Rules for Castro Rainbow Flag
Coming Soon from Merchants Group?

(Yours truly at the February 2 MUMC meeting. To my left is Matthew Bajko of the BAR. Credit: Bill Wilson.)

Yesterday morning was the monthly meeting of the Merchants of Upper Market/Castro, held at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center, and I attended to observe the group in action. Some of the businesspeople and civic leaders present welcomed me with smiles and approving nods.

Bill Wilson, longtime community photographer and my colleague in the push to bring transparency and a modicum of public input and control over the rainbow flag at Harvey Milk Plaza, was also there. At one point, I had to leave and use the bathroom, and Wilson later emailed about what transpired during my absence with the president of MUMC.

Wilson wrote, “After you left Steve Adams came over to me and said that the process for requesting the rainbow flag to be lowered would be on the website within a week and a half. In November Steve told me that they were aiming for December 1 as the date it would be on the MUMC website. Since he has told me the same thing many times with just the date of the appearance on the website being the only thing that changes, I am at the point where I only want to hear that it is up. Seeing is believing and I’m tired of excuses.”

For anyone who knows Wilson, they know he is quite a patient activist always trying to see the good and positive in everyone he crosses paths with. So it says a lot that he is over being repeatedly told that MUMC is just about to finally make their rules for community use of the flagpole, which is on municipal property, transparent and published on their site.

Once the meeting was finished, I stood outside the rec center's gate and distributed a handbill to MUMC members who, except for a few, were reacted positively to my pitch that there be community discussion regarding the flag. My flyer consisted of an excerpt from a December Bay Area Reporter calling on the merchants to develop written rules for the flagpole or be prepared for criticism.

Will MUMC's leadership heed the strong desires of activists, some merchants and other Castro stakeholders, and the urging of the BAR to bring the controversy, now in its second year, to an end? Can they start a public debate about the flag, the need for written regulations and an open process that fosters equal access to an important piece of historic public space?

I sure hope that in less than two weeks, the promise of MUMC's president to Wilson and the community is kept and that we will see the rules published on their site.

Pix of Castro Plaza Tent Protest

One week ago this evening, the San Francisco police arrested and cited Bob Offer-Westort, the human rights organizer for the Coalition on Homelessness (COH), after he had pitched a tent in Jane Warner Plaza at Castro and Market Streets. His creative and fabulous one-man stunt succeeded in bringing attention to state law prohibiting camping at the plaza, a prohibition that would be duplicated if Supervisor Scott Wiener's original legislation for plazas in the Castro.

Three days after his action, Offer-Westort garnered attention from the Bay City News via the SF Examiner, SF Appeal, the SF Bay Guardian and the SF Chronicle, and none of the outlets included a photo from the action. While all the attention was wonderful, I thought it was odd, that a progressive organizer would stage a protest sure to be of high interest to the media and at-large community, and not invite the press or make sure to have a friend take photos of the tent set up in the plaza.

I contacted Offer-Westort to praise his protest and ask why there were no images from Friday. To my surprise and delight, yesterday he shared two excellent photos, that in my opinion would have increased the attention from bloggers and the mainstream media, if he and the COH has been smart to post the images on their site. In their write up, the COH included a boring photo of Offer-Westort's police citation and omitted the images seen here.

My suggestions to him included engaging some of the dozens of folks concerned about the homeless, the Castro's plazas and the Wiener legislation, the next time he organizes another protest. He might not only have a crowd of colleagues making the action happen, but he should also alert the media to his plans, and even if no reporters or bloggers show up, be ready to snap his own photos or take video footage to later share on the web.

Film Weekend:
Bresson, 'Domain', 'MASH' & 'Shoah'

There's a wealth of choices for the adventuresome film lovers of the Bay Area this weekend and I hope to catch three of the offerings.



First up, the San Francisco Film Society Cinema premieres a terrific new film from France, "Domain", for a week-long run starting on Friday. First-time director Patric Chiha cast the moody and ferocious actress Beatrice Dalle as a mathematician in her forties sliding deeper into alcoholism, and she commands every scene she's in.

We follow Dalle and her gay 17-year-old nephew taking long walks through cruising areas in public parks, and the nephew's homosexuality is not a "problem" subplot. He's out at school and all of his family, and eventually accepts the attentions and affections of a handsome suitor.

Catch the film John Waters called his favorite of last year. Click here for ticket info and showtimes.

Next up, the Berkeley-based Pacific Film Archive's retrospective of Robert Bresson movies continues on Friday with a rare screening of his look at alienated French youths in "The Devil Probably". This is one Bresson film I've not seen and the program notes offer this description to entice viewers: "This has been called Bresson’s most cynical film. It certainly offers his most fashionably cynical protagonist, Charles, a young Parisian whose suicidal despair is vaguely linked to, but not entirely explained by, all the ecological, political, and social disasters of the modern world circa 1977."

I can't wait to brush up on my Bresson. Go here for programs notes and ticket information. It screens only at 7 PM.

The annual wide-ranging comedic SF Sketchfest kicks off this weekend and on Saturday the Castro Theater is where "MASH" plays at 5 PM and stars Elliott Gould and Sally Kellerman, along with Robert Altman's widow Kathryn, will be on hand. Let's hope the event's producers were able to secure a good print. The last time I saw the film, the print was washed out with a few snaps on the soundtrack distracting the ear from the funny dialogue.

Details on all SF Sketchfest shows can be found here.

The last film to promote this weekend is Claude Lanzmann's monumental 9-plus-hours Holocaust documentary "Shoah", being shown in a marathon screening the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco on Sunday starting at noon. Talk about alternative programing to the Super Bore football game. This is it.

The Yerba Buena Arts Center showed it a year ago over a weekend in two parts, and I caught the first section but developed a case of the flu overnight and missed the second half so I'm looking forward to finally seeing all of "Shoah".

Director Lanzmann pays San Francisco a visit, and appears at the JCC on February 28 to discuss the film and his new book "The Pantagonian Hare". Information on both the screening and lecture are located here.

See you at the movies!

Stop Wiener's Attack on 
Historical Preservation in San Francisco

Here's one more example of Scott Wiener's politics of polarization without nearly enough effort on his part to compromise and find common ground with stakeholders beyond his circle of donors and backers.

This note is from Suzanne Ruecker who is a member of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club. Kudos to her and the club for keeping tabs on what the Castro's supervisor is devising to dilute excellent preservation policies in San Francisco.

Ruecker asks that everyone write a letter in opposition to all of the planning commissioners, listed below followed by their addys in cut-and-paste format with an addy for the Heritage Society because they are tracking emails going to the commissioners.

Key points to stress: the commission should retain the Historic Preservation Committee's Articles 10 and 11, oppose Wiener's amendments that would impose unique procedural hurdles on the designation of historic districts, oppose Wiener's proposal to exempt residential projects "for households of 150% or less than median income" from historic review requirements based on "economic hardship".

The commissioners:

President Ron Miguel
Michael J. Antonini
Gwyneth Borden
Kathrin Moore
Hisashi Sugaya
Rodney Fong

Their addys:
rm@well.com,
Wordweaver21@aol.com,
plangsf@gmail.com,
mooreurban@aol.com,
hs.commish@yahoo.com,
rodney@waxmuseum.com   
dsmith@sfheritage.org 

Here's Ruecker's message:

I just wanted to update you on the ongoing struggle with Wiener's amendments to the Planning Code. The current incarnation of his amendments still threaten historic preservation, and they give renters no voice in the process of creation of a historic district.

Public comment on the issue will take place this Thursday sometime after 1:30pm.

Action Alert: Planning Commission to Consider Supervisor Wiener's Amendments to Planning Code
When: Thursday, February 2nd. Item to be considered after 1:30pm.
Where: City Hall, Commission Chambers, Room 400
What: Write a letter or make a public comment!

The Planning Commission is considering amendments to the city's Planning Code, including a series of controversial amendments introduced by Supervisor Wiener that would give renters no voice in the historic preservation process and create undue obstacles in the creation of historic districts.

Please plan on attending this hearing to strengthen the voice of preservation of historic San Francisco. Visit http://sfheritage.org/SFAHtalkingpointsPC_Feb2hearing.pdf for more information and talking points, or to email the commission. For more information, contact Suzanne at sruecker@gmail.com.

Do you think you'll be able to make it? An email to the commissioners will be the next best thing, but bodies are extremely important! Do you have anyone else you can turnout, or can you push this to your networks?

ACT UP's 'United in Anger'
Opens MOMA's Doc Fest on Feb 16

(United in Anger Trailer from United in Anger.)

My old friends Sarah Schulman and Jim Hubbard, the co-directors of "United in Anger", a film about the extraordinary work of the people in ACT UP and our activism that saved lives, today announced that their film soon premieres at MOMA's prestigious doc fest and on it's first night. Congrats Sarah and Jim!

Wish I could be there for the debut, at one of my cherished still-operating theaters where I spent many hours in the 1980s, and experience the audience's reactions. Full disclosure: I was interviewed for the film and appear in it.

All you folks in the New York City area who give a damn about AIDS and the ACT UP story, and anyone keen to learn how that dark and deadly era is being memorialized in the popular culture, should purchase tickets now and after you've seen "United in Anger" share your opinion of it with me.

From Sarah and Jim:

We are thrilled that our film will be the opening night of the Museum of Modern Art's Documentary Fortnight festival. We hope you'll join us! We'll both be there to present the film, and for a Q&A afterwards.

United in Anger World Premiere
Documentary Fortnight 2012: 
MoMA's International Festival of Nonfiction Film and Media
Thursday, February 16, 2012
8:00 PM
The Titus One Theater
11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY

United in Anger: A History of ACT UP is an inspiring documentary about the birth and life of the AIDS activist movement from the perspective of the people in the trenches fighting the epidemic. Utilizing oral histories of members of ACT UP, as well as rare archival footage, the film depicts the efforts of ACT UP as it battles corporate greed, social indifference, and government neglect.

Castro Flagpole Zap at Warner Plaza;
Feb 4 @ 2 PM: Leno,Wiener, Dufty

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the controversy surrounding the public rainbow flag at Harvey Milk Plaza. Last January 26, gay Ugandan activist David Kato was brutally and senselessly murdered in Kampala and as part of a global call to action, Gary Virginia and I organized a vigil the first week of February and requested that the flag be lowered at half-mast.

This simple request to the illegitimate holders of the key to the flagpole's control box, the Merchants of Upper Market/Castro, ignited a debate over why this private group has domain over an incredibly important piece of public space.

The flag was eventually lowered for Kato, but it took overcoming unnecessary hurdles and an extreme uncooperative nature on the part of Steve Adams, the president of MUMC and the local Sterling Bank.

On Saturday, February 4 starting at 2 PM, many of the politicians, merchants and civic organizations that have adamantly refused to hold any public discussion over the one-year and counting flagpole controversy, will be at Jane Warner Plaza.

At this public event, a gaggle of straight and gay elites will be unveiling a plaque honoring the life and work of the late policewoman and lesbian activist Jane Warner. According to the Bay Area Reporter, gay career politicians Mark Leno, Scott Wiener and Bevan Dufty will be officiating. They'll also be mouthing off about how great they are. Any time one of them speaks, it always is with the intent of advancing themselves and the unveiling on Saturday is the perfect opportunity to zap them with questions over the flag.

Of course, not one of them is known for holding regular town halls, which would be a more perfect venue to discuss issues like the flag, but because the pols don't democratically engage voices of protest must be raised in the (ever-dwindling) public space.

Leno, Wiener and Dufty together don't make up even half of the greatness of Harvey Milk, their predecessor as the Castro's supervisor. Unlike these three who have buried their heads in the sand on the flag, Harvey would be bringing all factions together and creating a solution.

Since this is the Castro, and we are talking about one of the two plazas that may soon come under additional city restrictions because of polarizing legislation from Wiener, where he held no community meetings of his own open to all to discuss the proposal before introducing it, and the legislation is expected to pass the full board tomorrow, I expect I won't be the only activist there.

If the three amigos were smart, they'd organize for a public comment and general assembly, and not stage just another photo-op for themselves and only they get to talk. Lemme know when gay democracy breaks out in the Castro.

Zapping SF's Sheriff at Court:
'Resign, Ross, Resign!'

(Your humble blogger answering reporters' questions at the Hall of Justice, January 26. Credit: Luke A. Thomas, Fog City Journal.)

Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco's recently sworn-in sheriff who's facing three misdemeanor charges related to an act of alleged domestic abuse with his wife, was in Superior Court before Judge Susan Breall on Thursday requesting amendments to the restraining order preventing him from having contact with his young son.

Breall rejected Mirkarimi's wish to have supervised contact with the child and his case suffered no delays, even with a new defense attorney hired by Mirkarimi just the day before the hearing.

I showed up with a "Resign, Ross, Resign!" poster and shouted at the sheriff as he entered and exited the court room. "Do the city a favor, Ross! Resign!" echoed off the marble walls, as I sent a message from my lips to the sheriff's ears.

My basic view of this case is that Eliana Lopez, Mirkarimi's wife, has told a lot of truth about her mistreatment at the hands of her husband, the same goes for former girlfriends stepping forward now, and that there are powerful political forces that don't like the new sheriff and a whole lot of folks who want to see him brought down.

However, I don't for a moment believe that district attorney George Gascon would press three serious charges in a matter that he certainly knows will attract intense scrutiny and demands to produce evidence that can sway a San Francisco jury, if he didn't have rock-solid proof backing up the charges.

I stand with the women's and anti domestic violence groups and leaders who have called on Mirkarimi to resign.

Gary Virginia: Castro's Wiener
Must Post 2012 Meeting Schedule

(Gary Virginia on his phone. Credit: Bill Wilson.)

This past Monday, I attended the Land Use Committee hearing at City Hall regarding pending legislation related the public plazas in the Castro neighborhood. This was the first meeting where all interested parties were in the same room with Scott Wiener and everyone was allowed a chance to speak on the legislation.

Several speakers complained that Wiener held no meetings of his own, and that he appeared only before civic groups friendly to his agenda. At the end of the hearing, Wiener said he had appeared at neighborhood meetings, which is true but what he omitted is that some of those meetings were for members-only, or held at 9:00 am when lots of working folks couldn't attend, and not publicized.

My old friend Gary Virginia, a longtime Castro voter and indefatigable LGBT and AIDS community organizer and fundraiser, and an incredibly sweet guy, penned this essay rebutting Wiener's bogus claim that he did sufficient outreach before introducing his plaza proposal. I've been granted permission to share the essay here.

Virgnia's basic idea, that Wiener set and publish a schedule of when he'll hold his own open meetings in the district, should immediately be adopted by the supervisor. If Wiener were to heed Virginia's advice, such meetings would go a long way toward cooling the scorching divisions that diminish the Castro's vibrancy. Who could object to the supervisor expanding the number of constituents he hears from and bringing transparency to his style of leadership?

Here's Virginia's opinion column:

I see a continuing problem with local politics in District 8 (Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park.) Supervisor Scott Wiener is following closely in the footsteps of his predecessor by not hosting community meetings but claiming he “has worked with stake holders” when voting and acting on issues of concern to all constituents.

The latest issue in this line of selective input, is Wiener’s justification for proposed legislation for Jane Warner and Harvey Milk plazas. A capacity crowd at the Jan. 23 Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee met to discuss his proposed legislation which has now been amended at least twice (one item changed due to input by the ACLU).

Excerpted from a change.org online petition that was submitted at the meeting:

“We oppose Supervisor Scott Wiener's proposed regulations for Harvey Milk and Jane Warner plazas in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood. There was no community process in coming up with these regulations. In fact, a local community group, QUEEN (Queers for Economic Equality Now) had proposed a community task force to address any concerns people had with the plazas and develop ways to make them welcoming to all people, including the homeless. That proposal was rejected by Castro Benefits District (CBD), a neighborhood group funded by the city, and Scott Wiener.

“Jane Warner, for whom the one plaza is named, cared a lot about homeless queer youth. As a Patrol Special officer, she worked tirelessly with homeless advocates in the neighborhood when they set up three separate homeless LGBT youth shelters in the late 90s.

“The plaza named after Harvey Milk, another fierce advocate for queer youth, has become a symbol worldwide of the freedom that LGBT people have been fighting for these past five decades. It has always been a place where all people can gather, rally, have fun, sit, cruise, give out literature, sell pamphlets, and generally enjoy public space. Putting unnecessary restrictions on our public space is not in keeping with the spirit of Harvey Milk or the LGBT community.”

The majority of public comments at the Jan. 23 hearing opposed the legislation including speakers from Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC), Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, Community United Against Violence, Homes Not Jails, QUEEN, Gays Without Borders/SF, Coalition on Homelessness, Pride at Work, Homeless Advocates for Youth, Gubbio Project (a daytime program for homeless people at Saint Boniface Church in the Tenderloin), as well as personal friends of Harvey Milk and Officer Jane Warner. Unfortunately, the legislation was passed out of committee (Sup. Carmen Chu & Scott Wiener in favor; Committee Chair Eric Mar opposed) so the legislation will be heard by the full Board on January 31.

Wiener prides himself on having worked with “stake holders” but this has been limited to business and residential neighborhood associations and the paid-for CBD. When you look at the neighborhood association memberships, many of the same people and officers belong to multiple associations, and the presidents and officers are skewed to million-dollar homeowners. Likewise, I doubt there are any LGBT youth, homeless, or vulnerable populations represented in the Merchants of Upper Market & Castro (MUMC) or CBD groups.

I have volunteered and donated thousands of hours of my time to MUMC, CBD, Castro After Dark (bar guild), Castro Farmers’ Market, and many activist, charitable, and neighborhood causes so I know from where I speak. Many issues are not black or white, but open dialogue results in the best solutions.

I also have personal friends who have been affected by the ill-conceived Care Not Cash program, the Sit/Lie ordinance, TIC and Ellis Act evictions and gentrification. One friend who came out at 52 years of age lost his life savings and has been living out of his car for two years. My former roommate who will be 80 this year got evicted due to a TIC sale 14 years ago and she’s been homeless since. Other friends who could not beat crystal meth

Victims of the economy, domestic violence, or homophobia often seek refuge in San Francisco due to our long-standing values of compassion and care. For LGBT folks, the Castro is perceived to be a beacon of hope, tolerance and often a last resort for help. To continually criminalize people and force them into a cycle of homelessness is not humane nor economically savvy for our city’s shrinking budget.

Here’s my challenge to Sup. Wiener: publish a 2012 schedule now (rotating days and times) for monthly community meetings in your district. Have the first item on the agenda be for public comment. Publish the minutes online. Simple, transparent, democratic.

The charade of “I have met with stake holders” is over. Many of your constituents don’t want to, or are unable to, join a neighborhood or merchant association. I have been a witness to how many of these groups control the agenda, and prearrange strategy, speakers and data to skew outcomes. They do not speak for me, nor your most vulnerable constituents. You were elected to represent the interests of ALL people who live, work, play or spend time in the Castro ... not just merchants, contracted benefit districts, and neighborhood associations.

There’s a reason a Facebook group was created named “Recall Scott Wiener Now!” As with the Occupy movement, average people are fed up with the “haves” controlling the destiny of the “have nots.”

On My Second 64th Birthday, My First Will

In gay years, I am turning 64 (again) today.

That was the age I chose for myself last January 26 when I'd been thinking about my husbear Mike and our incredibly fabulous years together, and that old Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four".

Whatever my age, in either gay years or reality, 53, it's great to be alive and mostly thriving.

That said, allow me to share with you what present I gave myself this week: a notarized will and advance healthcare directive. With apologies to Stephen Sondheim, let me say, look, I made a will, where there never was a will.

I addressed the reasons why up till now I lacked these legal documents in my last column for the Let's Talk HIV series over at the Edge Network. Give it a read, and if you were like me, lacking a will, maybe my example could help you get your legal affairs in order. I'm pleased to say not only do I have the will and healthcare directive signed, I also have all the power of attorney and end of life wishes taken care of.

Here's my piece:

All of my adult life, I’ve had a psychological barrier stopping me from taking care of very important records that should have been addressed long ago. I am in the process of drafting my first will, advance healthcare directive (AHD), and other legal documents regarding my wishes when my health declines, and after I’ve passed away.

One of the first steps the Gay Men’s Health Crisis had me do after becoming a client was sit down with a counselor who had one piece of advice for me: draft a will.

That directive was at odds with my "fuck you, AIDS" attitude after receiving my diagnosis. My focus was totally unable to look at death as quickly approaching and all of my thinking was how to live as long as possible. Drafting a will would bring about my demise before I was ready to check out of this thing we call life, sums up my thinking back in the 1980s.

The GMHC counselor had no information about the limited drug trials taking place in New York or Paris or alternative healing community clinics, and explained that they couldn’t say a thing about such topics because it might be seen as an endorsement of the treatment. Our appointment ended expeditiously when it was made explicit that a will was not on my agenda at the time.

That’s changed and in recent months I’ve given much thought to all the reasons why I need two documents finalized, affixed with my signature and legal -- a will and the AHD.

After comforting a dying man with AIDS with singing on Christmas Eve at the Maitri hospice, glimpsing for a moment how end-of-life actually takes place today, I talked to my partner and folks I want to serve as my agents to discuss my latest thoughts about my end-of-life concerns. It felt good to articulate my wishes to my loved ones and again receive permission to make them my agents.

As if I needed a reminder about helping my agents and survivors carry out my wishes, and my always-challenging health, I suffered another episode of diverticulitis recently. The pain was excruciating enough to send me off to the emergency room at Davies Hospital. I’m now on a regimen of flagyl and cipro antibiotics and under orders to increase my fiber and roughage intake, which is already high, to calm the inflammation and heal my stomach.

If a medical crisis struck and my partner needed legal documents allowing him to make healthcare decisions on my behalf, right now he would lack those papers. It is unfair of me to burden him with any extra stress and hassles, should I suddenly take ill.

There is quite a large degree of self-satisfaction knowing that my end-of-life legal papers will be notarized and valid in the new year. It’s like making a resolution without realizing it and the resolution is kept.

There’s also the matter of the will taking care of my earthly possessions. The lawyer assisting me in this, who was recommended by the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, has sent me a clear and concise will spelling out my wishes. It needs some minor editing before finalizing next week.

The lawyer emailed a two-page disposition of remains document I have to fill out, explaining my cremation wishes, who is to arrange my funeral, the kind of service I’d like, and my favorite music, among other simple directions my survivors will need after I’ve kicked the bucket.

Legal issues aside, there are a few items of activist and personal nature that I wish to be part of my send off and legacy, and those wishes will be written down and shared with my trusted survivors.

One of my friends who’s agreed to serve as an agent for AHD requirements, and is almost a decade older than I with many tangible assets and financial resources, said he didn’t have a will and that one of his promises to himself in the coming year is to write one.

I laugh at myself being surprised he does not have a will, when I am in the same boat and think, well, I am a bit younger than he is and I lack his assets so I can cut myself some slack. Glass houses and stones come to mind.

Not that I planned these steps taking care of my will and AHD as 2011 would be coming to a close, but there is quite a large degree of self-satisfaction knowing that my end-of-life legal papers will be notarized and valid in the new year. It’s like making a resolution without realizing it and the resolution is kept.

What better way for me to welcome in the new year of 2012 than with my first will?

Romney Gave $25,900 to CA's Whitman

I blogged earlier today about no direct donations from Mitt Romney to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign in 2008, and now wish to share what was located at the state level for any donations to candidates.

In 2009, Romney gave a robust $25,900 check to California Republican for governor Meg Whitman, who thankfully lost to Democrat Jerry Brown. Here's the screen grab from the Secretary of State's site showing the donation. Click to enlarge:

Must be nice to have that kind of money to drop on a fellow GOP politician running for office. I don't know any 99 percenters who have that kind of money sitting around waiting to be donated, do you? That's Romney's only donation in California.