Ending an Era at Women’s Press Pg. 9 Alliance Spreads Hope pg. 13 500 Hayes St., SF, CA 94102 · 415-861-8100 Vol. 15, No. 1 Ian. 2, 1987 Retake Retake of Preceding Frame PROTEST BEGINS Empire Should Mead G ay Prrde- No-t just Another Savihgs and Loan! Gay Press AIDS Info C M J member Ed Wyre with a sign of the times. by Stuart Norman On Monday, Citizens for Medical Justice (C M J), began San Francisco’s very first, openly gay candidate for the Board of picketing Empire of America Savings and Loan at 444 Supervisors will make his/her/farewell appearance at City Hall tomorrow Sarria’s Castro, protesting their corporate policy against at noon. Jose Sarria, EmpreksT of San Francisco, will be honored for a quarter century of service to the community during a gala celebration distributing gay and A ID S literature. Swan expected to draw nearly 1000 participants. Empire of America took over the failing gay-owned The event titled “ High Hopes, the Widow Norton’s Bon Voyage” Atlas Savings and Loan last July, and implemented the will be emceed by Board President John Molinari, Supervisors Dick policy in the fall. Song Hongisto and Bill Maher and City. Attorney Louise Renee. Entertain­ The protesters are requesting depo­ best we can tell, rather, it is a neighbor­ ment will be provided by City Swing with soloist Gail Wilson. SF Les­ sitors withold their money or close their : hood issue: whether the corporation bian/Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps and others accounts with Empire and send letters will continue to respect the unique including a special surprise guest star. of protest to the Los Angeles head- j history of this particular savings and “ We think it’s very important that members of the community come quarters demanding community access loan,” said Rindal. out and support Jose’s farewell to San Francisco,” said Janet Cory, be relumed to all San Francisco “ We are concerned that this policy branches. They are collecting signatures decision, made outside our neighbor­ organizer of the event. “ Jose has given so much to the community and on a petition that will be sent to Jeff hood. is only the most obvious one of we should show our appreciation.” Reinhardt. Marketing Director for j many others that may threaten the Following the celebration that will include a parade by the characters Empire. uniqueness of this institution. The peo­ of “ OZ” , Jose will leave SF in a hot air balloon from the city hall steps Jay RindaJ, Jean-Jacques Zengcr and j ple in Los Angeles must understand on Polk Street. Keith Griffith of Citizens for Medical j Empire has acquired not just another The “ Mother of the gay community” and the “ Nightingale of Mont­ Justice tried last week to convince ! savings and loan, but a symbol of gay Castro branch manager Mark Fulham pride," commented Zenger. gomery Street” is flying south, to a Warm retirement haven in Arizona, to ask Empire to change its policy. The issue is whether the uniquely gay to write her memoirs. ■ “ This is not an issue of homophobia as ! Continued on page 9 HEATRE AT EASE Photographic T'RareArea' RAn Ugly Modernism 19 Returns 22 Detour 25 F P ESS TALK RIUMPH Three Sisters Dreamettes LLong, Lean AND from the South 20 Redux 23 Legs 26 LM CLIPS [ΞΞ32ΗΗΏ3 ECOND GLANCE TREMORS FVietnam at Don s The Secrets The 1986 San Francisco Opera Season in Review______15 GroundLevel 21 Fills-in 24 o f Dreams 2 0 Announcing The Grand Opening Of -------iA u s e - The Blue Muse Sage Restaurant and Bar Chinese Cuisine 409 Gough Street 406 Hayes Street (415)626-7505 (415) 626-3838 featuring featuring Continental Cantonese Dinners Szechuan American L and Breakfast Mandarin and Lunch Cuisine Saturday and Sunday Brunch Monday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (closed Monday Evening) Tuesday thru Friday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm Cocktail Hour 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Saturday and Sunday Monday thru Friday 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm Full Bar Full Bar Service Every Day 11 am to 2 am Available Special Grand Opening Party Friday, January 2,1987 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm 2 San Francisco Sentinel · January 2, 1987 EDITORIAL STRAIGHT CAFE TOM MURRAY Queers Cooked m i £ m i f l v the Food During the holiday season a large business held its staff party at a gay-owned restaurant. During the social hour preceding dinner, a guest tactlessly warned her co-workers: “ Don’t eat the food. The queers cooked it.” The owner of the establishment notes that historically one out of five customers has not been gay. AIDS hysteria has eliminated twenty per­ cent of his business. Our community has been economically ravaged by the plague. Restaurants are only one of many kjQds of businesses negatively affect­ ed. Frightened people who are not gay avoid our establishments. Many gay people spend fewer hours and fewer dollars in the Castro, Polk Street, the Fillmore and other traditionally gay areas. The fearful rent videos and play at home. The brave at heart are busy organizing fund raisers or volunteering to assist brothers who are ill. Some of the large spendable income pollsters attribute to us has been donated to the AID S Foundation, the Shanti Project, Coming Home Hospice, and other AIDS-related organizations. Another portion of our income has gone to defeat politicians who seek to exploit a health crisis for political gain. The 1986 elections absorbed millions of dollars, simply to hold the line from further loss. Businesses that cater to our community are among the'casualties of the medical and political assaults. A Cheap Attack greed for profit and power. If we can be of any help to you in We do not support a business simply because it is owned by gay peo­ It is time to turn this evil course of this struggle, please do not hesitate to ple, or caters primarily to a gay clientele. Service, quality, price and To the Editor: events around. People with AIDS contact our organization. The letter to the editor by Citizens other factors determine where we spend our money. And yet many of desperately need quality health care, Gratefully, for Medical Justice, who criticize Mr. protection from job discrimination, Robert Akeley, MD us feel strongly that our community is strengthened by the visible pre­ George Miller’s insensitivity towards and adequate food, clothing, and Bay Area Physicians for Human sence in San Francisco of successful gay merchants. The Tavern Guild the ARC/AIDS Vigil, deserves com­ shelter. A national health care system, Rights and the Golden Gate Business Association link small business owners. mendation and reflects my viewpoint. free to all in need, is a viable answer Here are some suggestions for customers patronizing a gay-owned Mr. Miller, Western Regional whose implementation is long over­ Recruits Needed Director of Health and Human Ser­ due. Furthermore, other people who business: To the Editor: vices (H H S) under the Reagan Ad­ have been victimized by Reagan's Speak up if the service is unprofessional. Let the owner know the Tom Coales of UCSF and I are ministration, called the Vigil a ultraright policies need to have their conducting an interesting experiment problem and give him/her a chance to correct it. “ blight.” In response. Citizens for needs met, loo. Everything helps: Medical Justice wrote the aforemen­ to see if stress reduction helps im­ If you can purchase merchandise at a better price elsewhere, tell the talking to friends and co-workers; mune function in gay men who are tioned letter stating that the real blight writing letters to newspaper editors owner of a gay business and give him/her a chance to meet the com­ H IV seropositive. We need volunteers in our society was the failure of the and congresspeople to demand more badly, however, and would like to ask petitor’s price. Reagan Administration to provide money for social and medical needs; your assistance. Educate your non-gay friends and family about AID S and dispel •adequate funding for the fight against and peacefully demonstrating in the We did a similar recruitment A ID S, that is, in the form of streets. their myths about transmission of the virus. Encourage them to through the Sentinel when wc did our research, education, health care, and As the Citizens for Medical patronize your favorite gay restaurant. protection against discrimination. This pretest of this procedure last spring. Justice's letter concludes, the verbal / Your paper brought us many recruits When shopping for a service, consult the various gay directories. argument clearly points out the assault on the ARC/AIDS Vigil is "a for the study, which turned out to be Members of our community can meet most professional needs. criminal negligence of Reaganite cheap attack by those representing i~- successful. This time we need 60 men, policies. bigotry and ignorance." Let them Money does talk, and yours can strengthen the gay presence and a tall order. Participation in the study Instead of allocating monies to remember that in the struggle to visibility in our city. ■ is free, we respect confidentiality, and alleviate suffering and misery that recognize democratic rights, “ an in­ the money is coming through the people with A ID S have to endure, jury to one is an injury to a ll." UCSF Clinical Research Center, from Reagan and his cronies have engaged Vince Juliano the State. in overt and covert acts of illegal ag­ Local 790 - Thanks for letting us use your gression in Iran, Libya, Lebanon, United Public Employees Angola, Afghanistan, El Salvador, paper as our link to the community.