Secured By The Knights

     The sum of 1.4 million dollars contributed to the “Yes on 8” campaign came, ironically, from a state that is one of the two only in the nation that allows same sex marriages.

      It was the Knights of Columbus, based in New Haven, Connecticut, who provided this financial support to Proposition 8 in an attempt to secure a ban on same-sex marriage in the State of California.

“Marriage is a social institution that is as old as humankind itself. In modern society it forms an indispensable function,” said Patrick Korten, Vice President for Communications of The Knights of Columbus.

      Having nationwide support, The Knights of Columbus are financially able to provide ample funds to support traditional marriage.

“We have been involved in every one of the 30 state referenda that have been held. Every single one of which has resulted in the passage of an amendment to protect traditional marriage,” said Korten.

“California may like to think of itself as the only one that really counts,” said Korten “but in fact in 29 other states over the past decade similar referenda had been held and large majorities of voters have voted for exactly the same kind of constitutional amendment.”

     Based on their religious beliefs the Knights of Columbus do not consider gay marriage traditional and, in fact, it is quite unacceptable to their point of view.

“Every child deserves to have a mother and a father when they grow up,” said Korten. “They do not always contain the ideal but that is the desirable ideal in our view that is absolutely incontestable.”

     A total of six cases challenging Proposition 8 were filed recently in the Supreme Court of California from which three were accepted for review, said Lynn Holton, Public Information Officer from Judicial Council of California.

     According to Korten, the Knights of Columbus currently have no plans to further fight the case of same-sex marriage, because there are several other groups, right now, taking up that fight to protect Proposition 8 against the lawsuits.

“There is no real reason for us to pile on,” said Korten who is confident in a positive outcome from the lawsuits.

“We hope that they (the California Supreme Court) do not go down that road again,” said Korten. “We hope that they will respect the decision of the people of California and allow their opinion, which has now been expressed twice in statewide referenda.”

     According to Holton there won’t be any new updates or information available on the case until sometime next year. The oral arguments are scheduled for March 2009.

“We support the work of those who were seeking to persuade the California Supreme Court to allow the referendum to remain the final word,” said Korten.

     The Knights of Columbus is a nonprofit society founded in 1882 by a priest, Michael McGivney, who formed the organization for Catholic men to join together and perform works of charity.

      The society has grown nationwide as well as internationally over the years.

“From one little council in one little town in Connecticut,” said Korten “we are now an international organization with 13,000 local counsels around the world and we currently have more than 1.75 million members.”

“There are more than 65,000 members in the State of California,” ads Korten.

The Bright Site Of Proposition 8

     Filling gay couples with disappointment and despair, but making gay rights visible to the entire country, the passage of Proposition 8 did bring some benefits to the Castro as well as to the whole gay community, advocates say.

“The level of energy and anger that has come out of its passing is actually starting to reunify the community, not just the queer community but along with our straight allies,” said Ardel Thomas, the chair of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at City College of San Francisco.

     Gay equality, which Harvey Milk fought for his entire career 30 years ago, is still an issue today, even in a city known for its gay tolerance. Gay marriage was rejected by a majority of society by the passage of Proposition 8.

“If it took the passage of Proposition 8 to remind us – again – that every generation has to fight for its ideals and not take them for granted, then it may be a dark but necessary chapter,” said economist Dean Volker.

     A petition whose goal is to overturn Proposition 8 was available online by the day after the election. Also, many groups supporting No on 8 quickly formed on web social networks like Facebook and Myspace.

“The gay community needs to get behind it and do the work necessary to make equality a reality,” said Jim Lonergan, registered nurse, who has lived in San Francisco over 40 years.

     The fate of gay marriage is now back in the hands of the California Supreme Court. It is a battle that is not simple and is not nearly over.

“I think it is a setback to be sure, but certainly not the end of the story,” said Brandon Leonard, M.A., who got married on Election Day.

“We are gaining ground, we just need to be up there,” said Thomas “History is on our side, if you keep looking, we will eventually get marriage, it just takes some more fighting. It’ll just take some more time.”

     It all started on July 17 when same sex couples were legally able to marry in California. San Francisco City Hall added extra operating hours to satisfy the high demand for wedding appointments. It was a big day for the gay community and a significant one in the history of human rights, but not for long.

“The right to marry for gay people will not be an easy battle,” said Lonergan. “There is much more work to be done.”

     When Proposition 8 appeared on the ballot, it claimed to protect marriage as an institution between a man and a woman, attempting to take away the right for same sex couples to wed in the state of California.

“It wasn’t just about marriage, it was a very hateful measure,” said Thomas. “There is no way to read that without reading how incredibly homophobic it is. Regardless of how gay people feel about marriage as an institution, we all recognize the hatefulness behind Yes on 8.”

     Bothered by the fact that gay marriage grew into an enormous issue in just the past few months, Dennis Peron, a gay activist and a friend of Milk’s considers it “a battle that we did not choose.”

“We have so many issues,” said Thomas. “I don’t think that marriage would be the one people would have necessarily gone for, but it ended up being the issue on our plate.“

     Sponsored mostly by out of state religious organizations – Mormons from Utah, The Knights of Columbus from Connecticut, but also independent contributors from around the country, the Yes on 8, gaining over 35milion for their campaign, kept growing and gaining supporters.

“It helped show publicly which side people are on. I'm thinking of the fact that donations to political causes are public record, and now the folks who funded Prop 8 find themselves under fire,” said Volker, noting the well-publicized incident when a regional theater director in Sacramento who contributed money to Proposition 8 was forced to resign.

     On Election Day, City Hall in San Francisco was busy with same sex couples getting married, taking advantage of the opportunity to wed before too late. However even on that day throughout the gay community, representatives of the No on 8 campaign seemed to be quite relaxed about the whole issue of Proposition 8.

“There was a certain complacency about Prop 8 in that gay people felt that right was on our side and that the proposition would fail, that most Californians are fair and would not want to discriminate,” said Lonergan.

“The passage of Proposition 8 shocked enough people who thought California was ‘enlightened’ into realizing that even we in this state have these hurdles to jump, as well as causing a national embarrassment,” said Volker.

     While coping with disappointment some couples decided not to let the passage of Proposition 8 affect their marriage status and lives in general.

“I will not stop being David's husband just because a narrow-minded proposition or a court says that we are not legally married,” said Leonard.

     There was immediate reaction to the passage of the Proposition 8, starting with protests in the city the following day.

“The gays got pretty complacent lately, especially after anti-retroviral drugs took the heat off the fight against AIDS,” said Volker. “It took the passage of the proposition to get people back on the streets and mad as hell.”

     According to Thomas, political activism is more apparent now than it has been before, especially in the Castro. “It’s bringing the community together, I’ve seen more protesters, more energy after it. So in a weird way that’s good, it energized us.”

     In just couple of weeks after the election, from a state issue it became a national one. On the morning of November 15 all around the country supporters of gay marriage and equality stood in front of their local City Halls to express their disappointment and disagreement.

“We should be painfully aware at this point that freedoms can't be taken for granted and that complacency and apathy will never move us forward,” said Tara Walsh who got married on July 17. “I'm forever grateful to the people who wake up every day and devote their hours to making our world a better place.”

     Patience will be necessary now. According to Lynn Holton, Public Information Officer from the Judicial Council of California, there won’t be any new updates about the lawsuit against the Proposition 8 available until March 2009 when the first court hearing is scheduled.

“Hopefully, the courts will reject the proposition, which is a strong possibility,” said Lonergan. “In our system of government the rights of the minority and equal protections under the law are fundamental. The courts have done it before.”

     According to Walsh, the current lawsuit means hope and strength to same sex couples and the will to continue fighting.

“Without the lawsuit, we'd be dealing with a much more permanent and devastating reality right now,” said Walsh. “One that we're not ready to face.”

     Remembering the history of human rights, the gay community is not loosing their hope about the future success of their cause.

“It took 40 years of work to undue slavery and discrimination of blacks in the US and now we have our first black President and First Family, over time it too will happen,” said Lonergan.

The Nationwide Protest For Human Rights

      Proposition 8 is no longer just a California issue. Its passage, the banning of same-sex marriage, immediately created waves of protests, the most significant of which occurred nationally on November 15, 2008.

“I can’t believe we still have to protest this crap,” stated one of the signs.

      This event, which turned out to be part of a nationwide fight for human rights, took place late morning in front of San Francisco City Hall. All across the United States demonstrations were occurring at the same time.

      With a completely cloudless sky, the entire day was filled with sunshine. 

"I guess God doesn't hate us that much, does she?" said Scott Brogan, who was the moderator and guide throughout the event. 

     The gathering was peaceful and included many inspiring speeches. Some were serious, angry, sad full of empathy; others were light, entertaining with a pinch of sarcasm. What they all had in common was the urgent call for equality and the same opportunities for all. 

“Its not about sex, boys and girls, its about love,” said Supervisor Tom Ammiano,“Homophobia and racism and sexism, they all serve the same master, and its now time we bitch slap that master.”

      Protesters carried a large variety of sings, which conveyed the urgency of this issue and its need to be solved. “Marriage rights now, no 2nd class citizens,” “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” "Str8 against H8," or “This is not about beliefs, this is about civil rights,” just to cite a few.

“The right wing says if you are queer you are sick, everybody on Monday call into work and say I can’t come in, I’m feeling a little queer,” said Ammiano during his entertaining speech.

      Not only the gay community was present. A large amount of straight couples came along with their children to express their support as well. The crowd was quite diverse, comprised of people of different races, religions and gender preferences, merging all together, at least for that day.

     The event went on longer than planned and ended with a march around the city, passing by the Castro.

      If individual uniqueness, like the color of skin, cultural background or gender preferences could be celebrated, that would create a more positive way of living instead of pushing limits and punishments onto those with differences that they did not choose for themselves.

      If we can figure out how to turn off the color-culture-gender switch in our minds, there wouldn’t be such a thing as Proposition 8, instead we would be able to use this energy on causes in places that are in desperate need of help and our attention.

      Its not similarities, but differences that can often bring us together, so “thank God, Allah, Yahweh” or whomever to be thankful for, for those differences, instead of trying to ban them.

Images From The Demonstration

“I Am An Open Book”

The (Love) Story of Dennis Peron

      Dressing up as a cop on Halloween and handing out pot to people - that is Dennis Peron, 62, gay-rights activist, friend of Harvey Milk, but mainly the man who dramatically changed the world of marijuana.

       Peron has lived in the Castro for the last 20 years. His house on 17th Street has the face of Buddha painted on the doors, Tibetan flags hanging on the roof and a marijuana leaf painted above the entrance. Besides being his long time home, his house serves as a Bed and Breakfast. The Cozy Castro Cottage is definitely not a smoke-free zone, the aroma of marijuana contributes to its character and atmosphere.

      In the backyard there is a large “underwater” garden with a functioning miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge hanging above. The backyard is rich in paintings and murals that depict Peron’s life and the people from his past. At night, black lights turn the backyard into a psychedelic garden full of colors and shapes.

“Dennis is a legend in San Francisco,” said Bevan Dufty, supervisor for the Castro.

Peron is proud of his accomplishments, especially the ones in the marijuana field.

“I coined the term ‘Medical Marijuana’ and I single-handedly changed the face of marijuana from sixties ‘Radical Long Hair’ to the gentle, loving people that we really are,” he said.

“We are indebted to him for all his hard work; he was very brave to start doing this even though there were no laws to protect him or help him out,” said Betty Beft from the Medical Marijuana Dispensary in SF.

      Peron opened Cannabis Buyers' Club in 1995 in San Francisco and later renamed it the Cannabis Cultivators Club. He was forced to discontinue the use of marijuana and ordered to close his club by the California Supreme Court.

      It was in 1996 that California Proposition 215 which Peron coauthored and considers his biggest life accomplishment, successfully passed legalizing the sale of marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor’s prescription.

“Dennis saw many of his friends die of AIDS and that’s part of why he worked for medical marijuana. It was the only thing that helped AIDS patients to get out of bed,” said Brian Peron, Dennis’ brother.

“I know many people who live much happier and healthier lives because of medical cannabis,” said Dufty.

      Peron was a close friend and supporter of Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978, after serving eleven months on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors.

“We have never really come back from his death,” Peron said, “We put so much energy into one man and when he was gone, all that energy dissipated. We learned a lesson not to put all of our eggs into one basket. Life is very fragile and you might be gone any minute.”

“Harvey was a unique person who stood up to the bigots and the liars. With humor he defeated a lot of his enemies and made life a little more bearable. I regret I did not talk to him before he died. I also regret I was not more like him,” Peron said

      Peron speaks about his life with openness and great honesty.

“The only thing I lie about is sex. I lie to get it, and then I lie about it afterwards - otherwise I don’t lie about anything.”
In spite of having a “No On 8” sign in the window of his house, and voting “no” on it, Peron said he is not a supporter of this proposition and considers it “the Looser Proposition”.

“It’s a battle we did not choose, and they are using it against us. [The gay battle] is not about marriage, it’s about single people’s lives,” said Peron.

      Peron, who fought for gay rights in the Seventies, is very disappointed in what the gay community has become. He calls it “the market nich that buys shit.”
      The problem of marriage and love makes Peron very agitated, upset, and has the power to remove the almost omnipresent smile from his face.

“I hate gay marriage, at least I didn’t have to live that lie. I didn’t have to pretend that I loved someone for 25 years. Love is renewable on a daily basis as far as I am concerned,” Peron said.

      According to Peron, most of the world is single: “It’s always going to be the good married people and the old slutty guys like me.”

      Peron’s boyfriend of seven years, Jonathan, his “true love,” died in 1990 of AIDS.

“In life if you have one true love, you are lucky. The small head says “love,” the big head says “no.”

"Love is an illusion sometimes,” Peron said.

          “I am an open book. I am honest. I am Buddhist.”

Dennis Peron

Vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

The Castro does not have many vegetarian/vegan restaurants. This map shows the ones that are the closest to this neighborhood. Although most of them are not exclusively vegetarian/vegan they do serve enough vegetarian-friendly meals.


View Larger Map

Better than the French?

      Before becoming a restaurant, Cafe Flore was a gas station. Opened in 1973 in the middle of the Castro, its guests, some who come back several times a day, are as diverse as the neighborhood it serves. Having changed some over the years, it still maintains its diverse clientele and openness and was voted the Best Cafe in San Francisco in the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Bet of the Bay Readers' Poll.

"Everyone comes here. It is a beautiful common ground." said Dean Volker, one of the regulars.

      Cafe Flore has 150 seats, of which only 50 are indoors. The location is generally sunny and the cafe is very bright inside, due to the large windows that surround the whole space. The atmosphere is mellow and even on weekdays it's like a lazy Sunday afternoon. Subdued music provides a non-disturbing environment for writers, readers, students doing their homework and even small business meetings.

"Several people have had books published that have been written here and a lot of people have studied their whole college career here," said Gary V., the manager.

"It doesn't have the boozy tension of a bar and I can read there without seeming weird," said Volker.

      There is Internet access as well. Above its well equipped bar - yes, it has a liquor license, a privilege that none of surrounding cafes have - hangs a large poster of Kar-mi, a fortuneteller who belonged to the circus that this poster was from. The poster has been there ever since Cafe Flore opened in the seventies.

      Cafe Flore is owned by J.D. Petras, an active member of the Merchants of Upper Market & Castro Association, who bought it five years ago. Besides being a big Burning Man fan, as evidenced by a replica of the original Burning Man statue on the roof of the Cafe, a leftover from a documentary film reception, he is also responsible for the beautification of the neighborhood. He provided the surroundings of Cafe Flore with plants and flowers, allowing the whole block to live up to the cafe's name.

      Since July there has been a new chef, Bronson Macomber, who created a whole new menu shortly after he took over the kitchen. 

"He used to work at Gary Danko's, which is a number one restaurant in the city. Since he came on board, the presentation and the quality of food has really gone up a lot," said Gary V.

      Wednesday night is Tarot Night at Cafe Flore, when Terry Yoder, an internationally known clairvoyant tarot consultant offers readings to the guests.

"You ask questions and he pulls cards, he tells you so much information, people are always blown away. He is very good, " said Gary V.

      Patterned after a restaurant in Paris called "Cafe de Flore." The Castro's Cafe Flore, known for its upscale clientele and pricey menu, Cafe de Flore might not offer as much diversity and openness to everyone as Castro's Cafe Flore does.

"It's very French," said Matt Singer, who has had the opportunity to visit both cafes.

"Cafe de Flore in Paris is more upscale, it's typically French by the snootiness of the waiters and the things that it offers," says Singer who lives on the opposite side of San Francisco but still comes to Cafe Flore with his dogs to read, get sun and meet friends.

"I come here every day, twice a day, If I lived in Paris I would not hang out there as much. Its expensive, sort of not amenable to hanging out there," said Singer.

"Cafe Flore does have some things in common with it's French counterpart - a meeting place for the local glitterati - but with none of the class issues and cliquishness of that Parisian destination," said Volker.

"Cafe Flore is more bohemian and eclectic because we are in the gay Mecca of the world," said Gary V.

Cafe Flore

Inaugural visits to the Castro

..."The Gay Disneyland," "the best place in San Francisco," "the rainbow neighborhood," "the center of friendliness and kindness," "the right place for everybody and everyone,"or even "the best place on earth"...

These are just a few of the descriptions that I've heard from strangers over the past few days while making my inaugural visits to the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco. I decided to speak to anyone who would be willing to talk. I just wanted to approach whomever would be approachable and willing to spare their time and share a few words about this part of town.

The interesting and very impressive realization for me was that EVERYBODY was willing to talk. They all seemed to bubble up with opinion, suggestion and before they said "bye" didn't forget to leave me with at least one compliment. Strange.

What is this place? And why is it the way it is? Where does all this kindness comes from? Is it real or superficial and if it is superficial why is it so popular? My natural skepticism was calling for attention and trying to get the pink filter off of the glasses I was wearing. It just didn't seem right, everyone acting so perfect and  positive...

The Castro seems to be suffused by understanding and not much judgment. These surely are qualities that in general maintain easier life everywhere . But it also looks like there is something maybe even magical about this palace itself (and no, I do not mean to bother with some "new-agey" ideas here). It is very welcoming, embracing, almost therapeutic and seems to have open arms for everyone. And I mean.. every one.

Besides a lot of pretty bars, restaurants, the famous Castro theater that has been there for years and many other "lovely looking" things and people, there is, as I found, "real life" happening at here as well. There is a very creative life of support groups and help centers trying to do their best to make life situations, problems or any kind of hardships easier for, again, EVERY individual who approaches them in need of help, The Bare Chest organization, the Under One Roof or the Kids Space just to name a few. I got the impression that those involved in these groups work quite hard and intensively fro their causes, and since they often do it on a voluntary bases, I have to  admit that makes a reasonable objection to my raised accused of superficiality.

The life under the surface of this colorful neighborhood is what proves that what looks like "superficiality" at first glance might actually be real care, offering asylum and support to minority groups or any other kinds of people with even the weirdest habits, needs, looks, thoughts or faiths.

The Castro has its own religion just for being the way it is.

The Car Wash

Accepting donations for washing cars, the  goal of "the men of the Bare Chest organization" was to raise money for the AIDS Emergency Fun and Positive Resource Center.