Ready for Cal's new "Briggs War Two" ?

PEARL HARBOR DAY:
7 December 2004:
At "The Thin Blue Line"*, a queer wound-licking wake
at San Franhattan's LGBTI (queer) Center,
on a rainy Tuesday night, around three women
and ten men show up.

Most participants wonder how queers can reach out**
to mainstream voters.

A nostalgic old man laments lack of community in SF.
A woman says we need to support local and state queer groups.
A young man says coming out is the best way to gain acceptance.

Tortuga says Pride celebrations look like the easiest way to make queers visible in small towns. A woman disagrees, saying "drag queens" and queer flamboyance can turn squares off; so PFLAG is more effective. A man agrees that "old straight people" are good ambassadors to the mainstream.

Another man says fundis have a really frightening vision of what this nation should become, and reason can't reach them.
But, say others, they can be counter-balanced by liberal Christian
and Jewish clergy, who could comfort timid legislators.

So what can we do, in a season of (apparent) backlash?
Try to unite our various queer communities,
getting them on the same page (for a change)?
Boycott Feinstein?
Seek straight allies for "the new civil rights movement
of this new century"?
Try to increase charitable giving by queers?
Try to bring back the community-minded spirit of the Eighties,
when SF fought AIDS?
Help with ballot measures in other towns and states?
Build coalitions with labor unions, feminists, liberal churches?
Use the Internet even more?
Boycott ABC?
Dump the Dems?



Are SF queers ready for a California ballot proposition
about same-sex marriage,
and possibly about partnerships?
Can we face a re-run of the Briggs Initiative,
like back when Ronald Reagan was Governor,
and Harvey Milk was alive?

Not yet.

But, as the crisis comes closer, we'll shape up.



For freedom until death!
Tortuga Bi LIBERTY
San Franhattan
( written 7 December 2004, Tuesday night )
.................................

PS 1:
*Strangely, Democrats have willingly adopted blue
as their political and cultural color.
Probably TV networks originally chose blue for Democrats
in order to avoid calling them "red" or "pink",
hence socialistic;
and chose red for Republicans in order to avoid painting them
as "blue-nosed prudes", or as blue-uniformed cops.
("Thin Blue Line" formerly referred to a police force.)
So TV gave each party the opposite of its historic color.
This fits with the leftist view that the two biggest parties
are like two professional athletic teams
which compete on the playing field,
yet both are owned by the same giant corporation.
You can bet on one or both or neither,
but "the house always wins".

............
PS 2:
**Their November defeat has made many liberal Democrats want
to "reach out" sympathetically
to rural and small-town voters,
and even to queer-bashing religious voters.
For a satire on this tender approach,
see Tom Tomorrow's cartoon in the December 8
SF Bay Guardian

[ http://www.SFBG.com ].
.................

PS 3:
Apres-election,
are you feeling like you need
grief counselling?

Here are a few ways to
fight back,
plus ways to have fun:


FREEDOM-SEEKERS' CALENDAR
( compiled by SUN and SaveFreedom;
plus info from HolyTitClamps, SFBG, et alii ):
........
For more "queer things to do"
in the San Franhattan Gay Area,
please visit Larrybob at HTC:

[ http://www.holytitclamps.com/ ]
...........

Please FORWARD freely,
to willing recipients only.

..........................

DECEMBER 2004:
Universal Human Rights Month.
"AIDS-Advent season"

..........


*CAL-SF: Vigil against budget cuts:
Wednesday, Dec. 8, join an emergency candlelight protest against budget cuts to essential city and public health services. 5:15 p.m., City Hall steps, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., S.F. (415) 575-1740, ext. 139.
...........................................
CAL, northern: Berkeley:
Support your local vegetable!
Thursday, Dec. 9, attend a Food First panel discussion on the benefits of supporting locally grown produce. Panelists include food policy experts and activists. 7-9 p.m., Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo, Berk.
Free.
(510) 548-2220, ext. 233
...............

CAL-SF:
queer holiday event:
Thursday, Dec. 9, celebrate the [solstice] season
with the San Francisco LGBT Community Center's third annual
Starry Night party. 6-9 p.m., in the Center's Ceremonial Room,
1800 Market, S.F.
$25-$35
($35 includes full 2005 Center membership....).
Reservations highly encouraged. (415) 865-5502
..................

**CAL-SF:
Thursday, December 9:

100 Ways to Play:
a Katalog of Kink
by Angela and Iain
7:30pm until 10:30pm (or so)
Doors open at 7:00pm


At a good play-party, you may see dozens of different techniques in action.
Which ones are easier?
What are they called?
How do you learn them?
Which players are safe and competent?

For details, please visit:

http://www.sfCitadel.org

............

CAL-SF: 10-11 Dec., Friday-Saturday:
In the Castro district, a jazz quartet will perform
at Noe & Market streets, in front of Cafe Flore.
..............


CAL, northern: Berkeley:
Human Rights Day:
Friday, Dec. 10, mark Human Rights Day with an evening featuring
peace scholar/activist
Dr. Michael Nagler.
7-9 p.m., Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo, Berk.
Free.
(510) 548-2220, ext. 233
.......................................


CAL-SF: Friday 10 Dec,
signup at 7:30, reading at 8 pm:
Queer Open Mic at the Center's Three Dollar Bill Cafe.
2nd and 4th Fridays (except in December [skip 4th Fri.]).
Host Cindy M. Emch with featured reader Michelle Tea.
Adding to the mixing pot of spoken word in the city is a new open mic night at the SF LGBT Community Center. Pro grrrl, pro boi, and completely genderqueer in scope....[....] a space for spoken word, poetry and performance: feminist, multi cultural, multi gendered, completely inclusive and dynamic.
$1-5 donations benefit Femina Potens
( http://www.feminapotens.com )
and The Center
( http://www.sfcenter.org ) in an effort to encourage more queer radical art in our community.
No one turned away for lack of funds.....
Three Dollar Bill Cafe 1800 Market @ Octavia
........................

CAL, northern: Berkeley:
Communal-living seminar:
Saturday, Dec. 11, contribute to the documentation of communal living in the United States at an all-day seminar held by the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley and the Mendocino Institute. The collaborators call on former and current communards, in particular, so as to compile their oral histories for UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library and future projects. Those who haven't lived communally can learn about the legacy communes have created for approaches to sexual politics, child rearing, food co-ops, and political activism. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., UC Berkeley, Moses Hall, Room 223, Bancroft and Telegraph, Berk.
Free.
(510) 642-2472
....................................


CAL-SF, 11 Dec., Saturday night, 8pm to 2am:

Monthly All Male Dungeon Party
at the SF Citadel.
All men are welcomed.
For details, please visit:
http://www.sfCitadel.org
...............................


CAL- SF: 12 December, Sunday morning, circa 0945:
Sunday Forum at U-U Church, on
SF hotel workers struggling for health benefits.
Free.
[ http://www.uuSF.org ]

..........

CAL- SF: 12 December, Sunday, 2pm to 4:30pm:

international POETS FOR PEACE --
Pireeni Sundaralingam
and poets representing Iran, Canada, Native America, Russia, Middle East, etc. --
perform at SF Main Library, downtown, Larkin at Grove,
in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room.
FREE.
All welcome.
..........

***CAL-SF: 12 December, Sunday afternoon:
SM Community Exchange
("the Bizarre Fleamarket")
2pm to 5pm
942 Mission Street (between 5th and 6th Streets)
admission $5 per person.
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]
...........

CAL-SF: Dec. 13, Monday night sex-ed class: please see
[ http://www.goodvibes.com ]
.................

CAL-SF: Dec 13, Dominance/submission discussion group.
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]
...........

CAL-SF: Tuesday, December 14 at 7:00 pm

“Fellow Travelers:
[ queer ] Liberation Portraits”

Lecture: Tuesday, December 14 at 7:00pm
Exhibition: 18 November 2004
through 31 January 2005

Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library
3555 -- 16th Street
San Francisco, California 94114
415-355-5616

FREE.
...................

CAL-SF: .... thru Dec. 16, weekdays:
"Ritual Arts of HAITI":
vodou exhibit at SF State University.
Free.

http://www.SFSUstudentcenter.com/artgallery

...........

OREGON, circa mid-December:
State supreme court considers whether same-sex couples deserve
spousal rights, perhaps in Vermont-style civil unions.
................

CAL, northern: Oakland:
Street art book-release party:
Wednesday, Dec. 15, attend a book-release party for Stencil Pirates (Soft Skull Press), which exhibits almost 1,000 colorful examples of stencil graffiti, and a slide show about this form of artistic expression. 7 p.m., AK Press, 674A 23rd St., Oakl.
Free.
(510) 208-1701
..............

CAL-SF: 16 December, Thursday, evening:
ACTUP New York: oral history project:
6pm at SF main Library (near Civic Center BART/Muni satation).
Free.

http://www.SFPL.org

[Note: This presentation is about NEW YORK ActUp --
not the San Francisco denialists. ]
..............

*CAL-SF: 17 Dec., Friday:
SF Citadel Open Play Party.
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]
...........

CAL-SF: 18 Dec., Saturday:
SF Citadel HOLIDAY Play Party.
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]

..............

CAL- SF: 19 December, Sunday morning, circa 0945:
Sunday Forum at U-U Church, on
"spirituality, politics, and The Media...".
Free.
[ http://www.uuSF.org ]
[ NO MORE Forums until 9 January 2005. ]
.................

CAL-SF:
....... thru December 20:
free classes for elders (55+), on
WORLD AFFAIRS.
Monday mornings, 10am.
For details, please see:

http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1705140.php

.........

CALIFORNIA: circa 22 Dec., Wednesday, daytime:
Hearing on constitutionality of California discriminating against
same-sex couples, by denying them the right to marry;
in SF Superior Court,
before Judge Richard Kramer.

For details, please see:

[ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/27/BAGCF9GT3T1.DTL ]


Will there be a sidewalk vigil?
See SF's marriage website:

http://www.MarriageEqualityCA.org/

.......

CAL-SF: 24 December, Friday night, 10pm:
U-U candle-light communion service
in their chapel.
[ http://www.uuSF.org ]
All welcome.

........

WORLD: ancient Roman Empire:
circa 25 December:
Legendary birthday of Mithra, a sun god popular in the Roman Legion;
whose birthday was co-opted, along with SUN-day worship (get it?),
by Christian Roman emperors, in hopes that Mithraites would tolerate
Christianity becoming the official government religion.

[According to astronomers and historians, Jesus was born months earlier in the year;
and several years earlier than the so-called " Anno Domini One ". ]

[ Before being Romanized and Mithra-ized, the Christians had worshipped on the Biblical Sabbath
(which starts at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday). ]

.......

CAL-SF: 26 December, Sunday morning, 11AM:
U-U sermon on KWANZAA.
[ http://www.uuSF.org ]
All welcome.

........
**Cal-SF: Dec. 31, Friday night, 8pm to 2am:
Leather New Year's Eve:
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]

........

WORLD: Dec. 31: New Year's Eve,
on which we may temporarily ignore
the patriarchy, for a few care-free hours?

[ Dec. 25 and 31 are both approximations of the December Solstice.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice reassured pre-literate humans
that the apparently "dying" sun would revive once more.
If the sun ever fails to revive, they reasoned, then the gods have decided to end the world.

Today, humans make small artificial suns (H-bombs) which can terminate the human species,
leaving our planet suitable for cockroaches. If we do this, don't blame the G-d(s).... ]

...............................


upcoming in 2005:
........................

JANUARY 2005:

....
CAL-SF: 8 January 2005, Saturday afternoon, 2:30pm to 5:30 pm:
MIDORI presents "Humiliation Play"

( in case you didn't get enough
humiliation on Nov. 2 ...)

For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]
........

*Cal-SF: 8 January, Saturday night, 8pm to 1 am:
SF Citadel Open Play Party.
For info, please see
[http://www.sfcitadel.org/ ]
...........

PALESTINE: circa 9 January 2005: election?

.....

CAL- SF: 9 JANUARY 2005, Sunday morning, circa 0945:
Sunday Forum at U-U Church.
Topic to be announced.
Free.
[ http://www.uuSF.org ]

.................

CAL-SF: Jan. 10, Monday: "The Wild Kinkdom" class, $25,
at GV Polk Street store, SF.
For classes at Good Vibrations shops
(2 in SF, one in Berko), please visit:

[ http://www.goodvibes.com ]
......................

CAL-SF: 19 Jan. 2005, Wednesday: "Oral Majority" class, $25,
taught by Tracy Bartlett
at GV Polk Street store, SF.
For classes at Good Vibrations shops
(2 in SF, one in Berko), please visit:

[ http://www.goodvibes.com ]
.................

U$A: 20 Jan. 2005, Thursday:
protests against the Bush regime.

[ Please see:

http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1707056.php ]

..........

IRAQ: circa 30 January 2005: election???
(unless "postponed", etc.)

........


FEBRUARY 2005:

CAL: 2005 Feb. 11-12-13, Santa Barbara:
GenderQueer/QueerGenders conference at UCSB.
........

MARCH 2005:

WASHINGTON state, circa 8 March:
(on or near International Women's Day):
State supreme court
considers whether state can deny marriage rights of same-sex couples.
.............

***CAL-SF:
2005 MAY 15 (?): Sunday:
Bay 2 Breakers.
CLOTHING-OPTIONAL.

.........

***CAL-SF:
25-26 June 2005:
35th annual SF Pride Celebration:
"Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Proud".
Festival on Sunday is CLOTHING-OPTIONAL;
so you can also Stand Naked!

........

CAL, southern:
San Diego region:
18-21 August 2005:
Western NATURIST Gathering,
at DeAnza Springs Resort, near Jacumba.
........


ISRAEL, Jerusalem: 18 - 28 August 2005: World Pride festival.

[ http://www.worldpride.net/ ]

.........

*CAL. northern: near Santa Cruz:
17 September 2005, Saturday:
Adopt-A-Beach cleanup
at Bonny Doon Beach, Santa Cruz County.
CLOTHING-OPTIONAL.
Sponsored by Bay Area Naturists (BAN).
.........

*CAL-SF: Saturday, 24 September 2005:
(the day before Folsom Fair):
Naked Yoga Sports Day (?);
near Fisherman's Wharf, SF.
.......

***CAL-SF: Sunday, 25 Sept. 2005:
Folsom Street Fair:
from 11am to 6pm.
Always last Sunday in September.
CLOTHING-OPTIONAL (de facto).
For "official" details, please see:
http://www.folsomstreetfair.com/
[FSF website may CLAIM that nudity is banned,
but that's not factual.]
...........

***CAL-SF: Saturday, 8 October 2005:
2nd annual NUDE PEACE DAY
at Baker Beach.
Always 2nd Sat. in Oct.
Details forthcoming.

.............................
.............................

For more arts events,
please visit the Squidlist calendar:

[ http://laughingsquid.org/squidlist/calendar/ ]
...........

For events at Good Vibrations shops
(2 in SF, one in Berko), please visit:

[ http://www.goodvibes.com ]

........................
For FEMINA POTENS events, please visit:

http://www.feminapotens.com/events.html

........................

For BDSM events at SF's leather community center, please see:
http://www.sfcitadel.org/

.............

For Nov. 2004 election results, please visit:

http://www.sfgate.com/election/2004/11/02/

...............

For breaking news, please go to Google, click on News.
Then, within News, search for a name, like "NYCLU", or "Multnomah".
.......
To get news of upcoming demos, please check your local Independent Media Center.
If you don't know its URL, start at the queer section of IndyBay:

[ http://www.indybay.org/lgbtqi/ ]
........
To list upcoming events, please send brief notice,
in plain text (no HTML!!),
preferably in format shown above;
preferably with URL where netizens can find details, to:
SaveFreedom [at] yahoogroups.com
............................................

SaveFreedom recommends:
[CAL. events: MECA] http://www.MarriageEqualityCA.org/
[MarriageEqualityCA seeks civil marriage for same-sex couples. ]
.....
MASS. same-sex marriage news: [ http://www.boston.com/news/specials/gay_marriage/ ]
.......
OREGON s-s marriage news: [ http://www.oregonlive.com/special/gaymarriage/ ]
........
N.Y. city/state/US/world news: [ http://www.nytimes.com/ ]
........
For more links to groups, press, etc., please visit:
[ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SaveFreedom/links ]
.............................................

QUEER EVENTS in SF Gay Area:
For best listings, please visit Larry-bob at Holy TitClamps:
http://www.holytitclamps.com/

.......................
Recurring SF Bay Area events include:
WEEKLY:
-- SF main library screens free films, most Thursdays, 12 noon [ for info, please email < blaineW [at] sfpl.org > ]
-- SF, Cable 29: "Alternative Programming", each Wednesday night, 9pm.
...........
TWICE A MONTH (usually):
[except as disrupted by holidays, etc.?]
-- SF: open mic at the LGBT Center.....
...............
MONTHLY:
-- SF, 1st Sundays: K'vetsh: queer spoken word event, 8pm.
Sadie's Flying Elephant, 491 Potrero (near Mariposa), SF. $1-$3 donation.
-- SF, 1st Sundays: Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], 5pm.
-- SF, 1st Tuesdays: free admission to: ASIAN ART MUSEUM; Legion of Honor; SF MOMA;
Conservatory of Flowers (in Golden Gate Park); etc.
-- SF, 1st Tuesdays, evening: http://genderenders.com
-- SF, 1st Tuesdays: "House of Love" open mic (mostly music?); sign-up at 7:30pm; event at 8pm.
Brainwash,1122 Folsom St (between 7th & 8th Streets), SF. Free.
-- SF, 1st Wednesdays: free admission to: San Francisco ZOO; Fort Mason galleries; etc.
-- SF, 1st Wednesdays: free admission to Calif. Academy of Sciences, downtown [ calacademy.org ](as of Dec 04)
-- SF, last Wednesdays: Re-Tool & Grind, at Club Eros. (but not in Nov. or Dec.?)
-- SF, 1st Thursdays(?): Passion Dance class (?) [<http://www.passiondance.com>]
...........
ODD-MONTHLY: Perverts Put Out, in each odd-numbered month <http://www.blackbooks.com>:
clothing-optional literary salon at 848 Community Space. [Skipping Nov. 2004]
.......................

ANNUAL Bay Area clothing-optional ( or top-optional ) events MAY include:

People's Park birthday party (late April?);
Bay 2 Breakers footrace( May);
SF Pride events (Dyke March, Pink Saturday, Pride Festival, all in late June);
Dore Alley Fair (Up Your Alley) (last Sunday in July);
Bonny Doon beach cleanup (Santa Cruz area, in Sept.);
Folsom Street Fair (last Sunday in Sept.);
Berkeley nude/topfree demo in People's Park (mid or late Sept.?);
SF Love Parade [http://www.loveParadeSF.net ] (early October) ;
Castro Street Fair (genitals banned, but female breasts okay) (early Oct.) [http://www.castrostreetfair.org/ ];
"Castro-ween" (Halloween in Castro district, Oct. 31) [ http://HalloweenSF.com ];
Nude Peace Day (second Sat. in October) [http://pages.prodigy.net/seniornude]; etc.

Another possibility: Harrison Street Fair? ( each August).

Haight Street Fair may be ALMOST ready to tolerate nudes (or at least topfree womyn);
but North Beach Fair seems hopeless.

Regardless of law, SF police policies are very hard to predict.

..........................

Find fairs, festivals, shows, etc.
http://MyFairFinder.com

Find music festivals:
8,000+ blues, jazz , world, folk, more.
http://FestivalNet.com
...............
###