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LGBT Talk
Dan Cusick, a longtime AIDS activist and advocate for the recovery community, died Thursday, April 23, due to liver failure related to hepatitis C.
Mr. Cusick, who was on the liver transplant waiting list, died in hospice care at UCSF Parnassus Medical Center
He was 50.
"Dan was the 'Angel of Castro Street,'" said fellow activist Matt Sharp. "He saved many, many people and made lives more bearable for the living because it was the right thing to do, not for himself. He's one of those people it's hard to imagine not being among the living and the fighting."
One of nine siblings, Mr. Cusick was born in 1959 and raised in Lakewood, California, in Los Angeles County. He graduated from Lakewood High School and attended Long Beach City College. During his 20s, he worked as a banquet waiter at the Hyatt Hotel and as a bartender at Ripples in Long Beach. He was involved in the anti-nuclear movement, frequently protesting against the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo. A fan of retro cars and low-riders, he enjoyed attending auto shows. in the company of family and friends.
Mr. Cusick became clean and sober at age 26, and in 1990 – at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic – he moved to San Francisco and immersed himself in activism, including fighting for wider availability and lower prices for medications for people with HIV.
Mr. Cusick joined ACT UP/Golden Gate (later renamed Survive AIDS) and volunteered with the treatment advocacy organization Project Inform, counseling people who called the group's pioneering HIV treatment hotline. Guided by the late Jeff Getty and the late Martin Delaney, Survive AIDS and Project Inform played a key role in making organ transplants accessible to HIV-positive individuals.
A long-term AIDS survivor himself, Mr. Cusick developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or PML, an often fatal brain disease that he survived thanks to early access to combination antiretroviral therapy in the mid-1990s – an experience chronicled in a July 8, 1996 Time magazine article on the new HAART "cocktail" treatment.
"Dan's activism was always based on seeking truth and justice," said friend and housemate Victor Valdiviezo. "He was proud of being gay and of his Irish heritage, but he was definitely colorblind and a kindred spirit to so many social justice causes."
Mr. Cusick was active in the Long Beach and San Francisco recovery communities, and he is widely remembered for his unfailing encouragement of others. Starting in 2002, he managed the Castro Country Club
"For the past six years, Dan managed the Castro Country Club with the qualities of character that he brought to the rest of his life: generosity, thoughtfulness, absolute dedication and commitment, focus, and a resolute hopefulness in people and their possibilities," said Baker Places Executive Director Jonathan Vernick.
(now a program of Baker Places Inc.), a clean and sober social space in the heart of the Castro neighborhood that offers an alternative to the bar scene and provides support to individuals seeking a life free of alcohol and drugs. In addition, he was a member of Mayor Gavin Newsom's crystal methamphetamine task force.
"Dan was an old-school activist, but it was through his daily work that he showed the way – listening to someone in trouble, offering some tough love mixed with his trademark humor, and in so many other ways," said longtime friend and housemate Terry Beswick, a former assistant editor at the Bay Area Reporter. "Dan truly gave his life for the well-being of the community, and his spirit will live on through countless others."
Mr. Cusick, along with the late Hank Wilson, was a driving force in the 1999 write-in mayoral campaign of state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) – then a city supervisor – against incumbent Mayor Willie Brown. At the 2008 Castro Street Fair, Mr. Cusick was sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
"When you look at the totality of Dan's work, he saved more lives than anyone I know," said Michael Lauro, another longtime community activist. "He had a heart large enough to save the world."
Mr. Cusick is survived by five brothers, two sisters, many extended family members, numerous friends, and his beloved dog, Ricky. On the evening of his death, a memorial shrine was created at the corner of Castro and 18th Street.The memorial service will take place May 30 at the Most Holy Redeemer Church at 100 Diamond Street at 1pm with a reception to follow.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Castro Country Club:
http://www.castrocountryclub.org/
"Stonewall-Gay Liberation 40th Anniversary,"
By Peter Fiske
It hardly seems possible to a man who was there that 40 years are gone since the night the queers fought back. When the cops came to close the Stonewall down because someone didn’t payoff enough, to take people away and then publish their names in the paper the next day: it was the straw that broke the camels back and we said NO MORE!
I am a Stonewall vet, of the bar, not the riots which lasted for 5 nights and were the beginning of the modern Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender liberation movement. What a great place the
Stonewall was! Hustlers, drag queens, Puerto Ricans, blacks, rich kids from the suburbs, latinos, dykes, leather guys....all went there to hang and dance. It was OUR place and no cop was gonna take it away.
This year we have much to celebrate. They don’t arrest us any more for gay sex or even just being gay, we wont lose our jobs if outed at work, we have power...but still we fight on for full equality under the law as promised in the Constitution. To celebrate this milestone SF Pride will place the Stonewall/Gay Liberation Front 40th Anniversary contingent at the head of the Pride parade right after Dykes on Bikes.
For those of us who were there it is a time of remembrance and to reconnect. For all LGBT people it should be a time to remember and connect to our shared history. Because of Stonewall and the Gay Liberation Front and all the other pioneer groups/individuals we live lives of freedom to be ourselves without fear. For leather BDSM folks we have the right to our sexual freedom. Many Leather/SM men and women have worked to make this happen by coming out and standing up for ourselves We welcome anyone who believes in liberation and equal justice for ALL to march with us at Pride no matter what your age/gender/race or income level. We will be the Stonewall-GLF 40th Anniversary contingent.
We will have a 15 Foot banner with the purple raised fist glove of Stonewall and Gay Liberation that says Gay Freedom-Gay Power. We will have many Leather BDSM folks with us. Wear your Leather and come join us. On May 26th I was arrested protesting the cowardly decision that took away our marriage rights. The struggle continues. Every day we advance a bit more. We follow the wise counsel of Harvey Milk...."Come out. Get allies. Support other minorities and working people. And finally never give up. By doing these simple things we continue to fight back and stand up for ourselves."
Silence = Death Action = Life. I told the reporter from the Chronicle " It’s a damn shame I still have to do this after 40 years"...but I see a whole new generation of activists who will never settle for anything less than full equality. They inspire me. See you at Pride. I will be wearing my Leather and my badge that proudly says Stonewall veteran. Remember those hustlers and drag queens and leather guys who had the courage to fight back at Stonewall.
Peter Fiske
"What Pride Means To Me,"
By Miss Monika, Featured Columnist
Every year, June is an exciting month for San Francisco Kinky people. I have always believed that Kinky People are a slice of the larger queer/LBGT community and have every bit as much pride to celebrate as the traditional gays and lesbians the pride festivities were originally created for and catered too. In recent years I have felt that other sexual minorities have taken there proper place amongst gays in the pride festivities. Over the past 10 pride festivities that I have been too here in San Francisco it seems more and more visibility and acceptance of kinky people amongst the LGBT seems much to my delight to be growing and becoming a more important piece of the greater queer community. I hope the period of time in which the greater queer community sees kinky people and that community as a liability rather then another piece of the diverse strength of these communities is over.
Last year I was blessed to ride on a float of local San Francisco Sex Workers in the procession of other sexually marginalized folks all marching for sexual liberation. I ended up getting strep throat and missed a lot of the festivities so I couldn't see many of the leather/kinky folks, I am sure there were many of them there I just wasn't able to get around and see everyone. This year I hope for a healthy and safe Pride Festival to see all of my local and far away folks that come to the San Francisco for the parties and events.
I have been having some internal issues related to my queerness, I will admit that while I am a MtF (male-to-femal) transgender I have been having a lot of penetrative vaginal sex with women, and haven't really played with many dudes lately I'm not sure if that means that I am not a queer anymore, maybe. Well if kinky people are queer then I can keep my queer identity and fuck whom ever I'd like and not worry about this. This has been a discussion that has been swirling around in my head for awhile it is part of the large thoughts about the future of my sexuality as well as the future of my body and parts.
For me, June's month long Queer celebration starts with Sex Worker art festival the first week in June, then a Massive party at Paradise Lounge a benefit for St. James Infirmary June 5th. There is a queer themed play party at the local dungeon June 6th, and then the Friday of pride weekend is another great queer themed party. Something that I can stress enough throughout all the parties there are plenty of opportunities for people in the community to help the organizers of these events make them safe and available for everyone. If I spent all the time during the events parting I only end up at half of the events, however I have found the if I volunteer to help out part of the time I end up being at the events longer, seeing more people, having more fun, along with helping ease the burden on the community that these kind of large scale events take on a community. People around me, friends of mine work for months before and weeks after the event to put it on and make it so great it is rare that these individuals get the credit and props that they deserve for all their hard work which is for the benefit of queers not just in San Francisco but all over the world... .
Pride, for me is a time of celebrations, to celebrate the ones that have come before, the ones that are around and still with us, and the folks that are going to come after us. There is still much work to be done for all forms of queerness to feel like everyone has a community they can be at home at, and to force communities that are not queer to treat us with an equal level of respect and acceptance that they just take for granted…Have a great pride, you’ll see me all over town at as many events and parties as I am physically able to attend.
"Gay Groups Proud of Active Calendars,"
By Master Jeffrey, LGBT Talk Columnist
Not surprisingly, Gay Pride is alive and well among the many LGBT organizations here in the Bay Area, but this year is adding up to an even more active one than usual. Both the 15 Association and Men of Discipline are throwing their annual Boot Camp runs from June 11-14 this year. The 15 Association will have more than 100 men for their 21st Boot Camp, probably breaking last year’s attendance record of 103. There is still time to register for the Golden Gate Guards 23rd Annual Run, “Full Leather Jacket,” which takes place from August 28-30 at a new location. For more information, go to ggguards.com.
Wednesday, June 24 will be a men’s play paradise when The 15 Association throws its Meet the 15 Sampler Night at the SF Citadel from 8:00-10:00 p.m. Some of the best players in the 15 will be demonstrating on their boys, as well as on those in attendance and interested! The 15 Association has its usual calendar of play parties: June 27, July 25, August 22, September 26, October 24 and November 28. Their play parties are at the SF Citadel (except the September party, which will be above Mr. S) and go from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. (doors open from 8:00-11:00 p.m.) For more information or to request invitations to 15 Association events, please visit the15association.org.
The June 15 party will be a special Pride Party, co-hosted by the SF Citadel Men’s Group. Doors will be open until midnight. The SF Citadel Men’s Group will also be hosting their monthly play parties September 11, October 9 and November 13. Men of Discipline will be hosting play parties on Friday, June 24 (Up Your Alley Play Party) and Friday, September 25 (Folsom Play Party), both at the SF Citadel from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. You must either be a Men of Discipline member or sponsored by one to attend these parties. For more information about Men of Discipline, please go to menofdiscipline.org.
The Golden Gate Guards 23rd Anniversary Party is set for November 21, from 7:00-10:00p.m. at the Eagle. The Golden Gate Guards are also very active with fund raising. They will be hosting Beverage Benefits at the Lone Star (from 4:00-8:00 p.m. for $9) on June 7, July 12 and September 6. The Golden Gate Guards also have an Eagle Beverage Benefit scheduled for August 23 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. for $10.
The 15 Association has committed to more fund raising than ever, as well. The 15 will be hosting beverage benefits at Chaps II on July 19, September 13 and October 18. They will also be throwing a beverage benefit at the Eagle on November 29 and operating a Beer Booth at the Castro Street Fair. In addition to the community charity efforts, the 15 also has two more Spanking Parties/Bar Nights scheduled at Chaps II on Friday, June 24 and October 23.
"The California Supreme Court Is Right (Again),"
By Master Jeffrey, LGBT Talk Columnist
This may seem very strange to read, especially on the LGBT page, but I am forced to admit, despite my support of gay marriage, that the California State Supreme Court has (once again) acted correctly with respect to that controversial issue.
Now, I know it is a disappointment for supporters of equal marriage rights, but legally the decision was quite right, and passing a proposition in a couple of years will be a much better way to accomplish this goal.
I would also like to point out that there are still many states where gay people don’t even enjoy equal protection under the law. In most states children can still be sent to mental hospitals by their parents for being gay.
Why was the California Supreme Court right in upholding Proposition 8? Simply because an amendment to the State Constitution cannot (by its very nature) be unconstitutional–it is a part of the document, not a law subject to review by interpreting the constitution.
Moreover, the Supreme Court also affirmed the 18,000 same sex marriages which took place, while it was legal. Again, this is quite correct because of the legal doctrine of ex post facto (after the fact). What this means is that if a person does something or enters into an agreement, which is legal at the time the act or agreement is undertaken, they cannot be sanctioned for that act or agreement, if the act, agreement (or parts of the agreement) become illegal by operation of law at a later date.
If the religious right decides to pursue invalidating the same sex marriages, they run the risk of having the U.S. Supreme Court eventually hear the case, which would almost certainly result in a ruling that the marriage are valid, and might even force the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on gay marriage. Remember, the California Supreme Court is just about as conservative as the U.S. Supreme Court, and they ruled last year that the statute defining marriage as between a man and a woman was unconstitutional under the California State Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court, despite its conservatism, would be faced with making an argument that domestic partnership or civil unions are a separate but equal substitute for same sex marriage, which is nearly impossible in light of Brown v. the Board of Education (1954). In Brown v. the Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court basically struck down segregation laws, finding that separate is inherently not equal.
However, voter passage is the best way to win these rights, since that would remove the most rational argument the Proposition 8 people have: that the court’s and state legislatures have no right to overturn the will of the voters.
And voter passage is not far away.
We now even have former Vice President (and as-yet-unprosecuted war criminal) Dick Cheney on our side!
Remember, when the statute that was overturned by the State Supreme Court last year was passed about 15 years ago, it passed 69% to 31%.
Proposition 8 passed by only 52% to 48%–that’s a 17% turnaround in about as many years.
Worst case scenario---by 2012 there will be enough votes to amend California’s State Constitution again, this time allowing all adults the right to marry.
