Voice: Non-Quinn NYC Vigil for Murdered Gay Man

This is a textbook example of how an elected official, this time of the LGBT Democratic variety, exploits a tragedy to gain votes in the middle of election.

New York City Council Speaker and out lesbian Christine Quinn and her friends in Equality Inc world are promoting a rally and vigil in Manhattan tonight for slain gay man Mark Carson, who was killed over the weekend in Greenwich Village.

The gay community center's release about the vigil mentions only one participant, Quinn, as does the GLAAD alert, along with the Anti Violence Project's (Quinn former employer) announcement.

Paying attention to Quinn and her minions exploiting Mark Carson's murder for her mayoral campaign is Louis Flores of the Stop Christine Quinn organizing effort, and Flores is not taking the co-opting of the tragic death sitting down. The Village Voice's writer Sydney Brownstone shares the details:

Expressing the LGBTQ community's grief and outrage following the hateful murder of Mark Carson in the West Village on Friday, several LGBTQ groups are co-sponsoring a rally held at the LGBT Community Center tonight. Speaker Christine Quinn jumped on the rally as well--and the Facebook page for the event lists Quinn as the only politician involved. 

Still, not all of New York City's queer community feel that Quinn has her heart in a sincere place. That's why they'll be taking their vigil for Carson outside what was formerly St. Vincent's hospital at 5:30 p.m., when activists and mourners will ask whether Carson could have been saved if the hospital hadn't been shuttered.

"A lot of people are agreeing that Christine Quinn is trying to politicize today's march," said Louis Flores, an organizer with Queers Against Quinn and a St. Vincent's activist group. Flores also wonders whether Carson, who was shot through the cheek, would have survived had he been taken two blocks away from the scene of the crime to St. Vincent's, rather than Beth Israel, which is located across town from where Carson was shot and lacks a Level 1 trauma center.[...]

Glad to see Flores and others holding Quinn accountable, and for reminding everyone about her shameful role in the closing of St Vincent's hospital.

BAR: Petrelis Quiet at Hearing

(Derek St. Pierre, center, and yours truly, right, at a December 2012 hearing in Superior Court. Credit: Rick Gerharter, BAR.)

The Bay Area Reporter's freelance writer James Patterson has filed a story from my hearing last hearing on May 15, which is posted to the BAR's blog. I've excerpted from it and have redacted the name of the elected official who has lodged the complaint against me. My defense attorney and I next appear in court on June 7. From the BAR:

Gay San Francisco blogger Michael Petrelis's legal trouble stemming from an incident last fall in which he photographed gay Supervisor [REDACTED] in a City Hall restroom inched toward a conclusion Wednesday afternoon during a brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Samuel K. Feng [...]

It took only moments for Petrelis's attorney Derek St. Pierre to move for disposition of the case to June 7 at 1:45 p.m. St. Pierre said the parties were trying to resolve the matter and if they were unable to do so, it would proceed to trial.

At a December 5, 2012, hearing Petrelis, 53, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for photographing [REDACTED] in a City Hall restroom.

Petrelis, usually grandiloquent in the extreme, declined all questions from the Bay Area Reporter on the case and refrained from making any comments about [REDACTED], who was not present. Petrelis, who wore a "Silence=Death" button on his shirt, as he did in December, stood quietly as his attorney did all the talking.[...]

When the B.A.R. asked St. Pierre if there was legal precedent for the case, he likened Petrelis to paparazzi who photographed celebrities against their approval during private moments such as in changing rooms or during private family moments or without their knowledge at all [...]

"The temporary restraining order is still in place," St. Pierre confirmed. He said Petrelis cannot come within 150 yards of [REDACTED]. "That is one and a half football fields," St. Pierre said, adding, "Petrelis has complied with the order."

Weekend Woof #39: Men on the Street

My continuing series of attractive dudes of all shapes, ages, colors and degrees of furriness continues with multiple shots of two blue collar guys, and other snaps of random guys seen around town and caught on my camera. As always, thanks boys and men, for appearing in the photos.

These husky fellas were seen around the Mission district late in the week and even though neither is wearing a shirt or jacket with a blue collar, I still call them blue collar dudes with all due respect. That lime green shirt in particular is a far cry from blue!

This is Bill, who currently works at the General Services Administration department at City Hall and cycles in  and out of political jobs. We first met each other back in the late 1980s when we were in ACT UP/New York, and have wildly divergent political views but still remain friendly with each other.

Damn, what a knowing smile he gave me as I snapped this sexy man's photo as he enjoyed the sun on Market Street this weekend.

One of the few bears in Dolores Park on Saturday afternoon. Look at that full beard and the fine gray hairs it contains. I bet he's quite popular down at the Lone Star Saloon.

Until next week, let's keep a queer eye on the guys of San Francisco!

Video: S.F. May 17 IDAHO Rally: Manning = Pride Grand Marshal



It gives me great pleasure to share a fantastic short video from the International Day Against Homophobia and Transpobia action in San Francisco on May 17, held at the historic Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro district.

Much gratitude goes to Peter Menchini, the progressive community's videographer, who made the video. Be sure to check out his MayaMediated channel on YouTube.

Again, many thanks to all the members of Gays Without Borders, the Bradley Manning Support Network and the Grand Marshal, Not Court Martial Ad Hoc Alliance, for participating in San Francisco's annual IDAHO visibility action.

For my report and photos from our event where we declared Bradley Manning the Grand Marshal of SF Pride, go here.

On behalf of all LGBT people in San Francisco, I extend deep solidarity to all of our brothers and sisters around the globe who joined in an IDAHO event. For more info about many of the actions that occurred on May 17, 2013, check out this Facebook page that is open to all regardless of FB membership.

NAPWA Exec Oldham Resigns from HIV Group, 1-Week After Launch

(Frank Oldham. Credit: Michael Key, the Washington Blade.)

Over at the Washington Blade, veteran reporter Lou Chibarro has posted a balanced and very fair story about the formation barely a week ago of Pozitively Healthy to speak on behalf of and advocate for America's population of people living with HIV/AIDS. The Blade said:

The prominent role being played by former NAPWA officials and staffers prompted AIDS activist [...] Greg Milward of Wisconsin to raise concern, saying events leading up to NAPWA’s financial collapse and bankruptcy took place under their watch.

With creditors owed more than $750,000, NAPWA filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the time it announced it was shutting its doors permanently in February.

[Frank] Oldham announced his resignation from his post as NAPWA’s executive director and CEO in October and left the organization in November before news of the impending bankruptcy surfaced. A document filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Maryland lists Oldham as owing NAPWA more than $80,000 in “accounts payable.”

Reaction to the fact that Oldham was a key leader of Pozitively Healthy brought swift negative reactions from several PWAs around the country. The comments section of the story was jumping within an hour of it going live at the paper's site Thursday afternoon.

From Brooklyn, NY, Larry Bryant, pictured, hit a number of nails on their heads about why this new group and those in it are of deep concern:

No one wants a 'New' NAPWA, no one asked for a 'New' NAPWA'. The organization that claimed to be "most trusted voice" in the HIV and AIDS community has been disconnected from people most impacted by HIV & AIDS around the country for almost a decade now [...] 

ALL coalitions, boards, and caucuses claiming to be the voice of people living with HIV & AIDS should not only re-evaluate their purpose, mission, and goals. Better yet, people living with HIV and AIDS should be a bit more discerning about those claiming to speak for us when most don't even speak to us.

Marsha Jones of Dallas, Texas, left this spot-on comment expressing her displeasure:

I am offended and maybe somewhat confused as to why [HealthHIV, the sponsor of the Pozitively Healthy group, and its executive director Brian] Hudjich would not understand why an entire community would have issues and question their involvement. To think that this is just about financial non-accountability is an insult to the community that they were to serve.

Also weighing in with criticism was Nike Luhan:

There is a reason more than fiscal why the leadership of NAPWA caused it's doors to close, extremely bad idea to take that same leadership and form a new group. Bad decision all around.

By early Friday morning, less than 24-hours of the Blade going live with the story, the former executive director of NAPWA got smart and announced his resignation from Pozitively Healthy:

The work of Pozitively Healthy is Absoulutely Paramount (sic) to 1.2 million People Living with HIV/AIDS. Pozitively Healthy's work cannot be detracted by personal issues or any individuals. I am resigning from Pozitively Healthy's Steering Committee at this time and will continue to work hard as a person living with HIV to ensure the success of the PLWHA Movement as I have done since 1988. Frank J. Oldham, Jr.

Before the end of business on Friday, the HealthHIV page for the steering committee of Pozitively Healthy no longer contained Oldham's name.

The lesson I see here is that when PWAs unaffiliated with AIDS Inc put their needs and criticisms out there for all to read, and take their message to the Big Bosses of AIDS Inc who are quite clueless about actions like forming a group riddled with NAPWA associates, a whole lotta good comes from empowered PWAs standing up and speaking for themselves.

75 at S.F. IDAHO Rally: Manning = Pride Grand Marshal

[Feel free to use any or all of the images, but please give credit to Gays Without Borders. Click to enlarge.]

Under a setting California sun, an estimated seventy-five lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender folks and straight allies gathered during the evening rush-hour at historic Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco's Castro district to mark the 9th annual IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia.

Several leaders who spoke flatly stated Bradley Manning is the People's Grand Marshal, regardless of the b.s. from Pride.

With the iconic Castro Theatre marquee serving as backdrop, activists rallied for just over an hour, displaying the Gays Without Borders banner, a rainbow flag and two Free Bradley Manning banners. Among the speakers was Sue Englander, center, in blue shirt holding the mike, of a local political club. She called for more activism to make SF Pride a democratic group that shares power with social justice advocates.

I'm pegging the number of people who spoke or stopped to listen and show support at seventy-five, and our message was heard by hundreds of people coming out of the underground Muni transit lines or those catching buses at the crowded intersection of Market and Castro Streets.

The top photo is of Nancy Mancias from the Code Pink organization of peace and freedom advocates, who Tweeted from the rally. The bottom picture shows Shinay, a longtime anti-racist lesbian activist, speaking about our solidarity from San Francisco's queer community to our LGBT brothers and sisters around the globe also participating in today's IDAHO events.

Nancy and Shinay have been involved with Global Exchange, the group that has kindly offered use of their meeting room to the ad hoc coalition of individuals and organizations working to democratize Pride.

The coalition next meets this Sunday, May 19, starting at 7PM at 2017 Mission at 16th Street. Join us!

A message the Pride board and executives need to hear. Holding the sign is nudist leader Mitch Hightower, who is part of the Grand Marshal, Not Court Martial ad hoc group that sprang up from Pride rescinding the honor of Grand Marshal originally given to Manning. For more info on the group, go to our Google Group here.

From ACT UP/San Francisco came Dean Ouelette , holding the bull horn as gay U.S. Navy veteran Greg Scott speaks as former military service member who see Manning as a hero to the armed forces, the gay community and all of America.

How's this for political urban redecorating? Unknown persons earlier in the day altered the large billboard next to the escalator in the bowl of the Muni station's exit. Instead of an from Corporate America, thousands of public transit users saw an ad with this text:

Pride in whistleblowing, 'cause real heros won't let you get away with murder.

Now that's Pride you can be Proud of!

The words surrounded a still image grabbed from the video Manning leaked from a July 2007 deadly incident where American helicopter killed twelve people in Baghdad, including a photographer and driver with Reuters News.

Many big thanks to everyone who attended tonight, spoke and cheered, held signs, distributed literature, snapped pics and shot video and made sure San Francisco again kept its commitment to IDAHO and shared our solidarity with our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender family around our planet.

SF Pride Names New Grand Marshal by Noon Today 

(Daniel Ellsberg, leaker of the Pentagon Papers, speaks at the April 29 protest at SF Pride's office over the rescission of the Grand Marshal honor for Bradley Manning.)

This information from the Bay City News wire's daybook calender for today was shared with me by a media professional who has access to the calender. In keeping with SF Pride's refusal to respectfully engage the at-large LGBT community they purport to represent, there is no information at their site about this pending announcement.

While the board of directors think they're in charge of deciding _the_ Grand Marshal for 2013's Pride Parade, I have news for them. The Grand Marshal is WikiLeaks gay soldier hero Bradley Manning. There will be a rally at 6 pm today, at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro district, in honor of IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia.

Members of Gays Without Borders and the Bradley Manning Support Network at the rally will call attention the global day of LGBT activism, the undemocratic policies of Pride and to declare Manning the People's Grand Marshal of 2013.

Here's the info about Pride's pending announcement. Apologies for the all-caps from the original:

FRIDAY, MAY 17
CALL TO CONFIRM:
TODAY THE SF PRIDE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2013 GRAND MARSHAL FOR THE PRIDE PARADE BY NOON, FOLLOWING THE CONTROVERSIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND THEN REVERSAL OF THE DECISION TO MAKE BRADLEY MANNING THE GRAND MARSHAL.
CONTACT: DAVID PERRY (415) 693-0583 OR (415) 676-7007 CELLPHONE

BAR Interviews SF Pride Officials Over Manning Mess

The Bay Area Reporter sent freelancer James Patterson to cover my court hearing today at the Hall of Justice. While there was no resolution to the legal matter brought against me by an elected official and my attorney and I go back to court on June 7, I chatted with Patterson about the SF Pride debacle over the rescission of the Grand Marshal honor to WikiLeaks hero Bradley Manning.

Patterson told me that editor Cynthia Laird had an interview with Lisa William, Pride's board chair, and Earl Plante, the group's executive director, at the Pride offices yesterday. Yes, I was shocked to hear that after weeks of, um, stonewalling the press and the LGBT social justice activist community, Pride officials finally agreed to someone about the mess they have created.

Actually, I have to stop labeling it all a mess because the stupidity of the Pride leaders has been and still is a golden opportunity delivered on a silver platter to question the obsessive focus on gay marriage, and the militarization and corporatization of most of the queer movement by Equality Inc.

Like many activists and bloggers, I'm quite curious how Pride officials were dig themselves into a deep hole with whatever they said to Laird and that will appear on the BAR's web site at about 8 pm tonight. Congrats to the paper for scoring the interview.

Would it not be great to not only read the interview, but to also have a videotape of it so we can see and hear the Pride officials and read their body language? Can't have everything, but knowing that the officials felt a need to speak with the BAR tells me they must know they won't be able to ride out this controversy by cancelling meetings and ignoring demands for communication and engagement.

SF Pride + Manning Queeruption: Google Group Forms

A genuinely terrific debate continues online in week-three of the SF Pride debacle over their rescinding of a Grand Marshal slot to accused WikiLeaks whisteblower and gay soldier Bradley Manning.

One location where it's happening at this Google Group titled Real Pride, Real Issues. Movement veteran and political artist, who's also a good friend of mine, Clinton Fein, set up the group and it's a lively gaggle of gays and straight allies making it jump.

For the time being, membership is open to all in an effort to be more transparent than the SF Pride board of directors and staffers. We are showing there is a way of pushing an LGBT agenda for social justice activists at Pride and beyond in San Francisco. Sure, there are a few folks overly sensitive to constructive criticism and that is to be expected in a diverse queer ad hoc coalition, but over all the spirit of cooperation keeps the group delivering accountability and direct actions.

A reminder that San Francisco's annual event for IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, of course takes place on May 17 and this year Gays w/o Borders has proudly partnered with the Bradley Manning Support Network of activists.  We're gathering this Friday from 6 to 7 PM at Harvey Milk Plaza to send a message to SF Pride and the world: Bradley Manning = Grand Marshal.

Please join us!

S.F.'s May 17 IDAHO Rally: Bradley Manning = Pride Grand Marshal 

Please cut-and-paste this alert to your Facebook page, Tweet it, post to your blog and share it far and wide. Thanks!

S.F.'s May 17 IDAHO Rally: Bradley Manning = Pride Grand Marshal  

Members of Gays Without Borders and the Bradley Manning Support Network are organizing a rally and speak out for this year's edition of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on Friday, May 17th in San Francisco, CA. IDAHO is an annual event marking the day the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its classification of diseases in 1990.  

What: IDAHO Rally 

Why: Declare Bradley Manning the People's Grand Marshal of SF Pride   

When: Friday, May 17 Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM  

Where: Harvey Milk Plaza, Market and Castro Streets  

The reason why Gays Without Borders is proudly partnering with the Bradley Manning Support Network for the rally is to continue building on community support declaring him Grand Marshal of the SF Pride parade. Manning is the accused gay U.S. Army Private accused of divulging a massive amount of government documents to WikiLeaks. 

He was originally chosen to be a Grand Marshal at Pride, but that honor was rescinded in secrecy by the board of directors of Pride, touching off a global outcry condemning the rescission and unleashing a flood of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender solidarity for Manning.  

LGBT activists and straight allies will gather at Harvey Milk Plaza on Friday with enormous colorful banners demanding freedom for Manning and global gay solidarity. There will be an open mike session for people to comment about the importance of IDAHO, the Pride board's rescission and express concerns for Manning as he prepares for trial.

Additional IDAHO info here: http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/ , and for Bradley Manning go here: http://www.bradleymanning.org/.

For more information, please contact:
Michael Petrelis, Gays Without Borders
Phone: 1-415-621-6267
Email: mpetrelis@aol.com  

Michael Thurman, Bradley Manning Support Network
Phone: 1-916-202-6060
Email: dude_man_guy60@yahoo.com