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"title": "In 2025, the Valkyries’ Inaugural Season Reminded Me of Women’s Raw Power",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, as we near the end of 2025, the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture are reflecting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing\">One Beautiful Thing\u003c/a> from the year.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was a particularly glorious \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sf-pride\">San Francisco Pride\u003c/a> weekend. My jeans had grass stains from a sunny afternoon at Dolores Park, and my heart was on fire from the passion and solidarity I witnessed at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858877/how-the-trans-community-reclaimed-its-rightful-place-at-pride\">Trans March\u003c/a>. After we joined a pink, white and blue procession of gender-nonconforming people demanding dignity down Market Street, one of my best friends and I took Muni to the Chase Center and stepped into a sea of violet, lavender and lilac. I had been to professional basketball games before, but there was another level of excitement vibrating through the stadium during the first-ever Pride game of the Bay Area WNBA team’s inaugural season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984641\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED Arts & Culture’s Nastia Voynovskaya courtside at Chase Center during the Valkyries’ warm-up on Aug. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Valkyries won against the Chicago Sky, yes, but what stood out the most to me were the moments of connection and community, large and small. Throughout the Valkyries’ inaugural season, Ballhalla — as their home court is known — became a super queer, massive celebration of women’s raw power and strength. In a year when conservative ideas about gender made a major comeback, this was the antidote I didn’t know I needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom the players, to the creative luminaries on the jumbotron, to the fans in the stands, my first Valkyries game felt completely different from any other professional sports experience. Seated next to me was a friend of a friend, and we hit it off in a conversation that began with basketball and ended with spirituality and the deeper \u003ci>why\u003c/i> of our creative practices. All around me in the extended friend group were artists, healers and teachers — queer women and nonbinary people defining their lives on their own terms, and using their talents to invite others to seek the same freedom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I looked up at the jumbotron, which featured technicolor, nature-inspired designs by \u003ca href=\"https://favianna.com/\">Favianna Rodriguez\u003c/a>, an Oakland visual artist and activist whose radiant butterflies have decorated protest signs calling for climate justice and reproductive freedom all over the world. It was Rodriguez who first opened my eyes to the power of art to move hearts and shape social movements when I went to a talk of hers over a decade ago, when I was first embarking upon my journalism career. It’s a pillar that underpins most of my writing all these years later. And there she was courtside, an accomplished queer woman dedicated to liberation, being honored in a stadium of 18,064 screaming fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Ballhalla gets it\u003c/i>, I thought. \u003cem>This is bigger than basketball.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed.jpg\" alt=\"two fans whip lavender shirts over heads in crowd\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans cheer as the Golden State Valkyries scored during their WNBA season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center on May 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, of course, there was the actual game, which had me and my friends gasping and screaming as the Valkyries eked out a narrow lead. In the fourth quarter, forward Kayla Thornton sunk her fourth three-pointer, long braids whipping behind her as she ran down the court, and the arena erupted with ecstatic cheers. It hit me that these 18,064 people of all genders, ethnicities and ages were here to celebrate not just the home team, but an entire culture that has grown around these fierce women. [aside postid='arts_13980855']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hat realization felt significant on a bone-deep level, especially when I considered the ways the U.S. has backslid on women’s and trans rights in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-tradwives-use-sexism-racism-and-transphobia-to-police-other-women\">Tradwife discourse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/where-did-all-big-girls-go-lizzo-sounds-alarm-ozempic-culture-1757458\">Ozempic campaigns\u003c/a>. The loss of abortion access after the Supreme Court toppled Roe v. Wade. The ongoing, ever-more-hostile attacks on trans people’s access to medical care. Vice President J.D. Vance’s statements that people without children \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jd-vance-allotting-votes-people-children-thought-experiment-rcna166140\">should have fewer voting rights\u003c/a>. His infamous 2024 comments deriding “childless cat ladies,” echoing a tired insult that’s been leveled at women who don’t hinge their happiness on male approval \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13891913/how-the-crazy-cat-lady-became-one-of-pop-cultures-most-enduring-sexist-tropes\">since the witch trials of the 1300s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether from celebrities, social media or the highest halls of power, women and LGBTQ+ people are once again inundated with messaging about how we should shrink and contort ourselves into boxes — boxes that many of us don’t fit into as we strive to live full, empowered lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984643\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Valkyries player Cecilia Zandalasini shoots the basketball as fans watch in anticipation.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Game 2 of the Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx WNBA playoff game at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sept. 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, on the court, in the media and in their fight for fair pay, players like the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, and coaches like Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase, are unafraid to take up space. They don’t apologize for their ambition — they let it roar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 2025, the Valkyries made history: They broke attendance records by selling out the Chase Center for every game, and became the first expansion team to make it to the playoffs. The WNBA has enjoyed its largest attendance numbers since its inception, with plans to expand the league to 18 teams by 2030. It’s worth celebrating that the WNBA achieved that mainstream popularity without players sacrificing their authenticity. [ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the league’s most visible personalities, the Lynx’s Court Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — aka StudBudz — are proudly masculine-of-center lesbians with a passionate following that transcends race and gender lines. Indeed, 57% of WNBA fans are men, and young boys are a growing part of that demographic. They want to see women win, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that in 2026, women and trans people have to be prepared to defend a growing list of freedoms that we might’ve taken for granted in the past. But there’s power in the collective. The joy, solidarity and awe I’ve experienced at WNBA games reminds me that another world is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, as we near the end of 2025, the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture are reflecting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing\">One Beautiful Thing\u003c/a> from the year.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>t was a particularly glorious \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sf-pride\">San Francisco Pride\u003c/a> weekend. My jeans had grass stains from a sunny afternoon at Dolores Park, and my heart was on fire from the passion and solidarity I witnessed at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858877/how-the-trans-community-reclaimed-its-rightful-place-at-pride\">Trans March\u003c/a>. After we joined a pink, white and blue procession of gender-nonconforming people demanding dignity down Market Street, one of my best friends and I took Muni to the Chase Center and stepped into a sea of violet, lavender and lilac. I had been to professional basketball games before, but there was another level of excitement vibrating through the stadium during the first-ever Pride game of the Bay Area WNBA team’s inaugural season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984641\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/IMG_9576-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED Arts & Culture’s Nastia Voynovskaya courtside at Chase Center during the Valkyries’ warm-up on Aug. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Valkyries won against the Chicago Sky, yes, but what stood out the most to me were the moments of connection and community, large and small. Throughout the Valkyries’ inaugural season, Ballhalla — as their home court is known — became a super queer, massive celebration of women’s raw power and strength. In a year when conservative ideas about gender made a major comeback, this was the antidote I didn’t know I needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>rom the players, to the creative luminaries on the jumbotron, to the fans in the stands, my first Valkyries game felt completely different from any other professional sports experience. Seated next to me was a friend of a friend, and we hit it off in a conversation that began with basketball and ended with spirituality and the deeper \u003ci>why\u003c/i> of our creative practices. All around me in the extended friend group were artists, healers and teachers — queer women and nonbinary people defining their lives on their own terms, and using their talents to invite others to seek the same freedom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I looked up at the jumbotron, which featured technicolor, nature-inspired designs by \u003ca href=\"https://favianna.com/\">Favianna Rodriguez\u003c/a>, an Oakland visual artist and activist whose radiant butterflies have decorated protest signs calling for climate justice and reproductive freedom all over the world. It was Rodriguez who first opened my eyes to the power of art to move hearts and shape social movements when I went to a talk of hers over a decade ago, when I was first embarking upon my journalism career. It’s a pillar that underpins most of my writing all these years later. And there she was courtside, an accomplished queer woman dedicated to liberation, being honored in a stadium of 18,064 screaming fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Ballhalla gets it\u003c/i>, I thought. \u003cem>This is bigger than basketball.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed.jpg\" alt=\"two fans whip lavender shirts over heads in crowd\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/20250516_ValkyriesHomeOpener_GC-43_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans cheer as the Golden State Valkyries scored during their WNBA season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center on May 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, of course, there was the actual game, which had me and my friends gasping and screaming as the Valkyries eked out a narrow lead. In the fourth quarter, forward Kayla Thornton sunk her fourth three-pointer, long braids whipping behind her as she ran down the court, and the arena erupted with ecstatic cheers. It hit me that these 18,064 people of all genders, ethnicities and ages were here to celebrate not just the home team, but an entire culture that has grown around these fierce women. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hat realization felt significant on a bone-deep level, especially when I considered the ways the U.S. has backslid on women’s and trans rights in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-tradwives-use-sexism-racism-and-transphobia-to-police-other-women\">Tradwife discourse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/where-did-all-big-girls-go-lizzo-sounds-alarm-ozempic-culture-1757458\">Ozempic campaigns\u003c/a>. The loss of abortion access after the Supreme Court toppled Roe v. Wade. The ongoing, ever-more-hostile attacks on trans people’s access to medical care. Vice President J.D. Vance’s statements that people without children \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jd-vance-allotting-votes-people-children-thought-experiment-rcna166140\">should have fewer voting rights\u003c/a>. His infamous 2024 comments deriding “childless cat ladies,” echoing a tired insult that’s been leveled at women who don’t hinge their happiness on male approval \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13891913/how-the-crazy-cat-lady-became-one-of-pop-cultures-most-enduring-sexist-tropes\">since the witch trials of the 1300s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether from celebrities, social media or the highest halls of power, women and LGBTQ+ people are once again inundated with messaging about how we should shrink and contort ourselves into boxes — boxes that many of us don’t fit into as we strive to live full, empowered lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984643\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Valkyries player Cecilia Zandalasini shoots the basketball as fans watch in anticipation.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/250917-VALKYRIESPLAYOFFS-14-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Game 2 of the Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx WNBA playoff game at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sept. 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, on the court, in the media and in their fight for fair pay, players like the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, and coaches like Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase, are unafraid to take up space. They don’t apologize for their ambition — they let it roar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n 2025, the Valkyries made history: They broke attendance records by selling out the Chase Center for every game, and became the first expansion team to make it to the playoffs. The WNBA has enjoyed its largest attendance numbers since its inception, with plans to expand the league to 18 teams by 2030. It’s worth celebrating that the WNBA achieved that mainstream popularity without players sacrificing their authenticity. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the league’s most visible personalities, the Lynx’s Court Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — aka StudBudz — are proudly masculine-of-center lesbians with a passionate following that transcends race and gender lines. Indeed, 57% of WNBA fans are men, and young boys are a growing part of that demographic. They want to see women win, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that in 2026, women and trans people have to be prepared to defend a growing list of freedoms that we might’ve taken for granted in the past. But there’s power in the collective. The joy, solidarity and awe I’ve experienced at WNBA games reminds me that another world is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>“I don’t know if you’ve ever been inside an Orthodox Church,” artist KT Seibert tells KQED, “but I just have a hard time believing that straight men designed all that …”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13984190']Seibert is explaining the origins of \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em>, their new exhibition at Moth Belly Gallery that combines traditional religious iconography and a modern, distinctly queer sensibility. Seibert’s bold work has transformed the Tenderloin gallery into a compact, colorful cathedral, offering catharsis for anyone who has ever yearned for a religious sanctuary but couldn’t find one that welcomed them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beaming down from the walls are holy hands, crosses, sacred hearts and roses, blood-drenched chalices and hallowed saints. Most are made with watercolor, but more closely resemble stained glass. There’s three pieces of Seibert’s real stained glass too, abstract and dreamy at the rear of the room. Each work is imbued with true spiritual reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13984566 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final.png\" alt=\"A painting resembling stained glass of a religious hand holding a cylindrical item that is a holy cross on top and a syringe at the bottom.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-160x159.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-768x762.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-1536x1524.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Thank God for HRT’ by KT Siebert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Moth Belly Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I started this thought experiment,” Seibert explains. “If I’d been born in a different time, how would I reconcile being queer and trans? And what if I couldn’t be what I wanted to be and didn’t have access to gender affirming care? And I realized I would absolutely join a monastery or a convent and I would just make religious art with a bunch of neurodivergent queer people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert continues, “I bet so much of the visual language we have from the church was actually made by queer people. I can actually see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert, born and raised in Baltimore but based in San Francisco for the last 15 years, returned to their Christian (specifically Russian Orthodox) roots at the start of 2025, while processing the loss of their relationship and home. Seibert thought about the best way to process their grief. They thought about their upbringing in the church and the hundreds of religious icons hanging around their Russian grandfather’s home. They started repeating a mantra to turn so much pain into productivity: “Don’t waste sadness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert didn’t. One of the clearest examples of this in \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em> is \u003cem>Tower\u003c/em>, a depiction of a simple white home with a black garage door that transfigures, via a series of ever-taller floors, into a towering temple topped by an Orthodox cross and wrapped in serpents. \u003cem>Tower\u003c/em> is the result of Seibert processing the loss of their beloved home and a nod to the fact that they pulled the Tower card in a tarot reading just two weeks before their relationship ended. (In tarot, the tower is always a harbinger of doom.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984564\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984564\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower.png\" alt=\"A painting that resembles stained glass featuring a house that transforms into a towering religious building. \" width=\"1008\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower.png 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-160x317.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-768x1524.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-774x1536.png 774w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Tower’ by KT Seibert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Moth Belly Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During Seibert’s creative healing journey, they found themselves forced to open up spiritually in order to finish \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em>. The paintings became a way to honor the original creators of the religious icons Seibert incorporated into their work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13983871']“[In] the process of making an icon,” Seibert says, “you’re supposed to go into a trance. The process of making it is, in and of itself, a spiritual thing. It’s supposed to be a window into heaven and the realm, so when I was making these pieces, I was going purely on vibes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been definitely the most difficult year of my life,” Seibert adds. “Having something like this to put that energy into and connect with the realms was really necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Be Not Afraid’ is on view at Moth Belly gallery (912 Larkin St., San Francisco) through Jan. 31, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>“I don’t know if you’ve ever been inside an Orthodox Church,” artist KT Seibert tells KQED, “but I just have a hard time believing that straight men designed all that …”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Seibert is explaining the origins of \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em>, their new exhibition at Moth Belly Gallery that combines traditional religious iconography and a modern, distinctly queer sensibility. Seibert’s bold work has transformed the Tenderloin gallery into a compact, colorful cathedral, offering catharsis for anyone who has ever yearned for a religious sanctuary but couldn’t find one that welcomed them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beaming down from the walls are holy hands, crosses, sacred hearts and roses, blood-drenched chalices and hallowed saints. Most are made with watercolor, but more closely resemble stained glass. There’s three pieces of Seibert’s real stained glass too, abstract and dreamy at the rear of the room. Each work is imbued with true spiritual reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13984566 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final.png\" alt=\"A painting resembling stained glass of a religious hand holding a cylindrical item that is a holy cross on top and a syringe at the bottom.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-160x159.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-768x762.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Hand-Cross-HRT-Final-1536x1524.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Thank God for HRT’ by KT Siebert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Moth Belly Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I started this thought experiment,” Seibert explains. “If I’d been born in a different time, how would I reconcile being queer and trans? And what if I couldn’t be what I wanted to be and didn’t have access to gender affirming care? And I realized I would absolutely join a monastery or a convent and I would just make religious art with a bunch of neurodivergent queer people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert continues, “I bet so much of the visual language we have from the church was actually made by queer people. I can actually see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert, born and raised in Baltimore but based in San Francisco for the last 15 years, returned to their Christian (specifically Russian Orthodox) roots at the start of 2025, while processing the loss of their relationship and home. Seibert thought about the best way to process their grief. They thought about their upbringing in the church and the hundreds of religious icons hanging around their Russian grandfather’s home. They started repeating a mantra to turn so much pain into productivity: “Don’t waste sadness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seibert didn’t. One of the clearest examples of this in \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em> is \u003cem>Tower\u003c/em>, a depiction of a simple white home with a black garage door that transfigures, via a series of ever-taller floors, into a towering temple topped by an Orthodox cross and wrapped in serpents. \u003cem>Tower\u003c/em> is the result of Seibert processing the loss of their beloved home and a nod to the fact that they pulled the Tower card in a tarot reading just two weeks before their relationship ended. (In tarot, the tower is always a harbinger of doom.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984564\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984564\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower.png\" alt=\"A painting that resembles stained glass featuring a house that transforms into a towering religious building. \" width=\"1008\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower.png 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-160x317.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-768x1524.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Tower-774x1536.png 774w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Tower’ by KT Seibert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Moth Belly Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During Seibert’s creative healing journey, they found themselves forced to open up spiritually in order to finish \u003cem>Be Not Afraid\u003c/em>. The paintings became a way to honor the original creators of the religious icons Seibert incorporated into their work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“[In] the process of making an icon,” Seibert says, “you’re supposed to go into a trance. The process of making it is, in and of itself, a spiritual thing. It’s supposed to be a window into heaven and the realm, so when I was making these pieces, I was going purely on vibes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been definitely the most difficult year of my life,” Seibert adds. “Having something like this to put that energy into and connect with the realms was really necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Be Not Afraid’ is on view at Moth Belly gallery (912 Larkin St., San Francisco) through Jan. 31, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "shelterwood-collective-soloar-punk-farms-lgbtq-history-russian-river",
"title": "A Queer Climate Movement Takes Root Along the Russian River",
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"headTitle": "A Queer Climate Movement Takes Root Along the Russian River | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>There’s a certain kind of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997477/fishnets-and-fossil-fuels-meet-3-bay-area-climate-conscious-drag-artists\">queer magic\u003c/a> that thrives along the Russian River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than a century, queer people have sought refuge in rural Sonoma County, leaving the stress of city life for the peace — and parties — of the sprawling river valley and redwood forests. Artists, hippies, nude sun bathers, cruisers and even disco legends like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13854644/how-the-world-caught-up-to-sylvester\">Sylvester\u003c/a> have all flocked there over the decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, two groups, \u003ca href=\"https://www.shelterwoodcollective.org/\">Shelterwood Collective\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.solarpunkfarms.com/\">Solar Punk Farms\u003c/a>, are actively calling queer people back to the land, and not only to party. They’re creating a different type of magic: Shelterwood is restoring acres of forest through Indigenous practices like controlled burns, and Solar Punk advocates for environmental policy and farms the land — all while making space for queer community-building, joy and self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not selling this as a panacea, but as one small piece of a larger puzzle of correcting the arc of history,” said Shelterwood co-founder Nikola Alexandre. “It matters that the last gas station before coming to Shelterwood and leaving is in Guerneville, which is maybe the gayest rural town in the U.S.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984071\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-1536x1177.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikola Alexandre, of Shelterwood Collective, poses for a portrait at the property in Cazadero on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Caring for our elders’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About half an hour northwest of Guerneville, Shelterwood is an oasis that centers queer, trans, Black, Indigenous and disabled people. The property was once a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2020/04/18/looking-back-on-the-cazadero-cult-camp-hundred-years-later/\">religious cult \u003c/a>and later a Christian camp. Since 2021, Shelterwood Collective has cared for its 900 acres of forest through stream restoration, forest thinning and prescribed burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The forested valley, surrounded by a ridge, is home to wild boars, foxes, deer, mountain lions and the occasional bear. The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians stewarded these lands for thousands of years. White settlers and the federal government forced them from their ancestral lands in the 1800s, which also eliminated their practice of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983729/good-fire-tending-native-lands-review-oakland-museum-california\">cultural burning\u003c/a>. In the mid-19th century, loggers turned the nearby town of Cazadero into a major timber hub. [aside postid='arts_13983729']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexandre said that when Shelterwood purchased the land, it was overgrown due to poor management and needed room to breathe. With a five-year grant from Cal Fire, the group is physically thinning the forest and using prescribed fire to allow native species such as blue oak, sword fern and hummingbird sage to thrive once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not trying to micromanage a forest, we’re caring for our elders,” Alexandre said of large trees unscathed by fire during a prescribed burn in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing on a cascading hillside meadow, with billowing smoke around him, Alexandre said actively burning the crowded forest has a two-fold purpose: tending the land \u003ci>and\u003c/i> queer hearts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mythology that we are not part of these ecosystems, or that the only thing that happens to Black folk in the woods is negative or harmful, is one that I sought to truly push back against,” Alexandre said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984073\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984073\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Free Freddie performs during Shelterwood’s summer campout in July 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Brandon Simmoneau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Giving ‘queerness space to breathe’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Shelterwood’s work isn’t just physical, it’s communal. The five people who live on the property, along with visiting friends and organizers, host weekend gatherings centered on queer folk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around Halloween, at a party called 900 Acres and a Ghoul, dozens of queer people dressed as sexy witches, a giant slice of pizza in a jock strap and horror movie characters like Casey Becker from \u003ci>Scream\u003c/i>. The group of mostly 20- and 30-somethings danced to techno under a canopy of branches, carved pumpkins, connected in cuddle puddles and hiked in the fog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We dance with our human and non-human kin for a couple of days, and that is the joy that fuels many of us,” Alexandre said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matt Wood made the two-and-a-half-hour trek from San Francisco. The 30-year-old said every time he visits, he feels a little bit more restored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s also healed my relationship with nature a lot,” Wood said. “I had to relearn what it means to hike or camp because I associated those with white, higher socioeconomic activities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood has also learned the healing nature of prescribed fire, and sees his experience at Shelterwood as parallel to burning off the hardness of city life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984074\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984074\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ 80085 performs during Shelterwood’s summer campout in July 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Brandon Simmoneau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A good burn was something I never knew about, but this maintains the health of the forest,” Wood said. “I think that’s something that we can all kind of apply as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Brandon Jones, Shelterwood’s executive director, restoring the forest and holding space for queer people is about developing a sense of sanctuary. The sprawling property gives “queerness space to breathe,” Jones said. “There’s something radical about removing queerness from confinement and throwing it into the open space to frolic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To keep the magic intact, Jones is figuring out how to shift Shelterwood from relying on grants to a retreat model for events and weddings, with potential for a farm and restaurant. Jones said he’s exploring more reliable funding options, as grants and private funding become harder to acquire in the current political climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once you get through our gates, there is spaciousness,” Jones said. “That’s part of the magic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Schwanz trains a cucumber plant to grow upward at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Planting the seeds of sustainability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Shelterwood Collective isn’t alone in its mission of centering queerness and climate resilience. About 20 miles away from Shelterwood, Nick Schwanz and Spencer Scott run Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville. It’s a working farm, a communal home they share with at least two others and a redwood forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fed up with their jobs in health and tech in San Francisco, the couple wanted to live in a way that could make a tangible difference to the environment. At first, they dabbled in climate-related jobs. But they wanted to get their hands dirty, so they began looking for a piece of land. In 2020, they bought a 10-acre parcel in Guerneville with their savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The queer history there was one of the big things that really drew us to the space,” Schwanz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple wants to help make the entire Russian River area resilient enough to weather future floods and fires. They see the Russian River’s queer history and the local climate movement as important factors in protecting the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Queer people know that we have to protect each other,” Scott said. “No one’s coming to save us, we’ve got to do it ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984065\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spencer Scott picks the last apples of the harvest at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They grow squash, tomatoes and other produce, and host environmental salons, natural wine events and climate-themed drag shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our mission is to make the sustainability movement feel irresistible, not just essential or something that we \u003cem>should\u003c/em> do, but something that you really want to do because it’s fun, sexy and interesting,” Schwanz said. [aside postid='arts_13979195']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The duo’s move to Guerneville isn’t just about harvesting vegetables and raising chickens. They want to “shift culture” by influencing local policy to better support the environment. Schwanz is the president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce, and Scott is on the county’s Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their influence is starting to have an impact. Schwanz pushed the chamber to adopt a goal of making the area a regeneration hotspot, and next year it aims to co-host a countywide festival focused on river health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The goal is to take Guerneville’s super power of getting a ton of people here and having a great time and diverting that energy towards a climate goal,” Schwanz said. “The sense is that every year is worse than the last. Our near-term goal is to feel like every year’s better than the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chickens roam around Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Schwanz and Scott are also friends with Alexandre from Shelterwood Collective and hope to learn from the group’s forest restoration efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping to get some guidance on how to best do forest thinning, burn piles and controlled burns,” Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexandre believes the restoration work by Solar Punk Farms, albeit on a very different scale, is essential, and it’s even more vital that queer communities focused on climate remain undivided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s my hope that these kinds of communities, collectives and sub-regional groupings of folks who are in close relationship with this place will become more and more frequent,” Alexandre said. [aside postid='science_1997477']\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A long queer history\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gay San Franciscans began flocking to the Russian River in the 1920s and never stopped. The area served as a vacation destination, with people taking ferries, trains and cars to its redwood-lined riverbanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wanted to get away from the stultifying rules about how you’re supposed to live your life, and your sexuality is part of that,” said Tina Dungan, who teaches a course on Sonoma County’s LGBTQ+ history at Santa Rosa Junior College. “It’s the beauty of being in the trees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shad Reinstein, an independent researcher in LGBTQ+ history, described the Russian River of the 1960s–’80s as the West Coast’s Fire Island. Bars, restaurants and hotels catered to the queer community. Journalists at the time called the area “the New Gay Mecca” and “a resort town that welcomes gays.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984176\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester.jpg\" alt=\"A vintage photo of a disco star performing in front of a crowd of young, gay fans.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sylvester performs at the The Woods Hexagon House in 1984. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Loren Henry)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said so many gay men visited the area that she believes artists like the Weather Girls, who performed at a resort there, found an audience for their song “It’s Raining Men” among the throngs of shirtless men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I personally believe that was performed about the river,” Reinstein speculated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though gays and lesbians came to the river for fun, Reinstein said the gay men she’s interviewed said there weren’t any historical queer communes in the Sonoma area. But she recently learned of one gay men’s retreat center, Wildwood Ranch in the Cazadero area, that was run collectively from the late 1970s. She noted many gay men also joined straight collectives. [aside postid='arts_13854644']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Russian River has gone through economic highs and lows, and weathered the height of the AIDS epidemic. These days, the LGBTQ+ scene on the river isn’t as prolific as it was when it was considered the Fire Island of the West Coast. Reinstein attributes that, in part, to positive developments including gay marriage, antiretroviral therapy and greater queer acceptance in mainstream society. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the 1970s and ’80s, both lesbians and gays were working to create a culture and a community,” Reinstein said. “That was different. I don’t think that’s happening the same way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984178\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Schwanz, center, hands Freddie, 6, a bouquet of dahlias, at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yet with LGBTQ+ rights under attack, the Russian River remains an important safe haven, and Solar Punk Farms and Shelterwood Collective are bringing the vibrancy back. “I’m really excited that it’s there,” Reinstein added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many queer people of past generations sought the woods as a place of escape, but Shelterwood’s Alexandre takes a different view. He said he and his friends are “not escaping anything,” but nurturing the queer cultural ecosystem while tending to the land. The goal is for both to thrive for generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to create safety for those communities who traditionally don’t get safe spaces,” Alexandre said, “and also acknowledge that all our futures are intertwined.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There’s a certain kind of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997477/fishnets-and-fossil-fuels-meet-3-bay-area-climate-conscious-drag-artists\">queer magic\u003c/a> that thrives along the Russian River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than a century, queer people have sought refuge in rural Sonoma County, leaving the stress of city life for the peace — and parties — of the sprawling river valley and redwood forests. Artists, hippies, nude sun bathers, cruisers and even disco legends like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13854644/how-the-world-caught-up-to-sylvester\">Sylvester\u003c/a> have all flocked there over the decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, two groups, \u003ca href=\"https://www.shelterwoodcollective.org/\">Shelterwood Collective\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.solarpunkfarms.com/\">Solar Punk Farms\u003c/a>, are actively calling queer people back to the land, and not only to party. They’re creating a different type of magic: Shelterwood is restoring acres of forest through Indigenous practices like controlled burns, and Solar Punk advocates for environmental policy and farms the land — all while making space for queer community-building, joy and self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not selling this as a panacea, but as one small piece of a larger puzzle of correcting the arc of history,” said Shelterwood co-founder Nikola Alexandre. “It matters that the last gas station before coming to Shelterwood and leaving is in Guerneville, which is maybe the gayest rural town in the U.S.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984071\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-37-KQED-1536x1177.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikola Alexandre, of Shelterwood Collective, poses for a portrait at the property in Cazadero on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Caring for our elders’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About half an hour northwest of Guerneville, Shelterwood is an oasis that centers queer, trans, Black, Indigenous and disabled people. The property was once a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2020/04/18/looking-back-on-the-cazadero-cult-camp-hundred-years-later/\">religious cult \u003c/a>and later a Christian camp. Since 2021, Shelterwood Collective has cared for its 900 acres of forest through stream restoration, forest thinning and prescribed burns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The forested valley, surrounded by a ridge, is home to wild boars, foxes, deer, mountain lions and the occasional bear. The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians stewarded these lands for thousands of years. White settlers and the federal government forced them from their ancestral lands in the 1800s, which also eliminated their practice of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983729/good-fire-tending-native-lands-review-oakland-museum-california\">cultural burning\u003c/a>. In the mid-19th century, loggers turned the nearby town of Cazadero into a major timber hub. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexandre said that when Shelterwood purchased the land, it was overgrown due to poor management and needed room to breathe. With a five-year grant from Cal Fire, the group is physically thinning the forest and using prescribed fire to allow native species such as blue oak, sword fern and hummingbird sage to thrive once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not trying to micromanage a forest, we’re caring for our elders,” Alexandre said of large trees unscathed by fire during a prescribed burn in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing on a cascading hillside meadow, with billowing smoke around him, Alexandre said actively burning the crowded forest has a two-fold purpose: tending the land \u003ci>and\u003c/i> queer hearts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mythology that we are not part of these ecosystems, or that the only thing that happens to Black folk in the woods is negative or harmful, is one that I sought to truly push back against,” Alexandre said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984073\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984073\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-01-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Free Freddie performs during Shelterwood’s summer campout in July 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Brandon Simmoneau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Giving ‘queerness space to breathe’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Shelterwood’s work isn’t just physical, it’s communal. The five people who live on the property, along with visiting friends and organizers, host weekend gatherings centered on queer folk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around Halloween, at a party called 900 Acres and a Ghoul, dozens of queer people dressed as sexy witches, a giant slice of pizza in a jock strap and horror movie characters like Casey Becker from \u003ci>Scream\u003c/i>. The group of mostly 20- and 30-somethings danced to techno under a canopy of branches, carved pumpkins, connected in cuddle puddles and hiked in the fog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We dance with our human and non-human kin for a couple of days, and that is the joy that fuels many of us,” Alexandre said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matt Wood made the two-and-a-half-hour trek from San Francisco. The 30-year-old said every time he visits, he feels a little bit more restored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s also healed my relationship with nature a lot,” Wood said. “I had to relearn what it means to hike or camp because I associated those with white, higher socioeconomic activities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood has also learned the healing nature of prescribed fire, and sees his experience at Shelterwood as parallel to burning off the hardness of city life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984074\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984074\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251125_QUEERWOODS-02-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ 80085 performs during Shelterwood’s summer campout in July 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Brandon Simmoneau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A good burn was something I never knew about, but this maintains the health of the forest,” Wood said. “I think that’s something that we can all kind of apply as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Brandon Jones, Shelterwood’s executive director, restoring the forest and holding space for queer people is about developing a sense of sanctuary. The sprawling property gives “queerness space to breathe,” Jones said. “There’s something radical about removing queerness from confinement and throwing it into the open space to frolic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To keep the magic intact, Jones is figuring out how to shift Shelterwood from relying on grants to a retreat model for events and weddings, with potential for a farm and restaurant. Jones said he’s exploring more reliable funding options, as grants and private funding become harder to acquire in the current political climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once you get through our gates, there is spaciousness,” Jones said. “That’s part of the magic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-8-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Schwanz trains a cucumber plant to grow upward at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Planting the seeds of sustainability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Shelterwood Collective isn’t alone in its mission of centering queerness and climate resilience. About 20 miles away from Shelterwood, Nick Schwanz and Spencer Scott run Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville. It’s a working farm, a communal home they share with at least two others and a redwood forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fed up with their jobs in health and tech in San Francisco, the couple wanted to live in a way that could make a tangible difference to the environment. At first, they dabbled in climate-related jobs. But they wanted to get their hands dirty, so they began looking for a piece of land. In 2020, they bought a 10-acre parcel in Guerneville with their savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The queer history there was one of the big things that really drew us to the space,” Schwanz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple wants to help make the entire Russian River area resilient enough to weather future floods and fires. They see the Russian River’s queer history and the local climate movement as important factors in protecting the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Queer people know that we have to protect each other,” Scott said. “No one’s coming to save us, we’ve got to do it ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984065\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spencer Scott picks the last apples of the harvest at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They grow squash, tomatoes and other produce, and host environmental salons, natural wine events and climate-themed drag shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our mission is to make the sustainability movement feel irresistible, not just essential or something that we \u003cem>should\u003c/em> do, but something that you really want to do because it’s fun, sexy and interesting,” Schwanz said. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The duo’s move to Guerneville isn’t just about harvesting vegetables and raising chickens. They want to “shift culture” by influencing local policy to better support the environment. Schwanz is the president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce, and Scott is on the county’s Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their influence is starting to have an impact. Schwanz pushed the chamber to adopt a goal of making the area a regeneration hotspot, and next year it aims to co-host a countywide festival focused on river health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The goal is to take Guerneville’s super power of getting a ton of people here and having a great time and diverting that energy towards a climate goal,” Schwanz said. “The sense is that every year is worse than the last. Our near-term goal is to feel like every year’s better than the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QUEERWOODS-GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chickens roam around Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Schwanz and Scott are also friends with Alexandre from Shelterwood Collective and hope to learn from the group’s forest restoration efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping to get some guidance on how to best do forest thinning, burn piles and controlled burns,” Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexandre believes the restoration work by Solar Punk Farms, albeit on a very different scale, is essential, and it’s even more vital that queer communities focused on climate remain undivided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s my hope that these kinds of communities, collectives and sub-regional groupings of folks who are in close relationship with this place will become more and more frequent,” Alexandre said. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A long queer history\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gay San Franciscans began flocking to the Russian River in the 1920s and never stopped. The area served as a vacation destination, with people taking ferries, trains and cars to its redwood-lined riverbanks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wanted to get away from the stultifying rules about how you’re supposed to live your life, and your sexuality is part of that,” said Tina Dungan, who teaches a course on Sonoma County’s LGBTQ+ history at Santa Rosa Junior College. “It’s the beauty of being in the trees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shad Reinstein, an independent researcher in LGBTQ+ history, described the Russian River of the 1960s–’80s as the West Coast’s Fire Island. Bars, restaurants and hotels catered to the queer community. Journalists at the time called the area “the New Gay Mecca” and “a resort town that welcomes gays.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984176\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester.jpg\" alt=\"A vintage photo of a disco star performing in front of a crowd of young, gay fans.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Sylvester-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sylvester performs at the The Woods Hexagon House in 1984. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Loren Henry)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said so many gay men visited the area that she believes artists like the Weather Girls, who performed at a resort there, found an audience for their song “It’s Raining Men” among the throngs of shirtless men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I personally believe that was performed about the river,” Reinstein speculated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though gays and lesbians came to the river for fun, Reinstein said the gay men she’s interviewed said there weren’t any historical queer communes in the Sonoma area. But she recently learned of one gay men’s retreat center, Wildwood Ranch in the Cazadero area, that was run collectively from the late 1970s. She noted many gay men also joined straight collectives. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Russian River has gone through economic highs and lows, and weathered the height of the AIDS epidemic. These days, the LGBTQ+ scene on the river isn’t as prolific as it was when it was considered the Fire Island of the West Coast. Reinstein attributes that, in part, to positive developments including gay marriage, antiretroviral therapy and greater queer acceptance in mainstream society. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the 1970s and ’80s, both lesbians and gays were working to create a culture and a community,” Reinstein said. “That was different. I don’t think that’s happening the same way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984178\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/20251101_QueerWoods-GC-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Schwanz, center, hands Freddie, 6, a bouquet of dahlias, at Solar Punk Farms in Guerneville on Nov. 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yet with LGBTQ+ rights under attack, the Russian River remains an important safe haven, and Solar Punk Farms and Shelterwood Collective are bringing the vibrancy back. “I’m really excited that it’s there,” Reinstein added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many queer people of past generations sought the woods as a place of escape, but Shelterwood’s Alexandre takes a different view. He said he and his friends are “not escaping anything,” but nurturing the queer cultural ecosystem while tending to the land. The goal is for both to thrive for generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to create safety for those communities who traditionally don’t get safe spaces,” Alexandre said, “and also acknowledge that all our futures are intertwined.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "trans-kids-talk-with-loved-ones-in-love-you-for-you-series",
"title": "Trans Kids Talk With Loved Ones in 'Love You for You' Series",
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"headTitle": "Trans Kids Talk With Loved Ones in ‘Love You for You’ Series | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In a new series called ‘Love You For You,’ KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">The California Report Magazine\u003c/a> host Sasha Khokha sat in on conversations between trans and nonbinary kids and the people who love them. Today, we talk with Sasha about the series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/love-you-for-you\">Check out the entire ‘Love You For You’ series \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5633152825&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:00] I’m Erica Cruz Guevara and welcome to the Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:00:05] Your adorable beanie baby beanie hat is so cute with the little bouncy thing on top of your headphones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:13] This is my colleague Sasha Khokha. She’s the host of the California Report magazine, a weekly show bringing in-depth storytelling and documentaries about our beautiful state. And I really wanted to talk with Sasha, who’s been thinking a lot lately, about trans kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:00:35] You know, I have a lot of amazing trans and non-binary kids in my life, and talking to those kids and talking to their families, I heard a lot of frustration that the media coverage of trans kids right now often doesn’t even include the voices of trans kids. And often flattens kids into just one dimension of their identity, which is their gender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:03] For Sasha, these kids are so much more than that. They’re students, athletes, dancers, and siblings. And some are also thriving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:01:15] I think there’s a lot of power in hearing from parents, from grandparents, from elders who love and support transgender and non-binary kids so they can thrive, so they can find joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:33] So Sasha and her colleagues spent months putting together this series called Love You for You. Conversations between trans kids and the people who love them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:01:47] Thanks for letting me be who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:01:49] Yeah. And thank you for letting me be your parent and for letting me love you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:01:56] You’re welcome. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] The series Love You for You features six conversations between trans and non-binary kids and their loved ones. And today we’re gonna talk with Sasha about being a fly on the wall to these conversations as the trans community is under attack. That’s coming up right after the break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:32] We’re talking about your series for the California Report magazine. I wonder if you can actually just start by walking me through the the thinking behind your series, the why.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:02:43] The thinking was there’s a lot out there about trans kids being in the crosshairs of the Trump administration right now. But I think what’s really missing are stories of what it looks like when kids have love and support from their families and because of that are insulated a little bit from what’s happening in the outside world. That’s not to say that backdrop doesn’t exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:12] Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:03:13] But I think there’s a lot of power in hearing from parents, from grandparents, from elders who love and support transgender and nonbinary kids so they can thrive, so they can find joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:31] And these were essentially sort of like StoryCorps style episodes where you’re not in it but you just hear these kids talking with these people who are important in their lives about who they are and why they love them and just these very sweet conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:03:50] Right, and that’s part of why we wanted to do these as conversations that could unfold naturally without me as the journalist coming to their house and sticking a microphone in their face and getting a sound bite or two from a kid. And we also really wanted to give these kids agency so they picked the adults or the other people they wanted to be in conversation with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:17] With can you explain the range of people that we hear from in this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:04:23] So we start off with an eight year old non-binary kid in conversation with their mom. I like took this sock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:04:31] I like to play soccer and read, and my family’s from Asia like Vietnam and Taiwan and my pronouns they them and I’m eight years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:04:43] And that was actually the first conversation we recorded. And it was kind of hard because the kid was really shy and was only eight and was a little bit soft spoken on the microphone. It was a little bit stuffed up, so it was like a little bit hard to understand them. And their voice is so cute. Yeah, and I thought, oh my gosh, how’s this gonna go? Like, how are we gonna do all of these? But honestly, I think once they got warmed up and their mom really made them feel comfortable, it was quite a sweet conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:05:15] What are you most proud of about me?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:05:19] That you knew when you were very young. You were only about four years old and you just kinda told me that you weren’t sure that you fit being either a boy or a girl, and you felt maybe like you were neither or both. And that was something for us to learn because we didn’t think kids that young knew that about themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:05:47] And especially about navigating pronouns with their Vietnamese and Taiwanese relatives because in some of their families’ home languages there are not gendered pronouns. And so it was just a really interesting conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:06:03] And so for them everybody’s a they or they mix they mix he’s and she’s a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:06:09] Maybe like the future could just be like people accept they them or trans just as like would they accept she or he right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:06:28] In some cases the kids chose actually to bring in someone who was not blood related to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hunter Stoval \u003c/strong>[00:06:33] Beyond you being my aunt, you’re one of my closest friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:06:37] One of the conversations was with sixteen year old Hunter Stoval, who decided to talk with his special auntie, whose name’s Shirin Amini. She actually came out as a lesbian in the nineteen nineties, and the first person she came out to was Hunter’s mom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Shirin Amini \u003c/strong>[00:06:56] I think honestly, that your mom was the most supportive person in my life that was kind of a rock, like my rock of Gibraltar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:07:11] And so it was just a really lovely sort of full circle conversation and it got at some of the queer and trans history that these kids also wanted to know about from their elders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hunter Stoval \u003c/strong>[00:07:22] I think everyone should have a shrine in their life. Like an older role model who’s also your friend who you can tell anything and you know they won’t tell your parents unless you ask them to and call you when you need anything. And just having that mentor-friend combination is just so perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:07:47] The last two episodes are actually young people in conversation with transgender elders in their seventies who have seen the long arc of transgender history here in California and who have been through a lot and had a lot of wisdom to share with young people. And I think those are some of the most touching conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:15] I mean, were there any themes that really emerged from the conversations in this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:08:22] I mean, I think one of them is just intergenerational exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:08:26] America teaches us not to really care about our old folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:08:31] I’m thinking of a conversation with Andrea Horne, who is she says she’s a woman of a certain age. She didn’t want to give her age. But she is a transgender elder here in San Francisco. She came to San Francisco from LA when she was fifteen to get away from her very unsupportive family. She was an actress, a model, a performer. She hung out with Sylvester in the 70s. And now she’s a historian who’s writing a book called How Black Trans Women Changed the World.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:06] But before World War II, we were considered just part of the community. Mm-hmm. As long as you stay in your lane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:14] And what were those lanes?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:15] The lanes were hairdresser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:17] Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:18] Sex work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:19] Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:20] Work in a bar of some sort. A show girl and housewife. But you know, that’s kinda that’s it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] And to see her in conversation with a younger black trans woman named Zen Blossom, talking about women from the 1800s, women from the early 1900s who lived their true authentic lives and passing down that wisdom was very intense, very moving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:51] Was there any moment that in any of these conversations that you sat in on that like surprised you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:09:58] Yes, I am th I’m thinking of the ten year old transgender girl who came with her grandpa, who lives in a rural conservative county in Northern California, and her older sister who is sixteen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Older sister \u003c/strong>[00:10:16] Popo what do you hope that the future is like for trans kids and what do you plan on doing to support trans kids?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Grandpa \u003c/strong>[00:10:25] Oh, I support this one all the time. I’d do anything for her and she knows that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:10:31] She was so funny and vivacious and great. And again, I was worried, how’s a ten year old gonna do in this studio with all these microphones? And she’s an actor and she’s a performer. And at one point in the interview sh as we were wrapping up, she’s like, By the way, if there are any agents out there listening and you need somebody to cast\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Younger sister \u003c/strong>[00:10:51] If I really want to be a child actor, if there’s any agents listening, hello, I’m here. Hi. But another thing is I would love to like this, I love how I get to like share knowledge to other people that might not know about being trans or stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:11:12] And another thing she did that was really surprising is when she was asked, you know, what do you do when you get bullied, she actually just burst into song.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Younger sister \u003c/strong>[00:11:19] They’re just doing it because they’re insecure about yourself and they just want to tear you down even though you’re a confident, amazing person and they’re not. So just walk away and say I’m better than you and sing your way out. That’s what I do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:11:39] So I guess what was most surprising to me was just how joyful and funny some of these kids were and their self-confidence. Sometimes transgender and non-binary kids, gender-expansive kids have to grow up a little bit faster because they’ve got to face the world that sometimes is hostile to them. Sometimes they have to make choices about gender-affirming care. A lot of decisions that sometimes make them have to, you know, have a level of maturity that we might not always see in other kids their age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:16] Right. Like an awareness of of who you are. I don’t I don’t think I was that fully formed when I was ten, for example. But yeah\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:12:28] There’s authenticity in who these kids are because they’ve had to fight for who they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:35] What was your main takeaway from from sitting in these conversations, Sasha, and and working on this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:12:44] When we first thought about this series, I wanted to have something that parents of trans and non-binary kids could listen to with their kids. That was sort of the focus audience. But as we’ve put the episodes out and we’re hearing from people, it’s been actually so moving to hear how adults are connecting with the content and adults who may be in the trans community and not connected to young people in their lives are seeing themselves reflected. And also how people who may not have much connection with trans people at all are hearing the joy and the courage in these kids’ voices and really feeling moved by it.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In a new series called ‘Love You For You,’ KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">The California Report Magazine\u003c/a> host Sasha Khokha sat in on conversations between trans and nonbinary kids and the people who love them. Today, we talk with Sasha about the series.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/love-you-for-you\">Check out the entire ‘Love You For You’ series \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5633152825&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:00] I’m Erica Cruz Guevara and welcome to the Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:00:05] Your adorable beanie baby beanie hat is so cute with the little bouncy thing on top of your headphones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:13] This is my colleague Sasha Khokha. She’s the host of the California Report magazine, a weekly show bringing in-depth storytelling and documentaries about our beautiful state. And I really wanted to talk with Sasha, who’s been thinking a lot lately, about trans kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:00:35] You know, I have a lot of amazing trans and non-binary kids in my life, and talking to those kids and talking to their families, I heard a lot of frustration that the media coverage of trans kids right now often doesn’t even include the voices of trans kids. And often flattens kids into just one dimension of their identity, which is their gender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:03] For Sasha, these kids are so much more than that. They’re students, athletes, dancers, and siblings. And some are also thriving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:01:15] I think there’s a lot of power in hearing from parents, from grandparents, from elders who love and support transgender and non-binary kids so they can thrive, so they can find joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:33] So Sasha and her colleagues spent months putting together this series called Love You for You. Conversations between trans kids and the people who love them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:01:47] Thanks for letting me be who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:01:49] Yeah. And thank you for letting me be your parent and for letting me love you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:01:56] You’re welcome. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] The series Love You for You features six conversations between trans and non-binary kids and their loved ones. And today we’re gonna talk with Sasha about being a fly on the wall to these conversations as the trans community is under attack. That’s coming up right after the break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:02:32] We’re talking about your series for the California Report magazine. I wonder if you can actually just start by walking me through the the thinking behind your series, the why.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:02:43] The thinking was there’s a lot out there about trans kids being in the crosshairs of the Trump administration right now. But I think what’s really missing are stories of what it looks like when kids have love and support from their families and because of that are insulated a little bit from what’s happening in the outside world. That’s not to say that backdrop doesn’t exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:12] Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:03:13] But I think there’s a lot of power in hearing from parents, from grandparents, from elders who love and support transgender and nonbinary kids so they can thrive, so they can find joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:31] And these were essentially sort of like StoryCorps style episodes where you’re not in it but you just hear these kids talking with these people who are important in their lives about who they are and why they love them and just these very sweet conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:03:50] Right, and that’s part of why we wanted to do these as conversations that could unfold naturally without me as the journalist coming to their house and sticking a microphone in their face and getting a sound bite or two from a kid. And we also really wanted to give these kids agency so they picked the adults or the other people they wanted to be in conversation with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:17] With can you explain the range of people that we hear from in this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:04:23] So we start off with an eight year old non-binary kid in conversation with their mom. I like took this sock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:04:31] I like to play soccer and read, and my family’s from Asia like Vietnam and Taiwan and my pronouns they them and I’m eight years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:04:43] And that was actually the first conversation we recorded. And it was kind of hard because the kid was really shy and was only eight and was a little bit soft spoken on the microphone. It was a little bit stuffed up, so it was like a little bit hard to understand them. And their voice is so cute. Yeah, and I thought, oh my gosh, how’s this gonna go? Like, how are we gonna do all of these? But honestly, I think once they got warmed up and their mom really made them feel comfortable, it was quite a sweet conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:05:15] What are you most proud of about me?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:05:19] That you knew when you were very young. You were only about four years old and you just kinda told me that you weren’t sure that you fit being either a boy or a girl, and you felt maybe like you were neither or both. And that was something for us to learn because we didn’t think kids that young knew that about themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:05:47] And especially about navigating pronouns with their Vietnamese and Taiwanese relatives because in some of their families’ home languages there are not gendered pronouns. And so it was just a really interesting conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mother \u003c/strong>[00:06:03] And so for them everybody’s a they or they mix they mix he’s and she’s a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Child \u003c/strong>[00:06:09] Maybe like the future could just be like people accept they them or trans just as like would they accept she or he right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:06:28] In some cases the kids chose actually to bring in someone who was not blood related to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hunter Stoval \u003c/strong>[00:06:33] Beyond you being my aunt, you’re one of my closest friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:06:37] One of the conversations was with sixteen year old Hunter Stoval, who decided to talk with his special auntie, whose name’s Shirin Amini. She actually came out as a lesbian in the nineteen nineties, and the first person she came out to was Hunter’s mom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Shirin Amini \u003c/strong>[00:06:56] I think honestly, that your mom was the most supportive person in my life that was kind of a rock, like my rock of Gibraltar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:07:11] And so it was just a really lovely sort of full circle conversation and it got at some of the queer and trans history that these kids also wanted to know about from their elders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hunter Stoval \u003c/strong>[00:07:22] I think everyone should have a shrine in their life. Like an older role model who’s also your friend who you can tell anything and you know they won’t tell your parents unless you ask them to and call you when you need anything. And just having that mentor-friend combination is just so perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:07:47] The last two episodes are actually young people in conversation with transgender elders in their seventies who have seen the long arc of transgender history here in California and who have been through a lot and had a lot of wisdom to share with young people. And I think those are some of the most touching conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:15] I mean, were there any themes that really emerged from the conversations in this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:08:22] I mean, I think one of them is just intergenerational exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:08:26] America teaches us not to really care about our old folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:08:31] I’m thinking of a conversation with Andrea Horne, who is she says she’s a woman of a certain age. She didn’t want to give her age. But she is a transgender elder here in San Francisco. She came to San Francisco from LA when she was fifteen to get away from her very unsupportive family. She was an actress, a model, a performer. She hung out with Sylvester in the 70s. And now she’s a historian who’s writing a book called How Black Trans Women Changed the World.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:06] But before World War II, we were considered just part of the community. Mm-hmm. As long as you stay in your lane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:14] And what were those lanes?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:15] The lanes were hairdresser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:17] Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:18] Sex work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom \u003c/strong>[00:09:19] Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne \u003c/strong>[00:09:20] Work in a bar of some sort. A show girl and housewife. But you know, that’s kinda that’s it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] And to see her in conversation with a younger black trans woman named Zen Blossom, talking about women from the 1800s, women from the early 1900s who lived their true authentic lives and passing down that wisdom was very intense, very moving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:51] Was there any moment that in any of these conversations that you sat in on that like surprised you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:09:58] Yes, I am th I’m thinking of the ten year old transgender girl who came with her grandpa, who lives in a rural conservative county in Northern California, and her older sister who is sixteen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Older sister \u003c/strong>[00:10:16] Popo what do you hope that the future is like for trans kids and what do you plan on doing to support trans kids?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Grandpa \u003c/strong>[00:10:25] Oh, I support this one all the time. I’d do anything for her and she knows that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:10:31] She was so funny and vivacious and great. And again, I was worried, how’s a ten year old gonna do in this studio with all these microphones? And she’s an actor and she’s a performer. And at one point in the interview sh as we were wrapping up, she’s like, By the way, if there are any agents out there listening and you need somebody to cast\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Younger sister \u003c/strong>[00:10:51] If I really want to be a child actor, if there’s any agents listening, hello, I’m here. Hi. But another thing is I would love to like this, I love how I get to like share knowledge to other people that might not know about being trans or stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:11:12] And another thing she did that was really surprising is when she was asked, you know, what do you do when you get bullied, she actually just burst into song.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Younger sister \u003c/strong>[00:11:19] They’re just doing it because they’re insecure about yourself and they just want to tear you down even though you’re a confident, amazing person and they’re not. So just walk away and say I’m better than you and sing your way out. That’s what I do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:11:39] So I guess what was most surprising to me was just how joyful and funny some of these kids were and their self-confidence. Sometimes transgender and non-binary kids, gender-expansive kids have to grow up a little bit faster because they’ve got to face the world that sometimes is hostile to them. Sometimes they have to make choices about gender-affirming care. A lot of decisions that sometimes make them have to, you know, have a level of maturity that we might not always see in other kids their age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:16] Right. Like an awareness of of who you are. I don’t I don’t think I was that fully formed when I was ten, for example. But yeah\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:12:28] There’s authenticity in who these kids are because they’ve had to fight for who they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:12:35] What was your main takeaway from from sitting in these conversations, Sasha, and and working on this series?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha \u003c/strong>[00:12:44] When we first thought about this series, I wanted to have something that parents of trans and non-binary kids could listen to with their kids. That was sort of the focus audience. But as we’ve put the episodes out and we’re hearing from people, it’s been actually so moving to hear how adults are connecting with the content and adults who may be in the trans community and not connected to young people in their lives are seeing themselves reflected. And also how people who may not have much connection with trans people at all are hearing the joy and the courage in these kids’ voices and really feeling moved by it.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘It’s Just Cruel’: Bay Area Parents Say Sutter Health Is Set to Halt Trans Youth Care",
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"content": "\u003cp>After six months of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050618/california-sues-trump-administration-over-efforts-to-deny-gender-affirming-health-care\">gender-affirming care\u003c/a> and a first puberty blocker shot for her 10-year-old son in September, Julie noticed him carrying himself differently. His back was straight, he was no longer hiding his body, and he was confident with eye contact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But last Friday, the East Bay parent received a call and an email from a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sutter-health\">Sutter Health\u003c/a> caregiver that she’s afraid to tell her son about. She asked KQED to use only her first name because she is afraid of retribution against her and her son’s caregiver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day prior, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, hospital higher-ups informed Julie’s son’s caregiver that they would no longer offer gender-affirming care to patients younger than 19. That care could stop as soon as Dec. 10, they said, according to the caregiver’s messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That left Julie with just over two weeks, including a major holiday, to find a new physician for her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just cruel, and I continue to be heartbroken, overwhelmed and livid,” Julie said. “It’s the week of Thanksgiving. Everyone’s gone, and they knew that that was going to be the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030056\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sutter Health CPMC Davies Campus in San Francisco on Feb. 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julie isn’t the only parent gutted by the potential decision. At least 10 families are working through the emotions and the looming reality of finding new care for their kids, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.rainbowfamiliesaction.org/about\">Rainbow Families Action\u003c/a>, a group made up of parents and allies of trans youth. More than a dozen advocacy groups are pressuring Sutter Health, a nonprofit health care system serving more than 3.5 million Californians, to provide more details about the information their children’s physicians relayed to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sutter Health would not confirm or deny what parents told KQED. In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson wrote that the hospital network is “working to ensure compliance with recent federal actions” and remains “committed to approaching this with compassion, physician guidance, and compliance with applicable requirements.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like other hospital groups, the network had already halted gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19, and officials are now prioritizing “open and thoughtful conversations between physicians and their patients to determine the best path forward for individual care plans,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the decision is true, Sutter Health would join a growing list of health care providers moving to limit care for trans youth under building pressure from the Trump administration. In June, Stanford Medicine \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997491/stanford-scales-back-trans-care-for-minors-amid-federal-crackdown\">paused gender-affirming surgeries\u003c/a> and stopped prescribing puberty blockers to youth. In July, Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, which serves more than 12 million people across eight states, announced it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049666/nowhere-else-to-go-sf-families-protest-kaisers-new-limits-on-gender-affirming-care\">stopped offering surgical gender-affirming treatments\u003c/a> for trans minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocacy groups sent a \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/Rainbow-Families-Action-Letter-to-Sutter-Health.pdf\">letter on \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/Rainbow-Families-Action-Letter-to-Sutter-Health.pdf\">Tuesday to Sutter Health\u003c/a>, demanding that the network “reverse course on this decision immediately” and provide a meeting between leaders and families, a commitment to “not pre-capitulate before it’s legally necessary,” as well as a formal plan if the network ends gender-affirming care for youth.[aside postID=news_12053773 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/20250725_KaiserTransProtest_GC-14_qed.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We refuse to stand by while Sutter pre-emptively bows to political pressure instead of standing up for our kids,” Rainbow Families Action wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arne Johnson, a lead advocate with the group, said parents and allies are planning a series of actions to protest the potential cessation and have asked Sutter Health leadership “to clarify before this becomes a much bigger thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are offering to have those conversations because they are saying we’re going to do this in thoughtful consideration, but they have not actually done that,” Johnson said. “We are going to consider that an invitation, and assume that they are in fact going to meet with patients and families and make a real plan for their care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson said the group has also reached out to California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the legality of the potential decision. State law prohibits health care discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and earlier this month, the attorney general’s office \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/know-your-rights-attorney-general-bonta-issues-guidance-gender-affirming-care\">issued a guidance\u003c/a> reminding Californians that they “have the right to receive medically necessary gender-affirming care or any other medically necessary healthcare without discrimination.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another mother, Nikki, also from the East Bay, found out on her 14-year-old son’s birthday that his care could end. A caregiver said they would return from vacation early to ensure Julie’s son had at least one more visit before the cutoff. She also asked KQED to only use her first name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s terrifying, and I haven’t told my son because the news came on his birthday,” Nikki said. “Psychologically, it makes you not trust your doctors. It makes you not trust the government.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nikki is angry that the move would come after open enrollment, when the family could have joined another health care network to ensure her son could continue to receive his weekly medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a queer person who sought the Bay Area more than two decades ago as a place of refuge, Nikki said she is flabbergasted by the potential decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m kind of frozen,” she said. “I don’t know that I’m moving forward other than making some phone calls right before the holidays, just [to] desperately see what doctors can help us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie said she hasn’t been able to reach any new doctors yet in her search for a new care team for her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have taken away our ability to have care that goes in alignment with my doctor’s recommendation,” Julie said. “I have to move forward. We have to find another doctor, and who is that going to be with? I don’t know of anyone who is going to take this kid. And that sucks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She sees this as a sign that other care for the general public could be next on the chopping block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they can take evidence-based care that is legal in the state of California and is medically necessary, lifesaving care for my child, what the f— is next?” Julie said. “It’s just a slippery slope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After six months of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050618/california-sues-trump-administration-over-efforts-to-deny-gender-affirming-health-care\">gender-affirming care\u003c/a> and a first puberty blocker shot for her 10-year-old son in September, Julie noticed him carrying himself differently. His back was straight, he was no longer hiding his body, and he was confident with eye contact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But last Friday, the East Bay parent received a call and an email from a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sutter-health\">Sutter Health\u003c/a> caregiver that she’s afraid to tell her son about. She asked KQED to use only her first name because she is afraid of retribution against her and her son’s caregiver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day prior, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, hospital higher-ups informed Julie’s son’s caregiver that they would no longer offer gender-affirming care to patients younger than 19. That care could stop as soon as Dec. 10, they said, according to the caregiver’s messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That left Julie with just over two weeks, including a major holiday, to find a new physician for her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just cruel, and I continue to be heartbroken, overwhelmed and livid,” Julie said. “It’s the week of Thanksgiving. Everyone’s gone, and they knew that that was going to be the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030056\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240208-HospitalViolence-11-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sutter Health CPMC Davies Campus in San Francisco on Feb. 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julie isn’t the only parent gutted by the potential decision. At least 10 families are working through the emotions and the looming reality of finding new care for their kids, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.rainbowfamiliesaction.org/about\">Rainbow Families Action\u003c/a>, a group made up of parents and allies of trans youth. More than a dozen advocacy groups are pressuring Sutter Health, a nonprofit health care system serving more than 3.5 million Californians, to provide more details about the information their children’s physicians relayed to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sutter Health would not confirm or deny what parents told KQED. In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson wrote that the hospital network is “working to ensure compliance with recent federal actions” and remains “committed to approaching this with compassion, physician guidance, and compliance with applicable requirements.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like other hospital groups, the network had already halted gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19, and officials are now prioritizing “open and thoughtful conversations between physicians and their patients to determine the best path forward for individual care plans,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the decision is true, Sutter Health would join a growing list of health care providers moving to limit care for trans youth under building pressure from the Trump administration. In June, Stanford Medicine \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997491/stanford-scales-back-trans-care-for-minors-amid-federal-crackdown\">paused gender-affirming surgeries\u003c/a> and stopped prescribing puberty blockers to youth. In July, Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, which serves more than 12 million people across eight states, announced it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049666/nowhere-else-to-go-sf-families-protest-kaisers-new-limits-on-gender-affirming-care\">stopped offering surgical gender-affirming treatments\u003c/a> for trans minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocacy groups sent a \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/Rainbow-Families-Action-Letter-to-Sutter-Health.pdf\">letter on \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/Rainbow-Families-Action-Letter-to-Sutter-Health.pdf\">Tuesday to Sutter Health\u003c/a>, demanding that the network “reverse course on this decision immediately” and provide a meeting between leaders and families, a commitment to “not pre-capitulate before it’s legally necessary,” as well as a formal plan if the network ends gender-affirming care for youth.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We refuse to stand by while Sutter pre-emptively bows to political pressure instead of standing up for our kids,” Rainbow Families Action wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arne Johnson, a lead advocate with the group, said parents and allies are planning a series of actions to protest the potential cessation and have asked Sutter Health leadership “to clarify before this becomes a much bigger thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are offering to have those conversations because they are saying we’re going to do this in thoughtful consideration, but they have not actually done that,” Johnson said. “We are going to consider that an invitation, and assume that they are in fact going to meet with patients and families and make a real plan for their care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson said the group has also reached out to California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the legality of the potential decision. State law prohibits health care discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and earlier this month, the attorney general’s office \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/know-your-rights-attorney-general-bonta-issues-guidance-gender-affirming-care\">issued a guidance\u003c/a> reminding Californians that they “have the right to receive medically necessary gender-affirming care or any other medically necessary healthcare without discrimination.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another mother, Nikki, also from the East Bay, found out on her 14-year-old son’s birthday that his care could end. A caregiver said they would return from vacation early to ensure Julie’s son had at least one more visit before the cutoff. She also asked KQED to only use her first name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s terrifying, and I haven’t told my son because the news came on his birthday,” Nikki said. “Psychologically, it makes you not trust your doctors. It makes you not trust the government.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nikki is angry that the move would come after open enrollment, when the family could have joined another health care network to ensure her son could continue to receive his weekly medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a queer person who sought the Bay Area more than two decades ago as a place of refuge, Nikki said she is flabbergasted by the potential decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m kind of frozen,” she said. “I don’t know that I’m moving forward other than making some phone calls right before the holidays, just [to] desperately see what doctors can help us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie said she hasn’t been able to reach any new doctors yet in her search for a new care team for her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have taken away our ability to have care that goes in alignment with my doctor’s recommendation,” Julie said. “I have to move forward. We have to find another doctor, and who is that going to be with? I don’t know of anyone who is going to take this kid. And that sucks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She sees this as a sign that other care for the general public could be next on the chopping block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they can take evidence-based care that is legal in the state of California and is medically necessary, lifesaving care for my child, what the f— is next?” Julie said. “It’s just a slippery slope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Imagine a high-fashion circus inside a galactic wormhole and you have a sense of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/0b.w0rld/?hl=en\">Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’s drag style. The artist is otherworldly, meticulous and unafraid to go \u003cem>all\u003c/em> the way, even when it comes to exposing their most tender vulnerabilities or risking making a fool of themself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 5, Obsidienne will bring their most ambitious work yet to the 110-year-old Calvin Simmons Theatre inside Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gofevo.com/event/Oaklash2\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Produced by Oaklash, it’s a one-night-only production that combines lip syncing, theater and chamber music, including a newly commissioned piece by Paul Wiancko of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kronos-quartet\">Kronos Quartet\u003c/a>, which Obsidienne will perform on viola alongside their classical musician parents, Debra Fong and Christopher Constanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elaborate costuming and surrealist stagecraft come together to tell Obsidienne’s story of accepting their trans identity, their struggles with mental illness and family secrets that have been kept in silence for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a story of meandering, being lost, being found,” Obsidienne tells KQED during a recent interview. “Part of finding the self is reckoning with the ugly parts and turning that into something beautiful. Because you can’t take it away, you just have to accept it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984107\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg\" alt='A drag artist plays a viola inside a bar with neon text behind them that says \"Hella Fine.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Obsidienne Obsurd performs at Oaklash 2025. \u003ccite>(Ian Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in the South Bay by a Chinese American violinist mother and Italian American cellist father, Obsidienne is a classically trained violist who performs with orchestras and ensembles across California. They first tried drag during the pandemic, when the art form went digital. Collectives like Media Meltdown were producing livestreamed shows that challenged performers to become video editors and special effects experts. Obsidienne was hooked after Media Meltdown invited them to perform in a Keanu Reeves-themed show, and soon they were driving to obscure locations with their COVID pod to film elaborate numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone who was watching me was like, ‘Oh you’re weird. You’re a weirdo. We like it,’” Obsidienne says. “And that was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before long, Obsidienne honed their signature style of warped, black-and-white makeup; hand-sewn costumes that turned their body into horned and tentacled shapes; performance art-y choreo that sometimes includes hyperventilation and intense eye contact; and song selections that go far outside of the pop-diva canon. [aside postid='arts_13983871']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It flies in the face of long-held stereotypes about what drag can be. A lot of audiences “think that if you are not a cis boy, you should not be doing drag,” Obsidienne says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne gives themself permission to embrace being different, and invites audiences to do the same. Recently in West Hollywood’s Abbey, the gay bar that inspired Chappell Roan’s smash hit “Pink Pony Club,” instead of picking something by, say, Sabrina Carpenter or Lady Gaga, Obsidienne lip synced a song by 78-year-old avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to make you see me, so there’s this sort of delusion that turns into sincerity,” Obsidienne says. “The suspension of disbelief. I try to project a very confident persona that is a projection of all the things in me that scare me about myself, basically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png\" alt=\"A drag artist in an orange and red feathery outfit poses with another drag artist wearing black-and-white abstract designs. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oaklash co-founder Mama Celeste with Obsidienne Obsurd. \u003ccite>(Dominic Saavedra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne has found a supportive home at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oaklash\">Oaklash\u003c/a>, a drag platform that loudly and proudly champions gender diversity, accessibility and racial justice. Each May, Oaklash produces a festival with multiple stages and over 60 local and touring performers. And even after all that, co-founder Mama Celeste says \u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> is their most challenging project yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be silly and macabre and loud and colorful and bigger than you can even imagine,” she wrote in a recent email blast, inviting Oaklash fans to dress to the nines for the red carpet outside the show. [aside postid='arts_13983135']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> features local drag luminaries like Lisa Frankenstein, co-host of the popular party Princess at Oasis; Sassi Fran, a dancer, choreographer and member of the all-Filipino drag group FiliPINX; and Obsidienne’s drag children Lola Ren and Cult Baby. Music in the show pulls from a huge variety of references, including David Bowie, contemporary composers Chen Yi and Kaija Saariaho and even the 12th-century composer, mystic and proto-feminist \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/hildegard-von-bingen/\">Hildegard Von Bingen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can make noise during this performance. You can clap between movements, you don’t have to sit still like a statue,” says Obsidienne. “I think it’s really cool to be able to highlight through this project that classical music is not one thing, it is actually this whole kaleidoscope of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/7days\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’ takes place at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th Street, Oakland) on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Imagine a high-fashion circus inside a galactic wormhole and you have a sense of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/0b.w0rld/?hl=en\">Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’s drag style. The artist is otherworldly, meticulous and unafraid to go \u003cem>all\u003c/em> the way, even when it comes to exposing their most tender vulnerabilities or risking making a fool of themself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 5, Obsidienne will bring their most ambitious work yet to the 110-year-old Calvin Simmons Theatre inside Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gofevo.com/event/Oaklash2\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Produced by Oaklash, it’s a one-night-only production that combines lip syncing, theater and chamber music, including a newly commissioned piece by Paul Wiancko of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kronos-quartet\">Kronos Quartet\u003c/a>, which Obsidienne will perform on viola alongside their classical musician parents, Debra Fong and Christopher Constanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elaborate costuming and surrealist stagecraft come together to tell Obsidienne’s story of accepting their trans identity, their struggles with mental illness and family secrets that have been kept in silence for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a story of meandering, being lost, being found,” Obsidienne tells KQED during a recent interview. “Part of finding the self is reckoning with the ugly parts and turning that into something beautiful. Because you can’t take it away, you just have to accept it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984107\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg\" alt='A drag artist plays a viola inside a bar with neon text behind them that says \"Hella Fine.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Obsidienne Obsurd performs at Oaklash 2025. \u003ccite>(Ian Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in the South Bay by a Chinese American violinist mother and Italian American cellist father, Obsidienne is a classically trained violist who performs with orchestras and ensembles across California. They first tried drag during the pandemic, when the art form went digital. Collectives like Media Meltdown were producing livestreamed shows that challenged performers to become video editors and special effects experts. Obsidienne was hooked after Media Meltdown invited them to perform in a Keanu Reeves-themed show, and soon they were driving to obscure locations with their COVID pod to film elaborate numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone who was watching me was like, ‘Oh you’re weird. You’re a weirdo. We like it,’” Obsidienne says. “And that was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before long, Obsidienne honed their signature style of warped, black-and-white makeup; hand-sewn costumes that turned their body into horned and tentacled shapes; performance art-y choreo that sometimes includes hyperventilation and intense eye contact; and song selections that go far outside of the pop-diva canon. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It flies in the face of long-held stereotypes about what drag can be. A lot of audiences “think that if you are not a cis boy, you should not be doing drag,” Obsidienne says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne gives themself permission to embrace being different, and invites audiences to do the same. Recently in West Hollywood’s Abbey, the gay bar that inspired Chappell Roan’s smash hit “Pink Pony Club,” instead of picking something by, say, Sabrina Carpenter or Lady Gaga, Obsidienne lip synced a song by 78-year-old avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to make you see me, so there’s this sort of delusion that turns into sincerity,” Obsidienne says. “The suspension of disbelief. I try to project a very confident persona that is a projection of all the things in me that scare me about myself, basically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png\" alt=\"A drag artist in an orange and red feathery outfit poses with another drag artist wearing black-and-white abstract designs. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oaklash co-founder Mama Celeste with Obsidienne Obsurd. \u003ccite>(Dominic Saavedra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne has found a supportive home at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oaklash\">Oaklash\u003c/a>, a drag platform that loudly and proudly champions gender diversity, accessibility and racial justice. Each May, Oaklash produces a festival with multiple stages and over 60 local and touring performers. And even after all that, co-founder Mama Celeste says \u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> is their most challenging project yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be silly and macabre and loud and colorful and bigger than you can even imagine,” she wrote in a recent email blast, inviting Oaklash fans to dress to the nines for the red carpet outside the show. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> features local drag luminaries like Lisa Frankenstein, co-host of the popular party Princess at Oasis; Sassi Fran, a dancer, choreographer and member of the all-Filipino drag group FiliPINX; and Obsidienne’s drag children Lola Ren and Cult Baby. Music in the show pulls from a huge variety of references, including David Bowie, contemporary composers Chen Yi and Kaija Saariaho and even the 12th-century composer, mystic and proto-feminist \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/hildegard-von-bingen/\">Hildegard Von Bingen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can make noise during this performance. You can clap between movements, you don’t have to sit still like a statue,” says Obsidienne. “I think it’s really cool to be able to highlight through this project that classical music is not one thing, it is actually this whole kaleidoscope of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/7days\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’ takes place at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th Street, Oakland) on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983958\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1601px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar.png\" alt=\"A coiffed and made-up gender nonconforming person sitting elegantly in a doorway, dressed in silky blouse, pants and high heels.\" width=\"1601\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar.png 1601w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-160x200.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-768x959.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-1230x1536.png 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1601px) 100vw, 1601px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photograph of LiKar in doorway. Photographer unknown. Li-Kar was a renowned performer and artist at Finocchio’s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oddly, one of the most revealing things in the GLBT Historical Society’s new exhibit is an overwrought denunciation of Black drag queens dating from all the way back in 1893. One Dr. Charles H. Hughes of St. Louis (clearly incensed) had his note published by a medical journal of the era.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It states, in part:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>I am credibly informed that there is, in the city of Washington, D.C., an annual convocation of negro men called the drag dance, which is an orgy of lascivious debauchery beyond pen power of description.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(Imagine hearing the phrase “orgy of lascivious debauchery” and thinking that was a bad thing!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Hughes’ quote is part of the introduction to \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color, \u003c/em>a collection of photos and ephemera honoring gender nonconforming people of color from recent history. Curated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906221/louise-lawrence-transgender-archive-vallejo-history\">Ms. Bob Davis\u003c/a> of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13870056/the-transgender-community-builder-who-educated-doctors-including-kinsey\">Louise Lawrence\u003c/a> Transgender Archive, the exhibit includes Bay Area queer and trans folks (including legendary nightclub dancers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13959726/vicki-starr-transgender-topless-dancer-san-francisco-lgbtq-prison-reform\">Vicki Starr\u003c/a> and Li-Kar), alongside their spiritual siblings from around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While fairly hodgepodge by nature — there is no linear throughline or singular geographical focus — \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love\u003c/em> does successfully provide a number of fascinating starting points for future research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1286px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king.png\" alt=\"A woman dressed in a man's suit, hair slicked back in a masculine style.\" width=\"1286\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king.png 1286w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-160x249.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-768x1194.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-988x1536.png 988w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1286px) 100vw, 1286px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photograph of a gender nonconforming person, as seen in ‘I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The exhibition introduces the likes of the Takarazuka Girls, an all-female revue from Japan who performed as all genders at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11790693/magic-city-and-the-making-of-treasure-island\">1939 Golden Gate International Exposition\u003c/a>. There’s also Felicia Elizondo, a trans woman who attempted to suppress her gender identity by enlisting in the Vietnam War, only to transition in 1972 and become a vocal LGBTQ+ campaigner. The show also gives a brief overview of the charitable efforts of Brenda Lee, who turned her São Paulo house into a group home for trans women and people living with HIV and AIDS in the ’80s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking us back further in time are Victorian dancers from a show called \u003cem>Les Joyeux Nègres\u003c/em> (\u003cem>The Merry Negroes\u003c/em>). Duos included Charles Gregory and Jack Brown, who danced the “cakewalk” wearing Civil War-era attire — Brown in a multi-tiered dress, Gregory in a colorful suit. In the same troupe, two women utilized drag as “Mr. and Mrs. Elks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rounding things out at the GLBT Historical Society is a corner of celebratory show posters that highlight local relevant events from the ’70s and ’80s — the crowning glory of which is a sequined dress that belonged to Sylvester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comprehensive overview of the history of trans and gender nonconforming people of color, this is not. Neither is it particularly focused on any one subculture related to the community. But if you treat \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love\u003c/em> as a mini buffet of fascinating moments from LGBTQ+ history, you’ll find a smattering of very tasty morsels.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/exhibitions\">I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color\u003c/a>’ is on view through mid-February 2026, at the GLBT Historical Society Museum (4127 18th St., San Francisco).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983958\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1601px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar.png\" alt=\"A coiffed and made-up gender nonconforming person sitting elegantly in a doorway, dressed in silky blouse, pants and high heels.\" width=\"1601\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar.png 1601w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-160x200.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-768x959.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Li-Kar-1230x1536.png 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1601px) 100vw, 1601px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photograph of LiKar in doorway. Photographer unknown. Li-Kar was a renowned performer and artist at Finocchio’s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oddly, one of the most revealing things in the GLBT Historical Society’s new exhibit is an overwrought denunciation of Black drag queens dating from all the way back in 1893. One Dr. Charles H. Hughes of St. Louis (clearly incensed) had his note published by a medical journal of the era.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It states, in part:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>I am credibly informed that there is, in the city of Washington, D.C., an annual convocation of negro men called the drag dance, which is an orgy of lascivious debauchery beyond pen power of description.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(Imagine hearing the phrase “orgy of lascivious debauchery” and thinking that was a bad thing!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Hughes’ quote is part of the introduction to \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color, \u003c/em>a collection of photos and ephemera honoring gender nonconforming people of color from recent history. Curated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906221/louise-lawrence-transgender-archive-vallejo-history\">Ms. Bob Davis\u003c/a> of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13870056/the-transgender-community-builder-who-educated-doctors-including-kinsey\">Louise Lawrence\u003c/a> Transgender Archive, the exhibit includes Bay Area queer and trans folks (including legendary nightclub dancers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13959726/vicki-starr-transgender-topless-dancer-san-francisco-lgbtq-prison-reform\">Vicki Starr\u003c/a> and Li-Kar), alongside their spiritual siblings from around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While fairly hodgepodge by nature — there is no linear throughline or singular geographical focus — \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love\u003c/em> does successfully provide a number of fascinating starting points for future research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1286px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king.png\" alt=\"A woman dressed in a man's suit, hair slicked back in a masculine style.\" width=\"1286\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king.png 1286w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-160x249.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-768x1194.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/king-988x1536.png 988w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1286px) 100vw, 1286px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photograph of a gender nonconforming person, as seen in ‘I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The exhibition introduces the likes of the Takarazuka Girls, an all-female revue from Japan who performed as all genders at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11790693/magic-city-and-the-making-of-treasure-island\">1939 Golden Gate International Exposition\u003c/a>. There’s also Felicia Elizondo, a trans woman who attempted to suppress her gender identity by enlisting in the Vietnam War, only to transition in 1972 and become a vocal LGBTQ+ campaigner. The show also gives a brief overview of the charitable efforts of Brenda Lee, who turned her São Paulo house into a group home for trans women and people living with HIV and AIDS in the ’80s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking us back further in time are Victorian dancers from a show called \u003cem>Les Joyeux Nègres\u003c/em> (\u003cem>The Merry Negroes\u003c/em>). Duos included Charles Gregory and Jack Brown, who danced the “cakewalk” wearing Civil War-era attire — Brown in a multi-tiered dress, Gregory in a colorful suit. In the same troupe, two women utilized drag as “Mr. and Mrs. Elks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rounding things out at the GLBT Historical Society is a corner of celebratory show posters that highlight local relevant events from the ’70s and ’80s — the crowning glory of which is a sequined dress that belonged to Sylvester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comprehensive overview of the history of trans and gender nonconforming people of color, this is not. Neither is it particularly focused on any one subculture related to the community. But if you treat \u003cem>I Live the Life I Love\u003c/em> as a mini buffet of fascinating moments from LGBTQ+ history, you’ll find a smattering of very tasty morsels.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.glbthistory.org/exhibitions\">I Live the Life I Love Because I Love the Life I Live: A Celebration of Trans People of Color\u003c/a>’ is on view through mid-February 2026, at the GLBT Historical Society Museum (4127 18th St., San Francisco).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "celebrating-a-long-lost-history-of-californias-black-trans-trailblazers",
"title": "Celebrating a ‘Long Lost History’ of California’s Black Trans Trailblazers",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the last few weeks, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> has been sharing conversations between transgender and nonbinary kids and the people in their lives who love and support them — a series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061805/introducing-love-you-for-you-conversations-between-trans-kids-and-their-loved-ones\">\u003cem>Love You for You.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, we’re shifting the lens toward intergenerational stories — young people in their twenties\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063889/californias-trans-elders-share-decades-of-wisdom-and-advice-with-younger-generations\"> in conversation with transgender elders\u003c/a> whose lives trace the long arc of LGBTQ+ activism in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These bonus episodes carry heavier histories and more mature themes than the family conversations featured earlier in the series. They offer deeper context to the ongoing fight for safety, dignity and self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1577896821\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week’s story brings together Zen Blossom, a 26-year-old Black transgender rights activist at TGIJP, or the Miss Major Alexander E. Lee \u003ca href=\"https://tgijp.org/\">Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project\u003c/a> in San Francisco, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/profile--andrea-horne\">Andrea Horne\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based actress, model and jazz singer who was a part of legendary disco artist Sylvester’s entourage in the 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now a historian working on her forthcoming book, \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World,\u003c/em> Andrea reflects with Zen on those who came before them and those who will come after.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne shows Zen Blossom a photo of Crystal LaBeija in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. LaBeija was a drag queen and trans woman born in the 1930s who helped influence ball culture and became a mother figure for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music fades in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Hey, you’re listening to the California Report Magazine. I’m Sasha Khokha. And as you may know, it’s Transgender Awareness Month. For the last few weeks, we’ve been bringing you conversations between gender-expansive kids and the people in their lives who love and support them so they can thrive. We called the series called, “Love You for You.”[aside postID=news_12063889 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-30-KQED.jpg']And now we’re bringing you two bonus episodes of young people in their 20s interviewing transgender elders who are trailblazers when it comes to LGBTQ+ activism here in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just a heads up, these intergenerational conversations carry heavier histories and more mature themes than the ones we’ve been diving into with the family conversations in \u003cem>Love You for You\u003c/em>. So parents, you might want to listen before deciding whether to share with your kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode, we’re gonna meet Andrea Horne, an actress, model and singer who also spent decades as a social worker. And Zen Blossom, who works at TGIJP, a Black trans cultural center and services organization in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Peace, everyone. My name is Zen. I use she-her pronouns. I am currently 26 and I reside in Oakland. I am born and raised in Los Angeles, six generations my family’s been in California.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nAndrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, my name is Andrea, and my pronouns are Her/she, like the chocolate candy bar.\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Love that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I’m a woman of a certain age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Period. And I’m originally from L.A. myself, but I lived in San Francisco longer than I lived in L.A. But I still feel like I’m from L.A., even though I’ve lived here over 40 years in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063828\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED-1536x1084.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne points to a photo of Sweet Evening Breeze, center, a Black trans woman born in 1982, on her laptop at her home in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. Andrea is working on a book called “How Black Trans Women Changed the World.” \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Andrea moved to San Francisco in part because she was friends with Sylvester, the disco artist and singer who’s become a queer icon. These days, Andrea’s a historian, working on a book called \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World\u003c/em> — focused on women who lived from 1836–1936. Andrea shares some of that history and her own history in this conversation with Zen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They start by talking about how they both left Los Angeles because they had unsupportive families. Andrea was only 15 when she ran away from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I felt like there has been a long-lost history in a sense of the connections between Los Angeles, San Francisco and trans people migrating up and down. I just love hearing about your story, you being from L.A. and self-determining for yourself that you need to get out and figure out some other things for yourself at such a young age, 15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I was just following behind the girls that came before me, and I feel, since I’ve been working in the social work field with trans people for the last 25 years, I realized that I was lucky to have what we call a drag mother, someone to help me see my way through. I love your lips, by the way. (Laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne shows a photo of a Black trans woman named Kate, parading in front of a group of San Quentin prisoners in 1925, on her phone in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, so I could tell you a little bit about my background, I guess. My mother’s people are from Louisiana and my father’s people are from Texas. And they moved to California during World War II. And my mother’s father was a Pullman porter. I don’t know if you know about the histories of the Pullman porters in America, but the Pullman porters created the black middle class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>What was their role for people who don’t know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Pullman porters were like flight attendants on trains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And it was all handsome black men. I know that was some probably gay guy during the hiring or something, because they were all handsome, educated black men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne, a performer, historian and activist poses for a photo with her 4-year-old Pomeranian Mei-Mei, outside of her home in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>My family is from Texas, too. My grandma got here in the ‘20s with her mom and her grandma. They took the 66 all the way up to like the northern middle part of California and then came down to Los Angeles. But they stopped in Delano for a second. But a lot of the folks that she worked with were like in the factories and things and doing the canning and the industries, especially during the world wars and stuff, she was doing the canning and stuff. So it’s just interesting to see, like, how, regardless of different class backgrounds, too, that the migration affected like black people as a whole still. There’s a type of racism that happens that doesn’t allow people to escape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Interestingly, the Black people that stayed in the South are like runnin’ it. You know, they’re in every office, everything, which I find amusing. They stayed there. My mother’s from New Orleans, and she went to Xavier College, which is a black Catholic, HBCU Catholic. My whole family went to those. My father, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>OK. I was gonna ask my next question was like, what was that process trying to invite them into your life, as you, or maybe not invite them into your life?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>They’ve never been in my life since I transitioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I think that’s why it’s really important to speak to like, chosen family too. And like why it important that you had your drag mom there around you to support you in these really difficult times. What was the name of your chosen mom?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Her name is Duchess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Duchess? OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And then there was Eva, her best friend, my kind of drag auntie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>And how old were you when you met them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I was 15. And Duchess was in her 20s. And Eva was in her twenties as well. And they kind of took me in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How did y’all meet?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Well, it’s an interesting story. It was summer vacation. I was 15. And my mother had become kind of a psycho about my transgenderism. It drove her mad. I was with my friends from high school, and my friends are like saying you don’t have to take that from her. You know, you’re be your own person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we were at Venice Beach and when it got dark, they all went home for dinner and left me sitting at Venice Beach. And so that empty feeling of having nowhere to go had stayed with me. So anyway, I sat there an hour not knowing what to do. I just had on. I didn’t even have a jacket. It was summer in L.A. One of my friends came back. Thank God. And. Said, let me take you to my cousin. And so my trans girlfriend from high school brought me to her cousin, named Duchess, who ended up being my drag mother. And we looked similar, so we could say we were sisters. And the moment I met her and she looked me up and down and she said, “Do you want titties?” I said, “Yes, ma’am.” And she reached in her pocket and she pulled out this hormone pill, a premarin pill, purple. It was like bitten in two, and it had lint and dust and grease and tobacco all clinging to it, and I didn’t care. I just inhaled it. And in the morning, I thought I was gonna be Dolly Parton. But I wasn’t. (Laughs) Dolly Parton takes years, but I didn’t know that at the time. However, my drag mother, we’ll just call her Duchess. She did sex work, survival sex work. That’s all she knew. She got kicked out of her house when she was my age. And after I met her, I think probably within an hour, I was doing sex work. But not real sex work because Duchess’ thing was to not turn the trick, to get the money and run or something like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And so we did a lot of times that I learned how to run in five-inch heels from the tricks, from the police, jumping over back fences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Changing outfits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Changing outfits. It wasn’t it was it was quite wild. It’s a miracle I survived it. However, duchess like me, during the quiet moments, we just sat around and read. And she liked to read, I liked to read. From 1987 to 2007, I read a book a week. That’s 30 years. I read a book a week. You know, I mostly read biographies and autobiographies from people that I admired to see how they did it. Not how they did stardom, but how they got from where they started to becoming a star. That fascinates me. But as soon as I got my first laptop in 2007, I stopped reading a book a week, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Thank you to the internet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yes, thanks to the internet. So you asked me about my family, what about yours? How did they support your transition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Oh my goodness. Absolutely not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Are they church people?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yes, very much so. Grew up in the church. Grew with a lot of that, a lot of reading the Bible. I read the Bible multiple times. I still hold it dear to me in certain ways, aspects. And in other ways, I push it very, very far away. I definitely identify with growing up with my grandmas a lot more than my immediate parents. I felt like my grandmas kept me safe a lot better and they knew what was happening. And so I was with them until they both passed away, unfortunately, when I was 10. And then it was pretty rough, and then I ended up leaving and going to college away from family at 18, and that’s when I was able to like really be myself, explore myself. Do those things, and that was my way out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Where’d you go to school?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I went to school on the East Coast. I wanted to get as far as possible. I was very fortunate that I got a full ride because I also got a full ride for high school to also get away from my family and went to a private school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So, do you talk to your family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I’m not in connection with them, besides my great-grandma. And that was a really cool thing for me because during the pandemic, when I stayed with her for a little bit, we were discussing and talking about, like just all the things. And she was teaching me how to sew. And when we were sewing, she was like, “Oh, do you want,” um, it was a dress that you would match. It was a robe, essentially, so you would either put the buttons on the left side or the right side. And she was like, ‘Which side are you gonna put it on?’ And for her, you know, depending on which side you have it on, that’s cross-dressing, you know, against the law. So she was trying to ask me what my tea was, essentially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Because she did my measurements and it said, like, you know, 40-36-42, you know, so I had the, I had a figure. And so she was already like, no, clocking certain things here and there with me. She was like, “OK, so you have breasts. OK. So which side is this supposed to go on?” And then when we were sewing it together, she was just like, “You know what, this reminds me. Of when I was growing up, off of Central, and there’s someone that you remind me of,” and it was Lady Java.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so that was a really powerful moment for me to know that we’ve always been here, and that there’s also points for people, especially the older generations, to still connect with us, because people think … That, oh, just because you’re older, that means you don’t have exposure to it. And it’s just very interesting for me that the older people in my life actually had more experience with transness than the people who were closer to me in age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I thought it was really cool that my great grandma had an understanding of what could be read as transness with Lady Java without having the exact words for it. And so I would love for you to share more about the prolific work of Lady Java.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, her stage name was Sir Lady Java, and she was incredibly important to me, and incredibly important to all the other sort of black trans women in Los Angeles, because she was the queen. And why was she the queen? Well, she was a glamour girl associated with celebrities. And I know in L.A., that’s important. But she’s really famous for her activist work that kind of goes unrecognized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she was performer, a showgirl. And she kept getting arrested as a female impersonator because that was illegal. And it gave the police the right to arrest you if they perceived that you may be trans in quotation marks. And so you had to, one had to wear three clothes, if you were a trans woman, you had wear three pieces of men’s clothing. And I remember Java told me that she wore a man’s wristwatch and a T-shirt under her mini dress and men’s socks, but she had them rolled down like Mary Jane’s. And so that’s how she could not get arrested. But she did get arrested whenever she appeared at Black clubs. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Off of Central.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, off Central. And so, but she fought in the courts with the ACLU, so that cross-dressing quote was not illegal any longer. And she fought, and it took years, and I think she lost the first couple of times, but they kept at it. And the law was changed, and it made an incredible difference for trans people everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It set a precedent, a nationwide precedent, that cross-dressing or drag was OK. The police, when it became legal, they had to kind of back up off black trans women who they normally harassed on a regular basis. And so her activist work changed the lives of all queer people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, a white gay man might not know that it was Sir Lady Java that did that, but it’s always been black trans woman leading the call. I guess that’s just our karma. and now we can be who we want to be. But as a little trans child growing up in L.A., I would see her name, Sir Lady Java, up in marquees, theater marquees. And so I knew what she was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, so Java passed away this year, actually \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/arts/sir-lady-java-dead.html\">late last year\u003c/a>. And I went to her memorial service in Los Angeles, but she was important. I realized that’s another privilege I had. I didn’t realize I didn’t grow up in isolation in a small country town where I had no point of reference. I grew up in the city and I saw her name in marquees, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even like growing up in a rural town or something. ‘Cause for me, I like, I grew up in Los Angeles and I still didn’t have access to Lady Java until after the fact, you know, after. And so it was just like, that’s also a really big thing that is like, that I feel like people need to understand about California that it’s like a golden state. Like it’s this progressive place, but also it can be very unsafe. For trans kids at homes that are unsupportive. I wish I knew about Lady Java and everything growing up because if I did, I probably would have invited more people into my life a lot earlier on. But you know. (Dog barks) But that’s not how life goes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And Mei Mei, sitting here, my little five-pound mocha chocolate little Pomeranian, she’s sitting in my lap, she just barked a little bit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> She’s really cute, y’all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, she is really cute. It’s been five minutes since someone told her she was cute, so just like her mother. Right, right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I find that since I’ve been doing the research for a book I’m working on about black trans women called, the working title is \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World\u003c/em>, I’ve found that people were so much more tolerant about queer issues before World War II. Right, and it changed after World War II with the sort of the conservatism of the 50s and the civil rights movement. I think really kind of turned the tide for trans people, we’ll just use that word.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> In quotations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>In quotations because there was no such thing as trans people a few years ago. My drag mother and auntie still don’t let me refer to them as that. They just live their lives as women. But yeah, it flipped, the script flipped from tolerance to being really intolerant and even violent towards us. But before World War II, we were considered just part of the community. As long as you stay in your lane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>And what were those lanes?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>The lanes were a hairdresser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Sex work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Work in a bar of some sort, a show girl and housewife. You know, that’s kind of, that’s it. That was all available to us. I remember a girl from my crowd. She got a job at the phone company. I was astounded. I didn’t know that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>The girls could do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>The girls could get jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So you were asking me about my book and I’m kind of focusing on three black trans women that were born before 1900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Mm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>But I’ll talk about Lucy Hicks Anderson the most, because she’s my favorite. And she was accomplished. And her story is super unique, I think. She was born in 18, circa 1890. She told her family that her name was no longer Tobias, that her name was Lucy and to call her Lucy. And remarkably, her parents brought her to the doctor, two doctors, and both doctors said, “Just call her Lucy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right. And this speaks back to what you were saying earlier, how there was a lot more tolerance for us back in the day and awareness around us possibly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, people seem to understand that trans is part of the human condition. But now they’re trying to sell it as something weird that just kind of happened in the 21st century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yeah, the trans turning point with Laverne (Cox).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, now they’re trying to sell the public that transgenderism is something new. It wasn’t called that before. So when I was growing up, the girls called themselves drag queens. But now drag queens is the domain of gay men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And so Lucy, getting back to Lucy, love her. She was a gourmet chef and a madam, and then she met her husband, her second husband, and they moved to Oxnard because she always wanted to move to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Makes sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So she decided on Oxnard, which is about midways between Santa Monica and Santa Barbara, coastal. And she stayed there for 35 years and she ran a catering business and a brothel. And she was a bootlegger during the ‘20s. And she was a fashion plate and so she became the darling of the wives of the heads of studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Someone knew her from her past and told that she wasn’t assigned female at birth. They ran her out of Oxnard. But she was smart with her money and she’d bought a couple of houses over by Central Avenue in Los Angeles. And that’s where she moved to and she spent her last days there quietly. But she did so much that she changed people’s minds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is why I admire her so much, that she had the wherewithal to sort of just live her authentic life. In retrospect, it takes courage to live your authentic life, which is why I think a lot of non-trans people hate trans people, because we have the courage to live our authentic lives. And a lot of people are envious of that ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> She was a philanthropist too, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>During World War II, she gave $50,000 in war bonds, which is a couple million dollars today. So she loved America and she loved her life, but they wouldn’t let her just live her life out. So I wanna tell her story because it needs to be told.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> It does. She was stealth. What does that mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Stealth is a relatively new term. And I think it’s a white term, but it means being a trans person living in your true gender without people knowing about it. Passing, as they call it. That’s what stealth is. And I myself lived stealth from age 15, from that first hormone pill I told you about, until I was 50. I never denied my transness, but it just wasn’t on display. It wasn’t open for discussion. Yeah, it just wasn’t opened for discussion and I just had a regular little job and a husband and so I was just living my life like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something happened like that to me in San Francisco in the ‘90s. I was working in an office downtown. And someone I know, I saw in the building. I don’t know who he told, but he told my tea. And when I came back from lunch, the police and the building security guards were standing at my desk. And they handed me my paycheck and escorted me out. No words were spoken, and they escorted me out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the girl I had just had lunch with, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, “I just had lunch with it. Arrrh!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Hmmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Now, that was over 30 years ago, and that wouldn’t happen today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So when I first met Sylvester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Right. How old were you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I was 15. Sylvester was in his early 20s. And I went to my first kind of queer party and there were lots of trans women and men there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>OK, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And I thought that Sylvester, or Dooney, was a real woman, which is so fascinating, because years later, you would think it’s impossible. But I’ll show you a picture on my phone, he was flawless. But I moved here partly because of Sylvester, because I knew him in L.A. And I just kept coming up to visit and I got a modeling job through Sylvester. So I had to get an apartment, and that was in 1979. I got my first apartment in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How much was rent?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>My rent was $200.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>A month?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Hmm-mm. But yeah, Sylvester kind of changed the world. Sylvester sort of invented this sort of non-binary genderqueer thing that’s very popular right now. But Sylvester was the first one sort of publicly doing that. You know, he was a boy one day and a girl the next and a mustache the next and smooth shaving the next. And, you know, eventually became a star, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>No it’s so cool hearing about your story, especially with Sylvester at such a young age, holding you down, because really Sylvester is prolific here in San Francisco: huge musician, queer icon and a lot of folks don’t know this history about their gender queerness, possibly like non-binaryness and we can’t erase that and be simple in how we see gender or our community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>You know, I agree with you on that. It’s just that gay men have claimed Sylvester. But he also started as a trans woman, and I think that should be part of his story also, because that’s what really happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right. You talked a bit about the conversation around just having to be stealth and not wanting to disclose because it’s honestly not people’s business, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> True.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How do you think that’s similar to now? Versus then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I think that for all the trans people that are out professing their transness, there’s just as equally as many trans people who are still living stealth. And I don’t think they have any plans on coming out, especially now, with the political climate the way it is. I want to go back stealth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> You would, or would not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I want to, but I’m on the internet now, so I can’t, but, you know, it’s scary times for us now, and things have gotten better for trans folks, but black trans women are still getting (beep) over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Mm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And are restricted and precluded from resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even here in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even here in San Francisco, yes. San Francisco is fabulous if you’re a white gay man. It is Disneyland with the A-ticket and the Matterhorn and all of that, but for the rest of us, it’s just America. M-E-R-K-K-K-A. Oh, I forgot an I in there somewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so just know that as many trans people that you see on TV and Pose and everyone’s twerking and all that, there’s just as many people that are living stealth lives in the suburbs married. So when you hear people say, “I’ve never used the bathroom with somebody trans!” You probably have. They probably have, but.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Many a times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Many a times. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>What advice do you have for Black trans girls today, especially for like building sisterhood?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Stay in school, that’s that’s your way out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: Blossom:\u003c/strong> Mmm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, that’s my message to young Black trans women, stay at school. And if you’re a teenager and they’re bullying you at school because you’re trans, you’re not gonna remember those (beep) in five years. You won’t even remember their names or their faces or anything. The people that bullied me when I was in high school, I wish somebody had told me, you’re not even going to remember them. But when you’re a teen, the present is everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: Blossom:\u003c/strong> Yes, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> And you haven’t yet developed the ability to kind of foresee in the future. And so it’s all immediate. And the message is it will pass, you’ll survive it, and you won’t even remember them. Just stay in school, educate yourself. That’s undeniable. Stay in school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go as far as you can in school and my dream, my lottery-winning dream is to have a scholarship fund for black trans women. I had a dear friend named Dana Turner, who was a Black trans woman who went to Georgetown Law School, which is pretty impressive. I want to have it in, in her name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Dana Turner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Dana Turner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Well, it’s been rewarding at the very least to get immersed in the history and the knowledge and the lineage of the work. And also that we have so many different folks to look to and different possibility models there’s ones as philanthropists, we have people who are cooks. We have people who are going to law school. We have who read books every week for 30 years. We have our different miniature worlds that we can create for ourselves and curate. It takes a lot of investment, but in the long term, it’s worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I think, Zen, it’s important that we have conversations like this, because America teaches us not to really care about our old folks. As trans folks, we want to start a new model, an intergenerational model, an interaction where we really support and help each other. I want to see us moving in that direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>For the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>For the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>For us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Yeah, for the girls. We’re saving lives here. Yeah. Yeah. We’ve got to save lives, and we got to let people know that transgender is nothing new. It’s always been part of the human condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>All the way back to Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>All the way back to Africa, all the way to Africa. It’s interesting how contemporary Africans say that there’s no queers, there’s no African queers. But of course that’s not true. But Europeans brought, they didn’t bring queerness, they brought …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: and Andrea Horne together:\u003c/strong> homophobia and transphobia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>It was good continuing to build with you, Andrea, and you, Mei Mei. I will never forget. Don’t worry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I hope this is just the first conversation of many, because we really just scratched the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> We really did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Continues\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Transgender elder Andrea Horne, in conversation with Zen Blossom, a 26-year-old transgender activist from Oakland who works with the TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center. The center was founded by Miss Major, a trailblazing Black trans activist and who passed away this fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s it for TCR Mag for this week. This interview was produced by me, Sasha Khokha with Srishti Prabha and Suzie Racho with help this week from Gabriela Glueck. Our senior editor is Victoria Mauleon. Our engineer is Brendan Willard. Special thanks to Tuck Woodstock, host of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.genderpodcast.com/\">Gender Reveal\u003c/a> podcast for his help on this episode. And to KQED’s Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ana de Almeida Amaral and Anna Vignet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And by the way, if you didn’t catch our series on trans and nonbinary youth and people who love them, check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/love-you-for-you\">Love You for You\u003c/a> series on our podcast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">The California Report Magazine\u003c/a>. Your State, Your Stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades Out\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the last few weeks, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> has been sharing conversations between transgender and nonbinary kids and the people in their lives who love and support them — a series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061805/introducing-love-you-for-you-conversations-between-trans-kids-and-their-loved-ones\">\u003cem>Love You for You.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, we’re shifting the lens toward intergenerational stories — young people in their twenties\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063889/californias-trans-elders-share-decades-of-wisdom-and-advice-with-younger-generations\"> in conversation with transgender elders\u003c/a> whose lives trace the long arc of LGBTQ+ activism in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These bonus episodes carry heavier histories and more mature themes than the family conversations featured earlier in the series. They offer deeper context to the ongoing fight for safety, dignity and self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1577896821\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week’s story brings together Zen Blossom, a 26-year-old Black transgender rights activist at TGIJP, or the Miss Major Alexander E. Lee \u003ca href=\"https://tgijp.org/\">Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project\u003c/a> in San Francisco, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/profile--andrea-horne\">Andrea Horne\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based actress, model and jazz singer who was a part of legendary disco artist Sylvester’s entourage in the 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now a historian working on her forthcoming book, \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World,\u003c/em> Andrea reflects with Zen on those who came before them and those who will come after.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne shows Zen Blossom a photo of Crystal LaBeija in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. LaBeija was a drag queen and trans woman born in the 1930s who helped influence ball culture and became a mother figure for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music fades in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Hey, you’re listening to the California Report Magazine. I’m Sasha Khokha. And as you may know, it’s Transgender Awareness Month. For the last few weeks, we’ve been bringing you conversations between gender-expansive kids and the people in their lives who love and support them so they can thrive. We called the series called, “Love You for You.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And now we’re bringing you two bonus episodes of young people in their 20s interviewing transgender elders who are trailblazers when it comes to LGBTQ+ activism here in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just a heads up, these intergenerational conversations carry heavier histories and more mature themes than the ones we’ve been diving into with the family conversations in \u003cem>Love You for You\u003c/em>. So parents, you might want to listen before deciding whether to share with your kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode, we’re gonna meet Andrea Horne, an actress, model and singer who also spent decades as a social worker. And Zen Blossom, who works at TGIJP, a Black trans cultural center and services organization in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Peace, everyone. My name is Zen. I use she-her pronouns. I am currently 26 and I reside in Oakland. I am born and raised in Los Angeles, six generations my family’s been in California.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nAndrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, my name is Andrea, and my pronouns are Her/she, like the chocolate candy bar.\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Love that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I’m a woman of a certain age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Period. And I’m originally from L.A. myself, but I lived in San Francisco longer than I lived in L.A. But I still feel like I’m from L.A., even though I’ve lived here over 40 years in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063828\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-49-KQED-1536x1084.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne points to a photo of Sweet Evening Breeze, center, a Black trans woman born in 1982, on her laptop at her home in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. Andrea is working on a book called “How Black Trans Women Changed the World.” \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Andrea moved to San Francisco in part because she was friends with Sylvester, the disco artist and singer who’s become a queer icon. These days, Andrea’s a historian, working on a book called \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World\u003c/em> — focused on women who lived from 1836–1936. Andrea shares some of that history and her own history in this conversation with Zen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They start by talking about how they both left Los Angeles because they had unsupportive families. Andrea was only 15 when she ran away from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I felt like there has been a long-lost history in a sense of the connections between Los Angeles, San Francisco and trans people migrating up and down. I just love hearing about your story, you being from L.A. and self-determining for yourself that you need to get out and figure out some other things for yourself at such a young age, 15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I was just following behind the girls that came before me, and I feel, since I’ve been working in the social work field with trans people for the last 25 years, I realized that I was lucky to have what we call a drag mother, someone to help me see my way through. I love your lips, by the way. (Laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-37-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne shows a photo of a Black trans woman named Kate, parading in front of a group of San Quentin prisoners in 1925, on her phone in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, so I could tell you a little bit about my background, I guess. My mother’s people are from Louisiana and my father’s people are from Texas. And they moved to California during World War II. And my mother’s father was a Pullman porter. I don’t know if you know about the histories of the Pullman porters in America, but the Pullman porters created the black middle class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>What was their role for people who don’t know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Pullman porters were like flight attendants on trains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And it was all handsome black men. I know that was some probably gay guy during the hiring or something, because they were all handsome, educated black men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251106_TRANSELDERSYOUTH_GC-32-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea Horne, a performer, historian and activist poses for a photo with her 4-year-old Pomeranian Mei-Mei, outside of her home in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>My family is from Texas, too. My grandma got here in the ‘20s with her mom and her grandma. They took the 66 all the way up to like the northern middle part of California and then came down to Los Angeles. But they stopped in Delano for a second. But a lot of the folks that she worked with were like in the factories and things and doing the canning and the industries, especially during the world wars and stuff, she was doing the canning and stuff. So it’s just interesting to see, like, how, regardless of different class backgrounds, too, that the migration affected like black people as a whole still. There’s a type of racism that happens that doesn’t allow people to escape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Interestingly, the Black people that stayed in the South are like runnin’ it. You know, they’re in every office, everything, which I find amusing. They stayed there. My mother’s from New Orleans, and she went to Xavier College, which is a black Catholic, HBCU Catholic. My whole family went to those. My father, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>OK. I was gonna ask my next question was like, what was that process trying to invite them into your life, as you, or maybe not invite them into your life?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>They’ve never been in my life since I transitioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I think that’s why it’s really important to speak to like, chosen family too. And like why it important that you had your drag mom there around you to support you in these really difficult times. What was the name of your chosen mom?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Her name is Duchess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Duchess? OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And then there was Eva, her best friend, my kind of drag auntie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>And how old were you when you met them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I was 15. And Duchess was in her 20s. And Eva was in her twenties as well. And they kind of took me in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How did y’all meet?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Well, it’s an interesting story. It was summer vacation. I was 15. And my mother had become kind of a psycho about my transgenderism. It drove her mad. I was with my friends from high school, and my friends are like saying you don’t have to take that from her. You know, you’re be your own person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we were at Venice Beach and when it got dark, they all went home for dinner and left me sitting at Venice Beach. And so that empty feeling of having nowhere to go had stayed with me. So anyway, I sat there an hour not knowing what to do. I just had on. I didn’t even have a jacket. It was summer in L.A. One of my friends came back. Thank God. And. Said, let me take you to my cousin. And so my trans girlfriend from high school brought me to her cousin, named Duchess, who ended up being my drag mother. And we looked similar, so we could say we were sisters. And the moment I met her and she looked me up and down and she said, “Do you want titties?” I said, “Yes, ma’am.” And she reached in her pocket and she pulled out this hormone pill, a premarin pill, purple. It was like bitten in two, and it had lint and dust and grease and tobacco all clinging to it, and I didn’t care. I just inhaled it. And in the morning, I thought I was gonna be Dolly Parton. But I wasn’t. (Laughs) Dolly Parton takes years, but I didn’t know that at the time. However, my drag mother, we’ll just call her Duchess. She did sex work, survival sex work. That’s all she knew. She got kicked out of her house when she was my age. And after I met her, I think probably within an hour, I was doing sex work. But not real sex work because Duchess’ thing was to not turn the trick, to get the money and run or something like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And so we did a lot of times that I learned how to run in five-inch heels from the tricks, from the police, jumping over back fences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Changing outfits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Changing outfits. It wasn’t it was it was quite wild. It’s a miracle I survived it. However, duchess like me, during the quiet moments, we just sat around and read. And she liked to read, I liked to read. From 1987 to 2007, I read a book a week. That’s 30 years. I read a book a week. You know, I mostly read biographies and autobiographies from people that I admired to see how they did it. Not how they did stardom, but how they got from where they started to becoming a star. That fascinates me. But as soon as I got my first laptop in 2007, I stopped reading a book a week, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Thank you to the internet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yes, thanks to the internet. So you asked me about my family, what about yours? How did they support your transition?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Oh my goodness. Absolutely not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Are they church people?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yes, very much so. Grew up in the church. Grew with a lot of that, a lot of reading the Bible. I read the Bible multiple times. I still hold it dear to me in certain ways, aspects. And in other ways, I push it very, very far away. I definitely identify with growing up with my grandmas a lot more than my immediate parents. I felt like my grandmas kept me safe a lot better and they knew what was happening. And so I was with them until they both passed away, unfortunately, when I was 10. And then it was pretty rough, and then I ended up leaving and going to college away from family at 18, and that’s when I was able to like really be myself, explore myself. Do those things, and that was my way out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Where’d you go to school?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I went to school on the East Coast. I wanted to get as far as possible. I was very fortunate that I got a full ride because I also got a full ride for high school to also get away from my family and went to a private school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So, do you talk to your family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I’m not in connection with them, besides my great-grandma. And that was a really cool thing for me because during the pandemic, when I stayed with her for a little bit, we were discussing and talking about, like just all the things. And she was teaching me how to sew. And when we were sewing, she was like, “Oh, do you want,” um, it was a dress that you would match. It was a robe, essentially, so you would either put the buttons on the left side or the right side. And she was like, ‘Which side are you gonna put it on?’ And for her, you know, depending on which side you have it on, that’s cross-dressing, you know, against the law. So she was trying to ask me what my tea was, essentially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Because she did my measurements and it said, like, you know, 40-36-42, you know, so I had the, I had a figure. And so she was already like, no, clocking certain things here and there with me. She was like, “OK, so you have breasts. OK. So which side is this supposed to go on?” And then when we were sewing it together, she was just like, “You know what, this reminds me. Of when I was growing up, off of Central, and there’s someone that you remind me of,” and it was Lady Java.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so that was a really powerful moment for me to know that we’ve always been here, and that there’s also points for people, especially the older generations, to still connect with us, because people think … That, oh, just because you’re older, that means you don’t have exposure to it. And it’s just very interesting for me that the older people in my life actually had more experience with transness than the people who were closer to me in age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>I thought it was really cool that my great grandma had an understanding of what could be read as transness with Lady Java without having the exact words for it. And so I would love for you to share more about the prolific work of Lady Java.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, her stage name was Sir Lady Java, and she was incredibly important to me, and incredibly important to all the other sort of black trans women in Los Angeles, because she was the queen. And why was she the queen? Well, she was a glamour girl associated with celebrities. And I know in L.A., that’s important. But she’s really famous for her activist work that kind of goes unrecognized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she was performer, a showgirl. And she kept getting arrested as a female impersonator because that was illegal. And it gave the police the right to arrest you if they perceived that you may be trans in quotation marks. And so you had to, one had to wear three clothes, if you were a trans woman, you had wear three pieces of men’s clothing. And I remember Java told me that she wore a man’s wristwatch and a T-shirt under her mini dress and men’s socks, but she had them rolled down like Mary Jane’s. And so that’s how she could not get arrested. But she did get arrested whenever she appeared at Black clubs. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Off of Central.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, off Central. And so, but she fought in the courts with the ACLU, so that cross-dressing quote was not illegal any longer. And she fought, and it took years, and I think she lost the first couple of times, but they kept at it. And the law was changed, and it made an incredible difference for trans people everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It set a precedent, a nationwide precedent, that cross-dressing or drag was OK. The police, when it became legal, they had to kind of back up off black trans women who they normally harassed on a regular basis. And so her activist work changed the lives of all queer people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, a white gay man might not know that it was Sir Lady Java that did that, but it’s always been black trans woman leading the call. I guess that’s just our karma. and now we can be who we want to be. But as a little trans child growing up in L.A., I would see her name, Sir Lady Java, up in marquees, theater marquees. And so I knew what she was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, so Java passed away this year, actually \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/arts/sir-lady-java-dead.html\">late last year\u003c/a>. And I went to her memorial service in Los Angeles, but she was important. I realized that’s another privilege I had. I didn’t realize I didn’t grow up in isolation in a small country town where I had no point of reference. I grew up in the city and I saw her name in marquees, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even like growing up in a rural town or something. ‘Cause for me, I like, I grew up in Los Angeles and I still didn’t have access to Lady Java until after the fact, you know, after. And so it was just like, that’s also a really big thing that is like, that I feel like people need to understand about California that it’s like a golden state. Like it’s this progressive place, but also it can be very unsafe. For trans kids at homes that are unsupportive. I wish I knew about Lady Java and everything growing up because if I did, I probably would have invited more people into my life a lot earlier on. But you know. (Dog barks) But that’s not how life goes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And Mei Mei, sitting here, my little five-pound mocha chocolate little Pomeranian, she’s sitting in my lap, she just barked a little bit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> She’s really cute, y’all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, she is really cute. It’s been five minutes since someone told her she was cute, so just like her mother. Right, right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I find that since I’ve been doing the research for a book I’m working on about black trans women called, the working title is \u003cem>How Black Trans Women Changed the World\u003c/em>, I’ve found that people were so much more tolerant about queer issues before World War II. Right, and it changed after World War II with the sort of the conservatism of the 50s and the civil rights movement. I think really kind of turned the tide for trans people, we’ll just use that word.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> In quotations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>In quotations because there was no such thing as trans people a few years ago. My drag mother and auntie still don’t let me refer to them as that. They just live their lives as women. But yeah, it flipped, the script flipped from tolerance to being really intolerant and even violent towards us. But before World War II, we were considered just part of the community. As long as you stay in your lane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>And what were those lanes?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>The lanes were a hairdresser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Sex work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Work in a bar of some sort, a show girl and housewife. You know, that’s kind of, that’s it. That was all available to us. I remember a girl from my crowd. She got a job at the phone company. I was astounded. I didn’t know that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>The girls could do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>The girls could get jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So you were asking me about my book and I’m kind of focusing on three black trans women that were born before 1900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Mm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>But I’ll talk about Lucy Hicks Anderson the most, because she’s my favorite. And she was accomplished. And her story is super unique, I think. She was born in 18, circa 1890. She told her family that her name was no longer Tobias, that her name was Lucy and to call her Lucy. And remarkably, her parents brought her to the doctor, two doctors, and both doctors said, “Just call her Lucy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right. And this speaks back to what you were saying earlier, how there was a lot more tolerance for us back in the day and awareness around us possibly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, people seem to understand that trans is part of the human condition. But now they’re trying to sell it as something weird that just kind of happened in the 21st century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Yeah, the trans turning point with Laverne (Cox).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, now they’re trying to sell the public that transgenderism is something new. It wasn’t called that before. So when I was growing up, the girls called themselves drag queens. But now drag queens is the domain of gay men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And so Lucy, getting back to Lucy, love her. She was a gourmet chef and a madam, and then she met her husband, her second husband, and they moved to Oxnard because she always wanted to move to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Makes sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So she decided on Oxnard, which is about midways between Santa Monica and Santa Barbara, coastal. And she stayed there for 35 years and she ran a catering business and a brothel. And she was a bootlegger during the ‘20s. And she was a fashion plate and so she became the darling of the wives of the heads of studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Someone knew her from her past and told that she wasn’t assigned female at birth. They ran her out of Oxnard. But she was smart with her money and she’d bought a couple of houses over by Central Avenue in Los Angeles. And that’s where she moved to and she spent her last days there quietly. But she did so much that she changed people’s minds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is why I admire her so much, that she had the wherewithal to sort of just live her authentic life. In retrospect, it takes courage to live your authentic life, which is why I think a lot of non-trans people hate trans people, because we have the courage to live our authentic lives. And a lot of people are envious of that ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> She was a philanthropist too, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>During World War II, she gave $50,000 in war bonds, which is a couple million dollars today. So she loved America and she loved her life, but they wouldn’t let her just live her life out. So I wanna tell her story because it needs to be told.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> It does. She was stealth. What does that mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Stealth is a relatively new term. And I think it’s a white term, but it means being a trans person living in your true gender without people knowing about it. Passing, as they call it. That’s what stealth is. And I myself lived stealth from age 15, from that first hormone pill I told you about, until I was 50. I never denied my transness, but it just wasn’t on display. It wasn’t open for discussion. Yeah, it just wasn’t opened for discussion and I just had a regular little job and a husband and so I was just living my life like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something happened like that to me in San Francisco in the ‘90s. I was working in an office downtown. And someone I know, I saw in the building. I don’t know who he told, but he told my tea. And when I came back from lunch, the police and the building security guards were standing at my desk. And they handed me my paycheck and escorted me out. No words were spoken, and they escorted me out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the girl I had just had lunch with, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, “I just had lunch with it. Arrrh!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Hmmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Now, that was over 30 years ago, and that wouldn’t happen today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>So when I first met Sylvester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Right. How old were you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I was 15. Sylvester was in his early 20s. And I went to my first kind of queer party and there were lots of trans women and men there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>OK, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And I thought that Sylvester, or Dooney, was a real woman, which is so fascinating, because years later, you would think it’s impossible. But I’ll show you a picture on my phone, he was flawless. But I moved here partly because of Sylvester, because I knew him in L.A. And I just kept coming up to visit and I got a modeling job through Sylvester. So I had to get an apartment, and that was in 1979. I got my first apartment in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How much was rent?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>My rent was $200.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>A month?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Hmm-mm. But yeah, Sylvester kind of changed the world. Sylvester sort of invented this sort of non-binary genderqueer thing that’s very popular right now. But Sylvester was the first one sort of publicly doing that. You know, he was a boy one day and a girl the next and a mustache the next and smooth shaving the next. And, you know, eventually became a star, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>No it’s so cool hearing about your story, especially with Sylvester at such a young age, holding you down, because really Sylvester is prolific here in San Francisco: huge musician, queer icon and a lot of folks don’t know this history about their gender queerness, possibly like non-binaryness and we can’t erase that and be simple in how we see gender or our community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>You know, I agree with you on that. It’s just that gay men have claimed Sylvester. But he also started as a trans woman, and I think that should be part of his story also, because that’s what really happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Right. You talked a bit about the conversation around just having to be stealth and not wanting to disclose because it’s honestly not people’s business, so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> True.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>How do you think that’s similar to now? Versus then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>I think that for all the trans people that are out professing their transness, there’s just as equally as many trans people who are still living stealth. And I don’t think they have any plans on coming out, especially now, with the political climate the way it is. I want to go back stealth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> You would, or would not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> I want to, but I’m on the internet now, so I can’t, but, you know, it’s scary times for us now, and things have gotten better for trans folks, but black trans women are still getting (beep) over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Mm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>And are restricted and precluded from resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even here in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Even here in San Francisco, yes. San Francisco is fabulous if you’re a white gay man. It is Disneyland with the A-ticket and the Matterhorn and all of that, but for the rest of us, it’s just America. M-E-R-K-K-K-A. Oh, I forgot an I in there somewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so just know that as many trans people that you see on TV and Pose and everyone’s twerking and all that, there’s just as many people that are living stealth lives in the suburbs married. So when you hear people say, “I’ve never used the bathroom with somebody trans!” You probably have. They probably have, but.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Many a times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Many a times. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>What advice do you have for Black trans girls today, especially for like building sisterhood?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Stay in school, that’s that’s your way out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: Blossom:\u003c/strong> Mmm-hmm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Yeah, that’s my message to young Black trans women, stay at school. And if you’re a teenager and they’re bullying you at school because you’re trans, you’re not gonna remember those (beep) in five years. You won’t even remember their names or their faces or anything. The people that bullied me when I was in high school, I wish somebody had told me, you’re not even going to remember them. But when you’re a teen, the present is everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: Blossom:\u003c/strong> Yes, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> And you haven’t yet developed the ability to kind of foresee in the future. And so it’s all immediate. And the message is it will pass, you’ll survive it, and you won’t even remember them. Just stay in school, educate yourself. That’s undeniable. Stay in school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Go as far as you can in school and my dream, my lottery-winning dream is to have a scholarship fund for black trans women. I had a dear friend named Dana Turner, who was a Black trans woman who went to Georgetown Law School, which is pretty impressive. I want to have it in, in her name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> Dana Turner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Dana Turner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>Well, it’s been rewarding at the very least to get immersed in the history and the knowledge and the lineage of the work. And also that we have so many different folks to look to and different possibility models there’s ones as philanthropists, we have people who are cooks. We have people who are going to law school. We have who read books every week for 30 years. We have our different miniature worlds that we can create for ourselves and curate. It takes a lot of investment, but in the long term, it’s worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I think, Zen, it’s important that we have conversations like this, because America teaches us not to really care about our old folks. As trans folks, we want to start a new model, an intergenerational model, an interaction where we really support and help each other. I want to see us moving in that direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>For the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>For the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>For us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne:\u003c/strong> Yeah, for the girls. We’re saving lives here. Yeah. Yeah. We’ve got to save lives, and we got to let people know that transgender is nothing new. It’s always been part of the human condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>All the way back to Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>All the way back to Africa, all the way to Africa. It’s interesting how contemporary Africans say that there’s no queers, there’s no African queers. But of course that’s not true. But Europeans brought, they didn’t bring queerness, they brought …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: and Andrea Horne together:\u003c/strong> homophobia and transphobia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Bridge\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom: \u003c/strong>It was good continuing to build with you, Andrea, and you, Mei Mei. I will never forget. Don’t worry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Andrea Horne: \u003c/strong>Well, I hope this is just the first conversation of many, because we really just scratched the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zen Blossom:\u003c/strong> We really did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Continues\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Khokha: \u003c/strong>Transgender elder Andrea Horne, in conversation with Zen Blossom, a 26-year-old transgender activist from Oakland who works with the TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center. The center was founded by Miss Major, a trailblazing Black trans activist and who passed away this fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s it for TCR Mag for this week. This interview was produced by me, Sasha Khokha with Srishti Prabha and Suzie Racho with help this week from Gabriela Glueck. Our senior editor is Victoria Mauleon. Our engineer is Brendan Willard. Special thanks to Tuck Woodstock, host of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.genderpodcast.com/\">Gender Reveal\u003c/a> podcast for his help on this episode. And to KQED’s Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ana de Almeida Amaral and Anna Vignet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And by the way, if you didn’t catch our series on trans and nonbinary youth and people who love them, check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/love-you-for-you\">Love You for You\u003c/a> series on our podcast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">The California Report Magazine\u003c/a>. Your State, Your Stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music Fades Out\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the months since it opened, Rikki’s, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977457/rikkis-first-womens-sports-bar-bay-area-open-castro-sf-valkyries\">Bay Area’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s athletics\u003c/a>, has hosted all kinds of queer-friendly, women-centric community events. Joyous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978009/2025-san-francisco-pride-party-guide-lgbtq-queer-events\">Pride Week\u003c/a> celebrations. Moving reunions of friends honoring a loved one who recently passed. And, of course, rollicking Golden State Valkyries watch parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, just ahead of Thanksgiving, another first: On Sunday, Nov. 23, the Castro District bar will host what might be San Francisco’s first ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sf-lesbian-pie-eating-contest\">lesbian pie-eating contest\u003c/a> (yes, you read that correctly) — an epically sloppy, no-hands, no-forks battle for bragging rights and a $100 cash prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event is the brainchild of \u003ci>Curve \u003c/i>magazine founder Franco Stevens, whose nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://thecurvefoundation.org/\">Curve Foundation\u003c/a> now manages the legendary San Francisco–based lesbian magazine’s 30-plus-year archives. Reached by phone, Stevens explains that she’s always hosted a “Friday Pie Day” on the day after Thanksgiving as a way for friends and family to share all of the leftover pie they accumulate during the holiday. Often, someone would bring up the idea of having a pie-eating contest. “God, it kind of is a funny lesbian joke,” Stevens remembers thinking, “so I think I’m going to just do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: “Oftentimes a woman’s private areas are called ‘pies,’” Stevens explains. “So the lesbian pie eating contest is a pun on that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stevens, who lives in Oakland, says lesbian pie eating contests aren’t necessarily a long-held tradition in the LGBTQ+ community, at least that she’s aware of. But in the past couple of years, she has started seeing them pop up as tongue-in-cheek one-off events at queer bars in places like Portland and Brooklyn. One recent edition even inspired an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ8LAZeDC09/\">extended riff by the comedian Jenny Hagel\u003c/a> on \u003ci>Late Night With Seth Meyers\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lesbian pie-eating contest was held in Brooklyn last month … and it’s still happening because every contestant is taking their time and doing it right,” Hagel says in the set. “It’s like a straight pie-eating contest except the pie enjoys it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jokes, of course, write themselves. But Stevens stresses that while the contest itself will be lighthearted and fun, it will also benefit a good cause. Her main goal is to promote next year’s Lesbian Visibility Week (April 21–26, 2026), whose festivities in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lesbianvisibilityweekusa.com/\">U.S\u003c/a>. and Canada are all organized by the Curve Foundation. Launched in 2020, the annual event’s stated mission is to “shine a light on the experiences, perspectives and needs of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people.” In San Francisco, that has included a flag-raising ceremony, film screenings and events focused on celebrating local lesbian history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Funds raised from the pie-eating contest, specifically, will help pay for permitting fees to install Lesbian Visibility Week banners in the Castro District for the entire month of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983945\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983945\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer.jpg\" alt=\"A soccer match being shown on the TVs in a crowded sports bar.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Open since June 2025, Rikki’s regularly hosts queer-friendly, women-centric events. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rikki's)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The contest itself won’t be a free-for-all either. While Rikki’s co-owner Danielle Thoe won’t be competing herself, she says she’s been asked to be one of the judges: “I said, ‘I don’t know what that means, but sure.’” Mainly, it seems, she’ll be tasked with making sure that no one cheats — that every last inch of those pies get eaten. The “pie athletes” who pay the $5 entry fee (plus an additional $10 for the pie, though they can also opt to bring their own) will be judged on speed and thoroughness. Whoever finishes first will be declared the winner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13977457,arts_13980855']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>As Stevens puts it, “No forks. No hands. No shame. Just get your face in there, and whoever can finish the pie fastest is going to get the $100.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The competition will, in other words, require real speed-eating skills — though Stevens expects to have participants of all stripes. “We could have a couple of pie lickers out there that are just in it for the performance art,” she adds. “We’re totally fine with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help make the pie-munching bonanza an even bigger success, Stevens says she’s hoping a couple of local businesses might step up at the eleventh hour — either to donate (or pay for) the 20 9-inch pumpkin pies that the contestants will be eating, or to put up the money for the cash prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if all goes well, Stevens would like the lesbian pie eating contest to be more than a one-night stand. Instead, she hopes it will be a new San Francisco tradition that continues for years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sf-lesbian-pie-eating-contest\">\u003ci>Lesbian Pie-Eating Contest\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rikkisbarsf.com/\">\u003ci>Rikki’s\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2223 Market St., San Francisco). The entry fee is $5, plus $10 for a pie (for contestants who don’t bring their own). Spectator tickets are free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the months since it opened, Rikki’s, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977457/rikkis-first-womens-sports-bar-bay-area-open-castro-sf-valkyries\">Bay Area’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s athletics\u003c/a>, has hosted all kinds of queer-friendly, women-centric community events. Joyous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978009/2025-san-francisco-pride-party-guide-lgbtq-queer-events\">Pride Week\u003c/a> celebrations. Moving reunions of friends honoring a loved one who recently passed. And, of course, rollicking Golden State Valkyries watch parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, just ahead of Thanksgiving, another first: On Sunday, Nov. 23, the Castro District bar will host what might be San Francisco’s first ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sf-lesbian-pie-eating-contest\">lesbian pie-eating contest\u003c/a> (yes, you read that correctly) — an epically sloppy, no-hands, no-forks battle for bragging rights and a $100 cash prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event is the brainchild of \u003ci>Curve \u003c/i>magazine founder Franco Stevens, whose nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://thecurvefoundation.org/\">Curve Foundation\u003c/a> now manages the legendary San Francisco–based lesbian magazine’s 30-plus-year archives. Reached by phone, Stevens explains that she’s always hosted a “Friday Pie Day” on the day after Thanksgiving as a way for friends and family to share all of the leftover pie they accumulate during the holiday. Often, someone would bring up the idea of having a pie-eating contest. “God, it kind of is a funny lesbian joke,” Stevens remembers thinking, “so I think I’m going to just do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: “Oftentimes a woman’s private areas are called ‘pies,’” Stevens explains. “So the lesbian pie eating contest is a pun on that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stevens, who lives in Oakland, says lesbian pie eating contests aren’t necessarily a long-held tradition in the LGBTQ+ community, at least that she’s aware of. But in the past couple of years, she has started seeing them pop up as tongue-in-cheek one-off events at queer bars in places like Portland and Brooklyn. One recent edition even inspired an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ8LAZeDC09/\">extended riff by the comedian Jenny Hagel\u003c/a> on \u003ci>Late Night With Seth Meyers\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lesbian pie-eating contest was held in Brooklyn last month … and it’s still happening because every contestant is taking their time and doing it right,” Hagel says in the set. “It’s like a straight pie-eating contest except the pie enjoys it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jokes, of course, write themselves. But Stevens stresses that while the contest itself will be lighthearted and fun, it will also benefit a good cause. Her main goal is to promote next year’s Lesbian Visibility Week (April 21–26, 2026), whose festivities in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lesbianvisibilityweekusa.com/\">U.S\u003c/a>. and Canada are all organized by the Curve Foundation. Launched in 2020, the annual event’s stated mission is to “shine a light on the experiences, perspectives and needs of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people.” In San Francisco, that has included a flag-raising ceremony, film screenings and events focused on celebrating local lesbian history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Funds raised from the pie-eating contest, specifically, will help pay for permitting fees to install Lesbian Visibility Week banners in the Castro District for the entire month of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983945\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983945\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer.jpg\" alt=\"A soccer match being shown on the TVs in a crowded sports bar.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/rikkis-soccer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Open since June 2025, Rikki’s regularly hosts queer-friendly, women-centric events. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rikki's)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The contest itself won’t be a free-for-all either. While Rikki’s co-owner Danielle Thoe won’t be competing herself, she says she’s been asked to be one of the judges: “I said, ‘I don’t know what that means, but sure.’” Mainly, it seems, she’ll be tasked with making sure that no one cheats — that every last inch of those pies get eaten. The “pie athletes” who pay the $5 entry fee (plus an additional $10 for the pie, though they can also opt to bring their own) will be judged on speed and thoroughness. Whoever finishes first will be declared the winner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>As Stevens puts it, “No forks. No hands. No shame. Just get your face in there, and whoever can finish the pie fastest is going to get the $100.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The competition will, in other words, require real speed-eating skills — though Stevens expects to have participants of all stripes. “We could have a couple of pie lickers out there that are just in it for the performance art,” she adds. “We’re totally fine with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help make the pie-munching bonanza an even bigger success, Stevens says she’s hoping a couple of local businesses might step up at the eleventh hour — either to donate (or pay for) the 20 9-inch pumpkin pies that the contestants will be eating, or to put up the money for the cash prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if all goes well, Stevens would like the lesbian pie eating contest to be more than a one-night stand. Instead, she hopes it will be a new San Francisco tradition that continues for years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sf-lesbian-pie-eating-contest\">\u003ci>Lesbian Pie-Eating Contest\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rikkisbarsf.com/\">\u003ci>Rikki’s\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2223 Market St., San Francisco). The entry fee is $5, plus $10 for a pie (for contestants who don’t bring their own). Spectator tickets are free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-californians-can-start-changing-names-and-gender-markers-on-government-ids",
"title": "Updating Your Name and Gender on CA, Federal IDs: What to Know After SCOTUS’ Passport Ruling",
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"headTitle": "Updating Your Name and Gender on CA, Federal IDs: What to Know After SCOTUS’ Passport Ruling | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Mere hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> issued an executive order stating that the federal government would recognize only two sexes, male and female. As a result, the State Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\">immediately eliminated the “X” gender\u003c/a> as an option and suspended its previous policy that permitted transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to update gender markers on their passports.\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\"> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a back-and-forth in the federal courts following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69623342/orr-v-trump-president-of-the-united-states/\">lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/695759/new-high-say-supreme-court-too-conservative.aspx\">conservative-leaning\u003c/a> Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration \u003cem>can \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462\">enforce this policy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the latest update is not the end of the road for trans people and gender markers, San Francisco lawyer Alexis Levy said, since “this decision doesn’t dispose of the lawsuit in general.”“That will take several more months at least,” Levy said. “This was\u003ca href=\"https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/supct/rule_23\"> an emergency stay\u003c/a>, which is a very specific subset that’s become a very frequent feature in this administration, and the Supreme Court during this administration.”[aside postID=news_12021521 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-1158696624-1020x681.jpg']\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/update-gender-marker-ID-documents\">California still allows people to change their gender marker\u003c/a> or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\">driver’s license\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levy, who\u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/about\"> specializes in name and gender marker changes\u003c/a> through their nonprofit\u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/\"> Identity Affirmation Workshop\u003c/a>, said they’ve seen clientele increase “pretty significantly” since the November election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People saw the writing on the wall,” said Levy, who has been hosting free gender marker and name change clinics with other LGBTQ+ organizations, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DFGt_wDyAJ3/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">the Oakland LGBTQ Center\u003c/a>. “The whole process can be really daunting,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what does changing your name or gender marker on official government documents now entail? KQED spoke to Levy about what trans, intersex and nonbinary people can expect during the lengthy process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Please bear in mind that this is not legal advice, and it’s always a good idea to talk to an expert about your individual situation before taking concrete action — especially because current events may have superseded some information online. \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#A\">Jump straight to: Organizations and resources offering advice about documentation changes for trans folks.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#updating-passport-sex-field\">What should I know about updating my gender marker on a U.S. passport right now, and what could the risks be?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#B\">How long does it take to update your name or gender marker on your documentation?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#C\">What are the costs associated with officially changing your name or gender marker?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029447\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029447\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Alexis Levy poses for a portrait outside the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"updating-passport-sex-field\">\u003c/a>What’s the current situation for trans people’s U.S. passports?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in June, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts \u003ca href=\"https://www.gladlaw.org/issues/identity-document-updates-for-transgender-people/#:~:text=What%20did%20the%20court%20order,with%20your%20gender%20identity%20if:\">ruled\u003c/a> that the State Department “must allow people with a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth to self-select the sex designation on their passport,” leaving a brief window of time in which trans Americans could update or renew their documents accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that window is \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">closed once again\u003c/a>. Following \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462\">the Supreme Court’s decision on Nov. 6\u003c/a>, all new, renewed and replacement passports will now use the gender marker assigned at birth — and the ‘X’ gender option is no longer available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there’s still another decision to come from the First Circuit Court of Appeals left, which could lead to another brief window in which trans people can once again adjust their gender markers, this timeline is “really hard to predict,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My advice remains the same: that it is better to have a passport with the wrong gender marker on it than it is to have no passport at all,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the confusion and anxiety caused by the frequent policy changes, the situation remains “demoralizing” for many trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming people across the country, Levy said — people who were already reeling from the Trump administration’s January executive order affecting their passports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\">24-year-old trans man told NPR\u003c/a> in February that after filing paperwork to change his gender marker to male on his passport \u003cem>before\u003c/em> Trump’s inauguration, he received a passport marking him as female. \u003cem>Euphoria\u003c/em> actor Hunter Schafer detailed \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@csbvkjbvjkbkjjvkfsjk/video/7473999740842151214?_t=ZT-8u734MhV6Ew&_r=1\">on TikTok\u003c/a> how her new passport lists her as male, despite having female on her government documents since she was a teenager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just sort of scared of the way this stuff slowly gets implemented,” Schafer said in her social post, explaining her concerns about possibly being forced to out herself in front of a border patrol agent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans,” Schafer said in her February video. “A letter and a passport can’t change that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s really no purpose for policies like this one, apart from making the people it affects’ lives miserable,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can people who have changed their gender marker or have “X” still use their passports to travel?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The U.S. State Department’s site said that a passport with an “X” marker or that “lists a sex other than [your] sex as defined by the White House executive order” \u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/sex-marker.html\">will “remain valid until its expiration date,”\u003c/a> and that you can still use it to travel in and out of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Acknowledging the anxiety some may have around traveling these passports, Lambda Legal, \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">an organization serving LGBTQ+ people\u003c/a>, said it’s not aware of any confirmed incidents “where individuals have faced problems leaving or reentering the United States using an unexpired passport issued prior to the 2025 policy changes — including those with an X gender marker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There have also been no verified reports of passports being confiscated upon reentry,” the \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">group’s website\u003c/a> reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, stressed Lambda Legal, travelers should weigh their personal circumstances, “including how you use your passport, your plans for international travel, and your individual safety needs and risk tolerance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Which documents can I change my name and/or gender markers on?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There is no one universal application where you can change your name or gender marker for all of your documents and changing one does not prompt another document to change. You have to do it “manually 100% of the time,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levy said the four major documents people have historically wanted to change to reflect an update to their name or gender identity are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Federal:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html\">Passport\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-01981.html\">Social Security card and record\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>State:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\">Birth certificate\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/updating-information-on-your-driver-license-or-identification-dl-id-card/\">Driver’s license\u003c/a> or\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\"> REAL ID\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>California, along with several other states, still allows people to change their gender marker or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or driver’s license.[aside postID=news_12028454 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-2177324845-1020x680.jpg']Other documentation or information that a person might update to reflect a new name or correct gender marker could potentially include: green cards, visas, foreign passports, citizenship certificates, health insurance, insurance and information around banking and credit cards. And name changes, especially, don’t have to be confined to government documents, Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anywhere where your name is attached to it is somewhere where eventually you’re going to have to update it,” said Levy, who went through the name change process themself last summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These updates could include mail, magazine subscriptions or their identity at a club or nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How can I legally have a change of name and/or gender identity recognized?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To update a lot of your major documentation to reflect a new name and/or correct gender marker, you’ll need to go to\u003ca href=\"https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm\"> your local county court\u003c/a> and obtain a court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, you can ask for the court to recognize:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/name-match-gender-adult\">A change of name “to make it match your gender identity”\u003c/a> or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult\">A change of gender identity\u003c/a> or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult\">A change of both name and gender identity\u003c/a> at the same time.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Depending on your individual situation, you will have to fill out \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/fill-forms\">at least two — and potentially several more — forms\u003c/a>, which will be filed with your local clerk (and be sure to make a copy of all of them). See \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/fill-forms\">which forms might be required\u003c/a> to change your name and/or gender identity in California.[aside postID=news_12026245 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/ap25023755326447-1020x681.jpeg']Some local courts will ask for their own additional forms to file, which\u003ca href=\"https://courts.ca.gov/find-my-court\"> you can check with your court’s clerk\u003c/a>. Levy notes that some counties may ask for more biographical information for background-checking purposes, including height, weight and place of birth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After you’ve provided the information required by your county, generally, the clerk will then send the forms to a judge, who will then\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\"> sign a name change and gender recognition order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This certified signed order helps you change your \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/name-adult/get-decree\">other official documents, like state IDs\u003c/a>. You will need\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/get-decree\"> multiple copies of the signed order\u003c/a> to change each document.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This process is also available to\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/out-state-name-gender-change\"> people born or married in California\u003c/a> but who now live out of state.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Are there any documents I can change without a court order? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levy said you could change your gender marker on California documents — such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">birth certificates\u003c/a> and driver’s licenses/IDs — without a court order, although you’ll still be asked for some \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">“specific supporting documentation.”\u003c/a> Name change recognition, however, almost always needs a court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people may still consider obtaining the court order regardless of having their gender marker changed, even if it’s possible to do so in California without the order, Levy said. That includes people born in another state or country that \u003cem>does \u003c/em>require a court order to make such a change. Californians may also consider obtaining the court order as a kind of insurance against potential future changes in federal policy regarding self-selection on gender markers, Levy said, since the Constitution mandates that the federal government. As well as other states, \u003ca href=\"https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S1-1/ALDE_00013015/\">must respect a state court order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureaucratic process of updating a birth certificate without a court order can also be intricate and specific, according to Levy. And since any administrative mistakes on the applicant’s part can lead to long delays, they recommend you consult a legal expert if you choose to go this route.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need permission for a physician to change my name or gender marker?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No. After a 2018 law, California residents do not need\u003ca href=\"https://eznamechange.com/transgender-name-change-in-california/\"> a physician’s letter\u003c/a> for a name and gender change petition.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Once I’ve obtained my court order recognizing my name and/or gender identity change, how can I start updating my documents?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your Social Security card\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can change your name on your Social Security card through\u003ca href=\"https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01981\"> the Social Security Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The card does not list a person’s gender marker, but \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/know-your-rights-social-security\">the agency said\u003c/a> it “maintains information in its computer records on everyone who has a Social Security number, including name, date of birth, and sex.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Motor Vehicles — as well as the State Department, banks, insurance companies, credit card companies and more — often use the Social Security database to cross-reference and confirm people’s identities. Changing a name with the Social Security Administration is almost always a prerequisite before updating other government IDs (except birth certificates) and insurance, Levy said.[aside postID=news_12027050 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1808440413-1020x680.jpg']Lambda Legal, \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">an organization serving LGBTQ+ people\u003c/a>, notes that as of Jan. 31, the Trump administration has directed the Social Security Administration to “stop processing gender marker updates” associated with their records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for Trans Equality, a trans advocacy group, has \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/know-your-rights-social-security\">noted\u003c/a> that Social Security benefits are not dependent on sex. However, “when applying for Medicare, Medicaid, or Obamacare health insurance through the marketplace, use the sex that matches Social Security,” the group said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your driver’s license or RealID\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are state documents, so you can update your name and/or your gender marker \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/updating-information-on-your-driver-license-or-identification-dl-id-card/\">through your local Department of Motor Vehicles\u003c/a>. According to the state, \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/update-documents\">you should change your \u003cem>name \u003c/em>on your Social Security card\u003c/a> before you request a name update on your driver’s license or RealID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your birth certificate \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can update your name and your gender marker on your birth certificate through the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\"> California Department of Public Health\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\">Updating your name requires a court order\u003c/a>, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">updating your gender marker does not\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your passport \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can update your name on your passport through\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/change-correct.html\"> the U.S. Department of State\u003c/a>. \u003cstrong>Jump back to: \u003ca href=\"#updating-passport-sex-field\">What should I know about updating my gender marker on a U.S. passport right now, and what could the risks be?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your marriage certificate\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you had a public marriage, you can update\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Marriage-Record.aspx\"> your name or gender marker on your marriage certificate with the State Registrar\u003c/a>. If you had\u003ca href=\"https://smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder/what-difference-between-confidential-and-public-marriage-license\"> a confidential marriage\u003c/a>, you can update your marriage certificate with\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/County-Registrars-and-Recorders.aspx\"> the county recorder’s office\u003c/a> that issued the certificate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"B\">\u003c/a>How long would changing my name or gender marker take?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the state, the decision period in which a judge signs the name change and gender recognition order is \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\">six weeks\u003c/a>. But in many cases, this can vary, Levy said, and the process can be delayed even longer if there are mistakes in your paperwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And once the court order is approved, “each of those individual documents takes different periods of time,” Levy said. “So California birth certificates take about four months. … Usually [with] Social Security, you do that, and you get a new card in the mail within two weeks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"C\">\u003c/a>How much money will changing my name and/or gender markers cost?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Name and gender marker changes can be a pricey process, with just some of the costs including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\">court petition is $435 to $450\u003c/a>, with\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/ask-fee-waiver\"> some fee waivers available\u003c/a> for people whose household income is below a set amount or who receive public benefits if a judge approves it.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Each\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/get-decree\"> copy of a certified order is $40\u003c/a>. (This is free if you qualify for the fee waiver.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Reissuing an updated \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records-fees.aspx#:~:text=*The%20fee%20to%20change/correct,%2429%20per%20copy\">California birth certificate costs $26\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/social-security-card#:~:text=Replacing%20a%20Social%20Security%20card,replacement%20online%20or%20in%20person.\">Social Security cards are reissued for free\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An\u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-fees/\"> updated driver’s license is $36\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Passport renewals are\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html\"> $130\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need to circulate my name in the local newspaper?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No. If you are changing\u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/california-identity-documents\"> your name according to your gender identity\u003c/a>, you do not need to have your name change printed in a newspaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What if I am worried about my safety?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Court documents are usually public records. If you are in the state witness program or the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home\"> Safe at Home address confidentiality program\u003c/a>, you can ask to keep your name change confidential by\u003ca href=\"https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm\"> asking your local court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need to be a certain age to update my name or gender marker? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If a person is under 18 and in California, they would need \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/id/NameChangesforMinors/NCTE%20Minor%20Name%20Change%20California.pdf\">parental permission\u003c/a> to change their name and gender marker on their state ID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young people can also use their preferred names and pronouns in public schools without \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclusocal.org/en/know-your-rights/lgbtq-student-rights-k-12-california-public-schools#:~:text=You%20should%20not%20need%20to,YES.\">having to show any legal documentation\u003c/a>. KQED has\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021521/new-year-new-law-know-more-about-your-rights-as-a-trans-student-in-california-schools\"> a guide further explaining the rights of trans students in public K–12 schools\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029448\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029448\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea and Milo Ronquillo sit with attorney Alexis Levy (right) near the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"A\">\u003c/a>Where can trans folks find support and resources around documentation changes?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levy holds regular clinic with their firm \u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/\">Identity Affirmation Workshop \u003c/a>and said the service is pro bono to anyone living in California or, if they live out of state, born or married in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other organizations offering advice in this area:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/\">Trans Equality\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/helpdesk/\">Lambda Legal’s help desk\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://translifeline.org/resources/id-change-library/\">Trans Lifeline\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>More about the name and gender marker changing process\u003ca href=\"https://transgenderlawcenter.org/guide-to-legally-changingyour-name-genderwhile-incarcerated/\"> if you are incarcerated\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published on March 6 and has been updated to reflect that Alexis Levy’s nonprofit is called Identity Affirmation Workshop.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "From passports to state IDs, here’s what experts and advocates say trans people in the Bay Area should know about updating their documentation — especially in the light of the recent Supreme Court ruling.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mere hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> issued an executive order stating that the federal government would recognize only two sexes, male and female. As a result, the State Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\">immediately eliminated the “X” gender\u003c/a> as an option and suspended its previous policy that permitted transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to update gender markers on their passports.\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\"> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a back-and-forth in the federal courts following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69623342/orr-v-trump-president-of-the-united-states/\">lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/695759/new-high-say-supreme-court-too-conservative.aspx\">conservative-leaning\u003c/a> Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration \u003cem>can \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462\">enforce this policy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the latest update is not the end of the road for trans people and gender markers, San Francisco lawyer Alexis Levy said, since “this decision doesn’t dispose of the lawsuit in general.”“That will take several more months at least,” Levy said. “This was\u003ca href=\"https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/supct/rule_23\"> an emergency stay\u003c/a>, which is a very specific subset that’s become a very frequent feature in this administration, and the Supreme Court during this administration.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/update-gender-marker-ID-documents\">California still allows people to change their gender marker\u003c/a> or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\">driver’s license\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levy, who\u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/about\"> specializes in name and gender marker changes\u003c/a> through their nonprofit\u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/\"> Identity Affirmation Workshop\u003c/a>, said they’ve seen clientele increase “pretty significantly” since the November election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People saw the writing on the wall,” said Levy, who has been hosting free gender marker and name change clinics with other LGBTQ+ organizations, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DFGt_wDyAJ3/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">the Oakland LGBTQ Center\u003c/a>. “The whole process can be really daunting,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what does changing your name or gender marker on official government documents now entail? KQED spoke to Levy about what trans, intersex and nonbinary people can expect during the lengthy process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Please bear in mind that this is not legal advice, and it’s always a good idea to talk to an expert about your individual situation before taking concrete action — especially because current events may have superseded some information online. \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#A\">Jump straight to: Organizations and resources offering advice about documentation changes for trans folks.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#updating-passport-sex-field\">What should I know about updating my gender marker on a U.S. passport right now, and what could the risks be?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#B\">How long does it take to update your name or gender marker on your documentation?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#C\">What are the costs associated with officially changing your name or gender marker?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029447\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029447\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-03-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attorney Alexis Levy poses for a portrait outside the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"updating-passport-sex-field\">\u003c/a>What’s the current situation for trans people’s U.S. passports?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in June, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts \u003ca href=\"https://www.gladlaw.org/issues/identity-document-updates-for-transgender-people/#:~:text=What%20did%20the%20court%20order,with%20your%20gender%20identity%20if:\">ruled\u003c/a> that the State Department “must allow people with a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth to self-select the sex designation on their passport,” leaving a brief window of time in which trans Americans could update or renew their documents accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that window is \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">closed once again\u003c/a>. Following \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-sex-marker-5040c6412e06a072889af30cfae97462\">the Supreme Court’s decision on Nov. 6\u003c/a>, all new, renewed and replacement passports will now use the gender marker assigned at birth — and the ‘X’ gender option is no longer available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there’s still another decision to come from the First Circuit Court of Appeals left, which could lead to another brief window in which trans people can once again adjust their gender markers, this timeline is “really hard to predict,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My advice remains the same: that it is better to have a passport with the wrong gender marker on it than it is to have no passport at all,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the confusion and anxiety caused by the frequent policy changes, the situation remains “demoralizing” for many trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming people across the country, Levy said — people who were already reeling from the Trump administration’s January executive order affecting their passports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/nx-s1-5300880/trump-passport-policy-trans-gender-intersex-nonbinary\">24-year-old trans man told NPR\u003c/a> in February that after filing paperwork to change his gender marker to male on his passport \u003cem>before\u003c/em> Trump’s inauguration, he received a passport marking him as female. \u003cem>Euphoria\u003c/em> actor Hunter Schafer detailed \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@csbvkjbvjkbkjjvkfsjk/video/7473999740842151214?_t=ZT-8u734MhV6Ew&_r=1\">on TikTok\u003c/a> how her new passport lists her as male, despite having female on her government documents since she was a teenager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just sort of scared of the way this stuff slowly gets implemented,” Schafer said in her social post, explaining her concerns about possibly being forced to out herself in front of a border patrol agent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans,” Schafer said in her February video. “A letter and a passport can’t change that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s really no purpose for policies like this one, apart from making the people it affects’ lives miserable,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can people who have changed their gender marker or have “X” still use their passports to travel?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The U.S. State Department’s site said that a passport with an “X” marker or that “lists a sex other than [your] sex as defined by the White House executive order” \u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/sex-marker.html\">will “remain valid until its expiration date,”\u003c/a> and that you can still use it to travel in and out of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Acknowledging the anxiety some may have around traveling these passports, Lambda Legal, \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">an organization serving LGBTQ+ people\u003c/a>, said it’s not aware of any confirmed incidents “where individuals have faced problems leaving or reentering the United States using an unexpired passport issued prior to the 2025 policy changes — including those with an X gender marker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There have also been no verified reports of passports being confiscated upon reentry,” the \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">group’s website\u003c/a> reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, stressed Lambda Legal, travelers should weigh their personal circumstances, “including how you use your passport, your plans for international travel, and your individual safety needs and risk tolerance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Which documents can I change my name and/or gender markers on?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There is no one universal application where you can change your name or gender marker for all of your documents and changing one does not prompt another document to change. You have to do it “manually 100% of the time,” Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levy said the four major documents people have historically wanted to change to reflect an update to their name or gender identity are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Federal:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html\">Passport\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-01981.html\">Social Security card and record\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>State:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\">Birth certificate\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/updating-information-on-your-driver-license-or-identification-dl-id-card/\">Driver’s license\u003c/a> or\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\"> REAL ID\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>California, along with several other states, still allows people to change their gender marker or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or driver’s license.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Other documentation or information that a person might update to reflect a new name or correct gender marker could potentially include: green cards, visas, foreign passports, citizenship certificates, health insurance, insurance and information around banking and credit cards. And name changes, especially, don’t have to be confined to government documents, Levy said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anywhere where your name is attached to it is somewhere where eventually you’re going to have to update it,” said Levy, who went through the name change process themself last summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These updates could include mail, magazine subscriptions or their identity at a club or nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How can I legally have a change of name and/or gender identity recognized?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To update a lot of your major documentation to reflect a new name and/or correct gender marker, you’ll need to go to\u003ca href=\"https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm\"> your local county court\u003c/a> and obtain a court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, you can ask for the court to recognize:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/name-match-gender-adult\">A change of name “to make it match your gender identity”\u003c/a> or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult\">A change of gender identity\u003c/a> or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult\">A change of both name and gender identity\u003c/a> at the same time.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Depending on your individual situation, you will have to fill out \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/fill-forms\">at least two — and potentially several more — forms\u003c/a>, which will be filed with your local clerk (and be sure to make a copy of all of them). See \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/fill-forms\">which forms might be required\u003c/a> to change your name and/or gender identity in California.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Some local courts will ask for their own additional forms to file, which\u003ca href=\"https://courts.ca.gov/find-my-court\"> you can check with your court’s clerk\u003c/a>. Levy notes that some counties may ask for more biographical information for background-checking purposes, including height, weight and place of birth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After you’ve provided the information required by your county, generally, the clerk will then send the forms to a judge, who will then\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\"> sign a name change and gender recognition order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This certified signed order helps you change your \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/name-adult/get-decree\">other official documents, like state IDs\u003c/a>. You will need\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/get-decree\"> multiple copies of the signed order\u003c/a> to change each document.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This process is also available to\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/out-state-name-gender-change\"> people born or married in California\u003c/a> but who now live out of state.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Are there any documents I can change without a court order? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levy said you could change your gender marker on California documents — such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">birth certificates\u003c/a> and driver’s licenses/IDs — without a court order, although you’ll still be asked for some \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">“specific supporting documentation.”\u003c/a> Name change recognition, however, almost always needs a court order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people may still consider obtaining the court order regardless of having their gender marker changed, even if it’s possible to do so in California without the order, Levy said. That includes people born in another state or country that \u003cem>does \u003c/em>require a court order to make such a change. Californians may also consider obtaining the court order as a kind of insurance against potential future changes in federal policy regarding self-selection on gender markers, Levy said, since the Constitution mandates that the federal government. As well as other states, \u003ca href=\"https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S1-1/ALDE_00013015/\">must respect a state court order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bureaucratic process of updating a birth certificate without a court order can also be intricate and specific, according to Levy. And since any administrative mistakes on the applicant’s part can lead to long delays, they recommend you consult a legal expert if you choose to go this route.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need permission for a physician to change my name or gender marker?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No. After a 2018 law, California residents do not need\u003ca href=\"https://eznamechange.com/transgender-name-change-in-california/\"> a physician’s letter\u003c/a> for a name and gender change petition.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Once I’ve obtained my court order recognizing my name and/or gender identity change, how can I start updating my documents?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your Social Security card\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can change your name on your Social Security card through\u003ca href=\"https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01981\"> the Social Security Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The card does not list a person’s gender marker, but \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/know-your-rights-social-security\">the agency said\u003c/a> it “maintains information in its computer records on everyone who has a Social Security number, including name, date of birth, and sex.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Motor Vehicles — as well as the State Department, banks, insurance companies, credit card companies and more — often use the Social Security database to cross-reference and confirm people’s identities. Changing a name with the Social Security Administration is almost always a prerequisite before updating other government IDs (except birth certificates) and insurance, Levy said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lambda Legal, \u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/tgnc-checklist-under-trump/\">an organization serving LGBTQ+ people\u003c/a>, notes that as of Jan. 31, the Trump administration has directed the Social Security Administration to “stop processing gender marker updates” associated with their records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates for Trans Equality, a trans advocacy group, has \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/know-your-rights-social-security\">noted\u003c/a> that Social Security benefits are not dependent on sex. However, “when applying for Medicare, Medicaid, or Obamacare health insurance through the marketplace, use the sex that matches Social Security,” the group said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your driver’s license or RealID\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are state documents, so you can update your name and/or your gender marker \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/updating-information-on-your-driver-license-or-identification-dl-id-card/\">through your local Department of Motor Vehicles\u003c/a>. According to the state, \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/name-change/update-documents\">you should change your \u003cem>name \u003c/em>on your Social Security card\u003c/a> before you request a name update on your driver’s license or RealID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your birth certificate \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can update your name and your gender marker on your birth certificate through the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\"> California Department of Public Health\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Birth-Record.aspx\">Updating your name requires a court order\u003c/a>, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Assembly-Bill-(AB)-218.aspx\">updating your gender marker does not\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your passport \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can update your name on your passport through\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/change-correct.html\"> the U.S. Department of State\u003c/a>. \u003cstrong>Jump back to: \u003ca href=\"#updating-passport-sex-field\">What should I know about updating my gender marker on a U.S. passport right now, and what could the risks be?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updating your marriage certificate\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you had a public marriage, you can update\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Marriage-Record.aspx\"> your name or gender marker on your marriage certificate with the State Registrar\u003c/a>. If you had\u003ca href=\"https://smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder/what-difference-between-confidential-and-public-marriage-license\"> a confidential marriage\u003c/a>, you can update your marriage certificate with\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/County-Registrars-and-Recorders.aspx\"> the county recorder’s office\u003c/a> that issued the certificate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"B\">\u003c/a>How long would changing my name or gender marker take?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the state, the decision period in which a judge signs the name change and gender recognition order is \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\">six weeks\u003c/a>. But in many cases, this can vary, Levy said, and the process can be delayed even longer if there are mistakes in your paperwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And once the court order is approved, “each of those individual documents takes different periods of time,” Levy said. “So California birth certificates take about four months. … Usually [with] Social Security, you do that, and you get a new card in the mail within two weeks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"C\">\u003c/a>How much money will changing my name and/or gender markers cost?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Name and gender marker changes can be a pricey process, with just some of the costs including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A \u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/file\">court petition is $435 to $450\u003c/a>, with\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/ask-fee-waiver\"> some fee waivers available\u003c/a> for people whose household income is below a set amount or who receive public benefits if a judge approves it.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Each\u003ca href=\"https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/gender-recognition/gender-name-adult/get-decree\"> copy of a certified order is $40\u003c/a>. (This is free if you qualify for the fee waiver.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Reissuing an updated \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records-fees.aspx#:~:text=*The%20fee%20to%20change/correct,%2429%20per%20copy\">California birth certificate costs $26\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/social-security-card#:~:text=Replacing%20a%20Social%20Security%20card,replacement%20online%20or%20in%20person.\">Social Security cards are reissued for free\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An\u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-fees/\"> updated driver’s license is $36\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Passport renewals are\u003ca href=\"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html\"> $130\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need to circulate my name in the local newspaper?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No. If you are changing\u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/documents/california-identity-documents\"> your name according to your gender identity\u003c/a>, you do not need to have your name change printed in a newspaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What if I am worried about my safety?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Court documents are usually public records. If you are in the state witness program or the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home\"> Safe at Home address confidentiality program\u003c/a>, you can ask to keep your name change confidential by\u003ca href=\"https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm\"> asking your local court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Do I need to be a certain age to update my name or gender marker? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If a person is under 18 and in California, they would need \u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/id/NameChangesforMinors/NCTE%20Minor%20Name%20Change%20California.pdf\">parental permission\u003c/a> to change their name and gender marker on their state ID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young people can also use their preferred names and pronouns in public schools without \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclusocal.org/en/know-your-rights/lgbtq-student-rights-k-12-california-public-schools#:~:text=You%20should%20not%20need%20to,YES.\">having to show any legal documentation\u003c/a>. KQED has\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021521/new-year-new-law-know-more-about-your-rights-as-a-trans-student-in-california-schools\"> a guide further explaining the rights of trans students in public K–12 schools\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029448\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029448\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250226-NAMEGENDERMARKERS-07-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea and Milo Ronquillo sit with attorney Alexis Levy (right) near the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"A\">\u003c/a>Where can trans folks find support and resources around documentation changes?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levy holds regular clinic with their firm \u003ca href=\"https://www.identityaffirmation.org/\">Identity Affirmation Workshop \u003c/a>and said the service is pro bono to anyone living in California or, if they live out of state, born or married in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other organizations offering advice in this area:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://transequality.org/\">Trans Equality\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://lambdalegal.org/helpdesk/\">Lambda Legal’s help desk\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://translifeline.org/resources/id-change-library/\">Trans Lifeline\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>More about the name and gender marker changing process\u003ca href=\"https://transgenderlawcenter.org/guide-to-legally-changingyour-name-genderwhile-incarcerated/\"> if you are incarcerated\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">Natalia Navarro\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published on March 6 and has been updated to reflect that Alexis Levy’s nonprofit is called Identity Affirmation Workshop.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>This weekend, the absence of an official San Francisco Pride Parade made room for things to get a lot weirder, more political and more D.I.Y.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of corporate-sponsored floats with rainbow advertisements, a People’s March organized by artists and activists took over the streets on Sunday, June 27, connecting the celebration back to its radical roots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes, this feels like my people, everyone is so beautiful,” Gia Loving, a community organizer with the Transgender Law Center, told the crowd. “[This feels like] 51 years ago when we were kicking the pigs out of the bar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was referring to the Stonewall Riots in 1969, when New York’s gay and trans community rioted against abusive police officers who would routinely raid their safe spaces and arrest people based on gender presentation and sexuality. Loving reminded the audience that the fight isn’t over: State legislatures across the country have introduced over \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/pride-2021-has-set-a-record-in-anti-trans-bills-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">100 bills to restrict trans rights\u003c/a> just this year alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to be clear that there would be no Pride without trans youth,” she said before leading the demonstrators in a chant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other speakers focused on Pride as an antidote to the isolation and trauma Americans experienced over the last year-plus of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, there was a moment when I felt as though I was stuck. I couldn’t be on Facebook, I couldn’t be on social media, I couldn’t interact,” said renowned drag queen and activist Juanita MORE! “And then, recently, I felt as though I woke up again, and I knew that I was again creating space for me to grow. All of you being here today is so important because this is what the first Pride felt like. So I want to thank you all for being a part of the march and rally today, because your presence here today is proof that inclusiveness is happening.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That spirit of inclusiveness was deeply felt throughout the weekend as different LGBTQ+ communities reunited, fully vaccinated and ready to hug, march, dance, flirt and celebrate in person. KQED’s Beth LaBerge was there to capture it all with her camera.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899476\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Black plays music from a bus during the People’s March and Rally on Polk Street heading toward City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899477\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899477\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The People’s March and Rally depart from Polk and Sacramento Streets to City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899478\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of marchers head down Polk Street towards City Hall during the People’s March and Rally in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899511\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899511\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaylah Paige Williams raises her fist during the People’s March Rally in front of City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. “This is what Pride should be about, community coming together,” she said during a speech. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899480\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juanita MORE! and Alex U. Inn speak during the People’s March and Rally in front of City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899481\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators arrive at City Hall during the People’s March and Rally in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899513\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899513\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The One and Only Rexy performs during T4T, the official Trans March After Party, in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. “For us at Trans March, Pride is about liberation,” she said. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899503\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mallery Jenna Robinson, organizer of Long Beach Trans Pride, dances during T4T, the official Trans March After Party, in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. Robinson drove from Los Angeles to attend the event. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899515\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899515\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Just Shannon, the co-founder of the event T4T, talks with Clive Maxx backstage during the Official Trans March After Party at El Rio in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. “We don’t have events that are for trans people specifically. We are very open, and we want our allies and our friends and supporters and our lovers to come, but it’s the only party that fully centers trans folks,” Just Shannon said, speaking about the event. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899510\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899510\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laine B and Teter hug during T4T, the Official Trans March After Party, at El Rio in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899518\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899518\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monique and Remy talk with friends during the event Skate for Pride, a part of Oakland Black Pride, at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899520\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899520\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Ninasol plays music during Skate for Pride, an Oakland Black Pride event, at 7th West on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899487\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Cox, Advocacy Director for Oakland Black Pride, poses for a portrait with her rollerskates during a Skate for Pride party at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899509\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899509\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">André greets attendees as they arrive for Skate for Pride at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899507\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899507\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People dance during the drag show intermission during Princess at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899489\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Militia Scunt sits on a throne during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899490\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jota Mercury performs during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899491\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">D’Arcy Drollinger, owner of Oasis nightclub, performs during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The absence of the official San Francisco Pride Parade made room for things to get weirder, more political and more D.I.Y.",
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"title": "PHOTOS: LGBTQ+ Pride Lights Up the Bay Area In All Its Rainbow Glory | KQED",
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"headline": "PHOTOS: LGBTQ+ Pride Lights Up the Bay Area In All Its Rainbow Glory",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This weekend, the absence of an official San Francisco Pride Parade made room for things to get a lot weirder, more political and more D.I.Y.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of corporate-sponsored floats with rainbow advertisements, a People’s March organized by artists and activists took over the streets on Sunday, June 27, connecting the celebration back to its radical roots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes, this feels like my people, everyone is so beautiful,” Gia Loving, a community organizer with the Transgender Law Center, told the crowd. “[This feels like] 51 years ago when we were kicking the pigs out of the bar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was referring to the Stonewall Riots in 1969, when New York’s gay and trans community rioted against abusive police officers who would routinely raid their safe spaces and arrest people based on gender presentation and sexuality. Loving reminded the audience that the fight isn’t over: State legislatures across the country have introduced over \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/pride-2021-has-set-a-record-in-anti-trans-bills-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">100 bills to restrict trans rights\u003c/a> just this year alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to be clear that there would be no Pride without trans youth,” she said before leading the demonstrators in a chant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other speakers focused on Pride as an antidote to the isolation and trauma Americans experienced over the last year-plus of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, there was a moment when I felt as though I was stuck. I couldn’t be on Facebook, I couldn’t be on social media, I couldn’t interact,” said renowned drag queen and activist Juanita MORE! “And then, recently, I felt as though I woke up again, and I knew that I was again creating space for me to grow. All of you being here today is so important because this is what the first Pride felt like. So I want to thank you all for being a part of the march and rally today, because your presence here today is proof that inclusiveness is happening.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That spirit of inclusiveness was deeply felt throughout the weekend as different LGBTQ+ communities reunited, fully vaccinated and ready to hug, march, dance, flirt and celebrate in person. KQED’s Beth LaBerge was there to capture it all with her camera.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899476\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Black plays music from a bus during the People’s March and Rally on Polk Street heading toward City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899477\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899477\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The People’s March and Rally depart from Polk and Sacramento Streets to City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899478\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/016_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of marchers head down Polk Street towards City Hall during the People’s March and Rally in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899511\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899511\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaylah Paige Williams raises her fist during the People’s March Rally in front of City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. “This is what Pride should be about, community coming together,” she said during a speech. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899480\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/031_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juanita MORE! and Alex U. Inn speak during the People’s March and Rally in front of City Hall in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899481\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/028_SanFrancisco_PeoplesMarch_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstrators arrive at City Hall during the People’s March and Rally in San Francisco on June 27, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899513\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899513\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The One and Only Rexy performs during T4T, the official Trans March After Party, in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. “For us at Trans March, Pride is about liberation,” she said. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899503\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/022_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mallery Jenna Robinson, organizer of Long Beach Trans Pride, dances during T4T, the official Trans March After Party, in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. Robinson drove from Los Angeles to attend the event. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899515\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899515\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/017_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Just Shannon, the co-founder of the event T4T, talks with Clive Maxx backstage during the Official Trans March After Party at El Rio in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. “We don’t have events that are for trans people specifically. We are very open, and we want our allies and our friends and supporters and our lovers to come, but it’s the only party that fully centers trans folks,” Just Shannon said, speaking about the event. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899510\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899510\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/024_SanFrancisco_T4TElRio_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laine B and Teter hug during T4T, the Official Trans March After Party, at El Rio in San Francisco on June 25, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899518\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899518\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/030_Oakland_SkateforPride_06252021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monique and Remy talk with friends during the event Skate for Pride, a part of Oakland Black Pride, at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899520\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899520\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/007_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Ninasol plays music during Skate for Pride, an Oakland Black Pride event, at 7th West on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899487\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/012_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Cox, Advocacy Director for Oakland Black Pride, poses for a portrait with her rollerskates during a Skate for Pride party at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899509\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899509\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/008_Oakland_SkateforPride_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">André greets attendees as they arrive for Skate for Pride at 7th West in Oakland on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899507\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899507\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/001_SanFrancisco_Oasis_06272021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People dance during the drag show intermission during Princess at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899489\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/013_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Militia Scunt sits on a throne during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899490\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/018_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jota Mercury performs during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13899491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13899491\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/006_SanFrancisco_OasisReopening_06262021.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">D’Arcy Drollinger, owner of Oasis nightclub, performs during Princess, a disco dance party and drag show, at Oasis in San Francisco on June 26, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "friday-purple-hand-gay-liberation-1969",
"title": "Armed with Ink, 1960s Activists 'Struck Back' Against Homophobic Media",
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"headTitle": "Armed with Ink, 1960s Activists ‘Struck Back’ Against Homophobic Media | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day that came to be known as “Friday of the Purple Hand” ended in 15 arrests, a broken rib, one set of knocked-out teeth and purple handprints scattered across the \u003ci>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/i>’s exterior walls. [aside postid='arts_13858167']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four months after the infamous Stonewall riots in New York City, the Bay Area’s more radical LGBTQ+ organizations of 1969 refused to passively accept negative depictions of their community in the local news. So on Oct. 25, when the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> published an article by reporter Robert Patterson under the headline “The Dreary Revels of S.F. ‘Gay’ Clubs,” the newspaper unknowingly issued a powerful call to arms—to the very people it had derided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of that day show that the battleground for the burgeoning gay liberation movement wasn’t just on the streets or in the bars—where LGBTQ+ people demanded the right to live openly and unmolested by police—but within the pages of America’s newspapers and magazines. There, mainstream media’s dismissive adjectives, ironic scare quotes and defamatory headlines had the power to shape public opinion of an increasingly vocal and visible minority group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they definitely weren’t expecting a coalition of gay liberation groups to strike back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859581\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859581\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200.jpg\" alt=\"The headline of Robert Patterson's Oct. 25, 1969 article about gay breakfast clubs in the 'San Francisco Examiner.'\" width=\"1200\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-160x61.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-800x305.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-768x293.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-1020x389.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The headline of Robert Patterson’s Oct. 25, 1969 article about gay breakfast clubs in the ‘San Francisco Examiner.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the SF Examiner)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A community mobilizes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By today’s standards, Patterson’s article, ostensibly about after-hours “‘gay’ breakfast clubs” (note the scare quotes around the word “gay”), reads like a hit piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He described the clientele of these so-called “deviate establishments” in as many grossly homophobic ways as possible, all well beyond the pale: “semi-males with flexible wrists and hips,” “the pseudo fair sex,” and “women who aren’t exactly women.” (In a testament to Patterson’s ‘credibility,’ he was fired by the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> in 1972 for a series of stories he wrote about visiting China; the paper concluded he had not actually visited the country.) [aside postid='arts_13857994']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The community he described was outraged. “\u003cem>The San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em> has surpassed its traditional standard of tastelessness and its predictable appeal for redneck hysteria,” the newly formed gay liberation group, the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (CHF) wrote in a \u003ci>Berkeley Barb\u003c/i> response piece. “The entire gay community and all those actively working for true liberation must mobilize to confront the brutal suppression of freedom that the \u003cem>Examiner\u003c/em> consistently exemplifies and encourages.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A date was set after several attempts to engage with the paper’s editor and Patterson directly: a large-scale protest would take place on Oct. 31, starting at 12pm on the sidewalk outside the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i>’s Fifth Street building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “melee,” as the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> described it the next day, started when two unknown persons (widely thought to be newspaper employees) dropped bags of purple printer’s ink from the building rooftop onto the peaceful picketers below. “Indignation turned to anger,” one of the protesters later wrote in \u003ci>The San Francisco Free Press\u003c/i>. “Feet stepped in the ink. It appeared all around the sidewalks. One or two hands dipped into the ink and a new symbol was born.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/BD0yb3bsM1k/\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The police initially apprehended just one demonstrator, the first one to put his inky hand on the building walls, but as others protested his arrest, the “Tac Squad” (sardonically described as “close by and ever on the ready”) moved in, raising their batons and declaring the picket line an illegal assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the ensuing “fracas” (another great 1969 word), a dozen protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct and thrown in the paddy wagon—several on felony charges that were eventually dropped (except for one instance of allegedly biting a police officer). Other protesters took the issue to City Hall, where an additional three were arrested for trespassing, unlawful assembly and remaining at the site of a riot (essentially, staying in the building past closing time). [aside postid='arts_13859408']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsurprisingly, the SFPD’s heavy-handed response—and the ensuing cases against the arrested protesters—galvanized not just the members of more radical LGBTQ+ groups, but the old guard they initially sought to distance themselves from, creating a network of support that would propel the Bay Area’s gay liberation movement in the years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marc Robert Stein, professor of history at San Francisco State University and editor of \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://nyupress.org/9781479816859/the-stonewall-riots/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, thinks the timing of Patterson’s article wasn’t coincidental, and reflected the era’s homophobic attitudes to burgeoning gay organizing. “October was the month when mainstream magazines first covered Stonewall,” he says. “The movement is really growing. And it’s at that moment that there’s this incredibly hostile story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859586\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200.jpg\" alt=\"Back-to-back issues of the 'Berkeley Barb' on March 28 and April 4, 1969, featuring Leo Laurence and Gale Whittington.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"913\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-800x609.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-768x584.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-1020x776.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Back-to-back issues of the ‘Berkeley Barb’ on March 28 and April 4, 1969, featuring Leo Laurence and Gale Whittington. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Independent Voices)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Join the gay revolution\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the events of the Purple Hand and before the creation of the CHF, the largest gay organization in San Francisco was the Society for Individual Rights (S.I.R.), a homophile society (to use the language of the time) founded in 1964.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the women’s rights, anti-war and Black power movements swept the country, some younger members of the LGBTQ+ community considered S.I.R. to be too conservative. In an April 1969 editorial, Leo Laurence, editor of \u003ci>Vector\u003c/i>, S.I.R.’s monthly magazine, broke ranks with the mostly white, middle-class and nonconfrontational members of S.I.R., calling them “timid, uptight, conservative, and afraid to act for the good of the whole homosexual community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The time had come, Laurence argued, for everyone to come out to their friends, family and employers, and to be proud of their sexuality. They should be joining forces with other social causes, like the Black Panthers and local unions, and standing up for everyone’s rights. [aside postid='arts_13859162']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To illustrate his idea of LGBTQ+ freedom in a subsequent \u003ci>Berkeley Barb\u003c/i> interview, Laurence supplied the alt weekly with a picture of two men smiling: Laurence with his arms around his friend Gale Whittington. In no short order, S.I.R. asked Laurence to resign, and Whittington was fired from his job at the States Steamship Company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CHF, co-founded by Laurence, Whittington and a few others, was a direct reaction to this double rejection from both “straight” society and the existing gay establishment. And with this effort, they would be all about coalition-building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859592\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp.jpg\" alt=\"Headline from an article by Leo Laurence in the Nov. 7 issue of the 'Berkeley Tribe.'\" width=\"1020\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-160x68.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-800x340.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-768x326.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Headline from an article by Leo Laurence in the Nov. 7 issue of the ‘Berkeley Tribe.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Independent Voices)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Purple Hand events were co-organized by at least three like-minded groups, including Gay Guerrilla Theater and the Gay Liberation Front. But despite the fracture between Laurence and S.I.R. that precipitated the creation of the CHF months earlier, the old-guard emerged as surprising supporters of the younger demonstrators as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a Nov. 7 \u003ci>Berkeley Tribe\u003c/i> piece reflecting on the demonstration and its aftermath, Laurence writes, “I was scared and felt alone in jail, until I learned of the help mobilized ‘outside.’” The Red Mountain Tribe gathered bail money, S.I.R.’s president saved Laurence’s camera film before he was thrown in the paddy wagon, Del Martin (co-founder in 1955 of the lesbian group Daughters of Bilitis) helped CHF find lawyers, writing several sympathetic articles for \u003ci>Vector\u003c/i> in the months to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When Gale Whittington and I founded the CHF last spring, we dreamed of a nationwide movement,” Laurence writes in the \u003ci>Tribe\u003c/i>. “It’s no longer a fantasy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>After the Purple Hand\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Protests against mainstream media’s depictions of the LGBTQ+ community would continue for years to come. The Purple Hand events, Stein says, are just one example of protests across the country against newspapers and magazines in ’69 and ’70, along with a second wave of protests against television stations and individual shows in ’73. [aside postid='arts_13858290']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.avicollimecca.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tommi Avicolli Mecca\u003c/a>, who joined the Gay Liberation Front in Philadelphia when he was a 19-year-old student at Temple University, remembers those times well. “Back in the ’70s especially pretty much any time they did a feature on the community it would be very negative,” he remembers. The GLF would picket or actually enter the newspaper offices, confronting editors and writers of the specific stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through a combination of direct action, face-to-face conversations and larger shifts in society, Mecca says, things gradually changed, fulfilling in many ways Laurence’s early 1969 call-to-arms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think one of the greatest things we did as a community was to come out of the closet,” Mecca says. “By being visible, we broke all the stereotypes. We forced people to engage with us, we forced our families to deal with us, we forced people to see we were just like them.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day that came to be known as “Friday of the Purple Hand” ended in 15 arrests, a broken rib, one set of knocked-out teeth and purple handprints scattered across the \u003ci>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/i>’s exterior walls. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four months after the infamous Stonewall riots in New York City, the Bay Area’s more radical LGBTQ+ organizations of 1969 refused to passively accept negative depictions of their community in the local news. So on Oct. 25, when the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> published an article by reporter Robert Patterson under the headline “The Dreary Revels of S.F. ‘Gay’ Clubs,” the newspaper unknowingly issued a powerful call to arms—to the very people it had derided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of that day show that the battleground for the burgeoning gay liberation movement wasn’t just on the streets or in the bars—where LGBTQ+ people demanded the right to live openly and unmolested by police—but within the pages of America’s newspapers and magazines. There, mainstream media’s dismissive adjectives, ironic scare quotes and defamatory headlines had the power to shape public opinion of an increasingly vocal and visible minority group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they definitely weren’t expecting a coalition of gay liberation groups to strike back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859581\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859581\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200.jpg\" alt=\"The headline of Robert Patterson's Oct. 25, 1969 article about gay breakfast clubs in the 'San Francisco Examiner.'\" width=\"1200\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-160x61.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-800x305.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-768x293.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ExaminerHED_1200-1020x389.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The headline of Robert Patterson’s Oct. 25, 1969 article about gay breakfast clubs in the ‘San Francisco Examiner.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the SF Examiner)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A community mobilizes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By today’s standards, Patterson’s article, ostensibly about after-hours “‘gay’ breakfast clubs” (note the scare quotes around the word “gay”), reads like a hit piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He described the clientele of these so-called “deviate establishments” in as many grossly homophobic ways as possible, all well beyond the pale: “semi-males with flexible wrists and hips,” “the pseudo fair sex,” and “women who aren’t exactly women.” (In a testament to Patterson’s ‘credibility,’ he was fired by the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> in 1972 for a series of stories he wrote about visiting China; the paper concluded he had not actually visited the country.) \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The community he described was outraged. “\u003cem>The San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em> has surpassed its traditional standard of tastelessness and its predictable appeal for redneck hysteria,” the newly formed gay liberation group, the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (CHF) wrote in a \u003ci>Berkeley Barb\u003c/i> response piece. “The entire gay community and all those actively working for true liberation must mobilize to confront the brutal suppression of freedom that the \u003cem>Examiner\u003c/em> consistently exemplifies and encourages.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A date was set after several attempts to engage with the paper’s editor and Patterson directly: a large-scale protest would take place on Oct. 31, starting at 12pm on the sidewalk outside the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i>’s Fifth Street building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “melee,” as the \u003ci>Examiner\u003c/i> described it the next day, started when two unknown persons (widely thought to be newspaper employees) dropped bags of purple printer’s ink from the building rooftop onto the peaceful picketers below. “Indignation turned to anger,” one of the protesters later wrote in \u003ci>The San Francisco Free Press\u003c/i>. “Feet stepped in the ink. It appeared all around the sidewalks. One or two hands dipped into the ink and a new symbol was born.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The police initially apprehended just one demonstrator, the first one to put his inky hand on the building walls, but as others protested his arrest, the “Tac Squad” (sardonically described as “close by and ever on the ready”) moved in, raising their batons and declaring the picket line an illegal assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the ensuing “fracas” (another great 1969 word), a dozen protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct and thrown in the paddy wagon—several on felony charges that were eventually dropped (except for one instance of allegedly biting a police officer). Other protesters took the issue to City Hall, where an additional three were arrested for trespassing, unlawful assembly and remaining at the site of a riot (essentially, staying in the building past closing time). \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsurprisingly, the SFPD’s heavy-handed response—and the ensuing cases against the arrested protesters—galvanized not just the members of more radical LGBTQ+ groups, but the old guard they initially sought to distance themselves from, creating a network of support that would propel the Bay Area’s gay liberation movement in the years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marc Robert Stein, professor of history at San Francisco State University and editor of \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://nyupress.org/9781479816859/the-stonewall-riots/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, thinks the timing of Patterson’s article wasn’t coincidental, and reflected the era’s homophobic attitudes to burgeoning gay organizing. “October was the month when mainstream magazines first covered Stonewall,” he says. “The movement is really growing. And it’s at that moment that there’s this incredibly hostile story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859586\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200.jpg\" alt=\"Back-to-back issues of the 'Berkeley Barb' on March 28 and April 4, 1969, featuring Leo Laurence and Gale Whittington.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"913\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-800x609.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-768x584.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/BarbCOMBO_1200-1020x776.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Back-to-back issues of the ‘Berkeley Barb’ on March 28 and April 4, 1969, featuring Leo Laurence and Gale Whittington. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Independent Voices)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Join the gay revolution\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the events of the Purple Hand and before the creation of the CHF, the largest gay organization in San Francisco was the Society for Individual Rights (S.I.R.), a homophile society (to use the language of the time) founded in 1964.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the women’s rights, anti-war and Black power movements swept the country, some younger members of the LGBTQ+ community considered S.I.R. to be too conservative. In an April 1969 editorial, Leo Laurence, editor of \u003ci>Vector\u003c/i>, S.I.R.’s monthly magazine, broke ranks with the mostly white, middle-class and nonconfrontational members of S.I.R., calling them “timid, uptight, conservative, and afraid to act for the good of the whole homosexual community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The time had come, Laurence argued, for everyone to come out to their friends, family and employers, and to be proud of their sexuality. They should be joining forces with other social causes, like the Black Panthers and local unions, and standing up for everyone’s rights. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To illustrate his idea of LGBTQ+ freedom in a subsequent \u003ci>Berkeley Barb\u003c/i> interview, Laurence supplied the alt weekly with a picture of two men smiling: Laurence with his arms around his friend Gale Whittington. In no short order, S.I.R. asked Laurence to resign, and Whittington was fired from his job at the States Steamship Company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CHF, co-founded by Laurence, Whittington and a few others, was a direct reaction to this double rejection from both “straight” society and the existing gay establishment. And with this effort, they would be all about coalition-building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859592\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp.jpg\" alt=\"Headline from an article by Leo Laurence in the Nov. 7 issue of the 'Berkeley Tribe.'\" width=\"1020\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-160x68.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-800x340.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/GaysRisingUp-768x326.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Headline from an article by Leo Laurence in the Nov. 7 issue of the ‘Berkeley Tribe.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Independent Voices)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Purple Hand events were co-organized by at least three like-minded groups, including Gay Guerrilla Theater and the Gay Liberation Front. But despite the fracture between Laurence and S.I.R. that precipitated the creation of the CHF months earlier, the old-guard emerged as surprising supporters of the younger demonstrators as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a Nov. 7 \u003ci>Berkeley Tribe\u003c/i> piece reflecting on the demonstration and its aftermath, Laurence writes, “I was scared and felt alone in jail, until I learned of the help mobilized ‘outside.’” The Red Mountain Tribe gathered bail money, S.I.R.’s president saved Laurence’s camera film before he was thrown in the paddy wagon, Del Martin (co-founder in 1955 of the lesbian group Daughters of Bilitis) helped CHF find lawyers, writing several sympathetic articles for \u003ci>Vector\u003c/i> in the months to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When Gale Whittington and I founded the CHF last spring, we dreamed of a nationwide movement,” Laurence writes in the \u003ci>Tribe\u003c/i>. “It’s no longer a fantasy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>After the Purple Hand\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Protests against mainstream media’s depictions of the LGBTQ+ community would continue for years to come. The Purple Hand events, Stein says, are just one example of protests across the country against newspapers and magazines in ’69 and ’70, along with a second wave of protests against television stations and individual shows in ’73. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.avicollimecca.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tommi Avicolli Mecca\u003c/a>, who joined the Gay Liberation Front in Philadelphia when he was a 19-year-old student at Temple University, remembers those times well. “Back in the ’70s especially pretty much any time they did a feature on the community it would be very negative,” he remembers. The GLF would picket or actually enter the newspaper offices, confronting editors and writers of the specific stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through a combination of direct action, face-to-face conversations and larger shifts in society, Mecca says, things gradually changed, fulfilling in many ways Laurence’s early 1969 call-to-arms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the show \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race \u003c/em>and its accompanying DragCon beauty conference, the art of drag is now a multi-million-dollar industry with straight and LGBTQ+ consumers alike. [aside postid='arts_13858877']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before drag culture crossed over into the mainstream, it was a source of survival for queer and trans youth whose families rejected them for expressing themselves. Since at least the ’60s, drag houses functioned as chosen families that kept young people off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That legacy is what \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/TheRexyProject/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The One and Only Rexy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thegracetowers/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grace Towers\u003c/a> decided to channel when they teamed up to create DragTivism, a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses drag makeup as an art therapy tool, building community through carefully applied rhinestones, false lashes and contouring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='large' align='right' citation='The One and Only Rexy']\u003c/span>“Eventually for me, my drag turned into my source of power.”[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first DragTivism event took place last year during Pride Month at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco LGBT Center\u003c/a>, when about a dozen young people in their late teens and early 20s came for a weekend of food, performances and workshops. Some of the youth were housing-insecure; others had supportive families but were still figuring out their identity labels and transitions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At some point, drag is cheaper than therapy,” says Towers. “What we leave on the stage is the processing of emotional, mental and just,” she sighs, “life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many of last year’s attendees, DragTivism was also an entry point into the SF LGBT Center, which offers a variety of social services, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/employment_services/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an employment program\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/housing-financial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">financial literacy training\u003c/a> and an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/housing-financial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">affordable housing clinic\u003c/a> for renters. [aside postid='arts_13859162']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next DragTivism is in the works for \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandpride.org/parade-festival/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oakland Pride\u003c/a> in early September. Last year, the mentees worked one-on-one with professional drag performers, such as award-winning San Francisco performance artist and storyteller \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianadlopera.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juliana Delgado Lopera\u003c/a>. She and the other mentors taught participating youth about character development and building a performance. Most importantly, they encouraged them to find their unique forms of self-expression in a supportive and inclusive environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where we saw a lot of our youth really start to flourish,” says The One and Only Rexy, a.k.a. Rexy Tapia, who also began to blossom after performing in drag for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13859472\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"DragTivism is a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses makeup as an art therapy tool.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2.jpg 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DragTivism is a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses makeup as an art therapy tool. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of DragTivism)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her debut came at an assembly, when she was only in middle school. Feeling seen for the first time, she came out as queer the same day. That whirlwind formative experience emboldened Tapia to become one of Mission High School’s fiercest student activists in the years that followed. By junior year, she became president of the school’s GSA Network and designed an LGBTQ+ history curriculum (in her free time, during spring break!) that’s now being taught at several San Francisco public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During this period of honing her skills as an artist and leader, Tapia noticed herself wearing drag more and more, and that she felt her best presenting as a woman. After graduating in 2015, she came out as trans. [aside postid='arts_13858290']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Doing drag gave me the ability to express myself and find myself when I didn’t have any other way of doing so,” reflects Tapia, whose drag looks are high-femme and all about showing leg. “That’s really I hope what youths find in drag. Eventually for me, my drag turned into my source of power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea for DragTivism came in 2018 when Tapia met Towers, one of her drag idols. Towers, a bold performer who often rocks dramatic eye makeup, chest hair and a beard, is a member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.queensofthecastro.com/grace-towers-scholarship-for-the-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Queens of the Castro\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that gives scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth. Her and Tapia’s backgrounds in education are a big reason why mentorship is such an important aspect of the event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/BxO4LIEHsZM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having a queer mentor of some sort is something that I wish I would have had when I was going through my troubled youth,” says Towers. “It’s been really beautiful to see mentorship on both ends, not just what we’re curating for the youth to come and partake in, but me and Rexy are actively engaged in this mentorship dynamic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tapia says that not all drag spaces are trans-friendly—as evinced by RuPaul’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/6/17085244/rupaul-trans-women-drag-queens-interview-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">controversial 2018 comments\u003c/a> suggesting that he wouldn’t allow a transitioning trans woman to compete on \u003cem>Drag Race \u003c/em>(though that changed this year with trans performer Gia Gunn’s inclusion). That’s why Tapia and Towers take care to ensure that DragTivism is welcoming to all the identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella—including those who are gender-nonconforming or have a performance style that doesn’t fit the pageant-ready drag queen mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to be at a point in the drag scene where drag is not political anymore, or in many spaces it’s even more hostile to trans people and anyone who’s not a cis, gay man,” says Tapia. “That’s another reason why it’s important for me as a trans woman, as a woman, as a person of color, to continue creating this ability for youth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/BxQggqMh-8A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tapia says drag taught her about the history of LGBTQ+ activism. She learned that drag queens and trans women were key agitators in the Compton’s Cafeteria riot in San Francisco and the Stonewall uprising in New York City, two instances in the 1960s when the LGBTQ+ community rioted against police brutality and sparked the modern-day gay rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='large' align='right' citation='Grace Towers']“At some point, drag is cheaper than therapy.”\u003c/span>[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That history has fueled Tapia’s activism, and, through DragTivism and the public-school curricula she designs, she wants youth to feel similarly empowered. “That’s what I hope our youth are getting out of DragTivism, that they’re getting access to the information they rightfully deserve,” she says, adding that education is power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can know they have that power to create change while having fun and looking fabulous.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the show \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race \u003c/em>and its accompanying DragCon beauty conference, the art of drag is now a multi-million-dollar industry with straight and LGBTQ+ consumers alike. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before drag culture crossed over into the mainstream, it was a source of survival for queer and trans youth whose families rejected them for expressing themselves. Since at least the ’60s, drag houses functioned as chosen families that kept young people off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That legacy is what \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/TheRexyProject/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The One and Only Rexy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thegracetowers/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grace Towers\u003c/a> decided to channel when they teamed up to create DragTivism, a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses drag makeup as an art therapy tool, building community through carefully applied rhinestones, false lashes and contouring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first DragTivism event took place last year during Pride Month at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco LGBT Center\u003c/a>, when about a dozen young people in their late teens and early 20s came for a weekend of food, performances and workshops. Some of the youth were housing-insecure; others had supportive families but were still figuring out their identity labels and transitions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At some point, drag is cheaper than therapy,” says Towers. “What we leave on the stage is the processing of emotional, mental and just,” she sighs, “life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many of last year’s attendees, DragTivism was also an entry point into the SF LGBT Center, which offers a variety of social services, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/employment_services/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an employment program\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/housing-financial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">financial literacy training\u003c/a> and an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/program/housing-financial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">affordable housing clinic\u003c/a> for renters. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next DragTivism is in the works for \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandpride.org/parade-festival/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oakland Pride\u003c/a> in early September. Last year, the mentees worked one-on-one with professional drag performers, such as award-winning San Francisco performance artist and storyteller \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianadlopera.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juliana Delgado Lopera\u003c/a>. She and the other mentors taught participating youth about character development and building a performance. Most importantly, they encouraged them to find their unique forms of self-expression in a supportive and inclusive environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where we saw a lot of our youth really start to flourish,” says The One and Only Rexy, a.k.a. Rexy Tapia, who also began to blossom after performing in drag for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13859472\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"DragTivism is a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses makeup as an art therapy tool.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/dragtivism-2.jpg 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DragTivism is a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth that uses makeup as an art therapy tool. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of DragTivism)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her debut came at an assembly, when she was only in middle school. Feeling seen for the first time, she came out as queer the same day. That whirlwind formative experience emboldened Tapia to become one of Mission High School’s fiercest student activists in the years that followed. By junior year, she became president of the school’s GSA Network and designed an LGBTQ+ history curriculum (in her free time, during spring break!) that’s now being taught at several San Francisco public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During this period of honing her skills as an artist and leader, Tapia noticed herself wearing drag more and more, and that she felt her best presenting as a woman. After graduating in 2015, she came out as trans. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>“Having a queer mentor of some sort is something that I wish I would have had when I was going through my troubled youth,” says Towers. “It’s been really beautiful to see mentorship on both ends, not just what we’re curating for the youth to come and partake in, but me and Rexy are actively engaged in this mentorship dynamic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tapia says that not all drag spaces are trans-friendly—as evinced by RuPaul’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/6/17085244/rupaul-trans-women-drag-queens-interview-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">controversial 2018 comments\u003c/a> suggesting that he wouldn’t allow a transitioning trans woman to compete on \u003cem>Drag Race \u003c/em>(though that changed this year with trans performer Gia Gunn’s inclusion). That’s why Tapia and Towers take care to ensure that DragTivism is welcoming to all the identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella—including those who are gender-nonconforming or have a performance style that doesn’t fit the pageant-ready drag queen mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to be at a point in the drag scene where drag is not political anymore, or in many spaces it’s even more hostile to trans people and anyone who’s not a cis, gay man,” says Tapia. “That’s another reason why it’s important for me as a trans woman, as a woman, as a person of color, to continue creating this ability for youth.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tapia says drag taught her about the history of LGBTQ+ activism. She learned that drag queens and trans women were key agitators in the Compton’s Cafeteria riot in San Francisco and the Stonewall uprising in New York City, two instances in the 1960s when the LGBTQ+ community rioted against police brutality and sparked the modern-day gay rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“At some point, drag is cheaper than therapy.”\u003c/span>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That history has fueled Tapia’s activism, and, through DragTivism and the public-school curricula she designs, she wants youth to feel similarly empowered. “That’s what I hope our youth are getting out of DragTivism, that they’re getting access to the information they rightfully deserve,” she says, adding that education is power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can know they have that power to create change while having fun and looking fabulous.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "aids-activism-san-francisco-1980s",
"title": "While the US Government Sat Idle, AIDS Activism Mobilized in San Francisco",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time the Surgeon General of the United States published the office’s \u003ca href=\"https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/NN/p-nid/62\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first report\u003c/a> on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 27,000 Americans were already dead or dying of AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13859162,arts_13858167,arts_13854639' label='More Queer History']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Issued in late October 1986, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s slim pamphlet contained much-needed public health information stripped of the political rhetoric that characterized nearly all of Washington’s conversations about AIDS—but it was not timely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report appeared nearly five and a half years after the Centers for Disease Control identified the first patients of what would come to be known as AIDS. In 1981. In the meantime, national media coverage had alternately ignored and sensationalized the epidemic, often repeating misinformation about the disease’s communicability or paying attention only to patients from “the general population” instead of the gay men who were the majority of the early stricken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Ronald Reagan wouldn’t make his first public address on the subject until the end of May 1987.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with a lack of either federal leadership or journalistic accountability between the years of the CDC’s first report and Koop’s belated one (and for years after), the task of warning against AIDS, agitating for research funding and educating the public about the epidemic fell to individuals living with AIDS or those caring for them. They created their own support structures, their own pamphlets, benefit parties, newsletters and vigils.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traces of these efforts can be found in the ephemera collections of various Bay Area archives, including the San Francisco Public Library, home to the \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000003701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center\u003c/a>. While the posters in these collection—along with flyers, pamphlets, stickers and mailings—in no way tell a complete story of local AIDS activism in the 1980s, they do provide a sense of the material that was circulating during the time, offering tangible proof of a community fighting for its life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82.jpg\" alt=\"Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day parade and celebration guide. The year's theme was "Out of Many...One."\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover of the 1982 International Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day parade and celebration guide. The year’s theme was “Out of Many…One.” \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The KS Poster Boy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before people suffering from weakened immune systems and opportunistic infections were grouped under the moniker of AIDS (the CDC would first use this term in September 1982), a unifying diagnosis for many early patients was \u003ca href=\"https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/glossary/401/kaposi-sarcoma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kaposi’s sarcoma\u003c/a> (KS), a rare and unusually aggressive skin cancer that appeared as purplish lesions. San Francisco resident and registered nurse \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Campbell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobbi Campbell\u003c/a> was the first KS patient to go public with his condition, with a December 1981 article in the nationally syndicated gay newspaper \u003ci>San Francisco Sentinel\u003c/i>. At the same time, he convinced a Castro drugstore to hang photographs of his lesions in the window, showing other men what to look for as he alerted them to the reality of this new disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell appears in the 1982 International Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day guide (as the Pride parade was then known) under the headline “What’s it like to have Kaposi’s sarcoma?,” the first mention of the AIDS in the annual celebration’s materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his short column, the self-proclaimed “KS Poster Boy” strikes an optimistic tone of warning: “Are you thinking ‘This can’t happen to me’? I didn’t think it could happen to me, either. But it did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside Campbell’s feature is a dry, much more clinical text authored by two registered nurses. “Something is breaking down the immune systems of certain gay men, leaving them susceptible to disease,” they write. “In general it is crucial to take care of yourself, in this time when far too many gay men are dying of unexplained causes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1985, the parade would be dedicated to Campbell, who died in August 1984.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859419\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B.jpg\" alt='\"Can we talk?\" brochure developed by the AIDS Education and Information Committee of the Harvey Milk Gay Democratic club with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, 1983.' width=\"1200\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-800x384.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-768x369.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-1020x490.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Can we talk?” brochure developed by the AIDS Education and Information Committee of the Harvey Milk Gay Democratic club with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, 1983. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We are fighting for our lives’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In early 1983, with San Francisco’s Department of Public Health yet to produce a single piece of informational literature on AIDS, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.milkclub.org/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvey Milk Gay Democratic Club\u003c/a> took matters into its own hands. Developed with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, this frank and simple brochure provided what was, at the time, the best risk-reduction guidelines available to the gay community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have to give up sex, but we do have to be careful,” the brochure reads. It then proceeds to go step by step through various sex acts, defining them as “very risky,” “minimal risk” or “yes! yes! yes!” (hugging and other sensual, yet nonsexual, activities), all of which is illustrated by a series of charmingly cheeky cartoons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this time of crisis, it is essential that we reexamine our ways of sexual expression,” the brochure says. “The issue is not a moral one, but a practical one. We have fought for our freedom and intend to continue that fight, but this struggle is even more basic. We are fighting for our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859418\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets.jpg\" alt=\"Sex education and risk-reduction pamphlets from the 1980s, many produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sex education and risk-reduction pamphlets from the 1980s, many produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Spreading the word\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The archives are filled with pamphlets and brochures, many targeting specific demographics affected by the AIDS epidemic, but not necessarily those seen in earliest media reports: white gay men. Most of the above pamphlets come from the late ’80s, well after the early days of panic, disinformation and denial, when safe sex suggestions might be dismissed as moralistic, homophobic messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several of the above were published by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco AIDS Foundation\u003c/a>, co-founded by Cleve Jones in 1982 (as the Kaposi’s Sarcoma Foundation) in response to the city’s emerging health crisis. Described in Randy Shilts’ seminal text on the AIDS epidemic, \u003ci>And the Band Played On\u003c/i>, the early days of the SF AIDS Foundation “started with one beat-up typewriter donated by a local gay bartender, office supplies pilfered from volunteers’ various employers, and one telephone that started ringing within an hour of hits installation. And it never stopped ringing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it grew, the SF AIDS Foundation sponsored condom distribution during Pride, the first public demonstration of people with AIDS (a candlelight vigil in March 1983), the first AIDS bike-a-thon, the creation of a food bank, a needle exchange and many, many trifolded pieces of educational literature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the ACT UP San Francisco newsletter, March 1989, featuring a short announcement of a Jan. 31 action on the Golden Gate Bridge.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-1020x632.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover of the ACT UP San Francisco newsletter, March 1989, featuring a short announcement of a Jan. 31 action on the Golden Gate Bridge. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ACT UP/San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Formed in New York in 1987 after a galvanizing speech by Larry Kramer at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.actupny.org/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power\u003c/a> (ACT UP), was a leaderless, anarchic network of direct action protest groups that eventually spread around the world. In San Francisco, an existing activist group, AIDS Action Pledge, merged with ACT UP and changed its name to become ACT UP/San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an undated pamphlet titled “Our Goals and Demands,” the group, “united in anger and hope,” argues for “massive governmental funding for research, health care, education, anonymous testing, and treatment.” That funding, they reason, should be taken from the military budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 20, 1989, ACT UP/SF members staged \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3zefhq9Ql4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a die-in\u003c/a> at the Pacific Stock Exchange, timed to George H.W. Bush’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. As activists sprawled on the ground, fellow members traced their outlines in chalk. Speaking through a megaphone, an ACT UP member named Brigid spoke to the assembled crowd, “This government, for the past eight years, has been known for what it has not done. It has not cared about people with AIDS. We have been expendable.” The question was: What, if anything, would President Bush do differently?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ACT UP/San Francisco would stage many other demonstrations, including a week of actions timed to the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, which took place in San Francisco in June 1990. Journalist and activist Tim Kingston, who participated in these events, told \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">48 Hills\u003c/a>\u003c/i> in 2015, “If ACT UP hadn’t pushed so hard, AIDS medical research would be 20 years behind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In ’87, no one had heard of ACT UP. In ’89, we were banging on the door. And in ’90, we had arrived full-scale.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859420\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859420\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject.jpg\" alt=\"An undated Shanti Project pamphlet; the summer 1984 issue of 'Eclipse,' the Shanti Project newsletter; a flyer for a 1989 comedy showcase benefitting the Shanti Project, featuring Margaret Cho.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-800x577.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-768x554.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-1020x735.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An undated Shanti Project pamphlet; the summer 1984 issue of ‘Eclipse,’ the Shanti Project newsletter; a flyer for a 1989 comedy showcase benefitting the Shanti Project, featuring Margaret Cho. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Shanti Project\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Callers to the SF AIDS Foundation hotline might be directed to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.shanti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanti Project\u003c/a>, a Berkeley organization founded in 1974 to enhance the health, quality of life and well-being of people with terminal, life-threatening or disabling illnesses. In 1982, Bobbi Campbell and Jim Geary, a volunteer grief counselor with the Shanti Project, offered weekly meetings for Karposi’s sarcoma patients, one of the only services available at the time to those who would later be understood as people with AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May 1983, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved $2.1 million for the city’s early AIDS programs, providing enough money to the Shanti Project to create residences for 48 homeless AIDS patients. (This amount, Shilts wrote in \u003ci>And the Band Played On\u003c/i>, combined with an additional $1 million enacted for AIDS in 1982, meant spending by the city of San Francisco “exceeded the funds released to the entire country by the National Institutes of Health for extramural AIDS research.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the above 1984 issue of \u003ci>Eclipse\u003c/i>, the Shanti Project newsletter, registered nurse Helen Schietinger writes of the project’s success in helping people approach the end of their lives with dignity: “For many, the Shanti Residence Program has provided the stability and security which enables them to continue living their lives focused on what is important to them, rather than worrying about whether they have a roof over their heads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859422\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84.jpg\" alt=\"Pamphlet announcing the National March for Lesbian/Gay Rights, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-1020x655.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pamphlet announcing the National March for Lesbian/Gay Rights, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Confronting the Democratic Party\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 1984, the Democratic National Convention took place in San Francisco, and the city’s LGBTQ+ population marched for their core issues. At the top of their list? “Immediate and massive federal funding to end the AIDS epidemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a two-mile march from the Castro to the Moscone Center, 100,000 people filled the street, hoping to create a scene that would reach the national media and bring gay and lesbian issues to the rest of the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the 1984 Convention,” the organizing documents read, “we have an opportunity to define our own issues and choose our own spokespeople. If we do not do this, the media, which will surely write ‘the gay story’ of this convention, will make our choices for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a classic San Francisco note, alongside route logistics and an entertainment lineup (comedy from Tom Ammiano), is the following: “Bring a sweater—weather changes quickly in S.F.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES.jpg\" alt=\"A NAMES Project flyer from 1988 and the NAMES newsletter from fall 1989.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-1020x765.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A NAMES Project flyer from 1988 and the NAMES newsletter from fall 1989. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The AIDS Memorial Quilt\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13856309/how-the-aids-memorial-grove-became-the-true-heart-of-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIDS Memorial Grove\u003c/a> in Golden Gate Park is the nation’s official site of remembrance, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.aidsquilt.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIDS Memorial Quilt\u003c/a>, a project that began in 1987 and now numbers over 48,000 individual panels, is its peripatetic one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each panel measures 3 by 6 feet, the approximate size of a grave. And each commemorates a family member or loved one lost to AIDS, hand-stitched with personal symbols, objects, names and dates. The first public display, in October 1987, took place on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. with 1,920 panels. A year later, the quilt returned to Washington with more than 8,000 panels. Its goal was to impress upon the federal government—and the American people—the scale of the AIDS epidemic, and the desperate need for increased federal funds in the fight against it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brochure reads, “With the Quilt, we’re able to touch people in a new way and open their hearts so that they no longer turn away, but rather understand the value of all these lost lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the 1980s, nine years after the CDC’s first reported cases, nearly 90,000 Americans had died of AIDS. Many more groups would form in the years to come to fight for more effective AIDS treatments and against the slow-moving bureaucracy that stifled such research. And many more actions would \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/hvKAIPOBWlY\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">directly confront the American public\u003c/a> with the scale of the crisis, skillfully using media coverage to amplify their message. But when no one was watching—or seemingly caring—the efforts of individuals and groups like those documented above made sure the American people and their government could no longer turn away from AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Battling homophobia and government inaction, LGBTQ+ San Franciscans built systems of support and education from the ground up.",
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"title": "While the US Government Sat Idle, AIDS Activism Mobilized in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time the Surgeon General of the United States published the office’s \u003ca href=\"https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/NN/p-nid/62\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first report\u003c/a> on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 27,000 Americans were already dead or dying of AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Issued in late October 1986, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s slim pamphlet contained much-needed public health information stripped of the political rhetoric that characterized nearly all of Washington’s conversations about AIDS—but it was not timely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report appeared nearly five and a half years after the Centers for Disease Control identified the first patients of what would come to be known as AIDS. In 1981. In the meantime, national media coverage had alternately ignored and sensationalized the epidemic, often repeating misinformation about the disease’s communicability or paying attention only to patients from “the general population” instead of the gay men who were the majority of the early stricken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Ronald Reagan wouldn’t make his first public address on the subject until the end of May 1987.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with a lack of either federal leadership or journalistic accountability between the years of the CDC’s first report and Koop’s belated one (and for years after), the task of warning against AIDS, agitating for research funding and educating the public about the epidemic fell to individuals living with AIDS or those caring for them. They created their own support structures, their own pamphlets, benefit parties, newsletters and vigils.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traces of these efforts can be found in the ephemera collections of various Bay Area archives, including the San Francisco Public Library, home to the \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000003701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center\u003c/a>. While the posters in these collection—along with flyers, pamphlets, stickers and mailings—in no way tell a complete story of local AIDS activism in the 1980s, they do provide a sense of the material that was circulating during the time, offering tangible proof of a community fighting for its life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82.jpg\" alt=\"Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day parade and celebration guide. The year's theme was "Out of Many...One."\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Pride_82-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover of the 1982 International Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day parade and celebration guide. The year’s theme was “Out of Many…One.” \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The KS Poster Boy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before people suffering from weakened immune systems and opportunistic infections were grouped under the moniker of AIDS (the CDC would first use this term in September 1982), a unifying diagnosis for many early patients was \u003ca href=\"https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/glossary/401/kaposi-sarcoma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kaposi’s sarcoma\u003c/a> (KS), a rare and unusually aggressive skin cancer that appeared as purplish lesions. San Francisco resident and registered nurse \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Campbell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobbi Campbell\u003c/a> was the first KS patient to go public with his condition, with a December 1981 article in the nationally syndicated gay newspaper \u003ci>San Francisco Sentinel\u003c/i>. At the same time, he convinced a Castro drugstore to hang photographs of his lesions in the window, showing other men what to look for as he alerted them to the reality of this new disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell appears in the 1982 International Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day guide (as the Pride parade was then known) under the headline “What’s it like to have Kaposi’s sarcoma?,” the first mention of the AIDS in the annual celebration’s materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his short column, the self-proclaimed “KS Poster Boy” strikes an optimistic tone of warning: “Are you thinking ‘This can’t happen to me’? I didn’t think it could happen to me, either. But it did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside Campbell’s feature is a dry, much more clinical text authored by two registered nurses. “Something is breaking down the immune systems of certain gay men, leaving them susceptible to disease,” they write. “In general it is crucial to take care of yourself, in this time when far too many gay men are dying of unexplained causes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1985, the parade would be dedicated to Campbell, who died in August 1984.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859419\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B.jpg\" alt='\"Can we talk?\" brochure developed by the AIDS Education and Information Committee of the Harvey Milk Gay Democratic club with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, 1983.' width=\"1200\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-800x384.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-768x369.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/HarveyMilkDemClub_Flyer_83B-1020x490.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Can we talk?” brochure developed by the AIDS Education and Information Committee of the Harvey Milk Gay Democratic club with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, 1983. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘We are fighting for our lives’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In early 1983, with San Francisco’s Department of Public Health yet to produce a single piece of informational literature on AIDS, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.milkclub.org/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvey Milk Gay Democratic Club\u003c/a> took matters into its own hands. Developed with information from Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, this frank and simple brochure provided what was, at the time, the best risk-reduction guidelines available to the gay community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have to give up sex, but we do have to be careful,” the brochure reads. It then proceeds to go step by step through various sex acts, defining them as “very risky,” “minimal risk” or “yes! yes! yes!” (hugging and other sensual, yet nonsexual, activities), all of which is illustrated by a series of charmingly cheeky cartoons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this time of crisis, it is essential that we reexamine our ways of sexual expression,” the brochure says. “The issue is not a moral one, but a practical one. We have fought for our freedom and intend to continue that fight, but this struggle is even more basic. We are fighting for our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859418\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets.jpg\" alt=\"Sex education and risk-reduction pamphlets from the 1980s, many produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/AssortedPamphlets-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sex education and risk-reduction pamphlets from the 1980s, many produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Spreading the word\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The archives are filled with pamphlets and brochures, many targeting specific demographics affected by the AIDS epidemic, but not necessarily those seen in earliest media reports: white gay men. Most of the above pamphlets come from the late ’80s, well after the early days of panic, disinformation and denial, when safe sex suggestions might be dismissed as moralistic, homophobic messages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several of the above were published by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco AIDS Foundation\u003c/a>, co-founded by Cleve Jones in 1982 (as the Kaposi’s Sarcoma Foundation) in response to the city’s emerging health crisis. Described in Randy Shilts’ seminal text on the AIDS epidemic, \u003ci>And the Band Played On\u003c/i>, the early days of the SF AIDS Foundation “started with one beat-up typewriter donated by a local gay bartender, office supplies pilfered from volunteers’ various employers, and one telephone that started ringing within an hour of hits installation. And it never stopped ringing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it grew, the SF AIDS Foundation sponsored condom distribution during Pride, the first public demonstration of people with AIDS (a candlelight vigil in March 1983), the first AIDS bike-a-thon, the creation of a food bank, a needle exchange and many, many trifolded pieces of educational literature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the ACT UP San Francisco newsletter, March 1989, featuring a short announcement of a Jan. 31 action on the Golden Gate Bridge.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ACTUP_GGBridgeAction-1020x632.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover of the ACT UP San Francisco newsletter, March 1989, featuring a short announcement of a Jan. 31 action on the Golden Gate Bridge. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ACT UP/San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Formed in New York in 1987 after a galvanizing speech by Larry Kramer at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.actupny.org/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power\u003c/a> (ACT UP), was a leaderless, anarchic network of direct action protest groups that eventually spread around the world. In San Francisco, an existing activist group, AIDS Action Pledge, merged with ACT UP and changed its name to become ACT UP/San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an undated pamphlet titled “Our Goals and Demands,” the group, “united in anger and hope,” argues for “massive governmental funding for research, health care, education, anonymous testing, and treatment.” That funding, they reason, should be taken from the military budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 20, 1989, ACT UP/SF members staged \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3zefhq9Ql4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a die-in\u003c/a> at the Pacific Stock Exchange, timed to George H.W. Bush’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. As activists sprawled on the ground, fellow members traced their outlines in chalk. Speaking through a megaphone, an ACT UP member named Brigid spoke to the assembled crowd, “This government, for the past eight years, has been known for what it has not done. It has not cared about people with AIDS. We have been expendable.” The question was: What, if anything, would President Bush do differently?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ACT UP/San Francisco would stage many other demonstrations, including a week of actions timed to the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, which took place in San Francisco in June 1990. Journalist and activist Tim Kingston, who participated in these events, told \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">48 Hills\u003c/a>\u003c/i> in 2015, “If ACT UP hadn’t pushed so hard, AIDS medical research would be 20 years behind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In ’87, no one had heard of ACT UP. In ’89, we were banging on the door. And in ’90, we had arrived full-scale.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859420\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859420\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject.jpg\" alt=\"An undated Shanti Project pamphlet; the summer 1984 issue of 'Eclipse,' the Shanti Project newsletter; a flyer for a 1989 comedy showcase benefitting the Shanti Project, featuring Margaret Cho.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-800x577.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-768x554.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/ShantiProject-1020x735.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An undated Shanti Project pamphlet; the summer 1984 issue of ‘Eclipse,’ the Shanti Project newsletter; a flyer for a 1989 comedy showcase benefitting the Shanti Project, featuring Margaret Cho. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Shanti Project\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Callers to the SF AIDS Foundation hotline might be directed to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.shanti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanti Project\u003c/a>, a Berkeley organization founded in 1974 to enhance the health, quality of life and well-being of people with terminal, life-threatening or disabling illnesses. In 1982, Bobbi Campbell and Jim Geary, a volunteer grief counselor with the Shanti Project, offered weekly meetings for Karposi’s sarcoma patients, one of the only services available at the time to those who would later be understood as people with AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May 1983, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved $2.1 million for the city’s early AIDS programs, providing enough money to the Shanti Project to create residences for 48 homeless AIDS patients. (This amount, Shilts wrote in \u003ci>And the Band Played On\u003c/i>, combined with an additional $1 million enacted for AIDS in 1982, meant spending by the city of San Francisco “exceeded the funds released to the entire country by the National Institutes of Health for extramural AIDS research.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the above 1984 issue of \u003ci>Eclipse\u003c/i>, the Shanti Project newsletter, registered nurse Helen Schietinger writes of the project’s success in helping people approach the end of their lives with dignity: “For many, the Shanti Residence Program has provided the stability and security which enables them to continue living their lives focused on what is important to them, rather than worrying about whether they have a roof over their heads.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859422\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84.jpg\" alt=\"Pamphlet announcing the National March for Lesbian/Gay Rights, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/DNCMarch_84-1020x655.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pamphlet announcing the National March for Lesbian/Gay Rights, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Confronting the Democratic Party\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 1984, the Democratic National Convention took place in San Francisco, and the city’s LGBTQ+ population marched for their core issues. At the top of their list? “Immediate and massive federal funding to end the AIDS epidemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a two-mile march from the Castro to the Moscone Center, 100,000 people filled the street, hoping to create a scene that would reach the national media and bring gay and lesbian issues to the rest of the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the 1984 Convention,” the organizing documents read, “we have an opportunity to define our own issues and choose our own spokespeople. If we do not do this, the media, which will surely write ‘the gay story’ of this convention, will make our choices for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a classic San Francisco note, alongside route logistics and an entertainment lineup (comedy from Tom Ammiano), is the following: “Bring a sweater—weather changes quickly in S.F.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES.jpg\" alt=\"A NAMES Project flyer from 1988 and the NAMES newsletter from fall 1989.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/NAMES-1020x765.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A NAMES Project flyer from 1988 and the NAMES newsletter from fall 1989. \u003ccite>(Material from the Gay and Lesbian Center ephemera collection and the San Francisco Ephemera Collection, San Francisco Public Library; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The AIDS Memorial Quilt\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13856309/how-the-aids-memorial-grove-became-the-true-heart-of-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIDS Memorial Grove\u003c/a> in Golden Gate Park is the nation’s official site of remembrance, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.aidsquilt.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIDS Memorial Quilt\u003c/a>, a project that began in 1987 and now numbers over 48,000 individual panels, is its peripatetic one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each panel measures 3 by 6 feet, the approximate size of a grave. And each commemorates a family member or loved one lost to AIDS, hand-stitched with personal symbols, objects, names and dates. The first public display, in October 1987, took place on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. with 1,920 panels. A year later, the quilt returned to Washington with more than 8,000 panels. Its goal was to impress upon the federal government—and the American people—the scale of the AIDS epidemic, and the desperate need for increased federal funds in the fight against it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brochure reads, “With the Quilt, we’re able to touch people in a new way and open their hearts so that they no longer turn away, but rather understand the value of all these lost lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the 1980s, nine years after the CDC’s first reported cases, nearly 90,000 Americans had died of AIDS. Many more groups would form in the years to come to fight for more effective AIDS treatments and against the slow-moving bureaucracy that stifled such research. And many more actions would \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/hvKAIPOBWlY\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">directly confront the American public\u003c/a> with the scale of the crisis, skillfully using media coverage to amplify their message. But when no one was watching—or seemingly caring—the efforts of individuals and groups like those documented above made sure the American people and their government could no longer turn away from AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "meet-the-lgbtq-elders-who-rioted-organized-and-lobbied-to-change-history",
"title": "Meet the LGBTQ+ Elders Who Rioted, Organized and Lobbied to Change History",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pride season is upon us, with its parties, parades and rainbow regalia. But none of it would be possible without the tireless advocacy and protest power of our LGBTQ+ elders. Their stories of fighting for queer and trans rights should be permanently ingrained in our memories and the memories of those to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where Mason Funk comes in. In 2014, a question kept buzzing around his head: “How did I and millions of other LGBTQ+ people get from there to here?” Funk answered it by creating \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OUTWORDS\u003c/a>, a multi-media archive, and its accompanying \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/bookofpride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Book of Pride\u003c/em>\u003c/a> to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ pioneers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project includes over one hundred powerful interviews with subjects from all across the country. Here, we take a look at the stories of five changemakers featured in OUTWORDS, including a survivor of the Stonewall riots who isn’t afraid to curse; an activist who won marriage rights from the California Supreme Court; a housewife who turned in her white picket fence for the March on Washington stage; a Two-Spirit activist who battled prejudice on the ballot and within the medical community and won; and a Yoruba priest who devoted himself to educating his community about AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Miss Major Griffin-Gracy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1020x572.png\" alt=\"Miss Major at a Pride Parade in San Francisco.\" width=\"640\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1020x572.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-800x449.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-768x431.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1200x673.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1920x1077.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miss Major at a Pride Parade in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’ve never heard Miss Major’s name, where have you been? The veteran of the Stonewall Rebellion has been making waves for over 40 years, fighting for incarcerated trans people through San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.tgijp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trans, Gender-Variant and Intersex Justice Project\u003c/a> until her recent retirement. Her impact has been so—um—major that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.missmajorfilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an entire film\u003c/a> about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fighting spirit that made Miss Major famous has been with her since she was born so premature that she could fit in the palm of her father’s hand. “I’ve been a struggling bitch from the moment I took breath, fighting to hang in there and survive and be here, and make myself known,” she told OUTWORDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised in Chicago, Miss Major started secretly wearing her mother’s clothes and clip-clopping around the house in her heels around the age of 15. When her mother found out, she was beaten. When her school found out, she was expelled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859270\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859270\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1020x704.jpg\" alt=\"An elated Miss Major.\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1020x704.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-800x552.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-768x530.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1200x829.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1920x1326.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4.jpg 1974w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An elated Miss Major. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the ’60s, Miss Major found her way to New York, where the city’s rich diversity instantly proved to be a balm. Soon, she found a sense of community on the streets with fellow working girls. “Hooking at that time was a f-cking blessing,” she said. “The money was good. The johns were great.” But things eventually took a turn for the dangerous around 1967. Girls were turning up dead, and the police didn’t value their lives enough to investigate. So Miss Major and her friends started taking down license plate numbers, memorizing faces and crafting other methods of ensuring each other’s safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859271\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859271\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-1020x1328.jpg\" alt=\"Miss Major serving a look.\" width=\"300\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-1020x1328.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-160x208.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-800x1042.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-768x1000.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-922x1200.jpg 922w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1.jpg 1573w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miss Major serving a look. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sick of the mistreatment, Miss Major started carrying a hammer for protection; other girls carried knives. As she recalls, if a scuffle broke out, police let male instigators free and arrested the women for defending themselves. Miss Major became known as someone who would reliably accompany girls in trouble with the law to court (something she continued to do into her 70s).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1969, Miss Major frequented a Cheers-esque bar called Stonewall, where everyone knew her name and where she and her friends felt seen and understood. At the time, many aspects of queer and trans life were illegal, and police regularly raided the bar. They got more than they bargained for on June 28, 1969, when a group of fed-up people fought back. Miss Major was there. “I don’t remember a shoe, a brick, a bottle, a body, a garbage can,” she told OUTWORDS. “All I know is we were fighting for our life and we were kicking the cops’ ass.” That moment became the spark that ignited the modern-day LGBTQ+ rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">Until her recent retirement to Arizona, Miss Major continued to make a difference in the lives of working women in Oakland, whom she calls her babies. “I’ll take my cane and hobble across the street … and sit on the bench and talk to them,” she said. “The world doesn’t care about us. I want them all to know that somebody does.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Marcus Arana\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBwvns4XH6g\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marcus Arana’s journey to becoming a Two-Spirit activist fighting for the rights of trans and intersex people can be traced all the way back to a movie theater. At four-years-old, he saw a blue fairy turn Pinocchio into a real boy. Assigned female at birth, Arana turned to his mother and asked for his own blue fairy. She explained that girls could never be boys. In that moment, Arana learned two things: that he was different and that he shouldn’t talk about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859275\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859275\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1020x746.jpg\" alt=\"Arana at age 25 at a Halloween dance as a persona called Dread Weatherly.\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1200x878.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12.jpg 1519w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arana at age 25 at a Halloween dance as a persona called Dread Weatherly. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Marcus Arana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And he didn’t throughout a lonely and rough childhood, which forced him to leave home at age 14. He eventually came out as queer and moved to San Francisco in 1976, which felt “like the sun coming out and you can hear the munchkins singing as we all went down the yellow brick road.” But, just as Dorothy and her pals had to contend with the Wicked Witch of the West, Arana and other California gays faced off against their own villain: the Briggs Initiative, a \u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">1978\u003c/span> ballot measure that, if passed, would ban gays and lesbians from working in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inspired by California’s first openly gay public official, Harvey Milk, Arana committed himself to fighting back through protest, grassroots organizing and visibility, and the Briggs Initiative was defeated at the ballot box by 16.8 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That wouldn’t be the last bit of change Arana had a hand in crafting. When he was 37 years old and working at Community United Against Violence, an organization dedicated to addressing violence against the LGBTQ+ community, Arana finally gave into the feeling that had been nagging him since he first saw \u003cem>Pinnochio\u003c/em>. In a staff meeting, he blurted out that he’s trans. “It was like squeezing a tube of toothpaste where all of this stuff comes out and you can’t cram it back in again, you can’t unring the bell,” he told OUTWORDS. “It was liberating, it was magic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859276\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859276\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1020x681.jpg\" alt=\"Arana at age 38, early in his transition, when he began to smile in pictures for the first time.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6.jpg 1785w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arana at age 38, early in his transition, when he began to smile in pictures for the first time. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Marcus Arana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the time of his transition, being trans was considered a gender identity disorder and treated like a psychological problem. Arana got back in the fight, educating commissioners, the Health Service Board, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and ultimately, through television appearances, the American public about discrimination against trans people in the health industry. Through his education, hearts and minds slowly began to change, and with them, policies and laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Arana’s proudest achievement as an advocate came in 2003 when he was working at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission as a discrimination investigator. Intersex activists came to him with stories of how those born with bodies that don’t readily fit into what society considers male or female were assigned a gender through non-consensual surgery at birth or during childhood (often without the input of the parents, let alone the patient). This usually necessitated even more surgeries down the line and spawned all kinds of future physical and mental issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to prevent any more suffering, Arana wrote a report for the HRC that declared the non-consensual “medical normalization” of intersex people a human rights violation. The report is now used internationally and has helped change the way the medical community views and supports intersex children.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lani Ka’ahumanu\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwG1NOG2y_Q\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lani Ka’ahumanu had to come out multiple times: first as someone who no longer wanted a white picket fence and a husband, then as a lesbian activist and finally as a bisexual carving out a space for people like her within the gay rights movement. The unexpected zigs and zags of her life shocked her friends and family, and even herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859279\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859279\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka%E2%80%99ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1020x1081.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1020x1081.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-160x170.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-800x848.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-768x814.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1132x1200.jpg 1132w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1920x2035.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5.jpg 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu’s junior prom in 1959 with future husband, captain of the football team and champion wrestler. (That’s a mat burn from a wrestling match on his face.) \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing up, Ka’ahumanu always knew what was expected of her: marry a man and have kids. And she played along for a while, falling in love with the captain of the football team, marrying him at 19 and having two kids by the time she was 24. But then she met a new friend who didn’t shave her legs and shared stories of the women’s rights movement. It wasn’t long before Ka’ahumanu changed her honorific from Mrs. to Ms., got involved with the anti-Vietnam War movement, started collecting food for the Black Panther Breakfast Program and boycotting grapes alongside the United Farm Workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Ka’ahumanu started crying a lot and couldn’t figure out why. She had the cookie-cutter picture of a full heterosexual life,\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">but something was missing.\u003c/span> \u003c/span>As hard as it was, with her husband’s support, she made the difficult decision to leave him and their kids behind and move to San Francisco. She enrolled at San Francisco State University, where she helped found the women’s studies department and came out as a lesbian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859278\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka%E2%80%99ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1020x753.jpg\" alt=\"Ka'ahumanu with BiPOL’s contingent at the 1984 SF Pride Parade, led by a red convertible w/ Mayor “Bi-anne Feinstein” and “Princess Bi” from UK waving.\" width=\"640\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1200x886.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu with BiPOL’s contingent at the 1984 SF Pride Parade, led by a red convertible with Mayor “Bi-anne Feinstein” and “Princess Bi” from UK waving. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You were becoming part of this growing community, this giant wave, and there was so much support, and a cheering section, literally,” she told OUTWORDS. But there were limits to that support when it came to people who identified as bisexual. Ka’ahumanu realizes now that, back then, she was part of the biphobia problem within the queer community, actively shunning bi women for having “too much privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, while working as a chef at a new age, clothing-optional resort in Mendocino County, Ka’ahumanu met a younger man who wanted to chat about Adrienne Rich’s poetry. Cut to them hooking up in the storage room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859281\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859281\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-1020x1397.jpg\" alt=\"Ka'ahumanu was the only out bisexual invited to speak on the main stage at the 1993 March on Washington.\" width=\"300\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-1020x1397.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-160x219.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-800x1096.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-768x1052.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-876x1200.jpg 876w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9.jpg 1495w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu was the only out bisexual invited to speak on the main stage at the 1993 March on Washington. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Coming out as bisexual to her newfound community back in San Francisco was rough. Ka’ahumanu felt like “the lesbian who fell from grace” and that she had to prove that she wasn’t a traitor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This experience inspired Ka’ahumanu to dedicate her activist muscle to organizing the bisexual community. She spent the latter part of the ’80s establishing an organization called BiPol to bring bi people from across the country together. From there, she planned the 1990 National Bisexual Conference and pushed for more visibility within the queer community, specifically having the word “bisexual” baked into the name of the March on Washington. In 1993, Ka’ahumanu and her cohorts won a partial victory. The word “bi” would be included, but only if the “sexual” was lopped off. When it came time to speak at the march, Ka’ahumanu realized she was delegated to the last slot out of 18 speakers. As she took the mic and said, “Aloha. It ain’t over ’til the bisexual speaks,” the stage behind her was actively being dismantled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though that March on Washington wasn’t perfect, Ka’ahumanu still takes pride in all that she and her organization achieved. “We were at that national table. We did the work. We were there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Blackberri\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aoo0BIzkXWM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AIDS educator. History-making musician. Uplifter of queer Black men. Yoruba priest. Blackberri is all of those things and more, and the seeds of his multi-faceted personality sprouted from the very beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">Growing up, Blackberri couldn’t get enough of music. He spent his time pretending to be a conductor in front of the radio, playing the harmonica or singing pop songs from his front stoop to the kids in his neighborhood. He also couldn’t get enough of sex. After his mom caught Blackberri and a friend with nothing but pillows in their laps, the mother and son had a heart-to-heart. “From that day on, that was my liberation notice,” Blackberri remembered in his OUTWORDS interview. “I became more flamboyant and more out and just totally unafraid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859282\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859282\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5.jpeg\" alt=\"Blackberri in the Navy.\" width=\"300\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5.jpeg 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5-160x214.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri in the Navy. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, Blackberri was drafted into the military. He was initially interested in going into the Air Force, but changed his mind when he saw all the Navy boys’ bell bottoms and “nice round butts.” Dry-docked on the East Coast, there was plenty of time to get down. Blackberri narrowly avoided a dishonorable discharge for expressing his sexuality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his time in the military, Blackberri moved around, performing in Wales and spending some time at a feminist collective in Tuscon, Arizona where a lesbian called Hummingbird anointed him with his name (she thought he was dark and sweet).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859283\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859283\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-1020x1495.jpg\" alt=\"Blackberri performing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.\" width=\"300\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-1020x1495.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-160x234.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-800x1172.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-768x1126.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-819x1200.jpg 819w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4.jpg 1044w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri performing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Music eventually brought him to the Bay Area, where he wrote songs with lyrics like, “You’re such a beautiful black man / But you walk with your head bent and low / Don’t do that anymore / I see the beauty I wish that you knew.” In 1975, he made history on KQED airwaves by starring in a concert called \u003cem>Two Songmakers\u003c/em>, which marked the first time music about the gay experience was featured on public television in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackberri’s career as a singer-songwriter eventually took a back seat due to the AIDS epidemic. Blackberri worked in the AIDS ward at San Francisco General as a death and dying counselor with \u003ca href=\"http://www.shanti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Shanti Project\u003c/a>. Witnessing the effects of the disease inspired Blackberri to shift his focus to prevention, specifically as it pertained to the black community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859284\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859284\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-1020x1292.jpg\" alt=\"Blackberri and his guitar.\" width=\"300\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-1020x1292.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-800x1013.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-768x973.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-947x1200.jpg 947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7.jpg 1617w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri and his guitar. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Black people have always been negroes, always been considered ugly,” he said to OUTWORDS. “So there’s a lot of internalized stuff around how we look, how we are, our hair, our lips. Some people buy into it and that internalized self-hatred has driven the AIDS epidemic. People didn’t feel they were important enough to take care of themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through workshops, field trips, film screenings, meals, affirmations, meditations and visualizations, Blackberri helped build people up, made them feel special and convinced them that they were worth saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the work of Blackberri and people like him, the LGBTQ+ community is in a better place than it was during the worst days of the AIDS epidemic. But we still have fights ahead. And the only way we win them, according to Blackberri, is if all marginalized communities stick together and show up for each other. “Until we build alliances, we’re not gonna go anywhere,” he said. “When all the fingers close, then you have a fist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Jewelle Gomez\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859285\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859285\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-1020x1450.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez at NYC Pride in 1989.\" width=\"640\" height=\"910\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-1020x1450.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-800x1137.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-768x1092.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-844x1200.jpg 844w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3.jpg 1441w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez at NYC Pride in 1989. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From combatting media bias against gay men during the AIDS crisis to challenging discriminatory marriage laws, Jewelle Gomez has dedicated her life to standing up against injustice. She got her first up-close look at bigotry in her youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the most part, Gomez lived a quiet, happy childhood with her great-grandmother in Massachusetts. But that changed when Gomez visited her mother’s home in a faraway mill town and learning an ugly truth about this country. Because of her mother’s lighter complexion, her neighbors assumed she was white. When they saw Gomez, her grandmother and her great-grandmother, “it became this horror show,” she told OUTWORDS. “People burned trash on their front yard, threw bricks through their window, called with threatening phone calls day and night.” The harassment continued until the 95 Interstate cut through the neighborhood, forcing everyone to move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The experience instilled an internalized racism in her mother, who didn’t approve when Gomez stopped straightening her hair and got involved with African-American culture. But for Gomez, it was a call to fight back against intolerance by being fully herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859286\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859286\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1020x664.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with family in Boston in 1948.\" width=\"300\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1020x664.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-768x500.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1200x782.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1920x1251.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with family in Boston in 1948. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After defending herself from a particularly egregious instance of street harassment, Gomez channeled her rage into a novel called \u003cem>The Gilda Stories\u003c/em> about a queer vampire, which was published in 1991 with the help of mentor Audre Lorde.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859287\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859287\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1020x847.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with Audre Lorde, filming 'Before Stonewall' in 1984.\" width=\"300\" height=\"249\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1020x847.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--160x133.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--800x664.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--768x638.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1200x997.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1920x1595.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2-.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with Audre Lorde, filming ‘Before Stonewall’ in 1984. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">In the 1985, Gomez became one of the founders of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), now one of the country’s most prominent LGBTQ+ organizations. \u003c/span>When the mainstream media covered the AIDS epidemic by focusing on what was “wrong” with gay culture—the sex, the bathhouses—Gomez and other GLAAD founders protested the demonization. In 1987, they landed the first editorial meeting that \u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> held with a gay organization, and worked with them on changing the national conversation. For Gomez, that moment was proof of the LGBTQ+ community’s capacity to join together and take back power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decades later, another battle was brewing: the one around marriage equality. While Gomez always had misgiving around the institution of marriage, as it was designed to keep women in their place, she and her partner agreed to become litigants in the ACLU and NCLR suit against the State of California. After spending four years on the campaign trail, telling her story and advocating for equal treatment under the law, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in 2008, a feat that had seemed impossible just a few years prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859288\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859288\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1020x683.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with spouse Diane Sabin in 2013. \" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1920x1285.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with spouse Diane Sabin in 2013. \u003ccite>(Irene Young)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">Through her fiction, her advocacy and sharing her life story through projects like OUTWORDS, Gomez hopes to continue bridging the gaps between communities, “whether that means a person who lives in Idaho who’s never met a black lesbian or a person who lives in New York City who’s too cool to hang out with an old lesbian.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>More information on Mason Funk’s The Book of Pride and OUTWORDS’ digital platform can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "From the Stonewall riots to the 1993 March on Washington, these LGBTQ+ pioneers paved the way. ",
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"title": "Meet the LGBTQ+ Elders Who Rioted, Organized and Lobbied to Change History | KQED",
"description": "From the Stonewall riots to the 1993 March on Washington, these LGBTQ+ pioneers paved the way. ",
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"headline": "Meet the LGBTQ+ Elders Who Rioted, Organized and Lobbied to Change History",
"datePublished": "2019-06-10T12:45:13-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pride season is upon us, with its parties, parades and rainbow regalia. But none of it would be possible without the tireless advocacy and protest power of our LGBTQ+ elders. Their stories of fighting for queer and trans rights should be permanently ingrained in our memories and the memories of those to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where Mason Funk comes in. In 2014, a question kept buzzing around his head: “How did I and millions of other LGBTQ+ people get from there to here?” Funk answered it by creating \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OUTWORDS\u003c/a>, a multi-media archive, and its accompanying \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/bookofpride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Book of Pride\u003c/em>\u003c/a> to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ pioneers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project includes over one hundred powerful interviews with subjects from all across the country. Here, we take a look at the stories of five changemakers featured in OUTWORDS, including a survivor of the Stonewall riots who isn’t afraid to curse; an activist who won marriage rights from the California Supreme Court; a housewife who turned in her white picket fence for the March on Washington stage; a Two-Spirit activist who battled prejudice on the ballot and within the medical community and won; and a Yoruba priest who devoted himself to educating his community about AIDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Miss Major Griffin-Gracy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1020x572.png\" alt=\"Miss Major at a Pride Parade in San Francisco.\" width=\"640\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1020x572.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-800x449.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-768x431.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1200x673.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM-1920x1077.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-01-at-12.49.26-AM.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miss Major at a Pride Parade in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’ve never heard Miss Major’s name, where have you been? The veteran of the Stonewall Rebellion has been making waves for over 40 years, fighting for incarcerated trans people through San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.tgijp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trans, Gender-Variant and Intersex Justice Project\u003c/a> until her recent retirement. Her impact has been so—um—major that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.missmajorfilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an entire film\u003c/a> about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fighting spirit that made Miss Major famous has been with her since she was born so premature that she could fit in the palm of her father’s hand. “I’ve been a struggling bitch from the moment I took breath, fighting to hang in there and survive and be here, and make myself known,” she told OUTWORDS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised in Chicago, Miss Major started secretly wearing her mother’s clothes and clip-clopping around the house in her heels around the age of 15. When her mother found out, she was beaten. When her school found out, she was expelled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859270\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859270\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1020x704.jpg\" alt=\"An elated Miss Major.\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1020x704.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-800x552.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-768x530.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1200x829.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4-1920x1326.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo4.jpg 1974w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An elated Miss Major. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the ’60s, Miss Major found her way to New York, where the city’s rich diversity instantly proved to be a balm. Soon, she found a sense of community on the streets with fellow working girls. “Hooking at that time was a f-cking blessing,” she said. “The money was good. The johns were great.” But things eventually took a turn for the dangerous around 1967. Girls were turning up dead, and the police didn’t value their lives enough to investigate. So Miss Major and her friends started taking down license plate numbers, memorizing faces and crafting other methods of ensuring each other’s safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859271\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859271\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-1020x1328.jpg\" alt=\"Miss Major serving a look.\" width=\"300\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-1020x1328.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-160x208.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-800x1042.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-768x1000.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1-922x1200.jpg 922w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Griffin-Gracy_Miss-Major_photo1.jpg 1573w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miss Major serving a look. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Miss Major)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sick of the mistreatment, Miss Major started carrying a hammer for protection; other girls carried knives. As she recalls, if a scuffle broke out, police let male instigators free and arrested the women for defending themselves. Miss Major became known as someone who would reliably accompany girls in trouble with the law to court (something she continued to do into her 70s).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1969, Miss Major frequented a Cheers-esque bar called Stonewall, where everyone knew her name and where she and her friends felt seen and understood. At the time, many aspects of queer and trans life were illegal, and police regularly raided the bar. They got more than they bargained for on June 28, 1969, when a group of fed-up people fought back. Miss Major was there. “I don’t remember a shoe, a brick, a bottle, a body, a garbage can,” she told OUTWORDS. “All I know is we were fighting for our life and we were kicking the cops’ ass.” That moment became the spark that ignited the modern-day LGBTQ+ rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">Until her recent retirement to Arizona, Miss Major continued to make a difference in the lives of working women in Oakland, whom she calls her babies. “I’ll take my cane and hobble across the street … and sit on the bench and talk to them,” she said. “The world doesn’t care about us. I want them all to know that somebody does.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Marcus Arana\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/dBwvns4XH6g'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/dBwvns4XH6g'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Marcus Arana’s journey to becoming a Two-Spirit activist fighting for the rights of trans and intersex people can be traced all the way back to a movie theater. At four-years-old, he saw a blue fairy turn Pinocchio into a real boy. Assigned female at birth, Arana turned to his mother and asked for his own blue fairy. She explained that girls could never be boys. In that moment, Arana learned two things: that he was different and that he shouldn’t talk about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859275\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859275\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1020x746.jpg\" alt=\"Arana at age 25 at a Halloween dance as a persona called Dread Weatherly.\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12-1200x878.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Mary_Photo12.jpg 1519w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arana at age 25 at a Halloween dance as a persona called Dread Weatherly. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Marcus Arana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And he didn’t throughout a lonely and rough childhood, which forced him to leave home at age 14. He eventually came out as queer and moved to San Francisco in 1976, which felt “like the sun coming out and you can hear the munchkins singing as we all went down the yellow brick road.” But, just as Dorothy and her pals had to contend with the Wicked Witch of the West, Arana and other California gays faced off against their own villain: the Briggs Initiative, a \u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">1978\u003c/span> ballot measure that, if passed, would ban gays and lesbians from working in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inspired by California’s first openly gay public official, Harvey Milk, Arana committed himself to fighting back through protest, grassroots organizing and visibility, and the Briggs Initiative was defeated at the ballot box by 16.8 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That wouldn’t be the last bit of change Arana had a hand in crafting. When he was 37 years old and working at Community United Against Violence, an organization dedicated to addressing violence against the LGBTQ+ community, Arana finally gave into the feeling that had been nagging him since he first saw \u003cem>Pinnochio\u003c/em>. In a staff meeting, he blurted out that he’s trans. “It was like squeezing a tube of toothpaste where all of this stuff comes out and you can’t cram it back in again, you can’t unring the bell,” he told OUTWORDS. “It was liberating, it was magic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859276\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859276\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1020x681.jpg\" alt=\"Arana at age 38, early in his transition, when he began to smile in pictures for the first time.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Arana_Marcus_Photo6.jpg 1785w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arana at age 38, early in his transition, when he began to smile in pictures for the first time. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Marcus Arana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the time of his transition, being trans was considered a gender identity disorder and treated like a psychological problem. Arana got back in the fight, educating commissioners, the Health Service Board, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and ultimately, through television appearances, the American public about discrimination against trans people in the health industry. Through his education, hearts and minds slowly began to change, and with them, policies and laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Arana’s proudest achievement as an advocate came in 2003 when he was working at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission as a discrimination investigator. Intersex activists came to him with stories of how those born with bodies that don’t readily fit into what society considers male or female were assigned a gender through non-consensual surgery at birth or during childhood (often without the input of the parents, let alone the patient). This usually necessitated even more surgeries down the line and spawned all kinds of future physical and mental issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to prevent any more suffering, Arana wrote a report for the HRC that declared the non-consensual “medical normalization” of intersex people a human rights violation. The report is now used internationally and has helped change the way the medical community views and supports intersex children.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lani Ka’ahumanu\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/LwG1NOG2y_Q'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/LwG1NOG2y_Q'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Lani Ka’ahumanu had to come out multiple times: first as someone who no longer wanted a white picket fence and a husband, then as a lesbian activist and finally as a bisexual carving out a space for people like her within the gay rights movement. The unexpected zigs and zags of her life shocked her friends and family, and even herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859279\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859279\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka%E2%80%99ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1020x1081.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1020x1081.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-160x170.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-800x848.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-768x814.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1132x1200.jpg 1132w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5-1920x2035.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo5.jpg 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu’s junior prom in 1959 with future husband, captain of the football team and champion wrestler. (That’s a mat burn from a wrestling match on his face.) \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing up, Ka’ahumanu always knew what was expected of her: marry a man and have kids. And she played along for a while, falling in love with the captain of the football team, marrying him at 19 and having two kids by the time she was 24. But then she met a new friend who didn’t shave her legs and shared stories of the women’s rights movement. It wasn’t long before Ka’ahumanu changed her honorific from Mrs. to Ms., got involved with the anti-Vietnam War movement, started collecting food for the Black Panther Breakfast Program and boycotting grapes alongside the United Farm Workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Ka’ahumanu started crying a lot and couldn’t figure out why. She had the cookie-cutter picture of a full heterosexual life,\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">but something was missing.\u003c/span> \u003c/span>As hard as it was, with her husband’s support, she made the difficult decision to leave him and their kids behind and move to San Francisco. She enrolled at San Francisco State University, where she helped found the women’s studies department and came out as a lesbian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859278\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka%E2%80%99ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1020x753.jpg\" alt=\"Ka'ahumanu with BiPOL’s contingent at the 1984 SF Pride Parade, led by a red convertible w/ Mayor “Bi-anne Feinstein” and “Princess Bi” from UK waving.\" width=\"640\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1-1200x886.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka’ahumanu_Lani_photo1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu with BiPOL’s contingent at the 1984 SF Pride Parade, led by a red convertible with Mayor “Bi-anne Feinstein” and “Princess Bi” from UK waving. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You were becoming part of this growing community, this giant wave, and there was so much support, and a cheering section, literally,” she told OUTWORDS. But there were limits to that support when it came to people who identified as bisexual. Ka’ahumanu realizes now that, back then, she was part of the biphobia problem within the queer community, actively shunning bi women for having “too much privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years later, while working as a chef at a new age, clothing-optional resort in Mendocino County, Ka’ahumanu met a younger man who wanted to chat about Adrienne Rich’s poetry. Cut to them hooking up in the storage room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859281\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859281\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-1020x1397.jpg\" alt=\"Ka'ahumanu was the only out bisexual invited to speak on the main stage at the 1993 March on Washington.\" width=\"300\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-1020x1397.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-160x219.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-800x1096.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-768x1052.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9-876x1200.jpg 876w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Ka_ahumanu_Lani_photo9.jpg 1495w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka’ahumanu was the only out bisexual invited to speak on the main stage at the 1993 March on Washington. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Lani Ka'ahumanu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Coming out as bisexual to her newfound community back in San Francisco was rough. Ka’ahumanu felt like “the lesbian who fell from grace” and that she had to prove that she wasn’t a traitor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This experience inspired Ka’ahumanu to dedicate her activist muscle to organizing the bisexual community. She spent the latter part of the ’80s establishing an organization called BiPol to bring bi people from across the country together. From there, she planned the 1990 National Bisexual Conference and pushed for more visibility within the queer community, specifically having the word “bisexual” baked into the name of the March on Washington. In 1993, Ka’ahumanu and her cohorts won a partial victory. The word “bi” would be included, but only if the “sexual” was lopped off. When it came time to speak at the march, Ka’ahumanu realized she was delegated to the last slot out of 18 speakers. As she took the mic and said, “Aloha. It ain’t over ’til the bisexual speaks,” the stage behind her was actively being dismantled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though that March on Washington wasn’t perfect, Ka’ahumanu still takes pride in all that she and her organization achieved. “We were at that national table. We did the work. We were there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Blackberri\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Aoo0BIzkXWM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Aoo0BIzkXWM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>AIDS educator. History-making musician. Uplifter of queer Black men. Yoruba priest. Blackberri is all of those things and more, and the seeds of his multi-faceted personality sprouted from the very beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">Growing up, Blackberri couldn’t get enough of music. He spent his time pretending to be a conductor in front of the radio, playing the harmonica or singing pop songs from his front stoop to the kids in his neighborhood. He also couldn’t get enough of sex. After his mom caught Blackberri and a friend with nothing but pillows in their laps, the mother and son had a heart-to-heart. “From that day on, that was my liberation notice,” Blackberri remembered in his OUTWORDS interview. “I became more flamboyant and more out and just totally unafraid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859282\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859282\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5.jpeg\" alt=\"Blackberri in the Navy.\" width=\"300\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5.jpeg 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo5-160x214.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri in the Navy. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, Blackberri was drafted into the military. He was initially interested in going into the Air Force, but changed his mind when he saw all the Navy boys’ bell bottoms and “nice round butts.” Dry-docked on the East Coast, there was plenty of time to get down. Blackberri narrowly avoided a dishonorable discharge for expressing his sexuality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his time in the military, Blackberri moved around, performing in Wales and spending some time at a feminist collective in Tuscon, Arizona where a lesbian called Hummingbird anointed him with his name (she thought he was dark and sweet).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859283\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859283\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-1020x1495.jpg\" alt=\"Blackberri performing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.\" width=\"300\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-1020x1495.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-160x234.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-800x1172.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-768x1126.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4-819x1200.jpg 819w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo4.jpg 1044w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri performing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Music eventually brought him to the Bay Area, where he wrote songs with lyrics like, “You’re such a beautiful black man / But you walk with your head bent and low / Don’t do that anymore / I see the beauty I wish that you knew.” In 1975, he made history on KQED airwaves by starring in a concert called \u003cem>Two Songmakers\u003c/em>, which marked the first time music about the gay experience was featured on public television in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackberri’s career as a singer-songwriter eventually took a back seat due to the AIDS epidemic. Blackberri worked in the AIDS ward at San Francisco General as a death and dying counselor with \u003ca href=\"http://www.shanti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Shanti Project\u003c/a>. Witnessing the effects of the disease inspired Blackberri to shift his focus to prevention, specifically as it pertained to the black community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859284\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859284\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-1020x1292.jpg\" alt=\"Blackberri and his guitar.\" width=\"300\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-1020x1292.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-800x1013.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-768x973.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7-947x1200.jpg 947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Blackberri_Photo7.jpg 1617w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blackberri and his guitar. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Blackberri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Black people have always been negroes, always been considered ugly,” he said to OUTWORDS. “So there’s a lot of internalized stuff around how we look, how we are, our hair, our lips. Some people buy into it and that internalized self-hatred has driven the AIDS epidemic. People didn’t feel they were important enough to take care of themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through workshops, field trips, film screenings, meals, affirmations, meditations and visualizations, Blackberri helped build people up, made them feel special and convinced them that they were worth saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the work of Blackberri and people like him, the LGBTQ+ community is in a better place than it was during the worst days of the AIDS epidemic. But we still have fights ahead. And the only way we win them, according to Blackberri, is if all marginalized communities stick together and show up for each other. “Until we build alliances, we’re not gonna go anywhere,” he said. “When all the fingers close, then you have a fist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Jewelle Gomez\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859285\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13859285\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-1020x1450.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez at NYC Pride in 1989.\" width=\"640\" height=\"910\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-1020x1450.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-800x1137.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-768x1092.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3-844x1200.jpg 844w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo3.jpg 1441w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez at NYC Pride in 1989. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From combatting media bias against gay men during the AIDS crisis to challenging discriminatory marriage laws, Jewelle Gomez has dedicated her life to standing up against injustice. She got her first up-close look at bigotry in her youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the most part, Gomez lived a quiet, happy childhood with her great-grandmother in Massachusetts. But that changed when Gomez visited her mother’s home in a faraway mill town and learning an ugly truth about this country. Because of her mother’s lighter complexion, her neighbors assumed she was white. When they saw Gomez, her grandmother and her great-grandmother, “it became this horror show,” she told OUTWORDS. “People burned trash on their front yard, threw bricks through their window, called with threatening phone calls day and night.” The harassment continued until the 95 Interstate cut through the neighborhood, forcing everyone to move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The experience instilled an internalized racism in her mother, who didn’t approve when Gomez stopped straightening her hair and got involved with African-American culture. But for Gomez, it was a call to fight back against intolerance by being fully herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859286\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859286\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1020x664.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with family in Boston in 1948.\" width=\"300\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1020x664.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-768x500.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1200x782.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1-1920x1251.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with family in Boston in 1948. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After defending herself from a particularly egregious instance of street harassment, Gomez channeled her rage into a novel called \u003cem>The Gilda Stories\u003c/em> about a queer vampire, which was published in 1991 with the help of mentor Audre Lorde.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859287\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859287\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1020x847.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with Audre Lorde, filming 'Before Stonewall' in 1984.\" width=\"300\" height=\"249\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1020x847.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--160x133.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--800x664.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--768x638.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1200x997.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2--1920x1595.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo2-.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with Audre Lorde, filming ‘Before Stonewall’ in 1984. \u003ccite>(Photo courtesy of Jewelle Gomez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">In the 1985, Gomez became one of the founders of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), now one of the country’s most prominent LGBTQ+ organizations. \u003c/span>When the mainstream media covered the AIDS epidemic by focusing on what was “wrong” with gay culture—the sex, the bathhouses—Gomez and other GLAAD founders protested the demonization. In 1987, they landed the first editorial meeting that \u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> held with a gay organization, and worked with them on changing the national conversation. For Gomez, that moment was proof of the LGBTQ+ community’s capacity to join together and take back power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decades later, another battle was brewing: the one around marriage equality. While Gomez always had misgiving around the institution of marriage, as it was designed to keep women in their place, she and her partner agreed to become litigants in the ACLU and NCLR suit against the State of California. After spending four years on the campaign trail, telling her story and advocating for equal treatment under the law, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in 2008, a feat that had seemed impossible just a few years prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859288\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13859288\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1020x683.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelle Gomez with spouse Diane Sabin in 2013. \" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013-1920x1285.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Gomez_Jewelle_photo14_w-spouse-Diane-Sabin-by-Irene-Young-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelle Gomez with spouse Diane Sabin in 2013. \u003ccite>(Irene Young)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000\">Through her fiction, her advocacy and sharing her life story through projects like OUTWORDS, Gomez hopes to continue bridging the gaps between communities, “whether that means a person who lives in Idaho who’s never met a black lesbian or a person who lives in New York City who’s too cool to hang out with an old lesbian.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>More information on Mason Funk’s The Book of Pride and OUTWORDS’ digital platform can be found \u003ca href=\"https://www.theoutwordsarchive.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-the-trans-community-reclaimed-its-rightful-place-at-pride",
"title": "How the Trans Community Reclaimed Its Rightful Place at Pride",
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"headTitle": "How the Trans Community Reclaimed Its Rightful Place at Pride | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Mia Satya’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.transmarch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trans March\u003c/a> was revolutionary.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> In 2010, Satya was new to the Bay Area, having come to San Francisco to escape the transphobia she experienced in Texas, where she was born. She was attending the Trans March as part of the group Trans Ladies Initiating Sisterhood, and she was about to dance in front of thousands of people for the first time ever. [aside postid='arts_13858290']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Satya had never before had a chance like this. Dancing as her true self was an important way of defying the transphobia she’d encountered in her home state, and she was doing it in front 5,000 cheering people who were celebrating her transgender identity. “It was a life-changing opportunity,” she says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='large' align='right' citation='Mia Satya of the San Francisco LGBT Center']“\u003cspan class=\"s1\">We’ll keep marching until we don’t have to any more.”[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Now an employment services coordinator with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco LGBT Center\u003c/a>, Satya advocates for transgender people in multiple ways, including helping facilitate the Trans March every year. She also staffs the LGBT Center’s booth in the march’s resource fair, where she meets new members of the community, engages with clients the center may have lost touch with, builds connections with businesses that want to hire more trans people and spreads the word about its trans employment program. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Satya says that “all hands are on deck” for the Trans March, which takes place on June 28 this year. For the SF LGBT Center, which also supports the central Pride March and the Dyke March, being at the Trans March is a way of making a clear statement of its commitment to the transgender community. Despite great advances since the first Trans March in 2004, many trans people still feel excluded from Pride and from LGBTQ+ communities in San Francisco. The “LBG” movement has not always been inclusive to the “T,” so the LGBT Center is one of many organizations that prioritizes sending a message of openness and collaboration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The fight for trans inclusion at Pride\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Nowadays the Trans March is an essential part of Pride, lasting an entire day and featuring a youth and elder brunch, resource fair, transformation booth, speakers and performances. But it wasn’t always like this. [aside postid='arts_13844019']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Though trans women of color like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13844019/ah-mer-ah-sus-major-soundtrack-feeds-the-spirit-of-trans-resistance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miss Major Griffin-Gracy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Rivera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sylvia Rivera\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsha_P._Johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marsha P. Johnson\u003c/a> played an essential role in the Stonewall uprising of 1969—a riot against police brutality in New York City that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement—by the early 1970s, when Pride first came together, there was no particular space for people who wanted to celebrate transgender identity. In fact, the gay, lesbian and bisexual community often discriminated against trans people. This is reflective of the era, as transgender people were grossly misunderstood, and there were scant services available for people living as their true gender. Additionally, the gay movement had become much more mainstream—and became dominated by the white, male masculine aesthetic that characterizes it to this day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859036\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung.jpg\" alt=\"The first Trans March in 2004 reclaimed the trans community's rightful place in San Francisco's Pride celebration.\" width=\"720\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first Trans March in 2004 reclaimed the trans community’s rightful place in San Francisco’s Pride celebration. \u003ccite>(Cecilia Chung)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Furthermore, the gay rights movement found success with a conformist message geared towards assimilation into straight norms. Some gay and lesbian organizers feared that the inclusion of trans people would undermine the movement’s gains. These divisions were highlighted in 1973, when homosexuality was officially removed as a mental illness from the American Psychiatric Association’s \u003ci>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. \u003c/i>It would take another 40 years for gender identity disorder, the diagnosis that was generally given to trans people, to become similarly destigmatized in 2013.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> These factors set the stage for what happened in 1973, when Pride became openly hostile toward trans people. In \u003ci>Transgender History\u003c/i>, transgender historian Susan Stryker recounts that in that year, San Francisco Pride consisted of two main events: one was a trans-friendly event, organized by gay activist and Pentecostal preacher Reverend Raymond Broshears; the other event “expressly forbid transgender people from participating.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> According to Styker, the transphobic event was the more successful one, setting the tone for decades to come: “Broshears never organized another Gay Pride event, while the anti-drag event became the forerunner of the current San Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride celebration.” (In the ’70s, people often didn’t distinguish between drag queens and transgender women. Many lesbian activists at the time believed that drag was “misogynist,” hence the Stryker’s use of “anti-drag.”) [aside postid='arts_13835520']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Transgender activist Cecilia Chung says that by 2004 things were quite different, and the San Francisco Pride organization was very willing to support a march devoted to trans empowerment. That year, an anonymous email circulated, calling on anyone who was gender nonconforming to march in conjunction with SF Pride weekend. A number of local activists came together around the call-to-action and decided to take on the responsibility of turning the gathering into a well-organized march.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung, who was on the board of directors of SF Pride at the time, took on fundraising for the original Trans March. She says it raised between $3,000 and $5,000, which went into sound systems, a performance space and safety minders. Pride and the Dyke March pitched in with logistical support and Porta Potties. The sex shop Good Vibrations, which has long been a trans-friendly employer, donated water and other beverages. Altogether, somewhere around 3,000 people marched in 2004, starting at Dolores Park and making their way to Civic Center.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung says that the first Trans March was undertaken for a number of reasons, a major one being to demand justice for \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/14/the-murder-of-gwen-araujo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gwen Araujo\u003c/a>. Araujo was a trans woman who was brutally beaten to death in 2002 by four men who discovered she was transgender after flirting with her, and, in the case of two, having sexual relations. The trial began shortly before the first Trans March in April 2004, with Gloria Allred representing Araujo’s family. A mistrial had just been declared. It was a bitter setback for trans rights. (Eventually, two of the men were convicted of second-degree murder; the other two pleaded guilty and no contest to manslaughter.) [aside postid='arts_13858167']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Allred and the family of Gwen Araujo attended the march, and they were not the only high-profile visitors. Senator Kamala Harris, who at the time was San Francisco District Attorney, was there, along with a number of other prominent local politicians. The politicized tone of fighting back against injustice, inequity and the brutal murders of trans people became a central part of the Trans March that continues to this day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> There has been a lot to fight about. The 2008 march raged against Democrats in Congress, who, led by then-congressman Barney Frank, chose to dump trans people from an LGB-friendly version of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/House-cuts-transgender-people-from-hate-crimes-2538277.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employment Non-Discrimination Act\u003c/a> with the support of the Human Rights Campaign.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859037\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13859037\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-800x723.jpg\" alt=\"The SF LGBT center promotes its trans employment resource program at the 2017 Trans March.\" width=\"800\" height=\"723\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-160x145.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-768x694.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SF LGBT center promotes its trans employment resource program at the 2017 Trans March. \u003ccite>(SF LGBT Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">The 2016 Trans March gave a key piece of transgender history a permanent space in San Francisco when it concluded with the renaming of a Tenderloin street in remembrance of the historic riot at Compton’s Cafeteria, which took place in 1966, three years before Stonewall. This incident, in which gay and transgender patrons came together to demand equal treatment and defy police harassment, was a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights. In late 2018, part of the Tenderloin became designated as the world’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11717648/worlds-first-transgender-culture-district-looks-to-the-past-and-the-future\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transgender Cultural District\u003c/a>. This was a much-needed victory at a time when the Trump administration introduced plans to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/us/politics/transgender-trump-administration-sex-definition.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">severely undermine trans rights\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung recalls that the original Trans March was an important means of bringing together activists in the Bay Area, creating an atmosphere ripe for cross-pollination. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.castrocountryclub.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Castro Country Club\u003c/a>, a space that supports LGBTQ+ people in substance-abuse recovery, was instrumental in producing fundraisers for the first march, establishing links between different segments of the LGBTQ+ community. Furthermore, organizations like \u003ca href=\"http://tgsf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transgender San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftmi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FTM International\u003c/a>—the first organization specifically founded to advance the interests of transmasculine people—began to meet up and work toward collaboration. “A lot of things started around that time,” Chung says, including quarterly transgender events at the SF LGBT Center, and community town halls with some 500 people in attendance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> The march also brought about a heightened profile for transgender advocacy. Chung recalls that in advance of the second march in 2005, she was interviewed by a television reporter from England. People were coming from far away to participate in the 2005 march, and the San Francisco organizers began cooperating with a similar event in New York City, arranging bicoastal transgender events on the same day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Trans March today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Chung says that while Pride has come to be more of a celebration than a political act, today’s Trans March very much reflects its radical roots. “The march is always meant to be a political statement,” she says. This is a necessity, as trans people are still so far from having full equality under the law, as well as simply having the resources necessary to live and celebrate their identity. Reflecting the radical spirit that has led the transgender movement to find creative ways to support itself and demand its rights, the organization of the march is highly democratized, with regularly rotating leadership and an emphasis on volunteerism over institutionalization to ensure the flow of new ideas. [aside postid='arts_13858699']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Recent developments in the Trans March reflect that spirit. Satya says that the Youth and Elder Brunch, which began in 2012, “opens up an important opportunity for dialog between generations.” In a community that still remains fractured along lines of class and age, the brunch provides a vital means of building trans community and inclusivity, staying true to the march’s earliest foundations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> While the Trans March is an annual reminder of the many gains that trans people have made since 2004, Satya says that it’s also a way of illuminating the things that are still to be done. With the Trump administration allowing doctors to \u003ca href=\"https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/the-trump-administration-just-said-religious-doctors-can-refuse-medical-treatment-for-patients/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deny of medical services to transgender patients\u003c/a>, banning transgender servicemembers from the military and threatening to define trans people out of existence, there is a lot of action needed before trans people have their full rights as American citizens. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">“We’ll keep marching until we don’t have to any more,” Satya says. “I hope that one day we’ll pass an equality act and won’t have discrimination anywhere, but until then we need to keep marching and fighting.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "How the Trans Community Reclaimed Its Rightful Place at Pride | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Mia Satya’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.transmarch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trans March\u003c/a> was revolutionary.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> In 2010, Satya was new to the Bay Area, having come to San Francisco to escape the transphobia she experienced in Texas, where she was born. She was attending the Trans March as part of the group Trans Ladies Initiating Sisterhood, and she was about to dance in front of thousands of people for the first time ever. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Satya had never before had a chance like this. Dancing as her true self was an important way of defying the transphobia she’d encountered in her home state, and she was doing it in front 5,000 cheering people who were celebrating her transgender identity. “It was a life-changing opportunity,” she says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“\u003cspan class=\"s1\">We’ll keep marching until we don’t have to any more.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Now an employment services coordinator with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcenter.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco LGBT Center\u003c/a>, Satya advocates for transgender people in multiple ways, including helping facilitate the Trans March every year. She also staffs the LGBT Center’s booth in the march’s resource fair, where she meets new members of the community, engages with clients the center may have lost touch with, builds connections with businesses that want to hire more trans people and spreads the word about its trans employment program. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Satya says that “all hands are on deck” for the Trans March, which takes place on June 28 this year. For the SF LGBT Center, which also supports the central Pride March and the Dyke March, being at the Trans March is a way of making a clear statement of its commitment to the transgender community. Despite great advances since the first Trans March in 2004, many trans people still feel excluded from Pride and from LGBTQ+ communities in San Francisco. The “LBG” movement has not always been inclusive to the “T,” so the LGBT Center is one of many organizations that prioritizes sending a message of openness and collaboration.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The fight for trans inclusion at Pride\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Nowadays the Trans March is an essential part of Pride, lasting an entire day and featuring a youth and elder brunch, resource fair, transformation booth, speakers and performances. But it wasn’t always like this. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Though trans women of color like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13844019/ah-mer-ah-sus-major-soundtrack-feeds-the-spirit-of-trans-resistance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miss Major Griffin-Gracy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Rivera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sylvia Rivera\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsha_P._Johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marsha P. Johnson\u003c/a> played an essential role in the Stonewall uprising of 1969—a riot against police brutality in New York City that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement—by the early 1970s, when Pride first came together, there was no particular space for people who wanted to celebrate transgender identity. In fact, the gay, lesbian and bisexual community often discriminated against trans people. This is reflective of the era, as transgender people were grossly misunderstood, and there were scant services available for people living as their true gender. Additionally, the gay movement had become much more mainstream—and became dominated by the white, male masculine aesthetic that characterizes it to this day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859036\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung.jpg\" alt=\"The first Trans March in 2004 reclaimed the trans community's rightful place in San Francisco's Pride celebration.\" width=\"720\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/trans-march-2004-2-cecilia-chung-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first Trans March in 2004 reclaimed the trans community’s rightful place in San Francisco’s Pride celebration. \u003ccite>(Cecilia Chung)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Furthermore, the gay rights movement found success with a conformist message geared towards assimilation into straight norms. Some gay and lesbian organizers feared that the inclusion of trans people would undermine the movement’s gains. These divisions were highlighted in 1973, when homosexuality was officially removed as a mental illness from the American Psychiatric Association’s \u003ci>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. \u003c/i>It would take another 40 years for gender identity disorder, the diagnosis that was generally given to trans people, to become similarly destigmatized in 2013.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> These factors set the stage for what happened in 1973, when Pride became openly hostile toward trans people. In \u003ci>Transgender History\u003c/i>, transgender historian Susan Stryker recounts that in that year, San Francisco Pride consisted of two main events: one was a trans-friendly event, organized by gay activist and Pentecostal preacher Reverend Raymond Broshears; the other event “expressly forbid transgender people from participating.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> According to Styker, the transphobic event was the more successful one, setting the tone for decades to come: “Broshears never organized another Gay Pride event, while the anti-drag event became the forerunner of the current San Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride celebration.” (In the ’70s, people often didn’t distinguish between drag queens and transgender women. Many lesbian activists at the time believed that drag was “misogynist,” hence the Stryker’s use of “anti-drag.”) \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Transgender activist Cecilia Chung says that by 2004 things were quite different, and the San Francisco Pride organization was very willing to support a march devoted to trans empowerment. That year, an anonymous email circulated, calling on anyone who was gender nonconforming to march in conjunction with SF Pride weekend. A number of local activists came together around the call-to-action and decided to take on the responsibility of turning the gathering into a well-organized march.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung, who was on the board of directors of SF Pride at the time, took on fundraising for the original Trans March. She says it raised between $3,000 and $5,000, which went into sound systems, a performance space and safety minders. Pride and the Dyke March pitched in with logistical support and Porta Potties. The sex shop Good Vibrations, which has long been a trans-friendly employer, donated water and other beverages. Altogether, somewhere around 3,000 people marched in 2004, starting at Dolores Park and making their way to Civic Center.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung says that the first Trans March was undertaken for a number of reasons, a major one being to demand justice for \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/14/the-murder-of-gwen-araujo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gwen Araujo\u003c/a>. Araujo was a trans woman who was brutally beaten to death in 2002 by four men who discovered she was transgender after flirting with her, and, in the case of two, having sexual relations. The trial began shortly before the first Trans March in April 2004, with Gloria Allred representing Araujo’s family. A mistrial had just been declared. It was a bitter setback for trans rights. (Eventually, two of the men were convicted of second-degree murder; the other two pleaded guilty and no contest to manslaughter.) \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Allred and the family of Gwen Araujo attended the march, and they were not the only high-profile visitors. Senator Kamala Harris, who at the time was San Francisco District Attorney, was there, along with a number of other prominent local politicians. The politicized tone of fighting back against injustice, inequity and the brutal murders of trans people became a central part of the Trans March that continues to this day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> There has been a lot to fight about. The 2008 march raged against Democrats in Congress, who, led by then-congressman Barney Frank, chose to dump trans people from an LGB-friendly version of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/House-cuts-transgender-people-from-hate-crimes-2538277.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employment Non-Discrimination Act\u003c/a> with the support of the Human Rights Campaign.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859037\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13859037\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-800x723.jpg\" alt=\"The SF LGBT center promotes its trans employment resource program at the 2017 Trans March.\" width=\"800\" height=\"723\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-160x145.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/hire-trans-lgbt-center-768x694.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SF LGBT center promotes its trans employment resource program at the 2017 Trans March. \u003ccite>(SF LGBT Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">The 2016 Trans March gave a key piece of transgender history a permanent space in San Francisco when it concluded with the renaming of a Tenderloin street in remembrance of the historic riot at Compton’s Cafeteria, which took place in 1966, three years before Stonewall. This incident, in which gay and transgender patrons came together to demand equal treatment and defy police harassment, was a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights. In late 2018, part of the Tenderloin became designated as the world’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11717648/worlds-first-transgender-culture-district-looks-to-the-past-and-the-future\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transgender Cultural District\u003c/a>. This was a much-needed victory at a time when the Trump administration introduced plans to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/us/politics/transgender-trump-administration-sex-definition.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">severely undermine trans rights\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Chung recalls that the original Trans March was an important means of bringing together activists in the Bay Area, creating an atmosphere ripe for cross-pollination. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.castrocountryclub.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Castro Country Club\u003c/a>, a space that supports LGBTQ+ people in substance-abuse recovery, was instrumental in producing fundraisers for the first march, establishing links between different segments of the LGBTQ+ community. Furthermore, organizations like \u003ca href=\"http://tgsf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transgender San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftmi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FTM International\u003c/a>—the first organization specifically founded to advance the interests of transmasculine people—began to meet up and work toward collaboration. “A lot of things started around that time,” Chung says, including quarterly transgender events at the SF LGBT Center, and community town halls with some 500 people in attendance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> The march also brought about a heightened profile for transgender advocacy. Chung recalls that in advance of the second march in 2005, she was interviewed by a television reporter from England. People were coming from far away to participate in the 2005 march, and the San Francisco organizers began cooperating with a similar event in New York City, arranging bicoastal transgender events on the same day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Trans March today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">Chung says that while Pride has come to be more of a celebration than a political act, today’s Trans March very much reflects its radical roots. “The march is always meant to be a political statement,” she says. This is a necessity, as trans people are still so far from having full equality under the law, as well as simply having the resources necessary to live and celebrate their identity. Reflecting the radical spirit that has led the transgender movement to find creative ways to support itself and demand its rights, the organization of the march is highly democratized, with regularly rotating leadership and an emphasis on volunteerism over institutionalization to ensure the flow of new ideas. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> Recent developments in the Trans March reflect that spirit. Satya says that the Youth and Elder Brunch, which began in 2012, “opens up an important opportunity for dialog between generations.” In a community that still remains fractured along lines of class and age, the brunch provides a vital means of building trans community and inclusivity, staying true to the march’s earliest foundations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> While the Trans March is an annual reminder of the many gains that trans people have made since 2004, Satya says that it’s also a way of illuminating the things that are still to be done. With the Trump administration allowing doctors to \u003ca href=\"https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/the-trump-administration-just-said-religious-doctors-can-refuse-medical-treatment-for-patients/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deny of medical services to transgender patients\u003c/a>, banning transgender servicemembers from the military and threatening to define trans people out of existence, there is a lot of action needed before trans people have their full rights as American citizens. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">“We’ll keep marching until we don’t have to any more,” Satya says. “I hope that one day we’ll pass an equality act and won’t have discrimination anywhere, but until then we need to keep marching and fighting.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One Saturday evening last month, dozens of people hovered around a horseshoe-shaped bar in the Mission District of San Francisco. Diffuse blue and fuchsia lights shone on white patent leather sofas, and a DJ played vinyl—mostly throwback funk and disco beating with a steady pulse. Arched over the scene was a pink neon sign with the words “Eagle Creek.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the music quieted, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sadiebarnette.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sadie Barnette\u003c/a> and her father Rodney sat on stools beneath the neon, and explained why this art space, usually known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelab.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Lab\u003c/a>, looked and felt like a nightclub. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rodney recalled, gay bars were among the least hospitable places in San Francisco for black people such as himself. There was hardly a place for gay black people to dance, let alone throw a fundraiser for a gay black political candidate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why I bought the Eagle Creek,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858718\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Sadie Barnette (L) used her residency at The Lab to honor San Francisco's first black-owned gay bar the Eagle Creek Saloon, which her father Rodney (R) opened in 1990.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadie Barnette (L) used her residency at The Lab to honor San Francisco’s first black-owned gay bar the Eagle Creek Saloon, which her father Rodney (R) opened in 1990. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sadie was five years old in 1990 when her father acquired the bar that for the next three years provided gay people of color a site of protest, refuge and revelry on Market Street—”a friendly place with a funky bass for every race,” as its slogan went. Now the Oakland artist is using her \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelab.org/projects/2019/5/11/sadie-barnette-the-new-eagle-creek-saloon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">residency\u003c/a> at the Lab to to honor her father’s venture with “something living, something more than a referential archive,” she said. “I want this to channel Eagle Creek, not just be about it.” [aside postid='arts_13858167']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadie’s most vivid memory of the city’s first black-owned gay bar is from 1992, when the Eagle Creek sponsored what Rodney calls the first black float in the San Francisco Pride parade. The theme was black people through the ages, and Sadie stood alongside pharaohs and astronauts in an ornately tasseled ensemble created by a bar regular. Her residency at the Lab culminates with this year’s parade on June 30, when the entire bar will be hoisted onto a float. Until then, the bar is on view every Wednesday 5-8pm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size='large' align='right' citation='Rodney Barnette, owner of Eagle Creek Saloon']“The bigger the community got, the worse the discrimination was. I started avoiding even driving through the Castro.”[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The New Eagle Creek Saloon” is not a reproduction of Eagle Creek so much as a fondly embellished memory. Sadie called the aesthetic “disco limbo,” saying in a recent interview that it connects to her work in terms of familiar objects or scenes portrayed with a hyperbolic grandeur to suggest their liberatory potential. The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter. There are branded matchbooks and coasters, and the bar itself is sturdy enough for people to dance on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858711\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-800x618.jpg\" alt='L to R: Alvin and Carl Barnette, Eagle Creek regulars Sammy \"La Creek\" and Frank \"Lady F,\" and Rodney Barnette.' width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-1020x788.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-1200x928.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L to R: Alvin and Carl Barnette, Eagle Creek regulars Sammy “La Creek” and Frank “Lady F,” and Rodney Barnette. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sadie Barnette)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sadie aims for the installation to also be a queer social space, inviting organizations such as the Black Aesthetic film collective to contribute programming. This way, the project at once enhances the historical record, gathering memories and materials related to a little-documented bar, and addresses a still-urgent need for black-centered queer spaces. “Discrimination at clubs doesn’t take the same forms now,” she said. “But we shouldn’t relegate the struggle to the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodney was wounded in the Vietnam War, and upon returning to Los Angeles realized American police occupied the black community the way American soldiers occupied Vietnam. He founded the Compton chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968, landing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) watchlist. [aside postid='arts_13858829']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadie incorporated his FBI file, acquired via a public records request, into her installation \u003cem>My Father’s FBI File, Project I\u003c/em>, which debuted in 2016 at the Oakland Museum of California’s exhibition \u003cem>All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50\u003c/em>. She had in mind a piece inspired by Eagle Creek even before that project, but it wasn’t until the Lab residency that she had the opportunity. “Something that’s as much performance as shrine or nightclub needs somewhere as flexible as the Lab,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858712\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rodney, who moved to San Francisco in 1969, said he was surprised to find racism in the gay scene to be more pronounced than in the city over all. As he recalls, the Rendezvous cut the music when black people started to dance, citing a rule against bodily contact, and the Stud removed the black music from the jukebox. At the Mineshaft, like other gay bars, black people were often asked for three forms of identification at the door. “And the bigger the community got, the worse the discrimination was,” Rodney said. “I started avoiding even driving through the Castro.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the opening of the Eagle Creek, in 1990, was followed by what Rodney considered a racist smear in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ newspaper, \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter\u003c/em>. A news item on a white gay man found strangled to death at home noted that he was an Eagle Creek regular with a “sexual preference for black males,” unsubtly implying a connection. Rodney wrote the newspaper expressing sympathy for the victim and outrage at the innuendo, prompting a retraction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858710\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-800x507.jpg\" alt='Sadie Barnette aims for \"The New Eagle Creek Saloon\" to be a queer social space. ' width=\"800\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-800x507.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-768x486.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-1020x646.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-1200x760.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadie Barnette aims for “The New Eagle Creek Saloon” to be a queer social space. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A hub of gay rights activism, the bar hosted fundraisers for groups such as Lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action, which in turn pressured the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to pass legislation forestalling the discriminatory identification checks. The bar closed during candlelight vigils on Market Street for community members lost to the AIDS epidemic. Rodney said it also brought him closer to his two straight brothers. [aside postid='arts_13858699']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Eagle Creek shuttered in 1993 because business tapered during an economic downturn, and another short-lived bar aimed at straight people, The Drunk Tank, opened in its place. But it left deep impressions on its patrons, many of whom turned out to the opening last month at the Lab. After the Barnettes’ presentation, one former regular lyrically recalled a muscular bartender with a tiny chihuahua. Another, choking up, remembered himself as painfully closeted, at all times withdrawn into his hoodie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was hiding,” he said. “At the Eagle Creek, I opened up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One Saturday evening last month, dozens of people hovered around a horseshoe-shaped bar in the Mission District of San Francisco. Diffuse blue and fuchsia lights shone on white patent leather sofas, and a DJ played vinyl—mostly throwback funk and disco beating with a steady pulse. Arched over the scene was a pink neon sign with the words “Eagle Creek.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the music quieted, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sadiebarnette.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sadie Barnette\u003c/a> and her father Rodney sat on stools beneath the neon, and explained why this art space, usually known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelab.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Lab\u003c/a>, looked and felt like a nightclub. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rodney recalled, gay bars were among the least hospitable places in San Francisco for black people such as himself. There was hardly a place for gay black people to dance, let alone throw a fundraiser for a gay black political candidate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why I bought the Eagle Creek,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858718\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Sadie Barnette (L) used her residency at The Lab to honor San Francisco's first black-owned gay bar the Eagle Creek Saloon, which her father Rodney (R) opened in 1990.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Sadie-and-Rodney-Barnette-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadie Barnette (L) used her residency at The Lab to honor San Francisco’s first black-owned gay bar the Eagle Creek Saloon, which her father Rodney (R) opened in 1990. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sadie was five years old in 1990 when her father acquired the bar that for the next three years provided gay people of color a site of protest, refuge and revelry on Market Street—”a friendly place with a funky bass for every race,” as its slogan went. Now the Oakland artist is using her \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelab.org/projects/2019/5/11/sadie-barnette-the-new-eagle-creek-saloon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">residency\u003c/a> at the Lab to to honor her father’s venture with “something living, something more than a referential archive,” she said. “I want this to channel Eagle Creek, not just be about it.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadie’s most vivid memory of the city’s first black-owned gay bar is from 1992, when the Eagle Creek sponsored what Rodney calls the first black float in the San Francisco Pride parade. The theme was black people through the ages, and Sadie stood alongside pharaohs and astronauts in an ornately tasseled ensemble created by a bar regular. Her residency at the Lab culminates with this year’s parade on June 30, when the entire bar will be hoisted onto a float. Until then, the bar is on view every Wednesday 5-8pm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“The bigger the community got, the worse the discrimination was. I started avoiding even driving through the Castro.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The New Eagle Creek Saloon” is not a reproduction of Eagle Creek so much as a fondly embellished memory. Sadie called the aesthetic “disco limbo,” saying in a recent interview that it connects to her work in terms of familiar objects or scenes portrayed with a hyperbolic grandeur to suggest their liberatory potential. The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter. There are branded matchbooks and coasters, and the bar itself is sturdy enough for people to dance on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858711\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-800x618.jpg\" alt='L to R: Alvin and Carl Barnette, Eagle Creek regulars Sammy \"La Creek\" and Frank \"Lady F,\" and Rodney Barnette.' width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-1020x788.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon-1200x928.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Barnette-family-and-regulars-eagle-creek-saloon.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L to R: Alvin and Carl Barnette, Eagle Creek regulars Sammy “La Creek” and Frank “Lady F,” and Rodney Barnette. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sadie Barnette)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sadie aims for the installation to also be a queer social space, inviting organizations such as the Black Aesthetic film collective to contribute programming. This way, the project at once enhances the historical record, gathering memories and materials related to a little-documented bar, and addresses a still-urgent need for black-centered queer spaces. “Discrimination at clubs doesn’t take the same forms now,” she said. “But we shouldn’t relegate the struggle to the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodney was wounded in the Vietnam War, and upon returning to Los Angeles realized American police occupied the black community the way American soldiers occupied Vietnam. He founded the Compton chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968, landing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) watchlist. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadie incorporated his FBI file, acquired via a public records request, into her installation \u003cem>My Father’s FBI File, Project I\u003c/em>, which debuted in 2016 at the Oakland Museum of California’s exhibition \u003cem>All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50\u003c/em>. She had in mind a piece inspired by Eagle Creek even before that project, but it wasn’t until the Lab residency that she had the opportunity. “Something that’s as much performance as shrine or nightclub needs somewhere as flexible as the Lab,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858712\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-sculpture-Eagle-Creek.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bar is part altar, with photos of the Barnette family from the time, and part sculpture, with crushed cans and stereo equipment enameled in glitter. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rodney, who moved to San Francisco in 1969, said he was surprised to find racism in the gay scene to be more pronounced than in the city over all. As he recalls, the Rendezvous cut the music when black people started to dance, citing a rule against bodily contact, and the Stud removed the black music from the jukebox. At the Mineshaft, like other gay bars, black people were often asked for three forms of identification at the door. “And the bigger the community got, the worse the discrimination was,” Rodney said. “I started avoiding even driving through the Castro.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the opening of the Eagle Creek, in 1990, was followed by what Rodney considered a racist smear in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ newspaper, \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter\u003c/em>. A news item on a white gay man found strangled to death at home noted that he was an Eagle Creek regular with a “sexual preference for black males,” unsubtly implying a connection. Rodney wrote the newspaper expressing sympathy for the victim and outrage at the innuendo, prompting a retraction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858710\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-800x507.jpg\" alt='Sadie Barnette aims for \"The New Eagle Creek Saloon\" to be a queer social space. ' width=\"800\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-800x507.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-768x486.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-1020x646.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day-1200x760.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Bar-by-day.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadie Barnette aims for “The New Eagle Creek Saloon” to be a queer social space. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A hub of gay rights activism, the bar hosted fundraisers for groups such as Lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action, which in turn pressured the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to pass legislation forestalling the discriminatory identification checks. The bar closed during candlelight vigils on Market Street for community members lost to the AIDS epidemic. Rodney said it also brought him closer to his two straight brothers. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Eagle Creek shuttered in 1993 because business tapered during an economic downturn, and another short-lived bar aimed at straight people, The Drunk Tank, opened in its place. But it left deep impressions on its patrons, many of whom turned out to the opening last month at the Lab. After the Barnettes’ presentation, one former regular lyrically recalled a muscular bartender with a tiny chihuahua. Another, choking up, remembered himself as painfully closeted, at all times withdrawn into his hoodie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was hiding,” he said. “At the Eagle Creek, I opened up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "When Queer Nation 'Bashed Back' Against Homophobia with Street Patrols and Glitter",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the lingering darkness of the early morning, the queers climbed up a SoMA highway overpass, recently shut down due to structural concerns from the Loma Prieta earthquake. They were on a mission from Catherine Did It, a focus group affiliated with San Francisco’s brand-new chapter of the ostentatious activist organization Queer Nation, which had an estimated 40 chapters around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catherine Did It was created to use guerrilla tactics to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-29-ca-750-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">confront the filming of \u003cem>Basic Instinct\u003c/em>\u003c/a>—a 1992 movie Queer Nation saw as the latest example of Hollywood’s storied obsession with psychotic queer women. In the film, a secondary bisexual character wrings her hands and moans to the brave male protagonist upon being outed, “I was embarrassed. It was the only time I’d been with a woman.” Sleeping with a man seems to cure the anti-heroine of her murderous lesbianism. (Her truculent girlfriend was disposed of in a fatal automobile accident.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1991, in the aftermath of the AIDS epidemic’s terrorizing hold on the queer community, many considered this stereotypical mainstream representation intolerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The activists had been tipped off that the next evening, shooting would take place on the block below their feet—well, not if they had anything to do with it. They opened up the bags of glitter they hauled up to the abandoned stretch of I-280 and let their contents fly. When the film crew arrived, they’d find their trumped-up, urban wasteland location covered in twinkling bits of exquisitely campy queer rage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858730\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation activists march at a New York City peace rally in October 1990.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation activists march at a New York City peace rally in October 1990. \u003ccite>(Tracey Litt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the occasion of Queer Nation’s 25th anniversary in 2015, San Francisco chapter co-founder Mark Duran \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/news//245481\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told the \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he had been inspired to form the group in 1990 after watching a conversation between radical, queer activists from New York and their more staid, Democratic Party-affiliated San Francisco counterparts on KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was at that precise moment that I realized the time was up for asking for crumbs from the table as our gay leaders had been doing for so long,” he remembered. “It was time for us to simply take our place at that table and demand our civil and human rights.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duran, his partner Daniel Paiz and fellow activist Steve Mehall blanketed the Castro and Mission districts with flyers announcing Queer Nation SF’s first meeting, which would take place one month after that of the original New York chapter. The group convened at the historic Women’s Building. An astounding 300 people (as many as 500, by some estimates) came to the first gathering, where a consensus-based, horizontal leadership structure was codified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation='Rachel Pepper, former Queer Nation activist']There was a lot of camp, because when you are in the midst of a crisis and an epidemic you also have to laugh, and you have to find humor, and you have to love, and you have to live intensely every day, because you don’t know if you’re going to be alive in a year.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going forward, even the most routine general assembly meeting would draw crowds of around 200 members. Focus groups formed, among them LABIA (Lesbians And Bi-women In Action), the people of color-focused United Colors of Queer Nation, UBIQUITOUS (Uppity Bi Queers United In Their Overtly Unconventional Sexuality), Queer Planet and DORIS SQUASH (Defending Our Rights In the Streets, Super Queers United Against Savage Heterosexism).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That first meeting was very, very exciting,” says Queer Nation and Catherine Did It activist Jennifer Junkyard Morris. “Well—and it was also very cruise-y.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Queer activism in the wake of the AIDS epidemic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The early ’90s were a time when traditional activist tactics were being queered across the country. In 1990, fellow direct-action group ACT UP organized \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a massive die-in protest\u003c/a> on Market Street during San Francisco’s hosting of the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. It was part of the group’s bid to raise awareness and halt the plague that claimed so many lives, many of them in the LGBTQ+ community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at times, ACT UP made its points quite cheekily. For example, the group’s signature “ACT UP, fight back, fight AIDS!” chant would become “ACT UP, kick back get laid!” when participants tired of earnestness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858731\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858731\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation New York activists at an October 1990 demonstration. \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation New York activists at an October 1990 demonstration. \u003ccite>(Tracey Litt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Queer Nation activists were inspired by those touches of swishy irreverence—the founders of the original Queer Nation New York chapter had been active in ACT UP themselves—but they wanted to expand the AIDS-focused group’s scope. “That’s really why [Queer Nation] was created, to deal with other places where we’re being attacked,” remembers Morris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the country, Queer Nation became best known for targeting cultural homophobia. Some of the San Francisco chapter’s first actions were kiss-ins, which would send hundreds of flamboyant lovers to a straight Marina bar or the Powell Street cable car turnaround, where they would make out en masse with gusto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Focus group GHOST (Grand Homosexual Outrage at Sickening Televangelists) organized a rally to greet \u003ca href=\"https://www.apnews.com/1c940282ba516b1058d242fd482ebd9d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">televangelists who’d flown in to exorcise the demons\u003c/a> of San Francisco on Halloween night of 1990. The evangelist-phobic crowd of thousands skipped off to the annual Castro neighborhood celebrations after overwhelming the city’s would-be saviors. Similarly irreverant, SHOP (Suburban Homosexual Outreach Program) fulfilled its moniker’s promise by surprising attendees at a special celebrity appearance of Hello Kitty at San Bruno’s Tanforan Shopping Center with a joyous melee of drag, balloons and banners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://vimeo.com/119618746\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, Queer Nation’s actions featured a chant that hasn’t left the lips of LGBTQ+ troublemakers since: “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For members of Queer Nation, style was key. The group’s many affiliated visual artists designed neon stickers with sayings like “Queers bash back” and “Dykes take over the world.” “Usually I wore boy drag like an ACT UP activist, but sometimes gurl drag—a wig and long hair, earrings and a dress or skirt,” remembers activist Derek Marshall Newman in an email to KQED. “It depended how cute I wanted look and how safe I felt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were queer people, so we had a sense of humor,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.rachel-pepper.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rachel Pepper\u003c/a>, an early Queer Nation member who played a key role in moderating general meetings. “There was a lot of camp, because when you are in the midst of a crisis and an epidemic you also have to laugh, and you have to find humor, and you have to love, and you have to live intensely every day, because you don’t know if you’re going to be alive in a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Queers bash back’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In this pre-internet era, Queer Nation members communicated via their Queer Week newsletter and Queerline voicemail system. They coined the phrase “Queers bash back” for street patrols that walked the streets of San Francisco to thwart gay bashers, who seemed to stalk Dolores Park, and abusive cops, who were surely Queer Nation’s most hated adversaries. Often, the group would show up in solidarity at community anti-police and eviction protests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, intersectionality became a goal of the short-lived group. Among the group’s people of color-focused sub-groups was United Colors of Queer Nation, founded by activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/obituaries//248420\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Karl Knapper\u003c/a>. It focused on amplifying the voices of activists of color in Queer Nation, and on developing practices that protected black and brown bodies at protests, such as physical placement at sit-ins and pre-event training on how to deal with police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was one of the things that [white Queer Nation activists] wanted to do: a lot of civil disobedience,” remembers United Colors activist Thomas Tymstone, who, along with Pepper, also facilitated Queer Nation’s general assembly meetings. “That is great, but a lot of people of color don’t want to be arrested for any reason.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historian \u003ca href=\"https://independent.academia.edu/GKoskovich\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gerard Koskovich\u003c/a> was a legal observer during Queer Nation actions, taking notes in case there was a later need for a court witness to testify against police misconduct. Koskovich remembers how members who came from privileged backgrounds listened to stories fellow activists told about experiences with predatory law enforcement. These exchanges could oftentimes prove intense for would-be activists who became overwhelmed by the multiplicity of perspectives and the challenges they presented to creating a cohesive movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858225\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-800x490.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation's confrontational tactics and slogans like "Queers bash back" continue to influence LGBTQ activists. Here, protesters carry a "Queers bash back" sign at a Patriot Prayer counter-demonstration in San Francisco in 2017.\" width=\"800\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-800x490.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-768x470.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-1020x625.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-1200x735.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation’s confrontational tactics and slogans like “Queers bash back” continue to influence LGBTQ activists. Here, protesters carry a “Queers bash back” sign at a Patriot Prayer counter-demonstration in San Francisco in 2017. \u003ccite>(Pax Ahimnsa Gethen/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But sometimes, surprising moments of connection took place. As one of the group’s hard-working moderators, Tymstone remembers with fondness Queer Nation’s practice of the “fishbowl,” in which different focus groups could hold the floor and address their concerns uninterrupted by comments from the audience. “A lot of our organizational structure was made by women,” he says. “Gay men didn’t know anything about consensus. We would just talk until somebody let us—or until somebody heard us. [The women] would stop us and say, ‘Wait, let this person talk.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a period of time, at least, those meetings became much more of a space where people felt safe coming forward with these very tender, difficult things and saying, ‘Can we talk about this and help understand things better?'” Koskovich says. “Of course, it didn’t ultimately always work out that way, and how could it? But at least that was a moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 574px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13858227\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6.jpg\" alt=\"Posters from Queer Nation's Houston chapter.\" width=\"574\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6.jpg 574w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6-160x124.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Posters from Queer Nation’s Houston chapter. \u003ccite>(WikiMedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The moment didn’t last forever. Queer Nation SF meetings dwindled by the end of 1991. Some members say the vast organization collapsed under difference in tactical preferences and the weight of trying to do too much. But in the cracks and crannies of San Francisco, some glitter from the Queer Nation days remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s members went on to become writers, policymakers, historians, artists and scholars. Morris became an \u003ca href=\"https://kpfa.org/featured-episode/interview-with-jennifer-junkyard-morris/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eminent Bay Area film programmer\u003c/a> at Frameline Film Festival, SF DocFest and the Roxie Theater. \u003ca href=\"http://www.buffalo.edu/news/experts/jonathan-katz-queer-history.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan David Katz\u003c/a> is a lauded academic who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Harvey-Milk-Institute-Opens-Gay-lesbian-studies-3049118.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvey Milk Institute\u003c/a>, once one of the world’s largest centers for queer studies. And fellow alum \u003ca href=\"https://www.justinvivianbond.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Vivian Bond\u003c/a> is a ground-breaking, Tony-nominated vocalist and founder of parodic lounge duo Kiki and Herb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It definitely shaped a generation of activists in terms of thinking about how they wanted to live their lives,” says Pepper, who helped found \u003ca href=\"http://www.curvemag.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Curve Magazine\u003c/a> and wrote 1999’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Pregnancy-Lesbians-Pre-conception/dp/157344216X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a real concrete, traceable network of people doing work that came out of the relationships built in that era,” says Koskovich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Queer Nation’s activism was brief, but the group’s flouncy radicalism left a blueprint for younger generations: to make activism last, listen to those with different experiences. To heal, laugh. And to make change, be unabashedly, unapologetically loud.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "When Queer Nation 'Bashed Back' Against Homophobia with Street Patrols and Glitter | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note:\u003c/strong> This article is part of KQED Arts’ story series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride as Protest\u003c/a>, which chronicles the past and present of LGBTQ+ activism in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Learn more about the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858609/welcome-to-pride-as-protest-a-new-kqed-arts-story-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the lingering darkness of the early morning, the queers climbed up a SoMA highway overpass, recently shut down due to structural concerns from the Loma Prieta earthquake. They were on a mission from Catherine Did It, a focus group affiliated with San Francisco’s brand-new chapter of the ostentatious activist organization Queer Nation, which had an estimated 40 chapters around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catherine Did It was created to use guerrilla tactics to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-29-ca-750-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">confront the filming of \u003cem>Basic Instinct\u003c/em>\u003c/a>—a 1992 movie Queer Nation saw as the latest example of Hollywood’s storied obsession with psychotic queer women. In the film, a secondary bisexual character wrings her hands and moans to the brave male protagonist upon being outed, “I was embarrassed. It was the only time I’d been with a woman.” Sleeping with a man seems to cure the anti-heroine of her murderous lesbianism. (Her truculent girlfriend was disposed of in a fatal automobile accident.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1991, in the aftermath of the AIDS epidemic’s terrorizing hold on the queer community, many considered this stereotypical mainstream representation intolerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The activists had been tipped off that the next evening, shooting would take place on the block below their feet—well, not if they had anything to do with it. They opened up the bags of glitter they hauled up to the abandoned stretch of I-280 and let their contents fly. When the film crew arrived, they’d find their trumped-up, urban wasteland location covered in twinkling bits of exquisitely campy queer rage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858730\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation activists march at a New York City peace rally in October 1990.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation activists march at a New York City peace rally in October 1990. \u003ccite>(Tracey Litt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the occasion of Queer Nation’s 25th anniversary in 2015, San Francisco chapter co-founder Mark Duran \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/news//245481\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told the \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he had been inspired to form the group in 1990 after watching a conversation between radical, queer activists from New York and their more staid, Democratic Party-affiliated San Francisco counterparts on KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was at that precise moment that I realized the time was up for asking for crumbs from the table as our gay leaders had been doing for so long,” he remembered. “It was time for us to simply take our place at that table and demand our civil and human rights.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duran, his partner Daniel Paiz and fellow activist Steve Mehall blanketed the Castro and Mission districts with flyers announcing Queer Nation SF’s first meeting, which would take place one month after that of the original New York chapter. The group convened at the historic Women’s Building. An astounding 300 people (as many as 500, by some estimates) came to the first gathering, where a consensus-based, horizontal leadership structure was codified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "There was a lot of camp, because when you are in the midst of a crisis and an epidemic you also have to laugh, and you have to find humor, and you have to love, and you have to live intensely every day, because you don’t know if you’re going to be alive in a year.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going forward, even the most routine general assembly meeting would draw crowds of around 200 members. Focus groups formed, among them LABIA (Lesbians And Bi-women In Action), the people of color-focused United Colors of Queer Nation, UBIQUITOUS (Uppity Bi Queers United In Their Overtly Unconventional Sexuality), Queer Planet and DORIS SQUASH (Defending Our Rights In the Streets, Super Queers United Against Savage Heterosexism).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That first meeting was very, very exciting,” says Queer Nation and Catherine Did It activist Jennifer Junkyard Morris. “Well—and it was also very cruise-y.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Queer activism in the wake of the AIDS epidemic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The early ’90s were a time when traditional activist tactics were being queered across the country. In 1990, fellow direct-action group ACT UP organized \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2015/06/the-week-act-up-shut-sf-down/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a massive die-in protest\u003c/a> on Market Street during San Francisco’s hosting of the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. It was part of the group’s bid to raise awareness and halt the plague that claimed so many lives, many of them in the LGBTQ+ community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at times, ACT UP made its points quite cheekily. For example, the group’s signature “ACT UP, fight back, fight AIDS!” chant would become “ACT UP, kick back get laid!” when participants tired of earnestness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858731\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858731\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation New York activists at an October 1990 demonstration. \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer-Nation-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation New York activists at an October 1990 demonstration. \u003ccite>(Tracey Litt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Queer Nation activists were inspired by those touches of swishy irreverence—the founders of the original Queer Nation New York chapter had been active in ACT UP themselves—but they wanted to expand the AIDS-focused group’s scope. “That’s really why [Queer Nation] was created, to deal with other places where we’re being attacked,” remembers Morris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the country, Queer Nation became best known for targeting cultural homophobia. Some of the San Francisco chapter’s first actions were kiss-ins, which would send hundreds of flamboyant lovers to a straight Marina bar or the Powell Street cable car turnaround, where they would make out en masse with gusto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Focus group GHOST (Grand Homosexual Outrage at Sickening Televangelists) organized a rally to greet \u003ca href=\"https://www.apnews.com/1c940282ba516b1058d242fd482ebd9d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">televangelists who’d flown in to exorcise the demons\u003c/a> of San Francisco on Halloween night of 1990. The evangelist-phobic crowd of thousands skipped off to the annual Castro neighborhood celebrations after overwhelming the city’s would-be saviors. Similarly irreverant, SHOP (Suburban Homosexual Outreach Program) fulfilled its moniker’s promise by surprising attendees at a special celebrity appearance of Hello Kitty at San Bruno’s Tanforan Shopping Center with a joyous melee of drag, balloons and banners.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Often, Queer Nation’s actions featured a chant that hasn’t left the lips of LGBTQ+ troublemakers since: “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For members of Queer Nation, style was key. The group’s many affiliated visual artists designed neon stickers with sayings like “Queers bash back” and “Dykes take over the world.” “Usually I wore boy drag like an ACT UP activist, but sometimes gurl drag—a wig and long hair, earrings and a dress or skirt,” remembers activist Derek Marshall Newman in an email to KQED. “It depended how cute I wanted look and how safe I felt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were queer people, so we had a sense of humor,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.rachel-pepper.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rachel Pepper\u003c/a>, an early Queer Nation member who played a key role in moderating general meetings. “There was a lot of camp, because when you are in the midst of a crisis and an epidemic you also have to laugh, and you have to find humor, and you have to love, and you have to live intensely every day, because you don’t know if you’re going to be alive in a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Queers bash back’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In this pre-internet era, Queer Nation members communicated via their Queer Week newsletter and Queerline voicemail system. They coined the phrase “Queers bash back” for street patrols that walked the streets of San Francisco to thwart gay bashers, who seemed to stalk Dolores Park, and abusive cops, who were surely Queer Nation’s most hated adversaries. Often, the group would show up in solidarity at community anti-police and eviction protests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, intersectionality became a goal of the short-lived group. Among the group’s people of color-focused sub-groups was United Colors of Queer Nation, founded by activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebar.com/obituaries//248420\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Karl Knapper\u003c/a>. It focused on amplifying the voices of activists of color in Queer Nation, and on developing practices that protected black and brown bodies at protests, such as physical placement at sit-ins and pre-event training on how to deal with police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was one of the things that [white Queer Nation activists] wanted to do: a lot of civil disobedience,” remembers United Colors activist Thomas Tymstone, who, along with Pepper, also facilitated Queer Nation’s general assembly meetings. “That is great, but a lot of people of color don’t want to be arrested for any reason.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historian \u003ca href=\"https://independent.academia.edu/GKoskovich\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gerard Koskovich\u003c/a> was a legal observer during Queer Nation actions, taking notes in case there was a later need for a court witness to testify against police misconduct. Koskovich remembers how members who came from privileged backgrounds listened to stories fellow activists told about experiences with predatory law enforcement. These exchanges could oftentimes prove intense for would-be activists who became overwhelmed by the multiplicity of perspectives and the challenges they presented to creating a cohesive movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13858225\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-800x490.jpg\" alt=\"Queer Nation's confrontational tactics and slogans like "Queers bash back" continue to influence LGBTQ activists. Here, protesters carry a "Queers bash back" sign at a Patriot Prayer counter-demonstration in San Francisco in 2017.\" width=\"800\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-800x490.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-768x470.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-1020x625.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107-1200x735.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Patriot_Prayer_SF_counterprotest_20170826-8107.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Queer Nation’s confrontational tactics and slogans like “Queers bash back” continue to influence LGBTQ activists. Here, protesters carry a “Queers bash back” sign at a Patriot Prayer counter-demonstration in San Francisco in 2017. \u003ccite>(Pax Ahimnsa Gethen/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But sometimes, surprising moments of connection took place. As one of the group’s hard-working moderators, Tymstone remembers with fondness Queer Nation’s practice of the “fishbowl,” in which different focus groups could hold the floor and address their concerns uninterrupted by comments from the audience. “A lot of our organizational structure was made by women,” he says. “Gay men didn’t know anything about consensus. We would just talk until somebody let us—or until somebody heard us. [The women] would stop us and say, ‘Wait, let this person talk.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a period of time, at least, those meetings became much more of a space where people felt safe coming forward with these very tender, difficult things and saying, ‘Can we talk about this and help understand things better?'” Koskovich says. “Of course, it didn’t ultimately always work out that way, and how could it? But at least that was a moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 574px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13858227\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6.jpg\" alt=\"Posters from Queer Nation's Houston chapter.\" width=\"574\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6.jpg 574w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Queer_Nation_Houston_x6-160x124.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Posters from Queer Nation’s Houston chapter. \u003ccite>(WikiMedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The moment didn’t last forever. Queer Nation SF meetings dwindled by the end of 1991. Some members say the vast organization collapsed under difference in tactical preferences and the weight of trying to do too much. But in the cracks and crannies of San Francisco, some glitter from the Queer Nation days remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s members went on to become writers, policymakers, historians, artists and scholars. Morris became an \u003ca href=\"https://kpfa.org/featured-episode/interview-with-jennifer-junkyard-morris/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eminent Bay Area film programmer\u003c/a> at Frameline Film Festival, SF DocFest and the Roxie Theater. \u003ca href=\"http://www.buffalo.edu/news/experts/jonathan-katz-queer-history.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan David Katz\u003c/a> is a lauded academic who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Harvey-Milk-Institute-Opens-Gay-lesbian-studies-3049118.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvey Milk Institute\u003c/a>, once one of the world’s largest centers for queer studies. And fellow alum \u003ca href=\"https://www.justinvivianbond.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Vivian Bond\u003c/a> is a ground-breaking, Tony-nominated vocalist and founder of parodic lounge duo Kiki and Herb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It definitely shaped a generation of activists in terms of thinking about how they wanted to live their lives,” says Pepper, who helped found \u003ca href=\"http://www.curvemag.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Curve Magazine\u003c/a> and wrote 1999’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Pregnancy-Lesbians-Pre-conception/dp/157344216X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a real concrete, traceable network of people doing work that came out of the relationships built in that era,” says Koskovich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Queer Nation’s activism was brief, but the group’s flouncy radicalism left a blueprint for younger generations: to make activism last, listen to those with different experiences. To heal, laugh. And to make change, be unabashedly, unapologetically loud.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’s diversity and resilience with our \u003cem>Pride as Protest\u003c/em> story series, we want to hear from you, our readers. [aside postid='arts_13835520']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re looking for photos of LGBTQ+ life over the decades—celebrations, protests, get-togethers with loved ones, cultural happenings and all the ways you express yourself. We welcome you to post your images to \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/KQEDarts?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqed_arts/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram\u003c/a> or KQED Arts’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/kqedarts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook page\u003c/a> with the hashtag \u003cstrong>#MyPrideLooksLike\u003c/strong>. Don’t forget to include a note about who’s in the photo, and when and where it was taken, if you can remember. We’ll be collecting photos and reposting highlights to social media and our website.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“#MyPrideLooksLike getting to explore California with the person I love.” — Ryan Levi\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13858721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800.jpg\" alt=\"Ryan Levi and Fares Akremi kayak on Lake Tahoe Labor Day weekend 2017.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Levi and Fares Akremi kayak on Lake Tahoe Labor Day weekend 2017. \u003ccite>(Fares Akremi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch4>If you’d prefer to send an image directly to us instead, here’s how:\u003c/h4>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Text your photo to our private KQED Arts hotline at (510) 853-9328\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Or you can email your submission to \u003ca href=\"mailto:artskqed@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">artskqed@gmail.com\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Privacy Notice:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cem>KQED is gathering these photos for our reporting and will not share your information with third parties. Your contact information will not be published, but we may contact you to expand your response into an audio segment or story. We may also feature your reflections on KQED’s website, social media or air.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>By posting and sharing a photo, you agree that you have the right and permission necessary to post the picture (e.g., that you own the copyright in the photo and that you have everyone’s consent in the photo to post it). You agree that KQED may publish the picture on our website, social media pages or in other media and that you will hold KQED harmless from any claims and expenses (including legal costs) arising from the use of the photo and/or your failure to comply with the rules set out in this disclaimer.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’s diversity and resilience with our \u003cem>Pride as Protest\u003c/em> story series, we want to hear from you, our readers. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re looking for photos of LGBTQ+ life over the decades—celebrations, protests, get-togethers with loved ones, cultural happenings and all the ways you express yourself. We welcome you to post your images to \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/KQEDarts?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqed_arts/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram\u003c/a> or KQED Arts’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/kqedarts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook page\u003c/a> with the hashtag \u003cstrong>#MyPrideLooksLike\u003c/strong>. Don’t forget to include a note about who’s in the photo, and when and where it was taken, if you can remember. We’ll be collecting photos and reposting highlights to social media and our website.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“#MyPrideLooksLike getting to explore California with the person I love.” — Ryan Levi\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13858721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13858721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800.jpg\" alt=\"Ryan Levi and Fares Akremi kayak on Lake Tahoe Labor Day weekend 2017.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/mypride-ryan-levi-800-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Levi and Fares Akremi kayak on Lake Tahoe Labor Day weekend 2017. \u003ccite>(Fares Akremi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch4>If you’d prefer to send an image directly to us instead, here’s how:\u003c/h4>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Text your photo to our private KQED Arts hotline at (510) 853-9328\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Or you can email your submission to \u003ca href=\"mailto:artskqed@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">artskqed@gmail.com\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Privacy Notice:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cem>KQED is gathering these photos for our reporting and will not share your information with third parties. Your contact information will not be published, but we may contact you to expand your response into an audio segment or story. We may also feature your reflections on KQED’s website, social media or air.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>By posting and sharing a photo, you agree that you have the right and permission necessary to post the picture (e.g., that you own the copyright in the photo and that you have everyone’s consent in the photo to post it). You agree that KQED may publish the picture on our website, social media pages or in other media and that you will hold KQED harmless from any claims and expenses (including legal costs) arising from the use of the photo and/or your failure to comply with the rules set out in this disclaimer.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The annual Pride celebration is one of San Francisco’s most popular festivities, drawing out hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ people, straight allies and visitors from all over the world. But before Pride became a mainstream institution endorsed by city officials, local police and corporations like Google and Facebook, it was a revolt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifty years ago, on June 28, 1969, queer and trans patrons at New York’s Stonewall Inn, led by trans women of color, rioted against police harassment. The chaos continued for three days, tearing up the Greenwich Village block in defiance of restrictive anti-LGBTQ+ laws and police brutality. Radical organizations sprung from the uprising: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), led by Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, fought for the rights of trans women and gender-nonconforming people who routinely faced harassment and discrimination. The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) attempted to unite the gay rights movement with anti-capitalist, anti-war movements of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://vimeo.com/338962572\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED footage from 1973 shows an interview with vigilante group the Lavender Panthers, who armed gay people with clubs and red spray paint against police and homophobic violence. Video courtesy of KQED Archives.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The anniversary of Stonewall inspired Pride celebrations all over the country in the early ’70s, but not everything was harmonious in those times. Many queer women felt alienated by the GLF’s mostly male membership, as well as in mostly straight radical feminist groups. Conversely, many lesbian activists at the time discriminated against trans women, who they argued benefited from “male privilege.” There was little acknowledgement of bisexual people, trans men, intersex people or non-binary people. And furthermore, many early gay rights organizations had a majority-white membership that was often tone-deaf to issues affecting queer and trans people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://vimeo.com/338989968\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED footage from 1970 shows a protest in front of San Francisco’s ABC/KGO-TV studios against homophobia in mass media. Video courtesy of KQED Archives.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As flawed as it was, the early gay rights movement’s radical politics inspired decades of queer and trans organizing that endures today. In KQED Arts’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Pride as Protest\u003c/em>\u003c/a> series, you’ll read about queer and trans elders, like Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who forever changed history; dive into the LGTBQ+ community’s organizing efforts around the AIDS epidemic at a time when the federal government turned a blind eye; learn about the radical tactics of direct-action groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858167/queer-nation-lgbtq-activism-90s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Queer Nation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13857994/activists-demand-a-police-free-pride-as-sfpd-ramps-up-its-gay-friendly-image\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gay Shame\u003c/a>; remember how \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858290/sfs-first-black-owned-gay-bar-offered-refuge-from-racism-in-the-90s-queer-scene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco’s first black-owned gay bar\u003c/a> provided a refuge from racism and homophobia; and hear from drag queens using their craft as an art therapy tool for housing-insecure LGBTQ+ youth. [aside postid='arts_13858699']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These stories run today through June 13, and we want to hear from you, our readers. We invite you to send in your photos of LGBTQ+ life for our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858699/mypridelookslike-share-photos-of-your-lgbtq-life-over-the-decades\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MyPrideLooksLike\u003c/a> project, which aims to showcase the diversity and resilience of our queer and trans community. The goal is to celebrate the different ways we express ourselves, and to remember Pride’s radical roots.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The annual Pride celebration is one of San Francisco’s most popular festivities, drawing out hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ people, straight allies and visitors from all over the world. But before Pride became a mainstream institution endorsed by city officials, local police and corporations like Google and Facebook, it was a revolt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifty years ago, on June 28, 1969, queer and trans patrons at New York’s Stonewall Inn, led by trans women of color, rioted against police harassment. The chaos continued for three days, tearing up the Greenwich Village block in defiance of restrictive anti-LGBTQ+ laws and police brutality. Radical organizations sprung from the uprising: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), led by Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, fought for the rights of trans women and gender-nonconforming people who routinely faced harassment and discrimination. The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) attempted to unite the gay rights movement with anti-capitalist, anti-war movements of the time.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED footage from 1973 shows an interview with vigilante group the Lavender Panthers, who armed gay people with clubs and red spray paint against police and homophobic violence. Video courtesy of KQED Archives.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The anniversary of Stonewall inspired Pride celebrations all over the country in the early ’70s, but not everything was harmonious in those times. Many queer women felt alienated by the GLF’s mostly male membership, as well as in mostly straight radical feminist groups. Conversely, many lesbian activists at the time discriminated against trans women, who they argued benefited from “male privilege.” There was little acknowledgement of bisexual people, trans men, intersex people or non-binary people. And furthermore, many early gay rights organizations had a majority-white membership that was often tone-deaf to issues affecting queer and trans people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED footage from 1970 shows a protest in front of San Francisco’s ABC/KGO-TV studios against homophobia in mass media. Video courtesy of KQED Archives.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As flawed as it was, the early gay rights movement’s radical politics inspired decades of queer and trans organizing that endures today. In KQED Arts’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/pride-as-protest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Pride as Protest\u003c/em>\u003c/a> series, you’ll read about queer and trans elders, like Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who forever changed history; dive into the LGTBQ+ community’s organizing efforts around the AIDS epidemic at a time when the federal government turned a blind eye; learn about the radical tactics of direct-action groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858167/queer-nation-lgbtq-activism-90s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Queer Nation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13857994/activists-demand-a-police-free-pride-as-sfpd-ramps-up-its-gay-friendly-image\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gay Shame\u003c/a>; remember how \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858290/sfs-first-black-owned-gay-bar-offered-refuge-from-racism-in-the-90s-queer-scene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco’s first black-owned gay bar\u003c/a> provided a refuge from racism and homophobia; and hear from drag queens using their craft as an art therapy tool for housing-insecure LGBTQ+ youth. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These stories run today through June 13, and we want to hear from you, our readers. We invite you to send in your photos of LGBTQ+ life for our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858699/mypridelookslike-share-photos-of-your-lgbtq-life-over-the-decades\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MyPrideLooksLike\u003c/a> project, which aims to showcase the diversity and resilience of our queer and trans community. The goal is to celebrate the different ways we express ourselves, and to remember Pride’s radical roots.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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},
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"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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