As a ginormous, idealistic faggotta, I of course can't help tearing up at the news that the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. As someone who's been with the love of their life for more than three years now, though, I'm suddenly terrified. How the hell am I gonna pull off a fuschia wedding dress in this heat? Thank goddess for Secret antiperspirant, ladies.

Of course, there's still a big fight ahead -- in California, with a heinous, probable November ballot initiative that wants to amend the constitution against love, and the inevitable "why can't I marry this tree?" panicky bullshit from the right. (Well, why can't you, treehugger?). And this is, alas, just a mere blip in changing this weird country's attitude as a whole. But, despite my queer anarchist misgivings about legalized emotional contracts and human property, I'm ecstatic for all the brave lovers who went full in to win this one. Hey, I'm a sucker for romance.

SFBG will have more coverage coming this afternoon.

PS -- yes, Florida: Rainbows ARE sexually suggestive.

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Posted by Marke B. at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Ariel Soto

The EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday, April 22, in San Francisco's Bayview/Hunters Point. The EcoCenter will be the first LEED-certified building in the southern part of the city and first building to run completely off the grid. Heron's Head Park was opened in 1999 to provide an open and natural space for the communities nearby, and since then more than 1,200 volunteers have helped restore the area by removing invasive plants and trash and replacing them with native plants. With the continuous support and effort of the Port of San Francisco and Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ), the EcoCenter will finally open, giving students the opportunity to learn in hands-on programs about issues such as clean air and water, renewable energy, healthy foods and open space restoration. (To get involved in the Heron's Head Park project, contact Laurie Schoeman at: lcprojectmanager@lejyouth.org) Here's some pics from the event.

The entrance to Heron's Head Park with the old PG&E plant in the background that's in the process of being demolished.

Goats are used in Heron's Head Park as a natural method of weed control.

Volunteers gather at Heron's Head Park before the beginning of the groundbreaking ceremony.

A Scrophularia californica, or Bee Plant, is just one example of the many native California plants that will be re-introduced into Heron's Head Park.

Beautiful Heron's Head Park.

Milton Reynolds, a member of Literacy for Environmental Justice, started the day's events at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park.

Continue reading "Pics: Goats and green at Heron's Head Park" »

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Posted by Marke B. at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It's time to raise a knife and spoon to end AIDS, as restaurants throughout our fair berg are flooded on the evening of Thurs/24 for Dining Out For Life -- a benefit in which 25 percent of all food and drink sales will be donated to StopAIDS. Oh yes, there will be drag queens. Perhaps even breaded and baked. Below are three choice happenings hosted by thirsty trannies aching to shove their meat in your mouth. Reservations strongly encouraged (Click here for 100 more participating restaurants!)

The Crispy Classic

Miss Juanita More dishes out her famous fried chicken with honey goo (plus carrot cake dessert!) at Mars Bar. her scrumptious (and possibly underaged) More Boys will wait on you, hostess Candi Gurl will look stunned but glamorous, and DJ James Glass --= the hottest straight boy into underground disco -- will help it all go down easy.

5-9pm
Mars Bar
798 Brannan, SF
(415) 621-MARS

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The Skewered Newbie

No one skewers the reigning queens of the scene like Monistat -- so appropriately she'll be hostessing, along with Castro Shawn, at the Castro's deliciously healthy skewered meat wonderland Asqew Grill. Don't forget to shishkabob your hair, lady.

6pm
Asqew Grill
3583 16th St., SF
(415) 626-3040

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Just a Plain Ol' Saucy Mess

The fiendishly fingerlickin' Felicia Fellatio -- pictured here with cutie leatherboy cohost Jorge -- will hold glutton court at Memphis Minnie's BBQ in Lower Haight. (Did you know that Memphis Minnie's features a sake tasting menu with it's plethora of roasted flesh? Well now you know!)

7pm
574 Haight, SF
(415) 864-7675
www.memphisminnies.com

PS: It's rumored that Felicia can down a whole rack of ribs without swallowing. Here's proof, at least, that she can down a whole racket:

Anyone for seconds?

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Posted by Marke B. at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Who needs "Carrie" when you've got Mary? Those fabulously scandalous Sisters of Perpetual indulgence are at it again, hosting a Queer Prom this Sat/19 to raise funds to combat the proposed LBAM aerial spraying. Theme: Leather and Lace. Location: San Francisco's wackiest techno leather "ball" room (get it?), the Powerhouse. Chaperones: Porn stars. Dress code: No one will remain clothed for long, sweetie, it's a Queer Prom duh.

Hell yes the punch will be spiked

Queer Prom: Leather and Lace
Sat/19, 9pm-Midnite, $5-15 sliding scale
The Powerhouse
1347 Folsom
www.powerhouse-sf.com

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Posted by Marke B. at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Intern Ailene Sankur refs the Brunch Battle of the Bay: Mama vs. Mama.

This culinary clash takes place between two cross-bay heavyweights—brunch staples with a maternal instinct to make sure you get your most important meal of the day: the one at noon that takes away the shakes. Oakland’s Mama’s Royal Café is a hipster enclave in the Temescal District while San Francisco’s Mama’s is a bougie North Beach eatery. Both are cash-only neighborhood favorites (I’ve said it before--the less a restaurant wants to convenience you, the better it probably is.) Let the fight begin!

Round 1—The Line

Both Mama’s Royal Café and Mama’s are, apparently, worth waiting for. The wait at Mama’s is known to take over an hour, while I’ve never waited over thirty minutes at Mama’s Royal. Both restaurants operate on the “turn and burn” philosophy: moving people in and out quickly to turn over the tables. At Mama’s Royal, sign up on the clipboard, grab a mug from the pile and pour yourself coffee. Then lounge in the front--with the ironically acid-washed-skinny-jean clad hipsters--smoke a cigarette and wait for someone to yell your name. At Mama’s, you wait in a line sans coffee--unless someone holds your place in line so you can run to Caffe Roma two blocks away--sandwiched between an ex-Cal frat boy/junior assistant something or other talking on his cell about how wasted he was last night and two impossibly thin and good-looking parents with impossibly “precocious” children. Either way, bring the paper!

Winner: Mama’s Royal Café. Come on, Mom would never make anyone wait outside without offering them a hot beverage.

Continue reading "Mama said eat yo' brunch" »

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Posted by Molly Freedenberg at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Justin Juul

You never know what kind of crazy shit your brain’s going to tell you to do when Saturn comes back into the picture and starts demanding attention. Some of us start thinking about babies and tract homes while others spin off in the opposite direction and become workaholics or barflys.

My friend, Jason Lewis of Lollyphile, did something even stranger. On the dawn of his 29th year, he suddenly decided to become a confectioner. He spent hours and days mixing flavors in his basement and self-promoting on the Internet until finally, success! His first run of Absinthe flavored lollipops was met with critical acclaim, eventually reaching full-blown awesomeness when the people over at Penthouse Magazine decided to run a review. A less ambitious man may have stopped there, but my friend is “very special” so he immediately started planning a slow takeover of the gourmet candy industry. He’s gonna be the next Willy Wonka. I can feel it.

I tried to get Lewis on the phone to discuss his outlook on candy, life, and world affairs, but he was too busy boiling lard or something. I did manage to squeeze this little e-interview out of him though. Enjoy.

SFBG: What’s your stance on candy from Japan? How can you ever hope to compete with brands like Pocky, Black Black, and Cubyrop?
My bacon lollipops are actually considered to be “sent from god” by a number of people. This wasn't my fault; a FedEx plane accidentally dropped a few cases on a small Pacific Island, and the natives of that island, upon experiencing their first meat-based sugar-high, started sacrificing various animals (note to PETA: I totally didn't sanction this) in an attempt to get their gods to ship more lollipops. Sadly, international shipping rates can't be paid for with any amount of boar's blood (believe me I've tried).

So, while Japan's candies have awesome names, brand recognition, and the loyalty of several billion people, I've got deity cred.

SFBG: What do you do when you’re not turning meat and controlled substances into candy?
Lewis: I reverse the process. Candy into meat and liquor. I transubstantiate stuff all the time.

"Bacon lollipops? Why not!"

Continue reading "Mmm ... bacon lollipops" »

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Posted by Marke B. at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Photojournalists Lisa Pickoff-White and Rhyen Coombs put together this nifty little vid for us of last weekend's 10th annual wild Brides of March downtown invasion:

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Posted by Marke B. at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Colleen McCaffrey

The Financial District’s Belden Alley is what it is: a perfect spot for tourists, out-of-town guests, and lovers of mussels al fresco, the house specialty at Plouf. On a recent visit, my companions and I were served a heaping bowl of the dark-lipped Prince Edward Island offerings, steaming in a magna caude of shallots, bacon, white wine, parsley and cream. We opted for the steamed combo, which mixed little necks in with the mussels Poulette. We realized this was a decadent decision as we fished for the last crustaceans in a sauce so rich it reminded us of a hearty New England Clam chowder, sans potatoes. The lactose-intolerant may want to opt for one of the six other house specialty broth options for their steamers, as the cream in the Poulette was more of a primary candidate than a runningmate. Outdoor seating not at the mercy of car exhaust is rare in this city, so we enjoyed the Parisian dining experience in the lovely alley of Belden Lane, which can get quite busy at the noon hour but is always an afternoon delight. The recommended pomme frites could have been crispier, but after a few glasses of Sancerre, they made for a delectable accompaniment to the heavy Poulette.

Plouf
40 Belden Pl., SF
(415) 986-6491
http://www.belden-place.com/plouf/

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Posted by Molly Freedenberg at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"It's okay that I'm alone."
"But maybe there's something wrong with me?"
"Maybe I'm just too picky."
"I'm young, I should be having sex."
"But I hate having sex with people I'm not really attracted to."
"Except when I'm traveling."

Thus were the questions plaguing San Franciscan Sasha Cagen that lead her to coin the term "quirkyalone." It started as a concept, then became an essay, an online community, and later a book, Quirkyalone: a manifesto for uncompromising romantics (HarperCollins 2004). Above all, quirkyalone is a movement.

Quirkyalone, Cagen defines, is "a person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple."

To some, the term "quirkyalone" may conjure the image of an eccentric weirdo who embraces lifelong singledom for lack of dating opportunities. Quite the contrary, Cagen emphasizes: quirkyalones are not loner Jane Eyre-types, she says; they are often active, attractive, extroverts who are simply anti-dull relationships and anti-settling.

Continue reading "Quirkyalone gets quirkytogether" »

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Posted by Marke B. at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Justin Juul

"I don't know what it is about women, but I will go to my grave wanting to pet their butts and boobs." -- Kurt Vonnegut

If Mr. Vonnegut had been born 50 years later, his famous quote might read something more like I don't know what it is about women, but I will go to my grave wanting to spank their asses. What? Haven't you heard? Spanking is the new hugging. Everyone's doing it. And it's totally natural too. Behind-the-scenes activities may differ from relationship to relationship, but nearly all of them involve some sort of spanking ritual. My girlfriend, for example, gets spanked whenever she reaches for fruit from the bottom drawer of the fridge. She gets it when she's tying her shoes, petting her cat, and well, anytime really. And she loves it! (I hope.) But alas, there's a stigma attached to spanking. It's something only immoral sex freaks do, some people say. Well, this is San Francisco and we say spank away.

But how, you ask. Well, there are plenty of ways to slap an ass. But, as with most things, it's best to get some guidance. Thank god for Good Vibrations. And thank god for Rosy Cheeks, the store's new spanking instructor. Apparently, while the rest of us were out stuffing our faces and drinking eggnog over the holiday break, Ms. Cheeks was drafting the lesson plan for her new class, Hot Spanking, which she'll be teaching in March at The Good Vibrations store on Polk Street. Too late for Valentine's Day -- but springtime's coming, people. Time to get that ass in gear!

Hot Spanking
March 18, 8pm-10pm
$25 pre-register/$30 drop-in
Good Vibrations
1620 Polk Street, SF
(415) 345-0400
www.goodvibes.com

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Posted by Marke B. at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you happen to notice large numbers of big furry gays prowling the streets, gyms, cafes, dance floors, and internets of SF this week (craigslist M4M is a total hirsute hoot this time of year), then be not alarmed -- it's merely the influx of hearty attendees for International Bear Rendezvous 2008, the huge hairy gathering sponsored by the Bears of San Francisco.

The conference/celebration takes place Feb 14-18 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway -- and it's pretty all-encompassing, with satellite pudge-parties and ravenous ribaldry (with Tiffany?!?), and also a few panels and local vendor booths (although the emphasis seems less and less on these each year).

Cub and the City

I got a lot of shit last year for writing about changes in the bear community (what I dubbed Bear 2.0) now that a younger generation of bears has come of age, with its focus less on community activism and combating negative gay mainstream stereotypes a la twinky Will and Grace and more on dancing to techno and having slutty fun (and a sense of humor, duh). It'll be interesting to see how right I was again this year, but I'm a full on chubby-chaser, darlings -- and February is huntin' season in this neck of the woof woods. Suit up!

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Posted by Marke B. at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)