8 Emails &
Wiener's Anti-Homeless Law for Milk Plaza

(Jane Warner Plaza at dusk.)

Thanks to several public records requests I've made to the Castro Benefit District, a well-funded civic group covered by Sunshine statutes, I've learned that only eight emails to the CBD directed to Supervisor Scott Wiener last spring played a key role in two anti-homeless debates in the Castro recently. Three of the eight messages were from the same person, one Nelson Murcar.

The first debate was at the CBD in May when eight emails addressed to Wiener were copied to the CBD, complaining about homeless folks using the benches at Harvey Milk Plaza all hours of the day and night, and for some unsavory behavior. Large benches were installed by the CBD and the May debate considered removing them, but they were retained and instead both police and private security surveillance of the plaza were enhanced to crackdown on abusive persons.

A second debate flared earlier this year, as Wiener's legislation to enact additional nuisance restrictions on Harvey Milk and Jane Warner Plazas at the intersection of Castro and Market Street churned through the legislative process. Homeless persons and their advocates knocked back provisions targeting this population.

Reading internal CBD emails and minutes from their public meetings, it's evident a few Castro residents pushed for and got the debates, captured Wiener's attention and gave him cover to introduce another nanny-ish law, that passed the full Board of Supervisors and doesn't seem to have made any noticeable difference at either plaza.

I've posted the full batch of emails here, which were documents shared with the CBD's paid secretary Richard Magary from May 2011. Here are two of the Nelson Murcar emails that got the plaza debates rolling:

SF Police to 
Crackdown on Drivers and Bicyclists

(SF police officers speaking with Randolph Ang on July 15, after he ran a red light and knocked over a pedestrian who died a few weeks after the collision. Credit: Joshua Elinson, Bay Citizen.)

After reading the vague joint statement from the San Francisco Police Department and Walk SF, a pedestrian safety organization reluctant to criticize dangerous bicyclists, regarding targeted enforcement of traffic laws after a pedestrian was struck and seriously injured by motor vehicle, I had no idea if the enforcement would include bikers.

Walk SF omits bike, bicyclist and biker from the joint statement, which according to Sgt. Daryl Fong of the police media office was the sole responsibility of Walk SF, and I contacted their executive director Elizabeth Stampe for clarification. Was she urging a crackdown on bad bikers?

An automated reply said she's out of town until April 4, and I hope to hear from her upon her return.

My next contact was with Sgt. Fong. I requested that he check with colleagues to determine if bicyclists are included in this crackdown. Here's his reply, with bolding  and underlining added:

In response to your inquiry regarding the joint statement issued by Walk SF in conjunction with the Police Department, the Department will be conducting Citywide enforcement activities in an effort to improve pedestrian safety. These enforcement activities will be carried out in neighborhoods by the District Stations as well as by the Traffic Company citywide. The enforcement will be focused on locations identified statistically as being the highest injury corridors and intersections. The enforcement will focus on the behaviors of motorists including bicyclists deemed as most dangerous: speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, and running red lights or stop signs.

The question must be asked why Walk SF failed to mention the comprehensive approach of the enforcement. Walk SF's joint statement, which is not posted to the police department's site, gives the false impression that only motor vehicle drivers are targeted and ought to be immediately amended to reflect the reality of the enforcement.

I believe there is much work to be done among all folks who use the public streets and sidewalks, to keep us all safe. And I'm a slow-biker who contends with cars and buses, other bikers and spacey pedestrians who feels a big matter in need of addressing is the unsafe riding behavior of many bikers.

Just yesterday, a pedestrian was hit at Castro and Market Streets by a bicyclist who may have run a red light and both were sent to the hospital for medical attention, according to a Bay City News story carried by the SF Appeal.

One more reason for Walk SF to not limit its safety and police enforcement perspectives only to automobiles and public transit vehicles.

SF Board of Supes:
Lower UN, US Flags for Day Against Homophobia

There's the most fantastic news to share today from San Francisco, where the United Nations was chartered, that just came to the Gays Without Borders groups from Latino gay Supervisor David Campos's office.

The Board of Supervisors yesterday unanimously passed the resolution he introduced last week on our behalf to direct the city to recognize May 17 as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, as to lower the UN and American flags for 24-hours at UN Plaza.

Thanks to Gays Without Borders, which has staged four previous IDAHO actions, and our united Supervisors speaking with one, clear, loud voice from City Hall, this is the first year when San Francisco is officially endorsing, promoting and participating in IDAHO. 

Major gratitude to the eleven Supervisors for this fabulous development and may our city now join every IDAHO in the coming years!

Here's a snippet of the vid of the March 27 meeting. The IDAHO discussion and vote starts at the 00:50 mark and runs until the 03:06 mark:



Many big thanks to Campos for taking the leadership role on the resolution and to all of the Supervisors for voting in favor directing the Department of Public Works to lower the iconic UN and American flags for a solid day to send a visual message of solidarity to the many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals who daily contend with threats of violence and murder.

Gays Without Borders is very pleased with the Supervisors showing international solidarity with LGBTI people and we look forward to continued coordination on the flag lowerings in May.

The Supervisors not only have an clip-and-paste edit function for the vids of their meetings, but they also provide the caption notes to the public. These are the very rough phonetic notes of Campos making his speech for IDAHO and UN Plaza flags flying at half staff on May 17. I've made minor cuts:

President Chiu:  Item 13.  oaking withizing a day against homophobor and transphobia and calling on officials to lower the united

nations flags in united nations

plaza for a 24-hour period on May 17, 2012. Supervisor campos?

Supervisor campos: thank you. I wanted to make a couple points on this item.

This a resolution that

recognizes international day of homophobia and transphobia. It's important to simply note

that often here in supervise we take many things for granted.

The reality is in most parts of

the world, lgbt people are

still suffering not only discrimination but in some of these countries you're talking about violence and at times even death and I think it's

important for those of us who

live in places like san francisco where we don't have

to deal with those -- with such a horrible situation that we acknowledge the suffering that other people have and that's

what this resolution is about.

i think it's important for us to recognize that and I know that other countries like

spain, belgium, mexico, costa rica have recognized this day

and we are calling upon the city officials and specifically the director of the department of public works to lower both

the american flag and the U.N. Plaza flag on May 17 and I want to thank the co-sponsors of this resolution.

Supervisor olague, supervisor kim, and President Chiu.

Thank you very much.

President Chiu: thank you, supervisor. Unless there's any further discussion, colleagues, can we take this item, same call?  Mr. President, it's not the

same house, we have supervisor olague back.

President Chiu: roll call vote. item 13, vfsor kim?; aye.  supervisor mar? ; aye. Respect sprfors olague?; aye.  supervisor wiener?; aye.  supervisor avalos?; aye.  supervisor campos?; aye.  President Chiu?; aye. supervisor chu? Aye. supervisor cohen?; aye.  supervisor elsbernd?; aye.  supervisor farrell?; aye.  there are 11 ayes.

President Chiu: the resolution is adopted.

Anti-Eviction Forum:
March 31 @ 1PM in the Mission

This is the kind of alert I approve of because it's to-the-point and gives the important details on where, when, who, why, what in the opening paragraph.

Only two bits of info need to be added. The closest cross street is 16th Street and two Muni bus lines, the 22 and 33 routes, get you near the meeting location.

There are many worthwhile organizations and good activists behind this meeting, and sure hope I can attend and participate. Here's the info:

Occupy SF Housing, a coalition of Occupy SF, SF Tenants Union, Causa Justa::Just Cause, Housing Rights Committee, Eviction Defense Collaborative, Occupy Bernal, AACCE (and more) is holding a Community Meeting this Saturday, March 31 from 1-3 PM at 1590 Bryant St. (Grotto Room of Sports Basement) to discuss and strategize how to stop evictions and foreclosures in the Mission District.

Neighborhood organizing, such as Occupy Bernal, aimed at bringing together residents as foreclosure & eviction fighters and defenders—has been a success story of the Occupy movement and has demonstrated that neighbors can unite and fight the big banks.

From the March 31 meeting we hope to develop a self-sustaining group of neighborhood residents working on an ongoing basis to fight evictions and foreclosures by big banks.

At the meeting we want to hear from foreclosure and eviction fighters who successfully saved their homes by pressuring banks and landlords with the help of their neighbors.

Sisters' Hunky Jesus Flesh Fest;
Proudly Ruining it for Everyone

Oh, God, they're at it again. Those lovably wacky, political charitable do-gooders known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are celebrating their 33rd year of ruining it for the rest of us gays on Easter Sunday, which falls on April 8th.

There's another Hunky Jesus contest on the lineup of the party the Sisters are staging in Dolores Park, if the weather permits and if not, go here to find the alternate indoor location. Rain or shine, the celebration will go on, as will the usual boring controversy from upset Christians who don't know how to take a joke.

With all the fusses lately over Catholic religious leaders wanting to impose their beliefs on public health matters for women and attempts to deny LGBT people civil rights, what better way to expunge some of the centuries of oppression and stigma than through humor and bawdiness on public property?

We should all remember to tickle our funny bones with the Sisters for Easter whether you live in San Francisco or not. Don't forget about all the good community-based work the Sisters perform year-round, and thank the Lord for them and their activism. Let's honor their "Ruining for Everyone" spirit and sistory and share some laughs on April 8th.

If the coverage around the web from previous Hunky Jesus contests is any indication of how folks beyond the Bay Area love this sort of "only in San Francisco" phenomenon, there will be oodles of commentary starting next Sunday. OK, there will also be plenty of eyeballs checking out the Jesus-wannabes in the flesh and there ain't nothing wrong with that!

More info from the Sisters' site:

It's our birthday and we want you to come to the place where the Sisters started it all back in 1979 - Dolores Park - and help us celebrate in proper style with the ever-popular Kiddies' Easter Egg Hunt at 11am on April 8, followed later in the day with the Easter Bonnet Contest and the Hunky Jesus Contest. This year's theme is "Pumps & Circumstance" so dress accordingly and be sure to bring a picnic blanket, some nosh and, of course, a little libation and then sit back and enjoy the show, which will be translated by ASL interpreters.

And Sister Connie Pinko shares info about where to go if the weather is wet and cold:

Foul weather plans will be posted on our website thesisters.org on the Friday or Saturday prior to Easter.

Cameron's Christian Movie = $33M;
Black Lesbian 'Pariah' = $770K

That creepy Christian bigot and actor Kirk Cameron had a film in the theaters back in 2008, which was news to me when I read a reference about the flick at Nikki Finke's Deadline site. In a Friday post about the preliminary opening day box office numbers for the anti-abortion movie "October Baby", Deadline said:

It is that dedicated, laser-targeted audience that helped make fellow faith-based fare Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron, one of the most successful independent films of 2008, grossing $33.5 million.

The audience referred to is comprised of moviegoers whose tickets are purchased by conservative churches and religious schools in large blocks, then given to parishioners and students go catch the movie for free. Distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films works closely with the institutions to make all this happen. Deadline also reports:

It’s an extension of a strategy that began last fall when October Baby was released for three weeks in 13 theaters in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, timed to to an ultimately unsuccessful Mississippi “personhood” ballot initiative and backed with funding from the American Family Association.

So, not only does the distributor find a very willing, and paying, audience to get butts into seats and profits in the bank, it also collaborates tangentially in the political arena with the churches and colleges. Pretty creative way of making money on a movie and reaffirming a core message to the target audience.

Nothing wrong with that, and it's a strategy that other distributors and filmmakers ought to consider and copy for their own needs.

In the instance of the excellent independent "Pariah" about a teenage black lesbian coming out and to grips with her sexual orientation, which I saw and recommended, distributor Focus Features might have brought in more coin using the conservative Christian model. "Pariah" was the first feature written and directed by the keen-eyed and talented Dee Rees.

How much did I enjoy the film? So much that I tolerated the shortish times when Rees uses a jerky, hand-held camera and too-fast (for my eyes) editing. Let's not overlook the captivating performance by Adepero Oduye in the title role. Did you know that acting goddess Meryl Streep gave a shout-out to Oduye during awards season?

"Pariah" couldn't crack the $1 million mark in theatrical release profits, according to the authoritative Box Office Mojo site which reports that it took in all of $770,000 during its run.

What if Focus Features coordinated ticket-purchasing in bulk with LGBT youth groups, the Gay-Straight Alliances, gay and allied religious groups and black LGBT advocacy organizations, then gave away thousands of tickets? Would the box office returns for "Pariah" have been in the millions instead of the high six-figures?

It wouldn't have hurt the distributor's bottom line, while the audience receiving the free tickets and catching the movie would have seen part of their lives up on the silver screen, told honestly and with grit that gets the heroine to a happy ending.

I'm just saying if Cameron and his religious and entertainment backers can produce a movie with limited reach that still rakes in millions of bucks, the likes of Dees and everyone involved with "Pariah" should be able to do better at the box office with proven effective strategies used by the conservatives, but adopted for our special LGBT communities.

Magnificent Restored 'Napoleon'
Screens Only 4-Times in Oakland



The dress rehearsal and tech run-through for "Napoleon" yesterday at the Paramount Theater in Oakland started at 10:15 a.m. and ended, after three intermissions, just shy of 6:00 p.m. and I was there to experience it.

This was my fourth time seeing this cinematic milestone and I had no problem giving up a beautiful sunny day in the Bay Area to feast my eyes upon the most complete "Napoleon" and hear the magnificent score performed live and with such passion and precision.

Seated down in the fourth row center of the orchestra, I marveled again at the powerful composition of practically every shot not just battle scenes or the section on National Convention featuring a cast of thousands but also the intimate scenes of Napoleon with his family or learning to flirt with his future wife Josephine.

The editing throughout is fantastic, while the handful of times when director Abel Gance employs rapid-style editing stunned my eyes with pleasure. It goes without saying that the sets and costumes are dazzling, adding depth and grandeur to the film.

And then after five-hours of Napoleon's life and times gloriously unfolding on a single big screen, the extraordinary twenty-minute finale starts and the Paramount Theater's specially-designed stage expands to three screens. The triptych panorama of Napoleon massing his troops for his Italian campaign, with the Oakland East Bay Symphony giving their all with the triumphant music filling the auditorium, left me in a state of awe.

Here it is the following day I am still rhapsodizing to my partner Mike about the stupendous thrills of this version of "Napoleon", which contains thirty-minutes of new footage found in various film archives around the world. There isn't a new thirty-minute section, but instead a minute or two added scenes of battles or balls.

During the Victims Ball sequence, at which only people who lost fathers, brothers, husbands or sons to the Reign of Terror are invited and showcases some of the happiest, partying victims ever put on celluloid, a fun queer moment occurs.

A thick-armed, drunk woman shares laughs and champagne with a man equally soused, before she pulls him close for a kiss before taking off her large wig to reveal she's a man in drag and getting a good laugh from the shock of the man she was smooching.

Needless to say, in this five-and-half-hour film, there are countless moments of movie magic to enjoy. This is one film that demands to be seen only in a big theater.

After today's screening, there are only three more opportunities to catch this monumental cinematic masterpiece. You can see "Napoleon" in Oakland on March 25, March 31 and April 1, starting each day at 1:30 pm. Click here for details about this special presentation and ticket information.

Video: Dead Iraqi Emo/Gay
Hanging From a Bridge

It was terribly difficult to watch this video, and the howling wind only added to the tragic scene on the screen. The LiveLeak site headlines the video as the "Execution of an Iraqi Emo Hanging from a Bridge" and shares this vague overview description lacking specifics about the victim:

The execution of the "emo" is a new bizarre craze to sweep across Iraq after the dictator was overthrown. An emo in Iraq is regarded as someone who dresses in western clothes. The killings are random and brutal, conducted by unknown militias, and target especially any long haired young men wearing jeans.

We don't know if the youth was hanged because religious militias thought he was emo or gay or dressed the wrong way, and if anyone has details about the victim and why he was hanged, please let me know.



Looking at the disturbing video, it was impossible not to recall America's history of hangings and vigilante executions of black men and women:

And, of course, it's an easy leap from the Iraqi and American images of hangings to the Iran's hanging of gay teenagers Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni in 2005:

Whether its Iraq, Iran or America doing the executing, I am against it.

US Ambassador to Jamaica
Dodges Soft LGBT Question

Last Tuesday I blogged about submitting questions to the State Department's Dip Note blog's request for questions to be asked of the U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, career diplomat Pamela Bridgewater.

Not only were my questions posted to the Dip Note, but they were asked during the chat with Bridgewater and Ambassador Curtis Ward, former ambassador of Jamaica to the United Nations and currently President of the Caribbean Research and Policy Center, which took place at the department on March 16. The conversation was moderated by deputy assistance secretary Cheryl Benton.

Benton projected my questions on the screen and read them aloud to the ambassadors. Here is the video of the conversation and the LGBT questions come up at the 20:24 mark:



To my disappointment, our ambassador dodged the soft questions and unfortunately didn't address the specific matters of LGBT people and issues in Jamaica. This is a transcription of Bridgewater's response:

Well, as the individual stated, our human rights report is being vetted right now, so I will not comment on what it states because it has not been released. But I will say that our embassy has engaged very, very aggressively with Jamaica with Jamaicans on a plethora of human rights issues. 

Women's issues, the rights of vulnerable populations, children, trafficking in persons, LGBT. I have worked personally on these issues and will continue to do so. So I can assure the questioner that we are involved very vigorously on these areas.

Disappointment with our ambassador's dodge aside, I was quite pleased that Ward took the opportunity to address how the new prime minister Portia Simpson-Miller would hire a gay person for her administration:

If I might add to that Ambassador, you may recall that during the last election campaign in Jamaica, the now current prime minister had made a statement.

Which in effect, was a deliberate shift from what had been the perception at least, if not the practice, that she would not be discriminating against any individuals who were gay. That they could serve in her cabinet, that they could be appointed to high positions. So this is a big step in the right direction for Jamaica.

I think the questioner needs to . . . should understand there are steps being taken for greater tolerance and societies like Jamaica will never shift overnight from one position to another. It has to be a gradual process. I think we are in the right direction.

And Bridgewater replied:

We certainly commend that and are certainly looking forward to other opportunities to expand human rights in Jamaica.

This conversation is remarkable for the fact that Jamaica's former representative to the United Nations was more direct and specific about gays in his country, than the American ambassador who tip-toed around gay concerns.

Kudos to the State Department of hosting these conversations, engaging with the public for questions and issues to be addressed, and many thanks to Bridgewater and Ward for participating. On behalf of Gays Without Border, I applaud this public diplomacy effort by the American government.

3 SF Supes Request UN/US Flag Lowering:
Intl Day Against Homo/Transphobia

Earlier this week members of Gays Without Borders made a request to Supervisor David Campos to introduce a resolution directing the city to lower the United Nations and American flags at UN Plaza on May 17 to honor IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Today, Supervisor Campos agreed to our request and we are so pleased.

He secured the co-sponsorship of Supervisor Christina Olague and Supervisor Jane Kim, before making this brief verbal request on the resolution to be considered by the full board in the near future. This is from today's Board of Supervisors meeting and Campos begins to speak for less than a minute at the 00:31 mark:



It's terrific to see Campos, who is gay, Kim who is straight, and Olague who is bisexual, presenting a spectrum of sexual orientations, political stripes and supervisorial districts united for this very important global gay day. Here is the full text of the resolution:

Resolution recognizing International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and calling upon city officials to lower the American and UN Flags in United Nations Plaza for a 24-hour period on May 17th.

WHEREAS, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) is celebrated each year on May 17th, marking the day that the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 1990; and

WHEREAS, IDAHO is a rallying event taking place across the world that offers an opportunity for people, regardless of their sexual orientation, to counter homophobia and transphobia and demonstrate their solidarity with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities; and

WHEREAS, LGBT people across the world continue to face discrimination, violence, and even death because of their sexual orientation; and

WHEREAS, Several nations have officially recognized IDAHO, including the governments of Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg, and Brazil as well as several local governments including the Province of Quebec and the City of Buenos Aires; and

WHEREAS, a main objective of IDAHO is to provoke action across the world to fight against homophobia and transphobia using local strategies that correspond to the given cultural, political, and historical context of the place; and

WHEREAS, San Francisco has an international reputation as a beacon of hope, love, and acceptance for LGBT people around the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the City and County of San Francisco officially recognizes the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors calls on City Officials, including the Director of the Department of Public Works, to lower both the American and UN Flags in United Nations Plaza on May 17th for a 24 hour period.

In response to this fabulous beyond belief development, the following note of genuine gratitude was sent:

Dear Supervisors Campos, Kim and Olague,

Thank you for the rapid and articulate introduction of the resolution to request the flags at UN Plaza be lowered as well as to recognize International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

We believe it will send a powerful and important message, portraying San Francisco as the inspirational city it is, in which diversity of its citizens is not only tolerated, but respected, celebrated and nurtured.

We also appreciate the efforts of Hillary Ronen and Chris Durazo on your behalves.

We understand that the lack of a protocol and uniqueness of the situation with Merchants of Upper Market/Castro and the flagpole at Harvey Milk Plaza precludes their inclusion in the resolution, and while our preference remains to perform ceremonies at both places to maximize the impact, we are grateful for the resolution you have introduced as written and the powerful symbolism and education that will result from it.

If there is anything else we can do in this regard, please let us know.

We will keep your offices informed of the specifics of the event once we have planned them in more detail, and would welcome and encourage your involvement, either by attending the ceremonies or conveying a few words marking the occasion.

Once again, thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
Clinton Fein
Isak Lindenauer
Michael Petrelis
Gary Virginia
Bill Wilson

As soon as we hear from Supervisors Campos, Kim and Olague about the next step forward at the Board to turn the resolution into reality, we'll let everyone know.

In the meanwhile, check out previous posts about what Gays Without Borders did on IDAHO in previous years. In 2008 we showed solidarity with LGBT Russians, for 2009 we called for Iraq to stop murdering gays, in 2010 we staged a kiss-in, and for 2011 we gathered at Cafe Flore.

If the resolution becomes city policy it will mark the first time in our proud five years of participating in IDAHO that we have our city government standing in solidarity with Gays Without Borders and our brothers and sisters around our small planet.

Let's all work together and make IDAHO 2012 in San Francisco the best yet.