Not Castro Trans Flag, is News
The Bay Area Reporter's original publisher Bob A. Ross was never shy about using his news pages for puffery for his social and political friends. His successor Tom Horn, lawyer-about-town and traveler in many high society circles locally and internationally, is the same way.
Last Thursday's BAR contained a news story by editor Cynthia Laird about the gay mayor of Paris visiting her office. Bertand Delanoe spoke with Laird via translator Horn, who is also the Northern California Honorary Consul for Monaco and is fluent in French, and a photo ran of Horn, Delanoe and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, pictured, l-to-r.
Horn's buddies Speaker-in-Waiting Nancy Pelosi and former U.S Ambassador to Luxemburg James Hormel, made the news in the BAR too. She received a worthless award from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, where her district manager Dan Bernal is on the board of directors, and it was presented to her by Hormel. There was also a photo from the non-event.
What was also supposed to be in the paper last week was a story about black, HIV poz, military veteran, queer senior and fab trans leader Veronika Fimbres asking MUMC to raise the Transgender Pride Flag on Tran Day of Remembrance. That piece by Matthew Bajko was bumped and he explained why in an email to Fimbres, emphasis added:
I wanted to give you a heads up that my editor pushed back my flag story one week due to space constraints If I have any additional questions I will be in touch or if there is an update do let me know.
In early September, when all flags in San Francisco were lowered on 9-11 out of respect for President Obama's proclamation and one TV station thought it was news, I asked Bajko if the BAR would cover the third and latest rejection by MUMC of a proclamation from the president. He replied, emphasis added:
I have been swamped this week [of Sept. 10] with other coverage plus I already told Veronika I would talk to her next week re: her request w/ the flag so will likely mention the 9/11 request in that write up.
If he ever gets around to writing his story, the MUMC rejections of presidential requests for lamest of "mechanical" problems will be ancient history.
On Monday, Fimbres sent Bajko a copy of MUMC's rejection letter for her TDOR request to fly the Trans Pride flag. His reply, emphases added:
Thanks for sending this my way. Will touch base before we go to press with my story in a few weeks.
In response to my query about his promised 9-11 related mention in any story, he said:
Will have a story later this month re: the latest on the flag.
I sure hope no egos of the publisher's friends need stroking weeks from now when the BAR finally prints the flag update story.
One last bit of fun about Tom Horn and Cynthia Laird making sure their friends are always in the paper. Back in March, state senator Mark Leno had his mug shot added to the wall of John's Grill and this was news for the BAR. Accompanying the explanation was this photo of Ed Lee, Scott Wiener and Leno, all looking so lovingly at Leno's photo.
Yep, it was news that Leno image was pleasing to Leno. Right up there with the gay mayor of Paris' visit to the BAR office.
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