Editorials

(as of 03/30/01)

Energy crisis: Who's to blame?	ASOs urged to run from city's planned AIDS anniversary
Deny, deny, deny	Speaking about gender expression and identity
Estate tax repeal plan is bad news	high concept-low budget
Spring flings	Sashes galore world-wide
Armed robbers hit the Castro and Mission	Who was Selma Lagerlof?
Reader Mail

Energy crisis: Who's to blame?

by Wayne Friday

Governor Gray Davis is certainly right when he reminds Californians that it was his Republican predecessor, Pete Wilson, who guided the state's failed energy restructuring back in 1996 and that it was none of Davis's doing.

The Democratic governor clearly inherited the disastrously flawed deregulation scheme from the Republican governor, helped along, to be sure, by a state Legislature that blindly and unanimously voted for the restructuring program in 1996. But who is responsible for the current energy crisis was never really the question; as to what must be done now, well, that is another question.

For nearly a year it has been clear that if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission didn't cap the wholesale prices, retail prices would have to go up. The only question now is when and by how much. It has been nine months since the first warning signals went out after energy retail prices shot up markedly in the San Diego area. If California had encouraged the utilities to enter into long-term contracts last year before the energy marketers had already sold much of what was available for this summer, the utilities could have obtained prices far below what the state now is forced to pay. Further, if the California Public Utilities Commission (whose members are appointed by the governor) had instituted real-time metering for large energy consumers that reflected actual energy costs, and thus drive down peak-hour demand, the prices would have been even lower.

Much of what the state has done recently such as the move to buy transmission lines, the purchase of power under excessively long contracts, and its decision to issue bonds, is too little, too late. We now learn that the state's power purchases for Southern California Edison and PG&E could cost $23 billion by the end of next year, almost surely leaving customers paying at least 50 percent more for electricity. It is the fear of rising prices for consumers that has the politicians – the governor and the Legislature – terrified of doing anything that will anger the rate payers.

Governor Davis himself said recently that if he wanted to raise electricity rates he "could have fixed California's energy mess in 20 minutes." Probably not a wise thing for any politician to have said, since, as sure as the sun comes up in the east, electricity rates are headed for yet another increase very soon.

When Davis and the Legislature approved legislation authorizing the state's power purchases, they projected they would need $10 billion in revenue bonds to buy power for the two utilities over a decade and these bonds must be repaid by the utilities' customers over the next few years. Davis has repeatedly said that he is confident the state's power crisis can be resolved without further rate hikes, but sources close to the governor were reportedly telling some lawmakers this week that the state's power crisis cannot possibly be resolved without further rate hikes, possibly as high as 50 percent.

That increase likely will be on top of the 9 percent to 15 percent increase the PUC approved in January, as well as an additional 10 percent increase already scheduled for next year. Make no mistake about it, the cost of electricity in California is going to go up again. The question is how much and how soon. The political fallout? Well, consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfeld of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is promising a "rebellion at the ballot box" in 2002 if rates rise. There are many who say that Governor Davis and the Legislature are guilty of inaction on the current crisis. I think Davis, though perhaps a bit late at the switch, has at least tried to find the solution. What California voters think when the 2002 election rolls around is yet another question.

Politics and people

We should hardly be surprised, but reports from more than one major news outlet this past week claim that the new Bush administration is making appointments daily that show an ideological turn to the far right that surpasses even that of Ronald Reagan. Those watching George W. Bush's appointments, including the obviously pleased members of the far right, are now openly commenting on the conservative bent of the new Bush White House. Indeed, even Ralph Neas, the president of People for the American Way, commented last week that "across the board, it's obvious that the right wing is in control, and it's a right-wing agenda that's being implemented." Paul Weyrich, a prominent conservative, also says "this administration is shaping up to be the best; as soon as they got in, they started taking notice – this is something I've never experienced before." Michael Horowitz, a veteran conservative of the Reagan White House, now with the ultraconservative Hudson Institute, concurred. "In many respects, this Bush White House did even better than the Reagan administration," Horowitz says. Bush's collection of appointed conservatives, those closely identified with moral, religious or small-government causes, is wide-ranging and includes, of course, Attorney General John Ashcroft; the Cuban-born Otto Reich, active in Reagan's anti-Sandinista efforts in the 1980s, who will head the State Department's Latin American operation; Christian activist Kay James, former dean of the Robertson School of Government at Pat Robertson's Regent University, who heads the Office of Personnel Management; and Theodore Olson, who served on the board of the notoriously far-right Richard Mellon Scaife-funded American Spectator, and who also once argued a pivotal Supreme Court case against affirmative action, as well as the Bush v. Gore case before the Supreme Court. Olson was tapped to be solicitor general.

But, hey, wasn't it the Green Party boy, Ralph Nader, who repeatedly said there wasn't a bit of difference between George W. Bush and Al Gore throughout the campaign? Nader delivered Florida, New Hampshire, and the White House into the hands of Bush and his right-wing friends who now control 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Los Angeles Times published what is essentially a dual endorsement this week of City Attorney James Hahn and former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in the April 10 mayoral race in that city; gay and lesbian activists there will no doubt get behind Villaraigosa if these two make it into a runoff.

Governor Davis got a huge public relations boost last week while traveling the state with Vicente Fox, the immensely popular new president of Mexico. Fox and Davis drew huge crowds everywhere they went during the two-day visit and the fact that the new Mexican president made California his first official U.S. stop in his new presidency rather than Washington, D.C. or Texas reportedly didn't go unnoticed by the White House either, as Dubya dispatched first lady Laura Bush to Southern California last week to make an appearance with Fox.

Back to the energy crisis: I've always thought Senator Dianne Feinstein was probably the wisest of any of our California representatives in Washington and the former San Francisco mayor was withholding no punches this week as she bluntly accused the Bush administration of playing politics with the state's power emergency. Hammering the Bush White House for refusing to lend a hand to California, Feinstein, suggesting politics was the motive, said: "Because of the kind of recalcitrance and the fact that this is a predominately Democratic state, even somebody like me that constantly works across partisan lines is beginning to wonder if this isn't an unnecessary barbed stick at California because of that; otherwise, why wouldn't there be the attitude from the White House of, 'Let me see what we can do to help; we've got an open mind.' I don't believe anybody in that [Bush] administration is an expert on California, so why be so sure there's only one way to solve a problem?" Feinstein said she personally wrote to Bush back in January seeking a meeting on the energy situation in California but has yet to receive a response.

Look for state Senator Bruce McPherson (R-Santa Cruz), one of only 14 GOP members of the 40-member state Senate, to become the Republican nominee against Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante next year.

And California Democrats will make a decided change of location when they meet in heavily Republican Orange County later this week (March 30–April 1) for their annual state convention. More than 2,000 delegates will meet at the Anaheim Convention Center and main speakers will include House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt and new Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe.

In Oakland, Mayor Jerry Brown, adopting a new tough guy persona, recently announced he will run for another term next year. Brown is a shoo-in for re-election, though some political writers have suggested that Brown has turned from "Governor Moonbeam" into "Mayor Make My Day" as he continues his crackdown on crime and appears to be adopting some of New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani's tactics. Hey, it appears to be working as most Oaklanders reportedly like Brown, although a band of protesters greeted him after he filed the notice of intent to seek re-election. Some close to the former governor-turned-mayor will privately tell you that "Rambo" Jerry is determined to make yet another run for the White House before ever retiring from politics.

At its regular monthly meeting tonight (Thursday, March 29) the Log Cabin Republican Club of S.F. will present a behind-the-scenes look at state legislative actions that will affect the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. The forum will include Jean Harris, executive director of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality; Bonita Barnes, representing a consortium of AIDS organizations; and Dana Van Gorder of the S.F. AIDS Foundation. The event will be held starting at 6 p.m. in the Fireside Room of the Lutheran Center, 1101 O'Farrell and will be moderated by longtime political consultant and Log Cabin official Chris Bowman.

And how was your week?

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ASOs urged to run from city's planned AIDS anniversary

by Michael Lauro, Survive AIDS Writers Pool

On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published what would be the first report on the AIDS epidemic, based on Los Angeles cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia.

"I won't even bother to describe the mess of emotions I feel as we approach this dreadful anniversary. No doubt every long-term survivor and every longtime activist feels the same. I remember all my friends and lovers who died. I remember the street battles, the funerals, the bigotry, the betrayals, the courage. I remember it all," commented AIDS memorial quilt founder Cleve Jones from his home in Southern California.

And so it is for many of us – a mess of emotions as we approach this unsettling anniversary. Twenty years of dignity and courage in face of prejudice and death. Twenty years of hope and hyperbole.

Jones went on to add: "In a few weeks we'll all be remembering, as the nation and the world pauses – however briefly – to note the 20th year of the pandemic. How we choose to mark this tragic milestone has been the subject of discussion around the country and observances are being planned by AIDS service organizations in every city. In my opinion, the last thing we need is a month of self-congratulatory black-tie galas, fundraisers for the AIDS bureaucracy, or sentimental ceremonies."

Tell that to a group of local AIDS service organizations led by the University of California, San Francisco's AIDS Research Institute along with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Shanti, the National AIDS Memorial Grove, Project Inform, the Stop AIDS Project, and others including the organization Cleve himself founded, the Names Project.

Dubbed "Marking the Milestone: 20 Years of AIDS," these groups are currently crafting a three-day event positing a theme of "remembrance, renewal, and recommitment" that has many AIDS activists exasperated. This event comes only 16 days after the San Francisco AIDS Candlelight Memorial march held annually since 1983. Does San Francisco need two memorial events held within a few weeks? Why haven't the ARI folks reached out to the candlelight organizers or even considered consolidating these two events?

Individuals from several participating organizations like Project Open Hand and Project Inform have told us that although they have some reservations with aspects of the program, they may stay in the mix for, as at least one of these organizations emphasized, these groups are not being asked to contribute financially since the ARI organizers are footing the entire bill. Still, this does little to relieve activists' fears that the event is either a pretext to pique donor interest or as Cleve Jones admonishes, simply another "fundraiser for the AIDS bureaucracy."

There's more to indicate that this event in its current form is all show with little substance. The three-day media event culminates with the mayor unveiling a GIANT RED RIBBON AROUND THE DOME OF CITY HALL. Won't that make a pretty picture. Most AIDS activists have developed very ambivalent feelings about the use of red ribbons as a symbol. They view red ribbons as symbolic of words without action and of the failure to recognize that HIV/AIDS is fundamentally as much a political crisis as a public health one. The organizers of this event should realize what a truly offensive image they are proposing. Has this community, your patients, and our work as activists meant so little to you?

The plans surrounding this anniversary event illustrate the misdirected priorities of our AIDS organizations. Millions of Africans are dying for lack of generic AIDS medications as the U.S. AIDS establishment remains largely silent about this global priority. One hopes that this silence is not related to the money these groups receive from the pharmaceutical industry. Once again, it is the activists who put their bodies on the line and in the streets who are successfully challenging the pharmaceutical lobby PHARMA and the U.S. government.

Here at home, rising rates of treatment failure, rising rates of new infections, side effects being experienced by at least 50 percent of people with HIV on medications, the decline of San Francisco General Hospital and the Department of Public Health as effective health care delivery institutions, and people with HIV on disability or with low incomes being forced out of San Francisco by rising rents are some of the issues these ASOs should be up in arms about.

There are some activists who believe that this event in particular should be buried in a deep grave with the likes of Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan. Others, like Cleve Jones, believe that any proposed event would fail to do what is really needed to appropriately commemorate this anniversary and that: "We should cancel the cocktail parties and awards banquets and start the month of June in the streets of Washington, D.C. – screaming bloody murder."

This "milestone event" sorely sacrifices its renewal and recommitment themes by serving up show over substance. If this event must go on, it must do more to fulfill its thematic promise of remembrance, renewal, and commitment. Instead of hollow media events, our leaders standing in front of City Hall, like the mayor, could lead by example and raise the issue of African medical apartheid to the same level the city once took on apartheid itself. They could proclaim that until the pharmaceutical industry withdraws its objection to South Africa providing generic AIDS drugs for its citizens as Brazil does now, the city will divest its investments from the greedy pharmaceutical rat pack of 39 companies who are placing profits over lives. Let the AIDS establishment and the mayor lead by example and provide a fitting example of action to mark this anniversary.

Now that's a worthy tribute.

Without these changes, ASOs should run from this event. Let us regain our sense of outrage, anger, and unwillingness to die quietly. Or at the very least, let's do something constructive.

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Deny, deny, deny

Hundreds of submissions from around the world were narrowed down to just 20 films for screening at this year's hi/lo film festival, which happens this weekend at Victoria Theatre in the Mission. The festival, fast becoming a major West Coast showcase for independent low-budget film makers, is the stepchild of Marc vogl and Brian L. Perkins of the San Francisco production company and comedy collective Killing My Lobster, known heretofore mainly for their theatrical antics.

While there's nothing particularly queer about the film fest, edginess abounds, always a plus with art fags. In Program I this weekend (Fri. 8pm & Sat. 10pm), we have, among 10 intriguing offerings, a 22-min. DV (digital video) by Jeff gove, Monster Business, documenting the contradictory American Dream as lived by one man and his monster truck, and an 8-min. 16mm piece, Dear XXX by Daniel Cavey, about one man in his house with his records: "Technically speaking he feels fine, but if the lighting and soundtrack to his life are any clue, maybe we shouldn't be so sure."

Add to that Les LeVeque's 4 Vertigo, and you have a truly strange melange: "If you crammed Alfred Hitchcock into a kaleidoscope and sped up the space-time continuum, this is what you might get. Intense. Challenging. Possibly sickening."

In Program II (Sat. 8pm & Sun. 8pm), we get Hospital Food by by UK filmmaker Joe Tunmer (35mm; 6 min.), "an elegant and heartbreaking chronicle of life and death as told by one family using one phone in one hallway," and, at 24 minutes the longest entry in the fest, ID Citizen by Venezuelan filmmaker Diego Velasco, which "follows one long-haired kid as he tries to negotiate his nation's bureaucracy and avoid the draft; along the way he buys a hot dog, meets a girl, and hangs on to his principles."

The nature of the works submitted generally conforms to the "high-concept" ideals of the Killing My Lobster crew, who sought out low-budget flicks "that seek and achieve originality in the face of increasing industrial standardization in the movie business." The Lobsters say they "privilege ideas and creativity over imitation and slickness."

If those are not exactly novel goals, they're nevertheless good yardstick by which to measure film entries, and if past hi/lo film fests are any indication, enthusiasm for the current crop of film and video fare will ride as high as the Lobsters on horseback.

The 4th hi/lo film festival takes place March 30-April 1 at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St. (at Capp). For more information, phone 267-0642 or surf www.killingmylobster.com

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Speaking about gender expression and identity

by Elizabeth Birch

Last week the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and Governors voted to expand the organization's mission statement to include gender expression and identity. This action was taken to memorialize and build upon the organization's growing and substantial work in this area.

HRC recognizes there are organizations and leaders that have been focused on issues related to gender identity as their core mission, and that these leaders and institutions will necessarily be the primary voice on issues that affect the lives of transgender Americans.

Adopted in 1998 as part of HRC's five-year strategic plan, the previous mission statement read as follows: "As America's largest gay and lesbian organization, the Human Rights Campaign provides a national voice on gay and lesbian issues. The Human Rights Campaign effectively lobbies Congress; mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities; invests strategically to elect a fair-minded Congress; and increases public understanding through innovative education and communication strategies.

"HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality for lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans to ensure they can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community."

In the newly amended mission statement the second paragraph has been replaced with: "HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity, to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community."

We at HRC believe that changing our mission is an honest reflection of HRC's work at this moment in the institution's history. Although HRC's primary focus is on issues related to sexual orientation, it also has an important institutional commitment to issues related to gender expression and identity. HRC views this step as honest and proportional.

Through the years HRC has worked to build alliances with transgender organizations and leaders and recognizes that the issues that affect lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans and transgender Americans are often related one to the other. Whether viewed as being on an integrated or parallel journey, HRC believes transgender Americans are an important part of our collective quest for equality.

HRC is committed to educating the public on issues that affect transgender Americans. HRC will continue to work at the local, state, and federal level in coalition with transgender organizations and transgender leadership, and while, at times, we might not always agree, the change to the mission statement is intended to reflect an important and affirming demonstration of good faith.

Many will ask: what does this mean for HRC's legislative priorities, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act? HRC will maintain its current legislative priorities. Two of those priorities, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and ENDA will not change substantially in form or substance.

HRC will continue to work to ensure that transgender Americans are covered under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and is committed to working to help educate Congress and the public at large on issues that affect transgender Americans, including employment discrimination. HRC will continue its work to advance supportive policies in America's workplaces, and is committed to working with transgender leaders to assist in the creation of other federal legislative vehicles to protect people based on gender expression and identity.

While HRC recognizes that there are those who will only be satisfied when ENDA is altered to include gender identity, it is our assessment that many congressional members are invested in the bill in its current form and that any changes would not be well received on Capitol Hill. It is evident to many that substantial education is necessary to garner a far deeper understanding regarding gender expression and identity before a bill addressing this issue would be deemed viable.

Nevertheless, we at HRC, believe that while we face enormous challenges as a community and as an organization, we must arm each other with the conviction that – with focus, strength and investment – we can win passage so that every gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender American can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community.

Elizabeth Birch is executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. For more information, go to the Web site, www.hrc.org.

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Estate tax repeal plan is bad news

by Paula Martinac

The Bush tax cut plan currently before the Senate has received ecstatic support from the gay right. In particular, the Log Cabin Republicans would like lesbians and gay men to believe that repeal of the estate tax is in our community's best interest. But the truth is, repealing this tax will benefit a wealthy minority of us while gravely endangering the ability of our organizations to raise much-needed donor dollars.

The unfairness of the estate tax to lesbian and gay relationships has been a frequent complaint in our community. While heterosexual widows and widowers can inherit their spouses' estates tax-free, the surviving partner in a same-sex relationship often surrenders half of the deceased partner's estate to the government.

Estate-tax discrimination is a slap in the face to the committed relationships of wealthy lesbians and gay men. Here's a typical example: After a friend of mine watched his lover deteriorate and die of AIDS, he had to deal with hostile "in-laws" who did everything from excluding him from the shiva (the Jewish mourning period) to threatening to contest the will. To add insult to injury, my friend had to write a fat check to a government that had denied him the right to marry, turning over 55 percent of what his longtime partner left him from a lucrative career as a real-estate attorney.

The answer to this blatant injustice, the gay right says, is simple: Repeal the estate tax. "[That's] one of the very few things gays and lesbians can do to balance out the inequities that currently exist," Kevin Ivers, director of public affairs for LCR, told reporter Michael Triplett. In a recent article for the Gay Financial Network (gfn.com), Triplett suggested that lesbians and gay men would be "major beneficiaries" of estate-tax repeal, and reported that LCR has made it a top priority.

The first and most obvious problem with this "solution" is that it's misleading. Only estates of more than $675,000 are taxed, although proponents of the repeal would like the middle and working classes to believe otherwise. That's undoubtedly why we often hear about the "death tax" instead of the privileged-sounding "estate tax." In fact, the tax affects only about 6 of every 10,000 people who die, and most, if not all, of those concerned have already reaped benefits from the many tax breaks and loopholes geared to the rich.

In addition, the minimum size of the estates affected will inch higher each year and hit $1 million in 2006. There is also a Democratic compromise on the table in Congress to raise the exclusion rate to a generous $3 or $4 million, protecting small and family businesses without incurring a loss of billions of dollars in estate-tax revenue that would surely come out of social programs, not military spending or other programs.

Given all the facts about the estate tax, lesbians and gay men would hardly be "major beneficiaries" of a complete repeal, unless you believe the flawed marketing research that claims we're so much wealthier than straight Americans. Certainly, a small percentage of us (like a small percentage of straight people) would benefit from repeal and be able to preserve our inherited wealth. But at the same time, our community could also suffer big losses.

That's because the second problem with repealing the estate tax is its potentially detrimental effect on charitable donations. Right now, many affluent people make sizable bequests to charity in order to bypass the estate tax. But if the tax is repealed and there's no financial incentive to make such large donations, nonprofit groups may lose billions of dollars each year.

Because bequests have been so important to the growth of lesbian and gay social service organizations in the age of AIDS, the potential loss or reduction of these donations is a grave prospect. Bush intends to funnel tax dollars to "faith-based initiatives" for the delivery of social services. If charitable giving to gay organizations falls off and religious groups with less-than-enlightened views of gay people become the primary providers of social services, the results for our community could be devastating. Still, some gay groups may be afraid to speak out against the repeal and alienate the donors and board members so vital to their fundraising programs.

In a bold recent move, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force became the first queer organization to join Fair Taxes for All, a progressive coalition opposed to Bush's tax package. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Educators Network, Gay Men's Health Crisis, and Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League have also joined the list.

We need more nonprofits and also wealthy donors of conscience to voice objection to complete repeal of the estate tax. Bill Gates Sr. has suggested forming a group called "Millionaires for the Estate Tax." It would be great if some celebrity philanthropists from our own community, like David Geffen and Martina Navratilova, would take up the challenge and show that lesbians and gay men can lead the way on this very important issue.

Paula Martinac is the author of seven books. She can be reached care of this publication or at LNcolumn@aol.com.

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high concept-low budget

The 4th hi/lo film festival takes place March 30-April 1 at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St. (at Capp). For more information, phone 267-0642 or surf www.killingmylobster.com

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Spring flings

by Jim Provenzano

March came in like a lion, but went out like a dainty queen in a sun dress festooned with flower blossoms. Spring brings lots of sporty activities, and here are just a few.

Aussie rules

Online registrations for the Sydney 2002 Gay Games have taken off with the first two weeks figures exceeding expectation. Gay Games VI organizers have received 1,231 registrations from 39 countries in the first two weeks of registration. That's almost 10 percent of potential participants.

"The registration process is an important step toward the delivery of the Games and these results are particularly welcome this early," said Stuart Borrie, acting chief executive.

"We are very pleased with the results so far, especially the diverse places from where people are registering. It gives us a great level of comfort that people already have Gay Games fever.

"Sydney is a wonderful place to have the Gay Games, a diverse and tolerant city with a long history of successful lesbian and gay events, and I think this is recognized out there."

It is expected that at least 80 percent of the participants will register online for the Games, a first for Sydney and the Gay Games.

The top countries so far are the U.S.A. (573 registrants), Australia (203), the Netherlands (117), Germany (79), Canada (76), and New Zealand (36). Registrations have been received from such diverse places as Armenia, the Bahamas, Belarus, Brazil, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Slovakia, Thailand, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

There are few surprises with the sports events at this stage with the most popular being swimming, track and field, and marathon. Team sports such as soccer/football and volleyball are expected to reach high numbers.

The 12 culture events listed so far have all received keen interest with the Open Stage and Choral events gaining significant numbers of registrations. Choirs from all over the world are expected to be in Sydney, with the highlight being a concert at the Sydney Opera House the night before the Closing Ceremony.

Sydney is also hosting a number of conferences with partner organizations, the most popular themes so far being "Homophobia, Sexism, and Discrimination," "Hate Crimes," and the second international conference for lesbian and gay trade unionists, "Workers Out."

A total of 14,000 people are expected to register before the close of registration July 31, 2002. I just registered, and found that any glitches have been repaired, and the process is easier than checking your e-mail.

The earlier all participants sign up, the better idea organizers will have of potential attendees, and hopefully snag some more government and tourist funds to help make our visit enjoyable. Sign up now at http://www.gaygamesvi.org.au/

For info on the Federation of Gay Games, visit http://www.gaygames.com. The federation recently won a lawsuit against a profit-mongering twit who stole the "gaygames" URL. It linked directly to some crass porno site. Can you imagine? Highly unsportsmanlike conduct. Congrats to the federation for getting justice.

Hoop skirts

Gay basketball guru Tony Jasinski reports that he'll have the membership forms ready for the spring/summer league within a few weeks. Games will be Thursday nights from May 17 through June 28. Everyone needs to sign up in April.

Non-competitive games take place from 5-7 p.m. every Sunday, and competitive games from 6-8 p.m., both at Eureka Valley Rec. Center 100 Collingwood at 18th. Info: Tony (415) 621-2710 or online at http://www.gaybasketball.com.

Bowl Ohio

IGBO 2001, the 21st annual International Gay Bowling Organization tournament, will be held in Columbus, Ohio May 23-28. They anticipate hosting over 800 bowlers and guests from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia for IGBO 2001.

Their annual local tournament, the Columbus Ohio Midwest Invitational Classic (COMIC) has become one of the largest and most popular of the IGBO affiliate tournaments. COMIC will return to the IGBO tournament circuit in April of 2002.

"GLBT athletes, business travelers, and vacationers who come to Columbus are always impressed by the size of our community, the large number of GLBT and GLBT-friendly clubs and businesses we have and the fun we have when we throw a party," said Chuck Miller, secretary of IGBO 2001.

Yes, folks, I can attest, Columbus, known as the test market capital of the U.S., perfected the concept of a city with a growing GLBT community. With a quaint gay village, community center, and a growing gay student body at Ohio State, it's a great place for some Midwestern games – bowling games, that is.

Diamonds in the rough

San Francisco Softball is one of the oldest traditions in the Bay Area's sports community. This summer's biggest GLBT sports event will definitely be the Gay Softball World Series, and the 25th anniversary of the sport, August 14-18.

Find a team near you at http://www.SFGSL.org. Visit http://www.nagaaa.org to find out about the Gay World Series in 2001, or visit http://www.sfgsl.org/worldseries/

Cast members from Beach Blanket Babylon will be performing at Opening Ceremonies. The games will be played at Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale.

Contact information: San Francisco Gay Softball League hotline: (415) 436-0707, 584 Castro Street PMB 835, San Francisco, CA 94114.

Strip league

The Jock of the Month Team Party sponsored by the Powerhouse Hustlers as a fundraiser for the Gay World Series. Enter team players in the Hustler's Jock Strap contest. The winner will be the Hustler's "Jock of the Month" for March 2001 and will receive a $100 cash prize. From 9 to midnight the Hustlers will earn $1 for every bottled beer sold. All proceeds will be donated to benefit the Gay World Series. The Powerhouse (1347 Folsom Street; between 9th and 10th streets) Friday March 30, 9 p.m.–midnight.

Oui oui

For a sporty vacation with a French flair, consider Lutte en Prise, Montreal's gay wrestling club's weekend workshop, June 1-3.

Starting with a cocktail reception, you can meet fellow wrestlers before hitting the mat on Saturday. The technique and training events will be followed by a banquet with door prizes and other party stuff. Celebrate with your newfound friends and come see how gay jocks party in Montreal!

Registration deadline is May 19, which includes a $75 fee. No registrations accepted after this date. All the workshops are held at Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard, 1000, Avenue Emile-Journault, which is Montreal's leading sports center. Guest trainer will be Raymond Carrier, one of Canada's leading certified Olympic wrestling coaches.

Need more info? Want to register? Contact Kenneth at (514) 287-9449 or e-mail kgbstar1@arobas.net.

Montreal is one of several cities bidding for Gay Games VII in 2006. With its international flair, the French-Canadian city is a top contender. Other cities are Chicago, Atlanta, and two bids from Los Angeles.

We, we

Locally, wrestling events culminated in the Bay Area's biggest amateur grappling event. Several members of the Golden Gate Wrestling Club competed in the Far Western Tournament at San Francisco State University last weekend. Among the hundreds of competitors were Dean Takahara, Johnny Almony, and David Dodson, who put in good showings at this highly competitive event.

Team coaches Gene Dermody and Les Morgan, longtime respected BAWA officials, helped manage the barrage of paperwork, while yours truly had the honor of scorekeeping for over 40 matches along with teammate Erika Hom. Several other GGWC members helped out, proving that the sport is a lot more inclusive than many know. I thought it kind of funny that none of the guys knew they were being scored by "that gay wrestling author." It was a great, if not slightly exhausting, day.

Armed and ready

Wanna try your forearm grappling skills? Get a grip at the Arm Wrestling Tournament at The Edge bar at 18th and Eureka. This benefit for LYRIC, the Lavender Youth Recreation And Info Center, will take place from 6-9 p.m. on April 1. No foolin'! There'll be a raffle, entertainment and lots of bulging forearms of all genders.

For more info, go to www.sfevent.homestead.com.

Got a GLBT sports event? E-mail's the way to reach thousands of readers! Jimprov@excite.com.

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Sashes galore world-wide

by Mister Marcus

Three major leather title holders were sashed this past weekend and all on the same night, Saturday, March 24: Mr. Los Angeles Leather, Mr. Philadelphia Leather, and in far off Amsterdam, Mr. Holland Leather.

It being physically impossible to be at all three events, I made the trek to Philadelphia where Jim Madden marshaled a platoon of volunteers to put on another splashy event that saw three men and one woman compete for the title. There were Bob Buzby, Mark Collins and Bryan Poaches vying for the male title, and Patricia "Black Oak" Crossan going after the female title; being the only contender, she had to get 75 percent of the available points to win.

The contest at Club 2-4 on Saturday night took place after a fun meet and greet on Friday night at the Bike Stop and pre-judging on Saturday morning.

It was fun judging with Mike Taylor, Vendela Zane, Mark Cady, and JoAnne Wadsworth. Frank Nowicki and Queen Cougar were absolutely magnificent as the emcee's, and the whole production went off without a hitch. There were a parade of colors put on by the bike clubs, the presentation of title holders, special awards for local unsung heroes, and the formal wear, speech, physique and fantasy segments. Patricia in particular made an impression when she was obliged to show off some very sexy and lacy "hot wear." More sexy wear was put on display at a well-run fashion show between scoring segments

Bike Stop owner Jim Madden proved to be the perfect host for the out-of-town judges (next time you visit Philly, be sure to stay at Uncle's on Locust St.) and his abbreviated speech was to the point and inspiring. Mark Cady and JoAnne Wadsworth gave their farewells in a timely manner and both received a standing ovation for their year with the title marked success and all in capital letters!

The final moment arrived at about 2230 hours, when the judges made their pronouncement: Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2001 is Mark Collins. The judges gave Patricia far more than the required points, and so she was sashed Ms. Philadelphia Leather 2001.

Bob Buzby was the first runner-up, while Bryan Poaches was second runner-up.

A victory party and beer bust ensued on Sunday for the new winners.

LA to Amsterdam

In Los Angeles, nine men vied for the Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2001 title. Mark Malan stepped in at the last minute to emcee the event, which was judged by Jeff Wacha, Mikal Bales, Michaeljohn Horn, Dave Murdoch, Ken Lankard, Scott Bloom and Mel Saddler.

Jeff Wacha gave an elegant stepping aside speech thanking and naming all the contestants from last year, as well as his sponsors. His demeanor was top notch.

When the votes were counted, Peter Fitz (also Mr. Spike Leather) won the Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2001 title.

The first runner-up was Kevin Casey (Mr. Bullet Leather), and the second runner-up was Robert Blackmon (Mr. Sisters of P.I. Leather).

In Amsterdam, Holland, Jacques Happe was overjoyed by the turnout for the Mr. Leather Holland 2001 contest. Seven contestants took part, and the panel of judges included Mr. IML himself, Chuck Renslow, along with Henri Ten Have, Peter Schoonheim, Peter Assink, Darryl Lafayette and John Pijnenburg.

Details of the event were sketchy, but more than 1,000 people were on hand at the competition to witness 30-year-old Miro Civin claim the sash as the new Mr. Leather Holland.

The first runner-up was Maarten van der Star, and the second runner-up was Rob van der Eng. Mr. Civin, who won the Mr. Deaf Leather title in Prague, Czechoslovakia last year, will celebrate his 31st birthday during the IML 2001 weekend.

With chests bared

Last Thursday night, March 22, seven men trekked to the stage of the Powerhouse to compete for the Mr. August 2002 spot on the SoMa Bare Chest Calendar. Judges Art Arciniega, James Geras, Houston Davenport and Ray Tilton were hard put to decide on a winner, but when all the votes were tallied, Gary Fruhlich won the spot and James Simpson was the runner-up. Mr. September 2002 will be chosen at Harvey's tonight, March 29 at 2100.

More open

Ever wonder why certain people win leather titles and others don't? The guy—or woman—you're hoping will win is gorgeous, a drop-dead body and quite the person around town; yet, when the envelope is opened at the climax of a leather contest, your man—or woman—is sometimes not even second or third. Why is that?

Well, a few weeks ago at the Mr. South Plains Leather contest in Dallas, the interviews by the judges were open to the public. It was an innovative twist to the usual closed interview procedure. This way, spectators could see where their favorite contestant screwed up. They could tell if he—or she—was aware or unaware of current leather events, or was capable of providing intelligent answers.

The concept worked well in Dallas, and the idea seems to be catching on in other competitions. The new Ms. World Leather contest, coming up this Labor Day weekend, will utilize the new system. If other contest promoters decide to go this route, you'll be able to see why some contenders prevail over your favorite.

Any comments? I'd love to hear from you.

Until next week, then, keep living, keep loving and keep laughing—just do it in leather! And don't forget to check out www.leatherpage.com for all the latest from leather columnists around the world.

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Armed robbers hit the Castro and Mission

by Jane Warner

A series of armed robberies hit the Upper Market area last weekend, and police believe that all the incidents involved the same suspects. In two of cases, the suspects sexually assaulted their victims.

The first robbery happened on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 a.m. on the 900 block of South Van Ness. A woman had left her garage door open while she fed her pet rabbit and suddenly, two men burst into the open garage screaming, "Where's the money, bitch?" One of the men chambered a round into the silver semi-automatic handgun he was holding and placed it to the back of the woman's head. The second suspect also pointed a gun at the woman and began to search for her valuables, groping her as he put his hands under her bra and underwear. The suspects told the woman to lie face down on the floor of the garage and count to 100. Both men ran out in an unknown direction.

About an hour later, two women walking westbound on 20th near Church Street were suddenly surprised by a man who stepped between two parked cars and told them, "Don't move. Where's the money?" One woman noticed the man was holding a silver semi-automatic handgun in his right hand. The man told the women to face each other as a second suspect approached them from behind. Both men went through the women's pockets and clothing looking for valuables, groping them as they put their hands underneath their bras and underwear. The men forced the women to lay face down on the sidewalk as they went through their book bags. The suspects got into a newer white Ford driven by a third suspect and drove westbound on 20th then northbound on Church Street.

About five minutes later, two women who had just parked their Land Rover on Hancock near Sanchez were getting out of the car when a man quickly walked toward them. Both women, fearing something may be wrong, got back into their SUV and locked the doors. The man approached the driver's side window and brandished a silver handgun, telling the women, "We're going to shoot you." Fearing for their lives, the women unlocked the car doors and the man pulled the driver from her seat and took her purse. A second suspect took the passenger's purse. The men ran to a nearby parked car, described as a white Ford Contour or Taurus with paper dealer plates that read, "Hancock Motors."

A few minutes later, a man parking his Subaru Forester in his driveway on the 600 block of Church Street near the foot bridge in Dolores Park saw two figures walk around the back of his car. One of the figures approached him on the driver's side and brandished a silver semi-automatic handgun from his jacket, pointing it through the closed window. Knowing he was being robbed, the man opened his car door, and the suspect dragged him out by the arm, screaming, "Get on the motherfucking ground." The man complied and the two suspects took his wallet, keys, and wrist watch. The robbers then fled around the corner and the victim heard a car quickly accelerate and drive away.

The suspects in all the incidents are described as African American males, 20-30 years old. The first suspect is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 200 pounds and "pudgy," wearing a dark knit beanie cap, black or navy blue pea coat with dark pants, and clean shaven. The second suspect is 5 feet 7 inches, thin build, also wearing a dark beanie, pea coat, and dark pants. There is no description available of the third suspect who was driving the car. Anyone with information about the robberies should call (415) 553-9257.

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Who was Selma Lagerlof?

by Rawley Grau

March 16, 1940 (61 years ago this month): The Nobel Prize-winning novelist Selma Lagerlof dies on her estate in Sweden.

During her lifetime, Selma Lagerlof was one of the world's most celebrated writers. Still revered in her native Sweden, she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and the author of a beloved children's book. Contemporary biographers noted the unmarried writer's "noble friendships" with women, but it was not until Lagerlof's letters were unsealed in 1991 – 51 years after her death, as she had stipulated – that the lesbian nature of these relationships came to light.

Lagerlof was born November 20, 1858, in the province of Varmland in west-central Sweden. Her father, a retired lieutenant, struggled to maintain the family estate, called Marbacka. But times were hard, and he eventually he took to drinking.

Lagerlof was raised on the folk tales and legends of Varmland, and these, along with the Nordic sagas she loved, would later give her work its distinctive mythic dimension. The girl dreamed of becoming a writer and as a teenager would read her poems at weddings and other occasions.

It was at such an event in 1880 that she met the Swedish feminist Eva Fryxell, who recognized the young woman's talent and urged her to seek a formal education. Lagerlof moved to Stockholm and entered the Higher Teacher's College for Women. Her life in the capital, with its vibrant cultural life, was a time of "awakening, growth, and rapid maturation," she later said.

Soon after her father's death in 1885, Lagerlof accepted a teaching position at a girls' school in a southern coastal town. When Marbacka had to be sold to pay creditors, sorrow over this loss spurred Lagerlof to write her first book, Gosta Berling's Saga, based on the Varmland tales she heard as a child. Published in 1891, it initially went unnoticed. But after the influential Danish critic Georg Brandes gave the novel a glowing review, Lagerlof's literary reputation was secured throughout Scandinavia.

A short-story collection soon followed, and in 1895, Lagerlof received a travel stipend from Sweden's King Oscar II that allowed her to quit teaching. Lagerlof spent several months in Central Europe and Italy, accompanied by Sophie Salomon Elkan, a fellow novelist she had met the year before. Beautiful, sophisticated, and spirited, Elkan was a widow who came from a wealthy Jewish family. From Lagerlof's letters, it appears the relationship was both passionate and complex: while Lagerlof evidently struggled over her sexual feelings for her friend, Elkan chose to keep the relationship platonic. Still, there remained a deep love between the women, who made several trips abroad together and often stayed in each other's homes.

After her return from Italy, Lagerlof moved to central Sweden to be closer to her sister. There the writer learned about a group of local peasants who had recently emigrated to Palestine to wait for Christ's return. Their story became the basis for Jerusalem (1901-1902). A moving portrayal of religious mania and divided families, the epic novel cemented Lagerlof's reputation as a writer of the first rank and made her internationally famous.

In 1902, Lagerlof met the schoolteacher Valborg Olander; their letters reveal that the two women became lovers. The relationship with Olander apparently incited jealousy in Elkan, who wrote Lagerlof: "You're not choosing Valborg over me, are you?" Olander would serve as Lagerlof's personal assistant and secretary for the next four decades.

Around this time, Lagerlof received a commission to write a children's book about Swedish geography. The result was The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906-1907), featuring an ill-tempered boy who is magically changed into a thumb-sized imp; he flies with a flock of wild geese from the southern tip of Sweden to Lapland and back. Hugely successful both in Sweden and abroad, Nils is still read by children throughout the world.

Throughout these years, Lagerlof published several short novels and story collections, often weaving a fantastic element into her realistic narrative. In 1909, she became the first woman – and the first Swede – to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature; five years later, she became the first woman to be elected to the prestigious Swedish Academy.

Although Lagerlof's work avoids explicit lesbian themes, it generally features confident, commanding female characters (even in Nils, the leader of the wild geese is female), and the author's sympathies are clearly with those who follow their true natures despite social convention. One contemporary critic noted with surprise that Lagerlof should have "so little condemnation for what is generally called illicit love," especially since her own life "has never been touched by a breath of gossip, let alone scandal."

With the help of the Nobel Prize money, Lagerlof was able to buy back her family's Varmland estate. From there she continued to write novels, stories, and memoirs, and became a prominent spokesperson for pacifism and women's suffrage. In her later years, Marbacka became something of a pilgrimage site for devoted readers, including, in 1938, an awestruck Greta Garbo.

Lagerlof died on March 16, 1940, at the age of 81, three years before Olander, with whom she had remained close. Today, Marbacka is a public museum devoted to Lagerlof's life and work. Along with a memorial room to Sophie Elkan, which Lagerlof had set up after Elkan's death in 1921, there is also a room devoted to Olander. But the full complexity of Lagerlof's relationships with these and other women is only beginning to be explored.

Rawley Grau has won four Vice Versa Awards for his writing on gay and lesbian culture. He can be reached at GayNestor@aol.com. For more Past Out, visit www.planetout.com.

Suggested reading

Berendsohn, Walter A., 1931. Selma Lagerlof: Her Life and Work. Translated from German by George F. Timpson with a preface by Vita Sackville-West. London: Ivor Nicholson and Watson Ltd.

Edstrom, Vivi, 1984. Selma Lagerlof. Translated by Barbara Lide. Twayne's World Author Series: Scandinavian Literature. Boston: Twayne Publishers.

Stenberg, Lisbeth, 2000. "Lagerlof, Selma (1858-1940)," Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia. Edited by Bonnie Zimmerman. Vol. 1 of The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. New York: Garland Publishing. Pp. 433-434.

Yourcenar, Marguerite, 1984. "Selma Lagerlof, Epic Storyteller," in The Dark Brain of Piranesi and Other Essays. Translated by Richard Howard in collaboration with the author. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. Pp. 129-153.

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Reader Mail

Successful center event

I attended the SF LGBT Community Center "Bacchanal" event on March 16 and was thrilled that such a large and diverse LGBT crowd turned out to make it a success. Rarely has an event organized around such a serious and important purpose – raising the resources necessary to complete the new SF LGBT Community Center under construction on Market Street – been so much fun!

While the crowd wore togas and gladiator gear, everyone remained focused on the mission – raising the final dollars we need to finish the center. I hope everyone in our community will take a minute to visit the center's Web site at www.sfcenter.org and find out how you can get involved in putting the center "over the top." With events like the recent Bacchanal, it's rewarding, important, and fun.

Jody Cole
San Francisco

Center will link groups

One of the best things about the new SF LGBT Community Center providing office space to so many local LGBT organizations will be the closer cooperation and coordination among groups that will come from working in such close proximity ["Community Center tenants announced," March 22].

The Online Policy Group/QueerNet will be able to provide free Web and e-mail list hosting, as well as computer-based trainings and policy forums to tenants at the center, as well as to the many diverse clients of the center.

In Los Angeles, New York and other cities where local organizations share office space in those cities' community centers, a renewed spirit of cooperation, new vision, and even expanded and coordinated services have resulted.

San Francisco is a smaller city, compared to New York City or Los Angeles, but we're just as diverse. Working together in the new community center, we'll be able to serve our LGBT clients better and forge a powerful new sense of unity for our community.

Will Doherty, Executive Director
Online Policy Group
San Francisco

Delano� didn't sell out

The city's LGBT political establishment should note that Paris' new gay, socialist mayor, Bertrand Delano�, apparently achieved his victory neither by selling out the rights of smokers in bars and restaurants, nor by collaborating with the closure of gay bathhouses (of which Paris has about a dozen). Now that Delano� has shown the way, I see no reason to support either Supervisor Tom Ammiano or Assemblywoman Carole Migden for that job in this town should they run. Are you listening, Senator Burton?

Vive La France and its City of Light – and liberty.

Reid Condit
San Francisco

Activist doesn't benefit

We were amazed to read that tenant activist Robert Haaland is benefiting "directly from the expensive litigation that has resulted from thousands of housing regulations" (Mailstrom, March 22).

As an attorney, Robert is not involved with any tenant or housing litigation that we know of – nor has he ever been. He has never personally benefited from any such litigation. He doesn't even practice law right now. His classmates may be making hundreds of thousands of dollars downtown but Robert sure as hell isn't.

As a tireless activist and co-chair of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club he has put in thousands of hours defending the rights of tenants in this town. He's walked precincts, staffed phone lines, tabled corners and done myriad of other tedious tasks to guarantee that we still have rent control, and that seniors, people of color, and low-income folks can still live in San Francisco.

But that doesn't seem to concern the proponents of TICs, such as Joseph Capko. Nowhere in his letter does he talk about the 1,000 people who were evicted for TICs last year nor the thousands that could still be evicted if Supervisor Chris Daly's legislation does not pass. This is the issue, Mr. Capko. Seniors, low-income people, people of color, and working people get evicted so that a small percent of people can buy so-called affordable housing for upwards of $400,000. Is that what Tenants for Homeownership is all about? Evict those who can't afford ownership so that a small percent of tenants can become homeowners? That's what is happening to the queer community as well as the city as a whole. Sacrifice the poor, people of color, and the elderly. In other words, business as usual. This is not what any queer leaders that we know fought for.

Daly's legislation will help stop the displacement of the most vulnerable among us. It will keep us in our homes. It will protect all of us, including those tenants who oppose the legislation. That's why we support Daly and Haaland and the work that both are doing to save San Francisco.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Rebecca Logue-Bovee,
and Janice Winchester
San Francisco

Dispelling the TIC myths

Joseph Capko has written perhaps the most distorted anti-TIC legislation diatribe to date (Mailstrom, March 22). Not only is he misguided in stating that the legislation amounts to a practical ban on TICs, his information is not current. I am a volunteer counselor with the Housing Rights Committee and have met with other concerned citizens and with Chris [Daly] himself to discuss the points of the legislation. Needless to say I am more current on the new TIC legislation than is Mr. Capko. Supervisor Daly's proposed legislation would not ban TICs but rather regulate the number of apartments that can be converted to TICs on a yearly basis. The legislation also recommends the cap on TICs be raised from 200 to 300 with the additional 100 being slated for lower-middle income buyers. This will help promote true home ownership for all people not just the elite.

Another myth that needs to be dispelled is that this legislation will increase the number of Ellis Act evictions. This is highly unlikely and the statistics prove this. Most apartment buildings where the Ellis Act was used, the building was then sold as a TIC.

And last, but not least, this is not Proposition N! This legislation is not retroactive. This legislation will allow approximately 2,000 owners of TICs to directly convert to condos. This legislation will give tenants the first right of refusal when their building goes up for sale, and once and for all, this legislation is not anti-gay. Frankly, I am so tired of the gay community exploiting this as a gay issue and all the while they are displacing their gay brothers and sisters through evictions. The bottom line, if you are a middle to lower income renter or a current TIC owner, this legislation is good news. It helps promote true affordable home ownership and protects tenants.

Vince Pietromartire
San Francisco

Goings on in City Hall

Many in our community hope the new Board of Supervisors, led by our own Tom Ammiano, will rescue city government from the ineptitude and folly that now characterize it. They may be in for a big surprise. Here are some things I witnessed at a recent board meeting:

Supervisor Chris Daly bitterly condemned a proposed board commendation because the recipient is opposed to affirmative action. This is a board that has only one black member and one Asian member.

The board suspended its regular business schedule so all the members could give long, rhetorical speeches about the importance of women in American life. This is a board that has only one woman member.

San Francisco has legions of homeless; Muni is still a joke; the streets are filthy; and the cost of housing has become astronomical. At the initiative of Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, the board limited its entire public comment period to the question of how the library should collect overdue book fines.

In the public comment period, I had hoped to challenge the qualifications of one of the mayor's appointees to a city commission. But there was no time for that. Instead, the board had a debate about the qualifications of a member of the U.S. Cabinet in Washington, D.C.

See anything wrong with this picture?

Arthur Evans
San Francisco

Get over it

As a gay man living in the Castro, I feel compelled to respond to David Alexander Nahmod's letter printed in the March 15 issue of the B.A.R.

Mr. Nahmod states: "… what makes gay men in the Castro think that having sex in public is no different than walking down the street." I am a gay man who lives in the Castro and I object to the stereotypical generalization that all gay men in the Castro are sex obsessed. I hope Mr. Nahmod stops projecting his self loathing beliefs before moving back to San Francisco.

Am I the only one growing tired of reading letters about sexual activity, be it in the steam room or someone who is still complaining about being groped 11 years ago? Is it appropriate? Of course not, but must we keep writing about it and printing it in the B.A.R.?

Mark Frizzell
San Francisco

Listened to lyrics

This past week, I actually sat down and listened to Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP. Did anyone ever sit down and listen to his rap? I think the mass hysteria toward Eminem constitutes contempt prior to examination.

It's quite easy to identify lyrics out of context and parade such lyrics as proof of the danger and homophobia of Eminem. But in context and in totality, he is surely not the homophobe that he is painted. Some of Eminem's lyrics are completely vile; some hilarious; some misogynistic. However, the entirety of his lyrics are infused with powerful societal commentary. I was surprised to find an artist with something actually meaningful to say.

Like everyone else, prior to listening to him, I could not understand how such a man as Eminem could be lauded by the music industry. Now I recognize him as having a particular depth and honesty to his music this is quite unparalleled.

You can depend on the PC police at GLAAD if you want. Or you can actually listen to Eminem and draw your own conclusions. Elton John was quoted as saying that he liked Eminem's music. Unlike the hysterical masses, he actually listened to Eminem first. But why come to your own conclusions when GLAAD and others can do your thinking for you?

Marty Courson
San Francisco

The best of the best

My nomination as a grand marshal for the Pride Parade came as an unsolicited surprise and tremendous honor. Although I have great pride in the accomplishments I helped shepherd these last few years, they pale in comparison to the list of achievements of the other nominees for grand marshal. All are distinguished contributors to our community and each would be a deserving choice for this honor. The fact that there are five transgender nominees also speaks volumes for this year's event and the unprecedented progress of the trans community.

I would like to point out though, one nominee who stands out in particular for his work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people everywhere … Supervisor Mark Leno. His support for the transgender community, the gay youth shelter, the medical cannabis community, maintaining the integrity of our neighborhoods, affordable housing, the environment and the No on Knight campaign is just a sampling of his work. He is a visible advocate for all people of this city and a tireless champion to whom the disenfranchised can always turn. Mark Leno is the embodiment of the spirit of Pride and I, for one, will cast my vote for him for grand marshal of this year's parade. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Theresa Sparks
San Francisco

Tired of Tom's retorts

Tom Ammiano has a viciously-laden, bitterly bratty attitude at board meetings. Anybody who dares to disagree with Ammiano is malignantly attacked by his childish retorts. Ammiano must stop his decades-old adolescent tantrums, and act like a responsible adult, given the reality of his present position as president of the Board of Supervisors.

William Arbonies
San Francisco

GMC involved in community

I wanted to write and thank "Grace Period" for the wonderful article in the February 15 B.A.R. about the Team SF event at Harvey's ["Fit fete," Sports Complex]. I was particularly pleased that you were able to include mention of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. I was also delighted that you were able to quote my Australian twang with such accuracy.

This season we have launched a new outreach program specifically designed to make SFGMC more accessible to the community at large, and your article will, I am certain, help us enormously in our endeavor. As a nonprofit arts organization, we welcome the support or writers and journalists such as you, and we thank you most sincerely.

Dr. Kathleen McGuire, Artistic Director
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

Waiting for parity in TV land

I was glad to read in your interview with Jason Bateman ["Kiss us Jason," March 15] that Warren, the gay roommate on Some of My Best Friends, will have a "personal life." Danny, the straight roommate, was naked in bed with a friend by the third episode. I am hoping for parity.

Adam York
Oakland, California

An intellectual insult

Since I proudly wear my liberalism on my sleeve, it's a bit of a stretch for me to empathize with Dale Carpenter ["Gay Cuba Libre!" OutRight, March 8]. But the ranting of Peter Anestos [Mailstrom, March 22] toward Carpenter about Reinaldo Arenas and the film Before Night Falls, is an intellectual insult.

Anestos disapproves of those who "focus on past errors while ignoring recent positive changes" for gays and lesbians in Cuba. Bully for the Cubans and their "changes," but those changes weren't around when Arenas – an original supporter of Castro – was castigated for his sexual orientation.

There are a lot of reasons to joust with Carpenter about that weird phenomenon known as gay conservatism. I get the feeling that Cuba's poverty and illiteracy in 1959 probably were unimportant afterthoughts for him. However, Anestos wants to sweep Castro's homophobia under the carpet. That's just as insidious as the actions of revisionist historians who hope we forget that Ronald Reagan ignored AIDS while our friends died because the years have passed and he now has Alzheimer's.

Those of us who love real freedom know it is wrong to forget.

Will Snyder
San Francisco

Support Wachs in L.A.

On April 10 Los Angeles voters will elect a new mayor. More than a dozen candidates are in the race, but only one stands out as a true friend of the gay and lesbian community.

I have known Joel Wachs for nearly 30 years. I was a constituent of his in the early 1970s when his career as a city councilman was getting started. As the decades have passed, I have watched him consistently support issues and initiate programs that benefit not just the gay community, but all minority groups.

In 1978 the City Council passed the law he wrote prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Six years later his law prohibiting discrimination against people with AIDS was passed, the first law of its kind in our country.

I am, therefore, urging readers of the Bay Area Reporter to contribute to Joel's campaign – not just because we could make him the first openly gay mayor of a major American city, but because he is a truly good man.

You may ask, "Why should I contribute to Joel's campaign when I live in the Bay Area?" The answer is because small cities and towns take their cue from the actions of big cities. Do you think cities and towns in various Bay Area counties that have adopted laws protecting gays and AIDS patients would have done so had Los Angeles and San Francisco not done so first? The same goes for domestic partner benefits. It started in the big cities and is now working its way down to the smallest villages. And it's people like Joel who bring about these changes.

Now is the time to show our gratitude for the past and encouragement for the future.

Please make checks payable to "Joel Wachs for Mayor." The address is 512 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004. There is a legal limitation of $1,000 per individual and donations of up to $500 will be matched by Los Angeles' matching funds program.

For more information, see Joel's Web site at www.wachsformayor.com.

Hal Campbell
Petaluma, California

When Dubya dubs

This temporary incumbent isn't the only White House resident given to inventing nicknames, welcome or not, for others.

Consider "Silent Cal" Coolidge, as remembered by Bob Dole: "practical joker, Coolidge bestowed nicknames on White House staffers. A veteran doorman became 'The Mink', while butler Thomas Rouch was christened 'Bug.'" (-B.D., Great Presidential Wit, 2001; p. 74)

Some cultures believe power to name a person gives power to control – in their view, to denominate is to dominate.

In certain cultures, a person's true name is kept secret, to prevent victimization. To the world, he or she is commonly known by a pseudonym, or a nickname.

In Britain, the monarch gives titles of nobility, which magnify recipients. Here, our court-appointed master dubs associates with titles of familiarity, which often diminish.

Contrarily, when the incumbent was a mere politician, many mainstream journalists called him "Dubya" and "Shrub." A few weeks of power have almost erased those words. In Melanesian and Polynesian thought, his newly-received "mana" makes him tabu. Few, save brave Molly Ivins, would now dare to nick His Name.

Tortuga Bi Liberty
San Francisco

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