One More Day Before the Election!

If you haven't mailed in your absentee ballot, please don't snail-mail it today. Either bring to the Department of Elections at City Hall or drop it off at any San Francisco polling station tomorrow.

I'll be campaigning today at BART's 16th and Mission Street Plaza. Stop by and say hello and vote for zealous Petrelis!

ACT UP Reunion With GMHC's Tim Sweeney 

Look who I ran into while campaigning tonight, amid the large crowd walking into the Castro Theater for a showing of Werner Herzog's new documentary "Into the Inferno."

None other than Tim Sweeney, former deputy executive director of the Gay Men's Health Crisis who was a co-founder of ACT UP and co-facilitator of the group's meetings.

The 30th anniversary of ACT UP's creation will be commemorated in the spring of 2017. Damn proud to still be here and spend a few moments from anyone who was in ACT UP during the plague era.

You knew there was something special about ACT UP when the meeting to zap the closeted Mayor Ed Koch at his appearance at GMHC's upcoming annual AIDS Walk, was essentially run by Tim.

Two former East Coast-living survivors of the AIDS plague, see each other on Castro Street and share smiles, chat about Herzog's latest cinematic expedition and enjoy a fabulous evening in a packed movie palace.

Surviving and thriving and waiting for the election to be over! Vote for zealous Petrelis for BART board.

Positive Side of 'AIDS Victim' Use in Today's Media?

The 1980s AIDS plague years were full of pejorative and demeaning language used by the mainstream press that sadly but quite accurately reflected how much Americans looked at who was contracting HIV and dying.

Self-empowerment by those infected led to creation of the terms persons with AIDS and PWA. A gathering of PWAs in Colorado 1983 developed the Denver Principles which boldly began thus:

"We condemn attempts to label us as 'victims,' a term which implies defeat, and we are only occasionally 'patients,' a term which implies passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are 'People With AIDS.'"

It was a constant struggle insisting on terminology that didn't stigmatize and undermine assistance for HIV pozzies.

That struggle continues today as evidenced by three recent examples of mainstream reporting and writing.

In August, the Vice news site headlined a piece, "Why the Ashes of AIDS Victims on the White House Lawn Matter.

The autumn issue of Book Forum in a review of Rabih Alameddine's new book, refers to a deceased character as "a surrogate marker for the Unknown AIDS Victim."

Finally, the November edition of the Castro Courier, in a gayborhood that was devastated and challenged by the AIDS epidemic, they ran this sub-headline: "Student to Honor Names of AIDS Victims."

What possible positive element could I possible extract from these citations?

This is proof we are in a second post-AIDS-crisis phase and that those writing and editing these publications escaped the plague years and the war over language and perceptions of who was getting HIV and how they were treated with shunning and vicious shaming.

For those under 45 or so, and certainly folks younger than that, they are blessed with an America that has controlled AIDS to a remarkable degree and the lives of many long-term and recently-diagnosed are vastly improved.

On the other hand, an important part of the AIDS fight in the United States has been forgotten or perhaps was never learned by these writers and editors.

Click here to read other recent instances of medical, global and domestic news outlets using the AIDS victim phrase.

AIDS victim? No, not a suitable choice of words.

All-Female NY Times Obits Day: Women's Lives Matter

The paper edition of the national New York Times on Friday, November 4th, ran only two obituaries and they were about women who achieved degrees of fame and noteworthy accomplishments.

Miriam Weinstein, the mother of film impresarios Harvey and Bob Weinstein who inspired the name of Miramax Films, has died. And singer Kay Starr, who crooned in many styles, also passed away last week.

In terms of real estate, each obit warranted banner presentation across all six columns and included photos of Weinstein and Starr. Bravas, to these ladies and their legacies!

I long for the day when it's common for the Gray Lady and other publications that still run obits, to have many days when they're all the lives and deaths of women.

Nearly 150,000 ballots have been received or dropped off at the San Francisco Department of Elections office. The stat comes from Gregory P. Slocum, the department's director of campaign services. Have you voted yet and also cast a ballot for zealous Petrelis for BART board? Vote by November 8th.

Vote for Zealous Petrelis for BART Board!

The final weekend of the 2016 election is here and I'm spending time out in BART's District 9 and online, campaigning for votes.

Mike called this morning from South Dakota, to catch me up on the Merrigan family saying good-bye to their loving matriarch Nana Mary. Wish I could be there with our fabulous extended family.

My Mike comes home on Wednesday but fear not - he voted for me by mail before traveling!

This is a selfie of us at Tuesday night's incredibly terrific and emotionally moving concert by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the spirited conducting skills of Gustavo Dudamel.

It was our first time hearing this great orchestra performing live and Mahler's 9th Symphony was the only piece on the program. Quite cheeky of them to come to the home of the San Francisco Symphony, and music director and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, celebrated globally for their renditions of Mahler's symphonies.

We can say both the visiting philharmonic and hometown symphony bring joy to our ears playing the majestic music of Mahler.

Vote for zealous Petrelis!

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Flashback Friday With Ian McKellen for LGBT Russians

Mike and I had the great pleasure of meeting Sir Ian McKellen and staging a photo-op with him in August 2013, on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Russians.

He was performing in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land" at the Berkeley Rep company, and thanks to iconic gay human rights advocate Peter Tatchell I was put in touch with the celebrated actor and activist.

McKellen agreed to meet us after a performance in the Berkeley Rep courtyard. Along with his former partner and the play's director, Sean Mathias, we four gay men held up a rainbow flag and signs declaring solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Russia.

Our Russian allies greatly appreciated this photographic gesture of support as they faced draconian anit-gay laws and prosecutions, and the image was widely circulated in Russia.

I could say, after the meetup, that I had directed McKellen. Yes, I told him where to stand for the photo-op! LOL.

Thanks for the memory and advocacy, Sir Ian.

BART Board: Open Data, Plazas & Public Engagement

The current members of the BART board of directors heard about nine minutes of public comment from me at their October 27 meeting. As you can see from the many empty chairs behind me, there wasn't a crowd at 9:00 am.

I called for better community engagement by BART managers and directors, support their attempt to become an open data public agency, held current District 9 director Tom Radulovich accountable and thanked the workers and supervisors who've taken action on my service requests to improve the 16th Street station plazas.

A proposal I put forward was using the five plastic displays at the western 16th Street entrance with signage and imagery showing exactly where the elevator is located.

After campaigning at the plazas over the past few months, I know very well the large number of disabled folks, moms with large strollers and kids in tow, and travelers with heavy luggage who need easy-to-find visuals directing them across Mission Street to the much-needed elevator.

I'll be advocating for these changes and improvements regardless of who becomes the next District 9 director for BART, but you knew that already.

Vote for zealous Petrelis by November 8th!

 

Poz Prisoner Michael Johnson is Out of Solitary Confinement

This may be the most upbeat letter from Michael Johnson I've received since we began writing to each other.

Topping off the great news is that he's no longer in hole and is back in the general population. Michael's latest blood work is all good and he hopes Hillary Clinton defeats Donald Trump.

I've written back expressing happiness that he's out of solitary confinement, to encourage him to maintain his wellness and taking advantage of any education program inside the prison.

Michael stepmother from when he lived in Indiana, Meredith Rowan, has reached out to me. She provided this update and we hope to better coordinate our assistance for Michael from the outside.

If you'd care to write Michael and brighten his day with written communication, Meredith share the info on how to write him via snail mail and email. This is her update:

Dear MPetrelis,

Michael can receive letters, news clippings, and cards. Any card cannot have glitter or any texture on it. He cannot receive magazines unless shipped directly from the publisher. There is a limit on the # of pages he can get at one time. It is 8 pages. His address is -

Michael L Johnson
DOC Inmate #1285371
South Central Correctional Facility
255 MO-32
Licking, MO 65542

In addition, you can send him a letter via email. To do this, you have to have account on accesscorrections.com. You would search for Michael using his Department of Corrections Inmate #1285371.

There is no fee to send the letter and the prison will print the letters off each day and give them to Michael. With this option you are limited to one letter per day. 

My family and I ensure he has funds in his account to get any items he needs. We are not able to send any items from the outside. In addition a few people have given me money to help support Michael.

I have used that money to get him magazine subscriptions to People, Entertainment Weekly, and Sports Illustrated. Please let me know if there are any other questions or people need any additional information. Thank you for all you have done for Michael. We greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Meredith