-writing of Azuah
The Supreme Court actually acted supremely on February 20 in ruling against Trump’s terrifying tariffs, saying he exceeded his authority and went against Congress’ right to impose taxes. Of course, T-rump launched a scathing attack against them, calling some of them “fools and disloyal.” But economists argue that tariffs are in truth taxes on American businesses with the costs being passed along to American consumers. Currently, the price is $1,700 per household. Sister Dana sez, “What happened to the already $142 Billion that the federal government has snatched in Trump tariffs?!” Bad news, because Daddy Warbucks says he will go around the law and make his executive orders without Congress!
Have you ever wondered if maybe, possibly you are TOO Far to the Left? Find out with playwright/director John Fisher in his brilliant LEFT FIELD now playing at Theatre Rhino, 4229 18th & Castro Streets. This intimate setting allows John’s fabulous co-stars Gene Mocsy and Elana Swartz to VERY PHYSICALLY take over the place—up, down, and around—in an actor’s most exhausting yet energetically inspiring roles. Joined by stage manager and awesome actor Raphael Buenaventura , this tremendous trio of Gene, Elana, and John take a radical, queer, loudmouthed, unrelenting AIDS activist and
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There’s a reason people talk about a great bar program the way they talk about great sex: you don’t fully know what to expect until you feel the rhythm and the vibes.
Dina Novarr
What Nora does is create those experiences (the bar programs, not the sex). It’s the difference between a transaction and an adventure that writes your sense of what a place can be. She has built programs that make a room feel like it knows you. Once a restaurant has that quality, guests don’t just return ... they bond. They sit at the bar alone; they bring dates; they bring friends. It becomes woven into their life.
Nora is a beverage consultant and an award-winning bartender and Operating Partner at Buddy (a San Francisco bar named to Imbibe’s 75 in 2022 and Forbes’ Best Bars in America in 2023). She approaches each project through the lens of provenance, terroir, and process. These aren’t buzzwords for her; they’re the scaf-
She occupies this incredible intersection of hedonism and expertise that few other professions can claim. She understands chemistry, agriculture, business operations, cultural trends, and human psychology. Then she distills them onto a menu that works for a specific room, a specific crowd, a specific movement. She is essentially a professional enthusiast, someone whose job is to care deeply about quality, seek out interesting stories, and connect restaurant experiences to cultural movements. She gets paid to have opinions about things that bring people joy.
Great sex also brings joy in the same way. It goes beyond physical competence; it is attunement and building frequency that works. That frequency creates intimacy that, in turn, creates loyalty. And loyalty is everything in hospitality. Nora engineers provenance-driven solutions through the ritual of a well-made drink that makes the room complete. She builds attachment with good frequency and outcomes, as a way to keep customers returning.
folding. A cocktail program, in her hands, is less a list of drinks and more of an aura for the atmosphere to get appetites wet. With partners Christopher Longoria and Stephanie Gonnet, she heads up the consulting firm West Bev ( https://www.westbevconsulting.com/ ). Their combined experience spans across all types of bar establishments, from nightclubs to Michelin-starred restaurants.
and grapefruit ride alongside to “amp up the bitterness” and give it some actual teeth. There is no house-made anything, but there’s an honest ounce of juice. It evidences the ratio of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing and isn’t trying to prove it. “I really think it’s one of the better cocktails I’ve come up with in my day,” she says. “It’s probably better with gin, but its true form was vodka, and ain’t nothing wrong with that.”
Herbert West
1½ oz vodka
¾ oz grapefruit juice
¼ oz lime juice
½ oz Cynar
½ oz St. Germain tiny pinch salt grapefruit peel for garnish Shake with ice; strain into a coupe. Garnish with grapefruit peel.
Fresh fruit in India is unreal,” she says, “so why mess around with something from a can?”
To understand what that looks like in practice, she shared two cocktails created roughly a decade apart, for two very different concepts in two very different parts of the world. They tell a story about evolution without losing a throughline.
The first is the Herbert West (named after the Re-Animator) created in 2014 for Belga, a Belgian mussels and fries restaurant on Union Street in San Francisco. The bar had a serious back bar: genevers, brandies, a fridge full of sours and witbiers. “Most of the cocktails featured spirits our average guests weren’t familiar with, much less able to pronounce,” Nora recalls. But she knew her room. She’d logged enough hours in the Marina and Cow Hollow to understand that sometimes you have to reach across the aisle. Which is to say: she put vodka on the menu ... and St. Germain. “It was 2014, after all.” Because a woman who engineers intimacy for a living knows that you sometimes win hearts with the familiar before you seduce them into the strange.
The Herbert West is a riff on the Corpse Reviver, “a category of cocktail meant to bring the drinker back to life,” according to Nora. In her version, the vodka and St. Germain carry the friendliness, while Cynar
The second is the Zam Zam, created for The Mission Bay, a restaurant in Delhi, India, built around Bay Area recipes, ethos, and vibes. The menu paid homage to beloved San Francisco haunts: The Buena Vista, The Lolo, The Mauna Loa, The Make Out Room. The Zam Zam honors its namesake, the legendary Upper Haight dive bar famous for its strong-as-god martinis, while, as Nora puts it, “pulling its flavor profile from the retro build for a Surfer on Acid,” the pineapple-Jägermeister-coconut rum shot “that was commonly called for in my early years of bartending.” It is pure late-nineties nostalgia, reconstructed for a room halfway around the world with a fraction of the imported spirits availability. And, yes, I am highlighting this because any person who can make love touch my Indian lips is a winner in my books. Thank you, Zam Zam.
Here is where provenance becomes something more than a philosophy; it becomes a constraint that forces creativity. Import laws and excise taxes in Delhi mean that many bottles that would be given on a San Francisco back bar are either unavailable or prohibitively priced for cocktail use. So, Nora and her team made their own. They created a house herbal liqueur they called Chart-Ruse, which isn’t merely a stand-in for Chartreuse so much as it is what Chartreuse could be when terroir wins entirely. When you’re forced to source and blend local botanicals with intention rather than reach for an import, you make something that actually belongs to the place. They also produced “a licorice root gum syrup for that Jäger flavor, plus a bit of body,” and “a coconut tincture so we could control the coconut flavor intensity.” And then there were the pineapples: “fresh juiced pineapples that we acidified using a blend of acids.
The garnish is a tie-dye stencil executed with colored powders and sprays. “We probably should be burning some nag champa every time we serve this to really nail the Haight Street head shop energy,” she admits, “but the drink was already complicated enough.” I agree completely.
Great bartenders, like great lovers, know how to make something extraordinary out of exactly what they’re given. The Zam Zam is a monument to that instinct. It is born of limitation, soaked in nostalgia, and elevated by the sheer refusal to settle for less than the best.
Zam Zam
1 oz vodka
½ oz coconut rum
¾ oz pineapple juice
½ oz lime juice
½ oz Green Chartreuse
¼ oz simple syrup white of one egg (optional)
Dry shake without ice to whip and emulsify. Shake with ice; double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with colored powders over a stencil, or simply express a lime peel over the top.
As the month of love comes to an end, let’s pay tribute to all the ways we as humans find love and intimacy. For me, it is in the programs Nora has built and in finding myself lost in ecstasy with every sip. The next time you visit your favorite place or person, maybe spare a thought for what makes them a draw and unique—the reason you keep coming back for more.
San Francisco-based Dina Novarr enjoys sharing her passion for fine wines, spirits, non-alcoholic craft beverages, and more with others.
By Sandy Morris
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.”
The wife-wife team at Good To Eat restaurant in Emeryville—Chef Tony Tung and General Manager Angie Lin—has created one of the best Asian cuisine destinations in the Bay Area that is clearly a labor of love in all respects. As they describe it, Good To Eat is a: “women, queer, and immigrants owned and operated restaurant set out to define Taiwanese cuisine in America in our own terms. Inspired by the tradi tional Taiwanese roadside banquet, we believe in the importance of delivering craft, thoughtful food with the intention of connecting each other in the community.”
Roadside banquets (pān-toh) are a unique cultural tradition deeply rooted in Taiwan’s history. These banquets were once the pinnacle of fine dining, hosted outdoors with temporary kitchens to mark life’s most significant celebrations. Master chefs would craft elaborate multicourse meals, pairing abundant dishes with thoughtful menus to showcase Taiwanese hospitality at its finest.
During a visit to Taiwan a few years ago, Chef Tony had the opportunity to work with Master A-Càn, one of the most celebrated banquet chefs in Taiwan. She learned from Master A-can and assisted his team in preparing a banquet for over 400 guests. This experience brought back vivid childhood memories of helping at similar events, but now, as a professional chef, she gained a deeper appreciation for the techniques, teamwork, and philosophy behind the dishes.
Each dish on the menu reflects an enticing balance of flavors and seasonal, creative touches. Consider that the full spectrum of Asian flavors consists of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, numbing, spicy, nutty, sharp, and smoky. When several of these flavors combine, the result is often satisfying harmony. The “Pepper Numbing” Chicken Cutlet, for example, has a Taiwanese sweet pepper numbing sauce (it is more like a tingling sensation) served with a light and crunchy cabbage slaw. Umami-rich Taiwanese Soy-Glazed Eggplants features this sometimes tricky-to-prepare vegetable at its best, lightly fried and then finished in a blazingly hot pan with garlic and a savory soy paste glaze. The quality of the ingredients is evident, from the farmers’ market fresh vegetables to the meats, such as pork from Snake River Farms. The latter’s Kurobata pork is considered to be the pork equivalent of American Wagyu beef. Pantry items often are fine imported goods from Taiwan, like black vinegar in the Stir-Fried French Green Beans, fermented bean paste from Gangshan, Taiwan, which is in the Taiwanese Minced-Pork Noodle, and the charcoal-roasted dong-ding oolong tea from Nantou, Taiwan, which is in the Roasted Oolong Tea Basque Cheesecake. Many other ingredients and sides are hand-crafted in house, such as the addictive GTE Chili Oil Crunch and Good To Eat’s Taiwanese-style BBQ sauce.
Chef Tony also realized that this tradition is at risk of disappearing. Many of the skilled chefs she worked with are nearing retirement, and the knowledge they hold is at risk of being lost. She is working to help make sure that does not happen. Both Chef Tony and Angie are originally from Taiwan, and when they first came to the U.S., Chef Tony did not speak any English. As Lin told the organization Taiwanese American, “Food has become her way to express herself. Our food has become our way and her specific way to express her heritage and her passion for local ingredients and community. My job is helping her express the story behind the dishes, and building a dining environment that we want to share with our friends. We don’t even feel it’s our customers, we feel they’re our friends.”
That welcoming atmosphere carries through the inviting space that includes a popular outdoor dining area. Set amid the mix of lofts, converted industrial spaces, condos, biotech campuses, and other buildings characteristic of Emeryville, Good To Eat offers a relaxed urban retreat where the food and service shine. A star on the menu as of this writing is their Stir-Fried Dungeness Crab, served Taiwanese seafood harbor style. All of their Dungeness crab comes from the exceptional Monterey Fish Market (that is actually based in San Francisco at Pier 33 with a retail store in Berkeley). Chez Panisse and other fine restaurants in the Bay Area have long-standing relationships with the Monterey Fish Market, which remains a leader in sustainable fishing practices.
Here at the San Francisco Bay Times, we had a few different reasons for exploring Good To Eat now. One is that the 2026 San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, following days of Lunar New Year festivities, will take place on Saturday, March 7, and has many of us thinking of Asian cuisines. The “reason for the season” is tied to the lunisolar calendar, which marks the weeks leading to spring. Traditionally, farmers would take this time to rest and prepare for the coming farming cycle. From a cultural standpoint, it is a time for families and individuals to “cross the year” (Guo Nian) to symbolically ward off the cold and other winter challenges in anticipation of warmth. This time of year is very important in Taiwan, seeing a flurry of food shopping, restaurant visits, and more. Another reason is that Good To Eat was recommended to us by Boichik Bagels owner Emily Winston. When recently asked to name a favorite East Bay destination, in a flash she said, “Good To Eat in Emeryville.” Winston is a martial arts expert who enjoys many aspects of Asian culture outside of her deli know-how. She is also no slouch when it comes to knowing quality food and a wellrun establishment. The New York Times declared Boichik as having the best bagels in the U.S. Thinking of honors, it would not be a surprise if Good To Eat earned at least a Bib Gourmand distinction from Michelin, helping bolster not only this great restaurant but also the expanding dining scene in Emeryville. For now, it remains somewhat of a gourmet secret for foodie insiders: IYKYK (if you know, you know). Repeat after us: “Hào chī!” (How chee!) That means “delicious,” “tasty,” or “good to eat” in Mandarin Chinese, which is one of the languages spoken in Taiwan. It is a phrase worth repeating at the aptly named restaurant that is well worth the trek to Emeryville from San Francisco or other parts of the Bay Area.
https://www.wearegoodtoeat.com/
Michele architected and negotiated the NHL on the TNT talent roster—a bold mix that drove ratings growth and earned a Sports Emmy nomination. She continues to elevate on-air voices while encouraging authenticity, redefining how NHL coverage looks and feels. To toast her afterward—a Georgia Tech alum with long ties to our family dating back to my brother Ray’s college basketball days—was especially meaningful.
There are weeks when sport entertains us. And then there are weeks when it reveals itself. February delivered both. Super Bowl week brought spectacle to the Bay Area: a collision of culture, leadership, philanthropy, and football electricity. From the Super Bowl Experience floor to intimate gatherings of executives, chefs, artists, and changemakers, the NFL’s biggest stage reminded us how vast the business and influence of sport has become.
And then, almost seamlessly, the focus shifted from spectacle to soul.
As the Winter Olympics opened, I found myself in San Ramon surrounded by 37 Olympians—medals in hand, stories still vivid—watching a new generation step onto the world stage. The energy was quieter, emotional, reflective. If Big Game week showcased sport’s scale, the Olympics revealed its humanity. And when Oakland’s own Alysa Liu captured gold, it became the perfect bridge between those two worlds: global triumph with hometown heart.
Leadership on the Biggest Stage
Big Game week may be a spectacle, but it is also about who shapes the stories behind it. One highlight was celebrating my friend Michele Zarzaca, honored at the Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports awards. The program recognized 35 women reshaping the business of sports.
As Director of Sports Broadcast Talent Relations at Warner Bros. Discovery,
When the NFL took over Moscone Center, the Super Bowl Experience became a football theme park—interactive games, autograph stages, brand activations, and decades of history under one roof.
At the media preview, I met Bay Area artist Erin Fong, whose immersive installation explored the healing power of color. Vibrant pinks, blues, and oranges framed quotes from NFL coaches and players. One lingered: “You can’t write a better story than yours.” Surrounded by her radiant palette, it felt bold and deeply personal (and pink is my favorite color!).
Nearby, the Wilson interactive exhibit traced nearly 60 years of Super Bowl history through rows of commemorative footballs with the championship logos, while fans customized their own. And one of the most meaningful activations of the week was the Pride Flag Football Clinic hosted by Pride House San Francisco, the SF LGBT Center, and the National Gay Flag Football League. Youth athletes, families, and allies gathered with coaches from USA Football and the San Francisco Gay Flag Football League—proof that even in football’s grandest moment, there is room for everyone.
Don Shula High School Coaches of the Year
Presented by Jersey Mike’s and recognized by the NFL, the award honors one coach from each conference who best represents character, integrity, leadership, community dedication, commitment to player protection, and on-field excellence. At the Super Bowl media center, I had the opportunity to speak with both honorees.
Dylen Smith of Palisades Charter High School led his team through devastating fires that destroyed their field and facilities, yet still completed a perfect 10–0 regular season. His pride wasn’t in the record alone, but in how his players responded to adversity.
Dave Ettinger of Garden City High School finished 12–0, extending his remarkable 119–3 record and capturing a fifth consecutive Long Island Class II championship. After more than a decade at the helm, his focus remains squarely on the development of young men both on and off the field.
Both coaches were incredibly humble and deeply touched to be in the Bay Area during Big Game week. When I asked what advice they would offer parents of student-athletes, they shared a simple truth: “Football is preparing them for life.” That sentiment resonated deeply.
Speaking with them reminded me of my own parents—both high school coaches— and how mentorship shapes lives long after the final whistle. Thank you, Coaches.
Culinary Kickoff: Football With Purpose
My dear friend Chrissy DeLisle, CEO and Founder of Culinary Kickoff, celebrated the 12th annual event at PABU Izakaya in San Francisco, partnering with Chef Michael Mina. What began over a decade ago has grown into one of Big Game week’s signature kickoff celebrations, traveling to each host city. This year felt especially meaningful; it was truly the best one yet!
I was proud to see longtime supporters John Anthony Wines & Spirits and Bricoleur Vineyards among the many beverage partners. Both are major champions of the V Foundation and philanthropic culinary initiatives. I’ll see them again next month at the Sonoma Epicurean in March, another gathering where wine, food, and philanthropy intersect.
NFL Hall of Famers Charles Woodson, Marshall Faulk, and Warren Moon joined chefs, executives, and community leaders in support of the V Foundation.
Chef Lasheeda Perry’s Irish coffee cookie shooters with salted caramel and delicate 24-carat gold were unforgettable. The indoor-outdoor celebration pulsed with music and energy, bringing together sport
and hospitality in a way only the Bay Area can.
Culinary Kickoff remains the true kickoff of Big Game week that everyone wants to attend.
Another standout culinary celebration was the Taste of the NFL at the Hibernia Bank Building. It blended terrific tasting stations and a lively main stage—all to support GENYOUth’s mission to end student hunger.
I loved seeing chefs Spritz works with on different client programs, including Tyler Florence, Nelson German, and Paul Iglesias, alongside NFL legends and my good friend Eric Wright, a legendary San Francisco 49er. Food, football, philanthropy— the event extended the impact far beyond the football field.
As Big Game week closed, I joined an NBC Olympics Opening Ceremony watch party at The Lot in San Ramon. Thirty-seven Olympians stood together, medals passed hand to hand, memories alive.
Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi attended—her 1992 gold medal remains one of the defining moments in U.S. figure skating history—a performance marked by precision and composure that set the modern standard on Olympic ice. To stand beside her decades later, witnessing the next chapter unfold, felt like experiencing the full arc of legacy in real time. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Kristi for more than two decades and Spritz has proudly partnered with her Always Dream Foundation; her work empowering young readers is truly incredible.
And then came Oakland’s own Alysa Liu. When Liu captured gold, she became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002—a moment I vividly remember watching in Salt Lake City. To witness that history repeat itself more than two decades
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later, and to know the champion grew up in Oakland, felt deeply personal. I cried with tears of joy.
Her performance was fearless, fluid, and joyful. In a sport defined by razor-thin margins and immense psychological pressure, Liu skated with freedom. Everyone could feel it.
Coming off last month’s reflection on the mental weight Olympic athletes carry, it
was striking to see her not blink under the pressure. The Olympics demand perfection in seconds. And yet, I feel that what resonates most are the human moments: the deep breath before music begins, the tears after the final score, the embrace with teammates, coaches, and competitors.
Amber Glenn, proudly representing the LGBTQ+ community, rebounded from a difficult short program to deliver a poised and elegant long program, finishing fifth. I absolutely loved her program. Her composure embodied resilience beyond podium placements.
Lindsey Vonn returned from retirement at 41, driven by competitive fire. Elana Meyers Taylor, also 41, captured her first Olympic gold in monobob in her fifth Olympic appearance—a mother of two proving longevity and elite performance can coexist.
By David Berry, FITNESS SF SOMA
“Lateral raises are crucial for developing strong shoulders, but it’s easy to train the more dominant traps and completely miss your lateral deltoids. So, I always instruct my clients to raise their elbows out as opposed to the obvious up. Think broad wingspan. You can maximize this isolation by resisting the urge to shrug your shoulders and pushing your elbows/ hands out and away from you.”
Troy Macfarland at FITNESS SF shares monthly tips that he has learned from colleagues, fellow professional trainers, and more. For additional information: https://fitnesssf.com/
From cross-country skiing to freestyle aerials, from bobsled to curling, I found myself glued to NBC’s coverage. Sports I rarely follow became essential. In those moments surrounded by Olympians reliving their own journeys, I realized that the Olympics don’t just showcase greatness; they connect generations, redefine possibility, and remind us that resilience at any age is the most powerful medal of all. Maybe it’s time I try a winter sport!
What’s Ahead in the Bay Area
The Golden State Valkyries tip off their preseason opener against the Seattle Storm on April 25 at 5:30 pm, followed by their home opener on Sunday, May 10 at 5:30 pm against the Phoenix Mercury.
Bay FC will return to the pitch for its Spring Series, hosting Ottawa Rapid FC on Friday, April 17.
Spectacle may fill arenas, but resilience, leadership, inclusion, and joy are what endure. From the Bay Area to the world stage, February proved that sport is both a global enterprise and a deeply personal story. I’ll miss these two remarkable weeks of cheering on Team USA and celebrating athletes from around the world—a powerful reminder of how connected we truly are. Signing off from the Bay—where passion meets the play.
https://www.adweek.com https://www.wbd.com
https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl https://www.pridehousesf.org
https://tinyurl.com/yc7ekzmf https://www.pabusf.com https://www.jawines.com https://www.bricoleurvineyards.com
https://www.tasteofthenfl.com
https://www.nbcolympics.com
https://alwaysdream.org/
https://www.thelotsrm.com
https://discoversanramonca.com/
https://www.milanocortina2026.org
https://www.v.org
https://valkyries.wnba.com
https://bayfc.com
https://www.spritzsf.com
Beth Schnitzer, the former President of WISE (Women in Sports and Events), is the Co-Founder and President of Spritz: https://spritzsf.com/
Kippy Marks
Some people practice love quietly, like a soft hum beneath the noise of the world. And then there is Leanne Borghesi—a woman who practices love in full voice, full color, and full-hearted presence. She is a walking,
Peaks—using music as a bridge between joy and justice. She has mentored, nurtured, and championed others with the same generosity once shown to her. And she has done it all with a spirit that is unmistakably, unapologetically her own.
Her story is a reminder that activism is not always a march or a megaphone. Sometimes activism is a song. Sometimes it is a laugh. Sometimes it is the courage to be fully oneself in a world that often demands smaller versions. Leanne’s life is a testament to the truth at the heart of PMLE: when love is practiced consistently, it becomes a force that transforms communities.
And now, in her own words, Leanne shares the roots of that love,
singing, laughing embodiment of the PMLE philosophy: that love is not a feeling but a discipline, a devotion, a daily act of courage.
For more than 30 years, Leanne has been a force in San Francisco’s artistic and activist landscape. She arrived in this city as a young queer performer and found, not just a home, but a calling. San Francisco didn’t simply welcome her; it revealed her to herself. And from that revelation grew a life of service, artistry, and fierce advocacy. I am proud to celebrate her as the 14th individual spotlighted in this column.
PMLE teaches that love is a practice— something we strengthen through repetition, intention, and action. Leanne’s life is a masterclass in that practice. She has used her voice, not only to entertain, but to comfort, to challenge, to uplift, and to mobilize. She has stood on stages across the city—from the Castro to City Hall to Twin
Castro, the stages of Pride, under the Rotunda at City Hall fighting and partaking in marriage equality and the mountaintop of Twin Peaks honoring the Pink Triangle by singing “San Francisco” alongside the SF Pride Band. These seeds keep growing with deep roots of gratitude for these connections with fellow artists, activists, creators, elders, and survivors.
Kippy Marks: Who or what motivated you to become the community activist you are today?
Leanne Borghesi: The turning point came when I met my beloved music teacher, vocal coach, and chosen family: Sean Mar-
the seeds of her activism, and the practices that keep her grounded today.
Kippy Marks: How long have you been involved with the practicing of PMLE values in your work?
Leanne Borghesi: Great question; this made me really think! I’ve always been wired to advocate. Even before I had the language for my queerness, I had a fierce instinct for love and equality. As a young queer performing artist, I moved to San Francisco more than 30 years ago and found myself immersed within the artistic diversity of our GLBTQIA+ community. This city didn’t just welcome me; it revealed me to myself! The seeds of my passions were planted here, on the streets at the
language. Sean taught me to use that connection with intention and ability to create awareness, to raise funds, to comfort the grieving, to challenge injustice, and, yes, to entertain. Art wasn’t separate from activism. It was activism. It is my activism. I’ve been fortunate to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of San Francisco’s most outspoken, loving, brilliant community leaders, artists, and changemakers over these past 30 years. Their courage continues to teach, inspire, and sharpen my political awareness and expand my communal responsibility. My voice, artistically, politically, and spiritually, continues to grow stronger from these seeds planted so long ago as, for me, my calling in performance is about service. It’s about using whatever platform I have to amplify love, protect dignity, and remind our GLBtQIA+ community of its power. That’s the legacy I’ve inherited, and it’s to honor Sean and so
tinfield. Sean was an openly gay man forging the way for others with his voice. An activist and original member of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, founded in October 1978 by his dear friend Jon Sims, he took me under his wing for more than three decades. Through him, I cultivated not only a love of singing and Jeanette MacDonald, but also a deep commitment to helping our GLBTQIA+ community, fighting for equality through love with compassion to those struggling and in great need.
Under his mentorship, I became relentless and fearless. He helped me understand that my greatest instrument wasn’t just my technique; it was my voice, and a loud one at that. As a performer, connection through music has always been my most natural
many more who have preceded me every time I step on stage from San Francisco to New York. [They have inspired my] ability to unabashedly be me while striving to protect the foundations of love against hate that have been built person by person.
Kippy Marks: How old were you when this period began to unfold?
Leanne Borghesi: I was 22 when I moved to San Francisco, where my passions continue to cultivate my purposes.
Kippy Marks: What advice would you give to others on how to practice love on the daily?
Leanne Borghesi: What I can offer is what I strive to focus on for myself and that is ... gratitude. It’s being present in the moments of life that reveal the power of love: a smile to a stranger, laughter until it hurts, sharing of a meal, holding of a hand,
on page 38)
“Every Black person should be honored”
Photos by Rink
More than 2000 participants and artists came to the San Francisco Public Library for this year’s SF Queer Comics Festival’s Celebration: Pride in Panels held on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
The biennial festival includes exhibits by artists, panel hands-on workshops, discussions, and spotlight interviews with special guests, including Rupert Kinnard (featured in the African American Center) and Lee Lai (in the Chinese Center). Workshops were held in the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, and panel discussions were located in the Koret Auditorium and Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room.
The event is the premiere showcase of LGBTQIA+ comics creators in the San Francisco Bay Area. The nonprofit Pride in Panels heads up the festival. The inaugural event took place in 2024. https://www.prideinpanels.org/
SISTER DANA (continued from pg 28)
extreme sports participant (Fisher’s energy is incredible) along his mostly successful path through campaigning for mayor, supervisor, and (what now?!) challenging Trump for his THIRD term as president! Let’s cheer John on—now through March 15. https://www.therhino.org/
It was a record-setting Winter Olympics with 6 Golds and 16 Medals for the USA in Women’s Events! Men didn’t do too shabbily either! The Closing Ceremony was gorgeous and impressive—including opera, symphony, Italian anthem, and AWARDS!
THE OSCARS (98th Academy Awards) will air on KABC on March 12, 4–7 pm with Conan O’Brien hosting. Sister Dana sez, “Here’s hoping they are even queerer than last year’s show!”
“Have a BALL at the OSCARS ” at the largest LGBTQ watch party in the Bay Area for the “98th Annual Academy
JAN WAHL (continued from pg 24)
Jan Wahl: Winning two Emmys for documentary production was pretty great. My favorite memory, though, is sitting with my mother at the ceremony. I knew they were going to call my name, so I turned to her and said, “I am going to thank you, because you were always there for me.” She grabbed my arm in that “mother way” and said, “Don’t thank me; thank your boss. I will always be your mother.” I thanked
Awards” on Sunday, March 15, 4–8 pm at The Cafe, 2369 Market and Castro Streets. We members of the social and fundraising club Krewe de Kinque will present our BAL MASQUE XXIII offering a huge wall of screens, costumed performers, drink specials, and great music for dancing. Join our traditional Second Line Parade led by the Grand Marshal ; and discover who will be the newest KdK King & Queen XXIII . Net proceeds support the ongoing work of OPENHOUSE , providing housing and community projects for aging LGBTQ seniors since 1998. KdK Queen VII Sister Dana sez, “Come with us, and Let the Good Times Roll!”
https://bit.ly/4tIQAuO
Sister Dana sez, “By the time this is published, Trump will have already given his State of the Union speech. I now predict nothing but lies, hatred, and self-promotion from the Orange Ogre. UGH!”
the boss, and the next day he put me in the Directors Guild of America. Thanks, Mom!
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. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
a game of tug with my dog’s favorite toy, a call to a friend, holding the door for the person behind, a thank you to someone providing me a service, the awareness of breath, and the quieting of the mind. Please, please don’t give up on love, especially in the moments when loving yourself feels almost impossible as these moments matter when the urge to retreat and shut down tempts. Just keep loving and lean on those who love you and let them remind you who you are when you forget. Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. It’s vulnerable and messy and it’s beautiful and gooey ... it’s the most powerful addiction I can strive to have.
Kippy Marks: If you were granted two universal wishes, what would you wish for?
Leanne Borghesi: Wishes around love ... I would wish that we as a world can love and be loved in a way that makes one feel safe, seen, validated, celebrated, and honored. Secondly, may we love whom we wish and be who we are without fear and hate.
Kippy Marks: Please share any current practices that our readers may find useful, and update us on what you are doing now.
Leanne Borghesi: [Earlier this week] my feet were onstage, singing for a cause in San Francisco on February 23 at The Marine’s Memorial for If This Is Love, which was a benefit with the National Broadway Touring Cast of The Notebook to raise funds for organizations through the Richmond Ermet Aid Foundation.
Please visit my website for upcoming concerts dates, voice coaching lessons, and other tidbits of love:
https://leanneborghesi.com/
Dubbed San Francisco’s “King of Strings,” Kippy Marks is a spirited entertainer whose shows are permeated with an infectious joy. His distinctive sound arises from his heart, through his 1822 violin consort, Izabella. Marks’ rare talent, broad smile, and radiant warmth will brighten any event and create a lasting impact. He is also Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.
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