San Francisco Bay Times - September 24, 2026 by San Francisco Bay Times

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Out NCAA Trailblazers See pages 3–5

Martin Jenkins was a star defensive back for the Santa Clara University Broncos from 1973–1977 and in 2020 made history as the first openly gay justice on the California Supreme Court. Credit: Santa Clara University (Original b&w image colorized by the San Francisco Bay Times)

Out NCAA Trailblazers The Evolving Landscape of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in College Football

From the Gridiron to the Bench: The Trailblazing Legacy of Martin J. Jenkins

As this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times reveals, however, strides are being made toward LGBTQ+ inclusion in the world of college football. Accomplished leaders such as former NCAA football star and former California Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin Jenkins demonstrate that coming out, at any stage of life, can open new life chapters while inspiring others. Behind the scenes, LGBTQ+ student-athlete groups and resources are making a positive impact. UC Berkeley, for example, has a Cal Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)/Cal Athletics Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) that offers programming, support California Supreme Court networks, and community spaces specifiJustice Martin Jenkins cally tailored for LGBTQ+ student-athletes and allies at the university. The Stanford Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) & Queer Student Resources (QSR) provides joint advocacy, community events, and support networks for student-athletes navigating identity within collegiate sports. Santa Clara University’s Rainbow Resource Center & Athletics connects LGBTQ+ student-athletes with peer mentorship, inclusive recreational opportunities, and campus support. Efforts outside of the NCAA and universities are having a positive impact too. The San Francisco Gay Flag Football League (SFGFFL) ( https://www.sfgffl.org/ ), which is a local recreational league open to athletes of all skill levels—including college students—provides a supportive flag football community. Team San Francisco ( https://teamsanfrancisco.org/ ) is a Bay Area nonprofit that unites local LGBTQ+ sports leagues and provides athletic scholarships and networking resources. OutLoud Sports, with locations in both Oakland and San Francisco ( https://outloudsports.com/ ) hosts inclusive LGBTQ+ recreational sports leagues, including flag football, and (continued on page 5)

Long before making history in California’s highest court, Martin J. Jenkins of San Francisco made his mark on the gridiron as a standout defensive back for the Santa Clara University Broncos. Playing collegiate football during the 1970s, Jenkins earned two starting years, five interceptions in an impressive senior season, and the unanimous respect of his teammates, who elected him team captain. His athleticism and dedication carried him beyond the college level, leading to a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.

SCREENSHOT/KRON4

Active players often fear that coming out might compromise team cohesion, lead to unfair scrutiny, or negatively influence their standing with coaches and scouts—factors that could jeopardize playing time, scholarship security, or prospective professional careers. Additionally, the heightened media exposure and harsh public reactions on social media can place an overwhelming psychological burden on young athletes, leading many to compartmentalize their personal identities until their athletic eligibility ends.

Members of the California Supreme Court (left to right): Justice Martin J. Jenkins, Justice Leondra R. Kruger, Justice Joshua P. Groban, Justice Kelli M. Evans, Justice Goodwin H. Liu, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, and Justice Carol A. Corrigan (December 2022)

Despite his accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, Jenkins carried a personal challenge throughout his early athletic and legal careers. Reflecting on the difficulties of navigating his sexual identity in hyper-masculine environments, Jenkins told The Advocate, “I compartmentalized in college, when I went to the NFL, through law school, through all of it, and in my mind, I wasn’t gay for a long time. I just kept pressing it down, pressing it down until in some shape or form it just became nonexistent. Once in a while it would rear its head, but it never went away. How could it?” Transitioning from sports to public service, Jenkins built a distinguished legal career spanning municipal, state, and federal courts. His dedication to justice, civil rights, and public service earned him broad respect across the legal community. When nominated to the California Supreme Court in 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom, Jenkins publicly embraced his identity, making history as the court’s first openly LGBTQ+ justice, as well as the third African American man to serve on the state’s highest bench. By stepping into the public eye as an openly gay Black man with an extensive athletic background, Jenkins broke long-standing stereotypes about identity in collegiate and professional sports. Speaking candidly about the reconciliation of his identity, faith, and public life, Jenkins shared with The Advocate, “Reconciliation of faith may be one of the most challenging aspects of my job and personally with my sexuality. But I work with that too. I’ve been a practicing Catholic all my life, and I truly believe in the God of love and that God loves me as I am now.” Jenkins retired from the bench nearly a year ago from today, on October 31, 2025, and remains in the Bay Area as a powerful icon of authenticity, leadership, and trailblazing achievement. His journey from Santa Clara defensive back to high-court justice offers an inspiring blueprint for LGBTQ+ athletes, demonstrating that excellence in sports, public

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY IMAGE

The current absence of openly gay athletes on active NCAA football rosters highlights deep-seated cultural and structural challenges surrounding inclusion in modern college sports. Despite societal progress and increasing institutional support, football environments have historically operated around intense hyper-masculinity, where traditional locker room norms can make disclosing one’s sexual orientation feel like a professional risk.

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT

The 2026 college football season has kicked into high gear this fall with at least three NCAA Division I teams in the Bay Area: UC Berkeley’s California Golden Bears, the Stanford Cardinals, and the San Jose State Spartans. (The Santa Clara Broncos, Saint Mary’s Gaels, USF’s San Francisco Dons, and San Francisco State Gators previously fielded NCAA football programs.) It is striking that no NCAA team—either in the Bay Area or nationwide—now has an openly gay player.

Martin “Marty” Jenkins was one of four 2023 inductees to the Santa Clara University’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

leadership, and personal truth can exist seamlessly together. The following is a summary of just some of Jenkins’ accomplishments over the past six decades: Athletic & College Achievements Santa Clara Broncos Defensive Back (1973–1977): He served as a two-year starter as defensive back for Santa Clara University’s football team. Team Leadership: Jenkins was unanimously elected by his peers as one of four team captains for the Broncos football team. Standout Senior Season (1976): He recorded five interceptions during his senior season, earning the attention of NFL scouts. Multi-Sport Athlete: Jenkins competed as a member of Santa Clara University’s varsity tennis team in addition to playing football. Pro Football Career (1977): He signed as an undrafted free agent cornerback with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks following graduation.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

(continued on page 5) S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

Out NCAA Trailblazers Elite Tackle Ryan O’Callaghan’s Demonstrations of Courage on and Off the Field Before stepping into the public spotlight as an advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion, Ryan O’Callaghan built an impressive football career as an elite tackle. Playing collegiate football for Ryan the California Golden O’Callaghan Bears from 2001 to 2005, O’Callaghan earned firstteam All-Pac-10 honors twice and was awarded the prestigious Morris Trophy in 2005 as the conference’s top offensive lineman. Selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, he played six seasons in the league—appearing in 51 games across stints with both the Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite his success on the field, O’Callaghan used football in part as a protective shield to conceal an important aspect of his identity. In an interview with CBS Boston (WBZ-TV) regarding his decision to pursue the sport, O’Callaghan explained: “I didn’t think I could do a good enough job convincing a female that I was straight and I thought that would blow my cover, so I knew I was good enough for football pretty early on ... and I just ran with it.” Football provided a masculine culture sanctuary where few would question his personal life, but hiding his sexuality carried a severe emotional toll. During his active playing years, O’Callaghan struggled with severe depression and addiction to painkillers, lacking a vision for life after his athletic eligibility expired. In a 2022 address at Belmont Hill School, he shared how isolated he felt in the closet, stating: “I chose football as a cover for my sexuality. Football was my beard. No one would ever think a macho football player could be gay.” Believing that those close to him would reject his identity, he kept his private life completely hidden from teammates, coaches, and family members alike. The pivotal turning point in O’Callaghan’s life occurred during his final years with the Kansas City Chiefs, when a team trainer recognized his distress and referred him to a team psychologist. After finally coming out to the psychologist and subsequently to his family and former teammates, he received overwhelming support rather than the rejection he had feared. Reflecting on the relief of living authentically, O’Callaghan noted in his CBS Boston interview: “I try to make sure I tell people how good it feels when you can finally be yourself, and that weight that’s off your shoulders.” Today, O’Callaghan stands as a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ athletes across competitive sports. Detail-rich accounts of his struggles and ultimate triumph were documented in his 2019 memoir, My Life on the Line, with book proceeds helping fund scholarships for LGBTQ+ student-athletes through his foundation. By courageously sharing his story, O’Callaghan has transformed his legacy from that of an NFL tackle into a leading voice for mental health awareness, authenticity, and inclusion in athletics. Just a few months ago, in August 2026, O’Callaghan was inducted into the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame, which is a project of the Sports Equality Foundation. Learn more at: https://www.sportsequalityfoundation.org/ 4

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

Publicly Out College Football Players From 2010 to the Present The following chronology documents college football players who were publicly out as gay or bisexual while playing, based primarily on reporting by Outsports ( https://www.outsports.com/ ). The date listed is the date of the player’s public disclosure or the publication of the coming-out story when that date is documented.

2014 January 28, 2014 - Conner Mertens Willamette University, NCAA Division III, Kicker Mertens came out publicly as bisexual while playing kicker for Willamette. Outsports identifies him as the first publicly out active LGBTQ college football player. He had first told his teammates and then made his story public. February 5, 2014 - Scott Cooper Augsburg College, NCAA Division III, Linebacker Cooper was openly gay to his Augsburg teammates during his college career. He played linebacker in 2012 and 2013 and publicly discussed his experience in 2014. He had also brought his male partner onto the field during Senior Day. March 31, 2014 - Mitch Eby Chapman University, NCAA Division III, Defensive End Eby came out to his Chapman teammates and coaches in March 2014 and subsequently made his story public. August 13, 2014 - Chip Sarafin Arizona State University, NCAA Division I FBS, Offensive Lineman

Davis had played at Louisiana Tech but felt unable to come out there. He transferred to Montana State, where he played football and rugby, and subsequently publicly discussed his experience as a gay athlete.

2017 February 25, 2017 - My-King Johnson University of Arizona, NCAA Division I FBS, Defensive End Johnson was already publicly out as gay before entering college. Arizona recruited him knowing he was gay, making his case different from players who came out while already on a college team. He redshirted his first season at Arizona before leaving the team and later playing at the New Mexico Military Institute. February 2017 - Darrion McAlister Marian University, NAIA, Center/Offensive Lineman McAlister publicly came out before his senior season at Marian. He contacted The Indianapolis Star specifically because he wanted to enter his final season openly gay. He later received first-team AllMSFA honors and was named an NAIA AllAmerican. May 22, 2017 - Wyatt Pertuset Capital University, NCAA Division III, Wide Receiver/ Punter

Sarafin came out publicly while a senior walk-on at Arizona State. He had told his teammates the previous spring. He never appeared in a regular-season game but participated on the scout team.

Pertuset had already come out during high school and was openly gay when he began playing at Capital. He publicly told his story in May 2017. In 2018, he became notable for scoring a touchdown as an openly gay college football player.

2015

July 13, 2017 - Scott Frantz

September 15, 2015 - Mason Darrow Princeton University, NCAA Division I FCS, Offensive Lineman Darrow had come out to teammates, friends, and family in 2013, but made his public announcement in September 2015 while still playing for Princeton.

2016 January 18, 2016 Brandon Davis Montana State University, NCAA Division I FCS, Running Back

Kansas State University, NCAA Division I FBS, Offensive Tackle Frantz came out publicly in an ESPN interview while playing for Kansas State. He had already come out to his teammates and coaches. Later that season, he became the first publicly out gay player to play in a game for an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) program, according to Outsports. August 28, 2017 Xavier Colvin Butler University, NCAA Division I FCS, Linebacker Colvin came out publicly to his (continued on page 5)

Out NCAA Trailblazers (continued from page 4) Butler teammates while standing on a stage with a microphone. He subsequently became one of the publicly out Division I football players.

2018 July 27, 2018 - Bradley Kim

gay football player while playing offensive line at Kalamazoo. He had come out to teammates and coaches and found that much of his difficulty had been internal rather than a reaction from the team. February 27, 2019 - Cy Hicks

Hicks publicly discussed being gay while playing offensive line at the College of Idaho. He described the acceptance he received from teammates and coaches. July 17, 2019 - Avery Saffold Amherst College, NCAA Division III, Defensive Back

August 7, 2018 Jacob Van Ittersum

Saffold publicly discussed being gay while playing football at Amherst. He subsequently had what he described as his best season, with strong support from his teammates.

Northwood University, NCAA Division II, Offensive Lineman Van Ittersum came out as bisexual to his football team in May and then publicly shared his story in August 2018. He entered his senior season openly bisexual.

October 16, 2019 - Jaden Vazquez Fordham University, NCAA Division I FCS, Linebacker Vazquez came out to teammates during the 2019 football season and publicly identified himself as bisexual in an Instagram video on October 16.

August 28, 2018 - Jake Bain Indiana State University, NCAA Division I FCS, Running Back

November 5, 2019 - Jack Storrs

Bain came out publicly as gay during his freshman season at Indiana State. He was openly gay with his teammates from the beginning of his college career.

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, NCAA Division III, Linebacker

2019

Pride stickers on their helmets.

January 8, 2019 Christian Zeitvogel

2022

Kalamazoo College, NCAA Division III, Offensive Lineman Zeitvogel publicly discussed coming out as a

December 3, 2021 Ryan Deluca Furman University, NCAA Division I FCS, Wide Receiver Deluca publicly came out as gay

Perkins came out publicly as gay while playing at Hampton. Outsports identified him as the first football player at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to come out publicly as gay.

Colorado State University, NCAA Division I FBS, Defensive End McDowell was publicly out as gay while playing at Colorado State. Reporting in 2023 described him as an out gay Division I football player. He left the Colorado State football team after the 2024 season and retired from football in August 2025.

2026 Treamelle “TJ” Taylor University of Rochester, NCAA Division III, Defensive Back Taylor completed his Rochester football career before discussing his experience publicly in 2026. He had come out to selected trusted people while in college and subsequently produced a documentary concerning inclusion, diversity, and allyship in sports: https://bit.ly/4h246FH

is open to local university students and adults.

Santa Clara Athletics Hall of Fame: Jenkins was inducted into the Santa Clara Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

Much work still needs to be done to build welcoming and equitable sports environments for LGBTQ+ athletes, particularly in the NCAA. But, like remaining loyal to a team no matter what, it is important to focus on the wins and not the losses, to recognize those who have bravely paved the path forward, and never to let go of goals that remain in sight.

Brian Sims Bloomsburg University, NCAA Division II, Defensive Lineman

Kennedy McDowell

MARTIN J. JENKINS (continued from page 3)

The National Center for LGBTQ Rights has an NCLR Sports Project ( https://bit.ly/4iE7ZSv ) that offers legal advocacy and educational policy resources to combat discrimination in sports.

Sam came out to his Missouri teammates and coaches before his 2013 senior season and was openly gay within the team. However, he did not publicly announce that he was gay until February 2014, after his college football career had ended. He is now a coach for the Berlin Thunder in the American Football League Europe.

2023

EVOLVING LANDSCAPE (continued from page 3) OutLoud is also at the national level, as is Athlete Ally ( https://www.athleteally.org/ ), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality within athletic communities. It offers resources specifically for high school and college athletes.

Michael Sam University of Missouri, NCAA Division I FBS, Defensive End

Hampton University, NCAA Division I FCS, Defensive Back

Storrs came out publicly as bisexual during his senior season. His teammates responded by wearing

2021

Other Trailblazers

October 19, 2022 Byron Perkins

College of Idaho, NAIA, Offensive Lineman

U.S. Air Force Academy, NCAA Division I FBS, Defensive Back Kim came out publicly through an Outsports story and an Instagram post while playing at Air Force. He had already told teammates and coaches privately, and one group of teammates responded with a standing ovation.

on Instagram less than two weeks after his final game for Furman.

Judicial & Legal Achievements Prosecutorial & Civil Rights Service: Jenkins served as a Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County (1981– 1983) and as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (1983–1985). Trial Court Appointments: He was appointed to the Alameda County Municipal Court (1989) and later elevated to the Alameda County Superior Court (1992). U.S. District Court Judge (1997–2008): Jenkins was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Sims was openly gay to his Bloomsburg teammates while playing Division II football and serving as a team captain in 2000. He did not publicly tell his story until years later, but, as for Martin Jenkins, has gone on to other major leadership positions. From 2013–2022 he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and continues to be an influential activist. In the Bay Area and in addition to Martin Jenkins and Ryan O’Callaghan (profiled separately in this issue), Dwight Slater of Stanford publicly came out in 1999 while still an active college football player. Kwame Harris, also of Stanford, went on to enter the NFL and played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders before retiring from professional football.

California Court of Appeal Justice (2008–2019): He was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve as an Associate Justice on the First District Court of Appeal. Senior Judicial Appointments Advisor: He served as California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Judicial Appointments Secretary, helping vet judicial candidates state-wide. Associate Justice on the California Supreme Court (2020–2025): Jenkins was confirmed in November 2020 after being nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom, making history as the first openly gay justice, the third African American man, and the fifth African American person to serve on the state’s highest court.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

Elections Are Coming: You Can Help

In Case You Missed It Joanie Juster I am alternately bemused, disgusted, and infuriated by the unbridled hypocrisy of those who claim to be “patriots,” yet are doing everything in their power to prevent millions of Americans from exercising their most fundamental American right: the right to vote. I am also bemused by the ingenuity of their endless schemes to prevent qualified voters from participating in free and fair elections. The amount of time, money, and brainpower they pour into subverting the will of the people could be much better spent improving the lives of their constituents. Yet here we are on the brink of the midterm elections, facing an existential crisis for our democracy. While polls are showing that voters are increasingly unhappy with the current administration, and are likely to reject

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Republican candidates and policies in the upcoming elections, the party in power is doing everything possible—including breaking the law—to cling to power. Denying qualified voters the right to vote, spreading disinformation about voting, intimidating both voters and election officials ... these are all part of their daily playbook at this point. And they have not ruled out simply refusing to accept and certify the results of the elections if they do not go their way. Remember January 6, 2021? Brace yourself for January 2027. Voting is our right, our privilege, and our duty. But we have another urgent duty: to protect the right to vote, for ourselves, for our neighbors, and for future generations of

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

Americans. If you haven’t already, now is the time to pitch in and help. Remember, in this election you are not only voting for the candidates and policies you prefer; you are voting to preserve what is left of American democracy. Look at all the rights, privileges, and freedoms that have disappeared since January 21, 2025, and imagine how much worse it can become if we don’t regain checks and balances in our government. They are deliberately spreading disinformation, making it harder to vote, and creating chaos everywhere to deter you from having your voice heard at the polls. Don’t let them get away with it. What can you do? Here are some suggestions: Vote early. Voting early greatly reduces the opportunity for anyone to undermine your ballot. In California, ballots will be mailed to registered voters starting October 5. Keep an eye on your mailbox. Fill out your ballot as soon as possible after you receive it. Here’s a link to the State of California’s Official Voter Information Guide: https://tinyurl.com/CAVoteInfo Vote securely. Despite the Supreme Court turning down the president’s attempt to curtail voting by mail, this administration is not going to stop trying. To ensure your ballot

gets counted, you can vote in person, deliver your ballot to a secure official drop box, or vote in person. If you must vote by mail, vote early and, if possible, take it to a post office where it will be postmarked that day. You need to make absolutely sure your ballot is postmarked prior to Election Day. Volunteer on No Kings Day. The folks who brought us the No Kings protests have named October 17 as a nationwide day of early voting. This will be a day to defend our right to vote, and to get connected with all the efforts to protect election results. Bring your friends, bring your family, and help get out the vote. Find an event or create an event here: https://tinyurl.com/NoKings1017 Educate yourself. Take the time to study the candidates and the issues. Watch the debates. Learn who is putting money behind those campaign ads. There are resources available to help you, including the nonpartisan League of Women Voters and various politi(continued on page 20)

Midterm Mayhem and How to Fight Back Silver Bullet website, his Forecast with Leading Indicators, Polls and (Expert) Ratings (FLIPR) predicts a 60.1% probability of Democratic control of the Senate and an 87.9% probability of Democratic control of the Nate Silver House in the next Congress (deluxe forecasting model as of September 16, 2026).

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning “Patel Suggests F.B.I. Agents May Be Sent to the Polls” (September 15, 2026) “Trump’s Effort to Assert Control Over Elections Continues, Despite Court Loss” (September 14, 2026) “Denver Sues to Block Armed ICE Agents at Voting Sites” (September 10, 2026) Recent New York Times headlines highlight the current administration’s actions to sow doubt about the integrity of our election process and to cause mayhem for voters. The closer we get to Election Day on November 3, the more desperate the Republican Party’s efforts are to maintain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm election. And they should be scared. On Nate Silver’s

We all know that polls and forecast models can be wildly unreliable, as in last month’s Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. David Crowley, down 18 points in the polls, surprised everyone by winning the Democratic Party nomination. So, let’s not treat these projections as an invitation to relax; anything can happen. Yet the opportunity is ripe to stem the tide of anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant policies and actions coming out of Washington. Losing seats, or even control of the House or Senate, in a midterm election is historically common. In 20 of the 22 midterms since 1938, the president’s party lost House seats. In the midterms of 1994, 2010, 2018, and 2022, when the president had unified government (control of the White House, House, and Senate), the majority party lost control of the House (in 1994, Clinton and the Democrats also lost control of the Senate). Why does this happen? First, those swept into office on presidential coattails two years

earlier suddenly become vulnerable when no presidential candidate is on the ballot. That’s why President Trump is asking his supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” Second, there’s differential turnout. Marginal voters who turn out for presidential elections don’t reliably show up for midterm elections. That’s why Trump is offering $5,000 to every American adult if the Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate (at an expected cost of over $1.2 trillion!). Finally, there is the referendum effect. Those dissatisfied with the current president are more motivated to show up and vote than those happy with the status quo. With President Trump’s disapproval ratings hovering around 59%, there are many dissatisfied Americans.

and Indivisible’s 2026 program

( https://2026.indivisible.org/ ) direct volunteer

time and money to strategically important swing districts. They offer canvassing, remote calls, fundraising, election-protection work, and local volunteer groups.

Ground Control ( https://wearegroundcontrol.org/ ) currently aggregates election-protection volunteer opportunities like voter access and poll monitoring.

Don’t despair at the headlines. We can still take steps to protect election integrity and fight back. Even though the Bay Area is a solidly Democratic region with strong voter protection laws, we can still influence outcomes across the country this November. Opportunities to help remotely: Organizations such as Swing Left ( https://swingleft.org/ )

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

Many local venues and groups, such as The Academy SF and Democratic clubs, host postcard-writing parties for swing districts. A quick internet search can help you find specific dates and times to volunteer. Opportunities to help locally: Sign up to be a poll worker. You can find resources and links at Protect Democracy’s Power the Polls: https://www.powerthepolls.org/

Opportunities to travel: One of my fondest memories is (continued on page 22)

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

A Financial First Aid Guide to Divorce & Separation have to be as ugly as it feels right now, and getting started is a lot easier than most people realize. Separate cash flow first.

Money Matters Brandon Miller I’ve spent a lot of years sitting across the table from people right as their relationship is ending. No two situations ever look the same. But here’s something I’ve learned that holds true across all of them: a lot is going to feel outside of your control. What isn’t is how you choose to move through it. That tends to dictate how you walk away in the end. Separating your finances is one of those things. Handled well, you both walk away with your sanity intact, sometimes even as friends. Handled poorly, it turns into resentment and bickering that could have been avoided entirely. The difference comes down to how you choose to go forward. It doesn’t

Before anything else, separate your cash flow. This is the one move that shouldn’t wait on lawyers, mediators, or even a final decision about where things are headed. You don’t need to see what your ex has been up to. Watching their spending come through a shared account doesn’t give you anything useful; it just breeds resentment. Open your own checking account and card. That’s it; that’s the first step, and everything else can follow once that’s done. Of course, how much untangling comes next depends on your degree of overlap; whether you kept completely separate accounts or merged every dollar shapes what that looks like. Not all dollars are created equal. From there, the numbers themselves need just as much attention as the accounts do. A million dollars in a Roth account is not the same as a million dollars in a traditional IRA once taxes enter the picture, and neither is the same as a million dollars of home equity. I always push for a fair split that accounts for after-tax value, factoring in cost basis and capital gains, not just the balance on a statement. Divide assets without doing that math, and one person can walk away with significantly less than it looks like on paper. (continued on page 20)

Common Mistakes Families Make in 2026 son, or $30 million for a married couple, and it was made permanent at that level. At the same time, California brought back Medi-Cal asset limits for older adults—$130,000 for one person and $195,000 for a couple in the non-MAGI programs, including long-term care. Households verify assets at their first renewal in 2026, and transfer penalties apply again. Neither change edits your documents for you. That is the point of a review.

Trust Essentials Jay Greene, Esq., CPA Most planning mistakes are silent. They do not knock, and they do not send a letter. A document sits in a drawer looking finished. Meanwhile, a beneficiary form quietly contradicts it, or a trust stays unfunded. The cost shows up later. It arrives as court time, family conflict, and assets going to the wrong people. What changed this year? Two things affecting such documents changed this year, and both took effect on January 1, 2026. The federal estate and gift tax exemption rose to $15 million per per10

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

Which mistake costs families the most? The answer is outdated beneficiary designations. In California, the beneficiary form on a retirement account or life insurance policy generally overrides the will. The form controls the asset, not the will and not the trust. If that form still names an ex-spouse or someone who has passed, the money goes where the form says, even when everything else in the plan says otherwise. Why is an unfunded trust a problem? A living trust only controls the assets titled in its name. If the deed and the accounts were never retitled, the trust is signed but empty—a beautiful binder with nothing inside. (continued on page 20)

Message from Leadership

All Together Now: The New GGBA Is Just Getting Started By Aaron Boot-Haury On September 8, 2026, our members gathered at the San Francisco LGBT Center, and online from across the region, for our 2026 Annual Membership Meeting. We called it “All Together Now,” and by the end of the evening that phrase felt less like a theme and more like a description of where this organization stands today. This year, I got to stand in front of our community and introduce the new GGBA: a refreshed vision, mission, and set of values, a bolder visual identity, a new website, and a clearer story to tell. We also broadened our name and our reach to reflect the community we actually serve, from San Francisco into the East Bay. Our tagline says it plainly. History. Connection. Growth. The growth is real, and it is measurable.

Over the past year, our annual recurring revenue grew by 34 percent, driven by both membership and sponsorship. Our operating reserves are stronger than they have been in years, which matters, because a chamber that helps businesses build stability should model that stability itself. Our membership continued to climb, and we welcomed our first-ever networking events in the East Bay, both of which drew wonderful crowds and confirmed what we already believed: there is real appetite for what we do beyond the city line. None of that happened by accident. This was the year our signature monthly Make Contact events found their rhythm, hosted generously by members and partners across the Bay. We launched a brand-new Business Education Series, with practical, expert-led sessions on everything from supplier diversity to LinkedIn to navigating workplace conflict. We co-produced the first Annual LGBTQ+

Business Expo alongside the San Francisco Business Times’ Business of Pride, showed up proudly at San Francisco Pride, and marched and tabled at Oakland Pride. And we were honored, and frankly a little thrilled, to be named the NGLCC Rising Star Affiliate Chamber of the Year. I want to thank the people who made this possible: our sponsors, whose belief in us shows up in every event we host; our board and volunteers, who gave extraordinary time and heart to this relaunch; and, most of all, our members. This is your chamber. You showed up, you referred your friends, you did business with one another, and you reminded me at every turn why an organization founded in 1974, the first LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce in the country, still matters so much in 2026. So, what comes next? We are only getting started. In the year ahead, we are investing in membership growth across the East Bay

and in specific industries, establishing a regular cadence of East Bay programming, deepening our partnerships with the largest employers in the region, and strengthening our collaboration with fellow LGBTQ+ organizations. We are reimagining our member directory and our benefits so that belonging to GGBA translates into real, visible business results. I hope you will be part of it. Join us at our October Make Contact at Beaux in the Castro, and save the date for our Annual Holiday Party in December, which we are proud to co-host with the San Francisco Bay Times. Better yet, bring someone who has never experienced this community before. We are the new GGBA. And we are, all together now, just getting started. Aaron Boot-Haury is the President and CEO of the Golden Gate Business Association.

Golden Gate Business Association Annual Membership Meeting 2026 Photos by Rink The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) held its annual membership meeting on September 9, 2026, at the San Francisco LGBT Center and online via GGBA Connect. GGBA President and CEO Aaron Boot-Haury addressed the state of the organization (see article by him in this issue) and future priorities. Final voting took place for the election of new directors to the GGBA Board— Tim Irvin, Roxana Malene, and Peggy Sue—and there was a networking reception featuring light bites and wine provided by La Crema. The strong turnout, both in person and online, reflects the elevated status of the association under the skilled leadership of Boot-Haury as well as the board members. https://ggba.com/

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

A Stark Warning About the Midterms From the Walls of Mexico City Mexican peasants and soldiers who seek their freedom. Mixed within the crowd are images of leading Mexican revolutionaries, including Francisco “Pancho” Villa and Emiliano Zapata, as well as figures such as Karl Marx, and other European and Mexican communist thinkers.

6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis Our mouths gaped as soon as we entered the room to the left of the grand staircase at Chapultepec Castle in the heart of Mexico City. Before our eyes was David Siqueiros’ monumental expressionist mural From the Díaz Dictatorship to the Revolution, depicting the populist political and military movement to oust Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz, who ruled Mexico for over thirty years until he was forced to resign in 1911. We immediately realized that Siqueiros’ stunning mural, portraying a century-old social and political struggle in Mexico, had direct symbolic meaning today as the United States faces unprecedented potential threats to our democracy in this fall’s midterm elections. The mural’s main right panel features an image of dictator Diaz, surrounded by his cabinet, with his foot treading on the Mexican Constitution of 1857, while can-can dancers entertain aristocrats indulging their wealth and privilege. It could just as well have been Donald Trump, surrounded by JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, and Todd Blanche, Trump’s foot trampling the U.S. Constitution, while Trump’s family, cronies, and tech billionaires revel in their opulent lifestyles, enriched by Trump’s presidency. To the left, the mural depicts something very different: struggling Mexican workers and poor people. In the forefront are those involved in the 1906 Cananea copper mine strike, some of whom are engaged in a physical confrontation with government forces. The Mexican government’s deadly suppression of the labor action sparked widespread public anger and resentment that helped spark the revolutionary movement to overthrow Díaz. The mural shows a fatal casualty of the strike being held high in the arms of other strikers. Today’s American version would feature countless systemically disadvantaged and unhoused citizens as well as those simply trying to make ends meet under soaring inflation and gas prices, caused by Trump’s tariffs and his war in Iran. Also included would be all those who have suffered at the hands of ICE brutality. The tragic casualty of U.S. government violence could be Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a law-abiding, hard-working 35-year resident of the U.S. from Mexico, who was fatally shot by ICE agents as he drove to work on the morning of July 7, or Renée Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE in January, as they and thousands of others protested and resisted ICE’s violent enforcement operations against immigrants in Minneapolis. Further to the left of the strike are numerous 12

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Today’s U.S. counterpart would be the powerful, progressive, populist wave gaining strength among Democratic constituencies and independent voters not just to defeat Trump and his political allies, but to usher in a brighter future for the millions of Americans left Detail of Isamu Noguchi’s History as Seen From Mexico in 1936 at out and suffering under the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market in Mexico City the rule of Trump and cy and the potential for him and the Republicans. Leaders would include his allies to attempt to thwart the New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, November elections results if they who—we realized from conversations with go against them, but also with the locals and other foreigners in Mexico City— ongoing threat from right-wing is inspiring people around the world. political movements elsewhere in the world. Meanwhile, JD Vance Although not depicted in Siqueiros’ mural, and Pete Hegseth, among others, prominent 1930s Mexican murals also alertopenly promote Christian nationed viewers to another threat: Nazism and other fascist movements. One of the most alism (with Hegseth employing it striking examples is History as Seen From Mexito justify the Iran war), and the co in 1936 by Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi at the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market in Mexico City. Noguchi’s sculptural mural depicts a heroic struggle against fascism, represented by a giant foreboding Nazi swastika, alongside a large fallen Christian cross crushing humanity. The Rodriguez market was built in the 1930s to offer an innovative hybrid market and public space to help bring some of the benefits of the Mexican revolution to the poor. Part of the design was to grace many of the market’s walls Detail depicting fatal casualty of the 1906 Cananea copper mine strike and arched ceilings with in David Siqueiros’ mural: From the Díaz Dictatorship to the Revolution murals, curated by Diego Rivera. Today, the market continues to serve a working-class clientele, while containing a treasure trove of art, deteriorating to varying degrees over time. Making our way to the untouristed market meant that we could still experience the art somewhat as it was intended—with “the people”—and not confined to a pristine and expensive museum. Indeed, an amateur brass band practiced and ate lunch together right Detail of halting horse in David Siqueiros’ mural: From the Díaz Dictatorship to the Revolution in front of Noguchi’s masterpiece when we visited on a Sunday Republican supermajority of U.S. Supreme afternoon. Court consistently rules in favor of conservaThe mural’s warning could not be more pre- tive Christian causes at the expense of all scient today, not only with Trump’s presiden- others, including LGBTIQ+ people.

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

Detail depicting Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz in David Siqueiros’ From the Díaz Dictatorship to the Revolution, 1957–1966, National History Museum, Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City

A final stirring image from Siqueiros’ mural is that of a revolutionary soldier atop a galloping horse, as he reins it in to a stop as they face headwinds. The image is so dynamic that it feels as if the horse could surge right out of the monumental-sized painting into the room. The horse seems to represent the raw energy and power of the revolutionary movement, while its being reined in possibly points to constraints on the revolution and the complications in attempting to fulfill its lofty aims. So too today, the horse and its rider represent to us the question of what lies ahead in the U.S. and what we can do to help truly shape the future for the better. How do we wisely harness the energy building today to make lasting change? Every living being in Sequeiros’ mural, including the powerful horse, is actively engaged in what’s going on; no one is an idle bystander. One thing we know for sure today is that being active and involved with energy and integrity is key to the way forward. 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.

District 8 Needs a FIGHTER. District 8 Needs a LEADER.

District 8 Needs Gary McCoy

PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF GARY MCCOY

Endorsed by Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club & Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

Roberto Ordeñana of The GLBT Historical Society on Serving Community and Preserving Our History Roberto Ordeñana: It was the community of people raising me. I had an incredible, loving mom and dad and also had grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins all around me.

Most recently, Roberto worked at the San Francisco LGBT Center, where he built direct service, arts, and cultural programs while strengthening organizational capacity and long-term sustainability. He held several leadership positions, including director of community programs, director of development and marketing, and deputy executive director. Roberto has also served on San Francisco community boards and city commissions, including Bay Area Young Positives, the LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, where he served as president from 2019 to 2022.

He was the first out, gay, Latino, HIV-positive man whom I had ever seen on television. And his story of living with HIV, of getting involved in community organizing at the Stop AIDS Project, which is an actual organization that I ended up working at for several years after, was incredibly inspiring and sad.

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

He was a hard worker and ran several businesses, and, through all of that, I would always see him give what he had to people in need around him, whether it was another family member who was struggling financially or a person who came into the travel agency they owned who was having a bad day. He would cheer them up with jokes, lunch, or coffee. Just always going that extra mile. At 88, he continues to be that person for my mother, who’s struggling with dementia right now, as he shows up for her in incredibly generous ways.

Roberto Ordeñana: My family and friends. I grew up in San Francisco, and we all think that San Francisco is the most welcoming place on earth for LGBTQ people, and it’s not.

sharing what I have, whether that’s time or talent or treasure, for the benefit of our communities and in creating a better world around us.

It has its moments, but particularly in the 1990s, as I was maturing, it was hard. Growing up in Catholic school from kindergarten through high school, I experienced a lot of bullying. Bullying that I didn’t even understand, because I hadn’t even come out to myself as gay.

To me, it’s not about valuing a certain level of gift. It’s about: how do we value all gifts? [That includes] every act of contribution, whether that’s about volunteering, advocacy and advocating for others, giving financially, or helping others understand the power of giving. All of that is philanthropy to me.

I think that led me to find friends who deeply cared about one another and deeply created community with one another. I got involved in theater. I got involved with the Stop AIDS Project as a volunteer and intern. I was about 19 and starting to really understand the power of community and community building. Tom LeNoble: When you hear the word philanthropy, what does it mean to you personally? Roberto Ordeñana: For me, it’s about

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

PHOTO BY RINK

Roberto Ordeñana: My earliest moments of understanding the history of our community, and also the moment our community was facing, really made me say, hey, I should be a part of this in a different way than I thought about it. I saw the life of Pedro Zamora, who was a cast member on MTV’s The Real World.

Tom LeNoble: Who modeled generosity for you when you were young?

have the answer to this right now, but I know that somehow this can get worked out.

Tom LeNoble: Before you were an executive director, what shaped your sense of caring for others?

Tom LeNoble: What first opened your eyes to the issues that your organization works on?

And while it was sad, it was an incredible moment for me to understand our community is facing not only this, but also other challenges, and I wanted to be a part of finding a solution.

PHOTO BY RINK

Roberto Ordeñana is the Executive Director of The GLBT Historical Society. For 25 years, his career has focused on strengthening local LGBTQ communities at the intersection of equity, economic opportunity, health, well-being and culture. In the late 1990s, he worked at the STOP AIDS Project, developing nationally recognized HIV prevention programs and community organizing projects with Latinx gay, bisexual, and trans youth.

PHOTO BY RINK

Tom LeNoble

PHOTO BY JOANIE JUSTER

The Philanthropic Mindset

My dad is incredibly generous. He and my mom separately immigrated from Central America. Roberto Ordeñana They landed in San Francisco in the 1960s with a big family and had to figure out how to put food on the table and create a life that was better than what they had.

There’s no one single right way or wrong way to be a part of that. There are many ways in which we can be philanthropic, and we all have a role to play in that. Tom LeNoble: What keeps your optimism alive when this work becomes difficult? Roberto Ordeñana: In some ways, it’s about problem solving. About allowing myself to say, you know what? I may not

There are moments where I’m like, yeah, this is going to be tough. But I just keep coming back to, okay, how can we figure this out? How can we move through this? How can this be better than what it is right now? I’ve been very lucky that I’ve had a biological family and a found family that value joy and laughter and camaraderie. I think that helps a lot. Tom LeNoble: Reflect on a moment when you knew that your organization was making a difference.

Roberto Ordeñana: There was this young person who came through the archives about two years ago, and they wanted to better understand what we’re preserving in terms of the materials that were Sylvester’s, the performer. We get to preserve and exhibit Sylvester’s costumes and some other material about their life. What we do is connect students, educators, researchers, and artists with priceless historical artifacts and materials to help community members understand the history. This person was under 24 years old and came in to engage with the Sylvester Collection. They picked up a costume and looked at it. And, as a young Black non-binary person, they had this sense of joy on their face because they were able to see themselves reflected in queer and trans history. That, to me, was a moment where I was like, yep, we’re doing it. People need to feel reflected in their history. People need to understand where we came from so that we can build a better future. Tom LeNoble: What have you learned about leadership through service? Roberto Ordeñana: The most important thing that I have learned is that leadership requires strong partnership. And it requires (continued on page 22)

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor, 1978 Kim Corsaro, Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 Email: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com ____________________________

The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. The Bay Times is proud to be the first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan/Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Beth Greene, John Signer, Michael Delgado Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren Technology Director Carla Ramos Web Coordinator Mario Ordonez Distribution Juan R. Davila Volunteer Coordinator ____________________________

CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, David Landis, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Robert Holgate, Zoe Dunning, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Rebecca Kaplan, Bill Lipsky, Beth Schnitzer, Rowena Brown, Kippy Marks, Ian Fullmer, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis, Brandon Miller, Howard Steiermann, Fernando Camino, Honey Mahogany, Kate Kendell

IN MEMORIAM William ‘Bill’ Beasley (1938–2026): Pioneering Civil Rights Leader and SF Pride Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal William “Bill” Beasley was a pioneering civil rights veteran, bisexual activist, and longtime leader in the LGBTQ+ community whose life connected the Black freedom struggle of the 1950s and earlier decades with the emergence of organized gay liberation. Born in Atlanta on October 29, 1938, the third of four children of Amos and Susie Beasley, he grew up in a family that emphasized faith, compassion, and standing up for what was right. Those principles would shape his work on behalf of communities facing discrimination throughout his life.

Growth and East Bay Gay Day. He also served on the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. In 2009, San Francisco Pride honored him as a Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal, recognizing his decades of service and leadership. His work reflected an expansive vision of liberation that connected LGBTQ+ rights with racial equality, peace, and other movements for social justice. Faith remained an important part of Beasley’s life. He was a longtime member

After graduating from Henry McNeal Turner High School in 1956, Beasley became involved in the Civil Rights Movement at age 19. He participated in pickets and sit-ins at segregated Atlanta lunch counters and was arrested during one demonstration. In the late 1950s, he came out as a gay man and moved

Photographers Rink, Paul Margolis, Bill Wilson, Jerome Parmer, Michael Kirschner, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Ken Lew ____________________________

ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards http://sfbaytimes.com/ or 415-601-2113 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers. National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency. Reprints by permission only. ____________________________

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

from Atlanta to St. Louis and later Los Angeles. In addition to opposing the Vietnam War and protesting the use of napalm and other toxic agents, he became involved in the growing Gay Liberation Movement. In Los Angeles, Beasley was a core organizer of the Gay Liberation Front and a founding member of Christopher Street West. He helped organize the 1972 Los Angeles Gay Pride March, contributing to the development of what would become Los Angeles Pride. These efforts came during a pivotal period when LGBTQ+ people were creating new organizations, public events, and community networks following the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Beasley later settled in the Bay Area, where he continued working with LGBTQ+ organizations including Berkeley’s Pacific Center for Human S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

of St. Columba Catholic Church, where he expressed his religious convictions through compassion, acceptance, and respect for others. Beasley’s legacy stretches from the lunch-counter protests of segregated Atlanta to the early gay liberation movement in Los Angeles and the LGBTQ+ community institutions of the Bay Area. He is remembered by his sister-inlaw, Naomi Beasley; nephews and niece James Beasley (Cynthia), Chris Beasley (Lateassia), and Deidra Beasley; friends Joshua Smith, Lisa Williams, and Dewitt Hoard; and the many people whose lives he influenced through his community work and leadership. A Celebration of Life will be held

on September 24, 2026, at 11 am at Saint Columba Catholic Church in Oakland. Williams, who is the Executive Director and Executive Producer of Soul of Pride and the Co-Director of the Bayard Rustin Coalition, will present the Proclamation at the community gathering.

GLBT Fortnight in Review End Times What the hell, you guys! What exactly is going on with AI? I consider myself to be a very sensible person, not prone to panic. I’m optimistic and take the long view of things. I think climate change, for example, is a serious global dilemma. But I figure that, with our technology and innovation, we’ll arrive at some solutions before it’s too late. These weird AI doomsday warnings, however, issued by those in the know without any concrete suggestions of what to do about it, are truly unnerving. One pundit noted that Bush, Obama, or Biden would have created an ad hoc committee of experts with recommendations to Congress and given prime-time speeches to the nation by now. American diplomats under any of those men would have organized international summits to assess the dangers and advance global policies. But Trump sees no problem and urges everyone to proceed full steam ahead. We have a blithering idiot in charge while we face what appears to be an imminent catastrophe. He is clueless, his “advisers” are helpless sycophants, and Congress is useless. Why aren’t the midterm candidates campaigning on taking this threat seriously? We’ve already seen cyberattacks on local water systems in a dozen states, perhaps thanks to Iran. Imagine if our communications infrastructure was hit? Or the national electrical grid? I’m not even going to toy with the notion that some AI program itself could somehow “take control” of various systems, although that idea is apparently no longer far-fetched. I’m just fearing the most obvious calamities: powerful AI systems weaponized in the hands of bad actors. My generation worried about nuclear bombs. This generation has to contain random hackers. And this could happen in the next decade? Yikes! And that timetable has been advanced because of developments they’ve seen in the last two months? Help! Paging Jean-Luc Picard, or Data. Still Fighting to Protect Trans Medical Records I had to get that out of my system, because I’m trying to gather my list of interesting LGBT news items, and I find background discussions about the possible end of human existence, um, distracting. I’m also frazzled because I’m about to go on vacation and I’m unfocused. For example, I just wrote two paragraphs on a ruling from the Second Circuit that made sure the Justice Department could not access the medical records of transgender kids at New York hospitals. I went to check something from the last issue and noticed that I already wrote about this one-sentence victory, so I had to delete all that. I subsequently realized that one of New York’s major hospitals, Mount Sinai, agreed to stop transgender youth healthcare and settled with the Justice Department even

By Ann Rostow

though the Trump administration was blocked by court order, and just as the Second Circuit confirmed that halt. Say what? Mount Sinai explained that the situation was complicated, that the Supreme Court might reverse lower court decisions, and that this settlement was the only way it could prevent medical records from reaching government hands. Still, the battle is joined and it looks like Mount Sinai didn’t have the stomach for it. That said, transgender kids who were treated there are apparently safe from disclosure. On the other hand, their programs are now shut down and no further treatment will be available at Mount Sinai. The Party’s Over I then went searching for a particular transgender story that I can’t find, and stumbled on a piece about a social media influencer who died from a penis enlargement procedure. Naturally, I gave this story precedence over civil rights. The influencer, 43-year-old Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo (also known as “Denisi” or “Ego”), was a British-Nigerian businessman who gained online fans by documenting high-end vacations and expensive activities alongside his wife, Danielle Samba-Allen. According to The Advocate (via Out), the couple traveled to exotic locales like Bali, Cape Town, and Paris. The fateful penis pump procedure took place in Thailand, where Ubiribo had several injections into his member. After leaving the clinic, he felt tired, complained of chest pains to his wife, and passed out. He was transported to a hospital where he died. Apparently, some of the material in the penis filler triggered a pulmonary embolism. The headline caught my eye because the coroner’s report was just released September 5, but the man actually died last March, so this is not exactly hot off the presses. Also, I started writing this thinking it was a side piece to get us going, but it’s actually very sad, and I wish I hadn’t launched into it with a frivolous mindset. Tiptoeing Through the Transgender Traps James Talarico, whom I fervently support for the U.S. Senate, backtracked on transgender sports a bit, telling Fox News he “would oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports if it endangers safety or fairness.” He went on to say that “every sport has to be safe and fair.” No one liked this anodyne remark, with our side complaining that he was hedging his support and the other side claiming his statement was so ambiguous that it meant nothing. He has also come out against transition surgery for minors, which many people have mixed feelings about, including me. And which is also very rare. Talarico has a perfect record on transgender rights in the Texas legislature, voting against all kinds of nasty proposals. His opponent,

the horrible Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused him of flip-flopping. “James Talarico voted against two bills that would have prevented men from playing in women’s sports,” Paxton posted. “He also called it a ‘far-right conspiracy theory.’ This is just the latest episode in James Talarico’s long saga of lies and flip-flops.” On the other hand, trans podcaster June Sternback said that if you “give Democrats a choice of ‘capitulate to fascism’ or ‘support minority groups,’ they’ll always end up capitulating to fascism.” Ouch, June. I’m giving Talarico a pass on this one. Yes, it was a calculated remark. But, unlike Seth Moulton, the U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, Talarico didn’t throw trans athletes under the bus. We all want sports to be fair and safe, right? (For the record, I support top surgery for some transgender teenage boys on a case-bycase basis. But anything else can wait until age 18.) No Charges in Buttigieg Case Do you remember what happened to Pete and Chasten Buttigieg earlier this year? An insane woman who was visiting family in Indiana called a tip line and reported the couple for child abuse. Without checking details, Indiana forwarded the “tip” to authorities in Michigan, where the Buttigiegs live. Again, obviously, without investigating the source, Michigan cops removed the Buttigiegs’ four-year-old twin sons from their home, took them to their grandparents, and interviewed them the next day before returning them. The child welfare services in Indiana did not even tell the Michigan police the name of the accuser, and no one questioned the account she gave. Instead, they traumatized the fathers and sons in an outrageous manner that has not received the level of coverage it deserves. Do you think for a moment the Michigan police would have taken preschool kids out of the home of, let’s say, a respectable middle-class white heterosexual family on the basis of a vague, unsubstantiated report? Do you think these law enforcement agents would take kids from a well-known politician, former cabinet official, and former presidential candidate if he and his wife were heterosexual? Why was this a one-day story? I’m bringing it up because Indiana has decided not to prosecute the woman who made the false phone call, because she is apparently in no condition to face a criminal charge. According to The Washington Post, the Indiana prosecutor, Nelson Chipman, Jr., said she is delusional and has a long history of alcohol abuse and mental illness. “She responds to voices only she hears and grandiose ideation including self-identifying as God,” Chipman wrote, adding that she frequently says she has enjoyed an evening meal with the Obamas, the Post reports. During her brief visit to Indiana, she was

involved in three police encounters, Chipman added, including an arrest for domestic battery with a blood alcohol level of .32. She’s now in a halfway house in Alabama, where it seems as if she’ll be free to continue being a homophobic lunatic at will. All this being said, there are still no explanations from the Indiana services or the Michigan police. The Michigan Attorney General’s office is conducting an ongoing investigation, and the Buttigiegs are “still seeking answers and accountability for what happened,” according to a statement. At the time, Pete Buttigieg called this event “the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began.” Just think about it! Jayhawk Transmen on the Move In Kansas, my wife’s home state, a group of transgender men have formed the “SB 244 Compliance Crew,” named for one of the most draconian anti-transgender laws in the country. Not only is it illegal to use a bathroom that does not correspond to your sex at birth, but also random individuals have the right to sue you if they are “aggrieved by the invasion of [their] personal privacy or [are] otherwise harmed by a violation of this section by an individual of the opposite sex.” The Compliance Crew are protesting by using ladies’ rooms in public spaces. Under the law, since they were born female, this is not just legal, it’s obligatory. You and I know that trans men are guys, look male, and often have beards and muscles. The general public, however, seems to have no concept of what a transgender person looks like, male or female, and, naturally, the ladies are bent out of shape when the Crew arrive in their toilettes. The Crew started in February and have no plans to stop, according to The Lawrence Times. They plan to focus on rural areas, and have found that most people are not aware of the law. At one location, they spent twenty minutes discussing their genitals with police before being allowed to carry on. I can’t wait to hear about their future adventures. Dallas Convention Sounds Hot I gather that, during the Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas, the Grindr servers went down from overuse. Why are we not surprised? According to one report, the profiles during the event included a lot of new faces with American flag emojis, and a particular bathroom at the convention center was designated as a cruising location on “Sniffies.” I hadn’t heard of “Sniffies” before. Launched in 2018, it describes itself as “the original map-based platform for Cruisers.” Meanwhile, The Advocate tells us that a photo of Hasan Piker in his underwear was put on

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

(continued on page 22)

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

Project Open Hand at 2026 Hand to Hand Gala Celebrated Delivery of 30 Million Meals San Francisco’s philanthropic community came together on Friday, September 18, 2026, for Project Open Hand’s annual Hand to Hand Gala. Hosted at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria, the landmark celebration marked a monumental milestone: the organization’s 30 millionth meal delivered to neighbors in need. Guests gathered to honor Project Open Hand’s mission of providing “meals with love” and medically tailored nutrition to critically ill community members and seniors living in the Bay Area. The evening featured a three-course dinner accompanied by champagne, an inspiring awards program recognizing community leaders, and an exclusive live auction offering coveted items and experiences such as trips to Croatia and Spain. The silent auction also was impressive, with items such as ice skates autographed by gold medal Olympic champions Alysa Liu and Brian Boitano. Attendees enjoyed entertainment complete with a live band and DJ, which provided a high-energy backdrop to dance the night away. Beyond the festivities, all proceeds raised from ticket sales and auctions directly funded vital nutrition programs that help address illness, support aging with dignity, and reduce social disparities across the region. https://www.openhand.org/

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Photos by Rink

By Donna Sachet

liche as it may sound, Diana Ross has always entranced us as a singer, actress, and timeless show person. From her triumphant Central Park, New York City, concert to starring roles in Mahogany, Lady Sings the Blues, and The Wiz, Diana Ross has been the soundtrack of our lives and perhaps that of our generation. On Tuesday, September 1, she brought her national tour to Napa, and we were there! Having seen her live and in concert four times before—in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco—we imagined this was our final opportunity to witness the consummate showmanship of this living diva, who at 82 is still releasing new music and appearing in this comprehensive national concert tour.

“The entire history of journalism in America has been one of increasing the scope of people about whom you couldn’t lie.” —Randy Alfred

As expected, the Napa venue was smaller than most, nestled inside a hotel courtyard and offering unusual proximity. We joined our loyal friend Julian Marshburn, Napa friend Cynthia May, and her friend Jacob Sanson, who all seemed to share our admiration for Miss Ross, although seeing her there for the very first time. Running short on time, we swept into the venue and quickly found our premium seats at a table as the music swelled, the audience sighed, and Miss Ross entered to a flurry of swirling white lights. Her entire band and backup chorus were dressed in white to coordinate with Miss Ross’s sparkling white gown. Song after song evoked musical memories, and we joined most of the audience in standing for most of the concert. As is her habit, she spoke directly to the audience between numbers, frequently thanking them for years of support, and as has become her custom, she eventually introduced the most musical of her children, Tracee Ellis Ross, with whom she sang and to whom she then surrendered the stage for several solos. Of course, we all knew a costume change was in the works, and sure enough, out she came in a golden gown singing songs from her film career. An hour and fifteen minutes passed like a trance, and Miss Ross exited stage right as the crowd went wild with cries of “Encore!” We didn’t have to wait very long before she emerged in a black pantsuit for her final number, “B.U.” And, in a flurry, the crowd dispersed, and Diana Ross had once again confirmed for us her eternal spot in musical divadom. Throughout, the joy she expressed on stage was contagious. Her energy and timing are incomparable. Her figure remains elegant and statuesque, giving whatever she wears an unmistakable look. Perhaps most remarkable was when she introduced a few songs from her newest album. That’s right; at 82 years old, she is releasing a new album with new music, and her personal excitement was refreshing. Headlining performers come and go, but Diana Ross has earned a very special place on the international stage and we were so happy to experience her magic one more time. Brava, Miss Ross, from one of your biggest fans!

Friday–Sunday, September 25–27 SF Grand Ducal Weekend The Century Club of California 1355 Franklin Street 6 pm $80 & up www.sfducal.org Saturday, September 26 Magnitude Official Folsom Dance Party Hosted by Brian Kent SVN West 10 South Van Ness 9 pm–2 am $110 & up https://bit.ly/3SWZNSP Sunday, September 27 Folsom Street Fair Enjoy! www.folsomstreet.org

As attentive readers know from the last issue of this publication, the Bay Times was awarded the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ 2026 Legacy Award to recognize an outlet, publication, or news organization that has exhibited innovative, high-quality, and sustained news coverage of the LGBTQ+ community over an extended period of time. On September 12, a Saturday night, we were there to witness the award ceremony at the conclusion of this year’s National Convention at the Hyatt Embarcadero. Co-Publishers Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas graciously invited all of their writers and personnel to take the stage with them when the actual award was announced, and through a generous gift from Tom LeNoble, a recent addition to the collection of columnists for the paper, everyone who wanted to attend was able to be there.

PHOTO BY SHAWN NORTHCUTT

SEAN DOWDALL

When the Association President announced the Legacy Award, Founding News Editor of the Bay Times, Randy Alfred, led our group—including Betty, Jennifer, Bill Lipsky, Beth Schnitzer, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Rink, Joanie Juster, Marcy Adelman, Suzanne Ford, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis, Bill Wilson, Michael Kirschner, Chris Michaelson, Lou Fischer and her wife Amy Meyers, Warren Alderson & L-R Donna Sachet, emcee Terrill Grimes, Regent Empress Queen Cougar, and David Steve Scheitlin, Michael Quick, Juan Landis at the 2026 Project Open Hand Hand to Hand Gala Davila, Miguel Lopez, Leticia Lopezz, Karen Bardsley, Abby Zimberg, Linda Phillips, and Dawn Dzurilla—for the acceptance. Randy spoke briefly and proudly, cameras flashed, and the audience gave us a warm reception. Only after reading the last issue of the Bay Times and speaking to Randy, who was also a founding board member of the Association, did we fully appreciate the significance of this recognition from our peers around the country. Please join us in congratulating everyone associated with the Bay Times on this distinct and well-deserved 2026 Legacy Award. 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 S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

JUSTER (continued from pg 6)

MILLER (continued from pg 10)

cal groups that put together voting guides. (One of the best I’ve found is written by the fabulous Juanita MORE! Her voting guide is deeply researched, thoughtfully written, and always on your side. I found it particularly helpful in understanding the local propositions. Check it out at https://tinyurl.com/JMoreVOTE

Watch out for emotional decisions.

Vote down ballot. While most of the attention and money are spent on high-profile races, it’s the propositions and local candidates who often have the most impact on your day-to-day life. It isn’t enough to vote for governor; vote for the judges, election officials, school boards, and others who will protect your rights and work to preserve our democracy. Beware of disinformation. Just as important as educating yourself and others about the candidates and issues is being aware of the bad actors who are working to prevent your vote from counting, and to do you harm. Elon Musk is promoting a fake voter information site called Vote Safe (I am deliberately not including the link, for your safety) that not only collects your full name, home address, date of birth, email address, cell phone number, IP address and location, but also every link clicked, every page looked at, and your voter registration status. Musk’s super PAC can share or sell your personal information, including whether you are registered to vote, and how you submit your vote, and much more. This is just one of many ways they are scheming to get your information. Only go to official websites you know you can trust, and please be careful about the information you share on social media. Be part of the solution. Want safe, secure elections? Your local election department is looking for people to work at the polls on Election Day, be election observers, help others vote, and more. See the options listed under “Get Involved” on the page for the San Francisco Department of Elections; if you are outside of San Francisco, check with your local election department. https://tinyurl.com/SFDEHelp Who Counts as an ‘American’? Since Day One of his administration, the president has been laser-focused on not just making life harder for LGBTQ+ people and others (immigrants, people of color, etc.) whom he deems unworthy, but actually erasing them from public life and the history books. On September 9, he took another giant step toward that erasure, by proposing sweeping changes to the way the U.S. census collects data. Not only would noncitizens be excluded from the census, but collection of race and ethnicity data, as well as questions about sexual orientation and domestic partnership, would be halted. This is the federal government redefining who counts as a U.S. resident. Why does this matter? The census determines the allotment of congressional seats, as well as billions of dollars in federal funding—funding that affects the lives of all of us. But the census also provides critical demographic information that can be used to help address disparities, inform anti-discrimination policies, and protect civil rights. Also, by not counting noncitizens without green cards, it would not only remove undocumented immigrants from the official population count, but also those who are here legally but haven’t yet secured green cards. Regions that have more immigrants and tend to vote Democratic could lose not only federal funding, but also representation in Congress. This proposed change is bound to face major legal challenges, as the 14th Amendment calls for counting “the whole number of persons in each state,” not just citizens. Representation counts. Don’t let them erase you. Stand up and be counted. Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Once the numbers are sorted, the harder work is usually emotional. I see it often: fighting to keep the family home can feel like a win, but it isn’t one if it leaves you with no liquidity to actually live your life. And minimizing your own spending during a split, whether out of guilt, frugality, or wanting to seem like the bigger person, can quietly work against you, since your standard of living during this period often factors into how support gets calculated. My advice is always to handle these decisions with clear eyes, not emotion. Bring in a neutral third party. This last piece matters so much. You don’t need a courtroom to benefit from it. I walk both people through the math together, translate what “even” actually means in after-tax terms, and keep the conversation on numbers instead of history. If you’re going to be mad at someone in this process, be mad at the mediator, not each other. That’s not a joke; it’s strategy, and it’s often how the relationship survives the split intact. It’s worth remembering that, at some point, you loved this person. Solving the money puzzle early gives you both a real shot at keeping that, and your sanity, along the way. If you’re working through your own version of this, a breakup, a separation, or a divorce, we would love to help you make sense of things. Book a complimentary Make It Happen meeting to learn more: https://bit.ly/3VHosvr 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. This information may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those discussed. No investor should assume future performance will be profitable or equal the previous reflected performance. Any reference to an index is included for illustrative purposes only, as an index is not a security in which an investment can be made. They are unmanaged vehicles that serve as market indicators and do not account for the deduction of management fees and/or transaction costs generally associated with investable products. The S&P 500 Total Return Index represents U.S. stock returns. This includes 500 leading companies in the U.S. and is widely regarded as the best single gauge of largecap U.S. equities, where dividends are reinvested. The holdings and performance of Brio client accounts may vary widely from those of the presented indices. 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) Those assets can still pass through probate, the very process the trust was meant to avoid. This one is painful because the family believes the job is done: they paid for the trust, they signed it, and they filed it, but the deed still carries the owner’s name.

of a living document.

Can a plan be out of date without anything changing at home?

2. Confirm that real estate and major accounts are titled correctly.

Yes, and 2026 is the year it happens. Many trusts written before 2018 contain a formula that moves “the maximum amount free of federal estate tax” into a bypass trust when the first spouse dies. Those clauses were drafted when the exemption was a fraction of today’s. At $15 million, that same sentence can sweep an entire estate into an irrevocable trust the surviving spouse never expected.

3. Update beneficiary designations after major life changes.

When should a plan be reviewed? California guidance recommends reviewing estate planning documents every three to five years, and sooner after a major life change. That includes marriage, divorce, a new child, a death, a move, or a chosen family that grows—and it includes a year when the law moves. What happens if there is no plan at all? The most expensive mistake is the plan never made. Without documents, California’s default rules decide who gets what, and your family has no voice in it. They may also face probate, where the fee is set by statute rather than by choice. It is calculated on the gross value of the estate, before the mortgage, and both the attorney and the personal representative are entitled to it. None of these mistakes is a character flaw. They are what happens when a plan is treated as a one-time task instead

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

What steps can you take now? 1. Review your will, trust, powers of attorney, and health care documents together.

A single review finds the outdated form, funds the trust, and fixes the names. One afternoon now beats a year of court later. Contact Greene Law Firm, P.C. today. Call 415-905-0215 or email info@greenelawfirm.com for a free initial assessment. Flexible meeting options are available for Bay Area clients. Statements in Compliance with California Rules of Professional Conduct. The materials in this article are for educational purposes only and are not legal advice, and they are not a guarantee or prediction regarding the outcome of any legal matter. Consult an estate planning attorney for personalized guidance. Attorney Jay Patrick Greene, Esq., CPA, founded Greene Law Firm, P.C. of San Francisco, which is licensed in California, Alabama, and Florida. He has over 15 years of experience concerning wills, trusts, probate, elder law, and asset protection. For more information, visit: https://assetprotectionbayarea.com

DUNNING (continued from pg 7)

LENOBLE (continued from pg 14) the ability to create and sustain relationships with individuals, groups, and institutions that want to also change the world for the better. There is not one way of leading. But the most important way to lead is by doing it with others and not thinking that you alone can carry all of it.

and families to do that work. Tom LeNoble: Now a little fun. What would surprise people most about you outside of this work? Roberto Ordeñana: That I was a musical theater nerd in high school.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with incredible leaders who came before me who offered their mentorship, guidance, and honesty. I think partnership and relationship building is not just about the good times. It’s also about calling each other in and giving each other feedback, supporting each other in our growth, and having difficult conversations. Tom LeNoble: If someone wanted to begin developing a philanthropic mindset, what would be the first small step they could take? Roberto Ordeñana: Talk to other folks who are contributing their time, their talent, their financial support, to better understand how they go about their giving, advocacy and engagement. Tap into the change that you want to see in the world and match that up to whatever cause is out there that needs support. Talk to the people in your network. Get curious about how you may be able to support the work that’s out there. Don’t get too hung up on figuring out what you need to do to make the change. There are solutions that are baked and ready to go out there, and they need the support of people

Tom LeNoble: If you had an unexpected day off in San Francisco, where would you go? Roberto Ordeñana: I would go to the beach. I love the sun, I love the water, I love the sand, even if it’s freezing cold. Just being at the beach is very calming for me and very centering for me. I also love to take in views. I’ll walk up to the top of Dolores Park and just take in the city view. That also makes me feel very grounded and makes me feel like a bird, that I could just kind of take off in flight and deal with anything in front of me. Tom LeNoble is an international speaker, confidential advisor, and resilience strategist who works with leaders navigating meaningful inflection points in life and leadership. He has held senior leadership roles at MCI, Walmart.com, Palm, and Facebook, and high growth startups. He is the author of the award-winning memoir “My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels.” Through speaking, coaching, and writing, he explores resilience, leadership, and the choices that shape how we show up for others and for the communities we serve.

going door-to-door in Nevada to encourage voter turnout for the 2016 election. I met other volunteers during that time who have become great friends. It was a lot of fun! You can travel to states with competitive Senate races (such as Ohio, Michigan, and Texas) to volunteer. You can also help with two competitive races right here in California (one in the Bay Area!): CA-14 in the East Bay (Hayward, Pleasanton, and Dublin) and CA-22 in the San Joaquin Valley (Bakersfield and Hanford). It starts with you. The easiest and most important thing you can do is vote. Go online to the CA Secretary of State ( https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ ) to confirm you are registered. Federal and state officials have been reviewing and modifying voter registration rolls across the country. Even a simple local address change can result in removal. Every week, news reports tell of voters across the country discovering they are suddenly no longer registered. If you vote by mail, vote early so you can track your ballot and ensure it gets counted. You can check your ballot’s status with your local county elections official (you can find their contact info at https://bit.ly/476GrOu ). Finally, Protect Democracy (based locally in Berkeley) has a “How you can protect democracy” playbook with 99 actions you can take ( https://protectdemocracy.org/ ). I encourage you to look there for additional ideas. If you know of other organizations and individuals doing great work for our community, please let me know at zoe@zoedunning.com Zoe Dunning is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, a leader in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and the former 1st Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. She lives in Oakland with her rescue dog, Bobo, and is writing her memoir, “Incompatible” (working title). ROSTOW (continued from pg 17) a 25-foot-tall display screen in front of the audience. Piker, a radical leftist with antisemitic and various other unpalatable views, was (I’m guessing) presented as a representative of socialist communist evil Democrats. His private parts were pixelated, likely to the disappointment of many attendees. What else is new? Turkey has launched a new campaign against the LGBT community, arresting 47 people in police raids of LGBT organizations and clubs across the country. The crackdown over last weekend, under the name “My Family Is Safe,” also shut down various LGBT websites. Finally, can I just say that the college football season has started and my team, the Texas Longhorns, came from behind to beat the number-one-ranked Ohio State by one point, scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. I had turned it off because I couldn’t stand the heartbreak of watching my team get clobbered by a clearly superior band of Buckeyes. It was my Ohio friend Denise who called to tell me to keep watching, and we scored touchdown after touchdown until we found the end zone with less than a minute left and closed it out. As I was waking up Sunday morning, I had that vague, sleepy feeling that there was something wonderful in the back of my mind, and then I remembered. I just hope Texas can win a national championship before AI destroys the human race. arostow@aol.com

Visit the Castro Street Cam & Enjoy the Views! Presented by the San Francisco Bay Times in partnership with Cliff ’s Variety, Orphan Andy’s, and SoulCycle

Watch 24/7 livestreaming views of The Castro Theatre, along with other landmarks. www.sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 6

National AIDS Memorial Marks 35 Years With Community Gathering in the Grove

The event included dedication of a new Upper Oaks Trail Overlook, a formal tree planting and community hillside planting, the calling of names, a Circle of Friends wreath laying, an AIDS Memorial Quilt display and creation of a signature Grove 35th Anniversary panel, and other community art and remembrance activities.

PHOTO BY BILL WILSON

This major anniversary arrived at a time when the historical lessons of the HIV/AIDS crisis remain as vital and deeply relevant as ever. The event highlighted, not only the enduring memory of those lost, but also the generations of volunteers who carry the Grove’s mission and legacy forward. https://www.aidsmemorial.org/

PHOTO BY BILL WILSON

The morning dedication ceremony featured remarks from key community leaders, partners, and supporters. Speakers included National AIDS Memorial CEO John B. Cunningham, longtime Grove supporter John Montfort, Marcy Fraser (who worked as a nurse in the AIDS Ward at San Francisco General Hospital at the height of the AIDS epidemic), Jane Stafford of the Gilead Foundation, and Lisa Bransten representing San Francisco Recreation and Parks.

PHOTO BY BILL WILSON

On Saturday, September 19, 2026, the 35th Anniversary of the National AIDS Memorial Grove was commemorated with a public gathering at the Grove in Golden Gate Park. The event served as both a solemn and inspiring occasion to honor the countless lives lost to AIDS, while celebrating the dedicated community that has lovingly sustained and preserved the Grove since its founding.

PHOTO BY BILL WILSON

Take Me Home with You!

Tulip: Foster Life Looks Good on Her Tulip has officially traded shelter life for the comforts of a foster home, and we have to say, it suits her beautifully. She now spends her days enjoying the quieter side of life while she waits for someone to realize that an excellent underbite and an even better personality are a pretty irresistible combination.

Tulip is the kind of dog who prefers introductions over instant friendships. Give her a little time, some patience, and perhaps a strategically placed treat, and you will start to see her wonderfully affectionate side emerge. Once she trusts you, she is loving, cuddly, and more than happy to settle in beside you for some quality relaxation. She has made great progress on leash and can calmly pass other dogs during walks. At home, though, Tulip would be happiest as your one and only pet, soaking up all the attention herself. Her foster adventures have also revealed an unexpected passion for rosemary bushes. Tulip once rubbed herself so enthusiastically against one that she spent the rest of the day smelling like freshly baked focaccia. We cannot promise she will improve your cooking, but she may improve your life. Tulip is currently at a foster home and available to meet through Virtual Adoption. Her adoption fee has been generously sponsored. If you are looking for a loyal companion with charm, character, and one spectacular smile, Tulip would love to meet you. The San Francisco SPCA’s Maddie’s Pet Adoption Center is located at 250 Florida Street. 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.

Tulip

https://www.sfspca.org/ S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

Presentation of the 2026 NLGJA Legacy Award to the San Francisco

Bay Times founding News Editor Randy Alfred, who was entered into the NLGJA Hall of Fame in 2015, spoke on behalf of the Bay Times group that included Co-Publishers/Co-Editors Dr. Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas and columnists Donna Sachet (“First Lady of the Castro”), Dr. Marcy Adelman (also Openhouse Co-Founder), Sister Dana Van Iquity (longtime member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence), Beth Schnitzer (also of SpritzSF), internationally-recognized marriage equality activists Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, noted historian Dr. Bill Lipsky, renowned activist and ally Joanie Juster, and Michael Quick (representing columnist and attorney Jay Greene). Additional Bay Times team members who attended included photographers Rink, Michael Kirschner, and Bill Wilson; former Lead Designer and photographer Abby Zimberg; Volunteer Coordinator Juan Davila; and event team members Warren Alderson, Steve Scheitlin, Karen Bardsley, Miguel Lopez, and Leticia Lopezz.

PHOTO BY MIKE KIRSCHNER

The NLGJA Legacy Award is a national honor presented by NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists to recognize news outlets, publications, or media organizations that have provided innovative, high-quality, and sustained coverage of the LGBTQ+ community over an extended period. Distinct from most journalism accolades that focus on individual reporters, the Legacy Award is the association’s only honor awarded to an entire newsroom staff for their collective dedication to fair and accurate reporting. Established to highlight organizations that further NLGJA’s mission of promoting nuanced LGBTQ+ news coverage, the award has been conferred upon groundbreaking, historically significant publications, and the San Francisco Bay Times was honored to receive the award for 2026 at a ceremony on September 12 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. The landmark event marked the NLGJA’s 35th convention.

Also attending were supporters Suzanne Ford (Executive Director of San Francisco Pride), former columnist Lou Fischer, performer Amy Meyers, community leader Dawn Dzurilla, Linda Phillips (formerly of Genentech), and Chris Michaelson of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. PHOTO BY MIKE KIRSCHNER

Randy Alfred announced at the ceremony that the San Francisco Bay Times will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary beginning in 2027. More information about related events will be announced in the coming months.

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

PHOTO BY MIKE KIRSCHNER

For more information about the NLGJA, see the September 10, 2026, issue of the Bay Times ( https://bit.ly/4jhCP3r ) and visit: https://www.nlgja.org/

PHOTO BY MIKE KIRSCHNER

PHOTO BY RINK

o Bay Times

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Welcome to the 52nd Castro Street Fair! Welcome to the 52nd Annual Castro Street Fair! We’re so happy to have you with us for another day of community, celebration, and joy in the heart of the Castro. This year’s theme, “Where We Belong,” reflects what the Castro has meant to generations of LGBTQIA+ people: Redge Roberts a place to find community, feel seen, live openly, and connect with one another. It’s also a reminder that belonging is something we create together—where trans people belong, where drag belongs, where allies belong, where chosen fam-

ily belongs, and where hope belongs. Since Harvey Milk founded the Fair in 1974, the Castro Street Fair has brought together neighbors, artists, performers, local businesses, community organizations, friends, and allies. More than five decades later, that spirit is still at the heart of everything we do. The Fair is also a celebration of the merchants and small businesses that give the Castro its energy and character. We hope you’ll explore the neighborhood, shop local, and support the businesses that help keep the Castro vibrant year-round. Just as importantly, the Fair gives back. Since 1998, we’ve distributed more than $1.6 million to local nonprofit beneficiaries, supporting organizations that strengthen and serve our community. When you arrive at the Fair, we encourage you to make a donation at the entry gates; your contribution helps us continue that tradition of giving back.

This year, we invite you to enjoy live entertainment, local vendors and artisans, community organizations, and plenty of dancing in the streets. It’s a day to reconnect, meet someone new, and simply enjoy being together. On behalf of our volunteer Board of Directors, thank you to the volunteers, sponsors, partners, merchants, performers, and community members who make this Fair possible. Welcome to the place where joy belongs, where community belongs, and where you belong. We’re glad you’re here. Have a wonderful Fair! Redge Roberts is the President of the Castro Street Fair Board of Directors.

Volunteers from the Imperial Court of San Francisco staffing an entrance at the Castro Street Fair

Legislation Has Enhanced the Castro Street Fair inaugural activation

2026 Castro Street Fair to Launch New San Francisco Black Pride Programming

By Rafael Mandelman

By Riley Manlaplaz

of that entertainment zone, with businesses The Castro Street Fair reporting significant has been part of this sales increases over neighborhood since prior years. Please Harvey Milk and the patronize our local Castro Village Associbusinesses during the ation started it in 1974 Fair this year! And a to promote gay-owned big shoutout to Senabusinesses and celebrate tor Wiener for passing the vitality of the Casthe state legislation that tro—and it’s still one of Rafael Mandelman enabled entertainment the best days of the year zones in San Francisco and elsewhere. on Castro Street. The fair has grown Coordination for this event is a lot of from 5,000 attendees in 1974 to about work, but it’s what keeps this 52-year 15,000 today, making it one of San tradition running. Thank you to the Francisco’s largest LGBTQ gatherboard members, led by Redge Robings outside of Pride. erts and Jenn Meyer, and to the 200+ It’s exciting to see this event taking volunteers who give their day to keep advantage of legislation I authored in us all safe and having fun at the Fair. 2024 to establish the Castro Upper See you on Castro Street! Market Entertainment Zone, so bars and restaurants can sell to-go drinks Rafael Mandelman is the Presiduring neighborhood events. Last dent of the San Francisco Board year, the Castro Street Fair was the of Supervisors.

PHOTO BY RINK

By Redge Roberts

Programming is still evolving, and the lineup is subject to change.

This year, the Castro Street Fair is welcoming San Francisco Black Pride to the Castro Stage at Castro and Market Streets for a special block of entertainment programming celebrating Black LGBTQ+ artists, performers and community. San Francisco Black Pride grew from a grassroots idea sparked by local artist and organizer LBXX (Gyasi Curry), whose question about why San Francisco did not have a Black Pride celebration of its own helped inspire the launch of the city’s first San Francisco Black Pride Week in 2025. For the Castro Street Fair, San Francisco Black Pride is curating programming on the Castro Stage, with artists currently slated to appear including Ms. Love O, The Junior, and LBXX.

Entertainment will extend throughout the Fair, including the Collingwood Stage at 18th Street, the Queer AF Stage programmed by Devlin Shand, and a mix of new and returning artists across the day. Together, the stages will showcase the range of music, performance, and queer creativity that has long been central to the Castro Street Fair experience. The expanded programming also reflects this year’s theme, “Where We Belong,” celebrating the many communities and creative voices that continue to shape the Castro and San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ culture. Riley Manlaplaz is a marketing and communications consultant who is tthe Secretary of the Castro Street Fair.

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

Castro Street Fair Partners With Another Planet Entertainment and Castro Theatre for Official After Party ‘Polyglamorous’ The Castro Street Fair has announced a new partnership with Another Planet Entertainment and The Castro Theatre, extending this year’s celebration into the evening with the Official Castro Street Fair After Party, presented by beloved San Francisco queer dance party Polyglamorous. Following the 52nd Annual Castro Street Fair on Sunday, October 4, Polyglamorous will take over the iconic Castro Theatre with internationally acclaimed DJ Octo Octa, joined by Polyglamorous residents BEYA and Mark O’Brien. Doors will open at 5:30 pm, with the show beginning at 6 pm. The event will be for all ages. The collaboration will bring together organizations deeply connected to San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ cultural life: the Castro Street Fair, founded by Harvey Milk in 1974; the historic Castro Theatre; Another Planet Entertainment; and Polyglamorous, which has been bringing queer dancers together across San Francisco since 2015. “‘Where We Belong’ is the theme of this year’s Castro Street Fair, and we see Polyglamorous as a wonderful extension of that celebration into the evening,” said Arturo Nájera, Jr., Entertainment Chair, Castro Street Fair. “We hope this partnership helps create an even bigger opportunity for our community to come together while also supporting the local businesses and venues that make the Castro such a special place. We’re especially grateful to Another Planet Entertainment for their sponsorship of this year’s Fair and for helping us extend the spirit of the Fair beyond the streets and into the evening.”

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

sign has been in the background of those photos and memories,” said Garrett Blanchard of Another Planet Entertainment. “Naturally, we are excited to host the Castro Street Fair afterparty at the theatre this year—in collaboration with local queer dance party Polyglamorous. Hope to see you out there!” Founded at Oasis when the venue opened in 2015, Polyglamorous has built a devoted following through residencies and events in and around San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, including annual staples Pink Block and Sneaks. The collective showcases a diverse range of underground talent and aims to create a welcoming space for people from across the community to cut loose, dance, and celebrate themselves. October 4 marks the first event Polyglamorous has produced in the Castro neighborhood. “We’re so excited to be hosting this event at the iconic Castro Theatre,” said Polyglamorous Co-Founder Mark O’Brien. “Ben and I have both lived in the Castro, and it means so much for us to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Castro Street Fair.” “Octo Octa is a world-renowned DJ, and we are lucky to have already presented some amazing events with her,” said Ben Bellayuto (BEYA). “She has a way of radiating joy and energy to the dance floor.”

Another Planet Entertainment’s partnership with the Fair comes as The Castro Theatre enters a new chapter following an extensive rehabilitation designed to preserve the historic landmark while expanding the range of live performances and cultural programming it can host.

Octo Octa, the performing name of Maya Bouldry-Morrison, spent years as an IDM artist and sound designer before her 2011 debut EP, Let Me See You, introduced her to a wider international house-music audience. Since then, her blend of detailed sound design, composition, and dance-floor rhythms has taken her around the world. In 2019, she co-founded the label T4T LUV NRG with her partner Eris Drew, continuing to explore themes of togetherness, embodiment, love, healing, and survival through her music.

“The Castro Street Fair’s history in San Francisco is undeniable—and for so many years the iconic Castro Theatre blade

Tickets for the Official After Party are available through Ticketmaster: https://bit.ly/4xE6Myi

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Queer Films at This Year’s Mill Valley Film Festival as the late gay actor Ian Charleston (best known for Chariots of Fire). Given the opportunity to play Hamlet at the National Theatre in London, Charleston must also contend with being diagnosed with AIDS. Scott will receive an award at the festival.

Film Gary M. Kramer This year’s Mill Valley Film Festival, October 1–11, will offer dozens of queer films, providing viewers an opportunity to see many of this year’s Oscar hopefuls in advance of their upcoming theatrical release. A Long Winter, by out gay filmmaker Andrew Haigh, is a period piece, set in the 1950s, based on a long short story by Colm Tóibín. The story addresses grief, as Mike (Fred Hechinger) grapples with queer desire while his family faces a series of crises. Clarissa, is an adaptation of Mrs. Dalloway, set in contemporary Nigeria in which Clarissa (Sophie Okonedo) is planning a party when she meets a young soldier (Fortune Nwafor). Out actress Ayo Edebiri has a supporting role as Sally, who loved Clarissa when they were younger. Coward is out gay writer/director Lukas Dhont’s drama about the relationship that develops between two soldiers, Francis (Valentin Campagne) and Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia), during WWI. The two leads shared the Best Actor prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Elsinore with out actor Andrew Scott is generating Oscar buzz for his performance

Fatherland is the latest work by great Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) returns to Germany with his adult daughter, Erika (Sandra Hüller), to receive a Goethe award. Mann’s gay son, Klaus (August Diehl), is also featured in this film. La Bola Negra, which will receive the festival’s ¡Viva el Cine! Award, tells three stories about “what it means to be gay.” The filmmakers—and former partners—Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, shared the Best Director prize at Cannes. La Gradiva is a highly regarded comingof-age film about a group of French teenagers, at least one of whom is gay, on a trip to Pompeii and Naples. The film won the Grand Prize at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Lady features the title character ( Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah), a female cab driver in Nigeria, reconnecting with her friend Pinky (Amanda Uroh), a sex worker. The Man I Love, by out gay writer/director Ira Sachs, stars Oscar-winner Rami Malek as a gay man with AIDS in 1980s New York. Mouse is a queer coming-of-age story set in 2002, about Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), a high school senior who loses her best friend, Callie (Chloe Coleman). While grieving, Minnie develops a bond with Callie’s mother (Sophie Okonedo). Out actor David Hyde Pierce has a supporting role. Rose features the title character (Sandra Hüller), who disguises herself as a male soldier and even marries a villager’s daughter (Caro Braun) to reap the benefits afforded to men in 17th century Germany. The short film, Swing Swish Sway, directed by TT Takemoto, is an experimental collage of images—from animals to a paintbrush to women’s bodies—that are meant to recall lesbian activist Rose Bamberger.

Coward

The Mill Valley Film Festival is also screening the classic 1944 noir Laura, featuring Dana Andrews as a detective trying to solve the murder of Laura (Gene Tierney), only to fall in love with the deceased. Clifton Webb delivers a deliciously catty performance as Waldo

Bitter Christmas

Lydecker, and the fabulous supporting cast includes Vincent Price as a gigolo. Three films screening at the festival were available for preview. Tangles is an excellent black and white animated feature, based on Sarah Leavitt’s eponymous graphic novel. Sarah (Abbi Jacobson) has always seen her mother, Midge ( Julia Louis-Dreyfus), as her hero. When she returns home to Maine for a visit, she notices something off about Midge and is concerned. Her mother is eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As Sarah processes her emotions and the impact this has on her family, images, such as wading through water, convey the difficulties of her situation. She commits to caregiving for her mother, but Sarah may have to sacrifice her relationship with Donimo (Samira Wiley) back in San Francisco. Tangles captures the pain of seeing a parent slip away in a series of heartbreaking, tear-jerking moments. This is a beautiful and poignant film full of love. Bring tissues. Gay icon Pedro Almódovar’s Bitter Christmas is a remarkable exploration of inspiration. The film opens in 2004 with Elsa (Bárbara Lennie), a director of two cult films, suffering from migraines. The film soon jumps ahead to 2026, when Raúl (Leonardo Sbaraglia, resembling Almódovar), a successful gay filmmaker, is struggling to write a new script. As Elsa builds a new film from women she knows, Raúl appropriates a real-life situation from his just-retired assistant, Mónica (Aitana Sámchez-Gijón). The parallel narratives are the same, but different, and it takes a while for them to build to a payoff. Almódovar is examining care, pain, and grief here, but he is also providing a self-critical (and self-reflexive) piece of autofiction. Even if the narratives fold in on themselves, viewers will appreciate Almódovar’s trademark use of bold colors and a fun appearance by Rossy de Palma as one of Elsa’s friends). Bitter Christmas is a canny meta-movie, however, milage may vary for the director’s fans. Elephants in the Fog, directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, is set in southern Nepal, where the third-gender Pirati (Pushpa Thing Lama) is “mother” to Joon (Sahab Din Miya), Chameli ( Jasmin Bishwokarma), and Aspara (Aliz Ghimire). Pirati is respected by their elder, Guru Mata

(Umesha Pandey), and is being considered to become a leader of the Kinnar community. However, Pirati is romantically involved with Junge (Ashant Sharma), and when the couple talks about leaving, it prompts a fight between Pirati and Aspara. When Aspara’s wig is found in the forest, where elephants run wild, Pirati investigates the disappearance, suspecting MJ (Sanjeev Gupta), whom Aspara may have had a relationship with. Although the police are unhelpful, an inspector (Akanchha Karki) does assist Pirati by passing along some useful information. However, Gurung Dai (Maotse Gurung) asks the third-genders to leave the village because they are causing trouble. Elephants in the Fog is an absorbing

story about family, community, and transphobia—Aspara’s biological family play a role in the story. Providing a glimpse into a fascinating subculture, the film illustrates the power, determination, and resilience of these third-gender characters. © 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

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Bea Arthur: The Documentary Reveals From Late Great Actress ‘I’ve Done Everything But Porn’ What a career! The name Bea Arthur is certainly familiar to our readers, perhaps as television characters Maude or Dorothy Zbornak, but we doubt that you know the variety, breadth, and depth of her career, much less her personal life. We recently spoke with Dan Watt, who spent the last years of Bea’s life by her side sharing Hollywood stories, Broadway memories, and casual suppers together. From that rare glimpse into the life of this extraordinary woman, Dan has produced a documentary film that will premiere in San Francisco at The Balboa Theatre on October 12—after showings at The Orinda Theatre—and we can’t wait to join you there. Bea’s early fascination with acting and stage performance led her to New York City’s New School, where she received training that would carry through her entire life, leading to roles in New York productions in the 1940s before there was an Off-Broadway like The Three Penny Opera, then the role of Yente in the Broadway premiere of Fiddler on the Roof, and starring opposite Angela Lansbury in Mame earning Bea a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Com-

Bea was 49 years old when her friend Norman Lear invited her to guest-star in the hit television series All in the Family as the one character who faced off with Archie Bunker without trepidation. Her appearance was so impressive to CBS executives that they insisted she have her own series. And so the character and series Maude was born, bringing her to the attention of many of our readers and leading to an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977. Surprisingly to many, she chose to end her role as Maude after six seasons, explaining that she thought the character had said what she had to say ... a remarkable choice for the lead in a wildly successful television series. In 1985, Bea was presented with the opportunity that brought her into many of our lives, a co-starring role in The Golden Girls. As Dorothy Zbornak, she became an instant favorite as the sane anchor in this

crazy Miami home, tackling controversial topics, addressing outdated stereotypes, and delivering perfectly timed one-liners. The role earned Bea her second Emmy in 1988. After seven seasons, she chose to end her role and The Golden Girls wrapped in 1992, quickly going into endless reruns across the nation and in many of our own Gay bars. After so many disparate successes over such a long career, Bea Arthur came to San Francisco in 2001 with An Evening With Bea Arthur, a one-woman tour de force. Here’s where our life intersected with hers. As part of the promotion for the show, we joined popular film expert and now fellow San Francisco Bay Times columnist Jan Wahl at A Different Light Bookstore in the Castro (the location is now Fabulosa Books) for an intimate interview and brief Golden Girls Look-Alike Contest. After years of admiring Bea Arthur, I was thrilled to spend an hour or so in her lively company, relishing her stories, enjoying her candor, and sharing a bit of San Francisco with her. The place was packed and Bea beamed. After our little impromptu event, she offered us as many tickets as we wanted to the show at the Alcazar Theatre and we gladly brought nearly two rows of admirers. With just Bea and Billy Goldenberg on piano, out came memories, songs, and laughter. This is probably the closest we ever got to what Dan Watt shared with Bea Arthur for nearly seven years and now he is sharing that experience with us.

Bea Arthur

Broadway and Hollywood stories, and to get a glimpse into the things that continued to interest Bea Arthur for her entire life. This woman knew and/or worked with Tallulah Bankhead, Sid Caesar, Lucille Ball, Norman Lear, Dame Edna, and Coco Peru. She was on the frontlines in the (continued on page 44)

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN WATT

We can’t wait to see interviews with some of her friends, to hear some of the timeless

THE GOLDEN GIRLS WIKI AT FANDOM

edy Role in 1966. But audition opportunities were limited for Bea, offering few roles for a woman of her physical stature and deep vocal delivery. It was not until television called that Bea Arthur became a household name.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN WATT

By Donna Sachet

Dan Watt and Bea Arthur 30

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Three Cinematic Getaways By the end of Shirley Valentine, we’ve joined her working in a Greek taverna and turning her life into a beautiful Greek fable.

Off the Wahl Jan Wahl

It’s really easy to travel through the movies. If it has been a summer at home, we can always turn to film for a trip to somewhere exotic or amazing. My first stop is the LGBTQ-friendly town of Mykonos, Greece. In 1989’s romantic comedy-drama Shirley Valentine, a bored housewife from Liverpool, England, finds her life changed when she gets invited by a girlfriend to Greece. Shirley decides to open up her life and begins a hot affair with a local guy. Her sexual awakening is appealing whether you are gay or straight. Imagine rocking on a beautiful Grecian sea on a boat with the perfect lover. A famous line from this movie is, “He even kissed my stretch marks.”

Let’s go south to “Down Under” for the beloved Australian comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). Two drag artists plus a transgender woman leave Sydney, Australia, in a battered lavender bus, heading toward a remote desert resort to perform a cabaret show. Along the way, they face harsh hostility from some locals and form touching bonds with others. It’s easy to fall in love with this flamboyant trio, especially Bernadette, beautifully played by Terence Stamp. This international hit and cultural landmark shows us Australia’s Outback. There is so much heartfelt storytelling that I often call this movie my favorite Father’s Day film, due to a remarkable scene at the end

tion in Paris with his spoiled fiancée when he begins to encounter Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dalí, Gertrude Stein, and Pablo Picasso. It is shot entirely on location across Paris, and we really soak in that magical city’s architecture, museums, and cafés.

where one of our queens reconciles with his son. A famous line while climbing Watarrka National Park’s mountain is, “Three cocks on a rock in a frock.” Today, it is known as Kings Canyon Rim Walk, with a crevasse named “Priscilla’s Crack” in honor of the film. Stamp should have been nominated for Best Actor, but at least the movie won Oscar gold for Best Costume Design. I used to think that Annie Hall was my favorite Woody Allen film until I saw 2011’s fantasy-comedy Midnight in Paris. A nostalgic screenwriter is on vaca-

Writer-director Allen transports us to 1920s Paris and brings us forward to explore the theme of finding happiness in the present rather than the past. Though it won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, it’s amazing how many people haven’t seen this film. Turn down the lights, uncork the champagne, and appreciate a truly brilliant film. 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.

Top of your stack Recommendations from Book Passage

Parita (fiction - hardcover) by Barbara Kingsolver

Livia Cable has made her peace with her marriage and modest livelihood in the farm country where she grew up, until a shocking phone call from an old lover shakes her to the core. Decades earlier, this man knew her as Livia Bohusz, a music conservatory student estranged from her home and family, uncertain of anything except her passion for music and promise as an extraordinary pianist. His request, now, to see her again stirs up ghosts she’s kept at bay for a lifetime. With razor-sharp acuity and deep affection, Pulitzer Prize-winner Barbara Kingsolver’s unforgettable new novel reflects on class barriers, the risks of ambition, and the timeless love affair between life and art. Hollywood, Ending (fiction - hardcover) by John Green For rising young actors Kai Laramie and Juniper Castillo, being cast in the buzzy biopic Andy Warhol Never Gets Old is the opportunity they’ve both been waiting for. They’re on the verge of breaking out, and maybe even falling in love. Soon, the movie is blowing up, and so are their lives in exciting, but also terrifying, 32

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

ways. Hollywood, Ending is a deeply observed novel about the tension between a public and a private life, and finding your safe someone to hold onto. Tender, heartbreaking, and shrewdly funny, this is a story as only John Green can tell it. Actually, Nevermind (essays hardcover) by Taylor Tomlinson

As she approaches thirty-four—the same age her mother, Angela, was at her death—acclaimed comedian Taylor Tomlinson grapples with fear and ambition, identity and doubt, and all the ways her mind has changed since the day her mom died. With the same unflinching honesty that fuels her beloved stand-up specials, she captures the dizzying contradictions of adulthood in the modern world: wanting independence while craving reassurance, chasing self-improvement while resisting change, and finally learning that certainty can be overrated. Upcoming Events Monday, September 28 @ 6 pm (ticketed, Calvary Presbyterian) Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, I Want to Be Famous: When Everybody and Nobody Is a Celebrity We are honored to welcome Bobby Finger & Lindsey Weber to Calvary Presbyterian for an evening celebrat-

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

ing the release of I Want to Be Famous: When Everybody and Nobody Is a Celebrity, a sharp, funny examination of fame in the digital era and what makes our hunger for it equally alluring and embarrassing. Friday, October 2 @ 6 pm (non-ticketed, Corte Madera store) Kiliii Yüyan, Guardians of Life Join award-winning National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan for an event celebrating his new photography book, Guardians of Life. This book takes readers on a transformative journey to people living in relationship with their ancestral homelands while upholding the sovereign rights of Indigenous peoples to care for their lands and waters. Sunday, October 4 @ 4 pm (ticketed, Corte Madera store) Mahmoud Khalil, No Land to Stand On: Notes From Detention A work of courage and resistance, No Land to Stand On is a call to integrity, to staying true to one’s life’s mission, and to defending the inalienable right to safety, freedom, and a land to stand on. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian born in a refugee camp in Syria, gained prominence during the Columbia University student protests against the war in Gaza. https://www.bookpassage.com

Viva Commotion: ‘Who Says Faith and Fabulousness Cannot Exist Together?’ one needs help, he finds a way to mobilize people who can provide it.

Kippy Marks Viva Commotion—known to many as Lito Wilson—has become one of those rare figures whose influence can be felt long before they arrive. His work moves through the LGBTQI+, BIPOC, and marginalized communities like a bright current, connecting people who might never have crossed paths and reminding them that joy is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Her Most Absolute Supreme Majesty Queen Mother Viva Commotion is a community advocate, entertainer, faither leader, and Founder of The Barony Foundation of California. Viva is also known as Bishop Monolito “Lito” Green-Wilson. Whether he is uplifting performers, organizing charitable efforts, or amplifying voices that deserve center stage, Viva’s impact radiates outward with intention and care. As a steward within the Barony, Viva has helped shape spaces where tradition and innovation coexist. He brings a cultural fluency that honors lineage while opening doors for new storytellers, new leaders, and new forms of expression. His leadership is not about spotlight; it’s about scaffolding. He builds structures that allow others to rise, thrive, and be seen. His charitable work is equally rooted in purpose. Viva understands that community care requires more than enthusiasm; it requires consistency, followthrough, and the willingness to show up even when the applause has faded. He has supported fundraisers, benefit shows, and grassroots efforts that directly serve LGBTQI+ youth, BIPOC artists, and neighbors navigating hardship. His approach is simple: if some-

What makes Viva Commotion a defining example of PMLE (Practice Makes Love Easy) is his ability to turn celebration into service. He knows that movement can be healing, that performance can be a form of advocacy, and that gathering people together—especially those who have been historically pushed to the margins—creates a kind of collective strength that cannot be replicated any other way. His work reminds us that community is not an abstract concept; it’s a practice, a rhythm, a commitment.

Kippy Marks: Tell us more about that early time in your life. Viva Commotion: I was around 15 years old when I first made the decision to serve others through ministry. However, activism became deeply personal to me as I entered adulthood and began facing life’s challenges. By 18, I was raising two children and had already endured experiences that forced me to grow Viva Commotion up quickly. Those experiences strengthened my commitment to become the kind of person I once needed—someone who listens, encourages, protects, and creates opportunities for others.

As the twentieth individual to be recognized in this column, Viva embodies the PMLE mission by showing that love becomes easier when we choose to share it boldly. Their legacy is one of uplift, cultural stewardship, and joyful activism—proof that when we move with purpose, we make room for others to move with freedom. Kippy Marks: How long have you been involved with the practicing of PMLE values in your work? Viva Commotion: I have practiced the values of love, acceptance, and service for most of my life. I entered ministry at 15 years old, and since then, my work has centered on creating spaces where people—especially Black, LGBTQIA+ and marginalized individuals—feel seen, valued, and celebrated. Whether I am serving through ministry, producing community events, performing as Viva Commotion, or leading The Barony Foundation of California, love remains at the heart of everything I do.

Kippy Marks: What advice would you give to others on how to practice love on the daily?

Kippy Marks: Who or what motivated you to become the community activist you are today? Viva Commotion: My life experiences motivated me. I know what it feels like to be rejected, misunderstood, and made to believe that you do not belong. I also know the power of someone showing up for you when you need it most. Losing my mother at 17, becoming a young parent, surviving personal hardships, and witnessing the struggles within the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities taught me that love must be more than something we talk about; it must become something we demonstrate.

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

After completing recent medical treatments and navigating a serious health scare, I realized that it was time to strengthen my foundation and return to my first love— ministry—while still holding on to my fabulousness. Who says faith and fabulousness cannot exist together?

Practicing love does not require a title, a large platform, or a lot of money. Sometimes love is simply being present. We should also remember to practice love toward ourselves. We cannot continually pour from an empty cup. Resting, setting boundaries, and protecting our peace are also acts of love.

I am currently continuing my work as Queen Mother Viva Commotion and leading The Barony Foundation of California as we renew, refresh, and restore our commitment to the community. We are developing fundraisers, celebrations, and outreach programs that support LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, youth, and other underserved communities. I am also continuing my creative work through theatre, film, and live entertainment, using storytelling as another vehicle for healing, representation, and change.

Kippy Marks: If you were granted two universal wishes, what would you wish for? Viva Commotion: My first wish would be for every person—regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or economic status—to experience genuine equality, safety, and dignity.

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

PHOTO BY MOSES GREEN

Viva Commotion

each day: “How can I make someone’s burden lighter today?” The answer does not always require a grand gesture. It might mean sharing information, making a phone call, offering encouragement, creating a safe space, or connecting someone with a resource.

Viva Commotion: Begin with the people directly in front of you. Listen without preparing a response. Offer grace before judgment. Check on the person who has grown quiet. Give someone a compliment. Support a community business. Apologize when you are wrong, and forgive when you are ready.

My second wish would be that no child or young person ever feel unwanted, unloved, or forced to face homelessness simply because of who they are. Every young person deserves a safe home, supportive adults and the freedom to become everything God created them to be.

Viva Commotion

PHOTO BY MOSES GREEN

Practice Makes Love Easy

I have also been inspired by courageous community leaders and elders, including Marsha P. Johnson and my drag mentor, Dorian Corey. Their examples taught me that activism can wear many faces. It can look like marching, mentoring, fundraising, performing, feeding people, or simply refusing to let someone feel invisible.

Kippy Marks: Please share any current practices that our readers may find useful, and update us on what you are doing now. Viva Commotion: One practice I have embraced is asking myself a simple question

My current practice is to lead with love, remain teachable, and create room at the table for others. Practice really does make love easier—but we must choose to practice it every day. Dubbed San Francisco’s “King of Strings,” Kippy Marks is a spirited solo 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 to create 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.

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

Sister Dana sez, “Is everybody excited about the upcoming Folsom Street Fair? You don’t have to wear leather or kink or fetish gear to attend the Fair; but it sure helps!!!” Folsom Street Fair is an annual kink, leather subculture, and alternative sexuality street fair, typically held in late September that concludes San Francisco’s “Leather Pride Week.” The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes referred to simply as “Folsom Fair,” takes place on the last Sunday in September, on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th streets, in San Francisco’s South of Market district. This year the Fair will magically materialize on September 27, 11 am–6 pm. The American president (I try to forget his name) has called his War Against Iran “small potatoes.” I had never heard this expression before and had to look it up. “Insignificant issues: You use it to describe a problem or amount that is very small compared to a larger, worse issue.” In the real world, so far the Rump’s War has left 18 U.S. Service Members dead, and has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion. Sister Dana sez, “I think Trump meant to say that his BRAIN is small potatoes!”

Convicted Felon Trump has pledged $5,000 to every American Republican after (he hopes) the Congressional Republicans win the midterm election. This is not only a blatant lie, but also, he is “buying” voters that might have switched parties until they heard the enticing monetary bribe to vote red not blue. Sister Dana sez, “But isn’t this an illegal, unlawful act for a President? Oh, that’s right—I forgot that there is NO LAW that this plutocratic autocrat cannot break and get away with!”

Sister Dana Van Iquity (aka Dennis McMillan) with contributing photographer Chris Michaelson and San Francisco Bay Times Co-Publisher/Co-Editor Jennifer Viegas at the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA) Convention, at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero on Saturday, September 12. NLGJA presented its Legacy Award for 2026 to the San Francisco Bay Times.

bration of queer life and community connection. This year’s theme, “Where We Belong,” honors the Castro as a place where generations of LGBTQIA+ people have found community, safety, visibility and joy, and affirms that the neighborhood remains a beacon of freedom and diversity today.

ple belong. Where drag belongs. Where chosen family belongs. Where hope belongs. Where We Belong! Sister Dana sez, “For all us FAIRies and lovers of fairs, these last few weeks offer a FAIR amount of fun. Allow me to end this edition with a fanFAIRe: tah daaah!!!”

The theme also creates space for a broader declaration of belonging: Where trans peo-

Castro Street Fair is on October 4, 11 am–6 pm. Founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, the Castro Street Fair began as a celebration of gay-owned businesses and the vitality of the Castro neighborhood. More than five decades later, the Fair continues that legacy by bringing together LGBTQIA+ people, neighbors, families, artists, performers, merchants, community organizations, and allies for a joyful cele-

Sister Dana Van Iquity (second from left) with (left to right) Beth Schnitzer, Warren Alderson, and Steve Scheitlin at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the NLGJA Convention awards ceremony where the San Francisco Bay Times was honored

PHOTO BY MICHAEL KIRSCHNER

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

“Once you start reading War Boys, you will not, cannot, put it down. And by book’s end, you will be changed. Jason Prokowiew’s memoir is a tremendous feat of research, reporting, writing, and heart work. Never have I read a story that depicts family abuse with such vulnerability, compassion, and insight. This book is a marvel. And this author is an exciting new voice in memoir,” said Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father.

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

PHOTO BY MICHAEL KIRSCHNER

War Boys by Jason Prokowiew is an extraordinary exploration of a family experiencing intergenerational trauma: an adult son seeking to understand his terrifying and abusive father, interwoven with a biography of his father, who experienced unimaginable horrors as a child during World War II. Prokowiew was in conversation with Bud Gundy followed by an audience Q&A on September 14 at Fabulosa Books.

Sports

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

More Than the Score

This month reminds me that sports are about so much more than the final score. From international competition and community races to personal memories and the anticipation of what’s ahead, it’s often the people we meet, the places sports take us, and the connections we make along the way that stay with us longest. Golden Again—With a Valkyries Connection While I didn’t make it to Berlin for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, I followed the action as Team USA continued its remarkable international dynasty and offered another glimpse of what we can look forward to when the world gathers in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games. Team USA rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to defeat France in the championship game, capturing its fifth consecutive and 12th overall World Cup title. The matchup was a rematch of the thrilling 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game, when the U.S. edged France by one point. It was wonderful to see so many of the WNBA’s stars representing Team USA, including Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier,

From the international stage to a beautiful Saturday morning in the East Bay, I had the chance to experience Beer City Run Bishop Ranch in San Ramon for the second time, although I wasn’t one of the runners!

Golden State Valkyries guard Gabby Williams in action for France during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 36

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase spoke with Team USA’s Breanna Stewart on the sideline during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

achievements on the court, and Carillo’s enduring impact as a player, broadcaster, and storyteller. (continued on page 37)

After crossing the finish line, participants collected their commemorative shirts and medals, grabbed bananas, nutrition bars, and plenty of hydration, and then many headed toward the post-race craft beer festival with their custom tasting glasses in hand.

GETTYIMAGES/GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES

The event offered something for just about everyone: a half marathon,

I also couldn’t help noticing people wearing race bibs that said “Beer Stroll.” A little intel revealed that this was the one-mile walking option. Now that’s a race I might be able to get behind!

I was there with my client Discover San Ramon, which had an activation at the festival, giving me a perfect vantage point to take it all in. On a gorgeous East Bay Saturday, it was wonderful to see fitness, local businesses, and community come together, another

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH SCHNITZER

Beth Schnitzer

Defense has become a hallmark of Nakase’s Valkyries, and there was an intriguing familiar face on the other side of the championship matchup: Golden State’s own Gabby Williams, captain of Team France. Williams was named the World Cup’s Best Defensive Player and earned a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Five. Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün also represented France and was named to the All-Second Team, while Valkyries athletic trainer Katelin Knox came home with gold as part Team USA players and staff celebrate their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup gold medal. of Team USA. 10K and 5K, plus a one-mile Beer Stroll, reminder of how sporting experiences can all followed by a craft beer festival featuring bring people together in so many different The Bay Area was well represented on the local brewers. The weekend even kicked off ways. world stage! the night before with a pre-race party. A Hall of Fame Trip Down Memory And now attention turns back to the With courses winding around the lake, Lane WNBA. The first round of the playoffs tips off September 27, followed by the semifinals local trails, and the Iron Horse Trail, it was And speaking of sports traditions and mema gorgeous setting for a run. I spent much on October 4 and the best-of-seven WNBA ories, I found myself glued to the Interof my time near the finish line and loved Finals beginning October 17. national Tennis Hall of Fame induction watching runners of different ages, shapes, ceremony on TV and Instagram, watchCongratulations, Team USA, and Natalie! sizes, and backgrounds come through the ing Mary Carillo and Roger Federer reflect Let’s go Valkyries! chute. That diversity, and the energy and on their remarkable careers. Both speeches Running, Strolling & Raising a Glass encouragement surrounding them, was one sent me rewinding through decades of tenof my favorite parts of the day. in San Ramon nis memories, Federer’s extraordinary

GETTYIMAGES/GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES

Beth’s Bay Area Sports Beat

GETTYIMAGES/GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES

Angel Reese, and Breanna Stewart, who was named tournament MVP. But for me, there was an especially exciting Golden State connection: Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase served as an assistant coach for Team USA.

Sports

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

SQUASHTV/COURTESY OF BETH SCHNITZER

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

SQUASHTV/COURTESY OF BETH SCHNITZER

(continued from page 36) Mary’s induction was particularly meaningful for me. I met her many years ago with my mom at the WISE (Women in Sports and Events) Women of the Year luncheon in New York, where Mary was being honored by our national organization. When my dear friend Bess Brodsky, a former WISE board colleague, told me she attended the Hall of Fame ceremony, those memories came rushing back.

BAY TIMES

Sivasangari Subramaniam (Malaysia) competed in a Silicon Valley Open squash

Listening to Mary and match against Olivia Weaver (USA) Roger reflect on the players race around the court and somehow people and experiences that shaped their return shots that seem impossible to reach. remarkable journeys reminded me that And unlike many major professional sportsports are about so much more than wins ing events, squash offers an intimate experiand losses. They’re also about the connecence where fans can get remarkably close to tions we make, the memories we carry, and the action, and the athletes. the communities that become part of our own life stories. This year’s tournament will bring 48 elite players, 24 women and 24 men, representWorld-Class Squash Comes to ing 14 countries and territories to RedSilicon Valley wood City. Even better, they’ll compete for $260,000 in equal prize money for women One of the sporting events I’m most excited and men, something I’m particularly about this fall is the Silicon Valley Open thrilled to see. presented by Oracle NetSuite, returning to Squash Zone in Redwood City October One of the things I love about squash is its 20–24, and this one is particularly close to international reach, with competitors commy heart. ing from across the globe, including the United States, Egypt, England, France, I’ve been involved with professional squash Peru, Malaysia, Japan, India, and Ukraine, for more than a decade and have become which especially caught my attention given absolutely addicted to watching the sport. my own family roots. I attend the Tournament of Champions in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal And there’s another reason to get to know each year and have watched many of these some of these names now: come 2028, many athletes climb the world rankings and win could be representing their countries when major tournaments. squash makes its long-awaited Olympic If you’ve never watched professional squash debut in Los Angeles. After following this live, prepare to be amazed. The speed, athsport and these athletes for so many years, leticism, and intensity are incredible. Some- I can’t tell you how exciting it will be to times my eyes can barely keep up as the finally see squash on the Olympic stage.

Olivia Weaver (USA) shook hands with Sivasangari Subramaniam (Malaysia) at a Silicon Valley Open squash match

For Bay Area fans who want a taste of the action, tournament week will begin on Tuesday, October 20, with a free Fan Fest from 4:30–6:30 pm, where kids and families can meet professional players and enjoy activities before opening-round matches that evening. The semifinals will take place Friday, October 23, followed by the women’s and men’s finals on Saturday, October 24.

Signing off from the Bay, where passion meets the play. Beth Schnitzer is the Co-Founder and President of Spritz and the former President of WISE (Women in Sports and Events).

SQUASHTV/COURTESY OF BETH SCHNITZER

I’ll be there throughout the tournament, and I hope some of you will join me in Red-

wood City. If you’ve never experienced professional squash up close, this may be the perfect time to discover why I became hooked. More info is at https://siliconvalleyopen.com/

Silicon Valley Open Squash Court S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Co-Milled Olive Oils: A Little Bit of Magic for Your Pantry

Roberta Klugman

By Roberta Klugman Co-milled, sometimes called co-crushed, olive oils are made by milling fresh olives together with another fresh ingredient, such as citrus, herbs, vegetables, or spices. These require the same expertise, talent, and dedication to quality from grove to mill as extra virgin olive oils. Because extra virgin olive oil is made with just olives, co-milled oils containing another ingredient cannot be labeled extra virgin olive oil. They inspire cooking and creativity in the kitchen and are a flavorful shortcut for the pantry. As Summer Thompson, senior buyer at Market Hall Foods, explains: “Co-milled oils are an excellent staple for serious home cooks. Essential when what you need most is a splash of bright flavor. With so many flavor options, and all of them so versatile, you really can’t go wrong.” The Original Co-Milled Olive Oil The original lemon olive oil, Agrumato, from Lanciano in Abruzzo, Italy, was first commercialized in the United States in the early 1990s by founder Francesco G. M. Ricci. By crushing fresh citrus together with olives, Ricci established a new category of olive oil and a new word, Agrumato, to name the brand, which now includes several citrus oils.

Olive oil expert and Director of the Extra Virgin Alliance Alexandra Devarenne adds: “When done well, co-milled olive oils represent a high degree of craftsmanship and artistry. The miller must have perfect fresh olives of the right variety and maturity, while the flavoring ingredient be it fruit, herb, vegetable, or spice, must also be of high quality and fresh. Done well, co-milled olive oils taste natural and complex, balancing the fresh, vibrant notes of the added ingredient with clear, harmonious olive oil flavor.” Author’s Note For years, I was a skeptic about co-milled oils other than citrus oils. Few, if any, seemed to compare with the bright and harmonious Agrumato citrus oils. After all, they were the pioneers. Then, about 15 years ago, I had an a-ha moment with CaliVirgin’s Jalapeño Oil. I couldn’t wait to try it on corn on the cob or polenta, not to mention almost anything with avocado! For this article, over the course of several weeks, I invited people ranging in age from 5 to 75 and from all walks of life to taste these oils and tell me what they liked, what they didn’t, and how they would use these pantry gems. The group included chefs, food professionals, and olive oil buyers; nascent and seasoned home cooks; ER doctors; schoolteachers; and real estate agents. This compilation reflects those tasting sessions.

Agrumato olive oil surrounded by ingredients that can be co-milled with it

The Flavors

Chili/Chile

Citrus

Jalapeño may have started this trend, which now includes Calabrian, Fresno, Habanero, Hatch, Poblano, and more. Try Jalapeño with avocado and mango salads or on popcorn. Also look for Lime-Chili oils, where the olives are milled with limes and chilies, to enhance avocado salads and slow-baked fish.

The range of fresh citrus oils now includes Meyer Lemon, Makrut Lime, Blood Orange, Mandarin, Clementine, Yuzu, and Bergamot. They work beautifully in baked goods, over fresh fruit and delicate fish, and in aioli, dressings, and marinades when less acid is preferred. Try an orange oil over vanilla ice cream for the childhood memory of a Dreamsicle. Wow!

Basil When you want a taste of summer, grab a basil olive oil. It is also handy when the garden basil is gone and you want a caprese salad or need more basil for pesto. Garlic This oil is useful when your garlic has sprouted or you have run out. It is great for croutons and steamed vegetables, and less messy and time-consuming than fresh garlic. Combine it with basil oil for a quick pesto.

While Agrumato was the pioneer of this style of olive oil, today there is a growing selection of co-milled oils from producers in California and beyond. Since Agrumato is a brand, not a method or process, the term co-milled is used throughout this article.

Rosemary A pantry lifesaver for roasting potatoes, lamb dishes, and marinating feta and goat cheeses, rosemary olive oil can be used nearly any time your recipe calls for rosemary.

California Took It Further

Do expect to pay a little more for these oils. Yields are generally lower, and the milling process is more time-consuming than producing EVOO. Think of it as a kind of 38

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

A selection of olive oils at Market Hall Foods Oakland

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

PHOTO BY SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES

Spices

It didn’t take long for California producers to say, “We can do that, too.” Soon we had a range of citrus oils, including our beloved Meyer Lemon olive oil. By the 2000s, producers were looking beyond citrus, co-milling olives with ingredients such as jalapeño and basil. Today, we can choose from a stunning selection of co-milled oils featuring fruits, chilis, herbs, vegetables, and spices.

Try Ginger co-milled with Mandarins (43 Ranch) or Turmeric (McEvoy) to liven up grain dishes, pilafs, grilled poultry, and meats. 43 Ranch also suggests using its Ginger Mandarin in place of vegetable oil in a brownie mix. McEvoy Chai Spice is especially fun in a morning latte or on coffee ice cream. Also, these all would enhance East and South Asian inspired recipes. Try with noodle bowls, tofu, and dals. McEvoy’s Herbes de Provence works in omelets, on toast, or with roast chicken. (continued on page 39)

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA KLUGMAN

choreography: getting the olives and the flavoring ingredient to work together in just the right proportion and at the right time. As food consultant and NPR host Clark Wolf puts it: “The craft of co-milling well is no mean feat. When done precisely it can be magic.”

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

(continued from page 38) Alice Medrich on Co-Milled Oils

Stop the mixer and add one-third of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended, scraping the bowl as necessary. Stop the mixer and add half of the sherry. Beat just until incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour, followed by the remaining sherry, and then the remaining flour.

“After getting acquainted, my first instinct with these fun new oils is to make a favorite olive oil poundcake glazed with icing made of the same oil. Then I imagine making the ethereally thin and crispy French cookies called tuiles, substituting a co-milled oil for the butter and adding pinches of fresh herbs or zests or spices appropriate to the oil flavor. Or, I’ll make Cornmeal and Olive Oil Biscotti from my book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-You-Mouth Cookies (Artisan, 2010) and pour a little of the oil over the finished biscotti as well.” “What I love about co-milled oils is that they are not ‘flavored’ by the addition of some kind of ‘flavoring’ or extract after the

Roberta Klugman with Alice Medrich and friends outside of Market Hall Foods Oakland

fact. Honestly, I would run the other way if they were! The fact that the olives are crushed with a real (and often fresh) ingredient produces flavors that are nuanced and authentic; sometimes the flavor that comes through is an intriguing aspect of the fresh ingredient’s flavor that we might not ordinarily notice in that ingredient.”

McEvoy’s Chai Spice Olive Oil. Either way, you could also make the cake with a plain, but flavorful (preferably robust) extra virgin olive oil (plus the grated zest called for in the recipe), and save your co-milled citrus oil for the glaze.

Scrape the batter into the pan(s). Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 45–60 minutes for either the tube or loaf pans. Set the pan(s) on a rack for about 15 minutes before removing the cakes. For loaves lined with paper, simply lift the liners and set the loaves on the rack. Otherwise, detach the cakes by sliding a thin knife around the tube and sides of the tube pan, or just the sides of the loaf pans. Invert to remove the cake, then set them right-side-up on the rack to finish cooling. Make the glaze while the cake(s) are cooling: in a small bowl, gradually mix the citrus olive oil into the powdered sugar. Use a spoon or tiny pitcher to drizzle cake or loaves with glaze. Let the cake sit until the glaze is set. Slice with a serrated knife. Cake lasts for several days at room temperature in a closed container or several months in the freezer.

Makes one large tube cake or two loaves.

Citrus Olive Oil Poundcake With Citrus Glaze

Ingredients 3 cups (385g) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 large bright-skinned organic or pesticide-free orange—or a couple of tangerines or small lemons or limes, depending on the oil you are using 2 cups (400g) sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup (215g) extra virgin olive oil co-milled with orange, tangerine, lemon, bergamot, etc. 5 large cold eggs 1 cup medium (amontillado) or dry sherry

Adapted from Pure Dessert (Artisan 2007) by Alice Medrich Co-milled citrus olive oils—made by crushing just-picked olives with fresh citrus—make divinely fragrant and flavorful poundcakes easily finished with a drizzle of glaze made from the same oil! (And once you taste the amazing 2-ingredient glaze for this recipe, you’ll find a million excuses to use it.) A few tricks and substitutions: inexpensive grocery store sherry is perfectly fine for this cake, but you could also replace the sherry with milk, as I did for a version using

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA KLUGMAN

“I first encountered Agrumato—the traditional Italian olive oil from milling olives with citrus—so long ago I can’t remember. But our California producers are known to pick up (and run wild with) the best OldWorld traditions. Roberta recently introduced me to oils co-milled with all kinds of other, often unexpected, ingredients such as tomato, chai spice, lemon verbena— and chilies, of course. For me these were an invitation to play and create. I’ve drizzled Olivaia’s OLAmato tomato oil on garlic-rubbed toast and piled sliced tomatoes and torn basil on top. I’ve drizzled the same oil over air-popped popcorn and over eggs scrambled with scallions and fresh tomatoes, and I’ve made vinaigrette with it too. At first, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to wear or eat Corto’s Lemon Verbena Olive Oil, but it turned out to be transcendent on toast topped with a generous slather of marmalade.”

PHOTO BY SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES

Alice Medrich is an acclaimed chocolatier, pastry chef, and five-time James Beard award-winning cookbook author. She is credited with popularizing chocolate truffles in the United States at her influential dessert shop, Cocolat, in the 1970s, and her work continues to influence generations of pastry chefs and home cooks.

For Glaze 1/4 cup co-milled olive oil with citrus 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Alice Medrich

Directions

A dish made with co-milled olive oil

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA KLUGMAN

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (non-convection). Grease and flour the pans or line the loaf pans with parchment. Mix the flour and baking powder thoroughly and sift onto a piece of wax paper. Set aside. Finely grate the citrus zest directly into the bowl of the stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt, and citrus olive oil. Beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale, 3 to 4 minutes.

Where to Find Co-Milled Oils Bondolio Estate (Winters) $50/500ml Estate-grown olives are hand-harvested and milled within 90 minutes with either Hatch Chiles or Mandarin Oranges. Pre-order 2026 harvest oils and Olio Nuovo. Visit Sunday, December 13, 2026, for the Holiday Open House and meet Alice Medrich and sample recipes! https://www.bondolio.com/ Gold Ridge Organic Farms (Sebastopol) from $30/250ml Sample or buy online. They make the Meyer Lemon oil used in Alice’s recipe as (continued on page 40)

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

(continued from page 39) well as oils co-milled with Makrut Lime, Mandarin Kumquat, and Yuzu.

Sciabica are well distributed in area grocery stores. At Olive This Olive That in San Francisco, taste ENZO co-milled oils.

https://www.goldridgeorganicfarms.com/

Roberta Klugman is a ceaseless champion of olive oil. Her work with producers, brands, retailers, and organizations has fostered awareness about the uses and benefits of extra virgin olive oil and helped build consumer preference for olive oil. She is a recipient of the California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award, and serves as Co-Chair of the Good Food Awards Oil Committee.

43 Ranch (Ardo, Central Coast) $26/250ml These are new harvest co-milled oils and Olio Nuovo available for pre-order. They custom mill award-winning oils for other growers. https://43ranch.com McEvoy Ranch (Petaluma) from $14.95/100ml McEvoy is a pioneer of the California olive oil renaissance, with vibrant oils. Visitors are welcome. https://www.mcevoyranch.com/ Milled at 43 Ranch, Olivaia expanded to co-milled oils last harvest to complement their EVOOs, including tomato oils with pepper/heat or dill. Restaurants using it include Chez Panisse, Seven Hills, and Crudo & Nudo in Los Angeles. As of this writing it is available, but check for availability and timing of the new harvest oils, and pre-order their olio nuovo! https://www.olivaiaolive.com/

Olive Oil and Sherry Poundcake from the book Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICE MEDRICH

Olivaia OLAmato (Lindsay) $32/250ml

Agrumato $28.50/200ml The full line is available at Market Hall Foods Oakland and online: https://www.markethallfoods.com/ Corto $84 set of two 500/ml

Specialty Retailers In Bay Area stores, look for co-milled olive oils at Bi-Rite, Cheese Plus, Rainbow Grocery, and Market Hall Foods Oakland. Larger producers of such oils such as Cali-Virgin, ENZO, and

Alice Medrich and Roberta Klugman at Roberta’s birthday celebration

Roberta Klugman receiving the 2017 California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award 40

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA KLUGMAN

https://corto-olive.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA KLUGMAN

This year’s limited-edition gift set of two 500ml co-milled oils are Calabrian Chile and Horseradish! Online pre-order is required.

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

Go for the Gold: The Bounty of California’s Gold Country

The Gay Gourmet By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet (with considerable help from Jerry Lee, Sierra Repertory Theatre)

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY

We haven’t been back in a couple of decades. So, we were excited about the prospect of visiting again this fall. Unfortunately, a family emergency intervened. So, I asked my new pal, Jerry Lee (the gay artistic director of the popular Sierra Repertory Theatre in Columbia), if he might give us some thoughts about where to visit, and, more importantly, where to eat. Of course, he told me that “theatre is worth the journey, but there’s food worth staying for.” Herein are his recommendations. Jerry Lee: There are two things I love: theatre and great food. One of the great pleasures of making theatre in Tuolumne County is getting to introduce people to this place. Every year, thousands of theatergoers make the trip to Sonora and Columbia to see a show at Sierra Rep, and inevitably I get asked the other important question: Where should we eat?

Jerry Lee

Over the years, my husband and I (with our dogs) have taken numerous trips to California’s Gold Country, along state route 49 south of Sacramento. It’s an underrated, yet doable, 3-hour trip from the Bay Area. Visiting Sonora, Columbia, and Jamestown provides a historical glimpse into California’s past, especially insight into the 1849 gold rush boom—and what it meant for our state’s phenomenal growth. Plus, there’s rewarding hiking, shimmering lakes, apple orchards, stunning 19th century towns, and more.

Here are my answers. Actually, these are just my personal favorites. One of the things I love about eating around here is just how wonderfully eclectic the options can be. There’s a lot more than you might expect tucked into these little Gold Country towns, and there really is something for everybody.

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

Breakfast requires a trip to Papa’s New Roost. It is about as charming as you could possibly hope a breakfast joint would be! Then there are the Motherlode Cookies at The Sugar Shack. Kryptonite.

If I have to name my favorite restaurant, I’m going with Cocina Michoacana. Either location in Sonora. I love this place. The staff is incredibly friendly, the service is consistently terrific, and the Baja shrimp tacos are amazing.

For a cocktail, my pick is the Elderflower Collins at Perch at Chicken Ranch Casino Resort. Perch has also become a favorite dining experience for me and my partner. It’s a true event. I cannot talk about The Perch without mentioning the most important part: Dusty is the greatest server. He’s just the best. Great service can turn a good meal into a favorite restaurant, and Dusty has done exactly that for us.

For one of my quintessential Jerry orders, head to The Standard Pour and get the turkey Reuben or the grilled teriyaki salmon salad. The fries are ridiculously good, too, and there’s a great selection of IPAs. And the Brus-

Perch at Chicken Ranch Casino Resort 42

sel sprouts!! It’s exactly the kind of place I want after a long day at the theatre: relaxed, unfussy, really good food, and a beer.

And then there’s the (Tuolumne) burger. My favorite is the build-yourown burger from Barrow’s Café and Grill. I always add an egg. Tuolumne County is definitely burger country. In fact, Visit Tuolumne County (the local tourism bureau) has an online Craft Burger Trail where you can find eight great burger places. If you need help planning a visit, they’re the experts. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICKEN RANCH RESORT

I remember one trip where we stayed at the Jamestown Hotel and had an encounter with a ghost. It was a bit unsettling, but isn’t that part of the fun?

The Standard Pour restaurant

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

Of course, this barely scratches the surface. The Armory, Emberz, and St. Charles Saloon are just several of so many places worth discovering. Part of the fun is finding your own favorite. So, make a day of it. Wander through historic Columbia, or downtown Sonora. Have breakfast somewhere that feels like a real breakfast joint. Find a ridiculous cookie.

Have a cocktail. Eat something with a fried egg on it simply because you can. And, yes, come see a show. What is better than a great meal followed by a great night at the theatre? Sonora and Columbia give you plenty of opportunities for both. So, join us in the foothills and bring your appetite! David Landis: At Sierra Rep, future shows include Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors and Shrek the Musical. Other activities in Tuolumne County include: taking the railroad in Jamestown, staying at the beautifully remodeled and dog-friendly Hotel Lumberjack in Sonora, exploring Columbia State Historic Park (an authentic gold rush town where you can pan for gold and explore an historic working blacksmith shop), wine tasting at Inner Sanctum Cellars Winery, hard cider sampling at the Indigeny Reserve, and rappelling into the Moaning Cavern ( just outside Tuolumne in Calaveras County). Bits and Bites Sushi Ran might be my favorite Marin restaurant, and it’s celebrating 40 years in business. Congratulations! Restaurateur Yoshi Tome has some of the most tantalizing sushi in the Bay Area, and it’s definitely worth a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. In his comments to Marin Dish, Tome explains that the experience “is not just about expensive fish, but also about pristine, fresh rice, well-seasoned miso soup, flawless cooked greens, and a thoughtful Japanese-inspired cooked food menu. Simple is hard.” (continued on page 43)

Halloween is getting a little more terrifying in San Francisco. Nightmare Bar is returning to San Francisco at the Blue Light on Union Street this Halloween, running October 8–31, with immersive horror, cocktails, live entertainment, interactive games and spooky surprises. This year, Smirnoff Ice joins as an official partner, bringing exclusive Halloween cocktails and surprises to the experience. Each ticket includes a 90-minute immersive Halloween experience, with guests entering a world filled with themed cocktails, nibbles, interactive games, live entertainment, and appearances from

The Armory

Visit Tuolumne: www.visittuolumne.com Sierra Repertory Theatre: https://www.sierrarep.org/ Sushi Ran: https://sushiran.com/ Bruma: https://tinyurl.com/22dwjrxw Shinka: https://www.shinkasf.com/ Nightmare Bar: https://feverup.com/m/740427 Jerry Lee is Sierra Repertory Theatre’s (SRT) Artistic Director. He has appeared in the SRT productions of “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” and many more. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). A resident of the Gold Country, he lives in Sonora, California. David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. You can email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY

Shinka is a new fine-dining restaurant from Omakase Restaurant Group, opening this October on the ground floor of The Jay, Autograph Collection in San Francisco. Taking over the former Prelude space, Shinka will be led by Executive Chef Fumio Yonezawa, bringing together Japanese sensibilities and French technique through the ingredients of Northern California.

Nightmare Bar’s resident ghosts, ghouls, and creatures of the night.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY

(continued from page 42) In mid-October, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is opening Bruma, a new cocktail lounge and modern San Francisco salon. Tucked inside the hotel’s landmark 1909 building atop Nob Hill, it’s named for the Spanish word for “mist.” Bruma is built around the fog that settles over the neighborhood, the residential elegance of the block, and San Francisco’s own restless, Pacific-facing spirit. The concept draws on Nob Hill’s character and San Francisco’s history as a Pacific port city, with a beverage program built around four distinct passages—World’s Edge, Open Water, Golden City, and High Ground—each inspired by a different facet of the city’s geography and mood. Signature rituals include a tableside martini service chilled with liquid nitrogen, and a reimagined Nob Hill Pisco Punch finished with a pineapple brûlée.

S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026

BEA ARTHUR (continued from pg 30) battle against stigma and ignorance about AIDS from its earliest days, often in the background and against the advice of others. She carefully selected charitable causes that resonated with her, making personal appearances and monetary contributions. When Dan asked her how she wanted to be remembered, she thoughtfully replied, “as a classically trained actress who hopefully left something behind that people enjoyed.” Mission accomplished, Bea Arthur.

Le Creuset 4.5-Quart Dutch Oven in New Color, Nectar Warmed by the sun and sweetened by nature, Nectar evokes the honeyed warmth of a late summer harvest. The iconic Le Creuset Dutch oven is indispensable in the kitchens of home cooks and professional chefs alike. $419.99

So, please join us on Monday, October 12, at 7:30 pm for Bea Arthur, The Documentary with a Q&A with Producer and Director Dan Watt afterwards. We can hardly wait!

Mahogany 100% Indian Cotton Table Linens Beautiful hand-screened prints are on tablecloths in two sizes with matching placemats, table runners, and napkins also available. 60”x90” $59.99 and 60”x120” $67.99

Bea Arthur, The Documentary The Orinda Theatre Saturday, October 10, 6:30pm Sunday, October 11, 1:15 pm https://www.orindamovies.com/ The Balboa Theater Monday, October 12, 7:30 pm https://www.balboamovies.com/ 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

Visit the Castro Street Cam & Enjoy the Views!

Presented by the San Francisco Bay Times in partnership with Cliff ’s Variety, Orphan Andy’s, and SoulCycle

Watch 24/7 livestreaming views of The Castro Theatre, along with other landmarks. www.sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/

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

As Heard on the Street . . . What is a favorite book? compiled by Rink

Aaron Boot-Haury

Imani Brown

“No Thanks, I’m Just Looking by Harry J. Friedman. This classic sales-training book taught me how to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, a skill that serves me well today.”

“The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith”

SAN F RANCISCO BAY T I ME S

S E PT E MB E R 24 , 2 0 2 6

Juan Torres

“A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice”

Dawn Dzurilla

“The Secret, an inspiration”

Peggy Sue

“For months now I have been obsessed with Love in a F---ed Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together by Dean Spade.”

Bay Times Dines

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING SIX DECADES Est. 1978

The Dreamforce Draque: What to Drink When the Cloud Falls Down Cocktails With Dina by Dina Novarr

At 12:50 am on September 16, 2026, Salesforce’s login service began waiting on a response that wasn’t coming. By morning, pipelines had vanished, logins had failed, and teams across every region were relearning an old truth: when the cloud falls down, most of modern work becomes people staring at a loading screen. This all happened during Dreamforce, when Salesforce hosted over 40,000 people to hear about the frictionless, intelligent future of enterprise software. Ironically, parts of the machinery meant to deliver that future spent hours down. There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about a crisis that ends in humans improvising around a broken system. Roughly 440 years ago, another ambitious operation found itself in the exact same posture. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake’s men were dying of scurvy off Florida, so a shore party went looking for a fix and came back with chuchuhuasi, an Amazonian bark, muddled with aguardiente, lime, sugar, and mint. It worked. History filed it under El Draque, the first recorded cocktail, and Havana bartenders later refined the formula, dropped the bark, swapped in rum, and called it a mojito. Nobody remembers the bark. The infrastructure disappears; the interface gets remembered.

Chuchuhuasi

adaptability was the whole point of the original story, and a sliver of chuchuhuasi, if you can find it. Shake it. Pour over ice. Slap the mint. Drink to the oldest resilience strategy on record: when the system fails, the humans find a way. No cloud is required. The Dreamforce Draque A 440-year-old resilience strategy, updated for a modern outage Ingredients 1 lime, cut into wedges 2 tsp sugar 4–6 mint leaves 2 oz aguardiente or white rum chuchuhuasi, to infuse the spirit for up to an hour beforehand, if available ice

Chuchuhuasi’s name literally translates to “trembling back,” which reads as either a diagnosis of arthritis or an accurate summary of watching your CRM go down mid-keynote. Researchers poking at it since the 1980s keep finding the same theme: it settles the body down when everything is inflamed. This, squint a little, is also what an AI harness is supposed to do for your infrastructure. One has been in production for four centuries. The other is still in presentation mode.

Add the lime, sugar, and mint to a rocks glass and muddle it like you’ve personally been assigned the incident ticket, but nobody’s given you admin access. Add the aguardiente or rum and fill with ice. Stir thoroughly, or shake briefly and strain back over ice if you want the sugar fully dissolved. Garnish with a slapped mint sprig. Drink while refreshing the status page.

So, while the status page refreshes and someone’s Slack fills with “still down for me,” muddle lime, mint, and sugar in a rocks glass. Add aguardiente or rum, because

San Francisco-based Dina Novarr enjoys sharing her passion for fine wines, spirits, non-alcoholic craft beverages, and more with others. S AN F R AN C IS C O BAY T IM ES

S EPT EM BER 24, 2026