By Joanie Juster–
I almost didn’t write this column.
For three days I sat staring at the blank laptop screen, unable to write anything that felt meaningful. Events on the other side of the world left me utterly at a loss for words, unable to reconcile in my mind and heart the horrors happening overseas with the day-to-day life and events in our community.
Then I remembered a visit to Portland many years ago. We visited the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Living Memorial, set in a beautiful and serene park. Visitors follow a spiral pathway that ascends a gentle slope up into the forest and a view of Mt. Hood. Along the path are five stone walls, each listing, year by year, the names of Oregonians who died serving in the Vietnam War. The names alone, solemnly set in that peaceful natural setting, are deeply moving.
But the reason this memorial has stayed with me all these years is that at the top of each stone wall, above the names of the dead, is a brief list of everyday events that occurred at home in Oregon while the war raged across the ocean. Citizens of Milwaukie planted hundreds of dogwood trees along the streets of their city. The city of Beaverton set up a free dental clinic. In Turner, the postmistress retired from 43 years of service. A Salem girl successfully sued the school district for the right to wear slacks to class. Farmers raised so many vegetables that Oregon placed 12th in national production. 800,000 pounds of fish were hauled across the docks in Brookings. And in 1964, Oregon licensed 2,000 beekeepers.
So, while I write this, I am keeping in my heart the beekeepers, the tree planters, the farmers and public servants and volunteers and defiant young feminists who keep working to build and create and nourish our society. They are the antidote to the conflict and tragedy that is also a part of everyday life.
‘Freedom, Dignity, Understanding’ – The Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference
Among the (metaphorical) beekeepers are the good folks at the Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference, who will be celebrating their 10th anniversary on Saturday, October 21, in conjunction with their co-sponsors the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Openhouse, which is celebrating their own 25th anniversary. The free event will be hybrid—both live and streaming—and will focus on past issues and current situations, as well as the future of LGBTQ elders. The day will feature a full schedule of both information and entertainment. and lunch will be provided for those who attend in person.
Included in the program of health information will be: Teresa Palmer on the current status of Laguna Honda; Monica Gandhi, MD, on the status of public health after COVID-19; Alejandro Martinez from Openhouse on long-term HIV survival and its issues; and how to get involved in San Francisco’s 2024–25 HIV/AIDS budget planning. Paul Melbostad will also provide legal information targeting elders and their rights, especially regarding conservatorship. Entertainment will be provided by comedian Karen Ripley, and singer Tookta Jamaporn.
The Grayson Conference celebrates the life and legacy of Howard Grayson, a Black LGBTQ+ labor activist, who died alone in a hospital in 2011, without any of his family or friends being informed. His death underscored the challenges of aging in the LGBTQ+ community, and in 2012 the Harvey Milk Democratic Club created the Howard Grayson LGBTQ Elder Life Conference in his memory. The October 21 event will also honor community members who have contributed to the conference and to Grayson’s life, including Sylvia Vargas, Kathy Looper, Michelle Meow, and Supervisor Aaron Peskin. The event will be wheelchair accessible, and ASL interpretation will be provided. More info: Sue Englander, Conference Convener, graysonconference@gmail.com
Gala Season Is in Full Swing
Fall means more than pumpkin spice lattes. It’s the time of year to dust off your fancy duds and support local nonprofits at their annual galas. The season starts in September, and by October and November the calendar is jam-packed with organizations not only raising critical funds to support their day-to-day work, but also to publicly celebrate their accomplishments over the past year, and honor some of the many heroes in our community who devote their time and talents to helping others. Here are just a few of the big ones coming up, and they would all welcome your support:
October 21: Human Rights Campaign San Francisco Bay Area Dinner, at the Westin St. Francis https://tinyurl.com/HRCSF23
October 21: UCSF Alliance Health Project’s Art for AIDS Auction, at the UCSF Pritzker Building https://tinyurl.com/AHPAA23
October 27: Shanti Project’s Compassion Is Universal, at the Palace Hotel
https://tinyurl.com/SCIU23
November 9: PRC’s Mighty Real, at the St. Joseph’s Arts Society https://tinyurl.com/PRCSFMR
And Don’t Forget Halloween …
From family-friendly to frightening to just plain fun, there are plenty of choices for celebrating Halloween this year. Here are a couple of top choices. Please stay safe while you’re out there celebrating, and look out for your friends and neighbors, too.
Saturday, October 28: Halloween in the Castro, co-hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Civic Joy Fund, Castro Merchants Association, and Another Planet Entertainment
The Castro Theatre will be the hub of a day-long celebration including a 5-film marathon of classic horror films, and an epic costume contest hosted by the Sisters. $5 admission for each film; entry to the costume contest will be free to those wearing a fabulous costume.
https://tinyurl.com/CastroHal23
Sunday, October 29: Castro Family Halloween Block Party and Costume Contest
ArtyHood, Castro Merchants, and the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association are co-hosting this second annual family-friendly event from 11–5 on Noe between Market and Beaver, complete with costume contests for kids, grown-ups, and pets, plus performances and activities of all sorts.
https://tinyurl.com/CastroFHBP
And did you know that you can view the costume parade on Castro Street by watching the San Francisco Bay Times’ Castro Street Cam?https://tinyurl.com/4jphheav
One More Thing
Halloween frights aside, these are genuinely tense and scary times. Please be an instrument of peace and healing by being kind, offering comfort and support to those who are fearful or traumatized, and speaking out against hatred, bigotry, and violence. It will take all of us working together to heal the world.
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on October 19, 2023
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