April 20, 2012 - Gay San Diego

Volume 3
Issue 8
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
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GAY
SAN
DIEGO
pg. 11
SERVING OUR LGBT COMMUNITY
t FEATURE
Raising money for
critical HIV services,
one bite at a time
Evolving with “Totem”
y DINING
By Anthony King | GSD Editor
Accuptatem expliciam quis volendi psuntecea verchicil ma nia ium fugia consequunt quissi consedi atusandae
volut facipsum repuditecum accuptaque neserit, sunduciur, as a disitia cuptae ipiciis porehendi rest ut occaborest et moluptatem alibusa nihillore, sum aditia sed utemposam, tenditia venimi, ullacit ratemporecea
(l to r) Councilmember Todd Gloria and a bicycle award winner at the Imperial Court’s Community Easter Egg Hunt
on April 8. (Photo by GSD)
Nourishing Saffron
u THEATER
Reaching out at Easter
Imperial Court egg hunt brings LGBT community together
By Anthony King | GSD Editor
Campbell’s “The Pride”
d SPORTS
LGBT sports roundup
INDEX
On Easter Sunday, April 8, many groups and
individuals from the LGBT community came together
under the leadership of the Imperial Court de San Diego for the ninth annual Community Children’s Easter
Egg Hunt. Along with the Imperial Court, The LGBT
Center and District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria
presented the free event that included an egg hunt,
Easter basket giveaway and bicycle raffle.
While many participating families were not from
the LGBT community, the event itself was organized
and supported by several aspects of the community,
including LGBT bar and restaurant owners and the
leather and bear communities.
“This is an opportunity to give the children of my
council district a nice Easter,” Gloria said. “That’s why
it’s remarkable that the LGBT community has put this
thing together, not just for the children of same-sex
couples, but really [for] the broader community.”
The event, held at the Old Trolley Barn Park on
Adams Avenue in University Heights, included food
provided by The Center’s Family Matters program.
The Easter baskets given away were provided by
numerous donors: The Center, the Greater San Diego
Rodeo Association, Caliph, the San Diego Gay Men’s
Chorus, San Diego Leather Pride, the Promenade
Apartments and Nick Moede of Numbers Nightclub
and Rich’s San Diego.
“I think it’s that important,” San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez said. “A simple little
Easter thing speaks loudly of the humanitarian heart
of our community. This is our community’s gift. It’s not
just the Court.” Ramirez founded the Imperial Court’s
Easter egg hunt.
Imperial Court Empress Erika Odessa said there
were over 600 baskets donated or purchased this year,
and that, while the numbers from year to year grow,
the outcome is the same. “It’s really cool to watch the
kids open their baskets and for them to come up and
say thank you… and for the parents to say, ‘We really
appreciate this event,’” he said.
In another element of the day’s celebration,
Gloria pulled tickets for the raffle and handed out
15 bicycles donated by San Diego Leather Pride and
the leather community.
As Ramirez pointed out, the demographics of
attendees has changed since he thought of the event
see Easter, pg 3
Special Delivery San Diego celebrates 21 years
Mission Hills nonprofit helps by feeding
HIV, AIDS patients nutritious meals
BRIEFS…………………6
OPINION………………8
VA L U E S … … … … … … 9
CALENDAR………………12
CLASSIFIEDS……………18
THERAPY………………20
By Dave Schwab | GSD Reporter
CONTACT US
Editorial/Letters
(619) 961-1952
[email protected]
Advertising
(619) 961-1958
[email protected]
Dining Out
for Life’s
sixth year
Ruth Henricks, founder of Special Delivery
San Diego (Courtesy Special Delivery)
Serving more than 100 free, healthy
meals daily to low-income individuals
living with HIV, AIDS and other medical
conditions, the nonprofit Special Delivery San Diego can trace its origins back
21 years to the humanitarian effort of
one Uptown restaurant owner.
Ruth Henricks, owner of The Huddle
Restaurant in Mission Hills, shouldered
the task of becoming her neighbor’s
keeper after seeing her regular customers gradually become increasingly ill.
see Delivery, pg 5
On Thursday, April 26, The
LGBT Center hosts their Dining Out
for Life San Diego event. Bringing
together more than 100 restaurants,
bars, coffee houses, food trucks and
nightclubs with local participants,
the sixth annual event raises money
for the organization’s HIV and AIDS
services and prevention programs.
The event sees participating establishments donate 25 to 100 percent
of proceeds from their sales to The
Center. “We are incredibly grateful
for the outpouring of support we are
receiving from several of San Diego’s
finest and most generous restaurants,
bars and coffeehouses,” said The Center’s major gifts officer, Christopher
Over 100 establishments are participating
in this year’s event (Courtesy The Center)
see Life, pg 21
2
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
gay-sd.com
NEWS
gay-sd.com
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
3
Addressing pride then and now
Discussion looks at ageism, cohesiveness in the LGBT community
By Anthony King | GSD Editor
Councilmember Gloria reads off numbers for the bicycle raffle. (Photo by GSD)
FROM PAGE 1
EASTER
nine years ago. Wanting to do
an Easter egg hunt for children
of LGBT parents, Ramirez said
he worked with resident Linda
Childers in setting up the initial
Easter day event.
Ramirez said there were approximately 50 children the first
year, all of whose parents were
from the LGBT community. In
subsequent years, including this
year, more non-LGBT families
began to participate, many from
the Latino communities throughout San Diego.
“We do not hide,” Ramirez
said. “These people know this
is sponsored by the gay and
lesbian community. If you look
around, you will see it is probably, now, more straight parents
with their children. Everyone
gets involved.”
Calling the day one of the
“best building-bridges events,”
Ramirez said it was important
for the LGBT community to do
this type of outreach. “I bet [for]
some of these Latino families it’s
the first time they’ve really been
in contact [with LGBT people].
They know that the gay community is the one that gives this all
out, spends the money for it and
donates to it,” he said, referencing the Easter celebration.
Both Ramirez and Gloria
explained the political importance
the Latino community can have
for LGBT rights and causes.
“One of the lessons from Prop.
8,” Gloria said, “was we did not do
enough outreach to communities
of color to have them understand
why our equality was important
to them. I think we all know coming out is the most powerful thing
you can do to change hearts and
minds, but this is a powerful way
to do it too.”
The importance of the LGBT
community coming together to
put on the event was reiterated
throughout the day. Imperial
Court Empress Ajax spoke to
the crowd, listing many people
responsible for the event. Supporters mentioned included Empress Toby, Chris Plato, Jackie
O and Apollonia, the San Diego
Eagle, Fred Townson, Firefighters Local Union 145, Sarah
Critchlow of the Redwing Bar
& Grill, the Lambda Archives
board, Bourbon Street Bar &
Grille, Big Mike Phillips, San
Diego Bears and Lips San Diego,
among others.
In the end, though, it was the
children that remained the focus.
“The thing is, we do this for kids.
It doesn’t matter where the baskets come from; it doesn’t matter
who brings what,” said Imperial
Court Emperor Tom Dickerson.
Dickerson played multiple roles
that day, including donning a
large Easter Bunny costume to
take pictures with the children.
Emperor Allan Spyere wore a
second costume as well.
“We all come together to do
something for kids,” Dickerson
said. “That’s why we do it.”t
Diversionary Theater hosted
two special evenings to launch
their latest production, “The Pride,”
including an opening night party on
April 7 and a panel discussion the
following week on Friday, April 13.
Alexi Kaye Campbell’s play includes
a look at elements of LGBT pride
in two time periods: the late 1950s
and present day. Directed by Glenn
Paris, the play stars Francis Gercke,
Jessica John, Brian Mackey and
Dangerfield Moore.
The panel discussion, “Being
Proud: Then and Now” brought
together local residents Christopher
Mills, major gifts officer of The
LGBT Center; Jim Zians, project
director of The Edge Research
Project & The Fastlane Research
Project at University of California,
San Diego; and husbands Bill Kelly
and Bob Taylor. Kelly and Taylor
work with the San Diego Human
Dignity Foundation, among other
philanthropic organizations.
In conjunction with themes from
the play, the panel discussion was
organized to explore the differences
between pride in the 1950s and today,
and focused on addressing LGBT
seniors’ rights and issues. Moderated
by Justen Stevens, Diversionary’s
marketing associate, the panel lasted
approximately 45 minutes.
“I think the most provocative
finding of LGBT seniors today is
[their] aloneness in the world still,”
Zians said. “That’s true of all seniors,
except that they call it the double
stigma of being along. There’s ageism and then there is ageism within
the LGBT community.”
Of the issues Zians raised,
including feelings of aloneness
and the lack of support systems
currently in place, one of the most
pressing for aging members of the
LGBT community, Zians said, was
retreating back into the closet.
“You’re going to see a play about
people in the closet [with ‘The
Pride’],” Zians said “and one of the
issues for seniors today… is that
they may have to go back in the
closet again someday, especially if
they live in [senior] communities
were [they] don’t have a strong relationship with the gay community
and gay social services.”
Recognizing the need of social
services for seniors, Zians said,
“Unless the LGBT community forms
these networks with mainstream
providers of senior services, the
services are not LGBT friendly. It
see Forum, pg 6
4
NEWS
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
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By Margie M. Palmer | GSD Reporter
San Diego Councilmember
Carl DeMaio is one of two Republican candidates vying to become
San Diego’s next mayor. During
the June 5 primary election,
he will square off against three
other major candidates: District
Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Republican; Congressmember Bob
Filner, Democrat; and Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher, Independent. The top two vote-getters
will advance to the general election in November.
DeMaio recently sat down
to answer questions about his Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR)
plan as well as whether he believes
his sexual orientation should be a
factor in city policy making.
Margie Palmer: We’d first
like to congratulate you on your
endorsement by the Republican
Party of San Diego County. At the
same time, you’re facing three
other big-name mayoral hopefuls
come June. What do you feel most
differentiates your campaign from
the others?
Carl DeMaio: I don’t see this as
a race against any particular individual. I’m running against downtown and government insiders that
have taken over city government
and gotten sweetheart deals. I’m
running against a system that has
failed taxpayers. I am the only
candidate that has outlined plans
on how to reform local government in a way that will benefit local
taxpayers and I’m the only one who
has put them into action. This is
why I left the campaign to qualify
the CPR ballot measure.
MP: It wasn’t that long ago that
union leaders filed two separate
lawsuits in an attempt to keep CPR
off the June ballot. Were you surprised at that course of action?
CD: Not at all. I was surprised
they used such a desperate tactic
to try and deprive reform. Due
diligence had been done and the
ballot measure had been reviewed
by multiple sets of lawyers. We did
our homework ahead of time and
the law is very clear. I think this
is just a pattern of behavior you
will continue to see and the next
mayor has to be completely committed to vigorously implement
CPR once it’s passed.
MP: News outlets were quick
to pick up the story about the 80
percent increase in $100,000-plus
pensions in the past two years.
What has caused this percentage
to rise so quickly?
CD: It’s all because of pension
spiking. City employees are good at
using the system and add and pad
all sorts of specialty pay, add on pay
promotions and bonus pay to their
highest compensation before they
retire. The calculations at which
pensions are paid out are based on a
much higher level of compensation
than their base pay. This is specifically addressed in the ballot measure and it ends this type of spiking.
Pensions will only be based on base
salaries and there will be a diligent
capping on pensionable pay. MP: Do you have projections at
what the number of people receiving $100,000-plus pensions might
look like in five years?
Councilmember Carl DeMaio (Courtesy office of Carl DeMaio)
CD: It’s going to be a heck of a
lot smaller. Implemented payouts
will drop pretty significantly because we will be constraining high
pensionable pay amounts. Each
passing year the impact of CPR
will become more and more
pronounced as pensionable pay
amounts are more today. The
plans of current retirees can’t be
changed. Once a person is retired
their pension is set in stone. This
is why we need to move quickly. Each passing day more people
retire and those payouts cannot
be changed under current law.
That’s not to say we won’t pursue
reforms. CPR will affect current
employees and new employees on
an ongoing basis.
MP: Some people were astonished to learn the top pensioner
takes home more than $300,000
annually. Has your office received
calls or e-mails to this issue? How
are the labor unions responding to
this being highlighted?
CD: There is even one librarian
that is taking home $234,000. The
unions are saying that these
people were management employees; that many are rank and file
and that the average pensioner
receives far less than that. This is
a cherry picked comparison when
compared to what they’re earning
compared to their last salary. The
average city employee who retires
at age 67 receives 129 percent of
their highest salary for life. It’s
indefensible and unsustainable
and the unions are using all the
smoke and mirrors arguments
they can to support the continuance of the current system. All of
their arguments in favor are easily
refuted based on the actual payout
reports. Each year when you confront them with the hard dollars
they run away and try to peddle
out misinformation. The bottom
line is that this is not a sustainable
system and no amount of shell
games or spin will change that. MP: Are you concerned a change
to the system will impact the ability
to hire and recruit city employees?
CD: I’m a businessman. I recognize the importance of offering
attractive salaries and benefits to
not only recruit, but to retain qual-
ity employees. I’m not suggesting
we cut arbitrarily. I’m suggesting
we make sure that salaries and
benefits are no better or worse
than they are in the private sector. I
believe CPR accomplishes that. I
think that current city employees
are not happy about reforming the
current pension system because
their payouts will be lower, but
there is benefit to solving this
problem now and avoiding the city
having to file for bankruptcy. Right
now, the city is being held hostage
and our goal is to show a fair and
equitable reform. MP: If CPR does not pass, what
impacts would that have to the
city’s financial status in both the
short and long term?
CD: First and foremost it has to
pass. It’s more important to me that
I’m successful in fixing and reforming the pension system than becoming mayor, although the two are
linked hand in hand. If I’m elected,
I can hit this from the ground running and I am committed to fully
implementing pension reform. I am
very pleased to see the level of support we’re seeing in the polls. People from all party backgrounds are
stepping forward to help with us in
campaigning for CPR.
MP: There are still a number of groups, from both within
the LGBT community as well
as outside of it, that say your
sexual orientation should be, or
is, an important element of your
campaign. If elected mayor, will
your sexual orientation impact
decisions you make regarding economic policy, job creation, public
safety and infrastructure repair?
CD: I don’t follow that. Isn’t
what we’ve been seeking all
along is for sexual orientation to
not be relevant? My focus has
been, and will continue to be,
a fiscal reform agenda that will
positively impact city finances.
Roads need to be repaired. San
Diegans are hurting economically. Those are the issues that
are driving our campaign. I have
made it ver y clear that I am not
running on social issues. My
focus is addressing the fiscal
crisis and the failure of the city
to provide ser vices.t
NEWS
gay-sd.com
FROM PAGE 1
DELIVERY
“My customers coming in were
getting sicker, thinner and wasting
away before my eyes,” Henricks
said. “I have a God-given talent to
cook. I wanted to be able to somehow help them.”
Henricks did help, by forming the all-volunteer organization
Special Delivery next door to
her restaurant. The nonprofit is
located at 4021 Goldfinch St. “For the first few years we
were feeding people living with
AIDS in the immediate neighborhood of Hillcrest and Mission
Hills, just keeping up with their
nutritional needs [and] making
sure we were giving them a good,
hot meal – and their dignity – in
their last days,” Henricks said.
Once the organization began
efficiently assisting people living
with HIV and AIDS, Henricks said
Special Delivery was able to expand its services to include helping
medically homebound and cancer
and diabetes patients as well.
“I make sure people get a good
foundation of nutrition in their
meal,” Henricks said. “People with
diabetes [or] with very high cholesterol, we help them [and] turn
them around with the diets we do.
I feel food is a type of medicine.
You are what you eat.”
Henricks said many past
Special Delivery families continue
to appreciate the extra work she
does. Not only did Special Delivery provide meals for their loved
ones, she said, but, “we looked in
on them every day, checking in
[and] asking them, ‘Are you OK?
Do you have any needs?’”
A critical link in the human
support chain the company keeps
is Kelly Connell, Special Delivery’s
project coordinator who volunteers over 50 hours a week to
serve the LGBT community. Connell, who oversees the operation,
said Special Delivery is entirely
volunteer run, including drivers
who pay all their own expenses.
“We serve roughly 120 people a
day, all at one time, making deliveries in the afternoon,” Connell said,
adding that thirty-five percent of
meals are made for those with
dietary needs, such as allergies.
Connell has a deeper connection to the organization, saying
he was diagnosed HIV positive several years ago and initially
discovered Special Delivery as a
client. “It just really touched me
here, what they did, and I’m still
here,” he said.
“Being a gay man, I though if
[HIV] was going to happen, it was
going to happen in my 20s but it
didn’t happen until I was 48,” Connell said. “I went through some
emotional changes and some
financial issues and I was told of
this place.”
As project coordinator, Connell
said the organization helps him
maintain perspective. “I can look at
the [food] racks right now and see
120 people that are worse off than
me,” he said. “So it’s just a blessing
to be here and do what I do.”
Calling the organization a momand-pop business, Special Delivery
volunteer Don Disner said the focus has always been on the people
they serve. “It’s personalized
service, not bureaucratic. The business really cares about the clients,”
Disner said, adding, “Many of the
volunteers of the agency have
helped for more than 10 years.”
Most importantly, Disner said,
Special Delivery gives their clients
“a link to the outside world”
through the company’s services.
Disner is a grant writer for Special
Delivery, helping to secure the approximately $200,000 the nonprofit
requires annually. Henricks said
ninety-one cents of every dollar
goes directly to fresh food.
While much of the funds come
from Federal grants, keeping the
operation fully funded, Disner
said, is no easy task. “It’s very difficult,” he said. “It’s pretty much
a day at a time, doing research in
all different areas: foundations,
corporations, family trusts [and]
individual donors, as well as special events at the local level.”
Special Delivery hosts an annual fundraising barbecue, which
will be held this year on July 21 at
Inn At The Park, 525 Spruce St.,
following the LGBT Pride parade.
Both Disner and Connell said
Henricks deserves more credit
than she is willing to accept, with
Connell calling her a “one-of-akind woman.”
“Ruth wakes up at three every
morning to get in by five to start
everything rolling,” Disner said.
“She’s done this every single
weekday for 21 years. It’s amazing. She’s a grandmother [and] a
great-grandmother. She really is
an inspiration.”
Henricks said though her
organization has approximately
200 volunteers, they always welcome more. She also said Special
Delivery is looking to expand their
services, and needs a volunteer
with computer and information
technology skills. “We need new
and better programming to track
our clients and their needs.”
Interested volunteers can contact
the organization at speicaldeliverysandiego.com or by calling
619-297-7373.t
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
5
6
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
NEWS
gay-sd.com
GAY
NEWS BRIEFS
Diversionary staff and “The Pride” actors on opening night. (Photo by Ana Pines)
FROM PAGE 3
FORUM
is very important that the LGBT
leaders and LGBT infrastructure
start working with mainstream
providers so that our seniors don’t
have to go back into the closet.”
The problem of homophobia
in healthcare is universally felt,
Kelly said, and health issues do
not necessarily apply to seniors
only. “Keep those things in mind.
We’re in this together, all of us.”
Kelly then said the entire community, no matter what age, can
learn from each other.
Mills said he agreed, adding
that some in the younger generation have no idea of the issues
facing the LGBT community,
evidenced in a carefree attitude
some have regarding HIV transmission. Zians, too, commented
on the importance of HIV and
AIDS awareness for the entire
community, saying that while the
younger generation is focused on
rights issues like marriage equal-
ity, “no one’s talking about the
increased rates of HIV infection”
in the LGBT community.
Mills did, however, say
the younger generation needs
attention, too. “I do think,” he
said, “that as a gay community
we leave our seniors behind, we
leave our youth behind [and] we
leave our transgender brothers
and sisters behind. We could,
as a community, do a better job
embracing the entire community
and standing together.”
The discussion ended with an
audience question about how HIV
brought the gay male and lesbian
communities together, and the
resulting cohesiveness between
the two today. At the same time
recognizing the relationship
between the two groups, Zians
brought the discussion back to
focusing on seniors’ issues.
“I think the solutions towards
senior issues in the community will
be bringing the men and women
together as a cohesive unit to share
ideas,” he said. “We’re together
because of a political alliance, and
that’s not good enough.”t
PRIDE FLAG PROJECT HELD FOR
APRIL 26 PLANNING COMMISSION
The San Diego Planning Commission failed to move forward
the Monument Flag Pole project
at their April 12 meeting, causing
project organizers to return to
the Commission on April 26 for a
second vote. The project, which
would implement the installation
of a flagpole and permanent rainbow flag at the intersection of University Avenue and Normal Street
in Hillcrest, is scheduled for final
consideration at the May 15 City
Council meeting. The Hillcrest
Business Association (HBA) is
overseeing the project.
At the April 12 Planning
Commission meeting, HBA
Executive Director Benjamin
Nicholls addressed concerns
some Commission members
raised with the project, which
included the project’s scale,
public safety and the precedence set from approval.
Planning Commissioner Tim
Golba said, “It’s easy to be very
supportive… [but] you have to
look at what happens the next
time. Does it open up the potential for flag applications that
might not be as accepted as
yours, or might be much more
controversial than even yours
would be.” Golba did not vote to
recommend the project.
The Planning Commission
is made up of seven appointed
community members. Concerning the Monument Project, the
Commission’s role is to offer
recommendation to the City
Council only. At the April 12
meeting, there were not enough
members present to approve
sending the project to the City
Council, as a motion passes with
a four-vote majority. After discussion, the Planning Commission voted 3-2 to not recommend
the project, one vote shy of the
needed four, thereby requiring
the return to Planning Commission on April 26.
“We look forward to returning to the Planning Commission
to present our case as to why the
pride flag project is so important,”
said HBA board President Nicholas Moede. “The Pride Flag will
send a strong signal that Hillcrest
stands for diversity and tolerance;
we encourage the public to come
to the Planning Commission
meeting at City Hall on April 26th
to support this project.
see Briefs, pg 7
gay-sd.com
COMMUNITY VOICES/NEWS
We are family, too
This year’s theme for the
North County LGBTQ Resource
Center’s upcoming Gala on May
19 is all about family.
Family is when our service
members, reunited with their
loved ones, have to struggle with
their affections to avoid making
national news. Family is the thousands of couples hoping to have
their unions finally recognized
as marriage. Families are federal
government employees that cannot take care of their spouses
because the Defense of Marriage
Act denies them the right. Families or the bi-national couples
forced to live apart because, in
this country, their union is illegal.
Here in North County, a
few hundred feet away from the
entrance to Camp Pendleton, our
families feel the burden of forced
invisibility. This year’s Gala is not
only about fundraising but is also
an opportunity to reestablish
dignity and humanity to all our
North County families.
Only a year ago, the idea of
opening a North County LGBTQ
Resource Center was a general
thought in our minds, an undefined desire inspired by years of
community work and dedication
that many North County residents have volunteered for.
At last year’s Gala, guest of
honor and keynote speaker Steward Milk compared our effort to
the great struggles of the past:
establishing a community center
in an area that was historically
non-supportive. Ironically, a year
after, we come to realize that because of these predetermined obstacles, establishing our presence
happened because of an amazing
support from our LGBT families,
allies and service members.
Today, our community is
transforming the way North
County has been perceived for
years. In fact, the presence of
many different support and
discussion groups, mental
health programs, socio-recreational activities and other
services the Resource Center
provides are making a difference. We are already looking
into extending our hours of
operation and maybe, one day,
moving into a bigger place.
In the meantime, having a
safe space to gather, socialize,
discuss and organize the LGBTQ
self-identified youth it is really
what makes any LGBT Center a
resource that everyone can use.
Guest of honor and keynote
speaker and for this year’s Gala
is West Hollywood mayor and
civil rights leader John Duran.
Duran has years of activism in
educating about HIV prevention
and AIDS, while being the force
behind many of our community’s
antidiscrimination efforts. An
active duty officer will also share
his personal experience after the
repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”
and discuss how the presence of
the Resource Center benefits our
local military.
FROM PAGE 6
BRIEFS
MAX DISPOSTI
NORTH COUNTY
UPDATE
Of course, music, food and a
performance by the San Diego
Gay Men’s Chorus will add to
the experience of a great evening
at the beautiful venue, offered by
the Oceanside Museum of Art.
All proceeds will support
the activities of the only LGBTQ
Center currently run by volunteer personnel only. For more
information or to purchase your
ticket to the “We Are Family”
Gala, visit ncresourcecenter.org
or call 760-672-1848.
One last note for all my
friends that may feel family is
not who they are. Family can be
everyone; it is not a homogenous
box, losing the creativity and
diversity of our immense and colorful community. An individual
that has embraced the love for
the larger human community is
family, too. We all can make our
existence a better one.t
—Max Disposti is the founder
and executive director of the North
County LGBTQ Resource Center. He
can be reached at [email protected].
CANVASS FOR A CAUSE DELIVERS
SIGNATURES TO DROP EQUALITY 9
CHARGES
The nonprofit Canvass for a
Cause (CFAC) gathered over 1,000
signatures in one month to show
support for the Equality 9. Signers
are demanding charges against the
nine marriage equality advocates be
dropped and the petition was delivered to the County Clerk’s office on
Thursday, April 19. CFAC has joined
with the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality (SAME) to push for all
charges to be dropped in a case stemming from the denial of marriage
licenses for two same-sex couples
in August 2010. Following the denial, nine people were arrested for
peacefully protesting at the County
building. Their case continues, after
repeated requests from CFAC and
SAME to drop all charges. “Not only
is this a question of whether all people will receive equal treatment under the law, but it’s an attack against
a person’s freedom of speech and
assembly,” said CFAC Field Director
Jersey Deutsch. “The fact that nine
peaceful protesters, who were asking that LGBT people be afforded the
same rights as straight people, were
arrested by over 50 police officers
in riot gear, is horrifying.” The next
court date for the Equality 9 is scheduled for April 30.
USD ALUMNI BAND TOGETHER TO
SUPPORT DRAG PERFORMANCE
Members of PRIDE, the LGBTinclusive organization at University
of San Diego (USD), hosted a drag
show on April 11 as part of a monthlong series on gender identity. The
see Briefs, pg 8
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
7
8
CARTOON/OPINION/LETTERS
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
gay-sd.com
FROM PAGE 7
BRIEFS
show initially caused controversy,
including the launch of an anti-gay email campaign by one USD alumnus.
Chuck LiMandri, who graduated
from USD in 1977, launched the webbased campaign, Alumni for a Catholic USD, with an open letter to USD
alumni asking them to contact the
University’s president, Mary Lyons,
to protest the event. “We need your
help for a few minutes to stop a grievous injury to the Body of Christ,” the
website stated. In response, a second
campaign was launched, this one from
a group of USD alumni in support of
the event. Called A USD for Everyone,
the web-based campaign encouraged
alumni to e-mail and call Lyons, to
thank the administration for their support. Identified as the first drag show
for USD, the event included a student
drag competition hosted by local drag
queen Tootie Nefertootie. Co-signers
for A USD for Everyone include the
current president of the USD Young
Alumni Network, Lauren Crawford;
and District Three Councilmember
Todd Gloria, among other alumni.
Gloria graduated from USD in 2000.
Letters/Corrections/Editorial
LGBT Values column
hits the mark
“Civic narcolepsy” is a great
turn of phrase [see “The friend
of my enemy is not my friend,”
Vol. 3, Issue 7]. The importance
of this season’s debate at The
Center really can’t be overstated.
It was a tremendous event and a
strong statement about the role
of the LGBT community in our
entire community in San Diego. I
also think Linda [Perine] should
be commended for organizing a
politically fair debate even with
her own party affiliation. It is, I
think, demonstrative of an important ability needed to get more
people engaged. I was happy
to be in attendance and see so
many people participating in the
process by showing up. Really a
great evening.
—Omar Passons, via Gay-sd.com
Excellent article, Linda [see
“The friend of my enemy is not
my friend,” Vol. 3, Issue 7]. I was
there participating as part of the
audience. It was an exciting event.
The debate demonstrated
the abundance of thought, that
GAY SAN
DIEGO
the San Diego LGBT community is a microcosm of the
national debate.
I wish it was possible for our
community to teach the nation
to care for its elderly, its children, its ill [and] its poor. Unfortunately, some would prefer
the endorsements of those who
vilified and harassed the LGBT
community not 15 years ago.
—Eric Brown, via Gay-sd.com
Corrections
The April 6 print edition
failed to give proper credit to
the photographer of the cover
image used to promote the stor y
“Grace Towers under pressure”
[Vol. 3, Issue 7]. The photograph
of Anthony Diaz as Grace Towers was taken by Rob Lucas of
Modern Aperture Photography
(modernaperture.com).
In the April 6 “Foodie Flashes”
[Vol. 3, Issue 7] story featuring
Redwing Bar & Grill, the incorrect spelling of the restaurant
owner’s name appeared. The correct spelling is Sarah Critchlow.
Planning Commission
gets it wrong
Anthony King | GSD Editor
While the San Diego Planning Commission claim to not
be making social commentary
in their discussion on the
Monument Flag Pole project, it
is clear they are. Commissioner
Tim Golba said at the April 12
meeting he had trouble with
the project because he felt the
rainbow flag was not inclusive
of everyone.
Wrong. Fellow Commissioner Eric Naslund called
him out on it: “It’s important to
know, as I understand it… that a
rainbow flag implies the notion
that lots of different people can
live together,” adding he could
see himself in the flag.
Not only is Naslund a part of
that flag, but so is Golba and the
other Commissioners who voted
against recommending the project. The rainbow flag is inclusive
of everyone; the entire symbol
of the flag and the LGBT movement is about inclusion and
wanting to be a part of society.
3737 Fifth Ave. Suite 201
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 519-7775
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
Rebecah Corbin
(619) 961-1961
bcorbin@sdcnn
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
Mike Rosensteel
(619) 961-1958
mike@sdcnn
PUBLISHER
David Mannis
(619) 961-1951
dmannis@sdcnn
ACCOUNTING
Denise Davidson
(619) 961-1962
accounting@sdcnn
SENIOR ADVERTISING CONSULTANT
Sean Eshelman
(619) 961-1955
sean@sdcnn
CONTRIBUTORS
Allan Acevedo
Chris Azzopardi
Max Disposti
Michael Kimmel
Cuauhtémoc Kish
Ian Morton
Linda Perine
Margie M. Palmer
Jeff Praught
Leslie Robinson
Frank Sabatini Jr.
Romeo San Vicente
Dave Schwab
Brian Snook
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT
Brennan MacLean
(619) 961-1957
[email protected]
EDITOR
Anthony King
(619) 961-1952
[email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Ashley Mackin
(619) 961-1953
editor@sdcnn
ART DIRECTOR
Eddie Ramos
(619) 961-1961
eddier@sdcnn
ACCOUNT EXECITIVE
Deborah Vazquez
(619) 961-1956
[email protected]
Jennifer Muth
(619) 961-1963
[email protected]
Golba was insinuating this
is a controversial decision. It
is not.
What Golba and the others
who claim a fear of precedence
really mean is they do not actually think showing support for
the Monument Project is in the
best interest of the city.
Once again, they are wrong.
Benjamin Nicholls of the
Hillcrest Business Association
summed up the true discussion
with respect, by responding
at the meeting. He said, “I’m
ner vous that maybe we get
into a discussion about compromises…. That is something
that I feel the LGBT community has always run into. ‘We’re
happy with your lifestyle, just
we don’t want to know about
it.’ That’s our concern.”
Golba then apologized for
“opening the hornet’s nest”
before he ended the discussion. He should not be apologizing. Have the conversation
that Nicholls and the LGBT
community are desperately tr ying to have. By not participating, you make it so we cannot
participate either, and that is
wrong, too.t
OPINIONS/LETTERS
Gay San Diego encourages letters to the
editor and guest editorials. Please e-mail
both to [email protected]. Include phone number
and address for verification. We reserve
the right to edit letters and editorials
for brevity and accuracy. Letters should be
no longer than 350 words in length unless
approved by staff editors. Letters and
guest editorials do not necessarily reflect
the views of the publisher or staff.
SUBMISSIONS/NEWS TIPS
Press releases and story ideas are welcome.
Send press releases, tips, photos or story ideas
to [email protected]. For breaking
news and investigative story ideas contact
the editor by phone or e-mail.
DISTRIBUTION
GAY San Diego is distributed free, biweekly,
every other Friday. COPYRIGHT 2012.
All rights are reserved.
HARVEY MILK STREET TO
CITY COUNCIL MAY 8
The San Diego Planning Commission voted to recommend the
renaming of Blaine Avenue in Hillcrest to Harvey Milk Street at their
April 12 meeting. Members of the
Committee to Commemorate Harvey Milk spoke at the meeting and
the project passed in a 4 to 1 vote.
There was no public opposition to
the project voiced at the meeting.
Blaine Avenue runs two blocks from
The LGBT Center at Centre Street to
Cleveland Avenue, parallel to University Avenue. Following the Planning
Commission meeting, Councilmember Todd Gloria released a statement
about the decision, showing his support and saying the project will now
go before the City Council on May 8.
“If approved, San Diego will be the
first city in the nation to honor Harvey Milk’s contributions and achievements in this way,” Gloria said. Council President Tony Young released a
statement of support as well. “Harvey Milk is an important figure in
the ongoing struggle for full equality
for all Americans,” Young said. “I’m
pleased to put Harvey Milk Street on
the docket and hope my council colleagues will join me in considering
this landmark effort.” Recognizing
the efforts to complete the project
before celebrating Harvey Milk’s
birthday on May 25, Young said,
“Councilmember Gloria has worked
hard with his constituents and grassroots community leaders to have
Harvey Milk Street approved before
his birthday. Taking action at the upcoming City Council meeting is critical to achieving that goal.”t
Business Improvement Association
COMMINITY VOICES
gay-sd.com
SD County Board
Supervisor seat
could turn Democrat
The San Diego County board
of supervisors has gone largely
unnoticed in San Diego political
discussion for many years. Some
attribute this to the fact that people
who live in the county mostly live
in one of its18 incorporated cities,
and therefore are more closely
tied to citywide issues rather than
countywide ones.
I think a more realistic perspective would be that few people
realize what the board of supervisors actually does. Much of this
must be centered on the fact that
the board has been composed of
the same five Republican members
since 1994, as it would be hard to
conceive of such a homogenously
elected body to have many controversial votes on issues which
impact so many residents.
The county board of supervisors wields a wide range of power,
in which I am sure most of us have
a vested interest. Not only does
the county run the Sheriff, District
Attorney and Public Defender’s
offices, it also runs our elections,
collects property taxes, issues marriage licenses, issues significant
land use and planning decisions
and delivers – or is supposed to
deliver – important social services
across the county, including libraries, parks, beaches and landfills.
Democratic challenger Stephen Whitburn shed light on the
board when he mounted a credible challenge to incumbent Ron
Roberts in 2010. Though Whitburn lost, his campaign helped
spread awareness about the many
salient programs and services the
county should be providing.
Whitburn’s campaign also
helped usher in a change regarding term limits. Supported by Whitburn, 2010’s measure initiating
term limits for the county board of
supervisors passed with nearly 70
percent of the vote. This underscored the county sentiment that
there was a need for change.
Two years later and all the su-
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
9
Friends of Dorothy are always friends of mine
A L L A N AC E V E D O
POLITICAL
SPECTRUM
pervisors recognize their time on
the board will soon be over, as each
is only allowed to serve eight additional years before being termed
out under the new measure’s
regulations. There is one, however,
not seeking re-election. Supervisor
Pam Slater-Price is stepping down
before she is termed out of the
third district and has opened up the
county to its first new supervisor in
nearly 20 years.
Of the frontrunners for SlaterPrice’s seat is Republican Steve
Danon, current chief of staff
for San Diego Congressmember Brian Bilbray; Republican
Carl Hilliard, current mayor of
Del Mar; and Democrat Dave
Roberts, current deputy mayor of
Solana Beach.
Outside of Solana Beach, Dave
Roberts may be remembered for
his entrance and early departure
from the former 50th Congressional District in his bid to oust Bilbray. Dave Roberts exited the race
late 2009 before the 2010 primary
for family reasons, as stated on his
former campaign website.
Dave Roberts has surprised
many by earning endorsements
from Democrat leaders Assemblymember Toni Atkins, State
Senator Christine Kehoe and former City Councilmember Donna
Fr ye. This cadre of Democratic
support is joined by the endorsement of outgoing Super visor
see Political, pg 20
You may be born to white
privilege or immigrant poverty,
into a mainstream Protestant or
a devout Catholic family. Your
daddy may be rich and your
momma good lookin’ but if you
are gay, you are still a stranger in
a strange land. Almost by definition (setting aside the Miracle of
the Turkey Baster), gay babies
are born into straight families;
most certainly we are born into
a straight society. For many,
perhaps most of us, to be born
gay is to be born into an enemy
camp. From the get-go we are the
“them” to their “us.”
Early and intimately, gay
folk – be they rich, poor, black,
brown, Italian or Indonesian –
know what it is to be the other in
their own home. We all learn that
at the deepest level imaginable,
we are somehow different. For
the unlucky, the early exclusion from family intimacy and
the comfort of religion are a life
sentence to alienation, substance
abuse and a crippling longing to
belong. For far too many, it is a
death sentence.
The lucky and the strong
somehow know, instinctively, that
what some people call truth and
gospel, well, it ain’t necessarily
so. They know the love they feel
is precious; that any love is a gift
from God and should be cherished. These folks will always
wonder, “If they lied to me about
love, what other lies are they telling?” They turn a gimlet eye on
the tyranny of the majority and
always pay attention to the man
behind the curtain.
These deep and abiding currents run through queer folk: a
longing to belong and the whimsy and fragility of foundations denied. Yet somehow we managed
to build a formidable community
by creating our own families and
traditions through friends, lovers
and common need. We live an
ethos that cherishes the differences that unite us and demands
equal rights and responsibilities.
In the face of AIDS, religious
intolerance and government
persecution, we have created an
agenda to be proud of.
The experience of otherness
is a precious tool. I don’t think it
is a random event that Abraham
Lincoln freed the slaves or Alan
Turing invented the computer
and helped to save Western civilization. It makes sense to me
that a gay man, Bayard Rustin,
gave Dr. Martin Luther King
the audience to tell about his
dream. I know Rachel Maddow
and Ellen DeGeneres are the
smartest and coolest women in
the United States because they
are lesbians.
Thus it is not too soon to
ask, as DADT, DOMA and the
chains of our inequality drop
away: do we fade into a merely
assimilative transition and forget the shared experience that
binds us together?
Gayness gives the rich,
white man an insight and empathy he would not other wise
have. Gayness gives the underprivileged access and experience in a world she might not
other wise know. I have come to
the conclusion that being gay
is a gift. It makes us look at the
world differently. It makes us
look at what could be and ask,
L I N DA P E R I N E
LGBT VALUES
“why not?” If ever the world,
our countr y and our city needed
our “queer eye,” it is now.
I hope we are at the eve – not
the end – of the gay agenda, if
that agenda is solutions that work
for the many, not the few. I am
hopeful that our heartfelt appreciation for a pretty face will not
blind us to values we know don’t
work. I want women to know
that Dorothy and her friends will
always be there for them.
Now, those who disdained
us, find our money and influence
useful. Rather than assuming
their values, we should insist
they assume ours.t
—Linda Perine is a community activist. In 2011 she chaired
the LGBT Redistricting Task
Force for San Diego. When she is
not trying to make the world safe
for the LGBT community, she tries
to find her clients good real estate
investments. She can be reached at
[email protected].
10
COMMUNITY VOICES
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
Catholics and gay marriage:
Schisms-R-Us
A new vision for nonprofit sustainability
with the Advancing Compassion Project
I’m not Catholic. This makes
my fascination with the American
arm of the Catholic Church a little
strange, but it also means I can
watch its contortions without fretting over its future.
That’s good because I think the
Church in this country, while not in
its death throes, is suffering from
a rupture and a nervous condition.
The Church’s hold on its members
has ruptured, and that’s going to
make any denomination nervous.
A couple of months ago came
reports that 98 percent of Catholic
women have used contraceptives.
Although the statistic has been
criticized, American women by any
measure are as likely to stick with
Catholic-mandated natural family
planning as the Pope is to become a
Zumba instructor.
Then there’s the homosexuality issue generally, and the gay
marriage issue specifically. When
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley
signed marriage equality into law
on March 1, he became the fifth
Catholic governor to do so, in clear
opposition to the will of Catholic
bishops in those states.
As far as I know, none of these
governors have been denied communion or been excommunicated.
But their trips to the confession
booth must be deafening.
After grappling with her Catholic faith, Washington Gov. Chris
Gregoire happily signed a marriageequality bill in February. Opponents
are now gathering signatures for
a referendum to axe the law. The
Seattlepi.com reported that the
Archdiocese of Seattle sent a letter
One of those quotes that get
bandied about a bit is “it takes
a village,” from its roots as an
African proverb to a book by
Hilary Clinton. I’d like to think
that Advancing Compassion
Project (ACP) takes this concept
one step further: “It takes an
informed village,” the quote
could read.
ACP understands that the
heart of a non-profit organization’s success is rooted in its
ability to connect to the community and has a plan to help them
achieve that aim.
Founded in June 2011 by
husbands Tyler and Tony
Dylan-Hyde, ACP was created
to identify novel and efficient
grassroots, non-profit organizations and support them with an
extra step of connect-ability to
the donors and volunteers sharing an organization’s vision.
I took an opportunity to sit
down with the Dylan-Hydes
to discuss the impetus that
prompted them to form ACP.
“Thinking about compassion
as a motivator brings up two
things: one is awareness and
the other is connection,” Tyler
said. “We’re so busy with our
lives and distracted by so many
things that people often don’t
have a good sense of what’s going on around them.”
Tony agreed, saying, “We’re
filling a void for people who
want to get involved but just
don’t know how to go about it.”
Sometimes it is just one
ingredient that determines the
LESLIE ROBINSON
GENERAL GAYETY
to their faithful, saying it plans to
have parishes collect signatures.
I guess we can add a new Catholic sacrament to the current seven.
Right up there with the Anointing
of the Sick will be the Employing of
the Bic.
Seattlepi.com also reported that
the push to kill the gay-marriage law
might make lay Catholics twitchy.
For starters, the Archdiocese of Seattle has long championed civil rights.
This time, the Catholic hierarchy is
batting for the other side.
Plus there’s the fact that the
National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) is backing the campaign.
NOM internal memos, recently
revealed in litigation in Maine, advocated a strategy of pitting AfricanAmericans and Hispanics against
gay-rights groups.
Jesus would be nauseous, and
a number of Catholics don’t feel so
well, either.
A recent event in a Minnesota
see Gayety, pg 20
success or failure of a venture
and, from their experience in law
and entrepreneurship, the DylanHydes recognize that missing
ingredient was either often lack of
funding or lack of connections to
promote the service that an organization provides.
ACP addresses this barrier in
their vision statement: “ACP recognizes that projects having an
efficient approach to obtain effective results is a key measure
for success of that program….
We envision [ACP] as becoming
an organization that helps connect the resources of successful
program models with under-appreciated nonprofits, having the
potential for catalyzing change
in their communities.”
To that end, the pair coined
the term and launched an initiative titled “ProPhilanthropy,”
or an approach that moves beyond transactional giving and
integrates donors and supporters with a cause. The model
allows the volunteer-based
initiative to operate with little
overhead, while connecting potential investors and advisors
with various non-profit organizations. “ProPhilanthropy takes
a great idea and seeds that idea
with support and expertise to
take them to a level of sustainability,” Tyler said. Since ACP’s
inception, the organization
has taken on various causes,
including homeless youth,
environmental restoration and
at-risk school children. A current project has them working with the San Diego Food
Bank to support the Food 4
Kids initiative, a program that
discretely provides weekend
supplement food packs to students identified as at risk for
malnutrition. Their Valentine’s
Day packing event brought
together volunteers to create
one thousand kits, proving that
awareness and connection is
the key to taking compassion
gay-sd.com
I A N M O RTO N
PROFILES
IN ADVOCACY
from passive to active.
As the summer comes upon
us and school lets out, ACP will
be turning their efforts once
again to the challenges of youth
homelessness and environmental deterioration. Tony and Tyler
will be connecting volunteers,
donors and scholars to these
issues, broadening community
support from all levels.
You probably have a heart for
what these two men are bringing
to the community and I encourage you to check out one of their
events. Tony summed up the
center of their efforts perfectly
by saying, “Giving back to your
community, whatever that is,
[has] tremendous value… both
to the volunteer and the recipient organization.”
For more information about
ACP, visit their website at advancingcompassion.org or send
an e-mail to [email protected]
—Ian Mor ton has worked
in the HIV field since 1994
when he began volunteering
with AIDS Response Knoxville.
He currently serves as outreach
liaison for the AIDS Research
Institute at UCSD. To nominate
a person or organization to be
featured in Profiles in Advocacy,
please submit name, af filiation and contact information to
imor [email protected].
NEWS
gay-sd.com
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
FilmOut announces festival lineup
This year’s selections include four world premieres over five days
(l to r) Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker from “Cloudburst” (Courtesy FilmOut)
By Anthony King | GSD Editor
FilmOut San Diego announced
the complete lineup for this year’s
LGBT film festival. Beginning May
30, the 14th annual festival will
screen 22 short and 16 featurelength films, including four world
premieres. The five-day festival
will also bring guest filmmakers
and actors to San Diego and will
honor comedian Del Shores with a
Career Achievement Award.
“We try to include a wide range
[of films] that will appeal to all
LGBT audiences,” said FilmOut
Festival Programmer Michael
McQuiggan. “This year [we]
were trying to secure a lineup
that included world premieres,
U.S. premieres and West Coast
premiers. We succeeded with that
expectation; over 20 films are in
those categories.”
McQuiggan said FilmOut will
present the LGBT community
with “a great five-day festival,
with over 40 films… that generally will not play theatrically in
San Diego.” He calls the films
important, relevant and entertaining, and said they are “films that
allow our stories to be told.”
Opening the festival is “Cloudburst,” a romantic road-trip movie
starring Academy Award-winning
actresses Olympia Dukakis and
Brenda Fricker. Dukakis and
Fricker play Stella and Dot, an
aging couple who escape from a
nursing home in the U.S. in an
attempt to get to Canada to legally
wed, after Dot is moved to the
home by her prudish granddaughter. Stella is left out of the decision,
even though the couple have been
together for 31 years.
of the festival, McQuiggan said
Dukakis’s “performance alone is
worthy of admission.” Other highlights, McQuiggan said, are the
Boys Centerpiece film, “Morgan;”
the Girls Centerpiece film, “Three
Veils;” and the selection of international films. Countries represented
include Turkey, Germany, Sweden
and China, among others.
“Morgan” director Michael Akers said he is thrilled to be a part
of this year’s festival, after participating in a previous year. “Now
that [FilmOut] is having us back
with our latest movie, I feel like
we’ve come full circle,” he said.
McQuiggan said FilmOut was
also proud to include Carrie Preston’s comedy, “That’s What She
Said,” starring Anne Heche, which
recently screened at the Sundance
Film Festival. Screening June
2, the film is produced by San
Diego residents Mark Holmes and
James Vasquez. Vasquez recently
directed Diversionary Theatre’s
“Next Fall” and last year’s “The
Rocky Horror Show” at the Old
Globe Theatre.
Additional San Diego connections in the festival films include
several men from the area interviewed for “Man 2 Man: A Gay
Man’s Guide to Finding Love.”
Directed by Christopher Hines,
the film follows a selection of gay
men as they use every possible
means necessary – including
phone applications, websites and
professional matchmakers – in
see FilmOut, pg 21
“Positive Youth” screens May 31.
(Courtesy FilmOut)
Calling “Cloudburst” a hidden
gem and one of the best films
Schedule
Wednesday, May 30
7:30 p.m.
Short 1: “Fallen Comrade”
Short 2: “Performance Anxiety”
Opening night feature:
“Cloudburst”
Thursday, May 31
6:00 p.m.
Short 1: “ub2”
Feature: “Positive Youth”
7:30 p.m.
Dixie Longate Performance
8:30 p.m.
Short 1: “4 Pounds”
Del Shores Career
Achievement Award
Feature: “Sordid Lives”
Friday, June 1
4:00 p.m.
Feature: “Buffering”
5:30 p.m.
Feature: “Man 2 Man”
7:00 p.m.
Girls Centerpiece feature:
“Three Veils”
9:15 p.m.
Boys Centerpiece feature:
“Morgan”
Saturday, June 2
12:00 p.m.
Best of LGBT Shorts
Short 1: “33 Teeth”
Short 2: “Under Pressure”
Short 3: “Gaysian Dream”
Short 4: “Ms. Thing”
Short 5: “Smart Phone”
Short 6: “Poker Face”
Short 7: “Andie”
Short 8: “Clubscene:
The Under-Age”
Short 9: “A Fairy Tale”
Short 10: “Hardwood
Throughout”
Short 11: “Do You Have
A Cat”
Short 12: “Half Share”
2:30 p.m.
Short 1: “Connected”
Feature: “Kiss Me”
4:30 p.m.
Short 1: “Bang Bang”
Feature: “Zenne Dancer”
7:00 p.m.
Short 1: “The Not So
Subtle Subtext”
Festival Spotlight feature:
“That’s What She Said”
9:30 p.m.
Short 1: “Bugchaser”
Feature:
“Endless Possibility of Sky”
Sunday, June 3
12:00 p.m.
Best of Latino Shorts:
Films of Francisco Lupini
Short 1: “To Suffer Like
Fingers That Don’t Bleed”
Short 2: “The Empty Nest”
1:15 p.m.
Feature: “Romeo’s”
3:00 p.m.
Feature: “Speechless”
4:45 p.m.
Feature: “Jamie & Jesse
Are Not Together”
6:30 p.m.
Feature: “Men to Kiss”
8:15 p.m.
Closing night feature:
“Nate & Margaret”
11
12
CALENDAR
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
Friday, April 20
Triple Threat: T3 Triple
Threat Youth Mentors is a
non-profit arts and education
organization dedicated to enriching lives of youth in need
through art, and will be hosting a Broadway III fundraising tonight. Featuring some
of the area’s finest emerging
musical theater talent, money
raised will help produce
this year’s performing arts
summer day camp for kids
and teens in North Park. The
show starts at 8 p.m., and the
suggest donation tickets are
$20. The fundraiser is at the
Lion’s Club, located at 3927
Utah St. For reser vations
and more information visit
t3triplethreat.com or call 619786-2787.
Twilight Tour with SOHO:
The Save our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) hosts a
Twilight Tour and Reception
tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. If you
have never been to a SOHO
party in the past, it’s time to
start. The unique experience
includes hors d’oeuvres and
wine, the chance to spend time
with architecture aficionados
and historians at the Marston
House. The party will include a
tour of the Arts & Craft home,
Marston House. The Marston
House is at 3525 Seventh Ave.
Tickets are $45 for SOHO
members, $55 for non-members. For more information and
tickets visit sohosandiego.org
or call 619-297-9327.
Saturday, April 21
Community garage sale:
When they say community,
they mean huge community. Entire neighborhood
huge. The Mission Hills
community garage sale
takes place from 8 a.m. to
noon, with par ticipating addresses available with the
of ficial map this mor ning at
7:30 a.m. For the map and
more information, visit the
Coldwell Banker of fice at
1621 West Lewis St. or call
619-574-5138.
Taste of Hillcrest: The
2012 Taste of Hillcrest event,
celebrating the many fantastic restaurants and eateries
Hillcrest has to of fer, is today
from noon to 4 p.m. It is an
amazing tradition, where the
best chefs and the most flavorful cuisine come together to
create the tastiest event of the
season. Over 40 restaurants
in our urban neighborhood
are par ticipating in the selfguided culinar y adventure.
Previous years have sold out,
so don’t miss your change.
Tickets are $30 - $35 and get
you the oppor tunity to sample
special bites from par ticipating
restaurants. Get your shoes
on and your tickets in hand for
this lunchtime event. Proceeds
benefit the Hillcrest Business
Association. For more information and tickets visit fabuloushillcrest.com.
Girl Fest SD: SDSU of fice
of Intercultural Relations and
the Women’s Recourse Center
present Girl Fest San Diego,
a free event star ting today
and extending to April 27 and
April 28. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
today’s event is an “I AM A
WOMAN” summit at the SDSU
Parma Payne Goodall Alumni
Center. On April 27 from 4 – 6
p.m., a discussion on human
gay-sd.com
traf ficking happening in San
Diego will be followed by a
Freedom to Express spoken
word and live music fest, from
7:30 p.m. to midnight. Freedom to Express will be at Ar t
lab Studios, 3536 Adams Ave.
in Normal Heights. See April
28 calendar listing for events
on that day. For more tickets
and more information, visit
girlfestsandiego.org.
GYT STD Awareness:
Planned Parenthood offers confidential no-cost STD testing at
the Mana de San Diego Dia de
la Mujer Latina Health Festival
at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 140 E. 12th St.
in National City from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Testing will also take
place at the Day of the Child
fest, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at
Memorial Bowl Park, 373 Park
Way in Chula Vista. Part of the
Get Yoursef Tested April STD
awareness month. For more
information, visit planned.org
or call 888-743-7526.
Sunday, April 22
SD Ear th Fair: Ear thFair in Balboa Park is
the largest free annual
environmental fair in the
world, and this year is the
23rd year. Previous years
have drawn approximately
60,000 people to park to
par ticipate in exhibits,
special theme areas, food
pavilions, a kids’ activity
area, the children’s Ear th
Parade, and eAR Th Galler y
ar t show and the cleaner
car concourse. From Traditional conser vation organizations to wildlife preser vation groups, exhibiters are
too numerous to mention
and include the San Diego
Democrats for Equality,
the 3HO Foundation of San
Diego with their Kundalini
Yoga Center, among the
many others. The event is
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is
free and is totally wor th it.
For more information visit
ear thdayweb.org.
Monday, April 23
Men’s Chorus info:
Did you see the San Diego
Gay Men’s Chorus concer t
last weekend? Want to joint
them? Prospective singers
and volunteers are welcome
to the chorus information
night, tonight, at 7 p.m. All
interested in auditioning or
working with the chorus are
welcome. The night includes
food, prizes and surprises.
Swear. Attendees will also
get information on auditions
for the summer 2012 concer t
singers. Interested singers
are asked to pre-register
for tonight’s info night by
submitting a membership
application, which does not
immediately obligate joining
the group. The info session
is at the University Christian
Church, 3900 Cleveland Ave.
For the application and more
information visit sdgmc.org
or call 877-296-7664.
Tuesday, April 24
Gentlemen’s Martini
Night: The ever-popular
Gentlemen’s mar tini Night
takes over Wang’s Nor th
Park tonight, for an epic
evening of raf fle prizes and
more. The group’s meetings
are regular gathering for gay
professional men and their
friends. They host events at
least twice a month in San
Diego, and they do have a
dress code (no T-shir ts and
shor ts, guys) and tonight’s
event is from 6 to 9:00 p.m.
Wang’s is located at 3029
University Ave. The cost is
$10 cash, expected at the
door. For more information
visit gentlemensmar tininight.com.
Thursday, April 26
Prop B pension reform
debate: Hosted by the San
Diego Democrats for Equality, tonight’s debate on the
proposed San Diego City
Proposition B: Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR)
will be moderated by Liam
Dilion of the Voice of San
Diego. This is not to be
missed, for cer tain, for CPR
is one of the most impor tant
see Calendar, pg 13
CALENDAR
gay-sd.com
FROM PAGE 12
CALENDAR
initiatives on the June ballot
and has implications for the
mayoral race. In the No on
Prop B corner is District
Three Councilmember Todd
Gloria, chair of the San Diego budget committee. For
Yes on Prop B, CRO of the
San Diego County Taxpayers
Association Lani Lutar will
be speaking. The event is
par t of the regularly scheduled Democrats for Equality
meeting, but all are invited.
The meeting opens at 6:30
p.m. with club business at 7
p.m. The debate, then, will
be from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at
the Joyce Beers Community
Center, 1230 Cleveland Ave.
For more information visit
democratsforequality.org.
Pride Monument Flag:
Taking it back to the San
Diego Planning Commission
for the second time after
it previously failed to get a
recommendation, the Hillcrest
Pride Flag suppor ters and
HBA are going to speak on
the project. Now is an important time to get your voice
heard. The project is to install
a permanent Pride Flag at the
corner of Normal Street and
University Avenue. The Commission meeting is at 9 a.m.
in City Council chambers, 202
C St. in Downtown. For more
information visit hillcrestbia.
org or call 619-299-3330.
Friday, April 27
Tea with Meredith
Baxter: The Center for Community Solutions is hosting
their 13th Annual Tea on the
Town fundraiser, and Emmynominated actress Meredith
Baxter will be in attendance.
Baxter, who participated in
last year’s Pride festival and
will always be remembered
as the ver y awesome Elise
Keaton on “Family Ties,” was
recently featured on Ellen’s
and Oprah’s shows. Baxter
will tell her stor y, “Breaking
Family Ties: Empowering
Ourselves to Overcome Domestic Violence,” as she is a
long advocate for sur vivors of
domestic violence. Tickets are
$125 per person, $1,500 per
table. The Tea on the Town
fundraiser is from 11 a.m. to
1:30 p.m. at the San Diego
Marriott Mission Valley, 8757
Rio San Diego Dr. For more
information and tickets visit
ccssd.org or call 858-272-5777.
Enter Shikari: Don’t let the
venue stop you from seeing the
amazing U.K.-based electropunkers Enter Shikari. The
band comes to the Soma Sidestage for their first U.S. tour
in support of the new album,
“A Flash Flood of Color,” which
debuted at number one on the
official U.K. Album Chart. Enter Shikari confronts both social and political issues through
their music, an “incandescent
snapshot of the modern age”
including globalization, the
recession, repression, protest,
activism and engagement. The
all ages event is $13 in advance,
$15 at the door. Doors are at 7
p.m., with Letlive and At The
Skylines opening. Soma Sidestage is located at 3350 Sports
Arena Blvd. For tickets visit
somasandiego.com.
Saturday, April 28
Women’s Fest: The LGBT
Center is hosting today’s
Women’s Fest, in conjunction with Girl Fest San Diego
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Par t
of the festival will be the
Girl Fest Workshop, from
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. where
par ticipants are welcome to
roam freely through the multimedia stations to collectively create a vision of freedom.
The Center is located at 3909
Centre St. and the event is
free. For more information
visit girlfestsandiego.org.
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
Sunday, April 29
Retro Phoenix: Charles
Phoenix and his Big Retro
Slide Show make San Diego
their next destination, bringing his comedy show about
classic and kitschy American
life to town for one night only.
Phoenix’s one-man show is a
“deep-fried and delicious mix
and mash-up of road trips,
tourist traps and theme parks,”
among other amazingly horrid
memories from family road
trips. “I can’t wait to eat at the
Chicken Pie Shop and then go
scamper through Balboa Park
before a Mai Tai at the Bali
Hai,” Phoenix said. The show
is at 7 p.m. at the Museum of
Photographic Arts, 1649 El
Prado in Balboa Park. Tickets
are $25 and can be purchased
at charlesphoenix.com.
Bags & Baubles: The Face
Foundation is hosing a Bags
& Baubles silent auction of
designer handbags today from
1 to 5:00 p.m. Fashionistas are
gathering at a private Rancho
Santa Fe home to bid on an
array of new and “gently-loved”
designer handbags to benefit
the FACE Foundation. FACE, or
the Foundation for Animal Care
and Education, is a nonprofit
working to enhance the preser ve the quality of life of your
pets. FACE works to prevent
13
“economic euthanasia” by providing grants to local veterinar y
hospitals for critical medial
care. The organization is also
accepting donations; contact
them to sponsor an individual or
business. For more information,
including the event location,
RSVP at face4pets.org or by calling 858-450-3223.
Wednesday, May 2
The Center ar t group:
Sabato Fiorello facilitates a
free and fun ar t workshop
today from 1:30 to 4:30
p.m. The workshops are in
Group Room 2 at The LGBT
Center at 3909 Centre St.
For more information email sohosandiego.org or
call 619-692-2077.
Thursday, May 3
Hot Chocolate at the
Redwing: Redwing Bar &
Grill hosting, ever y first
Thursday, “Hot Chocolate
After Dark.” The night is a
karaoke extravaganza hosted
by Granny Pearl where you
can request your favorite
R&B and Hip-Hop songs.
Food and drink specials all
night long, from 8 – 11 p.m.
Redwing Bar & Grill is located at 4012 30th St. in Nor th
Park. For more information
visit redwingbar.com or call
619-281-8700. t
14
FEATURE
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
gay-sd.com
Cirque du Soleil evolves with “Totem”
For one performer, San Diego means a return to hope
Joe Putignano returns to San Diego with Cirque du Soleil’s show “Totem.”
(Courtesy OSA Images)
By Anthony King | GSD Editor
Cirque du Soleil returns
to San Diego this month with
“Totem,” the 11th production
from the Montreal, Canada-based
company to visit the area since
1987. Like other Cirque produc-
tions, “Totem”
combines
acrobatics,
athletics,
music and costumes for a show
that is ever-evolving.
For one cast member, evolution
is more than just a theme for the
show. It is also a theme for his life.
Joe Putignano, who plays the
Crystal Man in “Totem,” came
to the production after a long
battle with alcoholism and drug
addiction. A gymnast since his
youth, Putignano struggled with
addiction at a young age and faced
homelessness before finding
sobriety in dance and theater.
Even at a time when he
considered himself sick, sad
and broken, the Boston native
was selected by choreographer
Twyla Tharp to appear in her
production “The Times They Are
a-Changin.’” The show premiered
in 2005 at the Old Globe Theatre
in San Diego, then moved to a
successful run on Broadway.
Putignano said much of his sobriety began with Tharp’s support.
“It was so important to my sobriety
at that moment, because she saw
something in me that nobody else
had seen,” he previously said.
“That was my first… performing job out of that nightmare,”
Putignano said recently.
It was during the Broadway run
of “The Times They Are a-Changin’”
that Cirque artistic directors approached Putignano for “Totem.”
Putignano has been with “Totem”
Putignano plays the Crystal
Man, shown here in a
costume by Kym Barrett.
(Courtesy OSA Images)
since it’s beginning and said
a return to San Diego represents hope, as he reflects on
where he was in his personal
struggles before the last time
he was in San Diego.
“You have to find a society where you can give back
to others, and I try to embody
that kind of message because
I had a very… bad past,” he
said. “I try to say, ‘It is possible
to change.’ It is possible to be
somewhere and then turn into
something else. I’m honored to
be that guy.”
The gymnast said it was
natural to portray change and
evolution through his character,
too. “That has a lot to do with my
character for me; as we’re talking
about change and evolution… for
me, it’s my sobriety,” he said.
The Crystal Man is inspired
by a quote from Charles Darwin’s
“On the Origin of Species,” which
reads: “Light will be thrown on
the origin of man and his history.”
The costume is covered with
over 4,000 pieces of mirrors and
crystals, which producers said
represent evolution’s “life force.”
“There is this one… beautiful
statement [from Darwin] where
we kind of have no idea of where
this transformation [and] evolution actually comes from. I represent that change,” Putignano said.
Evolution may be a theme for
Putignano and the show – which
traces the human species from
its original amphibian state to
modern-day human – but it is
also one of the guiding principles
of Cirque as a theater company.
“Cirque’s mandate as a company
is creation,” Artistic Director
Tim Smith said. “Technically, you
could see a show on Thursday and
it would be different on Friday.”
Smith, whose previous experience includes working on six original Broadway shows, said changes
in “Totem” happen through collaboration with new technologies,
the actors and, most importantly,
audience feedback. “Although
the show was created a year and
a half ago, we then start[ed]
our journey and we constantly
motivate ourselves to change it,
develop it [and] make it better,” he
said. “That makes it really exciting
daily, on a creative basis.”
“Choreography is set,” Putignano said, “however the inten-
tion behind it is always
different. You have to get a
good feel. You have to be
extremely aware of your
audience.”
“Totem” premiered in
Montreal in 2010, and the
production has since visited more than 10 cities
in four countries, with
an audience of more
than 1 million viewers.
The San Diego production begins April
25 and runs through
May 27 at the Del Mar
Fairgrounds, located at 2260
Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Currently living in New
York, Putignano said touring
with the show can sometimes be difficult and likens
it to having a boyfriend.
“When you’re traveling,” he
said, “it’s like a relationship.
Sometimes it’s good; sometimes
it’s bad. For me, I have to really
get spiritually grounded.”
For Smith, who said it was
“always nice to be in San Diego,”
the touring production is a way
for people to see a Cirque show
without having to travel far. “We’re
excited to be in a great city, and
people get a chance to have an
experience that they won’t have
anywhere else,” he said.
Touring has become a day-today occurrence for Amanda Balius,
as well. Balius is head of wardrobe
for the show, and works nightly
with Putignano on the Crystal Man
costume. Originally from Biloxi,
Miss., Balius said she has been on
the road with Cirque for 12 years.
While there are many aspects
to a Cirque show, for “Totem,” costumes are a key component to how
the actors take on their character
and interact with the audience,
Balius said. “In this show, because
we’re dealing with evolution…
I think the costumes really help
[the actors] find their character,”
she said. “That’s what makes this
special for the audience.”
On top of Putignano’s Crystal Man, characters in “Totem”
include frogs, monkeys and a
Neanderthal man. “We have a lot
of very drastic looks,” Balius said.
“It’s a vast spectrum.”
Tickets for the Del Mar production of “Totem” range from
$40 to $148.50. VIP packages are
also available and show times
var y. For complete times and to
purchase tickets visit cirquedusoleil.com/totem.t
DINING
gay-sd.com
DINING WITH FRANK SABATINI JR.
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f you haven’t visited Saffron
Noodles and Saté lately, you
might be depriving your intellect
and sex drive the sustenance
they both deserve. Just last
month, owner Su-Mei Yu added
to her ever-growing menu of Thai
specialties several dishes that she
touts “brain food,” “aphrodisiacs”
and “anti-inflammatories.”
Intrigued by the prospect of
eating a full dinner and leaving as a virile calculus whiz, a
companion and I set our sights
on Yu’s new meal enhancers,
starting with their “love salad,”
available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
If your libido responds
favorably to fresh spinach,
roasted asparagus, pineapple
and shrimp, then consider this
sprightly salad your answer to
Spanish Fly, as the organics provide payloads of vitamin C (helpful in the treatment of impotence) and a good dose of iodine
in the shrimp for energizing lazy
thyroid glands. Cynics to these
claims will, at least, revel in the
medley’s juicy, tropical flavor,
augmented with coconut flakes
and a sweet-tangy dressing.
Moving on to a brain dish
loaded with kale, fresh sage,
chicken and cubed sweet potatoes,
the stir-fry is indeed a brainy
Saffron Noodles and Saté
3731-B India St. (Mission Hills)
619-574-7737
Prices: Soups and salads,
$2.50 to $9; entrees, $7.50 to $10
concoction, which at the very least
greatly stimulated our palates. The
ingredients came together fantastically with the aid of garlic, ginger
and tumeric, creating a flavor rush
that would stick in the memories
of the most forgetful. As for the
actual mind-boosting component
of the entrée, kale supplies iron,
which is essential for trafficking
blood into the brain while the
sweet potatoes protect it, given
their low glycemic index. The dish
is available daily.
We weren’t sure how or why
the “anti-inflammator y” stir-fr y
works in relieving an inflamed
liver or gallbladder, for instance, but we ate it with wild
abandon. Par ticularly noteworthy was the pepper y seasoning
paste that melted into the broccoli and shitake mushrooms,
both par-cooked to per fection.
On the side was red organic
rice that was considerably drier
that Saf fron’s famous white
sticky rice, although
easily remedied
with
their famously rich and spicy
peanut sauce we kept on the
side.
My favorite dish of the evening, which I was happy to see
my companion cast aside because
he found it too spicy, was “Southern Thai style chicken curry.”
Available only on Thursdays,
it makes no health claims but
enchants with a lush blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and chilies. The
rusty colored sauce generously
swathes a boneless, skinless
chicken breast of large proportion, accompanied by white rice
and minty Cambodian coleslaw.
Saf fron has come a long
way since star ting out as a
tiny kitchen for rotisserie
chicken nearly 20 years ago.
The original takeout space still
thrives and has blossomed into
an order-at-the-counter dining
room located next door. The
atmosphere is casual and bustling with brilliant glasswork by
ar tist Dale Chihuly perched on
overhead shelving.
Also, on one Saturday a
month (dates var y), Yu presents
a “street food market” that introduces passersby to a host of
obscure Thai dishes you won’t
normally find on the menu. For
the May event, check their website: saffronsandiego.com.t
(clockwise from top l) Saffron’s new love salad; kale combined with chicken and spices enhances brainpower;
Southern Thailand’s chicken in brown curry; and the new anti-inflammatory stir-fry (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
15
16
THEATER
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
CUAUHTÉMOC KISH
gay-sd.com
THEATER REVIEW
Diversionary’s statement through “The Pride”
Alexi Kaye Campbell’s play on time reminds audiences
where they have been and where they are going
The character Oliver in Alexi
Kaye Campbell’s “The Pride”
makes the statement that one
should be proud of who they are,
no matter their sexual orientation. Campbell’s tightly written
play reminds us that the public
demonstration of gay pride may
have been completely different
fifty years ago.
Playing at Diversionar y
through May 6, the play addresses homosexuality in
alternating scenes between 2008
and 1958. Ion theatre’s Glenn
Paris competently directed the
production, which, in its 2008
London Royal Court Theatre
premiere, was awarded a
Laurence Olivier Award for
Outstanding Achievement.
The same year, Campbell was
awarded the Critics Circle Prize
for Most Promising Playwright.
Paris returns to Diversionar y
with “The Pride,” after co-directing “Bent” with Claudio Raygoza
in 2009. Raygoza and Paris were
named San Diego Critics Circle
2010 Producers of the Year for
their work at ion theatre, and
most recently were awarded the
first Don Braunagel Award from
the San Diego Critics Circle for
their production of “Angels in
America.”
The opening scene of “The
Pride” takes the audience to
1958 for the first grouping of
Sylvia, Oliver and Philip, played
by Jessica John, Brian Mackey
and Francis Gercke respectively.
Sylvia introduces Oliver to her
husband, Philip, and the men’s
attraction to each another is immediate, and shortly thereafter,
consummated.
When Campbell transports the
audience to 2008, a second, but
unrelated Philip and Oliver coupling are discussing their recent
breakup, due to Oliver’s chronic
infidelity. Sylvia is there too, commiserating as Oliver’s best friend.
Keep in mind that, although
the actors bear the same names,
there is no relationship to the
sets of triangular pairings. The
scenes alternate between the two
eras sequentially, beginning with
the older era.
Gercke and Mackey offer
clipped, precise and intentionally
stiff conversation throughout,
underscoring their middle-class
London origins. Their execution of the wordy script is nearly
perfect. In one of the 1958-era
“The Pride”
Through May 6
Diversionary Theatre
Thurs, Fri & Sat 8 p.m.
Sun 2 p.m.
619-220-0097
diversionary.org
scenes, Oliver informs Philip
that he is no longer ashamed of
his desires and that his feelings
are honest, pure and good. The
character goes on to say, “I felt
I had a pride. A pride for the
person I was.” Mackey plays Oliver with great sensitivity, while
Gercke keeps Philip cold, distant
and frightened.
The ensemble, including
Dangerfield G. Moore in various supporting roles, delivers
exacting and polished performances, even though the passion
between the principal actors is
mired in wordy platitudes. Many
of the conversations are overly
mannered but the play succeeds
in pulling the audience into
lives full of pain and suffering.
What you don’t feel is any love
between either of the Oliver and
the Philip pairings.
John allows the Sylvia char-
Author of “The Pride,” Alexi Kaye Campbell; the production runs through
May 6. (Courtesy Diversionary Theatre)
acters to bring the men together,
no matter the era. Her distinguishable relationships with
both Olivers and both Philips are
heartfelt, sensitively balanced
and intelligent.
The play acts as a historical
counterpoint to contemporar y
gay life: one in which there is
optimism for openness, while
the other may be suggesting we
opened the door too widely. As
the rainbow coalition progresses
to prideful equality with the
heterosexual community, we
should never lose sight of how
we achieved our goals. “The
Pride” reminds us of where we
were, where we are and where
we must go.t
ENTERTAINMENT
gay-sd.com
ROMEO SAN VICENTE
Olympia Dukakis
(Photo by Michael Gibson)
Oscar-winning lesbians
make a break for Canada in
“Cloudburst”
Olympia Dukakis won hers for
“Moonstruck,” while U.K. actress
Brenda Fricker won hers for “My
Left Foot.” Those wins would be
Academy Awards, by the way, and
the lauded ladies are now going to
star side-by-side in the latest film
from gay Canadian director Thom
Fitzgerald (“Beefcake,” “Three
Needles”). Dukakis and Fricker
will star as an older lesbian couple, with Fricker finding herself
placed in a nursing home by her
adult children. But when those
same family members decide to
shut out Dukakis from the home
the women have built together,
the pair decide to break out and
run off to be married in Canada.
No one seems to bother telling
them that Canadian laws don’t
hold in the U.S., but that doesn’t
stop them from taking one last
stab at freedom. Think Thelma
and Louise only with two women
who have kissed more than once,
and then catch it when it opens
the San Diego LGBT Film Festival
on May 30.
“Glee” and “Twilight” stars
leap to “White Frog”
Somebody must have once
given indie filmmaker Quentin
Lee good business advice about
keeping his overhead low and
never giving up. Because while
most of the world wasn’t looking,
the gay director has racked up
five well-regarded indie features,
including “The People I’ve Slept
With,” “Drift” and “Shopping For
Fangs,” a couple of documentaries
and several short films. Are they
busting down box offices? No,
but they get made and they get
seen on screens at film fests and
arthouse theaters. Ask anybody
in the film business and they’ll tell
you that equals success. And for
Lee’s next project, the high profile
stars are coming out to play. The
film is called “White Frog” and
stars Booboo Stewart (part of the
“Twilight” wolf pack) as a young
man with Asperger’s syndrome
who brings about change in his
family. It feature’s “Glee” star
Harry Shum Jr. in a pivotal role,
“Teen Wolf” star Tyler Posey,
“Law and Order SVU” regular
BD Wong and “Twin Peaks” alum
Joan Chen. Be on the lookout for
it to start making the film festival
rounds this summer. Then buy a
ticket and support small films. It’s
the least you can do after paying
money to see “Battleship.”
“Actividad Paranormal”
It’s not a sequel or a reboot, but
it is a marketing decision, make
no mistake. That’s the only way to
describe the next project from the
“Paranormal Activity” production
team of Jason Blum, Oren Peli
and gay writer-director Christopher Landon (son of Michael).
They’re hard at work developing a “Paranormal Activity”-style
film with a Latino cast and a plot
involving Catholic concepts of
evil and the paranormal. Landon
will write and direct this one (he’s
already written PA2 and PA3, so
he’s ready) and production on the
English-language film starts soon.
And why? Well, with the United
States Latino population growing
faster than any other ethnic group,
it stands to reason that there’ll
be more Latino-themed cultural
product coming along, and what
better, more opportunistic plan is
there than a tiny-budgeted horror
film that grabs all its cash back and
more on opening weekend? Meanwhile, as long as it doesn’t turn into
a tacky Virgin Mary vs. La Llorona
cage match, who’s to say there’s
anything wrong with that?
Sofia Vergara in bed with
Sharon Stone and…
Take one actress best known
for an iconic lesbian role and another actress that lesbians simply
wish would switch teams, put
them both in a new film and what
do you have? Sharon Stone and
Sofia Vergara in bed together in
something called “Fading Gigolo.”
And while you’re pretending that
the title of the film isn’t inherently off-putting and that you’re
just happy to hear about a lesbian
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
17
DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD
“Corpus Christi,” the documentar y
“Corpus Christi,” the play by
Terrence McNally that retells the
New Testament gospels from the
perspective of Jesus and his disciples as a group of gay men living
in modern day Texas, is probably
the most argued-over American
play to come along in the past 15
years. From its 1998 Broadway
debut to regional productions, the
play is frequently the target of protests, attempts to ban or cancel it,
death threats and bomb scares. So
you know it’s got to be good. And
now the story of the plays reception is a big screen documentary,
“Corpus Christi: Playing With
Sofia Vergara
Redemption,” from filmmakers
Nic Arnzen and James Brandon.
The film follows the play as it cuts
its controversial path across the
country, including a production in
Corpus Christi, Texas. Premiering
at San Francisco’s Castro Theater
on April 29 before its eventual
cable/DVD/download future, it’s
an important contribution to the
dialogue over artistic freedom,
the First Amendment and United
States citizens who don’t really
like either one.t
—Romeo San Vicente gives roses
to his Momma. He can be reached
care of this publication or at [email protected].
(Courtesy Warner Bros.)
component in a new comedy,
here’s bit of a twist in the fantasy
good news: their sex scene will
also involve John Turturro, the
writer and director of the project,
who stars in the “Hung”-like film
as a man forced into prostitution out of economic necessity.
Look, don’t blame the messenger.
And besides, it could be Woody
Allen in that three-way instead of
Turturro, because he’s co-starring
in the film, as well. So just count
your blessings.
What that gay guy from
“Happy Endings” is doing next
No, Adam Pally isn’t gay. He
just plays one on TV. And the
slovenly, irresponsible, no-ruleor-stereotype-abiding “Max,” on
the hilarious, fast-paced sitcom
“Happy Endings,” is unlike
any gay character yet seen in
primetime on a major network.
So it’s good news to see the
likeable Pally taking on a film
role, during the show’s summer
hiatus, in “A.C.O.D.” (which
stands for “Adult Children of
Divorce”). The comedy also
stars Amy Poehler and Adam
Scott, Jane L ynch, Jessica
Alba and Catherine O’Hara.
Weirdly enough, Poehler and
Scott play romantic par tners
on “Parks and Recreation” but
here Poehler will be Scott’s
stepmother, the third wife of
his older father. No word on
what Pally’s character gets
up to, but he’s showed a ver y
specific kind of range on the
other TV projects, notably as
the “Young Hollywood Douchebag” on “Californication” and,
well, the “douchey” guy on
“NTSF:SD:SUV.” Here’s to
future typecasting.
Q PUZZLE
LET’S ALL ACT UP
Across
1 Decide not to swallow
5 Lollipop cop
10 Lustful one, informally
14 Mary topper
15 Toughen up
16 Gillette razor product
17 Bit from Ted Casablanca
18 Newsgroup messages
19 P’s for Socrates
20 “Over my dead body!”
22 Coins w. Abe images
23 How Homo sapiens stands
24 Darth, as a boy
25 St. Louis clock setting
26 Land of Damascus (abbr.)
27 Barbecue site
29 Nonprofessional sports org.
30 Drag queen’s mini, e.g.
33 Jeremy of “M. Butterfly”
34 Barrett or Chaplin
35 Do __ situation (crisis)
36 Clergyman Bean
37 Penalized, as a speeder
39 Gomer’s “anti”
40 On top of that
41 Daniel with a coonskin cap
42 Manhandle, with “with”
43 Fruitless
45 Big bag
47 Singular men’s shorts?
50 Exams on sexual technique?
54 Ran first
55 Novel by 10-Down
61 Mama’s boy
62 Versatile vehicle
63 Nocturnal lizards of Tennessee Williams?
64 Illegal same-sex vow, in most states
65 Pitching stat
66 Return to mint condition
67 Earlier
68 Tchaikovsky’s fifth
69 Like Shakespeare’s writing
70 Take home after taxes
Down
1 Climb, as a tree
2 Top of the head
3 Lots of people go down on them
4 D.H. Lawrence novel for which 10-Down
wrote a screenplay
5 One of TV’s “Bosom Buddies”
6 Now and again
7 Novel by 10-Down
Let’s All Act Up, solution on page 19
8 Young Michelangelo
9 Jennifer Lien’s “Star Trek: Voyager” role
10 Gay Men’s Health Crisis cofounder
11 Singer Melissa
12 “Peter Pan” critter, for short
13 Doest own
21 Michael Nava’s lawyer Henry
23 Petrol station choice
27 Not elite
28 Russian sea
31 Park of Queens
32 Perfect scores for Caesar?
37 G-man employer
38 In excelsis ___
44 Ratify
46 Had solo sex, with “off”
47 Langston Hughes’ “The Weary ___”
48 Like bell-bottom jeans
49 Perfect model
51 B.D. Wong, for one
52 Gay ski weekend shanty
53 Uppity sort
56 “The African Queen” author
57 Nature’s blow job?
58 Concert receipts
59 ___ about
60 Container weight
18
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS
gay-sd.com
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
gay-sd.com
ATTORNEYS
HEALTH
HOME
LANDSCAPING
PAYROLL
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
19
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Email: [email protected]
Michael Kimmel
Psychotherapist
Author of
“Life Beyond
Therapy” in
Gay San
Diego
PETS
RESIDENTIAL + COMMERCIAL
Richard Osborn
(619) 269-9930
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www.lifebeyondtherapy.com
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PLUMBING
IT SERVICES
FINANCIAL
Serving Uptown
for 15 years.
H R Tactics
Strategic Planning, Tactical Training
Joe Whitaker operates H.R. Tactics,
a full-service human resource consulting firm in Mission Hills, providing a
broad range of human resource support,
products and solutions for small to midsized companies with fees designed
to put affordable human resources in
reach. He can be contacted at 804-4551
or e-mail at [email protected].
COUNSELING
(619) 857-8769
OneMissionRealty.com
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[email protected]
LET’S ALL ACT UP FROM
pg.17
20
COMMUNITY VOICES
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
FROM PAGE 9
FROM PAGE 10
Slater-Price. Having both
Democratic and Republican
Party support bodes well for
Dave Roberts, who is running in a non-partisan election
against two Republicans.
If elected, Dave Roberts
would be first openly gay member of the board of supervisors
and a Democratic voice in a
government body that has been
largely unrepresentative of the
county as a whole.
While I am under no illusion the election of a single
Democratic supervisor will
change the county’s course, I
believe this could be the first
step in having a board that reflects the interests and values
of the entire county. Dave Roberts would have the opportunity to serve as a countervailing
force to votes that have gone
unnoticed and without debate
at the county level.
Electing Dave Roberts
could lead to more Democratic
victories at the county level in
the future, as well. Though the
third district may be outside
of where many of us live and
work, it is important to recognize the importance of who is
elected to this district and the
impact it will have in starting
to change the face and tenor of
the county.t
high school practically shrieked the
disconnect between Catholic clergy
and laity. At DeLaSalle, a Catholic
high school in Minneapolis, the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis held a required assembly, for
seniors only, about marriage.
The kids suspected what was
coming. Catholic education doesn’t
make dummies.
A priest and a volunteer couple
spoke, and student Matt Bliss told
the Star Tribune that all went swimmingly for the first three-quarters
of the marriage presentation. Then
the speakers implied that adopted
children and children with one parent are lesser.
Since at least four of the students present were adopted, this
was not just baffling but dippy.
“When they finally got to gay marriage, [students] were really upset,”
said Bliss. “You could look around the
room and feel the anger. My friend
who is a lesbian started crying.”
The couple compared gay
love to bestiality. Several students
argued with the speakers, and one
girl held up a sign that said, “I love
my moms.”
I’m betting the priest wished
for a posse of nuns armed with two
rulers apiece.
Some clearly won’t vote the way
the U.S. Catholic Church wants
them to. Even the students at a Catholic school aren’t buying what the
Church is selling. The clergy better
pray to the patron saint of ruptured
relationships, if not lost causes.t
POLITCAL
—Allan Acevedo is cofounder and president emeritus
of Stonewall Young Democrats
of San Diego. He has worked on
multiple political campaigns and
served on numerous boards.
GAYETY
—E-mail Leslie Robinson at
[email protected] and check
out her blog at generalgayety.com.
gay-sd.com
Your shadow knows
You are a good person who
wants to do the right thing and be
kind to people, but then there is
that other side of you: the you that
has ugly feelings, wants revenge
and fantasizes about bad things
happening to people you don’t like.
If you’re like most, you’d like to
get rid of these dark qualities. You
might even disown them by saying, “That’s not really me.”
Guess what? It is you. It’s your
“shadow” side, as Jung called it.
It’s normal to want to get rid
of your shadow side. Too bad it
doesn’t work that way. Your shadow side is there for a reason; it’s
a part of you that’s trying to show
you something you probably are
trying desperately to avoid, both
good and bad.
Making friends with the
shadow side of your personality is crucial to your happiness.
Denial doesn’t work: your shadow
will keep rearing its ugly head
and messing up your life. Avoid
your shadow side and don’t be
surprised how stuck you feel by
acting out the same shit, unconsciously, over and over.
Your shadow side is comprised
of all the aspects of your personality that you are embarrassed about
and try to deny. Jung called it the
person you’d rather not be: that
primitive, lazy, angry, narcissistic
and vengeful person you can be.
How do you work with your
shadow side? Make friends with
it. Fighting it, denying it and
avoiding it do not work. Your
shadow side is here to teach you
something. While it may look like
your enemy, it’s probably your
most honest friend. Your shadow
side will show you where you’re
still messed up, even if you manage to hide it from the world.
Shame and guilt make it hard
to make friends with your shadow
side. They encourage you to
disavow your shadow qualities
and act as if they don’t exist. Lasting change does not result from
shame and guilt. At best, they are
short-term motivators.
Here is a great way to work
with your shadow side. It’s a technique I’ve adapted from meditation and philosophy teacher Sally
Kempton’s book “Meditation for
the Love of It.”
1. Write a letter to someone
you dislike or disapprove of. Tell
them in the letter what you dislike
about them.
2. Then write a letter to someone you admire. Write everything
you love about them.
3. Read the letters aloud in
front of a mirror, substituting “you”
with “I” so you’re reading them as if
they’re addressed to you.
4. These letters will reveal your
shadow to you. Notice that your
shadow side has both bad and good
qualities. Contemplate this for a few
days. You don’t have to do anything
with this information, just let it
percolate through you.
5. Then, notice if there is a
change in the way you see other
people or in how you see yourself.
Kempton said, “People who
have engaged in shadow work ex-
MICHAEL KIMMEL
LIFE BEYOND
THERAPY
hibit a high degree of balance, tolerance and self-acceptance…. They
don’t say one thing and do another.
Their ethics are not undercut by
their unconscious impulses.”
Do you want to become the
person you aspire to be? Get to
know your shadow, and I don’t
mean just your negative qualities.
Remember the second letter you
wrote? This highlights the good
shadow: aspects of yourself that
you may have trouble owning.
These are your unexpressed
strengths waiting to be recognized
and encouraged.
Your shadow side can not only
keep you from sabotaging your
relationships, jobs and life, it can
also show you some wonderful –
but latent - qualities you may not
be giving yourself credit for.t
—Michael Kimmel is a licensed
psychotherapist who specializes in
helping LGBT clients achieve their
goals and deal with life’s difficulties.
Contact him at 619-955-3311 or
visit lifebeyondtherapy.com.
NEWS
gay-sd.com
FROM PAGE 11
FILMOUT
the effort to find themselves
long-term relationships. The film
screens June 1.
“Additionally, we co-present
films with other San Diego film
festivals,” McQuiggan said. “The
San Diego Latino Film Festival
and San Diego Asian Film Festival
[have been] on board for over five
consecutive years…. We are proud
to continue to provide this film festival to our communities and hope
that, as a collective, it is appreciated, embraced and supported.” For
the LGBT festival, the Latino Film
Festival is co-presenting the June
3 Best of Latino Shorts program,
and the Asian Film Festival is copresenting the feature, “Speechless,” also on June 3.
“We are also honoring writer
[and] director Del Shores this
year with a Career Achievement
Award and screening his film
‘Sordid Lives.’” McQuiggan said.
“Cast members will be present
and the evening will also include
a performance preceding the film
by Miss Dixie Longate.” Shores’s
FROM PAGE 1
LIFE
Mills, in a press release.
“This year, we are fortunate to
have several businesses going above
and beyond in their commitment to
the success of this event by giving
50 and even 100 percent of the day’s
sales on April 26,” Mills said.
Ian Johnson, manager at Martinis Above Fourth, said the restaurant has participated each year and,
on the day of the event, everyone
plays a vital role. “The night has
always been a very successful night
because of our dedicated guests
who have become part of the Martinis Above Fourth family,” he said.
In addition to Martinis donating
25 percent of their sales, Johnson said
attendees often donate more money
on their own. “The donation envelopes bring in a couple thousand [dollars],” he said, crediting a lot of the
extra donations to encouragement
from their Dining Out for Life hosts,
John Carey and Michael Brierley.
“They have truly been the backbone in getting individuals to make an
additional donation,” Johnson said.
The participants at Martinis
represent a key part of the event’s
success, one that Johnson says
comes second nature for the brand
and culture at the restaurant. “It’s
just who we are,” he said. “Everyone is always enthusiastic about
giving back to the community.”
“Romeo’s” screens on the festival’s final day, June 3. (Courtesy FilmOut)
2000 film screens May 31.
Saying he is looking forward to
meeting all the filmmakers and actors who will be attending this year’s
festival, McQuiggan also said he
expects the May 30 opening night
party at North Park’s Claire de Lune
Sunset Temple and June 3 closing
night party at West Coast Tavern
to be a success. Claire de Lune is
located at 2906 University Ave. and
West Coast Tavern is located at
2895 University Ave.
The entire festival will be
held at the Birch North Park
Theatre, adjacent to West Coast
Tavern, at 2891 University Ave.
Tickets for individual films
are $10, with special prices for
the opening and closing night
events. The Del Shores tribute
is $20, and a festival pass, which
allows attendees into each film
as well as parties and tributes, is
$125. For ticket information visit
filmoutsandiego.com.t
Johnson also said the sentiment
comes from everyone on staff,
including the owners. Jim Simpson
and Doru Tifui purchased Martinis
from the previous owners in October 2011. The restaurant is located
at 3940 Fourth Ave.
“I can say it helps to have an enthusiastic person who is backing an
event. That enthusiasm radiates to
the staff and guests,” Johnson said.
Rich Sweeney, owner and executive chef of R Gang Eatery at 3683
Fifth Ave. is another supporter of
Dining Out for Life, and has chosen
to donate 100 percent of his sales
for select items and times to The
Center. “We are going over the top
by donating 100 percent of our sales
for the day to Dining Out for Life,”
Sweeeny said in a press release.
“Think about how many people’s
lives we can touch by doing it. That,
alone, is more than worth it.”
Johnson has a personal connection to the HIV and AIDS event,
saying this year means more to
him than past events because of
personal loss. “What motivates me
for Dining Out for Life… is the fact I
have lost a friend, and have lost four
others in a matter of two years [to
HIV and AIDS],” he said.
“Everyone has been affected
by HIV [and] AIDS in some way,”
Johnson said. “HIV [and] AIDS is
still affecting peoples lives. I participate to help those living and for the
memories of those we’ve lost. That’s
a lot of people.”
The excitement of the day is felt
everywhere, Johnson said, who is
already making his own plans of
where to dine.
“No matter if you got to Martinis
or another location, the energy is
that of people making a difference
one bite at a time,” Johnson said.
“Laughter and enthusiasm will fill
the room at Martinis… with a staff
that cares about our community and
making a difference.”
For a complete list of participating establishments, visit diningoutforlife.com/sandiego/restaurants.t
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
21
22
SPORTS
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
JEFF PRAUGHT
gay-sd.com
DUGOUT CHATTER
Offering a complete roundup of San Diego’s LGBT athletics
I thought it would be prudent to
provide a full guide to LGBT athletics in San Diego. Each league does
its best to promote their existence,
a year-round job in this wonderful
environment. We would like to help
the effort by offering a summary
of the choices available to LGBT
athletes. If your sport is not listed
here, feel free to contact us with
more information and to get us on
your mailing list.
Basketball: San Diego’s LGBT
basketball league, SD Hoops, has
operated independently of any national organization for several years.
SD Hoops is an eight-team league
founded in 1999. Players of all
skill levels participate in full court,
five-on-five competition during the
regular season, which runs October
through March. Players are drafted
onto teams by coaches. Every team
qualifies for the playoffs, where a
champion is crowned mid-March.
The Board of Officers, on which I
served as Commissioner, is exploring the league’s first expansion
into two competitive divisions. The
hope is to attract more beginning
players in time for October’s 20122013 season. Until then, SD Hoops
will operate open gym sessions
at the Golden Hills Rec Center at
2600 Golf Course Dr. beginning in
May. These sessions will take place
Wednesday nights throughout the
summer, and are presented by the
new Hillcrest Brewing Company.
For more information on the league
or to get added to the mailing list,
visit sdhoops.net or e-mail [email protected].
Bowling: There are multiple
LGBT bowling leagues in San
Diego, with the most popular happening Wednesday and Thursday
nights in Kearny Mesa. The leagues
are welcome to all skill levels and
many members travel to tournaments across the country. Visit
sdgaybowling.org for details.
Football: Founded in 2004, the
San Diego American Flag Football
League is one of the largest LGBT
flag football leagues of its kind in
the country. The league boasts a
record of 16 teams by registering
270 players for this year’s 10-game
season, which began in March
and runs through May. Games are
played on Saturdays at Doyle Community Park near University Towne
Center. Players attend a skills clinic
and are drafted by coaches before
the season. Many of those coaches
run one or two practices during
weeknights to prepare for weekend
games. The league hosts an annual
bar crawl to kick off the season, and
has wild social Saturdays at sponsor
bars following games. It is too late to
get onto a team for this season, but
scores of fans come out to watch the
games. For more information about
the league, visit sdffl.org.
Pool: The San Diego Pool
League welcomes players of all skill
levels and is very well organized.
The mix of gay and straight teams
competes for the league title, and
individuals participate in the annual
West Coast Challenge. The league
is currently mid-season, with a new
one beginning in summer. To find
out more, visit sdpool.org.
Rugby: The San Diego Armada Rugby Football Club offers
a comfortable place for LGBT
athletes to participate, regardless of
experience or skill level. Founded in
2004, the Armada is associated with
USA Rugby as part of the Southern
California Rugby Union, which is
broken up into four competitive
divisions. The Armada competes
in the social division, Division IV.
The season spans from January
to April, with matches around San
Diego and Southern California. The
team does not hold try-outs in a
traditional sense. Instead, interested
Jeff Brick of Baja Betty’s swings during an AFCSL game at Santee
Sportsplex (Photo by Meagan Albrant)
players are encouraged to show up
at 11:00 a.m. to a Sunday touch practice. These are held throughout the
entire year in Balboa Park, depending on field availability. During the
season, the club practices every
Monday and Wednesday night in a
more structured setting. For more
information, including exact locations of the Sunday touch practices,
visit sdarmada.org.
Soccer: While there is no LGBT
soccer league in San Diego, we
do boast the predominately gay
team, San Diego Sparks. Founded
25 years ago, the club is as competitive as any in America’s Finest
City’s recreational leagues. Though
the season runs from September
to May, the club remains active
throughout the calendar year. With
gay and straight players, the team
identifies itself publicly as gay and
proudly represents itself inside
and out of the LGBT community.
Anyone wishing to become involved
should contact the Sparks via
sparkssoccer.org.
Softball: America’s Finest
City Softball League is San Diego’s
longest-running and largest LGBT
sports league, with over 400 active
members and scores of others who
have participated at some point
during its 31 years in existence. Typically, the league’s games are played
at the Poway or Santee Sportsplexes,
although AFCSL has used fields in
Mira Mesa and Escondido when
needed. Teams are formed without a
draft system and compete at varying
levels: beginner (D), intermediate
(C) or advanced (B) in the Women’s
Division as well as an Open Division. In the Open Division, where
men and women are both welcome,
players receive an official rating that
measures their abilities and ensures
that they are placed in the proper
division. Each team plays a 20-game
schedule, typically two games per
Sunday. The league hosts a small fall
season from September through November, and a much bigger spring
season from March through June.
In the spring, the teams battle it out
for coveted World Series berths,
allowing them to attend the popular
national tournament later in the year.
For more information, visit afcsl.org.
Swimming: The Different
Strokes Swim Team welcomes
swimmers of all ages and genders
to participate. The team has six pool
locations across the county, with
practices available nearly every day
of the week, morning or evening.
The weekend “power workouts” are
a little more strenuous and other
workouts include aerobic-anaerobic
workouts, individual medley, middle-distance free stroke (200 yards),
springs (less than 100 yards) and
distance (400 yards and up). For
more information, visit dsst.org.
Tennis: The San Diego Tennis
Federation (SDTF) plays yearround in Morley Field at the Balboa
Tennis Club, and welcomes players
of all skill levels. It offers team
tennis in spring and fall, as well
as a singles and doubles league, a
singles ladder and a club championship. SDTF hosts the San Diego
Open in July, and participates in
other regional tournaments as well.
Visit them at sdtf.org.
Wrestling: The San Diego
Wrestling Club operates year-round,
practicing freestyle, folkstyle and
Greco-Roman wrestling techniques.
The club welcomes members of
all ages, skill levels, gender and
physical ability. It holds practices
on Thursdays from 7 - 9:30 p.m.
and Sundays from 4 - 7:00 p.m. in
the main auditorium at The LGBT
Center. Founded in 1998, more
information about the club can be
found at sdbulldogswrestling.org.t
MAP
gay-sd.com
Millard’s Fur Service
2
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
3
4
5
For that FABULOUS you!
2046 University Avenue
(619) 296-0889
• Storage • Cleaning • Repairing
• Restyling • Monograms
www.pecsbar.com
(619) 296-0025
Full Service Patio Open 7 Days A Week
Open Daily at Noon Sunday at 10 am
3757 Park Blvd., 92103
7
8
9
660 University Ave. San Diego, CA 92103
www.itansolariums.com
3940 4th Ave # 200 • (619) 400-4500
w
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t
(619) 296-5668
www.theknotstop.com
y
WWW.THEURBANSHAVE.COM
MISSION
VALLEY
NORMAL
HEIGHTS
8
UCSD
Medical
Center
Scripps
Mercy
Hospital
30TH
EL CAJON
PARK
4
6 k
ei
5
y
UNIVERSITY
3
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30TH
UPAS
BALBOA
PARK
IN
REDWOOD
QUINCE
SAN DIEGO ZOO
HIN
PER
S
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ZO
BALBOA PARK
MUNICIPAL
GOLF COURSE
10TH
11TH
5TH
6TH
4TH
W. BROADWAY
Horton
Plaza
ELM
CEDAR
IN
C
BROADWAY
28TH
GOLDEN
HILL
B
25TH
INDIA
A
DOWNTOWN
g
GRAPE
PE
ASH
KETTNER
PACIFIC HIGHWAY
5
BEECH
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SAN DIEGO
AIR & SPACE
MUSEUM
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SOUTH
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ORGAN
PAVILLION
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PE
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3737 Fifth Ave. – 619.519.7775
JUNIPER
FRIENDSHIP
GARDEN
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PA
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REUBEN H. FLEET
MOPA
SCIENCE CTR.
PRADO
JUNIPER
LITTLE
ITALYORN
SAN DIEGO
NATURAL
HISTORY MUS.
FERN ST
www.hobnobhill.com
(619) 239-8176 • 2271 1st Avenue
163
LAUREL
TIMKEN
MUS. OF ART
BALBOA PARK
BOTANICAL
GARDENS
SAN DIEGO
MUS. OF ART
MUS. OF MAN
FLORIDA
TO AIRPORT
OLD
GLOBE
5TH
6TH
1ST
4TH
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5
s
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
MORLEY FIELD
30TH
BANKERS
HILL
Your Headquarters for RSVP,
Atlantis & all other cruises!
619-233-5199
www.rsvpcruises.com
w
h
NORTH PARK
TEXAS
RICHMOND
FLORIDA
ROBINSON
A
DI
Jerry & David’s
Cruises & Tours
a
UNI
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805 West Cedar • Downtown
TON
5TH
6TH
7TH
A
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RD
619.238.1980
1ST
A Man’s Club
4TH
Open 24 Hours
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ROBINSON
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MONROE
ORANGE
HILLCREST
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805
EL CAJON
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FT. STOCKTON
MONROE
PARK
MISSION
HILLS
UNIVERSITY
HEIGHTS
MADISON
MADISON
TEXAS
163
FLORIDA
i
S
WA
PARK
MADISON
8
1010 University Ave. Ste. C109 San Diego, CA 92103
ADAM
ADAMS
u
(619) 955-5369
(619) 298-1826
q
34TH
6
30TH
1
23
94
E
F
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1ST
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BO
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PETCO
Park
MARKET
ISLAND
l
J
Convention
Center
(619) 692-2077 • 3909 Centre Street
www.thecentersd.org
l
15
24
GAY SAN DIEGO
Apr. 20-May 3, 2012
gay-sd.com