Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
San Francisco Examiner - October 17, 2005
Christopher Caen, ccaen@examiner.com.
Hmmmm, interesting collection of characters they are looking for. Apparently to the outside world, we are all either gay or artists or possibly both. Then again, given what is happening in the outside world I don't think I really have a problem with that. On the other hand, I wonder if these people are also trolling Chicago looking for large Chicago Cub fans with a Polish in one hand and Al Capone's picture in the other. Or surveying the soggy American south for true Southern hicks with a mint julep in one hand and a Confederate flag in the other.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend several weeks back. We were having our monthly political conversation about the state of the world and how San Francisco is or is not involved in the political currents today. Given the fact that we are all getting the stacks of holiday catalogs in the mail I used the opportunity to make the statement that San Francisco is in danger of becoming the island of misfit toys. Granted, we love being San Franciscans and for good reason. But have we started to become political snobs, so sure of our stands and positions that we are slowly undocking from the rest of the country? Many of the defining moments of this country, from civil rights to Vietnam to AIDS were fought for right here in San Francisco. And one would like to think that we can again drive national agendas for the environment, conservation, education and social issues.
But as long as the rest of the country still talks about us while rolling their eyes and thinking "well, there goes San Francisco" again, then we will never get traction. That company on craigslist wants San Francisco icons that perpetuate that myth. They want drag queens instead of doctors who have been working on HIV/AIDS for two decades and people who fight the fight daily at local charities like Under One Roof and REAF (Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation). Those are the icons in my book. They want personalities instead of people, characters instead of heroes.
They will never be interested in someone like Tim Gaskin, who goes about his business being an artist who gives back to the community more than any of the personalities they will find. Besides his great art, Tim always answers the starting gun when someone needs an event, a piece for donation or an emcee to stand up. Last Friday he was part of the "This Old Bag" event for the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. He and Kimberly (I have decided she is like Cher, one name only) were winding down the auction for all the great celebrity handbags they had collected. As one of the last bags was in play, the Gavinator quietly arrived and bid it up to $500. Then Kimberly jumped in and matched it for another $500. So my question to Tim is this: when they paid for it, were they separate checks or do they still have the joint account? The people want to know!
The bids started to slack off, but Tim knew he had a good thing going, so he then stood up and asked, "Who in this room wants to hear Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom call out their name when they bid?" Apparently quite a few, because they were back off to the races and managed to raise another $2,000. In total, $50,000 was raised that night because of the enthusiasm of both the organizers and the attendees. Now don't you think that kind of energy directed out to the rest of the country would make a big difference? So do I.
However, we still have to do things our way. Tim was also at the celebrity pool toss last Tuesday for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. Fiona Ma was one of the ringleaders and surprised the crowd when she marched out in a 49er outfit. However, there is no truth to the rumor that several of the 49ers' secondary players tried to tackle her and all missed. They must have thought it was Sunday. But it is true that Supervisor Chris Daly pledged $10,000 if they would throw fellow Supe Bevan Dufty into the pool. His only stipulation was that they empty the pool first. And that's the way it was this week in the Forty-Nine Acre Wood. Have a good weekend.
***
Christopher Caen's column appears Thursdays and weekends in The Examiner.
051017
SE051001
Copyright © 2005 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .