MAP: Average San Francisco Rents

Via Cleve Jones.

Afternoon View - From Dolores Park

Cool and foggy today.

Former GLAAD Head Neil Giuliano To Lead San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Former GLAAD president Neil Giuliano has been hired to head the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Giuliano replaces former SFAF CEO Mark Cloutier, who left in January to "work on federal and state health policy reform." Via press release:

“Neil is an experienced leader, broadly respected for bringing people and communities together and for his collaborative approach to solving tough problems,” said Dr. Lorna Thornton, Chair of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation board of directors. “His distinguished track record of accomplishments in the public and non-profit sectors is outdone only by his vision for the future — a future when HIV infection rates plunge in San Francisco and, eventually, everywhere.”

Prior to GLAAD, Giuliano was the four-term mayor of Tempe, Arizona.

Morning View - Castro & Market

Prop 8 Challenges Begin

The San Francisco City Attorney and legendary lawyer Gloria Allred have both announced separate lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8.

From the San Jose Mercury-News:

The San Francisco City Attorney's office says he plans to challenge the validity of a ballot measure that would change the state constitution to ban gay marriage. Spokesman Matt Dorsey says City Attorney Dennis Herrera will file the legal challenge in the California Supreme Court if the measure passes. With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition 8 is leading with 52 percent of the vote. But there are still as many as 3 million ballots left to be counted. The first lesbian couple to be married in Los Angeles County after the Supreme Court threw out the gay marriage ban also plans to announce a lawsuit against Proposition 8. Attorney Gloria Allred says that lawsuit will argue that the measure is unconstitutional.

From the Contra Costa Times:

The first same-sex couple to wed in Los Angeles last summer struck the first blow from gay advocates against the new voter-approved ban on gay marriages Wednesday, announcing they were filing a lawsuit against the measure. Robin Tyler and Diane Olson of North Hills said Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred will file the new lawsuit containing a new and controversial legal argument as to why Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Tyler, 66, and Olson, 54, married last June 16 in a traditional Jewish ceremony on the steps of the Beverly Hills courthouse, becoming one of the first two same-sex couples to marry in California under the new state nuptial laws they helped overturn. The two couples were allowed to marry on the eve of when the state begins to issue marriage licenses to same-sex partners because of their unique roles in lawsuits from Los Angeles and San Francisco that led to last May's Supreme Court decision declaring the ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.

Milk Premieres In SF

Gus Van Zant's Harvey Milk biopic premiered to a star-studded audience at San Francisco's Castro Theater last night. For red carpets pics, visit Towleroad. Anybody see it yet?

Miller Brewing Folds Over Folsom Poster

Bowing to pressure from Christian activists, Miller Brewing, the primary sponsor of Folsom Street Fair, has asked fair organizers to remove its logo from their Last Supper poster. Right-wing news outlets and forums like Free Republic ("Miller Supports Gay Sadomasochistic Orgies On San Francisco Streets!") have been humming with "outraged" calls for a boycott of Miller and demands that readers inundate the company with complaining emails.

Miller Brewing's statement:

"While Miller has supported the Folsom Street Fair for several years, we take exception to the poster the organizing committee developed this year. We understand some individuals may find the imagery offensive and we have asked the organizers to remove our logo from the poster effective immediately."

Folsom board of directors president Andy Copper:

"There was no intention to be particularly pro-religion or anti-religion with this poster; the image is intended only to be reminiscent of the 'Last Supper' painting. We hope that people will enjoy the artistry for what it is - nothing more or less. Many people choose to speculate on deeper meanings. The irony is that da Vinci was widely considered to be homosexual. In truth, we are going to produce a series of inspired poster images over the next few years," Copper said. "Next year's poster ad may take inspiration from 'American Gothic' by Grant Wood or Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' or even 'The Sound of Music! I guess it wouldn't be the Folsom Street Fair without offending some extreme members of the global community, though."

At the moment, there is no indication that Miller Brewing intends to withdraw its sponsorhip of the fair, which is a non-profit event that makes sizable donations to LGBT causes every year.

Email or call Miller to support their involvement with LGBT events.

Pat Palechek
Event Marketing
ppalechek@mbco.com
267-395-3619

UPDATE: Post Modern Barney has a great take on gay reaction to the Folsom poster. Recommended.